#[ ic. ] ─ ♪ 《 soul king 》

[soulsolid-a]

✩.    ...puts a tangerine whole in his mouth.

     It disappears, gone forever now.

[soulsolid]

@3style — continued from here, moved for beta editor.

✩. Since he'd joined the Strawhats he'd begun to find surprising benefits for his skeletal state. There were those he'd found during his time upon broken ship, his lightness for one, but newer environments —  the sudden presence of others  — had called for adaptations. Lack of flesh, with the muscles and nerves needed to control it, had meant he could project himself to who he wished to be. After all, how could one tell if he was holding his breath if he never breathed ?  How could one tell he was sweating, if he was unable to perspire ?

     Abilities that'd proven useful during his time as Soul King. It was easier to believe something without body to betray it. Perhaps that was why he rarely committed to the act. Unable —  unwilling  — to go too long without showing the world how he felt in some way. Exaggerate it, the need totake up space etched in his bones from the decades of loneliness, to prove he was alive. Bringing his fingers to drum lightly in thoughtless rhythm against the emptied remains of his cane. His feet tapping in accompaniment.

     Though he held himself back from pacing, from leaning closer as he watched the other test Soul Solid with the poise and grace of a true master. What a fool he must be appearing as, to be so restless over something so simple.

     He just couldn't help himself. He adored all of his crewmates, each and every of them had shown themselves to be such wonderfully incredible people, and each day he is grateful to be in their presence, honored to be part of their crew. Yet, after their captain, it was Zoro who he held the most respect for. The role of first-mate was one he was one he was well aquainted with, even if it'd been decades since he'd known the role as deeply as he once had. More than enough to admire the other, in any case. Beyond that, Brook had seen himself how blood-curdling  ( if only he had blood ! )  Zoro's prowess with their swords was from the first day he'd known them.

     It was difficult to not hold them in high regard in that way, and a smile would have appeared on his face if it could. Warmth brought from pride unfurling within his empty ribs at the swordsman's approval, accepting back Soul Solid with decorum, returning the incline and prayed it was enough to convey his own appreciation. Their question bringing him to a pause, freezing for a brief moment in surprise before he could recover. A small chuckle falling out once he did, more breath than laughter.

     Such a simple inquiry, and yet one he hadn't thought of in...  a long time.

" Ah... that's a very good question, Zoro-san, "    amusement coloring his tone, if only to stall for more time to think. Hesitating another moment or two, spine straightening as he returned Soul Solid to her cane.

" My love for music had come first. I grew up with it and learned in its art since my youth, "   he began, slowly at first, before forcing more confidence in his words,   " Yet my kingdom was at a time of constant war, I would sneak out between lessons to admire the training of our swordsmen. The way they held themselves with such elegance, "    prayed the uncertain waver in his tone was not noticeable, grateful once more for his lack of flesh and organs that could not betray his unease,   " And later, as the need for soldiers outgrew the need for musicians, I was conscripted into the army. "

     The memories were like shells buried within coastal sand, hidden deep by the relentless tide. Deep in the water as he could force his body to go without losing conciousness, digging each one out the second he caught their glint out of the corners of his empty eyes.

" I fell in love with the blade near instantaneously. It's truly not all that dissimilar to music. Both require a certain dedication. Respect. To work in harmony with your tool, to become an extension of it in order to make a symphony, whether that of sounds or of sinew and flesh. "

     Brook flicked his wrist and in the blink of an eye, Soul Solid was drawn and pointed to his side. A movement that he'd long perfected, requiring no thought to execute. A conductor's baton for an orchestra of bloodshed. Music and his blade had always been intertwined, his moniker of the Humming Swordsman well earned.

" Though we were trained in more traditional swordsmanship, I found myself favoring that which required speed and agility. It became a craft I would strive to perfect, until my proficiency had gathered our general's attention. I was given my own men to train and lead, a specialized unit used for both battle and espionage. And then later, upon Captain Yorki’s ship he... "

     He trailed off, phalange tracing the edge of Soul Solid’s blade. Doubt returning in full force. It always felt like taboo to invoke Yorki’s name when he had a new captain whom he pledged himself towards. Yet that life was more steady than his time within that kingdom in the West, where his tenuous grasp on recollections continued to slip, lost to the waves, leaving him with empty feeling that still succeeded in unsettling him no matter how familiar it was. But who’s to say what he had told was truth or mere delusion?  That the life he’d once lived in the skin of a stranger, that he’d so nearly completely forgotten about, had ever even happened?

