Quinn's Fables

From shock or simply the inability to hold objects for a long period of time, his phone soon slipped out of his hand, crashing down onto his face. With a yelp and curse he sat up and angrily watched the phone slide down his chest and onto his lap, teetering on the edge of his thigh before clattering to the foor. “Serve’s ya right, fucker.” He flipped off the phone and lay back down, turning his body away from the phone, as if he had a personal vendetta towards it. “What the hell's going on…” Glancing back down, he adjusted his body and reached for his phone, setting it back down on his nightstand. His mind reeled, scenarios of what may be going on outside began flashing through his head along with panic and worry, hand gripping the bed sheet to somehow ground himself. Taking a shaky breath, Ulysses stared up at the ceiling and rubbed his face with his free hand, a frustrated snarl escaping his mouth when he realized there was no rational solution available as to why he was asleep for an entire week.

“Folly! Come Folly!...” He waited a moment, perplexed. No sounds of nails on the wooden stairs, nor the hardwood hallway all that was there was a thick air of choking silence. “Ain't no use sittin around waitin’ for Folly, though that's all I do.” Bitter laughter filled the room as he gingerly picked up one of his legs and swung it over the edge of his bed, doing the same with the other. Ulysses looked around the room and whined softly, seeing his wheelchair so far away from him made his stomach churn. ‘Someone must have been in here while I was out...I always leave it right next to me before I sleep…’. He kept eyeing his wheelchair, sighing softly at his luck. I mean, who would have thought that a diver would get paralyzed from falling out of a window? Freediving and spearfishing was his own personal sport, with being so close to a marina he had access to ships that would take him out to the sea, where he felt most at home. Owen’s mother always chided him and told him that that hobby of his would get him killed or hurt. At least he can still tell her she was wrong. The window was truly an accident that shouldn't have happened, he had been trying to fix the squeak that came out of his second story window per Owens forceful request, the sound was getting on both of their nerves but Owen’s frail body made the annoyance painful. When he leaned on it instead of the wall, the windows framework came loose and he fell with it down to the concrete sidewalk. To everyone it was a blessing that the only severe consequence to that was being paralyzed from the thighs down. Shaking himself from his trance, he decided he had enough of reminiscing. Thankful that the house seemed empty, Ulysses held his breath and let himself tumble to the floor, exhaling sharply when the room and his head stopped spinning. 

Each time he lifted his body with his arms, pulling it a few inches forward, he felt a chip at his pride. “Goddamn...bullshit-” He took a deep breath and collapsed next to the chair, pinching the bridge of his nose. Ulysses held his wrist up and began to talk to his watch. “-L.I.V.E. assist me, if you still can.” The L.I.V.E watch was one of the first devices given out by the L.I.V.E company. Its main function is to locate other devices that have also come from the company. Surfing the internet taking pictures and notes was another attribute to the watch, it was highly durable and received updates from the company wirelessly. Rolling his eyes, Ulysses somehow wasn’t surprised that the watch still worked, uncomfortable relief flooding his veins as he heard the contraption whirr to life. “Right away, Ulysses O’Malley, what would you like me to write down for future use, Ulysses O’Malley?” If looks could kill, surely the watch would be instantly vaporized. “One, just call me Ulysses, I thought I programmed you already? Two, scratch the note and scan the area for my rebreather, and my mobi-pack.” A couple beeps and a click later, Ulysses was relieved to hear the watch let out a magnetic pulse. Though an unsettling feeling churned in his stomach, had the company updated the watch? This seemed plausible due to the fact that it was acting as if it was wiped clean. If so what could they have possibly changed? After All the slogan was ‘Almost Too Good to be True’. The pulse was something that didn’t really faze Ulysses, L.I.V.E corporation got the heat for that in the early stages of development, though they swiftly reassured the public that the pulse wouldn’t hurt human nor animal. Even so, after the blast was sent out, he heard the faint sound of something scurrying around downstairs. . Combing a hand through his apricot hair, he scanned the room, naturally assuming he shouldn’t stay in one place for too long. ‘Okay, come on think, grab a bag a couple changes of clothing and I guess a tooth brush?’. Taking another exasperated yet deep breath, Ulysses heaved himself onto his wheelchair, reaching down to adjust his legs, making sure they were in the proper position. Moving about his house would be easier now that he was in his chair. Probably. 

Wheeling himself around, he grabbed his duffel bag and sat it on his lap, tossing in his phone, a couple notebooks and pens. Glancing back towards his window, the beams of light coming through pointed directly to a shelf in his room. Maybe a book won’t hurt? Ulysses moved over to his shelf and reached up, pausing when he saw how beautiful his ring looked when it was in the sunlight. He felt his blood go cold when the thought finally hit him. Where was his husband? Where was Owen? “L.I.V.E, scan the house for Owen, NOW.” He growled into the contraption, another whir brought the watch to life. “Your RE-BREATHER is downstairs in the keybowl, and your MOBI-PACK is under your pillow.” Ulysses felt his eye twitch, muttering a thank you between angered breaths. “Owen Argall is not in the establishment, last seen location of Owen Argall is half a mile from your current location, four days ago.” Beeping, L.I.V.E went back into sleep mode. At this point, Ulysses had enough of dawdling around. 

