Closed Jets of Ink

[Tap]

White Isle Harbor
80 Summer 516AV

Leth and Syna's tug of war was slowly ending as Syna's light tired of the game and Leth rose to victory. The pale glow of the moon now graced the soft, calm, waters of the Suvan Sea surrounding the White Isle instead of the harsh yellow rays of the sun. Tap stood near the edge of the water on the docks, the tips of her sandaled toes poking over the edge, ready to dive in. Tap was thinking hard about which rowboat the manager had told her to use, she just rented on a few chimes prior. Unfortunately she hadn't been listening very closely to the man and no was staring as three rowboats sitting next to each other in the water.

Tap had heard rumors the previous few days at the market that the chefs and cooks of Mura wanted squid. Apparently there was a shortage. Tap knew how to catch squid, it was slightly complicated, the process, and line fishing was not her favorite fishing technique, but if there was a demand, she would surely be the supply. The process of squid fishing began under Leth's light. Squid were nocturnal so they needed to be caught at night. Tap didn't mind the time change. The soft Konti rather preferred night to day as the atmosphere tended to be quieter, less crowded, it allowed her to concentrate more easily on her tasks at hand when people were not so preoccupied with moving around her all the time.

Tap stood, still staring, on the docks. In her hand she held a fishing pole at tall as herself when she was slouching, which of course she was. This fishing pole was slightly different than her regular one. The pole itself was darker and weighed significant less. The line was also thinner so that it would almost float on the top of the water. On the line she had a bobber, a regular one, as well as a sinker which allowed the line to sink slightly and slowly in the ocean waves. The bait, too, was different, brightly colored and fake, it was small but very attractive towards squid.

On her back was her backpack which held her waterskin, eating knife, which she would use to cut line if need be, extra hooks, bobbers, sinkers, bait and fishing cord as well as her oyster knife and rasp, just in case. In her other hand dangled limply was her mesh bag which would hold the squid in the water as she would tie the bag to the boat, until she returned to shore, probably very, very early the next morning.

Finally, not having the courage to confront the manager and admit she wasn't listening to him, she randomly threw her stuff in one boat, hopped in and began to untie it form the dock. She worked quickly, wanting to leave before the manager came and yelled at her for choosing the wrong boat. However Tap figured that not many others would be using a boat at this time of night, so who would really care if she chose the wrong one? Unless this was a private boat...

[Okara]

Sitting quietly in her chair, Okara drummed her fingers on the white stone table gracing the center of her small stone cottage. Her movements were framed by Leth’s light glowing in from the window, open on the hot late summer night. Leth was high in the sky but Okara was restless and knew sleep would not come to her for many hours. Drumming her fingers faster she suddenly stopped and flattened her palm on the table. The woman stood slowly and let her green eyes slowly drift across the room in thought. She would never get rid of her restless energy sitting here. She needed to move and tire out her body. Her eyes rested on her bed, under which she knew her suvai lay safely out of the way. Perhaps a little practice fighting shadows on the beach would help calm her restlessness. Okara crossed the small room in three paces and bent down to pull out her suvai. She held up the weapon of glossy white bone and inspected its twisted length. It was as beautifully deadly as ever. She stood and crossed the room again to the doorway. Stepping through the door with suvai grasped firmly in hand Okara considered that she really should buy a nice leather belt to hold the suvai against her waist. Okara’s bare feet padded across the stone pathways of the city, she rarely wore boots in the summer. Her blonde hair was braided in a crown around her head but a few loose strands were blowing around her neck from the cool evening breeze. Her home was fairly close to the beach and so she reached it in ten chimes. Stepping onto the sand, Okara wiggled her scaly toes with delight at the rough texture. Okara held her suvai in her right hand pointing away from her side, her head turned to face the same direction. She reasoned that if she were facing an enemy, turning her side towards it would give it a smaller target to attempt to hit. She shifted her feet wider, giving herself a more solid sense of balance. She thrust forward a few times clumsily. She still felt uncomfortable using the weapon and knew she needed to dedicate more time to practice. A weapon she didn't know how to use wasn't a very useful one. Okara swung the suvai in an arc and jumped forward a bit. She spun on her heels to face the other direction and paused. Now she was facing the harbor and she could see a slouching Konti moving about the docks. In a city as small as Mura, most of the residents knew each other to some degree and Okara thought she could recognize the woman even at this distance. Curiosity about another's late night wanderings nagged at her mind and her suvai practice was soon forgotten as Okara began to walk towards the harbor docks. "Hello there! Is that Tap? What are you doing out here at night?" Okara called out a few chimes later as she strolled across the dock, water lapping around the lower supports. She approached the Konti with the short cropped hair as she was untying the rowboat. Okara paused a moment to take in her fishing gear. " Are you going out fishing? At night? What are you fishing at this time of night?" Her questions came packaged with a friendly smile for the fisherwoman. "Would you like some company? I would love to get out on the water. I can help out too, however you might need me to." Okara asked and began lowering herself down into the rowboat without waiting for a response.

