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<Snipped quote by Pacifista>

Awesome, do you have a link or did you mean the site discord


I mean the RP discord, it's on the first post of the OOC (and also here!).
Soupeeeeeeeerrrrrr (is there rooom)


Always! Feel free to join the discord for ease of communication as you work on your character
Whoops, running late this Saturday.

So, I’m currently doing a collab with @Restalaan, accounting for Coriander and Haku. I’ve been a bit too distracted to get to planning anything with Rico yet, unfortunately. @pkken and @Daxam finished their collab (and we got another Sol post on top of that!), though Valery's was technically due yesterday. Daxam is still due for a Luna post, and a Sol post would be cool to see around the 17th. @BigOlLewbowski got the first Imelda post up, and hopefully we’ll see the next one on the 17th! @Hillan and @LostDestiny have been keeping in touch about their delays regarding Anna, Morgan, and Maxwell.

Thanks again everybody!
CATHERINE CORIANDER

Blue eyes were wide open, though all that filled them was darkness. Catherine Coriander lay flat on her back, sandwiched in between Peppermint and Rue, the two breathing slowly in their sleep. Further out was her parents, Marjoram and Hyssop. She could tell her father wasn’t quite asleep, the man trying to find a better position in his tossing and turning. It was a wonder anyone could sleep in this mass of blankets and bodies, for the night was full of sound. A storm raged through, one Cicely claimed was stronger than any he remembered from the last few decades. Coriander had been hoping for rainfall lately, and her wish had been granted with a bit more force than hoped for or expected.

She couldn’t really ‘hear’ the shuffling and breathing of the whole town about her, everyone in the town hall. It was the largest and sturdiest building in Tune Town. All the chairs had been moved aside for a rare ‘mega-sleepover’ (as Sorrel dubbed it). It wasn’t improbable that a storm of this magnitude would rip a few local homes asunder. Rather than leave some of their own out and stranded, none able to hear calls for help in the worst case scenario, everyone had come here to wait out the weather. With food and card games, the lot were able to wait out the time until lights out, though that was in name only, the occasional lightning flickering through the windows. By this hour, windows still rattling, the occasional rumble of thunder distant, Coriander knew she wasn’t going to get much more sleep. And that was fine, she wasn’t tired at all. Honestly, she’d rarely felt more awake and lucid. This density of people wasn’t something she’d ever experienced before. Even if she couldn’t hear the rise and fall of dozens of breathes, the shuffling how blankets and limbs across the wood floor, the errant snore or someone managing the best sleep possible in the worst of conditions, she could feel it all. It was meditative, this feeling of calm and unity, this absolute togetherness.

Rue shivered a little, her blanket having slipped off. Coriander pulled in the young girl, doing the same with Peppermint just in case. For some reason, Verbena wanted tonight of all nights to be the boy’s time to hang out and play alone. Maybe they were trying to challenge the Raijin that might steal their uncovered bellybuttons in the thunder? Raijin knew Coriander has issued the same challenge in the past. Midriff baring was a little inappropriate for a mixed gender hangout, so the three of them now slept with their respective parents, while Rue and Peppermint (the latter an orphan, the former separated from seafaring parents as usual) had been dumped onto Cori. Taking in the warmth of the two sleeping girls, Coriander continued to take in the vibe for as long as she was conscious. She awoke to see light bashing against her eyelids, waking to a coat of red while her cheeks were being pushed together by a pair of small hands. “Cori, we’re gonna get breakfast,” Peppermint said.

“Did ar haus die?” Coriander wondered through squished cheeks.

Extracting herself, Coriander sat up, stretching her stiff muscles. The storm had cleared in the morning, most of the folk waking up themselves, complaining or laughing about their various states of sleep. As she stood, still dressed in her habit (a raincoat bundled up with everyone else’s a short step away), there was a pull of heads, everyone looking to Burnet’s arrival.

“There’s some broken windows, some vanished sheds, and water damage here and there, but all the houses are still standing!” Burnet called out. There was a chorus of cheers. “Yosh!” Dill grunted, he and his fellow loggers and woodworkers getting a few well earned claps on the back.

