Bounty
Charlotte's location is unknown
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Post by Charlotte on May 14, 2014 15:37:53 GMT -6
Spa shelter, a lovely little island known for having the most relaxing of hot springs, massaueses trained to the highest standard of perfection, and an intoxicating scent that would leave even the most high strung admiral feeling loose in his limbs as soon as they set foot on the island.
For an un-aging wishing to keep up appearances, this place would be a regular stuff. Plus, when you have one of the greatest beauty treatments literally pouring out of your fingertips, it could be a great place to earn some money. Charlotte fit into both categories, and while normally, only certified professionals were allowed to work here, she was...an exception. Let's just say the person who run the spas owed her a favor...or two...or 50 if you counted every year Charlotte took from her appearance!~ As such, Charlotte was able to run a little stand on the way up to the island's main facilities. It was nothing special, just a little sign, a stand, and a tent for "treatments", but it was a good way to earn some money, and it was honestly a little bit of fun for the near immortal. For business reasons, she tended to take a more mature form when running the stand, probably her early thirties, but boy did she look good for them, which in fairness only attracted more customers who believed her treatments must actually work!
Now, sitting behind her desk, her 20 foot long pet snake sliding over the desk and around her shoulders, cuddling her gently as business was slow, she let out a quiet yawn, wondering if she'd get any "Interesting" customers this day.
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Marine
Admiral Kokuro
Bounty
Faust Eisenritter's location is unknown
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Post by Faust Eisenritter on May 15, 2014 12:02:41 GMT -6
Being a Marine was very exhausting work. It required constant vigilance. It required discipline. It required keen senses and a fighting spirit. It required hard work, both physical and mental. When you were not merely a Marine but an Admiral, it was a stressful and difficult job that left you feeling stiff and rigid by the end of the day, with a dreadful knowledge in knowing the next day would be just the same. That wasn't to say it wasn't rewarding, but it was certainly exhausting.
In an effort to find time for himself and his crew to relax and get well rested, Faust made the decision to take the entire crew to Spa Island. He had every intention of holding a drinking night and karaoke later on, of course, but he figured that he could do with some loosening up before he got incredibly drunk. He'd felt tension in his whole body - no doubt a product of his many years of service. Some nice relaxation with no worries wasn't too much to ask for, was it?
As he walked up the path by himself, his eyes glanced around before resting upon a particular stand. It advertised a sort of anti-aging treatment and was run by a woman quite a few years younger than himself. Faust wasn't the most particular person about his appearance, but as an older man who was nearing his twilight years he couldn't help but feel slightly drawn to it. 50 wasn't too old, he knew, but it didn't change the fact that he was no longer the young man he once was.
He scratched his chin for a moment as he glanced at the stand. Did he dare? He was originally just interested in having a soak and relaxing himself, but he couldn't help but grow curious. Obviously it wasn't like he'd actually appear any younger, but sometimes he'd have liked it if his skin didn't feel so leathery and worn from years of fighting. Even Faust had a few reservations regarding his appearance.
"Hey," Faust spoke as he approached, giving a smile and a wave. "How much does one of your treatments cost?"
