It was that day, that day were the feeling of love is expressed; Kisses, candy, hugs, and words. The Hell Fire pirates came to an island that celebrated this day of bliss. During the course of the day the people will do nothing, but talk about Valentine's day. When Dawn came the festival of love began filled with dancing, sweets, and most of all kissing.
Jerome hopped off ship with Dante and Crash following him close behind. Landing on the ground with a harsh thump. They entered the town of parading people taking note of everything around.
"This town sure does take this holiday seriously" Commented Crash.
Dante looked away from anything involving the holiday. "I don't really care for it. Just another one of those annoying days" The memory of escaping girls as a kid rush back to him.
"We found you" Called a perky voice; a dark chill went down both their backs. They turned around facing the horrifying sight of their fangirls. Each dying from heart tearing blush. "Be mine"
"Be mine too"
"Mine too"
And then they were gone. Only hearing the cries of…
"Crashy!"
"Dante!"
"We want you"
Both men blinked before running faster than the wind. Jerome had avoided any of this casualties by wondering off into a food stand. He paid for his tanuki meal already munching on it; he took notice too the wind chimes hanging on the stand along with the picture of a lavish woman.
The perky woman noticed this. "So you like that don't cha"
"Kinda, but I would like to know who that woman is" Jerome asked.
The woman smiled at the picture of the painted lady. "That's a picture of are love bringer. It's said if you leave her a gift; she will give you the day you want with the one you love"
Jerome sucked on his tanuki; looking at the picture one last time before walking off. "Thanks for the story and the food"
Nora looked at Tegami packing a duffle bag. He put a series of items inside such as grape's, red candle's, a titled the 'rainbow mist', and a red rose flower. He packed all these things with great care; didn't want to damage one.
"Tegami might I ask what your doing" Nora asked him.
Tegami looked back at her then back at his bag. "This is just my wife's favorite things. Valentine's day was are day; so I gathered these things for her"
"I don't understand"
"Even if she's dead I still feel committed to leave it at a memorial" Tegami sighed. "Your just to young to understand"
"No i'm not!"Nora pleaded; she felt where the man was coming from. "I want to join you, can you wait for me; I want to do it too"
Tegami picked up his duffle bag. "Sure than hurry up"
After hearing the wonderful rumor in town about the woman. Katherine knew she had to give it a try; today she wanted Dante to herself it sounded selfish, but she was only human. All she needed was a gift. She looked across her room, but couldn't find anything worth giving.
She came back on deck; put her head down in shame. Jerome came by finding his musician in a pit of despair. He lifted her head up seeing the girl with blank eye's.
"Kat, what's the matter" Jerome asked her.
"Jerome all I want today is to spend it with Dante. Except I can't find anything worth giving the messenger of love" Kat explained.
Jerome finished up his tanuki. "Give her food everybody loves food"
At that moment Katherine pulled in Jerome for a hug. The latter didn't know exactly what he did, but was happy he could help. Katherine then pulled him into the kitchen where Seiran and Martel are preparing a Valentine's day meal. Seiran looked up from the steaming pot looking at the two coming in.
"Hey you two what are doing in here" Seiran asked.
Jerome walked up to the table snagging a bite of an apple. "Seiran; Martel stop what your doing and don't come back to the ship for the rest of the day, that's an order"
"Can we ask why captain" Martel asked.
"Kat wants to spend the day alone with Dante. So no one other than them can come to the ship" Jerome explained.
Seiran and Martel stopped everything they did. Turning the stove off and giving one last wipe to the table. The two walked out as the captains given order.
"Good luck Kat" Encouraged Jerome before himself leaving out the room. With everyone gone she could now prepare a gift in the form of food. Going through the recipe book she found the most natural thing to make would be a sweet blueberry pie. Not to much and not to simple.
Luna sat on a bench watching all the couples pass by. She didn't have anyone to spend this day with; she didn't feel sad just left out. Darrius decided he would be a good big brother; he went in town and grabbed many sweets for her. He knew she would be happy; what he didn't expect was for Travious to do the same.
"What are you doing" Questioned Darrius.
"I'm getting Luna some candy to help her feel better" Said Travious. "What do you think your doing"
"The same thing, you can't just steal my idea!" Argued Darrius.
