Rules: make a new post with the names of all the files in your wip folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have wips.
I was tagged in this by ...myself on a side blog.
But I'm tagging Oasis @g0atmama! Hey there sweetie! How have you been? As if we don't talk every couple of days... shh
WIP list so far:
Tides that Bind: Aftermath 2
Tides that Bind: Aftermath 3
Tides that Bind: Ledo's Misstep
Deep Souls: Aftermath
Shipping Wars: Elizabeth Louise Belmont
Shipping Wars: Sapphina Renfro
Shipping Wars: Isabelle "Izzy" Takoni
Brainrot: Aiko
Brainrot: Sapphina
Brainrot: Izzy
Struggling in Shadow Chapter 2: New School, Same Issues
It hadn’t been too long since Yona had entered the domain, and Selatoh could hardly stand to be cordial with her. There was hardly anything Selatoh could do other than dive head first into her training every day. She knew she was avoiding Sidon a little too much ever since Yona arrived, but Sidon rarely asked Yona to wait somewhere. Even if Selatoh knew why, even if she could logically understand what was going on, she didn’t like Yona’s presence. And Yona could feel that animosity, simply without any context. So when Link arrived, without Princess Zelda for once, Selatoh almost jumped him.
“Link, what brings you to the Domain this time?”
Selatoh was quicker than Yona in getting to the Hylian Knight. Something the other Zora Princess didn’t mind entirely, except for the way Selatoh shifted in an attempt to block Yona out completely. Link didn’t even seem to notice as he dug out his Zora Armor.
“I was hoping to get this repaired, if you don’t mind.” Link held the worn tunic out, “I wasn’t sure where else to go about this. The clothing shops in Hateno and Kakariko were the only ones that seemed versatile enough to even try but…”
“Don’t worry about a thing Link.” Selatoh’s little smirk was about as warm as she’d been in weeks, “I’ll have this fixed up in a few weeks. I wish I could say a few days but…”
“Perhaps if I also helped,” Yona side-stepped into the conversation, “The two of us could have the armor fixed up in a single week.”
Link couldn’t miss the way Selatoh’s eyes narrowed, “No, I highly doubt you’d be able to make sense of the weave. Mipha was very particular about the details and it wouldn’t be the same if someone who didn’t know her pattern were to make a mistake with it.”
Walking away almost too fast, Yona frowned deeply at Selatoh’s retreating form. Though it was crystal clear to Link what was going on, shaking his head regardless.
“I do wish she would stop shutting me out.” Yona crossed her arms slightly, “It has been quite worrying, especially to my dear Sidon. The way he usually talks about Selatoh, I was expecting a much more friendly person…”
“Selatoh doesn’t mean anything personal.” Link turned back to the dusty, lime green Zora, “She can be very territorial with people she isn’t familiar with. Especially when it comes to people and things from her childhood.”
“Oh?” Yona turned, “Would you please enlighten me Sir Link? I could prepare some tea if you’d like.”
“I’ll explain what I can, a few of the details are still a little fuzzy.” Link followed slightly behind Yona, “What has Sidon told you?”
Sitting at a small table with Yona, Link chewed over the situation as Yona had explained it. The way Selatoh was acting made some sense to Link. Sure Sidon had told everyone who would listen about Yona, but to Selatoh, Yona would still be a stranger… one that was taking her twin from her.
“I don’t think Selatoh fully means to be so rude toward you.” Link leaned back in his chair, “She has always been stand-off-ish about new people. When she was small-small it was different, not by much but she didn’t try pushing people away this much. Whenever someone would try to get too close with her or Sidon she could get a bit snappy until Mipha corrected her. But that was always very specific situations like when they were playing or talking.”
“Oh, that does make a little sense.” Yona tilted her head, “I wouldn’t particularly like that either. But could you elaborate on her relationship with her late sister? Sidon rarely talks about Mipha himself. I don’t want to pry in a sensitive area but without any context…”
“Mipha was their older sister, but also took over as a motherly figure.” Link frowned a little, “I don’t fully remember when their mother passed, or how young Sidon and Selatoh were at the time. But I know Mipha had taken over that role, Selatoh is more okay talking about her than Sidon is. Its one of the few things Selatoh doesn’t talk about with Sidon because she knows how he feels about it.”
Yona was taken aback by Link’s sudden chuckling, “Funnily enough when Mipha started showing interest in me, Sidon was acting how Selatoh is now. Selatoh would cling to my leg though. She’s told me that it wasn’t out of a sense of her own romantic feelings, but an attempt to get Sidon to warm up to the idea that Mipha and I would be together. I wouldn’t put it past Selatoh to just not recognize that she’s doing the same thing.”
