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Post by Kuro on Jan 26, 2013 10:52:54 GMT -5
Plonk went the bottle into the water. A little splash and it and its letter inside began sailing on its way.
Mr. Dark stood by himself on the deck, looking at his message-in-a-bottle as it drifted behind the ship. It was impossible for him to guarantee it reached his destination, especially since he did not even know what that destination was. There was a possibility of it reaching her, but it was infinitely small, something that could only happen in fairy tales and dreams. Still. It was a possibility. That was all he needed.
It was very peaceful at the moment. There was nothing around the ship but calm waters, and the sky was the faded blue of the morning of a new day, a new chapter. There was naught a cloud in the gentle sky, and yet there was snow. The snow had begun falling in the small hours of last night, in that time when any average, sensible man would be asleep. Now, the snow was falling at a steady and harmless rate. The falling snow could be seen everywhere and was accumulating on the ship. A layer of snow three or so inches high covered every part of the ship that was unshielded from the sky, but it had taken quite the while for it to be that size; there was no harm from this weather.
Mr. Dark wondered if there were any in their number who had ever seen snow before. The doctor himself had lived on an island that would have snow every winter as per the average fare, but he did not know if the others had come from such places. If they hadn't, then assuming that they had not stayed awake the entire morning - and Mr. Dark could not tell if anyone had, for there was no way currently available to him to know just what everyone was doing at all times - then this would be the first time that they saw snow. Mr. Dark had "forgotten" to tell the others that such weather would be approaching. People have the most sincere and revealing reactions to things that they do not expect, and even the smallest amount of information taken from the reactions would suffice, if there were any. He expected anyone still sleeping to wake up around this time, but it wouldn't be very surprising if they didn't. Even after a whole week, it was somewhat possible that they would be tired. Then again, perhaps they wouldn't be and someone would come and keep him company.
...
What an odd thought. He required no company at the time and certainly had no desire for it. Some sort of error in his mind, some sort of mindless notion. Meaningless, especially since if they woke up now they would see the bottle and might question it. No, there would be no problem with that. He could simply wave it off. There would be nothing wrong with anyone joining him on the deck or simply moving around the ship. Perhaps that was what he had meant with the previous thought.
Mr. Dark's thoughts focused on the next location instead and the reason that he had sent his message off in the morning instead of the much safer, secretive night as he would usually do. The race of Breakwater had been most exhausting, and for quite the while he had found little energy to write the letter and send it off. He had just written it earlier the current morning, when he had correctly or incorrectly assumed everyone had been asleep. Instead of waiting for the night, he had sent it off now because there was the possibility that soon, he would not find the opportunity to do so for some time. They were sailing in the waters of an empire at war.
The news had been very surprising to him. To suddenly hear that the world had plunged itself into global conflict and bloodshed was...jarring. It certainly made their voyage much harder. Now there was the worry of encountering platoons and getting caught in island sieges. It was good to hear that the world's population was now killing itself at a faster rate, but the negative effects were obvious. They had to be careful.
They had gone into Arkady's territory a few days ago and the doctor had told the others that they would do so, that it would simply be a visit for spending. Their islands outside the Calm Belt would be the only cities full of supplies for quite some time, not counting the few islands or so that were in the middle of the Grand Line and thus, at a large risk of being invaded by the armies sailing across it. Even going to an island of Arkady Industries was risky, but there was not much else they could do. The plan was to simply go to one of the islands, retrieve supplies, and perhaps even sightsee if possible. The empire was at war, but its outer islands were known for their obsession with customers and keeping them happy and willing to spend their beli. He had not yet heard if such a demeanor had changed drastically because of the war, so he could only hope for the best. That was the plan. It would only be a matter of time before it was completely destroyed and done with however, if any of his past experiences with Kusu showed. It was only a matter of time.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Jan 26, 2013 15:07:31 GMT -5
It had taken him a few days, but he figured he'd managed well enough. If there was anything he knew of captains, it was that they dressed the part. The captain he had known himself, and based his mannerisms on certain did so. It was perfect because now that Lynwood had his jacket that he had given her, and that he hadn't thought to ask for it back, this was his chance. Being a shepherd he knew a thing or two about how to work with textiles, so when he found an old marine officer's jacket on board and some red fabric to go with it, it took him a few days but he managed to do it. To make himself a characteristic red captain's coat. He had been up into the late hours of the night finishing it, and now was his chance to try it out.
"Oh, it's snowing! Wow, that's quite a lot!"
