Practise What You Preach! [vio/mim/shaki/kriyze]

[Vio]

The Frost Kingdom. Just one of many populated islands surrounded by the ocean known as the North Blue. However, there was one thing that was made obvious when one made landfall here. There was no frost. In fact, once could hardly call this island cold, at all! It was rather ridiculous, really, that the world would so willingly name an island after a feature that was not even present outside of the winter months. Though, as far as the overall climate was concerned, it was still relatively cold and fitting of the North. Surrounded by high stone walls, the innards of the island seemed so heavily fortified. But whether that was to keep people out, or something in, was yet to be seen. Nevertheless, the tales unfurling upon this not-so-aptly named kingdom would be some of the strangest in existence. One such tale involves a particular "treasure" and the group of astounding warriors who seek it...

~~~~~

"YOU!! ... Are so ridiculously adorable! Yes you are! Oh, yes you are~" Alright. Maybe 'astounding warrior' was not the best description for Meifeng of the Bai Household. Not at first glance, at least. A woman standing five-and-a-half feet tall with skin as white as porcelain and hair the colour of fresh snow, this young lady of noble status had set off on a journey. Abandoning the somewhat extravagant and disciplined life style of her home, the elegant huntress had arrived in the Frost Kingdom in the early hours of the morning. Now it was coming close to noon, but despite that she had failed to make it all that far into the city. The reason why? Cats. She had developed a small obsession with felines, having never owned one nor really even having seen one up close before now. Here in Frost City, however, the domestic moggy was far more commonplace. This probably explained the cleanliness of the citadel and its lack of vermin, save for the inevitable existence of pigeons and seagulls.

"Nyaa~" Meowing softly whilst purring with affection, a small tortoiseshell cat was currently being petted by the hand of the bounty huntress dressed in scarlet, ivory and jade. Squatting there on the side of the street, people passing her by as they enjoyed the mild yet sunny weather, Meifeng was absolutely entranced by the cat. Running her fingers across its head and back, through its soft and fluffy fur, feeling the subtle tremble of a purr in her hand. It was something new to her, though she was more than willing to enjoy every second of it, no longer pestered by her father's servants and benefactors. No more 'Milady, you are required to do this' or 'Milady, your presence is requested here'. No. She could do it all at her own pace, and that's exactly what she intended to do. As the feline nuzzled her palm with its warm, moist nose, she could feel its whiskers tickling her flesh. There was something oddly elegant and refined about the way cats acted, and perhaps her nobility was what drew her to them? Give them affection and they would return the favour, but otherwise they would go about their business with little care for human interaction. Unfortunately, despite her feline fascination, Miss Bai was fully aware she had come here to take care of business. Though she held pride in the fact that she called herself a bounty hunter, she could hardly consider herself one of worth until she turned in an actual bounty.

"My apologies, but I have a previous engagement to which I must attend. Farewell, little kitty." After giving her small and furry friend a quick pat on the head to say goodbye, Meifeng rose to her feet and continued on her path into the depths of the city. For the most part, all she could see were market stalls and shops selling various necessities. It was a relatively busy place, people moving back and forth to purchase food and clothes and other supplies. One could see quite a clear distinction between the people when it came to shopping habits, however. Many simply gathered around local food stores, but a select few seemed to spend their time around restaurants of higher class. Just like her home of Windia (more commonly known as Flat Farm Island), there were the rich and there were the poor. It seemed that the farther out one went, the less fortunate the people became, but the clever use of a large passage leading from the port and into the middle band meant that visitors such as herself never had to set foot or lay eyes upon the impoverished outskirts. Clever, but at the same time rather cruel.

Nikolai 'The Priest' Oleson. A man whose head is worth twenty two million beri, dead or alive. I hate to admit it, but, such a price is still rather low considering he's a wanted man... Walking through the streets and further into the middle of the town, the noble maiden now held in her hands a piece of pale brown paper upon which a photograph had been printed. Analysing it with sapphire eyes, her mind picked and puzzled at the features shown upon the image, trying to build a better picture of the man behind the face. Fortunately, she had become quite a fan of murder mystery novels during her late teens, having successfully identified the killer in a couple of stories before the reveal. Though, this was not a story. This was the real life, not some fantasy. Things would be different.

"I would imagine him to be the... resourceful type? Intelligent and cunning, but not infallible. The kind of man who plans out everything in adv- Awwwww! So cute!" Thinking aloud as she strolled yet deeper through the town, her gait so very refined and practised to such lengths that it would remain rhythmic yet modestly feminine, the white-haired woman soon found her thoughts abandoned in favour of something far more beautiful. Another cat. A ginger tabby with white around its paws which resembled cotton socks, the friendly feline possessed a distinct white patch upon the side of its head that encircled its left ear and eye.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I must concentrate. Maybe we shall meet again?" Leaning down and giving the cat a quick scratch behind the ear, something she had read that cats loved, Meifeng quickly proceeded to leave the cat behind.

Now... Perhaps this man is the type to have others do his work for him? It would make sense given his epithet. I could imagine the less moral types in need of money would willingly join his cause if he offered payment for their services. A manipulative criminal under the guise of a charismatic leader... Confining her deductions to her thoughts, the serene swordswoman's eyes narrowed as she stared into the dark hues portrayed on the poster in her hands. The face of a man wearing a monocle and smoking a pipe stared back at her, head decorated by a thick brown mane and fiery facial hair, both neatly groomed. Folding the parchment neatly and stowing it within the pocket of her cheongsam, Bai Meifeng took a deep breath. The still eyes of a calculative man told many things, but they did not give away where the man himself was to be found. From some research, she had discovered that his last sighting was rather recent. Sedna. That island was around twenty miles away from the Frost Kingdom, so he could not be far. If anything, a wanted man would want to find somewhere to lay low. A base of operations. The issue was that the bounty hunter had not the foggiest idea of how to find Oleson, but the long curved sword on her back reassured her that she would overcome whatever challenges she may need to face...

SPOILER: Click to show

Alright, let's get rolling!

Unfortunately, when I tried to find Oleson's bounty poster I found that it had been deleted. Lucky for me I remember what he looked like and (more importantly) remembered his bounty.

[Kriyze]

"zzzZZZzzzZZZ" The serene song of the ocean was only disturbed by the light snoring of a man in his twenties. The boat swayed gently on the small waves, only further improving the calm atmosphere aboard the tiny vessel. The small boat containing Erasmus Justice was floating through the ocean on the fourth day of it's maiden voyage. It was barely bigger than a small fishing boat, yet it had been the only way off the island so Erasmus was forced to take it.

Erasmus awoke with a jolt and sat up in the boat, tiredly looking around himself to find any hint of what's going on. "Uuuggh..." slipped out of his mouth as he stretched his aching muscles. Sleeping on hard wood wasn't exactly his idea of a fantastic night, but it had to do. Something had awoken him, but he wasn't sure what. The ocean looked as tranquil as it had ever been, and the skies didn't show a hint of bad weather, yet something had woken him up... Erasmus blinked multiple times, and then rubbed his eyes a blinked a few more times. Was this real? Just the day before he'd been in the middle of the wide blue sea, so HOW THE HECK WAS HE ALREADY AT AN ISLAND?

"How long have I been asleep..?" He wondered aloud as he looked upon the island with surprise. His train of thought was cut off by loud rumbling. He grasped his stomach and whimpered quietly. His food supply had run out yesterday, and Erasmus was running on a fish that had done him the favor of coming very close to the surface. He crawled out of the boat and onto the shore, landing in the sand with a low thud. He pulled the boat with him up past the shore, all the way up to a small glade by the beach. He fell down onto his knees and looked up at the sky, whimpering all the while. How was this by any means fair? He was just asking for landing in a big city where he'd find a small tavern run by a woman he could seduce to get free meals, then finding plenty of crooks he could turn in for lots of cash and live his life happily ever after. Was that too much to ask for?