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Bounty
Charlotte's location is unknown
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Post by Charlotte on May 15, 2014 13:54:14 GMT -6
AH! A customer! And one that looked like they could use her skills too! How wonderful! Koochi had even perked up as the man arrived at their stand, looking him up and down as he lifted his head from the stand and gave a quick sniff with his tongue. With a quick nod back to Charlotte, they both agreed he didn't look like any trouble, and she quickly put on her sales face, gesturing to a sign the stand that presented five prices, detailing them herself. "Well, we have 4 treatments sir, as well as a take away product we keep in the back. The price of the anti aging cream itself is 50 beli a tub, but, if you wish for a professional application, I am prepared to do them personally for the prices listed here." She gestured to the sign, following the list down with the tip of her fan, of course by passing the price of the cream itself. "I can perform a simple facial treatment for 100 beli, and a full hands, feat, and facial treatment for 200 beli." A small smile grew on her lips as she gestured to the last two treatments. "These two are my personal speciality...it uses a cream of my own making that I refuse to sell. An old family recipe if you will. I assure you that they are quite soothing and have no negative effects. The first is a basic treatment much like the facial foot and hand combo. This would be a rather pricey 1000 beli I'm afraid, but I assure you it's worth it..."  A small smile seemed to grow on her lips as she finally gestured to the final of the prices, even Koochi seemed to snicker and giggle somewhat at this last one. "Now, as for this treatment...I must keep it in utmost secrecy until it is performed, but the price is probably the cheapest depending..." She wanted to intrigue the man in this one as much as she could, leaning back and opening her fan to hid her lips. By now, she had gathered who this person was...she was well versed in all the important people of the world, she had to be if she didn't want to get in trouble...and with an admiral at her desk, it may be a good opportunity to earn herself something more valuable than beli. "In fact...it may be very fitting for a man such as you...the price may however be extremely dear in your case." Snapping her fan shut, she tilted her head, smiling sweetly. "A secret.~ One worthy of the person asking, and in your case, Admiral Faust...I believe it would require a VERY extreme secret for me to issue this treatment." |
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Marine
Admiral Kokuro
Bounty
Faust Eisenritter's location is unknown
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Post by Faust Eisenritter on May 16, 2014 8:31:39 GMT -6
Faust listened intently as the young woman listed off and explained her various treatments. She certainly seemed to be a very polite woman. Depending on how good the actual service was he'd consider recommending her. Of course, he supposed most of his coworkers probably weren't the type to check out an island like Spa Island. The young ones seemed to always have their duties at the front of their minds. Not that he blamed them, of course, but at Faust's age you tended to appreciate the small things.
That said, Faust couldn't help but raise a brow as the young woman discussed her last treatment. Something very cheap, but also very expensive? It was a strange contradiction, made all the more curious by the knowing chuckle the young woman gave. Still, Faust's natural curiosity made him feel drawn to it. He wanted to know just what it was. Letting out a low chuckle, Faust couldn't help but shake his head at his own thoughts.
"You really are a sly one, aren't you?" he remarked, chuckling to himself in amusement. So she wanted a secret from him? She really was a curious one. She even referred to him by his name - a rarity, considering most people's insistence upon either "Admiral Kokuro" or "Admiral Eisenritter". There was definitely something to this woman. "I can't even imagine what kind of secret you'd be looking for. I might be an Admiral, but I'm just an old man".
She certainly was odd. A secret treatment, payable only with a deep secret? What exactly was she looking for? A secret about the Marines? About the World Government? Or was she looking for a more personal secret? Faust was almost tempted to ask the same. He'd only met her, but this was clearly a woman of many, many secrets.
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Bounty
Charlotte's location is unknown
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Post by Charlotte on May 17, 2014 15:38:55 GMT -6
Koochi's tongue flicked at the air as Faust began to speak, seeming to suggest he had nothing worth telling her for her services. She wasn't sure if he was plain stupid, or just trying to see if he could get away with something small. Either way, Char felt he could use her special treatment, so she elaborated in the politest way possible.
"Oh the secret can be personal or to do with those you know, such as the marines. You could tell me you were a bed wetter, you could tell me the marines plan to attack loguetown in april. You could tell me that you have an allergy to peanuts, or even just tell me that you once gave an order that had your subordinate marines killed.~" She wracked these off like they were nothing, resting her chin on the back of her hands. "So long as you give me something not many people know, and it interests me, you get the special treatment.~"
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Marine
Admiral Kokuro
Bounty
Faust Eisenritter's location is unknown
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Post by Faust Eisenritter on May 18, 2014 7:39:46 GMT -6
Faust was not a very secretive man. No one would blame a man who'd been through the stuff he'd been through to keep secrets, but Faust had never really felt much of a need to hide things. Ever since he was a young kid he'd always been straightforward and honest. A little too honest, sometimes, and often in the wrong company, but honest nonetheless. Not much had changed in that regard as he grew older.
As such, the dark-haired man found himself struggling to think of anything that could qualify as a secret. He couldn't go blathering on about classified Marine information. He wasn't that reckless to go telling someone information on the Marines that was on a need-to-know basis. But at the same time, he couldn't help but wonder what exactly this treatment was to demand such an odd price. At that moment, an idea came to him.
