Re: [Episode] A perfectly good reason to panic.

Wed Jan 04, 2017 11:43 am

”Who do you think I am?”

Red sand shifted around the lifeless body of the Cipher Pol agent as it collapsed onto the ground after unsheathing Gray’s blood-soaked hand from itself. A poet would’ve claimed that the dying orange hue of the setting sun and the howling wind of the coming night were a sign of the life that was lost. But, Gray knew better than to indulge in such thoughts that glorified the death of a human being. Death was rather an unremarkable affair to this brutal world. Nature sang no songs or ballads in honor of the dead. And no such ceremony would be afforded to the corpse before him either. In a few nights, his remains would likely be buried by the ever-moving dunes of the desert, only to be discovered after an eternity as a nameless skeleton, if it were to be discovered at all.

It had been over a year since he was last forced to take the life of a sentient being, and the overwhelming feelings of instant regret were only a step away from overtaking Gray. It was all he could do to keep the faces of the countless marines he had killed away from his wakeful sight. No matter how much death and destruction he had seen in his life, his mind had never numbed to it, unlike many others who had been in his position. He recalled quarreling many times with his many rivals regarding their brutal methods. A battle with Behemoth struck his memory, a fight over the horned Yonkou’s acts of reckless destruction; a fight that had ironically led to the nearly complete destruction of an entire island.

He had hoped that such days were behind him when he set off on his pilgrimage of atonement. But, this day had reminded him that the actions of one’s past are not erased by simply wishing it. And so, he swallowed his scrambled pride and turned away from the ugly sight. With blood still trickling down from the small hole in his torso, he finally remembered to apply pressure to the wound using his most convenient devil fruit ability. With his hands free and his wound sealed, his feet pointed towards the village, from which he could hear the ruckus of the ongoing battle. With a loud boom, he launched himself through the thoroughfare of the village, turning at a sharp corner with a g-force that left his head spinning and the corner of a building in ruins from the sudden change in the direction of his velocity. His sprint ended around 10 meters away from the ensuing battle, the loud sound that followed him doubtlessly making an attention-grabbing entrance.

In contrast to his sprint, the pace that followed was slower than a snail’s. However, his steps were firm and resolute. He had determined to end this fight; and to do so, he had to make the gap between him and his opponents clear. His piercing gaze quickly scanned the battlefield, confirming his previous guess. Not all of the newcomers were the cronies of Cipher Pol. A flamboyant blonde and a white-haired ruffian seemed to have ganged up on a cloaked woman, who was more than likely the ambusher he was wary of. He took a single step towards them that left a massive hole in the ground about fifteen feet wide and half as deep, meant to further seek the combatants’ attention if his raucous entrance had not done so already.

[God Step]

One might have mistaken that hole to be the result of the snake-faced man’s ability, had his gaze not remained so unflinchingly settled towards them, completely unsurprised by the hole that had been left by the sheer force of his step. He then rerouted himself around the newly made hole, approaching the pig-faced man he had so easily overwhelmed earlier. But, his eyes instead turned sharply towards the doctor, who had been peeking around the corner from the end of the alley. ”I know you’re there. Come out or you’ll regret it.” The words were not said, but his thoughts were very clear from his staunch expression.

But, the fighters that were gathered in this small village were no pushovers, and so he decided not to hold anything back when attempting to intimidate them into submission. Anyone around within 200 meters with a weaker will than his would suddenly have felt an overwhelming sensation of irrelevance. A feeling that might have reminded them that they had been big frogs in a little well. Grains of sand from the ground would rise up in a shallow mist, and a waft of untamed wind would emanate from Gray, causing the sandy bricks of the houses to crumble here and there, and noticeable cracks in the sturdier buildings would be seen along with a distinct creaking and tearing sounds. Any wooden objects or structures would chip in the vicinity, splinters flying out frantically.

“When the winds halt from exhaustion... When the waves settle in defeat... When the clouds melt into the sky… And when the clock ticks its final count: one spell shall remain of the Conqueror’s Dogma… WRATH!” The words were barely audible as if he were chanting a prayer to himself, but his opponents were close enough to hear every word.

[Conqueror’s Dogma: Wrath]

STATS TRACKER:

2 TECHNIQUES USED | 2 PASSIVES USED | 2 ACTIVES USED:

God Step:

Conqueror’s Dogma - Wrath:

Busoshoku (Active and Passive):

Kenbunshoku (Active and Passive):

NPC TRACKER 4 (2 ACTIVE | 1 DEFEATED | 1 DECEASED):

Wed Jan 04, 2017 3:27 pm

Still peering around the corner, the criminal found his attention stolen by a peculiar boom. This vagabond certainly liked to make his entrance impressive, no? He leaned just a bit further to get a better look, pondering the obvious. I think he saw me... The piercing glare shot his way sent him reeling back into hiding as if it had been a bullet pinging against the stone. Yes, yes he did! Far be it from the gentleman to act difficult, however. He could read between the lines just fine, oh yes. And wouldn’t you know it, suddenly he felt incredibly motivated to go and join his new, wonderful friends at the scene. In fact, he would stroll right there and at long last properly introduce himself.

...as soon as the world stopped swaying.

Unfortunately, reality caught up. No amount of sarcastic self-deception allowed the doctor to ignore his worsening condition any longer. The suitcase and pistol both slipped, hitting the sand. His fingers curled, dragging against the stone wall in a futile attempt to grasp support from something, anything. Strength fled from his frame at the same rate as color drained from his features. Icy shivers surged. His lungs couldn’t drag in enough air and his stomach threatened to turn itself inside out in sheer protest. Everything ached awfully. He coughed, hacked, groaned... and brightly colorful drops splattered onto his palm. The venomous eyes narrowed, the sharp teeth grimaced. Right... Everything had a price, see? Power especially.

To make matters worse, suddenly something enormous washed over the area like a tidal wave, something... suffocating. Sure, it may have been just in his head, but it felt all too real. Between the combined side-effects and overwhelming dread, the rat really didn’t have the luxury to scurry around anymore. His legs finally buckled and he meekly slouched against the wall. Even his aura wavered like a candle flame in strong wind, a rather fitting image. Well, at least now he had a convenient excuse for not following the unspoken order. Really, at this rate Gray would have to quite literally drag him out of hiding. ...Or give him couple of more minutes to pull his miserable self together.

