Completed [The Docks] Come Fish With Me! (Elem Bree)

[Ricky Maze]

Witnessing Elem have the first snag, Ricky placed his rod next to him; making a quick mental note not to forget it. He cheered Elem on in a low tone, watching as he naturally pulled of a well start in reeling the catch in. When Elem finally hauled out his snag, Ricky felt a sense of achievement flow from him. His first fish was a Golden Sun Perch, mostly common in the shallows of the ocean. Impressive none the less for a first timer, Ricky took a close look to measure its size. The tyke was actually in its early teens, somewhere around four or five inches in length. He smiled to Elem as the boy clearly was joyous, "Nice one, most starters only catch these when they're the size of pea pods. This one is close to five inches, so you gotta good start!" He encouraged with enthusiasm, a feeling of pride welling up inside.

[Elem Bree]

Elem's eyes widened at the fish flapping before him. Ricky's words of encouragement only bolstered this feeling. He was already catching larger fish than other first timers, a sure sign that Laviku was happy with him! Many sailors could often be heard complaining that they had angered Laviku when they came home with no fish. Elem hadn't even done anything toward the Sea God and look at this! He smiled wide at the accomplishment.

Holding the rod up, his arm was getting tired. "Thanks, Ricky! But.. what do we do with it now? Throw it back? If we keep it, won't it just flop away until it falls back into the water?" With the initial excitement passing, good old logic came in. Elem was like that. If something didn't make sense, it stuck with him until he figured it out. Looking around, he thought maybe a bucket would do the trick. No buckets? Hang the fish on the line and string a new line? Seemed wasteful and cruel. he hadn't thought so far about after catching a fish.

[Ricky Maze]

"Ah!" Darn!! Of all the things he forgets to bring, the bucket was the important. How silly of him to forget it, of course if he hadn't been so absent minded when grabbing the gear- "Oi!" He slightly jumped as a voice called out in their direction, Ricky knew it by heart of course as bis pa would always holler at him when he was at a distance. The big man approached the two boy's with a netted basket that heavily reeked of fish, no doubt what his pa used when he fished. "Son ya left behind the basket, can't carry home fish with your arms now can ya?!" He stated as he placed the empty basket next to them, looking to Elem. "No sir, thanks pa!" Ricky cheered, as he dragged the basket close. "Oh pa, this is Elem Bree. He was wantin' to learn how to fish, so I'm teachin' em." His dad laughed, a smile could be seen through his beard. Ricky could be considered his dad in young form, the only difference was his pa wad more built and weighty. Where as Ricky still had plenty of growin to do, that and the facial hair...but that was another day. His pa nodded at Elem, and looked back to Ricky. "Have fun son, and bring home dinner while your at it." He laughed as he waved them bye, Ricky still grinning of course. "That was pa," he spoke to Elem, "Typical sailor some say, but best damn dad I've had!" He removed the lid from the basket, the aroma of fish still clinging to its inner strands. To Elem it probably smelled terrible, but Ricky grew up with this his whole life; it might as well been his own heaven considering. He looked back at the fish Elem had, forgetting the little guppy was still hanging on. "Oh yeah yer fish, ya can put him in the basket or let him go. Yer choice." He allowed Elem to decide, seeing as how it was his first catch. Ooc : To be honest I really did forget the bucket/basket, but it turned out for the best seeing as how Elem got to see Ricky's dad.

[Elem Bree]

A bucket! That made sense. Elem looked up at Ricky's dad. He was a big guy. Maybe he looked like an older, bigger Ricky, but it was hard to tell with his big beard. He looked a lot like many of the sailors that worked at the harbor. Elem could have very well run into him before and not even been aware of it. He thought he would remember running into someone that big, though.

Aware that his mouth might be open, all Elem managed was, "Sir.", before the man dropped the bucket off and was gone as soon as he had come. A sailor's life was a busy one, no doubt. Elem turned his attention to the bucket lid as it came off. It was strong, but you really couldn't live your whole life in Zeltiva and not be used to the smell of fish. You would really have to live in a cave somewhere. "He seemed like a really nice guy, Ricky. Course, you are nice too, so that makes sense." He smiled at Ricky while looking at his little perch in relation to the fish in the bucket.

Looking back at the fish, after being given the choice, Elem decided it was best to just let this one go and try for a more impressive addition to the bucket. If Ricky was taking the fish home for dinner, he wanted Elem Bree to be remembered for something much better. He grabbed the line and carefully grabbed the fish, trying to avoid its spines. He worked its mouth off the hook and tossed it back in, watching it dart off as soon as it hit the water.

"I think I'll try for a better one."

