RP Log (Fishing with Kinnison, Joker and Sasarai)
Who: Kinnison, Joker & Sasarai
What: Fishing & Herb gathering expedition
Where: Budehuc Lake and Woods grounds
When: After Kinnison's arrival
Why: Male bonding ?
Kinnison laids his hand ontop of the frosted surface of the ice, looking at it. "Hmm. I can feel the water underneath, so it might be just thin enough." He dug out his sharpened bone tool, offering it to Sasarai. "Want to give it a try?"
Joker followed behind them and then watched whatever Kinnison did. He knew how to survive out in the wild too, but he was pretty sure there was more to be learned here -even at his advanced age.
Sasarai stares at the tool blankly and takes it nervously. "Ah... what exactly do I do with this?"
Kinnison let Sasarai take the tool, deftly adjusting the hold on it. "Make your mark around the ice and sort of lightly chip away until the surface crumbles." He smiled encouragingly, handing Joker the pole.
Joker took the pole and gave him a nod. "It's not all that hard really, Sasarai."
Sasarai looks at the older man, "Have you done a lot of fishing, uhm... Wang, isn't it?"
He cringed at the name. "Call me Joker, please. I've done a bit of fishing, though never really in the winter time so this is a bit of a new experiance for me to."
"I brought some stale bread; worms are scarce this time around. When we clear the surface, we drop the bread crumbles in and wait for the splashing," Kinnison explained, putting some bread on the pole.He seemed oblivious to the name change, "Then Mister joke can lower in the reeal above the water, and then I can scoop them up in the net as they jump." Kinnison smiled to the both of them, handing out the hard bread pieces.
Sasarai notes the other man's reaction, but says nothing about it. "Dios mentioned in passing about a vacation he took as boy in Scarlet Moon before it became Toran, that is. He wanted to take his son down there someday when relations with Harmonia improved. I heard that there were a lot of nice fishing spots there." He jabbed at the irregular circle he traced on the ice cautiosly before peering at Kinnison. "Are you sure this is safe?"
"Hopefully, we'll catch something to take back to everyone." He grinned, a bit lopsided at Kinnison and then he looked to Sasari once again. "Really?"
"Absolutely! I do it all the time. But here, brace yourself on my shoulder, if you like," Kinnison replied, the net ready in his hands."Really, once the first few cracks are in, the water takes care of the rest." He smiled, "Then, we clean the fish."
"I think I'll be fine..." Sasarai stares at the young man uncomfortably, still unused to people being unabashedly friendly towards him. Then stops as he realizes something, "Wait... Clean the fish?"
"Well of course." Joker laughed and would've patted him on the shoulder but since he was occupied he didn't."You have to clean them, after all."
"Yep! It's easy, no worries. I'll show you how. The trick is to do it all in one slit, up the middle." Kinnison readied himself on the ground, net posed. "With larger game, of course, you use the skin and bone as well, but fish can be tricky. Usually, I grind the rest of the parts we don't eat for fertilizer," the archer said.
"I think we have a lot to teach Sasarai here." He smiled at Kinnison and held the pole a bit waiting.
Sasarai pales at the thought of the image forming in his head. "I... I see..." Somehow the idea of slicing open a fish while it flailed on the ground didn't sound like it was a fun activity. But he did decide to try something new...
Kinnison looked up, his smile fading. "Are you all right, Sasarai?"
The man placed a hand on Sasarai's shoulder. "Yeah, you okay there?"
"I'm fine..." Sasarai raised a hand nervously, before turning his attention to his task. As if on cue, the ice gave way and water bubbled from the new hole from the sudden change.
"Are you sure?" He knelt down closer to where he was, inspecting him a bit closer to make certain he was as fine as he claimed.
"Yes," Sasarai replied a little too sharply as annoyance started to grind against his nerves as well. He made a small apologetic smile as he politely moved away from the other man's hand."I know I may look delicate, but I'm tougher than I look."
