Black Bone Tower Part 17

Previous: Black Bone Tower Part 16

Rinji: You know you didn't have to do all of that. [Held a hand of cards in his hands, two nines, a ten, a king, and an three. A truly terrible hand.] Your friendship has already been proven several million times over. Or was it pride that kept you from giving up on that fight?

Jiro: Pssshh, as if. [Still lying in his cott, holding a deck of cards with his head propped up by three pillows.] I have nothing to prove, you know that.

Rinji: Uh huh, as if I didn't hear your little banter with Ronald on the arena. [Put down three cards.] I will admit, I would have done the exact same thing, and kept fighting. But holy underwear, you literally went through hell in that fight. It couldn't have been easy to breathe.

Jiro: No, it wasn't. By the way, where is your lady friend? Wouldn't you want to spend time with her?

Rinji: Dala? Oh, well, I mean, you know, she's something--- somewhere, out there, yeah. I don't know. Why do you ask that?

Jiro: Uh huh, now look who's hiding things. You have seldom left her side since you met her.

Rinji: I told her I wanted to see you to keep you company while Ellis went on with some festivities. Since she'll be looking after you while we're in the Black Bone Tower.

Jiro: So, it's already decided that I'm not going? [Held up a two pair, Jacks high.]

Rinji: Damn. [Threw down cards and started to shuffle again.] Yes, there's no way any of us will let you in there in this condition. I heard it's dangerous enough without risking your life in this state, not to mention it will get our doctor out of harms way as well. [Started dealing the cards.] Besides, you've done enough, like I said.

Jiro: You're the captain. [Looked at his cards.]

Rinji: You know I could have joined your crew just as easily. Then you would be Captain.

Jiro: Well, I guess it's fitting that you stay the Captain. You are older, after all.

Rinji: By nine months. [Put down two cards.]

Jiro: Still, something does bother me about this mess.

Rinji: Oh?

Jiro: How did Sion Moir know you were Nero D. Rinji?

Rinji: Oh. [Frowned as he heard that bastard's name again.] He said he knew my Dad.

Jiro: That was a lie. He's hardly any older than us, and he didn't even know me, though he knew you. If he really knew you back from the homeland, then he would have at least recognized me as your friend. We very rarely left each other's side. If he knew anything about us, he must have another source.

Rinji: Well, I suppose there's plenty of time to find out, mewmeowmrrow.

Jiro: Nyaomewmrrowmrrr.

''Chio and Lee sat at a very populated bar, everyone around him giving random toasts and drinking, people talking to him and drinking, people congradulating him on a job well done, and drinking. Lee admitted that he was jealous of the attention Chio was getting, but he knew that his time would come soon enough.''

Lee: Alright alright, let's break the ice here. Something isn't quite right about this whole thing. It smells to high heaven.

Chio: Wha?

Lee: Do not tell me you haven't seen it! You just got attacked by an android woman yesterday! First, we get here on this random island where a tournament just happened to be going on. Why were we not told before hand? Then we get merely MENTIONED to the front desk and they instantly say we're signed up and we cannnot deny the invitation, now we win by a landslide, aside from Jiro's battle, and we're going into an indestructible, metal tower. Something's wrong, Chio! [He drank]

Chio: Hmmm, yes, I did notice that our opponents were either especially well suited for us, or just simple push-overs, aside from Jiro's fight. Something tells me that those selections were not entirely random.

Lee: Exactly! Someone wants us to go into that tower, and while the Marines could possibly pull something like this off, there is entirely too much actual pirate build up for them. I don't know what's going to come about this whole thing, but we need to remember to stick together in some way, shape, or form, you know what I mean?

Chio: Yeah, Lee, I know what you mean, but what are we going to do? Just up and run off before we go into the tower?

Lee: HA! As if! Are you kidding? If this is going for excitement, you know I'm gonna be there, locked and loaded with guns blazing!

Chio: That's the Lee I know. [Raised his glass, and Lee whole-heartedly tapped beers with him, and they both drank.]

''Then Chio saw the look on Lee's face. He could read him like a book. Lee suddenly started to clam up and look off to the side, a frown on his face but not his mouth.''

Chio: Lee...

Lee: Yeah man?

Chio: Don't... that was yesterday. Today, you have pulled through for us. You're still the same as Ricky, only a little more obtuse.

Lee: Hehe, obtuse, nice word there. Obtuse. [A grin passed his face as he thought about it.] I know, man, but it's just a big, huge elephant in the room. I can't shake that, you know? [Drank.]

Chio: Man, you screwed up, bad. Yeah, you did. Then I kicked your ass and knocked you out. That's all there is to it, bro. I'm not going to lie, I didn't want you to come back to the crew after that. Now I see that you've manned up. You got back on your feet, and you've shown that you can handle it.

Lee: [Smiled.] Thanks, man. [Drank.]

Chio: Now if only you could fight...

Lee spat!

Jana and Usagi were back at the Panno Marie, they sat in the main room, and Jana looked at Usagi with her hands together, leaning on the edge of her seat.

Jana: Please, Usagi, I promise I will never ask you for such a favor ever again!

Usagi: It's not finished! I have barely over three hundred pages written.

Jana: Three hundred pages is enough for a fantastic book! I don't want to read the whole thing until it's done, but I would love to see it. You already talk much like a real writer, your sentences are well developed, and you are quite descriptive in a way that paints a picture. Onegai, Usagi-chan!

Usagi bit her thumb a little bit, looking at Jana as her big, puppy eyes came, and her pouty lips were produced.

Usagi: Alright, alright. Just don't laugh at the title, I haven't thought of an especially good one just yet. [Got up and went to her room, still yelling toward Jana as he left. Jana bounced in her seat and clapped her hands with happiness.] I'm hoping to self publish this in a printing press, you know, once we find one. I did see one on the last island we went to, but I was nowhere near done with it at that point.

Jana: Oh, I will definitely buy one from you as soon as it is published. It would be a great joy!

''Usagi came back into the room. The book was leather-bound in a bright brown cover. The pages were thick, and the book weighed about ten pounds, but Jana took it with eager hands.''

Jana: [Opened it.] Oooo, Reticent Empire by Daro Daro Usagi. How is that a bad title? And what does Reticent mean?

Usagi: Quiet, peaceful, or the like.

Jana: Ooohhh, and what is it about?

Usagi: A boy who ran away from home, but still stayed in the town his family lived in. He goes to several houses that would take him in for the night, and over time, he--

Jana: Wait wait, don't give away too much of it. I need to see for myself.

Usagi: Oh, of course. [She chuckled a little to herself, seeing how far her explanation would go. When she got talking about her works, it was hard to stop her when she really got going.] You're the first person I've really told about it.

Jana: Well, I am honored! It's so nice to see that you welcome me into your private life, though it was not my intent at all. I do apologize for prying.

Usagi: Not at all, I suppose I've really wanted to show someone.

Jana: The little boy, Chiba... who does he represent in your life?

Usagi: Oh... ummmm no one in particular. [Usagi looked off to the side, and slightly blushed.]

Jana: [Grinned, and winked.] I see.

Black Bone Tower Part 18