[Ricky Maze]

When Elem complimented on his dad being nice, it made Ricky so happy that he thought so. Pride in knowing that his pa was a great teacher and a great father, as no doubt Ricky wouldn't be who he is without him. Elem opted for a try to catch bigger fish, putting an even bigger smile on Ricky. "Now ya thinkin like a true fisherman!" He cheered as the perch darted away to safety. His rod twitched unexpectedly as he'd forgotten he placed it there. All the excitement and teaching distracted his mind for too long, quickly reacting he grabbed the rod as the bite he snagged began taking the line with it! When Ricky began to reel in though it wasn't going anywhere, as he knew what fish he just snagged. "Petchin' sea dog!" He grunted as he stood up to keep his ground, loosing a bit of the line in the process. This was a occasional fish only fisherman with more muscle than Ricky can pull in, and even they would have trouble hauling in this baby. Yes Ricky knew this fish well as he has encountered before, for it was the bovine guppy! "Elem!" He grunted as he placed one foot against the pole of the dock, using it as leverage to keep from being pulled into the sea. "I need ya to help hold me down, and keep pullin' on me until I say let go. He's gonna be a fat one to haul in!" He exlaimed as he focused on the key techniques his father taught him, if they could pull this off then they would be eating well tonight. That if was unlikely though, as the fish could easily snap the line if not careful.

[Elem Bree]

Elem was also lost in the excitement of the last fish, his eyes on the water, hoping maybe to see the little golden thing swimming around. he knew that it was smart enough to swim far away, though. Why stay around for another hook in the mouth? Lost in his thoughts, as little Elem was prone to be, only Ricky's exclamation snapped him from his waking slumber.

Looking over, he saw Ricky's pole bending over, as if there was something really big on it! he watched Ricky try to reel it and when nothing happened, he jumped over to help as soon as he was asked too. Grabbing the back of Ricky's belt, so as not to get his own arms in the way and possibly make the fisherman lose his rod, Elm planted his feet firmly and let his weight hang back.

Not being able to see, Elem just wrapped his fingers tight around the belt, pulling but not as hard as he could. He knew he was a bog boy and pulling really hard might pull Ricky to where he lost his grip. That would mean the loss of the fish, his fishing rod and probably his family's dinner. If Ricky really needed Elem to pull harder he would.

"Okay! I've got you! Get it!"

[Ricky Maze]

At last the time has come where Ricky would finally angle in his first Bovine Guppy, the fish were usually wide in girth (hence the name) and made great challenges when fishing them out. Elem had grabbed a hold of Ricky's belt and kept pulling to balance Ricky, the weight of the fish still provided a great challenge though. The rod itself could indeed snap if he was not careful, so he would have to pull the guppy in carefully. As he reeled the line in the fish squirmed left to right with it's tugs, making it difficult to pinpoint which way he needed to hold the rod. When the fish would yank back hard Ricky would ease the rod a bit, pulling back as he kept the reeling going. The weight of the guppy was already wearing down the line, if he didn't hurry then it would likely snap. The guppy was a good distance away now though, and Ricky would not let his new fishing buddy down on this. He would be successful in this, he would catch his first guppy. The fish flopped around more now as he continued his work, leaning to the left and then the right so the rod would reel in the guppy with less tension. Its curved wood could slightly be heard creaking like old wood, as he continued his work. 'Damn it,' He thought to himself, 'this rod is not meant for these big boy's.' It didn't matter anymore though, for a big boy had taken a bite. Now as Ricky worked and challenged himself to not lose the guppy, he was beginning to sweat as he was coming near to the harder part. The guppy was cutting it close to the docks now, a black spot in the water swimming frantically around. It was definitely now time to pull him in, but in order to do so he had to time it right. "Elem. I'm about to give ya the rod, all ye need to do is keep reelin in as I help tug em out." He grunted as he started to reach for the line, wrapping it around his hand once to ensure the grip he had. When Elem would take the rod, Ricky would attempt to pull. If they could cooperate accordingly then maybe he did have a shot at this.

[Elem Bree]

Elem had little clue as to what was going on in the water. All he could really do was hold on to the belt and listen to Ricky's grunts. He could tell that there were some definite pulls one way or the other, much like he had faced with his fish. However, the sheer difference in pulling power made it clear to him that this was no ordinary fish. Ricky had a serious haul coming in and Elem planted his feet in good and hard to make sure it didn't get lost.

He could also hear the creaking of the rod's wood and the furious splashing going on. He tried to imagine the scene on the other side of Ricky, but every time he tried to think too much about it, his own feet started slipping. No, he had to push any fish fantasies aside and concentrate on his job; being a living anchor to his Zeltivan friend. It was hard enough as it was until he heard Ricky's request. He wanted Elem to take the rod? The logistics alone seemed crazy!

