GubGar

Steel Ball Run | Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

Mentions: @AmpharosBoy @Ambra

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Simon's internal panicking was interrupted by that scary woman from earlier calling out to him. He barely registered the words 'good luck' before she had given him a rough pat on the back that caused him to yelp, and promptly rode off. He really hoped she hadn't heard the yelp...she definitely heard the yelp. Ugh. That was seriously embarrassing. First he chickens out of any type of conversation, then he yelps. She must've thought he was the biggest coward in the entire race. Not that she would be wrong for thinking that of Simon.

His downwards spiral of self-deprecation was broken when the Human Badger, whom he had heard earlier introduce himself as Donny, came trotting after her and- did he just scoop up horse crap? Simon's eyes widen, resembling saucers. Why in the world was he grabbing a fistful of crap!? Seconds after asking, Simon saw Donny approach the scary woman. Oh. Oh! Oh no.

"Watch out for-" His declaration was both too quiet, and too late, as the glob of horse dung was lobbed straight at the scary woman. Simon recoiled slightly as he was forced to watch the unfortunate collision. That was absolutely horrid, in both smell, and how cruel it was. Simon thinks back, recalling what she had said before patting him on the back. Was this Donny a competitor? Were all competitors eager to perform smear (poor word choice) tactics on each other!? This race was far too terrifying for Simon's tastes.

While he had a panic attack, the scary woman sped up. Eager to chase down the Shit Slinging Badger Boy. Her anger was palpable, was she about to do something she might regret? "Augh- I, Well- We probably ought to stop this from escalating.." With practiced speed, but the enthusiasm of a wet sock, Simon climbed atop Cecilia, and began to chase after the scary woman, who was chasing after Donny.

"Waaaait! Surely this doesn't need to escalate any further! You two might be at risk of being disqualified!" Simon called out desperately as the chase began in earnest, an unintentional prelude to the race itself.

Uncanny X-Factor - In need of new players

A superhero roleplay where I can be a corporate shill? Yes please. Also appealing as it deals with smaller-scale issues, which I tend to find gives better room for character focus. It's a lot easier to develop interesting dynamics when you aren't also dealing with the sky being on fire, in my personal opinion.

I'm most definitely interested, which means it's time to chew through all this lore. Can't promise I'll follow through for certain, though. Just a heads up.

Steel Ball Run | Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

Mentions: N/A

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And just like that, Simon had made a successful escape. Seemingly evading any and all repercussions for his actions. Nice! Well, actually, that just wasn't the case at all. While Simon had managed to escape the two Obviously Dangerous Strangers that harbored no ill will towards him and did nothing to him except compliment him, he did not escape the prying eyes of other people watching the bar brawl gone wrong. Several people saw Simon shoot a man straight in the back, and walk away just as quick. That, combined with the number on his saddle; 1313, gave people a false sense of danger concerning him. Simon had unintentionally given off the impression that he was some ruthless gunslinger ready to shoot people in the back instead of dueling them proper, which would likely paint a target on his back.

Yet as if lady luck floated down from the heavens and spat directly into his eye, Simon hadn't realized this whatsoever. He was far too focused on hoping that the two strangers hadn't seen just how quickly he was beating a hasty retreat. Did they know how scared he was? Agh, they probably did. Simon's mustache twitches just as he recalls why he was wandering around in the first place. Trading numbers, that's right. He was still stuck with the double thirteen, perhaps that's why he stumbled upon the bar fight. Because of that unlucky number.

But it was already getting to be a bit later than he'd like. When was the Race itself starting again? He couldn't recall. Simon briefly curses himself for not paying enough attention. Either way, it was better to be safe than to be sorry. He probably should start heading to the beach. "C'mon, Cecilia. We ought ta head over an' see how long 'til the race itself starts." Cecilia did not respond, because she was a horse. But she did follow Simon, as docile as ever.

While the duo of Rider and Horse made their way to the starting point of the race, Simon idly took out his six shooter. He removed the spent casing of his used bullet, and pocketed it just in case. Ignoring the fact that the voice telling him to pocket it sounded remarkably like Perform This Way. He replaced it with a new bullet, and holstered it once again. Did he expect to need the six shooter again so soon? No, and he certainly didn't expect to need all six bullets. But it was a habit, and habits helped distract from the fact that he was extraordinarily nervous.

One Piece: The Next Voyage

Can confirm that it is, in fact, submersion. Which is why Devil Fruit users can take showers (though not baths, as those would have them submerged), and keep going while its' raining.

As for the possibility of her post being that she rode a wave, that could be the case, I wasn't entirely certain based on the wording.

One Piece: The Next Voyage

I'd have to say I'm in agreement, mist/steam seems like a separate Logia all together. And I'm not certain why she couldn't just use her Logia to ride a wave towards the ship instead.

