Pacifista

One Piece: The Devil's Due (Always Accepting!)

RICO

---

“If it was a threat, then where are the demands?” “The king is hiding that, obviously. Oh, hey, isn’t that right, Prince Alliant?”

An uncharacteristic glare burned from the man’s typical reserved features. “No such thing has happened!” His casual stroll through the town had him passing by numerous folk buzzing about the mysterious fireworks last night, but this was the first time he was brought into the conversation, and through a mad conspiracy no less.

“If it’s not some kind of terrorism, then what happened to the merchant ship? Caught fire for no reason, did it?”

“…”

Moving on, Alliant was pushed down another train of thought in his mind where his body was going down its usual route. Stopping by his usual haunt, the restaurant owner had his breakfast ready within minutes: eggs (sunny side up), bacon, and a glass of milk.

A fair distance from the palace, it was well known that Alliant lived away from the rest of his family and servants. He visited multiple times a day, to the point that it would have made more sense to simply live there, but instead Alliant lived in town. His house wasn’t exactly destitute, so it wasn’t a statement regarding living amongst the people, but more of a declaration regarding his lack of interest in the throne. Prince Petre was the next rightful heir, and though Alliant had yet to find a significant other, Petre had fallen in love with his wife some years ago. They already had a daughter, with another child on the way. The succession was secured, and Alliant had no desire to upend that. More concerning was the recent news, all around. Grabbing his wandering mind, he looked down at his breakfast, incidentally arranged into a smiley face after he took the first slice of bacon. There was a man he had to see, one who rarely stopped smiling.

---

Stooped outside of the Marshwiggle, a fierce debate raged.

“They were pretty, weren’t they? And the loudness is part of the appeal! Booms to make the heart shake!”

“Yeah but Ropho peed on the floor and my mom got mad,” said a five year old boy.

“Oh dang, was that your grandpa?”

“No he was my dog.”

Rico crossed his arms, closing his eyes in thought. “Fireworks do scare animals, that’s right.” Holding a hand up, he said, “Thanks for reminding me. I think there’s a reward in it for you, just behind your ear.” Rico reached over, only for a peppermint wheel to plop to the ground. “Oh shit I dropped it. Oh crap I’m not supposed to swear in front of kids. Oh god dammit. Oh bitch! Oh-hey Puddle Prince man!”

“I’d prefer if you not swear in front of children, yes. Referring to God in vain is also not preferable. And please don’t call me Puddle Prince.”

“But that’s what you are, right?” Rico looked to the five year old, who giggled in concurrence. Taking his candy, he took his leave, Rico standing to meet Alliant face to face. “‘Sup?”

“I also wish to recieve less complaints about you. I know you’re stuck here for a little while longer, but you could stand to calm down. At least a smidge.”

“Hmm? I think it’s been going pretty alright. The people here are kinda weird but it’s cool.”

“You sent children through a fence we have to keep wild boar out of the streets.”

“Oh yeah! I couldn’t fit into the hole myself, so I asked someone to see where it went. I’d have gone myself if I could.”

“Around, perhaps?” Alliant said. Rico paused, a contemplative hand going to his chin as his eyes widened in realization. “You also knocked over Mrs. Agnes’ pie in your roughhousing.”

Rico became sullen. “Yeah. I cried so much I think she felt bad.”

“You also burnt the sails of the ship meant to take you out of town, didn’t you?”

Rico stared. “Oh, huh? I mean, I don’t mind staying, but that sucks for them, they’ve got shipments and stuff, right?”

Alliant flinched. He thought for sure that… Shaking his head, he rectified it. “Apologies for suspecting you. On second thought, it’s not as though you have a reason to stay.” He briefly thought back to when they last met, but now he could confidently dismiss it.

“You’re good Al. Can I call you that?”

“You absolutely may not.” With a long sigh, he said, “Can you stop appearing so suspect, at the very least?”

“I ain’t sus at all. I’m just passing out candy to kids, and starting small fires to watch them burn. The flames are really pretty!”

Alliant’s vision unfocused. How can I feel too old for this? I’m only 24. “Under typical circumstances, I would not prefer to have you sit in the dungeons until you can go, but I will exercise my power to do it if I feel the need. And I do have the right, outlaw.”

Rico’s back straightened. “Y-yessir.” Alliant could finally let out a sigh of relief, waving the young man off as he went to his daily duties. And yet, as he worked throughout the day, he’d check back on the town from wherever he was, worried that every plume of smoke was a mark of a little fire-starter.

---

Breastplate pigmented gold, short hair of bronze, circlet of silver, mount a brilliant white, even under the evening torchlight, the chiseled features and rugged goatee of Prince Petre shone in the night. Though he was vigilant, even in the droll of the palace barracks, the other knights on duty lounged about.

“You really think it’s gonna happen again, your highness?” asked one of the kingdom’s knights.

“Unlikely. We didn’t find any of weird places for gunpowder to be, except that kid Alliant picked up.”

“I thought they just wanted his candy?”

“Dogs don’t eat candy,” Petre suddenly spoke. “That boy may have been involved, but I agree: there’s no place on the island that such an amount of fireworks could be stored to do it again.”