"Perfect! Now watch, the ice will catch in on itself and crumble." Kinnison said, looking. Sure enough, a large jagged hole appeared."You don't look delicate," he commented off-handedly. "You've just never done this before; no worries."
"You'll be fine." He gave Sasarai a reassuring smile as he watched the ice give way to water and he looked to Kinnison.
Sasarai looked at the men in surprise before nodding gratefully and looking down the hole with renewed enthusiasm. "So what do we do next?"
"Crumble up the bread, then, mister Joker can hold the pole above the water. When the fish start jumping, we net them." Kinnison gestured as he spoke."When the ice crumbles, see, the fish are disturbed, so they come up to see what's going on. Then they see the food and start jumping." And sure enough, soon there were some splashing noises in the dark water.
At least there were enough tasks for all of them to have a part in this. Joker had to confess, if only inwardly, that it was fun to do something different.
"That sounds so simple, it almost sounds too good to be true..." Sasarai mumbled.
"Oh, it is simple." Kinnison agreed. Soon enough, as he promised, the fish were indeed jumping about out of the water, snagging bread crumbs where they could.
Sasarai stared at the hole in amazement. "Will you look at that?"
"Pretty neat, huh?" Joker held the pole over and watched the fish, a sparkle in his eyes.
"I almost feel a little bad to catch them, after tricking them like that," Sasarai commented idly.
"You think so? It's how the birds and hawks do it, the swoop down to capture them," Kinnison said, deftly netting a couple of fish.
Joker gave a bit of a shrug. "People and animals alike have to eat and sometimes it takes a small amoun of, trickery as you put it, to get the meal."
"Or like fighting in a battle in war," Sasarai mumbled quietly more to himslef as he watched at the struggling fish in the net.
"Very much so. But we never take more than we need, we use every part." Kinnison moved the net a little, looking to Sasarai, head canted. "If you'd rather, I can come back for the fish later. You don't have to do this if you don't wish to. It doesn't make you anything less."
Kinnison was a pretty wise lad and Joker nodded in agreement to what he had spoken. He really didn't have anything more to add.
"Never take more than we need," Sasarai echoed the words to himself before the young man's comments registered in his head. "No, let's go on. There's just a lot of things in my mind lately." He smiled. "This is a welcome distraction."
"That's the spirit." Joker smiled at Sasarai as he gave a quick nod before he looked back to the hole and the fish. This was going to make a good meal.
Kinnison smiled and quickly netted some more fish. "Miss Kathy said she'd like some too, and there are three or so people in the infirmary who could use some soup. I'd wager ten fish for the whole thing."
Sasarai stared at the fish they already caught. "Uh... you're not going to slice them open while they're still struggling like that, are you?"
"Oh no, the snow and the cold put them to sleep before they're cleaned," Kinnison answered hnestly
"I see. It seems more humane, and freezing them will make it easier to clean as well..." Sasarai noted at the logic behind it.
Joker nodded as he listened to them talking, though most of his attention was on the water and the fish.
"But waiting for them to suffocate in air or freeze to death seems a bit cruel, don't you think?" Sasarai mused.
"It takes very little time," Kinnison said, "But if you'd rather, I can show you how t clean them now?"
Sasarai blanched at the thought. "Uhm... maybe we should wait until they're at least not breathing anymore..."
The bishop was such an interesting person...
Hmmm. Indeed. Kinnison thought for a moment and then let the net back into the water, letting the fish go. "I have a better idea; let's go search out the herbs and leaves from under the ground instead?" "Fishing can wait till later, but the broth is more important."
"Yes, I agree."
Sasarai couldn't help letting out an expression of relief as he nods in agreement. "Will it be okay to leave the fish here? Nearby animals might scavenge them."
"Oh, no, I let them go from the net, back in the lake. They'll be okay," Kinnison put the bone tool and net away in his satchel, patting Sasarai's shoulder lightly."But you did very well, for a first time."
Joker, kept the pole and gave Sasarai a pat on the shoulder as well. "Like he said."