“I see.” Yona glanced across toward the training grounds, “I had no idea Sidon would ever act like that. Nor that Selatoh would advocate for someone new to enter the Domain like that.”
“It wasn’t like I was exactly new.” Link followed her gaze, “I had been in and out of the Domain a few times, I had trained within the Domain, and had befriended Mipha, Sidon, and Selatoh. From what I’ve heard around around the Domain, especially recently, is that Selatoh is difficult to talk to or befriend.”
The soft hum Yona let out was both thoughtful and agitated, “I don’t see how I could even begin to ingratiate myself to her. Selatoh seems to keep me at arm’s length at all times. The idea that she’s being defensive over my dear Sidon seems a little excessive given how long I’ve been in the Domain.”
Link held his tongue, glancing over the opposite edge of the platform. A couple years was still too short a time for Selatoh to warm up to anyone. If the people of Zora’s Domain, the people of Hyrule, were still having difficulty after 100 years; Yona didn’t stand a chance just being around for a couple years. Though Link had a sneaking suspicion that Selatoh had other reasons behind her rough edges about the new Zora within the Domain.
Despite Selatoh's everything being deep-seated in her position as Sidon's (slightly) younger twin sister, I thought I'd attempt some Role Swapping with Sidon, Ledo, and Tottika (Sage Selatoh + Queen Selatoh, Architect/Artist Selatoh, and Guard/Soilder Selatoh).
But first, some (establishing) Zora monarchy headcanons:
Zora monarchies put a lot of emphasis on female Zora and first born succession. Typically heirs to the throne are female unless a male Zora is born/choosen to take the throne.
As well as where a (royal/noble) Zora couple resides is typically where the female Zora feels most at home. Though some rare cases exist (e.g. Sidon and Yona)
When it comes to other races (Rito, Goron, Gerudo, Hylian, etc) the non Zora partner is typically expected to reside in the domain as *most* of the homelands are a little too hostile for Zora to reside in.
Mipha courting Link was completely allowed (not just because King Dorephan said so) because Link was royal/noble adjacent (holding a prestigious title within the Hylian army)
Zora nobles/royals that don't fall to the heir spot are given much more of a free hand in who they choose as a partner
That said, the main part of Selatoh Exists AU (what I tend to call OC inclusion) King Dorephan took into account how much pressure Selatoh would be under from her own people and chose to crown Sidon instead.
Queen Selatoh + Sage Selatoh (Sidon/Seltaoh) A.K.A. the AU where King Dorephan put the rules over his daughter's mental/emotional wellbeing. (He knows how much pressure this all is especially when Selatoh looks like Mipha)
Selatoh is so much more introverted, reserved, and distant because she doesn't want to put anything on anyone (but especially Sidon) despite others constantly offering to help
Yona and Sidon have discussed at length their situation and Yona choose to relocate to Hyrule despite coming from a more tropical domain
During the torrential rains (BotW) Selatoh would often go out scouting as far as she could for a Hylian, one time tiring herself out and washing up near Luralin Village
Sidon was the one who helped Link get close to Vah Ruta because Selatoh was recovering from helping Link get close to the Lynel
Post Vah Ruta, Ionis (Zora prince from a deep-sea domain) arrived in Zora's Domain. Selatoh and Ionis met during the 100 years post-initial Calamity and were betrothed due to their redisent natures
Ionis is barely able to survive outside of the water, unless it rains heavily or late at night. The rest of the time he stays in Selatoh's private chambers (not comfortable in the communal pools) or under the Domain in as much shade as he can be
During the Domain cleaning/constructing Mipha's Court, Ionis and Selatoh attempted to get close with one another but Selatoh had to step up and prove herself as a leader. (Though she still allowed Sidon to egg her into leaping off Shatterback Mountain)
Neither Selatoh or Ionis were comfortable with a lavendar marriage.
Despite their reluctance to share a pool (bed) they did so anyway because there was no other options. That's how Ionis discovered that Selatoh drifts in her sleep (specifically drifts toward other Zora/living things) in a deep-seated, subconscious desire to be held and/or comforted by others
After getting over the initial shock of how sudden the act was, Ionis finds it very cute (especially when Selatoh wakes up and apologizes for drifting into him)
Ionis (and Octupi/Squid Zora in general I guess) tends to curl his headfins (tentacles) around his partner's/loved one's head fin(s), something Selatoh had to get used to... especially when she would go to Ionis for quiet comfort during her highest stress periods
After maybe the third or fourth time Selatoh went to Ionis for comfort, she was used to/okay with Ionis' displays of affection/attempts to comfort
After the Upheaval, the sludge raining down, and her Father going missing, Selatoh couldn’t help but feel as if everything was crashing around her fins
That's when Ionis really started lurking under the Domain in daylight hours, to help keep an eye on Selatoh and be close enough that she wouldn't have to go marching through the upper chambers and peel so far away from her responsibility just for a couple seconds of comfort (he knows she feels absolutely awful and selfish for even thinking about doing so and at least being just under the Domain she's still very close to everyone else)
At one point, Yona gets (somewhat) rightfully aggressive with Selatoh over how hard Sidon is working to purify the Domain's water supply. To which Selatoh very coldly reminds Yona that she has no actual power within the Domain because of who is in charge. Reminding her that Sidon has been volunteering his time and effort to aid the Domain however he can, as she should be doing. Before softening and agreeing that Sidon is doing too much and that she (Selatoh) wishes he wouldn't be so hard-headed about helping as much as he does.
