A Poem of Sun and Moon [Open]

[Toki Akiyama]

Such tense atmosphere in the dry climes of the Sunstar Islands. A powder keg waiting to go alight at a moment's notice. Toki stood atop a plateau as he stared out into the rolling badlands. He had heard talk of these islands and its rough history. It made him angry...it would be like if Zou was snatched away from the Mink Tribes. "The land and sea belong to themselves, and people live because of the world's grace..." He said to himself solemnly. He slung a bag over his shoulder, full of waterskins and various preserved foods and fruits. Adventuring in a place such as this unprepared was exceedingly dangerous. It reminded him of hunting trips.

Dusty winds blew across the land, clinging to his fur. It wasn't the most pleasant of feelings...he felt like he would have to brush for hours to get any loose dirt out from his coat. He had finished an initial exploration of one of the islands...so he figured he'd return to Colt Town to replenish his supplies and see about cleaning up all this dust. He sighed and shielded his eyes from the oncoming winds "Should...invest in goggles." He groaned with each step.

These islands were important. He could feel it...he wondered if there was anything he could do to help anyone, especially the indigenous tribe. Their fate of being driven away still clutched at his heart.

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Post Count: 1

[Sam]

The dryness combined with the beating sun was overbearing. Strands of heated light covered the dunes and salt flats simmering with what little moisture existed as heat waves danced to a silent song. Myles rocked back n’ forth atop the large brown mule he had acquired. A black wide brimmed cowboy hat firmly placed over his pink top and a brown coat all in an effort to protect the lumbering young man from the elements that affected this arid landscape. Rearing his mule to a cliffside Myles sat watching the afternoon sun with its hues of orange and purple intermingle with the ruddy landscape of ever shifting sands. The limb from an ever rushing river cut its way however small the stream was through it all feeding the seemingly desolate place with life. Pebbles and reeds found themselves dotting its shore as did an old willow hunched over like an old crone watchful of the world.

“Mm…”

He simply hummed to himself as he took in the beauty of it all. The dry geography was like nothing he’d ever seen before in his homeland in the North Blue and it was a far cry from the gentle weather of spring and autumn islands he’d visited in the Grand Line. Perhaps coming to the west to hide for a bit was the smart decision. But the question did arise if Sunstar was a good place to hide. After all, the land was one of outlaws and iron toting vigilantes. Even so, the World Governments and its ilk found themselves encroaching on the territories. But he figured he needed to settle somewhere at least for a while. Take a sabbatical from his dream from his goal. From his journey in the southern parts of the North Blue all the way to Sabaody and into the arid scapes of the West Blue… he had become weary. Myles reached into the longcoat pulling out a box of cigarettes along with a lighter. His dexterous long fingers reached into the white and red box decorated with the visage of a black donkey wearing a bowler smoking three cigarettes a time. With a flick of the thumb the lighter ignited and with a quick motion soon the cigarette which was now betwixt his thin pink lips was as well.

Violet eyes continued to scan across the horizon almost intent on finding something. Yet he found not another soul. It was perfect in his opinion… seeing it right Myles went down the rocky cliffside into the small valley. Patches of wheat colored grass decorated the area cementing it further as a good hideaway spot for the night that would befall soon. Myles prepared to set up camp using the concave cliff wall as a makeshift shelter. But first he made his way toward the stream using it to refill his gourd and allow the russet mule, his would be companion, to partake of the freshwater. A much earned recompense for the large beast of burden.

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Myles | Blush #FEC5E5 | (Post Count: 1)

[Toki Akiyama]

It didn't take long for Toki to discover the stream next to the cliff overhang as well, and as luck would have it, the two travelers would eventually come in contact. The rabbit Mink offered a small smile to the larger man as he also started to refill his waterskins. He noted his garb, his hat, and looked over at his mule. Should he strike up a conversation?

He threw caution to the arid winds and spoke "Hello." he offered in gentle greeting. "Are you from here...? A fellow traveler? My name is Toki...I'm quite far from home on a personal journey." By this point he understood that Minks were seldom seen this far away from Zou, so he hoped his appearance wasn't startling. Toki sat cross-legged near the stream and took out a fine comb before he started to wash the dust out of his fur for a while.

