Kidd wiggled his bare toes in the damp sand, nerves tingling in response to the ocean's call.
As a fruit user, this was the closest he could get to the ocean. He stretched out with a parting of his jaws, fingers brushing sand as he arced them far above his head. The sand's softer here than on Nummett...I wonder if this place has a proper name at all...
Kidd lay in only his pants along the edge of the shore, basking in the sun like a lethargic cat. The somniferous heat lulled him in and out of a dreamless sleep, his limbs pliant and warm. He had the island to himself for the time being, as his crew ventured deep into the jungle to discover its concealed riches. If they find anything, Kidd mused, shivering when the waves skimmed the beneath pads of his toes, this place might be deserted...either way I get a few hours of peace...
Don't get him wrong, he loved his crew. He wouldn't sail with them if he couldn't tolerate them. But almost two weeks with no sight of land and a dwindled supply of unsalted popcorn, one could get a bit antsy with the most compliant of folk.
I haven't spoken to Trafalgar since we set sail, either...
The conversation they shared over the phone weighed heavily on his mind during the lull of travel. Even more so in conjunction with the long monologue given of his past, and, now that Kidd knew how raw and broken the infamous doctor was, he could no longer see the man in the same light. He knew well how unwanted and repulsive it was to be pitied, but it wasn't altruism either.
In his leisure he had browsed the small library they had on board and read as much as he could find on the small country of Flevance. Unsurprisingly, most of what Trafalgar had said had not matched up with what had been recorded in the history books.
...a highly infectious disease spread rapidly throughout the prosperous nation, and the borders were quickly closed to prevent further contamination...
...several citizens attempted to escape their country in hopes of a cure, but instead became the plague they so intensely feared...
...Any poor souls attempting to find treatment were violently turned away...
...Within the year, the Flevanch had become extinct due to unforeseeable tragedy...
...No survivors...
...The proud people of Flevance turned away all attempts to aid them...
Every book that spoke of Trafalgar's lost city only spewed lies and conveniant coverups that would show the World Government in a positive light. There was no mention of a small child hiding in a pile of corpses. No mention of the government coming in and annihilating unsuspecting townsfolk. No mention of the hundred years of deception in favor of capitalist gains. No word of how citizens tried to fight their way out into other islands only to be mowed down by a 'justified cause'. Trafalgar Law's nationality was unknown in the pirate world, and only Eustass 'Captain' Kidd was privy to information known by the man's closest companions. He doubted most of Trafalgar's crew knew where their captain hailed from. It crossed his mind, momentarily, why Penguin, Shachi, and the polar bear had been able to worm their way passed Law's iron clad walls. Did they know him longer? Perhaps they had helped him rebuild his life in wake of tragedy...
No. He said he joined the Donquixote pirates after he crossed the border...
The implications of such an association was shattering. It explained so much of the man's infamous cruelty, and, even if it was a learned behavior before joining the Dressrossan leader, it was still there. But all he had seen of the man was a broken child, desperate for comfort.
Did he try to repay me for listening with sex?
It was a chilling thought. Despite the sun baking him under its rays, a wash of cold rushed through his veins. He couldn't fathom the fissures in the man's psyche, all the gouges in his heart. How little did he care about himself to freely give himself to relative strangers in gratitude?
But he has a great deal of pride.
It was there, it was certainly there, but how much of it was pride in himself? Kidd had found his days consumed with thoughts of Trafalgar Law.
What was important to him?
What are his hopes?
What consumes his thoughts?
What plagues his dreams?
What makes him happy?
What drives him forward?
Revenge, surely, he had explained that much to him. So revenge on Donquixote Doflamingo? It wasn't revenge for the decimation of his people, but something else?
You can surmise for yourself was usefulness I provided.
His fists clenched reflexively as revulsion churned his empty stomach. He had witness for himself the silent fury Trafalgar had displayed in that cramped cell. He was a man who took revenge swiftly and without remorse. He was strong in both body and mind, and didn't give his enemies the satisfaction they sought in his reactions. Kidd wasn't sure he would have been able to be so calm in such a horribly invasive situation. He reacted far more distraught than Trafalgar, he had fought and screamed against his bonds. He had cried for a man he barely knew. It was his own brand of torture, his own shadows of his past. It was basic human decency Trafalgar apparently thought himself unworthy of.
