A Mighty Maelstrom | Closed

[John Sharkbane]

A magnificent boom pealed across the heavens. Veins of white waltzed downward toward a raging sea as the sinister glooms above brightened with flashes of ferocity. John Davis knew how to navigate the seas, of course, but he was no meteorologist. It was already too late when he and Icarus spotted the clouds on the horizon. Even Icarus’s innate understanding of nature could not help him predict a storm as sudden as this one. Perhaps experienced Navigators could not have predicted such a storm without equipment to read changes in barometric pressure.

John clung to the neck of his feathered companion while they did their best to brave the storm. A monsoon of raindrops pelted the both of them, leaving them quite soaked. He was not afraid of drastic changes in weather, more-so respectful of them. Even then, with each strike of lighting and explosion of sound that rivaled the largest of marine cannons, bursts of memories blinded the aspiring pirate more than the lightning ever could.

Memories of the fateful day when he lost everything.

“I don’t know how much longer I can hold out!” shouted Icarus, whose voice broke through the haze that John was captive in. “It’s taking everything in my power just to stay adrift! I can’t—”

“Try to hang in there!” barked John, voice deafened by the gales of wind. “We have to make it!”

But, nature would have other plans. An enormous typhoon of wind billowed around John and Icarus. The large eagle of silver down could no longer fight the storm. Alas, he and his companion became ensnared by the gust. John’s grip loosened until he could hold on no longer. And now, both tumbled from the sky, heading right for the Calm Belt.

[Fox]

Leaving Memory Peak felt a little like a dream in which she hadn’t totally awoken from just yet. Sedna sat on the edge of the island turtle’s shell, staring out at the sea in a daze. It was only when a droplet of water hit her cheek did she pull herself from her torpor. It was cold and more swiftly followed. She looked to the sky to see a dark storm cloud beginning to swirl overhead.

“A storm…?” Sedna frowned thoughtfully, “We must be crossing near one of the Blues… or the Grand Line, I suppose.”

Well, it was of little concern to her. The wind whipped her faded teal hair around wildly as it began to pick up. Sedna enjoyed a storm. It was one of the few times that excitement stirred her heart. Seeing the forces of nature at work… Well, it never failed to be breathtaking. She leaned forward, her tail dangling off the side of the shell, and looking for all the world as if the wind might blow her off. Lightning crashed. Waves heaved and churned. Rain fell sideways. Sedna smiled. And then, frowned.

“Hm? What is that?”

She narrowed her eyes to see a form frantically trying to stay aloft. A bird? In this weather? Usually, they had more sense than that. This one was rather large too. Hm. How strange. Sedna found herself staring as it frantically struggled. A struggle that Sedna could tell - even from this distance - was in vain.

“Oh, he’s going to-”

A sudden blast of wind slammed into the bird as Sedna had foreseen, sending him up violently before falling down toward the sea that would soon gobble it up. Ah, a shame. If it had hung on a little longer, perhaps it could have made it to the island turtle. Oh well. Sedna was about to look away when a second falling figure caught her eye. She tilted her head slightly, thinking she’d been seeing things, but no, there were definitely two splashes. And as luck would have it, they’d landed in the Calm Belt.

“Oh dear…” Sedna pressed a hand to her head. She couldn’t rightly let the Sea Kings gobble them up, now could she? Pushing off the side, Sedna dropped down into the still waters of the Calm Belt. Sea Kings generally avoided the area immediately around the island turtle, so she could likely afford a rescue as long as she was swift.

Fortunately for her, merfolk were among the swiftest in the sea. She cut through the water like a knife and approached the two sinking figures. One was the bird, of course, but interestingly, the other was a human. She didn’t dwell on that for long, scooping the human and the bird up her arms, hugging them closely to her chest.

It didn’t take long to return to the island turtle. Sedna swam around until she could find a spot where the shell touched the water. Once she did, she split her tail into legs, standing and pulling the two from the water. They were quite heavy, and she wasn’t as strong as she had been in her youth, but wasn’t too much of an issue. She laid them out onto the grass, which was growing on the massive turtle’s shell and pumped their chests to get them breathing again.

“Come now, breathe, you youngsters, you’ve life left in you still, haven't you?” she muttered as she worked.

---

Sedna | #2aaa8a | Post Count: 1

[John Sharkbane]

John and Icarus plummeted into the water, one splashing after the other. The impact on its own was enough to induce shock. Both bodies were now submerged. And, even with the natural buoyancy of the water, bone and muscle mass acted as anchors which made the two sink further and further.