Sasarai froze for a split second as the two mean patted his shoulders, before allowing himself to relax with the compliments."I didn't really do anything. You did most of the work."
"But you learned, and that's what'll stick with you." Kinnison said, scanning the horizons.
"And learning is important after all."
Sasarai looked at Kinnison's pensive expression before turning to Joker on his other side, who was also looking rather serious. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he let out a nervous laugh. "I suppose..."
"That way! There's a thaw over there, which means roots." Kinnisn flashed his easy-going smile to Sasarai and Joker again. "So, what do you like to do for fun, Mister Joker? You too, Sasarai?" Kinnison dropped down to the slightly scooped area, pawing out some of the snow, reveling a cluster of frozen roots.
"You can just call me Joker." Sounded too formal and made him feel even more his age the other way. "Honestly, I've not been doing much for fun of late. Keeping myself hidden away."
Sasarai followed the young man towards the nearby woods, feeling more relieved to be on solid ground than the lake. Then again, he felt more at home with the earth, than anywhere else. "Hmmmm? Well... back in Crystal Valley, I would normally sit down with a book when I have a chance. Or have a quiet afternoon in the gardens."
Never having been taught to read, Kinnison didn't relate to books; but he did like gardens. "I like gardens; the flowers bloom very nicely there. It's... peaceful. Joker, you might like that."
"Gardens are good things. Used to meditate there back in the day." He smiled.
Sasarai nodded in agreement. "Though in Crystal Valley, we rarely have to go through winter weathers despite being all the way up north. Barriers and magic give relative control over the climate. So the gardens are always blooming."
Magic controlling over nature and its seasons? Kinnison wasn't sure he'd like that at -all-. But then, maybe the land needed stablizing, and the magic helped. "I have no idea how to use any magic, but I remember Riou and his runes. It's fantastic to see," Kinnison said, using the bone tool to chip away at the thinner ice, digging around.
Sasarai turned to the young man curiously, "Riou?"
"Runes are facinating things, that's for sure." Being one who studied them in his spare time it was, indeed, a highly interesting subject to him. Joker did some digging around as well, brushing back a small area where there were some herbs that they could use.
"Un..." Sasarai agreed absently as he unconsciously clenched his right hand. He kept his gaze fixed on Kinnison. "Riou... You knew that person?"
"Aye, Riou. He was very kind; when I first met him, he was replacing a baby bird that he fallen." Kinnison held a shriveled looking root up for Sasarai and Joker to see.
"I see..." Sasarai replied, still looking preoccupied. "Do you know if he's still alive?"
"He and Viktor wanted to stop the mercenaries; the other mercenaries already trampled too much of the land, so I joined their cause. Something had to stop the madness." "Riou? The last I saw him, yes, he was well and with his sister."
He listened to their conversation with interest as he looked for more of the shriveled root that Kinnison had uncovered. He was keeping any information he had to himself.
"I see..." Sasarai repeated, unclenching his right hand. "You fought alongside him... twenty years ago?"
Odd, for someone who ought to be well near his forties, Kinnison looked like he was only nearing twenty. "Twenty... years ago? I.. no, no... The war was only four years ago. ...Right?"
"Four?" Sasarai echoed as he stared back at the surprised young man. "How did you end up getting here?"
Joker arched a brow. "Things are a bit different here it would seem or so I've been told."
Sasarai nodded in agreement. "I was fortunate that I simple accidentally ported here in the same timeline. I've seen people I've only read about in history books wandering around the castle."
"Not everyday one gets to walk alongside history."
Sasarai couldn't help but laugh at that. "Being the history fanatic that I am, I feel like a child stranded in a candy store."
"I bet." He smiled a bit himself, after all it wasn't often so many different runes were in one place either -especially true runes. "You'll have to get out and rub elbows with all those people you've only read about."
Kinnison for his part, looked shocked. Stallion and others had looked the same, Viki included. Twenty years. "..Twenty years? Really?"
