thenearshore | just fishin' [open]

Entry tags:

just fishin' [open]

Who: Caster and you
When: September 3rd - 6th
Where: Rivers, lakes and ponds of the Far Shore
What: fishing, troubles, also dogs

[ Do you remember those fishes splashing people and laughing? Caster does, and as he finally finished crafting his weapon - a grand, hand-made fishing rod. Then proceed to get a can of bait and a can of beer for good measure, and there he goes to find the revenge. ]

1. I luv my fishes cuz they are delicious - 3rd to 5th September

[ When he's fishing in the river near his temple, two big white dogs accompany him. One is sleeping and providing a fluffy back-rest to lean on. The other is a bit too hyper, chasing some insects or mice and greeting anyone approaching too close with a happy bark, and a tail wag.

Though he is alone when fishing not near his property but at various ponds, lakes, and rivers found on the Far Shore - did he just trespass at your place? oops!

Incidentally, you might come at him carefully unhooking a koi and... talking to it, apparently ]

Huh, now you're just a normal fish? Who's laughing now?!

[ The fish flops in his grip terrified. It's a pitiful sight, and it's not like he's going to get a reply out of it ]

Eh, you're too small for even get a bite.

[ And surprisingly gently he lets it back to the water. With an abundance of food, any fishing is going to be catch-and-release. ]

That will teach you a lesson! [ Yeah, go, tell those fishes where is their place... yeah ]

2. It's kappastic! - 6th September

[ Several days and several terrified kois later, he's really having a good day. Sitting on a bridge in silence. He just knows it. This will be the day of that epic catch, the majestic fishing experience! It's possibly the most uninteresting hobby under the sun, but if he could spend time on it regularly, he would.

Fresh air, picturesque landscapes of the Heavens, and nice warm weather, what to want more? Suddenly there's bite on the line - just like he expected! - and... the rod gets fully yanked out of his hands. ]

Wooa--!!

[ Certainly, not as expected. There's no way of saving it, the rod disappears far into the water being pulled by a massive catch-- What would be that massive catch turns to be something else. A kappa surfaces and holds the fishing rod for a few tense seconds. It maintains the eye contact with the fisher and slowly, so very slowly... breaks the rod piece by piece. ]

...oh, now it's personal..! [ Caster obviously takes it as an offense. He drops his cape - bracers and generally all unnecessary stuff that might limit his movement and leaps into the lake from the bridge, possibly water splashing an innocent bystander. The kappa is going to pay

That might not be the best idea ]

3. Peace offering - 6th September

[ Later and somewhere else most likely the strangest sight might be seen. Few lake brawls later, both Caster and the kappa seem to no longer be set on killing each other. The bruises and scratches are more visible on Caster, but anyone familiar with kappas - is there anyone like that there? - might notice that his opponent is in similarly poor shape.

The peace offering for the destroyed fishing rod is pretty simple - it's a pack of cigarettes. All is forgiven, they say - or rather, wave - their goodbyes, and Caster sits on a rock to enjoy what is going to be his first smoke in the Far Shore. Only to fail in lighting the cig up with small ansuz rune.

Obviously, it's sogging wet, kappas live underwater. ]

You cheating bastard!! [ He yells in the kappa direction, who is almost in the middle of the lake. Kappa just cackles, shows an obscene gesture and dives underwater. ]

Ugh, think these will work after drying?

4. Obligatory wildcard, [ Have something else in mind? Leave a comment and I'll write you a starter! Also feel free to play with and modify any of the above. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ All the care in the world about giving a good fighting show to potential bystanders is absolutely forgotten in this case. Caster is just genuinely pissed and trying to murder the offending kappa with his bare hands.

Yeah, that will go well.

Above the water, he does have some clear advantage, especially since the creature has to worry about the water suspended in the pool on top of its head. But the kappa isn't pulling the punches either and decides to change the strategy by luring Caster into the deeper waters.

When Caster notices the spectator and loses focus for a second, the kappa dives underwater and- Caster, forcibly follows soon, dragged down by his feet no less.

A few bubbles mark the spot where he was. And then, a small explosion. ]

[Okay, that's not a good sign, and the minute they head to deeper water Trunks is putting down the cape-bundle. Less than a second after the kappa dives and Caster's pulled under, and Trunks is diving off the bridge and swimming fast for that area.

Probably not the smartest move, but two people have a better chance against a kappa than one. Good thing Trunks has been practicing some new skills too, as he's focusing to find the other two's chi-signatures and homing in on that.]

[OOC:Up to you if Caster was the cause of the explosion, or Trunks--since he's relearned energy-blasts and shields. In any case, he's there to help.]

[ OOC: the original one was meant to be from Caster, but I will happily incorporate more mayhem from Trunks! ]

[ Without his spear at hand, it's the Ansuz rune he got immediately used to as a means of the first strike. Setting things on fire, exploding things etc, works well for most of the enemies, even if magic lacks the finesse of wielding an actual weapon. Yeah, someone could probably disagree strongly with that, but who cares, that's his point of view.

Case in point, he's right. Fire rune is...hardly useful underwater.

