[Action/"Voice"]

[mikangirl]

[Nami for her own part is content to either stay with her mother or go out exploring with Sanji for the first day or two she's home. It's bitterly cold out there and she doesn't like it much at all-- it's nothing like Cocoyashi-- and her feet are a little red from early barefoot adventures in the snow, but luckily she doesn't catch cold. She's more grounded and less restless than Sanji is, because Bellemere is here. And that means she can let Bellemere take care of things. Because after all, didn't mama say that they wouldn't be here for very long? She misses Nojiko, but if it's only for a little while, then maybe she'll just treat this as a holiday.

Then the second night passes, and Nami turns 10. And everything changes.]



[She's had nightmares before. And the last night was unsettling with the dreams she had, but they weren't bad dreams-- just ones that feel like she's lived a lifetime in one night. Or...one year, as the case may be.

The second night, she wakes up with a wail (muffled brutally by shoving the blanket up to her mouth, because nobody likes a crying human) and tears and her arm hurts but mostly all she can remember right now is Bellemere and the screams when they stepped on her arm and the blood and the way Arlong just shot her down--

die for your pathetic love--

--and everything that followed. And she knows why her arm hurts, but that doesn't make any sense, and Bellemere is right upstairs and Nami just spends the next ten minutes crying into the blanket and not daring to look at her arm. And when she can separate dream from reality just enough, she slides out of bed and doesn't even bother to dress properly, running for the stairs to the next floor in an oversized tshirt that hangs off her arms and going straight for her mama's bedroom.

She eventually falls asleep again and further returning memories distance her from the shock of that death, but none of them are good memories. And now she's confused to boot, because sometimes when she closes her eyes she expects to open them somewhere else entirely. And Nami grows to like the cold, because as long as there's snow outside, it means she's not at Arlong Park, and that means that maybe she can put it all aside as an especially bad nightmare and it didn't really happen. Because it didn't. Because Bellemere is here.

Anyway, distracting herself from darker thoughts is a damn good idea, really. Best to try and not think about it and just...stick with Bellemere a lot today.]

["Voice"]

[So in the afternoon, Luceti, there is a little girl staring back at you from the journals. And doing the most awesomely intelligent thing:



[Yeah. Because making faces at you all is really mature. She just wants to see how many people notice her, because damn this magical journal is fun.]

[Action]

[If people want to run into Nami at varying ages, she can be found:

-- At the library on Monday when she is 12, trying to reach that top shelf of navigation books;

-- At Good Spirits on Wednesday when she is 14, trying her luck at being served underage drinks (look, she can hold her liquor okay B|); and

-- Pretty much anywhere on the following Friday when she is 16, because she's smitten with a severe case of wanderlust; a rooftop, a shop, the forest, the battledome...anywhere. Chances are if you run into Nami today, she might attempt to pickpocket you just because she's got the suspicion she's damn good at it. And those ships out at sea hold her attention for a fair while, because...well, wouldn't it be nice to sail one away? These dreams, man. 

For ages 17 and up, well... there'll be another post much later.  Just to avoid confusion.]

Comments

[lil_eggplant]

You mean with you?

[He goes willingly... and with some confusion. B| Why would she wanna help him shop for clothes?]

[mikanthief]

Yeah, with me! There's nobody better. [The notebook she stole from him gets tucked down the back of her skirt, and Nami tugs him playfully all the way to the clothing store. Which is, you know. 10 feet away. B|] I'll make you look great~!

[lil_eggplant]

I guess it can't hurt. [Fine then. Lead the way, fashion connoisseur. Sanji will be your humble student]

Just remember we'll have to come back again tomorrow. [he says that, fairly teasing. Because she's going to mind another shopping trip]

[mikanthief]

Well, that just means it gives us something to do every day-- and we just need to find one thing to make you look great today! [She's already rifling through the clothes racks.] Go find the changeroom, and I'll bring you some clothes.

[What, you think she's giving you a choice? >>a]

[lil_eggplant]

Aa-- Shouldn't I... [... Y'know what? Never mind. He's just going to follow orders like a good boy, turning on his heel and ambling for the dressing room--

Oh hello there. Something has captured his attention, and compelled, Sanji reaches out to take it. And ends up with a shirt. It's a tad more plain than he would like, but much like a mother goose loves her ugly brood, he can't help but be fond of it already.

So he'll just toss this over his arm and be on his way to that dressing room, already planning to put it on by the time Nami comes by. Won't she be in for a surprise 8D]

[mikanthief]

[Nami fails to notice this disaster in the making, already going through clothes racks to find a few shirts and dress pants (and okay, some jeans and cargoes because she thinks you'd look hot in them okay 8|); nothing anywhere near as formal as the adult Sanji would wear, but still. She's going for classy.

Because she suspects Vivi is used to classy. |D Not that she's grinning at a particular name in this notebook while she does this or anything.]

