Fish Loving Warrior

Member of: Town-Square Lotto Tickets: 1

[jungle-waltzer]

Shot in the Dark || Shea & Martie

[martiemoo-blog]

Martie stumbled blindly through the shadowy jungle, hands held out in front of her as she stepped forward cautiously. How had she gotten into this mess? She’d just wanted to hike a bit, but how she’d managed to get so fantastically lost was beyond her.

The toe of the girl’s shoe suddenly caught on a root protruding from the soft earth, and she tumbled forward, too surprised to even released a startled yelp. Her hands landed in the peaty soil, knees sinking into the soft ground, and she soon had a faceful of leafy undergrowth tickling her cheeks. A quiet, exasperated sigh escaped her lips.

Out of nowhere, as Martie attempted to clamber back to her feet, something burst through the other side of the brush, and the girl emitted a shrill shriek of surprise, stumbling back and landing squarely on her rear.

A spear was now embedded firmly in the trunk of the tree behind Martie, aggressively moving back and forth as the owner likely attempted to free it. Slowly, her entire body trembling with shock, the girl began scooting forward, peering through the bush to catch sight of her momentarily preoccupied assailant.

The girl was met with a startling sight: A darkly tanned man, clad only in a tiger print loincloth, skin decorated with a plethora of scars, deep brown eyes sharp and focused, was yanking determinedly on the other end of the spear. Martie stared at the man for a moment, eyes wide, mouth slightly agape, before unthinkingly edging forward to inspect him more closely. However, the palm of her hand pressed down on a cluster of thorny vines, and she let out a yelp of pain, suddenly drawn back to her senses. She froze, her wide-eyed gaze fixed firmly on the man’s face, her breath catching in her throat.

[jungle-waltzer]

Exhaling sharply, Shea tightened his grip on the spear's pole before continuing to pull at it. He knew striking in the dark could lead to something like this, though he didn't expect his weapon would get so stuck! It was frustrating, no matter how he tugged and wiggled it, the stone tip didn't seem to want to budge from it's slot in the wood.

Just as he was giving the spear a strong yank, a yelp caught him off guard. He stumbled back a step, hands flying off the spear's pole as his feet slid into a low stance, ready to run or defend if he had to. Locking onto the noise's source, his eyes widened, surprise clear on his face. There was someone on his island? But it was so late!

Wait... if there was another person around, there was no way any animals were lurking in the area. Then, that means the movement he saw earlier... it had to have been this girl! ...Oops.

"I... sorry. Not know other person here. You are okay?" He apologized, the surprise on his face melting into mild concern. If he knew someone else was wandering around, he would've been more cautious about his hunt

[jungle-waltzer]

Shot in the Dark || Open

Eyes scanning his surroundings, Shea watched for the slightest visible movement. The normally easy task was much harder in the darkened landscape, the sun having long since fallen. He was on the hunt for food and, despite fish always being easier to catch, he was watching for any scurrying animals. At least, he'd keep an eye out for them while walking to the water to catch himself some fish. No reason to pass up an earlier meal if he came across one.

Pausing, his eyes narrowed. Something just moved, he was sure of it! Shifting his spear into a more aggressive position, ready to catch whatever animal he'd seen, Shea carefully approached the bush he thought he saw movement in. Rearing the weapon back, he plunged it into the cluster of foliage, jumping in surprise when he heard a scream. It sounded startled or afraid, he couldn't really tell. He was a bit too busy trying to dislodge his spear from the wood he'd just impaled with it.

[jungle-waltzer]

Flying Fish || Maya and Shea

[failedbaker]

The man was not what she expected. He was tall, muscular, and he spoke funny… like a little kid, almost, except kids tended to talk in circles and this man seemed to get right to the point.

…And his point almost as sharp as his spear, which she noticed right at the water’s edge from her new position.

She eyed the weapon nervously before looking back to his face. At least his his expression was kind enough, and he wasn’t holding it. Maybe he was just foreign? Maya had certainly not seen anyone dressed like him back on the mainland. Well, the important thing was that he seemed harmless enough. He wasn’t angry and he didn’t seem like someone who normally flung fish at people to get them to go away. 

