Description: *Season Three, Episode Four* Next time on "The Deadliest Catch", Tensions run high on the Cornelia Marie as the fishing takes a turn for the worst and a fight breaks out between two crew members, and on the Northwestern we have a man overboard. Don't miss next week's "The Deadliest Catch."
Mid-morning sun filters through swarthy clouds that loom above. Dark, but not threatening rain, the clouds actually provide a nice amount of shade to the patio of the beach house that Arika has been playing houseguest to.
Again.
One of these days, she'll learn not to get -so- hurt, or put into near death situations, but until then she's lucky she's got a great guy like the model on her side!
Either way, she's leaning against one of the posts of the patio, a magazine open in her lap and a glass of orange juice beside her. Several vases of white roses are her companions this morning, having brought them from inside so that she could still enjoy them while making the attempt at getting a bit of fresh air.
Who didn't like beach houses? Really who? Especially those who liked sun, liked beaches, but didn't get out to them much. Not that Sound Beach in South Town was especially great ,it was full of junk right? One such piece of junk was a particular fish, actually it wasn't a fish at all, it was a person, who with a wave on a not swimming day came the floppy witch. She was in a swim suit, a red one piece with bows around the hips, she had her hat on, shades and a broom, which didn't fit well.. Swimming but the things that was most bizarre is how she washed up on shore, coughed and flopped.. Like a fish. And then realizes she isn't a fish and gets up. In her other hand? She carries a net within it are crabs. Why? Who knows.
"*cough* Hey ahh.." she looks around, notices probably one of the only people out here on a cloudy day, "Is that some OJ?"
*FLIP*
Another page in the magazine is flipped and the British punk rocker peruses what's written upon it. With her eyes not exactly on the water, she happens to miss the flopping about. But from the corner of one deep blue-purple eye, she does catch the red of a swimsuit and blinks.
So far as she knew, the beach was empty. Did the woman wearing the suit slip out here when she went inside to get more juice? It's always a possibility. Not like she's moving at full speed thanks to the concussion and the forced resting. At least she's not got to be woken up every two hours any longer.
"'scuse me?" Oh, she's being spoken to? Arika raises an eyebrow and gives the net of crabs a very odd look. The stranger was out -hand- netting crabs? Only one question reigns supreme in her mind: Why? Instead of being rude and asking -that- she simply nods. "Mmhmm. It's bloody -good- orange juice too. Freshly squeezed'n'all."
The description of good orange juice only further causes Naerose to do the natural thing for her, go closer to the beach house. Dragging her crabs along and moving to stand in front of the beach house.
"If you let me have some I will totally share some of my crab count with you, just as soon as I find out where to offload these things.. I think ahh 'dutch harbor' is a little too far away," she says with a wink, adjusts her shades and stares longingly at the OJ. Now it should be noted that the crabs are not king crabs, they're not even that big. Maybe someone could make a meal out of them, but .. that would be about it.
Hmm. Orange juice for a partial net of crabs? Got to be something wrong with them. Arika looks at the stranger, brow remaining quirked up. "Yeah. Sure, mate. Just stay roit there." The heavy Cockney accent returns, like it normally does with people she doesn't know. Best to keep up appearances and all. "You can take this glass, I'll get another." Slowly pushing herself up to her feet, Arika raises a hand to her temple and tries to force away the headache that's coming on. Giving her head a slight shake as she moves toward the door she nods back to the glass and then steps inside to get another for herself.
For a moment it seems as if Naerose, standing there, smiling, hasn't moved, just watches the glass of OJ, Except the glass is then suddenly empty! Did she drink it with her mind? No, nothing so cool, instead she used the secret technique of Xiangfei teleportation, where a dust cloud in the shape of Naerose is left behind as the witch herself scrambles to get to the OJ and drink it.
Okay, so it wasn't that cool, instead the gulping of juice can be heard and the glass being lowered. . It's clear the witch finishes the contents before Arika even gets to the door, let alone inside and back out again with a fresh glass. Meanwhile Naerose is standing there with the same smile she had before as if nothing had happened.
"Thanks!
