the hoof of the soaring dragon | ONE PIECE (discontinued)

Chapitre 18 *

Laying on the sofa, Akira watched how the drops slid against the windowpane, some of them met and added to form a larger, which continued its journey towards the ledge. Her head rested on a pillow with her hand propping it up underneath it.

The rain has soaked the rain, allowing the group to get a day off. A proposition Mihawk surprisingly accepted without the need to wrangle over it. Maybe it was the fact that he finally got pity at seeing how the twins were so tired as they were drifting to sleep as they joined him in the forest this morning. Or maybe he was himself getting tired of training them.

The frustration and pressure were killing her. No matter who hard she tackled the obstacles of wood, nothing happened. It was still standing tall and strong. Mihawk did assure her she was on the right path as he pointed to the only fallen tree. However as the number of hits was accumulating, the result was still nowhere to be seen.

"Why can't I just hit it?"

"I'm not sure myself but it seems you're aiming unconsciously for the core. You can still hit it but I believe just having contact with the surface is enough for you to make some damage."

She just couldn't get it right. What's more, the twins were already sparing seriously against the humanoids while she still hadn't the courage to engage in another duel. Mihawk had said that they both had their own qualities but at that very moment, she felt like a misfit. Not only was she getting uncomfortable training with so many pairs of eyes watching her, but she also was pressured with the sight of her failed attempt.

That's why, when the teenagers had opted for a nap after lunch, Akira went to the library in search of any clue that she would have missed during her first readings. Training outside had been her first option but with Mihawk blocking the entrance, she was unable to access the training field.

She was tired -so tired, in fact, that she didn't have the energy to eat. She yawned and held her hand over her mouth. Her breath stung lightly at the contact of the cuts on the back of her hand. She stretched and started to play with the buttons on the long dress cozy on her body, its touch both light and soothing.

At some point, Toma had popped by to make sure she wasn't interested in a possible nap. He also brought food with him, knowing that she didn't have the best appetite. The door had swung open and creak close when he entered. Roaming his eyes around the room, he found her staring at the ceiling, the books long forgotten.

"Ah, you're done with them" he began "I thought you might want a snack" he awkwardly handed her what seemed to be a sandwich.

Akira leaned up against the sofa to be able to properly accept the snacks "Did you make it yourself?" she said, a knowing smile appearing on her face.

"A sandwich is not that hard to make! It only needs like 5 ingredients" he continued but with a murmur "but if you don't like I can go and make it better"

"Don't say that I'm sure it's delicious" she dismissed although she directly placed the snack on the table "Do you need something else?" Akira didn't intend to come off as rude but she knew the boy was eager for a nap and her for some time alone.

"Not really..." He placed a glass of water next to the plate and took a moment to regard her form. He then left soon after not able to keep the conversation going when his interlocutor clearly wanted for it to end.

Glancing over at the table, her stomach growled at the sight of the untouched plate. Yet her mouth didn't respond to it. A constant shiver traversing her body and preventing her from acting on her natural need. Akira merely put her head back into the many pages she had been reading over and over.