[OPEN!] At least this maze has plenty of escapes...

[fire_water_wood]

((OOC: S-sorry it's taken so long to get this posted, guys!  I really did think I'd done this already...  OTL))

Characters:  Harlequin and the people of the Winding Way
Content:  With this conversation, Harlequin has agreed to help Gintoki with that HVAC project by mapping out the air circulation ducts throughout the ship . . . from the inside . . .

Comments

either's fine with me

[drinkitlovelife]

Kurumi was humming some sort of song she'd made up on the spot while dumping white rose petals into the dye-filled washbasin. Why had they come to Tulgim of all places, anyway? Roses didn't even grow there. Well, she had to use these up for something before they dried up. If all else failed, she could dump them on the town to celebrate Lunasa. She'd done it for Amicus, hadn't she? Granted, then, it was a bit more fitting...

"Leave it to me, everyone~", she sang. "I'm the invincible Milky Rose~"

We'll see if something happens to make him reveal himself XD;;;

[fire_water_wood]

Harlequin scampered down the newest tunnel, penlight in hand. Before he reached the first vent, from which he could see a light shining, he heard a vaguely familiar voice singing what sounded like an improvised song. He made his way to the grate and peeked in, intrigued at the sight of the petal-laden infusion. Where had he seen her before? For the life of him, he couldn't remember where. Oh, well. He sat down for a moment, slipping his pack off his back and pulling out his pencil and notebook to add to the crude drawings he'd been making.

[drinkitlovelife]

"Miraculous blue rose~ It marks my secret~" Kurumi continued singing her own praises and dyeing the flower petals. A cold breeze went through the room as she put the basin down.

"Mysterious-- it's freezing." The purple-haired girl stopped singing and stormed over to the air vent. "Stupid ship. How are we supposed to fix you?"

[fire_water_wood]

Eeeep!

H-he wasn't sure if any sound actually escaped him or not, but he clapped a hand over his mouth all the same as he scrambled back, trying to fumble the little mana-powered pen light off with the other hand. He really didn't want to get in trouble for seeming to spy on someone or anything like that, after all. He'd certainly not been meaning to!

Quin can stay hidden or make himself known, either one is good

[sunset_summers]

In the navigation room, Roxas put away some maps. He had just finished practicing his navigation skills - it was important he kept them sharp after all - and was ready to leave for the day. However, noticing a nearby calendar, he looked at the date. It was almost Lunasa.

Lunasa was usually a happy time of year, and for Roxas, it used to be. As a kid, he would always look forward to the holiday, even starting a countdown of days once August rolled around. However, the previous year's Lunasa Day Bombings had taken something important from him, and Roxas hadn't been able to think fondly of the holiday since.

"It's almost that time of year again," he sighed. "Almost one year now."

Let things go a post or three and see what happens? XD

[fire_water_wood]

"Oh, goodness, where am I now?" Harlequin wondered softly to himself. The ducts had gotten larger and the material they were made from seemed a bit different. This section of the ship was also much quieter, which seemed unusual for a ship with so many people teeming all over most times.

He drew up to the next vent and peered out. "Huh . . . what kind of room is this? Oh!" He pulled back a bit when he realized the room was not unoccupied. He didn't want to disturb anyone, after all. But he saw the young man notice something on the wall - the calendar perhaps? - and heard the quiet grief in his voice. Oh...what happened a year ago? Out of concern more than realizing he was "eavesdropping," Harlequin hesitated at the vent. Maybe...maybe there was something he could help with?

'kay

[sunset_summers]

"I wonder if he's proud of me," Roxas continued, oblivious to the fact that he was being watched. "I'm a real navigator now. Just like you, Dad." The entire reason Roxas joined the Way was to be one of its navigators, to follow in his father's footsteps and honor his memory. It was something Roxas enjoyed, even if the reason he did it was a sad one.

Roxas turned away from the calendar. Just looking at it was making him upset. He had to figure out what he was going to do on Lunasa. Was he going to try to forget about everything that happened last year and try to celebrate, or was he going to spend the day remembering what he lost? Roxas was leaning towards the second option.

"...stupid bombings," he muttered. "Why did you have to happen?"

[fire_water_wood]

Bombings? Harlequin wondered what he meant by that . . . and gasped softly. He'd heard the word Lunasa once before, about this time last year. Explosions that destroyed a number of airships all at the same time, all over Reial. Harlequin and his siblings had discussed who Lunasa was, and what he or she had to do with things, since none of them had heard the name before then. They'd come to the conclusion that he or she must have been the person responsible for the terrible bombings, or at least the one who'd orchestrated it, since no one person could have done so much widespread damage

Quin can feel free to either hide or jump out, I dont mind!

[forged_smile]

It was a little later in the day than usual when Sai returned to his quarters after completing his cabin boy duties. Up to yet, his time on the Way had been quiet and peaceful. Something he was not used to, but didn't complain about all the same.

Still, what with teaching himself how to get around the ship and his duties, he had had little time to practice his drawings. They were what he had been known for during his time with Root, and just because he had left them, didn't mean he was going to fall out of practice.

