Repost fic: Tangible
May. 11th, 2008 03:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rainsometimesAm reposting one of three fics that was previously done for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
dualcaptains (the Luffy/Usopp comm) on Luffy's birthday on May 5th (as part of a celebration suggested/organised by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
scribe_protra). If you've read it there already, there's nothing new except perhaps some minor correcting/polishing.
Title: Tangible
Word Count: 1013 or thereabouts
Rating: G or a mild PG
Pairing: Luffy/Usopp, or at least Usopp->Luffy
Setting: After page 1 and some time before page 10 of manga chapter 492; I'm obviously just guessing wildly about the time interval
Summary: Just because it's close enough to touch doesn't mean you shouldn't leave it alone...Or does it?
From what the fishes had told Caimie, she and the starfish thought the high quarter of these so-called Flying Fish Riders might be about forty-five minutes away. Nami had been sceptical about this, warning that these fishes might not know how fast a ship like the Sunny could be (and Franky had agreed). She figured whittling the time down to probably about half an hour would be more likely. And of course, there was no telling if the enemy would fly out to meet them again, like the patrol they’d encountered just now.
Luffy had volunteered to help Usopp bringing up cannons to the deck in order to shoot down the airborne enemy. “Just as long as you’re careful,” Franky had commented with a sideway glance at his captain; then he’d disappeared into the engine room, obviously to prepare the ship more fully for the impending battle and maybe to offer some surprises for the crew as well. Sometimes Usopp felt that Franky could be a bit too fond of keeping things secret until the last possibly moment. But he supposed that as long as they were happy surprises he shouldn’t mind.
Usopp had been talking about a whole bunch of cannons, but once he was down in the gun deck and trying to plan things properly, he realised he probably wouldn’t have time to operate more than one. Or maybe two, but since the Sunny’s cannons were quick to load and easy to manoeuvre just the one would probably do. He pondered for a while until he finally settled for one of the smaller ones, with a little less oomph than the bigger ones but easier to handle during action. Yes, that one would do. Now, where had he put the grease, the rags and the most suitable wrench?
“Whatcha doing?” said Luffy, lying on his back on the cannon right next to the one Usopp had picked. He didn’t sound impatient to return upstairs right away, just generally curious.
“I’d like to oil it up a bit first,” Usopp explained. “And see if it needs fine-tuning. It’s easier to do down here indoors than up there on deck. Maybe I should even load it first,” he added with a considering frown. That would save them a second trip, and the extra weight wouldn’t mean anything to Luffy – but no, he shook his head, trusting Luffy to carry a loaded cannon properly seemed like asking a bit too much.
But while he was thinking out and planning proper cannon-thoughts, and while he was scrutinising the machine and oiling it carefully at the same time, in the back of his mind a small voice kept muttering things like Half an hour isn’t that short actually, you can do lots of things in half an hour, and None of the others are probably going to get down here, they’re all busy with other things and even No telling what will happen in battle, we might as well take the chance while we got it. And so on. It didn’t help that Luffy was wearing his vest open on account of the hot weather outside and Usopp was only wearing his swimming trunks himself and was feeling rather more aware of that fact than he’d been a few minutes ago. He kept getting his plans and calculations jumbled up and his fingers stumbled in the machinery, making him go back and start over.
It also didn’t help that after chatting for awhile about takoyaki and mermaids and cannons Luffy had been more quiet than usual, perched on top of one of the other cannons and mostly just watching him work while humming one of Brook’s tunes under his breath. His eyes were bright and smiling but also with that certain inimitable quiet contentment that he’d sometimes get. (Then again, was anything Luffy did truly ‘imitable’? Usopp rather doubted it, although he hoped some of it was.)
Maybe, just maybe there was something there in that deep quiet warmth in Luffy’s eyes that might be waiting for him. Or maybe not. He could see no obvious invitation there but then again he wondered if there would ever be any. Luffy didn’t think like other people and for him there might not be much difference between doing, um, that kinda stuff and just doing normal stuff. His captain might even think that you were just supposed to know what he wanted. That maybe a true pirate and crewmate should be able to tell.
