Chapter 2
Rockin' Robin.
(Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece)
"Did you hear? Little miss darkness is up for that promotion. I wouldn't be surprised if she was secretly blowing the boss."
"Well I heard that she was already spreading her legs for that Crocodile guy. You know? The one guy who was climbing up the ranks in the mafia. He's said to be running the city by the end of the decade… That or dead."
"Well he probably got one of his gorilla's to threaten the boss into giving her that promotion, the boss is nothing but a kid fresh out of high school anyway…" The three women started cackling like witches at this last statement. Their teased hair remained immobile and their gigantic, and probably heavy, earrings flopped away in their earlobes as they continued their fit of hysterical laughter. All Robin could do was stand there next to the kitchen doorway holding onto the coffee cup she had hoped to fill up as she listened to the gossip about her being spread around the office.
She almost broke the poor mug when she heard that they knew she had been involved with Crocodile. How could they know that? Nobody was supposed to know about that. She had made sure that whenever they went out it would be nowhere where she would be recognized by anyone she knew and tried to the best of her abilities not to stand out. Although that was hard when you were with a guy like the notorious sir Crocodile.
"Hey Robin! Congratulations on getting that promotion! You work hard enough, so you deserve it!" Usopp's loud and excited voice echoed loud enough to have the gossiping trio in the kitchen shushing each other.
"Thanks Usopp." She said as calmly as she could, she had undoubtedly been caught spying now. There was no point in hiding her presence anymore. She managed to force a smile at the sincere looking Usopp as he continued his walk to the boss' office. He had been carrying a heavy load of papers that surely couldn't be meant for Luffy to read. It was likely Usopp would wind up reading them himself as he was Luffy's assistant.
She bravely rounded the corner and entered the kitchen where the three women dressed in bright colors were blocking the coffee machine.
"Excuse me ladies, I would like to get some coffee." She said calmly to the lot. After getting a few nasty looks and eye rolls, they finally moved their high heeled feet and headed out the door. Back into the jungle to further spread the rumors of her being a common whore. She turned and reached for the handle of the coffee pot only to find out it had been empty. Just what I needed…
She had no choice but to go back into the jungle without her sustenance.
It was Friday afternoon and it was a few hours before the clock would strike 5, indicating the start of the weekend. The entire staff was eagerly awaiting the annual 'new publishing year' party the publishing company threw as a means for more publicity for their recent published works. All of the new books from the past year would be proudly displayed and reintroduced into the public before they assumed their final position in the back of the book stores and replaced by the newer books.
It was a unique way of doing things, but that was exactly what the head of publishing was. A unique man who, no matter how hard one tried, would never fully be understood. Monkey D. Luffy had inherited the publishing company and is frankly never around to actually run it, but one thing is certain… He loved these parties. And this spring's party was a costume party.
She had no intention of going to the party before, and now she was certainly not going to even leave the house. By tonight the entire office was going to know about her promotion, her involvement with Crocodile and who knows what else. She had had enough humiliation for one day already. Giving up on the coffee, she headed back out the door and back to her little cubicle. At least she had something to look forward to, a new corner office with a view. A vast improvement from the cramped little cubicle and nothing but the typewriter to keep her company.
On the way out of the kitchen, she almost bumped into a bouncing Luffy who must have been back from a very long lunch break. The filled pockets of his pants gave away that lunch had done little to satisfy his monstrous hunger.
"Hi Robin! What are you going to be dressed as for the party tonight? My costume is a surprise shishishishi!"
"Oh, uhm I wasn't feeling well so I think I might skip out on this one. I've found an interesting book abo-"
"You're going!" With a pout he had rudely interrupted her excuse.
"I beg your pardon?" She questioningly looked back at him, wondering if he was being serious or not.
"You weren't at the last one. So you used up all the times you're allowed to miss out. It's an order shishishi." He cheekily informed her as he turned around, giving her a thumbs up.
"Party starts at 9! See you there Robin. It'll be fun! Usopp! Turn up the music! It's too quiet here!"
