001 ♫ (voice)

[behisstrength]

[It is a deep, rich voice that greets listeners, calm and confident, distinct from his counterpart.]

The Koumyou seeks crew. I am its captain, Chōsokabe Motochika... the daimyo, not the pirate. Beside me stands Akechi Mitsuhide, whom some of you already know. We do not expect past experience from potential crew members: only a steadfast desire to contribute and the determination to see our task done.

So what do we have to offer?

We possess extensive naval experience, in and out of battle; the skill, focus and conviction of seasoned samurai; a sense of responsibilty towards our own and the willingness to share our knowledge.

Seize the opportunity -- come and meet us to discover whether you resonate with our crew.

Comments

[Voice]

[grizzly_tea]

[She was about to ask what the difference between a daimyo and a pirate was, but then she remembered Kyouya speaking of an injured Samurai when they'd first arrived.]

Have you perhaps considered the possibility of aligning your crew with a pre-existing one my good sirs?

[Voice] - threadjack!

[elissacousland]

[A teasing female voice that sounds rather like an English noblewoman takes a moment to offer Maribelle a response.]

Do you intend to steal away every man with a soothing voice, Captain?

[Voice]

[grizzly_tea]

Not at all my dear, simply those I feel have integrity.

[Yup, she's pretty shameless about stealing away crew members.]

[Voice]

[elissacousland]

Ha! Speaking of soothing voices, will you please remind your navigator that tis his turn to write to me? I have a gift for him, but I cannot make arrangements to give it unless we discuss it. I assume Spock is well?

[Voice]

[grizzly_tea]

...

[Silence... dead cold dreadful silence.]

When I see him... I will tell him.

[She couldn't tell her here... not yet, not now. She hadn't had time to make a formal investigation, and he'd only disappeared after they came into port. It would have been another matter if it had been at sea, but in Impeiza?]

I'm sure he'll be happy to receive whatever gift you might have for him.

[Or whatever emotion is closest to happiness for a Vulcan.]

[Voice]

[elissacousland]

Thank you, Maribelle.

[There is fondness in Elissa's voice when it comes to speaking of Spock.] The last that I heard from him, he was going exploring with a small boy to keep him safe. I had started to worry that he had been injured, but now I am relieved.

Captain Cho-so-ka-be? My apologies for interrupting your possible conversation with Captain Maribelle. I shall leave you both to your discussion now.

[behisstrength]

A blossoming romance transformed into a mystery... but what does the poignant pause portend?

[behisstrength]

What precisely do you intend?

[grizzly_tea]

Well if you were interested, I would be honored to have you join the shepherds in our cause. You could still have your own ship and captain, but you would fly our flag and gain the benefits of the unity it entails. I hope to create a small fleet to help protect the innocent from piracy, and hopefully have the navy recognize us as an ally rather than a threat.

I have a surprisingly long reach in this world, and should any harm befall you if you were to join with the shepherds, they'd have to answer to me. The choice is of course up to you and your captain.

voice

[arcadiasailor]

Wait are there two of you?
[He really hopes this is all the hangover talking. Two people with the same name was going to get confusing. Harlock is having flashbacks to family gatherings as a boy where you called one name and the every male in the room answered back.]

[behisstrength]

[Motochika's tone of voice carries an undercurrent of amusement when he responds. It's been strange, but also oddly fascinating.]

Indeed. The tides of fate are truly unpredictable.

[Voice]

[shark_face]

Mitsuhide-san said I could join your crew.

[If he sounds almost bored, it's because his goal - and their shared goal - is far more important than details such as first talking to the man who is to be his captain.]

My name's Matsuoka Rin. I don't know about sailing, but I'm probably the best swimmer in this world [magic users excluded] and I want to get back to where I came from.

Nice to meet you.

[behisstrength]

Mitsuhide has mentioned you.

A bold claim... [Motochika sounds approving of it, even as challenge threads through his tone with his next comment.] If you live up to your word then you will prove an asset indeed.

We shall do all that is in our power to see you home.

[shark_face]

[... Oh no you didn't.] If you don't believe me, I'll prove it to you.

You want to get home too, right? [Don't pretend this is charity, because he doesn't need yours. Except maybe he does. A little.]

[behisstrength]

So be it.

[That flare of attitude is much better to see than the almost bored tone before.]

Allow me to amend my assurance. We strive to forge a path home for every last one of us, even if we must defy fate itself. I expect you to do your part too with the same unwavering conviction.

[shark_face]

I will. [For slightly less altruistic reasons, maybe - but he'll do it if it's the last thing he does.]

And I'll swim whatever distance and stroke you want. Just tell me when and where.

[behisstrength]

Mitsuhide and I want to meet you in person regardless. Come down to the shipyard at your leisure. We will arrange the details of your display of skill then.

