Flashback [Fish Market] Of Foreign Fish

[Eleret]

Winter 11, 500 AV early afternoon In some ways, Zeltiva felt a bit like home. The air always bore the scent of the sea, sited on the coast as the city was; sometimes it was stronger, sometimes weaker, but always present. Meals at the University cafeteria were centered around fish, as many had been in Mura. The kelp beer was a peculiar concoction to be sure, but it had similar flavors to some staples of the Konti diet; she was confident it wouldn't take her long to grow accustomed. But when Eleret finally made her way down to the fish market, intending to buy some herself and prepare a proper Konti meal... she stopped, struck by the sight of the rows of wooden stalls. The dry wooden stalls. She shouldn't have been surprised -- this was a human city, and humans lived their lives out on land. But it was a coastal city, a city of seafarers... and... and... it was a fish market. Despite her intellectual grasp of the differences between Zeltiva and Mura, at some deeper level, Eleret had expected the fish market to involve more actual water. It was a busy, bustling place as people went about their afternoon shopping, most likely making purchases for their evening meals -- as Eleret intended to do. After overcoming her initial surprise, the Konti walked down the lane with the slow pace of a first-time visitor, craning her head around to look at all the fish on display -- and at the motley array of fishermen selling them, all unfamiliar in their persons and their comparatively aggressive attempts to attract customers. It didn't help that the crowd overwhelmed her gift in a muddle of scents, reflecting the myriad of moods -- and overlaying them all, a smell of dead fish that was more pungent than Eleret really appreciated. She got to the end of the lane, and paused at the intersection, looking around uncertainly. Maybe she should just go back and eat whatever human dish the cafeteria offered tonight...

[Ricky Maze]

Ricky was helping his pa finish up with the stalls after a long cold day today, the two had made a decent amount of money from the sales they did today. His father Burt had finished loading up what was left to take home and eat, when he looked to see a girl that seemed rather lost in the midst of the crowd. Placing the basket of fish down he knelt to Ricky, whispering in his sons ear. "Son, ya see that girl over there?" Ricky looked to the direction his father did, the warm breath of his whisper heating Ricky's cold ear. Indeed there was a girl that looked as though she was lost, but for what reason did his dad point it out? Ricky nodded after laying eyes on the girl, she reminded Ricky of a Konti though not as much. The only Konti Ricky was really familiar with was Nira, but that was only because she had made a rather different first impression. "I'm gonna go ahead and head home, see if she needs help and supper shoupd be close to ready when ya get back." Ricky looked to his dad with a happy smile, knowing that he was clearly helping Ricky get to make more friends. "Ok pa, love ya." "Love ya too son." Burt would say with a kiss on the head, he rubbed his hand through Ricky's hair before picking up the basket of fish once more. Ricky laughed afterwards and watched as his father disappeared in to the crowd, then turned his attention back to the girl. With a deep breath to relax he shuffled through the crowd to get close to her, when he would arrive at her spot he would then greet her with a friendly grin. "Well hey there, ye look like yer lost. Need any help or anythin?" He would sound polite and humble, fighting the chill that would bite his fingers and feet. He had decent clothes to keep warm for winter, but that didn't mean he could still feel the shivers of the cocold work their way into him. He would look to the girl with warm eyes and a warm smile, "My names Ricky, what's your's?"

[Eleret]

