Disclaimer: Do not own One Piece. All plot and OCs belong to Volleys-chan and I.
The Dragon Chronicles
Chapter 21 - Vigilance
"All that is gold does not glitter,
not all those who wander are lost;
the old that is strong does not wither,
deep roots are not reached by the frost."
-J. R. R. Tolkien
Rei had no idea how it had turned out like this. All she had expected to do today was battle algebra and fight to understand the concepts and figure out why X, Y, and Z thought they even belonged in a math book. She had not expected surprise visitors or playing hostess to the younger guest as Tetsuya whisked the other one off to his office in a box. Also, she couldn't figure out why in the world hearing this made Hinata giddy and giggly, but it did.
Once they had been served tea, she really wasn't sure what else there really was for her to do. She had moved in to train under Tetsuya in kendo and to catch up on her general education that she should have already learned years ago; not to learn proper host etiquette. Still, she knew after this, she probably would be given etiquette lessons. Until then, she had no clue how to conduct herself with this... guy.
She studied him as she quietly sipped at her tea. He was darker skinned than she was and tan from all his traveling outdoors. She was tan as well, but she still was naturally lighter skinned than he was, despite how much sun she got living out in the street or lounging in the garden as she studied. His hair was just as dark as hers, but it had a hint of a midnight bluish tint when the light of the kitchen highlighted it while hers was a glossy black. He was clean shaven, but had some serious sideburns and an untamable mane of hair that laid however it pleased with no discernible logic to it. His eyes were a stormy grey, but nothing like the lively coloring of his companion's eyes, which reminded her achingly of Gin's. Despite how decorated his companion had been, he had nary a bangle or ring or tattoo upon his visible skin.
If she were to summarize him in one word, it would be 'creepy'. She definitely had a chill run down her spine when he decided to stare darkly at all her unique attributes – particularly her eyes.
He didn't smile. His only facial expression was a stern frown as he intently studied her with his brooding dark gaze. His aura screamed 'ominous'. The dark circles under his eyes betrayed a history of insomnia. If he slept at all, it was a minuscule amount; not enough by any stretch of the imagination. He seemed to be the complete opposite from the gypsy-like woman with the bright aura and big friendly grin when she had made her appearance out of the box. He had looked a little less threatening close to her, but now that she was out of view and his initial shock at Tetsuya carrying her away in the box was overcome, he seemed extremely intimidating.
If he spent the night here, he wouldn't be the only one not sleeping as well.
"Are you two still staring at one another?" Hinata pulled her from her internal thoughts and caused her to blink back into reality. She turned to notice that the chef was coming back into the room with an empty tray, meaning he had dropped off Tetsuya and his lady-friend's tea without her even realizing he had left.
"Um..." Rei blinked again, not sure how to respond to that without getting in a little trouble for having poor manners, but this guy creeped her out. "Maybe?"
"Have you properly introduced yourself? Asked for his name?" Hinata listed off the things that she probably should have thought of shortly after asking him if he had wanted tea and leading him to the kitchen.
She glanced between Hinata and the teenager, but he seemed bemused at her predicament. She did her best not to scowl at him when she realized he wouldn't come to her rescue and admit he hadn't done any of that either.
"No?"
"You sound unsure of yourself," Hinata lightly lectured as he returned to his cooking. "It's either you have or you haven't, mon cher. Try again."
"No. I didn't." Rei admitted this time with certainty before she stared at Hinata.
The chef looked up at her, his eyes practically telling her what he expected of her, but she just stared blankly at him. He heaved a sigh, muttering something under his breath in French as he shook his head before speaking to her once more.
"Demoiselle, introduce yourself to the young man." Ah, there were those etiquette lessons she had been expecting. She had now earned those on top of her current workload. Well, Shit. She blamed the algebra and the creep sitting across from her for her misfortune. She contemplated stabbing the textbook.
"My name is Rei," Rei muttered as she tried to force a pleasant smile that she really didn't feel. "What is yours?"
"Law." He replied curtly. She couldn't help the tick of annoyance at his one worded answer, knowing that he was purposely doing it to irritate her. That stupid, smart-ass smirk on his face told her all she need to know. It almost reminded her of Kaito... if Kaito was significantly less charismatic, charming, and responsible.
As such, purely for the sake of being petty, she blinked at him with feigned innocence as she fired off a follow up question. "Law? As in tra-la-la-la-la~ or law and order?"
His right eye twitched a bit as he gritted his teeth into a forced toothy grin. "More like 'would it be against the law if I dissected you pre-mortem without a license, anesthesia, or consent'."
Well, now Law had graduated from 'creepy' to 'psychopath' instantly in Rei's mind.
"C'est pas possible," Hinata muttered to himself in disbelief as he buried his face into his hands, abandoning his cooking for the time being.
"Oh." She swallowed hard. "That Law. Got it."
"Ja, make sure that you do, Rei-ya." That pleasant smile plastered onto his face was a bold faced lie. This person before her was not pleasant, nor kind. He was sinister, and his presence emanated trouble. She was so glad that he was only here for a short while and could not wait for him and his companion to leave. Mostly him, though. The box-woman seemed pleasant enough.
"Rei, darling," Hinata spoke up as he finally was able to compose himself. He still sounded irritated though. "How about you take Law and show him around the estate while I finish cooking dinner?"
"Why would I do that..." Please don't leave me alone with this guy! She secretly hoped her internal pleas would reach the chef without having to use her telepathy.
"Rei." Hinata snapped at her with a stern look he only usually reserved for Tetsuya when the man started to get on his fifth nerve about pancakes. "Be a dear and do what I say."
His expression told her his real answer though. You provoked him. If you are going to bicker childishly, do it elsewhere. I am trying to cook. Okay, so she used her telepathy a bit to get a good read on what he was trying to say. It wasn't like she invaded his mind, just temporarily lowered her defenses enough so she could hear what he noisily projected for any telepath to hear. Most humans had no filter.
Though Rei thought he was being completely unfair, she could see it wasn't up for debate. She might have mouthed off a bit, but that didn't mean she wasn't obedient to her betters in the end of the dispute. Damn dragon hierarchy drilled into her brain. "Yes Araki-san."
Rei looked at Law with a vexed look but managed a smile regardless. "What say I show you around the estate? Tetsuya-san has a very interesting collection on display in his gallery."
"Oh? You call your own father by his name?"
"Tetsuya-san is not my father." Rei corrected him with a slight huff. She liked Tetsuya a lot, so it stung a bit to admit the reality of their relationship. "I am his student. Nothing more."
Hinata muttered something to himself again in his mother tongue, but Rei wasn't able to catch it in time to even hear his words. Not that she would have understood. He spoke way too fast for her to translate with her three weeks of studying the raw basics of the language. Thus, he was ignored.
"If you say so." Law smirked at her words, but started to get up from his seat. "Very well, ja. Show me Tetsuya-ya's gallery as well as the rest of the house."
Rei eyed him hesitantly, unsure of what he was up to by suddenly being amiable, but she got up as well as began to lead him out of the kitchen towards where the gallery was placed. She was a little nervous, especially since she was alone with someone as... ominous as this guy (also because there would be no witnesses if he happened to murder her in the gallery and hide her body for dissection later). However, she reminded herself that she had plenty of energy to manipulate Qi in order to fight off and surprise the older teenager if he did attempt anything.
She would tell him the name of area as they entered a room as they made their way to the gallery, informing him of a few things briefly before pressing on. The faster they made it to the gallery, the faster she could get away from him, or so she told herself. He kept up with her brisk pace easily, one stride of his easily equivalent to two or three of her own, which was pretty much the truth for everyone else who lived at the estate. Rei hated to admit that she was the shortest person there, regardless of whether or not it was because she was only fourteen and had yet hit a growth spurt.
