silverwolfcc (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
silverwolfcc) wrote2012-08-27 10:16 pm
silverwolfcc) wrote2012-08-27 10:16 pm
Entry tags:
CHAOS THREAD. DRABBLE TIME!!!
Here's how it works:
I give a prompt, people reply with drabbles filling the prompt and then prompt someone new at the end.
I'll probably write One Piece, but you can ask for other fandoms/things just realize they might be harder to fill. If you ask for RP-centric ones that I know I'll try to fill those easier than fandom ;) THIS CAN BE SHOWN TO ANYONE AND LINKED ALL OVER AND HAVE OTHERS JOIN IN.
SO. Keep that in mind and if you're gonna write anything over PG-13, mark it up top \o/That way I know what to read j/k or am I
First Prompt:
Cold rain
I give a prompt, people reply with drabbles filling the prompt and then prompt someone new at the end.
I'll probably write One Piece, but you can ask for other fandoms/things just realize they might be harder to fill. If you ask for RP-centric ones that I know I'll try to fill those easier than fandom ;) THIS CAN BE SHOWN TO ANYONE AND LINKED ALL OVER AND HAVE OTHERS JOIN IN.
SO. Keep that in mind and if you're gonna write anything over PG-13, mark it up top \o/
First Prompt:
Cold rain
no subject
~_~_~_~_~_~_~
Moon River
no subject
It was only quiet outside for a few seconds though before he caught the sound of singing. At first he was about to give up and go back inside, but it wasn't actually half bad. So he listened to the song, watching as the water slowly passed them by, with the moon reflecting off the top of it. Okay, maybe this wasn't so grating after all.
----------------------
Closing Time
no subject
She took off her apron and went to the door, and paused, the sight of the sea catching her eye as it always did, glimmering with moonlight. It was so wide and Luffy was out there, with nakama now, thank goodness, but what a rough man he'd seemed to have fallen in with. Not that she was worried per se. That boy could smooth out anyone's rough edges. Even one who had seemed to be all rough edges and flinty points.
An arm slipped around her waist. Only one. And somehow between then and now she'd gotten used to it. There was the smell of whiskey that went with it and the smell of the sea, always that, briny and intoxicating but frightening too, in a way.
"You're leaving tonight," she said. He smelled too much of whiskey to stay around until the morning.
"I have things to do."
"Liar." But she spoke affectionately. "What happened to all your pirate's freedom?"
"Everything comes with a price," he said, pressing a rough whiskey kiss to her cheek. "Even freedom."
She turned her head to capture his mouth and it turned gentle because he was a gentleman after all. Calm on the surface but wild as sea waves. His hand brushed over her stomach absently like feeling the tune of a guitar and she took it and moved her mouth from his to kiss the backs of his fingers.
"We're closed, sir. Get out," she said, swatting her apron at him. He grinned and moved around her.
"As you wish," he said with a little bow and then turned away, just like that, to start back toward ship and sea, lamp light on his red hair, black coat swirling around him.
"And come back," she murmured, though if he heard, he gave no acknowledgement. He would come back, in some form or another. And when he did... She smiled and put a hand low on her belly. They would be waiting.
prompt
naked
Not Mags-Safe Sorry Mags XD ((Marco/Robin PG-15 warning for others))
"Ah? I surrender, eh," he kept his tone deadpan, but couldn't help the leer the crept over his face. "You win. Though now that you've caught me, what are you going to do with me?"
And that was when she started to get naked.
Marco really wished later that wasn't also the exact moment that they got interrupted. He still doubted that Shanks would keep his mouth shut and he was fairly certain Ace was going to kill him if Luffy ever asked about "naked wrestling." Yeah, Ace would definitely kill him.
---------------------------------
And that is why they can't have nice things.
Prompt: Fly!
I skipped to the prompt! Like a boss~
"Luffy, the hell?"
"Oh, sorry Zoro!"
...
SMACK!
"Oi, oi! What was that for?"
"Whoops, sorry Usopp. I'll get it this time for sure!"
...
"Luffy, so help me, if you lay a finger on Nami-chan I will fillet you myself and serve you to the rest of the crew!"
"But Sanji-"
"I said NO!"
"Perhaps this is what you were looking for?"
"Yeah! How did you catch it?"
"I have my ways. Let's have you chase it out on the deck, hm?"
"Okay!"
...
"Robin."
"Hm?"
"You knew it would get away."
"Well, Luffy, it is a housefly."
_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_
Backwards
Good job ^_^
"WHAT?" everyone replied in confusion.
"Woh si eht rehtaew ereht tuo? Toh hguone rof uoy lla?" He continued merrily onward, much to even more confused responses. This did nothing to deter him, however. "Tahw?" He scoffed. "Reven draeh fo siht yadiloh? Woh das."
Robin wrote back, "siht ekil secnetnes eritne eb dluohs tI. emit a ta drow eno gnisrever ylno er'uoY. gnorw lla ti gniod er'ouy, nahc-driB tub, tuo toh etiuq s'ti, seY."
Dan taht saw yhw eh devol reh os hcum.
-------
Backwards cheat sheet translation for all that:
"Today is backwards day" Marco wrote into the journal.
"WHAT?" everyone replied in confusion.
"How is the weather out there? How enough for you all?" He continued merrily onward, much to even more confused responses. This did nothing to deter him, however. "What?" He scoffed. "Never head of this holiday? How sad."
Robin wrote back, "Yes, it's quite hot out, but Bird-chan, you're doing it all wrong. You're only reversing one word at a time. It should be entire sentences like this."
And that was why he loved her so much.
--------
Prompt: Red Rose
this is all your fault cc for encouraging the vista fascination
The bewilderment just grows as he's introduced to the man. ("This is Ace, the brat who wants to kill Pops that I told you about, yoi. Brat, this is Vista.") His mustache alone is a hell of a thing. Couple that with his interesting fashion sense and Ace is quickly rethinking everything he ever heard about him. When he finds out that not only does Vista tango with a rose in his mouth, he sings opera in the shower too, he starts to think that maybe, mmmmaybe, he's got a hold on what kind of guy this top hat wearing, Flower Sword wielding person is.
Then one night, mostly smashed and leaning heavily against Thatch's shoulder, he hears Vista tell the raunchiest shaggy dog story, and the pun at the end is the worst one he's ever heard in his life. And his view of Vista shifts just a little more. Months and months later, when he's chained to an execution platform and can't do anything but watch as one of his worst nightmares plays out in front of him, he sees his brother fighting against the World's Greatest Swordsman. For him, a brother he was never as close to as he was others. And he wonders if his view of Vista has been too shallow all this time.
---
prompt: cold compresses
:D :D :D awwww BUT I LOVE IT SO IT'S A GOOD THING :P >> And sorry for this fic getting dark :|
"How are the stitches, sir?" Tashigi asks worriedly from the door. He can hear it in her voice, the shaking that never seems to fully cease, just get buried under more and more steel like her sword collection seems to cover it up. Still, she's trying to be as business-like as ever, which is just as well because he doesn't have the patience to do anything except throw up.
"Fine," he scowls.... and instantly regrets the action. Oh god his face should not be allowed to hurt from that expression. He needs that expression, it's the face he makes with it fifty times a day! He tries to ignore the pain and the way it tugs at the stitches and makes his vision throb even worse.
