uncharted

drtrafalgar:

Beneath his left eye there is a twitching that occurs as she speaks, each statement causing a rise of frustration - toward her, toward these circumstances, toward his fucking jungle - to churn in his stomach. If he were a man lacking in self-assurance, he’d have began to second-guess himself at this point and wonder if he was trying to do too much too fast. But it was too late even if he wanted to pull out, he’d told her enough and now she had no choice but to follow him to El Salvador. He thought that anyone on Roci’s team would be pleased to move on quickly, but perhaps it was nothing more than self projection.

“Everyone here is an fucking anthropologist.” Although it was a dramatization, her answer was a purposefully vague, irritating answer that deepened his frown. “And Doflamingo’s brother is lying in a casket a few meters away - I don’t think he has time to repeat everything I’ve already said. He’s not present for a reason. So, if you don’t mind, MissArgenteuil—” his tongue stumbled on the mess of letters that were cramped into her last name, “—I’d like you and your team packed and prepared to leave by twenty-three hundred.”

Law pauses and takes a deep breath, scribbling the information in his notebook, making a wild guess on how to properly spell her surname. It would be confirmed and he would get the details once they safely got to Suchitoto. “And call sign Snow—”

An expression of recognition, as if he was meeting an old friend and just placed the class in which they met, comes over his face and the incessant twitching beneath his eye ceases. It was rare that Roci ever referred to one of his subordinates by their actual name for no other reason than their frequent use of the radio. She wasn’t how he pictured the ‘Snow Bird’; she was younger than he imagined, closer to his own age than either one of the Donquixote brothers’. An eyebrow cocks as he becomes curious about her story — how did this woman become involved in seedy treasure hunting? She didn’t look like the type that liked to sweat and bat off mosquitoes every fucking second of every fucking day.

“… Bird. I’ve heard about you. Yes, you and your team. Discretion is of the most importance as we wouldn’t want to disturb those mourning. We’ll be picking up a raft downstream until we’re closer to a road, and grab a bus from there.” It had been hell to put together transport as the others were offering each other condolences and preparing the grave, but it was an opportune time for a few moments privacy. “Doflamingo doesn’t want any unnecessary attention to be placed on work after his loss. The camps will remain for a few days time out of respect. We leave unnoticed and quietly, understood? I trust you’ll relay this to your team.”

He offers his hand after pocketing his notebook. “I’m Law, one of the doctors. I can read even the most terribly drawn of maps and I’m not useless should we encounter any hostiles. You and your team’s safety will be ensured by me. If you have any questions, ask now or seek me out discreetly.”

She truly didn’t like his tone, but after what had happened she assumed everyone’s nerves were on edge, so she excused it this time. “I’m a biologic anthropologist, and a psychologist.” she elaborated a bit more. “and I’ve been the one in charge of the communications for a while.” since the guy that had been taking care of that had gotten that sick he had to be taken to the nearest hospital. That meant she knew how to use all the electronic devices they had around, and to fix them should they stop working. She wasn’t useless should they encounter hostiles either, but she hoped she didn’t have to be using any gun.  She didn’t say either that she was good at babysitting people and that she had an infinite patience, which would prove to be highly useful for whenever she discovered the bratty side of Law.

“And alright. I’ll be meeting you with my team at twenty-three hundred.” Thinking it was pointless to continue talking with him when she didn’t have any doubt he could solve and she had a lot of stuff to pack she headed off to her tent.

There was truly a lot of material to pack. All the electronic devices she had learnt how to use in the last months, all the information they had gathered, some books that somehow had survived the humidity, and her very few belongings. Including a picture of her and Rocinante from the last Christmas. She had told him that she missed a lot the cold and, while he couldn’t make the temperature go low he did get her a few santa hats. In the picture he had his arm around her shoulders and the both of them smiled, even if the edge of his trousers had caught on fire, but they realized right after that picture was taken. 

She felt heartheavy looking at the picture and she lowered her gaze. There was sadness in her eyes as she put it into her bag. She felt, though, strangely grateful for all the good times she had spent with him. With his clumsiness and his happiness, and his never-fading smile he had made of that camp a better place. He would be awfully missed. 

Her team didn’t have many questions to ask once she told them they should pack everything up and go meet Law. Everyone was too sad to talk and to argue, so they just followed her instructions.

At twenty-three hundred she was ready, along with her team, waiting for Law.