Thin Red Path [Historical]

Suzume had been at sea for so long now she had lost track of time, it could have been weeks or perhaps months, but she had been living in this little crawl space in the cargo hold for so long now. Her infrequent trips outside were always fraught with danger, being caught on a slaving ship like this was the last thing she could handle. The food in the cargo hold was running low though, and the rats that skittered in the darkness just out of view were getting to look tastier by the day.

Between pangs of hunger and the crushing sorrow of everything she had lost was beginning to consume every living moment. If it wasn't one, it was the other. She had been lucky enough to be close to a source of water or she truly would have been lost. With nothing else to do until they made port, Suzume spent her time staring at the ornate box that she had managed to escape with. It had been locked, but she had made short work of the mechanism but had dared not look inside. It felt like a betrayal to even consider taking what was inside for herself.

Her last view of Tatsuo falling was a constant source of rumination and despair. Suzume had been so desperate to leave she hadn't considered escaping into the city and going home. In that one moment her own desires had overwritten her senses, what were the others going to do with the two of them gone? The tears had long since dried up, replaced with moments of self-directed anger and a lingering sadness. So what could she do? That strange man from Wano had said it was supposed to be a powerful devil fruit. Perhaps that power might get her out of this. There was no telling what it would do though, with so many varieties there was hardly a way for someone with so little knowledge could decipher the abilities each fruit might grant.

Hesitantly, driven mostly by her empty stomach, Suzume lifted the lid to reveal a delicate red velvet interior that sat a single Devil Fruit. As she expected, there wasn't some sort of label, but the strange fruit was ice blue in colour, mostly circular in shape with outer growths resembling sharp pointed scales. It looked oddly enticing at least, but still she felt like this was something of a line to cross. She didn't know how long she had stared at the fruit before it was in her hands, but with the deceptively light object in her hands it seemed like it was inevitable. Finally, she gave in and took a bit.

"Ugh..." She stifled the soft groan of disapproval, not expecting the horrid bitter taste, but even still it was something to eat. Before long, she had devoured the whole thing. It took her a moment to realize she didn't feel all too different. The physical changes of some fruits weren't immediately obvious... No animal-like features either. In fact, it wasn't until she noticed the light fog when she exhaled. It was almost like the room had suddenly gotten very cold, but she wasn't feeling it.

---

It had been a night under the deck like any other for most of the passengers on board. The slave deck in particular, the lowest deck, was largely unguarded but secure to any other level. With a thick metal divider and door there was no real way out to anywhere else on the ship. Small bunks lined the ship, offering enough space to lay down for one person. Some still wound up on the floor of course. Little else was available to those aboard beyond what was brought down. Tonight though, there was an odd chill to the air. Moreso than usual even in the leaky hold.

So cold in fact, some of the portholes had begun to frost over. With thin layers of ice appearing anywhere there was moisture. "We going through a snow-storm? What the hell is going on?" One of the watch loudly complain, taking another swig from his horn as the other paced in the small guard room. Visible only through the bars of the Slave Deck door. There was a loud stomping soon after, as the quiet one went to investigate. All signs pointed to the cargo hold, just one deck above.

It hadn't been long, since the tragedy had struck her home and everything was taken from her. She had denounced the ways of a pirate long ago and was finally getting used to the civilian lifestyle. Happiness was in her arms, but it had been ripped away by the fatal misstep of her husband. They came in the night like cowards hiding their true identities from the very people they struck down in cold blood. Their only objective was money and it seemed that anyone who couldn't pay up was swiftly relieved of this mortal suffering. Those that fought back were either killed or captured. When all was said and done, the whole town was set ablaze.

Ruby could remember the flames transcending into the atmosphere above and lighting up the night for miles. Her voice had all but faded and the sound of joy drowned out her sorrow. Her body had gone numb and all traces of fighting spirit had slipped away. She had been drug to a slave ship, where she would be locked far below the sea. Her only belonging was a weapon that was passed between guards that believed it was theirs to keep. At this rate, it wasn't something she longed to hold again for she only wanted to feel the warmth of her family in her arms.

Of course, the cold, hard floor had become something that the woman was used to feeling. There was no bed for her on this ship and even if she had one, the terrors of the night kept her awake. Her head was wrapped in dirty cloth that hadn't been changed since she was thrown on board. Her only remaining eye showed the sleep deprivation that came with the horrors of being unable to close it. Although this ship had all but become darkness to her, she could feel her body becoming covered in goosebumps. Every new breath she drew was visible to all and she couldn't help feeling as if something strange were about to happen.

As the room grew colder, the pirate who had gone to investigate the source had been awfully quiet. There was an odd silence that spread across everyone in the cramped room while they waited for the news. Ruby noticed a younger girl approach to quietly come to sit by her. A white haired youth with a set of fluffy pointed ears and a tail, obviously a devil-fruit user though she didn't seem to be the type to partake in something like that. Fairly reclusive in the voyage so far, having already been on board when Ruby had arrived. They didn't talk much, and beyond knowing she had been separated from her sisters at some point in the past, there wasn't much else she could recall. She did at least manage to get her name, Fumi. Whatever it was worth, she had chosen to stick close for now in case something happened.

--

Suzume heard the heavy footsteps of one of the crewmembers investigating the cargo hold. The room had dropped dramatically in temperature by this point, the manifestation of the girl's newly found powers fluxuated with her unstable emotional state. "No no no, turn off." Her hands and forearms were soon coated in frost, seemingly frozen solid even if she still had her usual levels of mobility. It was the nightmare situation of course, it was clear enough her new abilities had given her away and the footsteps were drawing ever closer. Her crawlspace had been well hidden before now, subtly shifted crates forming an enclosed area with a heavy sheet thrown over to complete the look. Until now it had served as adequte cover but in moments she was undone. The pirate yanked off the cover to find their stowaway. Before the girl could say a word he had pulled her to her feet by the arm. "Got us a stowaway!" He finally reported back, deciding that he knew the perfect place for her until the figured out what to do.

She was hardly able to fight against his grip, not that it stopped her from trying to struggle free as he dragged her carelessly across the deck and back down to the guard post. "Got a live one here." He chuckled, finally releasing the girl to push her toward the barred door. The whole debacle was clear enough to see through the reinforced barred windows that kept them separated from the guards. Suzume stumbled, losing her balance as she fell to the floor. "What do you reckon? Overboard?" The pair had her cornered, and she seemed to have frozen in place. There was surprisingly little pain from the fall, but she didn't know what to do. Whatever conversation was going on, was lost to her now as she scrambled further away, stopped by the wall soon after.

