Chapter Text
When I wake the next morning Marco is gone and the only indication he was here is the bag laying on the floor and the pot sitting next to it.
Which is a little confusing because none of this was with him at the entrance last night. He probably brought it in when I was asleep, but why? I thought he was just here for the moss. It doesn't make sense that he is basically moving into here with me.
He didn't even bother asking for my permission! What a dick move!
The anxiety that swirls in my stomach overpowers any anger I have for him as I stare at his things from my spot on the ground. I've been just staring at his things since I first opened my eyes, only bothering to sit up so I can look at it better.
I can't just sit here staring until he comes back from wherever he is. I need to get up and try my best to continue my normal routine no matter how distracting this weird pirate may be.
Letting out a deep sigh I finally shove my blankets off and stretch my legs. I forgot to take off my boots last night in the rush of things so I just stood up and kicked my blankets into a pile out of the way so I don't step on them before moving over to my bag, digging my water pouch out of it and drinking the remains. I'll have to go fill it in the well again.
Putting it down beside me before going back to digging in it. I grab out my last can of peaches and quickly scarf down half of it. I'll save the other half for lunch or dinner if I'm not able to figure out what else to eat by then.
Right as I place down the can and move to pick up the water pouch instead I shoot a glance back at the pile of Marcos stuff and stop mid movement.
I wonder what's in his bag…
It wont hurt anyone to take a small peak right? I mean it's not like he’s here to stop me. And it's not like I'm going to steal anything! I'm just gonna…
Check for weapons! Yeah! There's no way he has no weapons, they have to be in there! And for my own safety I should confiscate them until he leaves.
I practically skip over to his bag finally having sound enough of a reason to snoop.
I threw a glance into the pot just in case and like I expected there was nothing inside it.
Hesitating for a second as I reach down for the bag I realize I should probably make sure he's not coming back before I start my search. Even though he's been fine so far i don't think he’ll appreciate me digging in his things. I certainly wouldn’t if I was him.
Flicking over to the entrance I look around wildly for any sign of him and find none making me grin.
Perfect!
I practically rip the bag open when I reach it again and start digging into it. Hopefully I can find something to warrant me doing this because I could really use the distraction.
The first thing I grab is the jar of moss and I start to wonder how it could be used as some type of medicine. I mean it's just moss. What could it possibly do?
Next I pull out a change of clothes, boring. Then there's a book which I'm guessing is the one he found out about the moss in and just under that there's just a plain notebook that I flip open to see what looks like notes about medical supplies. Flipping though the rest of it I confirm that's what it is and disappointed I put it with the other book.
At least I know he's not lying about being a doctor now, that's a good thing I guess.
After that there's just a bunch of random things that i don't even bother looking at for more than a second as they peak my interest and after throwing all the boring things to the ground I reach the bottom of the bag.
I stare at the inside of the now empty bag with a deep frown on my face.
“Well that was anticlimactic” I mumble to myself while reaching up to my necklace to roll it between my fingers.
All that worrying and paranoia over nothing, that's just great.
I know I should feel relieved he wasn't hiding a bomb or something in here but… I don't know. I've been alone with nothing to do for almost half a year now and was hoping for some type of adventure I guess. Don’t know why I thought I would find it in a bag though.
Huffing softly I shove everything back into the bag trying to get it as close to what it was like before so he doesn't suspect that I went into it while disappointment gnaws at me.
I should probably change clothes now. I've been wearing this outfit for two days now and I'm starting to stink. Normally I would have worn this for one more day but now that there's a person actually near me I feel even more self-conscious than normal.
Going over to the small pile of clothes I have obtained from various legal and illegal ways I grab a random assortment of things to throw on not really caring about what I wear at this moment.
Unzipping my boots and kicking them off causing them to slam into the wall before bouncing back and almost hitting me. Oops.
And as quickly as i possibly can i throw off my worn brown leather jacket that is too big on me and the long sleeve shirt with green and white stripes off and replace it with another baggy long sleeve that was a nice solid forest green before slipping my jacket back on. One of the only things I appreciate about my body is my lack of a chest even though the universe decided to curse me with being born into the wrong body. At least it had the grace to make my chest small enough that I can fully hide it by wearing loose clothes.
Shaking the thought from my head I reach up to my neck and pull my necklace out from under my shirt. My necklace is nothing special looks wise, it's a long necklace made of black string braided together, at the bottom of it is a white stone knit into it held by a wooden bead the colour of a hazelnut.
Then finally I changed out of a pair of black sweatpants into a pair of loose light blue jeans quickly moving back to the pile and grabbing my belt and putting that on as well then grabbing my boots and sleeping them back on making sure to zip up the side of them.
Now I can finally get on with my day.
I grab my water pouch and notebook as I head out of the cave shivering slightly as the harsh breeze smashes against me. I don't think I'll ever get used to how strong the wind is here even with the trees as cover, it still manages to break through and attack my exposed skin. I don't understand how Marco was walking around with his shirt open, how was he not cold?
I shove my notebook and water pouch into the pockets of my jacket so I don't drop them or have them get caught on anything.
