endless_scrolls (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
endless_scrolls) wrote2008-07-04 12:54 pm
endless_scrolls) wrote2008-07-04 12:54 pm
Entry tags:
Log: ES Saying Our Goodbyes
Title: Saying Our Goodbyes
Type: RP log
Fandom: AU!Naruto
Character(s): Tenten, Sabaku no Gaara
Pairing(s): Faint hints of GaaTen (hey, they're only children >___>;)
Warning(s): None
Disclaimer: I own only the part that I played in this.
Note: Log originally posted November 25, 2007 for the![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
eternalsea RP comm. In this, Tenten is 15 and Gaara is 13.
Dedicated to: Ninja Pirates. Everywhere~
The minutes had gone by so swiftly, the hours passed over like a blink of an eye as the young boy traveled wordlessly between the bustling streets of Trinidad port at the request of his father. Had he not had his fill already he found himself wondering above all else to what he had done this time to have the merchant beckon for him. he had spent the day on the beach, for what little time of the day was left, letting the sun fall over the horizon in the distance tainting the usual blue sky to a brilliant shade of orange red. "Red sky at night, sailors delight." As the old saying went. The atmosphere was calm and collected, a place of peace and harmony and a place where he could find comfort in his loneliness, to dwell on the thoughts that ALWAYS pointed back to this girl... she would forever remained their, for what reason he had not known. Even in watching over as the white sails of the pirate vessel had entered the harbor to retrieve their precious cargo, he had felt a strong need to stow away and to never look back at a rats life once lived.
He grumbled under his breath as the order was given to the pale faced boy, skin battered and bruised from the earlier that day. It had always amazed Gaara how his father had felt not to apologize, or no shame in his actions as his blunt order was given to take the little misses' things to her fathers ship. He had arrived as he said, and he will be not kept waiting. to be a pirate, to have the freedom, the fear struck in the hearts of men such as the merchant captain, to be a pirate? The passing thoughts had taken him into her quarters where he had been directed by the foreign pirates on deck, not even them found it in themselves to lend a had to the young boy struggling with the luggage, coping with his battered body. With a quivering push of his foot the wooden door swung open to a lavishly decorated room, he snorted placing the luggage he down with a light thud to the floor.
"Fit for a beautiful princess." He muttered to himself placing the loose pieces he had to balance in his arms along with the larger packages. One of which was a book, one he had read before, yes, but perhaps maybe once or twice. 'Le Morte D'Arthur' an epic tale of a brave king and his knights, seated at a round table, a tab representing equality amongst comrades. A king think such a way of his subjects was unheard of, but Arthur, a true king knew his kingdom was built on the backs of these men very much like a ship can not sail without it's crew. A captain without a loyal crew would not be a captain at all. With a moment to pass over the thoughts, thudding the book in his hand in a rapid rhythm of thought. She had caused nothing but grief, and has been nothing but a pain a spoiled brat even... she wouldn't miss just one would she? with that, not thinking much more of the subject the book was tucked in the top hem of his pants his shirt flipped over to hide it. He turned in a swift pivot striding quickly from the young woman's manners only to thud into something solid and hard, a man he discovered in an instant as he struggled to keep his balance, turning his eyes upward to meet the man whom had gotten in his way of escape. He had only wished it as not the merchant watching his every move.
Broad around the chest and yet lanky in his own right, Shirou was a man bred to be a pirate, and he was a man born to be a great leader. His muscles were conditioned and formed after years, decades in the profession that began long before his initial acceptance into the Brethren court as the Pirate Lord of the South China Sea so many years ago. A man of humble beginnings, there were not that many options open for him to take in order to find a means of providing a stable living for himself let alone any family as he had hoped to have in the future. The son of a blacksmith who preferred to drown his sorrows in a bottle than pick up a heated hammer ensure that his children were taken care of, Shirou was forced to grow up fast. He studied all that he could of the smithing arts and learned the rest through experience, keeping the business afloat as best as he could and turning to more darker means of keeping them alive when smithing was not enough. And all it took was one drunken night of rage to end all his efforts, burning in a fiery blaze of destruction. With no one to turn to and nowhere to go, he completely immersed himself into piracy, learning the trade as quickly and thoroughly as he had smithing, perfecting every aspect he could and gaining the respects of all those who crossed his path until one day, that respect earned him the right to be the successor of a Pirate Lord, naming him as part of the next generation in the Brethren Court.
And one day, she hoped to earn that right as well, to carry on the legacy that her father had set with honor and pride. He was her hero, not because of his position as one of the great Pirate Lords of the seven seas, but because he had been there for her when no one else was, constantly encouraging her to be the best despite her gender. And despite his overprotective nature as a father, he had always believed in her. It was only when Tenten saw the white sails of his ship and the colors of his order on the horizon, the soft fabric of his robes swaying in the breeze at his approach, that she realized how much she had missed her father. She could hardly contain herself as she rushed down the docks into his opened arms, the fabric of her own robes trailing gently behind her in the sea breeze that came in with the Flying Dagger. She was glad that he had come back safely to her when all else had disappeared from her life, and was determined to let him know it in her actions.
"I see that someone has missed me." The deep tones of his voice rumbled in his chest as he chuckled in amusement, only causing her to smile and nod sweetly in reply as she pulled away, finding no words worthy of expressing that simple truth. Rough hands cupped her cheek tenderly in a private moment between father and daughter before he stepped back and took a firm hold of her shoulders, scrutinizing her curiously in a way that stated 'my how you have grown since the last time I have seen you'. It was an amusing and playful routine they had after being separated for days on end, but one she secretly enjoyed. "How was your trip?"