Trembling, the crook idly reached for his gun, only to holster it quietly. He couldn’t quite put the sensation into words, but... For some reason, he really didn’t feel like fighting anymore. Had someone showed up to take him away, he wouldn’t have even put up a struggle of any description.

Stat changes:

Sun Jan 08, 2017 11:06 pm

Seeing his opponent temporarily incapacitated by his comrade, Eva took the chance to attack. Raising his fist to the sky, thousands of strings started gathering, beginning to form what seemed like a drill.

[Drill Brea-]

A sudden loud sound, followed by a gust of wind caught the revolutionary’s attention. “Oh?”
Canceling the attack, Eva turned around to face this new potential playmate. A dark cloaked man had appeared, exuding quite the dangerous aura. The young man had just started getting excited when the cloaked figure made the difference in strength between the two, quite apparent. A large hole had suddenly appeared on the ground, seemingly at the will of the new arrival. As if that was not enough, however, the orange haired man spread an overpowering suppressing aura around him.

Though the revolutionary’s arrogance and recklessness knew no bounds, even he understood the overwhelming difference in power. His already rapidly beating heart doubled its tempo, as a cold sweat ran down his spine. Such a difference was incomprehensible. Who was this man? Gulping, the white-haired man mumbled, “I guess we’re still only big fish in a small pond…”. Having completely lost his will to fight, he tried calming down, attempting to assess the situation. Though that man seemed impossibly strong, he was not necessarily an enemy. Though his cloaked appearance was slightly similar to the cloaked opponents the revolutionary duo had just faced. He also seemed to be looking, or rather, glaring at someone…

A sudden realization interrupted his train of thought, however. “Shit! Alice!” In the chaos, he had forgotten that his partner was quite possibly bleeding out. “Let me patch up your wounds a bit, just till we find a doctor”. Eva planned to use his strings to stitch and wrap Alice’s external wounds, in an attempt to stop or delay the bleeding. Of course, he would not be the most proficient at it, but, should his friend comply, it should, at least marginally, improve his condition.

After quickly tending to his ally, if they allowed it, he would send a single string towards the still incapacitated raven-masked agent’s mask. After the string had attached to the mask, he pulled the mask off, tossing it towards Alice. “Catch. You wanted this, didn’t you?”.

After all that business had been taken care of, Eva turned his attention back toward the newly arrived man. “So, I don’t suppose you could tell us just what kind of situation we’ve stumbled upon?”

OOC:

Stat Changes:

Cooldowns:

Wed Jan 11, 2017 9:20 pm

Ronx rocked back on his heels as he watched Eva's following actions unfold. Suddenly the air churned and the entire world seemed the quake as the immense aura, the one that the battlers had been ignoring up to this point, moved. Ronx had barely blinked before he felt the body of aura behind them, so powerful that it was almost tangible. He felt his heart still as he turned to inspect the newcomer, half wary and half expectant. Power of this size rarely spelt a complicated equation and so, before he had even taken in the entire profile of the man, Ronx had already settled his mind and heart from acting out of line. Good thing too, because the sight of the behemoth of a man was difficult for most individuals to remain placid before, especially when that behemoth seemed intent in approaching them. With a very, very intimidating expression. The man took one step and the earth shook once more as he set his foot down, opening a crater in the ground. Ronx eyed the structure with bemusement, but then curiously enough, the orange-haired titan's attention left them as abruptly as it had settled on them.

Following his line of sight, he found the smartly dressed man, looking almost sickly with fear as the titan directed his next words to him. Ronx instantly recognised the man and his hand reached unconsciously into his pocket, pulling out the empty vials he had swiped off the ground and had formerly belonged to the trembling man. All thoughts of the titan perished, because that is simply how simple Ronx's mind is, and he took a step towards the suited man. "Ah, excellent, I've been meaning to talk to you about some-" he started before a his head spun from the heaviness of the new aura. So much for preparing his mind and heart from acting out of line.

Unbalanced as he was, on one foot, Ronx tipped backward with a startled yelp. Right...on top of...the masked woman. "Oh my, please tell me you're still suffering from the effects of my dart," said Ronx, laughing nervously as the woman turned her merciless gaze onto him. "Excuse me, I will move with haste." He assured her quickly before catching sight of Eva mid-attack, poised to attack the masked agent...and with Ronx now caught in the middle of the two. His eyes widened, but then suddenly, the air seemed to clear of some dark poison and Ronx's jaw was left hanging. The killing aura that had been so strong, especially from the masked woman, dissipated and Ronx felt as though he were breathing a new, healthier air. It was a very reassuring feeling, especially when Eva's attack dissolved with the killing intent behind it. "Thank goodness," he exhaled, his entire body wilting. "We're alive, right? We're not dead? You look very alive, miss. Oh...I should move, shouldn't I?"

He was still unwittingly laying on top of the agent, who was frozen from the combined shock that came with the appearance of the titan, nearly dying by the stark-haired revolutionary and engulfed by the impetuous blondie. At his words, she turned back to him and he laughed nervously as he felt her glare at him from under the mask. Her killing intent might have disappeared, but there was still something that kept him from lowering his guard. Without the killing intent, she was now like a...body of spite. Gingerly moving himself off her, his head suddenly whirled again and he found himself crashing back on top of her. Perplexed, Ronx glanced around as he waited for his vision to clear, his eyes then resting on his battered body. Since the beginning of the battle, his blood had been trickling out from his wounds and continued to do so up to this moment. Now, there was a steady stream of blood leaking out of him and he stared down at his wounds, dazed and failing to fully comprehend the direness of losing the amount of blood he had.

