Unmei - Destiny
The bar is dimly lit, and she thinks it fits her mood. The storm is raging outside, and the interior is warm- there's a general flurry of people escaping the storm, and the hole in the wall is packed to the brim. The fires, all 4 of them, were roaring to offset the chill settling deep into the village and the rum was flowing.
The general laughter and happiness of the people around her didn't do much for her. Tashigi couldn't find it in herself to be pleased with seeing so many citizens, marines, and pirates together- without fighting, without pillaging, or destroying another island.
Then again, she thinks, the storm had halted any plans for a battle. Which is perfect, all things considering. If they were distracted talking to each other that means they wouldn't notice her.
Not that they would, at least not realistically. No one's really seen her in a year now. She looks different and she knows she FEELS different. She wonders if anyone else can tell.
Her hands grip the mug of rum placed in front of her. The bartender, a young woman with blue hair not so unfamiliar, smiles as she walks away as if to say "Here you need it." Tashigi isn't so sure she doesn't. The gesture is appreciated and she nods back in her direction, tossing a coin onto the table and taking a sip.
It's been hours since she's landed in this village, and Tashigi isn't so sure she made the right decision to come here. She's soaked through- every layer heavier than the last with the rain, and her glasses keep sliding down her nose, and not to mention her boots... Her only consolation is the warm bar she stumbled across after hours of walking and the fact that she didn't trip and somehow impale herself on her sword as she struggled with the rough terrain the village was composed of.
This island, some weird combination of summer and winter, not unlike Punk Hazard (She shakes her head at the fleeting memory) featured jagged mountains that sprinkled across the whole island. Minus the harbor, the entire island seemed to cascade up the sides of these jagged mountains, villages built mere feet away from cliffs. She's not sure what she was going to find walking to the main market, roughly 3 miles away from the harbor. It shouldn't have been so hard, she mused, when you looked at it it seemed like a straight shot... After setting out for the main market, she instantly changed her mind. she's not sure how the townspeople are so used to traveling by foot up the steep sides of the mountains - at one point, she was crawling up the side of a mountain using hooks buried deep into the mountainside but passing merchants carrying large wicker baskets speeding their way down to the harbor to sell their goods.
She should just be glad she didn't lose her footing, or her grip on the hooks- one straight shot down, and she'd be splatted on the road below. How odd, Tashigi thinks, as she continues to warm herself with the ale. Though, when you're on a mission...
She'd heard that THEY were here. They had been here for 2 or 3 days already, and she'd confirmed at the harbor that it took 5 days for a log pose to reset. How perfect. If they didn't agree at the beginning, she'd have a day or two to convince them. If that didn't work, well, that gave her enough time to sort through a "back up plan," She figures she probably should have had one before she set foot on the island, but the Tashigi of today was smart enough to know that the best-laid plans didn't work with THEM. No, it'd be best to walk in with something half-assed and barely thought of.
She's thrown out of her musings by the slam of a door; the merriment in the bar doing nothing to drown out the voice she hadn't expected to hear so suddenly- the sound of the storm raging outside enters the bar, and -
"O-OEEE- you want to fight about that, Curly Q?!" Tashigi closes her eyes as she tenses her shoulders for a second, as she recognizes that voice. And then a flood of voices enter the bar shortly thereafter- a cacophony of rapid-fire questions and comments-
"OH! SUGOI! ALL THE BEAUTIFUL LADIES- and HEY MOSSHEAD, DON'T YOU DARE THINK YOU'RE GOING TO GET AWAY WITH THAT INSULT!"
'MEAT! MEAT! MEAT! GIVE ME ALL YOUR MEET!" - a startled gasp and then
OY LUFFY, YOU CAN'T JUST EAT SOMEONE ELSE'S MEAT! There's a loud crashing noise and then "OW NAMI, WHY'D YOU DO THAT? I NEED MEAT! MEAT! MEAT" Before she knows it, there's a chorus of "MEAT MEAT MEAT" and a feminine giggle followed by "Isn't this SUUUUPER guys? We got out of the rain?" The door slams shut and She hears chairs being pushed back, and she hums to herself as she places her mug back on the counter. Well, if she hadn't been sure before, she is now.
