piratejournal | Yo Ho Ho, A Human's Life For Me [Voice]

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Yo Ho Ho, A Human's Life For Me [Voice]

Well! I may be imprisoned, perhaps out of necessity, but that is no reason I can't enjoy having a human body. I've been watching you all, of course, but there's quite a difference between observing a human and being one!

I do not think I could do this long-term, I admit. A weakness on my part, but I would miss my magic and my wings dearly after a time. But since I expect this to pass fairly soon, as most of the curses and curious afflictions we have endured do, I feel no alarm in enjoying this.

Fingers are remarkable, and I can barely believe how easy these curved spines of yours make it to stand on my rear legs... or, excuse me, my only legs. I never properly appreciated how different it must be for you to always have two limbs free for manipulation, or even casual social gestures. I understand so much now!

I wonder if I can work up a spell of transformation...

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Why exactly have you been imprisoned anyway? Did you break something?

And don't worry about the writing thing, humans themselves wouldn't be able to figure out how to write if we weren't taught at a very early age.

[Or at least it would be terribly difficult to figure out how to do it.]

If your true form has wings I can see how you would hate being stuck as a mere human... You... Wouldn't happen to be the royal pony on the Straw Hat crew, right?

[He knows she exists, he saw her while they sailed together, but never really talked with her or anything. But she's also the only creature he knows that has wings and four legs in this world.]

You have identified me precisely... although if there were another princess around I could be confused with, I would love to meet her!

I do not know if you are familiar with this, but curses in this world often deprive their victims of some measure of rational thought. At one point, many of us became... downright equicidal. The captain of this vessel has locked us up as a precaution should that happen again.

As far as I know you're the only one of your kind around here... Aside from the pink pony you sail with, of course. Well, there's Leanne but she doesn't have four legs.

[Not even in full bird form because... Well, she's a bird.]

And I'm familiar with all the curses we have had. I've been here since last September, so I know what you're talking about. Still, I also know that before people lost their minds they had been slowly ticked off for days even if most of the rest of us didn't notice or just didn't think it would end like it did. So far, aside from changing bodies, everyone seems fairly normal so I'm not sure if such a precaution is needed.

Are they treating you well aside from that at least?

And yet the storm which washed over us and left us feeling almost deliriously delighted gave barely any warning and took very little time.

I do not believe that this curse will have such an effect, but given what happened when we did lose our judgment that way, I cannot blame her for the cautious. [Such quiet and supreme guilt, for actions she has never forgiven herself for and likely never will.]

It is pleasant enough otherwise, I can't complain.

You mean that Dog getting angry wasn't enough sign of a warning?

[Because as far as he's concerned that happened because someone pushed her buttons, unintentionally or not.]

I suppose no one could "blame" her for the cautious. But with that reasoning, we all should just imprison whoever could be dangerous just to be sure nothing ever happens, which... Actually envelops the whole of our numbers.

It is her right as captain to exhibit such cautions as she sees fit. I do not agree with it, but I cannot fault her reasoning. Perhaps I would feel different had I not done... what I did, while my mind was influenced.

It's is her right and maybe we can't fault her. But, if I'm correct and this voice belongs to someone in the crew I've in mind, they are far from saints themselves.

And no matter what you did while you were being influenced, the danger you can pose will never be as big as the danger of someone who does those things without being influenced. Besides, you're in a strange body you're not familiar with, I can't see you being able to pose much of a threat when you are still figuring how to work with that. But whatever, it's you the one who is imprisoned, not me.

[It wouldn't kill her to be a bit more annoyed at her situation regarding the imprisoning but that's her problem after all.]

I'm afraid I must disagree on one point. I caused far more harm with my judgment impaired than the average pony could have done with, no matter how malicious. [And that is why she isn't annoyed.]

I'm going to guess that murder isn't a thing between ponies. It's for humans though, and it doesn't always have to do with malice.

Perhaps, but I think you are underestimating how much magical power is at my disposal. In Equestria my duty as Princess of the Day was to raise the sun each day, after all.

I am not making a judgement on how much magical power you have. Magical power that you yourself said moments ago that you lacked at the moment, so any danger it could pose is irrelevant now. And I don't think I heard anyone complaining about a royal pony throwing the sun at them.

[Pause.]

That would have been an amusing sight.

[Just like watching Ace throw a giant ball of fire that could have been a mini-sun at another ship.]

No, but I did fight several crews to a standstill. Had there been fewer of them or had they been less fortunate or skilled...

Then you probably would have killed them all.

[His words are blunt and his tone quite deadpanned.]

But that didn't happen, and even if it had happened, it's in the past. It has been, how many? Eight months? And I don't think you have caused any trouble since then, possessed or not, so I hardly see how you could be seen as dangerous now.

Eight months is a very short time, to me. But consider another thing -- wouldn't some people take advantage of the fact that they are not in their right body, just by their nature? What punishment could be inflicted on them for causing trouble?

Eight months, eight years, eight fucking millenniums...

The past is the past, and one wrong action shouldn't destroy a lifetime of good actions. I'm not saying it should be forgotten, it's part of you, whether you were in your right mind or not. But there's a difference between not forgetting and being all smiles and sunshines over being treated unfairly because "you could do it again".

And I don't have to consider that, we have had a deserter posing as the person whose body they were in. I'm not sure what he aimed for, intel or just avoid having us throw him overboard, because apparently that's what we would do to him over something he had no say in. And to be honest the ones I want to punish are all the idiots in the crew who fell for his horrible act until the person he was posing as talked on the journals.

[He could throw Lea overboard, but as he's in Selphie's body that makes it unfair and impossible. And once he's in his real body he will be far from reach, and Ikki's not going to start a war over that asshole's actions. Not unless he's ordered to.]

Either way, princess, your alternative scenario is flawed. You ask what punishment should be inflicted on someone causing trouble, but for that they would have to cause trouble. Punishing someone by locking them up before they even do anything bad can't be counted as justice. That's exactly the same shit the Navy has pulled on since we first arrived, before anyone was able to do anything wrong.

Make no mistake; I am in full agreement with your viewpoint. I simply understand the other viewpoint.

Have you heard the old saying? A rich mare believes everyone is wealthy. A dishonest mare believes everyone else is dishonest. And a dangerous mare believes everyone else is dangerous.

[It may not have gone QUITE like that outside of Equestria.]

Then you should say it clearly from the start, the way you talked it sounded as if you agreed that you deserved punishment and that you are an absolute threat for everyone and anyone.

[Or maybe that's just Ikki hearing that because that saying of Celestia's can certainly apply to him as well.]

I suppose they shouldn't complain, then, having such a good and understanding hostage.

Ah, but I did say I did not agree with her reasoning. I simply understand it. And that, I think, is for the best, since I'm certain that becoming irrational and unreasonable over the whole situation would only have negative results all around.

[Grell certainly didn't seem like the sort of person who could ever be swayed by volume, or threats.]

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