Tashigi quickly steps over and refreshes his cold compress. "Stop that or you'll pop them," she orders.
He glares at her with one half of his face instead, about to yell at her not to give him orders, but really the cold compress feels nice enough that he'll let it slide. Just this once.
------------------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ4ZcA29xAE -- that song
no subject
The Embrace, it was called in the town, since low, steep rock walls spread out to the sea like arms reaching out for affection, and it was most often frequented by lovers seeking privacy. That had certainly held true for her and Roger. It was here he'd first admitted the depth of his feelings for her, here where she'd first accepted them, here they were married, and here their child was conceived. Roger told her of his illness while they sat on that pile of rocks across the way, and he'd said his final goodbye to her here in the Embrace as well- pirates being the only sailors lacking enough sense to keep from sailing in to the rock-strewn shallows.
Rouge breathed deeply, enjoying the crisp breeze, but also calming herself and her oh-so-ready to be born child. Each day it was a little harder to hold on. Each day she felt her power ebb, and in the morning it returned, but not quite as much as she'd lost. When she was certain she was alone in the cove, she began to sing:
Too ra loo ra loo ra loo ra le
Hush now, don't you cry
Too ra loo ra loo ra loo ra li
That's an Irish lullaby
Oh I can hear that music
I can hear that song
Filling me with memories
Of a mother's love so strong
Its melody still haunts me
These many years gone bye
Too ra loo ra loo ra le
Until the day I die
"Until the day I die," Rouge repeated in a whisper. She risked a soft caress for her pregnant belly, loving as deeply the child within as she'd loved the man who sailed away. She didn't remember when she started singing a lullaby instead of a song of the sea, but it didn't matter. Roger had asked for a song to help him sail, he hadn't specified any one in particular. It was the act that counted, these few minutes each day- which now took hours from her day- spent in remembrance of what had been.
A young man's head peeked over the ridge, and Rouge heard girlish laughter behind. She smiled, met the youth's gaze and nodded, beginning to make her way over the crushed boulders. It was going to be a laborious walk home, after all. She'd just as well get started.
_+_+_+_+_
Top Hat Luffy XP
no subject
His partner in crime shhhed him, "It will, you'll see."
Chopper made sure to whisper though he didn't stop talking completely. "He's not a cyborg, and his hat isn't like Franky's cola, it doesn't supply his energy."
"You don't know that," Usopp insisted back in a whisper. "He always looks for it as much as Franky looks for cola. It could be the source of his unlimited energy and we just never knew. Remember when he wore the afro?"
Chopper nodded eagerly, but what kind of person would Luffy be with a top hat instead? The operation had to be maneuvered very carefully so as not to wake Luffy or freak him out with moving the straw hat to his back via the string on his neck, and the top hat went on top. "This reminds me of a time I had to switch a golden statue for a bag of sand," Usopp whispered.
"What happened?" Chopper whispered back.
"Oh it wasn't the right weight so the whole building collapsed after all and I only just barely made it out alive, but I, the Great Amazing Usopp made it out with the treasure in tact," and with that, the hat-switch was successful. "Now we just have to wait for him to wake up," Usopp nodded, half sure of his success, half curious if it really would do anything.
Luffy woke up, unconsciously recognized that the hat was on his neck and on his head, yet thought nothing of it. Like a zombie he got out of bed, went out of the room and perked up with Usopp and Chopper following and watching from the shadows. Luffy yelled, "SANJI!!!"
Usopp and Chopper shared a look, had it worked? Was the straw hat impeding their success?
"What the hell do you want?" Sanji growled from the doorway to the kitchen, only looking out to see if the girls were with them.
"Be a spiffing good chap and prepare some tea and crumpets for morning breakfast, won't you?" Luffy said and somehow found a monocle to place over an eye.
Sanji stared.
Sanji stared a long time.
And had absolutely nothing to say to that. It was too weird.
"I wish to read the morning paper, do any of you good fellows know if our navigator has finished with it?" Luffy asked cheerfully enough.
Usopp and Chopper had a brief moment of being freaked out that they broke their captain, remembered it was just the added hat, high-fived and fell into giggles all over the deck.
Sanji shot them a dirty look, "I don't know what you did, but leave him like this for a little while." And with that he went to make tea and crumpets, shaking his head at the absurdity of it.
Robin passed Luffy the newspaper, "I think you'll want to start with the leisure section, captain."
"Ah splendid! Thank you Robin!" Luffy sipped at the tea Sanji brought him.
"Next time we have to try a beret," Robin told her cohorts, quite pleased that she'd suggested such a strange thing in the first place.
------------------------------------------------
Beret / Any Other Hat Luffy
or
Darjeeling Tea Franky because he is seriously my favorite XD And I can't RP him just because I would CONSTANTLY make him drink things other than cola. /horrible
So this is pretty dark. I'd definitely call it PG-13, though it isn't explicit.
And she waited.
Soon the convulsions stopped. And after that, the deep snoring began. Robin stood up slowly, and made her way to the kitchen for water. She drank, then cleaned up, then walked to the prow. She was sure the lookout in the crow's nest could see her, but she didn't care. They'd all seen her, frail and half-starved.
She was done with them. The next time they made landfall...
That could be days. It was too much already.
Robin closed her eyes against the spray as they sailed over a large wave, but she didn't stop seeing. She never stopped seeing, except when the world was too terrible to look at.
They had a dinghy for shore excursions. And a lot of gunpowder in barrels. The men slept in the same room, sprawled out among the provisions. It worried her only a little that she no longer cared. If only she could find a flame.
One of the men smoked, she knew. She'd find his lighter later, after bundling up her clothes and some food and a log pose. If he woke up while she was looking- well. Perhaps it was better, sometimes, to remain unclothed than to have your true intent laid bare for others to see.
Years later, a prisoner in a gilded tower, Robin decided the opposite was true. Her tears restored, she let her wish fly naked across the bottomless gulf and into the arms of her waiting nakama.
_+_+_+_+_+_
something silly
awwww Robin ;;
She opened her door to berate him and tell him to knock it off, but just wound up staring in shock instead.
"What are you wearing?" she asked quietly, eyes starting to sparkle in amusement.
Smoker froze dead in his tracks as he glanced at the pirate. Busted. "Nothing," he scowled, despite turning as bright red as the scarlet Santa costume he was sporting. "Go back to sleep, you're dreaming."
"Your reindeer is too loud Santa-san," oh yes, she was amused. This would provide blackmail for years to come.
"I know," Smoker folded his arms. "That's why I'm trying to train it to be lighter in time for Christmas. And it's a stantler. Now shut up and let me work."
"Did you get me any presents?" she laughed lightly.
"Have you been naughty or nice?" he grumped in return, still blushing fairly red at having been caught.
Robin just smiled secretly, "Aren't you supposed to be the one with the list?"
"Yeah, and you're on it. Get back to bed, woman."
Robin just laughed again, but finally pretended to shut her door. She kept it open just a crack to watch a little longer.
Such a silly man.
-----------------------------
Prompt: Something Beautiful (both words are the prompt, I don't mean the drabble has to be beautiful though that's your call, I'm sure I'll love them all XD)
no subject
I'm crossing you in style some day"
Robin doesn't know who lives below her, but sometimes, on late nights when even this city sleeps, she hears him. His voice is low and plaintive and it always reminds her of the call of a dying loon, seeking a mate across the mirrored waters before the last piping breath. Always the same song.
"Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker
Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way..."
She's hearing him now, singing a capella, gentle voice lifting and rising above the noise of the cars below. She sits on the window frame and rests her head against the wood. Cat-san jumps on her lap and listens, too, ears perked forward. There is something different about his voice tonight. More solemn. More soft.
"Two drifters off to see...see the world..." His voice breaks and she hears a ragged gasp. She closes her eyes.
"There's such a lot of world to see," she sings, low and then stronger so he can catch the words that drop below. An intake of breath. A shakey laugh and somehow, they both know when to start again.
"We're after the same rainbow's end
Waiting round the bend
My Huckleberry Friend.
Moon River and me...."
Prompt
Breakfast
no subject
Smoker ignored the voice and lit up a fresh pair of cigars.
"Sir, you can't have rum with breakfast," a waitress tried to plead.
"Watch me," he growled.
A huff, "The bar doesn't even open for another six hours!"
"It looks open to me," he pointed out in what he thought was a perfectly reasonable tone.
"Just for breakfast! With real food, not booze!" the manager objected.
"Don't care. Rum is filling too, it has calories. Now are you going to get it or what?" Smoker finally looked up at the pair.
They gave up fighting. There was just no reasoning with that man, and Smoker smugly leaned back in his chair and added pepper and salt to his eggs. He alway got what he wanted in the end.
---------------------------------------
Prompt: Loneliest words
no subject
"Long time no see, Ace. Sorry it took me so long to get here."
---
prompt: white satin
Maybe hedging a bit to PG-13ish territory?
He heard his doom coming for him on creaking boards and light feet. Heavy enough for him to hear it though and he knew it was on purpose. But he didn't care about that either. On pure defiance, he plucked up his hat and set it firmly on his head and folded his arms again. The door opened, light spilling around Marco's form, but it was hard to see past that uncharacteristic grin that he only got when he was really pleased with himself.
Ace wanted to say something but found his mouth went dry--so continued defiant stance it was.
"Gay I may be," Marco said in a voice soft as the nightie that slid against his skin. The door closed and Marco was close, almost against him, a cool hand sliding up his thigh. Warm lips shivered against his neck and Ace pretended he didn't care. He was going to make a really smart ass comment that would...
"But at least I have good taste, yoi," Marco murmured, followed by a little startling bite that made him suck in a breath in spite of himself. After that, he was hard pressed to say anything.
Prompt
oh no he didn't!
no subject
"What?" Ace scowled, "It's true."
"Oh no, he didn't!" quite a few of the Whitebeard pirates gasped even more.
"What a fool," a few shook their heads in dismay.
"And he was so young too," they lamented.
"You better watch your back boy, keep running. This ain't just a game now, he'll never stop coming,"
Ace did not have the good sense to be scared, "Over that?"
"Never insult the hair," they tried to press upon him the importance of this.
"But--" he started and looked around them for help. "Marco, come on, surely you--" he cut off again at the look on Marco's face.
The evil glint, the look that said Marco was going to make his life a living nightmare.
Ace sulked, "Well it is stupid."
They all gasped again.
"Oh no he didn't!"
Oh yes, Marco had evil plans for him. Too evil for anyone to speak of. Vengeance was his, and they were all insane.
-----------------------------------------------------
Prompt: Air(y)
no subject
He assumed they'd been using it to thaw him out, but why not cotton, or line, or even sail fabric? Surely those would have been fine on diamond. He was too strong to get scratched or bruised, and he couldn't see how satin would be anymore sanitary.
Then again, perhaps it was just that they figured he wouldn't be staining it with blood and they didn't want any rough fabrics that would wake him up.
Tch. Those silly brothers of his.
Still, he was grateful for their silly kindness. It was smooth and felt nice to the touch, and anyone else would have just assumed he was too strong to have any desires for such things. Silly kind brothers indeed.
----------------
Prompt: Rumours / Rumour Has It
no subject
Banchina just laughed quietly to herself as she walked home, head held high. Yasopp was back from fishing, looking rather skittish as he played with their son. Through the back door, she could see Shanks and Benn on the deck, the former looking rather guilty as he refused to meet her eyes.
"Rumor has it you're leaving me for a young blonde with legs a mile long named Cee who's as dangerous as she is beautiful," she said simply when her husband refused to start a conversation.
He looked up, startled and confused. Shanks laughed so hard he choked, and Benn pat him on the back, smiling himself. Banchina couldn't help but let out a few giggles as her own as she placed a hand on her husband's cheek. "It's alright. I already know the truth. I did before you even thought about it."
"I'm sorry," Yasopp said quietly as he kissed his wife's forehead. "If you want me to stay—"
"I want you to be happy," she says. "Go with Shanks. Follow your dreams. Just come back to us one day. And you—" she turns to Shanks, who had been trying to sneak away. "You make sure to keep him safe as houses."
His comically sneaky look gives way to a serious expression. He nods gravely. "You have my word."
"Good." Banchina kisses her husband, puts her son on her hip, and smiles. "Who wants spaghetti for dinner?"
---
prompt: confessions
no subject
And...she thinks she knows the feeling. A perfectly green cabbage, but something unexpected lurks underneath, slimy and strange and there before you knew it. Only, unlike a slug, this thing that clings to the bottom of her ribcage can't just be plucked off.
"You're dying," the doctor had told her, hadn't wanted to but had because she'd pressed. "A few years--three, maybe four if you're lucky-- but after that..."
And he hadn't said anything and neither had she. What was there to say? But, her Yasopp was off living his dream and it would go by so quickly he would barely think to write to her... And her Usopp would be old enough by then...for his heart to break. She smiles at him as he gets sauce on his nose and curls her fingers through his hair. She'll hold her slug a secret for just a little bit longer.
prompt
mourning
this is like the -sopp family thread alskjfas
The second thing he says has to claw its way past the block in his throat, and it scrapes like sandpaper as it passes through his mouth. "I'm sorry I wasn't there."
He knew about his wife. He had found out much too late for him to do anything about it. Four years after the date was written on the corner of the stationary, the letter was read on an island that was in a constant downpour. He was grateful for the rain like he was grateful for the space the crew gave him. Like he was grateful for the clearing far away from any other people where he could scream into his captain's mantle without anyone else hearing.
He feels Usopp still in his arms, but the anger never comes. "Don't apologize. She would have been mad if you came back. And... I had a lot of time to think after it happened."
Yasopp doesn't know if it's forgiveness, but he'll take it, whatever it is.
---
prompt: fathers and sons
no subject
And then when he'd finally returned, there had been Sharley with him, small and way too delicate for this place. But he'd just shoved the little mermaid at him and said.
"Your sister. Do what you want." and walked away again. As if Arlong had been nothing. He'd wanted to go after him. He'd wanted to fight him, ask him, maybe even beg a little but she'd clung to him with her small small hands and cried. As if she'd known everything from the beginning. And maybe she had.
