Island Orange Town

[Einsauer]

The officers soluted, raising their arms they each blared a, "Yes Sir!" Showing Shu their affirmation to his commands.

Polo was quick to follow his comrades, giving a glance around and snapping to a similar salute and addressing Captain Shu as the others had. "Yes, Sir!" He responded with a sense of eagerness. He had crossed up, over and around tons of scrap materials since getting to Orange Town. His smile gleamed brighter and brighter, the moment the marine soldiers were dismissed Polo Marco took off down the way he had originally entered the island from, eager to specifically grab all the debris he had crossed past earlier.
His mind raced with potential improvements that the marines could make to the town; perhaps a large town hall of red brick with a soup-kitchen attached! Perhaps, too, a community garden with sturdy iron fencing to withstand all the crops within that the community would share! And perhaps even...!

Polo found himself face-first on a cement road that had been cracked to cobblestone beneath his thick skull. "Ow." He said, his smile finally disappearing, if only but for a moment for soon he let out a goofy chuckle at his own clumsiness, his face still flush from the sudden meeting it had just had with the ground.

"Ha, HA!"

"Uki~uki~uki~uki~"​

He had tripped over the very debris he was meant to retrieve! How fortunate! It looked as though an entire house had been blown over by the wind into the street. He had tripped over a support beam that should have been plenty noticeable. Polo Marco rose to his feet and began plucking the small shards of rock from his face whilst analyzing the large piece of wood.
After a moment or two of looking it over he delivered two swift chops of his mighty hand to sever the splintered section of the support beam. The fishman wrapped his mitts around the support beam and lifted it from the surrounding rubble, demonstrating a notable level of strength.

Polo set it aside from the fallen house, preparing to build up a pile of lumber. He worked with a smile on his face, even as sweat dripped down his chin. His mentor often told him: 'sweat is a reward for hard work!', Polo certainly full-heartedly believed that. He began cleanly severed post after post, rearranging them into workable lumber and adding them to his pile. With every piece of wood Polo added to the selection he had set aside he envisioned another house with a happy family living within. It was more than enough to fuel his hard work, the sweat on his pale face was just his heart's way of telling him he was doing a good job!

"Ooh!-" He said to himself, continuing his train-of-thought from before. "-and a schoolhouse with a big, brass bell!"

@Lamby

 

[Lamby]

Orange Town #15
@Einsauer​

Captain Shu stood stoically, he pondered silently as his soldiers scattered about the ruined town as they begun the first stage of reconstruction; that was cleaning the area. The Mayor stood silently along with their stoic mutt, he was inquisitive about Shu's plans as he didn't seem to budge all that much in comparison to the men he commanded.

"Ah- Mr. Officer." He hesitantly uttered.

"Yes, Mayor?" Replied the man, without changing demeanor his eyes hyper-fixated upon the town.

"How exactly do you plan on rebuilding our town? Do you need-"
"No not really." Shu quickly interjected. Silencing the man's concerns, "Well, not at this point in time. I don't actually know when the other men will return with the supplies so as of now our main goal is to clear the way to make proper ground work. I don't intend on making any new adjustments unless you require us too; If you do want something new simply let us know. Though it can't be too big, we're not professionals to construction work."

"Ah- I understand." Replied Mayor Boodle.

Relatively Short post this week, I'm sorry

 

[Einsauer]

Polo let out a loud sigh as he fell onto a large pile of lumber he has successfully scavenged from the ruined buildings, he looked up at the sky to see how the mighty sun had shifted positions quite a bit. He pondered to himself as a cloud, highlighted in orange, passed gently across his vision: how long had he been at it? He smiled as he brought his bright-yellow eyes back down to all the lumber and clean-cut stone he had gathered up. Despite the growing sweat on the fishman, he could hardly tolerate himself lounging for long.
The fishman beamed as his energy returned to him, he excitedly pushed himself to his feet and then grabbed as much of the freshly chopped lumber he could carry and began back towards the original rendezvous point or until he could find a comrade he could inform of the supply cache he had created.

His mind kept jumping back to his fight, the injured people and the puddles of blood that spilt across the smooth ground. His smile absent-mindedly faded, as he considered the reality of combat as opposed to his training. Without the marines arriving, how many more would have been hurt?
His eyebrows furrowed a bit as his memory sharpened to the visual of the innocent woman's head hitting the concrete after being thrown carelessly. The purpose of the marines was to protect and serve those very people- what was the purpose of a pirate?