He thought back to how adamant Trafalgar was of his fallacy. The man had thought he had faked his concern to the bitter end. As if it was impossible that someone outside of his crew could think of him as a human being. Trafalgar had cracked open the horror of his past and served Kidd his fried sorrows on a silver platter, but he had a hard time wrapping his head around the finer details. What he meant by 'product of tainted tap water' made no sense to him. 'A mutant for another's fancy', on the other hand, gave a more sinister connotation to the phrase.
Did someone poison him as a child to make him this way?
They had spoke in length about nothing of importance during that unsettling phone call. At first it had been him providing anecdotes about his adventures, but then they had exchanged interesting information.
He doesn't eat very much, or at least has limited preferences when it comes to meals. I wonder if he even eats more than twice a day...and then there was that thing about colors...that was pretty fucked up...and the hormones...
"Do you have...a favorite color?" He asked tentatively, unsure of where to go with the conversation once he had finished recounting their brief adventures. He would rather not talk about his escapades back in Blue, because he wouldn't know where to start.
Laughter abruptly burst forth from the small black and yellow snail, small arms wobbling in amusement. The corners of his mouth quirked upwards at the endearing display.
"What a childish question to ask Eustass-ya!" There was nothing but unadulterated joy in his voice, and it caused his heart to swell. I'm glad his mind is off the abortion thing.
He had never wondered too hard about how a female's body worked or felt in comparison to his own. He touched on the topic once or twice in his childhood, only to shy away from thinking about his mother's profession. All he knew was that the thought of someone penetrating him was terrifying and gut-wrenching. How invasive...the thought made him squirm. Of course, they were different parts, so he would have no knowledge of how receiving pleasure in foreign areas would feel to him. He saw Trafalgar as a man, but he had a vagina. What had Trafalgar felt in that cell, on an anatomical level? Kidd had to stop his train of thought, his insides curling in revulsion. And he's pregnant to boot, I don't want to know how it feels to know there's a potential human growing inside you. It must be terrifying to him. Maybe even dehumanizing...He didn't sound like abortion was a moral dilemma for him, so I doubt he sees it as his child...but didn't that book say that a woman feels attachment to the child regardless? Maybe not, a lot of it sounded like bullshit...he did say most doctors were charlatans...
"Well, I guess it would be yellow...but it's losing its brilliance, to be honest."
"Oh?"
"But on the other hand, I didn't choose this color for my submarine out of fondness of the hue. It..." The sound of swallowing was audible over the transmission. Kidd felt dread welling up in his own throat.
"Have you ever heard of color psychology? Of the four psychological primary colors, it is the most emotional making it the strongest color, psychologically. The right amount with lift the spirits and self esteem and is the color of confidence and optimism."
"Huh, isn't it supposed to make people happy, too?"
"True, but it represents so much more."
"So it's a super color. Interesting. What about red?"
"Well, being the longest wavelength, red is one of most powerful colors. It has the property of appearing nearer than it is and therefore grabs out attention first. It is the most physical color, stimulating the heart rate and giving the impression that time is advancing faster than it is. It relates to the masculine principle and can activate the "fight or flight" instinct. It is stimulating and lively, very friendly. At the same time, it can influence defiance and aggressive."
"Really? So no negatives, huh?"
"I recall just having said that it influenced aggression and defiance."
"Yup."
"I see, well, at least you aren't surrounded by a color that designates irrationality, fear, emotional fragility, depression, anxiety, and suicide"
"...Are you making that up?" Kidd swallowed, hoping it wouldn't be as audible as Trafalgar's had been. The traits fit the man's character so perfectly it was unnerving and worrisome.
"Oh, how I wish I was, Eustass-ya. But my dark humor ends there, I'm afraid."
"..."
There was the sound of rustling fabric and then a crash that could only be the breaking of plates. For a moment, Kidd thought that Law might have passed out, before the swarthy doctor hastily replied.
"Sorry about that, a stack of folders fell."
"Hmm," Kidd sought for a way to lift the awkward atmosphere, "What about black, that's your second color, yeah?"