He sighed. It wasn't like he was going to die here anyway. He was on an island. There was always something to be found on an island. He pushed himself up to his feet again and peered around, looking for anything that hinted towards civilization, and wasn't disappointed. Not far from where he was standing there was a dirt road leading across the land. "Follow the road downstream and you'll find civilization... or something..." he whispered to himself as he picked his two swords up out of the boat and hung them tightly by his side. This was exciting, actually. Erasmus had always found exploring new places exciting, and this was no exception.

He wasn't afraid of a little walking, but when after two hours you've seen no change in the landscape, anyone would be annoyed. He was checking out his reflection in the clean white sword he kept with him, straightening his undercut and fixing his attire when he suddenly realized that something was finally coming into view. A huge wall surrounded by a moat laid perhaps half a mile in front of him, and he quickly sheathed his sword. He had been starting to wonder whether there was anything beyond cavemen on this god forsaken island, so sudden proof of a civilized population almost gave him a heart attack. The tall man stopped dead in his tracks and gave a low whistle. He'd seen a few cities in his life, but this might've been the most heavily fortified one yet. Definitely worth checking out. He thought with a smile.

The rows and rows of soldiers guarding the entrance to the city kept Erasmus on his toes. He'd always been a little nervous around legal authorities, mostly because of his childhood. He'd always been taught that carrying a weapon when not hunting was dishonorable, and though it was ages ago he had this pushed into his head, it was still there at the back of his mind. He felt a little guilty for walking around with weapons, but there didn't seem to be any laws against it with immediate effect. He walked between the guards and stopped when he reached the marketplace. His mouth watered when he saw the many food stands, and disappointedly realized that his last money was spent on that boat.

He produced a large roll of paper out of one of his pockets, and started going through the wanted posters. First of all, he needed to know where he was. He looked up and asked the nearest passerby. The Frost Kingdom? He thought. He wasn't sure if he had any bounties here. The pages flipped through his palm until he finally landed on a more or less completely random one. Nikolai 'The Priest' Oleson. Erasmus scratched his neck. What did he know about this fellow? If he remembered correctly, he wasn't much of a fighter himself but had a band of zealous followers. The neck scratching intensified as he tried to remember any and all details. It was an odd quirk he'd picked up.

Nope. He was lost. He'd have to find some other form of work here if he wanted it. He loosened his white swords, and placed them on his lap as he sat down on a bench. His white apparel almost shone among the common people, and he slowly felt his eyelids slide down again. He hadn't slept too well aboard the boat, and he was still awfully tired. The tall man ended up leaned against a bench in the middle of a city half asleep.

(Soz, not sure if I should've interacted with anyone yet.)

[White Mimic]

Slowly pushing down on the press, Victoria slid all of the coffee grounds in the glass cylinder into a round grainy cake at the bottom. All that remained was the aromatic brown fluid inside, a luxury to some, but thanks to her last job she could afford a large enough tin of the stuff to last her until her next payday. Assuming of course it was going to be a normal month of work, but such was not the case, not today. Whenever a lead popped up, and they came few and far between, she would drop anything and everything that she could to pursue the deep seated revenge she desired. It had been an even longer time since she had a double prize, a lead that took her straight into another.

Victoria poured herself a cup of the freshly brewed coffee before taking it directly from her sloop’s kitchen up to the helm room. She passed through her modern style bedroom briefly, but before ascending the starboard stairs into the helm chamber above, she shot a glance at the corkboard just past the stairs. Posters and strings of yellow and red covered the vast majority of the surface, intertwined and linking to each other. Some of the posters had large X’s painted over the faces, marks Victoria had taken care of personally, some black and some red. Those that were black remained alive but otherwise would remain in marine custody. The red X’s were not quite as lucky overall, but some would consider their fate preferable over how she left some of the black X’s. Other posters had blue circles, marks taken care of by the marines or other bounty hunters, those who she could no longer claim for herself. Perhaps they were the luckiest of all to have avoided the full consequence of her endeavor. No matter, they would not be able to hurt anyone again anyway, and Victoria was after a much sweeter prize.

Most of the posters were uncovered by paint, the faces, names, and numbers clearly visible, and right in the center of the web was the smarmy face who had earned the ire of the woman scorned: Dargan Dewcie, Captain of the Jericho Pirates, Destroyer of Claviere, and the murderer of her husband, the late Henry Thatcher. After all this time she had only managed to track down and bring in a few of the remnants and splinters of the old Jericho Pirate crew, the most recent of which had been Inuro “Soft Walk” Benny. He was one of the lesser crew members Victoria had been after, but he earned his black X by ratting out his former crewmates, desperate to save himself from the full force of her rage. To some extent, she was here in the North Blue on unfinished business, but until she picked up the trail once more, she had some side jobs to take care of. Off to the side hung a poster completely outside of the web, joining a group of other posters just like it, unaffiliated faces to keep in mind when she was low on funds. On the poster was a rich, tidy face, labeled with the name Nikolai “The Priest” Oleson. Rumored to have been lingering in the North Blues for a while, Victoria had recently picked up wind that he had been spotted in areas around Frost Island, the mound of land to which her ship had been careening across the dark northern waters.

Entering the helm room, Victoria found the helm just as she had left it, gently rocking back and forth in its socket as the sails did most of the work careening her sloop to the island ahead. She sat down at a chair behind the wheel of wood and steel and set the mug of coffee down on a nearby arm table as modern as the furniture in the room below. She always did have a flair for the flashier geometric styles. On either side of the helm were a couple of sets of various levers hooked up to the sails, allowing Victoria to man everything from the comfort of the helm room. It didn’t set her back too much when she had the ship commissioned back on Water 7, for she only needed to bring in two lesser bounty heads. Although at the time she was still a bit fresh to her fruit and trying to get acclimated, so perhaps it had been a bit more difficult than she was trying to remember.

She casually inspected the levers first as always, finding nothing out of order before taking a sip of her coffee. She winced slightly at the taste for she had brewed it a bit too strong, having been distracted by her thoughts of the job. No matter, it would have to do for there was no time to go and make another batch, not when she was quickly approaching the docks. It would only be a matter of minutes before she would have to hail for docking assistance, no time to be handling beverages and possibly smash into the pier. 8 minutes or so. Enough time to enjoy what awful coffee she had made and think about the job.

Oleson, like many other pirates, his bounty poster had done little to inform Victoria of his capabilities. Rather, hearsay was the biggest component of most bounty hunting jobs outside of the name and face the marines provided. Unfortunately, she wasn’t a local to North Blue, or any Blue for that matter, and word of mouth regarding “The Priest” had not reached the Grand Line. At least, nothing had reached her ears, which was just as well. Bounties tended to stagnate a bit in the Blues and deeds gone uncirculated as opposed to the inflation of worth and ego the Grand Line provided. Thus, while her logia powers provided plenty of protection, she would have to play it standard and by the book until she knew for sure she could overwhelm the target. Nothing a little sleuth work, observation, and underselling of her own prowess couldn’t fix.

[|The SHAKINATOR|]

Where the hell am I?

She looked around the room she had awoken in. There lay a man half naked on the floor and the comfort of a bed surrounded her. The question stuck with her for a while as she awoke to the bright sun of midday. Her eyes adjusted to the light and she felt a sharp pain in her forehead.

Did I get drunk last night?

That was a very common occurrence with Aryana these days. Drinking until she puked but something told her otherwise. There was a man laid flat on his stomach, out cold on the floor at the foot of her bead. This had definitely got to be her doing she thought to herself.

