cartographie | inbox for golden peacock

[ it's a sheet of default golden peacock hotel stationary that's been slipped under nami's door that reads the following: ]

woke up with your heartstopping beauty on my mind
sending you a sweet kiss through this letter to hope your day is as lovely as you are ♥

yours always,
sanji

You found my room?

well, i had the staff make sure it got to you.

Less weird than you lurking outside and not knocking.

i was waiting for the invitation.

What we did wasn't enough of one?

i wouldn't ever want to make any assumptions.

You can knock. Knock on the wrong day and you're going to have to help me make Luffy do his laundry though.

well, with our captain at the bottom, i think we're all going to have to pitch in with keeping him afloat at this point, aren't we?

You worry about staying where you are rank-wise. I can take care of everything else by myself.

nami, i can't let you handle anything on your own. we're still your crew here.

You make it sound like I'm doing something hard. It's just beating the house. It's not a challenge.

no one believes more than i do that you're capable of anything, but i'm still here to help you and luffy through any of this.

[ zoro who ]

You are. You will. Stop worrying.

[ he's about to protest, but — well, maybe he is a little. ]

as long as you know you can rely on me for anything.

and since i am the closest to your rank, you should definitely come to me first for whatever you do need. it only makes the most sense.

Sounds like you're trying to get me alone again.

i only have the most respectable intentions.

unless given permission to be slightly less respectable.

Consider. We have unfinished business we couldn't get to if you were that determined to be respectful.

what kind of man would i be if i let our business go unfinished?

A typical one.

then i'm no typical man. because the last thing i'd ever do is let you go a day without being fully satisfied.

You could never be a typical anything to me.

[ be still, his heart!! his cheeks are going to hurt from smiling. ]

i'd say i could die happy hearing words like that. but i don't think i could before i get to keep my promise of knocking on your door.

If you die I'm taking your room.

you could take it while i'm alive too.

Tempting, but I need to stay where I am.

fair enough. just as long as you can leave that room for a few hours to let me take you out to dinner.

Are you asking me on a date?

yeah, i am.

unfortunately, it isn't cooked personally by me, but the hotel has invited me to a full courtesy dinner in their finest restaurant with a guest of my choosing.

and there's only one person i'd really like to take.

Was that your free gift? I've noticed a few people got things from this place.

i guess it was. did you get something too, nami?

A compass that takes me to Roost every night.

roost?

A spot for gambling. Not above board. The location changes every night. Or at least is has every time I followed the compass so far.

then that sounds like exactly the kind of place a lot like ours would want to keep our eyes on. a den to get plenty of information.

Already on it, again, don't worry.

just offering another date if you want the company while you work.

You haven't even gotten to take me on a first date and you're planning for a second?

too presumptuous?

No, it's just cute when you're selfish. I like it.

[ oh. ]

i try not to be but i think it's harder not to feel a little selfish for you.

So how much of a date is this dinner? Get a new dress level dating?

well, i think you'd look lovely in anything you put on, but i do think a dress would be appropriate for a number of reasons.

Yes it would, but I don't know if the restaurant would appreciate a few of the ones I can think of.

we could always save those for dessert.

I like this plan. Dessert at yours, it's bigger.

mine is yours. dessert will always be ready for you here.

You say that, but then what happens when I'm there all the time?

[ attachment.jpg ]

Hi Luffy.

[ Ugh stop being cute. ]

did it work? i don't think it went across.

Better try again to be sure.

[ attachment.jpg ]

I know I'm going to regret asking, what exactly are you trying to do here?

sending a picture across.

It worked. I'm relieved to see your nose hasn't gone anywhere.

i'm a good artist i'll figure it out.

Hope so. Getting really concerned about the welfare of your chin over here.

there's nothing wrong with my chin. is there?

You haven't gotten a picture of it yet, so I can only wait and wonder.

（ he's still mulling that strange conversation over in his mind when he makes his way down to where she'd suggested they meet. she already knows what he looks like, and he at least knows to be on the alert for a similar enough hair colour for it to have caught her eye, so he's not worried about that half so much.

he's just — a little on edge. he hasn't left his room much, has talked to people even less. he's a little skittish, jumpy in a way that speaks more to trauma than anxiety disorder. when he sees her, she somehow looks just how he was expecting.

maybe a few centimetres taller??

but he does raise a hand in greeting, a brief flash of the diamond insignia tattooed on his right wrist, worryingly darkened, and then stuffs his hand back in his pocket. he's wearing all black, more because it's a familiar comfort, a callback to his shihakushō than any dramatic propensity for hot topic. ）

Hey. Nami?

[ The hair is hard to miss - unless a person has hair of a similar shade and is used to the constant presence of bright orange. Even so, Nami sticks out, notebook tucked under her arm and a flashlight lifted from a maintenance cart she encountered on one of her trips snooping through the resort hanging from a belt loop on her shorts.

Notably, he is also taller than she expected, and, considering she doesn't actually know what kind of danger is lurking down in the maintenance tunnels, she's glad he seems like the sort she can put between herself and peril. She's not as formidable without her staff, and even if she had it - Nami's the type who would rather not.

Eyes darting to his tattoo when he waves she returns the gesture, nodding as she tries to recall if she's run into someone with such a dark tattoo so far. Interesting. ]

And you're Ichigo. [ She steps to the side, cocking her head at the door she's been standing in front of. ] Ready?

Yeah.

（ clearly, he's thinking along parallel lines, because he moves to step in front of her as they go through the door, one hand held out to ward her back. ）

I've only been down here once. Stay behind me just in case, okay?

（ local man, 18½, possessed of a protectiveness complex a mile wide and at least that high again. while he knows, rationally, that people can usually defend themselves as needed — he's also been the one that's been called on time and again to defend the world. it's mostly a habit by this point. ）

[ Letting him go ahead, Nami shines the flashlight over his shoulder, illuminating the dark stairway downwards. ]

So you've been down here already and suggested coming here? [ Her tone might be flat (as it usually is), but she gets her insinuation across.

He's weird.

Once they're off the stairs Nami settles the flashlight in the crook of her shoulder, keeping her head tilted to one side so she can get her notebook and utterly crap pen lifted from the coffee shop out to start a few preliminary sketches and notes. ]

Must be quite the place.

It's not like I was exploring the last time...

（ we aren't going to talk about sasuke just grabbing him by the wrist and dragging him into the basement, okay. we are Not. ）

It's mostly a maze. Just — have you ever been in a maze?

[ She raises her eyebrows but doesn't pry. This casino leads people places, and nobody ever needs to talk about it at any point. ]

In one? [ Speeding up enough to fall into step beside him, Nami nudges his arm before handing over the flashlight for him to carry. She's got notes to take, the club tattoo on her hand lighter than his had been, but present enough to call attention to the thin lines and nicks scarred along the finger her pen rests against while she writes. She's thankful it's dark. ]

Not that I can recall. Why? Have you before? [ A beat. ] Is that where the numbered people thing came up?

Edited 2024-01-14 03:29 (UTC)

（ he takes the flashlight without complaint and while he's not exactly unobservant, he doesn't comment on her tattoo any more than she did on hers. it does make him frown, though, one corner of his mouth tugged down in an unhappy line. ）

No — the trick is just to keep one hand against the wall. As long as you always do that, you can't get lost because you can only go certain ways without taking it off or switching hands. Unless the rooms move.

（ which. welp. ）

But that's only if we get separated. I can get us out otherwise.

（ it's a little unfair of him to rely on sasuke that way, but as long as he can sense his chakra he has a beacon. ）

Edited 2024-01-14 03:34 (UTC)

[ Lifting her head from her notebook she looks from him to the wall on her other side, putting a hand out ]

What do you mean unless the rooms move? Do the rooms move down here?

[ Without thinking Nami shifts a half step to the side, walking closer to Ichigo while she frowns at the tunnel ahead of them. ]

（ girl do u maybe mind not getting so close to him right now actually it's a terrible idea. ichigo sort of sssssssidesteps the same distance away again with a surprising deftness, if we ignore the fact that this promptly smacks him into the wall on his left side.

#smooth. ）

I have no idea if they do or not. I'm just saying this place is weird, and it wouldn't surprise me if there was something like that. I've heard there's ghosts down here, too.

（ which. hahaha, well. does he technically count? he probably technically counts. at any rate, he's bound to be the strongest of them. ）

Look, you're the one who said you went down here already.

[ She minds a lot if the walls move, doubly so if there actually are ghosts, thanks.

He smacks into the wall, and she spares a glance in his direction, rolling her eyes and looking back down the corridor ahead, the pensive frown on her face deepening at the upcoming fork in the path. ]

Or was the last maze you happened to be in full of moving walls?

Uh.

（ wow, she really just does not let go of things, huh? dangerous woman. usually, his default method of watching his mouth is just not talking much about anything, but she doesn't like giving anything up once she's caught the scent. something about blood and sharks come to mind. he's secretive by nature and by design, but if stygia taught him anything it's that keeping information to himself isn't always the right move.

he gives her a sidelong look, the beam of the flashlight steady ahead of them. something shifts in his expression, and then his gaze chases the light. his jaw is set, there's a brief jump of a muscle there, and then: ）

Yeah, a little. And traps.

（ he toes aside some suspicious piece of debris, and then they come to an odd juncture where there are bare pipes in the wall, obstructing their path. he squeezes through to the other side, and then turns the beam around so she has light to do the same. ）

You asked about the people with numbers. They're called Espada. （ the most awkward pause, and then he just decides to volunteer: ） I'm not really human. It's why being down here doesn't bother me.

（ being down here with a girl is entirely another problem. especially given that her hair is almost exactly the same colour as inoue's. ）

[ She could, she would more readily if this was about her, but he's said enough, been strange enough that Nami wants to keep asking questions, choosing not to consider the eventuality of the tables turning on her at some other point. Thus far, he's been interesting. In a sea of crazy encounters, some of which forced her to confront things she would have been fine leaving alone forever, ambling around in a dark basement prodding at a relative stranger feels, somehow, normal. ]

You look human. [ Even in her world, that doesn't mean much. Not yet moving to climb through the pipes, she eyes him through the barrier, the ghost of a smile passes over her face and she has to stop herself from bringing up the whole strawberry thing again. ]

Are you an Espada too? Is that why you asked about my number?

[ Not waiting for him to answer, she passes her notebook to him to hold with a muttered 'don't lose my page' before climbing through to join him on the other side. ]

I'm a pirate. [ She offers, apropos of nothing, as she takes her book back. ]

（ he is just the most obliging packhorse to ever live. look, he's got two younger sisters and one of them is an avid shopper. following her around holding bags has occupied a not-insignificant portion of his teenaged years. ）

No, I asked because of the ranks. I know the rooms are shitty for the folks with a low rank, so if that was where you were I was going to offer to let you use my shower or something. Communal bathrooms are pretty crummy for women.

（ well-meaning, sexist chivalry. whoops. ）

I'm not an Espada, I'm something else. What does a pirate do?

I'll still take you up on it. It's not like I get a luxurious bathroom or anything. I bet you get free room service too.

[ Because she is, if nothing else, an opportunist. ]

Are you going to say what you are, or is this about to get weird and you change shape into a water buffalo or something?

[ Honestly, totally the kind of thing that might happen where she comes from. ]

Most pirates are assholes, honestly, but, my captain likes helping people, instead of ruining their lives. We're going to the Grand Line. Or we were before most of us ended up in this shithole.

I'm only a seven, so not as bougie as you'd think.

（ where the fuck did he learn the word 'bougie', actually? this card carrying nerd. reads shakespeare in his free time. translates english media into japanese. the whole shebang. ）

And — no, why a water buffalo? （ just. sidetracked by that comment, it has taken him the fuck out. does... does he seem particularly buffalo-ish?? his ego cannot take this. ）

[ Staring at him like she thinks the weirdest thing about that question is that he's asking it in the first place, Nami shakes her head slowly and stops to quickly sketch out the route through the pipes before moving forward through the tunnel. ]

Why not a water buffalo? So what are you?

[ There's not even a breath between questions. He can't just say something like that, especially when she's down here in the maintenance tunnels alone in the dark with him. ]

（ peering just a little over her shoulder to watch that sketch — ）

Do you know the word 'shinigami'?

（ well, somebody isn't thinking about how a woman might feel about being in a weird place with a weird guy who's being cagey about shit, actually. ）

[ From the direction of the flashlight she can tell that she is, and pauses in her drawing to reach behind her, guiding his hand to adjust the angle of the light before she finishes it up, her book tilted so he can see the whole page she's filled up on the basement thus far - all rough sketches and neat lines of numbers. ]

No, is it like a martial art or something?

Hey, you're pretty good.

（ it buys him a second, at least, to think about it. the english translation to god of death sounds pretty scary, so a direct translation is out of the question here. ）

I can see ghosts. Sometimes, spirits... need help getting to where they're supposed to be. So I'm one of the guys that helps them.

Almost like I've been doing it for a long time.

[ Lowering her book as he elaborates on what he is, Nami turns around to look him over again, peering through the darkness. ]

And...that's what you deliver? [ So, not shady. Maybe. She's mulling it over. ] Are there a lot of people who do that?

[ Nami's walking again before he can answer, making notes and stealing sideways glances at Ichigo as she goes.

"You've delivered too." Insists a whispered voice from behind them. "But unlike him, you're heartless. Drawing those maps for Arlong so he could pillage and kill more people, delivering secrets, and stealing everything you could." The sound bounces around the corridor, and Nami feels her stomach drop. Eyes blazing she whirls on Ichigo, jaw set in a furiously stony line. ]

What did you say? [ It doesn't sound like him, and yet, having never encountered a ghost before, nothing else makes sense. ]

（ he's opening his mouth to reply to her — to tell her about the delineation between unagiya and what he does as a shinigami — but his mouth snaps shut with a click at that whisper.

he's no stranger to hearing voices. from the first moment he laid his hands on zangetsu, when both shiro and the old man started muttering in his ear. he'd thought he was going insane until after he knew the truth himself, the dichotomies of his heritage finally rationalizing the trajectory of his life, the particularity of how his skills developed. but this one clearly isn't meant for him, and he stops — at once impossibly still and on edge. one hand extends on instinct alone — yet, despite his best efforts tensa zangetsu doesn't respond to him here. being without a weapon doesn't sit well with him, so — he just. braces a foot against the wall and yanks at one of those pipes until it comes away in his hand, turning to face the direction of the whispers.

or — more accurately, to face nami, who looks like fury incarnate.

he actually takes a step back from her, less out of fear and more because he's learned it's wiser to retreat from the possibility of a misunderstanding than to stand your ground. ）

It wasn't me.

（ it's not said defensively, just plainly as his fingers flex around the pipe. the words and whatever meaning they hold for her... it's cruel, isn't it? he studies her expression for a moment, and the furrow in his brow is something like sympathy. ）

Come on, go ahead of me. （ holds out the flashlight for her to take. ） Keep moving. If it's a ghost I'll deal with it, I'll catch up with you. Stay to the right.

[ The hardened look in her eyes dims slightly, replaced with confusion as she watches Ichigo wrench a pipe free, looking for all intents and purposes like he's posed to defend himself - though against what, she's not sure. It's a blessing in disguise that the situation's turned perplexing enough that she doesn't immediately rebuff him for denying that he's the offending whisperer but the anger on her face hasn't drained away either.

If it wasn't him, who else could it have been?

"You don't want to help her. All she does is take, and take. When there's nothing left, she'll leave you too." The voice is closer, and to Nami, it bears a striking similarity to the sound of her sister, Nojiko at her most spiteful (a thing Nami hoped to never have to hear again now that Coco Village was free, but alas).

Wincing, she backs up another step, her lips parting as though she intends to object to either the mention of ghosts in their midst or leaving him behind to settle it, but the feeling of being so thoroughly and unexpectedly exposed like this keeps her walking backward, putting more space between herself, him, and the smugly disembodied voice still whispering silkily from just a few paces behind them. ]

I– [ Wish you hadn't heard that. Was stupid for trying to make friends. Think you should leave. Murky marine colored eyes cloud with emotion, her open notebook hugged against her stomach as she hustles away, keeping to the right but not entirely paying attention to where she's going - a rare thing for someone like Nami, but she's not thinking straight, not with those whispered words ringing in her ears and bouncing around the confines of her brain. That's not who she is, that's not who she wants to be, and yet, even a world away in a basement with a stranger, it seems there's no reprieve from the past for her. ]

（ he can't see the ghost — a strange phenomenon he hasn't encountered before — but he does stay. can't perform konso without his sword, so as far as rituals go he's out of luck — he can't even use kidō like the others, so unless he wants to resort to using shiro and risking that loss of control (not a good idea, given the lividity of his suit brand) there isn't much he can do unless his quincy powers suddenly take a huge jump. he should have paid more attention to ishida, but that's a foregone conclusion now.

yet... it was as much an effort to give her space without abandoning her as it was to actually stay behind and deal with a problem. if the problem can't be dealt with, then the only other issue is her.

the whispering fades, whether she's taken it with her or not is hard to say. after a couple minutes, though:

«hey, i think it's gone.

that was pretty weird. what did it sound like to you?» ）

[ Her retreat was hasty, but Nami doesn't put that much distance between Ichigo and herself, despite ducking into the shadows as soon as she could.

Lingering far enough to not be seen while she collects herself, she keeps her arms crossed tightly over her front, staring fixedly at the ground while her mind races, working to piece together just what the hell she can even say after that ghost or whatever decided to shine its awful light on the things she's working on leaving behind her.

The dim light of her watch is enough to give her position just a few yards ahead of him away, something Nami either isn't conscious of or doesn't care about. Her face gets caught in the muted glow as she reads, her profile apparent - as is the frown weighing down the rest of her face. There's no point in responding by watch when he's close enough to hear her, but there's also no way of hiding how hesitant Nami sounds when she does. ]

My sister. [ Saying it like that is enough to make her stomach drop, leaving her cagey, like she's ended up under somebody's thumb without being aware of it, pinned down and exposed in all the ways she loathes. ] Some of it, anyway.