"Well, I guess there is one thing I could tell you," Faust began to speak, scratching the back of his head with his mechanical hand. He looked the younger woman in the eyes. "You wouldn't be the first to know, but... At the same time, no one who knows about it is still alive, so I guess it would be something of a secret".
It was a memory from far back - back when he had been just a teenager. It had taken a moment for him to recollect, but Faust could now recall the memory in full. He'd always been able to, when pressed. It was the kind of memory you could never really forget, even if you wanted to. If anything qualified as a secret, though, it would be this particular memory.
"Long time ago, I grew up in an orphanage. My parents died in a pirate attack, so every kid who lost their parents or guardians got sent there. Anyways, I made some friends, and I guess they became my new family," he continued, reciting the memory. "Lo and behold - eventually, our little island ends up getting attacked again. More pirates. The Marines are off doing mock battles, so half the base is missing. And me and my friends - we're right in the middle of it".
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Bounty
Charlotte's location is unknown
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Post by Charlotte on May 20, 2014 2:56:26 GMT -6
Charlotte tilted her head to the side, wondering if the man would still try and get away without a secret. No skin off her bones in the end, afterall he was likely to buy one of her other treatments anyway, so at least she could buy herself one of the super intense spa treatments later! Koochi himself even seemed to be relaxing already at the thought of getting a massage from the pet daycare.
"Oh, finally thought of something have we?~" She perked up, smiling sweetly at the thought of something finally coming up, she hoped it would be something interesting, something she might be able to use in her favour when she couldn't use her age powers to keep her life going. Sadly as the story began it didn't seem like it would be too valuable...definitely interesting, just not so useful. She leaned on her elbows and listened intently, Koochi lifting his head up in interest similarly as they took in the story. She was interested from the story's explanation, simply knowing everyone who did know, was dead.
"So...I assume that if no one else knows...your friends are...?"
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Marine
Admiral Kokuro
Bounty
Faust Eisenritter's location is unknown
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Post by Faust Eisenritter on May 20, 2014 3:51:23 GMT -6
"We enlisted in the Marines 34 years ago. We all knew the risks," he told her, clarifying the situation for her. It still hurt to know his friends were gone, but he'd come to terms with that fact. He'd had plenty of time to think about it, after all. They didn't all pass away at the same time, but over the years, he'd simply watched as his circle of friends slowly but surely shrank.
Now he was the only one left, he mused. It was not a particularly pleasant thought. Regardless, his fate as the lone survivor wasn't important to the story - at least, not in any direct sense. Looking back towards the young woman, he began to think about how best to approach telling the story.
"Anyways, we were caught in the middle of a pirate raid. Now, the lot of us - we were pretty tough. For young kids, anyway. So when pirates came into the town, we fought them off. For a while, it seemed to actually work," he remarked, remembering the chaos of that day vividly in his mind.
He could still see that moment when a much younger version of himself ducked under a blade and tackled a man to the ground before beating him within an inch of his life. He could recall how Gerlinde had grabbed a wooden sign and smacked a man across the face with it so hard it had splintered. For such a chaotic time, the memory was remarkably vivid.
"But we were just young teens. We were in way over our heads. Eventually, two of my friends passed out and I was left carrying them. Another friend of mine was nursing a leg wound. The only one of us aside from me who could do anything was a guy named Edmund," Faust told her. He could picture Edmund's coy smirk even now. "But we were screwed. We'd pissed off a whole bunch of Pirates and we were close to surrounded. If we didn't find a way to escape, we would be dead".
It was strangely therapeutic, admitting to it. He'd admitted it before, to his friends, but this was someone who he'd never met before. But he didn't mind telling her. It took some weight off of his shoulders, to be able to admit it to someone else. Looking up for a moment, he then turned his gaze back towards the young woman.
"In order to save the rest of us, we decided someone needed to act as bait and draw the Pirates away. We decided it with a coin toss," he admitted. "It felt mad, deciding something like that with a coin toss... Even then, I kept insisting that I should be the one to go. But Edmund... He refused to let me be the bait".
