A Softer Meme (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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bakerstreet2024-03-02 11:15 am
asoftermeme) wrote in bakerstreet2024-03-02 11:15 am
Hurt/comfort
the hurt/comfort meme
Hurt/Comfort - Hurt/comfort is a fan fiction genre that involves the
physical pain or emotional distress of one character, who is cared for by
another character. The injury, sickness or other kind of hurt allows an
exploration of the characters and their relationship.
- Post with Character Name | Series in the subject.
- Others respond.
- Roll 1- 22 at RNG for a scene, play it out and have fun!
1. INJURY. You've been injured. Broken bones or bleeding out or maybe just a tiny little papercut. The choice is yours.
2. SICKNESS. You're sick and laid up in bed, at home or in a hospital. The severity is up to you.
3. FEAR/ANXIETY. Something is happening and you're scared beyond belief.
4. LOSS OF SENSES. Sight, touch, taste, hearing, smell, etc. You've lost some important sense or ability and now you're left to deal with it.
5. DESPAIR. Nothing is good or right anymore and you can't shake the depression. Maybe that friend of yours can help though...
6. BREAKUP. You've been dumped. You need someone to comfort you, possibly by the one who dumped you.
7. MAKE UP. Fight or break up, it's time to makeup.
8. RESCUED. You've just been held captive and/or tortured for however long and finally, someone has come to the rescue.
9. BAD ROMANCE. Fight, cheated on, abused, whatever the case is, someone else can clearly see you need comfort from someone who isn't your terrible lover tonight.
10. LOSS. You've experience a loss of some kind and need help getting through it.
11. INSANITY. You're seeing things that aren't really there, hearing voices, or you're just convinced you're at your wit's end finally and you're going to crack. Maybe someone can give you a helping hand.
12. TIRED. You've had a heard life recently and you're just worn too thin to really care anymore. There's no fight left in you anymore. Can someone help change your mind?
13. ADDICTION. Drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, or any other type of addiction has got you in its grasp. First time or relapse. Will someone be able to save you?
14. INSOMNIA. You can't sleep anymore, no matter how hard you try. Maybe someone can give you company.
15. NIGHTMARES. Or, on the other end of the spectrum, you can't sleep without gruesome, horrible nightmares. Either someone is stuck in your dream with you, witnessing it or they're just waking you up, soothing you out of it.
16. BLACKMAIL. You've been caught doing something you shouldn't and you were blackmailed because of it
17. SEPARATION. You're going to be separated for awhile or were separated for a long time. Either make up for lost time or try to spend every last moment together.
18. BETRAYED. You've been betrayed in some way. Can someone help you through it?
19. STRANDED. You've been stranded somewhere remote, with no help of anyone finding you for awhile. Can you survive this together?
20. SINS. You're feeling the weight of your sins and guilt clearer than ever. Can someone give you absolution or lessen the ache any?
21. SECRET. It's difficult having to keep that secret of yours, be it a relationship or something you just don't want to share with anybody else. Maybe it's okay to talk about it now though...
22. ADDITION. Babies should be joyous things unless you're in a situation where you know you won't be able to care for them. Either you've adopted or found out you're pregnant.
23. WILDCARD. Just as it says, make your own!
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[ The Red Hair Pirates were always close knit, so when Shanks can't sleep, it's almost painful to request they give him a bit of space. They respect the request, but they're never far. It's a random inn they've settled at for the evening, and they normally wouldn't be this far down the Grand Line, but it's a special time of year. ]
[ It's been twenty-two years since he last saw Buggy, and ten years since he last saw Luffy. Shanks adores his crew, but sometimes he feels, keenly, like something is missing. This is one such empty night. ]
[ So, of course, fate would ensure he sees a very familiar straw hat in the common room of the inn. Shanks turns right back around and heads to the bar to order a bottle of whiskey, thinking he'll just take it up to his room. Hopefully, Luffy didn't spot him. After all, they have a promise to maintain, and despite what some people think, Shanks takes promises very seriously. Deadly serious, almost. ]
[ It's just as painful as telling his crew to allow him some distance, to turn away from Luffy like that. He has so much he wants to tell him, so much he wants to ask. This time, after all, Luffy has stories of his own to share, and Shanks wants to hear them. But they shouldn't indulge like that, not yet, so he denies himself what he truly wants to keep that promise. ]
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[Shanks is—frankly—shit out of luck, because Luffy's new, very good crew has one notably heavy drinker. Zoro is at the bar ordering his own bottle of whiskey to bring back to the common room when Shanks does a swift 180 to avoid Luffy, and it turns out when your motormouth Captain constantly gushes about one red-haired, one-armed pirate in particular, you're probably going to notice when he just so happens to show up a handful of feet away and order the same drink as you.