"Since when is getting someone candy stealing an idea" Countered Travious.
Luna laughed and grabbed both their hands. "It's okay, it doesn't who does what the same at least I know you love me; like I love you"
Both former members of the five walls; not meant to meant to be so warmhearted. However they couldn't help, but show such affection to their little sister. Travious smiled while looking up in the sky. "Come on you two let's go find a spot for the fireworks"
"Sounds good, but first we need some boos" Darrius told them; he got a disappointed look from Travious. "What"
"Getting drunk of Valentine's day … really"
"FOR YOUR INFORMATION I DON'T GET DRUNK"
Travious snickered.
"It's true, Darrius lacks the proper brain cells to get drunk" Luna defended.
Darrius nodded his head. "Right … wait WHAT"
Martel and Seiran entered town. They couldn't find much too do since they mostly stayed in the kitchen. However the wonderful aroma of food clouded their minds. Their feet lifted them from the ground bringing them to that wonderful aroma. It led them to a open space that's filled with cooking stands and chef's all around.
"Hola, will you two be entering are cooking contest" Asked a fellow Chef; with a mustache so big it would qualify for a hairnet.
"Cooking contest" They both repeated.
"Yes. The objective is whoever can cook the best dish here; has the honor of having their dish on the most recommended food in today festival" Explained Mustache cook. "So are you two in"
"You betcha" They said in unison.
They were directed to their own cooking station. They stood their listening to the boiling pots and sizzling water around them. Martel brought out his cooking knives; Seiran brought out eggs, milk, flour, vegetable oil, and frosting. The they would cook has already been decided as a red velvet cake.
Martel washed out a bowl with water "A bowl has to nice and clean or else your batter will be sour" He finished rinsing then waiting for Seiran.
"Make sure to crack the egg's with just enough force; not to soft or to hard" Seiran cracked the egg's inside the bowl. "Then you want to stroke it fifty time's exactly"
Martel opened the oven just for Seiran too put the uncooked cake in. "Then warm it up for thirty minutes; just until it's good and moist" Instructed Martel.
…
Ding!
Martel pulled out the finished cake. Both him and Seiran decorated the cake with red and white cake then topped it off adding strawberries. "A little decoration wouldn't kill a man" Commented Seiran.
Martel and Seiran placed knives over their chest. "And that's how you cook red velvet"
Dante and Crash turned a corner; leading into a ally. When the fan girls thought they finally trapped them; Dante and Crash leaped right over the building. They landed together, but separated; taking a different runway. Crash being the unlucky almost immediately running into the fan girls again.
"It's Valentine's day spend it with us" Swooned a fan girl.
Crash flexed his calves about to run again. He however didn't account for the flash of black and white to pass by. Just after this flash, Crash looked too find all of the fan girls had been knocked to the ground. A pink bump on each of their heads frying like a pan.
"That's for harassing my MAN" Kon in forced; her moment of dominance came and left when she walked up to Crash. "Hello my love I said we would meet again on this day. I wanted too spend this day with you; just me and you"
Crash nodded. "No i'm going home"
"Then i'm coming with you" Kon answered back; her hands writhing in front of her too.
Crash frowned. She was just so stubborn … why? She could just stay here and find some other man to love. He simply rather just go home and stay home, but she wasn't letting him. She grabbed his hands and looks him square in the eye.
"Crash I want to be with you" Kon said slowly; she pulled him in more closely. "Please I want this day with you" Kon smiled, her hands warm between his.
Crash sighed he had been defeated. "Fine, Kon, but this isn't a date understand"
"I understand" She didn't; Crash already knew that. But it would have been too much too make his point clear. He shrugged as she let go of his hand and they began their tour around town.
On the highest point of the mountain top you could clearly get the view. Tegami and Nora climbed to this highest point. Tegami placed out everything he had gathered for his wife then lighting the candles one by one. Nora only had one thing to give; it was a picture of her, her grandfather, and the White beard pirates.
