realmofstories | I've played by all the rules, but I've very rarely won

[Roxas has been watching the hybrid-man fishing for a while from the river, eyes wide in surprise. He's never seen someone fish with their bare hands before, so it's interesting to watch how skillfully he scoops up the fish and tosses them into the net.]

[He watches for a while downstream, before he swims a little closer, his tail splashing in the water.]

You're pretty good at that!

[One of those ears of his twitched, perked up and swiveled in such a way that it had angled to better hear the approach far before Roxas spoke. Probably a good thing with how wound tight 76 could be when he was out in some open area here.

Of course it had him standing up a little straighter, rather than holding a position ready to catch another that might try swimming past.]

I've had some practice.

Looks like it. I haven't seen anyone fish like that.

[He swims over to a rock that's just jutting out from the shore over the water, resting his elbow on it as he watches 76.]

You need some help catching them?

Got it covered.

[There were at least four pretty decently sized fish in that combo bowl-and-net he'd rigged up so they could still swim around and not just die to get smelly in the sun. They'd meet their ends later when he had to go about cleaning them.

Still-]

Used to fishing line and nets?

[Sure looks like 76 has it covered. So he just remains out of the way, sticking close to that rock while 76 continues his fishing.]

More or less. At least, that's what I've seen people use. I've never fished myself.

[Most of his experience with fishing was what he could remember from his connection with Sora, and vague memories of watching adults fishing with nets in boats out in the oceans of Destiny Islands.]

You fish a lot back in your world?

[He hunkered himself back down, that tail of his still held above the water and dry so no drippings from it could disturb the surface of running water behind him. Sitting so he was still above the water with a wide stance for fish to easily pass between his legs.

Hands were in the water, and he kept unmoving, eyes on the water.]

Not often, usually stick within cities. Unless I'm traveling on foot, I know how to survive in the wilderness for months.

[If necessary, anyway.]

Sounds like you've done that a lot before.

[Really, that just makes Roxas more interested in 76. He says he's used to the cities, but the way he carries himself reminds him less of the sleepy townsfolk he's used to seeing around the cities and more like the seasoned warriors who were used to combat.]

Were you a fighter back in your world?

[Kid wasn't wrong, he had done it a lot before; sometimes it was easier and quicker to move on foot, more so when you were staying in the same country. Stayed off radar, hitched rides where he could without notice. One man army that became two after that run-in that happened in Cairo.]

I'm a soldier.

[Roxas could believe 76 being a soldier. He certainly acted like one if Roxas ever knew. He nods.]

So, you had to go on missions and stuff too?

[A few fish swam by, small ones circling around his hooves, and 76 remained still, even if he was watching them from behind his 'visor'. Waiting for something bigger.]

Yes. One fight or another.

[Roxas hums in acknowledgement, nodding once. That makes sense; a lot of the missions he had been on for the Organization had been fights, after all.]

[He watches 76 observing the pool, noticing him avoiding the small fish. He must be waiting for a big one.]

That sounds like the missions I had to go on before. Sometimes it was recon and observing a new world, but it was mostly taking down Heartless.

Recon rarely remains recon.

[Still, he didn't miss the fact that meant this kid also had gone on missions that resulted in some sort of fight. Also proved that some of the kids around here weren't new to fighting; didn't make him like it any more than he already did.

His head tipped just enough that he could keep Roxas in the corner of i vision.] What's a Heartless, other than what the name implies.

[Roxas makes a grunt of acknowledgement, nodding. Oh, that was true. Even if all he was doing was observing a new world, there was always Heartless to fight.]

Heartless are creatures of darkness that prey on the light in people's hearts. They're kind of like the Erasers here, in a way, only instead of attacking stories, they target the hearts of people. Of worlds. I'm kind of surprised they haven't made it to this world, honestly; they're pretty persistent.

[Clear enough he was listening, even if by how one of his ears kept turned in Roxas's direction, even while the other pinned back or twitched. Gaze focused to the water. Hidden gaze following movements and sizes-]

Might not be able to exist here.

