sailedfirst | III. [Action: July 15th--19th]

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III. [Action: July 15th--19th]

[It's been a week since Luffy was brought back home. The first few days were hard; the fact Sabo might never see him again and he's helpless to do anything about it still cuts deep. But he and Ace promised to keep living, keep moving forward. It's what they've always done, and Sabo's not about to stop now. And so to avoid moping so much, he decides to get busy.]

[July 15-19 -- Mornings, the Library]
[He'll be seen occupying a table in the library, with large sheets of paper spread out and books lying open all around him. The books are noticeably all about ships and how to build them. He's busy sketching out blueprints of a small sea-faring vessel. he's obviously not an expert, so the blueprint's almost cartoony and not accurate with regards to the finer details, like measurements and stuff, but he's got most of the main parts down.

On the 19th, he'll open his journal to ask something.]

[Voice]

Hey, are there any shipwrights around here? Or anyone who knows anything about making boats or ships?

[Afternoons (except the 17th), the beach/the mountain]
[Afternoons are spent out in the beach, just looking out to the sea, and/or exploring the nearby mountain in the hopes of meeting the Wind spirit Kipinn.]

[Evenings, the Battledome]
[Sabo can be found in the Battledome. The simulation shows a wide forest, with towering trees and a huge mountain looming behind. Sabo's armed with his usual pipe staff, and his chosen opponent is an old acquaintance to the ASL brothers: the Great Tiger of Mt. Corvo.

Even knowing he's no match by himself, he'll fight on determinedly. Of course, he's just going to get smacked around by the giant paws or batted away by that bludgeon-like tail. But he'll get up, again and again, until the auto-abort kicks in due to the boy's over-exhaustion. At one point, his journal will get knocked aside and start recording one of these fights on video.

Once he catches his breath, he'll rest a bit within a peaceful simulation of a cliff overlooking a wide blue sea, before making his way home.]

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You're a pirate?!! [Ooops. That's a little too loud. Lowering his volume a bit, but sounding no less excited.] So am I! Or, at least, I was sailing out to be one before I got here.

Yep! But I used references for the sails. It's a schooner class; good for cruising along the water, and if there's a good wind, it can go pretty fast too! [Looking at the paper, while scratching his cheek.] It's far from done though. There's supposed to be a cabin there too...

[Pfff, how cute. ♥ Just like an excitable little boy. It's nice to see children as young as Sabo wanting to take to the seas like that - Great Pirate Era indeed. Perona just nods lazily, smiling fondly at her little friend as he goes on and on. When he dreams, he dreams big, doesn't he? If only there was a larger, longer ocean to sail on. And if Perona had her own ship, she could take him out on it, or have done so already.]

Ah, I've heard of those! They're good ships, but I myself like the larger variety...to stock supply and treasures, of course. I grew up on a big ship on the Grand Line! But having something that big here would be a waste - the ocean's much too small to fit even a little bit of Thriller Bark on it.

But if you're making a ship, then you must know how to navigate, correct? You're such a smart boy!

[Grand Line... So they really are from the same world! Sabo guessed it from the moment she mentioned she's a pirate, and he's gladder now that they've become friends.]

Wow, your ship's that big?! I want a large ship myself. A galleon! Triple-masted and has a cool figurehead! An eagle, maybe?! But yeah... a big ship's no good here. The most you can do in this sea is float around the water and wait for a good breeze to speed the ride.

[Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly at the praise.] I know just enough to navigate a fishing boat. I'd have studied it more if I had a chance!

Horohorohoro! That's a very big ship! [Man, when a kid dreams, they sure dream big, ahah~] But the ship I was on before wasn't my ship! It was Moria-sama's, of course, my captain. And it was among the very largest in the world, too. The floating island ship - Thriller Bark! But I'd wish for any ship at all, just to go sailing in a little bit...

[She sighs again, and starts playing with her hair, pouting just as well as she sighed.] I'm no navigator, but I can do it well enough to get by. If it were to just sail a little bit, I could do it - or teach you. Sailing on calm water like what we have here is nothing. There aren't even any seakings or anything to really be afraid of. ...Just a very salty marine, horohorohoro!