[ Righting herself from her leaned position against one of the locked doors marked Punishment Protocol, and gets closer to the flashlight's beam of light. ] We can just turn back now if you want. [ She's not going to take and take and leave him once there's nothing - they're essentially strangers, and Nami has no need to lean into that kind of life anymore, but, she also can't bring herself to explain, clarify, or even deny anything. Why wouldn't he want to go in the face of all that? ]

（ oh she didn't go all that far, apparently.

he follows the sound of her voice, the pipe hefted up over one shoulder like he's used to carrying something else entirely. ）

Oh yeah? （ lightly — ） I couldn't hear it very well. Sounded like a bunch of garbled junk to me.

（ he's never really learned his lesson about lying to protect other people's feelings. instead, he just gives her a wan smile. ）

You scared already? Come on, is that what pirates are really like?

[ That's.

Huh.

There's a tour of barely noticeable, barely repressed microexpressions that make their way across her face, her eyes creasing at the corners while she tries to decide why he's choosing to lie to her. If the smile didn't make her sure of it, the lightness in his voice as he waves the ghostly whispers off would.

Can't bullshit a bullshitter, after all. He doesn't know anything about her, and the rising sense of confusion masked as indignance wants to point that out. She didn't know what to make of him before, and now– ]

I told you. [ Nami answers quietly, exhaling a measured breath as she gets a grip on herself and starts to head further down the corridor. ]

Most pirates are assholes. [ Her tone is as flat as it ever was, but there's something to it, an underlying gentleness rooted more in a newfound appreciation for Ichigo and his decision to go the complete opposite route than she expected, rather than some latent affection for pirates. Most pirates can go fuck themselves, actually. ]

This happen the last time you were down here?

Well, not that.

（ hahaha, anyway... ）

I was in a place before. Uh... not like this one, but... you know, people from different worlds and times all that bullshit. It was supposed to be the afterlife, if you can believe it. Now I'm here, but there's one person I knew back in that other place that's here too, and they remember me... so I was pretty preoccupied last time I was here with just catching up with that person.

The afterlife? [ It's good to have a new topic to be slightly confused by. It distracts from all the other ones she doesn't want to think about. ]

So, you're dead? That's why you help other souls out?

[ He doesn't seem dead, but it's a sad thought. ]

Most of my crew ended up in this place. [ Curious as she is, she decides to push on, granting him the amnesty of yet another subject change, should he not want to answer her about being dead. There's a lot about her life Nami wouldn't talk about if it could be avoided, and while she isn't dead personally, it's not difficult to imagine wanting to leave that out of polite conversation if she was. He did her a favor, she'll do him one. ] A few people from back home actually. One's a pirate who's already made it to the Grand Line, where our ship was heading before this happened. [ Has this tipped into babbling? Probably so. ]

Edited 2024-01-14 21:34 (UTC)

Nah, I'm not dead.

（ it's one of the ones he doesn't really mind answering. it also sounds like certainty, not denial. he gestures to take the flashlight back from her, and transfers it to the hand that's holding the pipe up on one shoulder so he can keep his left free. this results in an awkward management of items one-handed, fingers crooked in a stubborn dual grip. ）

Shinigami are usually spirits who've passed on. I'm not. It's complicated. I'd know if I was, though.

（ and normal people wouldn't... be able to see him. even in stygia it had felt weird to consider, and he'd almost believed it there. but now...

well, he's never been one to give up that easily. death is waiting for him one day, at the end of a long road — but it won't take him without a fight, and yhwach wasn't it. ）

So you've got friends with you, I bet that's a double-edged sword. How are they coping with this place?

Good. [ Oh what the fuck? What kind of a thing is that to say? It is good, of course, but, who meets the news that somebody's not dead that casually? ]

Is that... Do you like that work?

[ Maybe he's been tethered to this calling somehow. He said it was complicated, didn't he?

The question about her crew makes her laugh quietly, giving a slight shake of her head in response. ] You've got somebody here too. You should know that it is. [ A beat, a shrug. ] They're coping, I think. Luffy, my captain, he's with the threes but already stealing food, Sanji's a six, right above me, and probably having the time of his life, and Zoro is a ten. [ Translation: two she doesn't have to worry about, one she does. ] What about your friend?

（ do you like that work? the question hits him harder than it should, if for no reason other than the fact that no one else has ever asked it of him before. physically, the only reaction is a slight start that could just as easily be explained away by the fact he just walked into a spiderweb that he bats aside, but mentally his mind is racing.

he is what he is. he wouldn't change that now. a melting pot of impossible things, quincy, hollow, shinigami, fullbring — he shouldn't exist, but does. he'd thought, after those long months in the dangai, after aizen, after having his powers ripped away that maybe he could just be normal. that he'd see rukia and renji and the others in the afterlife, and that would be enough for him.

but he remembers how fucking empty he felt, watching her fade. how awful those long months were, watching his friends come to school beaten and battle scarred in a war he could no longer participate in. he remembers training in his old dojo until his hands bled, until he'd fractured his knuckles so many times he barely felt the pain, how time blurred together. how the crumbs of hope meeting xcution had driven him to push himself harder and longer than anything he'd done before, a desperate bid to just be useful, be useful.

he needs to be what he is so he can protect his family. his friends. it goes beyond karakura now, beyond seireitei. hueco mundo is his place, too. the remaining arrancar his allies. the remaining quincy his family. it would be selfish, to just wish it all away, because someone else would step up. they'd have to, because he had to. and he can't put that on someone else. who'd do it? rukia? ishida? chad? karin, like him, sees ghosts. does that mean in another few years it's going to be her hand on a sword? he could never be that cowardly.

but does he like what he does?

no, he realizes.

he opens his mouth, closes it again. finally: ）

I like being strong.

（ it's a moment of breath-taking honesty, and he's too wearied by the sentiment to care what she takes away from what he says. what she says about her friends mostly just slips through his fingers, the sudden darkened miasma of his mind, but he pays it enough attention to answer that, too. ）

They're a two. And you should tell your captain not to steal — who knows what the consequences are if they get caught? I can get him whatever he wants.

（ presumptuous, given that the guy clearly has more friends in this place than ichigo does, but he can't not offer. ）

Edited (redundancy jail) 2024-01-14 22:48 (UTC)

[ There's a shift in the air between them, or something, for all intents and purposes he appears to be thinking but there's something about his expression that keeps Nami watching him out of the corner of her eye.

They both walk similarly evasive roads.

Before he finally comes out with his answer, Nami's already decided to leave it alone, seeing him open his mouth to speak, thinking the better of it, and trying again cements that decision. ]

Yeah. [ Doesn't everyone? Doesn't everyone have to be strong, regardless of the world they came from? Nami sighs, lips twitching, caught between a smirk and a scowl. ] That pipe didn't stand a chance.

[ Turning her attention back to the relative safety of her notebook, she scoffs under her breath, sticking an elbow out to nudge his arm, trying to get him to adjust how he's holding the flashlight. ]

I can't tell him to do anything, but if he knows he can get food off you, he won't ever leave you alone. [ Kind of like her, and her newfound penchant for enjoying the amenities of higher-ranking friends. ]

Are you always like this? Generous to strangers? [ Why did he lie like that? ]

Not always.

（ he says that almost contemplatively, as he adjusts the light according to her direction. ）

But there's enough cruelty in the world, I don't want to be the guy that adds to it. I'd rather be nice to a stranger that stabs me in the back than an asshole to someone who didn't deserve it.

[ His choice of words brings the fading echoes of the ghostly whispers back to the forefront of her mind, making her lips tighten into a firm lip as she stares determinedly down at her book, debating with herself. ]

Good that we met here. Somebody like you would have been a really easy mark for someone in my old line of work. [ She's teasing - sort of, doing what she's done so many times since this casino landed her in situations where it would be far too easy to let herself feel overwhelmed and in over her head. Improvising as she goes. ]

Next time I pick the floor.

（ he realizes the misstep the moment her expression flickers and changes, in the dim halo cast by the flashlight. he didn't mean to, even inadvertently, reference what he heard — and now he just feels like a jackass for it.

he rubs awkwardly at the back of his neck with his free hand, and then: ）

We could always try having lunch like normal people. My treat.

What? [ She chuckles, ducking her head as she turns to look up at him, the weight hanging in the air between them lifting, at least on her end, momentarily. ] Hang out someplace well lit and not haunted? Sounds kinda boring.

[ Leafing to a clean sheet of paper, Nami retreats back to the safety of her notes. It doesn't sound boring. At all. Which isn't troubling, precisely, but if she thinks about it too long it might become as much. ] We can. Whenever.

I think we could all use a little more boring around here...

（ it's said with a sort of playful lilt, like maybe he has a sense of humour he's a bit rusty on using. ）

Just between you and me, anyway.

Going to assume that means the pipe isn't coming next time.

[ After the last few minutes of walking, and the things they both talked around, poking fun at him feels like someone opened a window and let in some fresh air. ]

We can go up to the roof after. [ Her hands move fast, flipping back a few pages from her note-taking to give him a look at the map she's already finished of the forest that's up there. Areas marked 'asshole birds' included. ] It's not normal, but, it's not terrible by this place's standards.

You want me to give up my emotional support pipe? Just like that?

（ look, most of his friends are trash talkers. he knows the type, and how to lean into it. growing up ginger in japan made him more-or-less immune to being teased by the time he was ten, but he also knows better than to take it any amount of personally, and the look he gives her — mock-stern, but with a faint lift of his eyebrows that belies amusement — probably says as much. ）

I'll take asshole birds over this bullshit any day, though. （ famous last words... ）

I knew you were full of shit. [ She counters abruptly. ] Couldn't stick with the normal act for three minutes.

[ Then she's laughing without thinking about it, rolling her eyes at him as she flips back to the right page in her book. ]

With you around they probably won't chase me up a tree. [ It's how she found the time to finish the map in a day, don't ask. ]

I'm the normalest guy you'll ever meet.

（ haha, haha... ha.

anyway, moving right along — there's an ominous puddle of water ahead of them blocking off most of the corridor, too broad to jump. he just sort of gives her a sideways look, mostly to see what she'll do. does he... offer to carry her??? what is the correct move here.

awkward, thy name is kurosaki. ）

You really got chased up a tree?

Could be. [ She doesn't know any guys that are normal, and hasn't yet assessed the full scope of his particular brand of crazy. ] A flock of them. They ran at me, and they sounded like guns going off.

[ Stopping when he does, Nami frowns at the puddle, stashing her notebook back into the back strapped across her front while she sizes up the situation. Nami looks from him to the pipes, adjusting her bag before reaching for one of the long heavier looking pipes testing its solidity before she pulls herself up, keeping her feet light on another pipe running beneath them and climbing across. ]

Come on. It'll hold you too.

（ well.

okay then.

he just sort of watches her do that effortlessly, and then immediately snaps his attention elsewhere because he was looking just a little too intently, a little too long at the flex of her back muscles and then that's enough of that! thank you! and he is suddenly very invested in the floor, shoulders hunched up around his ears. ）

Uh.

（ yes, so eloquent. he is the king of it, thank u. ）

Yeah, all right.

（ but he waits until she hops down before he tries it. he could just use shunpō, but even he's self-aware enough to realize that would look too much like showing off, so. climbing it is. when he's not reeling awkwardly from the teen boy realization that Girls Exist And He Likes Them Actually he's actually pretty graceful, managing the walk across the pipes without difficulty. ）

Like... they were just loud? Or actual guns?

（ metaphor translation is sometimes a little janky, that he's noticed, so... ）

Did you think I was going to jump over it or something?

[ His bewilderment, or whatever it is, doesn't go unnoticed, but it's also not something Nami recognizes either - probably best for both of them. Some realizations are better kept for later when she'll inevitably be eyeing her watch, wondering if she should say something and firmly telling herself not to.

While he climbs she catches up on her notes, sparing a wary glance at the puddle they've bypassed, like she doesn't quite trust it not to move, or sprout a hand, or something on par with what these tunnels have tossed at them so far. ]

Actual guns. Here, look. [ Nami does not know how to work her watch at all, but through a hit-and-miss system of smacking and swiping, can get herself where she needs to be on the thing. Like now, when she pulls up the photos she's stored on it, showing him one of the birds that chased her. Shoebill storks are harmless and flighted, which makes her choice of a tree even more stupid, but she's never seen one before, and after hearing their highly disconcerting noise, it felt like a smart choice. ]

I had no idea what you were going to do.

（ jump? wade? fly?? stranger things have happened. at least he's smart enough to keep the, i would have carried you comments to himself. look,,,

he hops down off the pipe, and comes to investigate the images on her watch. he recognizes the birds, native to africa, but he has no idea what the hell they sound like. ）

They kinda look like dinosaurs... were you near their nest or something?

I'm not sure. I wasn't going to hang around and see.

[ Nami makes a face, smacking her watch until the picture disappears and the screen goes dark again. ]

There's a lot of birds I've never seen before up there. [ Pausing, she purses her lips together again, looking from him back down the corridor. ] Sometimes the dimensions of this place don't add up. It's... [ Weird. The word of the day, the theme of their entire acquaintanceship thus far. ]

Yeah, I've felt the same.

（ it feels a little bit like hueco mundo, with those distant fixed points that never got any nearer no matter how far they went, how much they walked. an impossible liminal space. ）

What do your maps say? I mean... so far, anyway.

（ a pause. then, in a smaller voice: ）

Do you need help with the Watch, or...?

What's wrong with my watch? [ Glancing down at it then over at him, she squints skeptically. ] It works fine.

[ Screens aren't exactly a thing, never mind ones that respond to touch. She's doing her best.

Getting back to the more pressing issue, she turns back toward the tunnel ahead of them. ] They don't add up, exactly. If I take this place floor by floor, most of it makes sense - the forest up on the roof did, but when you put it all together it... [ Can't fit like it does, which she feels out of her mind for even saying. That's not how space works! ]

No, it's just... you don't have to hit it. Here.

（ he steps in a bit closer and holds his own hand up to demonstrate the feature she was trying to access, in... markedly fewer smacks. look, he's no luddite — and his dad's clueless about all things tech, so he's been the impromptu kurosaki tech support since he was a kid. programs a mean VCR. #86baby. ）

And that makes sense. There's some weird supernatural shit going on here, it wouldn't surprise me if this is a unique plane of existence. Those places don't always play by the rules.

[ Maybe smacking the watch is how she's venting her frustration at being stuck here. Watching Ichigo get to the same place on his watch so easily makes her scowl just a touch - she's not used to not being the smart one of the group, after all, but after giving her own watch a few experimental taps and swipes, she can't deny it's a lot easier doing it his way. ]

Thanks. [ She means it, she's just huffy. There's no time for indignance, however, when he's distracting her with an idea that's beyond anything she's considered - or even thought was possible, leaving her frowning for a different reason. ]

Are those common? [ The term 'unique planes of existence' implies they might not be, but that Ichigo seems to know something about them gets her worrying all over again. ] Does this seem like it's one to you?

（ the flashlight flickers, and he smacks his palm against it, creating a wavering halo of light bouncing off the walls in front of them as they continue on. ）

I'm not sure about common. There's three in my world. At least that I know about. （ people have kept things from him before. he's never really taken it personally. ） But this... it's an unusual space, that's for sure.

（ stygia was one thing, but at least it didn't bend the laws of physics. it was just massive, and desolate, and he spent more than one day beneath that bleak night missing home. ）

[ Frowning as the light flickers, Nami's eyes follow the flashlight's beam as his smack sends it bouncing, her gaze hardening into a warning look. Whatever's powering that light better knock it off. ]

Unusual is putting it nicely. I've been up to one of the queen's suites and it's almost as big as the whole resort. It shouldn't be able to fit, and considering there's more than one suite like that... [ Nami doesn't like how little sense it makes. If she let herself dwell, the improbability might turn into one of the most unsettling parts of this experience. ]

Were there ways in and out of them in your world?

（ one of the queen's suites... ichigo gives her a sideways look, but doesn't ask the question that's abruptly burning a hole in him. instead, he swallows it down. maybe it was business, or maybe she was mapping that area too — he doesn't have to jump to the worst possible conclusion. she wouldn't have said it so casually if that was the case, but his gaze still cuts away from her, brow furrowed with concern. ）

There were.

（ he's already decided to trust her with information about the shinigami. it's not like the rest is really all that much more. ）

But I couldn't open them on my own. I needed... （ a hell butterfly. the dangai. a guide. something. ） other ways.

[ If she notices the very brief, very slight shift in his demeanor, Nami says nothing about it, inwardly filing it away to puzzle over later, joining a few other choice points in this excursion in a tidy mental pile of things Nami isn't going to think about right now, thanks. ]

Could you tell you were in one while you were in it?

[ If he keeps answering, she'll keep asking, the hopeful part of her still believing there's a way out of this situation that's not barreling through it for the sake of winning the grand prize, and -because she's interested, some part of her privately invested in piecing together this picture of Ichigo her time with him has her forming. The flashlight flickers again, dimming briefly before brightening back up, distracting Nami and making her glare again. ]

Those things are supposed to last a long time, aren't they? [ Guess who saw a staff member use the flashlight, figured out what it did, and stole it without knowing what it was? ]

Not really. It just feels...

（ he gestures around them vaguely. like this. it's not like there's some clarion bell in the air, bright and sure, warning you that you've crossed over into another realm. it'd be hard to notice if you weren't paying attention to the little signs. rooms that don't match the space is just one little sign, but the shifting landscape of las noches was just one clue.

at her comment about the flashlight, he just sort of gives her another glance. ）

They don't have these things in your world, huh?

[ She wanted to know and yet at the same time, Nami's a little sorry she asked. Sighing wearily, Nami looks around the tunnel and shakes her head. ]

So right now, the best theory going is that something, or someone, made a unique plane of existence and stuck a horny casino in it? [ It's rhetorical, really, she just needed to say it all out loud so the absurdity can sink in, adding– ] And it's haunted.