Now frantic to find out where Owen had gone, he tried to move as fast as he could, rolling his chair over to the bed. Reaching under his pillow and pulling out the mobi-pack never felt so good. With the pack back in his possession it should be easier to get around, the L.I.V.E company tried its hardest to make life easier for those who affected by disabilities. By switching it on it could attach to a person’s wheelchair and motorized arms would push and pull the wheels wherever you wanted them to go. This is another feature of the watch, after syncing to the pack, all you needed to do is make your hand into a fist and tilt it in the direction you wanted to go. “Thank god you’re still here buddy!” He tapped the on button, and felt all hope in his body drain when all the contraption could do was weakly alert him of its low battery. “With my damn luck…” Grumbling, he hung the pack on one of his wheelchair handles, making his way to the bathroom where he grabbed some soap a toothbrush and toothpaste. He wasn’t about to lose hygiene just because he’s in a dire situation, though it was strange. Ulysses pondered the thought, letting it consume him as he mindlessly packed clothing. ‘How is it possible that I've been asleep for a week...and, and my teeth aren’t even close to being nasty? I mean, s’like I brushed em a couple minutes ago, save for the minty freshness.’ Adjusting the bag, he made his way to the door and leaned over, flipping the touch pad off of the door sensor in favor for the manual buttons. 8566. The door clicked and slowly creaked open, swinging out and gingerly bumping the wall as it came to a stop. ‘Time to see what hellfire my house looks like, without Owen this place turns into a pigsty’. 

Ulysses moved out of the room, arms rolling his wheels forward slowly, tentatively. Hearing his floorboards creak normally would fill him with warm relief, but now, it was ice cold. Stopping just above the ramp next to the stairs, he grabbed the clip that secured his wheelchair to the railing, so he wouldn’t slide down and crash. Carefully, he eased the wheels over the edge and onto the ramp itself. The descent was slow and tedious, though Ulysses would raise hell if he had to climb back onto his chair due to recklessness. 

Clutching his chest and the wheel on his chair, he leaned forward to get a little glimpse of what his living room had in store for him. Nothing so far, that was good, or was it? Ulysses unclipped himself when he felt his wheels hit flat ground again, caution gripped firmly in his hands. ‘Where would you go...why did you leave?’ Questions filled his mind as he went around to the kitchen, moving about the house seemed natural as if nothing was wrong. Though when he passed through the threshold, a sound made him stop in his tracks. “Grrrawll…” A cold sweat soon overtook his body, hands becoming awkwardly clammy and shaky. “What the fuck…” Ulysses stopped all movement, eyes now focusing on the two furry masses in his kitchen, shifting to the pool of blood on the floor that was gradually getting bigger. The sounds of squelching and the crunches of bones made him sick to his stomach, a hand quickly coming up to cover his mouth. Wide eyes darted around his home, wanting to find something to put between himself and whatever was in his kitchen. Gasping softly, he did a little victory wiggle when his eyes landed on his speargun, happiness relief and confidence flooded his veins, clouding his judgement and actions for just a brief moment.

“Hell yeah!”

Oh boy did he regret shouting. Ulysses could only marvel at how fast his body moved. From the kitchen came an agitated sound, like claws trying to get a grip on tile, and a howl that’ll shake you to the bone. His arms ejected him from his wheelchair to the ground, landing on his stomach put him almost close enough to reach the gun. Gripping the carpet, he hauled his body forward and grabbed the weapon. He turned on his side, bracing the butt of the speargun against his knee to pull the band taut and ready it for firing. Ulysses never got that far. He turned onto his back when the snarling got louder, quickly holding the spear up as he tilted the tip vaguely in the direction of the animalistic sounds. Saying a quick goodbye to Owen, he squeezed his eyes shut and held his breath, ready to feel the sharp fangs sink into his flesh and rip him to shreds. But as Ulysses failed, so did the creature, it never got to feel the satisfaction of annihilating another victim. Feeling the warm blood trickle down his hands shook him from his trance.

Slowly his eyes opened, a choked sob left him at the sight of what he stabbed. “F...olly?” Ulysses screamed and threw the spear to the side, the body of the animal moving with it, falling lifelessly to the floor. It had been his beloved service dog, a five year old corgi, Folly. “No, come on girl, come on that- that can’t be you right? Right!? Folly up! Come on dear, please!” Ulysses crawled over, shock overcoming reason as his hands gripped blood soaked carpet, the fibers drinking up the fluids easily. He pulled himself closer, tears already forming and falling. “What happened to you girl?” This wasn’t the dog that he grew up with, sure it was her body but, it's as if she went feral. Ulysses took a shaky hand and gently pet Folly’s head, scratching behind her ear. A sliver of hope still remained that she would respond and get up, unscathed, as if she wasn't impaled through the chest. Dead to the world and bleeding out in a room she once brought to life. 

