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Post by Èdan on Mar 10, 2022 9:55:31 GMT -6
..Wiring that rather looks like fishing line, though nothing close to what he's been using. This one's old, tattered, stained - All clear signs it's been in the water for some time. "Don't move," he mutters, and secures a knee against the rakai, to prevent it from struggling just in case. One hand holds the leg, while the other brings the knife delicately between the rakai's skin and line, slicing at it in small, short strokes. While the knife is sharp, it's also unfortunately double-edged, meaning the only way to cut this thing off would be to do it flat against the skin.
Not the best angle, but it works. Eventually the line snaps and he's able to unravel it from the rakai's foot. "There.." the man stands, letting go of the pup who quickly rises to his feet and shakes off a cascade of water from his fur, before beginning to lick the foot.
. 56 . Perscitus: 39 (1/5) Dry Season: 56
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Post by Èdan on Mar 10, 2022 10:00:16 GMT -6
A gesture certainly far more dramatic than it needs to be. "You're fine.. Barely touched you." Though perhaps the wounds to the pup's ego were stronger, so he leaves him be to mend that, and focuses back to the water. With the pup free, there's still the issue of the fishing line, and the mystery of whatever it was that exists below. He wades in carefully, keeping an eye out for any colour shifts or changes beneath the waves. Not an easy enough task, given the current constantly ripples the surface in greater and smaller distortions, but his own fishing line makes for a guiding point to where things got stuck.
The strands he cut free from the pup didn't seem like any fishing line as such, though that isn't saying much. In the City, more or less anything is possible, nothing more so than people quite often resorting to unseemly methods or behaviour.
. 57 . Perscitus: 39 (2/5) Dry Season: 57
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Post by Èdan on Mar 10, 2022 10:03:51 GMT -6
Reaching close to the spot where the pup was pulled free, he leans down and reaches the hand into the dark, silty waters. It's not long before he feels something brush against the fingers, like fine coils of rope. Grabbing it, the man pulls it out, which is to say he has to yank it a few times, before some rocks shift nearby and seem to completely release it. Even as the top of the bundle surfaces from the water, its nature is evident - A fishing net. Old, used, probably abandoned.
Not exactly a great example of taking care of one's trash, either. But among the coils sits that very same dead fish he'd tied to the line as bait, sole cause for kicking off this rather unfortunate series of events. Rather hating the idea he'd need to cut the line even shorter than it already has been a few times, the man instead begins wading to shore.
. 58 . Perscitus: 39 (3/5) Dry Season: 58
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Post by Èdan on Mar 10, 2022 10:07:42 GMT -6
Heavily waterlogged and containing more than its weight in other trash caught in however many years its been here, the hauling is no easy matter (But he's trained with heavier things). Once back on the stony beach, he tosses the net onto the ground with a wet thud, and nearly falls into a sit right next to it. Even as the hands reach for the boots, the eyes quickly scan the horizon (More impulse and habit than any real need with the courier). Pulling the boot off, he upturns it and lets the water it is filled with splash out onto the stones. The second one follows suit, and he eventually leaves them propped up against a talle stone side-by-side, but up side down.
Not much use for water-proof boots if they're already filled with water. Bare feet will have to do for a time, until those dry. In this, both man and pup can perhaps find common ground, even.
. 59 . Perscitus: 39 (4/5) Dry Season: 59
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Post by Èdan on Mar 10, 2022 10:15:47 GMT -6
He spends some time fiddling with the line and the net, eventually being able to untangle the dead fish free without having to resort to the knife. That fixes the issue with the fishing line, though to avoid a repeat of the last cast, he briefly goes back to the tool box and retrieves a few more of the lures from there. Attaching each at varying length to the line, there's a strong assurance the pup won't mistake it for something to chase again. Even so, he only casts it out once he's closer to shore, making sure to keep the water between himself and self-cleaning pup at the moment.