Despite how harsh the land could be, its beauty was still undeniable. It felt wasteful for people to be fighting over it just because caves had a few shiny rocks, especially at the expense of the people who lived here long before them.

"If you don't mind me asking, may I rest here as well? The sun's only getting harsher as the day goes on, and I don't handle extreme heat very well..." He asked and hoped for a little respite.

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Post Count: 2

Toki

[Sam]

Puffs of smoke billowed out of the man’s lips like a chimney, the blue-gray smoke swirling across the dry air filling it with the scent of flavored cigarettes. Purple eyes stared out into the badlands spotting the scuttling of a desert tortoise making its trek across the expanse. Its shell was brown, matted, cracked. A weathered old thing that had seen all that this island had to offer.

“Hm?”

Myles hummed to himself as he felt a presence approach him. Though he had a feeling it was far from malicious given it introduced itself first in a formal friendly manner. Violet eyes shifted to the side along with his olive toned visage to make contact with this person. To his surprise the person was a mink. Not just any mink. But a rabbit mink. Myles lifted a brow in indignation as he pulled the cigarette from his lips. To say he wasn’t immediately reminded of Alice would be a lie. It was a fact. One that was causing him to soften his guard just a bit before he caught himself.

“Mm… my name is Charon, I’m a traveler.”

He gave his fake name to the Mink, Toki. You could never know if someone was really a bounty hunter looking to make a quick buck off of some foolish pirate. But Alice had taught Myles well… his eyes shifted to looking at Toki’s ears. Oh Alice… he wondered how she was doing now.

“I was about to say. You are far from home, Mr. Toki. The blues seldom see minks.”

Myles mused, a personal journey? He wondered what that entailed. But he wasn’t sure if he wanted to ask. After all it could very well be a private manner and he respected that. His eyes remained on the mink who asked to stay the night. Myles let out a sigh with puffs of smoke and closed his eyes for the first time since Toki had arrived. After all the sun in these lands was a cruel thing and his heart had been softened by the memories of Alice. Denying this man whether dangerous or not wouldn’t sit well with him. Myles wiped a sweat bead from his forehead and turned away to look back at the rugged landscape.

“I see no harm.”

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Myles | Blush #FEC5E5 | (Post Count: 2)

[Toki Akiyama]

"Charon..." He repeated with a nod. "Nice to meet you, Charon, and thank you for letting me rest here." He said as he jumped to the other side of the stream. He set his things near some of the rocks and stretched a bit. "It's a bit of a story...I ship hopped from island to island, not really doing much aside from offering manual labor to pay for my passage...I just wanted to see the world and...figure out how to better myself, I suppose. You probably meet a lot of people who adventure to 'find themselves,' so this is probably a lot you've heard before." he said with a nervous chuckle.

He sat down with his legs crossed as he looked over the horizon. "Zou was always the world to me. To see that it was just a small piece of what was actually out there? It's humbling. I want to see new places. Meet new people and cultures...and.." He dragged his fingers along the sandy ground before he closed his hand into a fist "Become a stronger person. Body and soul. Aah but I won't bore you with too many more details."

He wondered what else to say as the breeze died down and the world around them got quieter. "If I can help people along the way, then...that's even better." He said. He seemed pretty adamant about becoming a better person. Hopefully he wouldn't be the type to shine bright and burn out quickly.

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Toki
Post Count: 3

[Sam]

Still looking out without making eye contact with his violet eyes he simply gave Toki a shrug. It was something he was familiar with himself because it was something he did too. Really, it seemed like another facet of life for most. Those souls seemed to roam in an attempt to find themselves. His mind found itself drifting back to Isaac Saifer the Marine Officer on Sabbatical which he’d met while being a stowaway. It was on that day that he saw he wasn’t too different from others. Even Alice had been on a similar quest… though her story had ended.

“Mm… it is a common fortune that people at sea find themselves in.”

Myles silently listened. The smoke billowed from his lips as he puffed more of the cigarette out into the arid air around them. Zou? He believed Alice had briefly mentioned that place mostly in context that she wasn’t born there like other minks. But that was the extent of his knowledge of the place… well that and the fact it was seemingly isolated, something he’d picked up based on implication.

