#nami is age appropriate but also not interested | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

gildedmuse · 4 years

Text

So I seem to remember promising more Sora: Warrior Of The Sea Beach Episode. And by "seem to remember" I mean, it's in writing and thus hard to ignore. So despite the fact that none of you care, guess what? You're getting more of this ZoLaw AU.

First off, every member of the cast and crew understands the purpose of a beach episode: to waste time at the beach. Which means that everyone pulls up with swim trunks, blankets, grills and umbrellas. They are basically there to have a beach vacation.

I say everyone. Not Law. Law does not come prepared to party, he comes prepared to be pissy. But like everyone else (Yes, even Mihawk. Though technically only due to Shank's influence. Shanks forces him is what I'm saying. "Hey, even Beckmen is joining in the fun!" / "Benn always joins in these ridiculous games." / "What? My Beckmen? No! He's usually so mature and serious." / "He only seems that way compared to you. Because you are a child.")

The resulting shoot is pretty much pure chaos. Perona and Hancock are more interested in sunbathing than acting. Killer is kicking everyone's ass at volleyball. Franky and Ace are having a grill off to see who makes the better hamburgers and hot dogs (Sanji would totally win except that Pudding-Chan is right there and in a bikini and look, at some point it's difficult to care about things that aren't that.) Zoro and Luffy, meanwhile, are pretty much exactly the children you expect them to be, much to Robin's amusement. Look, she wrote a scene where Sora and Daichi "play wrestle" in the sea, but it has nothing on the actual thing. Because Zoro can often be oblivious and because, you know, Luffy she is sure they don't mean for it to look so homoerotic. It's just a shame Nami isn't here to capitalize on this. She could definitely sell Zoro pinning Luffy to the sand or Luffy wrapping around Zoro like he's made of rubber for more than a few quid.

Law is not enjoy this shoot.

Even when Benn finally gains enough control to start getting actual work done (you'd be surprised how authoritative Mihawk can be even in purple swim trunks) it soon becomes clear that this is going to be a longer than normal shoot. Not because the logistics, just people are not even trying. Ace will just start smiling in the middle of a scene where he shouldn't be smiling, and because Zoro really takes his cues on acting from Ace he'll immediately start smiling regardless of the line. Then Sanji will get angry with them both, which Pudding will think is adorable, thus leading to Sanji forgetting the script entirely to pay attention to her. Perona will tell Zoro off and get too close in his face, which will make Luffy jump in to "protect his virtue" (on order from Nami) which will make Boa jealous because how dare another woman be so close to her Luffy. Which will make Ace and Zoro annoyed which will make Robin giggle, which will distract Franky which will ultimately lead to the effects not working like they should, which will cause Shachi, Penguin, and Ikkaku to huddle up (definitely not them just laying on the sand and enjoying the day out) which of course gets Shanks and Mihawk's attention. Shanks tries to separate Perona and Luffy while Mihawk gives Zoro and Ace The Look which, despite his still authoritative aura is SLIGHTLY less effective when he's standing there in just swim trunks. Curse Shanks. So in the end, with a heavy sigh, he has to go train instruct Zoro in what he should actually be doing in the scene which somehow ends up with his hands at Zoro's bare waist as he goes through it all yet again.

Law HATES this. Fucking. Shoot.

Which is why he is so close to just leaving, as per Robin's suggestion. They don't need him there. Clearly. They can all get along quite well without him. It's obvious now that Law's real job is babysitting and at this particular location all attempts to be an adult are fruitless.

So Law is all set to leave but then Zoro gets out of the ocean, dripping wet, and heads towards his drink which Law happens to be standing beside. Not watching. Definitely. If anything, glaring. And he tries to keep glaring out at Luffy and Ace messing around as Zoro takes a nice long drink, eyes clearly focused on Law.

Which isn't distracting.

Zoro: Aren't you hot?

Law: *Takes a second to process what that actually means, covering by his continued glare* These are work appropriate clothes, Zoro-ya. Not all of us have forgotten why we're here.

Zoro: *Snorts* RIght. You can't be seen having fun, isn't that so Torao?

Law: *Turning his glare towards Zoro which is maybe a mistake because skin and water and mouth and eyes* I'm only being practical.

Zoro: That sounds boring *Reaching out to grab the end of Law's shirt* You should come have fun with us, Torao. You might even enjoy it. *Sideways smirk that is far too dangerous in nature, anyone with self preservation instincts would run*

Law: *Doesn't run* I… *Is older than Zoro and more experienced than Zoro and always the one to make suggestive comments to Zoro so how is it Zoro has currently got his hands wrapped in Law's shirt while Law seems unable to speak?* I didn't even bring-

Zoro: *Stepping closer, raising Law's shirt up a few inches to show his intent* It's just the crew, it's not like anyone will care.

Law: It wouldn't be very appropriate, Zoro-ya…. *Come on! He's half stripping you down! Be flirty or clever or mysterious or hell just step back and make him stop if you can't come off as at least competent. What the hell is wrong with you? Fuck, he's so close. And there's this trail of water falling from his hair to his lips. Fuck.*

Zoro: Look around. No one here is trying to be "appropriate" Torao. *Steps closer, feeling safe. Feeling cocky. Today has been all sword fights with Killer and sea fights with Luffy and Ace. Can you blame him for being in a good mood? And Law needs to join in, obviously. He's standing up here on the beach looking so miserable and serious. What he needs is to be dragged into the water and force to actually have some fun.* Unless…. *Cocks his head, looking Law over* You can swim, can't you?

Law: I - *It'd be nice if he could swallow right now because it definitely feels like he's going to start drooling. That damn water is curving up on the underside of Zoro's lower lip and he's so close. Law could lap that up for him. Could pin Zoro down and just….*

Zoro: *Beaming* It's alright. Luffy can barely swim, either. *Nods out to the water where currently Luffy is splashing around, riding on Ace's shoulders*

Law: *Eyes go to Luffy and Ace for once second and when he looks back Zoro seems so much closer.*

Zoro: *Still smiling even as he starts to peel off Law's shirt* Come on. *Tugging him by the arm, despite the fact he's still in his jeans and no wait he didn't agree to this!* We'll go together.

Law: *Manages to get Zoro to stop long enough to peel off his jeans so he's down to his boxers, which Zoro flushes at and isn't that what he meant? He can't be so inexperienced. Fuck, Law just wants to ruin this boy, he really does. But then Zoro is back to shoving him towards the sea, happily announcing to Ace and Luffy that he has a fourth and what does that even mean? What has Law gotten himself into?*

It turns out to be an overly competitive game of chicken (both Ace and Zoro really take it far too seriously while Luffy is clearly there for fun but also will break Law's nose if it comes down to it). Which means Law has his legs wrapped around Zoro, whose hands are curled up around his thighs and this could not get any worse.

He thinks.

Totally unaware that Robin has her phone out and is capturing this entire magical moment. And when Franky sits beside her asking why she's filming them fighting she just gets this smile that makes him want to unask because he knows Robin.

Mihawk has to eventually call the boys out to shoot a scene. He stands at the edge of the water with his typically displeased look. Law would feel so much more ashamed if Zoro hadn't chosen to just drop him slightly so Law's legs are wrapped around his waist, and carried him out of the water like that. Law tries to give his boss an apologetic look but it's difficult when he's so wrapped around Zoro, and Zoro's hands keep finding new places on his legs to hold him up. (And maybe Mihawk shouldn't look at actors who work for him that way. And maybe Mihawk should spend less time instructing Zoro. And maybe Mihawk can go to hell because Law has called dibs on this one. This one is his.)

(Also, thank you for this opportunity, Mihawk-san)

(Also, did Zoro really need to flash that smile at Mihawk? Did Mihawk's face just soften slightly? Isn't he like twice Zoro's age? He should really-)

Then Zoro drops him on the sand, and he's leaning over Law, practically on top of him. All other thoughts basically stop.

Zoro: *Beaming* See? Wasn't that better than just sitting around?

Law: *Forgets how breathing works for just a moment, and is way too out of breath by the time he recalls the process. So his mind goes into default Defensive Mode. He frowns* You just wanted a chance to beat Mugiwara-ya.

Zoro: Well… *Shrugs, like obviously. That isn't really the point, is it? Since he chose Law?* You did well Torao. For a beginner.

Law: *Crossing his arms across his chest, which is difficult with Zoro right there. Looks to the side, determined not to give a single inch* I don't like being used Zoro-ya.

Zoro: Right. *Frowns, pushing away from Law* It was Luffy's suggestion anyway.

Law: *Carefully glancing back* What was?

Zoro: *No longer looking at Law* To come get you. Tch. Like I would ever want to pair up with you, Torao. *Pushes off the sand, stalking off towards Mihawkk and the shoot*

Law: *Pushes himself up onto his elbows, watching Zoro go. Can't help feeling like he really messed up.*

Robin: Perhaps you should be more careful with our stuntman's feelings.I suggest next time you be more honest with him.

Law: *Doesn't jump at Robin's sudden appearance next to him. Totally.* There won't be a next time. This is a pointless waste of an episode and the studio will see that.

Law: *As an afterthought* And I was honest.

Robin: *Sets a hand on Law's shoulder in a quiet moment of commiseration*

Also Robin: I have it all on tape if you wish to watch it back. *Leaves*

Law: *Hates this fucking episode*

Law: ….. *Maybe wants to examine that tape.*

#sora warrior of the sea #a redhawk production #the zolaw headcanon nobody asked for #zolaw #zoro x law #roronoa zoro #one piece #one piece au #trafalgar d. water law #trafalgar law #beach episode #the zolaw au nobody asked for #maybe people shouldn't engage me in conversation #conversations with internet people

35 notes · View notes

maddmuses · 3 years

Text

Tōru Caushān (秋山徹)

(Art Credit: Indibundraws)

Epithet: The Dragon Marine, The Burning Dragon Pronunciation: Tow-rue Chow-Shawn Translation: Pervading/Penetrating, Autumn Mountain Age: 20 (18 pre-timeskip) Date of Birth: March 20 Place of Birth: Hatcher’s Island, South Blue Place of Residence: The Dragon’s Den (Marine Prison Hulk), The Dragon’s Wing (Secondary, Marine Compact-Size Battleship Pair), Marine HQ (Tertiary), Pineapple Island, Karate Island, Hatcher’s Island Species: Devil Fruit-Enhanced Human Affiliation(s): The World Government, The Marines, Dragon Company Marines, Pineapple Island Marines (Dissolved), Spear-Hand School, Wing Chun Dojo of Karate Island, School of Dragon-Style Kung Fu Rank(s) Held: Vice-Admiral, Captain (Until sometime during Wano), Seaman (6 Months), Warrant Officer (1.5 Years) Rokushiki Known: 5 (Tekkai, Rankyaku, Soru, Shigan, Kami-e) Cross Guild Bounty: 2 Crowns 5 Stars (B 2,500,000,000)

Personality Toru is a serious and motivated man, but with an edge of introversion to the point that he would usually be diagnosed as agoraphobic if the conventional vocabulary were to exist. Though he’s a man who explores the world from his ship, he’s often more interested in the worlds within his books. Thus, Toru spends most of his time in his cabin, among the stacks of tomes and atlases that he’s collected, researching, reading fiction, and just simply reading. Despite being an officer, Toru’s disposition hasn’t quite caught up with him in this respect, and he often defers issues of leadership to his subordinates, being more interested in his books and navigating the ship along its course, than keeping on his underlings at-heel. This also reflects in his decisions made, often following impulse and strong emotions, when goaded into them, rather than being rational at all times, as he often expects of himself. Like many other marines, Toru is motivated by the loft ideal of “justice”, his own believing that all people have the same capacity for good and evil, regardless of their lives lived to that point. Thus, those holding bounties for evil actions are without honor, previously a thought he’d held for all pirates, though this idea relaxed as he encountered certain pirates, such as Genji, then later Nami. Of course, if anyone infringed upon his idea of honor, even other marines, he’ll pursue them doggedly with the intent to confront; often he’s even been known to bide his time for a year to wait until an appropriate time came up. Generally speaking, Toru sees pirates as monstrous cut-throats who crave coin, women, and drink, in any particular order. Along with his sense of justice towards them, this too lightened after repeated encounters with both his rival Genji, and Nami. Of course, on the other side of that, many of the pirates that Toru has encountered, particularly following his detail as a prison-transfer officer. Toru’s favorite foods are oranges, and salt-grilled fish. His laughs are “Tsushushushushushu” and “Shushushushushu”. Upon the institution of bounties in Cross Guild, Toru has felt a rush in his heart again, an excitement that he didn’t know he could have. 2.5 Billion... Could he get it higher? Is this how Straw Hat feels??? A man who was once not even remotely occupied with his rank has begun to set his sights on raising it and his bounty both.

