My muse seems to be back on track, gifting me with ideas for this chapter :)
As SadEcho commented, maybe she was going so fast, she just tripped and needed to scrape herself off the ground .. :D
Usual credit for correcting and beta reading goes to SadEcho :) Thank you again!
Do not own One Piece, just love to messing with characters in my own way.
Warning: Tiny bits of adult suggestions, some minor language (someone should teach them how to express themselves without being so vulgar XD)
Sometimes, your sense for the right things won't let you overlook what happened, even if the fear stands in your way ...
As the warm, woman's body snuggled up to him, Zoro stared at the bottom of a hammock above, drifting down into his mind again. Good thing that Sanji wasn't there, being jealous and overprotective as he was, but he could understand, why Nami chose him instead of the cook as a safety cover. Contrary to the popular belief, he was interested in women, being a man after all, but unlike certain others, he wasn't showing it so openly. That's where the jokes about his orientation began to form.
It wasn't like he never stole a glance at a sunbathing Nami, sporting just a tiny bikini or Robin, dressed in a tight miniskirt, but thanks to a certain issues, he rather kept his distance from all women in general. Though time from time, when his body demanded the need, he was willing to obey, even if he knew, he wouldn't have any real pleasure from it. Lying passively on his back, struggling to stay in control and leaving willingly the whole initiative to his playmate was more than just boring.
It was similar to fighting to Zoro. Battling with a weak enemy, who he didn't want to kill, was bothersome. Excessive need to control and contain his strength meant no thrill from the battle at all.
But being passive was a better solution than scaring those few brave women, who had the courage to dare and try to seduce him out, until they witnessed the depth of his wildness, strength, and danger, that attracted them to him in the first place or even hurt them in the process. Women were just too fragile of the mind and body for them to be able to handle him at all.
In times like these, it left him secretly wondering, whether if his childhood friend hadn't died that day, if she would be able to keep up with him, and not only in swordsmanship. Just in this one case, he truly believed, it would be possible to fully enjoy the act without unneeded restraint, diving into it with everything, he had.
Inwardly sighing again, shifting into his usual frowned expression, the swordsman closed his good eye and decided it would be good to change his mental topic for now. Every time he though about Kuina, it filled him with sadness, regret, and frustration, even more, after that accident with the Hawkeye happened.
Remembering the master swordsman, Zoro frowned deeper when his mind offered him a familiar picture of two swords, tucked behind the green sash, sheaths wrapped in a black cloth.
He was sure he never saw them, yet they felt strangely familiar to him. But he was kind of sure, he had felt a similar feeling in the past and the only place that came to his mind was the Kuraigana island. But still, it wasn't quite like that ...
At that moment an impossibly excited grin came to his mind together with the dark skin and wild red hair, causing the swordsman grimace with desperation and almost groan.
That brawl was bad enough by itself, and if he knew it was only the beginning of his problems, he would have killed that troublemaker on the spot the moment, he dared to fly right through that window.
Or better, dragged him into the Rip-off bar, even if that meant to slice him into pieces.
"Stupid old geezer." the swordsman grunted, as he quickly paced out of the demolished inn to find another refugee "Like hell I'll pay for what that redheaded idiot did! I don't even know him!" the green-haired man was fuming with irritation. Maybe it was a good time to head back to the Rip-off bar, his temporary hideout.
But being lost, he has ... it might take more than just some time to find a way back.
"Shakky, be reasonable." Rayleigh sighed, trying to contain his nervousness, as the former pirate paced through her bar back and forth, like lion, waiting for his prey. Even the smoke rising from her cigarette gave out the feeling of hostility. "I bet it was just an accident."
"Oh my ... demolishing half of the pub, almost being discovered by marines, and ruining the whole plan is just an accident? Really?" Shakuyaku lifted one eyebrow in questioning look. News about Zoro's adventure spread faster than a wildfire. The Bartender's system of warning, before the rowdies ,worked like the finest wrist watch. "I can tolerate him being unable to pay for his bills in other inns, but this is too much."
"I heard Gerard's version too." Rayleigh sighed again, dropping his glass on the bar table. This would be a hard task. "But you can't expect ..."
The door creaked, as someone entered the bar. Heavy, grumpy steps followed by a 'gimme a break' type of feeling, didn't really leave any room for doubts about who just came in.
