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anubislover · 4 years ago

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Welcome to the Heart Pirates, Nami-ya chapter 19: Lying Hearts

“How can anyone stand to live in a city like this?” Nami grumbled as the light glinted off of yet another painfully white building. True, the setting sun had lessened the glare slightly, but after an entire afternoon of it, she was developing quite the headache, even with the sunglasses.

Law shrugged and continued walking at a leisurely pace, still unaffected. “I’m sure if you’re born somewhere like this it’s easier, but people can learn to tolerate almost anything given enough time, I suppose.”

“Do you think you’d be able to learn to tolerate bread?”

“I said almost. I’d sooner die of starvation.”

She shook her head with a chuckle but kept pace, following his lead. Instead of heading straight back to the submarine, Law had insisted on a few detours through Atifakuto—partially in case anyone had grown suspicious and decided to follow them, but also to scope out potential escape routes under the guise of sightseeing. Nami, for her part, had been exceedingly helpful in this, mapping out in her head which stairways lead where and pointing out various places to hide. If Law found her compliance suspicious, he didn’t say anything; it was in their best interest to work together, especially with some potentially valuable goods on the line, so her behavior was easily rationalized.

For her, however, there was more than artifacts or even belli at stake. This heist had to go well. She needed Law to trust her enough to open up about why he was so obsessed with Amber Lead. Perhaps if he could do that, she wouldn’t even have to sneak into his quarters to take a look at the ledgers. She could just ask and he’d let her in like a rational human being.

Of course, in order for either of their plans to succeed they needed to know where the vase was. Luckily, the rest of the Hearts hadn’t been sitting idle on the submarine. They’d been investigating every possible gallery, art collector, museum, and auction house their prize could possibly be at. The second they had a lead, they’d call on the mini Den Den Mushi.

Until then, though, Law and Nami were forced to meander about the city, planning and killing time.

“So, while we wait for some intel, what else are you going to buy me?” she asked as they wandered the fourth level. They’d passed quite a few shops, and while most had stocked dull business suits similar to the last store, Nami felt her bags were tragically light. They were in a beautiful-if-blinding city, and she was walking away with only one outfit? What a travesty.

Snorting dismissively, Law glanced down at her with a clear look of are you kidding me? on his face. “Nothing. I told you I was only getting you one outfit. I’m your captain, not your sugar daddy.”

“You know, for a man who wants this little job to go well, you’re not putting in nearly the effort you should,” she quipped, a sly smile on her lips, eyelashes fluttering prettily. “I’m supposed to look professional and put together if I’m gonna pull off being your lovely assistant. That means I need matching shoes and accessories. Maybe a cute leather purse or briefcase to really sell it.”

“If you want those so badly then buy them yourself. Or,” he smirked, halting his pace to turn around and catch her chin between his fingers, tilting her head up towards him as he stepped in close enough so she could feel his body heat, “you earn them by doing certain favors for daddy.”

Her cheeks only pinkened a little at his innuendos while she stuck out her tongue and shoved him away. Last night’s dream wasn’t quite as close to the forefront of her mind anymore, but that didn’t mean his smirk didn’t do things to her she’d rather ignore. “Pass. You should know by now that it takes more than clothes for me to play nice.”

“Mmm, I do. That’s what makes it so much fun,” he purred, gold eyes glinting in wicked amusement. One gloved hand was shoved into his pocket while his free arm slung itself casually over her shoulder as he continued stalking along the fastidiously clean road. “But since you’re currently insisting on being a strong, independent woman who doesn’t need a man to provide for her, you can instead borrow some shoes from Ikkaku, and she might still have a pair of glasses or something from the time she pretended to be a receptionist at a Naval base.”

Brown eyes widened at his statement. Not because he was suggesting that she borrow clothes or anything, but the bombshell he’d just casually dropped in light of her recent discovery.

“Was this for one of your plans?” she asked, shoulders stiffening.

He shrugged like it was no big deal, though he did give her a curious glance at the way she tensed beneath him. “Yeah. We needed someone on the inside, and they’d put out an advertisement for an attractive female in her early twenties. It’s not like Uni or Penguin could do it.”

“But…holy shit, Law, are you serious?” she hissed, dragging him over to an unoccupied part of the street behind a solitary gated tree so she could scold him in private. There weren’t too many people about, but the last thing they need was to get unwanted attention because they’d caused a scene, even if Law totally deserved to get chewed out at the top of her lungs for being such an asshole. “Ikkaku has Marine brothers who want her dead and you sent her into the lion’s den? What the fuck?!”

Caught off-guard by her anger, Law’s eyebrows shot up briefly before furrowing. “She told you about them?”

Damn. In her shock and anger on her friend’s behalf, she’d forgotten that this was a subject she wasn’t technically supposed to know. But instead of admitting guilt, she doubled down and threw on her best poker face.

“Yeah. She told me,” she lied easily. Too easily. It came as naturally as it had back in the days she’d been working under Arlong, getting close to pirates by lying through her teeth and then robbing them blind. How many crews and captains had she deceived before Luffy? Nami had honestly lost count, but once she’d joined up with the Straw Hats, lying to a supposed ally hadn’t been quite as instinctual.

But this isn’t Luffy, and Law’s keeping way more secrets than I am, she rationalized. It’s just a little white lie anyway. He’d be way more pissed at Shachi and Penguin for telling me. I’m looking after those guys.

Law’s expression hardened, and for a moment she wondered if he’d seen through her bluff. She didn’t think she’d gotten too rusty in the lying department, but Law was smart and distrusting in general, so she couldn’t quite tell. Trepidation hung heavy in the air as she waited for him to speak, mind going a mile a minute coming up with new lies and explanations to appease him. Worse came to worst, she could throw the guys under the bus, even if she didn’t really want to, but they were his best friends, so Law would doubtlessly be more forgiving towards them, right?

Thankfully, it seemed his anger came from a completely different place, as he snarled quietly through clenched teeth, “Nami-ya, I am, as you have pointed out rather frequently in the past, a control freak. Do you really think I would devise a plan that required sending my top mechanic into a Marine base if there was even a chance she could be recognized? Especially by her utter shit of a brother?”

She flinched at the vitriol in his voice. It seemed she’d touched a nerve, and unless she wanted to lose all the progress she’d worked for, she knew it was best to back down. “Sorry. You’re right.”

“I’ll accept your apology if you tell me what prompted her to tell you,” he stated, crossing his arms. “It’s not information she makes widely known, even to those who are permanent members of my crew.”

Well. At least this was easy enough to justify, and she’d be doing both Law and Ikkaku a favor, right? Sure, the guys would obviously tell him later, but being the first to warn him might earn her a few more crumbs of trust. “There was an article in the paper about Marine reinforcements coming to the Grand Line. Ushi was interviewed. He seemed pretty intent on taking down the Heart Pirates.”

Law froze, his frown deepening into a dark sneer. The tic in his jaw and the way his fists clenched reminded her of his reaction to Ikkaku having been attacked on Grimm. “That fucker will stay away from Ikkaku if he’s got any brains in him.”

“You’re pretty protective of her,” she said. Sure, he’d perhaps phrased his defense in a way that implied his priority was the plan, it was clear from the hiss in his voice that Ikkaku’s safety had been genuinely considered.

The brim of his hat hid his eyes as he stated, “I’m protective of all my crew. She’s just…it’s hard to find submarine engineers, let alone ones as skilled as her. Ikkaku’s hard to replace.”

Well that stinks to high heaven of bullshit, she thought. Sure, the Surgeon of Death had a rightly-earned cruel reputation, but he’d shown time and again his crew meant a lot to him. Stepping in close, she used her finger to lift his hat enough to see his expression unobstructed. “Is that why you let her sass you? Because if she walked you’d be dead in the water?”

The gold orbs glared down at her, though the held no heat. “Everyone on the crew is a vital component. Like gears in a well-oiled machine. You’ve gotta take care of them to make sure they don’t break.”

When Nami merely raised a disbelieving eyebrow, he sighed, body deflating slightly. “Look, Nami-ya, everyone on my crew, we’ve all got shit in our pasts. Some have overcome it. Some still carry the scars. Ikkaku…hers is one of the few that’s actively still trying to get her. So yeah, maybe I’m a bit more protective, but it’s for a damn good reason.”

Ok, now that was a fair point. “I’m surprised you haven’t just killed him.”

“Oh, I want to,” he snarled. “No brother should try to hurt their siblings. They’re supposed to look after them. The only reason Ushi-ya still draws breath is because Ikkaku begged me to spare his pathetic life.”

It suddenly dawned on Nami that, despite his criticizing Luffy for not being more bloodthirsty, Law was…surprisingly merciful in his own ways, too. He didn’t murder Ikkaku’s brother, despite having clear reason to, just because she asked. He rescued Jean Bart from a life of slavery despite not knowing him. And while she didn’t fully understand the Ope Ope no Mi’s powers, she wondered if his cuts didn’t draw blood because he didn’t want them to?

She wasn’t sure if he had a complexity addiction or if he genuinely wanted to minimize bloodshed, but once again another side of the incredibly fascinating man had been revealed.

Taking a deep breath to calm his anger, he gave Nami a sadistic smile. “Doesn’t mean I let him off the hook with a sternly-worded warning, though. Wanna know what I did to him the last time we met?”

Nami turned a bit green as she remembered Jinzo’s still-beating heart in his hands. Complex and caring towards his crew or not, he was still a twisted bastard. “Fuck no!”

Briefly he pouted at not getting to regale her with the gory details before shrugging. “Pity. It was quite the eventful evening. In fact, it was also the night of mine and Drake-ya’s first kiss.”

“How the hell are those two things connected?!”

“Well, I had to distract him somehow. He was guarding my poor mechanic like a dragon would a virtuous princess.”

Before she could demand more details, or even snort at the idea of Ikkaku being virtuous, the sound of the mini Den Den Mushi reached their ears, interrupting the conversation.

Looking around to make sure there weren’t any eavesdroppers, Law pulled out the little snail phone and clicked down on the top. “Guessing you’ve got something for me?”

“I do,” the snail answered, and Nami recognized the faint accent that indicated they were speaking to Cousteau. “Only one place that specializes in North Blue history. Jubilee & Atlas Antiques. It’s an auction house and gallery on the fifth level, a block away from the Elevate Deliverer Restoration Church.”

“Well that’s a needlessly long name,” he quipped, rolling his eyes. Mentally, Nami had to agree, though it also sounded vaguely familiar. “At least that makes it easier to find. Anything else I should know? Other landmarks, nearby guard stations, that sort of thing?”

There was a moment of hesitation before Cousteau replied, “No station, though there would probably be at least a few guards wandering around at night. It’s, uh, right by a fountain. Blessings from the White City.”

Nami’s eyes widened a little. Oh. Now she remembered. That had been the church with the huge stained-glass windows. The one in her book, by the tribute to Flevance.

“…I see.”

The little snail chewed its lip, clearly concerned. “Captain, if you want, I can do all the surveillance—”

“It’s fine,” he cut in, tone sharp before smoothing out, “I saw it earlier. In fact, I’m glad it’s so close. Nami-ya and I will check out the gallery. We’re nearby and I’d rather see it with my own eyes to get the lay of the land. Unless anyone else has a better lead, you and the others can head back to the ship.”

“Understood, sir. Anything else you need?” he asked, sounding relieved.

“Just tell Clione I might have a job for him later on, so don’t make any evening plans.”

“Aye-aye, Captain.”

The call ended, and Nami peered up at Law, expecting signs of the same darkness that had crossed his face when they’d visited the fountain earlier. Instead, his face was totally blank, staring down at the tiny snail, expressionless.

Somehow, that was far, far more unnerving.

“Law?” she asked, touching his arm hesitantly.

As if awoken from a trance he shook his head before smirking down at her. “Well, hope you don’t mind one last detour before heading back to the ship? I know it’s more stairs but look on the bright side; at this rate, the definition of your calf muscles will be a thing of beauty.”

He didn’t wait for her to respond, turning on his heels and heading towards the direction of the stairs to the next level. Frowning, she began to doubt whether or not this was all a good idea. She didn’t know exactly what his deal was, but she really felt like he was too close to this. But she had the feeling trying to talk him out of it would be an exercise in futility, and would set her back far more than any lie she might spin.

Oh well, she sighed internally, jogging to catch up, so long as he doesn’t do anything stupid. He’s sensible enough to keep a cool head, no matter what his problem is. It’ll be fine.

While it wasn’t far, it took longer than either of them would have expected to actually find Jubilee & Atlas Antiques. Mainly because it was a surprisingly nondescript building compared to the opulent churches and museums nearby. Honestly, based on the exterior, one could easily have passed it by. Like everything else the building was pristinely white, the windows boasting small arches over them and flower boxes containing white impatiens. Really, the most impressive thing about it was the marble plaque out front boasting the company’s name in gold leaf.

But the two pirates didn’t really care about the appearance; it was what was inside that counted. That, and the information board out front, which stated in bold, black letters that there would be a showing and auction of North Blue artworks at 8pm that evening.

“Why don’t you just Scan the place, grab the vase, and walk away? Seems like that would be easy compared to putting on this charade?” Nami asked, eyeing the building. It was hardly Harpin’s mansion; it would take almost no effort for Law to use his powers to steal every item of value inside it, replacing artifacts, paintings, and money with pebbles and potted plants with a mere flick of his fingers, then teleporting them away to safety.

Really, if he weren’t such an ass, Trafalgar Law would be a thief’s dream partner.

Of course, he was an ass, so he gave her a look that implied he considered her question to be phenomenally stupid. “Because there’s no guarantee that the vase is even in there—for all I know it’s being kept in a secondary location until the actual event for security or health reasons. It is a relic from a city that suffered a notorious death toll both before and after the World Government had quarantined it,” he explained lowly. “On top of that, my Room would draw too much attention, so if it’s not in there, we’ll have blown our whole cover and probably the operation.”

Though disappointed that they couldn’t just whisk it away with his powers, she conceded that he had a point. Versatile and useful as they were, the Ope Ope no Mi’s abilities did have their drawbacks. Actually infiltrating the auction house was a safer move.

Yet for a moment, she saw Law glare at the building, as if he were equally frustrated that they couldn’t just grab their prize and go. Perhaps even a great mastermind like him sometimes wished to take the direct path. “At least we can be sure it’ll be presented at this auction,” he reassured, almost as much to himself as her as his hand rested on Nami’s lower back while he escorted her away. “Makes it easier to come up with a plan and contingencies when I actually know the target. My crew did good.”

