Around the Fire (Open)

[Castiel Moontide]

7th Day of Summer, 511 AV
On an island somewhere in the Suvan Sea

Stars had just began to appear in the sky as the flames of the bonfire flickered in the air. The sun had just set not too long ago, leaving behind an orange tint on the horizon that was slowly fading to darkness. Casinors, along with a few palivars further off shore, dotted the ocean surrounding the island where the fire was. The water was shallow, but not too shallow for some of the smaller ships to dock, making this island a perfect location for the festivites. The island was quite small, consisting of mostly sand with a lightly wooded area at the center of the island. Summer had just begun, making the waters warmer and prime for swimming, even at night.

Castiel Moontide took in the sights through his spyglass as he sailed his own casinor into the natural harbour of the island. He peered down at his spyglass. He didn't really know why he kept the damn thing. It was old and dirty, but worked just as well as any other spyglass. He had recieved it from his father, from his old pod. But his old pod had left him, betrayed him. Why keep a reminder of that betrayal?

Castiel put the spyglass back into his pack and prepared to anchor his ship. As soon as he was anchored, he put his sails up, as to make sure they would not be damaged while he was on the Island. His ship was anchored within swimming distance of the Island, and that was all he needed. Castiel emptied his sack of everything except his spyglass, placing everything in his cabin. He then walked to the port side of the ship and hopped up on the railing. Castiel jumped, plunging into the water. Within a few minutes Castiel appeared on the shore and immediatly went for the fire to dry off.

[Crest Moontide]

Today had been a good day, the wind had been calm and steady. Without too much shift in direction. Meant he could drag his nets behind him all day and hope for a good haul at the end of the day. He started to pull in the lines both at the same time, so that more fish would stay in the net than out of it. He had managed a decent haul that day, about 15 pounds. Really good and the smooth wind had really helped. He wasn’t an exceptional fisherman but with good wind even he could get a decent hall. And 3 of his rain barrels were full still so he had water aplenty. The gods had been good to him lately. And he would feast to thank them for their kindness. He hoisted the fish in the air as he sailed in close to the shore, when he was close enough to shore that he could wade in the water while holding them above his head he tossed his anchor out and jumped off the side of his Casinor hoisting the fish in the air.

He walked over to the fire and reached into his net and pulled out a 2 nicely sized fish both enough for a good hearty meal and tossed the net over to Castiel who was sitting next to the fire already. “Have your pick there is enough, I got a decent haul today. And it’s not like our stores aren’t big enough but it’s fun to pull some fish in. Hey anyone check to see if there is a spring in those woods yet. I could use a fill on some of my rain barrels and spring water would be a nice treat huh?” He will sit down and wait for his net to come back around, but when Selphi sits down he will toss her the fish then lie down on the sand with his feet next to the fire.

[Selphi Moontide]

Selphi was sitting aboard the ship watching Crest pull in the fish. She would have helped him, but he seemed to be doing fine on his own. Also, she didn't like nets. Past experience had taught her nets were bad, and any time the nets were out Selphi either stayed aboard the ship or ventured far away, making sure to steer clear of the nets. She had been with Crest and the Moontides for nearly a year, and had grown quite fond of all of them. She had even taken their name and gotten their pod tattoo. The Svefra were certainly an interesting people, and Selphi was glad she had found her way to the Suvan sea. They were approaching an island, and Selphi could see the light of a fire on it's shore. Likely other Moontides would be coming along soon, and if they were lucky another pod might spot the fire and join in. They certainly had plenty of food to share after the haul Crest had pulled in. When Crest jumped into the water Selphi followed. She didn't bother to shift or anything since she was actually wearing clothes for once and it would require her to take them off. She had never really understood the necessity of clothing, but in certain places it was expected of her so Selphi practiced being dressed whenever she could. The clothes absorbed water and restricted her movements as she swam to shore, something she did not like, but she was perfectly comfortable in the salty water and made it to land with no problem. Selphi joined Crest and Castiel at the fire a moment later, smiling brightly and waving at the other Moontide happily. "Hi Castiel, anyone else coming tonight or is it gonna be just us three?" Selphi sat down next to Crest, taking the fish he tossed her. She probably would have eaten it then and there, but Selphi understood some people were freaked out by her eating of raw food. Human's weren't able to do that as easily, and when they did they usually removed the scales and bones. She had learned to cook specifically so she could fit in at meal times. Human's were such strange creatures.. but they sure were fun to hang out with! "Thanks, Crest, but I think I'll eat a hot meal tonight." Selphi stood, gathering up the fish. "Do we have anything to cook these in?"

