Bogged Down in Balaggan Port

[Mitchs98]

Spoiler: Ze Quotes.

Cait Merlin​

After watching and listening to Mizuki for a while, Cait began to realize that the girl was blind. For a while there she had hid it pretty well, but looking above where Keya made it a bit more obvious to the fishwoman. Mizuki had seemed very confident in her navigation skills though; maybe she had some sort of secret skill.

"Alright, follow me," she said with a grin. She turned and started to walk toward the Lucky Nova, humming a Celtic jig as she did so. "Watch your step," she called out as she started to make her way up the gang plank. "Welcome to the Lucky Nova," she said to those that had followed her.

Cait began to glance around the ship, thinking about what the next stop of the ship tour should be. That's when she spotted Tristan and Nerissa. "That's our barber, Tristan. Looks like he has a customer," she stated for those that weren't familiar with who was on the crew. "Ahoy there," she called out, giving the Tristan and the woman a friendly wave. She also flashed them a warm. shark-toothed grin before turning to her new crew.

"The crew quarters are down this way if you want to put some of your things away," she said. "I could show you some of the unclaimed rooms, or any other place on the ship, if there's a different spot you'd like to go to first."

simj26 Hanarei Mitchs98 QuirkyAngel

Alex Q. Draw
​

Alex watched and listened to the conversation between Darius and Jin. She wasn't the captain or the first mate. As a sniper it wasn't her place to chime in unless things went sideways for whatever reason. Occasionally she'd glance over to the wailing Yummy, keeping an eye on a potential recruit like Jin asked her to. Jet, on the other hand, kept his focus on Darius and his first mate; watching them like a hawk, because he was one.

Alex crossed her arms as Darius began to mention her loyal nature like she wasn't even there. "If you're trying to get bonus points with me, that ain't happening," she thought to herself. She watched as Jin and Darius shook hands. The dead was done, however, Alex didn't have time to contemplate what the new alliance meant.

Jin's Transponder Snail suddenly began to ring, bringing a pressing message from Yukihime. Without saying a word to Darius, Alex dutifully began to follow after Jin. She stopped when he stopped to ask the crying afro-man a question. Not wanting to do nothing while waiting for a reply, Alex turned her head toward Jet, who was still on her shoulder. "Find Yukihime," she ordered softly. Jet quickly nodded and took flight, before beginning to search the port from his bird's-eye-view.

AllHailDago Phayne Sugary_Paragraphs
Azure Sky (mentioned)

Cletus T. Bass
​

Cletus smoked as he quietly watched Walter and Oliver as they interacted with his captain. At first Walter's pushy left a bad taste in the paranoid-man's mouth, but it looked like the robot and his shy human friend meant them no harm. On the plus side, the addition of new crew mates distracted Scarlet from mentioning anything about his new bracelets. He still wasn't in the mood to explain the reasons behind his new fashion sense.

Cletus walked with Scarlet and the group back toward the ship. "I fix ships, he fixes machines," he gruffly stated after Scarlet tried to compare his work with Oliver's.

The shipwright made his way over to the railing overlooking the port and continued to smoke. He spotted a couple of men pushing carts of ship supplies. Wood, metal, nails, bolts, the whole shabang. His focus zeroed in on the men, zoning out any replies or chatter from the rest of the crew. "Looks like my supplies are here," he called out, mainly to give Scarlet the heads up that strangers would be on the ship for a few minutes.

Cletus walked down the gang plank to meet the men and showed them a spot below deck they could drop off the supplies. True to his paranoid nature, Cletus kept an eye on the workers even though they came from a reputable shipwright store.

Lady Warlock DonquixoteDoflamingo thatonespacytallgirl Misuteeku AllHailDago QuirkyAngel CelticHero37

View attachment 456111​

Mizuki followed behind Cait keeping up her confident demeanor neglecting to mention or blindness. She didn't want to give off any vibe she might not be a good fit. The more she came off the normal and just seemed to fit in with the others the better she felt. The last thing she wanted was to receive a pity party or to be doubted do to her disability. The fact Cait was humming a celtic tune made following her even easier. The sound made it take that much less effort to pick up her familiar sounds walking through with others around. So far from what she had heard of Cait she seemed like a interesting person to be around. She quite liked her with the little exposure she had.

At the mentioning of watching her step, Mizuki's posture seemed to shift a little bit going around from being rather confident to being a bit more cautious as she felt around a bit more in depth with her staff to make sure she didn't trip. As skillful as she showed herself to navigate without sight, there was a clear limit to her abilities. Those few unexpected bumps were hard to read, even with her unnatural perception out in the outdoors. She could avoid a sleeping bear in her path but a rock jutting out to a small degree on the ground could easily be her embarrassing downfall if she was too complacent.

At the mentioning of the barber, Mizuki gave a wave roughly in his direction using the direction in which Cait pointed her 'ahoy' as a way of distinguishing which direction they were more clearly. She craddled her staff gently on her shoulder, leaning against it lightly as if to take a more relaxed stance treating it more like a home, even if it felt a bit awkward still. The more at home she acted, the better off she figured she might be.

"The ship seems so facinating!" She spoke attempting to emphasize her excitement despite lacking the vision to really see the fine details. Even if she couldn't see it, the very wind blowing against it was enough for her to get a feel for the size and shape of the ship. As far as any fine details she couldn't tell a thing. It could be painted bright pink with an elegant unicorn in the front and she would never know it unless someone told her that fact... though the very idea did seem like it would be quite intimidating. Only some really dangerous fellows would be so bold as to use such a friendly color tone to pirate across the seven seas! Then again, she wasn't exactly looking to be on some heartless pirate crew. Her own sense of naivety more viewed it for the adventure rather then considering it being possibly a rather cutthroat profession.

"It would be great to see more after I get to put my things away. I'd love to see my room!" She spoke not at all oblivious to the irony of saying it in that way still wanting to play it off as a nonfactor with her. "Perhaps... is there a cabin with a window of some sort? I prefer if i can feel the ocean. Not... well to sound weird its just a preference I have really..." She spoke with a bit of an awkward smile. Truthfully being exposed to natural air was the only really way she could more accurately 'feel' around herself to navigate. Being in more stuffy areas meant she could only rely on her senses. Being out in the open air almost acting like a sixth sense for her illustrating the world in a way likely few might really understand outside those of her tribe.

shadowdude505 simj26 Mitchs98 QuirkyAngel

Keya Fenris - Lucky Nova ShipKeya was still very much confused as to why Mizuki had been looking no where where she was. Now sure she was super short and very easy to miss at times, but, still. Surely she could of saw her if she was talking to her right? The dwarf gal was unaware that Mizuki was indeed blind thinking maybe she just wasn't paying attention to her. Who knew? Nonetheless she hopped onto Cait's shoulder after a bit and let her do the walking for her, after all her legs were tiny. Sure she could move fast if she wanted...but...effort. Why walk when you could ride? She grinned a bit, tail moving about behind her a little.

She waved at Tristan and his customer too though doubted that they could see her. Perhaps Tristan could, he was likely a little used to her small size and riding on peoples' shoulders. Though, Keya had figured out that perhaps Mizuki was indeed vision impaired to some degree by how she acted walking up the gang plank. She didn't say anything, or judge at all either. She was height impaired so...she couldn't really say much. She hummed softly to herself as they spoke, "Well. My room has space." She spoke. "It has a window, too." She offered. The ship itself wasn't exactly built to accommodate dwarfs after all, so she had pretty much taken a corner of a normal room for herself. She would be fine with her rooming with her if she so pleased, though if she wanted a room all to herself that was fine to. She just figured it would help her not to be wasting space anymore and she'd get herself a friend to sleep with.
simj26 QuirkyAngel​

 

[simj26]

Trista February
It would have been too soon if she didn’t meet with the sea breeze and the slow rocking of a ship again. The undead mercenary merely nodded slowly towards the ship’s barber, though her milky eyes made her look more blind than the blind woman beside her, and her actions seemed more like a practiced motion than it was one of common courtesy. She did not respond immediately to the Captain’s request to show them their rooms or the rest of the ship, instead turning her attention to the make of the ship. She pulled off her glove, and ran her hand across the side of the ship. Well-made, sturdy, relatively young. Perhaps younger than her, even, she mused as she compared the flaking skin on the back of her hand to the varnished finish. Trista pulled the glove back onto her hand before anyone could notice it, and turned her attention back to the captain’s new entourage.

The captain was offering to show them rooms, and the blind one was requesting for one with a window, so she could presumably hear the waves of the ocean. These were perhaps a blind woman’s idea of looking out at the ever-expanding horizons of the sea, she supposed. It was hard to critique a blind person’s wants, really. Not that she would ever mean to. She duly noted that the barber’s name was immensely close to hers, and though she would probably forget it in good time, she supposed she ought to introduce herself as February for the time being, if the time ever came, that was.

“I, f it’s quite, alright, I will prefer, to remain on deck.” She started, slow as always. “You needn’t, worry, about living quarters. I have, virtually, nothing.” She gave a smile that meant nothing to the captain. “I, need virtually no, thing.” She’d spent years sleeping on hard rock and atop trees. Sleep now eluded her entirely, and all she could do now was dream of sleep; her body felt no aches that the living felt- she could spend entire weeks hunched over at the corner of a ship if she felt like it. Most of all, she was still somewhat self-conscious. Even if she didn't rot, there would still be the smell of death on her. Up here, on the deck, it could be disguised with the sea breeze, but in a cramped room? It would take a week, if not just a few days, before someone realised something was up.

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Nerissa, Tristan, and Arlen​

“Ahoy, Ladies~!”

The scissors that had been working through Nerissa’s bangs halted as Tristan directed his gaze to where his Captain greeted him, a wide, welcoming grin stretching across his face. Two girls he recognized. Two he didn’t. It was obvious that Cait had found some new recruits while in Balaggan Port.

A cute, sky-haired girl and a...dead...girl?

At the very, least she looked like a walking corpse with the pallor of her skin and her ragged appearance. Not that Tristan was going to complain. The more hands on deck the better. Besides, just because someone looked like a zombie didn’t mean they were actually one. Didn’t mean they weren’t pirate material either. In fact, many pirates prided themselves on their uncleanliness.

Resisting the urge to sigh at that unbridled truth regarding pirates, Tristan kept his friendly smile despite his displeasure at swordswoman’s worn appearance. If she was joining the crew then he was definitely going to fix her up later. Or, at least, slap on perfume after a perfume so that the stench of death was lessened.

Later. Cait seemed to be leading them to their rooms anyway.

“Whenever you girls ever feel you need a trim, feel free to stop by. It's free for crewmates.”

Peering back at Nerissa, Tristan saw that her attention was also taken by the ladies that stopped by the small shop. However, rather than the worn mercenary, Nerissa’s curious eyes were locked on Captain Cait.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Servant of Aquarius. I’m Nerissa.”

Wow. Awkward.

Given that he’d been listening to Nerissa’s lecture on Aquarius for most the day, he got a sense that all fish, or marine creatures, were considered ‘Servants of Aquarius’ in her religion. A cult that seemed to revere some sort of sea god. Even the boy, Arlen, who had been sitting in the corner of the room to keep an eye on Tristan, stared stupidly at the female Fishman, though he hadn’t done much but to nod in response to her happy greeting.

Evidently, he’d never seen one before either.

Tristan returned to his work.“That’s Cait, the Captain of the Tiger Shark Pirates.”

“…she’s a walking fish.”

“Fishman.”Surprisingly, it was Nerissa that corrected Arlen. “I read about their species in one of the books I found in our new ship. It’s a race of the Outside World.”

“Heh. That’s pretty cool.”

Nerissa smiled.

“Then what about the tiny one that was on Cait’s shoulder? What race is she?”

“Tiny One?”

