[RL w/Lucci: Backdated to October] AQUA LAGUNA: PART 1
The back streets, bridges, and waterways of Water 7 held no commotion. The city still hung suspended in a temporary sort of death. The morning weather still held a touch of chill, which could only be lifted by the sun. Shop owners would rise for early market. Carpenters would return to preparation work for the flood. In a few hours, when a brilliant strip of light arched across the horizon, the city would wake itself. But Lucci had been up for hours.
He had been walking along the water since he'd left work the night before. The walk had started with no planned destination, but hunger quickly descended, and he thought it best to turn back for breakfast. He noticed a few unfortunate men, who had been summoned from bed to work graveyard at the docks; they greeted him. Hattori still slept while perched on Lucci's right shoulder, so Lucci could do little more than wave or nod.
Shuraiya woke earlier than usual, his empty dreams no longer providing any solace -- he left the dingy little inn where he'd spent the last few nights to take a walk in the pre-dawn. Without the usual clamor of tourists and yagara bulls filling the canals, it was peaceful and almost dreamlike. He chose a direction and left, not caring where he was going or what he would find; only looking for a bit of peace before he was to face a day of dealing with the aggravating process of bounty reclamation.
Shuraiya walked for some time, wandering aimlessly over bridges and through alleys, until he found himself near the docks -- he noticed a tall, familiar figure turning a corner and hastened his step, hoping to catch him before he went off to work. "Oi, Lucci!"
Lucci nodded and excused himself from the other workers. The men said their quick goodbyes and made their way to the docks, while Lucci turned to the voice that had been addressing him. It was the bounty hunter. Lucci found himself less irritated than he'd expected, when he realized who had been following him, and it somewhat surprised him. He casually held up a hand and acknowledged Shuraiya.
"'Morning," Shuraiya grinned once he caught up to him, the smile coming easily than usual; it was odd. Had Shuraiya been thinking about it, he would have attributed his to everything that had been going on with Jacky, from his admission into her nakama to his involvement in the wedding -- but he wasn't, he was simply happy to see (and be acknowledged by!) Lucci. It was too early for anything more than that. "How're you?"
Lucci shrugged and turned back to the way he was walking. He waved a hand at Shuraiya, beckoning the boy to follow. What the hell, Lucci figured; he was on the way to breakfast anyway.
Shuraiya followed, falling into step easily with the taller man -- Hattori, he noticed, was a mere puff of white feathers on Lucci's shoulder, snoozing with his head tucked under a wing. Walking together silently wasn't much different than walking alone, but for some reason, it lifted his spirits -- he was glad for the company.
Lucci's pale hand tucked a stray curl behind his ear, and he used the motion as an excuse to sneak a glance sideward. Running into someone like Shuraiya was rather uncommon - not necessarily a bad thing, just a circumstance that caused Lucci to question. At such hours, he usually fell in and out of acquaintance with quite opposite types. But perhaps it was no mistake they had met under the current circumstances. The boy was quiet, but the older man could tell he was excited about something. Hopefully, he was merely pleased to have company. Lucci genuinely hoped the boy would not attempt to rob him; he would hate to take on the task of dumping yet another body into the canals.
Shuraiya remained quiet until they passed a small bistro, one of the few open at this hour -- the moment the smell of fresh bread and coffee wafted out into the street, the boy realized he was starving. He touched Lucci's cold shoulder and stuck a thumb towards the restaurant with a hopeful expression. "Hey, lemme buy you a coffee or somethin', you look like you need it."
Lucci hesitated for a mere moment, but the invitation to caffeine was far too tantalizing. He decided he wasn't callous enough to turn down the invitation, and gestured for Shuraiya to lead the way. The small establishment appeared warm and welcoming to the early workers of the city. The low talking and occasional laughter caused the snoozing ball of feathers on Lucci's shoulder to stir; Lucci rubbed a finger over Hattori's neck.
Shuraiya picked a table near the back, the spot giving him a full view of the mostly-empty bistro -- he had very little reason to be on guard (or so he thought), but out of habit, he sat himself facing the restaurant and Lucci.
"How d'you like your coffee? Black?" Shuraiya guessed, glancing over the menu at Lucci.
Lucci stared back, but made no gesture or noise in response. However, it was very likely that - in Shuraiya's glance over a menu - the bounty hunter caught a brief glimpse of the smirk tugging at one side of Lucci's wordless lips. Even a blink would have caused him to miss the minute reaction, but Lucci was sure he had allowed the boy to see it.
"Thought so," Shuraiya replied smugly and grinned, lifting the menu to get the sleepy-eyed waitress' attention. Secretly, he was relieved Lucci agreed to something that would come cheap -- he was nearly out of money, but he figured what the hell, if things went well, he'd have cashed his bounties by nightfall.