She twirled a strand of hair around her finger in thought. She supposed he was right, and the pride in his voice when he mentioned the Hearts’ contribution…well, she knew better than to argue with that. Seemed the lesson he learned on the last island was sticking. “Still too bad we don’t have blueprints like Harpin’s house, though.”

“It can’t be helped. That was a job I’d been planning for months. This is more…spontaneous. Why? Scared and looking to back out?” he asked, glancing down at her with a challenging grin.

Nami scoffed. She was a thief that specialized in robbing pirates. Sure, she was a scaredy-cat, but when treasure of some kind was at stake, there were few risks she wouldn’t take. “Not a chance. Just pointing out that we’re going in more blind than last time.”

“Maybe, but at least our prize will be out in the open and not in the home of a former Marine with tentacles. Hell, we might even get it legally.”

“Law,” she started, brow furrowing. She wasn’t scared, but she did have a reasonable concern, especially with how intent he seemed on this one item. “What are we going to do if we don’t win the vase?”

The pair stopped by the Flevance fountain, Law taking a long moment to stare solemnly at the beautiful white angels. Without a word he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small coin, pressing it to his lips before flipping it into the water.

When he turned back to her, his gold eyes were as hard as the statues’ and twice as cold.

“Simple; we take it from whoever did.”

XXX

Hidden in a small cove on an unpopulated section of Atifakuto’s coast, the sight of the Polar Tang’s sunny yellow hull was a welcome relief after a whole day of the city’s stark white walls. Law seemed to agree as his tense posture relaxed into a comfortable slouch, even giving a few of the guys a small grin when they called out to them. To Nami, of course, the submarine was still far from the Sunny and thus would never be home, but she couldn’t help but smile at Law’s reaction. The Dark Doctor really did have some softness deep down.

Of course, that didn’t last long, as the moment they were within the safety of the cargo bay he was once more all business. “Dinner is in an hour. Rest up, brush up on your notes, do whatever you need to prepare for the auction tonight; I’ve got a few more dominoes to put in place,” Law stated. He’d been silent for most of the walk back, though Nami attributed that to him mentally filing through all the information they now had and formulating his plan. Much as she missed and loved Luffy, having a captain who didn’t just go rushing in like an idiot was a nice change of pace.

That didn’t mean she appreciated his tone, though. “Say please,” she quipped, hip jutting out. She might have decided to be more compliant for the sake of gaining his trust, but that didn’t mean she was going to let him boss her around.

Besides, if she were too accommodating, he’d probably grow suspicious and then she’d be right back at square one.

He scowled but apparently decided it would be a waste of time to argue. They were on a tight schedule, after all, so her attitude would have to be tolerated. For now. “Please,” he grumbled before marching off, beckoning Clione to follow him. The biologist glanced between the two, bewildered, but smartly said nothing before chasing after his captain.

Flashing a self-satisfied grin at Law’s retreating back, Nami practically skipped to her quarters. Even though they weren’t as prepared as she’d like, so far, things were going well. Perhaps they couldn’t just use Law’s powers to swipe the vase, but by obtaining it through legal means, they wouldn’t have the authorities after them, which would be nice. Besides, it wasn’t her money that would be spent at the auction.

Her research of the North Blue had taught her a few things, including just how valuable things from Flevance were. After all, things made from the white ore had been in high-demand during the city’s heyday; now that it was in ruins, any remaining artifacts would surely triple in price. And, admittedly, if that fountain had been anything to go by, the vase could very well be extremely beautiful. Something any art collector or historian might want for themselves.

Once more, she wondered why the hell Law wanted it. He collected coins, not art, so she doubted it would be something he wanted just for the heck of it. What was his obsession with Flevance—

That train of thought was derailed when Nami walked into her room. She blinked then rubbed her eyes, certain her vision was still messed up from the sun, because Ikkaku was still sitting at her desk, working on some little device, practically in the same position as that morning. Really, the only difference was the lack of towel around her head, though her curly hair was a tangled bird’s nest.

“Have you even moved today?” Nami exclaimed loudly, flabbergasted.

The mechanic jumped a few inches out of her chair, a pen cartwheeling through the air before falling back onto the surface of the desk with a clatter. Apparently since she’d had the room to herself, she hadn’t felt the need to put the earplugs back in, leaving her vulnerable to Nami’s loud voice. “Damn, girl, you scared me,” Ikkaku said with a breathy laugh. She glanced around, noticing the time on the clock and the fact that her hair had dried completely. “Guess I was in the zone.”

“You haven’t been working all day, have you?” Nami asked, plopping her shopping bag on her bed. “At least tell me you had lunch.”

“Sounding an awful lot like Law there,” she teased, pushing away from her desk to stretch. There was an audible pop from her back, and her dark eyes closed in relief. “Like me, too. The boys and I are always bugging a certain workaholic captain to eat something and not subsist solely on coffee and aspirin. But to answer your question, yes, I did have lunch.” She pointed at an empty plate that had been shoved into the far corner of the desk, a few grains of rice stuck to the surface. “Bepo brought me some onigiri.”

“Good. If you didn’t, I’d be dragging you into the galley and force-feeding you a sandwich, then charging you a cooking and inconvenience fee.”

Snorting, Ikkaku cracked her knuckles and rolled her shoulders, further releasing the tension sitting hunched over in one spot for hours had built up. “Dinner’s soon enough; even if I hadn’t eaten, I could have waited. And good luck making a sandwich with no bread on board.” Despite her dismissal tone, though, she gave a wry grin. “But thanks for caring, I guess, even if it does come with a price tag.”

“What are friends for?” Nami shrugged with a smile that was a little forced. It was such an alien feeling, this sudden awkwardness. Since first arriving on the Tang, she and Ikkaku had gotten on like a house on fire. It was almost inevitable, being the two women on the ship surrounded by men dealing with that insanity together. Hell, even if that hadn’t been the case, Ikkaku had practically sacrificed herself for her back at the club on Grimm. A companion like that was more than she’d even dared to dream of before she’d met Luffy.

Was it really right for Nami to act like she didn’t know about her brother? Should she just tell her that the guys told her about Ushi? Really, what was the point of keeping it a secret? It wasn’t that Nami thought she’d slip up and spill the beans—lying was her specialty, after all—but Ikkaku wasn’t some mark or stranger. She was her friend.

Hell, even if they were on opposite crews, she’d even dare to call her nakama.

The issue resolved itself, however, when the other woman’s expression turned a little melancholy. Ikkaku sighed as she rested her cheek on her fist, her other hand idly playing with the pen. “Heh. Funny, I used to ask myself that question a lot when I was younger. I didn’t really have friends back on my home island. I lived with my Gramps in a lighthouse, so besides the occasional trip to town, it was a pretty isolated life.”

“What about your brothers?” Nami asked, masking her interest by taking her purchases out of the bag so they wouldn’t wrinkle before the auction. A swell of relief surged through her. If Ikkaku talked about Ushi herself, the whole charade of pretending not to know about him wouldn’t even be necessary! She just had to carefully press for the right crumbs of information, maybe even offer up a couple tidbits about her own life in exchange. No big deal. Tit for tat, right? “Nojiko was my best friend growing up. Hell, probably my only friend until Luffy came along.”

A dark look crossed Ikkaku’s face. “Yeah, well, Nojiko on her worst day was probably a way better sibling than all of them combined.”

“I don’t think you’ve talked about them much. I basically just know that they exist and said you wouldn’t really make it as an engineer because you’re a girl.”

A long sigh escaped her lips. “That’s…the nice version. Didn’t want to unload my shitty childhood on you, especially since yours sounded worse. I mean, my island was never taken over by pirates, and I didn’t work for the guy who murdered my mom.”

Well, that was certainly true, but then again, people with healthy, normal childhoods seldom became pirates. Or at least, those that did rarely lasted long on such cutthroat seas. Nami should have realized there was more to the mechanic’s past than some run-of-the-mill misogyny. “Maybe, but I don’t mind. We’ve all gone through some rough shit, right? We wouldn’t be in this line of work otherwise.”

“True. I just…I guess I just like to pretend he doesn’t exist most of the time.”

“He?” she asked as if she didn’t already know.

Ikkaku’s calloused hand dropped the pen to instead clench into a tight fist, and there was a haunted look in her dark eyes as she stared off into space. “Ushi. He’s the oldest. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t afraid of him. Spent our childhood making our other brothers use me as a punching bag. When he wasn’t doing that, he gave me almost hourly reminders that I was a burden on the family, that no one really loved me, that I’d never amount to anything.” There was a hitch in her breath and a pause, and Nami noticed her close her eyes tightly for a moment. As if she were fighting back tears. It was a look she’d never expected to see on the tough, vibrant woman’s face. “Then, when I was seven, he tried to kill me.”

“What?!” Nami exclaimed, dropping her blazer to the floor in shock.

“Yeah. Joras had a huge fucking forest, and he led me into it to look for mushrooms or some shit. Can’t remember. Next thing I know, he’s shoved me into a pit, and by the time I’d climbed out, he was long gone and it was night. I think…I think it was supposed to be my grave, ‘cause it was really fucking deep. Or at least it seemed that way. Maybe I’m misremembering.”

Somehow, Nami doubted that. Sure, memories could get warped with age and fear, but some details remained solid for the rest of a person’s life. “But, you got out, right? And I’m sure your parents must have been worried sick!” She could almost picture it. A young Ikkaku, sticks and leaves caught in her messy curls, knees and elbows scraped, face covered in dirt and tears, frightened but once more able to smile when she was finally found, her mother and father scooping her into their arms, scolding her for worrying them but just so relieved she was safe…

At least, that’s what Bellemere or Mister Genzo would have done if Nami had gone missing.

From the bitter laugh that escaped her throat, Ikkaku hadn’t been so fortunate. “I spent three days wandering around those fucking woods, scared and cold and wondering if I was gonna die out there. My parents didn’t even notice I was gone.” After a long moment of silence, her fist unclenched and some of the tension eased out of her shoulders. “Gramps found me, though. When I didn’t come home after two days and a storm rolled in, my brothers Nausagi and Fukuro ran two miles to the lighthouse to tell him what Ushi had done. Maybe they realized he’d gone too far. Or they were scared I’d come back as a vengeful zombie. Either way, Gramps rescued me and demanded custody. Mama and Pops were glad to hand me over. One less mouth to feed, and I wouldn’t be causing their Future Marine Hero any more trouble.”

“That’s…that’s horrible.” And yet Nami could tell she was getting the abridged version of the story. “Tell me your grandfather was a better guardian.”

Despite the childhood trauma she’d just confessed to, Ikkaku merely shrugged, a small grin tugging at the corner of her lips. “Yeah. He was. Gramps was crazy, but he loved me and taught me how to fight. Told me to never lose my smile, ‘cause that’s my best protection against a world that’ll try to break me.”

“Bellemere said something similar to me and Nojiko. ‘Whatever happens, never lose your ability to laugh. If you can survive, happy times, lots of ‘em, will come your way’.”

“Smart lady.” She tried to casually run her fingers through her hair, only to find them caught in the tangled knots. She let out a light chuckle at her predicament and added, “I think she and Gramps would have gotten along pretty well. Well, assuming she liked salty former smugglers who had the gumption to threaten Law with a shot gun. Not that he didn’t deserve it a little.”

Nami had to smile at that, and she could only imagine what he’d said that had nearly gotten him shot. It was definitely something snarky, a shit-eating grin on his face while he provoked a protective grandfather just because he could.

Noticing Ikkaku’s hair situation, she abandoned her suit to instead pick up a wide-toothed comb. “Well, I’m not sure about Bellmere, but I’d certainly love to meet him.”

“Of course you would.” Leaning back in the chair, she allowed Nami to carefully put her thick curls to rights. “How was shopping? Boss show you the blinding sights of the city?”

“It was…enlightening,” she said cautiously. There was still so much to sort out, and every time she thought she had an answer to one of her questions, four more popped up in its place.

Grabbing the pen she’d been playing with earlier, Ikkaku handed it to her over her shoulder. “Here; I made you something, since I doubt you’ll be able to bring your Clima-Tact with you. Kinda why I was so focused—I wanted it to be ready by tonight.”

Curious, Nami inspected the item. It was a plain black ballpoint pen maybe a bit longer than her hand. There was an almost unnoticeable jolly roger engraved into the middle, and she ran her thumb over it idly. “You spent the whole afternoon making me a pen? I could have just as easily brought my stylus.”

“Oh, but a stylus is only good for writing. This is so much more useful. ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’, right? Click the top.”

She did so, and instead of an ink-filled nub, a small syringe, similar to an epi-pen, popped out. Her eyes widened in realization as Ikkaku explained, “Inside’s a powerful tranquilizer. Should knock any fool out in minutes if injected into the bloodstream. Takes longer if it’s ingested. It’s non-lethal to humans, so it should be safe to use on anyone you’re looking to knock out. Assuming they aren’t really Fishmen in disguise.”

“Why? Does it react differently for them?”

She grimaced. “Yeah. Severe allergic reaction. Anaphylactic shock typically. So, unless you want that on your conscience, humans only.”

Tucking the pen away for later, Nami nodded in understanding and went back to combing her hair. “Gotcha. Doubt it’ll be a problem, though. Jean Bart said this place is pretty humans-only.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s impossible for someone to have that kind of bloodline. If it’s diluted through a few generations, a lot of the time you can hide it and pass for human.”

“Hmmm, hadn’t thought of that.”

There was a moment where Nami could tell she was mulling something over. Even faced away from her, Ikkaku wasn’t hard to read, and it was only a matter of time before she voiced whatever question was on her mind.

While she waited, the ginger took the time to appreciate the texture of Ikkaku’s hair, combing out each curl individually so it wouldn’t frizz. The thick, black locks were coarser than her own, yet surprisingly soft despite her hard life at sea. Hair maintenance was extremely difficult living on the ocean, the salt and fluctuating weather of the Grand Line wreaking havoc on Nami’s much finer strands. And while Ikkaku was far more feminine than one would expect upon first meeting her, in the time they’d roomed together, she didn’t seem to put much more extensive care into her shiny locks than some leave-in conditioner.

Guess she’s just got some good genetics, Nami thought appreciatively. Either that or she’s hiding some amazing shampoo formula, and damn if she is I’ll never forgive her!

When Ikkaku at last broke her silence, the hesitation in her voice was palpable. “Hey, it was a Fishman who held you prisoner all those years, right? You ever…blame all Fishmen for what he did?”

