As Long As I Wake Up I'm Already Stronger Than Dead. (v. Recovery) - Tumblr Posts

　　　　　❝ anything i can help you with? ❞

　ninety percent of the time, the answer was usually a resounding 'no' regardless if law humored rosinante by letting him feel useful. usually esoteric problems concerning medicine, or medical applications, biology, or something else really only law had the requisite knowledge to solveーresigning the spy to give up after a few moments. but if the problems concerned a personal matter, rosinante had more luck. he considered himself decent enough at giving advice, especially when the person he was giving advice to was law. at this point in their lives together, he understood him enough to know how to approach a topic, or what worked & what didn't. that's where he truly felt the most useful.

　❝ i'd like to see you get some sleep sometime in the next century, kiddo. ❞

"i believe that is just what my face looks like," law tilts his head a little, sighing. if he thought about it, he always had this kind of face, there is just no way of denying it. even then in school, the other kids sometimes would tease him gently of how he looks too serious, adding up a year or two to his actual age.

the free hand casually slips into his pocket, giving the older a small shrug: "there is always something on my mind, that's just how it is but until i have figured it out, there isn't much i can do about it. otherwise, it won't just give me any peace, you know?" if there is something to figure out, law will try to do so or he finds himself restless.

@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?❞

　　　❝ yeah! well, as long as i've known him, at least. ❞

　rosinante loved law; truly, he didーbut conversations had never been his strong suit. baring a small array of topics (usually concerning medicine, or reliving parts of what the two had gone through together all those years ago) conversations tended to be stilted & one-sided, with rosinante often fighting to keep it alive until law's disinterest was so palpable, he couldn't help but get embarrassed and pretend he never initiated any conversation in the first place. sitting in silence and simply basking in each other's company was something they often did, often doing different activities in the same room parallel to each other, but rosinante couldn't deny one of his love languages was definitely talking.

luffy, though? oh, luffy was a dream; a sunny disposition, seemingly limitless energy, eager to chat (especially if rosinante happened to bring food with him onboard the sunny) but, most importantly, seemingly as interested in law as he was.

　❝ part of it is definitely that he's a doctorーhe's actied like a teeny tiny professional ever since he was tenーbut he's also been through a lot. though, the issue is he doesn't like talking, so he just internalizes it. he hates talking so much, he didn't tell you he was in dressrosa to try and kill my brother until all hell had broken lose already, right? he's always been like that. a bit... frustrating, but that's law. ❞

"Me too!Shishishi" Luffy's shoulders jostle with laughter. Law had never tried to correcthim or demanded he stop, by all accounts he'd just accepted it with no other choice. It could have been worse. "His last name ugh Tra—trafela, that it's just hard to say." It's a mouth full with his East Blue accent so instead of getting it wrong every time Tora-o it is.

Face lights up, smile brightly spreading from ear to ear. "Yeah! Ya see it!" Law hasn't said the word himself but they are friends! "He's been so stubborn 'n stuff but I think he had a lot of fun with us. Takes himself real serious all the time, like he's always thinkin' of the worst thing that can happen." Nostrils flare as he huffs. In spite of his gentle probing and curious looks Law was determined to shut himself off from everyone but his crew. "He always been like this?"

　　❝ eh... concussion-consmushun. though, i wouldn't know the square root of 64 under normal circumstances, sorry to say. ❞

rosinante waved off the concern as he always did, but one could never be sure if the dismissiveness was him not wanting to worry others, or the hallmark of a man so desensitized to the traumatic day-to-day happenings that it genuinely didn't register as an issue anymore.

