[Archived 2020-12-13] Grab it by the horns

Mon Sep 07, 2020 4:00 am

quest info:

Mon Sep 07, 2020 4:35 am

Stein watched shook off his arms trying to get rid of the oceanwater clinging to his soaking wet clothes. He sniffed his shirt and grimaced at the fishy stench he gave off. A fellow seaman slapped his shoulder blades and said, " bwahha hang in there rookie, we be almost thar. arrr". In the distance he could see a pervasive layer of overcast that dulled the sunlight's rays, giving off a filtered look to the harbor that morning. He was the first off the ship, waving to the fishermen who brought him to baterilla not too long ago. He clenched his knapsack and took a breath, before embarking on his journey inland.

Each step he took made the pier's weathered wood creak and sink ever so slightly. The ships around him weren't in any better shape he reckoned. Half of them had faded coats of paint and sails in visible patchwork. Meanwhile other ships looked pristine while dwarfing their neighbors 2 or 3 fold. Stein whistled as he weaved through the crowd and into a bustling market place. " Oi you bastard, you trying to cheat me"?! said a burly fellow, shaking his fist at a merchant who had drawn his sword. "it's 500 berries per pound, take it up with the duke if you're so fucking piss'd ya bloody peasant"! In the short time Stein had entered the town four people had already tried to pick pocket him, aggressively brushing up to him trying to find his wallet. Each time he tried crossing the street, he'd find horse droppings, especially in the wake of the nobles who passed in elaborately crafted carriages. They were pulled by monstrous horses with shiny black manes and muscles to match a body builder's.

Stein didn't have anything worth taking, but he witnessed what happened to people who did as they panicked and chased children throughout the packed streets, and into alleyways. Othertimes he'd witness a group of soldiers dragging an child before a shop owner, right before a finger was taken. They were the lucky ones he came to find as second offenders were often executed. Meanwhile those who were passing by didn't bat an eye. One soldier gave Stein a deathly glare. He was clad in thick platemail from head to toe, with spear that might as well have been a lampole with a grisly serrated blade at its tip. " State your business outsider". On top of his horse, he eclipsed the sun like a monster out of a fairy tale.

The soldier said, before spitting at his shoes. Stein's face scrunched up as he tried to swipe the loogey off his with outer boot. " Not much officer, was just passing through. Looking fer a job. Yours seems lucrative". The guard's eyes narrowed on him, " let me give you a piece of advice..keep your eyes forward if you want to keep em". Stein nodded with his hands up, " alright alright sir". A fellow from a nearby alleyway tossed a rock at him, but it passed through stein's body without him realizing it. " whoopsies, I gotta turn that off".

The figure from the shadows beckoned to him, giving him the c'mon gesture with his hand. Stein not knowing what to say followed him into the darkness. As he passed through, he saw people sprawled in pools of urine. Others were sleeping on a pile of filth ridden clothing with rats scurrying over their barely breathing bodies. Stein's heart dropped as he passed the sick and the weeping poor. The figure stopped once he felt they were sufficiently alone. " You're kind of crazy huh"?

Stien's brow raised at the accusation and he said, " now that hurts man, I was just curious what was going on other there". The figure grinned in faint sunlight that reached his haggard chin. " That soldier hesistated because of your bravado I guess. Which is why I'd like to offer you a job from some big shot pirate looking for some reliable human shields".

Tue Sep 08, 2020 6:07 pm

‘You can never trust a whore’, Shigaraki’s boss had told him one time while they were collecting belli from the patrons at the inn. Of course, at the time, Shigaraki did not fully understood what the man said. But now, sitting at this old dinky wooden table, counting belli that the escorts had collected from their patrons; Shigaraki understood what his boss had meant when he said that, it wasn’t entirely the fact that a whore may try to keep money from you, but more so, because escorts were good at collecting and planting information. Not only did they held information gathering abilities, and the ability to plant information, but they also knew how to haggle for that information and use it to their advantage. They understood how priceless information was, and for that reason, you could never trust an escort.

