Night Fishing [D8LE]

[Funegao no Hirame]

The advantage to having a dock right outside where you slept is that it was very easy to fish whenever you wanted. And Hirame knew that sometimes the best fishing was when it was dark...

Torches provided enough light to see by... maybe. Hirame frowned as he tried to bait his hook. Was it working? "Ouch!" He muttered, shaking his hand. "You having any luck over there, Rin-san?" He asked.

[Suzume Rin]

The advantage to having a dock right outside where you slept is that it was very easy to fish whenever you wanted. And Hirame knew that sometimes the best fishing was when it was dark...

Torches provided enough light to see by... maybe. Hirame frowned as he tried to bait his hook. Was it working? "Ouch!" He muttered, shaking his hand. "You having any luck over there, Rin-san?" He asked.

"Hmmm?"
Rin turns, two of her fingers tied together with a hook stuck in her sleeve

"It's a bit harder to do this in the dark...but if it's this hard for us, imagine how much more difficult it is for the fish!"
Not that she can see any as she peers down into the waters.

"Just gotta...get it all ready, then the fish won't know what hit 'em."

[Funegao no Hirame]

"That's a good point!" Hirame agreed, nodding. There was a brief pause. "Wait... what if they can't see the bait?"

He managed to, he was pretty sure, get bait onto his hook. "Here we go!" He cast the line into the water where it landed with a plunk somewhere in the darkness. "Well... it's in there somewhere." Hirame said.

[Suzume Rin]

"That's a good point!" Hirame agreed, nodding. There was a brief pause. "Wait... what if they can't see the bait?"

He managed to, he was pretty sure, get bait onto his hook. "Here we go!" He cast the line into the water where it landed with a plunk somewhere in the darkness. "Well... it's in there somewhere." Hirame said.

"Well....Fish can smell right? Like sharks?"
Rin had learnt well from the Mantis

"So reckon they'll just sniff around until they find it."
It takes a few moments longer for Rin to untangle herself and then her own line is cast off into the darkness

"Now we just gotta wait until the fish come in."
Nodding at Hirame
"This was a great idea, never done night fishing before."

[Funegao no Hirame]

"Good thinking!" Hirame said, grinning, his teeth flashing in what light they had. "Now, if only they could come up and bait our hooks, too."

"It's got its challenges, obviously." Hirame said, chuckling. "It's a lot easier when you've gotta have some light on the deck anyway, and there's the spot for fishing, with everything all set up. But different fish come out at night." He grinned again. "Maybe spooky fish. OooooOOOOooooOOOoo!"

[Suzume Rin]

"Good thinking!" Hirame said, grinning, his teeth flashing in what light they had. "Now, if only they could come up and bait our hooks, too."

"It's got its challenges, obviously." Hirame said, chuckling. "It's a lot easier when you've gotta have some light on the deck anyway, and there's the spot for fishing, with everything all set up. But different fish come out at night." He grinned again. "Maybe spooky fish. OooooOOOOooooOOOoo!"

"Training fish to work against the other fish...oh but then they probably wouldn't have many friends among their own kind."
This prospect clearly saddens Rin, fish should be friends for one another, not food.

"Wait? They're spooky fish?"
She squints down into the darkness
"Like...ghost fish? They ain't real...right?"

[Funegao no Hirame]

"Sometimes fish make the best fish for other fish." Hirame chuckled. "Like that fish you almost caught out on the ship. Or that almost caught you. It coulda gone either way."

Frowning, Hirame shook his head. After a moment. "I've never seen one. But you hear about things. Way out in the ocean, in strange lands. Not by the Mantis lodgings in Tsuma."

He shrugged, the motion only just visible. "Still, even if they're not spooky, they're different. You ever see an eel? Those come out at night sometimes."

[Suzume Rin]

"Sometimes fish make the best fish for other fish." Hirame chuckled. "Like that fish you almost caught out on the ship. Or that almost caught you. It coulda gone either way."

Frowning, Hirame shook his head. After a moment. "I've never seen one. But you hear about things. Way out in the ocean, in strange lands. Not by the Mantis lodgings in Tsuma."