A big dumb grin was slapped across his face, and like the stupid kid that he was, Kalen made a running jump. Hitting the deck he slid across his front through the snow, and when he came to a stop he started making snow angels. All the while he laughed to himself, and it was all a rather childish display. Then again, he was never one to be called mature. It was the realization of his coat though, that made him snap out of his gleeful frolicking, as he didn't want to ruin what he just made. Shaking his head, he promptly jumped up and started brushing himself off.
"Ahem! I uh... I tripped. Now, as Captain, I should probably get to know the boat better. How to move it and that sort of thing."
He noticed Mr. Dark, but only payed as much attention to him as it took to act and appear formal, for the role he had on the ship. Making his way from the front, he went to the steering wheel at the elevated deck above the main. Once there, he positioned himself in front of the wheel to look out ahead of the ship over the waves.
"So this... is how you make the boat move. So simple yet so elegant."
Brushing off some of the snow on the wheel, he moved his hands along it, placing his hands on two of the outer handles to get the feel of it. Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes and took it all in, talking to himself a little.
"Oh no Captain Kalen, please save us, a giant sea monster is coming!"
"Never fear brave crew, I shall save us! Ka-pow! Ka-pew! Oh noooo~! Bang! Boom! And a slash! Behold, for I have slayed the great beast!"
"Thank you Captain Kalen!"
"We love you Kalen, you're the best Captain ever!"
The voices were terrible exaggerations, and he made himself sound more manly when he spoke. Sighing with a soft smile, he leaned against the wheel, trying to look cool in a pose.
"Yeeeaaahhh... it's just like that."
Without warning, as he was leaning on the wheel, his weight suddenly caused it to shift and turn sharply one way. The motion caused him to fall down as he had been leaning to the side, and the whole ship suddenly lurched violently to the right. Scrambling to his feet, the shepherd panicked and tried to turn the wheel back as fast as he could, making the ship now lurch violently to the left and knocking him to the floor that way.
"Sorry! Sorry, my mistake!"
He wasn't really speaking to anyone in particular, and finally he managed to remain steadily on his feet, and properly correct their course to what it had been. Breathing heavily as his heart raced, he had a death grip on the wheel and it was some time before he calmed down and let go to scratch his head and laugh nervously.
"A-hah-hah-hah, maybe... maybe I'll just have one of the others do the steering instead..."
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Post by CJ on Feb 3, 2013 13:27:24 GMT -5
Kusu was contented to perch atop the cute wolf figurehead of the ship. She was in her "Angel" form. Her parakeet wings stretched in the cold wind. Her beak-like nose twitched as another snowflake hit it.
She had finally calmed down after soaring around the ship for around fifteen minutes in excitement. It was the first time she had ever seen snow aside from the artifical pink snow of Momoiro Island. She casually mentioned it tasted like strawberries, but she liked the white colorof this snow better.
The parakeet Zoan hummed to herself and began a song. She balanced gracefully as Kalen swayed the ship back and forth.
"I'd rather weather fairer weather than wonder whether clever feathers ever endeavor wherever..."
---
Meanwhile, Mr. Dark would notice he was truly not alone. Metal tendrils danced on the deck below him and rose up almost to greet him. They merged together and formed a plain metal sign. It read:
Hello, Mr. Dark. Could I speak to you for a moment in the control room? Try not to let Kusu know.
before slipping and slithering back away.
---
"Dumb, Kalen. Dumb. Dumb."
The control room on the Spirit Wolf was looking quite occupied. Mental tendrils stretched and filled the room. Their branches danced over buttons and controls. Two particular tendrils were hovering over the second wheel, allowing Kalen to have his way with the other wheel for a moment. The metal wrapped around the zombie's fingers, like puppet strings, sitting nearby.
"Dumb," Hilbrand Zuberi said, leaning back in the pink cushioned chair prepared for him by Kusu. He was still looking very worse for the wear. His head was caved in partially, though it seemed to be retaining its normal shape. Mr. Dark had worked on repairing some of the zombie's stitches and injuries. The doctor would notice, despite Kusu's worries, that Hil was not decomposing, but rather healing. His skin was a lighter shade of gray. His bright red hair was growing back at a frightening rate.
"Ah, Mr. Dark, I see you come here yes. Come and sit thing."
If Mr. Dark made his up to the room, he would hear Hil speaking to someone, or who he thought was someone. The zombie was looking at a corner, shrouded in darkness, out of reach of sunlight. After noticing no one was sitting in the chair nearby, his glossy, dead eyes looked back to the corner.