[ Though hopefully whatever ghosts are still lingering are done making a fool out of her. ]

Portable lights? Not like this one, no. There are no screens like the watches, either, or the bigger ones that show those moving pictures. [ But she can guess from the way he's already walked her through using her watch, Ichigo's world has them all. ]

（ 'horny casino' is just crass enough it makes him blush, that Ginger Curse biting him directly in the ass with how abrupt and quick the heat crawls across his face. hello, he is a teenage boy whose libido has been put on hold by Trauma and what is this. ）

Uh...

（ just. going to... yep, skip past that comment actually. moving right along: ）

It's okay if you don't know. I can show you. This place is kinda ahead of me too, but at least we had cellphones and video games and all that, so...

[ Again, Ichigo seems to momentarily falter and again Nami chooses not to call him on it. It's too dark to tell he's blushing, but after his extremely weird choice of pacing when it came to talking about this place over messages Nami can put it together that he's trying not to deal with that. She might have done the same for longer if it was just her here, but there are other people to look out for. ]

Someone told me what a cellphone is. Bigger than the watch but kind of similar right? [ It's too dark to catch him blushing, therefore, it's too dark to catch her smiling - or so Nami would like to hope. ]

I could tell you what we use to make calls in my world, but I bet you'd make a face.

[ It's what's happened every time she's mentioned the transponder snails so far, this is in no way hedging into playful, or worse, flirting. ]

（ well, at least she doesn't make a big deal out of his constant avoidance. that way lies only petulance and probably a little flailing. you know, he's grown up from when yoruichi was — when she was, like that around him, but he's still not sure he's ever going to recover from seeing rukia's ass, actually. ）

Uh. That's freaky, the way you said that... do I even want to know?

It's called a transponder snail. It's a snail that can telepathically project a person's voice to another snail.

[ Still smirking she watches him out of the corner of her eye, it's amusing how something so common to her lands as bizarre to other people more often than not. ]

What's a video game?

（ that comment disarms him instantly. he'd been anticipating... hell if he knows, 'elephant intestines and string' or something. at that explanation, though, she just gets an understanding nod. telepathic creatures, why not. use what you have. ）

Oh, like a Hell Butterfly?

（ ... yeah, they're a whole thing. ）

The snail thing's weird, but... I guess it could be worse.

（ god you just not ask him what video games are. how does he even start... ）

It's... like, imagine you're reading a book, and visualizing things in your mind as you go. A video game is kinda like, 'what if you had control over what you're visualizing'. You 'play' them. They're pretty fun, but I haven't done much in years.

Yeah, exactly. [ She starts on the heels of his question. ] Like a Hell Butterfly. [ Nami shoots a look in his direction faintly amused, and clearly bewildered. ] What's a Hell Butterfly? Don't say a butterfly from hell.

[ No less bizarre than Hell Butterflies, his explanation of video games keeps Nami confused, but at least this concept holds some intrigue. She likes reading quite a bit, piloting the story of a book sounds like a strange concept, but, potentially a fun one. ]

Do they have video games here? Will you show me one?

I mean... it's kinda a butterfly from hell.

（ like. that's it. that's the whole thing. ）

They're messengers, and guides. I don't use them much.

（ but they are a foundational part of seireitei, after all.

up ahead, there's a small corridor off to one side of the path, and as they step past the threshold of it he shines the light down the passageway, so she can get any extra dimensions she needs. he figures it's probably just a maintenance or access tunnel or something, shallow and unobtrusive. but in doing so, his light jumps across what, at first, looks like a heap of bodies. the flashlight gets switched to the hand holding the pipe with an inhuman speed — not out of shock, but so he can immediately reach out and put a hand on her shoulder to keep her from following him any further, so that the sight stays hidden by the corner of the adjacent wall. ）

Hey, I think we should go back.

（ it's said with a sort of cheerfulness. ）

We've already come pretty far, and I don't know about you but I could use something to eat after all.

[ The hasty way he switches which hand he holds the light is enough to set off
a few warning bells, and when Ichigo's hand comes down on her shoulder unexpectedly, Nami is quick to reach up, her hand covering his like she intends to abruptly lift it off of her.

She's not buying the cheerfulness, especially not after before, but that might be something she regrets after peering around him so she can see the modest pile of bodies. Freeing herself from his hand becomes a very low priority when she's too busy recoiling in horror, face pale and eyes wide as she looks up at Ichigo. ]

What is that? Are those people? [ Nami sounds as terrified as she looks, the hold she has on his hand tightening as she looks past him towards the pile again, the light catching on the dolls' "skin" making it look unnatural. ]

Oh gross.

（ given his familiarity with urahara's gigai, even realizing they're fake doesn't really make the situation any better, and he steps in between her and the pile without preamble as she peers in. ）

Don't look. I'll check, just stay there.

（ there might be real people in there somewhere, or at least sentient ones. he's not going to just walk away, not when there could be someone in front of him that needs help.

he can't use kido, can't summon zangetsu, and his quincy powers are too unstable — so what he does instead is set the pipe down against the wall on his way in and press a cut into one palm with his thumbnail, and then use the blood to call forth a cero. a small, hypercondensed ball of vivid energy manifests in one hand, brilliant crimson, casting a pallor over the bodies as he picks his way towards them. if nami has an ounce of spiritual sensitivity, she might find herself feeling suddenly weak at the knees.

up close, he can tell — they're anatomically correct dolls in a variety of gender configurations, the plastic-y sheen of their skin almost more horrifying in the light of the cero. despite his squeamishness about all things naked and female, his jaw is set as he works and there's no trace of embarrassment here as he tries to sort through the pile, moving the bodies aside with a physical ease that doesn't quite make sense given his size. he treats them carefully — almost all the shinigami he knows have used a gigai at one point or another. ）

I don't... I think they're just ... empty?

（ okay but he has not considered 'sex doll' yet, actually. ）

[ For the time being, she does as he asks and hangs back, staring after Ichigo, even going so far as to take a few steps back once he sets the pipe down and does something to his hand that floods the tunnel with crimson light. He's already told her he's not human exactly and she's been around Devil Fruit eaters long enough to know that means unexpected, random things can happen. Unfortunately, that knowledge doesn't do much to diminish her surprise, leaving her glued to her spot and wincing when he moves the first body aside.

The terrifying thought of these things springing to life keeps her body rigid with tension as she takes her first step closer, followed by another, before shaky hands grasp hold of the pipe he's set aside. Holding the weapon in the middle, as a staff fighter like her would she stares over Ichigo's shoulder, repulsed by the lifeless figures and their disconcertingly jiggly breasts. ]

We should go.

[ Nami's free hand goes to his shoulder, still staring at the figures on the ground in a mixture of fear and disgust. ]

I don't think they're supposed to be magic or anything. [ An ornery-looking cock sticking up between the legs of one doll off to the side makes her scrunch her face up in dismay. ] I think um, I think you should wash your hands.

What?

（ hang on, he needs to go on a character journey about this. he looks at her. and then back to the dolls. and back?? to her?? and then, as if for the first time, the particularities of the genitalia actually seem to register, and he. um. ）

（ immediately wipes his hands on his pants! thanks! several times! he's going to burn them actually!

the cero is snuffed out, and the pressure from than energy is gone as if it never was. ）

Ahhhh, what the hell?! What is wrong with these people? That's so fucking gross!

（ oh he is several shades of cherry tomato red right now as he scuttles backwards to their original hallway not entirely unlike a dog scampering away from the scene of a crime with its tail between its legs. he is never! ever! getting that image! out of his head! ）

Hey! Don't leave me, you idiot! [ Yes, it is gross, and no, she cannot fault him for scuttling off in horror, but does he have to take all the light with him when he goes?

Still hanging onto the pipe, Nami darts after him, back into the relative safety of the original tunnel, sticking stubbornly to his side whether he tries evading it or not. ]

Come on, let's get out of here. I got everything I need. [ And so many things she did not want! ]

( it takes some time for any word to come back after he... notices the map. did he check things out before responding — u bet. not the horny zones, but whatever. as a thanks, there's a man ( a member of the zoro club — as evidenced by the shirt he's wearing with a big Z drawn on it made of three swords... ) that knocks on nami's door to hand over a non-descript paper bag. inside are several tangerines and a bottle of unopened beer. and a really sloppy note that reads:

thanks. not tainted fruit & veg in ~~concer~~ conservatory. beer isn't either. birds aren't so asshole if you beat them up

and, no, he doesn't bother signing it. )

[ Waiting under his door that evening, another note tidily printed on kawaii rice ball stationary (because that is what a person finds to send Zoro notes on while shopping at the kawaii stationary store in the mall sorry):

Red Cardinal is good to get drunk in, owner doesn't let any of the casino bullshit happen.
If you end up at Roost, don't make any bets. They want things that aren't credits - like memories, and body parts.
Tell me if you find the way to Rookery, okay?

PS: Cool shirt where's mine? ]

nami.

i was talking to that j person and he left this message "The house is inscrutable to even I. How about that?" and i was thinking what if j is not saying i like i but i like j?

[ It's the middle of the night, she is not fucking around trying to type on this stupid watch. Nami smacks the video on, not bothering to lift her head from the pillow, her face half-concealed against it, her hair bright even in the dark. ]

Why are you awake?

( Oh now he has to find the video option and there's a good few minutes before his own switches on. He's lightly illuminated by the watch itself and, if Nami squints hard enough, she may see the kraken-t on a nearby storage hole. )

This thought woke me up, it must be important.

Well. [ She scrubs her face with her hand and stretches before continuing. ]

It could be. I think J is short for Jester, so what would I be short for?

Edited 2024-01-28 22:01 (UTC)

It's short for jester? Better not tell Buggy.

( Let him think for a moment, he's disgustingly awake somehow. )

I for...Idiot?

[ But it might be funny to tell Buggy and watch him seethe like a diva??? ]

Inspector? Inquisitor? [ She's not nearly awake enough to start thinking of I words that might fit the bill. ]

(That is true, Luffy will let Nami have that one. He's already riled the clown up with ghosts.)

Uh....instigator? I heard that one a lot in Windmill Village.

[ A sleepy smirk– ] Important Guy...or woman.

Inventor?

(Luffy huffs quietly to himself. This is a whole lot of thinking for this time of night.)

It might be nothing.

Could be, but it could be something and we just don't see it right now.

[ After hiding a yawn in her pillow Nami lifts her head, squinting into the watch. ]

Come sleep over.

It might make sense another day.

( Yawns are contagious and Luffy stifles one of his own, blinking at the request before he begins shuffling out of his bed. )

Sure, need anything for me to bring?

It might make sense in the morning. This place is weird Luffy, I've seen some strange things.

[ With a dismissive hum, she shakes her head at the question, mustering enough wakefulness for a sly smirk. ] Just you.

It will at some point.

( Eyebrows raise at that comment, the insinuation enough so that even Luffy can't miss it. He's already heading out the door, not bothering to turn his camera off as he walks. )

You know. I heard they have gold chocolate here.

Don't tell me that! [ She rolls onto her back, sighing heavily before peering back into the watch. ] Unless we're going to get some tomorrow.

But I already told you that. ( At least Nami seems interested in it and he gives a grin. Thankfully he can walk and talk without falling over. ) Or you could ask me how I know about it.

Mm, okay I'll bite. How?

I might know a guy. ( Or there was just some in the kitchen fridge that caught his eye. Either way Luffy pauses long enough to rummage in his pockets before displaying a bar of gold chocolate to the camera. )

[ Chuckling at the sight Nami's smirk widens into a grin as she gives the camera an approving nod. ]

You're sharing that.

( And Luffy just grins before pocketing the chocolate and setting back off. )

Am I? I dunno, what if I get hungry before I get to your room?

You're always hungry. How is this any different! [ hmph ]

And it's not like you're far.

You never know, you should always be prepared for anything that could happen.

Won't be long, unless I get distracted by chocolate.

( Luffy's going to turn his camera off for now as he opts to get to Nami's room a bit sooner, chocolate safe in his pocket..... )

[ Opening the door with her watch is her new favorite trick, and once he knocks it doesn't take long for the lock to click open, granting him access to her room. ]

Where's my chocolate?

( The door opening by itself is impressive enough that Luffy pauses to check it out. He didn't know they could do that! Still, it is the middle of the night and Luffy beelines for Nami's bed, diving onto it before settling on his front.)

Yours? Thought it was mine.

[ Moving over to make room for him to join her, Nami shifts closer after Luffy settles, draping a leg around him after stretching out on her side. ]

We're a crew, aren't we? So I get a cut of the spoils.

( Luffy can't complain at the leg, feeling all the more comfortable for it. No matter how weird the resort is he can't deny it's granted them a degree of physical luxury.)

I'm captain. What if it needs to go on my treasure tab?

Who do you think keeps track of that thing?

[ Concealed by the blanket, one of her hands sneaks into his pocket, not at all being as subtle and light-fingered as she could be in her attempt to steal it. ]

I thought it was me.

( Still, Luffy is more than okay with Nami sneaking a hand into his pocket, knowing full well she'll find the chocolate in one of them. That and it's a nice enough feeling too. )

Would have hidden it under my hat but I don't have it.

But are you?

[ Once she retrieves the chocolate Nami pauses in her chocolate eating endeavors, lifting herself up enough to get one of Luffy's arms around her, so that when she settles again her head can rest on him while she unwraps the chocolate, holding a square of it up to his lips. ]

Yeah! There's just nothing on it yet.

( No shame there, Luffy just gives a small shrug, shifting as he allows Nami to get more comfortable. It's all too easy to wrap his arms around the redhead and when chocolate suddenly appears at his mouth he eats the offered piece, looking thoughtful. )

Man, everything in this place is so mysterious.

What about Baratie?

[ Nami tips her head up enough to nuzzle his jaw with the bridge of her nose, absently affectionate in a way that's generally reserved for Luffy alone - which she's never going to think too hard about if she can help it, thanks. ]

Yeah... I've... Yeah. Mysterious is the word. A lot can happen.

I settled that already, I did their dishes.

( For one night instead of the original year proposed. Not that anyone stopped him walking out of there without finishing up. In Luffy's mind that meal is as good as paid for.

The affection gets Nami a small, subconscious squeeze in return. Luffy doesn't think too hard on it either, but then why should he? Thinking in absolutes has its advantages; the whole thing felt nice, was a good way to catch up on information as crew, and if Nami didn't want to do such things she'd have kicked him out of bed by now. There's no reason to overcomplicate it in his own mind. )

Boogie is rattled, and I can't really tell with Shanks.

Barney's not the only one, I'm rattled too. Sanji seems... [ Nami pauses, trying and failing to search for the right word. ] No, he's like Shanks. It's hard to say.

[ The foil on the chocolate bar rustles as Nami takes a piece for herself and holds another one up for Luffy. ] You know how he is. He's happy when he's around me, so he's hard to read.

Edited 2024-02-03 23:19 (UTC)

( The chocolate is happily received and Luffy chews thoughtfully, doing his best not to surrender to the warmth that is Nami's bed right now. Sleep is always a good thing, just not in the middle of a conversation.... )

He is and he isn't. I think we'd need to be worried if he wasn't happy to see you. ( Still, Luffy is making a mental note to catch up with Sanji. Just in case. )

I just can't figure out what the people here get out of all this.

I think we'd need to check for a pulse if that happened. [ Sanji is nothing if not steadfast in his affections, it would be cause for alarm if he wasn't. ]

You mean whatever's running the place? I heard a guy say they think the sex this place gets us to have gives it power, as for the long-time guests, I– [ A shrug, a shake of her head, another piece of chocolate. ] I don't know what's weirder, them or the ghosts.

( Luffy can't help the quiet snort of amusement at the mention of a pulse. If Sanji didn't seem happy to see Nami, they would know something catastrophic had happened. There's a lot of respect in Luffy's mind for the chef when it comes to Sanji and he can't help the grin as he takes another piece of chocolate. Next time he'll bring more than one bar. )

Power? I don't think I get it. If they can bring so many people here I would think they could make their own power. ( Or whatever. Nami can probably feel how Luffy shrugs to himself over that one. ) The ghosts, definitely.

Enough power to sustain a place like this, and kidnap people?

[ She doesn't want to think about being under the thumb of something that powerful. ]

Another guy I was talking to was telling me about these things in his world - certain people can make pockets in space and time and put things there, and you can only get in or out of those places with a special thing, or method, or something. It reminds me of here.

[ and as if called out to through the void, a message suddenly appears on nami's watch. ]

nami! ♥
i'd never want to bother you if it's late
but i noticed it was pretty cold tonight and wondered if you needed any help in getting warmed up? ;)

Edited 2024-02-04 16:29 (UTC)

( The thought that the ones running this place could be that powerful is definitely something to consider, though Luffy's mind runs through it a little more differently. The bigger they are, the harder they fall in the end!

A notification catches Luffy's attention and he instinctively peers over at Nami's device. )

Wow, did he know we were talking about him?

[ And she doesn't swat at Luffy for peeking, considering it's Sanji and not something a little more private - like naked pictures from a hot lady or something. ]

Guess so. [ She smirks, already typing out a response. ] I'll tell him to come join us since he's cold.

[ Pausing to snap a picture of her and Luffy, Nami attaches it to her response: ]

It's pretty warm down here, you should come join us if you're cold♥

[ sanji's not expecting to get a picture of nami with someone else, and if it were someone else, he might feel the weight of his heart sink unbearably deep. or at least if it were another man, since his imagination picturing nami curled up with another woman would have him feeling ... a certain kind of hot.

but it's not just any man in that picture, and the sight of luffy there instead coaxes a slowly widening smile from sanji as he sees his two favorite people in one place. ]

i'll be there ♥

[ which he is, soon enough, since he's practically memorized the quick route to nami's room the moment he learned its location. waiting for the click that signals the open door from nami's watch, he lets himself in, dressed in pajama pants and a simple white t-shirt (as opposed to being shirtless as he had been in bed since no, he wasn't actually cold at all), stepping further inside before catching sight of the two on the bed and breaking into a grin. ]

I heard Nami found a warm stray in her bed tonight. Did I hear that right?

( There's no complaints from Luffy over inviting Sanji to join them; the more the merrier and he's sure Nami's bed can accommodate them all. If not it's all the more excuse to cuddle and Luffy takes a moment to sneak some of the chocolate before Sanji arrives, blatant in his attempt to do so.

