6/21/2006


[I'm feeling lazy this time. Just look at the picture. ._. http://www.rpgamer.com/games/other/ps2/namxcap/art/namxcapart028.jpg]

Gantz (OOC) ... ... ... ... !!!  "WAHOOO~"

Station City - 200 Marina
 
Historically, Station City has always been a centre of trade and industry. But it achieved fame as the nerve centre of the pioneering transcontinental rail network, not as a sea port. Hence, Maritime pursuits in Station City have always been for pleasure, not business, and the Marina reflects that. While it doesn't attract many tourists these days, it's still popular with the locals. Various small businesses, and the occasional vendor, have set up shop along the bay. Several restaurants and bistros are in residence, with outdoor seating beneath a forest of umbrellas. And, of course, the crystal blue waters of the Emerald Coast are always visible.
 
Just off Station Square, this portion of the Marina is home to what passes for the local pier, with several small craft, ranging from little speedboats to larger yachts, docked securely in various berths. Beyond the moored civilian craft, one or two Military cutters patrol the waters of the bay, part of the security net that keeps Station City safe. To the north, further along the Marina, one can make out the shape of the Twinkle Park complex dominating the skyline, and to the south, the glittering tower of the Station City Hotel.
 
[Exits   : Station Square <W>, 100 Marina <N>, and 300 Marina <S> ]
[Players : Klonoa, and Harley ]

The Marina has become astonishingly busy of late. After the trader ship shouted its way into port, the docks have seen a regular bustle of commerce. Some walk away satisfied, others upset, but there seems to always be something interesting to find.

      Gantz in particular has returned to this strange place. Strange for him, at least, considering that he has no love for boats of any kind. He has his reasons though. For one, he does kind of want to find out how Harley is doing. The kitty left a lasting impression on him. Not that he CARES about her or anything but... he is interested in her business. After all, the little hand-held game was fun for killing time, even if it was a simple one. So why is he here? He was dumb enough to let someone at GUN catch him playing it, that's why.

Gantz (OOC) says, "Gantz: Why am I always surrounded by cats?!  Klonoa: Umm, you brought me here.  Gantz: Shut up."

Meanwhile, less than a foot away, Klonoa is walking at a steady pace along the pier while his eyes remain fixed on the Gameboy Plus+ clutched between his hands. His tennis shoes creak noisly over the planks and he sticks out his tongue a little with concentration while his thumb makes frequent button-mashing taps. What is he doing here, you might ask? No particular reason other than to get a little fresh air and get away from GUN for a little while. As for the game, well... Let's just say that he couldn't help but borrow it from his friend for awhile. 
*doot do do do doo doo doot do do!* "Lucky! I thought that I wouldn't be able to survive that boss fight."

Harley
One of the first things one would notice upon resting eyes on this seal-point Siamese is that she is, in fact, tall.  Extremely tall, for the average Mobian, standing roughly 5' 3" of pure, scruffy beanpole kitty.  Her fur, which is for the most part short and messy, thanks to the sea air of her preferred environs, is the warm color of old, polished ivory, darkening rather abruptly to a dark chocolate color on her face, ears, hands, feel, and tail.  Her eyes are very, very blue, gleaming from within the dark fur of her face.  The speculative, calculating glint within their depths give her the air of one who not only notices everything around her, but is likely trying to figure its rough market value.  If this woman posesses more than the usual amount of headfur, it is for the most part kept hidden by a thick blue bandanna, knotted carefully around her ears and over the top of her head.  On her lean body is an old, worn, oft-mended captain's jacket, of the lace-ruffled cuffs variety, done up in blue, black, and gold piping.  By the looks of it, it must be a family heirloom of some sort.
http://www.deviantart.com/view/34428162/
http://www.deviantart.com/view/34580411/

Harley is walking easily through the hustle and bustle of the marketplace, an easy, sharp-toothed grin on her chocolate-furred face.  She seems to be making small talk with the buyers who carry off more than a single item or two, but halts, raising an arm in greeting as she spots the younger vulpine.  "Oi!  Gantz!  Din' expect t'see you back here soon!  You ain't outa batteries already, are ya?"