[Hands were quick as they moved in to the water, hauling up a large fish that still wiggled and tried to get out of his clawed grip. This time he was walking out of the river rather than tossing it, and dropped it in to the bowl, twisting the net so it couldn't get out or knock any of the other fish out.

Had caught a good haul given the sizes.]

Maybe.

[Roxas honestly didn't know the specifics of what worlds Heartless could attack and couldn't. He assumed a world with a lot of light meant Heartless couldn't stand being there long, but that didn't explain why there were none in this world.]

I'm glad, though. Erasers are hard enough to handle. And I don't know if I'd be able to fight Heartless without my Keyblades.

[For the moment, the bowl and net were hauled up and rested against one of his shoulders. He was really about to carry it all off like that without having any sort of issues.]

Person makes the weapon, not the other way around- even if having the more familiar can make shit feel easier.

[The old man advise.]

[Roxas blinks, surprised at that bit of wisdom. But he does chuckle and nod.]

I guess you have a point. [He pauses as he watches 76 haul that fish.]

Do you need a hand carrying that?

Grab the other end of the net, keep it from dragging.

[Last thing he needed was to lose any of that work put through with patience because the net got snagged and he lost hold of it all.

If this kid wanted to help? Fine, easy way to help given.]

Sure. Just give me a sec...

[He has to pull himself up and out of the water and quickly dry off his tail. But once he's dry enough that his legs flash into existence, he stands up and helps gather the other end of the net.]

Where to?

Got a spot a walk from here. Camping.

[... When wasn't he 'camping' could be the real question here, honestly. Still, he did wait and once the ends up the net were up he was walking at a pace easy to be kept up with. Not his usual stride which had honestly gotten longer due to the hoofs and all.

There was a little clearing, and a campfire well surrounded by stone and burning low enough to go mostly undetected. A bag and a makeshift sleeping bag on top of a long that had been cleared off. Really, easy to see he'd at least spent the night there.

Be moving soon enough.]

Camping?

[Roxas blinks in curiosity, but he follows after 76 as best as he can, even with the pace set. As they near the campsite, he looks around the clearing, taking in the sight of the sleeping bag and campfire and other items around.]

Are you... sleeping out here? Don't you have a house?

[Camping. If the kid didn't know, figured he'd get his answer by seeing just what little set-up there was to his little 'camping' area.

Which was a hell of a lot less that what normal people had when they went camping. There wasn't even any visible shelter, just the items that 76 had felt he could leave sitting out in the 'open' and, well. The little blue dragon sleeping on top of the sleeping bag would have made a racket he'd have heard otherwise.]

That's what camping is.

[Not even answering the house question as he set the bowl of water and netted fish down, gesturing that Roxas could let go, pulling over a cleaned off flat stone he'd picked up and pulling the knife from the holder on the back of his belt.

He was going to gut and de-bone those fish after putting them out of their mister, but first he had to stoke up that fire a bit to get it hot.]

Huh.

[Roxas looks around the sparse "campground", and lets go of the net of fish when he's motioned to. He steps away and looks around.]

I've never been camping. I've always just slept in the room I was given. [Whether that be with the Organization, in the virtual Twilight Town, and even here in the Index. But while 76 gets the fish ready and the fire stoked, Roxas kneels down to watch him.]

Is your house nearby? Do you camp often?

[Once the fire was up high enough? Well, those fish were now being cut in to for cleaning, the blue dragon hatchling making her way over as he tossed the guts for her to eat. Which she did happily. Kept her from getting too close as he worked, too.

Definitely something he did with practiced ease, even if the tossing bit of organ meats he knew a baby dragon would eat without issue was new.]

It's around, and I've been camping since I got here. Move around.

[Roxas watches with rapt curiosity as 76 prepares to gut the fish and toss the guts to the dragon. He's not refined the same way Sora or Kotori were, but he was still pretty effective...]

[He looks up sharply at 76's answer, though.]

Since you got here? You mean, you haven't been in your home since you arrived?

But, why??

Fishing

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