Biography Toru grew up a young boy on Hatcher’s Island, a small settlement in The South Blue known for raising various birds for numerous functions. It was a peaceful place for many of his early years, until by the time he was 8 when pirates began to frequent his home island’s ports. Initially not so awful, they stimulated the local economy, and constructed a fairly positive working-relationship with the locals of this small, largely Marine-free, fiefdom. But upon their return from a short voyage, it had been learned that The Kentatsu Pirates had experienced a mutiny which upset the moral dynamic of the entire crew, with its new captain being a ruthless cut-throat. For the following few years, the town lived under these pirates’ heels for half a decade, with the people of the island under constant fear. It wasn’t until the world government took notice of the small island’s good position as a stopping-point between larger bases that there was anything done. By the age of 16, Toru’s home was pirate-free, and the boy had grown to idolize the just Marines who had released them from the shackles of brigandeering oppression. The damage had been done, though, and Toru was left without family or ties to his home, with his mother having been killed, and worse, while running an errand in the market. Selling his family home for what little it was worth, Toru booked passage to the nearest marine base. His unimpressive stature and physical ability, however, would prove to be an obstacle for the young man. After an initially denial, Toru made his way to Karate Island, using a small raft he’d managed to purchase, and become a student of the masters there. Within two years, he’d excel in techniques taught by the martial artists, and grew more lithe and fast, though it did little to make him stronger or hardier. He was hard-pressed for a solution, until a mysterious man approached him. Evidently the stranger had been watching Toru for a while, and chose him for a proposition, to take a devil fruit and eat it, so that he could use it to achieve his dreams. The only caveat being to fulfil a request from this hooded figure in the future, no matter what it was, at any time. With a promise of the fruit being able to help him overcome his weakness, Toru jumped at the opportunity. Quickly, he ate the devil fruit, and had the powers of a Model: Dragon fruit bestowed upon him. With his new abilities in tow, Toru made his way to the nearest Navy Base, and was enlisted. Thanks to the fact that he was a Devil Fruit user, Toru was promoted to Warrant Officer, to be trained under Lt. Jack almost immediately after he completed basic training. Stationed in Pineapple Island, Toru worked as a second-in-command, while also training and honing further his combat abilities, as a Mythical Zoan-user is often someone who the government may have big plans for. After roughly one and a half years on Pineapple Island, things would turn out for the worse, as Lt. Jack’s old rival Captain Darrel, of the Switchblade Pirates, appeared. Following a brief encounter at the docks, the two leaders decided to settle their old feud once and for all. At dawn the next day, when the two camps met, the battle was intense, but would ultimately be left without a conclusion, as a sudden assault from another pirate crew’s buster-grade cannonballs killed both Lt. Jack and “Switchblade” Darrel before they even had an opportunity to defend themselves. It was a siege, the Uru pirates attacked Pineapple Island, attempting to reach a cave at the center of the island, intent upon seizing something of great importance, which the islanders had not been forthcoming to the local marines about until that point. As it turned out, the isle’s heart rested within that cave, a mysterious and powerful artifact that could bring about some cataclysmic event if it were to be disturbed. In order to fend off the incoming horde, the pirates and marines were forced to ally with one another, as both side’s numbers had been devastated in the initial assault, and the pirate’s ship had been shot out of the harbor to prevent escape. What ensued was a three-day battle, ending with Uru, captain of the Uru pirates, successfully reaching the island’s heart, and performing a ritual upon it… Which woke the giant crab that the island had formed on the back of, over centuries. As the island rose from the sea, only to plunge back in to swim its way out, the marines and pirates were swept into the sea. It seemed Toru would die, be it not for a fishman who had taken residence on the island previously, and moved swiftly to rescue Toru from his watery doom. Those that survived divided the remaining ships that hadn’t been destroyed, going their separate ways, Toru being sufficiently impressed with the new Switchblade Pirate captain, Genji, to allow them to leave despite any warrants in that instance. Soon thereafter, Toru took his subordinates and civilians to Marineford for relocation, ultimately being promoted to captain, being assigned to pilot a new prison hulk, an assignment that brings him all over the world, taking in prisoners so that they can properly be escorted to Impel Down, or the gates of justice, as appropriate. He would have a number of adventures across the grand line, including several more conflicts with his rival, Genji, as well as encounters with various Supernovas, whether it was of import, or him realizing, or not. Toru was, of course, present during the Marineford incident, being assigned to protect what civilians he could manage to, that may had not been evacuated properly. This would involve another encounter with Genji, who had become a Division Commander under the Whitebeard Pirates, after previously serving as a subordinate captain. Though initially a violent confrontation, the two would work together to stop Impel Down escapees from doing too much damage, or taking too much life. Following the Marineford battle, Toru refused a promotion, continuing as a captain, with his current assignment, so that he may continue to properly investigate Uru.

Abilities and Skills -Scholarship: Well-read and with a voracious hunger for learning, Toru is a scholar foremost, and a marine second. Books are not only always of keen interest to him, and thus he’s prone to know a fair amount about varied, and often unimportant, subjects by merit of “I’ve read about it in a book before”.

-Martial Arts: Trained in several styles of martial arts on Karate Island, forming his own unique style of martial arts, coupled with traditional Marine training from his previous CO, Toru is a highly-skilled martial artist. Thanks to this, even if he lacked the superhuman conditioning that comes with being a Rokushiki user, he’d likely still be able to overpower most any other human by merit of technique alone. His skill is often sufficient to offset any strength difference between himself and a foe. This he usually accomplishes by using his opponent’s leverage and strength against them, through techniques in Wing Chun, while also using spear-hand strikes to make his attacks even more penetrating. Following Wano he has showcased a degree of skill in his martial arts that has allowed him to fight off powerful enemies (up to 1 billion bounties) with his human form, despite any potential disparity in physicality. --Rokushiki: Trained in Rokushiki, like other marines officers, Toru is able to use five of them, only lacking training in Tekkai. This, naturally, gives Toru superhuman physical abilities such as speed, strength, and durability, though the latter is less likely as he lacks Tekkai. Due to his lack of hardiness, presumably from not having learned Tekkai, Toru has to rely on his devil fruit to compensate for that component in his conditioning. Additionally, while his devil fruit is active, Toru is able to use his tail as an additional limb for things such as Geppo, Rankyaku, and Shigan, especially the third given the barbs at the end of said tail.

-Navigation: Toru’s regarded specialty in the World Government’s Navy, he is considered a Navigational Officer, which links to his position as leading a prison transport, as he isn’t unable to right his course if for whatever reason his various log poses are lost. Notably, Toru is skilled at celestial navigation, even being able to use his fruit to fly above the clouds to reference the unobstructed stars.

-Haki: By the end of Wano, Toru has showcased all three types of Haki. --Armament Haki: Toru’s protective haki is above average in density, but below so in terms of versatility compared to others. While he cannot extend it to weapons or other objects, he is able to create an extremely dense defense atop his armor-like scales. --Observation Haki: His skill with this type of haki is considerable. Having developed precognitive abilities with it that allows him roughly 5 seconds of precognition in the heat of battle, it is an accompanying ability meant to represent a peak of his martial arts skill in-association with a calm heart. When Toru achieves an “egoist peak” he is able to enter a flow state where he is a threat no matter what form. It is through this that he is able to be a threat regardless of which mode he is in. --Conqueror’s Haki: Still training under this style of haki, Toru developed it sometime between Dressrosa and Wano, at the moment his most advanced expression of it is infusion. Recently his Conqueror’s has become more powerful, and was initially brought about by his inherently draconic desire to collect everything (in Toru’s case he can contain it to books which is why it took so long to manifest) but his recent desire to climb to the top of The World has resulted in this haki growing greatly in power since then.

-Tori Tori no Mi Model: Kinryu (Goldoragon)[ 金竜 (ゴルデンドラゴン) ]: A Mythical Devil Fruit similar to that used by Kaido. It is a bird-based, rather than fish-based, meaning that any flight is usually achieved by means of the literal locomotion of his wings, rather than through any magical or theoretical locomotion. Like other Zoan-type devil fruits, Toru is able to transform into a fully beast form (in his case a western-style dragon with golden scales) as well as a human-dragon hybrid at will. His dragon form is rather large, standing at just over 20′ tall, with a comparable wingspan. Contextually, Toru’s dragon form is larger than a Tyrannosaurus Rex. With his draconic muscles and armor-like scales, Toru is even more of a threat to others in a fight, hybrid or beast. In either form, though in the cast of his beast form it’s more potent, Toru is able to release various blasts of fire from his mouth, either as plasma-like bullets that explode on contact, or as a great gout of flame that is sustained as he exhales. Rather than having a magical control over weather, as the Seiryu fruit grants Kaido, Toru is able to use Conqueror’s Haki. Originally an ability that simply resembled a basic version of the haki, it turns out that the nature to have everything in the world inherent to a dragon is able to allow its eaters to develop this quality of a ruler. Another ability of Toru’s is that he seems to have some sort of haki-informed control over the flames that he produces, though not to the degree that a Logia may have, or even Marco’s phoenix flames. Toru will often cloak his fists, or part of his body, in flames for the purposes of attacking and defending. This flame often flickers out fairly quickly if Toru fails to maintain it with his haki.

Weaknesses and Limitations -Devil fruit weaknesses: Toru’s weaknesses as a devil fruit-user are the same as what they traditionally must tolerate. Specifically, Seastone counteracts his devil fruit, making them incapable of functioning when he’s exposed to it, and he cannot swim in the ocean. Additionally, it seems that defensive uses of haki seem particularly potent defenses against Toru’s fire-based attacks.

-Physicality: Toru’s physical fitness is actually sub-par for someone with his degree of training and specialization. Generally, even for someone who has mastered the number of Rokushiki that he has, Toru is less strong and durable than someone on his tier of fighting; this isn’t accounting for the use of his Zoan fruit, which he often uses to offset this weakness.

