Big Trouble in Little Yamagaiku

[Sam]

It was high morning around 10 am... about two weeks since Myles had run into the Marine on sabbatical Isaac Saifer and about a month since Myles had gotten into the grand line and fought the notorious Taurus in Whiskey Peak. Now after traveling through the treacherous sea that was the Grand Line for a bit he decided to take a break at Kabukimono the island of gangsters.

Frankly, the place was just right for him... there was a degree of law in place but said the law didn't care who it did business with just as long as the business brought in cash. Likewise, the local law was just as a kick to weed out any potential problematic criminals. Meaning no uptight Marines existed! Likewise, no psychopathic pirates ran on the loose.

"Oi oi oi oi oi oi oi!"

The voice of a short old man filled the empty tavern room. Said old man held onto a room and was poking Myles who was sleeping on the wooden ground of the place... the young pirate groaned. Some drool still pouring out into a puddle from his open mouth.

"Just five more minutes, Captain..."

Myles blurted out subconsciously much to the old man's dismay forcing him to continuously poke Myles in hope's the large pirate would wake up.

"Oi oi oi! Come on get up! I need to close for the day so I can clean this place up after the mess you gangsters brought upon this place."

The old man complained, this time boking Myles' jaw with the broom. Finally, after much insistence, the pirate opened up one eye and saw the old man... Mr. Saruyama. The local barkeep! A rather nice old man who to many would seem rather inauspicious but was actually knee-deep in fraud with likely many streaks in tax evasion and counterfeit. But that was just par for the course for Kabukimono. It was a Yakuza ran island! Groaning some more the pirate rose his head and opened both his eyes.

"Gee sorry Mr. Saruyama... I'll get off your hair soon enough."

Myles commented rising from his position making him tower over the short old man. Mr. Saruyama gave Myles the stink eye on the remark of hair.

"I don't have any hair, Suzuki! But you're very welcome to get out of my establishment. Your antics almost set the place ablaze last night!"

Mr. Saruyama berated the pirate who was starting to slug out of the tavern. Myles didn't pay much attention to the old man's words... not because he didn't care but rather because he was still half asleep and working off a single brain cell rather than the two he had.

"See ya tonight Mr. Saruyama!"

The pirate saluted the old man before bumbling his way out into the streets scaring off chicken who'd been pecking the dirt path. Myles raised his left hand to cover the bright sunlight from singing his pupils the instance he got out of the tavern.

"Ugh, see ya later Suzuki! That kids gonna be the death of me I tell ya..."

Mr. Saruyama groaned just before Myles left. Meanwhile, the world outside was lively. Villagers walked through the dirt streets wearing their rice hats bringing in cabbages and other crops in their donkey-drawn wagons. Salesmen rang bells trying to get the attention of any civilian passersby. Not to mention the fishmongers and butchers yelling out the prices of the freshest of catches or best cuts of meat. The aroma of charcoal and wet dirt filled Myles's nostrils... a pleasant odor that seemed to fit the seemingly rather average town of Yamagaiku with its traditional feel and bright color palette. It was this very environment that had made Myles fall in love with the island even more.

"What a beautiful morning..."

[Fox]

Unfortunately for the denizens of Yamagaiku, this was no ordinary beautiful morning. It began slowly. Barely noticeable at first. The shaking. But soon, everyone could feel it, frightened cries rippled out from the marketplace as the ground roiled under their feet in waves. This only worsened as time went on until a loud crack could be heard throughout the town. The land shifted abruptly upward, creating a slanted piece of earth in the distance just on the outskirts of town. To anyone looking at the otherside of the slanted earth, it would look like a metal monster had just erupted out of the bowels of the earth.

The metal monster slid out into the early morning light and suddenly stopped moving. A singular white figure fell out of it and onto the ground with a dull thump. The wind rustled her white fur softly as if welcoming her back to the world. Alice opened her violet eyes weakly, her vision still swimming. Grass. She dug her paws into it, claws scraping at the dirt. Tears stung at her eyes. Grass. She was… she was outside. Squinting, she looked up, her nose twitching as she took in an overwhelming amount of smells. The sunrise shone over the edge of the horizon, coloring the sky with blues and purples and reds.

