Catfishing

The Dragon's Head Tavern and Inn, Vorland, 1439 ATC

It was a peaceful day in Vorland, when the day prior it was raining heavily. It was the afternoon after all the morning dew had dried up and the sun was shining. The head bartender himself was relaxing outside against a tree reading a book while the shadow tendrils cleaned up the good, old rustic tavern.

''Unusually powerful mages can capture and tame these beings. The mage can then draw on its energy, using it to cast spells without having to call on Power from traditional sources. Only a sparse handful have managed this feat, however, for djinn fight to avoid such a fate with stubborn determination. To imprison a djinn and bend it to one’s will, one must first weaken it, a complicated feat.''

He sighed and stood up, walking back inside.

''This is fascinating... But, what else could I want right now? Actually... Yeah. Never go hungry again! A container of unlimited food... Or a flask fhat never runs out of huckleberry cider. Would be good for the collection in my study..."

Selina Nightengale the werewolf woman had spent yet another night out under the moon and stars, the way she liked it. Being in the wilderness, the wind within her brown hair or pelt and becoming one with nature. Her greenish blue eyes didn't glow as much in the sun as they did in the moonlight, but her pelt still glistened under the afternoon sun. She saw her old flame from the shadows of the forest, watching him from afar as he got up to make his way back inside.

She remained silent as she snuck up behind him before picking up the pace, breaking out from the trees into the open air, tackling him to the ground.

As he walked to the back of the tavern, looking down to the book and opening it again to check a page for reference, he felt a great weight crash into him from behind. Venser yelled and onto his stomach, the book on djinns and other legends flying out of his reach. Without thinking, he rolled over and made a swift backhand motion to the wolf, his mark flashing greenish white as he blasted her with a powerful gust of wind.

A familliar faced appeared at the top of the stairs leading to the bar area. A fagged, oily looking Nadine, who much needed some super strong coffee or about a million years of sleep. By the looks of her something had exploded and Nadine was frustrated over it.

"Ughh...!" The woman with the orange bob cut headed to the bar and paused at the tackling. Did she really want to deal with the tavern? Did she? Her head felt like it was swimming. Meh.

Selina snarled slightly as the gust of wind hit her, falling off of him and getting herself back on her feet and shaking off slightly. "Right, mental note, don't sneak attack the mad man with magic." She held her paw to her muzzle, panting slightly, following Venser.

"Don't sneak up on me Selina!"' Vener exclaimed brushing off his frock coat, bending down to pick up his book on djinns. He let out a sigh and walked inside looking to the two artificers, he squinted and looked up to her, going as far as slowly walking over to her and slapping her knee for now reason. ''Errr what happened? Wait, shadow tendrils are serving! Nadine, Myron stay there I have to go put on my rubber! Selina come on, change back grab a drink."

Myron the white haired elven man appeared in the main dining area of the tavern. His face showing little to no signs of emotion. he figured Nadine was here so he came to help her with the engine she was building. His robes were in tatters at this point, as he sat down beside his friend and sighed.

"It exploded." Nadine said and just sat there, weary and unwilling to get up.

"No shit." Said Myron.

She heard him but didn't respond as she was adressed.

Myron just glanced at Venser for a moment before walking over to join her, he didn't really say anything. He just examined the now kersploded engine made from a reverse engineered Old Kundalandian artifact.

"Hmm." He said in a rather exhausted breath. He didn't look like he slept much while on the surface, in fact, it almost looked like he'd been crying for most of the time.

"So I see." Selina thought, if she were in her human form a brow would be raised at the two of them before her attention turned back to Venser, and then she skulked off down the hallway to his room, before turning back into her human form and glancing around the room for something to wear, letting out a sigh before falling down upon the bed for a moment, glancing to the wardrobe full of her sister's old dresses that Venser had kept just in case.

What was left of the engine. Nadine had it... Part of it. it wasnt even half. The girl with the short orange bobcut didn't say much. She hadnt even gone home.

Venser returned wearing knee high crimson boots, tight brown pants, a red vest and a long sleeved shirt, carrying a large leather sack over one arm and a fishing rod in his free hand.

Along with that a large, fedora like hat with a giant white feather sticking out the top sitting on his head. He whistled to himself and then stood beside Nadine and Selina.

