Ah the Sea (Open/Mod)

[Jay]

Raphael had been in Era maybe a few days at most, yet what he had already seen of it was enough to oddly make him comfortable. As it was, the first actual area that he had come upon was rather.... home-like.... Brown eyes stared out at the 'sea' of sand, and indeed, the area felt almost like the sea rather than the sand hat it really was. Crossing his arms in front of himself, Raphael debated how to actually cross this sea of sorts. He had left the boat and things back in the water...

He guessed he could always make a boat out of wood or something or try and cross on foot.... However, to the prior, there didn't seem to be any sort of trees or anything of that nature around... And as to the second... well... wading through the sand seemed... well not too bad, but given the almost endlessness of it.... After a moment, Raphael uncrossed his arms and resolved to simply start walking towards it and see where it led him.

[Lady Leaf]

“Tisk, tisk,” A voice from behind Raphael suddenly arose when the large man began to walk, “If you had of stared at it a bit longer it may have started appearing shorter.” Yes, he was being a bit of a smart ass, but how could not keep his mouth shut? There was absolutely no one else around and Sen disparately needed to cross the sea of sand. Purely by choice of course. It had nothing to do with being kicked out of the last city he was residing in. He simply felt it would be a good time to leave... a very good time to leave... What it all came down to was that he planned on making Raphael his traveling buddy for the time being. It wouldn’t matter if the large man agreed to it or not. The big man was clearly no guard or some noble knight who would place his wrath of justice upon him. How did Sen know this? Well, he was just that smart... or because the large bold man had no attire that suggested otherwise.

If Raphael turned around he would see a rather tall, red haired man stupidly dressed in dark purple and black. (he was regretting having only dark coloured clothes.) Along with a rather large Ariados standing beside him. Normally the bug pokemon would have found somewhere to hide from the sun and view of others but out here there was nothing even climb. If Raphael didn’t turn around than Sen would simply begin fallowing him.

[Jay]

The words had made Raph stop in mid step, and for a few seconds, he debated actually acknowledging this person or not. He seemed.... almost like a certain chain-smoking crew member whose name would remain unstated for said crew member's own safety that the muscular man had dealt with for quite some time at sea. Well, he hadn't quite expected to hear such a voice the moment that he got there, but then again, he wasn't exactly sure what he had been expecting anyways.

After a moment, Raphael slowly looked over his shoulder and stared at the man that was behind him. Well... he certainly wasn't the chain-smoker he'd been thinking about. The attire of the man made Raph's eyebrow raise upwards. He either had to be extremely vain or stupid to wear something such as that in the heat..... and Raph, for his own humor, accepted the second rather than the first. The large arachnid that was by the man barely fazed the pirate who had been around enough sea monsters to where fear was no longer a factor for him.

"Endlessness appearing shorter?" he asked after a moment with a half smirk on his face. "Maybe." After a moment, he finally resolved to acknowledge this man fully. Maybe he actually knew the area or was a native that could give directions or something of the like. "The name is Raphael," he finally stated before turning fully to Sen.

[Lady Leaf]

Sen gave a goofy smile noticing the man glance over his shoulder. The smile meant many things but out of all the things it could mean the toping meaning was simple; you’re stuck with me. Nah nah.

Ah a name. This was a good sign. It meant Sen was now free to attempt to use this man for one small but valuable resource. Water. “Nothing is endless my dear Raphael. ” Sen replied as began to fallow the large man, quickly catching up, “You can call me Andrew. Now I have a rather generous proposal for you my dear friend, ” here it came, “You see, undetermined circumstances have regrettably accrued resulting in me being unable to return to the city I was currently residing in. In my hast to leave I have left myself with but one bottle of water and an ‘endless’ ocean of sand. Being the sort of man I am, I am offering to keep you company during your treacherous journey across this ocean for a share of your water."

He could pay for the water which of course would be his second offer if Raph refused to share any water he was carrying with him. Sen just knew better to offer the money first. Always try to get something for free before resorting to payment. It was how Sen loved to live.

