Day 5

[dethorats]

Title: Surpass
Rating: G
Pairing: gen, Usopp-centric
Word Count: 444
A/N: Spoilers through 597



Usopp-kun

Usopp blinked, head turning this way and that on the pile of grasses that served as his pillow. Next to him Hercules snored quietly, and the rustle of vegetation and the distant calls of the island’s nocturnal animals carried faintly on the breeze. He could have sworn he had heard his name but it must have been his imagination. The sniper settled back into his less-than-comfortable bed and closed his eyes. Despite the dangers around him, he was so exhausted after a day of training that sleep came easily. He was close to drifting off when the call came again.

Usopp-kun

The voice was familiar, echoing as it did inside of his skull.

“Soge King,” he murmured, lips barely moving and the sound hidden beneath the rest of the night’s noises.

Usopp-kun, do you wish my assistance?

It was a valid question, given the trying events of the day. Usopp had been chased and nearly eaten at least four times. His sides, which now fit - albeit tightly - into the confines of his overalls, still ached from the strain of running and his shoulder ached from where he’d been gored by a crazy rhino beetle. He’d been close to death so many times in the past few weeks and the fatigue made it hard to get up some mornings to face another day. But…

“That’s okay, Soge King. You can rest. It’s me that has to train, has to get stronger. You’re already a hero but I need…I want to be one, too.”

A noble goal, Usopp-kun. And what is it that is in your heart that motivates you so?

A smile graced tired lips as the memories flickered across Usopp’s eyelids. Bright smiles and laughter; the rough weave of straw and the smell of mikans and cigarettes; soft fur and knowing eyes; the sound of music accompanied by a backdrop of clanking weights; oily fingers and blueprints and his own workshop; the wind and sunlight on the waves and smooth, sturdy wood under his feet; so many dreams and adventures that even he didn’t have the skill to tell them all. He had so many reasons to get stronger. But he only needed a word to explain it all.

“Nakama. My nakama. I’m doing it for them. And me. For all of us.”

Very well, Usopp-kun. I am here if you need me. But I think you’ll be just fine.

“I will be.” The whispers slowly faded away as Usopp drifted back towards sleep. But before it reclaimed him, he made his nightly promise to himself, the one that kept him going through all of his trials. “I’ll see them again.”

Comments

[alice-and-lain.livejournal.com]

Aw, this is a nice little drabble! I admit that I don't particularly like the whole split personality thing usually, but this was quite sweet.

[dethorats]

Well thank you! I am on the fence about Soge King as a function of a split personality. It can work well sometimes but other times it just feels really weird. I like to think of him as something that only comes out at interesting times, like right on the edge of sleep or desperation, kind of like a coping method or a means to think through choices.

[mirax.livejournal.com]

I LOVED THIS. You describe surroundings so well! And the description of the memories of the nakama were very tangible <3

[dethorats]

Thank you! <3

[serrende.livejournal.com]

Aw, I like this! It makes sense for Sogeking to make himself known, and for Usopp ro reject his offer of aid. (There's already a masked hero around, in any case...)

[dethorats]

Thanks! I really wonder if we'll ever see Soge King again. And I don't think that him being gone is a BAD thing, either, although I'll miss the theme song. Part of me wonders if Oda will incorporate elements of Soge King's design into Usopp's time skip appearance but, again, I'm not sure how I feel about that. Soge King is almost like a crutch in some ways and it would be nice to see Usopp move past that.