      Gantz flattens his ears a little at Klonoa's comment. Damn it, he had been playing that game for five days or so and only got a third of the way through. And in only one, Klonoa has managed to get a little past half-way, with no signs of stopping. Then again, he was playing off and on during his time playing it (even while recovering.) He's an active fellow and hates being still for very long. Good thing it's a hand-held.
      He is about to respond to Klonoa when he sees Harley first. She's tall so, even with Mobian buyers around her, she isn't hard to spot. His ears prick up again at her greeting and he glances at Klonoa with some irritation but tries to push the even smaller and younger 'tuxedo' cat towards the siamese in question. This time the only guns he has with him are on his belt and he seems pretty much right as rain too.
      "Hello, Harley," amazingly enough, he remembered her name.
      Then he adds, a bit derisively, "This is Special Forces Commander Klonoa."
      Considering how Klonoa is just a kid, and a bit shorter than Gantz himself, most would never take this comment at face value. It isn't quite accurate either but whenever anyone asks 'Who's in charge?' the GUN members in the Special Forces unit tend to shrug and just point to Klonoa (originally because he was the easiest to blame), who seems to have gotten used to haphazardly taking on this role (which more or less does need to be filled.) Gantz just enjoys introducing Klonoa as such because it amuses him to see how others react, which is usually with mild disbelief. It also puts Klonoa in a bit of a spot, so he enjoys teasing Klonoa in this manner every chance that he gets.

"And now...! Huh?" 
*piku-piku* goes the pause screen as he is pushed by Gantz, causing him to stumble a bit. 
"Wh--whoa!" He tilts far forward onto his right foot, balancing on the tip of his shoe and waving his arms out for balance, and then gently shifts back down on both feet as he turns his head back toward the vulpine. 
"Hey, Gantz, I know I wasn't paying that much attention but was that really any reason to--" He notices that Gantz's attention (and speech) is elsewhere, and he turns his head to look straight into a... jacket? Oh wait. He headtilts while his thumb fingers the off switch on the handheld. He can always catch up later.
Wait. Wait. Who in the what now? Let's see... he said... 
"Oh!" Klonoa says out loud before nodding his head modestly in greeting, looking a little embarrassed, "Klo~oa! Yes! Nice to meet you!" 
He seems to be talking to the ground. He pulls his head up quickly and takes a short step back, scratching his head. "Eeheh..."

Gantz (OOC) exclaims, "Klonoa: AAAH! MY MORTAL ENEMY! BOOBS!"

Harley is certainly no exception and her eyebrow arches some.  
"Commander, mh?  Funny, I thought most a'them GUN types were... I dunno..." puzzled, the feline scratches at the spill of tight black curls falling from the back of her bandanna, "Well... Good t'meetcha, Klonoa... Name's Harley. Capt. O'Connor to my crew."

Gantz (OOC) Klonoa: ...   Harley: ...   Klonoa: Why did you bring me here again?   Gantz: You're both cats, you should get along fine. *steals game back*   Klonoa: ...Oh. HEY!

       Gantz smirks at Klonoa's less than amazing greeting and Harley's overall befuddlement. Though Klonoa's probably used to the latter by now, it still amuses Gantz to no end. Not that -he- wanted to lead the Special Forces but... it still kind of gets to Gantz, just a little, that some kid even younger than himself is technically his commanding officer (admittedly, this was in part decided by himself but he had no idea he was doing it at the time. He simply thought it would be fun to point the finger at Klonoa just like everyone else.) He nods sagely to show that he's telling the truth on that point. Then he goes into the real reason he brought Klonoa here.
       "You wouldn't happen to have another one of those game systems, would you?" Gantz asks.

Klonoa shakes his head from side to side, his ears swishing in the air. 
"I-It's nothing, really." He brings his free left hand up in a fist and coughs quietly into it. Ahem. "Harley, huh?" 
He tilts his head up with a grin spreading on his face. "So you're a captain?" What was his first clue? 
"That's cool. I've never met a captain before, well... except for that one time..." he suddenly turns back toward Gantz and sweatdrops, holding the handheld out to him in his right hand, "Whoops. Sorry, Gantz. I guess I got a little carried away.... Here."

Klonoa (OOC) says, "Guntz: ... Low battery. Klonoa: ... Why are you looking at me like that? o_o;"

Harley chuckles, shaking her head.  "Heh... Kids just can't learn to share, can they.... Gimme a sec, lemme see what I can dig up."  
Turning around and pulling over the familiar (to Gantz) bulging carpetbag, she leans over and begins to root around inside, tail swishing lazily in the manner of all searching kitties.  
"Eeeh... Doesn't look like it... Thought I saw 'nother game f'r that thing, though..." The tail sways, then jerks out straight. "Aha! *There* you are, y'little sonuva..."  
Straightening, the feline lazily arcs a cartridge emblazoned with the legend 'Super Amazing Robot Fun War Go! Go! Go!' toward Gantz.  "Here y'are, kiddo.  Y'did me a better turn 'n I thought, once I got ahold a' the trade commission hereabouts... Keep it."

