One Piece: Grand Endeavours

Chapter Twenty-Five: Sisyphus

Luffy
"Free meat!" I cheer, the delicious smell of seasoned barbequed meat filling my nose and the beautiful sight of all the meat dripping with juices. Nom. This makes that maze and all those horrible vines totally worth it! Meat makes everything worth it!
"You know we're going to have to go back through that maze in order to get to the ship later, right?" Robin points out. "So that means another four hour walk...Did anyone make notes on which way we went so we don't get relost?"
"I did," Nami says which is very relieving. "But maybe we should ask around and see if there is another way out. It is quite unlikely that the locals go through that maze every time they want to leave." Nami is really smart so I'm glad she is in the crew, it is ideas like this that have kept us alive on many occasions.
"So we can rest up we should stay in an inn tonight," I say. Everyone nods in agreement and I grin widely, ready to go get as much meat as possible. Sanji normally buys the food supplies so I don't just buy meat so I am pretty sure there is nothing serious I have to do.

Aside from the maze this island is pretty nice. The houses are all made of a silvery white stone with stained glass windows showing different stories. Do I know the origin of the stories? Nope! But, regardless, they are very cool to look at.
"Any ideas on that one?" I ask, looking at the one in the shop in front of us but then I realise most of the crew have left so I may as well be talking to myself. Kuro, it seems, prefer fact above stories so he is unlikely to know. It is of some guy, a king maybe given his crown, who seems to murder people in his home. Then this creepy guy comes with chains but the king pulls a Uno Reverse card? More happens then there is a rock? What the heck is this? Still, the colours are pretty and catch the sun with their shiny surface.
"It looks like the myth of Sisyphus," Kuro replies, proving me wrong. "An ancient myth..."
"What about?" I ask, frowning in confusion. I like knowing this kinda thing. "And don't worry if the explanation is long. I like stories." He gives me a small story and I listen, fascinated, as he explains.

"Okay, like most of these stories, there are multiple versions of what happened that are all pretty close but they all result in the same punishment," he begins. "I'll go with the version I know best, K? I nod eagerly. "Sisyphus was a king and made it a habit of murdering his guests and stealing their stuff. Hospitality was a major thing in those times so the Greek gods weren't exactly impressed. Oh. He also murdered his first wife and seduced his niece. Then he pissed of Zeus with this water nymph or something but I don't know that bit much. Hades, the god of the underworld, got Thanatos to bring him to the underworld due to his actions and gave him these enchanted chains because of the king's well known cunning. The king, when Thanatos arrived, tricked him into showing him how the cuffs worked...yeah. Cuffed the god, stuffed him in a box. How you do that to a deity, I don't know but that is mythology for you. Illogical but fun." I chuckle slightly at that. "So for a while no one died which is less good than it sounds. Ares got pissed and it took about a month to find him. Sisyphus, realizing his time was likely running out, got his wife to promise to not do the proper funeral arrangements and when he was dragged down to the Underworld. Then Sisyphus, still being a cunning jerk, used the wife not giving him the funeral arrangements to go back and 'punish' her which Persephone agreed to, fling for it, giving him 3 days. He didn't come back until he actually died and by then everyone was done with his shit. When he actually died of old age the gods were pissed as fuck so he was given a punishment. He had to roll a large boulder up a hill but whenever it got to the top it would roll down again, making it ultimately a pointless endeavour, similar to his actions and cheating death."

I consider the story. "That was his punishment? Forever?" Kuro nods. "Wow, I get having a punishment but that is harsh."
"Not really compared to other Greek punishment," he replies wryly. "Besides, it is a good metaphor for the meaningless jobs many people get stuck in, similar to his punishment. I think that s why that particular punishment is so well remembered. Another part of the story sticks in his mind.
"Hang on. He seduced his niece?! Ew!" I exclaim, cringing at the very thought. "That is so vile!"
"Yes, but in mythology it isn't exactly uncommon," he says. I stare at him in disbelief, not exactly wanting that to be true. "Zeus is a good example for that. He married one of his sisters then slept with one of the others and had a kid. Mythology is really messed up. It is interesting though."
"Surprising really," I comment, glad we're finally at the front of the queue. I get as much as they'll give me and Kuro gets one skewer. "I thought you'd be more of a factual person." Kuro shrugs.
"If it makes me think I like it," he says. "Fiction can be enthralling at times."
"En-what?" I ask, taking a big bite. Omg this is so good...
"Enthralling? It basically means fascinating," he tells me. "Anyhow, I'd better head off, I need to buy some stuff." He looks less than happy about it as he leaves so I figure that he doesn't like shopping and chuckle then head to another queue to get more meat.

I am starting to think that Kuro may know everything. He knows about loads of knowledge, mythology, botanic stuff. He is super smart! It seems like, despite Usopp's obvious anger, Kuro was a great addition to the crew. I grin, picking up the jumbo hotdog and go over to a bench so I can eat it and look for the next place to eat.

Kuro
Talking about Sisyphus was quite interesting until the depressing element worming into me as it in a way reminds me of me. Doing something futile until it becomes unravelled and falls back down with the force of a speeding boulder, smashing through everything. That, essentially, was what me being an evil jerk was. And so, it seems, is the aftermath. Trying to come to terms with it and forgiving myself is like pushing the boulder up but whenever I really come to terms with it and come to close to forgiving myself for what I did the doubt comes in, shoving everything back down the hill to the starting point. It is nothing less than infuriating and painful but it is also no less than I deserve. That makes me more like Sisyphus, I guess, as he wasn't choosing to keep pushing the rock but it was a punishment. I guess my punishment is more self inflicted one.

I absolutely despise shopping but, unfortunately, for once I actually have to go shopping which is so annoying. However Chopper suggested the notebook so I am buying a damn notebook. At least it isn't clothes shopping, that is nothing less than torturous and completely, and utterly, maddening. Who knows which jacket goes with which trousers? That is exactly why I stick to multiple of the same outfit in monochrome. Black goes well with everything, especially black. And then a white shirt as the all black has left many people asking me if I'm a vampire, which is stupid but whatever. I like tea shopping and book shopping so notebook shopping shouldn't be all bad. It is basically a book without the interesting part. Not encouraging but whatever. I sigh, hating all of this, and head into the shop with a huff.

I stare blankly at the notebooks, trying to figure out which one I want. I'm limited to thinish lines as I have relatively small handwriting and the blankness would just look wrong and be rather irritating. I am often a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my work but not others. I settle on a very dark green one with silver decal and a small about of blue towards the spine. It is pricy for a notebook but if it is a necessity then I may as well splurge for once. As an afterthought I also pick up some new pens and as soon as I have finished I head out, coming face to face with a glowering Usopp.
"What have I done now?" I ask, tiredly. Tired of whatever this is and just tired in general. I yawn and rub my eyes then cringe. Stop showing weakness, dammit.
"This whole trying to get sympathy from us isn't going to work on me," he snaps. I stare blankly at him, trying to figure out what he is talking about. "The faking insomnia thing."
"Yeah...I'm not faking," I mutter. "I wish I was, it totally sucks, But no, I'm not." He rolls his eyes and storms off, using a lot of force to slam into my shoulder as he does so. Ow! I fight the urge to do it back and just sigh, heading towards where we agreed to meet.

Yeah, trying to forgive myself really is like Sisyphus' punishment...

So here's a drawing of Kuro I did. Sorry for the black scribbles, that had spoilers in it