It wouldn't really be surprising that the juice was finished before Arika made it to the door. Movements are slow, so as not to aggravate her head any more than necessary.
When the Brit finally returns, she's sipping from a new glass of orange juice. Nodding at the stranger she rolls her shoulders back in a tiny shrug. "Sure, mate. No problem." Though how the other can be so thirsty as to down the entire glass in just a few gulps is beyond her. "What're ya doin' with those crabs any'ow? Don't normally see people wanderin' up the beach with somethin' like that."
"Well I'm glad you asked, you see crab fishing is the new gold rush, the deadliest catch see? So I was sitting at home watching this documentary about it and realized that these people were bringing in hundred of thousands of dollars for like.. just a few weeks of work, and then I realized I could do that too case we have the ocean here. So.. I started crab fishing. So far I have these and I converted a trash can into a crab tank and I've got a few more there." The witch goes on with a vague gesture off in some direction, but her attention span is about as long as Hamtaro's.
"This is a great place, you live here?" She asks, trying to peek at the house behind Arika, "And umm are you Canadian? Cause you have an accent," she continues knowingly while fixing her shades.
"Don'cha normally need a boat for doin' anything -seriously-?" The net of crabs isn't going to make this strange woman hundreds of thousands of dollars. Maybe twenty or thirty bucks, if she's lucky. Arika turns her attention to the vaguely gestured direction as she settles herself back down on the patio against the rail.
Once settled, she glances behind her and shakes her head. "Live 'ere?" Ahhh! A very good question! "I'm stayin' 'ere." Safest answer, since she's:
a) not the owner
and
b) has been here more often than at the hotel lately.
"British, mate," Arika says with a slight roll of her eyes. As -if- a Cockney accent could be confused with a Canadian one! "I don't say aboot!" Even though she -just- said it?
Of course there was a lot of things Naerose would need, she was a very much into get rich schemes and a boat would cause all sorts of problems, besides which it would probably take more time to acquire then her attention span would last, but she wasn't going to say that, it was far far far to logical if she even realized such things well, she'd be a whole different Naerose! Instead she smiles some more, something she's good at and reaches into her hat.
"Neat, so you're from british columbia. I heard you have choice skiing." She pulls disposable camera from her hat which is just full of water and small fishes and tries to snap a picture.
"What the snap?" It isn't waterproof.
Sweatdrop. Arika stares down at her glass of orange juice, trying to think of the -nicest- way to tell the stranger she's wrong. Woman just came out of the water with a net full of crabs and tried to take a picture with a camera that obviously doesn't work. Something tells the Brit that the other woman... may not be all there.
Clearing her throat, she glances over at the roses and then gives her head a shake. "Nah, mate. British. As in, from London. England. The UK, y'know?" Once more her shoulders raise in a small shrug and she lifts the glass to her lips, taking a small sip. Afterward, she cradles the glass in her hands and says, "Ever 'ear of the band Femme Fatale? Well that's me."
"Really? Awesome, I have to do a news article on you now of course, but ahh, my camera seems to be broken at the moment.. See if I have a spare," she shakes her hat causing a bunny to fall out who lays on the ground with @@ eyes. It's a sad little bunny that can not or could not breath for a breath stay under water.
"Right.. Briton.." Naerose says, looking thoughtful,
"Your name wouldn't be Evee Hammond would it? Cause that would just be perfect. Are you a terrorist, do you have a legitimate bone to pick with the current facist British government? I sat through a two hour documentary on British culture, it was great! I had no idea you were so into that stuff over there." She finally pulls a soaked notepad out and a pen, shakes it and then begins to take notes.
Despite the headache, Arika's expression perks up a little at the mention of the news article. Reporter? Paparazzi? Who knows? Hard to tell! While she's debating this in her mind, she spies the bunny falling out of the hat and it causes her to blink. "Er... mate... I don't think those crabs were the only things you managed to catch." Is it even a -real- bunny? She'd lean over and toe at it, but who knows if it's been trained to bite?
"That's roit. Briton." The punk rock diva looks from the bunny-mess to the woman and raises her brow. "Evee 'ammond? No." Pausing she exhales a sigh, accompanied with a little chuckle. "Don't know that it was a documentary, mate but er..." Shaking her head, she decides it best to finish her orange juice and not offend the nutty woman.