"How was yours? I trust that you were well treated? I do not remember much of this Yondaime, but I did hear a few stories while I was away that were..." He left the sentence unfinished, giving her room to fill in the blanks if there were anything to tell. She could tell him everything he needed to know, enough to permanently place the merchant captain under his enemy's list for life for the things he had done to Gaara alone while she had been a guest on their ship. But she kept her mouth shut, for pride or some form of respect for Gaara's life. She held no right to govern it and so should not meddle in his affairs anymore than she had. "...Nothing happened. I can take care of myself, father."
His chapped lips spread out thinly to a broad smile across his face as a hefty hand closed over her shoulder in a gentle squeeze. It was unlike before with the merchant's touch. While his had been cold and vile, Shirou's was filled with a familiar warmth that she had known all her life. "Is it wrong for a father to worry about his only daughter?" Not waiting for her to reply, he gestured with a wave of his free hand for her to board the ship that had been her home for the past six years of her life. "Come, let's get you settled in."
She needed no one to lead her, but followed behind none the less, enjoying every minute spent by his side. He had his faults just as every father did in the world, but she loved him more for them. And it was only just then as she began to think of Gaara and the cruel relationship that he held with his father that she found herself face to face with the red-head himself, moving around Shirou's stiff body to see why the man had stopped so abruptly after walking past the door of her room.
Thank god the merchant wasn't around to see his mishap, the boy hadn't even had time to heal from his last lesson to partake in the next one. No doubt bumping into the pirate lord would have been one of those times where his father would have saw if fit to drag the boy off without a flinch or fear of opinion from another. Gaara knew his father was far from stable enough to come and wave off the young pirate princess, his interest in her melted away with every mouthful of rum for the evening, she was a passing thought as his own son was.
His pale eyes now scanning the taller man in study, if he actually had seen the merchants son take what most certainly did not belong to him he would surely say something. Wouldn't he? His lips parted, the breath sharp still painful to breath, perhaps from bones broken or tender muscles not yet use to function yet. His stare was soon snapped back into reality, the moment he felt this great man study him in exact same manner. His head shifted swiftly to the floor as he was more than use to out of respect a rat would have for a king, after all there was no holding back a man of greatness as Tenten's father from freely strike him for the theft. Which was why it was a shock to feel rough course fingers of the man grip to the bottom of his chin, ripping his gaze to look up once again. It was not violent, it was not a scorn, it was not meant to frighten. Instead the elder man turned the boys face from side to side, getting a far better look at the wound that had covered it like he was some kind of pity show. But for now, he allowed the man do as he pleased, taking in the young man's deformities left to him by the one man that was suppose to love him.
"I'm fine." His whisper was quiet among the loud conversations of the sailors around them, speaking some sort of foreign tongue from a distant land he had not cared to know, or maybe perhaps another time when it deemed useful.
"I've seen wounds like yours before, boy." He had answered sharp and stern as if he knew every lie, every theft the young man had ever done in his life to save his own life from the clutches of his own demon. His icy aqua eyes shifted course from the taller man to the young woman at is side, a moment in passing he had feet embarrassed. Embarrassed for everything that her perfect almond eyes had seen, something a princess should never see during her stay in the presents of a man who swore to keep her safe. She was safe, he had not laid a hand on her in one way or another, he was a disgusting man by all meanings of the word but his promise to the pirate lord was far more important than a slice of young booty 3 times his junior.
"I'm fine."He repeated as if the captain had not heard the first time, a little louder in his tone as he waited for the older man to release him and send him on his way.
I am not weak.
Muted in shock by the unexpected encounter and stunned at having to face him so soon when Tenten had begun to believe she would never see the jaded eyes of the merchant's son ever again, the young pirate girl could only glance between the two as they seemed to hold a conversation that was both spoken and unspoken. She had said nothing to her father about the boy's beatings or even of the subtle suggestions and implications that the vile captain had sent her way, only having been in his company long enough to exchange a quick word of report about her stay on the merchant ship. But the flashing glance she had seen from Gaara and the glint of anger in his aqua eyes said that perhaps he thought otherwise. Her father was not an ignorant man. And though he was a Pirate Lord that was to be feared throughout the seven seas, he was also a kind one as well, whenever the situation would call for an act of compassion. It was the kind of person she wished to become, a leader who commanded respect not by the point of his sword but by the force of his character. Shirou was living proof that one did not need to be a tyrant to become a great captain.
"All the same, I think you should have someone take a look at that. You're no good to anyone like this." The boy was prideful, anyone could see that, and perhaps a little too solitary for his own good. But if the stories had been true and the old merchant Shirou had once called friend was really as cruel and despicable as he had heard on his recent journey, then it was a wonder that his dear daughter had come back unharmed at all. Power and authority over the sea could only hold a man's desire back so far before the monster within became too much to withstand, especially when someone so young and innocent as Tenten was involved. He had learned that lesson well enough.
Thin brown eyes shifted curiously to look on his daughter who had seemed rather shocked to find the young boy standing in her quarters, like a ghost in the night resurrected to forever haunt her life. And for a moment Shirou thought he had seen something pass between the two of them, something unsaid and yet understood. The Pirate Lord of the East had always known his daughter to be a strong and compassionate person, emotionally driven, and very strict when it came to the improvement of her own skills. But her reaction to the young lad was enough to make him wonder exactly how far the apple had fallen from the tree. "Tenten is the one who tends to the men when they've been injured. I'm sure she wouldn't mind helping to mend yours."
The only reaction that Tenten had was a slight pause as she glanced up at her father, his expression light as he jerked his head slightly for her to go ahead, encouraging her to help Gaara with his injuries. Her mouth wavered for a moment, fumbling with words that simply would not come until finally she managed to ground out a reply. "...No...I wouldn't. Please, right this way." With a simple gesture with her hand, she directed the young boy to the bed beside the drawer where she kept the healing salves and bandages, not even waiting for her father to leave them before kneeling to take them out.