“Then why the stiff upper lip? Er, your highness.”

The younger knight got a jab in the side. “Being rude doesn’t become excusable if you follow it up with ‘your highness’!”

Petre did answer. “There’s no reward in it for us knights, but my father offering capital for information leading to the capture of the culprit has already led to some of claims, as unsubstantiated as they were. Being ready to move is being ready to act. The lot of you could stand to sharpen your-”

Petre stopped his words as a distant sound struck through the air, one heard the night before. The rocket sliced through the night, once again sounding off, this time in a shower of red and blue. “The lake again!? Everyone, move out!” Petre ordered, the contingent dashing to their horses and streaking across the landscape. Petre had a number of reasons for not planting his men by the lake. In retrospect, a deterrent would have been to their benefit, but frankly, he hadn’t really expected this bizarre happening again. Streets far behind them, the people of the island did not cower this time. Though they were not without fear and anxiety, many took the time to watch the display. A handful of them had heard about these fireworks, a foreign invention, one that sounded absurd and wasteful. Even more had heard a bit about them today from a foreign lad who’d excitably shared their good points, curiosity hard to bury. In particular, he’d been rather adamant about their association with celebrations, particularly ‘festivals’.

Arriving at the lake, Petre’s troupe was well accustomed to the rolling hills of the island. In no time at all they’d made it, before the show reached its crescendo. There, in the middle of the lake, was a lone figure riding a rowboat, launching the fireworks from where he stood. “Halt, in the name of the Puddle Kingdom!” Petre called.

“Ack, it’s the man!” Rico coughed. The show wasn’t quite over, so the young man had the energy to drop down and start rowing off. Petre gave a whistle, his men circling the lake, stopping at equidistant points. By the time Rico got halfway to the coast, the lake was completely surrounded, more knights than usual bunching up near where he’d been headed.

“Don’t let your guard down, he’s a strange one! Wizard work if I ever saw it,” Petre called.

“Doesn’t anybody read? They’re called Devil Fruit!” Rico grumbled, not altering his course. As he approached, a knight called, “It is that foreign boy! The hounds were right after all!”

The knights stood their ground, some with weapons, some ready to try and grab him. “Just come quietly.”

Rico grinned, his boat a few feet away. A couple of knights started forward, their boots hitting the water. “Sorry guys, I don’t really do quiet.” Raising his hand, he flicked his wrist, a bulky firework popping out, a long, thin, wooden stand joined to its end. “Cowering Teng!” With a fizz, the rocket took off, Rico grabbing on to the wooden stand. Into the air he soared, sailing over the heads of his would be captors.

“G-get him!” Petre roared, his words snapping his men out of their awe, the lot of them riding after Rico’s fire lit trail.

“You’ll never take me alive! Ahahahahaha!” Rico bragged, cackling like it was no one’s business, the rocket taking him higher and high into the air.

BOOOM

In a burst of white and purple, the firework in his hands exploded, blinding light and sizzling sparks filling the air. Horsed bucked and brayed, riders steeling themselves in their saddles. When the burst settled, spots faded from everyone’s eyes, Rico was nowhere to be seen.

“...Well, we didn’t take him alive,” snarked the younger knight.

“Find him! He has to be somewhere!” Prince Petre called, his men fanning out in their hunt, one that would remain fruitless. With the grace of a dying squirrel, Rico was currently unconscious a short distance away, tangled in tree branches well above hte eyes of the military men, having finally become too much for himself to handle.

One Piece: The Devil's Due (Always Accepting!)

CATHERINE CORIANDER

---

Walls of cobbled stone brick worn down by decades, maybe even centuries of wind and water, a massive wooden gate with more modern additions to seal the rotted parts, the foreboding aura of something just a little ‘off’. There was no mistaking that Tacet City loomed in front of them. Necks craned back as far as possible so they could see as much of the top as possible, four children swallowed in nervousness.

“Y-you think he got in through there?” Verbena wondered, pointing at a fresher gap in the massive wooden gate, another chunk having sloughed off, the recent additions failing to hold everything in place.

Rue went first, poking her head through. “Cassia coulda gone in.” Testing it, she stepped through, the tiny girl having now issue even without letting go of her teddy.

“Hey, get back here!” Coriander snapped. Rue hopped back over, back standing straight. “If something happens, where’s the town doctor?”

Sorrel, Rue, Peppermint, and Verbena all chanted in unison. “By the docks, look for the rocks, then turn to Coriander’s house and see the cross.” Peppermint’s eyes widened, the girl wondering, “Wait did anyone check there? Mrs. Poppy is super nice so maybe he’s hanging out with her, or he got himself hurt…”

The five of them stood in silence, eyes going to Coriander, who sucked in her lips, eyes drifting off to the side. “Well, we’re not going home and coming back just to check.”

Sorrel whispered to Verbena while Coriander moved towards the gap. “I think she just wants to see the city herself.” Verbena nodded in concurrence while Coriander poked her way through the hole, shifting her shoulder through. Pulling forward, her other one only shoved against the rotted wood, which refused to give.

“Oh come on!” she grumbled, before pulling herself out, plopping onto her skirt.

“Well, you are bigger than us,” Sorrel giggled.

