hand eventually returns to self, briefly unsure now where to place until it settles on the curve of her knee. long, gangly legs are folded against her, feet safely planted on the dock and away from the salt water swirling around him. she envies him sometimes-- the ocean looks freeing. sometimes, she wonders if it swallowed her whole, that instead of drowning, if it would take her somewhere else. a hidden world far away from the cruelties here on land.

robin would be lying if she said she hadn't worried that kento had finally left her for good. that he had grown tired of helping her escape town after town and eventually, even aiding her in escapes that involved her own crimes. self-preservation has become foremost in her mind. betrayal becomes easier and easier when you think of it as a preemptive strike; protecting herself from the inevitable. kento was the only one she could trust.

and, then he was gone, finding herself standing at the shore, at every dock, staring into the endless sea whenever she would cast off ... all of it alone and wondering whether her friend set himself free from her.

but, here he's returned, haunted in a way that she never wished to see on his face. anger made one irrational; she saw how wrath marred the faces of those who had gone after her. all the while she should be the angry one. this time, however, she felt it--- a simmering emotion just beneath the surface. and then the guilt that lands like a stone in the pit of her stomach. she should have looked for him.

"you're here now." robin leans her cheek against the back of her hand. after a soft silence, she looks to him again; "these hunters, the ones who hurt you... do you know where they are now?"

wind steadily picks up, becoming less of a breeze and more of a force. she secures the buttons of her coat up to her neck, gaze drawn out towards waves that build in height. they should soon duck back into the interior of the ship. the deck would likely not be a safe place to lounge about and have conversation.

"you aren't alone in that." robin says softly, acknowledgement. "but, you already know such things. the past ... it haunts us all, and maybe it'll be like that forever."

the past looms like a shadow, becoming a tangible beast in her dreams at times, reminding her of all that she tried and failed to escape.

" in time, however, you will start to see the future sprawl in front of you, opportunities that you didn't think were possible. you'll get there."

it's not lost on her that this alliance must not be an easy one for vivi. after all, the last time they saw one another ... she had been standing alongside the man whose head she attempted to take, the man who had sparked the near complete downfall of her precious kingdom. no apology could truly suffice.

"i propose a diversion. then, there would be fewer to go up against if we manage to separate them." arms cross as a concentrated force of willpower channels her abilities into a perfect replication of herself. any injury sustained on this clone would still mirror onto her main body, but ... it's a better shot than being sitting ducks. "what do you think, princess?"

"that would explain the headache then, i suppose." she runs the faucet, face cloth in hand, hesitating between leaving it cold or turning on the hot water. "migraine or tension headache?" robin's sure he's more than capable of taking care of himself. he is a doctor, after all. but, if there's one thing she's learned in recent years is... everyone needs a helping hand once in a while. even if it's not easy to accept.

self-preservation kicks into gear, bristling just before the blanket settles around her shoulders. by the time it makes its descent, lanselot apologizes, making as if to leave her be. a soft smile reaches her lips, eyes bleary from her nap. it's still not easy for her to share a room with nami. not out of distrust of the woman herself but by learned experience, and furthermore, unaccustomed to the closeness. she wouldn't blame the navigator if she felt the same.

thus, robin has found herself wandering out onto deck, finding a comfortable place to nestle or even on one of the lawn chairs until she dozes off. sometimes, she would take the bed in chopper's medical bay. tonight though, it was a comfortable corner of the deck, one often occupied by zoro.

"thank you." she tucks the blanket around herself. "couldn't sleep?"

what was it like not to have one eye looking behind you into the past? it seemed all robin could ever do is run away from the past that both created her and haunted her, a past she both clings to and can never escape even if she tried to become someone else. as for regrets, they were swirling blackholes in her mind --- if she peered too long into it and lingered along the edges too closely, she wouldn't be able to surface. yet, some days, it's all she could ever think about.

"wise words." a smile slides across her lips, one that doesn't quite reach her eyes. but, maybe if she stuck with this crew long enough, it would. after all, robin has nowhere else to go. "sounds like you have a bright future ahead of you, captain. ---speaking of bright futures, have you caught anything yet? it seems our cook says we've run out of food supplies."

bloomed hands worked to pull thread through skin, brows screwed together as she winced. it's not the first time robin's patched herself up, but of course, it doesn't hurt any less.

the longer she spent with the strawhats, the less apprehensive she felt about another looking after her. plus, it was easier to give into trusting chopper. right now, however, the young doctor wasn't around to see to her injuries. if she didn't work quickly, she could risk infection. though, it was becoming more difficult for her to focus, hands shaking through the pain radiating in her arm.

then, two hands (not her own) hover by hers--- gaze lifting towards vivi, robin hesitates. she relents a couple moments later when the princess assures her it would be all right. "thank you. have you tended to yourself first? we both took quite the fall."

she observes the helmsman at his post, expertly navigating the waves. resting her jaw against her palm, robin hums as she ponders over the question. there were an assortment of qualities and features she appreciated about jimbei,  all of them vying to be the main three she would mention as incredibly attractive.  

“what i noticed first about you was your steadfast stand for the truth. to see past the superficial, and even to comb through deeply entrenched beliefs in order to see what the truth is and to take stand for it when it mattered most. a man of integrity is handsome in my eyes.”  there’s a twinkle in her gaze,  hoping that maybe she could catch a subtle rush of color rise to his cheeks.  “secondly, your voice– booming yet comforting. a voice that could be heard over all the rest and commands attention. i certainly find that to be appealing.” a suggestive lilt to her tone followed by a chuckle— robin leans back in her seat and rests her hands clasped atop her knee.  “thirdly, your broad shoulders. while i admire, most of all, the inner strength of others… physical attributes of strength don’t escape my notice.”