[Voice/Action for peeps on the Million Merry]

[alwaysgrumpy]

Really? Really? We're all just gonna' jump right into the abyss, huh? Why not? I hope everyone gets as spun up as possible and this turns into an even bigger fiasco. Let's go all out. Why not sink a few Navy vessels while you're at it? Make some more fireworks, so they know where to find you.

Let's face it, life here isn't complicated enough, yet. What we need is more random acts of destruction. I'm quite sure that'll make everyone's lives so much better, and won't bite people in the ass in any way.

[Akira actually has to take a minute to suppress his temper, centering himself as best he can.]

Maybe I'm over-reacting. Who knows, could be stress. Perhaps the air on these islands is just too thin. Still, I've never been more glad to not be on the ocean, than right now. Damn it, I'm so frazzled by all this, I think I'm shedding...

Oh! Luffy, if you're hearin' this, we'll have a guest for a little while. I'll take responsibility for her, so you guys have fun with whatever.

Comments

[alwaysgrumpy]

Nah, it's cool. I need the practice, anyway. Besides, it's hard to walk around below decks like that, and even harder to cook properly. It's like working a muscle, the repetition makes me better at it.

[He leans with his back against the rail, turning his head skyward.]

I just wish we could go a month without someone doing something crazy. We have enough trouble with the Navy, why do some people insist on making more?

[myfayevalentine]

Alright, but if you get tired and change back, I think I'll be okay with that. At least this time I'll know what to expect, height and fluff and teeth wise.

*She looks up at the sky too, almost as though she's expecting some kind of answer there. Which, of course, there isn't*

I don't know. I mean, this time? I have no fucking idea.

[alwaysgrumpy]

Anyway, I'll rustle up some dinner.

*He leads her to the kitchen on their ship, getting out a few materials to cook with. It takes a moment of going back through his mental rolodex before he finds a suitable meal.*

You like prime rib? Normally, Sanji is super-touchy about people messing about in his kitchen. That means I have to capitalize on the fact that Sanji isn't here right now.

[myfayevalentine]

Sounds great!

*She happily follows Akira and when they get there she sits herself up in a seat. Faye laughs a little at his mention of Sanji*

I love prime rib. Been a while since I had some, too.

And I wouldn't worry too much about Sanji. If he complains, just tell him I touched everything and he'll be fine.

[alwaysgrumpy]

*After he gets everything staged the way he wants it, he starts to prep the meat in stages, working methodically over each part of the process.*

So how is everything on your ship? You know, I really worry about you, considering the nature of some of your crew.

[myfayevalentine]

*Faye props her head on her hand as she watches him work, not really taking in the process but thinking that it looks good all the same*

Urgh. It was fine until an hour ago. But you don't need to waste your time worrying about me. Least not because of my crew...

*Since she had been in some situations lately that were indeed very worrying*

[alwaysgrumpy]

Should I worry about something else, then? No has threatened you, have they?

[myfayevalentine]

Hmm? Ah, doesn't matter now. And I'm all healed up.

*Waving that hand again in her discomfort because really, it's not worth going into...*

[alwaysgrumpy]

Wait, healed up? The fuck? Healed up from what?

[myfayevalentine]

*Just shrugging*

Ah. Nothing. My foot. But it's still attached, and I don't really even have a bandage on it now. Just a bullet. Nothing major...

[alwaysgrumpy]

*He uses a mallet to help soften up some of the meat, liberally sprinkling few different herbs and spices onto the meat in the process. Every swing pounds some of them deeper into the tissue.*

Wait, wait, back up. You can't just leave me with that. What the hell kind of trouble did you get into?

[myfayevalentine]

Look, it's no big deal. I'm still alive.

*Faye clears her throat and stares down at the table she's sitting at, drumming her fingers*

So, maybe I was at some island where there was this gang of asshole dick heads who got me into a spot of bother but... that's all dealt with.

*Only that 'spot of bother' seems to sound like a major understatement*

[alwaysgrumpy]

*Akira freezes up, sensing some tension on her part. His mind is already starting to race.*

Spot of bother? What do you mean? That's vague.

[myfayevalentine]

Oh, you know, the usual. A bit of beating up and a bit of tying up and attempts at rape and murder. The usual.

*Faye says this as casually as she can manage, because if she sounds casual, then it's no big deal. Nopes. Not at all*

[alwaysgrumpy]

...I see.

*Akira continues on as before, seemingly unphased. He reaches over for some oil to lightly coat the meat, but fails pretty horribly in the task. Almost as soon as he grabs the glass bottle, he shatters it by clenching too hard.*

[myfayevalentine]

*Faye was beginning to think that he'd taken that just fine when he grabbed and shattered the bottle*

Akira!

*She's up out of her seat fast enough that it topples over, and she rushes to his side, grabbing his forearm to pull his hand closer, inspecting it for any cuts*

Shit. Are you okay?

[alwaysgrumpy]

*He's clearly more focused on her, unphased by the broken glass. His gaze is unsteady, but his eyes are practically burning like coals in his skull.*

Who are these men and where did this happen? Are they still there?

[myfayevalentine]

*She looks at the glass scattered everywhere, but then back up at Akira's face, eyes focused back on his, steadily*

They're dead. Back on Gun Frontier. There were five of them. And they're all dead. Definitely.

[alwaysgrumpy]

Who killed 'em? How did they die?

[myfayevalentine]

I did. I killed the worst of them, shot several times. I shot the others, killed one or two, and Thash tore chunks out of the rest. They are, really, well and truly dead.

[alwaysgrumpy]

*His blood gradually stops pounding in his ears, his breathing returning to a more normal pace. The fire in his eyes gradually dies down and the tension slowly leaves his body. His hands is already mostly healed, the last of the tiny glass shards being pushed out of his flesh and falling into the sink.*

Well, that's good to hear.

*He washes his hands and wipes up, then goes back to seasoning the meal. Thankfully, he didn't get any blood or glass on it. He was mostly done, anyway.*

Good. In that case, we're ready to cook this bad boy.

[myfayevalentine]

*Faye was ready to help clean up his hands, get them bandaged up, but it seemed that, somehow, his body was beginning that process anyway. She frowns in concern, at his hands, then up at his face. Faye takes a step or two back, but doesn't go back to her chair, staying close enough as he continues with the cooking*

...I'm looking forward to it.

*But she looks like she's still thinking of how he had been just a few moments ago, of how suddenly angry he was*

How was...the wedding island place?

*Just a casual change of subject*

[alwaysgrumpy]

*Akira stokes the flames in the oeve, then sets the prime rib to roast.*

Boring and I was glad to be rid of it. Peaceful, I like. Boring is just...well, boring. I couldn't even find anything to do in the town.

*He picks up a towel to clean his hands, then sets his apron aside.*

[myfayevalentine]

*She watches and moves out of the way when he stokes the flames. Then with concern she follows his movements as he cleans up. Tentatively, she reaches out and puts a hand on his forearm again*

Are you okay?

[alwaysgrumpy]

I'm fine. I just...Stuff happened. It was before I came here. Someone I cared about had a lot of some bad things happen to her, because of me. Someone wanted to hurt her, to get at me.