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ajremixWent through Thriller Bark again as one does and an idea hit me that didn't translate well at all into fic. Or at least this particular one. But whatever I suppose. The song at the beginning is Wave Over Wave by Great Big Sea and the specific song being alluded to at the end is Thousands are Sailing by The Pogues. Ironically the two songs Brook plays are contemporary while those named are actual sea shanties of old (according to the internet).
Title: Sing Us a Song
Fandom: One Piece
Rating: PG (plus one swear from sanji)
Word Count: 699
Characters: Brook, Strawhats
Summary: There are many things Brook knows and many things that he's missed.
The notes were pure and clean, drawing the song out into a sweet evening ballad, "I've sailed the world over for decades or more/And oft' times I wonder what I do it for." The rest of the crew spoke quietly amongst themselves, letting dinner settle in their bellies and Brook's voice settle their spirits. "I don't know the answer its pleasure and pain/But with life to live over I'd do it again."
Before he could launch into the chorus again, Franky called out, "Oi- Brook! Play A-Rovin' wouldya?"
"If you have something to say, say it!" Nami snapped from across the deck- the two had been snipping at each other all day over some presumed debt he owed her.
Brook kept playing with a light touch while inclining his body apologetically. "I'm sorry to say I'm not familiar with that song."
"Really?" Luffy draped himself over the railing, practically hanging from it. "That's a surprise, you know so many songs, Brook!"
"What about Rolling Up Rolling Down?" Asked Sanji. "The shitty old man used the sing that setting up the Baratie."
"I'm afraid I don't know that one, either."
"Do you know Roll the Old Chariot?" Robin laced her hands over her knee, leaning against the mast. "It was very popular in Ohara."
"It seems I need to brush up on my songs," he said with a chortle. "I hadn't realized Robin-san came from Ohara, though. It must have done well since I last visited!"
The sudden silence from his crewmates made Brook's bow skim to a halt. "I apologize," he said gingerly, "did I say something wrong?"
Robin smiled, a forced thing that was unsteady around the edges. "No. You wouldn't have known. Sometimes I forget that you were adrift for 50 years. The world must be very different now."
"It sounds like I've missed a great deal."
Luffy, in that vivacious, never-noticing-the-slightest-awkward-tension way of his, crowed out, "Wait- you don't know who Gold Roger is, do you? You don't know about the Pirate King!"
"No, but if anyone can be king of pirates, I think Luffy-san would have the ability for it," Brook yohohoho-ed. The other Strawhats exchanged looks, suddenly realizing how out of touch their musician was with... everything, really.
"Hmmm," their captain sat up, arms crossed, head canting this way and that as he thought. "Who's old that you might know? Oh- what about Shanks?"
"He's younger than Roger!" Was the overwhelming reply by most everyone else.
"Older, Luffy," Nami stressed. "Like maybe your grandfather."
"I didn't even think about him! He might've been a Marine back then!"
Brook had been told about Luffy's impressive heritage but Monkey D. Garp didn't ring a bell, then or now. "I'm afraid not."
"What about the guy your brother works for?" Usopp asked. "Whitebeard- he's really old, isn't he?"
"You may be more familiar with his real name: Edward Newgate," Robin added.
Something rattled deep in Brook's brain- or it would have if he had one. "Newgate, Newgate, hmmmmmmmm..."
Luffy snickered to himself, clapping his feet together, "How cool would that be? Brook knowing Whitebeard before he was the strongest man in the world?"
"Ah! I remember him! At least I think I do. He had this amazing blond hair but no facial hair at all." Brook tilted his head to one side, phalange tapping against his jaw thoughtfully. "My crew stayed in town with his for a bit while we waited for our log poses to set. I thought he seemed a little lonely. Always requested the same song."
Luffy stretched his face right next to Brook's. "Can you play it? Shishishishi- I wonder if Ace knows Whitebeard's favorite song?"
When Brook put his bow to the strings again, he played the song as a march, choosing to keep the song instrumental. It was a beautiful tune if not somber in its original tempo and the words were of nostalgia and disillusionment. He'd always thought of it as a song for sorrowful reflection and had been somewhat bothered by Newgate favoring it as he did. Perhaps, though, as the notes soared over the waves, as the world's strongest, as Whitebeard, he'd found a new song to favor.
