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Post by Kyubey on May 20, 2013 19:39:49 GMT -5
"Vice Admiral, sir. We've arrived."
A hard and quick knocking at the cheap wooden door of Xavier "Ohyeah" Barlow's cabin, resounding through the modest little room, that was clearly built for a much smaller man. Even if the person knocking hadn't said a word, the officer would have known immediately who it was. There was only one soldier on his ship that would dare to have such an impatient tone when talking to a superior officer. Mainly because she was the only one who he allowed to get away with it.
"Fine, fine," he murmured, setting down the massive weight he had been lazily lifting for the past couple of hours or so. "I'm comin'."
"Well hurry up, we're already a bit late. I know you hate these meetings, but this is the sort of thing that leaves a negative mark on your record. Oh, and remember to put a shirt on."
"I know, Captain. Call and tell them I'll be there in five minutes."
"Aye-aye."
The Vice Admiral hoisted himself upwards, using a dirty rag to wipe the sweat off his brow. His subordinate was absolutely correct: he did hate the meetings he felt like he was constantly being called off to. For Ohyeah, being a Marine was about protecting the common man from the threat of piracy, not sitting around talking about it with condescending men who aimed only to stuff their pockets. It went against what he believed was the pride of a sailor, and many times he wondered if the men who summoned him had ever personally lifted an anchor or raised a sail in their lives. Probably not. What was worse was that he knew too well that his subordinate absolutely loved these meetings. Any chance for her to get away from her boorish shipmates and talk in comfort with the higher-ups was like a dream for her. This time was particularly bad. They hadn't seen a truly civilized island in quite some time, so he could tell that, beneath her formal disposition, she was especially happy, and that made him miserable.
He searched through his cabin until he found the uniform that had the smallest number of stains, shoved on his favorite Marine-labeled cap, and stepped out onto the deck, where Captain Winona Falkland, his trusted subordinate, was already waiting for him. Above him, the sky was clear, and his senses were briefly overwhelmed by the smells and sounds of the seas. He took a moment to enjoy the sensation, knowing it would be over far too soon.
"Alright, men," Ohyeah announced to the deck, prompting every Marine in the general area to stop and give a salute, "Once you've finished what you're doing, take a break and be back on this ship in an hour."
"Are you sure that's enough time?" asked the slender, raven-haired woman at his side.
"I'd like to hope so."
"Very well. By the way, fix your collar please, Vice Admiral. This is embarrassing."
Ohyeah sighed as he did so, miffed but also somewhat relieved he even had someone to remind him of these things at all. The two stepped down the gangplank, Winona following about two steps behind the massive Vice Admiral, who was dreaming of the moment he could be back on the ship, riding on the great seas.
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Post by CJ on May 20, 2013 23:12:22 GMT -5
Two voices broke the still air as Ohyeah and Winona stepped down the gangplank. A figure in black stormed away from another Marine vessel, followed by a greasy haired man.
"For the last time, I'm not going!" a woman shouted.
"Captain," a feeble voice nearly pleaded.
"Why can't I be with Commander March and Gracie Grace? It makes no sense!"
Stopping in front of Ohyeah and Winona, Captain Morgana Fate placed a hand to her helmet. Looking like she had stepped off a motorcycle, she was covered completely in black with a suit and biker's helmet. The light blue Marine's logo was painted on the left side of her helmet. Two expensive swords were hooked by a belt on her hips. Her thick boots looked like they could crush a man's head.
Following behind was Lieutenant Ward Asperio. Despite having been missing for months, no one seemed to question where the man had gone off to. In fact, no one seemed to mention his absence at all. If Ohyeah or Winona were to have wondered who he was, their memories would tell them that this was a man they had only seen in passing. They didn't know much about him, only his name. He was insignificant, even though he was talking down to Captain Fate.
Ohyeah and Winona would understand him to be insignificant.
"It makes perfect sense, given your attitude toward the situation," Ward responded dully. "Besides, the Commander and your secretary know you best. They'll be able to handle the being that possesses your shadow more effectively than anyone."
"I know me more than anyone!" Fate snapped. "This is ridiculous. I should be with them right now!"
Ward stopped and gritted his teeth.
