piratejournal | voice/action for the Penguin

Maa, well... the wind seems to be dying down a bit.

[though it's still howling outside. He's been in the hold for the better part of three days because, among other things, his sleep mask kept blowing off. An ice shield on the deck was always an option, of course, but when it melted, Coby gave him long dramatic inward sighs and went to get the mop bucket.

So here he is, cross legged in the hold, playing cards, contemplating life and generally trying not to get a crick in his neck]

I hereby petition for a bigger ship. Though I'm not entirely sure which island would be the best choice for that.

[Flips over another card. Diamond. He can't help but think of Diamond Jozu -- Though he is not here. Twelfth Division Haruta, then. Haruta diamond, Portgas spade, Phoenix Marco the club and the hearts were for an entirely group of pirates all together so a high and low joker, then for the two relative uknowns. Fishman Namur. Fourth Divison nee Headhunter Thatch, rumored to have been assassinated by a former nakama but very much alive here. Though perhaps he was in the same boat with Portgas.]

Otherwise, who else would want to make peace with the Navy? [Club. Spade. Heart... he thought he'd shuffled all those out. To the side it goes. There was not a card for Marines of course. They were generally supposed to be the players]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Full of cute women. [Smoker and Coby can row or something. As for Brady...well... he's Brady]

[Oh hey, it wasn't a chuckle, but an amused little breath at least.]

Is that how it is? I'll make sure to kidnap only the fairest of them all. Either that or the most burly.

[... not really in for the burly set, but he knows better than to say]

Whatever your preference.

[rubs his neck and listens to the wind]

Is there any tea left?

[Well, seeing as she's not going to go hold up a bunch of people, pretty girls or not, and force them to work ~~FOR GREAT JUSTICE~~ it really doesn't matter, does it]

If we're going with my preference, I'll go find some men.

[again, not that she intends to. Pfft]

There is, actually. I just finished making a pot. Figured Coby might need some when he's done. Would you like me to bring you a bit?

[well he can't deny anyone their eye candy]

May as well just keep who we have.

[He gives a little mental inward sigh at Coby's name as become his habit]

Please. We can play some poker. [which means he'll have to shuffle the hearts back into the deck. Bah.]

Might as well.

[and at the other comment she smirked again, her only form of a chuckle.]

I'll be there in a moment, but I'm not wearing the maid uniform. Lines have to be drawn somewhere. [That... was actually a joke. She's gotten comfortable enough with the people on the crew to make comments like that. After the bitty event, it was easier.]

So long as it isn't Coby that's wearing it, I think I can live with it.

[not that he suspected Coby had such inclinations but if it was in the regulations, that boy would put it on quicker than he could sneeze]

I would hope that wasn't a rule in your Marine handbook somewhere. [Oh, look, she's starting to understand Coby and his rules...]

[Meanwhile, she's got a spare pot, two cups and a tray. making her way to his location was easy enough, even with how things feel so rocky. He'd see her first, sneaking in. First thing said?]

Starting to miss my my land legs, but glad for the sea legs at the moment.

[... it's not but now he's tempted to put it in there to see what would happen. He feels her before he spots her since haki and everything and is shuffling the cards as she comes nearer]

That's why sailors go to bars, you know.

[... she's find it amusing, actually. Mostly because she'd want to see if he would believe it. Poor Coby]

To balance out the sea legs and give them stable legs on land?

[she moved to sit the tea cups down, then the kettle, on the table near by.]

Exactly. [he pours her some tea and then himself]

Thank you. [he hands her the deck to shuffle and sits back]

Do you know how to play poker?

Thank you. [to the tea, and the deck of cards, shuffling them with good hands. Clearly she's played with cards before.]

Learned on the streets, so I know a bit, yeah. [arches the cards just slightly, and sits it center for him to Cut so she can take first deal]

Different worlds though. What kind of rules do you play by?

I don't. [he barely knew solitaire] But it seems an interesting game to pick up.

[she blinked at that first, then smiled almost fondly. What an idiot.]

You don't know how to play but want to? How troublesome. [though she didn't mean it, and started to deal out five cards.] We can play standard. It's pretty simple, so long as you can remember what beats what.

[and if he's still interested to learn, she's slowly rattle off what each does, and how each wins over the other. Etc. Rules, you know.]

How else would I learn?

[but he knows that she's teasing. He absorbs what she has to say and what beats what, rules, too. And wonders how some subordinates know the most complex of rules to a card game but a simple set of orders, no matter how carefully worded, eludes them]

You sound like a professional.

[At least he can tell when she's teasing. Most people have a hard time with that. And honestly, that trend happens in a lot of Job lines. Hellboy can remember all the little details and rules to a ritual or religion, but you give him ONE order NOT to go out in public and he completely fails to get it.]

Never really played honestly is all. I picked a lot of it up when I was younger. A... friend and co-worker of mine enjoys playing as well, but you have to keep up on the rules with him, or else he cheats.

[HE WOULD UNENLIST, DAMN IT]

voice/action for the Penguin

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice > action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

HERE IN SPIRIT ONLY