Sasarai sobered once again. "I haven't met all of the occupants of the castle yet. Though... I heard that Nanami is around. Not that I actively sought to find her... It would be awkward, I suppose."
"Yes, Twenty years, lad. Seems that this has become a gathering place for all sorts." He gave a smile to Kinnison. "But, don't worry about it, no one else seems to too much anyway."
He looked at Sasarai and arched a brow. "Well, go out and meet the people. Of course, I should probably do the same myself so who am I to talk."
So, even if he found Ayda, she would be older than he was; she would have moved on? "This is so strange... I can't imagine that I'm in the future."
"I'm not sure how this all works," Sasarai replied. "But I'm sure Viki will eventually figure out a way to send everyone back to their own timelines if they really wanted to."
"Yeah, or she'll sneeze and send them who knows where."
"Wow..." Kinnison sat back, roots still in hand. "I wasn't aware that time had been moved as well. At least Shiro is with me."
Sasarai frowned slightly at that. "She has her moments, but she tries her best."
"Well, I wouldn't worry too much about the arrangements here, Kinnison." He gave him a reassuring smile. "I know she does. She just has those times."
"I don't even know if she's why or how I'm here," Kinnison commented. "She may have nothing to do with it, poor sorceress."
"I don't really think that's significant anymore," Sasarai stated as he knelt down and touched the turned earth. "There are a number of things happening that needs more attention right now that the reason why were brought here in the first place."
"Who knows, we all might be stuck here for a greater reason that's not been shown us, yet." He shrugged. "No use really worrying about it since there's nothing to be done about it anyway."
"There's always a reason. Even in the woods, if lightning strikes a tree and creates a fire, it eventually goes out and the soil is more fertile." Kinnison scooped up some frozen dirt.
"So too, with this."
Sasarai didn't reply. He closed his eyes and simply dug his fingers through the soft cold earth just as he had done many times in the recent past. Only to let out a sigh of disappointment. He withdrew his hand and dusted the dirt from his hands and trousers.
"Not finding what you need?" Kinnison was curious.
Sasarai shook his head and made a small smile. "I was hoping that maybe this time it would be different. But it would seem that I may have to wait a while longer before I could hear her sing again."
"Hear who sing again?"
Sasarai smiled sadly as he stared at his right hand. "The Earth."
Joker arched an eyebrow, but was silent.
Sasarai gave the young man a grateful smile before letting out an embarrassed laugh. "My apologies. I'm bringing the mood down. Its just that when I'm surrounded nature like this, it just reminds me... I think I should take off before I fall into one of my spells and start rambling about my boring philosophies about mankind's existence." Sasarai continued as he turned to Joker. "Thank you for treating me like I was any other person today. It really means a lot to me." Before turning to Kinnison."And thank you for inviting me... despite being Riou's friend."
Kinnison canted his head a bit. "Why wouldn't I want to invite you? You're a very nice person, Sasarai."
Sasarai looked at him in surprise, but didn't say anything more about the subject as an unreadable expression crossed his face. He turned away as if ashamed to show his expression, and finally spoke with a strange tremor in his voice. "I apologize once again. I'll look forward for a great meal afterwards..." With that, the Bishop turned around and started to make his way back to the castle.
Kinnison looked confused; he quite liked both of them. "Oh... all right, if that's what you wish. I'll leave some for you by your door." To Joker, Kinnison said,"What's wrong, what happened? He looked so upset."
"You should just up and leave you know, but I guess that's your own choice." He called after the bishop before he looked back to Kinnison and gave a shrug. "I'm not entirely sure to be honest."He had speculations but he wasn't one to just spout them about with more, deep, thought. He looked at Kinnison. "Now what?"
"Hmm. Maybe he'll confide in someone later, when he's feeling up to it." Kinnison gathered more of the roots. "For now, We can re-catch the fish and make soup and save some for him. A hot meal may make him better."
"Yes." He sighed a bit, curious as to the Bishop's sudden change of mood. Of course, he never really understood half the people he was around.
