Re: [Saga] [Part 2] Let the Games Begin!

Wed Mar 16, 2022 1:19 pm

Well, that was certainly one way to wake Yumiko up. The woman was back in the land of the living, and all it took was a gulp of booze. Though it seemed she hadn't quite picked up what had happened.

Mary Croaks came running up to the gathering, bouncing in front of Yumiko. "Glad to see you awake! Congratulations on your victory!" Behind her, Anton gave a nod and a smile, as if to confirm to the confused woman that, yes, she did win the contest. "Now then, the moment of truth. Select which contestant is going to be joining your crew!"

She gestured to the other five contestant. Hermes was being held in a stretcher, while security was trying to break up the fight between Six Pestols and Lane. Rocketman and Killavolt were standing off to the side.

Anton came up behind Yumiko, tapping her lightly on the shoulder. "I'd recommend pointing. We still can't make out what you're saying."

-----@^@-----

Meanwhile, the eating contest had devolved into utter chaos. Though on the bright side, this did mean that Ryoichi was the only one left. Not that people were paying attention. Everyone was too distracted by the brawl happening.

And I the grandstands, Celia, already in a grouchy mood, had just about enough of this.

Several gunshots rang out, the short woman rapidly pulling derringers out and firing them into the air. The resulting effect was everyone freezing in place. This included the three brawlers, with Jackson mid windup to punch Wahid while Raul was trying to hold the giant in a headlock.

Celia took a deep breath before shooting a look to Hammond. "Call it."

The announcer gulped. "Erm, sure. Uh, thank you." He took a deep breath, and his enthusiasm returned, "Our winner, by elimination, is Oberon!"

Post Word Count: 299
Total Word Count: 5,669

Thu Mar 17, 2022 12:59 pm

‘Mustardseed’ was left stunned by the congratulations. She simply blinked. Once. Twice. Honestly, she doubted her hearing. Yet the nod confirmed that she had indeed won. Against all odds. Against her own intentions even...

However, the sweet victory was soon soured by the price it brought. The Wano woman’s smile vanished when she realized she had to pick a filthy pirate. She glanced up at her captain, hoping for the impossible. Sadly, it was clear he had made up his mind. “...” Her hollow sigh carried the same resigned tone as the words it replaced.

Slowly, carefully, the wounded winner lifted a finger. Her shaky point drifted past the contestants, before finally stopping on the smallest one. It was immediately met with a joyful squeal. “Yaaaay~!” The dwarf raced over and hopped onto her lap. ‘...’ She allowed herself to admit beneath an unflinching, icy mask, while carefully hugging the tiny prize.

Meanwhile, Six Pestols dusted her leathers. “Tch, whatever...” She marched past the group of fairies and medics, shoulder checking anyone who didn’t move. “Outta my way, trash.” Her tone was as toxic as her glare. If looks could kill...

Further away, the punk joined her crew. She stomped right to their cocky captain with fire in her eyes and venom in her voice. “Backstage. Now.” She wasn’t asking. Instead, she grabbed the man by the collar and dragged him away.

As soon as the two misfits found some privacy in the shadows of the audience stands, Six lunged at Greed. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his chest. Soft sniffling trailed across the silence. “I t-tried so hard... B-but...” Her voice wavered with strained sobs.

The captain returned the tender hug, patting her on the back. “Hey... It’s alright... I’ll win my round and pick the cute one for you.” His gentle reassurance calmed the trembling girl. “Promise...?” He nodded firmly. “Hell yeah.” As his gaze wandered onto the crew of fairies lingering on the arena, a sharp grin crept across his features and his eyes gleamed with peculiar madness.

“I’m gonna blow their fuckin’ minds...”

Words: 351
Thread Total: 7215
Saga Total: 13 532

Sat Mar 19, 2022 10:13 am

With eyes wide, Ryoichi the Oberon was chewing the crunchy and slimy foul creatures in his mouth. The man at that point was eating as if his life depended on it... The man had entered the zone while consuming food. That is unheard of! It is a sports metaphor, unproven... But Ryoichi was on a mission.

His mission however was cut short by the loud applause and with his arm being raised up by the announcer who had declared the winner. It was then when he snapped out, his mouth was still full, with a couple of crawlies remaining on the plate.

