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Post by CJ on Jul 14, 2014 19:00:03 GMT -5
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY HIL!" read a purple banner that was strung over the deck of the Spirit Wolf. Originally, it had an extra "L" at the end, but it was now covered with a quick painting of a happy flowers. Balloons and streamers littered the deck, making work and anything else impractical. A huge table with snacks and candy sat in the center, presided over by the captain of the ship, who would toss candy into her mouth with every opportunity she had.
It might have been excusable had it not been the second day in a row the party was thrown. It was only the latest in Kusu's schemes to keep from succumbing to boredom.
It was hard to tell how much time had past since the pirates had left Victoria, but it was probably more than a week. Days past without any indication of the existence of the outside world. Only the occasional Sea King or large creature passed by. It was almost as though they were truly alone in the Grand Line. They were supposed to be heading toward Sunny Island, a trade town not too far from Victoria, but there was no sign of their destination. If asked about it, Hil would show the log pose, pointing toward it like nothing was wrong.
That wasn't the only thing odd. Usually, the pirates would receive newspapers by a carrier bird daily. But no bird came, much to Kusu's disappointment. Likewise, her personal Den Den Mushi had a spring missing. The snail itself delighted in being free of her constant calls to her Fathers back on Momoiro Island, but it's function was lost.
So here Kusu was, trying to entertain herself in any way possible. For now, it was throwing the exact same birthday party for the navigator of the ship for a second time. She grumbled, sitting at the table with a sour look. Earlier, Hil refused to come to the second celebration, seeing it as a waste of time and already jaded by the peppy nature of the first one.
"Please come down!" Kusu whined, sticking another lollipop in her mouth.
"No, brat," a voice responded, echoing through the Spirit Wolf. "I need to focus on getting us to Sunny Island. Don't ask me again."
"Sqwee... so ungrateful..."
The two weren't on good terms. Well, they were worse off than were usually. Since Lynwood's death to the "hunter," now called Lizard, he removed her bed and belongings from Kusu's room and made her sleep either with the rest of the crew or in the storage area. He always seemed to be watching Kusu, Lizard and the pirates through the metal tendrils that he ran from his sword form on his arm and through the ship to keep it operating. His true zombie-like body sat coldly in the control room, peering down at the deck and horizon at nearly all times.
"Why is Hil so mean?" Kusu asked, stuffing another lollipop in her mouth. She tapped her fingers on the table, making the red and blue bracelets on her arms look like they were dancing innocently on her wrists.
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Post by Kuro on Jul 17, 2014 13:46:35 GMT -5
"Perhaps it is because he is as bored as you are, Kusu. At least, that would be an explanation for his attitude right now. As for how he always is, who knows. Perhaps, as a sword, he has nothing better to do."
Mr. Dark sat at one of the tables, the celebration of bright color around him acting as sharp contrast to his inky form. He popped another candy into his mouth and chewed. At the moment, he was not wearing his usual sunglasses, hat, or mask. He had spent the last few days going over his new skin and checking over and over again for any apparent weaknesses, any unwanted developments it might have brought. But truth be told, any weakness would have been worth it for...this. This.
Of course, there was also the usual training of both body and mind, practicing combat and experimenting with medicine, but he doubted that anyone would be interested in that. A child, a hunter, a shepherd, and a sword. Sigh.
He threw another candy into his mouth, enjoying the sweet flavor. It certainly didn't show on his flat face though.
"How many times do you plan to throw this party, Kusu? A person can only have so many dates of birth. Have you read all of your books? I have a few textbooks with me, if you want to further your education at this time."
It had been a while since they had had any time for such things, but in this eventless daze there really was no excuse to avoid it. He had allowed Kusu to relax for the past few days without any mention of studying, but if she was going to simply lay around eating candy all day then surely she could better utilize that time.
...He wondered if he educate Lizard as well. Could she read? Perhaps even the shepherd could find some studying to be useful...
As these thoughts went through his head, he threw another candy into his mouth, making a neat little pile of wrappers to the side.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Jul 17, 2014 22:14:54 GMT -5
"I hope we have as much fun as this on my birthday!"
At the far end of the table sat the shepherd, though 'at the table' was a generous term. Unable to get any good seating, he had to make do with a tiny stool. Thus, in a seated position, only his chin barely reached the table top. He had both his hands raised to rest on the table as well, next to his head, holding silverware. With a piece of cake directly in front of him that he still couldn't quite reach, and a crooked party hat on his head, he looked like he was five years old or close.