Shigaraki took advantage of their impressive abilities’ multiple times, using it to plant false information, or to collect information that he so desired. In fact, if it were not for the escorts that filled this inn, Shigaraki would probably not have been up to date on current affairs and issues that went on in the world. Though, most of the escort’s information were unreliable, Shigaraki came to trust a man known simply as Demetri. Admittedly, Shigaraki held a small affection for the man, and the two men shared the bed more than once. Of course, Shigaraki was weary of him, and made sure that no information escaped his lips even at the height of the most sinful of pleasures that they express with one another.

As the line of escorts thinned, and the brothel started to become a little rowdy and loud. Shigaraki began to count the belli and place it in a large tan bag. Just as he thought that collection time was over, the sound of a hefty bag of belli being slammed down on the table caught Shigaraki’s attention, and with an eyebrow cocked upward Shigaraki gaze would be met with Demetri’s cocky smile and deep green eyes beaming down at him. “You are late, Demetri, my friend.” Shigaraki stated a bit coldly, which caused the other male to pout like a child, “Shigaraki! Don’t be like that.~~~” Demetri slid into the seat across from Shigaraki, a firm smirk had found its way on his plump lips, Shigaraki had went back to counting the belli, but he could feel Demetri's cocky gaze and sighed a little in irritation. "What is it Demetri?"

Like a six-year-old who had barely been able to contain a sudden burst of energy, Demetri ran a hand through his long red hair, getting it out of his face, before leaning forward with a small dance. “I have some information to give you, and it comes from a reliable source, that ah, Marine who occasionally stops by for a visit. You know, the one that doesn’t want to admit that he likes well, you know, men?” Demetri waited for Shigaraki to nod in reply before he continued, “Well, according to him, there is a special shipment coming in, and he said it is valuable~" Demetri's words rolled off his tongue like honey as Shigaraki studied him carefully. Without warning, Shigaraki reached over and grabbed Demetri’s pale cheeks and violently pulled him forward. Demetri yipped in reply, and starred at Shigaraki a dot of fear in his eyes.

“You better not be lying to me, Demetri.” Shigaraki his voice laced with venom, as his lips were just inches away from Demetri. Taking another moment or two to judge and examine Demetri, Shigaraki would tilt his head side to side, like he was inspecting an apple for bruises or worms, before releasing his grasp. Demetri massaged his cheek, his gaze planted firmly onto the table. "You know I would never lie to you, Shigaraki-sir.". Shigaraki would push his chair back, and stand up so that he towered over Demetri, tossing his 'partner' his signature smile, he would offer his hand to the other male, Demetri would hesitantly take it and stand up with Shigaraki.

"I should not have acted so aggressively, Demetri, my friend." Shigaraki would whisper into Demetri's ear, as he pulled him forward and hooked their arms together. "The thought that you will betray me, simply terrified me, I was a fool to even consider such a possibility happening. You who are so precious to me, stabbing me in the back? Such a foolish notion, isn't it? Plus, you are too beautiful and intelligent, whereas, I am foolish. Please forgive me, Demetri." As he whispered softly into Demetri's ear, Shigaraki would maneuver through the crowd of drunken idiots, and upstairs to the second level where there were beds and more specifically Shigaraki's room. Demetri, had been shivering a little in Shigaraki's arms, but easily stopped and became soothed as Shigaraki started to pour honey suckled words into his ears. "Now, tell me my precious friend, tell me all the information that you have so graciously acquired."

