Sleepy Burrito Killer All Coloured. He Would Very Much Like To Go Back To Bed Now, Okay?

9. Loyalty

Kidd - 15 | Killer -19 (only talked about - not actually present for this one)

Tags specifically for this chapter:

Kidd's named himself Boss of the Heaps

Teenagers in danger

Kidd gets himself shot

future crew cameos

Names

Read at A03 linked above or here below cut

Drabbles from Pocket Jack's KiKi-tober Prompt list

Somehow in the last year - Kidd's gotten himself an entourage.

A half dozen were older kids that he and Killer had kicked the asses of at some point over the years. There was the not!sisters that went everywhere together, and Kidd welcomed them with a heavy heart, feeling his own former partner's betrayal even time he saw the duo. Wasn't their fault though, and Kidd was getting better about not holding that against people as of late. Throw in a handful who were just sycophants that he'd fallen in with, and then one or two city folks that ran out of luck and had headed to the Heaps to hide.

They'd been under the impression the Heaps where no man's land - they didn't know the it was Kidd's now. He'd nearly turned them away, sent them back to the city, but they'd prostrated before him and he'd never seen anyone do that before. Curiously had kept them around, nothing more.

And then Boogie had brought him another outsider, a large monster of a woman that had nothing but disdain for Kidd and clearly wanted to be anywhere but the Heaps. She had, like the others from the city, had run afoul of one of the bosses. Unlike the others, she knew immediately who he was.

"Solider Boy talks about you."

Kidd froze in place, his people turning to look at him curiosity. "Sorry," Kidd decides finally, "Don't know any solider boys."

She shrugs.

"What did you think the name drop was going to get you?"

"One more night still breathing."

"Hmm... Fine. Granted."

***

Being a teen and the boss did mean people thought he was an easy target. Unfortunately, sometimes it was people he'd given a second chance to. There weren't a lot of guns on Kutsukku - smuggling weapons past the Marines out in open waters carried too high of a risk, and few on Kutsukku had the funds for the payment demanded for them.

But just because there were not a lot of something did not mean none were on the island. Kidd just learned the hard way what a bullet felt like, hot and sharp in his side. It had completely blindsided him, not even an option in his mind, and he had stood there dumbly as his brain attempted a reboot.

A second shot never came - not because Kidd or any of his crew reacted, but instead the woman, the one from the gang Killer ran with now, stood over his crumpling assailant, rusting pipe in hand. She looked about as shocked as he did, stepping back uneasy as he was rushed by his own people.

The bullet responded to his -pull- gracefully at least, and he held the small ball of metal in his palm as someone else saw to the blood pouring out of his gut. It -sang- harmlessly in his hand now, the treacherous little thing, and Kidd -rolled- it over and over, committing its weight and song to memory so as to not ever fall victim to it or its kind again.

His man named only Sunglasses watched the little bullet -dance- in his hand uneasily, before Kidd closed his fist around it, face daring the other to make a comment.

None came.

***

"What was your name again?"

She shrugged, rubbing at the bracelets on her thick wrist. Kidd could understand that.

"Why'd you save me?"

"I told you, Solider Boy talks about you."

"You mean Killer, don't you?"

"Boss Athair doesn't think he's earn a name like that yet, took it away."

"Fuck him." Kidd growled. She smirked. "How.... how is he?"

She looked contemplative, "Quiet. He follows order, doesn't complain, and personally, I think he's damn proven himself. Ceannard, Boss Athair's second, has taken a shine to him, thinks he's got promise. Honestly, I think more of us like the two of them than Boss Athair these days."

Kidd picked at his bandages. "That's why you're here. Because you picked Killer over your boss."

"Solider Boy convinced me to leave before I ended up.. well," she gestured to the man whose skull she'd bashed in, "not unlike him."

Kidd looked at the corpse.

"He had a gun."

She nodded. "City Boss - one of the big ones. He's got god money, and delusions of grandeur. Buys up all kinda of shit, all kinds of people. Kinda man you don't tell no too."

