There is happiness for those who embrace their fate.

[One Piece] Good Night

2007-05-07T04:55:01Z

Title: Good Night
Chapter: N/A
Series: One Piece
Pairing: Zoro/Robin
Notes: After the Aokiji incident, Zoro and Robin encounter one another in the crow's nest of the Going Merry.

It's not uncommon for the Straw Hat's resident archaeologist to be up at the strangest hours of the night. Her sleeping patterns were irregular, if not existent; it was rare to find the woman asleep, as she rarely slept. The thought once came to her, while she secretly watched the swordsman snoozed away, that perhaps he slept away all the hours she did not.

Time could not be wasted away sleeping. There were things to discover and only a limited amount of time in which to learn about them. Nighttime, in particular, was one oft he best time for her to study. While chaos reigned on the Going Merry during the daytime, it was rare to find it during these strange hours.

Robin's ability was useful for a number of assignments, but lookout was the job she preferred the most. It was not only the simplicity of the task that she enjoyed; it was also the location. The crow's nest, no matter what crew she belonged to, seemed like its very own world. The excitement that so often plagued the deck of the ships where she lived rarely reached the crow's nest. She could be at peace with her own thoughts and she would not be bothered, because she was at watch.

She sits in the crow's nest, a lamp at her side and a book in her lap. She flips through another page of the text, mentally filing the knowledge away for future reference. Though she absorbs the information easily, she finds it more and more difficult to focus on the words. It's not that she's tired; she had slept for more hours than she liked after she was defeated.

Her thoughts were simply elsewhere.

The common door room opens with a loud creek, and the woman sets the book aside. A moment later, she's on her feet, peering down from her perch to find a certain green-haired swordsman below.

"Kenshi-san...?"

He looks from side to side and spotting nothing, turns his gaze skyward. His eyes light up with recognition, and he opens his mouth to shout. "Oi! You! What are you doing up there?!"

"It's my watch, is it not?"

"Tch!" he grunts, scratching the back of his head. And before Robin can react, the swordsman scrambles up the ladder, and heaves himself over the railing, into the crow's nest. Brows knotted, he frowns down at the woman disapprovingly. "Get back to bed, stupid."

Surprise lights up Robin's eyes, and for a moment, she is rendered completely speechless. Stupid? Her eyes twinkle furiously as she struggles to control her expression. The effort fails; the ends of her lips curl into a smile, and soft laughter follows suit.

A tense frown sprawls across his face as a knot of frustration pops on his head. "What's so funny?!" he snaps, and the woman finally regains her composure, though the smile fails to fade away.

"Are you worried about me, Kenshi-san?" she asks, voice etched with amusement. Though their relationship had changed substantially since Skypiea, she had never anticipated she'd be the recipient of sympathy from Roronoa Zoro; he simply didn't seem like the sort of man.

Zoro's frown shifts into a scowl. "Of course not," he barks back, though Robin knows otherwise. "We had to change shifts today." He yawns loudly and turns a lethargic eye to the sea.

She is suddenly curious. "And you offered to take my shift?" she asks, turning to face the swordsman.

Her question is met with silence.

"My shift began half an hour ago," she says pointedly.

Silence, and then a grumble.

"You slept through it, didn't you?"

Her lips tug into an amused smile as a blush draws itself across the swordsman's face. Robin draws closer to the man, dangerously close, and the man's blush deepens.

"Kenshi-san?" Her voice is soft.

"What?!" Zoro makes no effort to hide his irritation.

"Thank you."

"Hn." A snort of acknowledgment.

And as she passes the swordsman on her way down from the crow's nest, she pauses.

For the second time that night, Nico Robin smiles.

"Good night, Kenshi-san."

His eyebrow twitches upwards and he opens his mouth to snap at her, to tell her to just get to bed already--that it's late and he just wants to finish this shift and be done with it.

He is interrupted by her kiss.

[One Piece] [Love's Cookbook] Chapter Five: Trust

2006-09-16T20:02:44Z

Title: Love's Cookbook
Chapter Five: Trust
Series: One Piece
Pairing: Sanji/Robin
Notes: Spoilers for One Piece, up to chapter 398.