It was kind of pathetic really.
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Post by Kyubey on Jul 19, 2014 18:39:45 GMT -5
Lizard wandered onto the deck, finding most of her shipmates already there. She looked at each of them for a second, then at the table which contained snacks.
"I'm hungry," she said flatly, as she scanned the table for something to eat. In those two simple words, she said more on her own than she had for most of her journey with the crew. During the days since the pirates left Victoria, none of them would have seen much of Lizard at all, unless they specifically sought her out. Since her bed was moved, she spent the great majority of her time in solitude in the storage room, claiming her own space and staying put within it, like it was a cage. Unless the others went to the storage area regularly, they wouldn't see or hear much of her, and she would never talk unless someone spoke to her first.
Save for when it was time to eat, or on days when the whether was particularly nice, Lizard never left her little room. On the occasions when she did, she could be found on an isolated part of the upper deck, looking out at the Sea Kings or other passing creatures, having not lost her yearning to hunt, but finding herself unable to, due to Kusu's orders. On very rare occasions, if one of the crew was up at one of the very late hours, they might have been able to see, but never hear, Lizard walking about the ship, stalking the various rooms and corners like she had some purpose, though she never seemed to actually do anything, much less interact with what was around her.
Lizard did not come up because of the noise, and certainly not to wish Hil a happy birthday. Sustenance was all she required, and while she would have preferred to eat something she killed herself, as she could not kill, she had to make do with the food stored on the ship. Looking out at the display of snacks, none of which looked at all like they contained nutritional value, she wondered how much longer they could last with what they had stored. If they continued too long without hitting an island, survival would become a concern very quickly.
Taking her eyes away from the food for a moment, she looked up to the streamers and banner, taking in the difference in scenery. She read the banner, though not very quickly, having only limited reading skills from faded memories.
"What's a birthday?"
Some things Lynwood had known, Lizard could recall quite well. Other things, like specific cultural details that weren't inherently Urdian, seemed to be much harder for her, and there were some things, like birthdays, she forgot entirely.
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Post by CJ on Jul 22, 2014 0:41:13 GMT -5
Kusu glumly listened to Mr. Dark. She stayed focused, but pretended to ignore him. She didn't like what he was saying. There was plenty of stuff for Hil to do. He could navigate... and... navigate. What was it that he did in his spare time anyway?
"School books are boring! Why can't they be like shojo with pretty young maidens with huge, sparkly eyes?"
The young captain batted her eyes at Mr. Dark, as though she was like one of the girls she admired. He might have noticed that she applied mascara to her eyes that day, perhaps out of boredom like everything else she had done. She turned to Kalen in continued glee.
"We will have very much fun, Son of a Shepherd!" Kusu exclaimed with a cheeky grin. "I want to buy white balloons and tie them together like sheep! We'll have a sheepy party! Sqwee!"
However, it was Lizard's rare appearance that took her excitement to a whole new level. She had to grip onto the table to keep herself from spazzing out. She still believed Lynwood and Lizard were one in the same, despite being proven otherwise that Wolf and Fenrir were not the same individual. Their sealed forms remained on her wrists even now in red bracelet and matching blue one. She hadn't spoken to any of the crew but Hil about this development, though sometimes she could be heard talking to the objects, as though they were actually living.
"Silly Lizard," she said. "Birthdays happen once a year on the day you were born. It's a day where you never go hungry and eat all the treats you want! Mr. Scary Man is right. You can only have so many birthdays, so take care of them. I would know. My brother took my birthdays away from me. I haven't had one in a long time."
The comment could have easily been taken for one of Kusu's bizarre, childish perceptions, but it wouldn't be odd for at least Mr. Dark to see this comment as cryptic. Her Warlord brother, "Uzo," possessed a Devil Fruit that controlled time. It seemed absurd, but maybe there really was a way he could steal "birthdays."
Wire thin metal tendrils began to slither under the table and coiled up to create a metal pool under the table. The action seemed to reactionary to the hunter's presence. Unlike Kusu, Hil wasn't trusting Lizard anytime soon.
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Post by Kuro on Jul 30, 2014 10:07:18 GMT -5
"A textbook does not entertain, it educates. What you learn from those books will be of far more use than whatever stories you have in mind."
Mr. Dark glanced at the shepherd, who only served as an example of how rundown this little party was, along with its crewmembers. Despite Hil's navigation, it had been quite a while since any island had come into view. Sigh.