Then, he faintly heard a exclamation from his comrade, quickly followed by his presence flashing to his side. Bewildered, he only processed half of Eva's words, too fast for his slackened brain to comprehend. "Yeah, sure," he slurred, blinking. He felt Eva's strings pierce under his skin as he worked his first-aid, but it wasn't until he felt something weighty fall into his hands, did his mind finally clear of the fog. It was the bird mask that he had been coveting for so long. "Ah!" he screamed, sitting abruptly up with the mask held up in the air. His following speech was unintelligible, a string of undecipherable words put together that held no meaning other than to convey his joy and delight. He then turned and threw his body onto Eva with another string of words that didn't belong to any language known to man, but again the meaning was clear: "Thank you so much, Eva! You're my hero, man of men!"

As quickly as he had flung himself onto his partner, he pulled away to hold the mask up in the light and examine it again with sparkling eyes. Then he turned and flung himself onto the unmasked agent, who was now frozen from yet another shock: having her mask removed. Her eyes, now exposed from the concealment of the mask, were violet coloured and naturally narrow, but were currently wide. Her hair had been previously bound by a thin string, but had snapped when Eva had snatched her mask away, leaving her thick, black curls to spill down her face and pool at her waist. "Thank you for giving me your mask!" he exclaimed happily, pulling away to gaze up at his newly acquired trophy in awe yet again.

"Wait," spluttered the woman, the first words she had spoken since coming into contact with the men. "I-I didn't give that to you! Give it back!"

Ronx froze at the sound of her voice, finally being brought back down to reality. He stared at her with wide eyes. "Oh...um here..." he said hastily, drawing the six pieces of candy he still had from his pocket. "This is enough right?" The woman stared down at the pieces of candy that Ronx had slipped cautiously into her palm, her expression clearly showing her uncertainty of how to approach this situation. Ronx then tilted his head as he peered at her face with amazement. "Hey Eva, isn't she actually really pretty? Pretty...oh no get away from Eva!" He exclaimed with dismay and the woman glanced up from the candies in confusion, alarmed that yet another unworldly behaviour was to follow. Which was exactly what happened.

"You're too pretty," said Ronx, his tone almost as though he were accusing her and pulled her up, regardless of what his partner was doing. "Eva likes pretty women..." The agent stared at him, letting him pull her up and set himself protectively between her and Eva. For the past scene now, her composure had unravelled to the point that she was just dumbfounded by default now.

Stat Changes:

Cooldowns:

Bonus:

Fri Jan 20, 2017 9:39 am

”Who do you think I am?”

Sorry about the wait!:

As a life-draining amount of crimson fluids dripped down from Gray’s red-handed limb, and clearly not from a wound of his own, Warthog broke out into a cold sweat that made him seem as if he had just now bathed and forgotten to dry his head. And an outsider may even have mistaken it as such if it were not for his battered body, the utterly wrecked battle scene, and the overwhelming aura that Gray was unleashing upon everything his surroundings, living or not.

Gray’s eyes continued to scan the aftermath of the skirmish between the newcomers, his former opponents, and his companion. From the manner in which the strangers had somewhat maintained their composure through his assault on their will, it was clear that they were no lightweights. But, before Gray could investigate them further, something clicked in his mind. He slapped his forehead and ran into the room which Doctor Chopper’s patient had previously been filling with screams. The victims of his aura would suddenly feel as if a very heavy fog had suddenly been lifted from around them, and the air had thickened enough to breathe comfortably once again. He could not risk imposing his wrath in such an uncontained manner when it could result in the death of the person he had been trying to protect this entire time.

[Conqueror’s Dogma: Wrath = Deactivated]

His overwhelming aura suppressed the combative will of anyone in his vicinity, allies included. However, the important fact that he had shamefully forgotten to consider was that Nina had most likely survived so far with her will to fight against the encroaching clutches of death, and no doubt the painful medicine that the slithering doctor had prescribed her. As he slammed the closed door open and slid across the floor next to Sheila as she cried and cowered beside a panting and gasping Nina, leaving the stronger victims of his earlier ability to recover from the revelation of their ineffectiveness against him.

”DOCTOR!” He roared loudly enough for his voice to carry through the entire village if the silence outdoors had not been broken. ”GET OVER HERE!” His rage was more incited by his own foolishness than his companion’s need for self-preservation. To himself, he had already decided that he would not blame the doctor if Nina were to lose her life, has he would’ve been responsible for it far more than the man who was actually attempting to cure her. But, he could not let Tony catch wind of this and use it as an excuse to not try his hardest. It had become clear to Gray from the moment that Tony had so easily recovered from his heavy-hitting punch that his medical skills were peerless. And another quality that he had noticed about the doctor was his ability to push beyond his limits when his own skin was at stake. And so, he had to let the doctor believe that Gray’s bottled-up wrath would fall upon him like a mighty, world-shattering hammer if he were to fail in saving Nina’s life.

His furrowed brows eased up a bit as he forced a kindly gaze upon the young girl, patting her head comfortingly. ”Don’t you worry! She’ll be quite alright.” Sheila, repulsed by Gray’s almost patronizing sympathy, swiped his hand away, shivering afterwards expecting a violent response to her defiant action. When she was only met with yet another sympathetic gaze, she burst into tears and shouted with overflowing feelings of worry and anger, drops of spit flying out of her mouth unrestrained. ”Why did you come back?! You’ve only made things worse! Killing papa wasn’t enough, you have to take mama’s life too? Leave us be!” These bitter words extracted a pained expression from Gray, the memories of his fallen comrades being brought to his mind for the umpteenth time that day. He stood up, his palm grazing along the foot of the dying woman in a final gesture of grace, and quietly exited the room, hoping to catch the doctor midway. If he were to do so, he would whisper to the doctor softly before walking out. ”Save her, Tony.” He was already contradicting his plan to use fear as an agent against the doctor, as his desperation was rather obvious from the instability of his voice.

