Serious: FLASHBACK THREAD: "How The Great Karasu met The Red Haired Thief" (Open to Karasu)

It had been approximately nine hours since the pirate, thief, navigator and total lady-rogue, Reiko Fujiwara, (better known as "Red" to most, due to her signature scarlet hued hair), had left the Black Brothel Pirates.

Their psychotic, sadistic misdeeds and the cruelties and atrocities that she had committed as part of that crew had finally started to take their toll on her mental state.
It wasn't that she wanted to stop causing trouble for the marines and give up her life of piracy; she just couldn't handle any more intense violence.
She was doing the crew a favour too, she had thought to herself as she packed up her bag and bade her sisters goodbye. Mallory may have been a demoness but she was an efficient, ambitious captain. Sooner or later, Red knew that she'd refuse to do something.
She'd refuse to kill a child or burn down a family home or something like that.
She'd draw the line and Mallory would see her as weak.
There was nothing more endangering to a crew than a crewmate who couldn't follow orders and even if she didn't always agree with their ideals, Red would rather leave her loyal Black Brothel sisters than disappoint them.

She had been starting to have nightmares too.
Nightmares about the day her parents had been captured and hung.
Nightmares about seeing her brother drown.
Nightmares about finally being caught for her bounty.

At that very second, it appeared as though that particular nightmare was about to come true.
"Sir! The pirate is headed towards the jungle!"
"Cut her off! Quickly!"
"Dead or Alive! It doesn't matter! Just bring her in! This one has been causing trouble on our radar for a while!"

The shouts were getting fainter, Red thought frantically as she ran; she must have been finally losing the Marines who were after her.
"The bitch is one of those devil fruit freaks! She's turned invisible!"
"Sir! We've lost her!"
"Keep looking, cadet!"

Red sucked in a breath of air through her teeth. Normally, she would have been quick to introduce those Marines to the slicing end of her whip but she had been unlucky enough to walk into a tavern in town that had about twenty or so Marines on duty in it.
All had been well until one of the people in the tavern had pointed her out for stealing a chart from the local mapping supplies store. Red had needed the chart to plot a course from which she could get off the island and unwilling to spend any Beli, she had to get it somehow.
Matters had become worse when one of the cadets pulled out a wanted poster with her face on it. She had managed to fight off the first nine marines but as they started to swarm, Red could only become invisible and run.

Finally, she managed to lose them in the jungle.
Heart hammering against her ribcage, her breath caught in her throat and her temples, throbbing, Reiko "Red" Fujiwara finally made it to a beach-cove at the edge of the jungle.
Looking around and giving a long sigh of relief when she saw nor heard a Marine, she dropped her invisibility.

Her long red curls were tugged by the sea-winds and her usually pale cheeks were flushed.
Feeling hot, she undid her long ponytail, letting her hair fall loose and took off her jacket, dropping it to the sands below so that she was left in her blouse, corset and shorts. Out of some, post-adrenaline fuelled, partly shellshocked, partly relieved whim, she softly started to sing under her breath:
"Come on, gather up your crew, time to deliver Binks' Brew..."

She looked forlornly out at the waves as she wandered towards the shoreline, wondering how she was going to get back on to those beautiful blue waves again.
Red ran her fingers through her hair, shaking her head. "Today really is not my lucky day, is it?"

Inside a bar with many marines in it sat a man with his black cloak, his silver hair being masked by the cowboy style hat he was wearing to cover his face. The hat was tilted frontwards, allowing anyone that sees him to only notice his bottom chin.. and possibly his smile. The scar on his left cheek was also covered up by the worn out, black hat. His white skin of course, meant to others that he was not used to the sun.. which was ironic, since his job was usually done at night. While taking his first cup of liquor a sound was heard from behind him, without turning around he could hear the marines apparently accusing someone of being a pirate.. how inconvenient for that person. Karasu closed his eyes and tried to listen to the noises around him, using his total silence technique. Within moments he could hear the sound of the marines chasing the suspect, the quick thudding of the ground and even heard the nine bodies drop to the floor in an instant. but once more marines showed up, the person ran.

Karasu turned around slowly once all of the marines were gone, and looked at the dead bodies.. they were slashed, and it wasn't likely by a sword, since he didn't hear any sheathing.. but he did hear whipping sounds, a strong whip? Karasu walked past the dead bodies, not bothering to look at them a second time and made his way out of the bar. While moving through Karasu tried to talk to a nearby marine, without displaying his identity as a warlord.. it was good that it was night time and dark, his earring could not be seen.

"Excuse me marine, I am a bounty hunter.. whom is the women you are looking for? I may find her and bring her to you guys for free if you find me a drink in the bar."

The marine couldn't help but smile in a very odd manner, his smile reaching more then his cheekbones, he pulled out the poster and handed it to Karasu, his voice very demanding.. and overall annoying to Karasu.

"See that women right derrr, she is a big'ol pile of trouble, I want you to bring that derrr women in here pronto, or you don' get no drink."

Karasu was holding back his anger as best as he could, only grinding his teeth as he walked towards the woods (the marine showed him the direction she went), Karasu closed his eyes and tried to hear the sounds of people around him.. once he started concentrating on a 2 mile radius, he managed to find the singing voice of a women far beyond the others. As he walked through the men, in the direction he remembered the voice being, he tried to get his thoughts together. The women was obviously trouble, but he was just there to confirm that this was her.. he was going to simply watch from a distance without getting involved, if he DID get involved.. it would mean his identity could be revealed.. no matter how unlikely that was, getting involved only increased that possibility.

Within moments he reached the destination he heard the noise coming from, and jumped upside a tree without making much noise. As he looked at her through the black night, he could've sworn he saw someone beautiful.. but that was impossible, Karasus taste for women died along with his wife. He had no time to think of women as beautiful. He continued peering at the women, now debating whether or not he should try to capture her.. or stay with his original plan and leave her to the marines. However, this night.. it seemed different, the aura of change was drifting through the air. Karasu felt like he was supposed to do something else.. but what?

Red whipped her head around, blinking with slight confusion. A tremor had run through her body and a sudden wave of paranoia, akin to the waves that lapped against the seashore under the moonlight, suddenly washed over here. 
Was she being watched? 
Swallowing, the young woman walked closer to the thicket of trees, her blue eyes scanning them from beneath her long eyelashes. 

There appeared to be no one there. 
Red could see no one and heard no one approaching. She shook her head to herself. No, no one was that good at being stealthy. 
Not even her, admittedly. 

She laughed softly to herself, trying to lighten her own mood. The situation almost reminded her of a song she rather liked and singing quietly under her breath, she walked along the tree-line. 

"Up where the mountains meet the Heavens above, 
At where the lightning splits the sea;
I could swear that there's someone, somewhere, watching me. 
Through the wind and the chill and the rain,
Through the storm and the raging flood, 
Oh, his approach is like a fire in my blood..." 

Leaning against a tree, Red looked up at the night sky and took a moment to enjoy the cool night air. 
The life of a buccaneer could be hard sometimes and it was nice to find a moment to relax. 
Hesitantly, her fingers crept beneath the thin white cloth of her blouse, stroking the black petals of the rose tattoo on her shoulder. 

"I'll meet a hero," she went on singing. "And then we'll dance 'till the morning light. I'm dreaming he'll leave with me, held tight. Tonight's the night." 

It was a soft little romantic country song that she'd learned when she was younger. For some reason, it calmed her  nerves. 
Though it wasn't long before Red's peace was shattered. 

She'd forgotten the marines who were still out searching for her. 

"Sir! There she is!" 

Red's eyes narrowed and she swore violently under her breath as the Marines started to flood on to the beach, surrounding her. 

"Reiko Fujiwara," one of them orated formally, approaching the pirate with seastone cuffs and a bayonet. "By order of the world government, it is our lawful duty to take you into custody. Coming quietly will reduce the need for us to resort to physical force."

Red smirked, winking at the cadet and folding her arms. "That's an awful lot of men you've got there to escort lil' old me."
She placed a hand on the handle of the whip coiled at the belt of her shorts. "And custody? Nah, I don't think so. I'm a girl who loves her freedom."

She grinned, whipping her Kurenai whip out to full length. "And I never come quietly. Never."
Maybe they outnumbered her by too many but Red was tired of running. 

"Vermillion Slice!"
Red called her attack, becoming invisible with the powers of the Suke Suke no Mi and reappearing again as she wove in and out of the marines, cracking her whip and landing her blows. 

However, a burly cadet managed to grab the end of her whip and forced her to stumble into the shallow waves. Red groaned as she felt the weakening sensation of seawater and her invisibility power suddenly drained away. 

Red's eyes widened as she fumbled for her whip but in her confusion, the marine cadet seized the opportunity to punch her hard in the abdomen and then across the face before snapping a set of seastone cuffs on to her in her weakness. 

He sneered. "Not so confident after a little water, you little pirate whore, huh?" 
Red grunted, still doubled over as the  remaining marines surrounded her in a circle. "F-Fuck you..."

The marine grabbed a fistful of Red's ruby locks, pulling her face upward as he snarled. "I bet you'd like that. Wouldn't you, wench? Yeah, I'd bet you'd love to fu-"

"Dream on and k-keep your fi-filthy hands off of me..." 
Red spat upwards into his face in response, only to be met by another hard blow to her jaw. 

"Filthy bitch."
"Not worth our time." 
"She's got a high enough bounty though...for these parts..."
"Speaking of which, where's that bounty hunter that the captain recruited in the tavern?"

From where she lay in the sand, Red was trying hard to come up with an escape plan. Upon hearing the words "bounty hunter", her stomach clenched. 
"Damn it...today is seriously not my day..." 

Karasu closed his eyes, his fists clenching the gun he subconsciously had on his hand. He watched as she tried to defend herself, which was understandable. They abused her weakened state and beat her in the stomach, after she was weakened they abused her.. continuously. They grabbed her hair and punched her jaw after remarks, abusing the fact that she was weakened. To Karasu these men were not marines.. they were worse then pirates. Karasu smiled, his diamond showed a very brief glistening in the moonlight, as if portraying that something had become bright in that instant.. Karasu could finally see what he had to do, his mind was not clear, but made up. The marines.. to him.. were scum. The same as the puppeteer that had no regards to his family.

In an instant Karasu did not have one pistol, but two grabbed from his waist. He pointed directly at the marine, and smiled greatly as he pretended the men were the same level as the puppeteer.. he wanted them all dead.

A bang was heard, and the marine whose face was close to the women was shot clean through the temple. Another shot was heard and three of the marines dropped dead. instantly, one after another. Karasu was only playing with them. Their beastly.. no INHUMAN characteristics were their own downfall. The marines surrounding the women were now panicking, their feeble minds only contemplating that they were in trouble.. instead of thinking of who was aiming at them. They started running about, trying to drag the women with them. But every time someone got near her, they heard a bang and dropped to the ground. He hated when people insisted on something that wasn't going to happen.. but they did swarm around in an interesting manner.. like headless chickens.

When only a handful of marines were left, they caught the pattern of dead bodies around the women and starting running. Karasu, unfortunately, was not in the mood to get in trouble by the WG for helping a pirate.. so there had to be no witnesses. Karasu closed his eyes and focused on each of their heartbeats. In one quick motion 40 shots were fired, and curved in many different directions effectively killing the remaining marines. Karasu dropped to the ground from the tree nearby, and walked towards Red, his pistols now on his waist. As he walked towards Red he couldn't help but notice.. the closer he got to her, the more beautiful she looked.. Karasu tried to shake it off, since he knew she was not an option.. she couldn't be an option, there was no such THING as an option in Karasus books.. yet the closer he got, the harder it was for him to continue his cold, dead face.

When he walked what felt like two miles, he kneeled to her and searched for the keys from the body of the nearest person to her.. the person that cuffed her with the sea stone cuffs. The marine had a bunch of keys, but Karasu didn't mind. He took his time putting each individual key on her cuffs, his eyes trying not to make eye contact with hers.

