Hi everybody. Here I am again with yet another OP one-shot. This one requested by J.J psycho. I don't know if this is to your liking, but hope you'll enjoy it anyway.
About the plot, I am so sorry it lacks much about a plot at all ;A; It's just a plainly normal one-shot story without much of... anything really. Still, I hope you'll ejoy reading it and tell me if there are parts where you get confused so that I can somehow rewrite them. This can also be sort of a free sequel to my other one shot "Masquerade battle".
Oh, and there are stars after some words. There is a list of words at the end of the story. I do however expect all of you to know "nee-chan" is an affectionate term of older sister/older girl in general and that "Baa-chan" means "Grandmother".
Disclaimer; I don't own a single character appearing in this story. I only owe the plot.
Enough blabbering. On with the story, and please don't forget to drop me a review :)
Spring Festival
The day of the spring festival was coming up in Umi High School. Class 2-C had, much to the minority of boys' displeasure, decided to do a café. They had wanted to do a cute café suited for girls, but with persistent persuasion from Monkey D. Luffy the girls had agreed on a cooler ocean theme. Though Luffy had won that battle and even managed to make the girls agree with his eager pirate cosplay idea, he had still been defeated by his very sneaky female classmates; the girls dressed as pirates, the boys had to dress up as marine officers, because they are sexy.
Luffy had been devastated.
Even though still moping about the cosplay part, Luffy had a lot of fun rebuilding the classroom into a sea restaurant. They covered the walls, ceiling and even the floor with dark brown painted plywood and paper, to give off the feeling of dark wood. The teachers had offered some tables, used by past students for this event, to use as a counter. Two of the girls had managed to borrow fishnets from their older relatives living close to the sea that were put up on the walls and filled with little fake crabs and starfishes. Someone else had borrowed her father's pride and joy; a replica of the catfish he had once caught. Coby, one of the few guys in the class had brought rare shells from his shell collection and placed them on the tables as decoration. Aphelandra, a very tall and very sweet girl, had borrowed her older brother's ship in a bottle and placed it in a window.
Because the idea of flags had come up Luffy had gotten very excited at first, volunteering to draw the pirate flag, but the girls had disappointed him once again by telling him on his… well, non-existent artistic talent. Thus, sick of being bossed around, Luffy had in pure spite said he'd bring a real marine flag, a tactic that had frankly speaking fallen flat when his supposed to be threat had been taken as a suggestion and accepted with great enthusiasm.
That evening Luffy had spent pouting in his older sister's arms.
Everyone had worked hard for the past week to put everything together for as little money as possible and the girls had exchanged recipes for different cookies they could sell. Luffy didn't bother getting involved in that. In fact, none of the guys were allowed to have anything to do with the things they would serve in the café. Stupid, the guys thought, since Coby was probably the best in their year at baking. It was a fact the female part of the school refused to believe in because Coby was, well, obviously a guy, and guys can't cook or bake. Coby, Luffy and his best friend Usopp all wondered who was first with that stupid prejudgment.
Back to topic, Luffy, Usopp, Coby and Helmeppo were all charged with the heavy work under the stern supervision of Shandra Raki. There was one other guy in class named Hyena Bellamy, but slacker as he was he had escaped the festival preparations from day one. He'd get his share of load to do if any of the girls got a hold of him.
"Hey, Usopp. Will those little friends of yours come?" Luffy asked his best friend.
"They will," Usopp assured and handed Luffy another painted paper sheet.
They were currently covering the ceiling with the A1 paper sheets they had painted. Luffy on top of the ladder and Usopp at the bottom. It was actually Coby and Luffy up in the ceiling working hard together, because the two of them were very agile, and because Helmeppo was afraid of heights.
"Luffy-san, will your family be here too?" Coby asked carefully.
"Baa-chan said she'd stop by," Luffy said with a bright smile. "Nee-chan too, but later."
Below them Raki blinked. "Luffy-kun, you have a sister?"
"Yup. She's in university and she had something to attend, but she promised she'd come as fast as she could."
Raki's imagination started. She hadn't known the class's mascot had a sister. Helmeppo was the only child, Usopp too, nobody knew about Bellamy but Coby had a little sister. He had dropped a picture of the two of them once. The little sister Rika looked a lot like Coby, with pigtails and without glasses.
Raki couldn't resist. "Luffy-kun, does your nee-san have pigtails?"
"Hm? Yes, how'd you know?"
Vivi, another classmate turned around. "Luffy-san has a sister?"
"Yup," the boy confirmed with a happy smile. "Usopp, sheet."
"Oh, here," the boy at the base of the ladder awoke from whatever he had been thinking of and handed Luffy a sheet of paper.
Luffy blinked at his friend's face. "Are you alright, Usopp?"
"I'm fine. All fine, thank you. Just promise to warn me before your granny and sister show up, okay."
Blinking several times and tilting his head, Luffy frowned with slight confusion. "I can ask them to text me when they arrive. Why, you want to see them?"
"N-O-T," Usopp spelled out. "I've had enough of those two to last for three lifetimes."