“Nah, tell me more.”

Truth to his word Myles was interested… After all, it wouldn't be in bad spirit for one world traveler to share his thoughts with another world traveler. It was almost the nature of things. To exchange words about the world in good faith to the other party regardless of allegiance. At least that is the way Myles saw it.

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Myles | Blush #FEC5E5 | (Post Count: 3)

[Toki Akiyama]

This Charon seemed relatively mild-mannered, more so than him, though he still had that air of calm kindness to him that Toki felt comfortable around. Charon understood his journey's story and compared it generally to others out at sea.

Charon wanted to hear more about Toki, which surprised him a bit. He rubbed the back of his head and sighed, unsure how to really start. Should he just start from the beginning? Would it be rambling? He bit his lip a bit but he took a deep breath. "I made a mistake back home...one that just...shattered my whole sense of self, and my own sense of strength. During a full moon, I went berserk and hurt someone close to me. It's expected, they said...it's a power that's hard to keep a handle on...but I just..." He brushed his hair back and exhaled sharply "I just couldn't forgive myself. I felt more and more trapped and I wanted to go out there in the world and discover more about myself. Selfish...? Maybe...stupid? Definitely."

He chuckled dryly and stared up at the sky "My problems are nothing. Not compared to what others go through out in the world. The people who once owned these lands being treated the way they were...it hurts to see. I want to help, but there's...not much I can do in the grand scheme of things...nothing that wouldn't either get me killed on paint a huge target on my back."

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Toki
Post: 4

[Sam]

Myles shook his head after listening to the story not because he disagreed with any of it. If anything he actually related to much of the tale given his experience was similar in a certain way. Though, this mink had one thing he lacked. Freedom. Even if Myles had never taken the life of his would be slaver he would forever be labeled a criminal for escaping slavery.

“Nah. You’re on a journey of self discovery. That isn’t selfish.”

He put his cigarette in his mouth and took a big whiff burning it to its butt. Nothing but ash remained now as he smudged the rest against the sandy ground below him, extinguishing what remained. His eyes shifted up to a distant sycamore tree in the great expanse. Smoke billowed out from his nose as he released what remained.

“Every man. Every creature. Every living thing has a birthright in this waterlogged rock we call the world. That's freewill.”

He paused for a moment taking in the world.

“You chose to go on this journey to better yourself. That is a noble cause. It is your right. It's one that not everyone is allowed to partake of despite it being their right.”

At this he stood up and began to step toward his pack on his donkey. The black furred creature twitched its ears at Myles' approach idly. Myles continued to speak.

“Your problems are yours and they are real. Trust me. I don’t mean to preach but… it's never good to compare yourself to others. Take it from me. That is how you lose track of yourself.”

Myles pulled out a water canteen from the pack and began to chug from it before turning to offer some of the water to his new mink friend. He sighed and cocked his head back staring at the big expanse of blue sky with hardly a cloud. It was so big. So wild. So free.

“Well. The worlds your oyster. I can’t tell you to defend the people of this land or not. Whether it brings you luck or misfortune, it's your choice. Just know life has no wrong choice.”

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Myles | Blush #FEC5E5 | (Post Count: 4)

[Toki Akiyama]

Toki turned his head to face Charon as he spoke and listened to his words. He felt a bit of denial in his mind and his heart at parts of it. He was selfish...wasn't he? Maybe he simply overthought it. He gripped a handful of sand and let it flow between his fingers as he tried to process what was being said to him. Free will. Something that every living being had the right to.

He looked towards the same tree as he continued to speak. Everyone supported his decision and wanted to see him succeed despite his worries and insecurities. None of that support would mean anything if he didn't also believe in himself. He felt he hadn't earned the right to believe in himself...which, thinking about it with a clear head, was absolutely ridiculous. Everyone deserved to believe in themselves.

Believe in himself, stop comparing himself to others, and stay true to himself. It all seemed to simple, but he needed to hear it from someone, and Charon provided that. "I...really appreciate your words, Charon. I've struggled to have these kinds of conversations with people up until now, but to get it off my chest and get some honest advice, it means a lot. I guess what it all comes down to is...being more patient and kind to myself in spite of it all."