The strawhats were here. And this is why Tashigi stopped bothering trying to have plans ages ago.
There's loud laughter coming from the corner of the bar, a yell of OI BARKEEP! GET US ALL THE SAKE AND MEAT YOU'VE GOT! and a chorus of "YEAH, LUFFY! MEAT MEAT MEAT!" "Uhh, sorry about that... " She simply closes her eyes and shakes her head. THESE were the most dangerous pirates in the sea? She's always amazed by it.
How the Navy got around to picking them up, I'll always wonder... Granted, their physical strength was notorious. The strawhat capital, Monkey D. Luffy, was nothing to scoff at- taking on warlords and marine admirals alike on his own and standing victorious at the end. There was the first mate, Roronoa Zoro, who could LITERALLY cut through steel, and halt people in their tracks with his killing intent. And then Vinsmoke Sanji, whose fighting style was as notorious as his love for the ladies. That alone made them dangerous.
Add in Nico Robin, their archeologist? The navigator, Nami? Their sharpshooter & sharpshooter? Even their shipwright and musician- the entire crew was strong, though... Those three? Those three made all the difference.
She hears the bartender collecting plates of food and sake to deposit at that boisterous table in the back, and she focuses on maintaining her back to them. No point in them knowing I'm here... They just think I'm here for a fight. And considering the day I've had... No, I'll wait until they're distracted and make my way out. She swivels her head discreetly and sees out of the corner of her eye that they're at the corner by the door. Of course...
She muses maybe she had been TOO honorable. She never did believe in going after the "weakest link." Her belief had always been to go after the captain, the one commanding the ship and their left and right-hand man...
... The 3 strongest, and the 3 responsible for making decisions. Though, she figured, the straw hats ruined that too. How many captains actually took to heart what their crew thought? Not hers, and not that many, that was for sure but...
She doesn't really have time to waste thinking about this. She takes a quick stand up and leaves another gold piece on the table. The waitress really was nice... And she's not even sure how many cups of sake she brought to her but she's pretty sure she's only paid for 2. Her gaze wanders through the room again for a brief second, taking note that the Strawhats were still as lively as ever. Luffy was dragging random patrons to their table, yelling something about WE NEED YOU TO SETTLE THIS. IS THIS- THIS GUY WITH THE LONG NOSE - HEY NO HIDING IT USOPP! THAT'S CHEATING - IS THIS THAT SPLODGE KING GUY? There's a loud thud as Usopp bangs his head on the table and Nami's barely contained screech of LUFFY as she bashes him in the head. The table lights up with laughter and Sanji fawns over the light-haired waitress as she brings more sake to their table. There are people at every open table, and crowding the walls as more and more people take residence in the middle of the tavern, catching up and shaking the cold out of their bones with the roaring fires. The tables and chairs are worn in and peeling, and the walls were a plain beige. It wasn't anything special, but taking fleeting looks throughout the crowded tavern she thinks it's homey, and it's a painful reminder of what she'll never have.
No Nakama, no family, no home. Sailors didn't do well on land, after all.
She clutches her coat closer together as she makes her way around the lively and jostling bodies surrounding the bar. It's easy to get lost in a crowd of people, and Tashigi's never had a hard time blending in when need be. (While she could be loud and brash she wasn't known for being a fan of the spotlight. She preferred to be on the edge of things; close by but not the sole focus. It had been ideal working with Smoker due to their opposite but complementary personalities. He was louder, crass, and larger than life; he WANTED pirate's attention and he wanted it immediately. And Tashigi? Well, she'd probably do the opposite. It was a balancing act. One she's missing right now.) She keeps her head low as she passes their table and keeps her head low as she crosses the threshold. as she takes one step outside, she can't help herself and she tilts her head and darts her eyes to the lively group.