He swallowed the creatures down and stood up. With his left free hand, he waved at the crowd in a rather king manner, that was, after all, his persona for now. "What a wonderful win! Of course very unconventional but who can blame the winner for others' mistakes? As for promised, you may choose one of the competitors to compete for your crew!"

The guards did their best and successfully broke up the fight. They also dragged back the escaping misfit as he might be a possible new member of the crew. The hardest part was just on its way. The decision had to be made.

Fishman Wahid, Lumberjack Jackson, Znider Boling, Raul Finigan, The Pimp, all of the contestants lined up in front of Ryoichi, most did so willingly, one not so much. Choices... Choices... Each of them had strengths but of course weaknesses. Choosing some of them was a clear danger to him and others of 'his' crew. This small process eliminated Jackson and Raul. One of them is a former marine who hates marines... Other is an alleged kleptomania monk.

But one of them had a strength Ryoichi was looking forward to. "You. Wahid, was it? I pick you." he pointed Wahid the fishman. The choice was obvious. The man is a chef. While he had no desire to eat anything right now, he will at some of the points in this competition.

"And that concludes our competition! But don't leave just yet, visit other areas because there is a lot more to see!". While Ryoichi and others left the arena to backstage, a lot of relieved sighs could be heard. A lot of them escaped from their biggest worry. They don't need to dress up silly, a lot except one. Ryoichi however had a simple question to Wahid. "Do you make food for humans aswell?"

"No... I have never... But how hard can it be?" the fishman answered blatantly. It was clear he was not happy to be there... It felt like enslavement, without it seeming like it, then again, who would be happy to be taken from their crew. Was the choice Ryoichi made truly a good one?

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Mon Mar 21, 2022 12:57 pm

Anton gave a small chuckle and a smile as Yumiko stiffly hugged the tiny dwarf. He didn't mean to find her discomfort amusing, but it was somewhat cute to see. Plus the dwarf seemed genuinely happy to have been picked, something which Anton mentally noted.

"Well then, now that that's settled, let's meet up with the others, shall we? I'm pretty sure the other contesta should be wrapping up right about now." Though this was only the first round of contests. Anton knew his own match would be coming up soon.

-----A small while later-----

"You both lost!?"

Both Melanie and Phillipe looked abashed.

"I'm sorry Puck," the navigator replied first, "One of the Misfits ended up winning in the end. I didn't think people like them had such balance. Fortunately, the Iron Urchin got picked instead of me."

Phillipe nodded, "Yeah. I honestly thought that clown had fallen off the barrel. But he somehow stayed on." He gave a small shudder, "I swore he was going to pick me for a second. But instead went for one of the Misfits."

Lane, now perched on Yumiko's shoulder like a parrot, gave a similar shudder. "Yeah, that's Loko. He still gives me the creeps."

Melanie looked over at the little dwarf. "Speaking of which, now that you're on our team, what else can you tell us about the Big Top Pirates?" Anton noticed the immediate look of discomfort on Lane's face and decided to step in. "Peaseblossom, you can't just ask her to betray her former crew like that. I mean, how would you guys feel if you were put in that situation." Melanie blinked and nodded. "You're right. Sorry about that." "No problem!" Lane piped up, perky again.

Meanwhile, Lune looked over, seeing three people approaching. "Hey, there's your captain!" she pointed out. All eyes turned to see Ryoichi, Celia, and a blue, four armed man approaching. "And judging by their new friend there, they won," Sol added. Melanie took in the newcomer. "If I remember correctly, he was one of the Riptide Pirates. Interesting choice."

Post Word Count: 346
Total Word Count: 6,015

Tue Mar 22, 2022 12:34 pm

Much to the dismay of the medics, the patient clambered up from the stretcher and limped after her allies. ‘Cobweb’, quick and clever as usual, assured his colleagues that he would take care of her personally. It took some convincing though.

Meanwhile, ‘Mustardseed’ wobbled along with dogged determination. Every unsteady step sent a sensation like shards of glass cascading down her back. Yet she gritted her teeth and hid the pain beneath an icy mask. In the den of beasts, showing weakness turned a hunter into the prey.

Lane squirmed free from the awkward hug and deftly climbed up to a better vantage point. She tried sitting on the wounded woman’s head, before almost slipping off. Too wobbly. Then she glanced down and considered the cleavage, only to find none. Too flat. Finally she settled on the shoulder, like a colorful parrot. Just right~!