"Is that so?"
"Luffy-san," Coby groaned to remind his friend they were working on the ceiling and that his arms were getting tired from holding up the sheet.
Unbeknownst to the boys, probably for the best, news about how Luffy had a sister spread like a wildfire. All the girls wondered curiously what a sister of Luffy would look and be like.
"Luffy-kun said she have pigtails."
"You mean like a real bookworm?"
"Or a Showa* girl?"
The girls giggled helplessly, but Vivi didn't join them. She was busy thinking about the smile that had adorned Luffy-san's face. It hadn't been one of those goofy smiles he generously spread all around him, not even a mischievous one. Vivi had never seen Luffy-san smile like that before.
One of the other girls decided to ask Luffy for more details. "Luffy-kun. Your sister, is she wearing glasses?"
"No, she doesn't need them. Baa-chan has them when she reads though."
"Does she have black hair and brown eyes like you, Luffy-chan?"
"Hmmm, her hair is really black, but her eyes are grey."
"Is she tall?"
At that Luffy laughed. "Not at all. Nee-chan is a head shorter than I."
"Really?"
Usopp, not being as occupied as his friend, could see it in his classmates' faces how they made up an image of Luffy's sister. None of them were anywhere near the truth though, Usopp was sure. They probably imagined someone alike Luffy.
So, basic information about the boy is like this; Luffy is what you'd call "Happy-go-Lucky" and quite simple-minded, loud and sometimes obnoxious to some, but is generally sweet and cares a lot about others. He treats people a little clumsily, meeting them head on instead of the more comfortable slow approach. Over all he is kind of a rough but honest guy with a smile on his face.
Coby was probably the only one who had liked Luffy from day one. Helmeppo had hated him, still did, but had sort of accepted him now. All the girls had taken their sweet time to judge and get to know him and decide he is harmless. The reason for the delay; Luffy always says whatever is on his mind, meaning he can shamelessly drop a comment in subjects most people directly avoids.
The label of "mascot" he got from his devil luck.
Now Usopp stared at his classmates with a forced smile. The girls in class was making up an image of a girl with pigtails, probably still dressed in her high school uniform. Most likely a shy girl trying to restrain her brother or a lecturing one that her brother ignored.
"They won't know what hit them," Usopp mumbled to himself.
The big day was finally here! All classes were running around to make sure they had everything, and if they hadn't, then panic broke out. The school council president had his hands full of keeping that panic to a minimum and most of the council members realized they should have done some exercise before this event started. Or bring a few changes of cloths and some strong energy drinks.
Luffy, Usopp, Coby and Helmeppo had to change into their costumes in the toilet because the girls occupied the classroom due to their larger number.
"This is not fair!" Usopp voiced his opinion.
"What is?" Luff asked.
"That we have to squeeze in a corner of the common toilet where people come and go in a constant flow, while the girls have the whole classroom to themselves! Couldn't they just change first and then let us use the classroom too?"
"Umm…" Coby peeped up hesitantly. "I don't think the girls would stay outside."
"It's not like we get naked changing," Usopp pointed out with annoyance.
"Oi, Usopp, what crawled up your ass today?" Helmeppo asked as he buttoned up his ironed shirt.
"Ex-Cuse-Me?"
Luffy blinked at the mad face his best friend was making and frowned with concern. "He's right, Usopp. You're unusually pissed off lately."
"Oh I'm pissed all right. You wanna know why? Because I was paired up with that Bellamy bastard to paint all those plywood planks and paper, but he never had any intention of helping out in the first place so I had to do it all by myself! And you know what? The rat is right now slipping around snickering at everyone working hard to make this event the greatest ever! I swear he's going to try something to ruin everything! All of our hard work! Everybody's blood, sweat and tears! Luffy! I dare you to laugh!"
The other boy was indeed on the verge of snickering, but stopped himself at Usopp's request (more like order).
"You are so kind, Usopp," Luffy said in all honesty. "Even though it was really mean of Bellamy to ditch you and everything, you still worry about the event and everyone's smiles. That's definitely what I like most about you."
Usopp scoffed and turned to the mirror to fix his tie and hair, but Luffy's words actually made him feel a little better. He was still worried about the event, but the tricky thing about Luffy was to understand the things he didn't directly say. Like right now. Using his past experience Usopp could interpret Luffy's words into a promise; he would take care of Bellamy if he saw him. And if that sister of Luffy's got caught up in it, all the better.
"I'm done," Coby announced quietly. Luffy looked at him.
"You aren't dressed as an officer, Coby," he pointed out.
"I… I know, but the theatre club only had two officer costumes to lend us, so… I had to be an ordinary soldier instead."
"Huh? You borrowed your costumes from the theatre club?"
The three friends stared at him. Usopp had just finished pulling his curly hair back into a tight low ponytail, though one little strand was too short and fell forward. His costume was a germen officer's dark blue with the golden buttons and rank marks.
Helmeppo wore a pair of blue-green pants with black stripes, the marine's distinctive pattern and colour, a blue shirt, white vest and a captain coat with the kanji for "Justice" on the back and stars on the shoulder.
