Saltwater Thief

⚓Jollies and Justice - A One Piece RP⚓

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Kurena

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It wasn't long after the third rookie joined the ragtag band that there was a deafening crash nearby and dust filled the air, only to be gone in a rush of wind. Kurena had been forced back a few feet, but had instinctively assumed a combat stance that she maintained until she saw the bandanna the new arrival was sporting; it meant he was multiple ranks above them, and from the sound of it he was their overseer for this mission. Well, he was nothing if not bold, given the dynamic entry. And it certainly seemed like he had a martial artist's physique. Maybe she could pick up a few things by watching him work? "Yes sir!" she said as she jogged after him to his ship.

As it turned out, due to Fuzei's method of piloting his ship, she had little else to do but observe him. His movements, his stance, the way he balanced... Kurena had always been more of a tactile learner, but watching a more experienced martial artist move was always a treat. Especially when he harnessed the wind to such a degree that he launched them out and away from the waves that had been threatening to drown them. It wasn't all that applicable to her style, being of entirely different aims and substance, but perhaps...

She was taken out of her musings by Fuzei explaining their objective. A fugitive by the name of Goldann the Wild was on the loose, and he was to be their target. There was some caution to be taken; they were not the first group of rookies to attempt the takedown. And neither of the previous groups had been heard from. That was especially concerning, because it meant Goldann and any of his cronies knew the Corps were after him. "This is probably a good idea then..." Kurena said out loud as she reached up, untied her bandanna from her hair, and stuffed it in her pocket out of sight. She shook her hair loose to it hung around her head and neck, then started walking toward the Salty Spitoon. She glanced around as she walked in the door, and smiled sweetly at all the patrons before making her way to the bar, regardless of the glares she was sure she was earning.

"Afternoon," she said as she sat down, "Anything the barkeep recommends for a girl just off a rough ocean ride?"

Small talk first, she thought, then information can follow.

Through the Doors of our hearts - Finished

Alexander

It was starting to get cold. VERY cold. Cold enough to make Alexander shiver, even with his leather jacket and what he'd thought was ace tolerance for the temperature. He'd been soaked inside a cloud before, but that wasn't really comparable here. Still, there were things to do and timely manners to do them in, and a little chill wasn't allowed to stop them. Even if it wasn't that little.

"Right," he said as he started moving down the road, "To the market square we go then. Oh night's a-coming quickly, it will be here ere long... so grab your lines and hoist the sail, we must be moving on..." Sky only knew why the old shanty had popped into his head, but whispering it under his breath certainly helped keep him upbeat and moving forward. "The sun is setting fast lads, the cold is closing in... but once we reach the port lads, we'll warm up with some sin..."

Neo Sorairo

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Lucia looked over at the sound of someone else speaking. It was a young woman, more less in Lucia's own age range, lounging on a chair in a monochromatic swimsuit that accentuated her scarlet eyes as much as it did her curves.

“Oh, it was nothing," Lucia said dismissively, "Boys only see the rose, sometimes you just have to remind them of the thorns under it. Oh, but where are my manners. I’m Lucia Juste-Enfant, and you…?”

The girl met Lucia’s eyes, placing her glass at a nearby table before saying, “It’s still impressive nonetheless. Not everyone has this kind of resolve. Anyway, I guess I’m being the rude one, saying these thing without even introducing myself. Elysia Greyhardt, but you can call me Ely if you wish.” She finished with a small smile gracing her lips as she brushed some of her hair that had fallen over her face.

Lucia returned the smile. “Very well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Ely." Greyhardt? Where had she heard that name before? It sounded German, but Lucia could've sworn she'd noticed the surname before. "As for my resolve, I suppose it’s just how I was raised. Although… having to deal with blockheaded classmates on a daily basis will also improve such things,” Lucia chuckled. Not that she thought poorly of her comrades, but some of them DID tend to act first and think through it later.

“I suppose so. You really do look like kind of person who was raised to be a knight, or some other kind of hero."

Well, Lucia thought, she supposed that wasn't entirely inaccurate. Even if she didn't feel much like either one lately.

"I-- I’m not trying to judge you by appearance. It’s just that you look so athletic and beautiful, and even your body language is pretty refined and trained,” Elysia said as a deeper shade of red took over her cheeks. “I’m probably bothering you with my rambling, am I not?” she asked in a sheepish way before picking up her juice and taking a sip of it.

Lucia blushed visibly at the compliments. She wasn't exactly accustomed to direct praise, but more than that she'd never had anybody say things like THAT to her. “Oh no, not at all,” she said as she strolled a little closer, “It’s actually quite nice to socialize with somebody as charming as yourself, I so rarely get to meet other people. Or get time to myself for that matter, usually it’s spent- look out!”

Out of the corner of her eye Lucia saw a small metal object falling out of the air straight toward them. She used a little bit of basic psychic reinforcement on her hand and whipped her arm out to knock the thing away, breaking some piece of it in the process and causing it to kick up several chunks of sand.