Loss was always heavy news to hear. Still, ‘Mustardseed’ harbored neither sorrow nor pity for her friends. She was simply glad that they hadn’t been whisked away by the vile villains. The news of Sir Ry-erm, ‘Oberon’s’ victory even brought a small smile to her features.

However, the newcomer received no such warmth...

Upon seeing the stranger, Yumiko’s expression immediately froze over with the iciest glare her piercing eyes could muster. She tensed up, instinctively seeking the weapon at her hip. It wasn’t there, of course. Thus her desperate fingers merely clawed at the empty air.

As the blue-skinned man approached, the Wano woman inched backwards, maintaining a minimum distance of six feet at all times. She brought her hand to her face and pinched her nose shut. Where others may have exchanged greetings, she remained dead silent.

Words: 282
Thread Total: 7497
Saga Total: 13 814

Wed Mar 23, 2022 12:24 pm

The group had regathered to exchange their stories and news about their competitions. Some won, some lost. Ryoichi would soon follow the suit to join with the said group of his crewmates, along with his 'trophy'.

While others were sharing their excitement of hearing that another one of theirs had won the competition, Ryoichi himself did not react to any one of them, nor to any news of theirs. As he was exiting the tent briefly before he joined others outside, his mind made a complete hundred and eighty percent shift.

The memories, they returned... Memories of just minutes ago... Of things that he had consumed. It is sickening, and that's what Ryoichi was now feeling. His complexion was pale, one could even say he was turning lighter-skinned than he already was. The strands of his long hair were shadowing his eyes, as he was simply, and silently, walking past the group, without saying a single word.

With a zombie-like waddle, he was heading towards the ship as fast as he could. Not stopping anyone from calling him out. Upon reaching the ship, he did not head towards his quarters as some would. His destination was something completely else... The restroom, upon reaching which, he let out all the body fluids from his stomach run wild out of his mouth... A disgusting sight.

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Wed Mar 23, 2022 1:19 pm

Anton waved to Ryoichi as he approached, only to blink as their 'captain', who was looking paler than usual, just walked right past them, heading in the direction of this ship. Anton watched the man quickly retreat before looking back at Celia with a questioning look.

The short woman shrugged. "Guess the eating competition's catching up to him," she explained, leaving out the fact that he had been eating insects. She then gestured to the four armed man. "This is Wahid Zeeshan, former chef of the Riptide Pirates." "Hey," Wahid spoke up, noticably less enthusiastic. Anton couldn't really blame him. Getting taken from your crew like that no doubt hurt.

"Welcome aboard," Anton greeted. It was best to try and start off on the right foot, "You've already met our fearless leader and Titania, I'm Puck, these are Lune and Sol," he gestured to the two women, who smiled and waved, "This is Peaseblossom, our navigator." Melanie smiled, "I'm looking forward to what deep sea cuisine you can make for us," she said. Wahid couldn't help but give a small smile. "Well, I don't like to brag, but I can do a mean Sea King steak."

OK, good start, good start. "This is Phillipe, our ship's taylor." The spritely young man smiled. "Love the outfit." Wahid blinked, certainly not expecting a compliment on his clothes. "Um, thanks."

"And finally we have Tiny Laugh Lane, formerly of the Big Top Pirates, and Mustardseed." The little dwarf waved, bouncing on Yumiko's shoulder, while Anton now noticed the apprehensive glare the Wano woman was giving. Wahid seemed to notice too, frowning. "What's her problem?" Anton sighed. "Don't worry. She's not too fond of strangers. She'll come around," he explain, fortunately misinterpreting Yumiko's disdain.

Celia stood back and nodded. "Now then, now that introductions on the way, I do believe our events are coming up next Mr. Puck." Anton nodded as suddenly Lune latched onto Anton's arm. "That's right! We can't keep your audience waiting." Sol held onto the other one. "Yes! Onward to victory!"

Anton couldn't help but chuckle.