Coby wore the common soldier's blue pants, white, sleeveless shirt and the blue tie around his neck. He still hadn't taken off his yellow sunflower patterned headband though.
"Yes… Luffy-san? Where did you get your costume?"
"Most likely from his granny," Usopp said flatly.
"Yup," Luffy confirmed with a nod. "Baa-chan has been a marine all her life and don't know anything else. When I was a kid," he finished tying his light blue tie "she used her free time to sew marine costumes for me and nee-chan. When we played, baa-chan always had to be the bad guy and we chased her all around the house trying to arrest her. Mom got really angry each time we broke another flowerpot."
"You chased your baa-chan around the house?" Helmeppo asked unbelievingly. "She must be a quite energetic old bat."
"She is," Luffy and Usopp both nodded, their faces wearing matching expressions saying Helmeppo was more than right in his statement.
"So… Luffy-san, your grandmother made your costume for you?"
"Yup."
"Hey!" Helmeppo suddenly exclaimed. "You're a vice-admiral!"
"That's baa-chan's rank, so she made me this after hearing about… the cosplay theme."
The boys kept from responding to that. Luffy's face said he still hadn't gotten over the shock of being trampled by their classmates. He had wanted to be a pirate so much.
"W… wow, Luffy-san. Your grandmother must be really good at sewing."
"Mending is a hobby of hers," Luffy explained and started water combing his unruly hair.
"Oi, Luffy," Helmeppo called for attention with a frown of annoyance on his face. "Use my gel or that hair of yours will go back to normal before you reach the classroom."
"Oh, thanks! That's real nice of you, Helmeppo."
"Let me help you with that, Luffy," Usopp offered quickly. Who knows how Luffy's hair would end up like if no one helped him out. The one getting to fix the mess would in the end be his sister, and she would want a scapegoat to punish for all the trouble it would be on her. Usopp did not want that.
"Well, we're done, so we'll head back before you guys," Coby said as he turned to leave.
"Okay. See you guys later," Luffy called back and Helmeppo closed the door after him and Coby.
Outside the bathroom it was a total chaos. People were running left and right carrying all kinds of items. The two marine-dressed boys had to be careful not to be run over by the people or hit by any of the items they carried.
"Hey, Coby. Have you met Luffy's nee-san?"
"No, I haven't. Why?"
Helmeppo shrugged. "All the girls have gone crazy over her. I just wondered what she was like, and if she's really that interesting."
Coby nodded slightly and just barely dodged a heavy paper roll. "I don't know that much, but Luffy-san has mentioned her a few times. She seems like a really cute, sweet girl."
"Luffy's nee-san is a sweet girl?" Helmeppo repeated with a face of humouring disbelief. "Sorry Coby, but I can't believe that. Luffy's nee-san must be as obnoxious as Luffy, or she's got bags and grey hair already, with Luffy as a brother."
"That can't be it! Luffy-san speaks really fondly of his sister."
They had arrived to the classroom and entered without thinking twice, ending up walking in on half of their female classmates in their underwear.
The boys became targets of various flying objects and words before being physically thrown out.
"I forgot girls take much longer to dress," Helmeppo groaned.
"Remind me," Coby said.
The spring festival opening. Students from other schools poured in to partake in the event. Class 2-C's sea café was set up and Luffy was sulking. In his opinion most of the girls had totally failed with their pirate costumes. The only few ones who had managed the pirate feeling were Vivi, who even wore a captain hat with a red plume, and Raki with her hair braided with green pearls. Their cloths were slightly ragged and loose, save for Raki's tight vest, unlike everyone else's clean and fitting cloths, most of them striped.
Usopp felt a bit proud though. When he and Luffy had returned to the classroom earlier, being warned by Helmeppo and Coby not to enter because the girls weren't finished yet, Erza*, the bossiest girl in class had suddenly slammed open the door with a wild expression. Though whatever she had intended to say got stock in her throat and instead of yelling she had been gaping at Usopp and Luffy. Both of them have a slender built, but with the right methods even they could look intimidating, Usopp had figured.
Erza had said "You look really good" at long last.
Yup, Usopp couldn't help but smirk to himself at the victory. After being made fun of more than once because the girls' thought he looked funny in some ways, being told he looked good, by Erza of all people, felt like the finest of balsam on all his pride's wounds.
The sea café was not the school's greatest success, but it was indeed popular. Luffy soon overcame his depression about not getting to be a pirate and played the role as a vice-admiral quite well. He had a natural charm to him that the female visitors really liked, and since he was a marine, he swore to protect everyone from the malice of pirates; the female staff.
About midway through the evening Vivi returned from her look around the festival with her childhood friend Kohza. At least she said the older boy was only a childhood friend, but everyone suspected there was more than that going on between them. Vivi hotly denied it though. Honestly, she couldn't believe why everyone wanted to make her and Kohza a couple so badly. Luffy was the only one who had never said anything. Well, he had asked if Vivi and Kohza were together once, but after Vivi's denial Luffy had just shrugged and smiled, saying it was okay. For that Vivi was really grateful, because really, it wasn't Kohza who had caught her romantic attention.
