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Post by BASTION on Mar 19, 2012 3:05:52 GMT -5
The red was fading away. I shook my head violently, sending glass shards and droplets of booze into the air. There was probably some of my blood mixed in. My hair was still damp, and I could smell the alcohol so strongly I almost felt like I was swimming in the stuff. Blood dripped from my clenched fist, too, but it satisfied me to know that it wasn’t my own. Most of it wasn’t, anyways. And there was that body still clinging tightly to my leg as I dragged it along. Why the hell was he so goddamn stubborn? I lifted my leg--and him with it--and shook it violently, more irritated than anything as my actual anger faded away, until he finally released his grip. There was still shouting coming from the bar I’d left behind, some of it probably aimed at my back, but I didn’t give a shit. I tried to walk away, but he just grabbed my leg again, so I finally just stomped his face into the ground.
”The hell is wrong with you?” I asked, still kicking him back until I was able to stumble away from his grip and leave him behind. ”Shitty drunks.” I scratched the back of my head and finally turned a corner, ”Couldn’t even put up a proper fight.”
This place was so damn cold, too. The snow fell heavily, drifted back and forth on frigid breezes until it either piled up at my feet or melted away from the heat of my body. With a sigh, I made my way to the edge of the town--where I was least likely to be bothered by bar owners that figured it was my fault their chairs weren’t very durable--and managed to locate a fairly small, unfrozen lake. I knew it well. I often sat by it, under one of those huge conifers they had all over the place. There was no way I’d really admit it to anyone, but it made me feel . . . good, just to look out over it. It was cold as hell, but there was something about the stillness, and the water, and the snow and something else I couldn’t put my finger on.
After a moment of looking out over it, like I always did, I plunged my head in to wash out the rest of that broken bottle, booze, blood, and whatever else I’d managed to catch during that brawl.
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Post by Axcel on Mar 19, 2012 3:28:22 GMT -5
The doors of the local restaurant shop flung open, the round owner of the place looking like he was about to pop a blood vessel as he threw Axcel out and onto the busy street. Axcel’s landing was without any grace, having hit the floor face first only to slide forward several meters afterwards. As for the owner, his face was red and you could tell he was mad as hell. If it weren’t for the fact he was yelling all sorts of obscenities at Axcel, one would probably think he was about to have a heart attack.
“You’re fired!”
“What! Why?!” Axcel shouted back as he pushed himself onto his feet and faced his now former boss. The boy had finally gotten a job as a cook, a source of income he desperately needed in order to fund his future pirate endeavours. Without it, he would probably be stuck on the island forever. He was sick of Lyneel, despite it being his home for many years it wasn’t where he belonged. He was from the sea—from the Grand Line.
“Why. . .?” The head chef and owner almost seemed like he had calmed down. Almost. “First you show up with a goddamn sword, scaring the customers, and then you cook all the meals with laxatives! LAXATIVES!” His face was red once again. Realizing his yelling had been drawing attention towards him, he decided he had no further obligation to explain to Axcel why he was fired and promptly turned around to reenter his shop.
Axcel dusted some snow off of him and adjusted the red tie he had worn over his white collared shirt. “Tch, they asked for something that would go down easy. I cooked exactly what they asked for!” Axcel said aloud, though he was mostly talking to himself at this point. He still wasn’t entirely sure why that was grounds for getting fired, but it wasn’t something he was going to stress over. Surely someone else needed a cook. Axcel was already quite experienced, having had a job as a cook for two hours! |
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Post by HOTARU SATSUMA on Mar 19, 2012 16:04:14 GMT -5
The interior of the bar erupted in crashes, shouts, and thumps followed by the sound of the door slamming open, letting a short gust of wind littered with a few snowflakes inside. Hotaru had been on the other side of the tavern and hadn't gotten a good look at what had just happened, but she was in the market for anyone who could cause that much commotion and walk out of a pub.
Tossing a few beri onto the bar, the red headed captain slipped her black, fur lined, long coat on over her red tank top and black jeans. Red suede boots thumped lightly against the woodwork as she made her way to the door past the broken bottles and splintered remains of chairs, flipping the hood of her coat up before making her way out into the chilly night.
Stepping out onto the quiet streets, it was easy to find the source of the commotion inside the bar. A trail of footprints, blood, booze and shattered glass lead lead straight to a pair of men, one clutched tightly around the legs of the other. A swift kick was delivered by the white haired brawler to the parasite, allowing him to finally escape the vice the loser had around his shins.