As Shuraiya became preoccupied dealing with the waitress, Lucci allowed himself a longer observation of current company. He'd always been the type to make note of the smallest details. Since he'd last seen Shuraiya, the boy's hair had grown, and he appeared slightly leaner as well. Lucci's eyes followed the movement of a gesturing hand, noting that the boy's palms were calloused and pale - like his. Shuraiya's appearance was cleaner than most males in sea-based livelihoods, and his clothes held the appearance of things that been mercilessly utilized and cleansed over years. Lucci began to wonder how many years the boy had truly lived by the sea’s good graces.
Shuraiya could feel Lucci's on him as he ordered, but initially paid no attention to it, he was so used to the stares he got due to his infamy. But he quickly grew embarrassed, for the older man's gaze was unwavering and curious -- just what was it that he was looking for? Shuraiya wasn't sure he wanted to know. After the waitress left, Shuraiya turned back to Lucci, crossing his arms. "What?"
Lucci raised a brow as if he hadn't been blatantly staring at the young man across from him. He moved his attention away from studying Shuraiya, and nudged Hattori with a finger. The bird ruffled its feathers and snapped at Lucci's finger, then proceeded to regain comfort and rest against the curve of Lucci's neck.
"Business has been good here, I take it," Shuraiya mused, not really expecting an answer, especially after Hattori so vehemently refused to wake up. He toyed with his fork as he spoke, twirling it idly between two fingers. "'S been good for me, too -- I dunno if it's just 'cause the pirates are weaker nowadays or I'm just gettin' better, but I've been pulling some decent bounties lately."
Lucci prodded at his feathered voice box, but it was fairly obvious that Hattori was not in the mood to work. No amount of shuffling feet, low chatting, and creaking of chairs was going to wake the bird just yet. The carpenter finally gave up and rested his arms on the table; his pale fingers curled around his elbows as he propped himself forward.
Taking Lucci's change in posture as a cue to go on, Shuraiya set his fork aside and propped himself on an elbow, cradling his chin in his palm.
"This is the longest I've stayed anywhere in a long time," he said half to himself, looking across the restaurant. "I like it here; it reminds me a lot of home." Blue eyes slid over to Lucci, checking for any reaction, "Remember how I told you I'm from Bascùd Island? Yeah, it was a lot like Water Seven is now. Everything relied on the shipwright business my old man ran."
The doorway to the establishment pushed open with the weight of a few exhausted men - likely owners of local businesses that were preparing for thousands of frantic shoppers, and looking for inspiration for the thousands of deals that would entice them. One of the men motioned in Lucci's direction, and began to walk over. Thankfully, he was quickly diverted by his companion, who gave Lucci a casual wave, then motioned his friend to their own table. The carpenter replied to them both with a polite hand and a nod.
Lucci quickly returned his attention to his young acquaintance and gave a casual nod to continue.
"And being so close to Enies Lobby helps, too," Shuraiya continued, quietly impressed by Lucci's popularity, it seemed everyone in town knew him. "All the pirates in this town don't seem to know how close they are to death; they get lazy and make themselves easy targets.”
You're making my job easier, Lucci thought to himself. Over the warm months, Lucci had done his service by helping rid the city of wayward pirate scum. He wouldn't complain if someone else occasionally showed up to do a decent job of it.
"'S a pretty good trade off, you sell ships that you get back a week later 'cause the pirates've been caught-- oh, thanks." The return of the waitress was a welcome one, and she set a steaming mug of coffee (each bearing the Galley-la Company logo) before each of them with a smile. Shuraiya wrapped his fingers around his mug, his ring clinking lightly against the porcelain. "Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if hits were placed on the pirates just so the Marines could repossess their ships."
Lucci raised an eyebrow at the glint of metal that encircled Shuraiya's middle finger. The boy didn't seem the type to flaunt material possession, especially in the form of jewelry.
Slowly, Shuraiya was beginning to the hang of understanding the way Lucci communicated, and easily followed his gaze to his finger. "Oh, this?" He lifted his hand, regarding the ring with a faintly nostalgic smile. "Jacky -- y'know, Jacky Faber -- gave it to me, she... asked me to become her nakama."
It seemed fitting to Lucci that Shuraiya and Jacky Faber would hold such a close bond - it was somewhat sensed, through the interaction he'd witnessed on their internet meeting grounds. Lucci picked up his coffee mug and brought it against his pursed lips. The hot liquid was a refreshing contrast to the chill sea wind outside. Lucci comfortably let out a low huff before taking another draw of his oily black breakfast.
Shuraiya let his hand fall back to his own mug and lifted it to take a long draft of coffee, much more comfortable than he'd expected to be, carrying on a conversation with a man who could not speak for himself. He sat back with a pleasant sigh, half-hoping Hattori would carry on sleeping; he kind of liked the challenge of interpreting.
Lucci's attention was once again diverted by men entering through the main door. From his seat position, he had no viewpoint of the newly arrived group. However, the carpenter had no difficulty recognizing these men as different from the other early morning patrons. These men were here to start trouble.
"A drink!" One of the men, who possessed long-hair and a rather rotund figure, bellowed at the woman working at the counter. The group of men laughed. The large troublemaker of the group grabbed a waitress by the arm. "Better yet, a drink for all of us! And it had better be on the house!"