His jaw clenched tightly at the pirates reply, as though he was ignored as if his voice like many times before, was not heard. Of course, how could he have been so stupid to be ordered around like some common whore or slave by any who found themselves high and above someone like Gaara. He felt his stomach drop at the slight irritation in the young woman's voice when asked for her aid, why would she feel anything but hate towards the young man after the way they had both behaved. He had just wanted to see this nightmare to end, to have her finally leave his life and never return it was what they both wished after all... wasn't it? He had pondered that thought move often than not while sitting in the comfort of the white sandy beaches, blanketed in the shade by a draping palm tree. But now here he was, once again following ordered fr yet another man who had deemed greater than then the rest. But perhaps for a brief moment while lost in the taller man's study of his features he had seen something in him that reflected back in himself. For some strange reason, an odd unspoken connection? He could only dream of such a thing with a man as great as the one standing before him.
But like any good servant boy, Gaara had done what he was told... for now. For the sheer agony to the beating that would follow of the merchant had caught wind of his little ship rat being disrespectful would cause the boy enough pain and grief to last for weeks on end. So instead, wavering from that path following close behind Tenten in silence, taking his place on the bed next to the dresser leaving the captain to his own business, and leaving his daughter to hers.
Shifting more comfortable with a slight grunt from the back of his throat, moving the the hard covered edge of the book that was now digging into his already tender stomach. "I'm fine, I've been through worse," informing her in a low quiet whisper. His pale eyes working hard to avoid contact with deep, earthy brown ones avoid the conflict and arguing they seemed to always found in the company of one another.
“Maybe, but my father would feel better about...sending you back after you've been treated. Like he said, you're no good to anyone in this condition." With little else to say, she opened the wooden box of treatments and bandages and set it beside her. Smoothing out the wrinkles in her robes, it was with little hope that she held out her hand to him so that she could begin the inspection of his fresh wounds, having only once before tended to his injuries that day under the falls. But he had been irritable as of late, particularly towards her after that night on the deck when the crew had made the two of them an elegant meal. She would never forget their conversation, because it was then that she realized how truly wretched his life had been before her arrival, and how much worse her presence had made it. A small part of her wanted to apologize, but a greater part wondered why she should. It was no fault of her own or clear knowledge that she had let those things happen to him.
She had done nothing directly to him, and it was only through ignorance of the situation did she cause any harm to come to him during her stay in the merchant ship. It was not her intent to bring him any more grief from trying to encourage Gaara to recite the words of The Iliad. It was through no secret plot devised in her mind that he had been nearly killed in his last encounter with his father. She had come to him in hopes of helping with his injuries, only to have her efforts shoved away. The irony of the two of them sitting as they were now. with her tending to his wounds never escaped her. But still...she felt guilty.
Not bothering to wait for him to comply to her wordless request, Tenten took a light hold of his wrist and started to brush her fingers along his arm, feeling out the tenderness of his nerves to see where the heavier damage had been made. She would eventually have to move along his entire body in the same manner, but chose to hold off on that until he at least showed signs that he did not wish to pull away from her mere touch. Thin brows furrowed together when she leaned in closer to look at a cut on his forearm, frowning deeply when she could almost make out the same of the merchant captain's ring in the skin. He had been intent on causing great amounts of pain and suffering this time around, completely sober from what the young pirate girl could tell in the brief time she had spent by his side. A true devil walking the earth, indeed.
Flinching away, as gentle and caring as her tough was intended to be for the sick. The light brush of her fingertips foreign in the land that had not received since birth. He wince again and again as the feather light caresses found exploring his wounds of his forearm, to where the long gash extended his arm in a crust of dried blood ending with the imprint if his father ring. He pulled away from her, allowing the umps of his skin follow through her hands like a snake. "I told you I heal fast, it will be gone in a few days." He stated bluntly.
With that he moved himself from his spot on the bed, his restless attempt at escape and a stumble in his footstep a light grunt in his chest of obvious pain. A growl curled the corner of his lips as his limp had taken him closer to the exit, to where they would be free of each other. He had known in his heart that she was not to blame, but his mind could not find to wrap around the truth that was so disgustingly obvious. Perhaps he had just found some kind of justification for his father actions this time, maybe some glimmer of hope that it was not entirely his fault and that in some small fraction he was loved? A passing dream, worthless to think such nonsense. He was smarter than that, it is easier to shift he blame to another when finding the answer for something entirely different.
"I'm sorry." He paused, taking a moment to peer at her from over his shoulder. She truly was something to be held, beauty untold but the courage of a lion. He could see this plain as the bright Caribbean sun barring over head. He had felt the need to tell her those two words, not because he had been thinking long and hard about his reactions towards her, his views still stood with a firm, but his misconception on thinking it was of her doing his life had panned out the way it had. It had been like this since as far back as he could remember, it will remain like this until the opportunity arises to set a cage soul free.
In one smooth motion of his arm, she felt every cut and every bruise along his skin, tender flesh soft under her fingertips from the constant beatings he had endured through his long years of life. So undeserving of them, she thought, never once entertaining the thought of asking her father to offer him a spot on his crew in hopes of saving the boy from further torment. Even in the small chance that the merchant would agree, Gaara would more than likely not. He was prideful that way and would not except the act of kindness, view it as an act of charity that commented on his weakness as a man. And so she did nothing to stop his departure, knowing that might have been his plan all along, to feign obedience to her father the Pirate Lord and then turn away any help she would offer the moment his back was turned.
He was a solitary soldier who only relied on only one person to get him through life's hardships. Since his birth, or whatever age his father had decidedly gotten too drunk to continue with the set pretenses of a parent long enough to simply take an open hand and a blind eye to his son, Gaara had been programmed to function that way. But at the very least, he had showed that there was still some hope left, made apparent by his softly spoken apology. That, she had not expected, and it showed in the way she looked up at him with her deep brown eyes, widened just slightly in mild shock to meet his soft green eyes for what she believed would be the last time. And for a moment in time they remained so, unable to move, unable to say much else as if in a deep spell...until it was broken by the shift and turn of his body as he made to leave.