He shrugged, the motion only just visible. "Still, even if they're not spooky, they're different. You ever see an eel? Those come out at night sometimes."

"Eels? Oh yeah, we get lots of eels down in the marshes! An eel soup goes a long way sometimes. You know you can actually use almost every-"
Pause
"Uhh, they're good for a lotta food. I hope we get an eel. Be funny, I come all this way and get offered all this nice food and what am I out getting? Eels and yams!"
She chuckles

"How's my captain been doing since we last met? I met your betrothed. Well, met might be strong, but she was running the storytelling competition at the party. And she gave me sweets....so I think she's great."

[Funegao no Hirame]

"See, this is why we're friends." Hirame said, nodding. "I don't think just anyone would appreciate a good eel. You know what, I'm gonna have to see if I can find a spice that goes really well with eel in the market here..."

Hirame grinned. "Yeah, she's really something, huh? She surrounded me with terrible dolls while I slept." He chuckled, then glanced over at Rin. "It's kinda a thing. Remember when I made that terrible doll the other day? Well, she and Kasumi-san planned out a whole thing, where they hid the first one, and then made more, and started hiding them around... pretty good, just little pranks."

He gave his rod a tug, but then shook his head as he didn't feel the telltale sensation of a hook setting. "Anyway, while I slept, they snuck into my room and put a whole bunch of them all around me. It was a work of art. An evil genius work of art." Hirame laughed. "I'm kinda looking forward to marrying her. Like... a lot." His expression turned a bit more thoughtful, more serious, at that last bit.

[Suzume Rin]

"See, this is why we're friends." Hirame said, nodding. "I don't think just anyone would appreciate a good eel. You know what, I'm gonna have to see if I can find a spice that goes really well with eel in the market here..."

Hirame grinned. "Yeah, she's really something, huh? She surrounded me with terrible dolls while I slept." He chuckled, then glanced over at Rin. "It's kinda a thing. Remember when I made that terrible doll the other day? Well, she and Kasumi-san planned out a whole thing, where they hid the first one, and then made more, and started hiding them around... pretty good, just little pranks."

He gave his rod a tug, but then shook his head as he didn't feel the telltale sensation of a hook setting. "Anyway, while I slept, they snuck into my room and put a whole bunch of them all around me. It was a work of art. An evil genius work of art." Hirame laughed. "I'm kinda looking forward to marrying her. Like... a lot." His expression turned a bit more thoughtful, more serious, at that last bit.

"Spices? Like salt? I try not to have too much on my food, taste's so strong! But maybe it goes well with the eel. Let me know, sometimes they just let you have the old spices if you ask nicely."
Rin just assumes this is true for everyone

"Oh yeah! You're terrifying nightmares doll."
She clearly finds the whole prank very amusing
"Sounds like they got yah pretty. Lucky man to be engaged to someone who likes risks and a bit of fun. It's gonna be good, ain't it?"
Cocking her head
"Huh...she's probably gonna end up a Mantis though? If you keep to your bet and all that."

[Funegao no Hirame]

Hirame winced. "Salt? Phew, okay." He tilted his head. "Let's call that a long term goal then." He'd get her eating spice someday! As long as she could afford it.

"Yeah! Yeah... yeah." Hirame agreed, but frowned, his forehead creasing. "Actually, I'm not so sure. She's not comfortable on the water. But she also doesn't want to stay behind on land. I'm kinda worried she'd have trouble finding a place she could be comfortable." He shook his head. "That gets a little strange to think about."

[Suzume Rin]

Hirame winced. "Salt? Phew, okay." He tilted his head. "Let's call that a long term goal then." He'd get her eating spice someday! As long as she could afford it.

"Yeah! Yeah... yeah." Hirame agreed, but frowned, his forehead creasing. "Actually, I'm not so sure. She's not comfortable on the water. But she also doesn't want to stay behind on land. I'm kinda worried she'd have trouble finding a place she could be comfortable." He shook his head. "That gets a little strange to think about."

"Huh...well that's a pickle. Not happy on the water...but also doesn't wanna be on land."
Rin figures it's like a riddle
"You have any really big boats she could be on? Ones more like land? Maybe that'd work better?"
Land boats!