It was then that Lizard showed up, for once. Her tendency to keep to herself was something he respected, but he wondered what she did in her spare time. She seemed to occasionally walk about the ship and stare at sea kings, but that told him little. Hm.
"As Kusu says, birthdays are celebrations regarding one's birth. Hil was born...sometime around this date, so Kusu and Kalen celebrate." He chose not to mention how birthday parties usually had much more food than this; no need to dampen Kusu's spirit. And Kalen's too, he supposed.
The comment on losing birthdays was noticed and awarded with a raise of the eyebrow. "Do you remember what your birthday is, Kusu?" He glanced at the metal pool underneath his feet. He raised a foot, now full of fear, and stomped on it to transfer the nightmarish substance to Hil. If Lizard was to be a member of the crew, it would be ill-advised to constantly treat her as a beast.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Aug 5, 2014 0:19:40 GMT -5
"A-hah-hah-hah...I think I've seen enough sheep for a lifetime, than to have a sheep party."
Kalen had his own interests and hobbies, and wasn't sure if he liked the idea that sheep was the only thing he was known for. He didn't dislike the animals, but he had the creeping suspicion that if the decision were up to Kusu, everything from his towels to his bedsheets would have a sheep pattern or be of a sheep style.
"Is this how they celebrate birthdays where Hil is from?"
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Post by Kyubey on Aug 6, 2014 19:57:47 GMT -5
"Oh," she said, after Kusu and Mr. Dark's explanation of what a birthday was. She was quickly losing interest, as she was not much one for celebrating, but the idea of unlimited food sounded enticing. Especially Kalen's sheep party. Sheep were a very good source of food. "It sounds nice."
Though birthdays were apparently supposed to be happy, Lizard could not help but thinking they weren't all that great as everyone was making them seem. Up to that day, Lizard only had one day that could be called a birthday, rather recently, and nobody looked like they were happy at all. She definitely didn't get to eat all that much.
Seeing no better source of nourishment than what was on the table, Lizard picked up a piece of candy, hoping it would sustain her if only a little, and put it in her mouth. Soon after, she took the candy out of her mouth, removed the wrapper with some difficulty, and put it back in.
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Post by CJ on Aug 7, 2014 14:22:42 GMT -5
"Maybe a dolphin party then," Kusu muttered to herself after Kalen's objection. Her eyes gazed over as she daydreamed of happy dolphins, jumping out of pink and purple water amongst gumdrop islands.
She blinked out of the dream and smiled again.
"Hil told me there wasn't enough food and water to have big birthday parties in Alabaster. He said a lot of people were poor. Their parties must have been so boring!"
When asked about her own birthday, the young captain's mood became rather sour. She sighed and put her head on the table in sadness.
"It used to be March 19th, but that day comes and nothing happens! I haven't had a birthday at least four times, ever since I've known Hil really! I'm still 11 after all this time! I've been mad at him ever since. I wish I could make him give me it back!"
Before Kusu could continue, she noticed the ship begin to come to a halt. Mr. Dark's fear transfer was enough to send a shockwave of fear through the retreating metal puddle to the tendril that connected it to Hil in the control room. Mr. Dark would be able to sense fear take over the zombie as he lost full control of the ship. Irrational thoughts ran rampant through his mind. They were abstract but one thing was certain, he was afraid the others would discover something.
"What's going on?" Kusu asked, standing up. "Hil! Why have we stopped?"
Suddenly, some banging sounds could be heard from the side of the ship. Before any of them had a chance to look over, a figure bounded onto the side of the ship. She had stark black hair and expressive purple eyes. She wore a large coat full of papers and notebooks. A huge, heavy camera hung from her neck by thick straps. Her dainty black shoes clicked against the ground.
"I thought you guys would never slow down!" she exclaimed. "This is the Spirit Wolf, right? Oh, Kusu R. Kidd! Can I get an autograph- I mean, an interview? And wow, Mr. Dark! Do you have anything to comment on the criminal actions of the Mr. Dark Fan Club? WOW! Look at your interesting friends! Who is she? Who is he? Is today someone's birthday? This is AMAZING!"
The reporter started taking pictures. Bright, obnoxious flashes shot out from her camera. Almost on instinct, Kusu began posing, as though she was in a photo shoot. She didn't seem to take this excited person very seriously. If any of the crew were to look over the side of the ship, they would see what looked to be a paddle boat, reserved for carnivals or kiddie rides. How did someone like her traverse the Grand Line in such a thing?