Polo's head began to sting, less-so from his pondering and more-so from the unacknowledged heatstroke taking place. Polo suddenly stumbled and set all of his lumber down on the ground before him. He had ignored his body's cry for rest in the blazing sun for too long- even now daring an attempt at stumbling forward, before eventually crashing forward in exhaustion. In little time, Polo found himself unconscious.

@Lamby

 

[Lamby]

Orange Town #16
@Einsauer​

Commander Shu oversaw all the repairs to be done, it was an impromptu Job and they still had to wait upon the shipment of supplies from their returning cargo ship. That's what he had hoped from the soldiers he sent off island, he commanded those that remained to gather materials on the ground, so it was time to separate them. His men gathered around, his gunners keeping an eye out with almost all soldiers accounted for.

A premonition, a thought had come to Commander Shu. He saw the piles of rubble that have met in town square, he met the men that had returned to the battalion. Although he still felt his soldiers hadn't all returned. "Mayor Boodle is fortunate to have such wonderful marines like the ones I have procured, though I can't shake off the feeling that someone is missing."

---​

"Poor kid--"
Polo was really determined, he had a heart that anyone would admire and would aspire to protect. A heart sought after through God's eyes alongside your undying love. He was pure.

"You really worked yourself to the bone huh, kid?" His first friend, the sniper that had gotten to know him. She had wandered about, although being a soldier and albeit the commands she had received to collect materials as well, she did not possess the physical strength much like the men around her did. She took her waterflask, "I hope it's still cold. Else I'm wasting this on an unconscious fishman, it would whave probably been better to drop him in the ocean. That may or may not shock his body, the sun that's cooking him out here then the cold ocean waters slapping him wide awake. What a total killer move for anyone's nervous system, however at small enough ounces it's acceptable."

She unscewed it and poured her water out on Polo's face, hopefully it was cold enough to slap him awake. Commander Shu was awaiting the arrival of a few more officiers as his numbers began to dwindle. "Polo! Wake up!" She demanded.

 

[Einsauer]

She unscewed it and poured her water out on Polo's face, hopefully it was cold enough to slap him awake. Commander Shu was awaiting the arrival of a few more officiers as his numbers began to dwindle. "Polo! Wake up!" She demanded.

The ensign's face twitched slightly at the water's introduction, his eyes pinched tightly then pulled open to the blurry visual of a fellow marine- though it would take him a moment to recognize the face through his fog. "Eh?" Polo Marco vocalized in a state of half-consciousness. His golden eyes slowly began to return to life as his friend Aegis began to materialize in vision. His smile brightened before he looked around and realized he had collapsed suddenly. "Oh- I must have gotten tired." He remarked confusedly.
Polo began to stand only for his knees to immediately buckle under his own weight. His muscles burned beneath the skin, his overuse of Geppo had done a number on his legs.

His eyes glanced back up to the woman: "Thank you, Aegis!" He said cheerfully, ignoring the pain he was in. "I have a bunch of lumber and stone, perfect for beginning the town's reconstruction!"

"If we're quick we could have rooves over heads before the sun's down!" He said. Once again he attempted to stand, though he found that his legs could not be coerced into cooperating. "I think my legs are asleep." He said, fully aware he had pushed himself too far.
"Do you have any more water?" He asked his friend innocently from his awkward position on the ground.

@Lamby

 

[Lamby]

Orange Town #17
@Einsauer​

The ensign's face twitched slightly at the water's introduction, his eyes pinched tightly then pulled open to the blurry visual of a fellow marine- though it would take him a moment to recognize the face through his fog. "Eh?" Polo Marco vocalized in a state of half-consciousness. His golden eyes slowly began to return to life as his friend Aegis began to materialize in vision. His smile brightened before he looked around and realized he had collapsed suddenly. "Oh- I must have gotten tired." He remarked confusedly.
Polo began to stand only for his knees to immediately buckle under his own weight. His muscles burned beneath the skin, his overuse of Geppo had done a number on his legs.

His eyes glanced back up to the woman: "Thank you, Aegis!" He said cheerfully, ignoring the pain he was in. "I have a bunch of lumber and stone, perfect for beginning the town's reconstruction!"
@Lamby

"I can see that--," she noncahalantly replied, tilting her canister upwards. Her eyes gestured to the giant pile of rubble the young fishman had collected in his efforts. "No problem for, y'know, saving your skin from a horrible sun burn. We could have had a human-sized portion of fried fish had I not acome. Heat stroke and sun burn aren't easy to deal with, well I hope you're fine after pouring all my water on you. You have solid scales anyway."

