Chapter 4
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, but Kyra was my idea.
Kyra sits morosely upon the deck of Trafalgar Law horrendously yellow submarine, legs shoved into the gaps of the railing to hang freely over the water as she gazes rather forlornly out to sea. She is less than pleased with her week so far. It is very late; the sun has long since gone to sleep beyond the horizon and millions of stars serve as the only lights in the night sky. The sorceress has sat in the same place for hours, skipping whatever evening meal might have been served and ignoring her body's need to sleep. Oblivion is a long time coming this night; too many different things chase each other around in her head.
In the hours that have passed since Kyra woke to find herself on Law's vessel, she has come to realize that in spite of her most fervent wishes to the contrary she is going to be stuck with the man for some time. Even worse, she really can't blame anyone for that odious fact but herself. She has killed a Marine while in the company of a notorious pirate; killed to protect that pirate. Even if the other Marines present had been too caught up in trying to figure out whether or not their comrades' stupidity was going to get them butchered to notice, eventually someone is going to realize that the man accompanying her was the Supernova known far and wide as the Surgeon of Death. This does not bode well for her continued security. Kyra has effectively handed the Navy and the World Government the excuse they need to put a huge bounty on her head and snatch her back from the freedom she has tried so hard to build for herself - especially when they find out that she punched a Tenryubito and forced two others into unconsciousness before killing about a hundred soldiers.
Back to the labs, back to that cold little cell, back to the experiments...
Maybe Kyra will be better off with Law. As adamant as she's been against joining up with his crew, perhaps having him around to watch her back will be a plus. And at least if she's running around with a dangerous pirate there will be plenty of chances for her to butcher more Marines; that's always great. Hopefully the Dark Doctor will back off somewhat if she bows to his demands by coming with them; this strange intensity of his bothers the hell out of her.
In any case, she has already overheard the crew being informed that they will not be departing Saboady for another few days. Though the submarine is built for deep sea voyages and thus does not require a coating, the captain is apparantly going to wait until after the execution of that Whitebeard Pirate, Firefist Ace. Kyra can't fault him for his caution; Saboady is not far from the Navy Headquarters of Marineford, and with the strongest of the Navy personnel gathering for this event it would be unwise to set off and possibly get caught in the backlash of the monumental battle that is sure to take place. Even Kyra knows that Edward Newgate - Whitebeard himself - will do absolutely anything for those he considers his sons, even go to war to stop one of them from getting executed.
Because of the wait before departure, the crew has been given free rein to do whatever they want as long as they don't get themselves arrested or killed. The sub is therefore deserted, save for Kyra; the bear; a giant of a man in ragged clothing; and Law himself. Everyone else had bolted at sundown after their captain concluded their little meeting.
Kyra rests her head on the bars of the deck's railing and closes her eyes. What a fine kettle of fish she's gotten herself into this time. If only she had not gone for a drink that day; she never would have been in the auction house, never would have caught Law's attention, never punched a World Noble or recklessly killed all those Marines with so many witnesses. Now's she's going to have to go on the run with a bunch of pirates and hope like hell the Navy never gets its many hands on her. And they will come after her, as soon as they realize that they have a new excuse to keep her.
Behind her, the door leading into the sub squeals as it is swung open. Kyra doesn't move; she's hoping it's just the bear coming out for some fresh air, or even the big guy deciding to do something on the island after all. Please, anyone but-
"I was wondering where you'd gotten off to, Miss Kyra. Enjoying the view on such a beautiful night?"
Damn you, harpies of Fate, damn you all to hell.
Kyra is silent while the Heart Pirate captain swaggers over and sits beside her, his long legs hanging down next to hers as he leans back on his hands and smirks at the sky.
"I admit I'm slightly surprised. I would have thought you'd make tracks at the first opportunity just for the sake of pissing me off." His voice is teasingly mocking, no bite in the words he speaks.