Crashing into the sea caused the wind to be knocked out from John’s lungs. In his weakened state, every fiber of his being screamed for air. He could not budge a muscle to make his way back to the surface. An inky blackness crept at the corners of his vision. The man tried his hardest to fight his body’s natural response to breathe. Until he could fight it no more.

Survival instinct took over. John’s mouth parted and his muscles spasmed to take one last inhale. Alas, it was the briny deep which was sucked down his throat rather than air. Water filled his lungs. John was slipping away.

The human brain has a capacity to survive between three and six minutes without oxygen being passed to it. During that period, it is a race against Time to save the individual from drowning or asphyxiation alike. After four minutes, more permanent damage takes hold. Especially in a colder environment. Thankfully, the water of the Calm Belt had a pleasant warmth about it. And with Sedna’s swiftness, John and Icarus were both in excellent hands—er, fins.

The blanket of green grass cushioned the companions. The concussive force against their chests brought both back to a waking state and salt water was spewed from their mouths in coughing fits. John and his companion came to, and the world around them finally faded back into view.

John was now studying Sedna. Her very grace captured his eye and conquered his every thought.

“Did…Am I in the afterlife?” he finally inquired with an innocence to his voice. “Are you my Valkyrie?”

[Fox]

“There you are…” Sedna muttered as fountains of saltwater shot from the two’s mouths like geysers. She smiled faintly and scooted back to allow the two to get their bearings. The human’s gaze locked onto her, studying her with rapt attention. It might have made her blush if she were two hundred years younger. But now, it just earned the lad a chuckle from the ancient siren.

“You haven’t quite shuffled off this mortal coil just yet, my child,” she answered after a moment, “But you very nearly did.”

The youth in the man’s face was plain to see. Sedna considered most humans young in comparison to herself. Children, really. This boy was barely a child. A baby almost. So, so young. How long had it been since she’d seen anyone quite that young? Twenty years now? She rubbed her chin, looking off into the distance. It took her a long moment to realize that she was spacing out again. Shaking her head to keep herself in this moment, she tilted her head at him and considered him.

“What were you doing out in that storm?”

Sedna waited for the answer patiently, pulling her long braided hair over her shoulder to squeeze the water from it. She wore a simple sleeveless purple sweater that left her belly bare. She was not a woman without scars. The entire half of her face had a rather nasty burn scar on it, and she was blind in that eye, having turned white. Her legs, which had fused back into a tail while she was sitting, were covered by a small skirt tied around her waist. Her tail was also marked with scars of two centuries of hardship. Sedna supposed that she couldn’t blame him for mistaking her for… a valkyrie, he called it?

---

Sedna | #2aaa8a | Post Count: 2

[John Sharkbane]

The seafaring trappings John wore were already drying under the light of the shimmering sun. A white shirt and navy blue frock covered his torso. Around his waist a crimson sash was tied with a black leather belt over top. Black pants shielded his legs, which had been tucked into his dark brown boots with folded tops. John’s tricorn hat helped shield the sunlight from his eyes.

More and more he realized that he and Icarus hadn’t perished. What with the lapping of water against the turtle’s shell and the seagulls above giving clues they were indeed still among the living. And yet, still, the ancient mermaid was all the more mysterious and whimsical.

“There wasn’t a storm when we left,” John relented, feeling a pang of shame stab him in the chest. “It just appeared out of nowhere. No warning signs of any kind.”

“Even I couldn’t see it brewing,” Icarus added, now standing to spread and sun his wings. “Thanks for the rescue, though. Not sure we would have made it.”

John sat up now and nodded to his companion’s sentiment. Though he winced and froze up. A few muscles were definitely pulled.

“Ahah…Yes, thank you,” he offered through bared teeth, easing back down to rest. And yet, even after going through such a traumatic event, the aspiring pirate still had a smile plastered on his face.

“All a part of the journey I suppose,” he mused, staring up now at the circling white birds. His ocean-colored eyes now locked with Sedna’s.

“Name’s Johnathon, by the way. But you can call me John. My silver-feathered friend there is Icarus.”

---

John Davis | #007ba2 
Icarus | #c4d0cf
Post Count: 3

[Fox]

Sedna’s smile returned, more bemused than before when the boy claimed that there hadn’t been a storm when they left. She put a hand to her cheek and nodded sympathetically to his claims. Then the bird spoke. Sedna raised an eyebrow at it. She’d seen such things in her time, but perhaps the bird was somehow specially endowed to sense the weather? Perhaps, but it mattered not.

“Such is the way of storms,” she commented, “Though such fickle storms are even more common on the Grand Line.”

