Steak, Shakes, and Ancient Monster Quakes.

[SaitoBatch]

The sun shining overhead, the sea gently crashing against the port, the smell of adventure filling the air, to Lee it was a good omen of things to come. If he could find even the smallest trace of Haumea here then all the traveling the oceans would have been worth it. “It’s a legendary ship. All the pirates running around… you’d think there would be more about it all over the place. But nothing? That simply doesn’t add up.” Shrugging and sighing, Lee walked from the pier to the town hoping he’d find something he could use. “Where am I anyway?” Looking at a sign Lee read out. “Goa Kingdom? I guess if it’s a kingdom, then they might have some rare books and scrolls to read.”

Cracking his neck Lee started walking again, but stopped as his stomach started to rumble. “Hmm, I suppose I should do something about that first. Guess I’d better find a restaurant then. Wonder what’s good around here. No fish though, I want steak or pasta if possible. I’ve had fish the last three days and I need a switch up.” Ignoring the look that people gave him as he walked around and his stomach rumbled, he asked random people where a good steak restaurant was. Even if the process was made irritating by the constant rumbles of his belly, eventually Lee found a place rumored to have the biggest steaks around. “Gran Rib Sirloin? Whatever, as long as the food is good the name doesn’t matter.” Shrugging, Lee made his way inside and was successfully able to get a table in the outside area of the restaurant. A view of the ocean and great food upcoming, Lee thought to himself, ”This is a place I can see myself vacationing at for a couple of days.”

[Randy Savage]

Randy leaned back on some crates, right off the dock at the front end of down. She was on the ground, her legs outstretched in front of her, and arms folded behind her head. She had been enjoying some sunlight and the noise of the sea, all the while munching on a bright green pepper. The Pico Pepper was bright and its seeds were zesty; it wasn't hollow like most peppers but instead had an extremely thick shell. They were good in marinades and especially filling for a midday snack! They were one of her favorites to much on whenever she needed something to occupy her mouth. Her eyes were trailing the clouds in the sky, pulling out shapes in everything she saw. Just anything to past the time.

She had been waiting for her crew captain, Devlin, to get everything ready from them to set sail for the next island. Things had been exciting here but, like any adventure, it had to carry on to bigger and better things. He had been gone for quite some time already and, honestly, she figured he either got lost or swept up in some idiocy. That man always had a way of getting sidetracked--sometimes his genuine childlike excitement let others to try to take advantage of him. She didn't worry though; he was a big boy and, if worst came to worst, she knew she could find him by following the sounds of battle.

Randy's attire was light for the day. She had ditched nearly all of her belongings; some sold, others traded, everything for the purpose of getting by day to day. Her feet were adorned by combat boots; their laces loose as the day proved less and less exciting. Her lower half was in simple jean short shorts--the near constant sun and warmth of the day providing no reason to cover up. On her top was a light green tank top with a white button up shirt over top. The over shirt was light and you could see her tank top through it; instead of buttoned it was tied below her breasts. The back of the shirt read: Mo' Money Mo' Problems

Her hair was a dull red, almost looking matte in the light of the sun. It wasn't that she was dirty, just bored, so her hair wasn't expressing very much. Randy's eyes fell from the sky and caught the back of a young boy entering the town. She could hear him reading the town sign to himself from here. How strange. Why is he reading that to himself out loud like that? Randy tilted her head as she rose to feet--she decided it was best to follow the boy. She loved to people watch, especially so when the people were rather weird! Shoving her hands in her pocket, Randy walked casually down the road behind the boy.

She almost jumped in excitement when he mentioned he was looking for food. Randy was looking for a reason to cook herself, and cooking for people was almost more fun that cooking for herself. She absolutely adored seeing people's expressions when they ate her food. Whether they loved or hated it, Randy enjoyed both near equally. She had yet to find someone who truly appreciated her cooking yet so she took the good with the bad. Still with the talking out loud to himself. She observed his gait as he walked; loose, limber, of the balls of his feet...This kid can fight! Either that or he was just an athletic type. But, with not many pro sports around these parts Randy doubted that. A part of her considered running up and throwing a punch. She could use a good spar to pass the time. After all if there was only one thing Randy enjoyed more than cooking, it was fighting! 