This caused more amusement for the other men, who were likely already quite intoxicated. Lucci slowly sipped his coffee and kept his eyes trained on the bounty hunter seated in front of him.
Shuraiya's demeanor changed completely with the arrival of the man and his crew. His face darkened, brows furrowed; his entire body seemed to tense up, like a cat readying to pounce. He slowly, gingerly set his coffee cup aside and rose, kicking his chair back.
"Oi, you!" he snapped, his voice barely louder than normal, for the entire restaurant had gone silent. "Get the fuck out."
A lanky man with a missing front tooth grabbed the waitress by the waist. She yelped and pushed away as a man attempted to kiss her. The rowdy group erupted into laugher, but the obvious ringleader turned to face Shuraiya. He pulled back one side of his dusty coat, and then patted the end of a pistol with his hand. "Mind your business, kid."
"Please, we don't want any trouble!" the waitress' shaky voice wasn't directed at the intruders, but at Shuraiya.
Lucci surveyed the front room and took another sip of his coffee. The two workers that had noticed Lucci before were looking in his direction; fear and silent pleading filled their gazes. Lucci couldn't blame them, they could just as easily die as the waitress in the center of the incident. Lucci turned his head away from the men and began to quietly rub his fingers over white feathers, trying to nudge Hattori awake.
Shuraiya hesitated only a second, unphased by the threat of a bullet -- it would take more than that to scare him, it was clear this guy didn't know how much of a threat he was. Paying no heed to either the waitress' words or those of the ruffians, the boy surged forward, weaponless but determined.
Having to come from behind a table left Shuraiya with a split-second disadvantage, but just enough for the armed man to reveal his weapon and fire. The woman behind the counter screamed as the sound of a discharged pistol reverberated through the bistro.
Fortunately for Shuraiya, his reflexes were ahead of him and he dodged the bullet easily, upsetting a couple chairs in the process - when he looked back to where it landed, a metal tray, severely dented, greeted him in the hand of Lucci, who looked as calm as ever.
Before the shooter could blink, the bridge of his nose collided with the dented metal tray; behind the tray, Lucci’s fist propelled the heavy-set man’s head toward the floorboards. The rest of the delinquent group stood, paralyzed mid-action, and stared at their leader’s head now partially through the floor. Without even blinking, Lucci walked over to the men, grabbed two by the shoulders, and threw them toward the door with immense force. Their bodies decimated the entryway and then fell into the street.
Shuraiya stared at the scene, feeling humiliated and impressed and strangely enough, incredibly aroused. The bounty hunter wasn’t easily impressed, having become jaded by the theatrics of self-important pirates who went down after one hit - to see someone legitimately kick ass was, well. Really fucking hot. His cheeks burned with unfamiliar shame and he remained there, mouth agape.
The remaining goons quickly followed with little effort from Lucci. The entrance was demolished, as well as a huge section of floorboards. The rest of the bistro watched in silent shock as Lucci pulled the body from out of the wooden floor, and tossed it out with ease. The carpenter could already hear voices approaching from outside - he’d let someone else deal with the intruders from there. He hadn’t quite finished his coffee.
“Lucci--” Shuraiya began, still in shock himself as Lucci sat and nonchalantly sipped his coffee, as if he hadn’t just destroyed a band of pirates. Reluctantly, the boy dropped back into his seat and scooted forward, more than a little disappointed in having been left out of the fight. “I could’ve handled it.”
Lucci stared at the bounty hunter across from him, and simply raised a perfectly arched brow. His lips said nothing, but his eyes said “Sure you could have” in the most sarcastic way possible. He set down his cup and leaned an arm against the back of his chair. Instantly, the bistro erupted in cheers from the men at other tables. The dark-haired carpenter turned and motioned with his hands for a pen and paper, which snapped the counter woman out of her shock.
She quickly made her way over and handed him a pen and pad, on which Lucci wrote all the information she would need to receive repairs from the Galley-La Company. She thanked him countless times, all of which he greeted with modest hand waves and nods of his head. Citizens were cheering his name, including several people that had run in from outside.
Humiliated, Shuraiya sat back and sulked. Propping his chin up in one hand, he toyed with his coffee mug with the other, having lost all interest in the coffee - his bruised ego was wont for something much more substantial.
Lucci cradled his half-sleeping bird in one hand and motioned he was leaving. He was used to the hero worship; it occurred on a daily basis and he never much cared for it. Besides, he couldn’t let his company sulk for too long. Lucci walked with Hattori to the door before turning back around and motioning for Shuraiya to exit first.
Shuraiya didn’t need more encouragement than that; he stepped out without another word and cast Lucci a look that was somewhere between gratefulness and resentment, straying more so to the former. His mood improved somewhat once they began walking again, and even ventured a, “This happen often?” with a cautionary grin.