　❝ whichever you want to use is fine. both is fine, honestlyーjust don't use rosinante around law. i guess for thirteen years, he thought of me as nothing but cora, so it throws him off whenever i use my real name around him. ❞

not that rosinante was complaining; there was a brief unease in the beginning simply because the name itself was rooted to his codename within the donquixote pirates. hearing it spoken aloud again upon his reunion with law was like he had gone back to a time & place that he'd rather not remember.

but there was also sweetness tied to it. particularly, the memory of the first time law had ever called him coraーover breakfast one morning, and rosinante felt like he was dreaming. the night before it had felt like the sky was crashing down on him, but just hearing that one little name filled his chest with a new determination.

　so, yeah. rosinante was nice. but cora was something he didn't think he'd ever be able to let go of.

@code01746

Ikkaku smiled at the tall blonde's response and shook her head. "If you had brain damage, I'm pretty sure Law would have scanned you for it long before now," she stated. "I'm more concerned about a concussion you might have gotten from that fall."

His clumsiness had certainly been cause for concern, the first time she'd seen it. Really, she had been worried about possible brain damage at the time, but Law had assured her that the man was "just like that." Of course, Ikkaku had still installed extra fire extinguishers throughout the submarine, though she'd demanded that the smoking inside be kept to a minimum, if not outright banned. The oil, gas, and other flammable things that her job involved had made her very conscious of fire safety and with how clumsy this man was, she feared a lit cigarette going flying and setting something ablaze. Her hair included.

She studied him carefully. Partially checking for injuries, but partially just observing this man who was apparently important to Law's past. Another piece to the puzzle that was Trafalgar Law. She adored her captain, but he could be a frustrating enigma.

However, this blonde, sunny idiot was helping her see things a little clearer. At least, she could better understand why Law put up with his Hearts' idiocy and shenanigans when he held such strong affection for this one. Perhaps they reminded Law of him these past thirteen years.

The thought stirred mixed feelings within her, but then again, she had a lot of conflicting feelings since Law returned from Dressrosa.

"Well, you don't look injured. Still, better to check." She held up two fingers. "How many fingers am I holding up? What's the square root of 64? And...what's your name?" Ikkaku asked, slightly sheepish. "I know Law calls you 'Cora-san,' but I feel like that name's got some history. What would you rather I call you?" It was something she'd been wanting to know, but unsure how to ask. Sure, Law had introduced his savior to his crew, but it felt odd, calling him the title that Law did without permission. But the name Donquixote Rosinante had its own history attached to it. So she'd rather hear from him what he'd like to be called.

@waxgentleman ❤️'d for a thing.

❝ wow! this is... sturdier than i thought it would be. the wax solidfied so fast, too. ❞

　rosinante marveled at his foot, now encased in a thick coating of wax in the shape of a boot. he rapped his knuckles against it once, twice, three times, hearing a hollow but satisfying knock. hollow, yet sturdy, supporting his injured foot perfectly enough for him to hobble on, and without much pain.

he wasn't exactly sure if wax was meant to be used in this way, at least not on its own. he thinks he remembers his casts in the past being made with fiberglass or plaster. but, eh... plaster was similar enough to wax, right?

　❝ i do have a question, though. this wax is obviously... flammabl,e right? ❞ knowing this poor man's track record with fire, this was an absolutely necessary detail to keep in mind.

　　 ❝ twenty three. ❞

　the answer flew from his mouth like it had been dislodged from his brain from a direct smack to the back of his head. ❝ his birthday is in october, so... almost twenty four. ❞

rosinante briefly thought about diluting the statement with an "i think" to make it sound less instant. less like he had his birthday memorized. less like he celebrated it in his own way, a plate of grilled fish & mumbling out a "happy birthday" in the silence of his room, every single year. like he didn't have every basic detail about the kid memorized because those memories & details were all he had left at the moment. but, from the way the donquixote had just made a fool of himself blabbering about his trauma, it wouldn't have mattered anyway. clearly he was stuck on the past. clearly he couldn't let anything go. clearly, he thought about that boy every day.

　　❝ law. trafalgar law. ❞

Drake raised an eyebrow. If Rosi was "old as dirt" so was he. He wasn't much younger than the blonde. To Drake, it sounded like there was another deep reason as to why he didn't want to join, and it wasn't because of age.