Getting off her ass, she stumbled in daze to the dressing table that rested gently at her bedside. Peering into the mirror she saw the large bruise across her forehead along with stains of dried blood. That’s when the memory gates started to creak open and the faintest memory of hitting her head repeatedly into a man’s head made their way out.

She looked at the unconscious man and thought hard for a moment. She still couldn’t picture him but the room seemed to be part of the recollection. She paused for a thoughtful moment. There was only one way to find out.

She turned the man over and saw a busted nose and a lump on the forehead. He was quite a large man and was dressed in only a pair of white briefs that seemed to be stained at this moment. The carpet too was stained a deep red.

It was starting to make sense what had happened here. This was definitely her doing.

Taking some of her clothes that lay a mess on the floor, she covered herself up before heading toward the door; her memory still a little fuzzy. That was until she saw a piece of paper lying on the floor at the other end of the room.

It caught her eye immediately as it was a bounty poster. She could spot them a mile away.

Nikolai 'The Priest' Oleson

This is the man she had been hunting down. It was her next target. Unfortunately the man on the floor had been a lead that had failed her. It was back to step one. It was a real shame as well because Aryana had felt she was getting close but the Nikolai this man knew had been some dog he sold a few weeks ago.

It was very easy for Aryana to mix up the words dog and man considering both were things she despised.

Taking one final look around her, she walked across the room, trampling across the naked man’s body with her heels as she made her exit, the poster of ‘The Priest’ clutched in her hand.

[Vio]

No! I must resist the urge to pet every cat I cross paths with, no matter how absurdly cute they are... Composing herself as she walked past yet another feline, Meifeng of the Bai household avoided eye contact with the plump black cat as it strutted past her. It was fascinating how cats seemed to act as if they were nobles of the animal world, though with relatives such as the lion and tiger, it was no wonder they held themselves so highly. There was a rather humorous saying that she had come across in one of her books; 'You are nobody until you have been ignored by a cat'. A fair statement, all things considered. However, as she recalled the written word of that very same book, she also recalled another saying. An age old superstition that crossing paths with a black cat would bring misfortune and poor luck. Not particularly the suspicious sort, or at least well educated enough to understand that such things were simply trivial matters of coincidence, the swordswoman placed the thought at the back of her mind and continued pondering about her prey.

Hmm? I'm really stuck on how to proceed... Locating Oleson could be a difficult task, so I assume I may need to find a better lead? Maybe there is someone I could ask regarding the man? I shall try to garner information... Looking around the town with rich sapphire hues, Meifeng searched for someone who looked approachable. To be fair, there was no shortage of such people when looking at the world through the eyes of nobility. She had grown up in a world where every person respected her to some noticeable degree. As she continued her trek through the hustle and bustle of the city, she finally settled her view upon someone who looked less preoccupied with his own business. A young gentleman of average stature clad in clothes that seemed to place him roughly in the middle of the working class, he stood in the centre of the street upon a crate selling issues of a local magazine to passers by. While she had no immediate interest in whatever the issue contained, he struck her as the kind of fellow who would have some knowledge of what was happening around him. Raised above the crowd, there was no doubt his eyes could spy things that others could not, and so she approached.

"Latest issue, Miss? We got a full catalog o' all the latest game! There's even a competition comin' up tomorrow with some biiiig money involved. Interested?" Spying the serene noblewoman as she walked closer, the vendor wasted no time in trying to sell her a copy of the magazine using one of the traditional sales lines. To be fair, most of her clothing and such was purchased by servants on her behalf using her father's money. She was free of that life, however, and the salesman's words had actually sparked an interest in the articles at hand. Concentrating for a moment, she instead opted to keep on track.

"Oh, no, thank you. Though, I do have a query that I was hoping you may be able to answer?" Retaining her manners born from years of discipline, Miss Bai kept a friendly smile upon her face and stood as tall as she could. Of course, that was not really very tall at all. She only stood at five feet and seven, and the young man loomed over her, his average male height already enough to dwarf her by a good five inches. The fact that he stood atop a crate only served to add further height to him, though not so much that he would be out of reach. He was still plenty capable of handing one of his magazines to her, holding one in his right hand and a bundle of about a dozen more in his left arm.

"I'm sure I can do me best to help you out. What's it you need to know?"

"I'm looking for a man whom I believe to be on this island, and I'm wondering if you may have seen him? He has thick brown hair and a small beard, well-groomed, and I believe he wears a monocle as well. He may have been smoking a pipe?" Recited some of the basic details she had gathered from glancing at the bounty poster just a few minutes beforehand, the 'Beautiful Wind' waited patiently for a response as she watched the young gentleman stick his tongue out in concentration.

"Hmmm... What shade o' brown? Light? Dark?" Questioned the vendor, raising an eyebrow to the lady.

"Something of a reddish brown? Not auburn, but relatively close. More of a... Light chestnut, I suppose?" Searching her mind for an appropriate description of the hair colouration that the image depicted, she realised that it was perhaps not as accurate as she would have liked. The face depicted on the poster was shadowed somewhat, obscuring finer details. He could easily have had a different shade of hair, a trick of the light deceiving even the camera used to take the picture. It was a rough guess, the best she had access to at present until she saw the man in the flesh. After a few seconds of silent nodding, the salesman's eyes finally lit up.

"Oh! That's right... I saw a guy similar to that just a couple hours ago, when I was settin' up shop. I didn't get a great look at him, 'cause he was wearin' a coat with a hood? But, I do remember him lightin' up a pipe as he walked past." The gentleman explained, having retraced his steps to the earlier hours of the day. The bounty huntress' mind began to race with possibilities. If Oleson had been spotted just a few hours ago, then he was almost definitely still on the island. Either that, or she had just missed him on her way in. That would have been unfortunate, but she was rather confident that she had not been afflicted by such bad luck. Intent on gathering more information, nodding in confirmation for the benefit of her serviceman, she continued to listen closely to everything he had to say. "Got a right lungful o' smoke, I did. Eh, anyway! I don't remember all that much 'cause I was coughin', but he seemed to be in a bit of an 'urry. Y'know, brisk walk, heavy footed? Headed off down that way, he did. Errr... That's all I recall, I'm afraid. That any use to you, Miss?"

"Thank you, and yes, that was extremely helpful! ... Oh! And, on second thought, I'll take one!" Returning a cheerful smile to the young man, Meifeng soon found herself walking away with a local magazine in hand. Not only that, but she also obtained some valuable information on the whereabouts of her quarry. Walking down the busy street in the direction that the salesman had pointed her in, her confidence had been significantly bolstered by the generous knowledge of a single civilian. If all people were like that, then the world would be a lot more peaceful. However, she had refrained from mentioning the reason for which she wanted the information. A good call on her part, for people tended to clam up when pirates and criminals were involved, lest they end up getting ratted out. The last thing a man wanted were the remnants of a pirate crew at his door with intent on revenge for their fallen captain...

SPOILER: Click to show

Okie dokie, I'm sure we could start meeting up now if you feel like it? Depending on what you're all planning, of course. I'm still in the process of introducing the thread itself, but I can finish that off early on in my next post and blend in with whatever you guys do?

[Kriyze]

That falling feeling came over Erasmus, and he awoke with a jolt, rubbing his head in disappointment. His twitches had always seemed to be much worse than the average person, and he'd always had a hard time falling back asleep after experiences one of them. He looked around himself again, a little disoriented after his bare moment of sleep, and came to the conclusion that maybe it was better. He knew little of the local law enforcement, and who knows what was stopping the first best person to slit his throat and loot his corpse? Not a particularly happy thought, but ultimately a necessary one.