She watched the boy sit up, seeing that he was still suffering from some pain. Hm, well it had been quite the fall. Depending on how he’d taken it, something could be bruised or even broken. The pain was so unpleasant, in fact, that he laid back down onto the grass. Hm. There was likely something she could do for him given the medical skills that she’d picked up over the years.

“Life’s journey can be smooth or rough depending on how well you’ve prepared yourself for it,” Sedna said wistfully before standing up as the lad introduced himself. She regarded him thoughtfully and nodded.

“John and Icarus then, a pleasure to meet you. I am Sedna,” she said simply. Her name used to be renowned throughout the world as an opera singer. Though that had not been an occupation of her choice. “What ails you? Where do you hurt? I can prepare a tonic for pain or set anything that’s been broken.”

---

Sedna | #2aaa8a | Post Count: 3

[John Sharkbane]

“Rib contusion,” winced John, trying to take slower breaths now. “Feels like the upper left quadrant.”

Still, the man in his thirties could not help but keep a smile on his face despite the pain and the circumstances. He looked at Sedna again to study her. It was only now that he realized the Mermaid was a Mermaid! His eyes met with hers once again and his lips parted in a brilliant smile.

“Well now, isn’t this amazing?” the Pirate asked, his tone brighter than the sun. “Caught in a storm and rescued by a maiden of the sea. What are the chances of that?”

“A Mermaid?” Icarus marveled, now looking in Sedna’s direction.

Jonathan’s excitement only grew. His childlike sense of wonder was showing through and through.

“I have so many questions!” John gushed. “Where are you from? What are mermaids like? How do you breathe underwater? And can Mermaids ever eat Devil Fruits?”

---

John Davis | #007ba2 
Icarus | #c4d0cf
Post Count: 4

[Fox]

“A medical background, have we?” Sedna inquired with a raised eyebrow. If it was a contusion then it would likely be fine given time. Perhaps a bit of ice would help matters. Sedna sighed softly. If she were one hundred fifty years younger or so she might have had the skill to conjure ice from the seawater. As it was, most of her skills had faded from memory. She ought to take up the practice again if she was to be out on the seas, fending for herself once more. It behooved one to know how to defend themselves.

When the two recognized her for what she was, Sedna chuckled and sat back down beside John, a little closer than before.

“Certainly not a maiden anymore,” she corrected softly, “but, yes, I am one of the Merfolk.”

The two had eyes sparkling with childlike wonder and excitement. Sedna smiled and sighed at the pair. How long had it been since she’d seen such youthful, hopeful eyes? She held up a hand as a veritable tidal wave of questions surged at her like the raging tide.

“One at a time, please,” she said before considering how to answer. She hasn’t thought about her homeland in a very long time. She decided to start with the simplest ones to answer.

“Yes, my kind can eat Devil Fruits, though it’s quite the foolish choice, since the ability to swim will be robbed from them. I breathe underwater with gills. I’m not sure how to answer what mermaids are like… but I can tell you a little bit about my homeland if you’d like.”

“Most Merfolk come from an island beneath the Red Line called Fishman Island. Where I come from is… a little different. An island in the sky called Lemuria. As legends go, it was shot up into the sky where it remains to this day and Merfolk along with it. That is where I hail from.”

---

Sedna | #2aaa8a | Post Count: 4

[John Sharkbane]

John’s left hand moved to slap his forehead. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing! As Sedna wove her tale, the man was wondering if he was merely dreaming all of this after his fall into the ocean.

“An island in the sky?” he questioned. “You mean like from that old storybook? What was it called…”

John trailed off while he scratched his chin. “Liar Noland?” 

The man was, however, quick to trust others if he had a good feeling about them. Sedna was such a person in John’s eyes. She rescued him and was a Mermaid of all beings. So what reason would she have to lie to him?

“Wow. Okay. So that means…Noland wasn’t a liar if there really is an island in the heavens above.”

“It is a big world,” Icarus reasoned as he nodded his head. “We’ve only been in the East Blue. There’s no telling what waits for us past the Grand Line, or even in the New World.”

John emitted a saddened groan. “And I’d love to explore it all. But I’d need a crew I can rely on, and a ship, too. You won’t be able to carry me everywhere, Icarus.”


“True,” the bird relented, understanding his partner’s plight. “But I’m sure we’ll amass an excellent crew and find an incredible ship.”

The Pirate gave a gentle nod. “As for my medical background. I only have an above-average knowledge on the subject. Which reminds me, I’ll definitely need to find a Doctor for my crew. But I think a Cook or a Navigator would be most important.”

