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fanarchoslashivist · 2 years

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Stilt Roots

31. [No Ship or Jack/Bunny] Movie!Jack and Guardians: Basically Jack constantly volleying between isolating himself and being super clingy because he's afraid that if he messes up they'll abandon him and he'll be alone again. (Fic)

@rotgsecretsanta

~*~

“Are we gonna talk about this?”

Jack screwed his eyes tight and curled over, muffling a groan into his shoulder as he tucked himself into the hollow of his tree.

Well, not HIS his tree, unfortunately the tree of sorrows would have been the first place anyone looked for him when he didn’t show and he had kind of wanted to not be found for a while.

But, at the same time, he had wanted to be found a little. Or else he would have gone a bit more remote than the warren. There were still a few iceburgs not easily accessible to by mermaids and selkies to tattle on him to Sandy, and the Antarctic was always an option if he wanted.

But… he hadn’t really wanted.

Not really really.

He’d just…

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” He mumbled, frustrated with himself.

Bunny was quick to join him, the lower branches of the twisted trunk ancient pine were gnarled and wonky in a way that Jack had always adored and thick enough that Bunny’s end of Autumn weight gave them no trouble. Three branches of hopping and the rabbit was crouched right beside him, though Jack didn’t turn to see, keeping his forehead against the punishing roughness of the treebark and his arms around his knees.

“We waited for you in the mountains, Tooth doesn’t often get time for herself.” Bunny’s vice was soft with his reprimand, but this was the third flake out now and it was clearly part of some larger problem.

Jack was supposed to be out working, the first year’s snow in his region was scheduled to fall tonight, and the Guardian’s had gathered to watch him work, as they had a few weeks back for the first changing of the leaves at the very tips of his territory. Jack had traveled further north, assisted the seasonal shepherds all the way to Alaska, but his strip of the Appalachians was special, it was HIS, and he had wanted to share it with his friends.

He loved being beside them as they worked, sharing in what made them happy, listening to them go on in such passionate energy about the things that made their lives endlessly rich. They glowed with joy as they worked, brilliant and powerful and so much bigger than any emotion he thinks he’d ever experienced outside the a building supercell coming together around him.

And what did he have to share, when he came to them with his meager offerings, when they wanted to see him more, know him better? What was he?

He had brought them to his home for the changing of the leaves, and at first the excitement and nervousness had been sweet, like the start of a snowball flight, always starting small but building as more people joined, as the forts and walls and covers were built and the piles of freshly formed perfectly packed balls formed endlessly by unseen hands until everyone was soaked and sore and breathlessly tired but happy.

Then Jack had looked back at them, standing on that viewing ledge, watching him paint the hills, the wind spinning the leaves so they glittered in the setting sun, and he had… faultered a little.

How bored they must be, standing there in the cold, watching him fly about in the distance painting leaves of all things, and not even anything fancy, reds and yellows and browns, pretty but also nothing special. Bunny could grow any number of plants in this color scheme, Tooth’s palace was MADE of gold, with tiles of hue he couldn’t even name. North’s palace was carved into ice cliffs and built with strong hands board by board, plank by plank, and covered in sculptures and tapestries and paintings from far superior craftstmen to anything Jack could offer. Sandy travelers the world every moment, forever chasing the setting sun, the most brilliant display of reds and golds anyone could ask for.

What was he doing? Except keeping these grand powerful people with limitless talents away from their work to watch him play about in the trees.

And oh they had made the right oohs and has and had praised him for his work, but what had he actually made after all? And they wanted to watch him do it again? Next year? Like some.. tradition? They wanted to know more about him?

What was there to know?

But he couldn’t bring himself to say no, just like he couldn’t bring himself to say no when Bunny had learned he was planning the first snowfall in his homeland and had wanted to watch.

He had been making several snows already, already brought ice to end the Pole’s short summer season, but his home had always felt special. He had always taken a little more care in it.

And it wasn’t like he could hide the work from Bunny, not that he had really tried, as busy and complicated as the season could get, when he came for his visits or stayed over for… whatever it was they were tentatively exploring between them, and his work followed behind he couldn’t exactly put it aside anymore than Bunny could set aside his own interests. Jack has spent many hours plotting the wind currents and moisture levels and temperatures needed to seed the systems he wanted to form all alongside Bunny as he carefully puttered about with his cuttings and root stocks in the grafting room or trained and curled the tips of the vines beside the color river, stamping the delicate shapes he wanted into the fragile green trails so they would scar in all the right places.

And maybe he wouldn’t have minded it so much if it had just been Bunny, he was… he was starting to accept that maybe there was something, some small thing he had that Bunny might find interesting enough or amusing enough that he was allowing Jack to get hang around and make a nuisance of himself. If he didn’t, well… Bunny had never found it difficult to tell Jack where he could shove his staff. If Bunny was there, it was because he wanted to be, at least somewhat, if only because there was something about their weird… new… thing they had that required he take some interest in what Jack was doing.

