The 
Goldmonger
[tracker=/t1979-dax-morgan#10865]
Name : Dax Morgan
Epithet : Goldmonger
Age : 25
Height : 6'5"
Weight : 250
Species/Tribe : Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Shichibukai (Future)
Crew : Gold | Works
Ship : Cleopatra
Devil Fruit : Goru Goru no Mi
Bounty : [ber=r] 27,900,000
Quality Score : S
Income Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies); +0.11 (from turf)
Shop Discount : -25%
Crew Pool : [bel=u] 251,075,000
Balance : [bel] 0
[[hardboiled]][[berryprinter]]
[[ancientzoan]]x2[[logia]][[firstaidkit]]
Turf : [turf=/t353-turf-details-rubeck-island#1168]Rubeck Island[/turf]
Posts : 235
![[Episode] Fear and Loathing in Las Costas Empty](https://2img.net/i/empty.gif)
[Episode] Fear and Loathing in Las Costas
Sat Oct 12, 2024 8:56 am- Spoiler:
- Name: Fear and Loathing in Las Costas
Category: Episode
Player Participants: Dax Morgan (+2), Richard Maxwell (+1)
Planned Location(s): Rubeck
Planned Time Range: Late April (After the Event)
Summary: With a few weeks under her belt, Las Costa's has become a thriving gem at the heart of North Blue. Bringing visitors from all over as they hear the rumors of a city of sin tucked nicely in a blanket of fog on Rubeck's rocky shores.
Whispers of a mysterious Mr. Au have circulated throughout the island and beyond as the benefactor to the towns miraculous rise to fame. It is rumored he may be affiliated with less than reputable company.
Cuzco has taken to singing in Dax's new casino The Golden Imp, showing up half in the bottle every night. Though whether that be a bottle of alcohol or pills could vary. But dam, does that Llama put on a fucking show.
Jiro, wallowing in pity and self-loathing spends his days drinking in the bars and starting fights with the patrons before being run off by his former henchman, now head of security for the island. One particular instance has him coming up against none other than the Goldmonger.
Richard, meanwhile, has returned to his roots, opening clinics and hiring medical staff. He has publicly sworn to ensure that the honored guests and valued workers of the island can get the best treatment they can afford. ...Just kidding. A little Moletown humor there. Of course every patient is equal. Some patients are just more equal than others.
The good doctor also has his hands full trying to curb the rumors about a strange dealer called Mr. As. Supposedly, the shadow can fulfill even the trickiest request of the richest VIP patrons... Which is utter nonsense, of course. Richard assures people that such a figure doesn’t exist. And if this no doubt intelligent and handsome stranger did actually exist, he would not appreciate being called Mr. Ass.Combat Encounters
[discordthread=https://discord.com/channels/260564262446039064/1294643169941520414]Dax Morgan vs +2 Boss[/discordthread] (Escaped after 1 knockout)
1907 hours |The Golden Imp | Las Costas | Rubeck
Stage hands scrambled behind the curtains as directions were barked out in hushed tones. Overhead lights shifted and speakers whirred as guitars and amps made their first connections.
"Places people..!" A woman called out, as her eyes darted across a clipboard. She grabbed a man by the arm as he whizzed by, "Where's the llama?" She mumbled.
"....We don't know.." He mumbled, "We.. we are looking now." The grip on his arm tightened as her look grew more stern.
"Find him." She paused.
"Now."
The moment her grip loosened the man took off and disappeared off the stage. Her fingers slid down to a line on the page before she looked up again and grabbed another assistant.
"Tell Rico to be ready if the mink can't perform." Without waiting for a response, she went back to studying the clipboard.
The girl rushed over to a man no taller than a child, he had a jet-black bowl cut and a hook nose; he held a pair of drumsticks in his hands as he spoke to a woman three times his height and more beautiful than the sun itself.
They were smiling, laughing even, as he was more than charming. A suave little dwarf who carried himself like a god among men; yet he did not have a drop of arrogance about himself.
"M-Mr..R-Rico..." The girl peeped up, doing her best to politely interrupt the pair, though her quiet mouselike voice went unnoticed.
"E-Excuse me... Mr. Rico..." He spoke up once more, this time loud enough to garner the pair's attention.
"Ahh, miss laurelee, no?" Rico questioned with a smile whiter than paper, his teeth straighter than anything she had ever seen.
"Y-yes.. H-how did you.."
"I see you every day, no? We work together, no?" His voice was like butter, "I always make a point to know the name of every beautiful woman I come across." The assistant's face turned bright red, she could hardly be called average let alone beautiful. But in that moment she felt like a ten.
"Now, what does Mon Cher need of me?"
"M-Mr. Cuzco... he-he's...."
"The Mink, yes? What is issue now, eh? Toilet paper too rough for his soft connard..?"
"W-We can't find him... Y-you might need to be the lead tonight..."
"Can't find him?" The man paused as a smile erupted on his face. "Hawhawhawhawhaw... Now, Mon Chers, there are preparations to make." With a bow, the sauve man took his leave.
A Bar in Las Costas | Las Costas | Rubeck
"Oi, buddy." The bartender shouted at the patron passed out on the counter. "Yoooo! My man, this ain't a hotel, get up and drink or get out!" His fist slammed down onto the wood next to the customer.
The thud startled the pompadour sporting monkey awake, "Oooh aaah ahh!" Jiro shouted whipping his head back and forth before realizing where he was.
He rubbed his eyes before donning his signature shades and giving the bartender an angry glare.
"Yeah, yeah, buy a drink or get the fuck out."
Jiro snarled before tossing a wad of beli at the man as he barked and pounded on the counter.
"Tch. Fine." The bartender snarled back as he exchanged the money for a bottle of whiskey from behind the counter.
Jiro snatched the bottle off the counter and clumsily spun off the stool and onto the ground. Much to the bartender's amusement.
"Ooo..." He moaned, not bothering to remove himself from the disgusting wooden floor. Soaked with god only knows what and a last cleaning date no one could guess. Pop. The cork launched across the room as Jiro downed the entire bottle in seconds, sending the bottle flying right after.
A shattering crash echoed out across the room, followed by the screaming of angry patrons.
"Who the fuck threw that?!" The booming voice belonged to a massive barrel of a man who looked like he needed custom-made doors.
Without missing a beat the bartender pointed to the sprawled-out puddle of a monkey on the ground.
Like a godly miracle, the room parted like the sea as it made way for the mountain of a man. The floorboards screamed and moaned under every heavy step. He was flanked by a horde of smaller men, each one snickering and smiling as their mouths seemed to move faster than their bodies.
"Get up." Staring down at the woodland critter there would be no mercy found here. "Now."
Jiro opened his eyes one at a time as the massive man came into focus, adjusting his glasses to block out the light. He stumbled to his feet and lazily tried to put up a guard.
"Oo*hic*ooo..." He mumbled, eyes blinking independently of each other, "Ahhh*Hic* Ahh*hic*hhh Oooo!" Bobbing and swaying as if he were a master of the drunken fist, Jiro arrogantly taunted the man.
In a flash the massive mitt of the man was around Jiro's throat, too drunk to react and too numb to care. Like a rag doll, he flew across the room, splintering a table on impact as he tumbled into the wall.
The monkey rose to his feet as his pompadour hung limp in his face, all its vitality and rigor had been lost long ago. There was nothing impressive about a wet noodle that just flopped about. Though he did his best to act like there was.
"Weak." A mumble escaped the monster's lips as he closed the distance on Jiro once more. The monkey bobbed and swayed like a fool as his guard existed for little more than show, he threw a haphazard punch that had no hope of connecting.
It was a sad showing from the former boss of the mountain monkey troupe. A showing that seemed to drag on forever, an ass-kicking that had no end. Though most of it was delivered by the groupies, as the monster had lost interest in such a weak challenge quickly. Leaving his henchman the scraps.
When they were done he was tossed from the bar like trash, left to rot in the middle of the Las Costas strip. The sea of people paid him no mind as they flowed around him without a second thought.
WC 1,043/5,000
Maxwell![[Episode] Fear and Loathing in Las Costas Vk6odI4](https://i.imgur.com/vk6odI4.png)
[tracker=/t139-richard-maxwell#516]
Name : Richard Maxwell
Epithet : Plague Rat
Age : 49
Height : 6'0" / 183 cm
Weight : 160 lbs. / 73 kg
Species/Tribe : Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Supernova
Bounty : [bel=r] 243,000,000
Quality Score : S+
Income Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies); +0.11 (from turf)
Shop Discount : -10%
Balance : [bel] 2,204,829,125
[[bookworm]][[firstaidkit]][[berryprinter]]
[[identitytheft]][[identitytheft]][[improviseadaptovercome]][[logia]]
Turf : [turf=/t353-turf-details-rubeck-island#1168]Rubeck Island[/turf]
Posts : 320
Re: [Episode] Fear and Loathing in Las Costas
Tue Oct 15, 2024 9:15 am1900 Hours | Las Costas | In the shadow of the Golden Imp
Just off to the side of the main strip, a crowd had gathered before a freshly finished white building. Standing five stories high and lined with large windows, it could’ve passed for a lavish hotel. Yet, the people lined in front donning their finest scrubs and masks didn’t exactly pass for hotel staff.
Some enterprising individuals had tried to brand the building as ‘The Silver Imp’, a little brother to the golden giant. The name wasn’t really catching on, however... Plus the owner of the place much preferred ‘The Maxwell Clinic’. Professional and marketable.
The aforementioned owner, an impeccably groomed gentleman, stood before the crowd. He wore a spotless, white coat and a smile you could trust. He held the audience’s rapt attention in the palm of his hand.
“...And I assure you, honored guests and valued workers, that our first priority is to ensure everyone gets the best treatment they can afford.”
There was a moment of tense silence. Richard savored the moment, before snapping his fingers. “...Oh, I’m just kidding, dear friends. A little Moletown humor for you there. Hahaha~” And the crowd laughed with him, never stopping to wonder that, perhaps, he wasn’t actually kidding. Just a little ‘gotcha’ moment. The press loved that.
After finishing the press conference, the doctor waded bravely into the horde of rabid journalists. Pens clicking and teeth gnashing, they jumped at him with their questions. Was it true that...? Did he really...? What if...? Only half of the queries were about the new hospital. The rest were about the wild rumors surrounding the island, about the mysterious Mr. Au and Mr. Ass.
