[D-PRP] This Seems Fishy (Hel/Amrita)

[Lucyal]

Day 1

Hel laughed. "Well, not only can we take the long way, I can walk you around the entire city grounds before we head in!" That being said, Hel started to walk east of the well, getting onto the dirt road and passing some reapers who were tending to a garden and some mini live stock. "Ah, ya! This is the city of Castlecrone! It was established a long a** time ago by a witch! Hence crone, ya?"

The reaper's arms swung at her sides as she walked. "I have been here for about a week now, and I find their system here to be very interesting! The citizens here abide by an ah...existence system? It is a fancy explanation for class system, but each citizen chooses an 'existence' and from there they go about fulfilling tasks to earn the experience in their field!" Hel trailed off for a moment before she looked over at Amrita, her brows furrowing.

"Ah, before I keep going...is everything...okay back at Amity?"  

[Enoh Love]

Day 1

"Perfect!" Amrita slid into step beside Hel, looking everywhere and at everything as the Reaper explained. She waved to one of the gardeners that turned to look at them, and then went about her business. The explanation she was being given for this city was fascinating, and the ghoul couldn't get enough of it. This was already amazing.

"Neat! Did you have to take up an existence to stay here?" Did she have to choose an existence? The ghoul's mind wandered, wondering what the classes were, and when did someone need to choose one? When they chose to live there? When they visited for longer than a few days? Hm.

"Huh? Oh. Uh, I guess? It's been...very quiet." Amrita fidgeted for a little bit, black fingers curling into her dark braid. "Why do you ask?" Though she did give the ghoul a pointed stare, her eye almost narrowing as if she feared this would tread into their little deal.  

[Lucyal]

Day 1

"Nah. I did not have to. I do not have the time, anyways!" Hel replied, waving a hand. "Everyone here is very friendly though!" As evidenced by all the citizens who were waving as they walked by. "They are very welcoming to newcomers taking up mentorships under their many masters, though!"

The reaper gave a thoughtful hum, her cheeks puffing out briefly in thought as her brows knitted. Everything was okay back at Amity then, huh? So...hnngh. This just worried her even more! The reaper seemed off in her own little world until she snapped back to. "Ah! Only because almost everyone I know seems to be acting weird. When it is more than one, it is logical to ask about their home, ya?"  

[Enoh Love]

Day 1

"Who else is acting weird?" She had no illusions; she knew very well that Hel lumped her in with the 'weird' group, and considering more than one, well, there was at least someone else. Curiousity was her bane, and the ghoul shook her head.

"Anyway! What are the existences here? Where are you staying? Let's talk about here, not home." Her hands shook, trying to brush away anything that was Amityville related. This was about Castlecrone, not the Academy.  

[Lucyal]

Day 1

"Someone~" Hel made a face at her. "When you have been away from home since all Hallow's Eve, it is what you want to talk about." Regardless, after, Hel followed it up with a hand wave, and started to list the existences as she took the undead on a tour around the castle city grounds before leading her in.

- - -

Hel was on a first name basis with the tavern owner now, since she came in here quite often during her week stay thus far. She introduced Amrita, ordered them two ales, and then took a seat at the end of the polished wooden bar. Swiveling in her stool a bit, Hel caught the ale that was slid down the counter to her. She stared down at it thoughtfully before she looked back up at Amrita.

"Actually...I think you can help me out!" The reaper grinned a bit, leaning on the counter and towards the other. "I am here because my stupid boss wants the bounty on some stupid fish...and then I remember you love fish!"  

[Enoh Love]

Day 1

"And when you've been stuck there, it's the last thing." Amrita shot back, her tone chipper because, despite them both being difficult, she was away from home, and with someone she could at least tolerate a little bit. It was exciting.

---

Amrita watched with a wide-eyed fascination as the ale came sliding down the counter to them. Hel caught hers first and, now having a frame of reference, she caught her own as it came sliding down. This was so cool. The Patchwork had never felt so...adult-like before.

And she had blood and death on her hands.

"Oh?" She looked up from her mug, almost surprised to see the Reaper leaning in so close. "...A bounty? You're a bounty hunter?" That sounded so strange! "What could he possibly want with a fish?"  

[Lucyal]

Day 1

"I am a lot of things. Assistant, mercenary, bounty hunter, warrior~" She waved a hand. "Anything that brings in the seeds, ya?"

It was then Hel paused briefly and scowled.

"Except prostitute."

It was very important to note that.

"Bah! I have no idea!" Hel sat up and took a gulp of her ale, setting the stein back down with a loud thud, and sloshing some of the froth into the wooden counter top. "Apparently, if this certain fish is caught, then the reward is a some kind of gem...and he wants the gem." She made a face and her gaze lidded. "The problem though is...the fish can only be caught by angling." Her lips twisted. "I tried catching it by hand. It did not work."  

[Enoh Love]

Day 1

It was a terrible time to try and take a drink.

Amrita sputtered her ale with an amused snort, managing to keep the liquid in her mouth by tilting her head, letting it slosh against her intact cheek. She swallowed it quickly, and wiped her mouth with the back of one black hand.

