I left when I was sixteen – that’s usually when the other girls got married off or found employment, and I wanted to go to sea. [He drops “the other girls” in there casually, half-wondering if Hawk’s figured it out or if he’ll need to break out the diagram like he almost did with Tim.] And then I got kidnapped by pirates for two years, so that sort of derailed that plan. I see. That’s nice, to be understood. Especially with what I’ve heard about your world.
I have no idea what Pittsburgh or baseball means, I’m sorry.
He is. And I am. And it’s just as complex as you’d imagine, trying to figure all that out.
I don’t know. Get stronger, be a little less pathetic, that’d be nice. I haven’t been slacking on training, at least, but it’s hard on land. Lot of running laps, mostly.
It’s more that I envy how sure he is, at least about all that. He’s positive there’s some larger purpose that’ll happen regardless of what us limited mortals can do, that there’s someone watching out for him no matter what happens. I don’t think I’ve ever believed in anything like that. I’ve always known I was in it alone.
[hawk is good at reading many things, and the semantics in language and careful word choice is certainly one of them.]
The other girls. Were they your - friends? Or did they allow boys and girls together?
[there's something there, hawk just can't quite tell what yet.]
Ah. Well - let me put it together then. You probably don't think too highly of pirates if you were kidnapped by them. But Luffy is different, so now you're torn between duty and upholding ideals versus challenging the status quo.
How'd I do?
...No baseball? Christ, what do you kids even do for fun over there?
Well, there's always asking the library if they can get you a boat. No guarantee they won't give you a handheld version though. Could always try the pool, too. If the marines are anything like the army, it's not just about physical strength. It's about taking orders, upholding honor and duty to your country, and having courage. And trust me, it doesn't apply to everyone the same way.
[rather than say anything derogatory about the absurdity that is a higher power, hawk instead chooses to address the last part, which hits a lot closer than he'd expected.]
Yeah. Well, you and I have that part in common. That's one of the reasons I know flat-out you aren't pathetic.
Not precisely. I grew up in a girl’s orphanage. [Allowing a pause for that to settle in, to see if Hawk catches on or if he needs a diagram drawn like some people (coughTimcough).]
You’re not entirely off the mark, I guess. [Translation: Hawk is absolutely spot-on with that assessment and Koby’s a little shook by it.] The Straw Hats – Luffy and his crew – have a way of challenging people’s ideas about what being a pirate means. It’s sort of their thing.
I used to fish, for fun. Most kids run around pretending to be pirates or Marines or learning a trade, in the villages. If they survive long enough.
I guess I could try and patch up the boat, at least. Shouldn’t be too tricky. I’ve patched lifeboats before.
We have that in common? Really? That’s Sort of surprising.
A girl's orphanage. Except...you weren't a girl. Or at least, you didn't feel like one in the face of everyone telling you that's what you were, did you?
[the cozy corner is no stranger to that kind of person. maybe frankie isn't one of them: dressing in drag, all pretty garters and lace and cosmetics as vibrant as any young lady out on the town, but taking it off at the end of the day - going home a confident man in the arms of one of his best friends. but he's seen a few - men and women alike who don't fit the mold of traditional masculinity or femininity. who feel trapped in the confines of their own body and societal expectations. when he stops to think about it, it sounds worse than even dealing with fucking m-unit. at least he's only hiding who he sleeps with. having to hide everything that made him himself just to survive? sounds fucking miserable.]
When did you know...who you really were?
[part of him wishes this were face to face, so the lack of judgment and the softness in his question were easier to read.]
Sounds rough out there. So maybe this Luffy shaking things up is what everyone needed.
I'll bet they can get you a real one. They seem to be offended by the concept of manual labor, though.
The only person I trust is myself. There have been times where it's lonely - but it beats getting burned.
[There’s always that beat of anxiety, of waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the response to turn from surprise to disgust, no matter who he’s talking to – but Hawk takes it in stride, and honesty Koby almost prefers the cut and dried explanation, letting out a soft sigh of relief.]
More or less, yeah. I looked like one – an awkward, weird-looking, ugly little one, but still enough to blend in, and I did my best to act like one, it just all felt Bad. I can’t remember a time when it DIDN’T feel bad, but for a long time I thought that was just me. That I was built wrong or something.
The first time I KNEW, though was maybe Eight, nine? It was a Marine-funded girl’s home, and occasionally some officers stopped by to deliver supplies. It was good PR, looking back, but at the time I thought we were just special. And there was this one officer who was always nice to me, and I wanted to be EXACTLY like him. Like, not just be a Marine -- there were women Marines, of course, it wasn't about that. It was just The way he acted and the way he looked and the way he moved through the world. I wanted to be that. Maybe then's when I knew.
