zen meeting the atsu

[kobblublu]

"...Is someone trying to fish?"

She had been at this for hours now, and her resolve was slowly starting to waver. She wanted to give up, to say she was a failure and call it quits, but there was also a stubborn part of her that wanted to continue. There was no real reason to keep going, nothing on the line or anything to gain really other than her own satisfaction. However, there was that burning desire within her that craved that sense of accomplishment.

Atsu was going to catch herself a fish, godsdammit.

She had tried to catch the slippery creatures with her hands while near the shore, and that just ended in frustration. At least from that she was able to learn about how the water reflects light and that she needed to gauge where the fish were a little better. After several more failed attempts with her hands she had decided on a different approach. Next she had decided to pick up a harpoon, a good method (she thought) to toss the weapon at the fish along the shallow shoreline. She had missed, so many times, and that had brought her tempers to a boil. Due to that frustration she had figured she might as well try one more thing before giving up entirely.

After clicking her tongue for the umpteenth time she had set out with a boat towards the waters. Brandish her rod that she had borrowed from one of the other fishermen, she looked down at it on the floor of the boat as she rowed out to the middle of the sea. This had to be it, this definitely had to be the time to prove her skills and determination. With her fishing rod now in hand she stood up with a newly found courage, ready to face the odds once more. If she didn't catch anything this time, however, she would just have to wallow in her own self-doubt and give up for good. She would just purchase her fish from the markets, like everyone else.

"This certainly has to be it," she muttered to herself, saying that same line in her head over again in order to really psych herself up. Once she nodded to herself she scanned the seas, watching the waves move and noting the way in which her boat bobbed and moved. There, in the distance, she spotted some bubbles. That was most likely a fish! And probably a big one at that. She grinned to herself, now pulling back with her rod, she let go and watched as the line freed itself from the coils. It soared out, a perfect cast, and plopped into the sea before her.

....

...........

............She waited a few moments.... keeping entirely still, even holding her breath, before suddenly she felt as though she snagged something. Catching the big fish, on her first cast?! This truly was a perfect display of her skills! She gasped, not thinking she would ever get something on her first try, and then started to frantically reel in her catch. She pulled and pulled, thinking that the catch would definitely be huge. It was so heavy! She yanked with all of her might at the taught line-

Before suddenly a large man came bursting out of the water, yelling at the top of his lungs. He screamed, gurgling, and was flailing all about. It was then that she realized she had snagged a man and not a fish.

She caught herself an Au'ra man?! What kind of fairy tale was this?!

"Oh! Oh my goodness!" she gasped again, letting go of her fishing rod and it fell to the bottom of the boat with a dull thud. He was still hooked, but at least now she was pulling on his very flesh. She was calming down, now just groaning to himself as he tread in the water. She could see the crimson tinge of the blood in the water around him and from that she felt a pain in her stomach. What kind of healer was she? Hurting this poor man...

"Um excuse me! I'll-... yes! I'll come to you!" she frantically picked up her oar, shakily trying to row over to him.

The Xaela man growled in response, more so because of the pain in his back than anything. He wasn't angry with her, she was clearly a beginner when it came to fishing. Instead he just did his best to swim over to her as well, meeting her in the middle. Once they met up with one another the man grabbed at the side of the boat, now pulling himself up. He didn't wait to hear if she approved of him coming into her boat or not, he just figured it was the best course of action. Besides, bleeding out in the water would cause problems for both of them- all kinds of life would come crawling to them. As he climbed up there was a moment where she thought he was going to tip over the boat with his massive size, but instead he hoisted himself up with ease and brought a leg over the side. Even while injured he seemed to be maneuvering just fine, this man had a strong mind, she mused to herself before looking him over.

He was down to his skivvies, what one would call swimwear of course, and the black fabric matched well with his dark blue skin. The only part of him that stood out was his intensely red hair. To her, it almost looked as though it were on fire, especially in contrast to how dark he was. She felt a sort of kindred spirit with that, her name also holding a certain kind of warmth to it. He was a Xaela, that much was obvious due to his black horns. He must be with one of the tribes in the area, but he was pretty far from most of the prominent tribes. Usually the Xaela roamed around the plains of the Steppe, not all the way out by Onokoro. She would have to ask him what he's doing all the way out here later.

Right now though, she really needed to pull that hook out of his back.

"Seven hells!" he groaned, twisting himself to see if he could look over his shoulder at the wound. It was embedded in his back, near his spine, and it was certainly in a spot that he couldn't reach.