What: Fishing & Herb gathering expedition
Where: Budehuc Lake and Woods grounds
When: After Kinnison's arrival
Why: Male bonding ?
Kinnison laids his hand ontop of the frosted surface of the ice, looking at it. "Hmm. I can feel the water underneath, so it might be just thin enough." He dug out his sharpened bone tool, offering it to Sasarai. "Want to give it a try?"
Joker followed behind them and then watched whatever Kinnison did. He knew how to survive out in the wild too, but he was pretty sure there was more to be learned here -even at his advanced age.
Sasarai stares at the tool blankly and takes it nervously. "Ah... what exactly do I do with this?"
Kinnison let Sasarai take the tool, deftly adjusting the hold on it. "Make your mark around the ice and sort of lightly chip away until the surface crumbles." He smiled encouragingly, handing Joker the pole.
Joker took the pole and gave him a nod. "It's not all that hard really, Sasarai."
Sasarai looks at the older man, "Have you done a lot of fishing, uhm... Wang, isn't it?"
He cringed at the name. "Call me Joker, please. I've done a bit of fishing, though never really in the winter time so this is a bit of a new experiance for me to."
"I brought some stale bread; worms are scarce this time around. When we clear the surface, we drop the bread crumbles in and wait for the splashing," Kinnison explained, putting some bread on the pole.He seemed oblivious to the name change, "Then Mister joke can lower in the reeal above the water, and then I can scoop them up in the net as they jump." Kinnison smiled to the both of them, handing out the hard bread pieces.
Sasarai notes the other man's reaction, but says nothing about it. "Dios mentioned in passing about a vacation he took as boy in Scarlet Moon before it became Toran, that is. He wanted to take his son down there someday when relations with Harmonia improved. I heard that there were a lot of nice fishing spots there." He jabbed at the irregular circle he traced on the ice cautiosly before peering at Kinnison. "Are you sure this is safe?"
"Hopefully, we'll catch something to take back to everyone." He grinned, a bit lopsided at Kinnison and then he looked to Sasari once again. "Really?"
"Absolutely! I do it all the time. But here, brace yourself on my shoulder, if you like," Kinnison replied, the net ready in his hands."Really, once the first few cracks are in, the water takes care of the rest." He smiled, "Then, we clean the fish."
"I think I'll be fine..." Sasarai stares at the young man uncomfortably, still unused to people being unabashedly friendly towards him. Then stops as he realizes something, "Wait... Clean the fish?"
"Well of course." Joker laughed and would've patted him on the shoulder but since he was occupied he didn't."You have to clean them, after all."
"Yep! It's easy, no worries. I'll show you how. The trick is to do it all in one slit, up the middle." Kinnison readied himself on the ground, net posed. "With larger game, of course, you use the skin and bone as well, but fish can be tricky. Usually, I grind the rest of the parts we don't eat for fertilizer," the archer said.
"I think we have a lot to teach Sasarai here." He smiled at Kinnison and held the pole a bit waiting.
Sasarai pales at the thought of the image forming in his head. "I... I see..." Somehow the idea of slicing open a fish while it flailed on the ground didn't sound like it was a fun activity. But he did decide to try something new...
Kinnison looked up, his smile fading. "Are you all right, Sasarai?"
The man placed a hand on Sasarai's shoulder. "Yeah, you okay there?"
"I'm fine..." Sasarai raised a hand nervously, before turning his attention to his task. As if on cue, the ice gave way and water bubbled from the new hole from the sudden change.
"Are you sure?" He knelt down closer to where he was, inspecting him a bit closer to make certain he was as fine as he claimed.
"Yes," Sasarai replied a little too sharply as annoyance started to grind against his nerves as well. He made a small apologetic smile as he politely moved away from the other man's hand."I know I may look delicate, but I'm tougher than I look."