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Bounty
Charlotte's location is unknown
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Post by Charlotte on May 23, 2014 14:25:16 GMT -6
Koochi and Charlotte, by now, had completely shut up. Any idea Charlotte had of requesting another secret as payment had gone out the window. She was...interested, to say the least. She had tales far older than the man before her, but actually hearing one from the mature voice of the marine admiral before he was quite a calming sensation. Even Koochi seemed to widen his eyes, wondering what would happen next in this tale of days gone past. As the story seemed to be growing to an innevitable moment, Charlotte's hand graspe a little at the cloth covering her stand. She recalle having times like that, back before she got her fruit, where she'd want to sacrifice herself for her friends...Perhaps these days she was just too confident in herself to think she might actually die anymore.
"And...what I'm assuming he...didn't get away from being the bait?"
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Marine
Admiral Kokuro
Bounty
Faust Eisenritter's location is unknown
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Post by Faust Eisenritter on May 30, 2014 8:55:12 GMT -6
Time again I have found myself stuttering Foundations pulled out from under me "No, he didn't," Faust admitted, looking down for a moment. He could still recall the moment he found the body. He could even remember the scent. "After we escaped, I left the others in the care of a couple of medics and went back. By the time I found him, it had already been too late".
He remembered feeling many things at that moment. He remembered feeling anger towards the Pirates who had caused it. He remembered feeling regret over knowing he had left his friend to such a grisly fate. But most of all, he remembered that he felt an emptiness. The anger and the regret slowly faded, but he wished they hadn't, because feeling pain had felt better than feeling empty.
"I suppose I knew that I was just being hopeful when I ran back for him. Strong as both of us were, we knew that whoever acted as bait wouldn't last long. Not against the kinds of numbers we were up against," he admitted, letting out a sigh. Shaking his head, he looked back to the young woman.
"In any case, after the Marines came and finished off the Pirates, we all agreed to join the Marines. After what we saw, I don't think any of us could avoid enlisting. Although..." he remarked, folding his arms in front of himself. "I suppose in my case, I might have felt guilty for letting Edmund go through with the plan".
Faust sighed again and looked down at his feet. He remained silent for another moment before shaking his head again. Slowly, he pulled his head back up and looked back at the young woman, a small smile appearing on his face.
"I will admit though, getting that off my chest feels... Therapeutic..." he remarked. He spent a lot of time bottling up his problems. Admitting them, even to a stranger, felt relaxing. He felt at ease.
|  Notes: Notes.
Tags: Bleh.
Words: Words. |
Made by Siren of GS and THQ |
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Bounty
Charlotte's location is unknown
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Post by Charlotte on Jun 1, 2014 14:24:05 GMT -6
With the story drawing to it's close, Charlotte glanced to her pet, who seemed just that little empathetic towards the man who had shared their tale with them. Charlotte wanted to feel the same, but her mind still lingered on what happened to the others. She may have been listening wrong, but there were supposedly other people who escaped with him and joined the marines...she wandered what happened to them...she never liked it when someone died in a tale. She'd avoided it for so long afterall that the mere thought of it happening to others sent a chill down her spine.
Nevertheless, a deal was a deal, and with a gentle nod to her pet Koochi, who quickly slithered off her shoulders and towards the opening in the tent, she hopped off her own chair, stretching out her arms before turning to Faust with a gentle smile, resting her hands on her hips.
"Well, if it helps, your whole body is gonna feel a little lighter in a few seconds." Turning to the tent she slowly pulled open the curtain of it, showing only a comfortable looking chair and a crate that was slightly open, filled with tubs of the cream she had on her stand. "Right this way.~"
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Marine
Admiral Kokuro
Bounty
Faust Eisenritter's location is unknown
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Post by Faust Eisenritter on Jun 9, 2014 5:38:46 GMT -6
Time again I have found myself stuttering Foundations pulled out from under me Faust smiled as he began to walk over towards the tent. It had been nice to get that off his chest. He didn't really mind someone knowing about such a personal topic, even if they were a stranger. But now he was about to see just what that special treatment she had mentioned was. His curiosity had gotten the better of him, though he didn't mind at all. He considered a moment of honesty a fair trade. It wasn't like he was ashamed to admit some of his less than glorious moments.
Stepping inside the tent, he caught sight of a chair and a crate. It was a remarkably simple set up, though he trusted the young woman was good with treatments. After all, if she was setting up a stand on spa island, it had to be decent. Hearing the young woman's voice he smiled and nodded before walking over to the chair and sitting himself down comfortably in the seat.
