#leop4rdo

A forced smile as her brow twitched ever so slightly. How she longed for Youto to be the one dealing with this man but Ctimene persevered, giving a slight bow to him as she spoke.

"Welcome to Berilus, sir."

She straightened out, the hand not resting on her chest tightening into a fist by her side, nails digging into her palm.

they would do whatever it takes, getting robin back. sanji wasn't going to quit on her, not when he was so close.

there is the sound of a creaking door behind him. . . he stops in horror as he turns his head, the broken car floating above the ocean. this hit from a CP9 member nearly incapacitates him in one go -- the pain surges through his chest, and he soars across the car, dropping down. . . he won't give up! he can't! as he gets up to attack blueno again, his foot is grabbed, and the force he is slammed into the floor knocks the wind right out of him. sanji is lightheaded, dangling in blueno's grasp. . . sanji! (usopp's voice? maybe?) his eyes are heavy, head spinning. . . everything goes dark.

@leop4rdo

The New World felt heavier than any place Vivi had ever stood. It was the air of the silence between gusts of wind and the constant, unshakable awareness that something stronger was always waiting just beyond sight. Vivi stood at the corner of the alleyway, fingers curled tightly around the cool metal of her Peacock Slashers. The chains rested against her wrists, familiar, grounding. She focused on the weight, the texture, or anything to keep her mind from drifting too far ahead. The moment the air shifted, the princess felt it, not as a sound, not as movement, but as a certainty that settled deep in her chest. Her breath slowed on instinct as her body tensed, not in panic, but in preparation. Standing across from the woman was a man whom she had gotten into a fight with earlier that week when he did nothing to protect the mermaid princess when a World Noble had been attempting to capture her into slavery.

Her heartbeat was loud, but she forced her breathing to even out, forcing control into every inhale. Vivi’s grip tightened, the chains of her weapon shifting with a soft metallic whisper. Her palms were damp, her arms already tense, but she didn’t move back, and instead she lifted her chin. For some reason, the world government dogs had been trying to capture the woman, which was how she was out this far from the summit meeting palace. She had already escaped a man and a woman who wanted to capture her by any means. The bluenette’s pulse spiked, but her body moved before the fear could catch up. She twisted sharply, the Peacock Slashers snapping outward in a reflex honed through necessity. Metal sang through the air just as he appeared within striking distance. Her teeth clenched as the force traveled straight into her shoulders, rattling her bones. She slid backward across the ground, heels scraping hard against the wood as she fought to keep her footing.

Her thoughts came quick, sharply, cutting through the rising panic. Vivi pivoted the moment her momentum slowed, redirecting it into motion instead of resistance. One chain lashed outward, forcing distance, while the other curled defensively closer to her body. The woman inhaled sharply, forcing herself not to flinch as the world blurred around his speed. She didn’t try to follow him as the wind broke differently where he passed, a subtle disturbance, a ripple against her skin. Her weapon snapped upward, intercepting any one of his strikes just before it landed cleanly. The collision rang out, sharper this time, sending a jolt of pain through her already strained muscles, but she held. Air rushed into her lungs as she created space, her heart hammering wildly now. Pain flared in her arms, her shoulders, her ribs, but she was still standing. Her stance lowered, steadier despite the tremor in her muscles, and she adjusted her grip, chains shifting softly as she prepared for the next attack. “I refuse to go with you quietly.”

Ctimene's posture shifted, looking up at him without flinching as she tilted her head to the side. Were they growing....desperate~?

"...and what is this chance for?"

She began pacing, slowly, but still enough to where she kept her eyes on him. While, yes, she was what was essentially a rabbit in a den full of wolves and predators- she couldn't show them weakness, that she was stressed beyond belief at the pressures being put on her while her husband was gone...

But she worked best while under pressure. The brains of the kingdom of Berilus, she was crafty and cunning enough to stall and buy Youto time to get back...

@leop4rdo! 🌸

the sand is warm and the sun is bright. beyond that the seas stretch out forever and forever as if that's all there is. the scent of the ocean wasn't for everyone, but she found hidden comfort in it, a solemn reminder of what she had done everything for, her actual purpose.

how far and for how long had she walked? a hermit crab scuttles in front of her path and into the waters not far from where she stood. there's not a single cloud in the sky, just the beautiful, bright blue. she draws circular motions in the condensation of the wine glass in her hand, it's probably not even cold anymore, not that she entirely minded, it wasn't exactly important.

she originally caught him trailing her in her peripherals, but didn't think much of it, maybe it was because she thought he would just leave eventually, rather than continually pursuing her. it was merely a walk, she had said she was taking anyway. he must've wanted something. after a moment, the blonde turned and faced him properly, stopping in her place.

his words don't elicit any form of reaction from her, it must have had to do with something she had said prior in the room.