"Need I remind you of your inability to use your Commander's Haki since your recent investigation of Kusu R. Kidd and her pirate crew on Breakwater? You may have survived that ordeal but your talents in combat have been comprised. You'd be ineffectual on their particular mission, Captain Fate. You know this."
"You're lying!" she shouted back, turning around and crossing her arms. She tapped her boot loudly against the ground.
"It's good to see you, Vice Admiral, Captain," the Lieutenant said with a warm smile. "I speak on behalf of Captain Morgana Fate, who has been assigned to you in this ordeal. She greets you with the utmost respect."
"Bug off, freaking liar."
Trying to deal with Fate as best he could, Ward sighed and extended his hand for Ohyeah to shake. His yellow irises were uncomfortably trained on the center of the Vice Admiral's forehead.
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Post by Kyubey on May 21, 2013 21:05:32 GMT -5
After Fate and Ward stopped in front of them, Ohyeah and Winona halted, both a little bit put off by their conflict, and not understanding what it was about at all. Upon being addressed directly, Winona saluted, and Ohyeah gave a brief grunt and smiling nod of acknowledgement to both of them.
"It's good to see you too... ah..."
"Lieutenant."
"Lieutenant." said Ohyeah warmly, firmly shaking Ward's hand. He wasn't uncomfortable in the slightest at the Lieutenant staring at his forehead rather than looking at him in the eye. He was used to it, having lived most of his life with an eyepatch. After returning the greeting, he looked down at Fate, sizing her up. What sort of mission were they on that required her assistance? He wasn't about to object, though her behavior thus far was a possible indication that she would be hard to work with, he wasn't the sort of person to make judgments that early after meeting someone. For the time being, he saw no reason to object, though at the same time he didn't see the reasoning behind it. No doubt that, among other things, would be made clear to him with time. He hoped she would get along well with Winona, at least, for the sake of his own sanity.
"Then we'll be working together," he said to Fate. "In that case, I look forward to having you aboard, Captain."
Winona said nothing, and her face showed no emotion, but after Ward informed them that Fate was assigned to their unit, her arms were stiffly crossed, and held tight to her body. Why, exactly, does this man think that we need help from her? she wondered. She was as informed as the Vice Admiral on this matter, but unlike Ohyeah, she did not like the situation in the slightest.
"So then, Lieutenant, tell us about this mission we'll be working on. My crew and I are itching for work, you see. Where is it we'll be sailing to?"
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Post by CJ on May 22, 2013 9:53:57 GMT -5
"Indeed," Ward smiled again and released Ohyeah's hand.
Fate turned her head away from the Vice Admiral when he said he would look forwarding to working with her. Her silence made it all too clear what she thought about him.
"I hope you understand I didn't choose Captain Fate to be assigned to this mission," Ward continued, looking quite oddly at Winona. "I'm simply here to represent my superiors. They believe the Captain's tracking skills will be most beneficial to the cause."
"And they want me out of the way on the mission I should be going on," Fate interrupted.
Ward breathed in slowly, as though trying not to take out his frustration on Fate. He kept his back turned toward her and nervously played with his gloved hands.
"This mission is far more important than the hunt for your shadow, Captain. The only reason Commander March and your secretary were able to pursue it was because of its value to a project we've been working on for a long time now."
"Seventh time you lied today."
---
Lieutenant Ward Asperio lead them inside of Fort Tuff. Not far in was a simple meeting room looking over the town nearby. As Captain Fate sat at the head of the singular table in the room, he lit a few lamps and carefully pulled thick curtains over the windows and scenic view. The meeting room was covered in deep orange light, creating thick shadows over the walls.
As soon as the last bit of daylight was blocked, Fate took off her motorcycle helmet and shook her head. Her disheveled black hair stuck against her face. She looked tired and worn out, as though getting back home after a long day of work, despite it being mid afternoon.
She looked extremely young, barely an adult in appearance despite being nearly 30. Having never been in direct sunlight since very early childhood, her skin failed to age normally. Her piercing red eyes combined with her translucent skin gave her the appearance of a vampire.
What's more, the chair she sat in made a long shadow on the wall, but she did not. It was as though she had been pasted into the world unnaturally, like a cropped picture placed upon another.
"Let's get one thing straight. I don't tolerate liars. Now get this freaking meeting done already, Lieutenant."