She knows she's made a mistake as soon as she locks eyes with HIM. he doesn't seem to realize it's here - it's been a year, after all, and she's CHANGED, inside and out. He keeps his eye locked on her and she feels a telltale blush start to take root on her cheeks. (This always happens. ALWAYS HAPPENS. It doesn't matter how long it's been. And why am I blushing? He's just looked at me!) There's a spark of recognition that lights up for a second in his eyes, and it's intense for being so casual, the way he looks at her. His eye trails her form, from top to bottom, and he's drinking a deep gulp of sake as the Strawhat Doctor, Chopper, leans over and starts talking animatedly about something their captain's just done.
She jerks her head forward and speeds up as she finally makes it outside. Well, that was a close one... She presses her hands to her cheeks and keeps her hood up as she hurries over to the armory. Or at least, the general area she thinks it might be located. She's having an issue remembering the specific details, then again she's had about an endless amount of sake. And the villager that gave her instructions had been hard to understand- she was so tired and hungry that she tried to focus but- she just couldn't. She found her way to the tavern instead, the smell of food drawing her in and well.
She should have paid more attention. Or drank less sake. Or maybe ACT LIKE AN ADULT, she rolls her eyes imagining the tirade Smoker would be giving her if he was there right now. She huffs and slinks her way through the nearest alleyway nestled between two shops that seemed to cut across to the other side of the village.
She's barely five steps in when she feels someone behind her, and only has the chance to take 2 more steps before she's whirling around, her fingers clutching an empty scabbard at her side, and his stare is loud and piercing somehow through the sounds of the storm and the villagers in the main street running to get cover.
There was a storm raging after all. But there was a bigger storm brewing in that alleyway.
She barely keeps her frustration out of her voice as she hisses, "What do you want?" and there's Rononoa Zoro standing in front of her, and his mouth set in a line with his head tilted.
"Captain Glasses didn't peg you to be so rude you wouldn't even say hi." His words are drawn out lazily, ending with a smirk as he keeps his head tilted and his hands grasp the hilt of his sword, Emma.
It's storming by the time the Strawhat Pirates find their way inside to the village tavern. It had been an... interesting trek up to the village, and after a few accidents and close calls (How the hell did Usopp manage to fall every five feet he took? One minute he's walking fine and then BAM he'd fall right over. Zoro's not sure what the disconnect was but it was tiring after the fourth or fifth time and Usopp didn't seem to like Zoro's method of getting him up the mountain on his back.
Come on, the rate you're going we'll be to the village in a million years!
what- SO WHAT. I WON'T BE CARRIED ON YOUR BACK! THAT'S JUST WEIRD'
I've used you like a sword before. How is this ANY different? And this time there's no fighting!
BUT IT'S EMBARRASSING!
He was still shrieking when Zoro was wrapping up the final knot. Come on, it won't be that bad. WHAT WHAT WHAT YOU DON'T FIND THIS WEIRD? No, more like... training. How much do you weigh? He doesn't get a response to that and he shrugs.
By the time they make it to the tavern, despite how rainy it is, he's just ready for a drink. It doesn't help that the Curly Q Cook was as shitty as usual. It wasn't his fault that Ussop had almost fallen off the edge- who freaks out when they see bees? And yeah okay, it was a bigger one than normal... by a little. Okay, maybe a lot. It isn't every day you see bees the size of a small toddler but still.
Did he just forget that he was still on Zoro's back? Or that neither of them had made it over the ledge yet? And really why hadn't anyone told him about this?
Zoro's just ready for a beer as he narrowly dodges a kick from Sanji's leg and feels a headache coming on to Luffy's nonstop chant of MEAT MEAT MEAT.
By the time they've managed to sit down at the table, he's laughing with Chopper again and the fire's managed to warm his bones and liven his mood some more.
He's always more solemn this crew but he can't a smirk fitting across his mouth as he gulps down the cup of sake he sees before him. He lets out a belch as he finishes his mug in a single gulp, brook's YOOHOOHOO cheering him on as he snags the cup out of the skeleton's hand and finishes his too. He barely has time to register Brook's shocked look before he's letting out another belch and smiling freely as he feels the warmth setting in the pit of his stomach from the recent sake.