A voice behind her interrupted Eleret's moment of indecision, and she turned around to face the speaker, at first taken aback and then offering the boy a warm smile. Seen up close, the pearly scales characteristic of a Konti were clearly visible, most notably on her forehead and the very outer edge of her cheekbones; her hands and arms remained beneath the drape of her cloak. "Oh! Hello," she replied, a bit shyly. Between the crowd and the omnipresent scent of fish, Eleret's gift could make out nothing of the boy's mood. But his demeanor seemed friendly... "Am not lost," she assured him, though the glances she gave to either side afterwards might suggest a different impression. "It is very different from the... market, home," the Konti added. "It is... it is a surprise, here," she said, tapping two fingers over her breastbone. Eleret shook her head slightly, then smiled ruefully at the human boy. "I know better, but surprise." He introduced himself, and Eleret smiled again. "I am Eleret," she provided in return. "It is nice to meet you." Pulling her cloak a little closer, tweaking its drape across her shoulders, she glanced away towards the nearest row of market stalls. "I come to get fish. But I think, I do not know if fish here same as Mura. I do not know names in Common," she admitted to her companion. And she felt a sudden, distinct reluctance to ask the fish-sellers themselves.

[Ricky Maze]

His dad was right about her needing help, by the sound of her voice she was a foreigner as well as a Konti. Ricky wasn't sure what she was meaning when she mentioned the place being so dry, perhaps where she was from she was always under water. Or so Ricky figured as she explained. He was rather overwhelmed with curiosity with her. Though she was like Nira she was different, maybe because Nira had been in Zeltiva longer? Or perhaps the similiarities were where they had scales, and that was where Ricky could only draw the line. He still had much to learn of the Konti indeed, but it was clear to him now that he must first help this girl out. When she mentioned she was from Mura though Ricky connected the dots, a visiter here for the fish! He felt he could've smacked his forehead for being so dull as to not consider the possibility, but instead he settled for offering his hand to Eleret. "Not sure who to ask ey? I can help ya out with that." Ricky assured her with a friendly grin as he waited, should she take his hand he would help her to a nearby stall and see what exactly she was looking for.

[Eleret]

OOCThank you for your patience! The boy held out his hand and offered help, eliciting a grateful smile from the Konti. Eleret set his hand in his and let Ricky lead the way to a fish stall. The gruff man behind the table, she gave a shy-but-game smile, rising up on tiptoe as she leaned over to look at the fish in all their silvery splendor. Then she turned back to the boy. "It is very.... very small fish this way," she said, reclaiming her hand from Ricky and holding both hands up between them, fingers vertical and palms close together. "Maybe... longer than hand, here," Eleret continued, raising one hand with fingers splayed, indicating the span of thumb to littlest finger. "It has black spots, sometimes one, sometimes several. Biggest spot is... shoulder?" she offered uncertainly. "Behind neck, if can say that for fish." Her own scales gleamed in the wintry sunlight as the Konti's hands moved with her words, a not entirely conscious accompaniment. "I think more white than silver, but maybe not for fish here? Is Mura that is white. Maybe has other colors instead," she added thoughtfully. "But spots should be same, I think."

[Ricky Maze]

"It has black spots, sometimes one, sometimes several. Biggest spot is... shoulder?" Eleret had described with what seemed to be uncertainty, but Ricky kept an open mind as he listened to her. "I think more white than silver, but maybe not for fish here? Is Mura that is white. Maybe has other colors instead,but spots should be same; I think." She added with a bit more confidence, pretty sure that the spots remained the same. Fish in a similiar family tended to have different appearances in different places, but usually the same distinctive characteristic or trait of their heritage. These spots were definitely something he was familiar with, he hadn't really fished much up to know by heart; but no doubt his father had. If Ricky was remembering correctly then... "Wait, a baitfish?... Yer not serious." He stated slighty grossed out by the idea. "Ya don't want one o' those nasty buggers, better to have something like salmon or sea bass." He reassured her as he blocked out the idea of touching bait fish, the slimy oily fish wasn't the favorite of his kind; probably the healthiest but as far as taste... Yuck! "Yer from Mura huh?" He inquired curiously as he looked at what the stall had to offer, the stall runner seemed rather bulky but waited patiently for the two to decide.