Let's dance! Let's sway…
He had successfully and without much effort cornered her into going to the party. He might act like a child most of the time, but he was without a doubt her boss. A leader she happily followed. Her aspiration was to one day help lead this company in the right direction to bring more people the joy of great books.
Let's dance to the song they're playin' on the radio.
Let's sway, you could look into my eyes. Let's sway under the moonlight, this serious moonlight.
Looks like she was going to need to find a costume by tonight… Not to mention a date.
Playboy bunny… Or sexy cop…
This was all that was left in the store. She put the last of the available options back on the rack and headed to the back of the store to see if they at least had any suitable masks, seeing as they had no suitable costumes. Deep in the back of her mind, she had been hoping that there would be some fantastic ghoulish costumes. An attractive zombie maybe… But it's not even Halloween season and she was already buying a costume at the last possible minute. When she had declared to herself that there was nothing here for her she went looking for the store clerk. He had told her to check out the thrift shop across the plaza. They would probably have something if she was willing to look for it. She quietly exited the store and deducted that the odds of finding a suitable costume to wear were against her at the moment. She could always throw something together herself as well. All she needed was a little bit of imagination, loads of costumes are homemade. It was a pity she couldn't sew….
The minute she walked out of the store, she spied an object flying towards her feet. It looked like a ragged doll who had been chewed on one too many times and surprisingly enough, after the doll landed by her feet there came a little puppy running to come pick it back up. The dog cautiously sniffed at her feet before trusting enough to pick up the little doll.
"Atta boy!" Came the shout from the enormous fountain situated in front of the thrift shop and also right in the middle of the shopping plaza. The dog ran as fast as it could to excitedly deliver the precious object to its master. Robin gazed at the man, now holding the doll again and about to toss it away again, and saw her old blue haired dancing wonder of a friend. His name was Franky if she remembered correctly. Why is he never wearing suitable pants?
"Oi! Nico-…. -lette? Am I right?" He gestured to her, he was still nowhere near deciphering her name.
"Nope, still wrong mr. Franky." She smiled back at him, wondering if she ought to tell him her last name was just Nico.
"No? How about…. Niccola, Nicolai, Nichelle? Am I even guessing your first name here?" He responded while lowering his sunglasses and giving her a dubious look.
"My last name." She quietly added as the dog came running back with its precious and slobbery doll.
"And it's just Nico." She quickly added to her last statement.
"Ahh, super nice to see you again 'Just Nico'." He struck another ridiculous pose after that. The dog impatiently looking up at him, waiting for the doll to be tossed again. She giggled softly as she watched him toss the doll once more.
"So I'm back to square one on the first name eh?" She nodded silently and looked wearily at the thrift shop situated behind him. He must have taken notice because he looked back at it as well before giving her a questioning look.
"You got someone you wanna kill in there or something?"
"Not at the moment." Was her calm reply to that.
"Well then why do you look like you want to set the place on fire? If I may ask." The dog came back skipping and breathing heavily. It looked like the little thing was finally tired out.
"It's a long story, I won't bother you with it. Well, I'm off. Have a nice day Franky." When she started walking past him and into the store, she could instinctively feel that he had not given up on the matter and just walked in behind her like it was his business as well. Not giving him the time of day, she didn't question it as she kept moving forward.
"What are you looking for.. Samantha?" He casually asked once he made sure that her intention really wasn't to burn down the building. Who could blame him for his concerns? Last time they met she was about to smash the windshield of a car. He must think she's got anger issues.
"Where's your dog?"
"Was Samantha right? And he's not my dog… Just a little stray I met today. He's probably outside the door waiting."
"It's not Samantha."
He rocks in the tree tops all day long . Hoppin' and a-boppin' and singing his song .
All the little birdies on Jaybird Street love to hear the robin go tweet tweet tweet.
Robin deviously smiled when she heard the song that was playing in the store and wondered if he would be able to guess it by the time the song was over. She started bopping her head along with the song, as she continued browsing. It seemed to her that he was thinking too hard about this.
Rockin' robin, rock rock. Rockin' robin.
Blow rockin' robin.
'Cause we're really gonna rock tonight.