But dragging the others into it was a little much.

It was snow. It was him flying around in the clouds and calling the winds and tweaking the temperatures, trying to coax more moisture without making anyone cranky, trying to control the way the winds and loads and pressures around his storm would react so nothing spread beyond his control in ways he wasn’t willing to be faulted for.

And what what were they going to do? Sit on the ground and wait? Float on Sandy’s Ship and watch? Fly through the clouds like the world’s most obnoxious road fog?

Building storms had to be the most boring thing Jack could think to have the Guardians watch, and when he lets it loose, and the storm he had been planning was not going to be anything soft, no fat white snow flakes, no white Christmas picture perfect powdered sugar. He was going to split the heavens for 5 states and cause countless discontentment on the humans below, he was bringing temperatures people weren’t prepared for, icing roads before wheels were chained, stranding people, probably killing someone which was hardly worthy of praise.

And he was doing that in front of the Guardians, who had been his friends less than a year.

This wasn’t like the friendly Guardian get togethers they’ve had, and admittedly he had been a no show to two of those too because of his… strange wiggly stomach and stupid stupid thoughts and issues that he knew were not really that big of a problem but made it so hard to accept that he was alctually welcome and not just being humored like the comic relief side character that showed up three episodes to be annoying. This was something he did. Something he was good at and took pride in and was passionate about, just like the things they loved, and it was something that was so violent and destructive and knowing that they were going to be there to watch it, that they were going to look at this part of him that they only ever really saw as a sliver of his whole faceted personality…

He couldn’t bring himself to do it.

But he also couldn’t really ring himself to run away.

So he had come here.

To the warren.

Because… well Bunny had to have some reason to want him around, after all… even if he only ever made a mess of things, and the last thing Jack wanted was to ruin what he was building with the Guardians because he loved them, it overwhelmed him sometimes the sheer size of this love he had for them, like standing before a mountainous thunderhead that was towering higher and higher and higher and catching sun in different ways, so much light and shadow it filled the whole of the sky. He wanted to be welcomed into their homes and spend his time listening to them share what made them who they were.

He just.. wasn’t quite ready to share what made up him.

“I.. it just.. was too much.” He angled his head away from the tree but couldn’t quite bring himself to look, to turn to Bunny, meet his eyes, instead pressing his face into his knees, hard enough his eyes ached, title white specks floating in the dark.

“I’ve had those,” Bunny admitted after a moment, a soft quiet full of shifting leaves as his wind playing among the trees. “Being alone so long, its hard to be with others sometimes.”

Yes but… but it wasn’t so hard to be with them, they were amazing, they were everything he wanted, beyond anything he imagined he’d deserve. It was him that was the problem… he wasn’t enough. He had nothing to give them.

“It’s okay if you’re not ready Jack.” Bunny’s hand settled on his head, smoothed down to his back the way he did sometimes, like he was petting him. It was a habit Bunny had picked up, reaching out to trace the top of Jack’s head to the center of his shoulder blades, the hood made it different, Jack couldn’t feel the way his claws slid through his hair, but the weight of it gave him comfort.

“I don’t know why I’m like this.” He admitted, feeling the prickle of tears in his eyes and leaning, just a little, into Bunny’s side, knowing, trusting, that Bunny would take his shoulder and tuck him in.

And he did, of course he did, Bunny wasted no time wrapping him up into his arms, pulling him all but into his lap. “It’s okay Jack, it’s okay.” He said, rubbing circles into his back and oh how unfair it was, he couldn’t expect to keep it all together when he’s doing that, couldn’t hold back the sob in his throat when his face was pressed into Bunny’s warm chest.

When Bunny was going so damned soft and comforting what was he supposed to do if not cry?

#jack frost #e. aster bunnymund #jackrabbit #frostbunny #bunnymund #rotg #rotgsecretsanta2021 #lenape!jack

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luccislegs · 4 years

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Luna! Can I please have some Kaku, Lucci, Iceburg, and Paulie hcs with a civvie seamstress s/o please? Thanks you 🙏

iceburg:

He meets you purely by accident. He had been looking for some place to get an adorable costume made for Tyrannosaurus and you literally ran into him as you were rushing down the street towards your shop– which he was standing outside of. Very flustered and kind of sweaty, you led him into the shop and went about measuring Tyrannosaurus. Iceburg adored how you talked to the quite large mouse like he was a person, and all the care you put into the process of fitting him.