"Luffy-san. Has your sister not come by yet?"
"No, not yet," Luffy said with a slight pout. "She said she'd hurry, but she might still not make it until real late."
Usopp snickered a little and placed a hand of sympathy on his friend's back. "I feel for you, Luffy. That means you won't have anyone to see the festival with. Or do you plan on staying here until she comes?"
"I don't want to see the festival alone," Luffy sulked with a full pout.
Vivi wacked her brain for something to say, something that would cheer Luffy up. But she couldn't offer to go with him since she had just come back and was taking over Erza's shift. She didn't want to ask somebody else to go with Luffy either.
"What about your granny?" Usopp's voice broke through Vivi's fretting. "She's not coming?"
"Oh. I forgot to ask her to text me."
When you speak of the devil it usually stands in the doorway. Usopp had paled, said his hasty goodbyes and turned around to flee, only to bump head first into a hearty bosom.
"My, my, if it isn't Yasopp's little boy! I return your feelings with all my love!"
Usopp tried to cry for help, but the sturdy woman's embrace he was caught in squeezed all air out of him.
"Baa-chan. You're here," Luffy smiled happily.
"Luffy!" the elderly woman opened her arms for Luffy, unconsciously releasing the gasping Usopp. "You are so handsome! Even your necktie is well done. I'm so proud of you, my boy. But look at this place. It needs cleaning!"
"Baa-chan! It's supposed to be like this!" Luffy yelled when the woman started rolling up her sleeves, prepared to take on any dirt standing in her way.
"It is? This dirty?"
"It's a sea café, baa-chan," Luffy explained. "Sit down and order please."
"I see. All right then."
Usopp had now successfully escaped. Coby and Helmeppo stood with the girls around the classroom staring and gaping at the woman Luffy had already confirmed was his grandmother.
Shock was not quite the word, but it's probably the best description. While Luffy was on the lanky side, Monkey D. Garn was a robust woman with a loud laugh and her hair in a bun typical for someone her age. There was also a scar around the outside of her left eye. Tall with broad shoulders and thick arms she made quite the intimidating image. Nothing like Luffy.
"Baa-chan, do you know when nee-chan is coming?" Luffy asked as he served the elderly woman a cup of tea and some cookies, so that she would take her mind off the dirt around the classroom she so dearly wanted to swipe away.
"Well…" Garn said thoughtfully as she sipped the tea. "The show was supposed to be only forty-five minutes long, so she should be on her way within the next twenty minutes."
"Twenty minutes, huh?"
Luffy looked at the clock on the wall. He and Garn both knew perfectly well that twenty minutes was if Anne managed to sneak out, if not then she wouldn't make it at all. It made Luffy sad. But Anne went to university, and she couldn't decline this show for anything.
"Don't look like that, Luffy. I'm sure that girl will hurry all she can."
"Thank you, baa-chan."
"By the way, where did that long nosed friend of yours go to?"
Usopp was having quite a good time. He had found his friend and crush Kaya and was walking around the stands on the school yard with her. Although he was still quite worried about what Bellamy might do next. During his escape Usopp had passed a fairy-tale themed café where the arranging class was telling people to please come back later. There had been a minor accident, they said. Usopp was friends with one of the boys, so he had whispered his question to him.
"Was it Bellamy?"
The other boy had only nodded, holding back tears. Usopp hadn't been able to do anything but give his friend a supportive pat on the shoulder.
"Usopp-san? Are you not feeling well?" Kaya asked carefully.
"Oh no, sweetheart. He's feeling terrifically well," a voice that wasn't Usopp's answered. The long nosed boy recognized it too late and he found himself caught in the trap again.
Portgas D. Anne, Monkey D. Luffy's older sister, grabbed Usopp around the waist from behind and held him tight.
"A-A-A-Anne. Y-you-you-you're la-la-late."
"Can't help it, I even sneaked away and ran all the way here," the girl retorted snappily, hanging around Usopp's waist. Actually, she was leaning over and panting heavily, so she really had been running. "Where's Luffy?"
"Still in the classroom. 2-C."
"Oh, I know where that is. Come on, Anne, I'll show you the way."
For the second time tonight, Usopp got away scot. But not as cleanly this time. Kaya was staring at him with a shocked expression, and if Usopp didn't come up with a very good and very truthful explanation on the spot he might as well kiss his luck goodbye forever.
Yup. Usopp really had had enough of his best friend's female relatives. So why in hell did Luffy only have female relatives?
In the sea café, Luffy just waved goodbye to his grandmother and stood glancing at the clock. It was only two hours left before the ending ceremony started. By now he was sure his sister wouldn't make it. To say Luffy was saddened would be the understatement of the month.
Vivi carefully approached him. "Luffy-san. I'm sure she's right on her way."
"Nee-chan is usually kept back by her teachers," Luffy pouted sadly, unknowingly sending arrows of bittersweet pain through Vivi's heart.
