Note: this is my personal interpretations/predictions for Memos - which I adore. Please read this fanfic if you haven't - this is tied into it. I've never felt such a desire to write, but this has been in my head for a while so needed to get it out into the world.
Cheers to you Marshmallow for inspiring this and creating a wonderful fic. First time writing something like this, may revise in the future since it's not exactly what I had in my head- but kindness is appreciated in any feedback you have.
SPOILERS FOR ALL CREWMATES joining the straw hats (up to Wano Arc)
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Luffy.
He's never been able to understand it, and he knows he doesn't catch on much to things (that's for those smarter than him to worry about). No matter what though he always trust his gut. And his gut knows he hates that faraway look in her eyes, when she makes that dumb face of hers that feels like she's worlds away to a place he can't reach. He doesn't understand why she wants to die so much - but he'll always fight to keep her here and make that look go disappear. His gut knows that when she talks freely about her dreams or her drawings that that is the true her, the happiest her. And like he's always believed the freest person is the world is the pirate king, he believes the happiest her is the one she wants to always be. It's just harder for her sometimes, and that's OK. It's what nakama is for, to help each other be who they truly want to be.
Zoro.
It's when her eyes light up when the klutz talking about swordsmanship or when she's creepily eyeing his swords in a way that he just can't understand (when she's quietly having conversations in a way he can't picture, not yet anyway). She's known his captain for ages and he has his suspicions (and he will still for a while yet - who else is going to the responsible one in this crew). But it's when he sees the tears silently falling down her cheeks while she's leaning on a barrel passed out from the world that he realizes she's now a part of them - and he wants to protect that as he silently throws a blanket onto her.
Nami.
At first glance, it's beli eyes at the prospect of never having to starve again with these lugs when she realizes who she is (and while that small voice that has the greediest tendencies still is there, she IS a pirate now after all) but its sitting with her in the quiet of their quarters - talking about tattoos and family that she realizes how lucky she is to have this new cremate with her along with those boys. Someone who knows of her past (through a blood drawing but still) and holds no judgements - accepts it as the sky is blue and laughs about her stories with Nojiko. She realizes that night that she wants to keep having more moments like this in the future, to protect this artist and hear her stories - while maybe getting a few new tattoos along the way.
Usopp.
Once they walked into her home he knew immediately he was in the place of an artist. It had the presence of one and he immediately felt at home, despite him being less of a traditional artist and more of a tinkerer himself. His fear of being cut of this weird-blood needing friend of Luffy's immediately transforms to awe as he sees her work on the pages - telling their story so vividly that brings tears to his eyes in awe at just how visceral the experience is. This is what she was born to do he quietly decides to himself, and after hearing her dream from Luffy and seeing her work. Despite his unease, since she seems to not be happy on the ship with them, someday he hopes to collaborate with her. After all, only Captain Usopp's assistance can help her soar to new heights.
Sanji.
When he first hears of a beautiful lady wanting to die, he thoroughly believes he'll be her knight in shining armor - to help change her mind and be the hero of the day, as his respect towards women can't happen if he allowed such a tragic thing to happen before his eyes. But that's his delusions and not reality - as he sees his Hoku-honey craft magic in front of his eyes through parchment and no signs of immediate distress he takes pride in - Luffy had to be mistaken (later on he realizes how wrong he was). The first meal he cooks her as a cremate is when he realizes he's shot through the heart, by the sheer happiness of her first bite of his cooking, the look on her face being something he'll never forget. Something he'll jump into any fray to protect (even once he learns she can protect herself) - to continue to see that smile with him on this crazy adventure, whatever it takes.
Vivi.
It's after the flames of a lost precious one, on the deck of a ship she never imagined to step foot on again when she's able to stare again at the white haired woman with rude kind eyes. She knows who she descends from, how terrible of a loss it must've been for the world (and for her) on the cruel fate of that island. As someone on the edge of losing everything she feels connected to Hoku in some odd-way. But she hasn't lost everything yet - as the hand on her shoulder with now soft eyes asks her if she wants to go and rest. Vivi realizes the look she's getting from Hoku now: a look of quiet determination - to help protect a homeland not yet lost.