...Mr. As, he quickly corrected them.
Once the storm of questions died down, the doctor excused himself and retreated back into his haven. Inside, the white hallways were sparkling clean. Spry, young doctors and nurses hurried around, getting everything ready for the first patients. The rooms were empty for now, but that would no doubt change soon.
Richard stepped into his office. As soon as the door closed behind him, he let out a sigh he had been holding for a while now. His eyes wandered along the floor, to the modest, white desk flanked by chairs. It was clean. Clinical. Cold... Not like his cozy little hole back in Prideful Centurion. No mahogany desks or leather chairs here.
Appearances were important.
The not-legally-a-doctor had barely taken a seat, when there was already a knock on his door. A burly figure squeezed like a rat trying to fit through a mouse hole. The bald brute of a man seemed uncomfortable in the squeaky clean outfit. He cleared his throat with an apologetic rumble.
“Uh, boss, I mean, chief... Sorry to bother ya, but... We got a problem...”
Richard raised a brow. “We? Or just you?” He asked with a little smirk, thinking himself awfully witty today. The ironic echo was, sadly, lost on him. He was willfully ignorant of the stark similarities between himself and... A certain someone.
The more things changed, the more they stayed the same.
“It’s... uh... It’s about the uhhh... Monkey? Jiro?”
“...Oh.”
Something died behind Richard’s eyes, though the hollow smile remained. Well, the first prognosis had been right all along. This was a ‘we’ problem, unfortunately.
Words: 554
Total: 554 / 5 000
Just off to the side of the main strip, a crowd had gathered before a freshly finished white building. Standing five stories high and lined with large windows, it could’ve passed for a lavish hotel. Yet, the people lined in front donning their finest scrubs and masks didn’t exactly pass for hotel staff.
Some enterprising individuals had tried to brand the building as ‘The Silver Imp’, a little brother to the golden giant. The name wasn’t really catching on, however... Plus the owner of the place much preferred ‘The Maxwell Clinic’. Professional and marketable.
The aforementioned owner, an impeccably groomed gentleman, stood before the crowd. He wore a spotless, white coat and a smile you could trust. He held the audience’s rapt attention in the palm of his hand.
“...And I assure you, honored guests and valued workers, that our first priority is to ensure everyone gets the best treatment they can afford.”
There was a moment of tense silence. Richard savored the moment, before snapping his fingers. “...Oh, I’m just kidding, dear friends. A little Moletown humor for you there. Hahaha~” And the crowd laughed with him, never stopping to wonder that, perhaps, he wasn’t actually kidding. Just a little ‘gotcha’ moment. The press loved that.
After finishing the press conference, the doctor waded bravely into the horde of rabid journalists. Pens clicking and teeth gnashing, they jumped at him with their questions. Was it true that...? Did he really...? What if...? Only half of the queries were about the new hospital. The rest were about the wild rumors surrounding the island, about the mysterious Mr. Au and Mr. Ass.
...Mr. As, he quickly corrected them.
Once the storm of questions died down, the doctor excused himself and retreated back into his haven. Inside, the white hallways were sparkling clean. Spry, young doctors and nurses hurried around, getting everything ready for the first patients. The rooms were empty for now, but that would no doubt change soon.
Richard stepped into his office. As soon as the door closed behind him, he let out a sigh he had been holding for a while now. His eyes wandered along the floor, to the modest, white desk flanked by chairs. It was clean. Clinical. Cold... Not like his cozy little hole back in Prideful Centurion. No mahogany desks or leather chairs here.
Appearances were important.
The not-legally-a-doctor had barely taken a seat, when there was already a knock on his door. A burly figure squeezed like a rat trying to fit through a mouse hole. The bald brute of a man seemed uncomfortable in the squeaky clean outfit. He cleared his throat with an apologetic rumble.
“Uh, boss, I mean, chief... Sorry to bother ya, but... We got a problem...”
Richard raised a brow. “We? Or just you?” He asked with a little smirk, thinking himself awfully witty today. The ironic echo was, sadly, lost on him. He was willfully ignorant of the stark similarities between himself and... A certain someone.
The more things changed, the more they stayed the same.
“It’s... uh... It’s about the uhhh... Monkey? Jiro?”
“...Oh.”
Something died behind Richard’s eyes, though the hollow smile remained. Well, the first prognosis had been right all along. This was a ‘we’ problem, unfortunately.
Words: 554
Total: 554 / 5 000
________________________________________________________
Wanted Dead or Alive: Richard 'Plague Rat' Maxwell
- Goldmonger
[tracker=/t1979-dax-morgan#10865]
Name : Dax Morgan
Epithet : Goldmonger
Age : 25
Height : 6'5"
Weight : 250
Species/Tribe : Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Shichibukai (Future)
Crew : Gold | Works
Ship : Cleopatra
Devil Fruit : Goru Goru no Mi
Bounty : [ber=r] 27,900,000
Quality Score : S
Income Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies); +0.11 (from turf)
Shop Discount : -25%
Crew Pool : [bel=u] 251,075,000
Balance : [bel] 0
[[hardboiled]][[berryprinter]]
[[ancientzoan]]x2[[logia]][[firstaidkit]]
Turf : [turf=/t353-turf-details-rubeck-island#1168]Rubeck Island[/turf]
Posts : 235
Re: [Episode] Fear and Loathing in Las Costas
Thu Oct 17, 2024 9:02 pm1910 hours Backstage at the Golden Imp | Las Costas | Rubeck
"Mr. Cash...?" A knock accompanied the question, "Mr. Cash... Are you in there?" Once again, the knock and question went unanswered.
A third knock came, followed by the silence.
"....Mr. Cash, we are coming in..." The door creaked open, "Mr. Cash, are you in he...-?! Mr. Cash?!"
In shot the stage manager as he slid to his knees next to the comatose musician. "God damnit..!!" He rolled up his sleeves and shouted to another man who tossed over a med kit.
"Not today you motherfucker.." He mumbled biting off the cap of a long needle before driving it like a rail spike into the mink's chest.
With a deep gasp the mink shot from the ground as the adrenaline rushed through his veins. "Woooooooooaaaaaaaahhhhh Yeaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!!!!" Eyes bulging and spit hanging from his mouth, the llama scrambled across the floor. Tearing through the litany of junk scattered about.
He produced a glass bowl and a lighter, taking a deep inhale of a deep purple smoke.
"Oooooohhh yeaaaaa....." His voice trailed off as his behavior seemed to stabilize. Melting into the floor as he exhaled. "That reaaaally takes the edge man, like woaaaahh.."
"Ahem..." The stage manager coughed, readjusting his clothing. "Mr. Cash, you were due on stage ten minutes ago."
"Like... oh man..." Dusting himself off, "That's like, no good man.."
"It is indeed, not good. So if you will." Pointing aggressively to the clipboard, "It's time."
Cuzco stumbled to the sink in the corner of the room, a white line of powder was already set from the night before. A rockstar always plans for the hangover. Without a thought, he ripped through it like nothing, letting out a deep euphoric sigh.
The faucet screamed as it twisted, cold water gushed out and the mink splashed his hands and then his face. His eyes hung low for a moment as the burn still lingered in his nose, then even longer at the stranger in the mirror.
Old and haggard, or so the drugs made it seem. His eyes were dark and sunken, run-through with deep red veins and large pupils that seemed to disappear into the abyss the longer you looked into them.
"Mr. Cash.." Tapping his clipboard for the final time.
Cuzco snapped back as he saw the manager in the mirror, "Yeah, yeah... Yeah... Yeah... Yeah, I'm coming. Yeah..." Mumbling as his dead eyes disappeared behind the shades and a smile hid the pain.
"It's fuckin time...!"
Just like that, the star was ready.
The Strip | Las Costas | Rubeck
A misting rain cleared the strip, sending the patrons rushing into the brothels and casinos to spend their hard-earned beli. Leaving no one but the tattered monkey.
Jiro lay beaten, battered, and stepped on, with a bottle clutched in his hand. His pompadour was soft and limp, a shriveled shrimp that could hardly be recognized as the once great mountain boss.
"Ooooooo....." Groaning as he lazily struggled to uncork the bottle. "Ooooo..." Once more, this time using three limbs to struggle before finally popping the cork.
His eyes focused past the bottle and onto the foggy sky, staring up through his broken shades. Droplets flowed from his eyes and ran down his cheeks.
"Oooo Ahh..." Mumbling a sarcastic tone before deepthroating the bottle as if scoffing at a remark the sky had made.
The monkey stumbled through the glass doors of the silver imp, tracking mud through the pristine hospital. Every night since it opened, the monkey had taken it upon himself to christen the establishment in his special way.
Drunken rampages of mud and piss slathered throughout the emergency room. Shards of glass and its former contents strewn about as the monkey boss hooted and hollered. Jiro did everything he could to show everyone in the hospital how big he was as his unimpressive pompadour hung lifeless.
Terrorizing patients and doctors alike until he passed out in a drunken stupor.
Deep Within the Mole Hill Labyrinth | Mole Hill | Rubeck
Papers shuffled across a beautifully made desk, hand-carved from marble and lined with oak stumps to anchor it. Its legs were chiseled to resemble beautiful men struggling to stand under the crushing weight of the queen's table.
A thin trail of smoke wafted in the air of the dimly lit room as the Queen of Contraband poured over the articles in front of her. "Well, well, well...~" Musing as she took a long drag from her pipe.
"What do we have here.." She plucked out a ship log from the stack, the witch smirked at the royal seal that adorned the page. Her eyes lit up as they scanned the page and the smoke slipped out of her toothy grin.
"Perfect..."
Casino Floor | Golden Imp | Rubeck
"THIS IS FUCKIN BULLSHIT!!" A boar of a man shouted as he dangled the dealer by his throat. "YER A FUCKIN CHEAT, AYE!!!"
"N...no...d..-d..ind..nt...." The syllables escaped with every little squeak of air he could manage to get out.
"LIAR...!!" He raged, snapping the man's neck like a twig.
The crowd screamed and scattered as the man roared, "Someone get security!" They yelled. "Help us...!", "Run!!", Eventually it all blurred together into one shrill cry beneath the bellows of the beast.