Zoro doesn't say anything to Shanks directly, doesn't do more than shoot him one lingering look, but as soon as the swordsman returns to his spot by the fireplace to drink he rats the poor man out.
Unfortunately for Shanks' attempt to allow Luffy some space for their unfulfilled promise, the rubber man doesn't even hesitate. He's had so many dreams and fantasies of what might happen when he sees Shanks again, the impressive treasure and reputation he'd have by then, but it turns out that even the whisper of Shanks being nearby sends a decade's worth of delusions of grandeur flying right out the window. Luffy crashes through the doorway leading to the common room with Zoro's amused huff following behind him, not a care in the world for subtlety.]
Shanks!!! [Wow, that enthusiastic shout is way too loud for indoors, at night. Luffy doesn't even hear the bartender's swift and grouchy reprisal, he's way too busy throwing himself across the distance between the back of the bar and where Shanks is still standing with his unopened bottle of whiskey like someone told him that the last person to tackle-hug his pirate idol doesn't get get lunch OR dinner tomorrow. If Shanks doesn't side-step him and let Luffy crash into the bar instead, he'll have a pair of familiar rubber arms immediately winding around him with the whiskey bottle wedged between them, like a boa constrictor made of pure unfiltered excitement, childhood joy that forgot to grow up.
Except Luffy had honestly been more prideful and stubborn as a clumsy, lonely little kid, and now the taste of freedom and belonging he finally got on the high seas has made him even more exuberant. Regardless of the outcome of his attempt at a greeting hug, Luffy continues unperturbed, his huge smile splitting his face nearly in half:] What are you doing here? [It turns out that he did not spontaneously develop manners during their separation, at least.]
lol, no apologies needed at all - Luffy's so cute ;;
[ He could have, yes, dodged Luffy's lunge, but Luffy would hit the bar, and who knows what alcohol would be compromised. It's less damaging all around to just accept that hug, which he return, the bottle occupying his one hand squished between them. He tries not to miss what he can't change, but at times like this, when Shanks can't even pat Luffy's head, or his back, or put his arm around him in return, he feels a little frustrated. That's kept to himself, though. He'd never say it out loud, on the off chance his words might get back to Luffy and risk affecting Luffy. He also refuses to belittle his sacrifice with regret. ]
[ He cants his head to the bartender. ] As soon as I'm free, I'll pay a bit extra. Reunions can be exuberant. Surely you understand. [ The bartender seems mollified, but still gives Shanks and Luffy a side-eyed glare full of warning. ] Shanks turns back to Luffy, to look down and realize how much he's grown. Luffy's not some little kid anymore. ]
Luffy.... [ He can't help the fondness in his tone, or the softness of his expression. Shanks won't mention he likes the affection, but he can't fully school his face to not show the fact. ]
[ Shanks pauses, only for a second, to Luffy's question, and his smile might falter, be less genuine, when he replies. ] Stretching our sea legs, a bit, Luffy.
[ It's not an answer, but it's also not a lie. Only the core members of the Red Hair Pirates know what time of year it is, and while Shanks won't go all the way to Loguetown, he still goes down the Grand Line and has a rowdy time and drinks with everyone, then they sail back up the Grand Line. He never did go back to East Blue, after all. ]
And yourself? No doubt starting another adventure. [ Best to change the subject, and hope Luffy hasn't gotten better at catching onto his bullshit. It's easier to be honest when it has nothing to do with things Shanks never talks about. ]
ahh thank you!! ♥
Stretching our sea legs is such a cool, pirate-y non-answer that for a moment Luffy is swept up in it, not that it'll last. Luffy may not be the sharpest crayon in the box when it comes to most things, but over the years he's gotten pretty good at reading people. At least the ones he gets fixated on (he tends to be incredibly gullible otherwise), and who is Shanks if not the very first person that Luffy was totally obsessed with? For him, there's before Shanks and then there's after Shanks, and meeting the man, seeing him with his loving, rowdy crew: that changed Luffy's entire world. He'd wanted all of that so bad as a lonely little kid that even after Shanks left it gave him something to strive for, something to look forward to... and now that he's out here following in Shanks' footsteps?