Moving into the thinker parts of the forest pushing though bushes and plants. I end up getting smacked in the face by a branch I pushed out of my way making me let out a yelp and I send a heated glare towards the tree the branch is attached to like it personally attacked me.
As I walk I start to wonder where Marco is. He was already gone when I woke up and i didn't see him at all when I left the cave so I know he's not in the general area.
He's probably in the village trying to get something to eat.
The key word there is trying.
The people of Honeysuckle village don't like strangers in the slightest. I learned that the hard way when I tried to go and check out the town and got chased out by men with guns. None of them actually shot at me but if i stuck around any longer i don't doubt that they would have. They've cooled off somewhat now so I can actually go into town without the fear of a bullet going into my head but there is always someone tailing me like I'm some criminal! Which I am, but that doesn't make it any less rude!
Finally I'm brought back from my thought spiral as I reach an opening with a dilapidated shack that looks like it's about to fall in on itself and a well that's covered in vines and other plants I don’t know the names of.
I think this used to be a farm of some kind but it's hard to tell given how messed up the building and well are.
I wonder why it was abandoned? I wish there was someone I could ask.
With how overgrown the well is I didn't think the water inside would be good to drink when I first stumbled upon it after my first encounter with the towns folk, but i haven't died from it yet so it must be fine!
It takes about ten minutes for me to lower the bucket down, bring it back up, fill my water pouch, drink it and then fill it up once again.
“What should I do now?” I ask myself aloud, tapping my finger against my chin as I think.
Usually I plan out what I'm going to do the next day every night based on the things I need to do and the things I want to do but i didn't get a chance to do that last night which I'm regretting quite greatly now as I stand here like an idiot next to the well.
Maybe I should draw more? No, I'm getting sick of doing that. Go sneak into the rich pricks house on the hill? No, I did that two days ago and I don't wanna change getting caught by going too often.
hmmmm
“Oh I know!” I say turning around so fast I almost trip as I start to make my way in the direction of the beach.
Last week I spotted a flock of rooks nesting in a tree which is odd because the usually don't move their rookeries unless something has happened to the old one which wouldn't make any sense because just a few days before i saw them there i went to see them in their old trees which was right next to the rich guys house.
I want to try and figure out why they moved there instead of near one of the many farm lands that are on the island.
It could be that the villagers pushed them out of their old nesting spot for some reason so they moved the rookery somewhere safer and away from anyone who could damage their nests or there could be something wrong with the trees over there that made it so they needed to move all the way over to the beach instead.
Whatever the reason I would love to just watch them for a bit, rooks are such an interesting and beautiful species. They are extremely intelligent and resourceful birds who, like other corvids, know how to use basic tools and I would love to see that in person if anything.
It takes about an hour for me to reach the beach and another thirty minutes to actually get to the tree that sits right on the edge of the beach and the forest, the loud calls of the rooks as they fly in and out of the rookery.
Excitement flows through me as I look upon the birds. I haven't been close to a rookery in a while, I almost forgot how cool the rows and rows of nests placed only a few meters apart from each other are.
Behind the trees I see a flash of blue and to my shock the same bird from yesterday is flying by.
Huh, I guess I didn't imagine it in a dehydrated state of mania after all! Cool!
But that bird isn't what I'm here for and no matter how beautiful it looks while flying over my head going in the dissection i had just came from, its not what im focusing on at the moment and now that i know it wasn't my imagination and that its still in the area i can track it down latter to study.
With the blue bird behind me I focus back on the rooks.
I take a step forward to get a better look at them and-
“What ya doing Finch yoi?”
I scream and fall on my ass from turning around so quickly to look at him. How the hell did I not hear him coming?!
The Rooks are all most definitely gone now. Great!
Marcos laughing at me and he doesn't even try to conceal it and I have to resist the urge to get a bunch of sand to throw into his eye.
“What the fuck dude?! Where did you even come from?!” I yell as I point at him while cringing at myself from how high pitched my voice sounded.
“I'm sorry for spooking you yoi, I came from the forest” he states after he finally stops laughing. He walks forward in two long steps and extends his hand down to help me up.
I ignore his apology as I stare at his hand for a few long moments before deciding to just take it. He may be an annoying prick but that doesn't mean I can't accept his help.
I brush the sand off of myself before looking back at the tree and like I thought all but six of the birds are gone.
“Just perfect, it's going to be so much harder to figure it out now” I whine as I cross my arms, my plan to watch the birds for odd behaviors until i got hungry thoroughly ruined whatever time for plan B.
“What are you trying to figure out?” he asks as he moves to stand beside me and I have to crane my neck a little to be able to look at his face.
Geez I could tell he was tall but it's super noticeable when he's right next to me.
“Im trying to find out why those rooks moved here.” I say as I gesture towards the few sitting in the trees.
“They usually live near farm land, grave yards, or parks, sometimes they move close to beaches but that usually only when said beach is highly populated by people so they can eat the scraps of food they drop and obviously there isn't anyone other then a family of coconut crabs living here” I ramble out quickly as I walk forward to the trees.
I think that's the most I've said at once in my entire life, it makes me a little embarrassed.
