The Surgeon of Death & The Dream Reaver | “No matter what reality or lifetime, I’d still choose you.” | A Self-Ship Centered Side Blog for my main blog @simpforroses 🌹| header by @norei02 (Tumblr)/@norei_0 (Twitter) avatar by @gojirara
🌹🩺 Welcome to Trafalgar’s Room, the Mr. & Mrs. Are In🌹 🩺
Hello and welcome to my self-shipping blog! (my main is @roseoftrafalgar, formerly @simpforroses) Here is where I post most of my self-insert OC art, stories, scenarios, blurbs, etc. with myself and Trafalgar Law. There is so much I can say about how much I love him, but at the heart of it, I like him for who he is and connect with him on a deep level, both personally and in interest/tastes. I have so much creativity and things to share about us, that I thought it would be appropriate to pour here. So thank you for dropping by if you do & feel free to interact if you wish! -M. ☺️🌹
Self-Insert Masterlist From Main (Includes Ask Games)
This is a self-ship/self-insert centric blog, so if this type of content doesn’t appeal to you, please scroll past or block tags
Themes of family, pregnancy, physical harm/blood (in action scenarios), etc. will be on occasion
This is my own interpretation of Trafalgar Law & how he would be in a romantic and family dynamic, and is not meant to be taken personally. This corner here is for my own enjoyment & everyone on this site has the right to enjoy things, just as anyone else, so long as they aren’t hurting others.
Like on my main: I will not tolerate rudeness, pettiness, plagiarism, discrimination, etc.
🌹Tags:
#michellaw #scalpelandrose #law x michelle or #law & michelle's adventures for all self-ship content
#trafalgar trinity kids, #trafalgar ross, #trafalgar lamia, #trafalgar lukas : for everything involving our children, Ross, Lamia, and Lukas.
#corrupted roses for NFSW content (minors, please do not interact with this tag)
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🌹Current WIP:
-> for personal organization, will update as time goes
• Introduction Chapter : 4 Laws Incident
• Ch.1 But Soft is the Air (That Really Is
🌹: Takes place 14-15 years ago during the Christmas season, when (8 y/o) Michelle’s adoptive father took her to get her first toy: Vladislav the Bat. The plush is an important piece of a few good childhood memories she had & she eventually passes it down to her children, often bringing it to life in the dream realm for them to play with.
[on the charming cobblestone streets of Vestaria, lined by gaslit lamps adorned with festive wreaths, an investigator and his ward are window-shopping. They notice an eclectic toy emporium and stop outside of it.]
Vincent: If you see something you like, feel free to run up to it or tug me along, ok?
Michelle (8 y/o): ….
Vincent: Is something the matter?
Michelle: ….
Vincent: (kneels down to her height and pats her head) Listen little one, I want you to know that I won’t punish you for expressing your feelings. I know that you’ve been poring over the children’s catalogue these past few months and I’ve got the beris to get you a toy. Regardless what you’ve been told, you have every right to feel emotions and enjoy as much of your childhood as you can.
Michelle: (quietly whispers)…Is it really ok for me to have something, though?
Vincent: (his heart feels like it dropped into his stomach out of pity, but his tone remains gentle and mellow) Of course. It’s only appropriate for you to have something special for Christmas. Well, traditionally, I’d surprise you as your guardian, but I thought your first gift should be something you chose—something that you can call your own.
Michelle: (ponders over the idea & the obvious thought Vincent put in before taking her on this outing) That’s very nice of you to let me decide for myself.
Vincent: Heh, that’s just basic decency, little one. If someone ever tries to make you feel like you don’t have a choice, bop them in the gut. (he mimics a right hook & tries to contain himself from gushing from seeing her stare at him intently with a comical sparkle beside her unbothered eyes) If you want to thank me, you can make me some gardenia blossom tea when we get home. But come, Vestaria has the best toymakers in the North Blue and I know you’ll find something. You always had a knack for finding things, after all.
[they enter the toy emporium. The shopkeeper greets them and explains the shop layout and their wares, before letting the two explore.]
Michelle: (after browsing, she notices something in a last chance bin sitting in the back of the shop. She lets go of Vincent’s hand and walks towards it. A little black bat plush with a light blue tummy and inner ears stares back at her good-naturedly. A bit of stuffing peeks out of it’s chest with it’s little toy heart hanging out pitifully. Plus, the thread holding one of its wings seems to be fraying, but for some reason, it’s whimsical smile despite being in its’ current state piqued her fancy. It was like it was asking for someone to give it a chance at friendship and she felt an odd desire to know what it would say to her if she brought it into her Dreamscape.)
Vincent: (notices how she carefully takes the bat out of the bin and tenderly strokes it’s head. When she comes back to him, he doesn’t question why she chose it. If it makes her happy, he was fine with that) Found what you were looking for?
Michelle: Mmhm.
[they head to the clerk station in the front]
Shopkeeper: Are you sure you want that one? It’s a little torn at the chest. We were actually thinking of sending it…(euphemizing & looks to Vincent) to the land of broken toys later today.
Michelle: (shyly) No thank you. He’s perfect. (looks at shopkeeper with a little shimmer in her round brown eyes with the bat plush already dearly held to her chest) I can learn how to stitch Vladislav up and then he can join Vincent and me for tea.
Vincent: Precisely so. Nothing like a little sewing or embroidery lesson can’t fix. If I am right…I deduce Vladislav would enjoy saguaro blossom and berry tea. (finds it cute that she already decided on a name for the bat based on a vampire book she read. He makes note to find his grandmother’s sewing kit he has somewhere in his office.)
Michelle: (giggles a bit and nods)
Vincent: Right. That smile there tells me we’re all set then! (he comically slides the shopkeeper the money, as if doing a discreetly serious spy trade-off.) Keep the change.
[the shopkeeper thanks them & found that within the payment, there was a note and advance deposit to reserve a certain rare music box from their shop under Vincent’s name. They wonder at the eccentricities of the local investigator and the child that accompanies him, but they shake their head to pry no further. It’s going to be Christmas, after all.]
Michelle: (crossing the street with Vincent, while still holding her new bat plush protectively) Do you think it’ll help if Erebus was with him during his heart and wing treatment?
Vincent: (smiles at her) I don’t see why not. I’m sure they’ll both find a lot in common being darkly winged creatures that are adored by you.
I couldn’t make anything “official” for Halloween this year, but here are the full-bodies from my “Deeper than Blood” vampire AU reference sheet I’ve been working on! 🥀🖤
Notes below the cut:
Law has 2 designs: Wallachian & Victorian (that I have yet to illustrate).
- As a nod to Kikoku, his longsword is forged out of Hungarian black steel, which was an innovation aimed to make blades stronger & better resist wear. The mace-like bottom is a nod to how Vlad Tepes’ choice weapon was a mace.
- His garbs are inspired by 15th century Wallachian noble clothing.
- Wallachian men tended to wear their hair long compared to their Hungarian or Ottoman counterparts, hence his long hair (I swear, it wasn’t my penchant for long-haired men that made me draw his hair long XD)
Michelle’s (my OC’s) vampire gown is loosely based off Victorian off-shoulder dresses (that I’ve been drawing since elementary school. It had always been a ‘dream dress,’ growing up).
- The pendant she wears bears the Order of the Dragon’s signum draconum made from Law’s own blood, that was gifted to her when she was a human child.
- She prefers wearing the tall riding boots compared to the usual walking boots both as human & vampire, because vampire-human conflicts make everyday life unpredictable.
- Her saber is a hybrid of a rapier & calvary sword.
