[Episode] Jackpot!

Fri Jul 02, 2021 9:47 pm

Quest Details:

Sanpaku (산빠쿠)

“Are all the preparations in place?” Castor inquired, sitting on the couch of Jazzy’s upscale apartment. “If it wasn’t for Mr. Prince and company's escapades, leaving Flevance would’ve been simple. The marines are not going to let you just set sail now.” the woman responded, sighing as she’d scan a map of Flevance’s layout for the quickest path to the port.

“We could just cut a way through.” Newport declared smirking.

Nodding in approval, “Agreed.”

Slamming her hand against the table, “We will ‘not’ be cutting our way through anything moving forward. This crew’s been too reckless of late. I get that you and Bloody Port over there have spent the last few years locked in a bubble but the World Government isn’t just going to sit by idle, and let a non-World Government nation be ruled by a pirate… Let alone someone with Castor’s track record. The moment we get to Paradise, we’ll be seen as top targets by Bounty Hunters and Marines alike.”

“She’s right. Escaping isn’t the problem… It’s what comes next. [dass]Obviously from here, the Log’s pointing towards Twin Cape[cmt]Log poses don't work in the Blues. You have to be on the Grand Line to store logs in a log pose. I can only see eternal poses working in the Blues.[/cmt][/dass]. Knowing the movements in the world as of late, nipping you in the bud would be the best course of action… However, the Blues isn’t exactly high on the marine's priority. It’s not good to be too paranoid, Miss Jazzy.” Duke commented.

“The scrap metal is talking again… sinistre.” Jazzy thought, shivering slightly at the hovering tin-intellectual.

Digging his wax out of his ear, “Fine, I’ll do it your way, Jazzy. What do you suggest?” Castor inquired.

A sinister smile crept over the woman’s face at the Captain’s inquiry, a smile which sent thrills down the spine of all the parties involved.

Port/Docks of Flevance

Murmurs of Castor stow-away within the White Walls of Flevance spread among the local marines and bounty hunters alike. Surrounding the pubs, a fleet of antagonists wait for the escape of the pirate, whose ominous vessel magically appeared two days prior in the port. Some hid in the haunted vessels' chambers, others surrounded the nearby pubs, and the marines blocked off the coasts with vessels, all under the instruction of Rear Admiral Clevis’ command.

@Alexi

Word Count: 360

^{Castor'sTracker}

Tue Jul 06, 2021 5:24 pm

"Ugly old man." Alexi muttered under her breath as she marched angrily across the snow white roads of Flevance. Blind to her surroundings, she failed to notice the odd looks she was receiving from those she passed. Not that Alexi would care much as she was currently fuming from the audacity of one of the locals. "That damned bastard! Who does he think he is?!” The alleged bounty hunter’s knuckles turned bone white in anger under her clenched fists. “He's definitely blind. Gotta be!" Her fists shook in rage. “If I ever see him again… I swear he’ll regret it.” This caused the crowd to move away from the woman as if she were someone contagious. Not that Alexi noticed it either.

This went on for quite a while until Alexi’s stomach growled in protest. It was a sound that brought her back into reality and, as a result, led her to finally take notice of the odd looks of uncertainty from those around her. Alexi let a tiny frown slip as she glanced around. She couldn’t see anything unusual to warrant such looks. That was until she noticed that the looks were aimed at her. Perhaps, Alexi concluded in her mind, they were simply stunned by her beauty and charm. It was understandable, Alexi thought as she nodded to herself. Even she would have a hard time believing that someone such as herself existed. If only she could show the crowd that she was indeed approachable.

With that thought in mind, Alexi honored the crowd with her biggest and brightest smile. After all, any kind of attention was good attention. However, contrary to how she had assumed their reaction would go, those around her simply shook their heads and ignored the aspiring star completely. It seemed like none shared her sentiment as they simply walked towards the other direction and went on with their day. Alexi blinked in shock before a wave of irritation washed over her. Anger flashed across her lime green eyes as she stormed off to the nearest tavern. Food, she thought in an effort to convince herself, would get her mind off of things. Yet, one thing the supposed bounty hunter was certain of, however, was that she really hated Flevance.

“Stupid people,” Alexi, once again, muttered to herself as she walked into the tavern. “They obviously have no idea who I am.” She took a seat by the entrance and signaled for the server semi-aggressively. “If they knew, I’m sure they wouldn’t be treating me like this.” Alexi, after all, was an up and coming star. If only those around her could see it, too. Unfortunately for her, it seemed as if Flevance was a place for people of poor tastes. It was the only way things made sense considering, especially, with how they disregarded her attempts to grace them with her presence. Not to mention the look of irritation the bartender had shot her simply a mere second ago.

Alexi glowered at the bartender just as the server came up to take her order. The burly man simply rolled his eyes which caused the self-proclaimed bounty hunter to shoot him a cocky grin of victory. With newfound confidence and a sassy demeanor, Alexi tossed her hair to the side as she turned her attention to the server. She gave him a big grin as she proceeded with her order. It didn’t take long for the food to arrive. However, just as she was about to take a bite, a group of rowdy Marines came barging in. Alexi scowled as the men sat just across from her and loudly began to joke and laugh. The woman attempted to ignore them just until they mentioned something that caught her attention. Money, and a lot of it.

Alexi bit into her food as she listened in on the men’s conversation. “Bet the Capt’n’s gonna catch that Castor bastard.” The other men nodded in agreement while Alexi sipped on her water. “[dass]Hundreds of millions of belli, too![cmt]Just in case there's any confusion regarding this, marines don't get paid out bounties. It's their duty to go after criminals. They may be incentivized by prospects of promotions as you suggest later, but they are not eligible for bounty payouts.[/cmt][/dass]” Alexi choked but, to her luck, the three men simply ignored her. “Not to mention that we closed off the port. Ain’t no way he’s getting outta here,” another chimed in. “[dass]Just wait until I get promoted! I’ll treat you all to lunch![cmt]I encourage you to break up back-and-forth dialogue with paragraph breaks. Your paragraphs still often run overly long as it is, but it's especially harder to read when you stuff entire conversations into a single paragraph. Breaking up dialogue into paragraphs helps make conversations flow much smoother.[/cmt][/dass]” Alexi’s mind raced. Hundreds of millions of… BELLI?! Her eyes shone brightly. If she managed to catch that man, Castor, then that meant she was set for life. She’d also become an overnight sensation and finally make her mark. She wolfed down the rest of her food. Time to get searching.

764 | 5000

Tue Jul 06, 2021 9:24 pm

Sanpaku (산빠쿠)

“Dire moins Capitaine, Je vais gérer cette situation” (Say less Captain, I shall handle the situation.)

In a flurry of words coded in a language, Castor couldn’t understand, the white-haired madam went scuttling away in glee.

Castor, Duke, and Newport all stared at each other, puzzled about what in the world the Fashionista could be up to this time, however, the uneasy feeling in their guts told them that it wouldn’t be something they’d be inclined to participate in easily.

As such, Jazzy’s position as a lead fashion icon in Flevance had been put into motion. Within a matter of hours, Den Den Mushi calls were cast to all the richest and most gorgeous mademoiselle's in the land, to gather at her shop for one last 'gathering'. The barter was simple, she’d offer them any outfit they’d want for free, and they agreed to fulfill her final whim before closing her boutique forever.

Traffic began to form in front of Jazzy’s storefront, as fifty or so women with immense beauty and poise left the high society passerby gawking in confusion. Was some gala or private party about to take place that they hadn’t heard about?

Exiting the apartment complex, Jazzy rushed from the loft to her storefront, which was just about two minutes walking distance away. With a dab of jazz, no pun intended, and pizzazz, the woman greeted the models with kisses on their cheeks, alternating both sides for a customary greeting.