Flashing pink, Coriander shouted, “Nooooo!” Turning back, she mumbled, “Not like this.” Standing up, she planted her sleeves on her hips. “Alright Peppermint, I’m lifting the ban, just this once.”

Peppermint squeaked. “W-wait, really?” With a watery tone, she wondered, “Won’t I get in trouble?”

Coriander approached, patting Peppermint on the head. “I really think Cassia is somewhere in there. I don’t think he’s in danger, but...I just kinda feel it. I’ll take responsibility! The door needs to be fixed again anyway, just try not to-”

“Okay!” Peppermint cheered, tiny fists balled up as she steeled her will. Slipping past Coriander, she placed one hand on the giant gate, her second one pulled back. As she wound it round and round, Coriander and the others scrambled backwards. “HIYAAAA.”

A crash split the air as wood tore around Peppermint’s fist. Coriander had been aware of her strength for just about as long as anyone in the town. It was certainly superhuman, something latent and abnormal. But even so, seeing the force that could come from that tiny body was always breathtaking. Normally, the rotted wood would have fallen easily around the area she punched, but she’d aimed a bit high, hitting a rusted brace that was lashed across the whole door. The metal was blasted out, ripping a fair share of wood at the same level along with it. Splinters showered the air, and the smell of must and rot blasted the nose. But it wasn’t over yet: the others had stopped to watch the fallout, and the giant gate continued to creak and groan. With another snap, it tore from the upper brace that kept it mounted to the stone walls. The massive gate, easily 50 feet tall, started to tumble down.

“PEPPER, RUN!” Coriander called. The girl started to dash towards them, but the gate was already coming down, and no one was clear. Teeth gritted, Peppermint kicked against the ground, leaving a footprint in the firm dirt. Two arms outstretched, she came into contact with the door, slowing its fall. Then, she pushed her two arms out, the gate flipping in the opposite direction. The decrepit wood smashed into the ground, reverberations rumbling throughout the area at the same time Peppermint herself hit the ground, bouncing to a stop as the dust settled.

Jaws on the ground, three kids pushed past Coriander. “That was so cool!” “Pepper you’re awesome!” “I’m sorry I said we wouldn’t hang out with you I didn’t mean it!”

As they helped Peppermint up, the girl looked to the gate with a look of worry, then back at Coriander, who was approaching the kids with her eyes wide on the gate. “I’m gonna be in so much trouble.”

Peppermint whined, “I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to, I just got excited and-”

Coriander’s sleeved hands pressed on the girl’s cheeks, silencing her. “Don’t worry about the scolding I’m going to get later, you saved us, didn’t you?” Peppermint’s shoulders still trembled as the adrenaline ran its course, but the girl gave a nod. “So, let’s go find Cassia!” Swallowing back her trepidation as her heart began to calm, Peppermint joined the others as Coriander led the way, climbing over the fallen gate into the long vacant streets of Tacet City at last.

---

Buildings rarely shy of two stories, roads stretched into grids, Tacet City’s orderly construction of angular buildings and wide windows was offset by the chaos and ruin of the dilapidated place, walls spilling out into the street, windows everywhere shattered, the glass deformed like it was slowly melting away. Every so often there was a skitter that froze the group in their steps. Even though they knew it was a cat or rodent finding shelter from their approach, the eerie quiet was a booster to the wrong kinds of imagination. It didn’t help that the occasional bone stuck out of the earth, reminding the world of its owner, long since fallen.

“W-why did we come here again? It’s too big to search all alone,” Sorrel whined.

“I think it’s cool!” Rue giggled.

“If there’s any monsters I can fight them,” Peppermint spoke in awe, looking down at her two hands.

Verbena gasped. “Monster!” Peppermint shifted in front of him, looking to see a shattered window reflecting herself in the lighting. After a few seconds to process it, her head sunk, the girl pouting as she beat back tears glancing back at Verbena.

Verbena was about to giggle when Coriander bopped him on the head. “She saved your life and that only kept you from teasing her for 15 minutes!? And you’re gonna scare the others if you keep shouting.” At the end of her line, the sudden squawk of a crow nearby made her jump a bit.

Clearing her throat, she started forward again, Rue hopping ahead while Coriander kept her eyes peeled, as much skyward as they were ground bound. After a few minutes, Rue started to turn off their main road. Coriander glanced around before shouting, “Stop!”

Rue glanced back, but her legs kept going. “Huh?”

“ANGELICA RUE I TOLD YOU TO STOP!”

Rue froze in place, foot hovering in the air, the girl struck still by the weaponization of her full name. Eyes glancing back in front of her, she found that foot hanging over a gap in the road, a hole several foot deep stretching across the former side road. Letting out a wail, she flailed backwards, arms going wide as she fell to the stone. There was a low rumble, then a whine, before Rue started to cry, the eruption of emotions from the near drop, and the mild pain from the light fall tipping her over the edge.

“Untie these!” Coriander demanded, Verbena and Sorrel complying and releasing her hands from their sleeves. Going forward, Coriander helped Rue to her feet as she sobbed. “No running ahead, okay?” Looking up to the others, she repeated, “Okay?” Four heads nodded in compliance, before they started on yet again, Rue steadily calming down, teddy clutched tight in her other arm.

