One Fish, Two Fish (Rosela)

[I'sona]

She hadn’t expected that. In fact, she wasn’t even sure what parts did what. Logically she knew a hook was to catch it, the worm was bait and the line was to pull it in but that was only the mechanics. The Charoda’s blank surprise clearly mirrored Rosela’s. Her eyes going wider and wider and she not so subtly scooted away. But the other’s girls panic was contagious and she did not want to touch the fish either! What was she supposed to do with it anyhow? “I don’t know!” It came out as a little gasp when the fish flopped to close but she made no move to reach for the line. Did they have to kill the fish? Her face curled unpleasantly at the thought, her stomach feeling like she had just tried to eat a clam. “Its—I is—put it back.” She sounded a little helpless, if they left the hook would it get live? At that moment her mind supplied I’sona with the knowledge that the fish would be in trouble because the hook was in the fish. “The hook needing be pulled out?” The question was directed towards herself but she didn’t know what to do, her arms mirroring her students and wrapping around herself as she watched it flop. Not really though because in reality she was watching it die. Something clawed uncomfortably at her guts, the feeling spurring her into action as she tugged the wire from the woman’s hands and jerked the fish back into the water. The struggles got stronger and she continued to try and pull it into the water. Rather than succeed there was a sharp tension in the line and then the fish was gone. The water turning red briefly but fading back with the waves. A breath the Charoda didn’t realize she was holding expelled from her quickly and she looked frantically from the water, to Rosela and the line. She didn’t even truly understand what just happened. Trying not to over think and trying to not think at all, feelings of homesickness and the urge for things to be simpler coming back along with her desire to ignore the incident. “…we is trying again with a net? We can be holding it and waiting…I think.” She didn't want she dropped the line as if it was on fire and scuttled towards her fishing supplies, steadfastly keeping her eyes away from the water.

[Rosela]

Holding the flopping fish, Rosela felt helpless as I’sona started to panic as well. One of them had to do something, anything. ”Put…put it back?” Lip sticking out morosely, she continued to quiver with anxiety. As much as she wanted food, maybe this way was wrong. Maybe the hook was supposed to kill the fish before they even pulled it out of the water? Her very first fish, and even with a teacher present, she’d still done it wrong? The fish was flopping ever more violently, and Rosela wondered why they couldn’t just suffocate the poor thing in the air. Her stomach turned at the thought, and she suddenly wasn’t sure she wanted suffocated fish. She wasn’t sure she wanted fish at all, not now that she knew what actually went into catching them. I’sona seemed to come to a sudden decision and snatched the line away, dropping the fish back into the water. Rosela watched it go, lip still stuck out, unsure if she was angry at the loss of time, or relieved. Maybe she should just give up and be a vegetarian. Lettuce didn’t flop around and stare at you when you pulled it out of the ground. Not meeting I’sona’s eyes, Rosela wiped four hands on her skirt, realizing belatedly that in the rush to pull in the fish, she’d let her skirt go and had gotten the bottom few feet of it soaking wet. It seemed a larger price to pay for the horrible experience and all six hands hiked it up to wring out the excess water. At the suggestion of the net, Rosela looked up curiously, hands still working at the hem of her dress. ”The net?” she asked quietly. ”It’ll work if we’re not swimming?” The Charoda was clearly just as shaken, if not more so. Rosela followed quietly to the pile of fishing supplies and squatted down to lift the net with a finger. Being low to the ground was comforting, and she suddenly dreaded whatever the net was going to pull out of the water.

[Rosela]

OOCI don't think you're still around, so I'm finishing this up so we can get graded. We can start a new one in the winter if you come back The lesson with the net went quickly, as Rosela didn't know how to swim. She'd lost her appetite for fish anyway, though with the violent growls her stomach was making by the end of the lesson, she would have taken anything, so long as someone else did the dirty work. Waving goodbye to I'sona as she walked off the beach, an involuntary shudder ran through her frame at the memory of the fish's dead eye staring at her. Despite I'sona saving the pathetic creature, the whole experience was tainted with death. Over the salty sea air, Rosela could swear she smelled the sickly sweet smell of blood. She didn't have to look around to know it was all in her head, so with the abrupt motion of running her fingers through her hair, she shunted the memories away, and started down the street.

[Limey]

I'sona: Skill and Lore Rewards Skills Lore Fishing 3 Eypharians: Human Octopi! Teaching 3 Teaching A Woman To Fish Being Patient With A Student Fishing: A Waiting Game Rosela: Skill and Lore Rewards Skills Lore Fishing 3 How Things Came To This Observation 2 If You Have The Courage To Ask... Persuasion 1 Killing A Worm Is Still Killing Fishing Without Poles Fish Don't Die Quickly Fishing Is Still Killing Shared Lore: Fishing With Poles And Nets Patience Is A (Hard To Maintain) Virtue Additional Notes : Pretty simple thread, guys, and entertaining, too. Fish aren't quite so graceful and pretty when they're flopping around on the ground, are they? I liked how I'sona was patient with Rosela, and very informative, if a little bewildered with the six arms thing. I loved how much of Rosela's refined personality came out, too, almost to the state of shock at having to kill a fish! All in all, a good thread. Enjoy! Any questions or queries, please PM me.