A/N: Found some time at last to get to my Ancient Spirit/Archeology AU moodboard! 🔍 The setting for this is the geography of the OP world, but placed in the equivalent of our modern time.
🔍 Premise Below:
Robin is the lead archeologist for an excavation project concerning Ancient Hairong and discovered a hidden tomb a little ways outside the main city after months of research.
(Luffy mostly tagged along, Nami is an environmental archeologist, Franky & Usopp are field tool technicians, Zoro is weapons specialist, Sanji is the dig cook, Brook is a linguistic and acoustic specialist, etc.).
After more exploration, they found 5 chambers containing various artifacts and writings, before encountering a door that seemed to be covered in seals & talismans. Luffy being Luffy, was fiddling with a dragon statue in front of the door and removed a seal with good intentions to ask Robin about it, causing the door to the main tomb to open 😂 That’s how they found the forgotten body of Michelle, an ancient princess who was wrongfully murdered in a power struggle.
Law is a bioarcheologist & Chopper is his intern, and they were waiting to examine the new remains when Robin & Co. brought Michelle back to HQ. However, ever since they arrived in Hairong, Law had been plagued with dreams and visions of a mysterious woman and living in an ancient time, yet whenever he reached out to take her outstretched hand, she faded away.
Michelle’s spirit was not happy at being disturbed, so upon arriving at HQ, she made it known & manifested to terrorize those who woke her back into the world that caused her much agony (to Usopp’s horror), but for some reason, when her eyes fell on Law, she calmed down and disappeared, leading to everyone leaving into his hands to perform a quick examination. He opened the sarcophagus and to his surprise, found Michelle’s corpse in near-perfect condition, save for the black hollowness where her heart should be. He realized that she was the one who haunted his dreams.
When he sees her again in his dreams that night, she pleads him to help her find peace and closure to pass into the afterlife. This kickstarts a forensic archeology journey for the team, taking them across the country in search of her missing heart and some lost relics, which caused them to run into unsavory characters, like robbers, individuals who perpetuate that she was a traitor, and even the mastermind behind her downfall who was still pulling strings in the country, having consumed the fabled fruits of longevity. During the journey, Law learned through records surviving revisionist purges that he was Michelle’s cherished guard & lover in his past life (yet she didn’t tell him, bc they exist on different planes of being). They grow closer & savor intimate moments with another, before everything is settled, allowing her to pass onto the afterlife, which was bittersweet for Law, who felt much heartache.
A month later, Robin informs him that they hired a forensic specialist for their department team, seeing that they needed one after the previous fiasco. To his pleasant shock, a woman with Michelle’s exact face greeted him & he had a mind not to scoop her into his arms. However, once they were alone & she was settled in the desk across from him, she quietly says, “I’m sorry I took so long to come back to you…Law.”
A/N: The scenario takes place six months after Law asked Michelle to join the Heart Pirates (she is 18 & he is 22 and still are sailing the North Blue). He still uses the “-ya” suffix at this point, as they are still getting to know eachother. This is a comfort piece I felt like writing after some rough weeks and it was supposed to be short…but then it wasn’t 😂😭.
WC: 2.9K | Genre: Fluff, slight hurt/comfort, nerds enjoying time together, canon x oc (self-insert)
Song: Chikai (slow version) by Do as Infinity
Bepo, Shachi, and Ikkaku squinted at each other in scandalized intrigue, hearing the door to the captain quarters click Law and Michelle behind them. The investigator had only joined the Heart Pirates for about half a year, and although there was inarguably something between them, it was…out of character…for either to take the next step so quickly, regardless of whatever chemistry they shared.
“Do you think—” Shachi began, but Ikkaku cut him off with a menacing grip to his shoulder before he said anything perverted. He yelped, feeling the crushing pressure of her hands that were hardened from years of working with hardware and mechanical tools.
“We’ll know tomorrow, so let’s not make any assumptions. You remember what happened last time.”
Bepo thought to himself while twiddling his paws in between the two’s bickering, “I overheard Captain asking Nee-san if she wanted to see a collection he had during dinner. Maybe it’s that.”
“Hmm, perhaps, But why the secrecy then?” Shachi made an exaggerated face of suspicion and rubbed his chin. The others couldn’t help but ask themselves that question too and were on their way to put their ear against the door, until Erebus flew in front of them and dignifiedly perched onto the knob with a box of pellets in his mouth.
“Oh…so you’re the bribed guard?” Shachi dryly comments, to which the raven responds with an offended upturn of his beak and a flap of his wings.
Bepo tips his head to the side, as he deciphers what Michelle’s companion was communicating, “I think he’s saying to not meddle in this ‘wingman’ business…?”
“Oh-ho~” Ikkaku brings a hand to her mouth in amusement, “So that’s how it is?”
Seeing no point in meddling with a ‘bribed guard’ whose visual acuity was as sharp as his talons, the trio leaves for the den to pick up a game of shuffleboard that they left off on the last time they had a free night.
Hours elapsed with no urgent matter arising, much to the gratitude of the Heart Pirates. Law and Michelle, in particular, were content with a night with zero mishaps or pressing responsibilities as they poured through an abundance of boxes and binders containing Law’s extensive coin collection. They’ve finished examining coins characteristic of the East Blue from the time Erebus began his post and began exploring those unique to the North Blue—an area Law was especially well-read in and Michelle felt as if she could listen to him for months detailing the history of each sea through a different lens.
“This one is what you could call a Germa Empire contemporary,” he grinned, holding the token to the luminescent light of the porthole.
“How so?”
Excitement only continued to swell in Law, seeing how Michelle’s eyes radiated with curiosity to a blinding point, where it provided better light than the lamp in his cabin. “Coins used to be smooth, before people—like Buggy the Clown—began clipping the edges off to sell or make their own counterfeits. The smooth edges on this show that it was made a long time ago.” Michelle chuckles to herself at his quip and Law briefly pauses in astonishment at how his voice possessed a boyish animation the entire time he was sharing his hobby with her. He could not remember the last time anyone outside of museum curators or coin appraisers asked him about coins without teasing him, so this was something novel and even…pleasant. Feeling a little emboldened from his strategist’s anticipation for him to continue, he takes her hand and places the coin in the heart of her palm, “If you count the feathers on the eagle wings, it’s just short of 66, so we know that it was minted before the 66 days.”
The investigator inhales with a smile at being able to hold something so historical…no less something treasured by her captain, but she does not waste a beat in procuring a jeweler’s eye magnifier she kept on her.
“Fascinating…” she comments, while mentally counting the feathers, “there are 54 feathers on this one and I can even see the snail shells under its talons as a pedestal!”
“The snails ironically represent each North Blue island or country that fell under them.”
Michelle gives him an amused look, “Makes sense why they use them to carry their kingdom around, now. It reminds them of their former glory.”
Law felt the grin on his face widening, but not wanting to seem like a fool in front of Michelle, he pulled down his hat to cover the mirth in his eyes and turned away to appear as if he was stacking the other coin boxes they looked through. This did not slip Michelle’s sharp eye, but she made no comment and unconsciously noted to herself that Law looked charming when he was genuinely happy. Her chocolate eyes lit up at recalling some interesting coin facts of her own and an odd desire to see him direct a smile at her made her heart palpitate, as she searched a hidden pocket in her coat.
“Do you want to see something cool?” she asks in a hushed tone, pulling out a pale lilac pouch.
Law nods and allows her to collect her words, before leaning in.