Amidst the chaos, the chips found their way into his pockets, if they could cheat he could steal. Fair is only fair.
"Ayee yoo!" The voice called out from behind.
The boar man whipped his head around. His eight-foot frame was like a towering titan of battle and he was ready to show it. No amount of security would stop him from taking what was his.
Beneath him was a man clad in gold, his torso wrapped in a tan and silver snakeskin jacket. His chest lay bare with countless chains and necklaces, with rings hanging from both nipples. Around his neck was a thick boa of pink feathers, its end dipped in gold as they hung to the floor.
He wore countless rings in his face with his eyes hidden behind a pair of golden glasses. Around his waist was a blue sash and on his legs mint pants with pink swirls. They too were lined with gold.
Even his right seemed to be made from solid gold.
The man was wealth incarnate and seemed to not know what it was like to want, let alone need.
Yet he wore no shoes upon his feet.
"That shit ain't yours, my guy. Ima need you to put it the fuck down." Dax paused as he picked his golden teeth, inspecting the particle before flicking it at his opponent.
"Now."
WC 1,112/2,115/5,000
"Mr. Cash...?" A knock accompanied the question, "Mr. Cash... Are you in there?" Once again, the knock and question went unanswered.
A third knock came, followed by the silence.
"....Mr. Cash, we are coming in..." The door creaked open, "Mr. Cash, are you in he...-?! Mr. Cash?!"
In shot the stage manager as he slid to his knees next to the comatose musician. "God damnit..!!" He rolled up his sleeves and shouted to another man who tossed over a med kit.
"Not today you motherfucker.." He mumbled biting off the cap of a long needle before driving it like a rail spike into the mink's chest.
With a deep gasp the mink shot from the ground as the adrenaline rushed through his veins. "Woooooooooaaaaaaaahhhhh Yeaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!!!!" Eyes bulging and spit hanging from his mouth, the llama scrambled across the floor. Tearing through the litany of junk scattered about.
He produced a glass bowl and a lighter, taking a deep inhale of a deep purple smoke.
"Oooooohhh yeaaaaa....." His voice trailed off as his behavior seemed to stabilize. Melting into the floor as he exhaled. "That reaaaally takes the edge man, like woaaaahh.."
"Ahem..." The stage manager coughed, readjusting his clothing. "Mr. Cash, you were due on stage ten minutes ago."
"Like... oh man..." Dusting himself off, "That's like, no good man.."
"It is indeed, not good. So if you will." Pointing aggressively to the clipboard, "It's time."
Cuzco stumbled to the sink in the corner of the room, a white line of powder was already set from the night before. A rockstar always plans for the hangover. Without a thought, he ripped through it like nothing, letting out a deep euphoric sigh.
The faucet screamed as it twisted, cold water gushed out and the mink splashed his hands and then his face. His eyes hung low for a moment as the burn still lingered in his nose, then even longer at the stranger in the mirror.
Old and haggard, or so the drugs made it seem. His eyes were dark and sunken, run-through with deep red veins and large pupils that seemed to disappear into the abyss the longer you looked into them.
"Mr. Cash.." Tapping his clipboard for the final time.
Cuzco snapped back as he saw the manager in the mirror, "Yeah, yeah... Yeah... Yeah... Yeah, I'm coming. Yeah..." Mumbling as his dead eyes disappeared behind the shades and a smile hid the pain.
"It's fuckin time...!"
Just like that, the star was ready.
The Strip | Las Costas | Rubeck
A misting rain cleared the strip, sending the patrons rushing into the brothels and casinos to spend their hard-earned beli. Leaving no one but the tattered monkey.
Jiro lay beaten, battered, and stepped on, with a bottle clutched in his hand. His pompadour was soft and limp, a shriveled shrimp that could hardly be recognized as the once great mountain boss.
"Ooooooo....." Groaning as he lazily struggled to uncork the bottle. "Ooooo..." Once more, this time using three limbs to struggle before finally popping the cork.
His eyes focused past the bottle and onto the foggy sky, staring up through his broken shades. Droplets flowed from his eyes and ran down his cheeks.
"Oooo Ahh..." Mumbling a sarcastic tone before deepthroating the bottle as if scoffing at a remark the sky had made.
The monkey stumbled through the glass doors of the silver imp, tracking mud through the pristine hospital. Every night since it opened, the monkey had taken it upon himself to christen the establishment in his special way.
Drunken rampages of mud and piss slathered throughout the emergency room. Shards of glass and its former contents strewn about as the monkey boss hooted and hollered. Jiro did everything he could to show everyone in the hospital how big he was as his unimpressive pompadour hung lifeless.
Terrorizing patients and doctors alike until he passed out in a drunken stupor.
Deep Within the Mole Hill Labyrinth | Mole Hill | Rubeck
Papers shuffled across a beautifully made desk, hand-carved from marble and lined with oak stumps to anchor it. Its legs were chiseled to resemble beautiful men struggling to stand under the crushing weight of the queen's table.
A thin trail of smoke wafted in the air of the dimly lit room as the Queen of Contraband poured over the articles in front of her. "Well, well, well...~" Musing as she took a long drag from her pipe.
"What do we have here.." She plucked out a ship log from the stack, the witch smirked at the royal seal that adorned the page. Her eyes lit up as they scanned the page and the smoke slipped out of her toothy grin.
"Perfect..."
Casino Floor | Golden Imp | Rubeck
"THIS IS FUCKIN BULLSHIT!!" A boar of a man shouted as he dangled the dealer by his throat. "YER A FUCKIN CHEAT, AYE!!!"
"N...no...d..-d..ind..nt...." The syllables escaped with every little squeak of air he could manage to get out.
"LIAR...!!" He raged, snapping the man's neck like a twig.
The crowd screamed and scattered as the man roared, "Someone get security!" They yelled. "Help us...!", "Run!!", Eventually it all blurred together into one shrill cry beneath the bellows of the beast.
Amidst the chaos, the chips found their way into his pockets, if they could cheat he could steal. Fair is only fair.
"Ayee yoo!" The voice called out from behind.
The boar man whipped his head around. His eight-foot frame was like a towering titan of battle and he was ready to show it. No amount of security would stop him from taking what was his.
Beneath him was a man clad in gold, his torso wrapped in a tan and silver snakeskin jacket. His chest lay bare with countless chains and necklaces, with rings hanging from both nipples. Around his neck was a thick boa of pink feathers, its end dipped in gold as they hung to the floor.
He wore countless rings in his face with his eyes hidden behind a pair of golden glasses. Around his waist was a blue sash and on his legs mint pants with pink swirls. They too were lined with gold.
Even his right seemed to be made from solid gold.
The man was wealth incarnate and seemed to not know what it was like to want, let alone need.
Yet he wore no shoes upon his feet.
"That shit ain't yours, my guy. Ima need you to put it the fuck down." Dax paused as he picked his golden teeth, inspecting the particle before flicking it at his opponent.
"Now."
WC 1,112/2,115/5,000
- Maxwell
[tracker=/t139-richard-maxwell#516]
Name : Richard Maxwell
Epithet : Plague Rat
Age : 49
Height : 6'0" / 183 cm
Weight : 160 lbs. / 73 kg
Species/Tribe : Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Supernova
Bounty : [bel=r] 243,000,000
Quality Score : S+
Income Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies); +0.11 (from turf)
Shop Discount : -10%
Balance : [bel] 2,204,829,125
[[bookworm]][[firstaidkit]][[berryprinter]]
[[identitytheft]][[identitytheft]][[improviseadaptovercome]][[logia]]
Turf : [turf=/t353-turf-details-rubeck-island#1168]Rubeck Island[/turf]
Posts : 320
Re: [Episode] Fear and Loathing in Las Costas
Sat Oct 19, 2024 3:40 amThe world was spinning. Spiraling out of control. Jiro felt himself falling. Sinking into shadows as thick as tar. There was a faint flicker of light at the end of the tunnel, but it felt so distant. Even as he tried to grasp it, his hand just wouldn’t move. The cold embrace of the shadows felt tighter by the moment. This was it, then. Finally.
From that distant light emerged a chilling sight. A specter of nothing but black rags and white bones loomed over the fallen warrior. Its sunken, lightless eyes stared deep into his soul. In one hand, it held an ancient parchment and in the other an hourglass rapidly running out of sand. The bony features twisted into a skeletal grin. Out crawled a voice like bony claws scratching against a tombstone.
“We must stop meeting like this, dear friend.”
In a blink, or two, blinding light burned the shadows away. As the blurry vision focused, the creepy ghoul was replaced by a gentleman in a doctor’s coat. Although... The sharp smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes wasn’t very comforting...
The chief of medicine studied his nightly customer with a wry grin. “I mean, I don’t expect you to book an appointment or anything, but at the very least you could ask the front desk to call me.” Well, customer was a strong word for someone so strapped for cash...
Around the odd duo was a small army of gangly geeks wearing glasses, scrubs and nervous looks. The emergency room looked like it was hit by a bomb full of blood and various other bodily fluids. Several masked youngsters were desperately trying to clean up the stains.
Jiro was in no mood for pleasantries. Summoning the rest of his strength, which admittedly wasn’t much, he tried to roll out of the cot. He failed. Hurriedly, the helpers moved in to hold him down. Any other day, he would’ve launched them all away with one swing. Today, though, all he could do was protest. “Ooo. Ooo Oo Ah.” He waved a dismissive tail at the trembling nerds surrounding him.
Richard visibly recoiled, rather hurt by the scathing accusation. “First off, I resent the implication. I do not employ slaves.” He insisted, patting the nearest youth reassuringly on the shoulder. “They are interns, thank you very much.” A small, but important distinction.
Glancing around, the hardened veteran gave his students affirming nods. “Secondly, they are here to help. Your little tantrums are rather messy, you know.” His attention returned onto the unruly patient. “The sooner we figure out a cure for your... condition... the sooner we can all go about our lives.” And the sooner his profits stopped taking these nightly hits.
The former mountain boss turned his gaze away. “Oo oo ahhh!” He rolled over to sulk.
With a weary sigh, the doctor shook his head. “Oh come now, you don’t mean that.” Briefly, he wondered if he had been spending too much time around this monkey, considering...
Jiro, however, disagreed. Vehemently and verbosely. “Ooooh! Aahh Ahh!”