Ow.
She flinched, grateful that she wasn’t now laying flat in the snow covered in blood and booze. The apparent skills and obvious attitude of this stranger had intrigued Hotaru, so much so, in fact, that she followed him to the outskirts of town to a quiet pond. At least 10 paces behind, it would be a while before she was close enough to initiate a conversation. As she walked, she heard shouting from a nearby restaurant, but she didnt pay much attention for fear of losing track of her potential crew-mate.
Finally coming within speaking distance, she waited for him to speak before making her presence known.
“That was quite a performance back there.”
She chided, taking a few more steps closer.
“It’s their fault really. Wood and glass are such flimsy materials. Metal is much harder to crack over a man’s skull.”
A sarcastic smile curled her lips upwards and she waited for a response. If he had any fight left in him, Hotaru was more than prepared to go a few rounds with the brawler, if only to test his skills further. Still, a free ride out of town could be a tempting offer for someone who had just committed several felonies along with some pricey of property damage. One way or another, she would be offering him a spot on her crew, peacefully or otherwise. [/font] |
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Post by BASTION on Mar 19, 2012 17:03:21 GMT -5
Frigid water dripped from my face, my hair was soaked and heavy on my head, but it felt refreshing. Again I shook my head, flinging water in every direction and drying up my hair, if only a little bit. I noticed the presence behind me approaching as I knelt at the waterside, but made no obvious indications that I did. Instead, I cupped my hands and retrieved a small handful of water, then splashed it on my face one final time before I rose and flicked my hands to either side, letting loose the bits of water left on them before they froze completely.
The voice was female. Not what I’d expected, but it just meant it wasn’t the bartender being irritatingly persistent. Something told me she wasn’t just some girl from this shitty town. Maybe it was the way she spoke, handled herself. Couldn’t be sure. Her mentioning of my little bar fight was obviously a preclude to something more. I was interested enough.
“It was a shitty bar, anyways,” I said, pulling at and tightening the bandages wrapped about my hands, never actually looking back to the girl. At least, not yet. Then, I preoccupied myself with removing my black collared shirt, which had been left unbuttoned and loose. It was soaked with whatever those assholes at the bar were drinking--cheap beer, probably--leaving only the simple white, short-sleeved shirt I had on underneath clean. It was cold, but I didn’t notice. Or, rather, I consciously ignored it. I threw the black shirt to the side, underneath one of the coniferous trees that dotted the area, and stuck a hand into the pocket of my black slacks. There I retrieved the dog tags I always carried with me, which I slung around my neck. Finally, I turned to the girl.
The first thing I noticed was her hair. It was long and deep red, with blonde at the tips; I remembered catching sight of her at the bar in passing, but paid little attention to her then. She seemed confident in herself, and all things considered, was probably dangerous herself.
“You don’t seem like the kind of person to just sit at a bar and watch some drunks fight over nothing,” I noted, running a hand through my still-damp hair. I couldn’t decide what her intentions were, but I didn’t think she’d come to me just for small talk.
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Post by Axcel on Mar 19, 2012 17:36:22 GMT -5
For whatever reason, the owner had left Axcel with a dish he had made, even though it was totally fresh and ready to be served. The raven headed boy figured he might have some luck selling the pie, which would yield him enough money to get through the day at least. Ignoring the crowd that had gathered and was beginning to scatter, Axcel scanned the area for anyone who might be interested in some pie. It’d be easy enough considering how well liked pie is. His eyes finally set upon two people engaged in a conversation. One was a red headed girl and the other was a male who had looked like he just got out of a scuffle.
The wounded kid would probably want food. . . Axcel thought to himself and without delay immediately ran towards the two. Just as he was a few meters away, he managed to slip and lose his balance, falling face first due to holding the pie with both of his hands. He landed just beside the two holding the pie up. Without missing a beat, Axcel jumped to his feet and tried to pretend nothing happened despite being covered in snow.
“HEY DO YOU WANT SOME PIE?” His obnoxious voice echoed some as his eyes darted back and forth between the man and woman. “I made it myself!” [/blockquote] |
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Post by HOTARU SATSUMA on Mar 19, 2012 18:03:54 GMT -5
Hotaru watched as the white haired boy discarded his black jacket. Staring at him with a look of half amusement and half confusion, she giggled and answered his observation.
“I’m looking for someone.”
She said matter-of-factly.
“Well not a specific person, really. Just individuals who are... entrepreneurial... nautically inclined... and not afraid to get their hands dirty. You seem to fit the last criteria rather nicely so I thought I’d come over and we could talk...business.”