"I'm back." Zoro announced, frowning, as his eye met Shakky's. Fast and impatient tapping of her foot quickly started to get on his nerves, but at the same time leaving him wondering what happened to set the usually nice bartender to such a bad mood.
"Oh my ... look, who just returned." the woman dragged from her cigarette, looking critically at the swordsman "Youngster, we need to talk." the former pirate extinguished the stick into ashtray and crossed her arms before her chest.
"About what?" Zoro's frown deepened, as the feeling emanating from apparently irritated bartenderess sent slight chills up to his spine. Though Rayleigh's quiet sigh and face palm behind Shakuyaku's back didn't help the situation in a slightest.
"I can tolerate your habit of running around the pubs without a single belli in your pocket and me, paying for your bills afterwards. But destroying the inns is something I can't simply let go." Shakuyaku didn't wasted her time with beating around the bush and instead went straight to the business. "Even more, when it's throwing a bad light on my own business."
"But I did nothing!" Zoro immediately went on the offensive defense, unwillingly admitting his anticipated guilt, despite wide and alarmed gesticulation from Rayleigh, sitting behind Shakky so she couldn't seen him. The older man was viciously shaking his head disapprovingly in a clear warning, but Zoro decided to ignored it, wanting to stand up for his truth. "It was all that redhead's fault!"
"I don't want to hear any of your complains." the bartender swept his words off the table like dust, with calm and ease. "Gerard is my old friend. So it would be nice of you to accepted his generous offer." Shakky turned on her high heel, heading back behind the bar table. It was clear, that for her, the business was over.
"Like hell I would go and scrub the plates in that old geezer's inn for two days! I did nothing wrong!" Zoro yelled in irritation, catching with the corner of his eye Rayleigh's desperate expression as he placed his head into his palms at such idiocy, just as Shakky turned her back to the older man again.
"Oh my ... take it as a valuable lesson for the future: Every action will meet its consequences, sooner or later. So be a man and face them like one."
"I'm not running away! But that's ... !" Zoro tried to oppose, knowing well, that he doesn't have a chance to talk the strict bartender out of her way anymore. Damn women and their demands! And he was looking forward to savoring his peace at the Sabaody once he got rid of that Ghosty Girl. And now, he had to deal with Nami's incarnation ... Zoro almost face palmed himself in desperation at his misfortune.
"If you don't like it, you can work it off in my kitchen instead." Shakuyaku shrugged her shoulders indifferently, but that wasn't what caught Zoro's attention.
Rayleigh, greatly alarmed, rose his muscular hands above, crossing them there and shooking viciously his head in a heavy warning, as if he was saying "Anything but that!", right behind Shakky's back.
Sensing the sudden movement behind her back, the bartenderess turned her head towards the former pirate, who immediately changed his position, looking out from the window, whistling, his body language openly saying "I'm not even there, don't mind me ... I said nothing ..."
Despite his relaxed position, Zoro noticed the beads of sweat forming on the older man's forehead, as Shakky's sharp look dug into his frame. Stealing a wary glance at the bartender, Zoro's eye twitched a few times at how poor Rayleigh was so utterly dominated by this entity. If even the former first mate of a Pirate King was scared of this woman like this, he should have thanked any higher being that was watching over him right now that he got out of this unfortunate event so easily.
"Guess you are not leaving me any other option." the green-haired swordsman growled through the gritted teeth as he dropped down on the stool just beside Rayleigh, who deeply exhaled and covered his face with a broad palm as Shakky left the room. "Oi, old man ..." he turned towards the former pirate, slightly curious "Would it be that bad?"
"... worse than you can imagine. She's a perfectionist to the bone." the pirate mumbled from behind the hand in a dark tone, which left Zoro wondering what the old man went through with this particular woman ...
"Zoro ...? Zoro ... " Tugging at his blanket that he was covered with and a pleading, quiet voice snapped the swordsman back to the half-conscious state again. Knowing well who was disturbing his sleep this time, with a grunt of acknowledgment, he lazily lifted one corner of his blanket, making room for the night visitor to slip under. It wasn't unexpected for Chopper to have a nightmare, given the actual circumstances, but every time it happened the little reindeer was looking for a safe cover under the reliable swordsman's protective wings.
"Zoro ... wake up, please ..." the doctor was pleading, tugging with more vehemence.
"Whaddya want, Chopper ... " the green-haired man yawned out, already content with the fact that he won't get enough sleep this night too "Just slip inside, or you will wake up Nami ..."