"Stop crying," he'd said, but gently. "Only the weak cry here."
prompt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdzX2VjCDZs&feature=g-vrec
no subject
Shanks chuckled and waved him off. "That's why I'm wearing it. If I'm going to be forced into doing this because of that bet, I'm making it as humiliating for him as possible. He's not going to want to be seen in public with me." Which, of course, only made sense because Shanks had no shame. At all. Benn resisted the urge to lower his face into his palm as his captain continued to study himself in the mirror.
"Hmmm... Do you think this dress makes me look fat?"
That was the final straw. Benn threw his hands in the air, exasperated. "Does it matter?"
Shanks' loud laughter and half-coherent sputterings about falling for it were all the answer he needed.
---
prompt: dirty limericks (or drinking songs)
no subject
Who lost his right arm in the drank
He said "Not bereft
Cuz I play with my left
So at least every night I give thanks
They were all out drinking the rum
said Ace, Pops is like Winter, son
They say without doubt
That birds like to go south
And when they do that winter comes
prompt
angler fish
I hate you for this prompt :| :| :| :| You'll see why
-------------------------------
"SHAHAHAHAHA," Arlong laughed at Tatsube's question. "They're all beautiful!"
"Every mermaid?" the boy's eyes were lit up in joy.
"All of them!" Arlong boasted, "Even all the fishwomen!"
"What about the angler fish ones?" Marco deadpanned.
Arlong froze. And had to suppress a chill of terror. He shot the Whitebeard pirate a glance that clearly read Why, why would you even bring that up? Why god why?
Marco was nonplussed, however. As casual as he ever was. Did anything unnerve the man?
Since Arlong wasn't answering, Tatsube looked over to Marco for an answer. "What's wrong with angler fish ones?"
Marco's eyes sparkled with evil mischief. "The angler fish is the most beautiful and deadly terror of the deep, lad," he explained.
Tatsube scoffed, "I don't see what's so scary about a girl."
Marco's evil grin spread widely. "They live in the deepest darkest parts of the ocean where no light shines. But angler fish females are sneaky, they have a light to lure in prey and big teeth to eat them."
"So they're ugly?" Tatsube thought it over.
Arlong coughed, "Err no... but..."
"Au contraire~" Marco continued on with his grand tale, "They're quite beautiful. When you only know darkness and cold, warmth and light is quite a welcome thing sometimes. But their big teeth will eat anything."
"So angler fishwomen eat people?!"
Marco revealed a slasher grin usually saved for his murder victims and Arlong quietly felt glad that Marco considered them such close friends. "No," Marco's smooth bird-like voice dropped quietly, adding to the suspense, "They do something far worse."
"Brother Marco..." Arlong quietly mumbled.
That seemed to snap Marco out of it, at least a little. Being called brother definitely always helped.
"What? What could be worse than being eaten?" Tatsube demanded.
"Ahhhh..." Marco tried to come up with a tactful answer, though his eyes were trained on Arlong instead of looking at the half werewolf boy, "They absorb men."
"What?"
Marco couldn't tell if Tatsube was shocked or just confused.
"Well, males I mean," the phoenix answered in deadpan.
Tatsube just looked at them like a puppy. "What does that mean?"
Marco and Arlong shared a long look.
"It means stay the fuck away from angler fishwomen," Arlong affectionately shoved a hand over Tatsube's face so they wouldn't have to see those eyes.
"Aye," Marco completely agreed.
----------------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tXUxVWtyaU -- this song for a prompt :3
I love this drabble. Have some randomness!
Still haven't caught a pig to wish Peacock her own clothes. Almost caught one, but I got too close to the forest and the trees beat me up again. I wonder if I'll do better when I'm changed.
More importantly, never go near angler 'maids and fishwomen. That's what Arlong and Marco talked about today, among other stuff where they just made me look dumb. But when Marco brought up Anglers, Arlong got very quiet. It was kind of creepy. I never seen him make that face before.
Marco says angler 'maids "absorb men," but neither of them would tell me what the hell that means. They couldn't have been messing with me. The way Arlong tried to shut Marco up seemed genuine.
So, if angler 'maids and fishwoman don't eat men, they must do something worse. Something really horrible. Something Arlong somehow survived. Whatever it was had to be terrifying. Maybe angler 'maids have some really weird sex ritual. I wonder what could be so bad that t'd scare Arlong?
Any answers I get are pretty disturbing. Like maybe they suck the life out of men, or steal their bodies and identity. Maybe they make them puppets and turn all the men they mate with into mindless zombie slaves. Yeah. That must be it. Maybe Arlong was a mindless zombie slave to an angler fishwoman but he broke free before she could suck all of his life away.
Arlong is so cool."
▲Peacock reading Tatsube's personal journal.
\o/
I actually want this happen now ffffffffff
no subject
Who had an infamous orange hat
He grew big and strong
And his bounty quite long
But his fashion sense never recovered from that
There once was a sparkly bluebird
Whom everyone considered quite absurd
He told his men to get back
For common sense they did lack
But all his warnings went completely unheard
There once was a fishman named Arlong
Who loved to bandy about randy songs
But one day he sang one about Nami
And some things she did with salami
And now his dong just isn't as strong.
------------------
Prompt: I whip my _______ back and forth!
no subject
Ah, Splash. A beauty of a Gyarados if ever he'd seen one. She was elegant and feisty and Din had been smitten at first glance, but she could be a little intimidating. Still, he'd never evolve into a Gyarados himself if he just gave up, and so he pressed on, doing his best to flop usefully rather than uselessly.
Din leaped into the air to try for the Tail Whip one more time, but only managed to dive headfirst into a bit of mud. He wiggled, trying to get up, but found himself quite stuck this time. He was just wondering to himself how he might get out of this literal mess when he felt something take hold of his fin and yank him high up into the air. His dorsals flared out in surprise. Then he caught a glimpse of shimmering blue scales.
"Oh, hey Splash," Din said, totally chagrined for the moment. Splash tossed him into the bit of lake before saying his name by way of greeting.
Din swam in a circle, rinsing the mud from his scales. Then he leaped out of the water again and hovered to chat.
"So uh. Did you see that awesome nosedive I did? Man, right into the dead center of that puddle. Yeah, I'm pretty awesome. It just comes naturally, yanno? Of course you know. You used to be a Magikarp too. We're the best, right? Your Master even says so, and he doesn't strike me as the type of guy who is impressed with just any-"
"Captain's Dinner," Splash interrupted, "Will you please shut up?"
Din obliged. Splash was outright terrifying when she got upset. "Shutted up."
Splash rolled her eyes, then fixed him with a level stare. "You can't use Tail Whip. Your anatomy is wrong for it."
"Oh," Din said. "Well, okay, but what if-"
"But!" Splash interrupted him again. "Once you evolve, you can glare at your opponents, and achieve a similar effect. Master calls it Leer."
Din tried leering. His bulbous eyes made it pretty impossible. "How was that?" he asked, with his eyes half closed.
Splash sighed, and began flying away. "Keep practicing!" she said, but if she were being encouraging or sarcastic, Din couldn't tell. So he smiled- after all, Splash had finally noticed him, even if she didn't acknowledge the full extent of his awesomeness just yet.
"I will!" he called out. "I'll be the best Leerer that ever was! You just wait, Splash! I'll even get you with it one day!"
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Soul Sister
no subject
Bastards.
All of them.
Especially the rubber ones.
