Scene #1247: Soothing Fishing

Owner	Pose
Chrono Harlaown	Chrono Harlaown was oddly relaxed. Arms behind his head, he was resting against a tree, his rod resting besides him, held in place by some rocks. Someone watching might even think he'd fallen asleep. He certainly looked relaxed. But, well Fenyx wasn't around. Chances were he wasn't entirely focused on the here and now. Just enough to not be in danger... but he was always looking for those lost members of his crew. Now was likely no difference. And he hadn't really caught anything in a while... But the last time it had twinged, his hands had moved over it just in case.
Koji Silvia	It's still early in the morning, and post-dinner it seems like most of the rest of the camp is still asleep. Chrono hears the sound of boots on the gravel path coming down to the river, and after a few moments, a familiar figure rounds the bend and past a tree to reveal that it's Koji. He's got a rented fishing pole with him from the shop close to the entrance of the camping grounds, and a bucket for any prizes he might bring back for breakfast. When he sees you, he pauses for a moment, and then just gives a nod before he moves downriver from your relaxing spot and starts to set himself up to cast out for his own shot at what may be breakfsat. After his line is sunk into the current, he seems to be stuck for what to say for a few moments before just saying, "...morning..."
Chrono Harlaown	Chrono Harlaown gave a small nod. Really, all he was missing was a piece of wheat out of the corner of his mouth. "Mornin'," he said. After a few minutes of silence, he spoke up again. This time telepathically... << Haven't seen you in a while. How's Hanzo handling all the changes? How are you handling all the changes? You know, you don't need to hide from me. I have no intentions of commandeering Hanzo, nor getting your mother in trouble. And you're certainly not going to be assassinating me, ever."
Koji Silvia	There's a long silence in the air that makes the sounds of nature around the pair a bit more poignant. The birds, the rustle of leaves, a passing mouse that picks up a stray seed off a rock that you both can see before it scampers off into the bushes. Taking a deep breath, Koji just closes his eyes and unconsciously places his hand on the pocket that Hanzo lives in when not the kunai attached to his Barrier Jacket. << Hanzo has adapted well. He tells me he doesn't feel so fragmented anymore. A lot of his old memories are missing, but he seems to be fine with that.>> As he tugs and adjusts his line out of just something to do with his hands, Koji moves on, <<And... I was not good to you when you agreed to see what Hanzo and I could do together. In fact... I was arrogant, and I was threatened by your presence. Before you came here, I was the most experienced person I knew when it came to Devices after my mother. Then you enter the picture, and you're younger than me, stronger than me, had all this training and discipline. It's stupid, but it's also the truth. So... with Hanzo starting from zero, I've been trying to do the same. I'm just not as good as a Device is at forgiving myself.>>
Chrono Harlaown	Chrono Harlaown was quiet after that. Just staring out, into the distance. Watching the wind blow through the trees, listening to nature. The rushing water, the crickets... << Comparing yourself to me is hardly fair. I may be exceptional for my age, but I had a lot of backing. Teachers, plural. People who taught me every step of the way. People who knew all I needed to know to do my job. I had the drive to put it to use, yes. That's obvious. But there was so, so much more that went to it than just that. Since coming to this planet? I've felt out of my element as well. And I'm sorry to say this, but if you get hard on yourself for not being good enough, not being skilled enough, not having enough discipline, training or power? You'll only end up crushing yourself. >> << In every category there are those I am better than, just as in every category there are those who are far better than I. But the only one I have to compare myself, is me. Just as you only need to compare yourself with you. >> << It's a wide universe out there, Silvia-san. And on this planet it is, somehow, even wider. If you want to grow? The only way that will happen is if you take the steps forward and don't hold yourself back under impossible expectations. >>
Koji Silvia	The line for Koji bobs once, but it just seems to be the river having it's fun with the young man. Reaching up to rub at his shoulder a moment, he frowns and then turns his head to look at the younger mage, << Yeah, well... I did. And it did. And how I have a scar on my back as a reminder for the rest of my life that I put too much on myself, and I wasn't ready. >> Then he just shakes his head, and he speaks up, breaking the silence yet leaving the telepathic link open, "Chrono... do you have any hobbies? I'm not talking about training or school, or anything else. I mean... do you have something you do that you just so for yourself?" Drawing in his line, he shifts his angle and casts it out again, licking his lips before he settles back again on a rock, "I like to fix older tech. There's a lot of it here... we even have shops that sell stuff ranging from simple electronics from farther back and even my parents have been alive, to smartphones and other modern tech. I like to go to the stores, buy a few things that don't work and fix them up again. It's challenging and relaxing."