Only once it's in the water does he feel comfortable enough back up towards the net again, and sitting down on the stony ground. While the lures bob away in the water, his attention draws to the messy tangle of lines, more seaweed, branches and other debris than the fishing net it was once made to be.
( First five posts / Second five posts / Third five posts )
. 60 . (added) Perscitus: 40 (0/5) Dry Season: 60
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Post by Ashe on Mar 18, 2022 4:07:38 GMT -6
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Post by Èdan on Mar 20, 2022 15:05:41 GMT -6
Another time and another place, the net might have yet been the perfect tool for such low tides. Something small enough to set in the morning and light enough to pull back out come nightfall. Perhaps even shorter than that, if one was to remain around and keep vigil over it (Though that would have more spoken towards impatience). Although it does not seem to have a rope attached (Least not any more) another possibility could have also been to cast it manually and drag to see what it would fall on.
Right now, neither option really worked, seeing as it's so clogged with debris as to make it unusable. Even parts of it that look to be clean enough to constitute webbing seem thin and worn, as likely to snap at any resistance as to dissolve on its own. In that light, much as he would like to give it a try, the pole makes for a better option.
. 61 . Perscitus: 40 (1/5) Dry Season: 61
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Post by Èdan on Mar 20, 2022 15:12:05 GMT -6
Even so, perhaps there's still use for it.. With the pup still preoccupied and the line rather slack, he figures it safe enough to allow for a bit of distraction. If nothing else, the line being pulled on would probably make the pup chase after the fishing rod anyway, so he doesn't have to be as concerned there.
Reaching over to the odd lump-sum that's the netting, the man tries to find some edge or corner to the pile with which to begin untangling it. A process that's oddly more complicated than one would think.. Eventually he does manage to free some part of it that holds together enough to peel away, while not so much as to immediately show resistance, revealing more algae-covered sludge beneath. Wonderful. He picks away at the larger lumps, tossing them aside absently. Seaweed has its uses, but algae is mostly the stuff people don't want in their food.
. 62 . Perscitus: 40 (2/5) Dry Season: 62
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Post by Èdan on Mar 20, 2022 15:26:36 GMT -6
The sounds of the gunk slopping against the stones catches the pup's attention, as his head goes swivelling towards the man and the proverbial 'action' as it were. Predictably, he hears the clatter of stones shortly after as the rakai comes padding over, still half-soaked, but apparently absent-minded of it enough in favour of this new development.
Glancing over his shoulder, the man scoffs with some bemusement, muttering wonders under his breath, even though the sentiment is quite the opposite (It's a good thing he decided to make the rakai into a fisher, for it would have been a poor thing to have a guard dog so easily distracted by the barest of things). He does raise a hand to stop him from getting too close, however. "Ah, ah.. Far enough. You already got caught in it once, I don't need to cut you loose a second time if you tangle up again."
. 63 . Perscitus: 40 (3/5) Dry Season: 63
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Post by Èdan on Mar 20, 2022 15:31:25 GMT -6
While the rakai does stop, his insistence does not, and he remains standing and half-jumping while barking at the net. For a moment the man almost assumes it's a form of indignance, being mad at the thing which caused him pain and panic.. But no, there's a sense of urgency to it rather than threat. A type of urgency he's seen before as well.
The man's head turns back to the net, and he searches it with sharper perception. Sure enough, at the very edge of it there's something thin and yellow sticking out from among the algae, easily confused for some pale piece of branch. Except it's also moving. Slowly, albeit, but none the less very much a sign of something living. (Not much of a guard dog, but definitely an eye, ear, and potentially even nose for the fish). He can't see much more than that due to the debris..
. 64 . Perscitus: 40 (4/5) Dry Season: 64
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Post by Èdan on Mar 20, 2022 15:36:02 GMT -6
..Although it seems the net isn't entirely useless after all. With a swift flick, he pulls out the knife from the belt, flipping it blade-up in the palm and sliding it between the netting close to the wiggling thing. Behind him, the pup has stopped barking, but his ears remain perked and the posture is alert (Or perhaps just waiting for a treat, as reward for finding something. To that end, he's rather inconveniently reminded of yet another task that needs doing once they're back).
