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Post by dad on Jul 16, 2019 12:32:01 GMT
"Ugh.." The guard muttered, being clobbered so hard by Jack's Stand that they could do nothing else besides drool and fall over, knocked out cold. Jack then turned himself into dust and disappeared, much to Merry surprise. He had just finished subduing the old man from earlier, but it was clear he considered Jack a bigger threat, especially since they had managed to get away in such a short time frame.
"Hey, wake up, idiot!" Merry slapped his guard wide awake, the guard grunting as they slowly got back up and scratched their head. "Go warn the others and tell them about this insolent pest. Make sure to not bother any of the guests. The moment they find out about my true plans is the moment that everything goes to shit." He cursed as he started hiding the unconscious old guest in a nearby storage closet. The guard nodded, heeding Merry's words as they left and started warning nearby workers.
Meanwhile, Joan would stumble around the cruise, still having no idea on where she was headed. It was then that she...tripped? Had she really become that clumsy? Upon closer inspection, however, she realized that she had stepped on something rather strange before falling. Some sort of dust? No, this felt more solid and compact. It was then that Jack emerged from the pile of dust that his Stand had created. He had successfully found his ally. Perhaps the two could report their findings to each other, possibly in a place not surrounded by guards.
"Uh...." Greggs could not help by give Corey several confused looks. Not only was the midget acting like a mute, but he was behaving rather strangely now. Sudden deep breaths, almost as if he were performing some sort of strange aerobics exercise. The Brit seemed confused on how exactly to react to this situation. Was Corey mocking him? Was he doing something actually useful? Did he perhaps have some strange breathing exercise routine that he did not know of?
"You okay there, mate?" Greggs asked, still towering above Corey as he wondered if his bodyguard was truly fine. Of course, Corey probably wouldn't reply. He was focused on finding a Stand user among the guests, after all. However, it all seemed for naught. No-one seemed to notice Corey's purple thorns. In fact, no-one was paying attention to him at all, save for Greggs. Either the Stand user had already figured out Corey's plan and played their best poker face, or they had already left the dining hall for some other place. In that case, had Corey perhaps wasted too much time by being cautious?
"This Merry sure is taking a while. I wonder if that old fart from earlier is still hounding him down." Corey heard a guest mutter in the distance. He doubted that the guest who left the dining hall would return. Merry had probably silenced them in secret, though he did wonder how things were going outside. Had the kitchen team foiled Merry's plan yet?
There wasn't much for Corey to do besides patiently wait. However, fate had other plans.
The dining hall's lights suddenly went dark, the entire room now being shrouded in darkness. Loud bickering and worries could be heard as the guests wondered what was going on.
"Ouch!" Greggs said, stumbling in front of Corey by accident. "My bad, sorry. So, uh, any idea on what's going on right now?" He asked, unable to see the midget as he hovered his arm just above their head. Corey had only a faint idea on what was going on. He may be short, but he was quite perceptive. His keen ears had heard the cracking of glass before the lights went out. Someone had broken the lights. The Stand user was making their move...yet Corey hadn't sensed their presence at all earlier. None of the guests seemed interested in him. In that case, where was the user?
"AAAAAAH!"
A scream. Awkwardly cut off. Not a good sign, as the guests were now even more panicky. The sound of them desperately running away confused Corey as his ears could no longer discern what was happening around him. This darkness was quite off putting, therefore the best solution seemed to be going outside...
...Which is why he probably shouldn't. Surely, the Stand user might have accounted for that sort of maneuver. But in that case, what else could he--
"AAAAH!" Another scream, yet this one was closer to him and he even felt the air around him slightly change. No doubt of it, Greggs had been attacked! Corey would try waving his arm around in an effort to catch the Brit, but they were already long gone. Something had just picked them off and ran. Great, had he really lost his boss now? Well, so much for getting paid...
"No no, it was clearly you! Your photo was even on the article I read!" Emilia stated. "You covered a whole lot of topics, ranging from the lost penguin case at New York's Zoo to the mugging of an old granny at Fallbrook. Your work is truly astounding!" She said with stars in her eyes, despite the fact that those articles would sound rather mediocre to the ears of everyone else, Grant included. In fact, he hated writing those in the past. Sure, it paid his bills, but it always made him feel like a creatively bankrupt hack. In other words, he could not help but think that Emilia must have had a poor taste in both books and writing.
