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Post by Èdan on Feb 23, 2022 9:08:27 GMT -6
It's not outside the realm of possibility to still find a fish stuck on the line, even after it's stuck somewhere, though knowing their luck, perhaps not quite so fortunate in this case. The water runs shallow where the line ends, though deep enough to threaten the edge of the water-tight boots were it choppier currents. He can already see the yellow lure peeking partly through the bubbling stream, as it looks to have been caught by an underwater branch. Well.. that certainly explains the lack of bites, since fish would hardly find a branch half as appetizing as something bright 'swimming' through the waters.
He leans in, dipping the hands into the cold water to quickly loosen the lure, and reel it up, when something else does catch his eye - The branch does have a denizen, though not a fish. One of those underwater snails seems to slowly crawl along it, not too far from where the lure was.
. 42 . Perscitus: 36 (2/5) Dry Season: 42
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Post by Èdan on Feb 23, 2022 9:12:56 GMT -6
If he wasn't right next to it, one could have hardly noticed even, as the shell of the snail has a blueish tint, perfect for blending it into the general blue-green background of the algae-covered riverbed. "Bad luck, there," he mutters, and plucks the snail from the branch, bringing it up and out of the water. While he can certainly sympathize with a 'wrong place, wrong time' type situation, he can hardly do so with a snail. The things are largely food for other fish and animals, so it would meet some end sooner or later. At least in the pond back at the tower the snail might see some extra days (Provided the snapper doesn't decide to start preferring molluscs suddenly).
He's about to turn and head back, when the line's tug shows it's still stuck. As it happens, the second hook looks to be equally stuck somewhere, so briefly the man spends a second with both hands full and in a quandary.
. 43 . Perscitus: 36 (3/5) Dry Season: 43
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Post by Èdan on Feb 23, 2022 9:16:51 GMT -6
A condition that doesn't last long, as he pokes at the snail some to cause it to retreat into its shell and merely pockets the shell (Not like all the fish slime and occasional mud or blood didn't mean he'd need to wash the clothes later anyway. What's a little more snail slime?) Following the line only a short distance, the other hook seems to be stuck between some rocks, needing little effort to be released. Though, that too isn't the only find, as something else between the rocks catches his attention.
When he reaches in and picks up the two pieces, he almost thinks them to be oddly bright stones at first. As soon as they come out of the water and catch that first proper glint of light, however, their surfaces show a rather peculiar lustre. The man gives a confused frown.. Pearls? In this river? Small ones, granted, but none the less distinctly not some simple rocks.
. 44 . Perscitus: 36 (4/5) Dry Season: 44
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Post by Èdan on Feb 23, 2022 9:21:30 GMT -6
If one didn't know better, they might assume them to have fallen from some necklace or other type of decoration, but as he turns them around in the palm there's no evidence of holes or other hints that they've been previously worked by an artisan in some form. The frown lifts and he instead feels rather impressed by the happenstance. Not the catch he was expecting, but none the less the kind of catch he can appreciate (And he'd know a few others who might appreciate the pearls even more).
Walking back to the bucket, he picks the snail from the pocket and drops it in, while securing the pearls to the box as a better safety measure. Should he go tumbling into the water, best not have loose things in one's pocket. Swapping out the lures for a fresh new hook, he heads back to the shore line, where the rakai is still digging through loose pebbles and patches of sand in the surf. The line is cast, and the waiting begins anew.
. 45 . Perscitus: 37 (0/5) Dry Season: 45
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Feb 26, 2022 13:09:59 GMT -6
A bit of lake lettuce comes up with your hook, not a fish!
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Post by Èdan on Mar 1, 2022 3:50:28 GMT -6
At the rate the rakai is going, the river's is going to see a new underground current soon enough, what with the pebbles being flung into an ever increasing heap on the shore. For all the effort, the man rather doubts he would end up finding fish beneath the soil, however.. Though perhaps that's not the prey he's after. Some aquatic species do burrow and hide underneath sand and rocks along the body of water's floor. Even so, he can't quite imagine any of them burrowing deep enough to warrant a pup digging a hole the size of itself.