-Agoraphobia: Though not devastatingly crippling, Toru does have a behavior of avoidance when it comes to leaving spaces he’s designated as “comfortable” to himself. Toru often will experience mounting anxiety the longer he spends outside of the spaces, which can often be exacerbated with prolonged conversation with unfamiliars, or if he doesn’t decompress himself with reading, which is why he’ll often be caught doing so in socially inappropriate places to read a book. Toru can, and has, experienced panic attacks related to his agoraphobia, to the point that if he spends a lot of time away from the ship on consecutive days, it can be dangerous for him to not be on the ship alone, as he will have an attack or episode that will prevent him from even appropriately using his devil fruit, and make returning to the ship a trial, even if it’s just upshore. Designated spaces that Toru has, historically, felt safe are: Any of his ships (the cabins he uses generally have dens of books for him to hide among and read), Marine HQ, a shack perched on a hill that he built on Karate Island, and generally any place his romantic partner may be, at the time.

#The Burning Dragon (Tōru Caushān)

3 notes · View notes

weirdbananasblog · 3 years

Text

TOP 10 BEST ANIME GIRL CHARACTERS

As an anime fan, I always admire the great story of an anime and its core part is a variety of characters. Female characters have been important and evolve over time. This list includes the best female anime characters in history. From the strong to the cool, week, cute, beautiful, powerful, badass, and to the hottest character. In short, these anime female characters have earned their places on the list. Which one of these popular anime characters is your favorite?

1. KURISU MAKISE

Quote – “You can run away, but that’ll just make it worse!” – Kurisu Makise

Kurisu Makise is the female protagonist of the anime series Steins;Gate and the love interest of Rintarou Okabe. She is Lab Member 004. And her nickname is Christina put by Okabe. Kurisu gain interest in Science because of her father experiments and theories about time machine/time travel and others scientific topic.

For being so smart when she was a little kid and outwitted her father’s intellect. Generally, she is calm and a collective girl who is capable of keeping herself. Kurisu is not very talkative but loves to talk about science. She also does display sarcasm, usually at Okabe for his annoyance. She is the most love anime girl character.

2. MIKASA ACKERMAN

Quote – “This world is cruel. It is also very beautiful” ― Mikasa Ackerman.

Mikasa is one of the main characters of Attack Of Titan. She was adopted by the Eren Yeager family after her biological parents were murdered. Mikasa has become emotionally withdrawn and noticeably dangerous, sometimes intimidating her enemies or even her comrades.

She is quite and level headed, rarely seen to lose her cool, no matter how bleak the situation seems to be. But when someone tries to do anything wrong to Eren she became a whole new person. Usually, she is by side of Eren.

3. ASUNA

Quote – “Sometimes the things that matter the most are right in front of you.” – Asuna Yuuki

Asuna was one of the 10,000 players trapped in Sword Art Online. She is in the novels a sub-leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath. She is depicted as having earned a reputation as a skilled player in-game, giving her the nickname Lightning Flash. Asuna main weapon is Lambent Light.

For me personally, she is one of the beautiful character, and stronge too. Asuna is a kind and helpful young woman. Asuna is also somewhat proud and despite her kind personality.

4. CHITANDA

Quote – “If you can never get mad at anything, I’m pretty sure there’s nothing you like either!” – Chitanda

Eru Chitanda is the main character of the Classic Literature Club series and Hyouka. She is a student at Kamiyama High School and the president of the Classical Literature Club. Chitanda is very cute girl. And, Eru is resemble as stunning beauty. She is a kind of anime girl character which you need in your life.

Chitanda is a polite and cheerful girl. And she is sensible, emotive, friendly, and innocent, coming across as “childlike” in many aspects. One day Eru meets Houtarou Oreki at the Kamiyama High School’s Geography Prep Room. Chitanda is very close to Oreki and it is heavily implied that she has romantic feelings for him.

5. ERZA SCARLET

Quote – “Hurt me with the truth. But never comfort me with a lie.” – Erza Scarlet

I already assume that you all have know that Erza Scarlet is a strong character. As we can see from above quote of her’s, she is clearly a powerful character and strict person. She often criticizing the bad behavior and habits of the other guild members, causing most of them to apologize. So, her personality also brings fear into many of the members in fairy tail and other guilds.

Erza is an extremely skilled fighter and high class wizard. And, Erza can summon any type of weapon she want to use in an Instant she has over 200 + different type of weapons and can summon multiple weapons at once. Erza have master swordman ship.

6. RIAS GREMORY

Quote – “The first strike decides the battle.” – Rias Gremory

High School DxD have popular over the year. And it’s main factor is their female character. This anime series is full of female characters. Rias is a very kind and compassionate, optimist, especially to her servants and people close to her. Moreover, Rias is competitive and hates to lose, especially after losing her first Rating Game against Riser as she strives to always win, whether it is in sports or Rating Games. Rias is the hottest anime girl character the whole series.

7. TOUKA KIRISHIMA

Quotes – “There’s no way someone who can’t even protect himself can protect anyone else, is there?” – Touka Kirishima

Touka Kirishima is the main female protagonist and a ghoul of the anime series Tokyo Ghoul. She wears a rabbit mask while hunting, earning her the alias Rabbit. She is inherently kind, but this was repressed due to her losing her father and thus having to survive in the ghoul world from an early age.

After the time skip, Touka is more openly gentle and warm and became a beautiful woman that many characters including Ken Kaneki have been left speechless by her attractive appearance.

8. NAMI

Quote – “Life is like a pencil that will surely run out, but will leave the beautiful writing of life.” – Nami

One piece has produced a different variety of versatile characters and one of them is Nami. Nami is a member of the famous Straw Hat pirate crew. She is 2nd crewmate of Straw Hat pirate. Nami has a good sense of navigation skill. In the world of Sea, she has been useful to her captain (Luffy).

After the time skip Nami have improve her ability. She has a supernatural ability to sense changes in the weather, “with her body” according to Vivi, and can even predict the emergence of supposedly unpredictable cyclones in the Grand Line.

9. HINATA HYUGA

Quote – “Never… Go Back… On My Word… Because… That’s… My Ninja Way, Too!” – Hinata Hyuga

Hinata is timid, soft-spoken, thoughtful, polite and very shy, often using appropriate name suffixes. Her father’s contempt for her, so Hinata lacks self-confidence but is very hard working. She is a member of Team 8, which consists of herself, Kiba Inuzuka with his ninja dog — Akamaru, Shino Aburame, and team leader Kurenai Yuhi. Hinata is a very shy anime girl character with the kindest heart.

10. REVY

Quote – “You’ve got to enjoy life, or else you’ll end up wasting it.” – Revy Rebecca

Revy is a troubled, loud, rude, sarcastic, deadly, very competitive, short-tempered, cynical, confident, and considerably aggressive nihilist (a person who believes that life is meaningless and rejects all religious and moral principles) who exhibits a wild temperament. She does most of the fighting for the Lagoon Company. Revy is very confident, grumpy, aggressive, cynical, and emotionally unstable.

Check out our new post – Top movies like ‘your name‘

#anime animegirl nami hinata mikasa kurisu stiensgate onepiece

5 notes · View notes

thisisarealtagwhy · 7 years

Text

Day 9: Openings/Endings

Or, alternately known as Share The World!

i fucking love the Share the World opening so this is pretty much from that, it’s also extremely long; 6,345 words.

“Nami!” Luffy shouts from the front of Sunny. “I see an island!”

Aforementioned navigator glanced up and checked her log pose, yup, an island was definitely scheduled.

“Alright!” Luffy yelled, pumping his hands in the air and flipping back onto the deck of the Thousand Sunny. “Everyone prepare for docking!”

Slowly, one by one the straw hats emerged from their dens to their captain’s cry.

They all congregated on the grassy deck. “I need fresh food.” Sanji immediately said once everyone had arrived.

Nami nodded. “I want some more swimwear.”

“I need some stuff for my arsenal.” Usopp said.

“I also need some stuff.” Franky added, looking at Usopp and folding his arms.

Zoro yawned. “Fufufu, I would like to go look at their books, if they have any.” Robin said.

“Um, I need some herbs and medicines.”

“Yohoho, I would care to explore the island.”

Nami sighed. “So, we all want to leave Sunny?”

At eight nods, she sighed again. “Alright, Sanji, Luffy, Chopper and Robin will go today, everyone else, we’re guarding the ship for now.”

“Alright, hear that guys? We’re gonna go explore!” Luffy grinned widely. “Nami~! Can I have some money?”

Luffy asked, looking at the treasurer pleadingly who sighed before doling out her precious beri to the two idiots before handing Sanji-kun, Chopper and Robin their share.

“Wait! Sanji! We need pirate bento’s!” He demanded.

Sanji sighed but complied nonetheless and within ten minutes – in which Luffy had bounded around in excitement – he had four neat bento’s in his grasp.

Luffy threw on an orange singlet, waiting for Sanji, Chopper and Robin to emerge from their respective rooms.

Sanji threw on a stripy and spotty shirt, accompanied by a waist coat, it was, in fact, hot outside. Chopper changed into a black and white t-shirt and dark shorts. Robin wore a green jacket that was more of a vest, strings covering her chest in a valiant attempt to keep it shut and a pair of orange shorts (Sanji had squealed delightedly at the sight).

“Let’s go Sanji, Chopper!” Luffy said, looping his arms around the pair.

“Wait! The shores not even in s- aAhhhh!” Sanji and Chopper screamed in unison as they were rocketed to the shore.

“Shishishi!” Luffy cried as they hurtled towards the concrete shore.

“Luffy! If I survive this I’m going to kill you!” Sanji yelled.

“Wah! I’m too young to die!” Chopper sobbed.

The trio smashed into the ground and it was only because of Luffy’s rubber body and Chopper’s ‘guard point’ that none of them ended up as tiny little smears of colour on the dock.

“Shishi, that was fun!” Luffy cried laughing and simultaneously checking that boshi was still firmly on his head.

He, unfortunately, did not see the demon behind him that was dusting off imaginary lint off of his shoulders and glaring a hole in the back of his head.

“No it wasn’t!” Both Chopper and Sanji punched and kicked the rubber boy in the head, hard.

So hard that the idiot was sent flying into the water. “Luffy! I’ll save you!” Chopper cried and leapt after the captain, forgetting that he himself could not swim.

Sanji stared dumbfounded for a moment before leaping in after both devil fruit users. He swiftly kicked both up the head for being stupid.

“We’re sowy.” Both said, spitting out copious amounts of sea water.

“My word! You treat your son like that?” A passing woman stopped to scold the chef.

Said chef immediately turned into putty into the young woman’s hands. “Ah! Sorry mademoiselle, they are both idiots that needed to be taught a lesson.”

He said, bowing down on one knee, the woman was beautiful, long blonde hair brushed into a bun, piercing blue eyes looking into his very soul.

Oh, and the guns strapped to her thighs and ankles was a bonus, Sanji thought.

Chopper and Luffy just shrugged at his antics.

“Sanji~!” Luffy whined. “I’m hungry.”

“You better tend to your son and pet.” The lady said and turned around. “I happen to be a retired marine and I will not stand for abuse.”

Sanji looked properly admonished and bowed before turning to Luffy and Chopper, with the appropriate amount of self-restraint he said. “Come on you idiots.”

“I’m not a pet.” Chopper muttered angrily, trudging away.

“What about Robin-chan?” Sanji muttered to himself, glancing to Chopper and Luffy then to the Thousand Sunny.