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Post by Kuro on Aug 8, 2014 10:08:19 GMT -5
The boogeyman raised an eyebrow. What were you hiding?
The question was answered moments later in the form of a person. Mr. Dark stood immediately at the sudden intrusion, more than ready to toss this potential enemy into the water. What was this? He looked over her quickly, trying to analyze as much as he could before she began attacking.
Who was this? A reporter, a journalist, was she gathering information for the world government, perhaps Arkady? But to send only one to gather such intelligence? No, there was something off, neither could possibly be so stupid or low on resources. She must be quite powerful to be considered able to face the entire crew on her own. And to brave the Grand Line in only a raft, yes, she must have been very powerful. A threat, then? In that case, she had to be eliminated immedia -
The flurry of flashes caught him off guard. Thankfully, his sunglasses gave some refuge from the sudden lights. Before he could approach the intelligence officer, one of her questions gave him pause.
A fan club?
Wait. No. Yes. No. That girl from the mall, she had expressed an eager interest in him. Wait.
There were more?
Criminal activities?
It took more than a moment for Mr. Dark to collect his rushing thoughts.
"Wait, stop, stop. Cease immediately, stop taking pictures. Sit down and explain yourself and your words, stop. Cease and desist." He could have tried to take the camera away by force, but he did not yet wish to anger one of such power. There was no telling what she was capable of. However, there was nothing stopping him from waving his arms about in an attempt to cover up whatever she was taking pictures of, although she was likely swift enough to bypass these obstacles anyway.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Aug 9, 2014 21:39:26 GMT -5
Kalen crumpled when the pictures went off, convulsing at each flash. Perhaps not the photos themselves, but the sudden bright lights looked like it caused him great physical stress, pain even.
"St-stop! Turn the lights out! I give up, you win!"
It seemed the shepherd was not familiar with what cameras were, or at least not too familiar, and thought it to be some kind of an attack with a strange weapon. He crawled away as best he could and huddled up against the side of the ship when he reached it, since he could retreat no further.
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Post by Kyubey on Aug 12, 2014 20:35:56 GMT -5
"He took your birthdays?" Lizard asked, after trying and failing to figure out how that was possible. "You should tell him to stop."
It seemed like a particularly cruel thing to do, to take a birthday. And rather pointlessly cruel, considering how young Kusu was. Perhaps the intention was to keep her young, small, and weak. A devious plan, but Lizard couldn't quite see the point of it all.
She had no time to figure it out, however, as the question was soon forgotten when the woman with the camera started flashing the light all over the place. Like Kalen, Lizard at first assumed it was an attack, and recoiled with a low snarl. Was the crew being hunted? And why couldn't she sense the woman coming? Completely unhindered, Lizard could have put a stop to the matter entirely by just killing the intruder, but given her restrictions, she did not have that option.
After the first few flashed, Lizard figured that the camera wasn't dangerous, but she still remained tense and poised. She did, however, realize that the woman was somehow hurting Kalen, and, as if on instinct, moved in front of him, shielding him from the light.
"You can't have anything," she said firmly. "I do not know you. This is not your boat. Leave now."
Her relative weakness, and inability to understand what the intruder was doing or what she wanted, was visibly troubling Lizard. She wanted very much to be back in her corner in the storage room. Nothing like this happened there.
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Post by CJ on Aug 16, 2014 21:15:13 GMT -5
"What, you guys have never seen a camera? Don't tell me you're not human or something," the strange woman said looking at Kalen and Lizard in confusion. "Chill out. This isn't my boat, but I'm not doing any harm. Why would I want to harm you? You're great story material! Especially Mr. Dark over here, who I must admit I didn't recognize until I saw Kusu R. Kidd with him. Get a makeover, dude?"
Taking a seat, she stomped her shoes on the ground, making balloons fly this way and that. Her purple expressive eyes took in the candy before her. She seemed very tempted to steal it.
"My name is Katherine Sharp! You can call me Sharp! I'm a reporter for the Ticker Times! I've been doing stories and editorials exclusively on your pirate crew for the past few months now! I'm so fortunate to have finally found you! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! You guys have read my stories in the Daily Ticker, right? RIGHT?"
"The Daily Tick Tock? Sqwee?" Kusu asked with a lollipop stuck in her mouth.
"Don't tell me you haven't heard of the Daily Ticker, the pride of Ticker Island!" Sharp barked. "You haven't read our newspaper before? But we've been circulating the paper with cockroach pigeons to every ship on these seas for weeks! You really haven't seen one?"
