Alright. See You In The Next Town. (queue) - Tumblr Posts

@akagamiko said: “ there are times where i can’t see things that i should. ” // [ 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐀 (𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏) ]

❝ out of willful ignorance, or because you realized it too late? ❞

　even if rosinante repeated his life another thousand times, not doomed to repeat his mistakes but instead free to change things as he wished, he still never would have expected this day to transpire the way that it has. he was just fishing one moment, alone on the furthest corner of a secluded spit of beach, and suddenly he was approached, out of the blue, by one of the most terrifying pirates alive, redhaired shanks.

or, that's what he thought; although it had been several years since rosinante had submitted his 'indefinite leave of absence' to the marines (long enough ago to, at this point, be understood as a resignation in everything but name) he still remembered the things that were repeatedly drilled into his head. specifically, a list of pirates not to engage with, under any circumstances, if they happened to cross paths. not without proper authorization. not without a full squadron, preferably with several devil fruit users and an admiral or two. never alone. you will die, they told him. you are unprepared.

it was a lot of scary talk for a guy who, now that the two were sitting beside one another, ultimately just seemed like... a guy. he was surprised at first, of course he was; he expected to be completely alone, and even enveloped himself with his silence technique for added concentration while fishing. he got too concentrated, it seems, being so surprised when shanks shook his shoulder (presumably after several failed attempts to shout through his soundproof wall) and he jumped out of his skinーoff the dock into the water. thank the seas this man seemed to realize intuitively that he was a devil fruit eater, and therefore would drown without his help. rosinante couldn't help but wonder if he had rescued poor souls like that before.

and now they were just... sitting there, having a conversation together, rosinante looking like a wet dog and too self-conscious to shed his clothing despite how weak the seawater-soaked clothes clinging to his skin made him feel. he hadn't noticed that shanks and his crew had set themselves up on the beach. so it was true; shanks, despite his fearsome reputation, really did just... drink & party a lot, huh?

　　　　　　❝ you don't seem like either type. ❞

@ikkaku-of-heart asked: "Have you been to the doctor?" / [miscellaneous angst starters.]

❝ is that your polite way of asking if i'm clumsy because i might have brain damage? ❞

　rosinante's tone was dry, but he wasn't offended if that's really what she was getting at. he had heard worse but, honestly, he couldn't blame anybody for thinking that. his clumsiness was a sight; it almost seemed to defy the laws of physics sometimes.

there's no way a man should be thrown that off-balance by a simple friendly shove, yet somehow could participate in combat exercises with the crew just fine. there's no way a man should be that bad with stairs, yet could somehow scale his way up a wall by just upper body strength & the friction of his books. there's no way their captainーa man that was calm & moody but undeniably cool in his appearance and demeanorーwould think so highly of this over-zealous, sunny idiot.

it didn't make sense. he didn't make sense.

　❝ well, if i didn't before all this, i must have some by now. but it's not so much my brain as it is my body, if that makes sense. ❞

@melpcmene said: ❛ was it you? did you do all this? ❜ (baby sanji) / [𝟐𝟎𝟎 𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐌 𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒]

　❝ uh-huh! i hope i won't get you in trouble, but a kiddo like you shouldn't be stuck clearing tables on a nice day like this. don't they give you days off here? ❞

　rosinante was a slow eater. well, he could eat fast if he were in a rushーbut that was generally a bad idea. his gag reflex was sensitive, but especially so when eating or drinking too fast. he needed to allot more time in between bites, aiding himself with copious amounts of water, otherwise he would choke or spit things up. it was a trait about himself that he still genuinely found embarrassing, whereas his clumsiness was something he had grown to accept.

eating as slow as he needed to sometimes guaranteed he had been the last person in the dining area on at least a couple of occasions, late enough for him to start taking notice of the routine the workers would do when clearing plates and changing tablecloths in between mealtimes. he figured he would give it a try.

　　　　　❝ sorry, am i being neurotic? my bad, my bad. ❞

　anxiety or the alcohol, rosinante couldn't tell which was more of a contributing factor, but he realized he was probably rambling at that point. drake kept reassuring him, and he kept pushing the issue as if he needed to make double, triple, and quadruple sure. was it because doflamingo was a warlord now? that he successfully installed himself the new king of dressrosa? is that what had him so on-edge? that he wasn't just a common pirate nowーhe had power? if he could do that much damage all those years ago, what could he do now?

