FISHING (Erik)

[Kunikpok "Kuni" Arrluk]

Now that the weather was getting warmer, Kuni was getting up earlier in the day to head out to go fishing at the stream near the town's lake before classes started.  His schedule wasn't too heavy anyway, so he usually was able to spend a good hour or two out before he needed to come back.

Today was a Saturday, though, so he let himself sleep in a bit, only waking once the sun streamed through his window and made him stir.  With a yawn, he pulled off his covers, wearing only his boxers (because he was naturally warm-blooded and got too hot if he wore much more at night) and shuffled out into the common room to get some breakfast before he headed out.

He rifled through the cupboards until he produced some cereal and an apple, pouring a large bowl of the stuff for himself before settling down at the counter and quickly downing the meal.  As he ate, Kuni had the sudden idea of inviting his roommates to come with him for once.  He didn't know if Tomer would be interested, and after asking his other roommate, he didn't really seem to want to go either.  With a hopeful heart, he knocked lightly on the door of his last roommate, Erik, and peeked his head timidly inside.

"Hey, um, I don't know if you're interested, but I was going to go fishing this morning, and I wouldn't mind some company," he mentioned, wondering if this was a bad idea.  He didn't know a lot about the snake shifter, other than he had a knack for getting in trouble with authorities, but Kuni wasn't really one to judge.  "Unless you have other plans already, or something.  No pressure."  He offered a bright smile as he pushed the door open a little wider.

[Erik Stewart]

Erik had a habit of being downright nasty towards his roommates. Actually, he had the potential to be this nasty to anyone, provided they lived in his proximity, and Kuni, Tomer, and Fer were just unlucky that way. He was a sore spot in what might have been their otherwise peaceful dorm life. Tomer especially had to worry about stepping around him like a coiled snake underfoot. Kuni, on the other hand, was relatively new, but he’d probably get the hint after the first or second time they spoke as well as his general Don’t Bother Me attitude.

So he was surprised when he heard his door open without permission. It seemed there was a lot of that going on recently. He would have thought people would be grateful of whatever time they could salvage without him being around – but apparently not, if they were constantly busting his door down. Erik glared at him from his position on his bed. He was curled up with his laptop on his knees, close to his chest. He was not smoking, but there was a pack next to his hip.

“What?”

Gradually, his narrowed eyes relaxed, as did the tenseness in his shoulders. It was slowly replaced with confusion. He tilted his head. The fact that he did not immediately shoot the proposal down was a good sign.

Because, incidentally, Erik liked fishing. He liked it a lot.

He wondered if Kuni was taking a shot at him. Did it look like he had other plans? He had to have known that Erik mostly stayed just where he was unless he was in class, at his job, or had left to go get boned or something.

“Fishing?” Erik’s head was tilted. “Where – where’re you gonna go fishing at?”

[Kunikpok "Kuni" Arrluk]

Kuni just blinked as he caught sight of the glaring boy, a little taken aback, but not enough to scare him away... Yet. He was a gentle giant at heart, and avoided conflict whenever possible, unless someone he cared about needed protecting. He wasn't sure if he'd interrupted something or what, but he hoped Erik wasn't too angry at him.

He did, however, seem to relax once Kuni spoke up about why he was intruding. That gave the Inuit boy hope, and his easy smile returned as he stepped in a little further, half-closing the door behind him.

"Fishing," he repeated a little dumbly, wondering if the boy had a hearing problem or something. "I, uh, I have a couple extra rods, so you don't need one..."

He trailed off, letting Erik absorb his offer. When he spoke again, Kuni's smile widened. "I have a place I go to by the lake. There's a nice stream running south of it, it's usually pretty quiet, especially in the morning." Kuni rubbed the back of his neck, shifting a bit where he stood. "Um, I usually do pretty well there, so I can almost guarantee you'd have something to bring back. If not... I can pick us something up at the Fish Market on the way back?" He didn't want Erik to end up empty-handed in the end.

"Anyway... I'll probably be leaving in twenty minutes or so, if you're interested. Have you fished before?" He was curious; the fact that Erik hadn't scowled at the idea told him he must have some experience.

