Otterly Fishy [Day 6, LM, ask]

[Doji Misaki]

Well, here she was; Misaki had never been big on fishing, having only really practiced a few times when she was younger. But here she was, out with fishing gear following Chai-san on a little trip. Still, it was a nice morning and it wasn't as if she was against the trip, so she was in a fine mood as they walked along.

[Chai Kotsume]

Well, here she was; Misaki had never been big on fishing, having only really practiced a few times when she was younger. But here she was, out with fishing gear following Chai-san on a little trip. Still, it was a nice morning and it wasn't as if she was against the trip, so she was in a fine mood as they walked along.

Kotsume and the otters led the way walking leisurely and quite joyfully, the Ki-rin dragging along a fishing net and a fishing pole with her as they made their way to a part of the river with some rocks where they might sit down and get the equipment - and themselves - ready.

"And where did you get the idea for that wiggling bait, Doji-san?? I must say I didn't think much of it at first... until you put it into the water! It's as if you were using fish to fish even!". This must be the fifth of sixth question she's asked about the device already...

"Ah... and do you want to use it again today? Or... would you like to try something else?" she asks looking at the woman. By now it's quite clear she's more excited about the trip than the one receiving the reward...

[Doji Misaki]

"I certainly would not mind using it again; See if the stresses I see its materials being put under are sustainable in the long term. As to your other question, the idea came from the pond near my house. Experiments with how different materials floated where I noticed that the temperature of the water would effect different materials differently in how they floated. Helpful in its own way for irrigation channel filters I was trying to sort out, but it made me wonder how different materials with different floating points in temperatures might react if they were loosely connected and changed temperatures quickly."

[Chai Kotsume]

"I certainly would not mind using it again; See if the stresses I see its materials being put under are sustainable in the long term. As to your other question, the idea came from the pond near my house. Experiments with how different materials floated where I noticed that the temperature of the water would effect different materials differently in how they floated. Helpful in its own way for irrigation channel filters I was trying to sort out, but it made me wonder how different materials with different floating points in temperatures might react if they were loosely connected and changed temperatures quickly."

The river girl listens with great interest and... some understanding? Maybe. She does look amazed, though.

"Oh, irrigation channels? That's interesting! But then... the idea is living farther from a river, then?" She looks a bit confused, but still interested. "And then... how do you move it when you have to go to a new location?"

Misaki will quickly notice she often has a large number of questions...

Getting to a location with a set of stones in the river and others in the river bank that would make for a comfortable place to sit down, she opens the net, examining it to remove knots or any other things that might interfere with the fishing, and sets the fishing pole on the ground.

"So.... let us try, then?", she asks with a wide smile. "Should we use the net as well?"

[Doji Misaki]

"Irrigation is actually more helpful near a river, actually; Channeling river water so it spreads between the crops efficiently so to mitigate floods and drought. You could move it or extend it if river conditions or food needs change, but it would be different indeed. It is one of the risks in farming and needing water for so many crops of course... A tough life, farming."

As they found a spot to stop, Misaki watched the Ki-Rin girl untangle the net before nodding, "I don't see why not. Were you hoping to keep any of this catch then?"

[Chai Kotsume]

"Irrigation is actually more helpful near a river, actually; Channeling river water so it spreads between the crops efficiently so to mitigate floods and drought. You could move it or extend it if river conditions or food needs change, but it would be different indeed. It is one of the risks in farming and needing water for so many crops of course... A tough life, farming."

As they found a spot to stop, Misaki watched the Ki-Rin girl untangle the net before nodding, "I don't see why not. Were you hoping to keep any of this catch then?"

The Ki-rin nods. The Daikawa did some farming... but nothing as permanent, so it is something that amazes her and makes her wonder. "Sounds like a tough life indeed!", she says, and keeps pensive as she turns back to dealing with the net.

"We could, I suppose. If the fish will help feed some who need it. If not... well, it could just be practice, for us both", she answers with a smile. "But I think the people in the city could do with some food?"

