Time:  Summer of 2000



The sun hung high and bright, warming the cheeks of the little face of Amano Raiu as she scampered about the side of a lake.  A beautiful summer day lay stretched before her, and she was in the business of enjoying it!

Today she wore deep green mid-thigh shorts with thigh-high stockings of a russet brown, with green sandals and a matching kimono top.  In the middle, she sported a sunny yellow sash, and for the Pièce de résistance, a floppy straw hat with a sunflower in the band.  She carried a satchel with her, and a long fishing pole.

Currently, she was scampering to plot a place to begin fishing, and once she had done that, she had the full intention of digging for worms to bait her hooks.  The sudden urge to go fishing wasn't that surprising, though strange.  After all, she was a fan of adventure and NOT studying, and what was more relaxing than a day at the lake?  She could cast her line, then laze in the sun for hours, pursuing leisure and laziness to her hearts content.

Oh it is good to be bad.

Cicadas buzzed high in the tree tops, the warm summer sun straining down through the trees. A big man strolled down the beaten trail, humming as he went along, on his back he carried a large wicker basket, over his shoulder? A simple cane pole. A bucket swung from his left hand, and he had his customer axe on his hip. His chest was bare in the summer heat, and his pants only went to the ankles. Sengoku had decided that today was a good day to close shop and march out to the lakes.

Birds flitted over head, chittering back and forth as he approached the lake. His usual spot was a flat rock outcropping a few feet out and over the surface of the lake. The rockk was wide and flat, practically a big boulder wedged into the lakeside. Sengoku setlled down on the rock, set his bucket and basket aside, and unslung his bamboo poul. For bait, Sengoku use fat, ripe grubs, cultivated from the rotten vegetables in his garden. He speared one on the hook, and then slung the hook over the side. He dragged the pole back and forth, waiting for a tug to alert him to a fish's bite.

Raiu had come across the very same outcropping of rock as Sengoku had made himself home, spotting him as he was moving his pole back and forth. Grinning widely, as Raiu didn't believe in the word "strangers" she ambled up beside him quietly, stuff in tow.

"Mind if I join ya, Mister?" she asked, her small stature making him still above eye level (even though he was sitting). She was a comical sight, bright and sunny with a pole nearly twice her size, her hair ruffled from the wind and sticking out beneath her floppy hat.

She took a moment to survey him as she waited for his answer. He was a scruffy fellow, OLD, and kinda plain looking. But, he had a sweet scar running down his face, and had the rough look of a man who had seen the world.

One could only imagine the stories he had to tell! That was one thing Raiu liked about her elders, sometimes they had fascinating stories. She did love story time, after all.

Sengoku turned and regarded the young girl for a moment. He smiled and waved her over, "Sure, it's a fine spot." Why be rude? It was good to have company, and being so far up kept the fish from getting spooked by talking. "Nice day for fishing isn't it?" He looked back out over the lake, spotting a heron wading through the reeds not far away. He stared at it, watching its beady eyes focus with wicked intent. It stalked forward slowly, one foot perched above the water. Sengoku wasn't sure what it was watching, but he knew the food chain, and anything under the heron's link was going to be swimming as far away as possibly, some right towards Sengoku and the girl. Of course, if he let the heron go on, the fish and such would be too afraid to eat, and wouldn't bite at the hooks.

He let the heron creep closer, well within range, and then struck up a conversation with the girl. "What's your name?" He asked, raising his voice just a tad to make the heron afraid. It croaked and swooped away, done for now. Sengoku and his little companion could fish in peace. Before long, he felt a light jerk on the line, and he tugged lightly. There was another jerk, stronger this time, and Sengoku yanked hard on the pole, dragging a big bull frog up out of the lake. It croaked and dangled from the line, and Sengoku smirked. He was taking all kinds of fresh catch today. He dragged the frog up on to the rock, got a hold of it, yanked out the hook, and then tossed the frog into the big basket. After wiping his hands off on the rock, he set about re-baiting the hook.

Settling down beside him, Raiu reached into her bag after setting it down beside her. Inside was a smaller bag, with a clump of earth inside of it. Loosening the drawstring, she rooted around the earth, pulling out a wriggling worm.

"Mhm, real pretty out. Thank ya for the company." She took a moment to grin at him, before spearing the worm on the hook at the end of her line. Satisfied with her work, she released the pole's line and flicked it into the water. It made a plop as it made contact, and Raui's gaze followed out into the lake, spying the same bird as Sengoku. For a quiet moment, the heron stalked closer, until finally the man startled the creature into flight.