It was an unexpected question, but a fair one, Nami supposed. Arlong had committed a crime so heinous she knew she’d never forgive him, and she knew there were plenty of people, especially ones who spent years abused by such a monster, who would project that hatred onto an entire race. But why even ask?

“I…not really. I mean, I can’t say I never lumped them all together in my head, since Arlong and his crew were my only baseline for Fishmen for a long time.” She bit her lip, thinking. “But that was when I was a kid. My view of things was a lot more black-and-white, mostly because I was bitter at my situation. As I got older, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was stupid to think all Fishmen were like him. He was the one who hurt me, so he’s the only one who should get my hate.”

“So, you don’t hate them all?”

She shook her head. “Nah. Hell, I was even able to forgive a member of his crew. I’m sure you heard about how Luffy punched a Celestial Dragon?”

Ikkaku craned her neck up to look at her, dark eyes widening in shocked understanding. “Yeah? You saying the Fishman he defended—”

“One of Arlong’s crew. Hatchi. Like all of them, he hurt me too, but it was on his captain’s orders, and he clearly regretted it.” Well, it had been a bit more complex than that. Hell, when they’d first encountered him again, she’d nearly gone back on her promise to Camie to rescue him. Even if he hadn’t abused her like the others, he’d still been complacent in it. Still destroyed villagers homes, held her hostage, attacked the Navy ships that tried to come to the rescue. He hadn’t been blameless in the least. She would have had every right to demand that he be left to be killed or enslaved. That it was karma come to bite him in the ass.

Yet what had swayed her, apart from Camie’s determination to save him, was her own friends’ reactions to seeing him again. Those who knew her past had immediately been ready to turn the ship around and leave Hatchi to his fate. Of course she’d expected Sanji to be her knight in shining armor and want nothing to do with someone who had abused a lady, even by proxy. Zoro and Usopp had been a bit more surprising, though perhaps it shouldn’t have been. They knew what she’d been put through. Had fought and bled for her. Despite their sometimes heated disagreements, Nami knew she could count on them to always have her back.

The one who shocked her the most was Luffy. He might have flip-flopped between reason and his stomach, but the fact was, her loving, forgiving captain had actually held a grudge on her behalf. Hatchi and Arlong hadn’t done anything to him personally, but his nakama had suffered, and that wasn’t something he’d easily set aside. That genuine show of solidarity and loyalty to her had melted what ice had still been around her heart, which allowed her to truly forgive the octopus Fishman.

Yes, Hatchi had hurt her, but her hatred was solely reserved for Arlong, not his underlings who genuinely felt remorse.

“I’m not a saint or anything but hating Hatchi…it seemed pointless. He wasn’t the one who killed my mother. And blaming all Fishmen for the actions of one seemed pretty shitty. Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t kill Arlong if I had the chance, though.”

Nami could practically feel the tension drain from Ikkaku’s shoulders, and she couldn’t hide her smile before she looked away. “That’s good to know. That asshole deserves it, from what you’ve told me. He and my brother should meet, then get sacrificed to some kind of horrible sea monster. Plenty of hungry Sea Kings out there to feed.”

“Couldn’t happen to a nicer pair of guys,” Nami giggled as she ran the comb through the last strand of hair. “Though, that might be cruel to the Sea King. Poor thing deserves a better meal than shit like them.”

“True. We’ll just have to think of something else then. We can ask Law; he’s always got great suggestions.”

A shudder ran down her spine, though she had to admit, it wasn’t as horrified as she’d like. She justified it with the fact that Arlong was scum who deserved whatever painful death the likes of Law might propose. So did Ushi, from the sounds of things. Though, Law had said Ikkaku had begged him not to kill her brother. Why? Did she still care about Ushi due to their familial ties? Or was there something else?

Maybe she just doesn’t want her brother’s death on her conscience, Nami thought, putting the comb away and proceeding to raid the closet for shoes. I just hope that doesn’t come back to bite her someday.

XXX

Dinner on the Tang was certainly livelier and noisier than breakfast. Mainly because the crew didn’t have to walk on eggshells while waiting for Law to get his caffeine hit. Most of the time about a dozen different conversations could be heard, utensils clattered against plates, insults were tossed about, and laughter filled the air. But at the moment, the whole galley was silent save for Nami, who was telling the Heart Pirates—save for a few who’d been sent out on last-minute errands—all about her crew’s wild adventure on Skypiea.

“…so, after Luffy beat the crap out of him, Enel flew off to the moon in his gold airship, and we escaped the island with the help of an octopus balloon, our ship loaded with treasure!”

There was a pregnant pause as the Hearts stared at her in a mix of awe and disbelief. She’d had their undivided attention ever since Law announced that the Straw Hats had found Noland’s lost city of gold, all but demanding she tell the tale and not skimp on the details.

Naturally, those details made the story even more bizarre, practically unbelievable, but she gave them what they asked for, so they couldn’t complain. Even Law’s jaw had dropped once or twice in incredulity. Mostly at the part where Luffy’d been eaten by a giant snake and thus been hidden from Enel’s senses.

Finally, a few of the crew managed to find their voices.

“An orangutan nearly wrecked your ship with singing?” Shachi asked, face utterly baffled.

Penguin grabbed his hat and smacked him over the head with it. “That’s what you’re stuck on? That’s from way back in the beginning of the story!”

The ginger punched him in the shoulder in retaliation, which quickly devolved into a childish slap fight. “Well it’s weird, ok?”

“Weirder than Straw Hat punching Kami or the knock-up stream business or the ship that flew to the moon?”

“Yeah! You ever met an orangutan that could sing?!”

“No, but that’s not the point!”

“You met Monte Blac Cricket?” Ermine interrupted, eyes so wide the whites could be seen even under the rim of their hat, though their mouth quickly split into a smile. “Holy shit, I’d wondered what had happened to him!”

“Wasn’t he your friend or something?” Seiuchi asked through a mouth full of rice.

They shook their head, looking a little wistful, a faint blush rising to their cheeks. “Just a neighbor. The people of Lvneel were dicks to his family and anyone who associated with them didn’t get treated much better. But I always thought there had to be some truth to Noland’s story.”

“Because a city of gold is so fantastical it’s gotta be real?” Nami asked, amused. She’d half-expected everyone to laugh at her like the people on Jaya when she’d asked about Sky Island—she’d even glossed over that part, finding no reason to recap such a blow to her pride. Yet instead, they’d been respectful, even entranced by her tale. It seemed to help that she’d been able to fill in a few blanks with what she remembered from Noland’s ledger, thus adding credibility to the man himself instead of just imagining the lying fool the king’s slander had reduced him to.

Usopp would probably love these guys, she thought fondly. Not that they’d likely believe his fantastical lies, but they’d probably at least let him spin his yarns to his heart’s content.

“Because you don’t tell a king about a city of gold unless you’ve got something to show for it,” Uni interjected wisely, ladling some more curry onto her plate. He paused to smile at her with his eyes, the bottom half of his face still distinctly covered by his bandana despite it being dinnertime. This close, Nami couldn’t help but try to subtly look for signs of scarring, and in fact could spot a line of slightly-paler skin peeking out just over the edge. “That, and history’s rarely all that accurate. Full of lies and twisted to suit a certain narrative.”

“That’s the World Government way. I’m sure we’ll see plenty of it tonight,” Law stated, leaning back in his chair as he munched on some onigiri. The bulge in his cheek might have been comical, but the glint in his eye was humorless. “Can’t wait to hear the dumbass assumptions people make about us Northerners.”

Murmurs of agreement echoed throughout the room, though an angry tic formed on Nami’s forehead.

“Are you saying the stuff you had me study is going to be a load of crap?” she demanded, pointing her finger accusingly. Of course she knew history was skewed at best, but she’d spent days cramming! Had weird sexual dreams about him because of it!

Yes she was blaming the book for that and no one could stop her.

He shrugged and took another bite of rice, unbothered by her irritation. “It’s the information you’ll need to be able to regurgitate if anyone asks you about the North.”

“Yeah,” Penguin chimed in, nodding sagely. He and Shachi had finally been pulled apart by Jean Bart and had resumed eating like nothing had happened. “These people aren’t interested in the truth. They just want to feel superior to the ‘uneducated masses’.”

“Buncha pretentious pricks,” Shachi sniggered, balancing a spoon on his upper lip. “Bet they’d have a fucking fit if they found out El Dorodo’s not only real, but in the fucking sky!”

“I mean, can’t say I’d blame them,” Jude grumbled, playing a bit with his food like a grumpy child. “I figured we’d be the ones to find it, but this whole time we’ve been sailing around in a submarine for nothing!”

“You got something to say about my ship?” Ikkaku snapped, glaring at her crewmate. Behind her, Crozier, Cousteau, and Ermine made slashing motions across their throats, silently reminding him that disparaging the Polar Tang in any way in front of its chief engineer was a sure death sentence.

Before he could say anything, Uni thwapped him on the forehead with the spoon, apparently taking just as much offense. “How can you say it’s been for nothing—we’ve found tons of cool shit down here! May not have been El Dorado, but there have been some amazing sunken cities. And fish! We’ve discovered more aquatic animals than any other ocean explorer,” he pointed out excitedly, Cousteau nodding in agreement. “I mean, we’ve seen deep-sea fish not recorded in any book! Extracted hallucinogenic venom from puffer fish! Taken samples of bioluminescent plankton! We’ve seen octopi punch fish!”

“You ever figure out why they do that?” Shachi asked, cocking his head.

“Best I can figure? Spite.”

As weird as this little tangent was, Nami found herself giggling a bit at how excited Uni was. She didn’t know him too well, given how he was one of the quieter, more reserved members of the crew, but it was endearing to see him so animated and giddy as he discussed marine life.

“Plus, it’s cool to study navigational currents and everything, and underwater topography. The maps I can make from that kind of intel are really good,” Bepo added, twiddling his claws a bit beside her.

“Right! And if that’s still not enough to convince you, who needs a city of gold when you can get your hands on more sunken treasure than most pirates see in their lifetimes?” Uni asked, puffing out his chest.

She couldn’t help it—Nami’s eyes lit up with belli signs at the thought of how many sunken ships the submarine probably came across, all that gold theirs for the taking. Most treasure was basically lost once it hit the bottom of the ocean, but the Hearts’ ship and diving equipment turned the ocean floor into their personal piggy bank.

It seemed Jude had the same thought. “You’re right, you’re right,” he conceded, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry, it’s a great ship, and we’ve definitely found more than a city’s worth of loot—and yes the fish are cool Uni put the spoon away—but it’s still annoying to find out that we’ve been searching the wrong place this whole time.”

“Eh, happens to every pirate crew,” Jean Bart said, sipping his drink. “You find a treasure map only to discover the gold’s already dug up. Same with legends of lost cities. The fact that the Straw Hats actually found El Dorado and came away with a profit just means they’ve got the Devil’s luck on their side.”

“Or the favor of some god. Probably not that Enel guy, though,” Shachi said with a smirk. “And hopefully nothing from Joras, either.”

There was a murmur of agreement among the crew at that, though Ikkaku looked more uncomfortable than amused. Nami wasn’t the only one to catch that, though, as Uni reproachfully smacked the side of his head with the spoon.

“Dude. Don’t joke about the eldritch horror gods, yeah?”

“Sorry,” the ginger said, blushing slightly as he wiped away the curry splattered across his face.

“Eldritch horror gods?” Nami asked, recoiling at the thought. What the fuck?! Joras sounded vaguely familiar and given the context she guessed it had to be someplace in the North Blue, but she sure as hell didn’t recall reading anything about that! Was this something related to Northern culture, or were the guys just fucking with her?

“Nothing to worry your pretty little head over, Nami-ya,” Law stated with a smirk, though she didn’t miss the glare he sent Shachi’s way. “We’ve been sailing under the ocean for over five years and I’ve yet to see a sleeping god who can turn you mad with terror.”

“No, just an underwater ruin or two that talks about him,” Ikkaku muttered, picking at her food.

Underwater ruins with tales of sleeping gods? Sounds like something Robin would be interested in, Nami thought, nervous sweat running down her neck. Not that she’d be able to blame her. Sure, the archeologist was macabre as hell, but Nami could appreciate her thirst for knowledge, creepy or not. Who knew what history and cultures had been lost to the seas? Maybe there were even Poneglyphs down at the bottom of the ocean!

Damn. Robin and Law would probably get along great. She wasn’t sure if she was frightened or comforted by this thought.

Uni seemed to notice her unease and patted her shoulder. “We’ve seen some strange stuff down there, but nothing more dangerous than Sea Kings. Which, I mean, aren’t exactly friendly guppies, but they’ll leave us be. The Tang’s Seastone coating and electrical defenses ensure that.”

Though she still found the whole concept horrifying, she was appreciated how hard Uni was trying to keep the peace and not make things needlessly frightening for her. The whole crew had a morbid sense of humor, but while she’d mostly adapted, she still found this whole conversation creepy. It made her feel a little guilty for wanting to pry into his business. Yeah, it was annoying to know the crew was hiding stuff from her, but Uni deserved a little privacy, right?

“Yeah, and if there were anything more, Uni’s fish buddies would warn us ahead of time!” Malamute added.

“Fish buddies?” Nami asked, eyebrows lifting to her hairline in surprise. So much for respecting his privacy. “Wait, can you talk to fish?”

The man in question stiffened beside her. “I, uh, I can understand fish a little,” he said, looking nervous. His large hands twisted the napkin in his lap, and he refused to look at her. “It’s a Haki thing.”

“Haki can do that?” she asked, surprised.

“Observation Haki can do a lot of things, and Uni’s the best at it on the ship,” Law cut in harshly, glare brokering no argument. “It’s a skill that’s saved our asses plenty of times.”

Nami blanched at his defensive tone. “Hey, I’ll take your word for it, but you don’t have to act like I insulted his mother or something.”

“It’s ok, Law,” Uni said, shrugging a bit, though his face seemed to sink a little further into his bandana. “I know she didn’t mean anything by it. It’s a fair question, and it is a weird talent.”

“It’s not weird. It’s fucking useful as hell and I won’t hear anyone belittling my crew.”

“I’d never belittle him—” Nami snapped, starting to stand up to give Law a piece of her mind before Bepo’s heavy paws fell on her shoulders, gently but firmly keeping her seated.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized softly. “Law doesn’t mean you. It’s just…the last person outside the crew that found out, he was extremely cruel about it. Beat Uni to a pulp and even threatened to sell him as a freak show attraction before Captain found them.”

