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 Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 8:14 pm
Skran was not, by many definitions, a pleasant man. He was not, by some definitions, entirely human. At least not in the mental sense. He was pure-blooded human back more generations than he cared to count, but there was something about him that was just... naturally repulsive. It was that which was coming out at the moment, a very large sword an inch from his face as he relaxed against the bar in the tavern, the sounds of commerce in the Nomad's Land above filtering down into the dead silence in the tavern. It was broken by the man wielding the very large sword, who asked rather too calmly, "Would you mind repeating yourself, sir?"
Skran chuckled, an unpleasantly oily little sound that made several patrons squirm in their seats as if something uncomfortable had been dropped down the back of their shirts. His voice was no better, genial and friendly but with an undercurrent of 'wrongness.' "Said I don' care what'cha done t'me mam, mm? Said y'mam was jus' as good an' y'pap's better, mm? An' said I don' much like bein' accosted at swordpoint, too."
The man with the very large sword drew it back to stab Skran through the throat and the bald man's pleasant grin widened to inhuman proportions as his fingers twitched as if grabbing at something. The sword vanished, appearing in Skran's hand as he drew it back and casually stabbed the man through the chest, pinning him to one of the columns that supported the ceiling above them. He gurgled his last breath looking at Skran's leering face, then expired messily. Skran placed two coins on the counter with little -clinks- that were very clearly audible in the silence, which now went far past 'dead' into some realm of unholy lifelessness on the other side of death, and walked out into the clear, warm desert air. He was still smiling.
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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2013 1:07 pm
 Oh god... So hot... So hot... For Ushiko, she wasn't used to desert weather. She was a cow, not a camel. It wasn't that she was carrying a huge ball and chain and a backpack full of cooking untensils, either. She was just plain hot, sweaty, and dehydrated from her long trek along the desert trail leading to the only town around, the Desert Outpost. She finally reached the sandstone archway leading into town, hunched over and panting heavily. Ugh... She needed a drink. Some mineral water, maybe. Do you think they had ice cream in this desert town? Probably not... She passed by the local general store, Nomad's Land, bumping into a tall, bald man with a creepy smile. "Oh... E-Excuse me, sir." she apologized, walking past him and across the street to the other bar in town, the nicer one, known as The Watering Hole. Location: Desert trail -> Desert Outpost
Mood: Hot and tired
Thinking: So hot... Need water...
Wearing: Pictured
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Cyberweasel89 Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2013 1:12 pm
Skran shifted slightly when the lady bumped into him, intending to wave it off until he saw her unmistakable Zoan traits. A Cow-Lady, then. Or more of one than most females, at least. He turned to follow her, trailing a few feet behind her with his grin fading to... not entirely normal proportions, but to significantly less than the face-stretching leer he'd sported a moment before. He wiped a bit of blood off his cheek, licking his thumb dry before addressing her for the first time. "Goin' t'make a donation, mm?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2013 1:21 pm
The girl whirled around at the sound of a voice unmistakably directed at her. Hm? Who was it? The bald man she had bumped into? She hadn't really gotten a good look at his face when she bumped into him. Her gaze was directed downward. "Um... H-Hello, sir." she greeted him, her hands clasped at her waist. Her face was directed downward, but she was looking up at him with her doe-like blue eyes. "Um... A donation? Why? D-Do you need some help, s-sir? I have some money i-if you need it..." she told him. Something about this man gave her the creeps... But then again, most people intimidated her. So it might've just been her imagination. Location: Desert Outpost
Mood: Nervous
Thinking: Donation... What could he mean by that?