Clapping her hands, she’d shuffle through the crowd, opening the doors to the store, letting in the models one by one into the storefront, organizing their positions in the store by dress size, height, and skin tone. Within seconds, the storefront was filled with gorgeous models, actresses, noble women, and career women, who’d purchased dresses from the Fashionista throughout the years.

“[dass]Goodnight, ladies[cmt]Using "good night" as a greeting is still weird to me, lmao.[/cmt][/dass]!” Jazzy commanded, bringing an immediate lull to the chatter amongst the flock of debutants. “As I’ve been advertising for the last few weeks or so, I’ll be closing my storefront here on Flevance to pursue my dreams of taking my eye for fashion worldwide.”

The women cried and grumbled, many wanting to keep the fashion snob for themselves.

“Cry not my lovies. I’ll have international shipping sorted once I get my feet rooted with the right investors. You will still be able to order via mail, my beauts. However, I digress. Now to the matter at hand!”

Slamming her hand on the counter of the storefront's check-out desk, “I’m going out with a bang! Une femme ne vaut que sa derniere tenue!” (A woman is only as good as her last outfit!)

With her plans set in place, a roar boomed from within the white storefront walls, leaking into the streets.

Several hours later, a knock at Jazzy’s apartment door peaked the ears of the Pirate Captain. Grabbing onto his weapon, Castor approached the door in a stealth manner but the figure behind the door didn’t match up with Jazzy’s at all.

Sliding the apartment door open, a gorgeous lady dressed in a flowing white dress with a cut from the ankle up greeted the Captain with a broad smile.

“[dass]Wow. He’s so handsome[cmt]Let the Castor-fluffing begin.

Also, there's a jarring shift in perspective in this paragraph. Please research head-hopping and try to avoid it.[/cmt][/dass].” the model thought to herself, as the dazed pirate Captain scanned the woman from head to toe. Castor wasn’t exactly sure what character he wanted to assume this time, his street merchant gimmick wouldn’t exactly fit the setting of the current mood. Instead, he’d opted for the knightly approach, as he’d been playing it for the last year or so.

Grabbing the woman by the wrist, Castor bowed slightly. “How may I help you, my lady?”

If steam could’ve shot from the woman’s ears in a cartoonish manner, at this stage, the whole hallway would’ve been completely cloudy. “I-U-Um… Miss Couturier told me to collect the male models for her showcase from her apartment. I’m here to be your guide, sir!” the woman blurted out in an extremely flustered and formal manner.

“Eh. Models?”

Bewildered, [dass]the pretty-faced MC[cmt] [Episode] Jackpot! Eyeroll-robert-downey-jr

[Episode] Jackpot! Eyeroll-robert-downey-jr

[/cmt][/dass] was followed by the ruffian helmsman and the giant red-suited engineer, the contrast between their aesthetics was an immense shock to the budding model. It’d make Castor look more like the young crime boss of a mafia family of sorts, or the woman just read too many romance novels of that variety, who knew?

Taking the back alleyway towards the shop’s side door, the trio was escorted into a room filled with women dressed in all-white outfits, of all shapes and sizes. The scene was a catalog shot from any Coo Fashion Weekly centerpiece, [dass]leaving Newport’s mind drowning in a world of lecherous thoughts[cmt]Once again, you're head-hopping.[/cmt][/dass].

Whistling effortlessly, “Orgy-” Newport’s crass comment was met with several stray rounds from Jazzy’s pistol as if she’d anticipated what the old hoot’s sick mind would’ve wandered to.

“Ladies! Get them fitted! Show-time at ten!” Jazzy barked.

The room once filled with smiling feminine beauties transformed into a pack of grinning she-wolves. Seemingly glaring red eyes locked onto their targets, and in a matter of seconds, Castor (still lost in translation), Newport (who didn’t resist a bit) , and Duke (whose mechanical suit was robbed of its traditional [dass]Japanese[cmt]Avoid direct mentions of real-life cultures, nationalities, religions, etc. "Japan" doesn't exist in the One Piece universe.[/cmt][/dass] wear) were stripped naked and suited in their outfits for the evening.

“Magnifique!”

@Alexi

Word Count: 1,236|5,000

^{Castor'sTracker}

Wed Jul 07, 2021 11:34 pm

“‘Ey. What about ‘em bounty hunters?” The third grumbled in irritation as he side-eyed the room. Perhaps, all in an effort to act inconspicuously, Alexi immediately took a big gulp of her drink. Not that there was a need to seeing as none of the Marines paid her any mind. “Ya think they’ll mess with our plans?” The other two kept quiet as they mulled over their thoughts.

Taking a big swig of his liquor, the second shook his head in disagreement. “Naw. There’s no way they’ll get an upper hand on us. We’re professionals.” The first immediately nodded. “Yer right. Ain’t no way Capt’n’s gonna let us down.” Both of his companions nodded firmly. Their Captain was the best of the best. At least, in their own humble opinion.

However, at this point in time, Alexi was long gone and out into the streets with a bounty poster on hand. All she had heard of from the three men, after all, was how much she was going to cash in on if she managed to snag the guy. Sure, it seemed that many were after the Castor fella but she was sure luck was on her side. She was sure to strike it big.

With a [ass=Skip *in* her step.]skip to her step[/ass], Alexi wandered the now surprisingly crowded streets of Flevance. It seemed that in the time she had spent eavesdropping on the men and getting her room paid for, a large event was going underway. Curious, the alleged bounty hunter drew nearer to the crowd. “Do you have any idea of what’s going on?” She asked no one in particular.

The woman on her left nodded excitedly. “YES! Madame Jazzy’s fashion show is today!” Alexi nodded as if she understood what the fuss was about. The woman on her right joined the conversation with her own tidbit. “It’s her final day in Flevance today, too. I’m soooooo glad I managed to snag a few of her pieces before she left.” [dass]It was thus made clear that the Madame was quite a big deal[cmt]You're already conveying this information through dialogue. You should instead focus on how Alexi feels about or reacts to said information (which you do so in the next paragraph, so this sentence could've simply been cut). This is what I mean by "filler" text. It doesn't really add anything valuable to the prose and simply acts as padding.[/cmt][/dass].

The women both squealed and looked at Alexi expectantly. This sudden change caught the bounty hunter off guard so much so that she had to admit she had no idea who the Madame was. “I uh… I’ve never heard of her,” Alexi said. However, she managed to insert confidence into her words. “But, if she’s that well-known, I’m sure I’ll be working with her soon. [dass]I’m a model[cmt][/cmt][/dass], after all.”

Both women stared blankly at Alexi before one of them let out an unconcealed snicker. The other one simply scoffed as if to follow suit. They proceeded in taking their time to size her up before turning their attention back to the make-shift runway. It seemed as if their excitement had disappeared along with their interest in the self-acclaimed model.

Angered by their blatant disrespect, Alexi decided to move up towards the start of the runway. It truly seemed as if her stay at Flevance was going from bad to worse. However, she would make sure to at least enjoy high fashion before leaving the godforsaken city and staking out the infamous pirate. Thus, the supposed bounty hunter pushed and shoved her way until she reached her chosen destination and stood right at the rails.

548 | 1312 | 5000

Thu Jul 08, 2021 12:59 am

Sanpaku (산빠쿠)

Strutting down the pale white roads, the clicking of Jazzy’s stilettos signaled the arrival of the diva. Her hair was put up into a ponytail, a long tight-fitting dress to accentuate her figure and bright pink lip gloss were the highlights of her look.

The streets of Flevance became her runway, and the gawking eyes didn’t waver the woman’s confidence; if anything, they became the added fuel needed for her walk to be a guaranteed fierce display.