Chrono Harlaown	Chrono Harlaown glanced over to Koji. << Few people are ready from the first step. I certainly wasn't ready when I came here. I learn a bit more about that every day. It's why I started working with other people here and creating a temporary TSAB. >> He then glanced back towards the water. His line jumped for a moment, but he didn't move towards it. And a moment later it was fine. "Well... a few. I didn't used to, though. In many ways, Rashmi. I've always had a chain of command to follow, even when I was a child." 'Was'. "Following orders was what I did. But now? No orders to follow but my own. The jewel seeds are dangerous and need to be contained. I still need to find the rest of the crew. But that's slow going. And, until that happens? Not as much I can do." "... So every so often I get together with Rashmi and Setsuna and we watch old media together. Usually earth stuff, sometimes midchildian. That's fun. But... as for traditional hobbies? No, not really. Never had time for it. I was, uhhhh... what one might call... very focused on work, from a young age. Believe it or not," he said that, at least, with a good natured smile. "But I'm learning. I find it oddly satisfying to fight Riventon and hit him hard, but that's more a guilty pleasure than a hobby." The man did have a face deserving of a kick...
Koji Silvia	That last part gets a faint smile from Koji, "Honestly, I'm not sure I'm up to fighting other people yet... I'm still kinda back at beating up possessed vending machines and youma dressed up like construction workers." Wedging in his rod down and then stabilizing it with several larger rocks, he turns to face the other boy, "I'm trying to get to know you... something I didn't do before. It's hard to call yourself a friend to someone without actually spending time around them, learning all those kinds of things." He pauses then and nods, "Actually watching movies is nice. Especially since you're doing it with others. Rashmi and Miss Meiou? What are you all watching right now? Maybe I can make some suggestions..." Again, he pats his hip, and adds, "Hanzo has been playing with movies, he can convert the images to fully three dimensional. It's practice for him and me for crafting illusions while fighting. I could show you sometime if you want."
Chrono Harlaown	Chrono Harlaown gave a small nod. "Mmmm. It's not so difficult. It's just... different, the first time. Against a person. Different, but not too much. They aren't... weaker, as you might say? Less focused. Easier to distract. A youma is more likely to fall for all your tricks and unlikely to be negotiated with. A person, on the other hand, might try to trick you themselves." Chrono glanced over to him. "Admittedly, I doubt there'd be much need for 3D images in this case. I think they want me to experience things as an earthling, not as a midchildian. In the end? It's a lot of... hmmmm... culture share, I suppose. That's the fun of it. And it varies. We watched the Lord of the Rings series first, but we've been branching off into other things as desired." "There's not really a lot of me to know about, I'm fairly direct. Rashmi often says I'm a 'goober', though. I... believe it's positive. I was born on Midchilda, joined the TSAB as soon as I could, have been training since a little after I turned five. I find this planet amusing..." "Tell me, Silvia-san, where do you hope to go? How do you hope to grow? In say... five years, where do you hope to be?"
Koji Silvia	Frowning for a moment, Koji goes back close to his rod and sits down on a larger rock as he considers that question. His hands steeple together, and then he leans his head in to where his nose is almost touching his fingertips, "In five years? I probably will be losing my ability to do magic... and other things. But I want to go to college. Not a big college, but someplace where I can learn a trade, like engineering. Keeping in touch with people. It's why I don't want all my conversations to be about magic-stuff. The more I do with people I know that's not related to it... the more I can keep together in the end." There's a soft pause, "At least... that's based on what I've seen with my mother." Checking his line for any signs of fish, he touches the rod for a few moments and then shakes his head, "Rashmi calling you a goober... that's kind of silly. Are you two spending a lot of time together? Sorry... I haven't heard much from her, or you, in a while. But that's my fault, not yours. Here we are with superadvanced technology from space that lets us speak mind to mind from cities away, and we're always forgetting we can just... say hello."