And maybe that was something you should screw up your courage for, ignoring trembling legs and shaky stomach. But then again, his captain might not think about that kinda thing at all. Maybe he just liked being down here with Usopp right now, all close and quiet and peaceful-like before the battle. And it was a selfish wish anyway.
Down here, the noises from the rest of the crew filtered down only very faintly. The sound of the ocean on the other side of the wall was somewhat louder. But mostly it was quiet, a little chilly and a little stuffed. He took a new rag and dipped it in oil and fat to grease the cannon just one more time, although it might not have been strictly absolutely and completely necessary. Staying here just a little bit longer.
It was quiet enough to hear Luffy’s low and even breathing an arm’s reach away, and chilly enough to feel Luffy’s warm breath as a pleasant contrast on his bare back, even from that distance. Luffy was chuckling softly at something Usopp had said a few moments ago that Usopp didn’t think had been that funny, although now he was smiling an involuntary Luffy-is-making-me-smile grin. The smell of meat and sun and salt and Luffiness was almost tangible, almost as strong as the sense of being close to something more solid than rock and more accepting than water, offering complete trust and an unspoken promise that his captain would always be there to hold out his hand when he needed him.
It should be enough.
dualcaptains (the Luffy/Usopp comm) on Luffy's birthday on May 5th (as part of a celebration suggested/organised byscribe_protra). If you've read it there already, there's nothing new except perhaps some minor correcting/polishing.Title: Tangible
Word Count: 1013 or thereabouts
Rating: G or a mild PG
Pairing: Luffy/Usopp, or at least Usopp->Luffy
Setting: After page 1 and some time before page 10 of manga chapter 492; I'm obviously just guessing wildly about the time interval
Summary: Just because it's close enough to touch doesn't mean you shouldn't leave it alone...Or does it?
From what the fishes had told Caimie, she and the starfish thought the high quarter of these so-called Flying Fish Riders might be about forty-five minutes away. Nami had been sceptical about this, warning that these fishes might not know how fast a ship like the Sunny could be (and Franky had agreed). She figured whittling the time down to probably about half an hour would be more likely. And of course, there was no telling if the enemy would fly out to meet them again, like the patrol they’d encountered just now.
Luffy had volunteered to help Usopp bringing up cannons to the deck in order to shoot down the airborne enemy. “Just as long as you’re careful,” Franky had commented with a sideway glance at his captain; then he’d disappeared into the engine room, obviously to prepare the ship more fully for the impending battle and maybe to offer some surprises for the crew as well. Sometimes Usopp felt that Franky could be a bit too fond of keeping things secret until the last possibly moment. But he supposed that as long as they were happy surprises he shouldn’t mind.
Usopp had been talking about a whole bunch of cannons, but once he was down in the gun deck and trying to plan things properly, he realised he probably wouldn’t have time to operate more than one. Or maybe two, but since the Sunny’s cannons were quick to load and easy to manoeuvre just the one would probably do. He pondered for a while until he finally settled for one of the smaller ones, with a little less oomph than the bigger ones but easier to handle during action. Yes, that one would do. Now, where had he put the grease, the rags and the most suitable wrench?
“Whatcha doing?” said Luffy, lying on his back on the cannon right next to the one Usopp had picked. He didn’t sound impatient to return upstairs right away, just generally curious.
“I’d like to oil it up a bit first,” Usopp explained. “And see if it needs fine-tuning. It’s easier to do down here indoors than up there on deck. Maybe I should even load it first,” he added with a considering frown. That would save them a second trip, and the extra weight wouldn’t mean anything to Luffy – but no, he shook his head, trusting Luffy to carry a loaded cannon properly seemed like asking a bit too much.
But while he was thinking out and planning proper cannon-thoughts, and while he was scrutinising the machine and oiling it carefully at the same time, in the back of his mind a small voice kept muttering things like Half an hour isn’t that short actually, you can do lots of things in half an hour, and None of the others are probably going to get down here, they’re all busy with other things and even No telling what will happen in battle, we might as well take the chance while we got it. And so on. It didn’t help that Luffy was wearing his vest open on account of the hot weather outside and Usopp was only wearing his swimming trunks himself and was feeling rather more aware of that fact than he’d been a few minutes ago. He kept getting his plans and calculations jumbled up and his fingers stumbled in the machinery, making him go back and start over.