STATS TRACKER:

0 TECHNIQUES USED | 2 PASSIVES USED | 2 ACTIVES USED:

TECHNIQUES COOLDOWN:

NPC TRACKER 4 (2 ACTIVE | 1 DEFEATED | 1 DECEASED):

Fri Jan 20, 2017 5:18 pm

Every hair on Richard’s body stood on the end when the roar reached his ears. Never one to keep a friend waiting -We are still friends, right? Right! Of course we are! Hah! Hahah...- he quickly struggled onto his feet. His whole frame protested violently at the sudden movement. This was NOT a good time to be suffering from side-effects. But getting buried alive sounded far worse. Snatching his trusty suitcase, he scampered from behind the corner. His strained smile barely held together when he saw the Revolutionary tending to what he could only assume was a subordinate of sorts. Ah, so Gray hadn’t killed them. Or the Cipher Pol agents for that matter. How wonderful. This couldn’t possibly backfire in the very near future.

Scurrying over the debris, the rat unfortunately had to zigzag directly by the bloodied combatants. "Ah, hello... Sorry... I’ll just go... over... here. Don’t mind me." He simply couldn’t wait to exchange pleasantries with two dangerous terrorists. "Doctor, coming through. Just a regular doctor. And not... whatever these fellows here may have called me. It’s... all just a misunderstanding really. Ahem." He decided to move on before saying something he might regret.

After getting inside, Richard had to encounter another happy face. Gray... The crook’s eyes widened and cold sweat intensified. He opened his mouth to make an excuse, yet the vagabond was faster. The whisper left his puzzled stare darting between the giant and the patient. "...Right. Yes. Of course." Huh. And here he had expected more ~~death threats~~ motivational words. This sight took him back, bringing vivid memories of the many hopeless cases brought to his care. Lost in the moment, he let a little mutter slip. "Well, they did call me a miracle worker back in the day..." Not bothering to elaborate what he meant by that, or them, the criminal popped his suitcase open and got to work.

Donning the white coat and rubber gloves again, the doctor moved to inspect the patient. The pulse was barely there anymore. More red stained her mouth and sheets. Shallow breaths, unfocused pupils, tremors traveling the muscles... Her condition had really taken a dive during the battle. Worse yet, it seemed like she had just... stopped fighting. Lovely. This had come to a point where a sensible doctor started focusing on easing the pain and preparing a way to break the bad news. Even Richard had to admit that. Another dose of his Recovery Serum might exhaust her completely... In grave seriousness, this woman was completely out of lifelines.

...So she needed a new one.

Fortunately for everyone involved, Richard Maxwell was a man of many plans. If the woman’s immune system was failing, then she needed something natural to boost it, no? And so the green gaze turned to the young lady. "Are you healthy? Do you have anemia?" His questions were quick enough to catch her off guard. She merely stammered something about not being sick. Good enough. The criminal leaned closer inquisitively. "Hm, and any history of sexual diseases?" The girl’s angry blush answered that question faster than words. That was all he needed to know.

The doctor dug his suitcase for two petri dishes and two needles. "Now then, my dear, lift your arm, would you kindly? You will feel a little prick." He took a tiny sample from both the mother and the daughter, setting them side by side. Few droplets of clear liquid were mixed into the blood. After several tense seconds the chemical finally took a bright color. Immediately Richard’s smug smile returned. A match! Finally Lady Luck graced him. Not that this particular blood type was exactly rare, mind you, but he gladly accepted whatever breaks he could get. Without wasting another moment, he prepared a transfusion between the patients.

Many people believed that blood carried a person’s life-force. Well, they weren’t exactly wrong. The crimson essence held so much more than eye could see. In this case, the rat hoped it would get him out of this mess. ...Oh, and save a life, sure. Little by little the liquid of life flowed into the dying woman. As her pulse strengthened, the crook allowed himself a relieved sigh. Unceremonious desert burial averted. Phew.

Stat changes:

Fri Jan 27, 2017 10:14 pm

Seeing that the behemoth of a man had barely acknowledged him and was certainly not planning on answering his question, Eva was about to repeat himself, when the cloaked man suddenly ran toward a house, simultaneously lifting the oppressive aura he was exuding. Understanding that the man was preoccupied and it would be unwise to disturb him, the young revolutionary turned his attention elsewhere.

Turning to his ally and the now unmasked agent, a smile adorned Eva’s face. “Hmm? Pretty you say?” Inspecting the dark-haired woman, he moved closer, his smile widening even more. “Oh my, Alice, you’re right! What a stunning beauty!” After momentarily adjusted his clothes, Eva attempted to approach and offer a hand to the goddess in front of him. His path was blocked, however, by none other than his trusted comrade. What treason. He had to think of a way around this obstacle. Thinking fast, he remembered he had gotten an apple for his dear friend when they first arrived in Alabasta. Taking the apple out from his pocket and shining it on his clothes, he raised it slightly to reflect the sun. “Oh Alice, why are you being silly? You’re giving this beautiful lady the wrong impression of me. I am the gentlest man. Quit fooling around and allow me to introduce myself to this gorgeous damsel. I even got this here apple for you, don’t you want it? It’s so fresh and juicy! Please move aside and cease this tasteless joke. Allow me to acquaint myself with our new, stunning, friend. You know me, I promise I’ll be civil.”

Regardless of whether or not his friend complied by accepting the apple-bribe, Eva would inch closer, extending his arm and taking her hand in his. Moving it toward his lips and bowing his head to kiss it he spoke. “What is your name, my fair lady? I am Eva Mazino, absolutely humbled to meet you.” The confused agent tilted her head, large question marks almost popping into existence around her. Trying to understand what was going on the agent was barely able to mumble “Huh-” before being interrupted. “Ah! I see you must still be in shock. I tend to have that effect on women, I apologize but I cannot help it, it’s simply the way the world works.” Noticing her bleeding side, he continued, still holding her hand. “Ah, I must apologize for that as well, but I couldn’t have you killing my comrade, it’s always regrettable when I’m forced to injure women. BUT! That’s all in the past now, let’s let bygones be bygones, I trust such an injury is minor for a strong woman such as yourself! Let us start our relationship anew! A clean slate! We simply must get to know each other better! What say you we go grab something to eat? A good fight does stimulate one’s appetite. I’m sure there’s a decent restaurant around here!” The agent’s neck would certainly break if it tilted anymore. “What are yo-” “You know what? I have an even better idea! LET’S HAVE A FEAST!” shouted the boisterous man. Looking at his ally and then the dark cloaked man that had just now stepped out of the house, Eva continued. “Alice! Join us, I’m buying! And you! Scary old man, feel free to join us as well, once your business is resolved! My treat!”.