Randy pushed the impulse down as the kid entered a restaurant on the street. She didn't have much money herself so she did not pursue him beyond that point. Turning on a heel, Randy addressed the rest of the town. Not much was happening; traders traded, shop keepers sold things, and the drunkards searched the bottom of a flagon for life's answers. With a sigh she nearly turned away and left, but then she noticed the boy had been seated outside the restaurant. Perhaps there were still ways to entertain herself. She walked over to the railing that separated the area that was still considered 'restaurant' from the rest of 'outside'. Randy leaned over the railing on her elbows, looking directly at the boy. Randy spoke without much of an introduction or circumstance; she was a very direct type of lady.

"Hiya! I'm Randy Savage! I'm bored!"  Randy spoke as if she was intending to make her boredom this kid's problem. She punctuated her sentence with another bite from her pepper. Mmm...

[SaitoBatch]

“Hmm, I wonder if I’ve got time to read this thing?” Lee thought to himself as he pulled out a small booklet from deep within his pants pockets. Turning to a certain page, what was written down appeared to be nothing but gibberish but to a trained eye, it was the start of a grand adventure… if by that you meant trying to figure out what someone’s old journal said so you could find something. “We… Three… Warriors… to bring a new…….. uhh…. Set off….. danger filled….. old denzen of the deep?” Rubbing his eyes, Lee tried once again to read the questionable wording, when out of nowhere a lady jumped into his life. Well... not so much jumped so much as leaned but still.

“Huh?” Lee quickly looked up from his reading to see a great amount of red hair. “Uhh… hey there. My name is Lee Xiefeng. Nice to meet you.” Lee took a look at Randy’s arms, noticing the scars on her arms and her tone figure in general. “Well I can tell you’ve got battle skills. I’m guessing you’ve either trained or fought for a long time. Cool, I have a lot of respect for a tough lady. If you don’t mind my asking, what style do you use? I’m interested in seeing different combat styles and the like.” Looking around at the restaurant Lee said, “I don’t have any company coming, so if you want you can hop over and join me if you’re hungry too. I’ll say I was waiting for you if they say anything.” Thinking for a second, Lee then asked, “By the way, what kind of pepper are you eating? I can smell the spice from it.”

[Randy Savage]

Randy preened as Lee introduced himself and set right into complimenting her. At least, that’s how Randy took anyone noticing her scars or extensive and exhaustive training. Already respecting her too, Randy liked that. She could tell this kid would be worth sticking around for a bit at least, if only because he complimented her. If there was one thing Randy enjoyed more than anything it was a well deserved compliment. Randy listened to his questions and mulled over the best way to answer them. Join him? Well that’s obviously an invitation to have free food! Randy leapt, and instead of going over the railing, landed on top of it instead. Her body would shadow the sun, making her look impressive to anyone looking up to her. Randy knew how to pontificate.

”I’m the sole remaining practitioner of the Four Corners and Savage Demon fighting styles!” Randy knew the name of that style reeked with the smell of the Dread Captain Savage; the fearsome pirate her father was known as. She was proud of it nonetheless. ”The technique is difficult to learn and involves unlocking specific ‘gates’ within the body. Essentially removing the limiters that your subconscious places on your actions so you never overtax your body. It’s said that many have even died while learning to use it, or using it incorrectly or too long.” Randy’s speech had whipped up and whirled while she spoke, her excitement and pride was palpable. She calmed down as she wounded down to the end though. ”I'd be more than happy to show it too you some time! Nothing makes me happier than showing someone the strength of my technique!”

Randy flexed and posed as she hopped down off the railing, no longer shadowing Lee. She sat down at his table without saying much of a word about accepting his offer. She leaned back in her chair and put her feet up against the railing she just jumped down from. Her feet were clear of the table--she wasn’t raised in a barn of course. As Randy sat she watched Lee as he asked her about her pepper. Now peppers--that’s a topic Randy could talk for days on. Her tongue almost jumped into immediate action, describing the taste, texture and smell of that pepper. Then, launching into a tirade about all of the peppers she had on her. Her brain caught herself before she could however; Randy was aware she had an overbearing personality sometimes. This was a time she tried not to come off so wordy. She decided to answer him casually as she tossed a spare one she had out of her pack onto his side of the table.