　❝ come visit me once in a while, i guess. ❞ it was the only suggestion he could think ofーthough, truthfully, there was no real way to stop the worrying. a little too late for that. even if he asked for the confidential details so he could truly understand what drake's movements would be, it probably would make him worry more. ❝ not hereーat my place in the north when i head back. if you're ever in that sea, i mean. at least i'll be able to see you're alive. ❞

While Drake's own views of justice were flimsy at best, and downright sketchy at worst depending on who you asked, he would never mess with anything related go Doflamingo. Drake didn't mind working with pirates, if it was a means to an end, and it would be the same for his mission. How many Marines had worked with pirates to achieve a goal while still maintaining their loyalty to the Marines? It was no different with Drake. However, at the request from Rosi, and his deep found respect for the man, he would avoid Doflamingo, despite Doflamingo being the least of his worries, given he was going to be infiltrating the nest of an Emperor for information.

❝ I'll avoid Doflamingo. Rosi...you're getting too worked up. I know what to do. ❞

Dull eyes followed the tall blonde, observing his movements as he finished his glass. It was eating Drake up inside, seeing Rosinante like this...because of him. But, there was nothing that could be done. Perhaps the old man could inform Rosi of what was going on. Only a select few truly knew.

❝ Is there anything I can say or do so you won't worry so damn much? I don't want you this stressed just because of me. ❞

　lawwy? rosinante snatched the nickname before it floated away with the sea breeze, interest piqued how law—so stern & moody—could have earned himself one that was so… endearing, and said with such casualty.

he should restrain himself. keyword: should. the majority of his own nicknames were not said with embarrassment in mind—merely holdovers from their shared past, the same way law refused to part with rosinante’s codename he hadn’t used in thirteen years—but… this was certainly not something law would want him to know, and the confusion of the day’s events left rosinante feeling mischievous. sorry, kiddo; don’t think i’ll be able to help myself with this one.

he probably would have snickered right then—tilted forward, pressing for details on what exactly law did to earn such a name—if the thought wasn’t halted by the linguistic equivalent of cold water dumped down his back once a second name hit his ears. no, ‘hit his ears’ is too soft a phrase; socked him in the chest, more like. 

　　oh. oh. he gets it now. law. law, what the fuck?

suddenly, the secrecy made sense. the evasiveness, the lack of specifics—armed with nothing but vague instructions and an insistence on law’s part that he’d ‘understand when he gets there’. it made sense, yet didn’t make sense at all. why? did law not trust him to be able to handle the knowledge? did law not trust him that much?

no, no, that wasn’t it. the doctor had to be trying to protect his feelings; saving him the mental anguish of spending his entire weeklong sail thinking about the fact he was going to meet a man his adopted father almost murdered in broad daylight. not just a man but, as fate would have it, strawhat luffy’s brotherーthe boy who was almost murdered by rosinante's own not even that long ago.

law wasn't being secretive for the sake of being a controlling little shitーhe quite literally had no options other than to just not tell him and let rosinante come to that understanding on his own. because nothing law could have said would have prepared him having to deal with all of this.

❝ rosinante.❞ oh, absolutely not. with every new face, there was a debate whether or not he should vocalize his surname for his own safety. there was no debate here. he abso-fucking-lutely was not going to give this man his last name. ❝not that it matters—you can just forget it, if you want. law never calls me a thing other than cora, so either is... fine. ❞

AS  EXCITED  as  ace  seemed  to  be,  his  smile  quickly  washed  away.  replaced  with  confusion,  and  worry  as  soon  as  the  man  stumbled  on  his  own  feet.  just  by  getting  off  the  boat.  law  didn't  mention  him  much  either,  it  was  just  him  and  the  tall  blonde  man  with  make  up  spread  aross  his  visage.  

he  was  not  a  caretaker.  this  was  the  crew's  job  to  keep  the  fire  fist  in  check.  but  as  long  as  ace  knew,  this  island  was  a  hiding  spot.  a  place  where  a  dead  man's  walking.  town  filled  with  the  ghosts  of  his  past  and  many  regrets,  guilt  that  tried  to  eat  the  ravenette  alive  if  not  the  medication  coursing  through  his  body  to  calm  temper  matching  his  wildfire.