Was it his brother? Was Rosi that scared of Doflamingo? Drake had heard of the man being an absolute brute, and terrifying beyond belief: taking over countries, killing without remorse. But, surely, Drake could protect Rosi? No, he wouldn't force the older Marine to do something he didn't want to do. Instead, he decided to help the man, if anything. SWORD was better than spending life farming secluded on some forsaken island, right?

He gave a nod, though, respecting the decision. Another thought occurred to him. ❝ That kid you saved- about how old would he be about now? Have you kept track of him? Found out what he's been doing? What's his name? ❞ The kid had to be an adult by now.

Plus, talking about the kid that Rosi once saved would maybe help the man to ease up. He seemed to care a lot about him, and Drake wanted to see if that he could help the kid, too, if Drake came across him, or at least look after him.

Drake gave a slight smirk at Rosi's comment, finding it more than amusing Rosi truly thought he was old enough to be above the "New Gen brats."

❝ none taken! ❞

evil as doflamingo was, rosinante wasn't one to revel in his brother's misfortune (at least no more than a sibling usually would) but he understood what needed to be done. he still had trouble wrapping his brain around the whole ordeal. he still had trouble coming to terms that his brother's reign of terror was stopped by a teenager. it was a shock to him but, at the same time, it wasn't. he supposed that was the power of the d. at work.

　❝ and, right? he's so... grouchy. and independent. like a... housecat. ❞ or, a feral stray taken off the street and forced to be a housecat, more accurately. ❝ but tough as nails, too. did he tell you the story about the week we met? about how he tried to murder me? ❞

The idea of a very small Law scowling from under his hat is very easy to conjure and has the man laughing. It’s cute, he’s always been like this, always deadly serious and Luffy knows for a fact they would have gotten along worse as children. “He’s a doctor, should know that’s not good for him.” Luffy’s smile relaxes as he shakes his head. “ ‘M surprised he hasn’t exploded yet.”

“Nope, I don’t think so?”  Luffy had been distracted in the colosseum for the better half of Dressrossa. “Tora-o got kidnapped at some point then I was running all over the city with him.” He sighs, eyes glancing down and away. “He could have told me, already said I’d help him.” Knows he can’t take it personally if Rosinate says Law’s always been that way but Luffy knows he’s reliable, trusts that his crew can and will handle anything thrown their way. “Dunno what he would’a done if we didn’t land on Punk Hazard, he didn’t even have his crew with him.” Did they know their captain was on a suicide mission? What did he tell them he was doing? 

“He’s so stubborn! Just let me care about you idiot.” Hand smacks against his chest, fingers curling into the rough skin of his scar. “I didn’t ask for his help but he did anyway. Dying that day would’a been fine.” Maybe Law didn’t see it with the same weight he did or it was just another day, another surgery. There is no obligation to help Law, no debt to be repaid, no thanks needed.  “Kept my dream alive ya know? I’d kick ten Mingo asses if he asked.”

“Not you, no offense.”

　❝ i see! ❞

　rosinante hung to her words, reddish-brown eyes receptive & alert, a smile that shifted from warm joy, to something a bit more pensive and perhaps.... embarrassed as the conversation turned to the marines.

　❝ we haven't really talked about it muchーmy connection to the marines, i mean. i lied to him about not being involved for months, and the night i finally admitted it was the night we got... separated. ❞

　separated. that was certainly a more docile way of phrasing what had happened than 'i was hospitalized on a marine base after almost being murdered by my brother & law ran for his life in the opposite direction', though rosinante imagined nami had already heard an abridged version of from law. plus, there was a time & place to delve into deeper topics with people, but a first time meeting between you & your son's partner didn't seem like it fit the bill.