Kidd scowled. "Well, fuck him too. That trick won't work a second time."

"Hope not." She said, so quiet Kidd almost missed it.

"Well..." he hedged, "at least while your own boss has a stick up his ass, as long as you don't mind the smell and the toxic waste, you're welcome to run with us."

https://www.jr-onepiece-shinkansen.jp/

ONE PIECE（ワンピース）新幹線 | JR西日本

ONE PIECE（ワンピース）新幹線 | JR西日本

JR西日本「ONE PIECE（ワンピース）新幹線」2025年春、新大阪～博多間運行開始！〜ONE PIECEの仲間と一緒に、冒険の旅に出かけよう！いざ、偉大なる線路（グランドレイル）へ！〜

have y'all seen the new japanese train thing?!?!?!??

My beautiful Punk sails on!!

Kidd - 19 | Killer - 23

Tags specifically for this chapter:

Kidd pre-time skip looks fucking weird right

that's not just me?

It's because he's still using Killer's make-up

I think he should have a shit ton of freckles

especially on his forehead, which is why he always has it covered

Kidd is self-conscious as hell about his freckles that i made up for him

Gàidhlig tossing in again

Read at A03 linked above or here below cut

Drabbles from Pocket Jack's KiKi-tober Prompt list

"What the fuck, Kidd?" Killer snarls, the mask only amplifying the angry tone as he stand in the doorway, Kidd looking back at him through the bathroom mirror, before turning to his partner sheepishly.

Unfortunately for Kidd, Killer is pissed, grabbing the concealer from him in one hand and the small bag of make up in the other, and Kidd raises his own in surrender. He's not completely sure of his misstep but he can count the times Killer's gotten truly upset with him on one hand and even without seeing his face, Kidd knows this is about to make the list if he doesn't fix it quickly.

"I ran out of lipstick so I was just gonna borrow some from you -"

"That doesn't fucking look like lipstick, Kidd!"

"Air son Muir..."

"This shit is expensive, Kidd! You can't just waste is on a whim playing... I don't know! What ever the hell this is!"

"Expensive? Killer - we're as rich as gods right now - I'll buy you more!"

Killer growls little, and Kidd aborts his half-hearted attempt to reassure Killer with a hand to the shoulder. He redirects, scratching the back of his neck like that had been the plan the whole time.

"Killer - I'll buy you more. I'm sorry. Okay." Kidd smart enough to know they're fighting about something else right now - but damn him if he knows what.  "Tha mi duilich. I shouldn't have touched your make up without asking."

Killer is still hunkered a little defensively over his bag, tucked behind arms crossed low over his gut.

"It's... I.." Kidd frowns, usually he just says what he means, but right now he's not sure how to iterate it. "You've never cared about me using your stuff before. Half the time, I'm not actually sure which clothes are mine and which are yours to begin with."

"Mine are the ones that still have sleeves and buttons." Killer muttered. He's annoyed, but the strange mood that had him has loosened its hold.

Kidd makes a gesture of 'well there you go' before resting his hands on the bathroom counter behind him. He gives Killer his best puppy eyes, face molded into the perfect, 'I'm baby' look and he bats his eyes innocently. Killer's mask should prevent him from making sure the look sticks, but he's had enough practice that he knows immediately when Killer locks eyes with him, and he deepens the pouts just a little more.

"You look stupid." Killer says finally, and Kidd smirks - "I was under the impression that was my default?"

The tension eases out of Killer with a sharp bark of laughter, the rare kind where he tosses his head back and cackles. The effect is lost a little with his helmet, but it's a laugh reserved just for Kidd and he takes the win for what it is.

"You can't..." Killer pauses, chuckling, "You can't wear it like foundation - it's just a concealer. You put it across your whole face like that and you just look flat and weird. It's just for spot treatment. Like a zit or under eye bags and shit."

Kidd tried to school his face, but he knew it didn't catch the sulk in time, because Killer cocked his head the way his did when zeroing in on a weakness on the battlefield.

