Solo No Work, All Play

[Aladari Coolwater]

Timestamp: 41st of Winter, 516 AV

It had been a rough few seasons for the Vantha. She had been attacked and befriended, she had moved away and moved in, she had lost and found the Gods more than a few times, and she had learned quite a few new things. Everything around her came and went, and she felt stuck, standing still in the chaos.

Today was especially tumultuous for the young girl, as today was her birthday, and one of the first she would be spending alone. Her past birthdays had been with her family- Ma and Pa at least- or with a few friendly strangers at the bar. She couldn't afford any kind of party this year, and there were none she felt particularly comfortable inviting to sit with her, so she was left alone.

It wasn't so bad, though.

With her pole in the water and her line resting comfortably under her fingers she felt, in a way, at home with her family. Her father's chiding voice and mother's croaking songs accompanied her as she reeled the wiggling line across the water. She could almost pretend that the expensive lure she had splurged on earlier that morning was a gift, and had cost her nothing.

She finished reeling in the lure, and with the last jerking motion, she could hear the sound of her lonely coins bumping into each other in her hip bag. She winced at the sound.

Well, she could almost pretend.

Aladari picked up the lure and tossed it back out into the water as far as ahe could. Granted, that wasn't very far, but the fish that liked lures often stayed in holes in the shoreline. They were giant, fat fish; bulky with big mouths and squinty eyes. They would attack anything that came near their nests, and especially so if that thing looked like a shiny fish. That was tje purpose of the lure.

There was another technique for catching the aggresive, lurking fish called "noodling". The activity sounded dangerous to her, or at least uncomfortable, as it involved allowing the fish to bite down on your arm and wrestling them out. Aladari reasoned there was no sense trying it when more enjoyable methods were available.

No, Aladari was content to stay on the shore and bring the fish to her. She would let the lure take the brunt of it. Her only fight would be pulling the heavyweights in, but her arms were built for just such a challenge.

With just a few tools, Aladari was turned into a lean, mean, fish-killing machine. And machines didn't miss anyone- even on their birthday.

Ledger- 5 GM for Lure
(3 gm for pound of silver, 2 gm for smithing)
Word Count446

[Aladari Coolwater]

The way she jerked the lure across the surface of the water was rather fun to watch. It was almost like a bug, skirting over the lake, or like a bird soaring on a wind burst, but even more fascinating to watch for the way it sparkled when the light caught it.

There were only a few downsides. The burn in her arm muscles was not uncomfortable at first. Aladari enjoyed the sensation of muscles strengthening, and it gave her a feeling of power. However, by the time Syna had risen to her peak, the burn was beyond what she enjoyed or even tolerated.

She was used to using her muscles for reeling things in, pulling rigs down or up, or rowing. But these muscles which allowed her to give the pole tiny, concentrated jerks, were unused and entirely new to the idea of work. She had not expected them to protest so strongly, but now she saw that she had been mistaken.

Aladari reeled in one last time and set her pole beside her in the grass. Then she curled her arms gently, groaning at the way the stretch ached. She probed the muscles with a finger, frowning as she felt the tiny knots already forming under her skin. Aladari gently massaged the knots with two fingers, rolling them back and forth under her skin. Slowly, they began to unwind, but the ache was still present, and it made her hesitant to start fishing again. The hesitation didn't mean she stopped though.

No, she had never been one to stop for her own good- not with anything.

Picking up the pole again, Aladari proceeded to cast the line far out into the water and drag it back to shore, bit by bit. This time, she put more space between her pulls to give her muscles a chance to relax. Unfortunately, this also gave her lure time to sink. Each time she stopped, it drooped beneath the surface and out of sight before she yanked it back up again.

Logically, this wouldn't have been bad for fishing. The larger fish lived lower in the water, and they were the target of lures anyway. But the precious self-gift was too valuable to risk being caught on a log or weed (a snag, she reminded herself), and so her heart dropped each time the lure did. The next time she pulled the lure into shore, she stopped to gaze into the water and say a few words, just in case it might help.

"Laviku?" She asked, as if He might respond. "Yeah, I know I'm in a lake an' all, not really your thing, but I ain't got no one else to talk to. So, I'm hopin' if you gots any..." She paused, searching for the word. Power, ability, no, no... "Influence," She decided, "Then could you make sure my lure don' get snagged anywheres? Is really e'spensive, an' I ain't got another."

Unsure of how to end such a haphazard prayer, Aladari dug into her pouch for a Copper coin. She flicked it into the water from her thumb with a shrug, almost apologetically. Then, she tossed a sheepish grin to the waters. "Thanks, I guess."

Word Count535

[Aladari Coolwater]

Realistically, it couldn't have been the coin that did it. Gods didn't work that way; they weren't going to bestow gifts upon every child that tossed them a copper. But something must have changed, for Aladari's luck swung in an entirely different direction after that.

The very next time she reeled in, her lure caught on something in the middle of the water. A heavy curse at the snag was cut short by the yank on her line and the splashing of something in the water. Her heart stopped, then restarted in double-time. Her hands gripped the pole so tightly that her knuckles turned white and her fingers started to go numb, but she didn't care. She knew these signs all too well, and yet, they were a thrill every time.

She pulled up and to the side on her pole, swift and firm. The struggle that followed told her she had accomplished her goal- the hook was through the fish's mouth now. Able to relax slightly knowing the fish was hooked, Aladari began to reel it in more casually. The fish fought back hard, of course. It pulled away, but Aladari gave it only a little line before tugging it back twice as far.

Give an inch, take a mile. She thought with a nearly sadistic grin.

She liked to take her time with these things. Who knew when it would happen again? And besides, what was work without a little fun? By the time she could see the fish in the clear lake water, it had been nearly three full chimes. The sight of the fish was absolutely worth the wait.

His entire body was speckled greys and blacks at first glance (hardly mouth-watering colors), but his struggles soon revealed a white underbelly, tainted faintly pink. It was the color of soft, good meat that made Aladari lick her lips. His wide mouth was hanging open, revealing the gap in his lip where the hook ran through but more importantly, outlining the small teeth that nested there.

Aladari took note of this and, upon reeling the fish in, held him around his body instead of in the mouth as she normally would. Carelessly yanking the hook from the outside, Aladari tossed her pole onto the ground and carried the fish over to her bucket of ice water. She laid him in gently, and the fish sat for a moment in shock. When he finally recovered, the fish still swam slowly in the foreign cold water.

The fish was an easily identifiable type, even to her untrained eyes. The height of his body rather than the length, the spotted pattern, and the fins along its back all confirmed to her that it was a Crappie. They were good for cooking, and this one would be especially at its size. Though she was unable to measure clearly as the water distorted the image, it looked nearly as long as her forearm. That would be a whole foot. She thought excitedly.

Still feeling the rush of catching the first fish, Aladari rushed back to her pole and picked it up. She wasn't done here. No, she was just getting started.

Word Count529