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Post by CJ on Feb 21, 2014 12:50:16 GMT -5
In the palace of Holy Land Mariejois, construction had taken place.
Workers frantically put the final touches on expanding the walkway from the stairs leading to the front entrance to the gardens. The new Fleet Admiral ordered a meeting to discuss current Warlord positions and demanded Brynhilda, the "Ship Splitter," be there for it. For the most part, Brynhilda's role as a Warlord was more of a passive one. The formal excuse for her absence at meetings was that she was too large to make any discussion reasonable. The true reason was that she wasn't considered intelligent enough to add to discussion. Though, this held true as well for "Steel Falcon" Uzo, but he insisted on coming to most of the meetings, despite people telling him he didn't have to otherwise.
For whatever reason, the new Fleet Admiral wanted every Warlord present. This meant making enormous accommodations for Brynhilda, as could be seen upon entering the lush and gorgeous gardens, filled with flowers from every corner of the room.
In the center of it was a white round table, surrounded by arrangements of roses and posies. However, this table was enormous, looking somewhat like an end table, designed specifically for a giant. There were several chairs surrounding it. Some were human sized, though lofted on white structures with runged ladders to reach up to the high table. Another was also lofted, though this one had a soft cushion and small spiraling steps, likely designed out for Morrison. The final one was clearly meant for Brynhilda. It was a simple chair for a giant, but an enormous structure for humans.
The table was surrounded by low ranked Marines, standing there only for ceremony. A woman looking much like a secretary waited for them at the front of the gardens. She clutched a pen and notepad tightly to her white blazer. Her glasses hung awkwardly on her nose, forcing her to adjust them from falling off her face. Her hair was kept in a loose bun, with strands falling this way and that. The shoes on her feet pointed inwardly in her strange stance.
This was Gracie Grace, the controversial new Fleet Admiral. Not much was known at all about her. She had no known previous ranking, only having been a secretary to a Captain and Commander at one point. She would be hard to recognize, given that much media coverage of her ascent to power was dulled by the Government, but there she waited for the Warlords to arrive.
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Post by Hitotsumami on Feb 21, 2014 13:12:21 GMT -5
Hito was limping.
Ever since he had gained his new mechanical leg after loosing his original one to one of the Victorian Captains, he was always limping. It wasn't that the metal leg was heavy-- anything but. Hito thought that it felt lighter than his previous leg, but because of that, he still was not used to walking on it. Not only that, but every step resulted in a loud clang.
"I need my sandals," he said to himself. Though, that was a problem too. He had no money, and more than that, he had no idea where he was. He was going to search for that Victorian Captain for payback, but unfortunately, he ended up at the Red Line. After a day of climbing up the steep cliffs, he'd found himself at a giant garden. At the entrance, he noted a lady with glasses and a notebook.
"Hey," he said.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Feb 23, 2014 5:09:08 GMT -5
"Remember not to talk if you can help it, you know these people aren't so forgiving if you make a mistake. And for the love of everything you hold dear, the the very least do not get into any fights, if they should provoke or even attack you-"
"Ugh! You'd think after clearing up the incident with the party, since it wasn't my fault you'd at least trust me some."
The giantess had already disembarked from the ship, but the captain accompanied her a length of the way into Mariejoa to clear up some things along the way, at least until they reached the end of the receiving bay. Unlike some of the other crew, he was not open to being picked up or carried by the giantess, so he had to speak up rather loudly for her to hear even as she leaned down. Even so, regardless of what they discussed, they did so in their own language from their homeland so there wasn't much risk involved. While he felt the need to try and establish some last minute ground rules however, she seemed at least somewhat annoyed to be treated like a child.
"Yes, but this is not at all like the party, you must be very careful around these people... for all our sakes."
"I am doubtful they would be able to stop us, but I'm not looking to give them a reason to do so."
Along the way, the giantess had to be careful not to cause any destruction, though it was a little hard given the scale of the place. Even for her it was massive, and having been so long removed from her homeland she was not used to structures of such magnitude, so she was a little distracted as she went. As such, her attention was divided between the captain and where she was walking.
"Good, that's as much as anyone can ask. And at least, you won't be alone. That is, if Uzo even cares to show up... I wonder if they've found him yet, or he just went his own way to the gathering?"