"Well, good? Keep your...morals...or whatever..." Snirking into her ale, she took another, safer sip. God this stuff tasted horrible. Adult. But horrible. It was great. The rest of the story wasn't as funny, but at least it was informative. On more than one level. She toyed with her mug, rolling the bottom end in a lazy circle on the bar top, pondering something over before casting a knowing glance to the Reaper.

"You don't have the patience to fish, do you?"  

[Lucyal]

Day 1

"Ya. Morals." Among being hopelessly in love.

Hel opened her mouth to protest that she did, indeed, have patience but then--

Oh, Jack. Who was she kidding.

"Ya." Hel's lips twisted. "You can bet your sweet undead a** that if it was a bounty for slaying some rampaging mini, I would have had that s**t done in less than a day!" A dark fist slammed on top of the wooden bar, rattling their steins. "You, though. It is good timing, almost ah...coincidentally I suppose they may say, that you have come! You have fish! You are a master baiter, ya?" Because clearly owning an aquarium of derp fish made one an expert on angling.  

[Enoh Love]

Day 1

Again, Amrita nearly choked while trying the very not undead thing of drinking ale. Her sweet undead a**, huh? She wiggled in her chair a little bit.

"I was built to be fine~" She snorted in amusement, then made a face as if she wasn't sure why she had even said anything. A suspicious glance was cast to the ale, and then she looked back up as she realized Hel was still talking. This time, she was wise enough to not try to drink - and this time she realized it just as she put the mug to her lips.

It did take her a few seconds to realize what Hel actually meant, and where the innuendo was.

"Err - what? Uh. Hold on. You want me to -" She took the time to take a sip, because she knew it was safe now. "-catch this fish for you?" Wasn't that cheating? This was Hel's bounty - would it still be the same if she caught it? These were the things she mulled over as she hesitated her actual point, her dark fingers drumming on the table. "And uh...I've never actually...angled...before..."  

[Lucyal]

Day 1

"Ya!" Hel grinned. She had to be honest--with herself at least, not outloud-- that Amrita was her best bet for actually catching the damn thing--

The reaper's face went blank.

Oh.

Hel just stared at her for a long moment before she snorted.

"You will learn!" She declared. Amrita would learn and have a grasp on it quicker than she could. Much. If still left up to Hel--odds of her leaving this place would be slim to none...and she really wanted to be gone.  

[Enoh Love]

Day 1

Amrita jumped at the sudden declaration. Well, it was good to know that someone believed in her! She imagined it couldn't be too hard though - she liked fishing, and she typically had patience. So far she had shown a great aptitude for a lot of things. Surely fishing would be the same?

"Err - yeah! I can learn. It'll be fun, right?"

She then stared dubiously down at the ale.

"Is this stuff always this gross?"  

[Lucyal]

Day 1

There was something of a crooked smile on Hel's face.

"Oh ya. Fun." Regardless, she clanked her stein against Amrita's in celebration of their plan. At the question, Hel just gave a hearty laugh. "Acquired taste! I have been consuming this since I was a wee lass!"

She beamed.  

[Lucyal]

Day 2

Hel wasn't serious about taking another crack at that fish until the next day. Instead, she'd spent the rest of the first day finishing showing Amrita around, and then showing her to her er...home for the time being. It was the hayloft of someone's barn.

The reaper wasn't made out of seeds okay. If she had paid an inn for an entire week it would have been in the hundreds.

No thanks.

On the plus side, they got to snuggle up to Hel's familiar in a hay nest. Famine was pleased as punch at seeing Amrita, and spent a lot of time preening the undead's hair until they left for the day. The first order was locating the Fishing Master, and leaving Amrita to gleam as much information as she could from the Monster...wearing a funny fish hat.

It was kind of a cool hat.

Hel stood off to the side as she waited, getting distracted by some moths.  

[Enoh Love]

Day 1

Amrita made another face, and did her best to acquire this particular, strange taste.




Day 2

She hadn't minded the continued tour, or that Hel's lodgings consisted of a hayloft. The Undead slept on the concrete floor of the refrigerated basement; she wasn't comfortable with comfort in the slightest. But Chocobo Famine was the highlight of the trip already, and by the time it was done with her, her hair was a mess. A glorious, knotted mess. Amrita fell asleep with her arms around the giant bird's neck, her face buried into the feathers; had she needed to use her lungs, she would have suffocated in the night.

It took her a while to brush the tangles out the next morning, but she regretted nothing.

Meeting the Fishing Master in the morning was way more fun than Amrita had ever anticipated, even if she had wear a goofy, dusty pink guppy hat. Actually, the hat grew on her. It took a bit of running around town, and the luck of catching a rather hideous fish that looked like a rotten apple, but eventually the Master let her have a temporary angler's license - and in this case, an honorary one.

"I'm never going home." Amrita insisted, her grey eye wide and practically starry as she held her piece of paper above her head, her stupid angler's hat on her head and her new rod strapped against her back. "This is great! Isn't this great?!" She looked at Hel, all big eyes and bright smiles, looking more awake and relaxed than she had in years. "Where to now?"