A few minutes of walking later, their path started to take turns with Coriander’s guidance, but the shadows got longer as the day wore on, less light peeking through the clouds above. However, no matter how many forks or bends they came to, Coriander didn’t seem to slow. “How do you know where we’re going?” Sorrel suddenly asked, breaking the growing tension of silence.

“H-huh?” Coriander gawked.

“How will you know which way is back? Especially if it gets dark?”

Coriander’s mouth hung open, her lips flapping without the words she was struggling to find. Finally she stopped, blurting with a strained voice, “I know where I’m going!”

“Which means you’ve been here before,” Sorrel said brashly, his words decided before Coriander revealed what he’d already guessed. Verbena walked up to Coriander, aiming a kick for her shins, one she skillfully dodged with a shuffle.

“We’ve always been told we’d get in big trouble for coming here, but you’ve already been here!” Verbena snarled.

“...Well...”

Peppermint frowned. “I thought you were good.”

Coriander winced. She threatened a weak smile, but it couldn’t come. Weighing it down was a sinking feeling in her chest, one of shattered expectations in herself, the self appointed big sister of these kids. She’d tried to be something of a role model for them, but she didn’t need to be told it wasn’t sticking. “I’m sorry...” Her head bowed, the clouds above moved a little bit faster as the wind picked up, a few leaves getting carried out into the open.

One Piece: The Devil's Due (Always Accepting!)

Saturday comes again!

The new characters are rolling in! Pretty sweet, and I’m looking forward to seeing how their adventures begin. As far as posts go, @Restalaan has already mentioned that there’ll be a little wait, so no problems there. Hopefully @pkken can get Valery’s first post up around tomorrow. That’s also the date for @LostDestiny’s next post for Annabelle (though that one might need some collab with Hillan, so a wait would be understandable). She should also hopefully get Maxwell’s first post up around the 28th, which is also the expected date for my next Rico post. @Daxam has his posts for both Luna and Sol expected around the 24th, which is also when I hope to get Coriander’s next post up (if not earlier). @Yankee should hopefully get the next Suiten post up around the 26th, and @Hillan on the 27th for Morgan.

Also, we’re getting some arcs finished up, so when we have Suiten, Haku, and Luna’s first arcs done I’ll probably be doing my first Newspaper Post. These will be meant to evoke the ‘in between arc worldbuilding’ we see in the actual story of One Piece, connecting the concurrent stories of the RP through news articles and giving the other charatcers (who pay attention to that sort of thing) a window to what else has been going on in the world. I’ll intend to use those posts to build to GM arcs (kind of like how the first post introduces all of the major Blue sea antagonists), and otherwise show scenes from around the world, so look forward to that!

So, for the weekly OOC topic, let’s get a little more general. Do you remember your first original characters period? Fanfiction, RP, your own headspace: how far back to you remember?

I think my first OCs would have all been Yu-gi-oh related. The first I recall was ‘me but interested into the story of Yu-gi-oh’, and that evolved into a fanfic where that ‘me’ character using a deck modeled after mine was an antagonist in a fanfic I did that only lasted one chapter. For RP it starts to get a bit more concrete. The most memorable ones from my early days were a Red Magikoopa I used in a Paper Mario arena RP, and Dakr Blade, another Yu-gi-oh inspired thing in a Smash Bros multiverse thing. His name was taken from one card and his appearance was taken from the English edit of another that swapped the guns for swords. I also remember he had colored stones he attached to his sword to get power, which I definitely took from the tiny bit of Rave Master I saw once. Another player took that gimmick and the GM got mad and had a character swoop in to destroy the stones he found because he thought it was stupid. And then my brain remembered that this would have happened around 20 years ago and I withered away to hot white ashes.

One Piece: The Devil's Due (Always Accepting!)

@LostDestiny

Accepted! The core concept was already interesting enough, and though this version might be a little less fun in regards to potentials for humor (though perhaps I'll be shown to be wrong), I also think Maxwell is in a great position to explore this kind of pirate crew! I've been a little worried about dealing with the possibility of PC villain pirate crews, but having it from this perspective is a great way to handle it! Plus, it'll be exciting to delve into Pol Stictid through the lens of a connected player character. Put Maxwell in the character tab!

One Piece: The Devil's Due (Always Accepting!)

RICO

---

“Another one?” muttered Macklamalky as he scratched his black stubble, crate of apples at his doorway. “Damn, that was hopeful of me.” Lifting his cap, he wiped a bit of sweat as his wife Opal came up behind him.

“What were you thinking?” muttered the apron clad lady. “We make sweets, but this is way too much.”

“Well, the price wasn’t bad when I ordered them, but, you know, the festival and all. Our candy apples have been doing well since my granddad came up with the recipe ages ago. I was also really close to remaking whatever was special about the caramel we got from Goldenricht. It was all lining up, I just didn’t think the festival was going to get canceled a second time!”

“Well, people will still buy some of them I guess, but this is the third one! We can’t sell that many! Or eat them, for that matter.”