---
"Usoooo!! Where are you?!"
Wandering around the boat, Elsa along with some other crewmembers had been looking for the other warlord, but it was such a large vessel that they were having difficulty. Eventually they just resorted to shouting out for him, in the hopes he might hear, wake up, or whatever it was that it would take to reach him.
"To the meeting, you must get!!"
---
It was wise of the captain to have had the giantess leave early for the meeting, since expectantly she got lost. She had been to the Holy Land before, but it had been some time for sure, and things had changed since then. It didn't take long though for her to manage directions to the proper locale, and once she reached the seat of the government, things were easier with clerks to actually show her the way. Unsure of herself she entered into the actual meeting area with trepidation upon eventually being led to it, but she was still early by a fair amount.
Thus, when Hito managed to happen upon the situation, she had at least been there for a little while.
"Who is? And other person for to meet?"
She had been busy examining the arrangements of flowers situated around the room, sitting on the ground so as to be reasonably closer to them. She was not able to recall the last time she had been in a garden, or even if she ever had (those in her homeland were far too small for her), but she was intrigued by the display and tried touching some but remained careful not to destroy anything. Eventually though she noticed Hito, her attention settling on him similar to seeing a mouse in a kitchen. While she was curious towards his presence, based on how the others reacted, she got a feeling of sorts that maybe he wasn't supposed to be here.
In this case, she waited to see what the others did, or even told her to do before she acted. Making good on her words, she wouldn't just start a fight for no reason.
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Post by Necromantic Soundwave on Feb 24, 2014 21:59:09 GMT -5
Avaritia was a blight to the eyes of a marine, almost sacrilege. It represented weakness, and made the public all the more fearful of Jitto. Despite his relative quietness before he had taken the battleship for his own, people on the Grand Line now knew his name. Here was a man who would take what he wanted and the marines could do little to stop him. So why not have him on their side? A marine battleship with GOLDEN WAVE written in place of all of the previous inscriptions was sure to sew fear in young pirates.
Naturally, low ranking marines would scowl and mutter about how one day they'd get it back, about how they should never trust filthy pirates. The way Jitto saw it, the Warlords were a natural deterrent, especially if they haphazardly took rookies out while on their oh-so-innocent adventures. That's how they all start out, isn't it? At least how Jitto remembered his early days out at sea. As he stepped free of his ship, and continued to walk towards Mariejois, hands held behind his back, the old man thought back to those days and wondered if his younger self would agree with the path he has taken. Unlikely, he mused.
The steps were a grand task, but not one that weighed heavily on the old heart that rested somewhere in all of the machinery that made up Jitto's body. Exhaustion was something he had overcome, like he would overcome all else. Strength was his way, and he had proven time and time again, that it is the strong who are righteous, and that is all that matters. What happened in between slaughtering innocents and destroying childhoods was lost in translation between his ideals and methods.
Truthfully, this was Jitto's first meeting, but not by choice. He was simply a recent inductee, filling a seat in this recent year, and had been very busy as of late with Vegapunk and his own little trips into prisons throughout the Grand Line. This meeting would be at the very least, entertaining. Upon reaching the final step and walking to the entrance, the man raised a brow at Hito. His cybernetic eye looked him over, searching through his small database he'd had implanted by Vegapunk. The difference between him and all of those puppets is that Jitto insisted on staying awake during all of his operations. Otherwise, he promised to kill Vegapunk if he tried to control him. The time would come for that, he insisted. But that day would not come for some time.
Jitto shook his head, once again lost in his inner thoughts while he was truly trying to see who this man was. He had seen one of his fellow Shichibukai... her feet, at least. This man was however, a mystery to him. The aging man simply smirked and placed a hand on his hip, while using his other to tug and caress his well-groomed goatee. He did not speak, as he was sure others would relay what information they had in a moment. No sense in asking questions.