“I think you’re the right person to appreciate this,” she fishes for the mints she had in mind and presents 6 different coins to him on the blanket: each with a different tail face, “If you put 6 of the lowest value Vestarian beris in a certain order, they’ll create the city’s first coat of arms bearing twin dragons coiling around a longsword.”
Law’s eyes widened in fascinated wonder, as his mouth became slightly agape at the knowledge. His gaze flickers up to her in a silent question and she nods with a giggle, allowing him to put together the puzzle, himself. Grey eyes study the engravings with a surgeon’s focus, as his long fingers smoothly shift the coins around, until they form the described coat of arms. And there it was…that genuine smile she hoped to see directed toward her.
“Michelle-ya…I’ve never seen anything like this before,” he muses in wonder, “even if I switch the wing faces, it only looks like they are shielding the sword instead of being fragmented.” She bit her inner cheeks to prevent herself from laughing, seeing literal sparkles of astonishment replace his eyes.
“It’s something that Vincent showed me during a civics lesson. In Vestaria, there is a proverb during its founding days, stating: ‘If one cannot protect one’s blade, one cannot protect anyone.’ I imagine the warrior kings of those days held it to a profound degree, given that they lived with their retainers in the same hall and saw their townsmen daily. If they were careless about their armory and treasury or caused people who raised them to their high estate to leave by not acknowledging their efforts, then they’re merely brandishing a sword and crown for decoration. In a sense, the saying can apply to a literal tool, close allies, or an individual’s mind and convictions. I think the coat of arms was specifically designed to depict that sentiment, where the writing could not fit, such as in currency—” the intensity of Law’s eyes boring into her while she spoke, as if he was studying a scientific journal or waiting for lab results to print, made her pause. Michelle was unsure whether she should continue or change the subject. Her heart felt a dropping sensation and she was ready to default to an oft-used apology when people seemed disengaged from conversing with her, until her captain made a subtly bewildered expression at why she stopped.
The strong notion that she was the little girl he met in his dreams about nine years ago echoed in him again, so he felt that he could guess the reason for her overt self-awareness when she spoke…but if memory serves him right, he knew that a little patience could encourage her to open up. He propped his chin on one palm and pushed the central coin towards her, like a student eager for a teacher to continue, “Tell me more.”
Her uncertainty melted into assuredness knowing that he was engrossed rather than disinterested, so she continued explicating what she knew until everything worth mentioning was exhausted.
“Having the coat of arms divided sounds intentional, given what you told me,” Law pensively comments, after reflecting on the information he received, “It’s like a reminder that multiple pieces are necessary to create something larger than themselves, just like how these coins could initially be seen as insignificant given the lower value attached to them, but together, they make an important emblem.”
Michelle nods, while finding amusement in watching him examine the central coin, before playing with it between his fingers in a manner that seemed to defy gravity, “That’s a sharp observation, Captain, though I guess that’s something to be expected from a town that prides themselves on letters and puzzles. You know…you can keep these for your collection, if you want.”
Law gives his strategist an appreciative look, but restores the Vestarian beris back into her pouch, “Maybe some other time. I think you’ll need them more than I do, especially during your solo missions.”
Although his reasoning was genuine, they only told half of his intentions. A small smile spreads across Michelle’s features, understanding that he had noticed her homesickness last week and wanted her to hold onto a piece belonging to the place she grew up, “In that case, I have one more thing to show you to make up for not being able to add to your collection.”
Grey eyes blinked in curiosity, as ethereal indigo mist emanated from her delicate fingers and coalesced into a bronze token with a hollow square center. It reminded him of currency minted in Kano Country, except the engraved script seemed idiosyncratic for each character and the outline appeared like a dragon coiling around the rim. Realization dawned on him that she was showing him one of her only keepsakes from her birth country and he was rendered momentarily speechless from this gesture of confidence.
“This is…this is from Old Hairong?” a muted warmth budded in him, as she gingerly took his hand and place the token into the heart of his palm to examine.
“Mmhm,” she nods with a distant wistfulness reflected in her eyes, “My dad gave this to me when I was little to ward off ‘bad spirits,’ because I frequently had nightmares. Of course, numismatic I’ve heard that they instituted a different currency system after the civil war and restricted depictions alluding to the south, so something like this is probably obsolete by now. I thought to show you, before we called it a night.”
Law understood the unspoken words behind her decision to share this personal token with him, but despite wanting to comfort Michelle, he did not know what to say. It felt wrong to carry on admiring the item without doing something, so he awkwardly reached over and gave her a stiff pat on the head, “Thanks for letting me see this…I can tell it means a lot to you.”
Rouge puzzlement dusts Michelle’s pale cheeks and her voice becomes slightly breathless at the unexpected contact, “Are you trying to comfort me?”
“If that’s how you want to interpret it,” Law’s eyebrows knit together to mask his subtle flusteredness seeing that she caught on, “Some strands of your hair were sticking out.”
The investigator smiled incredulously, but…it wasn’t unpleasant. On the contrary, it reminded her of their first interaction in the dream world as children, “I appreciate the gesture for either reason, Captain.”
Law sighs in defeat and gives Michelle a wry grin, before turning his attention back to the coin, “You said that this was given as a good luck charm, right?”
She makes a sound of affirmation.
His fingers trace the foreign script on the head face and examine the token with a discerning eye, “I recall reading that certain countries like Wano, Kano, and Hairong make numismatic talismans for ceremonial or superstitious purposes, but the weight notation on the back suggests that this was most likely official currency?”
“I am surprised you are familiar with numismatic talismans, but you are right,” the investigator’s impressed tone at her captain’s attention to detail causes him to smugly smirk, “We mostly carried real currency with us when we escaped, so it was the best substitute.”
“I see. This is still amazing craftsmanship, though” he regards her with a warm look, “Can you tell me about the script on this?”
“Of course!”
For any questions, comments, or observations Law had, Michelle was more than willing to impart any significant background information she knew and in turn, he would share his knowledge about specific features on certain coins and classification systems. Captain and strategist were consumed in their curiosities and it seemed the moment would stretch on forever, until they heard pecking at the door.
“Oh…it must be late if Erebus is getting restless,” the investigator sighs in slight disappointment. They were just in the middle of examining a token from the Bourgeois Kingdom.
Law could not help feeling the same acute disappointment; however, there was comfort knowing that they saw each other most days and could pick up where they left off when they were up for it. The two put away the surgeon’s coin boxes and binders and soon found themselves standing face-to-face in mutual silence.
Michelle was the first to break the tension, “I should get going. Ikkaku probably has a lot of questions for me, seeing that I’m pulling a late night somewhere else besides the study.”
Law puts his hands in the pocket of his jeans and nods. “I think we’ll both have a lot of questions—and overdramatized assumptions—to address tomorrow.”
This causes her to laugh, “I guess that means we’ll need some rest to prepare for that…see you tomorrow, Captain.”
Law was about to return the sentiment, but an unexplainable impulse to extend the time they shared in each other’s company held him back.
“Michelle-ya.”
Brown eyes met with grey again and she loosened her fingers from the door knob. The words momentarily lost themselves on his tongue, before he found his voice again, “Would you mind if I walked you back to your cabin?”
An odd beat thumped in her chest at his sudden request, but a trace of gladness colored her tranquil tone, “No, not at all.”
Erebus seemed to have gone ahead and returned to Michelle’s room first, given that they were greeted with a half-empty box of bird pellets, making the duo chuckle in amusement. However, neither minded being alone a little longer, as the unabrasive darkness offered them an excuse to walk together a little more closely than professionalism dictated. A tranquil silence passed between them, save for the hum of the submarine engine, yet it felt like the walk to Michelle’s cabin was closer than usual.
