[Episode] Hot Blooded Fate

Quest Info:

It has been about a month since Kurai left his home island of Centaurea, located in the South Blue. At first, the redhead used a rowboat but it was doing very little for him in terms of progress. Fortunately, Kurai was able to snag a motor boat from an island he stopped by in the South, the very same island he was nearly mugged on...which ended with him not only beating the would be mugger senselessly, but also swiping a pair of bladed brass knuckles that he now calls his own. Kurai didn't have any remorse for the boat's previous owner...and he especially didn't have any for that mugger. He believed that these tools would be better suited to him...and his goals.

Kurai sat at the back of the one-person boat, a hand on the lever on the engine that controls which way it turns and a lit cigarette hanging from the side of his mouth. He was looking to his left, out at the vast sea, until he heard the sounds of seagulls squawking. He looked up at the clear blue afternoon sky with a very small hint of a smile on his face...but then he looked down in front of him...at the sledgehammer lying on the boat. Whatever trace of a smile he had quickly vanished, replaced by a melancholic expression.

Ever since he was a child, Kurai had imagined that he would be out there sailing the seas...but not like this...not alone. There were people he left behind...people he hurt in more ways than one...but the past is the past.

The only thing on his mind now...was avenging his elder brother.

Kurai found himself looking forward now as he started to approach a certain island. From the distance he was at, Kurai could see buildings which all looked in good shape, meaning this place wasn't abandoned and, fortunately, would have places where he can replenish his supplies. But what stood out the most on this island were those chimney-like structures, but he couldn't make out what was on them just yet.

Soon, Kurai found himself pulling into this islands' docks where there were some other ships of various sizes residing. The man got out of the boat and made sure it was secure before tossing whatever was left of his cigarette on the ground, stepping on it to put it out. He then took the sledgehammer out of the boat and placed it on a holster attached to his back. There were quite a few folks around this area, mostly civilians from the looks of it, but there were Marines around as well, on patrol, chatting, a little bit of both. The places Kurai came from or visited lacked any real marine presence, so he had never seen them in person before, but he was still familiar with them.

Kurai then looked up over where those chimney-like structures were and noticed the clear as day Marine symbol on them. If he had to guess, it was their base....something he should probably stay clear of even though he has yet to do anything to put him on their radar...that they know of. Despite that, Kurai did notice a certain Marine glancing in his direction with a hint of suspicion. Perhaps it was the way the redhead looks? Or maybe the intimidating-looking hammer on his back?

Once Kurai made eye contact with that Marine, the ensign simply nodded at Kurai as a passing greeting before continuing his post. Looks like Kurai needs to keep a low profile...or as low as he can get and not cause a scene. Just a simple gathering of supplies...right?

Keeping this in mind, Kurai placed his hands in his coat pockets and headed into the area of the town...unaware of the shit that he's going to end up getting himself into.

~~~
@Paxton Easton

WC: 637/5,000

With all the passion he gives to learning, one of Paxton's several flaws involves lack of sustenance as being so entranced in his work can cause considerable lack of care for himself. And with that he decided to restock on his next stop but little did he know it was on an island that was quite fortified compared to most he's been to in his small journey since he left Skypiea. On his way to the island the first thing that caught his eye was the marine base located within it. Normally he would think nothing of it and most are small or even completely non existent but he didn't wish to cause too much of a ruckus while he was doing something as simple as restocking his food supply and perhaps dinning at a local joint or restaurant on the island. An absolute must other than food is picking the brains of the local population, preferably a fellow doctor or medical practitioner. He headed out to the island, letting his ship anchored somewhat hidden near the island but still quite easy to find for the marines if they were dispatched to patrol that general area. He inspected the flora of the island to investigate it and see if there was anything he could possibly be able to make use of in a future tonic or medicine experiment but not much stood out as the vegetation of the island seemed to be thoroughly lacking.

Unimpressed he shrugged it off and pushed through brush and grass towards the town itself which at least seemed considerably lively. Now all he really had to do was pick which task to do first, he really wanted to get into the meat of it and learn from the people's way of tending to one's own injuries and the basic remedies they may have but the thought itself was quickly interrupted by the sound of his stomach rumbling. Maybe he should just have something to feast on, it has been quite a while since he last ate he thought to himself and reluctantly he listened to his guts. Paxton wondered what could marines want with a town like that one, Shells Town didn't seem all too grand and to him it just looked like any other island he's gone to minus the large base located towards the back of it. Despite his eagerness to get things done hastily he did have to keep himself under their radar as he has at least gotten a name for himself even if it wasn't directly doing a major crime. Paxton wasn't even sure he had gotten a bounty yet despite his minor notoriety. He stumbled upon a curious food place, a place selling grilled meat which also seemed to acts as a tavern. Although he much preferred veggies and fruits he couldn't deny that the smell coming from the place was alluring so he decided to check it out.

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Entering into the main part of this town, Kurai took a good look around until his eyes settled on a sign that read 'Shells Town'. He made a mental note of this even though the name of the place really didn't matter to him. There were more folks out and about here compared to the docks, which didn't come as much of a surprise to the man. There were civilians who were going on about their business, various shops that were open and even some children playing here and there. Compared to the islands Kurai had visited, this town was really peaceful...an interesting change of pace from what he was used to. But of course...Kurai already knew why this place feels this way...

Kurai noticed more Marines patrolling these parts as well, some of them fully focusing on their duties while others were being friendly towards the civilians. An island under the banner of the World Government...and Kurai pretty much stood out compared to most of the people here. But so far it seems he hadn't gotten on any of their radars, most likely because he's been minding his own business. Hopefully, it will stay that way...

The redhead stopped by a little shop that appeared to be busy right now and was doing a bit of window shopping. There were some things in there that could be of use to him, but Kurai did not want to wait in that long line, blowing air out of his nose in mild annoyance. Instead, he turned and was prepared to walk off to another shop until he noticed a different building. It appeared to be a bar, or tavern to be exact. Although Kurai wasn't hungry, he could go for a drink, waste a little time until that line clears up at that shop hopefully.

As Kurai approached this tavern, the man glanced over at someone else who appeared to be going the same direction. Kurai would normally not think much of it, but...those wings weren't something he was expecting. Were they real or just part of that black-haired man's attire? Kurai didn't think too much about this though and went back to minding his own business.

Entering the tavern, the first thing that caught Kurai's attention was the smell of various foods and drinks filling the air. There were quite a few people already there, sitting at tables or at the counter, but it wasn't packed. Idle chatter filled this place as well as Kurai made his way to the counter. Most of the folks continued to talk among themselves but there were some that did glance in Kurai's direction either because he was somebody that just came in...or because of the freaking hammer on his back.

Either way, Kurai paid these people no mind and sat at the counter which had at least two more open seats.

"What will it be?" The bartender of this establishment asked. The bartender was a bald, elderly man with huge, white eyebrows that nearly covered his eyes and a matching mustache. The guy looked rather laid-back and all around positive, contrasting Kurai's stoic demeanor. "Rum. Doesn't matter what kind." Kurai said, his tone being straight to the point. The old bartender chuckled before grabbing a glass and bottle. "You seem like a "gold rum, hold the rocks" sort of fella." he claimed as he poured said bottle into the glass. He then slid the glass over which Kurai caught and picked up, taking his first sip.

"You also don't seem like you're from around here neither." the bartender added, causing Kurai to glance over at the guy again before lowering his glass. The bartender shook his head a bit and waved his hand dismissively. "Oh I don't mean any harm, son. Don't really get that many outsiders around here these days." the man claimed as he started to clean an empty glass with a cup. "I see." Kurai added, being the man of a few words that he is. "Just gathering a few supplies, then I'll be taking my leave." Kurai said before drinking more. "Bah, you should at least do a little sight-seeing before you go. Shells Town ain't that bad of a place." the bartender claimed. "Not interested." Kurai said bluntly, not even taking a second to think about it and went right back to drinking. The old man simply chuckled before shrugging lightly. "Suit yourself then." He said before going off to put the glass he cleaned away, preparing to serve any other customers.