"Perfect! Now watch, the ice will catch in on itself and crumble." Kinnison said, looking. Sure enough, a large jagged hole appeared."You don't look delicate," he commented off-handedly. "You've just never done this before; no worries."
"You'll be fine." He gave Sasarai a reassuring smile as he watched the ice give way to water and he looked to Kinnison.
Sasarai looked at the men in surprise before nodding gratefully and looking down the hole with renewed enthusiasm. "So what do we do next?"
"Crumble up the bread, then, mister Joker can hold the pole above the water. When the fish start jumping, we net them." Kinnison gestured as he spoke."When the ice crumbles, see, the fish are disturbed, so they come up to see what's going on. Then they see the food and start jumping." And sure enough, soon there were some splashing noises in the dark water.
At least there were enough tasks for all of them to have a part in this. Joker had to confess, if only inwardly, that it was fun to do something different.
"That sounds so simple, it almost sounds too good to be true..." Sasarai mumbled.
"Oh, it is simple." Kinnison agreed. Soon enough, as he promised, the fish were indeed jumping about out of the water, snagging bread crumbs where they could.
Sasarai stared at the hole in amazement. "Will you look at that?"
"Pretty neat, huh?" Joker held the pole over and watched the fish, a sparkle in his eyes.
"I almost feel a little bad to catch them, after tricking them like that," Sasarai commented idly.
"You think so? It's how the birds and hawks do it, the swoop down to capture them," Kinnison said, deftly netting a couple of fish.
Joker gave a bit of a shrug. "People and animals alike have to eat and sometimes it takes a small amoun of, trickery as you put it, to get the meal."
"Or like fighting in a battle in war," Sasarai mumbled quietly more to himslef as he watched at the struggling fish in the net.
"Very much so. But we never take more than we need, we use every part." Kinnison moved the net a little, looking to Sasarai, head canted. "If you'd rather, I can come back for the fish later. You don't have to do this if you don't wish to. It doesn't make you anything less."
Kinnison was a pretty wise lad and Joker nodded in agreement to what he had spoken. He really didn't have anything more to add.
"Never take more than we need," Sasarai echoed the words to himself before the young man's comments registered in his head. "No, let's go on. There's just a lot of things in my mind lately." He smiled. "This is a welcome distraction."
"That's the spirit." Joker smiled at Sasarai as he gave a quick nod before he looked back to the hole and the fish. This was going to make a good meal.
Kinnison smiled and quickly netted some more fish. "Miss Kathy said she'd like some too, and there are three or so people in the infirmary who could use some soup. I'd wager ten fish for the whole thing."
Sasarai stared at the fish they already caught. "Uh... you're not going to slice them open while they're still struggling like that, are you?"
"Oh no, the snow and the cold put them to sleep before they're cleaned," Kinnison answered hnestly
"I see. It seems more humane, and freezing them will make it easier to clean as well..." Sasarai noted at the logic behind it.
Joker nodded as he listened to them talking, though most of his attention was on the water and the fish.
"But waiting for them to suffocate in air or freeze to death seems a bit cruel, don't you think?" Sasarai mused.
"It takes very little time," Kinnison said, "But if you'd rather, I can show you how t clean them now?"
Sasarai blanched at the thought. "Uhm... maybe we should wait until they're at least not breathing anymore..."
The bishop was such an interesting person...
Hmmm. Indeed. Kinnison thought for a moment and then let the net back into the water, letting the fish go. "I have a better idea; let's go search out the herbs and leaves from under the ground instead?" "Fishing can wait till later, but the broth is more important."
"Yes, I agree."
Sasarai couldn't help letting out an expression of relief as he nods in agreement. "Will it be okay to leave the fish here? Nearby animals might scavenge them."
"Oh, no, I let them go from the net, back in the lake. They'll be okay," Kinnison put the bone tool and net away in his satchel, patting Sasarai's shoulder lightly."But you did very well, for a first time."
Joker, kept the pole and gave Sasarai a pat on the shoulder as well. "Like he said."
