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 Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 11:18 pm
 Enju waded out into the water, waiting until the water around him was still. The net was wrapped in such a way that by releasing it from one hand it would unfurl to its full size and land squarely on the waters surface. He demonstrated it, hurling the net into the air and letting it land on the water. He pulled it in slowly, a few splashes occuring as he did.
He wrapped the net in again, winding it around his wrist and counting his catch. He turned around, grinning. "So you see, nets are the way of the future. Fishing rods are feudal already," he spoke, chuckling between every few words. Two salmon and a bass struggled within. Enju walking back to shore with them. "Mm, bass looks good..."
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 11:52 pm
 Capek stared openly at the wriggling fish in the net. He eyed his fishing rod with a marked note of disdain. "I'm beginning to think you're right," he muttered, swinging the line absently and casting it out into the river -- carefully downstream of his last 'catch.'
"So then, Arehoudai-sama, what do you do -- other than catch fish, I mean." Then again, he supposed that could be the Gehaka's proffession...
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Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:03 am
Enju was pulling together a small fire, the bass in the basket while the two slamon dried on a makeshift grill of sticks. He moved some dry foiliage into the middle, shifting his attention to Capek as he cast his line. "Eh, call me Enju. I'm a botanist and a fighter. You?"
He grabbed a few thin pieces of sturdy driftwood, skewerwing the bass and setting him over the tiny fire pit. He sat and began hitting a sharp piece of rock against another, trying to conjur a fire.
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Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:08 am
Capek tugged lightly at the line, urging it out a little farther into the middle of the river. Maybe he'd get lucky. If not...--the smell of potentially cooking fish made his stomach grumble sourly, and he ducked his head in a feeble attempt to hide his embarassment. Who knew if it had even been audible, anyway. It was so hard to tell with stomach growling.
"I work in my mother's shop. He makes...plates and the like. Clays and ceramic. I usually just tend the shop and clean." Not exactly exaciting work like a 'botanist' -- whatever that was.
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Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 6:24 pm
Enju watched as his tiny fire began to cook the fish. He'd beheaded it already so it would be ready to eat as soon as it was done. He watched Capek, a smile permanent on his face. He realized how hard fishing was, it took a lot of technique but mostly just luck, which he recognized Capek didn't have much of at the moment.
"That sounds fun. I work with flowers and anything that has to do with plants, it's nice," he mumbled, forgetting to mention that he was also a fighter. Oh well, it wasn't something he cared to talk about anyway.
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Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 6:39 pm
"Ah," Capek murmured. So that's what a botanist was. Sounded...popular. Everyone liked flowers, right? Well, not everyone he supposed but... his mother liked flowers: always had them around the house, though sometimes Capek wondered if they were just there to show off his mother's handiwork with crafting vases and the like.
He tugged absently on the line, watching it with only half his attention direction on the waxing current's tension on the line, keeping one ear out for the Gehaka's words and the other on the faint sizzle of fish over the fire. Habit, he supposed.
""I'm not much of a fighter myself," Capek said. "Scrapping and such, sure, but I'm not trained or anything."
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Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 7:50 pm
Enju pulled the fish off, its outside cooked well. He heaved a rock over, big enough to lay the fish on. "I don't like fighting but I can." He flipped a dagger from out of his pocket, scraping the scales off the fish and splitting it in half.
"Hope you don't mind well done, do ya," he asked, grinning and holding his half of the fish off, a delicious scent floating over towards him. He bit into his, careful to avoid the small bones and then chewing. Mm, yum, salty and hot. "You hungry Capek?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 6:33 am
 Shizuka lead Enju closer to the workshop, continuing the conversation that had been streaming from him since they left the boathouse. "We even had a commission once from the most wealthy Haka in town. He wanted a boat carved with certain symbols and in a certain way. Mother wouldn't let any Gehaka but me work on it. I guess you could say I'm the expert..."
They soon came to the banks of a running river, lapping against the shore every once in a while. "This is the Xang Zou. My family has been living here as far back as I can remember. And... here..."
Up ahead appears a large home with a wooden shop built nearby. Gehakas streamed in and out of the house, looking at Shi and Enju a few moments before returning inside. "This is the Tsukiko Family Boat Carving Shop. The large shop is where Mother's Gehakas put out several boats a day. These are usually fairly average, not very intricate at all. And here..."
He motioned toward a tarped area near the river, under which a large boat was set on a table, partially carved. The work faded out about mid way of the boat. "This is where I work... my mother allows me special liberties to work out here near the river for inspiration. What do you think so far?"
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Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 1:46 am
Enju followed the Gehaka, hands stowed in his pockets, ambling along placidly. "What an honor. For the Haka of course," he said, simperingly. He was very eager to see Shi's work, wondering just how good the boat carver was.
Enju was earnest as he walked at the edge of the shore. Enjoying the pebbles under his feet and the water running over the top of them. The river was one of his favorite places besides his gardens.
He inched a bit closer to Shizuka as they appraoched the house, taking in the large home. "Wow, what a place." He followed towards Shi's little work area, resting his hands on his hips as he moved towards the boat. The carvings were amazing, intiricate and finely carved. "Shizuka-san, these are amazing, you have quite the talent," he mumbled, running his fingers over the markings.
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Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 8:19 am
Shizuka blushed and admitted, "They're not finished. Well, actually, the ones near the bow are almost finished, but from here back they're practically not even started yet. Then I've got to work on the inside a little more... smooth all the splinters out and such and I might carve the sides of the seats a bit... but... it is what it is."