“Are you coming with us, Rue?” Cori wondered, looking around for Verbena and his family. Rue typically stayed with them, on account of her and Verbena’s parents being rather longtime friends (Rue allegedly cried for hours when she was told Verbena wasn’t actually her big brother, which she vehemently denies).

“No!” Rue cried out, bangs over her furrowed brow, her teddy held tightly as she pouted. Coriander imagined she’d be over Verbena pulling away from her last night by noon. In the meantime, Coriander had two little sisters today.

“What are you guys feeling like? Pancakes or waffles?” Marjoram offered the two guests with a smile.

“Pancakes!” Rue cried.

“Waffles!” Peppermint requested.

“Poppy told me to go easy on the sugar…” Hyssop admitted.

As they crossed the threshold of the doorway, stepping into the sunlight, Marjoram looked to Coriander, expecting a tiebreaker. Under Rue and Peppermint’s pleading glances, she frowned, “I wanna pick what I want.”

“If you pick waffles it means you don’t love me,” Rue growled.

Peppermint’s face fell. “I love you, Rue.”

Rue lit up. “You’ll change your pick to pancakes?”

“I don’t have a waffle iron at my house…”

Rue’s eyes widened. “Wait, you can make pancakes whenever you want?” Peppermint nodded. Rue’s gears turned underneath her pink bow.

“We’re having waffles then, but don’t think you can bug Peppermint for food whenever you feel like it,” Marjoram warned firmly. Rue whistled innocently (she couldn’t whistle, so it was more like she stuttered air through pursed lips).

Skimming the dockside, the group caught a murmur of anticipation and wonder. Fingers and gazes pointed to the ocean, their walk slowing to the stop as they caught notice of a sight not seen at Melody Island in Catherine’s lived history, and more. Bristling with cannons, the top of the mainmast blackened and scarred, the hull striped with black and navy: the Marines had landed.
A Stormy Day of Melody:
Thunderstruck Kirin
SATURDAY.

Some awesome posts this week! And a new player and character~

Since the Sunstrider group is currently separate, I’ll be hoping for weekly posts. @Hillan is due for one for Morgan and @LostDestiny is due for one with Anna, both on the 12th. I personally have not thought much about advancing with Rico, and would like to get a better scope of the timeline on Sunstrider before I move too far ahead, so I’ll be trying to figure out some interludes for him in the meantime. @Restalaan and I are still getting to starting our arc for Coriander and Haku on Melody Island, and I’m currently waiting on him as needed.

Outside of that, we got the collab between Sol and Valery (@Daxam and @pkken)! They’ve met and parted ways, so hopefully we can see more posts from their individual stories again around the 14th. Also this is the first time two PCs have canonically interacted in the game thus far! Happy almost 4 month anniversary?

Destiny is a shade overdue with Maxwell. @Yankee’s managing to keep in touch. Daxam should hopefully get a Luna post up around the 12th. And @BigOlLewbowski might have the first Imelda post up by the 13th!

Thanks all for the continued contact and activity. And I’m always looking forward to more~
Ram D. Imelda

Accepted! (Can you believe this is our second pirate captain in the whole RP after 4 months?) Super straightforward character concept, which I mean in a good way, as it's also one that can potentially be involved in a bunch of cool stories! Go ahead and put her in the character tab.
Hey! Sorry I missed last week’s update, but I wasn’t feeling up to it. I was also anticipating the first newspaper post, which you can check out now! It summarizes some IC events as seen from the perspective of the World Government (embellished or dramatized as needed), and suggests at some other potentially important happenings on the seas, plus a little scene with some potential implications for later on in the story! I’ll be aiming to do more as everyone's stories continue~

So, as far as updates: we got a cool Maxwell post so hopefully @LostDestiny can keep it up with another one on the 3rd (especially after the latest development). @Daxam is a shade behind with Luna. I haven’t heard from @Yankee in a minute, unfortunately. And all the other characters (including but not limited to @Hillan, @Restalaan, and @pkken) are dealing with collab stuff, though I’m aware of who is expected to contribute/post next. Keep up the good work everyone!
Northern Financial