[Eleret]

Eleret hoped he would recognize the description she gave, as that would make the fish far easier to find. She felt a moment's elation when he did -- quickly followed by bewilderment as Ricky went on to refute her request. The Konti canted her head, brows creasing in a perplexed frown. "If it is the same fish, it is what I want," she demurred, tone polite but certain. It would be rude to imply the fish hadn't been prepared right, if he'd eaten it before, so she didn't. She nodded as he went on to mention Mura. "Yes. I left last season to come here. It is the first time I have been... away, away from Mura," Eleret continued. She smiled over at Ricky. "I like Zeltiva. It is very different, but I think it is not as much as other human cities must be. There is the sea here." The Konti turned back to the fish stall, looking over the fish on display. She really didn't see the baitfish here; they probably didn't sell it for eating, if Ricky's reaction had been typical. That was cause for a pang of disappointment. "If it is not to buy, I can use another. I do not know if it is 'sea bass' or 'salmon', though. You can show me the fish?"

[Ricky Maze]

"I like Zeltiva. It is very different, but I think it is not as much as other human cities must be. There is the sea here." Eleret said with a smile, examining the stall surface to search for her desired fish. None appeared to be found however. "If it is not to buy, I can use another. I do not know if it is 'sea bass' or 'salmon', though. You can show me the fish?" Ricky nodded and turned to the stall and reached up, he pulled down sea bass from the stall and displayed it to Eleret with a friendly grin. "Sea bass here tend to be a sort of sea weed green color, and are very salty when it comes to cookin em." He stated with a bit of enthusiasm, as he allowed Eleret to examine the fish. It scales still held their green hue, a sign that the fish was still fresh. "Normally the lighter the color the older the fish when it's been caught, ye can cook em slowly and should get the salty taste out." He returned the sea bass to its original location, and pulled down a salmon that was almost the length of his arm. "This big guy," He held in front of him with hands on each end, "is a salmon. They tend to have a fishy taste but they're the best. Me pa makes steaks outta them most of the time, as they're good for growth he say's." He assured her with a grin, keeping a humble and enthusiastic tone. He loved to talk about his pa, as the man was a hero in Ricky's eyes.

[Eleret]

Sea bass. Salmon. Eleret examined each as he held them out in turn for her to study, fixing the names in her memory. She nodded in response to his remarks on how to prepare each fish. "I know these," she said after he had finished, casting a bright grin at Ricky. Even if they weren't what she was looking for, the Konti felt a certain satisfaction in there being something she recognized here -- something she could share with the human boy in return. "Your 'sea bass' is sea bass in Kontinese. And it is very salty," she affirmed. "I also know salmon, 'salmon'," Eleret continued, giving him a slightly crooked smile. "I do not know about... growing. I eat much salmon before, but I did not grow so much." Already he outmassed her, and Ricky wasn't even full-grown yet. Her smile broadened into a grin. "Maybe it work different for a Konti." Then the Konti shook her head, expression sombering as her thoughts returned to her present task. "But these are not... The fish are good, but I cannot use them the same way." She looked up to the fishmonger behind the counter. "I am sorry. I do not see what I need here," she informed him politely. Eleret then turned to her native guide. "We can look at another?"

[Ricky Maze]

Ricky listened to how she pronounced sea bass and salmon in her language, the foreign words difficult to grasp but the concept of their meaning ever clear. Eleret looked rather disappointed when they couldn't find the baitfish; which she then asked, "We can look at another?" "Yeah o'course we can, over this way." He led her to another stall that had the same thing their previous had, fish, but with a bit of a different variety. There was one that was like baitfish that seemed pretty good to eat, maybe that could work instead! "Ah here's somethin like baitfish." He took one from the stall to show it, it's brownish scales gave a sort of gleam from the light. "This skinny thing is a Matthew's Bay catfish, their usually quite slimey with oil so it difficult to grip from time to time." He allowed her to examin it once again before continuing. "In other places their not slimey, but the ones in the bay somehow are. Must be their habitat or somethin." He shrugged as he looked for baitfish, waiting to hear her opinion as he searched.