piratejournal | [Voice & Written]

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[Voice & Written]

[He's going to regret this later, but there's a bunch of excitedly high-pitched chirps like a bird singing a love song.]

[That's okay. It matches the background sounds.]

[But FAR more embarrassing is the scribbles he makes into the journal:]

[So someone has a case of Spring Fever. Or maybe just a fever.]

[And then in big bold colorful levels Marco makes sure to add:]

FREE FLOWER CROWNS FOR EVERYONE WHO SIGNS UP NOW.

[Yeah. He's kind of lost it.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Reading his words brings a smile to Elissa's face.]

Your Pops seems to be a wonderful man. I would like him, I am certain. He sounds like a man with a big heart to have created family for so many of those in need of it. That is quite admirable and your words are a glowing testament to his success.

You have reminded me that family can exist beyond the bounds of blood. It is a much-needed reminder for me this time of year.

What happens at this time of year?

A sad remembrance. In a few weeks, it will have been two years since I lost my family. I was too busy fighting a war to make much note of it last year which is probably for the best. Thus far, the approaching time causes me to struggle a bit with memories of the event.

I miss them.

I see.

I'm sorry for your loss.

It was my Pops' birthday just last week. They say it gets a little easier with each year. Do you think that's true?

Perhaps that is true. Deep wounds grow less sharp with time and become more of a dull pain. We can hope it is the same in this instance. I am sorry your Pops is gone. Losing a beloved father is not an easy thing.

Still, it is Spring and that is a time of renewal and new life. It is a good reminder that life continues.

If you truly do send me a flower crown, I will wear it with honor and with a happy heart, that I promise.

[Oh lord, he's actually hissing at the whole renewal and Spring thing.]

[But yes.]

[Joys.]

[Flooooowers.]

[He is the slayer of flowers, the weaver of the crowns, and the spreader of their joy. He is good with this.]

I hope you will enjoy it very much!

[Have some quickly doodled flowers all around the page because he's seriously kind of insane right now.] Does your family have house colors?

Yes, we do. Blue and white - though green is also predominant. There is heraldry for my family. Give me a few moments and I shall try to show you.

[Elissa is not an accomplished artist, but she is more than fair at drawing her family's heraldry - including that of Highever and the Grey Wardens. Colored pencils are painstakingly applied to the page to draw out the Cousland family heraldry as displayed upon the shield of the guardsmen - a green laurel wreath outlined in white and blue.

]

Let me see if I can't do something suitable then. [He will literally duplicate that laurel crown to the best of his ability and complete with an armband.]

My family has variations on a mark of our own. It's our flag of course. We use Ace's Spade mark here, but we all had a tattoo of our own so that Pops could watch over us even if he wasn't there in person.

How many family members did you lose that day?

All of them, but for my brother Fergus - and even he might be dead near Ostagar's battlefield as I was not able to find him before being brought here. For all that I know, I am the last of the Cousland bloodline.

I suppose your tattoos were your family heraldry. They did identify you to others are being in your father's family.

I'm sorry. Can you tell me some more about them if it's not too painful? [If she gives him numbers he'll work it into the band & crown.]

Correct. We also had variations on it. First division often went with my mark, Ace got a duplicate of Pops' mark right on his back, Curiel put his mark on his chin, and Kingdew made his own version.

Namur has an 8 near his gills though, as a reference to his division, but also because he's a bull shark fishman so the 8 also represents a sea and sky effect.

Most everyone at the castle died - from those who were family by blood to those who were family of the heart. Father, Mother, my brother's wife Oriana, my little nephew Oren.

The old sage Aldous was killed as was the librarian. So was Nan who was my childhood nanny before becoming the cook. So many, really.

[Now that she's started, it is difficult to stop as the flow of faces marches through her memories.]

Ser Gilmore, Mallol, mother's friend Lady Landra, Landra's maid Iona, Landra's son Dairren. Our brave and loyal guardsmen. No one was safe from Howe's men. Not children nor servants. They were ruthless.

[Wait - he wrote of a fishman? Perhaps he meant fisherman.]

Howe? Family enemy?

[He makes tally marks on the page as he starts hunting down the right kind of branches.]