For the most part, Ruby had kept to herself, but ultimately had come to observe the others in the hold with her. She had kept her eye on one sort in particular, who just so happened to scurry her way at the first sign of danger. A small, snow haired child that seemed to go by the name of Fumi. This was the only known fact about her other than the obvious devil fruit accessories that made her more of a target than the others. She was lucky that she was still just a child, but her circumstances were unfortunate. Ruby would hesitate to reach out and pat the girl on the head. However, the sounds of the man returning with another individual would quickly turn her away.

Ruby would sigh as she rose to her feet. Every fiber of her being felt heavy and screamed for her to just give up. Seeing a young woman in trouble and tormented by fear would have Ruby grabbing the bars in front of her. "Ey! You cowards really gotta torment others ta feel big, eh? Dontcha see that she's scared? Big strong man gonna throw her overboard? Yeah right! You want ta play? Why not come play with me?" Ruby would glare at the guards through the bars as she puckered her lips and spit in their direction. Sure, it was obvious that she hadn't been fed in quite a while, but it seemed that she still had quite a bit of fight left in her. In all honesty, she had nothing left, so saving one life over her own would be just fine with her. There was nothing to live for anymore.

Fumi probably wasn't quite as young as she was being treated, though she was easily the youngest amongst the people penned up on the slave deck. Getting a head pat did seem to help, at least if her wagging was anything to go by. There was little comfort to be had here, so she'd just silently appreciate the gesture until her protector moved away, brought to attention by the sudden entrance of the missing pirate and a stowaway. This new girl looked rather well off, other than the general dishevelled look that came with hiding on a slave ship at least, her clothes were remarkably well made, like something royalty might wear. Fumi curiously followed Ruby to the bars, peeking around her but mostly staying hidden while everything unfolded.

Suzume had almost entirely shut down, so lost it seemed like she wasn't fighting back now. It seemed this was it, her short life was to end here. Her thoughts drifted through the storm, visions of her friends back on the island, smiling even in their poverty. Everyone who she had left behind without saying goodbye. Maybe it was best, if there was some being watching over them maybe it had decided the cruelty of her existence had finally been enough. She hoped she'd get to see Tatsuo if there was an afterlife, and maybe everyone else when it was their time.

"Shut your mouth or you're going overboard with her." One of the men brushed aside the only voice determined to protect this stranger, the others had that fire extinguished long ago. The temperature of the room was dropping rapidly now, though to what purpose it wasn't entirely clear. This girl's abilities were working purely off instinct, as if attempting to preserve her even if she had already given in. "Ey, she don't look like a slave. Too well dressed. Maybe we could get a ransom?" The scrawny guard pointed out, earning a slow nod from his comrade. "Back away from the door." The larger of the two ordered, grabbing Suzume by the arm again to lift her.

At first she barely responded, struggling to even catch her footing when he tried to pull her to her feet. It took the pirate a little longer to realize his mistake, he stepped forward to crunching sound of ice shattering, followed by a surprised yelp from Suzume as she was dropped unexpectedly. The scream that followed wasn't from her though, but the guard. What had been his arm was frozen solid right to the elbow and the remains lay shattered on the floor around him. The girl looked just as shocked, broken from her thoughts by the shouting. She scrambled away again, now opposite the two men as the second drew his sidearm, levelling the weapon at her.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?! Fix it! Right now!" The other pirate had seemingly gone about trying to gather the pieces, feverishly using his remaining arm to scrape them toward himself as his comrade held their hostage at gunpoint. Suzume wasn't really a fighter, she had always been quick and difficult to catch but never one to take a fight head on. Though her clouded mind seemed to be going over everything at once, observing her frost covered arms with confusion. Her fingers seemed almost translucent, and it was spreading across her hand in rapidly growing crystals. It was power she had never been given before, a chance to finally even the odds. She was so engrossed in these new thoughts she wasn't paying attention to the man with the gun, who was just about ready to shoot her where she stood. "ANSWER ME!"

"Then send me OVER!" Ruby would shout back as the man tried to disuade her from defying them. Her one good eye glared through the bars directly into the man that yelled for her to shut up. "If this is the alternative to death, then I'd rather go swimmin' first!" Ruby would continue her antics at an attempt to divert the attention onto her. What did she have left? Not a damn thing. So, the least she could do is go out in her own way. She had wallowed in her self pity and now she had the chance to go out in a blaze of glory. She could save one, young life.

However, it seemed the guards were dead set on keeping their sights on the girl, so Ruby would take this time to look around. They had been locked away with the bare minimum, but there was always a weapon to be made out of the ordinary. Ruby would spy some loose board dangling from the cots they were graciously given to sleep on and she would begin prying the wood from the bed before braking a piece off that was large enough to do justice. Ruby would dart for the window as she heard a man yelling to bring his arm back. From what Ruby could tell, this woman's power was ice and they had gotten too close for comfort.

As he pointed his weapon at her, Ruby would take the board and toss it at him from the window. Surely, this could cause enough of a commotion to turn the tides, if the girl so wished. "I said leave 'er alone! It's yur own damn fault for touchin' 'er! Girly, you need ta move, if you wanna get out of this!" Ruby's determined gaze was directed to Suzume, who was still cowering on the floor. The other slaves had begun to stir at the chaos becoming slightly more fearful of what would happen to the with Ruby going wild. "Come on! You don' have ta die like this!" The sorrow in her eyes reflected on the young woman as she was reminded of her own little girl. She would have never wanted this for anyone. This world was far too dark for her pure heart.

Suzume's shivering form seemed to calm, some sense of change washing over her. There was a moment she had simply become deaf to the world, ignoring the threat from across the room to instead pick herself up. Nothing like moments before, where every step had been a challenge, she seemed almost confident while her gaze drifted from the injured pirate on the floor to the barrel of the flintlock pointed at her. "I said fix him!" He cocked the hammer, leveling the weapon as if it was her last chance. His focus had been drawn all in on the new threat before him rather than the angry captive yelling at him from behind the bars. He had disregarded them all in fact, so much so that he couldn't have expected what was to happen next.