"...Wait!" With a quick glance over her shoulder, she grabbed a small dark green vial amid a swirl of dark locks blurring her vision and rushed to her feet to catch him before he left. She was careful of his injuries when she reached out to wrap her hand around his arm, gliding her fingers gently down to his wrists so that she could pressed it into his palm. "At least take this..." She waited and held both his gaze and his hand where they were until she felt his fingers close around the small container. She would respect his stubbornness in refusing any help from outsiders to his world. But she was stubborn as well and would not take another 'no' from him on this matter. "...It'll help with...it'll help..."
It was a warm snap to his senses, feeling the soothing delicate touch of her wondering fingers over tampered bruised flesh of his arm. It was a wonder to Gaara as even now she would go as far as doing something as simple as brush her hands along such ugly skin. To why she even cared so much even after the way they had both behaved, that she would even take the time, her own time, to see to his wounds. There was something beyond than the order of her father, she could have just shrugged the young red head off and let him be to his own business. Time and time again it was an unspoken, odd attraction that could not be avoided, no matter how hard they had tried to avoid it. Yet here they were once again in the constant humor of fate bringing them closer once again, like some untold subliminal message that neither was capable of understanding.
"Why do you even care?" He asked bluntly, his fingers closing in around the small vile as if he had to do it to humor her just awhile longer. His empty aquamarine eyes shifted to the corners of his dark rimmed sockets in study for an answer. Taking a moment to lift his hand from her reach lifting the small bottle and balancing it between his pointer finger and thumb just in his line of view, wondering exactly what she had given him? was it some kind of poison he could take when he felt the suffering was far too much to take anymore? Or simple medicine to take when the wounds were deep. pouting his lips to the side, his eyes narrowed at the small vile pondering whether to take her offer or hand it back and just turn his back accepting that they will never see one another again. Was that a good thing or a bad? This was the question washing around his thoughts that very moment.
"I told you I heal fast," deciding on the second option.
For a moment her gaze dropped down to note the contrast of their skin, her slender fingers wrapped around his wrist, his paler digits finally closing around the container she had pressed into his palm. Tenten's hands were somewhat chilled as they always were, the first part of her anatomy to get cold and the last part to get warm. All the better to handle the cold steel of her weapons she supposed, already showing a mastery for the sword and dagger. The warmth of his own had was an odd thing to feel, so unused to the heat of another's touch safe for her fathers. And just as quickly she slid away from the comfort of it, releasing his hand and letting her own fall to her sides. She wanted to ignore the question and leave whatever it was that existed between them at that. That much was clear from her answer, but it was something at the very least. "I have my reasons...just as you have yours for the choices you make. We'll leave it at that."
She took a small step back to give him some space, knowing that was all he wanted, but still staying close enough as she watched him examine the vial curiously. Of course he would be suspicious of it. Gaara was not versed in the art of herbs and natural medicines. And after the week he had endured, she would not doubt that the young boy would think everything questionable. "It's a healing salve...made of a venomous poison of a snake found in the East Orient. I suppose if a small amount were to be swallowed...it would have some slow but devastating effects...so be careful."
Earthy eyes looked hard at him with an intensity that implied her intent in explaining the properties of the medicine she had just handed over to him. Whatever he chose to do after wards, whatever choice that he made, it would be up to him. Perhaps it would be her first true act as a pirate. And perhaps Gaara would choose to discard the vial all together the moment he was out of her sights. She would never know, and would try her best to keep from wondering. It would not matter. He would have at least made a decision about his own life, something she guessed was something not often presented to the young boy.
With soft blink, her features softened to that of the gentle girl he had seen and met that very first day, the one who had stood before him only moments before and remained despite her deathly deal. Her lips twitch in a faint smile, one of the last he would see she supposed, but a genuine one. And in a quick move, Tenten leaned in and pressed her soft lips against the curve of his pale cheek. And before he could flinch away from her, she was pulling away, the faint taste of his blood on her lips from a cut across the skin. "Take care of yourself, Sabaku Gaara..." She stepped around him and left the room, the soft pound of her footsteps slowly disappearing up the stairs and onto the deck, leaving him behind to leave on his own terms.
Poison and a medicine, just as he suspected and this only making the boy study the vile more intensely as if some unspoken plan was processing in his mid as he dazed. The many things that one could do with such a powerful thing, which would lead him to the question that if she in fact knew, and had been told on more than one occasion, that his healing capability was faster than most, why bother giving him such a thing unless it was for something of a greater plan not yet devised. How could she trust him with such power after knowing him for just a few weeks, unless it was in her plan for him to use such a thing and have his life end in an agonizing painful manner, or perhaps another she had in mind, or maybe it was just a kind gesture in helping with something that is unavoidable until the man himself was dead.
"But...I " He started in question only to feel the atmosphere hollow, and the air quiet with a hint of rustle in her movements from her cloths as the space between them getting smaller and smaller. It was when her soft and tender lips had pressed against his cheek his eyes widened in shock, breath hitching as if the air had been fully sucked from his lungs. For a moment time, the world around them had stopped the warmth of her so close yet so far from reach she was gone as soon as she had come. Her last words keeping the young man in his far off dream, a state of odd feelings and mixed emotions. Had she really just... kissed him? His wide eyes seemed to grow wider at the thought of this woman so willingly to allow such an action even if in the smallest fraction. Little did he know her acts of kindness would helpsculpt a man of a different nature than the pirate world would come to know.
He sighed deeply his mind coming back from the enchanting spell she had casted. with one final look to the vile in his open palm slowly closing his fingers around it. "..and you hold more cards than you think as a woman." Shaking his head clear from the remaining daze he turned making his exit, out of her life, and she from his forever.