"I am so sorry!" Atsu went around to his back, kneeling down near where he sat. She inspected it and she came to the conclusion that the only way to fix him would be to pull it out swiftly and then heal him.

"I was simply trying to catch a fish and I suppose I just-"

"-thought I was a big fish," he finished for her between gritted teeth. He shook his head now, staring down at the wood of the boat.

".....that thought did cross my mind, yes," she felt so impossibly foolish.

Even while in pain the Xaela chuckled to himself. She certainly was an interesting one... were all Raen like her? So forward, so honest-... he only just met her but he felt as though this woman really didn't have anything to hide.

As he glanced over his shoulder at her he straightened up, "do what you must," he nodded at her as well. It was his way of saying that it was fine if she needed to mutilate him, the damned hook needed to come out either way. Atsu just stared at him for the moment before she readied herself, and him, by getting a good grip on the hook. She would need to rotate it out of him and then give it a good pull. It was nothing too complicated, but it would certainly cause him quite a bit of pain.

"Ready?" She whispered to him.

"Just do it."

Without another moment's hesitation she maneuvered the hook, swiftly twisting it in his flesh and pulling it out with a sort of practice that only a healer could possess. He grunted, sucked in a teeth breath, and he closed his eyes tight. Once it was out of him he felt a certain relief, especially since Atsu was already working on healing him up. It was a good thing she never left home without her rod, she would have him healed up in no time. The man felt the cooling and refreshing sensation wash over him, the wound now closing up and he felt as good as new.

"Better," he chirped, now moving to stand up in the boat. It wasn't the best course of action since he felt it rock under his weight, but he had enough balance to maintain himself upright for the time being. He then turned towards her, looking down at her for the moment.

....

.......Now what?

"...I am Zen'enji," he started, moving to sit down in the boat.

"Zen.....enji" Atsu began, now moving to sit across from him as well.

"Zen, just call me Zen," he brought up a hand, an attempt to calm her but it looked more as though he were trying to soothe a crowd. She smiled at this, chuckling at his horrible attempt to talk to her. It was as though he wasn't used to talking to someone like her. Maybe he really was apart of the tribes and only used to them? She wasn't too sure.

"Yes yes, of course, Zen," she crossed her legs, looking down at herself as she thought. She was wearing her own swim wear, the color matching her pink hair. She had thought it was an outfit that would help her fish properly... but so far, she still had nothing to show for it.

Well, she could brag and said she caught a man on the end of her hook- how many fishermen could say the same?

"....Did you......." he paused, not quite knowing how to start a conversation with her. He seemed... odd, if anything, a little shy and reserved. His face seemed so intense, like he was always grumpy about something, but his demeanor said that he was somewhat gentle if anything.

".....Did I-?" yes, go on big Xaela man, you can do it.

"....need help with fishing?"

.....Drat. She wasn't expecting that.

She leaned back a bit, looking out at the sea. Yes, she needed help, but did she want to admit that? ...No, not really. There was a small pause between them before she finally decided that....yes, she needed a lot of help, and she should put her pride aside for now.

"...Possibly," godsdammit Atsu just say you need help!

"Only possibly? Instead of casting out your line-" Zen'enji pointed out at the far rocks, where he knew a lot of fish would be gathered, "you sent it out here, in the middle of the sea. The fish don't reside near the surface here they tend to stay closer to the bottom and to the other plant life."

Wow, suddenly this man went from not talking at all to not being able to stay quiet. Perhaps he was the kind of person that only really talked about things he was overly knowledgeable with? But fine, yes, time to properly answer him.

"Alright alright, I do indeed need your expertise. Would you be so willing to help me then?"

Zen'enji's eyes lit up, and she could have sworn she saw the beginnings of a smile on his face. It didn't last long, he went back to his typical frown.

"If you'd let me-.... ah...." oh he never did ask for her name, huh? "...what can I call you, miss...?"

She waved at his attempts to be formal, "Atsu. Just call me Atsu," there, now they were even. "Though, should you really be helping me? I did hook you, after all, should I not be the one to try and repay you in some way?"

"You can repay me by learning how to fish properly so you will not catch someone like me in the future," his reply was quick and to the point. Drat, he yet again had her there.

So then it was settled. They had weirdly been caught up in one another's lives, and it was during that fishing trip she had asked him many different questions about himself. Where was he from? What kind of tribe was he apart of? Just why was he so far away from home? They had talked, listened to one another, and bonded over the most trivial things. He had promised to return to Onokoro to see if she ever would want company while out on the seas. She had loved the idea, truly, and she told him in return he would have to show her the ways of the Steppe.