Legacy of the Nychthemeron Empire: A Dramatic Follow-Up, Gakure Ooshinra

Yesterday was the 15th Anniversary of the fall of the Nychthemeron Empire. Northern Financial ran an accompanying article, discussing the history of the island and the fallout of its destruction at the hands of the three Admirals of the time, Admiral Kinryu, Admiral Gintora, and Admiral Konjoinu. But recent events have brought Nychthemeron into the eyes of the world once again. Several remnants of the Empire, led by former Prefect Marcus Istria, had been a festering wound on the North Blue for years, committing numerous small times thefts and murders in anonymity as they hid from the world at large. Their crimes were discovered by veteran Captain Stewart Arbor, who valiantly fought and was wounded by Marcus 15 years ago on Eclipsis, continuing to serve and excel even with his injury. But Marcus had also been harboring the unthinkable: Princess Luna Nox, the half-mink child of Comet Nox still lives. Emperor Comet Nox was at the center of many rumors and claims of the Nychthemeron Empire’s planned treason, and he was known to consort with pirates and criminals publicly. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, as Marcus’ bandit band was not so different from pirates themselves. Luna has inherited the ferocity of the former bestial Emperor, Arbor only barely escaping with his life, marking her as highly dangerous. The World Government bounty office has called for Luna’s capture, dead or alive, no doubt wanting to put the Empire to bed as the night demands, once and for all.

Southern Press

Let There be Light! World Changing Discovery, Dan Dan Romney

The brilliance of invention can come from the most unlikely of places. Several years ago, the Special Science Group splintered as a result of the crimes of Dr. W, its brilliant members lacking direction without his guidance. Despite the collection of great minds, the lack of results has led to several budget cuts, only leading to further lack of discovery. Dr. W may have been the center of the world of science once, but against all odds, the Gamma Group making Wardenclyff Island their home have put the SSG back on the map. They brought this reporter right to their base so they could show their findings, a wonderful little invention called the ‘lightbulb’. Trapping lightning in a glass bottle is no longer a cute phrase: with a small glass tube, they have created a light source brighter than flame and a fraction as hot. It’ll still burn, but one can touch it without risking the spread of dangerous fire. It can also last without constant consumption of physical fuel sources. Their current sample has been lit for an entire month with only a constant source of electricity! Envisioning nights lit to daylight, humans have once again surpassed their innate fears of the dark. Not quite with flying colors, only the one shade of soft yellow, for now. Head of the Gamma Group, Ed Foneson, is already in talks with his fellow Group Heads and even the Godhead of Science and Defense, Saint Carina Jorgenson himself, as these brilliant minds try to conceptualize a world that runs through the lightbulb. Other potential uses of electricity are no doubt going to be investigated. This reporter is glad to have been blessed with the chance to offer some good news, a much needed point of light in dark times.

Sunset Daily

A Sudden City of Ghosts, Cause of Disappearance Still Unknown, Letourneau Sconce Erik

Pinchton Island is no more. Though a small community, a former lawless land that hardly attracted much tourism, a year without word was far too long. Recent investigation has revealed that the island is completely and utterly abandoned. There’s no evidence of violence or disaster: not a corpse to be found. It’s as though the whole city got up and sailed away. The missing possessions might imply as such, or they might imply looters who skimmed through sometime after the abandonment. This isn’t the first time the West has fallen victim to such strange happening: over 15 years ago, half a dozen islands were found to have most of their citizens taken, the rest sworn to silence, if there were any left. Cannon Island, Saltern Island, and Shaker Yost were just a few. Now these places are truly abandoned, and empty, those who remained gone with the wind. Some argue supernatural causes, others believe it’s a divine retribution cast against those who are not in full support of the holy World Government. It could just as easily be the work of pirates, or a bizarre power. The world has been known to possess stranger things.

