expiationlogs | [Catch-All] When in Doubt, Fish!

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fire emblem geneaology: ethlyn

[Catch-All] When in Doubt, Fish!

Who: Kisara, You
Where: Aldrip, Bodies of Water outside of Aldrip?
What: Just a casual catch-all for the month. Fishing! Geodes! More?
Warnings: Probably not? Probably not.

I. Tʜᴀᴛ ᴛʀᴏᴘʜʏ ɪs ᴍɪɴᴇ!

[Kisara hardly needs an excuse to go fishing. Even had there not been a tournament, she would be fishing with a great deal of gusto. The idea of being able to provide for others continues to be a worthy motivator. Kisara has always been best when she's taking care of others. To claim that it's fully altruistic, however, would also not necessarily be true. It's as much for her as it is for anyone else. Gives her time to think. Gives her time to piece things together. Gives her time to find an outlet for thoughts and feelings she otherwise would be holding protectively to herself.

But for now, between catching food for others and getting her hands on that rather modest sculpture, she has her most capable hands full. Although she's made some submissions here and there of fish she's caught, she's also paid visit to others taking part in the tournament, some of them just to watch, some of them with the interest to help them make some progress. It seems just like her to help those who might otherwise be considered competition. She understands, after all, that she might have an unfair advantage. Kisara appreciates a level playing field. There's no honour in it otherwise.

So maybe she's helping you out. Maybe she's the one with her line yet again in the water. Either way, Kisara's ready to make some quieter conversation. Can't go disturbing the fish overmuch, after all.]

How're you enjoying it so far? You have everything you need?

II. Wʜᴀᴛ's ɪɴ ᴀ ʀᴏᴄᴋ, ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ sᴍᴇʟʟ... ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ʀᴏᴄᴋ.

I'm not saying I want to give up fishing for working with rocks, but this is pretty cool.

[Kisara is a painstakingly careful woman, especially when it comes to something that requires a little more finesse. She'll be the first to admit that she isn't really elegant or graceful. Working with a small little hammer in an attempt to break open a rock without completely shattering it is a work of art in a way. If anything, she's probably been focusing a little too hard on this geode business.

With her little rock-hammer in hand, the furrow in her brow is deep. Tongue poking out from the corner of her mouth, she's tapping along the rock with care in an effort to break it open and get to the lustrous colour at its centre. What she'd like to do is give it to someone here, though maybe she can find a way to keep one for herself as well. Maybe someone will let her do a trade, because she has to admit that she's not eager to go spending money.

...She never really is.]

I feel like this is taking forever, though. I'm afraid I might grip it too hard and undo all of my hard work. Think you can help me out? Just a little tap.

[Just a little tap!]

III. Tʜᴇ ᴡɪʟᴅᴄᴀʀᴅ ᴏᴘᴛɪᴏɴ

[This is for everything else. If you would like something in particular, let me know! I'm happy to write a personalised starter for interested parties. You can contact me on Discord (in the server), via PM, or over on ofthesky.]

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[Ethlyn has a considerably more gentle touch than Kisara. It's not that Kisara can't harness that kind of discipline. It seems as if she constantly feels at odds with trying to be ladylike and not quite being able to achieve that. As a result, she can't help but feel a little sheepish when Ethlyn comes to the rescue.

She taps right on the rock, finishes the work Kisara's put into it, and she's able to carefully pry apart the geode. The interior is scattered shades of green and a splatter of blue. Kisara pauses for several moments, a bit taken by just how pretty it is. Sure, she's seen the others when they've been opened, but it's a little different when she's opening it herself.

Leaning over to Ethlyn, she offers her a half.]

Thanks for the help. Take a look!

[Ethlyn gives a little sound of delight when she succeeds at opening a crack on the geode, and she leans forward eagerly to see what's inside.]

Oh my... [She takes one half of the geode in her hand, turning it this way and that to watch the light sparkle off of the green and blue, changing the depth and the shade of the colors simply by changing the angle a little--and then she turns it over, looking at the rough grey exterior.] I never would have guessed that there was such beauty inside of such an ordinary-looking thing. I wonder how they can tell which rocks are really geodes?