[The comment about Luffy gets a snort of amusement.] Don’t let him hear you say that. He’ll corral you in as an ally to his campaign to become Pirate King.
I guess. I mean, you could argue it’s better, but It’s not the worst thing in the world, trusting people. A few people. I trust you, enough to tell you all this.
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no subject
I see. That’s nice, to be understood. Especially with what I’ve heard about your world.
I have no idea what Pittsburgh or baseball means, I’m sorry.
He is. And I am. And it’s just as complex as you’d imagine, trying to figure all that out.
I don’t know. Get stronger, be a little less pathetic, that’d be nice. I haven’t been slacking on training, at least, but it’s hard on land. Lot of running laps, mostly.
It’s more that I envy how sure he is, at least about all that. He’s positive there’s some larger purpose that’ll happen regardless of what us limited mortals can do, that there’s someone watching out for him no matter what happens.
I don’t think I’ve ever believed in anything like that. I’ve always known I was in it alone.
no subject
The other girls. Were they your - friends? Or did they allow boys and girls together?
[there's something there, hawk just can't quite tell what yet.]
Ah. Well - let me put it together then. You probably don't think too highly of pirates if you were kidnapped by them. But Luffy is different, so now you're torn between duty and upholding ideals versus challenging the status quo.
How'd I do?
...No baseball? Christ, what do you kids even do for fun over there?
Well, there's always asking the library if they can get you a boat. No guarantee they won't give you a handheld version though. Could always try the pool, too. If the marines are anything like the army, it's not just about physical strength. It's about taking orders, upholding honor and duty to your country, and having courage. And trust me, it doesn't apply to everyone the same way.
[rather than say anything derogatory about the absurdity that is a higher power, hawk instead chooses to address the last part, which hits a lot closer than he'd expected.]
Yeah. Well, you and I have that part in common. That's one of the reasons I know flat-out you aren't pathetic.
no subject
You’re not entirely off the mark, I guess. [Translation: Hawk is absolutely spot-on with that assessment and Koby’s a little shook by it.] The Straw Hats – Luffy and his crew – have a way of challenging people’s ideas about what being a pirate means. It’s sort of their thing.
I used to fish, for fun. Most kids run around pretending to be pirates or Marines or learning a trade, in the villages. If they survive long enough.
I guess I could try and patch up the boat, at least. Shouldn’t be too tricky. I’ve patched lifeboats before.
We have that in common? Really? That’s
Sort of surprising.
no subject
[the cozy corner is no stranger to that kind of person. maybe frankie isn't one of them: dressing in drag, all pretty garters and lace and cosmetics as vibrant as any young lady out on the town, but taking it off at the end of the day - going home a confident man in the arms of one of his best friends. but he's seen a few - men and women alike who don't fit the mold of traditional masculinity or femininity. who feel trapped in the confines of their own body and societal expectations. when he stops to think about it, it sounds worse than even dealing with fucking m-unit. at least he's only hiding who he sleeps with. having to hide everything that made him himself just to survive? sounds fucking miserable.]
When did you know...who you really were?
[part of him wishes this were face to face, so the lack of judgment and the softness in his question were easier to read.]
Sounds rough out there. So maybe this Luffy shaking things up is what everyone needed.
I'll bet they can get you a real one. They seem to be offended by the concept of manual labor, though.
The only person I trust is myself. There have been times where it's lonely - but it beats getting burned.
no subject
More or less, yeah. I looked like one – an awkward, weird-looking, ugly little one, but still enough to blend in, and I did my best to act like one, it just all felt
Bad.
I can’t remember a time when it DIDN’T feel bad, but for a long time I thought that was just me. That I was built wrong or something.
The first time I KNEW, though was maybe
Eight, nine? It was a Marine-funded girl’s home, and occasionally some officers stopped by to deliver supplies. It was good PR, looking back, but at the time I thought we were just special.
And there was this one officer who was always nice to me, and I wanted to be EXACTLY like him. Like, not just be a Marine -- there were women Marines, of course, it wasn't about that. It was just
The way he acted and the way he looked and the way he moved through the world. I wanted to be that.
Maybe then's when I knew.
[The comment about Luffy gets a snort of amusement.] Don’t let him hear you say that. He’ll corral you in as an ally to his campaign to become Pirate King.
I guess. I mean, you could argue it’s better, but
It’s not the worst thing in the world, trusting people. A few people.
I trust you, enough to tell you all this.