Onsen and Onwards!

[Sam]

A city of marble amid palms and ferns caressed by a sea of aquamarine. That's the view that Lucien was greeted with as he looked upon the island of Aitaya before him. There seemed to be plenty of the little people here too! They all looked at him as he rowed his ship across the waves. Their faces looking in awe and fear at the magnificent presence of a giant.

All dressed in less clothing than normal. The men with Hawaiian shirts and swimming trunks, meanwhile the women wore bikinis and other swimwear. Many of those with fairer skin were red, their faces looking like cherries after being exposed to the burning sun of the South Blue. All these people were doing one thing. Enjoying their vacations as any sane person would.

Honestly, Lucien found himself doing the same. He had searched all over the blue. He had met angels, fought other giants, and even encountered a rabid party of mercenaries. Yet he hadn't found Lady Tiamat... the red giantess was said to be massive almost as big as himself. Yet, he hadn't managed to find her... for being someone so big she sure was hard to find. He was beat, months of just searching were getting tiresome. Some leisure time was exactly what he needed.

But there was a problem, not many places could accommodate a giant such as himself. It turned out that the world at large was built for those much smaller than himself. However! He had heard from several sources that this island in particular had a rare hotel. One that served people of larger than average statures... herald by the most lady-like merperson in the seven seas and Lucien had to check it out for himself.

"Ohoho!"

Lucien chuckled to himself as he coasted around on his boat. It was clear and on the coast, a massive onsen with its Wano styled architecture. It was clear as daylight... over a hundred and twenty feet in size. With massive doors just barely taller than Lucy himself.

"This must be it..."

He mumbled under his breath, heaving the last few strokes. Until... with but a few splashes of salty seawater... he was there. Letting out a deep-seated sigh, Lucien hopped off the ship and tied it to the giant dock. Turning his head around slowly he looked up at the massive building. To believe such a place that catered to folk like him was in one of the four blues was truly an amusing thing. This was perfect... he would enjoy his time here and relax. Finally.

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Sir Lucien | French Blue #0072BB | (Post Count: 1)

[Mai Kobayashi]

"Arara, it seems as if our girls were not mistaken, an unfamiliar face has graced the shores of my humble establishment. "

A polite voice, trembling with ever so slight a hint of amusement came from the water just on the other side of the Galleon-sized 'little' boat. With a splash of water two hands grabbed holds of the railing of the ship, delicate porcelain colored hands with perfectly manicured cherry blossom colored nails. They pulled up the Torso of a woman that rested her elbows on the side of the ship. Water ran down the side of her face and from drenched hair that managed to still maintain wild and elegant pink curls despite being soak with seawater. Despite hanging off the side of his ship she did it with an elegant ease that made it seem playful and effortless. The single eye, the color of an ocean gem that rested on him sparkled with a whimsical curiosity, the other a dull cloudy silver that had lost its sparkle started past him into empty nothing. The slight scar that framed it was the only marr on a face that seemed to be hewn by an artist of transcendent skill.

"A good day day to you, our valued guest. It is quite rare for us to receive visitors of your stature by themselves. Will there be any companions arriving for whom we must prepare or will it be just you? "

The words were softspoken, her voice melodious and despite the rather abrupt greeting, she maintained a refined and lady-like charm all throughout. She hoisted herself up on the side of the ship, a long slender tail of shimmering white wiggling over the edge. She was tall by both human standards and those of merfolk, yet even so, she was at best a third of the size of the massive giant to whom the ship belonged. It spoke volumes about the type of strength that delicate body was hiding to pull herself up onto the side of it with such ease.

She rested her hands in her lap, an enchanting smile conjured on cherry lips as she gave him a pleasant smile. The kimono-like garment she was wearing was just as soaked as the rest of her, but whatever it was made off seemed to be more formidable in standing up to the water than most silks. It maintained its elegant shape and gave her a refined appearance that was almost otherworldly. Exactly the sort of picture one might imagine when they picture a mermaid in their head. Every part of her somehow seemed... just better than the conditions should allow it to be. The scales covering her tail though dripping water also gleamed in myriad hues in the sun. Seemingly white but like a pearl reflecting all the colors of the rainbow and giving the total picture a soft salmon-colored off-white hue that perfectly matched her attire and the color of her hair.

"Ahh, please excuse our rudeness. We are this humble inn's proprietor. You may call us Miss Yamato, and whom do we have the pleasure to be receiving today?"

An introduction, soft and welcoming. Apologetic even, for not immediately offering an introduction. She asked for his name as well. Offering him a welcome as he might not have expected.

[Sam]

What happened next perplexed Lucien, it was far from unexpected. His face quickly became flustered with a shade of pink as he layed eyes on a beautiful maiden in the blue waves. A mermaid... he had heard of their legendary beauty but it was another thing to see them in person. The giant turned his eyes away slightly nervous.

"H-hail! I am Sir Lucien Laurent... umm yes indeed, I seeketh sanctuary in thy's in."

Lucien blurted, if this is how he acted on around the mermaid he would hate to see himself in front of the red-haired giantess he was seeking. That would surely end terribly.

"Nay, nay! I am alone, however! I do seek someone... someone of my kin. I believe her namesake is... Tia Dreki?"