V.
Trust

He was angry. Who was this man and what did he have to do with Robin-chan?

He turned to her, eyes combing her face for answers. And for the first time, the archaeologist's expression betrayed her; he knew that something was wrong--that this man had something to do with the past Robin did not speak about.

This man had hurt Robin.

He felt his legs tense as his hands balled into fists. His teeth bit down hard into the cigarette he held between his lips.

"Robin-chan..."

Words continued to spill from the newcomer's lips--all lies and false accusations. He couldn't stand to listen to it any more. His lips began to move, and the words came reflexively:

"You bastard! Don't you dare say things like that! What did Robin-chan ever do to you?!"

He had not expected a response, but still the man continued to speak, delivering answers the cook didn't want to believe.

Doubt danced inside his chest, and for a moment he was not entirely sure that this man was really telling lies.

He turned and looked at her again, trying to will her to speak, to defend herself against this man's attacks.

But no words came; there was no intrepid defense. Silence filled the space between the Straw Hat Pirates and the air lingered with raw doubt.

She had kept so many secrets and this man had offered so many answers; how could he believe her?

It was Luffy's voice that finally shattered the quiet, that suddenly broke apart his fears.

"Shut up, you!" the captain shouted. "What happened in the past doesn't matter!"

And he knew that Luffy was right. Whatever mistakes she had made in the past, they weren't important. All that mattered was the Robin they knew here and now. The Robin that loved the books she read and the songs he hummed. The Robin that had shared morning coffee with him and games of chess with Chopper.

The Robin that he loved.

"I see," the man smiled. "You have already earned the trust of these people."

She had.

And when the fought finally broke out, Sanji was the first to move, his long legs propelling him towards the man with a desperate sense of urgency. When he leaped, he flew higher than he thought possible. When he kicked, his legs moved with a force unknown to him before.

No matter what had happened in her past, Sanji would protect her.

[One Piece] [Love's Cookbook] Chapter Four: Coffee

2006-07-26T02:57:21Z

Title: Love's Cookbook
Chapter Four: Coffee
Series: One Piece
Pairing: Sanji/Robin
Notes: Spoilers for One Piece, up to chapter 398.

IV.
Coffee

When he went to bed at night, she was still awake--reading alone at the common room table or wrapped in red flannel blanket in the crow's nest. When he woke up in the morning, she was already lounging on the deck, a book in one hand, and a coffee in the other.

"Good morning, Cook-san," she would smile. He wondered how she always knew it was him, even though she never looked up.

"Good morning," he would return the call, eyeing her warm beverage. For once, Sanji wished that he could be the one to prepare her morning coffee.

Sanji's wishes had an unusual way of coming true.

[Request]

2006-03-30T22:36:40Z

I am in dire need of a beta reader for a Knights of the Old Republic fanfic.

Pacing and characterization are my primary concerns. I'm an English major, so I have very little problems with grammar (though I've been known to comma splice). I write rather sporadically because of my frequently evolving schedule, so a beta might need to expect two chapters one week, and then none for the next three. It'd be really nice to have a two-week turnaround, though I'd be glad to wait up to a month for a revision if your life turns particularly hectic.

Additionally, I enjoy planning certain arcs far in advance. I'd like a beta reader who wouldn't mind partaking in idle discussion about the future of the fanfic every now and again.

If you're interested, please leave a comment or e-mail me: selphish[at]gmail.com.

I'll be updating this journal in the coming weeks with some more One Piece fic. Please look forward to it. :)

[One Piece] [Love's Cookbook] Prologue Two: Lips

2006-02-10T09:42:43Z

Title: Love's Cookbook
Prologue Two: Lips
Series: One Piece
Pairing: Sanji/Robin
Notes: Spoilers for One Piece, up to chapter 398.

Prologue II.
Lips

Blood was crusted in her fingernails and in her hair. It still flowed from a cut in her face, and a wound in her chest.

The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. A cough, and it spewed from her lips, painting a long line down her chin, and then fell to the earth below.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

"Robin... chan." He brought a wavering hand to her lips, smearing the blood away with a dirty thumb.