The young captain looked nervously at Mr. Dark.
"No, we haven't. Have we, Mr. Scary Man?"
"Well, if you haven't heard of us, you probably haven't heard that we're doing an exclusive radio interview with the Metallic Falcon, your brother, tonight!"
"You ARE? WOW!"
Kusu's mouth hung open in surprise.
"And we'd like get you in on the interview! No media outlet has ever seen you together. How dramatic! A brother and sister torn apart by the alliances they have made!"
"Drama? Sqwee! I want to do it! Then I can tell everyone that I'm not mean! And I can get stupid Uzo to give me my birthdays back!"
"In fact, you get an interview!" Sharp said, pointing to Kalen.
"You get an interview!" she continued, winking at Lizard.
"You all get interviews!" she concluded, throwing candy into the air. "What do you say? Would you all like to come with me to Ticker Island for your chance at fame?"
---
Hil's breathing slowed as he felt his fear and anxiety subsided. He went to stand up but staggered. His brain still hadn't completely healed itself since he was reunited with Kusu back at Breakwater. His speech was mostly back, but there were still things that were difficult, like getting his balance right. This made Kusu laugh and say it only made sense. He was a zombie after all.
Walking toward the commander center window, he was surprised to see the strange woman talking with the rest of the crew. It was the reporter who had been tailing the Spirit Wolf for the most part of the day. She must have caught up to them when Hil lost control of the ship. But how long had he been caught in his fear? He thought it was only for a short while. How fast was she going in that paddle boat?
"I've got to get her off the ship before she tells Kusu about her freak brother," he muttered to himself. The katana gripped in his hand began to melt and sink toward the floor.
He heard something, like something peeling off a surface. He turned around to see a dark figure looking back at him. It was exactly his height.
"What?" he asked, feeling a tinge of fear as he tried to understand what was in front of him.
---
Mr. Dark would feel Hil's fear suddenly stop. It wasn't a calming feeling, like the zombie was falling asleep. It was quick.
If he looked up at the command room, he might see a figure tumble to the ground. Its head detached from its body and fell with it.
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Post by Kuro on Aug 19, 2014 10:17:29 GMT -5
Were they not attached to his face, Mr. Dark's eyebrows might have rocked up into space.
It was as if this hectic cluster of sudden events was supposed to make up for the past days of inactivity. All at once, there was a reporter, there were articles, there were interviews, and now there was Uzo?!
It took a few moments for him to bypass his initial astonishment, but soon enough the cogs were spinning in his mind. How would Uzo react? Did he know they were coming? Would he try to take Kusu away? Perhaps if he felt particularly bold that day, but it was possible for a certain boogeyman to prevent such bravery. To Mr. Dark, Uzo's powers made him a threat but the boy behind them was nothing more than another petty wimp, one who could easily be subjugated were it not for his control over something as complex as time.
Was there anything the crew could obtain from Uzo? Hm.
"Excuse me, Ms. Sharp. Does Uzo know that we are com -"
It was as if a piece of him tore away.
He spun to look toward the command room, just in time to spot a figure's fall.
"Hil is in danger."
A THUD and a CLATTER and the CREAKing of wood as he leapt onto the table, ran, and leapt towards the window.
A CRASH and the CLINKING of shattering glass.
He rolled into the room, his body now terrifying to the touch, and looked around quickly for anything, anyone. If there was a threat, it likely take but one touch to subdue them.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Aug 20, 2014 1:08:43 GMT -5
"Oh I've heard of the Daily Ticker! You said your name is Katherine? I have a few papers already, I really liked the parts that you wrote. I even cut out my favorites and have them pinned on a board downstairs, alongside some of the other famous reporters on the Grand Line. Barbara Lehrer, Rory Meyer, y'know the usuals. Wait what's a radio?"Kalen piped up when he heard something he was familiar with. He didn't know there was such a significant to them being dropped all over the place though. Since leaving his home he had at least encountered newspapers before, but he wasn't entirely sure of the significance this one had over others. It seemed though based on the reactions of the others, particularly the reporter, that this was a big deal. If so, he wasn't going to turn away from a chance to impress. "An interview you say? Well there's more than one way to shear a sheep, but I've got the scoop of a lifetime! I just wasn't sure what to do with it, since I'm not some famous reporter, but I'd be more than happy to place story in your capable hands Katherine."A smile crept across the shepherds face, as he pointed right back at her in a pose as confident as his smile.
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