Richard clicked his fingers. A couple of the interns grabbed the cot and started wheeling it through the door. “So you say...” As they walked through the now less-than-pristine corridors, his calm, calculating voice slowly seeped through the monkey’s thick skull. “Yet the simple fact that you seek me out, night after night, instead of finding a nice ditch to die in shows that deep down, you still want to live.”
“Oooo... Ahhh...”
The doctor easily deflected the lousy lie. “That is just the alcohol and self-loathing talking.” ...He had definitely spent far too much time around this monkey.
Before long, they all arrived in a private operating room tucked away in the back of the building. Richard had already done his preliminary assessment along the way. Old habits did die hard, after all.
The good news was that the patient was durable. This was nothing that a stomach pump and painkillers couldn’t fix. Efficient and relatively cheap.
However, the bad news was that the durability only extended to the physical body. Like all young delinquents, this monkey had an ego about as sturdy as an eggshell. Piecing it back together was beyond even his surgical skills.
However...
He did know a guy...
Calling an intern over, the doctor jotted down a name. He handed over the paper to a pimply-faced girl. “Ask the receptionist to call this man and tell him to bring his full kit. Our patient is in desperate need of a specialist.”
The intern adjusted her thick glasses and gave the paper a puzzled look. She didn’t recognize the name, even though she had studied so hard to learn the names of every doctor working here. “Is he, like, a super special surgeon or something?” She asked cautiously.
Richard stroked his chin absent-mindedly. His thoughts were already elsewhere. “Hm, in a manner of speaking, I suppose... He is...” A deep shudder trailed down his spine. The last word was only a whisper.
“A barber.”
Words: 838
Total: 1392 / 5 000
From that distant light emerged a chilling sight. A specter of nothing but black rags and white bones loomed over the fallen warrior. Its sunken, lightless eyes stared deep into his soul. In one hand, it held an ancient parchment and in the other an hourglass rapidly running out of sand. The bony features twisted into a skeletal grin. Out crawled a voice like bony claws scratching against a tombstone.
“We must stop meeting like this, dear friend.”
In a blink, or two, blinding light burned the shadows away. As the blurry vision focused, the creepy ghoul was replaced by a gentleman in a doctor’s coat. Although... The sharp smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes wasn’t very comforting...
The chief of medicine studied his nightly customer with a wry grin. “I mean, I don’t expect you to book an appointment or anything, but at the very least you could ask the front desk to call me.” Well, customer was a strong word for someone so strapped for cash...
Around the odd duo was a small army of gangly geeks wearing glasses, scrubs and nervous looks. The emergency room looked like it was hit by a bomb full of blood and various other bodily fluids. Several masked youngsters were desperately trying to clean up the stains.
Jiro was in no mood for pleasantries. Summoning the rest of his strength, which admittedly wasn’t much, he tried to roll out of the cot. He failed. Hurriedly, the helpers moved in to hold him down. Any other day, he would’ve launched them all away with one swing. Today, though, all he could do was protest. “Ooo. Ooo Oo Ah.” He waved a dismissive tail at the trembling nerds surrounding him.
Richard visibly recoiled, rather hurt by the scathing accusation. “First off, I resent the implication. I do not employ slaves.” He insisted, patting the nearest youth reassuringly on the shoulder. “They are interns, thank you very much.” A small, but important distinction.
Glancing around, the hardened veteran gave his students affirming nods. “Secondly, they are here to help. Your little tantrums are rather messy, you know.” His attention returned onto the unruly patient. “The sooner we figure out a cure for your... condition... the sooner we can all go about our lives.” And the sooner his profits stopped taking these nightly hits.
The former mountain boss turned his gaze away. “Oo oo ahhh!” He rolled over to sulk.
With a weary sigh, the doctor shook his head. “Oh come now, you don’t mean that.” Briefly, he wondered if he had been spending too much time around this monkey, considering...
Jiro, however, disagreed. Vehemently and verbosely. “Ooooh! Aahh Ahh!”
Richard clicked his fingers. A couple of the interns grabbed the cot and started wheeling it through the door. “So you say...” As they walked through the now less-than-pristine corridors, his calm, calculating voice slowly seeped through the monkey’s thick skull. “Yet the simple fact that you seek me out, night after night, instead of finding a nice ditch to die in shows that deep down, you still want to live.”
“Oooo... Ahhh...”
The doctor easily deflected the lousy lie. “That is just the alcohol and self-loathing talking.” ...He had definitely spent far too much time around this monkey.
Before long, they all arrived in a private operating room tucked away in the back of the building. Richard had already done his preliminary assessment along the way. Old habits did die hard, after all.
The good news was that the patient was durable. This was nothing that a stomach pump and painkillers couldn’t fix. Efficient and relatively cheap.
However, the bad news was that the durability only extended to the physical body. Like all young delinquents, this monkey had an ego about as sturdy as an eggshell. Piecing it back together was beyond even his surgical skills.
However...
He did know a guy...
Calling an intern over, the doctor jotted down a name. He handed over the paper to a pimply-faced girl. “Ask the receptionist to call this man and tell him to bring his full kit. Our patient is in desperate need of a specialist.”
The intern adjusted her thick glasses and gave the paper a puzzled look. She didn’t recognize the name, even though she had studied so hard to learn the names of every doctor working here. “Is he, like, a super special surgeon or something?” She asked cautiously.
Richard stroked his chin absent-mindedly. His thoughts were already elsewhere. “Hm, in a manner of speaking, I suppose... He is...” A deep shudder trailed down his spine. The last word was only a whisper.
“A barber.”
Words: 838
Total: 1392 / 5 000
________________________________________________________
Wanted Dead or Alive: Richard 'Plague Rat' Maxwell
- Goldmonger
[tracker=/t1979-dax-morgan#10865]
Name : Dax Morgan
Epithet : Goldmonger
Age : 25
Height : 6'5"
Weight : 250
Species/Tribe : Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Shichibukai (Future)
Crew : Gold | Works
Ship : Cleopatra
Devil Fruit : Goru Goru no Mi
Bounty : [ber=r] 27,900,000
Quality Score : S
Income Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies); +0.11 (from turf)
Shop Discount : -25%
Crew Pool : [bel=u] 251,075,000
Balance : [bel] 0
[[hardboiled]][[berryprinter]]
[[ancientzoan]]x2[[logia]][[firstaidkit]]
Turf : [turf=/t353-turf-details-rubeck-island#1168]Rubeck Island[/turf]
Posts : 235
Re: [Episode] Fear and Loathing in Las Costas
Tue Oct 22, 2024 10:26 pm1934 hours Backstage at the Golden Imp | Las Costas | Rubeck
Cuzco swaggered out from the shadow of his dressing room door, giving his collar a flick as he rounded the corner. Time seemed to slow as the sea of stage crew workers split in two, their faces left in shock and awe.
The world was his oyster, the king had risen once more, "I heard it was the third time this week..." They spoke in hushed tones as he passed by, his name forever on their lips. Such was the curse of the beloved, fame and fortune were plenty yes. But none knew despair like those at the top.
For all the admirers a shining star has, there will be just as many who are too blinded by its brilliance, unable to see the truth.
"Don't forget about last week too, what's that four more..?"
"...Pretty much every show..."
"..Do you think we should do something...?..."
Let them chirp he thought, his head is held too high and his ego was too proud to pay any mind to what insects say. They could gossip all they wanted, he reveled in it. Long had it been since he found himself the center of such attention.
"Mr. Cash, for tonight's show..." The manager ran his finger along the paper, "Mr. Cash... Mr. Cash...! Are you listening..?"
"Huh, what now..?" Cuzco snapped back, his attention focused on a group of reporters gathered in the corner. "Yeah, yeah, I got it, the show tonight... Yeah.." And like that, he was gone.
"Aye, there pretty thang.." The king melted into the wall next to her, "Now, where did you come from..?" His voice shifted dramatically from the nervous blubbering most were accustomed to, leaning in close, he took a deep inhale of one of her pigtails. "This shampoo, it suits you.."
Her golden hair fell out of his hoof lock by lock, "Mmmm, like golden silk..." She shrunk back in a respectful disgust as he leaned in closer.
"Ahem...! Mr. Cash!" The manager shouted back, "The stage."
"Yeah, yeah." Cuzco waved him off as his eyes peeked out from behind the shades. "So uhh, how old are ya...?" Pausing for a moment as his eyes drifted to a pair of bare legs peeking out from a skirt. "Ya know what, who cares."
"You!" Cuzco shouted to what he considered a bug, "This one." He pointed to the girl before giving her a wet kiss on the forehead. "See ya later, baby..! Right now, I gotta rock..!"
"Mr. Cash...!"
"Yeah, I'm fucking coming..!" The mink turned to take his leave before shouting back once more, "I want her in my room ready to go after the show..!"
"Uhh.." The stagehand glanced at the terrified girl and then back at the aggressive rockstar, "Y-Yeah.. I got it, yeah.."
"Mr. Cash!"
"I said I'm fucking coming...!" Slamming his fist through the drywall, "Goddamit, I'm fucking coming." Blood and bone suffered but no pain was felt.
The air fell silent as he collected stares and tension, "C'mon! Lighten up!" Cuzco shouted with a smile, "Let's fucking go, yeah?!"
"WOOOOOO...!!!" Grabbing the face of the nearest crew member with his bloodied hand and screaming in his face. "You feel it right?! Yeah, Jerry fuckin feels it!!"
His name is not Jerry, it is Stephen and he hates his job but it pays the bills. Now that he is wiping Cuzco's bodily fluid off his face, he is reconsidering if it's worth it.
Meanwhile, on stage, Rico stood at the forefront taking it all in, staring at the back of the heavy cloth curtain that split them from the rabid roar of the fans. "Heh, who'd have thought this would be my night, eh? Lady Luck she is forever on my side. Hohohohoho...~" Basking in victory as put the final adjustments on his guitar.
"No more second fiddle, eh?" He mumbled to his guitar, a beautiful deep purple with a gloss finish that looked like it was polished every day. His fingers plucked the strings one by one as they each gave a quiet hum.
"Are you boys ready to pla-...?!" Spit flew from his mouth as Cuzco's hoof sent three teeth rattling across the stage floor.
"Hit the fuckin road jack..!" The mink snarled, picking up the beautiful guitar and taking a huge bite out of it. "And don'tcha come back no more...!
