: : Seven
The library was a four story building, preserved by overgrowth of foliage and location within a small town. The nearby lake crept through the streets of the long abandoned town and shallowed in what was once a parking lot. Trees that had been pruned and cared for years ago shot up and surrounded it, leaving it nearly hidden to those walking on a roadway a few miles away. From the fourth floor window, Law could overlook trees that had taken over the town, allowing nature to flourish freely without danger to it. The rain continued to pour from the thickly clouded skies, thunder rumbling occasionally in the distance. Because of this, it was difficult to see beyond what he could. It felt stifling, but the smell of freshly falling rain felt overwhelmingly soothing. Nothing like the pollutants in Spider Miles.
Almost like the rain in Flevence.
He could hear the kids' voices ringing out from inside of the building as Brook entertained them, and while he was curious to the skeleton's appearance, Law wasn't in any mood to visit. He wanted to feel happy about Corazon's appearance but he had so many q doubts and he was still recovering from the trauma of the zombie attack. He couldn't relax, his fingers clenched tightly while his stomach was in knots.
He heard the quiet knock on the door, twitching at the sound of it. He'd taken refuge in this room, feeding the fireplace an occasional piece of wood from the stack nearby. Corazon had attempted to talk to him a few times but Law rejected his approach every time. So hearing this caused his face to grow heavy with a scowl.
"Law. It's me. Open sesame," Sanji said pleasantly, knocking again. Law shook his head with exasperation, glaring out the window once more. The kid's voice was muffled against the wood when he spoke again, so Law imagined that he was pushing his own face against the door. "The password is 'No', yes? So, No. Law? The password? This is the password, I'm using the magic password! No. Nooooooo."
"No," Luffy chimed in, his voice just as muffled. There was a mixture of voices as they argued with each other, Law wearing a sour expression as there was a brief struggle.
They alternated with his name and possible passwords, knocking and tapping at the wood. It grew so irritating that he growled and left the window seat, tempted to kick it. But instead he stood there, glaring at the locked doorknob before opening it. Luffy fell in awkwardly while Sanji looked up with a surprised look. It took a moment for Law to gather himself – both of them were now wearing terribly outdated clothing that had to be Perona's doing. Sanji had one some type of combination with a ruffled collar that looked suspiciously like a girl's blouse while Luffy was wearing a shorts and jacket set that reminded Law of funeral attire.
Luffy noticed his puzzled examination and puffed up his chest as he stood proudly. "Perona said she'd taken these from a funeral home. Right off dead bodies," he stated. "So we can be ghosts, too, like her and Brook."
"What do you brats want?" Law then asked crankily, hearing Brook laugh merrily as Sabo and Ace chimed in. Perona's screechy voice rang out with irritation, telling them to quit singing about seeing her underwear.
Sanji held up a pair of scissors, looking uneasy as Luffy attempted to cram his head between the doorframe and door, threatening to barge in with force. Law held the door in place so the kid wouldn't.
"Cora said I could have a haircut," Sanji said nervously, "and I thought it'd cheer you up if you did it."
"…Why would that cheer me up?" Law asked with exasperation, rolling his eyes with annoyance.
"Because you hate my hair."
"Cut it yourself."
"But…I want you to do it. It'd make you feel better…?"
Law was irritated with both children. He had so much defeat and anger swirling inside of him that he felt nothing could "cheer him up." The weight of the responsibility and frustration in his lack of action and strength made his very soul feel helpless and unresolved. Having the responsibility of this added thing made him feel overwhelmed. He lifted a knee to attempt to force Luffy away from the door before he could shut it, but Luffy pushed against him.
"Let us in," Luffy grunted, pushing his full weight against the door. "Let us into your cold, dark heart."
"He doesn't have one," Sanji told him, pulling at his shirt before he could get hurt. "He's only full of teenage angst, that's why he's so angry."
"I am not!" Law exclaimed with irritation, pushing against Luffy with one hand. Luffy kicked out to insert one skinny leg between doorframe and door, shoe catching on the edge. Recognizing he could hurt the kid and have more responsibility on his hands, Law opened the door with a growl. Both kids hurried inside and he shut and locked it behind them. Luffy looked around the room with awe before Sanji made himself comfortable on the window seat with a forced smile, holding the scissors up.