"Also - my skin tone is the completely wrong colour for you." He said, setting the bag down and Kidd could just feel his gaze flickering over Kidd's face.

Demanding an answer.

"My freckles make me look like a fucking kid. People still don't take me serious."

"But I thought you were Kidd?"

Kidd glared, but Killer was long immune to the look. Killer tilted Kidd chin up, 'tutting' over the thick layer of cream. Well - it had done that job at least. Not a hint of freckle was visible across his forehead, nose or cheeks. But it had also covered the natural differences in Kidd's skin tone, flattening to one solid shade. "I dunno shit about contouring, but if we can figure that out, I bet you won't look so stupid."

Kidd just grinned, "I dunno. Kinda digging the look. It's certainly striking."

"It's something." The problem was Killer only vaguely knew that contouring was a thing, not how it worked. But what he did know...

"Hold on a sec." Killer dug through his bag, and Kidd lounged against the countertop, watching him rummage. Killer didn't have the largest supply, and everything was pretty well used. Kidd had made a mental note when he'd been looking through it earlier of what stuff was almost gone. Those were clearly Killer's favorite, and Kidd had stayed clear. But he also knew what to look for in the next port they docked at as well.

Killer brought out a a few items, lipsticks mostly, to set on the counter out of his way but the prize in hand was a little black marker with a delicate brush at the end. Killer fiddled with it for a moment, before gesturing for Kidd to lean closer. "Look Up" was all he said.

Kidd sat still, looking up at the ceiling as Killer carefully painted black lines around his lashes, pulling the brush across the delicate skin around his eyes.

After Killer finished his first eye, he stepped back, turning Kidd's face this way and that, before gesturing to the mirror. Kidd judged his reflection, the sharp lines around his eyes against the flat of his face a bold look, and he grinned.

"Yeah?" Killer asked.

"Yeah, I like it. Do the other one?"

"Sure," and Kidd turned back to Killer. This time, he stared back, catching the flash of blue though the mask; It was hard to miss this close. Killer paused, just a moment, before Kidd caught the twinkle, knowing Killer was smiling back. Then he was looking at the brush strokes, carefully painting on the beginnings of Kidd's own mask.

If youve ever said something nice to me and i never replied I apologize! Unfortunately i am a neurotic prey animal and your message was nice enough to make me scurry under my leaf mold and hold still to camouflage myself until the danger passed

Day 2 - "Kid" Pirates

Original Post by @gratefulcheeses

20 questions for fic writers

@master-of-the-sorrowful-order, who has become one of my favorite people to brainstorm ideas with, thought it would be cool to have me fill out this questionnaire, and i agreed =^.^=

1) how many works do you have on ao3?

I have 34 works under Mekachu04, 4 works under my old nom-de-plume, and at least 5 orphaned works flouting around in old fandoms

2) what's your total ao3 word count?

of the 38 will linked to me: 142,059

3) what are your top five fics by kudos?

173rd Airborne Brigade (The Umbrella Academy)

Just our hands clasped so tight, waiting for the hint of a spark (Good Omens)

I'll think of you every step of the way (Good Omens)

Whenever this world is cruel to me (Good Omens)

Southbound Hearts (One Piece)

4) what fandoms do you write for?

These days it pretty strictly One Piece, for the Kidd/Killer duo

5) do you respond to comments? why or why not?

I didn't used to because i'd just get overwhelmed (in a good way!) and didn't know what to say. I've done a lot better in the last year or so, even if sometimes it takes me a few months to collect my thoughts. i think i'm just more confident shouting into the void, and when the void answer back, i no longer know what to say, ya know?

6) what's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

XD ... uh... that tends to be the genre i enjoy writing the most. as far as endings... toss up from a VERY old one from 2007 archived under my former name, or Cephalophore. (Pluton & Last Emperor Blackbeard are also very close) (all from One Piece)

7) what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Living without, Living without, Living without you or Just our hands clasped so tight, waiting for the hint of a spark, both from good omens

8) do you get hate on fics?

not as much on the fic themselves, but offsite i get shit for the concepts i like to write for. just block and move on with my day

9) do you write smut?

poorly. i dabble in it, but i have a love/hate relationship with it. i like writing the emotions and thoughts that go along with such intimacy but i dun really know how to write the act itself

10) do you write crossovers?