Gantz (OOC) cackles at that... another game for Klonoa to steal and play.
Klonoa (OOC) doesn't steal! He has -every- intention of returning it! ... Eventually. :o
Gantz (OOC) nods. ;)

      Gantz looks over the cartridge he's just been given and sighs a little bit. The name of the game sounds interesting but this means he's probably going to have to chase Klonoa around just to get the thing back in order to play it. Well, Klonoa gave it back just NOW... he has it in his hand but still. He KNOWS.
      Gantz tilts his head to the side and scratches behind one of his big, black, pointy ears as he contemplates what to do now. He appreciates her offer. Really, he does. Hey, at least it's free!
      "Thank you," he says, barely audible.

Harley (OOC) just likes the idea of a cartridge named like a Japanese game show.  :D
Klonoa (OOC) says, "There's a sad truth in that. XD"

Klonoa watches Harley with keen interest, particularly the oddly expressive nature of her tail that causes his own nose to twitch a little upon her discovery of the game cartridge. The feline can only stare in awe as the captain produces the catchy-named video game cartridge that he has yet to play. 
"Hwaaah..." he says as Gantz accepts the token, clenching his fists tightly in anticipation, "That's really cool, Gantz! You're so lucky!" Honest and truly, Klonoa -is- happy for his friend's new game. But for some reason, the vulpine doesn't look so happy about it. Blink. Huh... 
"Could it be..." Klonoa pounds his fist into an empty palm as a sign of revelation, "...that Gantz thinks that he's too cool for video games?" 
Uh... Does he realize he is thinking out loud again?

Harley's eyebrows shoot up, the taller feline giving Klonoa the classic WTF? look.  
"Huh..." she murmurs, looking over at Gantz with an arched eyebrow,  "Y'r commander, you said?"

Gantz (OOC) laughs.
Gantz (OOC) says, "I think Harley is gonna forever doubt GUN or Gantz or both. XD"
Klonoa (OOC) says, "That's a -great- line, Harley. XD"

     Gantz just hangs his head, suddenly embarrassed, and nods to Harley. He should've known better than to drag Klonoa out into public and introduce him to people. What the hell was he thinking?! ...He'd ask to join Harley's crew, of a sudden, but that would actually be a WORSE idea. He'd never make it.
     Then he slips the cartridge and the GameBoyPlus into one of his jacket pockets and holds his head up high. He must be strong. HE MUST BE!
     "Klonoa," he begins, "I'm not too cool for video games. I'm just too cool for you."
     Oooh! OOOH. Burn.
     
Gantz (OOC) grins.
Klonoa (OOC) says, "'You are the Insult Master!'"
Gantz (OOC) dies. "Thanks. I try."
Harley (OOC) says, "Bwahaha."
Gantz (OOC) Somerandomvillain: *insults Klonoa*  Klonoa: Hey! ;_;  Gantz: HEY! THAT'S MY JOB! *shootshootgunsblazing* Villain: AAAH!
Klonoa (OOC) snerks.
Harley (OOC) falls over.  XD
Gantz (OOC) Klonoa: You really are my friend, Gantz!  Gantz: ... Don't go spreading that around. It'd look... uncool.  Klonoa: ...Ohhh. I already told everyone though. ^_^;;;  Gantz: ...! *SHOOTSHOOTGUNSBLAZING*  Klonoa: WAAH!

Twitch. Klonoa turns his nose up immediately, his eyes staring daggers back at Gantz. He lets out a quick 'harumph' and then turns completely around so that his back is to the vulpine. Harley's comment was all but lost on the poor feline. Ah well. Turned around, Klonoa can see a better view of the pier and takes a few steps closer to the edge of the part of the dock where he stands. Putting a hand up above his eyes, he turns his head and body from side to side at all angles. 
"Wow... Look at all the ships!" *Bing!* "Harley, is your ship around here somewhere? I'd like to see it!"

Harley chuckles, shaking her head.  
"Yeah, got a berth here... Had t'shout out the harbormaster t'get it, but sometimes 's just the way it goes...  That's her over there," she says, pointing to the largish, rather weathered boat, with [MFB -- Gambler's Ruin] painted in faded but still readable stylized lettering on the side.  
"Me pappy's boat... taught me t'crew afore I could talk," she continues, a noticeable swelling of pride in her voice.

Harley (OOC) will keep pointing out the name until someone asks.  ;3
Klonoa (OOC) says, "Oh hoooo... ;)"

      Gantz can see where this might be going. Oh no. No no no no. He's not getting on that boat. But he isn't about to say anything against it, if only because he's not about to insult Harley. He does notice something though, all of a sudden. The name of the boat itself.
      "...Did he gamble?" Gantz asks, hoping to deter them from getting on the boat as long as possible.