After wiping his tears away, Ulysses knew that he had to quite literally pick himself up and carry on. Between heaving breaths, he pulled his body back to the wheelchair, which had toppled over in his haste to the weapon. ‘What the fuck is going on...first Owen now Folly? I need to get outside…’ Ulysses grunted and tugged the chair back to its upright position, yanking his body back onto it. Taking a few more gulps of air into his lungs, he tore his eyes away from Folly’s body and leaned over to put his bag back onto his lap. After fixing the position of himself and his belongings, Ulysses reached behind him and made sure the mobi-pack didn’t fly off as well. Finding the pack’s location satisfactory, he moved into the kitchen, stomach lurching once more. “Oh jeez!” Freckled hands flew up in surprise and nearly toppled the duffel bag off of him a second time. A corpse of what used to be the neighbor's cat was sprawled out on the kitchen floor, guts painting a macabre picture for the aghast man. “I thought this thing was an indoor cat?” Ulysses readjusted the bag and continued wheeling himself forward, wincing at how his wheel slid on the pool of fresh blood. 

He rummaged around the kitchen for what felt like hours, heart and mind still numb from losing his best friend, hands mindlessly throwing canned food into the duffel. Making his rounds through the home wasn’t easy, without Owen to reach the things that were put on higher shelves, he had to resort to some interesting tactics. Ulysses would like to think that he’s gotten better at some of his many alternative methods. Finally shaking off the majority of his grief, Ulysses emerged from the last room in his home, sporting a pretty sizable black eye. Turns out he wasn’t as good as he thought.

For once he was glad that Owen enjoyed gardening, the gloves he found made it easier to stomach the blood that had been smeared onto his wheels. Moving past the corpse, he froze his movements when he heard it squelch. Surely it can’t still be alive, right? Turning his head, all of Ulysses attention was on the cat, eyes widened with fear as he saw the head jerk towards him, pupils dilated and fangs bared. He wheezed and shifted his chair away from the beast, taking a note that its snarling sounded a lot like Folly’s when she attacked. Whatever made Folly go deranged had to also have affected the poor feline. Though for once in this whole ordeal, Ulysses could let out a semi relieved breath, for Folly’s incursion had severed its hind legs and crushed the fore. Ulysses took a couple seconds to mourn the loss of the two pets, trying to forget one of the two was currently hissing menacing threats to him. Looking down at Folly, he took another moment to truly remember all of the times they brought joy to each other's day. Gnashing his teeth in anger, he looked away and used his sleeve to wipe away stray tears, laying down a blanket over her body when he became composed. Moving towards the door, Ulysses took a glove off and grabbed his re-breather, switching the solar option on and putting the bite bar in his mouth. The apparatus covered his nose and mouth, allowing the air to be filtered through the device, making it breathable again. With a shuddering breath, he slipping the glove back on as he steadied his hands on the wheels, gripping them firmly, it was time to go.

What did he expect on the outside of his home? Not much, the neighbors next door asking if he’s seen the cat. The ones across the street questioning him if the mailman had come by yet, the same old same old. Ulysses was determined to open the door and see his neighborhood just as he left it, full of life but still quiet and quaint. 

Chaos. 

Fire licked at the heavens, using the city’s skyscrapers to extend their reach, engulfing anything in its path towards the holy. Distant sounds of screaming and wailing creatures wafted through his neighborhood, shaking him to the bone. He carefully maneuvered his chair through the carnage on the street, hundreds of animals lay dead and massacred, some decapitated and others shot full of holes. From dogs to cats, birds mice and even deer and a couple bears lay dead on the asphalt. His eyes narrowed as he moved along, crossing the street to avoid some of the larger creatures. Family pets he had seen playing in their yards were hung by the street lamps, the poodle that terrorized the mail keeper had been pierced on a stake. Ulysses felt a thick coat of anger latch onto the back of his throat, choked sobs leaving his mouth as he hung his head, forcing his eyes to only focus on the path ahead. Childishly, he tried to avoid the situation altogether by simply not acknowledging it. 

Ulysses wouldn’t have minded traveling like this, just mindlessly strolling down his sidewalk in search for his husband. But with the added corpses it become a different story, for now the only thing that hasn’t changed was the goal of finding Owen, the thought still lingering in the back of his mind. But because fate has a funny way of apologizing, Ulysses’ goal just became a little more realistic. 

Due to the lifelessness of the neighborhood, the once moderately boisterous street now could be used as a meditation hall. This being said, sound could now travel down the long road uninterrupted by other meaningless noises. A squeak, heard a couple houses down brought some life back to Ulysses, his head raising up after what seemed like an eternity. 