Lucci gave a mechanical nod and stared straight ahead - a group of female fans were screaming his name and waving for his attention. Water 7 had seen its share of lawless bands, and often he and his coworkers had to put a few in their place. Often, Lucci bitterly thought, is an understatement.
The debacle had served to derail Shuraiya in more than one way -- his attempts at impressing his friend had fallen just a few thugs shy of being anything but mere bragging, and much to the boy's dismay, Lucci had returned to his typical stoicism and was entirely unreadable. The cheering eventually died out and they were alone once more, but Shuraiya couldn't think of a single damn thing to talk about. At least Hattori was awake now; maybe he'd have something to say, right?
"Stop looking at me," Hattori snapped. The bird stretched his feathers across Lucci's chest in a blatant attempt to be stroked. His human complied and tenderly rubbed the upper curve of a pidgeon's white wing. Hattori cooed happily, and Lucci peered over at Shuraiya.
"Fuckin' bird," Shuraiya muttered under his breath, heaving a sigh. He looked out over to the floating shops being stocked on the canal, while early risers floated lazily by on their yagara bulls, hopeful for a handout. "So," he began, looking back to Lucci and ignoring Hattori, "You go to work soon, yeah?"
"Yeah, in a little over an hour," came the reply once again from Hattori, but Lucci's straight forward posture couldn't keep his eyes from looking sideways. The boy looked flustered, as if Lucci had taken something Shuraiya had badly wanted. The left corner of Lucci's lip twitched.
"Lucky you," Shuraiya plunged a hand into his pocket and fished for the scrap of parchment he'd carefully folded and tucked away-- there it was! He pulled it out and smoothed the creases before offering it to Lucci. "Oi, here -- I made some corrections to my ship repairs, hope that's alright."
Lucci pulled the slip of paper from between Shuraiya's pinched fingers. His eyes scanned the revisions at first with boredom, which quickly turned to intrigue. The modifications themselves were interesting at best, but the way in which they were combined was what caught Lucci's attention. Lucci was beginning to notice unusual instances occurring for no apparent reason, or strange tourists that - even in a world where people gained power from fruit, and fought gigantic sea beasts - seemed out of place. These corrections felt strangely out of place. For what purpose would a mere bounty hunter require such intricate alterations, Lucci pondered.
"I'll be able to pay for the additional repairs, don't worry 'bout that," Shuraiya added with a smug grin, watching his expression change minutely. No doubt he was impressed (yet again!) with the boy's knowledge of ships, and hell if that realization didn't inflate his ego. "You'll be able to do it, right?"
Lucci's attention quickly switched back to Shuraiya with a stare that could poison holy water.
"Isn't that why you came to me?" Hattori snapped and ruffled his feathers.
"Shit, don't get your feathers bent outta shape!" Shuraiya snapped right back, giving Lucci a look just as sour. "I came because I know you do good work! What the hell, Lucci, it's not like I don't fuckin' trust you!" Oh, he was so close to strangling that fucking bird.
Hattori cooed and waved a wing at Shuraiya as if to dismiss the topic. Times like this made Lucci really love that Hattori communicated for him; hiding smugness was far easier when a bird spoke for you. "Walk with me to the yard."
"Sure, okay." Shuraiya gave a shrug, anger abated by the offer of an invitation to the shipyard -- last time, he'd barely gotten a look around before nearly having his head hewed off; he was eager to see what lie within the famous shipyards.
The city was slowly filling with more and more visitors, along with locals heading to the markets. Most of the waking population was thin in central areas, but became more condensed when they neared the immense shipyards. Towering numbered doors could be seen, still several blocks from where they were. Lucci's face was still looking down at the repair checklist in his hands when Hattori motioned to Shuraiya.
"I'm sure you've been distracted by business since your arrival. If later you find yourself with a bit of free time," Hattori cooed. "Perhaps I can give you a better tour of the city?"
"Yeah, I'd like that," Shuraiya nodded without a moment of hesitation and cracked a grin, his flustered, confusing admiration bubbling up once again at the offer. He brushed it off, but the goofy smile remained. "That'd be great."
"What the fuck do you mean, I can't get my ship?!" Shuraiya yelled, slamming his fist down on the shipwright's desk, his voice barely audible over the ferocious winds blowing overhead. "You told me it'd be ready today!"
"And it is."
Hattori cooed and shook a white-feathered wing at Shuraiya. Lucci crossed his arms and let his bird continue to do the talking. "But you're not sailing it out of here."
"Why the fuck not?!" Shuraiya demanded, all camaraderie between them forgotten in the face of being fucking marooned. He straightened and stared the stoic shipwright in the eye, scowling. "I paid for it, it's finished, I need the goddamn ship!"
"Ask around for reasonable lodging. Maybe you can get a last-minute deal," Lucci turned his back to Shuraiya in a form of dismissal. "But this is non-negotiable."
Lucci only had one day left to access the dock before it was sealed up. He had preparations to worry about, not some bounty hunter brat with a filthy pirate mouth. The bird's statement was final.
