IC: Gemini Project (or Tales of Twins)

[Noedig]

Rook stood up, brushing dust off of his pristine white suit as he rose. He took a mental note on the name of the woman and the location of the shop in the event that he ever came back. Such rudeness was completely unacceptable.

As it was, he had no desire to make any more of a scene than he already had. One of the daughters was right in front of him, and the less of an uproar he caused, the better.

"I'll wait on you miss. Please make your purchases as quickly as possible, we have much to do and little time."

[EdroGrimshell]

"Give me about fifteen minutes," Nabiki says, "My sister's down the street talking to a possible shipwright, if you want to meet up with her, I can meet up with you by then."

[ManifestPR]

"What, who?" Maori looks around confused and sees nobody until he looks down and notices a green hair girl. "You said your name is Hibiki, hmm why does that sound familiar to me. Are you some sort of local celebrity, I swear I've heard your name. Well what do you want kid? Here help me store this stuff." Maori hands Hibiki the worn out rope that is attached to the cart carrying the Elm beams. He then moves over to the workshop and unlocks the padlock that was holding it shut and slides the large workshop door over.

[EdroGrimshell]

"Sorta am a celebrity," Hibiki says with a laugh as she accesses some of her lifespark to boost her strength enough to move the cart without trouble, "I'm looking to commission a ship so my sis and I can set sail, we're heading to the Grand Line," she explains, "wanna come along?" she asks enthusiastically.

[Jacior]

Nibiki

Ms. Walker glares at the young pirate for a bit. "... You have 5 minutes. And he stays outside." She points at the man she had thrown out not a minute ago. "Your sister stays out too, whereever she is."

[Noedig]

Rook passed the time waiting by keeping watch on the building from across the street, ready to protect the Aoi girl at a moments notice. He had noticed that Nick had not come out yet, and so called from across the street, trying to get his attention.


"Nick, are you still alive in there?!"

He contemplated adding 'Or were you eaten?' but killing a shop keeper in broad daylight was not at all subtle.

[EdroGrimshell]

"Sis is getting us a boat," Nabiki says, "you won't be seeing her today. Come on, help me get herbs and food for the ship."

[ManifestPR]

As Hibiki enters the workshop Maori pulls on a pulley which opens a series of windows that are high up on the wall letting sunlight into the workshop. On the other side of the workshop are a pair of giant doors that lead out into river that is connected to the sea. The workshop seems to double as Maori's makeshift home, since you can see a sleeping cot in one corner and various food items thrown about. Hibiki and Maori enter the workshop from the entrance and are facing the rear of the ship.

"You're just in time then kid, I was looking to show off the work that I've put into my latest creation. I have to say I'm happy with various parts but not so happy with others. I've finished building the actual ship the only thing it needs is for the sails to be properly installed" Maori points at a stack of linen cloths which seem to be in pristine conditions "and I need to build a figure head. Which is why I was lugging these beams around, thanks for the help by the way. I have to say I'm happy you came along cause in two days I was going to test this beauty out and the grand line sounds like the best place to do it and of course I'm coming along. Honestly I'm tired of this place as I imagine so are the Aoi twins." Maori gives Hibiki a wink. "I do have a slight problem though, I have not gotten access to a proper cannon" Maori says sadly "but maybe you can help me out with that. Ohh, I almost forgot it also needs a coat of paint and a name."

[EdroGrimshell]

"Ooh! This is cool," Hibiki says, "maybe sis and I can help you with this ship, she's got a couple of people that are already willing to join the crew if you'd like. I think they're brothers, they look a lot alike," she continues, "Why not make a Capricorn figurehead?"

[ManifestPR]

"Capricorn huh. Sure it shouldn't take me more than a couple of hours" Maori starts searching through a pile of of junk and grabs a large round mould. "This should work as a start hmm. FYI girlie I get very caught up in my work so I'm gonna ignore you for a bit."

Spoiler

Show

Rolling for the figure head, I don't know if you need me to roll for something so minor but just in case.

(d20+13)[22]

[Soliloquy]

Minikui steps up and says I will help in any way I can.

[Jacior]

Nibiki and Minikui

The shopping procedes suprisingly fast. Ms. Walker, as curmudgeonly as she might seem, keeps her store well stocked and knows where everything is to help move the pair along as fast as she can. There is a general feeling that she might be overcharging for the goods, but it's not enough to get worked up about and considering the reputation possessed by someone's mother, it could have been a lot worse still.

After everything is bagged and paid for, Ms. Walker escorts the pair to the door. "If that's everything, I'll have to ask you to be on your way." She looks out at the sea, a sight visible nearly everywhere on the island, and seems distracted. She gives an unusually anxious look, for her anyway, to the pair. "... Be careful, there's something brewing out there." The few customers in the shop give her a strange look, knowing her as they do.

The warning is unsettling, as the day had been since dawn.

She closes the door behind her and goes back to tending to the things that need to be tended to in a shop.

Rook

The time passes as quickly as one could hope, but it's still a time before the pair come out of the shop. You see the woman look out over the horizon and then say something to the two coming out before closing the door and going about her business.

Maori and Hibiki

The fishman starts carving out a figurehead, leaving Hibiki to her own devices.

[EdroGrimshell]

Nabiki waves to Rook, "Come on, Hibiki got us a ship," she says, already heading towards the shipwright's workshop.