After several moments of angry breathing, Law turned away from the door and trudged over. He took the scissors from the kid's hand while Sanji then gave him his back and entwined his own fingers together, clenching tightly with obvious anxiety.
After so much fuss to his hair, Law did recognize that the kid was willing to sacrifice his own comfort to appease him. He sighed as Luffy crouched to pet the fur rug on the floor, oohing and ahhing over the animal's coloring.
"You sure you want a haircut?" Law asked Sanji gruffly, examining the scissors. They had been recently sharpened, he noticed.
"Yes, it's about time that I have one," Sanji replied stiffly. It sounded like he was trying to convince himself when he added, "It'll make things easier! And it'll change my appearance, and…it'll be faster to fix, and easier to clean, and…I won't look so messy. Plus, I won't be, um, recognizable. And people will see that I am a boy. See?"
Looking at the long, blond strands, Law noticed that it had been brushed recently so that it was easier to manage. Sanji unclenched his fingers to brush through them himself.
"Perona did it so that you can cut it easier."
After opening and closing the scissors, Law exhaled shortly. "Do you even want it cut?"
"I do," Sanji reassured him hastily, but his expression clearly showed his reluctance. Luffy ventured over with a curious expression, leaning against the window seat with both hands and sniffing the long strands with a deep inhale.
"You smell like smoke and ass," he said with an observant look. Sanji pushed him away with an impatient sound. "Hurry up! Hurry up, Law, then come look at the things we found."
"There's a lot of books you might like to see," Sanji then told Law quickly, before Luffy could. "Brook found them. They're medical tomes. Tomes is a fancy word for a book."
"Law, do you want to be a doctor?" Luffy asked curiously, resuming leaning over with his big black eyes peering up at Law curiously. Law wondered how the kid obtained his odd looking scar underneath his eye. "That's so cool – you can fix me when I get all banged up doing manly things."
"Law wants to be a doctor," Sanji insisted, "because - !"
"Both of you are giving me a headache," Law muttered, fiddling with the scissors once more. He looked to the blonde strands, and clumsily ran his fingers through, Sanji's back stiffening up as he prepared himself for the first cut. "Are you sure you want this cut?"
"Do it, you sissy."
Luffy watched intently as Sanji's voice trembled. After Law didn't move, Luffy scoffed, "It's just hair!"
"It's not just hair," Law muttered impatiently, "it means something to him."
"It was a status symbol," Sanji explained to Luffy quietly, "but it means nothing, now."
Luffy gave him a skeptic look. "Why? That you are a wannabe girl?"
"NO!"
"Just that he came from royalty," Law mumbled as Luffy looked puzzled at Sanji's response.
"Now that I am not," Sanji said with a nervous clearing of his throat, fiddling with his fingers, "it makes sense that I cut my hair. So…do it."
"Princess? Princess Sanji!"
"SHUT UP!"
"Quiet, stupid," Law snapped at Luffy, looking at Sanji's hair once more. Now that he was given the task, he felt reluctant to take on the responsibility. He scrunched up his face with concentration as Sanji stiffened once more, waiting for him to make the move. Luffy, after vibrating with impatience, reached for the scissors to do it himself.
"I'll do it! It's just hair! Ace cuts mine all the time!"
"And that's why you look stupid!" Sanji snapped at him, pushing him away as Law held the scissors out of Luffy's reach.
Feeling impatient with the entire thing, Law grabbed a handful and cut through it. Sanji froze and Luffy's eyes widened while Law found himself hesitating once he gripped the severed strands in one hand. The silence that fell over them felt heavy. Luffy noticed Sanji's face tensing and then starting to crumble. Despite his earlier gung-ho, he reached out and patted the blonde's knee with a sympathetic expression. Law found himself frozen as he stared at the light strands in hand; the frayed ends, the silky light coloring that had earned so much jeering from him in the past. He felt instant regret.
After taking a deep breath, Sanji braced himself. "Now that you did it, do it all!"