He was struck square in the side by the flying lumber, cursing loudly at the surge of pain. The shock had him clench his hand accidentally, squeezing the trigger to fire off his only shot. His aim hadn't been so shaken however, managing to keep it on target as the gunpowder erupted in a roar of fire. When the smoke had cleared though, Suzume was still standing and she finally started moving forward. She had protected herself instictively, with her body forming into ice at the moment of impact to shatter and simply reform.

It was slow progress, the section of her shoulder that had been struck reforming like new. Suzume's attacker was shocked of course, dropping the pistol while stepping back, retreating from the girl as she moved toward him, standing over the grovelling pirate still trying to put himself back together. She looked down to him, considering her options before reaching out to place her hand on the top of his head. There was barely a whimper while her freezing touch did its work. She didn't bother to freeze him further though, instead simply walking past while he fell forwards and shattered when his remaining arm gave out beneath him.

"I'm done running" Her voice betrayed a lifetime of abuse at the hands of men just like this, the hate laced in her words clear as day as she made her way forward in a complete reversal from a moment before. The pirate fumbled with his pistol, loading a second shot with his shaky hands. "Get back! We got an escape! PRISONER ESCAPE!" As if the shot going off wasn't enough, he took a moment to call for aid as the girl closed in. With a flick of her wrist Suzume formed a weapon, little more than a thin sword-like shard of ice. In a flurry of movement, she surged forward to impale the pirate, running him through before he could finish reloading. It wasn't a clean death by any means, the razor sharp ice tearing through flesh as she twisted and withdrew the blade.

He fell, his legs unable to support him when he crumpled backwards with a dying gasp. Suzume stood frozen once more, standing over her victim with a dispassionate stare as if contemplating what she had just done. Her frozen hands coated in crimson. A sight that was almost shocking enough to bring her back from the brink... almost.

--

Fumi gasped, holding her hands over her ears at the sudden sound of gunfire. Immediately moving to hide below the window and out of view while everything went on. The others were in just as much shock, with the brutality of the stranger before them seeming to turn away those who couldn't stomach such violence. It was hard to tell exactly what would happen from here, but the sounds of footsteps approaching rapidly said the rest of the crew were only moments away.

Ruby would watch as the weapon fired sending a shot straight for the girl in question. A gasp would be released from her mouth, until she noticed the hardened, frozen over ice. A sigh of relief would escape her as Ruby seemed to visibly deflate. She knew that she couldn't bare to see another young girl taken from this world at the hands of the corrupt. Power made people do unspeakable things and in this case, they took those of lesser classes and sold them for more money. Money, also seen as a form of power, was the most corrupt and evil of all in the hands of the greedy.

Ruby would turn to the small, white haired Fumi beside her as she noticed the signs of distress at hearing the sudden gunfire. As Suzume went on the handle the incident herself, Ruby would take the time to squat down beside the child placing a hand upon her head. "Don't worry, Fumi. I'll keep you safe. No matter what. Keep those ears covered until I say so." A smile to lighten the mood and prove that she wasn't just speaking out of thin air. Ruby was the type of woman to fight for those that needed her help and in every single case, that included the children of the world. Of course, she could tell that Fumi was older than a typical child, but she hadn't had nearly enough time to live and explore the possibilities of the world. She was worthy of protection.

Ruby would rise to her feet in time to hear the man call for aid as her head flickered to the scene outside of the window. He was unarmed, as he should have been, but it seemed that Suzume had other plans for him. At this point, whatever judgement that Suzume had cast upon him was not of Ruby's concern. She would watch on unblinking as the ice queen formed her blade and ran the scum through with it. A deserving death for a vile criminal that turned his back on humanity. However, it seemed that the judge would stand over his dying being with unlingering eyes, until she took sight of her hand stained red. "Hey, girly. Are you alright? You should get out of here before they send in more of 'em. It'd be surprising if they didn' hear all that."

Suzume stood motionless, testing her new abilities by reverting the freeze. Realizing just how much she had cooled the area, the girl put a note to try and limit the effect. The woman from before eventually got through to her at least. The girl turned and walked over towards the security gate. The dog girl hiding behind brought her thoughts back to Saya, they looked the same age. It was a shame she had to see something like this. Her attention moved to Ruby next as she placed a hand over the lock. "I'm fine." She looked down, taking a glance at the lock as she twisted her wrist. The mechanisms of the lock screech as they shatter, with Suzume freezing and cracking the delicate mechanisms. The door swang inwards, freeing everyone in the hold.

"Do what you like, This isn't over yet." She looked down to Fumi with a frown, hiding the blood-soaked hand for a moment. "I've seen enough of this, it doesn't just stop if I walk away." Her thinking over recent times had really solidified her resolve, and a power boost didn't hurt things. She turned, looking to the stairs leading upwards. "Besides, where can I go?" Seemingly with no options left, Suzume moved from view, the air around her freezing further when she was out of range. No point holding back now.

--

Fumi nodded, covering her ears as best she could until it was all over. Only daring to look when all the sounds died down. She managed to stomach the scene before her, focusing on the young woman speaking to Ruby instead. Though it was hardly less scary. Before long she was gone, and the cold with her. While Fumi noticed something strange. "There are a lot of them up there." She frowned to Ruby, ears twitching toward the noises as if trying to pinpoint how many were on the way. She couldn't be sure, but this stranger had just pulled them all into this mess. With the door broken, they were just as likely to face the consequences should the stowaway fail.

Ruby would sigh seeing the young woman in her own little world, but ultimately would save them all from freezing to death. The goosebumps along Ruby's arms had been plenty to prove that it was cold, although the adrenaline from the action had kept her rather ignorant to the feeling. The woman would turn to attention to those of them that had been captured inevitably breaking the lock while claiming that she was fine. Ruby knew better than to heed those words. She could tell by the woman's body language and lack of emotional processing that this was more than likely the first time she had ever taken a life.

Suzume would take the time to give the lot of them the option to stay or leave, however she was correct in saying that things would stay the same. However, there was one question that would have Ruby stopping in her tracks as the raven haired woman left their view. Where would she go? So, she must have lost everything just as Ruby had. Although Ruby wasn't sure why she was so compelled to chase after the woman, her suspicions would only be confirmed by Fumi speaking up. The red head's eyes would look down to the young girl blankly before she would sigh and pat the girl on the head.