“I know I know!” the man muttered, leaning down, hands on the edge of the crate. “The rain came last year even without the festival, but I feel like twice in a row is tempting fate…”

---

Evening shifting to night over the island, the lights of the town were beginning to drift out, one by one. The last disgruntled citizen left the dimly lit throne room in a huff, its residing king arched over, fingers drawn over his wrinkled face. “Festival festival festival,” King Lulouis DuPont groaned, his nose matching the arc of his back. His gray hair only having a few remaining strands of black, his hand scrapped against the five’o’clock shadow at his jaw, the man letting out a yawn. Plush red mantle over his back, glistening crown having grown rather accustomed to his head, he stood slowly, practically hobbling towards the back chambers, dreading the stairwell to his bedside while the knights saluted him in his passing.

“Economy this, livelihood that. You had your fun two years ago, didn’t you?” Passing by a window on the spiral staircase up, he glanced at the fading lights of the town. “My wife was laying in her deathbed, and you all carried on like it was your God given right.” These days, the Ko’Bo’Ka’Na Festival only filled him with disgust. He could hardly believe he’d ever enjoyed it, and any flashes to those memories were ones he quickly buried in his revulsion and anger. “The rain always comes, quit bellyaching,” he continued to mutter, taking to the steps one at a time.

Then, there was a sound unlike anything Lulouis had heard in a long while. It was a whistle of sorts, long and piercing. Lulouis had a brief flash to a military demonstration of cannonball target practice, his men spending their peacetime preparing for the potential threat of an enemy. Just as he dismissed the possibility, there was a rupture in the air, lights flittering through the stairwell in blue and green, reflected off the cold stone from the small windows, the explosion followed by the smattering of smaller crackles. The man nearly slipped from his step, a burst of adrenaline firing him to the nearest window. There was another whistle, another explosion, this time red and gold. Scrambling, he finally got a good view, this time watching a purple eruption over the lake, joined by a pink and orange one, both briefly forming flowers of light in the air.

“What in God’s name!?” Lulouis cried to the heavens, but the cavalcade of flame, light, and noise didn’t stop for the cries of one man.

---

The distant light also reached the town below. The barking of dogs filled the gaps between the explosions, so no one was left out of the happening. The elders felt the hearts quaver as they waited for the explosions to reach them. The kids trembled in the arms of their mothers as though it were a passing thunderstorm. Men grabbed their arms, scrambling about as they wondered where the fire was. But not one firework strayed close to the village, even as the people called for their offender to show themselves. As the firework show continued, ramping up, some threw themselves behind buildings, hiding in fear, but others grew curious, and dared watch, observing a wonderful display of colors and shapes in the sky beyond prior imagination. Streams of silver, flowers of blue and gold, spirals of smoke shimmering against a white ball of light burning like a small sun as it streaked through the night sky, only to fizzle without a sound. Then, the spiral firework erupted into a ring of rainbow colored sparks and one final boom that echoed across the whole island. And for the rest of the night, all was silent, the townsfolk to mystified to easily sleep after that. It was only after the investigation of the local knights that some were able to find a level of peace, but despite the examination of the lake, nothing odd was found, baffling the soldiers who would have expected a high level of ordinance to put on a show like that. The matter was pushed aside to morning, but King Lulouis wasn’t going to rest easily, not after that.

Had the knights arrived a little earlier to the lake, they might have spotted a certain outlaw shuffling back to town after hiding a rowboat in the brush. Had they arrived just after the completion of the show, they might have spotted that lone rowboat adrift in the middle of the lake, its pilot collapsed in the middle, breathing heavily. “Oh god my body,” Rico wheezed, the boy too fatigued to let even one popper hit the ground.

One Piece: The Devil's Due (Always Accepting!)

@Daxam

There he is, accepted! The other half of the duo is here! I'm even more curious at seeing the unfolding of their journey and coming to understand the two halves of their entwined story. I'm also curious as to how the contrast of one character who wears her heart on her sleeve and another who buries his true emotions, and what they'll draw out of each other when they meet. Go ahead and drop him in the character tab!

One Piece: The Devil's Due (Always Accepting!)

CATHERINE CORIANDER

---

Light cast evenly over the golden grass of Melody through the overcast skies, the party of five had gotten away from the hills where Tune Town rested, reaching the flatter part of the island, a long dirt road stretching off into the horizon. To the north was the woods, but to the south were rolling fields of wheat, waving gently in the breeze, stalks having yet to flower. Coriander wasn’t letting their journey be idle.

“Um…” Verbena mumbled, scratching his curly hair as he tried to think. “My mom was making me study. I couldn't play earlier when Cassia came by. Rue would have been free though.”

Following the trail, Cori went to the small girl. “Huh? He didn’t find me. I was in the backyard of my house, having a funeral for the crow who kept bothering Sorrel. I haven’t seen Cassia all day.”

At the receiving end of Cori’s question about Cassia, Sorrel shook his head. “Grandpa Cicely wanted my help at the library so I told Cassia to go play with Peppermint. How did Rue know that was the same crow though?”

Cori didn’t have time to seek answers for him, instead going to the last link in the chain. “Yeah, I saw him. I wanted to play with him, but I was making my lunch and he’d already eaten. I said he could wait but when I was done with the dishes, he was gone. It looked like he was heading to your house though.”