Luffy grins at Sanji like it's the first time seeing the guy, he's always happy to see the blond and not just for the best food either. Sanji has proven to be the most amazing member of the Going Merry crew in a short time and the captain is already unwrapping his arms from Nami to shuffle over and make some space for the other. )

A stray? ( Nami gets a look full of curiosity. ) Someone else was here?

( Is he serious? Who knows, it's a mystery. )

No strays, just an idiot.

[ Rolling her eyes good-naturedly at Luffy's questions, Nami unwraps her leg from around his middle and scoots back, giving Sanji enough room between the two of them to climb in. ]

I really need to get a bigger room if you two are going to make a habit of coming over in the middle of the night.

[ She props herself up on an elbow, resting her chin on her hand as she grins at Sanji, tilting her head at him in a brief 'come on already' gesture, privately eager to try and hold onto the both of them. ]

Our favorite idiot.

[ truly a sign of endearment, since it's that very idiot that got sanji out of baratie, pledging his loyalty to his new captain more easily than he'd done anything else in his life.

sanji watches them scoot away from one another to make that central room for him — something that nearly makes his heart skip, for the way it carries a sort of welcoming that sanji often longs for, something that had convinced him to give the whole of himself to this crew. his smile is warm as he steps over to the end of the bed before climbing to crawl his way in, spinning around to lay his back onto the mattress, squeezing himself between them. ]

My bed is open to both of you too, you know. Bit more room there.

I should tell them you're talking about 'em.

( His nose wrinkles as he grins, obviously teasing (this time).

Luffy is delighted that Sanji doesn't even protest the offer, watching idly as the blond makes his way up the bed to settle between them. He can't even begin to imagine a world where he ever regrets asking Sanji to join the crew. Not only had the chef joined and settled in, but had instantly assisted in dealing with things at Arlong Park, no questions asked. Brave, handsome and the best cook. Luffy doesn't need to be told how lucky he is to have crossed paths with Sanji and he can't keep the smile from his face as he rolls to his side, taking no time in draping an arm across the other.

Personal space? With Monkey D Luffy? It doesn't exist. )

Mine is small but folds out. ( He pauses. ) How much more room?

[ Once Sanji's more settled Nami reaches for his arm, wrapping it around her shoulders before settling in against his side, her leg stretching out to wrap around them both. ]

Sounds like we'll have to do this again another night in your bed then, Sanji.

[ There's a part of Nami that's always a little anxious wondering about the wellbeing of her crew in this crazy casino, but having Sanji and Luffy here where she can reach out and touch them both works wonders for soothing those worries, making a habit out of this suits her perfectly.

Resting her head against the pillow Nami's arm stretches past Sanji's head, her fingertips lightly tousling through Luffy's curls. ] And you don't clean your room enough for that. [ (Affectionate.) ]

A bit more room than this, but I don't think we're having too much of a problem in making the most of it, anyway.

[ it's truly a moment of being spoiled, the way he first has luffy settling up against his side before nami mirrors the same, both draping over his body with arms and legs. though his initial excuse had been feeling a chill that hadn't actually existed, he can't deny the actual warmth he does end up getting out of this, feeling heat radiating from both their bodies, much more satisfying than if he had stayed in his bed alone.

his arm moves around nami's shoulders as instructed, soon following with doing the same to luffy, securing them both close against him, almost protectively. ]

As convenient as that sounds, Luffy, you're going to want a bed with more room. Whether it's for this or — you know, other activities. [ hmm. maybe something more luffy-appropriate. ] Pillow fights.

( Everything is warm and comfortable, physically and more as Luffy realises just how safe things feel right now. They've been kidnapped, uprooted from the Going Merry and dropped in a resort that had a list of demands and the last few weeks have been eventful if anything. For now it could all be a million miles away with how it feels, cuddled up against Sanji's side, Nami's fingers at his hair enough to pull a small snort of laughter from him. They're both perfect in every way and Luffy can barely keep the adoration from his gaze. )

My room is okay! What do I need lots of space for? ( The mention of pillow fights gets a serious look. )

Sanji. Everyone knows you have the pillow fight in someone else's room. ( Still, despite how comfortable it all is, Luffy is loathe to fall asleep anytime soon and instead allowing himself to feel the motion of Sanji's chest as the other breathes. All this place needs is the gentle sway of the ocean under them for it to be perfection. )

Did you eat all the chocolate, Nami?

[ Nudging Sanji's side gently when he brings up pillow fights, Nami tips her chin up, brushing her lips against the cook's jaw as she mutters– ]

Don't give him ideas, dummy.

[ Her tone is low enough to be intimate and warm, without making any effort to ensure Luffy doesn't hear her, going so far as to lower her head to narrow her eyes at the captain across Sanji's chest playfully to make sure he did. ]

Like I'm the one who would eat all the chocolate. [ Lifting the bar in question with her free hand Nami breaks off a piece, holding it up for Sanji to eat. ] I almost lost a finger trying to stop him from finishing it before you got here, actually.

[ sanji laughs with the nudge, quieting into a fond smile when he feels the brush of nami's lips, naturally feeling the quickened beat of his heart from feeling it, because it's nami. ]

I'm not. [ he is. ] Technically, sure, you can do things in other people's rooms, but every once in a while you want a comfortable and open space that's clean and presentable and large enough where you can invite a girl over for a nice meal, some romantic music, and — [ wait, he's getting off track. ] Never mind. Luffy, don't hit girls with pillows.

[ he's completely forgotten the subject here, but it can hardly be blamed when he's got nami (and luffy) snuggling into him so closely like this. plus, there's that chocolate being offered to him, and with his arms occupied, he leans in to snag the piece straight off of nami's fingers with his mouth. if he playfully licks at her fingers in the process, well. ]

And don't bite Nami's perfect fingers. If you want more chocolate, I'll just make you some.

Edited 2024-02-04 20:18 (UTC)

I don't need anyone to give me ideas, I'm already planning a pillow war with someone.

( It's said so matter of fact, as if a pillow fight is a completely normal thing to do and Luffy almost looks proud of it. As for the hitting girls comment, he simply lets it slide as something Sanji would say, knowing full well that if he had to hit Nami with a pillow and refused on those grounds, he'd lose the fight very quickly.

Brown eyes watch with keen interest as Sanji eats the offered chocolate. The way the blond licks at Nami's fingers has Luffy's own pulse skipping a beat, enough that he almost misses what Sanji even says. His reaction is delayed only by a few seconds as he lifts his head up, eyebrows raising quickly. )

You can make chocolate here??? ( Once again Luffy counts his blessings, feeling the luck of having found Baratie in the fog. At this rate he'll thank the navy for chasing them into it and Luffy soon settles back, down, resting his head against Sanji's collarbone . )

[ Of course, Luffy's planning a pillow war - she just hopes he doesn't have a death wish and isn't plotting against her.

Too content to warn Luffy off the idea - because she's sure he knows he'd lose - she stays quiet, basking in their back-and-forth banter and the warmth of their bodies. This feels safer and better than anything has since she landed in that stupid jungle, and she's selfish enough to start thinking ahead, hoping she can get more times like this out of the two of them.

Exhaling a chuckle against Sanji's skin at the fleeting brush of his tongue against her fingertips, Nami settles her head on his shoulder, breaking off another piece of chocolate for herself before letting her arm slide across Sanji's chest to offer one to Luffy. ]

You heard Sanji - watch the perfect fingers.

Is this a one-on-one fight or should we prepare for a crew battle?

[ because as much as he enjoys teasing luffy, or trying to ease his captain down, he wouldn't hesitate to join him in any fight if he had to, even if it's a pillow one. though he'd probably have some words to say if luffy went smacking a woman around with one.

the chocolate in his mouth is sweet, and with that brief bite, his brain already goes working towards trying to piece together the ingredients and recipe that went into it, just to see if he could replicate it — he absolutely could.

he licks at his lips, not intentionally making a show of it, but it's inevitable that the swipe of his tongue leaves behind a light sheen against them. his eyes follow nami's fingers to feed luffy next, not thinking too deeply about how they watch luffy's mouth in the process, his own hand on the other boy absentmindedly twirling against the curls of his hair as his opposite hand traces lazy strokes on nami's shoulder. ]

I told you before, I could make anything you want. Even if I have to raid the kitchens or break into the Mosshead's room to do it.

I'll let you know when the preparations are done.

( Most likely the pillow war will amass to nothing, but the offer from Sanji is appreciated all the same and Luffy can't help the small smile as he peers up at the blond, shifting to tangle one of his legs with Sanji's own. The way the other licks his lips is alluring enough to have Luffy immediately looking away, catching Nami's gaze with his own and hoping she can't read him like a book too easily. )

I am watching your fingers, I can see them right now offering me chocolate. ( Luffy's smirk widens as he tilts his head to snag the chocolate, nowhere near as graceful as Sanji had been. It's difficult to focus too hard with a hand at his hair and the pirate captain idly traces his own across Sanji's stomach. Nami and Sanji make eating chocolate look like the most sensual thing in the world and Luffy can't help but give a small contented hum, unware of the tiny smear of chocolate at the side of his mouth. )

Ingredients are easy, the guys in the kitchens sometimes let me mop the floors now if they catch me.

[ Of course, she could reach over and wipe the chocolate off Luffy's face while calling him an idiot again, but that touch of restlessness stirred to life by having them cuddled up in bed with her, and fanned further into existence by the familiar flick of Sanji's tongue on her skin, make the easy route seem very boring.

Nami stays close to the cook's body, her hand resting low on his abdomen as she leans across his chest, bringing her mouth close enough to Luffy's to let her tongue slip out, brushing over the sweet spot of chocolate at the corner of his lips. Pulling back after stealing a brief kiss, she shoots a sideways glance at Sanji, cheeks flushing when she turns her head to press her lips against his as well. ]

We'll get you a kitchen, don't worry.

[ She teases fondly before propping her head up with her hand, smirking warmly at them both, feeling unexpectedly fortunate to have this much connection in her life after spending so many years with the world at a safe distance. ]

[ sanji's eyes do easily spot the hint of chocolate in the corner of luffy's mouth and when he feels the shift of nami's body, he does expect her to wipe it down with some kind of playful comment tacked on. but when she doesn't use her hand, exchanging it instead for her mouth, all sanji can see is the slow slide of her tongue against luffy's skin, catching against his lips. whatever subtle heat that had simmered ever so gently through his body from the close contact of their bodies, it burns hotter now, enough that he can feel it stir between his legs just from watching that simple kiss.

he even earns one of his own, still as sweet and perfect as if it were the first time all over again that nami kisses him, and he closes his eyes for it, no matter how brief, to delight in the touch. ]

I think I can cook up plenty right here actually.

[ when he slides his arm off of nami's shoulders, it's so he can reach down for her hand again, the same one that had previously held chocolate, the same that he had licked so playfully before, and he gently leads it back up to his mouth to do so again. only this time, without any chocolate to take a bite of, he wraps his lips directly around two of her fingers, finding the remnants of that sweetness to suck, tongue brushing over her fingertips again and again to collect every bit remaining, cleaning it off of her skin.

sliding his mouth off, leaving her fingers damp from his tongue, he turns to look at luffy, using nami's fingers in his own to nudge his chin to tilt his head upwards as sanji leans down to press their lips together, offering his captain that lingering taste of chocolate from his mouth. ]

Edited 2024-02-04 23:00 (UTC)

( The kiss from Nami is unexpected and delectable, a brief and potent reminder of previous times they had both crossed paths in the resort. It's enough to have Luffy's cheeks burning ever so slightly when Nami pulls away and he watches with lazy interest as Sanji gets a kiss for his troubles too. Just like that Luffy can feel warmth headed south at the sight and for the first time he can understand why someone would say there were those who liked to watch; he could watch Nami and Sanji all day and never get frustrated or bored....

Such a realisation is only reinforced all the more as Sanji lifts Nami's fingers to his mouth, Luffy unable to tear his gaze away for love nor money, and why would he? Two of the most beautiful people in his world are having a heated moment and it's only when Sanji turns to him that Luffy understands that he gets to be part of it too. There's no hesitation in pressing his own lips back against Sanji's, the taste of chocolate sweet and sugary as the pirate captain slowly runs his tongue along them. If this is what happens when he brings a bar of chocolate he'll have to remember to bring two next time and he can't help but reach across the blond's stomach to lightly trail his fingers along Nami's arm. )

[ Sanji slips her fingers past his lips, and the sensation of his tongue lathing over them, sucking the last of the chocolate's lingering sweetness from her skin is more than enough to send a rush of want through her body, the vivid rush of memories of all the times the cook's left her reeling from the incredible things he can do with his mouth. Her breath catches, shifting against his side as she squirms against the ache slowly blooming to life between her thighs, keenly aware it's a feeling she won't be evading soon as her hand's guided to Luffy's face, aiding Sanji's effort to tip the captain's chin up enough to allow for a kiss.

It's a sight she takes in as greedily as she would any lifted and loaded wallet, or a pile of coins after cheating through a hand of cards, and Nami takes advantage of their being distracted to grin openly. Turning her head to stamp light kisses up the side of Sanji's throat, the brush of Luffy's fingers on her arm finds Nami reaching for him as well, the hand Sanji guided to the captain's face slipping free of the cook's hold so that she can run it through the captain's hair instead. ]

[ it's a bit impulsive, and though his original intentions in coming over tonight did consist of a lot of kissing and using his mouth for multiple purposes, his plans had only involved nami when he sent over that message. learning that luffy had been here too hadn't been a disappointment, but he also assumed things would halt with simply laying in bed together.

though he hadn't anticipated learning the taste of luffy's mouth tonight, sanji can't find any regret in the attempt of finding out, not when luffy returns the act with equally eager intent. the sweetness of chocolate is only barely still painted on their lips anymore, and when sanji feels the graze of a tongue, his own expertly slides past the seam of his captain's mouth to seek out heat more than sweetness, to feel a slickness in the kiss that abandons all innocence for something more daring and lewd in the more audible slide of his lips.

a small moan even slips from him when he feels the peppering of nami's lips to his throat, a sensation that has him leaning back to welcome more of her mouth, hand pressing on luffy's cheek to keep their mouths together before withdrawing his hand to wrap it around nami again, this time venturing lower as it dips beneath her shirt to slide against her bare back, pressing his palm firm to hoist her further onto his thigh. ]

Edited 2024-02-05 00:41 (UTC)

( Even for one as spontaneous as Luffy he can't say he'd planned for things to get so heated. His own plan had gone no further than bothering Nami by text to talk about what could be a clue, so to wind up sharing a bed with both Nami and Sanji, with the latter's mouth upon him is a sultry and welcome turn of events.

Lips part to allow Sanji to deepen the kiss, Luffy briefly managing to keep it to an almost lazy pace before he teases the chef's tongue with his own, hungrily relishing every second he's being gifted. No, there had been no plans for this but now that it's happening Luffy is all for it and the hand that isn't at Nami's arm sneaks up to lightly touch fingers to Sanji's cheek.

There's no way he can hide how his body is starting to react, his own arousal evident in how flushed his skin is as he breaks the kiss to only catch his breath. The small noise from Sanji had gone straight to his cock and the sensation of something new and exciting begins to take hold and if any notion of innocence lingered in Sanji's mind it'll be hard pressed to remain as Luffy grins before giving the blond's lower lip a brief nip. Nami doesn't escape his notice either as his hand shifts to run lightly up the back of her thigh, Luffy unable to refrain from touching the redhead even now. )

[ Having them both here where she knows they're safe would have been more than enough for Nami, but the warmth that's sprung up between them has felt too easy to lean into, to bother trying to resist or reason away. This place has gotten her closer to both of them individually than she ever planned, and the selfish part of her delights in watching Sanji and Luffy kiss, enjoying the way her greedy gamble continues to pay off, leaving her able to be close to them together too.

Both her thighs press against either side of Sanji's as his hand lands at the small of her back, and he moves her further onto him, the heat of her body behind the fabric of her panties pressed flush to him, relishing in how strong he feels between her legs. The combined sensation of Luffy's hand on her thigh and the cook's against her back is enough to make her thoughts run together, lending an almost drunken bent to the grin she conceals between kisses planted low on Sanji's collarbone. Relinquishing as little space as she can, Nami slips her hands free from where they've settled in Luffy's hair and Sanji's stomach, reaching down to pull her shirt off instead, the thought that this might be too far never crossing her mind. It's them. She hasn't been cared for like the two of them care for her in a long time - she couldn't be any safer testing the limits of something than she is with them.

Taking advantage of the way her new position wrapped around Sanji's thigh puts her closer to Luffy, she leans into him, wrapping one arm around Sanji's shoulders, her fingers running through his hair as her mouth finds the captain's neck, nipping at his skin gently before kissing her way to his shoulder, her hand settling on his hip and squeezing affectionately. ]

[ sanji really does feel as safe as he's ever been, not necessarily in terms of being protected, but in feeling secure in simply being wanted. it's never been a common feeling for him, not with his longing to leave baratie where he'd felt wasted no matter how grateful he'd felt to zeff, not with the years before that where his existence hadn't even mattered at all. every day he comes to learn how much this crew instills him with adoration, in a way that's so honest, his heart might threaten to burst.

with nami and luffy here, it feels like both enough and not, like he needs to kiss them both so much more than he has, that his mouth needs to be everywhere, over every inch of skin they offer. he manages to catch sight of a bit more of that skin when he's in the midst of grinning at luffy's nip, chuckling at the teasing bite, just as nami reels back to strip off her shirt.

of course his eyes are drawn onto the sight, of what he deems to be absolutely perfect breasts, sparing another grin as he turns back to luffy, kissing his mouth once more before tilting his head to sneak kisses to the other side of his neck as both sets of hands go to work — one curving around nami's body to cup a breast in hand, kneading a tender squeeze as his thumb rolls to massage a stiffening nipple, the other tracing down along luffy's back, dipping into the back of his shorts to tease a touch to his ass.

lips still wet from luffy's heated kiss and nami's thighs snug and tight against his leg, it's impossible to not react, his cock already beginning to form an outline in his pants, slowly prodding against the cotton as he gets harder. right now, he just wants to touch them more, to use his hands and mouth everywhere he can, even if he's restricted from where he's trapped under their combined weight.

all these clothes are plenty of an obstacle too. nami, of course, had the right idea. ]

You next, Luffy. [ he whispers to his ear, his smile heard in the words, before he nips a returning gentle bite to the lobe, just as luffy had done to his lip, as his fingers give a suggestive tug to the top of his shorts, indicating for him to get layers off just as nami had done. ]

( There's a security in the room that shares the bed with the three of them, Luffy aware of its presence all too keenly. He'd spent so long trying to catch the attention of a crew growing up and being turned down, only to find himself in bed with Sanji, Nami and all the attention he could revel in. He'd do anything to protect them, to keep them safe and close and Luffy knows he doesn't need to speak the words for them to feel it.