[Doji Misaki]

"Hm... I've not really gotten a bead on the situation here; Prying into the lives of the people around the palace felt like it might be rude. Still, fresh fish never goes amiss, and roasted fish is a staple of a happy belly in winter, no? I'm sure the otters would agree."

[Chai Kotsume]

"Hm... I've not really gotten a bead on the situation here; Prying into the lives of the people around the palace felt like it might be rude. Still, fresh fish never goes amiss, and roasted fish is a staple of a happy belly in winter, no? I'm sure the otters would agree."

"Oh, I don't mean that they lack food, Doji-sama! More what you said - I don't think more fish would go to waste". She turns to the three furry ones following them "And I'm sure they would agree indeed!"

The net ready to be cast, she nods to the Doji. "Well... how does it work, then? Do we just throw it and it attracts the fish? Or... do we need to help it wiggle? And... how did you actually 'catch' the fish after casting it?" She's clearly happily in her element here, and excited to see Misaki's invention at work.

[Doji Misaki]

"It needs a little help, actually. Not much, at the moment though. See, I need to make sure it's warm enough before it goes into the water, which is why I've been keeping it warm."

Misaki pulled a chain necklace out from her cloak, the sparkly lure attached to it like a charm. Taking it off the chain, she started attaching it to her line, "It's a combination of moving it around and the shock of the changing temperature that makes it wiggle so naturally, so I was warming it with my hands between casts the other day. That's kind of why I'm afraid it might ware out quickly, with all the expansion and contraction over and over."

[Chai Kotsume]

"It needs a little help, actually. Not much, at the moment though. See, I need to make sure it's warm enough before it goes into the water, which is why I've been keeping it warm."

Misaki pulled a chain necklace out from her cloak, the sparkly lure attached to it like a charm. Taking it off the chain, she started attaching it to her line, "It's a combination of moving it around and the shock of the changing temperature that makes it wiggle so naturally, so I was warming it with my hands between casts the other day. That's kind of why I'm afraid it might ware out quickly, with all the expansion and contraction over and over."

She sees the Crane taking the lure from the chain that was kept warm... close to her, and then looks at the lure, wondering. "Ah... I see!", she says, still wondering if that's how she'd keep the bait warm if she were to have one of those, to leave her hands free...

"Ah... you think it would be too much stress on it? I mean... metal spear tips are more common these days, and they last relatively long even when using these to fish... so maybe they'd last enough to be useful?"

With that said, she hands the net to Misaki. "Well, here it is! Do you want to give it a try? I think... leave the lure in the water to attract some fish, then cast the net over it? You think that'd work?"

[Doji Misaki]

"Oh this is much more fragile than a metal spear tip. Some of the metals are soft, and the connecting pins that allow the parts to move are quite small and thin. Then again, it needs to be this way in order to wiggle like it does, not to mention the materials I chose to catch the light so it attracts fish that way too. Still, I don't see any cracks so far, so let's do this."

Misaki rolls up her sleeves to reveal thin pale arms, "So I'll have the net here then, and you'll lure the fish?"

[Chai Kotsume]

"Oh this is much more fragile than a metal spear tip. Some of the metals are soft, and the connecting pins that allow the parts to move are quite small and thin. Then again, it needs to be this way in order to wiggle like it does, not to mention the materials I chose to catch the light so it attracts fish that way too. Still, I don't see any cracks so far, so let's do this."

Misaki rolls up her sleeves to reveal thin pale arms, "So I'll have the net here then, and you'll lure the fish?"

The Ki-rin again seems interested, if slightly confused by all the information. But she nods with an eager smile. "Yep, let's do this!", she says, extending the net ready to be thrown to Misaki with another nod. "Ok! I'll try to lure them. What should I do... just keep the lure moving? I'll.. try to keep it moving closer to our side of the river, then you could go and cast the net a bit farther, leave it there for a while, then pull it back... and hopefully get what the lure will have attracted!"