Dragging herself along the grassy knoll, Alice pulled herself up until she could see the sunrise fully. She held herself up only for a moment before flopping back out into the grass and closing her eyes. She was so tired. So very tired. Maybe she could just take a rest before figuring out what to do next… and figuring out what had happened. The breeze was so nice, after all, and she just wanted to bask in it all. Just for a little while.

“Mmm…”

---

Alice | Medium Slate Blue (#7b68ee) | Post Count: 1

[Sam]

Myles slowly stepped outside almost tripping over himself as he walked. At first, he thought he was still hammered especially after last night after all the world began to feel wobbly like jello but eventually it became apparent he wasn't hammered although he was a tad bit hungover. It would seem like the ground was shaking... seriously shaking! The townsfolk began to panic and run for shelter as things began to fall of their stalls and buildings shake more than a hula dancer's hips.

The Pink-haired pirate for his part didn't seem to care about the whole disaster. Instead, he stood still watching as the hill just ahead of the town began to break apart. Rocks and pieces of the rich brown dirt was tossed about falling like rain all around. Then it happened! An egg-shaped metal dome began to break through the fissure and pour out... the still somewhat drunk Myles was confused out of his mind. He'd never seen such a thing before... how was it possible that a metal egg was popping from the ground? Didn't eggs come from chickens!?

"What the fuck?"

He exclaimed as he stood there cocking his head back to look at the massive dome. Suddenly everything came to a standstill as the dome rested on the hill and the shaking came to a halt. Many of the civilians came out of the shelter to look at the massive dome with curiosity. They all murmured among themselves wondering what was going on. Some believed it was a World Government experiment gone haywire.

Others were quick to blame one of the other Yakuza families. Some of the more outlandish folk were considering it to perhaps be an otherworldly invasion of sorts. Then the most unexpected thing happened... as mist and dirt cleared up a white figure came out of the odd metal contraption. Causing the pirate to say the most outlandish thing of them all. Myles's eyes grew wide awe as he saw this womanly figure... not because of her beautiful attractive appearance but rather...

"THE EASTER BUNNY! Wha... you're late! Its mid-summer! Spring was two months ago!"

[Fox]

Alice was just starting to doze off in the morning sunlight. The grass made a much more comfortable bed than the hard floor of her old cell. A gentle breeze rustled her hair and fur like a caress, lulling her deeper into sleep. Or well, it would. If not for the person who decided to shout at her. Alice knew that it was pointedly at her because of the bunny bit. Her ears twitched in irritation as she opened her eyes and pushed herself up to look at them.

Her nose twitched as she looked them over. They had pink hair and wore… clothes that Alice might have favored in her teenage days. The first thing that came to mind was along the lines of… what a cute baby. Probably not what most people would have thought, but to Alice there was something absolutely adorable about the boy in front of her with messy pink hair and black leather. She smiled at him crookedly and shrugged, the exhaustion evident in her battered frame.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, sugar plum.”

Alice swayed unsteadily. She just barely caught herself before she flopped over. A lack of legs was certainly an issue. She glanced back at the enormous warped structure that had been her prison for so long. If she recalled correctly, there was a set of cybernetic legs somewhere in there that she could use. But… she had little to no desire to ever set paw back in there again. So, she simply looked up at the pink haired boy and waved him over tiredly.

“Can you be a dear and take me to a doctor? I’m… not feeling well.”

---

Alice | Medium Slate Blue (#7b68ee) | Post Count: 2

[Sam]

The moment was tense and yet it was sweet as people were confused by the odd sight. The fear now having long subsided... many people still speaking about the oddity... others conspiring to tell the Yakuza about the event. After all, every towny was in it with them. There was not a single soul in the lot of Kabukimono that didn't have ties to the Yakuza... they were all corrupt even the children.

"What... oh..."

Myles simply bluttered as the woman addressed him directly. Still being a bit hungover from the previous day he wasn't sure how to react coherently at first but then something in him sparked. Something that motivated him to move and help the odd bunny woman. Speaking of... Myles had never seen a proper Mink before... well he had. But never like this one... his only other encounter with the race had been with a Werewolf in the cactus island. A part of Myles wondered if this woman had any relation to that Werewolf after all they had similarities in anatomy. Perhaps that was a question to ask later.

"Come here I'll take you to doctor Tamadoki she'll patch you up immediately."