[Jay]

Raphael raised an eyebrow and then seemed to smirk a bit. "You don't have any water pokemon?" he asked after a moment. "A tad foolish in the desert." This was also foolish in the actual sea... The salt water was bad for those that drank it and meant certain death to those that tried to use it as a reliable source. However, that was why he had a Panpour was it not? Indeed, it was. Well, partially...... He also liked having all three sense monkeys Pansage, Pansear, and Panpour, as it was.... Back on topic....

Instead of going to answer the question fully, Raphael returned with his own question of sorts. "And why could you not return to the town that you were residing in?" he asked after a moment. Despite the fact that the question had been posed, Raphael truly didn't care what answer was given. He himself had boarded several boats giving false excuses as to why he was there. That was, indeed, what the pirate life brought... along with a bunch of other things, heh. However, if he looked at it, Raphael wouldn't trade the past he had had.

[Lady Leaf]

Water pokemon? Yes! Sen had hit the jackpot with this man. It made it clear to Sen Raphael’s comment meant the large man had a water pokemon with him. He couldn’t have gotten luckier. “Lets see a bug,” Sen pointed towards Ariados with thumb as he continued, “A deer and a dog. Nope no water pokemon sadly. I shall surely make it a goal of mine to catch one.” He truly had no intentions of catching of a water pokemon any time soon. But who was keeping track of that anyways?

Sen looked a bit shocked and nervous for a moment when Raphael asked for the reason he could not return to the town he was last in. However his expression quickly changed back into a goofy smile, “That my dear friend is a rather long, boring and dull story in which you would have very little interest in I’m sure. All in all it ends with something to do about gutting a pig.” Actually it had ended with a man threatening to gut Sen like a pig after he had been caught hitting on his wife to be. A woman who Sen had happened to steal some valuables from her father the night before which he would have gotten away with. Sadly he had also stolen some valuables from the husband to be, which he had also not been caught for until mistakenly paid for the drinks he bought to hit on the wife to be with the gold he had stolen from the husband to be. The man had noticed this and was sadly smart enough to realize that Sen was most likely the same thief that had been sucking the city dry for the past month. The entire thing reminded Sen why he didn’t spend more the two weeks in one place at a time. Oh well. What was done was done.

“So tell me, why would a man like yourself be traveling in a place such as this? I hear that it’s not the most common choice for people to travel through. But that’s just a rumor.”

[Jay]

Raphael mentally sweat dropped at the words of gutting a pig. He didn't normally eat meat... not that fish counted in this meat count of course.... Off topic.... After a few seconds, he realized a question had been posed to him, and the rather muscular pirate found himself looking off to the sea of sand again. He brought a hand to his chin for a few seconds. "I traveled up from the Orre region and ended up here," he answered back giving the simplest and rather honest answer. No need to give a full life story on anything.

After a moment, Raphael found himself moving again towards the sea of sand. "And it doesn't seem that there is any way around this pit other than straight through it." It was more of a statement rather than anything else... And once again, rather true as far as Raphael knew. Where would he go after he passed the odd sea? Raph wasn't sure....

[Lady Leaf]

Orre? He could safely say he had never been there before. After all he had never left Era before. Most likely he would never leave the place unless all of Era rejected him for one reason or another. Which actually... now that he thought about it could happen if ended up living that long.

“Sadly you right,” Sen replied as Raphael began to walk again, “And that is why you need my company. No need to thank me. Im just that generous.” Sen began to fallow the larger man as spoke not really caring if the man wanted his company or not. He also knew the man was most likely smart enough to realize that Sen’s company was far from a generous gesture. Sen knew he would be needing more water to make it across the sands though. He also knew that it was safer to travel with someone else. So truthfully, even if the bigger man could make it across himself, Sen could come in handy if something unexpected were to happen. He had no idea what could happen in the middle of nowhere but you should always be open minded.

