So I have a friend who genuinely honestly loves planning and organising and scheduling and shes very, very good at it. Absolutely comes in clutch with the proposal powerpoint, budget spreadsheet, and daily schedule on a bifold leaflet for the biannual friend group holiday.
I don't quite remember how this started but we ended up doing a bit where we think she should start selling her services to local polycules. This would include: ensuring fair date distribution, organising board game night, and enforcing the group house chores list.
So hear me out here: Moneypenny doing this for the greater mi6 polycule. TanMq7penny. Hell make it TanMMq13leiterMadNomiPenny. Imagine the google calendar.
I think a darling who can hold their own against Albedo’s intellectual capabilities would be super interesting. There’s a constant psychological tension between the two—a battle of the minds. Darling can correct Albedo all they want, but he will always throw their attitude right back at them with his soft voice and that smug look on his face. He knows exactly how to push all of darling’s buttons just as they do to him. Albedo will never admit it, but the challenge they pose to him with their mental prowess makes pursuing them all the more enthralling—the victory all the more satisfying when he finally is able to put them in checkmate. Darling lost this time, and now Albedo will reap his reward.
it's a double-edged sword for darling — when they don't engage with albedo, he asks if they're simply not up to par with the task. however, when they do exercise their knowledge of the subject, he always picks apart their logic. it can be minor critiques or deconstructions in their reasoning that shake the core of what they've spent their life studying. albedo knows how to phrase it too... he stops just shy of sounding condescending. he proposes his counterarguments in such a way that if they were to get riled up, they'd feel even more ridiculous.
he'll study their field and become an expert in it overnight. it's infuriating how quick he can grasp something they've spent years struggling over. albedo enjoys getting them riled up, but in truth, it's nice to have another motivator to continue learning. this one is just more carnal in nature.
Day 4 (09/11) – price | debt and repayment | “take a good swing at me and everything is even” – gun, CHVRCHES
“Are you drinking alone?” A tall skinny man to Chuuya’s right asks him. Chuuya is sitting at the bar alone, but has rejected anyone asking to drink with him. Chuuya lifts the glass to his lips, taking a sip of the fruity wine and then turns to glance at the man. He’s a pirate, Chuuya remembers him from his wanted poster. His bounty is pitifully low. Chuuya isn’t interested in him in the least.
“No, I’m waiting for someone,” Chuuya tells him, giving him a clearly uninterested look. He turns back to his drink and the bartender fills his glass. The man next to him seethes, but Chuuya thinks he knows that he would be unmatched in a fight. If someone with a bounty as low as his managed to make it to Saboady Archipelago, he must at least have the brains to know which fights he shouldn’t pick. He’d probably end up as an Emperor’s slave as soon as he crossed into New World.
Chuuya doesn’t have much time. Entering New World is hard, especially for someone of his occupation. He could attempt to travel via Mariejois, but he’d rather die than go near the Celestial Dragons. So he has to finish up his work here on Saboady or board some unfortunate pirate ship, head over into New World and then trade all their heads in at the Marine Headquarters. Chuuya isn’t too keen on the second option, but if he has to, he will.
“Are you drinking alone?” Chuuya groans and turns.
Well, this was quite the heavy hitter. He had a pretty high bounty. Chuuya knows him from his poster again. But Chuuya isn’t bothered because he’s taken down those of this guy’s size easily. The bar would get a little destroyed, but that doesn’t concern Chuuya.
“I’m waiting for someone,” Chuuya says.
“You’ve been saying that for the last hour. Either you’ve been stood up, or you’re lying,” The man leers in Chuuya’s face and his breath smells of alcohol. Chuuya makes a face.
“Regardless, that’s none of your business,” Chuuya tells him.
“Well, it’s either you drink with me, or I’ll pound your head in,” the man grins widely. Chuuya rolls his eyes. Why did these pirates all discard their brains?
“I refuse,” Chuuya says, smiling. “You’re ugly.”
Chuuya watches as realization slowly dawns across the large man’s flushed face and then his large meaty hand wraps around Chuuya’s collar and lifts Chuuya off the ground.
“Do you want to die, pretty boy?” he growls.
Chuuya pulls his hands into fists, ready to punch this guy so hard his intestines will come spewing out of his mouth and then there’s a thin, bony and scarred hand on the man’s arm.
“Now, now,” says a pleasant voice in a sing song way. “Let’s not get into any fights in a lovely bar like this where the wine and food is nice.”
Everyone in the entire bar turns to look at the newcomer. He’s a relatively tall and skinny looking man. He isn’t sporting any weapons - or rather they can’t see any. His entire body is almost completely covered in bandages and there’s a wide and cheerful grin on his face. Only idiots wouldn’t realize this man is about to kill someone. Behind him is a boy with white skin and black hair and a girl with a mask and a hand on her sword.
“The Inhuman King!” The man holding Chuuya almost screams.