Title: Sing Us a Song
Fandom: One Piece
Rating: PG (plus one swear from sanji)
Word Count: 699
Characters: Brook, Strawhats
Summary: There are many things Brook knows and many things that he's missed.
The notes were pure and clean, drawing the song out into a sweet evening ballad, "I've sailed the world over for decades or more/And oft' times I wonder what I do it for." The rest of the crew spoke quietly amongst themselves, letting dinner settle in their bellies and Brook's voice settle their spirits. "I don't know the answer its pleasure and pain/But with life to live over I'd do it again."
Before he could launch into the chorus again, Franky called out, "Oi- Brook! Play A-Rovin' wouldya?"
"If you have something to say, say it!" Nami snapped from across the deck- the two had been snipping at each other all day over some presumed debt he owed her.
Brook kept playing with a light touch while inclining his body apologetically. "I'm sorry to say I'm not familiar with that song."
"Really?" Luffy draped himself over the railing, practically hanging from it. "That's a surprise, you know so many songs, Brook!"
"What about Rolling Up Rolling Down?" Asked Sanji. "The shitty old man used the sing that setting up the Baratie."
"I'm afraid I don't know that one, either."
"Do you know Roll the Old Chariot?" Robin laced her hands over her knee, leaning against the mast. "It was very popular in Ohara."
"It seems I need to brush up on my songs," he said with a chortle. "I hadn't realized Robin-san came from Ohara, though. It must have done well since I last visited!"
The sudden silence from his crewmates made Brook's bow skim to a halt. "I apologize," he said gingerly, "did I say something wrong?"
Robin smiled, a forced thing that was unsteady around the edges. "No. You wouldn't have known. Sometimes I forget that you were adrift for 50 years. The world must be very different now."
"It sounds like I've missed a great deal."
Luffy, in that vivacious, never-noticing-the-slightest-awkward-tension way of his, crowed out, "Wait- you don't know who Gold Roger is, do you? You don't know about the Pirate King!"
"No, but if anyone can be king of pirates, I think Luffy-san would have the ability for it," Brook yohohoho-ed. The other Strawhats exchanged looks, suddenly realizing how out of touch their musician was with... everything, really.
"Hmmm," their captain sat up, arms crossed, head canting this way and that as he thought. "Who's old that you might know? Oh- what about Shanks?"
"He's younger than Roger!" Was the overwhelming reply by most everyone else.
"Older, Luffy," Nami stressed. "Like maybe your grandfather."
"I didn't even think about him! He might've been a Marine back then!"
Brook had been told about Luffy's impressive heritage but Monkey D. Garp didn't ring a bell, then or now. "I'm afraid not."
"What about the guy your brother works for?" Usopp asked. "Whitebeard- he's really old, isn't he?"
"You may be more familiar with his real name: Edward Newgate," Robin added.
Something rattled deep in Brook's brain- or it would have if he had one. "Newgate, Newgate, hmmmmmmmm..."
Luffy snickered to himself, clapping his feet together, "How cool would that be? Brook knowing Whitebeard before he was the strongest man in the world?"
"Ah! I remember him! At least I think I do. He had this amazing blond hair but no facial hair at all." Brook tilted his head to one side, phalange tapping against his jaw thoughtfully. "My crew stayed in town with his for a bit while we waited for our log poses to set. I thought he seemed a little lonely. Always requested the same song."
Luffy stretched his face right next to Brook's. "Can you play it? Shishishishi- I wonder if Ace knows Whitebeard's favorite song?"
When Brook put his bow to the strings again, he played the song as a march, choosing to keep the song instrumental. It was a beautiful tune if not somber in its original tempo and the words were of nostalgia and disillusionment. He'd always thought of it as a song for sorrowful reflection and had been somewhat bothered by Newgate favoring it as he did. Perhaps, though, as the notes soared over the waves, as the world's strongest, as Whitebeard, he'd found a new song to favor.