Arlen had good eyesight, Tristan noted. The little hands waving at them were hard to see, especially with Cait’s hair blocking the line of sight. “Keya is a dwarf.”

“It looks like you’ve got a pretty colorful crew yourself, Mr. Roads.”

“Indeed. Wouldn’t trade ‘em for the world.” Tristan replied as he continued to snip away at Nerissa’s hair. His movements with a scissor were blindingly fast. Once finished, some natural oils were gently massaged into the tresses. He showed Nerissa a mirror. “Voilà”

​

“Oh! You removed my bangs...”

“You look better without them."

"You think so?"

"A beautiful jewel should be showcased.”

“Not this one…”

Tristan shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re trying to hide, but if you’re a pirate, it doesn’t really matter. You’re a criminal. Might as well look good for the wanted posters.” Tristan smirked. “Besides, a deal is a deal. And those bangs bothered my eyes since I first laid eyes on them. Whoever cut them for you has no sense of aesthetics. ”

Nerissa blinked, taking the mirror and studying it from different angles.

“Are we done?”

Tristan wiped his hand on a towel before addressing Arlen. “Pretty much. Would you like a trim too? It’ll cost you though. I don’t give free haircuts for men.”

Arlen made a face before uncrossing his legs and getting to his feet, stretching his limbs as he did so. Tristan chuckled. When Nerissa returned the mirror, he gave her a business card.

"Whenever you or your female friends need a haircut from a professional, feel free to give me a call. I'll give you a discount." Tristan paused. "Oh, and give the butler my regards as well. He saved me from being stabbed by your bodyguard, I think~"

Arlen stuck out his tongue.

simj26
shadowdude505
Mitchs98

(mentioned: Lady Warlock , AllHailDago )

 

[AllHailDago]

Jarko, Fin, and Tabemono​

The entire crowd went silent. Shock, and awe spread across the audience for what must have been the hundredth time since the fight started. They waited, their eyes wide with excitement as they searched the demolished stand for any sign of the brawlers. Suddenly, then rubble started to slowly shift, and a odd tune could be heard approaching the audience. It seemed awfully familiar for some reason. Suddenly a fin rose from beneath the rubble cutting through it as Fin made his way towards the crowd.”SHARK!” Someone yelled dramatically, and the crowd backed away in response. Suddenly the tune being hummed got faster, and more aggressive. “Duuuunnnn duun... duuunnnnnnnn dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnn dunnnn.” On the final Dun Fin erupted from the rubble like a shark leaping out to get it prey. His eyes wild, as he thrashed around searching for his foe.”Wherze!? Wher’d da bastrd go! I ain don wit em! C’mon teddy bear! I know yer nod don yet! Lez finish this!” He roared fist raised and prepared to fight some more. He had never had such a great fight before. He didn't want it to ever end.

After a few long moments a large pile of tinder shifted and out popped Jarko… who just so happened to be in the middle of a bite of food a leg of some form of meat. He didn't recognize it but boy it sure tasted good. His eyes scanned until he found the yelling form of Fin. He smiled tooth I'll and passed his meat to a hat wearing, masked figure who's questions of concern Jarko hadn't heard from under the rubble.

“Hold that a sec, I'll be back for it. Help yourself while you're at it. There's tons down there!” He rolled his neck and then charged straight at Fin with a roar, arms stretched and paws open as he went. “Let's do THIS!” He yelled as he closed the last couple feet.

Tabemono stood among the crowded sidelines in awe and anticipation; never had he saw a fight this impressive and for once Tabemono wasn’t completely convinced that Fin would win this fight. He clapped, cheered and cried out dramatically throughout the fights events and for Fin. Nyan stared down Fin like he was cat-food, and Goncho rested wistfully close by Tabemono’s side. He almost forgot that he completely hated this port town, and that there were still a select few strangers among the crowd peering over toward Goncho like some type of prize. Tabemono however couldn’t help but think about how strong both Jarko and Fin were and how this charge could be the clash which decides the fight.

Fin turned as Jarko roared, letting out a mighty roar of his own as the bear man ran at him. ”COME GET SOME! HRAAAGGGRAAAH!!!” He only had time to grab Jarko and headbutt him as they clashed once more. His skull tingling from the impact Fin quickly turned slinging Jarko away onto the ground like a sack of potatoes. Then he charged at him again raising his hand in a karate chop gesture.”KAIMEN WARI!” Fin brought his hand down over Jarko with the same force he used to create shock waves before.

Jarko was momentarily stunned by the headbutt, making the shoulder toss a cinch for Fin. However he regained his mental composure mid-flight, realizing Fin was coming in for that earth shattering chop where he was gonna land. So Jarko didn't let himself land where he was tossed, instead turning the landing into a clumsy tuck and roll. Not really a maneuver big fighters like Fin and himself used often. It likely looked one part comical and two parts terrifying to anyone looking on.

He only barely managed to not be where Fin’s chop landed. However, the force of the shockwave from the chop was all the closer this time. It slammed into his back along with upturned stone, and Jarko felt several jagged pieces pierce through his thick fur and into the first layer of fat above his muscles. He let out a short roar of pain before being tossed through the front wall of what turned out to be a foreclosed brick house. Landing in what would've been the living room, he quickly righted himself and turned towards the hole where Fin would surely follow through. He threw a few glances around the room as he steadied his stance, grinning wildly.

Fin was prepared to break some bear bones. Hehe git id? Bear bones? Bare, bear? When the big fur ball managed to catapult himself further than Fin had intended. Causing him to miss his mark, and if Fin wasn't well... Fin. He'd probably have ended up shattering every bone in his hand. Luckily Fin was indeed Fin, and he'd be born with fishman POWA! Of course even with him dodging Fins attack he still took some uncalculated damage. Because we all know how Fin loves to calculate. This worked in Fins favor, as he'd not only injured Jarko, but he'd also cornered him. Of course he didn't doubt the bear could break out if he wanted. But Jarko didn't strike Fin as the running type anyway. He was a real man, bear, thing! He was someone who had gained Fins respect faster than anyone could have ever hoped to. Fin would definitely have a drink with the snowball. After he won his ship that was,”Aye! I'mma cmin ta git ya! Bes be re~urghh.” Suddenly Fin froze, a scent hit his nose. Something that had a very bad effect on him. Unfortunately, this time it wasn't booze.

The smell of Jarko’s blood, however little there might have been. Caused Fins entire body to tense, his pupils grew until they covered his eyes completely, and his mind went blank. All he'd remember after this point is seeing red as he went into a frenzy like state. He'd lose all technique, and basically charge in like a mad man...well more so than normal at least. He bared his glistening razor sharp teeth, and dug up dirt by sliding his left foot across the ground. Very similar to a bull preparing to charge. ”RAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!” He roared, a more grizzled monstrous roar than his normal one. Only fitting considering at this point he was probably closer to monster than man. He leapt forward with enough force to cause a minor gust of wind behind him, and ran into the building without much more thought than,”feed” in his mind.

Jarko recentered himself as he heard Fin roar in a more…. feral manner than earlier. Jarko wondered for perhaps a second or so before Fin barreled straight through the wall two feet to the left of the opening. Stone and brick shot out in a vicious spray that actually managed to reach Jarko in the middle of the room. Jarko rolled his paw in preparation and tensed as hard as he could, prepping strength in his good arm.

As Fin, who seemed a bit out of it, laid eyes on Jarko he rushed him in a mad dash, completely unaware of his surroundings. Jarko drew his arm back and down, prepping for an uppercut with every ounce left of his strength. As he did Fin, who Jarko now recognized was in a blood rage, tripped over a large chunk of debris left from a hole in the ceiling. Jarko saw his perfect chance as Fin fell, and threw his punch with everything he could muster.

He connected across the full brunt of jawline. Jarko felt cartilage or bone or whatever Fin had crunch from the impact as he flew towards the ceiling, busting through it about three feet to the left of the hole already there. After what felt like ages, but couldn't be more than a handful of seconds, he fell back through ANOTHER new hole in the ceiling. Chunks of stone and brick and mortar lay everywhere, a thin layer of dusty smoke billowing around. Jarko stood back up, his arm sore from the strained tension. “How's that, fishstick?”

Fin had been ready to rip the bear man apart with his teeth. Dig into his flesh, and chomp down like some kind of sea monster devouring a ship full of pirates. However when he was frenzied like he had been, he tended to be a lot more careless than usual. That plus the debris on the floor made it so that Fin was one unlucky fishman. He tripped, getting instead of a mouth full of delicious flesh, a knuckle sandwich. Now that would have usually been something Fin could handle. But the bear man put all his remaining strength into this last attack, and Fin had been worn down by the fight. Even if it was hard to tell with the whole vicious onslaught thing. So when he fell into the punch, only making it stronger. His large frame once again went flying. This time through the roof. The punch had knocked Fin back to his senses. Only for two stories of brick flooring, and a roof to knock them back out again. Fin had a short amount of time to enjoy the view from high up in the air. Taking in all the sights of the island. The crowd watching him, the destroyed buildings that had become collateral from the fight, the roof that was seemingly coming closer, and closer as time passed.”Wait, wo-” POW!

Once again Fin crashed through the buildings roof, and flooring. He was really good at that apparently. His pleasant trip in the air, and now his head was swimming. Which was funny considering he was a fishman on dry land. But Fin being Fin mustered up what energy he could, and lugged his massive exhausted form back up. His eyes reflected the light seeping into the abandoned building, making him look creepy, and intimidating. He grabbed his jaw, which had been dislocated as a result of Jarko's strike, and popped it back into place. He then spit out several teeth, which immediately were replaced by new stronger ones.”Gud punch furball. But it'll take alot more dan that ta take me out. Lez finish this!” He said, staggering to his feet, and just managing to raise his fist.

Although his stance wasn't making it seem like he was in all that great a shape to continue battling. But he couldn't allow himself to lose. He would win, he'd put his blood, sweat, tears, soul, hell he'd put his entire being into this last strike. So long as he could win, he didn't know if he could take another attack, but he'd have to chance it. He tensed up his arm, cocking it back and stepping in as he was ready to give one last strike with all his power. Then...he got hit by a ton of bricks...quite literally, as the building basically collapsed due to all of the damaged it had taken, as well as the years withering it down. Upon being struck directly on the head by a ton of bricks Fin was knocked out cold, and buried in the ruins of the former building.

Jarko tried to shout a warning to Fin, who he had not expected to remain conscious after the last blow. However he didn't warn him in time. With a strained groan the roof of the building fell in on Fin. Jarko tensed, expecting the roof on his side to fall in as well. Putting his arms over his head and neck as he was pelted with debris. After long seconds he blinked his eyes open in surprise and looked around. He stood mostly untouched, the ceiling above him having not fallen in after all. Jarko thought it was likely because it hadn't received the three giant holes of damage Fin’s had.

Speaking of Fin, Jarko rushed to the pile of debris and began tossing huge chunks aside. He uncovered him in a matter of seconds and checked for a pulse. His pulse was very slow, but Jarko wasn't sure what it was like when fishman were conscious so he didn't know how bad that was. However, he was alive and that was important. Jarko pulled a small stopper of a pink tinged liquid from one of the pouches on his belt and waved it under the shark man's nose. It contained a bit of Sky Fire vodka mixed with herbs and a chemical or two, making it undrinkable but a more potent version of smelling salts. People from Jarko’s home island used it for larger minks when unconscious. “Wake up, fishstick! No dying to something like that, it's not our way!”