"Here we are." Rei announced as she entered the room first and spun about to face him. "This is the gallery. Most of the things in this room don't get traded out, but, from what I understand, he has a few more private pieces in the library somewhere."
Law nodded as he walked past her and began to look at the different objects that the room held. Rei sat in the corner, almost wishing she had snatched her algebra book and spiral bound notebook so she could try to get some studying done while the dark teen slowly made his round about the gallery. The two of them fell into a surprisingly peaceful silence as Rei watched him take his time observing each piece before moving onto the next one.
"What can you tell me about this one?" Law finally spoke as he stood before an old, long sword mounted to the wall. Rei could hardly remember much about the piece but what kind of blade it was and its name, both of which was printed on a tag right beside the old thing.
"Don't ask me too much about the artifacts, because honestly, Tetsuya-san hasn't really had the time to tell me much about them." Rei decided to tell him instead. She may have been able to recall enough to appease his curiosity, but she didn't want to spend a single moment longer with Law than she absolutely had to.
Law turned his head away from the blade to look at her with a bit of surprise in his expression. "He hasn't taught you anything about them? Wouldn't that be the first thing a teacher would teach his student, ja?"
"I am Tetsuya-san's apprentice in kenjutsu. He's also allowing me to catch up on my general education since it has been sorely neglected for the past few years." Rei sharply retorted. A vein pulsed in her forehead as she fought to keep her temper, but this guy really knew how to piss her off.
"He chose a girl to be the successor of his sword-style?" That comment, especially with the antagonizing tone in his voice, really had Rei seeing red.
"To most, it must seem as quite the ambitious task, I suppose. However, I could not have selected a better individual than this young girl to be my student in which to accomplish such a formidable endeavor." The voice of her teacher caused both Law and Rei to whip their heads over to the threshold of the room to see both Tetsuya and Nanami standing at the door.
"Is there a problem with his decision, Law?" Though she felt slightly bashful at Tetsuya's praise, Rei couldn't hide the smug grin that suddenly found its way onto her lips when the teenager paled at the tempered voice of his older companion.
"I was simply surprised is all, ja." Law quickly covered his tracks. Rei knew that he had been ready to insult her in some way. She was pleased to see him sweat a bit and lose that edge he had without his female companion to keep him in check.
"I'm sure." She folded her arms with a stern warning look to Law as she walked further into the room. Soon she was standing at her young companion's side, admiring the blade and having seemingly forgotten about his previous misconduct as she smiled happily at the sword.
"Hello old friend." She cooed as she reached out and caressed the old blade.
Rei swore she saw the blade thrum. It wasn't a noise, but it was like a vibration of its aura as it seemed to come alive under her gentle touch. It felt pleased and languid at her presence, but Rei could sense a hint of bloodlust it longed to sate. She was surprised at the level of sentience it seemed to possess. It didn't think like a normal person, but she could sense base emotions emit from it in faint waves. There was awareness within its steel frame.
"It has definitely missed your presence, Nanami." Tetsuya came into the room and with a flick of his wrist in her direction, beckoned Rei to come over to the others with him. "It's been dormant since you left it in my possession."
Which may have been why, though Rei had thought it an impressive weapon, she had not realized how unique the artifact was. It hadn't been awake previously.
Tetsuya placed a hand on her shoulder as she came to stand by him. Nanami was still brushing her fingers against the scabbard while Law stared with furrowed brows at the long blade. Perhaps he too sensed its sentience?
"This was the blade I was telling you about during our discussion at the restaurant." Tetsuya explained. "This is Nanami's family heirloom."
"It's an unranked cursed blade." Rei realized, remembering that conversation well. This was one of Tatsuo's works.
"Yes." Nanami chortled as she lifted her hands towards the blade and lifted it off the pegs that kept it upon the wall. "My family prefers to use weapons that are outside the ranking system. It makes it easier to surprise people if they don't know how powerful your weapon truly is. Harder to trace too. Plus, once you win the respect of a curse blade, your enemies are their enemies."
The blade was very long and easily dwarfed the woman, though it seemed to Rei that she was very familiar with the huge sword and easily slung it against her shoulder as if it was second nature to her.
"Ah~," she sighed contently as she smiled widely. "I've missed the feeling of its weight. I use to travel around the world with this bastard over my shoulder."
Rei was surprised when Tetsuya did not rebuke her for her profanity, but who was she to judge, she cussed like a sailor when Kaito antagonized her enough...
She missed Kaito...
"What's its name?" Rei had almost forgotten that Law was in the room, he had been so quiet since Nanami had entered. However, his eyes were staring curiously at the long sword and she could see his fingers twitch at the prospect of holding such a big blade.
"His name is Kikoku." Nanami told him before lifting it off of her shoulder and holding it out to him. She too must have sensed his desire to hold it. "Be careful Law, he bites."
Law stared at the blade a second longer before reaching out to grab the scabbard. No sooner had he wrapped his palm around it, did he recoil his hand with a sharp gasp, pulling the fisted appendage to his chest. His eyes were wide as he stared at the nodachi in subtle shock. Rei noticed the drops of red that beaded at the bottom of his fist and suddenly she was aware of what it meant for one to wield a cursed blade such as Kikoku. It had indeed 'bitten' him without even being drawn from its sheath.
"Ahhh..." Nanami sighed as she frowned at the nodachi. "He's being petty. Probably cranky he's been nothing but a wall ornament for the last few years."
"Why do you think I had him mounted to the wall? He bites. Nobody unworthy can touch him." Tetsuya frowned as he gently gestured for Law's hand to inspect it. Law was hesitant, but allowed the other man to see the cut. "He doesn't usually cut too deeply when he's around Nanami, but it does tend to sting a bit."
"He dislikes you is all~!" Nanami teased Tetsuya with a cat-ate-the-canary grin. "But he loves me~!"
"No, Kikoku dislikes Kogarashi. Thus, since he dislikes her, he dislikes me." Tetsuya corrected her as he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and blotted at the younger male's hand to see how deep the cut was. It was just a light scratch. He was a bit relieved at that, knowing how poorly Law healed. "You will be fine."
"Of course, ja." Law nodded quietly as he took his hand back, Tetsuya's handkerchief still in his possession. He quickly started to clean up the wound the best he could with it as he asked about what the two of them were talking about. "So, who or, perhaps the better question is, what is Kogarashi?"
"Kogarashi is his chosen sword." Nanami explained. "Extremely lazy, but she has one hell of a bite when she's provoked. She can be a bit of a double-edged sword if the user isn't careful enough with her, if you'll pardon the expression. She has backlashed at me before when I attempted to try her out."
"The trick is getting her provoked without personally irritating her." Tetsuya clicked his tongue at the mention of his blade. "Usually, I just wield her without trying to tap into her true nature. Simpler that way."
"Ah," Nanami grinned playfully. "Next time I attempt to play with her, I'll remember that. Maybe Kikoku will finally forgive her for nearly taking off my arm then."
"Wait..." Rei blinked as she looked at the woman before her. "Are you a swordswoman?"
"Not in the proper sense that Tetsuya is, but, yes, I did learn how to hold a sword correctly and how to do some major damage with it." Nanami confessed with a nonchalant shrug. Swordplay was not a passion of hers particularly. It was merely something that had gotten her by in her younger years. "Kikoku and I always got along fine because I'm not a traditional sword user. He's nit-picky that way. He hates being treated like a regular sword. Not knowing the true rules of swordsmanship means respecting and trusting the sword's power far more than one's own skills, which is his preference. He's vain is what it boils down to," she giggled.