　❝ i'm sure he's told you everything, about how much he hates them. for what the world government did to his home country. part of my lying was i couldn't risk him not trusting me & running off while we were on the road, so i just kept lying. but that brat is too smart for his own good sometimes, so of course he figured out i was a marine before i told him, but i... doubt he's that happy about it, y'know? i don't really bring it up. ❞

Oh. Not a question after all, but a statement that had her cheeks burning brighter than they had been moments before. Of course she was special- Law realized that or he wouldn't have been so open with his attention and affections towards her. Of course she knew he didn't give that to everyone, considering he was still insistent he didn't like her captain half the time.

"I guess you can say we're a lot more alike than you'd think," she muses out loud, twining a ringlet around her finger in thought. Law was special too, or she wouldn't have been so open to accepting that their feelings for one another went further than mutual attraction. To find that they had much more in common than stubborn natures and quick tempers wasn't really much of a surprise. "We both wear our hearts on our sleeves, after all."

A hand reached across her own chest to touch the swirl of ink that sat over her visible healed scar, not sure if Rosinante would pick up on the meaning otherwise. "Mine's a reminder of my ex-marine savior too."

Talking about Bellemere was never easy, but with Law it had felt just as every part of other step of their relationship- completely natural. She had cried a little just at the mention of her, just like now her eyes misted over at the thought of her now.

　❝ for a while, it was a lot of moving around. first protective custody with the marines, then sailing around just trying to find a place to... go, y'know? ❞

　rosinante latched onto the topic, something he felt the younger man would relate to. although information was scarce (even when he was still with the marines) he knew enough about the revolutionary army to know they were also somewhat nomadic. also being chased. perhaps that's why he felt comfortable enough to drop his guard and speak about his woes in the first place.

　❝ it's gotten a lot easier since he took over dressrosa. unfortunately. ❞ the ex-marine was deliberate with his wording, a glumness in his voice betraying, although things were 'easier' for him, he wasn't exactly happy about the tradeoff. ❝ as long as i stay far away from that place, i'll be okay. a bit miserable, but... hey, i'm alive. that's something, right? ❞

" I didn't exactly have the intention of dragging you somewhere. Or doing anything like that. " While he has taken more extreme methods for information in pressing matters but, he wouldn't for this. Sabo was WARY, yet still doesn't get the sense of hostility towards the other through the colors of observation. Hopefully, his presence would be the same. Not to mistake his trust as a WEAKNESS.

He doesn't have any current reports regarding the Warlord and underground crime boss, so his knowledge of the individual falls through the cracks of his memory. His focus returns to the Donquixote before him. Hiding from his own family ? Very few reasons for that, likely to stand opposed to something that Doflamingo was doing… or perhaps something else ? Only information could sort out the truth from the speculation && theories.

” That's a long time to be hiding from him. Never found a place you could settle ? “ Away from his reach ? Unlikely if his connections are as vast as he fears. " Sounds pretty tiring. "

~ oh fall

　　　❝ 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

　 ❝ oh, a whole three hours? my mistake. that's plenty of sleep, ❞ rosinante muttered sarcastically. he was careful to keep his tone on the lighter side as to not unintentionally start an argument, which was a real possibility when law was exhausted like this. from his seat on the floor, he leaned forward on one elbow as he listened, forehead scrunched sympathetically. ❝ i can imagine, i mean... i know how important she is to you. ❞

even during those short six months rosinante & law had traveled together back when law was a child, the spy recalled just how attached he had become to their little boat. it was their home, their bedーsomething he would vent to, something he would personify. there were a lot of memories on that little boat. and that was just six months; law had been sailing on the polar tang for the last ten years. he couldn't imagine how much stronger that fondness was after living on

　❝ do you think getting a new vessel means you'll have to scrap her, though? why not... leave her with me? ❞ he suggested. ❝ at my place, i mean. you could still get a new ship, but... you can see her anytime you want. that's a compromise, right? ❞