Iceburg fully expected you to do a good job, but he popped in over the next few days just to see you. He was surprised, however, when you seemed nervous and when he asked, you explained that you were afraid he thought you were doing a bad job. The little outfit was almost finished and looked wonderful, but he realized how it could have appeared to you now.

So he laughed and explained that, no, he just liked you. That got a rise out of you, but not as much as when the mayor of Water 7 asked you out on a date. That night, he picked you up and showed Tyrannosaurus to you, now decked out in your awesome new suit, and promised he was going to commission more for both himself and his pet.

Being a seamstress for the mayor (and his partner) has its perks. You get preferential treatment and a lot of business. Iceburg is unabashed in promoting your work, and you see a large upswing in sales.

Of course, he always comes first when he puts in an order. He’s always careful not to seem too unfair though, and he makes sure that the other tailors don’t become too unhappy with his special treatment.

kaku:

Kaku met you through Lucci by way of picking up a new jacket for Hattori. Lucci had been going to you for years, but Kaku had never had the pleasure. After that first meeting, he started to casually offer to go and pick up Lucci’s things for him whenever he could. (Lucci would usually smirk and accept, having recognized Kaku’s true intentions. Besides, it meant he didn’t have to do it.)

When you questioned him about where Lucci’s been, he flushes a soft red and averts his eyes, wondering if you missed the other man or something. But then you laughed and told him you really wanted to see Hattori in the pieces and he relaxed. For all his training, he really couldn’t hide his feelings well from you, and when he left that day it was with your mushi number in hand and promises for a date.

At the point when you meet him, he’s already past the Water 7 incident, so you know who he is. You don’t care much, because he’s terribly sweet and unassuming, but it takes a little while for you to trust him completely. He continues to pick up Lucci’s clothes for him (which he receives later and later each time), and even starts accompanying Lucci to his fittings, much to Lucci’s amusement.

lucci:

You obviously had to meet Lucci while he was looking for a new tailor. He had been to a dozen or so at that point and had not liked a single one, until he found you. The care you took and the gentle way you talked to Hattori endeared you to him, but what really settled it was the effort that went into your work, even for what was “only an animal.” And so, he began to frequent your shop.

Most times, Lucci was cool and professional, maintaining his uncaring facade as he placed his order with you. After a while, though, he began to respond whenever you would make small talk. Not that he ever ignored you to begin with, but he wasn’t as invested in the conversation then. It took him awhile to realize that he didn’t just like your work anymore, he actually liked you, and that both intrigued and perturbed him. He thought he was beyond emotions like that, and yet he found himself seeking you out more often for petty things like a new band on his hat or a new handkerchief for his pocket, flirting and teasing a little more openly as he waited for his orders to be done.

It didn’t actually come to anything until the day he caught another Marine flirting with you as you were opening up your shop. The utter relief in your eyes when you caught sight of him filled him with a feral pride, and his shadow loomed over the Marine, who spun around in surprise. It must have been the possessive, almost predatory look on his face because the man quickly fled, offering half-apologies and excuses as he ran off.

It was silent as you finished unlocking your door and darted inside, unsurprised to find him near behind you, a small smirk on his lips and a playful glint in his eyes. He said nothing as he pulled you close into his arms and leaned down, waiting for you to reject him, before he kissed you deeply. Only after that did he ask you out, and although he expected the answer he got, there was still gratification there.

Even though you become his partner, he still expects a professional attitude, even if he finds it endearing how you become more lax about speaking to him and Hattori. He’s very supportive, allowing you to use him to try on some fittings, so long as he gets something out of it. He doesn’t admit it, but he likes the attention you pay to him. And he has no problems whatsoever with allowing Hattori to be your guinea pig for new outfits ideas, and genuinely likes every one of them.

paulie:

He meets you by virtue of chance, when he ducks into your little shop while running from his loan sharks. You watch in confusion as he scuttles into one of your clothing racks, pulling the hangers in front of him so he can’t be seen as they run past. When he exits his hiding place, he’s confronted by your bewildered stare, and his face turns tomato red as he realizes that 1) you’re gorgeous and 2) you just witnessed him being a total idiot.

So Paulie being Paulie, he freaks out, calls you a hussy, and runs off again. The next day, he appears again with a box of donuts in hand, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly before shoving it into your hands. His apology is muttered and embarrassed, his face the same shade of red as yesterday as he takes in your legs in the shorts you had worn that day. He really, really tries not to freak out, but he can’t help it. He bursts into a nosebleed, yells about how you’re a tramp, and runs off again. After he rounds the corner, he almost curses himself.