Seeing the section of shortened strands, Law realized that this couldn't be fixed. So he swallowed tightly and set aside the handful of hair. Luffy instantly reached out and snagged it, putting it atop of his own head.
"Look at me, I'm Sanji!" he sang, twirling away while strands fell away from him. "I'm so pretty!"
"I'm not pretty!" Sanji snarled after him, then glared at Law with fire in his eyes. "Hurry up!"
Reluctantly, Law obeyed. He managed to clumsily cut up to his shoulders and realized he couldn't fashion it into a more reasonable design. But the sight of Sanji with short hair made Law feel funny inside. He wasn't sure what it was, Luffy pirouetting away from them while dropping blonde strands everywhere. Sanji wiped his face with one hand then reached up to examine the cut for himself.
"Don't leave it like that!" he protested shakily. "It still looks girlish!"
"I can't – do it - ! I'll make it look even more funny!" Law exclaimed, seeing that he'd given him a short bob that didn't lessen the kid's girlish appearance. Concentrating on the task, he continued to cut while Luffy snatched more strands and piled it atop of his head. He ran out from the room to shout for the others' attention while Sanji sat stiffly, allowing Law to push and force his head forward so that it was shorter at the neck. Eventually, it turned into a messy trim with uneven strands atop, but Law was reluctant to cut any more than that.
Sanji's shaking hands went to examine his newly revealed shoulder and neckline, touching the shortened strands. But he swallowed tightly, blinking rapidly as his mouth shifted into an awkwardly forced smile. "Do I look more like a boy, now?" he asked Law with a shaky voice.
Law didn't feel any better at all as Sanji struggled to maintain his smile.
"I like it, thank you," he told Law, struggling to reassure him. "You'll see. It'll be easier. It's easier already!"
"You have a big head," Law mumbled uncomfortably, looking down at the strands between them.
"It's full of big brains."
Despite himself, Law snorted, mouth struggling with his own awkward smile. He felt awful. Why this thing was drawing such a disastrous feeling to build up inside of him after feeling terrible already made him feel frustrated again. He wiped his nose and handed the scissors to Sanji.
"Cut mine," he ordered as Sanji gave him a puzzled look. "Just…cut it! Just cut it short. I don't know, like Luffy's, or - !"
"It's already short."
"Just do it. Just cut it wherever, I don't care. Just cut it."
Sanji studied him with uncertainty, then traded him places. They could hear Luffy shouting with outrage from somewhere within the building, but Brook was laughing merrily once more. After a few minutes of snipping around his neck and ears, Sanji stood back and winced.
"I made your head look like a mushroom," he whispered with apology, Law reaching up to find that his hair had been cut severely short around his ears and neck, with uneven strands around his crown and forehead. He was too tired to feel self-conscious about it, sighing heavily as he looked down at the blue-black strands around him, mixed with Sanji's longer hair.
"Are you…sad about what happened?"
Law found himself bothered by the soft question. His first reaction was to lash out at the kid for even bothering to ask, but he held back because maybe there wasn't a point to hide these things, anymore. Several moments of consideration made the kid impatient. He was then startled at the feel of the scissors pressed against his neck.
"I can stab you to death and no one can save you," Sanji then hissed at him, but Law couldn't take him seriously because the threat was given with much childish effort and the kid was near tears, anyway.
"Knock it off. You couldn't kill someone if you tried. You'd cry," Law scoffed impatiently, knocking the scissors away from his throat.
"No I wouldn't. Then you'd be free. That's what you want, right?"
Law twisted his head to look at him, seeing the kid's face droop with disappointment. Once Sanji noticed that Law was looking at him, he made to threaten him again but Law took the scissors away and placed them away from his reach.
"Don't be dumb," Law then said with a low sigh, feeling unsettled by the seemingly new look to the boy. Now he looked like a boy – but the harshness of the new haircut revealed too much and made Law realize he would miss seeing that messy hair nest of his. He cleared his throat. "I guess you look like a boy…"
"I look stupid."
"Yeah…"
Sanji sniffled, struggling to repress his expression and failing. Law watched him struggle, wincing because it was suddenly uncomfortable for both of them.
