Fishing Is Relaxing... Right?

    The sun's light dances over the fishing village by the port. Xander has refused to leave this location until he believe's his fellow Adventurer, Rylen is fully recovered on sleep. He has also made sure the man is constantly woken up to by local breakfast meals; That hopefully don't taste bad. It's the thought that counts, right?

Though the Pooka would find Xander standing on a peer with a fishing rod in hand. It was obvious what he was trying to do, but based on the bucket-- The Salamander has had very little luck in actually catching anything.

Though one might expect Rylen to take a few days to recover from his journey, the Pooka is actually up and about relatively quickly. Only a reasonable night's rest and he rejoins the land of the living. He goes through his morning stretches, then a series of simple exercises, and eventually accepts a simple porridge-style breakfast from the owner of the hut.

Carrying this, he heads out onto the pier, "I have to say, I never really took you for a fisherman." Rylen steps up, scooping a spoonful of the porridge into his mouth, looking over at the Salamander with his eyebrows raised. "Hopefully not your new profession." He eyes the empty bucket, then smirks with his usual humor. "Then again, the fish might be the safest they have ever been."

    Xander doesn't reply right away, he just throws the line once more. "No. Not really, but given we need food for the trip I thought I'd try too." The Salamander doesn't even look over to Rylen, he just sighs softly. "And honestly I don't feel like putting in the effort to chase around wild animals... or be chased back." Sounds like personal experience there.

The Salamander at last glances over his shoulder, before looking back to the lapping water. "How is the breakfast?"

"We?" Rylen asks, tilting his head slightly. His tone is curious, even as he follows up with another spoon from the bowl to his mouth. "Provisioning isn't exactly the easiest thing. Even with the Hunting skill, sometimes I can have dry spells where nothing wants to drop." Then again, he seems to do pretty well for himself, though that might be supplemented by his performances.

With the temperatures still relatively cold, the elven male is wearing both the undershirt and travel jacket. Then again, it could also be because Xander had commented more than once about his choice of going shirtless. "It reminds me of congee, a bit. Though I think they've got some sort of fish broth as the base."

He doesn't complain about the food, and instead offers, "So, I checked out the third floor like you asked. Pretty interesting place. Apparently, there are Landers in Zumfit, now." Which might be a surprise to Xander, as the town was empty prior to the Apocalypse. "Saw Landers from all the major races there, living together. Seemed as if they'd been set up there for a long time." Rylen explains, "Certainly longer than a couple of months."

    Xander raises a brow at the 'we' replied back, but doesn't say anything as he goes to cast his line again. His heavy scaled tail flicks softly as Rylen explains what is going on at the third floor. "... Landers are up there now huh?" He says softly. "Damn expansion. Taking everything and turning it upside down."

He then fills something and goes to pull it up, only for the rod to snap and then disappear as he nearly goes backwards. "Shit!" he barks out before catching himself. The Salamander lets out a low growl and just-- plops down on the pier in some essence of self defeat. "... The universe hates me." He rumbles out.

    Xander sits there for a moment in silence before he says, "Yes. 'We'. That is why you came out here right? To tag along on my crazy adventure." He then smirks lightly and closes his eyes. "Unless I am wrong... That is fine too." He then goes to stand up.

"Seems like it." Rylen murmurs, seeming to consider the little bits of information he's caught from others. "It almost seems like a shift in the Landers since the Apocalypse. They remember things that didn't happen in our version of the game." It is curious, and he doesn't seem to have any answers to offer. "Then again, Otto remembers Moko and I from before, so I have no idea."

Shaking his head, the Pooka takes a seat on the pier, leaving a polite amount of space between himself and Xander. "The universe doesn't hate you. It just thinks you're better as a tank than as a fisherman." Setting down his bowl, Rylen reaches for the pole, attaches a new hook, and then flicks through his inventory for some bait. After a few moments, the line tugs, and he pulls it in. It isn't anywhere close to his normal level of skill, and the fish is relatively small.

"If the universe hated you, it wouldn't have sent me to help." He explains, then offers the fish out to Xander.

As for the question of accompanying him, that seems to give Rylen pause. He actually /hadn't/ considered that as an interpretation of his actions. "Honestly, I hadn't considered that." He explains. "I just... needed to make sure you were okay. It's probably stupid. You're more than capable of taking care of yourself, but I worry anyways." He shrugs, then looks out to sea, thoughtful.

"Not that I wouldn't come if you asked me, but I certainly don't want to annoy you with my presence." Rylen chuckles to himself. "I probably need to head back to the Isle and get the ranch settled. Probably needs another week or so..." He raises a brow, "You could come back with me, if you wanted. Work with your hands, build something. See how you feel after that?"