Shuraiya knew it would be useless to bargain for the ship or even to pick a fight with Lucci -- neither would do him any good, and he knew it. So, the boy stalked off towards the sea train station in the hopes of buying a ticket to get out of this watery hell.
Little did he know that the station was closed, and all trains canceled for the duration of Aqua Laguna.
He had been walking along the water since he'd left work the night before. The walk had started with no planned destination, but hunger quickly descended, and he thought it best to turn back for breakfast. He noticed a few unfortunate men, who had been summoned from bed to work graveyard at the docks; they greeted him. Hattori still slept while perched on Lucci's right shoulder, so Lucci could do little more than wave or nod.
Shuraiya woke earlier than usual, his empty dreams no longer providing any solace -- he left the dingy little inn where he'd spent the last few nights to take a walk in the pre-dawn. Without the usual clamor of tourists and yagara bulls filling the canals, it was peaceful and almost dreamlike. He chose a direction and left, not caring where he was going or what he would find; only looking for a bit of peace before he was to face a day of dealing with the aggravating process of bounty reclamation.
Shuraiya walked for some time, wandering aimlessly over bridges and through alleys, until he found himself near the docks -- he noticed a tall, familiar figure turning a corner and hastened his step, hoping to catch him before he went off to work. "Oi, Lucci!"
Lucci nodded and excused himself from the other workers. The men said their quick goodbyes and made their way to the docks, while Lucci turned to the voice that had been addressing him. It was the bounty hunter. Lucci found himself less irritated than he'd expected, when he realized who had been following him, and it somewhat surprised him. He casually held up a hand and acknowledged Shuraiya.
"'Morning," Shuraiya grinned once he caught up to him, the smile coming easily than usual; it was odd. Had Shuraiya been thinking about it, he would have attributed his to everything that had been going on with Jacky, from his admission into her nakama to his involvement in the wedding -- but he wasn't, he was simply happy to see (and be acknowledged by!) Lucci. It was too early for anything more than that. "How're you?"
Lucci shrugged and turned back to the way he was walking. He waved a hand at Shuraiya, beckoning the boy to follow. What the hell, Lucci figured; he was on the way to breakfast anyway.
Shuraiya followed, falling into step easily with the taller man -- Hattori, he noticed, was a mere puff of white feathers on Lucci's shoulder, snoozing with his head tucked under a wing. Walking together silently wasn't much different than walking alone, but for some reason, it lifted his spirits -- he was glad for the company.
Lucci's pale hand tucked a stray curl behind his ear, and he used the motion as an excuse to sneak a glance sideward. Running into someone like Shuraiya was rather uncommon - not necessarily a bad thing, just a circumstance that caused Lucci to question. At such hours, he usually fell in and out of acquaintance with quite opposite types. But perhaps it was no mistake they had met under the current circumstances. The boy was quiet, but the older man could tell he was excited about something. Hopefully, he was merely pleased to have company. Lucci genuinely hoped the boy would not attempt to rob him; he would hate to take on the task of dumping yet another body into the canals.
Shuraiya remained quiet until they passed a small bistro, one of the few open at this hour -- the moment the smell of fresh bread and coffee wafted out into the street, the boy realized he was starving. He touched Lucci's cold shoulder and stuck a thumb towards the restaurant with a hopeful expression. "Hey, lemme buy you a coffee or somethin', you look like you need it."
Lucci hesitated for a mere moment, but the invitation to caffeine was far too tantalizing. He decided he wasn't callous enough to turn down the invitation, and gestured for Shuraiya to lead the way. The small establishment appeared warm and welcoming to the early workers of the city. The low talking and occasional laughter caused the snoozing ball of feathers on Lucci's shoulder to stir; Lucci rubbed a finger over Hattori's neck.
Shuraiya picked a table near the back, the spot giving him a full view of the mostly-empty bistro -- he had very little reason to be on guard (or so he thought), but out of habit, he sat himself facing the restaurant and Lucci.
"How d'you like your coffee? Black?" Shuraiya guessed, glancing over the menu at Lucci.
Lucci stared back, but made no gesture or noise in response. However, it was very likely that - in Shuraiya's glance over a menu - the bounty hunter caught a brief glimpse of the smirk tugging at one side of Lucci's wordless lips. Even a blink would have caused him to miss the minute reaction, but Lucci was sure he had allowed the boy to see it.
"Thought so," Shuraiya replied smugly and grinned, lifting the menu to get the sleepy-eyed waitress' attention. Secretly, he was relieved Lucci agreed to something that would come cheap -- he was nearly out of money, but he figured what the hell, if things went well, he'd have cashed his bounties by nightfall.
As Shuraiya became preoccupied dealing with the waitress, Lucci allowed himself a longer observation of current company. He'd always been the type to make note of the smallest details. Since he'd last seen Shuraiya, the boy's hair had grown, and he appeared slightly leaner as well. Lucci's eyes followed the movement of a gesturing hand, noting that the boy's palms were calloused and pale - like his. Shuraiya's appearance was cleaner than most males in sea-based livelihoods, and his clothes held the appearance of things that been mercilessly utilized and cleansed over years. Lucci began to wonder how many years the boy had truly lived by the sea’s good graces.
