Wine n Dine n Fighte

[Smiley]

Ah, the luxuries that money can afford someone! Indeed, after what was admitedly a bit of a disastrous fight with someone that was at least four feet taller than him, Marshall definitely needed a good deal of rest, to relax and to enjoy his time and money, ah, money that he had surely gotten without any sort of crime and bloodshed involved. Of course not! 

Those witnesses at the bottom of the ocean agree with him too, it's like their lips are forever sealed.

Questionable methods aside, it sure felt great to sit down and relax. With great food, the famous Itelzbulger Stein and a nice cigar quietly sending smoke up to the roof, where it'd inevitably escape through a chimney, a comfortable seat and a nice book to read, what else could he ask for? This was the entire reason he fought, the dream he sought! To become a king, one that will enjoy such luxuries every day, with people basically stepping over each other to gain his favor! 

Yes, he may stand out as the 13'5 feet muscled bronze giant dressed in lavish Alabastan-style clothing, but who would dare say a thing to him? The staff seemed to adore him, between his grand and costly orders, his refined tone and manner of speech, the fact that he clearly had the money to make their day all the sweeter. Honestly, Marshall was being treated like a VIP guest and, for reasons that they REALLY do not know, such a treatment guaranteed that they'd keep their lives. 

Marshall took a bite of his nicely seared mutton, quietly chewing on it while moving to the next page of his book with his free hand. There was a sort of serenity that, finally, began feeling a bit.. unnatural. Nothing was out of normal, nothing was burning and there were no screams to be heard. It wasn't a problem because he wanted those to happen, it was a problem because those USUALLY happened where he went, even when it wasn't his fault! 

Anywhere he goes, trouble follows.. though that may not happen today.

Maybe, he may enjoy a peaceful day of wining and dining.

[Fox]

Tenebrae didn’t often get the opportunity to come out and stretch his legs in finer cities. Dughall liked to keep to the wilderness like some sort of freak. Well, he supposed that Dughall was a bit of a freak of nature, in truth. Freakish enough to become a target, much to Tenebrae’s delight. This time they were bandits, trying to shakedown Dughall for everything they owned. Not that they owned much. And the bandits, well. They didn’t live to regret that mistake. He shook the coin purse that he’d picked up from them. Hm-hm. Enough for a good time.

So, he strolled leisurely into town, attracting the usual amount of uneasy looks. A wicked smile creased his face. Tenebrae enjoyed the attention to some extent, of course, even if it was marginally negative. He understood why too, of course. He hardly looked human after all. His skin was as black as pitch, mostly because it was made of tar. He had two horns sticking out of his forehead and a thick, ropey tail trailing behind him. Truly, if he wasn’t the definition of a devil, what was? The only unfortunate thing about his appearance was that he had been forced to wear the bandits’ clothing, and well, suffice to say, their fashion sense was quite lacking.

The evening air was refreshingly cool at least. Hm, hm. How could he best spend this money… a night of worldly delights sounded nice. They were pretty hungry. He could stand to treat himself to several bottles of fine wine and a gourmet meal. Tenebrae had an eye for propriety, so he was pretty skilled at picking out the fanciest and likely most expensive place. There… yes. That would work nicely.

Having to stoop to get through the front door, Tenebrae stepped inside. The interior was about as luxurious as the exterior suggested it would be. The maitre d' seemed taken aback, but they managed to disguise their horror fairly well, taking surreptitious glances to the staff that they commanded. With something of a sigh, Tenebrae produced the bag of ill gotten funds and plopped it onto his little podium with the jingle of change.

“Table for one, yes?”

And, to the maitre d’s credit, he took a look inside the bag and snapped his fingers. One of the waiters raced up to Tenebrae, wringing his hands with anxiety. He mumbled a quiet ‘This way, sir’ and practically bounded away before Tenebrae could say much more. He raised an eyebrow with a somewhat amused smile, following behind the waiter.

He was seated at a table not far from another individual who just about matched his height. Tenebrae observed him curiously. The bronzing of his skin wasn’t typical for this region. He wondered idly whether he was from somewhere far off. Perhaps the South Blue? Or maybe even the Grand Line. As the waiter brought him the purportedly famous wine… Itelzbulger Stein, was it? He sipped it curiously, appreciating the delicacy of its flavor.