"Amano Raiu, whats yours?" She smiled again, peering up at him with one eye from underneath her floppy hat while holding out a free, dirty hand, waiting for him to finish his work to return the friendly shake. In the meantime, her line remained peaceful, as no fish or bullfrogs had ventured for her bait...yet.

With his hook baited, the line was tossed back into the water. He gripped her hand lightly and shook, smiling politely. "Matsumori Sengoku, pleased to make your acquaintance, young lady." Introductions done, Sengoku returned both hands to the pole and guided the hook around a little, making it move, then letting it lie still, twitching the line every once in a while to make it move. The fish would start biting again before long. With the line set out, Sengoku reached over and picked up the wicker basket with the frog in it, then slipped it down into the shallows along the rocks, putting it in deep enough that water filled the basket to the brim. The lid stayed on, and the frog would stay fresh.

"Do you fish often?" He asked, watching the rake, but also keeping an eye out for Herons and other birds. He felt something nip the line, and tugged against it, but whatever had touched the bait had moved on. He lifted the hook clear of the water to see the bait was still attached, and dipped it back in. Raiu had to be from one of the inner districts, maybe even the Seireitei itself, but he didn't bring it up. The girl likely had her reasons for being so far out in the second district.

Raiu's hand returned to her pole, and not a moment too soon! She felt a tug upon her pole and with a mighty wrench, she jerked her prize from the lake.

A slipper.

She a bright giggle, she peeled the water logged footwear and chucked it beside her on the rock to dry. What a fun prize!

"From time to time, us pirate lords have to keep our sea legs after all!" She re-baited her hook and flicked the line back into water, ripples spreading across the surface before returning to its peaceful state.

"What about you Sen? You a mighty fisherman or just a frog wrangler?" A cheeky smirk coupled with a cheeky remark, and no honorifics either. Raiu was polite enough, but this rough fellow didn't look like he'd make her stand on ceremony with social etiquette, not that she was the master of it anyway...

Pirate Lord? Well, she was a spirited one. He chuckled, feeling nothing on the line yet, and continued dragging the bait through the greenish-blue waters. Fishing was patience, and Sengoku could be patient. If anything, the hobby itself had taught him how to do that. Raiu was nice company, a little talkative, but that was all fine as far as Sengoku was concerned.

"Well, your Pirate Lord-ishness," Who the hell knew what to call a Pirate Lord anyways? He eyed the slipper she had managed to snag, and smiled lightly. "I'm clearly nowhere near as skilled as you are." There was a sudden tug on the line, sharp and fast, and he licked his lips, knowing he'd gotten something good. The pole jerked and shook as the fish tried to swim away, but the big man was much too strong for that nonsense. He pulled the pole in closer, grabbed at the thin line and coiled it around his hand twice before giving a sharp tug. The fish crested, silvery scales flashing in the sunlight as it thrashed and fought. Before long, it was flopping on the rock next to Sengoku, who pulled the hook free and dropped the fish into the water filled basket, along with the Frog. "That said, I make do."

Raiu's mouth made an impressed small O shape as he beached a fine fish. Said face transitioned quickly into a bright grin as she laughed merrily and slapped her thigh. "Ah-ha! You've been holdin' out on me sir! That's cabin boy worthy right there," She returned his playful banter with her own as she gestured to the fish.

Raiu wasn't expecting to really catch anything, as she mostly did the sport as a practice to for patience. Also, it was a great way to escape for an afternoon to pursue laziness. She learned that fine lesson from an elder in her family. That was one lesson she was pleased to learn!

She wriggled her line a little, taunting whatever fish might be eyeing her worm.

The big man chuckled and slipped another grub onto the hook, past the barb, then folding it over to hide the hook so that the fish would be more likely to bite at the bait. Sengoku sought the peace, but fished with a purpose. Fresh meat from the lakes and rivers were popular fare. Turtles, Crawdads, Frogs, and the various species of freshwater fish that called the lake home all found a place on his tavern's menu. It was mostly seasonal treats, but a hot plate of fried frog's legs, or a bowl of warm gumbo always went well with the beers and ales he served. "I wouldn't know about being a cabin boy on a boat in this lake. There's a big ol' sea monster out in that lake, or so my father told me." He cast out his line again for a momentary silence, letting the hook sink deep into the lake.

