Hey! Hope everyone is having a great day! I am just informing you guys that I have recently purchased a text to speak app. I noticed I have missed quite a few errors in the past and obviously struggle with it. I wanted to bring you the best quality I can so over the weekends, I'll go through and begin correcting all those missed mistakes. Enjoy!
The next morning, Kuzan could smell the aroma of wholesome food wafting into his complex. The delicious smell had woken the man from a deep sleep. One he wasn't anxious to get up and depart from but his stomach felt like it was gnawing on his backbone. The loud protests his gut was making were the sounds relating to what a mad animal would make.
His copper orbs began to blink and focus before glancing at the clock next to his bed. The alarm was set for five and to the admiral's frustration, it was four. To top off his foul mood, Aokiji could hear the rain smashing violently against the roof and windows. The wind howled vehemently. This made for poor weather to ride his bike in. A hiss formed from his lips as he sat up.
The only good thing about this ordeal, he would be able to use it as an excuse not to come in to work. The admirals took turns stationing themselves over night at headquarters just for occasions like this. Although rain in general didn't bother them too much; if it was a monsoon, then it would be almost impossible. The upside and downside to a devil fruit user. At seven, he'd get a visit from a messenger which was just fine by him since he had been torn from the comfort of his slumber.
Kuzan begrudgingly lifted himself from the confines of his warm blankets. The air was cool and normally would have given anyone a slight chill but the cold obviously didn't effect him. To say he was immune was an understatement. He digressed by washing his face and rubbing the sleep from the corners of his sharp eyes.
Through the vents, the admiral could hear the rustling and sizzling of delicious food in the making. "I'm going to get you back for this", he declared sternly but unsure if the young woman heard him through the vent.
As the admiral made his way outside and locked his door, his eyes widened. The sight of a mountain of crustaceans laid before him as the rain beat down on the overhang; which reached over across all four buildings. It protected the residents from weather such as this like a second roof. The large pile was higher and contained a variety of giant lobster, monster sized crab, enormous shrimp, and many clams the size of his fists.
"I have to be dreaming", Kuzan muttered in disbelief. The man approached her door but then remembered how he had disciplined Katie for thinking she could leave it unlocked. The admiral had a strong hunch that it was in fact, unlocked. A large hand turned the knob and with ease, it opened. A heavy sigh escaped before taking a step into her home.
Upon entry, the man's sense of smell was welcomed with the aroma of miso and sweet white rice. The fragrance permeated her complex with the residual scent of oyster sauce still lingering. A waft of sake touched his nose and forced his stomach to growl. The whiff of vinegar was light and he quickly understood it was cooking sake. The brunette was going all out, it appeared. Copper orbs soaked in scene of pans gingerly bubbling with steam rolling upward. A sauce pan seemed to be simmering what appeared to be a mix of clams and vegetables in a dark sauce. Aokiji's ears could even pick up the sounds of oil sizzling as his eyes spotted small bowls of tempura batter.
The marine's head turned to see what she had done with the rest of the complex. Everything had been cleaned. There was no trace of dust, even on the walls. It even smelled 'clean'. Slipping off his slippers, he entered with no fear or consideration. If Katie wanted that she would have locked the damn door, he thought.
Kuzan could also feel the air considerably warmer than his own place. After all, she had been cooking for what appeared to be a while now. Stuffing his hands in the pockets of his loose grey sweat pants, the admiral quietly walked about. He could hear her in the bathroom. It sounded like the young woman was pouring water or some sort of liquid into a tub full of water. From the sake jars lying about, he guessed it was another jug of sake. This peeked his curiosity.
A few long strides and the towering officer found himself at the end of the hall. Trying to not appear phased he acted as if seeing what was before him wasn't surprising but internally he was shocked. Katie had filled the entire black tub with clams and had just finished emptying a full jug of sake into it. To maintain his relaxed appearance, the man leaned in the tall door frame and let his shoulder rest on the wood. His weight shifted to the side as both hands remained stuffed into his pockets.