Type: RP log
Fandom: AU!Naruto
Character(s): Tenten, Sabaku no Gaara
Pairing(s): Faint hints of GaaTen (hey, they're only children >___>;)
Warning(s): None
Disclaimer: I own only the part that I played in this.
Note: Log originally posted November 25, 2007 for the
eternalsea RP comm. In this, Tenten is 15 and Gaara is 13. Dedicated to: Ninja Pirates. Everywhere~
The minutes had gone by so swiftly, the hours passed over like a blink of an eye as the young boy traveled wordlessly between the bustling streets of Trinidad port at the request of his father. Had he not had his fill already he found himself wondering above all else to what he had done this time to have the merchant beckon for him. he had spent the day on the beach, for what little time of the day was left, letting the sun fall over the horizon in the distance tainting the usual blue sky to a brilliant shade of orange red. "Red sky at night, sailors delight." As the old saying went. The atmosphere was calm and collected, a place of peace and harmony and a place where he could find comfort in his loneliness, to dwell on the thoughts that ALWAYS pointed back to this girl... she would forever remained their, for what reason he had not known. Even in watching over as the white sails of the pirate vessel had entered the harbor to retrieve their precious cargo, he had felt a strong need to stow away and to never look back at a rats life once lived.
He grumbled under his breath as the order was given to the pale faced boy, skin battered and bruised from the earlier that day. It had always amazed Gaara how his father had felt not to apologize, or no shame in his actions as his blunt order was given to take the little misses' things to her fathers ship. He had arrived as he said, and he will be not kept waiting. to be a pirate, to have the freedom, the fear struck in the hearts of men such as the merchant captain, to be a pirate? The passing thoughts had taken him into her quarters where he had been directed by the foreign pirates on deck, not even them found it in themselves to lend a had to the young boy struggling with the luggage, coping with his battered body. With a quivering push of his foot the wooden door swung open to a lavishly decorated room, he snorted placing the luggage he down with a light thud to the floor.
"Fit for a beautiful princess." He muttered to himself placing the loose pieces he had to balance in his arms along with the larger packages. One of which was a book, one he had read before, yes, but perhaps maybe once or twice. 'Le Morte D'Arthur' an epic tale of a brave king and his knights, seated at a round table, a tab representing equality amongst comrades. A king think such a way of his subjects was unheard of, but Arthur, a true king knew his kingdom was built on the backs of these men very much like a ship can not sail without it's crew. A captain without a loyal crew would not be a captain at all. With a moment to pass over the thoughts, thudding the book in his hand in a rapid rhythm of thought. She had caused nothing but grief, and has been nothing but a pain a spoiled brat even... she wouldn't miss just one would she? with that, not thinking much more of the subject the book was tucked in the top hem of his pants his shirt flipped over to hide it. He turned in a swift pivot striding quickly from the young woman's manners only to thud into something solid and hard, a man he discovered in an instant as he struggled to keep his balance, turning his eyes upward to meet the man whom had gotten in his way of escape. He had only wished it as not the merchant watching his every move.
Broad around the chest and yet lanky in his own right, Shirou was a man bred to be a pirate, and he was a man born to be a great leader. His muscles were conditioned and formed after years, decades in the profession that began long before his initial acceptance into the Brethren court as the Pirate Lord of the South China Sea so many years ago. A man of humble beginnings, there were not that many options open for him to take in order to find a means of providing a stable living for himself let alone any family as he had hoped to have in the future. The son of a blacksmith who preferred to drown his sorrows in a bottle than pick up a heated hammer ensure that his children were taken care of, Shirou was forced to grow up fast. He studied all that he could of the smithing arts and learned the rest through experience, keeping the business afloat as best as he could and turning to more darker means of keeping them alive when smithing was not enough. And all it took was one drunken night of rage to end all his efforts, burning in a fiery blaze of destruction. With no one to turn to and nowhere to go, he completely immersed himself into piracy, learning the trade as quickly and thoroughly as he had smithing, perfecting every aspect he could and gaining the respects of all those who crossed his path until one day, that respect earned him the right to be the successor of a Pirate Lord, naming him as part of the next generation in the Brethren Court.
And one day, she hoped to earn that right as well, to carry on the legacy that her father had set with honor and pride. He was her hero, not because of his position as one of the great Pirate Lords of the seven seas, but because he had been there for her when no one else was, constantly encouraging her to be the best despite her gender. And despite his overprotective nature as a father, he had always believed in her. It was only when Tenten saw the white sails of his ship and the colors of his order on the horizon, the soft fabric of his robes swaying in the breeze at his approach, that she realized how much she had missed her father. She could hardly contain herself as she rushed down the docks into his opened arms, the fabric of her own robes trailing gently behind her in the sea breeze that came in with the Flying Dagger. She was glad that he had come back safely to her when all else had disappeared from her life, and was determined to let him know it in her actions.
"I see that someone has missed me." The deep tones of his voice rumbled in his chest as he chuckled in amusement, only causing her to smile and nod sweetly in reply as she pulled away, finding no words worthy of expressing that simple truth. Rough hands cupped her cheek tenderly in a private moment between father and daughter before he stepped back and took a firm hold of her shoulders, scrutinizing her curiously in a way that stated 'my how you have grown since the last time I have seen you'. It was an amusing and playful routine they had after being separated for days on end, but one she secretly enjoyed. "How was your trip?"
"How was yours? I trust that you were well treated? I do not remember much of this Yondaime, but I did hear a few stories while I was away that were..." He left the sentence unfinished, giving her room to fill in the blanks if there were anything to tell. She could tell him everything he needed to know, enough to permanently place the merchant captain under his enemy's list for life for the things he had done to Gaara alone while she had been a guest on their ship. But she kept her mouth shut, for pride or some form of respect for Gaara's life. She held no right to govern it and so should not meddle in his affairs anymore than she had. "...Nothing happened. I can take care of myself, father."
