video;

[aread]

[Well this sure is a video post. It opens on Kidd, who's looking rather casually bored, dressed up in all the stolen finery one might expect of a pirate. His accent is vaguely British-y, and his tone is casually bored.]

I've heard tell this turtle of ours stops off at locations along the course of its journey. And these shores— would anyone say they at all resemble the Caribbean? Nassau, perhaps?

[He assumes otherwise, but it never hurts to ferret out little bits of information. If nothing else, mention of Nassau might weed out any who know the region and what it stands for. Stood for. He cocks his head to one side, there's maybe a hint of something predatory to his expression.]

I find it curious, aye, to be plain, that we can be so long at sea without fear of outside attack. Pirates, and the like. This place is grand enough, but hardly impregnable. Has anyone considered proper fortifications for it t'all? A blockade, perhaps, or cannons? Or something a sight more modern, I understand there's all manner of things not common to my era.

Thanks be to you, listeners.

[A casual salute, and cut feed.]

Comments

[backinakidflash]

Ahoy, matey! Avast ye! Arrrrr, and shiver me timbers!

[Huge grin.]

Sorry. Couldn't resist. Norrington and Westley were talking about building a boat, but. That was months ago. They're not here anymore. Anyway. The barrier serves as a blockade.

[aread]

[Eyebrow up. Annnnd yeaaah Kidd just. Ignores that.]

Barriers can be broken, lad. Seems to me this one has been, before. T'ain't wise to put all your faith in such a thing.

[backinakidflash]

All my faith? Never. You don't wanna be inside this barrier.

Um. Y'know. Unless you're supposed to be here, like we are.

Video;

[asouthron]

Well, unfortunately, modern is not somethin' we've got around here...

Sure do have a giant magical barrier surroundin' this place, though. Does that put yer mind at ease?

[ Sorry, he's being a sarcastic ass and not helpful. ]

Video;

[aread]

[Oh it's you. Kidd has developed a considerable fondness for trolling you, Doctor, be on your guard. Thus, smirking.]

Not so much. Seems to me the enemy here's plenty capable of magic and the like.

Video;

[asouthron]

Too many people are capable of magic for anyone's own good, enemy or no...

[ UGH GOD! Don't even get him started on magic, kid! You'll never hear the end of it and its bullshit. ]

video;

[iguanasolution]

[Frank has already learned to identify by now people who come from so back in the past that might eye his communication device weirdly. This man on the network doesn't seem to have problems with the computer, but who talks of pirates that way anymore? ... Unless they come from an alternate universe, but the idea of that still makes Frank hurt.

The point is, he'll get nowhere if he avoids those who might find his mechanical voice weird. And Queen Elsa seemed to take it nicely enough...]

The actual dangers are inside the turtle already, not out. The only time we've actually been attacked we were underwater and no fortification could have stopped us.

That, and also there's the barrier. Nothing gets out, but nothing gets in either? Or at least nothing has been dumb enough to try.

video;

[aread]

[... well that's a right oddity, but all it gets is a slight shift in Kidd's posture as he leans back from the screen.]

I've heard from the locals, something about debris falling from the sky? Stars, or somesuch. Beyond this barrier you all crow the praises of so well.

[WHICH JUST MAKES KIDD MORE SUSPICIOUS, REALLY. Is everyone brainwashed here or what.]

video;

[iguanasolution]

[If he doesn't mention it Frank isn't going to... but hey, he actually replied to him and not deviated the conversation to ask what the heck is up with his 'watch', so he counts it a victory.]

That was around the time I came, actually. But as far as I know it was something falling from the sky? Not an attack. And definitely not pirates.

[lostundercover]

Maybe the attack's coming, but they're all on fucking turtles and just slow to get here.

[So much line facing.]

[aread]

You've no notion of naval navigation, I warrant. This beast of ours moves at a fair clip.

[The rough language isn't even a blip on the radar, frankly. If anything, Kidd relaxes just slightly at hearing it. It's a pirate thing.]

[lostundercover]

Maybe it's a big ocean.

[He's half-joking. Frustrated with the idea of turtles at all, but finding the guy's response actually amicable enough.]

Or maybe there's a reason people don't have ships here.