“You there,” Tenebrae began with a nod to the bronze man, “You don’t seem like you’re from around here. Where do you come from?”

---

Tenebrae | #000000 (Black) | Post Count: 1
Dughall | #2E8B57 (Seagreen)

[Smiley]

Ah, there it is. The trouble that Marshall had expected was just a bit late to the moment, which meant that he always had to be on guard, specially around someone so unsightly. Tar black, with a dangerous presence around himself. The way he spoke, the way he acted and even carried himself.. there was clearly a vanity to it that Marshall deeply respected and identified with, though he clearly could not hide how much of a threat he was.

Those clothes.. gah, so drab, so faded! Damaged, honestly, not to mention, just how old they clearly are! He'd fit more with the common racket of pirates, not someone deserving of dining in such a place. If anything, the only reason he was even allowed inside to eat was because of his size, which could actually compare to his own!

What's more, he decided to actually talk to him specifically, the Tyrant, Marshall Marrow himself. The self important man who was looking for a bit of peace, quiet and a proper meal turned his eyes up to look at Tenebrae once again, this time, directly.. only then did he raise his head, staring into the eyes of such a creature. It didn't look human. It isn't human, that much he was sure of.

Which meant it was a devil fruit. Without a doubt, actually, no sort of creature can have that appearance and still retain sentience, otherwise, Marshall seriously underestimated the weirdness that one can find in the blues.

"Quite uncivilized, shooting assumptions and asking questions without even introducing yourself. On good faith, I'll still answer: I hail from Alabasta, within the vast sand seas of the Sandora Desert."

What he meant by that is that he didn't come from any Alabastan city. He meant that he was raised in the desert itself, possibly in a merchant caravan, though, for someone as sly and astute as Tenebrae, his carefully chosen words implied that he was born and raised there. In some of the harshest deserts in the world.

Meanwhile, Marshall still waited for the black creature to actually introduce himself, his eyes not breaking contact with his for a moment - only to blink, obviously.

[Fox]

Tenebrae chuckled at the bronze man’s comment. It was a deep, smooth, rumble, his voice as soft as velvet and slick as oil. Nothing like his other half’s horrendous habit for stuttering, broken speech. Still, the man was kind enough to answer him. The audacity of him too… he didn’t seem at all afraid of Tenebrae. Certainly a rarity, if nothing else. Rarities intrigued him, so he didn’t mind pressing a little bit further.

“Oh-ho? I can’t say I’ve heard of it, but such a place would match your unique complexion. Is that in the Grand Line then? Or perhaps the Calm Belt?”

He asked two more questions, very pointedly and purposefully not introducing himself. Just to needle at the bronze man. Tenebrae let the questions hang in the air for a few moments, taking another sip of wine. Mm. He closed his eyes and breathed in the distinct aroma of the wine. Delicious. He crossed his legs and tapped his leg with his knee a few times before making a big show of looking over to the bronze man and putting a hand to his chest in fake horror.

“Oh dear, oh my! I’ve still neglected to introduce myself, haven’t I? Terrible, truly terribly of me. Such egregious conduct. Truly.”

He paused again, enjoying the silence as the bronze man stared daggers into him. He flopped his hand over toward the man with his usual flamboyance.

“It’s Tenebrae, darling. The name.”

He put his elbows on the table, leaning forward with interest toward the bronze man. He smiled coyly.

“And you? Or shall I make something up? Bronzy, perhaps?”

Tenebrae’s mind bubbled up with all sorts of cute and affectionate nicknames that the man was sure to hate. From what he could tell, Bronzy had quite a lot of pride and quite a lot of vanity. Much like himself, actually. A man after his own black heart. Perhaps he could show Tenebrae a good time. The thought brought a smile to his lips and a devilish curl to his tail.