His chapped lips spread out thinly to a broad smile across his face as a hefty hand closed over her shoulder in a gentle squeeze. It was unlike before with the merchant's touch. While his had been cold and vile, Shirou's was filled with a familiar warmth that she had known all her life. "Is it wrong for a father to worry about his only daughter?" Not waiting for her to reply, he gestured with a wave of his free hand for her to board the ship that had been her home for the past six years of her life. "Come, let's get you settled in."
She needed no one to lead her, but followed behind none the less, enjoying every minute spent by his side. He had his faults just as every father did in the world, but she loved him more for them. And it was only just then as she began to think of Gaara and the cruel relationship that he held with his father that she found herself face to face with the red-head himself, moving around Shirou's stiff body to see why the man had stopped so abruptly after walking past the door of her room.
Thank god the merchant wasn't around to see his mishap, the boy hadn't even had time to heal from his last lesson to partake in the next one. No doubt bumping into the pirate lord would have been one of those times where his father would have saw if fit to drag the boy off without a flinch or fear of opinion from another. Gaara knew his father was far from stable enough to come and wave off the young pirate princess, his interest in her melted away with every mouthful of rum for the evening, she was a passing thought as his own son was.
His pale eyes now scanning the taller man in study, if he actually had seen the merchants son take what most certainly did not belong to him he would surely say something. Wouldn't he? His lips parted, the breath sharp still painful to breath, perhaps from bones broken or tender muscles not yet use to function yet. His stare was soon snapped back into reality, the moment he felt this great man study him in exact same manner. His head shifted swiftly to the floor as he was more than use to out of respect a rat would have for a king, after all there was no holding back a man of greatness as Tenten's father from freely strike him for the theft. Which was why it was a shock to feel rough course fingers of the man grip to the bottom of his chin, ripping his gaze to look up once again. It was not violent, it was not a scorn, it was not meant to frighten. Instead the elder man turned the boys face from side to side, getting a far better look at the wound that had covered it like he was some kind of pity show. But for now, he allowed the man do as he pleased, taking in the young man's deformities left to him by the one man that was suppose to love him.
"I'm fine." His whisper was quiet among the loud conversations of the sailors around them, speaking some sort of foreign tongue from a distant land he had not cared to know, or maybe perhaps another time when it deemed useful.
"I've seen wounds like yours before, boy." He had answered sharp and stern as if he knew every lie, every theft the young man had ever done in his life to save his own life from the clutches of his own demon. His icy aqua eyes shifted course from the taller man to the young woman at is side, a moment in passing he had feet embarrassed. Embarrassed for everything that her perfect almond eyes had seen, something a princess should never see during her stay in the presents of a man who swore to keep her safe. She was safe, he had not laid a hand on her in one way or another, he was a disgusting man by all meanings of the word but his promise to the pirate lord was far more important than a slice of young booty 3 times his junior.
"I'm fine."He repeated as if the captain had not heard the first time, a little louder in his tone as he waited for the older man to release him and send him on his way.
I am not weak.
Muted in shock by the unexpected encounter and stunned at having to face him so soon when Tenten had begun to believe she would never see the jaded eyes of the merchant's son ever again, the young pirate girl could only glance between the two as they seemed to hold a conversation that was both spoken and unspoken. She had said nothing to her father about the boy's beatings or even of the subtle suggestions and implications that the vile captain had sent her way, only having been in his company long enough to exchange a quick word of report about her stay on the merchant ship. But the flashing glance she had seen from Gaara and the glint of anger in his aqua eyes said that perhaps he thought otherwise. Her father was not an ignorant man. And though he was a Pirate Lord that was to be feared throughout the seven seas, he was also a kind one as well, whenever the situation would call for an act of compassion. It was the kind of person she wished to become, a leader who commanded respect not by the point of his sword but by the force of his character. Shirou was living proof that one did not need to be a tyrant to become a great captain.
"All the same, I think you should have someone take a look at that. You're no good to anyone like this." The boy was prideful, anyone could see that, and perhaps a little too solitary for his own good. But if the stories had been true and the old merchant Shirou had once called friend was really as cruel and despicable as he had heard on his recent journey, then it was a wonder that his dear daughter had come back unharmed at all. Power and authority over the sea could only hold a man's desire back so far before the monster within became too much to withstand, especially when someone so young and innocent as Tenten was involved. He had learned that lesson well enough.
Thin brown eyes shifted curiously to look on his daughter who had seemed rather shocked to find the young boy standing in her quarters, like a ghost in the night resurrected to forever haunt her life. And for a moment Shirou thought he had seen something pass between the two of them, something unsaid and yet understood. The Pirate Lord of the East had always known his daughter to be a strong and compassionate person, emotionally driven, and very strict when it came to the improvement of her own skills. But her reaction to the young lad was enough to make him wonder exactly how far the apple had fallen from the tree. "Tenten is the one who tends to the men when they've been injured. I'm sure she wouldn't mind helping to mend yours."
The only reaction that Tenten had was a slight pause as she glanced up at her father, his expression light as he jerked his head slightly for her to go ahead, encouraging her to help Gaara with his injuries. Her mouth wavered for a moment, fumbling with words that simply would not come until finally she managed to ground out a reply. "...No...I wouldn't. Please, right this way." With a simple gesture with her hand, she directed the young boy to the bed beside the drawer where she kept the healing salves and bandages, not even waiting for her father to leave them before kneeling to take them out.