Post Word Count: 346
Total Word Count: 6,015

Thu Mar 24, 2022 2:52 pm

The Wano woman’s cold glare sharpened into daggers, when the fishman looked right at her. Likewise, her teeth grew sharper too. “...” Had words held substance, hers would’ve corroded a hole on the floor with their sheer toxicity. It was incredibly fortunate that she had lost her voice. Saying something so blunt, so harsh, to someone's face was a surefire way to get a four-armed beating.

When ‘Puck’ dared suggest siding with the filthy, horrid creature, ‘Mustardseed’ was left aghast. Her jaw dropped. Something shattered... Ah, it was only her heart. Nothing important then. Silently she tried to convince herself it was all merely part of this disgusting act. Her noble captain would never seriously consider anything so... traitorous.

Suddenly, the weasel’s ears twitched. Having willingly robbed herself of her, arguably, sharpest sense, her other senses stepped up to compensate. Especially hearing. From the distance, she caught a peculiar, disgusting sound. She shot a concerned glance towards the ship.

A chill wind blew across the area...

In a blink, she was gone.

Lane was left literally spinning in midair from the explosive acceleration. She landed with an acrobat’s grace, before huffing at the fleeing blur. “Wow, rude.” Evidently not one to worry much though, she turned to the fishman. “Just you and me now, big guy. Let’s go~!” She hopped onto his shoulder and the duo went to find good seats for the next game.

Back on the ship, the swordswoman hurried through the corridors. Kicking the door open, she barged into the occupied restroom. Upon finding the brave boxer fighting for his life, she dashed to his side. With practiced swiftness, her hand shot towards him...

Just in time to shield his mane from a... splash.

With an iron will, ‘Mustardseed’ forced the rising feeling of sickness back down her stomach. Not here, not now. Her ally needed her. Gently she guarded his hair, returning the favor from earlier. “...” Along with the comforting words, she offered a pat on the back. She was ready to stay here for as long as needed.

For that was the duty of a samurai!

Words: 350
Thread Total: 7847
Saga Total: 14 164

Fri Mar 25, 2022 3:31 pm

The sight was rather, colorful. The noise was audible to anyone who was outside of the bathroom. The smell was wretched. What exited his mouth were undigested pieces of deceased bugs. He really should have chewed those down, but instead, he simply swallowed them down so he wouldn't taste them.

The mere sight of what exited him would make him nauseous once more... And the endless cycle repeated. But there was bound to come to an end at some point in time. Meanwhile, he simply kept doing his thing. During that time, he even received some unexpected help from none other than Yumiko who came to support him by holding his hair up.

One now has to hope that the stench would not make Yumiko feel nauseous. She does after all own extremely sensitive senses just like Ryoichi does. This bathroom only has one pot to use for this activity. Sharing it will be hard!

Soon, this flow came to an end. The weakness kicked in as Ryoichi removed his head from the pot and sat down, leaning against the wall. It was clear that he looked weak, he had emptied his stomach from all the solid, and also, from a lot of liquid.

"The things... We do... For victory..." he mumbled with a low and painful tone. It shall take a while until he recovers. What makes the matter even worse is the fact that Ryoichi lacks absolutely any appetite to consume any kind of food right now, so his recovery will be slow, for now.

But he had not forgotten the help that was provided to him on his eventful toilet visit. He patted Yumiko's hand that had helped him hold his hair and mumbled lowly to her. "Thank... You... I am glad... You returned... In one piece... And... Victorious."

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Mon Mar 28, 2022 1:06 pm

And in a burst of speed, Yumiko was gone, though this time Anton could tell she was making her way back to the ship. The disguised marine let out a sigh. The woman was going through a lot, and was still injured from her own event. He couldn't blame her for wanting to retreat to somewhere quiet. The man was blissfully unaware of any other reasoning the swordswoman had for fleeing. Well, he would no doubt find out later. Right now, there were competitions to win.

-----@^@-----

After a few hours to clean up and prepare, the arena was ready for the next competition. This one was an open field, with numerous walls, ramps, and other obstacles scattered about.

Alec Carlisle was overseeing the event. "Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the fifth game of the day. This is Tag, though this isn't your usual children's game. Each contestant is given five flags. They need to tag those flags onto the others, and avoid getting tagged themselves. A few dimple rules. First, you cannot tag someone twice in a row. If you get tagged, you cannot tag that person back for five seconds. And finally, only one flag per tag. The one with the least flags on them is the winner. Let's see who's the fastest on their feet!"