"i slept three hours last night," the heart captain sighs, glaring a little at the blond although in more of a sulky way than anything. he's not sure if he ever had a healthy habit of sleep, even as a child, he was guilty of reading under the blankets until dawn more than one night. however, law knows cora tends to be worried but there is little he can do, he's just too stubborn to try and let go of bad habits. "recently, the polar needs more repairs, not the youngest ship anymore. i guess, it's time to start considering a follow up but giving up home, it's not so easy... it's also not like i could simply get a new submarine but a normal ship seems odd as well." he sighs deeply, it might be an odd worry but it had been on his mind, how to tell his crew about it? the polar had carried them for more than a decade now.

　　　❝ understood. i'll... try my best. ❞

　although rosinante didn't smoke anymore (not by choice, but because a collapsed lung in the past left him no other choice if he wanted to recover) and there theoretically shouldn't be any more risk of shaky hands accidentally setting his coat on fire, he never wanted to make promises when it came to hazards. he was just a hazardous personーinjuries seemed to find him no matter what he did. as evident by his ankle injury, at least.

the former spy brushed past the issue, hoping the man wouldn't ask what he meant by that, as was common in the past. 'what? what do you mean 'you'll try'? it's not that hard to avoid getting injured.' you would think so, huh? and yet...

　　❝ your devil fruit is so functional, i'm really impressed! i bet it's fantastic in all sorts of survival situations. you ever need a place to sleep one night you can just... make one. i did a lot of traveling back in the day, i would have loved someone like you around with me! ❞ and not just because he could theoretically create casts & splints for him every time he injured himself...

( @code01746 )

No matter how many times Mr 3 warned people about his lack of knowledge on anything related to medicine; they insisted on calling him first when accidents like that happen. Being reliable was both a compliment and a curse at this point…but it was always a nice opportunity to show off his powers. Which made him extremely thrilled.

“ Fu ha ha ha~ Marvelous, isn’t it? My wax is dense as iron but not as heavy! Although not porous, I left enough openings to let your skin breathe, ga ne. ” The sculptor's hand is raised at his side, palm turned down as wax sipped from, molding itself in one crutch adequate to the other man’s height.

“..........Not flammable, but if exposed in direct contact with fire..for a looong period of time, it will melt. It’s wax after all. ” Mr 3 then softly bonks the blonde head with the crutch, stern eyes gazed up in a scolding way. “ Stay away from circle of fires or anything related to that, ga ne. Shouldn’t be hard. ” 

　rosinante leaned into the playful atmosphere, letting the shove knock him over (though, as clumsy as he was, he doubted law could tell). he grinned. ❝ hm? what face? my face always looks like this. ❞

a walk sounded like a solid plan; although the circumstances were different now, when they were traveling rosinante remembered circling his & law's campsite for hours during nights where it was too dangerous to not keep watch. too much unpredictable wildlife nearby. too many citizens from neighboring villages & towns eager to 'put down' the boy with the last-remaining case of white lead disease to eradicate it for good. walking was the only way to ensure he stayed not only awake but alert.

it was also probably better if law could power through his sleepiness for the rest of the day, and perhaps even exhaust himself into getting a better night's sleep.

　❝ alright, kiddo; walking it is. how about we get some food, too. when was the last time you ate? a full meal, not just rice crackers or a single leftover onigiri. ❞

golden gaze follows the pattern on kikoku's scabbard, fingers tapping thoughtfully against it as if he could figure it out somehow. his personal thoughts and emotions belonged behind when it came to everything related to the crew. they are a team, and making decisions together is an important part of their flawless work. while it is his duty as a captain to ensure he can provide them with a ship, a home, it would be wrong to think of the future of the polar tang without the others.