"I'm not as physically strong as you guys, so I didn't bring in a haul as large as yours. I had a feeling to come look for you since Commander Shu started a head count, I wouldn't want you to get your first scolding." She added.

She turned up-road, she glanced at the young fishman's haul. "How'd you plan to get all this back to the meeting point?" She thought.

"If we're quick we could have rooves over heads before the sun's down!" He said. Once again he attempted to stand, though he found that his legs could not be coerced into cooperating. "I think my legs are asleep." He said, fully aware he had pushed himself too far.
"Do you have any more water?" He asked his friend innocently from his awkward position on the ground.

"Nope, that's the last bit I had from my flask. Y'know if you keep pushing yourself to do good until your dying breathe you'd accomplish far less than doing your best until your exhausted. You're not alone in this operation anyway. Just hang tight, I don't want the sun to cook you but I'm going to report back to Shu about your situation." She replied, she knelt down. She took off her sniper's coat and threw it over his exhausted body. "Shade yourself with this, you shouldn't try moving from here onwards." She softly commanded of him.

"Don't cook out here," a light hearted goodbye. A little joke to entertain his innocence, Aegis was growing fond of her new subordinate. She jogged up-road to the meeting point, as Shu skeptically concluded his headcount and noting the set of missing officers. He took notice of the jogging Aegis and he was swift to interrrogate her.

"Soldier, report." He sternly but gently commanded.

"Sir! Ensign Polo had collapsed further down the road, I had defected from the main objective to ensure his life and safety." She replied, quick to adhere to protocols and rules. To convey her respect she saluted, she brought her arms to her sides and her legs were clamped shut; she was alert and disciplined and conveyed it well as she stood 'attention'.

"Careful how you use your words sharpshooter, they could be used against you for mutiny," He replied. The air growing ever so slightly tense before he let out a light hearted chuckle. "The new recruit's really putting his best foot forward, aye?"

Aegis relaxed, "Yes he is. He needs some more water and He managed to gather a few more supplies for our rebuilding project. He's going to need some help carrying them back to our checkpoint."

"I see, I'll deal with him then. Get some of the heavy lifters together for me, get them to come after me and then we'll start reconstruction. I'm confident our new supplied should arrive by sunset." He replied. Shu walked past Aegis, and he ran down the hill. His boots loud and oddly famliar, his job sounding exactly like Aegis'. It would have been safe to assume she'd returned for him, an unexpected surprise to come to the young recruit. How would Polo react??

 

[Einsauer]

"I can see that--," she noncahalantly replied, tilting her canister upwards. Her eyes gestured to the giant pile of rubble the young fishman had collected in his efforts. "No problem for, y'know, saving your skin from a horrible sun burn. We could have had a human-sized portion of fried fish had I not acome. Heat stroke and sun burn aren't easy to deal with, well I hope you're fine after pouring all my water on you. You have solid scales anyway."

"I'm not as physically strong as you guys, so I didn't bring in a haul as large as yours. I had a feeling to come look for you since Commander Shu started a head count, I wouldn't want you to get your first scolding." She added.

More embarrassed than anything, Polo chewed over in his head- the thought of him frying in the sun wasn't even a thought until he felt the tightness of his skin- tender from the sun's strength. He let loose a pensive sigh at the thought of disappointing a marine captain and his comrades. He had left so much more where he had done his salvaging, he was now beginning to suspect he wouldn't be capable of going back and getting it all by himself.

"Nope, that's the last bit I had from my flask. Y'know if you keep pushing yourself to do good until your dying breathe you'd accomplish far less than doing your best until your exhausted. You're not alone in this operation anyway. Just hang tight, I don't want the sun to cook you but I'm going to report back to Shu about your situation." She replied, she knelt down. She took off her sniper's coat and threw it over his exhausted body. "Shade yourself with this, you shouldn't try moving from here onwards." She softly commanded of him.

"Don't cook out here,"

His head was still a little woozy as she spoke, but he nodded as she told him he had been revived with the last of her water supply. He glanced up as she started to take off down the road. "Thank you!" He shouted after her with his energy slowly returning to him, his quiet disappointment turning into an odd, and likely misguided, motivation. It seemed as soon as she was out of his line-of-sight he began struggling back up onto his wobbly legs. Immediately his muscles screeched out in disgust, causing him to buckle to a kneel. "Alright, alright..." He said with a chuckle directed at his own exhausted body. "No standing..." He said with an emboldened tone. He fell to his tummy and swiftly rolled forward onto his outstretched hands. "...with my legs!"