Fin was having a wonderful dream. He was back on his dad's ship, sailing the high seas. His dad's entire crew was there, even Tab, and his mother were onboard. Everything was fine, until a storm came in. Causing thunder, lightning, and massive waves to stir around them. The ship began to shake violently as it was bombarded by waves, and a evil laugh echoed from the sky. Suddenly a massive black wave rose, coming towards them. Fin panicked, he didn't know what to do. Even as a fishman he knew if this wave hit him he was done for, even more so his loved ones would once again be dead. Then, the laugh came once more, and big glowing eyes appeared within the wave. It grew closer, and closer. As if it had a will of its own. With the wave coming closer, and no way to stop it. Fin held his loved ones tight. Closing his eyes, and waiting for the end to come.”You must face the truth! You cannot protect anyone! You are all alone in this world, because no one wants a weakling like you holding them back!” The creature spoke its words filled with venom, and its voice oddly familiar. The wave charged, and suddenly the water surrounding it dropped. Showing a massive Swordfish, whos sword nose was aimed right at the ship.

”No, you bastard! Damn you Espadon!” He roared in protest as his old teacher approached the ship. He felt useless, helpless. He might as well give up and die. Suddenly a massive figure stirred beneath the waves. Before suddenly erupting to the surface. Fin watched wide eyed in amazement, as a giant polar bear took Espadon in his mouth. Ripping him apart with ease, before turning his attention to Fin. Fin was sure he was going to die when the polar bear let out a ferocious roar. Then he spoke,”Wake up, Fishstick! No dying to something like that, it’s not our way!” With these words, and an odd smell Fin suddenly felt like he was floating. Then he realized he was, and that the sky was on fire. Suddenly he found himself skyrocketing towards it, a wild smile back on his face. He wasn't scared of anything at this moment. He was just filled with energy.

In the real world Fin started to grumble in his unconscious state as Jarko used his concoction on him. Suddenly his eyes opened wide, and he shot back up. Raising his fist, and roaring as if he was some sort of wrestler hyping up a crowd. “YER DAMN RIGHT! ID BE DISGRACIN MAH ANCESERS IF I JUST WENT A DIED AFTER A MEASLY TON OF BRICKS FELL ON ME!” Of course his expression turned back to confusion as he looked around him. Trying to take in the situation,”Hmm, Oi, did I...lose?” He asked, clearly disheartened by the thought.

Jarko’s mouth hung open in a wide, toothy grin as Fin roused. “Well, I suppose you did. Though the ceiling finished what I started. We’ll pick it up another time, yeah? After all, sailing together will let us fight when we like, and drink when we like, and eat when we like!” He almost drooled on the newly conscious Fin. He extended an arm and open hand to shake. “Welcome to the crew, First Mate!”

Fin lowered his head, almost seeming to scowl. Then slowly an odd noise seemed to emanate from him. Before he erupted in a hysterical fit of laughter. “HAHAHAHA!!! Wadda world!” He grabbed Jarko's hand, shaking in heartily. “Nawt too many people who coulda fought toe ta toe with me like that. I'll gladly join yer crew, and look forward to continuing dis fight in tha future, captain.” He said the words almost pridefully. Then he cupped his hands to his mouth, and hollered to Tab.”Oi! TAB! We god us a ship...er, and a new captain!” He said begrudgingly, as while he wasn't mad that he lost. He wasn't exactly happy to admit it either, even if it was indirectly. Rubbing his head, Fin turned to Jarko once more. “Oi, can we hurry up and head out. I need somethin fer dis headach.” He told Jarko, still feeling the affects of being bashed on the head by a house.

Tabemono, who had already come rushing over from behind Jarko a few moments after witnessing the building topple down on his fish-friend Fin, had come peering out from around the large furry figure that was Jarko toward Fin. He already heard most of the words exchanged between Jarko and Fin. “A ship and captain??? Does that mean we can finally leave this place Fin-kun?” he asked in a soft-tone, stepping out from behind Jarko and into clear view to peer up at the large figure which was Jarko, as if examining him for a few short moments before looking back to Fin with a curious expression on his face “Wait...You mean him?” referring to Jarko with his curious eyes and from behind Tabemono, Goncho lazily slumped his way over. Having just awoken from a short nap he instantly started circling Jarko, sniffing at his feet and lower portions of his body and snarling at any attempts of moving away from his inspection, even Nyan peered out from under Tabemono’s kimono to take a look at Jarko only to be frightened back under the folds of Tabemono’s kimono. Eventually after Goncho finished inspecting Jarko, and everything appearing as though he was satisfied with his inspection; going back to sit by Tabemono’s side.

Fin waved his arm as Goncho with what energy he had before returning it back to it's lifeless position at his side. “Aye, dun think I can make mah own judgements ya dumb beasty! He's fine!” He told Goncho annoyed at the beast act of sniffing Jarko. He then turned back to Tab, scratching his head as he frowned. “Yep, Cap'n Furball here is gunna take us off dis rock. So git yer stuff packed, and les head out.” He said moving out of the rubble, and grabbing his own bags at the destroyed bar. Where he had left them. Luckily the fight caused such a commotion that no one had tried to steal them. Not that Fin had much of anything worth stealing that was. Tabemono swung his lamp-pole over his shoulder with one arm and lifted the lower portions of his kimono up so he was able to run efficiently “Reeaaddyyy!!”. Fin came back, nodding towards Jarko, his expression slightly grumpy. “Aye, aright. Now what?” He asked, curious to know his new Captain's next move.

Jarko let the wolf sniff him as needed. He was shocked such a huge beast traveled with such a small boy and seemed to like him if body language said anything. “Well first we round up some more people, then I'm on the way to get us our ship. Then we'll have to think about what our crew name will be. After that we'll have a celebration before our first voyage together! I have some vodka I'm sure you'll love. Come on, let's head out and get some others to join, eh?”

With that he walked through the rubble and detritus and came out the destroyed front of the rundown little cottage. He blinked a few times, dust making his eyes blurry and watery. He yelled into the crowd, “My name is Jarko Belfonte! I'm starting a crew for hearty adventurers who want fighting, feasting, and exploring the seas worry free! If anyone wants to join please come forward now!” His eyes scanned the crowd for potential members. Maybe the sword girl from earlier?


Collabed with: Sinny The Fool Solemn Jester

Interacted directly with: P Peaceswore

Called out to indirectly: Chak DonquixoteDoflamingo

 

[Sugary_Paragraphs]

Yummy Foods
Pain.

Regret.

Sadness.

The satisfaction of a good hair day.

These were the four things master (self-proclaimed) chef Yummy Foods felt as he crouched over the carcass of his creation. Flashbacks of the one hour he had spent with his beautiful omlette flashed through his mind, feeling as if he had spent all his life cradling its plate. He could still hear the little sizzles it made when skipped. Still see the joyful smoke it emitted when he spun it around. It was full of such life. During those times, it didn't feel like it was just food. It felt like it was a member of the family. "Yo-You were too beautiful for this world, old OOO." He sniffled, holding a small daffodil while burying the remains of the breakfast in fresh dirt. "I-I didn't want to think you were getting cold...I-I wanted this to last forever. Bu-But I should've come to terms earlier, so I could have a chance to say goodbye." Realizing his horrid mistake wouldn't bring him back though. Nothing would. With a sad sigh, he patted the last handful of dirt onto his makeshift grave. He'd miss OOO. He'd miss him so much. The cook was now in a big funk, the people passing by looking at the broken man drowned in his own sadness. It seemed like nothing could possibly break him out of his shell of utter despa-

"You."

...Eh?

Yummy looked up to see a blond man staring down at him. Wiping the tears from his eyes, Yummy looked around wildly before slowly pointing to himself in confusion.

"Do you by chance know where I can find a restaurant owned by a man called Zambini?" he inquired.

Yummy blinked. Did...Did this man just ask him...?

"...ooooOOOOF COURSE I DO!" The afro man practically cheered, jumping from his spot and doing a small flip in the air before landing with practiced grace. He was just asked for directions of a restaurant! This was the greatest honor (well, in his opinion) a chef could ever have! Now, this Zambini restaurant place...thiiiink, Yummy. Yummy hummed and closed his eyes, his brain working overtime and flinging back and forth between memories of his time here. Rumors told by shopkeepers and traveling customers, complaints about stolen customers from various owners of establishments, and of course, knowledge on what food is being served there. All of these thoughts shifted around, beginning to morph into a mental compass that slowly pointed to the direction of their destination. With a nod, Yummy grinned widely and gave Jin a thumbs up. "And I'd be happy to show you!" Yummy chirped. "I've been to twenty restaurants here and for some strange odd convenient reason, this is one I didn't go to yet! And what chef would I be if I haven't visited ALL the restaurants!?"

Phayne

 

[Lady Warlock]

Captain Scarlet Johanna Indigrid

The young brunette captain’s attention quickly shifted once she realized that another member of their crew was returning to the ship and her expression displayed a big grin when she heard him. “Wasabi! I’m glad you’re back! Now it seems we’re only missing one person… uh… I think.” Briefly, her eyes scanned over everyone else in her crew, trying to count in her mind who they had and who they didn’t have. Limstella was there, Wasabi, Jasper, Cletus, Arlen, Nerissa - well, she wasn’t there but Scarlet knew she would be back - and then their new crewmates Walter and Oliver. She was pretty sure that was everyone minus one. They still awaited Ed.

“Yeah. Ed is the only one we haven't seen yet.” She said it almost as though she was waiting on someone to correct her, but it didn’t seem likely that anyone would. By that point in time, it seemed that the crew was becoming acquainted with their newest crewmates and Scarlet could not have been happier about that.

Still, though, they couldn’t leave without everyone. They had already done that once and she wasn’t about to let it happen again… especially not so soon. Simultaneously, Scarlet didn’t want to delay their adventure and give someone else a head start. It was a difficult conundrum. “Wasabi, do you know how long it will take for all of your cooking supplies to get here?” Her thought process was that they could send people out to look for Ed, but they would have to be back by the time supplies would be finished loading.

That could work, right?

And then Jasper offered tea. If there was one thing Scarlet absolutely adored, it was Jasper’s tea. It was completely delectable and she couldn’t wait to sit down with the entire crew and have tea together. That would have to wait, though, because she did have to send someone out to find Ed. They kind of needed their navigator. Facing Jasper, she called to him, “I’ll have some tea!” Her tone was rather exuberant. She didn’t run for the tea, though, like she normally would have. Instead, she turned to face those of her crew who were still around.

“Things are starting to come together,” she announced. “However, we are still missing a crewmate and I don’t rejoice at the thought of leaving someone behind again. Would anyone be willing to volunteer to go and find Ed? Anyone!?”

DonquixoteDoflamingo shadowdude505 AllHailDago CelticHero37 QuirkyAngel Misuteeku

 

[Felix]

Yukihime and Thing

"...and Yuki.. Don't do anything that will escalate the situation.. If at all possible, I'd prefer we sorted this out without fuss"

"Awww, I was hoping he wouldn't say that," Yukihime talked playfully "But I understand, I will not cause any dangerous domino effect." Her tone turned serious again. Translation: she would still cause something akin to a domino effect. Someone that knew metalanguage would understand that implication, but to most people it looked like she agreed. She didn't know to which group Thing and Esha belonged to, but it didn't matter. She was mostly talking to herself.

"Good, wise decision to avoid trouble." Esha said.

Thing wailed in agony, that was not at all what Yuki meant. Jayjay and the others ignorantly jumping into problems was already bad enough, but Yukihime was diving in head first knowing fully well what she was getting herself into. Thing couldn't do anything about it, so he decided to go with it and at least try to minimize the escalation.

"Talking about keeping a low profile, we should probably continue the tour before they check on me." Esha walked carefully towards the door and looked to see if there was anyone in the corridor. It was empty. "Shall we?"

Yukihime and Thing nodded and followed. As they walked through the backstage, Esha whispered some insightful facts about the various rooms.

"This is where they do the make-up."

"Here we have the time-out room for ... incidents."

"In this room to boss stores all the spices, but only kitchen staff has access to those."