❝  hey,  uh.  y'kay  ?  ❞  his  head  tilted  to  the  side,  a  questioning  look  graced  the  man  but  he  quickly  seemed  to  regain  his  composture.  no  need  for  the  pirate  to  step  in  carrying  aid.  ❝  yeah  i  know  lawwy.  's  been  my  doc  the  entire  time.  and  much  more.  ❞ 

the  answer  was  vague,  since  he  had  no  idea  who  is  he  even  dealing  with.  ace  was  willing  to  put  his  trust  into  the  surgeon.  he  wouldn't  let  any  threat  to  enter  the  borders  of  this  island  while  the  fire  fist  was  still  around,  recovering.  ❝  the  name's  portgas  d.  ace.  but  who  are  ya'  exactly  ?  ❞

　　　　　　❝ in the woods? ❞

　well, he was living in the woods so perhaps that was a dumb thing to be incredulous about. somewhat. for rosinante, it was not so much the idea of others living in the woods with him, but he fixated on the word she used: 'tribe'.

he thought he had done his due diligence when scooping out the perfect area to build his home; secluded enough from people to satiate paranoias about his safety, but close enough to a neighboring townーan hour or two, both waysーthat he didn't have forgo modern conveniences. he could still make a living off what he hunted & grew, he could still buy the things too impractical for him to make on his own and, most importantly, he could still read the daily newspaper & get information on the world. he was connected to civilization, but could still step away from it any time he wanted. that was for the best. for everyone.

still, the idea of living on indigenous land of some kind wasn't ideal. if he wasn't meant to be there, rosinante would relocate in a heartbeat; the last thing the world needed was another donquixote coming in and asserting themselves as an owner of land in a place that already belonged to someone else. still, he liked to think he knew these woods fairly well; as long as he'd been living there, he had never come in contact with anyone who wasn't just a passing traveler, or people who were lost like the girl herself was.

❝ not that i know of. the area i go hunting in is pretty wide, in all directions, and i've never been approached by anyone who claimed to also live out here. what... tribe, exactly? ❞

she's not sure how to approach the matter - her mother might be dead and she might be free to do how she pleases, but this freedom has come with a fear pudding would have never expected. this world is cruel just the same way as it is beautiful, once found the most prized treasure here's another popping up for a new generation to take over already. people like her will be sought after until the ends of time and staying guarded is truly the only way to survive in this new life she's been gifted.

"i'm not sure actually." hand reaches into the pocket of her coat to get the map that was given to her by a kind lady on the last island pudding had found, and back then the instructions seemed pretty clear - turns out perhaps she should brush up on those raw navigation skills acquired from her siblings. "i'm looking for a tribe that is supposed to live in the woods... i just wasn't told which ones." the awkward hint in her tone is hard to miss, and if it weren't for her dedication, pudding would almost believe she's just not meant to find her kind. "does anyone else live here, that you know of?"

　　　　❝ ...something like that. ❞

　his voice still remained unfocused, sounding as if it were coming from somewhere off in the distance and not from his own throat. the scent of smoke brought him back, and he realized the ominous quality of what he had just said. he felt exposed, like he was wearing too much of his heart on his sleeve in the moment. he panicked.

　❝ not... not the 'cooties' part, the 'going after his bounty' part. ❞ wait, why did he say that? of course she wasn't serious about the first partーshe was joking. sigh. clumsy body, clumsy tongue, it turns out. he tried to tamp down his embarrassment, shifting focus to his coworker's face.

　❝ i don't think i could. at least not on my own; my fruit isn't really cut out for direct combat, and the higher-ups say he's a monster. apparently, he ran a gang with territory stretching all over the north blue islands since he was a kid, and i guess he just wasn't satisfied with that. makes me wonder what he's after. ❞

"You don't have cooties, do you?" Such sarcastic questioning was followed up with a long inhalation as the crimson-haired marine stepped beside her companion. Grey eyes scanned the posters, landing on the one she thought he might have been eyeing. "Ugly bastard, isn't he? Thinking about going for his bounty and ridding the world of one less shitty pirate?"

Taking down pirates- bad pirates- not one's that fought for a better life for everyone- were the entire reason she had become a marine in the first place. Her one eyes drifted away from her fellow marine had been eyeing to move to that of Shiki. The moment she'd heard news of his plight and looked upon his mug she knew what she wanted to do with herself for the first time in her life.