He returns the grin from Sanji just in time to watch Nami tugging her shirt off, heated brown gaze appreciative as he takes in the sight of smooth, pale skin. Luffy would never hesitate to claim Nami's breasts are perfect even if others would call him biased for it. All of Nami is perfect and he sends a small smile in the redhead's direction as if trying to communicate just that; Nami looks like Nami.

Luffy tilts his head back as they both set to work at his neck, eyes fluttering closed as Nami and Sanji easily take his breath away. He doesn't need to see how tight Sanji's pants are starting to look when his own are just as similar and the chef doesn't need to instruct him twice when three simple, whispered words reach Luffy's ears through the haze of warmth and want. If he hadn't been in bed already, the nip to his ear would have had Luffy on his knees and Sanji is rewarded with a low, husky gasp for his effort.

True to form there's no time wasted in shifting and removing his shorts, any remaining space between them instantly removed as Luffy presses back up against Sanji's thigh. He's always admired those long, strong legs and Luffy delights in the feel, his half heard cock impossible to ignore. He could spend all year exploring Sanji's physique with his hands and mouth and Luffy intends to do just that with Nami, ducking his head down to try and steal a kiss from her as he slides a hand down and over the front of Sanji's pants in an obvious attempt to tease. )

Edited 2024-02-05 14:49 (UTC)

[ Taking Sanji's whispered words urging Luffy out of his clothes as something of a cue, the hand on Luffy's hip shifts, fingers curling in the top of his shorts before she pulls down, helping him out of them as the fingers Sanji teases her nipple with leaves her breathing hard between kisses planted along Luffy's neck. Arching into the cook's touch, she draws back far enough to catch the smile Luffy gives her, the flush of color on her face deepening as she returns it, shifting closer to meet him when he ducks his head and moves in for a kiss, her fingers gently twisting through Sanji's hair, certain she couldn't adore two people more than she does them.

She can feel Luffy's hand descend, the fabric of Sanji's pants tightening further against where her thighs have all but wrapped around his leg, and while she hates to relinquish any of the delicious pressure against her cunt, Nami's legs loosen their hold, giving Luffy's hand room to move as the one lingering on his bare hip travels across his front to wrap loosely around his cock.

Grinning against his mouth Nami pulls back, nipping Luffy's bottom lip in parting before she turns her head, wasting no time in seeking out a kiss from Sanji, the hand on Luffy's cock slowly stroking up the length of him.

Detangling her fingers from Sanji's hair, Nami moves her hand to cradle the side of his neck, holding him in that kiss as her tongue brushes against his, safe and secure enough in the two men she's tangled up with to not bother trying to hide the moan that slips out against his mouth. ]

It's your turn now, Sanji. [ She murmurs against the cook's mouth, the hand on his neck moving to start pulling at his shirt while the thumb of her other hand runs over the head of Luffy's cock, teasing him with a slower version of the same urgency she tries to undress Sanji with, wanting them both so badly it's hard to think straight. ]

[ sanji leans his head back when luffy moves to undress, their current positions leaving nami better suited than him to help their captain with getting rid of those shorts. not that he's left with nothing to do, as his hand devotes itself to fondling that breast in hand, so pleasantly soft and warm to the touch, leaving him turned on by the stiff point of nami's nipple rubbing tight against his thumb.

his breath hitches when luffy now presses against him fully naked and he suddenly isn't sure which of his friends he wants to get his mouth on more. if he puts his lips around luffy's cock, he can learn the exact noises his captain makes when he's feeling good, something that sanji's devoted himself to doing from the moment he stepped onto the going merry, to give everything that luffy needs and deserves. but he already knows the taste of nami's cunt, beautiful and perfect and wet and heavenly, and he'll never get enough of fucking her with his tongue, hearing her cry out the most delicious sounds as he makes her come again and again.

it's a predicament that has no losses.

and he's especially winning when luffy begins to rub his palm against his cock, the cotton of those pajama pants thin enough to rub a satisfying friction that makes him moan, breath heavier as he watches his friend share in a kiss, erection twitching with a lustful reaction.

he's still breathing hard when nami turns that kiss on him, responding just as hungrily as he had when kissing luffy, tongue slick as it slides hot against hers, barely stifling noises from the way it combines being palmed below.

at her instruction to undress, he can only manage a nod, redirecting his hands to snag at his shirt, lifting it up over his head and tossing it to the floor, exposing the etched lines of his abdomen underneath. when he goes for his pants, he reluctantly has to disrupt luffy's fingers, but as he gives a slight lift of his hips, he's able to get a different kind of relief as his cock springs free from behind the fabric, already stiff with a leaky damp tip. ]

( Luffy can't help but kiss Nami back hungrily, loving the taste and soft, slick feel of her lips against his. All too soon the kiss breaks and Luffy finds himself treated to an amazing sight, watching how Sanji teases at Nami's breast, feeling himself mesmerised at how her body reacts to Sanji's touch. The hand at his cock snaps him out of it as he gasps, the sound encouraging and hot all at once, a guarantee that not a part of the captain will be quiet at any point. He isn't quiet during the day, why start now?

Sanji removes his shirt and Luffy is once against distracted, unable to tear his eyes away as he takes in the sight greedily. He'll never tire of seeing that broad chest and abs, and the realisation he can touch and taste any part of the chef he wants to is a potent, heady knowledge that only makes him ache all the more harder.

There's a pause as the blond finally removes his pants and Luffy only gives the tiniest moment of respite before he's curling fingers around Sanji's stiffened cock, slowly and firmly mirroring the motions that he's getting from Nami at his own. It's a miracle he can even think, let alone multitask, with how the redhead teases him with just one hand and Luffy smothers the groan that Nami's fingers pull from him against Sanji's chest. Not one to waste an opportunity, Luffy can't help but mouth his way along the firm lines of a pec, flicking the blond a greedy look before swiping his tongue across a nipple. )

[ A soft noise of reluctance escapes her when Sanji's hand pulls away from her breast, the tightly puckered peak of her nipple sensitive against the open air. In the span of moments it takes for the cook to get his shirt over his head, Nami turns back to run warm, open kisses along Luffy's neck again, one eye fixed on Sanji's body as the hand stroking Luffy's cock quickens slightly. Nami's somewhat better at keeping quiet than Luffy is when she has to be, but even if she tried her best, it's impossible not to moan as Luffy's hand wraps around Sanji's cock, looking past the captain's head as he leans in to run his mouth over Sanji's chest, to smirk at the cook. This place has encouraged her to spend time with them both separately, the added layer of getting to be with them while they enjoy one another feeding the desire this situation has already lavished her with. ]

You two look amazing. [ The words come out without thinking, but rather than be flustered, she continues to let herself lean into the moment. Nami drags her fingers through Luffy's hair, running her nails down his back before her hand takes a detour to pull Sanji's pants the rest of the way down his thighs so he can kick them the rest of the way off.

Slicking up the pad of her thumb on the pre beading at the tip of Luffy's cock, she lets it drag against the underside of his head, relishing in the hard heat of him in her hand, stilling briefly as she readjusts herself on the bed, wanting to get closer to them both.

There's an almost drunken bent to the grin on her face when she draws herself up against Sanji's side again, pressing her hips against his naked thigh, the searing heat between her legs making her squirm as she tips her chin up to kiss him again. ]

[ he can feel eyes on him when he undresses, and he can't deny the rise of satisfying heat he feels in being watched, like there's something so addictive to knowing he's being appreciated and admired, that he's desired. and it's something he returns with equal intent as his eyes flutter between the pleasured expression on luffy's face and nami's fist loosely stroking over his cock, the visual making him swallow hard enough to feel it.

but sanji doesn't even get to finish tugging away at his pants before the freedom of his cock allows for luffy's fingers to wrap directly around it, the instant touch drawing out a small hitching breath, brows knit with a brief involuntary closing of his eyes as he basks in the relief of being stroked. ]

Oh, fuck, Luffy — [ caught up in his own vocal slip of words, he only barely manages to catch nami's smirk aimed in his direction when he opens his eyes again, breath shuddering again when luffy ducks down to mouth of his nipple, hardening to a stiffer point at the tease of his flicking tongue. with all of the distraction, he isn't as graceful as he'd like to be when nami aids in finishing the removal of his pants, trying his best to wriggle his way out of them without disrupting luffy's mouth and hand from their attention.

one hand pets the back of luffy's head, combing through dark curls, encouraging the curiosity of his kisses on his chest, as he reaches for nami with the other as she settles in close to him again, sliding over her back as he leans up to meet her kiss, almost impatient and needy with the way he chases it. ]

Nami. [ it's raspier against her mouth, breathy and wet with the slide of his tongue, but it pairs with his intentions as his hand slides lower behind her body, dipping under the elastic band of her underwear, palming over her ass until fingers can reach lower beneath the fabric to touch her cunt from behind, circling his fingertips to feel and smear the slick evidence of her arousal over her skin. ]

Edited 2024-02-06 06:05 (UTC)

( The warm kisses up Luffy's neck are exquisite, enough to almost have the young man's toes curling as Nami's lips trail across his skin. The best navigator in the East Blue is right; they do look amazing, and he can't help but glance at the pair with blatant admiration. No matter what happens this will never leave his memory, the sight of Nami and Sanji pressed against each other, skin flushed in the heat of the moment will forever be etched into his mind.

Nami's skills don't stop at navigation though as Luffy huffs hotly against Sanji's chest again. The hand at his cock is breath-taking and that coupled with fingers running through his hair has him pausing, eyes fluttering closed as another low moan escapes him. The urge to kick things up a notch is there, a low building pressure eclipsed only by the knowledge that slow and steady means getting to watch Sanji and Nami enjoying each other all the more.

The taste of Sanji's skin at his lips is divine as Luffy tries to commit it to memory, delighting in how the blond's nipple reacts against his tongue enough to repeat the motion. His cock aches with how Sanji utters his name, with the feel of how the blond shudders under him, and Luffy can't help but grin against heated skin as he feels the other trying to wriggle out of his clothes. They ought to shift and let him but it feels like too much effort and eventually Nami saves them all the hassle, Luffy focusing more on running his hand along Sanji's cock, testing the weight and feel of it under his palm. He's no expert but he can't wait to wrap his lips around it soon.

Nami's movement for another kiss catches Luffy's attention and suddenly he's feeling a distinct lack of redhead in his life. It's all too easy for him to lean forwards, trailing his lips wetly along the swell of a breast as he continues to leisurely stroke Sanji. )

[ A shiver runs through her body at the sound of her name breathed so hungrily against her mouth before her tongue licks into Sanji's mouth, deepening that kiss hungrily as the descent of his hand makes her arch into his touch. It's more than getting to be a part of this that finds her slicker and hotter than she's ever been against his fingers after Sanji touches her where she's ached to feel it. Getting to watch them kiss and touch each other - knowing what they're like at their most pleasured with her, and witnessing them bring those reactions out in one another, is probably one of the hottest things she's ever seen.

The hand stroking Luffy's cock stills briefly, tightening somewhat as she shudders against Sanji's hand, the gasp she tries to stifle against his mouth sharpening at the familiar warmth of Luffy's mouth as he leans in to kiss his way along the curve of her breast. Her nerves crackle with feeling, mind racing as her hand works over the captain's cock, palm kneading gently against that hard heat. ]

How do we...what– [ Logistics. She's trying to figure them out while being too keyed up to think about anything but the freshly formed and wildly vivid thought of getting one of them inside her while they sucked the other's cock. Another shudder later, Nami's free hand runs up Sanji's abdomen, tugging at the nipple not being teased by Luffy. ] I want you both so much. [ She breathes, at peace with how selfish she is for more of them, a hundred new fantasies springing to mind as soon as she gets the words out. Luffy sucking Sanji's cock while the cook fucks her with his fingers, Sanji panting through an orgasm bent over Luffy's frame, and on and on. She might never sleep again. ]

[ at this point, there's little to no planning in anything they're doing here tonight, not even with the fact that sanji's intentions behind texting nami in the first place was with the high hopes that he would be getting laid. but with luffy here, everything's simply become a matter of whims, natural attraction guiding them every step of the way. for all that his attraction to nami had been an inevitability since he offered her water back in the baratie, whatever he's come to feel about luffy is all a matter of a surprising magnetism that's pulled him in from the moment he'd been inspired by him back in that restaurant's kitchen.

now he gets to express precisely how lucky he feels to have them both with him, here and now, how easy it is for him to feel the urge to touch nami, moans drifting past his lips just from getting a sampling of how overwhelmingly soaked she is, his fingers coated sticky as he rubs them over her folds. and while his cock has been reacting to just about everything that's been happening in his room, its current state is definitely credited to the slow jerks of luffy's hand working him even harder, beading so easily against his captain's fingers that he'd no doubt remain fully erect even if no one were to hold his cock up.

when nami speaks up, he manages a smile against her lips, holding back a laugh full of endearment at something that is so deeply nami, always eager to set a plan somehow, something that's done its part in holding the group together plenty of times before.

here, though, sanji simply works on whim, on being guided by desire and emotion, which seems to have gotten them this far up to this point. but, oh — i want you both so much — those words make his heart skip a bit and his cock twitch within luffy's palm, and he wants nothing more than to give her everything, to her and to luffy. ]

Then you can have us. [ he speaks surprisingly sweetly to her lips, giving her another kiss, before he guides two fingers to rub inside of her, sliding with ease against the wet mess she's made between her thighs. ] Nami, darling — [ he whispers, breathlessly. ] Would you take off your panties and spread your beautiful legs for me? — Luffy? [ with his other hand, he gently pets at his captain's dark hair affectionately. for a moment he thinks about how desperately he wants to feel luffy getting a mouthful of his cock, how he wants to learn just how deep he might be able to fuck his throat — but in his mind, nami comes first. quite literally, in this case. his cock, as hard and aching as it is, can wait. ] Why don't you go down there and get a good taste of our lovely navigator's perfectly soaked pussy? She deserves to be fucked with a tongue just as much as these fingers.

( Logistics. Nami is doing her best in trying to figure out just what they're going to do next and whilst a part of Luffy can understand that need, he really can't bring himself to bring much to that conversation, held at the mercy of Nami's hand on his cock working its magic. Everything is hot, a sheer feeling of being on edge as budding excitement begins to take hold. Before coming to this place he would barely have given such things a thought, but now he's here the pirate captain can't think of anyone better to be exploring with, placing his utmost trust in.

He wants them too, his own heated emotions mirroring the words Nami puts out into the open and his lips curl against her breast as he grins in agreement. Words are difficult when he's already multitasking and he's going to leave such things to the other two, instead putting his focus on Sanji's cock, enjoying the feeling of it twitching under his hand.

Sanji, thankfully, can speak for them both and Luffy tilts his head back to stare at the blond, pupils blown with desire as he hears the ask. The words are filthy, suggestive and Luffy realizes he could listen to Sanji speaking them and always feel turned on by it. Now there's nothing more he can think of doing than tasting Nami again and he finally relents his touch on Sanji's cock as he gives a nod, slowly starting to trail his lips down the flat of the redhead's stomach. As much as he's aching to do something, anything, the message is clear; it's Nami's turn to be wrecked and he lightly scrapes teeth over the flat of her abdomen. )

Yeah Nami, you should take those off....

[ Caught between the grin Luffy presses against her skin and the sensation of Sanji's fingers as they sink inside her, Nami shudders as a current, charged with pleasure, crackling with its own electricity, moves through her, leaving her moaning raggedly and pitching her head forward, hiding her face in Luffy's hair until her eyes are done rolling into the back of her head. She's felt them like this individually, but together they're damn near overpowering in the way they affect her.

Hips pressing back against Sanji's fingers, she looks over at the cook when Luffy does, equally captivated by the picture he paints as the captain seemingly is. It does mean she has to pull her hand away from Luffy, and Nami does so reluctantly, stroking him a second longer than before pulling her hands away to push her panties off her hips and cast them onto the depths of her increasingly messy floor. ]

My hands were busy– [ She manages to shoot back at Luffy, somehow dry as ever despite the breathless flutter in her voice, how enamored she is with the moment - with them, sneaking through.

Settling on her back as the brush of teeth on her stomach makes her shiver, Nami reaches out for Sanji with one hand, taking hold of his hip and pulling him closer, as the other runs up Luffy's spine before disappearing into his hair, pulling at it while she parts her thighs, the ache Sanji's fingers and the memory of Luffy's tongue have left her with flaring insistently. ]

They could be busy now, too. [ Her eyes are fixed on Sanji when she says it, not wanting to detour him from any grand designs he might have for their captain (who could blame him), but aware enough of how much he needs to lean into being selfish - of thinking of himself at all - to tease. ]

[ luffy might definitely be their captain, meant for them to follow in any scenario, no matter how bizarre and ridiculous, but sanji certainly doesn't mind taking the lead in vocalizing ideas in a bedroom, if he's allowed to. as much as it is his job to keep everyone plenty fed in a kitchen, he uses that same outlook here now, wanting them all to be sufficiently satiated tonight by the time they're too well spent to keep going.

momentarily distracted in watching nami take off that last remaining piece of fabric that finally leaves them all naked from head to toe, along with luffy following the suggestion to work his way downward to prepare himself for using his mouth, it takes him a moment to catch the meaning of nami's words, turning to look at her to read the telling look at her eyes, a silent signal that raises the heat in his skin, cock twitching with the eagerness to follow through.

but even nami's lessons for him in selfishness can't always quite overcome his own stubbornness to serve, and with a smile, he leans down to her, catching her mouth in a sweet kiss. ] Soon, darling. [ he whispers softly against her lips before he leans back, kneeling himself at her side, like he's overlooking her stretched body and luffy down below.

what he does instead is take one of her parted legs, lifting it up high to rest at his chest, similar to the position she'd placed him when they first fell in bed together, when she'd fucked him into the mattress, only this time, they have shared company.

reaching his hand downward, he slides his fingers back into her slick cunt, slow and teasing to watch the soaked layers of arousal start to cling onto his skin. ] Look at that delicious mess, Luffy. Help me clean that up, yeah?