“Yeah, I’m alright~” she finally chirped back, smiling. Maya wasn’t going to stay on the ground and brood all day! What was the point of coming to see new places if you couldn’t make new friends?! And this stranger was prime for the picking! He was already offering her a gift! In one move she hopped up to her feet and held the fish out in her hands to examine it. The poor creature had passed out by now.

“Oh, thank you so much~ Fish is my absolute favorite! ❤” Of course, being Maya’s “favorite” wasn’t a task too difficult to achieve. If something fit in her mouth she would find some reason to merit eating it over and over again. The fish’s scales were a murky greenish color, but when they caught the light they gleamed a beautiful silver. A signature pink stripe ran from its cheeks to its tail, and depending on the angle, the scales reflected colors from pink to green. It was probably what the fish earned its name from.

“This is a rainbow trout, isn’t it?” Maya asked grinning back at the man. “This tastes really fantastic grilled!” She tilted her head to the side and laughed. “Raw fish are kinda icky! Let’s make a fire!” She didn’t even ask if he wanted to join her. No time for that! Thinking about grilled fish reminded her that she was starving! It had to be at least a whole hour since she ate last.

[jungle-waltzer]

...The female's lack of response was a bit unnerving, Shea didn't know what to do. Did her lack of response mean she didn't accept his apology? What was he supposed to do if that was the case? He noticed her eyes dart over to where he left his spear too, was she planning on attacking him?

When she finally did say something, he relaxed. He hadn't hurt her, that was good. She didn't seem to be angry anymore either, which must mean she accepted the apology! Shea let his body relax, relieved. She did seem to want to keep the fish though, and he could feel his stomach tighten at the loss of food.

"Ah! Fish Shea favorite too!" He exclaimed, perking up at her statement and staring at the fish in her hands almost longingly. Looking up from the fish, he settled his gaze on her face, reminding himself that he had technically given it to her. Even if he wanted it, the fish was hers now and he wouldn't get to eat it. There was no sense in continuing to look at it, it wouldn't do anything to fill the endless pit that was his stomach.

At her question about what kind of fish it was, he could only shrug. Sure he knew there were all different kinds of fish, but he didn't know any of the specific names people called them. To him, all fish were food. Any information about them beyond that, he didn't really care. When she mentioned making a fire, Shea blinked in confusion. Did.... this mean she was going to share it with him? The way she said it meant he was included, right? He was pretty sure that's how it worked.

"Can make fire. You wait here, I get wood?" Confused as he was, the possibility of her sharing with him was enough motivation to help her build a fire. Moving to towards the nearby foliage, he started rummaging around, picking up and breaking off branches and twigs. He shouldn't need much, given the fire was only for one fish.

[hey-chelsea]

| Chelsea & Shea

[hey-chelsea]

"Oowww…" Chelsea whined, looking at her hands. They were red from the friction and small bits of the skin peeled off. It was a little worse for her legs. Someone spoke out and she looked up. It was the native islander, Shea. That was his name, she thought.

"Um… I fell." She looked back down at herself. She must have looked foolish to be bested by plants. She turned her hand over, observing herself. "I’ll live, but it hurts a lot…" she said. She looked down at her knees, which continued to bleed. "Um… uh…" Chelsea glanced around frantically. She looked at the man before her, and she noticed his cuts, on his fingers. "Oh, you, too," she said. "You’re also bleeding." She took a cautious step forward. 

[jungle-waltzer]

At her explanation, Shea visibly relaxed, his hands lowering and his back straightening. There wasn't anything to worry about then, excluding the fact that she was bleeding. Scrapes were much easier to deal with than hostile animals. With a nod, he changed into a much more normal stance, looking down as he slid his knife into it's holder.

"Bleeding?" He echoed questioningly, looking at Chelsea's face. Was he bleeding? Oh right, he cut himself a bit before finding her. Looking down at his hands, he ran his thumb over the red slits on his fingers, frowning at the amount that had escaped. "It fine," he declared, focusing on the female again. "You hurt worse." He reminded himself not to tense up when he noticed she was a bit closer, there was nothing to worry about.

[jungle-waltzer]

usual bedtime?