"But… Luffy-san, can't you ask someone else to go see the festival with you? It would be a shame if you missed it. The other classes have done some really funny things."
"I don't want to go with anybody else. I want to go with nee-chan."
There it was again. That certain look in Luffy's eyes. Vivi had only seen it once before; when Luffy-san spoke of his sister.
"Luffy-san, you really like your sister, do you?"
"Of course," Luffy confirmed as if it was a given. "Nee-chan is the best, and she can do all sorts of cool stuff."
The way Luffy-san smiled. Vivi felt a little prick of jealousy. The girls in the class had all been working out an image of Luffy's sister, each individual but also basically the same. She was probably reading economics or something at the university and would arrive dressed in a business suit. This image had sprouted purely from Luffy revealing his sister had pigtails. Vivi wasn't quite sure if she agreed to that image though.
The choir of "Welcome" outside alerted the two of a new arrival, and in walked a tall blonde girl wearing a purple skirt and a half-sleeved short top revealing all of her stomach as well as the cleavage of a healthy bosom. She had high strapped boots, big golden earrings and a certainly funky hairstyle falling over her right eye.
"I found you, Luffy," she smiled beautifully.
"Maco…" Luffy remembered his position and saluted the taller girl. "Welcome to the sea café, ojou-san*."
Luffy's classmates didn't know what surprised them the most; the fact that Luffy knew a girl like that or the thought that this might be Luffy's sister. She soon proved she wasn't though.
This girl pouted and crossed her arms, emphasising her big breasts even more. "How boring, I hoped you'd jump into my arms upon seeing me."
"Why? Are you and Jozu fighting again?"
Maco glanced sideways. How could Luffy be so sharp about these things when he was usually so oblivious?
"You should really talk together instead of just coming back together with sex, you know," Luffy shared his opinion, causing Maco to blush like crazy. Leave it to Luffy to say something like that with a straight face.
"Who told you that?"
"No one," Luffy said blinking. "But you fight so often I figured you do that."
In that moment, Maco so wanted to whack Luffy on the head and walk straight out. Really, this little boy so much younger than her and according to Anne personally unfamiliar with any terms of sex was giving her relationship advices. This was just embarrassing.
"In which book did you read that?" Maco retorted and sat down. "Or did Anne tell you?"
"I haven't read it anywhere. Whenever nee-chan and I are fighting we always have a chat to clear it up. I thought it should work for you too. And…" Luffy sadly looked towards the door "nee-chan didn't make it, huh?"
Maco heaved a deep sigh. This little boy. Was he really Anne's brother? They were so different in a lot of ways. Although that bluntness was just like Anne's.
"No, Luffy. She came, but she fell asleep outside a haunted house.
"She fell asleep?"
"Oi, Maco!"
"Speak of the devil," Maco sang innocently.
In the doorway stood a short girl with really long and wild black, wavy hair leaning on her knee to catch her breath. Her grey eyes sparkled of anger and she snarled like a dog.
"How could you just leave me there? Can you imagine how embarrassing it was to be awoken by a boy wearing a ketchup-splattered sheet and a girl with fake vampire teeth? They thought I was in middle school!"
Luffy didn't really listen to what the girl said. He was way too happy to see her and positively jumped her.
"Nee-chan! You're here!"
The image Luffy's classmates had made of this girl soundly shattered into a million pieces. This girl didn't have pigtails at all and her face was really pretty, even highlighted with the dark freckles dotting her cheeks and nose. She was certainly not dressed in a business suit either. She wore a pair of baggy moss green pants hanging low enough on her hips to show the hem of her sporty underwear and a fitting dark grey t-shirt with the Love Kill Slowly brand.
"Hi Luffy. Sorry I'm so late."
"'s fine, we still have time… nee-chan, why's your hair wet?"
"I was just drenched in sweat and had to stop by at Maco's for a quick shower, that's why. Didn't have time to dry it. Can I have a cup of tea?"
"Sure."
"I'll get it!" Vivi quickly volunteered and ran behind the counter to fill a cup."
"Would you like some cookies too?" Raki asked eagerly.
"No, thank you. I can't eat sweets right after a performance."
"I can," Maco shot in. "I want a cup of tea and some cookies. Anything goes."
They got served and Maco paid, much to Anne's appreciation. Though this little café was nowhere near as expensive as some in town, Anne was grateful for every penny she could save up.
"Um… Monkey-san…"
Luffy turned to Vivi with a surprised blink. She had never called him that before. "What is it?"
"No, I was talking to your sister."
"Oh, we don't have the same last name," the boy explained with a smile.
"You… you don't?"
"No, we don't," Anne said, looking up from her calming cup of tea. "Luffy's mother adopted me when I was a kid. Luffy wasn't that old back then, but I already had a family name and it was too expensive to change it. So my name is Portgas D. Anne."
"But you… you also have the D. in your name?"
"Yup. Baba* said that long ago there was a horny man who had one child with every woman in his village. The church punished him for his ways, and the children he had had were all branded with a D. The letter has followed that man's children ever since, it's said."
"Wow, nee-chan. You actually remember that story?"