" Yohohoho, ah !  My apologies, Zoro-san ! ”   nervous laughter falling out instead of pondering any further, apology falling out as shame took root. Such a simple question had not warranted such ramblings as though he truly was his age, not when he'd noticed how uncommon it was for their crew to share such stories,   “ I hadn't intended to go on such a tangent. I assure you, those days are far behind me, now. I'm more musician now than I've ever been a swordsman. Nowhere close to your passion for the art, in any case. "

     And he was fine with that. He was. Of course he was. Music was his everything, and if that’d left no room for his other loves, then certainly it was a shame, but he knew intimately there was no use in wondering about what could have been. He remembered enough of how to use a blade to pull his weight in fights, especially when supplemented with his other abilities, and that kind of relationship would have to be enough to support the constant battle of striving for improvement.

[soulsolid-a]

✩.     Captain’s birthday !!  How wondrous of an occasion !  He feels ready to jump out of his skin out of excitement!  Ah, not that he any skin to jump out of, yohohoho !  He’s already composed a multi-hour long album in Luffy-san’s honor on their wonderful exploits together and a few unrelated topics for the occasion, what a joyous day indeed !

[soulsolid-a]

did luffy care that brook might be enjoying himself with some tea? no, not at all, it was an all out water gun war on the sunny! everything was fair and nothing or nobody was safe!

✩.  Sure was a lovely day on Lion-chan, his lively captain and crew were all seemingly having a good time and wasn't that just lovely to see such cheerful displays. Thankfully, his old bones were surely exempt from such roughhousing where he laid resting in the shadows—

" Wait, captain !  Luffy-san, my tea — ! "

" Luffy-saaaan.... "   Betrayed !  Betrayed by his own captain !  Tea mixed with water now scattered across the deck as his body laid unmoving, accepting in his defeat. May whatever god he meets in the next afterlife welcome him more warmly than the last one.

[soulsolid-a]

✩.    ...Brook stares for a long time before tentatively pushing his plate of tea sandwiches towards his captain.

watches you, ready to take anything you drop on the ground for himself.

[soulsolid-a]

✩.    Nami-san can be so scary !!!  She makes him want to jump out of his skin !

      Ah— not that he has any skin to jump out of !  Yohohoho ~ !

[soulsolid-a]

✩.    Unable to hear their lovely navigator over the sound of Binks’ Sake intensifying. It’s party time ~ 🖤

[soulsolid-a]

✩.    “ It's a white handkerchief !           Careful now, knees on the ground !           Run away !  Precious white handkerchief !           You cannot escape your fate !  It is far too late !           The octopus won't wait !  Even there he waits !           Precious white handkerchief! Run away !           Find the black handkerchief of happiness ! ”

[soulsolid-a]

✩.    “ Agreed...  it’s so hot, I feel as though my skin is about to melt off... ”   pause.

“ Ah, not that I have any skin left !  Yohohoho ! ”

"it's so damn hot..." he's just going to lay on the cool grass of the sunny, he wasn't going to do anything for the rest of the day.

[soulsolid-a]

✩.    “ Today is the day !  We're aiming towards a new dawn.            All our doubts are gone, let's move along.            Cuz it's time to sail away !            For the New world !  For the New world !  For the New world,            Where our dreams will all come true ! ”

[soulsolid-a]

It had been an off day for the navigator. She didn't join the crew at dinner --- she just didn't have an appetite. She never did, around the anniversary of Bell-mère's death; instead of being with her friends, or even going to the library for her duties, she stayed holed away in her quarters, under the covers. When Nami was sure it was late enough for everyone to be asleep, she snuck downstairs into the kitchen, hoping to make some tea. A blanket wrapped around her shoulders to protect her from the chilling night air, it was clear she didn't expect company.

"Brook?" A tilt of the head accompanied her quiet steps --- still a graceful cat thief, she didn't want to scare him to death by sneaking up on him (even though he was already dead). "What're you doin' up?"

✩.    Waves were lapping gently against the side of Lion-chan underneath blankets of stars, a rhythm which would forever be familiar to his soul, even if never quite the same. It was comforting, knowing that no matter how much the world would change with or without him, nothing could quite leave a mark upon the sea.