"Bedtime when go sleep? Go sleep when moon high and fire almost die."

[jungle-waltzer]

Has anyone told you they don’t want to ever lose you?

"No think so? Only know Wada for long time, he never say that thing..."

[jungle-waltzer]

ever trusted someone too much?

"Only trust Wada for long time. No think trust Wada more than should..."

[jungle-waltzer]

Truth or Dare

[jungle-waltzer]

Emergency Care || Violet and Shea

[thenervousnurse]

"U-Um…" Violet stuttered when Shea didn’t seem to know what a clinic was. Just where had he come from…? Was there some primitive tribe near Sunshine Islands? The nurse thought for a little, trying to see how she could describe a clinic to someone who didn’t know what it was.

"A clinic…i-is a place where doctors and nurses help you get better. T-They heal you…I-I guess…" Violet carefully explained with an apologetic look on her face, "W-Well…I-I want to help you so you’ll feel better. I-Infections can be dangerous…a-and I-I can’t ignore it…I-I’m a nurse…so…" Her words drifted as she looked back at the man. Instead of the wary look he had been giving earlier, he looked curious. It made her relax a little, thankful that he wouldn’t attack her or anything.

The nurse carefully stood up, “S-So w-would you like to go to the clinic?”

[jungle-waltzer]

Shea nodded in understanding. While the terms "doctor" and "nurse" were unfamiliar, he did know what the rest of her explanation meant. "Doctor" and "Nurse" must just be different words to talk about healers. Everything seemed to have some different word outside of what Wada had taught him. Shea didn't get why people wanted to complicate talking with the extra words, but it's not like he could do anything to stop people for doing so.

"Nurse can make pain in arm go away?" He asked, poking at his left arm before looking up at Violet. He paid little mind to the dull throb his prodding caused, instead moving to grab his discarded glove. Standing up, he gave another nod to the nurse, "Will like go to clinic." Turning to look inland, he kept the woman in sight. He had no idea what a clinic would look like, he figured it best to let her lead the way.

As they started off, Shea made sure he didn't fall too far behind. Violet had seemed a little skittish to him, she'd probably prefer he stayed in her sight. "Ah... I no have money. C... Clinic need money?" He asked after a moment, apprehension lacing his voice as his steps faltered for a moment. He'd come to learn that most places needed the paper and metal circles before they did anything. What if the clinic needed them too, or else they wouldn't help him?

[hey-chelsea]

| Chelsea & Shea

Chelsea scratched at her knees. They always seemed to have a new scratch or scab every time she looked at them. She bit her lip and clicked her tongue, telling herself not to pick at them. She could easily forget them; her knees did not often itch, and she was sometimes almost certain she could not feel pain in them at all.

Chelesa leaned over, hands on her knees. The scabs were coarse, as scabs were. Her hair dangled over her eyes and she blinked, and huffed when her hair got caught in her eyelashes. Standing straight and brushing her hair away, she walked on. Chelsea was near the forest where the island natives lived. There weren’t many - the islands, in the end, were a dangerous place to live. It was that thrill, and the great ranch and the potential in the islands, that attracted her there. And the beauty, of course. The islands had much to see, with exotic plants and animals yet to be discovered. Chelsea walked in awe often when she went on adventures. These things could not be seen in the city.

She must not have been paying attention, the silly girl, because she tripped over plants and logs. Chelsea screeched, along with the sound of her fall, and scared away many animals. The first thing she realized was that it hurt. Her knees, being exposed, scraped against wood and old wounds opened and new ones leaked blood. So she had feeling in her knees after all. It was not just her knees; some skin on the palm of her hand peeled off and she bit her tongue on the way down. None of it was not too bad - she just tripped, after all. That would not stop her hand and her knees from stinging in pain, though. She pushed  herself off the ground and completely realized what had happened, that she had strayed a bit from the main path.

[jungle-waltzer]

Shea sat by the water, knife and sharpening stone in his lap. The primitive blade had been getting dull, struggling to cut through the overgrown vines that littered the island. It could still be used well enough for protection, and catching fish when in a pinch, but that was about it. Better to sharpen the stone before he got caught in an unfortunate situation where he didn't have his spear.