Regardless of what the men answered, Eva grabbed the violet-eyed woman by the waist and headed toward the town’s center, looking for a place worth to host his impromptu feast. The almost permanently dumbfounded woman blankly followed along, unable to process what was happening but clearly unable to react aggressively due to being surrounded by enemies.

Stat Changes:

Cooldowns:

Tue Feb 07, 2017 8:12 pm

As the unmasked woman stared at Ronx with a mixture of perplexity and distrust, the young man continued to shield her with his body as his revolutionary brother began advancing towards the two, clearly eager to examine the "pretty woman" that Ronx had so unwittingly blurted out in his panic. And for those wondering, yes, it is a perfectly good reason to panic, especially when women and Eva were put in the same equation. The unmasked agent clearly thought that the blonde haired man was being far too dramatic, mostly because she believed the two men to be trusted allies and partners, but when Eva stooped down to take her hand and kiss it, she all but throttled him. If it weren't for her disbelief that Ronx had actually abandoned her for an apple, Eva might actually have suffered a grievous head blow. Now, as she stood abandoned, all she could manage to muster was a feeble, "Huh-"

When she finally regained her senses, the delusional revolutionary had already made his lavish proposal and Ronx had finished his apple. When he looked back up, appearing very pleased with himself (he was starving, losing that much blood does stuff to you), he met the eyes of a very furious woman. "Ah, sorry..." he said meekly as the apple core fell from his hand and onto the sandy terrain.

"Whatever, just get this...thing off me," she snarled. "Before I do it myself." Truthfully, the agent was rarely one to know restraint, but considering the titan with his overbearing aura that she understood to be Gray Starks the former Yonkou, she was willing to explore new territory. In her mind, it would be helpful to acquire meat shields-uh, that is, allies-to serve her in the scenario that the titan turned out to be hostile, which was looking to be a high possibility. Even with her confidence in her own abilities, the agent doubted that she would survive in an encounter with him, but she was certain she could get away fast enough if she had the necessary tools. The revolutionary men were the most likely to be useful, especially when her other option seemed to be a quivering mess of a man who resembled a rodent enough to make her wonder if he was actually another agent. But with the fact that he was her mark and that he appeared less than capable of holding the former Yonkou off long enough, she settled on the revolutionary men.

Now, with Ronx desperately and half failing to pry his partner off the woman, she reconsidered her inclusion of the white-haired man. How dare he take advantage of her confusion and kiss her! When Eva had finally come to the conclusion of his soliloquy, he reached for the raven-haired woman's waist, but she snapped out of her delirium and barely managed to avoid his cocky embrace. Glaring at him, she then turned silently to stand next to Ronx who stared at her with wide eyes. "What?" she snapped, glaring at him.

"Uh...nothing," he replied. It wasn't often that women chose to be protected by the man who looked much weaker then their suitor. "Right, if you stay next to me, I'll keep Eva off you!"

"That was going well before, wasn't it?" drawled the woman. Looking very pleased with himself and that he had been acknowledged for his efforts, Ronx nodded before turning back to Eva. "Ohh you're treating? Then I want cake! And candy! Ohhh and what about candy cake?! I saw a place that looked really good on my way in. Oh..." suddenly he appeared crestfallen. "But everything's closed. I was going to buy some stuff, but then I lost all my money. Eva, did you happen to find my money?"

Suddenly, Ronx's mind took a sharp turn and he turned sharply to the woman next to him. "Introductions!" he exclaimed. "I forgot! My name is Alice B. Ronx and Eva already introduced himself, if you remember. No? Oh you were in a daze, so I don't blame you. His name is Eva Mazino." Taken aback by Ronx's sudden change of direction, the woman almost rocked back on her heels before taking the time to process his words. Eva...Revolutionary...Hangman? And despite his fairly recent entry as a member of the Revolutionary Commanders, the woman was certain that the blonde-haired man next to her was the Flying Darts she had heard to quickly rise the ranks. To think that the two had been such important players in the NRA and she had failed to recognise them. As she stood silently, pondering and internally reprimanding herself, she was quickly brought back to reality when she felt Ronx's eyes rest expectantly on her. "I'm Raven," she said quickly.

"You have the same name as the bird on you mask!" said Ronx excitedly. "What a coincidence!" Raven stared at him in dubiously. Did he really believe that she had revealed her real name?

"You're so gullible," she blurted out before instantly regretting her abandonment of composure.

"People say that a lot," said Ronx mournfully. "But out of curiosity, why am I gullible this time?"

Raven swallowed a sigh as she shook her head. She could hardly believe that she was standing beside a commander of the NRA, but she knew first hand that he had the makings of one. He's the perfect meat shield. With this reassurance in her mind, she cemented her plan and stood close to Ronx. She couldn't leave yet, especially when Gray had yet to make his move, but she was confident that she now had the means to ensure her own life if absolutely necessary. If she was lucky, she might even complete her mission.

Tue Feb 14, 2017 1:18 am

”Who do you think I am?”

As the evening desert wind began to chill the atmosphere, sending a much needed calming shiver down his scorched hide, Gray’s tension began to dissipate. With Pigface still standing awkwardly in the distance as if awaiting Gray’s judgment, Gray’s attention shifted towards the rowdy newcomers. The two men who had surrounded the unmasked woman seemed more merry than most people would’ve been after suffering Gray’s aura of intimidation. Their high spirits and bold, carefree talk impressed Gray enough to speak even out of his grief and worry. But, before he could utter any words of praise or acknowledgement, the white-haired lad targeted him with his unexpectedly welcoming comment first.

He couldn’t tell if he’d snapped from the pressure of an innocent life having been risked due to his careless actions, or if the young man was actually that funny, but regardless of the reasons he burst out into a fit of echoing laughter. Gray had always been the type to attempt lifting the moody fog over serious situations, but he was certainly not in any state of mind to be thinking of it at the time. And so, even he was surprised by his guffawing reaction. The solitary laugh danced in the rubble-littered street, causing a few windows to pop open, some residents likely peeking out to see if the battle had reached an amicable end.