[Tap]

A voice startled Tap and she moved suddenly at the noise, causing the small boat to rock in the water. Freezing, Tap splayed her hands out her sides trying to maintain balance so she wouldn't topple over the edge and disturb the peaceful water beneath her. Her entire body still frozen Tap looked up at the voice. It was a Konti of course, one she recognized but could not think of the name. Shrugging inwardly Tap didn't blame herself, she was never good at names, and every Konti looked kinda the same, even herself to the others.

The girl seemed to remember Tap's name. Seeing as she called Tap, 'Tap', instead of Taprissa, meant the fisher knew the girl from somewhere other than family relations. That was always a good sign. Her family and family friends never seemed to take her seriously. Relaxing at this notion, Tap sat down on the boat, in a better balanced position. Her hand was still clutching the rope that tied the boat to the docks, reading to throw it back onto the wooden planks and push out into the open waters of the Suvan.

The Konti visitor asked questions in rapid fire, and with Taps slow nature she did not have time to think of adequate answers to her questions. So she replied at first with a drawn out "Uhh..." As a stall for more thinking time.

Tap didn't really want any company but she also did not know how to stall for any longer and certainly didn't have the courage to say no without an excuse, especially since she woman was offering help. But truly the last thing Tap wanted to do was share in any of her catch. As the ticks passed, though, and Tap was left with no excuse, her decision was made for her.

"Just..uh..squid. Nocturnal... I guess help...would be nice?" She stammered to the young Konti. She thought for a moment of asking the girls name, but was worried she would sound rude for forgetting, so Tap refrained, hoping she wouldn't have to use it during the trip out.

[Okara]

Okara smiled at Tap’s drawn out response, realizing she had taken the fisherwoman a bit by surprise. No matter, the trip would surely be lovely and Okara looked forward to spending time with a fellow Konti. She had been spending a lot of time alone lately and the thought of companionship was a welcome one. Okara was either oblivious to or chose to ignore Tap’s desire to fish alone. “I’ve never tried to fish for squid before and I did not realize they were nocturnal! That’s really interesting to know. What do you use to catch them? Just a regular fishing pole?” Okara continued to smile and sat down in in the rowboat, careful not to shake it with her movements. If Tap got a big haul the markets would be flush with fresh squid tomorrow and perhaps Okara would be able to make some delicious squid recipes. Her experience with squid was limited but she was delighted at the thought of trying some new recipes or even making some up. “Do you have much experience fishing for squid?” She asked in a friendly tone as she watched Tap deal with the rope that had tied the small boat to the dock. The boat bobbed gently in the water, small but sturdy on the edge of the vast ocean. Okara thought for a moment, suddenly worried that the fisherwoman would find her a hindrance. She needed to find a way to demonstrate her usefulness. “I can row us out to the fishing spot. The exercise will feel nice and you might need your strength for reeling in squid! I wonder if they pull very hard. Which way shall we go?” Okara laid her suvai carefully beneath her seat and picked up the rowboat paddles lying inside the boat. She stuck a paddle into the ocean on either side of the boat, grasping the ends firmly in her hands. She rolled her shoulders a few times to loosen them for the exertion and smiled up at Tap expectantly, waiting for her directions. OOCTap, you can assume that Okara will start paddling wherever once you give her a direction.

[Tap]

The Konti, now her companion apparently, got into the rowboat with Tap, firing off more rapid questions. Tap wasn't listening very carefully and only caught some of what the girl was saying. She was paying more attention to pushing the boat away from the dock after throwing the rope out of the boat and up onto the wooden platform.

However when the girl began to row the boat instead of Tap, she couldn't help but feel a little grateful. Rowboats were sturdy, yes, but heavy and a pain to row, especially if it wasn't just one person occupying it. Tap wasn't much of an athlete and they would need to go a bit of a ways away. So as a show of thanks Tap answered some of the Konti's questions she had previously decided to leave rhetorical.