"I'm the one who asked, of course I remember it, stupid. You were busy being bored."
"Baa-chan's stories are dumb," Luffy stated picking his nose in disinterest.
"Don't do that in public. It's unseemly."
Vivi watched the siblings, forgetful of what she had wanted to ask of the sister. She was so pretty even with that long hair that seemed to be just as unruly as Luffy's normally were.
Right then Anne put her cup down and took a hold of her hair, pulling it back and separating it in the neck. She gave one handful of hair to her brother.
"Braid my hair."
Luffy, ignoring or being oblivious of the stares he and his sister received, took the hair and worked his fingers through the tousles.
"Nee-chan, why did you undo them? Your hair always gets so messed up when you don't have pigtails."
"And then I even took time to comb it," Anne stated calmly, sipping her tea. "But to answer your question, I had to tie it up for the performance or it would get stuck somewhere."
"Per…" Vivi remembered what she had wanted to ask before. "Po… Portgas-san, what sort of performance did you attend?"
"Oh, a dance performance, but us," she mentioned to the blonde at her side "who aren't top ranked had to go out between the seats to dance and hope not to kick someone."
"I don't complain," Maco said with a bright smile. "It was you and I who got the most attention because we were closer to the audience."
"We were supposed to make fools of ourselves so that the teachers could get on our case again," Anne retorted with a cringed up nose. "That bastard's just trying to make me quit."
Luffy finished the braid and held out a hand for a hair tie. Anne absentmindedly took the one she had around her wrist.
"That's because you wouldn't let him seduce you so easily," Maco smiled, gaining a glare from her friend. Luffy got started on the second length of hair.
Even though Anne and Luffy ignored them, Maco was not oblivious to the open stares they got from Luffy's classmates and the two other guests in the café. Anne looked a bit sour, but she enjoyed Luffy working with her hair, that much was obvious.
"Luffy, you're good at that," Maco smiled.
"Of course. I'm braiding nee-chan's hair every morning the past years, so of course I'm good."
"Every morning?"
"Mother used to braid it when she was alive," Anne explained. "Luffy's mother that is," she clarified and held out a light pink ribbon for her brother to secure the second braid with.
Maco glanced at the ribbon, Anne's treasure. Even though that pink colour really clashed with Anne's style, she refused to give up on it. Maco had asked about it once, and Anne had said it was the only one gift she ever received from her deceased adoptive mother. Actually, it had been the first time she had ever been given a present to that point. Maco still couldn't fully understand, but she'd protect her best friend's only treasure too if it was needed, because Anne would be really sad if she lost that ribbon.
"Nee-chan, are you finished? I wanna go see Nami's fortune telling house."
"Sounds fun. Just a sec," Anne finished her tea and set the cup down. "Maco, you coming?"
"Sure. Let's go."
The girls stood and politely placed their cups on the counter, Anne brushing a braid back with her other hand as she did so. When they left all of Luffy's classmates shared the same thought; "How can she look so cool when she have pigtails?"
Class 3-A was almost empty when Luffy, Anne and Maco arrived. It seemed they were almost prepared to start closing, but the one Luffy wanted to see was still there, dressed as a gypsy.
"Nami!"
"Luffy! You made it."
Mikan Nami was Luffy's best friend in school even though she was a year older. For some reason she had decided Luffy needed her protection, but from what was beyond Luffy. He didn't complain though. Nami treated him for lunch once in a while when she had rounded up a good deal of loot from people in debt to her for various reasons.
"Yup. Nee-chan got here in the last minute."
"That's great. So, An-chan, won't you try out my little game."
"That would be a bad idea, Nami-chan," Anne smiled.
Maco stepped back. She had seen that smile on Anne's face often enough to know when to get out of the way.
"Hey! I haven't even told you what game it is," Nami said quickly, almost desperately.
"I don't care. Knowing you it's about betting money, and the size of the moneybag behind you tells me you've been cheating all day."
Nami laughed. "Don't be silly. It's just that nobody have managed to beat me yet."
"Oh? Then you'll use that money to pay me back?"
"Um… Well…"
"Because you haven't forgotten…" Anne placed one hand on the table before Nami and leaned forward with a dangerously mad smirk "that you owe me a new car, have you?"
Maco leaned closer to whisper in Luffy's ear. "What's this about?"
"Hm? Oh. Nami really likes money, and she made Anne owe her, but then there was this accident while Nami was practicing for her driver licence and she totally wrecked Anne's car. So now Nami owes nee-chan a new one. Well… normally Nami can talk herself out of such situations or just act cute. Anne just doesn't buy such acts."
"She never does. Anne is ruthless when it comes to money," Maco said and straightened, before she decided she wanted to hold Luffy for a bit. He was shorter than her, so she placed her arms around his neck and leaned against him.
"What? Looking for comfort?" Luffy asked.
"Jozu is too big for me to do this, so I'm taking the chance while I have it."
