Randomness

[piratemarimo]

ha ha well to be sure, some parts of this story will be a little cracky, but I will have some serious moments from time to time. Maybe. :ninja:

The city is a big, modern city. Sort of like a crossroads of the world type that people just flock to for various reasons. I guess New York City is an influence here. I've never been to that city but in my mind, this place would be kind of like that in terms of its significance and culture. This is AU so no pirates or Devil Fruits or anything like that. Travel is a mix of everything, but not jet-pack futuristic.

[Mr M]

so you need some help?

[piratemarimo]

Wow that was fast. See my two posts above. That's the topic I need help with right now.

[Elisabeth Heart]

Kinda forgot, bu I didn't really get more inspirations for the shops… I really have a sucky imagination. Oh is it a serious/real world ? Or wacky crazy ?
If it's the latter I guess I really cant help you at all xD

[piratemarimo]

This post is deleted!

[piratemarimo]

MAN. I haven't updated this shit in forever. Well I was planning to share, but it kept getting pushed back cuz of various reasons. Well the F.P just begged me so I'm gonna do a mass dump of poetry that I wrote during my creative writing class.

Poem about poetry (haiku)
"My Poetry"

! Poetry is like a song from the heart.
Sometimes the first verse is not easy to start.
I think they're mostly bad,
But there are a few who think it's rad.
Though they're not works of art.

Ode- the teacher wanted us to write two, but she gave me full credit cuz this one was so freaking long. :ninja: It's a tad embarrassing. ffff– But one thing I AM proud of is the fact that I managed to write an entire ode about Crocodile without ONCE mentioning any of the following words: "pimp," "badass," "sexy," motherfucker," "smoking hot," or "kickass." I mean this was a school assignment. :ninja:

"Sir Crocodile"

! Ode to Sir Crocodile.
Such a glorious villain.
A man I loved to hate.
But later came to appreciate.
! That dastardly criminal mastermind
With a scar stretching across his face.
His left hand a large golden hook.
Sporting a cravat and a fur coat
Staying on his shoulders by force of will.
! Cursed with a devil fruit's powers.
A sand-sand man.
Stealing the rain and the peace.
Sandstorms strike like a hawk.
Scorching whirlwind of destruction.
! Cunning as a fox and slick as can be.
Arrogant and proud as a lion.
Sadistic and cruel is he.
! Wearing the mask of national hero.
Wearing the alias of Mr. Zero.
Brewing despair in the shadows is key.
Corrupt and jaded Warlord of the Sea.
! Criminal organization Baroque Works
Seeps like poison through the pores.
Manipulating the hearts of all.
Beckoning citizens to war's bloody call.
! Searching to obtain his own desires.
Where is salvation amidst threats so dire?
With ancient weapon Pluton he has been seeking
Witness the coming of the Sand Country's new king.
! Not trusting a soul.
Viewing all to be his pawns.
Sacrificial lambs.
! Obsession with a goal.
Many years of sabotage.
Mysterious intentions.
What hides behind that cynical sneer?
! Amidst destruction was a light
Like a beacon in the fog.
Pillars began to crumble.
Plans so meticulous in design
Met "Straw hat" harbinger of downfall.
! When at last he lay beaten
Rain began to fall anew.
Stripped of a stolen crown.
Never to rule as a king.
! Having nothing left.
Nothing to strive for.
A brushstroke reveals some truth
Of bright dreams he once pursued.
! Bits of the puzzle
Starting to come together
Yet hidden in fog
A dark past made him bitter
Losing his hope and his joy.
! A man named Whitebeard
No rookie could stand up to
Tearing dreams away
Revenge ever on his mind
That consumed his whole being.
! Then came fated chance
Retribution for his loss,
Now resurfacing,
Might somehow be delivered
During massive scale war.
! A battle he fought
Trying again to fight him
Surprise attacking
But thwarted at every turn
Growing more angry and yet
! Strange sense of honor
Doing the unexpected.
Trying to protect.
Saying it's not what it seems
As turmoil runs through his mind.
! Anger unspoken
His heart was slowly changing
During the chaos
Closer to what it once was?
Revenge vanishing from thought.
! In the aftermath
After Whitebeard had died standing
Something left to save
Repeating his statement
To not let them get their way.
! His wounds had healed
Both in body and in heart.
Obstacle removed
Dreams unchained, free to take flight.
Setting sail to the New World.

God my hands are killing me here.
Next up we have found poetry. Basically you wander around and write down words that you either see or hear. Then you write a poem using ONLY the words you wrote down. So that's why none of the next two poems make sense. Also my least favorite to do.

"Unknown Future" (from the school)

! We dance alone. Time stands still.
Tomorrow is the interview.
We remain the witnesses.
Looking pessimistic?
This flaw is medicine.
She is still a responsible daughter.
Ten minutes into the interview, we leave.
Why snow into summer? Annoying.
! War is everywhere. Rumors fly, growing imaginative.
The orders read to kill his scout. He wanted witnesses stabbed.
We retreated to Mars into magnetic field rings.
We're still connected to our friends of home.
England's wars are sponsored if the eagle flies true.
! We're still limited by the maintenance locker.
What is the future? Exploration or limited study?
"No enrichment. Our brain is less than your best." Ever true.
The oldest man is still cool. We still link to his standards.
! Families are still glass. Sorry.
Please store your brain into shelter.
Just go looking if the choir's testimony is logical.
This game is to purchase the heavy, metal box.
The box is locked in the media center.
! She is severe and annoying. Our loyal friend.
We wanted space suits and food to go explore.
She stands and shuffles her cards. She leaves.
! Weather is still snow. No changes?
We are dancing to fly, looking for enrichment.
Our moments are limited and we alone dance into the future.
"The Shop of Excellence" (from a target website)

! Get to the William Smith Shop of Excellence!
Navigation from home to building takes action!!
Play puzzles and always follow our special sign.
! See great community values and save quick.
Find daily deals and lists of quality items!
Every new, big event in winter has benefits.
Help us now and receive free gold.
! Investors track a brand of snacks on clearance.
Over one more year blooms fabulous beauty.
Apply rugs to skin and watch an age loss take charge.
! My spotlight gear has a special bulls-eye now. Great brand!
These safety blinds help kids find shoes or baby toys.
Go up to find a gift from the outdoor or boutique sets.
Select one's dress and play pretend.
! One's benefits always go up. Get promotions!
Special tradition blooms day by day.
The great William Smith Shop of Excellence!!

Oh yeah… the next three are visual poems... I did one in the shape of Luffy's straw hat, Zoro's sword Wado, and one about Chopper in the shape of a sakura petal. I think they're crappy. The only one that remotely even strikes me as an actual poem is Chopper's, so I'll share that one.

"Cherry Blossoms"

! Sakura petals will surely bloom in this bleak land of snow.
The doctor known as the quack never stopped pursuing
that dream.
! A cure for all sickness and a cure for the country itself.
There is no disease that cannot be cured.
A man will never die as long as he is never forgotten.

Next up is tanka (my poor hands!!)

"Drought" (no points for guessing what inspired this one)

! A single grass blade
From the dry, cracked earth sprouts
Struggling to grow strong.
! Dry, scorching desert
Sandstorm strike repeatedly
This spirit won't break.
! Though no water flows
Believe in the land's power.
Rain will fall again.

"Bird Songs" (lol this is totally about Nia)

! A bird's soft chirping.
Ringing in the early light.
What is he saying?
! A bird with a tie.
My friend would love to have him.
"Oh my dove!" she sighs.
! Bow to Hattori.
Such a cool talking pigeon.
The true mastermind.

Actually, you know what? This is too much. I'll post the rest of the poems later. I think this is enough for now ya know? Phew.

edit 2:

This is the Fandom Pirates inspired stuff you guys wanted. Half of it…

This is also part of the tanka assignment. Hmm some of the next one really is depressing though (keep in mind when I wrote this). So I'm wondering if maybe I should post the edited version or the original? It's a bit conflicting for me. The original is a lot more emotional and very personal... so awkward and angsty. Also just noticed the lame fact that pronouns kept switching and it bothers me.

The reason I cut it down was because I didn't want any pain in the ass query from the teacher; at the beginning of the class she said if there was any submitted material which seemed questionable, it could involve talking with the dean blah blah e.g. suicidal-sounding stuff, drugs, that sort of thing. It's not entirely bad, but… it's not quite the cheerful tone of the Fandom Pirates that it ought to be exactly. The abrupt switch back to more positive messages at the end came about because of MTNN, oddly enough. Gave me an unexpected epiphany.... Well shit. Make of it what you will, this is the original version.

"Special People"

! A smile would appear.
That place was always great fun.
Friends who did not judge.
My heart was glad to have them.
A family never to meet.
! Across the vast world.
Twenty people in total.
An odd sort of bunch.
Crazy and weird every one.
This rocket train will not stop.
! Though time is cut short,
Our bond pulls us together.
We felt so secure.
But wearing down hard on me.
This was not our stage to play.
! Conflict in my heart.
Unease that I could not say.
Fun can cause you pain.
Forgetting how to be nice.
Negative expression stirs.
! Foolishly scheming.
Wishing to hurt a stranger.
Being blind to truth.
Words cannot be taken back.
Even if it is shameful.
! Disgrace and horror.
The darkness and spite laid bare.
Hurting from the truth.
What right do we have to judge?
Arrogance shatter to dust.
! Thinking you are right.
Fighting without a good cause.
Tears won't stop flowing.
A raw yet permanent scar.
Love is a blindfold that burns.
! We all make mistakes.
You think yours are the worst ones.
Regret does not fade.
A shadow weighs on shoulders.
Not worthy of happiness.
! Living on the brink.
Remembering loneliness.
No longer trusting.
Fearing pain, you put up walls.
A shell hiding from the world.
! All seems so hopeless.
Repeating all your mistakes.
Knowing good advice,
Lamenting your stubbornness.
Not easy to change your ways.
! No matter how bad
Why do they still sympathize?
Misunderstanding.
Only looking at the faults.
Insecurity flowing.
! Longing for contact.
Fearing cycles of hatred.
Impossible task.
Tearing and twisting yourself.
Perfect standards are not real.
! Memories of you.
I won't forget the good times,
Nor forget the bad.
Withstanding pain makes us strong.
Stronger than we were before.
! Picturing your face.
Warm light flickers in the soul.
There when you need it.
Light shining brightest in the dark.
Guidepost to a new future.
! Far away we stand.
Never to meet in person.
I know what you'd say.
Or at least I think I do.
Wonder who you really are.
! Falling behind you.
Do I really need your help?
Should I slip away?
Keeping a promise to you.
Whatever it takes.

Next up is the free verse. I think I hardly need say what this is about. It was originally just going to be about regular old animals, but turned into this couplet.

"Welcome to the Zoo"

! A secret troupe of animals is hiding out of sight.
Gathering together for mischief making tonight.
! Beware the top-hat wearing leopard on the prowl.
He stands up on his hind paws with a fierce growl.
! Perched fearlessly on his shoulder, a pigeon too!
Wearing a red tie, he salutes with a coo.
! Next trots the giraffe with a body that's square.
He can even leap around from high up in the air.
! Hear the big bad wolf howling if you so dare.
He'll gobble you up while you sit unaware.
! Gaze upon the strange sheep made of soap.
But she might just tie you up with a thorny rope.
! Ambling up is the bull who's really just a bore.
Except for creating from thin air any kind of door.
! Flying in the sky is an owl with a zipper for a beak.
A lover of secrets, all of which will surely leak.
! Watch the large prancing lion with a pink mane.
All his yowling makes me think he's quite insane.
! Up on the rooftops is a sea weasel that is rather rotten.
Even wearing a plume-feathered hat, he's easily forgotten.
! With a friendly little trumpet comes one much adored.
A cute elephant than can transform into a sword!!
! Least liked of all is a panda who's quite the jerk.
A coward whose evil schemes are constantly at work.
! Everywhere they travel, chaos is sure to ensue.
Approach with caution and welcome to the zoo.

Renga- if you don't know, you start writing a haiku, then you pass it to someone else who writes two 7 syllable lines. Then alternate. The first and last parts are mine, and the others are from two other people.

"A Walrus and His Bucket"

! A walrus did speak.
I could hardly believe it.
He had a top hat.
! He looked for his large bucket
With no hope of finding it.
! Deciding to help
Was a terrible idea.
His tusks hurt badly.
! So he pondered very hard.
Stroking his great big mustache.

Inspired poems- you take a PRE-EXISTING poem and either copy the style or the subject. It was synchronicity that I picked up this book. Please go get the book "Come with Me: Poems for a Journey" by Naomi Shihab Nye because it is awesome with great visuals. IT HAS MOON ENERU. :silly: I will never tire of saying this. I chose to copy style. So don't praise this next one or I'll kick your ass. I'M not the one who came up the awesomesauce style. I just changed some words here and there. There was one line that frustrated me and that was the second. I couldn't for the life of me think of a two syllable Fandom Pirate-related object that started with an "b" so yeah. All the syllable counts are the same, including the renamed title. I was feeling a bit bad for butchering such a lovely poem to turn into what it became but well.

Original Poem: "Where are We Going?"

! We are going up to the city that glitters,
carrying a pencil, a pillow, a blue tin cup.
And nothing that weighs us down.
And nothing that weighs us down.
A thousand people will pass us by
with their frowns and flickers and fancy shoes.
We'll walk and not walk
among the blinking, thinking signs.
! Who will notice we've come to town?
Nobody, wonderful nobody.
Everything we thought we knew
is different here, and just as true.
We'll make notes on what we see.
Serving the hot dog with dignity.
Who is the person I'd find again?
Which eyes will I remember?