---

Tenebrae | #000000 (Black) | Post Count: 2
Dughall | #2E8B57 (Seagreen)

[Smiley]

Marshall, silent as a mute, continued to stare directly into the creature's eyes, the pressure around himself seemingly increasing by the moment, tension thickening between them as the Tyrant continued to wait for him to actually introduce himself, knowing well that it was all just to make him angry. Trying to goad out some aggressive emotions? Maybe he was trying to bait him, wanting to see what type of man he was under the refined, calm side of his.

Then, as if it was the most natural thing, the weird looking creature began flirting with him, as brazenly as brazen could ever be, calling him darling, actually daring to call him Bronzy in front of everyone in the restaurant. There was a part of him that wanted to really put him down for a clear lack of respect, though, could he REALLY resist or punish someone who clearly appreciated his own greatness? How could he blame someone for acting all flirty when faced with his glorious self?
"Oh? Bronzy, hm? That's a cute name, though I'd prefer something more.. affectionate." Marshall spoke with a lower, deeper tone, a slight growl to his voice as his eyes stared further into Tene's, as if looking right through him. Whatever anger he previously felt had melted away, replaced with unhibited joy over being admired and flirter with.

Unlike last time he tried to flirt and failed completely, this time, he had a good deal more practice. It also helped that he wasn't talking to some super gorgeous person, but instead, a monster-looking creature. Felt more at home with those types.
"I'm Soben, Tenny. Alabasta is in the Grand Line, yes, the Sand Kingdom if you will." He mentioned, deciding to stand up from his cross legged position, revealing that, even with Tenny's greatly increased height compared to his other half, Marshall was still visibly taller.

And, without hesitation, he decided to make that "table of one" into a "table of two", the intrigued Marshall sitting down yet again, legs crossed, joining in without asking for permission. One such as he needs not to ask permission.
"Do tell me about yourself as well. Your visage is not exactly normal or "from here" either, now is it?" He asked, placing his hands on his legs, supporting his torso as it lowered just a slight bit for him to be at eye level with Tenny. It was a much less "refined" position, though his manner of speech and tone stayed the same.

Excitement melted a bit of the social code that Marshall did his best to uphold.

[Fox]

Tenebrae had expected anger perhaps. Or some sort of offense to be taken. He could get a great deal of entertainment from getting a rise out of this one. Only, something much more surprising and entertaining happened. Tenebrae felt a chill of delight travel down his spine at Bronzy’s response. Hm! The man’s expression changed too, the irritation that Tenebrae had so carefully engendered fading into something else. Very interesting. He rubbed a claw across his chin as the man introduced himself, instantly trying to come up with some nicknames.

“Oh, how exotic,” Tenebrae purred.

The name didn’t lend itself easily to nicknames unfortunately. He tapped his cheek thoughtfully, keeping an eye on Soben out of the corner of his eye. Alabasta was in the Grand Line then. He was far from home. And, while this wasn’t the most backwater Blue, that title was reserved for the East Blue, he was a touch curious about what brought someone from there to someplace boring like the Blues. A tall boy too. Well, that was fine. Tenebrae liked them tall.

As Tenebrae mulled over his next few questions, he whispered Soben’s name to himself, rolling it off his tongue to see how it felt. He scooched to the side to make a little more room for Soben, smiling coyly as the man just sat down next to him. How forward! Tenebrae chuckled, covering his mouth with a hand. Well, this was a pleasant surprise.

“Oh, me? You want to know about me, dear Soben? Weeeeell… I suppose I can share a tidbit or two. I’m a very terrible devil that used to live inside of a fruit. Someone ate that fruit, and, well, here we are.”

He didn’t really want to linger on just who that someone was. Very boring and dull conversation topic anyway. He shrugged casually, reclining back into his seat leisurely.

“I’ve been here and there. I can’t say I’m truly from anywhere. But! I do love interesting places and interesting people. Yourself included, of course. So, do indulge me. What brings you here from the Grand Line? Isn’t it terribly dull in the Blues comparatively?”

---

Tenebrae | #000000 (Black) | Post Count: 3
Dughall | #2E8B57 (Seagreen)

[Smiley]

Oh, one could cut tension with a knife, though not the sort of tension that could lead to outright aggression, at least, not in the typical way. Instead, it was two men flirting with each other, all smiles and warmth between them, as they shared their personal stories and interests, their motivations and desires. Marshall knew, confirmed, absoluite in his assurance of it - he liked this guy and would have him for his future crew, even if he had to drag him by force.