“He went to my house!?” Coriander squawked. Pursing her lips, she tried to think, only for a brief memory to return, one of her Cassia stopping by while she had been busy with laundry. “O-oh. He did go to my house.”

The kids shuffled in closer on their walk, intent as the answer had finally come. “I told him to go find you guys. Waugh!” Cori squealed as Verbena and Sorrel grabbed her arms, holding her arms apart. Rue handed her bear to Peppermint before running back, then running forward. “Ack! Nonono don’t you dare!” Coriander pleaded before Rue tackled her, Verbena and Sorrel releasing their grip on them moment before impact. Cori and Rue collapsed into a heap, Coriander’s stomach folded in pain from Rue’s strike. Coughing as Rue scrambled back to her feet, Coriander whined, “You guys are so bad!”

Rue jeered, “Repent, sinner!” Coriander was too starstruck to even muster a response.

“It was your fault Cassia went and got himself lost!” Verbena cried.

“And you were interrogating us like we did something wrong,” Sorrel sneered.

“Y-you...you guys kept acting like you were doing something wrong!”

“Yeah, and we were freaking out because we thought it was our fault, but it was yours!” Verbena shouted. Coriander pouted, trapped in her own web. Getting to her feet, she struggled. “Could you guys at least untie my sleeves? It’s been like half an hour.”

“No, you will remain idiot jail for your crimes,” Rue declared. Trudging along, Cori suffered through the three trouble maker’s chants of “Idiot jail! Idiot jail!” until they got bored, Peppermint not bothering to get involved.

Path long, day longer, the group eventually found the first people they’d seen in a good while. Stumps pulled out of the earth, a handful of men sat around with lunchboxes open and round cups of tea enjoyed their late lunch. Scent of sawdust permeating, Cori spotted a few felled trees, still being processed.

“Oh, it’s Cori!” called one of the men, the others perking up and giving a wave. Cori returned it as best she could, while the kids went stiff. “Where’s Cassia?” asked the red haired main [Dill, Cassia’s father].

Coriander smiled, “He’s not feeling the best, so we’re going to pick him up later!” Coriander called. “What’re these trees going towards?”

“Cicely wants to patch up some old areas of the docks, before they get too worn down. Plus we’re going to need a new crib: Costmary’s about to pop!”

“I bet she’s got twins, so get enough for two!” Cori suggested.

The loggers looked between each other, weighing the validity of Coriander’s thought. By the time the topic shifted, Coriander and the kids were just about out of the way. “Hey, where are you guys going, anyway?” Dill looked ahead to see Cori waving back at them with her bound sleeve, a bit too far out of earshot. “Oh well…”

The kids far enough away from the adults, Coriander wiped her forehead. “Whew.” Turning back to the others, she was met with a barrage of stares. “What?”

“I feel like I don’t even know you anymore!” Peppermint pouted.

Rue had a glimmer of light in her red eyes, barely visible under her bangs. “You’re bad!” she grinned, as much in reverence as she was in glee at having something to hold over her.

“As easily as she breathed,” Sorrel muttered.

“I bet you’ve done everything you’ve ever scolded us for, but look at you now, Liar Queen,” Verbena grumbled.

“Lady of Lies!” Rue giggled.

“Sis...Deceister? Siceit? Uh…give me a minute,” Sorrel mumbled.

Coriander’s cheeks flushed red. “This...you...we...I’M BIGGER THAN YOU!”

“Idiot jail! Idiot jail! Idiot jail!”

Besieged by their incessant chants, Tacet City was still a ways off, much to Coriander’s misfortune.

One Piece: The Devil's Due (Always Accepting!)

Valery Shimamoto

@pkken

Accepted! Children going out into the world is a core facet of One Piece, and you matching that with your own foray in this Advanced RP is a neat connection there! A story with a lot of potential directions is always fun. Go ahead and put Valery in the character tab!

One Piece: The Devil's Due (Always Accepting!)

Aw yiss Saturday.

Still waiting on @Yankee but there've been some messages in Discord, so it’s not as though they've fallen out of touch. @Hillan’s also a bit late (though plenty active OOC so no fear there)! @LostDestiny had a post due yesterday but hopefully we’ll see the next one sometime soon. Must have been a busy week for some people! Or just a regular slump~

@Daxam should be looking to post around the 20th/21st, as should @Restalaan. I will aim to get another Coriander post up this weekend, while Rico can wait until the 21st unless I get some time to make one earlier.

No OOC topic this week! I invite anyone to respond to any previous ones you haven’t though (and you're welcome to reply on Discord as well if you prefer it). However, I do have something else to share. I was digging around my notes and I found the beta version of this RP from the old Guild! I can really see some of my growth in comparing the two first posts, which are rather similar in premise but presented very differently. Just a neat little piece of personal history I found interesting to look back on. And Hillan was there!