[Erik Stewart]

Erik was surprised himself that he was actually considering the possibility. It wasn’t his style to go on impromptu ventures with people he wasn’t familiar with…but he hadn’t gone fishing in almost a year. The last time he could remember was at the camping trip the school had held, while Oriel hung from a branch and annoyed him. It hadn’t been ideal.

“I’ve been fishin’ before,” he protested, as if Kuni had just questioned his honor.

Then he slid his laptop off his legs and placed it beside him; he rested his hands on his knees instead, tapping them gently, blue eyes lifting upwards in idle thought. He was visibly working through his options in his head. Pros: fishing. Cons: extended interaction, summer heat, getting out of bed, probably expected to smile once in a while.

And he wasn’t sure he wanted to give Kuni any ideas about their relationship, either.

Erik scratched the back of his neck. “I don’t know,” he said at last, and waited. “You gonna walk there?...I wouldn’t wanna…” he blinked, looking down. “…intrude, if you wanna go alone.”

[Kunikpok "Kuni" Arrluk]

"Oh, good," Kuni replied, still with a smile on his face. "You probably know all about it, then. It'll be easier if I don't have to show you." Not that he would have minded, but this gave them more time to actually fish than trying to teach Erik how to make everything work.

He stepped back and went to open the door again, sensing that Erik's turning off his laptop meant he would be coming. Oh, this was great! Kuni loved making new friends. He knew his other two roommates pretty well, but given Erik's habit of staying in his room or being out doing things, he hadn't had the chance to really get to know him that well.

"Um, I usually take the bus, but I wouldn't mind walking if you would rather," he replied easily with a shrug. Kuni stared incredulously as Erik spoke about intruding, quickly shaking his head. "No, not at all! I've been going by myself the past week or two early in the morning, I was really hoping to have some company for once." He used to fish all the time with his family and neighbors; it often took many people to catch a single one of what they were hunting.

He stepped outside into the common room, leaving the door cracked open for Erik to follow if he wished. "You have any baiting preference?" he called over his shoulder, popping into his own room to grab his rods, tackle gear, and also to quickly get dressed in a loose tanktop and cargo shorts. "I have some Powerbait, or lures. Or we could dig around in the dirt until we found some worms," he chuckled.

[Erik Stewart]

Erik inclined his head. He didn’t respond before Kuni stepped out to go to his own room, talking all the while. He watched him go with narrowed eyes. He hadn’t really gone out of his way to make his new roommates’ acquaintance since Walther moved out; he wasn’t expecting him to be so friendly, and Erik was beginning to suspect the change was a vast improvement.

Erik swung his legs off his bed to follow Kuni’s voice, which had disappeared into the hallway and then into his room. He chose not to follow him there – just poked his head out from his room like an easily startled deer. Erik thought briefly of his time before Hammel: crouched down in torn jean shorts, his small hands prying through swamp dirt until he found little wriggling earthworms. They’d get holes poked in them and dumped in the green water. He’d stopped wondering about whether or not they felt pain or fear during his seventh year.

“Powerbait sounds fine,” he responded, the statement ending on a slight questioning tone.

Retreating back into his room, Erik pulled his shirt over his head and began rifling for another one. Pilot Ridge couldn’t hold a candle to Louisiana’s sweltering wetland heat, but he still thought to change into something a little more summer-friendly; he’d been absent from his homeland for a long time, anyway, and the more he experienced northern weather the more he forgot about the southern. If he went home, would he find the sun just as unbearable as a tourist? His skin had certainly adjusted to the cooler climate: he’d become quite pale, only his freckles remaining as evidence to his long days spent outside.

Sometimes he still dreamed about the woods around his home. He thought about stepping into puddles of still water without fear of alligators, or snakes, underfoot. There would be mosquito bites all up and down his legs when he got home, but there he was barefoot and carefree, enjoying a lush, full-throated and bustling outdoors. Erik knew he’d never experience that again, not like he had before. Even if he returned, all of that was just the play of an idle country kid.

But in some respects Erik knew he might have a chance to revisit bits and pieces of it – like fishing. He emerged with a sleeveless tee and some shorts on. His hair was messily done and tied up. Simple stuff. He wasn’t out to win a pageant here.

He was leaning against his doorframe. “Don’t know why you thought t’ask but I’m willin’ t’go if you want,” he said, looking for a final confirmation. “I haven’t fished in a while an’ I can’t say I’m the best company.”