"Hold on, Captain," Ward said as he sat down. "Don't you think we should all introduce ourselves first? It might do some good to break the ice. Not to mention, we should give Vice Admiral Barlow and Captain Falkland a little respect."
"Alright. Fine. You guys go first."
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Post by Kyubey on May 22, 2013 18:02:43 GMT -5
Ohyeah frowned a little at Fate's apparent dismissal of him. It was clear even to him that this was the last place she wanted to be. Next to him, he could almost feel Winona fuming over the lack of respect shown by the helmet-wearing Captain. There were clearly matters that weighed harder on Fate's mind than the mission at hand, whatever it was. If she was going to be present during the entire mission, the job was sure to be a rough trip.
Ward's comment directed at Winona was lost on Ohyeah for the most part, the Vice Admiral only noting the part about Fate's tracking abilities, but Winona was visibly taken aback, wondering how Ward was able to so completely guess what she was thinking. The fact that it seemed to be directed right to her was even stranger.
---
Upon reaching the meeting room inside the fort, Ohyeah quickly took whichever seat was closest to the window, leaning back in his chair in a relaxed, careless manner. Following behind him, Winona took an adjacent chair, and carefully folded her hands on the table. Ohyeah did not react as Fate took off her helmet and revealed her vampiric appearance, though Winona did fidget uncomfortably after catching a glimpse of her red eyes. As Fate spoke again about liars, Ohyeah felt compelled to speak.
"It's fine if you don't tolerate liars," he said in a jovial tone, "You won't find any on my ship. Hell, my bosses get mad at me all the time for being too honest, if you can believe that." he chuckled kindly, hoping to lighten the tense mood created by Fate at least a little bit, or else the meeting would be far worse than it had to be. His smile vanished in an instant, however, with the simple words, "you go first." As a fighter, there was almost nothing that the Vice Admiral feared, and yet he was still terrified of being put into the spotlight in situations such as this. He turned to Winona, expecting her to do something, but she merely looked back at him, waiting for him to go first. It may have just been his imagination, but Ohyeah thought he saw something of a smile hiding in her expression.
"Well, er..." he stammered out with some hesitation. What did most people even say in situations such as this? "I'm Xavier Barlow, but most folks call me Ohyeah. Don't really know why, to tell the truth. I'm, uh, from the East Blue, specifically a tiny little village called Shimotsuki. I spent a few years training in the Four Blues and the Grand Line, and joined the Marines about ten years ago. My specialty is brawling. Uh, what else... my hobbies are weight-lifting and long hikes. I think that about covers it." He turned back to Winona, with the expression of a man who had just survived a terrible battle or a fearsome storm. "Your turn."
"Right," she said, standing up as if at attention. "Name: Winona Falkland. Rank: Captain. Age: 27. Blood Type: B negative. I entered the Marine Academy at age 15 and trained under then-Vice Admiral Byron. I graduated with full marks in all subjects, and was reassigned to Ohyeah's... pardon, I mean Barlow's unit seven years ago. My training specialized in navigation, military strategy, and marksmanship. That is all."
She took a seat, more than a little distraught over her slight misstep, and waited for Fate or Ward to introduce themselves.