East Today

Finding Footing for the Future, Kanba Mio

These are more than troubled times. Even this journalist know for her laughs can’t so easily make light of that. The Grime King, the Witch of Webs, the Devil’s Legion: the news is full of terror and travesty, and has for as long as this reporter can remember, even before the descent of the Devil on Marie Geoise. But sometimes something happens that makes the future a little more bright. The East Blue has been a paradise of peace for decades. It’s produced the least pirates and infamous criminals of all the Blue Seas, and Marines often bemoan their assignment there as dreary and dull, not knowing how good they have it. But there’s been a rumbling from Gosa Village, as the 77th works towards its future. After a long period of stagnancy, the village has been set into motion again as the Marines take an active role in the community, rebuilding after a devastating storm just a month ago. While protecting the people is a Marine obligation, going so far is not. And it isn’t without reimbursement. The World Military Draft was first used after the tragedy at Marie Geoise 18 years ago to refurbish ranks. Detractors, such as Admiral Gintora, felt as though the vagueness of the Draft left it exploitable, at worse becoming a sort of slavery (something long since outlawed for humans, even well before the Fishfolk Emancipation of 1445). While the original version was rather fleeting (even if its effects can still be observed today), more recent revisions have allowed it to be put into place again, with certain restrictions. Gosa has become one of the first regions to make use of this new system. Marines assist the community, and in training and educating the young, they will become part of the Marines: a symbiosis that avoids the nasty ‘slavery’ connotation of the original World Military Draft. Building the future of the Marines, something often remarked on by experts as a broad failing of the current administration. As it stands, this reporter believes the East Blue can serve as a model for the rest of the world, one mired in conflict. A skeptic needs only ask those of those others seas how they feel. What’s worse than a lack of peace?

New Bounties
60 million beri - “Waning Moon” Luna Nox
1.5 million beri - “Snake-Eyes” Andou
Eclipsis Island, North Blue

“What the hell would anyone want with this place?” mumbled Lieutenant Jayrod, the young man adjusting his sunglasses as he looked over the once grand island. The crumbled stone was scarred beyond belief, the whole island’s shaped changed through destruction wrought by the Admirals of 15 years ago. Spikes of earth and ripped foundations left a trail of ruin throughout. Burn marks of all kinds scoured the sides of all sorts of construction, and the remains of all sorts of weapons and rubble still littered the city.

“It’s not my idea of a vacation…” mumbled Rear-Admiral Mexus, stroking his straight mustache.

In awe at the destruction, Jayrod wondered, “I still don’t get it. I understand that treason is worth investigating or retaliating against, but this?”

Mexus let there be a moment of silence, before admitting, “You were young when it happened, right?”

Jayrod gave a nod. “I think I was 6 or so.”

“It was a different time then. I’ll bet even as a 3 year old toddler you remembered where you were when you heard about the Devil’s attack on Marie Geoise.” Jayrod winced. It had all felt alien to him, but seeing the adults discuss things and panic while the capital of the world and its Gods were under attack half the world away...even if he couldn’t process it then, it felt massive, and unreal. “People were scared. Still are. Men aren’t supposed to be able to challenge the world of the Gods. We’re still feeling the damage. The upper brass was hit just as much as the lower brass. Malay’s still trying to get our military might back. When you think to back then, even if the Government was just jumping at shadows, we were more than ready to just sit back and let it happen. Never again, and all that...not that this is much better.” With a long sigh, he pivoted slightly. “The timing’s odd too, Eclipsis has been a bit news worthy. The paper today mentioned the princess of this place is still alive.”

“Wait, really? We’ve been on our way here for weeks now! That’s crazy,” Jayrod gawked.

Mexus muttered, “Huh, you’re right. No way she’d have… Well, honestly, it’s none of my business. To each their own.”
High heels disturbing the gravel, black dress floating above the refuse, a young woman walked through the long vacant city streets, head high, gaze unfixed. Eyes and feet both wandered as she swept through the city like a specter. Occasionally, something would catch her interest, and she would stop: a cat poking about, a hand reduced to bone sticking from rubble, and old book rotted from years of open weather. Rather than something or nothing, she seemed to seek everything, absorbing the locale in its totality. The air, the earth, the sky, the grass, the stone, the rubble, the fauna, the objects, the remains, the aura. She took nothing and left only footprints, and yet, somehow, it was all hers all the same.

Walking alongside a fence, her feet moved in a single line with arms outstretched to hold her balance. Then there was a shuffling around her. Slipping out of shadows and shallows, about half a dozen men moved in on her, brandishing cutlasses or rusted weapons scavenged from the ruins. Their clothes tattered, faces haggard, they’d seen better times. But the woman didn’t even register them, continuing on like nothing happened.

“Hey, you!” one of them called, moving forward as the woman started past him. She lowered her arms, pace relaxing for a bit, then he moved ahead of her. She stopped dead, looking down. “You deaf? Or stupid?”