To say these words was difficult. They were almost caught in his throat, but he pushed forward and said them anyway. Words had power, and he needed to speak what needed to be spoken. He deserved to give himself that chance.

"I want to help the people of this island. All of the good people, on both sides. Treating it like one side versus the other in their entirety isn't going to lead to any kind of meaningful change. People have to come together."

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Toki
Post: 5

[Sam]

“Not a problem.”

Myles listened silently to the mink speak taking it all in. If that was his calling more power to him. But he was right in the sense that unification was the answer perhaps. But it was more complicated than that. People were often not so easily swayed. To Myles mankind was selfish by nature.

“I don’t mean to… be a downer but you have greed to contend with.”

He replied as he grabbed a hatchet and knife from his satchel. Myles tossed the sheathed knife at Toki’s feet and carried his hatchet in his hand as he began to walk down into the valley.

“Wanna help with some firewood gathering? Make sure to use the dry twigs for kindling.”

Before continuing on his way, Myles stopped to admire the badlands that surrounded him. The beauty of this island was something he simply couldn’t stop taking in. There was something so special about the rugged beauty of such a place which didn’t compare to the civilized landscapes that dominated much of the North Blue. Or wild untamed wilderness that made up much of Paradise. Truthfully it did resemble Paradise more in its untamed nature but it was much safer. Much quieter.

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Myles | Blush #FEC5E5 | (Post Count: 5)

[Toki Akiyama]

"I'm aware. Oh, I'm aware." He said with a sigh "Long, deep-rooted prejudices and such are hard to just...throw away. Some will still hold onto those feelings to the bitter end. Though if just a few people on both sides can start to come to some kind of beneficial agreement, then perhaps something will take root there for the future to prosper on. I definitely don't expect anything to happen overnight. I'm not that green." He said with a small chuckle.

When asked to help gather some firewood for the night, he nodded "Of course, let me get on that." He dug around in his bag for a moment to grab some tools, namely a hatchet. He followed along, admiring the view as Charon was. The vibrant colors the mesas and dunes shone with in the sun were breathtaking. "Just as beautiful as the sea in its own unique way, isn't it? I never imagined such sights existed out in the wider world. Moments like this make me glad I took this journey."

Speaking of his journey, he wondered what he would do once his business in the West Blue was finished. Find other strong fighters to better push himself for sure, but he also needed to learn how to control his emotions and power when it flares up during his Sulong transformation. If he didn't, he worried that he might hurt people. He rubbed the back of his head and sighed. He didn't want to worry about that right now "If you want to talk about it, what are your goals? Where do you want to go, what do you want to do?"

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Toki
Post: 6

[Sam]

“Tell me about it.”

He simply replied, thinking about his bounty and his position in all of this. The fact he had to hide. The fact the world itself was against him and there was truthfully nothing he could do to fix it. He had to be free but on his own even if it made him a criminal.

“The world is full of wonders, Tokki. It saddens me that I've only seen so little.”

Approaching a short tree, Myles began to cut at the dried branches collecting firewood. This was going to be a mostly silent endeavor until Tokki spoke up asking him a question. His lips contorted into the distinctive shape of a smile, one that had been repressed this entire time. It wasn’t a normal smile by any means. Predatory in nature with pronounced canines shimmering resembling a hyena.

“Me? Good question… I don’t know.”

Myles blinked for a moment looking down at his hatchet before going back to chopping at dry branches. A huff of hot air came from his nose as he thought over a better answer. Tokki deserved one. Myles’ smile began to dissipate leaving the serious mask of a face to take over once more.

“I left my homeland about a year ago. I was 17 then… didn’t know what I wanted and still don’t so I hitched a ride with some sailors… the Captain got marooned after a mutanee.”

He paused for a moment parsing what he’d said.

“I left after that… jumped around paradise alone until I ran into a partner. She was a mink too like you. Oddly enough a bunny too.”

His smile briefly returned when talking about Alice, his partner in crime for a time.

“But… we parted ways. She wanted to relax. Understandable after having a hard life. So I wandered around more and now I’m here…”

Again the mask took over. Myles sighed, he felt weak in the legs letting out the truth even if it was a fraction of it. That was his life to the masses. A series of half truths. He hated it. This wasn’t true freedom.