Erik tilted his head. “And I smoke.”

(I don’t know how this got so long I didn’t mean 4 it to be this way)

[Kunikpok "Kuni" Arrluk]

"Powerbait it is," Kuni replied, somewhat relieved that's what Erik chose. It would have taken more time to scrounge around in the dirt around Hammel or the stream until they found enough worms to use for bait, time they could spend actually fishing. He grabbed a couple jars of the stuff - rainbow and sherbet - and tossed them in his tackle bag. He threw in some other supplies - weights, extra hooks, pliers, and whatever else he thought they might need - and tossed it over his broad shoulder.

He made a quick spin around to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything, and spotted a pack of jerky on his dresser. Kuni snagged it as he went back out into the common room, pulling out a piece and chewing as he waited for the other boy. This was the real deal - tough to chew and rich in flavor, just like Kuni liked it. It was from home, a gift from his neighbors the last time he'd visited.

When Erik stepped out, he offered him a piece. Kuni blinked a little dumbly when he spoke, taking a moment to think of a response. "I like meeting people," he finally responded. "We've lived together for long enough, I thought it was time we got to know each other." His voice was soft, uncertain, but he was still smiling. "And.... I think any company is better than no company. And anyone who likes to fish is good in my book." Then again, practically anyone was good in the giant softie's head.

He shrugged at the smoking comment. "That's alright. I used to smoke sometimes back home." Kuni blinked and went on,"Well... Not the same as yours, probably. But from a pipe, for rituals." It was part of his culture; he missed it, along with everything else. "Anyway.... You ready to go?" He motioned to the door and started heading out, making sure Erik was following along behind as he stepped into the hall and started down the stairs. "I think it's supposed to be hot today," he mentioned off-handedly. "But it should be nice in the shade." Kuni, unlike Erik, had come from an extremely cold environment, so he roasted in anything above seventy degrees.

[Erik Stewart]

Erik glanced at the proffered jerky. After a second he took it. Kuni’s answers satisfied him enough, and he was no stranger to the savory taste. He popped it in his mouth just as soon as he could.

It delayed his response somewhat. He did manage to cock an eyebrow at him as soon as he heard ‘rituals’, and Kuni ought to be glad that he was too preoccupied to bring it up. Instead, he swallowed the jerky down and followed him outside the dorms and out the hallway, where he soon assumed a place next to him rather than a pace behind. “Huh, ain’t hot at all,” he huffed. “Had my window open since I woke up.”

Erik wasn’t what one would call a social butterfly. It wasn’t just his prickly nature that kept him isolated; he sometimes failed to interact at the best of times, and at the most basic of social cues. Erik simply lacked the ability to recognize what was expected of him. A greeting from a stranger or even an acquaintance might only get them a glance. Friendly advances might be met with a snap or two. It wasn’t that he was completely unable to function – and, admittedly, he’d gotten much better since his first year at Hammel – but there were still bits and pieces of ineptitude that pointed towards a lack of social education. It could have been growing up in an isolated, rural environment, or it could have been failed parenting, or a mixture of both…in any case, he hadn’t even thought to thank Kuni for the invitation. He likely wouldn’t, for a long while.

“You ever caught anythin’ big?” he asked him, in a passing, innocent curiosity. He found himself wondering how much Kuni really knew about fishing; he’d gotten into the habit of thinking that no one here liked that ‘redneck’ stuff.

As he waited for his answer, Erik watched the rods bounce on his shoulders, and said: “You gonna carry all that yourself?” which was as good as an offer.

[Kunikpok "Kuni" Arrluk]

Kuni chuckled a little as they walked. "I'm from far up north... Summer highs are around sixty degrees up there," he offered as an explanation. "I don't think I'll ever get used to the heat down here." If he could spend the entire break in some cool body of water, he would be happy. Maybe he could convince those in charge at Hammel to let him go to the coast for a month. It'd help with his training, at least...

Unlike his companion, Kuni had grown up in an extremely different environment, where every neighbor knew the other and survival often depended on cooperation and teamwork with each other. He was, therefore, quite social, if a little awkward and slow in the different, high-tech environment he was in now. But he did his best, and people seemed to like him for the most part, so that was all that mattered.