"i will talk to the crew about it, see what they think about it. that conversation is overdue either way. i avoided it for as long as i could, but i guess it's better to do it while we still have the time so they all can prepare for it eventually."

the pirate leans in before giving the taller one a playful shove. "why are you making this face? i know i'm a bit serious, but…" inked fingers adjust his hat, giving him a moment to shelter his expressions. "let's go for a walk. i feel some fresh air and moving legs will do good after little sleep." there he goes again, failing to be any good with words. how is it that this gets harder the older he gets?

　　 ❝ three eye? mm... i haven't heard anything. sorry. ❞

　not that rosinante was exactly a well of knowledge when it came to the comings & goings of the surrounding area. he lived in the middle of the woods, for seas' sake, and the only 'news' he was concerned himself with following was the morning paper and keeping his ears open for sightings of a boyーno, no, he would be a young man nowーin a spotted, white fur cap.

but, still, the three eye people were a rare sight, he knew that much. doflamingo had told him so; they fetched a high price at the auction house, he remembers him saying. tribe members were supposedly highly sought after due to their ability, among other things, to read ponegylphs. because of this, rosinante could only surmise they were deliberately trying to hide themselves out of fear of persecution. fear of being hunted. he could empathize with that.

a single sighting of a member of the three eye tribe was certain to attract attention, so him not being able to recall anything recently solidified his thinking. the moment the statement left his lips, he was taken in by her obvious disappointment. he almost wanted to apologize. but offering his home seemed like an okay consolation.

　❝ well... i have some spare rooms here, if you'd be interested. i live by myself currently, so you're more than welcome to stay as long as you need. ❞

the disappointment on pudding's face is hard to conceal even though the poor man has done nothing wrong - another place that has nothing to do with her ancestor's land, no sight of them whatsoever and at this point she's starting to think that they might not even be around anymore.

"well, that's a bummer." voice trails, map put back inside her pocket. this brings another problem - what to do next; in any other moment pudding would have given up and gone back home, her life is still there and all she has to do is picking it from where she's left it. would her citizens still want her as minister though? are the ministries even a thing still? sigh pushes past lips at the thought - albeit safe and coddling, pudding knows well that her old life has to stay in the back and the future ahead is what matters the most.

"uhm, three eye?" hand raises slowly, fingers pushing bangs aside from her forehead to show her own third eye. "i'm looking for them but i guess this is another dead end." gaze studies her surroundings for a moment, wondering whether to go back to the town she came from or the next. "do you happen to know where i can find a place for the night? i definitely need to gather my thoughts before continuing to chase ghosts."

　❝ mhm. i get you. ❞

　unfortunately. ace's words hit right at rosinante's heart, dredging up complicated feelings from his boyhood with a kind of precision that he wasn't even sure law could have managed. he never harbored the same resentment for his father like ace seemed toーnever could quite bring himself to feel justified in being angry, despite it allーbut he grew up watching his older brother echo much of the same thoughts. suffer the same frustrations. or, was he imagining things? was he doomed to see pieces of his older brother in every person he would ever meet for the rest of his life?

he disregarded the thought for now, one elbow firm on the tavern table dividing them as he leaned closer. it tended to be a struggle a man of rosinante's height to meet someone's eyes (not so much for him, but he felt guilt that most people who gave him prolonged eye-contact would have to crane their necks or lean comically far back every time) but rosinante wasn't the best with his words. eye contact was an important step in filling in the gaps. or, at least trying to.

　❝ i'm not trying to take away from how you feel. but it's important to recognize sometimes people don't always take every possibility into account. it doesn't mean you can't be angry when you're reaping the consequences of that, but it also doesn't always mean they're evil. people are flawed, ace. i know i am. ❞

@code01746 , corazon asked : “Even the best-intentioned parents end up damaging their kids.”