Smoker cupped his hand over the cigar and lit it, then took a deep breath and looked up at the rain falling that he could barely see in the gathering night.
He hated rain. Especially cold rain. Especially cold rain that fell and formed ice in the cobblestones of the street that was hard to see on a dark night and if anyone had seen him fall ass over jutte they hadn't said anything. He'd hear the rumors about it though. The squeaky nose giggles. Damn squeaky nose giggles. He couldn't fault the men for having a sense of humor, though, inasmuch as he wanted to.
"Sir?" Tashigi poked her head out of the inn window, resting her arms on the frame. "Are you all right?"
"What kind of stupid question is that?" And he turned his face up to the rain because if he didn't cool the heat in his face it would look like he was blushing which he was damn well not.
"It's okay. I fall all the time. It only hurts your pride if you let it."
He'd like to have a retort. It would make him feel better. But as much of a ditz as she could be, when she was right, she was right. Still...
"I'll be back later." He shoved his hands into his pockets and started through the streets, carefully this time. Someone had to be doing something wrong in this beat up old town and Smoker intended to find them and arrest the hell out of them.
The rain kept falling in a gentle hush like it was laughing at him and he could have sworn he heard another laugh, just as quiet, from the direction of the inn but when he looked back, no one was there and the window was closed.
Smoker shook his head and went back on his way, slipping only once and where no one could even see.
Second Prompt:
Heart
no subject
It wasn't strength, not yet, she still had a very long way to go. But it was a lot of heart. And that was more he could say in her favor than for him.
She had a strong heart, and so when he heard about the civilians around G-5 and how they went to her to plead their case, he wasn't surprised. She might not be able to fight the kind of pirates he and Vergo did yet, but in some ways she could do a lot more than him. Just from heart, and that would keep her strong long after his strength was sapped away from age or death. Now if only she had the brains to realize it.
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Eyes
no subject
In any case, Kuina knew. She always did. Even if they were careful. Even if it had been in the bath. And one of the older boys had said she was a shadow demon, just as a tease, and the next day Kuina had lifted her eyes from her rice bowl and pinned him with a stare that could have nailed a fly down dead at thirty paces. He'd had an upset stomach for a week afterwards and didn't whisper again.
"She knows," they told the new kid. The weird new kid. All dirty feet and granite expression and green hair who'd frowned so severely at the shinai in his hands that they were surprised the bamboo didn't split just from the force of it. "She always knows," they'd said. "So don't say anything stupid..." and then looking at him added under their collective breaths: "If you can help it."
"Of course she knows," he'd said. "She expects it. Doesn't matter what you say. So might as well say it to her."
So the next day when he promptly told Kuina that she had chicken legs and had matched her stare for stare, the boys whispered and buzzed and fights broke out over whether this kid was that brave or had that much of a death wish.
Either way, they knew they were outmatched and could only sit back and watch. It wasn't long before they learned to enjoy the show.
prompt
tea
no subject
Coby and Helmeppo clung to each other as the ship tossed about in stormy waters.
The pirates were trying to escape the madman and his tea crazed fits when suddenly the marine's narcolepsy too over.
"Now what?!" Helmeppo shuddered in the storm, staring dumbfounded at his insane commander.
Bogart was there in an instant funneling tea into the sleeping man's mouth. This seemed to instantly power Garp up so he chucked the giant chained cannonball in front of the pirate ship to stop it.
"Now we go capture them," Coby tried to brace his own shaking knees. "Right Vice Admiral?"
Garp was sleeping again already.
"AGAIN!?" Coby and Helmeppo cried in exaserpation.
"No," Bogart shook his head as the other marines set about to bring their dog-headed ship closer. "He never woke up. Threw it still asleep."
"WHAT?!?!"
Ah, the power of tea. Coby promised never to doubt his captain again when Garp explained why tea was so amazing. Even if it did seem to only work on him.
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Pyromania
no subject
Asking her who she is hasn't gotten anything out of her except for scared expressions. Marco wonders if there's anything that will get a reaction out of her other than fear. With an internal sigh, he kneels on the ground and transforms part of his arm to a wing, letting flicker and sparkle with flame.
Wide eyes to wider and for a moment, the girl is transfixed. Then, slowly, she holds out her own arm. Fading bruises are quickly covered with orange flames as she burns-notburns-burns. Shock and grief ripple down his spine as he watches. He's seen that flame before, and he watched it get extinguished three years ago.
"What's your name?" he asks the girl again. This time, she has an answer. "Was that your house, Hotaru? What happened?"
"Bad people came. I stole some of their food when they talked to Mama. Mama went to town for a few days after that, so I ate all their food but I think some went bad. It didn't taste good and the house did that after I ate it." She turns to look at the blaze. "It's pretty."
"Yeah..." Marco says quietly, not really meaning it. It's not pretty. It's raging and terrible and connected to the wrong person. "It is."
---
prompt: betting pools
no subject
Come on. Come onn!
Her spirits lifted as the horse made the final stretch, then dropped like a stone as The Generalissimo passed her, pulling into first and the prize. A hundred thousand, all gone. Nami remained standing straight, carefully, her fingers clutching the pint of beer that was only half gone.
"Lost another one, did you?" Arlong said, coming to her side, looking over her, his blue eyes sharp and missing nothing. Of all the card sharks that she'd met he was the one most like the name. Rutheless, brutal, could sense blood, or a bluff, a mile away, and held her massive debt over her head like a ten ton fist. It was a bad idea to owe a debt to his gang. A very bad idea.
"Maybe you should stop gambling, girlie and make an honest living." He laughed and wrapped an arm around her shoulder like she was some kind of armchair girlfriend.
"Hands off, Arlong," Nami said, voice as rigid as she could make it while inside she wanted to scream in frustration, cry, go back in time and shake herself out of ever making that stupid stupid bet. He grinned and squeezed just a little, to let her know who was boss, before letting go.
"We need you bright and early tomorrow, babe. We got some high rollers coming in. I need you to cheat them out of every single penny with that cute smile of yours," he said, pinching her cheek. She batted his hand away.
"I know my job," she said. She knew it. And she hated it. And damn that Buttercup anyway. Nami took a long swallow of the beer, letting it fill her. She never liked horses to begin with.
prompt
never get away
no subject
Vista would make their betting pools official if it needed, and Namur would help stash the berri where no one else could reach it. They had a system, they had it down to an art, with everyone learning a little more each and every time.
The only person banned from them was Marco.
Without fail he always found a way to cheat. No one knew how he did it, and it certainly wasn't uncanny predictions. Some of the ways he cheated were exceedingly obvious, he didn't even bother to hide it! Just skewed the results however he wanted and then smirked as he told them all to pay up.
He wasn't allowed to be anymore, but they still made a lot of bets on him. Especially since even if he did find out they were betting on him, it was fun to see if he would purposely pretend to play favorites. He never did though, just tried to do something none of them could predict. So they all started betting on that, and those got more and more ridiculous.
------------------------------
Prompt: [Shakespeare] in the Park // (can be Shakespeare or something made up for OP world :P Anything with plays outdoors)
no subject
She folded her glasses and set them aside, rubbing her sleep stung eyes and listened to the silence. The pressing silence of a hundred still hearts. Whispered rasping stories that defied perception. It was so still, she could hear him coming in quick measured steps as he came down the stairs. Hurrying now...and then, a more stately walk. She couldn't help but smile a little.