"Like it would do any good," the sorceress grumbles, vaguely uncomfortable with Law's extreme proximity. What is it about this man and personal space issues?
"Dare I hope this means you'll take me up on my offer, then?" Surely she's imagining the unholy glee in his smooth baritone; surely someone like him isn't capable of feeling that kind of thing unless he's chopping people up in his operating room.
"I don't really have a choice, do I? This time tomorrow, every Marine on this stupid island is going to think I've shacked up with you guys anyway." Yeah, all thanks to her stupid fucking backwards impulses that just insist she get shot for other people as often as possible.
"Wonderful." Law leaned forward and settled his chin on one knee, regarding her intently out of those pale ice-chip eyes. "Then as your captain, perhaps you won't mind telling me a little about this power of yours and how it works, and explaining why the man you killed today referred to you as '769'. Or if not that much, you can tell me how you came by all those scars on your back."
This is exactly what she does not want to talk about. Knowledge, while valuable, is also dangerous. Kyra may want to punch the man next to her in the face for being an insufferable pain in her ass, but she does not want him to die because of her. She can probably tell him a little, but how much is too much? At what point will the World Government decide that she has shared herself too fully with Law and order every Marine in the Grand Line to hunt him down immediately?
The scars will not be discussed. Ever. They are no one's business but Kyra's, and that is the way things shall remain.
"I'm not a Devil Fruit user," the mage begins, gaze fixed on some point in front of her so that she does not have to look at Law. "I was born with these powers. I can moves things with my mind without needing to touch them, speed things up, slow them down. That guy today? I manipulated the muscles in his neck and forced them to rotate past their capabilities. They took the blood vessels, tendons, bones and his spine along for the ride. When I killed those Marines at the auction house, all I did was freeze their joints and muscles so they weren't able to move."
"That's not entirely accurate, Miss Kyra," the surgeon interrupts, watching her very closely with his cool grey eyes. "You tore their hearts out. I don't think that was accomplished by freezing anything."
"Like I said, I can move things with my mind. A heart would technically be classified as a thing."
"What was the...haze you used to block Bepo's attacks?"
Kyra shifts slightly, wishing he would stop asking all of these questions. It reminds her of... other people. People who asked the same types of question, but only after causing her unimaginable amounts of pain so that she would be too weak to resist them. Sometimes it worked; other times it didn't. The young sorceress still wakes up shaking sometimes from the memories. Sometimes she wakes up screaming.
A hand grips her upper arm lightly, jolting her out of her thoughts faster than an electric shock. Kyra flinches and tries to pull away; he refuses to yield until she glances over at her inquisitive companion. Law studies her face for a long moment, both of them silent in their contemplation of each other.
"I don't know," she finally answers in a defeated voice, looking away out to the sea once more. "I don't know what it is, exactly. Magic, I guess. It's always been there. I can use it to make a shield like I did at the auction; if that's around me nothing can touch me, not blades or bullets or a fucking cannon ball. I should have just pulled up a shield earlier, but I didn't think about it at the time."
"Is it the same thing that healed you?" His voice is almost clinical, but still interested; maybe this is the doctor in him coming out a little.
"Yeah."
Law hums slightly, his tattooed hand still gently gripping Kyra's arm. The thumb starts to move back and forth across her skin, and Kyra shivers before she can stop herself. Embarrassed, she pulls away and crosses both arms over her chest.
"How large can you make one of those shields?"
Instead of verbally responding to this question, the mage inhales a deep breath before gathering the magic sleeping just beneath her skin and pushing it outwards. Instantly a dark, translucent pall washes over the pair; it extends itself outward, stopping a short ways in front of them and continuing behind. Less than half a minute later the entire submarine is encased in a sheer shell of magical protection. The origin of that charm relaxes, leaving the shield where it is for the time being. Beside her, the Dark Doctor's smirk has stretched even further across his face; there is a certain gleam in his eye as though he is planning something truly spectacular.