I'm not opposed to crossovers, but the only true crossover i ever wrote never got shared because i got stuck in the middle and it lies languishing in my wip folder I much prefer fusions/ AU where one series is inserted into the world of another, but with little to no interaction with the cast of that series.

11) have you ever had a fic stolen?

if so, i dun know about it. Having said that, I have had *ideas* stolen. In a previous fandom, i had a BNF steal one of my AU concepts wholesale and they couldn't even be bothered to leave a kudos on the work they stole it from. (they even admitted it, though they did not know i was the original author. i had reached out to them on twitter (which did not have my fandom name) because i had thought it was so cool that we both had the same idea. i had shared my story with them (not stating it was mine, just *a* story with a similar idea) and they flat out said that's where they got the idea. The fact they did that, but couldn't even be bothered to leave a kudos or comment still hurts, not gonna lie. (at the time, the fic was several months old and had zero comments and only like 8 kudos)

12) have you ever had a fic translated?

!!Yes! its a very recent thing, and it's been super exciting! Not just on the fic exchange side, but getting to chat cultural differences

13) have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Not so much, but my dear friend above has been great a helping me work out of plot pits I've dug myself into and also going back and reworking stories that certainly needed more context for the reader. We spend a lot of time bouncing ideas off each other and i know soon i'm going to stop using the no beta we sink like the punk tag and that neat!!

14) what's your all time favorite ship?

Currently, Punk Aibou aka KiKi aka KidKil aka Eustass Kidd x Killer. the problem with "all time favourite", is its always going to be the current one, even if they are in a rotation. Ineffable Husbands is sitting right there, along with oldies like Starsky and Hutch.

15) what's the wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

* Side eyes the pile * i got so..... many.... I think, heartbreakingly, it's Southbound Hearts. I have an outline, i have a three part plan... but i fear i bit off far more than i can chew with that one, and I'm really struggling to get characters to sound right.

16) what are your writing strengths?

hmmm... i feel like i'm doing stuff no one else is. maybe it's just cause my little corner of fandom is a little isolated these days, but i feel a lot of what i write is *becuase* it doesn't exist yet, at least on a03.

17) what are your writing weaknesses?

finishing a story

18) thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

it's a tread carefully thing. i feel it has its place - like you see in movies - but authors really need to look at *why* is this in another language? I try to keep it for more when characters are making a point to exclude someone from a conversation, but a clever reader might be able to read between the lines, or someone who knows the language gets an extra little part written just for them, like they're in on the secret. Or if the whole purpose of a piece is focusing on communication. i have one story where some guys are just screaming at each other in other languages as a form of dick waving, only to find out that the guy who speaks more languages is technically illiterate, and the story ends up being about cultural genocide im pretty cool with loan words getting sprinkled in; i know some readers get annoyed by it, and it has absolutely been done terrible more often that not, but that's never bothered me

19) first fandom you wrote for?

oh.... its been soo so long... probably G-Force. not Gatchaman or Battle of the Planets, but this adaptation specifically. XD that has all LONG been lost to time. I think the first fanfic i *shared* for was the animated mighty duck series back on a Disney message board. pre ff.net

20) favourite fic you've ever written?

i have no earthly idea. i did LOVE writing KiKi'tober [2024] and while it's not the most polished thing i've done, it was the most memorable to write

bitches - guess who just got married!

Fri Oct 27

PostTime Skip Kidd & Killer

Same credits and size as above

HEAT & WIRE

PreSkip Killer & Kidd cross-stitch

SIZE 28 CANVAS | 1.5 INCHES-ISH

While these designs are my own, the base and idea was designed by dehira : DeviantArt | Pixiv