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[sophos]

We went through a really warm spell of water once, but there hasn't been anything like the Caribbean in terms of land and islands yet. I'm assuming it's the Nassau in the Bahamas you're talking about, and not the county in New York. [Yeah, this person is probably from the past by her timeframe, but w/e w/e.]

The only big threat we've had from the ocean to get through the barrier so far were zombies. [Pause.] No piracy, but considering it's a giant swimming and powerful turtle, with the city six hours from the edge, I can't see how it'd be a convenient target for normal pirates.

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[aread]

[Interesting. Kidd files the information away for later, along with the rest of everything that's been accrued. Pity about the lack of anything resembling Nassau, but honestly it wasn't much a priority anyway, simply idle curiosity.]

Pirates adapt plenty, lass. It'd be shameful for them to do otherwise. There's spoils here to be had, and that's lure enough for any.

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[sophos]

Well, yeah. Everyone adapts when they need to. I haven't heard any talk about pirates on the ocean at all though, even as a potential threat, and I've been living here over a year now.

Obviously there are people and other things who might want in, but the barrier and the turtle are stronger than you seem to give them credit for. It's not infallible by any means, but it's better than walls that can be broken down with just the right amount of calculations.

Besides, there's plenty of people here that are better than weapons at handling defense, too.

[gathersnomoss]

I'd assume any pirates would stay near the shore. The open ocean is big and, while the turtle is big for a turtle, it's small compared to the amount of ground we cover, and doesn't follow a fixed path like a shipping route. As far as we know, it's also unique.

There also seem to be few, if any, powerful sorcerers among the locals, either the kedan or the people in ports. Pirates would need one to take the barrier down unless we're at port. Pirates might consider us not worth the trouble when there's easier shipping on regular routes that doesn't end up hundreds of miles from a port, and doesn't require keeping specialists on-board.

[aread]

Pirates go where there's bounty to be had. Easier, aye, if it's on the shore, but desperate times can drive them as far as they can walk for it. Trade routes would be like to throw them off the scent of us, but that's assuming that those routes - or pirates, equally as much - exist. Speaking strictly in theoretics, lad.

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[superieure]

There's not even a centralised frequently-asked-questions in this place and you're wondering why there's no fortifications?

['Sup Kidd have one (1) sharp-dressed mutant. Her expression is a cross between wryly amused and exasperated. Mostly the latter.]

I doubt there's any from the Caribbean specifically and the only thing the turtle has been attacked by from the water have been the jiangshi.

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[aread]

[Sounds charmingly like Nassau in its heyday. The idea of democracy was a solid one, but the execution thereof? Not so much.]

I can live without my questions being answered, lass. I'm less certain of surviving a conflict when there's no clear defense to rally behind.

[And then, a tip of the head. Curious-like.]

'Jiangshi'. Pardon my saying, but that's a word from the Orient, aye?

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[una_persson]

[Una likes the way you think, Kidd.]

Fortifications—not as such. The Emperor's barrier is what's been relied upon, but perhaps, in light of recent events, we ought to be rethinking that.

[A beat; then, deadpan:]

We do have dragons.

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[aread]

[Kidd's eyebrow twitches.]

Dragons, aye. I've seen your Temeraire.

[mightythinice]

[oh my god this is more pirate talk, isn't it. This sounds like something that could have came from a book. Except it's real, and Ellie is grinning, as she tries to answer back.

In pirate speak]

Aye! But there is a barrier over yonder, can't nothing get through it, or so I've heard. And I've heard that a lot, let's be honest.

Aaaaavast, though, I don't trust a lot of people here to, you know, build things.

[she sounds like a girl from Boston, tbh.]

[aread]

[Wow that is surprisingly precious. Give Kidd a sec, some things have to be handled with care.]

Your accent could use a touch of work, lass, but it ain't terrible, all things considered.

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[chittybang]

I like the way you think! Although I'm not sure that's our decision to make.

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[aread]

Whose, then? The Emperor seems little concerned with our affairs, save what we can do for his private war. If we've the skill and the means, the only thing that's stopping us is timidity, and that's a thing no man should claim. We've a right to defend ourselves and those that stand with us.