"This room is empty know, but used to be the quarters of Richie. He is not with us anymore."

"Here they keep the special effects and props."

"This is where all the girls sleep."

They now entered a larger area with a low ceiling. There were various levers and ropes going in all directions. "And we have finally arrived where all the magic happens: the Backstage."

A weird sound caught there attention. It was a strange mix between a whale and a cow. When looking more carefully through all the mechanics some huge cages could be made out. Most were empty and others had stuff in there, but the low lighting made it difficult to see what it was.

"Eisha dear, do you know what is inside those cages?" Yukihime asked, calmly.

"Those are Mr. Zambini's ... Curiosities." Esha was clearly uncomfortable around the topic. She led Yukihime and Thing further into the area. The animal sound wailed again, much closer this time. "Ssshhh, we're almost with you baby."

She turned around a corner and they were suddenly in front of a human-sized fish bowl. In the aquarium there was an ugly replica of a sunken ship.

"It's OK." Esha said in a kind voice. "These people are friendly."

Something moved in the tiny shipwreck. A huge head of a cow appeared from behind it. Through it's nose there was a ring connecting it to the basin. It was blinking it's eyes uncontrollably.

"Hello there, beautiful." Yukihime smiled and talked kindly to the creature. She analyzed it with her beautiful blue eyes. "My name is Yukihime. How about yours?"

The animal retreated once more, before peeking it's head out again. It looked around aimlessly as it started to rise further. "His name is Bovino." As the head rose up the body underneath it became visible. It was long an snakelike. The white skin was riddled with scars. "He's just a few years old, but he is already so big. Soon the bowl will be too small for our little Sea King." Bovino swam towards them his tail at least twice the length of most people.

"Bovino, you have such a lovely name." Yukihime didn't flinch when she saw the creature in its entirety. She maintained her calm and composed demeanour as she looked at the Sea King with both compassion and pity. Her expression softened. "This...is cruel."

Thing was freaking out. Cruel was not the only word that came to mind. He was appalled by the wrongs that had been done to the animal. He jumped up in surprise as Bovino hit the aquarium with it's head.

"You don't know the first of it. I actually got my insubordination strikes from helping the poor creature." Esha said in low tones. "Bovino has bad sight, which is probably how he got separated from his herd in the calm belt. Fisherman caught him in their nets when he was smaller than this. Zambini paid a hefty price, before ..." She shivered.

"Hey! who goes there?!" Someone shouted. Bovino immediately got back to the shipwreck and started shivering.

"Shadows." She replied ironically, yet her tone was the same as usual. "May I know who's asking?"

"Ssshht, miss." Esha put a hand on the woman's wrist as if to hold her back. "There is no point. You cannot help Bovino in taking this fight. It will only make it worse. Saving him cannot be done by one person ... and a hand. I will handle this. You go find your friend and get out of here, before it is too late."

Thing was also tugging her skirt to move her away from the basin and into hiding.

"Fine." Yukihime moved swiftly and quietly. As much as she hated hidding from these psychotic clowns she had to swallow her pride. Esha was right, it was not the right time.

"Thank you miss." Esha sad, gratitude shining in her eyes. She turned around and walked towards the shouting. "I am sorry. I was only playing with Bovino and getting him ready for the show." The rest of the conversation got lost as Thing and Yukihime got further away from the scene.

Thing tapped the Den Den Mushi and made a call sign.

"Oh, Thing dear, are you trying to call the captain again?"

Thing tried to act with military precision and tried to mimic calling for reinforcements, which was not that easy to convey.

"Are you concerned that I will do something dangerous on my own? You wish for me to wait until more of the crew members gather?" Yukihime could only guess.

Concern?! It was plain for anyone to see that Yuki was not planning subtlety. He was ready to make some angry puffing jumps, but something caught his sight.

“Who are you?! And what are you doing with Thing?!"

Yukihime's... conversation with Thing was interrupted by an unfamiliar voice. Gracefully turning towards Kate, she smiled brightly, but her stare was ice-cold. This girl had an unusual skin color. Mostly orange? Is she sick? Yukihime asked herself. She silently walked towards this stranger, slowly, not letting her guard down, still maintaining her calm, composed, and cold demanour. Upon a closer inspection, the girl seemed to be quite healthy, actually, and in very good shape. Kate intrigued Yukihime, nonetheless...

"Thing dear, is this lovely lady a friend or a foe?" she asked, on a tone devoid of any emotion.

Thing was quite happy to see Kate return, but he also had mixed feelings. Kate looked quite distressed, so she had probably caught on to the evil intents behind the whole business. It wasn't quite the nice I-told-you-so moment though, as it was more evidence of the huge pile of shit they got themselves into.

Thing gave a big Thumbs up and pointed from the one girl to the other as if to say: Kate meet Yuki, Yuki meet Kate. He hoped the message got through.

"Hello, my name is Yukihime. Thing and Jayjay are my crewmates." She said, with a change in attitude, talking on a cheerful tone. I guess I don't need to poison her.


thatonespacytallgirl
collabed with Azure Sky

 

[Exanis]

Syrin and Stacy
Syrin was in the middle of taking a bite out of the mouth watering burger brought to him by Stacy when the two, whom shall now be known as Thuggy, for the one standing guard, and Dubmles for the one that opened his mouth, walked up to their table and, in Syrin’s humble opinion, signed their lives away in the span of quite literally five seconds. Still, Syrin was in a great mood for the first time in a looooong time, and so decided on the route of offering mercy he knew they wouldn’t take. ”Hmmmm… Counter-offer. You turn around. You walk away. You live. Denying that offer? Well, I don’t think I need to spell that out. Thoughts? Stacy, anything to add?”

By the time Syrin had finished his brief ‘counter-offer,’ Stacy already had her pistol out on top of the table and aimed not at the two men standing before them, but at the captain who was ultimately behind their actions. What was unknown to them was that she also held another pistol under the table, aimed at one of the two men. A smirk decorated her expression as she added, “What your ‘Captain Rocress’ doesn’t know is that I’ve already been through this story once. It didn’t end well for the guy and as you can see, I’m still here in one piece.”

What made her statement even more amusing was that it was entirely the truth. The only exception was that the first time she’d played through this tale, it had been a marine. That marine wasn’t alive at the end of such a tale.

A deep chuckle rumbled through the bar, not coming from either of the goons, but erupting from the captain himself. “Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha! I like this one,” his laughter echoed. “Feisty and willing to put up a fight. Bring her to me, men!”

The two thugs took a single step forward and then there was a loud thunder as Stacy pulled the trigger on the pistol she held beneath the table, hitting one of them right in the kneecap. He stumbled backwards, howling in agony, and the captain’s giggling simply continued.

As the two thugs began to move, Syrin had tensed his whole body, and the moment the gunshot from Stacy went off, he launched forward at the uninjured thug, as if he was a spring that was coiled then released. Within the short moments he was flying through the air, Syrin had unwound his chain and had his dagger aimed at the goon’s throat.

Apparently neither one of the two thugs that had made the decision to approach Stacy and Syrin had expected too much resistance because neither one of them had any weapons drawn when shit hit the fan. Certainly, the one who’d been shot was apparently incapable of doing much of anything aside from grabbing his knee and screeching in pain. The other, though, did seem to be at least trying. He pulled out a saber that had been hanging by his hip and was just barely able to deflect Syrin’s dagger. It did, however, still manage to scratch the skin on top of the thug’s shoulder and blood was drawn.

Since she had a moment to think, Stacy’s eyes shifted towards captain who had referred to her as though she was property. Still having a weapon aimed towards him, she fired another shot. Unfortunately for her, and luckily for him, the captain was able to move just in time to dodge the bullet. He had stood up and with two other guards, began walking out of the bar with a clear plan in mind for something… something that wasn’t going to be good.

Grimacing in anger at not getting rid of the thug in one fell swoop, Syrin noted that Stacy had shot at the captain, but unfortunately, wasn’t able to hit him. Even worse, the man seemed to be planning on leaving, and that just wouldn’t do. Syrin could care less about whatever grand schemes the schmuck had in store, he was already a walking deadman and this bar was going to be his grave if Syrin had anything to say about it. Still, Syrin was in a dilemma, he could try and deal with the thug in front of him then chase down the captain, but by then the captain might get away, or he could leave this thug to Stacy and hunt down the captain, but then Stacy might get hurt. He grimaced even further and sent a glance at Stacy as if asking what he should do.

In Syrin’s moment of indecision, the thug in front of him, bleeding just above the collar bone, snatched at the chain that Syrin had unfurled and yanked at it harshly, pulling the navigator off balance and hoping to create an opportunity to end this encounter quickly on his end.

Stacy, meanwhile, took off sprinting towards the captain who tried to walk away like nothing had happened, determined that that would not be the case. She’d noticed Syrin’s glance, but only barely and not quite enough to really react to it. Surely her own actions, though, would be clear enough. She could handle the captain. She’d done it before… well, sort of.

Barely regaining his footing in time, mainly thanks to experience with people trying to use his own weapon against him, saw Stacy run past towards the departing captain, a clear enough response to his glance for him. Turning his eyes back towards the thug who still had hands on his chain, Syrin let out an animalistic noise somewhere between roaring in rage and screeching a challenge. In the brief moments that Syrin hoped the thug would be caught off guard enough for his next actions, that being him once more launching himself at the thug, this time with the intent to trip and wrap the chain currently held between the two of them around the goon.

In stumbling as balance was swept away from him, the goon was falling towards the ground. Things wouldn’t work quite as planned, though, because he released the grip on the chain and scraped his saber against the ground in an attempt to keep him from landing flat on his face. It succeeded, but left him with his back turned for far longer than was generally a good thing.

While Syrin wasn’t able to wrap up the thug, this situation pretty much led up to the same end result. With a final snarl, Syrin went, quite literally, for the throat of the thug who had his back turned to him. Suffice to say, the thug collapsed lifelessly in a growing pool of his own blood. Without a second glance at the corpse or the remaining, yet screaming, thug, Syrin sprinted after Stacy and the wayward captain.

Still in pursuit of the captain who’d tried to make her his property, Stacy fired yet another shot from one of her pistols which hit the door just as the captain had slammed it behind him. By that point, he’d realized that he was being pursued and had taken to running himself as well. As Stacy pushed through the doors, she yelled to him, “Captain Dickhead!” Briefly, his head turned to look back. Stacy had stopped at that point while he was still moving. It was just enough time for him to see the bullet that proceeded to hit him right between the eyes. And there he collapsed on the cobblestone.

As he burst through the door, Syrin managed to catch the end of Stacy’s actions. Coming to a halt next to her, he blinked twice, then clapped thrice. ”Well, that takes care of that. You think he had a bounty on him?”

“Doesn’t matter. I can’t show my face in front of the marines to try and collect anyway,” she replied rather nonchalantly.

”I mean, yeah… We could find the friendly neighborhood bounty hunter or something? Eh… Too much trouble…” he responded blandly.

Stacy nodded along. “Let’s head back to the ship. We still have to introduce you to Captain Jin. I wonder if he’s back yet?” She contemplated it briefly as she started walking back towards the docks and the ship she’d just fixed up a bit.

Phayne Lady Warlock

 

[shadowdude505]

Cait Merlin
​

"Is that alright with you?" Cait asked Mizuki after Keya offered to share her room. It even had a window like she had wanted. If she did accept the offer, that would easily settle the new navigator's accommodation. Now that just left Trista.

"The deck?" she asked. She hadn't expected that kind of request. What if it was cold out? What if it rained? Did Trista plan on pushing through all that through sheer willpower? "Uh....if it makes you more comfortable, sure. But if you need something, like a blanket on really cold nights for example, please don't hesitate to ask. My quarters are right over there." She pointed to the captain quarters that was near the back of the ship. "I guess it could be the first spot on the tour, if you still want one."