"I'm so happy to see you though. I almost cried when you quit your journalism career." Emilia said, looking teary eyed as she clasped her hands. However, she returned to her enthusiastic behavior from earlier and snickered. "But now, I truly see. I realized your scheme. Heh, quite genius, if I say so myself. The reason you quit journalism..." She pointed at Grant.
"...Is so you could report undercover! In fact, you're hanging out with a bunch of Stand users right now. You planned on slowly gaining their trust and then interviewing them all, am I right? I'm right, aren't I? Hah! To think that I've managed to outsmart even my own idol..." Emilia dropped off in her own fantasy land, praising herself for her """efforts""" despite the fact that Grant had neither confirmed nor objected to anything. A klutz like that was a rare sight.
"So, Mr. Bennett. What's the next step of your master plan? Are you here to write a scathing report on Merry after you take him down with your Stand user friends?" She said, taking out her notepad and swiftly tearing off all the pages dripped in wine before taking out a pencil. She was planning on interviewing Grant in the middle of a mission, it seemed. Of course, doing this sort of thing in a kitchen filled with buff, muscly twunks who would react to the nearest noise seemed to be a bad idea.
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Post by siegwardofcatarina on Jul 16, 2019 15:28:04 GMT
Joan wandered in the direction she thought she had come from. Seeing those bodies jolted her a bit out of her stupor but Joan still wasn’t entirely sober yet.
A fact which made itself perfectly clear when Joan suddenly lost her footing and fell flat on her face.
“Ahhh! Fuck!” Joan cried in dismay as she tried to push herself off the ground. Looking back she could see that the cause of her slippage was a strange thick layer of fine dust. With all the power he had, could Merry not be bothered to keep his own damn ship clean?
A mysterious figure then began to form out of the dust. In response, Joan’s eyes widened and a horrific, malicious Stand aura radiated from her as she prepared to strike.
But then she recognized the figure as that guy who was trying to sweet talk Merry earlier. Instantly, Joan relaxed and the aura around her vanished without a trace.
“Oh it’s you.” Joan said nonplussed. “Do you remember where the others are? I got to tell them something.”
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Post by killeroftheminge on Jul 16, 2019 17:22:40 GMT
Well, it looks like it would be up to her...the very thing she wanted to avoid.
With a sigh, Adeline sneaks into the kitchen, hunched over, keeping an eye on the bickering chefs as she looks over the food. Now, how the hell was she supposed to get his Stand out?
"Oh c'mon, girl. Think of something or a bunch of people are gonna get mind controlled, all your fault, just think, you idiot, think!" Ade feels a stitch in her chest as she looks around. She can't let the others down, not again. If she just gets rid of the food, they'll automatically know something is up. That is, unless they replaced them.
Ade starts picking up the plates, LM emerging from the floor to grab the pasta before sinking away as Ade turns to her partner. "If you're done gettin' your ego stroked, I need your help! Can you make them think the pasta is still there? People can't get brainwashed if there's nothing there to brainwash em with!"
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Post by BlacKnightZero on Jul 16, 2019 17:47:41 GMT
None of the articles Emilia mentioned were very interesting, but Grant couldn't complain that somebody enjoyed his writing. Although, she seemed to have the wrong idea about why he was there.
"Well... I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm really not a reporter anymore." Grant said, deciding to be totally honest. "I came to Fallbrook to become a novelist, but I ended up wanting to make a difference doing things like this. If you'd like to read what I have of my novel so far, I'd be happy to show you the manuscript after we're done here."
After saying that, he heard Adeline call out for him, requesting him to use his power. "Oh, of course! Right away." Giving that confirmation, Grant did what she asked. The pasta appeared to still be on the plates, keeping the chefs from being alerted.
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Post by Sakurai on Jul 16, 2019 22:17:15 GMT
"He knows and he's after me...the smooth-talking didn't work at all little more insane then I thought he'd be..on the bright side I did manage to escape and knocked out his goon..what did you find when you wandered off?" Jack asked as he gestured for her to follow him quickly back to the others. As he wasn't drunk he remembered quite vividly where they were and he doubted Merry would try anything in the crowd lest they see his true colors.
"We need to hurry, can you move a little faster.....eugh god you smell like a brewery...." Jack complained as he fast walked down the corridors of the ship back towards Greggs and the others, things were going downhill fast and he needed to bolster his group.
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Post by RaptorAttacks on Jul 17, 2019 8:33:17 GMT
Jeez, talk about fancy. This boat's HUGE! The guy who owns this must be loaded. He better tip well.