"I don't intend for you to follow me, but if that's what you choose, I promise I'll protect you with my life." This was a promise that Ruby wouldn't take lightly and she wouldn't make it to the others in the cell. "Look, ya can either die in here or try to gain yur freedom. I'm leavin'." The woman would speak looking out amongst the other prisoners. Some of them looked back at her, others chose to lay down and die a long time ago, and there were the select few that had curled into themselves unable to choose just yet. Ruby, on the other hand, would turn to leave the cell stepping out to loot the brutalized corpse of his ammo and weapon.

She expected the young Fumi to follow her. They had a newfound connection that Ruby couldn't quite explain, but maybe the loyalty was proof of her canine powers. "If you get scared, I want you to hide. If anything happens to me, go with the other lady. I think we'll be just fine though," Ruby would speak while simultaneously reloading the blood caked weapon she had picked up from the corpse. In all honesty, she believed this was her karma for her life of piracy and the lives she took in the name of her crew. Still, she wouldn't take her actions back or repent for anything she had done. Instead, she would move on until death decided it was time for her to go.

Fumi frowned up at the older woman as she explained her intentions, along with a promise of protection. The girl peers back to the startled crowd and then to Ruby after she made her proclamation. There wasn’t much question that she was going to be safest following, and if she stayed on the ship there was no telling what would happen. She was never going to reunite with her sisters if she got scared now. “Okay. I’ll go too.” She nodded, seeming apprehensive but determined to continue, even with this worry. When Ruby moved to follow the stowaway, Fumi would be only a few steps behind.

Their journey up to the next level was short at least, the cargo hold was empty of any signs of struggle. It was only at the level above that they had to then move down the length of the ship. The way up had been blockaded, the heavy hatch locked and barred from above. Even their stowaway couldn’t get through, if the trail of frosted corridor was anything to go by. Down to a more open area, seemingly a mess hall of some kind, did they come across signs of violence.

The fighting had been chaotic, that was clear, but rather decisive. The girl had been honing her skill at a startling rate if the frozen remains of her victims were anything to go by. Those who had been frozen completely were the luckiest of course, a quick end. Others had been carved through with little elegance or mercy. Fumi had closed her eyes while following, trying not to witness the bloodshed. Jagged ice-made weapons lay strewn across the upended tables and broken bodies, crafted to tear rather than cut. Her carnage moving through the hall down the opposite side of the ship. It grew colder as they rounded the corner, meaning they couldn't be too far away.

The wandering pair could still hear commotion above, muffled through the heavy floors at least, but not combat. Perhaps preparing for combat, as they had caught up to Suzume already. While she had won the fight, it hadn’t been without cost. Her abilities weren’t so honed that she could ignore so many. The girl had taken to bracing on the wall as she stubbornly moved onward, gripping a frozen hand over a wound on her side. The girl had been so distracted that she hadn’t noticed a cabin opening behind her, with a pair of ambushers leaping out. In turn, they were too focused on the stowaway to see Ruby or Fumi as they rushed forward. Fumi was quick to duck back, hiding in a partially open door to an empty storeroom, not even daring to glance around.

Ruby would nod as Fuji said she would tag along with her. It was a smart choice, especially for a girl so young. She could escape and live a free life. She could do whatever she wanted and go wherever she pleases. Being on this boat, Ruby doubted that her family would still be living, although her hometown may not have suffered the same fate. Still, Ruby had made her a promise and she would keep that promise no matter the cost. Why did she feel so strongly? Well, she had wished the same fate for her own flesh and blood. However, as they made it to the next floor, there would be no time to think about such matters.

Ruby had rounded every corner only after checking to make sure the coast was clear. It seemed that Suzume had managed to make it through relatively alright, but it was far too quiet on a level that creaking footsteps could normally be heard below. The hatch had been attempted, but was locked beyond breaching. Ice trailed the hallways and the coolness of the air was enough to prove they were getting closer. When they finally stumbled upon bodies, it was safe to say that the woman was determined. Some had been turned to ice and others had met a fate far worse. Honestly, Ruby commended the young lass on her combat approach. ”Everythin’ will be just fine, Fumi. We’re almost there.” Ruby would speak softly to the girl that followed behind her. She knew that the sights wouldn’t sit well with her, since she had been so scared before. Not every child needed to be desensitized to the ways of the world.

In a matter of moments, the corpses had led them to a banged up Suzume and some unwanted guests. Ruby would react as quickly as she possibly could with a loaded weapon. ”Stop right there!” The woman would shout before firing off her single round pistol straight into the back of one of their necks. Of course, it would exit out the front and the rest was an unsightly gag as blood released itself from the wound. ”Cover yur ears, Fumi. Think about things you like.” Ruby would try to find some temporary coping mechanism to keep the girl from dealing with too much of this madness. Besides, she was in the middle of reloading her second shot and hoping his buddy was too preoccupied with the events to bother the ice queen.

Ruby’s swift response was more than enough to save the girl, serving to alert her to the danger to begin with as well as blow a hole in one of the pirates that had been waiting in ambush. Despite the tired expression on her face, Suzume lashed out as she turned to face the remaining foe. The razor thin blade extended from her fingertips, cleaving through the man’s neck with startling ease. The quick victory did little to stifle the pain from her wounded side. She took a knee, with the need to rest overcoming her anger for the moment. Fortunately, the coast was clear, and they had a little time. It had gotten awfully quiet ahead, so they were about to head into an ambush, or the remains of the crew had retreated further up the ship.

Suzume looked to be in far worse shape than she had been only minutes before. It made sense with how rushed the attack had been, really it was more surprising she wasn’t worse off. Whatever qualms with killing she might have had were obviously behind her now. “Thank you, again.” The bloodshed had been a little too much for her by now if her trembling, blood-soaked hands were anything to go by. At least it had snapped her out of whatever rage had taken her.

Fumi barely had time to follow Ruby’s suggestion, watching on while the two slavers were dispatched before her eyes. Though the ice woman seemed to have run out of steam. Her ears had been scanning for any more surprises but weren’t picking up anything of note. With the conflict dying down she moved out from her hiding spot to join the others. “Are you alright? That looks really bad.” Fumi was still keeping Ruby between them, just in case. She didn't have the knowledge to help with a wound like that, maybe Ruby did. Between the two of them, they were bound to come up with something. So long as the stowaway decided to do the smart thing and stay put.

It seemed that the duo had managed to dispatch the foe quite easily, but also with startling brutality. Of course, Fumi had been quick to hide and cover her ears as she had before. However the moment things quieted down, she was just as swift to come out of hiding and check on this mysterious ice savior. A thank you would slip from her lips as Ruby stood with a newly loaded round in her claimed pistol. It wasn't what she was used to and she was sure that someone on this ship had taken it for themselves and she would find it. With a sigh, Ruby would walk her way over to Suzume before kneeling down beside her.

