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dethoratsTitle: Pilgrimage
Rating: PG
Pairing: gen but Shanks/Ben
Word Count: 774
A/N: Spoilers through the start of the time skip, angst, very much stream-of-consciousness writing with bad grammar and no edits
There’re three trips he has to make now that his resignation’s on the desk and his new role has yet to have a declared base of operations. Sengoku knows where he’s going, doesn’t try to stop him, just gives him some decent coffee for the trip and a case of his favorite cookies. Doesn’t even do that in person; the stuff’s waiting for him on the ship he’s borrowing and it can only come from one place.
He hasn’t sailed alone in a very long time. They’ve progressed a long way from his youth. He was half expecting to row the entire way, is a bit disappointed that all he has to do is blow in the dial a couple of times an hour to keep the paddle wheel turning. It gives him too much time to think and he’s never been much for that, which is probably why he’s got the descendants he does, the burdens he carries.
The island isn’t empty when he arrives but no one comes out to bother him and he’s absurdly grateful. Sake for the old man, who’d gone out with a roar and had had the gall not to take him along. Flowers for the smaller grave, roses and sunflowers and tiger lilies. The roses are for one of the strongest women he’s ever known, the sunflowers are for his greatest rival and his friend. The tiger lilies are for his grandson, for all of his regrets and he adds a touch of the sea as well, salt water dripping down his chin to moisten the green earth.
His next destination is a bit more complicated, based more on scuttlebutt than actual intel. He’s born a grudge against this man for a long time, made all the worse for the debt – now debts – he owes. It’s not even remotely tempered by the reluctant respect. On the contrary, that makes it worse, and he curses the fact that this Emperor is the most elusive of all. It doesn’t help matters when he finally comes across the dragon-prowed ship; they let him find it and have had the courtesy to let him come to them rather than appearing out of nowhere on top of him.
The ship’s mostly empty, another courtesy, the majority of the crew busy on the island. Just seven of them, the core, and five of them leave as soon as he’s aboard, ghosting away and leaving him with just the captain and his second. He’s reminded of Roger again, but not overwhelmingly so. Shanks is a different pirate, a slightly different sort of man, and it’s in the back of his mind that that’s a good thing as well as he drops to his knees and puts his head on the deck.
This man has saved his grandson twice now and if he’s also helped to put Luffy on the path of danger, well, he isn’t entirely to blame no matter how much Garp has always wanted to. He’s saved Coby now, too, and who knows how many other marines and is going to be bearing the consequences of his actions, of Luffy’s actions, far more than Garp will. Roger was so much chaos, a good man but a simple one and prone to selfishness, much, Garp had always admitted, like himself. The tedious games of policy and diplomacy had a tendency to be knocked aside and trampled over when he, or when Roger, or even Luffy for that matter, were involved. Shanks could be like that when he wanted but he could also play the game and play it better than most.
Shanks doesn’t laugh at him like Roger would have; he has the dignity to endure the apology and he lets Garp up with an offer of a drink before the marine can feel more awkward than he already does, before the tears he’s already spilled once on his trip threaten to spill over. They share a drink and memories of Roger and Shanks asks after Coby with the cordiality that reinforces yet again that he’s a different sort of pirate. Beckman is silent through all this, smoking and watching and different himself from Rayleigh. Garp thanks him too, for stepping in between Borsalino and his grandson and gets a nod in response.
When the sake’s gone, he stands up and smiles. Leaves with a warning to watch their backs with a grin on his face and Shanks’ laughter ringing in his ears. He doesn’t look back and sets his course via the first of several eternal posts. The last trip will be the longest, the hardest of all. He’s finally going home.
Rating: PG
Pairing: gen but Shanks/Ben
Word Count: 774
A/N: Spoilers through the start of the time skip, angst, very much stream-of-consciousness writing with bad grammar and no edits
There’re three trips he has to make now that his resignation’s on the desk and his new role has yet to have a declared base of operations. Sengoku knows where he’s going, doesn’t try to stop him, just gives him some decent coffee for the trip and a case of his favorite cookies. Doesn’t even do that in person; the stuff’s waiting for him on the ship he’s borrowing and it can only come from one place.
He hasn’t sailed alone in a very long time. They’ve progressed a long way from his youth. He was half expecting to row the entire way, is a bit disappointed that all he has to do is blow in the dial a couple of times an hour to keep the paddle wheel turning. It gives him too much time to think and he’s never been much for that, which is probably why he’s got the descendants he does, the burdens he carries.
The island isn’t empty when he arrives but no one comes out to bother him and he’s absurdly grateful. Sake for the old man, who’d gone out with a roar and had had the gall not to take him along. Flowers for the smaller grave, roses and sunflowers and tiger lilies. The roses are for one of the strongest women he’s ever known, the sunflowers are for his greatest rival and his friend. The tiger lilies are for his grandson, for all of his regrets and he adds a touch of the sea as well, salt water dripping down his chin to moisten the green earth.
His next destination is a bit more complicated, based more on scuttlebutt than actual intel. He’s born a grudge against this man for a long time, made all the worse for the debt – now debts – he owes. It’s not even remotely tempered by the reluctant respect. On the contrary, that makes it worse, and he curses the fact that this Emperor is the most elusive of all. It doesn’t help matters when he finally comes across the dragon-prowed ship; they let him find it and have had the courtesy to let him come to them rather than appearing out of nowhere on top of him.
The ship’s mostly empty, another courtesy, the majority of the crew busy on the island. Just seven of them, the core, and five of them leave as soon as he’s aboard, ghosting away and leaving him with just the captain and his second. He’s reminded of Roger again, but not overwhelmingly so. Shanks is a different pirate, a slightly different sort of man, and it’s in the back of his mind that that’s a good thing as well as he drops to his knees and puts his head on the deck.
This man has saved his grandson twice now and if he’s also helped to put Luffy on the path of danger, well, he isn’t entirely to blame no matter how much Garp has always wanted to. He’s saved Coby now, too, and who knows how many other marines and is going to be bearing the consequences of his actions, of Luffy’s actions, far more than Garp will. Roger was so much chaos, a good man but a simple one and prone to selfishness, much, Garp had always admitted, like himself. The tedious games of policy and diplomacy had a tendency to be knocked aside and trampled over when he, or when Roger, or even Luffy for that matter, were involved. Shanks could be like that when he wanted but he could also play the game and play it better than most.
Shanks doesn’t laugh at him like Roger would have; he has the dignity to endure the apology and he lets Garp up with an offer of a drink before the marine can feel more awkward than he already does, before the tears he’s already spilled once on his trip threaten to spill over. They share a drink and memories of Roger and Shanks asks after Coby with the cordiality that reinforces yet again that he’s a different sort of pirate. Beckman is silent through all this, smoking and watching and different himself from Rayleigh. Garp thanks him too, for stepping in between Borsalino and his grandson and gets a nod in response.
When the sake’s gone, he stands up and smiles. Leaves with a warning to watch their backs with a grin on his face and Shanks’ laughter ringing in his ears. He doesn’t look back and sets his course via the first of several eternal posts. The last trip will be the longest, the hardest of all. He’s finally going home.
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no subject
Date: 2011-09-14 03:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-15 10:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-16 05:07 am (UTC)With this one, it really is more important to get the feel of it across, because really it's all about emotion and reflection and how Garp and Shanks (et al) react to each other.
In short - I think it's lovely, so there. ;)