"Uh..yeah so... no you don't use a normal fishing pole for squid." Tap muttered, hopefully clear enough for the Konti to hear and understand. Grabbing her fishing pole that she brought along she displayed it to her companion. "This is a lot lighter than...uh... normal poles I guess. The lines thinner too... And the bait is more colorful... shaped different." She was rambling a bit and only giving the obvious details of difference between her two poles, the other she had left at home, it had no use on the trip. If the Konti wanted to know exactly why each of these differences were important she would have to ask more specific questions. Tap wasn't much of a teacher... or a socialite even.

Directing the rower out towards the ocean Tap answered the other question she had, about Tap's experience. "Not much... experience. I know how to fish... or like catch them. I've... done it before, yeah, a few times. It's a bit slow...though..."

Although the squid nestled not very far from shore, just over the drop off, inside reefs, long strands of seaweed, rocks, because they enjoyed the shelter and abundance of food, Tap wanted to get far from the docks and out of common eye view of Mura in order to start fishing. Tap was a bit protective of her catch and she never enjoyed other fishers coming along and fishing in her spot. It was enough that she had an uninvited Konti come along for the ride. It would be worse if another fisher tried to steal her perspective catch.

As the pair began to push off Tap closed her eyes for just a quick moment, perhaps half a chime, no one would notice unless watching her carefully. She was sending a quick, though meaningful, prayer to Laviku. They were only going a slight ways into His realm, but it was His realm all the same and he deserved all the respect she could muster. Her prayer included her companion as well, Tap was never cruel enough to leave anyone out of possible protection.

[Okara]

Okara pushed and pulled the oars a bit awkwardly at first but once the little rowboat began to pick up some speed her movements smoothed into an even rhythm. The rowing was hard though and Okara could feel the muscles in her arms and stomach tense with the effort to move the small craft against the ocean current. The wood of the oar handles were smooth from repeated use and fit snugly into Okara’s palm. She made an effort to pay attention to Tap’s vague explanations despite her concentration on the movements of the oars. “Why don’t you use a normal fishing pole? Does it work differently for squid then for other fish? That seems interesting. I didn’t realize there were multiple kinds of fishing poles though I suppose there are lots of different kinds of fish to catch out there.” Okara asked slowly, pausing between phrases to take a breath. The rowing was consuming work and left energy for little else. It took a moment for her to consider Tap’s words and then formulate a question to put into words. “Why is the bait shaped differently? What about the bait will attract the squid?” Okara asked her questions slowly again. She found the topic fascinating, feeling somewhat foolish that she knew so little about the collection of a creature that she had cooked before. Truly she knew little about fishing habits in general and enjoyed learning more about an important industry that contributed to her own sustenance and interests. “Oh, and I’m sure you’re experienced enough, you seem to know what you are talking about.” Okara said kindly and tried to smile while she rowed. It was not easy to give a pleasant expression in the midst of a physical task. Okara lost her rowing rhythm for a moment as her concentration broke and then quickly found it again. Some sweat began to appear on the back of her neck, the few strands of hair that had escaped her braid clung to the moisture stubbornly though she did not wish to interrupt her rowing to swipe them away. “I haven’t got any experience but I bet I can help out somehow. I appreciate you taking me with you, just being out on the ocean at night is lovely.” Okara turned her gaze away from her reticent companion and looked out over the ocean. It was truly lovely to be out on the water in the nighttime. Without the brightness of Syna’s light the watery expanse looked black and impossibly deep. Gentle waves crinkled the surface and the moonlight’s reflection seemed to glitter on the blackness.

[Tap]

As the boat moved slowly in the water Tap stared out at the calm and dimly lit waters. The sea was calm, at least this much inland, gentle and small sloping waves rocked the boat only minorly, creating little splashes against the smooth hull. The water was dark and descending, almost impossible to see into its depths at this time of night. The moon only granted the earth a little white glow of light, nothing penetrating and strong enough. The sun was like a needle, poking deep into skin and dirt and water, while the moon was a simple layer of silk, draping and floating over whatever its light touched. Mesmerized by the smooth walk of the water Tap almost missed what her companion was saying. The fisher was very good at ignoring sounds and curling up into her own little world, she tried to make herself realize she was not alone, and could not act like it.

Looking back from the water to the face of her Konti sister she squinted, as if straining her eyes would focus her hearing and attention. Tap had not heard the first question the girl had asked, but managed to pick up the second and the comments she made afterward. She gathered that the girl was asking about the fishing pole. hadn't she just told her what was different about the two?