That tour would have to wait a moment though. Tristan had begun to wrap up Nerissa's haircut and the fishwoman captain became a topic of their conversation. She had no clue what the servant of Aquarius bit was about, but she smiled at Nerissa anyway. "Nice to meet you too," she replied.

"She's a walking fish." That comment quickly wiped the cheerful look on her face and replaced it with something a bit more unpleasant. She was about to snap at Arlen when Nerissa quickly corrected him. She hadn't expected the young man to call her species "cool" and cast a quick apologetic look before her shark-toothed grin returned. She listened to the rest of the interchange between Tristan and the non-crewmates and at the end interjected.

"Wait!" Cait said as she walked up to Nerissa. "You're familiar with my species. This is probably a long shot, but have you ever seen this fishwoman before?" She gently lifted the locket off of her neck and opened it, showing the picture of a young Cait with her human father and fishwoman mother. "This is my ma, Tora. I'm...trying to find her," she added, trying to hold back her emotions. "My theory is that she went back to Fishman Island, but there's a lot of distance between here and there, anything could have happened. This is a lot to ask a stranger, but if you ever see her could you let me know if our paths cross again?"

simj26 Hanarei Mitchs98 QuirkyAngel

 

[Phayne]

Jin smiled at the positive results, unfazed by the mans overzealous reaction to his questioning despite recently appearing to be gripped by the unforgiving grasp of depression; if anything the quick 'recovery' time he had just displayed was an attribute that would serve him well upon the high sea's should he agree to Jin's proposal once all this was over, of course the passing of a test was required before any proposal was firmly placed on the table and even then there was no certainty that this man would accept what Jin had to offer. Regardless of what the results of this fateful encounter were destined to be, the more pressing issue was this man Zambini and what dangers lingered around his newly 'adopted' crew. Their journey was only just beginning, the first stop as the Horizon Strides and on his pride as the captain, he would not let this be their last.

Jin's attention was drawn skyward as he watched Jet fly off, clearly spurred on by an order by Alex. Looking towards her, he nodded in approval; glad that he had crew mates that knew how to take the initiative. "Whilst Jet searches, I will need you to contact Stacy and inform her of the situation as well. If possible, I'd have her join as at Zambini's as well" Attention drawn back to the blonde afro before him, Jin waited a few moments for him to relax once more before accepting the offer.

"Brilliant, If you could lead the way, I would very much appreciate it. A few of our friends have made their way over to this restaurant and being unfamiliar with this Island, it would be much faster if we had a guide" Jin smiled, extending his right hand towards Yummy, "I am Jin and this is my partner Alex", Jin motioned with his head, "what name do you go by?"

Jin had intentionally kept information about to a minimum, only giving the basics out. After all, there was still the possibility that Jin's initial impression of the man was wrong and potentially a threat should 'too much' be revealed.

....

As they began to weave through the streets and Alleys of Balaggan, Jin slowed his pace slightly so that he was level with Alex and out of hearing reach of Yummy. Despite the size and build of Yummy, there was nothing thus far to suggest that he was a fighter thus until the situation proved otherwise, Jins intentions were not to get Yummy involved further and drag him into a situation detrimental to his own livelihood should things begin to sour at Zambini's place.

"Alex" he addressed, "Once we arrive, I will need you to scour the area for the quickest escape routes as well as any potential buildings or other dangers that could hinder us. Who knows what will happen once we arrive, I'd rather we be prepared for all possibilities. Whether that means we need to get our hands a little dirty.." he paused, "...ofcourse, I'd prefer to settle things more amicably if possible... also, contact Yuki and let her know of our arrival as well as an update to what she has found.. or if she has gotten into trouble"

Order's issued, Jin made his way towards Yummy, eager to make small talk as well as pry a bit more from the big guy. "So.. have you heard anything about this Zambini?.. I am sure there are whispers regarding just about everyone that forces a living in this island?"

Azure Sky Sugary_Paragraphs shadowdude505 Lady Warlock​

 

[Phayne]

"
"Enter my Child" came a voice from within the Caravan, as the sounds of knocking echoed through the hollow walls. The sounds of crows cawing and branches clamouring against one another reverberated through the park as a gust of wind bellowed through; causing the womans hair to flutter as she stood beyond the door to the Caravan. This was clearly no place for a young woman to be alone. Despite the sun still high in the sky, the thick fog that permeated this desolate land still made it hard to see a few feet beyond ones self, yet made it much easier for this with ill intentions to get away with callous murder, should they so wish it. Who knew what kind of creeps and wierdo's still lurked around in the day. If something were to happen to her, then even the Mistress of Fortune would have a twinge of guilt for her undoing. Alas, she could not allow this woman to be outside for much longer.

"Come in, come in.. do not be afraid.. It be best to enter quickly for I fear the wind would ruin that beautiful hair of yours" mused the fortune Teller. "Though.. before you open that door, I must warn you that I lack any Sake and have no food containing spice to provide you with..Young Sayuri" A cackle echoed from behind the close door.

Azure Sky
​

 

[Phayne]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"Marvelous.. seems like our newest additions are quite excited about tonight" chimed Zambini as he heard the sounds of thunder and eerie music echo through the wall, however that was soon drowned out by the laughter of the men presently gathered inside with Zambini. Not only did his newest star attractions seem eager to perform on stage, their over eagerness to make this a good show almost guaranteed that the restaurant would rake in the profits, both above and under the table of course, depending on which clientele were able to make the event upon short notice.

"Rakesh, are the preparations in place?" he inquired, looking over to a man slumped against the back wall; his left eye hidden behind strands of long black hair. The man nodded. "Good, good. make sure to use enough of the powder... these creatures may speak our tongue but their strength far outmatches our own... I don't want a repeat of last years debacle..I don't have to remind you how much beli I lost after the 'merchandise' escaped..." an almost childlike and innocent smile etched across his face as he finished, betraying the dark meaning behind his words. "..I haven't fed Bovino in awhile.." he murmured, before turning his attention to the old man sat opposite him on the table. Rakesh bowed and left the room.

"Dormir, make sure you get one of the little birds to clear out Ritchie's old room.... get them to clear the bloodstains off the mattress.. its the least we could do after tonight's show, I'd have their first night here enhanced with a brand new mattress... Oh.. and summon Esha to my quarters... I will need to freshen up for tonight" Dormir nodded, standing up from his seat and exiting the room.

"Eins and Zwei" Zambini turned to address the two youngest in the room, twin mercenaries in the service of Zambini, men whose reputation was born from a sporadic history of violence. "Ensure that Captain Vance Leiss gets the message to remain in his office tonight.. and to ensure he doesn't get bored.. select three of the young doves from below and take them with you..." Zwei and Eins nodded, turning to leave the room yet failing to do so as Zambini, whose back was now turned to them in favor of staring at his own reflection in a large gem encrusted mirror.

".. and Zwei.. I understand you have your own hobbies... but don't hit them this time... what use is sending the captain damaged goods as a means of bribery..." Zwei simply smiled and left alongside his brother Eins.

Now alone, Zambini simply continued to marvel at his own reflection; thoughts drawn towards the profit of tonights show.


Felix DonquixoteDoflamingo thatonespacytallgirl Azure Sky CelticHero37

 

[Lady Warlock]

Rhyse “Risa” Talone

As the shopkeeper told them about how difficult times had been lately and tried to explain the whys of it all, Risa’s mind was already spinning as she tried to figure out a way that they could be of more help. The hatter herself wasn’t really one to start a fist fight and she didn’t really see how that would get them anywhere either so she was glad it hadn’t headed in that general direction. She kept running into walls when it came to how to help, though. After all, Emilie wasn’t lying when she said their budget couldn’t cover the deficit.

However, when the shopkeeper mentioned a fashion contest, Risa’s eyes widened. Surely that was something Risa could help with. Crap, she would’ve single-handedly designed a whole outfit if she’d had the time. She didn’t actually have the time, though. But… maybe there was another way.

“You said that King scared away any fashion designers or tailors, right?” Risa had to ask simply to clarify the situation. When the man nodded, her smile widened. “I might be able to help with that. Emilie here is going to finish up our purchase and I’ll be back soon, ok Mr. Martin?” It was clear that she had a plan of some sort or another spinning inside her mind, but she clearly had no intention of divulging it quite yet. Risa wanted to make sure she could actually come through on it before making any promises. Although Mr. Martin seemed confused by her sudden mysteriousness, he didn’t object at all and just nodded along.

Turning to Emilie, Risa briefly stated, “I shouldn’t be gone long. It’s probably best if we just meet back at the ship, though, whenever we’re done with our own things.” Hoping that her crewmate agreed with her suggestion, Risa headed out into Balaggan Port and began searching through the shops and gradually making her way towards the fashion district. Her plan was simple. Risa was fairly certain that she would be able to convince a fashion designer to work with Mr. Martin if she offered to help connect them with Talone Hats in the process. After all, as far as Risa was concerned, a connection with her family’s hat business was a highly valued commodity.

She wanted to make it a good line of clothing too… that way the connection would not only benefit Mr. Martin, but her family’s business as well.

When she finally meandered into the fashion district, one shop jumped out at the hatter immediately because it was a name brand that was known on every single corner of the sea and even at places in between. Risa knew that if she could make some good connections here, not only would Mr. Martin win without a doubt, but Rayson would definitely get some worthwhile business sent his way as well.

Blue Rose Fashion…

Walking inside the shop, Risa called out, “Excuse me!”

AtlannianSpy AllHailDago

 

[shadowdude505]

Alex Q. Draw​

Not having a snail of her own, Alex waited for Jin to be done using his Transponder Snail before snatching it out of his hands. She could have just asked to use Jin's, but she wasn't sure how time sensitive the Zambini issue was and impulsively snatched it. "Call Stacy," she said to the snail. As the snail dialed, she wondered if she'd even get a connection with Stacy's snail, if she even had one. The two women didn't start out their relationship on good terms.

If she did get an answer, Alex would have left things short and sweet. "Yuki says there's something going down at a local restaurant called Zambini's. Some crewmates are involved. The Captain wanted me to contact you. The two of us are heading down there now."

If the Transponder Snail did not get a connection for whatever reason, Alex would have recalled Jet and give him a handwritten note that would say the same thing. She would have ordered Jet to look for Stacy and to start searching at the ship.

Alex handed the snail back to Jin before she began to follow him as they walked with Yummy. "Ay, ay, Captain," she replied with a low enough volume that only Jin was likely to hear. She held her hand so that her palm was facing upward, this time non-verbally asking for the Transponder Snail. Once the snail was back in her possession she called Yukihime. "You there, Yuki? It's Alex. The Captain and I are on our way. Did anything new happen?" she asked softly.

Lady Warlock Phayne Azure Sky Sugary_Paragraphs

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Nerissa, Tristan, and Arlen

Taking the business card from Tristan’s hand, Nerissa was surprised when Captain Cait called out to her, but nonetheless peered into the locket containing Tora’s picture and committed the image to memory. Cait’s request wasn’t a difficult one—though the emotions in the fishwoman’s eyes as she spoke of her mother were enough incentive for the priestess to agree regardless.

Nerissa didn’t have a mother. The closest thing she had to one would’ve been her predecessor, the previous Priestess of Water, who had been in charge of her upbringing. As a child, she’d been told that she was the daughter of Aquarius (born of the water) and had never once questioned it. She had no reason to. The people of Mirage Island were her family. She didn’t need more than that.

Yet, she also knew that others were different.

Arlen loved his mother.

And Cait clearly loved hers.

“I’m sorry, I’ve not seen her, but I’ll be certain to let you know if I do.” She took Cait’s hands in hers. “And do not worry. We are strangers no longer. May Aquarius bless you on your search for her, wherever it may lead.”

“Do I get a blessing?”