He smiled down at her, callous finger still struggling to wipe away the blood that painted her lips.

"Why do you try so hard for my sake?" she asked suddenly.

He was injured too, she knew.

"If you would have just left me there, then--!"

A solitary finger fell on her lips, and she was quiet.

"Shall we go, Mademoiselle?"

[One Piece] [Love's Cookbook] Chapter Three: Checkmate

2006-02-10T09:41:34Z

Title: Love's Cookbook
Chapter Three: Checkmate
Series: One Piece
Pairing: Sanji/Robin
Notes: Spoilers for One Piece, up to chapter 398.

III.
Checkmate

He watched her play from his place in the kitchen, in small glimpses and glances while stirring soups or whipping souffles.

Her large, darks eyes, would quietly muse over a board filled with kings and queens, rooks and bishops. Every move, she would finger several different pieces, mentally calculating all the possibilities with only a few jerks of the eye. A moment would pass, a piece would be chosen, and it would be moved to its next destination.

It happened in only a matter of seconds.

The first time he watched her play, he expected her technique to be very efficient. She was very straightforward and direct; she was not one to waste time dawdling.

But strangely, she did not take the most direct route. She did not sacrifice pawns for the sake of taking larger pieces, as others did. Even if the game was longer for it, she always won with the least amount of casualties possible.

"Check."

"Waaah! You're awesome, Robin!" Chopper grinned down at the board, clearly impressed with his opponent's tactics. The smile quickly turned into a frown, and he brought a solitary hoof to his chin in contemplation. "Mmmmm..."

Much to Sanji's surprise, Robin never watched the board during her opponent's play. Why did she avert her gaze? Was she afraid her eyes might give away a crucial play? Was she that afraid of losing them?

"Got it!" exclaimed Chopper, and he brought a piece closer to his own king.

Immediately, she moved her piece.

"Checkmate." He loved the way she smiled when she said the word.

She never smiled enough.

[One Piece] Gift

2006-02-07T05:26:22Z

Title: Gift
Chapter: N/A
Series: One Piece
Pairing: Zoro/Robin
Notes: Zoro x Robin oneshot drabble, written for the Nico Robin birthday challenge. Happy birthday, Robin.

"Tch."

Roronoa Zoro couldn't believe he was doing this. But there he was, standing in the women's quarters, a small wrinkled package in hand.

"What am I doing?!" Frustration played across knotted brow and foiled frown. "What am I doing?!" he repeated, this time louder than before. But the swordsman still found no answer. Zoro let loose a loud sigh and he furiously tousled his green locks. What was he doing?!

This was stupid.

All he had to do was put it on the bed. That was it. She wouldn't even have to know that it was from him. Even though his objective could easily be accomplished in one swift gesture, he could not will himself to deposit the package and leave.

Silently, he weighed it, the pros and cons. The pluses and minuses built up in his head, and Zoro suddenly realized he was never very good at math. He'll just toss it, he decided, and he spun around to leave. But his exit was interrupted by the faint lull of a familiar voice:

"Kenshi-san?"

His muscles tensed. A soft grunt of surprise fell from his lips. He could rush by her and toss the thing overboard before she even knew it existed. But the thoughts trapped him there, and he remained bound to the deck as the soft click-clack of heel against wood approached.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, drawing to a halt a few feet away. Her brows were furrowed; concern flickered across her face, and Zoro suddenly felt foolish for even thinking of tossing the package overboard.

"Nothing's wrong!" Zoro barked. "Here!" He hastily shoved the gift into her arms.

Surprise lit up the woman's face as she stared down at the package. "What is this?"

"What does it look like?" A stream of red drew itself across Zoro's cheeks and he hastily made his way to the exit.

"Kenshi-san?"

He paused at the door.

"Thank you."

The swordsman scratched the back of his head and scowled.

"You're welcome."

[One Piece] [Love's Cookbook] Chapter Two: Melody

2006-02-06T06:04:05Z

Title: Love's Cookbook
Chapter Two: Melody
Series: One Piece
Pairing: Sanji/Robin
Notes: Spoilers for One Piece, up to chapter 398.

