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rainsometimes[A repost fic originally posted to the LJ comm dualcaptains. Reposted here on Dreamwidth in March 2022 in case Livejournal goes under altogether, but backdated to its original posting date.]
Title: Lock On! Or Maybe Not
Rating: PG (bit too tame for PG-13)
Characters: Luffy, Sogeking, Usopp; Zoro at the end
Spoilers/Setting: Post-Thriller Bark. For the purpose of the fic, assume that Luffy has found out about Usopp’s personality split shortly before it.
Summary: Came from a prompt onop_fanforall asking for someone to confront Usopp about the fact of his split personality – however, that’s not how it came out, as I came to feel that someone wouldn’t be Luffy. Instead, it’s more just a piece with Luffy/Sogeking/Usopp interaction.
edit: Disclaimer: The characters of One Piece are created and belong to Eiichiro Oda. They are used here without permission for entertainment purpose only. This fic is not intended for and will not be used for profit./edit
Luffy found him up in the crow’s nest. Only it wasn’t the right him. The brightly coloured mask was back on, and now the deep red cape was there as well, covering Sogeking’s back as he stood standing with his arms crossed, looking out at the sea. (On the other side of the room, Zoro was sitting on the floor, snoring softly.)
Maaan, Sogeking just looked so cool! Luffy had to stop for a moment, sighing with appreciation. Then he shook himself , because no matter how awesome the guy was, it wasn’t him he wanted to see right now.
“Hey, Soooogekiiing,” he whined as he walked up to the hero, “can’t you let Usopp come out for a bit? I really need to talk to him!”
Sogeking sighed, angling his head towards Luffy in a greeting nod. “Ah, young Luffy. Glad to see you. Yes, I’ve been trying to get him to do just that. But he claims he doesn’t want to talk to anyone right now. Young Usopp is somewhat angry and upset, I’m afraid.”
“But why?” Luffy frowned, then was struck by a thought. “Hey, he doesn’t think I’m mad at him, does he? Over him being you, except not? Nami thought maybe he did, but I’m not! I already said so!”
“No, that’s not it,” said Sogeking gravely. “He was, perhaps, a tad apprehensive you might, but he did believe you when you told him that.” He went on in a lowered voice, “It seems more to do with the, ahem, with the way you chose to show him that you weren’t angry with him.” He coughed, uncrossing his arms and leaning on the windowsill in a thoughtful manner.
“Huh? Oh, you mean when I kissed him and that,” said Luffy, leaning his elbow on the windowsill and his chin in his hand, similar to Sogeking. “Well, I only started to! Then he pushed me off and ran away and I was gonna go after him but then Nami was right outside and wanted to talk to me first. And then I went looking for him and I found you guys here. That’s all.”
He fiddled with the open window, pushing it to and fro. Sogeking didn’t say anything, just looked out across the sea and the sky and humming a bit, a tune Luffy remembered.
“Anyway,” Luffy went on after a few moments, “you can tell him that if he doesn’t want me to do that kinda stuff then I won’t, so he doesn’t have to run away like that and be angry! Only, I thought he wanted to, because the last time we had a big party he was the one who started kissing and making out ‘n’ stuff.”
“Well, it’s not that easy, I think –” Sogeking started to say, then broke off for a few seconds, holding his head as if listening to something. “Ah. Young Usopp just wanted to say that he wished you had forgotten about the party incident, and that he feels rather ashamed of it now. He also claims it shouldn’t count, because both of you were very drunk, and he wishes you wouldn’t discuss it in front of other people.” Sogeking paused at that last bit, sounding a bit puzzled. “Even though I already knew about it, since I am a part of him after all.” He shook his head. “I am afraid young Usopp isn’t thinking all that clearly right now.”
Luffy looked at him keenly. This whole thing with two people in one was so interesting.
“It was really great the way you just changed when you put the mask on!” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like that before! And here everyone’s been telling me and Chopper that you two were one and the same, that Sogeking didn’t really exist - but it turns out we were right all along and they were wrong! You do exist, and you two aren’t the same! You just have the same body, that’s all!”
“Exactly so, young man,” said Sogeking, giving him a approving salute. “And while young Usopp is a part of your crew and wouldn’t want to leave it again for anything, I am not. For I am a hero by vocation, and not a pirate.”
“Of course, I know all that,” said Luffy, nodding impatiently. “Even though you have a bounty now. Thirty million, like my first one!”
“Yes, I know, but I don’t mind,” said Sogeking, looking noble as he struck a grand pose, pointing at the roof. “If the Government wants my head for doing what is good and right, why, then I’ll gladly let myself be hunted as an outlaw! It’s all in a day’s work for a true hero!”