''You two look terrible. I take both of you are working hard on that piece of ancient Luektorem technology?"

The hybrid soman eventually got up off the bed and continued to search througubthe wardrobe for something to wear, finding her a long leather duster coat and simply putting it on and buttoning it up. She'd then make her way back out into the hall and sauntered off back to the bar, placing her tall frame down upon her usual stool and ordering herself a drink.

Myron sighed and examined the Engine. "The Engine repurposing did not work."

"Nnnnopeee. Ugh..." Nadine replied. Thankfully she still seemed unknowing of the deal that had been made.

Venser turned around and grabbed a glass, a bottle of rum, and a silver cocktail mixer. ''Ice' He said holding the cocktail mixer out for the shadow tendrils, who dumped a fistful of ice into the mixer.

''Obviously. I mean, how long have you been working on that engine?'' He asked turning to two artificers.

''Since both of you are here now I assume it's a break. A well needed one.'' He spoke to them while mixing a Pink Footed Booby, shaking it up and pouring it in a glass, then sliding it to Selina, and then cleared his throat and took one of her hands, then to the two again.

''I was hoping both of you could join me for fishing. Selina too. Take a beeak with your tinkering."

The tall hybrid woman raised a brow before looking back to the madman with her human, green blue eyes. "Fishing? well, I suppose I wouldn't mind a day by the water. Once upon a time before I became a big bad wolf my sister and I practically lived there. Being comllicated hybrid shapeshifters." The corners of her mouth curled slightly making an odd shape, was, was Selina actually smiling?

"Nadine can take the break. I'll keep working on the engine while she's doing so. All I've been doing is sitting on my ass for the passed three days. Might as well get some work done." The elven man responded, popping his neck and beginning to examine the reverse engineered parts. Be was no real blacksmith in any regard but he did know hias way around an air ship, an engine should be no problem...he hoped.

It was in pieces. Nadine shook her head, her golden eyes a but weary now.

"No no no I have work to do." She really shouldn't keep going. She was a mess, a total workoholic at this point, really.

''Really? Just sitting on your rear while your entire plane falls apart?'' Venser sighed and smiled back at Selina, albiet a small one as he spoke to the pair, letting out a sigh. ''You are here now. Both of you. Niether of you would be here if you weren't taking a break. So,'' He let go of Selina's hand and picked up his fishing rod. ''Will you relax for one day and acompany me to the lake."

Nadine looked away. She wasnt breaking. She was avoiding. Herl ack of faith in saving ther world was bluntly obvious at this point. She wiped her eye out and bit her lip.

Selina took her hand back, glancing down at it for a moment and playfully scrunching her nose up at it.

"Well if we are heading to the lake..." She downed the rest of her drink in one large gulp before slamming the pint down upon the table and licking the remaining liquid fro her lips.

Venser bent over the bar and brushed back Nadine's messy, short orange hair. ''Nadine, lover, come on. You have been working too much and you need a break. Maybe a dip in the lake clean you off?''

He took both of her small, rough mechanic hands now in his.

''If you come I can... Mphm. Get you some special fuel for it. Stuff I know will work.'' He said with a warm smile, trying to convince her to go fishing.

''Does it run on whale oil?''

"It runs on mana, like any other artifact, and this strange blue oil..." Nadine's elven companion answered. "Its an engine meant to be able to travel between planes. We can't seem to recreate the exact blueprints. But if we could... The possibilities are beyond imagination."

The hybrid woman got to her feet, sneaking her way behind the counter for a moment and grabbing herself a bottle off the shelf, popping the cork and taking a decent swig, gulping it down before parting her stained lips to speak- "exactly how long would we be out by the lake?" -she sat herself down ontop of the bar with bottle still in hand.

Nadine sighed and choked back her tears. "Fine. But no hitting on me, okay? I'm not your lover... I'm a failure..."

Venser's expression was sympathetic, almost nuetral as he nodded his head.

''No... Don't say that. Just... You just need a break. Rest your tired mind a bit... Just come join us, I won't hit on you.''

He let go of her hands and picked up his leather sack and fishing rod.

''I don't know. I just want to try catching some catfish to fry rather than having to run around and buy them.'' Ven said walking out from behind the bar over to the stairs.

''So, to ferry people from one plane to the next?''

He asked passing Myron.