He crawled up from the bench and stretched in the sun, reattaching the sheathes at his side. Might as well try and go for a bit of coffee - no, wait. He still didn't have any money. He sighed deeply again, and started mindlessly walking through the city streets with his hands shoved in his pockets. He carefully studied every person he passed in a low-profile fashion, partly to see if he recognized them from a wanted poster, and partly by habit. Despite having just woken up he was still as vigilant as ever, though that might have more to do with desperation than discipline. Looking for the pettiest thief to bring in just to get a bit to eat wasn't something he was proud about.

But the observant state seemingly paid off, though not in the instantly rewarding way he'd hoped for. A conversation between a young girl around his own age - with a slim build and a sword too big for her own good - and a glorified paperboy caught his attention. In most situations, it would've passed by him completely unnoticed, but the sword, the desperation, and the lack of other interesting conversation were all contributing factors. Not to mention the subject. She was describing a man he distinctly remembered seeing somewhere of late. With one eye and ear on the two, he pulled out the bundle of wanted posters. The top one immediately caught his eye, and he remembered his random picking earlier. Nikolai. It must be fate. He sarcastically thought to himself.

As they parted, he only momentarily hesitated before leading his steps up behind the woman. She wasn't much younger than himself, maybe even the same age, and equally groomed(though, regrettably Erasmus had been unable to keep himself up to his standards within the last few days). Some of the things Erasmus quickly walked up next to her, and gave her a light tap on the shoulder. "Excuse me darl'. Erasmus Justice, at your service." He gave a slight bow to the woman, and then continued "I couldn't help but catch a bit of your earlier conversation with that man," he nodded towards the fellow selling magazines, "and I have a question for you."

He stopped briefly, and raised the wanted poster of Nikolai, the priest, showing it to her. The mistreated paper showed his appearance and bounty, and he added "Would it by any chance be this man you were looking for, and if so, do you happen to have any information regarding him you could share?" Erasmus had no idea what her business with the man was, but he wasn't afraid of her. He'd been brought up with the old morals that women were weak, and even though he'd experienced the opposite in his past, he was still subconsciously affected by it. Even if she was a bounty hunter like himself, sometimes you got lucky and hit someone willing to help you out.

(Sorry for the long time it took. I had a bit of a stressful time lately, but it should get better now.)

[White Mimic]

Victoria’s sloop sliced through the water past the jetty formed by the island’s walls and approached the docks after a few minutes of gliding travel. As it slowed, the rushing cascade of water spraying off of its nose died down to a modest rippling set of aqueous hills. She gently steered her boat to the side of the nearest small ship pier, only leaving the helm once the dock workers set about towing her in. Ropes coiled through the air in front of her helm room, lassoing whatever bits of sloop they could reach and growing taut at the whims of the brawny workers. Free from the responsibility of managing her own vessel, Victoria left her wheel and finished her preparations for disembarkation downstairs. At this point in her day, all that that really entailed was getting dressed and grabbing the right poster to take with her.

Based on what she had seen upstairs of what the guys had been wearing, Victoria figured it was a tad nippy outside. Not much, but enough that her usual working clothes in the warmer environments would certainly be of noticeable discomfort. That and, considering what she had known of Frost Island beforehand, she didn’t want to draw too much attention to herself from the local working force. It was a crapshoot: either she’d stick out like a sore thumb and no one would want to talk to her, an obvious outlander, or she’d have to endure with a lot of unwelcome ‘positive’ attention from the testosterone lined work force. No, this was clearly a day for the warmer modest clothing. Opening the sliding closet door right beside her bed gave her the answer to her quandary fairly quickly. ‘Hmm… haven’t worn this in a while.’ Victoria pulled out a grey turtleneck sweater dress, and held it over the front of her body and briefly looked over herself in the mirror. ‘Mmm… sure, weather is good for it.’

As she got dressed, a forceful tap shaking the bedroom warned Victoria that the boat had finally made contact with its docking lot and the workers would be wrapping up their duties. She carefully removed Oleson’s poster from her wall as she made her way to the boots in the corner of the room, folding and storing it in the belt wrapped around the waist of her sweater dress. Donning a pair of heeled boots over the black leggings she was going to sport for the day, the bounty huntress made her way back upstairs and out of the door in the side of the helm room, grabbing a dark pair of sunglasses on her way out. The sky was bright if a bit overcast, and the sea breeze was cool and pleasant as it whipped around her trying to force its way into her warmer abode. To no lasting avail unfortunately, as Victoria soon closed the door behind her and made first step onto the dock.

One of the workers had offered to help her up ashore via the gesture of an extended hand, which she politely declined. “Thanks but I’m good.” The authoritative sound of her heels making contact with the wooden boards of the pier were distinct as she made that first step and turned to examine the dock workers’ handiwork. They had brought her closer to the shore than she had remembered landing, though she imagined this was more based in their enjoyment of physical work rather than a sense of convenience for the customer. Perhaps they liked to show off to one another, or maybe they were trying to impress her. It wouldn’t have been the first time. Turning to the worker who had offered to help her across, Victoria carefully adorned herself with the sunglasses in her hands, adjusting them with her thumb and middle finger. “Actually, maybe you could help. Could you direct me to the port authority?”

The man’s face was mostly beard but anyone could see that he was blushing underneath all of the coarse blonde hair. He silently continued to gesture, pointing down the length of the pier and then pointing sharply to the right, indicating a building not too far off the shore. Victoria initially wondered if he was a bit too shy to talk to girls, but the wedding ring on his pointing hand seemed to discredit that conjecture. Perhaps he was just the silent type and got nervous talking to strangers. At any rate, she thanked the muscular man before starting her trek down the length of the dock. The distinct noise of her authoritative heels died down as she drew closer to the shore for she didn’t want to stand out too much in public.

She noticed on her long walk that the entirety of the dock workers were men, masculine men of an almost caricature degree. She found some attractive, others not so much, but what was important was that the idea of this place left a bad taste in her mouth. Ultimately, everywhere she looked was a massive turn off. It wasn’t so much the idea of what might have constituted as sexism since that was more of a cultural issue she had no stake in here nor no qualm. Rather, it was the idea of the rigid gender role permeating the social norms. It was marginally related to how some people took to her when she was first starting out her bounty hunting career, a job market mostly dominated by men, but there was a different issue that directed Victoria’s opinions of this island.

The patterns. From an artistic point of view, there was very little deviation from the pattern that had been set up in the status quo of Frost Island. That was what bothered her the most. People were expected to act in certain ways to a narrow degree, and the artistic lens of her background, Victoria could only see this for the stagnation it produced. No innovation, no creativity, forms of people in the same style as everyone else here. She had no quarry with the people themselves as so far the men seemed to be fairly nice people if a bit boisterous and bombastic as they worked, but that didn’t stop her from getting a bad taste in her mouth. The sooner she could finish the job and leave, the better.

SPOILER: Click to show

Sorry for taking so long, stuff IRL, the usual. I'ma try to keep my pace slow so I might take a bit to meet up with you guys. Besides, wouldn't want the threat of Logia Steamroll to come up too quickly. Gotta have that slow escalation.

[|The SHAKINATOR|]

Leaving the hotel room in haste, the femme fatale briskly rushed through the town situated in Frost Kingdom. Her mind was slowly regaining its composure as the effects of last night’s drinks were returning. She wasn’t one to be so heavily influenced by booze so it began to make her wonder what had caused such a thing.

Perhaps she had just binged at the possibility of free drinks but there was a look planted in her mind of the man she had killed. It reeked of deception and mistrust which could only mean one thing… her drink had been spiked. Annoyed at the possibility at having fallen to such a cheap trick she was hell bent on finding this so-called priest to fix her mood more than anything else.