So here we are on a fairly empty beach by a beach house, apparently Arika stays there, the day is cloudy and not really a great beach day, yet despite that here is Naerose in her red one piece swimsuit, witches hat, shades and broom. Oh and a bag of crab, apparently after seeing an episode of Deadliest Catch, Naerose thought to go bobbing for crab. Anyway, opun meeting Arika, she emptied her hat of her bunny, who is currently twitching on the ground as she tries to find a camera to take pictures with! Anyway, apparently V is for Vendetta was not a documentary? Seriously? Naerose demands her money back!
"So lesse, Femme Fatalle , how many members, who is in the band and when will you have a concern during a fight?"
Don't forget the roses on the patio and the orange juice!
"There's four, including meself. Five if you want to bother countin' the manager." Arika blinks at the mention of fighting and then rubs at her temple. "'ave a concern during a fight? Within the band? We don't fight, mate." The only other thing the young Brit can figure she means is the Neo League. Possibly SNF? But she can't have a fan of that type, can she? So very doubtful!
A streak of colour zooms from behind a rock to behind another rock. A pause. Another streak of colour zooms from behind this second rock to behind a third rock. Another pause. Said streak decides to suddenly introduce a variation in its relocation pattern, and so, midway between its shooting from behind a rock to behind a rock, it abruptly changes direction, ending up behind a different rock! Oh, such cunning!
From behind this fourth rock (is it the fourth? I hope it is. I lost track. Darn you, cunning streak!), the head of a certain reporter whose name we won't mention (okay, okay, I'm lying. it's Ran. Sheesh.), scrutinizes the surrounding area. "A-HA! Abused rabbit! The PETA won't be happy about this!" Her fist appears from behind the rock, clenched in a gesture of excitement. "This is going to be a SCOOP!"
Naerose nods and nods some more before going on to say, "I'm the official reporter for Saturday Night Fight, Naerose Delphine, but, I think it would be really awesome to have a battle of the bands, Oh we so need to do that!" She seems to get excited at the prospect even though she herself probably only plays air guitar. And just then,
Hibiki sense, tingling or maybe it was Ran saying 'scoop'.
Without warning Naerose pulls a crab from her net and turns chucking it at Ran's head, the aim is probably pretty bad, but those claws could tear a tank in half! It's a crab battle! Metal Gear style!
"This is my story!" exclaims the witch.
Official reporter... aha! "That's where I've seen you, mate! Thought'cha looked a wee bit familiar, but with that suit, those crabs and the wee little drowned bunny I couldn't place ya." Arika clears her throat. So -that's- what she meant about fight. Ahem. "Don't know if we could do battle of the bands. None of the other girls fight at all. 'ell, they don't even like -me- fightin' but there ain't much they can do 'bout that." Seeing as how she doesn't intend to stop at all.
Blink.
"That drowned mass'a fur is a -real- rabbit?" Color the punk rock princess shocked! At best she thought it was a realistic stuffed animal. No one would subject a bunny to such torture, would they?
Ran goes wide-eyed at Naerose (in a red one-piece bathing suit, witch hat and shades) chucking a Deadly Crab of DOOM at her, and does not what every sane person would do in such a situation, but comes somewhat close: she raises the camera, snaps a picture (with accompanying blinding *FLASH*), and then disappears again behind the rock, just in time to avoid the crab SLAMMing into the rock, its claws penetrating a good eight centimeters (or three inches) into the stone, cracks extending radially from the point of impact. Ran jumps out from behind the rock, wearing a blue swimsuit and, over it, her trademark bomber jacket (which must then double as a lifesaver?) and camera. She points an accusing finger. "SOUND BEACH -- We thought it was over, but once again, Naerose Delphine is up to no good. Apparently, her addiction to using small, defenseless and dubiously living animals as projectiles is not something she's given up, and, certain that nobody would have spotted her, she has started another covert operation to threaten the local fauna!"
