PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTE! IMPORTANT UPDATE! READ IT! GRRR.
Hello there fellow friends! *dodges knives* It's been awhile since I last updated this story and I have to apologize, profusely. *drops and rolls from grenade* Hey lets be civil here... Please imagine that I am kneeling down and lowering my head in apology. Sorry! Really. Anyways, this chapter comes with a bit of bad news. D: Yeah I know, but don't worry! I'm not giving up on this story!
I've decided to put another fanfiction as priority, Wrinkles and Diapers. So if you get sick of waiting for this Finding You Again, please visit WaD instead. I'll be updating that one more frequently. Of course, I might surprise you guys with an update for FYA on occasion. Yup, the reason why I haven't been updating is because of that story! And yes, I realize it was a bad idea to start another fanfiction, but I couldn't pass up the idea for that one and my fingers were itching to write it! It's a Law/OC story, so if any of you kind folks are interested in that please read! :D
Also, thank you to Mikila94, Chuu112, and random Guest for your Chapter 10 reviews. And thank you to all you patient folks out there, this chapter is for you peeps. :D
Disclaimer: One Piece isn't mine. There.
PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTE! IMPORTANT UPDATE! READ IT! GRRR.
Journal Entry #103
I've gotten myself into a little bit of a pinch. Just a little bit. You see, when I first arrived on Pinying Island, I had the sudden great idea to go get drunk. And you know what a drunk Lori's like. I- well, I'm not exactly proud of drunk Lori you could say. Let's just say... I accidentally smashed a bottle of cognac on an up-and-coming gang boss. And then I accidentally kneed him in the groin. Then I just happened to insult his mother. Yup. I'm not proud of drunk mother-insulting Lori.
Now I'm hiding in some dark and damp alley while his pea-brained minions are looking for me. Ehh, maybe it's time I leave this place. Which is what I'd like to do, but the log pose hasn't set yet. Freaking pineapples. Heh- pineapples.
Oh shit- (unintelligible scrawls).
Lori's combat boots landed with a soft flump on the sandy beach of Pinying Island, causing a swirl of white sand to rise into the air. She sneezed, and before putting her cowboy hat and knapsack on, she wiped the snot hanging off her nose with her white tee collar-making yet another stain. She realized she was being quite unsanitary, but really. Adventures were so over-romanticized. There was only so much a girl could do in the middle of the ocean to keep clean. There was also many things that a person had to consider when taking an extended adventure-vacation. Why, there was the food and water, firstly. Sleeping arrangements. Then the bathroom necessity. Don't get her started there. What with the rare porcelain toilets and scarce toilet paper and gosh not the hair. Ooh, and the shower head stalls? (Pfft, who needs them? Lakes were fine.) There was also sickliness (scurvy, for one). And then money. Always money. Good thing she was stinkin' rich right now.
Cleanliness was a much elusive fairy on the sea. Which was why she didn't bother much except to keep decent looking. Ish. She usually cleaned up well when she popped onto another island though, so who was complaining?
Lastly, there was the boredom. Endless days sailing on water. Nobody should really blame her if she liked to pull a couple pranks here and there. Sure, most people could do without. Yet Lori often spent days on the water without any company since she wanted to travel solo. Little wonder how much time she put into plotting various schemes to pull a fast one over any special suckers she took a liking to. She had a dedicated little section in her new journal for the pranks.
Other than her conniving, there was really nothing else she could do but write and write some more about her adventures. There was singing, but not even she wanted to hear her tonelessness 24/7. It was actually quite amazing that Lori hadn't gone crazy(-er) with only herself and the fishies to talk to. Anybody without a strong mind would go a little mad at hearing their own mental voice for too long a time in solitude. A neverending static, especially for a mind like Lori's. The constant arguing, the incessant worrying, the suggestions inside her head.
And then that one. That other voice that she tried her best to ignore. The one that keep telling her to go home, and that it's been far too long. Playtime was over. You've found One Piece, or so the journal had said. Now it's time to go 'home.'
Then Lori would sing loudly and tunelessly to drown out that stupid nagging voice.
Luckily, Lori hadn't had too long a voyage to Pinying Island. Only a day and a half. It was enough time to make another list of pranks to pull, and a list of things to buy at the city she had spotted as she came closer to the coastline. The city was shiny, with mini skyscrapers and neon signs she could see from even miles away. She couldn't wait to see the sights and the people. Following the log pose, she was sure this was the next island she had stopped at after Banjo Island during the Negated Times (she still thought that name sounded cool in her head). There was also this memory tugging in her head that made her feel nostalgic. This was the course, no question about it.