It's everything he'd hoped for, and more.
But all that doesn't mean he misses the way Shanks' smile strains and goes flatter, more forced. He never would have been able to notice it as a child, but he blinks now, eyes searching his face. He looks happy to see him, but still sad. A little worn down.]
Yeah— [Luffy sounds distracted for a moment, before he remembers everything he'd been so excited about just a moment ago, all the thousands of little details he's been shoveling into the tell Shanks about this someday box in his head.] Yeah, we are! I have a ship now. And a crew! And a bounty! [Maybe he shouldn't be so loud and open about that last one in such a public place, but he's just so stoked about it.] Hey, where's the rest of your crew? [He leans back and looks around, like he's noticing for the first time anything in the room (or not in the room, as it were) aside from Shanks. Usopp will probably want to see his dad, he thinks. Well... maybe want isn't the right word for it, Usopp seems to have a lot of complicated feelings on the matter. But if he's got the opportunity now, Luffy's going to help him take it.]
♥
What is your ship called? Where did you get it? Who made it? Maybe you could show me. [ Look, ships are very important, including the builders, and how well you treat the ship. It is, indeed, a member of the crew, so it matters. But also, that opens things up for Shanks to ask a whole bunch of questions. ]
I saw the bounty. Impressive, especially for a first. [ Shanks lowers his voice just a notch when he responds to Luffy, trying to - subtly - encourage Luffy to do the same. ]
My crew is [ Shanks eyes roll up, then he smiles ] around. They're not far. What about yours? Tell me about them. [ More distractions from the evasive answers. Beautiful. Besides, even if Shanks tried to deny himself, at first, and even if he's not aware of it in the moment, just talking to Luffy serves as a balm. His energy, his cheerful kindness, it soothes over some of the unspoken, untouched hurt. Of course, that also allows Shanks to just shove all of his stress, bad memories and pain further down and ignore it longer, too. He's not going to complain, either way. All of that is best left in the past. ]
no subject
It's called the Going Merry! We got the ship from Miss Kaya in Syrup Village, because we beat the hell out of her evil butler. [That island name probably sounds familiar, to Shanks.] We named it after her friend who helped her run her parents' shipyard, since he looked like the figurehead. [It's the other way around, but Luffy has never let silly little things like logic stop him from thinking certain things. (When they approach the nearby docks and the big sheep face of the Going Merry's figurehead floats into view this may all sound like a joke, but Luffy is definitely delivering it with enthusiastic solemnity, and considering how bad he is at lying...)] And because the evil butler killed him while we were there. He used to be a pirate! Uh, the butler. [A pause, like he's considering for the first time:] Maybe Merry too, I don't know! [He laughs, incredibly distracted by Shanks' questions, like he definitely intended.] Curry? Curio? Kubo?? Ah, something like that. He was a cat man! [Luffy is not great with names or titles, when he doesn't like someone.
But that's no matter, because he's quick to move on to the subject of his first bounty, which his crewmates aren't nearly enthusiastic enough about if you ask him.] You saw?? YES! It's the biggest in the East Blue! [He's so self-satisfied about that.] It's weird that I got it for beating up other pirates and not for robbing that Marine Base, though.
[He has clearly been up to Some Shenanigans, in Shanks' absence.] My crew is so cool! Shanks, you have to meet them in the morning. I've told them so much about you!! [And he will happily gush about them all excruciating detail if Shanks doesn't stop him, but for now they've arrived to their destination at the pier! The Going Merry looks beautiful cast in the night's bright moonlight, and very expensive considering the fine oak hardwood comprising not just the ship's structure but even all her paneling, the intricately carved and painted wooden detailing wrapped beneath the ship's railing, even the obvious smooth cleanliness of the lowered sails. It looks far more like a nice little merchant's vessel than a pirate ship, deeply unintimidating from bow to stern, but then Luffy never has been very conventional.]