"Oh, okay." Rei was a little disappointed, but she easily brushed it off as she thought of another question she was interested in finding out. "I know that Kikoku is a cursed blade and I can sense he is sentient to a point, but you act like he has a personality. Tetsuya-san's blade as well. Is that an attribute of cursed blades?"
Nanami blinked in astonishment at the young girl. She cast a quick glance at Tetsuya, one that spelled out her amazement and sudden understanding as to why he had selected this one to be his student. He merely smiled back at her with a pleased look in his eye. She could sense he was proud of his student's abilities and was excited to properly train her in his style. Casting her gaze back to the young girl, Nanami notice she was staring at her with those pretty ruby eyes of hers while she studied her a bit too. This girl was definitely not like most younglings. She was astutely aware of things most people couldn't sense without extensive mental training. Even Law could barely sense such things and she had been trying to drill it into his head since he was fourteen. Tetsuya certainly had an eye for spotting prodigy.
"All meito have a slight essence of sentience. It's what sets them apart from ordinary blades. The better crafted they are, the more they are aware and capable of demonstrating their unique personalities. Craftsmanship lays bare their voice." She finally explained to the child. "Cursed blades are a bit... louder in their ability to broadcast their feelings since their sentience comes from an actual spirit or demon. It makes them pickier with their handlers, and significantly more bloodthirsty in battle as well. They also tend to take advantage of weak spirited wielders, so one has to be strong of heart and spirit if he or she is to properly utilize a cursed blade."
And because her surrogate son was never one to be shown up by little girls, Law decided to speak up as well. "If I remember correctly, isn't it also true that meito know their names? You mentioned that those who appraise blades like meito are, more than not, communicating with the sword to ask it its name?"
Nanami turned her head towards Law to smile proudly at him. It made her feel elated to know that he listened to her when she spoke of such things, even when he was pretending he was ignoring her with his nose was buried in one of those medical textbooks she had provided for him.
"Yes. All meito do know their own names. It's pretty much the only thing that they can project beyond feelings. It is a wonderful gift, especially when its the first thing one learns about them. Kikoku's name had been forgotten over the decades, but, after I took him up as my sword, he gave me his name when I had earned his respect. Truly talented appraisers- not just some mediocre fraud- can use kenbunshoku haki to properly commune with blades and see if they carry a name. From there, its merely knowing where to place it among the Wazamono."
Rei furrowed her brows a bit as she looked at the woman before her with uncertainty. "Ken... bun... shoku... haki? What's that?" There was an energy source in the world other than Qi?
Nanami's amber yellow eyes were once more staring deeply into Rei's. The girl didn't know what haki was? She sensed pure honesty in the confusion and could tell the girl didn't know how to even use haki. Then... was she using... no. That would be impossible for someone without a tribe to learn. But she wasn't using observational haki to sense Kikoku's sentience... Perhaps a runaway? She cast a quick look at Tetsuya, but he was emitting nothing but serenity. He wasn't at all surprised by the girl's ignorance, meaning he had an idea as to how she had come to learn such skills. When Nanami cast her gaze back onto Rei's, she suddenly felt like those vermillion eyes seemed a little more vibrant than she had taken care to notice prior. However, now was not the time to confront such details. That was Tetsuya's business, not hers.
"You don't know what haki is?" Nanami said quickly enough so that the child didn't catch on to her pervious hesitation. She cast her glance up once more the Tetsuya as she cocked her head a bit to the side. "You haven't told her yet?"
"Rei has only recently come to be under my tutelage. I have yet been able to properly train her due to a small issue of her having been slightly malnourished. The doctor forbade her from any strenuous activity for approximately three weeks. He's coming to have a look at her tomorrow, in fact. Once cleared, I will begin her training as a kenshi post-haste." Tetsuya explained as he put a hand on Rei's head and mussed up her hair a bit.
"Hey!" Rei protested lightly, but did little else than reach of his wrist to stop him from messing up her hair. She didn't mind the action, just the fact that her short hair was already wild without his help.
"Then perhaps I should allow you to teach her when you think she's ready." Nanami didn't want to step on any toes. Some masters she knew disliked their students learning from anyone but them. They were controlling that way because they saw their students as theirs only to shape and mold. Outside influence could possibly taint their student's ability to properly emulate the sword style. She knew that Tetsuya was a stickler for perfection in his own movements. He never strayed from his core stances. They were too ingrained into his muscle memory to unintentionally deviate from and she knew Rei would end up the same way if she wished to master his style.
Perhaps that's why she was surprised when he smiled, and gave her a swift nod. "I think the way you explain it is wonderful. Please, clarify the concept of haki to Rei, if you will."
She stared at him for only a moment in her shock before her lips curled into a elated smile. "Alright! I would love to!"
She turned her gaze to Rei before pulling a thoughtful expression, she flickered her eyes over to Law after a moment as she spoke to her ward. "I thought how I approached you with the concept to be rather successful. How did I start it again?"
Law wasn't sure if she was being truthful in her forgetfulness or testing him to see how much of the subject he had retained from her original explanation about the different types of haki. So, regardless of how he didn't want to be involved in the conversation, he gave his surrogate mother her answer. "You began by playing ro-sham-bo with Leon and me to properly demonstrate and explain Kenbunshoku Haki. Then you proceeded to show how to utilize Busoshoku Haki within its different techniques. Afterward, you merely verbally explained Haoshoku Haki seeing as you cannot utilize it, ja."
"Ah~ right, right!" Nanami gave him a smile, one that radiated her pleasure in his response. He looked away a bit, not too keen to see how easily she was proud of him for remembering something so fundamental to her early lessons in haki.
She turned back to Rei, who had been listening intently to Law's response to further give the girl more insight upon the concept of haki. "Haki is quite literally a manifestation of one's willpower or ambition. It has three different ways in which it can manifest. The first way is through the heightening of the senses: Kenbunshoku Haki."
Nanami put her both her hands in front of her, one as an open palm and the other as a fist resting within the palm. "The easiest way to demonstrate the ability of Observational Haki is to play Ro-Sham-Bo."
Rei looked at her skeptically. "But, that simply a game of luck. That or you can see the tell-tales of the other player as they are making their choice."
"Ah~, yes, that can be so, but how about you put your hands behind your back where I can't see them. You can tell me if I'm right or wrong in my personal move." Nanami didn't even hesitate. Rei had a feeling that Law had pointed out the same issue when he had first learned himself.
"Okay." Rei put her hands behind her back and the two of them chanted 'Ro-sham-bo' before making their hand sign. Rei blinked as Nanami held out the very symbol that would defeat her hand.
"We'll play twenty rounds so you know its not coincidence." Nanami told her, sensing her skepticism.
Twenty rounds later and Nanami had yet to lose. Hell, she had closed her eyes after round ten and was still beating Rei 20 to 0. By then Rei fully believed her when she claimed she was using this 'Observational Haki'. If she had been using Qi, Rei would have sensed it, but though there was a distinct energy in the air, it wasn't Qi. It felt different than Qi.
"Kenbunshoku Haki is the heightening of one's senses." Nanami stated again as she knew she had the girl's full attention. "Not merely the five physical senses, sight, taste, touch, sound, and smell, but the sixth sense as well, spiritual sight. I used this type of haki to 'see' your aura and your intent perceived through your physical movements. It is harder to sense intent when there isn't a lot of drive behind it, but the more adamant one's decision is, the easier it is to sense. Most people only utilize a small portion of observation haki, however. They don't realize that Kenbunshoku Haki is fueled by the senses, believing it to be completely spiritual in its abilities."
"Why is that?"
"I'm not sure, truthfully." Nanami shrugged as she gave a loose grin. "I guess no one uses it to heighten his sense of taste or smell so he doesn't realize that its the senses, not spiritual energy. Possibly because if opponent is intent enough in his decision, it seems like the user can have premonitions about the other's intention. I'm not really sure. I always seen it as a heightening of the senses- as I was taught by my mother and she was taught by her father."