Link is standing right there and both Zora know it, Sidon is in the background and heard everything (they did NOT know this)
However, with the situation mostly smoothed over, Sidon left things alone until he and Yona were alone (that same night) and told her (Yona) why he was doing this and being so stubborn. (Fear about losing their Father, worry over Selatoh growing distant with him, and a little PTSD from the Calamity).
Sidon also asks that Yona doesn't get aggressive with Selatoh again, it hurts his heart to see his beloved fighting with his sister.
Selatoh walks with Sidon, Yona, and Link to Mipha's Court, Yona making an attempt to apologize for the day before. Selatoh appreciates and accepts the apology but tells Yona not to worry about it (happ Sidon) right before the Muztorock Jr. Drops out of the sky.
Both Sidon and Selatoh help Link fight the sludge creature, and despite Selatoh not being the best with water manipulation, she's able to create several water versions of Zora Spears and Silverscale Spears (with one Lightscale Trident directly in front) as an offensive sheild around Link
After making the vow to Link, as a Sage, Selatoh's Armor (her Sage ability) produces the same ring of Spears and Lightscale Trident around Link. These fire off in all directions at waist height.
As the Domain itself purifies, King Dorephan returns, and Selatoh is crowned Queen, she finally gets a chance to relax.
The night she is crowned Queen, Ionis congratulates her, praising her strength and lowkey hyping her up as a good ruler while she's just trying to apologize for pushing him to the side and not being able to have the conversations she promised.
Ionis reminds her that there's plenty of time and he isn't going anywhere. Selatoh lets the realization of everything Ionis has been doing to make things easier for her and hugs him tightly while laughing/giggling.
They wind up teasing each other, being affectionate, and acting like a pair of love-sick children until they fall asleep.
.
Architech/Artist Selatoh (Ledo/Selatoh)
The distant artist/architect with the deeply moving artist pieces that feel like there's life held within (even if its just a pillar)
Trained under both Seggin and Dento so can also fix up weapons if need be
Instead of crimson and muted navy, she's a darker green with very faint markings. Instead of a Hammerhead shark, she's a bass/trout looking Zora
Prince Ledo takes note of her work and is among the first to recommend her for projects
Her scars are from a lack of resources to fix up the Domain. She had gone off to a known massive source of Luminous Stones that was infested with Lizalfos.
Ledo had followed her, without her knowledge, and jumped in to save her.
Afterward he didn't say anything, just made sure the two of them got to the Domain safely, then secretly took a small platoon to clear out the cave and quietly dropped all the ore on her work station.
Selatoh had a sneaking suspicion that Prince Ledo was the one who retrieved the ore and used the leftovers to carve him a tiny Luminous Stone heart and quietly left it where only Ledo would be able to find it.
The two of them slowly get closer over the course of BotW and TotK just by Selatoh being nearby, having a unique perspective on things, and the way her artwork makes him feel
.
Guard/Soilder Selatoh (Tottika/Selatoh)
A much sterner, fierce, protective Selatoh who manages to rise through the ranks to second in command to Bazz
She looks more like a piranha, darker navy blue with thin green-yellow markings, small, sharp teeth, and small ear flaps (side head fins?)
As second in command, she's usually near Prince Sidon and Tottika. Same as Bazz, though the obviously quiet one that rarely talks.
Not that Sidon or Tottika don't try, Selatoh just keeps her distance and gives short, simple, yet ultimately polite answers.
And yet Selatoh is the first to jump between either prince and any dangerous situation
Tottika is the reason that Selatoh has her scars. When she jumped between him and a Lizalfos that snuck up on them
While Tottika wanted to apologize for the incident, Selatoh dismissed it as part of her job
However, when sludge was raining from the sky, Selatoh shoved him out of the way. Something Tottika goes out of his way to apologize and take care of Selatoh in order to make up for her getting hurt on his behalf.