Once she was ready Myles would help her up and take her to the doctor on the other side of the village. As he did so a few people stayed behind to snoop around the metal egg-shaped object that erupted from the ground. But the grand majority of townsfolk followed after Myles... they all wanted to keep an eye on this newcomer. It was one of the greatest things of interest in a very long time. Sure they inhabited the Grand Line a place of wonder... but many of these people never left Kabukimono let alone Yamagaiku.

"Oi doc!"

Myles began to bang on the door of the local clinic. He turned his head to look at Alice giving her a comforting smile as he continued to knock on the door... which by that point had already opened meaning Myles was knocking on air. The young man turned his head back around only to notice he was being quite foolish in front of them would be Doctor Tamadoki. Speaking of, Tamadoki was a small woman in her mid to late '50s who went through many lengths to try and stay young even if it ended up making her look absurd. One such method was the over appliance of makeup.

"What is it, Suzuki? It's almost time for tea! Hurry on with it."

The truth was Tamadoki made Myles a bit uncomfortable especially with all the makeup she had. It made Myles think of clowns... which was probably not what the older woman wanted him to think about.

"I... um uh... I... here!"

Myles muttered before pulling Alice off his shoulder and presenting her like a child would a new pet. The doctor didn't seem too happy with his Myles was handling her newest patient so she immediately demanded he put her down gently.

"Put that lady down you stupid mongrel! Come I get her inside and lay her on the bed before I break your knees for your stupidity? Why didn't you tell me this was an emergency right away!?"

The young man followed along with the doctor's orders bringing Alice inside and placing her on the bed inside. Tamadoki slammed the door making sure no one else could simply barge into the place... that however didn't stop the townsfolk from peeking through the window panes to take a look at the whole ordeal.

---

Myles - #eec8ea
Doctor Tamadoki - #9c5666

[Fox]

Alice wrapped her arms around the boy’s neck as he lifted her up off of the ground. She cast a glance back at the metal monstrosity that had been the base. The awful taste of the fruit that they’d fed her still lingered in her mouth. She had to stop herself from gagging. She didn’t have the energy to spare on throwing up what little nutrition that she had. Her tattered and frayed wings twitched weakly as she glanced around the town that the boy was taking her through. A glance to their rear told her that they were being followed by some curious passersby. Alice scowled at them, but soon just let out a weak sigh.

There was no point in throwing a fit over it right now. Legless freak that she was… she understood why some were so interested in a winged Mink. Her ears twitched in discomfort when the boy shouted right next to them. She turned to look. It seemed like they had arrived at their destination. He smiled a rather adorable smile. She didn’t have the strength to lift her arm, so she just patted his cheek with her ear. The short exchange the boy had with whoever glazed by Alice as she started to doze off on his shoulder.

She was given a bit of a rude awakening as the boy pulled her away and held her out like a kitten. Her ears drooped in irritation, but she sighed and actually looked at the woman that he was holding her out to. She was… a sight. Alice squinted to be sure that she wasn’t just hallucinating. Nope. She was actually surprised when the pink haired boy moved again rather abruptly, carrying her inside and laying her down on a wonderfully soft bed. When was the last time that she had slept on anything that wasn’t cold and hard? Alice put a hand to her head and waved at the pair.

“Doctor… you’re a doctor, yes? Good job, sugar plum,” She said sleepily, looking over to the pink haired lad and smiling dreamily. “You’re a good boy, aren’t you…?”

She reached out a hand to him, but she couldn’t keep it upright for very long. It fell to her side. She glanced around, taking in her surroundings. Nothing was familiar, and what was worse, some nosy people were peeking in through the window. “Dear… could you get the window…? I don’t… want to be… watched… anymore…..”

Alice’s eyes drooped and fluttered closed, her breathing soft and weak. She fought to stay away, but she felt the yawning portal to the oblivion of sleep opening up below her. She didn’t want to sleep.

---

Alice | Plum (#DDA0DD) | Post Count: 3

[Sam]

The bunny lady was very kind to Myles, which was something the young man appreciated. Ever since he escaped the prison that was the arena back on Nuevo Remuno that is... The pirates who saved him could hardly be considered kind... it was more along the lines of them taking advantage of a big strong guy who happened to wash up to them.

No, this woman treated him differently with a sort of buttery sweetness that not even Gaia had treated him with. The large pink-haired lad simply smiled at the dark-haired bunny, he went over to the window and shut the blinds making sure no more people could peep into the situation. Something that the woman in question had requested as she didn't seem to like the prospect of being oggled by the local townies.