Aimlessly wandering throughout the various nooks and crannies of the cruise, Axelle cautiously glanced over at the flimsy cardboard box in her left hand. Atop it, the words *Joe's Pizza* were emblazoned in red, a crude-looking Italian flag inked just below it, and two questionable-looking pizzas printed on either side. Fricking heck, the 29-minute guarantee was never meant to be stretched this far! Who on earth would order a pizza on a cruise ship? And why can't the guy just meet me at the darn entrance like a normal person? If you're so rich, just get one of manservants to take it instead of making me walk all over the place! At least slap a map on the wall or something!
Inhaling sharply, the pizza delivery woman paused her meandering to shoot a look at her watch. Seeing the time, she allowed herself a sigh of relief, her body relaxing slightly as she continued to roam. Whatever. WHATEVER! I'm not mad! This is fine! I've got eight and a half minutes left to find whoever ordered this dang pizza. I've made deliveries with less time than that before! Of course, none of those deliveries were on cruise ships, and usually those people had the courtesy to at least be around... no, no no no, it's fine! It's a big ship, there'll probably be plenty of staff, I just have to find where they are and ask for directions. Easy! Perfectly easy!
Axelle glanced at her watch again. Please let it be easy.
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Post by dad on Jul 17, 2019 9:19:42 GMT
Lady Marmalade was quick on their feet, snatching away a feast in a matter of seconds. Very unfortunate that such high quality food had to be swiftly disposed of, however. Curse Merry for ruining something so palatable. Grant understood Adeline's plan as well as he started writing down a few words on his notebook. Soon, the empty plates were filled with illusory meals. The cooks wouldn't even notice that something was off, especially since they were still busy watching the fight between the head cook and an insubordinate.
Emilia on the other hand seemed to be quite distraught. Adeline wondered why. Had she noticed the two's plan? No, she was unable to see Stands after all. However, those sad, puppy eyes that kept staring through her soul could not help but distract her a bit. Had she done something wrong? No, upon closer inspection, she realized that Emilia was staring at Grant instead.
"You're...not a journalist anymore?" The girl sniffled. "Is the legend known as Grant Bennett really...dead?" She said quite melodramatically, Grant most likely being confused at woman's extreme reaction to the cold, hard truth. Was she really that frustrated at the fact that Grant had pursued his true passion?
Well, this was starting to turn from a mild annoyance in an actually dangerous issue. Emilia seemed ready to burst into the verge of tears at any second. Such loud crying would most likely alert the guards, but Lady Marmalade's hands were too occupied with the numerous food items to carry the group away!
"What are you doing, you utter morons?!" A familiar voice rung in Grant's ear as he glanced to his right and saw Merry enter the kitchen. Damn it, he was here!
"I ask you to have lunch ready in an hour and you start fucking around like this instead?" The man growled, clearly irate at the moronic ritual that was occurring in the front of him. The cooks all knelt before him, clearly begging for forgiveness. Mind control was such a terrifying thing.
"NO! No no no no! Please forgive us, Supreme Lord King Ruler Merry! We still did our jobs!" The head cook begged as he started kissing Merry's shoes. "See? The food is ready and done! Your special 'spices' have also been added. Surely this is up to standard?" They asked as they stood up, only to receive a slap from their owner.
"I don't even give a damn! Listen up. Three of you, start delivering the food to the dining hall. The rest, return to your normal patrol shifts. We have a rat on this cruise, if you catch my drift." Merry ordered, clearly referring to Jack, though Grant and the others wouldn't realize that yet.
"U-Understood, Ultimate Sovereign Ruler King Merry!" The cook said, not even paying the slap any mind as he headed towards the illusory foods. This was bad. Would they notice the illusion upon touching the plates? Grant probably needed some extra illusions just to sell the trick now, but Emilia's whimpering and worsening condition was also something worth attending to. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. The entire fate of the mission depended on him!
Jack and Joan would try to regroup with the original group, but they kept running around in circles. This ship was HUGE. Huge enough to overwhelm a drunk nurse and a con artist. Maybe they should torture a worker for directions...
They kept walking around, wondering on where to go, before noticing something odd in the distance. A woman dressed in some sort of uniform with a...pizza box on their hands? Really? Had Merry ordered pizzas for lunch or something? Either way, that person looked mighty suspicious, but perhaps interrogating them would yield some results and free the two from the deceptive labyrinth that was the cruise.