Pushing back the drunken fools and idiots, Shigaraki at last managed to escort Demetri to his ‘room’; which was simple and bland, consisting only of a single bed with red sheets, a desk in the corner, a dresser in the opposite corner, and a window that overlooked the city. As soon as the two men would arrive at Shigaraki’s room, Demetri would be bombarded with questions on the nature of the shipment, to which, Demetri would answer Shigaraki’s question, while attempt to ‘please’ his ‘lover’. Shigaraki would discover that a ship known as ‘Golden Hound’ would be coming within three days, and that the ship would contain valuables that Demetri by his own stated that he did not know the nature of the valuables. Whatever the case, Demetri would inform Shigaraki that the King was eager for this shipment, and that, the ship should not be too heavily guarded. However, Shigaraki doubted the claim that the ship should not be heavily guarded, and reasoned, that such valuable loot should have some sort of protection. Much like a dog who had served his master well, Shigaraki would reward Demetri by sleeping with him, and making sure that the experience would be pleasurable.

When all was said and done, and Demetri had been sufficiently rewarded for his service, Shigaraki would kick him out of his room as he no longer need him at this time. Once he was alone, Shigaraki would start to plot on what actions he should take, and if he should take them. On one hand, by capturing this ship and taking the loot, not only would Shigaraki gain some sort of wealth and perhaps even make a minor reputation for himself, but he would also deal some sort of blow to the ruthless tyrant that ruled over these lands with an iron fist. But there was also the fact, that, Shigaraki understood that he did not possess sufficient military might nor personal power to take down a ship on his own. Fortunately, that could be managed by appealing to those desperate to escape poverty that filled the kingdom, or those eager for an adventure or a fight; and gaining a group of brutes to aid in this task of acquiring the "Golden Hound".

Even then, Shigaraki was hesitant to pull off such a heist against Briss and the government. He doubted his power and feared what kind of retaliation may come his way if he took such dramatic actions and claimed the ‘Golden Hound’ and its valuable treasure. If he successfully managed to pull this off however, this could inspire others to join the Nikushimi Pirates, and it could prove to be more beneficial in the end. As he bit his lip in thought, Shigaraki decided that he could no longer stand this abhorred brothel, and that he desired the sea to much to simply let this opportunity pass. Whatever the outcome, Shigaraki was determine that he would use this plot as an excuse to finally leave Briss, and with him he would take Demetri; the giglo's loyalty was simply too great to let go and so was his talents.

With his mind made, Shigaraki would reach out to the escorts within the brothel and sow the seeds of his plot, using their ability to garner and release information, word within the underground world of Briss like wild fire that a man was searching for some muscle to capture a ship of valuable goods, and that a interest meeting would be held the next day at the docks during midnight. Exact coordinates would be provided after a series of questions to ensure that the individual would not be a snitch of sorts, and could be trusted with said information.

:---: The Next Day :---:

The day had come at last. Shigaraki made sure to make sure that the needed arrangements were made so that he could attend his meeting without worry that his duties that the brothel would be neglected. He had trusted Demetri with the management of the brothel, and the handling of customers, as Demetri did so often when Shigaraki was out and about on ‘outings. Once Shigaraki was sure that Demetri had everything under control, he would then leave the brothel as the sun started to set below the horizon, and darkness slowly crept into the streets. But even as night started to settle in, the red district area of Briss continued to bustle and steadily flowed with business, something which was not unusual, seeing that most people only had the time to engage in their sinful actions late at night and protected by darkness. It honestly amused Shigaraki how petty some of their customer’s request were, but it was also depressing. The brothel that Shigaraki worked at was clean and kept, which was a stark contrast to the disorganized and distasteful mess that poverty had left the streets in.

The alley ways were filled with dark dealings and hidden sickness that plagued Briss, and slowly ate away at the well-being and liveliness of the people. It sickened Shigaraki how poorly kept this portion of the city was, and more importantly, how forgotten its inhabitants were. It seemed that every time the King’s grasp tightened around Briss, the people became sicker and the street grew even more discontent. In a perfect world, there would be no more kings, no more dictators, no more presidents, and no more world government. Instead, people should be governed by themselves, and by those that they love and trust, nothing more nothing less. People should control the government and own the streets, not some sort of tyrant with a fancy title, that was the belief that Shigaraki lived by, and one that he believed was the only true way to live. Unfortunately, the cruel reality could not be further from that beautiful truth.

