inbox ▣ saltburnt

[redforce]

WELCOME TO THE SALTBURNT NETWORK

USERNAME:
SHANKS

text ❖ audio ❖ video

Comments

[redforce]

( shanks' gaze is steady as luffy voices his concerns. it's strange to see him so ... uncertain about this, so used to the brash confidence of the boy he met all those years ago. but shanks remembers the first years of his own captaincy, how difficult it had been to balance what he thought he knew with the reality of command. )

The ship doesn't make the crew, Luffy. ( and as much as the ship itself often feels like part of the crew, too, a crew doesn't only exist because it has a ship to sail. it might even feel like missing an arm — shanks, of course, would know best of all — but the ship is as much a physical object as it is a metaphor. they don't stop being a crew without a ship; likewise, the ship doesn't necessarily have to be a boat. this house may as well be their ship, for now, until a real seafaring vessel presents itself. ) I know it's hard when things are out of your control. You can't fix or erase what happened, but you can help them move forward. It never hurts to remind them your door is open, so to speak.

( though a literal open door policy in this situation would probably do them all good. )

You never know what rooms you might find in this house, either. Exploring together could be an adventure.

[bigsmile]

( Luffy hates the uncertainty more than anything, wishes he could turn on it and deal with it in the same way he dealt with all the adversaries in his life so far. Setting out to the Grand Line had been the most exhilarating thing, a confident and all-knowing adventure that couldn't shake Luffy off if it tried. There had been no room for uncertainty, until Mihawk had taken a stab, and even then it had eventually resolved itself and continued forwards.

And then the manor happened and Luffy still feels as if the rug has been pulled from under his feet. Here there's no villain he can punch or building to bring down, nothing to focus that ire on and for the first time Luffy finds that blind optimism and confident bluster is getting him nowhere. And that's before the village is thrown in to the mix, an awful event that hit the crew so hard without Luffy even being aware of it.

He chews the inside of his cheek in thought, letting Shanks' words sink in as he thinks them over. It's easy enough to feel that the crew could talk to him about anything, as captain they would know his door is always open. But if time has passed, like Koby said, then perhaps that has faded somewhat.

Exploring together could be an adventure. Luffy blinks as those words finally settle, his expression slowly but surely brightening. An adventure. Just because they were stuck in some stupid house didn't mean they couldn't explore and find things. There had to be some treasure Nami hadn't found yet, or ingredients and recipes Sanji had never seen. Perhaps even a sword or three for Zoro to claim. Luffy feels the understanding click in his mind; he's been so busy trying to find a way out he's paid little attention to what else is around to utilise in the first place!

It's....perfect and Luffy smacks his hand with his fist. )

Shanks you're a genius!