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Post by siegwardofcatarina on Jul 17, 2019 17:37:28 GMT
“There’s another Stand User aboard the ship.” Joan explained as she and her companion wandered the halls of the ship. “They’ve already killed four of Merry’s men. Whoever it is, they aren’t with us and most likely not with Merry either. I don’t know who it is, but I think it might be a woman with...”
Joan paused. Right in front of them was a woman in a uniform carrying a pizza box. Anyone who saw that in this place would be immediately suspicious of them and Joan was no different. In fact, she went one step further.
The dark malicious Stand aura roared back to life around Joan as she took a few steps toward the pizza lady.
“You. Who are you? Are you a Stand User?” Joan coldly demanded from the pizza lady. Joan didn’t threaten her directly, but the threat was still there regardless, especially if this unfortunate delivery girl was a Stand User.
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Post by RaptorAttacks on Jul 17, 2019 19:19:08 GMT
Axelle's aimless wandering around the cruise was cut mercifully short when she glimpsed a pair of figures in suits in the distance. Judging by their formal attire, it seemed as though they worked on the ship, perhaps in some kind of security role. In that case, they'd certainly know their way around the cruise! She would just have to briefly pick their brains for some directions, get the pizza to where it needs to be, and she'd be done with this delivery. As one of the two began to approach Axelle, she straightened her posture, pushing her glasses up to the bridge of her nose and adjusting her slightly greasy, cheese-stained Joe's Pizza hat as she was approached.
As the deliveryman thought about how best to phrase her inquiry, she was struck by two overwhelming forces at the same time. The first was the aura of menace that the woman across from her was projecting. For some indescribable reason, Axelle got the distinct feeling that she was in some sort of danger. The second thing to hit her was how much she reeked of alcohol. It was absolutely foul, and if not for the warm, inviting scent of the Italian cuisine within her hands, the pizza girl might have gagged from the stench. She was still slightly dazed when the suit began to interrogate her.
"W-what? Stands? Me? Y-no, I, uh..." Axelle fumbled over her words, taking a few steps back as she pulled the pizza box closer to her body. She had thought this stand business had blown over six months ago after all that leaflet nonsense was cleaned up. "I mean, wow! You really believe all that nonsense about stands? What a lark! Could you imagine it, being able to summon some sort of vine-punching-plant-ghost-priest from your soul at the snap of your fingers? How silly would that be!" The pizza girl paused, realising too late that she may or may not have been too specific with her example. Axelle laughed nervously, trying to buy time as she pondered whether continuing this horribly awkward conversation was worth the directions. She still had time to spare, after all, and she could probably find someone else who would be more helpful and less confrontational during that time. Yet the deliveryman also got the distinct feeling she wouldn't be able to walk away from this conversation that easily.
"Can, uh... Can I go, please? I have to deliver this pizza in like, seven minutes." Axelle shuffled awkwardly on the spot, raising the box slightly. "Dang old pizza, right? It cools down over time, thus becoming less warm, and degrading the overall quality of the pizza, y'know? I mean, what's up with that?"
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Post by siegwardofcatarina on Jul 17, 2019 19:35:08 GMT
Joan was silent, but all present could tell that she wasn’t placated at all.
“Lately, I’ve developed an intolerance for bullshit, lies, and beating around the bush.” Joan spoke up. “Are you a Stand User? Yes or no? I’m giving you three seconds to answer me truthfully.”
“One...”
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PSIchotic
Hamon User
aw jeez scoob
Posts: 201 
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Post by PSIchotic on Jul 17, 2019 19:58:45 GMT
With a short grunt of disdain, Corey ran in the opposite direction of the general crowd. In the commotion, there's no way he'd get out quickly enough to spot Greggs' captor or any traces of him. The short man's expression never changed, remaining the slight natural frown it always did. As he ran forward, he wasn't looking for a door. Not for a window or opening either. He didn't have the time for either. If Greggs' captor could snatch him before Corey could react, he was fast. Although Corey diverting his attention likely didn't help. Regardless, Corey needed to be quick to spot the perpetrator. His only goal was to make sure Greggs was safe.
He had to act in accordance to Justice. That was all that mattered. That was the only thought in Corey's mind as his makeshift knuckle dusters became gloves, and gave off a light sheen from their golden glow. It was the only thought in Corey's mind as he jumped, slamming into the wall with the full force of his gilded gloves. He'd been able to tell by the slight glow of his stand, and the difference in air patterns. Light poured into the room as Corey moved like lightning, grabbing the lip of the hole he just created and swinging himself up into the sky with the grace of a trained acrobat.
