962/Indigo-goes Fishing

Indigo-goes Fishing
Date of Scene:	13 November 2014
Location:	The Great Ruin
Synopsis:	Taro seeks peace in a watery shrine, and Ineryon seeks pieces in the form of fish meat.
Cast of Characters:	399, 615

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Ineryon (615) has posed:
     The dark elf named Ineryon Valos is accustomed to islands, and ruins built atop areas where tides sporadically flood. As is the case with some of the others of his breed, he lays claim to blue skin, a horn atop his head, a tail, and some spikes projecting from his elbows. The region isn't inundated with melodic symphony born from artificial instruments, and merely carries echoes from the natural sounds of the sea, against which the drow takes no issue. He's dressed in a hodgepodge of armor comprised of stone, leather, and even reptilian scales, which my have originally belonged to a basilisk, if not mayhap a fierce dragon!

     As he walks carefully along the wall using his spear for addition balance, making certain not to fall into the water below, despite the greatest threat is becoming moistened, and not taking actual damage, he keeps an ear out for anyone else that might be nearby; on the one hand, he's hoping to find somebody, whilst on the other, he's wishing against the notion that it's somebody who might harbor a grudge.

Taro (399) has posed:
    Sharp ears will eventually catch the sound of weather-worn gravel crunching underfoot. Even footsteps, not in a great hurry. The one making them is being cautious, though his concern is more for attracting the attention of a predator or causing one of the more precarious ruins from collapsing into ruins than running into another wanderer. Though usually his non-organic scent is usually enough to convince the average animal that he would not make a good meal...
    Taro is in no particular hurry to go wherever he is going. He's following what was likely once a road but long since gone to the same ruin as the buildings surrounding it, which may or may not be leading to anywhere of importance. Today, it is the journey more than the destination - a rare moment away from demands of Master and of Church and of his well meaning but mother-hen of an adoptive brother. A moment to turn to inner thoughts while alone.
    For as long as 'alone' lasts, anyway.

Ineryon (615) has posed:
     Ineryon was in some senses, predatory, but in some respects, he was anything but-- the net result of what information he'd gathered thus far about Taro was enough to deter the drow from considering the notion of trying to feast on him. For beginners, while the armored fellow had a good foot or two on the robed character, Ineryon could discern Taro was not altogether ignorant; he was developed mentally enough to clothe himself, lest he be some bipedal pet who just happened to stroll too far from his master....

     A master who'd decidedly, perhaps absurdly, to dress their cute little familiar. It did occur, yet, the dark elf never comprehended the purpose of dressing up animals in outfits-- not unless those outfits were practical, and were composed of extra armor! By chance, it appears Ineryon Valos' trajectory coincides with Taro's position, and seeing no cause to alter it, the dark elf appears to almost 'glide' from one stone pedestal to a wall without relying on brute force to propel, or else to cushion. And... then... IT HAPPENS!

     *SPLASH*

     Not two feet from Taro the spear plunges into the water, stabbing into the water where a shallow channel congregated into a minor pool which had formerly been inhabited by a content icthyoid of some type. It was still wriggling, ergo, not fully slain, but Ineryon would be certain to deal with his fish dinner in short order.

Taro (399) has posed:
    He's quite capable of dressing himself, thank you, and these robes happen to be practical. In some places, silk is a symbol of luxury, but the material also happens to be naturally fire resistant and difficult to pierce.
    Taro comes to a stop when catches a glimpse of motion out of the corner of his eye, highly tuned reflexes reaching for one of the things on his belt...but he stays his hand when he realizes that the spear that just crossed his path was not interested in him but what was in front of him. Still, his head turns in the direction from where he believes it must have come, eyes narrowed in a wary sort of way.

Ineryon (615) has posed:
     Outside of the sound emitted from the impact of stone spear-tip into water, and fish thrashing its tail in the puddle, desperately trying to escape whatever torment has befallen it, the silence between the two larger figures remains unbroken. Ineryon Valos sees the man who apparently wears fire-proof attire(unbeknownst to Ineryon that it is, in fact, non-flammable), and then his eyes flit over to the weapon he'd hurled moments ago.