“Oh my god,” she replied, anger cooling quickly as she covered her mouth in horror, imagining Uni bruised and bloody on the ground at the hands of some bastard. Well, that would sure as hell explain why Law had taken such offense. If such a thing had happened to Chopper because he could speak to animals, she’d likely be just as pissed. From the scowls on the rest of the Hearts’ faces, the whole crew felt similar. Her gaze flicked to the fuming captain. “I’m guessing he ended up on your operating table?”

“I wish,” he growled, gold eyes glinting in fury as he crossed his arms. “Marines showed up before I could cut out his heart. Must have been his lucky day, but luck won’t be enough to save him if I ever run into Hyena-ya again.”

“Hyena?” she asked, the name not ringing any bells.

“Bellamy the Hyena,” Bepo explained, snout wrinkling in distaste. “He’s also from the North.”

Oh. My. God, Nami thought, wondering if the world was really so small. “You said Bellamy, right? Blonde hair? Spring powers? Asshole with a stupid grin?”

Law cocked an eyebrow in mild surprise. “Seems you’ve encountered him before.”

She ground her teeth as she remembered the way he’d mocked Luffy’s dreams in the bar. “Yeah. On Jaya. His crew laughed at me for asking about Sky Island and his first mate tried to buy me. Later he stole Cricket’s gold, so Luffy went after him. I didn’t see the fight but given what an ass that guy was…yeah, Luffy wiped that stupid smile off his face.”

Once more the room fell silent, but quickly broke out into thunderous applause.

“Hah! I would have paid good money to see that!” Ikkaku laughed, spirits lifted.

“If he hurt Cricket, I’m glad he got the beating he deserved,” Ermine said with a grin.

Uni smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling happily. “When you see Straw Hat again, shake his hand for me! That guy’s a dick.”

Even Law was put in a better mood, though there was still a malicious edge to his smirk. “Good on Mugiwara-ya. Still wouldn’t mind doing some permanent damage to the fucker myself, though. Bad enough he insulted my crew, but that bastard should pick his idols more carefully.”

Nami’s brow furrowed at that. His idols? The hell did that mean?

She didn’t have time to vocalizing that question, though. Sweat ran down her neck when said smirk then took a more lecherous edge as he rested his chin on his fist, eyes glinting with mischief. “But Sarquiss-ya tried to buy you? I might have prioritize kicking his ass, then. I’m the only one who gets to be your sugar daddy.”

“Oh shut up! You didn’t even buy me new shoes!”

“You got her a suit but no shoes? For shame, Boss,” Ikkaku giggled, getting up to help Seiuchi and Jude clear the tables. “I thought you were supposed to be a ladies’ man.”

“I’m a cruel bastard who doesn’t do something for nothing. She can borrow yours.”

Sauntering over, she playfully poked him in the forehead. “Says who?”

Law snorted and childishly poked her right back. “Me. Your captain. The guy who pays your salary.”

“You pay me to keep the submarine running and sass you when you’re being an idiot.”

“I don’t pay you for that.”

“Mmmm, you’re right; that’s a service I provide for free.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say those two were siblings,” Nami chuckled under her breath.

“Right? When I was first recruited I was convinced they were secretly related,” Uni agreed.

Bepo gave them both a smile and said quietly, “I think it’s good for them. Especially Law. I think he secretly likes having a little sister again.”

Brown eyes widened at that little tidbit. Law had a sister? What happened to her? Bepo had stated the past tense, so there was either some kind of falling out or…

…oh no, she thought, turning to watch Law continue to bicker good-naturedly with Ikkaku, his expression annoyed but the glimmer in his eyes belying that he was enjoying himself. Another piece of the puzzle that was the Surgeon of Death had fallen into her lap, but it wasn’t a particularly happy one. Sure, people died or were killed all the time, but Nami couldn’t imagine what she’d be like if she’d lost Nojiko. And depending on how young they’d been or how she’d died, that could really fuck with a guy.

“Nami-ya.”

Her attention was yanked from her musing as Law called her name. He was on his feet, plate clean and smirk dangerous as he regarded her. Nami wondered whether this would be the last time she’d see him in a genuinely good mood for the rest of the evening. “It’s seven o’clock. Time to get ready to watch history be defiled by pretentious morons. And for your obnoxious thunder god’s sake, make sure you’re wearing shoes you can actually run in.”

( @ninhaoma-ya, @awesomi, @vannahfanfics)

#Fic: Welcome to the Heart Pirates #lawna #trafalgar law x nami #Trafalgar D. Water Law #lawnami #op fanfiction #op fanfic #heart pirates #heart pirate nami #ikkaku one piece #one piece ikkaku #uni one piece #law x nami #cat burglar nami #one piece nami #nami

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facets-and-rainbows · 5 years ago

Text

Blue Exorcist 10th anniversary book Q&A session

The 10th anniversary book has a section where Katoh answers 100 questions submitted by fans on Twitter, so here they are translated/paraphrased! May contain manga spoilers up to the recent flashback arc, so be warned.

(Note that I’m playing it very fast and loose here because there are A HUNDRED OF THEM, so not exact wordings, but it should capture the gist. Lemme know if there are any you want elaborated on)

1. Katoh likes the feel of traditional drawing more than digital but is impressed with how far digital has come

2. Meph THOROUGHLY ABUSES spacetime to watch all his shows and ensure that he gets all the merch he wants

3. Did the girls take all of Yukio’s school uniform buttons in middle school? Yes, they did (apparently it’s like A Thing for girls to ask for a button from their crush at middle school graduation, based on some sad movie from the 60s where a guy who got drafted as a kamikaze pilot gave a girl one of his uniform buttons to remember him by)

4. Rin's tail is about a meter long

5. There are tons of servants working at Mephisto's mansion. Belial is in charge of them

6. Katoh borrows from all sorts of neat real locations when making settings

7. Katoh identifies with pretty much all the characters the most! Except Lucifer.

8. Demon designs she's proud of include the impure king and hachirou, pretty much anything that was the main one in an arc

9. Katoh lists a bunch of her favorite musical artists/music she’s listening to recently: King Gnu, Official Hige Dandism, Kenshi Yonezu, BAD HOP, Sakanaction, Keyakizaka 46, Hypnosis Mic, Aimer, B’Z, Queen Bee.

10. Awww the rabbit manga that characters are often reading isn't just Robo to Usakichi, it's an even older one that she drew as a little kid

11. She likes industrial style interior designs

12. Rin and Yukio alternated who got the top bunk growing up, because they couldn't agree on it lol

13. Katoh cares a whole lot about panel layouts and speech bubble positions, might even be her favorite part of the process (it shows!)

4. Katoh does NOT have a mashou, lol

15. Rin has probably been practicing in secret so he can learn to carry stuff with his tail

16. Izumo probably got into shojo manga around 1st grade, her mom had some around the house

17. Specialty dishes: Rin - lots of stuff but especially nabe Yuri - stuff you can throw together quickly Shiro - stuff he learned from Yuri and/or cookbooks, alongside teaching Rin Yukio - Does. Not. Cook.

18. Can't pick a favorite place she's been on research, but there's no place like Japan

19. Kinzou's band isn't currently meeting because demons, but he's probably still thinking of new songs

20. Hardest characters to draw: anyone with detailed flowing hair. Hardest to write for: Lightning and Gedouin. She had to go read books about serial killers specifically for material for Gedouin, lol

21. Suguro actually gets a dorm room to himself, though allegedly Yukio is technically assigned as his roommate, lol. Didn't end up that way what with Yukio being a teacher and also Rin’s whole...situation

22. Shiemi makes some of her own hair accessories! Cute

23. Katoh doesn't mind if you include stuff with fan letters but check with the editor first

24. Time for making each chapter: Planning/storyboarding: 1-5 days. Sketching: 3-5 days. Drawing/inking: the rest. Just...the rest of the time

25. Neither Suguro nor Izumo have dated before and neither is currently dating. But that's probably just because things were hectic for them! It could happen

26. Yukio breaks 5 or 6 pairs of glasses a year, someone get this kid a strap or something

27. How many spare glasses does Yukio have? Check the fanbook lol it's in there (dang it Katoh)

28. The demon she wants us to pay the most attention to is Lucifer. Because plot.

29. What's under the Order's big meeting table? It's a BOTTOMLESS PIT and if you fall in it you DIE that's what makes it COOL (laughs)

30. What are the job requirements for the angelic legion? Literally just Arthur liking you and inviting you to join

31. She WANTS to do more character profiles but just hasn't gotten to it

32. Rin's tail feels like a cat tail, texture wise

33. The "red Assiah fire" is literally just actual fire nothing special

34. Rin's current hair color is light blue fading to white at the ends

35. Thoughts on Rin's growth: she likes that he stays positive in awful situations and she also thinks it's very main character of him to face the past instead of avoiding it

36. Mephisto didn't purposely surround Rin with stuffed animals when he woke up after going crispy. Mephisto's bed is just Like That

37. Kurikara was based on a cool sword she found in a sword book, but that one was technically just a ceremonial sword. The symbol on it us a Sanskrit letter kaan (sp?) associated with Fudou Myouou

38. Kuro can communicate with normal cats and hangs out with them often

39. Sometimes Shiemi's skirt is extra fancy around the hem what's up with that? Apparently it's an optional accessory that comes with the skirts help I haven't noticed this and don't know any fashion terms in any language

40. When coloring, Katoh always tries to have an overall theme in mind ("emphasis on blue" etc) so it comes together in the end

41. Yes the twins are genetically related to Shiro because of Goro (she says they're like his nephews but I say GENETICALLY at least they'd be indistinguishable from his children)

42. Strongest mom of all the strong moms around here? Yuri! Did you SEE her give birth??

43. Are you careful about your own health Katoh-sensei? Not particularly! Her mom has had to bring her food at work sometimes! Don't do this at home kids

44. At the dating events Shura goes to, does she drink cocktails in moderation? Yeah, she probably downplays her normal drinking habits at these things. But normally she's down for just about any kind of drink

45. Lucifer just really likes oysters okay

46. How many pages of manga does Katoh draw in a day? If she's being good about self-care: three. Maximum number ever: TEN

47. Mephisto is one of those folks who can eat like a garbage compactor and never gain weight. Possibly because his body resists that sort of change the same way it resists aging etc

48. First food Rin cooked: fish burger type patty. Yukio's favorite things Rin cooks: fish simmered in soy sauce, yellowtail with daikon radish. It's fish all the way down

49: Did Rin ever get more monthly allowance from Mephisto? It doubled! He gets TWO 2000 yen bills now (rip) [T/N: That's uh, that's USD $37.26 a month or 33.10 euro]

50. Why isn't Rin more popular with the girls? He gets nervous talking to them, plus he's too oblivious to notice even if he DID have some fans

51. Why change Suguro's hair? She gets bored with keeping everything the same, and she wanted a visual representation that he was getting serious and going into kind of a training arc

52. Things Katoh pays extra attention to when drawing: trying to capture the feel of whatever she's drawing (like "that looks warm and soft" or "I bet that guy stinks" cough Lightning cough)

53: Does Rin take after Yuri more? (He's got her eyes!) Katoh tried to draw Yuri so she looks like both twins. Personality, too - Yukio has her smarts and Rin has her optimism

54: Do you ever wanna be like Mephisto? Well she'd like to be able to get away with just ANYTHING EVER, but no, let's not be like Mephisto

55. Konekomaru not only carries around a cat toy in case he meets any cats, he MAKES cat toys to carry around based on what he thinks the cats would like

56. How'd you come up with Shima? Go read the fan book!

57. Do the kids have Twitter/Instagram accounts? Rin - probably not. Konekomaru might be on some social media. Paku and Izumo are totally on instagram

58. Is there something Rin makes that you wish you could try? All of it! That's the whole idea! He's good at cooking!

59. Will we ever have a (G-rated) reveal of what ALL of Mamushi and her family's tattoos look like? Maybe! She'll think about it

60. Does Arthur have a repertoire of different hairstyles? Not really, he just puts some of it up on the top. Heck he might even have people to do that for him

61. If you wrote a shojo manga what would it be about? She'd have to do a lot of research before even coming up with a story, since there are so many style differences between the genres aside from just the subject

62. The other two of Mephisto's top 3 favorite foods: Cup ramen and....f-fried bubblegum?? Is that a THING???

63. Where do you start when drawing a character? Usually the outline of their face but if it's a complex pose/composition she'll start with whatever's in the foreground (like hands)

64. If Katoh could have a familiar, what demon would she choose? Mephisto. As the all-powerful author, she might actually be able to command him as a familiar!

66. If you swapped Yukio and Rin's relationship around what would change? not much, you'd pretty much have Rin going to the Illuminati and Yukio going to the past

67. Top 3 foods/souvenirs to try in Kyushu? Well she doesn't know what’s good CURRENTLY but when she was there she always used to like burdock tempura udon, hakata torimon (a kind of manju with white bean paste inside), and Chikae style cod roe. today I learned Katoh went to high school in Kyushu

68. Katoh listens to music a lot while she's storyboarding, then when she and the assistants are all drawing and inking they put various videos/movies and stuff on in the background

69. For all his hitting on girls, is Shima actually popular with the ladies at all? He's got enough girls in his life that he probably COULD find a girlfriend if he really wanted, but the double agent thing tends to get in the way. He still wouldn't be as popular as Yukio though (side thought/translator’s note: Shima would be proud of being number 69.)