Lori had tied her teeny boat to a tree hanging over the beach shore. Before stepping off the boat, she had made sure to take a small bag of beri with her and a bit of food to eat on the fifteen minute walk to the city along the coastline. She stashed the rest of her beri in the secret compartment of the boat hidden under the seat, right next to her bottles of pink dye and glitter. Then she set off towards the city humming a little tune that reminded her of little ponies with attitude.
From the dark tangled mess of a jungle, two pairs of dark brown eyes watched as Lori walked towards the big city. One pair of eyes were set on the Lori's boat, while the other was flickering between the distant figure and a small photo in her little hands.
"That's her! I know it's her, look at the picture Gēgē." The little girl excitedly pointed at a photo, showing her elder brother with a big grin. "We found her! Now we can-"
"Turn her in to the hēibāng lǎodà. Then steal her boat." He finished sharply. "Let's go tell the lǎodà, Lán." He turned to leave towards the city dragging his sister with her by the wrist.
Lán's expression fell. "But Gēgē..."
"It's been two years. We've waited long enough to escape." He carefully winded through the jungle, helping his sister climb over logs and parting branches for her. "...We've waited long enough." He repeated, dark brown eyes intent on something far away.
Lán frowned, but regardless followed her brother through the jungle. She cast a sad look over her shoulder.
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It seemed that the moment Lori had stepped into the city, she was swept into the currents of the crowd, twisting and turning her until she was quite confused about where she was headed. She realized with swiftness that her pink cowboy hat was too eye-catching in this crowd, and so when she had gotten the chance she escaped into a little alley to take a breather and stuff her hat into her black hole of a knapsack. In this sort of city, there were too many things happening to pay attention to anything. At the very least she should make herself blend in so that she could observe without catching any unwanted attention.
Just as Lori turned around to throw herself back into the sea of people, a gust of wind blew a dirty piece of paper onto her face.
"Bleh!" She cried, wrinkling her nose and peeling the paper off with disdain. What a brave piece of paper, daring to smack her in the face. She was about to crumple the worn piece of paper up when she realized it was an old wanted poster. Her eyes widened in disbelief and her jaw dropped a couple millimeters.
It read: Wanted, Dead or Alive.
Ana, The Actor.
The reward amount was illegible.
The picture was slightly blurry, but Lori could make out a girl with a short bob hairstyle wearing a wide-rimmed hat that kept the snow from falling on her head. The shadow of the hat covered part of her face, but her eyes were barely visible. Her eyes were coldly staring sideways at the cameraman. Her demeanor was very offhanded, almost bored.
And of course, of course.
It was her.
Two- no, three years ago. It was a picture taken by a colleague. That jerk.
Judging by the state of the poster, it had been posted up a long while ago, probably snatched off a wall by the strength of the wind. She'd give it a year or two. It must have been issued during the time she had gone on her little adventure.
Which only meant one thing. The photo was leaked to the marines with the nickname 'The Actor' to accompany it.
If she wasn't trying to stop her habit of profanity, she would have cursed a few choice words that started with F (don't forget the -ing) and S (in italics to emphasize). Notably, the S-word would be another word for poop, dung, feces, crap, cow pies, manure, or- her personal favorite because it sounded very posh- ordure.
Yep. That bastard. Did bastard count as a curse word? Oops. That...jerk. Gosh this was making her vocabulary very small indeed.
Either way, this was something that explained many things for Lori. Firstly, Bonney. She had said something about looking familiar, though she couldn't quite place it since the picture was old and really the two Lori's are so very different now. Bonney must have seen the wanted poster sometime in the span of two years ago. So they really hadn't met at all face-to-face before their last encounter. No memories needed to figure that out. Secondly, she had wondered for some time now what her former colleagues were doing about her disappearance for the past two years. Well this explained it. They had been actively searching for her, even going as far as making a wanted poster with the marines label on it. They were looking for her, and they knew what she looked like. It meant her adventures wasn't just that, it was also a game of hide-and-seek. And lastly, tying in with number two, they were trying to contact her. If the nickname wasn't clue enough as a message, then the name Ana was. Something was going to happen. They wanted her back... but for what?
Although she should have been mortified by the fact that she was no longer able to enjoy some carefree travel time, she actually felt a little bit of anxiety. Oh wait. No that was the adrenaline. Her mistake. She was excited, even though she shouldn't be. Because she was supposed to feel horrified, not giddy. She worked her face into an unhappy look she hoped would soon mirror her emotions. However a small grin worked its way to her lips.
The Actor.
She felt a bit appreciative of the title they had given her. Although she would have preferred it if they hadn't slapped her face onto a wanted poster along with it. It made going around inconspicuous a little harder. And if need be, she would never be able to use the name Ana without its risks.
Lori folded the wanted poster, putting it in her journal and then stuffing it into her bag.