The mink's crazed drug-fueled eyes peeked out from behind the glasses as he chomped on the guitar like a piece of jerky, they rippled with blood-red veins and a milky veil. A haze that seemed to cover his very soul. His cheeks grew bigger and bigger as the debris collected into a cud.
Rico held his bloodied mouth and looked to the other band members for help. Though they pretended as if nothing happened, their eyes never once drifted from their own preparation.
"What?! Them?!" Cuzco pointed to the pair of minks on keyboard and bass, twin brothers named Fric and Frac Boone. "Them country boys ain't good for nothin but music and they fuckin know it."
"They know they got me to thank for all they got too." He towered over a quivering Rico, "Something you should've fuckin known."
"Now like, again jack, why don'tcha hit that fuckin road..?" He gave a nod to the exit to the left of the stage. "And don't let me catch ya comin back through that door."
Wharf Security | Las Costas | Rubeck
"Oi, Boss..!" Shohei shouted, "Looks like there's some chick here for ya."
" Some chick?" Kazu shouted as he inspected a freshly picked boogie, "Tell em I'm too busy, eh?"
"Busy with what?" Koji snickered, "All you do is sit there and mine for gold all day."
"Kishishishishi...!" Ichiro burst out, "Yeah, ever since the Big Boss took over, there really haven't been any security issues."
"Right, we haven't had shit else to do, might as well hear her out right?" Koji spoke up once more, this time with the rare absence of sarcasm in his voice.
"Ugggghhhh..." Kazu moaned as he flicked away the booger. "Fine, bring the bitch in."
"Oi, come on in." Shohei opened the door to reveal the intern had been standing there the entire time.
"Wha..?!" Kazu barked, "Sho you fuckin idiot!" His face was bright red with embarrassment as he noticed the scrub-clad girl. Her thick-rimmed glasses and heavy-duty lenses looked like they weighed more than she did.
"So, who the fuck are ya, eh nerd?"
"Be careful.." Koji whispered, "With goggles like those she might have X-ray vision!"
Casino Floor Golden Imp Casino | Las Costas | Rubeck
Dax stood unscathed as he held the battered boar of a man by his wrist as the rest of his titanic limp body lay across the marble floor. "Tch." Tossing the trash aside.
"Someone get that worthless security down here and get this shit cleaned up, eh?!" Barking orders as he cleaned the blood from his golden hand with a handkerchief he pulled from his jacket pocket. It was pink with yellow daisies decorating the border.
"And ya know what, get me a fuckin drink while you're at it." He glanced over at his recently deceased employee. "I'd offer ya one but ya know, OH! Wait! Bring me two, I'm gonna pour one out for the homie!"
WC 1,228/3,343/5,000
Cuzco swaggered out from the shadow of his dressing room door, giving his collar a flick as he rounded the corner. Time seemed to slow as the sea of stage crew workers split in two, their faces left in shock and awe.
The world was his oyster, the king had risen once more, "I heard it was the third time this week..." They spoke in hushed tones as he passed by, his name forever on their lips. Such was the curse of the beloved, fame and fortune were plenty yes. But none knew despair like those at the top.
For all the admirers a shining star has, there will be just as many who are too blinded by its brilliance, unable to see the truth.
"Don't forget about last week too, what's that four more..?"
"...Pretty much every show..."
"..Do you think we should do something...?..."
Let them chirp he thought, his head is held too high and his ego was too proud to pay any mind to what insects say. They could gossip all they wanted, he reveled in it. Long had it been since he found himself the center of such attention.
"Mr. Cash, for tonight's show..." The manager ran his finger along the paper, "Mr. Cash... Mr. Cash...! Are you listening..?"
"Huh, what now..?" Cuzco snapped back, his attention focused on a group of reporters gathered in the corner. "Yeah, yeah, I got it, the show tonight... Yeah.." And like that, he was gone.
"Aye, there pretty thang.." The king melted into the wall next to her, "Now, where did you come from..?" His voice shifted dramatically from the nervous blubbering most were accustomed to, leaning in close, he took a deep inhale of one of her pigtails. "This shampoo, it suits you.."
Her golden hair fell out of his hoof lock by lock, "Mmmm, like golden silk..." She shrunk back in a respectful disgust as he leaned in closer.
"Ahem...! Mr. Cash!" The manager shouted back, "The stage."
"Yeah, yeah." Cuzco waved him off as his eyes peeked out from behind the shades. "So uhh, how old are ya...?" Pausing for a moment as his eyes drifted to a pair of bare legs peeking out from a skirt. "Ya know what, who cares."
"You!" Cuzco shouted to what he considered a bug, "This one." He pointed to the girl before giving her a wet kiss on the forehead. "See ya later, baby..! Right now, I gotta rock..!"
"Mr. Cash...!"
"Yeah, I'm fucking coming..!" The mink turned to take his leave before shouting back once more, "I want her in my room ready to go after the show..!"
"Uhh.." The stagehand glanced at the terrified girl and then back at the aggressive rockstar, "Y-Yeah.. I got it, yeah.."
"Mr. Cash!"
"I said I'm fucking coming...!" Slamming his fist through the drywall, "Goddamit, I'm fucking coming." Blood and bone suffered but no pain was felt.
The air fell silent as he collected stares and tension, "C'mon! Lighten up!" Cuzco shouted with a smile, "Let's fucking go, yeah?!"
"WOOOOOO...!!!" Grabbing the face of the nearest crew member with his bloodied hand and screaming in his face. "You feel it right?! Yeah, Jerry fuckin feels it!!"
His name is not Jerry, it is Stephen and he hates his job but it pays the bills. Now that he is wiping Cuzco's bodily fluid off his face, he is reconsidering if it's worth it.
Meanwhile, on stage, Rico stood at the forefront taking it all in, staring at the back of the heavy cloth curtain that split them from the rabid roar of the fans. "Heh, who'd have thought this would be my night, eh? Lady Luck she is forever on my side. Hohohohoho...~" Basking in victory as put the final adjustments on his guitar.
"No more second fiddle, eh?" He mumbled to his guitar, a beautiful deep purple with a gloss finish that looked like it was polished every day. His fingers plucked the strings one by one as they each gave a quiet hum.
"Are you boys ready to pla-...?!" Spit flew from his mouth as Cuzco's hoof sent three teeth rattling across the stage floor.
"Hit the fuckin road jack..!" The mink snarled, picking up the beautiful guitar and taking a huge bite out of it. "And don'tcha come back no more...!
The mink's crazed drug-fueled eyes peeked out from behind the glasses as he chomped on the guitar like a piece of jerky, they rippled with blood-red veins and a milky veil. A haze that seemed to cover his very soul. His cheeks grew bigger and bigger as the debris collected into a cud.
Rico held his bloodied mouth and looked to the other band members for help. Though they pretended as if nothing happened, their eyes never once drifted from their own preparation.
"What?! Them?!" Cuzco pointed to the pair of minks on keyboard and bass, twin brothers named Fric and Frac Boone. "Them country boys ain't good for nothin but music and they fuckin know it."
"They know they got me to thank for all they got too." He towered over a quivering Rico, "Something you should've fuckin known."
"Now like, again jack, why don'tcha hit that fuckin road..?" He gave a nod to the exit to the left of the stage. "And don't let me catch ya comin back through that door."
Wharf Security | Las Costas | Rubeck
"Oi, Boss..!" Shohei shouted, "Looks like there's some chick here for ya."
" Some chick?" Kazu shouted as he inspected a freshly picked boogie, "Tell em I'm too busy, eh?"
"Busy with what?" Koji snickered, "All you do is sit there and mine for gold all day."
"Kishishishishi...!" Ichiro burst out, "Yeah, ever since the Big Boss took over, there really haven't been any security issues."
"Right, we haven't had shit else to do, might as well hear her out right?" Koji spoke up once more, this time with the rare absence of sarcasm in his voice.
"Ugggghhhh..." Kazu moaned as he flicked away the booger. "Fine, bring the bitch in."
"Oi, come on in." Shohei opened the door to reveal the intern had been standing there the entire time.
"Wha..?!" Kazu barked, "Sho you fuckin idiot!" His face was bright red with embarrassment as he noticed the scrub-clad girl. Her thick-rimmed glasses and heavy-duty lenses looked like they weighed more than she did.
"So, who the fuck are ya, eh nerd?"
"Be careful.." Koji whispered, "With goggles like those she might have X-ray vision!"
Casino Floor Golden Imp Casino | Las Costas | Rubeck
Dax stood unscathed as he held the battered boar of a man by his wrist as the rest of his titanic limp body lay across the marble floor. "Tch." Tossing the trash aside.
"Someone get that worthless security down here and get this shit cleaned up, eh?!" Barking orders as he cleaned the blood from his golden hand with a handkerchief he pulled from his jacket pocket. It was pink with yellow daisies decorating the border.
"And ya know what, get me a fuckin drink while you're at it." He glanced over at his recently deceased employee. "I'd offer ya one but ya know, OH! Wait! Bring me two, I'm gonna pour one out for the homie!"
WC 1,228/3,343/5,000
- Maxwell
[tracker=/t139-richard-maxwell#516]
Name : Richard Maxwell
Epithet : Plague Rat
Age : 49
Height : 6'0" / 183 cm
Weight : 160 lbs. / 73 kg
Species/Tribe : Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Supernova
Bounty : [bel=r] 243,000,000
Quality Score : S+
Income Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies); +0.11 (from turf)
Shop Discount : -10%
Balance : [bel] 2,204,829,125
[[bookworm]][[firstaidkit]][[berryprinter]]
[[identitytheft]][[identitytheft]][[improviseadaptovercome]][[logia]]
Turf : [turf=/t353-turf-details-rubeck-island#1168]Rubeck Island[/turf]
Posts : 320
Re: [Episode] Fear and Loathing in Las Costas
Thu Oct 24, 2024 2:07 pmDeep breaths... That was the mantra running through the head of the meek intern, as she shuffled along the streets of Las Costas. She had a name, you know... No one cared to remember it, though, since she was a nobody. Just another masked intern.
It was one thing to deliver a note to the receptionist. That the intern could do. Easy. It was an entirely another thing to get laughed at and told, in no uncertain terms, to ‘go get the bastard yourself’. That was... A little worrying, to be honest...