70. Katoh has the ending planned out in a big-picture way, but there are still a few details here and there that she's fretting over

71. It's cute when the boys put their ties over their shoulders when they're working on something! Where'd that come from? She just figured a tie might get in the way and that seemed like a realistic way to get it out of the way

72. Looks like Yukio is getting some facial hair! What about Rin? They're both about the age for it, but maybe Rin can't grow a beard yet. Maybe a little peach fuzz here and there

73. Katoh's favorite blue exorcist merch? There were some exorcist licenses a while back, and the exorcist pins. Basically it's really cool that these little accessories she drew ACTUALLY EXIST NOW, LIKE YOU CAN HOLD THEM IN YOUR HANDS

74. Okay realtalk how long do we have left, I don't want the series to end yet? We're solidly in the second half by now but it's not, like, ABOUT to end yet

75. Katoh would be a Knight meister, based on what characters she likes to play in games and such

76. How many people in the whole exorcism cram school? More than you think! She doesn't give a number but apparently licensed exorcists also attend classes for new meisters, etc, so there's a wide age range attending

77. How's Arthur feel about, like, studying Taming on the way to becoming Paladin? He's at least mostly accepted that you have to use demons to fight demons effectively

78. Konekomaru started wearing glasses in his first year of middle school, so like 7th grade (more recent than I thought!) He has one spare pair, in contrast to Yukio lol

79. Katoh's current obsessions? Ghost/scary stories! She's even been going to live readings of them recently

80. Media Katoh consumes for inspiration? A wide range of foreign teen drama, horror/suspense, shojo manga, light novels, anime, etc. Special focus on things where two boys are in conflict or there are brothers involved

81. If they weren't exorcists what jobs would they have? Rin - chef. Yukio - doctor. Shiemi - uh, florist?

82. Inspiration for the design of True Cross Town? Katoh and her assistants gathered up a bunch of references, picked out stuff they felt matched the tone, and mashed them all up together

83. Did you use any references etc for the school/exorcist uniforms? She says she probably should have but she just kind of made them up before publication

84. Favorite part of drawing? For color pages, picking out a color scheme. For black and white, drawing in all the little details (though she doesn't always get time to lately)

85. Once again confirms the demon kings' weird hair is a representation of their horns. ADDS THAT PEOPLE WHO CAN'T SEE DEMONS CAN'T SEE THE WEIRD HAIR

86. Now that Yukio's at the Illuminati, where's he gonna get his Jump SQ and spare glasses? Well he probably never planned to stay for long, but hey it's a big ship and they might have an optometrist and/or newsstand there

87. Do you base the demon characters on any references etc? Not really, she just gets a general idea of popular demon designs and then makes up her own in her own style

88. Merchandise Katoh personally wants to have made: stuff that an adult could just use in their day to day life. Also, it's not gonna happen, but if her favorite figure brand made AoEx figures she could die happy

89. If Beelzebub's host body was a beautiful woman, how would Shima react? Would the womanizing win out over the bug phobia? Katoh replies that Shima would probably just faint from being near a girl that pretty, before the bugs even got involved

90. Will the twins ever get to smile and eat dinner together again?? We'll just have to wait and see!

91. What do you check at a "scenario check"? what's a scenario check man I dunno They check for people being out of character or the setting feeling off. They had a lot of these checks for the anime, but they also do them for the drama CD, games, and all that other stuff where multiple authors are involved

92. Why does Shura use baldy as an insult for people who are clearly not bald? She feels like they have some kind of metaphorical, mental kind of "baldness" and she's calling them out on it. Whatever that means

93. After Blue Exorcist ends, what do you want to draw next? She has SO MANY IDEAS, SO MANY

94. Did Katoh make up the Shinto chants that, for example, Izumo used against Gedouin? They're assembled from bits of actual Shinto prayers according to what feels right in the scene

95. Yukio reads the Jump SQ, right, and, just hear me out here, he likes gag manga, right? Does this mean he reads Salaryman Yukio? It's something he would read, but let's say that in the AoEx universe there's just a very similar manga that he finds oddly relatable

96. What do Yukio and Shima do in their free time on the Dominus Liminus? oh my god you guys this ship has so many amenities. Yukio probably spends time reading in the library, which they totally have. There's also, like, a gym, and a movie theater, and a THEATER theater, all of which are free. Shima probably hangs out at the pool (!) and goes to the movies, and hits on illuminati girls, lol

97. Easiest character to draw? The ones with boring simple hair, lol. Lightning gets an honorable mention for ALSO not having eyes in most shots, but Rin wins--he was specifically designed to be easy for Katoh to draw because that's what you want in your main character

98. How do demons understand gender? They just possess whatever feels like the best match to how they feel in Gehenna, whether that's a man, or a woman, or a rat, or whatever

99. Where do you start when you're coming up with a story? She starts with character design and how the characters relate to each other. Currently she's just continuing an existing story, so she works on splitting up the overall plot into episodes and fleshing it out with scenes and information about characters

100. When do you feel most happy? She honestly feels like she lives a very happy life overall. Mentions noticing a lot of little things, like how nice her cats' heads smell when she cuddles them or taking a nice cold refreshing drink of water. There's happiness in everything. aww.

#blue exorcist #interview #Ao no Exorcist #translation

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eccentricpony · 5 years ago

Note

Hi can you do hc of summer troupe after great sardine search w/ reader who loves their ears?

Hi there! I sure can! These ended up being long so I’m splitting them up. First up, Muku + Yuki!

UPDATE: Check out Tenma, Misumi, and Kazunari’s imagines for this request HERE!

· If Muku was a cinnamon roll (note: he is), then those cat ears added at least 2 layers of icing. He was precious beyond words.

· Muku was already the softest romantic soul you had ever met, but when he did his tiny kitty mewling on stage, you felt yourself falling in love with your little prince all over again.

· When he saw you backstage following the premiere performance, his mouth split into a huge grin. He still could not believe that he had someone like you in his life. You were sooo so cute, and sweet, and funny, and he wasn’t even sure if you were real because you were just so perfect and he literally pinched himself one day because he thought he was dreaming but he wasn’t because nothing happened it just really hurt and he did absolutely everything he could to maintain good karma because he really didn’t think he deserved you.

· Only he did; he treated you like an angel, and you returned all of his sweet, thoughtful gestures in kind.

· You were totes sympatico, at least that’s what Kazu had said.

· Muku’s cheeks flushed as he approached, and you closed the space between you and curled your arms around him. Even after a hundred hugs, you were still surprised at the feeling of the wiry, athletic frame beneath you, reminding yourself once again that your shoujo manga loving dreamer had a history as a track star.

· Pulling back, hands still clasping either side of his upper arms over his furry vest, you looked into his bright eyes, a pale powder blue that stole your breath, especially when they were gleaming as brightly as they were just now. You could not be prouder of this boy for the immense confidence you could see building within him every day, and you could sense that he was pretty pleased with himself, too.

· You were both speechless for a moment, just drinking in each other’s glee. Shyly, you broke the ice by bringing attention to his costume.

· “These are soooo so adorable!” you exclaimed, running your fingers over one of Muku’s gray cat ears.

· He couldn’t feel it, of course, but the physical attention made his breathing shallow.

· “I know, I want to keep them! Yuki always makes the cutest costumes!”

· With the mention of the sharp-tongued costume designer, you lifted your finger from an ear for a moment and peered over Muku’s shoulder to ensure that Yuki wasn’t giving you the stink eye for touching his creation. All clear.

· When you returned your attention to Muku, you noticed a thin wet streak dividing his cheek.

· “M- Muku, are you crying?” You kept your voice low, quickly wiping the tear from his soft cheek with the backs of your fingers, not wanting to draw attention. You knew how emotional he could get, but you had not yet dismissed the possibility that these weren’t happy tears.

· “Sorry, I- “ Sniff. “I’m just so happy!”

· “Aww, my cutie!” you wrapped your arms around him, and he collapsed into your embrace.

· He had heard that super cool Itaru had cried tears of happiness after the Spring Troupe’s production, so it wasn’t an unmanly thing to do it, right?

· He glimpsed over your shoulder to where some of his fellow troupe members- no, his friends chattered excitedly about the night’s performance. He was accepted here, he was a valued member of a team, and now with you in his arms he had the fairytale love that he had never thought he deserved.

· Yuki already knew the cat ears he created for “The Great Sardine Search” were adorable….because he made them, of course!

· HOWEVER

· Yuki did not expect you to become as starry-eyed as you did when you saw him wearing them.

· He knew he made adorable clothes, but he was still coming to terms with the fact that you thought him to be adorable.

· And ohmygodhewassocute. Those ears integrated into his neatly combed hair perfectly, and he looked just like a little kitty. A testy, super grouchy, spatty little kitty. Yuki was such a cat.

· “Can I give them a tiny smooch?”

· ^@#$%^$^@!! You didn’t deserve a response for asking such an outlandish thing. Did you know how many hours it took for Yuki to sew these to perfection? Fine, Taichi helped. A little.

· “FINE, no tiny smooch.” You reassessed your approach.

· “Can I pet them a little? Carefully?” Time to pull out all the stops “They’re just so perfect, they look so REAL!”

· Of course they do; I made them. Mentally denying the swell in pride at your approval, Yuki consented to this with a curt nod.

· You give him a hella big squeeze, and then stroked one of his floofy little peach ears with a poorly suppressed giggle.

· Everything about the costume was indeed perfect. You knew how high Yuki’s standards were, and somehow he never failed to exceed them.

· There were just far too many embarrassing things going on right now and Yuki.exe was experiencing an infinite loading screen.

· “Careful!” he’d finally hiss, cheeks reddening. He reached up to ensure that the cat ear you touched was intact (he’d have to check for stains later)

· “Sorry, Yukichi!” you offered dismissively, still transfixed on the soft, angular protrusions from your boyfriend’s head. You met his eyes with a warm smile. You were so proud of how talented he was, and you still couldn’t believe you were able to gain his affection despite his perpetually icy shell. It was a rare occasion, but there were moments (usually over-worked, over-tired moments) when you got a private little snuggly Yuki all to yourself. So you didn’t mind snappy Yuki - he wouldn’t be Yuki without that sass, after all - and you knew that tucked deep into that stony exterior, there was a softer, loving Yuki that you knew was for you and you alone.

· “You’re the cutest, Yuki. I just love your little nose,” you cooed in a softer tone.

· “Uh, I’m not wearing a cat nose?” he replied with a huff, ignoring the acceleration of heart palpitations thumping gently in his ears.

· “I know that, it’s your nose that’s just too cute.

· The apples of Yuki’s cheeks are now a lovely crimson red that match his scarf in a way that he would appreciate.

· “Okay, no more touchy,” he said brusquely, but gently removed your hand from the accessory on his head, holding your fingers just a tad longer than necessary. “Do you want me to have to spend all night mending these when we’re supposed to be hanging out?”

#a3!#a3! actor training game #a3! imagines #a3! headcanons #a3 x reader #a3! yuki #a3! muku #muku sakisaka #yuki rurikawa #a3 yuki #yuki x reader #a3 muku #muku x reader #a3 imagines #a3 headcanons #act! addict! actors!

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hoodiedidnotdie · 6 years ago

Text

Maybe

Pairing : Bloo x artist reader (ish)

Genre : Fluff(?), Angst(????)

Summary : you're Bloo's next door neighbor and sometimes you're also his escape

A/N : there are so many Bloo angst on here and my heart can't take it ;w; so sorry if it feels very self-indulgent....

Bloo leaned against the railing, a cigarette in one hand and a bottle of alcohol in the other. Despite the soothing wind of the night that cooled significantly the otherwise hot weather, frustration was still making his skin crawl and worsening his mood.

Earlier during the night Nafla had convinced him to stop and rest after seeing him irritated towards the lack of progress in his new track. The red head had to gently coax the man out of the studio with a promise that he'll help him the next day and take a few drinks with him. Daniel reluctantly left and had decided to head to the closest bar he could find ahead of time to try and drink away the negative thoughts.

Walking into stuffy place filled to the brim with intoxicated people seemed to not help his current sour mood. Usually it really wouldn't have bothered him, but seeing so many happy and free of stress while he was slowly sinking into madness trying to figure out his next song, which was also his income, ruined the experience for him. Daniel remained near the entrance for a while, debating whether to leave and drink alone at home or stay and wait for Nicholas to join and hopefully lighten his mood.

The latter choice was chosen when the idea of trying to persuade his friend to pay appeared. After fixing his shirt and jacket, the man headed towards the drinks.

However, before he could even take a few steps closer to the counter, the view of the girl who had oh so excitingly planned to move in with him after months of dating grinding down on another man stopped him in his tracks. The same girl texted him Goodnight 2 hours ago.

Anger flared up to cover the hurt he felt and without wasting time he ripped off the matching necklace he wore. Daniel stalked angrily through the crowd, pushing people left and right to reach her. The said accessory was then roughly pushed into her hand.

"Can't fvckin believe how fvckin cheesy I became for a b!tch like you." He lowly growled to her frozen face.

With that, he turned away and left, leaving the whole bar staring at either his horrified ex-girlfriend or his livid back. It's only after reaching the convenience shop a few blocks away did he remember to text Nafla to forget about the promised drinks.

Shoving his shut off phone in his back pocket, he used the crumbled bills he found in his pockets to buy whatever alcohol he could afford from the shop. The young cashier was both surprised and scared to see one of his favorite artist visibly fuming while ringing the products at the machine.

The walk for Daniel to home was filled with angry and sad thoughts and curses. When the key to his apartment failed multiple times to insert itself in the slot he was ready to scream out profanities in the middle of the hallway.

All these events eventually led him to pulling his hair restlessly while smoking and drinking on his balcony in the middle of the night.

Finally, after another drag from his dying cigarette, he let out a tired sigh.

+++++

A sudden frustrated cry drags him out of his own miserable thoughts to the balcony beside his. The small sound of distress surprisingly pulls a snort of laughter out of him. In no time his favorite neighbour walks out onto her own balcony.

You step out of your room with a hand scratching the top of your head and a huff of exasperation escaping your lips. A hoodie and shorts was all you wore for better comfort while working at home. Your pen for your tablet was still clenched in your hand and it seemed like if you haven't realized that Daniel was also out.

"Work again?"

His voice startles you slightly and you jump a bit, making him chuckle in his semi drunk state. Maybe also because he found your reactions a tiny bit cute.

"Yeah.... They're giving me an even shorter deadline than what we originally agreed but I really need the money..." you respond after sending him a stink eye.

The two of you met during a night like this when he stepped out for a smoke after his now ex-girlfriend left. You happened to be out too to take a breather from a project. You guys bonded over the difficulties of both having rather artistic jobs, him being a rapper and you being a freelancer artist.

Since then you often chatted across balconies and helped each other out, him shutting the loud neighbours up with a single look when you complained and you babysitting his pets when nobody else could during his tours.

"By the way... You look pretty down. Something happened?" You notice when he spaces out and seems even more lost than usual.

Another thing he liked is that he could confide to you since you weren't really part of his everyday social circle. You were sometimes his time out.

".... Caught her cheating on me." He mutters as he looks up at the sky.

Silence followed his answer, which was not very usual with you. It made him wonder for split second if you were even listening.

"I'm sorry, but thank fvckin hell it happened." Daniel was surprised but also slightly irritated by this.

"Hey-" "I know I have not really any rights to say this since I'm practically a bystander, but I never really liked her despite only seeing her a handful of time. My guts don't like her. Women's instinct are quite accurate I have to say." You patted your stomach to emphasize your point.