"You never answered me eh… " She continued browsing and doing her best to hint at the song. It was obvious! Was his brain made out of iron?
Every little swallow, every chick-a-dee. Every little bird in the tall oak tree.
The wise old owl, the big black crow. Flappin' their wings singing go bird go.
Rockin' robin, rock rock. Rockin' robin.
Blow rockin' robin.
'Cause we're really gonna rock tonight.
She grabbed what seemed like an old dancer's outfit from the 60's, the thigh high neon boots included.
"All you'd need is a platinum blonde wig and you'd look just like the real thing y'know? And don't just ignore my question! Uh… uh… K-kathy! Wait I think I already super guessed that one"
Pretty little raven at the bird-band stand told them how to do the bop and it was grand.
They started going steady and bless my soul he out-bopped the buzzard and the oriole.
"A costume for a costume party tonight. That is what I'm looking for… And I can't see anything…" She calmly told him.
"Well why didn't you tell me that sooner… uh… uh…" On top of being completely oblivious it seems he had run out of guesses. She wanted to help him a little, he really was trying a little too hard. She turned around abruptly enough and looked him straight in the eye and once again started bopping her head, to the best of her abilities she tried to hide the smile creeping up while she analyzed his face.
He rocks in the tree tops all day long. Hoppin' and a-boppin' and singing his song.
All the little birdies on Jaybird Street love to hear the robin go tweet tweet tweet.
Rockin' robin, rock rock. Rockin' robin.
Slowly enough he started listening to it and was immediately enlightened.
"You super little devil, and it took you this long to tell me? Your name is Birdie isn't it?" The smile on her face died instantly and she rolled her eyes in resignation. Giving up all hope on this man, she turned around to take another look at the costume she found. She wasn't going to dignify that dumb joke with a response.
"C'mon Robin! That was a super funny joke, admit it!" He said while striking his pose, as well as knocking over a coat stand in the process. After clumsily picking it back up with a few dirty looks from the store owner, he went back to following her. He saw the dubious look on her face as she inspected the outfit. No marks, no stains. The only problem was that it looked a little old, but a good wash could fix that.
"Here's a blonde wig by the way… Roooobiiin." He chuckled a little as he enjoyed how he finally had the right name. She looked at it for a while, the wig was old as well. But other than that it was in decent condition. She dropped her gaze as she remembered this afternoon, the three women talking about her. She never let gossip and rumors ever get to her, but she can't just shake it off this time. She shook her head and put the dress back on the rack, meanwhile receiving questioning looks from Franky.
"It's alright, I don't think I'm going anyway. I'm not in the mood for a party actually."
"Wait what? How come? Parties are super!"
When he never received a reply to that, his brain started hatching something up. He could tell by her expression that there was some reason behind this sudden change of plans. She just wanted to leave and forget all about today. Lose herself in a new book maybe. She will deal with the consequences later-
"I'll go streaking."
"Excuse me?" She almost stuttered.
"If I go streaking across all these stores here in the neighborhood, will you go to the party?"
"No." Was her semi-calm reply. Was his brain seriously made out of iron?
"You don't think I can do it! Eh… Fine we'll make it a bet." She remained silent so he decided to continue.
"If I go streaking, and that includes not getting caught by the police of course, you're going to buy that dress and wig and go to that party. Oh! And you're going to take me with you. I need to make sure you're man enough to keep up your part of the bargain." He stretched out his hand and offered it to her. She looked at it as if it were an insult. Why should he care? And did he think she would never honor an agreement?
"You've got a deal." She shook his hand defiantly. Once the deal was made, the devious smile he dawned then almost scared her. His expression was dead serious as he handed her his sunglasses.
"Super… Here, I need you to hold onto this for me."
Hi! So sorry it took so long to update, my bad. Problems with health post-surgery, school and all, but I'm doing my best to update these stories as regularly as I am able to. Thank you so much for the responses I've gotten as well. It makes me so happy!
Here are the songs I've used, if it wasn't already obvious :P
Let's dance- David Bowie
Rockin' Robin- Michael Jackson
All right, please let me know what you think. Be good and make the author happy with a review :)
~Snikee