[Castiel Moontide]

Soon enough Castiel was joined by both Crest and Selphi, two other Moontides. Crest had tossed him a net full of fish. It was definitely a good catch, as Castiel could never haul anything like that in. Castiel nodded at Crest and picked out a a decently sized sea bass from the net. Castiel quickly looked around the fire looking for a stick to put the bass on. Eventually he found a small one that would have to do. He stuck the fish onto the stick and placed it over the fire.

Castiel looked up at Crest and said "No, don't think so, you can check if you want." Castiel attention then turned toward Selphi and pointed towards the ships all docked off the coast. "I think we will be in good company." Castiel then looked up toward the sky. The stars were brighter now and the orange on the horizon had all but disappeared. Castiel could not make out any familiar stars however but he was sure the one would eventually appear. The one star in particular he was looking for was the one that could guide a sailor toward Syliras. Following the star would always work, or so his father had told him.

[Crest Moontide]

Crest looked at the fish in Selphi’s hands, and the one that Castiel had on a stick and proceeded to take his back and looking at Selphi he says “Here let me teach you a trick, Castiel you could get some use out off this as well” smiling slightly “what you need to do is clean those other two while I clean this one, so that we can cook them up easily," Taking his fish he cuts off the head and tail, and splits it down the middle, being careful not to rupture any organs he takes the fish over to the water, and dunked it in and out. Washing out all the organs and most of the bones, after that he puts his newly cut fish on the flattest piece of wood that he can find scales down to make sure he isn’t eating any sand. He takes a decently long stick and scrapes the bottom of the fire, and pulls out some of the hottest coals, putting them a couple of feet to the side he puts the piece of wood on top. He then puts Castiel’s and Selphi’s fish next to his own and started to slowly cook them over the hot coals. With only using the coals he can make sure that the board that he is cooking on doesn’t burn, and that the food doesn’t either. After a few moments he looks over at Selphi and says, “Hey why don’t you watch this while I hop over to the forest, I need to grab some leaves, something to cook these on. Another layer between them and the fire is a good thing to have. Castiel grab some saltwater and keep them nice and drenched, it adds a little bit of flavor as well from the salt. Also Selphi next time we go to port, remind me to grab some spices. I’m all out at the moment."

[Selphi Moontide]