     Night watches had always been a private pleasure of his, even long before he'd joined the Strawhats, when he'd sailed underneath different captains. Now though, he had reasons more than ever to enjoy them. Walking upon a quiet ship still filled with life was so starkly different from his years spent in the fog that it was far more difficult to mistake his new life for an illusion. Joyous banter could be hallucinations, on worse days. Calm silence was harder to fool.

     Although the company of another was never unwelcome, if unexpected. He'd startled when he'd heard familiar voice call his name, hands stilling from where they'd been just about to light the stove as he turned his head and inclined it towards their navigator with respect as he quickly recovered. A quick glance out the open door confirmed that it was yet night, and still far from the time for anyone to be awake —  if the absence of their chef, ready to prepare a banquet of breakfast, was anything to go by.

“ Ah, Nami-san, ”   there was still a surprised lint to his tone, though quickly covered by a light chuckle,   “ My, my !  Forgive me, for a second I thought you were a ghost. ”

     The banterous tone didn't last long, already fading by the end of his quip. A part of him was still hesitant to shake off the quiet lull of the night, hesitant to return to the world of the living in his boisterous norm, leaving nobody any doubt of his survival.

“ It's my turn to take watch tonight, ”   he explained, and he'd offer a smile if he could. As it was, he gestured briefly towards the open boxes of tea —  the blends he'd bought last time they'd docked — and prepared kettle he'd laid out on the counter,   “ I was merely taking some time to make myself a drink. Tea is quite a marvelous drink, if I do say so myself !  I was thinking that I would perhaps... ”

     His words trailed off, spine straightening with a touch of alertness as it crawled with a sense of wrongness. He turned more fully towards Nami, his head tilting slightly with concern.

“ Is everything alright, Nami-san ? ”  his voice remained gentle in his question, a touch hesitant,   “ Truly now, I mean you no offense, but you seem... a bit unwell. Did you have the meal Sanji-san left for you earlier ? ”

     He hadn't questioned it too deeply when their navigator had been absent for dinner —  perhaps it was an usual occurrence, one that Brook was simply unaware of, even if the others  ( especially their cook )  had seemed to share his concern. He did his best to refrain from being overbearing after he'd learned his lessons during his first few weeks, but... perhaps he ought to have inquired further. Though what right he had beyond worry, he wasn't sure.

     Nevertheless, he took out another cup, adding more water to the kettle and lighting the stove. It would be up to Nami-san whether she wished to share that which weighed on her or not. He could only hope to be able to relieve her of some of her burdens, Muses knew his knowledge in how oppressing those could feel.

[soulsolid-a]

❛ have you considered trying something else? ❜

SIX WORD SENTENCES.

✩.    The tips of his skeletal hands dug into his afro, scratching lightly against his skull in attempts to fight against his growing frustration. It didn’t make any sense. He never got writer’s block. Even during his fifty years alone, he could make himself come up with something. And yet nothing he composed seemed to sound right.

“ I have, Sanji-san, ”   Brook sighed, doing his best to keep irritation from bleeding into his voice. It wouldn’t be fair on the cook. There was no one he was upset with besides himself.

     He’d already tried with his guitar and violin, both resulting in failure much like now, with his hands hovering over the ivory keys of the piano. Tentatively bringing themselves down to play a quick and cheerful melody before ending in discord as he pressed his entire palm down. The tune hadn’t been bad, but it didn’t feel correct either.

“ Have you ever had those days where it feels as though something is simply...  preventing you from cooking ? ”   the question slipping out too quickly for him to catch it,   “ Where it’s — ”

     He cut himself off, forcing himself to relax  ( not that he had any muscles to be tense in the first place ! )  before letting out another sigh, shaking his head lightly.

“ My apologies, Sanji-san, ”   tone considerably gentler,   “ I do thank you for your company, I’m certain inspiration will return to me sooner than later. I can see it now !  Ah, not that I have any eyes to see, yohohoho ! ”   

[soulsolid-a]

❛  where do you think you're going?  ❜ - brook leaving without luffy???? how dare.

SIX WORD SENTENCES.

✩.    “ !!! ”   Brook startled at the sudden question, holding himself back from jumping in favor of turning his head around to look at his captain with a quizzical expression —  or at least, he would have, if he had a face to make expressions with !  As it was, he simply tilted his head a degree to the side, before understanding dawned. It was rather rude to try and leave without asking his captain or letting anyone else know beforehand.

“ Yohohoho !  My apologies, Luffy-san. I suppose I got too excited there. ”

     He stepped down from the railing, tucking his cane back under his arm as he spun around on his heels a bit to gave his captain a partial bow. With a small wave, he gestured towards the island they'd docked at for supplies.