"My oh my…", Aokiji spoke breaking the silence. "Your bathroom is a little bigger than mine", he teased. In general, the bathroom was a midnight black with matching utilities minus the sink that happened to be pearl white. A matching white line created by tiles, circled the entire room in the center of the wall to break up the dark color. With a matching sink and overhead lamp, it was a nice sterile design. The light was dim to go along with the motif, which for the most part, was easy on the eyes if one just woke up. His bathroom was made up of the same design but was marine blue.
Katie turned her head and her lips peeled back as her eyes widened. The frightened appearance was comical to Kuzan who simply saluted his hello but it didn't help. Further more what caught his attention were the clothes that she wore. A bikini top with blue marine symbols and anchors patterned over white fabric. Her shorts were a faded blue jean color and rode high on her milky thighs. The admiral shuddered. His dark thoughts in the shower prior, came rushing back. Letting out a deep breath, the marine was able to resume his normal state.
"Yo." He couldn't help but give the young woman a playful glance before returning his hand to his pocket. A leg crossed over the other as he relaxed. The young woman seemed devastated. She was completely white before falling back on her rear, dropping the brown jug in her hand in the process. Kuzan was a bit taken by her reaction. She probably happened to be so deep in thought that his appearance must have rattled her, at least that's what he thought until he saw crimson flow from her nostrils. With her blank stare, it was painfully obvious the female was unaware of it. The marine was soon struck with worry. "Oh my… Katie…", Aokiji spoke quietly to not startle her more than she already was. "Your…", he pointed to his nose as he leaned over to get a closer look.
The long-haired woman's blank white eyes returned to their normal state as blue hues graced him before gazing down. The female wiped her snout with the back of her hand only to come to the realization how bad it had been. In her mind, the panic button had been hit.
Quickly the brunette peddled herself backward until her shoulders hit the wall. With the grace of a cat, Katie turned her back to him; she had snatched the green towel above her head and bunched the fabric under her nose.
Why the hell did he have to come dressed like that, the young woman cried in her thoughts. Loose navy blue tank top with white marine written on the front…, check. Baggy dark grey sweat pants…, check. Showing off most of his upper muscular body…, check. The man had no shame! The shirt was so low cut, she could practically see his bare torso! Why, she continued to weep in her own thoughts. And why didn't those old bastards prepare her for this?!
Katie heard Kuzan make his way behind her. The man had lowered himself to sit on the floor. As blue eyes saw the legs stretch on both sides of her petite form, she could feel another gush of blood rush out her nose. Her head was light, even dizzy. All night the brunette had been fighting with herself. It was why, in the middle of a devastating storm, that she went for a swim. Albeit the blood in the water attracted the sharks but they didn't pose a threat.
The young woman heard an audible sigh before seeing the light black out. The warmth of his palm over her eyes caused Katie to shiver uncontrollably. Her heart raced as his fingers were long enough to brush over the top of her ear. Gasping for air, the brunette drew in heavy breaths through the towel as her nose bled profusely. What surprised the young woman the most was the other arm coiling around her midsection. His smooth skin was warm and the feel of his chest against her back, comforting.
Katie whimpered. She was almost in tears. Unable to figure out what to do, the young woman froze. The brunette couldn't see his copper eyes move over to her trash can which had been filled with crimson soaked tissues. It was like a horror show had been left. Obviously, she had been dealing with this for a while. Her skin was clammy; she was cold to the touch. To add to his concern, the female was pale in complextion.
Exhaling, Kuzan leaned down. "Katie… When did the nose bleeds start", he asked slow and low. Her shoulder nearly coiled once his soft breath touched the outer shell of her left ear. Her silence was deafening. "Were you scared I'd go and tell your family", the man continued thoughtfully. The admiral could feel her slump forward. "Now again…", the admiral revisited the first question. "When did this start?"
The larger man could see and feel Katie shift in his arms. She had to think of something quickly. Telling a man that he's partially the cause for bleeding out wasn't a good way of going about things. "I don't know… Earlier…", the female answered with her tone muffled through the cloth.