Striped white cotton fabric stitched to perfection, with added silver rings, twenty-two in total, with no real reason to the count other than style. Her crimson-red eyes acted as a beacon, similar to that of the [dass]siren’s call to sailors at night[cmt]I always appreciate your attempts to use similes and metaphors, but I also think they often don't fit well. The "lighthouse" metaphor would've worked better since you are equating it to her eyes acting as a beacon.[/cmt][/dass], her presence alone captivated everyone in attendance, marine, bounty hunter, civilian, and even those aligned to the life of piracy.

Reaching the start of the runway, the woman paused dramatically, curtseying to the audience before inhaling deeply. Almost like a megaphone, the woman’s voice rang throughout the streets of Flevance’s port, [dass]commencing the beginning of the show[cmt]Another example of filler text. Just say "commencing the show". Or better yet, simply cut this part since Jazzy explicitly commences the show through dialogue later anyway.[/cmt][/dass].

“Good Evening - Cuties.”

The woman shouted, winking effortlessly, bewitching the hearts of man and woman alike.

Scanning the audience, Jazzy noted the positions of all of the lawful officials amongst the crowd. However, her character was broken momentarily, [ass=Awkward wording]as her eye for budding talent overrode any plan as long as fashion called out to her[/ass].

Five-foot and a few, great figures, bubblegum pink hair, fashionable wear, and intriguing green highlights mesmerized the fashionista. Turning towards the stranger, Jazzy would give two snaps of her finger, and from the seeming shadows, her workers would abduct the woman, taking her to the dressing room to be fitted.

Reassuming the task at hand, “This evening’s show is brought to you by my boutique’s final hooray. I’ve gotten nothing but love from the people of Flevance over the years… and it saddens me to leave but an interesting prospect has arrived in my lap. I have stars to develop! My clothes call for the high seas!” Jazzy blurted out erratically.

Bad behavior was common in the Prima Donnas’ personality type.

“I present to you my life’s work up to this point! Every piece you see will be up for auction. The women wearing them of course will be the ones you’ll [ass=haggle]hackle[/ass] with but I will say that anything shown here begins at the 10,000,000 Berri price point, so please do keep up with the standard bidding rate, lovies.”

Meanwhile, in the back room, the models went to work on a kidnapped crowd prospect.

“Lady Jazzy picked her out of the attendees. Consider yourself luckily darling. The last gal she selected ended up becoming a well-known face in the theatre scene.” one of the stylists raved, as they continued to prep the other ladies for the show ahead.

“You’re gonna be the next big thing suga, don’t mess this shot up.” Plenty of hours were invested in resistance, and the fashion faux pas trio had been perfectly styled. First, Castor. Hair braided into thin chain-like strands, third-eye concealed by a white scarf wrapped around his forehead, elegant three-piece suit, all white of course with a black inside cardigan to match. A single red rose in his right suit pocket just so the colors would pop, and perfectly shone white square mount shoes.

The women in the dressing room ‘Kyaaaa’ at the sight of the cleaned-up pirate captain, who was now a full-fledged model after some major alterations. However, Castor’s eyes read of mental exhaustion, Jazzy’s threats forcing him to maintain a permanent smile rung through and through. “Non Non Non. If you ruin my show, I’m tossing your weapons into the sea.” The sound of the woman's voice haunted him, sending a shiver down his spine.

“That… woman… is a demon.” Castor murmured to himself, feeling extremely awkward, unaccustomed to the extremely formal wear.

Up next was Newport, who dressed in a matching colored tuxedo, with suspenders and neatly trimmed edges to accommodate the muscular old-man’s build. Sipping from a pitcher of Sake, Newport broke out into laughter after he’d seen the Captain’s attire.

“Bwahahaha…. You sure look nice boy-o. All yer missing is that Princess of yours and we could have the wedding now! Bwhahaha!”

A scuffle between Castor and Newport broke out.

Finally, the last and most peculiar of the three emerged. Red Kabuki Armored suit dressed in a white monk’s outfit, carrying a banner bearing the signage of Jazzy’s shop. Giant Black Beads around his neck and matching accessories to compliment the look completed the newly born fashionable trio’s looks.

"Absolutely. Dashing." Duke chimed in, flexing in front of a nearby mirror. Leaving blank expressions on both Nox and Newport's faces.

A hour before the final fitting & Alexi’s abduction

“Now. You three will be the only men on the catwalk. Compris, bon! (Got it, good!)” Jazzy declared, as she’d run her hands through yards of fabric, adjusting each model's fit personally. “You’ll be escorting each of the ladies to the end of the walkway, pose, and then back down. Your outfit won't change, you’ll be showing the gents in the audience how good their wives/mistresses will look walking next to them. Once the final gal completes her walk, the stage will collapse dramatically, and a smoke machine will disperse. That’s when we’ll b-line towards the ship. The ladies have been instructed to play the damsel in distress, faint, whatever needed to give us some time to escape.”

“Just hop on to me. I’ll use my tank mode to drive us to the deck.”

“Then it’ll be my turn to sail us out the port.”

“I’ve already scanned the sea charts and prepped the Log for the next island. Twin Capes it is. We might pass Lvneel on our way there.”

“Sans plus attendre, que le spectacle commence!” (Without further delay, let the show begin!)

@Alexi

Word Count: 2,183|5,000

^{Castor'sTracker}

Thu Jul 08, 2021 6:39 pm

After some time had passed, a woman with undeniably superb fashion taste walked up to the top of the stage. She carried along with her the unmistakable presence of a queen and the allure of a goddess. Her magnificent attire glistened in all its glory as the crowd cheered with vigor. Her expressions, although dramatic, were fluid and concise. For Alexi, this woman was obviously without match in all of the Blues and beyond.

The aspiring star couldn’t help but stare agape. Time seemed to have stood still for her [dass]as the redness in her cheeks grew cherry red in a rush of excitement[cmt]"...as her cheeks grew cherry red..." would've sufficed here. This is another example of unnecessary fluff that only hurts your prose.[/cmt][/dass]. THIS is what she, herself, aspired to be. To stand atop the stage and command the love and adoration of hundreds, if not thousands. Alexi’s heart skipped a beat as a rush of emotions came over her. She had to meet this woman. Simply had to. Her life and career depended on it.

However, just as these thoughts crossed her mind, Alexi was abruptly forced back into her current reality. Pulled back into the crowd by some unexplained entity, Alexi was taken from where she had last stood. Alexi blinked in shock and confusion. It did not take long for adrenaline to soon kick in. The alleged bounty hunter was just about to fight her way out of it when she found herself sitting on a chair in a lavish room.

Alexi blinked once more. This time, with pure uncertainty on what to do or how to perceive her current situation. Nevertheless, the self-proclaimed model said nothing as she looked around the room she was now in. Without a doubt, the room she had been placed into was a fitting room of some sort. Although, it became more clearer than ever when she was swiftly attended to by one of the employees.

“Lady Jazzy picked her out of the attendees,'' the stylist working on her chippered excitedly. Alexi nodded meekly. “Consider yerself luckily darling. The last gal she selected ended up becoming a well known face in the theatre scene.” Alexi immediately perked up. Now this is exactly what she had always dreamed about. Perhaps not the abduction but everything else seemed to go according to her lifelong plan.

Alexi couldn’t help but grin. Sure, the aspiring star had no idea how she had gotten there in the first place but there was no way Alexi would let the opportunity go to waste. All she needed to do now was perform amazingly well and show off to all those who had doubted her. That way, none would ever forget or even question the fact that she truly belonged up on the stage.

Alexi’s grin widened as her mind turned towards sweet vengeance. She decided that regardless of what happened, she would make eye contact with the two women that had scoffed and sneered at her. Even if it were but a drop in her endless desire for fame, she would let the feelings of victory wash over her like rushing waves. Simply to see their faces would be enough to get her skin to prickle with excitement.