"So, Red is it? Are you always getting into trouble like this?"

Red was still trying to endure the pain of being socked in the jaw for a second time when suddenly a bullet ripped through the skull of the Marine standing nearest to her.
She let out an involuntary cry of shock.

Were they under atttack? But from who?
Red looked around frantically but she could see no one and bound by the cuffs, her body still aching, she couldn't bring herself to escape. One of the marines grabbed her and tried to drag her away with him as he ran but he was shot by the mysterious assailant too.
The scarlet-haired pirate watched as one by one, the running and shouting marines were picked off by expertly fired bullets.

She swallowed and closed her eyes, her heart hammering so hard that it threatened to shatter her ribcage, as she awaited the bullet that would end her life too.
But it never came.
When Red opened her eyes again, every marine around her was laying on the ground, dead. Slightly stunned, Red blinked and sat up straight. "What the-?"

Whoever the master shooter was who had eliminated the marines, they had chosen not to shoot her too.
But why?
Suddenly Red felt someone fumbling with the cuffs behind her back and turned her head to see a man crouched there. She gave a small shriek, jumping slightly. She hadn't even heard him approach her!
He had taken a set of keys from one of the marines and now he was attempting to unlock her handcuffs, his movements swift and expertly co-ordinated but gentle and non-threatening.

Red blinked when he spoke to her, smiling a little at the question.
"Yes, as a matter of fact. Trouble appears to love my company so it tends to follow a bad girl like me wherever I go," she responded, arching her back a little so that he could get at the cuffs better. "Yeah, Red is what most people call me."

She craned her neck to get a better look at the man who had saved her and felt her breath catch in her throat.
Even in the dark, she could make out his form. He was slim and tall but still strong, his limbs clearly laden with unflawed muscle. He was also handsome, she noted, very handsome. His facial features were sculpted and well-defined.
Red felt a kind of heat rise inside of her as she watched him, her heart giving a flutter.
She scolded herself mentally. "No, Reiko. Everyone gets a crush on the person who saves their life. It's just damsel and hero syndrome. Though...I have to admit, he's good-looking and a good shooter."

Reality suddenly dawned on her again and she looked up at her rescuer. "You saved my life," she said breathily, stunned again. "Thank you..." She chuckled slightly, coughing. "I'll have to buy you a drink to show my gratitude, kind stranger... but why...why did you save me? Why did you go to that kind of trouble? There were almost forty marines. If one of them saw you, you'd be in cuffs too. And... who are you?"

Karasu smiled a bit. Her skin, as he was meddling with the lock, felt so warm.. but he tried not to show how warm he felt, or how relaxed he was at that moment. Still taking his time removing the lock, Karasu tried to use his peripheral vision.. he could see how much cuter she was then in the poster, which took him as quite a shock. Her hair was even more red.. and dazzling. He tried not to make eye contact, knowing that if he turned red his emotions would take the better of him. What nonsense is this? I don't have a heart.. I don't need one, I can do this easily while looking at this women in the eye.. nothing will happen if I do, caution is not necessary Karasu thought, his words maintaining themselves on his head like motivation. He knew he was someone that was not fooled by mere looks, so there was no chance anything could happen.

His thoughts were interrupted by the women speaking, she had called herself a bad girl.. Karasus face turned red for a second, his thoughts struggling to focus on the cuffs she had on her, the keys he had on his hand shook slightly.. but Karasu could notice it with the ringing the shaking brought. She also confirmed her nickname being Red.

Karasu managed to find the right key, but after it went in the cuffs she thanked him, her voice made his hand lock itself.. as it it had refused to move to saber the moment. She giggled, which only further locked the arm.. now it had refused to move anywhere until that feeling in Karasus heart was gone. she coughed shortly afterwards, which gave Karasu worry.. but she seemed almost fine, like she could take much more. This women was stronger then Karasu had thought.

She wanted to thank Karasu somehow, and asked him if he wanted to get a drink. It was funny she should ask, since his last drink he had to finish quickly to get to her. Karasu tried to answer without looking up at her, trying to force his arm to turn the key to open the handcuffs.

"Ironic you asked, I was going to bar right now. It'd be great to have some company."

Karasu heard the other questions only shortly after, but he took his time answering them. He never planned to give anyone his actual name, since some people have actually read the single newspaper that had his name. Although the odds of them remembering it were slim, he still didn't like the fact that there was a chance. His heart though, felt at ease around the women, so he decided to answer.. although his intention was to lie to her.

His confidence got the better of him, as he looked up at her. His face turned hot under the collar, as he tried to hold back the redness that had moved across his cheeks. His mouth moved in its own.

"I saved you, because you were in trouble.. that trouble didn't seem like anything too dangerous to me, I've had to fight some strong people in the past.. it comes with my job, and my name.. is Karasu Ammo."

The swish of the key opened the cuffs, Karasu threw them to the ocean. He then stood up slowly, taking out his pistol. He spoke to Red gently.

"Before the drink, let me dispose of the evidence." Karasu shot some magma bullets on each of the dead marine bodies, burning them whole with no chance of recognition. Their entire bodies disintegrated within seconds, as Karasu shot multiple bullets on each of them.. Karasu knew that being too cautious never hurt anyone, especially if any harm can be done. He looked back at Red, before smiling instinctively.

"Whenever you're ready."

It seemed, for a moment, as if her rescuer was having some difficulty in turning the keys. Red further arched her back, pushing her chest forward and rolling her shoulders in order to make it easier for him to work on the lock.
For a brief second, his skin grazed against hers and her breathing just about stopped altogether.

His skin was so soft yet firm and it had a pleasant coolness to it that very much reminded her of the cooling sensation of the night air itself.
It wasn't uncomfortable at all. In fact, in that moment, Red decided that she rather liked the sensation of her hero's skin against her own.
It might have been her imagination but she noticed a slight redness come to his cheeks.
"It must be the coldness from the air...or he's flushed from his assault,"she thought, feeling a little bemused when she realised that she was blushing too- though that was to do with the handsome stranger's delicate touch.
Red's cheeks were a soft shade of pink by the time her rescuer assassin was finished releasing her. She stood up shakily, listening to him and flexing her legs a little.

The man took his time answering her questions and Red silently hoped that he didn't think that she was being too nosy or forward with her inquiries.
Shock tended to make her a little more curious than usual.
She blinked when he told her his name.
"Karasu Ammo, huh?"
There was something familiar about his name but she couldn't quite place it.
"With his impressive shooting skills, it was likely that I've heard some guy in a bar talking about him," Red thought to herself before speaking aloud again.
"Well, Karasu," she said with a smile. "It's nice to meet you. I've never been one for formalities but I think I should introduce myself properly to the man who saved my life. The name's Reiko Fujiwara." She was a little surprised at herself for a moment; normally she wasn't so quick to give her full name to strange men. Yet there was something about Karasu that told her that he was a good man. That and even though he said that it was no inconvenience to him, he had still been her hero that night. She shrugged, flicking her long curls back over her shoulders. "Most people just call me Red though. If you'd prefer, you can call me that too."
She rubbed her wrists, trying to dull the ache in them, watching as he cast the seastone cuffs back into the ocean. "Thank you. Seriously. You really saved my rear just now. I mean...this is probably my hundreth run-in with the Marines. I'd be rotting in Impel Down within the week or worse, if you hadn't showed up. You really are a skilled marksman..."
She giggled. "And take that to heart. I don't normally just pass around compliments to fighters who are better than me."

Red winked up at him as she stooped to put her jacket back on, her eyes widening at the sight of the magma bullets turning the bodies to dust. "Mother of Gol D. Roger..."
She blinked. "Now that's something that you don't see every day."
Something about the fact that Karasu possessed that kind of bullet- the kind specificially equipped for disposing of bodies- intrigued Red.
She expected that kind of weapon to be held only by elite assassins.

When he turned to her once more, Red quickly hid any look of shock on her face and her crimson lips stretched into a smile. "Let's go then. I'd be delighted to be in your company this evening, Karasu..."
She walked with him to a tavern on the edge of town. It wasn't as big as the other taverns but it was the only one that was secluded enough, Red deduced, to not have any marines on patrol there.

The inside was alight with a low buzz of chatter, the soft playing of a piano in the corner and the low glow of oil lamps. Red sat with Karasu at a booth-seat at the edge of the room.
"Hey barkeep!" she shouted over to the counter, waving. "Two please! One for me and one for my handsome companion here!"
She had been joking around but the second the words left her mouth, Red started to blush a little. It was true. Karasu really was handsome.
The low light gave his silvery hair a kind of glow and the shadows cast by the lamps only sought to emphasise his finely crafted features and muscular structure.

Red sat back down with him, paying the barkeep for both drinks and then smiled again as she looked to Karasu once more. "You really are quite talented. Though you'll want to ditch me as soon as possible," she added with a nervous laugh. "As I've said before, trouble tends to follow me. I even heard that Marines sent a bounty hunter after me." She laughed nervously, sipping her beer. "Anyway, may I ask what you're doing here on this island, Karasu-san? A thick jungle island with a tiny village doesn't quite seem like a holiday destination to me, if you don't mind me saying..."
She leaned on the table, looking up at him from under her eyelashes, trying very hard not to stare too much.

Karasu was trying his best not to look directly at the women, the other time he did he somehow left all of the information slip from his mouth. She gave him her name, the full name. He took the name to heart, and even felt the warmth of it as he said it out-loud.

"Reiko Fujiwara.. a very beautiful name, I'll have to keep you in mi-.. I'll have to make sure to remember that name." Karasu almost had a slip of the tongue, he had almost said something keen in his mind. She was already in his mind, but he could let her, or himself know that. He had to fight his temptations.. but he was losing his mind quickly.

Karasu did not allow his outer self show any signs of weakness in his posture, or any hint of what he was thinking. The slip-up, Karasu hoped would remain secretly undetected.

Once he arrived in the bar the atmosphere seemed to change almost dramatically, Reiko was almost completely in light now.. which Karasu tried his best not to stare at. Her figure was almost perfect, and her eyes.. he tried not to look at them. Once their seats were found, Karasus eyes started to wonder towards Reiko, so he fixed them and moved towards her skin instead.. it looked tender, and soft. He had felt it before, warm.. and lacking the harsh skin caused by damage from the past. She seemed almost perfect.. but Karasu did not want to admit it. His mind was to focused on his arrogance, his cold image.. his reputation. He didn't have a heart, he wasn't supposed to have it.. but her skin was so pure, her eyes were as beautiful as the ocean, her lips moved like the brightest, most beautiful forms of blood. She was dangerous, Karasu knew it, but something about her secretly attracted him to her.

Karasu zoned back into the situation at hand, he was happy.. more so then he usually is. For some reason, his feelings were not cold, in fact.. he felt warmth throughout him. She ordered two shots for both her and himself, and managed to call Karasu handsome. It wasn't the first time he had heard it, but for some reason.. when she said it Karasu felt warm, his cheeks got redder, and a single sweat tear came falling from his forehead. He looked down a bit, closing his eyes so that his hat covered his red face. He took it off, since to him it was getting hot, but he made sure that the hairs were blocking the redness he knew was now coursing through his cheeks.

She later told him that he would have to ditch her as soon as possible, something Karasu would normally agree to, but his heart sunk for some odd reason. The feeling he had just felt, was similar to the fateful day years ago.. it was sadness. he couldn't say anything to contradict her, he couldn't tell her that he wasn't the type to leave a women.. well more precisely.. he wasn't the type to leave her like this. The bounty hunter, he couldn't tell her, was him lying to the marines. If she learned that, she might start asking questions.. and despite his feelings, he knew questions about his identity were never a good thing.

Karasu took several sips from his beer while thinking bout this.

