Talking Food [Sable Baggywrinkle]

[Lase]

Winter 26, 511 AV Early Morning Lase closed her eyes as she floated lazily in the Suvan Sea, just below the surface. It was nice to relax for once, clean out the sand from her fur and hair. She could feel the movement of the sea, and the random pockets of cold water the would blossom nearby. At least, colder than the water already was. The Northern Suvan was cold, but in winter it was even colder. But she didn't mind. The chill barely affected Lase; the Akvatari part of her could withstand temperatures such as this. She turned in place, slowly, until she was facing the bottom of the Suvan. Lase opened her eyes, peering into the murky depths, watching fish and plants become illuminated in the shifting sunlight. She swam around, following the ebb and flow of the water, until ultimately breaking the surface, watching Syna bring the morning. It was very calm, with small waves rolling about and few disturbances crashing through the water. Lase ran her fingers through her hair, and still feeling the miniscule grains of sand, pulled her comb out of her bag, which was nothing more than a net that was once used for catching small fish tied up with a thin, but strong, length of rope. Her belongings were waterproof, at least, although she only really brought them with her when she knew she was going to need something. Tying it shut, she strapped the bag across her body and sunk back down under the water, comb in hand, to remove the last bit of sand from her hair. She had just begun to comb her hair when a wildly shot harpoon flew right past her, giving Lase a small cut on the arm and throwing her into a panic. She swam blindly directly into a net, which was put there either for this purpose or by accident. Who's shooting a harpoon at me? I'm not food! she thought angrily.

[Sable Baggywrinkle]

A brisk chill swept over the bow of the ship, tugging at lines and freezing happiness. White caps invoked images of unforgiving ice, not merrily dancing water drops. The cloudy and tempestuous sky wasn’t even worth rolling out of the bunk to say hello to in the morning. In fact, nothing warranted rolling out of the bunk in the morning. From here on out, winters would be spent in the south. Gurgle, gurgle. Okay, maybe one thing could justify coming topside. And that’s why the nets had been tossed out. Just as she turned away to sleep for another few hours, no way could Laviku himself talk her into waiting around in this miserable gray weather, a dark shadow meandered along in the brief illumination of an almost-sunbeam. Grumble, gurgle. The only way she was getting insta-food waited perched on her bow. It took only a second to load the harpoon, watch the creature with a neophyte’s grasp on shooting live prey, and fire. When the line kept unraveling far past the point that would have indicated a hit, Sable rolled her eyes. Of course, of course, on a day like this she wouldn’t succeed at anything. Hands stiff and red by the time she’d hauled in the bolt, which she left in a jumble on the deck, they found cozy homes in her armpits as she shuffled back into the cabin to roll on a bunk and snooze for another few bells. The mood had not improved with the nap. Sib snortled, appeared to think about getting out of bed, then turned her back on her friend and snuggled back into the sea of blankets. Gurgle was not the best sound to wake a person up. Snarling, the lanky blond tugged on layers and emerged to check the nets. Even with such little experience, she knew something had been caught. And had thrashed quite a bit at some point, which explained why when she roughly hauled out the net the creature was buttocks-up with that little tail whirling around and face down. FACE. SPLASH. (That was the sound of her dropping the net again) (because seals weren’t supposed to have faces.) When finally the sopping thing had been flopped onto the deck, Sable stared at it with an unfriendly cocked brow. Her chops had started watering at the idea of some good old smoked red meat. And then that gaping mug at turned its fishy eyeballs on her. “What did you do with all my fish? Why are there no fish? What am I supposed to eat?”

[Lase]

