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[hasklutz]

[ closed text: trafalgar law. A lot of the contents of the pamphlet and device tutorials go over Corazon's head, if he's honest. It's hard to go from dying to not-quite, to completely lose his bearings in the blink of an eye (that felt much longer). Concentration gets more difficult. Long story short, Corazon is pretty much fumbling around blindly when he happens across the name. Law's name. He'd like to say he doesn't blindly trust to hope, but he is... really, desperately hoping when he sends the message. ]

Are you who you say you are?

[ nailed it. How could this possibly be a bad idea. In a day or so he will probably realize exactly why it could be a bad idea, but still. ]

--

[ Following that personal matter, he also opts to poke around on this network. It's simply what's done. At least that's what it looks like to him. In any case, a little bit of casual investigation never hurt. So follows an open post; ]

This is already more peaceful than the last island I was on. But I don't think it was hard to beat at the time.

Do you have any advice for a newcomer that the booklet doesn't cover? I would be interested in hearing it.

[ Users will find that (ICly) the replies they get from this poster are relatively staggered in timing. Corazon can be absentminded on a good day, but today is especially rough. ]

Comments

[om_nom_namur]

Nah shits pretty chill here all told

Just find yur frends and have a good time lol

[hasklutz]

I should be able to work with that. It's been a while since I took a break from anything.

But... what's "lol"?

[om_nom_namur]

Laffing out loud

Like when you go haha or snicker or soemthing irl

Hard worker huh?

[hasklutz]

Ah. That's so convenient! I wouldn't have thought of it. And "irl"?

You could say that. I've had specific goals to focus on for the past few years. I haven't minded, though. It's been for a good cause.

[om_nom_namur]

In real life

Means like not in text cuz u mite put lol but not acshully be loling irl even if its funny

Do gooder huh?

Whats ur cause?

CRASHES IN HERE

[getaroom]

[Law had been exploring.

Perhaps exploring wasn't quite the right word. Searching, maybe, but even that was too optimistic. Hoping was more apt because really that was all he was doing. That and trying not to expect anything. After all, if Ace was here -- Ace who has been dead for two years from Law's point in time -- then who knows who else could show up?

It was silly, it was childish, it was many things that Law would claim he was not, but nonetheless here he was. Exploring, searching, hoping that maybe, just maybe, someone would be here. Someone he knew. Someone long gone.

Foolish. The idea that it could happen was absolutely foolish. He had no reason to expect it. No reason to even dare to hope for it, yet... yet he's still out here when he has no reason to be. Still looking despite it all.

When he feels his phone buzz in his pocket he has no reason to think it could be anyone other than someone he's met here. As he takes it out and turns the device on there isn't the slightest bit of expectation. But when he sees that name, sees his name on his screen he swears that, for only the briefest of moments -- just long enough to feel, just long enough for it to be the slightest bit painful, his heart stops.

"Are you who you say you are?"

He reads the words once, twice, and then again out loud as if he couldn't believe they were there.

He blinks.

The name is still there. The words are, too.

His fingers move faster than he thought they ever could as he types back a message and for the first time allows himself to believe it could be possible.]

Yes, are you?

[soru]

If the technology levels in your world aren't on level with what's present here, Fayren is a good place to go to orient yourself.

[hasklutz]

So abbreviations are an important part of this communications method. I'll have to remember that in the future. itf? I don't see how it can work without explaining it to someone, though.

[ I have literally never been so embarrassed by my own character so quickly. ]

I can't trust a stranger on an open transmission as far as details go. But I did save someone's life.

[ That's pretty much the only part he feels completely okay with. The rest is a little more huge-failure than he'd like to think about right now. ]

[hasklutz]

[ That... both makes his chest tighten and puts a quiet smile on his face. Sure, any intelligent person can't trust the word of a faceless note in an unknown place. Even if this is a trap, though, he's tired enough to be glad for the chance to believe it. His response is a little slow in coming, but Corazon is pretty singularly focused on making it happen. ]

I am. I hope this means we're a long way from Minion.

Are you safe? Do you need me to find you?

[getaroom]

[It feels like hours waiting for that reply and while he waits he keeps moving, keeps looking, and heads towards the pods he came out of himself.

He's quick to respond and with every word he types his heart crawls a bit further up his throat. He wants this to be real. More than anything he wants this to be real.]

Very far. I can explain later.

Don't worry about me, I'l come to you. Are you still by the pods?