“Aquarius bless you as well, Mr. Roads~”

Tristan sighed. A day spent with a girl and not once had she’d felt inclined to initiate a hand-hold. Perhaps he was losing his touch. He watched Nerissa release Cait’s hands and, offering similar blessings to the other Tiger Shark members present, made her leave of the Lucky Nova. Arlen followed closely, though he did occasionally peek curiously back at Cait and Keya.

“Well, now that that’s done…,” Finding a broom in the closet, Tristan quickly swept the stray hairs into a trash bag before facing his Captain and new female crewmates with a toothy smile. “I’ll be happy to help show our new crewmembers around the Lucky Nova. The more the merrier, right? That goes for finding your mother as well.”

This was the first time Tristan had heard that the Captain was looking for someone. While he himself had joined the crew for his own search, he saw no reason not to help--especially if it was a girl in need.

shadowdude505
simj26
Hanarei

“How do you plan on letting her know on the off-chance you do find her mother? The Grand Line is huge! The chance of crossing paths again is pretty slim, isn’t it?”

“If it’s important then Lady Aquarius will show us the way.”

“…I see.”

Nerissa held up Tristan’s business card. “His number is on the back.”

“Ah.” Arlen frowned. “Well that’s one reason to keep it, I suppose.”

“You don’t like Mr. Roads, Arlen?”

“I don’t dislike him…” Arlen admitted reluctantly. “I just don’t like the way the Outsider is coming onto you. You’re the Priestess of Water. It just feels…wrong.”

“It won’t happen. My duty is to Aquarius.”

Arlen shrugged, but didn’t respond.

“On another note, the crew might be having dinner together at a fancy restaurant. Doesn’t that sound wonderful~? I mean, I enjoy Mr. Wasabi’s cooking very much, but since this is our last stop before the Grand Line, I think a little festivity would be nice. Especially after what happened at the Hallows….”

Arriving at the Red Ribbon’s ship, it was easy enough to see that Ed and Kane had yet to return. There was really no going anywhere together with two members missing. Nerissa’s eyes flickered over to where Tristan put all the things she’d bought and proceeded to carry it all to her quarters with Arlen’s help--including the Aquarium with the magical fish. If there was one good thing about losing the Charybdis, it was that the vessel they now occupied was much larger. Full of interesting books and marine knickknacks as well.

Nerissa had never been a fan of thievery, but…well…given the circumstances, it could hardly have been helped. Besides, marine or pirate, fishman or human, they were all Aquarius’s children in the end. And siblings do well to share.

Lady Warlock
AllHailDago
CelticHero37
shadowdude505
(mentioned: Phayne )

 

[Hanarei]

​

Mizuki heard Keya turning towards her direction, tilting her head slightly down though not quite enough to appear as if she was looking at her. She seemed a bit surprised by the offer. She felt a little awkward for the offer, mostly feeling as if she might be intruding by doing such a thing. She knew how precious it could be to have some space to yourself given where she lived, though it was silly to think that was as much of an option when you were stuck on a ship. She already had a good feel for that sort of life on her voyage so far. She was taken more back by the other girl's offer to sleep on the deck. While she wasn't one to deny being able to sleep out in the open air was nice, come bad weather it sounded like a far from pleasant experience. Perhaps if somehow they could maintain having only perfect whether with just the right degree a warmth out it would be something she would consider but she knew it was unreasonable to think that.

She turned her head over in the direction of Cait, a little bit surprised as she seemed completely content with giving into Keya's offer. She nerviously smiled, feeling a little bit out of place. "Oh... I... I mean if you are comfortable with me sharing a room. I am not that picky if it means allowing someone to have some private space to themselves." She could hear another voice she assumed directed towards them speaking about a haircut. She hadn't even thought of that at all. It wasn't that far-fetched for a ship to have a barber or someone at least capable of doing such a job. Her hair was fine as it was right now, after all it made sense for her to have it trimmed before she left home.

Mizuki looked a little puzzled as it seemed the mentioning of Cait being a fishmen was pushed further. Truthfully she couldn't really tell it off of sights.... given she was obviously blind. There was something about her presence that did seem a bit different though it wasn't enough to really make her think that much of it. Really come to think about it Trista had seemed to have a strange 'smell' to her she wasn't quite sure to make it out as. She wasn't the type to really make a comment on such things, her nose tended to be more sensitive then most and she really didn't bother to put so much effort to even see if the smell was indeed coming from Trista or if it was just some random smell in the town her nose picked up.

"I suppose a small tour would be alright... I'll primarily prefer to stay on deck or in my quarters, though if there are other important places to know about I wouldn't mind getting to visit there. I'm... less in my element when it comes to not being out in the open air and prefer to avoid it." She spoke with an awkward smile, leaning against her staff as she seemed to relax a bit more.


Mitchs98 shadowdude505 simj26 QuirkyAngel

 

[Mitchs98]

Spoiler: Ze Quotes

Trista February
It would have been too soon if she didn’t meet with the sea breeze and the slow rocking of a ship again. The undead mercenary merely nodded slowly towards the ship’s barber, though her milky eyes made her look more blind than the blind woman beside her, and her actions seemed more like a practiced motion than it was one of common courtesy. She did not respond immediately to the Captain’s request to show them their rooms or the rest of the ship, instead turning her attention to the make of the ship. She pulled off her glove, and ran her hand across the side of the ship. Well-made, sturdy, relatively young. Perhaps younger than her, even, she mused as she compared the flaking skin on the back of her hand to the varnished finish. Trista pulled the glove back onto her hand before anyone could notice it, and turned her attention back to the captain’s new entourage.

The captain was offering to show them rooms, and the blind one was requesting for one with a window, so she could presumably hear the waves of the ocean. These were perhaps a blind woman’s idea of looking out at the ever-expanding horizons of the sea, she supposed. It was hard to critique a blind person’s wants, really. Not that she would ever mean to. She duly noted that the barber’s name was immensely close to hers, and though she would probably forget it in good time, she supposed she ought to introduce herself as February for the time being, if the time ever came, that was.

“I, f it’s quite, alright, I will prefer, to remain on deck.” She started, slow as always. “You needn’t, worry, about living quarters. I have, virtually, nothing.” She gave a smile that meant nothing to the captain. “I, need virtually no, thing.” She’d spent years sleeping on hard rock and atop trees. Sleep now eluded her entirely, and all she could do now was dream of sleep; her body felt no aches that the living felt- she could spend entire weeks hunched over at the corner of a ship if she felt like it. Most of all, she was still somewhat self-conscious. Even if she didn't rot, there would still be the smell of death on her. Up here, on the deck, it could be disguised with the sea breeze, but in a cramped room? It would take a week, if not just a few days, before someone realised something was up.

Nerissa, Tristan, and Arlen​

“Ahoy, Ladies~!”

The scissors that had been working through Nerissa’s bangs halted as Tristan directed his gaze to where his Captain greeted him, a wide, welcoming grin stretching across his face. Two girls he recognized. Two he didn’t. It was obvious that Cait had found some new recruits while in Balaggan Port.

A cute, sky-haired girl and a...dead...girl?

At the very, least she looked like a walking corpse with the pallor of her skin and her ragged appearance. Not that Tristan was going to complain. The more hands on deck the better. Besides, just because someone looked like a zombie didn’t mean they were actually one. Didn’t mean they weren’t pirate material either. In fact, many pirates prided themselves on their uncleanliness.

Resisting the urge to sigh at that unbridled truth regarding pirates, Tristan kept his friendly smile despite his displeasure at swordswoman’s worn appearance. If she was joining the crew then he was definitely going to fix her up later. Or, at least, slap on perfume after a perfume so that the stench of death was lessened.

Later. Cait seemed to be leading them to their rooms anyway.

“Whenever you girls ever feel you need a trim, feel free to stop by. It's free for crewmates.”

Peering back at Nerissa, Tristan saw that her attention was also taken by the ladies that stopped by the small shop. However, rather than the worn mercenary, Nerissa’s curious eyes were locked on Captain Cait.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Servant of Aquarius. I’m Nerissa.”

Wow. Awkward.

Given that he’d been listening to Nerissa’s lecture on Aquarius for most the day, he got a sense that all fish, or marine creatures, were considered ‘Servants of Aquarius’ in her religion. A cult that seemed to revere some sort of sea god. Even the boy, Arlen, who had been sitting in the corner of the room to keep an eye on Tristan, stared stupidly at the female Fishman, though he hadn’t done much but to nod in response to her happy greeting.

Evidently, he’d never seen one before either.

Tristan returned to his work.“That’s Cait, the Captain of the Tiger Shark Pirates.”

“…she’s a walking fish.”

“Fishman.”Surprisingly, it was Nerissa that corrected Arlen. “I read about their species in one of the books I found in our new ship. It’s a race of the Outside World.”

“Heh. That’s pretty cool.”

Nerissa smiled.

“Then what about the tiny one that was on Cait’s shoulder? What race is she?”

“Tiny One?”

Arlen had good eyesight, Tristan noted. The little hands waving at them were hard to see, especially with Cait’s hair blocking the line of sight. “Keya is a dwarf.”

“It looks like you’ve got a pretty colorful crew yourself, Mr. Roads.”

“Indeed. Wouldn’t trade ‘em for the world.” Tristan replied as he continued to snip away at Nerissa’s hair. His movements with a scissor were blindingly fast. Once finished, some natural oils were gently massaged into the tresses. He showed Nerissa a mirror. “Voilà”

View attachment 461098​

“Oh! You removed my bangs...”

“You look better without them."

"You think so?"

"A beautiful jewel should be showcased.”

“Not this one…”

Tristan shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re trying to hide, but if you’re a pirate, it doesn’t really matter. You’re a criminal. Might as well look good for the wanted posters.” Tristan smirked. “Besides, a deal is a deal. And those bangs bothered my eyes since I first laid eyes on them. Whoever cut them for you has no sense of aesthetics. ”

Nerissa blinked, taking the mirror and studying it from different angles.

“Are we done?”

Tristan wiped his hand on a towel before addressing Arlen. “Pretty much. Would you like a trim too? It’ll cost you though. I don’t give free haircuts for men.”

Arlen made a face before uncrossing his legs and getting to his feet, stretching his limbs as he did so. Tristan chuckled. When Nerissa returned the mirror, he gave her a business card.

"Whenever you or your female friends need a haircut from a professional, feel free to give me a call. I'll give you a discount." Tristan paused. "Oh, and give the butler my regards as well. He saved me from being stabbed by your bodyguard, I think~"

Arlen stuck out his tongue.

simj26
shadowdude505
Mitchs98

(mentioned: Lady Warlock , AllHailDago )

Cait Merlin
​

"Is that alright with you?" Cait asked Mizuki after Keya offered to share her room. It even had a window like she had wanted. If she did accept the offer, that would easily settle the new navigator's accommodation. Now that just left Trista.

"The deck?" she asked. She hadn't expected that kind of request. What if it was cold out? What if it rained? Did Trista plan on pushing through all that through sheer willpower? "Uh....if it makes you more comfortable, sure. But if you need something, like a blanket on really cold nights for example, please don't hesitate to ask. My quarters are right over there." She pointed to the captain quarters that was near the back of the ship. "I guess it could be the first spot on the tour, if you still want one."

That tour would have to wait a moment though. Tristan had begun to wrap up Nerissa's haircut and the fishwoman captain became a topic of their conversation. She had no clue what the servant of Aquarius bit was about, but she smiled at Nerissa anyway. "Nice to meet you too," she replied.

"She's a walking fish." That comment quickly wiped the cheerful look on her face and replaced it with something a bit more unpleasant. She was about to snap at Arlen when Nerissa quickly corrected him. She hadn't expected the young man to call her species "cool" and cast a quick apologetic look before her shark-toothed grin returned. She listened to the rest of the interchange between Tristan and the non-crewmates and at the end interjected.