Shuraiya could feel Lucci's on him as he ordered, but initially paid no attention to it, he was so used to the stares he got due to his infamy. But he quickly grew embarrassed, for the older man's gaze was unwavering and curious -- just what was it that he was looking for? Shuraiya wasn't sure he wanted to know. After the waitress left, Shuraiya turned back to Lucci, crossing his arms. "What?"
Lucci raised a brow as if he hadn't been blatantly staring at the young man across from him. He moved his attention away from studying Shuraiya, and nudged Hattori with a finger. The bird ruffled its feathers and snapped at Lucci's finger, then proceeded to regain comfort and rest against the curve of Lucci's neck.
"Business has been good here, I take it," Shuraiya mused, not really expecting an answer, especially after Hattori so vehemently refused to wake up. He toyed with his fork as he spoke, twirling it idly between two fingers. "'S been good for me, too -- I dunno if it's just 'cause the pirates are weaker nowadays or I'm just gettin' better, but I've been pulling some decent bounties lately."
Lucci prodded at his feathered voice box, but it was fairly obvious that Hattori was not in the mood to work. No amount of shuffling feet, low chatting, and creaking of chairs was going to wake the bird just yet. The carpenter finally gave up and rested his arms on the table; his pale fingers curled around his elbows as he propped himself forward.
Taking Lucci's change in posture as a cue to go on, Shuraiya set his fork aside and propped himself on an elbow, cradling his chin in his palm.
"This is the longest I've stayed anywhere in a long time," he said half to himself, looking across the restaurant. "I like it here; it reminds me a lot of home." Blue eyes slid over to Lucci, checking for any reaction, "Remember how I told you I'm from Bascùd Island? Yeah, it was a lot like Water Seven is now. Everything relied on the shipwright business my old man ran."
The doorway to the establishment pushed open with the weight of a few exhausted men - likely owners of local businesses that were preparing for thousands of frantic shoppers, and looking for inspiration for the thousands of deals that would entice them. One of the men motioned in Lucci's direction, and began to walk over. Thankfully, he was quickly diverted by his companion, who gave Lucci a casual wave, then motioned his friend to their own table. The carpenter replied to them both with a polite hand and a nod.
Lucci quickly returned his attention to his young acquaintance and gave a casual nod to continue.
"And being so close to Enies Lobby helps, too," Shuraiya continued, quietly impressed by Lucci's popularity, it seemed everyone in town knew him. "All the pirates in this town don't seem to know how close they are to death; they get lazy and make themselves easy targets.”
You're making my job easier, Lucci thought to himself. Over the warm months, Lucci had done his service by helping rid the city of wayward pirate scum. He wouldn't complain if someone else occasionally showed up to do a decent job of it.
"'S a pretty good trade off, you sell ships that you get back a week later 'cause the pirates've been caught-- oh, thanks." The return of the waitress was a welcome one, and she set a steaming mug of coffee (each bearing the Galley-la Company logo) before each of them with a smile. Shuraiya wrapped his fingers around his mug, his ring clinking lightly against the porcelain. "Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if hits were placed on the pirates just so the Marines could repossess their ships."
Lucci raised an eyebrow at the glint of metal that encircled Shuraiya's middle finger. The boy didn't seem the type to flaunt material possession, especially in the form of jewelry.
Slowly, Shuraiya was beginning to the hang of understanding the way Lucci communicated, and easily followed his gaze to his finger. "Oh, this?" He lifted his hand, regarding the ring with a faintly nostalgic smile. "Jacky -- y'know, Jacky Faber -- gave it to me, she... asked me to become her nakama."
It seemed fitting to Lucci that Shuraiya and Jacky Faber would hold such a close bond - it was somewhat sensed, through the interaction he'd witnessed on their internet meeting grounds. Lucci picked up his coffee mug and brought it against his pursed lips. The hot liquid was a refreshing contrast to the chill sea wind outside. Lucci comfortably let out a low huff before taking another draw of his oily black breakfast.
Shuraiya let his hand fall back to his own mug and lifted it to take a long draft of coffee, much more comfortable than he'd expected to be, carrying on a conversation with a man who could not speak for himself. He sat back with a pleasant sigh, half-hoping Hattori would carry on sleeping; he kind of liked the challenge of interpreting.
Lucci's attention was once again diverted by men entering through the main door. From his seat position, he had no viewpoint of the newly arrived group. However, the carpenter had no difficulty recognizing these men as different from the other early morning patrons. These men were here to start trouble.
"A drink!" One of the men, who possessed long-hair and a rather rotund figure, bellowed at the woman working at the counter. The group of men laughed. The large troublemaker of the group grabbed a waitress by the arm. "Better yet, a drink for all of us! And it had better be on the house!"
This caused more amusement for the other men, who were likely already quite intoxicated. Lucci slowly sipped his coffee and kept his eyes trained on the bounty hunter seated in front of him.