”Bahahahahaha! You should be careful what you offer a stranger, kid. You never know when that stranger could eat and drink a few holes in your pockets.” His monstrous appetite was not exaggerated, as he’d been known to eat a boat full of even poorly-cooked cuisine in a single meal. While he knew it was more of a rhetorical or peacekeeping offer that the white-haired ruffian was presenting him with, Gray's hunger had been insatiated for days. A feast sounded like exactly what he needed after having suddenly been lassoed back into his old life of pitiable excitement and action. To keep his thoughts from being aggrieved further by his worries for the safety of the dying woman indoors, Gray let his curiosity wander. His senses, though, kept close track of each and every one of their movements, lest one of them mistake him for being distracted and attempt to complete their blatantly revealed task of kidnapping the good doctor. Though he did highly doubt that the white-haired and blonde youngsters were affiliated with the World Government, their obvious strengths were reason enough for him to not throw aside caution despite his confidence in his own abilities.

And so, he maintained the playful smile that the delinquent’s offer had brought back on him, forwarding his curiosity into a possibly invasive query before the pair along with the confused agent had the chance to leave their company in search of a more feast-friendly scenery (though he’d argue that ruins were the most feast-friendly scenery of them all after a battle). ”The two of you brats don’t appear to be of those World Government agents’ ilk. And you clearly don’t seem to be from around here either. Are you pirates?” The question may have been directed towards the loud partnership, but his gaze was fixated on Pigface, who had now defeatedly seated himself on the ground, his tired and battered back leaning against a wall and an “isn’t-it-obvious” expression painted over his face, only furthering Gray’s suspicion that the duo were indeed pirates.

STATS TRACKER:

0 TECHNIQUES USED | 2 PASSIVES USED | 2 ACTIVES USED:

TECHNIQUES COOLDOWN:

NPC TRACKER 4 (2 ACTIVE | 1 DEFEATED | 1 DECEASED):

Wed Feb 15, 2017 3:16 am

With the patient stabilized -again- Richard's focus returned to actually curing the troublesome disease. For good this time. Miracle medicines were not impossible, far from it actually. They were simply... expensive. The black, toxic, greedy little thing he called a heart protested at the mere word. But maybe, just maybe, he would make an exception this time. See, the last thing he needed right now was another complication and close call... The suitcase clicked open and the venom green gaze swept over the equipment. Right... Where had he been before those meddling agents had so rudely interrupted him? Methodically the pieces of medical puzzle were laid out on the awaiting table.

The criminal flinched hard enough to nearly drop a vial upon hearing boisterous laughter from the outside. A fearfully incredulous glance visited the doorway. And what, pray tell, was supposed to be so funny? He squinted, as if that would somehow help him listen better, trying to pick up the conversation. Something about a feast and... No, that couldn't possibly be right... Were they actually trying to flirt with a government-sanctioned killing machine? Then again, birds of a feather and all that...

If nothing else, eavesdropping managed to boost the rat's motivation, assure him that he needed to get as far away from these people and as soon as possible. The shivers and sensations of weakness were finally fading as well. His motions picked up on speed and perhaps a little bravado. First, a careful selection of dubious herbs were gathered in a bowl and crushed into fine powder. That was then poured into the largest Erlenmeyer at his disposal. Soon other chemicals followed. His swift hands darted from bottle to bottle, pouring precise amounts without hesitation. With each addition, the color shifted, from pleasant gold to a sickly green and finally disgustingly brown...ish. Lastly the strange mixture was set on a burner to boil for a brief while.

While the main project bubbled away, the crooked doctor reached for several different bottles. With more carefully practiced motions, a routine he had done countless times by now, he prepared something familiar. A pinch of this, a squirt of that, mix it together... Soon he had a trio of fresh syringes side by side, brimming with red, yellow and blue respectively. They were slipped into the safety of his deep pockets, along with others like them. Restocking was important. Admittedly, he would rather not have to rely on any new injections so soon, but...

It never hurt to have extra doses handy.

Stat changes:

Wed Jul 26, 2017 12:54 am

Don't make a scene~!

While Ronx continued his contemplation on the various sweets and confectionaries he was looking forward to have at his companion’s feast, the monotone drone of Eva’s Den Den Mushi broke his concentration. As Eva pulled his Den Den Mushi from his satchel, a shiver ran down Ronx’s spine and he rushed over to Eva’s side. “Don’t pick it up,” he said fiercely. Eva only cast him an incredulous look before picking up the receiver, knowing full well that Ronx had plans to lose himself in the merriments of Alabastan life before ultimately moving onto the next exciting commotion that caught his eye instead returning to NRA headquarters. With his luck, he might even haplessly stumble across another major event. Their prolonged absence would only spark a gruesome lecture from their dark-skinned superior, not that one wasn’t already anticipated. A call from headquarters meant they had lingered long enough. With one hand, Eva tucked the Den Den Mushi under his arm while holding the receiver to his mouth and using the other to grab his partner by the elbow, dragging him a little way away from the others where they could conduct their business with more privacy.

“Eva, are you there?” the expected crude voice came from the Den Den Mushi and Ronx pouted. “Did you find Alice?” When the affirmative came from Eva, Yedidiyah turned attentions to the silent commander who was for once reluctant to announce his presence. “Alice, you bastard, why do you always have to run off and cause trouble?”

“But Yedi never lets me play,” complained Ronx. “I even have money to spend on Alabasta’s markets this time! I was really looking forward to it too.”

“Alabasta? What the hell are you doing in Alabasta?!” demanded their superior and Ronx froze.

“Uh…did I say Alabasta?” asked Ronx with a nervous laugh. “I meant…” he dropped his voice and leaned towards Eva. “Where are we supposed to be again?”

“Get back to the HQ, you idiot!” snapped Yedidiyah, his patience obviously thinning. “You’re meant to come back routinely and you’re three weeks overdue! Dammit, what does Djinn-san see in this blustering fool?!”

