@memoriescut Said: ' That Won't Work On Me.' // [LET ME CARE ABOUT YOU]

@memoriescut said: ' that won't work on me.' // [LET ME CARE ABOUT YOU]

　　　❝ well, can you tell me what will work? ❞

　rosinante supposed he should have asked this question in the very beginning. that was his bad for getting too overzealous in the company of others again. the same thing happened all those years ago when he & law had left the family and the donquixote no longer had to pretend to be mute, no longer had to be surrounded by people he despised with his entire being: he just wanted to talk, he wanted to push. for connection, for affection, he wasn't quite sure.

but not everyone was like him; law had taught him that much. the more rosinante pushed, the more he pushed back, violently in some cases. the problem wasn't just that law took a while to fully trust him, he just... didn't want to be forced to talk. he was introverted. scared. in pain. every second of his day was spent thinking about things no child should have to think about. things he didn't understand. the last thing he needed was some overly zealous clown of a man forcing him to be friendly.

once rosinante internalized that, allowing silence to hang between them and not being desperate to fill it at all times, their relationship improved. when they did talk, law didn't seem to totally hate every second of their conversations. they even had fun sometimes.

he supposed that it wasn't too odd that there would be other kids like law out there. kids that took longer to share. to trust. he'd have to learn to live with that.

　　❝ do you want to set some boundaries? like things i shouldn't mention ? things you don't want me to talk about or do?❞

　faced with such genuine protesting, rosinante started to backtrack so quickly, he surprised even himself. giolla, in particular, had been furious with him in the past for shot putting children off the deck of the numancia and into the ocean (with the knowledge they were decent swimmers, of course) yet all she got in return with an indifference stare & shrug.

rosinante didn't blame giolla for yelling; he recognized his behavior was awful and was prepared he'd have to reckon with whatever deity was out there for it someday. but, the way rosinante saw it, it was either force them out of the gang now, or they'd meet an even more gruesome fate in the future once doflamingo had fully molded their minds to his liking.

(though, there was something ironic about a criminal like her caring about the safety of young lives when she has certainly taken more than a handful herself, but that was beside the point.)

but this was someone who was in no position to be concerned, being concerned. the gesture twisted his stomach & amplified his feelings of guilt that he often tried to tamper down by thinking of 'the greater good'.

　【 okay. okay. i understand. i'll season their favorite candies with pepper. how's that sound? they need to be reprimanded somehow, it's unacceptable to do this. 】

Watching the male write that he would take care of the kids, her heart skipped a beat in fear of what he could have meant by that. Finally the other cracked his knuckles to indicate what he meant by that statement panic and fear kicked in. Even though the kids were brats, Stella held no ill will towards them nor wished for them to be beaten. Her mind did not even register what he wrote down next as she was in a full panic attack.

The female's whole body was trembling badly as tears streamed down her cheeks as memories from her time with a Celestial Dragon came rushing back. She remembered how the children slaves were treated and it broke her heart as no child deserved to be beaten. Her body moved forward on its own closer to the other. Her feet knocked over the tray of food and the collar around her neck pulled her backwards from the sudden movement.

Falling to her knees, she quickly bowed on the ground to beg and plead with the male to take everything out on her instead. "P-please do-don't hurt the children!" Her whole body sobbed as she continued to beg him. "P-please no child deserves to be hurt. If you have to hit someone please just take it out on me instead. Just don't ha-harm them!" Whimpers left her throat as her vision was cloudy from her tears as the memories were engraved in her mind.

@sillygum ❤️'d for a thing.

　❝ i'm surprised law let's you call him torao. did you come up with that nickname yourself? ❞

　not that rosinante was one to talk, near-exclusively addressing his favorite little boy gremlin with some variation of "kiddo" or "little shit" despite the fact that law has realistically outgrown them. perhaps he was making up for lost time. making up for the thirteen years they spent apart where rosinante couldn't (lovingly) annoy him with his dozens of nicknames.

　❝ i think i've heard your crew call him that, as well, so you don't mind if i steal it, do you? i love devising new nicknames for that kid, but a nickname from a friend seems extra special. ❞

　　❝ me? join? dory, you know i'm old as dirt, right? ❞

　a bit of a hyperbole; thirty seven definitely wasn't 'old as dirt'. nowhere close. and rosinante certainly wouldn't label himself as under qualified or rusty with his skills. he may not have been categorized in what was considered 'active service' anymore (his 'temporary leave of absence' from a decade ago long since expired, but neither he or sengoku seemed to have the heart to fully tender his resignation) but he was by no means rusty with his skills.

farm work could be as back-breaking as an bootcamp drill, allowing him to build back his physique after months in recovery from his failed mission atrophied his muscles, and his passion for hunting still ensured he was a fantastic shot all these years later. even his combat training from basecamp nearly two decades ago was still heavily etched into his muscle memory.

but combat and farm work were two different things. he wasn't as fast as he was before his last mission, not as strong, not as quick to react, his old injures ached more & for longer periods of timeーhe'd been out of the game for far too long and the idea of jumping back in was an overwhelming thought. he didn't want that, frankly; he just wanted peace & quiet. that's all that mattered; peace & quiet, and looking for law.

　　❝ if doffy doesn't kill me first, these new gen brats definitely will. ❞

Drake gave a light scoff in reply. Rosi knew him all too well, even more than Drake probably knew himself. The blonde might be neurotic, but it was part of his charm.