“You know…if you ever need one of my coins to complete a collection, we might be able to strike a reasonable bargain,” she half-jests.
Law smirks, picking up on the subtle playfulness in her tone, “I don’t know. You tend to be a stubborn negotiator. Maybe I’ll just switch out your coin with a rock to save us the time.”
“As much as I’d appreciate you adding something to my rock collection, you should set a better example for your subordinate, Captain.”
“Yet here you are, still willing to be a part of my crew…on the other hand, I wouldn’t mind seeing your rocks, when you have time,” he returns, before his smirk fades into genuine regard. Somehow, the undersea currents illuminating the walls made it feel as if they were walking on the peripheral edge of an obscure memory, where nothing else existed except for themselves.
Michelle bows her head goodnaturedly as her answer and opens the door to retire for the night. Her legs came to a still at the threshold and she turned back to Law, who remained rooted at a respectable distance from the door, until he could fully see her off.
“Good night, Captain.”
She approached him again and his eyebrows raised in curiosity, feeling the cool metal of something she put in his hands, “Hope you sleep well.”
A small smile crossed his lips, “Same here, Michelle-ya. Good night.”
With a last glance, she closed the door behind her and Law opened his palm to find her Hairongese coin. His eyes momentarily dilated in surprise, just as she slumped against the other side of the door while holding her face in bashfulness in wonder at what he thought about the gesture.
The surgeon was in speechless disbelief that Michelle would give one of her treasured keepsakes to him and nearly went to her door to return it, until her bid for him to sleep well recurred in his mind: This was for his nightmares.
Giving one last look at her cabin, he murmurs, “You always surprise me,” and heads back to his room in a serene mood. He places the coin by his nightstand and settles under the blankets, reflecting on the events of the evening.
I never expected you to enjoy spending time with me this way nor give something like this, but...it felt nice. I don’t know how to make up for everything you’ve done, Michelle-ya, so you don’t need to give me any more coins. I'll be your personal wishing well from now on… whatever you need, I’ll provide for you.
Law hiding under a pile of bodies to sneak over the border
Michelle and some South Hairong civilians fleeing on refugee boats during the civil war
Protecting Erebus from being killed/symbol for how she was often blamed for things she didn’t do + isolated for who she was
Witnessing the death of her parents at the hands of slave poachers
I’ve been thinking of the last few paragraphs of their first official “meeting” that reads:
And thought that Law and my s/i OC could have encountered each other in the Dreamscape as children, as she would unintentionally jump into someone’s dream by accident, having not fully mastered her devil fruit, until she was 14.
🥀 The first of Law’s dreams she enters was a reoccurring nightmare of Corazon’s death. Alarmed and heartbroken at the older boy’s devastation, she tries to console Law by attempting a new technique, where she could extract the dreams of the dead. She shows him Corazon’s last dream of wanting Law to live, a dream where they travel the world and eventually regroup with Sengoku (who initially berates Rosinante from straying from the initial mission, but warms up to Law), and others, where Rosinante imagines Law being completely healed of Amber Lead poisoning and is genuinely happy. Although it consoles him a little, it unintentionally fuels his desire for revenge against Doflamingo. Yet after that night, Law no longer dreaded sleeping, knowing that there was someone willing to unconditionally help him, whereas in the past, he attempted to keep himself awake with his medical studies to avoid facing painful nightmares.
🥀They meet in the Dreamscape on a few more occasions, including one where Law crosses into Michelle’s dream and is immersed in a gloomy rainy day. He sees her sitting beside a tree in contemplation, as if listening to something the ocean before them whispers. He initially stands a meter away, unsure how to approach her in the lonely scene, but when he sees her send some rose petals to the sky to convey an unspoken wish, he suddenly feels an urge to sit next to her and does so, to her surprise. She does not know what to say, as she seldom spoke as a child, but she picks up a clover in the grass and offers it to him as a form of welcome. Eventually, the rain begins to pick up and Michelle runs from the tree to dance in it. Law unintentionally ends up dancing with her when he also steps out to make sure she doesn’t slip. They share bits of conversation and he shows her his abilities, which surprises them both, because neither knew he could use the Ope-Ope no Mi to affect the dream world. She grows to trust him enough to confide that she wished to meet someone who could understand her on the rose petals and Law quietly asks if she’d like him to be her friend. Although neither could recall the other’s name when they woke up, Michelle kept that dream close to her heart.
🥀 However, the limitations of her powers at the time caused them to be unable to meet completely after the 36th meeting, especially with the plethora of dream fragments she was beginning to gather. Whenever they’d see each other in dreams afterwards, they’d appear as the age they first met or their faces would be a blur…and they were unable to discern if the other were themselves or a figment of their imagination.
🥀 Yet once they ‘officially’ meet when they are older, Michelle had already mastered the Yume-Yume no Mi, so they are able to meet in dreams at any time. However, she makes sure to have Law’s consent to enter his dreams before she does so, out of respect.
Tagging: @jazminetoad for the angst-fluff content 👀
Hello 👋 It’s been awhile, but I had a spur of motivation to draw & thought to make a visual depiction of my One Piece s/i OC’s home of origin. Feel free to use the blank template w/credit or link back if you post it as your own post. (Michelle’s info below the cut)
Info:
- Flora: Tree-blooming yellow apricot blossoms that are abundant during New Year’s, lotus (national flower), and highland roses
- The clothing my s/i wears is inspired by ‘ao vien linh’ worn during Vietnam’s mid-late 18th century and early 19th century.
- Hairong sits atop a waterfall (etymology ‘Hai’ = sea and ‘rong’ = dragon) & possesses both tropical and temperate climates depending on the region. It is situated to the southeast of Kano Kuni in the West Blue.
- My s/i lived in Hairong as a turner’s daughter (made essential parts for furniture, weapons, tools, etc.), until a civil war masterminded by the WG broke out. She was only 6 yrs old, when her family escaped on refugee boats and found themselves in the North Blue. Her eventual foster father, a detective named Vincent H. Dupin, who lives in the town of Vestaria in the North Blue, is a quarter Hairongese from his maternal line.
- When she returned (still playing around with where that fits in), there was a difference between geographical sections defined as “New Hairong” and “Old Hairong,” despite the country being ‘united.’
(I’ll attach the dragon myth explanation as a picture, so the text doesn’t get too long 😂)
My MerMay contribution based on the “Embrace the Waves” AU in the tone of the childhood storybook pages 1 | 2 💙🌹
🌊Law is a black marlin merman & Michelle is a flying fish mermaid
🌊Their heart pendants are made of eachother’s scales & Kikoku alludes as Law’s black marlin ‘nose.’ He used to dream of being a “Hero of the Seas” from his childhood books, until unexpected tragedy struck.
🌊Michelle became a flying fish, as she used to watch them glide on the ocean surface on moonlit nights & yearned for their freedom as a human. She never forgot her underwater adventures with Law when they were kids
Thank you so much @norei01 for making this super adorable & blessed surprise gift for my birthday!!! 🥺❤️🌹🏮l am so grateful to have gotten to know you & become friends! (also please check out her art, it’s gorgeously sumptuous down to the details)
Premise: How many Laws are too many? While studying an enigmatic artifact recovered from one of their missions, the Polar Tang finds itself in cross currents of White Stroms, leading to the device being activated and transporting Laws from different timelines to the present. Sure, they are still Law, but what does this entail? (Will be multi-chap)
WC: 3.5K | Warnings: Canon x s/i OC, character distress, slight suggestiveness & spoilers for OP Chapter 1081
Intro Chapter
All was ordinary on the Polar Tang. Jean-Bart was reviewing Bepo’s revised maps and Isla’s sea condition predictions for the next 100 leagues to anticipate his navigation route, Hakugan was co-piloting, Shachi and Penguin were watching the radar for any abnormalities, Ikkaku was checking the pressure meters, Clione and Uni were maintaining the fire controls in the boiler room…yes, all was as it should be on the submarine. At least for now.
