Domino sent a quick glimpse to the curtain that covered the three human's she could feel hiding behind it.
Before she returned her stare to Adaline, smiling at the oblivious woman who made a face of discomfort and tilted her head as if she were tasting something very bad.
"I need to vomit," She groaned gingerly moving her floating body against the ledge to bring herself to the small steps.
Domino silently nodded and moved behind her, unlike Adaline she was able to touch the bottom, yet her legs didn't work in the warming water. So instead she relied on her magnificent guns on her arms.
"Have you been eating the marine's foods again?" Domino giggled as the red head made a face of displeasure and covered her mouth fighting back the urge to gag.
"Don't even remind..." She paused as Domino now pulled herself free from the soothing water and bent down to pick up their robes.
"Me, about that." Ada continued while Domino draped the pink robe around the small woman and moved to slip on her own smooth fabric.
She took in a second feeling some of her skin pull at the robe where the burns were still fresh but remained silent as Adaline held out her arm for support up the incline.
"I bet you're gonna miss that huh?" Domino smiled as she softly escorted the short and round Adaline up the incline towards the golden doors at the top.
Adaline shook her head carefully watching her bare feet to make sure she didn't make a misstep. Normally she would be upset that the taller woman was coddling her like this. But both women knew what loss was like and neither wanted to even take a chance at that possibility.
So here she walked side by side with her sister in arms up the smooth incline.
"I think I will be trading up with Thatch, I assure you." Adaline smiled moving to stand alone as Domino pulled from her hold to open the door and escort the woman lightly through the doors. Domino's hand on her back as she followed behind.
Both woman looked back at each other agreeing at that statement before, a sudden burst of cold air and colorful reds and golds of the hallways pulled their attention to there sorroundings.
Adaline shook her head fighting back the new swirling patterns in her head at the sudden change.
Domino made a face of confusion and looked between the rows of golden doors on either side of them. "Damn, which one's ours?" She asked herself while Adaline shook her head and pointed up.
"We have the higher rooms Dom, remember?" Adaline groaned shaking her head before rushing towards an elevator trash can and throwing her small body over it. "Nope,trash now."
Domino made a face of displeasure and began to laugh at the sounds of gagging she heard erupting from the petite baby oven.
The tall woman continued to slowly walk down the halls towards the elevators taking in the softness of the carpet against her bare feet. It was a comforting feeling that she wished she had as a kid.
Yes, because carpets would have made her life better...Just the carpets...
Once the giggling Domino reached the very elevators Adaline had begun puking besides, She narrowed her eyes at the small fern that sat perched just besides the metal trash can the red head gingerly held against her chest.
She narrowed her eyes and twisted her wrist feeling an uneasy feeling grow, It didn't move, she sighed as she got closer to it and kneeled closer to the unmoving plant.
"It's fake girl." Adaline groaned while Domino giggled to herself, her feeling being very somber but her soberness getting the best of her.
"I know that, but why? Why is everything here not..." She paused and dug her hand into the soil and felt the moisture of it then quickly twisted her wrists seeing as tiny buds began to appear all sprouting a colorful assortment of flowering begonias.
"Real?" She asked herself in amazement that the dirt was real, but the plant was not. Why did it bother her so much? It didn't it's just she was hyper focusing on everything and nothing all at the same time.
She pulled her hand out her fist still enclosed with a small clump of dirt clinging to her dripping hands. She absently stared at the warm and freshly watered soil between her fingers.
Adaline looked over at Domino's thoughtful expression and wiped her mouth pushing the elevators button to go up as she placed a hand on Domino's shoulders.
"Relax girl, once we get to our room and get dressed let's go walk the shops, I saw some cute fabrics and things that would be perfect on you. Not only that but we need to pick out dresses for the festival tonight." Adaline hummed happily but frowning at the elevator taking so long.
Well mainly because she hated being so exposed in such a fancy place like this. Plus, she desperately needed to wash her mouth out before her stomach began churning again.
Domino remained leaning over her discolored leg and nodded to herself debating on releasing the dirt in her hand before 'tcking' to herself and stood up. Her body stiffing as she heard long strides and a vicious laughter fill her ears.
That laughter was something she had known only in her most sober nightmares. It was the same as her former...no, but that man was dead? Then who...
"I'm sorry to interrupt but that won't be necessary see, my lover has already had your dresses delivered to your room." A heavy but familiar voice filled Dominos ears.
