[Catch-All] When in Doubt, Fish!

[sisterlyshield]

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.]

Comments

[sisterlyshield]

[It isn’t an easy thing to hear or to agree with. Kisara knows that with her observations, she can, at times, be a bit pointed, even when she’s trying to be gentle about it. Sometimes there’s just no way around it. But even though she’s chosen to say it to him, it’s something that applies to her and everyone else in their group. That’s the kind of life they’ve been forced to live. They’ve had to fight for survival. There’s no down-time when something like that winds up a constant in their lives. In a way, coming to this place has given them something they’ve all desperately needed.

A breath of fresh air. Just for a moment to piece themselves together, even if they don’t know what to do with that free time. It seems Alphen’s inclined to agree with that as well.

When he speaks of Shionne, her head tilts with some consideration. It’s an equally valid observation of her. She struggles with sharing her feelings that linger beyond an immediate hostility. She may not always be that way and Kisara has suspected that there is something more there, but it’s not right to pry or push.

Maybe if she knew her better…]

She’d take it from you better. You’ve known her longer, after all. Even so, I think her just having the reminder is good enough. She doesn’t need to be pushed. None of us do. Sometimes the reminder sure can be nice, though. Sometimes it’s all we need.

[sincleavers]

I guess that's true. We've been through a lot.

[For just a second, his expression seems almost fond -- the kind of face you make when you're recalling a happy memory. It's true that all of them have been through plenty, even in the time they've known each other...but with Shionne, it seems different. It's hard to say why. Maybe because they both changed so much in just the little time they were traveling together...after all, when they first met, he didn't even have a face or a name. Iron Mask feels like a completely different person, these days.

Whatever the reason, the fondness evaporates from his expression, leaving behind his familiar friendliness.]

Alright. I'll do my best. Even if she's not ready to listen, she needs to hear it just as much as the rest of it. [Thoughtfully, he lifts the geode piece to look at it, letting light bounce off of the smooth facets.] Maybe we all need something like this. To remind us of that.

[sisterlyshield]

[With a quiet observation, Kisara takes him in. She can only guess what he's thinking about, but she can hazard a guess. Kisara has only heard some here and there about what took place before they all came to Viscint. Although she supposes since their arrival, she's considerably more in the know. As much as she can be, all things considered, that is. There is no doubt that she has likely had it significantly easier than the rest of them and that may not be saying much, all things considered.

Either way, even knowing what she's heard, she can't truly know what they've experienced.

Her attention turns onto the geode that he lifts and she smiles.]

I think you're right. We could all benefit from it. We might seem like we don't, but looks can be deceiving. A brave face is great, but we're more than what we're wearing on the outside, after all.

[sincleavers]

"Looks can be deceiving..."

[He repeats the words thoughtfully, a quiet smile on his face. That really hits all the points, doesn't it? And it seems like an awfully appropriate lesson coming from the geodes -- something that looks ordinary, even kind of dull, on the outside, hiding something beautiful within. He can't help thinking about all of them, too. Dahnans and their hidden strength. Their Renan friends and the compassion and kindness they've shown.]

There's no doubt about that. In fact, I think all of us are proof of it. [His eyes move to her with a slight nod. This includes her, too -- it's been a little while, but he hasn't forgotten the tension between Kisara and the rest of the group when they first met.]

I have a feeling it's a good metaphor for this place, too. And if that's the case, we're going to have to keep chipping away at it to see what it looks like on the inside.

[sisterlyshield]

[His gaze, the way it moves onto her, is evident. She knows what he’s getting at. In a way, things haven’t exactly been smoothed over. They haven’t really had the opportunity to do so. Or perhaps it’s the idea that Kisara hasn’t given anyone the opportunity. She’s been keen to keep herself busy and when it’s come to subjects she either isn’t ready for or isn’t willing to address, she’s simply sidestepped it.

It’s not the best way to handle a situation, but for her ability to take good care of others, evidently self care is not something she’s particularly adept at.]

I agree. An apt comparison. I don’t doubt that there’s a good deal more happening here than any of us are aware of just yet. What that might be is difficult to say. It’s unnerving not to know, but having you and the others here, makes it not as daunting. I’m thankful for all of you.