"Alright, done, and done."

Myles announced before returning to look over her. Doctor Tamadoki meanwhile was preparing a glass of cold water for the woman to drink up... it was clear to her this lady was suffering severe dehydration. Eyeing Alice with suspicion Doctor Tamadoki raised a brow. Whoever this lady was she must have come from some distant land. It wasn't too often that Minks like her were seen running around. Especially ones that were legless... speaking of that was another point of contingence.

"Yea I'm a doctor got my license back when I used to live in the East Blue. Anywho, here have a drink of water seems like you're extremely dehydrated woman."

Doctor Tamadoki shoved the glass of water apprehensively into Alice's hand. Once the Mink had the glass of water secured on her hands the doctor turned around to look around the cupboards for her tools. Until finally she pulled out a big black bag that seemed it would crush the doctor under its weight with how much it weighed. Myles was about to offer his help but knowing the doctor she would probably make some sort of rude remark.

"So tell me, what's up with your legs? How did you lose them? Got any prosthetics?"

The doctor asked as she began to put a stethoscope onto Alice. First on the woman's chest and then on her back asking Alice to breathe in deeply both times she did it. Continuing with her check-up she put her otoscope to look into Alice's ears. It was clear the woman was going along with a routine check-up on Alice trying to see if anything else was out of order. But in all honesty, the woman seemed to be in pretty good shape all things considered.

[Fox]

Alice immediately felt better when the pink haired boy shut the blinds and eliminated the prying eyes. She’d had more than enough of that feeling of constantly being watched. Of course, she wasn’t entirely alone with the boy and the doctor in the room, but it was better than becoming some sort of side show for the village folk. Alice brought a hand to her temples with effort, trying to get her thoughts in order. She didn’t have much time as the doctor answered one of her earlier more delirious questions.

“Blue…? You’re an awfully long way from home. A bit like me… I suppose.”

She didn’t have much longer to probe at the doctor because the woman just shoved an altogether too heavy glass of water into her hand. She was startled and almost dropped it outright. But she managed to hang onto it and bring it to her lips. Alice took a long drink, going slow and handing the half empty glass over to the boy to hold for her.

Alice watched the smaller woman struggle with a comically oversized bag. She wondered why the boy hadn’t offered to help, but maybe this woman was just the irritable sort. Alice had noticed the suspicious looks that the woman had been giving her. It didn’t make Alice overly sympathetic to her struggling with anything. The following question pushed the doctor further out of her good graces.

“One I lost due to infection. The other was… removed,” Alice muttered after a long moment, figuring it was better to go along with the doctor for now. “I used to have a prosthetic. Not anymore.”

Laying her head back against the rock hard pillow, she glanced over to the pink haired boy, much preferring to stare at his little chubby cheeks. Well, maybe not chubby, but he was nicer to look at than someone else in a white coat. She’d had her fill of doctors and scientists. Still, she let the doctor do whatever examinations that she wanted while Alice distracted herself.

“I haven’t thanked you, have I?”

Alice gestured for him to lean down so that she could speak with him at eye level. Tilting her head at him, ears flopping over to one side, she slowly realized that she didn’t even know his name. She had the feeling it had been mentioned, but she had been understandably distracted. She reached out to pat him on top of his head, her one wing fluttering behind her.

“What’s your name?”

---

Alice | Plum (#DDA0DD) | Post Count: 4

[Sam]

The woman simply nodded as she wrote down notes about the legs. 'Lost due to infection and removed.' She quickly jotted down the details on the piece of paper. Myles listened in on that bit but he didn't dare make a comment he avoided eye contact with everyone in the room. Losing a leg to infection sounded painful... like a slow sort of pain. Something that would likely cause a lot of inner turmoil and pain a thing the young man was all too familiar with. Myles shifted a bit in the spot he stood in turning his attention to the doctor. The woman in question was tapping her chin with her pin as she began to think over what else to write down she responded to the bunny woman's inquiry.

"Yes, yes I supposed."

Too busy in her work the doctor failed to notice how invasive she was being with Alice. Letting out a great sigh she raised her sights from the notepad and looked at Myles who was still standing around rather awkwardly.

"Look over her will ya? Meanwhile, I'll prescribe her some prosthetics... just hold on I have to go to my office."