"I need your help ..." the doctor beeped uncertainly.
" 'pper .. ? 's happening ...?" Nami mumbled incoherently, half asleep, as she lifted her head from Zoro's shoulder, trying to focus her vision at the little doctor. " 'vrything 'll right, ... right?" she sounded uncertain and maybe a bit worried.
"Go back to sleep, nothing happened." Zoro grunted towards her in a calming manner and the navigator's head dropped immediately down, resuming her beauty sleep in an instant. That was the first thing the swordsman did, checking with his Haki, upon another unwanted reveille, on what was happening in every corner of the ship.
Thankfully nothing disastrous or dangerous, as he could feel Sanji sitting on board, probably secretly watching over the redhead, who appeared to be fast asleep, from what he could sense.
"Zoro ..." Chopper apologetically mumbled, but the swordsman silenced him, pressing a finger up to his own lips and gesturing towards the door. As he slipped carefully out from his hammock, he could only inwardly groan, when the navigator immediately claimed the whole place as her own, enjoying the warmness he left there.
It stopped him surprising long ago and so he also stopped asking 'why it had to be him', accepting this arduous task that the fate casted upon him. When the crew needed a woman's advice, they turned at the Robin. When they need a man, a protector or whatever along those lines, they turned at him. No wonder, given the fact, that he was the most serious of the whole crew, able to infuse them with a feeling of safety when Luffy was busy fooling around. Not that he ever thought the captain was lacking on this side, but ... sometimes, he had to step in his place instead of him. But in the right times, he knew, when to stand back and let the captain do the captain's job, that was for sure.
"Hm?" Zoro grunted out in answer, rubbing at his good eye, stiffing a huge yawn, when he quietly closed the door behind them.
"I'm sorry I woke you up ..." Chopper mumbled apologetically, kneading his doctor's backpack in his hooves.
" 's okay ..." the swordsman yawned, unable to stop. "What happened?" he concretized his question, since his usual grunt was clearly not enough this time.
"I need your help ..." Chopper repeated, shifting his look to the side and Zoro would swear, if it weren't for a darkness and thick fur, the doctor would be red with embarrassment.
"With what?" the green-haired man asked, squatting at Chopper's eye level. Extracting information from the little doctor was a test of the patience, even more, when he was uncertain, but the swordsman didn't want to hurt the doctor's feelings. If he needed the time, he would give it to him.
Gesturing with a hoof to come close, Zoro inwardly sighed in defeat, as he leaned his head down a bit, offering his ear to whatever Chopper had on his mind.
A cooling sea breeze calmed down a good share of Sanji's anger, and the cook savored the pleasant feeling of wind, caressing his warm cheeks. Lighting up his cigarette, he looked at the setting sun, unable to suppress an angry grunt. He was still not able to stomach down the redhead's nonexistent manners. If he wondered before how it was possible to set Zoro on fire within such a short time frame, now he had the answer, given personally by the perpetrator. His ability to find a crack in anyone's mental defense was kind of fascinating, leading Sanji's thoughts towards the question of how the hell the redhead had been able to survive till now with that kind of attitude. Maybe his crew abandon him, driving him out? That would be logical explanation, given the fact of how vehemently he played with the nerves of every person, unlucky enough to be in his vicinity.
"Seasoning ..." the cook mused, shaking his head in disbelief, as he inhaled the air through the cigarette. "Devil's gift." he smirked, as he remembered Zeff's lecturing about their proper usage. The meal should be a mixture of finely combined, different flavor, mild ones underlining the taste of the strong ones, twirling and dancing at the taste buds in a perfect synergy to the point that the eater would experience a pure nirvana, just from tasting one tiny bite. Gurmanic orgasm, Zeff called it, that should be the goal of every cook under the sun.
"Old geezer ... I wonder if he's doing well?" Sanji smirked, returning his thoughts shorty to the sea restaurant, drifting somewhere in the East Blue. "And Patty and Carne ... shitty bastards ..." the cook chuckled, as he briefly remembered some things that they caused and went through together.
A quiet thud, as if something just landed softly on the deck, snapped him back to the reality. Immediately, reminding himself about the unwanted passenger, he spread his Haki to sense what the redheaded entity, who so shamelessly claimed the girl's name, was scheming.
Sneaking behind the corner to have a better look, he observed how the redhead freely paced towards the back deck and stopped in the place where his boat had been tied to the Sunny.