II.
Melody

Sanji would sometimes hum while he cooked and Robin would listen, quietly paging through the contents of her latest read.

Today was no different. She read, and he hummed to the sizzling of hot grease in a frying pan. A familiar melody pressed through his pursed lips. For the first time that afternoon, she closed her book, shut her eyes, and simply listened.

The humming stopped, and the archaeologist felt Sanji's eyes on her face.

His words confirmed it: "Robin-cha--"

"'A Mast in a Mist'," she began, eyes still tightly shut. "A pirating song from North Blue." The ends of her lips tugged into a frown. "I haven't heard that song since I was a little girl." She looked up at Sanji, dark eyes filled with scholarly curiosity. "Were you from North Blue? Or did you simply hear that song elsewhere?"

"That's right." The burner was turned off and the spatula replaced. "I'm from North Blue. And you, Robin-chan?" He beamed broadly at the woman, hands clasped tightly together. "I'm sure that any place that Robin-chan came from would be truly magnificent!"

Amusement played across her face. "West. On the island of Ohara."

He frowned. Onboard the passenger ship, he had traveled as an apprentice chef through all four of the seas. But not once could he recall an island named Ohara. Not in West Blue, or in any other.

But he didn't say a word about it.

[One Piece] [Love's Cookbook] Chapter One: Rare

2006-02-06T06:02:46Z

Title: Love's Cookbook
Chapter One: Rare
Series: One Piece
Pairing: Sanji/Robin
Notes: Spoilers for One Piece, up to chapter 398. 'Brag Men' is a book in One Piece canon that was spotted in Chapter 115 of the manga, and then again in chapter 397.

I.
Rare

She was always quiet around the Straw Hat Pirates. She spoke only when necessary, and her words were always so carefully chosen. She never talked of personal matters, not of her past or of her feelings.

There was a reason for this, he knew. There was a reason why her heart was bound and locked so tightly that not even his words of love could penetrate its shield.

"A drink, for the lady," he said, and he bowed with a flourish, carefully setting the cup on the table in front of her.

"Thank you," she said, lips tugging into a painfully polite smile. She set the book aside, brought the drink to her lips, and appreciatively sampled the cool beverage Sanji had prepared.

"Is it to my lady's liking?"

"Very," she confirmed, and smiled pleasantly at the chef. Another sip, and it was put aside, in lieu of her book.

He leaned over, and bent his head, eyes scanning the cover of the book. "'Brag Men'?" he read aloud. He offered the woman a curious look as he pulled himself upright.

"A book I read as a child," she replied, and she turned a page. "I was never able to finish it."

"Why?"

Silence filled the air between the cook and the archaeologist, and Robin mentally stumbled for an answer.

She recovered and smiled again. "Because it was lost."

But somehow he knew that Robin had lost more than books as child. There was a deep, overwhelming sadness that pooled into her eyes, a weight on her shoulders that was too heavy for even him to bear.

He frowned.

She turned another page.

"Then," he began, pulling out a chair and taking a seat. "You weren't able to find another after it was lost?" He pushed the words forward effortlessly, an attempt to continue the conversation the woman would otherwise abandon.

"It's a very rare book," she stated calmly, eyes drawing themselves across the page. "I'm surprised you had it aboard this ship."

"There are rarer things," Sanji pulled a cigarette from his pocket and placed it in between lips. "...you'll find aboard this ship." He retrieved his lighter and lit the cylinder. He sighed, and smoke clouded the air between them.

[One Piece] [Love's Cookbook] Prologue: Sacrifice

2006-02-06T06:00:44Z

Title: Love's Cookbook
Prologue: Sacrifice
Series: One Piece
Pairing: Sanji/Robin
Notes: Spoilers for One Piece, up to chapter 398.

Prologue.
Sacrifice

Somewhere in the back of their minds, they knew it.

That this day would come.

No one who manages to defy the World Government is allowed to live.