"I don't know, maybe if you put effort into it, you'd look okay," Law then said, struggling to give a compliment and finding it awkward to give. He felt stupid for encouraging him. Sanji gave him a look of revulsion.
"Like I'd want to look good for you."
"I hope you don't because that's just gross, anyway! You're just a stupid kid!"
"And you're a stupid mushroom head!"
Law huffed, finding himself reaching up to touch his shorn hair with some self-conscious action while Sanji covered his newly bared neck with both hands. Both of them sat in silence, looking down at hair that sat in patches at their laps and on the window seat.
To answer Sanji's earlier question, Law then mumbled, "And…I do. Feel that…because that was…knowing that I was powerless to do anything."
Sanji looked at him with red eyes but he seemed to cheer up when he was answered. He sniffed as his small shoulders relaxed a little. "It's okay to feel sad," he then offered, "because you're not an adult. You ended up saving us twice. Ace couldn't kill that monster. And we get another day to do stuff. And we met Brook and Perona. And found out that Corazon was still alive. And that wouldn't have happened if you hadn't done all that."
Despite his earlier feelings of heavy guilt, Law had to take that into consideration. But he wasn't going to allow that to fix anything. In the eyes of a child, he supposed anything he did would be a big thing to them. He nodded, his mind seeking a proper reply.
Law was surprised when Sanji suddenly hugged him from behind.
"Thank you!" Sanji said, squeezing him before jumping off the window seat with the scissors and racing off, ears noticeably red before he disappeared. Law wasn't sure what that was about, still feeling the weight of the kid's hug on his skin.
In the end, Perona ended up cutting all the kids' hair with a set of clippers, Brook watching with concern. She trimmed up Law's hair and fashioned Sanji's into a reasonable style. She sheered through Sabo's and gave Ace a light trim. Corazon was forcing Luffy to wash his hair, as he'd slapped on everyone's discarded hair atop of his so that he could attempt to look like Brook.
Later that evening after dinner, Law found the pile of books that the boys had found for him. The library was big enough with plenty of space to keep the kids amused while they waited out the rain outside. The pile of books were placed near a smaller fireplace on the second floor that gave Law some privacy to himself. It had once been an archive room; windowless, with a metal door that required two keys to access. But the door was propped open by a stack of concrete blocks and there were candles alit inside. There were a few rolls of paper available for him to use, along with a set of pencils. A hot tea kettle and homemade tea bags were delicately propped up on a plate nearby, along with some clumsily made snacks.
Law was aware that they were all tip-toeing around him – but with Ace openly glowering at him – and that made him feel guilty for his mood. He would have appreciated the gesture back at Spider Miles, for Doflamingo allowed him whatever mood he was in, but now Law felt undeserving of it. After all, he told himself, he wasn't the only one to have escaped death.
He flipped through the books with interest, finding new material he hadn't seen before and old articles he was familiar with. He couldn't seem to relax enough to begin absorbing the information he found, restlessly flipping through pages with a struggle. Corazon knocked on the door, and Law reluctantly allowed him his company.
"Once the rain lets up," Corazon said slowly, smelling heavily of smoke as he sat down on a bench crowded with books nearby, "we'll leave. The river nearby – it branches out into the main one we'd crossed. It'll take us away from here. I can find the colony from there, and we'd be okay."
Law fiddled with the pages of his book, feeling the weight of his sullen expression on his face. "Doffy will continue looking for us."
"Maybe." Corazon wore an uncertain frown. "But I'm sure he'd give up after awhile. The alliance he had with the Vinsmokes…it was on shaky terms, anyway. Children are known to get lost very easily."
"How many more people will have to die because of this?"
"It'll be on Doffy's hands, Law. Not yours." Corazon then pierced him with a look. "None of this was your fault. Stop taking needless responsibility of it."
Law frowned at him.
"It was my responsibility to keep you guys close, but my plan failed, and therefore, I failed you two. You're just learning your abilities, you can't possibly think you could save everyone. But you saved some lives. Yours, and the kids'."
"But at the cost of how many other people, Cora?"
Corazon swallowed tightly before saying, "Those kids told me what happened. Despite the promise Shanks had made with the others, clearly, those people had wanted all of you safe no matter what."