Now, the fresh-faced student didn’t want to be ungrateful, no sir. She just felt that maybe this was beyond her pay grade. Granted, she wasn’t really being paid anything in the first place... Aside from free food and lodging... Which was nice and really hard to come by around these parts and and... Was she being ungrateful right now? Sorry, she thought, apologizing to no one in particular.
Even through the door, the trembling girl could hear the b-word being tossed around like a bouncy ball. She took more deep breaths. Anxiety bounded in the back of her skull like a hammer. This really was beyond her pay grade. She wanted to go home and drown her anxiety in ice cream. Andthedeepbreathsweredoingnothinghelp!
As the door opened, the poor intern was as wide-eyed as a mouse in front of a lion. She squeaked something incoherent in response to the rude question. Her heavy hyperventilation was starting to fog up her glasses. Before she even realized it, the taller man was looming over him like a menacing beast.
“Huuuh? I can’t hear you, nerd!”
The sheer panic was enough to squeeze a single sensible sentence out of the panicking girl. “Um-uh-er-m-mister... I mean... T-the Chief of Medicine a-asked me to g-get you, uh, mister Kazu s-sir?” A stammering, stumbling sentence, but a sentence nonetheless.
Kazu’s eye twitched with growing annoyance. “...Who the fuck is Chef Medicine?” If there was one thing he hated, it was decidedly unsexy chicks wasting his time with nonsense. He was in the middle of some important treasure digging business here!
Peering from the background, Koji pondered out loud. “Isn’t that what the weird suit guy calls himself nowadays? Maxsomething?” The Warf Security and the big doctor guy didn’t exactly run in the same circles for some reason...
Shrinking back, the quivering mess tried her hardest not to cry. It wasn’t working. “He, uh, s-said that you should b-bring your full kit...? Not sure what that means, b-but it sounded important, so... P-please...?” A strangled sob lodged itself in her throat. She really wanted to go home...
This time, something else twitched. It was Kazu’s curious ear. “Hol’ up. Hol’ up, hol’ up, hooool’ up!” He called out in rhythm like a kabuki performer. “You tellin’ me ol’ rat face said that?” Behind that rough visage, the imaginary gears started turning.
As the punk barber stopped to stroke his chin, his mind took a running start and performed a beautiful leap to conclusions. “Full kit, eh? That can only mean... He’s finally realized the style and power of the pomp! Heh heh heh... And now he wants another round from the best barber around!” Ten out of ten. The crowd went wild.
Strutting over to what most would call a weapon cabinet, the young man retrieved his most prized possession... “Hi there, beautiful...” The kit that had secured his title as the best barber on this entire island, no, the whole sea. Inside it, the equipment clinked and rattled, as he hoisted it over his shoulder. Heh... It was getting as excited as he was, he could tell.
Purupurupuru...
Purupurupuru...
Purupurupuru...
Kazu’s excitement deflated like a wet pompadour. He dug out a small snail and answered with an annoyed bark. “Whadda ya want?! Huh?! Uh huh... Uh huh... Again? Right... Right... Yeah, we’ll be right there...” With a click and a defeated sigh, he shut the line. Man, was this the worst timing or what?
Looking genuinely apologetic, the punk turned to the geeky girl. “Sorry, nerd, but I can’t come with you. We gotta go clean up at the casino.” Which was not his preference, but there was a pecking order here and he wasn’t going to argue with the rooster who had the biggest beak.
When it started looking like the shaky nerd might actually cry, though, the kind-hearted delinquent grimaced. There was nothing cool about making a girl cry. “Hey, er, go ask Hina for help.” He offered hurriedly. “Pretty sure she can figure something out. She’s real smart.” With a reassuring pat, which was more awkward than anything, he sent the visitor away.
The intern, who still had a name you know, shambled back down the street like a zombie. Her supposedly simple task had just gotten a whole lot more complicated. Talking to a scary delinquent was one thing... And it was an entirely different thing to go talk to the mayor of Las Costas. She really, really, really wanted to go home...!
Words: 842
Total: 2234 / 5 000
It was one thing to deliver a note to the receptionist. That the intern could do. Easy. It was an entirely another thing to get laughed at and told, in no uncertain terms, to ‘go get the bastard yourself’. That was... A little worrying, to be honest...
Now, the fresh-faced student didn’t want to be ungrateful, no sir. She just felt that maybe this was beyond her pay grade. Granted, she wasn’t really being paid anything in the first place... Aside from free food and lodging... Which was nice and really hard to come by around these parts and and... Was she being ungrateful right now? Sorry, she thought, apologizing to no one in particular.
Even through the door, the trembling girl could hear the b-word being tossed around like a bouncy ball. She took more deep breaths. Anxiety bounded in the back of her skull like a hammer. This really was beyond her pay grade. She wanted to go home and drown her anxiety in ice cream. Andthedeepbreathsweredoingnothinghelp!
As the door opened, the poor intern was as wide-eyed as a mouse in front of a lion. She squeaked something incoherent in response to the rude question. Her heavy hyperventilation was starting to fog up her glasses. Before she even realized it, the taller man was looming over him like a menacing beast.
“Huuuh? I can’t hear you, nerd!”
The sheer panic was enough to squeeze a single sensible sentence out of the panicking girl. “Um-uh-er-m-mister... I mean... T-the Chief of Medicine a-asked me to g-get you, uh, mister Kazu s-sir?” A stammering, stumbling sentence, but a sentence nonetheless.
Kazu’s eye twitched with growing annoyance. “...Who the fuck is Chef Medicine?” If there was one thing he hated, it was decidedly unsexy chicks wasting his time with nonsense. He was in the middle of some important treasure digging business here!
Peering from the background, Koji pondered out loud. “Isn’t that what the weird suit guy calls himself nowadays? Maxsomething?” The Warf Security and the big doctor guy didn’t exactly run in the same circles for some reason...
Shrinking back, the quivering mess tried her hardest not to cry. It wasn’t working. “He, uh, s-said that you should b-bring your full kit...? Not sure what that means, b-but it sounded important, so... P-please...?” A strangled sob lodged itself in her throat. She really wanted to go home...
This time, something else twitched. It was Kazu’s curious ear. “Hol’ up. Hol’ up, hol’ up, hooool’ up!” He called out in rhythm like a kabuki performer. “You tellin’ me ol’ rat face said that?” Behind that rough visage, the imaginary gears started turning.
As the punk barber stopped to stroke his chin, his mind took a running start and performed a beautiful leap to conclusions. “Full kit, eh? That can only mean... He’s finally realized the style and power of the pomp! Heh heh heh... And now he wants another round from the best barber around!” Ten out of ten. The crowd went wild.
Strutting over to what most would call a weapon cabinet, the young man retrieved his most prized possession... “Hi there, beautiful...” The kit that had secured his title as the best barber on this entire island, no, the whole sea. Inside it, the equipment clinked and rattled, as he hoisted it over his shoulder. Heh... It was getting as excited as he was, he could tell.
Purupurupuru...
Purupurupuru...
Purupurupuru...
Kazu’s excitement deflated like a wet pompadour. He dug out a small snail and answered with an annoyed bark. “Whadda ya want?! Huh?! Uh huh... Uh huh... Again? Right... Right... Yeah, we’ll be right there...” With a click and a defeated sigh, he shut the line. Man, was this the worst timing or what?
Looking genuinely apologetic, the punk turned to the geeky girl. “Sorry, nerd, but I can’t come with you. We gotta go clean up at the casino.” Which was not his preference, but there was a pecking order here and he wasn’t going to argue with the rooster who had the biggest beak.
When it started looking like the shaky nerd might actually cry, though, the kind-hearted delinquent grimaced. There was nothing cool about making a girl cry. “Hey, er, go ask Hina for help.” He offered hurriedly. “Pretty sure she can figure something out. She’s real smart.” With a reassuring pat, which was more awkward than anything, he sent the visitor away.
The intern, who still had a name you know, shambled back down the street like a zombie. Her supposedly simple task had just gotten a whole lot more complicated. Talking to a scary delinquent was one thing... And it was an entirely different thing to go talk to the mayor of Las Costas. She really, really, really wanted to go home...!
Words: 842
Total: 2234 / 5 000
________________________________________________________
Wanted Dead or Alive: Richard 'Plague Rat' Maxwell
- Goldmonger
[tracker=/t1979-dax-morgan#10865]
Name : Dax Morgan
Epithet : Goldmonger
Age : 25
Height : 6'5"
Weight : 250
Species/Tribe : Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Shichibukai (Future)
Crew : Gold | Works
Ship : Cleopatra
Devil Fruit : Goru Goru no Mi
Bounty : [ber=r] 27,900,000
Quality Score : S
Income Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies); +0.11 (from turf)
Shop Discount : -25%
Crew Pool : [bel=u] 251,075,000
Balance : [bel] 0
[[hardboiled]][[berryprinter]]
[[ancientzoan]]x2[[logia]][[firstaidkit]]
Turf : [turf=/t353-turf-details-rubeck-island#1168]Rubeck Island[/turf]
Posts : 235
Re: [Episode] Fear and Loathing in Las Costas
Mon Nov 04, 2024 2:30 pm1947 hours | Golden Imp Concert Hall | Las Costas | Rubeck
A rhythmic tap quieted the crowds as it grew louder every passing second; the wooden sticks striking the drum echoed through the speakers.
"Wait...Shhh..." The words repeated like wildfire as they spread through the crowd.
The drumroll was slow and steady, yet it resonated with the tension in the air and frustration in their hearts, fueled by the anarchy of anticipation.
When sweat beads fell, teeth were grit, and only when the music matched the hearts beating out of the crowd's chests. That's when all sound was cut. Like a mistress in the night, the crowd felt nothing but a sullen silence left in her wake.
Tsst...tsssstssts.....tss... The record scratched as it was qued, "tsst....Bright light city....sssst" A soft baritone voice sang, "...tss....Gonna set my soul...."
"On Fireeee~"
Silent and confused, the crowd held their ground with white knuckles and readied fists. The concert hall was dark and the thick curtain hung across the stage motionless as the music played over the speakers.
"...Got a whole lotta money...~"
"..tssst...That's ready to burn-...burn.....Tsssst"
"..Burn..."