"That... is very interesting," he purrs, obviously immensely pleased with the demonstration. Kyra lets the shield fall, getting to her feet as she does so.
"Done with the interrogation for tonight?" The words come out quieter and more emotional than she had intended. It's just that look...that look she's seen on so many other faces. Always wanting to use her, use her powers, make her their secret weapon whether she wants it or not. Kyra guesses she shouldn't be surprised to see it on the face of a pirate, someone who is used to taking what they want without care for permission. Whatever; it's been a long few days and she's beyond tired. All she wants to do right now is rest.
"Where am I supposed to sleep?"
Law gains his footing as well, sauntering towards her with a grin firmly in place. Once he gets to the point where Kyra feels that he is close enough, she steps back. The captain stops, giving her a curious look.
"You're not afraid of me, are you Miss Kyra?" he asks, voice surprisingly gentle. "As I told you in the infirmary this afternoon, I don't make a habit of hurting my crew."
"And I could kill you in a heartbeat," she returns matter-of-factly, careful to say it in as non-threatening a way as possible. "I'm not afraid of you, Law. You just need to figure out how to respect an individual's personal space."
The little grin on Law's face morphs into a smirk slowly enough to ring a few warning bells in Kyra's mind.
Oh, crap.
She quickly turns and all but jogs for the door leading into the sub, calling over her shoulder as she does so. "I'm going to bed."
She almost makes it, too, but a tattooed hand grabs her wrist as she goes through the door, pulling her up short.
"I'll come with you, Miss Kyra," the captain announces quite calmly, face back to its usual grin and secrets dancing in his eyes. "After all, you don't know where you're sleeping yet, do you?"
Dammit.
Holding onto her wrist with a grip just firm enough that the mage would have to struggle to get her hand back, Law eases past and begins walking. They go down a hallway Kyra has yet to traverse, leading deeper into the sub than the infirmary or the kitchen - which she had raided after changing clothes this afternoon in a successful attempt to quell her enormous appetite. One of the doors they pass is slightly open; Kyra can hear two sets of rumbling snores within the dark room, which confirms that it is the crew's sleeping quarters. She is a little surprised when the captain tugs her further on, having assumed she would bunk with the rest of the crew. At the end of the long hallway Law stops. The surgeon releases her hand and pulls a key from his pants pocket, which he uses to unlock the door on the left-hand side of the corridor. Once open, he steps back and motions for Kyra to precede him inside.
The room is of modest size, empty except for the bed shoved into one corner and bolted to the floor, and the satchel full of clothing she had left in the infirmary earlier. Two circular windows in the far wall would let in a small amount of light were it daytime; as it is, for the moment all that is visible is darkness. Another door in the wall to her right catches the mage's attention. She turns back to the man in the doorway with a question on the tip of her tongue. Before she can ask, however, the room is flooded with light, momentarily blinding her.
"That door leads to your private bathroom," Law explains as Kyra blinks rapidly, trying to clear the spots from her eyes. "You'll sleep in here. This key -" -which he tosses to her- "- is yours. I have an extra that will stay with me. You are to lock the door every night, no exceptions. You are not to enter the crew's sleeping quarters at night for any reason barring a life or death emergency. If one of my men attempts to cajole you into their sleeping quarters, you are to tell me immediately. You are not to enter the room across the hall from this one for any reason without my permission; that's my room. As I told you before, usually no one goes into the infirmary except me without being sick or injured, but I'd like to see more of this healing power of yours so for you I'll make an exception. I'll have Bepo show you around more tomorrow. Any questions?"
The newest and most reluctant member of the Heart Pirates eyes her captain for the space of seven heartbeats. "You might want to warn your crew that if any of them puts a hand on me in a way I don't like, they'll be in the infirmary for a month. Same goes for you, Captain. I'm nobody's whore."
"Noted. Anything else?"
"...Why did you bid on me?"