It was also quite peculiar to hear that he's actually talking to a devil fruit! An assumption he had already made, though a bit too.. forward, in a way. It really didn't feel like it should be real, since a devil fruit that was sentient on its own was quite unheard of to him, feeling like a normal devil fruit would never manifest its own personality, as a separate thing to the owner. Though he's always surprised by the weird shit he finds at sea.
"..So you do have someone else under that.." So he'd quietly ponder for a few moments before he was asked about his, coincidentally, favorite subject to talk about: himself. "What brought him here?", so he asked, a wonderful question from a wonderful boy, who clearly appreciated a man as great as himself and knew that he'd only be up to something greatly important to justify his presence.

"Oh, it quite is, without question! Unlike my homes of the Sandora Desert, where I hunted Lizards with each tooth the size of a normal man, the blues are ever so terribly weak - my only challenge thus far has been a New World Veteran, after all!" Marshall bragged, the sheer amount of pride in his person having partially repressed the memories of making the rather wise decision of backing away from a fight against a depressed teenager girl-volcano, the other part of him refusing to even admit it as a loss. A suspension of combat, nothing else.
"No, the reason I'm here is because I know that the North Blue has made great strides, commercially, thanks to its technology, specifically in one of its isles I'm sure you know. I will go buy a ship there, to properly initiate my own crew. After all, I will need an armada to conquer a country and each armada starts at a single ship!" Hiding his desires or goals? Not at all! The only thing he was hiding in public was his "Action Name", Marshall that is, since it was that name, as well as his grim visage of a Bone Warlord, that was known to a terrified public and scandalized Marine branch.

Now, obviously, he hoped that his new friend Tenebee would appreciate his ambitions.

[Fox]

When the topic turned back to himself, Soben puffed up rather adorably. Oh, wasn’t he a peach? A part of Tenebrae was a touch annoyed that Soben only seemed to take note of the part of his explanation that convened Dughall. The part he least wanted Sobbie to focus on. He stifled a disappointed sigh. Well, couldn’t fault him his natural curiosity, Tenebrae supposed. Hm-hm. He still listened with interest as Soben boasted about his exploits fighting enormous lizards. He pinched his fingers together and framed one of the waiters between them, trying to imagine teeth the size of men and then the creature attached to them.

“Well, it still sounds like you’ve met with some of the more interesting people in the Blues. That must have been exciting.”

As Soben moved onto his motivations, Tenebrae perked up with keen interest. Technology, yes, yes, he supposed that he had heard something similar in his travels. But the last bit… Tenebrae’s tail curled with keen interest. “Conquer a country? Ohoho? Oh, don’t stop there! Tell me more! Why? What’s your raison d’etre? And how do you plan to do it? Do tell! Tell!”

Soben had his interest, but now he had his attention. Tenebrae pressed himself up against the larger man’s arm, craning himself around to look up at Soben. He was practically throwing himself across the table, much to the dismay of the waiter approaching the two of them to take their order. He stood awkwardly by the table side with pad and pen in hand, not sure if he should try to interject. Tenebrae very much adored his discomfort.

---

Post Count: 4

[Smiley]

Ah, how good it felt to meet someone who's intelligent and attentive enough to actually appreciate just how great his dream and desires truly were, surely respecting the fact that it was leagues more attainable and tangible than becoming a "Pirate King", a king that had no subjects, no country, no kingdom. Just their own crew and being recognized as the strongest pirate. So did his honorable father tell him and, between all people he has ever met, none is more trustworthy or respectable than he.

Neither is anyone stronger, at least, not that he has ever seen. Father did say that there aren't a lot of people in the world who could fight him at his prime. Still says that not a lot can defeat him, even in his "sickly old age". Dubious or not, Marshall never defeated him.

Reminiscing aside, there was now someone who truly appreciated his desires! Tenubee got all clingly, demanding, almost begging to know more so, of course, Marshall freed his arm from his grip, so that he could wrap his around his new admirer's shoulders, bringing him rather close with a bright, wide grin, though his eyes seemed a lot more aggressive than nice.