With a demented level of determination he wobbled back and forth on his hands for a moment before taking a few steps forward on his hands. Soon he had a surprising level of control over his upside-down movements. "Hahaha!" He laughed. "This is much easier than it looks!"
Polo wouldn't allow himself to give up so easily while his comrades were still working hard for this innocent village. He took Aegis' words to heart, at least the ones that he was able to pick up through his mild delirium. He would be far more help to those around him if he didn't accidentally break his own body, but Polo also seemed to have a warped perception of what he was capable of. His legs creased around a piece of wood atop the stack and he began hand-waddling in the direction he had seen his comrade rush off in.

It wasn't long he was moving before he saw the silhouette of an approaching marine ally, unbeknownst to him at this point, it was his captain. "Ha!" Polo Marco chirped accidentally dropping the piece of wood onto his upturned head. "Oof-" He exclaimed knocking himself off balance.
It was from the ground now that he saw who was approaching him. "Oh, Captain!" He said saluting, complete with a clicking of his heels, but from a prone position on the ground. "Apologies, sir!" He said with a face painted with sweat and unyielding motivation.

"There's a lot more I gathered, I just couldn't carry it all... Like this." He said having a brief moment of clarity at how he probably looked.

@Lamby

 

[Lamby]

Orange Town #18
@Einsauer​

It wasn't long he was moving before he saw the silhouette of an approaching marine ally, unbeknownst to him at this point, it was his captain. "Ha!" Polo Marco chirped accidentally dropping the piece of wood onto his upturned head. "Oof-" He exclaimed knocking himself off balance.
It was from the ground now that he saw who was approaching him. "Oh, Captain!" He said saluting, complete with a clicking of his heels, but from a prone position on the ground. "Apologies, sir!" He said with a face painted with sweat and unyielding motivation.

"There's a lot more I gathered, I just couldn't carry it all... Like this." He said having a brief moment of clarity at how he probably looked.

"Well, you're more spry then I was informed about." Commander Shu openly spoke, he had witnessed Polo's handstand from a distance. He was surprised, he took a few moments to gather his thoughts before even speaking to the Ensign-class soldier. "You don't have to worry about your contribution to rebuilding the town, most of what we gathered is scattered debris and raw material that will be used for a makeshift shelter so that the inhabitants have somewhere to rest their heads. Reconstruction on this scale requires much more planning, Mayor Boodle was worrysome about that very situation since we wouldn't be able to do it over night."

"Aegis already informed me about your current condition," he began. Reaching behind his back and under his cape, he retrieved his water canister, it was full. He shook it to make sure it still had the water he had packed just before leaving his quarters to come out, on this mission. The weight, the subtle swish and the resistance-momentum caused by the water following through with the motion told him exactly what he needed to know. He squatted down low and unscrewed the canister's cap, "Take my canister and drink it all. Don't be humble, take every last drop, I have a second one stored away." He reached out to give the young fishman the canister to quench his thirst.

"I see, I'll deal with him then. Get some of the heavy lifters together for me, get them to come after me and then we'll start reconstruction. I'm confident our new supplied should arrive by sunset." He replied. Shu walked past Aegis, and he ran down the hill. His boots loud and oddly famliar, his job sounding exactly like Aegis'. It would have been safe to assume she'd returned for him, an unexpected surprise to come to the young recruit. How would Polo react??

Shu's commands were simple and although Polo's enthusiasm is a marvel and a true inspiration to the morale of the marines he still had a bit more to learn. Aegis could be seen in the distance, calmly walking down-road with three of the squadron's physically strongest. As per their commanders demand they going to help Polo, atleast help in carrying the pile he had garnered and collapsed near to.

(assuming Polo took the canister and is now drinking Shy's water, it would only be a few minutes till they'd arrive.)

"Brought the reinforcements, Commander!" Enthusiastically exclaimed Aegis, she had a nice bright smile. Something her comrades rarely saw from her, surely Polo began to change her, not directly but encouraging innocent enthusiasm that was contagious.

"Take the materials here and take them up-road." Directed Shu, leaving Polo where he was. He stood and pointed them to where they must go, "Makeshift repairs will be underway as soon as we get Polo to a sick-bay. It might take a few days or even a week for our materials to arrive from the cargo ship."