Perhaps one day, when his power has reached its heights, Shigaraki could liberate these people from this cruel reality and usher in a new age. An age in which people would live freely, bound only by what they desire, and those that they love. As he pushed his way through the tainted and ill street and people, Shigaraki began to wonder what this paradise would actually look like. Would people embrace chaos? Or would they band together? Much like pirates band together under similar beliefs. Perhaps one day he could test this theory, and dominate and destroy an island’s civilization only to see what actions the inhabitants would take once its government would have collapse, that would be an interesting experiment. Granted, this experiment was admittedly a little unethically, or maybe a lot, but it could answer so many questions that burned in Shigaraki’s mind.

Darkness had officially taken over the streets, pulling Shigaraki out of his thoughts, and forcing him to rush at the location that he organized to be the meeting’s location. The location that Shigaraki had chosen was a loading dock, specifically, there was a spot where the cargo stacked up high against one another, and outline a circle making a makeshift area or amphitheater. Shigaraki’s guest could sit on the cargo, while Shigaraki himself would stand in the middle of this makeshift cargo and explain the mission and motivation. The main purpose of tonight was simply to see what he was working with, and if he would even be able to conduct this mission. When everyone would arrive, Shigaraki would have already taken his spot at the center of this make shift amphitheater, while the moon would rise in the center of the darken sky and cast a glow down onto Shigaraki Nikushimi.

[2094]

Sun Sep 13, 2020 5:58 pm

The southern breeze gently tussled Volo's already messy teal hair as he leaned over the side of Emilia's hull, his eyes overlooking the endless blue water in the distance. The sounds of humming engines and creaking metal filling his ears, "Ahhhhh.." He exhaled, a plume of smoke emitting from his mouth before dissipating into the wind. "This is the life.." Once more taking a deep drag from his cigarette before tossing it onto the deck and stomping it out. "A bit lonely though." His voice echoing off the metal on the empty deck as he wandered inside of the ships cockpit, moving towards a large table with a map of South Blue on it.

"Seems like a country called Briss is close by.." He mumbled, maping the distance from his estimated current location. "So if go this way....hmm...but if a storm hits..then maybe...hrmmm.." His fingers danced across the map, manipulating the navigators tools with some confidence before settling on a proper course.

Reaching inside of his jacket pocket, Volo remover a white carton, flicking out a cigarette into his mouth. Patting his other pockets in a frantic manner, "Ahh shit.." He muttered, "Of course.." Continuing to complain as he moved papers and books gathered in the table, his movements growing more desperate in appearance. "Fuck man. How do I manage to loose this damn thing every freakin time!" He shouted, running his fingers though his hair before sighing. Removing the cigarette from his mouth, "Why couldn't that old bastard have given me a fire fruit instead..."

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Volo returned to the outter deck, his gaze continuing to wander in an effort to locate the lost lighter as he paced the area anxiously. "C'mon man.." Now on call fours, checking every nook and cranny on the ship with no luck. Finally, the young man gave up on his search as he retrieved a torch from his workshop. click click the electric starter sounded off before producing a focused flame as Volo leaned towards the burning blue light with the cigarette in his mouth. "Finally." He inhaled as the flame caught the cigarettes paper ablaze, his face giving off a look of euphoria as he turned off the torch.

Exhaling a large cloud of smoke, Volo took his seat and began pulling levers and flicking switches, sending Emilia into a slow descent towards the sea as Briss slowly came into view in the distance. "Don't worry girl, you wont be in the water for to long." The blimps balloon now almost fully deflated, the ship thudding as it made contact with the water, the fused abomination of metal and wood now creaking louder than before as it sputtered towards the islands port town.