Chrono Harlaown	Chrono Harlaown couldn't help but smile. Koji seemed to be doing better, at least. "Possibly. And that's... not the worst idea. Alas, I come from a world of magic. If I don't find a way around this, well... I'm going to forget a lot of my life come that time. Odd. I imagined I'd be more concerned by that than I am. But oddly? It feels almost... mundane, if that makes sense." He gave a small shrug. "Maybe acceptance, I suppose. I still need to find the rest of the crew before I worry about it, though." The rod moved and, this time, he reached out to snag it. A frown on his lips as he started working on it... "We spend a lot of time together. She's... unique. But she has a good head on her shoulders and is an excellent assistant. Doing all we do on this world would be many times harder without her." "I think we'd all like to hear hello from you a bit more often, though. But there's also... magic is a big part of many of our lives. Like it or not, something is going on here, something that nobody can really explain. There's a war and we're all, one way or another, in it. So it's not too surprising people want to talk about it."
Koji Silvia	Coming over to look at Chrono's line as well, he stands a little closer but still behind as he watches while he puts his hands on his hips as he says, "Maybe it'll be different for you. Who knows. Maybe your being able to come here is the start of something to change what we understand. Not that that's really that much." With a sigh, he goes back and gets his rod out of it's little spot, and starts to reel it in, "I'm not very good at keeping up with people, and I know it. The people who really know me, like Mamoru and Usagi... they kinda make it their business to be in mine so that I don't just... do my thing. So... I'll make my apologies to Rashmi and I'll try to show up around once in a while." He then adds with a grin, "Maybe I'll even let you beat me up a few times with S2U. Sounds like you could use someone that doesn't mind trying to give you a little competition. Wouldn't want the premiere TSAB operative on Planet Earth getting rusty."
Chrono Harlaown	Chrono Harlaown lightly let the line go slack a bit, then started reeling it in, guiding bit by bit. "Perhaps. I often wonder if part of the reason I succeeded as well as I did now was something tugging me towards this role. I mean, unlikely, but all avenues should be considered." "As for being isolated... well... a soldier's mind needs the support of others. Isolate yourself too much and you will break. I almost did, when I first came here. It was why I had to withdraw for a while. Could you get the net?" He finally started reeling it in, the fish hooked on the line... "And joining us in training sessions would be nice. The more we can learn about each other, the more we can help each other grow. A good soldier can learn even from rookies and I'm sure there's plenty we could teach each other, if you take the chance."
Koji Silvia	Moving off, Koji looks for where Chrono left the net, even as he's collapsing his own fishing pole and tucking it back on his belt for the moment. Grabbing it, he comes back over to the younger man, and then moves forwards towards the river, mindful of the line as he positions himself to try and catch whatever Chrono's caught, "How about we try making each other a deal. Once a week. Catch up, or maybe do some training, or at least just take a moment to try and build something a little more solid that we have now." As he watches and waits, Koji adds, "If we get good enough, we can graduate it to two times a week. No pressure on it, just... taking time. And it doesn't just have to be us. You can bring Rashmi along, or we can try doing something with the others too."
Chrono Harlaown	Chrono Harlaown pulled the fish out and, with the help of the net, getting it into the bucket wouldn't be too hard! And hey, now they had breakfast. That'd be nice for everyone. "I'd like that," Chrono said, once the fish was dealt with, turning to face Chrono. "You're welcome, you know. Invited, as it were. You're one of us, even if you don't always feel like it. So please, don't feel you need to hide away." He then stretched out with a low grunt. "And yes, I imagine everyone would enjoy that. Training together, I mean. I think I'm going to head back. Care to join me or do you want to try and catch some more fish?"
Koji Silvia	Looking at the catch, Koji shakes his head and then pats Chrono on the shoulder, "I think this one's all we'll get for now... but... I'm going to teach you how to gut it, remove the scales, and cook it over the firepit. It's your catch, so... it's only right you do the rest of it too." As he smiles and moves to stand up, taking the bucket for Chrono, Koji turns to go back up the path, "As my dad would say, you haven't lived until you've had a japanese fish cooked over a japanese fire. C'mon. It'll be fun."