Shuraiya's demeanor changed completely with the arrival of the man and his crew. His face darkened, brows furrowed; his entire body seemed to tense up, like a cat readying to pounce. He slowly, gingerly set his coffee cup aside and rose, kicking his chair back.
"Oi, you!" he snapped, his voice barely louder than normal, for the entire restaurant had gone silent. "Get the fuck out."
A lanky man with a missing front tooth grabbed the waitress by the waist. She yelped and pushed away as a man attempted to kiss her. The rowdy group erupted into laugher, but the obvious ringleader turned to face Shuraiya. He pulled back one side of his dusty coat, and then patted the end of a pistol with his hand. "Mind your business, kid."
"Please, we don't want any trouble!" the waitress' shaky voice wasn't directed at the intruders, but at Shuraiya.
Lucci surveyed the front room and took another sip of his coffee. The two workers that had noticed Lucci before were looking in his direction; fear and silent pleading filled their gazes. Lucci couldn't blame them, they could just as easily die as the waitress in the center of the incident. Lucci turned his head away from the men and began to quietly rub his fingers over white feathers, trying to nudge Hattori awake.
Shuraiya hesitated only a second, unphased by the threat of a bullet -- it would take more than that to scare him, it was clear this guy didn't know how much of a threat he was. Paying no heed to either the waitress' words or those of the ruffians, the boy surged forward, weaponless but determined.
Having to come from behind a table left Shuraiya with a split-second disadvantage, but just enough for the armed man to reveal his weapon and fire. The woman behind the counter screamed as the sound of a discharged pistol reverberated through the bistro.
Fortunately for Shuraiya, his reflexes were ahead of him and he dodged the bullet easily, upsetting a couple chairs in the process - when he looked back to where it landed, a metal tray, severely dented, greeted him in the hand of Lucci, who looked as calm as ever.
Before the shooter could blink, the bridge of his nose collided with the dented metal tray; behind the tray, Lucci’s fist propelled the heavy-set man’s head toward the floorboards. The rest of the delinquent group stood, paralyzed mid-action, and stared at their leader’s head now partially through the floor. Without even blinking, Lucci walked over to the men, grabbed two by the shoulders, and threw them toward the door with immense force. Their bodies decimated the entryway and then fell into the street.
Shuraiya stared at the scene, feeling humiliated and impressed and strangely enough, incredibly aroused. The bounty hunter wasn’t easily impressed, having become jaded by the theatrics of self-important pirates who went down after one hit - to see someone legitimately kick ass was, well. Really fucking hot. His cheeks burned with unfamiliar shame and he remained there, mouth agape.
The remaining goons quickly followed with little effort from Lucci. The entrance was demolished, as well as a huge section of floorboards. The rest of the bistro watched in silent shock as Lucci pulled the body from out of the wooden floor, and tossed it out with ease. The carpenter could already hear voices approaching from outside - he’d let someone else deal with the intruders from there. He hadn’t quite finished his coffee.
“Lucci--” Shuraiya began, still in shock himself as Lucci sat and nonchalantly sipped his coffee, as if he hadn’t just destroyed a band of pirates. Reluctantly, the boy dropped back into his seat and scooted forward, more than a little disappointed in having been left out of the fight. “I could’ve handled it.”
Lucci stared at the bounty hunter across from him, and simply raised a perfectly arched brow. His lips said nothing, but his eyes said “Sure you could have” in the most sarcastic way possible. He set down his cup and leaned an arm against the back of his chair. Instantly, the bistro erupted in cheers from the men at other tables. The dark-haired carpenter turned and motioned with his hands for a pen and paper, which snapped the counter woman out of her shock.
She quickly made her way over and handed him a pen and pad, on which Lucci wrote all the information she would need to receive repairs from the Galley-La Company. She thanked him countless times, all of which he greeted with modest hand waves and nods of his head. Citizens were cheering his name, including several people that had run in from outside.
Humiliated, Shuraiya sat back and sulked. Propping his chin up in one hand, he toyed with his coffee mug with the other, having lost all interest in the coffee - his bruised ego was wont for something much more substantial.
Lucci cradled his half-sleeping bird in one hand and motioned he was leaving. He was used to the hero worship; it occurred on a daily basis and he never much cared for it. Besides, he couldn’t let his company sulk for too long. Lucci walked with Hattori to the door before turning back around and motioning for Shuraiya to exit first.
Shuraiya didn’t need more encouragement than that; he stepped out without another word and cast Lucci a look that was somewhere between gratefulness and resentment, straying more so to the former. His mood improved somewhat once they began walking again, and even ventured a, “This happen often?” with a cautionary grin.
Lucci gave a mechanical nod and stared straight ahead - a group of female fans were screaming his name and waving for his attention. Water 7 had seen its share of lawless bands, and often he and his coworkers had to put a few in their place. Often, Lucci bitterly thought, is an understatement.
