01 - Action/Video

[dualcross]

Who: Dracule Mihawk and Anyone else.
Broadcast: Video - Fleetwide.
Action: Marsiva.
When: Now.


[It's the annoying chill that stirs the swordsman from sleep, already frowning as he pulls back the sheets and cracks his neck once. Chill tends to stiffen one's body and bones. Now, as her rubs his face with a long yawn, Mihawk peers around at the unfamiliar space, the even more unfamiliar clothes, and his scowl only seems to set in place. He's not unfamiliar with being dragged from his home, his world and thrust into a whole other one on the whims of whatever nonsense that sees fit to haven him there, but there is one thing that is lacking the confined space he finds himself in.

One very large and exceptionally important thing.

At the very least his clothes and his cross necklace (doubling as a small, concealed knife) are inside the chest. After dressing, he sweeps up his communicator and easily flicks it on. He's had previous experience with gadgets like this, after all. He doesn't care where he is, how he got here, what his purpose for being here is. Mihawk has not a care about that frivolous bullshit, he just wants to know--]

Where is my sword?

[Later, after Mihawk has heard enough, he's gone to explore and to look for his sword. Regardless of what he's been told, he's not parting with Yoru so easily. One way or another he's getting it back. He doesn't look any angrier than usual as he prowls through the halls like a stalking wildcat, but the sheer presence of him, the sharpness that hides in the edges of his golden eyes...it's obvious Mihawk's not at all pleased with this so-called fine print. Not in the least.]

Comments

[shoujoreject]

[He doesn't habitually lose himself, whether in principle or in practice. Absent-mindedness is the bane of any food-worker's existence, much less one who works with the customers directly.

In his defense, this place does not promote clear thought in its newcomers. Qing may not have lost anything of note when he arrived, but even after speaking with a number of others here, he's beginning to think he's losing his mind. A reality TV show? In space? Where no one knows how they got here, why they were chosen... nothing at all.

His wandering thoughts follow his wandering feet, and it isn't until there's a sense of heat and a looming presence that he looks up. By then, it's nearly too late, and the sound he makes is one of faint embarrassment. Perhaps Mihawk will have noticed his mindlessness, been ready to move when Qing's form kept forward, but his reaction will be the same regardless.

It's just a question of whether or not they collide in the least, the almost-negligible weight of the redhead shifting back in alarm. The movement is remarkably quick, whatever Qing thinks of himself and his abilities, but that doesn't matter - staring up into the face of someone with that much presence, with such sharpness in his eyes...

... well, he may well have fucked up, hasn't he.]

A-ah! Excuse me, I wasn't- [Paying attention. Qing's hands rise up as if to surrender, begging forgiveness as his face turns red. He'll have all the apologies in the world, and as it stands he just has to hope that irritation doesn't turn too sharply on him in his panic.]

[dualcross]

[It pays to have a sort of sixth sense in this situation - the sort of clairvoyance that allows one to predict another's movements. Haki, and though Mihawk's is fairly mild, it does at least give him the reaction time to shift his body away in time to avoid a collision. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean Qing won't get tangled in the flowing coat the swordsman wears, or at least get smacked in the face by in when he moves. Mihawk is tall (an impressive 6'6") and very muscular, so he tends to take up a bit of space even without his immense black sword.

Mihawk peers down at the boy when he speaks up, mildly irritated, but it rolls off quickly. Considering the circumstance, a lot of people have much to think about right now. Bumping into someone whilst walking seems like just the sort of hazard one ought to expect of newcomers. Especially those that don't have previous experience with "world-hopping".]

Mind yourself. [Not rough, but not exactly gentle, either. Just a statement. Mihawk's not bothered with an accidental bump, but he wants to keep exploring a little more, and he can't be standing around listening to a child's simpering apologies.]

[shoujoreject]

[How... strange, the way the mind works. Qing had narrowly avoided getting tangled in the spill of Mihawk's coat, though it flicks against him with a little too much force. No matter, it scarcely hurts. It's not the coat that really gives him pause, but the height. He expected to have to look up - he so often does - but as it stands he's not even at shoulder height on the man.

It's the words that snap him back to reality, out of that period of dumb staring where soft violet eyes finally met the sharp features - and sharp expression - of his face. Simple, firm.

It reminds him of too much else, all of a sudden.]

My deepest apologies. [In its wake, his flailing clears up considerably - as though someone told him to stand up straight and stop being childish. The way his features shift into something a bit more afflicted is hidden in the immediacy with which he... well, leans forward to bow politely.]

Ah... were you going somewhere in particular? [It's an idle question, and seems to be one borne of kind intent, as he rights himself and tugs at the edge of his skirt. Thankfully, he's gotten... a good bit more used to the Marsiva and where everything is, especially thanks to Jennifer's assistance.]

[dualcross]

Yes and no.