"Alright." Rei was willing to accept that answer. "Kenbunshoku Haki is the willpower of observation and senses. What's next?"
"Busoshoku Haki is an aggressive, physical from of willpower. It is a weapon that can be used both for defensive and offensive purposes." Nanami fisted one of her hands and Rei gasped in surprise when her skin from her fist to her elbow became a polished black color. "This form of armament is the hardening of one's skin. If focused correctly..." She concentrated a bit more and suddenly her rings and her bracelets turned the same black color as well. "...one can pass on the armament into the objects that he or she is holding."
"What does it do?" Rei asked as she hovered her fingers over Nanami's forearm, curious as to what it would feel like to her fingertips.
"Go ahead, feel it." The woman encouraged the girl, a kind smile on her face as she lifted her arm up to meet the girl's touch.
Rei blinked. "It's hard." She pressed her fingers against the other's skin, but it wouldn't budge in the least. "Like rock."
"Like rock, but much harder." Nanami agreed before moving her arm away and stretching it outward. Rei only then realized that Tetsuya had pulled out one of his fountain pens from his pockets and with great strength drove the tip towards Nanami's arm. The pen's tip was smashed in instead of digging into Nanami's flesh.
"A waste of a perfectly good pen." Tetsuya sighed as he capped the pen and noted to throw it away later.
"Ja, would have been better if you'd of had Kogarashi with you." Nanami agreed as she released her hold on the armament willpower and her arm returned to its normal color. "But she might have taken my arm, knowing her."
"The pen was the safer option." Tetsuya agreed.
"I suppose it was." She nodded before holding her hand out, silently asking for the destroyed fountain pen. Tetsuya handed it to her without hesitation and Nanami gave a smile at Rei who stared at her in complete awe. "Now, that's only one manner of which to use Busoshoku Haki. The hardened form can also be used so that one's blades are never damaged or make ever day items like this pen to be weapons of great power, but also remember if someone has more willpower, they can overpower your hardening and break it with theirs. Like a diamond; another diamond can cut it."
Rei nodded. Haki was suddenly a very engrossing subject. Qi had its own uses, but it its offensive uses mainly relied on one's natural element. Haki seemed to be a force or blast of one's willpower and it was without an element to draw upon.
"Now another form of Busoshoku Haki is more like pushing than anything." Nanami continued as she outstretched her arm and locked it into place, palm facing right at Rei's chest. She frowned as her face turned serious and suddenly a invisible burst of energy propelled from her open palm and collided into Rei. Though the younger had definitely felt the energy strike her, it was gentle enough to feel as though someone had pushed against her without hostility.
"That burst of energy can be mostly channeled though appendages, but I don't doubt someone's found a way to channel it otherwise." Nanami finished as she relaxed her arm and the frown of concentration melted from her face. "That was a light push, so it didn't hurt, but there are other ways of using it." She flicked the pen between her fingers like a baton before flipping it above her hand. As gravity began to pull the twirling pen back down, Nanami opened her palm again and the pen suddenly stopped its course and floated, still twirling all the while, a few inches above her palm. "This is control that takes a long while to master, but as you can see, can offer some very impressive results. Most can only manage short bursts, but some manage to elongate the effects of the push and create suspension for a short while."
She released her push and the pen fell into her hands with a light click. She grinned at Rei's wide eyes as she tossed the broken pen back at Tetsuya, who pocketed the thing. Rei quickly glanced at Law, and, though he was watching with great interest, she could see that he wasn't as astounded. He was familiar with his companion's tricks and was already possibly learning them. She wondered how well trained he was in these haki techniques and if he was just as talented as Nanami.
"The last type of Haki is one that I will not be able to demonstrate. It is called Haoshoku Haki." Nanami pulled her attention back to her with those words. "Anyone, with enough training can learn to use Kenbunshoku and Busoshoku Haki, but the third kind can only be used by those born with the ability. Though it is more common for children of those who have Haoshoku Haki to inherit it, it is usually a one in a million chance."
"Is it powerful?" Rei had a very high suspicion that it was. But she wasn't sure how powerful it was in accordance to the others.
"It is not only known as the Conquerer's Haki, but the King's Haki as well. It is extremely potent and has everything to do with the size of the user's spirit."
"Which is why you say that Kenbunshoku is the heightening of the senses, because Haoshoku is all about the potency of one's spirit and willpower." Rei easily connected the dots, making Nanami beam at her while Law scowled. It had taken him weeks to realize the difference.
"Ja." Nanami nodded, proud at how quickly the girl was catching on. She was a sharp one, this girl. "Haoshoku Haki can overtake others and render people unconscious if they are not prepared or are too weak to fend off overwhelming and all consuming force. People usually use it to intimidate and shake the resolve of their opponents, but I know of a man whose spirit is so big, he unintentionally does so, so it isn't necessarily all about intimidation. Also, he has a knack for sweeping people up into his pace. People with large spirits have that affect, I have found."
"And who has a bigger spirit than those with Haoshoku Haki?" Rei felt like she was catching on. Big spirit meant powerful influence on weaker ones.
Nanami winked playfully. "Exactly, kiddo!" She threw a thumb over her shoulder gesturing at Law. "Even this serious and broody brat would find himself helpless to the pace of a stronger spirit if he wasn't paying enough attention- even then, he might not be able to resist it entirely."
"Nanami." Law hissed unhappily as she turned and gave him a charming toothy grin.
"Lighten up Law, hunny. I swear you're way too serious at times." Nanami ignored his scowl as she turned back to look at Rei. "So, kiddo, what did ya learn?"
"There are three types of Haki." Rei started. "Two which are attainable to the masses, more naturally to some, but mostly through training and discipline; Kenbunshoku and Busoshoku Haki. Kenbunshoku Haki is seen as a spiritual haki because of its ability to heighten the sixth sense, but it can truly heightens all the senses, not just the one. Busoshoku Haki is the armament haki, allowing physical manifestation of willpower for its uses. It can be used as a means to protect and attack. The final kind, Haoshoku Haki, is rare. Those in high positions in the world are more likely to have it because it is powerful and influential."
"Damn, kid." Nanami nearly laughed. "That's spot on! You must be use to oral tutelage."
Rei blushed as she played with her hands. "Un. I'm more familiar with this form of education."
Toshi-sensei had taught her through lectures and demonstration. He usually only had to tell her once for her to retain the basic theory of it. Any explanation after that was to further express the concept at a deeper, often more philosophical level. It was a form of education she was most familiar with, though she was slowly picking up how to study from books once more.
"I see." Nanami's eyes softened at her confession. "My people are the same way. We recite songs and trade lore as a way of life."
Rei's face brightened as she looked at the woman excitedly. "You're a storyteller?"
"Damn right!" Nanami gave her a giddy grin. "Born and raised as one. It's the best and easiest way to get from place to place, making a little coin in between."
"In addition to those talents, Nanami is a dancer and a musician. She plays the sitar far better than anyone else I have encountered as well as the cimbalom and the pan-flute." Tetsuya added as he laid his hand on Rei's head. "Perhaps you can procure a song or two from her... after dinner. First and foremost, however: Rei, have you properly introduced yourself to our guests?"
Rei blinked as she looked up at Tetsuya to see a patient, knowing look in his eye before she blushed and rigidly stood up straighter. She turned her head back to Nanami who looked ready to protest the older man's indications but quickly bowed, her head slipping out from under Tetsuya's hand, as she spoke.
"I am Rei. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am sorry I forgot to ask you for your name earlier, but would you be so kind as to tell me?"
