01x07 - Moonfish

[bunniefuu]

[SHIMMERING INTRIGUING MUSIC]

Gonna catch a big one.

[BIRDS CHATTER]

[STATIC CRACKLES]

[BIRD WINGS FLUTTER, BIRD SINGS]

Woo hoo!

[LAUGHS]

I'm gonna catch a big one.

Uh-oh.
Did you spill your tea?

No, it's, uh... There's something
I need to tell you and Pim.

I've been meaning to but...
Yay, it's fishing day.

I'm gonna catch a big one.
What time is Dad coming?

Wait. Dad's coming?

[SIGHS] Come and sit down.

I wanted to tell you before now
but I just...

Dad can't come today.

Mum, it's fishing day.

He's coming. You'll see.

Not this year.

But what about next year?

But why? Is he lost?
No, he's not lost.

Has he gone to the moon?
He always said he wanted to.

No, darling,
he didn't go to the moon.

He still loves you both very much.

He always has and always will.
He just can't come back.

But why?

When you're old enough,
I'll explain everything.

I'm not a little kid.
You should have told me.

I know I should have, and I'm sorry.
You should have told me.

I know this is hard to take, Pim,
but we've already come so far.

We'll get through this together.

I don't want to get through it
together.

I want my dad.

Ah! [GRUNTS]

Pim!

He's right. You should have told us.

I know, I'm sorry, I just...

Do you want to talk about it?
About anything?

I'm good.

[SIGHS]

[WATER GURGLES, UNSETTLING MUSIC]

I was hoping you'd come by.
Really?

It'll need
a few more coats of white,

but I thought you could use it
for your Art Prize entry.

So sweet. Thanks.

Are you OK? You seem upset.

Just family stuff.
If you want to talk...

I don't.
OK, I get it.

Family stuff can be hard.

Yeah. Pim's flipping out.

Maybe he's sad.

He's mad, not sad.

Sometimes sad looks like mad.

Maybe. Either way, it is what it is.

I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry.
It's fine.

Mum wants me to talk too
but I don't want to.

I didn't get a say in any of it

so I'm not about to start
pouring my heart out.

If it's too painful,
it's too painful.

No sense
putting yourself through that.

My thoughts exactly.

I made you a snack.

Come on. You must be hungry.

No.

[CRACKLING]

[DISTANT SIREN]

Is that some kind of art?
Hmm?

I don't have time for art.
This is something else.

Like...?

I...I can't remember.

It's all in my head
but just out of reach.

It's kind of cool,
all scrambled and wild like that.

What would you know?

Whatever.

Want to go for a walkie?

No.

And how about we work on
another Dog Boy story, huh?

No.
Oh, come on.

I'll even get my typewriter out.
No.

Huh!

[PHONE RINGS]

Hi, Dad.

Um, I need your help.

[KNOCK AT DOOR]

Are you busy?

I've got something
I need to show you,

and I think you'll like it.

I won't.
[LAUGHS]

You can't out-grump
an old grump, Pim.

And trust me,
you don't want to miss this.

You like fishing, right?

Are we going to the beach?

Something even better.

Sky fishing.

Ah! Ah! OK.

Now, hold on nice and tight.

OK.
OK.

Ah!

What are they?

Night fish.
Bet we don't catch one.

[LAUGHS] We don't fish
just to catch things.

I bet if we do catch something,
it'll be a big one.

[LAUGHS]

Klara,
are you up for some sky fishing?

I'm good. Thanks.

LUCY: I should've told them sooner.
I just didn't know when or how.

You did your best.
It's hard stuff to navigate, this.

Hey. You...good?

Yeah, good.

Are you really OK?
Yeah.

Right, Lucy,

why don't you go and see
how Grandpa and Pim are doing?

Guess I'll be on the roof.

Come here.

Busy.
Wasn't a question.

I don't need to be handled,
if that's what you're up to.

OK. Then, ah, talk.

Isn't that what we're already doing?

Nothing to say.

You've been through a lot of change.

Moving, leaving your friends,
starting afresh.

And I know
that your mum has told you

that your dad is not coming back.

I'd already figured that out.

You can yell and scream
if it'll make you feel better.

Stomp your feet.
Throw something out the window.

Not me, obviously.

Trust me, talking can really help.

Pass.

How's it going?

[SIGHS]

Whoa!

I got a bite.
Reel it in.

Unbelievable.

I've got it.

Whoa!

Grab him!

Help me!

Ah!

[LAUGHS] It's a moonfish. Very rare.