You gotta see inside too! [Eager to show off, he does finally release Shanks' arm, if only because he then immediately stretches his hands up unnaturally far to grip the railing floating above them and catapults himself to the deck in one smooth snap of his contracting rubber limbs, so he can lower the stairs over the side and offer Shanks a more normal boarding experience.] Come on!
no subject
[ It has been, perhaps, even longer since Shanks has been to Syrup Village. His eyes widen to the village name, but Luffy is saying so much and going so fast, it allows Shanks a chance to not talk about that particular fact. Besides, this is a lot of information in one go. Of all the things he hones in on, it's when Luffy tries to remember Klahadore's pirate name. His eyebrows furrow for a moment. ] Luffy, you mean the Black Cat Pirates? Kuro? He was believed to be dead. [ Sounds like another Marine lie, and Shanks isn't shocked. ]
[ The Going Merry gets an appreciative look from Shanks as he looks up and grins. ] She is beautiful, Luffy.
[ As for the bounty, Shanks gives Luffy a crooked smile and a one-sided shrug. ] That's how they operate sometimes, unfortunately. The Marines, the World Government, they don't always make decisions for the right reasons.
But wait. You robbed a Marine Base?
[ Told his crew about him? Shanks isn't sure what to think of that, beyond being oddly touched. ] I will gladly meet them in the morning.
Of course, I do. [ Shanks cants his head to the boat, only just as Luffy snaps his way up. It is different to see Luffy go from just aiming and punching Makino's furniture, to getting around with his gum-gum powers so confidently. Ten years is a lot of time. ]
[ With a nod his of head, Shanks makes his way up. ]
You going to show me everything? You have a captain's quarters?
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But he's quickly cheered back up by Shanks complimenting his ship. He beams again, chest puffing out a bit.] Yeah! I needed a map to the Grand Line, and I figured they'd have one. And I was right! [That's entirely down to luck, but he's not going to let that keep him from bragging about it! He moves ahead without accosting Shanks' drinking arm this time, making a beeline for the entrance to the rooms beneath the deck, flicking on the fancy row of gas lamps lining the walls so they can see better where the night's bright moonlight doesn't reach.
At Shanks' last question, he looks back.] Huh? No way, there's nothing like that. [There definitely is, and it's the first thing he points at by saying:] This is Nami's room, she's our Navigator. [It's obviously the captain's quarters, with a hanging bed and a writing desk, paintings on the walls and fancy curtains. She'd claimed it with the argument that she couldn't just share a room with four men, though, and Luffy hadn't put up any fight at all. He never wanted a room to be alone in, he wanted to be with the crew.] And here's everyone else's quarters! [This room is much more modest, with half a dozen hanging hammocks (though only four look lived in, with blankets and pillows strewn about them), clothes and gadgets and workout weights piled up in corners and against walls, and peeking out of trunks.
Luffy looks over it all fondly for a moment, before remembering himself and ushering Shanks towards the best place in the whole ship: the galley! There's a table he can sit at to finally enjoy his drink at if he wants.] And here's the kitchen! [He makes a beeline for the fridge on pure instinct. It is getting to be about midnight snack time, after all...] Are you hungry? Sanji usually leaves me snacks. [It's a defensive measure to stop Luffy from consuming all their raw ingredients before they can even be made into meals.] He's our cook!
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[ Throughout all of this, whenever Luffy gives Shanks his hand back, Shanks starts on his whiskey, and he's not slow about it. At least, in this case, it's about the taste and the light buzz through his body rather than a need to drown the things he refuses to talk about. Besides, Luffy seems so happy, and that alone lifts Shanks' spirits. ]
[ He has to stop even attempting to drink to laugh at the fact Luffy robbed a Marine base. ] As long as it all worked out. I imagine if you didn't get a bounty for that, it was because you were more successful than you realize.
[ Shanks studies Nami's room - the obvious captain's quarters - and can't help the big smile on his face. He thinks this is a good thing, especially since she's a woman. He pats Luffy's shoulder. ] You have a very wise Navigator.
[ Not surprising? The fact Luffy doesn't want to be alone. That makes a lot of sense. ]
[ Shanks opens his mouth - hungry? - then smiles as he realizes: ] Yes, a bit. We could share something.