Law stared at him with bitter regret. "At the expense of their own lives? It's not fair…our lives don't guarantee more."
"Instead of wasting your time living your life with regret, learn to live your life being grateful for what you already have!" Corazon wore a frustrated expression. "You were given so many chances to live, Law! You aren't even grateful for being able to breathe another day, or to understand how many had given their lives just so you can be here."
Because Law was aware of how easy life was taken away, those swirling feelings inside of him had him mumbling petulantly, "No one asked them to."
"I understand growing up without your parents, and having no choice in your marriage was…all of it….frustrating and very…unfair…but you have a new chance to make it yours," Corazon added. "It seems like you were able to do something fantastic with your abilities. Those kids mentioned you took that thing apart from the inside."
Law stared down at the book he had opened in his lap. He was looking at a pair of pages with detailed anatomies of all genders. When he didn't say anything, Corazon tried again.
"I think that – "
"More people will die, Cora," Law then said slowly, lifting his hands from the book. His expression was grim, unwavering. "Being away from the safety of a colony allowed me to see just what people really think of us. We're just things to people, not…not humans."
"Not everyone thinks that way – "
"I refuse to speak of us as a set in front of others. Those kids laughed when Sanji tried to explain to them what we are. I only have my powers because of this."
"For your protection – "
"And this damn bond won't go away until one of us is dead so I can't make any decisions without having him near me," Law continued over him, "so I'm as much shackled to him as he is to me. I can't make a choice without him, so much of the choices I make in life aren't of my own free will – they're to include him, too. I can't even be an individual."
"…I understand…"
"Those suppressants would allow me a chance to take at least some time away from him to do what I want without having to think about what he's doing. And he can't even feel the same way towards me because he's just a stupid kid that doesn't know what that shackle feels like, yet. By the time he starts feeling that way, both of us won't have a choice in doing something other than breeding. Like…animals. So why do people have to die because all I want is medicine for some time away to feel like a fucking human being?"
Corazon shifted uncomfortably. "When I'd heard of this colony – "
"Even if we get there," Law interrupted, "Doffy will find out. And he'll ruin that, too."
"Not exactly."
"I'm tired of having people die around me, Cora," Law asserted quietly. "…I'm tired."
Corazon's lips thinned. "So, are you saying you'd rather just…return to Spider Miles?"
"Doffy wouldn't kill any more people once we returned."
"Doflamingo has been killing other people since before you arrived to Spider Miles, Law. For territory, for shallow disputes, for reputation! That's what he does, and none of it is your fault! You can't appease the monster by sacrificing yourself, and even if you did return, do you honestly think your life will improve? Half of the shit you've learned so far on your own, you would've never known! He knew you were too smart, he knew he had to do something to discourage you! This is one of his tactics, and it's fucking ridiculous that he'd wage war against a mere teenager! Much like how you wage war against a nine year old!" Corazon ended with exasperation, hands jerking about with emphasis.
Law continued to wear a sullen expression.
"Going back won't solve any problems," Corazon added stiffly. "You just have to keep moving forward, Law. This bond you two have? It's an unfortunate circumstance, but it's one that can be useful for you both."
"Shanks is an alpha, isn't he?"
Corazon shifted in his seat with a puzzled look. "No. He's actually an omega."
Law looked confused as he was corrected. Corazon chuckled at his expression.
"There's a lot of misconceptions out there regarding sub genders, and you were only fed those as a way to keep you tethered. But, yes, he's…I told you before, omegas have their own abilities that they grow into. He was wandering around quite freely, wasn't he? Making his own choices, influencing others – yes, he was in a rush to get back to his pair, but I assure you he'll be gone just as quickly for another length of time away from his alpha." Seeing Law's expression lighten with some relief caused Corazon a wan smile. "The suppressants do help."
"…Does he have kids, too?"
"I don't know him too well to give away personal information. There's hope, Law. Unfortunately in these times, it's slim and it's often pocked with tragedy but…it's there."
Law looked back down at his book, feeling discomforted. "But there will be more deaths upon my hands because of my own selfish reasons. I was given these abilities to – fix life as much as I destroy it."
