Week 3: Post Trial

[disclosures]

[Rebecca can be found in the library, listlessly flipping through one of Anderson's books. These things don't have happily ever afters, but at least there was a to be continued instead of something else.

Here it is, the first time they've ever condemned the wrong person to execution.

Her eyes snap up as Sanji enters the space.]

... Hey.

[What does she even say?]

Comments

[concasse]

[If she ever finds out, let Sanji know -- it's already been an hour and he's still stunned silent.

Eventually he just wanders over, expression neutral, but that hardly means anything.]

... Whatcha reading?

[disclosures]

[With time comes wisdom, or something along those lines. Rebecca's not so sure of that piece of advice. It doesn't feel like she's gaining any wisdom, just more stress.

She looks down at the book in her hands.]

The Little Mermaid.

[concasse]

[There's no recognition in Sanji's eyes. His world might have a version of this story, but not by that title. His head tilts]

Oh? What's it about?

[disclosures]

You've never heard it? I'll give you the overview.

Once upon a time there's a little mermaid that fell in love with a human prince. But since she's a mermaid, she wouldn't be accepted on land. She makes a deal with a sea witch, to trade her voice and tongue. The mermaid had the most beautiful voice in the seas. She would have two human legs, and she's able to dance better than anyone else. But every single step she takes makes it feel like she's walking on knives. Her feet bleed.

She had to make the human prince love her and marry her, or else her heart will break and she'll turn into sea foam.

... It doesn't have a happy ending.

At least not in the original version.

[concasse]

[Damn.

Sanji needs a moment here.]

Are... fairy tales usually like that where you're from?

[Not that his world is much better! But those folktales are meant to teach lessons and put the fear of the sea in children when they can so easily drown. This mermaid story just sounds heartbreaking.]

[disclosures]

The original ones? Yeah. They don't have happy endings, because you know. Women should accept their place and not change anything. These stories are usually supposed to scare kids into being good.

But most people are used to the updated fairy tale. Where the mermaid just loses her voice, and the prince falls in love with her. After that they get to live happily ever after and she gets her voice back.

It's the version I like a lot more.

[concasse]

Shit, I'm glad you guys get something a little more uplifting.

I can't even find a good moral in the first one. It's just depressing for the sake of scaring everyone.

[disclosures]

There's no moral in it at all. Basically it only exists to scare little kids into being obedient and not causing a huge fuss for their kids. Especially little girls, because they didn't have any rights at all back then.

But you know, finding a guy and hoping they'll solve all the problems in your life is fucked too. Real life doesn't work like that either.

[concasse]

It seems no matter what world, ladies got it harder.

[This is why Sanji tells everyone men are shit. Because they are shit.]

[disclosures]

What are a fairy tale like where you're from? Do the women get a happy ending more often?

[concasse]

... Not as much as I'd like.

[Hm.]

There are happy tales and shit! But there's plenty that aren't, or the ladies aren't in the stories at all.

[disclosures]

At least there are happy ones. We didn't get a whole lot of those until like... the last hundred or so years?

Ergh.

[concasse]

I wonder if it's because my world doesn't have the highest life expectancy... It's mostly water, like I mentioned, but there are all manner of shit that will kill you.

So if we had stories, they were used to scare everyone into being careful.

[A small smirk]

Can't tell you how many stories I know about the sea luring you to your death if you're not careful.

[disclosures]

Really? ... You're like 21, right? How many people are older than that?

Well, the sea is full of all kinds of things. Even where I'm from. I'm sure it's way scarier in your world.

[concasse]

Yeah. And there's people older than me! But... not usually by much.

[how to even explain this...]

Depends on if you stick to your island or if you sail. Naturally, they people who keep to their small lands live longer, but if you're a pirate like me? Living to your thirties is admirable.

[disclosures]

You're a pirate? I kissed a pirate? [That's actually... pretty hot! Hell yeah, she's into it.]

How long have you been a pirate?

[concasse]

[WAY TO MAKE HIM BLUSH, REBECCA]

I-I never told you before?

[Oh no he almost feels bad about this, even though she is clearly not upset. Laughing sheepishly, he rubs the back of his neck]

Let's see, uh... two years now?

Though to be fair, the guy who raised me was an ex-pirate, so I've been one in spirit for a while.

[disclosures]

[IT'S. HOT. She doesn't feel a need to apologize.]

You didn't! Why didn't you lead with that? It's cool!

Raised as a pirate. That definitely sounds like a great beginning for a fantasy novel.

[concasse]

You think so?

Pirates are more a dime a dozen on my world. And half of 'em really are bastards you wouldn't want to meet.

... My crew's a bit unorthodox in that regard. We're not really big on pillaging and shit. We're just out to have a good time, find some islands, and fulfill our dreams.

[disclosures]

Yeah. We haven't had pirates in... centuries, really? Most of our trade is conducted on land or planes.

Who's in your crew? How long have you been with them? Oh, wait, you said two years, right?

[concasse]

... Planes?

[What da fuq is a plane.

Though, heh, the mention of his crew -- Sanji's smile is genuine, even if it seems to freeze into place for a split second]

There's nine of us, to start. We're damn tiny for a pirate crew now that I think about it. But anyway, there's Luffy, my captain -- not the smartest bastard on the seas, and an absolute glutton, but... hey, he's always busting his ass to take care of us.

Then there's Zoro -- our shitheaded swordsman. [MAKING A FACE OF DISTASTE.] He's smelly and a pain in my ass, but shit, he can take out pretty much any threat with his three swords, I'll give him that.

[He'll go down the line mentioning each of his crew: the beautiful and sassy Nami, their navigator; their sniper, Usopp, who wants to be a proper man of the sea; Chopper, their reindeer doctor; Robin, their mysterious archeologist who loves to read; Franky, their cyborg shipwright; and finally Brook, the gentleman musician whose a skeleton with an afro and tophat.

One Piece is wild.]

[disclosures]

They're like ships but they... fly? [How does she explain this. She's never had to fly a plane or steer a ship.] It's faster to get from place to place on a plane than a ship.

You sound like you really care about them. [Must be nice to have a crew that close. Even as weird as they got.] Is this the longest you've been away from them?

[concasse]

Huuuh... [Looking really impressed? That is not really technology that exists on his world] Yeah, the best we got on my world is trains and ships. No planes. That shit sounds useful, though.

[Anyway.]

And actually, no. We had to spend two years apart to train. [A pause] There's only one time we've lost, but we lost badly, and it was a real eye opener.

[disclosures]

It's great for traveling and moving cargo around. My job doesn't really have anything to do with that though. I'm usually trying to get building built, going through legal paperwork.

That seems like a long time to be away from... family? Friends? Your crew? You don't sound that fond of that Zoro guy.

[concasse]

The shitty swordsman gets on my last nerve but I don't hate him.

[Said in the tone rivaling brothers would probably use for each other.]

And it was captain's orders, so two years is what we decided on. But it's fine, we're back together.

[Switching gears tho]

Neh, Rebecca-chan, do you have any siblings?

[disclosures]

[She's too much of an only child to get that tone.]

No. I'm an only child. It's probably for the best, actually. My family has a long history of anxiety and depression and other mental illnesses on both sides. And the way I grew up? I don't want anybody living through that either.