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Even before Shanks answers, Luffy starts grabbing stuff out of the fridge. Look, he is what he is.] Yes, Nami is the best! She's going to draw a map of the whole world, that's her dream. [Is that not the coolest?? Luffy is awfully proud of all of his brand new crew and their dreams, just as excited now as he was when he first heard them for the chance to help make them come true.
He gestures towards the comfortable, cushioned bench sitting behind the hanging table with his chin to indicate where Shanks can sit down while they eat, because his arms are burdened with what looks like a suspiciously large amount of food for a snack. Normally Luffy wouldn't be nearly so eager to share, but it's Shanks, so he has gathered up all the bundled up containers marked with little notes in fancy handwriting warning Luffy to eat these things only and nothing else and proudly plops them down onto the galley's table. Apparently "sharing something" actually entails splitting three full dishes that look impossibly gourmet, considering the pair of scruffy pirates that are about to eat them: there's a banana cream pie decorated with banana slices and hand-whipped cream and dusted lightly with powdered sugar, as well as a whole roasted lamb leg seated on a bed of hasselback garlic, rosemary and thyme potatoes, already in the roasting pan so Luffy could conceivably just toss it in an oven to warm back up but he's perfectly fine inhaling it cold because he's a little heathen. Finally, there are a couple giant fish steaks left from Zoro's massive catch during the day (Sanji must have held them back, because Luffy distinctly remembers snagging the last piece of fish from the serving platter at lunch when Usopp wasn't fast enough, and getting pinched for it) wrapped with the leftovers of asparagus and slices of lemon to squeeze over them.
Luffy looks eager for Shanks' approval of the bounty on offer even as he scurries off to get himself a glass of milk, since Shanks came prepared with his own drink.] What about you? I bet you've done so much cool stuff since you left Windmill Village! [Oops, so much for avoiding talking about Shanks' stuff.]
Sorry for the delay! It's been a week
[ It is, actually, pretty amazing. ] She has a daunting task ahead of her. She must be pretty fearless, huh? [ After all, to get a map of the whole world, Nami would have to face the Grand Line, with or without a pirate crew, and that's no easy feat. ]
[ He takes a seat and laughs at the food Luffy brings over. He plucks at one of the notes. ] Seems your chef is also wise. [ But also considerate of Luffy's needs, Shanks notes. ]
[ And once he actually looks at the food being offered: ] And skilled.
[ Shanks wastes no time grabbing a fish steak, with asparagus, some of the potatoes and gives Luffy a warm smile. ] And I'll snatch a bit of that lamb, if you don't mind.
[ Then he stops entirely, and clears his throat. Right. Him. ] We mostly stay in the New World. [ Beat - as if Shanks was going to let this stay on him for very long. ]
How was Makino when you left?
haha I know the feeling! No pressure, tag when you've got the time
And, well, it's probably pretty easy to guess why he attached himself to Sanji too. Luffy scoots the lamb dish closer to Shanks just long enough for him to grab a portion before hoarding it back and digging in. He loves Shanks enough to share meat with him, but he's still himself, so he's not going to be particularly graceful about it.] Yeah, Sanji is the best! He can cook anything. And it all tastes this good. We're gonna find the All Blue together! [Shanks would probably be a good person to ask about its location (or its existence, really), but Luffy doesn't do that. The important thing to him is the search, the journey, the adventure of finding it for themselves. Maybe it'd be quicker to have all the answers, but it wouldn't be as fun.
And... hmm. That's the second time Shanks has dodged a question, instead of telling a story. Luffy blinks between bites, tilting his head, scrutinizing him as he digs in.
He smiles again, though, at the mention of Makino, acting for a moment like he's letting it go. The truth is that it's been a long time since he lived under the pier near her bar, but he still visited her often enough to have an answer ready, especially after Ace left and the jungle turned out to be just about as lonely as the village had been.]
She was great! She gave me a bunch of apples for my journey, because she's got a tree in her yard now. Too bad my boat sank. [It turns out that Luffy makes a terrible shipwright. No one could have stopped him if they tried, obviously, but he definitely should not have been allowed to set sail in the rickety little thing he cobbled together on his own, full to the brim with nothing but food and a dream. (And, about three hours after he set out, seawater.) It all worked out though! (And he'd eaten an apple or three before it went down, which is the important thing.)] She said to say hi when I saw you again! And to make sure you're doing well. [This time, the look he shoots Shanks is more calculating (though the effect may be slightly undermined by the fact that he's got a bit of butter and thyme smeared at the corner of his lips). For all that he's still the goofy kid that he was when Shanks last knew him, he can be a lot more perceptive now.] Are you? Doing well.