Corazon frowned tightly. "We can't think of it that way."
Law only regarded him with grim understanding, already settled in his decision. Seeing that the teen was too stubborn to allow any other thinking, Corazon realized he wouldn't get any further with him right now. He shifted upon his seat, elbows upon knees and hands clasped together. When he realized he couldn't find anything else to say, Corazon left wordlessly.
Law scratched at his newly cut hair, uncomfortable with the style. But his appearance didn't matter, anymore, he felt. He lacked confidence in himself.
Hours passed when he was finally able to absorb the things he was looking at. The library had fallen quiet by the time he'd noticed, and only because the stillness was unwelcome. He did hear soft snores coming from the hallway, thinking that the kids had passed out somewhere nearby. He was writing down a few outlines when he heard a light curse outside the doorway. Law's heart leapt into his throat with fear as his pencil scratched over the paper when his hand gave an involuntary jerk.
Brook peered in, and that nearly gave Law a heart attack in itself. He wasn't used to the man's appearance.
"You have a terrible guardian," Brook said lightly, ducking to enter. He was carrying a tray with new snacks and a heated tea kettle that still wafted with steam. "Unable to keep watch or give out any security alerts…anyway, I've come to refresh your refreshments."
"Why do you look like that?" Law then asked, watching him replace the first tray with the second.
"Well, long ago," Brook began, his tone light and soothing, "the outbreak happened. Many people died in the first infestation. I was one of them. Unfortunately, I didn't die. I just rotted to this svelte appearance and lived for years after. Still don't have a clue why…but my hair is gorgeous, you have to admit…"
Law furrowed his brow with consideration, quite certain sub genders had started making its appearance long after that time period, when the human population began to dwindle to dangerously low amounts.
"And Perona?"
"Same story. There's actually many of us out there, we just haven't been discovered, yet."
"Are you…a monster?"
"I hope not!" Brook whispered with shock, causing Law exasperation. "You know, they say animals and children are good judgement of a person's character. I must have the very best because animals love me enough to want to chew on me and children scream with delight at the sight of me."
Unable to find humor in his mirth, Law just waited for the skeleton to stop giggling to himself.
"I haven't seen children in so long," Brook continued, sitting delicately upon the bench Corazon had abandoned hours ago, "that I have no idea how to interact with them. So teenagers are tough to negotiate."
"I've never been an easy person to get along with."
"Why is that?" Brook asked, pouring himself some coffee. Realizing that it was coffee, Law set his pencil aside and allowed the man to serve him, too.
"Because…" Law thought about all the reasons why he wasn't a pleasant person to get along with. But he couldn't find anything fitting to give.
"Were you allowed to be a child?"
"Yeah. Until I saw all that."
"And now?"
"…I could get soft. And I'm no good soft. Especially with these powers."
"You're an alpha."
"I don't want to talk about that."
"You don't have to." Brook sipped at his coffee and Law couldn't help but stare, wondering where it went. He waited to hear the fluid collect on the floor after, but no sound came. So he furrowed his brow as Brook enjoyed his coffee, not bothering to entertain his curiosity. "The children mentioned you'd taken apart a monster…"
"I did. My magic…I can form this…room. And I somehow…attune myself to the subject in front of me. I have to look at it, or otherwise I don't…merge."
"That's interesting."
"I can take things apart, but putting them back together is difficult because I haven't gotten that far into my studies. So…I don't."
Brook lowered his cup, his dark eyes seemingly enlarging with interest. He set his cup aside and gestured grandly at himself. "Then let me offer myself to be your first subject! Look at me – I'm just bone!"
Aghast, Law stared at him. The idea was interesting, but he wasn't certain about the little details in between. What if he couldn't put Brook back together, or somehow killed him? His hand shook with nervousness as he set his own cup down.
Brook stood, removing his jacket to reveal an old t-shirt over jeans that were patched together. "We're both men here, so don't be alarmed if you see something that is smaller on you."
Law gave him an exasperated look as Brook once again giggled to himself, removing all of his clothes. But it fascinated his curiosity to see that the man's skeletal structure was just that – save for the brush of dark hair atop of his skull. Brook covered himself reflexively, then laughed noisily as he danced about.