She needed a plan. But with her mind preoccupied with fuzziness and confusion, it was difficult to go about her regular way. But she was adamant on getting things done and wasn’t going to let no drug in her system keep her down. She was going to battle it out.

Everything seemed to be moving around much faster than usual. Perhaps it was because her own senses were moving at a much slower pace. Taking a deep sigh, the assassin trudged through the streets of the unfamiliar town in search for the man who was on the poster.

She saw a couple standing outside a magazine vendor talking about a certain something. She didn’t really care. They were the first standing couple she had found and she had to start somewhere so this seemed like a good spot. Her mind still reeling from the date-rape drug, Aryana found it difficult to concentrate, not even realising the couple were actually two individuals who hardly knew each other. It was only later that she spotted a sword at the woman’s waist.

Pushing the poster of the priest up in the guy’s chest, she asked him the simplest of questions.

“Seen this fellah? I’m planning to put an arrow up his arse.”

She looked at the two for a while, having disturbed their conversation. She wasn’t one to bother with manners and formalities but something didn’t seem right. It was strange to be honest. She hadn’t expected this sort of reaction. It was clear they were both familiar with this man but not in the capacity Aryana had expected.

Were they a part of his unit? Were they mercenaries? Or perhaps even bounty hunters like herself… Before she knew it, her hand had already dropped to her side, clutching the Scorpion Whip at her waist.

[Vio]

Bai Meifeng had walked little more than ten yards in her desired direction before the feeling of a finger tapping her shoulder grasped her attention. Stopping, she half-turned, looking back and expecting to see the vendor having remembered a little more about the mysterious man she was hunting down. That was not what greeted her, her smile fading briefly out of surprise more than anything else before it resumed once more. Turning to face her new conversation partner, her eyes took in his details quite quickly as the gentleman introduced himself quite formally as a Mister Erasmus Justice. Towering above herself by nearly a whole foot, he was a man of thin physique clad in a near-pristine white suit, his jaw dusted with a light stubble and his head topped with shiny black hair. Definitely a fellow who kept himself well groomed and tidy, though on closer inspection he seemed to little worn down. Hair a little messy, stubble uneven and his suit looking not as white as it probably should have. However, he still looked the handsome and presentable type.

"A question for me? Please, ask away." The gentleman had revealed the fact that he had been eavesdropping, though to her it seemed that it was not a case of being rude, and more just being inquisitive. Perhaps he wished to lend her his assistance, likely seeing her as some kind of damsel in distress. It was then that his identity was revealed, the image of an all-to-familiar face being held up for her to see. A copy of the very same bounty poster that she currently showed interest in, that of Nikolai Oleson. This was not just a gentleman showing interest in a young lady, but a man who even shared her profession. Erasmus was a fellow bounty hunter and, it seemed to the noblewoman, that he was also in pursuit of the Priest.

"Would it, by any chance, be this man you were looking for?" Mister Justice asked of her, "And, if so, do you happen to have any information regarding him you could share?"

"Well. First of all, introductions should be made proper. I am Meifeng of the Bai Household, and it is a pleasure to meet you Mister Justice." A woman of noble status, Meifeng had always stuck to the strict regime of formalities when dealing with others, especially those who seemed to radiate that air of the upper class. Erasmus was to be no different and, despite the more immediate information that he wished of her, she was not about to let her work get in the way of her manners. Returning the gentleman's bow with a feminine bow of her own, the swordswoman continued to address him and began to answer his queries. "As for such information, I am afraid I have very little knowledge to offer, other than what I have just learned."

"All I know is that the kind vendor saw what we assume to be this very man heading in this direction just an hour or two earlier. Aside from that, unless you have any other information, that is all." Frowning a little now that her lack of information was quite clear to her, the white-haired warrior quickly tried to mask her own disappointment and instead posed a look of curiousity to the fellow hunter. If he knew anything else, such information would be well received, but she highly doubted that would be the case. Oleson was likely to lay low, as far as she was aware, which would only make the task of finding him all the more difficult.

~~~~~

Meanwhile, hidden away somewhere in the Frost Kingdom, devious plans were being laid out by unseen forces. Standing upon a makeshift stage of crates and barrels topped with wooden boarding, a cloaked gentleman smoking a pipe ran his gaze along a gathering of men below him. None of them looked in good condition, many covered in scratches and scars bought about by petty scuffles in the back streets of the city. These men, around thirty of them, all looked up at the man in the cloak with eager eyes. Removing the pipe from between his lips with slender fingers, the fellow exhaled a circle of thick tobacco smoke before dispersing some of the ashes to his side. Clearing his throat, he addressed the audience.

"Gentlemen! I thank you all for joining me, for without you this would not be possible. It took a little longer than I would have liked, but I now know the exact circumstances behind the competition that will be hosted tomorrow. You have all lived in poverty for so long, but you have shown your strength by living on where others have failed. And, with your help, this plan will be successful. Of those among you, which have heard of the Pikt Archipelago?" He looked around with curious eyes, his query returned with a few quiet murmurs and no more than four raised hands. "And, of those who know of it, how many have ever seen or heard the wild animals that call its mountains and forests home?"

This time, there was nothing but silence...

"None? Well, I am not surprised, for I had not heard of these miraculous beasts until just recently. However, my recent excursion has shown me something amazing. As you all know, a hunting competition is to be hosted tomorrow, the prize rumoured to be exceptionally large. However, I know of a way to gain even more money than the kingdom could possibly offer!" Now the orator's speech was met with babbles of interest and brightened eyes, his own brown orbs meeting the gaze of each and every man. "The people of the Archipelago are said to value nature and respect the creatures that share the land with them. They offer handsome rewards to anyone with any information regarding poachers and the like, so imagine what kind of reward they would give if we brought back to them what others took?"

Wide grins and cheery mumbling now emanated from the crowd, every man leaning in closer and practically asking for more as a pause was held for no more than a second or two.

"A Crystal Deer, an animal so rare than it is considered naught but a legend, has been captured by poachers and sold to the Frost Kingdom's royals. I have seen the majesty of such a creature with my own eyes, and I dare say that its beauty is only deserving of its legendary status..." He paused again, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye, before continuing to rouse the men. "Tonight, under cover of darkness, we will infiltrate the building in which they keep more ferocious animals and take it from them. Then, we shall flee to the Pikt Archipelago where, no doubt, we will be rewarded handsomely for our efforts! It will not be easy, but I trust in all of you..."

~~~~~
"Seen this fellah?" Out of nowhere, it seemed, another woman had emerged. Dressed in trendy, modern clothing, a variety of weapons were littered about her person. A bow, a quiver of arrows, and the most unusual-looking weapon that bore resemblance to a whip. Then again, it was not entirely uncommon for people to carry weapons on their person, whether they were combatants or not. In this day and age, with piracy rife and consistent conflicts between World Government and Revolutionary forces, being prepared for the worst was the best idea. However, there was one thing about this strange girl with purple hair that did not appeal to the woman of the Bai Household. Her vulgarity. While beautiful to some extent, this unfamiliar face looked a little worse for wear and presented herself in a manner most unbefitting of a lady. Well, at least that was how Meifeng saw it. What the refined woman did see clearly, however, was the cautious way in which the femme fatale reached for her weapon.

"I am sorry to say that neither of us have seen this man." Meifeng began, keeping a soft and friendly smile upon her face as her sapphire hues met with the blue eyes of this apparent third bounty hunter. It seemed every hunter and huntress in the North Blue was after the head of Oleson, despite the reward for turning him in being so low in comparison. That said, the serene swordswoman had little concept of what was considered a large or small bounty. Money had never been much of an issue for her in years passed. Regardless, she continued to present herself in a calm and tranquil manner, so as to avoid instigating unnecessary acts of violence. "I - we - are also in pursuit of this man, though it seems none of us have any clue as to where he might be hiding, save for being pointed in this direction."