She looked down at Tegami sitting cross legged; he nodded giving her the signal too play her flute. Tegami breathed in preparing his speech. "Hey Aoi, I hope your having fun in heaven tell the guys I said hi okay. I escaped Impel Down by joining up with this crazy kid named Jerome; I bet you'll like him. Anyway we're called Hell Fire sounds dangerous, huh" Tegami's voice changed to a tone of grief. "Anyway I haven't had any luck finding are daughter yet. That's actually the reason I joined Jerome he said he'll help me. Don't cry because I promise I will find her and protect her with my life"
The candles blew out and Tegami stopped speaking; Nora also stopped playing her flute. He only looked at Nora waiting for her too go. Nora brought out a pair of white candles and lit them both. She bit her lip for a second. "Hi grandfather I miss you. I didn't stay with the White beards, but I joined with the people that saved Ace. Their are just so many questions I have for you, but I know you can't answer. I want to live up to your name except sometimes I really don't know what i'm doing. … Anyway it's Valentine's day and I love you"
After the candles blew out Tegami and Nora sat awhile in their grief. With this sadness filling the air, Tegami realized this was no way to act. Especially on the day we're everyone is supposed to be happy. Then he wasn't setting such a good example for Nora. He smiled and put his grief behind him.
"Come on, Nora let's go party. Sitting here being sad won't help us feel better right" Tegami held out his hand.
Nora looked up; she smiled when the man pulled her up. "Your right let's …whao!" Tegami unexpectedly whisked her on his back.
"Let's see what they got to eat" Tegami told her; he grabbed all their things and ran down the hill.
Dante was sure he escaped the horror known as fan girls. He hadn't heard a scream of his name or the grip of one trying too hug him. Just another reason he disliked the day known as Valentine's day. That uneasy feeling came back when he boarded the Lazy Wolf. His mouthed opened up seeing lanterns hanging everywhere.
Katherine stepped out the shadows wearing a lavish purple dress. "Dante I was wondering if you would dance with me"
Dante turned his face to the woman that addressed him. The moon glistened her from head to toe; she wanted to dance with him, something he wasn't particularly sure about. He disliked everything about Valentine's day, but he didn't dislike Katherine. He was stuck in a standstill, she obviously put some work into this…
"Kat, I don't know if I…" Began Dante.
She cleared the ship so it could just be him and her. Damn. He considerate side got the better of him; to put a woman down so low by denying her hard work, would be a terrible thing to do. He suddenly found his hands in Kat's and her head pressed against his chest. Before he knew it they began slow dancing.
"Thanks, Dante for giving me this one night" Katherine looked back at where she placed the pie; she smiled seeing that it was gone. She didn't care if their was really a spirit or not; she had a night with Dante and that was all she needed.
Dante would give her this if he couldn't give what her what she truly desired. Even if he didn't like the holiday; he liked Kat and he liked the atmosphere. As far as he was concerned he's just doing a big favor for a friend.
Cassidy didn't care for this day. She already had too many bad experiences with romance and she didn't care to speak of it. The captain's orders said to stay off ship for awhile so she was stuck with said captain and Lee. They entered a bar were the latter is spending his time flirting with women. He was called lucky when he walked out with a brunette.
"Pervert" She commented.
A bottle of rum slammed onto the table; she looked up seeing it was Jerome. "Down be so down Cassidy have a drink"
"Aren't you a little too young to drink" Cassidy asked.
"Nope i'm sixteen" Jerome answered; he noticed Cassidy still in a rut so he did the one thing he could. He took her out the restaurant against her will; he dragged her into the party festival they could already see most members of their crew partying their asses off. Jerome dragged Cassidy to a food stand that is being run by Seiran and Martel.
"Hey guys can you give us some chocolate" Jerome asked.
"Sure thing captain" Answered Seiran; he bent down getting a box while he was doing this Martel came over.
He looked over at Cassidy then Jerome. "So are you two on a date"
"NO/I guess you could say that" Cassidy and Jerome spoke. Cassidy whacked Jerome over the head for what he said.
"Here ya go" Seiran gave Jerome the box of chocolates; when the latter began dragging Cassidy again Seiran couldn't stop himself from saying the next words. "Jerome! try not to get rough with her."
"I won't" He called back; a whacking sound followed. "Ow!"
Crash and Kon ate dinner at a picnic table. During dinner Crash noticed how, Kon was dressed their was no way she couldn't be cold. "Kon are you warm" Crash asked her.