“Oh! That’s just so cool!” exclaimed Luffy, hands clasped in sheer admiration. How did anyone simply come up with such awesome words? Oh, right, that reminded him. “Hey,” he said pleadingly, tugging on Sogeking’s arm, “can you ask him, even if that stuff at the party doesn’t count, why doesn’t he want to do it again? And why can’t he tell me directly?”
“Well, I understand he’s afraid to do that,” said Sogeking, twirling his fingers around as if he was a bit embarrassed for his friend. “The impression I get is that he doesn’t want to start a big argument. As for the rest of it… he claims it’s because you are his captain, and you are both men, and it doesn’t seem right to him. Also, there’s a certain young lady back on his home island who he thinks wouldn’t like that too much, if she were to find out. He has always rather thought that she would be the one he would start doing things of that nature with, if you understand me. But, to tell you the truth…”
Sogeking lowered his voice even more, so that he was practically whispering, casting a look at the sleeping Zoro over his shoulder. Luffy had to slide closer to the hero to hear him.
“…to tell you the truth, young Luffy, it also seems that he rather liked the way it felt, and part of him wishes you and him could pick things up where you left off. But he isn’t happy about wishing that, it seems. Also, one more thing… he doesn’t quite know how to do things like that, and he’s afraid that if he doesn’t do it right, you won’t like him anymore... oh, wait. Hold it.” Sogeking held up one hand. “As much, young Usopp wants to add. He’s worried you might not like him quite as much anymore, not that you’d stop liking him completely.”
“Eeeeehh?” Luffy rocked back on his heels, hands on his hips. “But that’s just stupid! Well, maybe not the Kaya part– but she’s millions and billions of miles away from here! How would she know? And how is he supposed to fool around with her when she’s not here? Huh? And what does being a captain got to do with it?”
That was pretty harsh when you thought about it – didn’t pirate captains get any nookie at all? (That was the fun word he’d heard Franky say a few times.) Luffy sure hoped that wasn’t true! “Also, it’s actually a good thing we’re both guys,” he went on, “because then you can’t make babies by mistake, right?” He nodded firmly. “Also also, I haven’t done stuff like that before either, so I wouldn’t know what’s right or not… but how else are we s’posed to find out, if we’re not trying? Tell him that!” He crossed his arms, then uncrossed them again, because he’d just thought of something.
“Well, I’ll try,” said Sogeking, sounding a bit unsure, “but I can’t promise… wait, what are you doing?” Luffy had grabbed him by the shoulders now.
“I guess I’ll just have to do this instead… it’s the next best thing,” he explained, then leaned over and kissed Sogeking on his red wooden lips. “Hey, wait a minute!” he complained. “This doesn’t work with the mask, it just feels weird.”
“Well, young Luffy, I’m afraid that…” Sogeking mumbled weakly, sounding rather taken aback as he stumbled back towards the rounded wall of the crow’s nest. But Luffy wasn’t giving up that easily.
“Okay, I’ll just try doing this instead…” he said, starting to kiss the sniper king on the neck and holding him close with one hand, while slipping the other under the overall. “Hey, this feels much better!” he exclaimed brightly. Then he winced as a hand smacked him hard in the head. “Ow!”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” yelled Usopp, glaring at Luffy with the mask pulled up. “Sogeking doesn’t do that kind of thing!”
“He doesn’t?” said Luffy, surprised, but certainly not letting go off Usopp. “But why not?”
“Because he’s a hero, you dummy!” Usopp pulled Luffy’s hand out from under his overall, firmly but not roughly, took off Sogeking’s cape and threw it and the mask to the side, then smacked his captain again. “He’s a pure, unselfish costumed hero, you know? They don’t do that sort of thing, not while they’re in costume at least! At most” – he held up a finger in a lecturing manner – “at most he might kiss a fair damsel he’s just rescued on the hand, quite chivalrously, and accept her grateful yet chaste kiss on his cheek – but anything else and he will politely decline! He certainly won’t be messing around with other people’s – other people’s captains! Geez, don’t you know anything about heroing, Luffy?”
Luffy pouted. “No! Isn’t that rather mean to them? How are there supposed to be hero babies?”
“What – why – there aren’t supposed to be any…” Usopp spluttered, face growing redder and redder, but then relented, “…well, maybe eventually once the hero marries the princess… but when he does that, the story’s over! That’s it, no more sniping! Or, or I guess other heroes can when they’re out of costume… But Sogeking is always in costume, so he can’t! Otherwise, it’s just me! What are you grinning at?” He glared at Luffy’s bright wide grin suspiciously, but he didn’t push him off this time. In fact he seemed rather fine where he was, only leaning a bit towards the wall for a more comfortable position.