The third time, he realizes you’re a seamstress and so, steeling himself, he enters the shop and pretends to browse a little before finally approaching the counter. You’re watching him with a guarded look, your brows quirked in preparation for another outburst, and are pleasantly surprised when he lays a jean jacket on the counter. In a very gruff manner, he asks if you can fix the massive hole where a pocket used to be, and you don’t ask him how he managed it. Instead, you decide to tease him a little by asking why he always runs off calling you names. He stutters out some nonsensical answer and you cut him a break by laughing and calling him cute. It’s enough to send him into fits, and he hauls ass out of the shop in embarrassment.

For some reason you can’t figure out, he keeps showing back up to the shop, and you slowly but surely get to know him and when you get past his ridiculous flight reaction, you find him interesting and smart, and it slowly morphs into more. You’re pretty sure he feels the same, but you know he isn’t going to be the one to ask, so you do. In response, you get called a name but after a few moments of freaking out he relaxes and begrudgingly agrees.

Being with a Dock 1 foreman has its pros and cons. There are a lot of jealous people that throw looks your way when you’re out and about with him. They all want a piece of the foremen, and you’ve snagged one of them up. On the other hand, business increases because you’re seen with him so often, and Iceburg himself personally begins shopping with you.

Paulie is also not easy on his clothes. He’s strong and good at his job, but loose nails, his knives, fights with customers, and a whole slew of other things causes his clothes to tear and fall apart more easily than most normal people’s. After a while, you give him a heavy discount because he’s in there so often and so loyal, plus you know he’s broke from his gambling. It’s almost sad, if not a little endearing how he spends what little he has as an excuse to come see you.

#iceburg #iceburg x reader #kaku #kaku x reader #rob lucci #rob lucci x reader #paulie #paulie x reader #one piece headcanons

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victorie552onepiecespeedrun · 4 years

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Reading One Piece pt 123: Tom’s Workers Company

Chapters 353-356

Thoughts:

- Aqua Laguna is in full swing and it shows

- “Tom. Iceburg. Cutty Flam.” Is three people enough to make an actual company

- Franky is being wrecked and Usopp doesn’t know what to do

- “How much do you think…! You actually know about Water Seven!?”

- YEAH FLACKBACK TIME

- Ok, I’m focusing at actually reading so my recap will be way less detailed

- Lol why do I think these explosions happen often

- Tom is strong

- Family dinner! I love it

- So Kokoro was a secretary? I was fully sold on Tom/Kokoro earlier

- Pirate King mention!!!!! It’s great they show how Roger’s death affected normal citizens. It was a historical event after all

- Oro Jackson! It’s a name of King Roger’s ship!

- WHAT

- Why the hell would you execute Tom for building that ship! A ship is a ship! This is Unfair! Oh why do I bother they don’t care

- The cover page shows Chopper winning in a judo match. Where is Chopper by the way. Sanji disappears for a reason but Chopper is just out

- Oh, Tom is telling them about his Sea Train plans. From what I see, that train really saved the city

- “Can you connect to Enies Lobby” “It’s possible” !!!

- Damn, he changed their minds on executing them with that speech. Respect

- Really? Roger is the only guy who went the whole way around the Grandline? Wow

- *building the Sea Train montage*

- Someone help this island, it’s horrible

- The Train is done!

- Yeah!

- Franky is making dangerous weapons. And government officials are in the hearing range. Hm

- …Plot? I see Five Elder Stars here. They’re The Government government, right. Like the very core of it

- That “Justice” stuff again. Looks like the government is all about that. What does it even mean In One Piece

- Will Spandam be important. He’s kinda meh here but he worries me

- Tom is giving Iceburg and Franky the blueprints!

- …Robin? What is Robin’s bounty poster doing here

- (do you think that that Roger’s ship was modeled after these blueprints? That would make sense and also made Franky even more important for the crew. That makes sense)

- Warships?

- Wait, Franky’s old warships! Someone stole them!

- Damn you, Spandam

- WHAT IS THIS

- Shit

- SHIT

- F*ck you, Spandam

- That trial is a joke

- Tom hit Franky for being an idiot!

- “Even if the ship you’ve made could hurt somebody! Even if it could bring ruin to the world! Its only parent must give it love! You mustn’t deny that which you’ve created! The ship isn’t to blame!”

- “When a man’s made a ship… He makes it a part of himself with a don!!!”

Damn, Tom makes great speeches.

rOP 122 rOP 124

#one piece speed read #Franky is still full human in this #the incident is coming right #how did he become a cyborg #spoiler #spoilers #have a nice day #rOP 123

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creative-type · 7 years

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Character-Driven Backstory

Flashbacks can be tricky. Done poorly, a flashback can kill a story’s momentum, and without proper narrative weight it can leave the reader wondering what was the point of including it in the first place.

I’ve always thought that Robin’s place within the story of One Piece is unique in that her role within the Straw Hat Pirates is paradoxically vital and completely irrelevant at the same time. Pirates don’t need archaeologists in their crews like they need cooks, doctors, and navigators, but to tell the overarching story of One Piece a character like Robin is vital to conveying information to the audience (and more importantly, giving them a reason to care).

