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Serving: First-Years React to a Short S/O... Taking Charge

❤️ Ace Trappola

The Setup: He is absolutely the cause. He is 100% teasing you, holding your phone just out of your reach, a smug, infuriating grin on his face. "What's the matter, shorty? Need a boost? C'mon, jump for it!"

The Action: You are so done. You are not jumping. You take one step forward, grab a handful of his (always-messy) tie and the front of his unbuttoned blazer, and YANK. Hard.

The Reaction: Ace's smug grin vanishes. He makes a startled "Gah—!" sound as he's yanked forward, stumbling, until his face is inches from yours. His eyes are wide. He's not used to you being the one to get physical. He's just... frozen.

The Realization: He's staring right into your eyes, and you are not joking. You look furious. And... it's... kinda hot. His heart does a stupid, loud THUMP in his chest. His brain, for the first time, is silent. He's not thinking of a comeback. He's just thinking... whoa. His face goes bright red, all the way to his ears. "...H-Hey! Okay, okay, I get it!" he'll stammer, immediately dropping your phone into your free hand. "Yeesh. No need to get all grabby..." He will be so flustered, and will definitely be finding new ways to get you to do that again.

💙 Deuce Spade

The Setup: He's not teasing you; he's just oblivious. You're trying to tell him something important about your homework, but he's distracted, looking over your head at something (probably a cool motorcycle) in the courtyard. "Yeah, uh-huh... that's... that's cool..."

The Action: You get so frustrated. "Deuce! I'm talking to you!" You grab his (imperfectly-tied) tie and pull.

The Reaction: Deuce is so startled. He lets out a high-pitched "Wha—?!" as he's yanked down. His entire world immediately narrows to just... your eyes. You're glaring, but you're also... so close. He's... never been this close to your face before. He can feel the warmth of your hand fisted in his tie, right over his heart.

The Realization: His brain just... stops. All thoughts of "being an honor student" and "magic-cycles" vanish. He just... stares. He can feel his entire face catching fire. "I... I... I'M... I'M LISTENING!" he'll squeak, his voice cracking painfully. He will be mortified by his reaction, but his heart will be pounding. He will be so much more attentive... and so much more adorably awkward... around you from now on.

🐺 Jack Howl

The Setup: He's just... so tall. You're trying to have a serious conversation, but he's standing at his full height, looking down at you, and you're craning your neck so far it's starting to hurt. "Jack, I'm down here." "I know. I can hear you," he'll rumble, not understanding the problem.

The Action: You huff, fed up. "No. Look at me when I'm talking to you!" You ball your fist, grab the collar of his perfectly neat uniform shirt, and pull.

The Reaction: Jack is solid muscle. He doesn't stumble so much as he is forced to bend at the waist. He is stunned. No one... ever... puts their hands on him like this. He's suddenly eye-level with you, and your grip is fierce and unyielding.

The Realization: His beastman instincts are going haywire. This is... a challenge? No... it's... bold. He likes bold. He respects it. His tail will give one... stiff... wag. His ears will pin back, but not in anger. In... surprise. He won't blush, but he'll clear his throat, his heart thumping heavily. "...Okay," he'll rumble, his voice a little deeper than usual. "I'm... looking." (He will, from that day on, make a conscious effort to crouch or sit when you have a long talk, which is, in its own way, so much sweeter).

🍎 Epel Felmier

The Setup: You're just walking side-by-side, but he's in his "Pomefiore mode"—polite, quiet, almost "dainty," and it's driving you nuts. You want to talk to the real Epel, but he's giving you one-word, "pretty-boy" answers. "Yes, the weather is nice."

The Action: You get annoyed. You grab the front of his neat vest (he's too proper for a loose tie) and yank him to the side, into an empty alcove. "Hey! Would you please talk to me for real?"

The Reaction: He stumbles, his "polite" mask shattering. "Wha—! Hey! What's yer...!" He's suddenly face-to-face with you, and you look mad, but also... passionate.

The Realization: His heart leaps into his throat. This is... not "delicate." This is strong. This is bold. This is... exactly... what he admires. He's not flustered because he's shy. He's flustered because he's impressed. His face goes bright red. "'M... 'm talkin'!" he'll snap back, his country accent coming out thick and fast. "Ya... ya... ya didn't hafta... do... that... ya... ya brute!" (He is so into it. He will, from now on, call you "brute" and "ruffian"... with the utmost affection).

⚡ Sebek Zigvolt

The Setup: He. Will. Not. Stop. Yelling. About Malleus. He's so loud, and he's not even looking at you. He's just... projecting... at the sky about the Young Master's grace. "AND HIS MAGICAL PROWESS IS UN..."