“’Cause now I know what to do to get you out, if you hide inside Sogeking again,” Luffy explained. “Ow!”
Usopp pulled at Luffy’s mouth. “Oh no you won’t! Not in front of other people at least,” he snapped. “You’ll end up ruining Sogeking’s reputation! And mine, too, come to think of it.” He sighed dramatically, raising his arms towards the roof before letting them fall down slowly, going around Luffy’s back and up inside his vest. “Well… I guess I’ll just have to go along with a little of that stuff.” He kissed Luffy on the cheek, then on the mouth, slowly and hesitantly. “To protect Sogeking’s honour!” he clarified, after breaking off.
“Sounds good to me!” agreed Luffy.
“Yeah… but let’s go down to the workshop first, okay?” Usopp went on in a lower tone. “I’m not trusting Zoro not to wake up even for just a little. And it can’t be more than that, it’s almost dinnertime!”
“Oh… right!” Luffy’s stomach rumbled in response to that. He grinned even wider than before. “All right, just a little, then!” The two of them let go of one another, and Luffy turned to open the hatch, then began to climb down. “Hey, if you want to, we can try and pretend we’re drunk!”
Usopp climbed after him. “Idiot, it’s far too late to do that… and we’d have to actually drink something, you know…”
Zoro opened one eye as the sound of their voices and movements died away in the fresh breeze, then yawned and stretched. Stupid noisy morons made it so you could hardly catch any sleep at all these days. Still, it seemed to have worked out all right, from what he’d been able to tell. As long as Usopp did right by Luffy, he figured he wouldn’t have to intervene. If there was trouble the other way around, Sanji or Nami could handle it.
He got up to get on with the training, reaching for the next-heaviest set of weights he had. Then he paused to glance across the floor, where the mask and the cape lay abandoned. Zoro frowned slightly.
“Okay, I admit maybe you might come in handy at times,” he muttered to the dented mask, though he felt damn silly as he said it.
Then he rolled the cape up and put it neatly aside on the bench, figuring if it got torn he’d get yelled at, though they shouldn’t have left it lying around in the first place. He put the mask on top of it and then started to swing one weight around, grunting as he increased his speed gradually. It took him a while before he could push away the feeling of being watched.
Title: Lock On! Or Maybe Not
Rating: PG (bit too tame for PG-13)
Characters: Luffy, Sogeking, Usopp; Zoro at the end
Spoilers/Setting: Post-Thriller Bark. For the purpose of the fic, assume that Luffy has found out about Usopp’s personality split shortly before it.
Summary: Came from a prompt on
op_fanforall asking for someone to confront Usopp about the fact of his split personality – however, that’s not how it came out, as I came to feel that someone wouldn’t be Luffy. Instead, it’s more just a piece with Luffy/Sogeking/Usopp interaction.edit: Disclaimer: The characters of One Piece are created and belong to Eiichiro Oda. They are used here without permission for entertainment purpose only. This fic is not intended for and will not be used for profit./edit
Luffy found him up in the crow’s nest. Only it wasn’t the right him. The brightly coloured mask was back on, and now the deep red cape was there as well, covering Sogeking’s back as he stood standing with his arms crossed, looking out at the sea. (On the other side of the room, Zoro was sitting on the floor, snoring softly.)
Maaan, Sogeking just looked so cool! Luffy had to stop for a moment, sighing with appreciation. Then he shook himself , because no matter how awesome the guy was, it wasn’t him he wanted to see right now.
“Hey, Soooogekiiing,” he whined as he walked up to the hero, “can’t you let Usopp come out for a bit? I really need to talk to him!”
Sogeking sighed, angling his head towards Luffy in a greeting nod. “Ah, young Luffy. Glad to see you. Yes, I’ve been trying to get him to do just that. But he claims he doesn’t want to talk to anyone right now. Young Usopp is somewhat angry and upset, I’m afraid.”
“But why?” Luffy frowned, then was struck by a thought. “Hey, he doesn’t think I’m mad at him, does he? Over him being you, except not? Nami thought maybe he did, but I’m not! I already said so!”
“No, that’s not it,” said Sogeking gravely. “He was, perhaps, a tad apprehensive you might, but he did believe you when you told him that.” He went on in a lowered voice, “It seems more to do with the, ahem, with the way you chose to show him that you weren’t angry with him.” He coughed, uncrossing his arms and leaning on the windowsill in a thoughtful manner.