Fumi had already taken her spot next to the woman as she exclaimed the obvious. Ruby would tilt her head as she reached to take a closer look at the wound by lifting the blood soaked garb from it. "It's not nearly as bad as it seems. Could always be worse." Ruby would say softly as she noticed that the woman seemed to be in a state of shock. Her hands trembled and dripped with blood. She was correct in thinking this young woman had never harmed anyone before, much less killed someone before. "Fumi, we're on a cargo ship, so there should be some cloth around somewhere. Anything will do as long as it looks clean. It might be a long shot, but maybe some fresh water too." She would send the small pup on a hunt for supplies to help their new ally. Ruby wasn't going to let her die here.

"I'm going to take care of you. What's your name, lass?" Ruby would ask as she began to wipe the girl's hands with her own sleeve. It wouldn't take care of the smudged blood or the stainage, however, it would work for the time being. "None of this is your fault. They're the bad ones here and you just saved a lot of lives." Ruby would speak to the woman in a soft, comforting voice. It was a tone that she had only ever used with her daughter, but she was certain that this girl needed some comfort.

Suzume's breathing was slow, but deliberate. It seemed like she was trying to calm herself down even while Ruby took the time to inspect the wound on her side. Fortunately she had gotten enough control of her powers to avoid freezing people accidentally, though it was close to unbearable being too close in the state she was in. Fumi seemed to realize she needed to act, and would promptly do so. Moving back from where they had come from, seeing as it was probably the safest. Though it meant she had to brave the grizly sight of the mess hall again.

With Fumi off searching for supplies, Suzume finally reacted, blinking slowly before fixing her gaze up to Ruby. "It's Suzume." She spoke in a much softer tone than down in the slave deck, not so sure of herself, with the worry she was so desperatly trying to stifle clear in her voice. Everthing felt off around her, it was getting hard to focus on what was really happening here. Though she seemed to be avoiding looking down to her hands for the moment. It took the older woman's calming words and some proper silence. Rather than relax though, she had used the time to steel herself instead. As if she was going to continue marching the second her legs weren't so weak.

Fumi returned not too long after, a bundle of assorted fabrics she had managed to scavange as well as a bucket from the kitchens filled with some clean water. She offered her loot up, unsure of exactly what to do. Though she seemed to want to back away, perhaps still afraid of the woman before her, or just not able to handle the chill in the air around her. "Is she going to be okay?" While her ears had folded back, she was clearly doing her best to brave the situation.

As the younger teen finally ran off in search of supplies, it seemed that their iced mistress had given up her name. "Suzume? That's a beautiful name." There was worry in her eyes that much Ruby could see. She seemed confused and lost. She almost seemed to be on another plane of existence in her own mind. Ruby wanted to ask her how she ended up here. What was her story? She was afraid and reserved when she had first seen the woman. Now, she was confident, determined, and enabling a revolt. Surely, the prisoners on this ship wouldn't sit by with an open door staring them in the face. Ruby knew they would come around and the longer the three of them remained here, the more resolve the others would find.

Fumi would return with lots of cloth and a bucket of clean water. A smile would cross Ruby's lips as she would pat the girl on the head, "You've done well. Now, I'll do my part to do well too. I think she'll be just fine. She's fairly tough." Ruby wasn't a doctor by any means, but she could sure patch up a wound temporarily. Ruby would take most of the fabrics leaving Fumi with some of the leftovers. "Why don't you get some of that wet and clean off her hands, huh?" Ruby had seen the way she reacted the first time to the blood and knew that she had been avoiding the crimson on her palms. She didn't seem like a former pirate, so how did she end up on this ship? Ruby would take the fabric she had before folding a few pieces into a nice, compressed square. "This might hurt a little, but it'll do you some good," Ruby would say before pressing the cloth down on the would and using the remaining to tie the square in place. She would tie it as tight as possible before nodding at the woman on the ground.

"I think you'll be just fine and now, we're accomplices. So, I guess that means you've got me to back you up. How 'bout it Fumi? Wanna come along?" Ruby would ask the girl not giving Suzume the same choice. They were coming with her whether she liked it or not.

Fumi watched a few steps back while Ruby took charge of the situation, their new ‘accomplice’ looked like she was about one misstep away from snapping right there. It was something that she admired about her, deciding to help even with someone so clearly volatile. Maybe she just wasn’t used to the violence, but Fumi couldn’t comprehend being angry enough to carve other living beings up like that. Even if it felt like some sort of karmic justice. Either way, she had come out here to help rather than just wait in the hold, so she would help. She wondered just how much her devil fruit made her susceptible to head pats though, otherwise she might not be quite so calm.

Suzume had managed to catch her breath by now, the pain in her side was dulling at least. The kind words from the red-haired woman brought her some peace, if only because it reminded her of Tatsuo’s persistent need to compliment people. She was brought back to the world again when she felt someone take a hand. The younger of the two, shivering as she did so, had taken the rag to begin washing away the signs of the battle.

Suzume made a conscious effort to take control of her new powers, which helped from freezing Fumi while she worked. The attempts to clean her up were a good enough distraction from the pressure at her side from Ruby binding the injury. The girl took a sharp breath, but managed to keep her composure until the two were done helping. She tenderly inspected the makeshift bandage before Ruby explained that they were ‘accomplices’ now.

Fumi moved away after she had finished up, cleaning most of the blood off before retreating to Ruby. She didn’t even need to consider her choice, nodding right away when she was asked to follow. “Where are we going to go?” Fumi questioned, looking up to Ruby only to have Suzume pulling herself to her feet. “I’m going to have a little discussion with the captain of this ship. There can’t be many left now.” She had no way of telling if this was true or not, but she also didn’t seem to care. Moving out of the lower decks towards her next set of victims. Fumi frowned, looking from the swiftly advancing Suzume to Ruby. “We better make sure she doesn’t go and get hurt..” She clearly didn’t like the idea of more fighting, but she had already agreed to follow.