Until he attacked, he was thought a family friend as well as my father's vassal. He betrayed us out of jealousy for our status and position, hoping to usurp it.

He succeeded for a time.

When I broke into his home, it was with three companions. We came in daylight instead of attacking while everyone was abed as he did. The four of us killed everyone in that house who took arms against us, but we did not harm those who were innocent. His servants did not harm my family. They did not deserve to suffer my retribution.

I see.

That was wise of you.

My family also has a reputation for vengeance, but my Pops always taught us to let the weakest, and the innocent go. And he always said not to hold a grudge beyond the parent. The sins of the parent don't pass onto the children.

I suppose it's strange that a pirate would have that sense of order, but that's what made him an Emperor.

I agree about the children. He was the only Howe to die at my hand.

Did you say you have a friend who fishes for bull sharks? Are not those rather large?

No no, my brother is a bull shark fishman.

You are familiar with merfolk? Mermaids? Human busts, but fish tails? Namur is a fishman, human legs, but gills and shark teeth.

You should see his Mom. She's really something.

But he is rather big. About eight feet tall. All my brothers are too tall. Only Ace and Haruta are shorter than me. It's too easy for people to forget I'm the oldest.

Part fish and part man? And eight feet tall?

You know, if I had not served with Ser Crocodile for a time, I might think you were exaggerating about the height of your brothers. Still, if I ever meet your brother Namur, I shall do my best not to rudely stare at him. I am trying to imagine how he might look, but it seems incredible.

How tall are you, then? I am around five and one half feet tall.

You sound adorable.

I'm six foot three.

My Pops is a good four times Crocodile's size. I suppose he seems tall to a lot of otherworlders and those around here, but I still remember his rookie days before he even got the scars and hook. [Which you know... Marco may or may not have given him. He's kind of a jerk like that and his feud with Crocodile goes back decades.] It makes him seem shorter than me. [But he's not, Marco, get over it.]

Even Thatch is about seven feet tall though. And I think one of the Straw Hat crew members is around eight feet tall. Nico Robin of that crew is nearly my height too.

You are not overly tall in comparison to some warriors that I know. Taller than my old friend Alistair, perhaps, but not so tall as Sten. Still, if you took your brothers to the dwarven city of Orzammar, you would all be giants in comparison!

I am somewhat short for a human female from my homeland. Very nearly elf-sized.

Admittedly the dwarves in our world are only about a foot tall, so there's certainly that. But we also have giants at a hundred feet, and Little Oars Jr. is three times the regular size of a giant.

I suppose though, it's not really the height itself so much as what one does with it. I would like to be taller so I can stretch my mass more easily, but my brother Jozu lost his arm because of what a big target he makes. It's not easy being big either, eh?

Oh, I agree. Being taller does make you a much larger target. Even the most graceful man would have trouble being stealthy, if he was quite tall. It is easier to be sneaky, if one is smaller.

I'm a little too flashy for sneaky.

Sparkles have a habit of drawing attention. [And yes the page is literally sparkling now.] But that's how I prefer it. I guess sparkles are easier to turn on and off though, eh.

Edited 2014-04-13 11:09 (UTC)

[It is a shame he can't hear her laugh of delight.]

How do you do that? Are you a mage of some sort? I know several mages, but I have never seen them do such a thing.

Sparkles would, indeed, draw someone's attention. That could be helpful, if the plan is to draw attention away from others. As for me, I prefer to remain unseen until it is necessary to act in battle. The element of surprise can be quite effective.

[He'd be pleased!]

Sounds a little like Haruta. She springs into action while Vista and I distract them. She's about your size too, maybe a little smaller.

The sparkles are a secret though! I can't do magic, but I have a few generally useless tricks up my sleeves, and in this case, that's just one of them. Well, mostly useless. Like you said, it is useful to draw attention away from the rest of my family.

It is a good trick and quite fun. I am often amazed by the people that I meet in this world. So many and varied talents. It makes for a good learning opportunity, if the skill can be taught. I have been learning a great many things, including how to use a weapon called a repeating rifle.

Usually, blades are my weapon of choice.

[Voice & Written]

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Handwritten - after the flowers arrive

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