Inspired:
"Baroque Works Disco"

! We are going up to Baroque Works Disco Bar,
carrying a bowtie, a waffle, a fedora.
And nothing that slows us down.
And nothing that slows us down.
A thousand people will pass us by
with their frowns and logic and sanity.
We'll dance and not dance
among the flashing, thrashing spines.
! Who will notice we've come around?
Nobody, wonderful nobody.
Everything we thought was sane
is different here, and will not strain.
We'll take notes on what could be.
Loving the red dog less blatantly.
Who are the people I'd find again?
Which eyes will I remember?

[GypsyCarts]

Oh, my goodness. I've been going back and forth reading these all morning. Child, you are just FULL of talent. Full of it. I can't even express how proud of you that I am.

[Mr M]

you really have talent for this marimo , these are very nice

isnt their a thread for poets or something ? i think you should also post them there

[piratemarimo]

owo You guys are far too kind~ I have some other poetry in a notebook and I'm planning on writing a new one now, but I'll post that stuff later since this next one is gonna be a lot of text.

I started writing some random crap for the bi-weekly. I say random cuz it's entirely not what I was planning on writing. Even the main character turned out completely different somehow. Hope it's not too terrible cuz I totally did no planning whatsoever. And the story has no name atm, sorry.

! Far away to the edges of the world laid desolation. Few dared tread in the harsh, unforgiving wilderness which was rumored to harbor many wicked creatures and cursed beings that are human by appearance only. Sheer, rugged mountains frowned down upon the bleak landscape. Bitter cold winds blew like the shrieking souls of the damned. Forgotten civilizations were but bits of rubble in the colorless plains, overgrown with sickly weeds. The ancient Cimmerian Forests have stood at the heart of this land like sentinels who have wordlessly surveyed the earth and sky, perhaps since the beginning of time as rumors would have it. Mystery hovers about these forests, for none that venture in have ever returned to speak of it.
! However, one lone traveler clad in a musty, green cloak was presently making directly for the woods, though as to his purpose, it is hard to tell. He strode without pause and quickly disappeared into the gloomy overhang of the branches. A worn pathway lead him towards a clearing where a massive raven sat perched upon a carved block of stone. Letters of some kind were inscribed upon the stone, but of what language was unclear. The man came to a halt a few feet away from the raven, which seemed oddly unperturbed by the sight of him. The silence weighed upon the clearing like a blanket, nary a leaf so much as rustled. Then at last the silence was broken.
! “Aren’t you worried for your life, bird? I could eat you for dinner.” The raven turned its great head and fixed one glistening eye upon the stranger. It opened its beak and croaked “Spare me your words, boy. You can’t kill me. Besides, if you wanted to eat me, you would not have gone the route of direct confrontation. Humans like to be sneaky. Or at least they try to be. They have no idea what noisy creatures they are. The bravado tactic doesn’t work around here much, especially when it comes from a greenhorn. So then, what brings you to the Cimmerian Forests? I’ve not seen your kind in awhile.”
! “I don’t recall telling you that I’m a human.”
“You reek of human,” said the raven with a dismissive wave of a wing. “There’s no point in lying to a raven, you know. I would think one such as you would already know that much.”
“What do you mean by ‘one such as’?”
“Most humans are under the impression that animals cannot talk. You, on the other hand, seem unfazed.”
! “I am not most humans. So then… do you, as a talking raven, know the reason why animals can’t, or won’t, talk to humans?”
“Yes, I do. Unfortunately their complacency has made them forget what they are.”
“Some have become good companions of humans.”
“That is because the common animals are too stupid to think for themselves anymore.”
“Is it so wrong? Do you believe all animals to be abused and set upon one another for sport? Not all of humankind–”
! “Why are you so quick to defend them, boy? You cannot know of what I speak. I made no such claims about the savagery of humans, though that is true enough in many cases. No, let me finish,” the bird said, cutting across the man’s words. “I didn’t say all humans are like that. Now then, even some of my own kinsmen were reduced to the pitiful states of existence that humans see them as in the commoners’ world, albeit ignorantly. I doubt there are many people besides you who realize the beasts which they put to such degrading labor were once full of such wisdom. Even intelligent creatures are not safe from chains, sadly. It is the fall from grace for which I feel the greatest sorrow. I would dearly love to see all creatures talk once more, but that cannot be. Ah, enough about that. This is not a subject we can ever come to terms on, so let us talk instead of the reason why you are here. It’s much more relevant, and I must admit, I am quite curious why you have made such a long, perilous journey.”
The stranger looked as though he wanted to protest some more, but upon staring into the raven’s dark eyes for a long moment, he sighed and let it go.
! “Well?” the raven prompted after a pause.
“What, bird?” he said, a bit miffed.
“You have dreadful manners, boy,” said the raven with a shake of his head.
“Stop calling me ‘boy’, feather brain.”
! “You are doing a marvelous job proving my point. You are a child; it would do you well to realize this before you attempt heading any further past this point. Not all creatures have quite as much patience as I, nor are they so peaceful. I have lived for many eons, far more than a billion of your lives. Even so, I myself am but a fledgling compared to this very forest which shelters us. These trees have witnessed things which not even the oldest living being has seen. Don’t be so arrogant. It will not end well.”
! “I’ll try to remember it. Now I have heard there is a certain person who lives in this place.”
“What a strange thing to say. Do you realize the size of this forest? Do you comprehend how many inhabit Cimmerian lands? And you wish to find only one of the vast multitudes. At least you know the name of the person.”
“… Not his real name, I don’t.”
“A lost cause if I ever saw one. You’re not very bright are you?” the raven laughed.
“Where I come from, it is not exactly commonplace for parents to name their children ‘The Argentine Wizard,’ but perhaps customs in these lands are different. Where might I be able to find him?”
! The raven immediately ceased laughing and stared, feathers ruffled from agitation. He gave a flap of his wings and started to pace about the stone block muttering unintelligibly to himself. Meanwhile the traveler crossed his arms and impatiently waited for the raven’s little fit to cease. Suddenly the raven about faced and came to a halt.
! “What business do you have with him? It is for no trivial matter that Argentine will allow conference, especially not for the sake of a human who has come from out of thin air to this sacred forest. Choose your words carefully,” the raven demanded.
“Does it matter what my business is? I asked if you knew where I could find him. I’ll tell this Argentine what I want when I get there.”
“No, no. You are being foolish. One does not simply approach Argentine in a casual manner and make demands. Even supposing you manage to survive long enough to see him, there is no way he would pay heed to a wandering ruffian.”
“But unlike a wanderer, I have a purpose.”
“It matters not. You shall not see him.”
“Why not point me in the right direction? You said yourself that I have little chance of survival, so there’s no harm in telling me.”
“You could have malicious intentions. I will give you no information.”
! “Look at the wise, old raven’s reasoning fall apart at the mere mention of a name. You deem me a fool, yet now I could be a threat? I can assure you, I have no ill will towards anyone. However, you made the mistake of revealing you do know something about Argentine’s location. Before you said that, I would have only assumed you were familiar with the name and nothing more. If I was a threat, you would be endangering more than your own life by keeping a low guard. I wonder why you only now choose to exercise caution instead of when you first saw me, for hiding my true nature is a simple task with enough power. If I wanted to cause harm, it would already be too late by now.”
! So saying, the man drew a hidden dagger with the speed of lightning and pressed it to the bird’s throat. He raised his head and smirked at the raven who seemed too startled to move. An invisible wind moaned and caused leaves to whirl about the clearing. The trees themselves looked on and creaked with agitation. Then the man straightened up and sheathed his weapon as swiftly as he had drawn it. Sweeping off the hood of his cloak, he tossed his head back and laughed.
! “Aha ha ha… Bet you weren’t expecting me to pull such a stunt, eh? I apologize if I upset the forest, but I just couldn’t resist the temptation. You looked like one who’s been hit with a pellet gun. I do hope you aren’t unduly bothered.”
! The raven hastily brushed himself with a wing to flatten his ruffled feathers. “Why, the nerve of humans these days… Although… reluctant as I am to admit, you did startle me. It’s been quite some time since that has ever happened, whether by a human hand or otherwise. Of course, no ordinary knife can kill me, but you move with far greater agility than most of your species.”
“Thanks for the compliment, birdie.”
“Cheeky brat… You should be grateful that I chose not to place a curse on you for that.”
! Then the raven took note of the man’s appearance for the first time. He was young, much younger than the raven had first supposed, with a bit of scruff on his chin. Underneath his slightly messy, blond hair was a faded red bandana. His eyes were a vivid azure blue that glistened with energy. So rare was it to see such a color on the fringes of the forest, that despite seeing many impressive things in his lifetime, the raven’s gaze lingered for a few moments in wonder. Two silver earrings were affixed to one ear. Underneath his cloak was light armor branded with a crest of a bound wolf and a sword.
“Are you related to Fenrir?” the raven asked in surprise.

[ChesCa]

Nice story Marimo, although sadly I can't give anything constructive right now. Still awesome, though.

[piratemarimo]

@Cuddles:

Nice story Marimo, although sadly I can't give anything constructive right now. Still awesome, though.

checks date Late reply is late. -.- But thanks~

Goddamn… Today I got a bottle of "perfume" crap dumped on me today by accident when some people were horsing around at lunch. I'm feeling dizzy and ill. Anyway! Since I'm lazying around not doing anything anyway, might as well post. I wrote this in creative writing class. We shut our eyes and pointed to random words in the dictionary and had to write a short story based off those words. Have fun guessing what those words were. I intended for it to be a kids' story, but the more I read it over, the more it feels too simplistic and illogical, especially towards the end, where I had to hurry and finish for the deadline. I guess I could add to it but eh. I thought of a title at least.

The Marvelous Adventures of Mr. M

! One day there was a man all alone in his laboratory, working on his latest scientific breakthrough. He was a little bit of an odd person who always came up with strange experiments and gadgets. Mr. M was his name.
! At present, he was staring through a microscope at a Petri dish covered in a new type of fungus that could only be found in the far away jungles of the Amazon. After spending hours testing out the properties of the new species, Mr. M set the fungus down next to test tubes filled with different liquids and then left for the day, shutting off all the lights.
! Unbeknownst to M, a cat had wandered its way into the lab while chasing after a mouse. The mouse in question was sitting upon the countertop. With a few leaps, the cat climbed up and gave chase. As the cat pounced, the mouse darted under the test tubes. With a crash, the test tubes spilled and smashed on the floor. One test tube in particular had splashed on the fungus specimen.
! The next day, Mr. M was horrified to discover the mess. He scoured the room and saw the window had been opened. Perhaps someone had stolen the specimen! Mr. M’s train of thought was interrupted by a scream. Rushing outside, he saw a roiling mass of green on the lawn. It was the size of a large rhinoceros. At present, it was wrapping itself around a tree and oozing a strange substance. With a violent cracking, the tree was snapped like a toothpick. Wooden splinters few everywhere and the trunk was absorbed by the green mass. It turned towards the forest and disappeared into the underbrush.
! Mr. M saw a child on the ground, cowering in fear. Hurrying over, he crouched down and inquired “Are you alright, my dear? It’s okay, that thing is gone now. What’s your name?”
“M-my name is… Tammy,” she stuttered.
“Well now, Tammy, I’m Mr. M, a scientist. Now then, perhaps you can tell me what happened? Let’s go inside my house where it’s safe, okay?”
Taking her hand he helped her stand and led her to his living room. After preparing a tray full of biscuits and milk, he returned to see Tammy with her face pressed against the fish aquarium.
! “Do you like the fish?” he asked with a laugh. She hastily apologized, but he dismissed it with a wave of his hand. “Curiosity is a good thing. Young children should ask questions and explore. Now then, help yourself to these biscuits I made.”
As they sat munching on freshly baked biscuits, they talked about the incident.
! “Tammy, I believe that, based on your story, the green thing you saw was the very same fungus that I brought from the Amazon. Somehow, the chemical spill in my lab caused a mutation which appears to be causing exponential growth at a rather alarming rate. Given what we’ve seen, the more it consumes, the larger it becomes. This must be dealt with before it gets any bigger. Will you be so kind as to assist me?”
Tammy nodded her head fiercely.
“Good. Now then, off to my lab we go! I think we can find some clues about how to stop it based on my notes.”
“Hey, mister… What did you spill on the fungus? Maybe it would help us…”
“Tammy, you are brilliant! You’re on your way to be a genius scientist someday. It’s lucky that I didn’t have time to clean up the spill yet. This makes our task much easier. Now be sure to wear goggles and gloves so you don’t get any chemicals on your skin.”
! After a few hours, they took a break. Presently, the front doorbell was ringing.
“P-Professor! Have you heard the news?!” cried a man hysterically.
“Calm down, man! I can’t understand what you’re saying!”
“Turn on the TV!! Everyone’s been talking about it!”
! From a helicopter, there was a live video feed of the center of the forest demolished within a half-mile radius. The fungus was now the size of a small hillside.
“It is unknown where this thing came from, but citizens are advised to stay away from the forest. There are indications that it’s poisonous and will absorb anything in sight.”
“Professor, you are in a dangerous position right now! The poison might reach you where you are. And what about that little girl? I don’t know what she’s doing here, but her parents must be worried!!”
! Mr. M shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t leave my lab. We’re so close to discovering how the fungus can be stopped. This is my fault anyway.”
He handed Tammy a gas mask and, after slipping on his own, advised the man to go take shelter and alert the police to avoid any rash actions. Tammy trotted off for the lab and then clambered onto a chair so she could see over the counter. She noticed a bottle of oily looking liquid with no label. Meanwhile, Mr. M was examining a glass slide underneath his microscope.
! “Mr. M, what’s this?” Tammy asked, pointing to the strange container.
“Hm? Oh, that? It’s just some fusel oil, deary. It is a substance found in beverages. It’s commonly found in alcoholic beverages, though. I wouldn’t advise drinking it in its pure form because—” Suddenly Mr. M stopped speaking. Tammy tilted her head to one side and asked, “Mister is something wrong?”
In response, Mr. M grabbed hold of Tammy’s shoulders and excitedly proclaimed with glee, “Tammy!! You are simply brilliant! That’s the answer! Alcohol!! In high enough concentrations, alcohol is used to kill off fungal infections.”
Tammy gave him a huge grin.
! The two of them headed over to the government office building and requested to speak with the higher authorities. The chief of the police, the mayor, and various others sat at the conference table.
! "Well, if it isn't the crazy quack M," said the police chief sarcastically. Tammy’s head popped up over Mr. M’s shoulder at this comment. “Hey! Don’t be mean to Mister M!” she cried indignantly. She stuck her tongue out at him.
“Huh?? Where did this child come from? Who let her in here?” the chief demanded, though admittedly, he had been quite shocked to the point of almost knocking over his cup of coffee.
! “Hey now, let’s all be civil with one another. No need for everyone to be acting like children, am I wrong?” the mayor interjected pointedly. The police chief mumbled an apology in annoyance.
“Now then, I believe Mr. M has a solution to our problem? Please share what you’ve got planned.”
“Thank you, mayor. You can all thank this little girl here for giving me the answer. I believe this is a fungus much like any other. The only difference is that it is larger than the average specimen. In order to stop its movements, what we need is alcohol.” At this the chief started to protest at the ludicrous nature of M’s ideas but was silenced by an icy look from the mayor.
! “What we need is pure alcohol. By using a plane, we can do a flyover and dump the contents without risking the life of the pilot. In order to do this, we need as much of it as possible. I’m requesting authorization to use the stuff sitting in the warehouses as a makeshift fungicide.”
! “That’s ridiculous! We can’t do that! The public won’t stand for it,” protested the chief.
“Officer Tyson, hold your tongue. If you can’t even behave like an adult, perhaps you’d like to leave the room? The professor is right. So what if there’s less alcohol to go around in the coming months as a result? Wouldn’t you say it’s a small price to pay? Are you saying you want the whole city to die of poison? I grant permission to you, Mr. M. Take as much of the alcohol as you need.”
! Mr. M inclined his head gratefully and turned to grin at Tammy, who had been clinging to his back the whole time like some sort of strange monkey. It was estimated that the preparations would take approximately 25 minutes, so Mr. M and Tammy headed off with a team of officers right away. Tammy asked him where they’d get a plane, and with a wink, Mr. M said he owned such a plane that was currently stored in his garage. Eagerly Tammy begged to ride in the plane. Mr. M caved in and had her safely buckled up in the co-pilot seat with her promise not to touch the buttons.
! With the aid of several other planes, the plan to thwart the fungus was successful. There were a few close calls when the fungus had attempted to reach up and knock the planes out of the air, but nobody wound up hurt. The mayor personally dedicated a medal to Mr. M for his bravery, but he placed it around the neck of Tammy instead. He put a hand on her hand, and with a warm smile, he said to her, “Thank you. I couldn’t have done it without you. We should work as a team from now on, Tammy. What do you say to that?”
! She grinned from ear to ear and gave him a hug. “Yeah! Let’s have lots of fun!”
And so it came to be that Tammy and Mr. M were renown as the scientist duo that saved the whole city. They also had many other adventures afterwards, but those are stories to be told for another time.