“There’s no shadow,” the woman noted, her feet on a sunny patch of pavement. Behind her, the fence had formed the path she’d walked in the ground, but she’d stepped away onto the area another shadow had been. “You moved, so I lost.”

“You’re about to lose more than some game, lady. You’re with that Marine vessel, huh? You look pretty important. You’ll make a good hostage so we can get back at that Max fellow,” said the biggest man, a de facto leader.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know anyone by that name,” said the woman.

A wiry sort gave a shiver as he replied, “H-he’s the Marine Captain who captured our crew. We jumped ship, and you’ll be worth their release, I’ll bet!”

“Hmmmm...that won’t happen.”

“Th-th-there’s n-no way th-that’s t-true!” chattered the leader.

“H-hey, why is it s-so c-cold all of a s-s-sudden?” muttered one of the pirates, his breath turning to fog in the air as a cloud masked the sun over Eclipsis.

The woman tilted her head back, face as stoic as ever. “Out of the frying pan, and into the fire? No, not quite,” she whispered, as something small and white glistened in front of her as it drifted. It was steadily joined by more, one of the pirates holding out his hand to feel the biting chill of a snowflake for just a moment before it melted. “Not with me.”

Eyes shooting open with panic, the pirate survivors scattered, but that descriptor would soon fail to describe them as they became buried alive in a freak snowstorm on Eclipsis Island, striking mid spring against all logic, at least for a Blue Sea. Jayrod and Mexus were among the witnesses, watching from a distance, the attention of many crew mates grabbed as the wind picked up, chill air meeting their cheeks and lungs. The isolated phenomenon was strangely beautiful and haunting, the snow shining in the sunlight as it blew down like a tiny avalanche, forming a pillar of white in the center of the island, settling into gray as the thin layer came to rest on the dirty ruin.

Within the hour, the woman returned up the gangplank. “It’s rather nice today, I’ll be on the deck reading a book I found. If you would start the course back home to Marineford, Rear-Admiral?”

Lieutenant Jayrod’s mouth hung open, but Mexus merely saluted, “Yes ma’am!” As she went off, heading to the other side of the deck, Jayrod stammered, “Wh-wh-what? She came here for a book?”

Mexus shook his head. “I don’t know why she came here. It’s more likely she just found it in a house somewhere and thought it was interesting.”

“Then what did we waste our time on this expedition for?”

Mexus turned back to the island, where the snowfall was still visible even from the shoreline, even though the snow would be gone within a day or so, melted and evaporated into nothing. “I heard they were strange, but Malay’s pupils really are something.”

A ways away, the young woman leaned back on a reclining chair, the book creaked as she opened it, pages not having touched air in over a decade. Within moments, she gave a long sigh of disappointment, “Ah, I’ve read this one before...” [Vice-Admiral Névé, Prospective Admiral Shirohitsuji, Snow-Snow Fruit]
CATHERINE CORIANDER

“Ahhh…” Cicely mumbled, eyes wandering around Tune Town as he took mental note the damages from Burnet and Peppermint’s battle. A number of townsfolk went about tidying up in the light of sunset, piling up wood branches and brushing over blasted dirt. Glancing over to the local diner, he let out a low sigh with a smile on his face. “It is what it is.”

Sitting with her hood over her head, Peppermint munched on a piece of toast, the girl’s first food in hours. Burnet sat across from her with an ice pack on his forehead, his posture slouched in fatigue. They were joined only by Coriander, Verbena, Rue, Sorrel, and Cassia, but Peppermint’s hood was no doubt raised to keep her from being too keenly aware of wandering eyes.

Hand on Peppermint’s back, Coriander asked, “It’s okay, no one’s mad, Pepper. A little irritated maybe, but that’ll pass! You guys didn’t do too much damage.”

“Hnnnnn.” Burnet groaned. Peppermint looked away, Burnet replying, “It’s fine, I’m old, everything hurts all the time already.” Lifting up the ice pack and turning an eye on the other kids, he said, “You guys aren’t going to freak out around me anymore, right? We’re good?” The kids were quiet. Burnet reiterated, “We’re good?” Heads bobbed up and down, de-synced but in unison all the same.