She had waited long enough. Apparently, directly after shooting the harpoon this person pulled it up, dropped it, and ran away, probably somewhere warm. No matter how many splashes and gurgles and underwater yelling Lase did, this person was away, ignoring her. It had been hours upon hours in frigid waters, and while this didn't bother her, the effect of spending overly long times underwater was getting to her. Time was running out, with Lase's needing a breath of air sooner and sooner. Shore was right there, too, just a few feet above the net. But could she reach it? No. And that was quite irritating, because a nice breath of fresh air and the ability to scream for someone to lift up the net would have been convenient. Even the constant thrashing about did little to alert someone to her presence. This net was at least slightly well made, because despite her best efforts, Lase could not unravel a knot or two to let herself out. Finally, as if on cue with Lase's breath running out, someone started lifting the net. But this ended as quickly as it started. As soon as she was able to catch a breath, she was dropped again. Most likely from her human body, because this Svefra most likely didn't know what an Akvatari was, or if they did, that it could interbreed with humans. Seeing a seal with a face could be a bit unnerving if you weren't expecting it. Soon though, the fisherman of no skill decided to lift up the net again, probably to check if there were any fish in the net. Yeah, and I'm a dog, thought Lase. Even she, with no skill in fishing, could tell that this net was not very strategically placed, unless the person's goal was to scare something into the net, as it had Lase. Even if there were any fish, the haphazardly shot harpoon scared them all away. Look's like their only catch would be Lase. She flopped over onto the deck, on her back, staring at the annoyed face of a Svefra. "You never had any fish in that net of yours to begin with, and that harpoon scared the few fish that were there away. And if you're so hungry, perhaps learn to fish a little better? But if you really need food, I can get some for you. Honestly. Do you like shrimp?" Lase wasn't exactly in the mood to go looking for creepy little bug-things that floated around in the cold water, but if this lassie was so upset about having no food, she would. But then there was the matter of the lost comb. How did I not notice I dropped it before now? And I still have sand in my hair! Argh. she thought, momentarily angry, until she realized the comb had gotten stuck in between the netting of her bag that she had still had with her. How convenient.

[Sable Baggywrinkle]

All testimony from a seal with a face was immediately suspect. Of course there were fish in that net at some point. To think otherwise was just plain silly. As the creature dripped in her inelegant pile on the deck, Sable regarded her with a frown that bordered petulant. “I don’t know how to cook shrimp,” the lanky woman muttered, crossing arms bulky with layers. “Do you?” Eyes lightened perceptibly with hope. “If you go get them, I could get the stove ready. Do you eat shrimp?” Did it eat cooked shrimp, for that matter? The commotion must have intrigued Sib enough to venture into the cold breeze. Her little baby otter face peeked over the last step from the cabin, but she only waited a moment before zipping over to their guest and flopping eagerly all over her seal parts. Sable looked vaguely betrayed, but she gamely offered, “that’s Sib. Sib, meet…” Eyebrows lifted inquisitively as she hunkered more fully in on herself as a gust disturbed the haphazard curls tangled over her shoulders.

[Lase]

Lase hadn't eaten shrimp in years, and she certainly didn't know how to cook it. She didn't know how to cook anything. You couldn't really start a fire underwater, and even to be able to drag herself onto the beach and collect sticks, she would have no idea how to start one. She just ate her food raw: plants, fish, random crabs. Shrimp wasn't on the list of usual foods, just because you had to go up north or deep underwater to find them. Well, they were up north, but even more north. She just said shrimp because that was the first thing that came to mind. "No, I don't exactly know how to cook shrimp...or anything for that matter. Shrimp was just the first thing that came to mind. I can get crabs though, and plants. Does that sound OK to you?" Lase replied, actually trying to be friendly to this girl, even though she showed obvious discontent at her. Soon after she said that, a small furry brown creature appeared. It was an adorable baby otter. Lase had seen many on her swims, but this one was much more friendly and almost immediately ran, or slid, or flopped or whatever it was over to Lase. It rolled all over her seal body, as if it had known her all its life. This Svefra girl called it 'Sib'. "My name is Lase. What's yours?" Lase tried to act nonchalant and be friendly, as if she didn't get shot at with a harpoon. The small cut on her arm was scabbed now, it wasn't that deep anyways. She wished that this girl would return the friendliness, and stop acting like she was the worst thing to ever touch the boat. Lase propped herself up with her hands, but Sib knocked her over again, making little otter noises and rolling all over her. "Hello little Sib. Aren't you adorable?" She said as she cuddled Sib back. "This otter is so cute! I want one!" Lase yelled to the Svefra. The girl didn't look too happy about her tavan flopping all over her, but she hoped that if Sib trusted her, this girl could too.