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Post by CJ on May 26, 2013 18:58:09 GMT -5
"If you're honest with what you're saying," Fate said in response to Ohyeah, "then I think we'll make a great partnership."The Captain wasn't smiling but she seemed to be at least somewhat amused with Ohyeah. She at least had their attention now and listened intently to their stories. She raised an eyebrow at Winona's initial introduction. Here was another odd ball, like her Gracie Grace. Not to mention, Ohyeah was reminding her of someone else as well... "Captain Morgana Fate. I joined the Marines as a chore girl when I was 10," Fate began. "It was another year before they took me on as a recruit. Ever since then, I skipped out on the academy and worked with Commander Patrick Saint March and Gracie Grace from my orphanage to make names for ourselves in the Marines. Being raised as an orphan does that to you. To make up for no parents, you do everything you possibly can to make an identity for yourself but I'm past those childish ambitions now."Ward glanced at her with a smirk as she closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. "I'm an excellent tracker and even better fighter," she said and pointed her thumb back at the lit wall behind her. "Don't let this "no shadow" thing fool you. It doesn't interfere with my work. Usually I'm paired with a heavy hitter and a marksman. As pointless as this mission is, I'm glad I'll be working with you too. Now, let's get on with the mission.""Excuse me, Captain Fate," Ward chimed in, "but I never introduced myself.""Who cares? You're not going on the mission.""Yes, but you will be reporting your findings to me.""Fine," Fate rolled her eyes and tapped her gloved hand on the table. "I'm Ward Asperio, Lieutenant."Continuing on, each person in the room would hear a different story, though they would never be aware of this difference, at least in this meeting. Fate and Winona would hear a similar tale, only varying in slight details, about a boy who wanted to pursue his mother's deep heritage in the Marine's. Winona's particular version included a respectable leader who helped him accomplish his dreams. Ohyeah, however, would hear somewhat of a different story. A boy and his nanny were the only survivors of a fire that devastated his family's home. With nowhere else to go, he decided to join the Marines and make a new life for himself. He had a dark past he could never let go of but he tried not to let it interfere with his duties. "Now," Ward ended, "let's focus on what we're here for, namely this."i1144.photobucket.com/albums/o490/Max_Welinder/era_zpse3f53cd4.jpgHe placed a great multitude of photos of the image on the table. The logo was on dozens of buildings and walls. One particular one showed it on a bathroom mirror. They looked painted on, despite some towers and other buildings being incredibly high off the ground. Each of the photos was labeled with a island or country's name. "Graffiti?" Fate asked, clearly not impressed. "It's not the image that's the issue," Ward corrected her. "Though if we even knew what the image meant in the first place, that might be more of a problem. The thing is, this image is showing up in places it really shouldn't. No one has seen the process of how these are made nor do we have any idea of who put them there. They can and have been removed but the matter of the ability of whoever is making these and why is of our highest priority.""So our mission is to investigate this matter?""Precisely.""Have you guys seen this thing before?" Fate asked Ohyeah and Winona nonchalantly. "Any guesses?"
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Post by Kyubey on May 27, 2013 3:53:38 GMT -5
Ohyeah was relieved when Fate said they would make a good partnership. At first he had his doubts about the Captain, being worried that she wouldn't work well with him or his crew, but now there seemed to be hope. Her story helped to endear herself to him a bit more as well, and he found her past very sympathetic. Only time would be able to tell if they actually made a good team or not, but now the Vice Admiral was significantly more optimistic.
"A heavy hitter and a marksman you say... we should get along just fine, then."
Winona was a little less impressed, but knew enough from experience to not underestimate someone just because they were academy dropouts, and paid full attention to the stories of both Fate and Ward, making mental note of whatever details she found to be of interest.
As the images were passed around and Ward gave an explanation, Ohyeah and Winona examined them closely. They had been given missions of great importance before, but never anything like this. By nature this was vastly different and far more vague than the straightforward capture missions he had been given in the past.
"I've got nothin' so far," Ohyeah replied, "But being able to do all this without getting caught, or even seen, is nothing to laugh at. I'm willing to bet that whoever's responsible is a really tough sorta guy. We'd have to look into what sort of power, Devil Fruit or otherwise, could do something like this. Someone with those sorts of abilities though... why would he just stop at leaving pictures? He could probably do a lot more damage than just graffiti, if he wanted, so what is it he's after? That's what I'm wondering."
"They're clearly trying to send a message," said Winona, "What the message is, though, is the difficult part. Whatever the meaning, the criminal's obviously more interested in getting the point across than achieving fame. Whether it's political, philosophical, or otherwise, the deeper meaning is of enough significance to this individual to broadcast it to the world, and it's far more important to them than money or power. That is, assuming there's only one perpetrator. As far as any of us are aware, this symbol that's being plastered all over doesn't carry any known connotations to anyone but the artist. It was left for us to piece together ourselves. Once we do that, we'll be that much closer to figuring out who's responsible and what their plan is." She raised her hands to her mouth in thought, and looked at Ward. "Are there any other unresolved crimes that show any possible similarities to this? Also, is there any known connection between the scenes of crime that might lead the criminal to target them specifically?"
Now it was clear to Ohyeah why he and Fate were assigned to work together. She would track down the perpetrator, and he would bring him in. As the mission began to make more sense, he also came to understand how serious it was. A man who could threaten the world to such an extent could only prove to be a dangerous opponent. He would have to take it seriously, and to put as much trust in Fate as possible.