Because of Robin’s unique place within the narrative, her backstory is almost automatically the most important to the plot as a whole. To this day there are theories about the nature of the One Piece Universe that are firmly rooted in the tantalizing hints provided between chapters 391 and 398. It’s macro-level storytelling done well, the bread crumbs that have readers spend who knows how many hours theorizing and arguing about a planetarium.

But what I want to talk about today is the importance of the Oharan flashback to Robin herself, how Oda sets up parallels between past and present to emphasize the difference between the two, resulting in one of the most powerful scenes in the entire series.

But first, a picture of babu Robin, because focusing the adorable is the only way I’m gonna get through this without crying

Before we can care about a character’s past we have to care about them in the present. I’ve already written about how important Skypiea is to Robin’s character arc, but to summarize Robin goes from the point of losing her only reason for living/being suicidal to finding people who treat her with respect and one of their own. She doesn’t fully integrate herself into the Straw Hat Pirates, but remains on the outside looking in, her past trauma preventing her from accepting what they have to offer. Still, there’s no doubting that Robin enjoys the Straw Hats and is willing to risk their lives for them.

Then everything when Aokiji attacked

Aokiji’s appearance literally knocks Robin on her ass. The introduction of the admirals really expands the world of One Piece, and is a nice reminder after the successes against Enel and Foxy that there are plenty of threats that are out of the Straw Hat’s weight class.

Luffy isn’t too chuffed about his loss to Aokiji, but Robin and - less important for the purposes of this essay - Usopp are. I’m not going to cover the construction of Water 7′s plot much, although it is fantastic. The thing that I think is often overlooked and what is important for Robin’s development is the fact that she actually betrayed the Straw Hat Pirates.

“But she was trying to save them!” some might argue, but let’s not forget that the Straw Hats didn’t know that. At least not at first. Zoro says so, and if Zoro says it it must be true

So consider from Robin’s perspective: She, believing herself to be the outsider amongst the Straw Hat Pirates, nevertheless grows attached to them. Aokiji’s attack spooks her into seriously reconsidering her life choices, so much so that when CP9 shows up she immediately agrees to shoot someone she’s never met before in exchange for her new-found friend’s lives. She doesn’t tell them why, doesn’t explain herself, only telling Sanji and Chopper that she’s “a woman of darkness”.

Remember when I said that physical distance is often an indication of emotional separation? Yeah, that’s still the case.

In response, the Straw Hats give Robin the benefit of the doubt. I don’t think this is something she could possibly expect. I mean, the last time she double-crossed someone she ended up with a hook to the chest. During the above scene Sanji and Chopper both tell Robin that they don’t believe the rumors that she targeted Iceburg. This display of the Straw Hat’s true character should have been enough for Robin to trust them, but no. Not only does she confirm that she was one of the assassins, she freaking does it again!

If CP9 had succeeded in the second attempt on Iceburg’s life the Straw Hats would have unjustly been identified as the culprit. Robin believes that they’re strong enough to survive the backlash (and it’s preferable to a Buster Call) but the fact remains Robin betrayed the Straw Hats not once, but twice.

I really like this sequence of panels. I had to cherry pick them over the course of a couple of chapters, but when spliced together they tell us Robin’s mindset at this stage of the game without any dialogue. Robin’s reflection segues neatly into her reflection of the past (I see what you did there, Oda) and also shows some of the duality that defines Robin at this point of the story.

She’s resigned herself to a terrible death, but thinks that she’s saved the only people who have shown her any kindness in twenty years. Robin is smiling, but the fact that she’s also covering her eyes can be read that she is blinding herself to the truth of the situation. Because, honestly, did a world-wise criminal who’s spent two decades seeing the ugliness of life really expect the World Government to let Luffy and co. escape knowing the identity of CP9?

Yeah, she did. And that’s part of the tragedy.

A lot of pain and suffering would never have happened if Robin had just trusted the Straw Hat Pirates from the start. She gets called out about this time and time again, from Iceburg, Franky, and Usopp (side note, I love how Oda connects Franky’s backstory with Robin’s. That’s how you intertwine themes).

In addition to giving us Major Plot Developments, Robin’s backstory tells us why she’s so - for lack of a better term - stuck as a character. If you don’t know Robin’s story it can get really frustrating seeing her reject help again and again and again. I know, because I went to archived chapter discussions on One Piece forums for when these chapters first came out, and some of the attitudes towards Robin were...unflattering, to say the least.

To put it another way, Robin’s backstory gives us context for all her actions, both past and going forward. It does so in a couple of different ways, but the one in particular sticks out.