[Noedig]

Rook gave a slight bow and fell into step behind her as they headed to the shipwright's workshop.
"Right away, Ms. Nabiki. Forgive me for asking, but how soon may we leave this island? I feel it would be better for it to be sooner rather than later, miss."

[EdroGrimshell]

"As soon as the shipwright finishes the figurehead and puts it on the ship," Nabiki replies, "Hibiki asked him if he had a shop, that's the only thing that needs to be done besides the name. We got lucky, only just found him today, if we had come up a day later he'd probably already have left."

Hibiki, meanwhile, simply watches with interest, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet.

[Noedig]

"Excellent. Fortuitous indeed. You say it still needs a name? Have you thought of one?"

[EdroGrimshell]

"Was thinking Red Dawn," Nabiki said, "The Dragon back there," she points to Ms. Walker, "said something was brewing, a red dawn means a storm is coming... we're the storm," she says with a cheshire cat grin.

[Noedig]

"Hmm, auspicious. I like the 'Red' element, though I was going to humbly suggest 'Queen'. A signal of the return of the Daughters of Aoi. It is your decision of course."

[EdroGrimshell]

"We'd like to make a name for ourselves, not continue the name of our mother," Nabiki says, "people have always seen us as her daughters, sure we've used it for leverage once or twice, but we don't like being known just for her," she continues, "being known for our mother is just annoying."

"And Hibiki wants me to tell you that it's more annoying that people think we're insane because of who are mother is rather than how our lives have been, you'd think they'd connect mistreatment to our instability... and that was all her, she's the doctor, I'm the cook... and don't ask how we can talk without being near each other, it's a twin thing."

[Noedig]

"Getting out from beneath the shadow of a parent is hard, but a worthier goal than emulation in some cases. And I would never presume to ask a out you and your sister's little...oddity. Never reveal a secret if you don't have to. Information can be a powerful weapon."

[EdroGrimshell]

"Everyone on the island knows it already, and you need to know it if you're going to be in the crew," Nabiki says, "it's not a big secret. What is a secret is what we can really do, in or out of a fight."

[Noedig]

"I don't recall asking if I could join your crew, though I am thrilled that you are willing to have me. I accept. And say no more of your secrets, I want to be surprised when you use them."

[Soliloquy]

I too will join, if you will have me. Minikui says, I would be honored to be your Navigator, Daugh- He stops, thinking about what she said about her mother. Ms. Aoi. He corrected himself. After a short pause, he spoke again. If you don't mind me prying, how do you feel about your mother?

[EdroGrimshell]

"One, you're not Navy. Two, you were looking for me and my sister. Three, you didn't try to kill me on sight. And four, you were willing to help me despite knowing who I am, not hard to figure out that you weren't exactly looking for me for a house call..." Nabiki replies, "and Hibiki wants me to let you know that she thinks you look like an assassin so there's that..."

"Our mother... she was nuts, even by our standard," Nabiki replies to Minikui, "and that's saying something. But I can't say much on her, she left almost as soon as we were born. Hibiki, as a doctor, thinks she probably died from that alone. She would have been weak and suceptible to complications. She was just too reckless. Even if she did survive, she likely would need a lot of time to recover."

[ManifestPR]

THUD THUD THUD. "There we go finally got it in place." Maori steps back and drops his hammer onto the ship deck and presents the Capricorn ship head now firmly attached to the ship. "Hey kid grab that end of the cloth I'm going up to the Crow's Nest to attach the final sail. Well what do you think so far?" Maori ties a knot around his humphead and proceeds to climb upwards.

[Noedig]

Rook paused for the briefest moment before resuming his brisk pace. He cleared his throat and straightened his tie then stepped in front of his captain. A guilty smile formed his face, despite his best efforts.
"Your sister is...very astute, especially for not being here. But please, assassin is such dirty word. I prefer 'operator'; clean, surgical, precise, whereas assassins are thugs. Trained thugs, but still thugs. I am a proffesional. And I work for you, Captain."

[EdroGrimshell]

Nabiki winks, "my eyes are her eyes, my ears are her ears, and vice versa. It's why I know what's going on at the shipwright's. It's useful, I'm sure you can think of some good uses for that," she says with a grin.

Hibiki takes one end of the sail and grins in a mirror of her sister, "Tell me where you need it and I'll see if I can get it there," she says, "by the way, my sister will be here soon with two others that are going to join our crew, and you said you were interested in joining?"

[ManifestPR]

"Go ahead and tie the right end with the right ratline and the left end with the left ratline. And yes kid I'm joining, I am more than happy to leave this place." Maori says as he's dangling off the crows nest tying the main mast tightly along the crosstrees.

[EdroGrimshell]

Hibiki does so just as Nabiki walks in, "Hey Nabiki, 'bout time you got here," she says teasingly.

[Soliloquy]

Minikui looks to Hibiki, Hello. Judging by your hair, you must be Hibiki Aoi. You know me already, although perhaps not as well as I know you. He pauses, But where are my manners? He bows, directing his body so as to face both of the Aoi twins. I am Minikui Bito, at your service. This gesture might look more noble if his hat didn't fall off. After grabbing it and replacing it on his head he asked, I now know Your names and the name of your ship, but I do not know the name of our pirates, nor even our captain. Which one of you shall assume that role?