Sanji watched closely as the mini-Merry drew closer, the woman in question at the wheel. “Hello Sanji-kun, would you mind keeping an eye on Luffy?” She asked as she gracefully climbed up to join their trio.

“Anything for you Robin-chwan!” Sanji exclaimed.

“Come on Sanji! I smell meat!” Luffy cried, grabbing a hold of both crew mates and running off to where his nose took him.

“Fufufu, enjoy cook-san.”

“Luffy! Let me go!” Sanji growls, disentangling himself from the rubber-brained idiot.

“Sanji, could we eat first please?” Chopper asks, his own little stomach growling in hunger.

The cook glanced down at the tiny doctor and shrugged, “I was planning on heading to the market place anyway, you two don’t have to stay with me.”

“Eh, food!” Luffy laughed as he raced towards the smell.

He skidded to a stop in front of a small stall that seemed to have a barbeque sizzling away with skewers of vegetable and meat being cooked.

“Why hello there young man, may I interest you with some of this Island’s spe-” A woman with an aging face began.

“I don’t care! Just give me meat!” Luffy interrupted, too hungry to care.

“Such an attitude…” The lady muttered dejectedly, regardless she handed him a skewer which Luffy swallowed in one second.

“More!”

The lady complied. “These are 100 beris each mister, you better have the right money…”

Luffy groaned, it wasn’t like he was going to be able to buy a lot of these… there was the possibility of just leaving without paying but…

He didn’t want to cause trouble yet, especially when half of the crew hadn’t even entered the island to do their business.

So, he payed the woman the correct money and drifted away to the depths of the crowd, testing as much food as he could.

Whilst wandering through the streets his eye caught a surfing shop, grinning to himself he entered the summer shop.

“Excuse me sir, is there anything I can help you with?” The woman was quite young, probably just in her twenties and was trying to blink seductively at the straw-hat captain.

“Yeah, how much is the surfboard in the window?” He asked, pointing at the white with blue trimming surfboard propped up on the window.

“Why, my dear, for you I can pay you a price of 5000 beris.” She said again, trying to bring his eyes to her.

Luffy dragged his eyes from the display, pulling the little sack of beris he usually carried around, and counted out the correct amount of notes. “I still have 1000 beris left over… hey lady, is there anything I can buy for 1000 beris.” His eyes never even strayed to where she was trying to make him look.

Huffing a little the woman sighed and said, “You can by a doughnut inflatable and a pair of trunks if you want.”

Grinning he chose a pair of red trunks and handed over the rest of the money, clutching his possessions tightly he thanked the lady and left the store.

Given that he was now officially broke Luffy was at a loss of what to do, he couldn’t very well just leave the surfboard and trunks by themselves.

Eventually he sighed and moved to a bench by a waterfall where a bunch of kids were messing around.

Luffy plonked down onto the wooden structure and stretched out, yawning and arching his back, not unlike a cat.

Grinning when he realised he still had the pirate bento, he unwrapped it and scoffed it down within seconds.

Slowly he found himself drifting off into sleep and decided that with the perfect weather he might as well catch some z’s – he hadn’t felt right for a while after Thriller Bark and the discovery that Ace was in some kind of trouble.

So, he welcomed the warm feeling and slept, arms tucked behind his head and stomach heavy with the food he had consumed.

Chopper was wondering around in brain point, hoping that he would be able to at least buy something before being asked if he was somebody’s pet and escorted to the local vet clinic.

He was a doctor dammit, not a pet.

“Well hello there, mister, may I entice you with some locally cooked venison?” A beared man asked, clad in flannel and leather.

Chopper shrieked and ran away from the cooked smell of venison, and potentially, reindeer.

After he was certain that he had left the hunter alone with his store of furs and meat he breathed out a sigh and moved along to one of the stores on the main street of the little town.

“Sweets are fine in small amounts…” He repeated to himself as he entered the shop.

The little bell tinkled, alerting the teenager behind the counter to jump up and offer him a small chocolate which Chopper happily accepted – food was always best if it was free, a voice (sounding a helluva lot like Nami) reminded him.

“Can I get a cone of cotton candy?” Chopper asked the acne riddled teenager who just shrugged and brought him to the machine.

“How much?” He asked, gesturing to the machine.

“A small please.”

Soon, a small cone and a pink ball of fluff about the size of a balloon. “Thank you!”

Chopper placed the correct amount of beris into the outstretched hand and left the shop, promising himself to get proper sustenance later on, after he had purchased his correct medical herbs.

He wandered through the street, taking note of a musky looking book-shop and a miscellaneous ‘Pawn Shop’ for Robin and Usopp, respectively.

Finally he caught sight of a stall set up next to a clean looking house that declared itself a pharmacy. “Um, excuse me, but do you happen to have eucalyptus tree leaves or manuka honey?” He asked the aged man behind the front desk.

“We do have eucalyptus tree leaves but not manuka honey, in fact, I’ve never heard of it in my life.” The man said, chuckling a little.

“Oh, how about any antiseptics?” The Manuka honey was only native to some islands.

“I have iodine, hydrogen peroxide, polyhexanide, ethanol, you name it.” He said, laughing again, spreading his arms in a sweeping gesture.

“Hmm, can I get 300mL of iodine, polyhexanide and ethanol? Oh, and I need some bandages.” Chopper listed.

“Of course my good sir, that will come to 20 000 beris.” The man said, placing the desired items in a brown paper bag, the bottles clinking against each other.

“There you go!” He said, placing the correct amount in the mans wrinkled, leathery hands.

“I wish you a good day my fellow physician.” The man stated, waving him off.

“Wow, what a nice guy.” Chopper murmured, glancing down at the brown paper bag.

He walked through the streets, avoiding any and all of the children that attempted to ‘bring him home’.

“I wonder where Sanji, Luffy and Robin are…” He muttered, looking up at the slowly sinking sun, he should probably head back to the Thousand Sunny.

He shrugged and started to retrace his steps, avoiding the hunter at the stall and making his way back to where the ex-marine lady had told Sanji off.

There, in all of her glory, the Thousand Sunny sat, anchored down, she was the most colourful and largest of all the local ships – and clearly the only pirate ship.

“Hey Chopper!” Usopp shouted from the decks, looking up from his fishing. “You won’t believe how big of a fish I caught!”

Chopper grinned and switched into his walk point, dashing up the rope that tied Sunny to the dock.

He couldn’t wait to put away his medicines into all of his shiny new compartments.

Robin smiled lightly at the bookworm behind the counter, she was clearly invested in the books that Robin sought but the woman would not be denied the history books she so desired.

“Now, I must be on my way, I have other shops to attend to,” Robin began, good, she caught the woman’s attention. “I will be taking those books I’m afraid, I would prefer to do it without violence but if you refuse to comply…”

She allowed the words to trail dangerously off, the woman gulped, pressing her round glasses further into her skin before taking the offered beri. “Thank you, have a wonderful evening.” Robin murmured as she glided through the shop, taking the bag with her.

“Now, I will be needing a nursery, I think.” She wanted to cultivate flowers in the new garden near the back of Sunny where the dormitories lay.

It would be a pity if she could not find any of the local flowers, according to the very books she was carrying, there was a Marine base nearby, and on that Marine base, flowers of vivid purple, gold and silver reigned there.

But also, the promenade, a hibiscus-like flower was native to the island.

She was determined to discover whether that was true or not for the last person to look for the flowers coincidentally ended up joining the aforementioned Marines.

After a while of searching Robin finally found herself in front of a flower store that boasted the best flowers on the island, she wondered if it was true.

The flowers out the front were of most beautiful blues, all different shades – she couldn’t identify them but that was quite alright, they most likely were not poisonous, and if they were then Usopp would have something to add to his ever-increasing arsenal.

“Excuse me,” She asked the woman arranging a bouquet of cerulean… flowers. “But may I inquire as to whether you are familiar with the legend of the gold and silver flowers of the Marine base?”

The woman jumped a bit, splattering dirt against her denim overalls.

“Ah! Sorry ma’am, you caught me off-guard.” The woman insisted, name-tag reading Audrey.

“That is quite all right Audrey-san.” Robin chuckled a little.

“Um, everyone on this island is familiar with that legend, we even called the guy Serpentine for his silver-tongue.”

“Serpentine?”

“Yes, there has never been any report of the silver or gold flowers from the Marine base on the island of Fleurs.”

“It is called ‘Fleurs’?” Robin asked, wondering if she heard correctly.

“Yup! After the legend.” Audrey said. “See, for a while this island was flourishing because we sold the most magnificent gold and silver flowers, at least, that’s what we’re told.”

“You do not believe it?”

“No! There is simply no evidence to support that theory, although… I did move here from the Sabaody Archipelego a few years back so it might be…”

“I see. Now, could you make some recommendations of what flowers I could plant together?” Robin asked, putting aside her curiosity for the moment.

“Of course! I can throw in a gardening book in for free if you buy five seedlings.” Audrey said, jumping up and brushing the excess dirt off her gloves.

“I suppose we have a deal, Audrey-san.”

Robin idly wondered what time Sanji would arrive back at the ship and begin preparations for dinner…

“Mellorine.” He murmured, eyeing the black-haired beauty womaning her store of fresh vegetables.

“Ah, excuse me mademoiselle, would you mind if I take a look at your fresh produce?” Sanji asked with a flourish.

“Of course.” She said, her smile revealing creases and dimples. “Considering what time of the day it is, I could even offer you sales off them.”

“Thank you my dear.” He said, lifting up one of the potatoes, curiously he turned to a similarly sized fruit-looking thing. “And what might this be?”

“Those are our island’s specialty, the flower fruit, you can have one if you’d like.”

“Thank you very much.” Sanji took a bite out of the innocuous looking fruit, immediately an explosion of sweet flavours burst on his tongue with an undercurrent of bitterness. “Mm, how much for a dozen?” He asked, already planning on a pie he could bake with it and perhaps even a parfait oh and there was-

“3000 beris.”

“That’s a lot.” He murmured, glancing down at the fruit again, its’ pale flesh and juice reflecting the evening sun. “Okay.”

“Thank you for buying these.” She smiled again, placing the desired fruit in a brown bag. “Is there anything else I can interest you in?”

“No thanks, I think I’ll go now.”

Sanji wandered through the still-large crowd, avoiding any of the shoddy looking stores trying to sell your fortune away.

He hopes Chopper didn’t get stuck at a store like that.

Sighing, he checks that he has purchased everything needed – plus those spices he thought would very much suit some oni giri.

And a delightful dried promenade that was simply delicious as a tea, he had to have it.

“5000 beris…” He counts in one hand. “It’s getting pretty late…”

He retreats back to the dock where Sunny is docked, hoping to a God he didn’t believe in that the rest of them were already back there.

When he did arrive, and discovered that everybody except for Luffy had arrived, he took a deep drag of the cigarette perpetually clasped between his lips.

“Zoro, go find him, I’ll come with you too.” Nami instructed, kicking the sleeping swordsman awake.

He grumbled but nonetheless stretched out and yawned like a cat. “Let’s go.”

Lithely leaping to the ground, Zoro began to wander, and Nami, she only followed him, because, while the swordsman was unnaturally directionally challenged, he seemed to have an in-built Luffy-radar.

And she knew exactly how to use it to her advantage.