"Shiratori Nanami." The older woman countered as she too bowed. She gave a quick, irritated look to Tetsuya. She understood though that he wished for his student to mind her manners, despite how lax Nanami was about them personally. Not everyone was as the two of them were about propriety. "And don't worry about it. It's not like I remembered to introduce myself either." She laughed as she uprighted herself while Rei did the same.
"I highly doubt Law properly introduced himself as well." She reached her hand closest to Law and placed it on his head, forcing the teen to bow his head. "This is my ward, Trafalgar Law. Please excuse his behavior because I know he misbehaves when he thinks he can get away with it. He's a bit of a shithead at times. My lovable one, but a little shit nonetheless."
"I'm taller than you so there's nothing little about me, ja." That was Law's sole complaint about her comments towards him and his attitude.
"Yes, yes." Nanami patted him on the head as he uprighted himself and shot her a warning look to doing such a condescending gesture. "But you are still little to me no matter how tall you get."
Before Law could verbally retaliate, Tetsuya cleared his throat and gained the attention of the others within the room. "Perhaps we should continue our conversations in the dining room? I am sure Hinata is almost finished cooking dinner and will be expecting us shortly if not currently. By the way, Nanami, did you not mention to me that young Law has food restrictions?"
"Shit." Nanami remarked loudly as she turned to look at Law. "You told him that when you went into the kitchen, right?"
"Oops." The mischievous grin on Law's face gave away the insincerity of his remark. "Must has slipped my mind, ja."
She pinched his cheek harshly for that, but didn't linger as she made a mad dash towards the kitchen to salvage what she could of the situation before she managed to royally piss of the chef with her negligence. Law rubbed his abused cheek to try to ease the pain, but he was still smirking proudly at his ploy.
"She completely forgot she's still carrying Kikoku." Tetsuya noted as he tried not to smile at the situation. But all he could think of was how it served Hinata right if he had to cook something completely different for the lad. All those insinuating looks he had been giving Tetsuya when he deposited the tea earlier this evening and his absolute refusal to cook him pancakes at all. This was merely karma coming to bite Hinata on the ass.
"Come along, children," Tetsuya started his way to the dining room. "Let's make sure that we are ready for when Hinata is ready to serve our dinner."
"Un." Rei quickly fell into step. Law followed as well, but quietly. "So Nanami-san and Law are staying for dinner?"
"The two of them will be staying for the next few days. Afterwards, Nanami will be heading out to continue to her destination while Law remains here with us until his university classes start in the beginning of fall."
Rei nearly stopped dead in her tracks. "He's staying?"
Law gave her a malicious grin as he swept past her and caught up with where Tetsuya had stopped in his movements.
"Yes. For the summer. Is there any issue with that decision?"
YES! "No." He's a creepy bastard who wants to cut me open! I know it! "No issue at all, Tetsuya-san."
The three of them continued on, but Rei internally wept. She was never going to sleep again! At least not until the summer was over!
Oh well, she internally sighed. What could she do? The best option was to avoid him as best as she could and hope he wasn't too incline to search her out in order to antagonize her. The estate was huge, shouldn't be all that difficult. Maybe, perhaps with time and ample opportunity to retreat into solitude, they could learn to get along?
One glance at his smug look shot that idea out of the air.
Yeah… She wouldn't hold her breath.
Alas, karma had yet to compensate Tetsuya by coming back to bite Hinata in the ass. He had momentarily forgotten that Hinata use to run a five star restaurant and had more than his fair share of eaters with food intolerances, allergies, texture issues, and diet junkies, in addition to just plain picky eaters. Having to whip up a few new items that Law could eat was nothing to him, though he did ask to be notified as soon as possible next time he was to make more food for guests. 'Leftovers' was practically an expletive in Hinata's mind; he would sooner die than re-serve anything a second time. Each meal was to be prepared specifically for the time to which it was dedicated. To so crudely rip a dish from its destined moment and plop it into another was like re-animating a rotting corpse; such cuisine sacrilege would not stand. So he only cooked what he deemed enough for the people present, and, if there was anything leftover, he would wrap it up in disposable containers and give it away to random people on the street when he went on his nightly walk. He may have standards for fine dining, but there was no need to waste perfectly good food by disposing it.
Though he had prepared his expectations when warned earlier, he was still momentarily caught off guard when Nanami whipped out a thick booklet of Law's dietary requirements and restrictions. Apparently, Rei realized, Law's health was extremely delicate despite how well he looked (minus the bags under his eyes). The older teen said nothing about the scene as he followed Tetsuya into the dining room and quietly took a seat. Luckily Hinata had a few things Law could eat while waiting for the rest of his meal so he wasn't left out while Tetsuya, Nanami, and Rei ate.
Aria eventually returned from her shopping and Tetsuya asked her to prepare two rooms for the visitors in the family wing, informing her of Law's stay with them for the summertime. Aria nodded, flashing Nanami a excited smile as she welcomed the woman back after having not seen her in many years. Rei wondered how long Aria must have worked for Tetsuya and how long Nanami must have been away that would account for the jubilee Aria exhibited at their reunion. She chose not to voice the question and instead focused on eating with her chopsticks.
She was still a bit sloppy in her technique and didn't want to embarrass herself in front of Nanami and especially not in front of Law. Though she knew Nanami wouldn't mind, she had no doubt that Law would tease her relentlessly if he discovered how poor her ability to eat with utensils was. It wasn't her fault dragons didn't eat with utensils nor did street children most of the time. But considering most of her history she intended to keep under wraps, she couldn't use that as an excuse. She was shocked when Nanami eventually ditched her chopsticks and began to eat outright with her fingers. Unsurprised by the behavior, Tetsuya chuckled instead of looking appalled at the woman's manners, before calling for Hinata to bring her a knife, spoon, and fork to eat with, having forgotten that Nanami wasn't very patient with chopsticks.
"How is it, you can learn to play the sitar by observing someone play, but can't manage to learn to use chopsticks?" He openly teased her as he easily ate his meal with chopsticks.
"Food culture is different. I practiced the sitar and my fingers became familiar with the movements, regardless of how I learned. As for utensils? I travel so often and each island has its own culture along with a different eating etiquettes. One island would eat with their hands while another used spoons or forks or knives yet another with chopsticks. I picked one style of utensils and deal with it when I don't have them to eat with. Learning all of these is simply wasted effort," Nanami huffed, but didn't sound insulted or put out by his comment. "Plus, I can eat a lot of food. How can anyone get enough food using chopsticks? I'd starve before I satisfied my hunger if I tried. I'll just use my hands if I can't have a fork or spoon. There's nothing sacred about a meal."
At that point, Hinata came in with not only her utensils, but Law's main meal. As he was about to disappear again into the kitchen, Tetsuya invited him to eat with them. Rei wasn't very surprised, seeing as Aria and Hinata always ate with her, with Tetsuya present or not depending on his workload (though Hinata insisted most nights that the man stopped to at least eat with them). However, it might have been a bit baffling to the chef, since that was normally only when he was eating in the kitchen. But then again, this was the first time Rei had even dined in the actual dining room. Hinata beamed at the man and retreated to go fetch his own dinner in order to join them. When Aria came back from preparing the bedrooms, she too was included.
That was another aspect of what Rei loved about Tetsuya; He didn't feel like his employees were below him. Instead they were his equals and his friends. Even despite their bickering at times about food (pancakes mostly) or other superficial things. Hinata was possibly the only one of them on par with Tetsuya on the social ladder, but it made absolutely no difference. Rei was a nameless street urchin whom he had chosen as his student. Aria was his maid. Nanami was a gypsy woman, and Law her ward. They were individuals from all different walks of life. Yet here they all were sitting together, eating, chatting, teasing, and enjoying each other's company with no distinctions, no discrimination. Their varying backgrounds were left at the door and only who they were as people mattered here.