This, in turn, gave rise to a crashing wave of triumph over those beneath her. Even if this would last but mere minutes, she would make sure to relish them to their fullest. After all, Alexi had finally arrived where she needed to be. However, her job now was to secure it by whatever means necessary. That, and use the opportunity to find the one who would guarantee her endless fortune. Oh, how she had hit the jackpot.

599 | 1911 | 5000

Fri Jul 09, 2021 12:58 am

Sanpaku (산빠쿠)

From the storefront, one by one, each model confidently strutted on to the runway ramp. [dass]At Jazzy’s command, the woman signaled for her creations to come to life[cmt]This makes it seem like there's another woman directing the show at Jazzy's command, which, I don't think is the case. It's an example of poor wording that your prose occasionally has.[/cmt][/dass], waving her hands like a musical director conducting an orchestra.

To her, clothes were more than just fabric, her feelings were akin to a mother sending her child off to kindergarten for the first time. With loving eyes, Jazzy watched as her catalog lit up the stage to cheers and gasps, a mixture of contemporary and edgy fashion looks that were the cornerstone of her signature style.

For a moment, she’d forgotten once again that this was a plan but the work back-stage had only begun. Hopping off the platform, the woman returned to the inside of the storefront, where every model and assisting staff was running around like headless hens in the barn. Make-up stations, abandoned outfits, and absentee prep areas were left ransacked.

Jazzy turned her eyes to the latest prospect. Strutting towards the woman and the two stylists, the woman’s iris and [dass]Alexi’s[cmt]Since you're writing from the perspective of Jazzy, using Alexi's name in narration without Jazzy knowing it is, in a way, metagaming.

You can solve this problem in different ways. One is to simply have Alexi introduce herself (Bacon would have to do that in her post, obviously). Another is to have Jazzy give her a nickname and use that in narration too. Lastly, you can use descriptors (e.g. pink-haired woman) until the name is revealed to you.[/cmt][/dass] own locked and made one. Scanning the woman from head to toe, Jazzy snapped her fingers summoning aid from her henchwomen.

In a flurry of precise actions, the fashionista obtained the woman’s three sizes and began to fantasize about which outfit to dress her in first, almost with a lecherous old man’s smile. However, the hailstorm of emotions had only begun and within seconds, Jazzy would begin undressing and dressing the woman in several outfits.

Finally, [dass]settling on a summer dress, with peachy laced thrills that floated in the wind and conveyed the heart of the season[cmt]I really like the imagery you use to describe outfits.[/cmt][/dass]. Running her hands through the woman’s curls, the stylists and hairdresser watched in awe, as the woman assembled her look. High pin-up bun, with several joining bangles trimmed with gold, translucent rubber bands positioned carefully to not only prevent damaging her hair but also, add no additional color to the aesthetic she’d been chasing.

Reaching for several hair pins and a brush, Jazzy went to work assembling the woman’s look for the evening.

“Votre peau est tellement lisse et Vos capitons! Tu es le plus mignon.” (Your skin is so smooth and your dimples! You're the cutest.) Jazzy raved as she’d run the brush through the woman’s wool-like curls in immense glee. Next was make-up.

Walking up to the woman’s work station, Castor was scanning the pages of a log book he’d acquired from Duke, looking to bounce a few ideas for their escape off Jazzy. Her hands-on auto-pilot, she’d turned her attention to the Captain momentarily.

“You finally look presentable.” Jazzy teased, running the brush with care, pinning sections as she’d go. “Well, I can’t say I’m exactly accustomed to this kind of thing. Though, I do enjoy the character aspect of it. When will I ever get to play a model in my line of work again, that’s a farfetched daydream.” Castor chimed in chuckling, scanning the pages, diverting his eyes only momentarily to acknowledge the woman in the chair.

The two exchanged dialogue in a coded manner, trying not to reveal even snippets of the plan ahead. After a bit more banter, Alexi’s look was completed. “Absolument magnifique..” she’d exclaim, turning the woman’s attention to the mirror in front of her. Clapping her hands, “Now now… No time to lag! Get her onto the runway! Attendre Attendre (Wait Wait!) I assume you know how to walk like a model mademoiselle?” the snow-headed goddess inquired. Contradicting herself with the flaky nature of her demands.

“This will be a good teaching experience.” Jazzy thought to herself. If the woman responded yes, she’d force Alexi to teach Castor how to walk. If she’d answer no, [dass]Miss Courtier[cmt]You misspelled your own companion's name.[/cmt][/dass] was about to school them both in her crash course for elegance.

@Alexi

Word Count: 2,808|5,000

^{Castor'sTracker}

Fri Jul 16, 2021 6:11 pm

Alexi hummed happily to herself as the stylists continued to expertly work their magic. The way they styled her hair right down to how they redesigned her nails, everything was just as she had dreamed about. Without a doubt, this experience was truly what she considered heavenly. Not that the self-proclaimed celebrity believed they had much to do considering her already picture perfect good looks.

The self-proclaimed bounty hunter turned slightly to inspect herself in the mirror as the stylists busied themselves with adjusting and readjusting a few more details. The enhancements made to her were truly unexpected but quite well-received. Even she could not deny that she looked even better than before which made her chest swell tightly in excitement and glee.

However, just as quickly, Alexi was placed back in her original posture as the hairstylist curled a few more strands of her hair. The artists working alongside her all moved quickly which heightened the reality of how quickly they needed to send the rest of the models out. As they moved from girl to girl, the supposed bounty hunter’s nerves began to fray.

Even to Alexi, it was clear that much depended on the show coming out as a great success. Yet, perhaps due to her inexperience, she was beginning to falter. This, in turn, let flickers of doubt creep into her mind. If this show was to be as grand as the general public made it out to be, surely the other women modeling in it would be up to par or even better… right?

With that thought in mind, the ex-Marine allowed herself to look around the room before fully relaxing against the chair. Her nerves alleviated. Clearly, she had worried for nothing. No one, from what she could see, even came close to her in terms of beauty. True, the other girls had more experience but, today, she would be making her debut.

Just as the self-proclaimed star was beginning to fully immerse herself into her highly deserved and justly-earned moment of luxurious grandeur, the Madame suddenly approached her station in all of her godly glory. Alexi’s mind immediately sped into hyperdrive. This was the moment she had been waiting for!

Alexi’s bright green eyes sparkled in anticipation. The opportunity to converse with the Madame had undeniably been handed to her on a golden platter. All the alleged bounty hunter needed to do was confirm and secure her place in the fashion industry. Sure, she had just heard about the Madame’s existence just a few moments prior but what did it matter?

However, contrary to how Alexi imagined her first meeting would be, the rising star was anything but eloquent and tactful. In fact, she, quite unfortunately, remained completely mute as her mind hurled itself into the wonderful world of fantasy. Nonetheless, she maintained her amiable smile as the Madame came to take a closer look.

In her own little world, however, Alexi could see it now. Long gone would be the days people would scoff at her at the mention of being a celebrity. No more would she need to humble herself in order to find a place to stay nor would she need to scramble to make ends meet. The lights, the crowd’s adorations, the countless fans she would have… it was finally here.

Alexi let out a happy sigh. Everything that was rightfully hers was now within her grasp. She couldn’t wait until it was her turn down the runway as it would mean the beginning of everything to her. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be until the Madame spoke that Alexi would be thrust back into the cusp of reality.

The supposed bounty hunter blinked as she realized how far gone she had been. To her luck, it seemed as if the Madame hadn’t noticed either which spelled good news for her. Regrettably, however, her time to speak had long since passed. All the poor bounty hunter could do was simply stand there much like a doll would and await the final say from the designer herself.