"Wait!" Cait said as she walked up to Nerissa. "You're familiar with my species. This is probably a long shot, but have you ever seen this fishwoman before?" She gently lifted the locket off of her neck and opened it, showing the picture of a young Cait with her human father and fishwoman mother. "This is my ma, Tora. I'm...trying to find her," she added, trying to hold back her emotions. "My theory is that she went back to Fishman Island, but there's a lot of distance between here and there, anything could have happened. This is a lot to ask a stranger, but if you ever see her could you let me know if our paths cross again?"

simj26 Hanarei Mitchs98 QuirkyAngel

Nerissa, Tristan, and Arlen

Taking the business card from Tristan’s hand, Nerissa was surprised when Captain Cait called out to her, but nonetheless peered into the locket containing Tora’s picture and committed the image to memory. Cait’s request wasn’t a difficult one—though the emotions in the fishwoman’s eyes as she spoke of her mother were enough incentive for the priestess to agree regardless.

Nerissa didn’t have a mother. The closest thing she had to one would’ve been her predecessor, the previous Priestess of Water, who had been in charge of her upbringing. As a child, she’d been told that she was the daughter of Aquarius (born of the water) and had never once questioned it. She had no reason to. The people of Mirage Island were her family. She didn’t need more than that.

Yet, she also knew that others were different.

Arlen loved his mother.

And Cait clearly loved hers.

“I’m sorry, I’ve not seen her, but I’ll be certain to let you know if I do.” She took Cait’s hands in hers. “And do not worry. We are strangers no longer. May Aquarius bless you on your search for her, wherever it may lead.”

“Do I get a blessing?”

“Aquarius bless you as well, Mr. Roads~”

Tristan sighed. A day spent with a girl and not once had she’d felt inclined to initiate a hand-hold. Perhaps he was losing his touch. He watched Nerissa release Cait’s hands and, offering similar blessings to the other Tiger Shark members present, made her leave of the Lucky Nova. Arlen followed closely, though he did occasionally peek curiously back at Cait and Keya.

“Well, now that that’s done…,” Finding a broom in the closet, Tristan quickly swept the stray hairs into a trash bag before facing his Captain and new female crewmates with a toothy smile. “I’ll be happy to help show our new crewmembers around the Lucky Nova. The more the merrier, right? That goes for finding your mother as well.”

This was the first time Tristan had heard that the Captain was looking for someone. While he himself had joined the crew for his own search, he saw no reason not to help--especially if it was a girl in need.

shadowdude505
simj26
Hanarei

“How do you plan on letting her know on the off-chance you do find her mother? The Grand Line is huge! The chance of crossing paths again is pretty slim, isn’t it?”

“If it’s important then Lady Aquarius will show us the way.”

“…I see.”

Nerissa held up Tristan’s business card. “His number is on the back.”

“Ah.” Arlen frowned. “Well that’s one reason to keep it, I suppose.”

“You don’t like Mr. Roads, Arlen?”

“I don’t dislike him…” Arlen admitted reluctantly. “I just don’t like the way the Outsider is coming onto you. You’re the Priestess of Water. It just feels…wrong.”

“It won’t happen. My duty is to Aquarius.”

Arlen shrugged, but didn’t respond.

“On another note, the crew might be having dinner together at a fancy restaurant. Doesn’t that sound wonderful~? I mean, I enjoy Mr. Wasabi’s cooking very much, but since this is our last stop before the Grand Line, I think a little festivity would be nice. Especially after what happened at the Hallows….”

Arriving at the Red Ribbon’s ship, it was easy enough to see that Ed and Kane had yet to return. There was really no going anywhere together with two members missing. Nerissa’s eyes flickered over to where Tristan put all the things she’d bought and proceeded to carry it all to her quarters with Arlen’s help--including the Aquarium with the magical fish. If there was one good thing about losing the Charybdis, it was that the vessel they now occupied was much larger. Full of interesting books and marine knickknacks as well.

Nerissa had never been a fan of thievery, but…well…given the circumstances, it could hardly have been helped. Besides, marine or pirate, fishman or human, they were all Aquarius’s children in the end. And siblings do well to share.

Lady Warlock
AllHailDago
CelticHero37
shadowdude505
(mentioned: Phayne )

View attachment 491241
​

Mizuki heard Keya turning towards her direction, tilting her head slightly down though not quite enough to appear as if she was looking at her. She seemed a bit surprised by the offer. She felt a little awkward for the offer, mostly feeling as if she might be intruding by doing such a thing. She knew how precious it could be to have some space to yourself given where she lived, though it was silly to think that was as much of an option when you were stuck on a ship. She already had a good feel for that sort of life on her voyage so far. She was taken more back by the other girl's offer to sleep on the deck. While she wasn't one to deny being able to sleep out in the open air was nice, come bad weather it sounded like a far from pleasant experience. Perhaps if somehow they could maintain having only perfect whether with just the right degree a warmth out it would be something she would consider but she knew it was unreasonable to think that.

She turned her head over in the direction of Cait, a little bit surprised as she seemed completely content with giving into Keya's offer. She nerviously smiled, feeling a little bit out of place. "Oh... I... I mean if you are comfortable with me sharing a room. I am not that picky if it means allowing someone to have some private space to themselves." She could hear another voice she assumed directed towards them speaking about a haircut. She hadn't even thought of that at all. It wasn't that far-fetched for a ship to have a barber or someone at least capable of doing such a job. Her hair was fine as it was right now, after all it made sense for her to have it trimmed before she left home.

Mizuki looked a little puzzled as it seemed the mentioning of Cait being a fishmen was pushed further. Truthfully she couldn't really tell it off of sights.... given she was obviously blind. There was something about her presence that did seem a bit different though it wasn't enough to really make her think that much of it. Really come to think about it Trista had seemed to have a strange 'smell' to her she wasn't quite sure to make it out as. She wasn't the type to really make a comment on such things, her nose tended to be more sensitive then most and she really didn't bother to put so much effort to even see if the smell was indeed coming from Trista or if it was just some random smell in the town her nose picked up.

"I suppose a small tour would be alright... I'll primarily prefer to stay on deck or in my quarters, though if there are other important places to know about I wouldn't mind getting to visit there. I'm... less in my element when it comes to not being out in the open air and prefer to avoid it." She spoke with an awkward smile, leaning against her staff as she seemed to relax a bit more.


Mitchs98 shadowdude505 simj26 QuirkyAngel

Keya Fenris - Lucky Nova Ship Keya looked to the odd girl as she spoke of staying above on the deck, the dwarf narrowing her eyes and tilting her head curiously. She guessed there were some people that preferred to do such a thing...but...still! That couldn't be comfortable at all right? Ah well, it wasn't effecting her! So if she wanted to stay on the ship then that was her perogative, so long as the dwarf still had a room; even if she had to share it. Not that she minded sharing it! Oh no, it would be great to have someone bunk with her. She'd have someone to talk to and stuff late at night, it'd be great!

Keya giggled, "Of course I'm okay with you sharing a room with me silly! I wouldn't of asked otherwise." She assured her. "Besides I'm small enough we'll have plenty of room." She spoke, pretty much very determined to have her share a room with her. It'd be fun! Mizuki seemed nice! So long as she didn't accidentally step on her or something it'd be fine!

She giggled as Tristan called out to them, smiling brightly and waving back at him.Though she couldn't help but giggling more as Tristan spoke with the others, Cait being referred to as a walking fish. She had to admit the first time she saw her she thought the same thing. As she was called tiny she briefly pouted....though well...it was true. She was very tiny. Though very strong too! She wasn't their demolitionist for nothing!

Though she had no idea what the heck the 'Servant of Aqaurius' comment was buut...okay then! These new people were weird, though kinda interesting and funny. She liked them! She squeaked as Cait suddenly and quickly walked over to Nerissa, the dwarf clinging to the fabric of her shirt so she didn't fall off. She frowned a little as she spoke to the group about her mother, the dwarf sighing gently. She genuinely felt bad for the fishwoman, she knew how hard she'd tried to find her with no luck thus far. With any luck maybe this woman would know something? She hoped so!

Thouh as luck would have it she didn't know of her nor had she seen her, though she was nice and basically said she'd help look for her. She waved at Nerissa as she left the ship, smiling at Tristan of course. At the offer of the tour of course Keya was eager to tag along, the small dwarf hopping from Cait's shoulder onto Mizuki. "I wanna tag along too, after all, you're gonna be my roommate!" She cheered. "I can come too right Tristan?" She asked, smiling sweetly at the man; hoping it wasn't just an offer for the two new girls so Tristan could 'work his charm' on them.​

 

[Azure Sky]

"
"Enter my Child" came a voice from within the Caravan, as the sounds of knocking echoed through the hollow walls. The sounds of crows cawing and branches clamouring against one another reverberated through the park as a gust of wind bellowed through; causing the womans hair to flutter as she stood beyond the door to the Caravan. This was clearly no place for a young woman to be alone. Despite the sun still high in the sky, the thick fog that permeated this desolate land still made it hard to see a few feet beyond ones self, yet made it much easier for this with ill intentions to get away with callous murder, should they so wish it. Who knew what kind of creeps and wierdo's still lurked around in the day. If something were to happen to her, then even the Mistress of Fortune would have a twinge of guilt for her undoing. Alas, she could not allow this woman to be outside for much longer.

"Come in, come in.. do not be afraid.. It be best to enter quickly for I fear the wind would ruin that beautiful hair of yours" mused the fortune Teller. "Though.. before you open that door, I must warn you that I lack any Sake and have no food containing spice to provide you with..Young Sayuri" A cackle echoed from behind the close door.

Azure Sky
​

Sayuri "Sakemono" Jigokumeguri
​

"Thank you for your kindness. Don't worry about the food and beverages. What I truly seek is adventure!" The young woman's eyes where all sparkly. She sat down in front of the mysterious woman with a big grin on her face. "Anyway, you know my name, and some of my habits. That must mean... that you have a great magical talent: the ability to charm people and gather a large network of informers, thus gaining the necessary knowledge of everyone on this island. Am I wrong?" She asked, ever-so-cheerful, and, as always, very direct.

As she awaited am answer, she took her time to analyze the room as well.

As expected, gives off quite the mysterious feel.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Xiao Bamboo
​

The Pandaman awakened from his long slumber, feeling somewhat refreshed. "Another day, another opportunity for self-improvement. Yanyanyanyanyanyanyanyanyanyanyanyanyan!" He laughed, full of energy, and loudly. Xiao then looked around the deck and spotted Cait, Keya, Tristan and... some new faces. Moving away from his "hidden sleep sanctuary" as he'd call it, he approached the group.

"Greetings, Captain, Keya, Tristan. Should I assume these are new crewmates?" Xiao asked, looking at them curiously.

QuirkyAngel Mitchs98 shadowdude505 Hanarei simj26

 

[thatonespacytallgirl]

Kate Thulu​

“Yukihime?” Kate narrowed her eyebrows. “And your Jayjay’s crewmate? H-How am I supposed to know you’re telling the truth!” She demanded angrily but her voice shook, revealing her nervousness. Kate felt as if her stomach was hollowing out as she observed the cages around her. It was as if she had never left Ringo’s damn circus. She hugged herself with her four arms and tried to keep her panic at bay. She took a deep breath through her nose and out her mouth. It was too quick to label this woman an enemy, especially since it Zambini may not be what he seemed.