[Jay]

Upon hearing Sen's words, Raphael resisted the urge to chuckle to himself. "Alright then," was all he answered back with as he continued to walk. It didn't seem to bother him too much that Sen was following. He'd had stowaways on board before, yet unless they were registered as enemies or something like that, he usually just let them off. There were even some instances such as with Nap, where both Raphael and Shen had ended up letting her stay on board (though that was actually more of Shen's call at the end of it all, heh)

As he finally found himself starting to seep into the sand, Raphael felt the muscles of his legs tighten. Indeed, the sand not only looked like water but flowed quite like it as well. "Watch your step," Raphael stated aloud to Sen. Whether he took the advice or not, Raphael wasn't one to care on, yet he had said it therefore one couldn't go back and say that he hadn't said anything.

[Lady Leaf]

Sen watched as Raphael sank a bit in the sand. A small sigh escaped his mouth as he too took another step and sank a bit. If he recalled correctly they would soon be up to their knees in sand. He had to cross the sands to get to the place he just recently been chased out of. There had a been a few times on his way through the sands that Ada had to help pull him out of the sand.

“I don’t know why but it had escaped my mind when I decided to cross this forsaken sand trap the first time that I’d be having to cross it again to get back.” Sen complained aloud more to himself than to Raphael. “I hand coming out places it shouldn’t for week, despite having a bath.” Really that whole week he had only had one bath. He hadn’t even lied this time to make sound better.

Sen’s eyes suddenly glared over to Ada who seemed to be unaffected by the sand. She wasn’t sinking into it like Sen and Raphael were. She simply looked like she was floating on top of the sand like a water spider would on water. It was the grace of the insect. “What do you plan on doing after we’ve made it across? I know a great tavern and inn in the next town. Get a bit to drink, find a few ladies...” Or I could just get you drunk enough to...

[Jay]

Raphael actually walked rather well through the sand though his pace was considerably slower than it would normally be. As Sen began to talk about the sand, Raphael simply stared forwards taking in that thought. Well, if he did eventually leave the country, he'd go a different way... maybe find the northern sea or something of that nature. When the notion of the bath came, Raphael sweat dropped a little but didn't say anything directly on it.

As the questions came at him about what he would do after he crossed the sea, Raphael mentally stopped unsure of what to say. However, of course, his legs continued forwards. "I'll probably end up wandering around the region a bit," he answered back. "Maybe find a place with real water...I heard that there was a large lake almost like a sea somewhere in the west...."

The idea of 'getting a bit go drink' only made him mentally sigh. He rarely drank, despite being a pirate, given that he had some rather harsh tenancies when under such things. He'd lashed out at his own captain once and broken several ribs (not his own) in that fit of rage prompted by the drink. The captain had been a thin man as it was, and the damage had seemed to show on him more than it normally would. Raphael had mentally beaten himself over it several hundred times.

Off the previous thought, the idea of actually stopping at a town and picking up some supplies was actually not a bad idea. He could even maybe get a map or something. He hated being 'blind' in the country.

[Lady Leaf]

Sen was having a rather hard time with the sand. He was great when it came to solid land. He was fast, good at acrobats and get around just about anywhere. When it came to being out in the water, or this case, really soft sand, he wasn’t so hot. Every few steps or so he would wobble a bit, almost threatening to fall over. Luckily he was able to catch himself each time. Though he knew once the sand got deeper he would be getting a few face full’s of it.

“Well Escapade city sits by the lake you are probably talking about. It’s a cool place to go. Lots of attractions. On the other hand if you want to somewhere with boats and what not I’d suggest Wharfenfair. Less attractions and more business.” Sen didn’t often visit either places. He had been to them both but they just weren’t great for his sort of business. Not unless you were in with one of the gangs or groups in the area. The two cities were worked so much that there wasn’t much left behind for Sen to work. It also wasn’t worth the trouble he could cause with the other gangs by stealing in there turf

Sen took the hint that Raphael’s lack of a response to the tavern meant the man wasn’t interested. It was kind of a letdown but Sen wouldn’t push the subject. After all, the man was defiantly large enough that he could take Sen down if made the wrong comment. In the current sandy spot Sen was walking through he knew very well he would not be able to run away. It was best to keep things level with this man. That meant minimal hitting on until they reached safer ground.