He looked at her, for the first time, without much of a reflex to look away. She was beautiful, and his mind was focusing on that more then his usual thoughts of getting caught, and learning of his identity. He could look at her now, and admire her beauty without feeling guilty.. it was almost like his responsibilities were drifting away. This feeling, of course, Karasu was not used to. He was not drunk, but not sober, he was in the middle.. in a state where responsibility, becomes second and emotions first. But there was still chains dragging him back, even in this state his cold personality gave him limits.

"I'm here to relax after several weeks of endless work, it was the closest island I could find.. and I was not in the mood to travel weeks on end for the next nearest island, this was all des-." Karasu stopped, the word he was looking for was much clearer.. and less involving his thoughts. " -a coincidence"

Karasu knew this part of the ocean from the reports given to him by Den Den Mushi, he didn't memorize it.. but he knew the nearest island was quite a whiles away.

"I would like to ask you something, 'Red' was originally a member of the crew with Mallory in it.. a very evil women, I've heard of her rising reputation awhile back. Am I to assume you changed your ways? A fresh start maybe?"

Karasu did not know how she would react to the question, but he knew she was very much the same women he remembered studying awhile back. Mallory was among the people he wanted to go and kill himself, of course.. other priorities got in the way, and unfortunately he never got to it.

"I'm happy for you if you did, it means you'll be seeing a lot more of me as .. company." Karasu tried to look for the perfect word, and company seemed to fir the best. A companion could mean anything right? t could be a friend.. and it made opportunities for more then friends. Karasu felt warmer thinking about this, he drank a few more sips of beer before yelling to the barkeeper for more.

"Alright, Second cups in.." Karasu started drinking a few sips from the beer, his personality remained the same, he probably needed a lot more to get drunk.

Red still couldn't quite fathom it.

She watched Karasu speak and drink with concealed fascination, taking gulps from her own bottle until it was gone and running a casual finger along the cool glass of the bottle-neck.
Red had gone to taverns and bars all over the Grand and Red lines with men all of all sorts. Sometimes she'd flirt with them, sometimes she'd let them flirt with her but she was always the one in control and had never once been more attracted to a man than he was to her.
She was a confident lady pirate. That had never changed simply because of a man.

Karasu was different, though.
Sure, Red had seen handsome men before...but none quite like him.
Every movement he made was calculated and concise, done with such grace and posture that Reiko Fujiwara felt like she had to be in the presence of a gentleman.
The black clothes that adorned his muscular form only served to contrast his smooth white skin and silvery hair and to emphasise its stunning porcelain quality.
"Like a prince from a fairytale," Red thought to herself as her eyes took another quick tour of his body.
He had a noticable scar on his left cheek but it certainly did not take away from his overall handsome features. If anything, it reminded Red that despite his charm, he was a deadly man, (possibly an assassin), who'd obviously seen his fair share of fights.
Red personally loved a man who could handle himself in physical combat.

His light brown eyes were another feature that drew her attention. This wasn't even because of their physical beauty; they always had a particular mysterious glint to them- a kind of withdrawn focus.
Karasu's eyes never seemed vacant or blank. He always appeared deep in thought about something or as if he was trying to hide something.
At the point when he had said her name aloud, Red had just about felt her heart melt. For some reason, she loved how he said her real name and part of her silently longed for him to say it again.

She had known the man for less than an hour.
She barely knew who he was.
Yet he appeared to have cast some kind of spell on her.

"So you're taking a break here?"
Red shrugged. "I can't blame you for not bothering to keep going if you were truly exhausted. Personally, I love life on the big blue ocean." She smiled widely even at the thought of going back out to sea. "But if I went too long without a rest-stop, I'd end up with cabin fever."
She couldn't tell whether it was her growing attraction to the dark, silver-haired man who sat before her or just whether it was hot in the tavern but Red shrugged off her jacket, suddenly feeling far too warm.

An uneasy thought had just occurred to her.
The fact that he had picked off forty marines without a qualm clearly indicated that he was not a marine official himself- but that didn't mean that Karasu was a pirate either, did it?
Cipher Pol agents could be very clever at gaining the trust of complete strangers, she recalled, but then again, what in the name of Whitebeard would Cipher Pol want with her?
Either way, Red was suddenly a little unsure of whether it was such a good idea to repeatedly mention her bounty to him as she had made it pretty obvious that "delivering Binks' Sake" was part of her agenda i.e. that she was a pirate and proud.
"No," Red told herself. "No. I don't think he's like that."
It was crazy, but Red really did feel that she could trust Karasu for some reason. Part of her felt intimidated by him but part of her also felt extremely safe with this man.

She grinned at his slip of the tongue and giggled, briefly placing her hand over his. "I'm a strong believer in fate or destiny. Perhaps it was both that you ended up here, on this island, in this bar, with me, Karasu-san." She laughed good-naturedly, placing her hand back on the table- though she had relished the feeling of his fingers against hers and was aching to feel it again. "Or maybe it's just clever coincidence."

Red's smile dropped as he brought up Mallory and the Black Brothels.
"Shit," she thought, looking down at the table. "He's heard of me."
She sighed, genuine shame crossing her features as she studied the wood of the table, gathering her thoughts.

"Yes, that's what I'm doing. I feel like I need a fresh start...after everything..." Red looked up at Karasu again, avoiding his eyes. "The Black Brothels weren't my first crew. I was with several crews before I met Mallory and climbed aboard the Butcher Shop. She needed a navigator, I needed to get back out to sea. That and I had heard of her. I knew what a sick bitch she was and I thought that maybe some ruthless plundering and intense violence would help to cast out some inner demons from my past..." She laughed ironically. "It didn't help at all though. After a few months, I just felt sick to my stomach from what I'd seen and what I'd done and I didn't belong anymore so I decided to leave." Red leaned on one hand, her eyes becoming distant as she reflected on it all. "I guess I've learned that a girl like me is better off travelling alone...I've been betrayed and had my heart broken...that didn't happen when I was a lone wolf..." Red realised that she was saying too much and didn't know whether it was because of the alcohol or how at ease she felt with Karasu but she couldn't stop speaking. "And I'm used to being alone, I suppose. My family were all dead before I turned fifteen."

She exhaled, leaning back in her seat and crossing her bare white legs with a smile. "But, enough of the depressing stuff! You were right. I'm making a new start. I'm sorry for blabbering on like that." Her tone softened as she looked to him, right into his eyes. "You're very easy to talk to, Karasu."
Blinking at the heat, she undid the drawstrings of her blouse and corset, letting a little more air lap against her skin by lowering her collar. "Damn, it's hot in here."

Red back-tracked on what Karasu had said and found herself blushing a little.
Companion?
Now what did that imply?
Whatever he meant by it, Red had liked it. Feeling a little flirty, she winked at him again and looked into his eyes once more. "That's good, Karasu...because I have a feeling that you and I would get on very well together...and I look forward to a...companionship...with you..."

She looked over at the barkeep after Karasu ordered his second and grinned suddenly. "Hey! Could you get me a second beer? And also four more pints of rum and grog this way, please, honey!"
Red beamed to Karasu. "Don't worry, hero. I'll be paying for everything this evening...if you'd like to spend the whole evening together..."
For a brief moment, her eyes stared into his- deep blue meeting light brown- and Red felt as if something had engulfed her. Her scarlet lips quivered as she tried to find her voice again and she mentally cursed herself as if finally came back in a stammer.

"S-So...like I said, you're an impressive marksman. Who taught you to shoot? And better still, who made that gun you've got and those bullets?" She grinned. "I was raised a blacksmith and I design and make all of my own stuff." She gestured to the whip coiled on the belt of her small shorts. "So I've got a major passion for weapons and combat. Some say that's weird for a woman but I don't really care. I think it's important to know how to protect oneself and others, if needed."

She thanked the barkeep for their drinks when they arrived, paid the man and immediately started to chug on her first bottle of beer, placing it back on the table and looking to him with intrigue. "Something tells me that you're a pretty well-trained man when it comes to the art of ass-kicking..."

Her answers seemed legit, he couldn't have blamed her for joining if her past was as horrific as she claimed.. but it still didn't excuse some things, she was now repenting it seemed, in her own way. By leaving the crew, she had made the best step possible, to Karasu this meant her mind might be a bit clearer now then it was before.. he could trust her. Even if logic didn't dictate he should, his heart was, for once, showing him the path he should take. Although he did not know which other crews she was in, he trusted that her intentions were not evil.

When the moment passed, Karasu looked up at her. He never caught glimpse of her undressing her cleavage, but when he heard the remark of the atmosphere being hot Karasus curiosity decided to look up at her. Perhaps it was the sound of her voice that made Karasu want to see her, maybe it was human instinct to look where noise follows.. but when he saw her sudden posture, her bare legs crossed, her cleavage partly showing, her neck shown as she tilted her head back from the heat.. his face reddened and his thoughts wondered into another realm. Her posture at that moment gave Karasu a jolt of energy, his heart was beating for what felt like a million times per second. The sheer force of it was felt through his body, the sheer force of it was almost scary. He tried to get a handle on himself, closing his eyes and concentrating on the cold sweat moving down his forehead. He had to take his coat off, with only the black T-shirt underneath it.

Within moments she reacted to his slip of the tongue, she put her hands on his.. which made him feel very comfortable. His skin felt warmer and warmer the more she touched him.. which made Karasu rather hot under the collar. His cheeks had already gained their red color, no matter how hard he tried to cool down the cheeks refused to listen and remain their usual white color. His thoughts remained on the moment where they both touched, it almost purposely froze the time around that second, allowing him to enjoy the moment.

He tried to snap out of his moment, focusing on her words of companionship. She had accepted his proposal, in a sense. he wanted to see more of her, and knowing she felt the same somehow made him feel.. better. This feeling was the equivalent to the day someone is healed after years of feeling ill, it was like a second life.. a second breath he could take, a second chance. But the feeling was compared to this, he tried to compare to something else.. but the feeling of happiness (what he thought was happiness) could not be compared to anything less powerful then those situations.

"I am glad I can see you as a companion.. I hope we cross paths in the future.." Karasu tried not to say more then he had already shown, it seemed like the beer he had been so casually drinking has had some affect on him. His emotions, although were true, were starting to spew out slowly. But despite his intoxication, he was still holding back information.. it seemed like this feeling of secretion had made an almost permanent impact on him, to the point where even when drunk he subconsciously keeps things from others.

She mentioned spending the whole evening together, even if it was for a second, he still held it in his mind. His smile crept on his face, finally showing some kind of emotion other then being completely engulfed in his thoughts, the smile showed itself casually. He felt warm knowing she was enjoying herself, although part of him was still fighting the feeling as to why that was happening.

Karasu didn't feel good knowing that she was paying, but he guessed that this was her own way of repaying him.. ti was something that he thought she had no need of doing, at the way things were going he would've easily done it many more times with no price.

After ordering four more beers she asked Karasu where he had learned to shoot, of course he tried to answer in a way that wouldn't reveal too much. Normally he would only say small bits of it, but in his current state it didn't feel like any harm to talk about his childhood.

"Where I come from children of 12 and over are put inside a school with their chosen proficiency, I chose guns. I graduated in two years of course, turns out i had a talent for it. As for my guns, they are average ones, but I have two other pairs with me that have special capabilities." Karasu took out his hand, and pointed at his face, a smile still poking across his face. A gun popped up from his glove mechanically, arriving at his palm with the finger already in the trigger. He continued talking to her. "This gun is the most powerful, since it shoots bullets four times more powerful then my normal pistols.. what you saw me with before, were my normal ones." He stopped suddenly, feeling that he had been bragging more then any man with self respect should have been doing, this was a sign that he had drunken too much. When he looked ahead of him five empty beer jugs stood. He knew now, that he was drunk.

"I'm trained, yes, but the bullets that came out of my gun were from my Devil Fruit, I am capable of summoning an unlimited amount of ammunition from any weapon.. unfortunately, for me to summon these bullets, I have to analyze them first. The Magma you saw is one of the few that I have found." He stopped talking for another second, and looked at her. His conscious trying hard to maintain the secrets he needs to keep.