“Ahh!” Elysia exclaimed in surprise as something came crashing down close to them, spreading sand all over the place, followed shortly by a boy asking if they were alright while apologizing for the crashed drone.

"Oh, Hiro," Lucia said as the Linker came trotting up, "We're fine. I think your toy's seen better days though..." She decided not to chew him out for carelessness; accidents happened, after all. Not far behind him were Kuni and Mila came over, Mila decidedly taking the lead... in very awkward fashion.

"Ah, oui," Lucia said, returning handshakes and nods, "Introductions! Ely, these are some of my classmates. Hiro, Mila, and Kuni." She said pointing to each in turn, "This is Ely. She and I were just having a conversation. So, what brings you three here? Aside from remote control flying devices gone rogue, anyway."

@Sync@SimpleWriter@Mr Nim

⚓Jollies and Justice - A One Piece RP⚓

@EpicKDP Will should be 12 my dude, it's not included in the averaging (so it's Total/4).

Neo Sorairo

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It was a weekend off. A rarity in and of itself, there was only one thing to do on such an occasion; hit the beach!

Well, sort of. There wasn't an ACTUAL beach worth visiting in the city, but there was an indoor, artificial beach with a water park included that could be visited. It wasn't even close to what Marseille could offer, but then again what was? It would suffice though, so Lucia donned her swimsuit, packed a towel, and set out to have a relaxing day by the water.

The building with the manmade beach was entirely temperature controlled and featured artificial sunlight to simulate a beautiful summer day regardless of season or weather. It was crowded, but that was expected given it being a weekend. By some miracle Lucia managed to find an open umbrella and quickly spread out her towel to claim it. Once that was done she carefully took off her street clothes and folded them inside her bag, then laid down in her sky blue bikini to soak up a few artificial solar rays.

"Hey hot stuff, need some lotion applied?" came a voice from nearby not long into things. Lucia looked up despite knowing what it would be, and to her disgruntlement she was right; a mid-teens boy who thought he was being witty.

"Non, merci," she replied nonchalantly, "I should be good for at least another hour before I need to reapply, and I'll do that myself. Run along now."

"Aw, come on! I just want to spend some time with you," the hormone-addled youth continued, "Who knows, maybe we could..."

"For your own sake," Lucia cut him off, "Do NOT finish that sentence. Au revoir."

"Really now, can't a guy-"

"D'accord, that is it. I am going to take my sunglasses off, and if by the time my eyes adjust to the glare- which will be around seven seconds, give or take- if you are still here I am going to bury you up to your head in the sand," she said as she closed her eyes and began to remove her shades, "And I'll make sure you don't come out for a while. Now then..."

It actually only took her 6 seconds to adjust, but the boy seemed to have taken her seriously because he was nowhere to be found. With that handled, Lucia propped herself up and gazed out at the wave pool that formed the "ocean" of the beach. It was plenty relaxing, and it helped take her mind off of the mission and what had happened. Which, she thought to herself, was exactly what the proverbial doctor ordered.

⚓Jollies and Justice - A One Piece RP⚓

Not anymore you aren't :)

⚓Jollies and Justice - A One Piece RP⚓

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Kurena

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Kurena had gotten up early, as she usually did. Life at the Monastery had instilled that habit in her, mostly because it proved the easiest way to get her morning workout done without interfering with anything. It was nothing too strenuous, mostly some jogging in the morning mist around Marineford, and then some kata drills in one of the bamboo glades on the southeastern edge, where the plant life proved very good for striking practice. And yet, for all their quality at it, they hardly helped her ability to unlock the remaining three forms of Kamiken. She couldn't really call herself a martial artist until she mastered all of them, nor would she realistically be an asset to the Mercenary Corps until she at least learned them, but it seemed there was always something stopped her from making a break through. It was aggravating, to a degree, but at the same time she wasn't too worried. There was plenty of time still, and something told her the doors would open when she needed them to.

As she finished her drills she wiped her face with a towel and headed for a rock outcropping on one of the island's cliffsides, where she climbed to the peak and sat to watch the sun finish cresting over the horizon. She'd managed to time it pretty well today, and she'd be able to watch it for a good while before heading back to her small apartment in the residential area. A little bit into her not-so-much meditative session, a paper crane came fluttering toward her on the wind, with some writing visible on the wing. Kurena caught it deftly and opened it carefully, reading what was inscribed. Her face lit up as she read; it was time for a mission! Meet at noon... that gave her a couple of hours to herself still. "Well," she said out loud, "Should at least take a bath first, don't want to be all sweaty at the start..."

A couple of hours later she was walking through the South Port of the island, trying to stay out of anybody's way while still looking around for a gathering of recruits with bandanas. She spied someone wearing the same color, a dark skinned woman loaded for bear with firearms, and with a wave and a smile Kurena strolled over to her. "Hi," she said, "Merc Corps, right? Same here. I'm Kurena. Haven't seen anybody else yet, so I guess this is as good a gathering spot as any?" she supposed, looking around for anybody of a higher ranking.