Selphi cleaned the fish as she was instructed, emptying their organs into the water. It seemed wasteful to her and perhaps a bit silly, getting rid of perfectly good meat like that, but she had learned that humans were scared of insides. No matter what they ate they always threw away the insides, or sometimes they ate then separately. But Selphi wasn't about to question Crest on it so she did as he said and cleaned out all the guts then handed the fish back to him. Watching in fascination, Selphi marveled at Crest's impressive knowledge of how to cook things. She would never have thought to use a piece of wood that way, and would probably have just cooked them on a stick like Castiel did or in one of those pot things some of the Moontides had on their ships. Selphi watched the fish while Crest went to find his leaves. This was something she could handle, understanding that if food cooked for too long it would burn and taste bad. Selphi promised herself that she would not forget to remind Crest of the spices this time. She had had meals with spices many times and they were always good. Even if the fish weren't cooked Selphi would sometimes sprinkle spices and sugar and other flavorings on her fish before eating them, probably the main reason they were always running out. Her favorite meal of all time was when she had discovered something called syrup on one of the other Moontide's boat. He wasn't watching it so Selphi figured he wouldn't mind if she took it, and once she tasted it she couldn't stop eating it. It tasted good on everything! Fish, apples, crabs, water, lemons, it didn't matter. For nearly ten days syrup went on everything Selphi ate until it made her sick, but she still kept eating it. If she could find some syrup at port she would definitely have to get some. Crest finally returned with the leaves and Selphi stepped aside, allowing him to take over the cooking. She wasn't sure how he intended to get the leaves under the fish with them being so hot, but Crest was the smartest person ever so he must know some trick. He had taught Selphi so much already, she loved every moment she spent with the Svefra. He always had something new to teach her, whether it be a new word, a way to cook, how to tie shoes. He had even given her her name. There was nothing Crest couldn't do. "How long will it take for the fish to be ready, Crest?" Selphi was getting hungry, and the smell of cooking fish had her stomach grumbling. She considered eating one of the discarded fish heads, but they were all sandy now and she knew it might embarrass Crest if she did so Selphi instead tried to be patient. In an attempt to distract herself she turned to Castiel, sitting down next to him. "So Crest told me you used to be from a different pod. He's from a different pod also. What are the other pods like? I've never known any other pods, just this one. I knew some other humans called pirates, but they weren't like you guys. They were mean and only had one ship, and the Lia was a man and he was the meanest of them all. But they liked me because I could find things for them. Was your old pod mean? Is that why you left them?" Selphi was likely swimming in troubled waters, but she was completely oblivious to the nuances of what is and isn't polite to ask about. If she was curious, she asked.

[Castiel Moontide]

Castiel nodded at Crest's instructions to keep the fish wet. Crest knew more about cooking and the like, so Castiel felt there was no logic in questioning him. The only knowledge of cooking Castiel had was the delicate art of putting something over a fire. He leaped up from his cozy spot in the sand and onto his feet, leaving his half-cooked fish leaning against the fire, to go to the shore to get water. Castiel didn't have anything to hold the water in so his hands would have to do. Cupping his hands together, Castiel scooped up as much water as his hands could carry. Castiel glanced up and noticed a few children swimming in the water near a casinor. Castiel smiled before running back as quickly and delicately as possible. It was a combination that seemed impossible to master considering he lost much of the water on the way back to the fish. Castiel repeated the journey, although it was but a few feet, several times to make sure the fish would be soaked in the water. As Castiel gathered water he also began scouting the horizon, or what he could see of it as it was fairly dim, for any ships that were distinctively non Svefra. It was always interesting to have an outsider or two trying to trade there goods for Svefra goods. However Castiel spied no such ship, either because it was too dark, or there simply wasn't one anchored off shore.

When the fish were sufficiently wet for the moment Castiel took his same seat next to the fire again and began to warm his hands as the water had cooled them down considerably. Selphi soon sat down next to him after she was done with the task that Crest had assigned her. Castiel fell backwards and put his hands behind his head, with his feet towards the fire, just so he could look at the stars. There was not a cloud in the sky, which made Castiel give a slight smile. Nights like this were simply is favorite, plus it was defiantly easier to navigate on a clear night. Now that more stars had appeared, Castiel scanned the night sky once again for familiar stars, this time spotting a couple, although he had no use for them at the moment. As he lay there Selphi began to inquire about his old pod.

Castiel sat up, thinking about how to answer. It was a sensitive subject for him, and it wasn't necessarily the occasion to be discussing such matters. "I try not to think too much about my past" Castiel said, quickly glancing down at the spyglass peeking out of his satchel. There was a slight hesitation in his voice. "Lets just say...some pods are worse than others" he told Selphi. Castiel glanced down at the spyglass again and then toward the stars.

[Kywan Maelstrom]

It was the fire that he saw first, a golden glow on a pitch dark beach. Kywan lay on the deck of his casinor watching the stars and chewing on a piece of dried flake. The glow had distracted him and turned his seablue eyes to the shore. Floating beside the boat, Naiku made a low groan and bumped the wood gently. Sitting up, the blonde stared at the glow for a moment, before tugging off his loose drykas made shirt and throwing it aside. Where there was fire, there were people. And people always made for better conversation than the stars.