Smirking, he imagined, how the redhead would freak out upon hearing what he had just called his vessel. Just you wait, you little shitty devil. You won't get me so easily like you get on that Marimo's ass!
It looked like the algae-head, as the cook nicknamed him, not wanting to call him by a apparently false name, was telling something to his animal companion, but in a low voice, so the cook couldn't heard them at all.
Leaving his blades on the deck, leaning them against railing, the falcon sat above them, giving off the feeling of utter importance with its small frame, to be entrusted with such a serious task. Surprisingly, the redhead jumped on the railing and with ease ran over the ropes to the rubbery lollipop, floating on the water. After a few seconds of fiddling with something near the mast, the pirate disappeared inside, through the formerly covered hole, into the depths of the rubber bag.
"One hell of a swordsman, leaving his swords unguarded." Sanji shook his head and extinguished his cigarette. Zoro would never let his swords to be lying around like this, treating them with utmost care to the extent that he never allowed to anyone to even touch them. In a sense, fiddling with Zoro's swords was equal to insulting Sanji's cooking, since both of them valued those things almost over everything else. The cook did notice a few stealthy glares the swordsman had thrown at those expensively looking swords before, which poked cook's interest a bit more.
Maybe it would be great blackmailing material and he would be able to dig out some info about this person, but more importantly, about his meeting with Zoro. Curiosity burning inside the cook was fanned to an unbearable extent upon seeing how reluctant the swordsman was about sharing his experience with everyone else. If nothing else, it ensued a good dose of hilarity and teasing material for future use, since there was never enough things as ammunition for their endless arguments. And if it would please his glorious Nami-swan at the same time, it would be even better.
To his great ill luck, before the cook could launch his plan, the redhead popped out of the rubber ball, covering the entrance again and lightly running over the ropes back to the ship, a sailor's sack hung over his shoulder. It didn't escaped Sanji's eye, that the redhead's pants were drenched again, from the jagged bottom up to half of his thighs.
"Pretty toned out thighs." the cook mused inwardly, starting to evaluate the redhead's visible figure despite the loose clothes in a dimming light, immediately mentally slapping himself to think something like that about a man. Two years in the Kamabakka kingdom really had to have messed with his brain more than he was willing to admit, even to himself.
"Go to sleep to catch what you missed." the algae-head's hoarse voice reached the cook's ears, as he settled his sack into the corner, beside the pair of swords, sitting down and leaning his back against the stuffed luggage. Apparently he was talking with his animal companion, as the mentioned one gave out a chirp that could have been interpreted as a denial.
"Whatever you want, but don't complain to me about it later." the redhead gave out a warning with a huge yawn, before he snuggled himself into the faded cloth of his wide yukata, closing both of his eyes shut. At that, the falcon jumped down from the railing, not bothering to spread its wings as it landed on top of the red head, settling itself there. From Sanji's perspective, it looked like it was their usual sleep setup, though he wondered why.
In a matter of seconds, he could feel the redhead's consciousness to drift into light sleep with a speed that would make even Zoro envious, and then, he decided to take his chance.
Tiptoeing, he made a few wary steps closer and then he felt a piercing glare drilling hard holes into his blonde locks. Lifting his eye up a bit, he was confronted with a pair of black, beady eyes, measuring him in a threatening manner.
"And you expect me to be scared of you?" the cook smirked smugly, confident enough to defeat the falcon, if it would ever come down into such a riddiculous fight. Something flashed through the falcon's eyes that made the cook stop in his pace completely. An unnerving feeling began to spread through his being and then, he realized, one of the redhead's eyes was opened up by a half, letting the cerulean blue flash out from under the lid.
Warily taking a half step back, he noticed the eyelid drop down, closing the eye shut, much to his confusion. Carefully closing the distance by a half step again, he watched, how the eye opened up and then retracted, confirming its shutting down. It was about a five meters radius, where lied the boundary of this amusing phenomenon. Smirking with malignity, the awakened, playful side of the cook, nudged him to repeated those actions. Enjoying the reactions he was receiving, Sanji completely ignored the fact that the falcon sweat-dropped for real and covered briefly its head with his wing in a parody on a human-like face palm.
Looking back behind himself every few steps, the doctor wanted to be sure, that Zoro was still standing there. Comforted by that fact, Chopper warily tiptoed across the Sunny's deck, feeling a bit better, when he knew about the silent support from behind.
