text; username: SHIKI

[satsujinki]

No one really tells you how scary it is to fish in the dark. Everyone else seems used to it, but the thought of falling in is crippling.

I guess it must sound more profound in my head when I'm worrying about dying alone near a dock, doing something new. Sorry.

[The little worries that pop into your head when you stare into an abyss.]

I guess tea would be able to improve the state of things just a little.

Comments

shiki knows exactly how to complain the right way, sometimes...

[satsujinki]

What good is that? I know soldiers aren't meant to know every bit of reasoning, but that's when they're voluntarily enlisted.

This is a forced draft that may as well just be kidnapping.

[strictdiscipline]

[She can't disagree with him there.]

You're right, but there's little we can do other than comply with their requests right now, unless you have an ability of your own that'll allow you to transport yourself back home.

[satsujinki]

Suffice to say, if I had any ability like that, we wouldn't be having this conversation at all.

At this point, I'm fairly confident that I'm just dead weight to this whole effort.

[strictdiscipline]

I wouldn't say that. There are plenty of ways to help, if you wanted to. Though no one will force you if you don't want to.

[Well, she won't at least.]

[satsujinki]

I'm just fine with being dead weight, actually. Any sort of involvement seems like something that could attribute to helping people fight and kill.

I'd rather not, in that event.

[strictdiscipline]

Sometimes it's necessary to fight and kill. Or do you object to both regardless of the reason?

[satsujinki]

Necessary or not, I plan on avoiding both as much as I can.

I don't blame people for defending themselves, but it doesn't excuse the sin.

[strictdiscipline]

[Guess she's SOL in his book then.]

I hope you aren't ever faced with that choice here. [It's not entirely unfeasible, especially since:] There seem to be plenty here who enjoy fighting more than they should.

[Fighting and killing both.]

[satsujinki]

[Shiki's book was still rife with contradictions, though.]

They can take care of things. My forgiveness doesn't exactly make or break someone else's convictions, though.

As much as I believe in that, it wouldn't be fair to hold other people to those standards.

[strictdiscipline]

There are plenty here who don't share those beliefs.

[Regardless:] I suppose fishing must lend itself well to such thoughts though.

[At least in the sense of providing plenty of time for them.

[satsujinki]

Yeah, it's incredibly depressing.

It's easier to gut a fish than skin a rabbit though, that's for sure. At least one part of this won't be as stressful.

[It was apparent even to Shiki that he was a MAJOR downer.]

[strictdiscipline]

I've never done either so I'll take your word for it.

But I'll leave you to it. I'm sure you'll need your concentration once the fish start biting.

[satsujinki]

I don't really mind it, honestly. My hands are free with this magic apparatus, so it isn't as if I'm really straining.

Plus, nothing's touched my line at all, since I've started.

[strictdiscipline]

I hear fishing takes a lot of patience. [Like a lot looooot of patience.] It's never really been to my taste.

[satsujinki]

I think it might. Fortunately, as much as I complain, I'm still stubborn enough to follow through with the right steps and do everything the right way.

[He added--]

The fact that I can do it while sitting certainly makes it easier.