Again gestures that Selatoh attempts to wave down, saying she was just doing her job and he doesn't need to worry about her, gestures that she appreciated greatly; but actions that Tottika wouldn't stop for anything
He eventually got Selatoh to open up out of sheer determination. Finding that she is constantly worried that she isn't as good as others tell her, that she won't be able to help in a key moment, that she will fail and somehow ruin things for the entire Domain
After listening to her over the course of three months, Tottika fell hard, finding her attempts to shoulder as much as she does and shove her emotions down to be both extremely noble and tragic
Summary: Sometimes the closer you are the harder it is to see some things. Based on a prompt by Ali: Nick and Belle caught in the rain.
There isn't a whole lot of action going on, but there is a lot of thinking.
Rating: PG.
Timeline: The summer before the first Tides that Bind. Belle is fourteen and Nick is twenty-six.
Friday nights when he was home for the holidays usually consisted of Belle and he lounging on the couch watching old movies, playing cards or just talking. Usually they fell asleep on the couch and he'd wake sometime around seven and drag her to her room. For whatever reason the idea of his parents catching them downstairs irked him. They'd share a bowl of candy and some iced tea, sometimes chasing away a bad heat wave and Nick would wonder how he'd survived months on end without those nights, without her.
But Belle was out that night, dragged away from her Friday night plans with him by her pushy friends and their collective wish to throw her in the arms of some lacrosse varsity idiot he didn't approve of. He'd tried subtly getting his parents to notice how uncomfortable he made Belle but they'd only smiled vaguely and told them it was nice his little sister was out there socializing like others kids her age.
It all boiled down to normality for his parents. If Belle acted normal but within the boundaries of the acceptable then they didn't have to worry. They didn't have to get involved at all. He knew she knew it too, and used that knowledge to her advantage. They both loved their parents but neither was keen on them taking an interest in their lives.
He spent most of the night flipping through the channels and drinking beer, the cheap kind his father bought that he detested but also happened to be the only abundant source of alcohol in the house. He toyed briefly with the idea of calling some of his friends from High School that he knew were in town but the idea held no appeal to him. As a matter of fact there was little he liked from his home town. He'd grown up halfway across the world and when he'd been back for the holidays everyone'd treated him like a stranger or, in case of his parents, some distant cousin they'd agreed to babysit. Only Belle's enthusiastic welcome hugs had ever felt real. And they were the only reason why he wasn't at some college mate's country house or travelling. His home called to him, that spot within Belle's arms.
The sound of the phone ringing startled him out of his morose thoughts. He was quick to lift the receiver, a part of him having expected the call all along. Sure enough Belle was on the other end, her voice muffled by the sounds of rain. She told him about walking home from a friend's house (Ashley's, who lived on the outskirts of town) after declining to go to a party they'd heard about and being surprised by a sudden summer storm.
"It's gotten pretty bad so I'm at the entrance to the Library. I thought I might call mom and dad for a ride but dad's not answering his phone. It doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon, do you mind...?"
Of course he didn't, but she still asked. He was putting on a jacket the next second, going to the garage to unearth his motorcycle, an old Triumph Tiger T110 he'd restored while he'd worked for a mechanic four summers ago. He fought the urge to speed up as he drove in the rain, thankful for the lack of traffic. Soon enough he was pulling over by the Library, spotting Belle huddled inside the phonebooth nearby. She disliked cellphones so she never carried hers around. As far as he knew she only used it to call him.
She got out of the booth and rushed over, mounting the bike like she'd done a hundred times before and wrapping her arms around his middle. He could feel her shivering violently, the temperature having dropped considerably, so he was less cautious that he'd liked on the way home, on a rush to get her warm. It wasn't until they were safely standing in the kitchen, trying not to get water on the hardwood floors, that he realized how cold Belle was. Her lips were blue and her skin pale. She must have been out in the storm for quite a while, probably trying to call dad.
He hated the man then, hated him with a passion. He should've insisted Belle had her cellphone, should answer his own in case his fucking fourteen-year-old daughter needed him. Belle had never needed much supervision growing up. She'd never gotten herself in trouble, always had good grades and was respectful and responsible. There wasn't, in the eyes of his mother and father, much parenting to be done. But since little she'd craved attention, someone who cared about her, who'd take an interest in her. And he'd been more than happy to fill in that empty space in her life, to be the one to care about her always. In return Belle had given him unwavering devotion and love, and they had become each other's true family.
The arrangement worked for everyone involved. Truth be told he enjoyed not having to compete with his parents for Belle's attention and smiles. He liked being the most important person in her life except during times where their parent's lack of attention bordered on neglect. And seeing Belle in her thin, bright yellow summer dress, drenched and shivering, made him irrationally angry. He grabbed a towel from the linen closet and shook it out.