It also didn’t help that after chatting for awhile about takoyaki and mermaids and cannons Luffy had been more quiet than usual, perched on top of one of the other cannons and mostly just watching him work while humming one of Brook’s tunes under his breath. His eyes were bright and smiling but also with that certain inimitable quiet contentment that he’d sometimes get. (Then again, was anything Luffy did truly ‘imitable’? Usopp rather doubted it, although he hoped some of it was.)
Maybe, just maybe there was something there in that deep quiet warmth in Luffy’s eyes that might be waiting for him. Or maybe not. He could see no obvious invitation there but then again he wondered if there would ever be any. Luffy didn’t think like other people and for him there might not be much difference between doing, um, that kinda stuff and just doing normal stuff. His captain might even think that you were just supposed to know what he wanted. That maybe a true pirate and crewmate should be able to tell.
And maybe that was something you should screw up your courage for, ignoring trembling legs and shaky stomach. But then again, his captain might not think about that kinda thing at all. Maybe he just liked being down here with Usopp right now, all close and quiet and peaceful-like before the battle. And it was a selfish wish anyway.
Down here, the noises from the rest of the crew filtered down only very faintly. The sound of the ocean on the other side of the wall was somewhat louder. But mostly it was quiet, a little chilly and a little stuffed. He took a new rag and dipped it in oil and fat to grease the cannon just one more time, although it might not have been strictly absolutely and completely necessary. Staying here just a little bit longer.
It was quiet enough to hear Luffy’s low and even breathing an arm’s reach away, and chilly enough to feel Luffy’s warm breath as a pleasant contrast on his bare back, even from that distance. Luffy was chuckling softly at something Usopp had said a few moments ago that Usopp didn’t think had been that funny, although now he was smiling an involuntary Luffy-is-making-me-smile grin. The smell of meat and sun and salt and Luffiness was almost tangible, almost as strong as the sense of being close to something more solid than rock and more accepting than water, offering complete trust and an unspoken promise that his captain would always be there to hold out his hand when he needed him.
It should be enough.
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no subject
Date: 2008-05-11 03:13 pm (UTC)Dude, fuzzies! Poor Usopp though, all awash in uncertainty, even if he's still glad to be where he is just there.
trusting Luffy to carry a loaded cannon properly seemed like asking a bit too much.
XDDD
Nitpick: it's "airborne," (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airborne) like "borne (carried) by the air," "air-born" would mean "born in the air."
BTW, I haven't forgoten your fic. I had my first full week of new job this week, though, so it ended up being awfully distracting and I get home later now to boot (argh). I want to work on it tonight!
no subject
Date: 2008-05-11 03:22 pm (UTC)It provided fuzzies? I'm so glad. ^_^
Muchos gracias for the typo point-out!
Great, I'm looking forward to getting comments whenver you're ready! But don't worry about it being late - after all the great feedback you gave me on the Ranma/OP draft, I've been feeling (a tad) guilty about not having done much new work on it yet. That is, I have toyed with stuff in my head, but hardly sat down properly at the keyboard. But I want to, though!;)
no subject
Date: 2008-05-11 03:30 pm (UTC)Oh, well, if we're both sorta feeling guilty, then neither of us should :P I know the feeling though--I WANT to but I just haven't 'cause RL is like that. :shakes fist::
no subject
Date: 2008-05-11 03:46 pm (UTC)Yep, that is from Alabasta, it's what Luffy and Usopp are doing when Zoro and Sanji are asleep face-to-face on the floor (I suspect it's easy to miss/forget it for that reason XD).
Hmm, haven't seen that one. Any idea of the likely episode number?
no subject
Date: 2008-05-11 04:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-12 08:55 pm (UTC)Though I wonder what Usopp's muttering about "painful" and "Eyelash" (the camel, I assume) is supposed to be about...?!
no subject
Date: 2008-05-12 10:21 pm (UTC)