[Sable Baggywrinkle]

Holding onto disgruntlement with an iron grip, it nestled between her furrowed eyebrows even if her voice lightened to a conversational tone. Mayhap Sib’s baby antics were warming her up incrementally. “Yeah, I think I can manage crabs, if you could get some. How are you going to get them? Can I watch? Laviku hasn’t blessed me with underwater breathing yet, but perhaps we could still manage it?” And then a blast of chilly air invaded through the bottom of her layers and set her teeth on edge, reminding her that being confined on deck, away from Laviku’s embrace was part of the storm cloud hanging ominously overhead. Never mind, I forgot about the ice cubes floating around. "My name is Sable. This is the remnant of the Baggywrinkle pod,” full blown bitterness edged her voice like ice but she continued on as though nothing had happened, timbre bypassing the earlier neutrality and skipping right to sad. “And she’s the last otter of the family that had been with us for generations. You can take her with you to look for crabs, I think she would like that.” Something suspiciously akin to tears welled in those brilliant blue hues, Sable’s heart swelling with remorse for Sib’s loneliness if not her own. And the young otter, still of an age when she should still be frolicking with siblings and relying on her mother, seemed to be making the most of this furry mammal contact.

[Lase]

Lase was happy. She was happy that she could finally help someone, happy that Sable wasn't being as mean, and happy she could go hunting with someone else, even if it was just baby Sib. Sib was most likely much better at hunting than her, if only just because of instinct. Otters ate crab, didn't they? Sable had thrown a plethora of questions at her, most of them being answered by a sudden chilly gust of wind. Lase would be nice and answer the other questions as well, of course. "Well, the crabs just scuttle around near shore and on the bottom of the water, right? I just kinda float above them and pick them up. Not that difficult, but it hurts sometimes." Sable's offer to let her take Sib with her was exciting. And Lase knew what it was like to be the remnant of a pod, being the last of her own. Sympathy for Sable, sympathy for Sib. It appeared that Sib didn't have any other family, and she knew that it was healthy for baby otters to play with their siblings and parents in the water. Not be lonely. Lase supposed she was a good substitute for this purpose anyways, as they both had tails. "If you don't trust me enough..." she tugged at her armband a few times, until it slid easily down her arm, "take this. I'll come back for it later," She didn't know why she did this, because she hadn't given Sable any reason to distrust her, but it felt like the right thing to do at the moment. And if she had any thoughts about swimming away with Sib...well, she would just remember the arm band and come back. Sib would most likely swim back to Sable anyways, but she wanted to make sure Sable could trust her. "Now, I can't really get off the boat by myself. I can probably flop over to the side, but I'll need help getting off. Can you help me?" As soon as she said it, Lase felt slightly ridiculous. Sable would probably help her when she noticed that she couldn't climb over the edge. Just by asking the question, Lase felt young and helpless. But it didn't really matter, now.

[Sable Baggywrinkle]

Sable honestly didn’t know how to catch crabs without a trap, not that she knew how to use a trap, either. But she knew people that did use traps. So the cranky Svefra, arms wrapped round herself and knees knocking in the chill, just nodded. Her features had lightened after she’d gotten the tears under control, the negative emotions somehow providing a release. They crept over her, leaving her in a bit of a fog. It wasn’t usual for her to indulge herself in this manner. Numb fingers took the token from the seal girl, brows furrowed as though she wasn’t quite following along but unwilling to be contrary. “I’m sure Sib will be fine with you, she takes care of me all the time. I swim about as well as a chunk of whale blubber,” a sardonic smile tugged at her lip before washing away at the embarrassed plea for help. “Oh, yeah, sure, I’m great at throwing people overboard,” she deadpanned, a dull twinkle in her eye the only sign that she was kidding. Probably because she really was really great at throwing people off ships. Childhood antics, you see. Sib scrambled along with them, sometimes catching a ride as best she could on the seal tail, sometimes flopping around between her human’s feet. Physically formidable, if unrefined, the Svefra had little trouble lifting Lase up to the railing where she could balance, if she could balance. Sable didn’t actually want to chuck her into the chilly depths. “I’ll get the oil stove ready and keep an ear out for your return. If you need anything, holler.” Kneeling, she gathered little Sib up in her arms, ruffling the fur on top of her fuzzy little head before patting her on the butt. “You be good. Stay safe, Sib.” The lone figured waited until they’d disappeared from view or made decent headway away from the ship before she hunched in on herself and headed back below decks. There had to be a pot around here somewhere. A few liters of precious pure water found their way inside the dusty thing eventually, and Sable struggled to get the oil stove lit and behaving properly. Eventually, the water gurgled happily, though the emptiness surrounding it served only to remind her of the sheer amount of noise four people could produce within one small galley at meal time. The small flames of the stove cast stark shadows across the tight packed, neatly organised space. When Morwen ruled, there were only people to keep one company. Sib, too, but she frequently amused herself without needing Sable’s input. At least during the warmer months there was sunshine, Laviku, fishing and swimming, sailing without ice chunks getting in the way…all sorts of things to keep one company. Fiddling with the borrowed armband, deft fingers twirling it around the worn surface of a utilitarian table, the lanky woman waited. oocFeel free to go ahead and take control of Sib.