Eventually, dinner came to an end. After Rei helped Hinata take the dishes to the sink and rinse off them off for him to finish later, she retreated to the living room to try and focus on her homework. She spent the next fifteen minutes glancing at her studies, taking note when Law came in and sat on the opposite side of the room near the fireplace to read a book. Tetsuya came in a short time later, but he quickly dozed off while looking over her work with her. She didn't bother waking him, seeing as he had been working hard all day.
Rei slid off the couch as her teacher slowly enveloped it. She continued her studies at the foot of the couch where she laid on her stomach and stared at her book. She forgot all about asking Nanami about performing, but it seemed the woman had remembered her interest. She came into the room quietly, sneaking a pillow from the couch without waking Tetsuya and plopped in on the ground beside Rei.
Rei glanced up at her with her red eyes, gasping in elation as she quickly forsook her studies to watch as Nanami began to play the exotic looking instrument. It had a pretty twangy sound and it was soothing to listen to. Tetsuya didn't even stir from his sleep at the sound of her music. If anything Rei suspected it was lulling him deeper into unconsciousness.
"Why did you learn to play a sitar? It is a part of your culture?" Rei asked after a while of listening to the woman masterfully pluck at the stings of the beautiful instrument. Nanami's culture had been brought up a few times during dinner, enough to allude that she was indeed a gypsy from an actual gypsy clan within Grand Line. The Raiun clan if Rei remembered the name correctly.
"No. Sitars are not from my people's original culture. We are vagabonds, seafarers and nomads. Perhaps once we had an island we called our own, but not anymore. Those times are long passed memory. We don't linger on the same island long and never in a group larger than five or six at a time nowadays. Our heritage is taught to us as a means to strengthen our connection to the clan, though at the same time, we are not close minded to the cultures we visit. We welcome new ideas and new ways of doing things, adapt them to our own. I saw someone playing a sitar in my travels one day and I thought its song was beautiful. So I watched and I learned." Nanami admitted as she continued to play the enchanting music. "My mother had forced the pan-flute upon me, but I could not sing as I played. I learned the cimbalom as a way to stay true to my family's culture while singing, but it is a cumbersome instrument to travel with when one is on their own. The sitar... well, I never had issues traveling with it and I could draw people in by its unique sound and appearance."
"But don't you dance as well? How do you dance without music?"
"Easy, I forced my boys to play for me while I preformed." Nanami laughed as she nudged her head towards Law, who was still reading quietly in the corner of the living room. "He can play the piano quite well, you know."
"I recall learning to play far more than just the piano to fulfill your whimsical desire to dance and sing like a common street performer." Law grumped, but never once stopped reading as he spoke.
Nanami rolled her eyes as she made a silly face at Rei, mocking the teen behind her. Rei smothered her giggles with her hands so Law didn't catch on that his guardian was making fun of him. However, suddenly he closed his book with a harsh snap as he shot a glowering look at Nanami's back, as if he knew she had been teasing him. She turned her head a bit to give him a playful expression, soothing his offended countenance with the soft look in her eyes.
"You enjoyed it." Nanami told him. "Don't pretend you didn't like playing as I danced and sang."
"I did what was expected of me, ja. Nothing more, nothing less." He countered as he set the book down on the side table.
"Nothing was ever expected of you, Law." Nanami frowned at the implication. "I had only ever asked if you'd be willing to help support our small little family. There had been no requirements for you to do anything more than be yourself."
Realizing he had hurt her feelings with his comment (especially knowing how her mother had forced many things upon her), Law sighed. He got up a moment later, walking over to where Nanami and Rei were sitting on the floor. Rei looked at him with a puzzled look, unsure of what was going on as the older teen got closer. He still looked creepy, dark, and brooding, but there was definitely a gentleness in his eyes that was absent whenever he wasn't around her surrogate parent.
"Scoot," he ordered her and took hold of the sitar, ending the music in a sudden thrum as he started to sit. Nanami easily passed on the sitar without fuss as she moved away from her ward. Her face giving away her giddy mood at his unspoken gesture. He pulled the pillow she had been sitting on under him as he sat criss cross while she got up and moved to the center and the room and struck a pose.
Rei's eyes widened with excitement as she suddenly realized what was going on. She smiled at Law quickly before focusing her full attention on Nanami, missing the surprised look on Law's face to have received such pleasantness from her. He was doing this as a way of apologizing to Nanami, not to foster relations with the young ruby-eyed girl. He shook off his shock quickly and focused on the sitar in his hands and he began to pluck at the strings. Though Rei could hear how well he could play, she also noticed how Nanami was on a whole different level than him in the skill department. Not that it mattered to her. She was simply happy she had the opportunity to watch the amber eyed woman dance to the strange melody Law was eliciting from the instrument.
The dance started out in a simple fashion – a few sweeps of the feet and exaggerated waves of the arms – before the music picked up tempo and ferocity. Sweeps and turns, swirls and leaps made the woman like a blur. Rei watched the controlled movements of the woman before her as she expertly captured her attention with her exotic dance, keeping in rhythm with Law's playing. Her jewelry jingled and jangled as she continued to dance, adding to the experience in Rei's eyes, while Nanami smiled gleefully as she danced. She loved it, the crimson eyed girl realized.
She wondered, silently to herself, if Gin danced like Nanami. Did her movements flow as gracefully as this woman's or was she even more brilliant in her form? It saddened her a bit to know she'd never get to see the pirate woman preform, despite how beautifully Nanami danced. Her giddy mood was suddenly sobered by her thoughts, though she still watched raptly, pretending that the woman before her was Gin- if only for this one dance. It wasn't difficult... at a glance, Nanami held a passing resemblance to Rei's departed friend.
Too soon, Law was ending the song. It slowed to a stop as he allowed the final note to linger before it faded to silence while Nanami became still once again. Rei wished it could have continued, but didn't want to inconvenience them. Law didn't seem interested in playing another song, despite how the gypsy seemed to glow from her dance.
"Thank you, Law. I'm done for now." Nanami said breathlessly as she slowly walked back over to them. Law just grunted, handing her the sitar before getting up and going back to his spot. Nanami chuckled as she plopped back down and, after getting into the proper position to play, plucked at the sitar's strings once more. Her expression turned gentle and solemn as she turned her yellow gaze back at the young girl before her.
"You seem so sad. I would have thought that a dance would put you in good spirits, not the opposite." Her voice was low, yet not a whisper, allowing only Rei to hear her words over the sitar.
Rei forced a smile. "It was really beautiful, Nanami-san! I am very happy I got the chance to see you dance." Though she didn't feel like smiling, it was still the truth.
"But something about my dance made you sad." Those yellow eyes seemed to pierce through her as they scanned more than just her expression. "Something from your past?"
Rei bit her lip as she nodded. She didn't say anything but instead looked over to where Law was reading and Nanami instantly understood the girl's apprehension. She stopped playing her instrument for a moment as she called over to her ward.
"Law, how about you go ask Aria where your room is and start getting ready to go to bed." When her ward shot her a flat look in response to her comment, she gave him a smile, one that looked sweet but was truly dark and frightful. "Or you can go ask Aria where your room is and read in there."
"But I'm not suppose to utilize the bedroom for anything but sleep-" He caught onto her hint, but couldn't resist the chance to irritate her about one of the rules she had set up around his health problems- specifically his insomnia the time around.
"Go. Now." Nanami was no longer smiling and the sharp look was more than enough to get Law on his feet and out of the room as quickly as he could. Nanami rolled her eyes. "Teenagers."
Rei found herself smiling at the situation, despite her melancholy. Nanami turned her eyes back onto the young girl. "Now, I cast him out. Will you tell me what makes your heart ache at the very thought of?" Nanami's fingers began playing her sitar once more.