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Post by CJ on May 31, 2013 13:59:05 GMT -5
"Maybe he has already done something more than graffiti," Fate said after thinking on what Ohyeah and Winona said. "The graffiti could simply be a distraction for something else. Have there been any other strange circumstances surrounding this case?"
Ward leaned back in his chair and sighed, twiddling his fingers.
"There is a Marine sanctioned journalist who has been detained recently for suspicious behavior," he said. "After being dishonorably discharged, Impel Down's now holding the only expert on what's been going on here and could give you answers. From what I know, he's being held separately from any of the levels so getting an interview would be quite easy."
"We will start there then," Fate responded. "We'll need a copy of the book on Devil Fruit to see if any of this matches previous records. I know the library at Impel Down has one. While you two interview this journalist, I'll go pull up some former cases like this and try to figure out which Fruit we might be dealing with."
The Marine Captain placed her helmet on her head and motioned for Ward to start removing the curtains from the windows to let in a stream of sunlight.
"What do you say?" she asked Ohyeah and Winona in a slightly muffled voice. "Should we go to Impel Down?"
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Post by Kyubey on May 31, 2013 19:18:33 GMT -5
As Ward began to provide still more details to the case, Ohyeah leaned forward in his chair, listening with interest. He found himself admiring Fate's apparent skill, already she was showing great sense in outlining what needed to be done.
"Impel Down, eh?" he said thoughtfully. "It's a little out of the way, but I guess we'd need to stop by there no matter what if we're going to find out what we need to know. I get the sense that this journalist, no matter what we do, is gonna be hiding things from us, but I'm sure we can get him to say enough to give us a good starting place. Winona, you heard of this guy before?"
"The journalist?" she shook her head. "This is the first time I've heard about this. But I agree. Impel Down should be the first place we visit."
Ohyeah looked at Fate, and spoke definitively. "Then we'll set a course to there. My men will be ready to sail at any time, and personally, I want to be out on the sea as soon as I can. I assume you'll be traveling on my ship, Captain Fate?"
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Post by CJ on Jun 2, 2013 22:55:52 GMT -5
"I will be," Fate said. It was hard to tell past the helmet whether she was excited or not to join them.
When they did travel, however, Ohyeah and Winona would learn that she was tolerable company. She slept through most of the day and only came outside at night for obvious reasons. She seemed only interested in talking casually about fighting techniques and conspiracies. Though the reputation that she was a cold character would not be found here. She even seemed somewhat happy without Lieutenant Asperio around.
Every once in a while, she would go off by herself, muttering in worry and anger about the mission she could never go on.
---
At Impel Down, Fate told Ohyeah and Winona she would look for the book on Devil Fruit. Meanwhile, they should talk to the imprisoned journalist to look for leads.
(Enter Shark introduction post)
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Jun 6, 2013 3:24:31 GMT -5
It took a few threats from the guards to separate out the prisoners, as there were several to a cell. Eventually though they managed to get one away from the rest, which in reality meant simply that the others were herded out for the routine punishments administered on this level, while the one they wanted just stayed behind. Here on the first level, that meant a reprieve from the endless torment of having to run through the forest of cutting trees, where even the blades of grass were as sharp as needles. The prisoner himself wasn't sure why he was being separated, but he sure didn't mind, if it meant not having to go through the punishment like the rest. He just hoped that it didn't mean he was being singled out for an even worse punishment.
"Hey uh... who is it-"
"Quiet you! Want to join the rest, another trek through the red forest, hmmm?"
The prisoner had moved up to the bars to try and ask something of the guards, but in response one of them shouted him down and banged against the bars with a trident, smashing the prisoners fingers badly in the process.
"Ow! I just wanted to know why we're here!"
"Orders. Someone wants to meet with you about something. Don't know who, don't know why. Ask another stupid question like that, and you'll wish you hadn't."
"Well I didn't actually get to finish asking the question in the first place, so..."
The prisoner had the good sense to back away from the bars before he said anything else, opting to sit down while listening to the distant screams of other prisoners being made to run through the forest.
Rory Meyer, the former Marine recruit turned freelance reporter. Having gone AWOL after the War of the Best, it was not long after he started doing research and writing about, reporting on the strange occurrences of graffiti that had been showing up at an alarming rate and in alarming places as of late. Of course he was imprisoned fairly soon after his pieces were published for bringing attention to the matter, so he never really figured out much, and never got to see the rate and frequency of which they were showing up nowadays. Still though, the whole matter had fascinated him at the time, at least to the point where he actually tried to do work and study them. Unfortunately for him that was all cut short.