Perhaps, Alexi thought, it all worked to her benefit. The Madame seemed quite invested in her which really was all she had hoped for. It was to be expected, after all. And, if the designer, herself, remembered her, then that meant her job was done. At least, until the end of the show. Alexi grinned. Of course, she had never doubted herself. She was model material, after all.

“Tu es le plus mignon.” Alexi would catch the Madame say. The emerging star blinked in confusion. She had no idea what had been said which caused her to stiffen ever so slightly. However, just one look at the designer told Alexi all she needed to know. Thus, Alexi reciprocated by giving the woman her best smile.

Whether the designer noticed or not, it did not deter Alexi from feeling beyond ecstatic. In fact, she was over the moon as the alleged bounty hunter was sure she was soon to be showered with compliments. After all, who could not look at her and sing praises in her name? It was only logical seeing as how the Madame had picked her out from a crowd of thousands.

Soon, a seemingly young man would come up to her station and proceed to enter a conversation with the Madame. Of course, being quite the professional, Alexi would choose to listen in on the conversation. After all, it was evident that they were both on friendly terms and, seeing as she had no prior knowledge on the Madame to use, it would provide a bit of insight.

However, the conversations would give her nothing to work with besides the gentleman being a newcomer to the industry. Although it was not something she could use, it did give her a surge of confidence. Furthermore, it provided her with the intel that the man was important to the Madame which meant she needed to get to know him if she wanted to maintain contact with her.

Alexi nodded towards the man to acknowledge his presence. Not that she cared about who he was. He wasn’t her target nor was he the Madame. Nevertheless, the so-called model thought to herself, he was most likely the key in getting on the Madame’s good side. Not that Alexi needed to worry much considering how amazing she was.

The Madame would usher them both towards the beginning of the runway before stopping herself short. “I assume you know how to walk like a model mademoiselle?” Alexi nodded enthusiastically. This was her time to shine! She would glace covertly at the gentleman next to her. Considering his friendship with the Madame, surely he knew how to walk, too. Right?

1121 | 3032 | 5000

Fri Jul 16, 2021 7:48 pm

Sanpaku (산빠쿠)

As soon as the duo stepped onto the rampway, the crowd ‘oo’ed’ and ‘ahhh’d'. Wrapping his arm into Lexi’s own, [dass]forming a pretzel-like shape[cmt]Good imagery.[/cmt][/dass], Castor would whisper in the woman’s ears.

“Usually in these cases the guy takes the lead but I’m new to this. The floor’s all yours.”

To be known for murder, espionage, and treason one day... to be walking in a fashion show on an enemy island, it was the simple thrills in life that got Castor’s heart throbbing. Usually, crowds would either curse or run away for their lives at this person, but today, he wasn’t Castor O Nox, the pirate. Today, he was model number whatever in Jazzy’s extravaganza.

He’d botch the walk every step of the way. In between stepping on Lexi’s toes, the suaveness he’d had at the top of the ramp withered into oblivion about halfway through. It was truly embarrassing but in true Castor-like fashion, no inkling of humiliation or shame appeared on the man’s face, just an odd, default, clean-cut mechanical smile.

The crowd began to murmur amongst themselves, everyone's eyes and hearts went out to the model who’d just had her debut moment ruined by the strange braided male. Meanwhile, in the back, Jazzy was having a complete meltdown. Though the newcomer's strides were gorgeous, if it weren't for Castor, she would've passed this first test with flying colors. However, each attempt to regain composure was met with either a stumble or a sandal to her exposed heel-wearing toes.

Jazzy sent multiple of her workers into the audience in attempts to try and signal Castor to slow down the strut or at least take Lexi’s instructions but unless someone interjected, the walk back to the top of the runway would be just as horrendous. Newport found immense joy in the spectacle, bursting in laughter at the stupid expression on Castor’s face as he’d been performing so poorly.

“Bwahahaha! You expected that battle-crazed nerd to be poise and elegant! Good look! It took me almost two years to teach that brat to eat with a knife and fork. Nox’s has a bunch of book-smarts… I think he’s one of the smartest brats I’ve ever met… but when it comes to soft skills… He is incredibly lacking.”

“Oh non, quel désastre.” (oh no, what a disaster.) Jazzy thought to herself, fuming at the display. It was only until the duo made it to the end of the runway, and began to return up that both the dolled-up newcomer and Castor could’ve seen the expression on Jazzy’s face. It simply read, and even a small infant could’ve picked up on the body language.

‘Fix it. Now.’

Finally, Castor had caught on that the murmurs in the crowd were about his atrocious walk. The default gooey smile turned into a menacing one. One by one, Castor would discharge tiny, electrical darts at his critiques, leaving them for a lack of better words, speechless. One could even say, Castor took their breath away, quite literally but they'd wake up a few seconds later.

Hey. At least they were alive; in the olden days, the crowd would've been filled with a bunch of body bags.

@Alexi

Word Count: 3,254 |5,000

^{Castor'sTracker}

Sun Nov 28, 2021 8:36 pm

Not even a second had passed when Alexi found herself awaiting her turn down the runway. She spared the man beside her a glance before averting her eyes back towards the rest of the models. She hadn’t heard his answer but she could only assume that his skill was satisfactory enough for the silver-haired goddess to pair him up with her.

As she observed the rest of her rivals, Alexi proceeded to straighten her shoulders back and place her right hand onto her side in mock relaxation. She kept the rest of her body facing forward so that the only fluidity would be focused on her top half. The rising star then focused her eyes to the center of the stage in growing excitement.

Her lips curled up to a smile as she prepared herself mentally for her grand entrance. However, despite her confident exterior, her heart was beating faster than the music itself. It rammed unapologetically against her chest as nerves began to kick in. Not due to her lack of experience, mind you, but due to the lack of preparation.

Alexi shook her head in an attempt to dispel away the thought. Surely, she would be alright. The countless hours of training she had gone through would not be in vain. Furthermore, it went without saying that the Madame only had the best of the best working for her. Having been chosen by her meant that Alexi, herself, was great.

The aspiring model nodded ever so slightly in thought. It all made perfect sense. With the Madame’s acquaintance supporting her down the runway, who would dare judge her as lesser? All she had to do was show the Madame what she was made of in order to secure a stable future. Therefore, it was only natural for Alexi to demonstrate how far above the rest she was.

As the couple in front of them moved down the runway, Alexi felt her partner’s arm wrap around her own. She shifted ever so slightly to get into position as they, too, stepped into the spotlight. “Usually,” The man whispered just loud enough for her to hear, “In these cases, the guy takes the lead but I’m new to this. The floor’s all yours.”

Alexi’s eyes briefly widened in shock before a confident smile spread across her lips. Surely, he was joking. There was no way he lacked experience seeing as he was acquainted with Madame. The debuting star’s smile turned bright as her confidence surged. Perhaps this was his way of giving her the spotlight. It made sense as it would be her first time.

Unfortunately, she would come to see rather quickly how truthful he had been. For no sooner had they taken their few first steps when pain shot up her foot. Alexi, on the other hand, managed to maintain her smile as another few steps were taken. He again stepped on her toes causing to wince briefly in pain.

However, Alexi was a professional. Or, at least, it was what she told herself to justify the years she had spent training. Therefore, there was no way Alexi would allow this poor excuse of a model to ruin her chances of becoming noticed by the Madame and other fashion hotshots. If it meant powering through the appalling display coming from the young man, so be it.

Alas, despite her fierce determination, each carefully placed step was met with the stumble of her companion. Every graceful movement she carried was overshadowed by the horrendous display of the escort. If there was anything that Alexi was feeling in this particular moment, it was the wretched feeling of surging anger and horror. She was absolutely livid.

With no choice but to keep moving onwards, Alexi kept on smiling as her eyes burned red with the moisture of angry tears. Her hands clenched and unclenched in fury as she fought against turning to look at the man who had ruined everything. If she had known that this would have happened, she surely would have begged the Madame to reconsider the male model.