Well, in any case, it keeps the pup occupied, which means he's also less likely to be loud or distracting beyond the sounds of pebbles peppering the shoreline (And there's worse sounds to enjoy a calm moment to). If he does end up finding something, well, then it's him whose made more the fool, although for now he's not too concerned over that possibility.
. 46 . Perscitus: 37 (1/5) Dry Season: 46
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Post by Èdan on Mar 1, 2022 3:54:17 GMT -6
Instead, he can't help but notice that the deeper the hole gets, the deeper the water that the pup ends up diving through. The rakai seem just as comfortable around water as anything else, although he can't help but wonder if that charm he saw at that merchant's cart might be something to invest in, just to be sure.. After all, even professional swimmers aren't immune to drowning, if the conditions are just right (And he'd rather hate having to show up to the temple, stand in front of that dragon and try to explain what happened as it's probing the mind in the process).
The man rolls the shoulder, shaking away the thought. No, telepathic things are definitely not something to engage with (Or if unavoidable, as little as possible. Yes, he can mask the thoughts well enough, but the effort it takes is not necessary worth the pressure or benefit they could give).
. 47 . Perscitus: 37 (2/5) Dry Season: 47
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Post by Èdan on Mar 1, 2022 4:29:20 GMT -6
The end of the line snagged on something then, preventing the mulling to proceed any further. Unlike the last time, the tug isn't so definitely, absolutely stuck, so there's actual hope of a catch rather than it being caught between some rocks again. As he pulls and reels the line back in, the activity brings the pup's attention out and away from the dug hole as well, eventually causing him to pad over to see what's happening.
The catch on the line resists momentarily, but one stronger pull seems to release it from whatever was keeping it at bay. Continuing the reel, the resistance that follows feels more the current than something struggling, causing the man to wonder if they might have caught another tin can in place of a fish.. But by the time the end of the line crests the water's surface, the glint beneath isn't at all metal..
. 48 . Perscitus: 37 (3/5) Dry Season: 48
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Post by Èdan on Mar 1, 2022 4:41:23 GMT -6
It's green. And a familiar green at that. Wading into the shallows, the man pulls up the last of the line and sure enough - The 'catch' of the day seems to be another of the river's plants, similar to some that he'd already previously caught during their last strip. Unhooking the leafy thing, the man briefly glances to the waiting pup, before halfheartedly offering it forward, "Salad?"
The pup sniffs at it, curious enough to inspect, but not so much as to turn vegetarian all of a sudden, eventually snorting and shaking its head with a spray of water droplets. The man pulls back, shielding himself from the brief unwanted rain, "Didn't think so." before making their way back towards the bucket. While not necessarily a spectacular find, there is something to be said about providing the pond fish with some scenery. And depending on the fish itself, perhaps even a form of snack.
. 49 . Perscitus: 37 (4/5) Dry Season: 49
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Post by Èdan on Mar 1, 2022 4:48:25 GMT -6
Hell, if he's lucky, there might even be chefs in the city who wouldn't mind a bit of water-lettuce to throw into their food. Like those rolled up fish snacks, with the green sleeve? (He really should have stopped to ask more about them, starting with what they're even called, but alas, such is hindsight).
Speaking of fish.. After depositing the lettuce into the bucket, offering some greenery to the various things already swimming around there, the man wipes his hands and glances towards the tool box. If hooks and lures are mostly bringing about things and plants, perhaps what the fish need is an incentive that's a little more.. real. Not quite all fish in his possession are living, although these ones were sold by the lure shop as bait. He hooks one up to the line, and returns to the shore, to cast the line out into the water.