She was unsure about the boy’s allegiances. Maybe he was a patriot who was taking care of some pirate scum in the bar. He could have even been an enlisted marine out of uniform. He certainly had the haircut for it. The not so secret code was her way of testing his loyalties. A government dog would be appalled by even the notion of piracy.
However, before their conversation could continue, a boy slid between the two of them on his belly carrying a full pie in its tin. She took a half a step back as he picked himself up and cheerfully offered them a slice of his homemade pastry. Her initial reaction left her face blank and confused other than a raised eyebrow.
“I’m all set on pie actually...thanks though”
She answered cautiously, unsure on how the weird baker would react. A simple conversation had now been made unnecessarily complicated by the insertion of the pie bearer.
These things can never be easy... [/font] |
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Post by BASTION on Mar 19, 2012 18:32:16 GMT -5
I couldn’t say I expected the little giggle out of her. It was . . . insignificant, but it said something about her character to me, at least. Though I wasn’t sure what that was, exactly. Regardless, her response was what I’d assumed. At least, that, by “someone,” she meant me. Shifting my weight, I listened to her thinly veiled insinuations. But I still wasn’t sure exactly what she wanted me for, only that I was the type of person for which she was looking. It wasn’t anything legal, that was the only certainty. That didn’t really concern me, though.
Before I could question her further, we were interrupted. Before he reached us, I noticed the figure approaching in the distance. I stayed still as he slid forward, face-first on the ground, but managed to keep his pie unharmed. As if nothing had happened, he was up in a second, offering us the pie he’d made. I didn’t respond at first, just eyed him. If he was just some kid trying to make some money, that would have made sense. But something seemed off--maybe it was the katana strapped to his waist, or how he’d approached the girl and me without hesitation, even though I’d just emerged from a bar covered in blood that wasn’t my own.
“Sorry, kid, but I’m good,” I said, crossing my arms, still staring at the newcomer. Aside from the katana at his waist, nothing particularly stood out about his appearance; he had dark hair and blue eyes, and seemed to be in top shape. His behavior certainly did stand out, I mused, and tried to piece together the enigmatic individual. Was he really just a baker looking for money? Or was he getting at something else? There probably wasn’t that much too it. Maybe he was just that strange. After a moment of consideration, I thought that he might have been the one I noticed get thrown out of the restaurant.
“Didn’t you come from that restaurant over there?” I asked, motioning to the restaurant with my head. “Why didn’t you sell it there?”
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Post by Axcel on Mar 20, 2012 1:50:52 GMT -5
Both the redhead and the male had declined his offer of pie. He was surprised at their immense willpower, as shown by their ability to resist such a finely crafted desert. They must be a bunch of fools to turn down the pie Axcel had baked. It was no big deal though, it’s not like Axcel would have eaten it either. He wasn’t fond of laxatives in his food, despite usually cooking with them whenever he cooks for others.
The white haired followed up his decline with a question of his own, inquiring why Axcel hadn’t sold his pie inside the restaurant he had just been fired from. Axcel’s reply came quick and without pause. “That’s where I cooked it,” he said as he glanced back towards the restaurant. “I didn’t sell it there because I quit right after making—the owner didn’t have the aptitude to understand why I cooked a pie instead of what was requested by the customer. It was obvious that the pie was better than the shit they asked for.” He spoke his lie. Axcel sort of realized, despite telling a lie to cover up the fact that he got fired in order to gain favor, the lie he had came up with wouldn’t really help him at all.
“Fuck it, it’s cold anyways.” The boy flipped the pie upside down and slammed it against the ground. “It wasn’t even strawberry.” [/blockquote] |
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Post by HOTARU SATSUMA on Mar 21, 2012 1:21:18 GMT -5
Hotaru watched as the pie was dumped on the ground, which was just as unexpected as anything else the black haired cook had done in the short time he had been in her presence.
mmm. strawberries...
But that was besides the point. The presence of the chef had thrown the entire direction of the conversation into a totally unrelated direction. In an effort to reel the brawler’s attention back to her and her proposition, she would re-explain what she was looking for, in the same thinly veiled manner as before.
“Anyways, assuming that you have skills other than kicking people in the head, I’d be happy to let you hitch a ride out of this awful little town in exchange for some...’general labor.’”