"Alright," he spoke as he leaned back in the chair. "I suppose if you're asking for such a strange form of payment, the service must be good".
| Notes: Notes.
Tags: Bleh.
Words: Words. |
Made by Siren of GS and THQ |
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Bounty
Charlotte's location is unknown
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Post by Charlotte on Jun 18, 2014 15:58:27 GMT -6
 "Oh I assure you sir, this will be quite the treatment. In fact, people may not even recognise you afterwards.~" Hinting at the truth behind her workings, she guided the admiral to sit in the chair, spinning it around so as not to face the mirror she had set up. "Now please, relax." She ensured herself that he was laying down and lightly began to massage his shoulders. Her hands had years of expertise behind them, far more than even the experts of the island. It would be near impossible for Faust not to feel relaxed under her touch. As soon as she was ensured that he was in a somewhat dreary, relaxed state, she placed her thumbs along his temple, wrapping her hands around the top of his head. "Now, this may tickle." Charlotte's devil fruit activated, and with it's reveal came Faust's youth in it's full glory. His hair became much more lively and full of color, still holding the messy appearance of any normal mans. His muscles would feel much lighter, not because they had shrunk, but simply due to the years of overuse fading away. Any excess fat would seem to slither away, and his whole body would feel like it had one hell of a kick in it as he was filled with life. "Now..." She had hoped he was too relaxed to notice the change was due to her power, and spun the chair back around, allowing him to look in the mirror. "What do you think?" |
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Marine
Admiral Kokuro
Bounty
Faust Eisenritter's location is unknown
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Post by Faust Eisenritter on Jun 19, 2014 6:16:32 GMT -6
Time again I have found myself stuttering Foundations pulled out from under me Faust found his body becoming slack as she massaged his shoulders. A tightness he'd never noticed in him began to loosen as he allowed himself to relax. She was certainly good at her job, he had to admit. He was already beginning to feel like a hundred million Beri. Still, he couldn't help but feel that there was something more to the whole thing. Such an unusual form of payment certainly meant there was more to this treatment than a backrub, wasn't there?
He remained still as she moved up from his shoulders, placing her hands upon his temples. He was confused for a moment, wondering what it was she had planned, but all of a sudden he felt a lightness that hadn't been there before. He felt like he'd been put under an adrenaline rush, with his body feeling light and full of energy. But he felt as though there was a physical change - his body felt like it was altering itself. He lightly rubbed his hands together, feeling the texture of his skin change as it became less leathery and hardened with experience. Something was definitely up.
He was about to speak up, but in the words of the young woman she had already finished. His chair spun around and all of a sudden Faust was face to face with a face he'd not seen in years, but one he knew all too well. His eyes opened wide as he stared into the mirror, astonished by what was staring back at him.
His hair remained long, but it was now shorter and tidier. His facial hair had receded, becoming a much thinner mustache and goatee than the bushy mustache he'd groomed. His face was angular, but much of the wrinkles had vanished. His body possessed all of its muscle, but a layer of fat he'd gained with age had completely disappeared. He reached up to touch his own face and found that the changes were real. She hadn't just massaged his shoulders or anything like that.
He was physically younger.
"How...?" he murmured as he stared into the mirror. He'd tried anticipating a lot of things, but this was definitely not one of them. |  Notes: Notes.
Tags: Bleh.
Words: Words. |
Made by Siren of GS and THQ |
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Bounty
Charlotte's location is unknown
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Post by Charlotte on Jun 24, 2014 3:15:44 GMT -6
Charlotte couldn't help but chuckle at his awestruck reaction, it was something she'd seen in plenty of customers over the years, heck, it was how she herself reacted when she first ate the fruit those hundreds of years ago. It really was a lot to take in at once, even in the world of devil fruit users, this was one of the special exceptions that still seemed to trip people up when they first experienced it. She flashed a knowing wink to her pet snake, who seemed to let out a hissing chuckle of his own as Charlotte leaned down beside Fausts's chair, so the admiral could see her face in the mirror.
"Well sir, I must say that is a trade secret." She tapped her nose with a cheeky little smile. "But then again, that's why I ask for a secret of your own, so that you may know mine. Let's just say a certain little devil fruit has kept me looking young for...oh about two hundred and fifty years now?"
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