“Huh? Oh, you mean when I kissed him and that,” said Luffy, leaning his elbow on the windowsill and his chin in his hand, similar to Sogeking. “Well, I only started to! Then he pushed me off and ran away and I was gonna go after him but then Nami was right outside and wanted to talk to me first. And then I went looking for him and I found you guys here. That’s all.”
He fiddled with the open window, pushing it to and fro. Sogeking didn’t say anything, just looked out across the sea and the sky and humming a bit, a tune Luffy remembered.
“Anyway,” Luffy went on after a few moments, “you can tell him that if he doesn’t want me to do that kinda stuff then I won’t, so he doesn’t have to run away like that and be angry! Only, I thought he wanted to, because the last time we had a big party he was the one who started kissing and making out ‘n’ stuff.”
“Well, it’s not that easy, I think –” Sogeking started to say, then broke off for a few seconds, holding his head as if listening to something. “Ah. Young Usopp just wanted to say that he wished you had forgotten about the party incident, and that he feels rather ashamed of it now. He also claims it shouldn’t count, because both of you were very drunk, and he wishes you wouldn’t discuss it in front of other people.” Sogeking paused at that last bit, sounding a bit puzzled. “Even though I already knew about it, since I am a part of him after all.” He shook his head. “I am afraid young Usopp isn’t thinking all that clearly right now.”
Luffy looked at him keenly. This whole thing with two people in one was so interesting.
“It was really great the way you just changed when you put the mask on!” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like that before! And here everyone’s been telling me and Chopper that you two were one and the same, that Sogeking didn’t really exist - but it turns out we were right all along and they were wrong! You do exist, and you two aren’t the same! You just have the same body, that’s all!”
“Exactly so, young man,” said Sogeking, giving him a approving salute. “And while young Usopp is a part of your crew and wouldn’t want to leave it again for anything, I am not. For I am a hero by vocation, and not a pirate.”
“Of course, I know all that,” said Luffy, nodding impatiently. “Even though you have a bounty now. Thirty million, like my first one!”
“Yes, I know, but I don’t mind,” said Sogeking, looking noble as he struck a grand pose, pointing at the roof. “If the Government wants my head for doing what is good and right, why, then I’ll gladly let myself be hunted as an outlaw! It’s all in a day’s work for a true hero!”
“Oh! That’s just so cool!” exclaimed Luffy, hands clasped in sheer admiration. How did anyone simply come up with such awesome words? Oh, right, that reminded him. “Hey,” he said pleadingly, tugging on Sogeking’s arm, “can you ask him, even if that stuff at the party doesn’t count, why doesn’t he want to do it again? And why can’t he tell me directly?”
“Well, I understand he’s afraid to do that,” said Sogeking, twirling his fingers around as if he was a bit embarrassed for his friend. “The impression I get is that he doesn’t want to start a big argument. As for the rest of it… he claims it’s because you are his captain, and you are both men, and it doesn’t seem right to him. Also, there’s a certain young lady back on his home island who he thinks wouldn’t like that too much, if she were to find out. He has always rather thought that she would be the one he would start doing things of that nature with, if you understand me. But, to tell you the truth…”
Sogeking lowered his voice even more, so that he was practically whispering, casting a look at the sleeping Zoro over his shoulder. Luffy had to slide closer to the hero to hear him.
“…to tell you the truth, young Luffy, it also seems that he rather liked the way it felt, and part of him wishes you and him could pick things up where you left off. But he isn’t happy about wishing that, it seems. Also, one more thing… he doesn’t quite know how to do things like that, and he’s afraid that if he doesn’t do it right, you won’t like him anymore... oh, wait. Hold it.” Sogeking held up one hand. “As much, young Usopp wants to add. He’s worried you might not like him quite as much anymore, not that you’d stop liking him completely.”
“Eeeeehh?” Luffy rocked back on his heels, hands on his hips. “But that’s just stupid! Well, maybe not the Kaya part– but she’s millions and billions of miles away from here! How would she know? And how is he supposed to fool around with her when she’s not here? Huh? And what does being a captain got to do with it?”
That was pretty harsh when you thought about it – didn’t pirate captains get any nookie at all? (That was the fun word he’d heard Franky say a few times.) Luffy sure hoped that wasn’t true! “Also, it’s actually a good thing we’re both guys,” he went on, “because then you can’t make babies by mistake, right?” He nodded firmly. “Also also, I haven’t done stuff like that before either, so I wouldn’t know what’s right or not… but how else are we s’posed to find out, if we’re not trying? Tell him that!” He crossed his arms, then uncrossed them again, because he’d just thought of something.