The Action: You have had it. You need to show him something on your phone. "SEBEK!" you yell. He doesn't hear. Fine. You reach up, grab his impeccably neat Diasomnia tie, and YANK. HARD.

The Reaction: He is instantly silenced. He is yanked down, his eyes wide with utter, profound shock. NO ONE... EVER... TOUCHES... HIS UNIFORM. He's suddenly staring directly into your furious eyes.

The Realization: His brain... breaks. It's... mutiny! It's... insubordination! It's... treason! It's... it's... kinda... hot? He's never seen a "weak human" be so... audacious. He can feel his Fae-half... intrigued... and his human-half... flaming red. He can't speak. He can't yell. He just... stares. His face is a glorious, mottled, red-and-white mess. "...W-W-WHAT...!" he'll finally sputter, scrambling back as if he's been burned. "...IS... THE MEANING... OF... THIS... INSOLENCE... HUMAN!" (He will... avoid you... for three days... because he does not know how to process the... feelings. He is so flustered).

A "dish" served with... a little bit of force! The kitchen is delighted to have served your very first "order."

We do hope this Golden Calamari Rings dish was to your liking, and we eagerly await your next visit to our Lounge! 🧣

It was nice when you finally came across an island where all you had to do was relax; no qualms or fights in sight. This island was an incredibly festive one, the people seemingly always in celebration of something. It was a nice switch up, the change in the environment soothing your soul to the point you were confident you would be safe on this island even as a pirate. There was simply too much joy going around for anyone to care if you were a pirate or not, it just mattered that you were kind.

By the time you had anchored the Sunny at the docks, the locals had already come by to invite you to the bar that evening. Zoro was the first to accept the invitation of course, but the rest of the crew was quick to follow behind, deeply in need of a relaxing and carefree evening on land. Offering free drinks was an easy way to win everyone's heart over, and soon the nearest bar was filled to the brim with patrons, laughter and song spilling out of the doors with thee occasional drink or two spilling onto the floor. The tables were large enough to seat twelve, allowing your crewmates to take one up for yourselves entirely. The first round of drinks were on one of the regulars, and so was the second round. This town was clearly neutral, or at least not too keep on siding with the government fully. It was a nice change of pace to just be treated like a regular bar patron without being chased around as the payment for your ale.

The bar you were at had live music, an incredibly talented jazz band playing up on a small elevated stage in the corner, setting the mood with a good groove. You sat next to Brook who was enjoying the music as much as you were, both of you tapping your fingers on the table to the beat of the groove, truly immersed in the song. As the two musicians of the crew, it was no wonder you seemed to be enjoying yourselves the most, taking only leisurely sips of your drinks as time went on.

Just as you were about to finish your drink after the current song had ended, a sudden fight startled you and made you snort out what little ale you had managed to sip. It wasn't even a standard bar fight, it was a band fight. The saxophone player was having a whole fit while arguing with his bandmates, eventually stomping off from the stage and out a side door. Because of the lack of music, the bar chatter naturally picked up, causing some noticeable panic in the remaining members as they tried to handle the situation with their now missing player.

"Aw, I was really enjoying hearing them play more." You grumbled, going back for a proper sip of your drink.

"Right? I was loving being the audience for once." Brook nodded in agreement from his spot next to you.

"Ughhhh the atmosphere is so lame now." Luffy complained audibly as he smacked the side of his head into the table, looking up at you. "Fix it."

"Luffy, you can't just fix a band fight." You sighed.

"But you have an idea. I can see it." Luffy insisted, looking at you with big round eyes of suspicion while your eyes narrowed at him.

"Luffy…"

"I know you do." He insisted.

You held eye contact with him as you started to finish the last drops of your drink, maintaining that eye contact until you stared at him over the edge of your empty tankard.

"Tsk, I'll be back." You said after slamming your mug down on the table.

Both Brook and Luffy watched you with confused curiosity as you got up from your seat and made your way over to the stage where the band was frantically bickering. You cleared your throat, grabbing their attention with turned heads and quiet voices, all eyes on you from the stage.

"Hey, uh, I just wanted to ask what's up? I was really enjoying your playing until you stopped. What happened to your sax player?" You spoke up, showing genuine concern for their situation.

"Sorry! Sorry he—ugh." The lead singer tried to explain things through her frustrations. "He doesn't wanna do the solo for our next song. I know he can, he just refuses to do it for some reason…"

"Bet you five thousand berry it's cause he didn't think of a good improvisation for the solo in advance. Even though that's not how improvising works." The drummer scoffed, slicking his drumsticks against each other in an annoyed manner.

"Ah… So it;s just a sax solo that needs replacing then, hey? Do you have sheet music for the rest of the song? And maybe a spare saxophone in the back? I could fill his part if you wanted to keep playing." You finally offered, revealing the plan that Luffy had seen through you.

