Bubbles

[printfogey.livejournal.com]

Title: Bubbles
Rating: G
Media: fic
Characters: Caimie, Shakky, Hachi
Word Count(if applicable): 300
Prompt: Rainbow
Spoilers/setting: Set almost any time between chapter 514 and, uh, chapter 593, I think it was. Light spoiler for (possibly) Chapter 593.
(I wasn't able to include Pappagg: assume he's taking a nap or playing a little tune or is super-absorbed with his clothes designing.;))


When the rain had stopped, the three of them went back out to the lawn of the Thousand Sunny, looking over the railing at the grove.

"Ah, this place..." said Shakky, blowing out smoke thoughtfully. "So pretty on the outside, so rotten and ugly underneath."

Hacchin didn't exactly disagree with her. Looking uncomfortable, he scratched his head and mumbled that nyuu, he kinda figured the biggest problem was the World Nobles. If only they weren't on the Archipelago, then maybe the decent people living there could try to change things for the better.

But Caimie didn't want to talk about that kind of thing - didn't want to think about explosive collars and auction houses and why you shouldn't ride the Ferris wheel when your skirt might fly up so people could see your tail. She didn't want to think of Hacchin getting shot, nor of full-force Marine assaults and the scattering of her friends and rescuers.

She knew she was only a silly mermaid with silly dreams who might never be able to repay her debt.

But she also thought to herself, 'It's not all rotten. It's not. Riding the wheel is dangerous - but that's not the Ferris wheel's fault.'

Instead of listening to the other two, she flopped herself up to the railing and watched the bubbles in the grove, under the clear sky. And there, she saw the rainbow reflected in hundreds of little globes, glittering in the sunlight. All rising up from the mossy ground to slowly tumble in the air, shimmering with light and colours; until they rose higher than the ship, and popped. The air was fresh and cool, and the mangrove trees smelled so good.

She watched in silence, but with a small smile on her face. You couldn't capture a rainbow.

Comments

[dethorats]

Oh, now this. This was so lovely and so very Caimie, at least how she comes across to me. And it's an apt description of Shabaody and of One Piece itself in some ways. I really enjoyed this!

[printfogey.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Very glad you felt this was IC for Caimie. Sabaody's not her home and it will probably be a long time before mermaids and fishmen can feel safe and welcome there, alas - but I still thought she wouldn't want to condemn all of it.