"Why you no response? Speak Mr. Dark."
After some time, Hil shook his head.
"Oh, that not Mr. Dark. Fix Brain, fix. Let sword do think."
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Post by Hitotsumami on Feb 5, 2013 12:40:13 GMT -5
Wolf had been flying a long time.
A very long time.
After his incident with the marines and revolutionaries, a lot was going through his head. He discovered he was not actually who he thought he was. He had been a regular boy and was captured by a man named Magnon Cold, and then transformed into this metal monster with false memories.
All he wanted now was to find his old crew, find Kusu and the gang, and then perhaps he could find Mangon Cold and find out who he really was in that long past life. But not knowing who he really was made him feel disconnected to even his very own thoughts.
He sighed, trying to forget about it. He turned his head to check on the guy who was sleeping soundly on his back. His name was Dunkan, and Wolf had ran into him in his previous adventure. Now that they were reunited, it was time to find Kusu.
Using his powerful scanning, Wolf had, after a few weeks of retracing his steps to the Hyperion Incident, discovered the location of the others. It wouldn't be long, and he'd finally reach them.
As he flew, a dot appeared in the horizon. Snow started, but it didn't effect his flight or vision. Finally, the dot grew larger and larger until he finally saw it. It was the ship. It was the crew!
And the first person Wolf saw was Kusu, sitting upon the figurehead of the ship. As he got closer, however, his smile began to fade. What would she think of him? What would the others think? He had caused such terrible damage on the Hyperion. He had almost attacked his own friends. Even Kusu called him a monster...
But he had to risk it. He had to see them again. He had to explain. So without hesitation, he flew straight to the ship. He stopped in front of Kusu, just a few meters away, hovering in mid air.
"Hey Kusu," said Wolf. "I"m back."
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Post by newb23 on Feb 5, 2013 13:35:48 GMT -5
Dunkan slept soundly for most of the traveling as Wolf carried him upon his back and flew to their destination. He only awoke twice or so and that was mainly just to check to see if they were headed in the right direction. Normally he would rely on Wolf’s sensors to do the job but his sword, Sky-Crumbler then Ultra Slicer V. 10.5 Closed Beta, had screamed at him to check. Apparently the sword didn’t quite trust Wolf as much as Dunkan. As for the reason for the sword’s newfound ability to speak Dunkan wasn’t quite sure how or why it was able to do so but it happened shortly after the battle between the traveling companions with the sword complaining of a massive headache.
As for the name Dunkan simply liked the way it sounded although Wolf had commented that it was quite long something the sword agreed with though the argument fell on ignorant ears. The man with the permanent smile on his face also insisted that Sky-Crumbler then Ultra Slicer V. 10.5 Closed Beta be referred to by it’s full name rather than any nickname.
As Wolf came upon the location of the ship and landed Dunkan barely moved at all. Instead he began to snore somewhat loudly as if subconsciously he wanted people to be aware that he was there without having to really wake up. Sky-Crumbler then Ultra Slicer V. 10.5 Closed Beta began to vibrate angrily. As Dunkan continued to ignore the sword’s presence and continued to snooze the vibrations went up in intensity. Before long the Sky-Crumbler then Ultra Slicer V. 10.5 Closed Beta lost it’s patience’s and a scream was erupted from Dunkan’s side. “WAKE UP YA IDIOT!”
Startling Dunkan from his sleep he tried his hardest to run but found he couldn’t move. Looking about his eyes fell upon the straps holding him to Wolf. “Oh yeah. T’is thin’. Now ‘ow do I get down?” Dunkan stated as he began to feel around on the straps for some kind of button. “Ah found it.” Pressing the button Dunkan dropped down to the ship and turned to face Kusu. “We found it.” “You didn’ do nothing.” “’Ou shut up….OH look is tha’? Oh it is it is. It’s Kusu. HI!” Dunkan said to Wolf and Sky-Crumbler then Ultra Slicer V. 10.5 Closed Beta before noticing the figure in front of him. At the sight of her Dunkan began to wave frantically.
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Post by Kuro on Feb 19, 2013 20:27:42 GMT -5
Mr. Dark was becoming increasingly annoyed with Kalen's incompetence with each time he saw him. When the ship suddenly lurched to one side, the doctor did not fall down or tumble since he had grabbed one of the railings the moment he saw the shepherd get near the wheel. When the ship was put back in balance, he simply looked at Kalen in silence; even with the sunglasses on, anyone could tell that the man was glaring at the boy.