“What do you make of it?” Law asks Michelle, pondering the odd half-hourglass contraption they uncovered during the close of one of her investigation cases last night, concerning a prominent slave auction ring using a hospital as a mask. When upturning the place, a false bottom display case revealed the curious thing. Perhaps it was utilized as an ornate centerpiece or timer for deplorable events or a means to perversely manipulate aging or time.
Michelle taps her pen against a small pile of mythical stories and artifact identifying tomes in focused rapidity. “It could be a fragment of Kronos? I’ve heard the original artifact shattered and scattered itself across the world during the Great War, because the turmoil of that period was too great for it to absorb into its core all at once,” she hypothesizes, observing the sand-like amber folding and oscillating amongst itself in a seismic fashion, as if it was depicting a tumultuous moment in time, “I’ll ask Robin about it for more cross-referencing when I get the chance.”
The surgeon leaned back in his seat and nodded, “We know Pluton, Uranus, and Poseidon exist, so it’s not that far-fetched. What concerns me is that we don’t have a lot of information on what abilities it has as a weapon and what to do with it after.”
“Well, one answer is that it absolutely does not belong in a museum, with the kinds of pirates and government we have out there,” Michelle remarks. Law could almost hear the snickering glint in her eyes as the words left her mouth and felt one simmering in his chest. After another half-hour, the pair exhausted the resources they could find for the day and decided to call it a day and join the rest of the crew in the mess hall.
However, before plates could be removed from the cabinets, the submarine sharply turned on its starboard side, catching everyone off-guard and began aggressively weaving and barreling with the alarms being activated simultaneously.
“What’s going on, Hakugan?” Law falls behind the helmsman to evaluate the immediate situation with a sense of urgency and command.
“A White Strom just appeared from the sea floor!” the masked man grunts with an aggressive turn of the steering wheel on Bepo’s call that another one was forming below them.
“It looks like they’re almost joining together, like cross-seas,” Michelle comments, causing Isla to gasp.
“We need to get out of here now!” the polar bear mink exclaims, “If they start overlapping and crossing into each other, the conflicting waters from multiple directions will batter the ship, until we run out of power and drag us inside the strom!”
“Captain, do you think you can teleport us out of here?!” Shachi calls from the staircase to the lower decks, as Penguin and the others scurry to survey the submarine seals, distillation apparatuses, and electrolysis equipment. On cue, Jean-Bart hands Law a map appropriate to their approximated location, as Michelle syncs her vision with Erebus, who swiftly alternates between 3 portholes to scan the waters for the next few leagues.
“C4, E3, and F5 are safe,” the investigator declares.
“F5 has fewer trenches and is the second furthest from our projected route, Captain!” Bepo supplements, to which he was received with a nod.
“ROOM. Shambles.”
In less than a millisecond, a familiar blue orb expanded around them and enveloped the submarine, just in time before another White Strom cycloned underneath. A spectacle of brewing bubbles suddenly replaced violent cross-currents, signaling a move to safety, as the crew cheered and high-fived each other for another job well-done. The spirit of camaraderie grew infectious to where someone proposed they surface the Polar Tang for the time being and have dinner together on the top deck.
Curiously, the odd half-hourglass artifact found its way into the hall and caught Law’s attention when it hit his foot, as he was returning to the cafeteria. “It shouldn’t have rolled all the way here, even with the recent chaos,” he mentally notes. Upon picking up the hourglass, however, something triggered when his hands wrapped around the brass spires, causing the oscillating sand to freeze in place and foreign inscriptions to materialize. The surgeon let out a great yell, as the device flashed and ropes of emotions he experienced over his lifetime began to fill him all at once, that felt as if they were attempting to constrict his chest until it burst. He immediately threw the object away from his person, but the effects did not subside, with its gold light becoming increasingly blinding. Law’s grip on Kikoku was faltering and felt himself close to falling, if it weren’t for Michelle catching him. The rest of the crew soon followed after her.
“Are you ok enough to walk?!” she asks in panicked exertion, throwing Law’s arm around her shoulder, but he never got to answer, because something more perplexing occurred.When the golden light coalesced back into the half-hourglass shape, 3 familiar tall figures possessing the same character of steel eyes now stood before them, transforming panic into confusion.
“Hello? Wolf?” a youthful Law calls into his disconnected Den-Den Mushi, before sighing in frustration. He paused, realizing he was strangely relocated from the upper deck, and locked eyes with Michelle’s perplexed one, “Who are you and how did you get on my ship?”
“I should be asking you that,” she answers in quiet befuddlement at her lover in his teenage years. Yet, her mind was not in a state to start solving the reason behind the anomaly before her, being more worried about the current Law, who seemed to have made a miraculous recovery to both his and her bewilderment. “How?” she mouthed to him, to which he responded by standing to his full height, with his eyebrows furrowing in an expression of “I’m not sure.”
“Where are Ross, Lamia, and Lukas? I want to ask them about--” a middle-aged Law, with black locks cascading over his shoulder, lifts his gaze from what appeared to be a summary report. His mouth opens and closes, unsure of what to make of the scenario, before slowly asking, “Why does everyone look 20 years younger?”
“What I’m wondering is why there is an older version of me mentioning names I’ve never heard of,” another voice quips, belonging to a Law who seemed like he was pulled from 2 years ago. Quizzical rouge slightly dusts his ears, noting how tightly his 26-year old self was holding Michelle’s waist and pressing her body to his.
This didn’t escape Shachi, who elbows Penguin to bring attention to 24-year old Law’s expression, “Looks like we get to see him experience the crushing stage all over again.”
A grin spreads over the latter’s face in half-conspiracy, “Maybe we can give him some advice to speed things up a bit, for the sake of everyone’s two-years ago selves.” They felt an icy aura boring through their skulls from their present captain, who overheard the aside, but he didn’t have time to reprimand them, being more fixed on what time-space continuum violations entailed with transporting different versions of himself in one place.
Speechless would be insufficient to describe the level of disbelief the rest of the crew found themselves in. It was like an album tracking Law’s growth over the years suddenly manifested itself, but there was not much they could do and neither the present Law or Michelle could figure out how to fix the situation. After the investigator encased the artifact in a dream orb and sent it into her Dreamscape to prevent more unanticipated events from happening, the day was already coming to a close. Dinner was uncharacteristically quiet on the top deck, with the members looking from one Law to the other. Bepo was most effective at putting all Laws at ease, being one of his oldest friends. Any topic that the polar bear brought up, from new fish or geographical patterns they encountered in the New World to questions about the time they were pulled from were always met with a response. Shachi and Penguin made conversation with 18-year old Law regarding the adventures he’ve yet to embark on and pointers on how to make the future road smoother, which helped settle his wariness around crewmates he’d yet to recruit at his age.
When the atmosphere reached an awkward standstill, Ikkaku proposed they play music or a game of shuffleboard to lighten the tenseness, resulting in the Heart Pirates participating in an impromptu sporting tournament lasting into late hours. Feeling they should get some rest, Law and Michelle excused themselves after two rounds to prepare for tomorrow.