---

John Davis | #007ba2 
Icarus | #c4d0cf
Post Count: 5

[Fox]

John seemed flabbergasted by the possibility of islands residing in the sky. It was a reaction Sedna was more than accustomed to, though it had been some time since she’d seen it last. She smiled, amused as the bird and the boy discussed her tale amongst themselves for a moment. Interestingly enough, John seemed to believe her, which wasn’t the most common outcome. Sometimes she was considered a liar but generally people thought she was joking in some enigmatic, cryptic way.

“Goodness, only the East Blue? There’s so much more world to see, though treacherous it may be.”

The pair seemed all too aware of the adventures that lay beyond the horizon though. When the talk turned to crews, Sedna put a hand to her chin. Hm. A pirate? The outfit sort of suggested as much, but then the fashion of the times had passed her by long ago. She hadn’t really bothered to keep up with it. A crew, a ship. Hm. Sedna contemplated them idly until John answered her earlier question about his medical knowledge. He hadn’t answered where he’d gotten it from, though, which was the actual point of the asking.

“Yes, knowing where you’re going and how to navigate the seas as well as survive on them should probably be the top priorities though it is possible to get by without them for a time,” she muttered, more to herself than John before looking down at him once more, “A pirate, are you? One of those inspired by Roger or Newgate, perhaps?”

“I must warn you if so… the road that you are attempting to embark upon has been the ruin of many before you. What makes you certain that you’re capable of walking it?”

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Sedna | #2aaa8a | Post Count: 5

[John Sharkbane]

The man remained in his resting position for the time being. Attempting to move proved painful. He just hoped that he wouldn’t be bedridden for long. He was, however, content to remain here for now.

Then Sedna’s questioning remarks cut deep. John knew, of course, that Sedna was more than likely not being skeptical of the man’s life choices. So he did nary take offense to the Mermaid’s inquisition. The man understood it as genuine curiosity and concern for his well-being.

So, despite the screaming of his nerve endings and internal injuries, John struggled to move. It took the industry of a hundred men to push himself to stand tall. Leg muscles ached and a stabbing sensation pierced his ribcage over and over. If Sedna protested, he would raise a hand to stop her interference.

Now, despite struggling just to hold his posture, John stood tall and proud. His fists remained balled while the very essence of determination coursed through his veins.

“That’s right,” he answered. “I am a Pirate. Like my father and mother before me. I know the the road ahead is laden with challenges and danger. Whether they be Marines, the World Government, or the Forces of Nature.”

John was now grinning with an overflowing confidence. “If I give up after every mishap, then how am I going to become King of the Pirates? Or, more importantly, how will I establish my future kingdom where all walks of life can live free of injustice and prejudice?”

"Which reminds me," John added, seeming to have a twinkle in his eye. "How would you like to join my crew, Sedna? I'd be an idiot to not befriend someone of your skill and experience."

---

John Davis | #007ba2
Icarus | #c4d0cf
Post Count: 6

[Fox]

To answer her question, John pushed himself up. Part of her thought to warn him against such a motion, but she relented. He stood tall, and, for a moment Sedna thought she might have seen the shadows of Newgate or Roger in him. He answered boldly as a pirate should, grinning with the weight of his dreams behind him. Sedna smiled wryly at his answer, which seemed very contradictory to her. And then he posed a question which surprised her. Sedna’s smile faded as she considered.

“I am old, John,” she said after a moment, turning to stare out at the sea, “Very old. I’ve watched the rise and fall of countries, the birth and death of many generations. I’ve seen countless people set sail with their dreams held dear in their hearts, and equally as many die in despair and their dreams go unfulfilled.”

Her face fell for a moment, revealing just a little of the pain that she felt deep down inside.

“How can you promise to be any different?” Sedna asked, rising up to tower over John with a burning intensity in her eyes, “I cannot tolerate watching any more children dying so very young. Their lives cut short. Do not ask me to watch you do the same unless you can prove that you will be different.”

Sedna turned on her heel, a small storm of emotion welling up inside her. Ah, she’d forgotten what this felt like. She grimaced and walked away, back up the hill to where she’d been sitting peacefully before. It felt like a lifetime ago now for some reason. That too was a unique feeling. Usually, it was life that passed her by. She put a hand to her head and shook it to clear away the painful thoughts. She was afraid. Afraid to feel in that way again. Afraid to lose more loved ones. Afraid to be forgotten as everyone was when all those that surrounded them died.