"Well, black is all colors, so the psychological implications of that are considerable. It creates protective barriers, as it absorbs all the energy coming towards you, and it enshrouds the personality. It is essentially the absent of light, since no wavelengths are reflected. For its positive aspects, it communicates absolute clarity, sophistication, security, emotional safety, glamour, and uncompromising excellence. It creates the perception of weight and seriousness. For its negative traits, it reflects coldness, heaviness, and oppression. Actually, did you know that it is a myth that black clothes are slimming? The truth is that black is the most recessive color, and therefore it is more a matter of not drawing attention to yourself, rather than making you look slimmer."
"That's interesting."
That was the understatement of the century. Once again, Trafalgar was revealing secrets about himself, probably without realizing it in his desperation for human contact. Emotional security, safety, seriousness...how Trafalgar wants others to perceive him? And yellow, all that stuff about emotional fragility, depression, irrationality, and suicide? Fucking hell.
"I'm sure you can see how both colors compliment me." Trafalgar let loose a humorless laugh, the den den's golden eyes never wavering. Kidd frowned, creases forming around his downturned mouth. He couldn't criticize the man on his obvious self-loathing, it would be hypocritical of him, but neither could he let the topic lie.
"I think...it's natural to want to cover up one's weaknesses."
"...Yes, I agree..."
"...So, uh..." Kidd rubbed at the back of his neck in a nervous manner, a cold sweat beading on the skin beneath his hairline. He hadn't been so nervous in a long while. It felt like he was walking on glass whenever they ran out of quips. To Kidd there was nothing more unnerving than running out of witting comebacks.
"So that thing about black making you look thinner is just a myth, huh? I should let Wire know he doesn't look at thin as his namesake, he's always afraid he looks like a tree."
"Ah, I think I might have spotted him when we were boarding at the docks then. A very tall man with a mesh shirt and trident, yes?"
"That would be Wire, yeah."
"A very interesting choice of attire. While I admired the choice of boots I would have to pass on the headgear."
"Eh, to each his own. You couldn't ever pay me enough to try on those shorts."
"Mm, what a shame, I'm sure you've got great legs."
Kidd smirked, "Not as slim as yours, I'm afraid. You have legs for days."
"..."
I should not have said that.
Fuck.
"I mean, uh, you are masculine as fuck!...I should have said nothing..."
"..."
"I am going to assume that was a compliment, Eustass-ya." Trafalgar's voice was thick with emotion, and Kidd wanted to punch himself in the face.
"..."
"Want to hear a secret, Eustass-ya?"
I don't want to hear any secrets with that tone of voice. You better not be on drugs again or Roger help me I'll get Killer to call his bird boyfriend to kick your ass in line.
"First of all, I should have prefaced this whole conversation saying that my den den is wired to block wiretapping. I should have really said that earlier, I apologize for the possible anxiety the idea might have brought you."
"Oh, yeah." It had completely slipped Kidd's mind that Marines could have been listening in on their conversations, and his stomach turned at the thought. The last thing Trafalgar needed was the whole government to be after him for anything other than piracy. If a Celestial Dragon was brought into play then the World Government would surely direct all their forces in pursuit of the lone submarine. Crafty as he was, Kidd wasn't sure Trafalgar would have a chance escaping the entire armada.
"To be honest, I went on hormones when I was fourteen. Sadly, being a Lorelei means my body predominately functions on estrogen. If I hadn't gone on testosterone, I would look much like Rei does. Oh, he has given me permission to bring up his lineage when appropriate."
The gears turned slowly in Kidd's brain as he sluggishly connected the dots. His mind conjured up a porcelain skinned boy with lime green hair, fuscia eyes, and slim wrists.
"My roommate? He was..."
"A Lorelei like me, yes. However, he prefers to not take hormones and is fine with how his body functions. I wish I could say the same."
"..."
"Unfortunately, no amount of testosterone could even alter the root of the problem, as you may recall. I managed to grow a scant amount of facial hair, my voice dropped, and I gained a great deal of muscle, but in the long run I ended up with the short end of the stick."
Kidd's face colored as he realized what the other mean by the "root of the problem". Even if it had been in such a deplorable context, Kidd had seen Law's...parts.
"No matter how many months I waited, I still menstruated...still was able to, ah,..."
