high_seas | Meeting of the Minds

Who: Everyone who chooses to participate
Where: Breakneck Cay
When: December 5th
What: A summit to get down to business and get this situation sorted out, L-Elf-style
Warnings: Possible violence?
Style: Any
Status: Open

Upon arriving on Breakneck Cay, if you can navigate the shoals safely and find safe mooring, you'll notice that the beach is more or less abandoned unless you count the countless shipwrecks an snarled piles of debris strewn across the shore. If you approach the jungle, you'll notice a makeshift sign pointing towards a path leading into the trees. There's a lengthy note tacked to it with a detailed map, an exhaustive list of rules and etiquette for participating in a military summit, and probably more if anyone actually got past the part with the map.

The meeting is to be held in a strangely silent clearing. Upon arriving, you'll find L-Elf sitting on the huge stone in the center, fast asleep. It's immediately obvious that this is not a social occasion or it at least wasn't planned by someone with any idea how to make guests feel comfortable. There's nowhere to sit except on the ground and definitely no refreshments. It might be a good idea to send someone back to the ship to pick something up if you want to make it through this thing.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He frowns, fidgets, and folds his arms around her shoulders, back to hugging her from behind and leaning carefully over a shoulder.]

This isn't going to be something with little steps of progress, eh. Not only are there always going to be setbacks, but even when progress comes, you won't necessarily know that you're looking straight at it.

Before Chandra left she told me she was working on it, but she had to make her traveling separate from Jones, and retain her memories, the latter of which she was working on a device to capture them in. And I've got faith in that still, eh?

With Ace gone, I still don't know how to get a lock on him. Folding time and space, we're making headway with, but unless I can find a way to narrow that down from all of eternity, it might as well be moot.

If we can figure out how Jones picks people up, then we can find out how he differentiates them too, aye?

But for now, you still can't hold this all onto yourself. [He gently rubs the top of her arms.] Otherwise you'll never stop feeling like you're drowning. Trust me, I've done that before.

[He lets his arms fall and shifts one to a wing to protect her with, though he looks off into the forest.]

[More... he needed her not to stress out over it, or Marco himself was never going to be able to stop. He loved her for her honesty, for being able and willing to admit she was trying and failing, but if she didn't let herself lean on him, then it didn't matter how strong he was, he wouldn't be able to protect her still.]

[But it was too complicated to put into words, and Marco wouldn't have known where to even begin to convey that kind of thing -- even if he had been willing and able.]

[Nothing tangible is just as good as nothing at all, and Robin sighs, leaning into Marco's hugs but folding her hands in her lap.]

There's another theory I've considered, though I'd rather not have to give it any weight. However, it seems to be the only one being proven in any sense of the word.

Oh?

[His tone is cautious, all but wary, really.]

It is possible that we are not able to access the native magic. There are a number of reasons why this might be. Perhaps because many of us have our own version of it and it creates dissonance, or maybe because even though we're here, our bodies are still subject to the laws of our own worlds... It could be something as basic and inborn as cell structure or something more purposeful, like a blocking spell. Perhaps our intrinsic connection to Davy Jones has something to do with it, since none of us are here without his say so.

Or it could be that it's simply something we have to unlock, much like haki.

[Robin sighs again, but it's a little more relieved, and some of the tension drains out of her.]

In any case, nothing has been proven so far. I intend to keep working until I have something conclusive to offer.

[Kisses her cheek.]

Relax, yoi.

Completely stealing someone else's power would go against my style. Too reminiscent of Blackbeard.

Instead of completely trying to duplicate him, let's just find out how he does what he does and use it as a stepping stone, eh?

[Her brow furrows.]

I'm not talking about stealing anyone's power nor duplicating anyone. What in the world are you talking about?

Jones.

[Arches an eyebrow.]

Have you just been trying to do magic without a blueprint?

[He gets a look because she refuses to answer stupid questions.]

Another option is that the framework I have been basing my studies on is not, in fact, the correct foundation. Perhaps I will find it was a precursor or even unrelated, though the things I've read seem to hold true in the case of native users.

[The look makes him blush.]

[He does usually have a higher opinion of her brain, he's just also incredibly stupid himself sometimes.]

Ah...

Admittedly, it's going to be tougher without Chandra's direct guidance, but she left me a couple of books from her mentor. It's not about locals or this world, but it's from another planestraveler so that might be even more useful, yoi.

I certainly wouldn't mind looking them over, just in case.

I'll send them as soon as possible, yoi.

I guess I forgot with Natsuno gone, and everything with Ace.

It's alright. If I need something for my research it's my obligation to seek it out.

[Robin leans against Marco, curling her shoulder to fit beneath his arm and resting her cheek against his collarbone for a moment. She takes a deep breath, then lets it out slowly.]

We should probably be getting back before your brother gets too surly about you wandering off, don't you think?

Mm.

[A small grin at the idea of riling up Thatch for the hell of it.]

Making Thatch jealous of the most beautiful woman in any world, instantly makes a meeting more fun, any day of the week.

[Affectionately nips the back of her ear.] But I've no doubt Selphie wants to meet you, and to make sure I didn't chicken out of our plot to ask you and Ikki on a double date. [Note: This was indeed his failure to ask her out for that oops.] And you probably have others you want to check on, aye?

Meeting of the Minds

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