The Surgeon of Death felt a sensation of genuine relaxation wash over him, once he was alone with his lover, and they immediately began undressing each other to share a much-needed bath. Michelle opted to bathe him tonight, with concern for his well-being still lingering in the back of her mind, and he answered the few questions she had about what occurred with the hourglass, until she felt confident in his reassurances that he was alright. Law left first and thought to spend time waiting for Michelle with a book regarding instances of alleged time anomalies, until he was distracted by her early exit from the bathroom. She walked to the wardrobe in her usual militant way and let her body towel drop, causing Law’s eyes to darken with a beckoning temptation, but the investigator only looked over her shoulder and shook her head at him, pulling out the summer shirt he wore on Zou to don as as her pajama for the night.
Law’s lips curl in approval once she joins him in bed, as he wraps his long arms around her waist to aid her in straddling his hips, “You developed interesting nightwear tastes, Mi Xao.”
“Blame it on the provider of my interesting nightwear, mein Schatz. This ‘nightwear’ feels and smells too comfortable not to wear,” the investigator coyly leans in, laying chaste pecks on the Surgeon of Death’s neck, with playful inhales of his scent each time to prove her point, while massaging his stiff shoulders to draw a litany of relaxed sighs from him. Deciding she pampered him enough, he cups the side of her face and brings her in for a gentle kiss, until a brilliant follow-up to their word-play crosses his mind.
Chuckling to himself, he slides a hand under the fabric and gingerly caresses the skin of her back, making her melt against him, “Maybe the curator of your wardrobe has an airier nightwear design you’d like to try. What do you think, my rose?” But before Michelle could respond, an all too familiar wind rushed the bedroom and in less than a second, 46-year old Law materialized at the foot of their bed.
“Dammit,” Law cursed.
A dark shadow overcast the couple’s eyes, accompanied by a vein that popped on the left side of Law’s cheek in ire at his older self “Shambles”-ing into their room unannounced and interrupting his private time with Michelle. The stabbing aura from the couple’s unamused glare seemed to only be deflected by the older Law, unfortunately. “This is technically my room, so it’s not trespassing,” he justifies.
“...You could have knocked,” Michelle remarks with a bite, defensive that another man--albeit an older version of Law--caught her in an immodest state. As if on an inconvenient cue, the other two Laws pop in.
“Why?” Law (26) grits his teeth in exasperation. Although he knew he possessed a habit of teleporting himself into his quarters whenever he was exhausted, his other selves just had to choose an inopportune time.
“Where are we supposed to sleep aside from our room?” 24-year old Law dryly asks, though anyone else could sense the sarcasm underlining his relaxed posture.
Michelle’s eyes turned down in thought, “We have space in the observation deck or library where you all can rest. Even if none of you want to sleep right now, it’s quiet enough to work or read there.”
“Hm. I think I’ll take the observation deck. I need to sort out my thoughts about what happened first,” the older Law rubs the side of his temples—an understandable choice, as watching the deep usually helps Law (26) gain some perspective when he finds himself juggling many concerns or lost in thought.
“Wasn’t it only an observation room? It’s a deck now?” 24-year old Law asks in muted surprise.
“We rebuilt the Tang and added some extra features after Blackbeard destroyed the original at Winner Island,” 26-yr old Law answered as a clue to his younger selves and flicked his gaze to Michelle to provide the details.
“After helping an old shipwright expose his rival for framing him with money laundering and ‘site quality violations,’ he kept insisting that he pay us back for saving his business, so I suggested he expand the room and add floor to ceiling windows so it could be a place for the crew to come together and unwind that’s not far from the control room or launch bay. The windows are made with glass that can withstand Sea King and torpedoes attacks. You can also close them by pressing a button that deploys a metal curtain crafted from the same material as the hull, so it seamlessly blends,” Michelle adds with subtle excitement, being one to exemplify details. Yet, a brighter shine reflected in the youngest Law’s eyes absorbing in the upgrade details to his submarine. However, his face remained neutral, not sure what to make of this woman who would become his lover in the next 5-8 years.
“That’s…pretty ingenious,” 18-year old Law comments, with a barely noticeable upturn of his lips, “Was the old man happy with the adjustments when you told him?”
Law (26) makes an amused sound through his nose, remembering the Den-Den Mushi call, “He scolded me for modifying his design without informing ‘the inventor,’ but he was really indulging in our old style of conversation when I--we--were boys. Wolf was more happy than offended at the addition and said he was glad that Bepo, Shachi, Penguin, and I were doing ok since we left Swallow Island.”
The group shared a laugh, feeling the initial awkwardness stemming from having multiple Laws around in the same bedroom ebb away to where it felt as if they were having a casual sleepover.
“He never changes. When we returned to the North Blue, he was still wearing the same Hawaiian shirt, as always,” the older Law chuckles, pondering a bit before sharing an interesting piece of information with Michelle and his younger selves, “As a future note, remember to inform him about when you are making the nursery, or he’ll be irritated that he couldn’t invent a custom baby mobile on time.”
“N-nursery?” Michelle lightly exclaims. The other Laws were rendered speechless, having believed that they were not the type to be afforded the privilege to have a family, given the recurring pattern of tragedies in their lives. However, for the present Law, he was speechless for a different reason, having rediscovered various forms of hope since then.
“Baby…?” Law (26) whispers to himself, instinctively looking down to Michelle, who mirrored his astonished expression. Potential names had been discussed during aftercare a month before, but hearing confirmation that they would have a family of their own stirred a feeling of curiosity and relief. A baby…
“That’s all I’ll say for now. You can figure it out once you get there. Just remember to tell the old man,” the eldest Law chuckles, with a yawn.
That was Michelle’s cue.
“I think it’s about time to get you all set up for the night. We can continue the baby talks and maybe call Wolf tomorrow to see how he’s doing,” she gives a subtle nod to the youngest Law, knowing he was attempting to call the old inventor before being transported into this timeline, “But before you all go, come here.”
Law (26) reluctantly lets go of Michelle, so she could crawl to the edge of the bed and beckon the others towards her. Befuddlement and subtle shyness riddled the youngest’s visage, but 46-year old Law and 24-year old Law immediately understood her intentions.
From a crystal fragment that melted into iridescent mists of indigo and silver fog bleeding from Michelle’s hand, came a blue rose petal that she pressed into Law’s forehead on countless night to help quell his nightmares. 18-year old Law looked in wonder, before bending down to her height, when she gingerly held out her hand for him to rest his cheek on. All at once, a cool feeling of serenity washed over him congruent to a crisp breeze in an autumn forest, and his body felt free of its exhaustion from the past years. One by one, she did the same for each Law, with each desiring her hands to linger a just second more on their skin.
“Rest well,” she wishes to them, when they turn to leave.
This causes 24-year old Law to grin to himself, seeing that this part of her hadn’t changed, “Heh, will try.” An arched eyebrow was shot at him, communicating a silent demand that he and the others don’t stay up all night, but she knew he was teasing her. He was never irresponsible in the first place and this was how they privately interacted when they began getting comfortable with each other, after all.