He's still laughing when Sanji's leg almost makes contact with his head that he blocks with Shusui that he gets a chance to look around the tavern. Beside him, his Nakama are being their usual selves- indulging in sake, waiting for their food to come and he's pretty sure the tavern isn't prepared for what's in store for them.
Maybe if they're lucky, he'll load up on sake first but he doubts it.
His eye cast about the room, taking in the roaring fires, the jam-packed tables booths lining the walls & filling in space throughout the room. People are chatting as they shake the rain off their shoulders and wait in a line in front of the bar located directly against the far back wall. Despite the dreary weather, everyone's happily catching up and grateful to get out of the terrible storm. Even Nami hadn't expected such a bad storm but figured they'd deserved some shore leave. They had time to kill before the log pose reset after all.
His eye takes in the waitress filling up more cups of sake and notices as she glances at a woman at the end of the bar. Her hair is long or he's figuring it's long since her hood's raised but there's strands sticking out of the sides of her coat, dark strands a striking mix of blue and black.
She seems... familiar, though he can't quite figure out from where. The slant of her shoulders, slight - almost drawn and ready rouses a memory in him but... he can't see much other than the black cloak resting on her shoulders, hood drawn and he sees a pale hand grasp the glass in front of her and twirl its contents around as she tilts her head to sit on her other outstretched hand.
He can't see her face but he's sure whoever she is, she's lost in thought. Odd that she's catching his attention. He doesn't get any intention of ill will or battle from her... Just a weariness that seems to sit on her shoulders.
Though he doesn't know HOW he knows. The longer he focuses on the back of the woman, the background noise of his Nakama and the surrounding patrons starts to quiet down to a dull roar, a noise so faint he barely registers it. He can hear the slight catch of the woman's breath and the thump of her own heartbeat.
He can FEEL the tension in the slant of her shoulders, the hard grasp on the glass= so tight she's already caused a slight hairline fracture at the base of the cup, so small it's barely noticeable but he HEARD it, the slight crack as it's forming and Zoro thinks he knows her. It feels like he knows her. And she is definitely a she, and where has he felt this person before? Zoro's intuition was always correct.
For Zoro, he always felt people before he met them. He could care less about people's names. their aura spoke mores than what their words ever could.
He's glancing down, laughing at Chopper dancing and singing, and he catches the woman from the bar getting up from the corner of his eye.
As she's walking outside, he catches her gaze completely. Her eyes are brown and wide, she seems surprised for a split second, then reserved.. and he's sure of it now that he definitely knew this woman.
Recognition flashes across him in a split second as he registers that it was her. And it was definitely her- his eye roams her face and catches the red dotting her cheeks and flushing her neck. Her eyes widen, almost comically so and just what was she doing here?
He breaks eye contact with her when he's pulled into a conversation with Usopp. It wouldn't completely freak her out. Listening to his non-stop ranting of the greatness of the 8000 men he commands, he senses her movement as she stumbles out of the front door of the tavern, and into the busy streets of people running home to ride out. Even after all this time, she was still as clumsy as ever. Then again, he's sure he's already riled her up. He's got an uncanny ability to do that, that much he knows. It irked her but amused him. It seemed fair, considering she did the same thing to him. The only other person to get under his skin as much as this woman was the annoying perverted cook that he was cursed to sail with. But unlike his interactions with the dumbstruck idiot, he didn't get a violent urge to kick her into the ocean. No, quite the opposite.
The door's barely closed before he's sliding out of his seat silently, and following her outside.
It's been six months, after all, and everyone was pretty sure she was dead or had been captured.
You didn't tend to stay alive unattached as an ex-Marine with a 50 million berri bounty on your head.
Not when it wasn't just the World Government that wanted you; but pirates too.
She's barely breathing as she stares him down. He seems unfazed by the storm raging around him, and his hand on his hilt means he isn't necessarily looking for a fight. Then again, he never was. Not with her.