Wearing: Pictured
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Cyberweasel89 Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2013 1:33 pm
Skran shook his head, the slightly 'off' smile still on his face as he pointed down at the girl's chest and said in his most human-sounding tone, "Y'headed f'th'bar, so m'guessin' y'gonna go an' donate some milk, mm?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2013 1:37 pm
Hm? Donate some... milk? Ushiko recoiled back, wrapping her arms around her breasts protectively. She was blushing bright crimson, and it wasn't the heat. How... How did he know she... she... "Um... I d-d-don't know wh-wh-what you'res t-t-talking about..." she stammered. But she was always a bad liar... Sure, she wasn't exactly going to donate milk to the bar... But how did he know her tits actually gave milk? Location: Desert Outpost
Mood: Embarrassed
Thinking: >.<
Wearing: Pictured
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Cyberweasel89 Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2013 1:41 pm
Skran chuckled at her bad bluff, likely sending a little shiver down her spine as he did so. That she had milk was patently obvious to him, his 'sight' showing him the qualities of her body including a blobby grey aura about her chest that he associated with "liquid production." it was normally concentrated thinly around the underarms and crotches of most beings, though he saw plenty of women with it around their chests as well. "If y'say so. I'd pay f'a look, meself. Or a cup. Either works, mm? Sorry, m'ramblin'. Mind some comp'ny?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2013 1:57 pm
A shiver ran down the cow girl's spine at the man's chuckle. Something about it just seemed... unnatural. Either way, as long as he dropped the subject of her milk-producing teats. "Um... S-Sure. I... I would love some company, s-sir. Uh... I'm Ushiko. Touka Ushiko. N-Nice to meet you."She held out her hand for him to shake, thought the other remained wrapped protectively around her chest. Location: Desert Outpost
Mood: Uncomfortable
Thinking: Something about this man... I can't put my finger on it...
Wearing: Pictured
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Cyberweasel89 Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2013 2:02 pm
Skran reached out, his fingers cool despite the heat as he grasped her hand and shook it twice. "Elridge Skran, nice t'meet'cha."
He tilted his head to one side, his smile fading a bit before he asked, "Y'seem nervous. Somethin' wrong? Hope it ain't m'face, y'know? Some people jus' don' like me much."
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Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 11:52 am
 Ushiko shook, always being as gentle as possible so as not to crush people's hands when shaking. With her super-human strength and Zoan Devil Fruit, she always had to be careful about her physical power. Still, though... She was surprised with how cool his hand felt. Wasn't it really hot out? Though the chills this man was sending down her spine were certainly making her cool off a little... "Um... I'm just n-nervous around everyone, so don't worry. I c-can't imagine why most people wouldn't like you, though. Y-You seem nice, Skran, sir.She let go, turning to walk into the Watering Hole. "Um... M-Maybe we can chat over a drink? I'll treat, sir." she told him over her shoulder. She knew it was rude not to look at someone when talking to them... but something about this guy was just creepy. He had quite a unique way of talking, too. She wasn't sure if it was some sort of accent or if he was just very casual in his speech. But the other revolutionaries told Ushiko she was too formal, so it might've just been her imagination. Location: Desert Outpost
Mood: Nervous
Thinking: So thirsty...
Wearing: Pictured
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Cyberweasel89 Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 6:36 pm
Skran's smile cranked back up to full force from its slightly diminished position after she turned away, and he walked after her towards the Watering Hole. "Don' mind f'I do, an' thanks for the offer. Ain't often someone bothers t'even take a drink with me, let alone offer t'pay th'round."
And didn't it just piss him off when someone did that. To be treated as if he were in need of charity, as if he couldn't perfectly well take care of himself without the pity or condescension of a near-stranger, was as irksome to him as anything mundane he could bring to mind. Had it been almost any other circumstance, he'd have probably attacked her just on principle.
But what she was offering boiled down to 'free beer.' That made all the difference.
