Starter for: @heavens-sin
Routine is important to Luffy, it's the only constant he's ever had. He wakes up, showers, eats (sometimes with his father, sometimes without),dreads lessons then lunch, and another round of lessons followed by downtime before and after dinner then bed.
Simple and boring but it's his.
He's never been entirely sure what exactly his father does for work but when he was younger they moved often in the night. Luffy was small enough to carry then, he had fewer things to be attached to and even fewer people to call friends. What friends he does have are older, they work for his father but are nice by all accounts; Robin the most consistent of the pair but even she gets busy for long stretches of time. Sometimes, Luffy thinks she won't return and he'll be alone again. Doesn't want to admit that he's used to it, it's all he's ever known and with the way things are going the only thing he will know.
For the past seven years they had settled in Arabasta, Luffy left to his routine in the air conditioned comfort. The routine keeps him sane and shackled to this place. Now and then he overhears conversations he shouldn't, orders spoken in code, strange names and numbers. Knows Crocodile won't indulge his curiosity, snail receivers slammed loudly when he's barged into the man's office. It's odd but after so long it just is. Father is good to him, brings him offerings in the form of books even if he only cares for the pictures.
Luffy is frozen, eyes wide like a corned prey animal. The familiar steps between the library and dining room are blocked. If he had found something to curb his nightly boardam he would have run headlong into the man(?). Feet carry him backwards, the meger shield of an armchair better than nothing. The only guest outside of work his father's ever allowed in is Mihawk and then never unannounced. Gaudy patterned pants peek from under a needlessly large pink feather coat and he wants to place these feathers but can't in an adrenaline soaked brain. “He's—” voice cracks and he hastily clears his throat. “He's not here!” Luffy takes another step back, eyes never leaving the intruder. "So leave, get out."
The only transponder snail is in Crocodile’s office connected to the library, he's tried fiddling with it before but all random button pressing lead to Mr. Bones; the man of few words often at his father's side is a welcome sight now,a savior.
"How did you even get in here?" His voice is small, the scar on his cheek burning. A man had broken in before when he was young and thankfully he hadn't been home alone then. Surely he would have heard a breaking window or the smashing of reinforced doors?