With that, she promptly left the patient's room and went out to her office locking herself in. Now it was just Alice and Myles in the room... they would have some time to get to know each other briefly in this period. Taking a quick seat Myles tweedle his thumbs nervously... he wasn't very sociable in all honesty. Especially after spending long periods in the Grand Line Sea alone, he'd become less and less accustomed to others.

His heart had softened quite a lot... in all honesty, he wanted peace and Kabukimono offered that to a degree considering his bounty was small and that he didn't cause much trouble to the Yakuza he was free to roam. Not to mention the World Government seemed to leave the island chain mostly to its own devices. It was the perfect place if he was honest.

"Oh um me? I'm Myles, Myles Suzuki, and umm no need to thank me, Miss."

Myles smiled at the woman, he wasn't used to getting thanked for anything so this came as a surprise to him. If anything people seemed to demand from him without ever thanking him... his life had been an entire turmoil until recently. Even when he believed he was free under that horrendous crew that freed him he wasn't. Even while hiding in Kabukimono for a while he wasn't truly free. That was the life he was forced to live. Letting out a sigh he decided to take a peek outside the window... it was clear now. The people must have gotten bored and moved on by now.

"What about you Miss... what's your name? I... I mean if you're ok with sharing it."

---

Myles #eec8ea
Doctor #9c5666

[Fox]

The mean little doctor woman didn’t take too long to examine her, thankfully. Alice felt her fur starting to stand on end. Alice glanced her way when she ordered the boy to look her over and summarily shut herself in her office. Hm. She raised an eyebrow at Myles, wondering if he was the type to cop a feel. He didn’t seem that way, especially given his adorably shy introduction. He certainly had a cute smile. She let out a tired sigh and rubbed her temples.

“Alice. Umeboshi Alice. I’m from Eggstar Island. Do you know where that is, sugar plum?”

Probably not. From what she’d gathered from Blue Sea dwellers, the idea of sky islands was preposterous. She sighed and pushed herself up into her sitting position, which she immediately regretted. She immediately felt light-headed. She put a paw to her head, her bunny ears twitching as her head settled.

“There’s no need to be so shy, Myles.”

Alice smiled at him tiredly. He really was a cute boy. But now… now what? She certainly didn’t have any intention of returning to the Revolutionaries after the stunt they pulled. She’d never forgive them. Just like those nobles… Hm. What then? She supposed that she could just go home. If her mother and father were still living on Eggstar, she would like to see them again. Even though she had been stupendously stupid for falling for that nice guy act. It was a hot minute until she realized that she was spacing out staring directly at Myles.

“Actually, where are we? I… have no idea where this is.”

---

Alice | Plum (#DDA0DD) | Post Count: 5

[Sam]

Part #6

---

Alice Umeboshi? 'That was an interesting name a very beautiful name too.' Myles thought to himself in the privacy of his mind. The next bit was about her homeland... Eggstar? He'd never heard of such an island. If it wasn't from the North Blue it was lost on him... heck he was still learning the various islands in the Grand Line. However, this Eggstar place sounded interesting with such a name... kind of ironic too given this lady was a bunny.

"Oh no, never heard of Eggstar but please tell me about it."

He asked excitedly, but the woman instead seemed to ask him to be less shy. In actuality he hadn't noticed he was being shy... truth be told he had changed a lot. So many things happened in his life that had changed him as a person. It had all came crashing down on him, killing that senator felt good... but only for the moment, he did it. Now it just felt meaningless, disgusting, it made Myles feel gross just thinking about it. He was a free man. True, but at what cost?

On his way to Kabukimono, he had lost himself and now he was forced to piece himself together once more. It was a crisis in identity one that had caused him mellow at... slow down... take things to step by step. He wanted to improve himself and wasn't that what life was all about? Improvement? Myles simply nodded at Alice's comment... he didn't feel like he had much of a response for that. So a silent nod was all she would get in that regard for the time being. However, the next inquiry was something he could answer.

"Oh! Um, this the Kabukimono Archipelago. We're on Yamagaiku the more traditional island of the three main islands."

Myles explained, he wasn't much of an explainer, to be honest, so he hoped Alice could catch that. The clock ticked in the background as silence fell into the room once more. That's when it hit Myles once more! One more detail that would likely be of interest for the bunny-woman.

"Oh, and we're in the Grand Line... in the Whale Route? I believe... not too sure on that I've hopped from route to route one too many times."