❝  intentions  ain't  actions,  cora.  ❞  his  lips  roll  into  a  line.  speaking  of  intentions  was  like  throwing  brief  words  for  the  wind  to  carry.  even  if  roger  had  the  best  intentions  before  death,  it  left  a  weight  on  the  pirate  prince's  shoulders  that  was  hard  to  carry.  maybe  the  words  of  this  man  sparked  a  brief  frustration  within  the  flaming  heart.  thick  eyebrows  quickly  formed  a  frown  upon  the  fire  fist's  visage,  as  he  leans  back  in  his  seat.  ❝  i  could  have  the  best  intentions  in  burnin'  down  a  village.  but  i'd  leave  people  homeless  and  only  with  ashes  of  their  previous  home.  ain't  it  fucked  up  ?  to  have  best  intentions  and  takin'  away  everythin'  ?  ❞

　　❝ rosinante. ❞

　he let his guard slip a little further; if the younger man was offering a name, he may as well be polite and introduce himself properly. it was only fair.

rosinante took the card with an etiquette that was polite & practiced: eye contact, a nod of acknowledgement, and gripping the corners with both hands. he was careful to slide in into a small pocket sewn into the inside of his shabby coat rather than allowing it to get crushed or wrinkled in his jean pocket.

it was a quite the contrast: a man looking so ratty & disheveled showing such respect for piece of paper. but he supposed, even after all this time, those few short years he spent as a noble as a childーclasses on etiquette, manners & allーhad somehow altered his brain chemistry. a piece of paper deserved more care than himself, it seemed. what an interesting priority system his brain had.

　❝ thank you. though, i'll say i'm not suited for any kind of active combat. i don't really do that. not anymore. ❞ he could have sworn his old chest wounds started to itch as the words left him and the memory filtered in. he resisted the urge to start pawing at himself, afraid that any bizarre movements would put his companion on edge again. ❝ infiltration & espionage i have more luck with but... not by much. ❞ hey, doflamingo hasn't found him yet. that has to count for something.

CURIOUS to say the least, having a protective detail with the marines. Even for a short period. Provided a bit more convincing to the revolutionary that he truly has long been defected from their relative's life of crime ( but still taken with a grain of salt ) .

The Revolutionary Army is spread out to ensure their army wouldn't be so easily wiped out if Marines catch wind of their whereabouts. Only moving when danger is lurking right around the corner. He remembers the base of their operations seldom moving around. Sometimes movement causes more RIPPLES in the water that others can NOTICE. Their locations are kept heavily behind counter-surveillance techniques && disruptors to encrypt their communications. The only contact to them made by outsiders were through special cards with numbers to assist anyone in need. && hopes that it was in good faith rather than capture.

Brows furrow once the topic momentarily shifts to information his group had suspicions about. What can't be told to him was the knowledge of missions being made to send members there, but a strange lapse in memory of exactly WHO was sent that way ( if any, Sabo still feels like the names are just out of his reach ). It's enough to garner a troubled, almost FRUSTRATED look on Sabo, giving away that he might know more than he lets on in the moment.

" I suppose," Sabo concedes. From the inner lining of his pocket, he pulls out a card with a number. He hands it out to the other. " If you're tired of running though, I'm sure there's something we can work out. It's not going to be for free, " given who the other is, he might need to INTERVENE as well in that, if the other decides to make contact, " but you can say I was the one who gave you this card. My name is Sabo. " About time he gave a name, didn't he ?

@celestiialnotes // continued from [ here ]

　　　❝ sorry you had to hear all of that. ❞

　'all of that' being the beating rosinante endured all those years ago at the hands of doflamingo & the other family members. the former spy can't say he regretted his decision to hide law where he didーhe had to lead doflamingo to that exact spot, to ensure he saw the chest and hopefully (unwittingly) carried law away out of the birdcageーbut that came with the cost of making law a captive audience to the whole thing.

　❝ i'm sorry for a lot of things, actually. but i'm not sure in what order i should apologize in. i don't know if i should say 'thank you' for doing what i couldn't, or 'i'm sorry' for making you feel like you were obligated to do any of this. i also kind of want to yank you by your ear until it falls off for putting yourself in that kind of danger, but... i think you deserve to relax. huh, mr. hero? ❞

"Would you like to sit down and hold Cora-chan?"