His jaw clenched tightly at the pirates reply, as though he was ignored as if his voice like many times before, was not heard. Of course, how could he have been so stupid to be ordered around like some common whore or slave by any who found themselves high and above someone like Gaara. He felt his stomach drop at the slight irritation in the young woman's voice when asked for her aid, why would she feel anything but hate towards the young man after the way they had both behaved. He had just wanted to see this nightmare to end, to have her finally leave his life and never return it was what they both wished after all... wasn't it? He had pondered that thought move often than not while sitting in the comfort of the white sandy beaches, blanketed in the shade by a draping palm tree. But now here he was, once again following ordered fr yet another man who had deemed greater than then the rest. But perhaps for a brief moment while lost in the taller man's study of his features he had seen something in him that reflected back in himself. For some strange reason, an odd unspoken connection? He could only dream of such a thing with a man as great as the one standing before him.
But like any good servant boy, Gaara had done what he was told... for now. For the sheer agony to the beating that would follow of the merchant had caught wind of his little ship rat being disrespectful would cause the boy enough pain and grief to last for weeks on end. So instead, wavering from that path following close behind Tenten in silence, taking his place on the bed next to the dresser leaving the captain to his own business, and leaving his daughter to hers.
Shifting more comfortable with a slight grunt from the back of his throat, moving the the hard covered edge of the book that was now digging into his already tender stomach. "I'm fine, I've been through worse," informing her in a low quiet whisper. His pale eyes working hard to avoid contact with deep, earthy brown ones avoid the conflict and arguing they seemed to always found in the company of one another.
“Maybe, but my father would feel better about...sending you back after you've been treated. Like he said, you're no good to anyone in this condition." With little else to say, she opened the wooden box of treatments and bandages and set it beside her. Smoothing out the wrinkles in her robes, it was with little hope that she held out her hand to him so that she could begin the inspection of his fresh wounds, having only once before tended to his injuries that day under the falls. But he had been irritable as of late, particularly towards her after that night on the deck when the crew had made the two of them an elegant meal. She would never forget their conversation, because it was then that she realized how truly wretched his life had been before her arrival, and how much worse her presence had made it. A small part of her wanted to apologize, but a greater part wondered why she should. It was no fault of her own or clear knowledge that she had let those things happen to him.
She had done nothing directly to him, and it was only through ignorance of the situation did she cause any harm to come to him during her stay in the merchant ship. It was not her intent to bring him any more grief from trying to encourage Gaara to recite the words of The Iliad. It was through no secret plot devised in her mind that he had been nearly killed in his last encounter with his father. She had come to him in hopes of helping with his injuries, only to have her efforts shoved away. The irony of the two of them sitting as they were now. with her tending to his wounds never escaped her. But still...she felt guilty.
Not bothering to wait for him to comply to her wordless request, Tenten took a light hold of his wrist and started to brush her fingers along his arm, feeling out the tenderness of his nerves to see where the heavier damage had been made. She would eventually have to move along his entire body in the same manner, but chose to hold off on that until he at least showed signs that he did not wish to pull away from her mere touch. Thin brows furrowed together when she leaned in closer to look at a cut on his forearm, frowning deeply when she could almost make out the same of the merchant captain's ring in the skin. He had been intent on causing great amounts of pain and suffering this time around, completely sober from what the young pirate girl could tell in the brief time she had spent by his side. A true devil walking the earth, indeed.
Flinching away, as gentle and caring as her tough was intended to be for the sick. The light brush of her fingertips foreign in the land that had not received since birth. He wince again and again as the feather light caresses found exploring his wounds of his forearm, to where the long gash extended his arm in a crust of dried blood ending with the imprint if his father ring. He pulled away from her, allowing the umps of his skin follow through her hands like a snake. "I told you I heal fast, it will be gone in a few days." He stated bluntly.
With that he moved himself from his spot on the bed, his restless attempt at escape and a stumble in his footstep a light grunt in his chest of obvious pain. A growl curled the corner of his lips as his limp had taken him closer to the exit, to where they would be free of each other. He had known in his heart that she was not to blame, but his mind could not find to wrap around the truth that was so disgustingly obvious. Perhaps he had just found some kind of justification for his father actions this time, maybe some glimmer of hope that it was not entirely his fault and that in some small fraction he was loved? A passing dream, worthless to think such nonsense. He was smarter than that, it is easier to shift he blame to another when finding the answer for something entirely different.
"I'm sorry." He paused, taking a moment to peer at her from over his shoulder. She truly was something to be held, beauty untold but the courage of a lion. He could see this plain as the bright Caribbean sun barring over head. He had felt the need to tell her those two words, not because he had been thinking long and hard about his reactions towards her, his views still stood with a firm, but his misconception on thinking it was of her doing his life had panned out the way it had. It had been like this since as far back as he could remember, it will remain like this until the opportunity arises to set a cage soul free.
In one smooth motion of his arm, she felt every cut and every bruise along his skin, tender flesh soft under her fingertips from the constant beatings he had endured through his long years of life. So undeserving of them, she thought, never once entertaining the thought of asking her father to offer him a spot on his crew in hopes of saving the boy from further torment. Even in the small chance that the merchant would agree, Gaara would more than likely not. He was prideful that way and would not except the act of kindness, view it as an act of charity that commented on his weakness as a man. And so she did nothing to stop his departure, knowing that might have been his plan all along, to feign obedience to her father the Pirate Lord and then turn away any help she would offer the moment his back was turned.
He was a solitary soldier who only relied on only one person to get him through life's hardships. Since his birth, or whatever age his father had decidedly gotten too drunk to continue with the set pretenses of a parent long enough to simply take an open hand and a blind eye to his son, Gaara had been programmed to function that way. But at the very least, he had showed that there was still some hope left, made apparent by his softly spoken apology. That, she had not expected, and it showed in the way she looked up at him with her deep brown eyes, widened just slightly in mild shock to meet his soft green eyes for what she believed would be the last time. And for a moment in time they remained so, unable to move, unable to say much else as if in a deep spell...until it was broken by the shift and turn of his body as he made to leave.