She had tried to sacrifice herself so the Straw Hats wouldn't have to live the life she did. But they had ignored her offer and made the choice to save her, knowing well the consequences. Even after Enies Lobby was destroyed and Robin rescued, when Luffy was offered a position as a Shichibukai, he had turned it down.

This was their fate.

[One Piece] Pavlov's Bell

2006-01-13T07:02:39Z

Title: Pavlov's Bell
Chapter: N/A
Series: One Piece
Pairing: Ace/Robin
Notes: None.

His hands were becoming more insistent now, trailing down her svelte midsection. She trembled beneath his touch and goosebumps rose to caramel flesh. She smiled up at him, that same quiet smile as always. She was like a porcelain doll, so beautiful, so demure, so fragile.

She was a strange woman, who rode aboard the back of a giant tortoise and refused to give him her name.

Ace liked strange women.

She lost her top within minutes; her skirt soon followed suit. Nimble fingers plucked buttons loose from their bindings. Pearly teeth tugged down stubborn zippers.

Ebony strands fell across her neck and over jutted shoulderblades. She raised a hand to his face, deft fingertips tugging on long dark locks. She gasped, her back arched, and she fell back to the mattress.

He fell asleep next to her that night, his sinewy arm curled around her slender frame. How long had it been since he shared a bed with another? He couldn't remember.

He resolved to ask her name again in the morning. He would request that she accompany him on his mission. Whitebeard would welcome a woman so acute, so brilliant, so clever aboard his ship.

He was sure.

But when he woke, Ace was alone again.

In the morning, she was gone.

[One Piece] [Tomorrow] Chapter Two: Even You

2006-01-13T06:59:43Z

Title: Tomorrow
Chapter Two: Even You
Series: One Piece
Pairing: Zoro/Robin
Notes: An ongoing project for 30_kisses. Written long before Chapter 391 of the manga.

Every now and then Nico Robin would receive a letter.

The mailbird would land aboard the rail of the Going Merry and cock its large, rumped head, his dark eyes searching the ship for any sign of the archaeologist. If he found none, he would promptly hop down to the deck, navy captain's hat and brown backpack bouncing against his feathers with every step of the foot.

The mailbird would always avoid the others, quickly hopping aside if he noticed them approaching. But if there was any crew member he was most frightened of, it was Monkey D. Luffy. The first time he had arrived aboard the ship, the young captain dedicated an entire morning to chasing him with cries of, "Meshi! Meshi!"

But it would always find her and through trial and error, he became accustomed to where the woman could be located during specific times of the day. In the mornings, she was usually making coffee in the common room. In the afternoons, she could be found reading a book in a folding chair aboard the deck of the ship. At night, she could be found in the crow's nest, keeping watch over the Going Merry.

Zoro would always watch her as she pulled the parchment from the mailbird's leather backpack. Robin knew quite well that the swordsman did not approve. His expression always made that quite obvious. Dark eyes narrowed in suspicion would follow her movements, straining to catch sight of the words scribed on the paper. And when he found that he could see nothing, he would offer the woman a reproachful frown. Why would a woman who claimed to have no one continue to receive letters every week?

He didn't understand, but he never bothered to ask.

Robin would always read her messages with unrelenting speed, then promptly tear the page into pieces and dispose of them in the sea. The mailbird would always regard her actions with the same quizzical expression. "No reply today," she would smile, and she would place a few beli in his pouch for his troubles.

"Hey, did that big bird come today?" Luffy cried, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the noonday sun as his eyes scoured the sky for some hint of the creature.

"Not today," Robin replied, flicking another page of her text.

Disappointment etched itself on Monkey D. Luffy's face, across furrowed brow and disapproving frown. "But he always comes today!" He had another day of chases planned for the poor mailbird. Those plans had been completely dashed!

"Perhaps he will come tomorrow." Robin raised her eyes for only a moment; it was only she and Luffy on the deck. How unusual! She had grown accustomed to Zoro's eyes watching her. Where had he gone?

"Ano sa," Luffy began, folding his arms behind his head. "What do you get in those letters, anyway?" He turned to face his archaeologist, eyes wide with curiosity.