Mr. Dark had watched Kusu fly around for a bit, noting such an excited reaction to something as simple as crystalline water ice. Whenever he saw Kusu have such childish reactions, he was reminded of her age. The fact that she had been through so much and yet could still behave in such a way had always been intriguing to him. That aspect of Kusu was a puzzle that he still could not yet solve. He thought of attributing it to her naivety, but that seemed too simple. There had to be something more. The boogeyman thought back on his experiences, how he had reacted to them, how he was now. No...There had to be something to the little girl. There was something hidden, something that explained why after so much disaster and exposure to the evils of humanity, she could still be so...
...
Different from him.
He looked at the sign from Hilbrand and instantly started walking towards his location, narrowly missing the arrival of Wolf and Dunkan.
He stepped into the control room without a sound. The first thing he did was analyze the zombie's condition at first glance, comparing it to the perfect mental image he had of what the specimen had looked like the last time he saw him. It was healing at a rapid pace. Interesting.
The regenerator appeared in the front of his thoughts. His joining the crew, more or less, was quite unexpected but well-received by at least him. That he now had a fear to manipulate as well...He would do well. He would have to check on him later.
He looked around at the network of tendrils and metal, acknowledging their use in maintaining the ship. He then looked straight ahead instead of pointing his hidden gaze at the stitched-up body in front of him.
"For what purpose have you summoned me?"
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Post by CJ on Feb 20, 2013 9:59:44 GMT -5
Kusu was stuck in a very deep daydream. She did not notice Wolf immediately, maybe making it seem like she was ignoring him or did not care. She blinked and looked up slowly. A huge smile slowly came across her face.
"Hey Wolf, Dunkan!" she exclaimed, standing up. Her wings poofed to balance her on the wolf head. "How's it going, Sqwee?"
Her face fell when she remembered the last time she saw the Activista. His face peeled back, the beam cannon. It was extremely terrifying. She considered Dunkan to be very brave for staying with Wolf for as long as he did. She tried to find the right words to say.
"I don't think you need me to tell you what you did was really bad on that ship," she said cautiously as her wings folded down on her back.
Kusu reminded herself not to try and sound like a parent. Who knew how old Wolf was. He probably experienced five times as much as she ever had.
"You're really scary, Wolf, but you're equally as nice. I mean, I'm not human too. I'm an Okama. So if you need me, I can be here for you, the others too. We can even save people and maybe make up for everything we never meant to do."
She sighed and sat back down and kicked her feet back and forth over the edge of the wolf head. A smile came across her face again. The giddiness was starting to return.
"So... how did you two find each other? What happened after we left? I see you found a silly sword, Dunkan. Have you always had that?"
---
The pink chair turned as Mr. Dark entered. Hilbrand smiled faintly and then frowned. It was as if he were a child trying to be serious for an adult he wanted to impress.
"Mr. Dark," he began, "thing is... thing... speech part of brain still no work well. Something went wrong when Owl had me caught. But you know that. Let me write instead."
Two of the tendrils broke apart and latched onto a cheap pen and notebook paper. They wrote furiously as Hil stared deeply at his writing. The one gripping the paper suddenly lashed out and presented it to Mr. Dark.
His script was eloquent, professional even. Even stroke of the pen was near perfect and without flaw. It read:
The brat gets hungry quick. Keep some of these with your medical supplies. It's extremely important she stays full, especially when she's nervous. I don't believe in supplementary vitamins but make her take B, Q, S-RT and Z as well.
Another tendril presented a large, comical pink cooler to Mr. Dark. Inside was conveniently ready-made packets of vegetables, fruit and nuts. Fear was presented in the zombie's mind, but it was abstract. It was likely because of his injuries that Mr. Dark wouldn't be able to detect it as easily as he did before.
"Oh, it's Wolf Bot and a Smile," Hil announced casually. "How they get here you think? Maybe go check it out, Mr. Dark."
The zombie shifted around, looking outside toward the front of the ship. His eyes were wide in surprise as his fingers tugged at various tendrils to get them to move to see what was going on.
---
Kalen might notice two tendrils slithering past him to try and get a better look of Wolf and Dunkan's arrival. There were like snakes without apparent end, leaking out of the crevices of the docks.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Feb 24, 2013 11:38:29 GMT -5
"New crew people? Well, Wolf isn't exactly new... I'm sure they'll find a way to fit in though."