The woman blushed, a guilty look came as she tried to stop shaking. Crash sighed, he should've have noticed earlier. "You should have said something" His grabbed her hand pulling her to her feet. "Come on we need to get you someplace warm"
He pulled her into a log cabin were they served hot chocolate. They sat down by the hot fire the blazes warming them up. Eventually Kon fell asleep on, Crash's lap the latter didn't seem to mind. He looked down at her thinking over their relationship. She started off as the enemy and now she calls herself an ally. She claimed she loved him and from everything she did so far, she defiantly proved it. However the most he can see her as is a associate.
When he was overwhelmed by his sleepiness he decided to fall asleep. Even with Kon on his lap besides this wasn't a date.
Tegami and Nora wind up finding an all you can eat buffet. Tegami however is taking the words 'all you can eat' very seriously. He passed by fifty twenty bowls so fast the chef's wondered if he was even chewing. Not only that, but his metabolism must be incredibly fast. Because he still maintained his skinny figure!
"Excuse me sir, but we have to ask you… to leave" Said the waiter.
Tegami glared like a shark. "Isn't this an all you can eat"
"Well yes, but"
"THEN LET HIM EAT ALL HE CAN EAT" Snapped Nora.
The waiter ran faster than the wind.
Nora and Tegami resumed their Valentine's day dinner.
Luna jumped happily across the road; she smiled back at her two brothers. "Come on you two there's still more games to play" Darrius and Travious came up holding a mountain of stuffed animals and candy. The girl had went on a spree of playing games and winning prizes. They mustn't have been in the right mind when they agreed to carry everything.
"Luna can we slow down …please" Begged Darrius.
"I have to agree a break would be nice" Agreed Travious.
Luna turned back blowing the hair out her eye. "Alright, but don't take too long remember it's Valentine's day"
The fan girls had recovered from their head injuries and swarmed over Seiran and Martel's food stand. They were either fighting them off or serving the one's that actually want food. Either way it was a real hassle.
"Seiran come marry me"
"Seiran be my personal cook"
They all swooned over Seiran leaving one question. "So apparently I don't exist" Remarked Martel.
All the fan girls stopped their squealing and actually calmed down for once. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU"
Seiran threw a smoke ball on the ground. Taking Martel with him they both successfully escaped the fan girls.
"So what do you wanna do now" Seiran asked him.
"I'm up for a beer date" Offered Martel
"Sounds good to me"
Katherine couldn't have asked for a better Valentine's day. Being held so close to Dante, the warmth of their bodies pressed together. She knew Dante couldn't like her the same way, but she did know that this dance was progress. When they got pulled away she was saddened.
"Sorry, Kat that's all I can do" Dante told her; Katherine sat down; it couldn't have lasted forever. Before walking off ship, Dante looked back at Katherine. "Come on what are you waiting for. I think the crew would like us too join them"
Kat hopped up then sneakily kissed Dante on the cheek. "Happy Valentine's day, Dante"
"Yeah, you two" Dante slowly said; he didn't find this holiday so terrible apparently.
Jerome dragged Cassidy to the top of a building; that's oddly next to a bigger apartment building. They sat next to each other eating the pack of chocolates. Cassidy was having a somewhat enjoyable time, she just couldn't pen down on why the boy kept laughing?
"What's so funny" Cassidy asked him. "I don't see anything to laugh at"
"Nothing. It's just my first time celebrating Valentine's day" Admitted Jerome.
Cassidy didn't know if she should of felt flattered by that statement. All she did know was she's having a good time and nothing was going to ruin that. "Happy Valentine's day, my stupid captain"
Lee watched this from a open window seal above. He was missing both his hat and shirt revealing some stitches over his body. He smiled down at the pair before was winking and closing the window.
Whew. I can't believe I finished this, like I promised here on Valentine's day. I'm actually at a gray area with this chapter. Can't really tell if I like it or not. Even if this is filler there could possibly be some reference on it later. I tried experimenting with other members of the crew that haven't interacted much. Also to make things clear Jerome and Cassidy won't be happening. Well goodnight or morning, whatever time your reading this. -Love Cole D. soul