　@todesgeduld // continued from [here]

　　❝ exactly. i'm being silly, duh. ❞

　a success; rosinante got a smile and law didn't even try to redirect his embarrassment by snapping back about how he should 'act his age' or 'stop treating him like a kid'. but, really, whoever said there was a certain age where you had to stop acting goofy?

rosinante straightened up from his position on the flooring, curling out of an attempted somersault that he was sure to feel in his back by tomorrow morning. oh well.

　　 ❝ from this angle, you just looked a little extra stern. are you focused, or do you have something on your mind? ❞

　　　❝ if you're hungover, that's your own problem. ❞

　rosinante had no sympathies, halfway through his plate already, having given up waiting for his colleague after he had already run late ten minutes passed their appointed meeting time.

he wouldn't go as far to say he was a morning person, but he was stricter with his morning routine than most on the base. nearly every morning, he got up at least an hour early to stretch properlyーan essential part of preventing (or at least mitigating) future injuries for a man as clumsy as himself.

@code01746 Rosinante

Smoker groans. It had been another long night, and he was tired. He had promised Rosinante they could get coffee and breakfast together before running laps. Smoker sighs as he enters the mess hall, looking for the blonde male. Finally finding him, he approaches, "You lucky I like you. It's too early to be up and alive..." So yeah, Hina may have gotten him drunk, but she was a pretty lady. How could he say no?

@climatact ❤️'d for a thing.

　　❝ you seem way more willing to be open about this than law is, so i suppose you're the person to ask. ❞

　not that law was necessarily not open with rosinanteーthey had plenty of deep conversations about all sorts of things. their shared past, what they want out of their future, what freedom means, what choosing to die for someone means, what they regretted, what they were thankful for. talking to your father figure about your significant other appeared to be off-limits, though. he needed to get creative, and approach things from a different way.

　❝ well, you're also the only other person i can askーbut at least you won't get embarrassed and hide your face when i ask for details. ❞

　　❝ yeah. i knew everyone, in a way. at least in the old days, not so much now. my adopted father used to be in a pretty high position with the marines, so i got shipped a lot of places and worked with a lot of people. ❞

　it genuinely had been so long since rosinante had spoken to anybody about his former life with the marines he often didn't know where to start. but not here; bellemere was a focal point, a rare connection he had with this girl and her story. somehow, he knew everything he wanted to say, but had no idea what to say at all. would this be stressful? comforting? cathartic for him, but painful to her? was he pushing too much to even want to bring this up?

but he couldn't help himself. when the subject came to law, oh, he could talk for hours.

　 ❝ my kid found me, actually. we didn't... start off in the right place, though. i doubt it was as sweet a story as it was with your mom & your sister; i kept trying to get rid of him for two years, i wasn't planning on getting attachedーfor his own good, he shouldn't have been around meーbut it just... happened. it was hard, and i... almost died a couple times, but i don't regret a day of it. i'm sure your mother didn't either. ❞

Talking about her mother always brought a sickening swirl of emotions. Happy, sad, anger, bitterness. It was odd, wasn't it? That she and Law each had a marine in their past. She had never attempted to talk about it with him --- neither of them were particularly the types to open up about that sort of thing, on the other hand. Nami only did, when people asked --- and it just so happened, Rosinante was one of the few brave enough to do so.

Her hands placed politely on her lap --- occasionally, she reached to stir the tangerine tea, although she didn't feel much like drinking it. She was much too captivated, by the thought of speaking to someone who had memories of her mother. They were so hard to come by, now, especially since she was so far away from Genzo and Nojiko. Even when she had shared a village with them --- Nami was permitted to only rely on her own memories. Some of which, were the memories of others --- stories passed around the village, which she had caught wind of, by happenstance.

"Did you know her? --- My mother, I mean..." Nami questioned, eyes lighting up. Despite how large the institution of marines were, she couldn't help but hope that Rosinante knew her. That he had stories to tell, about his time with her. There was only so much Nami could squeeze from the Cocoyashi villagers.

"A kid came along for you, too... hm, don't tell me you found yours in a war-torn, destroyed village, too." A sardonic tone and a soft smirk. She handled it in the only way she knew how: a wry sense of humor. A little good will went a long way, too, but there were several reasons she chose not to open up about her past. It was a quick way to make anyone uncomfortable.