Her lips tightened.

"Ano sa," he repeated, his voice louder, firmer this time. "Zoro worries about you."

Her eyebrows rose at this suggestion, but she said nothing.

"He really wants you to become nakama," Luffy continued and Robin struggled to control her emotions. "He doesn't know what you get in those letters, but he doesn't think it's good."

"Zoro doesn't know what you get in those letters, but he doesn't think it's good," Luffy continued, plopping down in front of Robin. "He really wants you to become nakama."

Robin struggled to control the surprise that was slowly lighting up her face.

Luffy let loose a giggle, his trademark grin growing with every word. "Silly, huh?" he laughed. "I told him that you're already nakama, but he just doesn't listen!"

Slowly, yet surely, a smile tugged on the ends of Robin's lips. Becoming 'nakama' to a man as stubborn, as suspicious, as unrelenting as the swordsman seemed like a distant possibility. Perhaps the others had easily accepted her, but even weeks later, the swordsman still treated her as though she were a stranger. Gaining Roronoa Zoro's trust would be quite the challenge.

Robin loved challenges.

Night had fallen across the Going Merry and traced a bath across the sea. One after another, stars slowly dotted the sky: a process Robin watched with much interest, even after twenty-eight years. In the crow's nest, the stars somehow seemed closer, as if she could reach out and grab them.

When she was a child, she would raise her arm up to the night sky and snap her hands shut. Her mother would simply shake her head and ask what her daughter was doing. Robin always had the same answer:

"Capturing stars!"

Her father would laugh, loud and hard, and her mother's lips would tug into an amused smile. Not once did they tell her that it was impossible for her to capture those night diamonds, but in time she learned that stars could not be abducted so easily; they could only be admired from a safe distance. Her hands found themselves busy in other ways at night. Robin smiled at the memory and reached for her thermos and she refilled her mug with fresh coffee. Her hands curled around the warm cup and she turned her gaze back up at the night sky, eyes entertained by the light of the cosmos.

The sound of sturdy footsteps drew her eyes to the ladder and she watched as Zoro stepped over and into the crow's nest. " Yo," he murmured--a greeting Robin was long accustomed to.

Silence filled the space between Robin and Zoro, and the swordsman leaned on the crow's nest railing, his eyes drawn to the night skies. Robin watched the swordsman with curiosity. Surely he has a purpose here.

"Mr. Captain told me," she says finally, her words soliciting a quirk of the brow from the swordsman. Her hand fell down to her waist, and she tugged a slip of paper from her pocket. The woman stood, and wordlessly, she offered the parchment to Zoro.

Eyes twinkling with amusement, she watched as Zoro carefully unfolded the paper. And as she suspected, his eyes widened in surprise. The letters she had been receiving were not what she was sure he suspected.

In his hands, he held--not a letter from a former employer, or even a lover--but a small catalog of recently-published books. A small illustration of each title was drawn in the margin, and scribed next to each was the title, the author, a short summary, and the price (shipping and handling not included).

Robin allowed herself the pleasure of enjoying the swordsman befuddled look for a moment more before finally offering him a sufficient explanation. "Before I traveled so frequently, I was their best customer," she said, calmly tugging the paper from his hands. "I still receive their catalog."

Deft fingertips quickly tore the parchment into strips and Robin cast the shreds like ticker tape over the immense sea. She turned to Zoro, searching for some shift in expression, but there was none. He wore the same stoic mask he favored whenever the archaeologist was near.

Robin was sick of that accessory.

"After many years of study, I discovered," she began, pulling closer to the swordsman. "...that perhaps the easiest path to an answer is a question."

She expected the man to pull away, as he always did. He did not like her being near him, and he made that quite clear in his actions. Only a few weeks before, he refused to accept a blanket she offered, simply because she was the one making the delivery.

But he didn't flinch as she anticipated, nor did he waver as the woman drew closer.

A tiny success.

"Would you like to share a drink?" she asked, gesturing to the thermos resting at her feet. "Mr. Cook insisted that I take it up with me during my watch."