“Maybe he likes candy?” offered Ronx brightly, clearly finding the idea entertaining. He seemed ready to add another comment, but Eva cut him off, ruffling the younger man’s hair with amusement as he did so. “We’ll be heading back soon. You’ll be interested to hear what Alice managed to get himself in the middle of when we get back. Spoiler alert: some of the people involved are probably incredibly important.” That seemed to have perked the revolutionary commander’s interest and after a moment of contemplative silence, a sigh followed. A sigh that Ronx suspected was actually more affectionate than not. “Trust this idiot to make things interesting.”

“Maybe that’s what Djinn-san sees in me?” chirped Ronx, an impish grin plastered across his face and Yedidiyah growled, as though he could see it too. “Just hurry back, idiot.” With that, the Den Den Mushi’s line cut and the golden-haired commander spun away with a flourish. “Alright! Now that that’s over with, let’s go find some candy and markets!” Eva snatched up the back of his collar, jerking him back before he could get very far and Ronx gagged as his tie bit into his neck. “Not so fast, Alice. We actually have to report back, especially since Yedi will want to hear about that big guy over there.”

Ronx’s shoulders sank with disappointment. “But…Alabasta…markets…” With a laugh, Eva kept a tight grip on Ronx’s collar, as though afraid that the young man could possibly make himself scarce even then, and began dragging him back to the rest of the group. “It regrets me to inform you, ladies (wink) and gentlemen, but the two of us will have to put a rain check on that feast,” he said with a brash smile. “But it’s been fun, you know, trying to kill each other and all. Until next time, then.” He winked brazenly at Raven before turning on his heels and walking away with Ronx still detained at the collar. The younger revolutionary beamed radiantly at Raven and waved to the group of strangers. For all that had happened, Ronx was none the wiser on their identities and they on his. However, he hadn’t come away from it all with a complete loss. Sure, he’d lost a pouch full of money and twice as much blood, but he had acquired a lovely mask and a couple empty vials for his troubles.

OOC:

STATS TRACKER:

0 TECHNIQUES USED | 0 PASSIVES USED | 0 ACTIVES USED:

TECHNIQUE COOLDOWNS:

NPC TRACKER 0:

cait at btn

Sat Nov 18, 2017 1:58 am

The tempest of sand kicked up in the torrid air was finally lulling now that the bloodthirsty circus act had ended. Gray did not contest the exit of the two bruised brats. He’d spent enough years opposing and evading the World Government to be able to detect when a dubious character was its agent. Their raucous departure only helped to confuse and delay any regrettable actions from the two Cipher Pol death-dealers. ”Take your comrades and leave. Never come back.”

A glare which might make even a sea king shit itself lanced through the anxious spies. Trails of sweat—less from the sun and more from the Pressure-Pressure man—streamed down the dirty, beaten cheeks of the survivors. Without a word of protest, they fetched the unconscious body of their comrade and fled the scene. What a pointless death. And it’ll forever be on my hands now. One more amongst thousands. He sighed, his unrestrained exhale blowing up dirt into a returning crowd.

The two brothers leading the mob once more seemed prepared for a quarrel—one the retired pirate wished he could fly away from. But, the moment they reached him, beset by their barely-contained outrage, little Ojas came running out of the building to his back. Gray had failed to realize when the boy had even snuck in. ”Mama’s alive! Mama’s alive! That doctor did something to make her scream, but she’s quiet now.” The onlookers frowned and fussed. ”NO! That fraud didn’t kill her, did he?!” The aggrieved brothers shifted to barge in, but the boy thwarted their advance, his wingspan wide open and his gaze firm and fervent.

The boy’s figure reminded him of the proudly spread wings of the Jolly Roger of the Soaring Pirates. Now there’s a child who would’ve been worthy of inheriting your will, Marsh-san. The boy spoke only two words, but the earnest ardour behind those words was not lost upon the impatient rioters. ”She smiled!”

A warm smile returned the drained colour to his face as Gray stood up, towering once again over the becalmed villagers. After a moment of silence, they all started cheering and hooting, prompting Amir, the old chief, to hush them in his elderly wisdom. ”Quiet, you ruffians! Let the doctor finish his job. I’m sure Nina could use some peace. We’ve got a lot of rebuilding to do. Get to work!”

The old man turned to Gray, looking up with an expression of deep gratitude which almost sunk the giant into a pit of guilt over the trouble he’d caused. ”I suppose we owe thanks to you and this doctor of yours.” Gray’s benign gaze turned to Ojas and then indoors, his half-smile turning up into an honest smirk. ”I’ll admit I had my doubts too, but it seems that doctor might have his own reasons for seeing a job through—as questionable as they might be.”

When the old man busied himself with inspecting the fallout, Gray sunk his hand deep into his pockets, fetching a long and wide piece of folded paper. He scribbled something on it in with his clumsy, robotic fingers while Ojas tried to climb up a broken wall behind him to peek. ”What’re you writing?” Beaming like a triumphant kung fu dugong, he tore a piece of that paper and presented it to the curious child. In the boy’s palm, the paper shifted ever so subtly towards the giant. ”It’s moving! What is it?”

Gray ruffled the child’s unkempt hair and turned. ”Give it to the doctor. Tell him this is his bonus payment.” He said this while twirling a tiny, thin, yellowing chip of refuse. The youth stared at the piece of paper, as confused as ever. ”This is the same number that Amir-ojiisan made me use to get to you! Why are you asking me to--” When he looked up expecting an answer, the answer was nowhere to be found; nor the one who might’ve given said answer.

Word Count: 660
Tags: @Maxwell @Baltroy
Notes: It’s been a long time coming, but finally, our perfectly good reason to panic draws to a close. I’ll wait to see if you want to do your exit post too, Richard. If not, let me know and I’ll conclude the thread by distributing the rewards (which will hopefully be worthy of RevDawn’s longest running adventure). I swear, this story was true to One Piece’s nature. A single day lasts for two fucking years. Still, I have no regrets! Hopefully, my apocalyptically late responses won’t deter you from adventuring with me again.