“Well, I guess Thing seems to like you, so maybe you’re telling the truth..” Kate mumbled. “Shit, sorry, all these cages are just making me feel jumpy.” Kate stepped forward and gave the other girl a nervous wave. “My name’s Kate. The owner of this place invited Jayjay, my friend Anjellyka and I to this party he was throwing. He wants Jayjay and Anjellyka to perform on his stage later for him but…” Kate’s eyes darted around nervously. “Shit, I didn’t know he had all this crap back here. He… he wasn’t telling the truth, was he?” Suddenly, Kate’s fear was quickly replaced by anger. “That son of a bitch has been using us! He’s just like that other bastard! I’m going to punch his damn lights out!” Kate clenched her fists in rage. Her eyes widened as a thought struck her. “Oh no… Anjellyka! She’s in danger! And so is Jayjay! Hey, Yukihime?” Kate looked at her with pleading eyes. “If you really are Jayjay’s crewmate then you gotta help me! I just know that bastard Zambini is planning something tonight for Jayjay and Anjellyka and it can’t be good. We need to get them out right away!”

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[Lady Warlock]

Captain Scarlet Johanna Indigrid

It didn’t take long for Scarlet to learn that she’d misinterpretted their cook when he spoke about the supplies he’d acquired on the island. As things turned out, the supplies had already been loaded onto the ship and technically, that meant they were entirely prepared to leave Balaggan Port. That new understanding actually frustrated the young captain more than anything else, though, because they were still missing crewmates. Ed and Kane were still nowhere to be found and she was left to the decision of determining how long they would spend looking for them before leaving even more people behind.

In Scarlet’s mind, they’d already lost too many of their friends on their journey so far. She also knew, though, that they weren’t the only ones seeking the ultimate prize of the One Piece. The whole situation was quite a pickle.

And… no one had exactly volunteered to go searching for Ed or Kane either.

“Red Ribbon Pirates!” she called out to her crewmates quite loudly, hoping to get all of their attention at once. “It appears to me that we’re more or less ready to leave this island and head for the Grand Line! However, we’re still missing Kane and Ed. Does anyone know where they were last seen?” There was a subtle desperation in Scarlet’s voice, particularly when it came to Ed because Ed was simply so young and fun. She really didn’t want to leave anyone behind.

All she could do was hope that someone had an idea. If not, well, Scarlet had to consider that losing friends was part of the journey and she had to trust that they’d meet again if it was really meant to be.

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Stacy Beauregard

Luckily - or oddly - or maybe a little bit of both, Stacy and Syrin happened to make their way back onto the ship just as the transponder snail started ringing. Without really taking time to pause and show her companion around, Stacy ran for it and answered promptly. It was Alex. And Stacy simply listened and nodded, finding herself unclear on a few things. “Ok,” was all she was really able to say before the call ended.

‘The captain wanted me to contact you…’ That whole phrase left Stacy a bit lost. Did that mean they wanted her to come help? Was it something Jin and Alex and Yuki could handle on their own? Did the ship need to be ready to go pronto in case things went wrong? There were so many directions Stacy could’ve run with the directive and she was lost as to which one to take. And in her racing thoughts, she almost completely forgot that Syrin was there for a few moments. That didn’t last long, though.

“Apparently the crew’s run into trouble. I’m not sure what kind, I’m not entirely sure where this Zambini’s place is, and I’m not entirely sure what is preferred of us in this situation,” she explained in a bit of a rush.

Pausing, she gestured towards the ship. “This is the Dawn Chaser. It’s actually one of the nicer ships I’ve seen since Mirestone and it’s in pretty fine working order, too. I think my plan for the time being, since we might be heading out of here quite swiftly, is going to be to get her ready to sail again at great haste. I can show you around later, but for now, whatever you can do to help would be great. I’m not exactly sure of a heading. That probably makes things a bit harder than they really should be.”

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[QuirkyAngel]

“Didn’t Ed go shopping with you?” Arlen replied lazily to Scarlet’s call as he climbed back onto the deck. Having remained on the ship for most of their stay in Balaggan, he hadn’t a clue where the others had gone. The last time he’d seen them, they’d been on the boat. However, he wasn’t particularly worried. Ed was a clever kid. As for Kane, he pitied any idiot that would pick a fight against the large warrior. The likelihood that either of them were in any serious danger was low.

Still…it was true that they were taking an awfully long time.

“As for the big guy, I’d imagine he’d go to some place fun—with liquor and women. That’s where I’d be if I were playing in the city.”

“Is that so?” Nerissa wasn’t far behind.

“Well…replace women with food, then yeah. Pretty much.” Arlen’s hands slipped casually in his pockets as he leaned against the railing. “Lady Aquarius doesn’t condemn having fun, does she?”

“No, but she does preach moderation. Especially when one is underage.”

Grinning, Arlen rolled his eyes. If he were on Mirage Island, his mother would’ve given him hell for giving the Priestess of Water attitude. However, now that he wasn’t, he didn’t mind enjoying the liberties that being away from his home island provided every now and then. Besides, as smart as the daughter of Aquarius was, she could be oddly clueless about certain things.

He returned his attention to Scarlet. “Either way, I wouldn’t be too worried. They probably just lost track of time.”

It wasn’t difficult to detect the subtle desperation in the Captain’s tone. You’d think the crew get around to carrying some form of communicative device after the whole Hallows incident. Better yet, tracking devices. They had a mechanic now, after all. Course, Arlen wasn’t sure what to think of their navigator getting lost. Navigating the Grand Line was no joke. Even on Mirage Island, he’d heard horror stories about those treacherous seas beyond his homeland.

“I can ask Aquarius where they are if you’d like,” Nerissa offered. “As long as they are near a water source of some sort, they shouldn’t be hard to find.”

As odd as that statement probably sounded to outsiders, Arlen believed her. Nerissa was the Priestess of Water, after all. Only the people of Mirage Island were aware of the powers she wielded—secrets that should’ve stayed on that island. Arms folded, Arlen was silent as he waited for responses. Or any other ideas. Volunteering to work wasn’t something Arlen did very often and, to be honest, Arlen wasn’t in any hurry to chase after One Piece either. Nerissa was probably safer not going to the Grand Line and her safety was a priority of his--no matter what she wanted.

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[QuirkyAngel]

Tristan
“Ah, yes. And how could I forget our resident bear? This here is Xiao Bamboo, the panda. He spends most his days sleeping, but is a good fighter. I think.”

After showing the girls to the ship’s kitchen, the ship’s brig, Risa’s hatter worksation, the bathrooms, the sleep quarters, etc, they ended up wandering above deck to Mizuki-chan probably felt the most comfortable. During that time, Tristan had gotten to know the name of the new Tiger Shark recruits and the positions they occupied. While he was somewhat disturbed to learn that their navigator was blind, he decided to put his trust in the Captain’s judgement. Cait wasn’t stupid. If she believed Mizuki-chan could guide them through the Grand Line, then it was likely that she could.

Not like they had any other choice, since their other navigator was likely leaving them for a girl.

“You’d be correct, Bear. Meet Mizuki and Trista, our new crewmates.” Introductions quick and simple. Now, if the rest of the crew were present, introductions would go by much faster. Alas, they would probably have to wait to meet the ninja. And the grumpy doctor. And the maid. And the hatter. And…whoever else was left. Tristan’s memory was mostly reserved for clients and pretty girls.

While Tristan had joined Cait and Keya in showing the girls around, he also took the time to silently assess their general styles as well as any improvements that could be made. Mizuki could use a bit of a trim to even out her sky blue edges here and there. However, it was Trista that Tristan that took the longest looking to. The girl was a mess! From her scraggly hair, to the palor of her skin, to the heavy shadows under eyes. Everything! Trista needed a complete makeover!

Elitist that he was, Tristan had never met a male or female he couldn’t beautify. The more complicated the challenge, the more driven he became.

“Anywhere else you want to show the girls to?” Tristan directed his question to Cait and Keya, but mainly Cait as she was the Captain. “I mean, they’ve already been to my shop, which his the highlight of this ship~”

Mizuki couldn’t exactly see what he was showing, but she could feel it. The shape and texture. Tristan also made it a point to verbosely describe everything he he was showing so the blind girl could have an image of it in her mind. Once the tour was over, it might be prudent to buy some braille maps as well.

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[CelticHero37]

Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivruski IV​

"Hee!" was the sound made as a conniving little girl got excited about an idea. Ed had been told to do something spectacular for the show at the restaurant. She had been told to attract as many customers as possible, but nothing more than that. She held the collar of her shirt between her teeth as she spun a stick between her hands. Ed was crouched on the ground outside at the back of the restaurant. She was rolling the stick in her hands like it was a game, attempting to start a little fire with another piece of wood and some dry straw. It took her a bit to finally get the fire going strong enough for her to hide in a more secluded area. She had also made sure to clear a general area near the restaurant so the fire wouldn't spread too far. This was guaranteed to draw some attention.

Ein squeaked at her nervously as Ed skipped off, leaving the little fire unattended next to the restaurant. Realizing Ed wasn't going to come back, he reluctantly chased after her. She was on her way back to the ship when something caught her eye, a little farmette with a bunch of animals. A few cows, goats, horses, and the like. Ed opened up the fences as if she owned the place and walked in to say hi to the animals. The ones that drew her attention the most were the cows. At first she walked up to the cows, looked them right in the face and started imitating the way they were chewing. Then she smiled, "Hi cow! Guess what? The boo cow says..." Ed threw her arms up and yelled, "MOOOGABOOGAH!!!!" This freaked out a bunch of the animals and she began chasing them and laughing maniacally as they ran away from her. Ein the Mongoose had just caught up to her and was now frantically dodging all manner of hooves and feet in a panic. He was just able to catch up to Ed and climb up into his little home as she ran the animals out of their pens.

Getting bored, Ed headed toward the boats again, she walked on deck, noting that the crew must have picked up a lot of new members, as she didn't recognize any of them. She was hungry and it didn't look like they were quite ready to cast off, so she went looking for some food. However, she ended up in a room with canons. It was then that she noticed she had wandered onto the wrong ship. Looking out one of the canon holes, she located the ship she was supposed to be on. Then she went and looked out the other side. An evil grin grew on her face as she saw a clear target. She simply couldn't resist this chance to make a boom. Thankfully no one had come as she lugged one of the heavy canon balls over and loaded the canon. Wiping her brow, she lit the fuse, covered her ears, and ran.

The unexpected blast from the canon caused enough confusion for her to be able to slip off the ship. Ein was now shivering and chattering reprimands that Ed wasn't listening too. Finally she found her own crew, waltzing up to them, with pride, she said, "Never fear, Ed the navigator is here!" Then she pointed into the city, with was in chaos with a bunch of random animals stampeding through the street and people running to help a sinking ship, to a building that was just flaring up into visible flames, "Look! Fireworks!"

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[QuirkyAngel]

"Ed, you're back!" Nerissa greeted happily. "Excellent timing~I wanted to see if this dress I bought fits you."

While Nerissa went back bellow deck to find the dress she'd supposedly bought, Arlen's eyes followed the young miscreant's pointer finger. An eyebrow arched. What met his eyes was chaos--animals running around the city streets and the rise of smoke which indicated fire. They weren't the only ones who noticed either. There were confused murmurs from the dockworkers. A few moved to help. Most simply stood back and watched the show, not willing to get involved. Such was the bystander effect.

His gaze flickered to a nearby sinking ship. "Tell me you didn't..."

Who was he kidding? Ein's shivering and chattering was enough proof that Ed had somehow gotten involved. Picking up Ed's pet, Arlen gave the creature a couple of soothing rubs, hopping to calm it down. He was all for fun and games, but this wasn't the sort of fun he had in mind. "Well? What now?"

If the mess got traced back to their crew, leaving the port before they got into trouble was ideal. Not like they could pay for all the damages their little brat managed to create while playing in the city. However, Kane was still yet to be found and leaving without him really wasn't an option either. Or was it? Such decisions were usually left to the Captain of the ship. Either way, Arlen would simply go wherever Nerissa did. That was his duty.

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