“This man has been waiting to drink with me. I’m afraid I’m horribly late.” the man with the bandages keeps that pleasant smile on his face. Chuuya is tempted to spit in his direction just to see if he can change his expression. The man holding Chuuya immediately lets go of him and Chuuya alights to the ground perfectly. “And, if you want to live, you should leave.”
The bar nearly empties after that.
“Are you drinking alone?” The bandaged man asks him.
“I was waiting for you, clearly,” Chuuya drawls.
“I see,” the man slides into the seat next to him.
“So, what’s a big shot like you doing in a small bar like this?” Chuuya asks.
“Sightseeing,” the man says as the rest of his crew enters the bar and takes tables and orders food and drinks. There’s not many of them and most of them look like teenagers. All of them have high bounties on their heads. Chuuya could retire and live in a castle with the money he could make off of them. “Can I buy you a drink?”
“You better hold yourself to that,” Chuuya says and then orders the most expensive wine the bar has.
------o------
The Inhuman King’s background is a mystery. He emerged on the Grandline half a year ago and became notoriously well known for being absolutely immune to Devil Fruits. No one could figure out why and as far as the marines knew, he was a normal human. He climbed in rank and bounty among pirates and became one of the most well known pirates aside from the Seven Warlords and The Four Emperors. His crew mates are also well known, ranging from a former Celestial Dragon slave to escaped World Government experiments.
And Chuuya so happens to be sitting in an empty bar with all of them. Some of the crewmates have started dancing. A particularly pretty white haired boy is dancing with the first mate.
The Inhuman King is leaning into Chuuya’s space, fingers wrapped around Chuuya’s hair and lips pressed to the strands.
“Dazai san,” the girl that Chuuya noticed earlier approaches them and The Inhuman King clicks his tongue in mild annoyance and turns to look at her. “I need to talk to you about the log pose and the ship coating…” she glances at Chuuya, “in private.”
“Understood,” he turns to Chuuya and smiles charmingly. Chuuya gives him a deadpan look. “I will be back,” he says and then he follows the girl.
The white haired boy and first mate are almost immediately next to Chuuya.
“Will you be joining the crew?” the white haired boy asks, a large and innocent smile on his face.
“Don’t say strange things,” the first mate says, his voice bland.
“I will not be joining your crew, unfortunately,” Chuuya tells the boy.
“That’s so sad! Just when Dazai san seems to have found someone that actually interests him!” the white haired boy pouts.
“If Dazai san wants him to join, then he’s probably going to join, whether he wants to or not.” The first mate throws Chuuya a look of what may be pity and Chuuya scoffs.
“Even if he wants me to join, I won’t,” Chuuya says.
“True,” The Inhuman King is back and he’s smiling brightly at Chuuya. “After all, we can’t have the most notorious bounty hunter on the Grandline in our crew,”
Chuuya immediately lunges at Dazai and Dazai raises his arm to block the kick that sends him crashing into the wall. The bartender yelps and hides behind the counter, the first mate grabs the white haired boy and leaps backwards.
“Get up, shitty mackerel. I know that wasn’t enough to do you in. How long do you think I’ve known you?” Chuuya snarls.
“Your kicks have gotten weaker, Chuuya,” Dazai sighs, leaping back to his feet. “You never do get tired of this game, do you?”
“You call this a game?” Chuuya growls.
“Of course! It’s like a game of cat and mouse! We meet, we act like lovers, we fight and then you follow me everywhere!” Dazai grins widely and Chuuya smiles, like there’s venom dripping from his lips.
“It’s only because you have such an enticing bounty,” Chuuya says. The entire crew is pointing their weapons at Chuuya and Dazai waves his hands.
“No worries, this is just a lovers spat,” Dazai says.
“You left,” Chuuya hisses.
“I did,” Dazai answers.
“Explain yourself, you bandage wasting bastard!” Chuuya near screams. “Why did you leave and why am I on Mori’s hit list? What did you do?”
“I just felt like it!” Dazai laughs.
“You fucking bastard,” Chuuya growls. Dazai laughs some more and then he tilts his head, looking at Chuuya.
“I’m heading to New World. You’ll come with me, won’t you, Chuuya?” he asks. Chuuya glowers at him.
“Of course I will. I haven’t taken your head yet.” Chuuya bends down and picks up his hat which is lying at his feet.
“As expected of my Chuuya,” Dazai hops to his feet and crosses the room with spritely footsteps, one arm instantly wrapping around Chuuya’s shoulders.
“Once we get to New World, we’re going our separate ways and I’m going to hunt you down and kill you myself,” Chuuya grumbles, putting his hat on his head. Dazai nuzzles his face into Chuuya’s hair. “Don’t fucking touch me.”
“But Chuuya smells especially good today!” Dazai says.
“You’re a nuisance,” Chuuya says as Dazai presses a kiss to the side of his mouth.