A sudden peculiar sensation of longing began to echo inside Michelle to the point where the direction of the feeling was vividly tangible, pulling her inside a memory that she felt was hers, but never experienced. Following the line of the sensation, she met the watch of the older Law regarding her with unflinching saudade eyes, as he stepped out of the way to allow the younger ones to leave first. His lips pursed, as if desiring to say something, yet he refrained. On the other hand, sentimentalism and nostalgia were stirred watching the two younger Laws exit the captain’s quarters, despite not having met him until she was 17. Speaking of Law—her Law—noting hues of a puzzled far-away expression overtaking her face, discreetly embraced her from behind as a grounding gesture. The brush of his fingertips alone sent an alarming warmth through her, emulating the intensity of reuniting with a lover after many years, and she could not help but cling to his arms, as if her heartbeat would abandon her if he let go. This did not escape Law, who was ready to teleport them to the medic bay if she displayed any further discomfort.
“Is this another effect of the fragment of Kronos? The crew didn’t seem to have a reaction aside from shock…Wait. I’m not having any weird subconscious thoughts of having multiple of him around, am I???” Michelle scrunches her nose in mortification, waving off the absurd idea materializing in a comical thought bubble, “I’ll ask the guys if they felt anything off. They’ve known him since childhood.”
A familiar touch brings her back to the present, with Law pressing his forehead to her own. He sighed, relieved that her temperature was normal and brought a hand to gingerly cup her cheek. “You looked pale…paler than usual,” Law whispers in concern, “have you been feeling pinching in your chest again?”
“No,” she smiles, “Thankfully no. I think I’m trying to digest everything that happened today.” Michelle’s hands found their way to Law’s shoulders in a gesture of reassurance and gently guided him down onto their bed beside her.
They found themselves falling into a relaxed tempo with the detective threading her fingers through the surgeon’s raven locks, while he absentmindedly experimented the different ways they could entwine their fingers with her free hand. Yet, curiosity still nagged at the back of Michelle’s mind.
“Law?”
“Hm?”
“Have you been experiencing any weird sensations since the other versions of you got here? Aside from the surge of past memories and emotions, of course,” she breathily whispers, as her hands fondly trace his chest tattoo.
Gray eyes blinked from their content glaze and focused themselves on the brown ones before them. “I guess I’ve been experiencing some wariness…” he began, “and an unexplainable draw to reflect on the past and a future that I’ve yet to see. You?”
“I feel like I’m being sucked into memories that aren’t mine…especially when the other yous left earlier,” she answers.
Law pauses and multiple hypotheses immediately began running amok in his head regarding the artifact and the cause of Michelle’s earlier reaction. “The sooner we figure out the Fragment of Kronos and restore my other selves to their timelines, the better,” he sighs, finding his eyes wavering from exhaustion. He pulls Michelle close and rests his chin on the crown of her head, as his latent possessiveness begins to ebb to the surface, “Plus, I don’t like the idea of sharing you with my other selves, given they are me…and a part of me had always looked for you, even when I didn’t know what I wanted. But if anyone is to get through to the others, it’d be you,” he murmurs.
Affection only welled in Michelle, understanding that he meant to communicate how any version of himself will and would be inevitably drawn to her, seek to be involved with her, and cherish her above all else, to where she’d want for nothing—including the current him, if he was bested. But to the investigator, the Law in front of her mattered above all others, because he was hers. “Don’t worry, you are my Law and your arms are the only ones I want around me,” Michelle emphasizes by tightening their embrace, dissipating any what-ifs plaguing his mind.
Now, they were still uncertain about how to approach tomorrow—especially Michelle—given that some awkwardness in interacting with different versions of her lover was inevitable, but she decided that things will work themselves out, as they are still him, nonetheless.
-
A/N: Chapter focus will follow 18 yr old Law -> 24 yr old Law -> 46 yr old Law -> present Law & Michelle getting close to finding a solution -> Unexpected Lawrem (sin: holy tea needed) -> TBD
Songs to set the tone: Pomogi Mne/Help Me (Gorod 312) | Gravity (Zlata Ognevich)
A/N: I’m very, very, very overdue posting this AU having conceptualized this last year, but I am happy to officially add this now to the AU collection 😂 This 1 holds a special place, being a means to write an allegory of trusting in one’s instincts, exploring human connection to nature, & as always, evaluating how justice can be realized for the disserved. Part of a collab with @/starrybrujita & @fireflykaizoku 💙
Summary Concept (1st POV):
I come from a solitudinous town situated between two mountains, defined by its ambition to conquer the natural elements. Tales of “Ghost of the Mountains” taking the form of snow leopards & deadly beastmen were often told around fires in a string of cautionary anecdotes. Yet, to me, the snow leopards’ sentence to a barren landscape in attempts to atone for something they never committed in their current life sounded lonely.
The tales, along with my fascination for herbal medicine, only bolstered my frequent visits to town edge and even outside its walls and even though sightings of snow leopards were extremely rare, from the stories, I grew to respect their reclusive tenacity and a curiosity grew in me regarding those who were half-beast and half-man, due to carrying intense feelings to their graves in their past lives. I felt most free while scouting for plants, such as feverfew, milk vetch, or any that were suitable for patient needs, and in moments where it was only me against the backdrop of forests and mountains, I felt most comforted. Since I was typically alone, I’d sing out into the unknown and draw some pictures in the snow at my leisure; yet I was unaware that I had a watcher the entire time. As someone who was drawn to knowledge, I was an outspoken advocate for having the money we recently acquired from integrating other towns to go towards open & unprejudiced education and healthcare, instead of the coffers—but of course—I was met with heavy opposition for those who wanted pocket money.
Eventually, it was time for a coming-of-age ceremony for a councilman’s son, where he would hunt a beast with a ceremonial bow on horseback, while every eligible youth in town were required to attend. However, it was a harsh winter, so Law happened to be prowling closer to the town than usual for food & despite calculating when he would sweep up leftovers from camp, he was spotted and the chase began. Horrified, I grabbed a horse from nearby the medic tent to race along & cut off the hunting party, emphasizing that killing a snow leopard would mean the sins they embody would transfer to their killer and thus bring ruin to the town*, but no one listened & Law was severely wounded, before an emergency pulled everyone back to town. I secretly stayed behind & found a cave where I could tend to him, with some gauze, antiseptic, witch hazel, and tundra roses to stop the bleeding. To ease his pain, I sang to him & told him stories to lull him to sleep. I remained with him for 3 days, before leaving a hefty bag of food I collected to sustain him until he fully recovered.
Life seemed to be normal when I returned, save for new encounters with mystery paw prints in the snow where I often frequented and herbs that only grew deep in the mountains. However, 2 years later, I was brought in for questioning for poisoning an elder. My brief absence during the ‘emergency,’ involving the poisoning of that very councilman’s wife in the middle of the hunt, followed by an aptitude for apothecarium and poisons, made the perfect opportunity for a few political enemies to try to frame me. I was tried, declared guilty on trumped up evidence, & sentenced to ritual execution. They blinded me with fire & left me in the tundra, for the gods to exact their wrath—or rather— to rot or be eaten, but, before the elements or other beasts could claim me, Law detected a sharp scent of distress through the flurry of snow and rescued me…taking me deep into the mountains, so no one could disturb us.
Initially, I felt frustratingly helpless and useless, having relied on my eyes for most of my life, but Law patiently nursed me & guided me through surviving the wild, through helping me tune into my other senses. He became my eyes, taking me by my uncertain hands and describing all before me in vivid detail, to where my imagination desired nothing more. Surprisingly, he also had a log of medicinal plants and methods, so after he found me a walking cane, we frequented outside his den to look for whatever either of us fancied. All he asked in return was that I continued to tell him stories and any histories I knew. At times, it felt like we were the only 2 beings in the world, especially on blizzard nights when the fire could not keep, and we clung to the other for warmth.