"Before or after you went swimming", Aokiji calmly asked after taking in the scent of the ocean from her hair.
Katie's mind clicked. It wasn't exactly lying and Yasopp had taught her if she was going to sell a lie, do so with four truths first. The brunette's silence was taken as something else and she was relieved. It was clear the marine officer took her sealed lips as fear of the old men finding out. After all, what would also cause a nose bleed like this one would also be considered idiotic in their eyes.
"Don't make me repeat the question", Kuzan darkly warned with patience running thin in his tone.
"During", the female quickly answered. "I have a strong sense of smell. If I dive, I must be careful to clear the pressure from both my ears and nose. If I don't… The blood won't stop. I get light headed and dizzy sometimes. Grandpa… Well both, have drilled in the dangers pretty good but I get so distracted…" Her voice was quiet but she could breathe once more when the tall admiral leaned back on both his hands.
"Man…", he playfully groaned. "And here I was hoping it was me causing it…" Luckily for the young woman, she didn't see his boyish smirk. The tease garnered her trying to flail her arm backward at him but the height difference was so great, she just swatted air.
Relieved to a degree, he wanted to make sure she was going to be alright. Kuzan needed to be close in case something disastrous happened. Like Katie losing consciousness. Last thing she'd need was a concussion. He had seen several free divers with the same symptoms and the outcome wasn't good. With it raining as heavy as it was, there was no way the admiral could fetch her help.
The marine glanced over at the clams in the tub. They were huge. That size off the coast line, she had to have gone deep and in rough water. It was a testament to her strength. Also, more importantly, her cooking skill. "Eh?!" The clams were alive! He thought they'd be dead by now but the mussels were breathing and drinking in the sake.
"Hm", she hummed turning her head to see him staring at the tub full of clams. "Oh…" the brunette spoke while undoing her pony tail and removing the towel. "They'll live for a while like that. It's cooking sake with herb seasonings. Once they fully open up, I'll scoop them out of the tub and put them in a large steamer. They'll be soft, juicy, and really tasty", the female explained by turning to the side and folding her arms over the edge of the bathtub.
"They'll be dinner with a mound of kinoko gohan on the side. Plus… some tempura, lobster tail, miso, and other things. I love cooking…", she admitted with a soft expression before laying her head down on her arms.
"Grandpa Sengoku taught me some recipes while grandpa Garp showed me how to hunt my food. But they aren't the only ones. There's a woman by the name of Makino who helped raise me, though she's more like an older sister. She was worried when I left. She knows I hate eating alone… Because of that, I skipped dinner and tried to go to sleep. Well then the storm moved in and the loud thunder mixed with the high winds, I couldn't. That's when I decided to go swimming. I was low on food anyways. I had just gotten over another nose bleed so I decided to start soaking the clams while the other dishes simmered."
Kuzan chuckled. "Alright…", he stated before giving her a solid tap on the head with his knuckle.
Katie's eyes turned up almost demonically as she bared her teeth. "What was that for?!"
"Haha", he couldn't contain himself. She literally went from this kind, sweet little person, to a sharp toothed devil. "You didn't lock your door, like I had warned", he smoothed over his words.
"What?! I did too, you jerk! I even hung my key next to the door to remind myself!" The young woman flailed like a child throwing a tantrum.
The sound of the front door opening, caught both their attention. This brought a solid chill down his back, forcing his senses to become alert. Someone-had-been-in-the-house. "Stay", he barked before quickly coming to his feet and leaving. He didn't close the door behind him. He wouldn't dream of it. If the sound was a distraction, the man wouldn't leave it to chance to put a barrier between the two of them. In the living room, the air had become quite chilly. His frozen breath seeping from his lips. On high alert, the man's eyes darted about. The coast was clear as far as he could see but the door had been left open.
Kuzan was livid. This was a mockery, to not only his pride but his profession and rank. They were saying yeah, they were there and he didn't even notice. An admiral of all people, didn't notice how close to danger he and his company were. A hiss of anger could be heard as his lips curled back, baring his teeth. The officer wasn't going to let this go so easily...