Steel Ball Run | Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

Mentions: @AmpharosBoy @Ambra

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A familiar sense of regret and dread sunk into Simon's core before the smoke even stopped flowing from the gun nozzle. He couldn't help but think that maybe he was too hasty, and too harsh. That shoulder shot was a nasty one after all. Not that anyone could tell he was remorseful from his stance. It was an odd sight, a large, bulky man cowering behind the gun he just used to shoot someone down. What would likely cause even more suspicion was the fact that his horse, Cecilia, had not even flinched at the noise. Which made it apparent that the horse had heard quite a bit of gunfire to become so well adjusted to the sound. Simon's mustache twitched as he holstered his six shooter.

He let out an incredibly unbecoming yelp as a woman he hadn't even noticed complimented his shooting. Simon had been so focused on the shot that she had walked over to the scene without him noticing. How long had she been there? Did she know that Simon was planning on running away from the scene like a coward at first? He couldn't be certain, which filled him with more nervous energy. Simon barely managed to get out a "Uh, thanks." before she was scaring away the thugs. Despite none of her intensity being directed at Simon, he still felt rather intimidated.

The next thing Simon knew, the incredibly terrifying short man was being hoisted up onto his feet by the aggressive woman. Did shootouts usually conclude this quick? Was Simon just rusty? He felt like this was a bit abnormal, but didn't want to be rude even in his thoughts, so he decided that no, he was just being antsy. Simon crouched down to pick up Cecilia's reigns, and got back to his feet just in time for the terrifying short man to turn to him and compliment his shooting.

Two compliments in such a short span of time was overwhelming to Simon, which was why he responded with total silence. He did manage to actually choke out another "ᵁʰ, ᵗʰᵃⁿᵏˢ." in an unintentionally quiet voice, but the terrifying short man had already turned away from him by that point, and introduced himself to the aggressive woman as Donny Brando. He would definitely keep his ears trained for that name when the race was underway, best to be cautious around someone who reminded Simon so much of a badger.

Figuring his good deed of the day was done, and being intimidated by the confidence of the two people nearby, Simon decided it was time to withdraw coolly. After all, Simon prided himself on his ability to get a read on people, and despite both of them being friendly he was getting some seriously dangerous vibes from them, as if they were so chaotic they'd end up unintentionally causing him a great deal of stress. Was this almost 100% just Simon's paranoia? Yeah. But he had lasted this long by trusting that paranoia.

Simon attempts to lead Cecilia away from the saloon, hopefully without drawing any attention to himself. Though, that was unlikely given the fact that absolutely nothing about Simon was subtle. In fact, he wasn't even quiet about his attempted departure, his saddlebag was rattling with each step Cecilia took. Damn, definitely shouldn't have taken those spoons.

One Piece: The Next Voyage

Port of Alabasta.

Interacting With: @ladyonyx04@KillBox@Crimson Raven

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Hindsight 20/20, running frantically through the streets was absolutely not a sound strategy. He was fast, really fast, but not fast enough to cover that much ground alone. Thankfully, Dan got a pretty blatant 'hint' at where he should head next. A great deal of shooting was going down by the port, apparent by the sound of a helluva lot of gunfire. Some of Dan's men had been sent towards the port, hopefully that wasn't the sound of them shooting. Regardless, he decided to head that way.

So, one detour later and Dan was hauling his cape-hidden ass towards the port. He had an expression of laser-focused determination, his mind totally clear. The focus was necessary to perform one of the more complex abilities of his 'curse.' His skin began to distort, several areas becoming raised and bumped, as if things were trying to breach the surface of his body. Yet it didn't seem to bother him whatsoever. After all, he was merely creating his weapons of choice.

Dan had always prided himself on his exceptional time management, which was why it didn't take him too long to realize the situation as he peeled out from around a corner, and arrived at the port. A duo of clearly Devil Fruit powered individuals dueling at the docks, and a gunner getting involved in said brawl. Were they involved with the missing Prince? Or was this a separate issue?

His attention was drawn away from the trio to the ship with a Jolly Roger currently leaving the docks. He couldn't say for certain, but Dan would gamble a guess that if the Prince was anywhere nearby, he was probably on board that ship. Dammit, he definitely couldn't deal with both things at once. Dan proceeds to charge by the people fighting. It was important to deal with them too, but he could do that after stopping the ship. "Turn yourselves in for public disturbance and whatever crimes you've caused while fighting! Or you'll be in serious trouble!" He shouts at the trio by the docks, dropping several handcuffs while running by. Did Dan expect them to actually put on the cuffs? No. But it never hurt to try.

By the time he reached the edge, two large ceramic plates emerged from the bottom of his feet, they immediately float upwards, levitating Dan above the water. The plates burst forward, with Dan riding them towards the escaping Pirate Ship. His skin continued to bulge unpleasantly all across his body, given the fact that he just generated dinner plates, it could be assumed that he was preparing something (or several things) else.