She waits for Misaki to be all set as well and waits with great anticipation to try her hand with the wiggling metal fish...

[Doji Misaki]

"Move it slowly, like a wounded fish. You want it to seem like prey. The rest of the light and motion and such are there to make sure fish see the movement easily in dim or ice covered water."

The net is somewhat heavy and the banks of the river a mix of icy and muddy from the snow and such, but Misaki keeps her footing.

"Through when there's one caught?"

[Chai Kotsume]

"Move it slowly, like a wounded fish. You want it to seem like prey. The rest of the light and motion and such are there to make sure fish see the movement easily in dim or ice covered water."

The net is somewhat heavy and the banks of the river a mix of icy and muddy from the snow and such, but Misaki keeps her footing.

"Through when there's one caught?"

The girl tries to keep the lure moving as suggested. She... seems a bit too eager to move it at first, so it doesn't quite look like it's wounded, but over time she manages to control her anxiety and slow it down a bit.

"Well.... with a net we'd usually be looking for a bigger catch? We can try to see how good of a catch we can manage using this plus the net... then release them back? At least they shouldn't be hurt, ne?", she says with a wide smile, feeling she's now finally getting the hang of Misaki's invention.

OOC:
One roll to see what we get? XD

[Doji Misaki]

The girl tries to keep the lure moving as suggested. She... seems a bit too eager to move it at first, so it doesn't quite look like it's wounded, but over time she manages to control her anxiety and slow it down a bit.

"Well.... with a net we'd usually be looking for a bigger catch? We can try to see how good of a catch we can manage using this plus the net... then release them back? At least they shouldn't be hurt, ne?", she says with a wide smile, feeling she's now finally getting the hang of Misaki's invention.

OOC:
One roll to see what we get? XD

Misaki nods but otherwise stays still and silent. As the group waits, Kotsume will watch fish gather aroud the little shiny lure, some nipping at it before darting away.

When there seem like a lot of fish, Misaki goes for it, throwing the net with the strength of a wet noodle!

Fortunately, there are so many fish that they have no where to run quickly, and Misaki finds herself holding a net with a half dozen angry, squirming fish in it.

"Eep! Help! They're so heavy!"

[Chai Kotsume]

Kotsume does her best to keep the lure moving as Misaki had told her to, and after a while she really seems to get the hang of it, helping round up the fish quite well - the otters looking around excitedly, but seeming slightly frustrated that they can't take part in the fun this time.

Wet noodle or not, the catch is a very good one, and soon Kotsume pulls the lure back to safety and rushes to Misaki, holding the net with her right hand while the left one touches the girl's slightly, directing it to a specific part at the side of the net.

"You've done great, Doji-sama! Now just hold on firm to this stronger part, it works like a sort of a handle - and let's pull! Heeeave!"

OOC:
Sent you a message on Discord - how about we actually gift the catch to the townsfolk after all?

[Doji Misaki]

Misaki squeaks but does as told. She even manages to keep her footing as an otter rushes excitedly about her ankles Giving it her all she gives a heave, making sure to lift with her legs, not her back. She was a physician still, after all.

[Canary]

Kotsume wrenches a meter-long huchen from the water!

[Doji Misaki]

Misaki flops down, panting for breath. Maybe not the best idea to sit in the snow itself, but the outer layers are at least a little water resistant, and she's more than warm.

[Chai Kotsume]

Misaki flops down, panting for breath. Maybe not the best idea to sit in the snow itself, but the outer layers are at least a little water resistant, and she's more than warm.

Kotsume keeps standing for a while, but panting as well, then starts extending a hand to Misaki... but then ends up sitting beside her when the huchen is properly secured.

"Whoa! I didn't expect that! Good job to us both, eh, Doji-san!", she says with a laugh. "This will make for quite a banquet for the townsfolk!"