[youfool]

Advice, heh? Well, keep things varied and make sure you stay interested and engaged. Bring yourself to the kind of spiritual state where the word "goodbye"--how I hate saying it even to warn--never crosses your lips.

Don't open any subarchways either, and don't go to them unless you have to.

That said, welcome! What's your name, and what does it mean?

[hasklutz]

Fayren. I might take that advice. The technology is interesting, but this is no den den mushi. Sometimes it's better to find something familiar.

[soru]

You're from the blues as well. I suppose I ought to welcome you.

[ relief? concern? more like sympathy. what a nice limbo you've found yourself in, big guy ]

[text]

[justicereigns]

Depends on where you're from and what you like to do.

Mind if I ask what island you were last on?

You can find ocean in Fayren, if you're missing it.

Otherwise, each city acts like an island itself. With its own culture and development, I mean.

- S

[om_nom_namur]

Got it

So wats ur name?

[hasklutz]

[ "Don't worry about me" is such a terrible answer, which means it's about what he reasonably expected. Stubborn.

If he's coming, he's coming. If he's safe, he's safe. Corazon still worries, because it's preferable to thinking about almost anything else that was happening before this.

And he supposes pod is as good a word as any for what he had to lever himself out of. Corazon glances back in its direction briefly, in case he missed some sort of attached sign. There seems to be none to find. ]

Yes. I haven't gone far.

[ He wonders if he has time to find a way to clean himself up, though. ]

[getaroom]

I'll be there in a few minutes. Don't go anywhere.

[With that Law puts the phone back in his pocket and starts walking again. It's not long before his feet seem to move of their own volition -- picking up speed until he's in a full-fledged run. He runs and thinks and wonders how this could be possible, but he has to stop himself. He tramples down that hope, but it keeps bubbling to the surface again and again no matter how many times he tries. He knows he has to stop. He knows he can't hope. He can't think it's possible, not really, not yet, because how can he even be sure that it's real? He can't. Not until he sees him. Not until he hears his voice.

But what if it is real?

What will he say? What will he do? And what about Corazon? Will he be able recognize him? Law was only a child when he died and it's been 13 years since then. What will he think of him? What will he ask?

Will... will Corazon be proud of him?

There's so much he wants to tell him. So much he wants to say.

No, stop. He has to stop. He can't think of the whats, or hows, or ifs. He still can't be sure this isn't a trick.

It takes him five minutes to reach the pods. Five minutes of worrying and wondering and silently yelling at himself to stop it. Five minutes of his stomach in knots and his heart trying to escape his chest. Five minutes and he's there and before he even really reaches the pods he can see him and something painful catches in his chest and he doesn't care. He just keeps moving and marveling and stopping himself from throwing up because his stomach is doing fucking somersaults and please let this be real, but who else would have that stupid feather coat?

Law stops a few feet from him, his breathing heavy and stinging his lungs with every pull of air, but it's not from running. He swallows the growing lump in his throat, silences the noise in his head, stares and takes in every aspect of the man in front of him, and looks up (And up and up and up. He'd almost forgotten how tall he was.), and quietly breathes his name:]

Cora-san.

[hasklutz]

Call me Corazon. What do I call you?

[text]

[hasklutz]

I'm used to ocean and islands. Fayren already sounds like one of the better suggestions.

I was on an island called Minion. Nothing worth seeing there, of course. It's a ghost town.

[hasklutz]

That might be good advice no matter where someone travels. Except for the subarchways. Is there a reason it's better to avoid them?

Call me Corazon. It means "heart". Can I ask for yours?

[hasklutz]

You suppose, eh? Is that because it's dangerous, or because you don't like unexpected traveling?

[text]

[justicereigns]

[Damn... he has no idea where that is :T]

[Outside of the East Blue, Grand Line, and New World, he only knows a few of the other Blues, and there's whole worlds to account for so...]

Can't say I'm familiar with it. I grew up on an island called Loguetown though, so at least cities are never too foreign to me.

If it's a ghost town, how was it violent?

[soru]

A bit of both. This isn't a very restful vacation spot if you've already prior duties.

[om_nom_namur]

WAIT

U no what im talking about when i say shit like
West blue
Grand line
New world

??????

text

[lazyjustice]

Advice? Well... Learn to relax, but stay on guard. It's an easy place here but there are unexpected dangers from time to time. Trust the people that are with you but be aware of pirates, thieves and powerful beings who would like nothing better than to harm you.


[ ...that might be a bit more contradictory than he was intending.]