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Post by Kyubey on Feb 25, 2014 4:09:51 GMT -5
Morrison entered the Holy Land with a certain sense of annoyance. It seemed to have been only a brief period of time since the last time he attended such a gathering, although much had changed since the previous one. While the cat did sometimes appreciate the chance to directly observe such important events, and even play some part in them, this time he was called away from a complicated investigation, and it would be some time before he would be able to get back on track. The historical and political value of being a Warlord was a nice touch for him, certainly it was the highest form of influence he could gain given his previous criminal record, not to mention the factor of his species, which most seemed to make some issue about. This time, however, it was a burden, as such trivial matters were not why he took on the position to begin with. He joined, first and foremost, in order to gain access to files and locations he would otherwise have been banned from, and to hold some influence over any decisions made regarding the members of his old crew. He understood that these summons were the price he had to pay for that, but it was more bothersome at some points than others.
Upon coming into the gardens, some may not have noticed his entrance at all, as he came in with no fanfare, and didn't seem to particularly care if anyone noticed that he was in the room at all. He walked right past both Hito and Jitto, not paying either of them any attention. Jitto, he knew little about, other than that he was one of the new Warlords. As far as he understood it, that was all he needed to know, for the time being, and more facts could always be gathered. Hito was more of a curiosity, as Morrison didn't recognize the man, but his presence would most likely be addressed soon. As for Brynhilda, because of the great difference in size between the two Warlords, Morrison wasn't even sure if the giant was aware of his existence at all, and any sort of communication between the two would be decidedly difficult. Having sufficiently noted all the notable faces in the room, he made his way to the spiral staircase that lead up to his chair, and took his seat. As soon as he made himself comfortable, the cat set his backpack on the table, took out his writing equipment, and began to scribble his first note.
There were many new faces at this gathering, not the least of which was the new Fleet Admiral herself. Morrison was every bit as surprised as everyone else when he heard the news about Sengoku's replacement, and knew that sooner of later he would have to solve the mystery of why she was chosen. For the moment, all Morrison truly knew was that he had seen the name Gracie Grace a couple of times, when he was looking into the identities of those who had made contact with Kusu or her crew. Apart from that, Morrison wasn't about to make any judgments. She was the first official to go out of her way to make sure Morrison would be given a decent place to sit, however. With some bitterness, he remembered how he was forced to rest awkwardly on a pile of books at the last meeting. The fact that this new seat appeared to be custom-made told him that, at the very least, Gracie was making an effort to appear considerate and friendly to the Warlords.
It is good to meet you. Morrison wrote on a slip of paper that he passed to Gracie. Congratulations on your promotion. I hope we will be able to work well together in the future.
While, in many respects, he considered the meeting to be a waste of his time, he still knew that any given occasion was a chance to learn. Exactly how much he got out of it would be up to him. He knew that most Marines viewed the Warlords as a necessary evil, as detestable and unpleasant as any other sort of pirate. The sooner Morrison could change that perception for Gracie, even if only in regards to himself, then the more likely he would be to better his position amongst the higher government types.
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Post by CJ on Feb 25, 2014 13:04:05 GMT -5
Earlier that morning, when she first saw Brynhilda's chair, Gracie smiled with beaming pride. They had only a day to design and construct the structure so she was delighted it turned out so well.
But now, the giantess was sitting on the ground, not at all in the chair. She had commissioned the chair to avoid this very thing!
"Brynhilda Irongard," she said, bring the points of her shoes even closer together, "would you please, please, please take your place at the table? We built that chair specifically so you would not do precisely what you're doing right now. But... if you'd prefer otherwise... that's all right.. I suppose..."
Continuing on, she greeted the other Warlords as they arrived.
"Jitto Neppu," she said weakly, lowering her head when he approached. "If you would, please take your seat as soon as possible. Or take your time if you need it. I'm sorry for being so rude. Thank you for coming."
After him, came another creature of metal.
"M-morrison," she said with a gulp. "Thank you for your words. T-take your cushion, p-please."
Her face was flushed. The sun reflected off her glasses, obscuring her eyes. If Morrison looked closely, he'd be able to see her pen was decorated with adorable kitten caricatures. The bookmark in the planner in her skirt pocket had a chibi tabby cat logo.
She placed his note into the planner and hid her face with her hands, making a tiny squeaking noise. It wasn't until she behold Hito limping into the garden that her normal composure came back.
Hearing Brynhilda's inquiry, Gracie stood straight up at attention. It seemed almost as though she was obeying the giantess, not simply answering her.