"Come 'ere," his voice was gruff, but he tried to bleed most of the anger out of it. She didn't hesitate, sinking into his embrace as he wrapped the towel snuggly against her form. She was still petit, forever smaller than even he, but curvier than he remembered from the previous summer. She had an innate elegance, visible in the way she moved and the way she dressed, that made her seem older than she was and he didn't like it at all, particularly since he wasn't going to be around much longer. He admitted to having chosen to settle down in Boston to be close enough, but it wasn't the same as living under the same roof. He wished, not for the first time, that they could simply dispense with the pretence that their parents wanted Belle home so he could just have her move in with him.
Lately his thoughts regarding Belle had turned awfully possessive in a way that nagged at him. And his dreams... They'd changed, deepened in ways that he didn't want to linger on. Even then, with Belle innocently tucked into his arms, he felt something coiling low in his belly, an ache that he didn't want to dwell on. Belle made a small, pleased sound and snuggled further into his arms.
"If you get changed quickly we can catch most of Around the World in 80 days. C'mon."
He kissed her temple and then patted her on the ass, Belle squealing in mock indignation before rushing upstairs to her room. He tried to shake whatever odd feeling had come over him off. He was just imagining things. Their situation was certainly odd- he didn't know of any two siblings as close as they were- but there was nothing inappropriate about it.
He was ready for her when she came downstairs with a glass of iced tea and some popcorn. She sat down close to him, looking dwarfed in one of his college sweatshirts. He'd take it with him when it was time to go back, and it'd smell citrusy like the body lotion she used.
"Try not to drool over David Niven all over my clothes, sweetheart."
She rolled her eyes, scooting closer and offering him some popcorn before popping the rest into her mouth. She swung her long legs over his lap before covering them with a throw.
"Thanks for picking me up, Nick."
"Anytime, darling."
"I love you."
He paused, feeling something pressing against his chest, something he didn't want to acknowledge.
A late Birthday present for the captain of the Pantless Pirates, Paty, mugiwara-cruise, who absolutely adores Franky and Frobin (as do I).
ILU CAPTAIN
I hope you like it~ sorry it’s late
Chapter One: The Bombshell set off in Your Heart
A light mid-afternoon breeze flowed through the workshop of Tom & Son’s Boat Repair on what had turned out to be a sweltering summer day on the island. A tall, blue-haired man fanned himself as he walked out of the cool store front and into the work area, feeling a little perturbed that he had to wear a suit. He rounded the side of a particularly large fishing boat that floated in the water of the indoor marina and looked down from the upper deck to the lower platform next to the small craft he suspected was his target.
Sure enough, he saw a bit of the tell-tale open Hawaiian shirt and the dark speedo his younger brother wore no matter the weather. The older man felt a bit envious of the cooler attire and let a little more irritation slip into his voice than he intended.
“Oi, Baka-anky! Are you still working on that control panel? We’ve got two other jobs lined up!” he shouted down to his brother.
The man started, having been in deep concentration when the older man called, and narrowly missed hitting his head on the fiberglass panel above him. He pushed himself out from beneath the wires and glared up at the man who had disturbed his work.
“Well maybe if you hadn’t given Paulie and Zambai the day off the same day of your meeting, Baka-berg, we wouldn’t have this problem!”
He clambered out of the boat onto the lower deck and looked up at his brother indignantly, his large hands resting on his hips. Iceberg wore a striped jacket and a tangerine collared shirt, and looked like he hated every minute he was trapped within its confines.
He sighed heavily as the bulkier man climbed the steps to the upper deck.
“Duval’s been manning the front, and I think Lulu’s at lunch….” he mused.
“Tyleston was yelling about a new fuel pump for the engine on the Evinrude, so he’s probably in store room,” Franky said as he thumbed over his shoulder at of one of the doors in the corner of the large building.
Iceberg raised a hand to his chin as he thought over the situation, knowing full well that they had limited time.
“Nma, we could always get Chimney to watch the store; she knows what she’s doing,” the elder man offered, “then Duval can get in here and help.”
“You better help too, you lazy idiot!”
Franky stretched his arms up over his head, jostling the heavy gold chain around his neck as he pushed his thick forearms together. Uniting the two light blue star tattoos to form one central astral symbol, he let loose a raucous laugh before quirking an eyebrow at his brother.
“This week’s me may be prettySuuper, but even I can’t finish it all myself.”
He held his pose for a moment while Iceberg rolled his eyes, then lowered them and withdrew a pair of triangular sunglasses from his shirt pocket along with a small comb. Shoving his shades up the bridge of his nose, he drew the comb through his vibrant hair in a quick, upward sweeping motion.