Sasarai froze for a split second as the two mean patted his shoulders, before allowing himself to relax with the compliments."I didn't really do anything. You did most of the work."
"But you learned, and that's what'll stick with you." Kinnison said, scanning the horizons.
"And learning is important after all."
Sasarai looked at Kinnison's pensive expression before turning to Joker on his other side, who was also looking rather serious. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he let out a nervous laugh. "I suppose..."
"That way! There's a thaw over there, which means roots." Kinnisn flashed his easy-going smile to Sasarai and Joker again. "So, what do you like to do for fun, Mister Joker? You too, Sasarai?" Kinnison dropped down to the slightly scooped area, pawing out some of the snow, reveling a cluster of frozen roots.
"You can just call me Joker." Sounded too formal and made him feel even more his age the other way. "Honestly, I've not been doing much for fun of late. Keeping myself hidden away."
Sasarai followed the young man towards the nearby woods, feeling more relieved to be on solid ground than the lake. Then again, he felt more at home with the earth, than anywhere else. "Hmmmm? Well... back in Crystal Valley, I would normally sit down with a book when I have a chance. Or have a quiet afternoon in the gardens."
Never having been taught to read, Kinnison didn't relate to books; but he did like gardens. "I like gardens; the flowers bloom very nicely there. It's... peaceful. Joker, you might like that."
"Gardens are good things. Used to meditate there back in the day." He smiled.
Sasarai nodded in agreement. "Though in Crystal Valley, we rarely have to go through winter weathers despite being all the way up north. Barriers and magic give relative control over the climate. So the gardens are always blooming."
Magic controlling over nature and its seasons? Kinnison wasn't sure he'd like that at -all-. But then, maybe the land needed stablizing, and the magic helped. "I have no idea how to use any magic, but I remember Riou and his runes. It's fantastic to see," Kinnison said, using the bone tool to chip away at the thinner ice, digging around.
Sasarai turned to the young man curiously, "Riou?"
"Runes are facinating things, that's for sure." Being one who studied them in his spare time it was, indeed, a highly interesting subject to him. Joker did some digging around as well, brushing back a small area where there were some herbs that they could use.
"Un..." Sasarai agreed absently as he unconsciously clenched his right hand. He kept his gaze fixed on Kinnison. "Riou... You knew that person?"
"Aye, Riou. He was very kind; when I first met him, he was replacing a baby bird that he fallen." Kinnison held a shriveled looking root up for Sasarai and Joker to see.
"I see..." Sasarai replied, still looking preoccupied. "Do you know if he's still alive?"
"He and Viktor wanted to stop the mercenaries; the other mercenaries already trampled too much of the land, so I joined their cause. Something had to stop the madness." "Riou? The last I saw him, yes, he was well and with his sister."
He listened to their conversation with interest as he looked for more of the shriveled root that Kinnison had uncovered. He was keeping any information he had to himself.
"I see..." Sasarai repeated, unclenching his right hand. "You fought alongside him... twenty years ago?"
Odd, for someone who ought to be well near his forties, Kinnison looked like he was only nearing twenty. "Twenty... years ago? I.. no, no... The war was only four years ago. ...Right?"
"Four?" Sasarai echoed as he stared back at the surprised young man. "How did you end up getting here?"
Joker arched a brow. "Things are a bit different here it would seem or so I've been told."
Sasarai nodded in agreement. "I was fortunate that I simple accidentally ported here in the same timeline. I've seen people I've only read about in history books wandering around the castle."
"Not everyday one gets to walk alongside history."
Sasarai couldn't help but laugh at that. "Being the history fanatic that I am, I feel like a child stranded in a candy store."
"I bet." He smiled a bit himself, after all it wasn't often so many different runes were in one place either -especially true runes. "You'll have to get out and rub elbows with all those people you've only read about."
Kinnison for his part, looked shocked. Stallion and others had looked the same, Viki included. Twenty years. "..Twenty years? Really?"
