#ephxmerall

@ephxmerall​ asked: Isabelle felt the other's gaze watching her curiously for the past few minutes now, the woman doing little in way of hiding herself at the south entrance to the alleyway, either. There wasn't a point in stopping what she'd been doing, fingers combing gently over the stray cat's back as it fed from the can of food she offered it. Ikkaku already caught her once before, doing nearly the same thing.

Strange how that tended to happen; unwanted company.

"It's rude to stare," she commented once the cat finally sat back to lick its paws, clearly satisfied with its meal. Her attention never moved from the feline, though her free hand subconsciously moved to thumb along the scabbard of her sword resting at her hip. "Was there something you wanted?"

Unprompted

It was almost funny how Ikkaku, completely by accident, always seemed to find the assassin when she was at what was likely her kindest, taking care of stray cats in the shadows where no one could see her. She hadn’t even been looking for Isabelle - she’d simply been looking for a potential back entrance to a building she knew Law would be having a meeting in the next day. Some black market broker that her captain planned on squeezing some intel out of while he sold his morbid wares. Depending on how the meeting went, though, he could be leaving with more organs than he’d had going in. Easy enough, so long as they couldn’t escape or call in backup.

But at the moment, her attention was fully on Isabelle. She didn’t approach; she knew the assassin’s well-trained senses would pick up her footsteps or feel her gaze on the back of her head. She wouldn’t survive for long in her line of business if she wasn’t aware of her surroundings at all times.

“I mean, we pirates aren’t exactly known for our manners,” Ikkaku joked, stepping deeper into the alleyway. Crouching down, she held out her hand for the cat to sniff, smiling when it cautiously inspected her fingers before giving them a tentative lick. “And if you thought I was that rude you would have sliced my head off before I could even blink.” There was no question Isabelle could take her down. She’d thankfully never been the other woman’s target but she’d heard enough whispers of her reputation that Ikkaku was pretty sure weren’t all exaggerated.

                                             @ephxmerall​ asked:

Luffy tilted his head, cupping his chin in contemplation as his gaze travelled the expanse of the tall—very tall—blonde standing before him. His brow furrowed in confusion, features contorting into a very ugly expression. Then his lips pursed, deep brown eyes finally reaching teal half hidden beneath blonde fringe, where he simply stared for a minute. 

❝ Your Torao's..... dad? You don't look anything like him though! And you're so tall. Torao's tall, but not like you. You're like a tall bird. Like... like Mingo. ❞

                                                       ❦ unprompted ❦

❧ The concentration in the man’s expression could have fooled him or he was simply used to Law’s analytical mind. But the comparison between him and his brother was not something he was expecting as a frown crested his face. He wasn’t used to outgoing guests such as the captain of the Straw Hats. His only real experience with the young man was when he nearly destroyed the Tang. But both statements weren’t incorrect. He was Law’s father, and to be frank, he and his brother were nearly identical. In height and in other features. 

More used to others saying how they shared the same facial features rather than their heights being compared. Though with the unusual statement, he trusted this alliance his son had initiated and therefore needed to attempt to understand this other crew on the level that Law seems to already be at. 

Pulling the small notebook from his breast pocket, he began to write: 

        I am, but we’re not related by blood. 

Flipping to the next page:

That knowledge was hers, and hers alone.  

She’d left the kingdom in the wake of its final battle, having narrowly escaped from Crocodile’s hook and ran whilst he called her a coward.  The taunt did little to ease her feeling of victory - after all, she had the knowledge.  She had the power.  While that existed, Crocodile had no reason to kill her.  She ran away on Bamcha, the tortoise more than happy to take orders from her.

Stealing one of the Billions’ ships had been easy; most of them were at Alubarna anyway.  But Crocodile would be hunting her down.  It wouldn’t be enough to just travel along the path in the Grand Line, where he’d always be following her.  Robin had stolen a few Eternal Poses along the way - she could choose one of the seas to hide in for a while.  Perhaps build up an army again.  Perhaps.

The East Blue was a perfect choice.  Most of the general population couldn’t care less about the weakest sea in the world, and - if her intuition was right - Crocodile was one of those people.  So, she lazily sailed in the currents of the East, docking on the first island she saw.  It seemed uninhabited, but yet… 

Another ship was there too.  She raised a brow.  It was small, a one-person boat, but it was still someone.  Perhaps they’d been eaten alive by wild animals by now.  That would be a shame.