Though she was only talking to the white haired fighter, now that she thought about it, a cook dragging a katana around was a bit strange. Though stylish, it was a bit unruly to use as a cooking utensil. Unless he was some die hard fan of comics and samurai stories, he had to have some ability to swing it and cause damage to others but not himself. If he expressed interest, she would allow him a chance to come along as well. [/blockquote] |
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Post by BASTION on Mar 21, 2012 1:40:23 GMT -5
I listened as the “cook” explained what had happened--or, at least, it was what he said had happened. Though I supposed it did seem an odd lie, because unless he was covering up something more serious than getting fired, the lie itself didn’t really make him look that good. Either way, how he ended up out of his job really wasn’t my concern, so I just shifted my weight to my back legs, my arms still crossed, and raised my eyebrow at him.
“Ah-huh.” He then disposed of his apparently now-cold pie on the ground. Strawberries? Cold pie? This guy was an odd one. Fortunately, the red-head decided to continue our prior conversation, though my understanding as to where I stood at the end of her proposition hadn’t really improved. She was obviously trying to be discreet, though how effective she was being was questionable. Still, I could infer some details.
“So you want me to come with you?” I asked, scratching at the back of my head. Why were these things never straight-forward? “What are you? On the run? A pirate? You’re not telling me a lot, and I’m not agreeing to anything until I know what I’m getting into.” I shrugged and walked past the two a few paces, so that I was facing the town instead of them. “Still, I wouldn’t mind leaving this shithole. I might be what you need, if you want to actually make some sense now.”
Then I turned back to them, and made sure to look straight at the girl. Something like fear wasn’t holding me back, and I wanted her to understand that. But she needed to start explaining, or she was just wasting my time.
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Post by Axcel on Mar 21, 2012 1:59:38 GMT -5
The two didn’t have much to say in response to his falsified story or the fact that he had just thrown the pie against the ground. It didn’t bother him at all though, as he had been eagerly paying attention to their conversation. The ginger haired woman spoke of leaving the town. Axcel’s eyes lit up with excitement at the mention of her offering the male a ride out of town in exchange for some services. The white haired man’s response seemed to be of paranoia and caution. It was clear that he wouldn’t be taking her up on the offer without additional information. Axcel, on the other hand, felt differently on the matter.
“I’LL GO!” Axcel shouted, throwing his arms up in the air in the process. “You should totally take me!” He exclaimed. “I can cook stuff that won’t kill you,” he sounded a bit too proud about the fact that people wouldn’t die to his cooking. “Plus I’ll take part in your shady and most likely illegal activities!” It probably wasn’t a good idea to say something like that aloud, but Axcel has always been one to call it how he sees it.
Lastly, the boy gripped the hilt of the Shiodoki, his katana, and unsheathed a few inches of the katana in order to reveal the blade. “This isn’t for decoration, either.” He was wearing a toothy grin by now.
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Post by HOTARU SATSUMA on Mar 21, 2012 12:11:17 GMT -5
Well, there’s no use in being discrete now...
She mused, staring blankly at the two potential crew members. The prospect of doing something illegal didn’t seem to phase either of them in the least, and she doubted they were marines since the brawler would have likely started a fight about patriotic ideals and the cook...well was just too strange. With a sigh, she would finally break down and talk without a veil of subtlety.
“Sheesh, you guys are either really dense or really reckless.”
Violet eyes shifted from one to the other, before finally resting back on the brawler.
“The name’s Hotaru Satsuma. Up until a few days ago I was one of the greatest criminals you’ve never heard of. Specialized in black market dealings, fencing stolen treasures, forging, and information dealing. One of my old friends brought me an artifact he’d lifted from a crew of pirates he’d probably signed up to work for on the expedition. He got careless and the group ended up trying to take it back when we were about to make a deal for the thing.”
She was trying to keep it short, but she wanted to be sure that they knew the story of what had happened and why she was looking for people to join her...’company’.
“We got rid of the pirate crew, but not before causing a ton of collateral damage and gaining a considerable price on our heads courtesy of the Loguetown Marines. Deciding to take a more active role in treasure hunting, we skipped town the fastest way possible; on the pirate’s boat. We drifted around aimlessly for a few days before washing up on this island. So here I am. Looking for some help in taking care of the boat and the potential crew. So if you have any skills in woodworking, navigating, or weapon repair, we’d be more than happy to help you get out of here.”
Her next bit of information was aimed at the cook.
“And if you really can use that sword and promise not to kill or poison everyone aboard with ill prepared food, toxic ingredients, or laxatives, I’ll take you with me back to the boat as well.”