Sasarai sobered once again. "I haven't met all of the occupants of the castle yet. Though... I heard that Nanami is around. Not that I actively sought to find her... It would be awkward, I suppose."
"Yes, Twenty years, lad. Seems that this has become a gathering place for all sorts." He gave a smile to Kinnison. "But, don't worry about it, no one else seems to too much anyway."
He looked at Sasarai and arched a brow. "Well, go out and meet the people. Of course, I should probably do the same myself so who am I to talk."
So, even if he found Ayda, she would be older than he was; she would have moved on? "This is so strange... I can't imagine that I'm in the future."
"I'm not sure how this all works," Sasarai replied. "But I'm sure Viki will eventually figure out a way to send everyone back to their own timelines if they really wanted to."
"Yeah, or she'll sneeze and send them who knows where."
"Wow..." Kinnison sat back, roots still in hand. "I wasn't aware that time had been moved as well. At least Shiro is with me."
Sasarai frowned slightly at that. "She has her moments, but she tries her best."
"Well, I wouldn't worry too much about the arrangements here, Kinnison." He gave him a reassuring smile. "I know she does. She just has those times."
"I don't even know if she's why or how I'm here," Kinnison commented. "She may have nothing to do with it, poor sorceress."
"I don't really think that's significant anymore," Sasarai stated as he knelt down and touched the turned earth. "There are a number of things happening that needs more attention right now that the reason why were brought here in the first place."
"Who knows, we all might be stuck here for a greater reason that's not been shown us, yet." He shrugged. "No use really worrying about it since there's nothing to be done about it anyway."
"There's always a reason. Even in the woods, if lightning strikes a tree and creates a fire, it eventually goes out and the soil is more fertile." Kinnison scooped up some frozen dirt.
"So too, with this."
Sasarai didn't reply. He closed his eyes and simply dug his fingers through the soft cold earth just as he had done many times in the recent past. Only to let out a sigh of disappointment. He withdrew his hand and dusted the dirt from his hands and trousers.
"Not finding what you need?" Kinnison was curious.
Sasarai shook his head and made a small smile. "I was hoping that maybe this time it would be different. But it would seem that I may have to wait a while longer before I could hear her sing again."
"Hear who sing again?"
Sasarai smiled sadly as he stared at his right hand. "The Earth."
Joker arched an eyebrow, but was silent.
Sasarai gave the young man a grateful smile before letting out an embarrassed laugh. "My apologies. I'm bringing the mood down. Its just that when I'm surrounded nature like this, it just reminds me... I think I should take off before I fall into one of my spells and start rambling about my boring philosophies about mankind's existence." Sasarai continued as he turned to Joker. "Thank you for treating me like I was any other person today. It really means a lot to me." Before turning to Kinnison."And thank you for inviting me... despite being Riou's friend."
Kinnison canted his head a bit. "Why wouldn't I want to invite you? You're a very nice person, Sasarai."
Sasarai looked at him in surprise, but didn't say anything more about the subject as an unreadable expression crossed his face. He turned away as if ashamed to show his expression, and finally spoke with a strange tremor in his voice. "I apologize once again. I'll look forward for a great meal afterwards..." With that, the Bishop turned around and started to make his way back to the castle.
Kinnison looked confused; he quite liked both of them. "Oh... all right, if that's what you wish. I'll leave some for you by your door." To Joker, Kinnison said,"What's wrong, what happened? He looked so upset."
"You should just up and leave you know, but I guess that's your own choice." He called after the bishop before he looked back to Kinnison and gave a shrug. "I'm not entirely sure to be honest."He had speculations but he wasn't one to just spout them about with more, deep, thought. He looked at Kinnison. "Now what?"
"Hmm. Maybe he'll confide in someone later, when he's feeling up to it." Kinnison gathered more of the roots. "For now, We can re-catch the fish and make soup and save some for him. A hot meal may make him better."
"Yes." He sighed a bit, curious as to the Bishop's sudden change of mood. Of course, he never really understood half the people he was around.