"How about you Reiko? How did you learn to fight? You had exceptional skills with the whip.. and you had the remarkable ability of turning invisible, along with things you touched."

"I am glad I can see you as a companion...I hope we cross paths again in the future."
Those words echoed in Red's ears for a moment, accompanied by a great feeling of a melancholy nature, mixed in with a soaring tinge of anticipation.
This simple choice of words reflected two of Karasu's possible outlooks. For one thing, it reminded Red that it wouldn't long before they parted. After all, in order to "cross paths" again- two people needed to part.
However, if also reflected the handsome, silver-haired man's desire for the two of them to meet again.

Red silently rejoiced, thinking with both relief and glee. "My past hasn't completely put him off wanting to know me!"
It wasn't long, however, before Red's thoughts were diverted by something a little less insightful and emotional.
In response to her commenting about how hot the room was, Karasu had removed his jacket. It was a simple enough action; the man was probably hot too, (perhaps that was why his face looked a little flushed, she noted). Though, never had such a simple action grabbed Red's attention like a fish being snagged on a freshly sharpened hook.

He had such an amazing body.
Red had seen her fair share of Grand Line hunks, hotties and Herculeses but when looking at Karasu, she literally had to prop her jaw against the rim of her bottle of beer to prevent it from hanging open.
His chest was broad, as were his shoulders and his arms were laden with smooth, unflawed muscle, lined by pale, porcelain skin.
His arms weren't bulky and his belly was not round- unlike most men with his kind of strong physique. Instead he was slim, almost graceful in posture.
"Damn," thought Red. "Maybe this is just the alcohol talking but this guy hasn't even taken his shirt off yet and I already want him bad."

She shook her head, trying to dismiss any thoughts in that vein before looking to Karasu and grinning as he spoke, downing off another bottle. Red loved listening to a man talking about his skills in combat and weaponary.
Red listened to her new friend with zeal as he spoke about where he had acquired his skills. She had to admit, she had never heard of a school that simply taught children to fight and promoted the use of firearms but that said, she gone to school in a relatively sheltered village area.
"Oh, seriously? It sounds like you've had the best of training available. I'm very impressed, Karasu-kun," she crooned, taking another gulp of beer. She could feel the drink starting to take its toll on her at that moment but the Hell she cared. "I've never been one for marksmanship so I've got great respect for good shooters."

Red gave a cry of delight, lifting her hand to give him a high-five.
"Another devil fruit user! How interesting! That's brilliant! Ah, the ammo-ammo fruit you say? I think I've heard of that before...Either way, it's certainly a handy one for such a skilled shooter to have." She giggled as he started to talking about her own skills, feeling flattered and blushing a little.

She almost surprised herself with this reaction.
Normally Red was big-headed enough to simply agree with any compliments given to her- where had this shy-little-bashful-school-girl act come from?
Maybe it was the alcohol that had deflated her ego...or was it simply because Karasu seemed to make everything sound sweet and sincere?

A little pink faced, she gushed back: "Thank you for saying so. Yes, I've had this whip since I was fifteen. My father was a blacksmith and after my brother drowned, he took me on as his apprentice, so I had the skills to make this whip for myself without many problems. I call it my "Kurenai" ((OOC: "crimson" in Japanese :p)) whip for obvious reasons." She laughed, twirling one of her long red ringlets around hr finger. "It's lightweight enough to be swung around with ease but it's still capable of doing a lot of damage."

She finished another drink, starting to feel lightheaded but continuing to speak. "Well! My Devil Fruit is the Suke Suke no Mi. It's pretty useful when it comes to making a quick escape or sneaking up on someone." Red raised her eyebrows. "Mmm, stealth is definitely my forte." She leaned on the table a little further, her lips curving into a smile once more as her hand crept across the table to rest on Karasu's hand, her eyes carrying a playful glint. "I could make you invisible too." Her voice dropped an octave, her smile growing. "You'd have to come closer to me though...maybe if I sat on your lap..." Red giggled, shrugging. "If you could take my weight..."

Karasu drank another jug once it came into view. This would be the last one for the night, especially since Karasu had gotten so drunk he KNEW he was drunk, which was never a good sign. After the Jug was finished Red had complimented him on his life, he had told her more then sober Karasu would've tried to hold back. It was clear to even Karasu that he was letting his emotions get the better of him.. but why did it feel so right?

He tried to leave a comment on her opinion on his childhood, how it was great compared to years later. He tried to tell her that his family all went to the same school, how the clan he was in knew rokushiki, that he was a prince and turned into a king. He tried to tell her all of this information, but it never left his mouth. He could never get the words to follow as he wanted them to. Karasu could only stare at the ceiling and picture the past in his head, allowing memories of his childhood to cross his eyes in seconds.

He snapped out of the moment when he heard her sigh of delight (He guessed it was delight, since that is what he was feeling). She explained that her whip had the nickname Kurenai, a beautiful name for a whip with such detail. Karasu could only stare at her as she talked about herself. She seemed.. luring to Karasu, like a chain was pulling him to her. She put her hands up at first, but Karasu slowly put his hand to touch hers, he had never done a high-five before, but he assumed from the position of her arm and her reaction that she expected him to do something.. so he felt her hand as it was laying in the air, having his palms touch hers. He assumed this was the high-five.

"Your father must've been a very good blacksmith for this to have happened, it looks very well crafted.. and light. I think you would make an excelent assassi-" Karasu stopped himself before he continued, the women obviously wasn't one, so why was he telling her she would make a perfect one? Yes she was stealthy, she could turn invisible and kill someone without making a single noise, but she was still someone he didn't know would agree to such a position. Karasu also could not give a hint of what he was, even bringing up the subject meant trouble.

"You'd make a great bounty hunter.."

These words left his mouth to replace what he would've said, he didn't not like bounty hunters very much, but he knew they were the closest thing to assassins he could ask for.. besides assassins. Somehow comparing her to something related to an assassin made him feel more comfortable with the thought. He wasn't sure why.. but the thought of her and him sharing something as close as his job made him feel more linked.

She mentioned her powers now, her devil fruit could turn her and anything else invisible.. she later asked Karasu if he wanted to turn invisible. Before he could nod his head slightly out of curiosity she mentioned how it worked. She had to make physical contact with the person. Karasu was once someone that would fall to the ground just by touching any females skin, but after taking position as king he had lost that part of himself into the abyss known as the past. He was supposed to have lost most if not all of his attraction to females.. only thinking about his job. This girl though.. Red.. the thought of her being near him, made him turn red, a sensation which is hard for him to feel, yet it had been happening so many times that day.

After Karasu had slightly gotten his cheeks to a red color she explained that she had to be specifically near him for it to work, she gave him the option of having her sit on his lap. Of course he could take the weight, and as much as his brain told him to keep the information to himself, his heart.. it claimed for more. He ignored his thoughts against her option, and focused only on what he wanted.

Karasu nodded, a small part of him wanted to know what it was like to be invisible, but the majority of him.. well he wanted her close to him.He wanted to feel how she felt like, how warm she was.

"No offense to you, but I doubt someone with your figure-" Karasu stopped himself, he had just given her a compliment he was trying not to blurt out. He tried to refine himself, trying to clear his throat. "I don't think you look very heavy."

To be perfectly honest, Red hadn't been one hundred percent sure how Karasu would react to being propositioned in such a way. I mean, it wasn't every day that one offered to share their devil fruit power. It was even more seldom that a random girl in a bar asked permission to sit in your lap.
In fact, Red was normally a little reserved about using the Suke Suke no Mi's power for the entertainment of others and despite any overly flirtacious vibes that she might have given off, Red wouldn't normally plop herself into any man's lap.

The hazy drunkeness that was now washing over her like a tidal wave, however, was cutting back her common sense and spurring on her primal wants and needs.
The question had been playful but it masked a genuine desire to feel her newly made friend's strong body against hers.
Red raised an eyebrow at his response. For a moment, it sounded like he was about to compliment her figure but he quickly back-tracked his words.
So he was a little shy too? And a gentleman?

Red smiled widely, rising out of her seat.
Karasu truly was perfect, in her eyes.
Not only did he have an alluring, rather sexy air of mystery and intimidation about him but he was also a gentleman, bashful and sweet and not extremely forward with his feelings.
To the whip-wielding pirate, this was the ideal mixture.
She put a hand on her hip. "Oh, you don't think I look heavy?"
Reiko Fujiwara beamed, walking around the table to him, her hips swaying at each step. "Aren't you just a sweetheart? Thank you so much. If I may say, you look very strong and built, Karasu so I don't think you'll have much trouble managing my body either..."
The beer definitely laced her words but Red couldn't care at this point. She stumbled a little as she walked over him, realising very well that she was quite drunk at this stage.
Despite this, Red only giggled at herself and came to stand in front of Karasu, bending over to lean on the handle of his chair. "Here, let me show you what it feels like to be a Suke Suke user..."
Red delicately sat down upon his lap, gently looping her arms around his neck and allowing his bare skin to touch hers.

The feeling was...intoxicating.
His skin was warm against hers but not to hot to bear. His skin, despite being so firm and muscled, was also soft to touch. As she leaned closer to him- his chest pressing against hers- Red could feel his heartbeat within his broad chest. Her own heart started to pound in her chest and the heat started rise in her face again.
The alcohol that tainted her blood spurred her on and smiling a little shyly, she edged forward, resting her forehead against Karasu's, letting her fruit-fuelled powers take effect and whispering: "We're invisible now. Nobody else in the bar can see either of us..."

Karasu could barely contain himself. At first, she made a very unique posture as she sat down, which was very sexy in Karasus eyes. But when she stood up and walked the extra length to Karasu, he could've sworn her hips looked almost perfect at that moment. There was something with the way she walked, the way she talked, the way she sat down, that attracted Karasu to her. Not only that, but she seemed to handle herself very well both in fighting.. and in grabbing Karasus attention. Most of these feelings started to leek out of Karasu, the alcohol now in his system being the cause of all this. It was almost like the alcohol lead Karasu to show his feelings, rather then bottling it all up.

When she stretched out to sit on Karasus lap, time had frozen down. The area around him seemed to almost stop, and before he knew it his face had gotten red yet again.. this was a record for Karasu. Her light skin tempted him to feel its warmth once again, and he closer she got.. the closer he found himself moving. Once she sat on his lap, Karasu could have sworn sugar had rushed though his blood, and electricity had shocked his heart.

Her words were.. luring. Such a figure, her hips seemed to curve in just the right way, her hair seemed to look all the more blood like the more Karasu looked at it, and the more he looked into her eyes.. the more he could find himself living in a world with no pain, with no need for Karasu to be the one to ease suffering.

Karasu didn't know it yet, but he had quite a crush on her. She was luring to him, and above all knew how to communicate with the assassin.. her words were among the few that reach Karasus ears and maintain themselves inside of them.

Once her arms moved around Karasus neck he couldn't help but smile, at the shock in his system.. it was addicting to have this feeling inside of him, so addicting.. that he wouldn't mind having a daily doze. His heart was pounding against his chest, and when her chest felt his he could've sworn he felt her own heartbeat on his.. and it was strong, but why did this make Karasu feel better? He could've sworn he was among the few that simply shouldn't care. These thoughts of being cold and alone, left the moment she sat on his lap and put her arms around him. He couldn't believe just how right this all felt to him. When she put her forehead against his she whispered that they were invisible, her words where what echoed in his thoughts. When she was that close, the alcohol and the need for more kicked in on Karasus thoughts and action took over.

"So you say we can't be seen... then I guess nobody would see this."