The first explosion startled the kappa enough to allow Caster get a mouthful of air before being pulled down again. He mercilessly kicks his opponent and even goes as far as to try and reach its head with his hands - go for the eyes they say. But what makes the kappa finally free him is a series of another explosion that was not caused by Caster.

Torn between following the enemy for rrrevenge, and the problem of "not enough air in lungs"... air wins. He surfaces quickly, turning around trying to locate the source of the attack. That's when he notices Trunks ]

It's you--! You just scared him off! [ He wanted to kick the kappa properly! ]

[OOC: I figured, but to offer anyways.]

[One of the nice things about Chi-blasts was that they were energy-based, not specifically elemental. So being under-water meant they were still effective, maybe even slightly more so because of the kinetic force behind the energy. The specifics didn't matter though, as the job was getting done.

The two chi-signatures were close, and Trunks could make out just enough visually to tell that one was taller. Which meant it wasn't the kappa; palm out, arm up and focusing for small rapid fire blasts. Meant to sting and stun and drive the other away without killing him.

As soon as the kappa moves away, he's watching the taller form kick for the surface and Trunks follows him up. Still alert, blue-eyes narrow as he's trying to focus on the Kappa's energy still, in case of an attack.[

We should get to land and fast.

[They can trade notes once on land out of the kappa's reach.]

[ Too bad getting out of kappa's reach is the last thing on Caster's mind right now. Not when he found such a splendid ally ]

Are you kidding? It will get away!

[ Splendid ally might be splendid - those energy blasts were incredibly accurate and well measured - but the question is: is he a willing ally? ]

[Is Caster kidding? Seriously? Then again, the stubbornness is oddly familiar even if Trunks can't remember why. He'll sigh about it later.]

We'll have a better chance fighting it on land, as well. IF it wants to still fight.

[Not quite a willing ally, but one who'll stick around to try and keep the other from being too stupid and getting in over his head at least.]

[ Nope, not kidding. He's 100% serious. But the land argument is a wise one, hard to argue with that. ]

You've got a point... It has an advantage in this environment

[ And you have to know when to pick your battles. Even if the instinct is to just charge forward. He might have been itching for a fight for too long, it made it easy to give into the annoyance over the destruction of his equipment. Sure, they can swim to land but- ]

Bridge or the shore?

[ He's not concerned which is closer, he's concerned which has a better lure-out potential ]

[As much as Trunks knows this is a bad idea, he also will admit he doesn't mind the idea of a fight. Especially since it seems like one of the primary combatants is gonna be smart about this now.]

Shore.

[It's closer. BUT if it matters that much, it also provides a sloped bank so the Kappa will come out of the water, but also won't be too far away from its home. Hopefully giving it a false sense of security so it'll be lured out more easily.]

Start swimming, I've got your back for now.

[Just in case the kappa tries to keep them from enacting this plan.]

[ Caster meanwhile is worried that if they retreat with haste the kappa will just leave them and go... for whatever merry business kappa goes. ]

Don't move too fast or it won't follow.

[ Finally, he can feel ground under his feet, and instead of swimming he can start walking, that's when he turns around to face Trunks - and see if they're being followed ]

Nice shot! Didn't have a chance to tell that before. [ Stuff was happening ]

[Once the other is actually 'walking', Trunks will start swimming for the shore himself. The idea had been for one of them to watch for the kappa to cover their backs and prevent a sneak-attack. If the kappa wanted to follow, it was going to have to work for it.]

Thanks.

[Said between swim-strokes, and Trunks is shorter than caster, but makes it about to where he can stand up quickly enough. Then turning and watching the water, trying to see if he can find the kappa's energy. It's...weird; it's like the skill is familiar, yet not.]

I was more worried about getting it off of you, and had trouble seeing or I would've blasted it sooner.

[ How...chivalrous. It's not often when Caster finds himself with someone so set on defending him. He's surprised, and a little bit impressed - there aren't that many people who throw themselves in danger for someone they barely know.

Which is why he tries to cover the bit of his annoyance- not that his pride was wounded, it needs much more than that, it's something else... More like: just because he's stuck in a mage-class doesn't mean he needs protection. ]

You did well. Trust me, the bastard deserved a good blast in the face. [ For brutally interrupt a nice afternoon of a peaceful fisher. He keeps observing the water as Trunks reaches the shore and... nothing. No sign of the challenger ] Looks you scared him off for good.

[ Is he disappointed? Yes, he is disappointed. And he's starting to write a tracking rune in the air, finger leaving trace of light ]

[It's the kind of person Trunks is. Someone needed help, and he was around, and didn't really think about it. Just acted. If the other had even confided his annoyance about it being because of his being a mage, he'd find Trunks bewildered. Didn't matter if the other was a warrior or mage or who knows what. The opponent had the upper hand and help was needed, so Trunks gave it.

Of course, if he knows it's an issue with the other, he MIGHT wait longer. Just because he does understand pride. Even if he won't let it cause a loss of life...

On the shore, is still trying to scan for the kappa's chi. Caster casting...something...isn't helping though, it's distracting.]

What're you doing?