　　　❝  absolutely! just, uh... gimme a second. ❞

　for all of rosinante's quirks, injury-based or not, that contributed to his clumsiness ー feet he had to consciously fight against to keep toes from pointing inwards, tremors & numbness in his arms & hands from nerve damage, and an ankle either stiff or weak depending on what the universe thought was funniest ー somehow, rosinante never dropped law a single time during their nearly seven month trek together all those years ago. somehow.

he remembered that vividly, how awed he was. there were ample instances of tripping within moments of putting law down, or kneeling to let law slide off his back, but never while he was carrying him. he didn't know why; a god, or good karma, magic, or his brain going into overdrive when it recognized he was holding something fragile ( sure wish his brain would have done that before he shattered a whole wine bottle while trying to pour his brother a glass years ago ー he never heard the end of it! ), but he was grateful.

rosinante wasn't going to rely on whatever that was to save him this time, though. no reason to push his luck, especially if the cost was a potentially hurt child and two angry parents. the ex-spy had just spent thirteen years looking for law ー he didn't want to spend another thirteen waiting for him to speak to him again!

he slid off the couch, taking the throw pillows & his coat with him. he fidgeted & fussed until they were arranged like a nest around himself. softness on all sides. peremiter secure.

　❝  sorry, just... some insurance. ❞ for him or for the parents? both, probably.

　　　　'silly me thinking it wouldn't have taken so long.'

　rosinante nodded, knowingly ー tiredly. he knew the feeling intimately, having experienced it in different stages of his life. hell, he was still experiencing it now: starting out a journey determined & optimistic, assured that you would find what you were looking for in no time at all ー only for the days to drag on, the weeks, the years... it sucked. whatever this girl was looking for, he empathized.

　❝ no trouble at all, ❞ he shut down the thought immediately, a tidge of desperation in his tone, not wanting his new company to leave so soon. ❝ i have a lot of bedrooms ー but it's just me & plenty of empty space right now. payment isn't necessary. depending on how long you'd wanna stay, you could help with chores, but... i wouldn't make that a requirement. i'd rather just help those who need it. ❞

rosinante once again nodded at her request for a transponder snail, turning heel towards his home with the intention of leading her inside. though, as karma for the folly of overestimating himself, (and perhaps his excitement), worsened by the simple fact that he couldn't see where he was placing his feet ー the man tripped. the logs he had dropped, rife with jagged bark & splinters, served as a painful landing bed, and he pushed off them with a groan.

　❝ right. so, ❞ his recovery was clunky, but he pushed on without so much as acknowledging what had happened. ❝ sure thing. my snail's in the kitchen. ❞

this was the first house on her path, pudding knowing far too well that if it took so long to find it then the next might be even farther. she doesn't want to give up on her search so easily, but there's no denying that every attempt she's making so far seems to lead to nothing but disappointment - how long can she follow this pattern? perhaps the rumors are true and the entire tribe is dead, which would then put her in a whole differend situation, but at least pudding would have some peace of mind.

"i don't want to impose..." she begins to say, and putting it in the mostle simple way, life made her wary. the man himself doesn't seem dangerous, but then again she knows better than to judge a book by its cover - especially these days. "and i don't have any money." a lie actually, for a few in between jobs have granted the necessary to keep going for at least this month. "i wouldn't know how to pay you back for letting me stay." the uncertainty in her tone is not an act for once, doubts that her safety might not be granted always looming at the back of her mind.

"it is getting dark though," a pause and pudding hesitates for a moment once again. "do you happen to have a den den mushi? i would like to let my sister know that i'm alright," and since pudding has taken on the habit of keeping in touch every night so that nobody would worry, a missed call would totally seem strange. "but i left mine on the ship - silly me thinking it wouldn't have taken so long."