"Burn......Burn-Burn-Burn....Tssst"
Buuuuuuurrrrrrrnnnnn....tzzzzt...!" The skipping record went deep and garbled before it suddenly cut out.
"YYYYYEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOWWWWW.....!!!"
"ARE YOU FUCKERS READY FOR THIS....?!!?"
The crowd went wild.
"I CAN'T FUCKING......~!!!"
"HEAR YOU????!!!"
"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH....!" The crowd roared intensely as flames shot from the stage and smoke poured in from the walls.
Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun. The bass drum thudded as lights began to strobe as a rainbow of lasers danced with the rhythm of the drums. A pick could be heard dancing across the metal chords of an electric guitar as the rift screamed through the speakers.
"...Momma~!!!" Cuzco screamed as the curtain burst into flames, burning away to reveal the band.
"Rockin' on the Wheel....~!!"
"Momma she grabbed my hand...~!!!"
"When I was gonna die..~!!" He threw his body across the stage, his voice inflection matching the aggression of his movements.
The crowd was a moshing mass of writhing parts that screamed along and seemed to worship the ground the mink walked on.
"And she looked at me and said...~!! Child I ain't never seen ya around~!!"
"But Im'a tell ya just one thing~!"
"Oh yeah~! A one-legged man, he was a jack of hearts..~"
"He had a queen with diamonds and an ace of gold up his sleeve~!"
"He said lemme tell ya~!!"
"Ohhhhh~!! I got the plan, Ohhhhh~!! I got the plan."
"Momma, she gave me her blessing...~!!" Spotting a beautiful girl in the crowd, Cuzco leaned down and grabbed her hand as he sang. The girls next to her grabbed and scrapped at her desperately just for their chance to reach the rockstar.
"Momma....~" Cuzco's inflection grew quiet and somber for a moment before a newfound intensity set in. One that seemed to echo his backstage escapades more than the rockstar that had been behind the curtain.
The crowd was frozen as they all seemed to echo the same energy as the unhinged musician. Eerie smiles, bloodshot eyes, and pupils the size of dinner plates. No one here was sound of mind.
The Boone brothers nodded to each other as they gently placed down their instruments and backed away from the lead singer. Doing their best to avoid any sudden movements or sounds.
".....FUCKKKKK!!!!" Cuzco shouted as he launched the microphone into the wall, the collision causing an unbearable screeching sound.
"Do it..!" The crowd muttered.
"Do it..!!!"
"Do it..! Do it..!!!" They began to chant, "Do it!! Do it!!! DO IT!! DO IT!!!"
Cuzco turned the crowd, mirroring the drug-fueled eyes of the crowd in his own as he ripped his shades off. "YOU FUCKS WANT IT THAT FUCKIN BAD, LIKE, YEAH?!?! YOU REALLY WANT IT?!! OKAY MAN!!!"
"I'LL LET YA'LL FUCKIN HAVE IT!!! YEEEOOOOOOOWWW!!!"
Slobber flung from his gaping maw as his jagged buck teeth carved through the wooden stage floor like it was a pancake. Not one to stop at a single bite, Cuzco acted like the concert hall was an all-you-can-eat buffet. Devouring the instruments along with everything else.
He pulled out a vile from his pocket and immediately snorted the contents up his nose, "Oooooh yeaaaah...!!" He moaned without missing a beat in his rampage.
Something the crowd took upon themselves to mimic as they descended further into madness. Thousands of concertgoers have descended into a drug-fueled, madness-induced, blood-filled, mosh pit straight outta hell.
Cuzco refocused himself on the chaos before himself, he was the star and of course, the show must go on. With an ugly and jagged, yellow-toothed smile he couldn't help but think this was where he truly belonged.
His tongue shifted to a microphone and his shoulder speakers, he pulled his fur into guitar chords and his chest into a drum. This is what they came for, the one mink show that is Cuzco Cash. They came to see the Party Animal and that's what they are gonna get.
"YEEEEOOOOOWWWWW MOMMA...~!!!"
"Momma she made us stronger, she made us better...~!"
"Together with that one-legged stranger and his golden ace...~!!"
WC 847/4,190/5,000
A rhythmic tap quieted the crowds as it grew louder every passing second; the wooden sticks striking the drum echoed through the speakers.
"Wait...Shhh..." The words repeated like wildfire as they spread through the crowd.
The drumroll was slow and steady, yet it resonated with the tension in the air and frustration in their hearts, fueled by the anarchy of anticipation.
When sweat beads fell, teeth were grit, and only when the music matched the hearts beating out of the crowd's chests. That's when all sound was cut. Like a mistress in the night, the crowd felt nothing but a sullen silence left in her wake.
Tsst...tsssstssts.....tss... The record scratched as it was qued, "tsst....Bright light city....sssst" A soft baritone voice sang, "...tss....Gonna set my soul...."
"On Fireeee~"
Silent and confused, the crowd held their ground with white knuckles and readied fists. The concert hall was dark and the thick curtain hung across the stage motionless as the music played over the speakers.
"...Got a whole lotta money...~"
"..tssst...That's ready to burn-...burn.....Tsssst"
"..Burn..."
"Burn......Burn-Burn-Burn....Tssst"
Buuuuuuurrrrrrrnnnnn....tzzzzt...!" The skipping record went deep and garbled before it suddenly cut out.
"YYYYYEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOWWWWW.....!!!"
"ARE YOU FUCKERS READY FOR THIS....?!!?"
The crowd went wild.
"I CAN'T FUCKING......~!!!"
"HEAR YOU????!!!"
"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH....!" The crowd roared intensely as flames shot from the stage and smoke poured in from the walls.
Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun. The bass drum thudded as lights began to strobe as a rainbow of lasers danced with the rhythm of the drums. A pick could be heard dancing across the metal chords of an electric guitar as the rift screamed through the speakers.
"...Momma~!!!" Cuzco screamed as the curtain burst into flames, burning away to reveal the band.
"Rockin' on the Wheel....~!!"
"Momma she grabbed my hand...~!!!"
"When I was gonna die..~!!" He threw his body across the stage, his voice inflection matching the aggression of his movements.
The crowd was a moshing mass of writhing parts that screamed along and seemed to worship the ground the mink walked on.
"And she looked at me and said...~!! Child I ain't never seen ya around~!!"
"But Im'a tell ya just one thing~!"
"Oh yeah~! A one-legged man, he was a jack of hearts..~"
"He had a queen with diamonds and an ace of gold up his sleeve~!"
"He said lemme tell ya~!!"
"Ohhhhh~!! I got the plan, Ohhhhh~!! I got the plan."
"Momma, she gave me her blessing...~!!" Spotting a beautiful girl in the crowd, Cuzco leaned down and grabbed her hand as he sang. The girls next to her grabbed and scrapped at her desperately just for their chance to reach the rockstar.
"Momma....~" Cuzco's inflection grew quiet and somber for a moment before a newfound intensity set in. One that seemed to echo his backstage escapades more than the rockstar that had been behind the curtain.
The crowd was frozen as they all seemed to echo the same energy as the unhinged musician. Eerie smiles, bloodshot eyes, and pupils the size of dinner plates. No one here was sound of mind.
The Boone brothers nodded to each other as they gently placed down their instruments and backed away from the lead singer. Doing their best to avoid any sudden movements or sounds.
".....FUCKKKKK!!!!" Cuzco shouted as he launched the microphone into the wall, the collision causing an unbearable screeching sound.
"Do it..!" The crowd muttered.
"Do it..!!!"
"Do it..! Do it..!!!" They began to chant, "Do it!! Do it!!! DO IT!! DO IT!!!"
Cuzco turned the crowd, mirroring the drug-fueled eyes of the crowd in his own as he ripped his shades off. "YOU FUCKS WANT IT THAT FUCKIN BAD, LIKE, YEAH?!?! YOU REALLY WANT IT?!! OKAY MAN!!!"
"I'LL LET YA'LL FUCKIN HAVE IT!!! YEEEOOOOOOOWWW!!!"
Slobber flung from his gaping maw as his jagged buck teeth carved through the wooden stage floor like it was a pancake. Not one to stop at a single bite, Cuzco acted like the concert hall was an all-you-can-eat buffet. Devouring the instruments along with everything else.
He pulled out a vile from his pocket and immediately snorted the contents up his nose, "Oooooh yeaaaah...!!" He moaned without missing a beat in his rampage.
Something the crowd took upon themselves to mimic as they descended further into madness. Thousands of concertgoers have descended into a drug-fueled, madness-induced, blood-filled, mosh pit straight outta hell.
Cuzco refocused himself on the chaos before himself, he was the star and of course, the show must go on. With an ugly and jagged, yellow-toothed smile he couldn't help but think this was where he truly belonged.
His tongue shifted to a microphone and his shoulder speakers, he pulled his fur into guitar chords and his chest into a drum. This is what they came for, the one mink show that is Cuzco Cash. They came to see the Party Animal and that's what they are gonna get.
"YEEEEOOOOOWWWWW MOMMA...~!!!"
"Momma she made us stronger, she made us better...~!"
"Together with that one-legged stranger and his golden ace...~!!"
WC 847/4,190/5,000
- Maxwell
[tracker=/t139-richard-maxwell#516]
Name : Richard Maxwell
Epithet : Plague Rat
Age : 49
Height : 6'0" / 183 cm
Weight : 160 lbs. / 73 kg
Species/Tribe : Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Supernova
Bounty : [bel=r] 243,000,000
Quality Score : S+
Income Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies); +0.11 (from turf)
Shop Discount : -10%
Balance : [bel] 2,204,829,125
[[bookworm]][[firstaidkit]][[berryprinter]]
[[identitytheft]][[identitytheft]][[improviseadaptovercome]][[logia]]
Turf : [turf=/t353-turf-details-rubeck-island#1168]Rubeck Island[/turf]
Posts : 320
Re: [Episode] Fear and Loathing in Las Costas
Tue Nov 05, 2024 8:29 amMayor Hina, like many of the big players of Las Costas, was an important and terribly busy person. Much too important for just anyone to march into her office unannounced. Doubly so for a mere shaky, little intern. In order to do something so audacious, you needed...
A rat.
Richard stalked darker streets, heading away from the strip and towards the eastern corner of the island. He was like a shadow in the misting rain. It was his element.
Behind the lanky man scurried the poor intern. She kept nearly tripping over her feet, as she constantly glanced around. This was, decidedly, not her element.