This lady seems a little aggressive... Instinctual? I had best remain calm, and do my best to calm her nerves... A delicate white hand was extended, gesturing in the direction in which the noblewoman had been headed, but otherwise she was unsure of what to do. Of all those present, she was most likely the least experienced of the lot, having not the slightest idea of what the average bounty hunter did. Aside from the obvious. Maintaining her formal approach, she bowed to the woman, pending an introduction.

"My name is Meifeng, of the Bai Household," she said with hand on her chest before gesturing towards the man in the white suit, "and this kind gentleman is Mister Erasmus Justice. May I inquire as to who you are, Miss?"

SPOILER: Click to show

Right, so I've revealed a little of Oleson's plan here, but that is just the tip of the iceberg! Hehehe.

[Kriyze]

Erasmus' professionally faked smile slowly faded into an honest positive expression as the woman responded to him with worth and elegance. Had he been so lucky that he came across another human being who was used to the life of nobles, or even better, a noble herself? He almost giggled at the thought, there had been quite some time since he last had a sophisticated conversation with anyone. "Oh, the pleasure is all mine, Lady Meifeng." He said with a smile on his face. She wasn't from any household he'd ever heard of, but that wasn't important. The important part was that she was from a house to begin with, and it cheered Erasmus up on a deep level. He even ran a hand through his hair, correcting it, just to look ever so slightly more presentable in front of the woman. To be honest, her house could be of very low standing, but she spoke with the confidence and nobility of someone that could've even gotten an audience with his previous masters, if not better. Just hearing that again, as opposed to the sleazy banter and conversations of middle-class men, was a godsend. This is how the language is supposed to be spoken, he thought.

"All I know is that the kind vendor saw what we assume to be this very man heading in this direction just an hour or two earlier. Aside from that, unless you have any other information, that is all." She told him. Erasmus frowned and rubbed his chin as the words brought him back into his business state-of-mind, and then declared "I'm afraid I do not, hun. He seems to be a very clandestine man, unlike most of the other people with bounties at his level. Hmm.." Justice quickly assessed all of his options. He could go off on his own again and look for another lead of some sort, but anyone who'd ever known him would've known he wasn't very good at attaining information. Either that, or he could stick along with this woman and see what she could make of the situation. The latter of the two seemed a lot more reliable, not to mention many times more interesting and enjoyable. "I see. Would-" His words were cut off by the sheer shock and surprise of a seemingly drunk girl colliding her hands and some paper with his chest.

"Woah." He exclaimed in slight exasperation, before quickly bouncing back from the faze. He was just about to respond to the girl with his general attitude, but when the Lady -who he had come to refer to in his head as such- started explaining the situation he simply stood his ground and provided whatever support to the strange girl he could. Truth be told, if she hadn't started talking Erasmus would've gripped for his swords already, and there would've been a fight. However, as this was not the case, and some time had already passed, it would highly unfitting to reach for his katana now.

When he was presented he did a slight bow for the newcomer careful to keep his professional manners up, even in the face of such dodgy looking characters.  He quickly turned his attention back to the Lady, and said "Sorry, as I was saying; Would you mind if came along with you in search of this man?"

[White Mimic]

The port authority was a log cabin at the end of the docking web, sitting just beyond the reach of the island’s shore. It was a smaller square building that looked like it had been built on a platform out at sea and the center of the docks had simply been built around it. It had two doors, one in front and one in back, with the front side door accompanied by a large service window meant for people to pay for docking space in the harbor for however long they intended on staying. The usual, though Victoria would be throwing in a slight addition to the routine.

As she approached the service window, she peered into the cottage, finding only a single older gentleman snoozing in a tiny seat behind a hand crafted desk. Everything inside was neat and tidy, well organized, but surprisingly barren. Nothing adorned the walls, no pictures or knick knacks. She got the feeling that the man inside only came here to do business and nap when he wasn’t working on the boardwalk himself. What tanning on his skin she could see past his full grey beard was the biggest contributor to this theory. Like most everyone else out here, he didn’t seem like the indoorsy type.

To rouse him from his midday slumber, Victoria firmly tapped the glass of the service window though it seemed to do little to actually wake the man. He merely rolled about on the tiny chair, turning slightly away from the window as he did so. “Hmph.” Unamused at the inadvertent gesture from the man, she gave a quick, strong rap on the window. The hard sound was particularly loud on her side of the window, so it had certainly would have been hard to ignore inside the tiny acoustic sink of the cabin in front of her. Nearly immediately, the older man lurched up from his seat and hastily straightened out the wrinkles in his red flannel shirt as he fumbled around at his desk. He grabbed a few scraps of paper, a pen, and a thick file from a drawer in the desk, all the while spouting off apologies through the window. “Sorry. Sorry, just gimme a sec, lass. Be with you in a sec. Sorry.”

Sure enough, in a matter of moments the man strode up to the window with a wad of crumpled papers in his large meaty hands, and slid it open to Victoria on the other side. She maintained an expression of disappointment, though it became a quick little smile as the man handed the papers to her so she could fill them out. She had filled out lots of docking paper work in her career, and made especially short work of this crumpled mess. It was a bit distracting with the older man asking a few questions about her as she wrote down information and readied her wallet for the costs of her stay. “So, lass, are ya visting family, or vacation? Or…” She shook her head as she wrote down her reason for docking. “No. This is more of a business trip.” Still scribbling down bits here and there about herself and her boat, Victoria reached inside her belt and handed the folded poster to the man. “I’m looking for someone.”

The man took the poster and looked over the face for a bit before handing it back. “Ah, Bounty Hunter are ya? Well, If this boyo’s here, he must’ve come in on someone else’s shift.” Victoria looked up from the paper work briefly at the dock worker. She pursed her lips to the side in thought for a moment. “Hm.” As she leaned up to the window, she removed her sunglasses and held them closed in one hand, looking up at the ceiling. “Mm, then are there any ships in port signed in under that name? Nikolai Oleson?” The older man grimaced for a bit before leaning back and looking at a grid on the wall. From so far away, Victoria couldn’t make them out, but on the grid were names of ships in different docking spots accompanied by the people they were signed under, usually their captains. He skimmed quickly before returning to her. “Mm, nope, sorry there lass.”

“Ah, that’s too bad.” She put the sunglasses back on and looked out at the town. The buildings closest to the docks were all made of wood it seemed. Cabins were popular here, Victoria supposed. They weren’t her style but she could appreciate a more traditional and cozy aesthetic. “Hard way it is then.” Turning back to the burly old man, she gave him another quick smile before sliding the paperwork back to him along with a Beri payment up front for the docking space. “Thanks for the help anyway. You have a nice day.” He returned the smile before receding back to his desk. “Yeah. You too, lass.”

---

A few minutes later, Victoria was well into town, surrounded by buildings more in line with the aesthetic of the wall surrounding the entire city. Stone and wood, mostly stone, basic, reliable, but not very impressive to look at. If she had lived here, Victoria believed she would’ve died of the artistic boredom long ago. The only redeeming qualities she could see deeper in were the trees and flowers that had been planted here and there. They too were basic but in a more natural sense as compared to the geometric and functional sense of the buildings they accented. All in all, this part of town seemed a bit too safe. It lacked flavor, kick, anything to leave an impression. “Maybe his presence is the most interesting thing to have happened to these people.” Victoria muttered to herself as she walked down the cobblestoned street past others going about their daily business. She probably blended in alright here, but looking at how all the others seemed to be alright with their surrounding aesthetic, she couldn’t help but feel out of place as the only person resentful of the overarching style.

