fic post: Negative

[printfogey.livejournal.com]

Sorry for this one. Beware of wangst.

Title: Negative
Medium: Fic
Word Count: 297
Rating: G
Prompt: Misinterpretation
Character: Usopp
Spoilers/setting/summary: A sad what-if AU of chapter 438 (end of Water 7/Enies Lobby).

He shouted and ran and shouted more, but the ship didn't turn back, didn't even slow down, and none of those on board even turned their heads to show they were listening.

At last he ran out of ground to run on and just stood there panting at the very edge of the city, staring in disbelief. A small part of his mind pointed out that there seemed to be some kind of Marine attack going on so it might be hard to attend to him, but he shrugged that off. He knew stuff like that wouldn't really hold them back if they wanted to.

And nothing he shouted helped. They were leaving.

"So. so is that how it, you jerks?!" he burst out. "You're just going to end it like this? Without even a word?"

Then two much stronger voices than the Marine-observing one welled up inside him. One said, Yes, because you said you'd leave. You even fought Luffy in a duel. And now you're going back on your word without even trying to apologise. Just now, you were trying to pretend it was all a joke! That's not right and you know it. But that voice was overwhelmed, was drowned out in those few critical seconds by one much older.

Because you're not strong enough, that voice said. You're not good enough. You're not worth waiting for or turning back for.

Panic pulled at him now to shout again, shout the right words, as did that deeper sense of honour and belonging... But the older voice paralysed him. It seemed so true, he could see it for himself. It was hopeless.

And if he still made the right choice in the end, nobody could hear it among the cannons. The ship had already sailed too far for that, by then.

Comments

[night-mare-chan.livejournal.com]

Aww, that's sad. Poor Usopp. :( I think this really touches on his insecurities quite well -- and makes me even more glad that it actually worked out for him. All in all, nice little ficlet but a sad little one. T-T

[printfogey.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It is pretty sad, yeah. I keep thinking it could so easily have gone this way, but I could well be all wrong... though misinterpretations do so often. But yes, all the better that this is not actually how it turned out!

[shindahotaru.livejournal.com]

Wow. This really sums up the angst and emotions in general that literally bounce off Usopp in that very moment in canon, this drabble could easily be just a summary of that scene (minus the ending). It's very in-character and well, just the way Usopp would get lost in his pool of thoughts.

Reading this made me very sad and it hurt a little to imagine what would have happened, what actually could have happened. You really pointed out the inner turmoil of him, the complexity of his thoughts in such intense moments. Thank you very much for this wonderful characterization of him. <3

[printfogey.livejournal.com]

Thanks awfully. This is stuff I've been thinking of for a long while. Of course this is just my interpretation [heh], but the way I see it, it could very well have been touch and go how things turned out. I'm very glad canon Usopp was able to listen to the right inner voice in time!

[shindahotaru.livejournal.com]

Me too! I'd like OP less without Usopp and I would've been really REALLY mad at Oda if he would've made him leave.