That's a good question. I don't actually know, but it'd be worth asking. I imagine a lot of it probably has to do with exposure. When you've seen something enough, you eventually can recognise it pretty easily. If you're an expert in the field, then it probably doesn't take much thought either.

[But as it stands, Kisara wouldn't know a geode from any other rock. Dohalim would probably know. He'd be a worthy person to ask.]

I know someone here who's good with rocks. He might be able to tell you more, too. Pretty sure he worked with geodes and similar things back home. Whether you know a lot or a little, though, sure doesn't make it any less amazing.

[Ethlyn runs a finger over the rough exterior of the geode again, trying to see what might identify it to someone who can tell it from an ordinary rock.]

You're probably right. I can often tell whether someone has a break or a sprain just by looking at their limb. [She laughs a little self-deprecatingly as she hands the geode half back to Kisara.] But spotting geodes is a little less dire.

[Her expression becomes more interested when Kisara talks about knowing someone who's skilled in these things.]

Someone good with rocks? Do you mean a jeweler, or someone who uses them for other purposes? I'd be interested to talk to them.

There you have it.

[Point driven home. Refinement of skills, time, patience, and experience make them what they are in their respective fields. Kisara is probably a bit like that, too. Coming up against opponents, whether it be person or zeugle and she can probably determine weak points and where their vulnerabilities are. She could probably tie this back to fishing, too, but thankfully she's avoiding that subject for once.

This is about rocks, after all.]

A jeweller? Oh, nothing like that. [She can't help laughing a little bit. Picturing Dohalim doing any kind of tedious labour like that seems completely unlike him. He likely doesn't have the discipline for it. This is a man who Kisara has had to dress on more than one occasion, after all.] A lord, actually. With an interest in relics and rocks and things like that. His artes let him make use of the earth, so he has a little control over rocks and plants.

Ahhh, I see. I think I can picture the type. [She's met other members of the nobility who bleed away all the stress of their daily cares by an intense level of scholarship in the esoteric--be that insects, the growth patterns of flowers, or organizing texts of history. Sometimes it even has a practical application.] It sounds like the word 'art' implies something a little different than painting--is that how you refer to magic, where you're from?

Oh—

[Kisara laughs a tough, sheepish and uncertain. She should know better. But then, she hasn’t exactly made it a habit to discuss artes or what she and the others from Dahna are capable of. After a moment, she wonders if ‘magic’ can really be considered the same. Rinwell might say they are, though, in some way.]

It’s a bit like that. I think that’s a healthy comparison. My artes are more like physical abilities. Some of them might have elemental properties, but they probably aren’t what anyone thinks of when they think ‘magic.’ Lord Dohalim’s look more like magic, though. I guess it depends on how one is looking at it. Sounds like you’re familiar, though. You must have magic where you come from.

[Or… artes, as it were.]

[Ethlyn wonders about the sudden hesitance on Kisara's part, and she wonders if artes and magic are something that isn't openly practiced in Kisara's homeland, but the eventual answer is interesting nonetheless. Something that combines elemental properties with the physical? It sounds like an intriguing blend of magic and martial arts. But the name Kisara mentions gets Ethlyn's attention.]

Oh! I've met Lord Dohalim. [So they've been talking about him and his interest in stones and beautiful things--that certainly lines up with the way he introduced himself to Ethlyn. But their conversation had taken an unexpected turn once Ethlyn pegged him as a fellow member of the nobility.

It would be nosy to ask how he and Kisara know each other. But....] Did you learn your artes together, or did you train separately?

[She does have Kisara's question about magic in the back of her head, but. Nosiness.]</small.

I'm not surprised to hear it.

[It's good that Dohalim is making himself known to others. Not that she's thought him to do otherwise. Ever since their arrival, he's been pretty intent on doing things himself and Kisara imagines it's a combination of giving her space, trying to figure out what he's going to do with himself, and wondering if there's a way that he can make up for all of his failings.

Ethlyn's follow up question threatens to knock the breath out of her. No one else has asked anything like that and that might be simply because it hasn't come up in conversation just yet. She finds herself falling into older habits, straightening up and she shakes her head.]

No. I imagine he's been training his since before we ever met. I acquired artes when I joined his guard.

[Oh. So this is something of a delicate subject, and she's kicked her foot right into it.