The darker-haired man shook his head at his little brother’s typical moronic behavior, and began to remove his jacket.
“Nma,” he began, throwing the coat over his shoulder as he unbuttoned the shirt beneath it, “let’s get this done, I need a drink after today.”
Franky nodded in agreement, “Tell me about it. Aunt Kokoro’s up at Party’s bar. Kiwi and Mozu are running it with Shakky; Makino’s kid is sick, poor thing…”
Trust Franky to worry about somebody else’s kid, especially one of a friend. Anytime their little cousin had gotten sick when she was younger, he had taken it upon himself to skip work so he could take Chimney a cola and sing for her, much to Iceberg’s and her parents displeasure.
Their dad and her grandfather, Tom, had always found it endearing and hilarious.
“So Zambai’s probably there, I could drag him in,” Iceberg huffed, finally freeing himself from the shirt and revealing the dark blue sleeveless he wore as an undershirt. “I’ll go get him and Chimney, you guys try to finish what you can.”
Franky posed again, shouting, “You can super leave it up to me!”
He didn’t wait for his brother to leave before heading back to his work, wiping the sweat from his forehead. The panel was replaced and the electronics functional by the time Iceberg came back in, Duval, Zambai, Lulu, and, surprisingly, Paulie in tow. Tyleston had gotten back to work sometime after Iceberg had been by, yelling about being finished just as the five other mechanics came in. The seven of them worked on the remaining two projects in the afternoon heat, squabbling over parts and bragging about how quickly they finished their individual tasks. Only Franky and Iceberg remained when the sun started to go down, having let their employees go ahead of them to the bar.
“Where’s the combo wrench? I got a loose nut up here,” Franky called from the bow.
“Yeah, something’s loose up there,” Iceberg said as he replaced the cover on one of the rear engines. He tossed the tool at his brother, nailing him in the shoulder.
“Hey, watch it dumbass!” he cried with little malice, quickly tightening the nut in question before slamming the forward panel shut.
Iceberg chuckled as he gathered up his tools, jumping off the boat before his brother could get to him. Franky shook his fist at him as he retreated, vowing to get him back later.
“I’m going ahead, you lock up,” the elder man said from the upper deck as Franky wiped oil off his hands.
Franky waved him off, and finished his last inspection of everyone’s work. Satisfied, he put away all the leftover equipment and grabbed his leather jacket and goggles from the front office before closing. The night air was still stifling, but the majority of the heat had faded with the sun. He briefly looked up at the first stars of the evening as he removed his sunglasses and looped the heavy leather strap of his riding glasses around his head.
His baby, the newest in a line of motorcycles of his own design, shone brightly in the parking lot under the tall light post and he felt like tearing up every time he saw her. Kuro was bulky like himself; her black, red, and blue body accentuated with large yellow stars on either side, similar to the ones on his muscled arms. He fired her up and listened to the engine purr before blasting up the road to the nearby bar where his friends were waiting.
As always, the small watering hole was boisterous and welcoming; the occupants drinking, singing off key, or playing (in Paulie’s case, losing) some variation of cards with money exchanging hands under the well-worn tables. He would normally join in the karaoke party that seemed to spontaneously spring up in the corner despite the lack of any music, his guitar seeming to materialize out of thin air, but he was presently looking for the new Mayor of their town.
He found him in the usual corner booth with their aunt and an old family friend who used to help out their father in the shop. Rayleigh’s handsome face crinkled slightly beneath his glasses as he smiled over at him and he indicated the seat next to himself while Franky made his way through the crowd.
“So, what’ve I missed?” he said as he sat down, waving at Kokoro and lifting his sunglasses to his forehead to rest in front of his riding goggles.
“Nagaga- Iceberg was just telling us about the council,” his aunt laughed, taking a long drag from the bottle of whiskey in her hand.
“Oh? Trouble in paradise, Mr. Mayor?” Franky teased.
Iceberg shrugged, making the muscles under his swirling dark red tattoos flex.
“A couple government people came in to do some audit; this real uptight guy that had a weird obsession with pigeons and a bombshell of a woman.”
“Heh, if Paulie hears you talking like that, he might cry.”
Paulie’s crush on Iceberg was just as much of a secret as Duval’s affection for Kiwi. Iceberg waved off the comment and continued to use his hands for emphasis.
“No, even he would get it; this woman was a knockout! She seemed nice enough, but both of them made me feel like I was being followed around by some kind of predator.” He took a drink from his glass before continuing, “I still feel like somebody’s watching me; makes my skin crawl.”
“Sounds like we need another round, then,” Rayleigh chortled, raising his hand and waving at the bar.