Even after six months, all the man could do was mock her.
She takes a deep calming breath as she fingers the empty scabbard that usually housed her most precious blade and catches the moment his eye sees the second scabbard on her opposite hip, also sitting empty. His eyes hold a question but he doesn't comment. The wind is strong, and its hard for her to keep her coat wrapped around her while it's unbuttoned and trying to wield a sword.
She clutches her coat together as she quickly buttons her coat and diverts her eyes as a blush settles on her cheeks.
"I hardly think my manners matter… Besides what makes you think you know me? A-And what type of person just corners a woman in an alleyway, anyway?!"
Her voice is stern and cuts through the otherwise silent alleyway. The storm might be raging, but all she can hear is her heartbeat. She refuses to meet his eyes as she glances down at the street. He looks different... His hair is longer. And he just seems bigger. More intimidating. Like even his aura has gotten stronger. Or he's just so strong it can't help but pour out of him?
Tashigi isn't too sure, to be honest, because she's more concerned with why it's so comforting. His overwhelming presence of strength. More often than not, she wonders if she was dropped on her head and no one wanted to admit to it.
It'd make sense then, why her brain just gets stuck on such dumb things.
She almost misses the way he stares her down, dead on, but then again she can't.
She's prey, he's a predator and she can feel his stare. It has its own weight as he scans her up and down, and she's sure if she caught his eyes she'd see some emotion she just doesn't feel like dealing with. She feels it scan her from the tips of her toes all the way to the top of her head.
He can't see much, that's for sure considering her cloak was tightly wrapped around her form, but she knows that's not what he was scanning her for.
No, he notices the other things that most people wouldn't. The fatigue and stress sitting on her shoulders, and the slight shake of her hands that she can't seem to stop in her anxiety.
She shouldn't be surprised because, for a man who was destined to become the world's greatest swordsman, you didn't do it just depending on your strength alone. No, the student and disciple of Mihawk would be adept in all forms of fighting and all baser instincts.
So, of course, he could read people. Of course, he could see right through you.
And of course, he was even better at it when the person was so goddamn weak. Tashigi hates the reminder.
He's taken a few steps closer to her and in her musings, she hadn't even noticed. She jerks back as she straights herself up and finally looks him in his eyes.
"You're a horrible liar. Hiding your hair and your face might work for most of the other pirates on this island- it won't work for me." There's a pause and then, head still tilted he questions, "What's got you on this island? And really, what's with the get-up? Didn't peg a marine to be dressed like that."
Tashigi almost shrieks in frustration but purses her lips as she stutters trying to calm her racing heart. So he doesn't know... Of course. Why would Roronoa Zoro, or the Strawhats, even bother keeping up with current events? Most of the time that she saw them, she was constantly surprised at how little they knew what was occurring with the warlords and emperors. But then she'd be amazed at just what they DID know too. It was always wild to her how they had managed through all they had. She's always amazed at their sheer strength and pure dumb luck every single one of their crew members was doused with.
She blinks rapidly once, twice, and then takes a deep breath. "My look? That's what made you come outside?!" she exclaims as she starts waving her hands in front of her, already on her next tangent, "How- what- WHY is that the first thing you noticed? Or talked about? How sexist- how-"
"Well, your coat doesn't say justice, and you aren't wearing gloves. Although, I didn't like the gloves.. So I like this better."
She doesn't even know what to say to that.
"Look- I don't- that is to say… does it even matter that I'm not wearing gloves?"
"Yeah. Every Time you've run into me, you were wearing gloves. And a justice coat. And you had those annoying guys with you." Before she even has a chance to respond he continues "...And that Smokey guy. Where's everyone at? This might look like a happy go jolly island, but it's still a pirate island."
She's back to rapidly blinking, not too sure what to make of this.
Then again, every time she met him she wasn't really too sure what to make of it. For whatever reason, they always managed to stumble across each other… After Alabasta, up to his mysterious disappearance for two years, they had managed to run into each other (literally sometimes, other times figuratively) more times than she could count on one hand. Sometimes with their crews, but most often by themselves.