“Got any theories?” he questions while walking beside me. I can't tell if his tone is condescending or genuine, making me squint at him suspiciously for a few moments which he doesn't pay any mind to.
I decide to just assume he's being genuine so I can keep talking about birds.
“I have four actually! Option one is that they were pushed out by the farmers and they decided this is the safest spot to rebuild" I pause for a second as we reach the bottom of the tree. The few rooks in the tree pay us no mind as I stare up at them.
“That seems likely from the few interactions I've had with them yoi” he said and I nod in agreement.
“Option two is that something happened to the trees they were living in before, could have been killed by some type of bug or infection or it could have died naturally i don't know” the rooks look healthy from here but it's hard to tell even from this close. I need to grab one to really see.
Marco doesn't say anything so I continue.
“Option three is that they just decided to move here for no particular reason i really want that to be the case” i doubt it is though because as soon as a rook finds a rookery to their liking they stay in it for their entire life.
“And option four is the one I'm really concerned about and that is the possibility that this is some type of parasite that's making them act definitely then usual if that is the case the only way to tell is any type of odd behavior they might show" One of the rooks comes down from the and starts to peck at the ground for bugs, if im fast enough I could grab it to check if its ok.
“You care a lot about these birds yoi” he says softly I don't bother to reply. I don't see the point when he's just stating the obvious. Of course I care about birds! I care about all animals! They're just so much easier to understand than people and I can be friends with them without having to worry about them caring about who I am because gender isn't a concept they understand.
I can feel his eyes on me as I take off my jacket holding up as I slowly move closer and closer to the rook. As soon as I'm close enough I lunge forward rapping the rook in my jacket as it starts to caw and struggle against me.
“I know I know I'm sorry but I need to see if there's something wrong with you” I spoke as gently as I could muster hoping it would calm it down slightly which surprisingly it did.
Marco comes to crouch down beside me as I unwrap the rook from my jacket and hold it in my hands instead and I start looking over it for any signs of injury or other issues.
I try to be as gentle as possible as I maneuver it around so I can examine its wings, feet, beak, and eyes. Nothing seems to be wrong with it, no visible injuries and it's not reacting abnormally.
“Do you mind if I take a look yoi?” His question took me by surprise. I didn't think he actually cared about what I was doing. But I guess it makes sense he is a doctor after all its kinda their job to care about peoples health so of course that would extend to animals as well.
“Be careful with her wings” I say as I carefully hand her over to him.
Marco raised his eyebrow at me.
“Her?” he asks and I just shrug there's no way to actually tell her gender but I really don't wanna keep calling her an ‘it’ it feels disrespectful.
I slip my jacket back on as I look at Marco as he does the same thing I did, look her over for any signs of injury. I sit down on the ground as I watch him meticulously look over her until he clicks his tongue and points to a spot in the middle up her back. I scooch closer to him to see what he's pointing at only to be met with a long gash along her back that was buried by her feather.
How the hell did I miss that big of a cut? The thing is way to clean of a slash to have been caused by another animal and by the look on Marcos face he agrees with me. Well at least we know it was the people who made them move now.
Right as im about to say something the hand Marco was using to point ignites in blue flames and i jump back in surprise.
I was about to yell at him and ask what the hell he was doing before I noticed that the rook wasn't panicking. This was the most relaxed she has been since I first grabbed her.
After a few seconds the flames dissipated and Marco got a crooked smile on his face.
“There we go all better yoi” he says as he places the rook down on the ground. It takes her a moment before she takes off back into the tree and in her nest.
“What did you do?” i ask confusion evident in my voice and a look of realization goes over Marcos face
“Right of course you wouldn't know what my devil fruit is” he says with a huffing laugh while moving from a crouch to sit on the ground next to me.
“I ate the Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Phoenix it gives me enhanced healing abilities, allows me to heal others, and I can turn into a phoenix” that is so cool! He can turn into a bird. What does it look like? How big is it? Can he-
Wait a second the pretty bird I saw looked like a phoenix…
“Have you been stalking me as a bird?!” I yell accusatorially spooking the nearby birds from the trees once again. Seeing that cool bird fly over my head then having him pop up out of nowhere wasn't just a weird coincidence!!
“I wasn't stalking you! I was just making sure you didn't get into any trouble yoi. I overheard a group in the village talking about you so I wanted to check to make sure you're alright!” he said defensively while covering his face with his hands.
Well that's not very good news. Not very surprising though it was only a matter of time before they became fed up with me and forced me off the island. I thought I had more time though. Whatever that just means I can go all out on whoever hurt these birds and forced them to move here.
“Yeah whatever creep” I say pretending he didn't even mention the villagers to me as I stand up and brush the mix of sand and dirt off my pants before turning around and walking towards the direction of the village.
I hear him let out an exasperated sigh making me roll my eyes and smirk slightly. I'm proud of myself for getting him so worked up so quickly.
“If you want to keep me out of trouble then you better get off your ass and come on because I'm going to deal with the pricks who hurt the birds” I state as I continue walking determinedly to the village not bothering to stop for a second to wait for him.