[ It may seem like bragging, but Luffy sees it as telling it like it is. Though he's rubber, he's worked hard to be strong. Carrying all these books isn't a big deal for him. ]
Okay! Lead the way. I'm Luffy, the man who will be king of the pirates!
[If Luffy wants to eat up the compliments, Xingqiu won't hesitate to keep them coming. Especially since he's the one being helped with the books. Although...he does reach for one of them to start reading while they walk. It may be a LITTLE unsafe, but he's able to multitask just fine.]
King of pirates? That sounds like a good book. [Sorry, he's already only half paying attention.]
[ Luffy is easily distractable. He doesn't really get reading; that's too much effort. Stories are cool, but reading them is slow going. But obviously Xingqiu likes to read, since he's going to walk while reading? ]
Don't walk into a pole!
[ That's all he really has on that. ]
Huh? No, it's not a book. I'm really gonna be the king of the pirates!
[ He gets a little bit louder when he's enthusiastic. ]
[Xingqiu would argue with that stance so vehemently it's almost good that Luffy doesn't say it out loud! Almost.]
I-- oh. [Good looking out, Luffy. He hops out of the way and continues on, lowering his book for just a moment to verify that there aren't any more poles in his path before he tries his look at reading again. He's really living on the edge right now.]
[ Luffy watches Xingqiu avoid the pole and go right back to reading. He just kind of stares. Wow, those are pretty good navigation skills with just a warning, right? What a weird nerdy guy.
He keeps up, though. Since he doesn't really know where they're going, he's relying on Xingqiu to lead the way.
He tilts his head to the side like he does when he's really considering something. That's a new question. He's used to people just assuming all pirates are bad. Sure, they're technically criminals, but Luffy doesn't think pirates are inherently bad, obviously. He doesn't see himself as nearly as good as he actually is, but... ]
I'm a great pirate!
[ He finally decides and declares it. ]
If I was a bad pirate I wouldn't deserve to be king. By the time I get there, I'm gonna earn it!
[This isn't his first rodeo. In fact, most of his time that he's not spending training is Xingqiu trying to figure out ways to sneak in an extra page of whatever book he happens to be reading.
This one in particular is about synchrony, manna, and how it all works. Very fascinating stuff. It's a lot of science jargon and dry explanations--nothing steamy at all or he'd be a little more shy about reading in public.]
Do you steal from bad people or good people? [Xingqiu has a feeling it's not the latter or he wouldn't be so kind as to help him out right now, but he wants to know if he's going to have to lecture Luffy or if it'll be fine. And would you believe he actually lowers his book for a second to look at his new friend.]
Do you want to be king, or is your family insisting? [He's totally projecting.]
[ Nami is a thief, of course, and Luffy himself doesn't really give a shit about stealing but he's not usually actively stealing himself. ]
I like adventure! And fighting people. We're gonna sail all the way around the world. And when we do, we'll only be the second crew to have done it. That's why I get to be the Pirate King, because the first king did all that stuff too!
[ His understanding of all of it is laughably simplistic, but it's all the same to Luffy. It's about the journey and the title, not any of the other things he doesn't want that go with it, like responsibility and a fleet and all of it.
He laughs at the second question. ]
My family? Hell no. My grandpa is a dumb Marine. He never wanted me to be a pirate. But it's all I wanna be.
What do you do at home?
[ What do people who like books DO? He has no idea and might not even listen to the explanation. But at least he asks. ]
[Some pirates steal, but Xingqiu keeps that to himself to avoid being rude, but from the sound of it Luffy had aspirations of being a good pirate. Not one that steals and causes others trouble. The temptation to stop listening and raise his book up again is there.]
That must be nice. Making your own path. [He does have more freedom than his eldest brother, but he also ends up doing a lot because he doesn't trust him to carry on the family business on his own. It's more his sense of duty than his parent's insisting.]
I train in martial arts. [Xingqiu almost doesn't mention that his family is one of the wealthiest around where he comes from. It doesn't seem like it would matter so much here that he's an heir, and it doesn't have to define him here.] And help with the family business.
[ It's a very simple idea in Luffy's head. He doesn't have a thought or a care for why that's not possible for everyone. Just because he does whatever he wants doesn't mean there's never been consequences, and doesn't mean everyone can do exactly that. Also, some people are terrible to others, and Luffy has stopped them. He doesn't see any hypocrisy or irony there; he doesn't think like that. ]
Oh! You can fight? NICE!
[ Luffy knows that you can't tell how good a fighter someone is by looking at them. He himself is proof of that. ]
Business sounds boring though. What kind of business is it?