You ever caught anything big? Kuni blinked, realizing he'd spaced out like he often did, and looked over at Erik as they walked. "Here? Um, a couple big trout here and there," he replied. "Back home... Well, my family lived on whale meat, so that should give you your answer." He grinned broadly. "I can't say I ever caught one on my own, but I've helped land several in my life." He was curious to see how Erik responded to that.

As his companion spoke up again, the Inuit boy glanced at the gear he was carrying, then gave a small chuckle. "Not if you're offering," he replied thankfully, handing over the rods for Erik to carry and keeping the heavier tackle box for himself. He didn't mean to judge by appearance, but he was quite a lot larger than the southern boy, and he didn't want to overwhelm him. That wouldn't be nice.

"So... Where are you from?" he asked curiously. "I... I'm not the best with accents, but I'd guess you lived south of here beforehand?" Kuni started heading towards a trail he took to get to the lake; it was a decent walk, but not too far. "I'm... Really glad I'm not the only one at the school that likes to fish. I've had a heck of a time trying to find someone else interested."

[Erik Stewart]

Far up north? Like…Canada? He thought to himself, knowing Canada was generally considered a colder country, it being on top of the world or – well, something close to it.

“You…caught whales?” What the fuck? Were there whales in Canada? He knew there were a lot of things outside his experience, but harpooning giant sea creatures was something he honestly thought he’d never come into contact with. He was trapped somewhere between awe and disbelief. Erik watched Kuni out of the side of his eye for a second, looking for a crack in the façade, or a smile, that might indicate that he was joking. “Are you serious?”

Still nothing. If Kuni didn’t actually catch whales then he sure seemed to believe it. “Well, what’re you doin’ catchin’ some fuckin’ trout for?”

Erik put the rods over his shoulder. They weren’t heavy, but they were somewhat unwieldy, and he had to adjust them so the various equipment and hard metal edges wouldn’t dig into his skin.

“Oh, I’m from Louisiana,” he said, not in the ‘proper’ northern pronunciation but the easy Loo-siana of the southern tongue. “I crawled right outta the swamp. I was raised by crocodiles.”

But he didn’t want to get into that right now. He wanted to hear more about Canada, where they supposedly ate whales and did peace rituals. It sounded a hell of a lot different than eating fast food while your dad watched Nascar. “I guess there’re people ‘round here that like fishin’, but I haven’t found ‘em yet…an’ there aren’t many places ‘round here to fish, so…” Erik shrugged. “How d’you catch whales, exactly? Is it just like that book?”

He was thinking about Moby Dick, of course, but the title escaped him at the moment.

[Kunikpok "Kuni" Arrluk]

Kuni laughed at the incredulity in Erik's voice. "Yeah. It was the norm in my hometown," he replied, no hint of dishonesty in his voice or his expression because, well, he wasn't lying. It'd been a huge change to come to the United States where everything was prepackaged and came in bright, plastic containers. "Yeah, I wouldn't lie to you about something like that," he grinned. "I can tell you stories about it sometime, if you're interested." Like his manifestation, for instance.

He looked sideways at Erik for a moment, then looked around them purposefully. "I don't know about you, but trout's the only thing I've seen around here," he replied. "If you know of any whale fishing holes, you let me know. I have to get my fishing itch satisfied somehow." Although in actuality, Kuni wouldn't hunt them anymore, even given the chance; it felt too close to cannibalism, given his ability.

"Loo-siana," Kuni repeated in a similar voice. He didn't know any better to pronounce it differently. "That's... Next to Mississippi, right?" Geography wasn't Kuni's best subject. He laughed at the mention of being raised by crocodiles. "Well, I'll be sure not to make you angry, I wouldn't want to get bitten," he joked.

He nodded along to what his new friend was saying; it was true, which was why he'd had such a hard time finding anyone else to tag along. Kuni was fortunate he'd found the spot he had. "Um... I'm not sure what book that is..." he replied with embarrassment. "It's not all that complicated, it just takes luck and patience." He shifting his grip on the tackle box. "We just have to wait for a whale to surface close enough to shore for us to paddle out to it before it dives again. Traditionally we use harpoons with inflated bladders to spear into the whale so it can't sink, but some other villages have actually started using exploding harpoons." Kuni made a face. "I don't like that as much. It almost feels like... Cheating, I guess."