Rei stared at her for a moment, debating if she really wanted to tell a complete stranger with something she hadn't even really told Tetsuya yet. However, her teacher trusted this woman – that much was obvious. In respect of him, she'd trust her too. Besides, if Tetsuya ever asked her about this subject again, she'd tell him anything she told Nanami without hesitation. She trusted him unwaveringly.
"I had a storyteller as a friend a long time ago." Rei finally admitted, her eyes watering up as she thought of her. "She was more like my savior, really. She saved me from so many things, but then, she died." And image of her smiling, tearstained face flashed in her mind. "I never got the chance to see her dance, but I've been told she was magnificent. And so... when I was watching you... I started wondering if... if she was..."
"Just as good or better even?" Nanami finished for her. Her eyes were gentle and reflected the child's melancholy. Rei nodded as she looked down at her lap. Her gloved hands were wrinkling the fabric of her long skirt with how tightly she was gripping it.
Nanami brought her attention back to her with her soft words. "I've met many people in my life. And I have many friends who are or were storytellers like myself. Perhaps, if you tell me her name, I can tell you if I've seen her dance."
"Um..." Rei really wanted to, but she wasn't sure how Nanami would react. Surely she met the renown pirate at least once, but there was no way of knowing the gypsy woman's outlook of pirates.
"Come on, you can tell me anything, child. I won't get mad or upset with you." The words were calm and coaxed Rei to find her resolve enough to speak the name of her beloved savior.
"Her name was Kaneko Gin." Rei looked Nanami in the eye as she spoke the name, watching as the woman stopped in her playing and seemed to have forgotten how to breath for a moment. There was a look of anguish in her eyes if only for a moment before it disappeared, her face completely calm, but her eyes were still sad.
"Ja. I know that name." Her voice was tense and warbled a bit, but after swallowing thickly, she was able to collect herself further. "Gin was a close friend of mine, in fact. I've danced with her many times throughout our lives."
"You knew Gin?" Rei's eyes grew wide as she realized she was sitting before another person who had her life touched by the pirate woman.
"All her life." Nanami admitted, a stray tear falling down her face. "She and I are both of the same clan. Her stories are my stories; and my songs, hers."
Rei stared at the woman. It was obvious to the child that the adult before her was just as broken hearted over the other woman's death as Rei was. "I met her on a marine ship... after... I had been rescued..." The next words were nearly whispered. "From pirates..." She looked at her gloved hands for a moment before looking back up at Nanami. "She had saved me three times in the short time that I knew her. Once from a Sea King trying to eat me, once from a bad marine who was trying to violate me, and once from an Admiral who lashed out angrily at me for my words. Two she survived. The third time caused her end. I'm sorry..." Rei admitted as she started to cry, her hands covering her face as she began to sob. Just remembering how it had happened, especially in front of someone who had possibly loved the woman just as much, possibly more than she had, caused the young girl to be overwhelmed by sorrow, grief, and guilt. She still felt like it was her fault. She had been the one to lose her temper first. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for any of that to happen... She's dead and it's because I spoke out against Akainu and he... and then she... I'm so sorry your friend is dead. I'm so sorry. I loved her so much!"
"Hey now." The sitar was abandoned as two arms wrapped themselves around the weeping child, pulling her into warm embrace. Nanami held her close, allowing the girl to bury her face into her bosom as her own arms circled around Nanami and clung to her in desperation.
"Shhh, shhhh, shhhh." Nanami gently hushed her, laying her cheek upon the girls crown of black hair and rocking her to and fro. "It's alright dear one. Shhhhh. No one blames you."
"What is going on?" Tetsuya's voice was thick from sleep as he peered at her sleepily with concern. It only took him a moment to realize that Rei was sobbing violently into Nanami's chest as the woman held her tightly, tears of her own threatening to fall. That woke him further from his sleep as propped himself up with one arm. "Hey now, what's the matter?"
"She knew Gin. She witnessed her death... Far too young for such tragedy." Nanami told him, an old sadness echoing in her eyes at the confession. The businessman instantly understood and his eyes turned sad as he cupped a hand around Nanami's face- the side not resting on Rei's head. She relished his kind touch as her tears trickled down her face.
Tetsuya pulled away for only a moment as he slid off the couch and pulled both his dear friend and his charge into his lap, holding both within his strong, warm hold while Rei still cried within Nanami's embrace. Nanami mostly kept her face nuzzled into Rei's hair, but it calmed her to feel Tetsuya so close. She felt comforted by his embrace and was able to collect herself enough to open up her heart to help bear the weight of Rei's conflicted emotions.
"It's alright." Nanami whispered as she moved to press a kiss upon Rei's crown. "I feel your heartache and your guilt, child. There is no blame to be dealt." She pulled the girl away from her embrace just enough that she could take her hands and cupped them around the girl's crying face. Her own tears were left tear stains in their wake. "Let me tell you now, you were not the cause of her death. She had chosen that path long before you arrived in her life. If I know Gin, you were monumental to her own joy at the end. A reprieve to her endless grief and sorrow that had filled her life since Roger's death."
"But if I hadn't-" Rei began to argue. She didn't want such easy forgiveness. She didn't want such kindness. It still felt like it was her fault.
"She had a rendezvous with destiny for a long time coming, long before you entered her story. Nothing could change that." Nanami shook her head. "She had lost her will to live and willingly surrendered herself when she could not function any longer. Her song had turned silent; her tales, unspoken; and her dance, unseen. Yet you claim that the only thing you never got to witness were her dances? It brings me peace to know she found her voice once more before her end. Children were always special to her heart, even though she could bare none."
"Wh-what?" Gin couldn't have children? But it was obvious she would have been a great mother. She had been one to so many that were not her own. Rei could attest to that personally.
"Gin was barren. She could bare no child to call her own, but it stopped her not from taking parentless children and calling them hers." Nanami confessed. "In the end, it was one of the many factors that drove her and Roger apart." Nanami shook her head a bit. "But now is not the time to speak of such things. Simply know that nothing made Gin happier than having a child to hold, to sing to, to tell tales to, to love, and to protect. You resurrected her heart and, possibly, helped her heal. So, do not feel regret, child. She died happy."
Rei didn't know why that gave her such relief, but it did. Those same words had been spoken to her long ago by Drake, but how well had he truly known Gin? This woman had claimed to know her all her life. She would know how Gin would feel and it brought her a sense of closure she hadn't felt upon the subject. Kaneko Gin had died happy caring and protecting one last child that had needed her more than the young girl would ever understand at the time. Though Rei continued to sob a while longer, it was a long awaited catharsis, like a balm upon her wounded heart.
She didn't remember falling asleep, but she had pieces, fragmented images really, of memory of being hoisted up into strong arms and quiet murmurs. Small dainty fingers petted her hair as those arms cradled her listless, sleeping form against the robust frame of her teacher. When she had awoken later in the night, for just a few moments as was usual for her to do when she sometimes needed to shift or roll into a new sleeping position, she discovered that she had been changed into her old sleeping shirt. Not only that, but there was another person within her room.
She sat up a little to realize who it was, especially since, in the dark, she had almost mistaken the gypsy woman for Gin. The woman was curled up on one of her room's sofa chairs. Her back facing Rei as she dozed in a tight ball. Her jewelry was removed and she seemed almost naked without the vast amount of decoration upon her limps, even if she was still wearing the same dress she had worn all day. Her hair was undone and pooled down the side of the armchair like in waves of black silk. Her back and shoulders bare with her hair no longer there to cover it up, revealing the inked tendrils that danced along her spine to where her dress cut the rest of the tattoo from sight. Rei couldn't really see the pattern too well in the dark, but could not mistaken the stylized compass visible between her shoulders and near the nape of her neck. Words were written around the star shaped design in a circle. It was written in a language she could not identify.