"This is Hito Tsumami, former member of the Thistlewood Pirates. 30 years old, survivor of the Ohara Incident. Six feet, 150 pounds. Black hair, green eyes. Blood type O-. Prefers swords, despises ships. Propensity for great destruction."
Gracie had somehow memorized this information. Had she known Hito was coming or did she just know this off the top of her head? She bowed slightly in an odd show of respect toward the pirate.
"Excuse me for being so rude, but you're not supposed to be here. I'm sorry, so sorry. You weren't invited because this is a meeting for Warlords. Though I suppose I could make an exception. You were seventeenth on my list of candidates, but if you prove yourself worthy in discussion, perhaps I could position you higher on the list. You're here to become a Warlord, right? That's what you're here for?"
---
"14:58:52... 14:58:56... 14:59:00... Caw?"
Uzo's eyes fluttered open, hearing Elsa call out his name. He had been sleeping in the crow's nest, wanting to find some peace and quiet away from the crew. His heart raced, looking up and seeing that they had arrived at the place. It was already midway through the afternoon, about the time the meeting was to begin. He raced to the nearby ladder and began to slowly climb down. His right hand was still wrapped from injuring his fingers, limiting his powers and his physical ability.
"Why didn't Hilda wake me up?" he asked himself. "Caw... if I'm late, they'll have every reason to take away my title. I can't mess up again! Huh?"
His foot slipped off the rung of the ladder, making him drop unexpectedly. He swung his one good hand to catch himself but missed and fell. He flailed, trying to grip the ladder to stop his descent. He panicked in his desperation and plummeted to the deck.
Elsa and the other crew members would see a rather gruesome sight. Of all the things to die from, the Warlord's life looked as though it ended falling out of a crow's nest. A few seconds later, his body twitched and snapped. His ripped skin pulled together and his bones fitted back into place. The blood on his fur shirt seeped back into his body and he opened his eyes.
"The meeting!" he shouted in a panic and stood up. He ran to the small room they had given him and quickly changed into the collared shirt and khakis he was wearing when Hilda found him in the water that fateful day. He fitted the metal wings to his back shook his fingers through his hair. He was in such a rush that any mention of him falling out of the crow's nest went on deaf ears.
"See you all later!" he shouted, taking off toward the palace.
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Post by Hitotsumami on Feb 25, 2014 15:24:25 GMT -5
Hito did not pay much attention to the other Warlords as they assembled for the meeting.
When Gracie explained to the Giant exactly who Hito was, Hito was surprised.
"You know more about me than I do," he said.
Hito was going to tell Gracie that he really just needed a place to find some sandals, but talk of Warlords came up and Hito grew puzzled. Just where exactly did he end up?
However, Hito though to himself that Gracie knew so much about him, so maybe he really WAS supposed to be here for some meeting.
Hito shrugged. "I guess I am here for the meeting," he said, and if allowed, he would limp over to the seating area and make himself comfortable on a nearby chair with the cat, robotman, and giant lady.
His metal leg clanged the entire way.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Mar 1, 2014 20:48:50 GMT -5
"What? To say somethings?"
Hilda didn't hear a thing Gracie said, since she didn't speak up loud enough. She heard her talking, but it sounded more or less like a mouse squeaking at her. At least though it was enough to get her attention, and it seemed like the general consensus was to move to the table, so she did. She didn't think it was really necessary to stand up though when the table was almost within reach, so she merely used her arms to scooch over. Grabbing ahold of the giant chair, she turned it on its side and moved it out of the way, then took her place.
While this probably went against some wishes, it was at least more relatable for her since the table (and the others) now were at shoulder height rather than knee height had she been sitting.
"What's game to play? Will take cat piece."
After looking around enough she eventually happened to notice Morrison, and probably developed the wrong idea about why they were here. Gesturing to the cat, she seemed intent to use it as her game token for whatever board game it was that they'd be playing here.
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Post by Necromantic Soundwave on Mar 4, 2014 20:52:47 GMT -5
Jitto watched as Morrison passed by. He was curious as to how he was a cat, but he surmised it was something he could eventually learn in future discussions. He smiled and bowed his head towards the new Fleet Admiral as she addressed him. The hand that was stroking his beard returned to clasp with the other one behind his back as he continued on his way.