This comment made his already weak patience snap. However, when he looks down ready to bite back, his irritation magically dissipates seeing your arms on your hips and your pout. The pout that you always have when you are genuinely sad.

"It's just that,,, it looked like she was never really there for you. I'm sorry for what I just said, it was too harsh. But really, you deserve better anyways."

You guys kept the eye contact going for a bit more before Daniel decides to look sideways. Keeping eye contact with you was never easy for him since his stomach would lightly churn for some odd reason.

"Yeah, you're probably right. But it doesn't erase the hurt of getting the thing you actually invested time and effort in shattered. She was the first that I was committed to." He brushes his hand through his hair as he speaks.

You smile gently and give him a reassuring look that sends the smallest tingles throughout his limbs. "I don't know when but I can promise you that one day, you'll meet the one meant to be with you."

Strange enough, this comforts him enough for him to smile back.

"Now, pick up these bottles and crush that cancer stick, pretty sure your pup doesn't like those one bit." You huff out before moving towards your glass door. "I have to go back to work so goodnight! If you have a hangover tomorrow morning you can come knock at my door for painkillers (again)."

For once Daniel listens to you and finishes up his bottle in one gulp while putting out the cigarette. He then proceeds to pick up the many empty bottles littering his balcony. It was only then he realizes how tired he is.

"Hey."

He looks up.

"Sorry again, but really, you're more than what you think." You send a last apologetic look and disappear into your room after that.

Daniel chuckles to that and shakes lightly his head.

Perhaps maybe, he wants you to be part of his life a little bit more.

#kim hyunwoong #bloo #bloo scenarios #mkit rain #mkit rain scenarios #khh scenarios #k hip hop scenarios #k hiphop scenarios #k hiphop

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axliconss · 7 years ago

Text

No one would had ever imagined Bill Bailey turned Mr. Axl Rose would become a father at the early age of 23 years old, no one back home in Lafayette, Indiana that is. In midst of the bullies, kids who poked fun at him for being the nerdy bookworm, the dorky ‘smart kid’, the kid who couldn’t ever catch a girl’s attention. Not in a million years. Then again, they would had never imagined he’d be in L.A making music and actually getting that very recognition they thought he could never receive either. Now, the girls around the strip and guys, would probably expect Axl to get a girl pregnant from a one nightstand. But…that isn’t the case. The redhead found the love of his lifetime in that corner in an L.A club one January, not very many January’s ago at all. A blue dress, a mess of dark curly hair frame her oval face, the dark hair and color of blue that complemented her crazy-beautiful azure eyes. Sky blue, mesmerizing blue. She had the personality of an angel, way her voice was softer than a sweet melody, her name…Erin��would roll off the tongue like honey. It fit her well, like she was made to be named something so light and graceful. But just like him, she had something troubling about her. Erin wasn’t all perfect. Good intentions, a big heart, but definitely flawed.

It’s why he’s struggling so hard at being a single father. This wasn’t meant to happen, not so soon. But one night of making up without protection led them here and neither of them was about to think about abortion no matter how unprepared they were and still are. Axl’s at a battle with himself, he’s much too young, the chaotic frontman trying to figure the world out himself, let alone at this fathering thing. It’s surreal to think he even is a father, surreal to look beside his bed and see a tiny baby either grinning up at him, giggling or crying for his attention in her crib. A little girl that has a mixture of both of their features, his red hair and Erin’s beautiful blue eyes. He sees a lot of her mother in her features. Eris Hope Rose. Eris, he loved that name because it resembled Erin’s and the meaning behind Hope is everything the little bundle of joy is. Hope for him, the daily reminder that there’s always hope and how she’s came and saved him in every way. Every time he sees them though, it reminds him why he’s so angry. He ran Erin away after one fight after too many of her provoking him, a whole court ordeal was about to go down if she didn’t, another conflict to add to the fire was when she told him she finally had her big break at her career but it was across the country in New York and suddenly he felt like she cared for neither of them, so there’s quite a few reasons why he told her to get gone.

Why she’s STILL gone.

This is what life is though, like it or not. Axl’s just dragged himself in at 3 AM from working a local gig down on the Sunset Strip, the sitter has just left and the baby is crying no more louder than she possibly could cry. All the other guys were giving him a hard time, telling him he’s such a bummer having to run home for a ‘baby’, not staying for the partying. The life of rock and roll. Drugs, booze and sex. Well, those days are over. The boy turned into a man over night has alas learned the hard way. He’s not proud of himself for a lot of things, but this…this is one. Coming home, avoiding all of it and realizing she’s not /just/ a baby. She’s his responsibility now. He’s cladded in leather pants, leather jacket, cowboy boots, a blue bandana and all of his accessories. Rings, snake skin belt, his shiny cross necklace. But the redhead is still here in the cruddy kitchen of his shitty apartment, despite his appearance and the career he pursues, fixing up a warm bottle for his child. He’s doing his damned best.

The young father trails back towards his room once the bottle is ready, picking Eris up from her crib and walking to the living room with her in his arms. Sitting down in a recliner, it’s ripped and torn, it’s not much, but it still rocks. His bangles clang, holding the baby in one arm while his free one guides the rubber nipple into her mouth. It works immediately in soothing her crying and Axl smiles, times like these he can’t help but find it easy. If only it was always this easy. “You sure wear me out, Eris.” Axl speaks to her, chuckling tiredly. “But..it’s okay. One day, da-da is gonna have enough money where he only has to work on the days when he wants. One day, daddy is gonna have you a big room. Us a big nice home, it’ll be cozy and you’ll love it. And you’ll have a big yard to play in with a biiig swing set. Maybe we’ll have a puppy too!” Excitedly speaking to her for her benefit, watching her content eyes turn happy as her cheeks dimple in a cheesy smile while she sucks on the bottle at her father’s demeanor. “That sounds great, doesn’t it?” Axl mirrors her sweet smile, nodding. Glancing up at their current surroundings though, he sighs at the room. Chipped paint on every wall, dirty carpet although he tries to keep it vacuumed even if there’s nothing he can do about the stains, an old ugly wooden couch from the 70s splashed in orange and brown patterns against the window in front of the red recliner he’s sitting in now, a tiny window air conditioner over by the balcony door that doesn’t even open without having to shake it open with some strength. The air barely puts out but it helps some. And a tiny television next to it against the wall that plays about five free channels, but at least a few channels for babies and children comes on them so it gives something to entertain Eris with in the mornings.

Once the strawberry haired baby is finished with her bottle, Axl burps her and then takes the empty bottle to wash it out. “Okay, baby. Time for sleep so dad can get a bath.” He’s ridiculously soft when it comes to her, he didn’t even know he could be so gentle until she came into the world honestly. Eris isn’t having it though, her belly is full but she’s ready to romp when Axl trails back through the small apartment, into his bedroom and slowly puts her down in her crib that Vicky, his past manager was nice enough to get for him because he sure couldn’t afford it. The baby begins to whine the second the bigger redhead let’s her go and turns away, cracking into a noisy cry already and Axl’s only had time to get a new pair of underwear out. “Eris, I’m right here. Daddy’s not gonna leave you.” Sighing, turning back around to tend to her, he knows she won’t understand though so he has no choice but to pick her up. The crying immediately stops once she’s back in her father’s arms, Axl wipes the wetness on her cheeks away with his thumbs, “Now what am I gonna do with you?” Sighing again, trying to think of ideas but he has none. Attempting to place her back into her crib, Eris’s chubby legs begin to kick and another angry cry emits from her, she doesn’t want to be alone even for a second. Axl lifts her again, beginning to get frustrated himself. “I have to get a bath some way, somehow. I stink like shit.” Groaning, head falling backwards. “Sorry. Don’t repeat that.” Realizing he shouldn’t say any curses around her, he doesn’t want to have a child repeating after him once she does get a little older and knows what he’s saying and can talk herself.

Walking to the bathroom, flipping the light on, Axl tries to get some new ideas but nothing. What the fuck does a parent do when no one else is around to watch their child when they need to shower? Axl decides to go back into his room, taking off three of the pillows from his bed and some toys from it before he walks back to the bathroom and closes the door, that’ll keep her from escaping at least. Placing the pillows down on the rug, he makes her a comfy little spot before placing Eris on top and placing the bear that was Erin’s that she left behind on top of her lap. “Play with Bubsy, he wants some attention.” Axl coos, making him dance before she giggles, tiny hands grabbing for the fluffy bear and finds it entertaining for a second. At least long enough for the singer to escape from all the leather, shedding every piece of clothing that smells like smoke and sweat until he’s naked. Pulling off the blue bandana around his head, the necklace, his bracelet and rings, Axl places them on the counter before he turns and finally begins to run the bath water that he’s in much need of. Grabbing his cloth, he gets to step into the nice shower for a brief moment until Eris is whining for him after he’s disappeared behind the curtain.

The bear is long disregarded, Eris crawls to the wall of the tub and tries pushing herself up on her feet. Axl senses her and hears the fussing which has him groaning in stress but amusement too, “This kid just won’t let me rest.” Speaking to himself, pulling the curtain back and finding a little redhead staring up at him wanting in. Is he seriously going to have to even put her in the tub? When he’s right here. “Alright, little Rosebud. You win.” Axl sits down on his knees, pushing the curtain back a little so he can unbutton her purple onesie, laying her on her back to remove her diaper and lifting his child up. “I guess you need a bath anyway.” Since she had a bit of an accident before he left for his gig earlier. “You’re so cute.” Chuckling as he lets her back get wet, holding her to his chest. Cute cause she’s all grins and happiness now that she’s back with him, not even that far apart and she wasn’t satisfied until he was holding her. What a daddy’s girl, makes him grin ear to ear. Tiny hand grabs his wet hair, still finding it fun to pull even when soaked. “Ow. Not so hard.” Wincing, laughing regardless though. Axl takes the cloth, getting it wet, picking up the pink Johnson & Johnson bottle to squeeze out some baby soap, placing it down and beginning to rub the cloth gently into her skin. Running the cloth over her baby-smooth back, chuckling all the while as her father bathes her as she has her own fun in the rain of the water, clapping her small hands underneath it and finding it as the most interesting thing ever. Once he’s got her body clean, Axl lastly takes the cloth to her little feet, “Gotta get the little piggies good and clean now.” Laughing at her giggling, giving them a wiggle, making sure they get good and sudsy before he’s finished. Rinsing her off, washing all the soap away, all that’s left is her hair. Reaching down to squeeze some baby shampoo into his palm, Axl begins scrubbing that in next.

Careful not to get it in her eyes before he holds her underneath the water, shielding her eyes and rinsing the soap. She doesn’t like it too much, but luckily it doesn’t take too long. “Okay, all done. You’re a clean baby now.” Smiling, now it’s his turn. Scrubbing bar soap back into his cloth, he starts on his face, over his shoulders and arms, switching Eris in different arms to get the other before switching her back, his torso and then his lower parts before he’s finished. Dancing underneath the water as he rinses off, he’s successful in getting more giggles from Eris. Hearing her cackle is the best sound ever, no other song or sound even compares. What a dad does to get the job done is pretty amazing since he starts on washing his hair with only one hand, lathering soap into it the best way he knows how and scrubbing it until his whole head is clean with shampoo which is tiring with just one hand. Getting it completely rinsed out alas, he’s relieved once the soap is all gone. He finally can get out of here.

Hand reaching down to turn the knobs off, finger pressing down on the stem to switch the shower head to the faucet so the next time he turns it on it won’t drown his head. Leaving the cloth on the ledge, the wet redhead pushes the curtain back and steps out. Grabbing a towel to wrap around his waist and grabbing another towel for Eris, drying her off until she’s good and dry. Keeping her wrapped up in the towel so she doesn’t get cold, Axl lets her sit on her bed of pillows on the floor until he can dry off himself. Soaking up all the wet beads that dot his porcelain skin until he’s dry too, wrapping his hair up in the towel he pulls on his underwear next, applying deodorant before he’ll start on his face. Rubbing the shaving cream he picks up into the stubble until half of his face is covered in cream, grabbing his razor next and taking a few minutes to carefully remove the hair from his face. Once it’s completed that task, he cups water in his palms, rinsing any of the left over hairs and shaving cream along with his razor before putting that up and getting his toothbrush out.

Axl finishes another three minutes later before he picks up Eris, the bear and the pillows up, flipping the light off and taking everyone and everything back to the tiny bedroom. Throwing the pillows and the bear on his bed, Eris is watching everything her father does before her blue eyes land on the new diaper and onesie Axl is getting out. Sitting down on the foot of the bed, unwrapping the baby from her towel, he’s unfolding the diaper before placing it under her bottom and folding it over in the front. Finally, he’s gotten good at it after it took a thousand attempts to get putting a diaper on right. Taping the sides, he pats her legs once he’s completed the task in less than a minute. Grinning proudly at himself, he’s getting her tiny feet and hands through the onesie with little rose petals and bunnies on it, buttoning her up, planting a kiss to her forehead and she’s finally free from the annoying task of being dressed. “Well, I can already tell you’re not sleeping in your crib tonight so I might as well make your bed here.” Which he gets to work on, barricading all the sides in with chairs so she can’t fall out while he’s asleep, finishing up within a few more minutes.

Hands slide underneath her arms, picking Eris up and laying her down next to his side of the bed, fixing the pillows, making sure they’re good and comfy for them. Placing all of her stuffed animals above their heads, he turns the light off, leaving the lamp on and climbs in next to her. Covering her little body up, tucking his tiny Rose in, Axl lies down next after getting under the soft blanket, resting his head on the pillow next to hers and cuddling his little girl. “Welp, another long day here. Just us.” Eyes flickering to the phone, tears already welling in his eyes as it’s too silent. He’s been looking for another phone call, each and every night. From Erin. Last time she called, he hung up on her the second she began her same old shit. ‘I want to see the baby’, ‘The baby isn’t safe with you’, ‘I’m taking the baby’. Bull-fucking-shit. The baby is completely safe with him and hasn’t had to endure in damn yelling from them since he left her and got proof on her to use against her if she TRIED to get the baby took from him.