Law is silent for a long moment, his eyes hidden under the shadow cast by that furry hat he wears. His lips turn up at the corners in a smile, and he turns to leave, stuffing one hand in his pocket and grasping the doorknob with the other. Just as the door is about to shut, the doctor twists around and raises his head to meet the sorceress's gaze.
"Would you believe me if I told you it was because I thought your attitude was amusing? Regardless, I think you and I are going to have a lot of fun in the New World, Miss Kyra. Good night."
The door closes behind him with a soft click; there is the sound of a key turning in the lock, footsteps, another door opening and closing - and then silence.
Kyra kills the lights with a wave of her hand as she walks to the bed, falling face first into the mattress once she's close enough. Thankfully this bed is much more comfortable than that torture device she'd woken up on in Law's surgical theatre; otherwise she'd be sleeping on the floor. She kicks off her pants and crawls under the covers, pondering what her new captain has just told her. Had he really bid on her for no other reason than he thought it was funny that she was so pissed at the thought of being sold? Because he thought she'd be fun to have around in the New World?
...Maybe he had a few screws loose upstairs. Insanity would explain a lot of his behavior.
Just before the exhausted woman drifts off to sleep, she waves her hand in the direction of the door, modifying the lock so that Law's extra key will no longer work on it. She might be biting the bullet and joining Law's crew, but that doesn't mean she won't take every measure available to protect herself - especially from the Surgeon of Death himself. And besides, if he wants her to be 'fun' in the manner he had seen in the auction house, Kyra will be happy to drive him even more crazy than he already may or may not be while keeping him on his toes at the same time.
Perhaps this won't be such a disaster after all.
When Law ambles into the galley the next morning at the crack of dawn, sock-footed and hatless, he is mildly surprised to see his newest crewmate sitting on the floor with her back leaning against the wall in a corner of small dining area, a steaming mug gripped lightly in her hands. It is rare for anyone to rise before the captain in the mornings; usually the men don't get up until he pounds on their door to wake them. Bepo always joins him after about an hour of drinking coffee alone, but unless he's been in an emergency surgery all night and rises late, no one is ever up before Law.
And from the look on her face, the Dark Doctor would bet money that his little magician is not a morning person.
"Good morning, Miss Kyra. Did you sleep well?"
A baleful look and a mutter that sounds suspiciously like 'fuck you' are his only answers. Law chuckles to himself as he fills his own mug from the steaming coffee pot, pleased that for once he isn't the one who made it. This could be the start of a wonderful morning tradition if he's lucky. Loping over to the table, he takes his seat at its head and props his feet up, sipping his coffee and regarding the grouchy woman over the rim of his cup.
"You aren't actually my slave, if you remember, Miss Kyra," he teases her. "You can sit at the table if you'd like. I won't punish you."
"...Does it matter where I choose to sit?"
Law shakes his head, flapping one hand in a dismissive gesture. "This chair's mine. Otherwise, you may sit anywhere you like."
Miss Kyra stands up and places her mug on the table, one chair down and to the left of where the doctor reclines. "What do you guys usually do for breakfast around here?"
"Normally, I'm the only one awake early enough for breakfast. In any case, my ship's cook is currently gallivanting around the island with the majority of my crew, and I'm not much of a chef. Why do you ask?"
Instead of answering his question, Miss Kyra circles around the table and heads for the kitchen. Law watches with interest, sipping his coffee, as the woman rummages around in the cupboards before raiding the ship's well-stocked fridge and pantry. After fiddling with the stove for a moment, a pan is banged down upon a burner and Miss Kyra goes to work. The surgeon has no idea what she is making, only noting that if she doesn't clean up her substantial mess before his cook returns a war may be initiated.
Bepo stumbles in sleepily as Law polishes off the last of his coffee, his nose working furiously before his beady black eyes swing to his captain.
"Is Neil awake already, Captain?" The bear's deep voice is even more gravelly than usual due to his half-asleep state.