It's a lovely thread, all the same
[ For a moment, Shanks' mouth opens when Luffy mentions the All Blue, but he stops and smiles, amused. He already knows - Luffy prefers to figure things out on himself. It's why he had the bravery to be a captain, to decide at such a young age he wouldn't just be one, he would surpass Shanks. And, the only way for him to get there is if Shanks isn't holding his hand the whole way. Shanks gets that much, even if at times it might hurt, when later than pass near each other, but he can't approach, or get involved. Or when he wants to be there for Luffy in the worst times, but it would violate the sentiment of their promise. It will be tough, but he believes it will be worth it, and Luffy will be better for it. So...yes, he could, in fact, tell Luffy a thing or two about the All Blue, but he keeps it to himself, for the sake of Sanji and Luffy finding it together and sharing that experience. ]
I know you will. I think your Sanji might revel when he gets there, with cooking this good. His capabilities will only improve, but that's almost hard to believe.
[ Shanks' smile turns soft and nostalgic to the little bit Luffy tells him of Makino. ] She always was so generous. [ It's heart-warming to see she hasn't changed. ]
[ But Shanks chuckles soon after. Poor Luffy. ] It's probably a good thing you have a much sturdier boat, now, then. Shame about the apples.
[ He pauses for a moment, not having anticipated Makino's kindness to extend quite that far. ] She's is a kind soul. If you make that way, before I do, tell her I'm fine, and I say hello in return.
[ Again, Shanks stops, as he catches that expression on Luffy's face, even if the butter on his face keeps the situation from being so serious. It's just another reminder Luffy is no longer a child. It's one thing to deflect, one thing to not tell the truth, another to lie in certain situation compared to outright lying to a friend. He breathes in, and his eyes flicker down, before they rise to Luffy's. ]
Ah...I'm afraid you might have caught me in a bit of melancholy mood. I promise, though, things are well.
♥♥ yes, I love your Shanks so far he's so good!
He's definitely giddy about Shanks paying them to his crew as well, though. He can't wait to tell Sanji how much Shanks enjoyed his food, because he knows how pleased it'll make his cook. (And also maybe he can score extra food at breakfast if he tells Sanji that he shared his midnight snack!)
But he can't help but grin at the idea of getting the chance to talk to Makino again and gush about seeing Shanks. She'd understand his excitement in a way that few others would totally grasp. After all, she's the one who weathered the most enthusiastic of his ramblings about the man, for years longer than his poor crew has had to put up with now.
And she's the only one in town who seemed to actually, really believe that Luffy would find him again someday.
At Shanks' confession, Luffy finally wipes the bit of butter off his face with the back of his hand and scoots in a little closer.] Makino used to say that it can help to talk about our troubles. [The wisdom of a bartender.] And that other perspectives are always helpful even if they're not always helpful. [That part he doesn't get as much, but he dutifully parrots it anyway. Makino is all wise and stuff, and so is Shanks, so maybe he'll understand where Luffy loses the plot.]
bwha, thank you! Same for your Luffy
[ If he knew Luffy could score more food for himself, he would encourage the compliment sharing. Maybe, even, arrange a way to tell Sanji, personally. For now, though, he's pleased to share such delicious food with good, warm company. ]
[ As for meeting again - Shanks had always believed. It was just a matter of time. ]
[ Shanks' eyebrows lift as Luffy's shares Makin's words, then he smiles, mildly. ] Makino is pretty wise.
Perhaps she meant, while another's perspective can't fix or change the issue, or even if their perspective feels counterproductive to your own, it can still offer a different insight. Or give a reason to defend yours. [ Maybe that's entirely what Makino meant, but if everyone comes up with their own stance, maybe that is all Makino really meant, too. Hard to say without asking her directly. ]
In this case...talking about it isn't necessary. It's simply an old wound that comes back. When it does, I just need a moment. [ Shanks prefers moving on, and if asked, he had moved on. There's just a cutting loneliness that settles in with the memories this time of year. ]
[ He leans over to nudge Luffy's shoulder with his own. ] I promise.