[Voice]

[undeadparts]

[As opposed to the calm and confident tone that made the message, the voice that responses is pretty...apathetic. It doesn't seem like the owner is very good at expressing emotion.]

Samurai, huh? I was friends with a samurai back home.

[behisstrength]

[The difference between her tone and words certainly makes for a curious contrast; Motochika takes it in stride, and responds amicably.]

Oh? Then perhaps you understand something of our spirit.

[undeadparts]

Yeah, but maybe a little too well. You aren't gonna ask me out on a date like he did, are you?

[Tsukikage probably wasn't the best samurai for her to have met.]

[behisstrength]

[That's... certainly an unexpected response, and Motochika is momentarily taken aback. Sadly he knows the type -- Saika Magoichi and Toyotomi Hideyoshi are prime examples.]

...Have no fear. I will not.

[He reassures. A beat later, and faintly amused by the misconception, he clarifies:]

That is not the mark of a samurai, but the inclination of a man attracted to you.

[undeadparts]

I figured, but thought I'd ask anyway. Never met a samurai before him. Wasn't really sure what to expect.

[She knows a bit, yes, but samurai are people, people know about samurai, and Zozo and people don't mix. So her knowledge is a bit...lacking.]

[behisstrength]

How did you come to befriend him?

[Given what she's said thus far, it seems like an interesting tale.]

[undeadparts]

It's not really that interesting. You sure you wanna know?

[Of course it's for him to decide how interesting it is, but she finds it pretty dull.]

[behisstrength]

I am sure.

[undeadparts]

Well...okay. If you insist. A couple of friends and I were trying to get away from the Deluxian guards who were after this sword we had. On the way we ran into that samurai guy and a friend of his. They were being attacked by some monsters, so Solange, she's a princess, figured we should lend a hand. We did, they told us the cause of all the monster attacks, and then he asked me out.

It was kinda weird.

[behisstrength]

[There are a number of fascinating details in there, but Motochika restrains his curiosity for now.]

You are a warrior?

[That, at least, is relevant now.]

[undeadparts]

Naw, that's more of Solange's thing. I'm a necromancer.

[behisstrength]

Necromancer is a profession I am unfamiliar with. What does being one entail?

[undeadparts]

Well, basically it's not really a profession so much as something you are. Like, I was brought up one with my sister.

[Pause. That doesn't really explain much.]

...anyway, as for what it is...I guess you could say we're kinda like mages? Except we use our magic to keep ourselves young as well as raise the dead and stuff like that. I don't really do much of that, though, since I lost my body.

[behisstrength]

[Really, there's a lot to comment on there too, but above all else one thing really catches Motochika off-guard:]

...Lost your body?

[His bemusement echoes in his tone. It's the last thing he expected to hear.]

[undeadparts]

Yep. Someone forced my soul out of my body, so I had to bind my soul to a body made up of corpse parts to survive. Otherwise I would have been a goner.

[behisstrength]

A cruel fate indeed... yet your defiance and your determination to survive are truly impressive.

[undeadparts]

Eh, it's not too bad. This body sucks, but you get used to it. Beats being dead.

Voice

[celebrity_commentator]

There's someone else with the same name as my captain? That's kind of weird when it's already such a complicated name...

[behisstrength]

The similarities do not end merely at a shared name. Though distinct individuals, your captain and I appear to be the same man.

[celebrity_commentator]

Oh.

[Should she be more shocked at this, probably.]

Er, the words "I am the true self" don't mean anything to you, do they?

[behisstrength]

No. [And because that's an intriguing response, clearly possessing some significance to her, he asks:] Should they?

[celebrity_commentator]

I wasn't expecting them to, but I had to make sure.

[behisstrength]

Oh? What do they mean to you?

[celebrity_commentator]

...

...I'm trying to think of a way to explain it that doesn't sound stupid, and it's not coming to me...

[behisstrength]

The truth is the truth, however absurd. Sweep aside your self-conscious hesitation.

[celebrity_commentator]

[She pauses at that statement, then giggles a bit.]

It's funny you should say that.

Aaaaaanyway, I guess the short version is that there's a place back home where peoples' hidden inner selves can take on a life of their own. They come out, show off everything whoever they come from doesn't want the world to see, then get really violent and nasty when people still deny them. The only way to get them to stop was to admit that they're a part of you. And as far as I can tell, every single one of them said "I am a Shadow, the true self."

[There was more to it than that, but that answered his question.]

That's just the first thing my mind went to when you said you and the captain were the same person.

[behisstrength]

Remarkable...

[There is a brief, considering pause. When Motochika speaks next, there is a gentle undercurrent of amusement to his voice.]

I can see why. Your captain and I did speak of a part of his past that he would rather deny... however, I am certainly not a mere aspect of him.

[celebrity_commentator]

I figured as much since you weren't ranting about some embarrassing secret or something.

So this is more like science fiction, I guess? Clones or sliders or something?