Chimney, who helped pass out drinks while her grandmother was there, came over quickly. Her braided pigtails bouncing, the teenaged blonde skipped up with a big smile and a tray with a couple full glasses along with an empty one and a pitcher filled with something that made Franky’s mouth water.
“Two rum and coke’s and pitcher of cola for my favorite customer’s!” she exclaimed, setting down the drinks for her family and their friend, “Shakky was looking for you by the way, Rayleigh. She said not to flirt too much with Kiwi and Mozu or Zambai and Duval will-”
“Yes, yes,” he said, cutting her off.
Rayleigh grinned over at his wife behind the bar, who rolled her eyes good-naturedly as if she’d heard. That woman always seemed to know everything, but didn’t seem to mind that her husband liked to flirt with younger women all the time. When Mozu called to the girl from across the room, Chimney took off to help her, leaving Franky to fill up his own glass.
He guzzled down the first glass greedily after the long, hot day, and looked across the table at his brother who was doing the same with his own drink. Iceberg had ruffled his darker hair loose of its previously gelled positioning, and with it now uncharacteristically down, he looked a little like he used to when they were still in their early twenties.
“So other than that, how’s things at the office?” he questioned further.
Iceberg shook his head in frustration, and suddenly he looked all of his forty-five years.
“Oh you know, that new secretary is still young, so she’s not nearly as efficient as Kalifa was; the police chief was having issues with a couple of his officers fighting so he decided to yell at them outside my office; trying to convince some of the old surf bums to stop trying petition to set up a village on the beach.” He sighed and rubbed at the bridge of his nose, “trying to lower taxes, that sort of thing.”
Franky raised an eyebrow at the mention of his friend and fellow motorcycle enthusiast.
“Who was ol'Smokey yelling at this time?”
“That Japanese kid with the green hair and his lieutenant were bickering or something, I don’t know…”
Franky laughed, just picturing the spunky Asian roommate Luffy had introduced to him a while back and the eager-to-please right hand woman of Smoker’s blowing their tops. His friend often said that they would drive him to an early retirement.
They sat in the corner booth for a couple hours, allowing time for their friends to get tired of whatever they were doing and migrate over. Paulie did his usual complaining about rigged games and scandalous women while Kiwi and Mozu tormented him teasingly whenever they could spare a moment. Tyleston and Zambai had met up with Lulu, Kiev, and Tama, and the four of them were belting out terrible renditions of what might have once been love songs. Duval was sighing to himself as he watched Kiwi buzz about the bar, the faraway look in his eye much like the one Paulie directed toward Franky’s older brother when he thought no one was looking. Franky just wished that they would get together already; he knew that Baka-berg had no problem with it.
At some point he had joined his younger friends in their singing, dancing and posing atop one of the bar tables as the crowd around him clapped and laughed. But the day’s heat finally caught up all of them and everyone began to filter out of the bar, eventually even he felt the desire for a warm bed. It wasn’t even midnight before he helped Iceberg sling their by now drunk employee’s arm over his shoulder, watching him lead Paulie to the passenger side of his car.
“You two have a suuuper night!” he sang mockingly across the parking lot.
The dark blue hair disappeared into the car before the finger did.
Chuckling before a yawn forced him to stop; Franky put his sunglasses in his pocket band pulled down his goggles again. He sped off into the night with only thoughts of his apartment and his bed filling his mind. He was about a block from the complex he lived in before he noticed some flashing lights in the shoulder up ahead. Some poor soul was pulled over with a flat in the middle of the night, he reckoned, and his heart couldn’t bear for him to pass them up.
As he got closer, the mechanic noticed the woman standing on the side of the road with a contemplative look on her face directed toward her right rear tire. She didn’t even seem to notice him as he came in behind her and shut off his bike, but she smiled when he approached.
“Are you the rescue crew?” she asked sweetly, her voice like silk. She finally looked up at him, and he was floored by how gorgeous she was.
“Uh, if you need one, Sis,” he said, a little stunned by her nonchalance.
“It would seem as though I need another set of hands at the very least,” she motioned to the flat, which looked to be halfway removed.
The intriguing woman ran a hand through the long black hair that hung from below the brim of her western-style hat as if to quell a frustration, but her face betrayed no such emotion. She was in a nice purple suit that accentuated her impressive curves, and didn’t seem to be uncomfortable despite the lingering heat and the evidence that she had been working.
“I was able to remove all the nuts, but I failed to notice that I didn’t have a jack,” she explained, turning to her savior, “You wouldn’t happen to have one on that motorcycle?”
It was true that most bikes didn’t offer much room for such things, but his own design had been thorough to the point that he could fit his entire toolkit and a mini-bar inside it, while still leaving room for groceries.