With short, quick cuts the netting falls away from the orange appendage, largely because the main part of the netting around it seems so decomposed by it's own right that the knife hardly has to do anything. With a wet slop, the algae flows freely out, carrying with it what now looks to be something like a star. It's definitely still a fish of some sort, though none he's seen around here yet..
. 65 . Perscitus: 41 (0/5) Dry Season: 65
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Post by Èdan on Mar 20, 2022 15:40:54 GMT -6
"What in the.." a brief grimace passes his face, as he leans over to inspect the thing closer. Spindly as it is, he doesn't quite trust to touch it so lightly, instead resolving to lightly poke at it with a knife. It reacts much as anything would, trying to move away from it, though the speed could be something to be left desired. Well.. He's seen similar things dried out and used as decorations, so perhaps there's also a market for it for the still-moving ones.
Angling the blade beneath the starfish, he picks it up and moves it over to the bucket, having to flip the blade and even tap against it a little to finally let the thing fall into the water below. As he's returning, the pup's tail is already swishing back and forth, large eyes eager and very much expecting. For all that this one isn't supposedly pack-oriented, he really seems to rely on the recognition to get by.
. 66 . Perscitus: 41 (1/5) Dry Season: 66
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Post by Èdan on Mar 20, 2022 15:45:35 GMT -6
But.. fair's fair. If the thing in the net had been poisonous, such warning could well be a way to survive another unfortunate encounter with the temple's dragon. "Good job," he tells the pup simply. Then points towards the shore, "Keep going, see if you can find another one. Hunt and fish." Immediately and with a bark, the rakai turns and dashes off towards the water again. As he's running off, the man briefly toys with the new pendant from the trinket trader, hanging around the neck.. It hadn't been properly tested yet, but if the advertisement holds true, he'll need to find something similar for the rakai in due time, or risk him at some point truly almost drowning, at this rate.
Perhaps the next time around the courier would run errands.. In the meantime, there's still some daylight (And bait) left, so best make the most of it today.
. 67 . Perscitus: 41 (2/5) Dry Season: 67
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Post by Èdan on Mar 20, 2022 15:51:08 GMT -6
Returning to the net, all pretence of trying to unravel it are discarded, and he approaches it rather more from a surgical perspective - If the netting isn't particularly receptive to being pulled off or loose, a few precision cuts with the knife is enough to make it far more compliant. In the process, more of the bounty is revealed. Most of it is still various debris and algae, of little use to anyone aside compost for some garden (And there's far easier ways to get that, with much better quality).
But among the lot is still a few treasures - Two shells look to be locked between the same tangled pocket of the webbing, small and around, and curiously striped, though still living, much to his fortune. Perhaps they had wandered there seeking shelter rather than being 'caught' as such, though regardless of the cause, it works out in his favour in the end.
. 68 . Perscitus: 41 (3/5) Dry Season: 68
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Post by Èdan on Mar 20, 2022 15:57:11 GMT -6
He plucks both and takes them over to the bucket, letting them settled to the bottom of it next to another of their close kin. In all this, he's rather almost forgotten to check the fishing pole itself. A quick glance over shows it hasn't moved all too much, but a further glance also shows the line itself is not quite as steady, nor clear, in the water. The head tilts a little and he walks over to pick up the rod, starting to reel in the line.
It hasn't even quite cleared the water yet when something dark seems to hang onto the line at the end. Not a fish, for a fish would be fighting something fierce (Unless it was dead, in which case, fair bet). Instead, it turns out to be a shell, though not the same as the striped ones from the net - This one has a far more mobile inhabitant.
. 69 . Perscitus: 41 (4/5) Dry Season: 69
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