From up by the wheel Kalen could see the ship coming to life now. Not just other crewmembers emerging on the deck and interacting with one another, but the return of others as well. He hadn't seen what happened to Wolf on the Hyperion, so he had no reason for any trepidation on the matter, and the new person with him was more of an issue. New people were always welcome as far as Kalen was concerned, and he'd like to get to know this person to see what they were capable of. Already it seemed that he was not entirely a stranger, Kusu being familiar with him.
"Well once we get to the next- gah! What the?! Get out of here, get off the ship!"
While watching the others below, eventually at some point Kalen noticed the metal snake looking things, or a least that was what he perceived them to be. Immediately he went to swing at them with his staff almost like a reflex, but took on a very sad looking demeanor when he realized he no longer had his staff. He opted instead to simply jump on the metal snakes until they went away. That wasn't to say that anything productive would come of it, that was just how he treated snakes after having to look after sheep. In sandals though, it was doubtful he would cause any harm or even effect upon the metal tendrils.
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Post by Hitotsumami on Feb 27, 2013 22:08:56 GMT -5
Wolf stared blankly at Kusu. Her words, were they serious? He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had to actually fetch the moment from his memory bank and replay it in his head.
She was actually glad to see him. He was sure, after what he had done, he would be punished or even rejected from the crew. But she welcomed them with open arms. Wolf couldn't help but smile.
"It's a long story," said Wolf, slowly landing on the ship with a thud. "While I've been gone, I've discovered a lot about myself. Let's just say that the government has some explaining to do. I can't even be sure if my memories are actually mine. But we can take care of it when the time comes. Oh, and I found Duncan along the way! He really helped me out."
Wolf decided not to mention the fact that he was in fact one of the ancient weapons, Fenrir. Along with Pluton and Posiedon, he was a weapon the government wanted to use for destruction. He would keep that a secret for now, for he wasn't sure how the others would react.
"But you must tell me, how are you? What has happened with the crew since I've been gone?"
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Post by Kuro on Mar 3, 2013 19:19:16 GMT -5
Mr. Dark said nothing in response to Hilbrand's request, mainly because he already knew everything that the boy was telling him. At least it showed that even in this state, he still worried and cared for Kusu's health. He took what the boy gave him and turned to leave when he heard Hil's next words.
"Oh, it's Wolf Bot and a Smile."
Mr. Dark stopped. With his back to the boy, he turned his head to look at him and wondered if he knew the gravity of the statement. He also wondered on one other thing.
"Hilbrand, we only just retrieved you. How do you know who Wolf and Dunkan are?"
Did Kusu tell him of the their trials on Jubilee and the Hyperion without Mr. Dark's knowledge? Was it simply because he could hear people on the deck saying their names? He attributed to one of those mundane explanations, for the moment. They were the most plausible. With that, he left the underbelly of the ship to greet the two who had come back as predicted.
"Greetings, Wolf and Dunkan." He walked onto the deck of the ship with almost naught a sound but his own greeting. "Your return is well-received. Hopefully we will not be separated again." As he looked at the Activista, he remembered all of the weapons that were in his body. He remembered the sheer power that the machine held. He remembered the destruction that could be caused from just one tool, one mass of weaponry. He was one of the most impressive things he had ever seen, and he would make sure to utilize the Activista to its fullest potential.
He looked at Dunkan and his sword. He had not heard it speak since he had been inside the ship, but he still thought of it as important. The smiling boy did not seem like the type of person to simply carry any regular sword, after all. In fact, he knew quite little of Dunkan in general. If he was to join the rest of the crew in their ventures, then that would have to change.
"Not much has changed since you last saw us, Wolf. After all, your unfortunate departure was not too long ago. At the moment, we are heading to Sector 11 of Arkady Industries to buy mainly supplies, of which we are bereft. In fact, we are approaching the island now. Everyone, ready yourselves and remember: We are only buying. Nothing else."
Of course, he knew that something completely contradicting his order was bound to happen. It was only a matter of time.
The first things anyone ever sees of Sector 11 is the Arkady logo.
In the distance, through all of the endless snow, glowed a yellow crosshairs with a razor blade encircling it, high above sea level and certainly high above the ship, but not too high that they couldn't see all of it without raising their head. The symbol, a faded light at first, could clearly be seen as they got closer and only got larger and larger as they did. Originally something that one could pretend to squeeze between their fingers, after some more sailing the symbol of light was big enough to take up most of the side of a mountain.