Parallelism-Linking Past and Present

The cyclical nature of history is something that pops up in One Piece quite often, but Oda usually puts in one or two key differences that keeping things from repeating exactly the same way twice.

In her life Robin experiences two Buster Calls. One ends with the loss of her homeland, her teachers, and her mother. The other ends with the marines suffering complete and utter defeat. The names change, but the circumstances remain the same. Here are some examples.

Spandam

Spandam is the face of the World Government for the Enies Lobby arc. He’s the personification the its self-serving nature, all of the worst qualities of the government seen so far mixed together into a despicable human shitbag. His father is his obvious counterpart for the flashback, a connection that Spandam himself points out

It’s uncomfortable to read the abuse Spandam doles out to Robin over the course of the arc when she’s unable to fight back, but when you get right down to it, is that any different than what Spandine did when he had an 79 million berri bounty put on an eight year old girl?

The difference here is that Spandam is more fanatical and, based on our limited knowledge of Spandine, the bigger narcissist. Seriously, had Spandam spent less time picking at Robin’s wounds until they bled he would have had more than enough time get her through the Gates of Justice. Spandam is clumsy, both in body and how he manages his resources, but I wouldn’t tell him that unless I wanted to spend the rest of my life in Impel Down.

Saul

Saul is the Luffy of Robin’s flashback. Both share the D initial (and have no idea what it means). Both are less concerned with justice than saving their friend. Both teach Robin how to laugh, and in fact have very similar laughs (’shishishi’ vs dreshishishi’).

Saul is Robin’s first, and for twenty years only, friend. But when faced with the overwhelming strength of the World Government Saul loses. As much as he wants to, he’s not able to protect Robin when she needs it most. If not for Sakazuki’s rash decision to destroy the evacuation ship Kuzan probably would have killed Robin, and there was nothing Saul could have done to stop him.

As another side note, I want to call attention to this panel

Aokiji is speaking to Saul here while surveying the damage Saul has wrought trying to save Robin. By my count there are seven ships here, and the implication of what Aokiji is saying seems to be that he believes Saul would have participated in the Buster Call were he a marine.

The interesting bit happens on the next page when Sakazuki destroys the evacuation ship, bringing the total of destroyed ships to eight. Now what did that fodder marine say during the Alabasta arc?

The saying is true. Oda never forgets.

Professor Clover and the Archaeologists

Moving back to the topic at hand, the Oharan archaeologists are the only ones besides Saul who accept Robin unconditionally during her childhood years. They parallel the Straw Hat Pirates as a whole

The archaeologists protect Robin and give her sanctuary, but they do so imperfectly. Robin’s treatment from the citizens at large mirror on a much smaller scale the hardship she endures as an adult. Other children bully Robin, sometimes to the point of violence while their parents think that she is a monster. Her own aunt and uncle - the people entrusted to protect and raise her - give her the Cinderella treatment, forcing her to do a great many unpleasant and difficult chores, hit her for trying on her cousin’s clothes, and other disgusting things like berate her for eating too much food because she’s a freeloader.

We’re not told how old Robin is when she goes to the Tree of Knowledge for the first time, but she’s pretty damn little and is clearly terrified that Professor Clover might be angry at her for looking at a book in a library

But while the archaeologists allow her to study history, they forbid Robin from following her dream of finding out the truth of the Void Century. Their reasoning is justified, but it’s the exact opposite of Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates.

Olvia

If the archaeologists can be compared to the Straw Hats, then it stands to reason that Oliva is a stand in for Robin herself. They look virtually identical, both share the same dream, and are literally related. They share everything from birthdays to voice actresses, with one key difference: Robin is willing to abandon her dream for the sake of those she loves.

I’ll let the manga do the comparison for me. Here’s Olvia’s choice

versus Robin’s

Would Olvia lived had she tried to flee with Robin? There’s no way of knowing. Would Robin have had an easier time of surviving for twenty years with another adult with her best interests at heart watching over her? Yeah, probably.

Now his isn’t the only time Oda has his characters make a “dream or crew” decision. Zoro’s sacrifice on Thriller Bark and Sanji’s decision to get married are more memorable, but they were hardly the first.

Olvia’s decision to save instead of her daughter still baffles me, and is one of the few things about Robin’s flashback that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I don’t think Oda was wrong for writing Olvia this way, but she’s certainly not going to win Mom of the Year anytime soon. She does, however, give Robin one very important command, and that is to live.

Does this panel look familiar? It should.

It’s only when we’re given proper context that Oda removes any ambiguity and has Robin say for herself why she wants to die. It’s not what has happened that frightens her, but the potential of what might happen. This isn’t Robin’s first song and dance, she has seen this all happen before, and can’t stand the pain of losing everyone she loves for a second time. Moreover, because of being forced to spend twenty years with less than stellar characters, she’s utterly convinced that even if the Straw Hats survive the wrath of the World Government they will come to hate her, because that’s what everyone else has done for the past twenty years. We see the exact moment when Robin stops believing in Saul’s laugh, and while we don’t know how old she is, I’d hazard it can’t be much more than ten.