@onepiecc said: ❛ don’t go. please. ❜ / [𝟐𝟎𝟎 𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐌 𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒]

　　　【 i wasn't planning on leaving. 】

　rosinante had left briefly to go check the perimeter of their baseーan essential daily routine for an organization like the donquixote pirates, who always had to be up & ready to move at the first sign of trouble.

though, the spy did always find it strange it was a task he was assigned at all; with his 'muteness', it wasn't as if he could warn the other family members of encroaching danger if he was father away from themーneeding to write and, on occasion, use the short list of hand signs he knew to communicate nearly everythingーand if someone was accompanying him on patrol, then there really was no need for him to be there at all. he supposed doflamingo just wanted him busy with something, no matter how small.

he returned ten minutes later after another uneventful sweep of the area, sitting across from her and doing his best to drop the 'scary & aloof' act he put up with other family members, smiling more warmly now.

　　　　　【 i'll stay as long as you want me to. 】

　　❝ that's nice people speak for 'is being neurotic', ❞ he quipped.

　rosinante scratched his face. suspecting was one thing, but having his suspicions vindicated in plain language to his face was a strange feeling. conflicting. it stirred up those memories again, and he could have sworn his old bullet wounds were starting to hurt. itch. he nodded along, his dull red eyes conveying an understanding, yet sad: 'thought so.'

　❝ i'm more civilian than marine nowadaysーhonestly, if sengoku quits one of these days, i won't even bother reporting on pirate activity that i see when i'm up northーbut i get your point. would be a bit strange for you to drop everything you're doing and telling your crew you're off visiting some hermit in the woods, wouldn't it? ❞

❝ Not neurotic. Just...a tad bit overbearing. ❞ he remarked, a smile on his usually stoic features.

Drake appreciated it. He sighed. Shit, he was in a tough place. He knew he could trust Rosi, that he wouldn't tell anyone, that they'd act as if everything was going according to the mission and the plan. It was one thing he could count on. What else was there? Especially if he might not make it back anyways?

The former Rear Admirals stood, walking over to the blonde, before sitting down beside of him, pulling over a chair, taking a deep breath. ❝ I can't go into too much detail, Rosi. Not many even know what I'm doing. To a lot of people, I'll be deemed retired. A traitor. A Marine turned pirate. A Member of the Worst Generation. A man with a target on his back. But...what I'm doing now...is a mission. If anyone asks, act like you didn't know. I can't promise to visit. This will take years. I might not even make it back. But, just know, I'll do everything I can to return alive. You cannot follow me, no matter what. Got it? Wouldn't look too good. ❞

PROMPTS FOR PEOPLE WHO REFUSE TO LET ANYONE CARE ABOUT THEM *  assorted dialogue, adjust as necessary

i don't need your help.

i can handle myself.

everyone leaves.

you can't do this alone.

whatever they did to you back then... i'm sorry. but i'm not like that, and i won't abandon you like they did.

you've got bigger things to deal with.

i've been alone all my life. it's nothing new.

don't come over. i can handle it.

please let me care about you.

would you just stop?

i'm used to this.

i tried to help you.

whatever they said about you, they were wrong.

i'm not worth dying for.

suit yourself. you'll regret it tomorrow.

i'm not putting anyone else's life in harm's way.

people care about you. people want to keep you safe.

i don't want you to get hurt over me.

if you die, it'll be my fault.

i love you. you're worth fighting for.

i'm not gonna just sit here and let you do this by yourself.

i'm not worth it, okay?

i don't want you to die.

leave me alone.

this is nothing new.

thanks but no thanks. i don't need your help.

i can't lose you again!

don't make yourself an island.

don't you understand? i can't lose you!

you're not patching this up alone. let me help.

i'm not used to this. being cared about.

you'll just suffer because of me.

i'm not like the rest. i won't leave you.

everyone leaves. maybe it's better that way.

i can handle it just fine, thanks.

i don't need your advice.

stop pushing me away. it won't work.

this is all i've got left.

i'll get over it!

it's better if i just go alone.

let me protect you.

i'll just keep coming back, you know.

it's easier to make people hate me.

if something happens to you, i'll never forgive myself.

i've already lost so many people.

i can patch this up myself.

you've obviously got more important things to deal with.

everyone i love ends up leaving me one way or another.

what if something happens?

this wasn't supposed to go this way.

stop risking your life for me.

i work better alone.