Meanwhile Anne had agreed to do Nami's game under certain conditions; if Anne won, she'd get three times the money she betted, if Nami won, she'd give back the money Anne invested. It was very unlike Nami to agree to such conditions, but considering the amount of money she owed Luffy's sister, she supposed it was as good a deal as any. She had had a great harvest this far anyway.
"All right. Here are the rules," Nami started explaining and Luffy and Maco moved closer. "I have four yellow balls here." She lined up four bright yellow plastic balls. "Three of them have a ball of steel inside, but the fourth one has a ball of glass."
"Prove it," Anne ordered immediately. "Show me there is really one ball of glass in those balls."
Nami made a grimace. It was with great reluctance she opened the balls to prove Anne's suspicions right. There really was no glass ball.
"Wow! Nee-chan is sharp."
"You know each other well, huh?" Maco asked, quite impressed herself. She would never have suspected the master to cheat like this.
"Do you even have a glass ball, Nami?" Anne asked dangerously.
With a face like she was biting a really sour lemon, Nami slowly took out a ball of glass from a pocket in her skirt and replaced one of the metal balls with it.
"That's a good girl," Anne praised coldly. Name cleared her throat and closed the balls.
"So, now I do this," she messed the balls around with nimble fingers before placing them under small bowls. "Keep your eyes on the glass ball."
Nami was really good at this. She swiftly moved the bowls around, every now and then switching around the balls so it was really hard to keep track on the right one. At last she stopped.
"You have two chances," Nami said and sat back.
"No problem. Luffy, which one?"
Maco blinked from surprise and then flinched when Nami jumped up.
"Hey, that's cheating!"
Anne only gave the younger girl a blank look. Point taken, Nami sat back down, but not without snarling.
"Which one, Luffy?" Anne asked again.
"That one," Luffy said without hesitation, pointing out the one to the far left.
"That one," Anne said to Nami, who reluctantly and without looking turned the bowl and opened the ball to reveal the glass ball.
"Whoa! How'd you do that, Luffy?" Maco asked in total awe.
"I just picked one."
"My little brother is bestowed with the luck of gods," Anne explained with a bright smile and held out her hand to Nami for her prize. "I haven't seen him fail a single time in these kinds of games."
With her pride wiggling in pain, Nami counted up nine thousand yen and handed them over to the winner.
"Now I can reduce your bill with another six thousand," Anne sang.
"What? Hey! You won nine thousand. Nine!"
"Sorry, but the first three thousand were my own money, so of course I'm not counting them." Anne took Maco under the arm and started to leave. "Good evening, Nami. It's nice making business with you."
After this incident it took two days before the whole school had heard about Nami's loss and that she owned a lot of money to Luffy's big sister.
Maco, Anne and Luffy walked around for half an hour before everything had closed and they headed outside. That's when Luffy finally spotted someone he had been keeping an eye out for since he left the classroom.
"Maco. Mind doing me a favour?" he asked sweetly.
"Hm?"
"Nothing dangerous, I promise."
Anne didn't know what Luffy was up to, Maco could tell from the surprise on her face. Maybe she would have agreed without question hadn't it been for the flicker of Luffy's eyes.
"What are you up to?" she asked cautiously.
"It's nothing special. You just have to distract Bellamy over there for a little bit."
Maco turned around looking for the guy Luffy was pointing at, but there were so many people out she couldn't tell.
"Who?"
"See the blond guy with a buzz cut and a blue jacket?"
"Buzz cut?" Maco stood on her tip toes. "Yeah, I think I see him. The one with the mean face?"
"That's the one. Can you just keep him busy for a bit while I go get Erza?"
"What's this Luffy?" Anne asked curiously. "This isn't really like you."
"Erza has been looking for him, but he always slips away. Please, Maco?"
"Is he perverted?"
"Yup, and you're just his type. Play hard, okay. I'll be right back."
Luffy left Maco and Anne standing there to go looking for his bossy classmate. Anne reassuringly patted Maco on the shoulder.
"I'll go with you to make sure he won't do anything stupid."
"Thanks, Anne. It always feels better to be two."
"Sure. Never mind your shodan ho* belt in karate."
"That's nothing. You have a Shodan* black belt in judo."
"One that's two months old, mind you. How long before you take the test for the Shodan black belt?"
"Three months. But Shishou* is really strict you know. He wants me to work out every day, but with all the dance practice for school that's impossible."
"At least you do the right sort of dance, Mac. What if you did ballet?"
Maco giggled at the thought. "I'm too big to be a ballet dancer. I won't fit into their dresses with these." She squeezed her D cup to prove her point.
"Why, they look good enough to me, Nee-chan."
The girls looked up. They had walked through the crowd and had almost gone past the person they were aiming for. Well, this was a pretty good way to start a conversation. If he himself started talking it wouldn't be suspicious.
"That's from your point of view," Maco said with an annoyed sigh and crossed her arms. "You don't have to do hard breakdance moves with a pair of melons stuck on you."
"Breakdance huh? Man, with a body like that, I thought you were into a different sort of dancing," Bellamy purred huskily. He moved closer and took a noticeably good look at Maco's body.
"Humph. The dance you're thinking of we're not interested in," Anne snorted, only then making the blond dude notice she was even there.