"I'm a hit at Halloween, I assure you!"
"Do you feel pain?"
Brook paused in mid-dance, then contemplated the question. He shrugged as Law then told himself that was a dumb question if Brook didn't have any nerve endings. "Let's find out together," Brook then said lightly, clapping his hands together.
"Why are you naked?" Sanji asked sleepily from the doorway, peering in. Brook shrieked and covered himself once more – arm over his chest and another over his pelvis.
"He's going to let me take him apart," Law told him. "What are you doing? Go back to bed!"
"I can't, now," Sanji complained, crawling in, dragging a pile of blankets with him. Law realized it was his snores he'd heard earlier. "I can help. I can write."
Law made to reject the offer when he realized that the kid could be helpful in taking notes while he concentrated on holding his room in place. So while Brook laughed and made a big show of his 'nakedness', dancing in front of the fire place, Law showed Sanji where to make notes in a page he'd found of skeletal anatomy, and the kid assured him he was awake to do this.
Many hours later, Brook walked into the appointed dining area, causing screams of surprise from those that were sleepily waiting for breakfast. His head was off-center, his ribs were misplaced, and his shoulders were crookedly clinging to half completed arms that were attached to the wrong joints. He screamed back in response, covering his chest with arms meant for the opposite side. He then laughed merrily as Sabo fainted and Corazon struggled to regain his stoic appearance. Ace's mouth dropped open and Luffy lost his breath, face locked with revulsion. Perona's darkly lined mouth dropped open with horror, her pale shoulders cringing.
Law followed, looking at the skeleton with anxiety, clearly lacking sleep. "I just need a little more time! My assistant fell asleep!"
"Looks like you'll be staying for a little longer," Brook then told Corazon lightly. He waved at the boys with his left hand attached to his right forearm, which clung to his left humerus, which was stuffed into his right scapula.
"You don't feel any pain at all?" Corazon asked with a perplexed reaction.
"Just a little out of line! But no pain," Brook assured him, looking down at himself. He adjusted a rib, then rapped on his sternum. "It only feels like I'd slept funny…"
"You don't have a body to feel that!" Perona snapped at him, slowly drawing her mouth closed.
"You're right! I don't! Yo ho ho ho hoho!" Brook laughed, flailing his arms and causing many expressions of disgust.
"It's not funny!"
Luffy laughed loudly. "You're so funny, Brook!"
"No, he's not!"
"I can fix him, I just need a little more time," Law assured Corazon with alarm.
"You need a little more sleep," Corazon corrected him. "Go on. It's still raining. You can rest. Perona's going to show the kids a few places nearby while I make a run to the closest town to see if I can find word on Doffy's whereabouts."
"What if he comes here while you're gone?" Law then asked as the kids returned their attention to Brook, who patiently told them the names of each bone that was currently sitting out of line.
Corazon smiled at Law gently, trying to reassure him that it wasn't his responsibility to bear. "Don't worry. Zombies would find no interest here. There's a lot of dead here, already. Brook and Perona will be of valuable assistance if it should come to that."
Law wondered what he meant by that, furrowing his brow. But as he saw the trio occupied with trying to fix Brook, he realized he could use some sleep. He knew he wouldn't be able to relax enough to sleep for very long with the thought that anything could happen if he rested, but he did recognize that he was holding himself hostage. He nodded faintly, looking at Brook with reluctant action.
"Go on," Corazon prodded, nodding towards the stairway. "Go get some sleep."
After some hesitation, Law turned and left the room, Corazon watching him go with a fading smile. He exhaled lightly, noticing that the kids were too entertained by Brook to notice the exchange. Smiling in their direction, he drummed his fingertips atop of the table with withdrawal crying for mercy in his system before he rose from the bench and excused himself.
Greeny: He is growing :D The pair are starting to change a little! Thank you – Grandpa Brook is valuable to have around!
Naghi-Tan: It might be a good thing…we'll see in the future if it is D: Brook is a good thing – hopefully it lasts long enough for the kids to catch a break!