Two massive shadows could be seen behind the Arkady logo and eventually appeared as the silhouettes of two towers reaching for the sky. Their shape was simple; each was a rectangular prism, a tall block with nothing on their flat roofs. As the ship got closer, pinpricks of light began to glow from the massive shadows. Not only that, but despite the tremendous height of the silhouettes when they first saw them, it became clear that the crew as not as close as they thought. It took at least half an hour before they saw the port.
Now the towers could be seen at their true scale. They stretched so high up into the sky that any of the crewmembers would have to turn their head all the way up if they wanted to see the top, and they weren't even right in front of it. The towers were gray like concrete except for the yellow lights that emanated from seemingly random spots on the buildings, most likely windows set in some erratic order. The gap between the two towers were not empty at all; no, long corridors with ceilings and walls connected the buildings and were not as organized as one might expect. Instead of the rectangular corridors being side by side and going straight across, the bridges seemed to have been just as haphazardly placed as the windows. Some of them went straight across from one building to the other while others diagonally reached across the gap and connected the farther end of one wall to the closer end of the other wall. Along with that, some corridors went from a higher location to a lower one and others corridors that stayed on one wall and reached up before stopping. Yellow light emanated from the windows of the corridors, which like those on the towers seemed to be put in a random order rather than give each corridor an equal number of windows.
When looked from a distance, like the crewmembers were doing, one could see that all of the lights on the buildings and the corridors had formed the Arkady logo, the beacon of light.
The port itself was large, but not especially so and was completely dwarfed by the monuments to construction in the distance. It was gray like the towers and the ship was expected to be parked inside, like all of the other ships. The ships slowly sailing in and out of the marine parking lot were many in number, but not so much that the line ever stopped, even for a second.
When the ship went inside the building, which had gleaming white walls and ceiling, all of which were decorated with lights and devices, it was immediately directed to a spot where it could be docked. It was all a loud, but more-or-less organized process that worked out the chaos of incoming ships. On the opposite end of the entrance/exit wall were two open gateways into the two corridors that led to the towers, and above the doors was the Arkady logo again, now black against a gray wall, most of which it took up. The center dot of the crosshairs almost seemed like an eye watching over its people and below the symbol were six black words that were big enough for anyone to see from any spot in the building.
"A.I, The Only Way to Die!"
Mr. Dark had summoned everyone to the deck, not forgetting to bring Z along himself. In fact, he had requested the man to stay next to him on the top part of the deck where the steering wheel was, above the main deck where he expected everyone else to be, although really they, including Z, could stand or sit anywhere they wanted to.
"In those two towers are countless stores of every kind, from medical to grocery to fashion and so on. Our main focus is on buying what we need for the seas, such as food and medicine. That is what I will spend most of my money on. However...I understand that some of you may be overwhelmed by what you find in there. So, as we sailed here, I took the opportunity to take the amount of gold meant for the crew in general and split it into an equal portion for each person, Wolf, Dunkan, and Z included. Any money that you already had is added to that amount. Each of you should find your allowance to be more than adequate." He had actually given himself an extra share of the gold since he was not going to waste this opportunity in buying just supplies, but no one needed to know that. "We will separate ourselves into three, assuming that Kusu and Hilbrand count as one unit and Takai and Kizuna also count as one unit. You will choose who goes in what group.
Some of us are wanted by the World Government, but this is not their territory. This is Arkady Industries, which is known for trading with any consumer despite ill repute. As long as we do not break any of their laws, we should not be hunted down. Wolf, who is massive, Z, who is unclothed, and Dunkan, who is covered in scars, should have little to fear from the government. People may gawk, but the shopkeepers and law enforcement will not stop you as long as you do not give them cause to.
When you are finished with your shopping, you will report back here. It is morning right now and I expect for us to be done today. You are dismissed."
With his instructions relayed, the first person Mr. Dark went to was Z. After all, he did not trust him with any of the other crew members. He had to control him himself.
"Z, I request that you come with me and whoever would like to join us. It is acceptable if you do not, but I insist. The others may not understand you, for there has not yet been ample time for them to get used to you. For now, please come with me."
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Post by newb23 on Mar 4, 2013 17:02:45 GMT -5
Dunkan didn’t have much to say as Wolf was explaining the situation, though he left out a lot of what had actually happened. He wanted to speak up and tell Kusu all about the adventure, but decided against it. Wolf probably had a good reason for not telling. In fact Dunkan remembered the story that the man had told him about why he had to leave in the first place. If Kusu knew everything Dunkan wasn’t sure that she would take him back and he wasn’t about to leave Wolf on his own.