"Seems as if this shall be an interesting meeting, Fleet Admiral. The anticipation for deliberation is palpable," the older man said, and walked towards his chair. He crouched somewhat, and steam was released out of the clanking, metal parts of his legs, before he was up in the air. He took a hold of the arm of the chair and pulled himself over to the seat.
Once that was done, Jitto folded his arms upon his chest and watched as Hito moved to take a seat along with them. He had not expected the unexpected arrival would be allowed such an honor, but there were vacancies and Jitto was sure that the marines were eager to have them filled. Following that, he raised his brow at the curious Giantess as she spoke of cats and board games.
"I am all for games, but I fear that is not what Warlord meetings are called for, dear Lady Giant," he spoke smoothly, whereas others would react in a more negative way, "I don't believe fair Morrison would take too kindly to being Cathandled in such a way, either."
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Post by CJ on Mar 12, 2014 23:21:14 GMT -5
"Good," Gracie said with a soft smile at Hito. "I do get so nervous when people refuse my requests. Now, if you would, take a seat."
The Fleet Admiral's joy was soon met with horrendous disappointment. Her eyebrows furrowed, seeing Brynhilda unceremoniously set aside the chair she had specially prepared for her.
Before she could speak, another guest arrived, the Warlord Uzo. Warlords came and went easily in these sporiatic and violent days. Uzo held his title for longer than most Warlords these days. It was to be seen if Gracie would remove his position, finding equal disdain in him and the giantess Warlord alike.
"Sorry I'm late!" he shouted, panting and exhausted from clearly sprinting. Sweat drenched his collared shirt. His metal wings slumped on his back and began slightly off kilter.
"A Lady who will not sit properly and a Time Lord that is late?" Gracie lectured loudly. "I am not among Warlords. I am with savages this day!"
In a fraction of a second, the chair Brynhilda set aside was suddenly upright next to her. If the Warlords blinked, they'd suddenly see Gracie, seated in one of the lofted chairs, for all formalities in an equal part of the round table with them. A cup of steaming tea rested in her fingers.
"Discussions will not begin until all of the Warlords are properly seated!" she proclaimed. "As for the rest of you, please state your preferred tea flavor. If you would not like tea, ask for something else, but make it reasonable!"
---
Meanwhile, the tardy Time Lord was too amazed by the spectacle before him to acknowledge, Hilda, Hito or any of the others there.
"Why is the table so huge? It doesn't make any sens- Oh right, Hilda."
Uzo's eyes spun, comprehending the lofted chair before him. His lazy eyelid twitched rapidly as he gripped onto the ladder leading up to the chair.
"Why am I so scared?" he asked himself as his arms began shaking. "It's just a ladder, Uzo. It's only a ladder."
He felt like there was something he was forgetting. He obviously feared dying. The chair was positioned so high, if Hilda accidentally sneezed or something, he supposed he might fall and crack his head open. But why did the notion feel so personal? It was almost as though he had experienced such a thing before, like deja vu.
Caught in fear, he merely gripped the lower rungs of the ladder and failed to proceed.
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Post by Kyubey on Mar 13, 2014 1:30:15 GMT -5
Following the Fleet Admiral's orders, Morrison took his cushion, laying out his materials on the table. There was something unusual about Gracie, though he wasn't able to figure out exactly what it was. She was far, far different from what he thought a leader of Marines would be. If he was honest with himself, she didn't seem to have the fortitude needed for such a position.
These new people were not making a strong impression on Morrison, and those that he already knew were not doing that much to get into his favor. Such was the same with all the meetings, and still he had only a vague idea about why he was even there to begin with. Hilda, to be specific, seemed to be a large potential problem, literally and figuratively. If the giantess thought the cat was a game piece, then he couldn't imagine them getting along too well in the future. For the moment, Morrison simply stared up at Hilda, long enough for her to realize that he was, in fact, a living, moving, animal, and then turned his attention elsewhere.
Jitto, meanwhile, was the only exception. Compared to his fellows amongst the Seven Warlords, he seemed unusually agreeable. Surely there was some history of crime or violence behind him to warrant his position, but if the cat had to guess, he would assume that this man was part of that rare breed of pirates, the kind that he could get along with. While it was true that any two Warlords working well together was virtually unheard of in the past, he could see Jitto as being something of a mutual ally, in future affairs.