Coriander offered, “See? It’s okay to be a little bad sometimes.” She patted Peppermint on the head. “It all turned out okay!”

Overhearing a snippet of conversation regarding fixing damages, Peppermint mumbled, “Um...there’s some stuff in my house that I broke and I didn’t tell anyone.”

“My dad and mom can help!” Cassia burst out.

Rue pouted, “I wanna break stuff too!”

Coriander snapped, “It’s not like Peppermint wants to break stuff! I take it back: you specifically are never allowed to be bad.”

Rue grinned. “I’ve never been bad in my whole life ever.”

As she was showered in gazes of doubt, Peppermint frowned, lowering her food. Noticing, Coriander whispered, “What’s wrong?”

Peppermint was quiet for a moment, before beginning, “Sometimes when you guys are making fun of me I wanna hit you, but I know I can’t do that. What if something happens like today and I hurt you guys? I could, I could-”

“It’s fine! It doesn’t even hurt any more!” Verbena claimed. Sorrel gave him a look, before grabbing at his finger, Verbena scowling as he kept it out of arms reach. Jabbing an elbow into Sorrel’s chest, the boy backed off. He added, “Some of us deserve a good smack or two.”

“Bleck,” Sorrel gagged, massaging his ribs.

Peppermint frowned. “Well the problem with that is that you might, you know, die.” Peppermint nodded.

Rue said, “Old man Burnet didn’t die and he’s old.” Burnet shot her a look, but didn’t follow up.

“If you end up in a full body cast you won’t be able to do anything for like, ever,” Coriander pointed out.

Rue thought for a moment before turning to Peppermint, mouth open with a smile. Cassia reached over and pressed her cheeks together, preventing any words from coming out. Rue talked over their scuff, “I wasn’t gonna say anything bad!”

Not believing her for a second, Coriander suggested, “Maybe you do need a smack…” Peppermint pouted.

As the group quieted down again, Verbena began, “Coriander, I wanna go to Fishman Island one day, for real.”

Coriander stared. “Buh?”

Sorrel mumbled, “But you said you didn’t.”

“That was you.”

“...Oh yeah.”

Verbena continued, “When Mrs. Poppy was patching me up, I was thinking about how the adventurers were treating the fish people like monsters. Maybe they are weird and different, but Peppermint is different and she’s still my friend. I don’t wanna let some other guy decide what I think about the fishfolk: I wanna meet them for myself.”

“Verbena...” Coriander mumbled, impressed with the normally mean spirited young boy.

Peppermint’s eyes flashed with tears, the girl putting down her last bit of food and dropping down from her seat. Running to the other side of the table, she pulled Verbena into a hug. Verbena kept quiet for a few seconds but he did gag out, “Pepper...you’re...hugging...too...hard.” Peppermint gasped, releasing her hold, Verbena splaying out on the table. While Peppermint started to panic, Verbena sat up. “Just kidding~”

There was a bout of laughter, Peppermint managing a smile. She looked to Coriander, wondering, “Are you going to go too?”

Coriander thought for a moment, but she really didn’t need to. She smiled, “We’ll go one day when you’re all big!”

As the kids continued chattering, Burnet sat back and took it all in. The young Verbena choosing to go to Fishman Island, Peppermint staying true to her insistence on being a Marine, and Coriander playing no small part in trying to guide these young folk.

He recalled her words, those of letting the Devil walk freely. He’d heard them before, naturally. Faith wasn’t exactly absent in the Marines by any stretch. But there had been more to the saying: He who lets the Devil walk freely is no better, but he who lets others face the Devil alone is also wicked. Burnet had finally moved into action, but he was only pushed there by Coriander, and now he sat amongst this little miracle. Miracles only happened when people moved into action, after all.
Another week another update!

Aside from the collabs (me/@Hillan/@LostDestiny and @pkken/@Daxam), Coriander's going to be going on pause after her next post as I wait for @Restalaan to finish his arc so we can start our collaboration for their next one. That will also mark the first newspaper post, which I'm looking forward to. We did not get a Luna post so hopefully @Daxam can knock it out this week. @Yankee has still been in touch (maybe this weekend will be the one? :D ). We did get a Max post from Destiny so the expected next post date there would be today, hopefully!

Have a good week all.
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