“Uly? I-Is that you?” Stuttered a voice, Ulysses looked up quickly and let out a breathy laugh. There he stood clutching what looked to be a modified baseball bat, spikes coming out of the tip, it wasn’t the circumstances either of them wanted to meet in but this would have to do.  “Oh my stars, Owen!” Emerald eyes shimmered with hopeful tears as he excitedly pushed his wheels as fast as his arms could go, suddenly not caring if he ran over a mouse or a stray bird. “Ulysses! I was just coming back to the house, how did you...g-get past Folly?” Owen’s voice was naturally soft, a gentle sound that was often compared to a songbirds. With his husband being so mellow it was shocking to Ulysses to see blood splattered on his clothing and body. “She was rabid..All I could do was leave you in that room and go for help...Did she hurt you?” Owen asked, tucking his own long locks of hair behind his ear, face still dutifully relieved that Ulysses was seemingly unscathed. 

“Glad to see you were coming back fer me! And yeah…” The mood became somber, Ulysses slipped off the gardening gloves, gently taking Owen’s hands in his. A tender action, carefully smoothing them over, face grimacing at the callouses that Owen had accumulated over the past few days. “I...had to put her down...she’s in a better place, somewhere far far away from here.” Looking up, he raised Owen’s right hand up and kissed it, the pair gazing into eachother’s eyes. For a moment their glances fell upon their rings, both reflecting the sunlight beautifully. Ulysses was the first to break the silence. “Now that i’ve found you...do you mind telling me about what this whole world has come to?” He chuckled, bashfully looking away when Owen took his hands back, Uly’s own donning the gloves again.

“Well...The company who helped us purify the air, and make technological advancements with the Mobi-Pack, they...were working on something…” Owen got behind Ulysses and helped push his chair along, a soft thank you coming from Uly. “I ran into a lot of folks that were trying to escape, ones that worked in the building.” He paused, moving the chair around a carcass of what probably was a deer. “They said the company had two new ideas to make a better profit. One was to harness the raw abilities of animals.” 

Ulysses could feel the anger crawling back up his body, having an inkling where this was going. “How would they even attempt at doing that?” He asked, looking up at Owen.

“I’m not too sure about that...but the second one...wait, do you still have your watch?” Owen’s eyes widened and he squeaked, letting go of the chair in favor of moving to Ulysses’s side to take off and crush the watch. “WOAH! Babe what are you doing? What’s that for?” Now at a loss as to what’s happening, Ulysses could only gape at Owen. 

“I-I’m sorry but I had to! Every time I used my watch to try and contact someone or check for any updates from the company the animals would go insane.” Lifting up his shirt, Owen revealed a poorly bandaged area of his stomach. “Do you remember the chubby cat that Mrs. Dorris had?” Owen inquired, to that Ulysses nodded and snorted.

“The really fat one that can't even use the doggy door?” “Yes..that's the one, it attacked me out of nowhere right after I tried to contact you. Even Folly started barking and growling at me!” 

The pair shared a worried glance and with Ulysses nod of approval, Owen tossed the mobi-pack to the side. “The re-breather too, it was all lies Uly...I can breathe just fine and I’ve been out here for a week straight...They were lying, to get us to invest in them…” Cautiously, Owen reached for the breather, taking it off of his partner. 

“This is just insane...we’re like a herd of sheep...did you meet anyone else?” Ulysses asked, discarding the gloves to his lap, rubbing his temples out of pure exasperation. “I did. It was one of the scientists.” “Did they have a cure?” Ulysses asked, disbelief in his voice, anger pooling in his fists. “No...Not yet, there are a few scientists holed up in the company's lab, trying to fix this mess they started.”

The pair stopped at the exit, looking down the hill that their homes resided on, overlooking the city and all that it used to be. Cars piled on the side, bodies of animals and humans alike crushed together, various screams and pleas for help still rung clear to Owen’s and Ulysses’ ears. “So what now?” Owen whispered, hands gripping each other so hard they had forgotten what circulation felt like. “Its simple.” Ulysses took Owen’s hand again, trying to soothe his anxious nerves. “We get to the lab, we fight back.”

“Can we do it?”

“We’ll never know until we try.”

“Together?”

“Together.” 

Owen smiled down at Ulysses, the pair looking beyond the city. The glow of the evening sunset already began to take over the sky, an almost eerily calm view. “There's a place I’ve been staying at just down the road, we’ll be safe there.” Owen said, his resolve coming back thanks to his lover. Nodding at Owen, Ulysses couldn't help but wonder what they’ve done to deserve something like this. ‘We’ll take back our world.’ Ulysses thought, eyes looking down at a flier from the L.I.V.E company, floating helplessly in a puddle of rainwater. ‘I don’t know if we can do it alone, but we have to try. I’m not gonna let their mistakes change my future.’ He reached down to grab the flier, holding the soggy paper carefully, turning it around and sneering into the back of it. ‘You took our lives, our home, and our Folly. You’re not having us.’ 