Through the Doors of our hearts - Finished

Alexander

Jumping? Alexander's eyes lit up at the word. Jumping was good. Not as good as flying of course, but you still had the rush of air and the sensation of leaving the ground. And if they were jumping from a tower it would be a long fall, which was even better. He got excited- up until Fade warned that this was where things went to die and to be careful. Death was a good way to sober anybody of most things, exuberance included.

Almost as if to signal his point, a forceful gust of wind came howling at them. It slammed into him as though it were a physical wall, and his torso started to tip over backwards. Instinct took over his motor control however, and muscle memory was right on its heels. With motions practiced enough to be like breathing he lifted his left leg just high enough off the ground to take a single, forceful backstep that ground his shoe into the dirt, while at the same time he twisted his right foot to dig in. His legs bent, his center lowered, and he turned his torso sideways while raising his arms to cover his face. But even with his well rehearsed movements he found himself nearly losing the fight. It was almost like the wind was blowing harder in response to his resistance. And then it was gone, just as quickly as it came.

"What in the name of the sky was THAT?" he asked as he looked around, one of his hands drifting to palm the hilt of his knife.

Saltwater's CS Bank

Mera, One Piece RP Fishman Character

"Freedom isn't a privilege- it's a right. And I will have it."

Name: Mera
Age: 22
Gender: Female

Race: Fishman (Sandbar Shark)
Height & Weight: 6'0", 175 lbs

Personality: Mera is a bit reclusive and more than a little shy, but this is owing to the conditions she's been forced to endure in her past. She's actually a very sweet, outgoing girl once she's decided to trust the person who will see it. However, she doesn't take betrayal well, and once broken her trust is extremely difficult to earn back. Furthermore, nothing makes her angrier than imprisoning or enslaving others.
Bounty: None at present.
Origin Story:
Mera's hardly a stranger to fighting for survival in the world.

She and her mermaid sister Calma were born in the waters near Sabaody Archipelago to a fishman father and a mermaid mother. The Archpelago was still more than moderately risky for their people, but for their family it was home. Her father and mother wanted their daughters to be raised living alongside humans, regardless of the risk to themselves. And for all of their adolescence, things went swimmingly (heh). A few close calls here and there, and more than a little bigotry, but they had each other and they made it through.

That changed a few months after they both turned 18. Mera and Calma had gone into the Archipelago, in their usual guises and precautions, to do a little shopping. What they didn't realize, however, was that a notorious Slaver had managed to see through them and was following them to the little cove they called home. A few days later the Slaver returned- with an entourage of armed men behind him. Their parents immediately took action, putting up as much fight as they could while urging their daughters to run. They ran for the water, but not before seeing their father gunned down and their mother clapped in chains. The pursuit then turned on them, even as they both dove down to the deep. Calma was far faster, owing to her mermaid abilities, but this only resulted in her running into the nets that had been prepared ahead of them first. With little regard for her own safety Mera tried to save her sister, but as she tried to break the nets Calma called up a current to sweep her away and out to sea.

By the time Mera recovered she was far away from the cove, and much as she wanted to go back and fight... in her heart she knew it was hopeless. So she started swimming, far away from the Archipelago, as fast as she could. Over four years she wandered the ocean, eventually making her way to South Blue. All the while she made every attempt to grow stronger, in the hopes that she would one day return to Sabaody, find her family, and liberate them. It didn't take long for her to realize she would need allies to get there, however, and somewhere along the way she had a run-in with one Captain Sunny, who also happened to be looking for comrades to enter and best the Grand Line. After they bailed each other out of a jam, a partnership was struck. And the rest is history...

Abilities:
-Fishman Physiology: Being a fishman grants Mera all the benefits of her species, such as increased strength, high speed swimming, and the ability to breathe and speak underwater as well as communicating with other aquatic creatures.

-Fishman Karate, Swordfish Style: A variant of the Fishman Karate martial art taught on Fishman Island, Mera incorporates a sword into her technique because she found it imropoved her focus for manipulating water in her vicinity, as well as giving her an extra edge in a very literal sense should she find herself engaged on dry land.

-Voice of the Waves: Having spent most of her life traveling by water, Mera has a very keen sense for reading the waves and currents of the ocean both at the surface and in the depths. Long term navigation is not a skill of hers, but if she's shown a patch of sea in front of her and asked to find the best way across it such is right in her wheelhouse.

Inventory:
Tachi [T2]: Thirthy inches in length with its pommel decorated with a seashell
Her day-to-day clothes (usually some sort of wrap that covers what it needs to without impeding movement)

Saltwater's CS Bank

Doot doot first post junk goes here. I'll be working on this... slowly. Over time.