After his return, the trend had continued. He always managed to find her when she wasn't feeling quite herself when she was truly struggling... She tended to find him when he was lost, or when he was needing sword help.
The irony wasn't lost on her.
Roronoa Zoro always found her when she absolutely did NOT want to be found.
"So… Where are we going in this rain?" He stares down her as she blinks her eyes and stutters out "A- We? We? We aren't going anywhere! What do you want, Roronoa? Aren't you supposed to be with your Nakama? Ahhh?"
He just shrugs. "It'll be a while before they miss me. And besides, if they need me… I'll know. Or we'll somehow stumble across each other. It's how it always happens. We always do." He shakes his hand in the air as the other stays casually on the hilt of his sword and he rocks back on his heels slightly to finish- "Besides, are you really going to act like you haven't missed me? It's been a while. Now, let's go."
She thinks to herself that he's so confident in everything that he does. So sure that they won't notice, but that he'll stumble across them if he does. Then again, that's every single story of the Strawhats that she's ever seen reported to Navy HQ. They were either together in smaller groups or separated but they always, ALWAYS, found each other. So confident in where he's going with her but doesn't even know where it is.
So sure that she's missed him.
She hates him, just a little bit because he's right. But he wouldn't need to know it. Because that didn't do much and really, she just needed him to leave her alone. She had things to do, and she couldn't do it with him following her. He was powerful, sure, but he would also have questions. And he would want answers. But it didn't matter.
Even if she dodged him now, it wouldn't be for long. Roronoa Zoro was like a dog with a bone. Once he had his eye, or mind, set to something, it was Hell to even try to get him to stop.
And she knew without him saying it that he wasn't going to be leaving her side.
She didn't know why or how but he just knew. Just like she knew that he knew that she would know. She takes a deep breath as she closes her eyes and rubs her temples.
No way out. "Fine. FINE. I'm going to the armory anyway. I just… Got turned around!"
He hums as he nods his head. "I know. You've been drinking. I could tell when you were walking out of the bar? Why do you even think I'm here, Four Eyes? Sheeesh. The minute I saw you leaving, I could see you stumbling. Somehow, arguing makes you act like soberer but now that you're calm so you don't seem too steady on your feet."
She glares. "I'm FINE. Just. Clumsy, as you remember, and it's raining if you can see. Just- don't- I mean, why even follow me out? Clearly I was trying to bypass you and your crew with as little attention as possible and -" "- and you still locked eyes with me. Anyway, we could keep going back and forth all day, but why don't we just find this armory and get out of the rain. Or are you enjoying today's weather?"
She huffs and storms in the general direction out of the alleyway and towards the armory. At least she hopes it's the right way. She really can't remember but right now was NOT the right time to get lost. Not only was she with someone who could get lost literally going straight, and she knew this to be fact. She'd seen it happen more than once in person and she was always amazed. The strongest man she had ever met, so calm, and cool and collected. But she had no sense of direction and would literally walk to the edge of the cliff and keep going because he could swear that was the right way to go, but she would never ever live it down.
He wouldn't let her. She knew that. She just keeps her fingers crossed that she's going in the right direction as she angrily strides across the alleyway and barely registers him silently following her. He's caught up to her and she barely has a moment to think before she's turning a corner and AHA! She exclaims brightly as she sees the familiar armory come on site. So maybe she hadn't forgotten or she had been incredibly lucky.
Either way, she happily enters the shop and stumbles across the threshold. A cry escapes her as warm hands grab her from falling on her and she manages to land back towards a hard chest. The blush is instant as she grumbles and throws herself forward out of his arms.
Zoro just smirks as he follows her.
"Six months might have passed, but some things don't change. Let's go, sword nerd. And then you owe me some sake… And an explanation."
She glares as she steps into the sword shop.