...Second before the pup's head follows, and he runs after it. . 50 . (added)
Perscitus: 38 (0/5) Dry Season: 50
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Post by Èdan on Mar 10, 2022 9:31:31 GMT -6
While he catches the motion, he doesn't quite match the intent until some moments later when the dots connect. Once they do, he's pretty quick to suddenly pull the line sideways in the water and begin reeling it in, as fast as possible, before the pup is able to thrash his way to it. Goddess damned it.. If you train something to recognize and catch fish, it's really a no-brained for them to chase after one being flung through the air. (Hindsight's something that's pretty sharp in most people, although he always figured, or hoped, his foresight was a bit sharper than that).
The line runs through the water at speed, trying to fight its way back to shore downstream, but the pup's almost looking to be even faster, splashing through the shallows towards it.. Of all the things to catch that day, a water-logged and hook-injured rakai is certainly not something he'd like.
. 51 . Perscitus: 38 (1/5) Dry Season: 51
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Post by Èdan on Mar 10, 2022 9:36:39 GMT -6
The race can be hardly called an even one, considering there's detriments to each side. Him having to move closer and further downstream along the shore to avoid pulling the line closer to the pup, while the pup wades through chest-deep water at speeds much slower than his previous headlong dash along the stony shore. A real give or take, with the line kept just far away from the pup as to avoid it being snatched, but not far enough to be snatched up.
The bait looks to be almost to shore and home free.. when suddenly the line snags on something, stopping dead. Trying to reel it in, the man can feel a heavy resistance, and can only watch as the pup finally catches the line, tries to bite at it and suddenly disappears beneath the water with a splash.
To say the turn of events is unexpected would certainly be the understatement of the day.
. 52 . Perscitus: 38 (2/5) Dry Season: 52
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Post by Èdan on Mar 10, 2022 9:40:58 GMT -6
For all intents and purposes it seems like the pup tripped, though on what is anyone's guess. A few seconds pass, just long enough for a certain concern to start creeping in, until the water's surface breaks again and the pup's head comes back out, coughing water. Ah faex.. The one thing worse than a hook-pricked pup would be a drowned one, even one that should, arguably, be rather comfortable around water.
The man drops the line and rushes over, wading into the water after both line and beast. For all the distress he looks to be in, the pup doesn't seem to be making much headway in getting to shore, which makes him wonder if he too is stuck somehow. It would have certainly explained the sudden going underwater. (What irony that would be, something below getting as a prize not only the fish bait, but a whole rakai as well).
. 53 . Perscitus: 38 (3/5) Dry Season: 53
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Post by Èdan on Mar 10, 2022 9:45:37 GMT -6
Of course, he doesn't necessarily believe there's a beast or some other monstrosity to cause this, considering both line and pup are still, effectively, alive. But the hand does go to the belt as he approaches, pulling the knife to be at a ready in case it's needed. Where the water is up to the pup's neck, for him it's mostly to the middle of the calves, though still tall enough to dip past the edge of the waterproof boots.
It makes the going a bit slower, but by no means impossible. Eventually, the man's able to reach the rakai's side and snatch it by the scruff of it's scales. "C'mon, you.. Enough trouble making." Pulling him up, there's a brief snag, one of the rakai's feet remaining firmly in the water as he lets out a small whine, trying to shake the leg, but to no effect.
Ah, well. That might explain it.
. 54 . Perscitus: 38 (4/5) Dry Season: 54
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Post by Èdan on Mar 10, 2022 9:51:14 GMT -6
A thin line of something runs around the leg, barely visible from among the dark fur. He adjusts the pup, pulling him up and over his shoulder as she leans down with the knife, quickly snicking the line off. With the leg free, the rakai continues to scamper up onto his shoulder, but he keeps a firm enough grip to turn around and wade back to shore. "Settle down.. We're not done yet." While the pup might be free from the water, there's still remnants of the line to deal with.
Once back on the shore, he puts the rakai down on the stones and presses against his back, to keep him still, "Stay." Eventually the rakai is laid down on his side, as he inspects the foot closer. There's no damage as such that he can see, though the fur's a little mussed up and haggard from the wiring around it.
. 55 . Perscitus: 39 (0/5) Dry Season: 55
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