action; genessia city

[soru]

[ honestly, waking up in a tin bowl in the middle of a cave puddle isn't the strangest thing that's happened to coby in his lifetime. it is, perhaps, noteworthy at best.

thank goodness for miss schnee, or he'd have to deal with a bigger headache than he already has. ]

a. side streets make for good shortcuts, right?

[ wrong. it ought to have been obvious from the get-go that trying to bypass the distance from point A to point B would be impossible in a strange city. look where it lands zoro, half the time.

embarrassing as heck, to be frank.

at least he's impossible to miss, what with the big white coat and, yes, painfully pink hair. please help him. look at him, staring at his map in growing consternation. don't leave a bro hanging. ]


b. the shrine

[ at least, of all the places he could have possibly wound up, the area around the shrine is remarkably peaceful. a little quiet to collect his thought would be appreciated. time to digest, time to cope, time to convince himself that hysterics were definitely not the answer anyone needed right now.

let's... let's just take a seat over here, why don't we. that's fine, nice and easy.

everything's fine. life is perfect. (no it isn't.) ]

Comments

A

[enchantressofore]

[ Oooooooh she knows that look.

That is an 'I have NO IDEA where I am' look. Probably like the one Adela herself wore when she first arrived in Genessia. It doesn't take long for the red head to wheel over, and when she's next to him she'll clear her throat. ]

Pardon me... Are you all right?

[soru]

[ some small part of him, the part that remains a small, soft child with glasses too big for his face, gibbers and squeaks out a litany of no no no i sure am not all right i am not all right in the least whATEVER GIVES YOU THAT IDEA MA'AM.

maybe a little of it shows, when he turns to face this new acquaintance. just a little.

it's hard being a tourist. ]

Oh, hello! I'm fine, just fine. [ no. ]

I, ah. Believe that the worst I am right now is merely lost.

[enchantressofore]

Ah... I know how that is.

[ She nods in her understanding and sits up a little more. ]

Where are you headed? Perhaps I could show you the way.

[soru]

The housing blocks. Here--

[ leaning down, he brandishes the pamphlet, tapping at a passage on one of the pages. ]

I thought I'd get myself established before familiarizing myself with the city. Though, by the looks of it, I think I've gotten my priorities turned around.

B

[ironforged]

[this isn't the right place. Joseph is sure. Why were these streets so confusing? He looks at the map, up at the shrine, turns the map around and then sighs and folds it clumsily. Things had been so much easier to navigate in the mists.

Fortunately there seems to be someone sitting nearby back to him, looking very Japanese he can't help but think, dryly as hell, but nevermind that. Including the shock of pink hair just above the coat.

It was kind of a cute fashion and he was caught between approval and annoyance]

Excuse me, miss?

[soru]

[ he's doing much the same thing: turning his map around and over, as if the grid puzzle will solve itself if he just looked at it from a different angle. it's too bad that grids pretty much look the same horizontally as they do vertically.

so when he's hailed, he doesn't really take much notice of it. dude's probably calling for someone else.

who'd mistake a radish like him for a girl, anyway? preposterous. ]

[ironforged]

[obviously she hadn't heard. He notices she seems to be turning the map around as well. Is she new too? Well maybe they could help each other out. He comes up behind her, hand absently on the black hilted sword hanging from his belt. Then he hesitates a moment before tapping her on the shoulder]

Miss?

If you have a moment...?

[soru]

[ to both their credit, the guy doesn't necessarily take coby by surprise.

to both their detriment, he hasn't cottoned on just yet. ]

Hello?

[ and to joseph's utter misfortune, coby's voice hasn't quite broken through the barrier of 'endearingly young' to 'proper and adult-like'. ]

Can I help you?

A

[justicereigns]

[Pink hair, marine jacket... = ?]

Hina?

[No wait, too short? He can't tell from the back, after all, to Smoker, everyone under the Admiral and shichibukai heights is short.]

[soru]

[ hina? as in rear-admiral hina? naturally, it could be a coincidence but--

but it's the spark of familiarity at the voice that says it that has coby stopping in his tracks. what, is that hope sparking to life there? nonsense. ]

I'm afraid I'm not that admirable a personage, sir.

[justicereigns]

[Snorts a quiet laugh.]

If you think she's admirable, you're way too green yet, officer.

What post are you supposed to be at? Ship or base?

[soru]

[ it's enforced habit that has him snapping off a salute, quick and easy as reflex. ]

I was on mission from Headquarters, sir. Our ship was returning from a routine inspection at Hand Island naval base.

a. side streets make for good shortcuts, right?