[ChesCa]

I like the 'Saturday Morning Cartoon' feel of this story.
Even so, there's one big kink that I can think of right now:
Read some of Dr. M's dialogue out loud. You should soon realize how much it sounds like he's standing there prattling and not doing anything, when you could be interjecting action with his dialogue, or possibly even using action in place of dialogue to make the flow more stable.
I'd ask for more description and depth, but like I said this feels like a fun cartoon. Like Samurai Pizza Cats or something, so I'm feeling like this more fun than anything deep or heavy (I don't mean that in the bad way).
Hope this helps.

[piratemarimo]

@ Cuddles I've never heard of Samurai Pizza Cats before. But I get the point. Mr. M was basically the reason why I didn't like how this story turned out. Plus the lazy ending. Oh and sorry that I'm always replying so late. These days I usually don't post until I finish writing something new.

And now for something even more completely different. I started writing a story about AP Forums! :ninja: IDK why AP is at the bottom of the ocean, but it just worked out that way. Some stuff may be exaggerated. This is so not going in the bi-weekly. I'll probably write more… if I ever get around to it. I'm notoriously bad at keeping up with one story.

Arlong Park Adventures Part 1

! Once upon a time there was a ball of moss named Marimo who spent her days floating peacefully in a quiet, little lake that was wonderfully clean. Life was easygoing and uneventful, but Marimo was content. There was a gentle stream, which connected the lake to someplace unknown, yet she never felt inclined to leave and find out where it led.
! As she floated about in relaxation one day, Marimo became aware of a noise and curiously poked her head above the water. She was fascinated at the sight of a group of people approaching who wore interesting costumes. One of them was held aloft a banner emblazoned with bright letters. Gradually, a crowd gathered, and from listening in on the chattering, Marimo discovered that the people were traveling performers. Their costumes were so amazing that she was in awe.
Presently, one of the performers wearing a bright yellow mask came forward and introduced the skit. Then as she turned away, music began to play, and the crowd started to cheer. It was a catchy tune with fun lyrics that Marimo had trouble hearing at certain parts because of the crowd’s noise. When the last notes had died away the crowd gave their thunderous applause. Marimo was positively delighted at the performance and wanted very much to tell the group of travelers how wonderful it had been to watch.
! She attempted to make her way forward, but it was impossible to push past the audience, being as small as she was. With a little squeak, she fell back into the water to avoid getting stepped on by someone. By the time she clambered back up onto the bank, the performers had packed up and left. Marimo hopped around for signs of them. All that was left were some flyers scattered about the ground. She looked at the name of the performers: No Weenies? Glancing down the cast list, she raised a brow in confusion at the group leader’s name. “What’s a ‘sporkbot’?” she wondered. “Oh well, I’ve heard of far stranger names than that anyway.” Then she went around the lake and asked where she could find the performers. Nobody could give her a satisfactory answer, and she was quite frustrated, for she truly desired to simply congratulate the performers both for their costumes and skit.
! A good number of weeks passed by, and still she had no luck. As she paced back and forth on the lake bed, she would occasionally pop up and stare longingly, pretending they were still there. She frowned, unable to simply forget about it. Then she paused and slowly turned to look at the stream which wound off lazily into the horizon. Without even sparing another glance at the lake that she had called her home, Marimo made her way to the stream.
! Every day, she’d always passed by this stream and had never really spared it a second thought. Yet, in this moment, she made a decision. It was a decision that would change her life forever. Marimo did not realize it at the time, but she was about to embark on an adventure that she had never before experienced in her sheltered life. Swimming down the stream, she set off, brimming with curiosity and determination to find the traveling performers who had enchanted her with their song.
! It was hard to keep track of how many days passed since she had set off, but along the way, Marimo observed a variety of people on land who were also performers of varying degrees of skill. Some were mediocre, and some were amazing. By a stroke of curious serendipity, Marimo noticed a certain monk walking along. He was a rather large man with weathered, wrinkled skin. The two distinguishing features on this man, however, were a huge grin upon his face and a pair of pure white wings on his back.
! She blinked and wondered if they were real, and indeed, if they were not real, they were the most well made wings she had ever seen. He was known as the mad monk Urouge, and he had made such wonderful creations that made her jaw drop. They were brilliantly crafted, emotional, and entertaining. She swam after him. Without warning, he vanished from sight one day. As it turned out, there was a decree that had been issued by the stupid kingdom of U Tube. Fun, unique creations were not allowed, so the monk was prevented from making any more things. Many other creative people were harmed by the unfair laws that were being enacted.
! Now there were two people she sought: the traveling performers and the monk. While it seemed hopeless, Marimo was quite determined to find them. Eventually she arrived at the end of the stream.
! “Oooh!!” Marimo exclaimed. For at the end of the stream, there was such a sight before her that nothing could compare. It was the ocean. A glorious, sparkling mass of water that seemed to stretch on endlessly. She had never seen so much water before. Seagulls flew about with many a raucous caw. The white sands of the beach were peppered with colorful seashells. The waves crashed against the rocky shores, and a strong, salty smell pervaded the air. The sun, which had always been rather hidden by the trees where Marimo had lived, now shone with such blinding brilliance that it took several minutes for her eyesight to adjust. She spent that day taking in all the sights and sounds of this brand new world.
! The next day, she dove down into the salty waves of the ocean and found herself in a marvelous world full of schools of fish, jellyfish, and even otters that were diving for kelp on the ocean floor. There were lobsters and crabs, squid and octopuses, coral reefs and sea anemones. She had read about these animals to be sure, but here was something that no book had taught her. It was a glorious feeling that she couldn’t define.
! Glancing every which way, she spotted larger movements. Squinting to see more clearly, she gasped upon realizing that the shapes were the traveling performers who she had long sought. They were a ways off, but she grinned and followed them all the same. Deeper and deeper they went. How they were able to withstand the air pressure was a mystery, much less how their oxygen tanks were lasting so long.
! At the bottom of the ocean floor was a sight that took Marimo’s breath away. Looming over everything was a massive structure that seemed to glow brightly, even from a distance. As incredible as it seemed, what lay before her now was an underwater city, the only one of its kind in the entire world. For surely there was nothing as breathtaking as this. She saw the performers go inside and was determined to follow. Marimo stood before the great, golden gates of the city and stared up at the iron letters emblazoned across the top which spelled out the name of the place: Arlong Park Forums.
Btw, this is the skit performed by sporkbot and co. Just try and tell me that's not amazing. I'm still so in love with this song~ :wub::wub:

!

Also, unfortunately (:getlost:) I'll be posting the mafia omake in this thread instead of where it ought to go. bitter My internet is so fucking bad right now it's not even funny.

[Mr M]

i liked the story ,again we can see you have talent for it

and don't be so mad about the mafia thread , it's not too big of a deal

[piratemarimo]

Yeah… I have a plan for that, but it's gonna have to wait until I can get a hold of Skyrius.

This is an omake for the Mafia AU (crack). Come to think of it, did Skyrius ever give the series an actual title? Oh well. Some notes to consider:

It's a cross-over of sorts because the Baroque Works Disco Bar is in the story, and I'm not sure if Skyrius ever mentioned it in canon (a part of me is like "lol canon, we're the fandom pirates, screw canon"). Also, if you recall, Skyrius is supposed to be former consigliere (counselor/right hand man) of Gypsy but broke away due to unclear reasons. For the sake of this story (because I did it for an English paper), let's just pretend otherwise. I also only included three other people because that was the requirement, sorry! I purposefully left out the back story as well, partially because that's what we were supposed to do and also because I think Skyrius could come up with something much better since she hinted at it.

The Ensenadas is the name of boss Gypsy's crime family btw. Mia is the one referred to as "boss" in the story, which is actually confusing because I am supposed to be working for Gypsy. But Mia is head of the largest crime syndicate in the story so... and Meta's character was a bit tough, but I hope it was fine. I think that's really it. The alcohol also has some significance, but I don't have my notes in front of me atm. Due to formatting, I didn't really describe the party in depth, but maybe sometime in the future, I'll write that part too. Who knows.

Now on to the story!