And now here he was. A sorry sight compared to the man he used to be. He had not been here in Impel Down for a very long time, but already he was sporting the numerous cuts and sores characteristic to prisoners of this level. His clothes were ripped and stained with dry blood in many places, and he looked quite tired, quite anemic. On top of all that he looked beaten, bruised in a few places, as though he had been the subject of a number of fights since coming here. Such was expected when a marine (former, at least) was put in cells with mostly pirates.
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Post by Kyubey on Jun 6, 2013 7:44:27 GMT -5
"Excellent," Ohyeah said in response to Fate as he and Winona stood up, "I'll have the men prepare a place for you to sleep. I don't know what you're normally used to, but I hope you'll find my ship comfortable."
With that, he and Winona walked out of the fort at a brisk pace, and moved separately from Fate, hoping to get there before she did, to set up and accommodate the extra person.
"Winona, mind if I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead."
"How do you feel about this mission?"
"It's not my place to give opinions, Vice Admiral."
"Oh come on. You know I grant you permission."
"It still seems a bit strange that we'd be the ones assigned to this. Not that I don't think we should try to carry out our orders to the best of our ability, but this manner of investigation isn't exactly what our unit is known for. Fate's inclusion makes more sense, but even then, it seemed as though she really didn't want to be involved with this. I am not about to question the intent of the superior officers, but already I'm not entirely sure about what's really going on."
"Yes... it does seem like you have quite a bit of work ahead of you, Vice Admiral Barlow."
From behind Ohyeah and Winona came a deep, smooth voice, the kind that was never all that pleasant to hear, especially when it came creeping up behind you like a ferocious animal. Ohyeah stopped an spun around, and looked downwards to find a sharp-dressed officer with hands rested in his pockets and the standard-issue jacket draped over his shoulders. The man saluted, and, recognizing him, the Vice Admiral and the Captain followed suit. Ohyeah had only met the man in passing, at formal events mostly, but Winona seemed to know the man rather well, as evident in her nervous expression.
"Hello, Commander Byron... sir." she said, her voice wavering slightly.
"I happened to read the reports on the graffiti incidents, and found the matter to be of interest. I hope you understand the full importance of capturing this particular criminal."
"Rest assured, we will do all we can to bring whoever's responsible to justice."
"I was speaking to the Vice Admiral, Captain."
Winona frowned sharply, but didn't say any more.
"Yes, well, my unit, the Captains, and I will all do our best, I'm sure."
Byron raised an eyebrow. "Captains? Did Lieutenant Asperio not tell you?"
"Tell us what?"
"It makes sense that you wouldn't know, considering the orders were only just verified by the higher ups. Captain Winona Falkland, you are to be reassigned to HQ until further notice."
Winona's eyes widened as those words came emotionlessly from Byron's lips, and next to her, Ohyeah's hand quickly tightened. "What?"
"While Vice Admiral Barlow and Captain Fate investigate the graffiti, you are to remain here with me. In light of recent happenings, there is a great deal of files and paperwork that needs to be sorted through, most of which for various reasons cannot be read by low-ranking officers. After some discussion, it's been decided that your talents are particularly suited for this kind of work."
"And why was I, her commanding officer, not involved in these discussions?" Ohyeah growled.
"Simply put? We did not have time to debate about it with you. I figured you wouldn't mind."
"Hell yes I mind! I'm not about to stand by and lose a sailor right before shipping out!"
"Is there a problem with this? Captain Fate has been assigned to you already, so it's not as though your unit is suffering any real loss from this."
"I can't believe this!" Winona snapped. "All you're doing is replacing me, after I've done nothing! Why would you do this to me now, Commander? This might just turn out to be the most important mission my unit has ever been assigned to, and you're pulling me away before we can even get started?"
"I wasn't the one who finalized the order, it was someone with a higher rank than myself."
"But you were the one who suggested it, weren't you?"
"That is not relevant. With the addition of Captain Fate, Ohyeah's unit is large enough already. It's in the best interest of the Marines to place you where you can do the most good."