Rain rain go away, come again some other day

Children stared up at the sky from inside of their homes, gazing through glass.

Rain rain go away, come again some other day

They chanted to themselves, shuffling around their home, pouting up and out of the window, as if their pout would reach the sky and plug the clouds.

Rain rain go away, come again some other day

Parents patted their heads, comforting the small ones, being gentle as they explained that the rain decides when it would stop, not them.

Rain rain go away, come again some other day

The clouds cleared, children grinned, parents let out a sigh of relief.

“Rain rain, don’t go awa-“

“Margaret! Were heading to our front lawn! Come on the rains gone!”

A head of straight hair turned from the window they were staring out of to the source of a voice. “Mother I don’t like when the rain stops, Sarah needs the rain so she won’t be lonely.” The body attached to the head hopped off the window sill, arms out so her mother can slip on a rain coat, just to be safe. “Well Sarah will just have to wait until the next time it rains, okay? Lets go outside” Margaret’s mother moved to leave the room, speaking in a gentle tone to her “Imaginary friends can’t tell its raining darling.” And with that she was gone, leaving Margaret alone with her thoughts.

“Sarah won’t have to wait for the rain, I’ll get her a new friend”

Outside it appeared to be normal, a ‘classic’ neighborhood, picket fence, birds singing, trees lining the streets. Children emerged from their houses armed with toys of all sorts. They began to rejoice and play with each other.

Even though it was boisterous outside with kids running about, Margaret still hung her head low, weaving through multiple kids and passing adults to go around her yard to the side. She stopped next to her window and looked at the hydrangea bush that grew below her home’s window. Sarah had to have new friends, she’d be terrible lonely without them.

Glancing around Margaret gestured to some younger kids, beckoning them closer. “Do you guys want to play a fun game?” She asked, and of course the answer was a chorus of cheerful yes’. Her smile was kind at the time, but as she lead them back behind her home, it turned near wicked. “Wow Margaret you have some pretty flowers! Can we have some?” Small hands tugged at her dress, and to that she nodded “You can have as many as Sarah lets you take.” Heads tilted and Margaret kneeled down in front of her hydrangea bush. “Who’s Sarah?”

“She’s in there, lean in guys, come on, she doesn’t bite, much”

Kids gathered around, giggling at the ludicrous thought of a bush biting them. As they marveled the plant and its single cluster of flowers, Margaret thought to herself, ‘one two three four and five, five new friends for Sarah’.

She stepped back and let them crowd around the plant, marveling at how there was only one bushel blooming.

Margaret’s wicked grin grew, and her eyes darkened with a malicious tint “Are you all ready to meet Sarah?” She said and the kids nodded happily, looking at the bush with more vigor. She moved out of the way so the children could get closer, standing behind and resting her arms across their shoulders.

“Well then. Sarah, I hope you have fun with them”

Margaret swiftly pushed the kids, causing them to tumble into the bush, unable to even utter a scream as they plunged into sudden darkness.

As Margaret walked away, her impish face faded back to a monotone state, the hydrangea bush now fully blooming, not a single green leaf to be seen.

Years later, the rain came as it always did, but now, children played in the rain.

“Come on guys lets play in the backyard!” A group of kids ran, playing tag as they dodged their parents and other people, curiosity making them stop at the old hydrangea bush, which by now was a skeleton of its former self. The children stared in wonder, for a single bushel of flowers was blooming. One of them reached out and as their finger touched the delicate flowers, they fell, down to the ground to rest against a faded object. It had been uncovered with the rain and the intrigued children stared in wonder as it came into view, the mud flowing away slowly.

A scream sounded in the rainy atmosphere, parents came running to find their kids groveling in the mud, tears streaking down their face as they pointed to the mysterious thing buried in the dirt.

Bones, more specifically, a human hand.

The parents whisked their kids away, running to the houses to contact the authorities, but one adult stayed. One adult kneeled down and flashed a wicked smile, just as before. Straight hair was soaked to the bone, eyes dark with malicious intent. She thought for a moment, standing and speaking just before she too left to her home.

“I’m glad you had fun, Sarah”

Later that week it would be known, under the hydrangea bush there were five bodies, all belonging to the children that disappeared so long ago. Parents whom have been looking for them since that fateful rainy day wept, knowing their beloved kids were so close to home. The original hand they saw was never found, and it seemed that it and the bush had disappeared all together. One things for sure, those children spread the rumor, and it grew and grew until it became common knowledge.

Terrafilo Halo Phamsa - Queen of Spiders - Captain of the Morning Glory, After timeskip the ship was destroyed and now they have the Shining Day.

Terrafilo is 5’3 and is fairly thin. Her devil fruit demands a lot of energy, so it takes a lot for Terra to gain weight, more than 70% of the vitamins and nutrition that comes from her food goes to her devil fruit. She must eat at least 8 meals a day, rather substantial meals, or her body will become sickly and frail. Terrafilo trains with Rhyse often, her body may be small, but there is muscle and raw strength from her fruit power.