The Disco Bar

! My name is Pirmir. It sounds really weird, but I’m not the one who came up with that alias. I can’t reveal my real name because my job requires secrecy. People on the streets apparently nicknamed me “Silent Death,” but I rarely go after a target unless I get paid a great sum of money, so the likelihood that you’re on my hit list is fairly slim. Quality assassins don’t come cheap after all. If you can’t tell, I don’t exactly lead a normal lifestyle. Today in particular is going to be a special occasion. I’m not much of a morning person, so I took a shower to wake up. I wore a white dress shirt, black slacks, my special red tie, and a knee-length black coat that was lightweight for easy mobility and perfect for concealing weapons. Before heading out the door, I donned my fedora and put on dress shoes instead of stilettos, just to be safe. I’d been invited to a party at the Baroque Works Disco Bar, which was an exclusive club downtown. I hadn’t planned on going, but Boss’s word was law. Much as I disliked parties, I was interested in being able to meet others in the organization for the first time. My assignments usually didn’t require face to face interaction. I wondered if they were as crazy as I was. I laughed inwardly. If that was true, it could be the end of the universe.
! I arrived at the bar in the afternoon after getting lost a few times on the way over. I glanced around and was wary of the silence. No club was without bouncers. That was when I heard the click of a gun behind me.
“Don’t move,” someone whispered in my ear—a woman. In spite of the possibly life-threatening situation, I couldn’t help but smirk. She was good. I respect those with skills that rival my own. I’ve trained in martial arts for years, honing both physical and mental strength, but I knew better than to try and dodge a bullet, so I calmly put my hands in the air.
! “State your name and purpose, please.”
“Sigh. When I was told there would be a party, I didn’t think it meant having a gun pointed at my head. I commend your skills, though. Agent Pirmir, at your service.”
“Did you bring your invitation?” she asked pointedly.
“Ah, it should be in the… left side pocket, second one down.” I waited as she examined the fancy golden card that I had received earlier. She gave me permission to turn around. I smiled cheerily and obliged, only to be taken slightly aback. She was a beautiful woman with soft eyes. Her luscious hair flowed to her hips and had a slightly spiky look. On her crown was a simple headband with a flower fastened on the left side. She wore an unbuttoned jacket and a tie, which seemed an unusual contrast to the flower. There was a mischievous air to her, as though she were merely a woodland elf in disguise of a woman. Why, she practically glowed.
! “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Pirmir,” she said in a more gentle tone. “Where are my manners? I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Skyrius, the club bouncer and consigliere of the Ensenadas. I hope you enjoy the party. However, please keep in mind that if you cause any uproar or act too irresponsibly, I won’t hesitate to forcibly remove you from these premises. I don’t like senseless violence. I’m giving you a fair warning now so I won’t have to send you home in a body bag.”
! I nodded my head, and not just because I sensed that she could easily beat the crap out of me. Her politeness belied her dangerous strength. I’d heard rumors that she was afflicted with an illness of some kind, but I didn’t like to pry into anything that wasn’t part of my job. Skyrius commanded respect from even the toughest of men. People were quick to listen to her. There are probably very few who would be foolish enough to show disrespect.
! She escorted me inside the surprisingly spacious bar while making sure not to turn her back to me. The place was surprisingly elegant despite the exterior of the building.
“Yo, Skyrius! Who’s that newcomer you’ve got with ya?”
“Oh! Meta, is that you? Didn’t you say you were too busy with your other job at the Midnight Club? This is Pirmir, by the way.”
An American-looking man with dark brown, shoulder-length, wavy hair was leaning against a pillar with his muscular arms crossed. He had a buttoned up shirt and neat bowtie, but instead of a typical suit, his pants and jacket were emblazoned with a flame design. He looked intimidating with his dark eyebrows, but his blue eyes showed no hostility.
! “Nah, Gypsy left Kid and Killer to watch the club in my place. She’s upstairs changing for the party, but I think she’ll be down shortly. She insisted I stay down here to welcome you two.” He sounded a bit miffed. It was understandable. No loyal bodyguard feels at ease to leave his or her charge alone. Stepping away from the pillar, he shook my hand firmly. “Nice to meet ya, Pirmir. Call me Meta. I hope you enjoy your stay here.”
! At least he had manners. I knew by the way he had stiffened upon my entrance that he was instinctively wary of strangers. My sharp eyes had not failed to notice his fingers twitch towards his side either. Skyrius had approved of me, and it was almost a good reason to trust me. I didn’t mind his scrutiny, though. It was what I’d do in his position. I smiled and inclined my head.
! Skyrius told me that if I was hungry, I could help myself to anything at the bar, completely free of charge. I always feel slightly embarrassed whenever I eat at parties. What if eating too much left a bad impression? I thanked her all the same and made my way to the bar. I raised an eyebrow at the strange sight before me: there was a person sitting on a stool. To be more accurate, he was slumping facedown on the countertop. Meta growled in annoyance, “Is that idiot sleeping again? Christ, all he does is sleep and eat and then sleep more. I ought to beat him up…”
! “Oh, you don’t mean that,” Skyrius responded softly.
“How do you always see the best in people?” Meta grumbled. He turned towards the counter again. “Hey. Wake up!” A vein popped out on Meta’s forehead when he received no response. “I said… WAKE UP!!” Meta’s foot collided with the man’s skull. My mouth gaped open in spite of myself. Was he okay?! I watched with bated breath. Meanwhile, Skyrius was chiding Meta. I twitched when the man’s head unexpectedly jerked upright. There was dead silence for a moment. He slowly rubbed his eyes with a fist and yawned like a hippo.
! “Is it morning already?”
“It’s the late afternoon, you twit!!”
“Oh, okay.”
“Don’t act so casually! The last time you fell asleep, you got your disgusting drool all over the damn counter! Do you realize how hard it is to clean this surface?!”
“You always take things too seriously, Meta. Life’s better when you relax a little. Even a bodyguard’s got to chill out every now and again. I think I’ll have some waffles.” My ears perked up and I blurted out, “Can I have some waffles, too?”
! He turned and said quizzically, “Huh? Who’re you?” Meta started yelling about how he’d know if he wasn’t so lazy. The man’s hair, the color of gypsum, was spiky and messy from his nap. He wore a partially unbuttoned, rumpled shirt. He didn’t even have a tie. Instead of dress pants, he had on faded jeans. It didn’t bother me, but I could see why he was aggravating. Meta smacked him for not introducing himself.
! “Ah, okay! Stop hitting me! So, you’re Pirmir, huh? Call me Mette. Sorry you had to catch me asleep, but I love naps.” Meta growled, but I laughed instead. “There’s no need to apologize. Naps are great. More importantly, did I hear you mention waffles? I’d sure like to have some.”
“You like waffles, too? I can tell you’re a woman with fine taste,” he remarked with a wink. “Just this once, I’ll even share my secret stash with you!”
“What exactly do you mean by ‘secret stash’?”
! He grinned and lifted up a large briefcase that I hadn’t noticed before. As he unlocked it, I leaned forward and blinked. Stacks of golden waffles filled the case. There was even a compartment for syrup, jam, and dishware. He proudly explained how his briefcase had a special heating system to keep the waffles at the perfect temperature. I did love waffles, but even I was a bit skeptical about eating something that came out of some stranger’s briefcase. In fact, I wondered if this weirdo was really part of the mafia. He handed me a plate and fork. After scrutinizing one carefully, I cautiously took a bite out of a waffle and exclaimed, “Wow, this is delicious!!”
! “What did I tell you?” We both stopped talking and began wolfing down waffles like there was no tomorrow. Meta scowled, and Skyrius tried not to lose her composure. A spark flared when we realized how fast the other was eating. It became a competition to see who could eat more. Simultaneously, we stabbed the last waffle with our forks and glared at each other for an entire minute. Then we laughed. When it came to eating, Mette was indeed a worthy rival.
! “Phew! That was a great snack!” Mette chuckled. “I’m impressed that you could keep up with me. You almost got close to beating me.”
“Nope, I definitely ate more. Tough luck. I’m feeling generous today, so I’ll agree to call it a draw. What do you say?”
“Ha! I’ve been eating waffles since before you were born! However, out of the goodness of my heart, I accept that result. Just know that I won’t go so easy on you in the future! There’s not a soul alive who can beat me in waffle-eating competitions.”
I smirked at his boastful statement. At the same time, I had to wonder if Mette was really older than me. It wasn’t necessarily impossible, but he seemed rather young. Meanwhile, Meta rolled his eyes in disgust.
! “Stop acting so proud of being a pig,” Meta snapped at him. I cheerily asked if the same sentiment applied to me as well. He hastily apologized, but I assured him I wasn’t offended. I felt pretty sure that his opinion of me was ever so slightly tarnished even if he said otherwise.
! Skyrius broke the awkward silence by suggesting a move to the sofas. The plush, crimson furniture was arranged around a dark oak coffee table. Skyrius asked if we wanted some drinks. Mette enthusiastically called for a tankard of fine Stella Artois beer, Meta requested a glass of Bacardi rum, and I asked if she could get me a strawberry-banana margarita. After serving everyone else first, Skyrius also got herself a glass of Black Swan Pinot Grigio wine.
! We spent several hours chatting, though it was mostly between Mette and me. Skyrius would occasionally chime in, but Meta remained aloof; I couldn’t tell whether it was from embarrassment or if he just wasn’t much of a talker. Eventually the conversation turned towards stories of our past experiences. By then, Mette had downed what must have been his seventh tankard of beer. He seemed to have all faculties intact, which indicated a high tolerance towards alcohol. I hoped this was the case because there’s nothing as vile as an inebriated man. I asked him why he was always napping and discovered that he really was just a lazy bum. He was like me, only on a more extreme level. I could hardly fault him for what I did myself.
! “How do you force yourself to wake up?” I wondered. Almost instantly, Mette was overcome by a dramatic change. He froze and nearly dropped his beer, sputtering incoherently. For the first time, I heard Meta laughing. Even Skyrius had a smile of amusement tugging at her lips. I was confused to say the least. Glancing back and forth between the three of them, I asked what was wrong. Mette looked downright nervous. He pouted at Meta and then beckoned me closer after glancing around the room a few times as though he thought someone was watching him. I leaned forward, and he muttered something.
! “What?” I frowned, unable to hear it.
“I said… she… it’s… her.”
“What are you talking about, Mette? You’re not making sense!”
“Her! That…. Oh, the horror.”
“Can’t you at least tell me who ‘her’ is?”
“… Um…”
“Well? I’m waiting.”
“… She’s… known as ‘Calamity Blaze’… but her name is actually… Trapped.” Mette whispered dramatically.
! Despite his serious expression, I still struggled to not laugh at this bit of news. By a stroke of synchronicity, Trapped happened to be a close friend of mine. I was sure she’d never mentioned Mette to me before, so I asked what his relationship was to my best friend. He gawked at me in horror.
! After ten whole minutes of distress and incoherent mumbling, Mette calmed down enough to reluctantly tell me about the nightmarish time of his life when he had had the misfortune of meeting Trapped.
! –
! When his story was finished, I simply couldn’t decide how to feel, so I just sat and stared at him in amazement and incredulity. By the time he had finished his woeful tale, the other guests had arrived at the door. It was an amazing party. Time seemed inconsequential. The party got chaotic at times, but Skyrius was always there to keep things under control. I really did admire her ability to sooth people with a simple, charming smile. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t in awe. Mette is a fun guy. He and I happily munched on snacks together. I also managed to convince Meta to dance with me. I think he’s all right. He’s so protective and rigid after years of being a bodyguard, but he does try to be nice. There’s nothing sadder than one who wastes his or her potential. Kindness is a virtue, even for the mafia. I can’t wait to visit this bar again.

[Mr M]

the secret stash huh? :<

and lol , the misfourtune of meeting trapped

great story marimo , WE WANT MORE!

[trappedolphin]

HAHAHAHAHA. I love it I love it I love it!!! Your description of Skyrius is just beautiful - actually, I love all your descriptions. Meta sounds very reliable! And mette is just hilaaaaaarious. I love his character soooo much And I LOVE that I'm feared :D:D:D I can totally imagining mette and I being like that irl. This whole this really made me laugh XD I can't stop grinning! So much fun

–- Update From New Post Merge ---

Oh oh oh and I love the secret stash. imagines having a briefcase full of golden waffles

[BartArt]

"My name is Pirmir. It sounds really weird, but I’m not the one who came up with that alias."

XD

I Loved that segment Pirmir! Fun stuff

[piratemarimo]

This post is deleted!

[piratemarimo]

I think this was the last of the creative writing stuff and wow I realized that AP Lit thing was horrible so I deleted it. Anyway:

! Whee, why are so many of these poems about Crocodile?

! There was a man named Crocodile
who was secretly quite vile.
He tried to take over the land
His plans were thwarted by a pirate band.
Yet no matter how evil, that Croc's got style.
On the whiteboard, each person in class wrote one word. We were to try and incorporate as many of the words in a poem as possible. It don't even make much sense structurally. Then Dofla randomly shows up. I. don't. even. Slightly in my defense, the class picked some bizarre words.

! There lived a man named Crocodile who was quite cultivated.
He was admired by all from the proletariat to the bourgeois.
! Yet at heart he was quite lonesome and sad
So great was his pain that no doctor could cure it.
! Long ago as a young lad he had quite the grand aspirations.
An avid dreamer to be king of pirates and have adventures yet untold.
! Alas with such crushing failure did he turn jaded and cold.
Unable to let go of such bitterness, he turned to a country of sand.
! He studied the topography of the kingdom of Alabasta
Such nefarious design came into mind to cause dividence in this land.
! While bringing devastation, Crocodile would varnish himself as a hero so valiant
And all the people upon seeing him would cheer as he smirked
! Meanwhile an organization in the shadows lurked
Then one day a man in a flamboyant pink feather coat arrived.
! Doflamingo was he, master of shenanigans and skillful prestidigation
He greeted Crocodile in such a daring manner as to cause aggravation.
! Crocodile was not gregarious but had xenophobia instead,
So Doflamingo with the mindset of a puck got funny ideas.
! With an ever present smirk, the flamingo was delighted to tease in jest.
Though poor Croc tried to dispose of Dofla, he was never rid of the pest.
! Then years later, his evil plans were finally coming to fruition.
He'd run the country with a weapon and nobody to stop the king's deposition.
! Yet unexpectedly a small group stood to oppose his schemes with great pluck.
Struggling to uncover the truth were just six pirates, a princess, and a duck.
! The captain went charging in with his olfactory senses tingling
Through various mishaps and setbacks they rushed with passion
! That rookie Luffy, so polar to him, vowed the kingdom would be retaken.
He stood for things which Crocodile had long since forsaken.
! His minions continued to bring doom ever closer
"How ambiguous!" crowed one okama Mr. 2 Bon Clay.
! Thrice did Luffy fight Crocodile with determination.
"Why doesn't he fall" thought the villain with consternation.
! At long last all his plans were foiled and exposed.
That seat of power he desperately sought foreclosed.
! Locked in a cell defeated turned him yet again apathetic
But fatefully should Luffy cross paths, and he being unapologetic
! Perhaps that was when his heart began to vacillate.
Though with great reluctance Luffy had to accomodate.
! Now freed Crocodile regained some motivation.
An old wound reopened, set to drive his retribution.
! Now at war who should he meet but sly Doflamingo.
Ever so coquette was he, asking Croc to hook up together.
! Didn't they have a dysfunctional sort of symmetry?
With rejection and jealousy abound the two clashed.
! In the aftermath of war, his retribution could no longer be dealt.
His wounds inside had begun healing. Was this hope he felt?
! With subordinate Daz Bones in tow, he formed a duet, a little pirate crew.
Then Crocodile set sail to the New World, the fire of dreams lit anew.
My depressing acrostic

! Ruthlessly tearing someone apart with hate
Abandoning all logic of mind as you scream.
Gruesome words you'll soon come to regret.
Especially knowing too late that pain cannot be erased.
You all read the Red Wheelbarrow poem? Goes like this:

! so much depends
upon
! a red wheel
barrow
! glazed with rain
water
! beside the white
chickens
I wrote another inspired poem based on that.

! So much depends
upon
! A genuine friend
caring
! To stand by
you
! Having a hand
outstretched.
! So much depends
upon
! Someone to love
you
! To warm your
soul
! Giving reasons to
live.
! So much depends
upon
! Being independent from
others
! Learning how to
discipline
! Never letting desire
control.
! So much depends
upon
! Fortitude to withstand
failure
! Flexibility to improve
yourself
! Never dwelling on
sadness.
! So much depends
upon
! Having an open
mind
! Not rejecting other
people
! Fostering peace and
kindness.
! So much depends
upon
! Having courage to
believe
! In dreams and
empathy
! Making the future
better.
–-----------
Okay! Finally finished the mafia omake. Sorry it took so long Mette. I got the inspiration from our love of waffles and from e1n's grey-spread ZOMG drawing.