"...Wait!" With a quick glance over her shoulder, she grabbed a small dark green vial amid a swirl of dark locks blurring her vision and rushed to her feet to catch him before he left. She was careful of his injuries when she reached out to wrap her hand around his arm, gliding her fingers gently down to his wrists so that she could pressed it into his palm. "At least take this..." She waited and held both his gaze and his hand where they were until she felt his fingers close around the small container. She would respect his stubbornness in refusing any help from outsiders to his world. But she was stubborn as well and would not take another 'no' from him on this matter. "...It'll help with...it'll help..."
It was a warm snap to his senses, feeling the soothing delicate touch of her wondering fingers over tampered bruised flesh of his arm. It was a wonder to Gaara as even now she would go as far as doing something as simple as brush her hands along such ugly skin. To why she even cared so much even after the way they had both behaved, that she would even take the time, her own time, to see to his wounds. There was something beyond than the order of her father, she could have just shrugged the young red head off and let him be to his own business. Time and time again it was an unspoken, odd attraction that could not be avoided, no matter how hard they had tried to avoid it. Yet here they were once again in the constant humor of fate bringing them closer once again, like some untold subliminal message that neither was capable of understanding.
"Why do you even care?" He asked bluntly, his fingers closing in around the small vile as if he had to do it to humor her just awhile longer. His empty aquamarine eyes shifted to the corners of his dark rimmed sockets in study for an answer. Taking a moment to lift his hand from her reach lifting the small bottle and balancing it between his pointer finger and thumb just in his line of view, wondering exactly what she had given him? was it some kind of poison he could take when he felt the suffering was far too much to take anymore? Or simple medicine to take when the wounds were deep. pouting his lips to the side, his eyes narrowed at the small vile pondering whether to take her offer or hand it back and just turn his back accepting that they will never see one another again. Was that a good thing or a bad? This was the question washing around his thoughts that very moment.
"I told you I heal fast," deciding on the second option.
For a moment her gaze dropped down to note the contrast of their skin, her slender fingers wrapped around his wrist, his paler digits finally closing around the container she had pressed into his palm. Tenten's hands were somewhat chilled as they always were, the first part of her anatomy to get cold and the last part to get warm. All the better to handle the cold steel of her weapons she supposed, already showing a mastery for the sword and dagger. The warmth of his own had was an odd thing to feel, so unused to the heat of another's touch safe for her fathers. And just as quickly she slid away from the comfort of it, releasing his hand and letting her own fall to her sides. She wanted to ignore the question and leave whatever it was that existed between them at that. That much was clear from her answer, but it was something at the very least. "I have my reasons...just as you have yours for the choices you make. We'll leave it at that."
She took a small step back to give him some space, knowing that was all he wanted, but still staying close enough as she watched him examine the vial curiously. Of course he would be suspicious of it. Gaara was not versed in the art of herbs and natural medicines. And after the week he had endured, she would not doubt that the young boy would think everything questionable. "It's a healing salve...made of a venomous poison of a snake found in the East Orient. I suppose if a small amount were to be swallowed...it would have some slow but devastating effects...so be careful."
Earthy eyes looked hard at him with an intensity that implied her intent in explaining the properties of the medicine she had just handed over to him. Whatever he chose to do after wards, whatever choice that he made, it would be up to him. Perhaps it would be her first true act as a pirate. And perhaps Gaara would choose to discard the vial all together the moment he was out of her sights. She would never know, and would try her best to keep from wondering. It would not matter. He would have at least made a decision about his own life, something she guessed was something not often presented to the young boy.
With soft blink, her features softened to that of the gentle girl he had seen and met that very first day, the one who had stood before him only moments before and remained despite her deathly deal. Her lips twitch in a faint smile, one of the last he would see she supposed, but a genuine one. And in a quick move, Tenten leaned in and pressed her soft lips against the curve of his pale cheek. And before he could flinch away from her, she was pulling away, the faint taste of his blood on her lips from a cut across the skin. "Take care of yourself, Sabaku Gaara..." She stepped around him and left the room, the soft pound of her footsteps slowly disappearing up the stairs and onto the deck, leaving him behind to leave on his own terms.
Poison and a medicine, just as he suspected and this only making the boy study the vile more intensely as if some unspoken plan was processing in his mid as he dazed. The many things that one could do with such a powerful thing, which would lead him to the question that if she in fact knew, and had been told on more than one occasion, that his healing capability was faster than most, why bother giving him such a thing unless it was for something of a greater plan not yet devised. How could she trust him with such power after knowing him for just a few weeks, unless it was in her plan for him to use such a thing and have his life end in an agonizing painful manner, or perhaps another she had in mind, or maybe it was just a kind gesture in helping with something that is unavoidable until the man himself was dead.
"But...I " He started in question only to feel the atmosphere hollow, and the air quiet with a hint of rustle in her movements from her cloths as the space between them getting smaller and smaller. It was when her soft and tender lips had pressed against his cheek his eyes widened in shock, breath hitching as if the air had been fully sucked from his lungs. For a moment time, the world around them had stopped the warmth of her so close yet so far from reach she was gone as soon as she had come. Her last words keeping the young man in his far off dream, a state of odd feelings and mixed emotions. Had she really just... kissed him? His wide eyes seemed to grow wider at the thought of this woman so willingly to allow such an action even if in the smallest fraction. Little did he know her acts of kindness would helpsculpt a man of a different nature than the pirate world would come to know.
He sighed deeply his mind coming back from the enchanting spell she had casted. with one final look to the vile in his open palm slowly closing his fingers around it. "..and you hold more cards than you think as a woman." Shaking his head clear from the remaining daze he turned making his exit, out of her life, and she from his forever.