Karasu moved his forehead upwards, thinking the same would happen with her. In the spur of the moment she laid out for him, his lips tried to touch hers. He was not thinking, only acting, trying not to reveal anything.. while at the same time trying to reveal everything. To him, this felt so right.. he couldn't not act on it. her lips looked so soft.. and luring, he could not do anything less. After he kissed her (if they did), he looked straight at her eyes. He felt guilty, but at the same time time not guilty, like a hunter that killed an animal he wasn't supposed to kill.. but it was to save himself.

"Reiko Fujiwara, I apologize for that.. my instincts took over at the spur of the moment, but if i had to choose.. I would do it again."

Red blinked, her breathing just about stopping.
In the split second that his lips touched hers- it felt as if her entire world had just come to a grinding halt.

A kind of electricity leapt from the clandestine assassin's lips to hers, the warmth of his breath and the soft, tenderness of the kiss taking the red-haired thief over completely.

She tilted her head and allowed her lips to meet his, stunned when he engaged in such an action but secretly delighted all the same.
It was undeniable to her, at this point, that she had developed some feelings- be they merely lustful or deeper- for Karasu and the alcohol, combined with these powerful feelings motivated her to be daring.

So what if they barely knew each other yet?
Red was simply ecstatic that he returned her intimate interests.
The part of her that retained some sense was begging her to leave now.
She was on the run, technically, after all. Perhaps Karasu hadn't killed all of the marines that had been chasing her and reinforcements were on the way? And what of that bounty hunter that they had mentioned?

Red swallowed and with the help of the booze, pushed those thoughts to the furthest corner of her mind, returning to the here and now- the point at which it most longed to be.
No other moment mattered as much.
Nothing else mattered.

Karasu's gentlemanly and hesitant apology echoed in Red's ears for a moment as she stared into his beautiful hazel eyes, aware only of his words, his breathing, his scent and the beat of his heart.

She shook her head, her freshly-kissed lips curving into a scarlet smile as her fingers moved to toy with the ends of his silvery hair.
Red giggled under her breath. "A little mischievous, aren't we? I like that."

"Karasu Ammo," she whispered gently, gingerly touching her forehead to his. "You've done nothing wrong. In fact, I greatly enjoy the feeling of your lips against mine..."
Red's eyelids lowered, her cheeks flushed pink with anticipation. "And I think I'd quite like to feel them against mine again..." She lifted a hand to cup his face. "Please permit me to repeat your actions..."

Those words said to prologue her actions, she leaned down once more and re-connected their lips. She hadn't expected the first one, so her response had been shy and delicate-however this time, she allowed herself to be more passionate.
She tenderly massaged Karasu's lips with her own, pressing herself closer to him as she deepened the kiss.

Karasu tenderly put his arms around her waist, relinquishing himself to her every action. Once the first kiss had ended, she asked for another.. her voice seemed more pure and luring then before.. it almost spoke to Karasu in a way that connected him to her thoughts. In the moment their second kiss connected, he thought the world had no meaning anymore. his thoughts focused on her.. and her alone. Everything else seemed almost gone, responsibilities were no longer there, and his past no longer haunting him.. the moment, was only the moment. Nothing else had existed before then.

When they finished the second passionate release of emotions Karasus eyes could not stop looking directly at hers, he almost seemed deep in thought as his eyes looked directly into her Sapphire resembling eyes. Her figure and hourglass shape only made Karasu wrap his arms around that side even more, focusing on the exact area her curves seemed noticeable.

Once the second round was over, his lips felt like the joy of his life, the feeling unexplainable by simple words. The only word he could think about was the energy transferred to him through her lips, it was almost like he had become alive again.. after being dead for so long.

He tried to shake the feeling off, but it maintained itself even after they finished. It was obvious to Karasu, by this point, that their passion was not in the moment.. but of the past bottling up into a single moment to signal the countless to come. Karasu tried to conceal himself, and it seemed perfect.. the moment, her figure, her past resembling his own, her voice, how she reacted to him.. but then a sudden appearance struck him out of the moment, and very suddenly.

A few more marines walked inside the bar, and moved around in quite a hurry. Their eyes were probing the room to look for any sign of the women they think was responsible for the disappearances of the many marines sent after her. Karasu of course tried not to move, to avoid giving any hint of their location. However, now he was stuck in the position they were in. They had two choices, they could either try to sneak past them (since they couldn't exactly turn visible, they could move past them) or stay in the position they were at, Karasus heart was pounding every second they stood this closely. The alcohol was not wearing off, but his inner thoughts of maintaining integrity were now harassing his mind. Her body was so close to Karasu he could smell her, which had an aroma which hypnotized Karasu into believing he was in a forest filled with natural, flowery aromas. Karasu tried to whisper in her ear, the marines would not hear it.

"Red, we need a plan.. I can't get caught, what do you suggest we do? You're the one that understands your powers the best after all."

For both options there was a chance for them to get caught, neither Karasu or Red knew if the marines would sit right on the side table they were on, or if they would hear them while they were running away.. both would require luck, since Karasu knew he couldn't be seen in public, especially not with his diamond earring, the thing that tells other marines he is a Warlord of the Sea.

"Choose quick, soon they'll be too close for me to whisper anymore." In the position they were in his face was instinctively turning red, thank god he was invisible.. or that action would seem very obvious to Red.

After Karasu parted from their second gentle kiss, Red's lips were still tingling from the intimate sensations.

She could feel his muscular arms wrapped deftly around her waist, his hands expertly finding rest in the contours of her body and her heart was hammering so fast that she could've sworn that it was no longer simply beating- just vibrating in her chest with each stilted, desire-laced breath that passed from her trembling lips.

Beneath the fantasmic thoughts racing through her mind, partly sculpted by the several bottles of rum, grog and mead, Red's more sensible side was begging to be heard.
Though despite that part of her, screaming for the young pirate woman not to trust this man, to jump off of his lap and run away before it was too late, Red could not obey it.

Reiko Fujiwara was truly enchanted by the strong silver-haired man who held her. Every slope and curve of his well-muscled body was perfect and felt exquisite beneath her fingertips as she ran her hands along his shoulders, neck and back, caressing him through the cloth of his clothes.
The scent that clung to his soft hair, warm skin and clothes was intoxicatingly delicious, as was his taste.

Red knew that she wasn't thinking straight but at that very moment, she wanted nothing more than to kiss him again and to continue kissing him, invisible and in that bar until daylight came.

Part of her was afraid to give herself to a man so easily again.
She had her heart shattered by men on the sea before- and in return and revenge, she had broken the hearts of many men, knowingly.
Part of her was terrified to get involved with a man ever again. She had sworn one day to find love but Red knew that the men who lived upon the sea could be as heartless and ever-changing as the great sea itself.
Finding a lasting relationship as a pirate could be as difficult as finding the One Piece itself.

That said, Red wasn't prepared to kid herself that any "relations" that she could ever have with Karasu would merely be a meaningless one night stand or fling that she had had with other sailors before.
No.
Karasu was different.
He would remain in her memories forever.

He was just what she had always admired in a man.
Strong and confident.
Understanding. A good fighter and marksman. A man who knew his weapons.
Sensible and smart.
Good for conversation.
A fun drinking buddy. Handsome and charming...Courageous...

For what seemed like an eternity- but what might have just been a few seconds or so- Red gazed deeply into his eyes, allowing the post-kiss euphoria to slowly wear off.
In fact, Red was truly so taken with just being so close to Karasu, that it took a few moments for it to register with her what he had suddenly become so tense about.

Her eyes flicked upward and she saw the marines, her heart racing again but now in a completely different, uncomfortable way. She gritted her teeth, swearing under her breath as her survival instincts, the ones she'd fostered as an estranged teenager, on the seas alone, kicked in. Even though she was rather drunk, Red knew that this could only end badly for the two of them if they were caught.

Even if Karasu had no previous convictions- he had still killed forty or so marines for the sake of a wanted pirate.
Red's heart sank when the thought came upon her that she could be the reason for his arrest and taking his hand, she rose to her feet without dropping her invisibility.

"Alright, Karasu," she whispered in his ear, tugging him to stand and eyeing the impending, approaching marines. "I can get us out of here but if you lose contact with my skin, you'll become visible again. Please stay close to me."
Her head was spinning but the need to escape forced some sobriety into her.

Red gently but firmly tugged Karasu's wrist and beckoned him to follow her as she silently and invisibly weaved a path through the marines, careful not to brush against any single one of them.
The problem, however, arose, when they got to the door.

Hoping that no one was watching, Red slowly turned the tavern-door handle and guided Karasu to slip out after her- praying that anyone who saw the door slamming behind them would think it was the wind or ghosts of some kind.

The cool night air nipped at Red's skin and sent her stomach reeling but she shook it off, lacing her fingers tightly with Karasu's own fingers before starting to run towards the darkened jungle with him.

"I haven't got anywhere that we can stay," she told him between laboured breaths. "My last crew left with the only means of transportation I had to get off this island and I haven't booked a room in an inn. There are some caves by the waterline though...we could always take shelter in one of them..."

Red had to admit that the plan wasn't ideal but it was the best one that she could come up with, drunk and under pressure.

He felt her fingers grappling around his wrist, which was in his mind something else all together. They were still connecting, which put Karasus thoughts around her alone. Normally Karasu would be more worried about being caught, much more worried, but that night, with Red, his thoughts were more focused on her then the situation. Part of him wished that both Red and Karasu would stay in the position they were in, but the side with logic above emotions told him to leave with her.

While they were connecting Karasu could barely move with her plan, the booze was ultimately taking its time sobering him up. Once they made their way through the door, or rather the two nicely crafted pieces of wood side by side, Karasu found that the night air had slapped his face. The warm bar was almost tempting enough to come back too, but Karasu realized the only reason he was this cold.. was because his body was still to warm compared to the air outside.

To anyone that would feel Karasus forehead they would think he had a fever. His skin was much warmer then it is supposed to be, the better part of the situation was that this was not caused because he was sick, but because his booze had taken his self control towards Red, the little that he had to maintain himself with integrity. Karasu was red, because Reiko Fujiwara was indeed someone he had too many feelings towards to control himself, especially without being sober.

Eventually the night air sobered him up slowly, giving him the realization of the situation he was in. Red gave a great idea, to stay somewhere for the rest of the night. The caves seemed great, nobody would find them.. but he just happened to remember at that instant something that sober Karasu would have realized the moment they saw the marines. Karasu already had a perfect place to hide, his submarine which was miles away from shore. He was only worried about how she would react if he mentioned the submarine he kept as a ship

"Would she think I'm just trying to kidnap her? or would Reiko conjure up something more devastating?" Karasu thought to himself whether it was worth mentioning or not, but the situation called for action. He had to make sure they were safe for the night, and he was not going to leave her on her own. He tried to think of a way to casually bring it up, most of the booze had taken its first affect on Karasu, but his judgement and thinking patterns were still severely affected. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting the cool night air course through his lungs, and exhaling it into warmer air.

"I think I have a better idea, if you're interested that is.." Karasu put a brief pause on the proposal, giving Red a moment to ready herself in case it was one of those lines Red did not cross.

"I have a Submarine, and I'm willing to share it for the night with you, the only catch is.. it would only be you and me in the sub." Karasus face was no longer red, but inside he was filled with anticipation. He didn't know why the thought of him and Red alone in a room filled him with the want and need for it, some unknown force was pushing his heart forward, and holding his mind back.

While he asked this he unconsciously walked in the direction of the beach, eventually reaching it. The moon was still giving its reflection to the ocean, and the light from it gave the sea a small glow to it, gentle. Small amounts of stars could be seen on the water, that's how the water looked like as it was moving and small bits of light shot out from it.

Karasu walked towards the beach, letting Red's hand go in the process and stopped inches away from where the water and the sand met. Karasu took out his hand.

