escordvi | closed 🌠⚡ it's far too easy to miss the beauty in the simple things

[Wow!!]

Rejected. Thought it would be fun, but if you're scared that I'll beat you, I'll understand.

[She crosses back to him and leans down to pick up the reed that he'd fixed into a rod.]

[A small shrug.]

If you did I would actually be impressed and leave the fishing to you from now on.

Hang on a second!

[A few of the curious bunnies startle at Tifa's voice, but not enough to deter them from wandering in and sniffing around Eustace's work.]

We're supposed to do that together.

Well if you prove to be the fisherman...

[He just continues to smile playfully as he finishes the first hook and is making quick work with the other.]

Especially since you seem to prefer the bare hand method.

[Seeing him nearly finished with the rods, she sits down at the edge of the pool, careful not to disturb the water, and a few of the bunnies hop over to see what she's up to... or if she has any food. No sorry, friends. She is all out of berries now.]

Maybe that's my way of trying to impress you.

Why do you think I want to watch?

[A more wolfish grin as he carves that last bit for the makeshift hook.]

But if you want to learn how to make your own rod, come here.

[Ah, she flushes at that look, her gaze dropping to the water for a moment before she shuffles closer to him, the rabbits following her.]

Thought you were gonna do all the cutting.

[But she's picking up a reed anyway.]

I just finished. From here I can show you how to assemble everything.

[He shows her the strips of bark.]

You can make rope out of a lot of things, like bark, fibers from long leaves and reeds. And if you need to tie them together, there's a knot you can use that will secure them better. I'll show you.

[She grabs the strip of bark from him and holds it in her other hand, looking everything over.]

I'll follow along if you demonstrate with yours.

Pay close attention.

[And with a light smile, Eustace proceeds to show Tifa first how he made the hooks and then how to tie and strengthen the makeshift line around the reed and then the wooden hooks. He'll even explain how it works and answer whatever questions she has, including anything on how or where he learned to do all this. The most important piece of story would be how his father taught him everything.

Once assembled, he shows her how to bait the hooks with some clam meat, and then just drop the line into the pond. With that set...]

Now we wait and try not to make too much noise. We could when set the poles to stand on their own if you don't want to hold onto it the whole time.

[She does, indeed, ask, thinking that it might have something to do with how and where he grew up, so hearing about his father makes her smile, makes her heart warm. There's still so much that she doesn't know about him but plenty that she wishes to... Little by little. This is a good start.

But she is a quick study and a good student, excellent with her hands as she follows along. She does get the knot wrong the first time, but with his help, fingers over hers, she manages to get it the second (and no, she did not mess it up on purpose!).

And when they finally have their lines in the pond...]

It's a little different from the attempts that I made...

[Making sure everything is still set and secure, he looks at her curiously.]

There are many different ways depending on the location and the fish, but what did you have to do?

Well, it was just your standard fishing rod.

[She pauses as she thinks back.]

It was more about the reeling in technique that I wasn't sure about. The fish that I dealt with last time was a fighter.

[A low hum of understanding.]

With this type of poles, you wouldn't be able to deal with that kind of fish as well. Here, the moment you feel and see the fish on the line, you have swing the pole back hard like this—

[He demonstrates and the line will fly out of the water back towards them and away as he swings it to the side.]

—and depending on the size, you can just hold it up or try to land the fish on the ground. The bass I saw were small enough for this type of fishing to handle, but I also saw some small trout, too. We should be able to catch a few, regardless.

Figured. Those fishing rods are made of sterner stuff.

[She watches his demonstration, and she would follow along too if she wasn't so worried about scaring the fish away. They are curious, but that bit of motion made them wary.]

Nothing to really reel it back in like you can with those. So... gotta just pull 'em right out?

[Setting the bait back in, he nods.]

That's it. If we had nets or a bucket it would be easier, but we can make do with what we have.

Nets aren't quite as fun. Besides...

[She gives him a little nudge with her shoulder.]

I wanna see you in action.

[There's just a small laugh.]

Guess we'll see if I'm lucky or not.

[Although as he speaks, he feels a tug on his line and with a glance at her he quickly pulls back on the rod to reveal...!

A small fish.]

Got one bite, anyway.

[Too small to really keep, he'll carefully free it and toss it back into the water where it swims away and he resets his bait.]

Oh—!

[She is a little disappointed when it turns out to be an easy catch and a small fish, and even more so when he sets it back into the water. Here she was hoping for some excitement in their first catch!!!]

How come you put that one back?

Not really big enough to be cooked, so it's better to release it so it can grow, either to become food for another animal or breed to keep the population healthy.

Ah, I see.

[She looks down at the water and calls out with a laugh.]

Today's your lucky day, fish. Better luck for me next time.

Didn't know that, though. Might've just caught it anyway. See? Already learning plenty.

[A quiet laugh as he watches her line.]

Now we have to wait and see if we can test what you learned... And you might have some luck.

[They can see a fish gathering around the bait again, and there might a few tugs on Tifa's.]

You have to wait until it's really on the hook before you pull...

[She does get a little ahead of herself at first, nearly pulling the line right out when one wanders a little close, and the fish scatter for a moment before drifting back in towards it.]

So... just so I got this straight. Once it bites, I just immediately pull it out of the water?

Bite and a hard tug. That's when you'll know it's on the hook.

Hmm...

[She hums thoughtfully, nodding to each one of his words while she waits for a bite...

And lo and behold—]

Ah, Eustace! I think I got one!?

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