insatiable [in-sey-shuh-buhl]
1. not satiable; incapable of being satisfied or appeased
The very next morning, the Captain of the Heart Pirates had woken earlier than usual. Checking the clock on the wall of his private quarters, it dawned to him that it was a little before five. With a grumble, he rolled onto his stomach and buried his face into his pillow. God, he hated going to bed late. Not only would he wake up ridiculously early, and sleep only for a few hours, his body would ached here and there and his nose felt stuffy.
The books that he had purchased kept him up, because once the doctor began to read, it was almost impossible for him to set it down. Of course he himself was familiar with what would happen when he did this, yet he still carried on doing it. After a few moments, Law rolled on to his back and sat up. Running his hand through his short hair, he stood up, wobbled a little, before setting out to complete his early morning agenda.
The crew was still asleep, and Law had about an hour to waste before their current chef would start making breakfast. He could almost guess what it was, for during meals, they didn't have that much of a variety. Their engineer, Shachi, could only cook so much, since he was more focused on keeping their yellow submarine running than reading the cookbook. But no one really complained. As long as the food was edible and kept them nourished, it would do until they found a proper cook.
After a quick shower, and putting on some clean clothes, Law took his nodachi off a rack that was on his cluttered desk, he left his room with the sword in tow. When he opened the door that led to the deck, he had to blink and then squint. A heavy mist shrouded the landscape. He had to squint in order to make out the dark shapes in distance. It was still dark, and the ground was moist. It must have rained over night, Law thought as he headed towards town. Though the chances of any of the shops to be open this early...
Needless to say, the pirate was quite surprised to see the lights on in a familiar little bakery... With a lopsided smirk, he threaded over to the said shoppe and peered in. A familiar mop of hair emerged from the kitchen and placed an impeccable looking cheesecake on the display case. Without much thought, he rapped the window. An amused huff escaped from his lips when he saw Lavender jump. Once he had her attention he waved.
In return, he received a weak smile before the young woman scuttled to the door, unlocked it and beckoned him in. Once in, she closed the door and locked it. After all, the store wouldn't be opened till seven.
"Good morning," Lavender greeted meekly.
Law took note of her slumped shoulders, and dark bags beneath her eyes. Her hair was slightly disheveled and her dress rumpled. He concluded that she must have not slept well. But alas, who would after finding out that their previous beau's head was found floating in the river?
"You wouldn't mind if I ordered something, would you?" he drawled while eyeing the different cakes that were in display.
Lavender, who had been lost in stupor, jerked, and stared at him with owlish eyes.
"I-I beg your pardon? I-I wasn't..." she began hastily, searching for words to her apology, but was silenced by a raised hand.
"I'll have two cups of coffee and a slice of that cheesecake," Law ordered while strolling over to the counter while pulling out his wallet.
With her hands around the warm coffee cup, Lavender watched as Law ate away on the cheesecake that she had prepared the night before. Occasionally he took a sip from his own cup of coffee. He had been kind enough to purchase her a cup as well. The employee assumed that Law had figured out that she in fact, had not slept that well. Was it that obvious?
Too busy fussing over the fact that whether she looked tired or not, Lavender had once again failed to realize that Law had said something to her. Her cheeks turned pink and despite her lack of energy, she still managed to look startled when Law's tan fingers snapped in front of her face. She looked up at him sheepishly; murmured her apology, before looking down at her lap almost shamefully. I'm being awfully rude… she thought to herself.
"Hu-uh…?" she vocalized, earning an amused smirk from Law, who pressed his lips against the coffee mug.
"I said, 'you're tired'," he repeated, "have you considered going home? I'm sure Missus Tubbs would understand."
At this, Lavender shook her head, her strawberry blonde locks falling off her shoulders. Her tired eyes narrowed almost sadly. Work was the only thing she could really do. Everyone was so busy these days, except for the children. They could play all they wanted! Roll and tumble down the hill, play in the grass… Sometimes, she wished she could join them, but alas, according to everyone else, she was too old for child's play. That she was a lady.
"N-no," she replied almost weakly, "I can't."
This caused Law to arch an eyebrow at the statement. Placing the mug down on the table, he propped his emboss on the wooden surface, laced his fingers and then rest his chin on the back of his hands.
"And why not?"
"I wouldn't be a productive member of society if I did," Lavender said, her voice reaching a pitch, her voice cracking, "and… and that it would be too much time to think."
"About what?"
"I-…" the distress was visible in her wide, panic stricken eyes, "about Benny…"
At this, Law dropped his arms and leaned back. Benny? It then clicked in the doctor's head. Oh, him.
"But that's not all," Lavender whispered, "before he-… died, he suggested we ran away. Together. Just leave the island, but I told him that I wouldn't go, because… if you do, they'll find you… And then they'll bring you back and do horrible things to you. They'll make an example out of you- to warn the others."
