[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

[alabastajewel]

[Biri looks happy at the sound of his name and thrusts his bill into Nami's outstretched hand. Vivi nods encouragement down to her.]

You can pat him.

[mikanchibi]

[SJKDFS adorable ;A; Encouraged, Nami moves closer to run her hands through those feathers, and giggles.] He's fluffy.

[alabastajewel]

[Vivi nods. So far, so good.] Would you like to ride him?

[mikanchibi]

[Nami's eyes widen, and she glances from Vivi to the duck, smile hopeful.] Can I? I mean, would he let me?

[alabastajewel]

[Another nod.] We can even go flying, if you want. I'll ride behind you and make sure you don't fall.

Or we can just stay in the yard, if you'd rather.

1/2

[mikan_chibi]

Flying...

[S-so ...nervous. Like a bird? Um. UM.]

W-well...

[mikanchibi]

Okay. Let's go flying.










Aslongasyou'retheretoo.

[alabastajewel]

[Atta girl, Nami. Vivi gives her an encouraging smile.] Of course.

[She gives Nami a quick once over, making sure her hat and scarf are secure, then pats Biri's neck.] Remember, behave yourself. [Biri, perhaps eager to show how well-behaved he can be, goes still as a statue as Vivi lifts Nami onto his back. Vivi swings up behind her, scooting forward so Nami is nestled securely between her thighs, wrapping one arm loosely around the girl's waist.]

Now, be sure to hold on tight. He goes fast.

[mikanchibi]

{She's reassured by Vivi's arm around her waist, and Nami sucks in a huge breath, hands working their way down into Biri's feathers.



...oh yeah, she should answer that vigorously. Nodding. And still holding her breath. o.o]

[alabastajewel]

All right then. Here we go! [She pats Biri's neck to signal it's time for takeoff, but the bird is more than ready, taking a few running steps before leaping into the air.]



Kwaaaah!!

[And off they go, into the wild blue yonder.]

[mikanchibi]

[SDKFADASD SO FAST well she's not holdin her breath now, she is screaming. 8|]

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH----

[alabastajewel]

[Eep. Vivi holds Nami a little tighter, speaking up to be heard over the high-pitched shriek and the rushing wind.]

Is it too scary? Should we land?

[mikan_chibi]

----AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAH!!!!

[NO NO, CARRY ON. She just had to get that out of her system |D]

[alabastajewel]

[Oh good, she hasn't traumatized you for life. That's a relief.]

[Biri continues to gain altitude, Luceti spreading out below them like a map.]

Where do you want to go, Nami-san?

[mikanchibi]

Everywhere! [Oh aksdsfsd so high and it might be terrifying but it's also amazing because things look so different from up here and she's alerady picking landmarks in her head, and it's like this beautiful oversized patchwork map.] The mountains!

[alabastajewel]

All right!

[Vivi directs Biri toward the mountains, and his wings catch an updraft, lifting them still higher as the ride smooths out a bit. She leans forward as they get closer to the peaks.]

Where did Mr Bushido find you?

[Vivi's willing to bet Nami will be able to point out the exact spot.]

[mikanchibi]

Mr who? [She giggles at that name, but common sense tells her who she's probably referring to. Nami peers down and scans across the mountain range, her eyes tracing a path back west toward the village. Then she points to a place in the lower foothills.]

There, I think!

[alabastajewel]

Zoro-san. [She clarifies, just in case, though it seems Nami figured out who she meant.]

You walked all that way in the cold?

[mikanchibi]

Zoro-san never smiles. [Then she grins. Eheh.] Nope. We made him carry us.

[And by this she means he hauled us up like a basket of mikans and wouldn't let us back down again, but this version is better.]

[alabastajewel]

[They're passing over the mountain range now, and Vivi's content to let Biri choose their route for now. She giggles.]

Oh, he does. Sometimes. [Admittedly, Vivi is not quite sure if there's a foolproof way to make that happen.]

It's good that he carried you, though. It would be a long way to go in bare feet. [Zoro himself obviously doesn't count after that stunt he pulled on Drum.] I'll bet you helped him find the way too.

[mikanchibi]

He's dumb. I had to point him all the way home. [Sorry, Zoro >.>]

[alabastajewel]

He's just bad with directions. [Pause.] Very bad.

[mikanchibi]

I'll say. [Heh. And then begrudgingly, as she peers down at the landscape... okay, she might be a minute in replying because it is glorious down there, but nevertheless eventually she adds:] I suppose he was okay. For a pirate.

[alabastajewel]

[Vivi's not sure how much Nami knows or understands yet about her own future connection to the Strawhats, so she lets the comment go unremarked, simply nodding. Nami seems to really be enjoying herself flying by now, which is exactly what she'd hoped for. She points to the far side of the mountain range.]

Should we fly over the sea next?

[mikanchibi]

Yeah! [She still has a hold of Biri a little tightly, but she loosens a hand to pat him in contentment.] Can we go flying every day?