Zoro's eyebrows furrowed, as if in deep contemplation. Hesitance crossed his face for only a moment, and he nodded slowly. "Okay."

A smile. "Good," she replied, and she knelt down to pour the swordsman a beverage. "I didn't expect to have any guests tonight," she admitted. "...so I only brought one mug." Smoke rose from the cup as coffee filled the glass, and she offered the mug to Zoro. He accepted it, indulging himself in a long sip, before joining the historian on the floor of the crow's nest.

"It's good." He nodded towards the glass.

Robin nodded in agreement and silence filled the void between them again.

"You must really care for your nakama." A struggle to continue the conversation.

"Hm?" Zoro looked up from his coffee.

"I have been a member of countless crews, and until now, never have I seen one that so closely resembled a family."

"Yeah," Zoro said, his lips curling into a smile. "We're nakama."

"Even me?"

Silence.

Zoro shifted uncomfortable where he sat and he climbed to his feet, leaving only an empty mug behind. Robin looked up and tried to catch the man's gaze, but it was cast out at the sea.

"Even you."

Zoro heaved himself over the crow's nest and leapt down to the deck below. The floorboards reverberated under his weight and Robin sprung to her feet, almond eyes scouring the ship for some sign of the swordsman.

But as quickly as he appeared, Zoro was gone.

[One Piece] [Tomorrow] Chapter One: Polaris

2006-01-13T06:56:06Z

Title: Tomorrow
Chapter One: Polaris
Series: One Piece
Pairing: Zoro/Robin
Notes: An ongoing project for 30_kisses. Written long before Chapter 391 of the manga.

Nico Robin was intelligent.

She was easily the brightest person in their crew, and Zoro knew this. He had seen how easily the woman had manipulated the Straw Hat Pirates. And while her polite smiles and amused laughter had coaxed the others into accepting her as nakama, he was not easily fooled. Someone aboard their ship had to have some sense. Robin was a former member of Baroque Works. And if that was not enough to make Zoro less-than-reluctant to trust the historian, then surely her powerful devil's fruit power did the trick.

He made it his task to know the woman's whereabouts at all times. There was no telling what such a calculating mind was up to. Surely, she was simply using them for her own means. She simply was looking out for her own interests; she was pursuing her own dreams.

Most of the time, the historian would sit in a folding chair on the deck, long slender fingers flipping through seemingly endless pages of text. Occasionally, she would look up from her reading to observe her crewmates' never-ending antics and regard them with her ever-amused smile.

But when the swordsman was unable to find her onboard the deck, she was standing at the stern, ebony locks trailing into an exquisitely carved face. She always wore a smile as she gazed out at the sea, but her eyes were glazed over with a distant sadness. What had happened to her? he wondered. She always seemed like such a strong person from a distance, but the more he watched her, the more fragile the woman seemed.

And that was where she stood when he found her, eyes cast at the skies overhead. He took a few steps towards her, his lips drawn in a frown. She heard his footsteps, but she didn't flinch. A small, almond-shaped eye sprouted from the deck behind him, watching his movements carefully.

A smile fell upon her lips.

Robin wasn't stupid. She knew the man was watching her; he did it quite often. She had been accepted into countless crews before for a variety of different reasons. Sometimes, they wanted her for her devil fruit power or for her intelligence; other times, they wanted her because she was a pretty face. Pirates often got lonesome at sea without a woman aboard their ship. But never once did they trust her. She was accustomed to dealing with pirates like Zoro, those who would not be so easily tricked by her womanly wiles.

But unlike those endless pirates, the swordsman did not seek to use her. He was simply ensuring the safety of the nakama he loved so much.

Robin had never met a crew quite like the Straw Hat Pirates.

"Look over here," she said, suddenly. Robin turned her finger skyward.

"Hm?" Zoro looked up, but he saw nothing. The sky was the same as always, blanketed with the same old moon and the same old stars. Zoro's brows furrowed for only an instant; he took another step forward, legs carrying him closer to the archaeologist. "Where?"

"There," she repeated, finger still resting on the brightest star in the night sky. "That is Polaris, the North Star."