-----@^@----

In the second arena, an obstacle course had been set up, though with a different choice of trials compared to the previous course. As the crowd waited in excitement, Ruth Heralds addressed the crowd from the announcers booth.

"Howdy ladies and gents, and welcome to the Wife Carry! This may seem similar to the obstacle course, but with one key difference. Contestants will be carrying someone through this course with them. You must make it through this, with your partner in your arms. You drop thrm, you must pick them up again to continue. So give it your all folks, and take care of your wives! Yeehawhaw!"

-----@^@-----

The third arena was by far the most plain set up. A large, square field had been set up, a single red line dividing it in two. In her announcers booth, Mary Croak was back to her old, bouncing energy.

"Welcome back folks, and now it's time for the dodgeball! Our contestants are split into teams of three. You get hit with the ball, and you're out! The last team standing wins. Now this is a team event, so if you lose, say goodbye to your Crew because the winners get their pick! And now, without further ado, let's play ball!"

-----@^@-----

The final arena had certainly the most eye catching scenario. A large tower, with numerous climable surfaces at various angles. A single flag flew at the top.

Hammond Ridley stood at the base of the tower, microphone I hand. He showed just how big the tower was. "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Tower Climb! The game's pretty simple. Beat your opponents to the top and grab the flag! If you fall, you can try again, provided you're able to get back up after that. Let's see which of these guys can make it to the top!"

Post Word Count: 522
Total Word Count: 6,537

Tue Mar 29, 2022 8:28 am

Raw, putrid stench seeped through the stall, like toxic gas. It was to the weasel’s nose as a point-blank foghorn was to eardrums. It pummeled her with the relentless brutality of a berserk boxer. Her stomach twisted. A hue of green slowly crept across her pale features.

However, the samurai had a secret weapon... She could distract herself... with all this excruciating pain! Swallowing the creeping sensation of sickness yet again, she twisted and fidgeted. Each motion felt like fire crackling against her back. For the final touch, she gripped her shoulder with her free hand. Her short nails sharpened. Blood trickled. A jolt of purifying pain cleared her head.

Better... Much better.

When ‘Oberon’... Nay, Sir Ayugai acknowledged the sacrifices made, Yumiko nodded firmly. Like embers, her eyes burned with strange determination. She pumped her now bloodied hand, voicing her rather enthusiastic agreement. “...!” ...Well then. That came out a little grim and graphic, even from her. Hopefully, things didn’t go quite that far.

With sharpened claws, the weasel woman tore off a large portion of her disguise dress. She leaned close to the boxer. Any sense of personal space went right out the window. Much like ~~a mother~~ an older sister fussing over a ~~child~~ sibling, she tried to wipe his mouth clean. If he resisted, however, she would hand the makeshift rag to him instead.

Once the clean-up was done, the swordswoman rose to her feet. A sharp grimace visited her features, before she hid it beneath the icy mask. “...” She commanded, gesturing insistently at the door, in the vague direction of his cabin. “...” She added, refusing to accept any sort of excuses.

Leaving Ryoichi to recover and hopefully follow her very clear instructions, Yumiko hurried out of the cramped bathroom. Her mind was willing to dash again, but her body protested fiercely. Beneath her clothing, her wounds wept crimson. Rushing all this way so carelessly proved costly...

Tch, no matter, her ally needed her.

Heading to the kitchen, the Wano woman rummaged through every cabinet. The determination burned brighter. A mug, a couple of plates, some ginger root, saltine crackers... And a whole jug of cold water. Showing remarkable dexterity, she managed to balance everything on her hands and head.

With the remedies gathered, the ~~motherly~~ sisterly Marine returned to her comrade. “...” The stern command was followed by an insistent offering of crackers and ginger root. If he refused... Well, she was not above resorting to force. It was for his own good!

---
Hours ticked by quickly, when one was busy with a worthy cause...

Only when the fretful weasel was absolutely certain that the weakened bear would recover, she would finally leave him alone. Emerging from the ship, she tentatively sniffed the air, trying to pick out a certain scent. Her ear twitched at the cacophony of announcers and crowd mixing together. Ah, more games were about to begin.

‘Mustardseed’ assumed her persona again, trying to act like she wasn’t limping and her dress wasn’t missing a piece. The act was far from convincing. Still, she stubbornly stalked towards the arenas. There was one game that she was really curious to see...