it's safer to just stay away from me.

eventually you'll see i'm not worth it.

every single time i let someone in, they end up disappointing me.

trust me. i know this for a fact.

just leave me be. i'll figure this out myself.

you should go.

you're all i have left.

people around me are always getting hurt.

it's better if you just leave me here.

i can't trust anyone. not anymore.

why do you keep fighting for me?

you have no idea what this is like.

i know you think i'll leave, but i won't. not now. not ever.

you matter to me. i'll say it a thousand times until you understand.

please just let me take care of you.

i work alone.

that won't work on me.

no one's ever really loved me before.

you need help.

so that's it? you're just gonna push me away again?

what's it gonna take for you to realize i want to be here for you?

i don't want to see you hurt.

you can't just push away everyone who loves you.

you'll never be able to beat this alone.

you expect me to just sit here?

i love you, goddamn it!

you want to be alone? fine. be alone.

i'm not strong enough.

i really thought i could help you. turns out i was wrong.

i wish you would listen to me.

i came all this way to help you, and this is the thanks i get?

you are worthy of love, you know.

how many times do i have to tell you? i'm fine!

stop pushing people away.

it's easier to just make you hate me.

i don't hate you. i could never hate you.

@chillin-at-partys-bar ❤️'d for a thing. (smoker)

　❝ i'll be lucky if i don't get discharged for that, never mind demoted. ❞

　rosinante dangled one leg off the side of his bunk while the other was curled up to his chest, gripped tightly as he subconsciously tried to tamp down his anxieties.

maybe he was being a bit hyperbolicーafter all, being the adopted son of an admiral awarded him way more leniency than others in his ranksーbut sengoku could only save him when he screwed up so many times, surely. only so many times he could convince rosinante's superiors that his son's tendency to accidentally light his surroundings on fire when he tries to light a cigarette totally doesn't make him a liability. rosinante was just waiting for the day it happened at this point.

❝ but something that flammable shouldn't have been on the tween deck at all if they're gonna complain about it. everyone knows that's the best place to smoke. ❞

THE MANY MEANINGS OF "HEY.": A PROMPT LIST.

i often have these ideas that have no real origin, but i can actually tell you precisely why my brain wanted this: i was listening to "hey, soul sister" by train on a loop and i got thinking abt the fact that we really do just say "hey" for so many reasons. and i wanted to make that your thought of the evening! so happy november, bon appetit, wrap up warm, DO NOT ADD TO THIS LIST, and enjoy your writings!

[ GREETING ]: sender says "hey" as a greeting to the receiver.

[ ATTENTION ]: sender, having just noticed something strange or remarkable, calls for the receiver to get their attention.

[ REASSURE ]: in a bid to steady the unsettled receiver, the sender lightly says "hey" to help them calm down.

[ ANGER ]: the sender sharply snaps "hey" at the receiver, clearly angry about something the receiver has just done or had done in the past.

[ IDEA ]: having been presented with a predicament, the sender suddenly unravels a solution, introducing it to the receiver by saying "hey…".

[ GUILT ]: having just done something that they know the receiver won't be pleased with, the sender sheepishly greets them once they arrive to see the damage.

[ GOSSIP ]: the sender turns to face the receiver conspiratorially, clearly eager to share some new gossip with them.

[ URGENT ]: the sender rushes to the preoccupied receiver, desperately shouting "hey!" to get them to focus on a far more pressing matter.

[ SOOTHE ]: after finding the clearly distressed receiver, the sender pulls them into a careful embrace, gently murmuring "hey…" to try and soothe them.

[ SMILE ]: the sender (who hasn't been smiling up until they actually see the receiver in front of them) lights up with a smile as they greet the receiver.

[ TEARS ]: the sender greets the receiver while very clearly in tears.

[ FAKE ]: alternatively, the sender (who has just been crying in private) hastily wipes away their tears and tries to greet the receiver casually (to varying degrees of success).

[ WARNING ]: when the receiver begins to say things about subjects that are off-limits to the sender, the latter gives them a warning by saying "hey…".

[ LAUGH ]: having found the receiver to be decidedly unhappy, the sender lightly catches their attention before doing something to make them laugh, or at the very least, grin.

[ PROTEST ]: after the receiver does or says something that the sender deems to be unfair, the sender tries to exact justice by saying "hey!".