(There's a reluctant noise as Luffy immediately begins to miss the hand at his cock. He'd never considered himself to be an overly needy person, despite being the kind to frequently invade someone else's personal space in more platonic ways. Arm touches, hugs, all bets were off in that regard. But since arriving in the resort things have turned out to be quite different in a way Luffy can't put his finger on and not only does he often find himself aching to be touched, but also enjoying being the one to do the touching, both things just as fun as the other.

He catches the look from Nami, managing to look up and flash a grin of his own in return, words not needed as he settles back in to brushing his lips over pale skin. Nami's hand in his hair is diving enough to have his toes curling, a kink that seems to have taken hold more recently as Luffy set foot into the world of exploring certain wants and needs. And right now he's more than okay with Sanji taking the lead; a captain is required to lead but also recognise when to delegate when the time called for it, and the three of them in bed, wrapped up in each other's desires is more than the right time.)

Got it. (Luffy relents his hold at Sanji's cock as he shifts into a more comfortable position, not needing to be asked twice when it comes to what to do next. It's all too easy to pull from experience how fun it will be to use his lips and tongue on Nami and the pirate captain doesn't hesitate as he dips his head down, tongue laving attention at her folds as he revels in the taste of the redhead's arousal, matching Sanji's slow, teasing pace of fingers with his tongue.)

[ Things were overwhelming, but up until this point, it was a manageable overwhelming, a welcome departure from all the usual reasons she's had to draw on her resolve and hold it together, but from the moment Sanji lifts her leg, holding it to his chest and spreading her legs wide enough Nami can barely catch a breath.

The pair of them make it impossible to do anything other than feel it all, her composure unraveling swiftly as her mind tries to contend with the paired sensations of Sanji's fingers as they fuck her cunt, and the pressure of Luffy's tongue against her clit. Feeling this is too much, but even as she's overcome Nami can't tear her eyes away from the two of them, no matter how wide they grow when she lifts her hips towards them, the slight shift enough to make her moan loudly. Heat and blissful astonishment flare through her, leaving her muscles tense, thighs already twitching as the slicked up walls of her cunt go tight around Sanji's fingers. ]

Holy shit–

[ Nami's lips part, the hand in Luffy's hair pulling hard as she shudders against the bed, her orgasm hitting like a cannonball. Her body arches to the point where she nearly sits up, her free hand grasping Sanji's side, staring from him to Luffy before she has to turn her head in an extremely futile attempt to mask the ragged cry that escapes her.

Her hips jerk as she presses her lips together, stifling another whimper as the relentless brush of Luffy's tongue against her clit keeps her squirming against Sanji's fingers. ]

If you both kill me before I get a turn, I'll kick your asses. [ Given how tight and breathless her voice sounds, it's obvious there's absolutely no venom or merit to this threat. ]

[ very late one night, that nami might even already be in bed, ]

don't want to bother you but
are you awake?

[ She's up. Somebody lost track of time nerding out with her library books. ]

What's wrong? Is everybody okay?

everyone's fine, don't worry ♥

[ truthfully, he'd ... had a bit of a nightmare. they hadn't been bothering him for some time. not for years, actually. but for some reason, the rise of old ghosts have come to pester him in this place.

not that he'd ever burden nami with that. ]

i was just thinking about you.

At this hour?

[ He's dreamy but Nami isn't sure she buys that. ]

Sleeping on land for this long sucks, doesn't it?

at every hour :)

[ which is borderline truth, even if he does add a bit of extra sparkle to the sentiment. after all, why wouldn't he think of her at every possible conscious and subconscious moment? ]

when you're used to constantly rocking on sea, it's definitely different. but i do miss the merry.

even if i'm lucky i'm here with you.

Do you have an alarm for that on your watch or is it instinct?

You could be more here, but, there's no room right now.

[ Attached is a picture of Nami in all her late-night reading glasses glory, incidentally serving meta realness in one of the choice novelty shirts floating around the resort, beside her, a thick stack of books. ]

But your bed's nicer anyway♥

with a perfect face like yours, who'd need a reminder to constantly remember it?

[ though that doesn't mean he isn't going to be grateful for the image he gets anyway, smiling the instant he sees that photograph and grinning even wider when he sees her sporting a pretty perfect shirt. ]

what i wouldn't do to be a stack of books right now.
or a pussy eating shirt hugging your chest.

You're such an idiot.

[ That took a minute to send, adding and deleting hearts is an engrossing affair, and he already got one. It's complicated okay! ]

Something tells me you wouldn't let me read like the pussy eating shirt I have on already, but, maybe I could be convinced to come upstairs.

At the end of this chapter, that is.

[ to be called an idiot by nami is the most endearing thing he could read, so much so that he's already grinning from ear to ear, any terrors of the nightmare left behind him. ]

and what if this idiot offered to really live up to that shirt if you came over?

Then I might not sneak a second chapter, and my idiot can't complain when he's up until dawn.

your idiot would sacrifice every second of sleep to decorate kisses against every surface of skin between your legs.

I know.

But if we're staying up until sunrise, having you over me while you make me come all over your cock would make the view perfect.

[ well, that's sure to get him hot all over. how to be utterly destroyed by his dear nami-swan in a single sentence! ]

whose view are we talking about exactly? because i don't think there's anything more beautiful than watching your face when you come beneath me.

We could try other arrangements, see what works.

oh? willing to test a bit more of our flexibility?

We should make the most of your big bed and all the hours left before morning. I bet you have some ideas.

maybe a few. but i doubt we'd waste any of those hours.
if nothing else, i'd fill up any empty space with just kissing you.

Anybody else I'd have my doubts that things would just stick with kissing, but something tells me you'd enjoy it.

i could spend hours doing nothing but looking at you and i'd enjoy it.

I wouldn't. There are better things you could do with your face and your hands.

well, trust me, whenever you want any part of my body touching yours, i wouldn't hesitate in a heart beat.

just making sure you know that i'd never take it for granted. and just being able to see you would always be enough.

I hope you've figured out that all you have to do is invite me.

if i invited you every time i thought of you, i think you might start to get tired of me.

More reason for me to get promoted out of this tiny room. If I have space for you and Luffy you never have to go anywhere.

[ maybe it's an exaggeration, but — his heart is certainly swelling with a fluttery kind of joy. ]

you'd really want me around you that much?

[ She's not the biggest fan of how he feels the need to question that after everything they've gotten into together so far - more material to work on in those private Selfish Lessons. ]

I like my treasure all in one place.

[ it's a lesson that'll take quite a long time to truly work through, since ... well, there's a lot to unpack from a life that nami hasn't come to know, from things he'd rather she never have to see, so really, he'll just consider himself lucky that he's gotten as much as he has. ]

i'll make sure to keep us all together as much as possible.

That's not all your job, it's mine and Luffy's too.

i know. we're not doing this alone, i haven't forgotten.

[ cntd ]

[ The enthusiasm is admirable maybe, and it's not like she hasn't walked into more than one room in this place she wanted to turn and run right back out of - but, run where, exactly? Still, he's agreeing, and that's a little more important than privately mulling over the lack of real escape options available to her or any of the other guests. Roche's offered arm is enough to pull her from her thoughts, and she pops the second candy in her mouth freeing her hand up to loop her arm through his. ]

I like drinking at Red Cardinal. [ Nobody bothers her, and the drinks are strong, the fact that it seems like one of the least horny places in the casino is a happy bonus - usually. ] Work for you?

[ Considering she's already ushering them towards the exit, not quite aware that the flush slowly starting to work its way over her body is more due to the candy than the thrill of escape - hopefully, it works for him. ]

Glad you didn't want to stay either. If I had to make pleasant conversation with a stranger without a good drink again... [ This is more her speed, those icebreaker questions at the speed dating tables almost drove her crazy from the inanity. ]

_{[ It's enough to get them through the threshold without too much of an issue. One of the coordinators moves as if they mean to put a stop to it, but one look at their linked arms and a pointed look that comes off a liiiiiiiiittle too intense gives them pause long enough to finish making their escape. To hell with anyone who says those eyes of his were "spooky" under the right lighting! They clearly pay off, and Roche hums his affirmation upon Nami's suggestion of the Cardinal. He hasn't been there in a hot minute but he does remember they had one hell of a wine that damn near knocked him on his ass during that little masquerade. Pity he wasn't allowed to sneak a couple bottles out and back to his room.

Oh well. There's bound to be much better things than some fancy wine, even if it was one of the better things he'd tasted that night. Until then, he's content to let her lead the way – and match her pace to boot. ]}

That's precisely why I've kept that bag of sweets on me. Guessing flavors is a much more entertaining method of breaking the ice compared to being asked mundane questions back to back.

_{[ Why were so many people asking him about his family life? Disgusting. ]}

What would you have done if I hadn't stepped in when I did?

[ One of those candies was not like the others, and while Nami hasn't quite yet become aware of that, she's markedly more comfortable than she would have been normally, holding Roche's arm and letting herself settle against his side while they breeze by the casino staff. As unexpectedly notable as how warm and solid he feels is - he's asking
a question she just has to chuckle at, lifting a shoulder in a shrug while she looks up at him. ]

Kept drinking those shitty drinks until I found somewhere worth sneaking into, or somebody to get into trouble with.

[ Nami's eyes crease subtly with faint amusement as she tips her chin towards Roche before looking ahead of them once more, Red Cardinal's sign already visible a few yards ahead. ] Guess that's where you came in. What about you? Keep eating candy until the sugar took you out since the booze wasn't going to?

Either that or I'd have come across one that'd send me to another planet, metaphorically speaking.

_{[ He'd been lucky enough to come across a small handful that left him feeling giddier than usual but the effects didn't last for too long and for once it wasn't because of the whole SOLDIER thing, simply bad luck. Still, he wasn't about to let it stop him from trying to find others like it.

Someone leaves just as they get closer, and Roche reaches out to catch the door just before it shuts. One little doofy flourish and a half-bow later, he tilts his head towards the interior with a grin. ]}

Ladies first? I can find us a booth or table — whichever you'd prefer — if you know where they keep the good stuff on the menu.

I didn't think they would put anything like that into the mix. It might make you take a detour from the constant demand to fuck.

[ Nami lets his arm go as he catches the door, smirking as she walks by and gives a nod of greeting to the person behind the bar. ]

I'll get a bottle if you get us a booth? [ And while reason strongly suggests she shouldn't add anything else to that, her risque choice of candy finds Nami giving Roche a once over before talking again without thinking. ] Maybe somewhere in the back?

[ Maybe she'll get two bottles. ]

I'll let you know if I find the right one. Who knows? Maybe they've got something that'll make it easier for someone to handle me if I decide to get too rowdy for their liking.

_{[ He looks down at his arm and lets his attention sit where her hand was, just barely resisting the urge to touch it. Even under the layers of clothing he can feel the lingering warmth which ought to raise some concerns, but he's willing to chalk it up to a combination of the booze he'd gotten his hands on and the assortment of candies he'd already eaten earlier.

There were more important things to focus on anyway — namely a suitable spot somewhere in... Aha. Off in the far corner? Maybe that one? Or maybe... No, yeah, the bigger one. Roche leans up on his tiptoes for a second or two, then nudges Nami's shoulder with his arm and tilts his chin towards it. ]}

The dark red one under the painting of... _{[ Actually, what is that? ]} I think it's meant to be a dragon?

[ It might be that the candy has her overestimating her abilities, or it could just be the fact that life on a boat with four stupid men has left her feeling more than capable of contending with rowdiness. Either way, she flashes Roche a coy smile, nodding at the booth he picks for them, though the painting in question does earn a dubious eyebrow raise. ]

Looks like a weird...noodle lizard or something.

[ Shrugging the description off she moves towards the bar. ] Meet you over there.

[ Because maybe she needs a little breather. Maybe something in her system is making her heart beat a little harder than it should after doing nothing more than touching a cute guy's arm, but whatever the reason, she takes the minute or so it takes to walk away from the bar with a pair of bottles to try and get her mind right.

Based on how she slides into that booth and settles comfortably against Roche's side, her efforts are a waste of time. ]

You know... [ She cracks the seal on the bottle in front of her, pouring herself a few fingers of whiskey into one of the tumblers she'd brought with her. ] I think that candy's starting to get to me. [ In her time here, she's come to appreciate it when people are direct about what this place is doing to them, and while the drinks at the mingle were weak, they help embolden her now to do the same and lay at least some of her cards on the table. ]

You wanna see how private this booth is? [ She'll roll her eyes at herself later. ]

_{[ Roche on the other hand wastes no time making himself right at home while he waits. It's not quite like his old favorite bar in Midgar, but it's cozy like it would've been during the day. As he gets comfortable stretching his legs out under the table and his arms over the back of the booth, he pops another couple candies into his mouth and works on identifying what was what. Another strawberry, raspberry, and... it's not cactuar fruit but it's damned close. Just as soft, too.

And as luck would have it, it's one of the fabled candies that — you guessed it — leaves him feeling biddable and oh-so-pliant. By the time Nami returns he can feel the lightness in his fingertips and once she tucks in by his side, Roche lets his arm drop down to hang over her shoulders with a quiet laugh. ]}

In a good way, I hope.

_{[ As if they'd put any Bad Time sweets in that bag. Why would they, when Roche has been eager and willing to play their games? His head tilts a little in curiosity while he picks an invisible piece of lint from Nami's sleeve, flicking it off into the air. ]}

What'd you have in mind?

[ Filling him a glass as well, Nami slides it closer to Roche to take before she turns in her seat to settle against his side, encouraged by the rising urge currently chipping away at her sense of pragmatism and resolve, and the arm he slings over her shoulders.

One corner of her mouth is pinned in a lopsided smirk while she looks him over, her hand settling on his thigh as she cocks her head slightly at the question. ]

I figured I'd finish my drink, straddle you, and we find out how quiet we can be while I'm riding your cock.

[ She gives him a nonchalant shrug and turns her attention to her drink, more preoccupied with the thought of making good on that plan than she is with the glass in front of her, though she occupies herself with knocking back half its contents anyway. ]

_{[ It's nothing short of a miracle that Roche manages to not spit the contents of that glass out as he brings it to his lips. The hand on his thigh? Yeah, he can handle that easily but the forwardness—

At least he's able to catch himself with a half-cough that he quickly disguises with a laugh, brows going up and the corners of his mouth quirking up in a wild grin. ]}

My, you are forward! Jumping right into high gear? I like it.

_{[ Save a chocobo, ride a SOLDIER and all that jazz, right? Right. ]}

What do you get if you win?

[ Were it not for the candy she might have felt things out for longer before making a move, but as it is the sweet makes her feel like the only thing keeping her from climbing into his lap, is the drink in her hand. ]

That's not enough of a prize? [ She asks, smirking as she's left more than encouraged by his response.

Her head tilts to the side slowly, like she's taking stock of the situation between drinks from her glass before leaning in, her eyebrows raising slowly. ]

What else do you wanna give me?

Whatever you'd like me to do.

_{[ In the grand scheme of things it may not seem like much, but Roche has had plenty of run-ins with the "local" population to know that some only care about chasing their own highs. Sometimes it's fine — it makes it that much sweeter when he finally gets dragged over the edge himself, but... He'd be lying if he said it didn't drive him wild.

Idly, he picks at the hem of her shirt collar with a soft hum, and after a few moments of that he lets his fingers trace along her collarbone. ]}

I just figure... Why settle for just one prize when you can have all of them?

[ His answer's enough to send fresh heat spreading through her body, leaving her shifting closer, her leg drapes over his thigh as she slides closer. Nami turns, looking around the bar, sizing up their surroundings, much like she took stock of him when he first crossed her path. ]

How many prizes do you think you can give me before we get kicked out?

[ Nami turns back to Roche, lips still curved in amusement, shifting forward just enough to lean into the fingers he runs across her skin. ]

Or is this one of those - we start here and end up somewhere with enough room for all the prizes you've got for me, kinds of things?

_{[ Yeah, alright, Roche can play this game too. He doesn't say anything right off the bat, opting to swallow back what was left in his glass and keep tracing his fingertips over the patches of skin he can reach without dipping too far under the collar. How many... ]}

That depends on how observant our hosts are and what their tolerance is, doesn't it?

_{[ He reaches for the bottle to pour himself another, but he doesn't pick it up. He lets his hand drop down to her thigh instead and drums a short, off-tune rhythm to go with the barely-audible music drifting throughout the Cardinal, staring from the top of her leg, down to her knee, then to the inside where he lets it sit. What he wouldn't give for another pair of hands— ]}

That aside, it could be if that's what you want, too. You could have me here and should you want to see how far you can redline my engine before I have to tap out where we're not restrained by a table, then I'm more than okay with that. They did offer us plenty of rooms for this little soirée they put together, after all. It'd be a shame to not take advantage of them at some point.