Moria's Wafflehouse

! Wham! Mette blocked Pirmir’s kick with a wince. He had forgotten how strong his rival’s leg strength was. It had been awhile since the last duel. He grabbed hold of her leg in the attempt to throw her into the brick wall, but her other leg came slamming down on his head. Dazed, he let go and instinctively sprang away. Spinning about to face her, Mette brought up his fists and took a swing at her with his right. Pirmir dodged, but then he clocked her neatly with a fast left hook. She dropped to the ground, but then used her hand to catch herself and swept a leg out, tripping Mette.
! “Guh!” Mette grunted in pain as Pirmir slammed her knees into his stomach. As she crouched over him, preparing to pummel his face inwards, Mette jerked his leg and half-flipped over in order to get his leg over her shoulder. Quickly hooking the back of her neck with his leg, he brought the other leg up and locked her in a triangle hold. Simultaneously, her hands shot out and began squeezing his throat. Their faces were within inches of each other. The two rivals glared into each other’s eyes defiantly.
! “Okay! Let’s stop!” Mette managed to wheeze after about half a minute of struggling. “… Before we kill each other! Leggo…” So saying, he released his hold on her, and she did the same. Pirmir collapsed on top of him, panting with exertion. After a moment, she rolled off him like a log and lay next to her rival. For several long minutes, neither one spoke. When their breathing returned somewhat to normal, they tilted their heads to glance at one another.
! “Aha… ha… ha!!” they started to chuckle, gradually building up in volume.
“Man! I almost died!” Mette laughed.
“Whew! You’re telling me!” Pirmir said with a giggle.
“Alright, it’s a tie again!” Mette stated firmly.
“Yup,” Pirmir nodded for what must have been the thousandth time. They lapsed back into silence for a minute.
! “Hey. Mette-kun. Thanks for the workout.”
“It’s my pleasure.”
“But… you know something?”
“Hm?”
Both their stomachs growled loudly. “I’m starving!!” they said at the same time.
“Hey, I’ve got an idea! Let’s go get some breakfast at the Waffle House!” Eagerly, both of them sat up and grinned. “That’s a fantastic idea!”
“What time is it?” Pirmir asked, looking around. “Ah!! That time already?! We gotta hurry before the breakfast buffet closes!” So they leapt up and went dashing off down the street, leaving behind the mass destruction of their fight.
! “Hey Pirmir, left or right?”
“Left! It’s faster!”
“You dummy! The right side is faster!!”
“What?! You’re the dummy! The left will get us there faster! We can cut across to the restaurant if we jump a few fences.”
“You broke some of my ribs again!”
“Aw, boo-hoo, baby Mette can’t handle the strain? Poor thing…”
“Argh, I’ll show you who can jump fences! Last one to get inside the restaurant has to pay for the meal!”
“Deal!”
! They tore through the streets, neck and neck with one another. It was still rather early in the morning, but the few who were up at this hour that heard the two “demons” knew to steer clear of them. Pirmir went down an alley and was over a fence in a flash with Mette close behind. She cleared the last fence and dropped down into the parking lot of the restaurant. Once Mette touched the flat pavement, he sped up. Showing complete disregard for property, they ran on top of more than one unfortunate person’s car. At the exact same time, they burst through the doors like a couple of rhinoceros. They skidded to a screeching halt and shouted “I won!!”
! The customers in the restaurant flinched at the noise, and then gawked with both horror and shock at seeing “The Demonic Duo,” as people secretly called them. It was scary enough that they were both part of the mafia, but when the two were in the same room, there was no telling what would happen. The fact that their clothes were torn and filthy with dirt and blood wasn’t helping the situation, either. Oblivious to the dead silence, they walked toward the bar countertop, arguing loudly over who won the race.
! A girl with long pink hair was serving coffee to customers. She nearly spilled the pot of coffee onto the linoleum floor when she saw the two approaching the counter. Hastily, she tracked down and whispered a warning to a man with lion-like features and long blond hair. He nearly yelped aloud, then hissed something back and nudged her. Swallowing nervously, she cautiously approached the two who had sat down on the stools, still arguing heatedly.
! “Ahem!” she coughed. When she got no response, she tried again. “Horo horo horo!! W-Welcome to Moria’s Waffle House!” She flinched as the two stopped speaking and slowly turned to stare at her unblinkingly. “Um… So…I… I’m Perona, and I’ll be your waitress this morning. What would you like?”
“Waffles!” they both demanded.
“R-Right. C-Can I get you guys something to drink first?”
“I want milk!” Pirmir said.
“Chocolate milk!” Mette said after a pause.
! Perona scribbled it down in her pink notepad and tried to avoid making eye contact. She was afraid something ugly was about to happen in the restaurant. Shooting a furtive glance at the clock, she had her worst fears confirmed. The breakfast buffet had just closed 10 minutes ago, which made it highly likely that the waffles were also gone. Moria’s Waffle House was known for delicious waffles, and Mette and Pirmir were frequent customers. Perona didn’t want to be the one to tell them that there were no more waffles, but it wouldn’t be long before they caught on to that fact. Hurrying off, she went straight to the kitchen where a pale, rotund man was in working away. He had a pointy ears and an equally pointy nose.
! “Fosfosfos!! Are you slacking off again, Perona?” he said upon seeing her.
“Hogback, sir, we’ve got a situation on our hands!” Perona said urgently. “I need you to make lots of waffles for two.”
“What?! The breakfast buffet hour already ended! Tell the customers that the cook isn’t making any more!”
“Um… maybe you should tell them yourself. I’ve got to… go serve drinks!”
“Perona! Wait!” Hogback called out, but she was already gone. “Hmph. Guess if you want something done, you’ve got to do it yourself,” Hogback grumbled. He set aside his metal spatula and made his way out to the dining area.
! Meanwhile, Perona was filling up two large glasses of milk. She dumped nearly half a bottle’s worth of chocolate syrup into one glass. She set them on a tray and brought them out to the two. She set down the glasses and made to leave when Mette stopped her.
“Hey. Girlie, where’s our waffles? It’s been forever.”
“Oh… Um… it’ll be just a little bit… sorry for the wait!” she said nervously.
“You’d better be sorry, but not as sorry as you’re gonna be if we don’t get our waffles,” Pirmir warned her calmly. Perona gave a squeak and hurried away. While pretending to be busy, she shot a glance over and noticed Hogback making his way over to them. Patrons were whispering to one another and watching the spectacle while doing their best to look like they weren’t staring.
! Hogback flinched when he saw the two of them. Damn that Perona! The two customers she was talking about… are these guys?! What a nightmare. If Hogback had a little more common sense, he might have realized he was about to do something incredibly stupid. Both of them looked up.
! “Hey, cook. Where are the waffles?”
“Yeah, I’m starting to lose my patience.”
“Do you two know what time it is?” Hogback said irritably. “The breakfast buffet is already over.”
There was a pause. The two stared at him, not quite comprehending what he meant.
“What exactly…” Pirmir started to say.
“… are you saying…?” Mette whispered.
“We don’t have any more waffles!!” Hogback snapped at them. “I don’t care who you guys are!! If you wanted to eat waffles, you should have come here sooner. I won’t make any more and that’s that. You can order something off the lunch menu, instead.”
! The silence in the restaurant seemed deafening. They stared unblinkingly at Hogback, who was trying to maintain his scowl to show them who was boss. Then, the two of them slowly turned to look at each other. There was a long pause. They gave the barest hint of a nod, and that was the only warning. Click! Click! Faster than blinking, the two of them had drawn their pistols and were now pointing them right between Hogback’s eyes. He found himself going cross-eyed. He began sweating.
! “How about this, then?” Pirmir said calmly.
“Either you give us waffles…” Mette drawled in an almost bored voice.
“… Or we blow your brains out,” Pirmir finished. There were gasps of horror from the on-lookers at the new turn of events.
! “We’ll give you until the count of three to make your choice.”
“W-Wait!!” Hogback sputtered. “What about some of my specialty Zombie Burgers on the house? Those are great, too.”
“One,” Pirmir stated.
“How about free fries and onion rings?”
“Two,” warned Mette.
“O-Okay, fine!! I’ll make you guys all the waffles you can eat! Just please don’t kill me!” Hogback stuttered. “I’ll even make it free!”
! Smirks appeared on both faces, and they put up their guns.
“Now that’s what we like to hear!”
“Guess you’re not that stupid. Now hop to it.”
Hogback tripped and stumbled his way to the kitchen. Perona’s jaw was hanging practically to the floor, and she wasn’t the only one. Customers hastily finished their meals and left money on the tables before clearing out in a stampede. Only a few remained out of morbid fascination to see how it would end.
“Hey, girlie!! Can we get some refills over here?” Mette called out cheerfully.
“Yeah, I’m parched!”
“R-Right, n-no problem!” Perona managed to say.
! Hogback worked feverishly in the kitchens, knowing that if he screwed up, he could kiss his life goodbye. The first steaming batch of golden waffles came out in short time. Perona set down a big syrup dispenser, several jars of jam, a generous bowl of fresh fruit, and a plate of butter. They tore through the waffles as though they hadn’t eaten in a season. Perona couldn’t help but wonder if they were actually chewing or if they were swallowing the waffles whole. She had little time to dwell on it, however, because of how demanding they were. They kept calling out for more waffles.
“Hey, tell the cook we want the dessert waffles!”
“S-sure! Um… Which kind would you like to order?”
“All of ‘em!”
! She brought them more syrup, hot fudge sauce, caramel, varieties of chocolate, candies, and more fruit to go with the waffles. It wouldn’t do to skimp on anything lest they destroy the place. Some curious passerby stared through the window. The plates stacked higher and higher. As Perona was dashing back and forth, she kicked Absalom with one red boot and told him to start helping clear the dirty dishes. The last thing they needed in the midst of this chaos was to let Cindry handle the plates again. Clean plates were actually starting to run low, so Absalom was forced to slave away in the dishwashing room, elbow-deep in sudsy water. Hogback feared that he would run out of ingredients. Luckily, they finally had their fill before the last of the batter ran out. They licked their fingers clean of the sticky syrup and used up a lot of napkins in the process.
! “Aaah! That sure hits the spot!” Pirmir laughed.
“I couldn’t eat another bite!” Mette grinned.
“So, you ready to leave?”
“Sure, but before we leave…”
“Ah, yes. You! Girlie! Give that cook our regards.”
Pirmir and Mette pulled out their wallets and left two bills on the countertop.
“I know he said it was free, but consider this a token of appreciation. It was a pleasure. We should definitely come back here more often.” With a nod at Perona, they walked out in good spirits and soon disappeared around the street corner. She stared after them for a long minute before turning her attention to the counter.
“Eh?!” Perona gasped. Sitting on the counter were two crisp five hundred dollar bills.

[Mr M]

W-Welcome to Moria’s Waffle House

I lol'f so hard with that , great job Marimo

[trappedolphin]

Hahahaha that was SO entertaining, BFF!

[Sai-chan]

I feel sorry for that Waffle house. Truely, I do. xD Haha, these are really great, Mari! Are any other members going to appear, or is it going to be just you two for a while?

[piratemarimo]

@Sai-chan:

I feel sorry for that Waffle house. Truely, I do. xD Haha, these are really great, Mari! Are any other members going to appear, or is it going to be just you two for a while?

Whoa Sai-chan! I think this must be the first time I've seen you post in the writings sub-forum. lol Yeah, I felt bad for the waffle house too. But it had to be done I tell you! :ninja: At the moment, it's probably going to be just me and mette. I'm a bit scared to try my hand at non-comedic type of stories. It's easier writing about the two of us because we're the more silly mafia members I think.

–

I also somehow managed to write up something for the next bi-weekly. It actually has a title! :silly: "Paooh" is the Japanese SFX for elephants. Because Americans apparently fail at coming up with them. Somehow... this story's tone came out not what I wanted, but meh.