The Result

The famous “I want to live” scene the first time we see Robin cry, flashback notwithstanding, since the end of the Alabasta arc, and the circumstances couldn’t be more different. Her character has arched. Robin finally allows herself to be emotionally vulnerable, risking enormous mental anguish if she happens to be wrong and the Straw Hats come to see her as a burden.

Because while there are many parallels to the past, Oda uses them to highlight the differences of the present. The scene starts with a literal chasm between the Robin and the Straw Hats

and it ends with the gap between them bridged, and that bridge is Luffy (also literally with a little help from Rocket Man, lol). By unflinchingly declaring war on the World Government and winning Luffy does something no one else could have done.

By constructing Robin’s backstory the way he did, Oda not only justifies Robin’s previous inability to trust the Straw Hats and exposes the true root of her hopelessness. He weaves the core message from Franky’s backstory, that simply existing cannot be a crime, into Robin’s themes of acceptance, trust, and friendship. In doing so he bolsters the greater message of One Piece as a whole.

These are hardly unique tropes within shonen manga, or any other medium for that matter, but when done well the end result can be incredibly powerful. I’ve been reading One Piece for more than ten years now, and Robin’s backstory and the immediate aftermath still affect me in a way that’s difficult to put into words.

Damn it, I’m getting teary eyed just thinking about it. Here’s more of Robin being cute to counter all the angst.

(thanks all for reading. I think I’ve said about all I want to say about Robin’s character arc. I might do a post on Chopper next, but I’m also open to suggestions)

#One Piece #Robin #Nico Robin #Character analysis #Manga #writing #analysis #flashback #creative-type analyzes

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onepieceimagines · 7 years

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Valentine’s Day Special #7

Modern AU ❤️ Dating Iceburg requested by starblazer124

You tossed your bag to the side once you entered your house. Rehearsal was pretty brutal and working backstage exhausted your body. You flopped down on the couch, your head laying on the arm of it and fighting the need to just doze off. Your phone rang and you picked it up, smiling immediately when you saw your boyfriend’s name on the screen.

From: Handsome Boy ❄️ 💜 I’m done with work. Can I come over?

You smiled at the message, immediately responding. He must be as tired as you are.

To: Handsome Boy ❄️ 💜 Please do. The door’s open so let yourself in

You were too excited to see your boyfriend to sleep now so you just strolled through your phone. You heard the click of the door closing and shoes were thrown off, the thumps filling your empty home. You turned your head to look at the door and watched Iceburg walk over to you, looking as if he was dragging himself. He went over and laid down on the couch on top of you, his head resting on your chest and his arms wrapping around your middle. You wrapped your arms around his neck and started playing with his purple strands, curling it around your finger. You rested your head against the top of his and took in his scent as he hummed slightly.

“Tough day?” He groaned and nuzzled closer to you.

“You have no idea.” You couldn’t even imagine how tiring it must have been being the president of such a big company like he was. For such an easygoing guy, he had a strong sense of responsibility and there were a lot of people who looked up to him for guidance. “How was rehearsal, Matt?” You shrugged slightly, still playing with his hair.

“It was okay. Pretty tough though.” He nuzzled you again, pressing a light kiss to your jaw.

“I feel better just being here so I hope I’m doing that for you too.” You chuckled and nuzzled his hair again.

“Mhmm.” Laying there in silence for a while until he broke the comfortable silence.

“So… About Valentine’s Day-”

“I thought that you didn’t like celebrating this holiday.”

“Well, no but why not do something with you?” He peaked up at you and grinned. “So, how about a nap until our reservation?” You flicked his forehead gently, raising an eyebrow.

“You’re just skipping all the details. Start over.” You smiled at his soft sigh as he rested against you again.

“I made reservations at 8 which,” he checked his phone and put it back down, “is in 4 hours. So, that’s enough time to nap and get ready.” Your eyes were wide as you stared at your usually laid back boyfriend. He wasn’t very romantic but the fact that he went through the trouble with making a reservation during his busy work day. Just thinking about him on the phone trying to find a reservation for today made your heart flutter against your chest.

He looked up at you when you didn’t respond and raised an eyebrow. You smiled at him as he reached up to poke your nose.

“Why are you smiling at me like that?”

“You’re… You’re kind of cute sometimes, you know?” A blush filled his cheeks and he looked away from you to rest his head on your chest.

“Shut up. I thought you might like it if I did something romantic for you.” You rested your head against his and played with his blue hair.