_{[ And make off with some of the goods. There's bound to be some good shit in there free for the taking, right? ]}

[ Ah, the hosts. Part of the draw for Nami was how free from the horny bullshit Red Cardinal is, though she's not exactly the type to dwell on how now, she's the one bringing the bullshit. Instead, her mind works over the matter, her eyes following his as first his hand, and then his gaze drifts towards her thigh, compelling her to shift in her seat a little more, letting her legs part as one presses more firmly against his. ]

This place is known for keeping it cool and casual, so... [ She starts, quietly as the hand resting on Roche's leg moves higher, her fingers trailing up the inside of his thigh as she leans in and meets his eye, her voice a conspiratorial murmur. ]

If you think you can keep quiet while I'm finding out how much your engine can take, [ Nami doesn't come from a world with many motorized things, but she thinks her phrasing's pretty convincing anyway, the way her hand curves over the firming outline of his cock after it's climbed high enough on his thigh to touch him is probably helping. ]

Then I'd love to end the night enjoying you, and all the free stuff this resort's got waiting in those rooms.

[ Leaning in, her eyes don't leave his face until she gets close enough to duck her head and let her lips run down the side of his neck before nipping him gently, the hand massaging his cock through his pants pressing a little more insistently. ]

I have it on good authority that they've...

_{[ He takes a moment to inhale and roll his shoulders, all while letting himself slide forward in the booth to give the illusion of someone taking a well-deserved moment of relaxation. And, well, he is, isn't he? His thighs spread to give her that much more room to work with, and as he tilts his head over a little to bump against Nami's, it's... honestly easy to pass them off as a pair of strangers murmuring sweet nothings to one another.

There was — thankfully, to Roche's knowledge — no rules against that. One couldn't put a damper on affection, after all. ]}

Mn, that they've got a wonderful selection of things to choose from. Ah, hang on—

_{[ For a moment Roche's hand leaves her thigh but it's only long enough to cover hers with his, squeezing once and pulling a low hum from his throat. It's encouragement, and just as quickly as his hand had left it returns to draw small patterns along her skin through the fabric of her pants. Circles, diamonds, loose swirls, all while he walks his fingers up higher and higher until he's forced to loop his arm around her back to touch her opposite hip. ]}

Now... I ought to ask the important questions, shouldn't I? Seeing as we need to err on the side of caution in here, I assume you don't have any qualms about taking things slow until we move on? Think of it like taking a cruise down the shoreline versus racing from one end of the bay to the other.

[ Luxury is always an easy way to catch Nami's attention. After a lifetime of tribulation, the finer things appeal to her for a multitude of reasons, and there's no reason why she can't enjoy the comforts of whatever suite they end up in while they're picking the place clean.

His hand covers hers, and for a moment Nami stills, forehead creasing in brief confusion before the squeeze he gives her makes her chuckle quietly under her breath, leaving her ducking her head down to bump his jaw with the bridge of her nose. She stays still, but the gentle pressure she lends to the palm curved around the outline of his cock doesn't let up, sitting back enough to steal a look up at his face, considering the boundaries of slow, while the candy's effect works in the background, keeping her close against him. ]

We can do slow.

[ One corner of her mouth curls up in a smirk as she shifts forward in her seat enough to refill their glasses, the hand against him leisurely working up the length of him. ]

But, I really like where my hand is, if that's alright. [ She gives the head of his cock a gentle squeeze through her pants, raising her eyebrows at him as she moves. ]

[ cntd ]

[ Whether or not she has more experience than Tifa when it comes to kissing other women, the thrill that rolls through her and keeps her nerves jangling with a pleasing, earnest want feels wholly new, unique to the soft hum that passes Tifa's lips and conjures it to life, unique to just being around Tifa.

Nami's touch is slow and light, pushing Tifa's top up as the pads of her fingers run up her sides, privately basking in the perfect balance the other woman seems to have struck between strong and somehow deeply fragile at the same time. It's a delicacy that Nami doesn't want to trample, a sincerity not unlike the one she sees in Luffy - a trait she finds easy to adore.

Heart beating fast when she finally breaks away from that kiss, Nami stays close enough that her forehead brushes against Tifa's, hands stilling once they're perilously close to taking off the other woman's top, wanting, but not quite daring yet. ]

Do you want to get closer?

[ Tifa doesn't even know that Nami is the answer to something she's been searching for her whole life: someone who can see her for all of what she is, strong and delicate, feminine and immovable. She senses some part of it; it's why she feels so at ease with Nami.

Her heart races as the other woman's hands slowly, gently work her shirt up. She could stop her. It would be as easy as putting a hand on her wrist, the word no. She'd overpower her, if it came to it. But she doesn't want her to stop. ]

Yeah [ she breathes, their foreheads warm together. ] I'd like that.

[ This isn't the first time Nami's gotten close to another woman, but she still finds herself flustered hearing Tifa agree to her idea, almost forgetting to draw back far enough to pull the other woman's shirt over her head. ]

Come here, lay down with me?

[ Nami removes her shirt after she asks and reaches for Tifa, her heart beating hard as her arm slides around the other woman's waist, tugging her closer before easing her back to lay on her side with Nami facing her. Her hand runs absent patterns over the small of Tifa's back as she shifts closer, cupping her cheek as she looks over the brunette's face, a soft smile curving its way over her lips when she leans in to kiss her again. ]

So, I have more sex questions.
You wanna answer some for me?

Hi to you too Licious. What's on your mind?

Honestly, a lot.
So, do some people not know you should get a girl wet before trying to stick anything in there? Is this a thing I need to lead with? I thought I was the ignorant one.

What? What an idiot! What happened? Even the most inexperienced guy I've been with here figured out I needed to be having a good time too, quickly enough, but it was a weird night.

No, no, not me! Thankfully! I just keep hearing horror stories, and I haven't been with a guy yet. I didn't know if I should be worried.

No, no. Don't be worried. Just don't be afraid to say what you want. Guys are stupid, but they like being rewarded, getting you wet is the reward, and getting you off is the prize - they figure that out fast.

So I should tell them to get me wet?

Why not? It's what they're there for. Put their hands where you want them to go, they do not mind. Again, remember, stupid, but, for the most part, excited about pleasing.

...I guess that tracks with what I've seen of men.
Okay. So. I've only ever seen, like, one dick, and the person was, uh, helped a long a lot by this place. Do I need to worry much about getting them ready? Do I just touch it?

Most of the guys I've been with here were pretty hard already, but it's still kind of fun to touch it anyway. If you're worried, you can ask? Saying something like do you want me to touch your cock, or, whatever, can be pretty hot on top of being a good way to figure out what to do next.

You know, most of the time, when I'm with someone, I'm learning while I do it. [ This isn't the kind of thing Nami would be so open about if she didn't care about Tifa. The casino is a lot to bear, she doesn't want her friend to burn herself out just from worrying. ] You were the second girl I kissed, and, I don't think you could tell, could you?

That's a good idea to ask. I think that would help me not feel so weird guessing, too.

You know, I really had no idea. I keep thinking I'm the only one that doesn't know what I'm doing. I guess technically I kissed one other girl before you, but, just once. Not like we did.

Thanks for talking with me. I hate feeling like everyone but me knows what's going on, even if it's actually not true.

You don't have to thank me, you know? Apart from my crew I really haven't made that many friends before. It's new, but it's cool.

Fake it til you make it is one of the oldest tricks in the book. Weird that it works for fucking a bunch of people in addition to running cons.

I honestly haven't had a lot of friends either. I guess I don't know how it works, but I'm glad we're figuring out together.

I guess it worked for me in Midgar, too. Maybe that is the secret : )

It has to be the secret.

Hey, do I get a turn with weird sex confessions yet? I got a good one.

Oh my gosh you never have to ask! Please!

The beds down here are almost too small for fucking around with two guys at once. Almost.

Two?? I'm nervous enough about one. : )

I'm....really glad the guy the virgin auction didn't ask us to do that. Maybe if I know both people.

Between you and me I'm still a little shocked it happened. In a good way.

I couldn't with strangers either, but, crewmates I guess, it's easier?

I think I can see how that would help. It could make it weirder too, though. I don't think I'd like that with some of my friends from home.

I'm glad it was good for you.

I mean, they're still stupid, but I think it will be okay. Just kind of a 'whoa' moment, you know?

I'm not used to having people to talk about this kind of thing with.

I'm not either. It's really nice.

You can talk to me about anything, anytime, okay?

Yeah, it is. Weird but nice.

Most of what's happened to me here kinda just rolled with, but sometimes stuff makes you pause, you know? And that - with them...

You know?

Yeah, I think I know what you mean.

Weird but nice sums it up pretty well.

I'm glad you have good people to have a good time with.

Honestly around here, it sums up a lot of things.

I'm glad you're one of them. Thanks for talking with me.

You too. I mean it. You'd be my friend even if we weren't stuck here.

If we weren't stuck here I'd convince Luffy to let you join the crew. Wanna see The Grand Line?

That's really sweet. Maybe that would be good for me. I'm starting to wonder if I really do want to run a bar forever.

And yes! Of course!

Do me a favor, if you ever meet my best friend Luffy, never tell him I asked you about this, but-

If it's not running a bar, then, what's your dream?

[ Please excuse her, Nami's brand of piracy comes with a heavy helping of hope. ]

Your secret's safe with me.

Honestly, though, I dunno. For awhile it was to get out of my medical debt, and then it was to make the bar successful. I never...really thought about after.

[ And now all of that was gone. ]

Whatever it is, it definitely involves being around people I care about.

It better be.

[ She will not endure any smug, knowing grins from anyone if anyone finds out she's got a heart. ]

That so? Piracy could be for you.

[ cntd ]

[ For once, he looks at her like that, and Nami isn't instantly struck with the sense that she's getting into something that could easily overwhelm her. There's so much depth to the way Sanji feels. Nami envies his ability to do it so readily and comfortably, to look at her and let himself adore her in a way she's only comfortable doing when the moment's grown so heated that she's got an excuse to wave it away later if she has to.

There's no warning bells that she's toeing the line and getting perilously close to in over her head right now - even with the cheesy jazz still smoothing its way through the airwaves. If anything, the outlandish setting might be making it easier to let herself reach for Sanji, who she knows is in his element in a room like this one, and let him do everything she knows he wants to.

A part of her melts having her face cradled like this, the hand still caught between their bodies loosening its hold on his belt and moving down to massage the firming line of his cock. ]

There's a lot we didn't do last time Sanji. [ Murmuring low against his mouth, she halts any coming reply briefly when she's drawn into the need to kiss him again, the thought of the things they didn't do, and all the things they did do the last time they were together line this fanning the heat already playing over her senses. ]

[ just kissing her like this is enough, to feel the press of her lips on his own and know that she actually wants him. whether or not this all proves to be temporary is an entirely other situation that he doesn't have any cares to jump into; there's every chance this all comes to an end by the time they find themselves back on the merry, but right now, he's going to embrace every second that she allows their mouths to press together, that he's permitted to touch her and caress her and pleasure her and fuck her.

he gasps lightly between them when he feels the sudden slide of her hand seeking out his cock over his pants, already giving hints of a growing bulge but definitely urged further by the stroking massage she offers. ]

Na— [ her mouth is there again before he could breathe even her name and he loses himself in it, hunger pouring into a more urgent kiss, slick heat shared when he offers a persistent tongue past her lips. the last time they were together, they did plenty, enough that he'd ended up in a mess of his own cum, along with hers, once he'd urged her to climb onboard his face. and yet, there really is so much they could still do, dreams to be fulfilled, ones that she's permitting him to explore with her.

his hands slip up along her arms, reaching the sleeves of her dress, his fingers moving in on either side of her collar to slip them off of her shoulders to start sliding it all down off of her body. as much as he'd love to keep appreciating nami in her dress, somehow it feels much more important to appreciate everything beneath it right now. ]

[ Cutting him off like this makes her grin against his mouth, curving her palm over the shape of his cock, basking in the thrill of feeling him growing hard against her hand. Sanji never makes his desire a secret, but it's still satisfying to have him this captivated. It's a sign of the way things have started to shift between them.

Where she would have once stared at him in deadpan confusion until he got a grip, Nami has begun to find herself greedy for everything Sanji wants to give her. The memory of their last encounter has stayed on her mind, the way they'd parted company disheveled, with her a little shaky on her feet after his tongue left her crying out his name and squeezing his head with her thighs. The selfishness that had her shuddering and pressing herself against his mouth hasn't gone anywhere, fanned back to life as he pulls her dress over her head, leaving her smirking up at him in her bra and the tights she'd paired with her outfit. ]

Riding your face isn't going to be enough tonight. [ Nami's eyes blaze as she steps closer again, her hand pulling his pants open instead of going for his cock like the greedy part of her wants to. ] I want you fucking me into the mattress Sanji. [ She adds while she draws herself up against him, biting at his neck as she walks them back towards the bed. He'd come so beautifully for her the last time they were together, and while she had been left more than satisfied with the thought of leaving him that spent, it's left her waiting for the next time their paths crossed like this, eager to have more of him.. ]

[ cntd ]

[ That smile - it may be softer than Mitsuru meant it to be, but Nami enjoys it for reasons beyond business arrangements, emboldened by it enough to step closer while Mitsuru turns to look back towards the selection of harnesses on the nearest wall.

Settling against her equally pragmatic friend's side she glances towards the strap-ons as well, smirking wryly as Mitsuru's words send a prickle of awareness through her. ]

And I'd like to show you how I do.

[ Nami's voice is quieter than she intends when she answers, the hand on Mitsuru's hip tracing absent patterns. A thousand filthy images dance through her thoughts, leaving her breathing a little more heavily, and asking her next question with her lips close enough to brush Mitsuru's ear. ]

Do you want me to fuck you, or are you going to give me something to handle?

[ Sometimes logistics can be a whole new kind of fun, this place has certainly taught her that much by now. ]

[ Again with the course language. It's rude, inappropriate and... somehow extremely attractive. It takes her a moment or two to recover from the shamelessness of Nami's question, the way she can just come out with something like that, with her breath hot on the darker haired girl's ear. She shivers, pleasantly. It is just the two of them right now, something Mitsuru is becoming ever more acutely aware of. ]

Well, now I have to confess that I'm having difficulty getting thoughts of the former out of my head...

Is that selfish of me?

[ It feels selfish, to want all of that attention from the other woman. It's not something she's accustomed to, to act purely from impulse, from desire... ]

[ Mitsuru's so composed, Nami can't help but feel smug when she says or does something that throws the other woman off her game a little bit. It's the pirate in her, honestly. ]

I'm not sure how it's selfish considering what you're letting me do to you.

[ Emboldened by the way their conversation has begun to warm up and move beyond the initial awkwardness that Nami knows comes from her not quite being sure of the best tactic to approach Mitsuru with head-on, she gets closer, the hold she has on Mitsuru's hip firming to pull her in as she runs kisses down the curve of her friend's neck. ]

Are you going to give me a good reward if I make you come hard?

[ Nami shifts against Mitsuru, lifting her head and stealing a kiss before she gets the chance to answer. ]

[ Nami truly does seem to possess a unique knack for making Mitsuru flustered at times. This is definitely one of those times. As the taller girl pulls her in close and starts to run kisses down the curve of her neck, she begins to feel the distinct urge to rid herself of her dress, along with her companion's clothes as well. She's already getting ahead of herself here and it brings an added flush to her cheeks as she quietly moans the other woman's name, readily tilting her head to give her more ready access to the skin of her neck until she pulls away and kisses Mitsuru's mouth instead.

She chuckles, soft and just a little breathless as she goes in for another kiss of her own. ]

Have I ever not reciprocated your attentions?

You're a very fair business partner.

[ Nami hides a smile between kisses, her tongue passing Mitsuru's lips, running lightly against her own while her hand travels under the hem of her friend's top, some part of her privately enjoying how familiar the other woman's body has begun to feel under her hands. This variety of intimacy is still new, and while Mitsuru is still a mystery in many ways, Nami likes the parts she has figured out very much, enough to keep letting herself get closer.

Humming low, Nami tips her chin up, briefly catching Mitsuru's bottom lip in her teeth. ]

Will you undress for me while I get ready and put it on?

[ So what if her question completely contradicts her hands as they swiftly unhook the back of Mitsuru's bra for her, unable to stop herself from helping her out of her clothes at least a little. ]

[ Honestly, they could just keep kissing like this and Mitsuru would find very little to complain about... only she can feel that now increasingly familiar sensation of need starting to thrum through her body. Nami is excellent at coaxing that out of her too. She moans softly as the taller woman catches her bottom lip with her teeth, finding herself eager to return the favour until she's distracted by the request to undress and the way that Nami unhooks her bra. ]

Very well. Just don't keep me waiting too long.

[ She is a queen after all.

She's gotten used to being in a state of undress in front of her "business associate" by now. Enough to at least lose most of that self-consciousness about it, although her fellow redhead's gaze on her naked body is still enough to make Mitsuru blush when it happens. Her top, her pants, her underwear are disposed of, while she spares a thought for the idea of how ridiculous it seems that she of all people is undressing behind the scenes of what was supposed to be a social gathering. Still, everyone knows what to expect from any type of gathering in a place like this now. In that sense, she's behaving exactly to form.

Of course she can't stop her gaze wandering over to Nami while she undresses. ]

Have to admit I'm curious to see how demanding you are when I'm fucking you like this, considering how you act on a normal day.

[ It's attractive, insanely so.

Favoring Mitsuru with a crooked smile and an affectionate roll of her eyes - a gesture reserved for those closest to her - Nami turns to get one of the harnesses off the wall, opting for one that looks the most like the ones she's worn before at the casino. After selecting a toy to fit into the front of the strappy garment Nami studies it, her eyebrows raising as she looks over at her friend. ]

This one has a place for a toy for me too. Got any ideas? I could let you pick since I'm making you wait.

[ Which is a fun twist by Nami's measure, one that leaves her cunt aching as she considers the possibilities. She'll let Mitsuru mull over the potential for a moment - though she has a few ideas of her own as is - and sets the harness aside long enough to strip down to her panties before she saunters over to the edge of the bed, holding it by the belt as she gazes down at Mitsuru, eyes narrowing in aroused contentment. She's used a strap on guys before, but something about getting to use it to fuck another woman has her even more eager to try. ]

Demanding?

[ There's a soft chuckle at that as she looks over at the other toys on offer to try and choose, something that might work for what she observes is a small pocket on the inside of the harness. Looking at said harness and the toy attached, as well as the woman placing it down and undressing, definitely has her feeling more than a little flustered but keeping her mind on the task at hand keeps her focused. ]

I would say that I simply know how I like things to be done.