I’ll do Coriander’s impressions of the other characters at a later date, but for now I’ll do her SBS questions! Her birthday would be April 5th, which has been the suggested revival date of Jesus, (not that I see her as an allegory, but when thinking of Christian imagery and revival I couldn’t think of anything more fitting). Her associated animal would be a hen/chicken. Blood type B (F). She’d smell like either bread and yeast or earth depending on how recently or long she’s been home or outside. Her favorite foods are apples, milk, and wafers. She doesn’t like anything grape related (like raisins or wine she tried once), though the grossest thing she’s ever eaten was a weird fruit, not that she remembers anything about it other than its taste. Her favorite Grand Line season would be spring on a summer island or summer on a spring island, though on Melody Island she loves spring the most. Her typical thoughts are: fun kids God prayer growing-up. Her symbolized flower is the calla lily. Her hobbies are reading books (especially non-fiction), playing with the kids, or taking long walks on the island. She bathes every day, like all the characters in the RP, which makes me think on how the Straw Hats (or well, half of them) are freakin’ gross.

One Piece: The Devil's Due (Always Accepting!)

RICO

---

Riding on the back of Negrigan’s mount, Rico was all smiles as he took to his first horseback ride with the glee of a child.

“Consider the trip back to town the first of my apologies for running you over. That said, you will have to leave. We are currently barring foreigners from the island,” Prince Alliant explained, mid length hair draped over his shoulder as the three horses headed back to the capital.

“Aw, lame! I just got here. Oh well, I’m supposed to be somewhere else anyway. Where’s here?” Rico wondered, throwing his arms behind his head, leaning back only to flail as he regained his lost balance.

Jolibi bored a hole in the boy’s coat with his eyes. “I for one, don’t trust him.”

Alliant put that aside for now. “We’re on Gunwhale Island, I’m Prince Alliant of the Puddle Kingdom.”

“Whoa, puddles? Man, I loved playing in those as a kid. Still kinda do, actually. And you’re a puddle prince?”

“Er, no, that’s just what the kingdom is called…” Alliant mumbled.

“That’s stupid, what would a puddle prince even be? It sounds like a kid’s fantasy,” Negrigan shot back at the slightly younger man behind him.

“Says you! You were just chasing after a unicorn!” Three right eyes all twitched in unison, three grown men unable to properly retort.

“How did you even get here? Most of the island is surrounded in sheer cliffs and rocks just under the surface.”

“Yeah, that sucked. I can’t really pilot a boat really well so the currents took it into the wall. If I didn’t climb up I would’ve been a goner for sure, haha!” Alliant saw no reason to disbelieve him, but his attitude didn’t match one who’d had two close encounters with death in the same day. Even so, despite getting run over by a horse less than a half hour ago, he was right as rain.

“You’re one crazy kid,” Jolibi sighed, shaking his head.

“But I’d rather discover an accidental illegal entrant than a drowned shipwreck victim, that is certain. You’re welcome to stay the night, and we’ll arrange your passage off the island as soon as possible,” Alliant reasoned.

“Cool! I wanna go to Shuffle Island.”

Jolibi’s eyes narrowed. “You’ll be on the first boat out of here. Anything after that is on you.” Rico pouted. Mercifully for the royal entourage, the young pirate was relatively quiet as they came down the golden hills into the town. Houses of wood, stone, and straw dotted the cobbled streets, their group far from the only horses about (the lingering smell of dung permanent, no matter the hurried efforts of young street cleaners in their constant struggle). Their group caught a number of eyes. Alliant garnered enough attention, but Rico was a brightly colored eyesore among the muted hair colors and earthen tunics and breeches. Rico didn’t exactly revel in the attention, but those who lit up upon seeing him more than often were a bit sullen before. So many shoulders were heavy, even without the well water and sacks of food weighing them down.

Rico, so typically full of smiles, didn’t restrain himself. “Someone important die? Everyone’s looking kinda rough.”

Jolibi glared. “You have no tact or respect. Your majesty, I think you’ve spent far too much time on this one.”

Alliant kept his grip on his reins firm. “Jolibi, I cannot say I expect much in the way of manners from someone outside of the scope of nobility. I do, in fact, appreciate his honesty.” Mouth going tight, forming a thin line, he admitted, “I’ll admit, I hadn’t thought about it in a while. Perhaps it had become normal for me. Should we not be wondering? Why…” Alliant hesitated, words sticking in his throat like mochi.

“Why nobody here is smiling?” Rico finished, his words bearing a slight edge.

Eyes closing, Alliant felt a pang of relief as the words he’d been unable to say came out so freely from the mouth the outsider. Alliant felt the edges of his lips cinching in strain as he smiled, just a bit, for what must have been the first time in a long time. Back a bit straighter, he asked, “I never did get your name.”

Eyebrows popping up as he was addressed, Rico leaned forward just a bit, cocksure smile coming to his face. “Name’s Rico: I’m an outlaw.”

The bold statement made Alliant give a curt laugh. “Yes, I suppose you are.” Jolibi and Negrigan exchanged glances, apprehension clear as they struggled to parse how genuine he was being.

Party reaching the Marshwiggle (an inn whom’s name made Rico say ‘that is the best ever why wasn’t I named that’ loud enough to make the innkeeper blush), Jolibi and Negrigan took their leave, Alliant himself arranging for Rico’s room, joining the beriless young man in his quarters for a moment.

“What’s the haps?” Rico said, grabbing a spindly wooden chair and sitting in it backwards, arms over the headrest. Alliant stared, the man in his mid twenties not sure what to make of it. “Er, I mean, what’s up?”