the world around her is engulfed in silence. proposals for the nation are strewn out across the desk before her; one could easily say that she had been quite busy after the paramount war. it was no small feat - restoring a neglected nation to its former glory. her cousin had made a mess of the whole thing, no matter; she could fix it. after all, it's why that pathetic excuse of a man was dead... she saw the sorry state of the people living here in breles and took matters into her own hands. supplies were a slippery thing to get a hold of, but they were managing; everyone was happier and seemed far more comfortable with their lives. it was amazing what a simple amount of effort could do for a place. it left her cross guild duties a bit on the back burner, but she had bigger responsibilities now.

fingers card through the parchment, weighing decisions in her mind, what could be ignored for now, and what should be prioritized? so many questions, not enough answers... at this current moment, there was nothing amiss to her, though; paloma could pick up on the slightest hint of movement, but paid it no heed.

a hand reaches for a glass of wine awaiting upon the desk, a finger dances around the rim of the glass, not yet picking it up. the door slamming open violently to her study nearly sent the glass sailing onto all this important paperwork of hers. it's swiftly slid aside to where it won't pose as much as a hazard to what she's working on. a member of her crew stands in the doorway catching his breath, so that's what she had heard; garter running in her direction.

" captain ! there's a world government vessel coming to port ! " the desk shakes with how quickly she's standing and throwing one of the drawers open to collect her spyglass. " are you certain ? i made it abundantly clear that they were unwelcome here, nor do the civilians want them here . " there was no doubting that she was a bit unnerved as she slips out onto the patio, peering through the lens... the familiar sails are not lost on her, they were also being flanked by several marine ships. it reminded her all too well of the circumstances that faced her when it came to her imprisonment in impel down. " what could they possibly want ? to check the state of our affairs ? " words are laced with malice as she sneers, making quick work to toss the spyglass back in the drawer and collect her overcoat, draping it over her shoulder.

with garter hot on her trail, the two head down to the port together. dark clouds gather, and the wind whips, telling the story of the storm that is brewing. the sea is a tempest, dark, angry, colliding with the harbor with a salty spray. even the sea doesn't want these guests of hers here, frankly; she couldn't agree more - especially as she joins the rest of her crew gathered there. " we kill them if they make any wrong moves . " the order is hissed out to the crowd standing among her as the ships draw near.

she stands back patiently when the ships finally arrive, and her crew aids in getting them ready so they can disembark. her focus remains solely on the world government ship, wondering what kind of horrors await her, what new form of torment. cipher pol, rob lucci, she'd recognize that dark hair, that build, everything down to the very fiber of his being, anywhere. why the hell was he here? she didn't have the slightest idea. it's as if they knew who her favorite toy was, however.

"do you want me to fucking stop the bleeding?" an annoyed, but also amused, jabra hisses as he tosses the fabric to the ground. "i could let you die. it's not like i care about you." that wasn't necessarily a full truth. there was some camaraderie with the members of cipher pol zero, even if jabra liked to take lucci down a few pegs at any opportunity he could. he hums when he feels hattori on his shoulder, and he shifts with him to be able to take the rest over. he hisses when he sees it. "fuck, lucci." he looks it over before considering.

no, lucci's right. this needs to be looked at by a real doctor. jabra's got to get him out of here. he sighs. he really should leave lucci to bleed out and regret his choices, but he supposes he could save him. lucci would owe him one at the very least, and jabra would love to have the one-up on him. it's not that he's worried. he's not.

how else could he explain being so far away from home? when the strawhats left water 7, he'd decided to go along with them to have two shipwrights. him, paulie, a pirate? iceburg and the others were shocked by the decision, but he'd had his reasons.

that face haunts him, in his dreams, in his waking moments... nothing he knows now feels real. he knows he can trust the strawhats, but there's still something gnawing at him in the back of his mind: everything you know is fake. they're lying to you, too, just like him.

him.

rob lucci was a government agent of cipher pol 0. rob lucci was a cold-blooded killer without a heart. rob lucci did not give a fuck about him. . . but rob lucci also had that hair that felt so soft in his hands. rob lucci had those icy eyes that stared at him in the moonlight. rob lucci's hands were calloused, but they touched him with such possessiveness. rob lucci betrayed him. rob lucci lied to him. rob lucci was the bane of his fucking existence and the object of all his desires.

could he kill himself to be with a monster?

paulie doesn't know, but he has to see him again. that's why he'd gone on that ship. and now, his time has come. he stands in the corner of the room as the others talk, his heart pounding in his ears as he stared at lucci and kaku. he thinks he might be having a heart attack, or at the very least a panic attack at seeing them again. his hands clench and unclench. he wants to grab them and scream: hey assholes, didn't think you'd see me again, did you?