''Let's go everyonr!"

Selina kept her glass in hand, sliding herself off the counter and on to her bare feet, keeping quiet for now as the others conversed, taking frequent sips of her drink as she too made her way to the stairs.

"I'll meet you all at the lake." Selina made her way down the stairs and out the door beginning to make her way to the lake, feeling the heated rays against her skin, something she once used to love was now something she dreaded ever so slightly. Humming softly to herself whilst she waited for the others to catch up, leaning her back against a tree. Her nose soon picked up a whoft of blood and a slight rotten smell which made her twitch, her deer from the other night, she had completely forgotten about it.

"Oh, I forgot about you." The hybrid woman glanced around slightly to make sure they weren't yet in sight before bending down, reaching into her coat pocket filling her bottle with the animal's blood while she waited for the others.

"Go on without me. I'll catch up with you once I take care of a few things." Myron waved and grabbed a random bottle from the bar, beginning to chug it down. But not before paying for the bottle.

The short, orange haired artificer woman got up and kicked the bit of the broken metal and strange piece of stone and porcelain away and headed for the door. It was only then she realized she did not know how to fish.

"Fine... There's a dock where the boat is tethered, isn't too hard to miss!''

The handsome bearded barkeep hopped down the stairs and took a turn to the left, walking behind the tavern and walking for a few before passing Selina. ''Come on, a walk will do us good. Heh. Good think I have spare fishing rods I left in the boat this morning.''

Hearing footsteps approaching she stood back up, her bottle now refilled as she saw venser walk past and following on behind him, treading lightly and barely making a sound upon the grass and few fallen leaves. "So catfish?" Selina called out as she was now just behind Venser.

''Catfish, yup! Gonna have a fry up later!'' Venser said pushing back the large fedora like hat that sat atop his head. ''Fry em, slather them in hot sauce... A real treat. And I cook them expertly.'' He let out a sigh and looked up into the trees as a few orange leaves fell. ''Rather nice, don't you think? Growing up I lived the rain forest. Kinda. Armonia was built. Real tropical, nice summer breezes... Short winters.''

"Sounds like my friend's island." Nadine commented, following along patting down her blacksmithing apron. "Let's go find those aquatic cats then."

He rarely thought, and even spoke of his childhood as he began to reminencse.

''When we were children we'd run through the park with trees just like these... Heh. I remember.'' Venser said staring off into space as he walked.

''Haven't thought much of when I was young in-''

He tripped over a root in the ground and fell flat on his face.

The werewolf hybrid woman scrunched her nose slightly at the thought of cooked fish.

"Can't say I've ever really been a fan of eating fish. I'm more a fan of things like deer, though I prefer it rare rather than cooked." Selina couldn't help but burst into laughter as he tripped over a tree root.

"Ha! I must say it is rather peaceful being out in the trees, hense why I usually disappear into the forest almost every night. Or stay in the barn to act as the stable girl." She stood in front of him offering out her hand to help him up.

"Come on old man." A teasing smirk upon her face as she looked down at him.

Venser muttered something and stood up, taking Selina's hand.

''Thanks...''

He mumbled trapping his hat in a green aura, pulling it over to him and putting it atop his head. ''And I happen to be thirty four.'' He said crossing his arms. ''I dunno about you.'' He turned to the two, smiling. ''Glad you could join us. Both of ya. This'll be fun..."

"I guess I really do need a break..." Nadine muttered and glanced around for her elven friend.

Myron appeared beside Nelu after a few minutes, collasping on the ground with an empty tankard of what used to be Blue Lagoon in hand.

"Now thash shome good shtuffs." He said, slurring every other word.

"Yessssh catfishhh...!"

Selina chuckled slightly. "Well I suppose it would depend if we're talking in human years, or dog years..." She had been tempted to let him go as she went to help him up causing him to fall over again but she had thought better of it. she then turned and continued to walk in the direction of the lake. She'd place her glass down on the peer before running and diving in clothes and all.

SIIIGH.

Nadine helped pick Myron up. "At least it's not the powder..." She muttered and helped him along. "C'mon, we're taking a break. Now."

''Both human years and dog years?'' He asked picking up his rod and sack, throwing it over his shoulder. Venser backed up and exclaimed, ''How fast and how much did you have?!"' He sighed and nodded his head, looking down.