Ruby would smile down at Fumi placing her hand on the young pup's head as she took refuge behind. Fumi would request their next destination, but it seemed their new friend had her own idea. She was going to make her way to the captain and Ruby didn't have a single right to stop her. "Seems fun," Ruby would exclaim as she shrugged her shoulders. Her eyes would wander with every step that Suzume took toward the next section of their journey. She didn't have any intention of slowing down, but that didn't seem like such a bad thing. Honestly, she had a sense of determination that Ruby had long since lost.

Ruby would hear Fumi voice her concerns, knowing that she hadn't reacted well to the woman and what she was doing to the populace of the ship. "S'ppose yur right," she would respond with a sigh before following after Suzume nonchalantly. Honestly, she wasn't in too big of a hurry, but her pistol was already loaded. Ruby would turn to look at the young pup while she spoke up again. "Ya know... I know that you're kind and you don't understand all of this. I'll do my best to try to explain it to you later. She's not a bad person." Ruby could only say what she thought and knew that Fumi would make her own decisions.

Fumi frowned at Suzume’s antics, watching her limp away to her next battle. She sighed, unsure of following someone like that but Ruby seemed to think there was something behind it. There was no way she was ‘good’ though, something had to be wrong with her to act this way. The disregard as she moved on with little more than untargeted vengeance on anyone who got in her way. “If you say so..” Unconvinced, she let Ruby take the lead toward the upper deck while trying to listen for signs of conflict ahead. If there was going to be another bloodbath she wanted to be ready for it.

By the time they climbed the final flight of stairs they would come across a standoff. Suzume was standing stock still with a pistols barrel planted firmly against the side of her head. The two freed slaves would probably recognize the Captain. A tall, lean man who carried a brace of pistols and perhaps most importantly to Ruby a sword at his hip, going unused for the moment. The other was aimed across the ship. Where they would likely notice the shadow of a ship of the line. While it had Marine colours it had none of the flags. They were drifting aside, having used the scuffle on board to swoop in on the vessel. With little but moonlight to illuminate them, crew

From their position just out of view, they could see a few members from this unknown vessel standing in opposition to the captain. Lead by a younger man wearing a rice hat, leaving a shadow over his face to detail only a look of grim determination. He was flanked by two crew-members, similarly clad in their imposing red cloaks and obscuring headwear. For the moment, none of these strangers had drawn their weapons, or noticed their arrival.

“Fancy ship for a kid, not gonna do you much good down here though. Is it?” The gruff captain pulled the hammer back on both weapons. Suzume didn’t seem certain her new abilities could fend off such an attack which had managed to stay the ice crafted blade in her right hand. “Now I don’t know what you think you’re doing here, but I’ve got a stowaway to deal with. So if you wouldn’t mind I’d rather save the bullet.”

The swordsman opposite suddenly changed his more rigid stance to relax, a subtle motion of his head indicating he had noticed the two escapees. If they looked closely, the might even notice a grin form as he unsheathed his blade, casually stepping forward as it hung to the side. Even with the gun trained on his head. “Are you stupid? Think you can get here before I pull this trigg—“ The Captain’s expression turned from a savage grin to sudden realization of the third party approaching from behind. With the situation so quickly becoming complicated, he was left with a choice. The moments worth of hesitation enough for Suzume to duck free of the weapon pressed to her head and dart back while their mysterious swordsman began to rapidly close the distance. With the coast clear, Ruby was likely to have a good shot but with the Captain aiming vaguely in their direction it was hard to tell if they were really safe to attack.

Ruby knew that her word wasn't the end all be all, so she knew that the hesitation to believe her was still thick in the air. Still, Fumi trusted the redhead enough to protect her meaning she carried some weight about her. What she had that the young, innocent girl saw was beyond her, but she wasn't in the wrong to hold faith in those stronger than herself. As the deck appeared before both of their eyes, it seemed that something had already transpired and wasn't exactly turned in their favor. Well, Ruby had expected trouble from the woman, however she hadn't thought about the possibility of multiple targets on hand.

Her eyes would catch sight of the captain and the pistol planted against Suzume's head. Still, he hadn't yet pulled the trigger meaning that there was something holding him back from continuing the onslaught. His secondary pistol aimed down the deck into the shadows of a ship larger than any she had come across before. Her eyes would widen as she took a good look at the vessel noting that it did indeed resemble that of the marines, yet there were no flags to speak of. What sort of trick was at play here? Her eyes would search the shadows until the moonlight struck their silhouettes and a group appeared from within.

They weren't marines. They looked far too unorthodox in appearance to be sleek, sophisticated marines. They wore cloaks red as blood and their headwear obscured any traces of who they may be. They were certainly a force, but what power did they posses to accommodate a vessel of such caliber. Likely a high class officer, if Ruby had to guess by sheer size alone. They stood in the shadows of darkness, but didn't make a sound. Two of them much larger than their background counterpart, although that meant nothing on these seas. It was quite obvious to be a female by the small frame and the small flickering of light that permeated the lower half of her face from a cigarette she inhaled. The smoke being sent drifting into the sky as she tossed the remnants overboard to be lost to the waves.

It seemed they weren't nearly as threatening as Ruby anticipated, although her guard wouldn't be broken so easily with Fumi hiding behind her. Her eyes would linger back to the captain as he spoke a big game and cocked his weapons for the firing. In this instance, Ruby would grab hold of Fumi's arm and jerk her arm toward some stray crates that lined the deck beside them. If it came down to it, Ruby wasn't going to let her see what happened next. "Hide," she would whisper loud enough that she hoped Fumi could hear her warning. As the captain threatened to take care of his "stowaway", Ruby would lift her own weapon readily loaded for the firing.

However, the change of pace would come as the swordsman in the shadows began to stir in the tension. Ruby would notice his grin as his smaller counterpart seemed to hold more of a grimace as she removed her own sword from her hip and reached around her back taking a lower stance than her relaxed leader. Within moments, the game was set and the pieces would begint o rapidly move clearing a shot for Ruby to fire without hesitation. With Suzume out of the way, she wasn't afraid of what would come her way, even if that meant retaliation. Ruby wasn't afraid to die, since she had no reason to live, but saving another so unfortunate seemed a good way to do so.

As the leader of the group of mysteries began to close the gap, it seemed his smaller friend would make her way toward the fray holding her sword in a rather interesting manner while her other hand was still nowhere to be found. From the trajectory of her path, it almost seemed as if she were more on target with intercepting their icey acquaintance, although without a hint of malicious intent in sight. Just what were these guys up to? With all of the commotion, it was rather odd that anything would catch Ruby's attention, however a glint in the light from the hip of their initial enemy would have Ruby glowering. She didn't have anywhere to be in a hurry, but she would find herself moving across the deck toward the man in question before she could think of what her plan was next.

