Original Post By: tobethriller
Marine has roused from a fitful slumber, earlier than sunrise. This was rather uncharacteristic of Sura, who is usually considered a sleepyhead by most of his peers. "Today is special." he thought as he rose and sat upright on his bed. He reached out for an envelope lying on the small desk next to him. He pulls out the letter inside the envelope and with a subtle smile on his face, reminisces the day he received this letter.
It was a couple of weeks after he officially became a Marine Ensign and was still doing little more than basic chores at Las Camp. Despite being someone who already has a good amount of experience sailing the harsh seas as an infamous explorer, he was not offended by the fact that the Marines treated him no different from the other new recruits. In fact, being the principled man he is, he respected the unbiased treatment he received. Nonetheless, he was more than willing to drop his broom at any moment and run out to the Sea and join higher ranked Marine officers on their journeys to capture the scumbags of the sea. So it comes as no surprise that when he received a letter notifying him that he could finally be a part of a proper Marine expedition, he was exhilarated.
Sura read the letter again word by word to relive that ecstatic moment. This time though, it wasn't ecstasy he experienced but rather shock. Shocked to find out that the day he was supposed to meet the crew was yesterday, he sprang out of his bed and quickly donned his uniform and grabbed his already packed luggage (he was prepared to leave any moment after the day he received that precious letter), and grabbed the pack of 'Navy Gold' cigarettes on his table before rushing out of his room. He didn't even care to lock the door behind him, there was nothing of much value to him left in that room anyway. He was half expecting the ship to be long gone but still rushed to the dock without a second thought. Once at the dock, and finding no ship, he slapped his face in shame and disappointment. He was eagerly waiting for an opportunity such as this for a while now and has already made a gaffe. It was apparent now that he may be experienced as a sailor and an explorer, but lacks the discipline and work ethic that makes a Marine. This is why he must start from the bottom of the rank ladder.
Wasting no more time, he glanced at the surface of the sea and was able to discern a slight disturbance in the water along with a very faint stream of bubbles. He was shrewd enough to deduce that a ship had just recently left the dock. He places his hand just above his eyebrows, with his palm facing the ground to block the sunlight from intruding his line of sight as he gazed sharply at the horizon. He noticed a ship in the distance which he recognized as a Marine ship. Upon inquiring a fellow Marine who was also present at the dock, he was able to confirm that was indeed the ship that Ms. Nihoff set sail on not too long ago. This is the ship he was supposed to board yesterday. He quickly takes a small rowboat and sets off in hopes of catching it.
Quite a bit of intense rowing later, Sura decided to relax for a brief moment as he was confident he would catch up to the crew soon. He reached into his shirt's pocket and pulls out a cigarette from the pack he brought along. He taps the filter end of the cigarette gently on his wrist a couple of times before putting it in his mouth and thereupon, lights it with his lighter. He inhaled deeply as the effect of the nicotine gave him a pleasant 'buzz' and slowly let it out.
**A little note on Navy Gold, the brand of cigarettes that Sura often prefers: Navy Gold is a popular brand of cigarettes in North Blue. They were specially crafted for the members of the Marines and were made using the highest quality of tobacco grown in all of the North Blue. It's a favorite among several other Marines at Las Camp.**
He was now primarily concerned with how to approach his next predicament, Ms. Nihoff herself. He has never met her in person but has heard enough about her to know that she would be the last person to let such a blunder go with nothing more than fair warning. He was preparing himself to be reprimanded for his....'fuck up' to put it bluntly.
Not long after he was done smoking his first cigarette of the day, Sura noticed the ship had come to a halt. He also spotted the wreckage of the Agatha Marie and concluded that Ms. Nihoff and co. were probably in the midst of rescuing survivors. Nevertheless, as his boat approached the ship he stood up straight and raised his arm to salute his superior in a typical Marine fashion, with the back of his hand facing forward. He shouted out, in a rather unsophisticated manner, but with respect nonetheless
"LIEUTENANT NIHOFF, AND CAPTAIN OF THE 159TH BRANCH OF THE MARINES! I AM SURA, ENSIGN AT LAS CAMP! I WAS NOTIFIED THAT I'VE BEEN ASSIGNED TO YOU FOR A MARINE PATROL MISSION! I AM EXTREMELY SORRY FOR BEING LATE! I SHALL NOT REPEAT ANYTHING LIKE THIS AGAIN IN THE FUTURE! I WILL BE SINCERE AND PUNCTUAL FROM NOW ON! PLEASE ALLOW ME TO BE PART OF YOUR CREW! I ASSURE YOU THAT I WILL TAKE MY RESPONSIBILITIES SERIOUSLY AND NOT LET YOU DOWN!"
while completely ignoring the obvious presence of the wreckage right next to his boat. He remained in this stiff salute position awaiting Ms. Nihoff's response, paying no heed to the fact that his boat is slowly, yet steadily heading straight towards the wreckage.