It had been a while since his search but by word of mouth he finally found out what her name was. That was the closest he had gotten to clues really. It was thanks to a conversation with Marine ship near Burning Caldera that he had even gotten such information. It became apparent that, Tia had been involved in a scuffle with some big name blue pirates. Having her name was helpful... but it wasn't as good as knowing a proper location.

"Hast thy seen her-"

Lucien's words were cut short as he saw the mermaid get on his boat. Her shimmering scales glistening brightly in the sunlight... it was odd to Lucy. He had seen many women in his lifetime but never one who was so refined and lady-like even when blurting out words. It was in every way, from how she spoke to how she moved. Lucien put one hand on the side of his head, his face still rather red. Her bright red smile and sparkling features didn't make it any better for him.

"Oh uh... is it me or it's getting hot here, maybe it's the armor out in the summer heat."

He looked over at the Inn, as the woman continued to speak introducing herself as Miss Yamato. What an exotic name that was, the knight wondered if she was perhaps from some foreign distant and special land.

"Well met, Maiden Yamato."

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Lucien | French Blue #0072BB | (Post Count: 2)

[Mai Kobayashi]

"Ufufu, is it the heat, We wonder? Well, this Aityaia is a tropical Island by its nature. We shall simply accept that it is the heat burnishing the skin of your cheeks, sir.. knight? "

Without a doubt, there was a hint of amusement shining through in her voice despite her retaining the same calm and almost melodious drawl throughout. The reason he was blushing could be the heat certainly, even if both of them knew it wasn't that was the best ruse for both to maintain their dignity. The mermaid slung her tail over the side of the ship, the mythical appendage returning to the shape of scaled and webbed feet as it soared through the air and when it landed on the deck its transformation had completed all but seamlessly. She stood up, walking across the boat as she straightened out the waistband of her kimono. It was rather short, only just reaching down to her tighs where it just barely revealed the transition between flesh and scales as if she was wearing a pair of thigh-high shimmering socks.

She walked across the deck of his ship with a calm thread, she did not hurry yet when she reached the other side of the boat she hopped up the sizeable distance (to her at least) between the deck and railing in a single graceful leap, finned feet landing on the edge with a deceptive elegance. The way she moved even on land was surprisingly agile and lithe considering that her long slender legs were at least twice the size of her torso and she was at least four times the height of an average man. Though upon donning feet rather than her slender serpentine tail she seemed to have become smaller still in comparison to the towering giant at the least. It did not happen often the mermaid found herself smaller than her visitors to such an extent, even when faced by giants, and a soft chuckle escaped her lips, hidden by delicate fingers covering their cherry red from view.

She had uttered the word knight as a question, no doubt surmising as much from the way he spoke to the fact he was wearing THAT sort of armor, yet leaving him room to correct her if he so wished. Another leap carried her from the side of the ship to the dock beside her visitor and with a shake of her wrist, she covered her hands with the sleeves of her kimono and with both hands in front of her offer the gigantic visitor a polite bow.

"We are the one who is honored to make your aquaintance."

It seemed like she had no intention to rush or to be rushed. Instead, she took her time to convey the proper niceties of greeting a new arrival, all in due process. Neither did she allow him to overwhelm her with questions. All things kept in their proper place and time with diligence and patience. She tapped her bottom lip softly with the sleeve of her kimono in a way that managed to be both demure and mystifying before allowing a bright radiant smile to emerge from behind the cloth.

"As for your inquiry, we may have heard a thing or two about such a person as you seek. Though perhaps you would prefer to accompany me inside before we speak of such things? After a long journey at sea, we imagine you must be parched? What sort of refreshment might we offer you Laurent-san?"

[Sam]

Somehow, someway, Lucien managed to become even more red and feel even hotter. This lady was playful wasn't she, he put a hand to his forehead and wiped his sweat. Watching the mermaid sling her tail onto the boat.

"Yes, yes the tropics. They are a lot warmer than my alpine homeland."

Lucien forced a strained chuckle as he got off the boat. The mermaid was rather large to say the least, Lucien had seen very big mermaids before but never like this one. She must have been forty or so feet tall? No? Even in her large size she was still dwarfed by him, unsuprising considering Lucien himself was on the larger end for standard giants. Not as big as the ancient ones of course, but big nonetheless.

"Knight? Yes indeed... a Knight from the distant land Alturia. Duke and hier of House Laurent."

He hastily introduced himself to the mermaid, it was rarely that he added his house name to the introduction. But in this case it felt neccessary if anything? Especially given the formal and delicate nature of the woman before him. Lucien looked away, his violet eyes shifting to look at the sea instead of the mature mermaid.

"Oh, sure. It is getting awfully hot out here as well. Things will be cooler indoors I'm sure."

Lucien piped up as he stood up and stepped onto the dock gently as to not rock the boat too hard. Once the dock he turned and offered a hand to the mermaid. She didn't need it surely, but it was the chivalrous thing to do.

"Hmm, I'm glad. I have asked everywhere about Lady Dreki but no one has apperently heard of her and if they have... they have very little information on her whereabouts."

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Lucien | French Blue #0072BB | (Post Count: 3)