    "Do /I/ look like a builder to you?" Xander asks raising a brow before using his foot to push the bucket over to Rylen. "I destroy stuff. I don't /build/ things." He frowns a little there. "I am /really/ good at destroying things."

The Salamander sighs before he actually sits back down, this time beside Rylen. "I thank you for worrying about me though. You, Mikage, and even Uta. I doubt even my guild or alliance knows I'm missing to be honest." He snorts, "I doubt they even care."

"Just another cog in the grinder machine." Xander admits before rests his arms across his knees and closes his eyes. "But seriously, Thank you Rylen. I am-- I am glad, even if I don't always show it. Even when I give you the damn cold shoulder and give you shit... I am... I am always glad you come through."

His eyes open gently. "... It seems to be the one consistency I have right now."

"You could be." Rylen replies, and though Xander might not see it in himself, it seems that the elven man certainly does. "You're a soldier. You've been trained to destroy, but that doesn't mean that's all you are." He shakes his head, the pointed tips of his ears dipping ever so slightly. "There's a whole world here. Try your hand at something new."

There is a slight lift of his lips, offering a lopsided sort of smile when Xander actually comes to sit near him properly. It's a quiet acknowlegement of that proximity. "Some probably don't, though I'm sure some do. Between Aincrad and the Tournament, all the building and the disruptions to their supplies, I imagine they've got their hands a bit full. Though, if you're looking for a change..." He smirks, "I'm sure the newbies in Crescent Moon wouldn't mind guidance from an experienced soldier."

Rylen's silver eyes watch Xander's body posture, the way he almost seems to be defending himself in that moment of vulnerability. "That's what you do when there's someone you care about. Even when they're being an ass, you try to see the good sides of them."

He nods then, "I needed to come back, if nothing else, to prove to you that I keep my promises."

    Xander falls silent for a bit. The Salamander's fiery gold eyes looking at nothing particular as he thinks silently to himself. "Tell you what, Rylen." He says to the elven man. "I'll train your group who needs training and you keep me fed, bed, and sane."

He at last looks over to Rylen, "But it will also come at the cost of their coin as well. I'm not going to train anyone just out of the kindness of my warm, fuzzy, scalely heart." He says with an amused grin. "But given I can't even fish or properly cook meals..." The Salamander sighs. "... and its stupid to go alone... Seems like the best offer to take while I get my head back on straight."

There is a chuff of a laugh from Rylen, as if he weren't particularly surprised that this would turn into some kind of monetary arrangement. "I can certainly give them the opportunity, but I can't promise most newbies will be able to afford your rates." He smirks.

"As for the rest, I should be able to handle the food. Sanity is questionable." Rylen's shoulders shake a little with contained laughter. He flat out doesn't address the 'bed' issue, perhaps because there's too many innuendos he could make there.

"Once the ranch is done, if you want to travel the world on walkabout, I'll go with you." He agrees, "But let's decide that when we get there, aye?"

    Xander places his hand to his chest with a fake 'gasp', "What?! Are you saying I'm expensive?" He then places his arm around Rylen, getting in close. "I have you know, buddy o' pal, that I am /not/ expensive. I won't charge the new players and arm and a leg. Just," He says with a playful tone. "One or the other." Then gives a wink.

"But seriously, I /won't/ price too much. Just a few coppers, maybe a silver alone. I know what its like. Hell, we all been reminded what it's like to be back at level one again." Xander admits, "And even before the expansion, I helped newbie players out, so I /always/ knew what it was like."

He then gives Rylen a pat on the shoulder. "Anyways, we can head out tomorrow, I think." Then does a little stretch. "Then you can let me know what hell I am going to have my hands full with."

"Damn right you're expensive." Rylen quips right back, smirking as Xander throws that arm around him. He gives the man a small nudge with his elbow. "Let's see, booze, inn rooms, broken furniture..." He ticks off items on his fingers.

He responds to that playful nature in kind, "It's fine. I'm sure I can arrange something with the guild leaders. Besides, having someone who has experience both with Aincrad and PVP? It's worth the coin." Even if that coin might have to come out of Rylen's own pocket now and again. Though he won't admit to that.

"Well, they were just getting the main barn raised before I left. So probably the shop is next on the list." He smirks, pushing himself up, "I'll spare you shoveling peko shit. I don't expect anyone other than the newbies training as handlers to do that." Luckily, there is an uncommonly large number of people who want to work with animals in an MMO.

He plucks up the bucket, then holds it out at Xander, "It'll give us time to have some more proper provisions, too."