[Voice/Action]

[mikangirl]

[Voice]

So I'm curious. How bizarre did some of your reminder cards get? Did anyone not take them all at face value?

[She has valid reasons to ask, trust me. Selfish Nami-is-pissy reasons, mind, but that's what happens after you've spent a week with a scattered crew and a comatose chef and a mallynapped swordsman and find yourself playing babysitter to a bunch of people who really ought to know better, not looking at you, Perona. Also there's an anniversary coming up she really wished she hadn't still been around to see.

Ergo, busy day ahead.]

[Locked to Shikamaru]

Hey, you wanna catch up for a drink?

[Yes, random ninja are often asked out on quasi dates.]

[Locked to Tony Stark]

Mind if I drop round? The normal way, this time.

[Aside from these possibly redundant plottin shenanigans, Nami will be in her usual haunts: the mikan orchard in the afternoon and Good Spirits in the evening. Though around noon she's gonna drop in to Seventh Heaven (or if it's still closed, wherever Sanji is) to check on him. Just to make sure things are, y'know, okay now. Because mad cooking sprees are kind of a cause for alarm.  Moreso than Sleeping Beauty syndrome. Back atcha, chef.

Also, Zoro, hurry up and come home. She wants to have words about certain balancing games played. *_*]

Comments

[Action]

[mikangirl]

[She won't press it, but the look of revulsion on her face is probably enough to tell Richard what she thinks about that.]

Always such charming scientists, aren't they?

[Action]

[ledbythewind]

It's too bad they can't meet my uncle.

[The humor is black, and crueler than he would usually allow himself to be, but... to be honest, he can't say he would feel bad if they were to do things like that to Cedric.]

[Action]

[mikangirl]

[Richard doesn't get a response to that. Not a vocal one, anyway; Nami can make the jump between poison and meeting his Uncle well enough. She just looks at Richard.

It's an invite to say more, if he wants to. Because otherwise she won't say anything at all.]

[Action]

[ledbythewind]

[He hesitates for a moment, then motions towards a booth. If they're going to continue along this line of discussion, he'd rather it be in someplace that isn't quite as public.

Not that he minds telling her-- Sanji already knows, after all, and he trusts her almost as much as he trusts Sanji. It will explain some of his odd quirks when it comes to food, if nothing else.]

[Action]

[mikangirl]

[Nami hesitates a moment, then gives a faint nod, heading in the direction he motions and sliding into the booth.]

...you don't have to tell me. [She feels the need to say that.] But...

[Action]

[ledbythewind]

It's all right.

[He settles down into the seat across from her, glancing around to make sure that they're alone for the moment.]

You deserve to know. Sanji already does.

[Action]

[mikangirl]

[Nami isn't sure if 'deserve' is a good word. It's Richard's secret, he should hold onto it if he damn well feels like it. But seh can't deny that she's curious, now.]

All right.

What happened?

[Action]

[ledbythewind]

My uncle was my father's younger brother. My birth meant that he was out of the running for the throne, and as a man who sought power above all else, he saw me as nothing more than an obstacle in his path.

[Action]

[mikangirl]

So he... poisoned you? [It's a pretty safe guess to make, she thinks.]

[Action]

[ledbythewind]

[He nods.]

I would have died if Lambda hadn't interfered.

[Action]

[mikangirl]

[...bastard. She's glad she's being told this story well after the fact, so she can at least know this story has a ...semi-happy ending, maybe.]

I'm glad, then. Another friend?

[Ahaha >>]

[Action]

[ledbythewind]

... I'm afraid it's a bit more complicated than that. Do you remember what I told you when we were on our date?

[Being Richard is suffering.]

[Action]

[mikangirl]

[Nami blinks. A date ten months ago, but it's not hard to remember the gist of--

--oh. Oh. Idiot. Lambda. She cringes. That's not exactly a wonderful rescue from poisoning.]

So... you kind of went from bad to worse.

[Action]

[ledbythewind]

Perhaps, but at least I was alive. I'm grateful for that much now. If it hadn't been for him, I wouldn't be here today.

[Even if he now has countless things he needs to make restitution for, he's alive. That counts for something.]

[Action]

[mikangirl]

I guess support comes in all forms of ways, huh? Some you have to pay for more than others.

[Action]

[ledbythewind]

[He nods.]

And I will pay back the debt I owe to everyone-- I've made a vow that I won't rest until I've made restitution for my deeds.

[Action]

[mikangirl]

How will you do it?

[Which isn't an accusation. She's legitimately curious.]

[Action]

[ledbythewind]

Part of it will be to repay the actual debt that my actions have caused all three countries. As for the rest... I want to help create a world without conflict, so that no one else will have to suffer because of war or politics ever again. Conflicts and power struggles have already hurt far too many people. If I can do even the smallest thing to help prevent that, then I will.

[Action]

[mikangirl]

That's a pretty tall order.

[She smiles.] But I guess you're in a position to do it.

[Action]

[ledbythewind]

That's what I'm hoping. I suppose my position does have a few perks after all.

[Action]

[mikangirl]

You've got friends to help you? [She's thinking of Asbel.]

[Action]

[ledbythewind]

More than I'd ever expected to have.

[And he means it-- he hadn't had ANY friends as a child, so having so many now was sort of amazing.]

[Action]

[mikangirl]

Good. Things get so much easier when someone has your back. And we can't exactly follow you home.

[Action]

[ledbythewind]

Perhaps not, but you might still be able to visit some time, if that day earlier this year was any indication.

[Action]

[mikangirl]

That could be interesting. I'm almost sorry I missed that whole thing.