With the sun sinking deep into the horizon, dipping its’ golden body into the glittering ocean, they needed to make haste if they were to find Luffy before dinner.

Knowing him, he probably fell asleep and since neither of them felt like he was in trouble, they trusted that he was still safe.

It had always been this, well, as soon as they had joined the beaming, straw-hatted boy, they had essentially devoted their life to this.

And that was okay, because they loved him like a brother.

Eventually they ended up at an inconspicuous bench in front of a water fountain and there he lay, arms crossed behind his head, snot bubble blowing out of his nose.

They both took a moment to take in the serenity of the moment before Zoro nudged him and told him to wake up.

“Just a minute… Ace.”

Taking that into stride, they both sighed and decided that he might as well sleep. “He hasn’t been sleeping… has he?” Nami murmured softly to Zoro who just shook his head lightly.

Without a word, Zoro hoisted the rubberman over his shoulder where he flopped, boneless.

Nami grabbed the abandoned surfboard and little bag containing more swimwear.

They made it back just in time for Sanji to shout out, “Dinner!” at which Luffy wriggled like an eel and jumped off Zoro’s shoulder, running into Sunny’s dining room.

“Thanks Zoro, Nami!” He cried over his shoulder.

Dinner was a relatively relaxed affair regardless of the beating up of one rubberman for daring steal off both Nami-swan and Robin-chan’s plates.

The following morning dawned bright and early, as beautiful as the first and Nami smiled, telling them all that the good weather would continue.

Robin had returned the previous day with an estimation of four days for the log-pose to set.

So, today, Zoro, Brook, Nami, Usopp and Franky were going to depart Sunny for the goods they sought.

“Zoro, you’re with Brook. Usopp, with me and Franky, you can go by yourself if you want.” Nami instructed to the crew.

“Yohoho, today will be fantastic, I can feel it… in my bones.” Brook laughed, twirling around them all.

“Zoro, go get changed, you smell like a rotting fish.” Nami said.

Zoro grumbled but complied and within less than a minute he was changed into a pair of camo pants and a purple ‘GSM’ shirt (he didn’t know the brand but apparently it was good – according to the witch.).

Brook hadn’t changed his outfit because he does not excrete as much bodily fluid as the rest of them do.

Franky had decided to shake it up a little by changing into a blue Hawaiian shirt.

Usopp decked out in leather, looks more like a butler, but today, he’ll be more like a slave to Nami who simply wants him as a donkey to carry all of her shopping.

Nami herself has a cute little pink camisole with a black lace outline.

“Meet back here before sunset!” She called out to the group, jumping down from Sunny’s soft grass.

The deck is silent for a few moments before Luffy whines “I’m bored.”

“Might I suggest fishing, Luffy?” Robin says, hand flourishing out of the grass like flowers and bring a few items for her to properly enjoy the time presented to her to read the new book she had acquired.

“Sure!”

“Why are you making me carry everything?” Usopp whines around the head tall boxes he’s carrying.

“Because I know that you won’t lose them or get lost, so stop complaining.” She replies sweetly, a few of the bags hanging off her arms. “Now where did you want to go?”

“I wanted to get some more chemicals…” He muttered dejectedly.

“Well, after lunch we can drop my shopping on Sunny then you can go shop.” She says, smiling at the way his face lights up.

That was an hour ago.

Nami sipped on her tea contentedly, the locals here had some wonderful hibiscus-like flower tea that was simply divine. She had to tell Sanji-kun to receive it.

Usopp stumbles to her table, the boxes almost obscuring his vision.

Depositing them on the table he sits down himself, already sipping on an iced version of the hibiscus-like flower tea.

Wiping the sweat off his forehead Usopp flops back onto the edge of his chair, teetering precariously.

Nami flips a page of the newspaper, smiling contentedly.

“I’m having a plate of their rainbow fish,” he murmurs, looking through the menu, “And chips.”

With that he looks at the waiter and cries, “Excuse me!”

The waiter makes his way over, looking quite flustered and put-off by his forward demeanour.

“Excusez-moi, monsieur, but what shall I entertain your appetite with this fine lunch hour?” He says charmingly, flourishing a pad and pen.

“I’ll have the chef special of rainbow fish with a side of chips, thank you.” He says, glancing to Nami who sighs before specifying.

“I’ll have a parfait with the promenade.” She says, still sipping their tea.

“Why of course madame, monsieur. Your food shall be ready soon.”

“Thank you.” She smiles sweetly, leaning, just a little over the table, the man rushes off, face steadily turning red.

“You’re diabolical.” Usopp deadpans.

“Hey, if I have the means to get us a discount then so be it.” She defends, still smirking mischievously.

Usopp just shakes his head and turns, sipping on his iced tea and observing the people around them.

Silently he counts the amount of civilians vs the amount of trained killers coming to snap his neck and take his bounty.

Okay, that was hyperbole but whatever.

It was a legitimate fear.

He was interrupted from a mock battle that he was terribly losing by the sound of his ceramic plate being deposited on top of the table amidst the boxes.

“Thank you.” He murmurs, stomach grumbling, pirate bento’s consumed hours ago.

Nami carefully tastes hers before brightening at the mixture of flavours hitting her tastebuds. “Oh my! This is certainly divine!” She swoons dramatically, the waiter, having no idea what was in store for him smiled delightedly.

“I am glad ma Cherie, would you like me to pass my compliments onto the chef?”

“Oh, please do!”

Usopp just slurps at the juice of the rainbow fish loudly, eyeing their interaction with half-amusement, half-sympathy.

When they’re finished and the waiter comes towards them Nami begins to ‘search’ for her purse.

“Oh no!” She cries in mock dismay, the waiter immediately coming to her side at the cry of her anguish.

“What ever is the matter dear?” He asks anxiously flitting around her like an unrestful bird.

“My purse! It’s gone!” She says, tears filling her eyes.

“Oh la la!” He says in tandem with her tears, looking at the cheque in his hand and the near hysterical woman he makes the wisest decision of his entire life and says. “Allow me to pay for you and your friend, my dear.” He says, signing it.

“You will?” At his nod and the signing of the cheque the hysteria slides right off her face and Usopp grabs the boxes before the man does something irrational. “Thanks for that!”

She calls over her shoulder, smiling at the still gobsmacked and confused waiter.

Usopp just laughs with her when they’re out of sight. “Y’know, I didn’t think it would work but holy cow it did.”

Nami just sticks her tongue out at him, “Now who’s diabolical?”

Brook is wandering aimlessly through the main street, Zoro-san in tow.

The man is looking tired already despite the fact that he was napping in the morning.

Brook doesn’t understand how he does it, he could never waste a day away like that.

But he also knows that Zoro-san is a hell of a better swordsman than he likely will ever be, and due to that, he has his undying respect.

Humming a little he looks at one of the antique stores, ignoring the initial shrieks of “It’s a skeleton!” he proceeds to ogle at the simply magnificent violin they have on display.

It is of ebony, he deducts from the smoothness of the finish and the richness of the dark brown colour.

“Um, excuse me.” He asks politely to the young man who is still cowering behind the counter. “How much are you asking for that violin?”

“You can have it as long as you don’t hurt me.” He basically thrusts the key into his bony hands.

Brook glances at it, and back at the man for a while. “While I might be frightening, I am still a gentleman and I cannot simply accept nothing for such a masterpiece.”

The man seems to have gained a little of his confidence and takes a deep breath, “500 000 beris.”

“That is quite an agreeable price.” He admits and tips the correct beris onto the counter.

“I’ll get it for you.” The man says, pushing his glasses up from the bridge of his nose and fumbles with the key, before finally unlocking the glass casing.

“Yohoho! Thank you kind sir!” He says, bowing deeply, plucking the strings experimentally.

When he finds that they are in suitable condition he accepts the casing and twirls out of the store.

“Oh dear.” He mutters when he realised just why Zoro-san had been quite so complacent during that confrontation.

Scanning the crowd with his eyes, but he doesn’t have eyes, yohohoho! He could not sight his friend anywhere.

Sighing he politely asked the lady to his immediate right if she had seen a green haired man.

“Oi mister!” A child tugged on his pant legs.

Kneeling down to the child’s height he was perplexed to see an entire gaggle surround him.

“Yes?”

“I know where your green-haired nakama is!” He says proudly.

“You do?”

“Yup! Tell him it’s true Ben!”

“It’s true! We all saw him.”

“Well then, could you perhaps lead me to him?” Brook asks politely.

“Only if you promise to play us a song!” They say delightedly in tandem.

“Yohoho! It would be my delight to play for you!” He says, grinning, oh, but he has no lips to smile with, yohoho!

The children laugh with him and run around in circles around his gangly legs, tugging on his pants they trudge through the crows and eventually, after several curving streets and paths they come to a stop at a beautiful water fountain and lo and behold.

There, Zoro-san sits, in all of his glory.

“Zoro-san!” He cries out, relieved to have found his fellow swordsman.

“Oh, Brook, you got lost.” Zoro deadpans.

Brook just laughs, he’s heard and seen how directionally challenged he is.

“Mister! You promised to play a song!” The children cajole together.

“And so I shall, Zoro-san? Might I ask that you remain here while I play for the young gentlemen and ladies.”

Zoro just shrugs and yawns widely, and, much to Brook’s amusement and Zoro’s chagrin, a dog next to him copies his movements.

“Yohoho! It seems you have acquired a new friend, Zoro-san.” He comments, bending down and scratching the dog’s head.

“Yow!” The dog is biting him! How rude!

Zoro laughs, and Brook realises that he’s never heard Zoro-san laugh before.

It’s deep and hearty, rumbling through his chest like distant thunder.

Finally managing to detach the dog he returns to the fountain and begins to play. “What kind of a song would you care to hear?”

“A marine song!”

“Marine song?” He repeats dumbfounded, and at a loss for words.

“Yeah, y’know, the one that goes, hm budu bump!”

“I’m afraid I do not. I do know quite a variety of songs though,”

Plucking the strings rapidly, forgoing the bow Brook allows the words to tumble out of him “Ano oozora ni todoku made, I believe, hitotsu no ashita he!”

Zoro glances over at the skeleton through slanted eyes, the pull of sleep too much to handle. It’s a nice song, though a little out of place on a violin.

But Brook makes it work.

He closes his eyes and drifts off into sleep.

Franky has had a super~ day searching through this island’s shops.

He’s already purchased a new pair of speedos and Hawaiian shirt.

Even daring to buy a – dare he say it? – pair of board shorts.

God, what a heathen.

Wandering around and searching through the clothes he wonders what chemicals he truly needs for his next experiment.

While his equipment runs solely on cola, it also has other elements incorporated depending on what it is.

Finding himself a seat within a nice looking café store that hadn’t batted an eyelash at his state of attire he opened the pirate bento, as the captain had dubbed them.

“When should I start heading back?” He wondered aloud.

There was an old man sipping his milkshake and reading the paper when the bandits came in.

Decked in leather and spikes, bikes parked outside, they made quite the sight, walking into such a small café.

The staff didn’t even look bothered, just kept on bopping to that jazzy tone.

Then a pretty lady walked in and ripped off one of the man’s patch for some reason or another.

One of the staff knocked the player to the ground and the music cut out, it was silent for a few seconds before the biker grabbed her wrist, and right when Franky was about to leave before things became messy, they started…

Dancing of all things.

The staff seemed like they had been expecting it though, judging by the emergency player stashed away behind a glass case.