She has countless scars. Nicks here and there are scattered all over her body, welts from whips on her back, bullet holes dotting her chest, stomach and hips. Knives have been stabbed clean through her hands and shoulders, her collarbone has been shattered before, and she has been poisoned countless of times, but to no avail. The scars that are most memorable all come from important points in her life. Terra’s wrists have lacerations from handcuffs on them, they were seastone so her fruit power couldn’t heal them, so the wound was constantly opened and agitated. One of her most humiliating scars is located on her back, going from her spine to her tailbone is a sword gash, wounds on the back are especially embarrassing for pirates. On Filo’s temple there's a bullet wound, not a hole but, the shrapnel from the bullet itself exploding. Life is hard, and with the way she lives, and how her fruit harms her body, it wears her down greatly. She tried to take her life one night, thankfully, Justice came in time to save her.

Filo’s skin is dark, sun kissed and even in coloration. Its as if chocolate and caramel melded in perfect harmony. Her hair is long, the same length as Rhyse’s, around 4 feet, as they shaved their heads to signify creating a new life for themselves. Terrafilo is normally seen with her hair down, or tied up in a high ponytail. Occasionally Terra braids her hair over her shoulder, she only really does this when she’s remembering her mother, softly singing the song that she was taught when learning how to braid. Emerald is the color of her eyes, though it shifts to blood red when her fruit is activated. She likes to look at her reflection, not because she is vain, but because her face and eyes resemble her mother.

Terra has a few tattoos, the most noticeable one is her back piece, on the small of her back there is a anatomically correct human heart, with wings of bone stretching to her shoulders, blood drips down from the heart and becomes different types of herbs, wrapping around her hips down to her thighs before stopping. Her crew symbol is tattooed under her tongue, it was painful but worth it to her. Terra’s last tattoo is the exact same one Rhyse has. Instead of the left calf, she has hers on the right. It is of two maps laid directly over each other. One leads to Terra’s home island, and the other to Rhyse’s. No one can read them but Rhyse and Terra.

She has no birthmarks, but she does have a small cluster of freckles at the base of her spine, Terra hides it with her clothing because she finds it embarrassing.

Terrafilo is easy going, not going to rush into anything unless she has to. It’s easy to talk to her because of that, getting information is a lot easier when you’re always relaxed, as to not give yourself away. But her mood can change in an instant. If any danger is present her eyes will narrow and senses sharpen, devil fruit on the tipping point of being activated.

Terrafilo consumed the Shiruku Shiruku no mi, roughly translated to the silk silk fruit. Allowing her body to transform into 3 forms. One is a centuaresque spider. Her lower body is that of a spider's, abdomen and all. 8 legs are present, all razor sharp and able to crush steel. Her exoskeleton works like haki, immensely strong and very difficult to break. Moving up on her body, human skin shows at her hips and upward, she can choose to make her hands take on the armor as well, her fingertips sharpening like her multiple legs. Instead of two eyes, she will have eight, all of them capable of focusing on separate things. In this from she is able to summon a weapon, Shirukupaiku, a Silk Pike. This is as hard as her armor, and laced with poison, it resides inside of her body and has to be pulled out of the top of her spine, the wound closes fast due to her regeneration.

The second form is more humanlike. Her arms gain the hard exoskeleton, but her legs look like they’re made of silk. She’s faster in this form, being able to outrun even Kizaru if uninjured. The major downside is she cannot use her silk to fight, or even pull out her pike, the only thing she can fight with is small blasts of energy that come out from her palms, it doesn’t injure people, only knock them unconscious for a few hours, allowing to make a hasty escape.

Terra’s third form is disgustingly grotesque. Its an amalgamation of her human body and a spiders, it is a last resort because this form is immensely hard to control. Its seven stories tall, mostly resembling a spider, but two of her eight legs are Terra’s human arms with the spider armor. Her jaw unhinges to engulf ships and people who get in her way, extremely corrosive poison drips from her mouth, she even reverts back to an animalistic way of fighting. She would never use this form unless there was a situation where her crew or close friends could die.

I would like to leave this city This old town don't smell too pretty and I can feel the warning signs running around my mind And when I leave this island I'll book myself into a soul asylum 'Cause I can feel the warning signs running around my mind

Waves crashed against the hull of a ship. Moonlight danced along the deck, setting the stage as it carefully crawled along the floorboards. Curiosity overcame the light, peeking down into the bilge, blowing a gentle kiss to all those that were asleep. It continued along the ship, passing marine guards that were a bit too tired to keep watch, the light dimming as it wished them a good night's sleep.