"As I remember the tale, folks weren't supposed to take boats out onto the lake, for any reason. The lake was sacred, you see." He dragged the hook around in the water, jerking and tugging it, making the lure jump and spin in the water. Lively prey attracted predators. "Many centuries ago, before the Soutaichou and his Gotei formed the Seireitei, when The People still walked the land, a dragon left its egg in the heart of the lake. The egg hatched, and a carp swam out. Most people don't know it, but some carp can eventually become dragons. The carp called the lake home, and as it grew larger and larger, the carp realized it couldn't stay in the lake any longer, it had to leave. It swam up, out the inlet and into the river that runs through these lands, far away beyond the wasteland. Out on that journey, it completed the necessary rites and tasks, the good deeds and strong acts required of a carp to become a dragon. One day, it returned to the pond as an adolescent dragon. For its final growth, the young dragon needed to hibernate for many years. It asked The People if they would kindly keep their boats off the surface of the lake, and not use nets, for such acts might disturb its slumber. In exchange, it would use the burgeoning power within itself to make the life in the lake flourish, and make the forests healthy and deep, so game would populate the lands. The People agreed that it was a good deal, and promised to only fish from the shores, with poles and spears. To this day, the dragon sleeps deep within the lake. One day, he will finish growing and leave the lake, and reward The People's kept promise with a gift." The story may have been fantasy, and ancient myth, but Sengoku liked it. It was part of his culture. He didn't believe a dragon really lived in the lake, but it didn't matter.

The line twitched. He tugged, but the line stayed dead. He checked the bait and tossed it back out again. "That's the story anyway. Not much good boating on this lake anyways, the inlet's too shallow for anything bigger than a canoe."

Raiu's pole lay calm and forgotten in her hand as she listened, captivated by the man's tale. Romanticized images of dragons and magic ran through her mind, bright and colorful, full of life. She sat perfectly still, her one blue eye locked on Sengoku as he spun his tale of carp and dragons. The warm summer breeze brushed through her hair, stirring the reeds that poked up from the lake's edge, offering them respite in the baking sun. Beneath them, the stone was warm, soothing, the heat making her think of the dragon and its fire.

He had done well to tell her a story, it was one of the tricks her sister had used in the past to calm Raiu down, to get her to be quiet. Quiet she was, still as a deer as the man spoke, gruff yes, but he had a knack for storytelling.

It was quiet for a moment after he stopped, the water rippling from the re-submergence of his line. She looked back to the lake, deep in thought before she spoke again.

"That's a nice story, Sen. Do ya got anymore? Say, whats in the wastelands? What's beyond them?" She asked, her gaze returning to him, full of questions, as were most children her age.

Sengoku grimaced, briefly; He had only been out to the wastelands once, and the mission had been...a complete, catastrophic failure. A lot of good people had died, Sengoku had almost been one of them. The scar along his face was testament to that. Still, the Wasteland itself had been incredible, hollows and horror aside. He supposed he could clean it up a little. What could it hurt? The girl was the imaginative sort, and...well, a rapscallion. He supposed nothing he chose to say could be truly horrifying to her.

The line bobbed again, but nothing actually bit. He was beginning to suspect a frog or turtle of some sort was testing the bait. He tugged the line a bit, bouncing it two or three times. "The Wastelands are one of the most unique landscapes I've ever seen. It's desert and distant mountains, as far as the eye can see." He smiled a little, remembering a sunset over the mountain peaks. "Even though the whole place is lousy with monstrous hollows, there were amazing things out there. Random trees dot the landscape, made of pale yellow quartz, crystals growing up out of the grounds. We dug one up, and it even had roots! There were deep cave systems full of other crystals and gems, jutting up out of the ground in columns and jagged spires." He grimaced again, remembering the monster they had found in that abysmal cave. The Hollow, a big, nasty adjucha class, had ripped through them like a knife through paper. They'd fled, leaving of their own dead in the dust behind them. He swallowed a lump in his throat, the sweat on his skin suddenly cold. He stared at the lake for a moment, saw the line twitch, and tugged hard. Nothing. He shook his head and sighed, wiping a hand across his brow. "There were...holes in the ground, leaking, bleeding Reishi. Swamps full of some sort of natural spirit energy, and it was toxic." They had managed to push the Adjucha into one, at the cost of one of Sengoku's good friends. The hollow had died with the man in his clutches. The Wastelands had been scarring, horrible. They'd left a mark in his heart and mind that wouldn't ever go away.

Again, Raiu behaved, sitting still to listen to storytime. Perhaps a smarter or more polite child would have observed Sengoku's grimacing at his memories...but Raiu saw none of that.

Instead, she saw (in her mind) a vast wasteland, littered with crystals and gems, fraught with danger. It was a pirate's dream.

"I wonder what the trade value is on summat..." she murmured to herself, thinking on the prizes to be scored for those brave enough, or crazy enough, to face it. Typically, the harder it was to get something, the more it was worth. She knew that much when it came to business.

"So this toxic stuff, whats it do to a person?" she asked, looking over the lake now. Her pole twitched heartily in her hand and she gave it a mighty yank, grabbing the line as she scurried back and up onto her feet to pull and tug. The battle raged on for a bit before, finally, she unearthed her prize: A tiny carp.