"Come with me if your answer is yes, we'll walk through these still waters." Karasu was hoping Red would grab his hand and trust him with the duty of taking her to his submarine, which could barely be seen in the distance as a small black dot. What Red did not know, was that Karasu already knew Soru, the technique that will allow him to reach his ship while 'walking' on the water. Of course, Karasu was hoping Red would come with him to his ship. If she agreed, Karasu would take her hand gently and help her on his back. Once he could feel her gentle breath behind his ears, he would move past the waters in Soru speeds, eventually reaching the ship by jumping on the deck/ceiling of the sub.

"I hope I'm not moving to fast for you.. in more ways then one."

Red blinked at Karasu's proposition, her eyes widening at his words and her heart leaping into her throat. 

She hadn't quite imagined that the handsome, silver-haired stranger would invite her into his own territory so soon. Red wasn't naive by any means. She knew that it wasn't common practice for a man to invite a woman back to his personal vessel for the sake of mere chivalry and even though Reiko was a beyond tipsy at that moment in time, she still had enough clear thought to remember that. 

However, just the very way that Karasu had put forward the question...purged Red's mind of all doubt. He had phrased the idea so innocently and formally, despite the drink that he'd taken in, as if he was afraid of offending her in some way. 
He was also leaving the choice, completely and totally up to her- rather than trying to coerce her into coming on to the boat, taking advantage of her. It was a morbid thought (even though Red quite loved being overpowered by a man in a very desiring way) but Karasu was extremely strong and doubtless if all came to all, he could have easily taken her by force. 

No, there was something so hesitant and careful about the way Karasu spoke- offering her residence on his submarine despite her being a wanted woman who could easily draw the marines upon him- that made Red instantly want to trust him. 

She allowed him to bring her to the beach, right up to the water's edge. As usual, the sight of the ocean took her breath away but she was careful to stay out of the path of the salt-water waves that washed ashore- after all, she didn't want to collapse from weakness from contact with seawater when her legs felt so weak with dizzy feelings of joy and anticipation as it was. 

Red looked up at Karasu, still holding on to his wrist as the fresh night air blew past them both. Though her stomach still bubbled and her heart still hammered, she felt her nerves dissolving and smiling, she responded.

"Karasu, I know that this probably sounds stupid but I really trust you," she told him, looking up and into his charming light brown eyes with earnest. "And I feel like you wouldn't do anything to abuse that trust." Red smiled wider, her fingertips loosening on his wrist and starting to slide down to his palm. "And I promise that I'll do nothing to abuse your trust in me." She took his hand gently, slowly lacing her fingers with his. "Thank you for this generous offer. You really are very kind and charming. Like a real prince...rescuing me and then taking me in like this..." Red giggled slightly at her own fluffy, childish compliment and then gave Karasu's hand a squeeze. "I'd love nothing more than to join you on your submarine, Karasu-kun." Her tone softened and a light blush came to her cheeks. "Even if it will be just you and me." 




Red could no longer deny the desire and anticipation that burned inside her. The idea of being alone with Karasu, (even submerged and surrounded by water), ignited nothing but pure excitement within her.
Any fear that she had- whether the alcohol was to blame or not- was fast leaving her body and being replaced by powerful feelings that went beyond simple lust or curiosity. It was like every fibre of her being longed for the handsome, mysterious but noble man who stood at her side. 

She looked up at Karasu Ammo again, recalling that he had mentioned something about walking through the water. Red swallowed, her stomach clenching a little. 

"We...we can't touch the water though...I'm a devil fruit user and so are you..." Red tilted her head, feeling rather confused but also that Karasu, resourcefully clever as he appeared, had a trick up his sleeve. "How will we get to the submarine without collapsing from weakness?"
Her hand remained in his, her fingers lightly brushing against his own and trembling slightly with anticipation.

Red allowed herself to be helped on to Karasu's strong back and she gently encircled his neck with her arms, firmly enough to support herself but loosely enough as to not choke Karasu or hinder his breathing. 

"Not that I should have much fear of falling," she thought to herself, looking out at the gentle waters that mirrored the night-sky and wondering what exactly her hero planned to do. "He's so strong..."

In fact Red was just admiring Karasu's muscular form, her head resting on one of his shoulders, when suddenly the dark and mysterious man leapt from where they stood and took off running across the water. 

Red let out a small cry of surprise as he moved at the speed of light, his feet skimming the waves as easily as ordinary earth. 
The red haired thief was truly beguiled. She had never seen the Soru speeds used before and was unsure whether or not she had just witnessed science or sorcery. 

"Woah...that was amazing...," she breathed as she dismounted his back, looking to him with wonder. "What was that?" 
Red looked around the deck, smiling. "Very nice sub you've got here, Karasu-kun...though I don't have much standard to compare it to; I've never been on a submarine before..." 

Her eyes followed out on to the waves in the direction of the shore, her next words slipping from her lips before she could stop them and consequently bringing a pinkness to her cheeks once more. Her voice softened as she spoke and she slowly took Karasu's hand once more. "This isn't too fast for me at all...in any way." 

Her eyes drifted back to look up into his, light brown meeting deep blue once more. "Maybe you could give me a tour of your submarine?" Her lips curved into a gentle but playful smile. 

Karasu looked towards the moon as he answered her question, while doing this she seemed to be looking at the shoreline they left behind. This scene made it look like Red was looking far into the earth, while Karasu looked high into the moon. The moon seemed full of life, the light from it was shining back to the waters. It was bright enough to be a star, and big enough for Karasu to see some of the details on it. He answered her question, knowing she would understand, but made sure to keep the details out.. until they met again.

"It's called Soru, a technique that's pretty fast.. but incredibly hard to turn." Karasu made it as simple as he could, the words casually left his mouth. His tone was still a little playful, but not like a few moments ago when he was sober. This time, the playfulness was more teasing then cautious.

Karasu asked her before if he was moving too fast for her, but she countered with a no. To him, this was a relief for some reason. An unknown hand was pushing his heart faster. A smile casually crept on Karasus face, he was certainly happy he wasn't moving too fast.. and knew that the women trusted him enough to move back to his submarine.

Red asked him if she could have a tour of the submarine. Karasu started putting up the lid, and took out his hand to help her with the steep ladder going straight to the ground of the sub. The outside was made of Black tungsten, but it was the inside that was a bit more interesting, since it was 23m long. Once Red went inside the submarine Karasu followed shortly after, closing the lid to the outside by instinct. He looked around, trying to figure out which part of the ship to start explaining first.. he had to choose the kitchen, since it was the nearest at the time. Moving towards the end of the ship, Karasu opened a door to show a room filled almost like a closet, barrels of fruit and bags of edible food organized in packs. On the edge of the kitchen laid a stove to cook on, but it looked like nobody had used it for a long time. Karasu was not a very good cook.. although he didn't know this because he had no taste buds.

"This is the kitchen, I choose to restock with foods that last without cooking, or that already come cooked.. I was advised to do this by a few old friends."

Karasu walked behind her, allowing her to grasp the picture of the dimply light room he puts bags of food in every once in awhile. There was no stench in the room, but it did smell of a variety of foods. He moved towards the six rooms laid out. Three doors were put out in each wall with several meters separating them. One room seemed to be occupied, since the door was locked. Karasu had forgotten a very important detail.

"I have a pet, he's a vulture.. but he's really well trained, he's a heavy sleeper after working hard, so you have to wait to see him." Karasu walked a little farther past the black metal hallway into another door, opening it and showing Red Karasus room. He only left the door open for her to see, although there wasn't much there but the gry room, a Den Den Mushi, and a big comfortable bed laid out in the center of the room.

"This, is my room. For some reason I can't seem to sleep in the other rooms, I guess it's a habit now to sleep under those covers."

Karasu walked back into the hallway, pointing at the control room just a few steps from Karasus room. All of the buttons and levers, along with the steering wheel should have told her what that was without the need for an introduction. Those windows were currently underwater, only showing the little top of the submarine from the surface. Right now the ocean could be seen from under the water, fishes moving around the ship unknowing of the two watching them.

Karasu looked back at her, and for a second lost all of his senses, focusing on how beautiful Red looked when the glistening of the ocean hit her in just the right angle. He looked at her, knowing he had made the right decision in putting her on his ship, and positioned his hand to slightly touching her cheek, he then casually moved it down to her chin and moved it upwards. Without saying anything he was about to plant another kiss, but before he could he snapped out of it, and stopped centimeters from her red lips. He was so lost in her beauty, he had lost himself in the process. He found himself, before he could finish what he was about to do.

Now, his eyes were meeting hers, he tried to fight the urge to continue, her blue eyes.. they were darker then the ocean, which gave them the amount of mystery Karasu longed for. Her eyes had power to them, which was exactly what Karasu wanted in a women. She seemed dangerous, which strangely gave Karasu more cravings. The booze was trying to win over his senses, and for awhile he thought it would win.

He slowly backed away from her lips, they never touched.. yet Karasu still put his tongue around the lips that had almost touched hers.. trying to remember the affect it had before, where his heart could not stop pounding on his chest. He continued talking, trying to ignore it like it never happened, a slight blush appearing on his cheeks.

"There are five rooms you could choose from, the other is locked, which one would you like to sleep in for the night?"

Strangely enough, Karasu had said five rooms instead of four. He knew it felt like he said it right, but there was a part of him questioning the math it was so accustomed to doing. There was two rooms taken (one by him), and five that were free to use.. yet there was only six rooms in the ship. Karasu kept contemplating what he had just said, but he never fixed the sentence. To him, it sounded just right the way he said it.

The door to his room was left open.

"Why is my heart racing from such a trivial question?"(Karasus thoughts)

The red-haired thief repeated the word under her breath, taking in what she had just been told. "Soru. That's interesting." 

Normally, if she hadn't been so partly drunk, the red-haired woman would have been a little inquisitive about this very intriguing skill and probably would have probed Karasu for more facts. However, the alcohol and the numb, dizzy giddiness that came from being around the talented silver-haired man simply made her eager to climb inside and to start exploring. 

Red looked around the submarine as she was shown around, her eyes darting from polished black wall to polished black wall and examining every room with excited interest. 
"Wow, this place is amazing! I honestly wouldn't mind travelling around the Grand Line in this," she exclaimed, listening to Karasu as he took her for a detailed, engaging tour of his underwater vessel. 

He showed her the kitchen first and Red looked around at the selection of pre-cooked and non-perishable goods with a raised eyebrow and a slight chuckle. 
"Well, I'm guessing you're not much of a cook? Or a connisseur of foods?" Red giggled, running a finger down the frame of the door as she continued to look around the kitchen. "I wasn't much of a cook when I was younger but after my parents were executed..." Red shrugged. "I was kind of forced to learn to fend for myself. Now, I'm actually pretty good at cooking! I've gone through long periods of time without being on a crew and having a ship's cook to satisfy my dietary needs so I've learned from folks here and there how to make something edible and tasty to keep myself happy." 
Red winked up at Karasu, giving him a little nudge. "I could cook for you sometime if you'd like." 

As they moved on and she was shown more rooms, he mentioned a pet vulture that he had on board with him. Red blinked, arching her eyebrows but grinning all the same. 
"That's a pretty unusual pet. Most sea-faring men would often have a parrot. A vulture is really cool though, Karasu-kun!" she squealed with a smile before quietening her tone, (as well as she could with a few bottles of beer in her). "I'd like to meet him some time. I love animals. I'll do my best not to annoy your vulture though. If he's a hard-working bird, he deserves his rest." 
Karasu's choice of animal companion, once again, displayed what a unique person he was. 

"One of a kind,"Red thought, with a sigh- reminded once again that the chances of meeting a man like Karasu Ammo ever again were pretty darn slim. 

Red smiled as her tall dark companion showed her to the final room- his room. 
She looked around, taking in the sudden feeling of comfort and warmth that washed over her. It was a cosy room that wasn't overly ornate or densely furnished and the buttons, levers and steering wheel were definitely a not-so-everyday sight that gave his choice of sleeping chamber a unique flair.