”It’s a Pico Pepper! It isn’t as hollow as other peppers so it’s nice and hearty. Has a great flavor too! Be careful if you try it, other people tell me they’re really spicy. I actually consider myself a pretty accomplished cook. I could’ve saved ya some beri if I would’ve caught ya before ya came into this little shop.” Randy said listlessly. ”I accept your date, by the way.” Randy spoke this part casually, a sly smile spreading over her lips. She intended to eek a free meal from Lee if she could. She spoke again, trying to speak over him before he could object. ”SO! What kind of fighting style do you use? I noticed you look light on your feet and, if you recognized that I fight, you must be fairly decent yourself?"

[SaitoBatch]

Asking Randy if she wanted to join him for some food, Lee mentally did some calculations about how much he had to spend before getting cut off by Randy jumping and posing on the railing separating the restaurant from the outside. She talked about being the sole user of both the Four Corners and Savage Demon fighting styles. “Wow, you know two different styles? I only know the one. And it works on lifting the limits of the body huh?” Nodding in approval he continued with, “I fully see how it’s a high risk high reward style.” Smiling to himself Lee said, “If you want to spar one day, I wouldn’t mind that at all. Or just show off your style’s power, that’s fine too.”

Having innocently asked about the pepper Randy was munching on, Lee was surprised at the sudden stream of pepper knowledge that flowed like a river from the red head’s mouth. Blinking in surprise for a second, Lee immediately went into knowledge gathering mode and pulled out a small note book and pencil to jot down little facts and notes from Randy’s speech. He quickly sketched out a quick drawing of the pepper in questing and double checked his notes, making a small point to find an uneaten one for comparison… which of course meant eating. Lee would have just taken a bite of the one on the table but felt it wasn’t his to just take and bite down on. Smiling at Randy’s acceptance of his “date offer” he simply said, “Who’d pass up on a chance like this?”

When the red head asked him about his fighting style Lee said. “I was trained by my father in the Style of Bajiquan. I use my hands, feet, and joints to strike at my foes. I won’t say I’m at the level where I can call myself an expert though. Decent is good enough for me.” Smiling a bit Lee then said, “I also can use a Sword, Spear, and Staff. But I try not to do that unless I have to against unarmed opponents. I try and fight fair if I have the luxury, if I don’t then all bets are off.”

Lee then said, “My turn again. Where are you from Randy? I’m always interested in hearing people’s stories.”

[Randy Savage]

”Certainly not me! If there’s one thing I am, it’s opportunistic. Pretty much comes standard with being a bounty hunter I think.”

Randy spoke with a large smile on her face, speaking in response to his question of who would pass up a chance like this. She always considered herself ready to take advantage of any situation that came her way. Listening while Lee spoke about his fighting style, Randy couldn’t think of ever having heard of it before. It sounded straightforward enough--kind of like a general weapon style. The chair she was sitting in rocked in place as she pushed her weight up with her feet that were set on the railing. Lifting off of the front legs, leaning on the back, Randy supported her weight and balanced thoughtfully. Her mind worked through a myriad of fighting situations. Although his style had a unique name, in theory the actual technique founded pretty standard. Her mind was processing, running hypothetical battle situations and determining how to break down a style of that nature. Randy wasn’t going through this thought process for any malicious reason; it’s just how her mind worked when presented with a fighting style or battle opportunity.

”Bajiquan...” Her mouth worked through pronouncing the style as she let the chair go back down to four legs. She leaned forward on the table. ”I’m pretty sure I’ve never fought anyone using that style before! Personally, I’ve never learned how to use a weapon. My father always told me to trust your body as the ultimate weapon! Swords can bend, spears can fray and break, but you always have the most measure of control of your own body.” Randy was speaking seriously but then decided she sounded a little too much like her father and the old lessons he used to teach. She broke the seriousness with a big cheesy grin and went back to leaning back on her chair, bringing it to two legs and putting her hands behind her head.