SHOCK! GASPS! DISBELIEF. Also, battle of the bands,
A moment is spared to address Arika, after all, she has her own stories to do,
"Actually I meant where two bands try to out rock each other, not throw rocks at each other, but a combination of the two, well that might be kind of neat too." The witch comments then continues,
"Excuse me a moment."
"Not so fast smudge reporter Ran Hibiki, currently cosplaying Battle Athletes! I am not fooled by your Itchino outfit, I will expose you for the bunny wielding, furry animal napper fraud you are! You have come, I know it, to catch this poor, unsuspecting celebrity, whom I got to first, in the act of changing so you could sell your pictures to a sleezy magazine!" She points dramatically and totally prepares to get into a report off.
"I know what a battle of the bands is, mate. Been keepin' me eye on a few others but I don't know if it's a viable thi--" And then the witch excuses herself, a Deadly Crab of DOOM lodges itself into a rock and Arika just shakes her head. A sharp pinch is given to her right arm as she tries to ensure she's asleep.
"Ouch!"
Sadly, she's awake and she just has to blink at the entire scenario. "I think you both need to calm down a wee bit. You're scaring the wee bunny." Even if the poor drowned mass of fur -isn't- scared it'll hopefully be a distractionary technique.
Ran leaps into the air, and lands atop the rock, pointing down at Naerose. "HA! Look at who's talking, Naerose Delphine, who probably chose TV as her medium because she can't even spell! Well, for your information, unlike Public Access TV, the quality of the Taiyo High School Newspaper is renown and respected in the printed news world! Second, it's CLEAR from your action that you have no sense of priority! I shall suspend our quarrel for the time being, for a poor, defenseless, pathetic, hairy creature is in serious need of help!" A short pause. "And I'm not talking about you!", she adds, at the end, leaping down from the rock, and running towards Sylvester. Turning to Arika she says, pointing at Naerose. "Young lady, pay no mind to this failed attempt at a reporter! She wouldn't be able to tell a good story from a crab. In fact, I'm sure she's spent the last few hours trying to fish crabs to publish!"
"That's slander, I mean Libal and I don't have to take it, I mean okay, maybe I do but, hey! Arn't you supposed to be doing something like reporting on school.. I got it, you're not in school cause you're skipping, deliquent Ran, hah!" But then she remembers somehting, someone telling her to calm down and she is forced to look at Arika this time.
"Wait wait wait, see that fraud over there tried to take pictures of you when you were.. You know.. compromised? Less then fully dressed? Or not at alll, and sell them to a magazine.. you know.. a dirty magazine."
Arika glances between the two strangers (who's names she's sort of picked out during their verbal tirade) and then looks to the mess of fur posing as a somewhat dead looking bunny. "It's neither actually, since she ain't printin' or publishin' anything on the tele at the moment. It's just words," she points out. Glancing between them again, she shrugs. Something's niggling at her mind and she can't quite place it at the moment. Damnable concussion! Rubbing her temples she sets her deep blue eyes upon Ran and says, "Considerin' 'ow young she looks, I doubt they'd accept a photo from'er at all and I'm quite fully dressed, thank you."
Naerose says, "Three or four"
Ran covers the distance that separates her from Sylvester with long steps and a couple of utterly needless but definitely cool jumps. "There you go, Miss Fade. I think it is now evident who of us is the insane poser and who, instead, is the proper future Pulitzer prize winning reporter!" She removes her bomber jacket, and hunches over to Sylvester, to test for any life signs (like pulse, or heartbeat), and ready to pump water out of his stomach, attempt resuscitation, or whatever is needed in case there is any hope to save Sylvester. "Stand back, I have a basic-level diploma in veterinarian first aid!"
"No you don't," exclaims Naerose and watches Ran start trying to save her bunny, " Hey, don't eat my emergency food source, I might need him when the ice age hits!" the witch protests, though she can't help but respond, once again to Arika.
"Anyway, trust me, I know her up to no good ness, I have been all over trying to stop her from her evil ways and umm, where was I oh yes, evil ways, her and her son Dan Hibiki refusing to open up a sushi shop and assaulting ninjas with signs in the street. " She starts to take notes at this before giving an aside,
"Which band do you want to battle anyway?"