“ I simply happened to have recognized this island !  It'd been recommended to me while I was on tour, although I hadn't had the chance to visit then. Allegedly, the craftsmen on this island offer some rather handsomely produced instruments that I would like to take a look at, ”   he was already plenty content with his current range of instruments aboard Lion-chan, but it could never hurt to widen his arsenal.

“ Say, Luffy-san, ”   a thought crossing his mind, attention returning towards his captain,   “ If you're not busy, would you like to accompany me ?  Yohohoho, after all, whatever instrument I might purchase ought to be fitted towards your interest ! ”

[soulsolid-a]

❛ we’ve been through a lot. i think we should just lay low & take it easy. ❜

200 RANDOM DIALOGUE PROMPTS.

✩.    “ But Zoro-san— ”

     He cut himself off, visibly frustrated as his teeth grinded in his skull. His usual composure was in tatters, hands trembling by his side as his entire body shook from both frustration and exhaustion. If it had been anyone else — save, perhaps, their captain — he would have put up more of an argument.

     But he knew the length their swordsman would go. They wouldn't have asked if they didn't think it was necessary. For Zoro, of all people, to say they ought to take it easy, then he knew better than to believe otherwise.

     ...Or, perhaps, what was more likely, for Zoro to believe that Brook should take it easy. How useless, his mind hissed; what a burden !  How weak must he have appeared to cause their swordsman to ask for rest !

     The hisses lacking no small amount of bitterness, surprising even himself. He took in a shuddering breath and quietly chided himself. Silence. There was no fault in the other for caring, and Zoro had long proven himself to be incredibly perspective. Although, the musician supposed he was doing a rather poor job of keeping himself together in any case. It'd... been a long week, and an even longer day.

“ Yes, yes, ”   he forced himself to relax —  how he could be so tense without any muscles still eluded him  — sigh falling out wearily,   “ You're right. My apologies, Zoro-san. ”

     They had done all they could, he knew. More than that, even. But still, he could not shake the feeling that there was more to be done; that they were wasting time, and he had already wasted far more time than he could have ever afforded.

     By the muses, he was the older of the two, far older, and yet Zoro seemed to be acting as the more mature one. The thought passing his mind with a huff as he finally sat down, lanky limbs curling up. What would Yorki think if he could see him like this ?  Probably laugh at him; the memory of his former captain, bittersweet, yet still comforting even after all this time.

“ ...Thank you, ”    sincerity in his tone, inclining his head towards the other. Now that he sat, he wasn't sure if he could get back up again. His resilience was different from his crewmates, many things were when he lacked muscles or organs, but his soul could only be stretched so thin. How on earth did the swordsman do it ?  “ I am rather quite out of breath—  ah !  Not that I have any lungs to breathe, yohohoho ! ”

[soulsolid-a]

@3style​​  —  starter call !

✩.    Fingers tapping lightly against metal holding, if he had any lips left he would’ve been chewing them. It’d already took quite some time pacing across the deck to get to that point, yet even then he still hesitated to finish his ascent upwards. It was always so difficult to tell how to act in the moments outside of jest, try as he might to adjust to the new times—  but he’d never let that stop him before, had he ?

     Letting out a silent laugh at himself and chiding his own indecision, he resolutely climbed up the rest of the way into the crows nest, rapping his knuckles against the floor as his head poked up into the room —  and surely enough, there his eyes caught  ( not that he had any eyes ! )  Zoro hard at work. It was inspiring, truly, even if his bones felt tired at merely watching the other.

“ Zoro-san ? ”   he called out, pulling the rest of his body into the room,   “ Apologies for the interruption !  I was wondering if you had any sword oil — or something as such — that I might borrow for a moment ?  I seem to have misplaced mine, yohoho ! ”

     Misplaced into the ocean, after having been startled by one of Usopp’s creations, and consequently fished out by the young man after he’d gone diving after it   ( how lively life was aboard this ship !  ).   In most cases, he’d simply wait until next time they dropped by an island to restock, but...  it’d already been quite some time since he’d last polished his blade, and their lovely navigator didn’t seem to have much hopes for populated land any time soon. Surely, it couldn’t hurt to ask their resident swordsman ?

[soulsolid-a]

✩.    “ Hmhmmhm, gather up all of the crew. It’s time to ship out Binks’ Brew... ”