As Lee asked his next question, Randy’s expression would tighten. She’d try her best to continue holding her smile but it was hard. A large part of her had already dealt with what happened to her family and her island. She could think and talk about her adventures in the forest as a little girl, how her father would train her, how her older sister would berate her for being so lackadaisical, or like how everyone on the family loved and treated each other with respect. Those times could be remembered fondly without a single hint of sadness in her bearing. But, it was still hard whenever it was brought up. If someone asked about her home, or her history as a young girl, her very first and most immediate memories were of the fires, the explosions, of Yeomen, her father, and sister all being cut down in front of her. She had to push past those to remember the good times and, no matter how hard she tried, her face always reflected this conflict at first. Randy considered the best way to answer, her hair reflecting her conflict of heart as it flickered from muted, nearly gray colors to bright and brilliant red hues.

”I’m from Con Carne island.” She answered honestly. For a moment she wondered if he would recognize the name. Some people did. Mentally, she shrugged. ”I was raised there by my father and two sisters. Really the whole island raised me; we were all one big family. Since setting out into the blues I’ve never really seen anything like it. Everyone there loved each other. We all traded openly and helped every person around the island. You know, I didn’t even know what beri was until leaving?! There only seemed to be one rule; care about everyone and carry your weight.” She left out the part about how everyone was also expected to serve and give their lives for the Savage Pirate Crew. Honestly, she never even really knew that part herself until it was too late. Randy never knew how to talk about her old life; remember the good times? Rant and rave about the unfair treatment from marines? Push it out of her life as unimportant? Well, that last one was an impossibility. It completely made her who she was.

Randy’s contemplation was broken by the arrival of a waiter. She had almost forgot they were at a restaurant! For a brief moment, her mind was back on Con Carne Island. The waiter eyed her suspiciously but, ultimately, decided not to say anything. He asked politely if they were ready to order. Excitedly, Randy was more than happy to bring her mind out of the past and into reality. Just like she didn’t like hypothetically musing, Randy also hated dwelling on the past.

”Yessir! I’ll have a plate of your thickest steak! Now, whenever you cook it; pan sear it only on one side, and just for a moment! Leave it as pink as you can please!”

[SaitoBatch]

“Oh you’re a Bounty Hunter?” Smiling kindly Lee said, “I should have figured you were one. I could tell you could fight, I just didn’t know you did it for a living. Do you get to fight all sorts of bandits and monsters? I think Bounty Hunters fight giant creatures too, that’s what I’ve read anyway… though that could have just been people bragging.” When Randy mentioned that she didn’t use weaponry like he did, Lee said, “I understand that. To every fighter the best weapon is your own body. But that’s why you can never truly master a weapon until it’s like an extension of your own body. When you can perfectly manage that, it’s said that’s when you’re a true master of your style. That’s what my dad said anyway.”

When Lee asked about Randy’s past, he noticed that even though she tried to hide it, her friendly smile and energetic demeanor faltered slightly. Of course, that was just the harder way to tell something was up. Lee also noticed that Randy’s hair color actually faded to gray before going back to red. “Mood colored hair? I wonder what other colors it turns. That’s something I’ve never seen before. It’s actually kinda cute.” Lee thought to himself before he opened his mouth, getting ready to tell the red haired lady that if it was too much, that she didn’t have to answer him. Before he could however, Lee was given some of Randy’s story. “Con Carne Island? That sounds familiar, but I can’t place it right now.” Lee thought to himself again as Randy continued. Not knowing what beri was sounded like was the start of a funnier and happier story, but as Randy finished, the waiter showed up. Looking at Randy, he turned to Lee for a second and gave a small smile of approval. Apparently the waiter thought this was a romantic date. Seeing the smile, Lee looked away for a few seconds, hoping the blush on his face would go away.