"Not all those who wander are lost." Rei jumped lightly at the sound of Nanami's voice.
Amber yellow eyes peeked at her as she turned her head to look at the girl with a bleary, hers as luminescent as Gin had been. "That's what it says. It's a personal ism of mine."
Rei blushed at being caught staring, but the woman chuckled as she gave a small yawn as she shifted so she was sitting upright in the chair, her legs tucked under her. "You cried yourself asleep, so Tetsuya carried you up here and I changed you into your nightwear after he left. I was going to go, I decided to keep watch over you incase you were in need of council. But other than your initial confusion, you seem alright emotionally. Perhaps more at peace with yourself. Which is good."
"How do you know that?" Rei asked as she laid back down watched the woman on the other side of the room.
"It's a gift of mine, I suppose you can say... I saw your necklace, by the way, the one with Gin's gem." Nanami whispered as she started to drift back to sleep while sitting up.
"She gave it to me." Rei admitted. "Put it on a headband for me to wear after she had to cut off most of my hair. It was too snarled to salvage, I guess. She was probably trying to make me feel better at the time. I didn't know how valuable it was to her until I saw her wearing it in a wanted poster."
"Ja." Nanami nodded, her eyes closing. "Roger gave it to her after he had stolen a fair amount of treasure from a sky island."
Rei's eyes widened. "You mean he did steal it from the heavens?"
Nanami laughed. "A sky island. Not exactly heaven, even if the people who live upon these cloud archipelagos have tiny wings upon their backs, like angels. She had written to me about that journey and her many frustrations with, not only the people there, but how eager Roger had been to try to fight a god (Gan Fall I think she said his name was). She, with the help of the crew they had at that point, had nixed the idea and managed to drag him away before he pissed off the locals, but their adventure were success enough that they were able to get away with a shitload of treasure. Enough to purchase an actual ship from Water 7."
Rei's eyes gentled as she snuggled further into her blankets. This was not a tale that Gin had told her. "Would it be too much to ask you to tell me what she told you?"
"About Skypiea? No, I would be honored." Her eyes opened a bit as she took a deep breath. "Now... where to begin? Ah, how about we being the tale with them landing upon the island known as Jaya..."
"Come closer." Rei requested of her as she scooted back in her bed a bit. The coolness of the untouched sheets nipped a bit at her skin, but Rei was undeterred.
Nanami's eyes sparkled a moment as she smiled shyly. She hadn't wanted to presume anything, especially since she wasn't sure how comfortable with girl was with her. However, it seemed that the child could sense her benevolent nature and easily accepted her as someone she could trust. So Nanami moved from the chair and sat at the edge of the bed. Before she could continue, Rei was tugging a bit at her hand.
"Closer." Rei begged again. She felt better since her earlier cry, but, secretly, she wanted to be babied a bit. It had been a long time since anyone had doted on her with physical affection and she had a feeling, from the little time she had gotten to observe Nanami, that she was an extremely tactile individual.
The woman didn't even hesitate to slip under the sheets and cuddle up against the young girl.
"Gin use to cuddle with me when she told her tales." Rei admitted with a small smile. She remembered how small the cot was, but, when held by Gin, how safe she had felt lying in that little bed.
"Yes, and Gin probably got it from me." Nanami giggle. "There were many nights when it was cold and there was little money to spend on decent inns when we traveled together. She and I would have to share a tiny bed and, to ward off the cold, sleep close. Most nights, we'd exchange tales before drifting off to sleep. She always teased me, though, that I am a bit of a leech in my sleep."
"I've been told that too." Rei admitted, remembering how Kureha had use to shove her out of the bed when the girl had latched her arms around her disagreeable bedmate for that short amount of time she had stayed with the witch. She use to mutter angry words at the child for nearly choking her to death with her grip and how she was like a damn leech. Rei had been annoyed because she wasn't keen on being woken in such a rude fashion.
She recalled that Gin had always been easy to cuddle up with and she enjoyed the closeness with another being. Dracos were notorious snugglers, always needing touch and physical affection, but they were scaly and uncomfortable to the likes of her, especially when they attempted to dog-pile their collective weight on her. The drakes were very similar, affectionate and tactile with each other, but they had never accepted her as a part of their nest. Tatsuo and Ayane slept on their own bed pallet throughout her stay with them. And while they didn't exactly discourage the idea of her sharing their bed (at night, dragon nests was a huge conglomerate of the scaled beasts, young and old, sleeping together), gold and jewels did not make a good bed in her opinion. And, here in Water 7, Rei often was nearly smothered by the young street urchins who tried to cuddle up to her when they slept back at the warehouse. It was nice to sleep with someone as gentle as Nanami. It was like something she had missed greatly.
"Two peas in a pod then, ja?" Nanami laughed breathily alongside Rei's own giggles as she made herself more comfortable. Once settled she took a calming breath and continued. "Now, where was I? Ah, yes, Jaya. In her letter, Gin had described the place to be..."
Because of her emotional exhaustion and the coolness of the night (despite how warm and content she felt cuddled up to Nanami), Rei fell asleep halfway through, but her dreams were of how this adventure must have ended.
French translations:
C'est pas possible – It is not possible
Japanese Translations:
Kenjutsu – Fencing or "the method, or technique, of the sword"
Kikoku – Cry of the Demon
Nodachi – Large/great sword
Kenbunshoku Haki –Observation Haki
Haki – Ambition
Kenshi – Fencer
Busoshoku Haki – Armament Haki
Haoshoku Haki – Conqueror's Haki
Ro-sham-bo – Rock-Paper-Scissors
A/N: We managed to do another update, woot! Let's see if we can keep this ball rolling! Onwards to the chapter!
Hope you'll all enjoying more of Law's and Nanami's interactions as well getting to know a bit of their characters. It was a little difficult to depict Law, since he's still so young, but we hope we got close enough for you to smile and say 'yup, that's Law for you'. Also, Law, being as brilliant and talented child that he is, learned to play some instruments, showing how he has been raised by Nanami as a part of her family and integrated a bit into her culture. Hopefully giving him some believable aspect of his character (Yup, he was a gypsy boy for a while there while Nanami watched over him). We hope we didn't offend anyone with how we depicted Nanami being a gypsy. She's not like a real world gypsy (just like One Piece pirates aren't like real world pirates), but a mixture of One Piece and cultures that her people have come across. We just didn't have a better term for them, but we did try to make their base heritage original gypsy culture. (Just like Water 7 is based off of Venice)
Also, Volleys-chan wanted everyone to know that, while we read about Haki and its different aspects. We may have taken some artistic license with it, only because this is how we understand Haki and its three different versions. If Oda releases more info, we will edit our work to allocate for what he has revealed, but for now, this is how it works in this story.
By the way, who thought that the sword Tetsuya was talking about- the cursed one- at the restaurant would end up being Kikoku? I bet you lot can see where this is all going with that sword. Also, thoughts on how we depicted Meito and Cursed Blades as sentient to a point? Zoro always talked about them like they had personalities, so we just decided they did.
Gin was a hard topic for us to even bring up. Volleys was crying as she was writing it because she really loved Gin. She was her first OC that she had created for this story and really didn't want her to go. However, we felt it was beneficial for Rei to know that Nanami once knew the lovable storyteller and learn an interesting fact she never knew about Gin. (Also, we do know that we already stated she never had children of her own, but Rei didn't connect it at the time that Gin meant she couldn't bear her own children, not that she simply never had the chance given she was a wanted pirate and all.)
Well, that's it for now. (Bows head to the ground) Thank you and sorry for another round of long author notes. See you in the next chapter.