He shrugged and then smiled again. "But anyway, if you ever get the chance to go to Alaska, maybe you can see for yourself." He bent over slightly as they passed through some low-hanging trees, holding some branches out of the path so they wouldn't fly back and whap into Erik.

[Erik Stewart]

Erik raised his eyebrows, responding to Kuni’s offer with a noncommittal shrug. Maybe he would listen to some of Kuni’s stories, if it came up.

“Well, there’s bass,” he said. “An’ smelt an’ pike. Definitely no whales. If you were in Louisiana, ya might get lucky an’ catch an alligator, though.” He was aware that the casual tone might throw him off. “Most of ‘em are small,” he assured him.

Erik assumed he hadn’t heard about the whole biting incident. “Yeah, an’ Texas.”

The thought of exploding harpoons brought him more entertainment than what might have been proper – he supposed it was because it seemed so cartoonish, like something he’d find in some Saturday morning cartoons. You’d throw a spear through the air and it’d land with a bang and some blossom Technicolor yellow flares. Erik laughed. “You bomb ‘em? I knew it’d take a lot t’kill one but, shit. I’d like t’see that.”

He doubted he’d be off to Alaska anytime soon. Following Kuni was easy; he was bigger and made a nice wide path for him to follow, and he’d be taking the fall for any cobwebs in the way, too. It wasn’t all roses on his end, though – the rods were unwieldy, and sometimes they caught on an errant twig or two. He was grateful when they found a path, or a semblance of one, anyway. It was all dirt but it was mostly clear, other than a few overhanging branches.

Erik had never been here before. “Hey, how’d you find this place?”

[Kunikpok "Kuni" Arrluk]

"Alligator?" Kuni replied with a small bit of surprise. He hadn't realized they were edible. Or maybe people just hunted them to kill them? That thought made him a little sad - he didn't particularly relish the killing of creatures, but he knew the necessity for people to survive. "So... Can you eat those?" There, now at least he would find out. "Because... They seem awfully tough. And all those teeth..."

He managed a small smile at Erik's amusement with the exploding harpoons. "It's pretty amazing to watch," he replied with a tilt of his head. "And... It is a lot more effective, and faster, than just pinning them with regular harpoon attached to bladders. If you ever come to Alaska, I'll see if I can get you in on a hunting trip." Kuni had no idea if Erik would ever make it there, but he would offer nonetheless.

He wasn't bothered by the small branches and such that got in his way, and was careful to hold any that might fling back and hit his companion. The last thing he wanted was for Erik to get whapped in the face. The sparkle of water showed in the distance; it wasn't too much further.

"Hmm?" Kuni asked, looking back over his shoulder. "Ahh, one of the guys at my work told me about the place. It's not all that well-known, though, so I've mostly just kept it to myself until now." He smiled and carefully made his way down a steeper, more root-infested decline. "Here, I can take those for a minute," he offered back to Erik, reaching back up for the rods so the boy could use both of his hands if he needed to. "This is the worst of it, I promise. It's just a smooth path from here to the water."

[Erik Stewart]

“You never ate fried gator tail before?” he asked him, though he didn’t need to. It was obvious. That, and people living outside gator-territory generally never ate the stuff. If you asked Erik it was a bit like chicken, with some fish mixed in – almost exactly how you’d expect it to be, actually. “Not tough at all.”

There was something about water to Erik. It wasn’t just that he’d grown up with it. He was half water snake and he just didn’t feel right without something to sink into. The light dancing off the slowly running water brightened him up, made him feel a hint of home, especially with the trees dipping so low towards the surface. He let Kuni take the rods from him.

It was just a creek. Not very deep, not very wide. It opened into the bay, most likely, but for now it ambled along, its waters still murky from rain and the dirt embankments on either side of it. Still, he could just barely perceive the quick flits of scales in it. Guppies. Not worth a damn, and not real exciting to catch, but it was something.

“I don’t think I’ll be goin’ to Alaska anytime soon,” he said. Erik was crouched down over the bank, looking down at the water. “I used t’catch those little fish with worms. I’d gut ‘em and make ‘em myself.”