So here I go Still scratching around in the same old hole My body feels young but my mind is very old

A gentle hand rapped against a door frame, resting on it a moment after. A name, delicately said into the night finally stirred the body sitting at a desk. He glanced up, eyes depraved of sleep widened in confusion. Softly, a question left his lips, and an attempt of an answer from hers. Though not verbal, he knew what she had tried to say, a pleading look and a soft whimper tied up any loose ends. She looked to the floor, gripping her coat firmly, the contrast from the dark room against the illuminated walkway stark and apparent. He stands, pushing paperwork aside and into a pile, she stifles a sigh, knowing those papers are important. Hazel eyes glanced up at her figure, vulnerable, scared, weak. He knows this isn’t her, only a shell of what she usually is. Doubt from her, reassurance from him.

So what do you say? You can't give me the dreams that are mine anyway You're half the world away

Hands intertwine, one gently pulls the other, bodies soon walking in sync.

You're half the world away

She pauses, insisting that he get back to his previous task, worried for a reason she voices, and one she hides deep within herself. Does the man have to repeat himself? Possibly not. Doubt from her, Reassurance from him.

And when I leave this planet You know I'd stay but I just can't stand it And I can feel the warning signs running around my mind

Fears tossed aside, over the railings of the ship, cast down towards the dark sea. Down towards the uncertain. Her head reels, body walking alongside him. Thoughts descending to a place she has never visited. He knows what ails her, though not what she is going through. Words cannot reach a heart that is guarded, to storm the castle would be risky, even if one raided using love. His hand tightens around hers, nothing but warmth radiates through to her, a futile thought, hoping an embrace would help.

And if I can leave this spirit I'll find me a hole and I'll live in it And I can feel the warning signs running around my mind

They walk, past doors that lead into the cabin, past doors that hide sleeping marines. In the day the path carried soldiers throughout the day, but at night all that stirs are the whispers of the wind. The boards are restless, anxious to creak, but the pair walk with certainty, knowing which board would alert the crew of their rendezvous. Countless times they have walked this path, she apologizes for the frequency, he wishes that it would occur more.

So here I go I'm still scratching around in the same old hole My body feels young but my mind is very old

She jokes, for the first time in weeks. Pondering soon followed her humor, should they be doing this with their respective lovers? Perhaps. But, he assures, love is different and unique. Their love, while not romantic, conveys something equally powerful, respect, adoration, boundaries, and the knowledge of when to cross them. He knows she’s hurting, that she would rather be left to her own devices, but to him, that is unacceptable. For a friend, to comfort someone close to you is a common wish, to lift them up when they’re sinking. Her face falters with a smile, apologizing for not being able to form it, he shakes his head and responds with a smile of his own. If she cannot smile, he will do it for her, for as long as he needs to.

So what do you say? You can't give me the dreams that are mine anyway You're half the world away

Walking under the mast shrouded them in darkness, the atmosphere almost suffocating. Knowing she would falter, her hand tightened around his; pleading to herself, to give the courage to continue.

You're half the world away

As the deck expanded in front of them, she stepped forward, letting go of his hand. Gazing out at the night sky, she saw how it stretched across the world, their audience consisted of stars and the occasional comet. Wind encompassed them, greeting the performers with a mellow hug, her coat fluttered around, settling back down not a moment later. The weight of her thoughts confiscated her mind once again. He gently reached over, brushing his fingers over her own, glancing back, their hands embraced once more. She turned elegantly, his hand extended up, turning with her body; rotating once, twice, and the third time ended with him pulling her close. Both of them followed the formality of the dance, his right hand resting on her waist, and her left hand settled for his shoulder; never ceasing the grip on their partners other hand. Taking a step back, and he steps forward, fluid motions encompass them as emerald and hazel eyes bid farewell for the moment, gradually closing to savor the feeling and emotions swirling around them.

You're half the world away I've been lost, I've been found But I don't feel down

Their breath quickened with their pace, feet moving in sync across the wooden stage, two worlds colliding. Thoughts barreled out of her head, becoming mixed up and entwined with their waltz. Liberating, that would be the feeling overwhelming her senses, if the cynical thoughts would cease. His movements were firm, supporting her as if she were glass as thin as a hair, silently vowing to never let her shatter. Their forms blurred, worries accumulated up, even his own came forth. Doubt, misery, shame, panic, inferiority, they danced alongside the pair, mocking them all the while. She pushed away, hiding her face from the moonlight, he brought her back, turning their fronts to the light, bathing them in clarity.

You're half the world away I've been lost, I've been found But I don't feel down

He whisked her into the air, for a moment time stopped and eyes abruptly opened. One firmly grounded, content and at home, the other flying, a feeling of relief welling up in her chest. The rush of air and their stature was enough to elicit a curt laugh from her, chest heaving from the tension it’s been carrying. What started as a smirk blossomed into a full smile, beaming up at the airborne woman. Although gravity brought reality, and her, back to the ground, it couldn’t take away the sentiment shared in the dance.