Fumi nodded, slinking back to hide from the chaos erupting on deck. Fortunate too, as the Captain realized just how surrounded he actually was. In his panic he fired both shots, one swinging back to aim for the fleeing stowaway to widely miss. Riccocheting down the stairwell narrowly where the girl had been standing moments before. She stumbled back down in surprise, vanishing from sight. The second shot was aimed true, directed at the leading swordsman's chest only to be swatted away in a shower of sparks. He tossed his sidearms, letting them clatter uselessly to the deck before he lunged forward.

As easily as the leader of the Red Cloaks had deflected the shot, he avoided the rushed strike. Stepping aside to catch him with an open handed strike to send him reeling backwards. To capture his attention, Jinno sheathed his blade, approaching unarmed by the time his foe had caught his footing to attempt a second wild overhead strike with his stolen blade. To properly show his opponent how out of his depth he was, the prince caught the blade mid swing between his palms. Stopping it in it's tracks before he wrenched it free with startling ease. Leading to an almost lazy follow-up kick to the chest. Jinno flipped the blade, catching it by the handle to inspect it. "Hrm..." Didn't seem like the kind of thing a lowlife like this might carry. In this moment of distraction, he had failed to see the young woman opposite on a direct course for the Captain as he stumbled backwards.

Suzume had enough of this nonsense, a lapse of judgement had her moments from death again only for some stranger to arrive and intercede. She had been convinced again that she was done for, but the ringing in her ears said the shot that had just fired off had missed her entirely. She recoiled, but managed to regain her senses long enough to see her target. Clutching her blade the girl rushed in, practically skewering the Slaver while he fell back, only to shove him aside again. Easy prey for Ruby at least. In the haze of the fight, she saw another foe in her path. She couldn't ignore the sword being held toward her. Almost in instinct another blade was formed mid-swing.

Jinno caught the strike with relative ease, though seemed to have an understanding that he shouldn't respond with quite as much force. Instead, he locked their blades and redirected the girl. Leaving her stumbling forward as he moved aside. She was agile enough to catch her feet, faced with yet another foe. The smaller of the three, but it wasn't like that made her own blade any less lethal.

"Oi! Stand down!" Arthur stepped forward, having left the combat to the others seeing just how chaotic things had gotten. The ice girl didn't listen, though she had been a little too quick to continue. Fortunately for Kanna, her training would have really started to pay off. With the incoming woman's poor footing and battle fatigued strike she would be able to fend her off with relative ease. She might get a sense that this attack was out of desparation than some malicious need to kill. With the words from behind to give pause, and Jinno's apparent interest in the sword over the fight at hand said that the non-lethal option might be the way.

One shot rang out as Ruby's heart began to race while her eyes search for Suzume, who seemed to be rather out of it as opposed to harmed. The shot had missed and soared passed Ruby down to the stairs where she had thrown Fumi from earlier. Thankfully, neither of the two were hurt, so there was nothing for her to worry about. However, she would note that the second shot had been sliced down the center from the swordsman in the shadows. He raced towards the Captain making it much quicker than Ruby ever could have, although her blade had switched from the scum to the mysterious, cloaked individual. Meanwhile, the captain would be bounced from the man to Suzume, who skewered him all the same leaving him alive enough that Ruby would have her revenge.

The woman dashed for the Captain with her pistol loaded and in hand straddling his body on the deck of the ship. Her free hand would reach down to grab his collar as the barrel of her pistol pressed against the side of his head. "It was only a matter of time before fowl scum like you was bested. You're a coward and a murderer. You took everythin' from me. She was hardly a child still! Her whole life ahead of her... When I see you down under, I'll make sure the fan the flames," Ruby's volume would slowly lighten from a yell to a whisper a tear formed in her eye to roll down her cheek. With those words, her final bullet would be fired leaving the evidence of death to spread across the deck. Her hand would drop the pistol to the ground as her head would lower to meet an old friend. Seemed the captain had taste as she removed her old firearm from his hip wrapping the holster around her own. Now, there was only one thing left that she wanted rising from her sitting position to turn toward the cloaked man.

"Ey you," Ruby would call out to the individual, who was more than interested in the weapon. "That be mine. Just above tha' hilt is an engraved 'E'." Ruby would describe the engraving that many wouldn't notice, since it was so small and in a noticeably hidden area. "Please, it's all I have of her..." Ruby wasn't the type to beg, but she had nothing against this man. He hadn't harmed a single one of her new acquaintances, so she would give him the benefit of the doubt. Hopefully, he would be able to understand and empathize with her desperation to have it back.

As Ruby attended to her own affairs, Kanna would notice the woman coming after her, but something was off. Her movements had grown sloppy and she seemed relatively fatigued compared to earlier in the chaos. Putting her katana back in the sheath Kanna would redirect the ice blade using the smaller of her swords. As their arms move to the side, Kanna would take a few more steps forward to grab the woman around the waste and pull her into an embrace that was more supportive of her body weight than anything. "There you are. Calm down, we aren't here to hurt you. Please, put away your weapon." Kanna would speak softly to the poor woman that had obviously been through the ringer. Still, she held the woman's blade to the side and refused to remove her own until she knew the woman was finished fighting. "I'm Kanna. I'm just a mere maid." Perhaps speaking more openly would allow for a less violent approach.

Jinno paused his inspection at the sound of gunfire, with the grisly sight of the Captain of the ship splattered across the deck. He had considered the third-party to this little conflict to be largely neutral, if not opposing the crew aboard the ship. Though they hadn’t really seen any of them just yet. The prince didn’t sense fear at least, rather this woman wanted her sword back. After confirming the detail, his expression turned to a smile, and he turned the blade to hold the weapon out for Ruby to retrieve. “Sorry, it’s an impressive blade. I just had to take a look.”

He finally tilted the hat back once the sword was taken, letting the shadows fall away from his face. To Ruby he might seem to be the typical pirate captain, one of the nicer ones, though clearly of a younger generation. “Is your friend ok? The one with the… tail?” He hadn’t really had time to take in everything, but that second shot was headed right for her. Fumi clambered back up to the deck moments after her mention, looking a little more frazzled than she had been before. “Ah, there she is! That just leaves the ice girl.” Considering the circumstances, the swordsman seemed to be treating the event all too casually. Though he seemed to be able to handle himself well enough.