Placing the stone on the ground, Shea started to drag his knife across it, grinding away at one edge's side before flipping the blade over and repeating his actions on the opposite side. A sudden screech brought his actions to rough stop, his blade scraping and skipping along the stone as he jolted at the noise. Hissing as he felt the knife cut into the tips of his fingers, Shea moved his hand and shook it, ignoring the thin lines of blood that started to appear as he slipped the stone into his knife's sheath. The screech was more pressing than such a minor injury.

Jumping to his feet with his knife held tightly in his right hand, he started towards where the sound originated from. He could see a few birds and other animals still fleeing from the area, so he must have been going in the right direction, all he had to do was look for something that didn't belong. Honestly, it didn't take him long to find the probable source of the noise, the bright orange and yellow clothes this person wore stood out in an area filled to the brim with greens and browns. Approaching them slowly, Shea's brow creased in confusion. Beyond this girl being vaguely familiar, she didn't look to be in danger or even like she was hurt too badly. Why was she so loud earlier then?

"...You are okay?" he asked, creeping a bit more into view, not yet sheathing his weapon. Maybe there was some animal that scared her? Many of the pale people were very jumpy in the more wild areas of the island, but Shea had to be ready to protect people in his "territory", should their fears be justified. It was part of his duty as a warrior.

[jungle-waltzer]

Emergency Care || Violet and Shea

[thenervousnurse]

Violet flinched when the man suddenly slapped the wound once he realized that she was approaching. The reaction definitely confirmed that there was an infection, even a simple wound wouldn’t stir such pain. The nurse tried to put on a nice face in an attempt to calm him, but her concern seemed to seep out again. She really was bad at talking to people after all, even those she wanted to help.

"Y-Your arm doesn’t look that good…" Violet attempted to explain, "Y-You need to get it looked at…i-it won’t get better if you don’t…" The nurse shrank back a little at the man’s expression and the way he was trying to hide his arm. Did he think that she was going to hurt him? Some of her patients had been a little hard to deal with with that kind of thinking.

Violet carefully knelt down near the man to his level, “W-Would it be okay for me to take you to the clinic…? I-I’m Violet…w-what’s your name?” She tried to meet the man in the eye and kept any nervousness from creeping into her expression.

[jungle-waltzer]

Shea sat stock still, eyes flickering between the woman's face and her hands. Was she going to target his arm? Anything that would cause it more pain would certainly make him more vulnerable. She... her expression didn't seem like that of an aggressor though. Her face wasn't in scrunched up like a predator, nor was it the neutral mask of one laying in wait.

Relaxing his muscles, though still keeping a cautious stance, Shea glanced down at his arm. The woman was right, his arm really didn't look good. What would looking at it help with though? How would that make it get better? Staring at it right now didn't seem to be making the pain stop or make the gash just go away. Looking up from his arm, he watched as the girl knelt down and introduced herself.

"I Shea..." He answered, giving the girl one more wary look before deeming her a non-threat. She hadn't done anything to hurt him yet, and her expression seemed more concerned than hostile. Besides, he was too curious about this 'clinic' thing to be too worried. "Clinic, what is? Is good or bad place?" Squinting, he voiced a passing thought, "Why want to take Shea there?"

[jungle-waltzer]

Do you remember/did you have a crush on anybody when you were 7 years old?

"Not know how have crush on someone. Throw crumbled rock or nut at them? What word even mean if not crushing food or plant?"

[jungle-waltzer]

What kind of music do you like to listen to? Do you play an instrument? If so, which one?

"Can play special instrument. It call kalimba. Not play lot, but like sounds it make."

[jungle-waltzer]

If someone gave you $1,000 to burn a butterfly over a candle, would you?

Shea frowned and crossed his arms. "No waste life for thing no need. Way of nature only kill when hungry or in danger."

[jungle-waltzer]

Have you ever lost any fingers?

"No lose any finger." Shea lifted his hands in the air to display all ten of his digits.

[jungle-waltzer]

green or purple grapes? why?

"Eat all food, color change nothing."

[jungle-waltzer]

Do you sing in the shower?

Shea blinked in confusion. "...Shower? What is?"