He watched in awe as what seemed to be a mob gathered within the café and began to bust their best moves.

“Ow! Super Franky is here!”

When he made it back hours later he was still grinning at the hilarity of it all.

At dinner time he told everyone his ‘new experience’ “And they all started to dance like it was normal so I joined in.”

“Naw, that sounds way more fun than fishing all day.” Luffy says, well, it comes out much more garbled but it’s the thought that counts.

“I found the most gorgeous violin yoho!” Brook grins toothily.

“Fufufu, the history of this island is quite unique, I must say.” Robin said, sipping some coffee. “Although, I have deduced that the tale of the silver and gold flowers is nothing more than a myth.”

“Hmm, Robin-sis, are you using the gardens?”

“Yes, I have reserved a small patch for myself.”

“Super!”

The following day they simply relaxed on Sunny’s super deck.

But before long Luffy ran back into the men’s quarters and returned decked out in swimming gear and holding the surfboard he had been found with the day before.

“Nuh uh!” Nami said, crossing her arms.

But, instead of saying anything, Luffy turned the puppy-dog eyes on her. “But Nami-”

“No buts! Do you even know how to surf?” She asked.

“Yeah! Ace and S-, Ace taught me how to.” Despite the small flinch and reduction of his words, Luffy seemed earnest.

“Might as well, we’re all here if he does fall.” Zoro mutters, already decked in board-shorts, with a surfboard under his arm.

“Yay!”

Tugging the donut over himself, Luffy leaps right into the water, kicking at the water. And despite how draining it was, he made it all the way out to where the waves were just beginning to crest.

Twisting his body so he could keep an eye on the waves, he chose one of the larger ones.

Standing up at the last moment he crouched down and guided his surfboard the way Ace and Sabo had taught him too.

“Shishishi!” He soared high into the sky. “Woo-OAAH!”

The board slipped right from under him and he fell into the water.

Immediately, all of his previous energy dissipated as he sunk further and further.

And then, a flash of green and he was back on Sunny’s deck with several eggs on his head, as did Chopper and Brook.

“You said you knew how to surf.” Nami said, arching an eyebrow.

“I do! It’s just-” he swallowed down but then Sabo died and Ace never did again. “Those ones are hard!”

See, not a lie.

“Okay, I’m done!” he said, flopping onto Sunny’s deck.

Wordlessly they dropped too, having their own things to do.

Clank! Clank! Zoro doing reps in his sleep was always amusing to watch.

But Chopper didn’t have time, he was busy reviewing some of his medical knowledge, especially for Zoro who wasn’t fully healed yet and had yet again, removed his bandages.

He was partially under Robin’s umbrella who was reading, a cup of coffee forgotten beside her as she became invested within the mystery of her book.

Usopp was currently making disguises, who knew when they would have to hide in plain sight.

He silently passed them over Nami who indulgently put them over Luffy’s sleeping face and smiled widely at the sight.

Sanji was twirling another cup of coffee, trying to create a pattern out of only straight milk.

Franky was on his third banana of the day, watching the proceedings lazily, half an ear open to Brook’s delightful playing as per usual.

Brook was playing the tune he had made on the spot to play for the children with his new violin.

It was when they were leaving on the fourth day that they ran into trouble.

“Oi! You damned pirates!” It was the lady from the first day, brandishing twin pistols.

She fired a warning shot into the air.

“May I help you?” Robin asked, she had been on second watch last night so she was first to the lady.

“Yeah! Mind turning yourselves in?” She asked with a snarl marring her beautiful features.

“Oh dear.” Robin murmured.

“I’ve already summoned the marines, they’re going to shoot you to hell, but I want to know, why would you do it? Why would you become a filthy pirate? Why would you destroy people’s dreams?” The lady asks.

Robin’s features turn as ice as the storm gathering around them. She doesn’t need to say anything because she knows they answer, the fact that she is asking her does not require an answer.

But it’s on the tip of her tongue so she says it anyway, “Because I wasn’t able to live freely without being a ‘filthy pirate’. And there is only one man I will sail for anyway.”

The lady’s contorted features contort into pure rage and it’s only because of years of practice that Robin dodges the bullet and before the woman can fire again there are arms sprouting from the lady’s shoulders, gripping the guns and tossing them into the water.

“You won’t be needing those anymore.”

“What is this?”

“You should have done your research… seis fleur: twist!” The woman’s body twists like a pretzel, clicking out of place.

The soft padding of her captain’s sandals on the deck of Sunny are what alert her to his presence. “Robin?”

“Everything is fine, sencho-san, but might I recommend we leave immediately, there are marines after us.”

Snapping into wakefulness Luffy cries, “Everyone up! We gotta go!” One by one they’re all up, the sun only just beginning to grace the night sky with its’ bright features.

Nami is rubbing sleep out of her eyes and one glance at both of their serious faces has her snapping at the rest of them to get up.

As it is, the log pose has already set and they can see ships on the horizon.

When canon fire begins to hit 100 meters out of them, the sail right into the middle of their formation, allowing themselves to be surrounded.

“Surrender and your death will be painless!” One of the captain’s cry from their ship, the fact that he’s heard over the rain is astounding.

“Never!” Luffy grins and the sky lights up with a tremendous shot of wind from the mouth of the Lion.

“The Straw Hats! They’re heading to the Sabaody Archipelago!”

#20 years at sea #one piece #day 9: openings/endings #share the world #straw hat pirates #monkey d. luffy #roronoa zoro #vinsmoke sanji #nami #usopp #tony tony chopper #nico robin #franky #brook #pre-sabaody #pre-time skip #fanfiction

5 notes · View notes

petite-neko · 7 years

Text

An Interesting Proposal

Fanfiction: An interesting Proposal Story Summary: If anybody told Smoker that he would have a casual conversation with his boss at a pirate's wedding, he would have thought them beyond insane. Characters: Smoker, Luffy, Law, Tashigi, Sengoku, Garp Pairing: LawLu Rating: T Warnings: Swearing, alcohol use, A/N: I had this written awhile ago, but I finally typed it up and edited it xD

Read on Ao3

There was something unusual as of late. And by unusual, Smoker really did mean unusual.

Mugiwara no Luffy was missing.

There was no sign of him. It had been weeks since anybody had heard from this rambunctious supernova. (And how he hated that term. It was as if they were trying to praise him. A pirate!) And, knowing Mugiwara no Luffy, there was just no way somebody like him could go without hearing about the idiotic or crazy things he was up to.

And to make matters worse, there had been sightings of his ship, but the rambunctious captain was nowhere in sight. And even the Polar Tang that typically followed the Strawhats’ ship was gone. And to make things even more confusing, Nico Robin – the devil child – was also gone. (While it wasn’t too difficult for that woman to disappear from sight, it was the timing that was unusual.)

There were rumours of course. Ones of Nico Robin and Monkey D. Luffy eloping off somewhere. About how there was a fight and the Strawhats and Hearts pirate alliance was over. Or even the craziest of things involving Robin and the Hearts pirates. Typically either a kidnapping or another mention of eloping.

Smoker, however, knew better.

No, there were no eloping or potential kidnappings, and he doubted that there were any disputes of any kind.

For he had caught the captains far too many times making out in some elusive place. (Typically forests. Why forests, he didn’t fucking know. He wasn’t being paid to figure out why pirates made out in forests, just to capture them, and evidently while making out in said forests.)

If anything, it was Mugiwara and Trafalgar that were probably off eloping, in his opinion anyway.

Although that begged the question: just where was Nico Robin? For some reason, Smoker knew if he found Mugiwara no Luffy he’d find her.

Mugiwara no Luffy wasn’t the type of person to abandon his crew or friends after all.

.xxx.

When Smoker had a lead that there were two men who resembled the two captains, he followed it.

Of course their ship – the Thousand Sunny – was nowhere in sight, but after weeks of sheer nothingness… Well Smoker couldn’t just turn it down.

(And besides, Mugiwara hadn’t been spotted on his ship anyway so it wasn’t a sure dissuading sign anyway.)

After wandering the villages, he finally did find the couple. (Oddly enough, not in a forest – and yes, he checked there first.) No, they were in a tailor’s shop. Apparently Trafalgar Law was being measured for something.

The tailor was just putting away the tape when he stormed into the shop, jutte at the ready.

“Ah! Torao!” Mugiwara piped up when he saw him, pointing at him. “We gotta go! Smokey’s here!”

…How he hated that god damned nickname.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Trafalgar had grabbed Mugiwara by the collar. (Don’t fucking start making out god damn it!) “Room.”

He was not going to let Trafalgar use his powers to…

“Shambles.”

His jutte ended up attacking a damn rock.

“Mugiwara! Trafalgar!” He hollered out before rushing on outside. He wasn’t going to let these pirates get away!

Oddly enough however, neither pirate seemed interested in fighting him today… No Trafalgar was just using his Room to keep moving them away from him. And considering that both captains were capable with Haki (especially Trafalgar being able to defeat Vergo…) it baffled him. It wasn’t like in Paradise when Mugiwara couldn’t attack him…

“Oh!” It was Mugiwara who piped up again, being dragged from behind by Trafalgar and their linked arms. “Smokey!” His other arm moved, tossing something at him.

It wasn’t laced with Haki so it couldn’t be an attack… and instinctively, he caught it. It was a piece of paper…

“Luffy-ya did you just—” Trafalgar sounded pissed. Irritated. Annoyed.

“Shishishi!” But Mugiwara was just laughing. “Of course, it’s Smokey after all!” Totally ignorant to his… boyfriend’s agitation and turned back to him. “We’re getting married in a week, and you’re invited!”

…They’re getting what?

And did they just—

“Shambles.”

(It was said with great irritation, that Shambles.)

…And they were fucking gone. The Polar Tang. Of course. It was all making so much fucking sense now. They were planning their wedding and they were using the Polar Tang for subterfuge and who better to use than Nico Robin for such things….

Fucking pirates. Mother fucking pirates. And they had the fucking gall too…

He opened the crumpled piece of paper and there it was:

You are invited to the wedding of Trafalgar D. Law and Monkey D. Luffy! Bring food, you’ll need it. Please meet us at…

Really? Really?!

.xxx.

“But sir! You have to go! It’s a wedding invitation! You just can’t refuse!”

Smoker groaned. Of course Tashigi would say that.

When he had returned to the ship he had been furious. He slammed the invite on the table, ranting about how insulting those pirates were by sending him this invite because he couldn’t just go there with ships to capture them. (That was just cowardice and had no honour.) And so they just basically told him that he can’t chase them down for at least a week.

And of course Tashigi…

“…they had thought of you while doing so! I mean we’ve been chasing them this long it only is right that we see this important event in their lives!”

Sometimes he wonders why he even kept her.

“You’re not going to shut up about this until I agree to go.”

It wasn’t a question; he already knew the answer,

“Nope! Now what are you going to wear? We need to find you…”

Smoker let out a large sigh. Just what had he gotten himself tangled up into?

.xxx.

The damned suit Tashigi had stuff him into was uncomfortable and stuffy and no matter what he said about this being a pirate’s wedding, she insisted that they dress appropriately.

And when they walked in, well he momentarily had forgotten about the suit.

To say he felt unnumbered was putting it lightly.

This was probably the most wanted area in history. Trafalgar Law and his crew. The Strawhats. If that wasn’t enough, the fucking Red Hair pirates were here too. Oh and the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates were here to see Ace’s little brother get married.