Yet, this was her current reality and, unfortunately, there was no longer anything she could do about it. If anything, Alexi now had to work hard to bring the focus away from the atrocious display she was forced to be a part of. Either that or, by some miracle, get the man to understand what he was doing wrong.

An idea spawned. Attempting to take control of the situation, Alexi nudged the man’s arm ever so slightly. Slowing down her strut to that of a walk, she expected him to follow suit. However, the man seemed to be too far gone in his own world to even care as he practically dragged her down the walk.

All the while, as Alexi tried to salvage the number, she began to notice some team members attempting to get the man’s attention as well. Yet all their efforts were in vain as he did not pay them any attention even as they reached the very end of the walkway. At this point, all Alexi could do now was accept the cards she had been dealt with.

Willing herself not to cry, Alexi forcibly beamed brightly as she struck her pose and returned back up the catwalk. As her partner stumbled, she managed to keep her cool as she turned gracefully. There truly was no point in maintaining her posture or even keeping her act together but Alexi prevailed. She still had whatever was left of her dignity as an aspiring superstar.

Even after seeing the pitying looks and horrified expressions of her fellow models, she kept her smile wide as if it didn’t bother her one bit. However, only until she had come out of sight from the audience did her smile crack.

986 | 4018 | 5000

Sun Nov 28, 2021 9:42 pm

Sanpaku (산빠쿠)

Sucking her teeth at the display, Jazzy nodded her head in disapproval.

Curled up on the ground, abdominals wincing in pain from all the laughter, the smug Newport chimed in.

“See. He has the poise of a wet blanket.”

“Horrific. You’d think with a face like his, he’d be smooth enough to handle strutting with a beautiful lady on his arm.” Jazzy declared, sighing in a flamboyant fashion. Reaching into her bosom to reveal a small fan with which she'd flap open and begin to cool herself down.

"Bwahahahaaha... You would've gotten better results sending her out there with a barn animal than that sack of regrets." Newport retorted, picking his nose in search of one piece.

As Castor started to incapacitate crowd members with his Devil Fruit abilities, Jazzy would become even more infuriated at the callous actions of her captain.

Marching onto the runway from behind the curtained stage, Jazzy would latch onto Nox’s collar, ripping him from Lexi’s grasp, jiu-jitsu flipping the failed model into the ground.

Dragging her Captain behind the curtain, a tug-of-war full of shame commenced.

Spitting to the side, “Change mademoiselle's outfit and send her back out there! We have a show to run." Jazzy barked at her staff, staring at Castor with fierce eyes.

Shifting to Lexi momentarily, she’d shoot the woman a wink of approval, “You handled it like a true gem, babe. Get back out there and strut your stuff. I’ll deal with this Neanderthal.” Jazzy smirked as she’d offer Lexi some words of encouragement.

Staring at the sky, Castor was in awe at how the frail designer had managed to sweep him off his feet. “I swear… all the women in my life are just… scary and violent.” he’d think to himself, afraid to dare utter the words out loud.

Whether or not Lexi navigated the second chance given to her by Jazzy would be up to her.

However, behind the scenes, the marines had already begun to make their move.

Securing themselves on the Wailing Calamity, hauntingly docked in the port. Within the crowd, the operatives created a perimeter barring the citizens to be tightly packed around the platformed runway.

“Roger. No sign of Nox yet.”

“He must be somewhere nearby… This damn showcase… It’s the perfect distraction for his escape. You can’t miss that freak though… Keep your eyes open.”

“Yessir!”

“Hey Capt'. Speaking of eyes... They say Nox has three eyes right?”

“Yeah… according to our reports but it hasn’t been confirmed.”

“What do you say to a pirate with three eyes?”

“Huh?”

“[ass=LOOOL!]Aye Aye Aye[/ass] Captain’!” the marine cabin boy declared bursting into laughter as his superior would look on in absolute horror.

Meanwhile, on the stage, Castor’s electromagnetic radio picked up on the marine's movements and the terrible jokes being exchanged.

“Jazz. Looks like we have company among the crowd. I can hear their movements with my abilities.” Castor declared in a much more serious tone.

“Relax Capitaine. I’m sure you haven’t noticed since you were too busy botching your walk… but I've already put our escape plan into motion. Within a few more struts, I’ll have a pathway cleared directly to our ship.”

“I’ll leave the unpleasantries to you and your… associate.” Jazzy declared with disgust scanning Newport from head to toe. Fanning herself continuously, “I’ll be focusing on making our newest star sparkle!” Jazzy declared, eyes permeating with furor.

"Don't be so cold lassie. We're crewmates now, aren't we?" Newport declared gleefully, extending a friendly pat geared to land on Jazzy's shoulder but instead, he was met with the entrance of a cold steel barrel pressing against his temple.

"The only person I've accepted as my Captain is Nox.

I'm not too fond of you... Knowing your history Mr. Bloody Port.

Having you as a crew member is even more dangerous than Nox could even imagine but I'm sure you've kept the details about the Buccaneer Pirates hidden from-"

Slapping the pistol away from his face, Newport placed his temple against Jazzy's own.

"Don't you ever... Let the words Buccaneer... come out that prissy little mouth of yours ever again. Got it? Bitch?" Newport snarled in disgust.

"Oh-ho. Did I strike a nerve, Monsieur Victor?" Jazzy smirked mischievously.

@Alexi

Word Count: 3,946 |5,000

^{Castor'sTracker}

Fri Jul 01, 2022 9:02 pm

Just as the duo were walking back through the start of the catwalk, the uncultured man would suddenly be ripped off of her and catapulted unmercifully to the ground. The so-called bounty hunter would not have time to react but, boy, was she satisfied to see the man who had ruined everything being dragged away by the icon of fashion. The designer that she didn’t know existed until today.

However, her joy was cut short when she was reminded of the disaster that had come to be known as her first debut. The pitying looks and horrified expressions from the other models further solidified her biggest fear. She was, undoubtedly, going to be black-listed from modeling in Flevance. Not that she gave a damn about the place but it was not how she wanted her first public appearance to go.

However, her well-earned feelings of anger and frustration towards the man would be short-lived as the goddess of fortune smiled upon her. “Change Mademoiselle’s outfit and send her back out there!” Alexi’s heart soared from the news. Of course it wasn’t over. How could she have thought otherwise? “We have a show to run.”

If that wasn’t enough to raise the upcoming star’s ego, the Madame’s next words would send her to the moon as back. “You handled it like a true gem, babe.” The fashion icon told her as she focused her attention on the star-struck woman. “Get back out there and strut your stuff. I’ll deal with this Neanderthal.” Alexi barely managed to utter a single sound in response before being whisked away into the fitting room.

Contrary to her first time, however, the fitting would be done with immense focus and deafening silence. Even Alexi could feel just how important this single moment was for the stylists and other designers as they ran about in what seemed to be controlled chaos. Not that she, herself, had anything else to do except to look good. Therefore, it seemed that it would only be right for her to take on her role more seriously. Thus, she obliged by simply enjoying the experience that she so obviously deserved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soon after, Alexi found herself back in line for her second attempt in the show. This time around, she knew things would be different now that Alexi wouldn’t have to share the spotlight with a partner. While she was ecstatic that the Madame had granted her this opportunity, she figured that it was only right. It was his fault, after all, and it seemed only fair that he would be the only one punished for the fiasco.

The rising star fluffed her skirt once more as she quickly neared her turn. Furthemore, had that savage man not been affiliated with the Madame, she would have figured him to be a saboteur. Although, she wouldn’t put it past him considering no one could have done such a horrendous job by accident. Had one of the models paid him while she wasn’t looking? Had this all been a ploy to bring her down before the world had a chance to see her?