[|The SHAKINATOR|]

"…I - we - are also in pursuit of this man, though it seems none of us have any clue as to where he might be hiding, save for being pointed in this direction."

Aryana cocked her head to one-side trying to judge the situation at hand. This was unexpected. This was highly unexpected. She stared at the space between both of them for a while and kept transferring her eyes toward the vendor, as if to say, can you believe these two.

Despite her drunkenness, the ranger could tell when someone was uncomfortable and it was as obvious as day with these two.

The girl was interesting; she had something about her that Aryana liked. She shared that spark that Aryana carried, unlike most women she met. She had pale icy skin and snow-like hair. Just looking at her gave Aryana the chills but they were chills of excitement. As their eyes met, Aryana almost let herself go and drop the act she usually carried about herself but held on at the last moment.

The guy on the other hand seemed like an obnoxious twat. She didn’t even give him any attention what-so-ever, as if the guy didn’t even exist. It was clear they were both from noble families unlike Aryana. Although she despised most people that were born in high-families, she preferred their lifestyle of fine wining and dining over that of the poor and ill-cultured.

Besides, the girl was quite pleasant with her mannerism, unlike the guy who reeked of attention-seeking mania. Aryana wondered if he was more interested in bagging the chick he was with or the Priest they were hunting. Aryana cocked an eye-brow at him, finally deciding to give him the attention is so longingly desired.

It was strange how a girl like her had become an assassin and one in touch with nature. It made her smile remembering her father and how enthusiastic he was about hunting; how much joy it would bring to her. She suddenly realised her thoughts were going to a happy time without her consent and this was not the time to be dallying in mindless fantasies of the past. Those days were gone and her father was dead.

Turning her attention back to the situation at hand, the girl decided to use the tension in the air to get some knowledge out of the

“That’s just great. Unbelievable actually at the coincidence that all three of us came up to the same vendor to ask for the same bounty we are hunting. Did you guys read the same bounty-hunting book I did?”

Obviously she was kidding so the dead-shot assassin didn’t bother waiting for an answer and just shrugged her shoulder nonchalantly.

“You know, I wouldn’t even be hunting this low-life if it hadn’t been for a bet I made with this bastard in Micquet. Dude promised me something more than money and I need to bring this guy in, regardless of how I go about it. In fact, it might have been getting something off of him, now that I come to think of it?”

She paused a moment to think, ignoring her recent acquaintances as if they didn’t exist. She had almost been muttering to herself prior to the pause. The immoral bounty-hunter almost didn't pay attention when the pretty girl finally introduced herself.

"My name is Meifeng, of the Bai Household and this kind gentleman is Mister Erasmus Justice. May I inquire as to who you are, Miss?"

The gesture was too posh and pleasant for Aryana’s liking but she decided it was better to accept it rather than shrug it off. After all, this girl had something about her; Aryana could tell.

The name of Bai household caught her attention. Was it one she had heard of before? She wasn’t quite sure but it sounded slightly familiar. Perhaps her subconscious mind picked it up somewhere. The Justice guy’s name almost made her laugh. It was such a typical noble name of someone who thought he was so righteous. Aryana had already judged his whole character from top to toe and the name just tied the bow across his neck.

Trying to hold back her laughter, she met Meifang’s hand with a steady but tender shake. She met her eyes once more before giving the girl a little smirk.

“You can call me Auri of the brothel household… I’m the bounty-hunting whore!”

She didn’t like parading her name around considering being hard to find and mysterious was part of her job description. She didn’t need people being on alert when she was in town. The easiest way was to leave variations of her name in the different cities she visited.

The whole whore thing was a personal joke considering the usual cover she used was that of a whore. It gave her an easy way in with the bad crowd and those that were more suspicious of her familiarity would be more susceptible into accepting the coincidence after considering her occupation. All whore’s looked the same after a few drinks.

Suddenly a wicked thought came to her mind and she swung her arms around to catch the shoulders of Erasmus. The slutty bow-girl licked her lips before seductively whispering in his ear.

“You can hire my services if you like… Just know I charge a hefty price. You’ll have to pay me with your life.”

She backed away from his slowly, keeping her eyes affixed upon the nobleman, the smile not leaving her face.

“How about the three of us team up and find this bastard priest. It’ll be much quicker and we can split the profit three-ways. Not to forget, the loot he probably has. I’m actually more interested in the loot to be honest…”

She claimed, giggling at the end as the effects of the spiked drink still rolling in her mind.

[Vio]

"You can call me Auri," the mysterious woman said, introducing herself with and outstretched hand which Meifeng herself accepted, their handshake gentle and perhaps somewhat cautious. Indeed, this peculiar new face did not exactly meet the expectations of a Lady of the Bai Household, the swordswoman feeling a little apprehensive about 'Auri' and every word and action she made. Their hands did not meet for long, of course, the two withdrawing their extended limbs rather quickly from one another. It was obvious to her now that this woman may not have been the entirely trustworthy sort, especially in the way she referred to herself. It was mocking of Miss Bai's own introduction, derogatory as well.

Referring to herself in such a way... Does she hold no decency? For a moment, her usual smile faded and was replaced by a look of subtle shock, perhaps mixed with disappointment and disgust. There was little in the way of descriptive terms for the face she pulled, but the white-haired warrior soon regained her composure and painted the soft smile upon her visage once more. It was considered rude to pull such faces at others, especially when business was involved, as she had been taught throughout her childhood years. One should always have a 'business face' as it were, and in her case it was a soft and welcoming smile that made her the easily approachable sort of woman. Was that always a good thing, though? Usually it was, but this seemingly half-drunk woman had given her something of a reason to think otherwise.

"Ummm..." Before she could even say anything regarding Mister Justice's question, Auri had done something which Meifeng herself found utterly shocking. In just a second or two, she had taken a hold of the well-groomed gentleman's shoulders and pulled herself towards him, whispering something inaudible into his ear that the spectator could only imagine was rather vulgar and improper of any lady. As disgusting as she may have found the act, she chose to hold herself back and not pick a fight. This was neither the time, nor the place. When was the time to pick a fight? Well, never. Diplomatic was how she acted, achieving goals through carefully selected words rather than brash and misguided actions. In this case, the other woman had done nothing entirely worthy of drawing a sword against her, for she would only use her blade in times of desperate need.

A sword is not to be used in anger or for vengeance. A sword is a tool of justice... The fair lady reminded herself of her teachings and disciplines, clearing her throat quietly as she watched Auri step away from Erasmus, a mischievous smile upon her face. What exactly was she smiling about? Meifeng wondered, having never heard the whispering, but her mind seemed to say to her that she was better off not knowing.

"How about the three of us team up," the sly woman suggested, voicing her opinions without so much as a care to what the two nobles thought. There was something to be said for teamwork, however, and the Beautiful Wind herself nodded subtly in agreement when the archer defined the benefits. With three people on the hunt for one man, closing in on Oleson would be much easier, but despite her acceptance of this fact she was rather trepidatious about the prospect. The nobleman in the exquisite suit seemed trustworthy enough, professional enough as well, but Auri? Well, she gave off an air of malevolence and mischief, as if she were in it for her own benefit. Surely the point of bounty hunting was not to attain the monetary rewards, but to be rewarded by the fact that you have removed another criminal from the seas. Was that not what she was interested in? Again, that did not settle well with the woman in red, especially as the fellow huntress expressed her desire for 'loot', as she put it.

"Well, you both seem to be in some form of agreement that working as one is far better than working alone," Meifeng commented, addressing the two other bounty hunters in her presence with her words while she decided upon the best course of action to take. It was not an easy choice, but her personal opinions mattered little in the grand scheme of things. There was a wanted man stalking the streets of the Frost Kingdom, and it was their job to apprehend such men as him to protect the people. Bounty hunters were the unsung heroes of the law, in her mind, and so she settled upon her choice with due haste. "I too believe that solitary efforts will not yield much, especially given what little information we possess on our target. As such, I believe that an alliance is in order? If, of course, the both of you are willing?"