Thoughts drifted to Law's current situation. To the reason he had called in the first place.
Trafalgar is pregnant. That fucker actually got him pregnant. I can't imagine how bad he must feel, knowing that the bastard's kid inside him.
"I just realized I was neither able to give you a proper send off nor able to check your physical off the list."
It hadn't even occurred to him during those two days he spent wandering the submarine in search of something to do. Trafalgar had been sleeping day in and day out, with Penguin giving him a few updates to soothe his frayed nerves. He was still angry with the man for insinuating he leave Trafalgar alone. He hated being told what to do more than anything, and kept himself occupied in order not to murder Killer's boyfriend. In fact, during the first day he 'entertained' himself by giving his old pal Killer a call to 'see what he was up to'. Long story short, Kidd started on the wrong foot and the two ended up screaming at each other over terrified den den mushi until Killer had the sense of grace to hang up. Needless to say, Kidd spent the entirely of the next day sulking in his room.
"I had forgotten about that too. Is it really so important?"
He didn't need to have Trafalgar fondle his junk or give him a prostate exam. Despite his rather hazardous occupation, he was only twenty three. He didn't plan on keeling over anytime soon.
"Oh, certainly. It's vital to nip your problems at the root before they burgeon any further. With our lifestyles it is critical to gauge our health to see where we stand. You would be astonished at how many medical issues can go unnoticed until it is too late to treat them."
He couldn't tell by the doctor's tone, but he couldn't help but wonder if Trafalgar was speaking from experience. If he was talking about Flevance, how much of that rage did he keep bottled up inside? There was no telling which motive Trafalgar had set sail to act on. He had so many reasons to seek revenge, Kidd didn't know where he would start if he was in the others shoes.
"Yeah well, I like to think of myself as having a long life ahead of me."
"Ironic considering your line of work and tendency to decimate small cities, but I digress."
"Very funny Trafalgar."
"Thank you, Eustass-ya. I am aware that I have a high level of wit, but to affirm my suspicions is just needless flattery on your part. You aren't winning any favors here."
Kidd wrinkled his nose as the sun was obscured by a mass of yellow curls.
"You've got some nerve to try tanning while we scour a deserted island for bread crumbs."
"Hello, Killer."
He dug the heels of his palms into the sand as he hoisted himself to feet. The sand caked into the seams of his pants, and scowled at the undisguised snickering as he smacked out the incriminating grains from the fabric. Clapping off the sand from his palms, Kidd surveyed his companion with a look of disdain.
"I see you've gone and found something to gorge yourself on. Funny how things work in your favor at the best of times."
His scowl deepened as Killer took another obscene bite from the shattered coconut in his hands. Sweet water and brown flakes dribbled down his grinning chin, cheeks swollen with mirth.
"Your boyfriend must think you're a riot."
Kidd lounged in his victory as the smile fell from his first mate's eyes, indignation and tension falling in their proper place. The two of them had been on shaky ground since he had returned to the ship. Killer had refused to give him a proper reason for his silence, and so Kidd had refused to let him wash his hair in his bathroom. At the very least he had allowed Killer to retrieve his hair products. He wasn't completely heartless.
Killer swallowed painfully, and wiped his scarred mouth with the back of his hand. He pointed at Kidd's abdomen and quirked a smirk.
"You're sunburned on your stomach again."
"Shit-!"
Killer laughed as he sauntered off down the shore, lanky legs prancing barefoot in the soft sand. Kidd sneered at the retreating mass of hair, wincing as he pressed a hand to the red tint on his belly. Much to his charing, a white handprint was left in its place. No matter how much sunscreen he applied, his alabaster skin was too sensitive for the sun. It wasn't as if he hoped to achieve a tan as deep as Trafalgar's, but a light beige would be nice.
"Catch!"
Kidd had little time to respond before a halved coconut was lobbed at his head, narrowly caught in his hands. Startled and disoriented, Kidd blinked at the bowl in his hands with mild awe. The bit marks around the rim spoke volumes, and he glared daggers at the figure a short distance away. Killer raised his hands above his head in an exaggerated wave, "Throw it back!"