Gantz (OOC) grins, "Thank you." XD
Harley (OOC) says, "Heh, not that bit.  The first three letters, which are usually HMS, if you recall."
Harley (OOC) says, "But, a good question nonetheless."
Gantz (OOC) grins, "Ah. Well, she can explain everything then." XD

Klonoa's intentions are purely incidental! (Well, maybe not -entirely-...) He just so happens to find himself in the middle of a marina, and so what more could the poor seasick prone vulpine expect? As Harley points out the boat to him he eases a teensy bit forward so that he is half-leaning over the edge of the dock. But he's careful enough about it, since he's definitely not going to allow himself to fall headfirst into the water. 
He whistles, impressed. "Your dad's boat, huh?" 
The concept of a father-figure paints an odd impression on the feline, since he knows very little of what his parents might have been like and Gantz, well... Let's just say he's not the best person to help him figure that out. But as Gantz brings up the question, he leans back on his heels and turns around to listen to what the captain has to say next. He can tell when a story is brewing. (Well... most of the time, anyway.)

Harley chuckles, grinning from ear to ear, the kind of needle-toothed smile only a feline can manage.  
"Yeah, s'my pappy's.  And naw, he wa'n't a gambler, but he liked t'say his customers were... That why he named the boat that, cos' he was the best at gettin' the most scratch outta everythin' he sold.  Can't say as I done too bad m'self, managed to trade me some rope'n'nails f'r a fair brick a'gold..."

      Gantz tries to tug Klonoa away from the edge of the pier by the back of his blue shirt, not trusting Klonoa's impeccable feline reflexes as much as Klonoa obviously does. At the same time, he is listening to Harley. He truly is interested in what she has to say. And ahh... golden money. Money is always a wonderful thing to think about.
      "Does the MFB mean anything?" Gantz asks, not knowing much about how boats are named.
      Then he blinks, "Wait, a BRICK?"

Klonoa *acks* as Gantz tugs him along by the back of his shirt, causing him to flail his arms. Getting the message, he hums quietly and takes a few steps away from the edge of the dock, now turned fully toward Harley. He blinks his big yellow eyes as he listens patiently, and then gives a befanged grin in return upon hearing the results of the captain's most recent trade. 
"Wow, Harley! You must be really rich now! Hmmm... But I wonder why only for some rope and nails...?" 
He gives it some thought, rolling his eyes upward, before simply ending it with a small shrug. He sideglances at Gantz, who is making him feel nervous with that look he gets whenever he is around or hears about big money. Sigh.

Harley smirks, crossing her arms over her chest.  "Hey, when y'got what someone needs, y'get a good price f'r it... Prolly gonna have to melt it down first, though, wouldn't do to have that fat bastard's stamp on somethin' I need to move..."  
The captain looks thoughtful for a moment, but shrugs.  
"Eh.  Shouldn't be too big a deal... An' like as not I won't be swimmin' in mobiums too long, anyhow.  Ship needs reapirs, prolly one or two extras she could use."

    Gantz considers this. Just a whole bar of GOLD... just... a whole bar. Not that he can do anything with it directly, not unless someone else wanted to buy it off of him, but still. That's pretty good. His respect for Harley goes up another notch or two.
    Then Gantz looks at Klonoa with that calculating gaze. Ah, if only he could make that kind of haul on a moonlighting job. Sometimes he feels like the GUN is holding him back (though he knows that without the steadier flow of money from GUN, he'd probably be in dire straits by now.)
    "Hey, Klonoa... Why don't you try joining Harley's crew? She might be able to teach you something," Gantz says suddenly.
   He actually goes as far as slapping Klonoa on the back in a much more friendly manner than he ever tends towards and grins a very toothy, sharp grin. Oh ho ho ho. ... Fear.
    "Like how to make money and be a real man!" Gantz adds, "And maybe lead for once..."

Klonoa narrows his eyes at the vulpine, frowning deeply with a single nervous twitch in his floppy ears. He reaches up to place his gloved hand on top of his head and mumbles quietly to himself. "It -is- a bad face..." 
POW! "Oomf!" 
His body jerks forward as he recieves that slap in the back, catching him off guard. Suspicious. VERY suspicious, but still... He gives Gantz an questionable glance, before looking up to Harley with a small smile. 
"I'd be more than happy to help with the repairs, Harley. That is... if you wouldn't mind having me."

Harley's grin widens, and she utters a chuckle. "I dunno, Klonoa... 'S pretty heavy work y'd be doin'. Cleanin' decks, haulin' cargo... An' 'f'ya don't mind my sayin' so, y'look a touch on the scrawny side. Y'sure y'd be up f'r that?"