A little bit annoyed at the repetition of an already answered question Tap just looked at the girl while she contemplated even answering. She didn't want to be rude though. It was easy to see that the girl was just trying to be nice, completely unaware she was intruding on Tap's time. So far, besides having to deal with talking and socialization, the girl had made the journey easier on Tap.

The Konti continued to ask questions, her talking a little slowed now with the physical activity limiting her breath. Tap gave a little inward thanks, she found it difficult to pay much attention to anyone when they spoke quickly. At least now Tap had time to think about the words spoken and she was not as rushed or flustered upon answering. "Yeah... squid are light and quick, makes it easier to reel in if the pole is lighter I guess. And uh... squid eat a lot differently than normal fish, you know? Different food... So the bait is shaped to look like something they'd eat, right."

Looking out at the ocean again she began to ignore the Konti beside her once more. They were nearing the drop-off and she started to see the very tops of some kelp that had grown tall enough to touch the surface of the water. The squid liked hiding places; rocks, kelp, dark and easily accessible in case of danger. She squinted again trying to see through the dark water. It was, of course, impossible to do so. She wanted to know before she threw in her line if there was anything at all to catch.

An idea struck her just as the Konti companion offered more help. She grinned inwardly, yes perhaps the girl could help. Tap loved the water and she wouldn't mind completing the task herself, but with help she might be able to get more out of it. Turning once again to the girl she spoke, "Actually, yeah I have an idea. This is a pretty good place for quid I think, though I want to know if there are actually any down there before I start. If you could hop in, maybe, and look around. They shouldn't be that hard to spot. I mean try not to make too much commotion. I've found that most fish in the waters don't fear us too much, but a lot of wrecking around will scare anything."

[Okara]

Okara considered Tap’s explanations concerning poles and bait and accepted the sense of it. She frowned a bit as Tap looked away and began to get the feeling that she had intruded in a place where she was not wanted. Okara would have to focus on providing some assistance and service, she did not wish to upset or offend a fellow Konti. She realized that perhaps she had been hasty in inserting herself into the fishing trip. Sometimes she forgot that not everyone was as enthusiastic as she was, and she really only wanted to be of help. Okara stopped rowing as Tap proclaimed their current position as sufficient. She listened to Tap’s idea and nodded along. She could certainly handle some scouting in the ocean. The row boat drifted slowly along the gentle ocean waves, carried by some remaining momentum. Okara pulled the oars inside the boat and laid them gently one on top of the other on the row boat floor. “I can certainly go in and look around for you. I will try not to scare them away. Just give me a minute to scout around and hopefully I can find something.” Okara said as she finished storing the oars. She picked up her suvai and grasped it firmly as she carefully threw one leg over the side of the little boat. She hoped the ocean would be friendly tonight but many large predators lurked in its deep waters and she did not wish to be caught empty handed. Okara swung her remaining leg over the edge of the boat and lifted her arms straight up, trying to remain vertical so she wouldn’t create a big splash. She slipped into the ocean water with a quiet plunk plunk and felt the water surround her. Her gills began to work and process the ocean water as her clothes began to billow loosely around her body. After the strenuous rowing the cold ocean water felt lovely and refreshing on Okara’s sweaty skin. She kept her arms at her side, still gripping the suvai, and began to kick vigorously down into the ocean water. Near the surface the water was well lit from the moonlight above but a few feet down began to get darker and more foreboding. She moved quickly through the water, straining her eyes to watch for movement in the darkness below her. Occasionally Okara had to dodge a tall spire of kelp and tried not to touch and disturb it. The movement might scare anything dwelling near it. Okara turned her head, trying to scan in all directions for signs of movement. Slowing swinging to the left she noticed a darting object out of the corner of her eye but it was gone by the time she looked at it straight on. She stopped kicking her legs and tried to hold herself steady in the water, focusing her gaze where she thought the darting object had been. A few moments passed and just as she considered that it had been nothing another small oblong object darted into the visibly lit water briefly then darted back into the dark depths. Another few moments passed and then the oblong object, or perhaps a different, darted into the moonlit area of water again. Okara slowly swam towards the darting objects, keeping in mind Tap’s plea not to scare anything away. Getting a little closer, she could now see that the occasionally darting object had long strings hanging from its body. Tentacles! She had found the squid! Okara slowed herself and reversed her direction, swimming back towards where she had left the rowboat, still mindful of not making big vibrations in the water that would alert the squid of her presence. Or at least make them think her presence was threatening if they had already noticed her. Okara found the shadow of the rowboat and swam toward it. She broke surface near its bow and looked up at Tap waiting expectantly. “I found the squid! They are a little over that way. They seem to be staying in the darker depths of the water and then just darting up in the light part closer to the surface. I don’t think they noticed me so they should still be there. I tried to keep my distance.” Okara pointed in the direction she meant. Grasping the side of the rowboat she dropped her suvai over the side. “Uh, you might to lean the other way so I don’t tip us over getting back in.” Okara advised as she gripped the rowboat side firmly. With a quick breath in she jerked her body upwards and used her momentum to swing her torso over the edge of the rowboat and drop heavily in the bottom. Her soaking clothes made a pool of ocean water beneath her and streams ran down her neck from her wet braid. “I can row us over, you should get your pole ready.” Okara suggested as she turned over and lifted herself onto one of the boat’s small seats. She picked up the oars she had stacked and slid them back into the water. Okara pushed and pulled heavily a few times to gather some speed then pulled them back up, letting the boat drift towards their intended destination. She worried that splashing around too much with the oars would scare away the squid when she had just gotten done finding them.