"And the most good is doing busywork here while Ohyeah's out hunting down a dangerous criminal? Commander, I've been on his ship for years now, I'd work better with him than anyone else could! Check my records, I'm more than qualified! Isn't the mission what's most important here?"
"Yes. You're the one who seems to not understand that. This is not about your personal feelings, Captain Falkland."
"I agree with Winona. If I'm gonna do this, I need her with me. I'm the Vice Admiral here, I should have some say in this."
"At this point? Not so much. You might be able to debate this with our superiors, but that might take a while, and we can't afford to waste time. If you find Captain Fate unsuitable as a replacement, I would suggest addressing your concerns to the right people, to discuss putting her in a more fitting position."
"This isn't about that! It's my job to look out for my crew, isn't it? How do you expect me to let you come prancing in and taking my own subordinates out from under me?"
"I apologize for not alerting you about this sooner. As you'll remember, I was the one who trained Falkland and originally recommended her to your unit. I think I'm able to see where she's needed most. With all due respect, your own sense of dependency should not be a factor in this. If your only complaint is on a strictly emotional basis, Vice Admiral, then perhaps I should take note of this as well."
"Dammit. What's the good of this stupid title if I can't even use it to keep my own crew together?"
"No," said Winona calmly and suddenly. "I understand, Commander. This arrangement is suitable. I'll remain in HQ until further notice." She looked up at Ohyeah, and a fleeting moment of understanding passed between the two, that clearly meant, We can't let them win this..
"This is alright with you, Vice Admiral sir?"
Ohyeah crossed his arms, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly. "Fine. I can manage."
Byron did not seem to show any pleasure or satisfaction from this, and carried on with a simple "Very good. Thank you both for cooperating."
Ohyeah turned to Winona, looking down at her stoically, only the look in his eye revealing any emotion. "I'll be back soon. Take care of yourself while I'm gone, Captain."
Winona saluted, and smiled reassuringly. "Aye-aye."
---
During the voyage to Impel Down, Fate would not not find any problems from Ohyeah or his crew. While she stayed on the ship, she was permitted to use Winona's now-vacant private quarters, and Ohyeah's sailors, being a generally friendly bunch, were happy to bring her anything she might have required while she was there, once they learned of her condition. The sailors under Ohyeah seemed almost unusually cheerful on the journey, perhaps in no small part because the strict Captain Falkland was not on board. The Vice Admiral himself, although he spent a fair amount of time in his own cabin, seemed to get along well with his men, and made sure that the trip was mostly relaxed and peaceful.
---
Ohyeah had a stern, hard expression as he arrived at the cell block containing Rory Meyer. Being a soldier of the Marines, and a rather successful one at that, he inevitably happened to recognize some of the faces he passed in order to get to one prisoner in particular. So it was natural that a few of the captured criminals in the crowd would have cause to particularly hate the man who put them behind those bars, and in turn, Ohyeah was aware of this, not one to forget the pirates he fought in the past. But he ignored all of them for now, instead focusing on the one man who had the information he needed.
"Hello there, Meyer," he said in a no nonsense tone. "My name is Vice Admiral Xavier Barlow. I'm here to ask you a few questions, regarding the graffiti that's been appearing lately. I think you know which graffiti I'm talking about." While traveling to the great prison, he had read up on all that was available on the rogue journalist, so he wasn't going in unprepared. "It's my intention to locate and capture whoever is responsible, and it seems that right now, you know more about it than anyone. Tell me what you know."
He wasn't expecting to learn everything straight away, but still, from however Rory Meyer responded, he could expect to get a good sense for who, exactly, he was talking to, before the discussions could truly start.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Jun 8, 2013 17:04:57 GMT -5
"A Vice Admiral? Just for that? I didn't know they had so many to spare, things must have changed after the war..."
When Ohyeah showed up by the cell, the guards gave him some room, though they still kept a watchful eye in case anyone tried anything. Rory on the other hand stood up to attention to salute the vice admiral, and moved closer to the bars so that he wouldn't be having a conversation with a dirty unseen prisoner in a dark cell. He couldn't hide the surprise in his voice, nor the look on his face, and it was clear to tell that Ohyeah (or someone of his position) was the last person in the world that Rory expected to see.
"Well Sir, it's quite a mess, that's what I know! I keep trying to tell them-"
"He does, he won't shut up about it."