"Can you play???" The pianist asked, sounding quite surprised by your proposition.

"I can indeed. Quite well too." You nodded confidently. "I don't wanna step on anyone's toes, but my crew was really enjoying your music. I hope you can continue to play with me as you replacement saxophonist for this one song."

The whole band hesitated for a moment, looking at one another before gazing out at the crowd. Their eyes eventually locked on their lead singer, looking to her expectantly to give the answer they all seemingly decided on. She let out a deep sigh, telling you that this wasn't the first time they had done this with her.

"Okay, I'm assuming you asked if we have a spare because you currently do not have your own saxophone on hand?" She questioned.

"I… Yeah, that's pretty much it. My own sax is back on our ship, and I didn't think it'd be worth it to walk all the way there and back. The vibe might be dead by then." You chuckled sheepishly.

"Well, you're in luck." She huffed. "We keep a spare sax or two on hand in the back. Our usual player has a tendency to… break his belongings. His instrument is not excluded from that list of things he breaks."

"Damn. I mean, that's convenient, but damn." You remarked.

"He'll have stomped off somewhere across town by now, so don't worry about offending the guy. We really wanted to do this song too." said the guitarist, resetting the knocked over music stand and replacing the scattered sheet music.

"It'll be fiiiine. The real question is: how well can you improvise? The solo does have dictation, but is intended to be played with." The trumpet player asked, placing a leather case on a small table nearby.

"I can improvise well enough that I had the confidence to come and ask if I could play along with you." You said calmly.

The band members nodded, liking the answer you gave.

"Good enough for me. Welcome to the band, even if it's just for one song." The trumpet player laughed, lifting the lid of the leather case to reveal a perfectly polished brass baritone saxophone to you. "Our guy normally plays tenor, but we all think the bari would sound better for this specific song."

"Hah, you got a harness I can borrow then?" You asked as you looked over the precious instrument.

"Sure do; with a clean reed too." noted the pianist. "I promise it was presoaked in a shot glass of water, not anyone's mouth. That's why it's wet."

You laughed and took the harness and reed, setting yourself up. Once the reed was in your mouth though, you noticed… something was off.

"Yo, are you sure that was water you soaked this reed in? Cuz it tastes a lot like vodka to me." You questioned.

"… Shit. Wrong shot glass." The pianist winced.

"It's fine, it's fine~. It's still playable. There's just a featured flavour this time around~" You joked, keeping things lighthearted as you clipped the large bari sax to the harness on your chest. "It's showtime."

The band gave a few cheers, amazed with how easily you meshed in with them. The drummer counted everyone in with a few clicks of his drumsticks, you now positioned behind a music stand at the front of the stage. The whole band played the starting note and held that chord loud and proud until the whole bar's attention had turned back to the little stage in the corner. Once everyone cut off their held note, you could see that the entire bar had eyes on the stage; more specifically they had eyes on you, the newest addition.

"We had a slight hiccup, but that has been solved." The lead singer said in a sultry voice, cutting through the silence. "The show simply must go on~!"

By now, the crew had noticed you. Brook had noticed you, his jaw nearly detaching from his skull from how far it hung open. The Straw Hat's were grinning from ear to ear, all eyes on you. No pressure, hey?

You couldn't think about backing out now; not when the whole bar was all smiles and the first measure had been played. Forgetting where you were, you let the music envelop you completely and got lost in the melody, nothing but music notes filling your vision and ears. It was so easy to blend in with this band that you could've been their original sax player this whole time, singing out counter melodies through the beast of a saxophone that you had been blessed to borrow.

The bar had returned to melodic hooting and hollering, some patrons even getting up to dance along to the quicker paced jazz beat. Life had been restored, but you weren't done yet. Your solo was a mere eight measures away, and you were ready for it. The lead singer gave her cue, and your eyes were no longer glued to your sheet music. You had studied it quickly before playing, remembering the simplistic melody with ease. That must've been why they hoped you could improvise. The solo was too simple, so you were happy to jazz it up and add some musical flavour.

From the moment you were in the spotlight you had faded from reality, becoming one with the melody as you stepped out from behind your music stand to play loud and proud, leaning so far back you needed to lean on the singer for support before you snapped back upright again.

Every note was played with passion as you then climbed up onto one of the nearby tables, playing eighth and sixteenth notes like you were getting paid to do so until your cheeks turned purple. The passion was so clear in your playing that it drew Brook in completely as he watched in awe from his seat, dearly wishing the table you had climbed on was his. Luffy was entirely oblivious to Brook's admiration that showed he was hopelessly in love.