Okay, here. Try these on!

[Please hold while she starts dumping clothes on the top of the change room door, standing on tiptoes to do it. Get stripping. B|]

[lil_eggplant]

[A-avalanche.] A-ack! [Where did she find all these? Sanji tries to catch the wave, but eventually thinks better of it and side-steps the monstrosity of clothing, yelling over the side of the door] Alright!

[And for the most part, he approves of her choices! He's particularly fond of the dress pants, which he'll try on first. They fit perfectly - no surprise there, Nami got them for him - but rather than put on one of her shirts...

... >.> Slipping on that polka-dotted atrocity, brb. It fits, too, and he beams at it with paternal pride.] Okay, how's this? [Opening the door!

Doesn't he look classy?]

1/2

[mikanthief]

[Whirling around to face him with her hands full of dresses, now.]

Oh, Sanji! That looks--

[mikanthief]

[KSDLSFDF A DEMON HAS APPEARED

Dropping those clothes, thanks.]





--spotty...?

[lil_eggplant]

Do you like it? [He's looking at himself in the mirror a little proudly. 8D Yeeeey he picked out clothes!]

It's a little bit outdated, but...

[mikanthief]

It sucks. Take it off.

[Blunt. B||]

1/2

[lil_eggplant]

[Blunt is super effective]

[lil_eggplant]

B-but it's not that bad!










[...] Alright, so. Maybe it's that bad.

[mikanthief]

[...heh. This grin, it is sympathetic.] Hey, at least you own up to it. But definitely, try one of the other shirts.

Maybe the blue one. I bet Vivi likes blue.

[/innocent. But not so much on the subtle side.]

1/2

[lil_eggplant]

[Oh, well, when she puts it that way.] ... You really think so? [Interest renewed, he goes back to take a look at that--


asdkflhgdafjsd sputter]

E-eeeeh?!

[lil_eggplant]

A-ahahaha! Nami-chan! Don't kid like that!

[Must not blush. Must not blush] Why would I care what color Vivi-san likes?

[Oh god that sounds mean. Revising!] Aah... I mean, if she likes blue, that's okay. I like blue, too! [Wait, orz. >_>]

[mikanthief]

Ehehe~ [She holds up a familiar looking notebook.] Who said anything about kidding? Well, if you both like blue, isn't that an excellent sign?

[lil_eggplant]

[So much internal screaming. Sanji's face turns a shade that almost resembles Nami's hair just a little less orange]

Nami-chan!! [He doesn't make a grab for it, but holds his hands up like she's fiddling with a bomb] O-oi, just a second! It's not what it looks like in there!

[He wasn't rating girls or anything like that. ;; And Vivi wasn't around the top, goddamnit. ;;]

[mikanthief]

[Hee, this is fun.] Eh? I don't know what you mean. What does it look like, I wonder... [Overdramatic peering.] Hey, I'm not on this list. I'm so sad.

[She looks it, too. Really. 8|]

[lil_eggplant]

[B| Okay, that comment grills some truth out of him]

Well, yeah, why would you be? [Good lord, he's not gonna crush on his not!sister] That's just-- [Oh wait he's supposed to be denying this.

... ;; Except he can't. Shit. When in doubt, pout a lot]

You're not gonna tell her, are you? I don't want her to think I'm weird or...

[mikanthief]

Ahhh--!! I knew it! [Glee!

But man, that pout. After reading it over again, she gives him a more friendly grin and tosses the notebook back.]

I'm not going to tell her a thing. Don't worry. Just... take that polka dot thing off and we'll call it even.

[lil_eggplant]

[This shirt can not come off fast enough, if it means Nami will keep his secret. And Sanji pockets the notebook carefully, going as far as to slip it in his back pocket where he will be conscious of its presence for all time]

Good! Just-- [He picks up one of the shirts she tossed at him, something far more presentable.] It's just a silly little thing, anyway! I mean, Vivi-san's a princess. [He's lovesick, not a fool]

[mikanthief]

Hey, don't write her off so quickly. She's also a princess who's best friends with a bunch of pirates. [Palace decorum doesn't seem to have much place here.] And you're pretty good looking!

[And in another couple days, you'll be old enough to date her, but she doesn't say that part. She'd be tempted to try matchmaking, really.]

[lil_eggplant]

[Nami isn't supposed to encourage this - and in a few days, they can work to pretend this conversation never happened. But until then, Sanji shoots her a dubious look that's trying very hard not to be hopeful.

Really, it's a dubious look that fails at dubiousness all together]

... You think so? [Hmmm. And she doesn't have to say that part, because Sanji has been thinking it all day. It's distracting as hell.]

[mikanthief]

Yeah! I'd date you. [If you weren't like her not!brother, anyway. And she waves her hands at him. Jazz hands. '_'] Now go change so I can see what you look like.