[ BREATHLESS ]: having clearly just sprinted down to the receiver, the sender tries to catch their breath while greeting them.

[ SAVE ]: after just saving the receiver's life in a very heroic fashion, the sender smoothly greets them while helping them escape.

[ FLIRT ]: the sender meets the receiver in a social setting, and attempts to flirt with them with the very traditional pick-up line: "hey.".

[ APOLOGY ]: the sender, having recently done something that hurt or upset the receiver, reunites with them and addresses the elephant in the room by greeting them with a sincerely apologetic tone.

[ AWKWARD ]: after a particularly rough first encounter, the sender meets the receiver again, and awkwardly greets them with more than a touch of embarrassment.

[ GENTLE ]: having found the receiver in an emotionally compromised position, the sender closes the door and approaches them carefully, gently saying "hey…" to try and get them to communicate what has upset them.

[ HARD ]: preparing to deliver what they both know will be bad news, the sender tries to prepare the receiver by quietly greeting them in a solemn tone.

[ WAKEN ]: walking into the receiver's bedroom, the sender gently shakes their shoulder to waken them, and whispers "hey." to encourage the process along.

[ WHISPER ]: the sender gently whispers "hey" to the receiver to discreetly get their attention without drawing the attention of others.

@rubctosis ❤️'d for a thing.

　　　　❝ look. i’m sorry about the… hospital, thing...❞

　deja vu. rosinante had to have opened conversations with this exact line before. more than once or twice. more than he wanted to think about. his body language always ended up being the same, too; heavy sighing, scrunched mouth, and eyes averted whether or not law was too upset to look in his direction.

he never felt guilty about what he did to the doctorsーoh, absolutely not. fuck those guys. they're doctors; if there was anybody qualified to treat a couple bloody noses or some first-degree burns, it was doctors. plus, they were already in the perfect place to have their injuries treated, too, so the spy wasn't going to lose sleep over it. they'd be fine. but, although he hesitated to admit it aloud out of fear of bonding with the little shit and therefore making it that much harder to convince him to leave the family behind altogether, he did feel bad for subjecting law to it.

the visits clearly stressed him outーwhich wasn't ideal for anyone, but especially not him. normal, healthy people got sick all the time from high stress, so he couldn't imagine its effects on a terminally ill kid whose body was slowly but surely falling apart. thus, all rosinante could do was slip into this same routine over and over again: sheepish apologies & half-assed bribes.

　❝ what can i do make it up to you? you want... grilled fish for dinner? you wanna sleep in a cushy bed at an inn tonight rather than camping outside? ❞

@kaizokugaris ❤️'d for a thing.

　　　❝ do you... think your crew moved the ship? ❞

　rosinante would hesitate to call his decision to tag along with zoro a 'mistake'; any opportunity to get to know law's comrades & crewmatesーthe people that were there for him all these years when he couldn't beーwould always be worth the effort to him. they were important to law, so they were important to rosinante in return.

but he would be lying if he didn't admit this excursionーthis seemingly easy route, from the sunny, to the blacksmith's, back to the sunnyーwas taking far longer than he ever thought it would. did they pass this street already? that sign? wait, he doesn't recognize this alleywayーhonestly, they seemed to be getting further & further from the port, but he wasn't at a high even vantage point to be able to tell.

　　❝ maybe that's why you're having trouble finding it? should i ask someone for a transponder so we can call strawhat or law? ❞

　　❝  yeah, yeah, that’s what all the fussy kids say: ‘i’m not a picky eater, i've just got better tastebuds than you.’ ❞

　agitated as rosinante was, he wasn't oblivious to the fact he should appreciate moments like this. the moments where law wasn't giving him disinterested, one-word answers no matter how hard rosinante pushed, or what topic he brought up. the times where he was quipping with him to encourage conversation, rather than snapping at him to cut it out.

it was a good indicator of two things; the first was just how much more comfortable law had become with him. gone were the days where rosinante would have to tether one end of a rope to law's waist and the other to his own wrist so he could tell if law was trying to run off in the middle of the night. while there was still resistance on occasion, law didn't treat the donquixote like he was his captor anymore and seemed to recognize that he was at least safer with him than he would be alone.

the second thing was law's general mood. when he acted like thisーmischievous, or fussy, or bratty in an endearing wayーhe, at the very least, hadn't fallen too far into another of his quiet, depressive spirals. he, at the very least, wasn't suffering from a flareup of his white lead symptoms so bad he would actually ask rosinante to carry him for once. politely, even. never had rosinante been so concerned to hear a 'please' or 'thank you' in his life than when he heard it from the lips of his favorite little runt.

