Marco the Phoenix (
fierybluebird) wrote in
piratejournal2015-04-10 06:12 am
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[At first there are pages and pages of maps.]
[Maps of every island the Spades have been to. Maps of areas only Marco's been to. Colored vividly from an aerial perspective sometimes, other times just plain black and white.]
[Then the pages transform and get marked down with various symbols all over. It would almost look like a football (soccer too) playbook, except there's too many. Sometimes they're littered with tombstones. And That prompts another map and doodle that would only make sense to those from the Grand Line: Whiskey Peaks, otherwise known as Cactus peaks, for all the tombstones sticking out cacti thorns. That doesn't last either. The next page is of Foodvalten, the cliffs, the means to defend it, little arrow turrets marked in red, red arrows themselves to demonstrate best means to attack from, and the flag clearly etched over it, but no sooner is it all finished than a giant red X crosses off the whole page.]
[An island that you would swear he just traced his hand for, much like the hand turkey doodle, but for all that he makes sure to include the river and mountain, there are no red lines or Xes this time. Instead one circle around a very important place that some of those who are in the know might recognize. Zeff too... but he was gone now. And then instead of a red X, just a blue question mark.]
[It changes again. Squares and chess pieces. Formulas and box puzzles. Logic puzzles. Square puzzles. But those are quicker dispensed than the others. Back then to maps and strategies of this world. Applying the puzzles to them now, for those of quick minds who can put the pieces together.]
[And then the endless maps and strategies stop too.]
[Only to add random excerpts from Sun Tzu's Art of War (or at least translations/variations, but certainly recognizable all the same) to a bunch of the strategies and maps.]
All war is based on deception.
There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.
It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.
He wins his battles by making no mistakes. Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated.
If we wish to fight, the enemy can be forced to an engagement even though he be sheltered behind a high rampart and a deep ditch. All we need do is attack some other place that he will be obliged to relieve.
If we do not wish to fight, we can prevent the enemy from engaging us even though the lines of our encampment be merely traced out on the ground. All we need do is to throw something odd and unaccountable in his way.
Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.
[Well that's just lovely, right?]
[There's a few more miscellaneous doodles. A straw hat here, a white lily there, a dog with a mustache too. But after a bit it also ends, and blue ink writes something a bit more comprehensible:]
Thatch is right, I need to play more games. Anyone up for some?
[Maps of every island the Spades have been to. Maps of areas only Marco's been to. Colored vividly from an aerial perspective sometimes, other times just plain black and white.]
[Then the pages transform and get marked down with various symbols all over. It would almost look like a football (soccer too) playbook, except there's too many. Sometimes they're littered with tombstones. And That prompts another map and doodle that would only make sense to those from the Grand Line: Whiskey Peaks, otherwise known as Cactus peaks, for all the tombstones sticking out cacti thorns. That doesn't last either. The next page is of Foodvalten, the cliffs, the means to defend it, little arrow turrets marked in red, red arrows themselves to demonstrate best means to attack from, and the flag clearly etched over it, but no sooner is it all finished than a giant red X crosses off the whole page.]
[An island that you would swear he just traced his hand for, much like the hand turkey doodle, but for all that he makes sure to include the river and mountain, there are no red lines or Xes this time. Instead one circle around a very important place that some of those who are in the know might recognize. Zeff too... but he was gone now. And then instead of a red X, just a blue question mark.]
[It changes again. Squares and chess pieces. Formulas and box puzzles. Logic puzzles. Square puzzles. But those are quicker dispensed than the others. Back then to maps and strategies of this world. Applying the puzzles to them now, for those of quick minds who can put the pieces together.]
[And then the endless maps and strategies stop too.]
[Only to add random excerpts from Sun Tzu's Art of War (or at least translations/variations, but certainly recognizable all the same) to a bunch of the strategies and maps.]
All war is based on deception.
There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.
It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.
He wins his battles by making no mistakes. Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated.
If we wish to fight, the enemy can be forced to an engagement even though he be sheltered behind a high rampart and a deep ditch. All we need do is attack some other place that he will be obliged to relieve.
If we do not wish to fight, we can prevent the enemy from engaging us even though the lines of our encampment be merely traced out on the ground. All we need do is to throw something odd and unaccountable in his way.
Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.
[Well that's just lovely, right?]
[There's a few more miscellaneous doodles. A straw hat here, a white lily there, a dog with a mustache too. But after a bit it also ends, and blue ink writes something a bit more comprehensible:]
Thatch is right, I need to play more games. Anyone up for some?
voice;
[Yep. How do you respond to all of this?]
voice;
Aye. I've been busy.
[voice]
[he may not have ever read it but he hangs around with the Wu strategists who live by Sun Tzu's famed writings and the very Sun family descended from him. He knows this.]
[voice]
[Another quote, basically the second fucking line of the book.]
[Cryptic? Maybe, but that's the only answer he's got.]
voice
We could play hide the sausage. [can you feel the lascivious grin he's giving you? Well, probably]
voice 1/2
voice 2/2
[NOT EVEN MARCO KNOWS ALL OF WHAT HE MEANS.]
voice
[he should probably put this on some kind of private setting but this is too much fun]
voice
[Damn you Thatchinator.]
voice
I said hiding, bluebird. Unless you'd prefer I find something else.
voice
voice
Anything I can get my hands on.
voice
voice
voice
Don't tempt me.
[All of the above?]
[No that's terrible.]
[He shouldn't.]
[Super shouldn't.]
[Super tempted...]
voice
How about we round up people for a poker game?
voice
If you can find enough adults.
voice
Well, let's see. Selphie, Roxas... maybe Leanne is free.
voice
voice
voice
And I'll treat my babies as babies as long as they are babies, yoi.
voice
Does Ikki need to be calmed still?
[and since he's here anyway]
Am I still your baby, mama bird?
voice
And you were never my baby. You're Pops' son. And the devil.
voice
And me? The devil? Whatever do you mean, brother? Don't you like my tongue flicking in your ear?
voice
voice
[and he manages to sound as snakelike as he feels]
voice
I'm not sure.
voice
voice
[Manliest pirate ever, yoi.]
See how many of the other adults from other crews you can round up too. Might as well go big.
voice
As you wish, mon capitan.
voice
[To which point Marco even mumbles in avian:]
Love you... idiot.
no subject
[THE ONE THING SHE FOCUSES ON!]
no subject
[But they don't because Stefan is a dork who loves people and wouldn't know how to fight for anything.]
voice;
Hello
voice;
[Whistles back in kind.]