[Now that's a stance he can get behind. There are definitely things about piracy that his own moral code wouldn't stand for even if they weren't out and about plundering. While he loves an adventure as much as the next person his age, it's best left to enjoy through words on a page than in person.]
I can. Not only to defend myself, but more importantly the people around me who are unable to defend themselves.
[Xingqiu would gladly give Luffy a demonstration if he wasn't already focused on getting up to his unit to unlock the door so Luffy can bring the books inside.]
Dreadfully boring. Finance. Trade. Nothing exciting. [He waves a dismissive hand at the question, not wanting to share too much about it because for a change he'd like to just be himself instead of part of his family legacy.]
[ Everything is a good reason to fight for Luffy, really, but he spends a lot of time protecting people who can't protect themselves. He'll swear up and down that he isn't a hero, that he just does what he wants. He does, but he's quick to stand up for people who can't do it for themselves. ]
Wow, that sounds super boring.
[ Because it's boring to Luffy, he won't press for more info. He's already moved on in his head.
Once inside the house, he finds the nearest surface and deposits the books there. He has no reverence for books, so he isn't exactly gentle, but they all end up not on the floor. Close enough, right? ]
Do you just need these books because you like reading?
[He's glad the topic gets dropped, but not so glad when his books get dropped in much the same manner. Xingqiu just stares between his guest and the books before just sighing to walk over and stack them up neatly. They won't stay there forever, but once he reads them all he'll worry about a place to store them. At the moment he lives on his own, so he can just turn the other room into a library.]
Yes, I like reading, but this time it's a bit about understanding where we are and what our purpose is here. How are we contributing to society here--and how does synchrony work? Don't you want to know?
[Don't mind Xingqiu. He has an overly curious mind, and is definitely guilty of the nerd thing. At least he has a couple other hobbies to offset that.]
[ Luffy isn't paying much attention to Xingqiu when the other boy comes to straighten the books. He's too busy looking around the room, taking stock. He's just curious by nature, really, as well as easily distractable.
He turns back at the questions, though. ]
Purpose? We're here to fight!
[ He is absolutely certain of this. But to Luffy, everything is about fighting or eating, pretty much. ]
There's gotta be some reason they gave us these stones with the powers. We gotta beat someone up! I thought it was Malachite because the gem people don't talk about him a lot.
[ No one has corrected Luffy's use of pronouns so he doesn't really think about it. ]
But he's just a kid so I think it's someone else we gotta fight.
[Xingqiu turns away from the books when Luffy declares their purpose is to fight. He's not above fighting for the people of this world, but fight for what? To what end? None of his books have explained that very well.]
I'm not so sure. So far my research has underscored a need for something called synchrony that happens when people touch each other, but I haven't gotten to the part about why yet. You may be on to something!
[The Malachite name has come up before, but it's true that so much about them is unclear.] Where is your gemstone?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[ It may seem like bragging, but Luffy sees it as telling it like it is. Though he's rubber, he's worked hard to be strong. Carrying all these books isn't a big deal for him. ]
Okay! Lead the way. I'm Luffy, the man who will be king of the pirates!
[ Okay, that is bragging. ]
no subject
[If Luffy wants to eat up the compliments, Xingqiu won't hesitate to keep them coming. Especially since he's the one being helped with the books. Although...he does reach for one of them to start reading while they walk. It may be a LITTLE unsafe, but he's able to multitask just fine.]
King of pirates? That sounds like a good book. [Sorry, he's already only half paying attention.]
no subject
Don't walk into a pole!
[ That's all he really has on that. ]
Huh? No, it's not a book. I'm really gonna be the king of the pirates!
[ He gets a little bit louder when he's enthusiastic. ]
no subject
I-- oh. [Good looking out, Luffy. He hops out of the way and continues on, lowering his book for just a moment to verify that there aren't any more poles in his path before he tries his look at reading again. He's really living on the edge right now.]
Hm. Are you a good pirate or a bad pirate?
no subject
He keeps up, though. Since he doesn't really know where they're going, he's relying on Xingqiu to lead the way.
He tilts his head to the side like he does when he's really considering something. That's a new question. He's used to people just assuming all pirates are bad. Sure, they're technically criminals, but Luffy doesn't think pirates are inherently bad, obviously. He doesn't see himself as nearly as good as he actually is, but... ]
I'm a great pirate!