“What kind of a job does a big man like you do anyway? I bet you could take on a bull with those arms of yours.” Hey at least he wasn’t hitting on the man.

[Jay]

Raphael listened to the descriptions of the two places. Hm... Both sounded rather interesting. The name Wharfenfair had caught his attention more than Escapade for one reason or another... Well... it was probably the obscurity of the name in all senses. He'd been to odd places with odd names, and it was always interesting to see. When the question was posed as to what Raphael did for a living, he seemed to half laugh rather oblivious to the slight obscurity of the question that had been posed.

"I used to work on a ship," he answered back not going into detail that it had been in fact a pirate ship. "Though my captain settled down, and the bulk of the crew disbanded." He didn't really blame Shen fer settling down... he had been a good captain... it was just... eh... After a second, Raphael stopped short and stared down into the 'watery' sand. Carefully stepping down and around the hole that he had nearly stepped into. "Careful of that," he said motioning a little to his right now. "It's deep there."

"What do you do for a living?" he asked.

[Lady Leaf]

A... fisher man? Well it actually made sense. Being Raphael’s size he would probably be rather handy to have around a ship. Sen had heard you needed quite a bit of muscle to keep up working out on the sea. Yet whenever he thought of a fisherman he always pictured some old toothless man sitting in his boat with a wooden leg. Arh, the old sea dog. It was funny how children’s books could put such a thing in one’s mind. Or at least, he was pretty sure that’s how he got the image.

One thing Sen didn’t understand was why Raphael hadn’t found himself a new crew to join. Ah well, it wasn’t like he understood the life of the sea anyways. For the most part he kept away from the water. “Sorry to hear” Sen replied as he took Raphael’s advice to avoid a deep spot in the sand. This was actually rather handy having this man around. Not only could he supply water once Sen ran low, but he kept him from falling into the deeper sand. He was feeling luckier than before.

“Eh, I do different jobs here and there.” Sen then answered Raphael’s question, “Never really stay in one place long enough to get a full time job. Too much to see and do.” He enjoy traveling. He also enjoyed his life style. He had no idea if had been born into it but he felt like he belong this way. Sadly he couldn’t remember anything past the age of ten. Not his parents, home or friends. No one had ever come looking for him so he figured he was born on the streets anyway. What poor woman would want to keep their child if they cost too much? Sen wouldn’t. They'd be better off in a gang or something with people who could teach them the ropes.

[Jay]

As Raphael heard Sen's 'sorry to hear that' statement, he could only find himself half smirking. If anything, he'd probably end up on the sea again someday, and who knew... maybe he could make himself a captain, heh. As he heard about Sen's work, Raphael nodded a bit. Well, he seemed like a free man of sorts then. Raphael had been around many free men both fun to be around and extremely dangerous. One certain rival of the entire ship had made his mark and claimed he was the truly 'free one' over and over again which was both annoyingly repetitive and ended up not being really true.

"Well that seems like a rather easy life," Raphael answered back as he continued to wade through the sand and made motions here and there as to where to walk. "Any real goal in it all or are you satisfied with the way things are?" Raphael himself was satisfied with the way things were, yet he always wondered on other people. Some worked themselves to death and were never happy with it while he could easily just continue life wandering the sea and the land without a second thought.

[Lady Leaf]

As they continued to walk Sen found himself digging into his bag and pulling out the bottle of water. During the night the desert wasn’t too hot but during the day... On top of that Sen wasn’t actually normally awake during the day light hours. It just happened that he had no choice today.

“Humm, other not getting myself killed... I’d say no. Just live for the day and take things when they come your way.” Besides, what true goals could a nobody like himself have? He had no leadership goals, no noble blood or even a past to live by. Not that he cared even the slightest. Well that wasn’t fully true. He did have an annoying urge to find out about his past a bit. After all, if he didn’t than the locket of the girl wouldn’t still be around his neck. Someday he wanted to figure out who she was. Which now that he thought about was an actual goal. But no big deal. It wasn’t like he lived for that goal. It was just something he would like have happen someday. Maybe.