So there it was. The entire history, plan, and proposition spelled out in black and white. It was a lot to digest, so she would just wait for them to process the information, ask any potential questions, and ultimately for their answer. [/blockquote] |
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Post by BASTION on Mar 21, 2012 15:08:16 GMT -5
The kid’s outburst gave me a chuckle, mostly in his crushing defeat of the girl’s attempted secrecy. If anyone cared enough to be listening in, any suspicions they might have had would likely be confirmed--hell, even if they weren’t listening in, we could easily have their attention now. I didn’t really care, though. If they wanted to do something about it, they were more than welcome.
But, more importantly, with any discretion we had now blown, the girl could probably just tell me what was going on. I wasn’t as eager as the cook without knowing what I was getting into, and that wasn’t going to change. Fortunately, she delivered. Her self-proclaimed list of criminal activity was . . . impressive, though all of it seemed so subtle and under-the-table. Just wasn’t my style. I supposed I wouldn’t have to worry much about it now, though, if I accepted her offer. I pondered for a minute. It wasn’t in me to do crime for the sake of it, but with a purpose, well, the ends justify the means. And my respect for the marines and their authority as a whole was little-to-none, based on my experiences. In the end, right and wrong in the perspective of any government that assumed they could rule the entire world was nothing I cared about.
“So you’re pirates, then,” I said, walking between them back to the tree I’d thrown my shirt under. “And you’re asking me to join your crew.” Bending down, I retrieved the black-collared, button-up shirt from the ground and slung it over my shoulder before turning to face the two. My ashen gaze drifted between them for a few moments before I finally decided to speak my mind.
“Yeah, I know how to maintain and repair a ship. I was a slave for most of my life, I’ve built my share of 'em,” I said, throwing in the bit about my slavery only as credential. If they wanted to know more, they were welcome to ask, but I doubted they would. Better that way, anyways. “But something tells me you’re not just going to take two people along for the ride who say they have the skills you need. At least, I wouldn’t. Not without proof.”
This was a big turning point. I still hadn’t said I’d agreed yet, only that I seemed to be qualified. How she handled the situation would tell me whether or not I wanted to be on her ship.
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Post by Axcel on Mar 21, 2012 23:59:37 GMT -5
Axcel raised a brow when the woman spoke of his abilities with a tone of uncertainty. Poison the food? The thought was laughable at the most—Axcel had only sent four people to the hospital with his cooking, and that was well over a few months ago. He was certain that the crew wouldn’t succumb to anything worse than regular stomach aches. As for being able to use the sword—Axcel had been practically raised to fight, and he viewed his ability to do so as something more comparable to breathing than an honed art.
It seemed like the boy had found his ticket out of Lyneel Kingdom. It was this red headed girl, a pirate according to the male. If she really was a pirate, then today was definitely Axcel’s lucky day. The life of a pirate is one he’s always longed to have. Living out at sea and going on adventures. At least, that’s how he imagined life as a pirate was.
The white haired kid went on to talk about his own skills outside of fighting. It sounded like he was a handyman of some sort, having picked up the set of skills in his life as a slave. Slavery wasn’t uncommon in these times, though Axcel had no idea how bad he had it. Some slaves lived a harsh life while others had it slightly better depending on who enslaved them—Axcel didn’t intend to find out as he wasn’t interested in the man’s history.
“Yar harr, what sort of proof should I provide, matey.” Axcel spoke, changing his voice to imitate a stereotypical pirate.
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Post by HOTARU SATSUMA on Mar 23, 2012 0:05:06 GMT -5
These guys really dont kid around...
She was surprised by their unquestioning willingness to be put to the test in order to join the crew. And while it was true that Hotaru would want some show of skill before allowing them aboard, they seemed genuinely eager to be challenged for a place among the Sea Kings.
"Naturally I'll need to see some show of talent before we take off. Can't have a shipwright who cant fix a ship now can we?"
As for the cook, she would pose a simple question.
"Bump up the 'wont die from' to 'wont get sick from' and we'll welcome you in our kitchen. That is...after we test out your culinary skills."
Normally, auditioning a cook and a shipwright would take a long time, however, ideas were already floating around her head about how to combine the two tasks into one glorious marriage of flavor and form.
"Well. No use standing around her in the snow. We're not too far from the beach to the south, so we'll travel together. I'll give you your test when we get closer to the Aallottaret."
She would start to walk towards their destination, addressing any questions they had along the way. [/blockquote] |
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