☠ 1st Haunt ☠ - [Voice | Action]

[hollower]

[Waking up in a forest is definitely not a common occurrence for Perona. She remembers being in Sabaody, moping bidding that green-haired imbecile goodbye once and for all. For a moment, Perona thinks she's been blindsided by auctioneers, and sits up straight, hands flying to her neck, thankfully finding nothing there. She heaves a huge sigh of relief, and actually begins to look around her.]

...This isn't-- [Fluttering, and an all too familiar aching on her back clue the young woman in, and her teeth grind together as she reaches back gingerly and feels feathers.] Mmhhrm...it would by my luck to be brought back, wouldn't it? Now where is that stupid boo--Bearsy! They didn't take you awa--eh? Oh, there it is! You were holding my journal for me like a good boy.

[And finally, after removing her journal from the back zipper pouch of her stuffed teddy, Perona's face comes into the journal camera's viewfinder, looking rather unimpressed.] Oi, I've come back. Can someone tell me the date, and who's still here that I may know? You Straw Hat people, too, check in as soon as possible if you're still here! And anyone else from the grand Line, for that matter.

[Though Perona's not going to be too talkative right away. She snaps her journal shut and sends out a hollow scout up into the air, to scour the area from above. Seeing through its eyes, she heads toward the direction of the plaza, grumbling as she goes. Why did she have to come back here?! She was finally home! So...s-so what if she was alone there now, at least she was on the sea, and she had a ship, and she was safe, and--]

I wonder if he's...mm.

[When she does finally get to the clothing shop and into her clothes (after a lot of searching and hissing at how her hat could have gotten crushed under a mountain of other clothes), Perona exits the store and snaps opens her parasol. That should help keep the sun off her now, not that it'd do much good now after all that walking and floating she did. Stupid Luceti.]

How annoying, being back here again... My room had better still be unoccupied.

Comments

[fierybluebird]

That's what I mean. Most rookies I see come into the New World die in their first year. Or their first five. Then the first ten.

You've grown up, but without getting discouraged and forced to give up. If anything you're ... [Wiser, he wants to say. Stronger. Instead he says neither, leaving it to the imagination.] I liked you already, keep in mind. So to see this growth? Hardship might have shaped it, but you forged it.

People who can do that; really genuinely bring themselves to change things about themselves that aren't working for them, are rarer than people who use the King's Haki.

[It's where a lot of his disrespect to Gecko Moria or Crocodile, or yes, Rockstar, comes in. Watching rookies continually get crushed through their own naive "this is how the world should be, why is it kicking me down" and then watching them become like Moria or Crocodile; it gets wearisome. Almost no one is as stubborn as Ace, but Marco's biggest like of Ace wasn't that he was stubborn, it was that in spite of that, he still recognized when he needed to make a change for the better. For his dreams, for his happiness. And the one thing the New World proves time and and time again is that most people can't do that.]

Sometime when you're less mad at me, we should share drinks and you can tell me all about it, eh?

[hollower]

[That's quite a bit to take in all at once, but Perona listens quietly and very carefully. For all that Marco's saying, she's mostly surprised by him saying that he liked her prior to this conversation, given by how she acted around and treated him before. Hell, she even hit him that one time when he really upset her. It was....well, odd. Odd, but quite humbling as well. She is glad to know she's liked by someone strong like Marco, and even invited to share time with him sometime, which she's...still debating over mentally, but--]

...I'll consider it. Thank you, Marco-san. [There's a pause, as Perona looks away, chewing her lip and trying to hide the color that spreads on her face.] You're not nearly as horrible as I made you out to be.

[fierybluebird]

[He can't even hide his chuckle at that though.]

This is definitely going to take some getting used to, eh? You really are more mature though~ And more beautiful when you blush. [Punch him again Perona, clearly he doesn't learn.]

[And pssh, Marco only teases people he's interested in. Otherwise he'll just try to shut them down and shut them up. Thus why Shanks annoys the hell out of him.]

[hollower]

[WHAT. WHAT.

Did a man possibly double her age just say she was gorgeous and very possibly come onto her? I'm sorry, phoenix-san, you're warming up to Perona, but no where near that level, sorry. Not to mention you are very awkward-looking and so not Perona's type at all and...yeah. You're kinda like, a million years old and gross.]

...Don't say that. It's disgusting when you say I'm beautiful. [DIRTY OLD MAN.]

1/2

[fierybluebird]

[Ahahahaha no worries, Perona herself is still a good 10 years too young to really interest Marco (and you know, she's not Nico Robin). He's just being evil....]

[As is clearly evidenced by how much he's laughing now. Which is a lot.]

2/2

[fierybluebird]

My apologies. [Liar.]

I'll try to contain myself. [Lying more now. And clearly just embracing the fact that he's "disgusting" her by these things. Seriously, worst person ever.]

[hollower]

[Yes, yes you are an evil and terrible person, Marco. And also a terrible liar. Perona just narrows her eyes in disbelief at both those sentences and lifts her head up a little. Hahaha...yeah okay sure, mmmhm.]

I'm sure you will. [Aka, you better, or she'll sock you if it's in person.]

[fierybluebird]

And what are you going to do if I don't?

[Bring it.]

[hollower]

[Flatly--]

Be violently ill.