“You know, I never did understand the people who work all day to make a lot of money just to hide it in some vault or something. They never look like they enjoy their wealth.” Which was probably one reason Sen had no problem stealing from them. It was like a game. They hid it as well as they could and Sen found the best way to steal it away.

[Jay]

Raphael seemed to chuckle to himself about the people that worked all day and didn't spend their wealth. "I couldn't see myself working a 'regular' job," he stated aloud as he walked. It seemed that the sand was growing higher, and Raphael stopped a moment as he realized that they were on an odd curve of sorts. Slowly feeling around with his feet, he finally found the way to walk on the higher part of the curve. However, it took quite a bit longer to walk around. Nearly tripping a few times, Raphael sighed outwards finding this new rocky area. "Careful here," he stated before continuing on. "Have you ever been out on the sea?" Raphael asked more or less keeping up the conversation.

[Lady Leaf]

“I guess being out on the sea wouldn't be considered regular.” Sen stated as he still figured the man was a fisher of the sorts. Perhaps one who delivered supplies. For some reason scallywag just didn't come to his mind.

Sen let out a sigh as the sand became deeper making it harder for him to move. He growing tired already from the heat and having to push through the sand yet he was trying his hardest to keep up with the other man. Sen was in good shape but this was pushing his limits. On top of it all, his head was feeling rather hot from the sun. He needed a hat.

“Call me a coward but something about being on a boat makes me feel trapped.” Sen replied as he tore a piece of his shirt that hung below his waste off, “I have a tendency to piss people off. Harder to keep out of reach on a boat.” Well it was true. On streets he had as far as the eye could see to run. On a boat he could run from one end to another, or perhaps climb to the highest point, but then, so could they. He defiantly did not have the upper strength to take on most people in a fight. Then again, being on a ship would probably teach him better dodging skills. “I take it you’d feel a bit lost in a city though.” He had soaked the cloth from his shirt with a bit of water and began to wrap it around his head as he walked. Wasn’t the most attractive look but it at least helped with the sun.

[Jay]

A chuckle escaped from Raphael when he heard that Sen felt trapped on the sea. Just the opposite, Raphael felt most free on the sea... Open water and always somewhere to go and something to do. It was a rather easy life as long as one remembered not to be an idiot on it. The sea... She could be a cruel beast at times....

Raphael's thoughts were cut for a moment as Sen explained himself a bit more. He tended to piss people off? Hah.... The only thing that brought to mind was Rachmaninoff aka Rach who made it his sole purpose in life to piss off the cabin 'boy' Nap..... It was then that Raphael realized he had no idea where Rach ended up.... The entire group had sort of gone their own ways... save for the captain and his wife of course.

After a moment, Raph shook his head a bit. "On a ship, one learns to deal with people," he finally stated. "Whether they're mildly aggravating or not....Fighting on the ship is just asking to get thrown overboard and left behind."

[Lady Leaf]

“I’d probably get thrown over board for being useless first.” Sen joked with a bit of laughter. It was true he had a lazy nature but in truth if he was on a ship he could probably still keep up. Maybe. Most likely he’d be the one climbing the ropes, doing the look outs and … mopping the deck. Ugh he would not want to do that.

Sen let out a yawn before gazing up at the sky. The sun still looked like it was in the center of the sky.Letting out a sigh he looked down at the sand as he walked, “its so sandy and hot out here... and sandy... hot...” Yes he was complaining now. “Wish this endless ocean of sand would end already. You know, it be handy if someone built a big old fortress right in the middle of this place. It be undefeatable because no one would want to every come out here with troops to defeat it.” Sen thought about it for a moment before adding, “Is undefeatable even a word? I don’t think it is. They should make it a word.” Yes he was talking now just for the sake of hearing his own voice. It happened often.