[ He's just got... issues. On how he was brought it here, aka as a mage. Which is kind of funny given how he has no claims about using his spells. That's what he's doing right now- ]

Trying to track it before the trail goes cold. [ He's dealing with someone hiding within a body of water, so it's not that successful. So he searches for a small stone, inscribing the same rune again, but this time directly on the object. When it's ready he throws it aiming for the spot they saw the kappa for last time. And he gets a hit, sort of. Something bigger than the fish around ]

Ah, it's swimming away in that direction. [ He's going to chase it on the shore, grabbing few more rocks for a good measure ]Trunks, you're going?

[Why are they chas...oh well. Probably doesn't matter given Trunks can tell just by body language the God is going to be stubborn about this. Better he has someone to watch his back.

Trunks shrugs, and heads back towards the bridge.]

I'll catch up. I'm grabbing your stuff, while you track it.

[Seriously it won't take him long to catch up. He's pretty fast and has a good lock on Caster's Chi-signature. Besides the taller stature and blue hair...]

[ Oh, right, his stuff. The cape, armor and so on, everything he just dropped prior to the fight. He should probably be more mindful of those, but he's too busy inscribing a tracking rune on another stone and throwing it into the water to confirm the enemy's movement. He reaches another bridge before losing the trail. Kappas move faster in water than they do on land

Damn it.

When Trunks catches up Caster is sitting on the edge of bridge ]

Aah, looks that I lost it. [ It's said with a tiniest of shrugs. ] Thanks for the stuff.

[ He means his things, Trunks was so mindful to take care of. Otherwise, he'd be probably now going back and picking what he would find. Brawling kappa might not have been his brightest ideas, but it was fun ]

[Considering he'd already thanked him for the energy blast, Trunks just nods. Or rather nods, and shrugs one shoulder. Not a big deal in his eyes.]

Admittedly the stuff strewn around was what grabbed my attention first, then the splashing. Seriously though, trying to take on a Kappa in water? I mean, I get the appeal of a good basic fight, but why not be smart about it?

[ He gathers his things back from Trunks, but obviously not putting on any of those yet. He needs to dry in the sun first. ]

Well, that's where this kappa thing escaped to. If it was any closer I'd try to drag it on the land- [ He's got pretty flippant attitude about this fight. Sure it was dangerous, but he wasn't putting his best either. Whatever this creature is, it's native to the Far Shore, and perhaps because of that, it's best not to kill it. ] -what, is it more dangerous in water?

[ Not overly familiar with local lore... ]

I'm not as familiar with all the creatures here, but I do remember kappa being pretty prominent. Water is their natural element, and they pull people under after engaging in a wrestling match. Basically, don't let them pull you in the water.

[Which Caster had completely let happen, by diving in. The look Trunks is giving him is a cross between amused and exasperated.]

Way I heard was you can appease them with a cucumber, or you can get them in a bowing contest. They're super-polite, so you just bow and they bow back. You keep doing that, going lower each time, until that little bowl of water on their head dries out.

[Good thing Caster ran into one of the well-known Youkai, since Trunks is new but has been doing some research and exploring.]

[ Thank you mister wikipedia. That's a lot of useful knowledge! Too bad that instead of thanking for that he focuses on one part- ]

Polite. [ Caster repeats flatly with an annoyed grimace. ] They must have a different definition of that word. The bastard stole and broke my fishing rod! How is that polite!

[ An argument could be made, that kappa was only protecting their own natural habitat - maybe the fishes belonged to him? like pets, or flock of chickens? -, but Caster conveniently ignores that route of thinking.

That fishing rod was hand-made, he's in every right of avenging it. ]

[Hey, Trunks has done his research. Granted, he's got a lot more to go... He really shouldn't find Caster's reaction funny--and thankfully he keeps the amusement from his face. He has no answer though for why it tried to steal a fishing rod, so Caster's only answered with a shrug.]

You'd have to ask the Kappa, and you seemed more interested in fighting it than in talking to it.

[ He does get kind of comically worked about it. He crosses his arms over his chests and frowns - frowns! ]

Yeah, I don't usually assume things like these can speak. And if they can, it's more dangerous to listen to them. [ Never trust a fairy. ]

Besides what I was supposed to say? "Excuse me, gentleman, why doth thou break my precious equipment?" [ Okay, he's overplaying it enough that is shows he got a sense of humor about this disaster. ]

[Well, the humor worked at least and made Trunks laugh slightly, before grinning.]

Nah, I understand. I'm just glad it didn't end up more seriously injuring you. Or me.

Eh, don't sell us so short. It had no real chance, aside advantage in the water.

[ That might have been a pretty big thing, yeah. But ultimately also it's the advantage that could get mitigated by many ways- or you know, he just like being confident. ]

You always worry so much?

[There's an eyebrow raise, even with that grin remaining.]

I prefer being cautious, but I'll do what I have to. Just because I'd like to know what's going on beforehand doesn't mean I won't jump in to help if it's needed.

[So less 'worry' and more being cautious. Yep.]

Eh, I guess someone has to be. [ Be the responsible and cautious one, that's it. So it's not on him. ]

You're a good guy. Mai is lucky to have you. [ As a shinki, as a friend, or whatever you have there going ]

just fishin' [open]

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