"Who's this kid? Go home. Your mommy is getting worried," he shooed at her with a bored face.
"I'm at least three years older than you, thank you very much!"
"There, there, Anne. This dude isn't worth the effort it takes you to hit him."
"What's that supposed to… aaaaahhhh…!"
A girl with bright red hair and a snarling face had taken a tight hold of the blond guy's ear and twisted it. "I have been looking for you, Bellamy," she said with a voice promising more than simple pain. "Come with me at once! I won't let you off until sunrise!"
"OW! Don't pull so hard. Ow, ow, oooowwww!"
"Phew. That was that," Luffy laughed.
"What a creep. Has that guy been bullying you, Luffy?" Anne asked irritated.
"That's all he's good for," Luffy shrugged. "He's been slacking off when everyone else have been working really hard. I think he's ruined this event for a few as well. It's just fair he gets to work his ass off now."
"I see."
"Oh, that's right. Maco. I saw Jozu in the gate. He's here looking for you."
Hearing that, Maco made a face. She didn't want to see him. At least not yet. It was too soon after their most recent fight.
"Mac?"
Anne's concerned face. Luffy too looked a little worried.
"I think you should hear him out," Luffy suggested softly.
"I don't want to hear him out. I don't want to see him at all. I'm sick and tired of always being his second to everything. He never looks me in the eye except during sex, he hardly touches me anymore. It used to be so good, but now I don't even know if I love him anymore. What the hell, it feels like I don't even know him anymore. I don't want this."
"You should tell him that," Anne said, her voice soft but her tone strong. "If you don't tell him anything he won't know, and you'll never be able to break out of this shit."
Maco snarled, close to tears. She thought back to what Luffy had said when she arrived.
"When you two fight, isn't it painful too?"
"Of course it's painful," Luffy stated clearly. "That's why it feels so good to make up and be friends again."
"Our case is a little different though, since we are brother and sister," Anne explained with a small smile. "But you really should talk to Jozu. If it falls apart on you, you can always crash at our place."
"…Thank you," Maco mumbled, not looking at any of them.
"Come on, Mac. We're behind you in this. If you just ask me, I'll hold him down while you beat the crap out of him."
Wildfire Anne in a nutshell. Maco couldn't help but chuckle. "All right, I get your point. I still don't want to, but I'll talk to him. And I won't solve it with sex this time," she added with a glare at Luffy, who annoyingly enough smiled broadly at her.
"Okay, Maco. Good luck."
The tall girl nodded, but didn't move. The siblings watched her fidget for a moment.
"Hold me," Maco said quietly, making Luffy giggle slightly.
"What? Looking for comfort?"
This time Maco admitted it with a slight nod of her head, so Luffy simply wrapped his arms around her and rested his head against her collarbone. Maco answered quickly by wrapping her arms around Luffy's neck.
Anne watched with a slight smile and sighed ruefully. Her best friend was really strong and always acted so though, mostly because she had to or the world would crush her. Anne knew what that felt like, but she had Luffy to support her. The same way Luffy was important to Anne, Maco needed Jozu's support to keep standing tall. Because it is impossible to withstand the pressure of the world all alone. If Jozu couldn't grasp that Anne would personally rip his balls off and force them down his throat before she burnt his butt off and split his knee cups.
"I know what you're thinking, Anne," Maco's voice tore through the short girl's thoughts.
"Who? Me?"
Maco smiled and dried her eyes as she let go of Luffy. "Yes, you. But thank you, really."
"Good luck, Maco," Luffy encouraged.
Maco smiled and nodded before she turned and left, carrying herself with elegant ease as to not betray her inner turmoil.
"She'll be fine," Anne said quietly and patted her little brother's shoulder. "She's got me, and she's got you."
"Can we all sleep together if she comes over?" Luffy asked hopefully.
"Sure."
A whistle of fireworks distracted them and the sky was lightened up by a red flower of fire. A blue one followed, and a green one, all accompanied by a loud bang.
"Pretty," Anne said, the lights from the sky reflecting in her eyes.
"Yup," Luffy said and wrapped his arms tightly around his sister's shoulders from behind. "Thanks for coming, nee-chan."
Anne smiled happily and placed a hand on Luffy's elbow to make sure he wouldn't choke her. "No problem, little brother."
THE END!
Wordlist;
Showa = Japan Showa period was between 1926 - 1989
Erza = Yes, this is Erza Scarlet from Hiro Mashima's Fairy Tail, but I needed a bossy girl and I couldn't use Nami for appearant reasons. I hope you forgive me for this.
Ojou-san = A formal way of referring to a girl or woman
Baba = As some of you remember, in the animé Ace calls Garp by Jiji. Baba is the female counterpart, and it's qute rude
Shodan ho = If anybody knows better, please set me straight, because I have no idea if I'm correct. my only referrance is google. I think though that Shodan ho is the last grade before advancing to the black belt.
Shodan black belt = First grade of black belt
Shishou = I might have gotten the spelling wrong, but it means master of matrial arts