     Hovering from stone to stone, he eventually reaches what qualifies as being the closest one to his quarry, which is occupied by Taro. Not wanting to trespass on the unobtrusive man's personal property, for the time being, the dark elf squints for an instant's time, and the terra-firma beneath the superficial pool arises like a miniature tectonic plate shifting. The elevation causes the water to slip away into other areas as it conforms to gravity's pull, which leaves behind a manner of solid silt upon which Ineryon can tread without getting himself damp.

     In the process of this topographical upset, an entire wall ends up toppling into the waters, changing the layout of the old ruins, in defiance of the fact that they may have served at least a meager purpose a having spiritual significance to someone, somewhere. Unbothered by the fact that he's changed the appearance of the marine shrine, the drow collects his spear and immediately goes about biting the fish's head off, provided Taro doesn't intervene. At least there isn't some kind of ecological disaster to come about as a consequence of this structural shift, right?

Taro (399) has posed:
    Taro takes a few steps back and slightly to the side, not out of fear - or at least there isn't any fear registering on his face - but to avoid the collapsing wall and water splashing from the pool thanks to that.
    He does not move to stop the stranger (elf, perhaps? The ears are of the right shape, at least) from claiming the spear or its prey. He does, however, avert his gaze and curl his lips slightly in an expression of revulsion as the fish is quickly and crudely dispatched.
    "Are you planning to catch any more of those?" he asks, tone reflecting his distaste. Nothing like an unexpected demonstration of all that is disgusting about the process of eating to ruin one's mood...

Ineryon (615) has posed:
     If it's true that Taro isn't the type to show much expression, then it can be said that Ineryon achieved something by provoking him into a sort of sneer, or something of that nature; if the man simply doesn't smile much, then the dark elf has accomplished nothing special on this day. The initial clenching of incisors belonging to the drow severs the tie the fish's nervous system had with the world in a functional way, causing a cessation of struggle-- the creature suffers no more.

     When the 'priest' submits inquiry, the dark-skinned sylvan proceeds to chew without stopping, electing not to speak while grinding away the flesh in his mouth, lest he gamble with suffocation. Swallowed, he pauses, and places the fish on a stone that isn't far from himself, that Ineryon may be allowed to entertain Taro's curiosity until such time that he'll be able to resume feasting without interruption. Being accosted with query wasn't terribly inconvenient, so there's no reciprocative countenance or display of repugnance on the dark elf's face, even if he managed to gross-out the man in the black robe, "That'd depend on a variety of things."

     He nods his head, approving of his own reply's accuracy, then elaborates, "I plan to live further, and I suspect I will again hunger. When this time approaches, I'll see what's readily availed itself in my respective environ, so that I might sustain that which I ascertain to be what is myself."

Taro (399) has posed:
    Taro very pointedly does not watch predator consume prey, instead taking a sudden interest in the new profile of the broken wall. Which admittedly isn't all that interesting in a land of ruins, but better that than watching another eat. He is still listening, though, and after hearing the answer replies, "Let me be more specific, then. Do you intend to catch any more of those," he waves a gloved hand in the direction of the partially eaten fish, "in the next few minutes?"

Ineryon (615) has posed:
     Ineryon listens to Taro ask his question, and shrugs his head mildly, "When the next few minutes have passed, the answer will be known to me. When the answer becomes known to me, I can pass it on, if you feel there's some reason it's imperative for you to be privy."

     Inwardly feeling this is the most truthful response he can render, Ineryon grasps the scaly organism, preparing to take another bite, before pausing, as a question registers in his own mind that he feels compelled to ask, "Is there something important to you about one cluster of proteins being assimilated by another collection of proteins, even if neither of them arguably qualify as belonging to yourself?" For all the dark elf knew, Taro might have been thinking of interfering with his next catch.... if there was to be one!

Taro (399) has posed:
    The initial shock now over, Taro manages a more diplomatic tone to accompany his words. "I have no interest or desire to interrupt your...meal...any more than I have already. Neither do I have an interest in joining it, or taking it from you." He dares a glance in the elf's direction, spots him about to continue dining, and so looks away again. "Have I intruded on your hunting grounds?"