Alexi wouldn’t have time to ponder as the music shifted and the duo in front of her began their strut. ‘One, two, three…’ she counted down inwardly as she watched them walk. They weren’t too shabby but she was sure she’d be better. ‘Four, and five…’ Her turn would be up. She’d spare a sideway glance, nod at the director who was signaling for her, before proceeding with her walk.

581 | 4607 | 5000

Sat Jul 02, 2022 7:20 am

Sanpaku (산빠쿠)

"Enough you two. We have [dass]bigger fish to scale[cmt]Sometimes, your twists on common idioms just don't land. (I'm assuming here that you knew it's "bigger fish to fry" and tried to do something different.)[/cmt][/dass]." Nox stated, making a mental note to ask Newport later about these Buccaneer Pirates.

All eyes were glued to the stage as it was Alexi's second go. After that horrid display, many in the crowd couldn't help but cheer for the cotton candy-haired diva. [dass]Screams of adoration showered down like cats and dogs on a stormy evening[cmt]I'm confused as to why neither Alexi nor you addressed the fact that Castor had knocked out members of the audience moments before. It seems like that got forgotten.

You could've easily had other audience members assume (through dialogue, not through head-hopping) that they collapsed from the sheer atrocity that was Castor's catwalk. It would've been an opportunity for additional comedy.[/cmt][/dass].

Something about the woman truly glimmered, fashion enthusiasts murmured amongst themselves. Most of them chomped at the bit to approach the model after she completed her walk for future work.

It'd be when Alexi reached the top of the ramp, where her dreams would come crashing down and quite literally this time. The stage collapsed within seconds, and simultaneously a plume of thick white smoke covered the area.

Jazzy's assistant appeared with gas masks for everyone but Red Devil, as he truly didn't need one. Attaching the masks, the Nox Pirates began to B-Line to the ship. Navigating the smog, the civilians scattered, providing the perfect camouflage for the Great Escape.

As Alexi fell from grace, she'd be intercepted by Jazzy, who seemingly appeared out of nowhere. The woman's nimble movements even made Castor stop in awe momentarily. Jazzy grew quite fond of the woman's aesthetic and decided to save her.

Nox stripped away his fashionable demeanor, changing into his traditional kimono and sandals. Resting Zaigo onto his back, the Pirate Captain leads the charge to the boat.

Converting his mechanical feet into that of tank wheels, Newport, Nox, and Jazzy were swept up by Red Devil, and the posse dashed for the ship.

Meanwhile, aboard The Wailing Calamity, the marines had their hands filled with a disturbance aside from the smog up the hill from the dock. One by one, the marines were chased off the vessel from the rounds fired off by a certain parasol machine gun.

"Gosh. They always leave me behind to guard the ship." Minerva declared yawning, after sleeping through the whole Flevance experience. Reloading her umbrella, Minerva and the Vana Knights who'd be in the local watering holes started an uproar at the dock to reclaim their vessel.

After running out of bullets, Minerva shed the parasol sheath, revealing her hidden blade, and began to systematically cut down the troops aboard the ship. Her feet were as light as a feather, and her steps were akin to dancing more so than swordsmanship.

In the distance, the woman sense Castor's presence as well as a few strangers' own. "Raise the anchor! The Captain's on his way!" Minerva shouted. "Clear a path!" The woman commanded, sheathing her blade and floating in mid-air using the umbrella to descend dockside.

Amongst the crowd, about a thousand marines and Bounty Hunters in total swarmed around the dock. Each of them with one goal in mind, capturing Nox and his associates. Spinning the parasol over her shoulder, "My My... Seems like Cas is a popular boy." Minerva declared with a sense of pride.

"Isn't that the Three Star Hunter - Minerva Pollard?! Why is she defending a pirate's ship?" The bystanders theorized. "Maybe she wants Nox's head for herself?" Another hunter chimed in. "Eh. Then why would she attack marines as well?" Another hunter responded.

@Alexi

Word Count: 4,485 |5,000

^{Castor'sTracker}

Sat Jul 29, 2023 2:51 am

‘Yes, yes, YES!’ Flevance’s top model screamed internally as she took the stage by storm. Of course the people loved her! How could she have doubted herself at all? She was a star meant for the stage and now everyone knew it, too. Who cared about that damned bounty at a time like this anyways? What awaited this superstar now was the world!

As the music progressed, so did she as Alexi paced herself according to the tempo. For every few feet she strutted, Alex would pause and give a pose. This seemed to fire up the crowd more which, in turn, added fuel to the explosions of emotions she felt deep within her heart. Who else but herself knew they’d love her this much? The crowd did now.

With her heartbeat speeding like a locomotive with the adrenaline of the love she received, Alexi’s grin grew exponentially. She was nearing the end of the runway so all she had to do was choose her final pose. Would she decide on sultry or childish? Dramatic or avant garde? The possibilities were endless!

‘One,’ Alexi whispered as her excitement reached its climax. ‘Two,’ the now retired bounty hunter’s mind sang as she neared her destination. ‘Three,’ Alexi’s smile grew wider than humanly possible. ‘Four,’ Her heel snapped, causing her to try to rescue herself last minute from a fall by twirling on her toes. ‘And… Five.” The artiste’s world came crashing down quite literally as the stage collapsed below her feet.

The disgraced model closed her eyes, expecting an impact, only for her to be whisked away by an unknown savior. Opening her eyes and letting out a few coughs to clear her throat, she’d look up to see Jazzy carrying her to safety. Her eyes twinkling with admiration, she’d attempt to give her thanks only to cough uncontrollably once more. Deciding to keep her mouth shut, Alexi closed her eyes as exhaustion creeped its way to her.

What had happened to the stage? It had been fine when she and the incompetent buffoon originally had walked it. Dozens of models had walked it, too. It couldn’t have simply caved in on itself, could it? No, of course not! Alexi thought as a lightbulb turned on in her head. It had to be her haters! Yes, it HAD to be them!

Oh, how it all made sense now. Unbeknownst to her, this superstar’s haters had become increasingly bold and vicious. Surely, they had seen her as a threat during her first strut and they did this only out of envy. At least, the resumed bounty hunter thought as she nodded approvingly. They succeeded in making her memorable. It wasn’t in the way she had hoped but it truly made killer headlines.

As her thoughts began to trail off into nothingness, Alexi suddenly snapped into the reality of things. Looking around, she was quick to notice that she was no longer near the stage area. In fact, Alexi was now being carried to some unknown destination with a whole crew of Marines chasing after them.

With bullets whizzing by, Alexi couldn’t help but swell with pride. Fanboys! Oh, the woes of being her. Not that she’d expect any less from the crowd who had just witnessed her magnificence. However, she couldn’t help but wonder why she was being brought aboard a massive ship. Had she been invited to tour? Alexi liked the sound of that.

573 | 5180 | 5000

Sat Jul 29, 2023 7:46 am

Sanpaku (산빠쿠)

Manning the loudspeaker, Jazzy addressed the public one last time before her grand exit, holding the supermodel. The crowd truly enjoyed Jazzy's show, even thinking the collapsing stage and smog were part of her theatrics.

Chasing the Nox Pirates towards the dock, a wave of human beings created a bed of human shields to mask the pirates' positions and help them get onto the vessel.

“Mes amours, it has been a pleasure serving you my latest line. However, I must announce the closing of my boutique and the beginning of a new business venture," Jazzy said, causing some admirers who knew her native tongue to break into tears, while others were puzzled by her strange manner of speech.

As the message was conveyed through a transponder snail on a rooftop, Jazzy looked down at the crowd with awe at the mess she and her new Captain had caused. Making it back to the ship first, she gently placed the model down on the deck.

Tons of Vana Knights and new recruits marveled at Jazzy's appearance and wondered if this marked the formation of a new Big Three.