Well, she's already here, so she may as well peek through the door--Kisara can close it if she likes.]

Ah... so you're his knight? [Or something close enough to it, anyway.] Is the use of artes in some way restricted in your homeland?

[His knight. It almost hurts hearing it. She neither confirms nor denies solidly, and thankfully Ethlyn chooses to just move right along.]

Artes can only be wielded by the Renans. Dahnan people aren’t considered worthy or capable of it. Although there are books and I’ve seen with my own eyes that there are a class of Dahnan mages who have that capacity.

[Kisara folds her arms across her chest thoughtfully.]

When I acquired the ability, it’s through the use of Renan technology. Without it, I would just a run-of-the-mill Dahnan.

[Renans and Dahnans... it sounds strange, as though there's a hard line drawn in their society with one above and the other below. That must be the sore spot that Ethlyn has just jammed into.]

You don't seem like anything run-of-the-mill. [Ethlyn sits back as Kisara's arms cross--a thoughtful gesture, yes, but also a defensive one. That's not good--Ethlyn was just trying to make conversation, make a friend, but instead she's put Kisara on guard.] I didn't realize that you had such divisions to live with.

[Kisara tips her head, wearing a very subtle curve of the mouth. Ethlyn is right that she really isn’t run-of-the-mill. In her opinion, no Dahnan really is, quite possibly because of the experiences that they’ve had, though she doesn’t want to capitalise on that. People ought to be defined for their positive experiences, not just the adversities they’ve come to face.]

There’s not much of a reason that it would come up. [She begins thoughtfully.] This isn’t Dahna, after all. And we’re in an interesting situation where Dahnans and Renans in this world have the opportunity to work together. That is, an opportunity to see past those divisions.

I suppose not. There wouldn't be any reason for someone to know about the divisions and arguments of my homeland, and yet it's strange to be suddenly removed from them. [She realizes that there's a double-meaning--wasn't she removed by death, after all? But if Travant did come here, what would he do? There's no Thracia, no reason for him to pursue his ambitions. The same is true of Lombard, Reptor... all of those who have been stirring up strife and bloodshed for the past three years across Jugdral.] It must feel strange to walk around knowing that nobody else here would even know the difference between Renan and Dahnan.

...It's funny, there's a place named Dahna in my homeland, and it has quite an illustrious history.

I thought it was a little more strange when I arrived. It didn't take me long to figure out that mentioning either of those places would only confuse people, so there wasn't a real reason for me to talk about them.

[Thus one of many reasons it hasn't really come up with anyone who isn't of Dahna. Or Rena.]

If you're describing Dahna as illustrious, I have to assume that it isn't the same one as mine. I wouldn't mind hearing about it, though. Maybe one day, my Dahna will be something like it.

[No real reason to talk about them, true... but, Ethlyn is guessing that Kisara might be glad not to have a reason to be talking about it wherever she goes. That's become the way she feels about what happend to her before arriving here--if there's no need to talk about it, there's a freedom in avoiding it.

...Having reasoned through that, of course, Ethlyn isn't about to bring it up.]

Yes, that makes sense. And we've certainly found other things to take up our attention.

[She sits back in her chair a little, considering the Dahna of Jugdral. She feels a little bad that Kisara is expecting something a little better than what Dahna actually is, which rather humble still--and it is strange that it's all it is, given that the free life of modern Jugdral is owed to what happened there.]

You would think it would be the site of some grand monument, but I don't believe it is--to my knowledge, it's still an ordinary little desert town. But it was where a miracle happened, one that saved my homeland.

I guess any city or town could be mistaken for seeming like more than it is. Especially to people who aren't native to it. Or to people who just haven't done much travelling in general.

[As she's thinking about the other regions, Kisara can willingly admit that she only knows what she does because of the books she's looked at. She's spent her whole life in Menancia. She's never even really thought much about the other regions. Perhaps once or twice before Dohalim had come to power, but even then, she and Migal both were bound by the orphanage.

Willingly, rather. How cruel it would have been to leave them in the hands in tyranny.]

It sure seems like a commonality that the place others might least expect would be the one to act as a catalyst for a miracle.

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[Catch-All] When in Doubt, Fish!

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