The debacle had served to derail Shuraiya in more than one way -- his attempts at impressing his friend had fallen just a few thugs shy of being anything but mere bragging, and much to the boy's dismay, Lucci had returned to his typical stoicism and was entirely unreadable. The cheering eventually died out and they were alone once more, but Shuraiya couldn't think of a single damn thing to talk about. At least Hattori was awake now; maybe he'd have something to say, right?
"Stop looking at me," Hattori snapped. The bird stretched his feathers across Lucci's chest in a blatant attempt to be stroked. His human complied and tenderly rubbed the upper curve of a pidgeon's white wing. Hattori cooed happily, and Lucci peered over at Shuraiya.
"Fuckin' bird," Shuraiya muttered under his breath, heaving a sigh. He looked out over to the floating shops being stocked on the canal, while early risers floated lazily by on their yagara bulls, hopeful for a handout. "So," he began, looking back to Lucci and ignoring Hattori, "You go to work soon, yeah?"
"Yeah, in a little over an hour," came the reply once again from Hattori, but Lucci's straight forward posture couldn't keep his eyes from looking sideways. The boy looked flustered, as if Lucci had taken something Shuraiya had badly wanted. The left corner of Lucci's lip twitched.
"Lucky you," Shuraiya plunged a hand into his pocket and fished for the scrap of parchment he'd carefully folded and tucked away-- there it was! He pulled it out and smoothed the creases before offering it to Lucci. "Oi, here -- I made some corrections to my ship repairs, hope that's alright."
Lucci pulled the slip of paper from between Shuraiya's pinched fingers. His eyes scanned the revisions at first with boredom, which quickly turned to intrigue. The modifications themselves were interesting at best, but the way in which they were combined was what caught Lucci's attention. Lucci was beginning to notice unusual instances occurring for no apparent reason, or strange tourists that - even in a world where people gained power from fruit, and fought gigantic sea beasts - seemed out of place. These corrections felt strangely out of place. For what purpose would a mere bounty hunter require such intricate alterations, Lucci pondered.
"I'll be able to pay for the additional repairs, don't worry 'bout that," Shuraiya added with a smug grin, watching his expression change minutely. No doubt he was impressed (yet again!) with the boy's knowledge of ships, and hell if that realization didn't inflate his ego. "You'll be able to do it, right?"
Lucci's attention quickly switched back to Shuraiya with a stare that could poison holy water.
"Isn't that why you came to me?" Hattori snapped and ruffled his feathers.
"Shit, don't get your feathers bent outta shape!" Shuraiya snapped right back, giving Lucci a look just as sour. "I came because I know you do good work! What the hell, Lucci, it's not like I don't fuckin' trust you!" Oh, he was so close to strangling that fucking bird.
Hattori cooed and waved a wing at Shuraiya as if to dismiss the topic. Times like this made Lucci really love that Hattori communicated for him; hiding smugness was far easier when a bird spoke for you. "Walk with me to the yard."
"Sure, okay." Shuraiya gave a shrug, anger abated by the offer of an invitation to the shipyard -- last time, he'd barely gotten a look around before nearly having his head hewed off; he was eager to see what lie within the famous shipyards.
The city was slowly filling with more and more visitors, along with locals heading to the markets. Most of the waking population was thin in central areas, but became more condensed when they neared the immense shipyards. Towering numbered doors could be seen, still several blocks from where they were. Lucci's face was still looking down at the repair checklist in his hands when Hattori motioned to Shuraiya.
"I'm sure you've been distracted by business since your arrival. If later you find yourself with a bit of free time," Hattori cooed. "Perhaps I can give you a better tour of the city?"
"Yeah, I'd like that," Shuraiya nodded without a moment of hesitation and cracked a grin, his flustered, confusing admiration bubbling up once again at the offer. He brushed it off, but the goofy smile remained. "That'd be great."
"What the fuck do you mean, I can't get my ship?!" Shuraiya yelled, slamming his fist down on the shipwright's desk, his voice barely audible over the ferocious winds blowing overhead. "You told me it'd be ready today!"
"And it is."
Hattori cooed and shook a white-feathered wing at Shuraiya. Lucci crossed his arms and let his bird continue to do the talking. "But you're not sailing it out of here."
"Why the fuck not?!" Shuraiya demanded, all camaraderie between them forgotten in the face of being fucking marooned. He straightened and stared the stoic shipwright in the eye, scowling. "I paid for it, it's finished, I need the goddamn ship!"
"Ask around for reasonable lodging. Maybe you can get a last-minute deal," Lucci turned his back to Shuraiya in a form of dismissal. "But this is non-negotiable."
Lucci only had one day left to access the dock before it was sealed up. He had preparations to worry about, not some bounty hunter brat with a filthy pirate mouth. The bird's statement was final.
Shuraiya knew it would be useless to bargain for the ship or even to pick a fight with Lucci -- neither would do him any good, and he knew it. So, the boy stalked off towards the sea train station in the hopes of buying a ticket to get out of this watery hell.
Little did he know that the station was closed, and all trains canceled for the duration of Aqua Laguna.