Summoning a slight part of his stand, not enough to break through his shoes, Corey extended his flight a hair, giving him a perfect bird's eye view of the area. His eyes swept the boat, looking for any sign of struggle, or Greggs himself. Corey had followed kidnappers before, he should be able to find Greggs or some sign of him.
Corey didn't think anything but his current task. How could he, when he failed the man he was supposed to protect. He had to right that wrong, or else he was a failure to his own code. The nigh impossible standard he'd forced himself to keep up with at the cost of rest and health. He couldn't wait any longer in the guise of a bodyguard. He had to find him, and bring his captor to Justice.
God help whatever poor soul was the target of Corey's brutal sense of justice.
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Post by RaptorAttacks on Jul 17, 2019 20:13:48 GMT
Three seconds? Why is she giving me three seconds? What is she going to do at the end of those three seconds? Is she gonna murder me? Frick, I'm technically trespassing on this dang cruise! That means she can totally kill me and get away with it in a court of law! Wait, the guy who owns this cruise is rich, he'd probably get away with it anyway! I just wanted to deliver this pizza, but is it worth my life? I get that Joe's 29 minute guarantee is a promise and all, but is it a promise worth being murdered over?
"Yes! Fine! I am! Just please don't murder me!" Axelle shrieked, throwing one hand up in surrender, while the other continued to firmly grasp the pizza box horizontally at chest level. From behind the girl, an arm made of many green tendrils outstretched itself, a set of thorn-like claws resting themselves on the girl's shoulder. Slowly but surely, November Rain crept out from behind her, slowly revealing itself to Joan while doing it's very best to seem non-threatening. A set of bramble-claws similar to those on the hands were present on both feet, the coat-tails of it's ragged and torn garb trailing behind it as it walked. It was short in comparison to it's user, though that mostly appeared to be due to it's poor posture, the vine-covered figure slouching like an ape. A set of dim green eyes peered out from behind a bestial mask made of bark, as if gauging whether or not her interrogator was placated by this revelation. After a few moments of revealing itself, the stand retreated back behind it's user, though it's head still peered over Axelle's shoulder, as if it was keenly aware of how likely this situation was to get ugly fast.
"Are you happy now?" The pizza girl inquired, exhaling softly as she took a few short steps back from her interrogator. "Because let me tell you, I'm certainly not."
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Post by Al Freakster the Big Cheese on Jul 17, 2019 21:23:36 GMT
This whole ordeal proved to be quickly diminishing in the excitement and interest department. Figuring that he wasn't much use as others started to disperse and act out their own desires, a calming, numbing sensation quickly overtook the giant, who had sat down after a bit. In a moment, he fell asleep. Didn't get much of it this day and the day before. The brief time he spent in the realm of Morpheus, he could only see the starry expanse of space before him. Just as it was since his... appearance.
Yet, his nap was interrupted, as Corey broke a hole in the wall and majestically flew outside. Rubbing his eyes in an attempt to focus back on the ongoing events, the colossus nimbly walked to the exit point of one graceful midget. Seeing that he was still in the air for the moment, the man in the torn uniform shouted, trying to get his ally's attention.
"Hey! Sorry to bother, I fell asleep. What's the situation?"
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Post by Sakurai on Jul 18, 2019 2:24:47 GMT
"Not her luv, her timidness is genuine..I've been in the con business long enough to spot if someones putting on airs." Was what jack offered as a simple insight into the mysterious pizza girl in front of them. "Besides I can easily buy that merry is enough of an arrogant prick to order pizza to a fucking cruise ship just to show off..." He added as he stood beside Joan with his arms crossed .
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Post by MoeSenpai on Jul 18, 2019 15:43:50 GMT
"I think the next one was a left. No, I am sure of it. Definitely... probably..." Michelle was running around aimlessly for the last few minutes. She didn't really pay any attention to the way while following Joan and... dustman, nor did she think she would need to do that. She was all prepared to lunge towards Merry the moment he did something funny smack him, but as it turned out she didn't need to. Joan walked away and the other guy died or some shit like that. Like some shitty asshole snapped and poof, he was gone. "God fucking... Argh where the heck am I?" She groaned and hit the wall next to her. She immediately regret it when she raised her fist and blew on it to cool it down. "I'm gonna kick the persons ass who built this piece of garbage." And with that she continued on her journey to the west the the dining hall.
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