[He notes the change of demeanor with muted interest - just what was that now? To stop that atrocious sputtering so quickly... Mihawk knows he holds a certain presence, but that was a little more than just taking note of the difference between how they hold themselves. His eyes narrow some and he tilts his head slightly at the boy. Yes, boy, Mihawk's eyes can distinguish the minute details the young lad is concealing by dressing the way he does. He says nothing to it - there are cross-dressers in his world also - and he never had an opinion on them. It's nothing he's interested in.]

I'm looking for something that was taken from me, though it feels I'm wandering for nothing. [But the walk at least calmed him down. Ish. Kind of. Maybe...?]

[shoujoreject]

[Just a little switch from personal to professional, Mihawk. Don't worry about it. Qing winces mentally at the suspicious look, though he's unable to claim to be surprised by it.]

Hm... [All the places he's passed have seemed unlikely places to lose things, though certainly it depends on the size of the object...] Ah, but Jennifer did mention we're usually on smaller ships than this one. If you can't find it around here, perhaps they put it on yours...? I think I saw something of a claims area somewhere, too.

[He offers a smile then that's much easier than the last, mild and gentle almost to a fault.] If nothing else, the walk at least confirmed where it isn't, and hopefully has given you a decent concept of the ship's layout. [Yeah, he may be one of those 'nothing is worthless' people. Or he may just act like it, but whatever.]

[dualcross]

I'm afraid that is highly unlikely. From what I have been told, all weapons owned by those freshly entering this world are withheld. However, if you could direct me to the claims office, I would be appreciative. This ship is vastly different than the ones I am familiar with.

[Mihawk is doubtful he'll find his sword there - Yoru is bigger even than he is (she's a whopping seven feet long, give or take a few inches, from tip to tip, and the width of the arm guard isn't anything to sneeze at, either) - but at least filing a claim or getting some more information from an official wouldn't hurt. Doing nothing will achieve nothing.]

[shoujoreject]

[Weapons... well, that's a little worrisome. He supposes it's not unreasonable to expect, though, with a group as varied as this one is supposed to be.]

Certainly. I can't say I've ever been on a ship before now, myself. It should be this way, though.

[The upside of learning to wait tables is that layouts, no matter how confusing, become fairly easy to recall. The 'officials' here may not be much help, when Mihawk gets there, but he has to start the process first. Or something.]

Ah... my name is Qing-Yuan, by the way. Sorry, I'm usually a lot more aware of my manners.

[dualcross]

[And a ship, regardless of if it's a space or sea vessel, usually has the same layout. So long as Mihawk can get his bearings of what is what, he'll catch on very quickly. That's the benefit of being a sailor (pirate), I guess. And even as they walk, he's taking in the sights, making a mental map of the interior. It's so different that what he's used to...a ship should be open and airy, not a big metal bubble.

He follows quietly, peering into the interiors of rooms that branch off from the main hall, catching extraordinary detail even while passing. He doesn't look Qing in the eye when he responds, and it's an absent remark, like he heard him but doesn't...quite register. Or have any care to retain what was said.]

Dracule Mihawk.

[shoujoreject]

[Mihawk's reaction indicates either absentmindedness or disinterest. Qing assumes the latter more because he's shown himself thus far to be more mindful of his surroundings than he himself, which... is a little awkward, but it happens.

Maybe he's just aloof. It doesn't much matter.

It's not a long walk, either, to the desk. The relative silence makes it feel a little longer for Qing, but he doesn't attempt to really strike up a conversation - even if he weren't decently good at reading the mood, he's not actually as good at general conversation as he often acts.]

... Here we are.

[dualcross]

[Mihawk quite prefers the silence, actually. It's a welcome change to the two bickering youngsters he was saddled with for two years. A noisy, whining woman and a bullheaded, fool of a swordsman and will be Mihawk's successor as the World's Greatest. He often wonders what the two are up to now - how far Zoro has gotten with his crew, and what Perona would do after she delivered him to them. They were troublesome kids, but he's proud of how they've grown, at the least. But it does him no good to remember that now - he has a job to do.

Bypassing Qing with a quiet thanks, Mihawk steps up to the receptionist to begin his questioning. He'll take it from here and probably be a while...and doesn't exactly expect the boy to wait up for him. He can find his way back on his own if need be.]

[shoujoreject]

[Mihawk isn't precisely wrong; Qing does excuse himself shortly after the quiet thanks, slipping back into the thrum of the area. There's a lot to do, after all, when one is filing for the return of something - so he expects at any case.

But... it isn't as though there's anywhere but the Marsiva to be right now, and there are plenty of points of interest nearby. It's only an off-chance that he'll be needed again, and still Qing makes himself relatively available - Mihawk will no doubt be able to find the redhead settled at one of the nearby tables, reading over something or other and generally... well, not taking up much space. Either way, it's up to Mihawk if he bothers so much as looking.]