Words: 525
Thread Total: 8372
Saga Total: 14 689

Tue Mar 29, 2022 2:32 pm

With arms down and loose on each side of his body, he was sitting there. He let out a heavy sigh of relief. Finally, it was over. His venture to the bathroom... Now that was remaining was was to recollect himself and head to his room to have a small rest, or perhaps even head for the arena to spectate the new games.

But before he could do any of those, he needed to regain his strength. What other perfect way to do that than go and have a rest, or perhaps eat something, although he did not want anything. While he was contemplating his choices in his head, he was being taken care of by none other than Yumiko who ended up ripping a piece of clothing to wipe his mouth.

"You do... Know... That you don't need... To do that." he tried to speak between the wipes all over his lips and the corner of his mouth, but the response would have probably been the same from Yumiko as all others. A weird mumble that is hard to understand.

Soon after he was given a set of instructions, in a similar manner as her other responses... Mumble... But what to make of those? Shortly after Yumiko had left the room, he slowly gathered himself up from the floor and began to head back to his cabinet. Was that what she said? Who knows...

Perhaps he was right, perhaps it was just pure luck, or perhaps Yumiko it was Yumiko's pure skills, but shortly after he had entered the room and laid down for a moment, she arrived in the room, with a plate full of salted crackers, one plate with raw ginger, and the best of all three, a glass of water.

Salted crackers tasted as always, salty... And dry. Water was there to lessen the dryness... The ginger tasted slightly peppery and sweet, with a pungent and spicy aroma filling his nose just before the bite. His face cringed a bit after each bite. "Ginger definitely is... Better cooked."

He could have declined to eat... But how could he? Yumiko helped him out and brought him the food. Only a rude person would decline this generosity. Was that the best for him, however? Probably, even if he did not feel like eating.

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Tue Mar 29, 2022 4:06 pm

The crowd was cheering, eager for the competition to begin. Down on the field, the six contestants, and their partners, were getting ready. "Alrighty folks!" Ruth announced, "Let me introduce you to our contestants!"

The first was a large, muscular man with red hair. His attire almost gave the impression of a great, barbarian warrior, wearing a loincloth made from a beasts pelt, with red tattoos across his chest. In his arms he was holding a woman, clad in a white dress. "First up, a warrior of great honor and renown, unafraid to tackle any opponent, the Imperator of the Centurian Pirates, Nero Caeser!"

Nero "Imperator" Caeser:

The second was another muscular man, like the first. Only this one was bald except for a curl of blonde hair, and a matching mustache. What was surprising was that his partner, a young woman dressed like a ballerina who looked absolutely tiny against him, was sitting on his bicep. "Not to be outdone is the strongman of the Big Top Pirates, the self proclaimed strongest man, Marcus Stromboli!"

Marcus "Strongman" Stromboli:

The third contestant, while not as large, made up in intimidation factor. Pale and bulky, the man was dressed like a viking that got into BDSM gear, clad in lots of black leather and spikes. A bear pelt was slung over one shoulder, while his partner, another young woman of the Misfits, was hanging onto his back. "And now he comes from the north, to bring a new kind of metal to the world, whatever that means. Velken "Violence" Ruthgard of the Misfit Pirates!" Velken let out an almost Bestial roar.

Velken "Violence" Ruthgard:

"And now, from the Red Cap Pirates, we have this mysterious mushroom, the man knock as Puck!" Anton raised a fist in the air as, on either side of him, Lune and Sol acted as a two woman cheer squad.

Next was the unmistakable form of an octopus mermaid. A thin frame with numerous, green tentacles in place of feet. Another mermaid was being held in his arms. "And now we have the cat burgler of the sea, a man who can slip into any crack and vault, Calimoor!"

The final contestant was a woman. A member of the Long Leg tribe if her legs were any indication. With a mane of black hair, and clad in armor, she held another woman in her arms, almost affectionately. "And finally, we have the Iron Urchin's very own, Amberley "Girder Maiden" Styles!"