Marshall has no idea how to do an innocent smile.

No part of him is innocent either, so it checks out.

"Why? Well, let me tell you, since you don't know Alabasta. It's a Sand Kingdom, perpetually in the hot season. Sandora Desert encompasses the entire kingdom that does not have an oasis, which is where people settle down."

He paused for a moment, feeling his throat getting a bit thirsty, simply because alcohol does not hydrate and, even then, a huge man like him NEEDS a lot of liquid. To make it easy on the poor waiter, Marshall spoke for both of them.

"More wine, please! Bring some entrées too, if you'd be so kind." 

The waiter left and, now, Marshall could really talk.

It wasn't just thirst, it's that his plans are extremely fuckin' illegal.

"It's extremely hot, there's almost no water and the beasts you CAN hunt to eat are massive. I've hunted lizards with teeth the side of a normal man. I've had to drink their blood to not die of thirst. It wasn't uncommon either that I had to bash someone's skull in before they tried to eat their fellow man out of desperation.

But you know what? The king lived in absolute luxury. While we, a band of mercenaries and outlaws, from all walks of life, had to live on hunting and the occasional raid, the royal family dressed in the finest clothes, ate the finest fruits and vegetables, drank the crispiest water. I wanted it. I still do. I will conquer a country, through brutal warfare and finally attain the luxurious life. Not by birthright, but by might."

Finally, Marshall showed his true colors, if partially. The inherent desire for violence and seeing bloodshed as the perfect solution to almost any and all problems, how little regards he holds for the life of those he kills, his endless vanity and desire for pleasures and comfort. He saw Tenubee as the type of person taht would appreciate it and.. if he somehow sides with the Marines, then he's confident that he can take him, should he need to.

[Fox]

As Soben wrapped his arm around Tenebrae and pulled him close, Tenebrae was all too happy to snuggle in close and listen to what the big man had to say. It started with a pretty standard explanation. Yes, yes. He’d already guessed from the man’s complexion that it was rather hot there. And from the name, probably a desert. Thankfully though, Soben dealt with the waiter before Tenebrae really noticed or got annoyed with him. Nosy little creature. Mm-mm. Well, he didn’t spare another thought for him, his attention refocusing in on Soben as he continued.

The life he described was hardly a glamorous one. Blood didn’t taste very good, despite looking like it might. Tenebrae knew from personal experience. No, he much preferred the most carefully and painstakingly crafted drinks and foods. There was so much more to savor. Tenebrae’s mouth watered a little at the thought before turning back to Soben as he continued. And as he explained, Tenebrae understood the point of the preamble. To drive home the motivation behind the goal.

“Fantastique! Magnifique!” Tenebrae exclaimed, shooting up out of the seat with applause. He flopped into Soben’s lap, hoping the man would catch him and hold him in his arms. Even if he didn’t, Tenebrae would still caress his cheek with his tail. “You simply must take me along! A path carved in death, suffering, and blood… Nothing could be more entertaining! I’m sure that I’ll never be bored with you. So, please do take me, my sweet King.”

Tenebrae wasn’t going to take no for an answer, of course. If Soben did say no, then he’d simply force it. Though, he was fairly sure that Soben would accept. If not for the fact that Tenebrae enjoyed stroking his ego, then for the fact that he was simply useful. He could prove that with ease, he was certain. There was only one sticking point… something nagging at the back of his mind. Ugh, he hated to bring it up and ruin the mood, but if he was going to go along with Soben in any capacity, it would come up.

Tenebrae’s expression soured as he thought about it, puckering his lips into a distinctly overdramatic pout. How to best broach the topic… hm-hm. He supposed that he could just switch, but Dughall would probably be more than a little reluctant to switch in this situation. Hmm… they’d have to meet eventually. Ugh. But Tenebrae wanted to keep Soben all to himself.