[Can you feel him trembling with excitement from over there?]

F-floating island ship? Like a whole island?!! Wow, that's the first time I've heard of such thing! What's it like?

[He pauses, thinking for a minute.] ....You know what? If you wanna sail so badly, I can borrow my brother's skiff for you. We can meet up in the beach later, if you're interested!

Edited 2012-07-29 03:01 (UTC)

Yes, just like a whole island! There's a cursed forest, a graveyard, the manor where the crew stays, my wonder garden where I stay with all my animal zombies, and the trench where Cerby-chan "greets" our visitors...horohorohoro~! Oh, and then the're the freez--

[Wait, sailing? Perona's eye light up with excitement and she smiles wide, beeefore Sabo mentions a brother. Why...does she suddenly feel anxious all over? And a sinking feeling creeping into the pit of her stomach?]

Eh...who, um, e-exactly is your brother, Sabo-kun?

T-that sounds awesome, Perona. Damn, I wish I could've seen it!

[He looks genuinely amazed, though he's sweat-dropping a bit too. A-ahaha, no wonder Perona likes ghost stories so much if she grew up in a place like that. But... cursed forest... graveyard... zombies? It all sounds creepy, but the adventurer in him definitely wouldn't miss a chance visiting a place like that.

At the question, he brightens up.] His name's Ace. Oh hey, I bet you've heard of him. He's a famous pirate in the Grand Line!

[Of course. Of course it has to be Fire Fist Ace. If it were just the rubber idiot, Perona wouldn't be as distressed - she can deal with that one no problem - but a Whitebeard commander? Absolutely not! She's not crazy enough to even attempt to mess with either one of the two. It's bad enough knowing that Ace is Luffy's brother and if he ever found out what Perona and her crew did to him on Thriller Ba--]

[Wait.]

[If Fire Fist Ace is Strawhat's brother, and Sabo-kun is Ace's brother, then by default what would mean...]

[GOD.

DAMNIT.]

[Why does he life and luck have to be so bad? It's not fair, it's not!!]

Eeeh...I-I wouldn't want to impose on Fir--eh, Ace-san. B-Besides, I can't swim well...[Or at all.] ...and a skiff isn't very large...

Ah, no. It's not gonna be a problem at all! The skiff's wide enough for two people, I sailed it with Ace before. And my brother's a good guy. He definitely won't mind if I borrow his skiff for a while. And if you can't swim, you don't have to worry. [Grins.] I'm a pretty good swimmer!

Edited 2012-07-29 07:10 (UTC)

[Hnn...this is haaard! Perona wants to go sailing, but not on a ship owned by Fire Fist Ace! He was nice that first time they met, yes, and...okay, he was a pretty good guy, but...this is his boat they're talking about. And Sabo-kun looks so excited, and they both want to sail--! Maybe if...he doesn't find out? M-Maybe...]

Mmnnn...all right. If you think Fire Fi--ah...A-Ace-san, I mean, will really be all right with it.

Great! [Beams.] See you at the docks this afternoon then!

[And with a little wave, he shuts the journal and spends the rest of his morning working on his project with renewed energy. There's nothing like finding a friend who shares the same dream of wanting to go to the sea, after all.

Right after lunch, he sets out to the beach. And by the time Perona arrives, he's finishing up fitting the sails to Ace's skiff by the docks then stepping back to view his handiwork with a satisfied nod, before muttering quietly to himself.]

Huh. This is kinda nostalgic. [Trying to sail away being the first thing he did upon arriving here.]

[When Perona herself does arrive at the allotted time, she still seems a little uneasy. Really, it took a lot of mental preparation for her to even make it this far, and the desire to see the ocean and sail on it swayed her decision as well. She grumbles a little as she walks down the shore, to where she sees Sabo and...that must be Ace's ship.

Whining quietly at the sudden chill she feels, Perona takes a deep breath and strides over, tapping Sabo gently on the tip top of his top hat. She's here!]

[Busy as he was reminiscing his first--no, second actually--day here, he didn't hear Perona's approach. But the light tap startles him, and he turns around so quickly that his hat almost flies off his head, if he hasn't got a hand clamping down on it instinctively.