Thankfully by checking the very clean and shiny silverware, Lee could see his face returned to its normal color, though if Randy had looked at him during his head turn, Lee didn’t know. He’d hoped however she had not because then she’d have seen his face. After Randy finished ordering, he turned back to the waiter and said, “That sounds good for me as well, but I’ll take mine medium-well instead.” After ordering drinks as well the waiter left and Lee continued to talk to Randy. “Well I’m from Dojo Island… well raised there anyway. See I was left on my father’s doorstep as a baby. Apparently I wasn’t all that welcome I suppose. But anyway, my dad took me in and taught me to fight. Then when I got older I started looking for treasure and old ruins and the like. It’s a hard job, but I love it. I’ve got a dream I plan to make sure succeeds and for that to happen I’ll have to go all over the world. But, it’ll be worth it in the end.”

[Randy Savage]

"Monsters? Hell yes do I fight monsters! Being a cook like me, one of my favorite things is hunting down the biggest and baddest monsters just to see how they taste.!You never feel quite so connected to the true nature of a beast until you've hunted and fought it for days, to finally land the killing blow. Then to cook it and taste its power after that? There really isn't anything quite like it..."

Randy's voice trailed off a bit wistfully as she spoke. Since she started traveling with Devlin she actually hadn't gotten the chance to go out and fight many monsters. He was more of a fan of capturing pirates for bounties. Randy had always loved to travel for the adventure of it all! Sure, there were benefits to going after pirates and people that would get them a lot of money. But to Randy the biggest reward was always just proving oneself. Personal exploration through self empowerment was a beautiful thing that anyone could appreciate. Randy took a moment to muse over the boy. I wonder how he’d handle a monster.

”Dojo island! I’ve been there. I like that place. Hell, in a past life sometimes I feel like even I was born there. Kind of a small world if you think about it; we were probably there about the same time. I wonder if we ever saw one another and just never realized!”

The time she had spent on dojo island was brief. Their style was interesting but something about it just didn’t suit her there. Some of the monks there had mentioned that they felt like she had spent time with them before, in another life. Randy wasn’t sure about all that--it all smacked of something a little too beyond the pale for her. Randy liked things she could, feel, or punch. Things she may or may not have done in a past life didn’t particularly do her any good. Lee and Randy seemed to have a decent amount in common; both raised and trained from birth by masters of their particular art. She already knew that wasn’t a terribly original story. Lee wasn’t the first she had met that shared it with her.

”A dream? And what dream is that?”

Where some might feel that question was a bit personal, Randy did not. In her mind, Lee had mentioned it so clearly he was open to talk about it. Things were pretty straight forward in Randy’s mind. She leaned forward on the table and watched Lee closely. Her hair flickered in the air expectantly as it danced through hues, perhaps giving her a slightly intimidating look. Randy thought about what her dream was. She told herself that she always wanted to be the best First Mate ever. Others have told her that was kind of a dumb dream. More have told her she was lying to herself--that she secretly had something she was trying to prove to someone. Even Randy wasn’t always so sure.

[SaitoBatch]

Listening to Randy talk, Lee realized how little of the world he’d actually seen. Having never taken down and cooked a giant monster himself, Lee got the sudden urge to try his hand at it. “I’d have to start with smaller ones though, and build up to the towering creatures.” He said to himself as Randy continued to talk. “So do giant monsters taste like the thing they look like. For example does a giant squid monster taste like normal squid and so on?”

Lee smiled slightly when Randy said she’d been to his home island before. She’d also mentioned that there was a chance that she might have been on the island at the same time as him back in the past. Lee’s response was, “I’d like to think you’re the type of lady who’d I never forget. Truthfully, depending on when you showed up, there’s a good chance I was either training, holed up in my room reading about archaeology, or on another island close by checking out a rumor of ruins or something. Sometimes I worked out, but sometimes it was just a big hoax.” Sighing Lee said, “It’s like if you were to waste all this time fighting a big monster, and it turns out to be poisonous so you can’t eat it.”

Randy asked what his dream was, and Lee said, “Have you ever heard the name Haumea? Supposedly it’s this ship that can soar into the sky and dive into the deepest waters. As big as an island, unsinkable against the elements, and full of nature’s bounty. They say that it’s both ship and landmass." With a determined look on his face Lee said, "I’m gonna be the one to find it. Whoever I can team up with to join me on a treasure hurt across the world, I’ll make them known across the world as well as people who helped me find it. It’s always important to give credit to whoever helped you find an ancient treasure, that’s one of the rules of Archeology.”