Suzume’s attack failed miserably, it seemed she had reached the limit that even her rage could fuel her. The blade fell from her hand to shatter against the floor while her legs finally gave in. Without the quick support from Kanna, she probably would have fallen completely. There weren’t really any words that she could think of to respond. So she stayed silent instead and just held on to keep herself upright. Mostly concentrating on keeping her body temperature up in an attempt to spare whoever was helping her from a nasty case of frost-bite.

“The name’s Jinnosuke Moriyama, pleasure to meet you both.” A name that didn’t exactly mean much to Fumi, though she seemed to be drawn to the young prince either way. He seemed kind, which was rare out on a slave ship like this. Jinno peers over to his comrades, Arthur had made his way past to leave Kanna to deal with Suzume. “What happened here? It was pretty lucky we spotted the ship when we did.” His gaze shifted between the two before motioning to move away from the carnage and approach their fallen ice girl to ensure everything went over alright.

Ruby would watch the mysterious Captain as he looked for the details in her blade that proved to be correct. Once he found the engravement, he would smile and turn to handle toward her to reclaim. A sigh of relief would release from her mouth as she reached out to grab the weapon as quickly as possible. She would hold it in her grip that was made just for her small, calloused hands and the designs that were clearly far too girly sewn into the fabric she gripped. Her fingers would dance along the side of the blade as she inspected the edge finding not a single blemish. It was a sight that would have Ruby appearing far too calm as she made her way back down toward the 'E'. She would trace the letter as a tear would drop onto the metal that glinted in the moonlight.

As mention of Fumi was brought up, Ruby would quickly wiper her arm across her eyes and turn swiftly to find that the girl had scurried her way. She would quickly conceal the blade back in its sheath on her hip. Ruby would kneel down to take a quick look over the girl noting that she was physically alright. Although, it seemed that she was far more shaken up than Ruby would have liked, which would make her frown. A pat on the girl's head and an unsuspecting hug would prove that the woman was glad the child had survived. "She's healthy as can be. I promised to protect you and thas jus what I did. I hope you don' mind that I pushed ya," Ruby would say leaning back with a bit of a blush and grin. At the mention of Suzume, the redhead would turn so that both Fumi and Suzume were in her line of sight. She was leaned up against the woman that was with him revealing herself as Kanna, who was just a maid.

Kanna would sheath her blade carefully as Suzume's ice fell to the deck and shattered. "She's incredibly cold. You don't think she got hypothermia, do you? I get that she has ice powers, but she might have overused them." Kanna would speak obviously concerned about the temperature, even if it was being regulated. She was using up too much stamina. "What happens if she goes unconscious?" While Kanna was dealing with their new ice queen, Ruby was taking in every name and question that was asked. She would stand from her crouched position and tilt her head at the Captain. "Moriyama... souns familiar. I guess it's not the time for that. This ain't jus a ship.. it's for slave trade. We were all caught. I'm Ruby, thas Fumi, and thas Suzume. She jus so happen' to stow away on the wrong ship... Although, I don think she had those powers when she got on... the ship started freezin out of nowhere... safe to say... she ate a fruit before this rampage," Of course, they had saved the trio from a most unacceptable fate, so they deserved to know whatever it was they wanted, especially if they were going to get out of here.

"A slave ship?" Kanna would ask in a breathy whisper as memories of the marine fort would flood her mind. "J-Jinno... we have to help them." Kanna would say as she became unexplainably jittery and unable to meet anyone's gaze. She couldn't let them stay here and she certainly wasn't about to leave this ship until she did. She couldn't imagine the treatment they had been through. For now, she would hold on to Suzume as tightly as she could, "Arthur, I-I think we need to warm her up. If she just got her powers, this cold could be too much for her. What do you think?"

Fumi hugged back seemingly on instinct, finding the embrace enough to calm her down and start to help her get past the grisly sights. “Its alright, you were just doing what you had to” The youngest of the group eventually let Ruby go to cast her gaze towards the last of their own little party. Suzume somehow looked worse off than before. Fumi frowned, unsure of what to do. Deciding to take after the two fighters of the group though, she decided to leap into action first. Moving across to help Kanna with their stowaway.

Despite the chill running across her body, Suzume didn’t seem to be shivering. Upon closer inspection there were chips and clear shatter points that were slowly reforming. Fumi arrived looking even more concerned, even if she retreated at the crimson stains. “She’ll stay awake.” She placed a hand on her shoulder, hesitantly. “You’re safe now Suzume.”

Jinno’s expression soured at the mention of slavery, though swiftly shifted to puzzled at the mention of a rampage. The ice girl would certainly have a story to tell when she was less volatile, as ridiculous as the story sounded. He had heard of stranger. “So, I suppose the rest of the crew are gone already?” The prince crossed his arms, glancing to Kanna as she spoke. “Of course, we do Kanna, we’ve got plenty of room.” His smile had already returned as his concocted a plan.

Arthur stepped close, shaking his head. “You warm her up too much and she might melt. Here.” He reached out, carefully taking one of Suzume’s wrists in his hand to gingerly lift her hand into view. Under the thin layer of frost they could see right through to the other side. “You’re a lucky girl, don’t see devil fruit like that very often.” Arthur seemed to be a trove of knowledge when it came to this sort of thing. “Logia for sure. Where’d you get it?”

Suzume pulled her hand free, the brief moment of stillness helping her strength return, if only to let her stand unaided. “I stole it.” The brief answer earned a chuckle from Arthur, who turned back to the ship.

“I’ll get the others; we’ll get ready for some guests.” He seemed to be a step ahead of Jinno, who had been about ready to unveil his master plan.

“Well while he does that… Why don’t you three head to the ship? Must have had enough excitement for one nigh—” Suzume interrupted his backup plan of course, managing to find the energy when she remembered her stash. She had lost people for that gold, to hell with some fancy cloak guy. She was gone before the prince could get another word in.

“… Anyone else?” He almost sounded annoyed, only for Fumi to take off after the older man to the apparent safety of this new ship, she looked back to Ruby first but figured she would understand. Assuming no one else decided to interrupt, he got to the next step “I was going to suggest we clear the ship before the others get here. Might want to get your friend too, she’s not gonna be standing much longer no matter how stubborn she is.” Jinno was rarely wrong when it came to gauging such matters, though he had never met someone quite as stubborn before.