He ran his hand over the smooth edge of the boat, looking deep in thought, his mind already taking over that he might do next. Suddenly he realized that this little journey may not have been as adventurous as he had previously intended. He had already shown Enju practically the entire workshop and his own little area; what was left to show? The river? Maybe.
He walked over to the back and picked up a flat stone. As he pitched it over the water it bounced seven or eight times. Not bad, but definitely not as great as could be expected. Then he sighted the several boats left moored at the pier nearby.
"Enju... would you... want to go out in one of my boats with me?" he asked shyly. He didn't know just how the activity would appeal to the other Gehaka.
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Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 10:24 pm
Enju smiled, seeing Shizuka's attention being diverted to his work. He bumped his shoulder lightly to get his attention back. "It really is an amazing piece of work."
Enju followed him over to the river edge, mimicking the stone toss. He chucked it across the river, grinningas the first one only sunk in as soon as it hit the water. The second one only skipped three times which he laughed. "Wow, your really good," he mumbled, envious of the many bounces he had made.
"On a boat? Yea, I'd love to! I've only been on a boat when I was really little." He kicked the water around, wings fluttering slightly in excitement.
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Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 5:50 am
Shizuka, always the modest one, smiled and murmured a quiet thanks to Enju's admiration of his work. He was not normally admired, his mother always getting the renown for his hard work. And how his mother loved it!
Shizuka watched as Enju's stones fell flat into the water and giggled a little. "This is what I do on my breaks, when I'm not eating. I've been working on the perfect throw since I was a small boy. The best I've gotten is around twelve bounces, I think. It was almost all the way across the river. Nobody saw it though, so it was like the proverbial tree in the woods... no one believes that it happened."
Shi began walking toward the pier, still blushing lightly as he strode toward the boats moored there. There were a few that were typical of the Gehakas in the shop and two that he had hand-carved himself. They were left out here once they were laquered to make sure there were no leaks before they were sold. One of Shizuka's boats had dragons circlings around it as if they were dancing, the other had a beautiful, peaceful garden covered in his favorite white gardenias. (That is what Enju had called them, had he not?)
"Pick any boat you'd like..." he offered. He would have preferred his own, of course. An artist rarely got to enjoy his own work. He grabbed an oar and leaned against a piling, his hands on the butt of the oar and his chin leaned on them. This was the most relaxed he'd been in a long time. He was actually enjoying himself. He watched the short haired Enju walk onto the pier and grinned broadly. There was just something about Enju that made Shi want to smile all the time... something... magical...?
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Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 2:31 am
Enju was a family child and got much praise once they found out his niche. Gardening was a respectable work and Enju's magical touch was impressing even when he was young. Fighting brought more pride to his mother though, viewing gardening as a rather glib thing to spend time on even though the Magoi Gardens were an amazing sight.
"Aah, I see, you've become a master of rock skipping. Lucky. I wish I could do that, maybe I'll start practicing," he muttered, a scheming grin on his face, rather impressed at Shizuka's feat. Enju followed along besides Shi, peering at the working gehaka's curiously, child-like awe in his face.
Enju's mouth dropped at the sight of the two finely crafted boats. He leaned towards them, letting out little gasps every now and then before his eyes settled on the flowered boat. "Gardenias? Beautiful...these are wonderful Shizuka," he exclaimed, fingers hovering over the flower carvings, apprehensive to touch them. "Could we take this one? I have t admit I favor it since it has flowers on it," he chuckled, wrinkling his nose cutely, as he turned to Shi, rocking back on his heels.
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Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 6:14 am
Shizuka smiled as Enju hovered over his garden-scene boat and said softly, "They're made of wood, you won't break it if you touch it... not like I would a real flower..." Shi was inwardly pleased that Enju wanted the floral boat; he admitted to himself that it was one of his favorites and would, most likely, soon be sold.
Shi stooped on his haunches beside Enju as he looked at the intricate carvings on the boat. He smiled and pointed just beyond a few of the flowers, saying quietly, "Do you see the butterflies?"
Shi had cleverly hidden them into the background, a practical abstract mosaic of leaves and such. Rarely had anyone noticed them, but he hoped that Enju, clever as he was, would be one of the first. "Yes, we can take this boat. Would you like a cushion to sit on or something? The benches can become somewhat uncomfortable and reclining in my boats is a preference."
The boat was clearly large enough for one to sleep comfortable between the seats in the middle. There were large cushions for sale in the larger portion of the workshops. It would take no time at all for Shi to run off and get one. He wanted his friend to be comfortable as they enjoyed the experience. Shi put the paddles in the boat and waited for Enju's reply.
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Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 1:53 am
Enju had to observe the boat carvings more closely but he had spotted the beautiful little butterflies that graced the wood. "Wow, that's really amazing, I almost didn't see it. What skill to be able to do that," he said astounded, an awed smirk on his face.
He finally let his fingers brush down the wood, tracing the lines with his fingers. He retracted his hand, grinning wildly. "I love this boat, it's amazing...Oh, a cushion? Mm, I don't think I'll need one, I'll be fine." He was very excited about this little treat, rising and bobbing up and down on his toes, about as ancy as a young boy again.
He'd never been on a boat before but spent a good amount of time in the river or on it's shore. He was fond of swimming and enjoyed doing it after working or at night, just a relaxing way to spend his time.
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