STATS TRACKER:

0 TECHNIQUES USED | 2 PASSIVES USED | 2 ACTIVES USED:

TECHNIQUES COOLDOWN:

NPC TRACKER 4 (2 ACTIVE | 1 DEFEATED | 1 DECEASED):

Tue Nov 21, 2017 9:32 pm

Finally the last tremors passed and the doctor could breathe a little easier. A mental note was tucked away to alter the formulas and do something about those lingering side-effects. If his hands hadn’t been trembling so much, he would’ve already finished the cure. As he stared at the bubbling concoction, merely waiting it to be ready, a heavy sigh slipped from his lips. What a day this had been... After pickpocketing the worst possible target, getting dragged to heal a hopeless patient, being ambushed by Cipher Pol and even adding some revolutionaries to the mess... He felt like he had aged a year from sheer stress. Full of opportunity, yeah right.

Snapping back to the present, Richard snatched the bottle from the burner and swirled the dubious contents around. Yes, this would do nicely. He left the medicine on the nightstand and scribbled a note to accompany it. "Half a glass after every meal, preferably three times a day, until the bottle is empty." Between the motions, the instruction was voiced too for good measure. He moved to wrap up the little transfusion operation, patching the patients and cleaning the equipment. Boiling water washed away the visible stains and alcohol expunged what eye couldn’t see. There was a certain sensation of comfort to the routine.

Suddenly a young boy barged in and excitedly offered the doctor something. Called it a bonus payment. Well, those were the last two words Richard heard at least. Ah, how they echoed in his mind. With casual ease and a polite "Thank you", he snatched the paper. Wait, this was neither cash nor a check. Sure, it had numbers on it, but... Seeing the odd note move, gently drift without even a breeze, answered some questions and raised several more. Pinching the paper between his thumb and finger, he shifted his eyes onto the blue flame of the burner. A tempting thought. After some careful deliberation, however, he slipped the paper into his pocket. What’s the worst that could happen? ...Actually, he didn’t want to know.

Swiftly the criminal packed up the rest of his belongings. Though the commotion from earlier had calmed down, there was no telling what these desperate people might still do. He was pretty sure he heard someone already call him a fraud, you know. The sooner he got out of here the better... His train of thought was stopped by a cough from the patient. Gingerly she managed a weak smile and together with her daughter offered her sincerest gratitude. Richard paused at the door and tipped his hat. "All in a day’s work, my dear. Take care." And desperately tried to forget how much money that medicine had cost him.

Eager to slip away, the rat hurried out. Nervously he scanned the messy scene. No sign of the agents nor the giant. Now where did that wobbly camel wander off to...? Slowly his quizzical gaze traced a set of unsteady hoof prints towards the desert. His shoulders sagged as it became increasingly obvious that he would be walking back to Nanohana. Nothing better than a long stroll, right? Right. He dug his pocket for his vice to keep him company. Though for a brief second he paused and hesitantly glanced around, half-expecting something to jump him one more time. Fortunately not. With a sigh of soothing smoke, he strutted off and silently swore to stay on the right side of the law.

Well, at least until the next opportunity came along.

((And so the story ends. Thank you for the enjoyable thread.))

Tue Nov 21, 2017 11:32 pm

GRADING

COMMENTS

Oh such heavy feels for the happy ending of the thread. For a time, I struggled over the thought of making it a sad ending by killing off Nina from the use of overwhelming haoshoku, making its effects not-so-desirable every time. But, in the end—and with no small amount of goading from a certain someone—I decided to just clip on a happy ending, at least for my part. XD

Either way, this thread was worth the wait and then some. I thoroughly enjoyed both the story and the character development of the thread. If I have any complaints, it's just that the ending felt a bit rushed. But, since the current pace would've delayed the ending by probably another year, I was guilty of encouraging that rush, so I can't punish anyone for it.

That said, since I have absolutely no complaints, and since I enjoyed reading the thread from a more disconnected perspective as much as I did being a part of it, and considering the extended length itself of the thread, I see no reason why both of you don't deserve an S for this quest!

Though, technically, this wasn't exactly a quest when it first started as the quest system stands now... since it was our longest running thread, I feel that it deserves to be rewarded as such. But, note that in the future, we'll have to make it an official quest for it to be eligible for rewards!

REWARDS

Richard Maxwell
Difficulty Bonus: +100% (+2) | {Despite the combat system being more forgiving at the time, the doctor was still able to RP out the defeat of a level 60 character against his level 50 character (and I think the level started off at 25 when we first began the quest) in a believable way. As such, I feel the difficulty bonus is fitting. Granted, this thread will be an exception to the rule considering its length and its inception being long before the current concrete combat system was established.}
Quality Bonus: +100% (S)

EXP: +150 [50 + 100%(50) + 100%(50)]
Berries: +12,375,000 berries [(75k*55) + 100%(75k*55) + 100%(75k*55)]
Bounty: +50,000,000 berries | {For defeating a CP0 agent and associating with a High Value Target. This is what you get for fraternizing with me! ;-; With this though, you’ll now be a supernova, Richard, whether you like it or not! As such, since your name’s colour will change, let me know if you need a colour change for your name glow also to match it differently.}

Alice B. Ronx
Difficulty Bonus: +50% (+1) | {Since Alice and Eva weren't completely able to defeat their opponents, the difficulty bonus wouldn't be applied normally. But, again, since this was before the current quest difficulty system was established—or the combat system—I feel there is at least this much difficulty bonus deserved for diving into the unknown.}
Quality Bonus: +100% (S)

EXP: +125 [50 + 100%(50) + 50%(50)]
Berries: +9,750,000 berries [(75k*50) + 100%(75k*50) + 50%(75k*50) + 10%(75k*50)]
Bounty: +22,000,000 berries | {For assaulting a CP0 agent and for breathing the same air as a former yonkou. >_> <_<}

Since both of you leveled up from this, you both get +20 stat points for the level up (Actually, @Maxwell leveled up twice, so he gets +40 stat points). PM me to let me know how you’d like these stats distributed!

Comments