Hoping that she wouldn't come off as too nosy, Red wandered inside and over to one of the windows. The beauty of the water, penetrated by the soft, ethereal light of the night-sky and the fishes- in a myriad of different colours and shapes- were sights that she, as a Devil Fruit user, never really got to see. 

She giggled again, placing a hand on the glass of the window...feeling like she was being given the chance to give up the worst part of her Devil Fruit power and could be underwater once more. It was Karasu who was granting her this chance too- and for that, she felt extremely grateful. Perhaps it was irrational that she did but she truly did have other reasons to be grateful for meeting him. 
"Thank you, great gods of the sea," she silently confessed. "Thank you for letting me meet Karasu." 

Just as she was thinking this, her heart gave a flutter as Karasu's hand suddenly grazed her cheek. She looked up at him, raising a single crimson brow in question but saying nothing- her heart starting to beat faster as his hand delicately traced down her cheek, taking her chin in his fingers and guiding her to look up at him. 

Reiko normally viewed herself as a strong, independant woman who knew how to take control of a situation and often, she found herself being the one to "run the show" so to speak when it came to any intimacy. 

However, maybe that's why Red loved it when she met a man who was willing to confidently take control of her. She almost felt like she had met her match in Karasu, she knew for a fact that he was a powerful man and wanted nothing more than to feel his power for herself. 

Red's breathing started to quicken as Karasu's face neared hers. She felt her face heat up and a warmth completely engulf her. She could see every inch of the perfect, pale, porcelain skin of his face and how almost inhumanely- how almost divinely- handsome he was. The blackness of the clothes that stretched so perfectly across his broad, toned yet slender body served as a perfect contrast to this beautiful snowy skin. His glinting eyes, filled with mystery yet also warmth and flecked with gold in the depths of light brown, and his hair, soft and silvery as the light of the moon above, gave him the appearance of an angel. 

A dark, mysterious, powerful wingless angel. 

"He's going to kiss me," Red thought, suddenly feeling the same lightness and warmth that had taken over her before, take her over again. 
Closing her eyes gently and preparing for the kiss, she leaned into his touch, waiting for him. 

But the kiss never happened. 
Some kind of change of mind seemed to take place within Karasu and he parted from her, moving away again. 

Red was about to feel upset and disappointed, however the way his eyes bore deeply into hers, seemed to reassure her that part of him had wanted to kiss her just as much as she had wanted him to kiss her. 
Her lips quivered from feeling his hot breath against them and her face still tingled where he had touched her. 


Before she could dwell on the remaining  imprints of ecstasy that he had left on her and the sinking feeling of disappointment at the fact that they hadn't shared yet another tantalizing kiss, Karasu put a question to her, regarding where she'd like to sleep. 

At this point, Red was still quite drunk, but she still noticed something rather significant in the way that he phrased the question. The way that he had numbered the rooms implied that...she had the option...of choosing [i]his[i/] room too? 

Reiko fell quiet for a moment and then looked to Karasu, guided by the booze into allowing her heart- not her slick sense or wit- to do the talking. 

"Well," she said quietly, taking a step towards him. "Truthfully..." Red sighed, giving him a bemused smile. "This probably going to sound like the stupidest thing I've said all night but..." She shrugged, shuddering a little. "This is my first time being on a submarine and I'm a little frightened of being so surrounded by sea-water..." Her eyes dropped. "My greatest fear...after what happened to my brother...and being a fruit user...is of  drowning..." 

Her eyes still lowered, she moved closer to him, lifting a hand to trace his firm jaw, her fingertips skimming his well crafted cheek before trailing down his neck and coming to rest on his broad chest. 
She could feel his hard pectorals beneath the cloth of his shirt and her blood started to race. 

Red looked up at Karasu, still speaking softly. "If you don't want me to, I won't be insulted but..." She smiled gently. "I think I'd...like to stay here with you...I feel very safe...and happy with you...Karasu." 

She giggled, parting from him and sitting on the soft sheets of the bed, running her hands along the smooth surface. "Not to mention that this bed looks amazingly comfy...You must sleep very well here..."

Red smirked a little, unbuttoning her jacket and shrugging it off before unclipping her Kurenai whip from the belt of her Daisy Duke shorts. It was a little too warm for a jacket in the submarine and she trusted the handsome young man who had taken her under his wing so there was no need for her to be armed. 

She folded her things up neatly and placed them on the floor beside the bed before standing up and walking over to him again, hips swaying at each step. "Have you got any wine in your kitchen?" Red smiled. "Even if you don't want me sharing your room, I think we should have one more drink together before bed-time..." 

She looked up at him, almost a little saddened for a moment as she asked him softly. 
"Does it ever get cold and lonely here, Karasu?"

 

He was glad she was somewhat of a cook, since now he didn't have to spend as much money on foods he was only told were edible. Bare mushrooms and leaves with herbs were among the foods on the sacs, none were very good when eaten, but they were definitely edible without consequences.

He was happy, but why would he think of her cooking for him at a time like this? She had asked him if she could, but why would he care if he couldn't taste it? The thought of her cooking for him, made him happy.. yet he didn't have a logical reason for it.

Karasu was struck by how horrible her life was before this day. Her life must've been filled with anger, and the coldness to the heart that only come with bitterness.. much like Karasu. Her life was indeed something Karasu could relate to, having lost so many people that were important to her life, but unlike Karasu.. he at least had someone survive the past, his father. From what she was explaining, she was alone.

She had a comment over his vulture, how unusual it was for him to have a pet like that, the common knowledge of pirates entitled parrots instead of other birds, but Karasus Vulture was another case, especially with the ability it had. She had also used the word 'Karasu-kun', which brought him a smile. He had never been called that before, probably since his only friends were not the '-kun' type. On her though, it was a word he could enjoy.

After his sudden loss of control he tried to hear what Red had to say, he wanted to hear her answer more then anything. His thoughts focused on that moment, ignoring all the other small details going on around him. He only focused on the now, and not the later. Her answer, to which room she would be staying in, was his own. She was scared of being underwater, and needed company. She placed her warm fingers on his jaw, and traced it down to his chest, and followed the sequence with words that gave Karasu a slight jolt. She was happy with him, and felt safe with him.

She walked back to the bed and made herself comfortable, taking off her jacket and relinquishing her whip to the table. Somehow, looking at her figure made Karasu doze off, even if it was for a second. Her body.. he couldn't stop thinking about the strange curves that allowed him to gawk at them. She was perfect in appearance, even her cleavage, the little that was shown, gave Karasu goosebumps which his cloak was hiding well.

She asked him to get wine before, something he had forgotten for the seconds he stood analyzing her body from his door step, his hand on his chin. He forced his legs to start walking in the direction of the kitchen, eventually reaching the sad looking sacs of food on the kitchen. He put aside the sacs of food to find a box that was neatly placed to be hidden. He opened the small box/crate to find a few wine bottles, each with different years to them.. the oldest one he had, was more then 100 years old. He picked it up, and brought the fine wine to Red whom was still waiting in his room. He made sure to include the two wine glasses he keeps with the wines, after all that's how wine SHOULD be tasted.

Once he arrived in his room, he took off the cap of the wine bottle, and poured Reds glass half full. His own glass had a little more to it, only because he knew how thirsty he was, but he did not know how much Red wanted. Karasu had no idea that the wine he had just chosen was branded illegal for its powerful effects, and the abuse of it would normally kill a normal man within a few drinks. Getting drunk would be the least of the worries, remembering what happened the night before would be the big issue. The Wine was specifically made to be powerful, however the company that made it might have gone a bit too far. The age of the wine only made it stronger.

She asked him, as he was pouring, if he ever felt cold and lonely underneath the ocean. His eyes casually glanced off into the wine, bright red, as he placed his hand on the bottom of the finely grafted glass cup, rotating the liquid inside slowly.

"I feel lonely every day, but it comes with what I do. I could deal with the coldness of this place, if I had someone I could hold to keep myself warm."

Karasu took a slow drink of his wine, not knowing the power it had, once he was half finished he put it down and saw the world in a completely different manner. His cheeks suddenly got a bit red, and his eyes constantly wondering without focusing on anything. He picked up the wine once again, and continued to take a swig until every last bit of alcohol was gone from his cup. Now he was surely wasted, and his emotions had become the part of him that he secretly wished was his major part. He was himself, without being held back by his inner voice of right and wrong.

Karasu walked over to Red, placing his hands on her cheek again. He moved it downwards to her chin, and pushed his lips against hers. He didn't care, at that moment, whether or not she would hate him afterwards. His feelings overwhelmed him once he felt her soft, wet lips on his own. He instinctively took off his coat, and his shirt. No scars were seen around his body, only well 'cut' muscles that showed the details of every muscle. He slowly placed his hands around her hip as he gently planted another kiss on her lips, in the moment and world he was in, her opinion afterwards was not important.. only his want for her to be with him, and to feel and taste her. His sense of right and wrong, had already left with the wine glass.

"Reiko Fujiwara, I want you to be mine.."

Red happily accepted a glass of finely-aged looking red wine, bowing her head to Karasu in thanks as she swirled the liquid around the glass, sitting back down on the bed.
She sniffed it a little, watching the tall handsome man as he spoke.
Karasu words truly struck her heart like a well-aimed arrow, piercing her and filling her with both pity and respect for him. He seemed like such a dark, enigmatic, powerful and strong-willed man yet the way he spoke of being isolated due to his lifestyle and cold in his loneliness.

She took a sip of the wine, the taste seeming to purge her of all self-restraint, ensnaring her senses and taking over every inch of her tongue.
All she could taste was the rustic, vintage taste and its unique bitter edge. It truly was a delicious wine but Red knew straightaway upon drinking it that it was more powerful a wine than most of its kind.
But Red kept sipping and swigging from the glass.

After all, red was the colour- in her mind- of power and passion and if a good red wine couldn't evoke both, well that would just be disappointing for Reiko.

Red looked over to Karasu, her heart thudding and her brow arching with sympathy for him. She suddenly ached to hold him, to comfort him...and there was a kind of suggestiveness in his voice that made her want to do a whole lot more to keep him warm and in company.
She finished the powerful potion cradled in her hand, taking in the sweet, vermillion liquid between her equally red lips.

She opened her mouth as she placed the glass aside, an unspeakably unrestrained, desiring and playful force coming over her. Suddenly, Red's morality dissolved with the help of the wine and she knew exactly what she wanted.

However, before she could say anything in response to Karasu's confession, he finished his glass of wine and strode over to her. Red fell silent in the wake of his confident walk- full of conviction and power.
She melted at his touch, allowing her eyes to close at the moment he placed his hands over her blushing cheeks. He brought his hands to her chin- so dominating yet tender- and lifted her chin once more, moving his lips to cover hers.
Red froze in shock for a moment as her silent wish was granted and she was overcome by Karasu as she had been overcome by the wine.

Exhaling against his soft lips, she returned the kiss eagerly, lifting her arms and wrapping them around his neck. Intense feelings of desire had taken her over. She breathed in his sweet yet masculine scent, tasted the allure of his lips and felt the warmth of his unflawed skin.
Her eyes opened and widened as he removed his coat and shirt, revealing the strong, well-crafted muscles of his chest, shoulders and biceps to her. It was like being held in the arms of a god, she thought with awe, truly taken by the sight before her.
This was a man who had been crafted by the darkness of night and the heat of fire- his body had been forged by hard-work and toil.

Reiko's eyes scanned his perfect form and she traced his skin with her fingertips. Her hands ran all over his back, shoulders and chest, briefly running down over his abdomen before coming back up to massage of his neck.
She returned to kissing him, hungrily and passionately, her whole body feeling warmed by gentle kiss that he planted on her lips in return. Despite his intimate touch, he was being so dominant and forceful and she loved every second of it.

When he told her that he wanted her, Red's heart started to race again, her body quivering with desire and her breath coming in deep, passion-laced gasps.
She smirked gently against his lips, undoing her black corset and taking off her white blouse, leaving her only in her black lace-bra. Red pulled herself close to him, her chest pressed against his and his skin against hers.