"Neil isn't here. Miss Kyra decided to make us breakfast this morning."
Bepo blinks at him for a moment before turning and going into the kitchen. Law watches with a grin as his first mate walks up behind the woman at the stove, getting very close to her before speaking. "Will you make bacon, too?"
"SON OF A FUCKING BITCH!"
The Surgeon of Death bursts out laughing as Bepo is tossed from the kitchen via the girl's shield, smacking into the wall behind the table and sliding to the ground with a thump. He should probably check to make sure the bear isn't harmed, but the stunned look on the furry face and the girl's continued yelling - "DOES NOBODY ON THIS FLOATING HUNK OF SHIT KNOW WHAT THE HELL PERSONAL FUCKING SPACE IS!" - combines into something simply too funny for the sarcastic surgeon. Even the wet rag that smacks him in the cheek a moment later - "Fuck you and your breakfast entertainment, bastard!" - can't quite dampen his hilarity. Bepo simply moves his bulk to cower behind his captain, giving the fuming mage in the kitchen a terrified look that sets Law off all over again.
Once he regains control of himself and his mirth has died down to the occasional chuckle, the grinning medic looks to the bear doing a poor job of hiding next to him and says, "Miss Kyra likes her space, Bepo. Don't get so close to her like that without her permission unless it's an emergency."
"Yes, Captain."
Several minutes later, a towering pile of pancakes and a veritable mountain of bacon float over to settle on the table, accompanied by dishes for three place settings that arrange themselves before Law and two other chairs. Once the plates settle, pancakes and bacon begin moving themselves onto the empty plates. Law watches, facinated. The feast's chef marches over and puts the coffee pot on the table before moving to sit and pulling her mug toward her, all the while glaring at the bear still cowering on the floor.
"Are you going to eat or sit there and whimper?" she snaps, obviously still angry at the scare she had received.
Bepo wisely jumps to his feet and hurries to his plate, eyeing the grumbling mage as he does so. Law says nothing, choosing instead to tuck into the delicious meal while pondering the extent of Miss Kyra's impressive control. A quick glance towards the kitchen shows that the dishes used to prepare the meal are currently washing themselves, a towel floating in the air to dry them and the cleaned dishes whizzing back to their proper places. Miss Kyra is already inhaling the food before her, displaying the same lack of table manners he noted at the sushi bar, but the slight look of concentration tells the curious pirate what he wants to know.
Quite the multi-tasker, Miss Kyra.
"Bepo, after breakfast I want you to show Miss Kyra around the sub. Everywhere except my room and the crew's quarters."
The fluffy first mate's head snaps around to gaze imploringly at him, but Trafalgar's calm and level gaze directed at him is enough to send his shoulders sagging. "Yes, Captain."
Miss Kyra huffs, grumbling something under her breath, but otherwise does not object.
When all of the food has been consumed and a slightly-less-irritated sorceress clears the table with a gesture, Law stands from his seat and heads for the door leading to the hallway. He pauses as he is about to leave the room, glancing over his shoulder at the woman and the bear before grinning again.
"After your tour, Miss Kyra, come knock on my door. I have some errands to run on the island this afternoon and would like for you to come with me."
"Fine."
"Good. And don't kill Bepo."
"...Fine."
Law passes the rest of the morning reading the most recent medical journal in his room, having bought it a few days ago to peruse during his free time. Being an infamous pirate captain with a two hundred million beri bounty on his head is not usually conducive to keeping astride of the medical world, but no one can ever say the North Blue native is one to shirk a challenge. Especially when the lives of his crew might be at stake due to his lack of knowledge.
Absorbed in his reading, the physician loses all track of time until three sharp knocks are given upon his closed bedroom door. Standing up and stretching to pop the kink out of his back, he tosses the medical text onto his desk and reaches for his nodachi and hat before striding to the door. Miss Kyra leans on the wall to his right, hands stuffed in the pockets of the trousers she wears and a mildly bored expression on her face.