It doesn’t stop him from missing her though. He’s crying because he can make it work, Erin just doesn’t want to. Or..she wants to. But she’s too damn complicated to want to. Besides, she doesn’t even miss him or Eris. She’s just wanting to take her away to piss him off, right? That’s what he believes anyway. If she wanted either of them, if she loved him, she wouldn’t want to take Eris away, then she would learn to act right. That’s all he wants from her. Eris peels his attention away from the subject, disrupts the angering thought only for her to make the sad part of the thought worse as he watches her push herself up, chubby hand reaching and grabbing for Bubsy…almost like she knows. Knows exactly what he was thinking about and how she misses her too. That only encourages the tears in his eyes to spill, quickly wiping them away because he doesn’t want Eris to see even if she’s only a baby. It hurts him to be lying here without a mother for this child that didn’t even ask to be here, he feels like a good part of it is his fault that she doesn’t have one present. The thing that’s even more crestfallen is gazing at her, absorbing how sweet and innocent the baby is but she has no clue where her mother even is. Axl can’t help but be in despair, no more wistful thinking that Erin will actually straighten up for them. This is their life now, like it or not. He has no room to mope, even if it’s going to be extremely hard. Doesn’t mean he won’t catch himself at night yearning for her though, like now.

“What’s that you got? Playing with your bear?” Looking over the bear as she toys with it, her eyes only focused on her favorite toy. And of course that same bear belonged to Erin as a little girl before it ended up on her twin bed in her apartment those few years he was with her, remembering himself tossing it in the air and Erin yelling at him to ‘Stop! You’ll hurt him’ before he’d burst into laughter because it’s only a bear. Or using it as a pillow many of nights, rolling on top of it and finding it crammed into his back. Who knew it’d be in the hands of their daughter, merely three years later as HER favorite toy. Maybe she knows it was her mother’s and that’s why she loves it so much. It’s a little far off given she’s a baby, he knows. But it sure seems that way and it hurts his heart even more. Axl can tell by the look in her eyes that Eris isn’t ready for bed, it’ll take some time for certain. Which sucks, since tonight, he’s actually exhausted and drifting off to sleep. He even dozes off a few times before small hands pat him in the face, making emerald eyes fly back open to make sure Eris is okay. She is, it’s only his dad instincts on overdrive like always. But he comes to find out she’s only trying to crawl closer into him, melting his heart. The older redhead’s big arm comes to protectively wrap around his baby, pulling her in close to him, their faces so close he can begin to hear her little baby snores sounding from her nose. Making the bigger redhead smile, his eyes finally closing and them both at last drifting off to sleep.

Thankful for the full night of rest he gets without Eris crying from an accident or something else, he wakes up to a fully lit room. Sunlight making both redhead’s in the small bed appear so beautiful, strawberry hair gleaming in the sunlight. A little ginger girl and her ginger father snuggled together until she’s the first to wake, possibly taking that after her mother and small hands grabbing her father’s face around eight that morning. Eris’s face attacking his as she’s trying to give him a sloppy kiss which instantly makes his day brighter already. “What, darlin’?” Groggy voice heavy with rasp, clearing his throat and prying his eyes open. “Is this a puppy dog kiss?” he wonders, sleepily laughing to himself. Puckering his lips and kissing her cheek, “Huh!” She exclaims, which by now, Axl knows that means she’s hungry. “Okay, okay. Gimme a second though. Waking up isn’t as easy for everyone like it is you.” Smiling in amusement, sleepiness gracing the male’s young features as he smiles up at the little girl that’s like looking up at his miniature girl version of himself. Wondering how it is that babies wake up so happy anyway.

After five more minutes, Axl finally slides out of the bed. Placing the baby down on the floor so he can pee right quick even though she chases after his feet anyway by crawling after him, get his teeth brushed and from there on he starts their usual routine. He changes Eris, gets her ready and either makes oatmeal for them since it’s all he can afford in groceries or he’ll go over to Vicky’s, or sometimes, days like today when he just had a gig last night and got paid he’ll take his very unexpected companion in his early life – but his baby angel nonetheless – to a diner for breakfast. Walking in, dressed in a bandana, jeans and an over sized black shirt. Eris in her jeans, little white shoes and the pink top he picked out for her with strawberries on it. He doesn’t look like the type to be a father, the skeptical elder lady working behind the counter being a bit judgmental but she quickly changes her mind when she watches Axl a bit longer. Noticing how kind he is, getting out the high chair, talking to the baby as he places her in it and gives her the brown little bear that he brought for his child. Kissing her head after sitting down next to her, pulling out the crayon book with the crayons he also brought her, the older lady smiles at the redhead’s once she heads their way to take his order.

Breakfast goes nicely after he swallows his waffle, bacon, eggs and sausage links with much delight and Eris seemed to enjoy their time at the diner as well before Axl is paying and they head back home. The rest of the day consists of them watching tv, playing and napping until the singer is being woken up from a loud ring. Flying up from the living room floor, glancing around a few times, taking a moment to come back to reality. The baby is still on the blanket sleeping he notices before he’s scrambling to get up, picking the phone up from the end table, Axl holds it to his ear, “Hello?” Speaking into the phone, confused until he hears Duff’s voice on the other end asking what he’s doing. Brows momentarily crease in confusion, wondering what he’s on about before it hits him. A show! He has another fucking show tonight and he didn’t even get a babysitter. “Shit. I fucking forgot. Uhh– I’ll be there in a second.” Hanging up before Duff can even say anything else, going into total stress mode as his fingers slip through the roots of his hair. Wondering what the hell he’s supposed to do now as he glances over at Eris. “Fuck.” Hands colliding into his face, roughly rubbing it in frustration before he takes off into his bedroom. He’ll worry about it in a second, he has to get dressed. Throwing off the jeans and his shirt, flying behind him and landing in the floor next to his bed. He raids his closet, yanking down the leather pants, hopping into them, absently tying the laces in the front a little too tight, going back for another piece and yanking down a black Thin Lizzy shirt, throwing it over his head and then pulling on his cowboy boots by the bedroom door. Quickly fumbling for his snakeskin belt, wrapping that around his thin waist and latching it, he’s throwing on his jewelry. Rings for his fingers, usual bangles for his wrists and changing out the cross necklace for a difference cross necklace around his neck before lastly grabbing his leather jacket, throwing it on and quickly walking back to the living room. Eris is stirring by time he comes back, which is a good thing. At least he doesn’t have to be the one that disturbs her sleep.

“Hey, little girl. So we’re doin’ somethin’ different today. You’re just gonna have to go to this thing with me.” Picking her up, he grabs the blanket, stuffing the bottle in her diaper bag, Bubsy and the car seat before hauling it out of here. This is a crazy idea. A rock show is no place for a baby, but he has no other choice. Kicking the door shut with his foot, he locks it real quick before flying down the steps and making it outside to wait for a taxi to come by until he’s climbing in a few more minutes later. Out of breath, it’s nice to relax the time he’s on his way there. Putting Eris in her car seat and situating her. Bubsy being placed next to her, draping the blanket over her little body and Axl is sitting back to enjoy the rest of the few minutes by himself he’s got before everyone looks at him like he’s crazy for bringing in a baby. He’s hating the second the car comes to a stop, nearly cringing because he does not want to get out but of course he eventually has to do the dreadful task at some point. Groaning, he’s digging out some cash, handing it over before he’s getting out, grabbing the car seat and the diaper bag, shutting the door back. A man dressed in leather from head to toe must look like a sight carrying a baby into a venue where the rowdiest party goers have already swarmed their way in, but especially being the lead singer. Slipping through the backstage door, the door attendant is already giving him odd looks at the smiley little baby he’s carrying around before the redhead makes his grand appearance with her and the looks have already began once he places the car seat down on the couch.

“Dude, what the fuck! You can’t just bring little tater tot here! This isn’t fuckin’ Sesame Street.” Steven comes hounding him, Axl rolling his eyes and feeling the fire already building up inside him because he predicted it. “Well, I don’t have anyone else to watch her so there’s not much of an option.” The redhead grumbles, unbuckling Eris, “Isn’t she old enough to BABYsit herself?” Slash doesn’t really mean anything by it as he stands off to the side dumbly rolling off lame jokes and the other two guys come walking in right as Axl is taking offense to it anyway and blowing up on them both, “She’s a fucking baby! In a crib still! I’m doing my best, why don’t you fuck off before there’ll be NO show?” Barking, punching Slash in the arm and full on attacking Steven as the drummer begins to open his mouth AGAIN but Axl doesn’t let him finish before they go wrestling in the floor. “Woah woah, hey! HEY!” Duff is the peacemaker as usual, grabbing Axl while Izzy grabs Steven and Slash is wandering back off. “Ax, is doing his best, okay? Everyone needs to take it easy.” Duff lectures, Axl sending daggers towards Steven as he stumbles backwards into the bassist, still ready to rip his throat out if he has one more fucking thing to say about Eris. Steven realizes Duff is right and decides to leave it while Axl is pushing Duff back away and tending to the child that’s began to cry from the yelling and fighting, picking her up, giving her a few bounces and kissing her cheek to make her feel better again. “I’ll call my girlfriend. She can watch Eris. It’ll be alright, Ax. Chill.” Giving his shoulder a pat before waving at Eris and then hurrying off to get his girlfriend on the line. Axl settles for that, although he’s having second thoughts. He’s crazy about the well being of this little girl and whose hands she’s in. He hopes he can trust this lady enough to take care of her for two hours.

It works out fine, for the most part. The security men watch over the baby they sit with for thirty minutes of the show that Axl has to start before he can wait for Duff’s girlfriend until she finally shows. It puts stress on him the whole time though, he does this. Let’s any little thing make his head swell until it feels like it’s going to pop off, not sure why it is he gets so stressed when something isn’t perfect. But it’s during a solo in Rocket Queen, half way through the show, that he takes the quick moment out to check on his baby only to find Duff’s girlfriend and half naked groupies accompanying his child that makes his anger go through the roof. They’re not hurting her, not exactly. Half of them are giggling at how weird babies are and the others are giggling at how cute this one is, or wondering if she was one of Axl’s mistakes from lack of protection or if one of them can get pregnant by him too as a joke. Or maybe they’re serious. Who even knows with these type of women, the scummiest you can find on the strip. “What the fuck’s goin’ on?” Throwing his hands up at Duff’s girlfriend, he didn’t tell her to bring people along or let people around his kid. Shaking his head, fuck this. He goes back out there, finishes the stupid fucking song but then announces the premature end to the show, “Good fucking night,” before chucking the microphone at Duff’s back. Leaving everyone confused but they’re so drunk, they can’t even tell the difference. Axl storms back through the curtain, stomping down the three steps before his feet hit the concrete. “What are you idiots here for?! Get your fucking hands off of her! AND YOU, tell Duff he can thank you for cutting the show SHORT.” Face red with anger, never has he been this infuriated in awhile, all the girls are left stunned as he snatches the child back away. Buckling her into car seat, gathering her things and gathering his own shit before storming out of the building shirtless with his clothes draped over his free arm.

Slamming the damn door on a taxi cab once he finally gets one, he’s even taking his anger and stress out on the taxi man up front, telling him to hurry the fuck up before throwing money at him and grabbing his kid again, climbing the hell out and slamming the car door once more when he’s back at his shitty apartment complex. The creaky steps thud with each hard stomp he takes going up them, chest and breathing heavy with rage, nearly breaking the steps and the handle on the apartment door once he unlocks it and twists the knob back with a little too much force. Kicking it in and kicking it back shut, a hard slam vibrates through the hall that can be heard from anyone’s room. “You know, you’re really fucking things up for me.” Slapping the phone off the table as he passes by it, crashing in the floor. Placing the car seat down a little roughly, shouting directly at her, “Everything! You’re messing up every-FUCKING-thing! And yeah, fucking. Don’t know why I even bother trying not to say it AROUND you. You’ll just turn out as a FUCK up just like me ANYWAY. Cause you know why? You’re MY stupid kid. I’ve never been anything but a piece of fucking shit, so don’t expect to be anything greater than that.” The little girl wastes no time breaking out into a high pitch cry as she stares up at her father that suddenly isn’t her sweet daddy any longer. And she’s his kid alright, with a set of lungs like those that kill his ears immediately. “Shut the fuck up!” Losing his temper, swatting at anything in sight, the lamp goes falling over, kicking toys out of the way, the crying gets louder until it’s outright ear piercing screaming and finally Axl just leaves her as he storms to his room, slamming the door shut behind him and throwing himself down on the bed as the crying doesn’t stop outside of it.

Listening to her cry makes him angrier until the song coming on the radio makes him snap out of his dark world of anger, snapping him back to reality where he can hear his child crying for him, not some nuisance. Not some fuck up like the person that just took over him like a storm shouted. ‘Little child, dry your crying eyes, how can I explain the fear you feel inside because you were born into this evil world....’ The song by White Lion plays through the dark room, bringing tears to prick at Axl’s own eyes until he’s breaking out into his own sob. Hating everything about himself in that moment as the heart wrenching lyrics tear him apart because they speak to him. They explain to him how his young life, from the time he was a newborn until now, started out so evil. He wasn’t sheltered and now he’s brought another little child without any sheltering too. The father may be damaged and young but he does not want his own child to go down this road. It doesn’t matter how young he is, he has to figure himself out and figure himself out quick.

Look at him. Already yelling at her, blaming her for things that are no way her fault, just like his stepdad did to him. NO. He won’t be him, he refuses. The little girl deserves the world and a parent, a good father that’s there to protect her not scare her or make her cry. Leave her feeling so alone in this God forsaken world. Sucking in a breath, Axl gets up and tears out of the room. She feels like she’s miles away he wants to get to her that bad when she’s only a few feet away still crying on the couch, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Immediately apologizing once the door swings open, his little child crying her eyes out that works so well in making him cry all the more. Tears pouring down his cheeks, down hers. “Daddy didn’t mean that. He didn’t mean it at all. I’m sorry, please forgive me. I love you.” Sitting down on the couch, unbuckling her and taking her out of this lonely car seat where he abandoned her at, cradling his baby so closely to him, “You didn’t mess anything up.” ERIN did. His stepdad did. His mother did. “You won’t be like me, sweet child. You’ll be better. And daddy’s still going to give you that life that he promised. I love you so much, my angel.” Sobbing through his words, trying to quit for her sake. “I won’t yell no more.” Smothering her face in kisses, the guilt might as well drown him already because he’s certainly feeling it gnaw at his heart until it hurts to breathe.