At least now she knew she had to be wary. However the poster made her wonder whether the Lori during the Negated Times had noticed the wanted poster. She must have- if it meant that she hadn't been captured yet. She bit her lips, wondering "What now?" aloud. She fingered the silver bracelet around her wrist. There was no way she would let them take her back, and there was no way she would go back herself.
There was still an adventure to be had.
Lori sucked in a lungful of air and breathed out.
Right. One Piece, remember?
Deciding to find the nearest tavern to get information, Loriana stepped back out into the crowd to let herself be given a sightseeing tour via mob traffic.
Ace landed on the opposite side of Pinying Island from where Lori had docked. He had arrived there strikingly fast... on his Striker. It wasn't a coincidence that Ace had come to Pinying Island. He was following a trail, and he was hot on in. Pun not intended (Maybe). A little earlier in his pursuit of Lori, he had stopped by at the Twin Capes. A word with Crocus the lighthouse keeper and he knew Lori hadn't made it all the way to the Capes. He wasn't about to give up though. With the surprisingly great memory of the old Crocus, Ace was pointed towards the island Loriana had first gone to two years ago. It seemed Lori was able to make an impression on the old guy. When Ace had asked, Crocus merely grunted and drank a bigger gulp of rum.
At Banjo Island, Ace had no trouble whatsoever finding traces of Lori. It certainly helped that there was only one small town on the entire island. A word with the barkeep at the local tavern revealed that Lori had been looking for a job. One look at the poor restaurant Lori had worked at showed that there was quite a scuffle she had been involved in. The owner had told him that Lori was paid generously for getting rid of a dangerous rookie pirate. Apparently she had already left for the next island on route. Pinying Island.
Ace was already raring to go after her. However on the way back to his Striker he had run into a small encounter.
A large blubbery man jumped out of the bushes and yelled "Stand and deliver!" The poor fellow was trying to rob him blind. Ace could have knocked him flat, but he felt a strange pity for the man whose name was something wannabe bandit. After smacking the guy to get his undivided attention, Ace had given the bandit a couple of pointers. He spent a short while giving the man lessons on how to act tough and intimidating. The guy took furious notes and nodded every so often sitting on the dirt road. However in the end Ace recommended the man to follow another occupation, maybe something in trade. After his short impromptu lesson, Ace left the man (who thanked Ace profusely on his knees) and immediately headed towards Pinying Island.
Upon sight of the island, Ace blew out a furious breath. Finally! That Lori was going to be caught by him at last. The log pose would not set until a week has passed. Which meant he had some time to find her on the island. Plenty of time for him.
As he stepped onto the beach, a large grin split his face. "You're going down, Lori!"
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The more Lori saw the place, the more she felt there was something wrong about it. Walking around the area, she could see towering buildings made of metal and neon signs that pointed towards little businesses set full of yelling owners. Wires were strewn overhead between buildings and worn out red lanterns decorated parts of the area. From far away, the city had looked very clean and pretty with the shine the metal reflected from the sun. However, up close and personal, the city was... a little run down. Like a downtown. She snorted. Anywho, the streets were rather worse for wear, with potholes and uneven dirt and cement in places. Floating along with the crowd, Lori noticed that the inhabitants of this city were quite skittish, jumping at sudden sounds and biting their bottom lips as if they were worried about something.
There was something wrong with this place she realized, and Lori intended to find out what.
For a while now she had been feeling anxious. Not excited anxious, but nervous anxious. The city brought up some kind of gnawing in her mind. She felt as if there was something she needed to do, and quick. However she didn't know what. She bit her own lip in frustration, but nevertheless decided to find the nearest bar to gather information. She'd tried asking around the crowd, but they had shrugged her off and hurried off to wherever they were going in a faster pace. That was when Lori noticed the people didn't even look at each other, didn't even talk to each other. There was something really wrong with this place.
Gosh, the doc manager thing is pissing me off with it's disappearing dividing lines. If it seems like the perspective switch was a bit jarring, that probably means there was a dividing line that had disappeared because doc manager is a douche. Sorry! I'll replace it with several xxxxx's to imitate a borderline.
Yuuupp. Does it seem like Lori's mind state and weirdness is a bit more explained now? Meh. Review and tell me what you think! If there's anything that doesn't seem to make sense tell me, because it's been awhile since I last looked this fanfiction over.
hēibāng lǎodà = gang boss
lǎodà= boss
Lán= delicate orchid
Gēgē= older brother
Pinying Island is inspired from a Chinatown. Pinying doesn't actually mean anything that I know of but the word is similar to Pinyin which is the name for the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Latin alphabet "a, b, c, etc".
I feel like I'm forgetting something... oh well. Please visit Wrinkles and Diapers everyone!