Pausing, they stayed in the embrace. A hand with a solid grip on her waist, already feeling the confidence radiating off of her. Chests heaved with exhaustion, but soon fatigue turned to comfort. Her hand rested on his shoulder, the marine uniform crisp and sleek beneath her fingers, wondering exactly how many differences they share. She laughed softly, taking in their surroundings. The moon that once glistened across their insecurities began to melt away, leaving the sun to emerge past the horizon, warming their bodies and hearts. His hand shifted, feeling the rough fabric of her coat reminding him that though their souls align, they stand on very different sides of the world. A deep breath and sigh from him, easily tearing his eyes away from the morning sunrise to look down at her, content, and merry.

Through her witty comments, and his snarky replies, two damaged people realized that together, they are whole.

Flying past, his arms jerked out and gripped the air on either side of him, eyes shut and shielding himself from the chaos below. He jostled his body enough to spin, leveling out as the wind carried him further from the damage. “Ulysses..” A voice called out from his chest “Ulysses..!” Eyes of emerald parted, opening to gaze beyond what was laid out in front of him. “Ulysses. This isn’t your fault, you couldn’t do a thing about the outcome.” Letting his hold on the air slip, Ulysses reached within his chest, body rippling as he pulled a clear bottle out, filled with a thick liquid. “How wasn’t this my fault. If I never came to this village-“ His other hand gestured to the buildings flying past below them “-They would have still been alive!” A wounded voice bellowed from his chest, pained, as he forced it out. “I’m cursed, Echo,” Ulysses held the jar close as he spun once more, fire enveloping them in a warm embrace. “Uly-!” The jar rattled and shattered, the liquid within formed a body, which Uly gratefully wrapped his arms around, making sure Echo didn’t fall. Flames of blue, the color of sadness, the feeling of a empty day and bored out heart. Flickers of red; passion and indulgence, a hot kiss gained after a night of flirting. Together they bore the heat and image of a purple entity, a mix that held together the flame which took the form of wings, carrying the pair away from the carnage of the desolated village. “Echo, I’m a monster.”

As the sun began to rise on a new day, the pair settled down in a hidden thicket, Echo nursing her body, which had begun to dry out from the flight. Ulysses patching his heart, mind still reeling from the events that took place last night. “Please understand, you’re not cursed Ulysses” Echo spoke, her hand reaching out to grip Uly’s, which he took gratefully. “Then how can you explain how every time we enter a new village, more times than not it gets demolished, every time Echo, every single time!” His eyes flamed and his body tensed, jaw clenching at the thought of how many people fell because of him. “women, children, warriors, they all perished because of my flame.” A gentle hand laid on his shoulder and the flames licking at his hair died down, teary eyes peered towards his companion. “You have the power to change the world, power to end this senseless war between us and the doctors, don’t give up just yet Uly, I promise you’ll see what you have potential for..” She gave his shoulder a light punch, settling down beside him, laying back on the grass. “..and Ill be right by your side” A soft laugh could be heard and the hot headed man flopped down next to her “ I've got no doubt on that, and with you ill stay..” Echo nodded and gently nudged his arm “hey, Uly, tell me how you found me again”

“I've told you that story a thousand times already, aren’t you tired of it?”

“not one bit.”

Upon seeing the black liquid, we had thought it was oil, perhaps we had struck it rich! With this we could even retire early and live in leisure. To further solidify our dreams we began to write down ways we’d spend the money.

Firstly, we would want to spend it recklessly, buying everything our hearts desired. Cars, houses, jewel encrusted possessions, drawing envy from all that heard of us.

After putting that thought on our minds back-burner, our thoughts swiveled towards a second option: Frugal Living. With making millions from this discovery of ours, it would be wise to preserve as much as we could, investing in stocks became a topic for a moment, but soon shut down with an easier alternative; just simply leaving the money in our separate accounts, untouched until we absolutely needed it.

The third thought that danced across our minds involved a large amount of compassion. Donating a large sum of this wold be ideal, giving charity groups enough money to help others, and then some. But with this option we still agreed to keep enough to allow us financial stability.

Three fine ideas. It would have been angelic bliss to allow those thoughts to roam, but our desires and vivid expectations were halted as reality yanked us back down to earth. Blinking away our illusions of grandeur, horror slowly set in. What was oil at first glance slowly bubbled up from the hole we dug, becoming viscus and matted in the grass surrounding the opening. We looked on in sheer disgust as many forgotten corpses emerged from the muck.

The bones of birds, cats dogs and rodents surfaced , their marred skulls beginning to stack up on each other. This wasn’t natural, this many half-decomposed animals in a tar pit that was just unearthed and tapped into? Unlikely. What had us cringing with disdain rapidly switched gears to panic and gut wrenching fear. Human remains surfaced and soon outnumbered the animals. Faces with flesh barely attached, contorted in fear and pain, in our hysteria we still managed to recall seeing a few limbs mixed in with the multiple craniums.

As if this wasn’t enough to set fear in our hearts and minds, another head rose from the tar, but this one was different. It was still covered in the black paste, covering any distinguishing features of the victim. Though what froze us in place wasn’t just the combined smell and atrocity, it was the realization that this head was freshly severed.