#absolute bless

Enter Robin

When Robin joins the crew there's tension because of course there is half an hour ago she was on the enemy's side and now she's getting comfy on the deck. Poppy is noticeably not looking at the new member and gets quiet when Robin is around. Zoro thinks thank god someone has common sense. Poppy is helping Sanji in the kitchen, Zoro is drinking there too, when Robin walks in next. The loud discussion they were having cuts off suddenly and Poppy freezes. Robin picks up what she needed and leaves. Zoro is prickly, stressed. A Traitor is aboard his Captain's ship and she can sprout arms wherever, what if she pulls Luffy overboard, what if she goes for Poppy's opal!? At least Poppy's got the sense to be wary...

Poppy, large, lumbering Poppy, leans down and whispers something in Sanji's ear. He screams.

"You're absolutely correct Poppy-swan, our Robin is beautiful!"

aka. Poppy has a big, fat, massive crush on Robin for at least an arc. Zoro is about to throw himself overboard and be done with it.

Poppy's Room

The first thing Nami did when they stepped aboard the Going Mary, was claim the captain's quarters for herself. Luffy and Zoro took the barracks. Poppy wandered the boat until she found her perfect spot: a storage cabin, deep in the heart of the ship. It was long like a galley, and probably the only room she could lay out and still have room to wiggle.

It was dusty, but the seals in the wood held strong and nothing felt damp. There were no windows and when Poppy closed the door behind her, it was dark as night. She sat there, listening to the hollow thunder of Luffy's steps on the deck, of the groan of the ship on the water. She grinned. This was perfect.

Kaya's manor had offered them gifts. Luffy took food, Zoro took alcohol, Nami took treasure and paper and ink and Poppy? Poppy took blankets, and pillows and every old rag she could. Poppy walked with the maids of the manor and let them dig into the storerooms, pulling out moth-eaten curtains, dusty rugs. The people of the manor sucked on their teeth and assured the pirates they could provide something better, fresher -- but Poppy took them all gladly. Zoro and Luffy spent the night at the Manor, having one last feast. Poppy spent the night fashioning those scraps of fabric into a glorified futon and comforter set. She cut the thread with her teeth and laid it out, taller than she was and spanning wall to wall of the storage cabin, squeezed under the narrow shelves. It was lumpy as hell, the bits of canvas and hessian she had used were still kind of scratchy -- but Poppy almost couldn't remember the last time she had laid out on a 'bed' and not hung off of it. The last time she could stretch her legs out and have her feet still be warm by the blanket.

As Poppy and the crew sail around, Poppy collects soft stuff for her storage cabin. Since the boat is her safe space, the cabin is her Ultimate Safe Space. She fills it with pillows, with bedding, with things that smell nice.

Luffy is amazed when he finds it and asks very nicely not at all loud and screaming to be let in. Poppy says if he takes his shoes off first. Zoro sits in the doorway. It's only after Arlong does Nami enter the room. Nami spends her first night back on the Mary in Poppy's room, wrapped up in blankets.

It's through this room that Ussop gets the idea that there's something Up with Poppy, because one morning, she comes up to the deck a bit slower, a bit stiffer. She seems jumpy. She's sticking close to Luffy and Zoro more than usual. It's around midday, when everyone's thinking about taking a nap to escape the heat, that Poppy approaches Ussop. She's carrying a hammer, it looks tiny in her hands.

"Hey Ussop," she says, and he turns, craning his neck. Poppy is easily the tallest woman he's ever met. "Can I add something to the Mary? Just to my room?"

Ussop doesn't see why not. But why not let him do it, he's been maintaining ships since before he could walk. Poppy hesitates, but admits that yes, she didn't want to damage the ship right after Ussop's friend gave it to them. Poppy asks Ussop: please make me a barricade lock to the door. Just something simple, two brackets on either wall, and a strong beam to go across. Ussop is stunned at first, "you know we'll knock right? even Luffy will wait for the ok" Poppy just wrings her hands a bit, doesn't quite look at him. Just says please. Ussop builds the lock, makes sure its strong. Poppy looks so relieved. She sleeps better that night.