"We don't have to talk about it though if it's strange, I know you'll figure it out."

[Funegao no Hirame]

"Maybe..." Hirame frowned, his expression thoughtful, dark... actually the dark was just from the lack of light. "It's definitely making me think. But I don't have a solution yet. Although... I'm more determined than ever to prove myself."

He smiled, glancing over at Rin. "But maybe I should focus on other things. Like, what kind of prank you and me are going to play on them!" He nodded at her confidently.

[Suzume Rin]

"Maybe..." Hirame frowned, his expression thoughtful, dark... actually the dark was just from the lack of light. "It's definitely making me think. But I don't have a solution yet. Although... I'm more determined than ever to prove myself."

He smiled, glancing over at Rin. "But maybe I should focus on other things. Like, what kind of prank you and me are going to play on them!" He nodded at her confidently.

Rin nearly drops her rod in excitement

"You're inviting me for yer prank?!?! Never pranked someone so important before...we're gonna have to make it real good, something they won't expect, but funny so ain't no-one really hurt."

Rin thinks for a few moments

"...Only idea I got is pretty bad...but it does sorta stay in theme."
She looks around before whispering something in Hirame's ear...

[Funegao no Hirame]

As he listened, a number of emotions flickered over Hirame's face. "Fortunes, no!" He said, laughing. "What if that comes to life? And she has to kill it? I feel like that'd be a bad sign for the marriage."

He scratched his head, considering. "Maybe we could..." Following her example, Hirame whispered something in Rin's ear...

[Suzume Rin]

As he listened, a number of emotions flickered over Hirame's face. "Fortunes, no!" He said, laughing. "What if that comes to life? And she has to kill it? I feel like that'd be a bad sign for the marriage."

He scratched his head, considering. "Maybe we could..." Following her example, Hirame whispered something in Rin's ear...

Rin shakes her head while wagging her finger

"Good idea Hirame-sama. But think, that's just gonna end up on being for the poor staff to clean up. Not to mention, you make a woman's clothes all smell like that and she ain't gonna forgive yah. We gotta think bigger, something she won't see coming... maybe like?"

Whisper whisper whisper.

[Funegao no Hirame]

"Hmmm... good point..." Hirame frowned as he listened to Rin's next idea.

"Ooh, that's a good one. I like that. I think it just needs a little something else... maybe we switch all of it with fakes? But all of it's really just, well, like you said." Hirame nodded enthusiastically.

[Suzume Rin]

"Hmmm... good point..." Hirame frowned as he listened to Rin's next idea.

"Ooh, that's a good one. I like that. I think it just needs a little something else... maybe we switch all of it with fakes? But all of it's really just, well, like you said." Hirame nodded enthusiastically.

"..Inspire Hirame-sama, you were born to do this. I reckon that first one combined with the second. Now it's nice and simple and pretty funny, but it ain't too mean either. And it's channeling your specific talents, as it were."

[Funegao no Hirame]

"Alright! It's settled then!" Hirame grinned. "We'd better start on it soon. It's gonna be a fair amount of work... but that's okay, I work fast. We can see if we can set it up tomorrow, but it might take longer."

He pulled on his rod again, squinting into the darkness. "I guess it's good we didn't go with my first plan. Seems like we're not catching enough fish to pull that off. Maybe Tsuma isn't a night fishing sort of place?"

[Suzume Rin]

"Alright! It's settled then!" Hirame grinned. "We'd better start on it soon. It's gonna be a fair amount of work... but that's okay, I work fast. We can see if we can set it up tomorrow, but it might take longer."

He pulled on his rod again, squinting into the darkness. "I guess it's good we didn't go with my first plan. Seems like we're not catching enough fish to pull that off. Maybe Tsuma isn't a night fishing sort of place?"

"Well...we were probably talking too loud. Not to mention, wasting good fish like that. If my ma had heard you."
Rin tuts jokingly

"Tomorrow sounds just swell, I never leave a job unfinished so you just point me at it and we'll see it done. Can't wait to see her face though!"