“Of course!” he assured her, throwing his arms up above his head in his signature stance. She raised an elegant eyebrow at his sudden enthusiastic movement, but didn’t question it as he continued, “You can leave everything up to me, big sis, I got it all super under control.”
She chuckled lightly, her amused voice music to his ears, “Well, alright then.”
He went back to his bike, his heart fluttering a bit as he willed himself to concentrate the task at hand. The beautiful woman was one of the few who hadn’t been taken off guard or repulsed by his odd behavior or state of dress, and he was sure that she hadn’t been laughing at him. All thoughts of a good night’s sleep were replaced with the sound of her tinkling laughter.
He fetched his bag and the hydraulic jack from one of the side storage areas and got to work on her vehicle, replacing the tire for the spare in little time at all. The stunning woman seemed impressed with his speed, and clapped lightly when he finished, bringing a slight heat to his face. He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment as he stood to face her soft smile.
“What do I owe you?” she asked, her hands going to the small handbag she must have retrieved from her car when he was working.
“Oh no, it’s no problem,” he said with his hands up in protest, “I just hope you have a super night after this.”
He winked down at her and she laughed again, making him swell a bit with pride.
“Well, can I at least have my savior’s name?” she asked, smirking at him.
“Sure!” he chuckled, extending a hand, “I’m Cutter Flam, but everyone calls me Franky.”
“Robin,” she said, placing her smaller, feminine hand into his large palm before he shook it delicately.
Franky reached into his bag, withdrawing a card and a pen before scribbling a number on the back of it. He tucked the pen away and handed the heavy paper slip over to her.
“This is?” she smiled quizzically.
“My card,” he said, “if you ever need any rescuing, call my cell on the back.”
She eyed the Tom & Son’s Boat Repair design on the front with interest before looking up at him through her long eyelashes, as if she were intentionally trying to cause his impending heart failure. The frantic heart beat might as well have been audible in his mind, because she leveled him with a knowing gaze similar to the one Shakky often gave her husband. This Robin seemed to be another all-knowing woman.
“Thank you, Mr. Savior,” she said gratefully, her light blue eyes glinting with genuine honesty.
“Any time,” he said, shouldering his bag as she turned to walk back to the driver’s side.
Franky couldn’t help himself as he watched the sway of her fluid legs and hips when she walked away, wishing he had continued talking to her a little longer. The blue-haired man smiled and waved as she drove the small sedan away, his mind still a little fuzzy from the encounter.
Despite his best efforts, it took the mechanic a while to fall asleep as he mulled over what he could have done differently in that situation. It wasn’t often that he was interested in someone, and his feelings had never bowled him over that soundly.
Whoever Robin was, she had left quite the impression.
The next morning was long and uneventful, the heat finally forcing Paulie and himself to retreat into the office with Duval. Having finished all their pending work the previous day, the three of them entertained themselves in the air conditioned comfort while they waited for another project, and for the people who had commissioned their help to come pick up their sea crafts.
Duval and Paulie had found a deck of cards in the back and were playing a game of Go Fish, while he manned the front desk and grudgingly went over some financial paperwork Iceberg had left.
The chime of the front door made him raise his sunglasses to the top of his head as he cried out an enthusiastic, “Welcome!”
“My, my… ” came a familiarly silky voice that made him swallow as he looked up at its owner when she approached the desk, “What a nice little business you have here, Mr. Savior.”
He stared, slightly dazed, up at the beautiful woman he had dreamed about meeting again, and tried to string together a coherent thought. Franky’s stunned expression finally slipped into a confident smirk as he once again found his voice.
“And what can I do for you, Miss Robin?” he asked, fully aware of the two gaping men behind him.
“What else can I ask of my white knight?” she said smiling softly down at the large man, “I’m in need of rescue.”
His eyes widened, but he quite liked the idea of being a knight.
“There’s just no helping it, then, my fair lady…” he grinned as he stood. He bent in a dramatic, sweeping bow, “How might I super assist you?”
Okay, I know his name isn’t Cutter, but I thought it might sound a little less ridiculous as a name in the real world…Please don’t kill me.
This is the first time I’m writing Franky, and I had a hell of a time trying to figure out how, so excuse me if he’s a little OOC.
Tides that Bind is in the same world as my Sanji x Zoro, Beautiful Baby Blues, just starting a little over a year before that setting, so there will be some tie-ins with that story, but hopefully none that will mess up the reading experience of anyone who doesn’t like that pairing and don’t want to read that story.
They are the first in the series of fics that come from the fictional Hawaiian island of Sogeki (the island that lives in your heart…)