One Piece: The Next Voyage

Would you guys consider the brawl at the docks to be blatant enough to draw attention? I'd like to be able to show up, but will not do so if it's unreasonable for my character to notice this big fight.

One Piece: The Next Voyage

Alabasta Navy, Nanohana Branch Office.

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It was immensely upsetting to Dan that he couldn't find any pretty flowers that could survive on Alabasta. He had been here for three months thus far, and it took the first two for him to give up and resort to cacti. Which weren't nearly as easy to trim.

Every day he was forced to trim the decorative cacti in front of the base was a day he suspected the transfer was a punishment more than a promotion. Granted, nobody asked him to trim the cacti, but nobody else did it, and he didn't want them to start looking messy. Dammit, that was definitely why nobody else trimmed them. They knew Dan would do it despite complaining.

Halfway through his daily pruning of the cacti, a Seaman Recruit by the name of slim- Dan tried to remember the name of all his men -ran up to him, huffing for breath. "Commander Dishes, sir! We've got a report from the capital!" He declared frantically. Dan let out an exhale. The capital never really called for much of anything. They preferred leaving things to the royal guards, instead of involving the Marines. Which meant this was a big deal. "Well? What's the report, soldier?" His voice was level as always, Dan hoped it would give his men a feeling of confidence.

"W-well, sir..we've just gotten word that..Prince Vivian has been kidnapped."

"W-HUHHH?!?!?!?!" Dan declared unprofessionally, his eyes practically bulging out of his head. "Inform the men to divide themselves into searching parties to look for the missing Prince! Have a squadron of them head to the docks to ensure no one leaves the island until he's found!" With his orders given, Dan rushes off in search of the missing Prince. It was not strategically sound to run off alone, but Dan knew if the Prince got kidnapped on his watch, he'd be in deep trouble until he was gotten back. Dan decided while running frantically through the city that the best place to check would, of course, be the local bar. Where criminals and rumors alike gathered.

Steel Ball Run | Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

Mentions: @AmpharosBoy

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Saying that the day was off to a bad start would have been an understatement. Simon had ridden in late last night, gotten his number, and immediately passed out once he got himself a room at the local inn. All without looking at what his number was. The moment he woke up, Simon had grabbed his saddle cloth, intending to fasten it to Cecilia's saddle after breakfast. Which was when he saw it. 1313. Not only had he gotten the unluckiest number to exist, he had gotten it twice.

Which was why, currently, Simon found himself wandering around town, leading Cecilia behind him. He was desperate to find someone who would trade numbers with him. In truth, Simon was not entirely sure it was legal to trade numbers, but he knew he couldn't race with numbers as bad as the ones he had. It was practically suicidal. To make matters worse, the fact that he was leading around his horse made people even more wary of him, as if he had something planned. In truth the only reason he hadn't left Cecilia in the stables was because he feared a devious racer might try to harm rival horses.

The first few people Simon asked responded with expected answers, a great deal of variations of the phrase 'fuck off.' Sometimes followed by the word 'pardner.' Yet still, he was undeterred. Well, actually he was very deterred. He didn't want to get yelled at again, but after weighing the benefits in his head, figured that being yelled at was a better fate than being stuck with 1313.

Simon's train of thought was soon derailed by the sound of glass shattering. Unfortunately for him, his fight or flight reflex wasn't able to activate in time, due to him being quite near the source of the noise. It was the saloon, which was..not particularly surprising. Years of being a policeman meant Simon had seen a lot of bar fights go south.

Of course, he wasn't a policeman anymore, so it really wasn't any of his business. Which was why Simon ignored how the short and terrifying blonde was throwing himself around like a human battering ram, and why he continued to ignore the scene even as said terrifying blonde man was stomped into the ground.

Simon merely kept walking, his feet literally shaking in his boots with every step. It wasn't until he heard the person currently stomping the crap out of the shorter man declare "Why ain't you stayin' down!? Dammit.." In response to the fact that his victim wouldn't cease struggling, that Simon paused in his hasty escape. The sound of the bar fighter drawing a gun from a holster finally convinced Simon to whirl around. Did this ruffian really plan on shooting someone during a simple bar fight?

As said ruffian attempted to line up his shot despite being a bit off-balance from the beatings he received, Simon's hand ghosted over towards his holster. The moment he realized it wasn't an empty threat, and this guy really did plan on shooting someone, Simon sprung into action. His arm moved with practiced ease, sliding his trusty six-shooter out of the holster and pointing it dead ahead. His other arm temporarily dropped the reigns of Cecilia, and moved to pull the hammer back.

Simon was trembling and sweating, but his hands didn't shake even a bit. He squeezed the trigger, and BANG! The shot rang out, and the bullet tore through the unfortunate goon's shoulder. Forcing him to drop the gun, and knocking him right onto his back. "Y-um, y'really shouldn't go around tryin' ta shoot people. It just ain't right." Simon declares, attempting to lecture the person he literally just shot in the back.