"Fishing"

((A snippet of bare-bones conversation--I use the term loosely, given that when Merosiel 'speaks' it is with his hands--between a certain elf and draenei. I may or may not go back and flesh this out at a later date--and stop being lazy by inserting the typical ( ) to denote signing.

Uhh. Enjoy, I suppose.))

"Astarin?"

"Yes, Merosiel?"

"Why didn't you say no?"

"Should... I have?"

"I feel as if I took advantage of you, Astarin."

"Did you?"

"I... you... why do you have to always answer with a question? Why can't you just answer?"

"I give... the right answers... perhaps you do not ask... the right questions."

"You are utterly exasperating."

"Apologies."

"Astarin!"

"Yes, Merosiel?"

"...Sometimes I can't help but think you do this on purpose."

"I fix people."

"...Eh?"

"Pain. Sadness. Loneliness. Despair."

"Fix people, huh?" "Maybe you should fix yourself, instead of worrying about others."

"Is there.. something to fix... about me?"

"Mother Moon, there you go again." "You can't sit here and tell me you're happy being this way!"

"What way?"

"Augh!"

"I... am content."

"Are you?"

"Are you?"

"A-am I what?"

"Are... you happy, Merosiel?"

"I--what?"

"Are... you happy?"

"...I... I don't know."

"Ah." "And before?"

"...I was waiting to die."

"Ah." "And now?"

"Heh. Not so much waiting."

"You... smiled."

"...D-Did not."

"As you say."

"You could have said no."

"Perhaps."

"You didn't have to drink with me."

"You asked."

"You didn't have to sleep with me."

"Do... you regret?"

"Astarin..." "I... no. I don't regret it."

"Ah."

"Aren't you lonely living this way, Astarin? Everyone using you, and then discarding you when they're through?"

"I serve... my purpose."

"Is that all you want out of life? Just to exist? To be used?"

"It... is all I know."

"You mean it's safe."

"Perhaps."

"So what if I'm just using you, too?"

"Are you?"

"...Damn the Well, stop that." "What are we doing, Astarin?"

"...Fishing?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Yes, I know..." "I am... not Lok Tichar--"

"I-I know that!"

"--and you... are not Baelyn."

"I don't want to be all those other people, Astarin. I don't want to be just another person who uses you. I know what it's like. I can't understand how you can say you're content to be that way! It's such a miserable existence!"

"If something... makes you unhappy, Merosiel... and it is within your power... to alter it... then do so."

"What?"

"If you... do not want to... use me. Then do not."

"Is that an ultimatum then? Use you, or get lost?" "What if I don't like those options?"

"No. Merely... a suggestion." "Make new ones--"

"--is that an option?"

"Is it?" "Astarin. I do not know what to think about you."

"Perhaps... you think too much."

"Don't I know it!" "...What if this doesn't work?"

"We could try... different bait."

"Astarin!" "You're dodging again."

"Perhaps. Perhaps you... live your life by... too many 'what ifs.' "

"And what do you do?"

"I live."

"That isn't enough!"

"Why?"

"Listen. I just don't need anymore heartache. And I don't want to--" "I don't want to be a reason to cry."

"I... do not cry."

"That's not the point!"

"Ah." "What is... the point?"

"...I don't know, anymore, Astarin. I still don't know what we're doing."

"Fishing."

"You make my head hurt."

"You smiled."

"...Yeah. Yeah, I did." "Okay, Astarin. We're fishing. Happy?"

"Yes."