Honestly, the frail girl was desperately trying to figure out why she was even here. Instead of going to the mayor (or heading home), she had gotten cold feet and meekly retreated back to the clinic. Telling the chief was the least scary option. Against all expectations, she had been invited to join him, as he went to talk to the mayor himself. Little did she know that she had a very important role in the upcoming meeting...
As a meat shield.
Richard held no illusions about the mayor’s opinion towards him. It was a mutual understanding that neither side trusted or, frankly, liked the other. However, he needed her to at least hear him out. Even if he happened to catch her in a bad mood, he was quite confident she wouldn’t punch someone wearing glasses. Hence... Meat shield.
Beneath the polite smile, however, the doctor was quietly fuming. It felt like everyone was out to get him tonight. First, that monkey made a proper mess in his brand new clinic. Then the delinquent refused to help, citing some cheap excuse. In fact, if you think about it, this was all that pompous barber’s fault in the first place... If he just hadn’t challenged the monkey...
Pushing the thoughts aside, the rat snuck past the main entrance. His stride took him over to the staff door tucked away behind the building. With a click, the door yielded to a key he wasn’t supposed to have. Much easier to convince a door and a doorman, you know.
Finding Hina was the easy part. You just had to step into her office and dig through the pile of paperwork. Her head would pop out eventually. Talking to the girl, though... That part the crook had never quite gotten down...
“Good evening, Ms. Mayor.”
“Plague Rat.” Came the curt reply. “What do you want?”
Straight to the business, then. Made it so much easier. “As you may have heard, that mountain monkey, Jiro, has been... Rather destructive, lately.” Had to keep it polite. Clean. She liked those.
Hina, for her part, didn’t even glance up from her paperwork. “Mmhm. I’ve heard. He has been stirring up trouble pretty much every night. Scaring my people witless.”
So far so good, Richard told himself. Any conversation where she didn’t threaten to fling him off the nearest cliff was a good one. “Right, right... And I have been patching him up...” He adjusted his collar idly. “But treating the symptoms won’t cure the disease. So I was wondering if you could...” Take him off my hands and let me get back to my business, he wanted to say, but decided against it.
The mayor’s pen stopped. She glanced up from the paper. “Take him off your hands and let you get back to your business.” It came with a cadence of someone who knew the man’s habits all too well by now.
“I wasn’t thinking that.” Richard lied.
“Yes, you were.” Hina shot back.
Before the doctor could start a childish bout of ‘nuh uh - yuh huh’, the smart girl got up from her desk. “Look, even if I weren’t too busy, I couldn’t help you.” Circling around, she walked over to him. “He came to you because he needs you specifically.” Her keen gaze sized up the man. “You are his white whale.”
Richard cocked a curious brow. “Hm, never figured you for the bookish type.”
Hina frowned. “You’re avoiding the topic.”
The rat raised his palms defensively. “You wound me, Ms. Mayor.” Hand to his heart, he tried to explain with something vaguely resembling honesty. “I have a treatment plan, medication and all. The problem is finding the right people to treat him.”
However, the girl was wise beyond her years. “So, drugs and babysitters?” She took after her later father, after all. “That’s not a plan.” She pressed.
“You’re just running away.”
It felt like the line left an echo in the air. Words held power. That single sentence tossed the doctor back decades. His eyes widened. The casino around him vanished, replaced by a cozy, little bar somewhere far away. For a moment there, the fiery girl looked like someone else. Sounded like her, too...
“...Hey, hey! Earth to rat!”
Richard blinked, quite literally snapped back to reality by fingers right in front of his eyes. He averted his gaze. The memory faded like mist.
The young mayor was giving the sleazy rat a strange look. She tried hiding her worry behind a thick layer of irritation. “You zoned out there. Everything alright?” Genuine concern still leaked into her voice though. Some people here had a heart, after all.
Fumbling for something resembling a reassuring smile, the doctor tried to wave the question aside. “Yeah, just... Thought you were someone else, is all...” He found himself mumbling. Where was that confident, and clear salesman voice -the one that could sell sand to Alabastans- when he needed it?
Hina cocked her head. “Huh?”
Richard turned away. “I said thank you for your time, Ms. Mayor.” He lied as easily as he breathed. “We will let you get back to work.” With a half-hearted wave, he walked away.
The intern hurried after the doctor, entirely unsure about this whole thing. “Uh, b-but... What about the, um, patient...?” She thought they had come here specifically to get help... And while she wouldn’t dream of questioning her superior, just walking away like this... Uhm, well, it seemed a little counterintuitive.
Meanwhile, the head of medicine didn’t even glance at the scurrying underling. He rifled through his pockets, producing a pack of concentrated cancer. “Not to worry, I have a treatment plan in mind.” His lighter clicked in agreement, briefly illuminating his gaunt face. Smooth smoke filled his senses.
“What’s that...?” She immediately regretted asking for clarification.
The doctor’s lips curled into a chilling imitation of a smile.
“Shock therapy.”
Words: 1089
Total: 3323 / 5 000
A rat.
Richard stalked darker streets, heading away from the strip and towards the eastern corner of the island. He was like a shadow in the misting rain. It was his element.
Behind the lanky man scurried the poor intern. She kept nearly tripping over her feet, as she constantly glanced around. This was, decidedly, not her element.
Honestly, the frail girl was desperately trying to figure out why she was even here. Instead of going to the mayor (or heading home), she had gotten cold feet and meekly retreated back to the clinic. Telling the chief was the least scary option. Against all expectations, she had been invited to join him, as he went to talk to the mayor himself. Little did she know that she had a very important role in the upcoming meeting...
As a meat shield.
Richard held no illusions about the mayor’s opinion towards him. It was a mutual understanding that neither side trusted or, frankly, liked the other. However, he needed her to at least hear him out. Even if he happened to catch her in a bad mood, he was quite confident she wouldn’t punch someone wearing glasses. Hence... Meat shield.
Beneath the polite smile, however, the doctor was quietly fuming. It felt like everyone was out to get him tonight. First, that monkey made a proper mess in his brand new clinic. Then the delinquent refused to help, citing some cheap excuse. In fact, if you think about it, this was all that pompous barber’s fault in the first place... If he just hadn’t challenged the monkey...
Pushing the thoughts aside, the rat snuck past the main entrance. His stride took him over to the staff door tucked away behind the building. With a click, the door yielded to a key he wasn’t supposed to have. Much easier to convince a door and a doorman, you know.
Finding Hina was the easy part. You just had to step into her office and dig through the pile of paperwork. Her head would pop out eventually. Talking to the girl, though... That part the crook had never quite gotten down...
“Good evening, Ms. Mayor.”
“Plague Rat.” Came the curt reply. “What do you want?”
Straight to the business, then. Made it so much easier. “As you may have heard, that mountain monkey, Jiro, has been... Rather destructive, lately.” Had to keep it polite. Clean. She liked those.
Hina, for her part, didn’t even glance up from her paperwork. “Mmhm. I’ve heard. He has been stirring up trouble pretty much every night. Scaring my people witless.”
So far so good, Richard told himself. Any conversation where she didn’t threaten to fling him off the nearest cliff was a good one. “Right, right... And I have been patching him up...” He adjusted his collar idly. “But treating the symptoms won’t cure the disease. So I was wondering if you could...” Take him off my hands and let me get back to my business, he wanted to say, but decided against it.
The mayor’s pen stopped. She glanced up from the paper. “Take him off your hands and let you get back to your business.” It came with a cadence of someone who knew the man’s habits all too well by now.
“I wasn’t thinking that.” Richard lied.
“Yes, you were.” Hina shot back.
Before the doctor could start a childish bout of ‘nuh uh - yuh huh’, the smart girl got up from her desk. “Look, even if I weren’t too busy, I couldn’t help you.” Circling around, she walked over to him. “He came to you because he needs you specifically.” Her keen gaze sized up the man. “You are his white whale.”
Richard cocked a curious brow. “Hm, never figured you for the bookish type.”
Hina frowned. “You’re avoiding the topic.”
The rat raised his palms defensively. “You wound me, Ms. Mayor.” Hand to his heart, he tried to explain with something vaguely resembling honesty. “I have a treatment plan, medication and all. The problem is finding the right people to treat him.”
However, the girl was wise beyond her years. “So, drugs and babysitters?” She took after her later father, after all. “That’s not a plan.” She pressed.
“You’re just running away.”
It felt like the line left an echo in the air. Words held power. That single sentence tossed the doctor back decades. His eyes widened. The casino around him vanished, replaced by a cozy, little bar somewhere far away. For a moment there, the fiery girl looked like someone else. Sounded like her, too...
“...Hey, hey! Earth to rat!”
Richard blinked, quite literally snapped back to reality by fingers right in front of his eyes. He averted his gaze. The memory faded like mist.
The young mayor was giving the sleazy rat a strange look. She tried hiding her worry behind a thick layer of irritation. “You zoned out there. Everything alright?” Genuine concern still leaked into her voice though. Some people here had a heart, after all.
Fumbling for something resembling a reassuring smile, the doctor tried to wave the question aside. “Yeah, just... Thought you were someone else, is all...” He found himself mumbling. Where was that confident, and clear salesman voice -the one that could sell sand to Alabastans- when he needed it?
Hina cocked her head. “Huh?”
Richard turned away. “I said thank you for your time, Ms. Mayor.” He lied as easily as he breathed. “We will let you get back to work.” With a half-hearted wave, he walked away.
The intern hurried after the doctor, entirely unsure about this whole thing. “Uh, b-but... What about the, um, patient...?” She thought they had come here specifically to get help... And while she wouldn’t dream of questioning her superior, just walking away like this... Uhm, well, it seemed a little counterintuitive.
Meanwhile, the head of medicine didn’t even glance at the scurrying underling. He rifled through his pockets, producing a pack of concentrated cancer. “Not to worry, I have a treatment plan in mind.” His lighter clicked in agreement, briefly illuminating his gaunt face. Smooth smoke filled his senses.
“What’s that...?” She immediately regretted asking for clarification.
The doctor’s lips curled into a chilling imitation of a smile.
“Shock therapy.”
Words: 1089
Total: 3323 / 5 000
________________________________________________________
Wanted Dead or Alive: Richard 'Plague Rat' Maxwell
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