Updated: 10/21/16

Chapter 8: Touch

Liara woke up the next morning feeling like her skull was being split open by an ax. She gradually stood up and headed towards the bathroom to wash up her face and hopefully desist her stomach from feeling so nauseated. She winced at the overbearingly bright bathroom lights, and groaned when she looked in the mirror and saw how disheveled her entire appearance was. Eyeliner and eye shadow were smeared over and below her eyes, and her hair stuck up at odd angles. "Well don't I look beautiful," she muttered to herself before deciding that a shower at this point would be her best option.

After she was satisfied with her appearance, she stepped out of the room wearing a long light blue skirt and a navy blue shirt that was covered with a jean jacket. Although she felt a little better after the shower, her head was still pounding and her stomach was continuing to feel upset. The moment she entered the kitchen, the sound of laughter filled her ears, but this time it was unpleasant as it only seemed to be making her head feel worse. Nami gave Liara a sympathetic look in understanding and motioned her over to sit between her and Chopper.

"Hangover, huh?" Nami asked as she patted Liara's back gently, thankful that she herself rarely received them.

"Yeah,I guess so," Liara responded as she rubbed her temples in an attempt to lessen the pain.

"I see you're quite the light drinker," Robin stated with a smile. "I believe our Doctor might have medicine to help."

Chopper nodded in confirmation before hopping off of his chair and exiting the kitchen. Luffy grinned from across the table.

" Liara, you're such a funny drunk! You made fun of Usopp's nose!" And on that note, he burst out laughing and flicked the Sharpshooter's long nose.

"Dammit Luffy!" Usopp yelled in annoyance as he rubbed the new red spot on his distinguished facial feature.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I honestly don't even remember doing that," Liara quickly apologized with guilt evident in her voice. Usopp waved her off and told her not to worry about it, but she still couldn't help but feel awful. "I actually don't really remember what happened at all last night," she added in embarrassment.

"No problem, Liara- sis! Brook here made sure you got back safe and sound. He carried you back here, ya know!" Franky enthusiastically pointed out as one of his large hands smacked Brook's back. The skeleton's skull nearly fell off at the strong contact, but he quickly sat up and moved his head around to make sure it was still screwed onto his neck. Once he was positive that no body parts had been lost, he looked over at Liara, whose mouth and eyes had widened in horror.

"O-oh you did? I'm so sorry about that. Thank you very much." She looked positively ashamed as she shifted her eyes down at her plate and poked awkwardly at her food. Brook himself felt awkward about the whole situation, so he decided not to even bring up the way she had pretty much humiliated herself in front of two strangers, knowing that the other members would only joke about it and embarrass him and Liara even more.

"Ah, it was my pleasure madame," the skeleton responded with a tilt of his hat. "Anytime."

Chopper bounded back into the kitchen at what Liara thought was the "right time", as her cheeks had turned bright pink from Brook's offer. "Here you go Liara!" the Doctor cutely offered as he hopped back onto his chair and held up two yellow pills, which she gratefully accepted.

By the time breakfast was over, Liara's headache had almost completely receded, so she decided to once again explore the island, as there were still a few days left and she knew that there were still parts of the island she hadn't seen yet.

"Why don't I go with you so we can do some training with your sword?" Brook suggested after Liara announced her departure. She nodded and headed back into the bedroom to obtain her sword, emerging back on deck only seconds later. Brook decided to wear something less noticeable to not draw attention from the Marines, though not noticing a skeleton in broad daylight was already quite a challenge.

"I actually like this look a lot more." Liara motioned her hand towards the grey suit he had switched his usual attire for.

"Why thank you Miss Liara," Brook politely said as he adjusted his top hat firmly on his afro, feeling quite pleased at the compliment. "I do have a much easier time fighting while wearing this old thing. It still flatters my figure quite nicely, though my bones are the only figure I have!"

It wasn't a creative joke, and even Chopper, who was also preparing to return to the city with Usopp, booed. Liara giggled, but only because it was such an awful joke that she couldn't help but laugh.

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The city was even more heavily massed that day, which Liara could only assume was because of the impending fireworks' festival. If it wasn't for Brook being so tall, she probably would've been separated from him by now as they attempted to weave in and out through the crowds.

The flow of people pushed her in a different directions, like an immense relentless current. "Brook! Hold on!" She felt like a kid being separated from her parents. She wasn't scared of getting lost since she knew that she could honestly get back to the ship by herself, but she didn't want it to seem like she had wandered off or had something bad happen to her.