---

Myles #eec8ea

[Fox]

Alice shrugged off his initial inquiry into her home island, more impatient to get the answer to her own question. Last she remembered… she was at that Revolutionary camp… The next thing that she knew… Hm. Those memories were all a little fuzzy. That damn doctor probably had something to do with that. Plus, it had already been so long. Or had it? Hm. Come to think, she didn’t even know the date. Her violet eyes flicked back up to Myles as he explained exactly where they were.

“Yamagaiku… I see. We’re on the-”

She cut off when Myles picked up on her thoughts.

“-Whale Shark Route, yes. I’m familiar with it… You’ve been hopping between routes? Do you have an Eternal Pose or something of the like?”

Alice ran a hand through her jet black hair as she let her follow-up questions sit for a moment. She supposed that it was rude that she asked more of her own without answering Myles’s own question, so she supposed that she could be brief.

“Eggstar… is an island at the tail end of this route. It’s known for its cuisine, which incorporates eggs into every kind of dish imaginable. I grew up there and trained as a chef there as well. I’ve actually been to the Kabukimono Archipelago before… different island though. Where are you from? Not here, presumably.”

As he said that he’d been route hopping, she wondered if he was really from anywhere at all. There were a lot of people that tended to drift around without any solid home or foundation. Well, maybe not a lot, but Revolutionaries had a tendency to be like that. Alice rubbed the back of her neck and sighed, glancing around the room again.

Now that her head was clearing up a little more, she chided herself for giving away her name freely like that. Odds were, she still had a bounty. She had no desire to go back into captivity after escaping that damn doctor. Myles didn’t seem like a bad boy. No, just kind of sweet and lost. The doctor she couldn’t say. She hadn’t seen enough of her. Mm. Actually...

An idea popped into Alice’s head. If Myles was sweet on her, she could use that. Of course, she liked him too, but she wasn’t above using an able bodied young man to help her get around and get her out of trouble in a pinch. She put her paw to her chin and closed her eyes, her brow furrowing and her nose twitching in the way that rabbit noses do. Was this really her best bet? Hrm.

---

Alice | Plum (#DDA0DD) | Post Count: 6

[Sam]

The young man nodded slowly, eyes locked on Alice. How did she know he was using an eternal pose? Slowly reaching into his back pocket he pulled out the eternal pose and handed it over to Alice... the plaque where the name should be was very scribbled and unreadable. Truth be told Myles still didn't know where it leads... he'd been following it but not arrived at the destination yet. It was impossible to tell the name too since the plaque had been worn out.

"My... old... fr-"

Myles made a quick stop. They were not friends. He looked down at the ground for a brief moment before returning the gaze at Alice.

"Associates... gave it to me back on Cactus Island, Whiskey Peak I think they also call it."

That was true, the old pirate crew he had hitched a ride with had given him the eternal pose after they stole it from a band of bounty hunters. It's pretty much what happened. The captain told him to figure out what it was... but in all honesty, the young man simply took it as an opportunity to disappear and never return.

"Oh? Well, that makes sense I guess given the name and all... Eggstar... maybe I'll visit it one day. I do like eggs, especially in burgers."

This Eggstar place did sound interesting, it was kind of funny that a bunny lady came from there. A part of Myles wondered if Eggstar was home to some odd race of bunny people who celebrated easter twenty-four seven. A smile came over his face as he gave thought to it. The young man despite his outward appearance was quite the daydreamer. Alice's inquiry however quickly brought him out of the thought.

"Oh me? Um, I'm from the North Blue. From a place called the Holy Remunun Empire."

Myles frowned, it was his homeland... but he didn't want to return. Ever. There was nothing left for him there. There never was anything for him there in the first place. He was a slave. No matter how guilty he felt, he was at least free. Even so, it was frustrating... why did things have to be so complicated for him. He decided to ultimately not think about it, turning his head up to view the woman before him... his eyes calm.

"So umm, what brings you to Kabukimono? I-I I mean you don't have to answer if you don't want to..."

[Fox]

Alice took the Eternal Pose as it was offered to her, somewhat perplexed by the nameplate being scratched off. Well, he certainly didn’t know where this was going, so he couldn’t be using it to hop between the routes of the Grand Line. Honestly, it felt reckless to just follow an Eternal Pose blindly like this. She raised an eyebrow at him. Honestly, this boy. He really resembled a lost puppy in every way, didn’t he? Her judgemental stare softened slightly. She didn’t hate that about him to be honest.