---

Tenebrae | #000000 (Black) | Post Count: 5
Dughall | #2E8B57 (Seagreen)

[Smiley]

Now this was something incredible! As Marshall had to act on quite the sudden drop, having his incredibly strong arms cushion Tenubee's fall and hold him against himself while he continued to tease and seduce him, he actually offered himself up to join him, solidifying this request by outright calling Marshall "his king". To be fair, he already wanted Tenubee for his crew, but calling him a king already, though a bit early, was still more than enough to capture his heart.

"How could I ever say no to such a loyal subject? None worthier than being the first crewmate, my right hand! I can finally buy a proper ship too, I've hold on doing it for so long.."

No other place felt like it was worth it, no other shipwright seemed to satisfy his desires. Only in the North Blue, where technology continues to progress in a commercial way, Marshall saw it as worthy of actually being purchased with the vast amount of funds he had won through some methods that people might call "violent", maybe "horrible", possibly "a sadistic, misanthropic butcher who kills people for a dime".

Those people are wrong - so wrong that they couldn't even press on the accusations after Marshall retorted, with his giant barmace.

"So, Tenubee, would you like to leave this island on the earliest Freighter and go buy our ship? With me, of course.~" Marshall assured him, gently caressing his face with the back of one of his hands, supporting his head with his shoulder, almost holding him like a lover. The level of confidence that Marshall had just after his first attempt at flirting with a woman a while ago was enough for him to cover any possible cracks with sheer bravado.

Goes to show his high level of adaptability.

Even when he's not smacking someone's face to turn their nose into an empty socket.

[Fox]

Like a dream come true, Soben agreed to his request, even appointing him as his right hand. Lovely! Tenebrae was a little surprised that he was the first… He thought that Soben might have brought some men with him from Sandora, but perhaps not. Well, it suited Tenebrae just fine. A right hand man… the dragon. The second in command. Whatever he liked to call it. Soben’s follow up question made the smile return to his face. He walked his claw up Soben’s chest.

“Oh, you scoundrel~!”

Tenebrae took a moment to sit back up, extricating himself from Soben’s arms. Best address it now. Yes, avoiding it would be problematic. He tutted to himself a few times before looking to Soben and holding up a finger.

“Why, yes, I’d love to, my king. However, there is one tiny, teensy, weensy little problem. You see, as I said earlier, I’m the devil in the Devil Fruit. Which means… there was someone who ate it.”

Tenebrae reluctantly pulled back the tar coating his body to reveal a much smaller arm and hand hiding within. It was covered in bandages, but long claws poked out where fingertips should have been. Truly, Dughall was a disgusting mess of a creature, but Tenebrae supposed that he made a good enough roomie. Honestly, he wished it would have been someone like Soben, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

“His name is Dughall, and he’s… well, quite frankly, a rather horrendous looking coward. You’ll have to win him over so that he doesn’t go running off with me. He probably won’t switch out with me until we’re well out of the city though, so…”

Tenebrae reformed the tar coating back over the arm and flexed his newly created appendage a few times before settling back in beside Soben. Soben had seemed eager to have him along, but Tenebrae wondered if he would be so keen with the added factor of Dughall. He’d still tag along as best he could regardless of Dughall’s wishes.

“Let’s not fret about it for now though. We do have a delightful dinner to finish, after all.”

---

Tenebrae | #000000 (Black) | Post Count: 6
Dughall | #2E8B57 (Seagreen)

[Smiley]

So in tune, like two kindred, very aggressively flirty souls getting along perfectly, surprising Marshall when he didn't even look or voice his surprise at the fact that he was the first - surely because it made absolute sense. Marshall just explained it, that he had come from rather poor conditions back home, with next to no money. The reason he had brought none from Sandora was a bit more personal, in that he had no actual say over them, the one who did is his father.
Details, details. They don't matter right now.

"Yes, I did guess it when you told me about being the devil inside the fruit. Winning whoever ate the fruit won't be difficult, as I am not a stranger to kidnapping. A last resort, sure, but I'm sure he will come around once he finds himself at sea, with nowhere to run. Sure as shit won't try to swim." A rather dark joke, the favorite brand of joke that Marshall liked to crack and hear, he knew all too well the weaknesses and strengths of a devil fruit user. Too late had he found out that he couldn't physically even try to swim anymore when, in his first day at the beach, tried to swim and almost drowned, was it not for his size allowing him to drag himself from the water to the shore.
In that he was running into the water, lost all strength and almost fucking died on thigh-deep seawater. Thankfully, a small humiliation to pay in exchange of being careful not to pay the ultimate price instead.