❝ Join SWORD with me, Rosi. You have more experience than I do. And, you'd be a great help. ❞ He knew Rosi would probably decline the invitation, but it didn't hurt to ask. Rosi was important to him, and SWORD needed the numbers. He wouldn't ask just anyone. Rosi had already disobeyed orders once before in saving that kid. He'd need someone to hold down the forte if he couldn't communicate anymore.

The dinosaur smirked. ❝ Especially if said hermit tried shooting at him for being foolish upon visiting him. ❞ He gave Rosi a pat on his shoulder. If Sengoku were to quit or retire, it would put the Marines in a dangerous situation. Sengoku was a powerhouse, and a legend. They couldn't afford anyone like Akainu leading them. Maybe Aokiji. Drake would support Aokiji over Akainu for Fleet Admiral.

　　　　　❝ a six? ❞

　alarm hadn't reached his voice, but the brief spike from rosinante's brows was enough to convey the older man wished law had said something sooner.

anything higher than a three (dishearteningly common as it might have been these past few months with these daily check-ins) was worth noting, but a six? that was double. that was past the halfway point. that meant law was more actively in pain than not, and the thought was enough to twist the donquixote's gut. he rocked himself to a sitting position, fixing the boy with a stare somewhere bordering between stern & soft.

　❝ kiddo... ❞ he sighed. ❝ thank you for being honest with me, but i really wish you would tell me when things start getting bad sooner. a six is too much, if you ask me. at this point, i'm scared i'll forget to ask one of these days and come back to camp with you having fainted again. is it a... pride thing? are you worried i'm gonna leave you behind like a pack animal that's gotten too sick to take care of? are you scared i'll take you back to the hospital? do you still not trust me? ❞

  𝐋𝐚𝐰   𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧𝐭   𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩   𝐛𝐮𝐭    𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐝   𝐚𝐭   𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞'𝐬   𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤.   𝐡𝐢𝐬   𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬   𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥   𝐢𝐝𝐥𝐲   𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠   𝐭𝐡𝐞   white   splotches   that   adorned   his   complexion   from   the   'poison'   running   through   his   veins.   it   was   something   he   hated   that   he   was   forced   to   be   stuck   with.   a   reminder   of   how   the   other   children   they   would   pass   by   upon   their   venture   would   call   him   all   sorts   of   names   in   which   he   would   always   have   a quick   come   back   or   a   simple   flick   of   his   middle   finger.   where   he   learned   such   a   gesture?   he   wouldn't   say.       ❝      Well,   maybe   .   .   .   just   maybe   .   .   my   taste   buds   are   just   more   refined.    ❞         he   teased,   poking   fun   at   himself   before   sobering   up   at   the   question   about   his   pain.

He   hesitated   for   a   moment,   considering   his   response.   It   wasn't   𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲   𝐟𝐨𝐫   𝐡𝐢𝐦   𝐭𝐨   𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐭   𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬,   always   wanting   to   seem   capable   and   strong   ;    especially   to   someone   he   slowly   grew   to   care   about.   But   .   .    he   trusted   Rosinante,   and   he   knew   the   importance   of   being   honest   about   his   condition.   ❝         Let's   see...   ❞     Law   paused,   mentally   assessing   his   discomfort.    ❝        I'd   say   it's   about   a   six   today,   ❞        he   finally   admitted,   𝐚   𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐭   𝐨𝐟   𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞   𝐢𝐧   𝐡𝐢𝐬   𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞.     

   ❝        It's   manageable,   though.   I've   had   worse.   ❞        He   appreciated   Rosinante's   concern,   even   if   he   didn't   always   show   it.   Deep   down,   he   knew   he   was   lucky   to   have   someone   looking   out   for   him,   someone   who   cared   enough   to   ask   about   his   well-being   every   day.   It   was   a   small   gesture,   but   it   meant   the   world   to   him. 

　　　❝ uh... maybe? ❞

　rosinante's reply had been startled out of him, not expecting to be approached for conversation and, frankly, very much in his own thoughts. his mind went blank upon hearing the name, and as a result his voice was strained & unsure.

his trips to hq were always uneventful; he had long retired, so he wasn't there on work-related reasons (though, he did pass off any relevant tips he happened to come across if he found it worth reporting) but to visit ex-colleagues and, of course, his adopted father. a quick trip, in & out. it was hard to say he went 'unnoticed' because, with his size & the way he often dressed, he of course stood out everywhere he went no matter how low he hunched. still, as the years went on, his presence to most seemed like less of a novelty & he all but faded into the hustle & bustle of the commotion around him.

perhaps it was fitting that someone equally as eccentric would happen to approach him.

　　　　　❝ you aren't... a friend of his, are you? ❞

It wasn't often that the swordsman was called to the Marine Headquarters. Whatever it was, it ought to have been rather important to the higher-ups if they called for him personally. Others would have perhaps felt honoured to be called upon by the Admirals, though Mihawk really couldn't have cared less. If they really resorted to calling him specifically to get whatever business they sorted out, they truly were desperate and their own troops incompetent.

On his way out, Mihawk had crossed paths with somebody. Now normally he wasn't the type to stop and make small talk, though what struck him about the blond was the coat he wore. A feathery one, at that. He just so happened to know only one other person with such peculiar style, though in a much more eye-soringly vibrant pink shade.

❝ I don't suppose you know a certain Donquixote Doflamingo? ❞

@code01746 ♥'d