Brook halted at her shout and look around anxiously to make sure she hadn't been isolated too far from him. When he found her he made his way over and extended his arm out, his hand reaching towards her. She merely stared at it for a moment before looking back up at him curiously. "So we don't get separated," he explained before quickly facing forward. She timidly reached out and took his hand, which wrapped around hers right away. It was an odd thing, holding hands with a skeleton. His hands were hard due to there being no skin to cover his skeletal structure, but it felt smooth and gentle at the same time, and even quite warm. In a way, it really felt no different than holding hands with a human. She bit her lower lip and allowed her to pull him forward as light crimson stained her cheeks from the awkward situation.

He efficiently guided her through the streets, his lanky height giving him advantage to see where they were going. Liara permitted him to navigate her through the throngs of bustling people, her eyes never once leaving his figure in case they were somehow detached from each other. After what felt like several minutes of wandering down countless streets, they arrived at what appeared to be the edge of the city. The buildings had diminished in size and the number of people drastically decreased.

Eventually the two came upon the entrance to an exorbitant forest that sloped upwards into a hill. Grand trees loomed over the two pirates, creating a canvas of shadows across the forest floor as sunlight danced through branches above. Various bird whistles paralleled each other as leaves made crinkling sounds from the ocean's caresses.

"Ah, quite a lovely change of scenery." Brook let out a relaxed sigh while Liara hummed in agreement.

"Where are we going?" she asked as their forest stroll continued, her eyes darting around to try and take in all their surroundings and admire the jade beauty encompassing them.

"I found the perfect place yesterday," Brook responded as he kept his attention forward before he suddenly paused and looked down to realize that their hands were still clasped together. Liara hadn't really noticed, for the feeling had simply felt natural after a while. She followed his gaze, her cheeks heating up at their compromising situation. They yanked their fingers away from each other, both hiding their arms behind their backs.

"Ahem, anyways, the area is right over here..." Brook's voice trailed off as he visually examined the space around him before breaking into a skeletal grin. "Aha!"

Liara peered around his gangling frame and saw a sufficiently bare area that not only provided excellent cover, but allowed them to have a stunning view of the city and ocean. "Wow, this really is nice," she complimented, impressed that he'd managed to find such a great spot. She observed Brook as he pulled out his sword from a sheath in the shape of a cane. There was something majestic about the way he had drawn it out though, with sun beams glistening off of the blade and his arms gracefully poised forward.

Brook gradually lowered his sword and focused his eye sockets her right in the eyes. "Now, please draw out your weapon."

The anxious feeling returned once again, burrowing itself into the pit of her stomach. Taking a deep breath, Liara unsheathed her sword out as well, trying to look just as agile as he had. She copied his position, and awaited further instructions.

He seemed to study her for a moment before taking a step forward. "Liara, the secret to wielding a sword is to have a calm spirit while keeping an open mind about your surroundings and how you can use them effectively against your opponent. Also, know that the point of swordsmanship is not offense, but defense. You shouldn't merely use a sword to go around killing people, but if you are defending yourself, then that is a different matter."

Liara nodded her head in understanding and followed along as she listened intently to every word he said.

"Now, before we engage in a duel, it is important to show proper respect to your opponent. We bow." And with that, Brook bowed his head towards Liara, who politely returned the gesture. "Good," he commended. "Raise your sword up, but don't grip the handle too tightly, or else you'll easily cramp your hands." Once again, Liara followed his example, attempting to mimic his movements as precisely as she could.

Suddenly, Brook swung his sword forward, catching her completely off-guard. Luckily, she managed to raise her sword upwards in the nick of time to block off his attack, their blades clanging as they made contact. "Yohoho! Good!" The skeleton peered down at her from above their clashing swords before pulling back and swinging forward again. This time, he aimed for her right side. Unfortunately, Liara wasn't prepared to avert the strike, so she gasped in surprise as she felt the flat part of the blade tap against her leg.

"Clear your mind and keep your eyes on the opponent," Brook advised as he deliberately circled her. "Also, loosen your grip on the handle. You command the sword; it does not command you."

Bobbing her head to show she understood, Liara loosened her fingers' grasp, and attempted to cleanse all thoughts from her head, her eyes not leaving Brook for a moment. When he went to strike her left side, she swiftly swung her sword down and successfully hindered his impact.

"Very good!" he proudly declared. "Excellent!" He pulled back and tilted his skull with a grin, as if personally challenging her. "Now, let's continue!"