And then, there was Hito. An enigma that Morrison had all but given up on tracking. Unlike that other survivor of Ohara, who seemed to constantly show up in records, Morrison could barely find anything useful regarding this particular pirate, apart his former allegiances and implied participation in events that the cat already knew about. At first, Morrison did not give a second glance to this man, but as Gracie went on to explain who he was, the cat's ears perked up and he watched this lost stranger intently. So, he was once one of Kusu's shipmates, he thought. Just like me. As Hito was one of Thistlewood's group, it was likely that he had ever met Sam, much less been on the same ship as her, so he was not by any means an enemy of Morrison's. Of course, there was potential for that to change if Hito should find out about Morrison's goals, but there was no reason for him to find out. As long as Hito knew anything at all about Morrison's enemy that he did not, then the man would be useful.
Welcome, Hito of the Thistlewood Pirates, He wrote onto a paper that he proceeded to slide over to the newest Warlord. From Morrison, of the Phantom Hawks.
"As for the rest of you, please state your preferred tea flavor. If you would not like tea, ask for something else, but make it reasonable!"
Morrison hastily dipped his pen into ink, forgetting momentarily that he was not just there to meet the new additions to the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Then again, why was he there?
A dish of water, please, he wrote to Gracie. And perhaps you would not mind informing us now of the purpose to this meeting? From the lengths you took to make us all comfortable, I can assume we were all called out here for good reason.
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Post by Hitotsumami on Mar 13, 2014 17:00:30 GMT -5
When Hito was directed towards his seat, he looked up at the long ladder. In one huge leap he jumped past the ladder, higher than the table even, then landed with a soft thud on his chair.
"Damn metal leg," commented Hito to himself, flexing it out. "Slowed me down by half a second. Still not used to it."
He then noticed a paper that had been passed to him by Morrison. He looked from the paper, then to Morrison, then said, "Who's Thistlewood?" Though he felt the name sounded familiar, it escaped his mind, like nearly all his past acquaintances. He could faintly remember a masked man, a bird girl, a dragon man and numerous others, but only just and he wasn't able to make the connection that they used to be all one crew. Time was hard on people, but especially on Hito.
When asked for tea preferences, Hito said, "I want water. Sea water, fresh from the ocean."
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Post by Franky on Mar 14, 2014 3:22:08 GMT -5
In the short stunned silence after Gracie's outburst, there came a sound from a dark corner of one of the nearby buildings in response. A low gruff voice that was felt almost as much as it was heard. It had a light crackling as it spoke, reminiscent of a chattering insect or an old record player. "Whiskey..." A strum of a guitar was heard and a low whistle sounded from somewhere far off in the distance. The owner of the voice stood leaning against the wall hidden mostly in shadow. How long he'd been there and where those sounds came from was anyone's guess. He lit a match and brought it to the cigarette in his mouth, shedding light on and momentarily revealing a very bizarre face. He had a large pointed nose and between it and his mouth two antenna stuck out to the sides, what resembled a scar but was actually a crack scrawled across the left side of his face and one of his eyes, which themselves where completely black and without discernible pupils. With a light jingling sound from his boots he took a step forward into the light. He was a fishman, some kind of crustacean from the look of him. He wore a light brown duster and crossed bandoliers covered his chest. Out of the top of the cowboy hat on his head sprouted two more antenna which extended backwards. most notable about him though was while his left hand was normal, on his right arm was a large purple claw, almost two feet in length. It was a mystery how he got there, he certainly wasn't invited. While some present company may recognize him from his bounty hunting reputation, he'd never met anyone here face to face before, considering both he and everyone here was alive. "...Strong"
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Mar 18, 2014 4:22:13 GMT -5
"I don't believe fair Morrison would take too kindly to being Cathandled in such a way, either."
Jitto confused her terribly, and honestly, Morrison was too small for her to notice he was not a metal figurine no matter how hard he looked. After all, she had trouble telling if regular people were toys or not on a good day. She didn't have much time to figure it out though, when all of a sudden the big chair propped up next to her, startling her a little as she shifted away from it a bit.