[ He finally decides and declares it. ]
If I was a bad pirate I wouldn't deserve to be king. By the time I get there, I'm gonna earn it!
no subject
This one in particular is about synchrony, manna, and how it all works. Very fascinating stuff. It's a lot of science jargon and dry explanations--nothing steamy at all or he'd be a little more shy about reading in public.]
Do you steal from bad people or good people? [Xingqiu has a feeling it's not the latter or he wouldn't be so kind as to help him out right now, but he wants to know if he's going to have to lecture Luffy or if it'll be fine. And would you believe he actually lowers his book for a second to look at his new friend.]
Do you want to be king, or is your family insisting? [He's totally projecting.]
no subject
[ Nami is a thief, of course, and Luffy himself doesn't really give a shit about stealing but he's not usually actively stealing himself. ]
I like adventure! And fighting people. We're gonna sail all the way around the world. And when we do, we'll only be the second crew to have done it. That's why I get to be the Pirate King, because the first king did all that stuff too!
[ His understanding of all of it is laughably simplistic, but it's all the same to Luffy. It's about the journey and the title, not any of the other things he doesn't want that go with it, like responsibility and a fleet and all of it.
He laughs at the second question. ]
My family? Hell no. My grandpa is a dumb Marine. He never wanted me to be a pirate. But it's all I wanna be.
What do you do at home?
[ What do people who like books DO? He has no idea and might not even listen to the explanation. But at least he asks. ]
no subject
[Some pirates steal, but Xingqiu keeps that to himself to avoid being rude, but from the sound of it Luffy had aspirations of being a good pirate. Not one that steals and causes others trouble. The temptation to stop listening and raise his book up again is there.]
That must be nice. Making your own path. [He does have more freedom than his eldest brother, but he also ends up doing a lot because he doesn't trust him to carry on the family business on his own. It's more his sense of duty than his parent's insisting.]
I train in martial arts. [Xingqiu almost doesn't mention that his family is one of the wealthiest around where he comes from. It doesn't seem like it would matter so much here that he's an heir, and it doesn't have to define him here.] And help with the family business.
no subject
[ It's a very simple idea in Luffy's head. He doesn't have a thought or a care for why that's not possible for everyone. Just because he does whatever he wants doesn't mean there's never been consequences, and doesn't mean everyone can do exactly that. Also, some people are terrible to others, and Luffy has stopped them. He doesn't see any hypocrisy or irony there; he doesn't think like that. ]
Oh! You can fight? NICE!
[ Luffy knows that you can't tell how good a fighter someone is by looking at them. He himself is proof of that. ]
Business sounds boring though. What kind of business is it?
no subject
I can. Not only to defend myself, but more importantly the people around me who are unable to defend themselves.
[Xingqiu would gladly give Luffy a demonstration if he wasn't already focused on getting up to his unit to unlock the door so Luffy can bring the books inside.]
Dreadfully boring. Finance. Trade. Nothing exciting. [He waves a dismissive hand at the question, not wanting to share too much about it because for a change he'd like to just be himself instead of part of his family legacy.]
no subject
[ Everything is a good reason to fight for Luffy, really, but he spends a lot of time protecting people who can't protect themselves. He'll swear up and down that he isn't a hero, that he just does what he wants. He does, but he's quick to stand up for people who can't do it for themselves. ]
Wow, that sounds super boring.
[ Because it's boring to Luffy, he won't press for more info. He's already moved on in his head.
Once inside the house, he finds the nearest surface and deposits the books there. He has no reverence for books, so he isn't exactly gentle, but they all end up not on the floor. Close enough, right? ]
Do you just need these books because you like reading?
[ Sounds sus. ]
Or are you looking for something?
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Yes, I like reading, but this time it's a bit about understanding where we are and what our purpose is here. How are we contributing to society here--and how does synchrony work? Don't you want to know?
[Don't mind Xingqiu. He has an overly curious mind, and is definitely guilty of the nerd thing. At least he has a couple other hobbies to offset that.]
no subject
He turns back at the questions, though. ]
Purpose? We're here to fight!
[ He is absolutely certain of this. But to Luffy, everything is about fighting or eating, pretty much. ]
There's gotta be some reason they gave us these stones with the powers. We gotta beat someone up! I thought it was Malachite because the gem people don't talk about him a lot.
[ No one has corrected Luffy's use of pronouns so he doesn't really think about it. ]
But he's just a kid so I think it's someone else we gotta fight.
no subject
I'm not so sure. So far my research has underscored a need for something called synchrony that happens when people touch each other, but I haven't gotten to the part about why yet. You may be on to something!
[The Malachite name has come up before, but it's true that so much about them is unclear.] Where is your gemstone?