More Winter Drabbling for Dual Captains
Dec. 12th, 2008 03:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dethoratsTitle: Edge of the World
Rating: G
Pairing: Luffy + Usopp
Word Count: 640
The drop was endless, a slope of white so steep he couldn’t see the bottom. Flurries of snow danced on the chill, whistling wind, further obscuring the full expanse of the descent. It was probably a mercy. He didn’t want to stare death in the face. He’d already done it numerous times and it was never pretty. Death had foul breath and sharp teeth and rending claws and he had been very fortunate this far to stay away. But this time there didn’t seem to be much choice. Behind him, death’s occasional servant bounced up and down on sandaled feet, bare legs sinking nearly up to knees that should have been knocking together for warmth in snow. The only concessions his doom made to the weather was a puffy red coat and a pair of fuzzy green mittens that barely muffled the concussive bursts of air made when hands clapped rhythmically together.
Humming intermixed with puffs of laughter carried on the swirling, icy wind and he bit his lip. A shout would not save him now, could bring an avalanche down to bury his broken body instead. The chariot that was to be the vehicle of his frightened soul slid smoothly over the frozen white surface, a sushing sound hissing just on the edge of his hearing. He spared a final glance over the precipice and wrapped his arms around himself in a futile attempt at warmth and courage. Something fuzzy wormed in between the sheltering warmth of his scarf and his cheek and patted gently at his skin. It was time to face his destiny.
“Shishishishi.”
The man who so often led him into danger grinned brightly and patted the smooth wooden board on which his ill-clad body sat. There was just enough room for another, an anchor on the death machine, and he slowly plodded over and sat down. Rubber arms stretched out, found a grip on two thick, dark evergreens that stood as sentinels over the drop. He wrapped his own limbs around the softly thick red waist and buried his head beneath a rough fringe of straw. It was just too much to ask him to look. A loud and cheerful cry rang up towards the steely snow-laden clouds and they were off, faster than a cannonball, faster than a rocket.
Hurtling forward, the sled hit the edge of the drop and went airborne for a heartbeat, then another. His arms squeezed tighter and he barely noticed as another mittened hand found his and settled over them. Laughter was whipped past his ears by the wind and his cheeks stung from the cold and speed. His stomach dropped out and his head seemed to be spinning behind his tightly clenched eyes and it was never going to end. They would fall forever, going faster and growing colder and maybe they’d freeze to death before they found the bottom and then shatter into a million shards in the end. There was a lurch and a spray of snow and suddenly gravity returned.
Something patted his hands and he cracked open an eyelid, peeked out at the world. The trees were still and so was his body and he was still alive. He was STILL ALIVE! He let go of his lifeline and leapt to his feet, spinning around to stare back up the hill. A parallel track ran for about two hundred yards straight as an arrow with no sign of rocks or broken tree limbs or danger. Smooth sailing and he’d survived!
“Let’s go again!” Luffy shouted scooping up the handle to the sled in one hand and snapping another one back towards the top of the hill.
And Usopp even had time to grin and agree, privately vowing to watch this time, before he was swept up and sent hurtling headlong into a snow bank.
Rating: G
Pairing: Luffy + Usopp
Word Count: 640
The drop was endless, a slope of white so steep he couldn’t see the bottom. Flurries of snow danced on the chill, whistling wind, further obscuring the full expanse of the descent. It was probably a mercy. He didn’t want to stare death in the face. He’d already done it numerous times and it was never pretty. Death had foul breath and sharp teeth and rending claws and he had been very fortunate this far to stay away. But this time there didn’t seem to be much choice. Behind him, death’s occasional servant bounced up and down on sandaled feet, bare legs sinking nearly up to knees that should have been knocking together for warmth in snow. The only concessions his doom made to the weather was a puffy red coat and a pair of fuzzy green mittens that barely muffled the concussive bursts of air made when hands clapped rhythmically together.
Humming intermixed with puffs of laughter carried on the swirling, icy wind and he bit his lip. A shout would not save him now, could bring an avalanche down to bury his broken body instead. The chariot that was to be the vehicle of his frightened soul slid smoothly over the frozen white surface, a sushing sound hissing just on the edge of his hearing. He spared a final glance over the precipice and wrapped his arms around himself in a futile attempt at warmth and courage. Something fuzzy wormed in between the sheltering warmth of his scarf and his cheek and patted gently at his skin. It was time to face his destiny.
“Shishishishi.”
The man who so often led him into danger grinned brightly and patted the smooth wooden board on which his ill-clad body sat. There was just enough room for another, an anchor on the death machine, and he slowly plodded over and sat down. Rubber arms stretched out, found a grip on two thick, dark evergreens that stood as sentinels over the drop. He wrapped his own limbs around the softly thick red waist and buried his head beneath a rough fringe of straw. It was just too much to ask him to look. A loud and cheerful cry rang up towards the steely snow-laden clouds and they were off, faster than a cannonball, faster than a rocket.
Hurtling forward, the sled hit the edge of the drop and went airborne for a heartbeat, then another. His arms squeezed tighter and he barely noticed as another mittened hand found his and settled over them. Laughter was whipped past his ears by the wind and his cheeks stung from the cold and speed. His stomach dropped out and his head seemed to be spinning behind his tightly clenched eyes and it was never going to end. They would fall forever, going faster and growing colder and maybe they’d freeze to death before they found the bottom and then shatter into a million shards in the end. There was a lurch and a spray of snow and suddenly gravity returned.
Something patted his hands and he cracked open an eyelid, peeked out at the world. The trees were still and so was his body and he was still alive. He was STILL ALIVE! He let go of his lifeline and leapt to his feet, spinning around to stare back up the hill. A parallel track ran for about two hundred yards straight as an arrow with no sign of rocks or broken tree limbs or danger. Smooth sailing and he’d survived!
“Let’s go again!” Luffy shouted scooping up the handle to the sled in one hand and snapping another one back towards the top of the hill.
And Usopp even had time to grin and agree, privately vowing to watch this time, before he was swept up and sent hurtling headlong into a snow bank.