Inking his brush, he placed it to the paper and drew a fairly large, detailed butterfly. He placed the brush down, performed a single handed hand signal and muttered "Ninpou, Choujuu Giga."

Just as he finished speaking, the drawing of the butterfly came to life. It fluttered off the page and Sai watched it as it began to flap it's way around his room.

Heh...

[fire_water_wood]

Harlequin knew he was still in the personal quarters portion of the ship, or one of them anyway, but he wasn't sure where. Pulling up to the next grate he could find, he looked out. Oh! It was Mr. Sai! Quin hadn't had a chance to talk to him since he'd been accepted onto the ship.

He watched in fascination as Sai painted a big, detailed butterfly, then set his brush aside and speak over it as he described an odd gesture. Then, the butterfly came to life! A sharp gasp escaped the little puppet as he flinched back from the grate, the sound echoing softly around the duct. He clapped his hands over his mouth, but the damage had already been done. He just hoped Sai hadn't heard him...

[forged_smile]

Sai, being the super special genius ninja boy he is, caught the little intake of breath coming from the grate above him. He looked up straight away, his concentration broken for a moment, making the butterfly flutter back down and sit on the paper it came from. He blinked up at the grate and, raising an eyebrow, he got to his feet.

"Is somebody there?"

Probably not the wisest of movements. But then, it could have been anybody up there. Of course, it was more than likely a member of crew, but, if someone had crept in while they were last docked...

[fire_water_wood]

Harlequin crept forward, trembling softly. "S-sorry, Mr. Sai. I-it's...it's just me." He peered out from behind the grate, offering a small, shy wave.

She'll figure out Harle's there, I reckon~

[apple_eating]

Eva let out a big sigh as she returned to her room - she was all sweaty from spending a long time down in the engine room studying the mechanical makeup of the ship that she was flying, and she wanted nothing more put to strip out of her current clothes and into a much fresher pair.

The blond woman shut her door behind her, and turned the lock before moving off towards her closet. She began unbuttoning her shirt as she went along, only too relieved to let loose in the privacy of her quarters.

No prob! ^_^

[fire_water_wood]

Harlequin had made his way back into the section of personal quarters, just one level removed from the last. He peeked in to get an idea of just where along the corridor he might be, and spotted someone he didn't recognize.

Oh, goodness, was she starting to undress!? He started to pull back, understanding that culture or society or whatever dictated that he should look...but curiosity won out. He'd never seen the bare structure of a flesh being before and found himself wondering how exactly they were built and how their joints moved, how they functioned...

[apple_eating]

And Eva was, at least for the moment, completely unaware of the fact that she wasn't entirely alone. The blond woman threw off her clothes with a careless gesture, and took some time to wander about in her room in nothing but her underwear, setting some things in order.

[fire_water_wood]

[*HEADDESK* "Shouldn't"...he shouldn't look...]

Harlequin studied her in completely chaste fascination. He supposed he should have known better, though. Just like their fingers, wrists, and necks, the rest of their joints were also hidden underneath the covering of skin they bore. He . . . couldn't help the faint twinge of disappointment - he really did kind of want to know how flesh people moved and worked - but it was a minor thing, really.

A-and . . . he'd been watching too long now as it was. Time to move on...

I think you know what to do!

[flight_15]

It was early morning.

Like any sensible person would be at this hour, Ichigo was asleep in his cabin. His chest rose and fell, accompanied by the barest hint of a snore. Only yesterday, Milk had tried to dye his hair blue, so even asleep, he was tense. Old habits died hard.

Yup, I think I do! ^_~

[fire_water_wood]

Harlequin had no idea how long he'd been at his work this time around, but he'd started shortly after dinner, and he was starting to realize now how really hungry he was. Had he been out all night and now it was almost breakfast time? Goodness

[flight_15]

All Ichigo heard was his name and a yell. Reflex took over -- before he was even awake, one hand shot up, catching the grate. In one smooth movement, he brought the grate down and around, slamming it into the floor and trapping whatever was on it underneath it.

A moment later, he woke up fully and realized exactly what he'd just done. Hastily, Ichigo pulled the grate up and saw who it had been who had "attacked" him. "Harlequin?!" he exclaimed, worry in his eyes. "Harlequin! Are you--are you okay?" Shit, shit, shit, how much damage had he done this time? If he'd seriously hurt the kid, Ichigo would never forgive himself.

[fire_water_wood]

Harlequin didn't respond, the paint of his eyes having changed to look closed - he was out cold. Without a shirt, the damage to his arms was clear - one forearm just above the wrist had been smashed almost all the way through by the sharp edge of the grate, and the elbow and shoulder joints were cracked, though thankfully the latter was only in the arm portion - his torso seemed to have escaped damage, as had the other arm. His legs, on the other hand, were tangled in a way that...well, it might actually be possible for a limber puppet, but certainly wasn't for the movement restrictions of a human's joints.

Ichigo might also have registered non-wood breaking noises . . . as Harlequin had landed on his backpack of supplies.