"And how was the tour, Miss Kyra?" he asks in a purposely mocking tone as he dons his favored headwear. She glares at him in answer, not amused when he chuckles at her. "Shall we go then?"
"Where are we going?"
"Oh, here and there."
The woman is silent as they make the transition from seagoing vessel to dry land, following at Law's side as he winds his way through the crowded archipelago. They stop at a medical supply store to stock up on bandages; Law bribes the owner and is able to acquire quite a bit of morphine, which considering where he plans on going with his crew will doubtless come in handy. Afterwards the Supernova leads his new crew member aimlessly around the island, hoping to run into one of his fellow rookies so that he can test her capabilities. Miss Kyra shadows him without a word the whole time, looking for all purposes as though she is bored out of her mind.
Finally, fortune chooses to smile upon him. Law comes to an abrupt stop, grin stretching across his face while Miss Kyra eyes him questioningly. "What are you doing?"
"Good afternoon, Miss Bonney."
Stomping down the way towards them is "The Glutton" Jewelry Bonney, the South Blue native and the only woman among the ranks of the Supernova. Several members of her crew follow behind her, one of whom carries what looks to be a large picnic basket. The pink haired woman is chowing down on a slab of meat almost as tall as she is, flecks of food decorating her cheeks.
"Ah? What do you want, bastard?" she barks at him around a mouthful. Next to him, Law can see Miss Kyra shuddering.
"Actually, I was hoping you would give my friend a demonstration of your Devil Fruit abilities," the surgeon explains politely, ignoring the surprised look from Miss Kyra. "Something of a test for her, if you don't mind."
"Get lost, toothpick! I'm not some show pony to do tricks for you!"
Law smiles coldly, beginning to lose patience with this womans' rudeness. "Perhaps you're afraid of looking like a greater fool than usual? Rest assured, Miss Bonney, I very much doubt that's possible."
Before Jewelry Bonney can form a reply, the large piece of meat she is chewing on tugs itself from her grasp - and then quite suddenly slaps the woman across the face. The Bonney Pirates and their captain stare as the meat then drops to the ground, clearly flabbergasted. Law, smelling a rat, glances over to see Miss Kyra wearing a large and toothy grin.
"Test, huh? Fine then; I'll make her use her Devil Fruit."
The sorceress steps forward, holding one hand palm upwards in front of her. She brings her arm up until her hand is over her head; as she does so, the Bonney Pirates rises as one into the air, all except for their startled captain. Miss Kyra holds up one finger and begins to rotate her elevated arm; the airborne crew spins in an impossibly fast circle, screaming all the while.
"CAPTAIN BONNEY! GET US DOWN! CAPTAIN BONNEY!"
"What are you doing, bitch!" the pinkette screams, her face losing whatever attractiveness it might have as she snarls in anger. In answer, Miss Kyra closes her hand into a fist and yanks it downward. The Bonney Pirates immediately hurtle earthwards, smashing to the ground and actually indenting where they land.
Law is vastly amused, and Miss Kyra is grinning like a devil.
"Still say no to my test?" the mage taunts.
Jewelry Bonney lets out an inarticulate scream of rage and flings her arm out, pointing directly at Miss Kyra. For a moment, nothing happens; and then Law watches with a smirk as Miss Kyra begins to de-age, her face and figure changing while her body shrinks until the clothes she wears no longer fit. By the time the process is complete, Miss Kyra looks no more than three years old; the child stands in the puddle of her pants, clutching her top in an attempt to keep it from falling off and wearing a look of complete outrage.
For the second time that day, Trafalgar Law bursts into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. He laughs so hard his sides ache; were he a lesser man, tears would be forming in his eyes.
"Fuck you, bastard! Stop laughing at me!" The child glares at him from her too-large eyes, spewing words that would make the raunchiest sailor's ears bleed with a voice that should have old women simply flocking to pinch her cheeks. "Next time you can be the kid! See how funny you think it is then, asshole!"