"Dughall. Don't worry about it. I just really want to eat dinner.. with you." Soben winked, still holding onto his new friend and crewmember, more than happy to eat at his own leisure, wondering about when he'd possibly return here in the future.. he could not possibly pass up such great food! At least, he definitely had to buy some clothing before he left, bring the best of the island's fashion with him.

[Fox]

“Hm-hm… actually, he responds to kindness better. Boring, I know, but I’m sure you can handle that. He’s rather clingy once he thinks you care… But! Yes! Dinner!”

Tenebrae was all too happy to settle in beside Soben and enjoy a fine meal together. It made for a wonderful evening. He even took the liberty of feeding the man from his plate on occasion. He didn’t even slaughter any of the waiters for keeping them waiting! He was just in that good a mood. It was the best he had felt in recent memory.

Afterward, Tenebrae walked with Soben down the streets toward the outskirts of town. There was something that he had in mind, and it would be best to do it where they wouldn’t attract any untoward attention. He skipped in front of Soben with his hands behind his back.

“Well, that was wonderful, but I was wondering if you could indulge me once more. You see, I’ve no doubts that you have the strength to back up your ambitions, but I would love to see it for myself! A display of power from the king himself. Of course, you’re free to refuse me. In which case, I do have some business to attend to before we cast off. It won’t take long. Merely a day or two.”

Cards now on the table, Tenebrae tilted his head curiously to see how Soben would react. Thus far, he had shown certain parts of himself. He was prideful, for one, and vain, much like Tenebrae himself, but there was also an underlying… something to it all. Something that he’d picked up on during the very start of their initial conversation. Something akin to rage? Or some such. He wanted to explore all aspects of Soben’s personality, after all.

---

Tenebrae | #000000 (Black) | Post Count: 7
Dughall | #2E8B57 (Seagreen)

[Smiley]

"Kindness. I am not incapable of that. I'll make sure he takes a liking to me, as long as he's not a little brat. If he's truly simply a scared child, I should be able to connect with him."
Little cowards aside, walking around with Tenubee felt rather great, a proper company that knew the greatness that was he, someone who couldn't help but want to see his strength, his power! Hell, he was asking for a display of power from the king and, faced with an adoring fan, a loving subject, how could he ever deny such an honest, earnest request? It'd be greatly unbefitting of a proper regent to say no.

"How could I reject you? See and gaze.. then learn my true name."
With a proud smile, Marshall took a glance at his right hand, slowly closing and opening it a few times. It was a simple focusing exercise, to make sure that using his powers wouldn't make him flex his stomach too much and cause himself any excess pain. Instead, he let it go slow, which was actually a favor for himself, since it gave Tenebrae more than enough time to look in awe as his King revealed a little part of what made him so proud.

White, ivory growths - solid, twisted bone, popping up in ever corner of his body, around and over his clothing, seemingly finding its source within his hands and arms. Like a parasite or a beast, it seemingly covered and devoured his body, taking a moment to quickly shape itself into a complex, mildly horrifying and somehow even more imposing figure than the already massive man. From his feet, with the armor having actual toes built into them - simply to look more unsettling for anyone that might look at it, to his head, adorned with a thick, grim helmet, with a jagged crown atop of his head.
Red eyes seemed to flash through the shadowed, dark holes for his eyes, the man looking down at his new favorite royal subject. "Within the Paramecias, The Hone Hone no Mi will surely be one of the deadliest. I am Marshall Marrow Soben and I am ever so happy to meet you as the real me."

Finally dropping the excessive politeness, the calm and noble-like demeanor. When he used his armor, in a much lighter way, he too shifted personalities. Even when just showing it off, there was an innate bloodlust, a raging desire for violence and conquest that could not be ignored or hidden. At his core, usually hidden away until necessary, lied a man that is not only vain, but almost misanthropic in how he attains his vanity.