Allowing Wolf to speak his eyes scanned the ship before sighing as if disappointed. He heard Kusu say something about the sword in Dunkan’s possession. Dunkan scratched his head and glanced down at the weapon in his hand. It had been oddly quiet since their arrival though it hadn’t spoken up until just after the battle between him and Wolf and he assumed that it had simply fallen back asleep. Looking up at Kusu the manic smile that Dunkan always wore grew in size. “I jus’ recently got it bu’ it feels as if I’ve ‘ad it ferever.”
It wasn’t before long that Mr. Dark had made his way out onto the deck and spoke to the two new arrivals. Dunkan kept unusually quiet as Mr. Dark spoke though the sword sheathed on his hip began to him loudly. Swatting at the weapon Dunkan whispered to it quickly before turning back towards Mr. Dark, while the occasional low hum could be heard from his hip. It seemed Sky-Crumbler then Ultra Slicer V. 10.5 did not wish to speak in front of Mr. Dark.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Mar 4, 2013 23:42:16 GMT -5
On the approach to the new island, Kalen wasn't sure what to make of the megalithic structures. To his eyes, the two towers were just a pair of strange-shaped mountains, and the lights and windows were just how the people had dug into them to live. That they might actually be artificial themselves didn't even cross his mind, and he wouldn't have been able to comprehend it regardless.
"That's high up... I wonder what it must look like from the top?"
---
Being that Kalen had been messing around with the wheel since his emergence to the deck, when Mr. Dark went up to make his speech, Kalen felt a little awkward just standing in in the background nearby and listening like all the others. Rather, he didn't feel like a captain. Then again, everything Mr. Dark said was true, and he seemed to know quite a bit about this place so there was nothing wrong with letting him take charge of things.
"Well, I'm not wanted by the government or anything, so I'll be going around no problem. Anyone want to go with me?"
This place was an alien and overwhelming place to the shepherd boy. He would have to find a way to cope with this strange new world, but he wouldn't mind having someone else along with him at all. As for what to get from this place, well he didn't really know. Since he had no possessions of his own and was content with that, he wasn't sure this place had anything to offer him. Rather than waste time and space lazing about on the ship however, he figured he could help out, so as to allow for everyone else to have more freedom and fun and less to worry about. He didn't mind taking on chores, not a bit, especially since they were for the crew.
"Excuse me Mr. Dark sir, is there anything on the list of things we need, that maybe I could take care of? If we split up we can take care of all the stuff to get sooner, and you won't have to worry about so much."
Approaching the tall dark handsome, Kalen propositioned that the chores be divided up in some manner, though realistically Mr. Dark could just have handed him the entire list of things to do and the shepherd wouldn't mind. Of course Mr. Dark could outright refuse him, or even give him menial tasks, but Kalen thought it was worth asking at least. These were things he could handle, and he was sure Mr. Dark, knowing so much about this place would have his hands full. Not just with watching Z and handling some of the chores, but there were probably things Mr. Dark wanted for himself from this land.
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Post by Kuro on Mar 5, 2013 0:42:14 GMT -5
When Mr. Dark heard Kalen's offer to help, he could do little but simply stare at him. The reason why he had offered to buy all of the supplies himself was because he didn't think anyone else in the crew would be competent enough to accomplish such a menial task without getting into trouble or failing in an unimaginably destructive way. He especially would not depend on the rural and dimwitted shepherd to take part in navigating the complex metropolis for their necessary supplies.
"...I appreciate your concern and attempt to assist me, Kalen. I do not think that it is necessary for me to divide the list of supplies amongst the whole crew since this is their time to buy whatever they so desire, but seeing as how you eagerly choose to volunteer, I will show you how to find and buy what I need. Follow me."
With that, he led the shepherd to the gateways but the two of them soon found themselves stuck in the unstoppable force that was the hundreds of customers walking side-by-side to the gateways to the store. It was like being caught in a wave that would just make you keep moving forward, lest you be trampled underfoot. It took much difficulty and rudeness, but eventually the boogeyman and the shepherd separated from the crowd and were suddenly in front of a large chute near the gateways to the building. The word "DANGER" was spelled on it in big red words, but that wouldn't stop the boogeyman.
"Kalen, you are to go down this chute and explore the depths of this building. There, you will find what you know you need. If you ever find yourself lost, ask one of the employees. There is bound to be one nearby whenever you need it."