The crowd cheered as Lune turned to Anton. "Well, let's get this started, shall we?" With a big grin, she jumped up into Anton's arms, catching him a little by surprise. "Wait a moment!" Sol objected, "I thought we agreed he was carrying me!" Lune just grinned and shrugged. "Well, I figured it would be best if Puck was carrying the lighter of us." Sol's eyes widened as she seethed. "Just because you're flat as a board doesn't make you lighter." "What was that!?"

Lune hopped put of Anton's grasp, growling at her sister. Around her feet, the ground started to frost over. At the same time, the air was starting to ripple with heat around Sol.

Anton stepped between the two. "Oh no, we are not having this fight here." He turned and scooped up Lune, who blinked before grinning brightly. Then, Anton turned his back to Sol and crouched slightly. "Climb on." Sol stopped and blinked. "What?" "You heard me. I'm either carrying you both, or neither of you." Both sisters were surprised. Sol even hesitated before climbing on.

"Well, look at that folks!" Ruth spoke up, "Puck is volunteering to actually carry two people on him! Talk about confidence if he thinks he can pull that off! Now then, let's-"

"Hold!"

Nero turned towards his crew and beckoned one of the women over, "Ophelia. Come down here." "Ya, you too Isabella," Stromboli said, gesturing to his own crew. Women from both crews came down onto the field, only to be picked up by their respective contestants.

"Unbelievable! Both Nero AND Stromboli have opted to take extra partners too! Anybody else?" "You gotta be nuts," Velken muttered, as Calimoor and Amberly shook their heads. "Well, ain't you just no fun. Now then buckaroos, everyone get to the starting line. Let's get this rolling!"

Post Word Count: 709
Total Word Count: 7,226

Wed Mar 30, 2022 5:36 am

Leaving Sir Ay- ...’Oberon’ behind to recover with the power of natural Wano remedies, ‘Mustardseed’ followed her nose. Carefully she slipped through the dwindling crowd. The trail led her towards the second arena, where a peculiar game was about to take place.

Meanwhile, an ominous figure entered the fray. The lead performer of the Misfits strutted like a rooster, head bopping and hair swaying with each step. His dangerous grin sharpened. He was ready to rock and roll these losers, especially that shroomy sprite.

Speaking of...

Greed’s beady glare scanned the contestants one by one. Bedsheet poofs, tin cans, walking sushi, clowns... But no mushrooms in sight. He folded his arms and closed his eyes in contemplation. Imagination painted complex mathematical equations, as his brilliant mind pieced together what exactly had happened. His eyes flashed open. The truth struck like a bolt of lightning! He... had picked the wrong game.

“...ffffFFFFFU-!”

Half a second later, a storm of profanity shook the entire island. The ground quivered. Screeching seagulls scattered. Somewhere, a nearly complete house of cards collapsed. The foul torrent briefly overpowered even the announcers and their equipment. The rest of the misfits cheered and howled in unison. Some of them commented how the captain’s latest single was loaded with raw emotion.

‘Mustardseed’, meanwhile, was curled up against the ground, clutching her sensitive ears. It felt like a wanizame had rampaged through her skull. Even after the worst was over, her ears were left ringing with crude echoes. Her pirate vocabulary expanded three times this day. ...Unfortunately.

The swordswoman staggered back onto her feet and tried to shake off the pain. A big mistake. Her wounds sent a sharp protest down her spine. She leaned weakly against the wall, trying to catch her breath. If ‘Cobweb’ saw her like this... He would surely force her to rest... Thus she could not afford to get seen.

Finding a suitably shady nook by the entrance, the wounded stalker peered into the arena. As she had understood, this game was some manner of obstacle course to be completed while carrying one’s significant other. It all sounded remarkably similar to the rescue training between shinobi and kunoichi of her homeland.

‘Mustardseed’s’ pondering was cut short, when she spotted ‘Puck’. ...Along with the two concubines. Her stare narrowed into a suspicious squint. She couldn’t bear to look for long... How far had her noble captain fallen, cavorting with criminals and concubines... Her only solace was to silently assure herself it was all for the sake of the mission.

Sullen thoughts were brushed aside, when the weasel woman observed the competition. How strange, some of them were only carrying one person. Perhaps they were weak and this was a way to make the contest fair? How strange... Fairness among pirates... Nay, couldn’t be. She must have missed something.