　❝ how's the pain today? ❞ a routine question. one that was essential when dealing with a kid as fiercely independent & closed-off as law, who would no doubt try to convince rosinante he was 'fine' up to the point he was literally spitting up blood if given the chance. ❝ give me a number: one to ten. the closer you get to ten, the worse you feel. ❞

A  frown  etched  across  the  boy's  face  -  a  battle  waged  within  him,  concealing  the  vulnerability  that  lurked  beneath  his  defiant  exterior.  Yet,  the  subtle  nuances  of  Corazon's  sympathetic  tone  pricked  at  the  edges  of  his  consciousness,  a  sensation  that  he  tried  vehemently  to  ignore.  there  was  truth  to  his  words  and  law  could  hear  it.  he  could  sense  the  emotion  hidden  behind  the  apology  given  to  him.  perceptive  beyond  the  understanding  of  most  his  age.  he  would  never  admit  to  his  own  naivety  in  not  picking  up  on  the  kindness  behind  the  older  man's  gesture  at  the  time.  law's  brow  furrowed,  the  expression  almost  unreadable  as  the  gears  in  his  mind  ground  against  each  other.  his  eyes  flicked  toward  the  blonde  as  he  spoke,  his  gaze  hard  and  sharp  -  a  defense  mechanism  against  the  feelings  of  guilt  that  began  to  bubble  up  within  him.

❝  cora  you  have  no  reason  to  apologize  to  me.  .  youre  not  the  one  running  away  from  me  at  a  moments  glance  nor  are  you  speaking  a  certain  way  nor   giving  up  on  me  you're..  helping  me ❞    he  muttered.  his  gaze  downcast.  he  was  quiet  for  just  a  brief  moment,   watching  rosinante  work,  and  decided  to  help  him  to  the  best  of  his  ability,  pausing  when  there  was  a  thud  behind  him.  he  turned  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  blond  who  had  somehow  fallen  onto  his  backwards.  cringing  at  how  the  pinecones  dug  into  back.  the  blond  was  certainly  clumsy.  he  mindlessly  approached  to  ensure  the  man  was  alright  before  he  spoke  up.

❝  and  for  the  record,  ❞  law  said,  a  mischievous  twinkle  in  his  eye.  ❝  i'm  not  fussy.  just  someone   with  discerning  tastes.  ❞  his  body  shuddered  at  the  mere  memory  alone  of  the  extreme  saltiness  of  the  umeboshi.  the  whole  moment  he  even  took  as  an  act  of  betrayal.  maybe  even  revenge  on  corazon's  part  for  what  he  had  done  to  him. 

　　　　　❝ oh, nothing invasiveーdon't worry! ❞

　not that rosinante was curious to know such things anyway, but law would probably, definitely, without a doubt try to stab him again if he ventured anywhere close to 'too personal' territory. it wasn't as if there was any moral dilemma stopping him now; he was a doctor. any wounds he inflicted he could just fix later. plus, the ex-marine wasn't exactly versed in all the different ways law had learned to use the devil fruit he gave him all those years agoーbut he had learned law had adapted it to be used during combat, which could guarantee danger in his future if he wasn't careful.

　❝ i'm just... surprised. law's still the same snappy little loner that i remember him being when he was a kid, y'know? getting him to talk about anything too personal is like pulling teeth. i literally had to almost bleed out in front of him to see him cry for the first time. i know he's a sweet kid inside, but... it takes a lot of pushing to get there. you're clearly someone really special to be able to do that. ❞

"Ah-" Little did the man before her know that while Nami appeared incredibly confident in her relationship when she was with Law, that she very much was the type to blush when it came to discussing their relationship. Perhaps the allied pirate captain's combined embarrassment and enjoyment at being one another's is what had Nami along his lap or throwing her arms around him. Little things like grasping his hand in public and stolen kisses while everyone was watching was just an added perk.

Of course his Cora-san would want to know more, but it didn't mean she was prepared in any way to talk about it. Pushing past the flush of her cheeks she nodded. "I don't usually kiss and tell, but I might be willing to make an exception depending on the question."