Suddenly the veil of nervousness shattered around her like falling glass that rained down on her nervous figure. The jagged edges slicing up any calm she may have held on to before.
She felt her breathing quicken and clinched the dirt in her fist, slyly hiding it behind her back while her face twitched through different emotions.
Adaline took a second to turn to face the tall and tan skinned man before her. His face was sharper then Domino's but had the same rosy round cheeks, as his dirty blonde hair clashed with his Topaz eyes that we're locked on Dominos stiff figure.
Adaline looked at his attire and quickly reminded herself that this was Dominos brother, for all he wore was long dress slacks that flared out at his open toed shoes, and clashed against the blue scarf tide around his neck and draped over his bare shoulders. His chest very exposed.
But the way he had his scarf was different then other scarf wearers. Normally they would be bunched up around his face covering his mouth as well, however this barely covered his whole neck, just one part just above his collar bone. It must have been designed so you had no choice but to see his blood chilling frown.
He looked from the short petite Adaline towards the stiff and shaking Domino and tilted his head. "What introduction could I have for you, Salvia?" His heavy voice asked with a slight growl to it.
Adaline now in turn took in a sharp breath, he just called a very sober Domino by her real name. Adaline gave a calm smile trying to look up at the man to introduce herself however Domino slowly turned.
The look on her face showing a look of pure malicious intent.
But then... it dropped at sight before her. The sight of her brother just..there.
Domino blinked away the fear, blinked away the agony that name held and blinked the anxious energy that had her furiously twisting her wrists and instead dropped the dirt she held at her side.
"I don't know?" Her voice started off as confident and proud before it dropped with her smile as tears began to form in her eyes, her face still twitching in effort to keep from crying.
"Hi? Is...good?" She asked before she had to bite down on her lip.
Here he stood before her so causally covering up his melted neck. His fingers tapping each other nervously as he tried to maintain his frown only for it to fall and a small smile pull at his face.
The small motion replacing the broken pieces of the glass Domino had felt break around her.
"Then, Hi?" His low voice cracked with a high pitch as Domino took in a deep breath and threw her arms around him forgetting every anxious thought she ever had.
Russel looked down at his sister who stood so proud and tall before him and felt his anger towards her ascendance seep away as she threw her arms around him. Pulling him closer to her and causing him to kneel lightly so he could return the favor.
"I'm so glad you came." Russel whispered pulling at his face to cover the smile on his disgusting features. He hated that they looked so similar. Because her face of indescribable emotion matched his and it infuriated him.
Adaline raised an eyebrow at how Domino placed her hand along his scarf before moving back down to continue the hug.
"It's been long enough." He stated pulling away as Domino nodded her head wiping away at her tears. Before she looked down at her robe and gave a light laugh.
"Oh! No I'm in my robe, I'm sorry this isn't how we should have met, I'm so it's..." She stuttered as Russel shrugged.
"How should we have met?" He asked before his mind quickly finished his thoughts for him. 'With you on the other end of Raphael's blade.'
Domino looked around at Adaline who motioned with a wave to continue before she returned to face her brother. ... Wow, he was really here. Just standing before her clashing against the white and gold walls behind him.
"Um, at that dinner your wife told us about? Maybe then? I don't know." Domino whispered looking away unable to look at her brothers maddening glance. It was to familiar to her past, she wanted to look at him. She did however, she...she couldn't.
"Wife?" He hummed before he closed his eyes and nodded. "Oh Arum my love? I see. Well yes, I s'pose that would, be a better time to meet and say our niceties...Yes..then that would have...yeah." Russell stammered unable to look at his sister in the eye.
They reminded him of the girl that tried her best to protect her siblings but would be the only cause of their demise.
Still, her she was, fidgeting as if she was an actual person with this anxious energy that matched his own. And not some unstoppable god he had chosen to take down.
Domino looked back up at her brother who now pulled away from the closeness of the hug and nodded to himself motioning to the open elevator.
Adaline hesitantly stepping in as He ushered them both in with hands on their backs.
Domino shook her head grabbing at anything she could to start a conversation. Before he looked up their eyes catching and both going stiff.
"I'll see you at dinner then...Yes dinner,, then Raphael would will be there too." Russel murmured slapping at his sides as he talked trying to lean in with the closing door of the elevator.