There was a knock on the door, all measures of polite.
"Come in," she said, pulling on her coat and flipping her hair over it. Then she pulled on her black gloves, smile widening a fraction as the door opened and he stood there, impossibly English, impossibly tall and bone thin. If he turned sideways she was sure he'd wink out of existence.
"Good evening, madame," he said with a flourishing bow. "May I see your panties?"
"Only if I can blind you after," Robin said, turning off the light. Backlit only by the light from the hall, Mr. Brook, all in black, looked faintly skeletal himself. A premonition.
"It's a tempting offer, Miss Robin. But sadly, without my eyes, I won't be able to see this night's production." He moved away so she could lock the door behind them and then held out his arm. She took it, feeling like a lady out of one of those silly period pieces where romance was always just on the horizon if the coquettish young ladies could only look over their fans.
"And what is the production tonight?" she asked as they made their way up the stairs.
"I believe it's a rendition of Much Ado About Nothing."
"Does it have death, meyhem and rioting in the streets?"
"Nothing so grave as that. It's somewhat a romantic comedy," he said as they emerged into the chilly September air. Robin wrapped her arm more securely around Mr. Brook's thin arm for both their comforts. She hoped the actor's costumes were well insulated or there would be very much to be ado about as they quietly froze to death.
"Pity." She had never been one for those. Who needed romance when there--was something else. Some sense of glorious purpose waiting--though she hadn't been able to figure out yet what it was.
"Mr. Brook," she said as they went into the parking garage, the sound of their footsteps echoing. "Do you ever get the feeling you're waiting for something?"
"Yes, Miss Robin. Sometimes I can be doing nothing much at all, hanging a dress, playing a tune and then I think--there is something missing. The only time it doesn't trouble me is when I'm sleeping. "
"But in such sleep...what dreams may come?" she said with a smile. He chuckled.
"Indeed, Miss Robin. Indeed."
Prompt:
Revenge
no subject
A pillow hit the side of his face.
"Franky, shut up!"
"I'm still sleeping here."
"Is it morning already?"
"Yeah," Franky opened his eyes, that rocking tempo still coursing through his veins and smiles. "Today's gonna be a super day."
"Worst. Alarm Clock. Ever," Zoro grumbled as he turned over in his hammock. Brooke let loose his characteristic laugh while Franky climbed out of the men's bunk to add fresh air to the electric symphony that was life.
_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_
Sorry, that's kind of a weird one. LOL
Prompt: Notes on blue paper
no subject
Ace had wrote a little poem
And Marco just laughed, alas
So when Ace rewrote the thing
Marco found it on his ass.
We're the Whitebeard Crew Yoho
We dance and drink and get home quick
And if you want to sail with us
Come ride our Moby Dick
Pops had a little bird
Who always had his way
But when he tried to flirt with girls
They said:
Oh dear we thought you were g--"
Marco slapped the journal closed. That firey bastard was going to get it where it hurt.
prompt
stunning view
no subject
Still, Vivi made time to go outside, ignoring the chill and the way her dress clung to her skin as it soaked through. It felt good to let the water hit her head and hands. To her, the rain was a symbol of everything she had worked for those years in Baroque Works. All the blood, the sweat, and the tears, all the lies and the struggles, it was all for this.
"Vivi-sama! Please come inside, you're going to catch a cold!"
"Mn." She closed her eyes and tipped back her head. The clouds overhead seemed more beautiful than ever. "Just a few more minutes, Igaram. I promise I'll come in when I get cold."
Behind her, she heard Igaram sigh and she knew there would be a towel and warm drink waiting for her when she went back indoors. She knew that tomorrow she would be sniffling. But for now the rain, and the chill, and the distant crack of thunder surrounded her, and she was at peace.
---
prompt: piles of leaves
no subject
"I can see that," he muttered, scratching his chin.
"It's fun," Marco said, his face bland as toast.
"Fun."
"Yes."
"A pile of leaves."
"Yes."
Jinbe stared at Marco. Marco stared at Jinbe. Somewhere behind a group of children, screeching like gulls plowed into a pile of leaves and sent them flying in all directions. After a moment, Jinbe shrugged, turned around and fell backwards into the pile. Leaves crunched. A stick stuck into his lower back. Some puffed up around him to land on his face, neck, scratched along the edge of his yukata. Above the sky was blue through the dead hand branches and it reminded him again why sea and sky weren't so different after all.
"There are also slugs," Marco said and Jinbe abruptly decided he hated him.
Prompt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YsMvzgeSuI
no subject
"What is it?" she asked.
"That's how it ends?!" With a sudden onset of tears and dramatics, Franky sprang from his place on the floor and clutched at his chest. "They have a love that's pure and true!" (Robin refrains from commenting on his use of the word 'pure' when referring to someone whose profession was often seen as the opposite.) "They went through hardships and came together in end! And she dies of tuberculosis after they profess their love? Ahhhh, it's so saaad!!"
It's with a bit of amusement that Robin watches all of this. "I did say that it was a tragedy."
She's not sure he hears her through all the wailing and blowing of his metal nose.
---
prompt: gold, guns, girls
no subject
Usopp had always imagined himself a little bit of a James Bond. He could pull off a tux really well, he liked to think and even if his car was kiinnd of a clunker, it was a 67 Impala and so an antique so that only added to his cool, he liked to think. And sure, his watch was just a Rolodex knock-off and more gold paint than gold and made his wrist turn green and when he said he had a hot night with his girls, Bridgit and Bernice, he was talking about his finches--but hey, no one needed to know that. And no, he wasn't British, but he'd watched enough Mary Poppins to fake it and, hey, he could really shoot a gun and shoot it well, too. Though that looked substantially less cool when everyone was wearing safety goggles and noise cancelling headphones. Did not go with a suit.
But aside from all that, he was a great James Bond. He was sure of this. Debonair. Suave. Exciting. And not an underpaid, overworked student living of ramen that was--he was convinced--98% cleverly colored cardboard.
That was until he saw that other guy. Taller than Usopp and effortlessly cool. He wore a quality suit, and no watch but that didn't seem to matter when you looked that good. Instead of jouncing out in wild kinky curls, his hair was straight and shining blond. He smoked like those classy people in old movies and he even walked like he owned the world and he knew it--but not proud haughty footsteps but a kind of liquid grace, like a cat.
Noot that Usopp had been stalking him at all. With a 20 hour credit load and two jobs, he didn't have time to stalk anyone. But the guy worked at a restaurant just over and down a little from the coffee shop Usopp slaved in and he couldn't help but notice him leave every day at promptly twelve.
Time even seemed to slow a bit as he walked and if Usopp mentally inserted a soundtrack, he would never tell anyone. He wouldn't tell anyone that he'd been so caught up in watching he'd burnt his fingers either, but then half the cafe saw that and he was a stuttering bumbling mess for the rest of the day.
Strangely enough, he never saw the guy return, whether it was too late or the guy was just that sneaky, he couldn't say--even though he always waited for it, always craned his neck to watch and whipped around to peer at every blond that slipped into his peripheral vision. It was getting so he almost gave himself whiplash once and startled half the customers in the process. Kaya had only laughed, though. She was the owner so he never got in trouble for it, which was why he was currently suffering neck strain. Though, no matter how many times he spun like a freakin ballerina to catch a glimpse of this guy returning, he never did.