Then he looks up at his visitor and smiles.] Hey there! Ready to go sailing?

[Goodness, what a reaction! Perona jumps a little herself, her nerves up so high already. She has to remind herself that no one's going to pop out of the sand or something and beat the tar out of her several times, putting a hand over her chest and exhaling. A-Ahaa...she can't take much more of this. ;~;

With a final, somewhat uneasy look to the...really kind of smallish looking skiff, Perona nods her head.] Y-Yes...I'm ready.

[Ooops. Looks like he surprised her as well. Have a sheepish grin.] Ah, sorry 'bout that. Got a bad history with people coming up from behind me...

[And because he's an observant kid, he notices the uneasy look on her face and is quickly concerned. He has a pretty good guess what she's worrying about; Ace's skiff --no matter how tough it really is-- is kinda flimsy-looking, after all.]

...Hey, we're not in any rush, y'know. If you aren't ready yet, we can hang out here for a while. [Smiles.] And 'sides, this is the first time we've actually met. It'll be good to talk outside the journals too!

[She shakes her head to the apology, dismissing it, and gives one final look at the skiff, and then over her shoulder. Honestly, she half expects something bad to happen when she isn't looking. Thankfully, Ace and she haven't had much history at all, but if he ever did find out about Thriller Bark from that idiot, or one of his crew...it'd spell disaster. And then if Sabo found out, then what? He was nice, and actually very cute in person, and...and he offered to be her friend. Would he not like her if he knew what she did back then?

...Mm.]

No, I'm ready now. We can go.

[Stubborn and defiant as always, as Perona lifts her head up with purpose and pride. Whatever happens happens, she'll deal with it later. But she does stop to at least pat Sabo on the top of his hat.] You're very nice to take me for a ride, Sabo-kun. I'll repay you for it! I promise.

Oi, oi... We're friends, aren't we? There's no need to repay me for anything!

[With that, he climbs on board, settling on the stern and near the mast. The sails are easier to control from here, after all. Then he calls to Perona with a smile, gesturing to the seat.]

Hop on!

[Oh, Sabo, you really are a wonderful little man, and an even better friend. ♥ Perona's glad to have met you. As she steps on herself, keeping balance despite the wobbliness of the waves and the size of the skiff, her unease steadily fades away. Looking out over the water, seemingly going on into forever...it's a wonderful, almost exhilarating feeling. The smell of salty water, the touch of the air and mist on her face and through her hair, the sound of the waves... If she closes her eyes, it's almost like she's home again.]

No, I think you deserve something in return for this. [Because it's special, and she's happy to be on the water again. So Perona pulls Sabo into a tight, loving hug and gives him a kiss on the cheek.] This is all I can give right now - thank you very much, my little friend!

[Eh? Wait, a hug? Another one?! Okay, what is it with girls and their hugs today?! But really, Sabo's not one to complain. He'll never get enough of hugs after being deprived of them for so long. But-- he freezes completely at the kiss. That? That's a first for him.

So he's just... touching that spot on his cheek, looking stunned but far from unhappy. Then he's going to blink and flush deeply.] H-hey, I told you it was fine, right? Helping each other out's what friends do!

[D-Did he just blush and--oh, my gosh! ♥ Sabo, stop, you're going to injure Perona with how cute you are. She bites her lip to keep from laughing too hard and snuggles him one last time before, almost reluctantly, letting go. It's been a long time that she got to hug someone herself, and she's misses the contact. It also doesn't help that she's possibly been feeling more and more lonely as the days go by. Having someone she feels comfortable enough to hug is...a rare thing indeed. Perona's not the easiest person to get along with.]

Mmh...well, then I'm glad you're my friend. Is it all right if I stay there? [She's looking up near the top of the mast, where the sail is currently furled. She could definitely float up there, and possibly hold on tight enough so she doesn't slip off or anything.]

[Action]

sailedfirst - 2012-09-01 16:01 (UTC) - Expand

[Action]

thatsnotcute - 2012-09-05 00:51 (UTC) - Expand

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III. [Action: July 15th--19th]

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