When the pair has both calmed at least, Axl raises his head from it being leaned against hers when he gets an idea, rising to his feet and taking Eris over to the shelf where the music is, “Look, look. Let’s play a song. This will be my song to you.” Chuckling a little happier through the tears as she seems content again too, fumbling in his cassettes and pushing it into the player before a beautiful vintage sound begins to fill the room the moment the two notes begin to chime with The Temptation’s gorgeous song My Girl. “I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day, when it’s cold outside…I’ve got the month of May. I guess you’d say, what can make me feel this way? My girl. My girl, my girl. Talkin’ about my girl.” Axl sings along to her, quickly putting a smile back on the little redhead’s face as he dances around the living room with her in his arms. “I don’t need no money! Or fortune or fame, I got aaaaall the riches, baby. That one man can claim.” Laughing in the midst of his singing, gently throwing her up before catching Eris. Continuing to dance and giggle with her until the song comes to an end, “My girlllll.” Kissing her face all over, grinning and more happy than anyone in the world to see his girl smiling and giggling again. And he does. He believes the song will stick, it’s too perfect for it not to.

The rest of the night goes smoothly after a diaper change that causes Eris to start crying again, but luckily that was all it was. Something different happens within that same night, Axl finds himself writing Erin a letter. If she won’t call, he’ll write her like he used to. He fills it with kind words, which is a change. He tells her that the baby misses her and she maybe should come home and stay for good…if she can promise him to clean her act up. Which is something he thought he’d never decide on. But he’s still not sure if Erin even wants them and he adds that too before signing off and sealing it, taking it down to the mailbox so it’ll send out tomorrow morning. With a bottle once they return back upstairs, he’s sending Eris off to sleep easier tonight than last. Eventually finding himself passing out in the chair he was rocking her in, Eris’s bottle finding it’s way slipping from her mouth once she’s finished and rolling off the chair but neither of them stir. Both redhead’s sleep soundly after such a draining day, content to just be with each other.

No show, no call, no letter from Erin. Not in a week. Not until another week later when he’s getting a call from his ‘manager’ to meet him at the beach, he’s offering a free meal to the boys in the band for getting closer to getting signed. That’s what he said. But when he and Eris arrive he finds something else after his manager tells him to come and look at something by the beach. Axl’s in his aviators, sneakers and a pair of jeans that fit him nicely, unbuttoned at his belly button while he lets the button up shirt he has on go open. Red bandana in his long fiery locks that lay beautifully around his shoulders, dancing against his face from the wind. And the warm wind feeling nice against his bare torso with the baby in his arm, both of them completely oblivious to who really awaits him at the shore line. But there it is. His breath, nearly taken away. She did this, she really did all of this. There’s no meal, there’s only…HER. Emerald eyes spot that dark beautiful curly hair and that gorgeous face from a mile away as he stops in utter shock at the edge of the steps that lead down into the sand, his heart stammers and a world of emotion swirls inside his head. Taking off his glasses to get a better look at the woman, sun in his eyes but he can still so perfectly see her. There’s no one in the world but him and her, it stops spinning completely. A part of him wants to run away while he still can, the part that wants to protect Eris with his life but…a bigger part of him…wants to run to her. And he does. He’s wanted to run to her for so long.

Tears prick at his bright green hues, legs trailing down the steps and taking off across the sand to do just that. Erin meets him half way before they collide in a long overdue embrace, both of them crying into each other as he wraps his arm around the model and she wraps hers around his neck. Her touch, her warmth. He can’t believe she’s actually here. For so long, thinking she was gone from his life forever, he can’t believe she’s HERE. Time stops right then and there underneath the golden sun with only them in it, looking at each other like they found their other half, and they did. They at least just rediscovered each other. “Happy Father’s Day.” Erin tells him in between happy tears and a gleeful grin breaks across his face. He should’ve known that’s what she was waiting up to do. God, he loves her. He fucking loves her.

“I gave up the job.” Erin next announces over the loud crashing of the waves, the wind blowing their hair everywhere. “Why? Don’t you want it?” Brows crease, but he’s so stunned he forgets how to even speak. “Yes..but.” He awaits her answer, a moment doesn’t even have to pass when she’s giving it right away, “But I want YOU and our little girl more.” She cries like it should be obvious, grabbing his face, green eyes staring into her beautiful blue ones he’s missed so much. He can’t shake the shock of it all. “And of course I want you. I want you both. I want to do better and I will, Axl.” To answer his question in his letter as she holds it up to him, she had it hiding behind her back the whole time. The happiness swelling his heart as his eyes fall on the letter briefly before glancing back up to meet hers again, all he can do is allow more tears to leak from his eyes, staining his shirt. It feels like a damn dream. “We want you too. Don’t you leave again.” Kissing her right on the lips, pulling away to catch his breath only to kiss her all over. “It’s mommy, Eris. Mommy!” Jumping up and down, getting her excited before the baby squeals, tiny hands reaching out for the brunette. Erin’s squealing just as much as she is, giggling and kissing her baby with her father’s hair and her eyes that she’s missed for far too long, she won’t do anything to jeopardize time with her again. “This is and will always be the best Father’s Day of my life. I love you so much, Miss. Everly.” That’s all she’s wanted to hear and that’s all she’s wanted to say. “I love you so much, Mr. Rose.” Sweet words are exchanged and another kiss that’ll lead into many more kisses tonight close the space in between them as the sun begins to sink to rise a new dawn between them in the morning.

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pawsomekittyblog · 7 years ago

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Purina Cat Food Reviews

It is just impossible for any cat owner to not have heard the brand Purina at least once in their lives. Purina just seems to have it all, from litter systems to cat toys, to cat food! For the purposes of this article, we are going to focus on the Purina cat food, as we assess how good each of the variants is for your cat.

Is the Purina brand popular for a good reason? You will find out soon enough as we provide you the most comprehensive Purina cat food reviews in a little while. For now, let us discuss!

Why choose Purina Food?

Cheapskate tricks may be acceptable for cat accessories and stuff like litter boxes, collars, and the like, but we simply can’t risk it when it comes to food. Our cat’s health shouldn’t be taken lightly, as most of them have sensitive tummies.

Many a feline friend has gone to the great beyond just because they weren’t fed what they were supposed to eat. The question is: does the Purina cat food have what it takes to keep your cat healthy? See:

Purina is an established company that has fed a lot of cats over the years.

Purina is more economical than other brands because it exploits fillers.

Cats love the taste, and we know how hard it is to find something that your cat will willingly chow.

However, most veterinarians would refer to Purina cat food as sort of “cat’s junk food.” No, it will not kill your cats, but it is surely not the healthiest cat food out there, too. On the other hand, here are some of the reasons you should be careful not to feed your cats too much Purina:

It has plant-based fillers that a lot of cats are allergic to.

Features corn extracts that are not advisable for cats to ingest.

An unbalanced pack of the meal should not be the sole nutrition your cat gets.

So, Purina cat food will only be bad if it is the only thing your cat gets to eat. Otherwise, if your cat seems to enjoy it, you’re good to go!

Top 7 Purina Food for your Kitty

Purina ONE Tender Selects Blend with Real Chicken Dry Cat Food

One good indication that a pack of food is healthy is when it is made from actual meat instead of faux meat. The Purina ONE Tender Selects Blend is made from real chicken. I wouldn’t say chicken is an acquired taste for cats since a sizable number of them seem to just really enjoy chicken. So do not be shocked when even the pickiest eater in your household suddenly begins chowing down the Purina ONE Tender Selects Blend.

It has high protein yields, which will help your cat efficiently develop its muscles. Alternated with healthier wet food and combined with all the opportunities in the world to exercise, this Purina treats will surely keep your cats healthy and strong! Omega-6 fatty acids that are easily digestible are also present in this formula, which means that even your cat’s fur coat will benefit from this diet.

Pros

Strongly palatable to cats as it smells and tastes great from them.

Made from real chicken – has actually dried chicken bits inside!

Gets rid of hairball problem.

Helps your cat move their bowels easily.

Cons

Contains loads of gluten, preservatives, soy, and by-product meal.

Does not smell great to us humans.

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Purina Cat Chow Gentle Dry Cat Food

No Purina cat food reviews would ever be complete without the Purina Cat Chow Gentle Dry Cat Food. Among all the variants, this one could be considered the least “junk,” as it contains all the 25 essential vitamins and minerals that your cat needs in its diet. It is also a gentle formula that helps your cat deal with hairball problems. It is carefully designed to be easily digested, to aid cats that are already suffering from indigestion issues.

It contains no added artificial colors, but it does contain wheat, soy, grain, and gluten – things that should be ingested by your cat in moderation. Again, these ingredients will not kill your cat. Your cat may get unnecessarily fat after some time, though, which you should try to avoid at all costs. They would need help, indeed, since the Purina Cat Chow Gentle Dry Cat Food will be so irresistible for their taste that they’ll surely come chowing down without hesitations!

Pros

No problems whatsoever in transitioning cats from a different cat food.

Cats adore the smell and taste.

Manufactured to not create any digestion problems.

Helps regulate good bowel movement.

Cons

Some cats may be allergic to the plant protein contents.

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Purina ONE Indoor Advantage Adult Premium Cat Food

The nice thing about Purina is that they are thoughtful enough to have enough variants for almost all the different types of cats. Even households with more than five cats are sure to find a cat food that is suitable for each one. For the indoor, docile cat, Purina cat food reviews point us to the Purina ONE Indoor Advantage Adult Premium Cat Food.

Real turkey is the number one ingredient here, so you can just imagine how fast your picky feline will chow this down, right? Well, they would have to battle it out with the crunchy kibble first. Luckily, their struggle will not be in vain as the kibble actually prevents plaque buildup and keeps your cat’s pearly whites squeaky clean! Antioxidants are also present in this chow, so cats struggling with intestinal issues could surely benefit!

Pros

Veterinarian-approved And appropriate for all cat ages.

Cats will chow it down nonstop only if you let them.

Helps deal with health issues such as eye tearing problems, lumps, and rashes on the coat, etc.

Made with real turkey, which tastes great to our kitties.

Cons

May cause obesity when it is all your cat eats multiple times a day, every day.

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Purina Fancy Feast Poultry & Beef Feast Collection Cat Food

Aside from the chow that cats love so much, Purina also has a good number of canned wet foods, for when your bunch behaves really well. Just the name of the Purina Fancy Feast Poultry & Beet Feast Collection Cat Food is enough to excite you as the cat owner, right? Imagine how much it makes your cat feel. These canned foods come in beef, chicken, and turkey flavors, perfect for whatever your cat’s acquired taste is. One can is just enough for one meal – do not try to keep portions of it as it will just go stale very fast.

The gravy is so enticing that you will almost hear your cat’s *heavy breathing* as it approaches the feeding pan. It only takes a matter of minutes for one cat to finish a can – no more fuss and virtual force-feeding just so your cats eat their meal and get the nutrition they need!

Pros

Safe and healthy enough for daily feeding.

Meat bits are covered in enticing gravy that’s mouthwatering for any feline.

Portioned just enough for one cat to have one can at most per day – do not give in to their incessant meowing, no matter how cute!

Cons

Will stink up the house a little – it only smells good to our cats!

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Purina Friskies Tasty Treasures Wet Cat Food

Purina Friskies should also make your cats overweight if you indulge them too much – they’d devour so much more than they need in a day if you just let them be! Properly regulated (one can a day) though, it provides just enough nutrition to ensure that your kitties grow up healthy. These are in easy open cans that suit the on-the-go lifestyle, especially if you live in a household where there is more than one cat you have to look after.

Here are some of the flavor variants you can choose from: Chicken and Cheese, Chicken & Tuna Dinner in Gravy, Chicken Dinner in Gravy, Chicken, Tuna and Cheese, Ocean Fish in Sauce, Pate, Beef and Liver Dinner with Cheese, Pate, Chicken & Oceanfish Dinner with Cheese, Pate, Oceanfish Dinner with Cheese, Pate, Turkey, Chicken Dinner with Cheese, Turkey Cheese, and Turkey Dinner in Gravy Cat Food.

Pros

Contains real meat and cheese and the meat is covered in sumptuous gravy that is enough to entice your cats to feed.

All of your cats are sure to find at least one favorite variant.

Your cat will find this cat food easy to digest because of the natural digestive enzymes infused in the formula.

Cons

Packaging needs improvement, as some cans leak

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Purina Beyond Small Batch Natural Grain-Free Dry Cat Food

Purina may be known as the “junk” of cat food, but we have to give recognition to their effort to go healthy in more recent products such as the Purina beyond Small Batch Natural Grain-Free Dry Cat Food. Grains do not do cats much good, bust most of the earlier Purina cat foods contain a large amount of them. This one is having none of it, though. Ocean whitefish is its main ingredient, as it provides good amounts of protein, along with eggs.

Corn, wheat, and soy that were always present in earlier Purina cat food products are all gone from this product. Artificial colors, additives, and preservatives are all bygones, too. Purina may just be a contender for the healthiest cat food available if they keep this up! Even the packaging is oceans away from what they used to do. See for yourself!

Pros

The healthiest variant of the Purina cat food, which provides complete and balanced meals for your cats.

No poultry and by-product meals!

Cons

Bigger cans should be offered for larger cats.

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Purina ONE Sensitive Systems Adult Premium Cat Food

It is too frustrating to take care of a cat with sensitive tummies. One moment you think you have finally succeeded in finding a cat food that is gentle for your cat’s tummy, but then you wake up to a living room full of vomit, and you’re back to square one. If you’ve got one more try in you, the Purina ONE Sensitive Systems Adult Premium Cat Food should be worth a try.

Made from real turkey, your cat will be sure to be enticed just by the smell. Once he begins to chow, cross your fingers that the fibers work their magic and hopefully, no more vomiting! The fresh fish ingredient also delivers up to 36 grams of protein, which your cat definitely needs to grow healthy and happy. The easily digestible formula is what you should thank if ever this product succeeds in relieving your cat from indigestion problems.

Pros

Real turkey as the main ingredient.

Specifically designed for cats with sensitive stomachs.

Helps restore your cat’s health from inside and out.

Cons

You have to prepare to scoop out some real litter after feeding, as indigestion is the main thing it resolves.

The real deal: Is Purina good or bad for cats?

The simple answer is this: it equates to a human eating fast food every day. It will keep us alive, but it’s not a very balanced dietary life, is it? Purina is very good to spike up the appetite of your cats, but here are some things you can alternate with the Purina cat foods:

• Cat food that has zero gluten and grain

• Non-dairy cat food

• Cat food that is all-natural, all-organic

Go by your instincts. After all, you will never be able to successfully wean your cats off of Purina – it is simply irresistible for most of them! Just be sure your cats get balanced meals and all the nutrients they need.

Consultation is key!

When it comes to a cat’s diet, your veterinarian may help you come up with meal plans after just one visit. If your cat has a sensitive tummy and indigestion problems, you might have to spend more time figuring out the type of food his or her body will keep in, but Purina shall keep you safe for the most part.

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