Pink Elephants

! “My name is Frederick von Eschscholtz. I really don’t think you need address me by such a formal title, though. Please do call me Freddy, instead; that would make me more at ease. What’s your name? I didn’t get a chance to ask earlier.”
! I stared in open-mouthed shock for the second time this day, unable to believe what I was hearing. What was the heck was going on here?! Was this some kind of dream?! No, it just had to be. There was no way on earth such a thing could exist. This was nothing short of insanity.
“Is something the matter?” it asked me. I backed away, nearly falling over.
“S-Stay away from me, you monster!! What the heck are you?!”
“I do beg your pardon? I’m not quite sure I understand your question.”
“Don’t screw with me! You shouldn’t even be talking!”
! “Goodness… Haven’t you… ever met an elephant before? Surely you’ve at least seen pictures of animals when you were little.”
“I-Idiot!! Of course I have! That’s why… That’s why I’m asking what the heck you are!”
“Oh, dear me. It would seem that there’s some kind of misunderstanding between the two of us. What has got you so upset, child? Did I do something to offend you when I first arrived at your abode? Perhaps it was too short of a notice…”
! Back then… Yes. It had seemed so incredible… so surreal. I wondered why my mom had acted like it was the most normal thing in the world. Just thinking about what had happened earlier that morning made me mad. It was all the fault of this… thing that was currently standing in front of me. I couldn’t understand why she had never told me anything like this before. Did she really expect me to believe in this crap?!
! –
! “You’d better come see this!!” my mom shouted up at me. Putting down the book I had been reading, I rushed downstairs to see what the matter was. I hurried into the living room and stopped dead in my tracks. My jaw dropped open in shock. Sitting on the couch was a baby elephant. Upon seeing me enter the room, it waved with its trunk, letting out a hearty “Paoooh!” I flinched at the noise and took a step back. I blinked several times and stared hard, but the elephant didn’t disappear like I’d hoped it would. Then I looked in despair at my mother and moaned “Why, oh why… is there an elephant inside of our house?!”
! My mom laughed casually. “Oh, don’t be so silly, dear. Don’t you remember when I told you that we were going to be a host family for an exchange student?”
Now that she mentioned it, I thought I vaguely recalled that she had said something… maybe more of a passing statement over dinner… However, that had been months ago.
“Well… Yeah, I guess I do remember that. But mom! I thought you were talking about something that was human?! That thing obviously isn’t a kid like me! It’s… a freaking elephant! Is this even legal?! What is it doing here?”
“Didn’t you hear me? I told you this elephant is an exchange student! It’s here to study.”
“Why?! This is ridiculous!”
“Are you trying to say that elephants don’t have a right to a proper education as well?” mom retorted, crossing her arms sternly.
“Mom, have you gone crazy?!” I practically shouted.
“How do you think this elephant supposed to be successful in life without the ability to read or write? Why don’t you believe an elephant should have an education?”
! “Because it’s an elephant!!” I sighed with exasperation. I simply couldn’t understand what was going on. My mom had always been a reasonable sort of woman. Sure, there were certain occasions when she brought out her more eccentric side but never like this! Today, my mom was acting like a completely different person. Who ever heard of elephants learning to read or write? If this was supposed to be a joke, it wasn’t a very funny one. What was the point then? The biggest question on my mind was how an elephant got here in the first place. We didn’t live in Africa, nowhere close.
! Right then and there, I was suddenly aware that a line had just been crossed. My mom was none too pleased with me. The elephant in question was looking back and forth between us almost as though it were flustered. It gave another “Paooh!” but this time in a more plaintive tone.
“Look what you’ve done now!” my mom admonished angrily. “You’ve hurt his feelings! Apologize to him right this minute!”
! “Mom! It’s just an animal! It hasn’t got feelings! You still haven’t even explained how it got here, but I don’t even care about that. I just want it to get out of our house so everything can go back to normal. Besides, I never even agreed to let a smelly beast stay here in the first place!”
“I’m appalled at your childish behavior. I thought I’d raised you to be better than this. As your mother and legal guardian, I get to make decisions around here. The elephant is here to stay.”
“No! I don’t want it here!” I yelled.
“If you insist on impugning my authority, then maybe you should just leave.”
! I was livid with anger. “Fine!! Since you obviously care about this dumb animal more than me, I’ll just pack up!” Whirling around, I ran out of the room with the sound of the elephant’s trumpeting ringing in my ears. I stomped up the stairs to my bedroom and slammed the door. I stood breathing hard for a minute and then dug out my backpack. Next I went through the closet and began tossing things into a pile. I tried to decide what I should bring with me. Among these items was a flashlight with several spare batteries, the watch that was currently on my wrist, a box of matches, two packs of chewing gum and a bag of candied peanuts, a box of cookies that I had hidden earlier, some t-shirts, one warm, light jacket, my favorite pair of jeans, a blanket, a couple of shorts, a few pairs of socks and underwear, a notebook and some pens, my sleeping bag, a pillow, several of my favorite books, and the old yet trusty pocket knife that my dad had given me before he left. Naturally, I also remembered my pet Jeff the Giraffe. I’d never go anywhere without Jeff. I grabbed him off the bed and stuffed him into the backpack. I surveyed the room and then left, luckily remembering to go by the bathroom to pick up a towel, my toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, a green plastic cup, and a water bottle.
! I headed downstairs. My mom and the elephant were no longer in the living room, so I quietly made my way to the kitchen and grabbed a handful of extra snacks from the pantry and quickly headed for the front door. I didn’t waste time wondering where the two of them had gone; I was just glad I didn’t have to see their faces. I walked out and refused to look back at the place I had called home. I walked out slowly and then broke into a run. Somewhere behind me, I heard the sound of an elephant’s cry, ringing out in the morning air as sorrowful as I felt deep down inside.

[Sai-chan]

I've posted in this section before, although mostly in Kenny's poem thread. lol

That's probably for the best for you then. Writing more than a certian about of characters might be too overwhelming for certain people~ Although, this is our mafia you're talking about. Who in it isn't silly?

[Mr M]

But the rivalery is cool

But we can always write a mafia fic about everybody again

[ChesCa]

@Piratemarimo:
Sorry, I don't have any real in-depth critique this time, but I will say the story was pretty funny and silly (in the good way.)
Only downside is that it felt too short. I hope you do more chapters.

[piratemarimo]

I blame the Hattori madness for inspiring me with a crazy idea: a Scooby Doo cross-over. :ninja:

Starring…

Hattori as Scooby Doo
Rob Lucci as Shaggy
Jyabura as Fred
Kaku as Velma
Kalifa as Daphne
Jyabura's pet chicken as Scrappy Doo

Theme Song:

! Hatto-Hattori, where are you?
We got some work to do now. (Coo!)
Hatto-Hattori, where are you?
We need some help from you now.
! Come on Hattori, I see you
Pretending you’re not a genius
You’re not fooling me cuz I can see
The way you dress and disco
! You know we got a mystery to solve
So Hattori, be ready for your act
Don’t hold back!
And Hattori if you come through
You’re gonna have yourself a Hatto-snack
! Hatto-Hattori, here are you
You’re ready and you’re willing
If we can count on you, Hattori
I know we’ll catch that villain.
And now for a short snippet of the Mystery Gang in action:

! [Somewhere in the world…]
Rob Lucci: …..
Kaku: Jinkies, Jaa.
Hattori: Coo!
Rob: ….
Jyabura: Hey, this scarf-thing is freaking uncomfortable!
Kaku: It’s called an ascot, jaa.
Jyabura: Shut up! I know that already!
Kaku: Oh? Yet, you certainly don’t know how to wear one.
Jyabura: Shut up, nerd! At least I’m not wearing dorky glasses.
Kaku: Hey, I like these glasses! Jaa.
Jyabura: Yeah, they suit you perfectly, dork! Gya ha ha ha ha!!
Kaku: [scowls in irritation at being teased]
Jyabura: Anyway, why are these damn scarves so confusing to tie?
Hattori: Broo-hoo! What an amateur.
! Kalifa: Lucci, you’ve got to say your line.
Hattori: Broo-hoo! It’s embarrassing to say.
Kalifa: Please? Won’t you do it for me?
Rob: ………..
Jyabura: Aw man, he’s too much of a chicken! Gyaha ha ha!
Rob: [shoots a glare at Jyabura]
Kaku: Come on, Rob. It’s not that bad, jaa.
Rob: ……… [in a barely audible whisper] Zoinks.
Jyabura: Gyaha ha ha ha ha!! I can’t believe he really said it!
Hattori: Coo hoo! I’m glad I don’t have such strange catchphrases.
Kaku: You’ll get used to saying it, jaa.
Rob: [his face is slightly flushed]
Kalifa: [talking over Jyabura, who is still guffawing loudly]
I’m sure this won’t be all bad.
Rob: …. Let’s just hurry up and solve these stupid mysteries.
Kalifa: Alright guys! You heard him! Get in the van!
Kaku: We have a van? I thought we were broke.
Hattori: Coo hoo! We took cash out of Jyabura’s bank account.
Jyabura: WHAT?!!
Hattori: Don’t worry, we made sure to buy a really nice van.
Jyabura: WHO CARES ABOUT THAT?! WHEN THE HELL—
Kalifa: Jyabura!! [she kicks him in the face, sending him tumbling]
Jyabura: Ouch!! Ungh… What… was that for, Kalifa…
Kalifa: That’s sexual harassment.
Jyabura: I didn’t do anything!!
Kalifa: Anyway, please refrain from swearing.
Jyabura: What? Why??
Kalifa: We’re supposed to be kid-friendly.
Jyabura: What the fuck?
Kalifa: [gets a gleam in her eye, then pummels him senseless with kicks]
Kaku: [sweat drops] Is this really meant to be kid-friendly?

[Nolus]

I started to sing aloud. For real. Oh gosh, how I loved watching Scooby-Doo when I was younger!

Pfft, Lucci as Shaggy. Best crossover ever!

They're certainly not kid friendly though.:ninja:

[Nia]

… and now I really, really regret not having watched Scooby-Doo once in my entire life. I only have a general knowledge of the show.
However, this is still awesome as hell! Damn, you rock, marimo!

[piratemarimo]

Aww, thanks you two. Personally my favorite part is not that Jyabura got his bank account hacked, but the fact that Jyabura is "sexually harassing" Kalifa (remember who those two are supposed to be). Totally unintentional on my part. If I continue this parody, the trickiest bit will be figuring out who the villains are gonna be.

[Sai-chan]

I damand Nightmare Luffy as Creeper.

[piratemarimo]

@Sai-chan:

I damand Nightmare Luffy as Creeper.

That is… a good idea. You're hired. :ninja: by the way, do you have any ideas about what to do about the rest of CP9 that didn't make it into the parody? Let's see, we've got:

Blueno, Spandam, Fukurou, Kumadori, and Funkfreed.

[Sai-chan]

I… don't really know. I can't really remember many of the monsters and villians, or characters in general, apart from Scooby Doo on Zombie Island, Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost and Schooby Doo and the Cyber Chase, and some misc episodes of the Scooby Doo Movies. xD;

I'd have to refresh my memories..

[Mr M]

sings the theme song

[CharmedWard]

Perfect! Thats just how I imagined it xD

Ooooh, I didn't know you had FP stuff in here though~ I'll have to look at that sometime.

[piratemarimo]

Part Two of the Hattori-Scooby Doo parody:

! [Later…]
Jyabura: [sporting slightly bloody bandages and a black eye]
Remind me why we’re doing this again?
Kalifa: [adjusts her glasses] If you had been paying attention earlier instead of sleeping, you’d already know.
Jyabura: Oh come on!
Kaku: Well, it’s not as though we have anything better to do. This could be fun!
[Rob Lucci standing unhappily to the side, frowns and says nothing]
Jyabura: Just give me my freaking money back, you jerks!!
Hattori: Coo! When you see the van, you’ll stop complaining.
Jyabura: If it was so important, why couldn’t we have just stolen one?!
Kalifa: We do not steal. We’re supposed to be role models.
Jyabura: [a vein pops on his forehead] Why the heck is it okay to steal my life’s savings, but it’s not okay to steal a van?! I had plans for that money!
Hattori: Hoo hoo! Jyabura wants to hook up with the ladies!
Jyabura: [flushes bright red] S-Shut up! That’s none of your business!
Hattori: [winks] Your secret is safe with me!
Jyabura: You’ve already said it, blabber-beak!!
Kaku: Guys, guys. Calm down.
Jyabura: Hmph.
Kaku: Do you want the answer to your question or not?
! Jyabura: Which one again?
Kaku: … You forgot already?
Hattori: [laughs]
Rob Lucci: It’s no surprise, Kaku. Jyabura has the attention span of a louse.
Jyabura: What did you just say?! Wanna fight?!
Rob Lucci: As if I’d want to fight someone as weak as you.
Jyabura: [cracks his knuckles] I’ll show you who’s weak!!
[He charges at Lucci]
Kaku: Jinkies, guys.
Jyabura: Take this!! [he goes into a flying kick]
Kalifa: [adjusts glasses] Please stop fighting, you two.
[Jyabura and Lucci ignore her and start trading blows]
Kalifa: Stop fighting, please.
[They continue to spar]
Kalifa: I said stop!! [she kicks them both in the face as they are about to clash again]
! [A minute later…]
Kalifa: There will be no violence or fighting amongst ourselves. Do you understand?
[Jyabura and Lucci are on their knees; both have several high-heel-shaped bruises]
Jyabura: [mumbles in unison with Rob Lucci] Yes, ma’am…
Kalifa: Good.
Hattori: [laughing at the hapless pair]
Kaku: … I don’t know how this is gonna work out, Kalifa.
Kalifa: [turns to stare at Kaku] You have a complaint?
Kaku: [starts sweating nervously] N-No. I’m all for this. Please don’t hurt me…
! Kaku: [quickly changes the subject] So… listen up!! I’ll explain everything once more.
Jyabura: Joy…
Kaku: The mayor of Water Sev—I mean, “Coolsville,” gave us a new assignment, jaa. Apparently, our old jobs aren’t as important as before. After that incident last week, something must be done. In order to boost the morale of people everywhere, we have to travel around and help people solve mysteries.
Jyabura: Why’s it got to be us? Can’t they hire that Herlock Solmes guy?
Kaku: First of all, Jyabura, the man’s name is Sherlock Holmes. Second of all, he is not actually a real person. He can’t help us because he’s a fictional character.
Jyabura: What?? But if he’s not real, then maybe… we’re not real, either!!
Kaku: Don’t be silly, Jyabura.
Hattori: Coo hoo! That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard! Next you’ll be saying birds can’t talk! [At this Rob Lucci cracks a small, rare smile]
Jyabura: H-Hey! Don’t laugh! It was a good theory…
Kalifa: [adjusts glasses] Jyabura, I regret to inform you that you’re borderline retarded.
Jyabura: [mumbles to himself] You guys all suck…

[Sai-chan]

Ah, nearly breaking the fourth wall. I love it.

… hahaha, Kalifa punishing Jyabura I can see. Kalifa punishing Lucci? Now that's funny. lol

[piratemarimo]

I was just re-watching an episode of Enies Lobby, and it occurred to me that Jyabura is actually rather gullible and easily excited. I'm so gonna exploit that. >:D But man, at the rate this is going, I wonder if CP9 is going to actually get around to solving mysteries. They haven't even started and they're already falling apart. XD

–
In case nobody reads my earlier comment, the main character in this story was supposed to be a boy. Not that I think it really matters, but somehow you all thought it was a girl.