''Right. As long as he doesn't fall out of the boat.''

He said as they continued walking until they reached the black sands of the shore, where his medium sized boat, enough to fit six to seven people was moored. Wooden, ordinary, and a red patch on the rail. ''Wait aren't you wearing leather!'' He called after Selina as she dove in. He sighed again and tossed the sack in the boat, feeling it move under him.

"OOOOOHHHH! HEY PARTNER!" The tall, white haired elven man drunkenly pat her head, stumbled about, falling overboard.

"That will sober him up." Nadine's golden eyes were so wide they were nearly round. Wat.

Selina chuckled. "Well yes, but I was in need of a new wardrobe anyway, having uh, torn apart many clothes, and well there are far too many people here for me to be in the water naked as casual as it is." The hybrid woman called back out to him though she wasn't quite sure how much of it he'd actually hear, running to catch up. "And as for my age, well I became well this when I was twenty five so in human years I'm still technically twenty five. I've been that way for like, seven years now and in dog years that would make me about two hundred sixtyish"

Myron yelped and flailed about, using his magic and a salt platform forming under him as he stared at the big bad that was water. Fuck water, what has water ever done for him. It never taught him how to swim, no one else ever did.

He looked over the edge of the boat to Selina. ''Right let's just go with twenty five. Come back and we'll cast off!''

Hearing Venser call out for her to come back to shore she decided to make her way back, swimming over to the drunken elven stranger and offering her assistance.

Then Nadine went sailing, and then formed a bubble of protective magic around herself before she got chucked. It spared her any injury from striking the surface so hard, but popped and she sank into the water while her elven companion simply sat on his salt platform, watching everyone.

No one was even on the boat yet and people were almost hurting themselves. ''Are we going to catch the fishes or swim with the fishes?'' Venser asked raising his voice, adressing all of them.

Nadine was slowly making her way back to shore to see how to catch the watercats. She paused though and facepalmed, then was instantly beside Venser.

Selina swam past the one seemlingly called Myron and made her way to shore, taking a moment before getting to her feet and ringing the water from her coat and running her fingers through her messily wet waves of hair before talking to her old flame. "Ven, you know the other day when you asked me if I had ever been granted one wish what would I wish for? I think it would be, for just a day to go back to how I was before becoming a hybrid... Shifting to harpy and then different things at random times... Ahem. I mean, don't get me wrong I love being able to be a wolf and vampire, minus the fleas obviously, so I don't think I could wish to live my old life forever, but just one day would be enough."

She hadn't really ever ramlbed on about wanting something to anyone, it wasn't really who she was and quite frankly she never thought about what she wanted or where she could be, she just did things in the spare of the moment.

''What? An harpy like you sister? Or a mermaid or... I always get the narrative mixed up. Mermaid right? Hybrids... Shapeshifters. Blah." Venser asked getting impatient now, already undoing the mooring like and holding onto it with both hands so they wouldn't sail away.

Nadine was standing beside him just... Waiting.

"We aren't really related by blood." Selina was adopted into my family when we were younger. The tall woman with long brown hair and green blue eyes and the pointy nose cleared her throat and began to speak.

"I was the rightful blood and yet considered more or less a black sheep so they left everything to her. We never really got along and well, when I found out she got everything instead of I, the shit really hit the floor. She was always seen as the perfect little Angel, and quite literally, it came naturally to her because she was one. I was the complete opposite, a demon spawn according to our parents. After that I took back to the water and spent majority of my time there, sinking ships, having fun with pirates and many sailors where my bloody sister had the life of luxery back on land. After our parents were killed in battle I never grieved, she did and soon after she lost everything because she had had it all so easy she never really grew up. She came crawling to me pleading for help and well, that's when, well when this happened."

Selina Nightengale went silent, it was the first real time she had ever explained everything to anyone. Was she actually feeling an emotion other than hate or lust?

''Well now I've never heard this side of the story... Thank you, Selinaaaa... Damn it.'' He let go of the line and the boat began to drift into the vodka clear waters of the lake. He grabbed him as the boat passed and promptly handed him to the short artificer woman.

''Angel told me all of you were taken.'' He said moving to the back of the boat, looking over a small wooden box.