He frowned and turned to look at her. What was she talking about?

"It is 300 light years away. It will take 300 years for that light to finally reach us," she declares, turning her eyes to the swordsman at her side. "In 300 years, the light that is shining from that star right now will finally reach this planet, guiding future generations of pirates through the Grand Line."

Zoro's dark eyes settled on the star overhead. He was never one for stargazing; there were always other more important things to do. One could not become the world's strongest swordsman by sprawling across the deck, staring at the night sky.

She smiled. "That star that is here today, might not be here tomorrow. But..." Her eyes shifted to the swordsman. "...it is important to appreciate that light while it still exists." A lesson she had learned twenty years ago, in Ohara.

Zoro turned around and sighed heavily. She always managed to surprise him, either through words or actions. He had seen her fight to protect his nakama. He had heard stories of her journeys on the Grand Line. The more he acquainted himself with the historian, the less she seemed like a cold-blooded assassin, and the more she seemed as human as he or Usopp.

He didn't like it. Killing was easy when he knew his opponent was a monster. If he allowed himself to become attached to the woman, he would not only be putting himself in danger, but also his own ever-oblivious crew.

"Tch." Zoro folded his arms over his chest, indignance rising in his voice. Heavy footsteps carried the swordsman away from the woman and her stars and back to the common room.

He would not allow himself to be deceived.

[One Piece] Reflections

2006-01-13T06:51:45Z

Title: Reflections
Chapter: N/A
Series: One Piece
Pairing: N/A
Notes: Written long before Chapter 391 of the manga.

She sees reflections of herself in the Straw Hat Pirates. They are a constant reminder of who she was and who she could have been. Sometimes, her heart will beat and it hurts. Sometimes she breathes, and she becomes sad.

It's different now, just as it was different twenty years ago. Nico Robin stopped feeling when she was eight. Pangs of hunger often faded with time, and so did the pain. She learned to swallow her feelings behind eloquent words, and crafted herself into the perfect porcelain doll, completely devoid of all emotion.

The Straw Hat Pirates taught her how to feel again.

There are times that Robin wishes she could forget. If she had no memories, she could be normal, just like everyone else. Even as a child, her intelligence was constantly praised. "A prodigy," they'd proclaim, and her lips would tug into that painfully polite smile of hers and she would coyly clasp her hands together behind her back. No one could understand the reasons why she'd rather be ordinary than be herself.

A long time ago, smiles came easier. "I love history," she'd proclaim, and she'd spin, hugging a book close to her chest. Her father would curl his big, burly arms around her slender frame and whisk her off to bed, no matter what the protest.

"I need to write my report," she would claim in her most adult voice, an excuse she conjured when she discovered her mother spent late nights scribing her findings into endless notebooks. Her father would just guffaw and tuck her in and Robin would return his laugh with her most childish pout until his whiskers tickled her face with goodnight kisses.

It was not always good to feel.

[Kingdom Hearts] This Alone Won't Bring Disaster

2006-01-13T06:48:41Z

Title: This Alone Won't Bring Disaster
Chapter: N/A
Series: Kingdom Hearts
Pairing: Riku/Kairi
Notes: Winner of the 'Breaking' challenge at kh_drabble.

It was broken.

He stared down at the crumbled necklace of thalassa shells he held in his calloused palm. She had given him many things over the years: birthday presents, holiday gifts, and items she had crafted with her own hand.

But this... This was the most important thing that she had ever given him.

"Long ago, sailors would wear them and pray for a safe trip. And pray that no matter where they went, they'd come back one day." She turned her azure eyes to meet his own as he admired her latest creation from over her shoulder. "Even if we're separated, Riku, we'll meet back here as long as you have this." She turned to face her silver-haired friend and opened his palm, placing the necklace of thalassa shells inside.

He was not crafty with his fingers like Kairi was. His hands couldn't braid string together or crochet winter scarves or apply bandaids perfectly on injured elbows and knees.

There was only one thing those hands of his were good for.

He let the broken necklace fall from his hands and dragged one leg behind the other. A crimson trail marked the boy's path, but he didn't notice.