Tue Sep 15, 2020 2:35 am

Sunset

Stein stared into his ale, amidst a rowdy bar full of drug dealers, hookers, and many a working man looking to satiate some latent desire. As his ale became flat, Saul's advice reverberated in his ear incessantly. He felt sick about what had transpired at beach hope, but the man he called teacher was correct. " If you don't like how things are, then become a man worth following. Change it with your own two hands, boy", he said, patting his pupil on the head. "There's going to be worse things out there and you're going to face them yourself and find the resolve to face the abyss yourself". Stein shudder at the moment when his teacher's shadow was perfectly cast upon him by the setting sun on the day of his becoming a pawn of the revolution. His hands tensed up around the mug's handle, causing the glass to audibly crack even amidst the partying. He stood up and left too much beli, even for a generous tip. The waitress who witnessed him leave hid her face behind her alcohol stained tray.

" T-teh-tahke c-care sir"

Stein turned to her with crimson eyes and simply nodded to her while waving to her. He shoved his hands into his pockets and headed out into the darkness, toward the pier the informant mentioned. He stared up at the night sky while making his way down the still bustling streets of the red district, his eyes squinting at the full moon shining down upon briss. He sneered at it and grit his teeth trying to avoid making eye contact with the populace, whose dead eyes somehow harbored a deep sense of regret and despair. Even as the whore he passed him while clinging to her customer's brawny arm, he noticed lack of genuine light in her gaunt manufactured smile. For those who did not wear it where either in the gutter face down in a stupor, or being dragged away against their will by the town guard. Everywhere he looked, he saw the duke's face plastered. He had a stern troubled expression, with the slogan: peace and order at any cost. Stein spit at the post and continued onward.

Evening

Normally the spot his mysterious benefactor had chosen might have given him trouble, but he needn't not worry, for there were plenty of brigands making their way there. Stein kept his head down and did his best to blend into the wall as he passed through what seemed like a maze formed by cargo and goods that came in earlier that day. Although he knew there was method to their madness, with treated non perishable food stuffs grouped to the north, with an array of spices and other goods such as lumber and silk toward the south. However if one looked closely at the goods, even with the growing crowd you could see a large wall of crates formed near the peir's edge.

He entered what seemed to be a stage set for the meeting, with plenty of strong looking fellows gathered for the party. There were perhaps a 3 dozen people gathered around a 40 foot wide space. Some seemed quiet and reserved, hanging toward the back where it would be easier to leave..no get a good view as part of the audience. Others were in groups, all of them clamoring about the golden hound. " Did ya hear about this golden hound"? Another injected saying, " Yea hope it's not some fucking Labrador or some bullshit. I cut whoever gathered us here for that". Another laughed saying, " Fellas fellas, y'all came here on yer own. Let's just wait to see what our benefactor has to say", he said while making downward hand gestures for everyone to simmer down. One of them, a particularly grumpy middle aged man with scars to match the numbers he had been alive glared at stein. His crew mate shook his head and whispered to his tall friend, " get ready to restrain the ol man, k"?

" Hey you, over there with the attitude. You thinking you're better than us rascal"? Stein glared back at him with firey black eyes, before forming a grin. " Just a little nervous, sir". The man cackled at pulled out a blade, hold it just inches from stien's chin. "I'd rather you be honest about your disgust, nervous men die before bold ones". Stein tilted his head and said, " aye sir". Despite the grisly serrated knife being so close to his jugular, the youngster did betrayed his words. This caused the man to withdraw reflexively before he spat on the ground. His friends all rushed to his side and pat him on the back. " Don't worry about him ey boss, let's go over there...hahaha".

Stein's eyes tracked their bright red bandannas tied around their forearms before his attention turned to shigaraki. He stood out, cloaked perfectly in the moon's glow. He seemed to be akin to something supernatural, perhaps a fallen angel. His silver hair caught many eyes, his expression diplomatic. The way he glowed, especially his shining silver hair, gave him the appearance of an angel. The crowd ooh and ahh'd at his entrance, most oblivious to the sinister shadow he cast upon them.

" Alright mister big shot pirate, what cha got for me"?

Sun Dec 13, 2020 8:57 am

Archiving this quest upon Shigaraki's request.

[Archived 2020-12-13] Grab it by the horns