And before Kalen could accept the mission, Mr. Dark opened the chute - more than big enough to store a person - and picked up Kalen's lean frame quite easily. He threw it into the chute and then closed the door with no regrets since he knew that Kalen would survive whatever possible things he could find in there. He simply wanted the boy to not be a pest for some time. With that task finished, he walked back to the ship and was back on the deck soon enough, waiting for Z's answer and listening to who became what group.
The chute was dark. long, gray, hot, and steep.
The moment that Mr. Dark closed the chute was the moment in which all of the light of the chute vanished. The slide was steep enough for the boy to slide on his own without trying. It was very sweaty in there, but ventilation was provided soon enough.
The chute led to a sudden drop in which Kalen would find himself falling towards the light, the giant flame of an incinerator, surrounded by the junk and trash that made up the floor; No doubt he would land on safety, but it was waiting to be seen if he could get to one of the small doors on the elevated platforms on the walls away from the giant flame sucking everything in. The flow of the trash would certainly try to hold him back, much like the crowd of consumers on their way to the chute.
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Post by KaosuKishi on Mar 5, 2013 16:49:07 GMT -5
Takai and Kizuna walked up to Mr. Dark, having been silent so far.
"Since you seem to know this place, could you tell me where I can find a herbalist? I need to restock my brewing ingredients and would like to browse for new ones as well. What about you, Kizuna?"
She only shrugged. "No preference, really. I'm gonna go with you, though, maybe I'll find something that catches my eye."
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Post by CJ on Mar 7, 2013 0:31:34 GMT -5
The zombie watched Mr. Dark walk away and frowned in frustration. He tapped his rotten fingers against the arm rest.
"I know them because..." Hil muttered to himself. He didn't finish the sentence. His irises flashed yellow.
---
The mental tendrils curled and shifted under Kalen's feet. They tugged and wobbled, as though someone were pulling on their ends. They did not try to trip up Kalen but did seem to be somewhat distressed to be stepped on. They slithered away into the cracks from whence they came.
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"I have a lot of memories that aren't mine! One time my brother told me a lie that our real mom threw us into a volcano! I believed him for a long time. How dumb is that?"
Kusu didn't seem to get what Wolf was talking about. She always assumed she was a "normal" person, like her. Tragedy and sorrow were not part of Kusu's equation of Wolf. She would likely never understand unless it was told to her bluntly.
"Yee!" she nodded to Dunkan. "Like my nose! I've always had my nose, sqwee!"
Her orange beak nose probably wasn't something she had her whole life as a Zoan Devil Fruit user. She squeaked again when Mr. Dark approached. He was his usual solemn self as usual. She never really questioned his motives when they traveled as a pair, looking for leads on Hilbrand. It couldn't be denied he had some kind of agenda, seeing how the others viewed.
"Well, yeah," she said, glancing back at her first mate. "What Mr. Scary Man said. We found my lost friend! He's our navigator now. Apparently you only need half a brain to pilot a big ship like this."
The captain laughed as a mental tendril emerged from a crack in the figurehead and rustled her hair into a frenzy.
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Later, Kusu addressed Mr. Dark's concerns about splitting up.
"Yeah, whatever, Mr. Scary Man! It's shopping time!"
Kusu announced to the members that the ship would be protected by the same electronic system present on it on the island of Jubilee. There was a code on a stand on the ramp leading to the ship that would turn off the electric, shocking barrier if the words "Okama Way" were whispered to it.
She put her right hand on her hip and the left on the katana strapped to her side.
"I want Wolf to join me and Hil! And Lynwood at the very least! They're the most poorly dressed members! We must find them better clothing! I will stop at nothing to get them a PERFECT WARDROBE! SQWEE!"
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Later, later, Kusu browsed the shopping district. She fluttered from bright pink and yellow tops in various stores, trying to find the perfect fit for her companions. They were always feminine shirts and skirts (even the outfits she considered for Wolf.).
"I wonder if I can find anything in Wolf's size... Hil! You can carry our shopping bags when we're done!"
The sword rumbled furiously at her side. Kusu squeaked and laughed again at the sword's fury.
The young captain stopped at a make up outlet. She stared into the window at different shades of eyeshadow on various pictured models.
"Lynwood," she said, pointing at a bright green color.
"Wolf," she continued, pointing at dark red.
"Kalen," tan.
"Mr. Scary Man!" an emo goth chick featured on a Halloween-esque ad.
---
Hilbrand Zuberi's corpse sat motionless in its chair in the control deck. His dead black eyes stared out of the window at the Arkady Industries logo.
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