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There were rumors among the culinary elite that rainy days were the best days to catch kuona. Howth didn't understand why anyone would want to eat one of the strange creatures, but the fact that people did was a boon, he supposed. It meant that the water they held probably wasn't poisonous, and that made it a safe substance for experimentation.

He had gathered Zumei with the promise of cake or money or some other form of payment, but he couldn't tell if she was interested in any of them. Howth turned to the wind woman with a nod, checking to make sure he still had the bag he had brought to detain the animals they caught.

"Thank you again for accompanying me, especially when the weather is so fickle." It wasn't raining at the moment, but the sky looked like it might start up again at any time. "I heard that these animals gather near the lake, so hopefully we will find some quickly."

"I—"

Diving? He hoped it wouldn't come to that. Howth swallowed, then smiled a little woodenly. He should probably be leaving his things in a dry spot as well. Before he could overthink whether or not anyone would steal a bunch of vials and a hammer, he lifted the strap of his hard-sided bag over his head and left it at the base of a nearby tree.

"I'm glad you think this is going to be fun." Howth did as well, but it had only been recently that he had found others who felt the same. "I'm not certain if kuona are more rodent or lizard, but they should be recognizable anyway. They have bulbs of liquid on their backs. Very strange." After a moment of silence that was a bit too long, Howth cut his interior thoughts short and looked toward the water.

"I suppose we should begin?"

He drew close enough to Zumei to be companionable but not close enough to accidentally fall into the lake. Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent that he was going to have to wade into this water if he wanted to get anything done. He was more comfortable farther away, but it would be rude of him not to help out here.

"Please proceed. Whenever you want." Howth paused, then sat on a bare patch of ground and started pulling off his boots. "I'll join you in a minute." With the boots off, he carefully removed his socks and tucked them inside. He sighed as he rolled his pants into cuffs at his shins, exposing the paler marking that ran up his left leg. Howth stood, trying not to wince at his memories. As long as he remained on his feet, everything would be fine.

"Here I go," he announced, mostly to himself. Howth definitely didn't dive, but there was a spot nearby that allowed him to slowly enter the lake and keep Zumei within sight at the same time.

He had to admit he was impressed by her commitment to relative quiet, and her plan was a good one as well. Howth stepped farther into the water and nodded at her words and gestures.

"Yes. The ones you can't catch, try to nudge them this way." He aimed to mimic her stance, but he was far more stiff. The bottom of the lake wasn't visible for a few seconds until the water settled, and he squinted into it looking for anything that wasn't a plant.

He watched Zumei strike, eyes darting from her to the water and back again. Paralyzed with indecision about how to help, Howth just kind of stood there for a moment, meeting her glance with a small smile.

"Don't worry. We're only just getting started."

Or were they? He blinked up at the sky as well, pondering just how wet he wanted to get today. He crouched a little, spreading his hands above the water. Surely a few more attempts wouldn't hurt.

"Okay. I'm ready."

It all happened very quickly, but this time he was prepared. Howth unconsciously held his breath when she gasped, watching the water like his life depended on it.

There!

Arms jerking forward, he grabbed at the first thing he could and was rewarded by a handful of scales. While he had rolled up the legs of his pants, he hadn't given enough thought as to what would happen when he started splashing around in earnest. He was suddenly soaked to the elbows with a squirming creature trapped between his fingers. It was smaller than he had expected, but no less desperate to get away from him. Howth held his arms out in front of him, eyes wide.

"Oh! Ah! I should have been holding—" He hurried toward his bag. "Could you open up the top?" He was dripping on the latches, but water damage was the furthest thing from his mind.

Besides a sketchbook and a few stubby pencils, there were two cages in this compartment, both made of dark metal that were initially obscured by the bag's dim interior.

"The larger cage will do, I think," Howth said, his voice tight as he tried to suppress his mild panic. The kuona hadn't resorted to biting yet, but every second he stayed like this made a chomp more and more likely. "I just need a closer look when it's not quite so wiggly."

He chuckled nervously, a part of his brain wanting to object to eating kuona, but Howth remained quiet as he carefully maneuvered the creature into the open cage. He scrambled to close the small door, locking it with shaking fingers. With a halting sigh, the Geian took a few shuffling steps back, bracing his hands on his knees and catching his breath.

"That was... pretty funny."

The kuona bumped its head against the door once or twice, then began a thorough investigation of its cell. At least it wasn't lashing out anymore.

"Thank you. Again."