When you heard the piano and trumpet playing a few melodic notes to let you know the solo was done, you leapt back on stage and squeezed back in with the others, the loud and harmonic rhythm took over once more, playing together again like it was natural. You were even dancing while you played, stepping to the beat like the rest until the closing measures started, the repeat symbol letting you know to loop that section over and over again, each band member giving it a slight variation each time it repeated.

Brook had never seen you so happy and in your element before. You were always beautiful when you played, but somehow, this time you were even more beautiful. The confidence you radiated was intensely attractive. He knew you loved music and loved to play it, but he never knew how good you were. You always said music was just a hobby to you, but he saw now that it was clearly a passion. His eye sockets were shaped like hearts by now, rivalling how Sanji swooned and fell onto the table. If he wasn't sure before, now he could be absolutely positive that he was in love with you.

As the final measures of music were played and you tipped back into the lead singer again, both of you leaning into each other for the finale. The bar erupted with cheers, loving the whole performance. Words of praise went around from the band members to you as you gave back the saxophone; all of them wanting you to stay and play an encore with them.

"C'mon! One more song!" Encouraged the singer.

"As much as I would love to, I don't think my crew knew I could play that well. I've got some explaining to do, I think." You chuckled, pointing at the table you once sat at that had dropped jaws all around it; Brook's specifically now unhinged and sitting on the table.

"That's your crew? Man, you made 'em literally drop their jaw!"

"Yep. It's lookin' like I'm gonna be the one to pick it up too, cuz they're all laughing too hard at the sight of him." You laughed yourself. "Thank you for letting me play though. It truly made my night!"

"And you made ours! Come back and play with us again before you leave the island, hey?" She offered.

"Will do!"

After saying your goodbyes, you hopped off the stage and returned to your table where you received many applause and praise from everyone. They were all proud of you and your performance; and of course Brook's lower jaw still sat on the edge of the table. He hadn't even tried to pick it up yet, still staring straight at you with a comical blush decorating his boney features.

"Hey, Brook. I think you dropped something." You snickered, picking it up for him.

He scrambled to grab the bone from your hands and snap it back into place, stammering and tripping over his words now. The man was a total mess, Nami laughing particularly hard as she collected what you assumed was a bet from Zoro. Typical.

"What, sax got your tongue?" You asked.

"Yes." He answered back, biting back as much nervous chatter as he could.

"Oh damn. Are you alright, Brook?"

"He is entirely not okay." Nami chimed in. "He just realized he can't deny how in love with you he is anymore."

"Ohhh???" You inquired, raising a brow at Nami before turning to Brook again.

"I-I, well, I didn't know that… t-that you could play that well. I-It's only natural as a musician to be so in love with someone who speaks the language of the soul so well" Brook stammered, looking back and forth between you and Nami.

"That's your cue to stop keeping your own secrets." Nami quipped back at you.

"Hey! Don't ruin my smooth moves!" You scolded her before turning back to Brook and his still dumbfounded expression. "Ah, well, it looks like he's hardly noticed what you said at all. Lucky me."

Brook was still dumbfounded, making an odd noise as he tried to justify his antics to those who were chuckling about it nearby. While he was distracted, you shook your head before you put your foot on the chair right between his legs, grabbing his attention with a bit of a yelp when you hooked your fingers under his jaw bone and pulled him in close to to your face.

"I wish you would've said something sooner. 'S not fair to either of us to have been in love so close yet so far when we could have easily closed that gap." You huffed before kissing his skull multiple times, lingering the longest where lips lips would be—if he had them.

The poor skeletal man started steaming, swooning so hard he fell off of his chair. You let go of him to avoid yanking his jaw off again, laughing up a storm while Sanji bit down on his sleeve, filled with envy. You leaned over where Brook fell and offered him your hand with a flirty smile.

"I wasn't just always hanging out by your side because you play good music. I like you, you boney fool. You speak to my soul."

Brook continued to stare at you like a fool before he suddenly took your hand and pulled himself upright from the ground, wrapping an arm around you to pick you up with him when he stood to his full height. You yelped, not expecting him to lift you up like that. He laughed, fille with sudden joy as he spun you around, the sounds of the band cheering for you in the background, clearly pleased by the outcome going in your favor.

"Yohoho! You like me?! You're not… You don't find the idea of us strange?" He asked once more.

"Not in the slightest." You nodded, stabilizing yourself with a strong grip on his shoulders. "I've been in love with the Soul King long before his debut concert."

The way you looked at him when you spoke those words did something to him and cleared up any and all doubt from his heart and soul. You uplifted him in such a way that he felt more alive than ever before. He damn near squished you to death with the hug he gave you, nuzzling into your neck until you smacked him to stop because it tickled.

"Please, go through life in a duet with me, you savvy soloist?"