Nadine looked unamused. For a moment she would rather be working on the engine and be tired than this. She brushed back her carrot colored hair, grit her teeth and simply laid back in the boat and watched, trying to relax.

"Its complicated. Thank you for listening, Ven. But did she make it out like a big fairytale that had all come crashing down? She's always been quite the drama queen. I have to say the day we were turned, though I do sometimes miss the water, was one of the best days of my life. My sister lost everything and we both became equals in a way, the same species. I however being older and feeding on both people as well as animals quickly became far stronger than her who refused to feed on a human. I could snap her like a twig if I saw fit, but for some reason I never could, though there were many times I wanted to." Selina monologueed and lanced up to Venser, her eyes dark just thinking of it.

''That's exactly what she told me.'' Venser said stopping for a moment to recollect her story, the same one she told him years back. Only in her version Selina wasn't really mentioned...

''Huh.'' He grabbed a jar of worms and put one on the hook and walked to the front of the boat, angling himself to the side so he would not hit anyone or the sails then cast the line out. He turned his head to them enjoying the cool breeze and warm sun.

''More poles in the back, worms and bombs in the box.''

Ven let out a relaxed sigh

"Wolves love to fish... Eh, most animals do. I know bears certainly love fish.''

Selina looked down at the box of worms scrunching her nose slightly as she watched them wriggle and squirm in a big mass."I can't say I've ever tried fished with a pold before, I normally swim amongst them, catch them with my bare hands every now and again for fun but have never thought of eating one." The hybrid woman hesitantly poked at the box of worms.

''A fish? I swear you've had my fried catfish before.'' Venser said sitting down in the boat now, looking over the edge at the beautiful blue lake, the clouds reflected off the surface rocked side to side very subtlely.

''Also there's food and drink in the sack with the books, if anyones hungry.''

"Have never had it, just thinking of it makes me sick." Selina chuckled slightly, tempted to push him in as he looked over the edge of the boat. sitting back and admiring the view, the crystal water, the shoreline, the blue sky, even for once in a long time she was actually enjoying the sunshine.

''C'mon. You can eat a deer, or some other fleshy thing but not a fish? You know where I come from people rarely eat deer. Ah!''

A fish began to tug on the line as Venser stood up and held it back.

''Oh it's a fighter! There gonna be a lot for the tavern!"

"Well, it's mostly because I was once technically half fish in a way. It's like now if I were to kill another wolf. I just wouldn't do it, except for the asswhipe that turned me, he'd be an acception. And if I were to be attacked by another pack and it was the only way of defence" Selina blinked her blue green eyes and then saw him get to his feet and try to reel the fish in, the temptation was just too great and she pushed him slightly but just enough for him to fall in.

She didn't need to. The handsome bearded bartender hunched up and pulled, the line cut the water with a hiss, vibrated and scattered droplets which glistened like mercury in the rising sun. The catfish suddenly surfaced, set the water seething just below the surface, and the tension of the line eased.

''Alright... It's gonna come back around soon... Heh heh... Fresh catfish... Gut it, fry it... Use the head for soup... Fried catfish with hot sauce and greens!"

Venser licked his lips. Feeling the shallows under its belly, the catfish jumped out of the water, revealing it to be twelve feet long. It tossed it's head, whacked it's tail flat and took a sharp, hard dive into the dephs of the lake.

''AHHH!''

Venser lost his balance and was dragged into the lake with the giant catfish.

The hybrid couldn't help but chuckle as he was pulled into the lake by the giant catfish. Watching him make a large splash. She stood up and looked over the edge of the boat. to where he had fallen in. "Let go of the line!" Selina called out to him, still seeing the bubbles rising to the surface.

Before the surface broke and Venser had both arms wrapped around the giant catfish, the two flailed around before they disappeared under the water.

"Should we help him? Hic!" Myron asked as Nadine simply watched with a smile on her face, she let out a laugh and shook her head in negation.

"I'm going in." Selina said standing tall and beginning to pull down her dress in front of everyone, leaving her lean athletic body nide for everyone to see as Venser and the giant catfish broke through the surface again.

"Hghhh! I got him!" He and the massive beast disappeared in a puff of thick red smoke and they all looked around them frantically to see where he teleported to.

Venser was there on the dock, holding the big, scaly prize down until it suffocated and died.

"Mhm! Perfect catch!"