Later, before the spring equinox, I learn that Law had lived without a family, since he was a cub and suffered instances of bestial berserk in a path to atone for his past life’s sins, which he was still trying to decipher. Feeling my heart ache for him in knowing the deep isolation he felt and that he was another being who felt wrongfully repenting for something out of their control, I offer to be his pillar and friend in his quest, to the best of my abilities. In our time together, I help Law to absolve himself of any sins he carries from his past-life and he helps me learn to trust my instincts on a nuanced level. Hand-in-hand, and careful touch-by-touch, the world opened anew to us & our companionship transformed into love. He eventually found a way to restore my sight & I free him of his burdens. As for the town, let’s say that it wasn’t Law & I who faced the wrath of wintry gods, but they for exacting fabricated justice and attempting to make nature bow to them. (It’s another long story when we cross paths with them again).
(And of course, we end up having cubs of our own with a tranquil life amidst the wondrous mountains.)
————
*in Nepalese legend, killing a snow leopard transfers the ‘sins’ they carry onto their murderer. Even now, poaching snow leopards is illegal, especially in Central Asia
“My heart is in your hands to hold through all bounds of reality and dream, For even the ancient seas cannot begin to fathom the intense depths of emotion I hold for you in these hands & in this heart.”
So glad I managed to finish this in time for Valentine’s Day 😮💨I wanted to illustrate something expressing the cherish, surrender, and trust, character to Law & my s/i OC’s dynamic. The concept was to depict their dual powers almost ‘entwined,’ with Law using Mes for them to exchange hearts & Michelle using Cantus Maerus to wrap them both in a non-lethal version of her dream briars, while sitting in innocent skin-to-skin, emphasizing a feeling of raw togetherness. Setting the background in the Polar Tang’s Captain’s quarters was meant to establish a sense of private intimacy, while the ocean outside the porthole symbolizes the vast seas of experiences that made them who they are + those that they have yet to encounter, along with representing an entity that brought them together 💙🌹🩺
One Piece AU set in a chess-inspired world ft. Trafalgar Law (the White King) x my s/i OC Michelle (the Black Queen)
Tagging: @jazminetoad @undercoverweeeb
Song Inspos: 1 | 2 & the War of Roses rabbit hole I found myself revisiting. Footnotes at the bottom
♟Overview
The 106th game cycle begins in the world of Siltranche* where an enigmatic Game Master selects new roleholders to resume a storytelling ritual in an enduring game of kings. However, bored by repetitive turn-of-events in previous cycles, the Game Master decided to stage an experimental game, omitting a few traditional roles, randomizing the flow of seasons, and masterminding new secrets to be hidden in-world: so it came to be that there will be no White Queen** and White Knight nor a Black King and Black Rook*** in Siltranche’s 106th cycle. For domain leads, the essences stored in a glass blue rose and a beating glass embroidered heart were chosen to head the ever-warring houses of Black versus White.
And now, curtains rise, as the Game Master resumes their role of a distant watcher.
A sea of mist divides the Enigmatic Black Domain from Sophisticated White, stretching endlessly in all directions. Roleholders and citizens alike fear and wonder what lies beneath and across the mist when it does not naturally divide itself on whims to reveal random spectacles or marbled landbridges, but successful exploration has yet to be recorded. As long as anyone in the 106th cycle could recall, The White King, Trafalgar Law, and Black Queen, To Michelle had always been at odds since they were fledgling roleholders, yet ‘hostile’ would incorrectly characterize their rivalry. Their campaigns were rather cautious and, daresay, considerate in their first few Matches. However, once they began understanding their rival and ways to hone the game into their own, their tactics took on an intensity and aggression that continuously rocked their respective domains with wondrous territorial additions in victory and a bemoaned fortnight tempest with loss except the both rulers didn’t mind storms. One could say the opposing domain leaders were having genuine fun whenever they met each other on occasions when the mist divides to reveal the Chessboard battlegrounds. But that was to be expected, as their glass figures were always stored next to each other in the Game Master’s menagerie, so their souls had been connected by a great affinity for the other.
♟Stalemate Soirée
Rules demand that all roleholders must annually attend a Stalemate Soirée leading up to the Grand Match, once both the King & Queen come of age. The Soirée is an opulent neutral zone that emerges from the mist exclusively for the occasion, where both factions intermingle in hopes of procuring hints towards an advantage or to bask in jovial carefree before being thrust into intrigue again.
Despite the revelry, the White King and Black Queen’s eyes fell into a habit of beholding the other, from a flickering glance to a silent challenge. The opening ceremony traditionally requires Queens to dance with their respective Kings or champions, but as Michelle had neither, she declared that her ivory-hilt saber will be her ‘champion escort’ for the evening with a sly glance at Law. Once music sounds from the hanging bellflowers, she begins an elegant sword dance in the midst of dancers that was reminiscent of a move she executed during final Match turns and Law’s gaze on the Black Queen did not falter for a second. At the song’s denouement Michelle spun in Law’s direction and directly pointed her saber at the White King’s alabaster queen of the night blossom fixed over his heart, causing the entire pavilion to gasp in scandal.
“Tradition states I dance with my champion or king, but as neither exists in the flesh, might I extend an invitation to the enemy king to oblige me for the second half?”
A subtle grin twitches on the corners of Law’s lips, perceiving touches of playful coyness under Michelle’s stately expression. Interesting. “You are bold, but not without tact, my rival. Lucky for you, I have nothing better to do this evening.” He drew his own obsidian-hilt saber and mirrored her gesture by pointing the tip towards the black rose on her bodice. Soon, they were mirroring each other’s smirks. Like a feather carried by a honeyed breeze, they moved in fluid chemistry with every swing, thrust, catch, and spin. From the moment their bare hands touched, a flash of desire crossed Law about how if circumstances were different, he’d want Michelle as his queen, but he coaxed it to the back of his mind knowing that their roles dictated advancing an endless chess game.
“Genius,” the White Rook comments, “His majesty might be able to lower her guard by a display of friendliness and pry an advantage from her.”
“Yes, but her majesty might be able to find holes in his signature offenses through their pas de deux,” the Black Knight counters.
“Is it just me, or does it look like they’re flirting?” a tipsy Pawn squints, finding their recent blade lock that flowed into a position where Law held Michelle from behind, a tad romantically charged.
Indeed, at the end of their first Stalemate Soirée, Law and Michelle left with a mutual medley of emotions regarding the other. Their roles dictated them to be at odds, yet they seemed to share many qualities with the other. It was supposed to be difficult to negotiate with opponents, yet it was easy to talk to each other. And most befuddling was that the intensity they shared in their Matches was pouring its way into unfamiliar realms of affection.
Perhaps these conflicting feelings may unite Black and White into something more nuanced in this chess world? Or will it risk violating Siltranche’s rules and break the game board, itself?
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*Siltranche is a wordplay on the Turkish word “satranç” for chess & Silman’s Complete Endgame Course)
**typically in chess, if you lose your Queen in the first 10-20 moves without a feasible counter plan, you resign in respect to your opponent’s time. However, Law being Law usually has a plan, hence why his ability to maintain the White domain and figure ways to win Matches against Michelle is intriguing to the Game Master
***The choice of missing a rook that moves in a cross pattern is allusion to the cross Michelle typically wears in canon to emphasize a handicap. This way, it’s harder for her to execute the equivalent of castling in Siltranche (a rule that lets you move a king & rook in 1 move if they’re on the same rank on the board to get the king away from the center for safety. Typically kingside castling is more common than queenside). Therefore, she’s moved by the maxim that the best defense is offense.