"Well," she whispered, between kisses. "For this night and for any night you want, I could be that person to keep you warm on cold nights and to make you forget that you have to be alone...to make you forget everything but your own happiness and desires..."

Red parted from Karasu, immediately missing the sensations that being in his arms brought, as she moved back towards the bed, sitting down on the sheets and taking off her boots. She smirked up at him from under her eyelashes, without care and without restraint, folding her bare legs on to the bed beside herself.

"If you want me, Karasu Ammo, I'm all yours...I want to be made yours...," she purred, her voice dropping again to a breathy whisper. "Take me..."
She flicked her long red curls over her shoulders, leaning back and crossing her legs, anticipating what exactly he would do next with a rapidly beating heart and baited breath.

Karasu felt her lips against his own, and knew immediately what he wanted next. her figure, the more he held on to it, reminded him of a goddess. The figure on its own was enough to captivate Karasu, but her words... filled with passion, sealed him completely. The wine had already run its course, and Karasu was stuck with it.

Red felt his skin, which gave him goosebumps as he felt her hand moving through his body. His skin crawling with excitement the closer she got to his abdomen. Once she finished and returned his kiss, he continued from there holding her chin ever so slightly with his index finger and thumb. It seemed like she wouldn't hate him afterwards, and so he knew there that there was nothing wrong with what he was doing, not that he would've stopped anyways.

She took out her blouse, showing her black sting braw.. which made Karasus carvings go to an entire new level. Her skin was so pure, so perfect.. the burns seemed almost like an accessory to her, showing that she had power underneath all of that perfect physic. Her figure, was even more perfect without her blouse on. He found, that the curves were more defined without the shirt over it, and her skin more soft when it was completely bare.

Karasu walked towards Red when she had arrived to the bed, taking his time to picture her body when she made her way back. Her waist was moving perfectly as she walked, almost taunting him to follow. He moved towards her and answered her statement.

"My dear, if you would be the one for me to hold every night, you'd be the Light in my darkness, and warmth in this god forsaken place." She later took off her boots and threw them to the ground, giving Karasu the sense that she had made herself almost comfortable enough. Karasu went on top of her, the sheet of the bed still around her to prevent contact from skin to skin with his abdomen and bellow. He bent over to lay a kiss upon her mouth, putting his arms around her waist to force her a little forward, so he could enjoy the pressure of her lips against his.

When he exchanged touches with her lips, he started moving gently to the left, moving under the covers as he pushed her waist forward, so he could feel the softness of her breasts against his bare chest. He took off his pants, and everything else, and the rest of the night became a blur. Movement was made, Karasus smile and movement continued for hours, her body felt warm when it was completely bare, just like her hair gave off the most attractive of scents. Her figure, no matter how attractive with clothes on, was indescribable when it was bare, everything about her seemed perfect, even when under the sheets. This continued for hours, and his energy came from the passion he had been storing that entire night for her. He was usually on the top, but loved it more when she was.

- Next Day -

Karasu woke-up, his head hurting, absolutely no memory of anything after heading to bed. His eyes refused to look at the brightness of the room. Karasu seemed much more clear headed now, and above all.. he felt strangely relieved. He felt like something great had happened, but had no idea what it was. The reason the room was brighter then he remembered, was because the sun had decided to rise and penetrate the thin layer of water they were under, reaching Karasus eyes. He pulled his torso up, and stretched a bit before looking beside him, there was a lump on his bed.. a big one, big enough to support a human.

At first Karasu was terrified. He was about to pick-up the pistols he threw around the room last night, but before he could even reach.. he saw crimson red hair. It was dangling on the side, but he could see it. It came back suddenly, he was with Reiko last night.. Red to be more precise. He remembered feeling extremely attracted to her, but his common sense prohibited him from going any further then a drink. After the voice telling him no silenced, he remembered being a bit more lose.. and even exchanging kisses with her.

He placed his fingers on his lips, trying to remember that sensation and smiled, even without alcohol in his body he seemed happy he had done that. He then remembered her walking to his ship.. they drunk some of his wine, and after that.. nothing. He had no idea what the outcome was of the night, but he did vaguely remember her telling him that she chose to sleep in his room. That explained the mystery, but there was something else that was odd.

Karasu felt strangely cold underneath his cover, and putting it up to look at his body he realized that he was completely naked. That would explain his comfortable feeling in the bed, but why was he so happy? Was his body knowing something he wasn't? Within moments Karasu put two and two together, and realized something. His face turning completely red, not an ounce or centimeter of his face was not red, his cheeks turning especially red. He heard about things like this happening, but he had no idea how Red would react. The redness went away when he put both of his arms behind his neck, now it was just pink around his cheeks. He had learned to take control of himself and force himself to be cold about things, but in this situation it only helped to get him from extremely red, to pinkish on the cheeks. He left the cover on his legs, so nothing would be showing.

He tried not to look at where Red was, she could've been awake this entire time and he would not have found out, his mind was so blurry at the thought of such exposure to her warm and soft body for an entire night, and he could have sworn that before he woke-up his arm was around her! After he looked over at her when she was sleeping to see her red hair, he tried not to look back, not knowing if he would find her naked as well and even giving him ANOTHER reason to turn red. Looking at her figure again, when not drunk, would certainly give away his professional image. He tried to contain himself as much as possible and not look at her, she was, after all, the only women that could break Karasu with just her figure.

"I don't think i remember what happened last night.. damn, my memory is foggy."

Reiko hadn't been expecting to wake up to the feeling of laying upon soft sheets, wrapped in a warm duvet with a comfortable pillow beneath her head.

Feeling rays of sunlight, warped and refracted by the sparkling waters outside of the window, pour across her face, Red awoke but did not quite open her eyes.
Her head hurt terribly and her limbs ached, not to mention the odd, straining discomfort she felt from her bellybutton downwards.
Yet, despite her exhaustion and physical pains, Red felt a strange yet poignant feeling of...satisfaction?

She smirked as she moved on top of him, biting her crimson lip as their bodies met once more in the age-old dance made only for lovers.
She loved how his bare form looked and felt beneath her. She ran her fingers along his chest, gasping for air and marvelling at the smooth, rippling muscles beneath her touch.

Where the Hell was she?
Red slowly opened her eyes a fraction, tussling with theories as she let her vision restore itself and shift into focus.
She wasn't on the Butcher Shop anyway- she had ditched Mallory's crew yesterday.
"Right afterwards, I ran into those damn marines," she thought, blinking. "But I escaped them...didn't I? I had help though...from...him..."
Shifting a little under the blankets, her heart starting to thud as she remembered meeting the beguiling Karasu Ammo.


Eyes lidded with euphoria, she let out another cry of ecstasy as he touched her. She brought her hands to grip his broad back and shoulders, softly whispering his name as his lips met her neck.

Karasu...
Still feeling a little groggy and confused as to where exactly she was, Red brought a hand up to massage her forehead, laying back against the pillow. Why was she so exhausted? It wasn't like she'd done any fighting the night before.
Red soon found herself struggling to recall the night before, though like a leak in the hull of a ship, bit by bit, memories started to drip through.
What had happened after Karasu had saved her from those marines?
She remembered sharing a drink with him. Or rather several drinks.
She could remember talking to him about this and that. Red gritted her teeth, hoping that she hadn't said anything too incriminating about herself.
If she recalled correctly, he was very easy to talk to; he had made her feel at ease.

She quickly decided that his moans and growls of satisfaction were her new favourite symphony. The feeling that had begun to ignite between them was indescribable, as was the passion that he lavished upon her.
He was both slave and master- knowing exactly when to grant her breathily begged wishes and when to use sheer strength and impressive dominance to ensure that she fulfilled his own.

Red racked her brain, trying to remember what had happened in the bar whilst they were drinking. It was like interpreting some kind of hazy dream.
She could recall using her Clear Clear Fruit powers...but somehow Karasu had been invisible with her too?

Suddenly a blurry but powerful memory of the two of them kissing invaded Red's mind and set her face aflush again. He had been quite a good kisser if she had recalled correctly.


She brought her lips to his once more, desperately wanting to claim as much of him as possible. His scent was overwhelmingly alluring and though she knew that the delicious taste in his mouth was more than likely the wine that they'd shared, she still was prepared to swear on the Jolly Roger that he possessed a unique flavour that teased an insatiable hunger within her.

Red blinked again, trying to keep her tired eyes open and to register exactly what her surroundings were- slowly but surely piecing togther the events of the night before.
They had kissed for a while, she established first, and then they had left the bar after spotting some marines.
Then where had they gone?
Oh!
Red felt a sudden rush of elation, feeling that she had finally solved the mystery. Karasu had invited her back to his submarine, hadn't he? They had gone back to his submarine together, he showed her around, they had some wine...then what?

She loved it when he said her name and running her fingers through his silvery hair, she pleaded with him to say it again.
His form above hers was that of a god's. The dappled, silvery moonlight illuminated every line of his well-defined muscles and his perfect, snowy skin.

Red yawned a little, seeing the room properly for the first time.
There were many buttons and levers at the walls around the bed, indicating that the room was a cock-pit of sorts as far as the sub was concerned.
Didn't Karasu say that he slept in the control room?
Red smiled a little; he must have given her his room to sleep in, the sweetheart.
"Or did he?" Reiko Fujiwara suddenly thought, new and unclear images of the night before suddenly creeping into her mental vision.
If she could recall correctly, she had been the one coy enough to suggest that she stay in th room with Karasu. She hadn't expected him to agree as she had been being playful-despite her actual desires- but...he HAD agreed.

Red furrowed her brows, propping herself up on an elbow as she looked over the edge of the bed at the floor, gathering her thoughts.
She couldn't remember bidding him goodnight or changing into night-clothes of any kind...
And why, despite the sunshine outside, was the room so drafty?
Red lifted the thin sheets to button up her shirt a little more and her eyes widened in shock, her heart just about stopping and her face suddenly turning the same colour as her hair.

They had continued for what seemed like the entire night.
At one point, she noticed a twinkling beneath his silvery tresses and for the first time, saw the sparkling diamond that adorned one of his ear-lobes. She giggled between gasps, lifting a hand to stroke his face and tracing the diamond playfully.
She normally didn't like jewellery on men but for him she was willing to make an exception.
At their final, powerful, euphoric release, she could remember whispering his name almost lovingly into his ear. "K-Karasu..."

Oh...
God...

She was naked.

Red suddenly felt an unyielding feeling of shame washing over her.
She couldn't honestly say that this kind of thing hadn't happened to her before...but that was always with some random pirate from the ports, some muscle-bound punk she'd met at a bar or a marine she'd managed to seduce into letting her go.
Karasu had treated her like a true gentleman, she realised with disdain and guilt, and she'd acted like a common whore.

Red swallowed, her heart thudding and genuine panic- fuelled by her hangover- took her over. Shakily, she turned over, hoping that he was still asleep.
She gave a small squeak of surprise when she turned over to find Karasu Ammo, wide-awake, red-faced and staring down at her.
In the light of day, the dark angel with whom she had shared a night of love looked even more handsome and somewhat intimidating.
Realising that her chest was still bare, she quickly grabbed the sheets and hastily tugged them up to cover her breasts.
"Not that he didn't get a good, thorough look at them last night," a voice sneered in the back of Red's mind.

Normally Red would have had a cheeky comment or suave remark prepared but just looking up into his widened light brown eyes left her speechless and unsure of herself.
She lowered her head, her long rouge hair falling over her shoulders and veiling her face slightly.

Her voice was stunned and shaky. "G-Good morning...I...uh...did...we...?" Red sighed, forcing herself to ask the question that they both already knew the answer to. "We...we made love last night, didn't we?"
For some reason, she couldn't quite bring herself to say the words "had sex."