[Tap]

She had to admit, Tap was worried the girl would mess something up somehow, scare the squid, be unable to find them although Tap was nearly positive they were here somewhere. But as the Konti girl left the boat, she did so quietly and slowly and came back up, just a couple chimes later, in the exact same way. She had found the prey they were looking for and began to row the boat towards them more, after re boarding as carefully as she left.

As her companion moved the rowboat closer, Tap got her gear ready. Everything, for the most part, was set up. Her pole was lined, and bobbed, Tap just needed to hook and bait it. She didn't like leaving hooks on the pole. Yes there were ways to secure the hook, but it still made her uneasy. She would rather just tie a hook on every time than get stabbed by one. It was simple to tie a hook on and with Tap experience it only took a couple ticks. She baited it as well, a fake a bit made of hardened and unscented tar, dyed a vibrant purple and green, strangely shaped to appeal to the squid's diet of mainly small shrimp.

As she was doing this she asked her companion some questions. "Tell me about them. How large were they? How many did you see?" Although most squid was edible the kind of squid it was determined many things. Whether or not they would have to catch many, or just a few as well as how Tap would need to catch them. Depending she might need to make use of a net as well as a pole, it simply depended on the type of squid. Hopefully the Konti got a good enough look to describe to Tap. She should be able to name it off the girls description.

Squid :

There are a couple types you can choose from. There is the Humboldt Squid which is large (up to 100lbs) hence we would only need to catch five or so, but they are also aggressive. Or there is the California Market Squid (which I would rename obviously) which is what calamari tends to be and is therefore much smaller, around 6 inches. We would need to catch many, I might use a net as well as a pole. Then there is the Loligo Squid which is about 8-12 inches. We would still need to catch a quite a few. Whichever one you pick look up as they all look and act differently.

[Okara]

Okara watched the woman set up her gear, her fingers moving over the pole with familiarity. The painted lure dangled on the line, difficult to see distinctly in the moonlight. The boat’s momentum began to gradually slow as the women drifted towards their target. Okara tucked the oars on the bottom of the boat, listening as Tap inquired about the squid she had seen in the ocean. She thought back to the quickly moving creatures in the water, trying to recall approximate size. She knew she had seen several dart into the light but surely more lurked in the deeper darkness that she did not see. “Well, I would say they were about this large.” Okara said and held her hands about a foot apart in front of her chest to demonstrate the size. Her eyebrows were scrunched together as she thought and nodded softly to herself. “There were quite a few down there, it’s hard to give an accurate estimate. Most of them were staying down where it was too dark for me to see very well. They were kind of darting up into the lighter parts of the water to grab things and then going back down into the darker depths. I saw at least a dozen though.” Okara explained, hoping she had been helpful. She tucked her hands back into her lap, the tap, tap of the water dripping from her clothing on the boat floor slowly fading to a steady rhythm. “So… what is the next step? What do we do to catch the squid? Just stick the pole in and wait for something to happen?” she inquired, asking a question of her own. Okara suddenly realized that this fishing thing could actually take a while, they could be out all night perhaps. She had no idea if squid were quick to fish or even what “quick” was in the context of fishing. She might be in a long night and tired next day. OOCI was trying to describe the loligo squid. Also, if you need Okara to help net the squid in or keep track of the already caught ones just give her instructions and you can assume she will do it.