…How many fucking people did these guys know?

There also was a huge list of pirates that had escaped Dressrosa the same time of Doflamingo’s fall. A few of the warlords…

…And was that the fucking Princess of Alabasta in disguise over there?

(Never mind the revolutionary army for a moment.)

Tashigi went to put the food on one of the many tables when Smoker nearly had a heart attack as he continued to inspect the area.

Garp was to be expected but Sengoku? What the hell was Sengoku doing here?

“Now behave sir, like you promised.”

(Even if he brought the entire fucking Navy here, he wasn’t too certain they’d win. No wonder why Luffy was so confident in giving him the invite.)

(Not that he’d even consider ratting them out anyway, and Mugiwara would have known that too.)

“…I don’t know what I was expecting…”

“Smokey!!!”

Mugiwara had just… catapulted himself over in his direction, and Trafalgar had appeared next to him, sighing.

“I told you he’d come Torao!”

“I hope you realise this changes nothing.” Smoker spoke with annoyance. Why was he even here? He had better things to do with his time than to spend it at a pirate’s wedding…

“Shishishi I know! Thanks for coming!” And then the couple went off in some other direction.

Smoker sighed before he sat down next to the only other Marines in the area.

“Smoker? What brings you here?”

That was Sengoku. “No fucking idea. This brat decided it was a brilliant idea to invite the Marine who has been on his tail since Logue Town. You?”

(Who would’ve ever thought he’d have such a casual conversation with the ex-Fleet Admiral at a pirate’s wedding…)

“Trafalgar Law is my son’s son. I guess. And Garp dragged me here.”

Sengoku had a son? He had no idea. Although it must be some indirect bonds binding them as family.

(He glanced at Sabo.)

Yeah something like that.

Tashigi was talking to Nami. Probably about those children from Punk Hazard.

“So why’s Tashigi here?”

Smoker sat back and unbuttoned his shirt – these were fucking pirates dammit – and lit a few cigars. “She insisted on ensuring I’m ‘on my best behaviour’ as she puts it.”

…Great Garp and Sengoku were laughing at him now.

“How is any of this funny!”

“Nah, nah son.” Garp said through his fits of laughter. “I was just remembering back when I was your age and chasing Roger all over the place.”

He grumbled. How he was ever going to survive the wedding… well it would be a miracle.

.xxx.

Things were crazy as the pirates often made them. Sabo had come over and virtually interrogated him about Luffy before wandering off. Nami had tried to blackmail him with a picture before Garp scolded and threatened her.

Tashigi and Roronoa got into a verbal spat again – she had too much alcohol in her system – and she was the one trying to make sure he was behaving properly? Pah!

Mugiwara would occasionally pop by and ask a few questions before getting distracted by other things.

What really got him though was when Red Hair came over and just… laughed at the prospect of the Marines being at a pirate’s wedding.

It took the grooms, Sabo, and Sengoku to stop the spat between Garp and Red Hair.

That definitely would have ruined the wedding.

When everything was said and done, Smoker took a rather intoxicated Tashigi away from Zoro before getting onto their ship.

The last thing he wanted was to be around a bunch of hung over pirates.

“He shaid he wash gunna…”

“Enough about the damn swords Tashigi. Go drink some water and get to bed.” He groaned. The party was still going on; he could see the bonfires as they sailed away.

“So how was it Smokey?”

He could only groan again. “Chaotic.”

He would give them a week before he started his manhunt again. The couple deserved a honeymoon after all…

#monkey d luffy #trafalgar law #lawlu #one piece #smoker #tashigi #sengoku #monkey d. garp #luffy #tlaw #petiteneko:story #fanfic:aninterestingproposal #onepiece

32 notes · View notes

hub-pub-bub · 5 years

Link

Libraries across the country are finding new ways to support patrons experiencing mental health challenges—as well as the staff who serve them

For many, public libraries are safe, nonjudgmental spaces to escape into a book, program, or quiet room. For regular visitors, library staff can be reassuring, familiar faces. These perceptions are thrown into sharp relief for users experiencing mental health challenges. Patrons navigating library services while grappling with mental health conditions, looking for resources to better understand their lives, or using the library as a refuge while experiencing homelessness or substance abuse often need additional resources, accommodations, and reserves of compassion.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness—46.6 million as of 2017. More than a quarter of those aged 18-25 report some form of mental illness, which has a higher prevalence among women than men. These issues range from mild to severe, comprising anxiety or sensory disorders, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and many more. Some 11.2 million Americans were diagnosable within that year with serious mental illness that resulted in functional impairment.

Given the wide range of individuals served by public libraries, it should come as no surprise that the full spectrum of mental health is reflected among library users. But that doesn’t mean librarians feel prepared to address their needs. “Library staff are realizing that they were not given the training in their curriculum in school to know how to support someone who’s experiencing a mental health issue,” notes Elissa Hardy, community resource manager at the Denver Public Library (DPL).

BEST PRACTICES

Consensus in the field holds that there are a number of best practices for those on the front lines, as laid out in articles such as the University of Colorado Law School Colorado Law Scholarly Commons’ “Mental Illness in the Library: Ten Tips to Better Serve Patrons” or the American Library Association’s (ALA) Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) “People with Mental Health Issues: What You Need To Know.”

Clear and explicit policies, all sources agree, displayed throughout the building and on the library’s website, should be consistently enforced so they can be pointed to when someone exhibits inappropriate behavior—although noise policies, loan periods, and accessibility standards should incorporate enough flexibility to accommodate nondisruptive library users with mental illness (for example, a patron who talks to herself can be reminded that the noise may bother others, and could be offered a study room).

When extending reference help, staff should set limits on the time and resources dedicated to a single person, and be clear that any suggestions are options rather than advice or counsel. In the case of behavioral challenges, focus should be on the behavior, not the patron, who can be offered the choice to modify their actions or leave the library. Colorado Law Scholarly Commonssuggest using firm, assertive, but not aggressive, language, and remaining professional so as not to escalate the encounter. Above all, treat the patron with the same respect and consideration offered to others.

In the case of more threatening behavior, staff need always to be aware of security procedures and support options. A statement like “I need to go check with someone else about that” can offer a way to step away from a difficult situation to find backup. Workers should look out for each other—not only in public-facing situations, but also behind the scenes, when colleagues may need help themselves.

To learn more about mental illness, organizations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness(NAMI) and Mental Health America provide a wealth of information, resources, reading lists, and infographics. Many state libraries have fact sheets on the mental health for librarians, and ALA publishes a number of online resources.

TO YOUR HEALTH: Risk and Resilience panel discussion at Charlotte Public Library, VT, draws a large crowd; Peer Navigator Jonathan Strauss counseling a patron at Denver Public Library; Rick Fisher, LCSW, speaks at the “Interacting with People with Mental Health Conditions” program at the Avon Free Public Library.Top photo by Cindi Robinson, Charlotte PL; Bottom left photo by Sherry Spitsnaugle, Denver PL; bottom right photo by Tina Panik, Avon Free Public Library

MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID

In the same spirit that physical first aid, CPR or defibrillator, and Naloxone administration training are offered to library workers, many libraries have instituted Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training, an eight-hour course developed by the National Council on Behavioral Health. The state libraries of California, New Jersey, and Ohio have secured Library Services and Technology (LSTA) funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to support MHFA training for their states’ public libraries, which pay the trainers who provide it.

The State Library of Ohio launched a grant initiative in 2018, inviting libraries throughout the state to request up to $4,999 in federal funds for MHFA, Youth MHFA, or Gatekeeper (suicide prevention) training and materials. “We were thrilled with the interest,” State Library consultant and LSTA coordinator Cindy Boyden tells LJ. “We heard from rural small libraries, we heard from large urban libraries, we were seeing proposals indicating that the trainers themselves were willing to provide the training at no cost.”

The training, which outlines ways to help a person who may be experiencing a mental health–related crisis such as anxiety, depression, psychosis, and addictions, includes strategies for recognizing signs, how to assess the risk of self-harm, how best to reach out, how to de-escalate a situation, and how to connect a person with appropriate resources.

“It helps demystify a lot of misconceptions associated with mental health,” says Boyden. “The information that’s disseminated in the training is digestible—it’s usable every day.” The grants enabled more than 1,200 Ohio library staff and community members at 24 libraries to receive the training beginning in July 2018. Most will have wrapped up this summer, and the State Library is currently collecting final reports assessing their experiences. Boyden hopes to fund another round after the next fiscal year begins in October.

NAVIGATING RESOURCES

Librarians are often asked to help steer patrons through an array of mental health resources and databases to find the assistance they need. “One of the biggest things I hear, especially from public librarians, is that they’ll have someone who just doesn’t know where to get treatment,” says Sarah Miles, National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM) South Central Region health professions coordinator. However, many library employees have not received the training necessary to navigate specialized material.

A free course offered by NNLM, “Caring for the Mind: Providing Mental Health Information at Your Library,” helps library staff connect patrons with information and services. Funded by the National Library of Medicine (NLM), part of the federal National Institutes of Health, the course is offered in versions from a one-hour stand-alone session, either online or in-person at conferences, to a four-hour class that offers continuing education credit for a consumer health information specialization through the Medical Library Association. In addition to useful background information, each class discusses challenges particular to library work: how to conduct a mental health reference interview, or programming around mental wellness.

The use of resources and databases is a strong component of the course, with NLM resources such as PubMed featured “front and center,” says Miles. “They’re free to use and they’re authoritative.” Other resources—also free—from NAMI and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) are highlighted, and a resource handout and PowerPoint are available on NNLM’s Caring for the Mind website.

PARTNERING FOR HEALTH IN SAN DIEGO

MHFA has been an important piece of the Mental Health Services program at San Diego Public Library (SDPL), CA. SDPL access services librarian Joseph Meisner, who has been trained to teach MHFA along with some 30 other librarians, reports that about two-thirds of the 36-branch system’s staff have taken the course—funded with a $1 million Mental Health Initiative grant from LSTA— since June 2017; his goal is 100 percent staff completion.

Located on the third floor of SDPL’s Main Branch, the Mental Health Services program is the result of a partnership with the San Diego County Health & Human Services Agency, offering outreach that includes referrals for housing services, addiction counseling, legal assistance, and mental and physical health services, as well as advocacy for Social Security Disability Insurance. Offices currently are open three days a week.

Partnerships, large and small, abound. The library offers training on how staff can better utilize the city’s 211 service, a federal phone help line that offers direct links to social service referrals. SDPL also works with San Diego State University, which offers a Roadmap to Recovery Program—a course for people diagnosed with mental illness that teaches various life skills—on conducting needs assessment for the local population.

In March, the library hosted its second Mental Health Resource Fair. The event brings together more than 20 local health and wellness organizations—a win for city residents, social services, and the library alike. “Folks can come and see all these different services in one spot, but it’s also nice networking for all those different organizations,” says Meisner, and it positions SDPL as part of that community as well. “That’s been pretty powerful for us.”

Meisner would like to see the Mental Health Services Office open seven days a week, and continues to advocate for the necessary funding. “We keep that conversation open when we’re talking to stakeholders, be they philanthropic efforts or political efforts,” he tells LJ. “We let them know that we have the space and we have the need.”

EXPERT HELP

Staff education is invaluable, but often mental health challenges faced by library users require the attention of trained social workers and care professionals. Some 30 libraries nationwide and across Canada have brought on social or outreach workers in paid positions, and many more are looking to do so.

