Klabautermann

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Title: Klabautermann
Word Count: 232
Topic: Song Lyrics (Waking Ashland - Hands On Deck)
Rating: PG
Pairing: NakamaSHIP

Warning: Partially unbeta'd, Spoilers through 429



Blood stained oak to ebony. Gunpowder smoke wafted across the empty deck, where the echoes of doubt and regret rang out above the reigning silence. The sea was unnaturally silent, as if holding a breath in anticipation. The moment dragged onward like a heavy, suffocating eternity.

“All hands on deck!” Piped a merry voice. The sounds of scampering feet broke the timelessness. “All hands on deck!”

Weary eyes opened in response to light caresses. Small hands patted bruised faces; gentle lips caressed bloody cheeks. A battered straw hat was retrieved from where it had fallen, swords were brought to grasping hands, a taste of citrus relieved a throat hoarse from calling orders, a pair of goggles were lovingly wiped clean of smoke and dust, a cigarette was lit, ruffled fur smoothed out, and cold hands gently warmed.

“Quickly now.” The merry voice urged them. “There’s not much time.”

One by one, they stood before the one that loved them best. The one that kept them in heart above all others, above greatness and treasure, above dreams and desire. One by one, their eyes filled with tears for the love they were so unwaveringly shown.

“All hands on deck,” said the captain, with a smile to his crew. “We’re home.”

The sea let out its breath, and the roaring waves rushed out all at once, but there was nothing left to be taken.


End

Waking Ashland
Hands On Deck

All hands on deck
Don't abandon the ship
You'll never know what it could have been
All hands on deck my ship is sinking
Don't let me go, don't let me drown

A step to the right to your own rhythm
And what comes next is up to you
And I need a miracle to save me from this
And I need the angels to all pray for me
I can't believe you

All hands on deck
Don't abandon the ship
You'll never know what it could have been
All hands on deck my ship is sinking
Don't let me go, don't let me drown

Another day, another worry breaks right through
And indecision bleeds me dry
She's painting pictures I'm not making for her
And she's got a vision without me in mind
I can't believe it

All hands on deck
Don't abandon the ship
You'll never know what it could have been
All hands on deck my ship is sinking
Don't let me go, don't let me drown

All hands on deck
Don't abandon the ship
You'll never know what it could have been
All hands on deck my ship is sinking
Don't let me go, don't let me drown

The long walks on Moonlight Beach
The promises you could not keep
They're so contagious, you're so contagious
For all the world we did not see
And all the smiles you gave to me
They're so contagious, so very fake...

All hands on deck
Don't abandon the ship
You'll never know what it could have been
All hands on deck my ship is sinking
Don't let me go, don't let me drown

And goodbye to you, goodbye to you, you
And goodbye to you, goodbye to you, you

Comments

[chibimono.livejournal.com]

Oh wow. I could just cry. Klabautermann is so much love. ♥

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Thanks muchly!

[ptps.livejournal.com]

I hate it when you write stuff I don't understand and then I go and do my research and I thought this was a happy drabble but I looked up Klabautermann in wikipedia and NOW I AM IN A LOT OF PAIN.

FUCK YOU SWORDY WENCH. YOU AND YOUR ANGST BOTH. T____________T bbbb

</3

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

... I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE DOOM PART! Seriously, I was just going on what was in the scanlations. There was no doom intention! ... well, maybe just a little, if you wanted to interpret it that way, but that's for you to decide, Bundt-Dono!

[riskygamble.livejournal.com]

UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA MERRYYYYYYYYYYYYY

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

*patpatpatpat* Thanks for reading.

[dethorats]

Sadly depressingly beautiful. This is throat thickening and painful in the best possible way.

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much. I try very hard.

[kanthia.livejournal.com]

*snff*

Merry...

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

*offers tissue*

[vampire-otaku.livejournal.com]

...

My heart aches. Few things hit me and force me to sit back to just stare into space as I think and recover like your work does. <3

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

I thank Oda. His work makes it so easy to set up these painful and shocking scenarios. Thanks for reading.

[yuki-kokoro.livejournal.com]

I TOTALLY MISUNDERSTOOD THIS, DIDN'T I? ...I thought it was happy. Then I read the comments. ;_; I thought the Merry spite (now Klabautermann, thanks for teaching me a new word) was encouraging them and then they all got on the ship and went out to sea!

This is angst because it's Merry saying goodbye to all of them, isn't it. ...damn you. (Wow, probably should've read all the lyrics before starting my commment. JUST NOTICED THE END. I still want to download this song... and yet I don't.)

...well I'm still going to choose to spin this happy. Merry was a great ship to them, she was able to give them a loving farewell and they got to watch her go smiling. Can't ask for much more than that. *smiles*

[yuki-kokoro.livejournal.com]

First off *sprite* in the above post. *sighs*

Now... Either I'm a disgusting optimist, or others are horrible pessimists. I just saw paperpencil's reply below and... "doomed sailor's legends"? Is this supposed to refer to the "only the crew of a doomed ship can see the Klabautermann"?

I interpreted "nothing left to be taken" as the Merry was gone. DID EVERYONE DIE AND MY BRAIN JUST REFUSES TO PROCESS IT!?! IS THAT WHAT HAPPENED?!?! ...I feel ashamed how confused I was(am?) about this and for ruining the lovely mood you set but... I'm still sticking with the more positive of the two negative-ish interpretations. Yeah.

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Don't be ashamed. I purposefully left the ending somewhat open, so as people could interpret it as they liked. (Of course, I probably wouldn't have done that had I known about the "doomed" bit...) Granted, I tend to write so that EVERYBODY DIES wouldn't really surprise anyone, given my modus operandi and all, but honestly, the ending is up to you. Merry could have had a last burst of speed or niftiness or jet engines cooked up by Usopp with a kettle, a match, and Sanji's Super Spicy Chili of DOOM, or they could have all died and Merry takes them to heaven, or whatever you can think of. I, personally, get so much of a kick out of reading what everyone thinks the ending is that I don't actually have a set "this is what happened, all of ya'll are interpreting it wrong" ending. (Though I do like the happy endings...)

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Well, yes I capitalized SHIP. It's Nakama/Ship. But the slash would have given it away. *halo*

I really didn't know about the doomed part! Though, by that logic, wouldn't Usopp be doomed in canon? Erm. Anyway, thanks for reading!

[kotszok.livejournal.com]

AUGHGJFG So touching.. Merry... ;_; Lovely drabble!

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Thanks muchly!

[crystal-chan.livejournal.com]

Merry~! ;_;

So lovely....great job.

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much. I'm glad you enjoyed.

[helendragon.livejournal.com]

lovely but sad fic....how do you do it?

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Ten years of more attention being paid to fics than classes, Good Betas, lots of frustration, and an unhealthy tendancy to bash my head against the desk because of said frustration. I also tend to be inspired by music, and most of my music is dark. But mostly, practice. Lots and lots of perseverence and practice. Thanks for reading.

[rab-rumrunner.livejournal.com]

Heart is pained :( *sniffle*

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

*offers tissue* Thanks for reading.

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

It is entirely up to reader's interpretation. I've been fascinated by how many people got Dark and how many got Hope out of this. Of course, that little bit on wikipedia about doom does throw things off, but eh, what's one to do? If you want to read it as hopeful and kind, then that's what it is.