I had best keep an eye on her... And what is to say that - with Auri, Erasmus and myself - there is not another person searching for Nikolai Oleson? Caution and curiosity prevalent in her conscious thoughts, the huntress swallowed her pride, the corner of her sapphire eyes catching those of the magazine vendor for a moment. Had he been trying to listen in on their conversation? Probably not, for he quickly began to throw a sales pitch at a passing citizen. Then that reminded her of something. The magazine itself. Perhaps, if Oleson was here, he was not just using it for hiding. Given the extensive fortifications of the kingdom, why would a wanted man try and hide somewhere that was difficult to escape from? Now that she considered it, that made no sense, so the logical conclusion was...

"...There is a competition tomorrow!" Meifeng exclaimed quite suddenly, having been so lost in thought that she had not really been paying all that much attention to what was being said. Regardless of whether or not the two had agreed to forming an alliance, this information was potentially vital. In the end it did not matter to her whether she apprehended the criminal or not, as long as he was turned in for his crimes. Pulling up her copy of the magazine in question, she quickly flipped open the pages and began to search through the articles for mention of this event. It did not take her long to find it, for it was taking up an entire two-page spread in the centre of the booklet. The concept was rather simple, it seemed; a hunting competition was to take place in the Frost Park, an expanse of wilderness beyond the castle in which big game hunters could test their skills. But it on the right hand side that the challenge itself was mentioned.

"It says here that 'a rare and elusive beast from the far north will be ready for tomorrow's competition, and only those hunters who prove themselves will be eligible to track this magnificent specimen'," she stated, pausing for a moment to read on a little more before continuing. "'The prize for successfully capturing this creature when it is released will include not just the animal itself, but a cash reward of fifty million beri...'"

[Kriyze]

The entire situation was getting unbearable for Erasmus, who never had had any big experiences with awkward circumstances in his past. And awkward was exactly what it felt like. He was in the middle of a noblewoman and a street urchin discussing a bounty he was after. He could recall the amount of times he'd experienced any sort of opposition for a bounty before, and the numbers added up to total of only once. That time he'd been able to simply beat the other bounty hunter until he gave the bounty up and ran away, a task which might prove more difficult here. These two -or at least the noblewoman- were likely to possess more skill than that scoundrel had had. The large sword that Lady Meifeng was carrying with relative ease was more than enough proof for her superiority to the half-assed bounty hunter.

“You can call me Auri of the brothel household… I’m the bounty-hunting whore!”

Erasmus' gaze turned from Bai Meifeng to the so-called Auri, and an expression of shock mixed with amusement grazed his face. Hadn't he been in the company of a noble he would've laughed and cracked a joke about not having heard of that household before, but as that was not the case, he kept his distance and waited for the two to settle their conversation amongst themselves. This didn't prove to last however. The short Auri threw her arms around and grasped his shoulder before getting closer to him. The sudden movement immediately made him grab for his katana, but his hands only rested on the hilts as she whispered into his ear. “You can hire my services if you like… Just know I charge a hefty price. You’ll have to pay me with your life.” The first few word were effective, so effective that he almost would've considered it even in the company of the noblewoman, but the following words were a deal-breaker even for Erasmus. And they confused him. Did that mean she required marriage? Did that mean she was going to take him as some sort of slave? Or...

He suddenly visualized her as an enormously over-sized black widow, looming over him, ready to bite his head off and devour him at any given moment. It suddenly hit him how incredibly vulnerable he was when sleeping, especially after a night of heavy drinking and good company. He had a somewhat dumb look on his face when she backed away from him, but he quickly snapped back to reality and shook his head at her with a frown. "Your sales pitch could use some polishing." He said in a highly sarcastic tone.

His frown only grew she suggested that they should all join up. "You can't honestly be-" He was cut off by the response from Lady Meifeng, and his eyes grew wide. He looked at her over his shoulder. "What?" He looked back at the trollop standing in front of him, and then his eyes jumped between the two rapidly before finally stopping at said trollop again. "I am very unwilling! She's nothing but a prostitute! What sort of demon would have to possess me to make me split a large bounty with some random civilian?" Most would assume he was much angrier than he was due to the tone he used, but Erasmus wasn't very upset at all. Something about this Auri scared or bothered him on a deep level, and he hadn't quite figured out why. Perhaps she was appealing to some sort of phobia he had against getting his genitalia removed in his sleep, but that much was just speculations so far.

His train of thought and rant was interrupted by Lady Meifeng's exclaimation, and he turned 180° to face her way. The promise of some sort of competition always appealed to him, especially if there was money involved in winning it. "Competition?" "'The prize for successfully capturing this creature when it is released will include not just the animal itself, but a cash reward of fifty million beri...'" A smirk grazed Erasmus' lips. Hunting, and on top of that a rare specimen? Not to mention the 50 million beri, this was amazing news. Erasmus moved up alongside Bai and looked down at the article. "This is almost too good to be true.." He whispered to himself and excitedly rubbed his hands together. Suddenly he snapped out of the thought and looked at the noblewoman. She didn't seem to be the typical hunter, but then again neither did he. She seemed to have her priorities straight on capturing Nikolai however, so unless she was suddenly after the prize money for the elusive beast this seemed like a strange turn. "Hold on, is this at all relevant to the capture of Nikolai?"

(Sorry, would've been up sooner and have been longer if it hadn't been for a little power outage that killed the 1000-something word long post I'd almost finished)

[|The SHAKINATOR|]

"It says here that 'a rare and elusive beast from the far north will be ready for tomorrow's competition, and only those hunters who prove themselves will be eligible to track this magnificent specimen. The prize for successfully capturing this creature when it is released will include not just the animal itself, but a cash reward of fifty million beri...'"

A hunting competition?

This perked up the young girl’s attention. She had spent her youth hunting with her father and relished opportunities in the wild. Unfortunately, wild boars didn’t often get you enough money to survive in the world and hardly any ‘bounties’ lurked in the forests.
This was indeed a rare opportunity for the girl to earn such a huge cash prize for doing something she loved. She classed herself as a ranger, somebody who was proficient in the wild and understood the ways of those that resided there.

With her senses slowly returning, she began to see things more clearly.

“FIFTY… MILLION… BERI?”

She looked at the white-haired noble woman in surprise. Was she serious? Did the reach even offer such incredible prizes for such mundane tasks? They weren’t mundane to her but in accordance to the world; hunting was but a pass-time, not an actual job.

It was at that moment, the job she had accepted had flown back into her thoughts, ignoring the prize at stake for a moment.

She still had to hunt down the bastard priest. It wasn’t about the bounty or the pride. It was about the offer she had received from the man who wanted him dead. It was something she had been searching for. It was something she desperately wanted to get her hands on. It was information perhaps more valuable than even the cash prize of this hunting expedition.

However, the leads for this man were running cold and Aryana couldn’t decide what course of action would be best here. Take part in the competition and give herself a good chance of earning a hard-cash prize or chasing down these rumours and finding the priest.

Suddenly a second thought began to creep into her mind. Was this girl trying to con them? The bounty being split three ways wouldn’t suit any hunter as they preferred to take as much of the money from a target as they could. Perhaps Bai was trying to distract the both of them by having them take part in this competition.

She had been ignoring the noble-man ever since leaving her threat. Erasmus didn’t seem to like her at all now and was not willing to work with her apparently but it seemed he too was surprised with the direction this conversation had taken and he questioned what the competition had to do with Nikolai.