That was just as well, though, Usopp thought as he made the grande doubleshot no whip hazelnut espresso that Mr. Dodge would kill him if he got wrong and why wasn't there any whip even though he'd expressly ordered there not to be as he did every damn day. The guy might catch him watching and then how would Usopp explain himself? You kind of remind me of James Bond? Wanna trade hair? Wanna go see a movie? Just-- just to catch his style, of course--nothing else. What else would there be right? haha.
Shoving that thought aside, and into a closet, and into another closet which was then put in a box and mailed to Bermuda, he offered the coffee to Mr. Dodge who scowled at him.
"No whip?"
"Completely forgot," Usopp said, wrenching his mouth into a grin. So much practice in that. And added a good amount of whipped cream before sliding it back. "Have a nice day, sir!" he said to the old curmudgeon's retreating back. He turned back to the counter and started to wipe it clean. "Don't let the door hit you on the way out."
"I'd feel sorry for the door," said a completely unfamilair voice behind him. Usopp whipped around, cringed at the twinging pains in his neck and then stared. Mr. Blond and Bond was standing on the other side of the counter, hands shoved in his pockets and grinning.
"Hey there. Hear you have good coffee. Better than the sludge I usually get the shitty old man."
"O...oh well you know..." Usopp said, and then couldn't think of anything else to say. It was like a nightmare. He could only stare. No. No bad Usopp. Say something. Be engaging. "I grow it myself."
....
Great going, tiger.
"Really?" the man said. "I'll have to taste it then." He leaned back a bit, holding a cigarette between his elegant fingers, though made no move to light it. "You seem to have talented hands."
"You seem to have talented everything," Usopp's mouth said without consulting his brain. The man blinked, taken aback. Usopp's wrenched grin was still there and he knew his teeth would break if he didn't go back away from this guy right the hell now.
"Let me get some more cups," he said in a more or less steady voice as he darted back into the stock room. He closed the door behind him and, in the semi-darkness, started to very quietly hyperventilate. Oh god. Oh god. What was he doing? What the hell was he doing? How could he lose his cool so easily. He buried his face in his hands. That was it. That was it. He would just have to quit this coffee shop, that was all. Go somewhere far away where really cool blond guys didn’t exist for Usopp to accidentally hit on. This was stupid. He was stupid. Idiot idiot idiot.
There was a quiet knock on the door and Usopp’s heart seized. Oh shit. What if it was him? What if narrative convenience had really come back to bite him in the ass? What if it was like Chekov’s gun? If you see a guy in the first act he’s going to be shooting off in your— No. No bad Usopp. Very bad Usopp. Another knock.
“Usopp?” Kaya’s voice. Sweet Kaya. Understanding Kaya.
“Just getting cups,” he said. Tripped over a box. Cursed. The door opened and he froze, feeling like a deer about to get hit by a Walmart truck.
“He’s gone,” she said. Oh crap she knew. Oh crap he’d left.
“O-oh? We-well I thought he wanted coffee buut I guess not.” Which was good. Good that he was gone. Very good. So good in fact that it was on the other side of good to exceedingly goddamned depressing.
“I filled his order,” she said, sounding faintly amused. Usopp felt his face heat. Geeze. Even Kaya was laughing at him. He got a stack of cups and turned to see her standing and smiling at him, filling the doorway. She didn’t move aside as he came closer, the half moon smile still on her face.
“Um…” he said, wondering what he should say. Admit. Couldn’t admit not to anyone.
“He wanted me to give you this,” she said, holding up a napkin. He took it and nearly dropped it as he saw a phone number written in a neat hand. Oh shit. Oh shit. His heart squeezed. He was going to die from this. He was so going to die. Oh shit.
“I… I see.”
“Give yourself a chance, Usopp,” Kaya said, leaning up and pressing a butterfly kiss to his cheek. “Just this once.” And then she left him with a number, a lingering scent of perfume and a heart that had just stopped beating.
prompt
Midnight train
no subject
No such luck. For now he gave up and folded it for later.
Try though he might, it'd been too long a day and his eyes were tired. That was, after all, why he planned to take the midnight train in the first place rather than drive.
He really needed to get an office closer to Pops out in the country. One that he could get clients to come visit him at instead of having to go to them in the city. Unfortunately, this would only ever be a pipe dream as Marco just wasn't in the kind of business where he could have people to come to him. Which was a shame, the idea of a nice suburban office with one of those water coolers and a lobby and secretary to make clients wait in just seemed like a delicious change of pace. Pity.
Edward Newgate, Marco's father, had moved out into the country a couple of years ago to settle down and peacefully retire. Of course, retirement bored him so he wound up running a farm as a hobby for health. It was strange to think of the strongest man in the underworld, someone who could probably take apart any nation if he so chose, running a dairy farm and looking after cows and hay, but hey, whatever made Pops happy. Especially if it really did lengthen his life, though Marco had his doubts about that. The nurses seemed to think it was working though, so that was good enough for Newgate's right hand man eldest son.
Even if it did mean living in the sticks and having to take a train into the city to commute every now and again.
For the most part it wasn't so bad, it was way too peaceful for what Marco was used to, but that was the point of it. Cows, hills, a place you could actually see stars when you went outside of night. Weird, but as Pops liked to say, "No one can stay the strongest forever." And it as better to be out in the middle of nowhere where his enemies couldn't find him than in the middle of the city dead in a gutter. Definitely better. It just meant a long commute for Marco.
He couldn't take his porsche in, nowhere to park it in the city, and really, a long drive this late at night after working the last 16 hours? He'd pass. Still, he was too paranoid to sleep on the train while he's got the briefcase that needs looking after, and that still left him with the problem that the newpaper's words stopped making sense to him awhile ago. Maybe if he went and grabbed a coffee from the cart -- but it probably wasn't running this late. Figures. Oh well, it shouldn't be more than a few hours to the station and he could grab something from the all night stand there.
Blue eyes gazed out the window at the quickly passing countryside, what little he could see of it. It was too dark to see much more than just lights in the distance, and they were starting to reach the countryside so lights were appearing less and less. Pity. He glanced at the woman diagonally across from him reading a book. The cover was missing its jacket, perhaps on purpose, so no title could be read, but Marco could have sworn he knew her from somewhere.
She had dark straight hair and blue eyes, and she was dressed in a black coat despite the weather. Still, long legs peeked out underneath and were fairly exposed in their stockings until the high-heeled black leather boots. She couldn't possibly be one of Pops' nurses, and while she vaguely reminded him of a librarian, certainly none in particular, and he suspected he only thought as much due to the book in her hand. Still, there was something vaguely familiar about her. He was running down a mental list of connections, famous faces, anyone he would recognize, when he finally realized that he was staring.
He glanced back outside in a hurry, though he still mentally ran down a list. Usually he was pretty good with faces, and in his line of work, it was needed. Then again, he was so tired he couldn't read, maybe he was imagining it? He snuck a very discreet glance back in her direction. Old girlfriend or one-night stand? She was his type, but still, he hoped not, even with a makeover, he was pretty sure he could recognize someone like that and if he couldn't, that would mean she didn't mean anything. And that just wasn't his style.