Ricky was the seasoned fisherman though, so all Elem could do was follow his lead. Before he knew it, the older boy was already starting to lean in and crouch. Elem could see his hand on the line itself! There wouldn't be much time and his grip had to be sure. He knew that the reel itself was attached firmly to the rod, so that would be where he made his primary snag.

First things first, he moved his hands to the left side of Ricky's belt. The boy's right hand was on the line, so that route was blocked. He tried desperately not to look at the water or how close he was to the edge of the wet, slippery pier. He had never learned how to swim, a fact that he was always ashemed of, though his parents rarely took much note of its importance. He thought that of itself was pretty crazy considering where they lived.He had to keep his focus clear, so it stayed locked on the reel and the rod. He wanted to grip it close to the reel, fearing a break or slip should he grab it too high.

It just had to be a fluid motion. Elem closed his eyes for a brief moment, took a small breath and then moved in, his right hand clumsily grabbing the reel, half by the handle, half by the string. His left hand gripped the base of the rodand he swallowed hard, bending his knees and reeling as hard as he could. Whatever it was on the end of the line was massive. Sweat broke out on his forehead at the effort.

"Hurry, Ricky!".

[Ricky Maze]

'Ya don't have to tell me twice!' He thought in between his grunts as Elem began to reel in the line, when he started Ricky let the wire unravel from his hand and pulled the line with both hands. He had to be quick when doing so as the weight of the bovine would no doubt test Elem's, but as Ricky kept heaving in the line for Elem the guppy was now surfacing up. 'Not much longer now, just to pull em out!' His face grew firm as his body slightly tensed up, the weight would now prove a test to Ricky's strength as well. The line has already made red indentures in his hands, but in fishing all game is fair if your quick for the catch. The black blot that was near the surface finally fell short, being heaved out of the surface as Ricky kept straining to pull. His hands now even redder as he heaved, he finally manage to make the last pull before the dangling catch snapped the line. The Bovine Guppy slid up onto the edge as Ricky dragged it further awag, eliminating the chances of it escaping from them. The guppy was a dark gray scaled fish, huge in girth as some may reffer as "the swimming cow" by its size. This one was exactly the perfect size for a family dinner, an excellent catch to fill the bellies of at least five. Looks like dinner was on him tonight. Pushing through the pain in his hands, he felt a sense of accomplishment fill within him. Finally he had caught his first bovine, and on the same day he teaches a new fishing boy! With a chuckle between his heavy breathes he looked to Elem with a grin, "Hehehe, We got the fat boy outta his territory!" He exclaimed with excitement, placing his hands on the bovine to keep it still. It's slippery scales wet to the touch, with a sort of slimey feel about it. He was rather proud that he caught one this size, though he was never sure how big they really got. "Well Elem, ye wanna eat supper with us tonight? It would be nice to have guest's over so this bad boy don't go to waste!" He invited his new fishing buddy humbly, a friendly smile now upon his face. The Bovine squirmed a bit but Ricky would never let him go, the fish was now officially their catch now!

[Elem Bree]

Whatever it was was getting closer. Elem's eyes were widening as he could see the size of the dark spot and the width of this fish. What was it?!Ricky was gripping the line with his bare hands, which made Elem respect him. He didn't think he could handle the pain the older boy was experiencing, but then again the idea of catching your own fish was pretty awesome. Elem's focus at the moment was quickly snapped back to pulling, the great beast thrashing back and forth as it was brought closer to them.

If Elem was sweating at all before, his skin was raining now, the effort of pulling the fish out more than he had ever experienced. His will was holding the rod as much as his arms were. He kept trying to reel, but it soon became impossible, the weight of the fish threatening to make the reel spin backward. So Elem focused just on holding it in its current position, his feet backing away as Ricky pulled the line with his hands. Just like that, the fish was on the dock as Elem fell on his rear with the release of the strain.

Elem soon joined in the excitement felt by Ricky when he saw this giant, fat fish flopping about on the wood of the pier. It was gigantic! No wonder it had been so hard to pull it out. Ricky's laugh was infectious and quickly spread to his younger friend. It felt great to win against the fish!Standing again to look down at the large fish as it opened and closed its mouth in the purchase for air,Elem still held the rod fiercely, the pressure stinging against his palm.When Ricky brought up dinner, Elem at first thought it would be great to share in the story with his family.

However, he soon thought of his Mom and Dad, mostly his Mom, worrying about him when he didn't return for dinner. "Well, no offense, but my parents would be worried if I didn't show up for dinner. I better not today. But I will come back again tomorrow and we can fish again!I can tell my parents where I am going and then it will be okay. Deal?"