"Discussions will not begin until all of the Warlords are properly seated! As for the rest of you, please state your preferred tea flavor. If you would not like tea, ask for something else, but make it reasonable!"
"To tell what to do?"
Her demeanor visibly soured, and slowly drew a handaxe from her back, standing it against the floor while she rested a hand on top. The table was big for certain and the axe not nearly her biggest, but the tip top peeked over the table clear to see. Leaning it a bit towards the chair, she addressed what annoyed her.
"Nice chair. Looking better in many piece, to think."
At this rate, she didn't want anything to drink, and she didn't want to hear much more from the toy marine who complained a lot and though she could tell Hilda what to do. These other little people were interesting enough, but she didn't want to play a game with the rules that the marine kept making up.
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Post by CJ on Apr 1, 2014 0:23:21 GMT -5
The various Shichibukai were brought their drinks and bowl by servers walking on stilts. One of the servers seemed incredibly nervous, turning green even in her fear of heights. She brought scotch to Jitto, though barely and teetered away. The glass had etchings of what looked like circuitry.
A dish bowl was provided to Morrison that had kawaii kittens hand painted on the side. Their eyes were buggy and their heads huge. "Fish" "Happy" "Kitty" "Froo Froo" and "Lullaby" were some of the various words written on the bowl in cursive.
Hito's sea water came with a plate of expensive sushi. All were shaped like tiny little ships on waves of seaweed. Toothpicks and ginger formed sails atop the raw fish. The chopsticks had miniature sword hilts at the end of them.
Uzo asked for coffee, which came in a mug with a rather odd picture on it. It said "Baby's 1st Birthday" and featured an adorable photo of the alternate version of him that existed alongside him in this timeline. The baby's pudgy face was smothered in birthday cake. The Warlord lazy eyelid twitched along with his one eyebrow in frustration. He turned the cup's image toward him, hoping no one would see the embarrassing photo.
The Time Lord looked about the table at all those present. Seated among them were two of his brother's former friends, Hito Tsumami and "the cat,". He assumed they knew who he was and didn't bother to reintroduce himself.
Uzo thought by now the cat would be gone, punted into the ocean by some headhunter. But here he was, alive and well. He still didn't see the cat as a threat, even as powerless as Uzo currently thought himself to be. And what was Hito doing here? He didn't know much about the swordsman, except that he too thought he was weak.
He didn't know who Jitto or the mysterious fishman were. In time, he'd know who they were as well. Until then, he was sure to be careful around them. Already he risked his life climbing up to his seat at the meeting. He didn't want to meet an unexpected end at the hands of either of them. He cursed himself for not being able to use his powers. At any moment, he could have froze time, then sought out the answers for himself. Without them, he felt helpless.
"Warlord Morrison," Gracie said after taking another sip from her tea. "I will tell you why I have brought you all here once Byrnhilda Irongard has taken her seat. If she refuses, I will remove her title and have her escorted from the premises. I will not tolerate insolence in these gardens."
Gracie looked up at the giantess as though she was looking at a very large, yet fragile child. She didn't fear Hilda, not in the slightest bit, and wouldn't tolerate insolence.
"Do you understand, Brynhilda Irongard? You will sit in that chair or I will remove your status."
"Wait!" Uzo shouted with his arms held out. "Hold on. You're saying it all wrong."
"Excuse me?" Gracie asked. Her eyes glared maliciously at the Time Lord.
"Hilda," he said apprehensively. "I know it's strange for you, but your crew needs you to sit in the toy soldier's chair. I'm not comfortable either but it's something we have to do. This won't take long, I promise. We're only here to talk."
He had already guessed it before but now he was seeing firsthand why Hilda was never invited to a meeting until now. It was simply too much of a hassle. Uzo didn't blame her for feeling uncomfortable. He felt uncomfortable enough as it was. He hoped she would listen though, not only for her sake, but for Elsa and the rest of the crew back on the ship.
"Sit down immediately or leave! I-if you would!" Gracie barked at the fishman who had just arrive. It seemed she was losing her patience. However, waiting on top of the table at an empty seat suddenly appeared a glass of whiskey in the likeness of a crab.
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