“I guess I seek freedom. I want to be the freest man alive. Whatever that means.”

He shook his head. This was stupid. He was so stupid. In a funny way… to him at least. He felt it, the laughter coming from inside. The irony of his situation. That in his pursuit of his freedom he’d made himself a prisoner. A man living outside the law only allowed in in a facade. In a cloak of lies, half truths, and fake identity.

“Shriiiiikakakakaka!”

There was the laugh, the hyena-like cackle. The sound of a creature hated by the world. Known for its cunning. For surviving off of the scraps of others. Considered a liar. But in the end. Misunderstood. Just a survivor. He was that creature. It was his creature and he’d let it out. Let Tokki see a part of what he was. Even if just briefly.

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Myles | Post Count: 6

[Toki Akiyama]

Toki assisted in gathering firewood. As it went on, Charon spoke of his past and those who traveled with. His ears perked up slightly at the mention of another mink "I'm surprised there are more Minks this far away from Zou. I suppose I'm not the only one who wanted to see the world for one reason or another. I shouldn't be so surprised, actually."

Now, Charon was out on his own. Toki nodded, not judging in the slightest "Freedom. Everyone deserves freedom in some way. The freedom to be the person they want to be, and live the life they choose." He said with smile. However, he was caught off guard by the sudden cackling laughter that echoed in the air. Despite that, he kept gathering wood with a gentle smile on his face. "There we go, that should be enough." He held his bundle under his arm.

"Charon. There's no shame in freedom. In being free with yourself and who you desire to be. As long as it doesn't impact innocent peoples' own freedoms, people should be able to live how they desire. That's my own viewpoint on the matter, anyway!"

He waited for Charon to be finished with his gathering. "I want to be free too. Free of my self-doubts. Free to be a stronger person mentally and physically. Free to help those who need it, however that might be. So in that sense we carry similar goals."

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Toki
Post: 7

[Sam]

It was true, there weren’t many minks out in the blues. Or the Grand Line… though Alice herself was an oddball. Hailing from a certain Sky Island. Eggstar. A rather strange place in itself. Myles hadn’t seen one until he delivered Alice to her homeland. It was crazy… he didn’t believe they existed. But they were very real. Islands in the sky. Myles held the bundle of wood in his arms and stared at Tokki with his own bundle of firewood.

“That’ll be enough.”

He listened to Tokki on the way back. To his musings about freedom and what it meant to him. Myles sighed. It was true what he said. But Myles wasn’t afforded these things. He had to live underneath lies. It wasn’t even a matter of choice anymore. He simply wasn’t that strong. Strong enough to defend himself from those that would be a threat to him. The powers at be were simply too strong and his hand had already been long dealt. Alice could afford it. In her own odd way. She had a home. He didn’t.

“Lets set up here.”

Myles pointed at the area where they’d initially met. The overlooking cliff acted as a makeshift barrier against the elements.

“By the way… do you know how to make a fire?”

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Myles | Blush #FEC5E5 | (Post Count: 7) 

[Toki Akiyama]

He nodded at Charon's affirmation that it was enough firewood and followed him to under the cliff they've chosen for shelter. "Yes, I know how to make a fire." He sat down and began carefully arranging a few pieces of firewood together "I was a hunter back on Zou, so I picked up these things as the years went on. Exploring the world has been so...strange. Everything is so different from what I'm used to. There's a lot more strife and conflict than what I was expecting. I was on this one island...Flat Farm. Some business type was trying to poison the crops with his Devil Fruit, but I and a new friend managed to beat him. It felt...good doing the right thing."

Toki started rubbing a stick against the wood for a spark. Slowly, but surely, the spark would spread to the other pieces of wood piles on and the fire would flicker to life "And there we are." He said proudly. The wind shouldn't be a problem with the cliffside blocking off some of it. He sat back and crossed his legs "I've always fought for sport or for hunting. Fighting someone I felt was...wrong or evil...it was different. I need to be careful. I don't...want to end up fighting the wrong people on accident."

"I want to...set a good example. Show others that it's possible to push against those who would see you suffer beneath them. Is that arrogant of me?" He sighed, putting another piece of firewood on the flames "Maybe."

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Toki
Post: 8