The Wano woman’s wandering gaze soon found a veritable warrior with fiery red hair. It was strange... Seeing someone who radiated such honor and honesty among all these wretches. Her expression softened... And eyes lingered on him for a while... Suddenly she shook her head like a dog trying to dry its fur. Begone, distractions!

Words: 527
Thread Total: 8899
Saga Total: 15 216

Fri Apr 01, 2022 3:49 pm

After the 'epic' mealtime, Ryoichi had made a decision to have a small shut-eye, recover his body from his magnificent toilet trip, and also regain some energy. The peace and quiet were finally achieved. The most of ship's crew were out spectating their fellow competitors. Perfect for a rest.

But his break got cut short only after about ten to twenty minutes when the loud echo entered through the micro-cracks of the ship's walls, all the way into Ryoichi's 'beastly' ears. His eyes opened and he sat up. A heavy sigh left his lips. He recognized the scream.

"Was that really necessary?" he mumbled to himself. At that point, his desire to rest was ruined. There will be an entire night left to do that. He stood up from the bed and headed out onto the deck. On the deck, he was met with nothingness. But the ship was in good hands on the dock.

He walked over to the edge of the ship and leaned onto the railing and looked out towards the multiple large tents, breathing in the fresh sea air, mixed with the delicacy scent of different kinds of foods coming from the island vendors... Delicious... But those scents did nothing but remind him of eating the crawlies, while compared to that crawlies, those were the scent of good food.

It'll take a good few hours until he feels ready to actually consume something else, that isn't crackers or ginger.

[243/7238/14 300]

Sun Apr 03, 2022 1:02 pm

Anton La'croix uses:
Survival Instinct - MT on self
Fast Hopping - LT on self
Hopper Kick - LT at Wife Carry
UT at Wife Carry

Wife Carry uses:
MT at Anton
LT at Anton
LT at Anton
UT at Anton

COMBAT TRACKERS:

Sun Apr 03, 2022 1:02 pm

The member 'Anton La'croix' has done the following action : Dice Roll

#1 'Reflex Check' : 9, 18

--------------------------------

#2 'Reflex Check' : 6, 7, 18, 9

Sun Apr 03, 2022 1:16 pm

Anton La'croix uses:
Insect Knight - MT on self
Grind Slash - LT at Wife Carry
Snap Kick - LT at Wife Carry
UT at Wife Carry

Wife Carry uses:
MT at Anton
LT at Anton
LT at Anton
UT at Anton

COMBAT TRACKERS:

Sun Apr 03, 2022 1:16 pm

The member 'Anton La'croix' has done the following action : Dice Roll

#1 'Reflex Check' : 13, 3, 5

--------------------------------

#2 'Reflex Check' : 4, 15, 3, 11

Sun Apr 03, 2022 1:26 pm

Anton La'croix uses:
B-Flat - AoE at Wife Carry
UT at Wife Carry

Wife Carry uses:
HT at Anton
UT at Anton

COMBAT TRACKERS:

Sun Apr 03, 2022 1:26 pm

The member 'Anton La'croix' has done the following action : Dice Roll

#1 'Reflex Check' : 2, 9

--------------------------------

#2 'Reflex Check' : 10, 11

Sun Apr 03, 2022 1:39 pm

Anton La'croix uses:
Soul Shriek - HT at Wife Carry
Hopper Kick - LT at Wife Carry
UT at Wife Carry

Wife Carry uses:
MT at Anton
LT at Anton
LT at Anton
UT at Anton

COMBAT TRACKERS:

Sun Apr 03, 2022 1:39 pm

The member 'Anton La'croix' has done the following action : Dice Roll

#1 'Reflex Check' : 10, 19, 19

--------------------------------

#2 'Reflex Check' : 16, 17, 9, 13

Sun Apr 03, 2022 2:04 pm

Anton La'croix uses:
Grand Strike - HT at Wife Carry
Grind Slash - LT at Wife Carry
UT at Wife Carry

Wife Carry uses:
MT at Anton
LT at Anton
LT at Anton
LT at Anton (extra added due to missing it in round 3)
UT at Anton

COMBAT TRACKERS:

Sun Apr 03, 2022 2:04 pm

The member 'Anton La'croix' has done the following action : Dice Roll

#1 'Reflex Check' : 5, 4, 3

--------------------------------

#2 'Reflex Check' : 16, 5, 11, 9, 18

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