[Lase]

Apparently, Sable wasn't lying about her being able to throw people off ships well. She seemed pretty pro at it, as far as Lase could tell. Attempting to stay balanced on the edge of the ship, she gave a slight wave and dove -- actually, let's make that fell gracefully -- into the water, Sib not far behind. The water was a shock of both warm and cold, like a slap across her skin. That was from both the fall and the freezing water, but it bothered her little. Soon, she was swimming near the frigid shore with little Sib at her side, watching tiny crabs skuttle around. There were bigger ones, of course, but they weren't that easy for Lase to catch without a trap. She hadn't eaten cooked crab in years -- far too long. She always liked the fishy taste. Picking up a rock, she haphazardly smashed a little crab, breaking the shell and effectively killing it. Tentatively picking it up, avoiding the crab flesh sticking out of the broken shell bits, she put it into her bag. It was tightly woven enough to hold the crab without it falling. Next to her, Sib was happily tormenting a crab by lifting it up to the surface, and then dropping it, only to catch it again. The otter eventually bit into it, not breaking the shell but holding it in her mouth. Sib grabbed a rock in her flippers and swum up to the surface like otters do, balancing the stunned crab on her belly like she would an oyster and smashing it with a rock. Instead of eating it though, she decided to be friendly and give it to Lase, pointy shell pieces and all. She rubbed Sib's head, ruffling up fur that had been smoothed down by swimming. Lase's hair floated around her face like a halo, but that was normal when you went swimming. They repeated this process many times, killing many crab families scuttling about to and fro. Did crabs even have families? It didn't really matter. Sib must have been getting tired of swimming around and crushing crabs, because she started swimming out towards deeper waters. They swam for a few chimes until her bag started weighing her down with the many crab corpses that were shoved into it. No need to worry, though. She could see Sable's ship up ahead, and it was quite obvious that it was, considering Sib was splashing around excitedly. "Saaaaable!" she called, hoping that Sable would indeed hear. There was a small chance that Sable would be too caught up in boiling water to hear, but most likely she was waiting anxiously for Lase and Sib's return.

[Sable Baggywrinkle]

A crash and a curse preceded a mussed head appearing over the rail. A goofy grin, perhaps dazed, greeted the triumphant hunters and the middle section of a line soon dropped into the undulating waters. “Welcome back! Wrap your tail in that and hold on tight!” As Lase got situated, Sib disappeared in a roiling of glassy brine only for her head to pop out between balusters a moment later, peering down at the seal-girl impatiently. Chest heaving, Sable dropped the line once Lase safely touched down on deck, fingers searching out her knees to steady shaking arms. Clearly, someone needed some exercise. Mussed locks swaying, she cocked a self-deprecating grin and made a weak gesture toward the stairs leading into the cabin. There were only three steps and worn smooth from years of pattering feet, not posing much of a threat to even those without legs. “I made you a seat!” The lanky woman, recovering much of her spirit, proclaimed as she directed the fish-woman into the cramped galley. A dusty old crate lid had been propped up as a ramp to the top of another long crate, both softened with various blankets. On the other side of the utilitarian table waited a creaky stool for Sable. Sib, apparently feeling left out, twined within the Svefra’s legs as she tried to move forward toward the cooking area. Stumbling, though well versed in cries for attention, Sable swept up the little otter pup in one arm and whirled her around the tight space. Old hat, Sib scurried up her shoulder and weaseled beneath the mass of blond tresses, perched ‘inconspicuously’. Familiar with the odd angle this cocked her neck, Sable accepted the food provisions and started removing loose flakes of shell. Beside the small square of counter space rested the small, merrily popping stove. Little crab corpses, mostly shelled, plopped into the water steadily. “Did Sib behave? I haven’t seen her this happy in a while. Do you have many animal friends? Or do you hang out with two-leggeds a lot? Or mostly other Akvatari? Where is your family?” Though the questions shot out one after another, her tone softened the inquiry, a pensive twist to her lips.