Grabbing a bottle of rum, Kywan dove into the ocean in one clean swan dive, surfacing with a small sound of discomfort. The ocean was cold at night! Swimming in strong over head strokes, he chuckled as Naiku pulled up under him.

"Thanks beautiful." He said as he held onto the sides of her strong pectoral fins. Like a hot knife through butter, they sluiced through the dark water. As the water became more shallow, the beluga slowed and allowed Kywan to get off. Sliding to the side, the young man stroked her cheeks and kissed her on the forehead. Swimming for the sand, he waded out and pushed the water out of his hair. Walking towards the fire, Kywan could see three figures. One was a man, face sharply outlined by the orange glow of the fire. The others were only dark silouettes for now.

"Is there room around your fire for one more?" He called out, smiling his warm dimpled smile and lifting the bottle to shake it soundly.

"I come bearing rum, and company if you'll have me."

[Crest Moontide]

Crest had just put some large plant leaves under the fish and sat down wrapping his arms around Selphi, putting his head next to hers he says “They’ll be done in a few minutes, just be patient.” Crest listened closely to Castiel, he knew that Castiel was from another pod as well, but knew very little about him otherwise, outside of the fact that he was always scanning the night sky. None of the three different people around the fire really knew each other’s past. And that was perfectly fine. Selphi sometimes said things without realizing it though, like that she was a treasure finder for pirates. He often wondered what she had done before, but never really felt a pressing need to ask.

At this point a figure gets out of the water, taller with shaggy hair. He is carrying a bottle. After the man speaks Crest calls out. “Of course there is room for another, And since those are two things I have never found a reason to turn down, Come sit, have some fish.” Gesturing to the large net full of fish.

“My name is Crest Moontide, This little blondie here is Selphi.” He will wrap his arms a little bit tighter around her and smile, catching a whiff of the fish, he will stand up walk over and using the leaves as a way to hold them, pick up the fish, handing one to Castiel, one to Selphi, and keeping one for himself, sitting next to Selphi he will start to eat the fish, pulling his eating dagger out of his belt he starts to slice meat off of the fish and let it melt in his mouth. It’s salty but not too much so. “There Selphi your fish is ready” sticking his tongue out at her, “and you know if you were really hungry you could have just eaten one. It’s not like I haven’t seen you eat a raw fish before.”

[Selphi Moontide]

Selphi was a bit disappointed with Castiel's response. She had at least been hoping for a story of some sort, although to be fair she rarely spoke of her own past so she couldn't blame him if he didn't want to bring up bad memories. And then suddenly all was forgotten as the stranger showed up. Selphi's eyes lit up in delight as they did every time she met someone new, and if Crest hadn't had his arms wrapped around her she might have jumped up and given the man a welcoming hug. She resisted the urge to do so even when Crest got up, realizing that perhaps he did not want her to hug the newcomer. Instead she waited for him to give her her food, biting a large chunk out of the fish, scales, leaves and all. The taste was extraordinary, as was everything Crest made for her. Salt was something she was used to, but somehow it was different when it was cooked. The fish melted in her mouth and she swallowed with a gulp, licking her lips and taking another bite, this time chewing slowly and savoring the taste. It would have been better with syrup, but salt was still good. Selphi simply shrugged at the raw fish comment, glancing over at the net. "I'll probably have a couple more.." For being such a small girl, Selphi ate a lot. It came with being a kelvic, she had to eat enough to keep her dolphin form healthy. After she finished with the first fish Selphi walked over to the net and grabbed another, biting a chunk out of it and bringing it with her back to her place beside Crest. He said it was okay, so Selphi was no longer concerned about making anyone feel weird. "So," she asked between bites, "What's your name? Is the rest of your pod coming?" OOCBleh.. sorry for the short post.