~~~~
@Paxton Easton

WC: 1,401/5,000

The inside of the tavern itself felt rather cozy to Paxton, the atmosphere that surrounded it had a sort of rustic vibe to it that certainly made it easy on the eyes. Paxton was intrigued by the hustle and bustle of the everyday man as they chatted, cheered and enjoyed their time. Although some were more solitary than others they overall seemed to be comfortable with the familiarity of the tavern as if it was a sort of common practice for them to visit the joint often. The taverns back in his home were considerably less hectic but perhaps it was due to the part of the world he lived in or perhaps the races up above partied a little differently than how he witnessed them on the islands in the blue ocean. Thinking about his home made him feel somewhat nostalgic as it's been a bit since he left there and he's far from it despite having only been at sea for less than a year now. He thought about the Pumpkin Noodles from Skypiea and the thought of that alone made his stomach rumble but he couldn't complain as Human food wasn't all too bad and they certainly knew how to make things he wouldn't have thought would be edible.

Ignoring the glances the people would give him due to his unique physique that most people would be entranced by or straight up assume he's some sort of angel from their own folktales of winged people. Paxton would just consider it as nonsense as he didn't particularly believe them but he did admit it sounded quite fascinating as in the stories they would mention said beings as able to heal people from their ailments by simply touching them or even be a good omen of things to come in their lives. Taking a seat in one of the booths near the entrance he began to look at the menu and it did hold quite a lot of interesting beverages and meals. With a waitress approaching his booth with a noticeable shake to her as if she was struggling to let out the words of what he would like to order, he has simply decided to order the restaurant's soup of the day and some sort meat slices with some sort of sauce to them the he couldn't quite make out. The waitress took the note of what he ordered and hastily walked away. He looked at what the other people around him were eating and it did seem good although not exactly fancy with most mainly having burgers or even just drinking in the restaurant's drink counter.

Wasn't long before someone else walked into the restaurant after him, the person seemed a tad menacing with the hammer looming on them basically asking for trouble. As long as it wasn't bothering him, his research or his upcoming meal he was fine. The waitress came back with the soup he had ordered and the usual glass of water, although he still had to wait for the meat to finish cooking. Paxton was at least pleased with how the soup looked and began digging in as he waited for the meat. The soup tasted quite nice with potato, carrots and some chicken in there, the broth itself having an exceptional flavor to it that he couldn't quite get enough of. Certainly something he would try again if he was to ever pass through the area again, he wondered what was the trick to it since the broth's flavor certainly contrasted with the ingredients but not enough to mess with their individual flavor. Perhaps he should ask the restaurant's chef later if he got the chance and see if he can give him some pointers that he perhaps could use on tonics and medicine on his ship. He continued to eat the soup and looked around the restaurant for entertainment while he waited for the rest of his meal.

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