Extending her hand to the model, Jazzy offered her a tough decision: sailing to the next town with her or joining the pirates to represent her international line.

Arriving on the ship, Nox overheard the conversation and revealed his true identity as a pirate, warning the model of the risks involved.

“Right now. I’m worth almost 300,000,000 berri. Capturing me is like a paid vacation for life. And as such, tons of people want my head. That’s risk you take with sailing with us. So choose wisely. However, if you do join maybe I can pay you back for messing up your debit walk. Gashi Gashi…” Nox concluded, turning his back on the duo to navigate the ship out of the harbor.

With the anchor aboard, Minerva ordered the sails to be hoisted as the ship left the harbor.

Cannon fire from the docked ships pursued the pirates, but many remained unmanned due to the chaos caused by the rioting civilians.

Dockside, the fans screamed for Jazzy and Alexi amidst the chaos. Jazzy acknowledged Nox's warning about the treacherous life of a pirate.

“Castor is so rude.” Jazzy thought internally sighing. “However. Nox is right. This is a pirate vessel. I’m not sure what your last profession was but this is a treacherous life mon amie.” Jazzy concluded.

In the distance, the first wave of Rear Admiral Clavis scouts spotted their target.

@Alexi

Word Count: 4,885|5,000

^{Castor'sTracker}

Tue Nov 14, 2023 1:11 am

The now highly successful model barely had any time to process the good fortune when she heard the mention of the belli being offered to her. “...300,000,000 berri.” Her now forgiven saboteur said, causing Alexi’s mouth to hang open. She was getting paid how much?! Not that she deserved any less, mind you.

”Th-three hundred mil…million..?” Alexi dumbly stammered back as the amount sunk in. With that amount of money, he was absolutely right! If this was how her salary was starting off, then of course she’d stay onboard. A pity that she’d have to leave so many broken hearted fans at the port.

The man’s sudden laugh snapped the international model out of her stupor. Unfortunately, she had no time to respond as her patron walked away. Not that she felt the need to seeing as how the ship was already sailing away. To think, all this and a private ship to boot. Alexi smiled in satisfaction. This was how things should be although… Alexi furrowed her brow. Was it he man who was paying her salary or was it her goddess of high fashion?

As fireworks seemed to sound off from the distance, Alexi inwardly shrugged and moved to get a better view. Seeing her fans clamoring and fighting to get through, the kind hearted celebrity waved them goodbye. She'd see them one day, she was sure. After all, where would she be without her countless fans fighting to see her?

The patron of fashion soon spoke, causing Alexi to jump slightly before giving her full attention to the Madame. “However. Nox is right,” The goddess started. Alexi gave her a confused look. Nox? Was it the man who had spoken to her earlier? ”I’m not sure what your last profession was but this is a treacherous life, mon amie.”

No matter, Alexi though as she nodded enthusiastically. Nox’s identity nor his title were important now. What mattered was that the designer was concerned for her! Of course Alexi knew that being a famous celebrity was a tough life. However, it was nothing she could handle. She simply had to prove that she had what it takes.

”I completely understand,” Alexi said with strong determination and conviction. ”I’m not afraid of what’s not to come.” The rising star gave a firm nod. ”Plus, I can protect myself when things get tough. No need to worry about a thing.” Alexi grinned. Did she pass the test?

409 | 5589 | 5000

Tue Nov 14, 2023 2:46 am

Sanpaku (산빠쿠)

Just like that, Alexi's life as a pirate had officially begun. Wrapping her arms around the woman for a warm embrace, Jazzy cradled the model like that of a prized doll in a sense. Of course, Jazzy had plans to dress the fashionista in all the latest garbs and trends for her own selfish purpose.

“You can protect yourself, eh? On these seas, that’s a superpower for gals like us,” Jazzy said with the warmest of smiles.

As Newport steered the ship starboard, the Nox Pirates exited the harbor of Flevance and entered onto the high seas. Word of their escape was passed down the chain of command to Rear Admiral Clevis, who had been hunting the lads and lasses since their arrival on Flevance.

A small armada exited Flevance at an unofficial dock, known only to marine folk. Clevis and his army of super soldier protégés hit the high seas.

With the wind blowing in their faces and a new adventure ahead, Castor organized a small welcoming ceremony for the new crew members in Jazzy and Alexi.

An assortment of booze, wines, and varied dishes spread across the dinner table, which lined the deck with Castor's most elite members. At the helm, Nox, to his left and right, Minerva, Newport, Jazzy, and Alexi.

Grabbing a pitcher of ale, Castor cleared his throat, commanding silence amongst his peers.

“Ah. This trip to Flevance has been intriguing. We came here for a log post and left with two fashion icons. For a ship full of brutes such as ourselves, the closest thing we had to beauty aboard this shitshow was Minerva. And she’s more of a brute than Newport at times - Gashi Gashi,” Castor announced to unanimous approval.

After several right hooks to Castor's rib cage due to the jest, “Ouch! Anyway! Let’s all raise our glasses and welcome the latest members of the Nox Pirates! Jazzy and Alexi!” Nox shouted.

The crew gave out a tremendous howl, slamming their mugs against the table. “Jazzy! Lexi!!!” The army of brutes shouted, praising their newest Madonnas.

Resting her hand on Alexi’s shoulder, “No matter what, my darling, I have your back. We’re going to do great things together,” Jazzy whispered to Alexi.

As the festivities kicked up, the men partied for several days straight until eventually, the ship's vibrancy came to an abrupt end when everyone crashed from exhaustion.

Isolating herself to a secluded location on the vessel, Jazzy made sure that she hadn’t been followed and was completely alone. Digging into her handbag, the woman removed a White Den Den Mushi and attached it to a much smaller green variant and commenced her call.

“Hello! This is the Sweet House Candy Shop. How may I help you?” The voice on the other line inquired.

“I’m here to place my order for six boxes of Sweet House Bon Bons. Can I speak to the owner?”

“Ah. Please hold.”

After a lull of silence, at about the three-minute mark, an ominous voice answered the line. “Agent.”

“Handler. [dass]I’ve infiltrated the vessel. We’ll talk at a later date. This is just a confirmation call[cmt]At this point, Jazzy is already aware that Castor is able to hear conversations from afar using his devil fruit ability even when there are other sounds around. Having this exchange on the ship seems like a monumental lapse in judgment unless she's trying to be heard.[/cmt][/dass].”

“Excellent. Your next mission is to lead them to the Grand Line. If things get hairy and we can’t have a follow-up meeting, remember, the goal point is The Twin Capes. We’ll handle the rest from there.”

“Aye.” Jazzy responded.

“And Jazzy. Just remember why you took this mission. I wouldn’t want to-“

“If you lay a finger on her, I’ll make it my life’s mission to hunt you.”

“Is that a threat? I’ll let that one slide, Agent. Just remember the mission.”

End of transmission.

For the next hour, Jazzy sat in silence, biting on her bottom lip until it bled.

@Alexi

Word Count: 5,508|5,000

^{Castor'sTracker}

Wed Dec 06, 2023 9:32 pm

GRADING

Quality Score (Re)assessment: Yes

ASSESSMENT SUMMARY

Castor O. Nox:

Alexandria V. Evergreen:

Overall:

REWARDS

Castor O. Nox:

Alexandria V. Evergreen:

[Episode] Jackpot!

[Episode] Jackpot!

Combat Encounters

Port/Docks of Flevance

Re: [Episode] Jackpot!

Re: [Episode] Jackpot!

Re: [Episode] Jackpot!

Re: [Episode] Jackpot!

A hour before the final fitting & Alexi’s abduction

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Re: [Episode] Jackpot!

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Category Scores

Category Scores

Combat Encounters

Port/Docks of Flevance

A hour before the final fitting & Alexi’s abduction

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