[imaginationswoes]

[Airy is holding a rather large stack of papers thanks to her new job. She has no idea how she'd been given so much responsibility with no real world knowledge but she's stubborn enough to get it done. Much like Coby she slips down a side street however unlike him she knows where she's going. Her eyes catch sight of him and it's sort of obvious he's lost, plus she's sure she'd remember someone with pink hair; it's not that common where she's from.

Before she can speak the wind picks up tunneling through the buildings and pulling the papers from her hands. Oh no...]

Ah- no, crap. I'm sorry person-wearing-a-very-white-coat... [She should probably ask his name.] Can you help me catch those!

[Airy goes running after some of the papers while keeping the others safely held close to her chest. She wants to help Coby, really, but if she loses this she might get fired or be teased for months.]

[soru]

[ across the known universe, office workers and photocopier assistants alike offer a collective groan of agony. godspeed, child, godspeed.

coby, in the meanwhile, has the good sense to grab first and think later. tucking his pamphlet into the depths of his coat, he sets off at a run after the truant papers. ]

I got it!

[ good thing he looks to be a pretty fast runner, right? i mean, sure, in some instances it looks like he just flickered from one side of the street to the other, but that's just a trick of the light.

right? ]

[imaginationswoes]

[Airy's seen some pretty weird stuff but that doesn't stop her from stopping and staring at Coby as he dashes around. He'll find that he picked up all the papers himself minus what's still clutched in Airy's hands.

It's only after he caught the last one that she realizes that she's staring and that's really rude.]

Oh, thank you. I'm sorry.

[She exhales a slow breath feeling a weary sort of pressure ache in her joints.]

I'm not to good at this... you were looking at the pamphlet thing right? Are you new? [Airy's lips tug into a smile, she's rarely down for long.]

[soru]

[ he tries to sort out the little paper pile best as he can before he passes it back. some of them may be a little crumpled from the retrieval process, but thats fine right??? totally ]

There's no need to apologize. Can't help it when these kinds of things happen.

[ he'll even smile for her, bright and encouraging. it's okay if the universe is out to kick you down the stairs. u fine. ]

Just arrived today. Right on time, by the looks of it.

A

[bloodheels]

[Lenalee was trying her best to be able to find a job and just get settled. Sure she was worried and concerned about what was going on back home and she dearly hoped people will be okay, but she knew at least that it didn't seem like she would return anytime soon.

So turning the corner, she could see the other focusing.]

Are you okay? You look a little lost.

[soru]

[ life's hard when you're a tourist on a trip you never signed up for. ]

A 'little' seems to be an understatement at current, miss. I would say that 'a lot' is the more accurate choice, here.

[bloodheels]

Or extremely lost.

[She knew she was a long way from home, at least.]

But lost never the less.

C (sometime later in the day when Coby has gotten somewhat used to things)

[lazyjustice]

[Kuzan's head is in he clouds, a bit more than usual, as he heads back to the cramped in from his quote unquote job. He looks much the same save for a sweater vest and prerequisite wacky bow tie; and is also carrying a little (comparatively speaking) briefcase. You could almost call him Kuzan Office Worker model.

Except for the fact that his face is inexplicably covered in fingerpaint.

Either way if he doesn't seem to notice Coby somewhere around his ankles it's only because he doesn't]

[soru]

[ the one thing about this place that coby's noticed the most is the glaring absence of citizens above a certain height range.

thank goodness admiral aokiji is here to make up for that lack. sweet lord.

wait.

admiral aokiji ]

S...ir?

[lazyjustice]

Hmm?

[turns and looks down since fortunately you have to get used to doing that or miss everyone.

.........

.........

.........

well?]

[om_nom_namur]

[Oh, did Coby think he'd get a quiet moment? No such luck sadly. Some irreverent jackass keeps ringing the bell. In rhythm. With his feet, because he's sitting on top of the thing. His eyes are closed, but he seems to be rocking out rather than contemplating.

He's also a fishman. A rather well-known one, in the right circles.

And white his rhythm is spot-on, the melody he's banging out sounds more like a toddler playing piano. That is to say, there doesn't seem to be one.


Rude.]

[soru]

[ honestly, the very last thing he expected to see was the eighth division commander of the whitebeard pirates rocking it out in a sacred shrine to some unnamed god. it's just not one of those things you expect in life.

the only thing here that fits in is the expected irreverence.

at least some things never change. ]

Excuse me. Ex--

[ deep breath, speak louder. ]

Pardon me.

[om_nom_namur]

[Namur stops, lifting both feet in the air so the bell will continue to hum. He squints down at the pink and white blob on the ground below and sniffs. Has he smelled this guy before?

Hard to say.

So he lifts his chin in greeting.]

'Sup?