In a blinding flash of pure white light, Miss Kyra is standing there adjusting her pants as a result of her impromptu decrease in size her face the color of freshly spilt blood. She steps over and swings at Law, who manages to dodge in spite of laughing so hard as to make breathing difficult. Jewelry Bonney and her battered crew have already disappeared, so there is no one else upon whom the magic-user can take out her anger. Fuming, Miss Kyra marches away from the hysterical pirate, who forces himself to regain some composure in order to go after her.
"I have to say, Miss Kyra: you make a very sweet little girl."
"Oh, shut up!"
Kyra hunches over her mug of tea, glaring into the liquid with venom. She has still not completely calmed down after this afternoon's little adventure. Fucking Law setting her up to get humiliated...and she actually went along with him until it was too late...and she didn't even get to kill that bitch with the pink hair! Today has sucked royally, and Kyra wonders darkly if this kind of shit is going to happen every day now that she will be traveling with the Heart Pirates and their fucking sadistic ass of a captain.
Does he even know how hard it is to do something like what he had forced her to need to do? She had to speed her body back up through the aging process from roughly three to around twenty! That's seventeen years, which she had forced her body to experiance in seconds! It had not been pleasant, and she is not happy that Law managed to goad her into that situation. She had thought messing with the pink-haired woman would be fun - which it was until the whole turning-into-a-fucking-kid part.
She'd been feeling so good earlier, too. Now Kyra's right back to where she was yesterday: bone-tired; drained; and feeling like she hasn't eaten for too long.
Stupid fucking Law and his stupid, fucked-up sense of humor...
"Um..."
The furious sorceress looks up to see that the bear - Bepo - is standing in the doorway to the galley, where Kyra sits nursing both her tea and her anger. She hasn't seen him since the conclusion of their very quick tour of the sub before she went running off with Law. That had been a waste of time, as the bear had been so afraid of her after the incident at breakfast as to mumble anything he might have said so low she hadn't been able to understand. When he had carried out his captain's orders to their fullest Bepo had quickly fled, the fur on the back of his head fluttering with his speed.
"What," Kyra states flatly, her tone much too even to be considered a question. Bepo quivers slightly, obviously still nervous about the crazy woman sitting at his crew's table.
"Um...can I...sit with you? At the table? For a while?"
"...Whatever."
Bepo apparently decides this means yes. To Kyra's surprise, the bear walks over and sits in the chair right next to her, his orange suit almost sparkling in the room's light. Kyra ignores him, taking a sip of her tea; cute and fluffy bear sitting next to her or not, she is still pissed. She wonders again just what the hell Law was hoping to see, that he would goad a rival pirate into turning a newly acquired crewmate into a child. She can't seem to find any logic in such an act, and is seriously starting to consider that the Dark Doctor really is batshit insane.
As she ponders this, Kyra hears a slight snuffling sound coming from her left. Looking over, she is slightly disturbed to realize that the noise she heard is from the fact that the bear is sniffing her.
"What the fuck are you doing?" she blurts out incredulously. Bepo pauses, regarding her with an innocent look in those black eyes.
"Sniffing you."
Well, that's one way to come out and say it.
"Why are you sniffing me?"
"You smell good."
Oh, for Roger's sake!
"And since you're going to be our crewmate now, I want to memorize your scent so I don't accidently hurt you in a fight. Sometimes I lose my rationality if the battle's really severe, and I don't want to attack you if that happens."
"...Whatever."
The bear goes back to quietly sniffing her. Kyra puts her elbows on the table and covers her face with her hands, fighting the urge to either burst into tears or start laughing like a maniac. One thing she knows for sure: whatever Law's mental state might be, too much time spent with this crew and Kyra will be just as cracked as they are.
A/N: Please review. Beta'd by Tomas the Betrayer.