Chopper.
It's an odd feeling - he sorta understands but not really on how animals react to her. She's different (like him, haven't not fully belonging anywhere before) in a way that strikes oddly - is it because of her devil fruit powers? her attitude? or is it really her desire for death? He isn't sure yet, but he knows most just don't like her. So far with this odd-crew that he feels at peace with, despite it being scary sometimes, and how she likes to cuddle with him. He doesn't mind it even is glad to do it, since at the mountaintop, watching how fiercely she said he had a place he belonged and that he was an amazing doctor - he knows her heart is in the right place and trusts her for that. Knowing her, he always keeps her in the corner of his vision to help prevent her clumsiness, whether accidental or not. He wants to keep his crew (something of his own for the first time outside that wintery island) safe and whole.
Robin.
It's the brink of dawn and the waves and winds of the ocean are a source of comfort for the two sitting together. A book in ones hand, a sketchbook in the others - they are comforted by the silence despite the nightmares that kept one awake the night before. It happens like this sometimes: a dream that one can't sit still with while the other one was on night's watch. Sitting together in the night became a reprieve, waiting for the hours to pass if they needed to. Talking about books, or drawings - of hearth and homes both old and new. And even sometimes of inner demons. As they sit together, Robin observes her cremates far away look and resolutes to herself, after finding her own desire to live, that she has another dream. To witness and help Hoku find the same desires she did on the towers of Enies Lobby.
Franky.
The sun is still high in the sky on the Thousand Sunny, and he's playing around his rag-tag group of a crew on the ship. He scans the ship through his shades spotting the others as he goes - Zoro in the crows nest, Sanji in the kitchen, Nami and Robin lounging on the upper deck. He spots the hardest one to find in her usual manner in a new corner of the ship - Hoku on the floor drawing. She's never quite in one the same spot, always shifting or moving. In some way they are total opposites, he's super down to be in the limelight while she'd rather be off to the side observing and sketching the scene away. But even polar opposites attract, when laughter, food, and fun happen, he sees her laugh at his antics or superbness or when she fights and brings things to life. That's what makes this crew (and her) so special he thinks, as he sees what she's drawing, those rag-tag cremates monkeying around alongside him.
Brook.
The sun is hitting the edge of the ocean as it pans down to nightfall - just like the color of her eyes when it hits that golden edge. The sound of a violin echos from above, while she loses herself to the music and draws those whales in the bluest of oceans from below. The desire to live is something Brooke has always instilled in himself, even 50 years later - and with a renewed dream and his shadow back where it belongs. He knows the girl drawing below him struggles in ways he can't fully understand, how can he fault her when he knows she's trying her best? So with the tune of his violin he plays Blink Sake once more, in hopes of inspiring the souls around him (and hers) even more.
Jimbei.
What if - the war
He runs and runs back with the two brothers on his shoulders at a break-neck pace despite his injuries. After seeing the display of love and sacrifice from the one they called friend, the sheer look pleading to him asking him to take those two and get out of their now please save them because I can't at this moment. The power of a look - Was a power all it's own if it was able to get him to move like that. Selfishly he hopes she survives this, he knows how Pokians are and prays this isn't her last - as he would like to share drinks with her someday and see these two reunite with their friend and crewmate.
Extras:
Ace.
It's in the conversation on his pop's ship he can barely remember and in the morning after the words she wrote to him (that he promised damnit, but she was so tricky that little sneak) that he wants to ring her neck and crushingly hug her at the same time. She's always trying to take care of them, both him and Luffy, even though it should be the other way around - he's the oldest after all. But that fear is still there in the back of his mind that someday she'll disappear to a place he can't reach- and that lights the fire on his shoulders and eyes (literally and figuratively) to run as fast as he can to catch her.
Sabo.
It's when he says "Thank you. Thank you so much for staying alive for us to meet again." that she collapses in tears onto her knees for her whole crew to see (but he's right there to catch her).