Taking a seat on the bed, the young prince looked rather out of place in the lower end room with sparse furniture and a pale gray coloring to the wood all around. “I hope you’ll excuse me: for some reason I feel like I can talk to you.”

“Oh, I’ve always been told I’m a great listener. The old folks back home could go on forever, about the same things and the same stories and the same jokes again and again and again and again and again and again and again and I would just listen. Every. Time.” Rico’s drawl ended with him staring out a thousand yards, red eyes wide and empty.

Alliant’s neck craned back slightly. “I...hope you’re better at listening than you are with animals.” Rico gave a thumbs up, but Alliant wasn’t about to take it at face value, instead glancing at the window for a moment as he collected his thoughts. “I suppose in some ways its easier to confer in an outsider who will be gone tomorrow than my own subjects, my own people, who find themselves in the same dilemma. We’re nearing the time of the Ko’Bo’Ka’Na Festival. It’s also my...father’s...birthday.”

Alliant’s staggered words came after Rico jumped up at the mention of the word ‘festival’. “Festival? What kind of festival?” he grinned.

“The festival has been canceled, just like last year.” Once again, Alliant struggled to continue, his attention stolen by Rico as he slumped into his chair as though crushed by a boulder. “It’s meant to invite the rainy season, with hopes of a fair balance between having enough water to last us until the next wet season, and not having the disastrous floods we have in the past. Our island is known for its vast difference between the dry summers and torrential winters.”

Recovered, Rico nodded. “Okay, gotcha.”

“The celebration also invites a number of events like games or contests, food, drinks, and all sorts of revelry.” Rico fell from his chair, crashing into the floor, dark lines of depression like stakes in his arms and legs, crumpling the tent propped up by his dreams. “A-are you quite alright?”

Head shifting up, chin against the floor, Rico growled, “Hell no! Who banned the festival? No wonder everyone’s in a shitty mood.” Finger drawing circles in the floor, he muttered, “And here I was thinking it was so lucky I made it here right when some crazy fun stuff was about to happen.”

“My father doesn’t want the festival to happen,” Alliant said suddenly. Rico looked up to see Alliant’s tense face. “He...King Lulouis has been getting older. He argues that the noise and revelry would be bad for his heart.” Silently, Rico got back up and returned to his chair. “But everyone in the castle, and most of the villagers, know the truth. Almost two years ago, my mother died, Queen Lycien. The Ko’Bo’Ka’Na Festival was her favorite time of year. No other holiday could compare. So it’s that time of year that we all think of her the most.” Alliant gave a hollow laugh. “It’s not as though it changes anything, he was still miserable last year, though perhaps everyone else being miserable gave him some solace. We’ve all been a little worried. Our island has a rather rare mineral, Drunken Iron Ore. Its value allows us to sell at a high price, but that in itself puts the island in a precarious position. The more we sell, the lesser its value, and the more difficult it might become to pay the Heavenly Tribute in the future. There’s also the chance that the market collapses. Never mind the invitation of crime: our outlaw of foreigners is a way to prevent suspicious eyes and treacherous hands.” Rico held his cheek in his hand, slumped hard over his chair, interest having faded within the last few sentences. “I-it’s a difficult problem. My father thinks he’ll come to an answer, but he doesn’t think that anything will be done after his death, so he set a bounty for a unicorn horn in hopes of extending his lifespan. My older brother, Petre, the first prince, has been tossing around some reasonable ideas, but-”

“You chose the unicorn,” Rico stated plainly.

Alliant swallowed, slumping his head. “W-well, when you put it like that, you make it sound like I have no faith in my brother. I think he could be an able king. He’s nearly twice my age, after all. But…” Alliant paused, reflecting back as he chased the unicorn horn without feeling much need for justifying himself, because he’d already known what he wanted the most.

It was like Rico saw right through him. “And what do you want?”

Alliant shut his eyes for a moment, breath coming in hard for a moment. “I just...want him to be happy again, no matter how long it takes.” Cheeks glowing red, he stammered, “Y-you-! Look at what you’ve got me saying!” Rico giggled. “And what do you want?”

“Mmmmmm...I wanna be Pirate King.”

Alliant stared, wide-eyed. ...What King? No, I must have misheard. Puddle King? Luckily for him, Rico added, “But right now a festival would be really nice.” Shifting about in his chair, he kicked his feet up, leaning the chair back on its two hind legs while his own laid on the bed.

Daring to stand, Alliant admitted, “It really is a shame. Thank you for hearing out my complaints, it’s not a situation one man can solve, so there’s no need to dwell on our problems. I’ll have someone send for you when your arrangements off the island are secured. If I don’t see you again, I wish you luck on your travels.”

Rico gave a short wave as Alliant headed out. As he closed the door behind him, he could have sworn he heard, “Yeah, a damn shame...” His concerns fled from his mind a moment later as Rico crashed to the ground, chair slipping and falling with him coming down right after. “Oh shit! Unlucky,” Alliant heard from the other side of the door before Rico burst into laughter. Alliant was torn between amusement at the boy’s purity, and anxiety at the boy’s purity...