It wasn't like he completely dropped down his anxiety and fear, induced by the redheaded passenger, but his urge to straighten some issues was stronger than that. Well, and the wish to be like Zoro, fearless and confident, could have also been counted as one of the reasons.
Still kneading his medical backpack, he closed the distance even more, fighting his urge to run away on the spot. That troublesome feeling the redhead was inducing inside his partially animal brain wasn't really helping him to overcome this trial. Looking at the peacefully sleeping pirate, Chopper stopped his pace and glanced up at the curious falcon, who slightly shifted itself, staring down at him.
Upon realizing, that the passenger was sleeping, the doctor felt his stomach drop down. He come this far and now he had to stop and try it again next time. But he really didn't want to push his luck and try to wake the sleeping man. Something had been telling him, it might be the last thing he would ever try.
"Need something?" came out the question in a slightly muffled voice, as the sleeper cracked his eyes open to measure another disturbance of his sleep.
For a second, Chopper again considered flight, fighting that urge. But when he felt Zoro's eye at his back, he mustered all the courage he could put together, and faced the situation head on. Shifting his own eyes aside, the reindeer was unable to look into those odd orbs directly, for now avoiding eye contact at all costs.
Quietly sighing at the expected, all too familiar reaction, the sleepy redhead closed both eyes, clearly not wanting to startle the already frightened creature even more.
"Sorry about that, I didn't want to startle you." the redhead's voice was surprisingly soft and calming, despite a clear hoarse creak in it, that made Chopper wondering whether it's was already the work of cold, or something else. Then, he remembered, this particular feature was present from the very beginning.
"T-that's ... not your fault ..." the reindeer beeped apologetically, slowly realizing that the redhead didn't feel offended by his reaction and that there wasn't the slightest hint of attack or movement from pirate's side either. Even the feeling of grave danger dropped down quite a lot, despite being still at least partially present. "We can't pick what we look like." he tried to offer his opinion, over which he spent quite few years of thinking, before he finally accepted it in himself as a integrated part of his being. Knowing all too well how painful it is to be rejected because of a difference in look, Chopper felt guilty for almost doing the same thing to someone, who didn't try to hurt or endanger him in any way. Well, technically speaking, threatening to sink the ship probably wasn't the most peaceful announcement that could have been made, but he decided to put that matter aside.
Tilting his head to the side, cracking the eyes open just enough to see through the eyelashes, the sleepy pirate pulled out a slightly surprised look, crowned with a thoughtful frown. At the same time, the falcon decided it would be nice to turn the watch again, sticking its head under one of its wings and ostensibly drifted off to his share of sleep.
"Can't disagree with that." the pirate widely yawned out, jaws almost popping out of the joints. Despite the subject inside words, it didn't sounded sarcastically at all, which slightly surprised Chopper, along with the calm, friendly tone. "Although it's certainly a better solution not to be bothered with such a minor details at all." the redhead stretched like cat, his vertebraes and joints popping, leaving him slightly grimacing, the sounds sending the chills up to the Chopper's spine.
That was a new point of view for the insecure doctor, something, he never really though about. It sounded kind of logical, since it wasn't him who had the problem with how he looked like at the beginning. It were the other people around him, who drove him into his former position. And after that, he had picked up their problem as his own, being kind of forced to feel like unwanted outlaw.
Despite the fear, Chopper couldn't help himself but to feel a sudden rush of sympathy towards the foreign pirate. Looking down at his backpack, the crumpled victim of his nervous kneading, he remembered why he had come here in the first place.
But how he should approach? Should he ask straight away? Won't it be too insulting or rude? Won't Joyce feel offended by his concern? All kinds of questions whirled through the little, insecure brain.
Tilting his head to the side, the pirate slightly frowned, looking at how puzzled the little creature was, wondering about the possible reasons for this insecurity. 'Could he be that sensitive to feel it so strongly?' Joyce wondered, deciding to drop his precautions almost completely off.
"I'm sorry, I woke you up ... " Chopper began to talk, not quite sure what to say, trying to avoiding direct questioning for as long as possible.
"You didn't, Lissy did." the pirate slightly gestured towards the sleeping falcon on his head.
"Uhm ... okay ..." the reindeer beeped shyly. It was written all over his cute face that he want to ask so badly, but doesn't have a courage to do that.