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Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 10:21 am
For being completely pissed at someone paying his way for him, Skran hid his anger remarkably well. Not that Ushiko could tell, but that was probably what made his poker face so good. She lead Skran into the Watering Hole, the nicer tavern in town, and stepped through the curtain covering the doorframe. The buildings of the Desert Outpost were forged of sandstone, with no doors to speak of. Just curtains hanging in each doorframe. Sure, there were wooden doors on the rooms in the inn, but they had to be imported from Forest Island, which supplied lumber to most of the Seven Star Isles. Meadow Island supplied most of the crops and animal by-products, while any tropical fruits were grown on Jungle Island. The Seven Star Isles were highly self-sufficient, and anything they couldn't make themselves could be imported by trading their surplus lumber and food, or bought with money from their thriving tourist trade. Most of what they needed to import was iron and other metals, since though a very rocky island, Wasteland Island had little in the way of useful metals in its soils. The Watering Hole was the much nicer bar of the Desert Outpost, frequented by many of the locals and merchants. It was packed today, per se, but there were at least seven other people scattered around the tables, excluding the bartender, a longleg tribesman who stood there, polishing a glass like a stereotypical barkeep. "Welcome to the Watering Hole." he told them, though not in a warm way. "What can I get you?""Um... M-Mineral water for me, sir. What would you like, Skran, sir?" Ushiko asked. She couldn't drink alcohol. She... disrobed... when drunk. Happened more than once during victory parties with the Revolution. It was a social rule. You drank alcohol at a party. A rule that ended up embarrassing her more than once. She just couldn't say no to people... Location: Desert Outpost - Watering Hole
Mood: Nervous
Thinking: I hope Skran doesn't ask me to drink with him...
Wearing: Pictured
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Cyberweasel89 Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2013 9:29 pm
Skran leaned up against the wall just inside the door and looked over the few bottles on display behind the counter, scanning the labels with eyes that were sharper than most despite their natural squint. He finally reached out and curled his fingers, a bottle vanishing from the display and reappearing in his hand. "Good an' cheap, y'know? Tastes like honey," he quipped as he knocked the cap off and took a short pull. "An' it don' sit on me stomach like a brick like some brews they got 'round here."
Of course, it would still make him a wee bit... 'stabby,' but a good murder was a perfect way to start the day. Or finish it, or keep it going, anything worked.
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Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2013 8:02 am
Wait, what? Did that bottle just... vanish? And reappear in Skran's hand? Ushiko was deeply confused, as was the longleg tribesman bartender. "Hey. He better pay for that." the barkeep growled. "Um... D-Don't worry, sir. I'm paying for the both of us." she assured him. "Fine. Now, mineral water for you, right?"The barkeep turned to grab her drink, Ushiko turning around in her stool to look at Skran, fanning herself with her hand. Just how did he do that? Was it a Devil Fruit of some sort? Or did he have some sort of other ability, like Rokushiki or Haki? If the former, he might have been a marine... Which was bad news for Ushiko, being a revolutionary. Ugh. Her cleavage was collecting sweat again. The cow zoan eater reached up and pulled the collar of her tank top out a bit, fanning at her breasts, shiny with a thin layer of sweat. She just wasn't good with this desert heat... "Your water, miss."Ushiko turned around, gently grabbing her glass of mineral water and and taking a nice, long swig. Sighing contentedly, the revolutionary removed her backpack and rooted around for her wallet, taking out a few hundred Beli and handing them to the bartender. "If you're sweaty, there's a nice, cold oasis at the end of town opposite the gate. Free to use." he told her. Hm... Ushiko would have to consider that. "Um... Thank you, sir. Th-That's good to know.""Anytime."Location: Desert Outpost - Watering Hole
Mood: Content
Thinking: Ahhh... sweet water...
Wearing: Pictured
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Cyberweasel89 Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2013 6:54 pm
Skran would have left well enough alone, but he'd kept cool in the desert environment by periodically taking the 'excess heat' from his body and 'planting' it somewhere it wouldn't be obvious. Little patches of warmer-than-normal countertop, wall, dirt, and sand littered the city, though they'd all revert to normal within a day or so. He chose Ushiko's drink for this go-round, twitching his fingers down by his side and fixing his squinty eyes on her glass for a moment before relaxing his fingers and releasing the tiny orb that had formed in them. It vanished and, between sips, Ushiko's water went from pleasantly cool to slightly above room temperature.
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