She snickered, loosened it from her hook, and flung the fish back into the water. Unlike Sengoku, she did not bring something to hold fish when she caught it. She had no intention of keeping her catch, as she did it for the sport rather than the meal.

Sengoku shuddered and glanced at the girl. There was no way to pretty up what that horrid reishi swamp had done to the Adjucha, no way to explain without really going into the gory details; the full horror of the actual outcome couldn't be conveyed in any other way. It was easier to play dumb. "I never saw what happened to folks who fell into the swamp, but you'd have a hard time finding anyone who could tell you. No one goes out there anymore." And for good reason; after all, who would want to spend any time at all in that sandy wasteland? No one with any brains in their heads, that was for sure. "You've got a morbid curiosity, captain. Why the interest in the wastelands? There's nothing out there but deserts and monsters."

Raiu's gaze shifted to the horizon, unfocused.

Around her laid blood and viscera, strewn across a wasted battlefield. Her pale, childish hands trembled, rivulets of blood snaking down the tip of her sword. Fire blazed in small patches here and there, consuming small plant-life across the nearly barren desert.

Drip...drip...drip

Her clothes were scorched and ratty, hanging haphazardly on her small frame. Her skin dirty, face smudged with grime, streaked with blood. Ragged, excited breaths escaped from her mouth as she stared at her blood stained sword, her bloodied hands.

It was hers, all hers. Glory.

Raiu shook her head, emerging from her reverie and returning her attention to Sengoku.

"Monsters and treasure. Ideal for a pirate, dontcha think?" she winked at him with her exposed eye. It was then that her rod jerked violently in her hand. Closing her fist fast, Raiu gave her rod an almighty wrench, heaving the line forward with her other hand. A large bass broke water, flying up as Raiu pulled fast and hard, jerking it from its watery home toward airy death.

She pulled the fish to her and held up it, grinning at its size. It was easily bigger than her little face. She looked at it for a long moment, watching its gills suck helplessly at the air before she unearthed the hook from its maw and dropped it back down to its watery home.

Sengoku laughed again, shaking his head. "Your crew would need to be the Ballsiest, Craziest, Cleverest crew any pirate had ever lead." Survival in the wastelands had been a matter of adapting, learning to think on your feet, and always being aware that running was a perfectly acceptable option. Running bought time, put room between you and the nasties while you sorted out a way to get your ass out of the fire. Sengoku had done it, but never wanted to do it again. The wastes beyond the boarders were ugly, brutal lands. He preferred the rigid civility of the Rukongai and the Seireitei to the chaos of the Hollow homeland.

As the dread pirate returned her captive to its watery home, Sengoku felt the urge to tease again. "Bah, he was too small for your magnificence anyways. Probably wouldn't have even been worth a good ransom." A fish ransom was about the most absurd thing he could think of, but it was nice to steer the conversation away from the darker places in his memory. In a way, Sengoku's experience in the wastes had hardened him against the hollows, given him more desire to see their threat ended. They were a plague. If they were allowed to conquer Sengoku's home, they would destroy it, and reduce it to nothing more than sand and dust, another treasure buried beneath the shifting dunes.

He caught a few more fish, depositing them in the basket with the frog and his other prisoners. They were really biting today, and he was happy for that. Fresh fish, fresh anything from the lake was delicious when cooked with the right recipe.

"Ah, I rarely keep the fishies I catch. Is a sport for me. Thanks for the compliment though, I am pretty magnificent." She grinned, puffing up slightly as her pole remained still in her hands. Unlike Sengoku, she wasn't catching much, but she didn't mind. She had much more interesting things to occupy her time.

Raiu's skin tingled at the thought of glory from running such a crew. It would be the stuff of legend. They would tell tales of her conquests, her crazy adventures, her clever schemes, her bravery bordering on insanity. A dreamy look danced in her eyes as she thought of the possibilities.

"So Sen, why didja go to the wastelands?" she nosily inquired. This guy was turning out to be fairly interesting, and she wondered what other kinds of adventures and tales he had lived so far.

Time passed, the two chatted, Sengoku continued with his seemingly endless amount of stories. "It'll have to wait for another time, kid. These fish aren't going to store and cook themselves, you know!" His laughter boomed as he gathered his things, waving to Raiu, "Take care and nice meeting you, Raiu." He sets off for home, sunset drawing near.

[Exit Sengoku as per inactivity; as Raiu is the only one left, thread is now closed, points halved, graded below and profiles soon to be edited]

Sengoku - 8/2 = 4 +1 = 5
Raiu - 9 + 1 = 10