Domino nodded her eyes shifting as the door began to close. "Right see you there!" She chirped happily as the elevator closed.
Adaline began to speak a smile on her face when Domino shook her head her wrists twisting violently. "This..this isn't right he that's not right? Why would he call me by my name? Why...didn't he...call Rappy, Rappy? This, isn't this isn't." She started to murmur pulling her robe to her face and burying her hands in her palms as tears frantically poured from her eyes.
Adaline took in a deep breath and pulled the taller woman to her shoulders and escorted her out of the elevator and into the large open room with floor to wall ceilings and gently soothed the woman breaking in her hands.
"It's okay Domino, it's okay you're just over thinking this, it's okay. Maybe you should have a drink?" She asked as Domino pulled away giving a sniff and then a half-hearted laugh,
"Ah, no. I wanna be...I wanna try and do this sober."
Russel watched the elevator doors close and blinked at his reflection the sliver coating reveled to him. What was he planning? Why was he planning it, his sister had come back? She had actually come, like he knew she would, he knew she couldn't resist all these years but finally seeing her?
He felt his face pull up into a smile as he touched his cheeks, the unfamiliar feeling happening a lot more recently. Was it because he was genuinely happy that his siblings had finally graced his humble presence?
He felt his body move as he began to chuckle uncontrollably. The force of his laughter causing him to lean against the silver doors of the elevator.
He pulled at his face with his free hand to feel some kind of comfort, then stopped, his eyes darting down to the dirt that still had little yellow and black begonias overflowing from around the plastic green plant.
He frowned then shook his head moving to pick up the pot with the flowers and growled to himself. Everything he was planning could be destroyed in a second if there's dirt. His sister could easily kill anyone and everything if there was dirt.
That was why his island would never have a trace of dirt.
Yet after all his careful planning, all his hard work, she had found the one thing, the one plant that had dirt?
Russel shook his head vigorously laughing as he quickly rushed towards the elegantly painted stair case. Should he be so worried over a little dirt? After all, why she he be worried about Domino?
She had that, what would you call that petite disgusting creature? keeping her calm. Meanwhile he was sure his brother would probably kill anyone and everyone just because he could never handle stress well.
And surely this situation alone would bring about stress how could it not?
Russel shook his head his frown deepening as he was lost in his thoughts. What to do, what to do?
Why was he worrying? His siblings were unstable, he couldn't count on them for anything. They would only bring him pain just like they always have.
That was why he made his decision.
Raphael took in a deep breath staring at his own reflection in a shops window. His sharp features pulled into an uncertain frown as he watched people around him meander around and inspect the windows mannequins with colorful clothes strewn about their bodies.
Like they didn't have something that burned their backs like he did. They didn't have anything that refused to be covered. Or something that would pull at their nerves when covered. No they were just worms.
He looked uncertainty back at his red tie and nodded to himself looking towards the white puffy smoke bellowing from the sparkling glass pyramid and furrowed his eyebrows.
Russel was in there, His sister was in there, his family was in their waiting for him. Yet he felt cold and alone among all these people.
His eyes flickered once more around to everyone who past him, some wearing blue scarves others carrying marks of pirates on their chests.
He narrowed his eyes and then looked back up at the volcano un-sure why Russel would allow pirates on his island so close to their day of freedom?
Wouldn't pirates just cause a problem? No. Of course not, such bugs could never amount to causing problems for him.
He just wanted to make sure is all. But he should never doubt his siblings.
If one thing he remembered more then the grinding gears of factories it was that his Sissy and big brother always had a plan.
He turned around to watch the people once again meander around and pulled at his tie once more. These disgusting peasants weren't his people therefor he couldn't cleanse his anxiety. What was worse and growing more annoying was he no longer had anyone to speak for him.
After all Le had been forgiven. Just like he would forgive his Sissy for leaving.
He shook his head his hand resting on the hilt of his long sword as he turned to look back at the windows reflection, once more checking to make sure he looked presentable.
However, he needed to get going. No matter the anxiety he felt, he was sure his Sissy was feeling the same thing. If not more so.
The excitement to see his sister pulled him to walk forward his legs taking him towards the glass building before he could even stop to think anymore.
On his way he passed three interesting figures, well two of them were walking, the third was slumped over and being pulled behind him like a child's sled his legs dragging along the clean cobblestone as they left a trail of water in their wake.