Cutting him off, one of the guards banged against the bars again. Rory flinched, jumping back in response. He tried to pick up where he left off, but he was not nearly as forward or energetic about the matter as he was before, and he was avoidant of approaching the bars again. It was clear that his time here had taken its toll, if the numerous injuries were not proof enough.
"-it's... it's a serious security concern I think. I had to mind the brig a few times while on active duty, and graffiti is just one of many ways prisoners can utilize to communicate with one another, while keeping it secret... from the guards. See, something like... like this!"
Grabbing at his clothes, Rory ripped a small portion off one of his sleeves, and with a piece of ruddy old charcoal lying nearby he began to draw on it. In no time at all he had scrawled a crude-looking eye with lashes, sliding across the floor near to the bars for Ohyeah to see and possible take (Rory himself was not about to approach close enough to just hand it to him).
"Like that... prisoners can mark on walls or someplace else, to let others know that the area is under surveillance by snail cams. There's a whole bunch of different ones, it's almost like a whole different language and they use it to talk freely amongst themselves."
The prisoner crawled a little closer, to see what Ohyeah's opinion on the matter was. After being ignored by the guards for so long, and being beset upon by the other prisoners for trying to reveal their communication network, it was somewhat liberating to see someone here to finally deal with the issue. Someone who, given his position, could certainly make some changes happen.
"I thought if I pointed it out to people enough they'd do something, but I never thought they'd send someone from the Navy, let alone a Vice Admiral..."
Surely, this was what Ohyeah was here about, after all?
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Post by Kyubey on Jun 9, 2013 1:44:04 GMT -5
Ohyeah picked up the scrap of cloth, his eye narrowing as he saw that Rory clearly wasn't talking about the same thing as him. As he expected, he couldn't get the answers he wanted easily. Though it appeared to be irrelevant, Ohyeah still pocketed the drawing. Was the prisoner avoiding the subject, or was he just plain inept. The latter seemed the most unlikely, he had been a journalist, after all. This was not going well at all. Why he had to spend his time interrogating this funny little man who was going on about security threats and secrets means of communication when there were more important things at hand was a great deal of frustration. As he thought about how much he didn't like this part of the job, he paused, suddenly realizing something he didn't notice at first.
Damn, he thought to himself. That he didn't pick up on it right away showed how unprepared he had been going into this. But now he was beginning to catch on.
"Could you excuse us please?" he said to the surrounding guards, "I don't really like being watched, it just bothers me. I'll be fine here, thanks." He then began to glace back and forth between Rory and the guards. "Go get some coffee or something. I won't tell."
He took a step towards the bars, not meaning to be intimidating or anything of the sort, just moving close enough so he could be understood without having to speak up.
"Yes, this is a notable concern, and you weren't wrong to speak up about it. I've seen some rather troublesome graffiti myself, but it wasn't an eye, and it was outside a prison. And as much as I tried, I just can't seem to figure out what it means." His tone lowered, and his inflections became much more serious. "If you honestly care about the security of the World Government, help me find who it is I'm looking for."
This sort of task was better fitted for Winona. He knew this before he walked into the building, but now it became even more clear. She was better at getting straight replies from people, either by using her wit or simply bullying it out of them. Ohyeah's skills with words were normally about as subtle as his fists, but he knew in this case, if he was to do his job and not let his comrades down, he would have to adapt. Whether his current tactic was working though, or even if he was on the right track, he would have to see.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Jun 9, 2013 17:04:08 GMT -5
"Well... I'll be happy to help inwhateverway I can, Sir! They might have locked me up in here, but Ineverreally stopped serving the Government."
Once the guards left (albeit with some hesitation), Rory didn't mind approaching the bars again, to be able to talk to Ohyeah face to face. Some of that enthusiasm was returning, and as a result it might have been hard to understand all of what he was saying, as he had a habit of speaking very fast such that his words tended to meld together.
"I'm no expert, butifyoucould bring me whatever information you have on this person, I'll tryandfigureout what's what. I'm sure with someone of your authority on the case, wecangettothe bottom of this and make this prison a much safer, muchmoresecure place!"
He was glad Ohyeah seemed to take him seriously, and he felt that with the Vice Admiral working to solve the issue as well, his complaints and ways of addressing them would in time become realized.
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