Unfolding the newspaper, Marco tried to read the comics, (really hitting a snag in his reading comprehension when he couldn't even do that) and tried once again to remember where, if anyplace, he'd seen the woman before. She seemed unperturbed by his earlier glances, but Marco gave up on the newspaper again and glanced over at the woman with sunglasses on the top of her head. Who wore sunglasses this late at night anyway? She had luggage, so she could have packed them by now. Unless they were for cover.
"I'm sorry, but I could swear I know you from somewhere," Marco confessed and offered her a handshake, hoping to get a name or something to drive him less crazy.
"We've never met Mr. Bird," she didn't even look up from her book.
Marco faltered a little, she knew his last name? But how? He dropped the hand, mind still racing to place a name to her face, when he suddenly laughed. "Aha, Nico Robin if I'm not mistaken? You're early! I wasn't expecting to see you for three more days!"
She was his contact within the Straw Hat gang. With Pops retiring he wanted to see every taken care of for when he died. And none of his own sons wanted it, but it was too risky with all their enemies for everyone to take a small piece and go their separate ways. Ace had been Pops most recent favorite, and the only one skilled enough, and young enough not to be jaded by the last few decades of bitter feuding and avoiding the law. Nothing was like the old days, as Pops liked to point out, and these days the young brats kept setting new standards without respect to the generations that had shaped the world they lived in.
Still, Ace didn't want the position either. As soon as Pops brought it up to him, the damn freckled kid laughed and said no way. If Pops really wanted though, they should ally with his little brother's gang. Just starting out, but less terrorist than a lot of the new gangs, and much more like Pops' and Roger's families had been back in the day. The first meeting to even discuss transferring things over and give each side a chance to know the other, as well as to give the Straw Hats a trial run to see what they were made of, wasn't for another three days. Until then Marco and Robin had been busy setting everything up. Well, and in his case, running everything else on top of it. There was a reason his family kept insisting he must be a workaholic.
He got a better look at the woman who was almost his rival. Definitely beautiful, and she'd already gotten the edge on him by knowing who he was before she even sat down.
Strong feminine hands clonked the heavy tome shut as she finally looked up at him. He was pretty sure she'd taken an extra long time just to make him nervous, or at least gauge his reaction. Still, Marco took it all in stride. She explained, "I thought I'd come early to scope everything out in advance."
"Good," Marco returned quicker than he actually meant to speak. Still, he approved of her being cautious. It wasn't just that she was protecting her own family, but also respecting the kind of threat the Whitebeard pirates still were. "I like a cautious woman, it reflects well on your crew." Damn. This was what being tired did to a man. He was admiring her own caution, while being incapable of it himself. And while he was usually this blunt, he wasn't usually this... stupid.
She arched an eyebrow as though half ready to point out that she didn't care how it reflected on her family or not, their actions would speak for themselves, but Marco beat her to it.
"If this is the front-woman, I can't wait to meet the rest," he leaned back in his seat, starting to relax a little.
Robin smiled mysteriously, her tone not as fond as it'd be from Marco, but certainly confident nonetheless. "I've no doubt they'll surpass all expectations."
At that, Marco just smirked lazily, "I should hope so." He wouldn't let just anyone take on protecting Pops' lands. Still, with the amount of potential everyone expressed seeing in this one newcomer, Marco was definitely curious to meet him. Robin was a little older than the other reported members, and before joining Ace's little brother, she'd gotten herself exiled from a few places. Not to mention her previous involvement with Crocodile... oh yes, she was one to be wary of. "Marco Bird," he offered the handshake again, "Just Marco is fine."
"As you wish Mr. Bird," she coyly grinned back, lightly shaking his hand. She was teasing him and challenging him all at once.
And he couldn't help but enjoy it. It was a feisty game of cat and mouse, but still, it was a public train and some things couldn't be brought up here and now. Robin herself clearly had more on her mind that couldn't be discussed in the public, so she simply held them back.
"Is this fate or did you purposely take the same train as me?" Marco grinned and put his feet up on the bench next to her, truly lounging in his seat now that he knew who she was.
"I don't believe in fate," the playful tone continued as Robin answered, "It was deliberate, yes."
"Oh? I'm flattered," he really did sound genuinely delighted that she'd sought him out, "It also makes it easier to offer you a tour of town."
She kept grinning, "Are you offering, Mr. Bird?"
"Aye, a bird's eye view," he stuck his tongue out, completely unapologetic about the pun.
"That was terrible," she scolded him lightly.
"I'll make it up to you with coffee when we get to the train station," Marco replied right back.
Robin perked up at that, "My, you're generous. Do you make such puns often? I may need to keep a running tab."
"Hopefully not too often," he laughed, "Or I'll go broke."
"So it is a regular thing," she murmured, clearly amused by their exchange.
"Only around very pretty ladies," Marco nonchalantly shrugged.
She opened her book back up and leaned back in her own seat, practically mimicking Marco's position by putting her feet up next to him. Though hers were more at an angle, which just gave him a nice distracting view of those long gorgeous legs. Marco drilled himself to keep his trained on her own blue orbs lest he get lost in checking out everything below the waist. She had to be doing this on purpose, and Marco was an idiot for letting the advantage slip even more into her favor. "Very well then," Robin went back to reading her book, perhaps reassured that he didn't pose any immediate threat. "Coffee with cream, and no sugars when we stop."
Marco arched an amused eyebrow of his own, "Duly noted." Somehow he'd just been had even though he offered as much. He was half-tempted to ask her plans for mode of transportation when they reached the Dworl's Wend, seeing as he at least had his porsche waiting for him, and the buses didn't run this late, but he half-hoped she didn't have any plans, just so he could offer her a ride. Maybe he could pay for that in bad puns as well. It was going to be a fun week.
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Library
Don't Judge me. I was just already thinking of doing a fic/drabble with this orz
He started with a whistle. If he couldn't express words, he could at least sing a phoenix song about the emotions he was so bad at expressing. Soon, when his voice was strong enough, he steeled himself and hopped down to her window to be let in.
"It doesn't matter what happens," he explained to her before she could figure out what he was up to and stop him. "Stay, go, kidnappings, home, wars or fights. Whether you decide to never speak to me again or not, I'll always love you. Come what may."
She didn't seem ready to shove him out the window at least, so he figured he had to be doing okay so far. He actually flushed a little, switched his wings out for human arms. "I even wrote you a song... I mean I'm not a musician, so it's pretty terrible, but--" she surprised him by cutting him off with a kiss.
"Come what may," she muttered softly in return.
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Breathless
judging
But Ace knew better. It hadn't been fear. It had been courage. It had been knowledge of how to carve his way though a world that didn't even think he should exist. To trust no one. To believe no one. Not even the little airheaded kid that had run in breathless circles around Garp, chirping like a cricket, full of grins and frowns and completely transparent, his whole stupid heart scrawled all over his face.
"I don't know, from what you say he sounds pretty harmless," Sabo said after they'd finished counting their daily haul.
"Doesn't mean I can't hate him." And who cared about the little brat anyway. Ace would forge his own way in the world. He could survive anything because he had the strength. Leave big grins and open hearts to kids who were too little to know any better. Ace was already a man.
prompt
judgement