Robin ventured into the forest of the island, wondering what she would find.

     “ Let me guess. Your days of bounty hunting aren’t over. ” He wasn’t a pirate, but he had a respectable bounty upon his head, one that had killed many an idiot before. Sukuna wouldn’t pretend to not recognize the green-haired man before him, three swords to match the three earrings he bore, scar across his eye. It would be reckless for him to go out into the world and commit the various, heinous crimes he did without knowledge of who else may be out there for him to bump into, after all, and he did pride himself on being a clever strategist. Over the years had the reputation of the man blocking his path had grown alongside the likes of the rest of his crew, not particularly for their malice or greed like other pirates, but simply for their overwhelming strength. ( But he knew that their strength alone wasn’t enough for the battles they were beginning to pick. ) Of course Zoro was just one of many he kept a watchful eye upon, certainly for situations like this. It begged the question as to whether or not he might expect the appearance of other crew mates of his or not.      Behind him in the distance there remained carnage, remnants of what was once a small encampment of bandits. His pride was immense enough to punish them for daring to look down upon him, no utilization of energy ever wasted when it came to spilling blood. It was clear that there had been no true challenge.

“Technically speaking we were all born and made to die.”  Of course he’s gonna spit out unnerving facts and follow it up with a quirk of a lip. He knows that’s not what she means by the statement but he can’t keep himself from this piece of snark. 

Law doesn’t expect to go into the future some bright and pure being. He was born for something but his path had strayed from whatever it was he had been originally slated for. If he was thought of or remembered, it would probably be for some dark deeds. At least he’d never be dull. 

But then there were those like her...

He took a step, posture straightening some but remaining relaxed. He wore a look of thoughtfulness as he reached out to take a strand of her hair between fingers and lightly pulled, letting it slide and drop away. “Nami-ya I doubt you ever need to worry about being anything besides bright light.” Indeed her presence and name in his world would always be bright and warm. 

@ephxmerall​​ asked: 💋 - give your fellow ginger a smooch, Drake || if you're cool with this of course!

He owed them.

He supposed... the young pirate lady had a point, indeed. Following the entirety of the raid on Onigashima, the battle against Kaido that ensued, quite a few of the people involved were in a pretty miserable shape. And Drake, despite his increased strength and endurance, wasn’t an exception from this overall rule.

Frankly, it should be the Strawhat doctor he should extend his thanks to, the little tanuki- no, not a tanuki. A reindeer, right. That... was a lesson he would not forget till the very end of his life, he assumed.

Regardless - he had been the one aiding his recovery, which, actually, Drake was rather grateful for, indeed. Despite his current status as the Strawhats’ ally he... had not really considered them to actually care all that much for his well-being. Not with how he had acted in the past, how he had treated them...

He had earned their distrust, that was certain. Still... maybe, just maybe... there was a tiny bit of space for an ounce of respect they could learn and harbour towards him. He was not... about to start hoping for such unlikely miracle to occur, but...

He owed them.

Quite right she was, that indeed. And Drake wasn’t one to stay indebted to others for too long, alright. Such circumstances came with a degree of dependability in regards to others, and truly... no, he wasn’t fond of the idea at all.

Better get it out of the world while he still could.

“That I do, I suppose.“ came with a nod. The cheeky little gesture that followed, her finger pressed to her cheek, signalling as to what kind of reward she expected in return...

He sighed. He doubted she actually meant it, that she genuinely would prefer... an affectionate gesture over an actual, material reward, but... hell, if this didn’t make things quite a bit easier for him, in the long run.

Not in this very moment, however. Right now? Oh, if only calling for Marine back up had been an option...

“Fair enough.“ He was quick in his actions - without a warning, he leaned in closer, his lips barely even brushing the girl’s cheek, before he was moving away from her already, averting his gaze, doing his best to hide his face from any prying eyes, that would just so happen to have been watching them until then.

He supposed the... sheer degree of embarrassment she put him through had to be worth whatever he might still owe them, if not even more. 

“I do suppose this should cover whatever debt I might still be in, according to your calculations.“ he muttered, hostility lingering in his voice, even though... this was not what he wished to convey, right in this very moment.

It wasn’t like he was ungrateful, just...

Ah... he needed some space, right about now... some air to breathe...