Watching him gaze down at the ground like a wounded animal only further cemented in her mind what sort of person Myles was. She could tell that something had happened with his old traveling partners. Probably not something quite so nice. Well, but he didn’t look injured or anything like that… so he seemed like he had managed to get away with it. Still, that didn’t mean that they wouldn’t come calling.

Come to think of it, now that she was free again, Alice was going to have to worry about those things again too… She sighed and brushed her raven hair out of her face thoughtfully. Some part of her was just… a little smitten with Myles. He was adorable. The way his eyes lit up when he talked about burgers. The pathetic way he carried himself when thinking about his troubled past. Despite herself, she smiled at him, the way a mother might to their child.

“Well, I can certainly make you burgers sometime.”

When Myles talked about his homeland, his expression grew troubled again in that lost puppy sort of way. After grappling with whatever memories he had with that place, he looked at her calmly. Hm… Seemed like there was more to that story, but she let it slide. There would be plenty of time for that. Her soft smile twisted into something more bitter and savage when he asked what brought her here. Alice chuckled. A harsh mirthless thing.

“Oh, well, not pleasure. I was taken here against my will. That twisted up metal thing you found me laying next to? That was where they tortured me… for… hm. How long has it been actually? Eh… It doesn’t really matter.”

Alice waved it off dismissively.

“They probably died down there anyhow…”

Hm, wait a second. How exactly had she done that anyway? Alice looked down at her white paws. Right… they’d made her eat a Devil Fruit. She flexed her hands uncertainly. She kind of had a vague sense of how to use her new ability… but at the same time, she’d only just used it the one time.

“Hm…”

---

Alice | Plum (#DDA0DD) | Post Count: 7

[Sam]

Letting Alice take the eternal pose Myles watched her calmly, she seemed to stare at with a rather perplexed look on her face. A slight face of concern as she stared at the eternal pose's scratched slate. For all Myles knew that thing could slowly be leading him to someplace in New World, whatever it was the Bounty Hunters back on Cactus Island were very protective of the artifact. It was hidden in an iron-clad chest and heavily guarded. When his former captain handed it over to him the leader of the bounty hunting party wailed out as he grasped at Myles's knees begging him not to take it. Case and point, whatever it was it was very dangerous. Perhaps following it around would be a bad idea.

"Oh, you would?"

Myles asked, he found it odd that Alice was being so kind to him. Really, the only other person who had been relatively respectful to him in all his time was a certain bronze-skinned woman he met one island over. What was her name again? He couldn't remember... she went by Rebel Nymph though or at least that's what he heard. Case in point it didn't matter... usually, when people were nice they wanted something in exchange. However, something about the way Alice carried herself seemed rather genuine.

"Thanks."

That was all he was able to reply, in all honesty, he was at a loss for words. Perhaps to some, it may seem like such a minor thing. But, sometimes it's the tiny gestures that matter. Whatever moment of tranquility that he felt however was soon usurped as the bunny's eyes became somewhat solemn. Tortured? Her too? Although judging by her shape... at least Myles hadn't lost his legs. The young boy frowned, how did they both come here? Two troubled figures meeting up at this point and much like Myles, Alice hadn't come to this island out of leisure. They were just passerby's on this little patch of land outside of the world's jurisdiction.

"I see, sorry I asked."

Myles simply replies, he looks down at the white and black checkered floor below. Alice didn't seem to want to talk about that topic much but Myles couldn't blame her. He didn't want to talk about his homeland either. Starting a conversation by saying you were a slave in an arena is kind of degrading. Starting by saying you don't even know your parents. That you simply were shoved into a hell hole. Force-fed a fruit and beat up daily to build up tolerance was again degrading. But, Alice did teach him something. Perhaps he shouldn't pity himself much. It would seem the woman had been through worse and yet here she was still standing.

"It's gotten awfully silent outside... and the doctor hasn't returned. You reckon I should check on her?"

The young man asked breaking the slight silence, he narrowed his eyes and stood up at his full height. With his purple eyes, he looked over at the door through which the doctor had gone. He was starting to get suspicious, if Alice had just caused that ruckus and was some sort of wanted figure then it wouldn't be long before the local Yakuza had something to say about it and that was the problem. No one, not a single soul on this island was innocent. Not even the doctor.