“I do like it. Thanks, Ice.” He blushed a bit darker at the nickname and hid his face in your chest.

“Shut up, Matt. I’m gonna nap now.” You laughed at the pouty tone in your boyfriend’s voice and how he got himself comfortable against you. He sighed softly at the warmth radiating off of you. With his last amount of energy, he put an alarm to wake the two of you up in two hours. He put his phone down before turning his attention back on you. His arms moved to wrap around your waist securely, slowly dozing off to the feel of your fingers in his hair and the soft rise and fall of your chest..

#sailingwithiceburg #sailingforscenarios #sailingforscenarioswithiceburg #one piece #iceburg #submission #Valentine's day special #starblazer124

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ravishankarsivasubramaniam · 5 years

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Hard Shell Tacos Aren’t As Hardcore Gringo As You Think

Growing up in Arizona, eating Sonoran-style Mexican food with a family raised on Mexican food, I developed embarrassingly strong opinions, and what I thought of as a discerning palate, by my teen years. Opinion 1: Tex-Mex was trash. Opinion 2: Mission-Style burritos were an affront to all burritos, stuffed with worthless lettuce and rice. Opinion 3: Do not put sunflower seeds or squash blossoms inside my tamales. Opinion 4: Hard shell tacos weren’t true tacos, they were more vertical tostada sandwiches, a Frankenstein abomination that Taco Bell unleashed to give white America something “exotic” to eat without leaving the comfortable confines of its white world. Opinion 5: I was an asshole. Actually, #5 was a fact. I also still stand behind Opinion 2, but as an adult I can see that, like so many teenagers, I hadn’t read much food history. I ate. I opined. I talked out of my behind. Thankfully age has softened my opinions and high self-regard, and I have read what author Gustavo Arellano calls “taco history.” To that history Andrew Fiouzi at MEL Magazine has added an oral history of the hard shell taco that examines its origins, authenticity, and the way fast food appropriated it. Turns out, Taco Bell is still culpable, but hard shell tacos started as authentic Mexican cuisine, though certain details are hazy.

Arellano: Now, if you’re trying to talk about who created the taco shell in terms of mass marketing them, you could make the argument that George Ashley of Absolute Mexican Food did that, because in the late 1930s, way before Glenn Bell or Juvencio Maldonado [the first guy to apply for a patent to do hard shell tacos in mass quantities], he was selling these metal taco molds for making your own taco kits at home.

Pilcher: Of course, the next step was transferring the taco to the taco shell. Glen Bell, who becomes the founder of Taco Bell, claims that he invented this Mexican-American version of a Mexican dish for a fast food audience in the 1950s in San Bernardino, California. But in fact, we have the patent application for various versions of this taco shell that were filed in the 1940s already by Mexican entrepreneurs.

The fact is, my teenage years were fueled as much by Taco Bell tacos as by traditional red chile burros. But Enchiritos? I mourned the day the chain discontinued this weird, enchilada-like Tex-Mex item smothered in cheap red sauce. Nachos? Done right, they were divine, and by “right” I meant anything using shredded cheese instead of that liquid bowling alley cheese gringos pump from a metal drum. I eat Tex-Mex now, but I also know that taste is too subjective to hold over people, and comfort food and trash are universal loves that we must respect. Find your own liquid nacho cheese and claim it. I will: I love hard shell tacos, the kind filled with simmered ground beef, anemic iceburg lettuce, and waxy cheddar cheese. As much as I looked down on them as a snobbish teen and college kid, and as much as I still prefer real street tacos filled with birria, carnitas, and even — snort — pig snout, once in a while I want a shitty, white-as-rice hard shell.

My wife grew up in parts of the Midwest with fewer authentic Mexican restaurants. She loves hard shell tacos, and her love reminded me how much I used to, too. The first time I went to Chicago, I sought out Chicago dogs and beef sandwiches. On our last day, we found a hot dog place that sold hard shell tacos, and we ordered a bunch of them instead of char-dogs. They were as cheaply made as we like, and it reminded me that I had always loved the tacos dorados that certain Phoenix Mexican restaurants sold, which where often made with corn tortillas and fried whole, individually, and tasted like the fried tacos my parents made, based on a recipe my Granny picked up somewere in southern Arizona. Sorry. I’m going on and on about myself, but what I’m tryin to say is that before I read Fiouzi’s piece, I knew where my culinary snobbery came from, but I didn’t know where hard shell tacos came from, and how they became associated with gringo fast food. Reading this brief piece will inform you as much as make fellow cheap-taco-eaters feel seen, though surely others will feel more justified in their snobbish hatred of the hard shell. We don’t care what those people think.

Read the story

#Longreads #Food #Ravishankar Sivasubramaniam #Aaron Gilbreath

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