San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) hired the first library social worker, Leah Esguerra, in 2009. She performs clinical assessments in the library and reports back to colleagues who provide case management. She and her team have helped hundreds access job training, housing, counseling, social services, and rehabilitation.

In early 2012 Pima County Public Library (PCPL), AZ, partnered with the Pima County Health Department to become the first library in the nation to hire a public health nurse as permanent staff member. “We could see there was this gap in our service where people needed more of our time than we could [provide] on desk, and we needed an option besides kicking people out for the day or calling the police department,” explains library services and Main Library manager Kate DeMeester.

The program not only brings professional physical and mental health services to patrons, but the nurses are able to manage cases in ways librarians can’t. “From a privacy standpoint, if [library staff] make a referral, when that person comes back and sees us in a week or two, we’re not going to say, ‘Hey, did you go talk to so-and-so?’” says DeMeester. “We don’t want them to feel like they’re being monitored by us, or that their requests are being tracked. But nursing is a different profession, and that kind of follow-up is expected.”

If a visiting nurse can’t handle a person in severe crisis, PCPL can call the local crisis center or Tucson Police Department, which has been conducting its own internal training to better serve community members with mental health issues. The library has seen a major reduction in calls to the police, however, says DeMeester; after the program’s first year, 911 police calls decreased by 38 percent.

REACHING OUT: Pima County Public Library nurse Daniel Lopez, l., talks with David Caldwell, r., at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library.Photo courtesy of Pima County Corrections

LEVERAGING LIVED EXPERIENCE

A number of libraries are engaging another kind of expert—people who have experienced mental health challenges themselves. In 2012, Denver’s Homeless Services Action Committee recommended adding a social worker to the staff, but the scope of the work was overwhelming for one person. When Hardy joined the library in 2015, she instituted DPL’s Community Resource Program (CRP) along with the Peer Navigator Program, which deploys a team of individuals who have experienced homelessness, a mental health diagnosis, recovery from substance abuse, or the criminal justice system. There are no requirements to become a peer navigator other than that lived experience, a high school diploma or GED, and a commitment to helping others. Members of the team receive training at DPL on basic library processes, and a local nonprofit, Colorado Mental Wellness Network, offers peer support specialist training.

“When someone comes in and asks for support, they can meet with someone who’s had a similar experience, has navigated the system, and has some internal knowledge around that,” Hardy tells LJ. “The relationship that they can build with people because of that is amazing. That rapport is established really quickly.” This year DPL has a CRP team of ten, including four social workers and six peer navigators, who cover all 26 branches.

Hardy and her colleagues have received so many questions about social work services in public libraries that last year she helped form the Public Library Association (PLA) Social Work Interest Group. The website offers articles, blog posts, and the opportunity for librarians interested in developing similar programs to ask questions.

WHOLE-COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING

Education, advocacy, and proactive self-care are important parts of the work, and there are many thoughtful ways to start conversations around mental health in the community—particularly for libraries with smaller budgets or fewer resources.

In fall 2018, Tina Panik, reference and adult services manager at the Avon Free Public Library, CT, felt a growing undercurrent of stress at the library. “The texture of our interactions with patrons was changing and our staff was feeling like they were missing things, or they weren’t able to help people as fully as they needed to.” She was seeing more people upset about current events, more “sandwich generation” adults caring for both children and parents, more seniors navigating life challenges.

With funding from NNLM, Panik and Jennifer Bennett, coordinator at the Avon Senior Center, joined forces to produce “Take Care of Yourself,” a yearlong series of community conversations featuring invited speakers on topics including Mental Health 101, depression, memory loss—they have purchased software and training for a virtual reality program that gives users the experience of dementia—hoarding, positive body image, grief, substance abuse, sexuality, PTSD, and the legal aspects of conservatorship. Half of the topics will be offered twice: for the general public and again for town of Avon employees, from the public works department to the town manager’s office and, of course, the library.

“We want both town employees and the public to know that when you’re encountering people, or you’re working with them, there’s a way to have informed compassion,” notes Panik.

Response has been extremely positive so far, and both Panik and Bennett are pleased to see that people are willing to talk about sensitive subjects, and listen. “If they don’t need the information now,” says Panik, “six months from now they might come back to us and say, ‘You had that program on positive body image and my daughter’s struggling. Can you help me find something?’”

Between 1996 and 2016, the suicide rate in Vermont increased by more than 48 percent. In northwest Chittenden County, the Charlotte and Carpenter-Carse libraries teamed up to host a series of conversations on Risk and Resiliency in February, featuring a panel of three local mental health experts and in a separate event, Ron Powers, author of No One Cares About Crazy People: The Chaos and Heartbreak of Mental Health in America (Hachette).

“Part of the issue is the whole stigma around mental health issues and people being afraid to talk about it. So we were hoping if we just presented it as just a conversation, anybody could come,” says Charlotte Public Library director Margaret Woodruff. “And that’s what ended up happening.”

The panels, made possible with technology and education grants from NNLM, were well-attended, particularly by parents of teens and educators. Both libraries made sure that attendees walked away with plenty of informational printouts, and grants from NNLM also allowed them to augment their mental health print collections and purchase two iPads apiece, loaded with mental health resources that patrons could access in the privacy of the library. A survey following the events showed residents eager to learn more about resilience, for themselves and their children, and the partners are applying for further funding to implement a new series in the fall.

SMALL STEPS MATTER

The push to build out the libraries’ mental health materials was not a secondary decision. Many agencies, state libraries, and local schools and academic institutions can help advise on collection development. Libraries can also encourage the use at home of in-school resources, such as Cameron’s Collection—a set of nearly 40 ebook titles from Gale, a Cengage company, in collaboration with the Cameron K. Gallagher Foundation, that provide resources and tools to help teens who are battling with depression and anxiety and that can be shared and accessed privately. ProQuest’s Consumer Health Database contains at least 50 publications covering psychology and mental health. Rosen Publishing Group’s Teen Health & Wellness resources cover a wide range of subjects for middle and high school students.

Libraries across Canada and the United States have added Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) light therapy lamps to their collections for in-house and home checkout. As part of its city’s Mental Health Initiative, Colorado’s Longmont Public Library began circulating Wellbeing Bags, stocked with books, movies, music, and articles designed to spark conversations about mental health. In March, the Hawaii State Public Library at Oahu hosted “Minds Matter: A Teen Mental Health Art Exhibition,” a student-led initiative. Guest speakers from Kapiolani Community College, Mental Health America of Hawaii, the Hawaii chapter of NAMI, and Waikiki Health spoke at the opening reception.

Even libraries without significant state or local funding should look at what resources they have on hand, or local agencies to partner with, and jump in. “Does your system have money that you could spend with a health department or local provider, or are you going to need free services and just be able to offer space?” asks DeMeester. “It’s about first knowing how far you can go, and then finding the partner that fits what you have to offer.”

Any library worker can attend MHFA or the NNLM training, and managers and leaders should support them in doing so. “I don’t think we should assume that librarians have every skill inherently to deal with every possible crisis and change in humanity,” notes Panik. “We’ve got to get training on it.”

“AN ISSUE THAT’S NOT GOING AWAY”

The benefits of initiatives supporting mental health are easy to gauge in terms of individuals helped, programs attended, and materials checked out—yet at the same time often difficult to quantify because of the need for patron privacy. Libraries may also experience some pushback about accommodating customers with mental health challenges.

In addition, employees may also object to being asked to engage with challenges they aren’t prepared for or don’t wish to confront. San Diego’s Meisner agrees that it’s a genuine concern. “I definitely agree that jobs can expand if you’re not careful,” he says. “But it’s an issue that’s not going away, so why not get the tools? We’re going to wake up tomorrow and come back to our libraries and people are still going to be suffering from mental health issues, big and small. If we have that understanding, even if it’s to get them through a minor crisis...better to have that than to just hope everything’s going to be okay.”

MENTAL HEALTH BEHIND THE DESK

Librarians and library staff have worked to make the library space a more welcoming and equitable experience for mentally ill patrons. However, librarians and library workers themselves also sometimes live with mental illness while at the same time providing service and support every day to patrons and colleagues.

Librarianship can be a challenging profession for those of us with a mental illness. Whether public, academic, or school, librarians and library workers engage with and help people on a daily basis. Demands are placed on us by our community and peers. We place demands on ourselves. Without a support system (and sometimes even with one), we may become overwhelmed, anxious, panicky, depressed, and potentially burn out. Even without extra stressors, it can be hard to manage a mental illness or illnesses. Because mental health is so misunderstood, administrators, colleagues, and others may not recognize problematic behaviors of someone with a mental illness for what they are: symptoms. Mental illness is still greatly stigmatized, preventing some from seeking help. Often referred to as an invisible disability, mental illness can further isolate the sufferer and perpetuate the secrecy.

A CRUCIAL CONVERSATION

Breaking that silence, the conversation surrounding mental illness in librarianship is thriving on library Twitter; in blog posts from In the Library with the Lead Pipe, Hack Library School, ACRLblog, Letters to a Young Librarian, individual librarian/library workers/MLIS student blogs; at conferences; and in a growing list of library and information science publications.

LIS Mental Health Week was started by Kelly McElroy, a 2017 LJ Mover & Shaker [M&S], and Cecily Walker in 2016 as an avenue for LIS professionals to discuss, support, and understand what it means to be mentally ill, how it impacts our work, and those we love. These are not easy experiences to share. The silence that surrounds mental illness is a result, in part, of our fear that revealing a mental health struggle may put our jobs at risk; open us up to criticism from administrators, supervisors, and colleagues; or diminish us in the eyes of others. As a result, many who work in libraries stay silent about their mental illness or illnesses. The LIS Mental Health Week Twitter chat includes a bot for sending anonymous tweets, highlighting the strong stigma and fear surrounding disclosure.

Through continued conversations about mental health and library work, librarians and library workers make a statement about changes that must occur in our libraries, MLIS programs, and perhaps the structure of our work life. What has emerged from these discussions is consensus that there is still a lack of understanding about mental illness in the workplace and confusion over what support those with mental health concerns need.

GETTING THE WORDS OUT

Progress in educating and building understanding among the public as a whole, and our profession in particular, has been slow. Still, empathy and compassion are growing. LIS Mental Health Week and the connected LIS Mental Health Zine, Reserve and Renew, are helping boost awareness and move forward a thoughtful and honest conversation about mental health, library work, and support. Issues can be purchased for a $5 donation, which goes to the nonprofit Mental Health First Aid USA. Since its beginning, LIS Mental Health Week combines a LIS Mental Health Twitter chat (#LISMentalHealth), used throughout the year in blog posts, and events and activities to raise awareness led by librarians and library workers whenever they work. The zine, developed by Violet Fox, a 2019 LJ M&S, and Annie Pho, builds on the annual mental health week by bringing together writings, illustrations, and other creative works from within the LIS community, providing an ideal platform for the voices of those who struggle with mental illness. There is hope that through these efforts the library can become a more welcoming and understanding space for all those who work there.

For some suggestions on mental health collection development, see "Collecting Mental Health."

Abigail L. Phillips, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, is always happy to talk mental health and mental illness via Twitter (@abigailleigh)

Lisa Peet is Associate Editor, News for Library Journal.

#mental wellness #libraries #civic services

0 notes