He glances at her as she walks in, noticing as her eyes get instantly wide and her gaze turns soft as she stares at the walls adorning the walls. She seems to instantly relax as she slowly walks to the shopkeeper sitting at the far back wall. She smiles brightly as she waves her hand and excitedly starts speaking. "Hello! Are you Kitirio? Ah, I was told that swords were left for me. I was, ah, supposed to give you a note… " She stumbles through searching her pockets and Zoro's surprised at the way she makes sure the hood continues to cover her face and hair despite her constant jostling. She lets out another triumphant AHA as she finds her note and hands it to the man who had nodded in confirmation of being Ktirio.
He's a tall giant of a man, smoking a cigar as he stands behind the counter and reviews the paper he's given. Besides being a tall man, he's also large with small circular glasses sitting almost comically on her large nose. His robes are a dark red, and a white sash holds the coat in place over his hakama pants. He bows his head to her and smiles cheerfully, the expression a complete contract to the imposing figure he makes as he confirms to Tashigi, "Ahh yes. I have two great items for you! Very well cared for and loved… It's not often that I get such cherished blades turned in to me for care and keep. I was told I'd see you any day now and so I kept them close by. Ahh, where are they.." He starts rummaging through the shelves on the counter as Tashigi excitedly leans over and tries to look for her swords.
He pulls out a wrapped bundle, the gauzy fabric that seems to shimmer in the light from the candles lining the walls. The shop seems brighter, the candles reflecting off the surfaces of the pristinely shined and cared for blades covering the walls and tables of the shop. There's a warm and cozy fire close to the door, that offset the chill from the open windows running throughout the shop. The shudders did their job of keeping the storm out but the shopkeeper opted to keep them open, and he notices that the swords are all out of the way of the rain, and he's surprised that even that small attention to detail was paid to these words.
Then again... A little rain, constantly over time, would ruin the blades littering this shop. He's surprised as Tashigi unwraps the bundles and her eyes shine as she unveils two well cared for swords, her Shigure and 2nd sword with a tsuba hilt resting gently within the swabs of fabric.
She merely hilts each sword after carefully examining the blades. She bows lowly exclaiming a low "Thank you!" with a wide smile on her face. It's amazing how she can scowl at him nonstop but ease into kindness and big grins with complete strangers.
If he didn't know her better, he'd say she didn't like him.
She searches her pockets for money as Kitirio simply holds an open palm her way. "No worries, young lady, this has already been taken care of. Besides, it's always an honor to hold onto and be entrusted, no matter how temporarily, such well-loved and cared for blades. Consider this a repayment of the exceptional way you treat your blades." he casts a quick glance at Zoro and then turns his eyes back towards her while he continues, "Continue to take good care of them. And yourself in this storm."
She bows again in thanks and as she straightens she turns her head to look behind her at the door. Where Zoro still stands.
Because in all of her excitement, she'd almost forgotten about the slowly increasing pressure of his stare. But now? Now her swords were hilted and all she could feel burning in his stare was questions. Questions she did NOT want to answer. And she didn't have to.
She didn't owe him anything.
Except, maybe she didn't owe him anything but he always knew when something was wrong. With her. Because she didn't know him well enough to know if this was something he could do with anyone else - but she thinks he could. Because she might be an open book but he just knew how to READ people. It's annoying, she thinks. She's always the damsel in distress. Except she can't be that. Not tonight. And tomorrow. Or the next day or month to a year after that
No. She wouldn't need saving ever again.
She should know. She was doing everything in her power to make sure she didn't have to. It's why she was on this deceptively adorable pirate island. Despite it's warm and inviting look, the main village kept its seedy underbelly hidden deep underground, literally.
She needed to make a trip to the caves soon to make her appointment. And she wouldn't mind being a little early, but to be a little early... With a pirate. And not just any pirate, but the ex-pirate hunter turned the first mate of the straw hat pirates.
Because if her goal was to cause mayhem and panic, then she'd embrace him being there. But no, her entire plan hinged upon NO ONE here knowing who she was and causing as little trouble as possible. Any shenanigans and her entire goal that was finally within her grasp would be gone.