Just like that all the animosity between them melted in the sun, and he found his cheeks straining with his smile. He pulled his arm back to aim a high shot at his first mate, watching as Killer shifted his feet to catch it. Tossing the rind back and forth, albeit slick with juice, Kidd felt overcome with nostalgia. How many times had he and Killer acted like children for the sake of it? How many times had they lost themselves to the thrill of an aimless activity to purge themselves from thinking too hard about their current situations?
"Ah-Killer you can't throw so far! I won't be able to catch it!" He whined, his eyes following the object as it arced high above his head and out of his reach. Against the bright sky, the doll's head was nothing more than a dark blur as it landed with a splash in a wide puddle of oil.
The air was particularly thick with smog, giving the town a hazy atmosphere choked with dust. The two youths wore strips of cloth around their nose and mouths to guard against the hazardous debris, the fabric already coated in a thin layer of sediment.
Kidd rolled up his shredded jeans to his knees so he could wade into the the opalescent liquid. He scrunched up his nose as he stepped into the slimy pool, no objects nearby that were long enough to retrieve the decapitated plastic cranium. Grasping the bobble his hands, he wrinkled his nose at the trail of slime dripping from the eyes and mouth.
"Ew, yuck, don't throw that over here like that. Let's see if we can find something else..."
Killer trailed off as he searched around himself absently, his short hair tangling under his chin. Kidd scratched at his nose, his skin flushed and sweaty beneath the makeshift gas mask. His goggles were cracked in a way that impaired his depth perception, and he stumbled on his way out of the puddle.
There wasn't much around that wouldn't cut their hands, and he wasn't about wash off the doll head in the barrel filled with putrid rain water. Acid rain had become a common occurrence as of late, and any foliage managing to thrive in the meager wasteland of their town had withered away. He tossed the plastic head behind him with a heavy sigh, and wiped his hands on his pants for good measure.
He heard Killer's voice coming from the nearby alley and trotted over to investigate.
"Hey Kil! Did you find any-!"
Killer was standing over a corpse. There was no other way to describe it. Sprawled across the ground, hands curled at Killer's bare feet. The man couldn't have been over thirty, judging by the thick russet mane on his head and the bare slope of visible jawline. Killer stood hunched with a shard of shrapnel in his palm, blood dripping onto the cobblestones.
His friend stared at him with a blazing red eyes from between his matted bangs.
"Oh crap-Killer are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Kidd felt panic seize in his chest, his heart hammering against his ribcage hard enough to bruise.
Killer shook his head, the manic look gone from the single visible iris, and shot Kidd a weak smile.
"No. But he went for my wallet so I tagged him. I'm sorry. This is your territory right? I shouldn't have..." He turned his head away in shame, and Kidd fluttered his hands in haste.
"What?! Territory? Again?! I told you things don't work that way, if you need to defend yourself that's cool and shit. I don't care what you do, just don't get hurt."
Killer stared at the wall for a few moments, and Kidd kept his eyes anywhere but the corpse. His mother wouldn't want him to stare at macabre scenes if he could help it.
"Ah! I almost forgot! My mom wants me to bring you over from dinner if you make it! Can you make it?"
Killer shook his head and tossed the bloody shrapnel on the corpse at his feet, the metal rolling off the body and onto the stones with a tinkling roll.
"Sorry, but I have to keep watch. I've already been away too long."
Kidd smiled nervously and scratched a raised bug bite on his arm.
"Okay, maybe another time...Can you play just a little longer, though?" He asked with hope in his voice, praying he didn't come off as desperate or as lonely as he felt. Killer was his only friend, and their relationship was shaky at best. Killer fluctuated between an older boy and an untamed beast, ready to dart away at any given moment.
Shaking away his nerves, Kidd pointed to chunk of rubber discarded against a wall.
"We can play with that! Just for a while and then you can go back to work or whatever, yeah? You should relax more!"
Killer seemed to ponder his offer before giving a curt nod, and retrieved the wad. They returned to their positions by the trash heaps, and passed the ball between them.
They found enjoyment in the mindless game of catch and throw, Kidd relishing the amicable contact.
He could find happiness in just this.
So i just read up on the color psychology of yellow and black. I freaked out when I saw it fit so well and it made me think more about the actual manga and if this was intentional or not. Scary how accurate it is, even before I came up with this story, holy shit.