Law's jaw tightened suddenly as his gray eyes turned to Lavender's slouched form. What?
"Of course, I wanted to leave with him," she continued her head slumped to one side and her eyes were cast to the floor. Why am I telling him this? "But I told him that he was crazy for having such ideas. Someone must have heard us and in formed them. And then they- the Occult must have-!"
Placing on hand over her eyes, Lavender bit her bottom lip as her shoulders began to tremble. A soft, pained sob escaped from her lips…
Once Lavender had calmed down and stopped crying, Law leaned against the table. A thoughtful look appeared on his face.
"If you want… you can join my crew," he suggested nonchalantly, "judging by your baking abilities, I take it you can cook?"
Lavender nodded, surprised by Law's first statement, her eyes shifted to the side and a small, solemn smiled appeared on her face.
"Yes, I can cook, but I don't know how things usually work on a ship…"
"You can be taught."
"We could get caught by the Occult."
"We'll find a way," Law replied flatly and picked up his coffee cup and taking a sip. If the coffee she made was this good and she her cooking was good, he'd definitely like to have Lavender on his ship. The crew would appreciate it too.
"Really?" there was a slightly tint of hope- of joy, in the young woman's voice. Her eyes almost seemed to twinkle. Almost. Would Law really help her escape? Would he? "You'll really take me into you crew?"
"I said you can, didn't I?" came a laid back reply.
Law continued to eat and drink his coffee while Lavender sat there in awe. A comfortable silence fell over them like a blanket of soft snow.
That night, Lavender pulled out a tattered brown leather suitcase. Placing it on her bed, she opened in and whisked over to the oak wardrobe next to her door. Opening it, she grabbed the necessities, undergarments, some shirts, a few pants, a pair of shorts, a sweater, and some of her favorite dresses. She placed them into the open suitcase so that there was space for some other items, such as sandals and some boots, toiletries and a few accessories of great sentimental value.
Searching through the drawers on her desk, she pulled out some important documents, photos, notes and a stash of berries that she had been saving up. She placed them in the suitcase, neatly, before closing the thing. Flicking the clasps over the locks, she positioned the suitcase upright on her bed and proceeded to pull the leather belts tight to ensure that her luggage stayed close.
Law had told her to take some of her important things and some clothes, that the idea was to travel light. He had promised that they would stop at the next island and buy whatever she was missing and some more clothes for suitable climates and such. Testing the weight of the suitcase, Lavender concluded that it was not too heavy. Setting it by the window, she pressed her fingers against the smooth surface of the glass. Her eyes scanned the horizon. It was so dark, except for the pale moon that shone brightly in the sky. It's actually happening, Lavender thought, her heart fluttered at the idea, I'm actually leaving this island.
Turning around, the strawberry blonde walked back to her bed and sat down. She wore a pair of gray overalls where the pant sleeves reached the middle of her thigh and a white, long sleeves shirt under it. The hair on the sides of her face was pulled back and secures with a butterfly shaped hair clip. On her feet there were a pair of ballet flats. Her eyes wandered over to the clock on the wall. It was almost midnight. Then, Lavender's eyes traveled over to the widow. Law had not given her a specific time when they were leaving, but he did say that he would send someone to get her.
A sudden thought entered her mind. What if Law had been lying? What if he'd forgotten? Or-... Her eyelids grew heavy. What if something had gone wrong? Gently she laid down on her bed, her feet dangling off the edge, the tips of her shoes lightly grazing at the floor.
Her eye closed. So close to freedom...
When she woke up, Lavender shot up with a gasp. She picked up quiet rapping, which sent her heart and mind into a frenzy. Her eyes widened as she rapidly turned her head around, trying to locate the source of the eerie sound. Was it the Occult? Had they found out about her plan p join the Heart Pirates and leave the island. No… If that was the case they'd probably barge in through her door. But…
Quickly, she stood and rushed to the window, only to jump back with a squeak. Her hand flew to her chest in a vain attempt to calm down the rapid beating of her heart.
A smirk graced Law's face as his eyes met Lavender's. Amusement flickered in his gray orbs. He motioned her over, then cautiously glancing over his shoulder to make sure that no one was watching. Stepping forward, Lavender unlocked the widow and nudged it so that it gently swung open. For a brief moment, Law's head vanished as he ducked to avoid getting hit. Once the window was wide open, Law reappeared.
"Everything is packed, Miss?"
Lavender nodded and hoisted her suitcase onto the window sill. Law reached out, taking the suitcase before disappearing again. The woman leaned against the opening, her eyes following Law as he nimbly hung on the tree branch by her window by his leg, her suitcase dangling in one hand... That's when Lavender realized that he was not alone...