“Well, I’ll try,” said Sogeking, sounding a bit unsure, “but I can’t promise… wait, what are you doing?” Luffy had grabbed him by the shoulders now.
“I guess I’ll just have to do this instead… it’s the next best thing,” he explained, then leaned over and kissed Sogeking on his red wooden lips. “Hey, wait a minute!” he complained. “This doesn’t work with the mask, it just feels weird.”
“Well, young Luffy, I’m afraid that…” Sogeking mumbled weakly, sounding rather taken aback as he stumbled back towards the rounded wall of the crow’s nest. But Luffy wasn’t giving up that easily.
“Okay, I’ll just try doing this instead…” he said, starting to kiss the sniper king on the neck and holding him close with one hand, while slipping the other under the overall. “Hey, this feels much better!” he exclaimed brightly. Then he winced as a hand smacked him hard in the head. “Ow!”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” yelled Usopp, glaring at Luffy with the mask pulled up. “Sogeking doesn’t do that kind of thing!”
“He doesn’t?” said Luffy, surprised, but certainly not letting go off Usopp. “But why not?”
“Because he’s a hero, you dummy!” Usopp pulled Luffy’s hand out from under his overall, firmly but not roughly, took off Sogeking’s cape and threw it and the mask to the side, then smacked his captain again. “He’s a pure, unselfish costumed hero, you know? They don’t do that sort of thing, not while they’re in costume at least! At most” – he held up a finger in a lecturing manner – “at most he might kiss a fair damsel he’s just rescued on the hand, quite chivalrously, and accept her grateful yet chaste kiss on his cheek – but anything else and he will politely decline! He certainly won’t be messing around with other people’s – other people’s captains! Geez, don’t you know anything about heroing, Luffy?”
Luffy pouted. “No! Isn’t that rather mean to them? How are there supposed to be hero babies?”
“What – why – there aren’t supposed to be any…” Usopp spluttered, face growing redder and redder, but then relented, “…well, maybe eventually once the hero marries the princess… but when he does that, the story’s over! That’s it, no more sniping! Or, or I guess other heroes can when they’re out of costume… But Sogeking is always in costume, so he can’t! Otherwise, it’s just me! What are you grinning at?” He glared at Luffy’s bright wide grin suspiciously, but he didn’t push him off this time. In fact he seemed rather fine where he was, only leaning a bit towards the wall for a more comfortable position.
“’Cause now I know what to do to get you out, if you hide inside Sogeking again,” Luffy explained. “Ow!”
Usopp pulled at Luffy’s mouth. “Oh no you won’t! Not in front of other people at least,” he snapped. “You’ll end up ruining Sogeking’s reputation! And mine, too, come to think of it.” He sighed dramatically, raising his arms towards the roof before letting them fall down slowly, going around Luffy’s back and up inside his vest. “Well… I guess I’ll just have to go along with a little of that stuff.” He kissed Luffy on the cheek, then on the mouth, slowly and hesitantly. “To protect Sogeking’s honour!” he clarified, after breaking off.
“Sounds good to me!” agreed Luffy.
“Yeah… but let’s go down to the workshop first, okay?” Usopp went on in a lower tone. “I’m not trusting Zoro not to wake up even for just a little. And it can’t be more than that, it’s almost dinnertime!”
“Oh… right!” Luffy’s stomach rumbled in response to that. He grinned even wider than before. “All right, just a little, then!” The two of them let go of one another, and Luffy turned to open the hatch, then began to climb down. “Hey, if you want to, we can try and pretend we’re drunk!”
Usopp climbed after him. “Idiot, it’s far too late to do that… and we’d have to actually drink something, you know…”
Zoro opened one eye as the sound of their voices and movements died away in the fresh breeze, then yawned and stretched. Stupid noisy morons made it so you could hardly catch any sleep at all these days. Still, it seemed to have worked out all right, from what he’d been able to tell. As long as Usopp did right by Luffy, he figured he wouldn’t have to intervene. If there was trouble the other way around, Sanji or Nami could handle it.
He got up to get on with the training, reaching for the next-heaviest set of weights he had. Then he paused to glance across the floor, where the mask and the cape lay abandoned. Zoro frowned slightly.
“Okay, I admit maybe you might come in handy at times,” he muttered to the dented mask, though he felt damn silly as he said it.
Then he rolled the cape up and put it neatly aside on the bench, figuring if it got torn he’d get yelled at, though they shouldn’t have left it lying around in the first place. He put the mask on top of it and then started to swing one weight around, grunting as he increased his speed gradually. It took him a while before he could push away the feeling of being watched.