"You know, if you want to ask something, just do it. It's not like I'm going to bite your head off just because you are curious ..." the redhead offered friendly, trying to assure Chopper, that whatever was has on his mind was not a problem for him. "The worst thing that could possibly happen is that I won't answer."
Great ease washed over Chopper's mind upon realizing it would not be taken as an insult if he openly showed his curiosity and concern. Even more, when that feeling dropped almost completely down. There still were some lingering remains, but it was more like a shadow, similar of what he felt from Zoro all the time. Like a reminder, alert, not to push this certain person too close to his boundaries, and with that they could coexist much easier.
"Guess, you feel better now." Joyce smiled warmly, upon seeing, how the insecurity dropped down from the little creature like a great stone. It was like dealing with a kid once he found a way towards the little doctor. His sensitiveness inwardly surprised the redhead. From his past experiences, Zoan types were never so sensitive towards these things, being formerly humans. It made him wonder what kind of creature it was. Or could it be that this ability was a unique to him, casted upon by his devil fruit?
"A ... areyouhurt?" Chopper suddenly blurted out in a sudden rush of courage, his little mouth not being quite able to keep up with the speed of his thoughts.
"What?" Joyce snapped from his inner thoughts, confused.
"If .. if you are hurt ... somewhere ..." Chopper mumbled again, shifting his gaze nervously around.
"Do I look like that?" the redhead wondered supporting his chin with a hand. Of course, there were some issues he was undergoing right now, but it was nothing medical care could help him with. Some things just needed a rest to be fixed again.
"Your eye ... voice ... wrists ... chest ... your body seems to be in pain too ..." The the fact, that this little creature noticed his current state to such extent greatly surprised the red-headed pirate. He was sure he had hid all symptoms, that nothing could reveal his problems to the others, but such a deep insight was completely off scale from his expectations. Not mentioning the sudden genuine concern, he heard in that insecure, shy voice.
"And why should that matter to you?" Joyce slightly frowned, his mind immediately offering all kinds of different explanations for such an interest about his well being, which most of them suggested the danger of his current state being used as a disadvantage against him. The last thing he was even willing to think about or believe was, that this little creature really, and truly deeply cared about him in such selfless way, even more given the fact that it was just a mere few hours since they had met each other. Counting in the circumstances of such meeting, and to believe in a such innocent concern, would be more than just simply ridiculous.
"I'm ... I'm a doctor." Chopper showed his crumpled backpack, hiding his face behind it, to show a white cross, running across the cloth lid.
"Well, that would explain quite a lot of things." Joyce mused, rubbing his chin in sudden understanding. Questioning the truth of such an announcement was futile, on the Grand Line, everything was possible and with that, Joyce was willing to take in everything that fate decided to thrown at him. What was considered weird and unnatural was perfectly fine within the harshest sea of the world. So such a creature, claiming to be a doctor, wasn't really too surprising. "Thanks for your concern, but I'm fine, really. Nothing a good rest won't fix." he smiled warmly, clearly pleased with this nice gesture.
"Another idiot on board ... why does the doctor have to be me ... " Chopper sniffed in sudden stroke of desperation into his backpack, unable to stop this comment from leaving his mouth. That sounded too much like Zoro, for his professional taste. If all swordsmen were so dumb and ignorant towards their bodily states, he should hurry and invent the cure for idiocy as soon as possible or there wouldn't be any sword wielders left at all.
"Eh?" Joyce was completely dumbfounded by sudden the revelation, snapping the doctor back to the reality, as he took a few careful steps back, hiding behind his backpack even more, like some kind of defense.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I didn't mean that! Really!" the doctor squeaked in sudden dread, realizing what he just let out.
Just as Joyce opened his mouth for a response, a warning swirl of killing intent emanating from somewhere from the darkness, covering the rest of the deck, made him slightly smirk.
Illustration: Refugee ( jittuse dot deviantart dot com slash art/Refugee-375065315?q=gallery%3Ajittuse&qo=0 )
Being kind of forced to stay at home for two days really helped me to think about this chapter and pull it out. Maybe the work is getting on my brain more, than I want to admit, using the hidden reserves at the cost of writing ... :X
Anyway, chapter is out, and I'll try to start working at the next one :) Though, who knows, when it will come out, I'll try to publish it within a reasonable time ... ideas are present, but I need to pull them together (that costs awful lot of time, every chapter :X :D)
Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know your opinions please ... ;)
Jitt