Now Raphael couldn't exactly remember what a child's sled looked like, all his memoires were replaced by him pulling unwilling bodies across hilly ground to fill the graves.
Raphael sent a quick look of disgust their way before he went wide eyed at the mark on the freckled face bug that walked past him.
That was Whitebeards mark? What was one of the four emperors... doing here? He looked from the kids mark back towards the glass bath house confusion on his face as he thought to himself.
He now realized why Russel had failed to do anything about the pirates. Russel was by far weaker than these pirates.
But really he couldn't have used the weapons they had been working so hard on for so long?
However, it was what he heard next that stopped all his thoughts.
"You'd think we should tell Marco, Domino's here?" The kid asked while Raphael immediately decided to follow behind the group.
His tall stature going unnoticed as he lurked behind the trio.
"Of course, we have to, How else do we explain this?" A man? With a pulled back top knot and a pink kimono stated.
"I told him those marines were red flags, but does anyone listen to me noooo." The top knot man continued the pair obviously content with their surroundings and talking loudly.
Domino? How do the pirates know Domino, why would he call her a red flag. How dare he say such things.
Raphael continued to follow the pair openly behind them intent on relieving them of their heads.
"We can't tell him about his magic hand's can we?" The kid with an orange cowboy hat against his back looked over and asked. A smirk on his face as his eyes glanced back at the tall man behind them.
The top knot man nodded "Oh of course, how can we not? But first we'll take care of the daddy Thatch."
Raphael took a second to stop his fast pace and looked back to the glass building behind him wondering what to do before looking at the large open docks before him and noticing the large whale shaped ship and shook his head.
How did they know the woman named Domino? Why would they be here. And what did they mean by Dad? Why were they mentioned in the same sentence. Did, was...was he an Uncle?
He would have to figure that out before he met his sister once more. He wouldn't forgive these men for hindering her freedom.
She's been through to much for him, for him, to just let these meddling pirates interfere.
So he moved to stop them, when another voice stopped him in his tracks. "Raphael, Sir?" The woman's leathery voice asked.
He took in a deep breath and turned from the two walking corpses and turned to face a woman with a green silky dress and a blue scarf tied tightly around her neck.
He made a face of displeasure as he looked down at this disgusting creature. He knew her to be the woman his brother played with.
He gave a nod his hand resting on his sheath at his side as she approached with a small smile on her pulled back face.
"My name is Arum it's nice to finally me-" She started as He held up his hand quickly silencing her.
She was not his family, she did not need to waste his time. Nor did he care for her face.
"Russ-ssssul ss..send.." He took in a sharp breath letting out a growl of anger as she nodded. "Yes sir, he is eagerly awaiting your arrival there is much he wishes to discuss with you before festival later tonight. As well as Madam Domino will be joining the two of you for dinner." She stated with a plastered smile on her face.
Raphael nodded and pointed his long arm towards the docked ship in the distance. "Pi,,pir..rrates are h.h..he. here" He stated in his voice of reason before it broke seeing the familiar flicker in her eyes.
It was something he received when he talked to anyone but his siblings, it was almost a dismissive look. A look that if she were any other disgusting subject he would have torn in half.
However, she was cherished by Russel, so he would in turn cherish her, so instead he nodded looking from her form to the glass building in the distance.
The rainbow like colors bouncing off of it reminded him of his mothers wind chimes. She loved them, until she used the glass against her skin to set herself free. As must everyone.
"We are aware." The woman nodded and then nodded "In fact they are completely, and whole heartedly welcomed to any festivities they might see. And wish to partake in tonight and the following as well." She gave a smile and held out her arm to motion for him to move forward towards the shinny building in the distance.
"Now, if you won't mind, I shall be your escort for now since it seems Leonardo won't be joining us?" She smiled through pulled back skin motioning a hand towards the large pyramid.
Raphael gave look back to notice the kid with Whitebeards mark and the man in the pink robe had disappeared.
They didn't even leave a gap from where they walked instead it was like they ducked away somewhere. He felt his hand tap along his hilt as he stared at one of the many alleys around him and began to move to inspect them, when Russel's toy jumped in front of him.
Parts of him pulled at the closeness of her body with his. It was like she was asking to be cleansed like Le had.
However, she was Russel's play thing and not? a person worth messing with.
But then again no matter how close she was to Russel if he had truly cared for her he would have set her free.
After all that's what everyone craved correct?