Leaving Memory Peak had been a mistake. She couldn’t do this. She wouldn’t… Sedna bit her lip. Then it was to go back there with no friends, waiting for death? She didn’t relish that thought either. She wanted… She wanted a family. A legacy that would never be forgotten.

---

Sedna | #2aaa8a | Post Count: 6

[John Sharkbane]

John Davis could feel every ounce of pain that dripped from Sedna’s musical voice. Her despair-stricken chronicle painted moving images within his mind. He watched them unfold as she told her history. It was as though John was there to witness it all alongside the Mermaid.

He watched in silence as Sedna shuffled over to her new resting spot. Concerned for her wellbeing, John could only follow. So, he stood alongside the enormous Mermaid and kept his gaze on the beautiful sea and the horizon. His arms remained folded over one another. He expected a sea breeze. Alas, there was none to be found in the Calm Belt.

“I can’t make the claim that I know how you feel, Sedna,” he began. “But I may have an idea. I’ve lost people too. People who were very dear to me, when I was just a boy no older than five. My family was my father, mother, my brother, and the crew that we sailed with. As a Marine ship gave chase, we were caught in a mighty maelstrom the likes of which we’d never seen.”

The Pirate’s eyes closed as he tried to keep himself from tearing up. Recounting this event was hard on him. But he needed someone to open up to.

“A waterspout touched down and our vessel sank. I watched my brother die before my very eyes after he had pushed me onto some flotsam. As far as I know, I am the only survivor of that shipwreck.”

The man drew a shaky breath to keep himself centered. “Despite knowing the dangers of the sea, I still set out every day with Icarus. We don’t let the potential for adversity stop us from enjoying our lives and living life to the fullest. You never know when your time will be. So we handle nearly every day like it will be our last. Exploring, adventuring, laughing. Living."

The Pirate seated his right hand onto his hip while he turned to look at Sedna’s visage. “I won’t offer empty promises. I won’t make a vow that I will live until I’m one-hundred and fifty. But I can say this. You have my word that as long as I live, I will fight to survive in this world as I always have since I was a boy. And as for proving myself, what will you have me do? Will you test my strength yourself and judge my capabilities?”

---

John Davis | #007ba2
Icarus | #c4d0cf
Post Count: 7

[Fox]

Collecting her bag from the ledge, Sedna sighed and stared out at the still waters of the Calm Belt. They were completely and utterly serene like time itself stood still here. Perhaps that was why she felt comfortable here. Because of the sea that seemed to move as slowly as herself. She glanced to the side when she heard the crunch of grass beside her. John had deigned to join her. Had her words not been enough to convince him that he could not really hope to prove that he’d be different? She didn’t comment on it, but instead stared out to see and listened.

John recounted a tale which quickly became apparent was about losing his family. When he paused, Sedna lowered a hand to pat him on the head and ruffle his hair, nearly making the hat he wore fall off. When John continued, Sedna took her hand away, but still listened. She considered his words, sighing softly as he claimed to be living every day like his last. Certainly, that couldn’t be denied by their storm flying habits. It very nearly was their last day.

She glanced down at John as he turned to her, staring at him with her one good eye. A promise to fight to survive. Hm. Sedna was perfectly aware that what she had been doing for the last twenty years wasn’t living. Waiting in that tiny house for death to come. She’d had friends to keep her from death’s door when she went into her longer torpor. For Guiscard and Laplace… Hm. Perhaps she owed it to them to try to live once more? They’d certainly be negging her if they could see her now. After a moment, Sedna simply smiled, amused by John’s last questions.

“I’d sooner punch a guppy than test a child when they’re injured,” she said, flicking the hat on John’s head, “But indulge me for a moment. You say, as far as you know. Does that not mean that your family may yet live? Are you not searching for them?”

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Sedna | #2aaa8a | Post Count: 7

[John Sharkbane]

John grimaced when the subject of searching for his loved ones came about. He had hoped he would not have to recount certain events. Though there was a gentle half smile when he had his hat plucked off of his head.

"Okay okay, fair enough," he responded with a light chuckle. "You're right, I'm in no condition to have my strength tested."

"But I did search, as soon as I became old enough," John sighed. "If they are still alive, they're not in the East Blue anymore. So part of the reason why I aim to head to the New World is the hope that they are still out there. That said, I'm nowhere near strong enough to take on the entire Navy by myself. Not yet, anyway."

The Pirate looked into Sedna's eyes for another moment before staring back out at the horizon. "So that's three major goals I have. Why I keep fighting. Find my parents if they're alive, form my own Country, and find the One Piece."

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John Davis | #007ba2
Icarus | #c4d0cf
Post Count: 8