Pink Elephants Part Two:

! I didn’t really know where I was headed, but I figured it didn’t matter. I would become what people called a wanderer. I could do whatever I wanted. It’s not like I didn’t know how to take care of myself. For most of that morning, I walked aimlessly along the dusty path which I had always traveled. There was a great forest up ahead. Far as the eye could see, trees went on and on. Birds chirped and sang cheerfully. Normally the sweet melodies of the forest set me at ease, but I knew I had a ways to go before I could stop and relax. If I were to climb a tall tree and look out in all directions, I knew what I would see. So I stepped under the canopy of branches and into the welcoming shade.
! Shafts of sunlight danced upon the ground. Two squirrels that had been chasing each other around stopped their game to look at me. They sat up straight and watched me silently. I looked at them and smiled briefly as I walked past. Somehow I could feel their gaze upon my back until I rounded the bend. It was certainly an odd sort of feeling. Birds continued to chirp. Insects joined in with many a buzz. Yes, this was the sort of harmony that was normal. Not… trumpeting. That noise didn’t belong here and it never would belong. Yet… that noise… continued to echo in my brain. I simply could not stand it. I would walk far away until that sound was gone. It was the only way to set things right. The alternative was going completely mad.
! For most of morning, I walked along the path. The shafts of sunlight that shone between the tree gaps seemed less bright as they normally appeared to my eyes. In fact, I wasn’t truly seeing much of anything, as I was far too lost in thought to take in that beauty. Without even realizing it, I was scowling heavily. No wonder the animals kept their distance from me. For a while the general absence of other creatures in the forest was something I was only aware of subconsciously. Birds flew overhead, and whenever I looked up at them, they would appear to swoop away. It was starting to irritate me. However, there wasn’t much I could do. Why I suddenly cared about what the animals were up to was beyond my comprehension. Perhaps this was… an off day. Or perhaps… this was just another ordinary day, and I was simply being jittery.
! When the sun reached its peak, I had already I made it to the stream. The clear blue water sparkled in the sun, and I decided it would be a good time to take a short rest. I sat down upon the bank and took off my backpack. I stared out at the peaceful little stream where I had gone fishing countless times. I even remember the first time I caught a fish; it was a trout with silver scales that glistened in the sun and seemed to change colors as I examined the fish inquisitively.
! Even at that time, it would seem that strange things were already set into motion. It was only until years later, as I sat upon the bank, that I realized how bizarre that day had been. A silver trout shouldn’t have… There was just no way it was possible. I frowned, trying to figure out what it meant. Was it possible that history had gotten it wrong? They were human beings, just like everyone else. They might have made a mistake. They couldn’t have been to every place in the world where there was water. It was really a miracle that they discovered what they did. Secrets of the world, no, of life itself, were capable of being unlocked by those gifted with science. Yet there was simply no denying that the past was full of mistakes. How many times had people corrected false assumptions? Nothing was perfect. I still wasn’t convinced, though. Yet I wondered if this trust I placed in them was another false assumption. I’d never thought about why, I’d just always believed they knew what they were talking about. Now I was asking myself. Why? Why did they have authority of knowledge? Why did their superiority seem like an absolute, like words set into stone? Why were they so confident that the silver trout had really vanished?
! The trout hadn’t wriggled about as much as one would have thought. I had known that fish don’t blink, but it was still strange to gaze into eyes that seemed as solemn as the inky black night sky. My original purpose had been to catch a fish to cook and eat for the evening’s meal. Well, to be more precise, I was bringing it home so that my mom could cook it, but that was beside the point. Not taking my eyes off the fish, I slowly reached out and grasped the hook. It took but a few seconds to get the hook loose. All the while the fish moved hardly at all. I carried it to the bank and crouched down. Gently placing it back in the stream, I whispered softly, “Goodbye, fish.”
! The trout glanced at me, swam off a short ways, and leapt up out of the water. Its scales had glittered in the sun for a brief moment before the fish splashed back down and disappeared downstream. When I got back home, mom asked if I had caught anything, and I said no. So that night we had eaten macaroni and cheese, instead.
! I knew it had been a silver trout. I knew it in my heart. That was already enough proof that the statement made by them was a lie, intentional or not. The assumption that the fish were only found in one part of the world was false as well. At least… back then it had been false. I had to remember that fish don’t live as long as humans. If that one had been the last of its kind, then it was definitely long gone by now.
! As I gazed absentmindedly at the water, I reached over to my backpack, tugged Jeff out, and placed him in my lap. Next I rummaged for the bag of trail mix. I munched on a handful of granola. Jeff, as usual, was quiet. He was always polite and would wait for me to start up the conversations.
! “I don’t see the fish, Jeff,” I said. “It’s not just the silver trout; they’re all gone.”
A beat passed. “Then tell me where they are, Jeff,” I countered. “Do you really think they could be sleeping? Maybe they’re… avoiding this place.” Another pause.
“I don’t know why, Jeff. That’s why I’m asking you for your opinion. How can every last one of them be doing the same thing? I can’t even see any minnows. Can you?” Gently, I lifted Jeff up so he could get a better view. I turned him back and forth slowly. “I can’t stay here forever, Jeff. There’s no time to go fishing. We should just cross the stream now and be done with this place. It’s not that far from… I mean, we still have a long way to go.”
! With that I put away the trail mix and Jeff. I walked down to the edge of the water and set off downstream. I knew that there was a bridge upstream, but I preferred crossing the natural way. Plus, if Jeff was correct, there was one place that the fish always loved to be. Jeff, from inside the backpack, said nothing about my choice to go the long way.

[Nolus]

I love CP9 Scooby-Doo.

Hahaha, birds can't talk, Piratemarimo, you have a strange imagination, hahaha! …. wait a sec:ninja:

"Helmock Solmes and Moktor Datson in Hounds of the Vaskerbilles"

[Kitsune Inferno]

piratemarimo, are you planning to submit PE2 for the Bi-Weekly? If so, let Kenny know that way I'll have more stories to review.~

(I'll also give reviews for "Working Title" and The Marvelous Adventures of Mr. M and I reach them on the Compendium thread. :))

[piratemarimo]

My bi-weekly entry <__< It has absolutely nothing to do with any other stories, this is new.

The Mouse

! Once upon a time there was a little mouse who lived in a cozy little mouse hole located in a cottage out in the countryside. He was a cheerful fellow with carefully groomed fur and shiny black eyes. Not even so much as a whisker was out of place. Each morning when the first rays of sunlight crept into his home, he would open his eyes with eagerness to start the day, for this was no ordinary mouse. He did not choose to be active at night like the rest of his family, who as it happened, lived elsewhere, in the city of twinkling lights in lands far away, at least, far for a mouse. He’d hop along to the bathroom using his mouse tunnels, of course. There was a human who lived in the cottage, and he didn’t want to cause trouble by showing himself. He had a tiny plastic cap that he used to collect water for washing up. Once he was done with his morning grooming, off he would go to the kitchen for breakfast. There was almost always something leftover for him.
! There was one other resident inside this cottage. A lanky, orange cat with eyes the color of brilliant green acid prowled about the house with pride. She also provided a little company for the woman who had brought her over from the city. The cat’s name was Apricot. Now Apricot was intelligent as far as most cats go. The mouse hole did not escape her notice. No self-respecting cat would let mice roam about a house unattended. At least that was the way things were supposed to be. Since ancient Egyptian times, cats had helped keep down the rodent population. However, this was no ordinary mouse with which she was dealing. Getting rid of the would-be pest was not nearly as easy as Apricot had thought initially. Then one day while she was attempting to catch the mouse, a relationship of an unusual sort came about rather unexpectedly.
! –
! It was morning and the mouse had arrived for breakfast. He poked his head out cautiously and glanced in all directions. He had become aware that there was a new addition to the house. His nose twitched at the unfamiliar smell. This was not your usual bacon and eggs smell but something else altogether. The woman had gone out on an errand of sorts, and she returned carrying a wicker basket. There was something moving in there! He looked on and thought that it was either a new resident or a new type of food item for mealtime. Then he heard it! From within the basket came a mewling sound; why, it was a cat! The tip of his tail fell flat with dismay and his whiskers drooped.
! Oh, this is just awful, thought the mouse. I am sure that this cat will not like me in the least, if any of the other cats I have met are anything to go by. I suppose it’s only common courtesy to give a greeting, even if I have my reservations. I must act like a gentlemouse and hope for the best.
With these thoughts in mind, he stood watching the basket. The woman lifted up the latch, and, ever so slowly, out came an orange cat, long of limb and young of heart, though not so young as a kitten. For a short while the cat wandered about the kitchen sniffing curiously. She was on the opposite side of the room from where the mouse hole was located. One saucer of milk and one of fish meat was set down on the floor, and the cat had breakfast. The woman left the room. Meanwhile the mouse quietly came out into the kitchen, unnoticed by the cat whose back was to him. The mouse climbed up a chair and then on the tabletop. He munched apprehensively on the scrap of bacon and stray bit of scrambled egg that was lying on the plate.
! The cat finished her meal, looked up, and surveyed the kitchen once more. Her eyes swept past the mouse once. Suddenly her eyes flicked back sharply and stared at the mouse in consternation. A hiss escaped her throat, and her fur stood on end. The mouse had been regarding the cat, having finished his meal already. He swallowed nervously upon seeing her reaction to him. Waving tentatively with a paw, he attempted to smile winningly and act like nothing was wrong, even though his heart had jumped clear into his throat at the sight of those bright, bright eyes dilating with fury. This was not going according to plan at all.
! “H-Hello!” he squeaked with as much enthusiasm as he could muster, though admittedly it wasn’t very much at this point. She bared her fangs. “I-I see that you’re a new resident to this humble cottage, and… I thought I’d, well, you know, drop by and pay you my respects…” He was met with a louder hiss. The cat was stiff as a board and crouched down, ready to spring. “P-Please wait a moment!” the mouse cried. “I am not going to cause trouble, even though I really am a mouse, but maybe we could talk a little and get to know each other better—”
! That was as far as he got before the cat was leaping up at him. Her claws extended with obvious intent of tearing his head off. With a frightened squeak, he tumbled off the table and onto the chair, just barely managing to catch himself on the edge of the seat. Above him the cat had slid down the length of the table with the momentum of her jump and was quickly getting to her feet. He hastily dropped down to the floor into an ungraceful heap. Down leaped the cat. She turned and started for him under the table. He scrambled up and darted to the left, which saved him from death by a hair. Unfortunately, this also placed him farther away from his mouse hole. He had no time to think about that, being in mortal peril. All he could do was run. This cat was smart enough to realize which direction he was attempting to go, and prevented him from going right by swiping at him with her with paw. He went head over heels a few feet farther away from safety.
! He picked himself off the floor and stood on his hind paws. The two of them stared into each other’s eyes. The mouse tried not to show that he was dizzy or fearful. He blinked rapidly in attempt to clear his head. He shakily spread his forepaws in what he hoped was a disarming gesture. “I just want to talk. That’s all. Would it hurt to at least introduce ourselves to one another? Please?” He received nothing but a cold, fierce stare. She was getting ready to spring forward once more. He took one step forward, reaching out imploringly. His silent plea was to no avail. As she was pouncing, he dropped down on all fours and shot forward like a cork from a popgun. He dashed under her and kept going as though his tail was on fire. By the time she had corrected her footing, he was halfway across the room to his mouse hole. She hissed wrathfully and gave chase even though she knew it was too late. He vanished into the safety of his hole with the sound of angry yowling ringing in his ears.

[qabyo123]

Trying to kill Izaya…..................... LIKE A BOSS!!

[piratemarimo]

This post is deleted!

[piratemarimo]

This was a story inspired by Sai-chan. Inspired by the two of us and these characters in the story are modeled on us as you will notice by the second sentence, but I hope it's suitable. I promise you the story will be more fantastical than this, Sai-chan. sorry it's so short (as usual) and ends in an odd spot but I kind of procrastinated on writing. No title yet. the title is:

Dream Dimensions

! Saiya was an artistic girl who loved to paint and draw. However, her greatest love was chocolate. No other child could eat as much chocolate as her in one sitting. One almost had to wonder if her stomach was, in fact, bottomless. Her bright blue eyes sparkled with delight at the mere mention of that delectable sweet, and then she became a hyper ball of energy, as opposed to her usual calm self. Of course she loved to have fun and play like any child, so calm was a relative term. Around certain people she could really let loose. At heart Saiya was a sweet girl who rarely lost her temper with others.
! Mariel was the older of the two girls, but she acted and looked much younger. She loved reading books more than anything. She could pore through countless books just as fast as Saiya could eat chocolate. Mariel didn’t eat much candy, but she could eat food with as much gusto as her friend. Between the two of them, no table of food could survive untouched for very long. She also loved animals a great deal. One of her books was an animal encyclopedia, and she would stare at the pictures for hours on end, even staying up past her bedtime. Normally she was shy and quiet by herself. Though she was more adventurous and outgoing whenever she had a chance to play with her friends, she still tended to be timid and cautious of doing things that might be dangerous. Sometimes she was clumsy, too. Unlike her friend Saiya, she was easily irritated by others; she disliked being teased.
! The two of them had become close friends. As it turned out, they lived rather close to one another. Mariel had moved in to the neighborhood more recently, and hadn’t gotten to know many people when she first met Saiya. As a result of their encounter, she would run along to the other’s house almost every day to watch cartoons and movies, build castles out of blankets, draw all over the place (one time they had drawn all over the walls inside Saiya’s house. After that incident they were given a bit of a scolding and a giant stack of paper that needed constant replenishing to keep them somewhat out of mischief.), eat snacks, or find a new place to explore. This is how it all began…
! Mariel stared out of the window of the car with round eyes. It was a whole new world out there. Gone was the familiarity of the apple orchard and the tiny garden plots. Gone was the small pond where the turtles and frogs would swim. Gone was the humble little woodland thicket which was occasionally frequented by deer. On Mariel’s lap was a backpack bulging with various possessions such as crayons, some books, and snacks to name but a few.
! “We’ve arrived!” her dad called out. The house was bigger than the last one. Everything seemed that way; the neighborhood itself was also bigger in size. Mariel’s new home was near the forest borders, elevated above the surrounding area. The front of the house looked down the gently sloping hillside and into the valley where various houses and stores could be seen for miles around. The back of the house looked upon the mighty forest that was separated from civilization by a stretch of grassland where sunflowers bloomed and bees buzzed. Many furry critters and birds also found comfortable lodging there and into the woods beyond. Hidden pathways formed from many years of treading feet wound their way to the forest.
! She hopped out the car and tugged on her backpack, which was comically oversized in proportion to her body. Spinning around and running in the opposite direction of the house, Mariel stood at the top of the hill and stood breathless at the sight. Little did she know that much more grand sights were awaiting discovery in the not too distant future. Reluctantly she turned back to the house at the sound of her parents’ calling. For the rest of that week, her family was busy unpacking and settling in to the house. Other people who lived nearby visited the house to greet Mariel’s family and offer gifts as a token of friendship. Mariel shyly peeked out at the strangers from behind a wall. From time to time, she’d mumble hello.
! All the neighbors had paid their respects, and so the new family was left to their privacy and settling down. At least, that is what Mariel’s family thought. However, one pleasant Saturday morning was about to get shaken up… At the moment Mariel was lying on her stomach in the living room, focused intently on her crayon drawing of a moose. As she was reaching for the pink crayon, the doorbell rang. Her bent head shot up with surprise. Scrambling upright she rushed to the door and saw the silhouette of a person standing there. She was about to open the door when she remembered that she was not supposed to let strangers in the house, so off she scampered to get her mom.
! “Who could it be?” she asked.
“We’ll see,” her mom replied. Mariel hide behind a wall that provided her a nifty vantage point of the front door. The doorbell rang once more. Her mom called out “Yes, yes, I’m coming!” and then opened the door. Mariel peeked a little further out behind the wall. Standing in the door was a woman dressed in the strangest fashion that Mariel had ever seen. The stranger was sporting a cowgirl hat, big brown boots complete with shiny spurs, and a colorful skirt of crimson and gold. She was also wearing a t-shirt that had a picture of questions marks and a magnifying glass upon it; this matched the color of her skirt. As soon as mom opened the door she cheerfully stuck out her hand and said
! “Well, howdy! You’re the new neighbors around here, aren’t you? I sure am pleased to make your acquaintance!” Mom seemed a bit surprised but quickly gathered her wits to give a polite response and invite the woman inside the house. “I apologize for not coming by sooner to give you a warm welcome to this wonderful neighborhood, but I was away on a camping trip up by the Great Falls. It’s a great place to go if you ever feel the spirit of adventure calling.”
! “Oh no, that’s perfectly alright,” mom replied. “The neighbors treated us with plenty of kindness when we arrived. Can I interest you in a cup of coffee?”
“Sure!” As the woman stepped forward, she happened to glance to the side and spot Mariel peeking out from behind the wall. “Hm? Oho, who is that I spy?” she said. Suddenly she strode over to Mariel who flinched with surprise. “Is this your child?”
“Yes, that’s my daughter Mariel.”
“Well, aren’t you just the cutest thing?” she exclaimed, ruffling Mariel’s hair good-naturedly. “Of course, my little Sai-Sai is the cutest! But I’ll call you second first cute!”
“Eh??” Mariel squeaked in confusion.
“Oh yeah! Sai-Sai, honey! Come here and greet little Mari!” A girl with long brown hair who looked to be about the same age as Mariel stepped out from the doorstep and through the still-open door. She wore orange and black clothes emblazoned with cute ghosts and “Boo!” written across her shirt. She walked over to Mariel and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Hi, my name is Saiya. What’s your name?”
edit:
for my own reference, this was the general story idea inspired by Sai-chan, possibly subject to change

! Two young girls who just want to have fun stumble across something magical. They find themselves in a strange world like nothing they’ve ever seen before. It is a place full of dreams. However, all is not well. What seems like a wonderful, exciting adventure quickly turns into something else altogether. Will they be able to overcome these challenges in one piece, or will they fall prey to the evil forces of a terrifying enemy?

[trappedolphin]

BFF!!

I really like the way you build up a scene. You have a nice way of describing a picture and giving enough detail to create a good image and background without making it too heavy or letting the description dominate the story, which seems appropriate for this type of story. Scene transitions feel a bit jumpy and awkward, though, so it's a bit tricky to follow.

And um I normally don't do this but I know you're picky so I thought I should point this out…

! So off she scampered to get her mom.
! ^I don't think you're 'supposed' to start a sentence with "So", in 'proper' grammar.

[piratemarimo]

@trappedolphin:

BFF!! I really like the way you build up a scene. You have a nice way of describing a picture and giving enough detail to create a good image and background without making it too heavy or letting the description dominate the story, which seems appropriate for this type of story. Scene transitions feel a bit jumpy and awkward, though, so it's a bit tricky to follow.

Thanks! Yeah transitions are tricky for me. orz

And um I normally don't do this but I know you're picky so I thought I should point this out…

! So off she scampered to get her mom. ^I don't think you're 'supposed' to start a sentence with "So", in 'proper' grammar. NOOOOO I HAVE FAILED. Must fix… (thanks for pointing it out)

[Sai-chan]

@piratemarimo:

Well ironically enough noob poster's off-topic post prevents me from double-posting. whatever. This was a story inspired by Sai-chan. Inspired by the two of us and these characters in the story are modeled on us as you will notice by the second sentence, but I hope it's suitable. I promise you the story will be more fantastical than this, Sai-chan. sorry it's so short (as usual) and ends in an odd spot but I kind of procrastinated on writing. No title yet.

! Saiya was an artistic girl who loved to paint and draw. However, her greatest love was chocolate. No other child could eat as much chocolate as her in one sitting. One almost had to wonder if her stomach was, in fact, bottomless. Her bright blue eyes sparkled with delight at the mere mention of that delectable sweet, and then she became a hyper ball of energy, as opposed to her usual calm self. Of course she loved to have fun and play like any child, so calm was a relative term. Around certain people she could really let loose. At heart Saiya was a sweet girl who rarely lost her temper with others.
! Mariel was the older of the two girls, but she acted and looked much younger. She loved reading books more than anything. She could pore through countless books just as fast as Saiya could eat chocolate. Mariel didn’t eat much candy, but she could eat food with as much gusto as her friend. Between the two of them, no table of food could survive untouched for very long. She also loved animals a great deal. One of her books was an animal encyclopedia, and she would stare at the pictures for hours on end, even staying up past her bedtime. Normally she was shy and quiet by herself. Though she was more adventurous and outgoing whenever she had a chance to play with her friends, she still tended to be timid and cautious of doing things that might be dangerous. Sometimes she was clumsy, too. Unlike her friend Saiya, she was easily irritated by others; she disliked being teased.
! The two of them had become close friends. As it turned out, they lived rather close to one another. Mariel had moved in to the neighborhood more recently, and hadn’t gotten to know many people when she first met Saiya. As a result of their encounter, she would run along to the other’s house almost every day to watch cartoons and movies, build castles out of blankets, draw all over the place (one time they had drawn all over the walls inside Saiya’s house. After that incident they were given a bit of a scolding and a giant stack of paper that needed constant replenishing to keep them somewhat out of mischief.), eat snacks, or find a new place to explore. This is how it all began…
! Mariel stared out of the window of the car with round eyes. It was a whole new world out there. Gone was the familiarity of the apple orchard and the tiny garden plots. Gone was the small pond where the turtles and frogs would swim. Gone was the humble little woodland thicket which was occasionally frequented by deer. On Mariel’s lap was a backpack bulging with various possessions such as crayons, some books, and snacks to name but a few.
! “We’ve arrived!” her dad called out. The house was bigger than the last one. Everything seemed that way; the neighborhood itself was also bigger in size. Mariel’s new home was near the forest borders, elevated above the surrounding area. The front of the house looked down the gently sloping hillside and into the valley where various houses and stores could be seen for miles around. The back of the house looked upon the mighty forest that was separated from civilization by a stretch of grassland where sunflowers bloomed and bees buzzed. Many furry critters and birds also found comfortable lodging there and into the woods beyond. Hidden pathways formed from many years of treading feet wound their way to the forest.
! She hopped out the car and tugged on her backpack, which was comically oversized in proportion to her body. Spinning around and running in the opposite direction of the house, Mariel stood at the top of the hill and stood breathless at the sight. Little did she know that much more grand sights were awaiting discovery in the not too distant future. Reluctantly she turned back to the house at the sound of her parents’ calling. For the rest of that week, her family was busy unpacking and settling in to the house. Other people who lived nearby visited the house to greet Mariel’s family and offer gifts as a token of friendship. Mariel shyly peeked out at the strangers from behind a wall. From time to time, she’d mumble hello.
! All the neighbors had paid their respects, and so the new family was left to their privacy and settling down. At least, that is what Mariel’s family thought. However, one pleasant Saturday morning was about to get shaken up… At the moment Mariel was lying on her stomach in the living room, focused intently on her crayon drawing of a moose. As she was reaching for the pink crayon, the doorbell rang. Her bent head shot up with surprise. Scrambling upright she rushed to the door and saw the silhouette of a person standing there. She was about to open the door when she remembered that she was not supposed to let strangers in the house, so off she scampered to get her mom.
! “Who could it be?” she asked.
“We’ll see,” her mom replied. Mariel hide behind a wall that provided her a nifty vantage point of the front door. The doorbell rang once more. Her mom called out “Yes, yes, I’m coming!” and then opened the door. Mariel peeked a little further out behind the wall. Standing in the door was a woman dressed in the strangest fashion that Mariel had ever seen. The stranger was sporting a cowgirl hat, big brown boots complete with shiny spurs, and a colorful skirt of crimson and gold. She was also wearing a t-shirt that had a picture of questions marks and a magnifying glass upon it; this matched the color of her skirt. As soon as mom opened the door she cheerfully stuck out her hand and said
! “Well, howdy! You’re the new neighbors around here, aren’t you? I sure am pleased to make your acquaintance!” Mom seemed a bit surprised but quickly gathered her wits to give a polite response and invite the woman inside the house. “I apologize for not coming by sooner to give you a warm welcome to this wonderful neighborhood, but I was away on a camping trip up by the Great Falls. It’s a great place to go if you ever feel the spirit of adventure calling.”
! “Oh no, that’s perfectly alright,” mom replied. “The neighbors treated us with plenty of kindness when we arrived. Can I interest you in a cup of coffee?” “Sure!” As the woman stepped forward, she happened to glance to the side and spot Mariel peeking out from behind the wall. “Hm? Oho, who is that I spy?” she said. Suddenly she strode over to Mariel who flinched with surprise. “Is this your child?”
“Yes, that’s my daughter Mariel.” “Well, aren’t you just the cutest thing?” she exclaimed, ruffling Mariel’s hair good-naturedly. “Of course, my little Sai-Sai is the cutest! But I’ll call you second first cute!”
“Eh??” Mariel squeaked in confusion.
“Oh yeah! Sai-Sai, honey! Come here and greet little Mari!” A girl with long brown hair who looked to be about the same age as Mariel stepped out from the doorstep and through the still-open door. She wore orange and black clothes emblazoned with cute ghosts and “Boo!” written across her shirt. She walked over to Mariel and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Hi, my name is Saiya. What’s your name?”

Oh my god, that is so cute! <33 You got me perfectly! And the writting, descriptions and basic exposition went rather well.

The only 'flaw' I can see is my mom's clothes. xD; She's more of a… how you say... fashion girl. She loves high heeled black boots, short (sometimes leather) skirts and skinny jeans, and short shorts, rocker shirts... not overly so, you know, but I do love how you dipicted her. She does say 'howdy' and talks like that all the time. And she probably would call me Sai-Sai if my name were Saiya. You got my mom down pretty damn well considering I only told you so much about her.

[piratemarimo]

@Sai-chan:

Oh my god, that is so cute! <33 You got me perfectly! And the writting, descriptions and basic exposition went rather well.

The only 'flaw' I can see is my mom's clothes. xD; She's more of a… how you say... fashion girl. She loves high heeled black boots, short (sometimes leather) skirts and skinny jeans, and short shorts, rocker shirts... not overly so, you know, but I do love how you dipicted her. She does say 'howdy' and talks like that all the time. And she probably would call me Sai-Sai if my name were Saiya. You got my mom down pretty damn well considering I only told you so much about her.

Oh~ I'm glad to hear it I was particularly worried about if I'd get your mom's personality right since I only had descriptions and never actually talked with her as much as I have with you. lol I kind of fail at fashion, both irl and describing fashionable clothing. Glad you liked it. and also, do you have a fictional name you'd like me to call your mom? It felt slightly awkward writing the intro scene without having a name.

[Sai-chan]

@piratemarimo:

Oh~ I'm glad to hear it I was particularly worried about if I'd get your mom's personality right since I only had descriptions and never actually talked with her as much as I have with you. lol I kind of fail at fashion, both irl and describing fashionable clothing. Glad you liked it. and also, do you have a fictional name you'd like me to call your mom? It felt slightly awkward writing the intro scene without having a name.

Nah, you got her down reeeally well. As for her clothing… uh. Well, do the best you can. We all have our follies.

A fictional name? How about... Samantha. Does that work?

Also, some little tidbits: She doens't like coffee, (she loves water and iced tea) and she tries to speak more politely when meeting new people. ex: 'Why hello there! My name is ___, how can I help you?' But when she gets to know them she becomes more laid back: 'What the fuck?! Hahahahaa! I can't believe it! Ya'll're serious? Really?!'