     Gantz is looks from Harley to Klonoa to Harley then back to Klonoa. He eyes Klonoa critically, as if really noticing his scrawniness for the first time. He taps his cheek as he thinks about it.
     "I never thought about it before but she's right. You're more pathetic than I realized. Maybe we should find a gym first... and some kind of tutor. You look like you'd probably get distracted in the middle of everything and get lost, before falling off the side of the boat. Can you even swim?"

Harley's grin widens, almost frighteningly so. "Well, I got me an idea... Y'seem t'know 'im pretty well, Gantz, whyn't you come along, too? Keep the little guy outta trouble, eh?"

*Gulp* Klonoa swallows hard at the possibility of falling into the open sea. It would be nothing but bubbles and Davey Jones locker for this--er... swimless feline. He shakes his head from side to side as to clear the image from his mind. Then he turns slowly toward Harley, looking embarrassed and even a little fidgety. 
"Um... He's right you know. I don't even know how to swim." He bows apologetically. "Sorry, Harley..." 
He does look pretty sincere. Suddenly... CHANCE! Klonoa blinks as the captain mulls over a bit and extends the offer to Gantz, earning another blink from the feline. "Harley, I'm not so sure that's--"

     Gantz holds up a finger and starts to say something, then stops. He opens his mouth again and looks at Klonoa... stops. He looks at Harley... looks over Harely... opens his mouth again... then puts his arms down at his sides.
     "I'm not actually trying to help him," Gantz admits finally, while crossing his arms in front of his chest and shaking out his neck-ruff a little, "I was kind of hoping you'd... babysit? But that is kind of beneath you, M'am. Sorry for the confusion."

Twitch. Oooooh... Klonoa is getting just a -little- tired of Gantz always treating him like a kid. Open-mouthed, the feline retracts his former statement with nothing but a dour expression his face. But then... It smoothes out in a smile and a wink as he looks toward the vulpine. "Actually, you are still recovering from those injuries that you had awhile ago, right? The exercise might do you some good, Gantz." 
Then, Klonoa takes a short run over to Harley and stands on his tippy toes in order to whisper something to the tall captain. 
"To be honest, he just doesn't want to admit that he loves riding on boats. I guess he's too worried about looking like a kid," he says, in a mocking tone with a shrug.

Harley smirks, raising an eyebrow.  "Hey, why not?  'S good honest work, f'r good honest pay, and y'get t'see the world!"  
The captain glances at Klonoa, and smirks some.  "Eh, well, I dunno 'bout that... kid looked pretty green 'round the gills just thinkin' bout it... but mebbe he didn't know crew always gets a share o' the profits, mh?"

       Ow. A taste of his own medicine. Gantz isn't entirely certain what Klonoa said to Harley but gets the impression that Klonoa is trying to give him the finger in a round-about way. He promptly sits down on the dock, cross-legged, and then puts his arms across his chest again in a formidable barrier.
       "I can't do it. GUN has me stationed here and they don't like any moonlighting that cuts into my GUN duties. They've told me a couple of times now and... well, I'm sure you hate repeating orders to your crew, right, Harley? I'm not actually very good with orders."
       Then Gantz rubs his hands together, before setting them on his knees, as he gives Klonoa and the good cap'n a broad smile.
       "But, if you'd like, I'll make it up to both of you."

While Klonoa is definitely driven by the temptation to figure out just what kind of GUN duties Gantz--who just recently tied with him in an intense volleyball match as well as had a new handheld game cartridge handed to him by the captain--might have. But whether he has just been had or if Gantz truly does have some important matters to attend to will have to remain a mystery for now. Blowing an upward draft toward his loose black bangs, he simply nods to Gantz in reply as he settles back down onto his feet. 
"Very well. Then I guess you can count me in, Harley." He smiles to the captain. "I'll do my best!"

OOC: It has been decided that some conclusion was reached, to where Gantz did not end up on the boat (at least not for long) and made somewhat good on his promise. Klonoa did not end up stuck full-time on Harley boat, no. XD And now, for something completely different (and entirely OOC.)

Klonoa says, "The story because of the kitty in the trash can."

Joka: Kitty! <3
Joka: *runruns over* You want some nice fish?
Janga: ...? *either in or lurking near some trash cans, in a dark alley*
Joka: *jumps up and down* Just come with me! It'll be great!
Janga: *happens to be drunk and takes this surprisingly well* I didn't have plans this evening anyway but... why is a beachball propositioning me?
Joka: ... Proposition? i_i