Ineryon (615) has posed:
     Ineryon Valos cocks an eyebrow at Taro when the fellow asks if he's intruded on the drow's hunting grounds, provoking a counter-query designed to give the priest an opportunity to decide for himself if he deserved the right to remain, or to go, or... to be more precise... a series of questions, "Was the body of this fish the property of this fish?" The dark elf gnaws away at another morsel, while giving Taro a chance to process the question, at which point he asks another, "Are these hunting grounds mine, if you can take them from me? Are they yours if someone can deprive you of ownership?"

     Ineryon sighs, and takes one last bite, swallowing the rest of the morsel, "Once we establish what rightfully belongs to whom, I can answer your question. For now.... though..." He tilts his head from side to side a bit, "....Your other answer is now at the stage of maturation. A few minutes have passed; I am done eating, and I do not plan on catching another fish." Promptly, he pulls out a handkerchief, dips it in some water, wipes his hands, then commences with standing upright, preparing to head out, unless halted.

Taro (399) has posed:
    "How philosphical." This is not the first conversation he's held while not looking directly at the speaker, his gaze off somewhere in the distance. Still, for all that he's not looking at the elf, Taro's stance is guarded, and though his left hand is no longer at his belt, neither does it stray far from it. "One could argue that the fish was rather attached to its body, though it no longer has need for it now." A small, graceful shrug. "I simply ask because if I have wandered unknowingly into your territory and you do not wish me here, then I will take my person and my thoughts elsewhere. I've no interest in this place aside from the relative peace and quiet. If this land belongs to itself, then I plan to continue walking in that general direction," he gestures with his right hand in the direction that he'd been walking on the once-road, "for a while yet."
    Once it's been made clear that no more fish will be caught in the immediate future, the priest turns in the direction of his conversation parter. Well, at least he has a few manners and knows basic hygene. "Should I be concerned about you, or any others who may be travelling this way?"

Ineryon (615) has posed:
     While Taro reveres the Valosian dark elf to be competent enough to possess manners, it's not something Ineryon can argue for or against, since they are unspoken thoughts, and the drow is hardly a psychic! Then again, was it also mannerly to fixate elsewhere while speaking to company right in front of oneself? Both of these things were undoubtedly culturally contingent, which is why Ineryon didn't seem daunted when the priest plainly exhibited his appalling visage upon consumption of the fish.

     "The insects that the fish ate were attached to their bodies. All the same, they inevitably became part of the fish's bio-mass. Now that fish is part of me." Upon admission of his reasons for having traversed to the oceanic ruin, Taro finally gives Ineryon a clue as to what the man was doing-- contemplation, or something of that pedigree, it appeared. Scanning the perimeter to the best of his ability, Ineryon folds his arms over his chest, thinking about Taro's question, "How much do you trust a complete stranger? I'd say that if you're unwilling to trust me not to take whatever things are on your person from you while you slumber, or for a duration when you might be at any feasible disadvantage, that at any juncture in time, my presence should be either a great, or minor concern."

     The drow shrugs, "Presently, we are both alive, and neither of us seems inclined to assault the other. Things change, and sometimes without much warning. Be concerned for so long as you can't predict the entirety of the ever-evolving multiverse." Ineryon points his spear in a different direction than where Taro indicated his general direction, "...Two ships passing in the night. I am heading a different way than you, geographically. For now, you should be concerned with me, but less so than you should be concerned with whatever might lie in wait on the road ahead of you.

Taro (399) has posed:
    "I tend to sleep with one eye open," Taro states simply. That he has no intention of spending the night here, or that technically speaking he doesn't sleep, do not bear mentioning, and so he does not.
    A nod is given to the drow's answers and gesture. "I see. Then I will take care as I continue on my way, and be concerned about you and about anyone and anything as the situation dictates." He raises his right hand, fingers curling in what is likely some kind of religious gesture. "May you find your path blocked by no obstacles that you cannot surmount."

Ineryon (615) has posed:
     With the procession of his exodus about to resume, having received some kind of blessing(?) from Taro in the form of a unique farewell, Ineryon gives a small nod, "That'd be quite an optimistic outcome, but they do say that hope springs eternal...." This, being his cue to depart, the dark elf gives a sort of ordinary nod to the priest, acknowledging him one last time, as he too goes to wherever he feels led-- with the one thing he claimed to be eternal leading the way; hope that it will be for the betterment of his life.