Why is everyone pushing me to talk?
I don't need to talk.

Ah! Silly me. I thought
that's what we were already doing.

Your first moonfish.

Yeah! Best night fisherman ever.

Ah!

Let's get it down to Grandma.

No, it'll have to wait.
It can't wait.

I'm in the middle of making ravioli.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime catch.
Hmm.

Technically not true.
You've caught one before.

And you know how that turned out.

This will be different
because we'll get there fast,

but only with your help.

Fine.

Dear moonfish,
most fleeting and rare of them all,

thank you for your gifts,
and please forgive us.

Oh, I forgot how cold it would be.

Let's do this quickly

before it warms up
and completely disappears.

Wow. They look like jewels.
Can I keep them?

You can try.

Oh! Ah!

Huh?

[MEOWS]

[LAUGHS] Tugboat.

What? Hey! Off the kitchen table.

Come here.

Oh, we're keeping these.

Better get a wriggle on
if we wanna get a good price.

Wanna come with us, Klara?
Um, I'll stay and help Grandma.

Oh.
Ah...

Um, Dad?
Ah.

Hmm. OK.

[LAUGHS]

OK.

Buckle up.

We need to get there before the fish
warms up or it'll lose its value.

[CAR HORNS HONKING]

Howdy, Pim. Overtaking.
[BIKE BELL RINGS]

So much for being in a hurry.
No sense being reckless.

Where are we even going?
The Night Kitchen.

The chef there pay good money
for things like this.

You'll have to think of
what you want to buy.

Would it be enough to buy a boat?
[LAUGHS] More like three boats.

[CAR HORNS CONTINUE]

[MEOWS]

You know, when I was little,

I heard a story about a girl
whose parents were taken by a wolf.

Oh, a wolf. Let me guess,
she was wearing a red hood.

Consumed by grief and rage,

she went after the wolf
and took its life.

Such a happy story.

Got anything
with puppies and kittens?

Uh-uh-uh.
OK, OK, I'm listening.

Her act of revenge
brought her no solace

so she fled into the forest
to hide from the world,

wearing only the wolf's skin
for protection.

For years, she wandered alone.

All she could remember
was sadness and anger.

She forgot her family,
forgot her past,

until one day
she forgot who she was.

Then all that remained was the wolf.

[HOWLING]

Don't let grief consume you, Klara.

Set it free.

[GURGLING AND MYSTERIOUS MUSIC]

Huh? What's going on?

[MEOWS]

Grandma! Come on.

We need to get buckets or something.
Grandma! Get up!

Everything is going to be alright,
Klara.

Not if you just sit there.

It's flooding.
Come on, get up.

The Night Kitchen. Come on.

[METALLIC CLANGING]

[ELECTRICITY CRACKLES]

Grandpa! I don't like this.

It's OK, Pim, but let's hurry.

The colder the night fish,
the better the price.

Come on, let's go.

[CHOPPING]

[WATER GURGLES]

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]

Good evening, chef.

I brought you a moonfish... [LAUGHS]

..fresh from the night sky.

Ha-ha. So, how much?

[BOTH GASP]

Money? Yes.

[COINS JINGLE]
Huh!

Come on.

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]

That night chef, he fleeced us.

My moonfish died for nothing.

Haven't you been fishing before?

Only in the ocean.
And Dad always let the fish go.

This is so stupid, this whole place.

It's OK
to have big feelings about it.

Of course I have
big feelings about it.

I didn't choose to move here.
He let us down.

He let me down.

Your whole life has changed.
It's OK to be angry.

It's OK to be sad.
Just feel whatever you feel.

It's the kindest thing
you can do for yourself, honestly.

And don't lock out
the people who love you.

[MEOWS]

[READS HALTINGLY] "So...so-sor..sorry

"for your loss."

GRANDPA: This story
can still have a happy ending.

But it's too late. It's dead.

I'll show you what I mean.

Is that better?

[DOOR OPENS]

Mum.

Quite a fighter you've got there.

These are the moonfish's eggs.
Eggs?

Your grandma was smart to keep them.

Sometimes when things feel like
they're ending,

they're really just beginning.

When you launch these eggs,

they'll create new life
and maybe hundreds of new moonfish.

How do we do that?

Launch them as high as you can.

Ah!

[LAUGHTER]

Whoops.
Gonna need more muscle than that.

Right, make way for Grandma muscles.

Goodbye.

GRANDPA: Ready, set, go!

[LAUGHTER]

LUCY: Come on, let's do it together.

Huh?

[METALLIC JINGLING]