This is all getting to be too much for the punk rock diva, who -already- had a headache thanks to the Zangief-induced concussion. Rubbing her temples again, she offers a faint smile to Ran and then draws herself up to her full height as she collects both orange juice glasses. If the 'reporters' decide to brawl here on the patio, she doesn't want anyone full of glass.
That's to say, she doesn't want -herself- full of broken glass.
"I'm sure 'er family life has no bearing on 'er ability as a reporter," Arika says to the one in red. Then she adds, "Don't really want to battle a band. As it stands, it's not me decision any'ow, but Marcy's and with all the gigs comin' up, doubt we'd 'ave the time."
Ran starts pushing on Sylvester, and spurt of water comes out of his mouth, rhythmically, with every push. Ran turns to Naerose and shouts angrily, "DAN is NOT my son! And I'm trying to convince him to open that darn sushi shop, for Pete's sake!" She then turns towards Arika and continues, "Actually, I have to give credit to this insane individual, there. You know, just like an infinite number of monkeys are bound by the laws of chance to produce something sensible every now and then, she does have a point about the battle of the bands! Imagine it! A rocking clash of muscles and musical instruments underlined by drums, electric guitars, engaging basslines and a horde of drunken fans! The only thing that could make it better is probably a laser show! Which there could be!" She turns to check the situation of the rabbit, then resumes addressing Arika. "You could play that song from that movie... how did it go..." She starts singing, "o/~ Who wants.... to live.... forever.... o/~", and then shouts, "THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!"
Naerose can't help but clap for Ran, looking impressed at the way she sells it. A fight? Between these two? That's not the way they roll.
"Hey hey yeah, battle of the bands, Dan's Sushi shop, and .. umm, what are you doing to Sylvester again?" She leans on her staff and continues to take notes on her note pad which is still so wet that the paper breaks,
"Oh hey, Ran, Check it, this girl is from Briton, knows 'V' and gives the best OJ I've ever had, hey are you here to go surfing? That could make a cover to the sports magazines?"
"I'm no Freddie Mercury, and that ain't exactly me style," Arika says quietly to the one in blue. Taking a deep breath, she presses her fingers into the sides of her temple trying to massage the headache away. "As I said, you'd 'ave to talk to me manager and she's not about at the moment." Not that Marcy -would- be here. Marcy doesn't even likely know that -she- is here. "I don't know 'V', like I told'ja, mate, that was just a movie, not a documentary... and no I didn't come 'ere to surf."
Ran keeps pumping, the amount of water being pumped out of Sylvester starting to seem larger than what could possibly fit inside such a small bunny. "It's okay, Miss Fade. We can wait! There's no hurry! Boy, a musical battle! That'd be something that'd draw a lot of people, and would make a great story!" She then turns to Naerose. "Me, surf? Nah, I'm here just to find a good story. Or good pictures to take. Although I might consider taking photos of someone else for the cover of sports magazines. As for me, my place is BEHIND the camera. That's where I live, I breathe, I eat, I dream, and... well, do everything else, basically!"
"Eek, I left my pots soaking for like.. All this time I've been talking to Evee, Snap, I need to go you two, umm Ran, meet me at that place at that time," she winks as if Ran somehow knew what she was talking about or as if somehow you could even see her wink behind the pair of shades, she then turns to Arika and says,
"And I'll get you your cut of my crab fishing the deadliest catch!" She winks again, once again, it's pointless. She then turns to the bunny and says,
"I knew you well Sylvester." and walks off, leaving it there and then yes dives back into the ocean.
Somewhere, under water.. A bunch of pots and pans sit at the button.
Ran looks up at the departing Naerose. "Hey! You! What... HEY! Don't leave your junk around! You're littering the beach!", she exclaims, and, grabbing Sylvester by the ears, she stands up abruptly and starts spinning it around, like one of those rope-and-leather slingshots. "You forgot this!", she shouts, and finally launches it in Naerose's general direction, leaning forwards as it leaves her hands.
Log created on 12:52:39 04/25/2007 by Naerose, and last modified on 09:45:25 08/19/2007.