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About an hour had passed by since the training began, and already Liara felt like collapsing in a heap of exhaustion. Sweat droplets gathered on her brow as the sun beat mercilessly upon her skin. Her fingers had started to stiffen, regardless of how hard she tried to not grasp the handle so firmly. Still, she had to concede to herself that she wasn't as dreadful at using a sword as she initially thought she'd be. Brook also seemed to be impressed at how well a first-time user liker her was doing, claiming that even Zoro might be intrigued by how quickly she'd picked up swordsmanship.

"You look tired, Miss Liara. Shall we stop for the day?" Brook suggested after another one of his attacks had been successfully obstructed. He'd swung at her from almost every angle, each time finding himself more and more surprised by how rapid her reflexes were. Of course, she was by no means an expert yet, but she did seem to be making excellent progress. He could see she was exhausted though, and decided that perhaps stopping might be a favorable idea. No sense in going overboard, after all.

Liara exhaled in relief and sheathed her sword before nearly toppling onto the ground. She lay on the dirt and moss covered floor with all her limbs extended outward and her curls spread around her damp face. Brook chuckled at the display before sheathing his own sword and sitting beside her. For a moment, neither one said a thing, enjoying the Grand Line's breeze and view of the buildings below. Liara shut her eyes, not even bothering to wipe the sweat that had managed to slide down the side of her face. She could hear her heart pounding against her ribcage as she took deep breaths to calm it down. She curled her fingers up and down to get rid of the tension she felt near her bones.

Her eyes opened. Bones. She gazed over at her companion, studying his form and wondering just what it was like to be a living skeleton. She couldn't imagine existing without skin, eyes, and muscles. The whole concept was fascinating, and she knew she shouldn't pry into his business, but curiosity was getting the best of her.

"Brook, can you feel anything? I mean, physically," she asked before she could stop herself. She watched him twist his skull to look at her, rather taken aback by her question. Of course, he wasn't bothered by it, but he still couldn't help but ponder at her inquisition.

"I do, but usually nothing pain related. I am already dead, after all." As he bemusedly laughed she repositioned herself into a sitting position and brought her knees up to her chest.

"I apologize if I'm being rude-"

"Not at all, not at all. It's just that others usually don't ask questions about me being a skeleton and what it feels like. I actually have to think about it, though I have no brain." He once again chortled, and this time Liara joined in. Once the laughing had stopped, he decided to continue. "I don't really feel discomfort. I've even had my head chopped off before, but I didn't feel a single ounce of agony. I just popped it back on to my neck and that was it." Liara's eyes widened, but she didn't interrupt. "I can feel the texture of objects, such as human skin or water, and occasionally I will get hot or cold, though I can't die of heat stroke or frost bite."

She examined his hand and wondered if perhaps he'd been able to feel the warmth of her skin earlier. Restraint just wasn't part of the agenda that day, and although she wasn't one to give into temptation so easily, she still couldn't help herself as she placed two fingers over the back of his hand.

"Can you feel this?" she apprehensively queried as her cheeks warmed up for the third time that day.

Brook was rather startled when he felt her soft warm finger against his bones. All he could do was gawk while she displayed a timid smile before he beamed back at her. "I can indeed."

Her face flushed crimson at the situation before removed her hand and quickly bounded to her feet. She turned around and crossed her arms, hoping that the ocean air would assist in cooling her face as she heard him snickering.

"Now, now, no need to be shy my dear. Nobody can resist a skeleton's charms." The skeleton's laughter increased when she pouted as he playfully ruffled the top of her head and proceeded to begin navigating them out of the verdant atmosphere.

Various thoughts ran through Liara's head as she pursued him. She was ecstatic at learning how to use a sword, she loved the island and was glad she'd been able to visit, the crew she was on were a bunch of fantastic people who were nowhere near the monsters she had been forced to believe, and the first true friend she'd ever made just happened to be a world-famous musician who was also a skeleton. A week ago, she would've been in full disbelief over such things occurring, but now she was grateful that they had.

She scrutinized the back of her comrade's form, smiling as he hummed and acted like the most jovial creature in existence. They'd only know each other for about two days, but he'd still made her smile and laugh more than anybody else. She could easily be herself around him, and was thankful that he accepted her flaws and didn't put her down when she said or did something that could be seen as foolish. Brook was a lovely person, and she could only help that she would be able to form such deep bonds with the other Straw Hats.

Just as she was about to pick up her pace to catch up to him, she felt a cloth roughly being pressed up over her mouth. A hazy fog encircled her mind as she began to lose consciousness. She weakly stretched her hands out towards Brook, trying to call his name through the rough material before her hands were jerked behind her and coarsely bound together. The last thing she saw was Brook ambling further away from her, and then everything went dark.