And for this goddamn undercover assignment to finally end. It had been far too long, after all, and now, so close to his goal... Drake had to admit, he was barely hanging on.

      Loki did not mingle or push them-self into the interworking of underground businesses...They could care less so long as it did not involve their library, and thus they didn’t bother interrupting what went on around them. Unlike how they were normally, the serpent eyed librarian had a blank expression, their light blue-silver eyes almost giving off a glow from the reflection of the moon...The sky itself was at a loss for clouds, and against the will of lights, the stars glowed brightly alongside the grand moon. Yet they were unmoving in their posture, only calming walking forward along the sidewalk. Below their breath and despite their stillness, the librarian hummed a quiet tune, one that mimicked the melody of an old melody their mother used to sing. 

      A chaos that was brought every time, all torn down by the sun as it traversed it’s great cycle of life and death--and like that chariot which ran through great void where that serpent waited to be killed again, they were steady and they acted as ignorant to the on goings of what surrounded them as any other clueless citizen. Who would know, that one of the blood of gods walked alongside them? The corners of their lips raised into a soft smile as they finally slowed next to a street lamp. It’s light welcome yet not required. It had halted their cycle...But they did not mind, for they had been reborn, and they required no venom to leak from their fangs. Rather they turned to sit at the bench placed oh so conveniently next to the half rusted pole. When they sat, they chuckled. 

      They were not alone. In fact, they didn’t even notice--or did they?--the man who was already sitting there. The librarian adjusted their glasses and leaned back, not saying a word. Letting the moment sit...What was such a man doing out here? In the thick of night, what dangers lurked?

      “ I do hope you do not mind me sitting here. ”

@ephxmerall​ asked:

He was having fun, Nami could tell by the way his smile didn't have that smug quirk at the corners. He just finished laughing at something Shachi said; something she couldn't hear from her position perched on the railing of the Tang's deck. It coiled something nasty in the pit of her stomach, an emotion she refused to acknowledge. Mentally, anyway.

Eyebrows furrowed, fingers curling over the banister as she tried to resist the urge to go over and pull him away from his crew. It was futile, however, Nami unable to reel in her rare bouts of impulsiveness. Before she even realized, she'd hopped down from her makeshift seat and sauntered over to where Law stood amongst his crew, hips swaying a bit more than was probably necessary for the small trek.

"Can I steal you away for a second?" Nami asked sweetly once she got close enough, though didn't even bother to wait for an answer, thin, delicate fingers already curling themselves around his wrist to give an insistent tug. The smile on her lips looked innocent on the outside, only those who truly knew what to look for would see what was hidden behind it. || An innocent, not-so-innocent start??

Unprompted

   “You can’t be fuckin’ serious,” Law says moments after his laughter dies. His features are incredulous, an eyebrow arching with his disbelief, but that smile lingers on his features. “Why the hell did you think that’d work?”

  One might think Shachi would take offense at his Captain laughing at his questionable flirting choices but when Trafalgar Law bursts into genuine laughter no Heart worth their salt would ever do anything to ruin his good mood. Shachi only grins, happy to continue with these stories of hi-jinks and ridiculousness, but before he can add to his best friend’s amusement a very familiar red head saunters her way into the group. Most of the Hearts hanging out with Law notice her approach, only Law himself stays unaware, at least up until her sweet voice drifts up to his ears.

   Law’s gaze drops to Nami as her fingers wrap around his wrist. She gives a tug, the motion incredibly insistent, and his head tilts in curiosity. Her tone and words are so innocent, even her smile shows little of the diabolical inner workings of her mind, but Law knows better. He can see the spark in her eyes, notices the slight curl on the corner of her lips. It has his own smile twitching with the threat of something less jovial, but perhaps just as amused. After all, the doctor is noticing just how needy she is being.

   “Fine,” he huffs, shoving his free hand in his pocket and slouching. “You better have somethin’ important to tell me.”

   The Surgeon of Death allows Nami to tug him along, leading him away from his crew and the other Straw Hats currently crowding the Tang’s deck. Behind him he hears various cat calls and whistles coming from his crew. Law can just imagine the grins on their faces as his boys send them off. Some of them might be drunk but that won’t make them exempt from punishment when he comes back later to remind them what respect is. Right now all they get is a rolling of his eyes and a raised hand turned to flip them off.