And Tashigi was used to dealing with failure, but she didn't think she could handle this one. And if there was one thing she knew- while she was tied to Zoro by random chances of fate with a sea that was so big it was comical that they ran into each other so often - that more often than not, when he or his crew was involved, everything turned to smoke and ash. And yes, maybe sometimes it worked out but it was a hard-won battle that she just didn't feel like dealing with.
He was exceptional, after all, and luck was truly always on his side but it wasn't on hers, and she was so far from exceptional that she couldn't even imagine how colossal her failure would be if he followed her.
She was truly tired of her biggest failures always being around him. She knew it was petty but if she failed... She'd rather fail on her own and have him none the wiser.
She silently walks out of the armory as he follows her out and she hums out, "So you mentioned sake?"
But she figures that's not something she should be focusing on right now. The quickest way to lose him was to distract him with one of his all-time favorite things - sake. She's even desperate enough to buy him a barrel of sake and an entire cart worth of rice balls but she couldn't see any vendors and doubted the next bar they went to would be outfitted like the tavern.
They're silent as they make their ways through the sharp winding streets of the village, and the rain is still nonstop but that doesn't matter
But the bar was close, and probably packed… if she could get him settled with enough alcohol, maybe she could slip out. Better yet if some other swordsman was there. If she had any luck, as soon as they walked through that door some pirate that he happened to beat would be there and she wouldn't have to burn through a third of her reserves of alcohol for him at all.
Her hopes are dashed as they make their way into the dimly lit seedy bar nestled on the corner of the street. Six Knives etched onto the door, Tashigi entered the door and the townspeople and pirates (they were one and the same though it was hard to tell sometimes) just glanced up and then looked back down. She eyes the tables around her, seeing the gambling and grumbling of pirates and their crews clamoring and she's pretty sure she's never wanted to get out of somewhere so fast but she's a woman on a mission.
Yeah, she's got to focus! She panics for a second as she realizes that all of the tables and booths are taken… And there's such a long line at the bar. She groans as she feels Zoro's chuckle reverberating from her back. He's so close.
"It is raining, y'know…" And he hums as in agreement with himself as lightning streaks the sky and she jumps as waves of thunder echo throughout. Loud enough to drown the noise of the dark bar littered with people and she's so frustrated because this is how it always goes with him-
Nothing ever goes according to plan. Not the weather, her destinations, or timing. Again, planning was useless. She's surprised it's taken her this long to really come to terms with it. All those times she argued with Smoker for being unprepared for battle and really, he was right.
She would smack her head against a hard surface but there's barely any room to stand, let alone have enough space to inflict bodily harm on herself. She feels a warm hand on her hip and another on her left bicep as she's guided closer to the dark corner of the bar and she notices as they walk closer through the shadows cast by the candles adorning the walls sporadically that there are two seats recently just vacated and she sighs.
He leads her to the now vacant seats and gracefully slides onto his stool, settling his back against the wall and grabbing the attention of the bartender by mere existence.
Tashigi wonders what it's like to be able to command a person, let alone a whole room, like that. Before she even has a chance to slide all the way onto the stool, a large bottle of sake is handed to Zoro and she glares as he merely shrugs. Two glasses are sat on the bar in front of them and she squirms as she realizes that despite the loudness of the bar, she's sitting beside him and she glances at her watch, she has thirty minutes or less to find a way out of here.
If he was a simple ordinary person, she could merely tell him she had plans and she could leave. But he could always tell when she was lying and she wasn't sure why he was so in tune with her when she could barely figure out what she was feeling. It was frustrating but she'd admit that it also made her feel bad. She didn't know how to read him as he did her and it seemed pointless anyway. To Zoro, she'd always be a Marine that looked like his dead friend. And to Tashigi, Zoro would always be this unattainable goal, this unattainable person who just hated her… She thinks that their childish antics are a cause of their intense dislike but then even that had calmed and was now mostly for fun.
She blinks and sighs as she gestures with her hand to her cup and he fills it wordlessly.
"So.. Why don't we start with why you're on this island. And why you won't stop looking at your watch."