[ And is there anything wrong with that? She doesn't think so. ~~Although some of her teammates might have had other ideas.~~

Of course, the appropriate vibrator she ends up selecting appears to be plated with some kind of gold material and looks by far the most expensive amongst the rather extensive number of them. She smiles a little, as her gaze returns to Nami. ]

I think we should fetch the gold one.

[ It's funny because it could almost mirror one of a hundred conversations she'd had with one of her crewmates about her own penchant for being particular. Despite the sordid circumstances, that thought keeps Nami's expression almost lighthearted until Mitsuru selects the toy for the inside of the harness.

The grin on her face shifts, taking on a more smug bent as she glances toward the array of fancy, gilded-looking toys. ]

My favorite color. You already know my tastes.

[ A double-ended remark. One punctuated by a brief raise of her eyebrows before she heads over to the metallic toys and lifts the gold, bullet-shaped vibrator up, along with the remote that comes with it. ]

I'm guessing you want this?

[ Nami doesn't even wait for an answer before tossing it onto the mattress beside where Mitsuru's settled herself, spurred on by the way the heat moving through her rises at the thought of Mitsuru pleasuring her while she uses the strap-on, on her.

When she moves back towards the bed, she plans to start putting on the harness, but Nami finds herself derailed by Mitsuru, taking a detour without thinking about it and ending up standing before her instead, reaching out to gently cradle the side of her neck, pulling her friend in for a kiss. ]

I get to pick the position.

[ Mitsuru chuckles softly, not missing the double-ended meaning of that remark. ]

It just looks the most high quality.

[ And yes - she does want that remote, very much so, not taking it up just yet but making a point of keeping it within reach next to her on the mattress.

She lets herself be pulled in for that kiss, utterly willing and privately a little amused at being a distraction from her friend's preparations. Nami's lips are as soft as ever on hers and she smiles against them at her remark, still amused, maybe even a little bit mischievous. ]

I'll allow that.

[ She's excited, nervous too, both from trying something different and the unpredictably of where Nami is going to direct her. ]

Only the best for my cunt.

[ The sex is terrific, and Mitsuru is a gorgeous, generous, and powerful figure in the context of the casino, but hearing that quiet laugh warms Nami in a way that's beyond businesslike. Even if she wasn't the queen, and they didn't make this arrangement, Nami would want to be around her.

She stays close, bending at the waist and blindly reaching for the harness, drawing Mitsuru near before both hands are occupied with blindly situating the vibrator in its spot and easing the belt around her waist. Her tongue licks into Mitsuru's mouth, kissing her hungrily before the necessity pulls her back, getting both of the straps that keep the fake cock in place around her inner thighs and buckled on either side of her ass. ]

I want you to straddle me.

[ Her cheeks flush, but she's grinning as she says it, moving to sit on the bed, the toy between her legs jutting up, and the vibrator on the inside of the harness pressed flush against her clit. She would never admit it, but Nami's heart is already racing when she sits on the edge of the bed, though the smirk she shoots Mitsuru over her shoulder is cooly coy, and composed. ]

[ The kiss is returned eagerly, tongue meeting Nami's until her fellow redhead has to stop. That word from Nami's mouth has Mitsuru's cheeks turning an ever more vivid shade of crimson. She would never say it herself, but something about it from the other woman's lips... it's rude, vulgar, filthy... and deeply hot. Nami is beautiful, intelligent, quick-witted, sharp-tongued; all of it draws her in, in such a way that she can't put into words. Nor does she care to try.

She watches as the older girl situates herself on the edge of the bed and Mitsuru finds herself amused again. Of all the positions her friend could have picked, of course she picks the one she would have chosen for herself. She nods, taking her place in the other woman's lap with zero hesitation - they've done too much together now for Mitsuru to be shy about this and after all, she wants this, finds herself craving this kind of attention from her.

The light press of the fake cock against her makes her shudder with anticipation and want, but first, she takes a moment to guide one of Nami's hands down to feel her, touching her where she already knows she's wet from thoughts and feelings alone but could use just a little more warming up. Mitsuru shudders at the touch, leaning in to kiss the other woman again, whilst murmuring against her lips. ]

It's embarrassing... how quickly you do this to me...

[ Watching her friend blush is endearing and exciting. Nami likes knowing that despite the color rising to her cheeks, Mitsuru wants this as much as she does, and the way her friend can go from picking a toy out for Nami to be teased with, to going red in the face over one dirty word is part of what makes Mitsuru so attractive in Nami's eyes. It makes her seem genuine. As naive as she can be at points, and as easily thrown for a loop, Mitsuru's herself, and Nami likes that intensely.

It doesn't hurt anything that just watching her approach is enough to leave her aching in anticipation of the moment Mitsuru decides to use that remote, her hand skirting up the inside of the darker-haired woman's thigh as she moves to straddle her. ]

Not the word I would use.

[ Quick to take the lead as Mitsuru guides one of her hands to her cunt, Nami smiles up at her friend as her fingers brush over Mitsuru's folds, enjoying the heat radiating from her body before she presses one finger past them, letting it slip up from her entrance towards her clit. Watching Mitsuru's face as she leans in, Nami lets her finger brush back and forth, teasing her slowly while she catches one of Mitsuru's nipples in her mouth, raking her teeth gently over the skin before turning her head to pay her other breast the same attention. ]

In fact, I'm kind of stunned I get anything done in a day, knowing how quickly I could do this to you.

[ Nami's fingers move back towards Mitsuru's entrance as she all but purrs the words against her skin sucking the other woman's nipple back into her mouth as she slowly slides them inside her. ]

Is it not? What word would you use...?

[ Red in the face is an understatement. She almost looks flushed enough to match her hair. ]

Nami-

[ The other woman's name is a heated moan on Mitsuru's lips, struggling to keep the neediness out of her voice. She's not used to this, not used to wanting another person's touch this badly at practically the drop of a hat. She can't even blame the food or the alcohol being served. This is all Nami's doing by just being... well, her. The knowledge brings a shiver to the younger girl's spine and another moan from her mouth, feeling deep, dark pangs of need and desire humming through her as Nami touches her clit.

It was her friend who has taught the most about how much she likes her breasts being toyed with and she cannot help but bite her lip as she looks down to watch her take her nipple in her mouth. She already knows she's going to be soaking the other woman's fingers already, as she slides them inside Mitsuru and she responds by gently grinding herself on them - a little practice for the fake cock she's about to take for Nami all too greedily. She would be embarrassed if she dwells on that too much, about how much she wants the other woman to fuck her senseless. She can hardly wait, but for now the other redhead can drive her to distraction with her fingers.

And of course she's waiting for just the right moment to use that remote. ]

Edited 2024-03-17 19:00 (UTC)

[ Taking her time before answering, Nami lets her fingers curl against the tight walls of Mitsuru's cunt, fucking into her as she grinds her hips forward, her tongue swirls around the other girl's nipple, eyes trained eagerly on Mitsuru's face, basking in the pleasured flush she sees there. The sight's enough to make Nami press her thighs together, trying to stave off the ragged edge of want that comes on from feeling the slick arousal surrounding her fingers.

Nami's teeth catch the other woman's nipple briefly before she pulls back, whispering an answer against the curve of Mitsuru's breast. ]

Wonderful. Sexy.

[ Sexier than anything she's been exposed to before she and Mitsuru fell into bed that first time. The depth of how much Nami enjoys other women isn't exactly a shock to her - that interest has always been lingering under the surface, but getting to explore it like she has with Mitsuru is thrilling all on its own.

Breathing hard and grinning crookedly up at her, Nami leans in again, running kisses along the side of Mitsuru's breast. ]

You better not come on my fingers before I get this cock inside you Mitsuru.

[ She doesn't think she's ever heard someone use the word sexy with her involved before. ~~Probably because nobody would dare.~~ It's not a word she would use ordinarily herself, but as usual coming out of Nami's lips it makes Mitsuru flustered. Combine that with the way the other woman's teeth graze her nipple and she feels as though she could melt right on the spot. ]

You flatter me too much.

[ It's not a complaint, not really. She can't resist reaching out to gently cup the side of Nami's face, gently coaxing her away from the attention she's paying her breasts so that Mitsuru can kiss her mouth. That's the only sane reason she would ever stop what the other redhead is doing, to kiss her again. she pours her desire into that kiss, unable to stop the intermitant moans in between. There is a soft, breathless chuckle from the darker haired girl against her friend's lips as she continues to rock against and fuck herself on Nami’s fingers, meeting every thrust of them with movement of her own. If she keeps this up, well...

She knows she's going to come all over Nami's fingers. And she can hardly be blamed for that. ]

You are too- sexy, I mean. [ The word feels silly even coming out of her mouth, but it's clear she means sincerely. As if the way her body is reacting to the other woman isn't evidence enough... She laughs again, just as breathless as the first time, intermingling with quiet moans and the slick noises of her cunt as Nami still fucks her with her fingers. ]

And if you don’t want me to come yet then you’re doing a very poor job of that...

[ The hand on her cheek is enough to draw Nami's attention and allow herself to be diverted from the attention she's content to spend the whole day giving Mitsuru's breasts and into another kiss. Nami smiles against the other woman's mouth, unable to help the warm smugness she feels at the slick heat fluttering around her fingers.

Wanting nothing more than to selfishly double down on her efforts to push Mitsuru over the edge, Nami has to stop herself before she ends up searching for a way to slide off the bed from beneath where she's being straddled and get her tongue against Mitsuru's clit so she can taste her while she comes. Instead, she makes her fingers slow before easing them free of her cunt. ]

Come here. [ Nami implores quietly against Mitsuru's lips as she lets her slicked-up fingers glide down the length of the fake cock jutting up between her thighs.

Her other hand fans out around Mitsuru's hip, palm curving greedily over the graceful swell of it as she gently guides the other woman closer, keeping the toy positioned for the other woman to sink onto it. ]

[ Mitsuru hadn't forgotten about the fake cock exactly, but Nami had been doing such a wonderful job of doing a number on her fellow redhead with just her fingers... She almost wants to protest when she removes them, feeling inclined to suddenly become the demanding queen of hearts that the house expects her to become. No doubt she would have been driven head first into a dizzying climax if that had continued.

But now there is the undeniable temptation of the fake cock pressing against her, with all the promises of exactly what the queen is in for if she lets Nami take her that way and she can't deny herself any longer. She sinks down onto the toy, slowly take it in, trembling a little at the delicious sensation of it filling her cunt and knowing that Nami is the one doing this to her. As if to affirm it, she moans the other woman's name, slender fingertips reaching out to grip her companion's shoulder with one hand whilst she leans in to hungrily kiss her lips again, murmuring heatedly against them. ]

Nami, this- It feels so good-

[ Her free hand has already closed over that vibrator remote, eager to make her fellow redhead feel as good as she does when the moment is right. She wants to press that button, wants to reduce them both with quivering, unbridled pleasure- but first, she needs Nami to fuck her, find her rhythm, wants it more than she can possibly put into words. ]

[ The amazing thing is that Mitsuru doesn't have to turn the toy on for a blissful shudder to work its way through her body, leaving her already slicked up entrance tightening in anticipation. Hearing the way her friend says her name is enough to bring a gasp to her lips, the hand Mitsuru plants on her shoulder urging her hips upward, her heels pressing against the floor to give herself enough leverage to move against Mitsuru how she wants to.

And wow, does she want to.

She tilts her head back as Mitsuru leans in to kiss her, her tongue licking into the other woman's mouth as her hand travels around her friend's side, fingers splaying over the swell of Mitsuru's ass, as her free hand runs down her friend's back before coming up to cradle the side of her face. Nami's thumb brushes over Mitsuru's cheek, drawing back to grin breathlessly up at her, her gaze fixed on her face as she arches her hips up, driving more of the toy into Mitsuru's cunt, hungry to see her react as she finds her rhythm, fucking into Mitsuru in short, deep thrusts. ]

I don't know how I'm gonna get anything else done again.

[ The grin on her face is unmistakably smug, but there's a softness in her eyes that indicates her satisfaction is coming from somewhere else entirely. Before Mitsuru gets a chance to call her on it – not that Nami thinks she could right now, given the distraction she's determined to present, the hand on Mitsuru's back lifting away to slip downwards instead, her fingers spreading the slicked up folds of her friend's cunt open further before she lets her thumb strum over Mitsuru's clit, her hips quickening as she does. ]

[ She wants to respond in kind to those words, only Nami just so happens to be driving the other woman crazy right now. Of course she thinks about all the ways Nami has pleasured her before, but this... this is entirely new. Never could she have pictured something as satisfying as the taller woman fucking her like this. Each thrust upwards by Nami, is met with a responding movement from Mitsuru, grinding and fucking herself on the cock being driven into her cunt.

She had already been close earlier, frustratingly so and she can feel that building warmth returning to her lower belly again - all the more intense this time having been stopped in its tracks earlier. The way Nami spreads her open, her cunt slick around the toy and against her friend's fingers as she thumbs her clit, that is the last straw for any tiny amount of restraint Mitsuru has left in her. ]

God, Nami- Don't you dare stop-

[ Her climax breaks over her like a wave and leaves her reeling, shaking in the other woman's lap as she groans her name again, gripping Nami's shoulders as though her life depends upon it in this moment. It just seems to keep going, rolling over her until she's finally left almost breathless with the force of it - and yet she is absolutely not done. Somehow managing to collect herself enough to remember the remote in her hand... ]

I- I need you to feel this too.

[ And if it makes Mitsuru come again too in the process, well... she's not exactly going to complain. She flicks the switch, wholly satisfied in knowing the deep, intense vibrations she's just started within that harness right now - she would know, she's feeling them second hand herself, continuing to grind herself on Nami's fake cock with yet another intense moan. God, she knows she's not going to last long again like this. ]

[ Stopping is so far removed from Nami's thinking, and as long as Mitsuru doesn't tell her to, out loud or otherwise, she's too transfixed by the way the darker-haired redhead moves, fucking herself on the fake cock as Nami's hips pump upwards to meet her. Everything about the experience is already so electrifying, it takes a split-second for her brain to even register that the vibrator pressed flush against her clit inside the harness has buzzed to life. Nami's body bucks upwards raggedly in response, as she's momentarily caught off-guard and left briefly reeling from the pleasure now coursing through her body, feeding into the needy ache that fucking Mitsuru like this has already left her soaking wet from. ]

Fuck, fuck, Mitsuru–

[ Nami's hands settle firmly on Mitsuru's hips, guiding her down, urging her to bury the cock inside herself before it's her arms coming around her friend's waist instead, kissing her hard and breathlessly as Nami holds the other woman's body against hers and moves to roll them over.

The vibrator's presence leaves her desperate to feel more, the slicked entrance of her cunt clenching in response to the feeling, and once Nami gets Mitsuru laid back, on the bed behind them, it's easier to rock against that delicious buzzing sensation and to fuck Mitsuru properly.

One hand stays on Mitsuru's hip as the other keeps Nami propped above her, her breasts dragging against her friend's skin as she thrusts her hips with renewed hunger.

Her lips are swollen by the time she draws back from their kiss, blue eyes gone hazy from the blissful feelings working through her. Nami tilts her head, her nose bumping the other woman's cheek, her words whispered dazedly against her skin. ]

You're beautiful.

[ Mitsuru's back finds the soft mattress as Nami presses her back - not that she fully registers it with her body still practically humming with pleasure at the intensity of her orgasm.

And Nami isn't stopping and neither is Mitsuru, remote discarded and left on as she hastily wraps her arms around the other woman's shoulders and her thighs around her waist, relishing absolutely every sensation of being so thoroughly fucked by the taller redhead. She takes Nami's plastic cock with a hunger and desperation she didn't know she could possess, grinding herself down on it with each unforgiving and utterly blissful thrust inside of her, her thighs clearly starting to shake as she grips at her friend. She can feel the vibrator buzzing between Nami's legs, the sensation doing its own deliciously mind numbing work on Mitsuru in return.

Nami's kiss is met with equal intensity, the younger woman's lips just as swollen when they part and god does this pirate know how to make her blush- ]

You are- [ Her breath catches in her throat, the sounds of her increasingly slick cunt being so thoroughly fucked filling the room in between their moans and gasps. That feeling is returning and it leaves Mitsuru trembling with increasing pleasure. ]

Nami, you're going to make me come again-

[ The frenetic thrum of the vibrator against her clit is relentless enough to push her close to the edge in a mad rush, leaving her working to focus on the steady roll of her hips as she pumps them, keeping the cock strapped against her cunt fucking into Mitsuru in hard, shallow thrusts, her hand holding tight to Mitsuru's hips, relishing the feel of her moving against the toy as she nears her own climax. ]

Come, Mitsuru–

[ The words are a hot rush of air, passionate and imploring, the vivid memory of how slick and tight Mitsuru feels around her fingers as she comes undone keeping her moving against her, even as her own cunt clenches and shudders, getting teased to the brink while aching to be filled.

Face flushed, Nami ducks her head and lets her lips run down the other woman's neck, her tongue running over her skin, before biting gently, enough to leave a mark, but not hard enough for it to linger long. ]

I wanna make you come so hard.

[ Being fucked like this by Nami, it's wonderful - exquisite. Trembling, her thighs twitching as she topples over the edge and begins to come around her "cock", Mitsuru feels that overwhelming sensation take over her again. She knows that Name must be wet behind that harness, can tell that she's close too and the thought alone of her friend coming as she fucks Mitsuru into the mattress is enough to make her feel giddy with desire. The graze of the other woman's teeth on her bare neck does nothing to ground her, only makes her moan louder. ]

You are- You're making me- [ She gasps, gripping Nami's shoulders as she's left shaking and unsteady with the force of it, her tilted back against the surface of the mattress as she cries out. ] I'm coming-

[ All said in a breathless rush, right before she starts crying out the other woman's name this time, losing herself utterly as her senses become awash with heat and pleasure. Her eyes are half-lidded, her expression that of a person so completely fucked out that she can barely register anything else. She knows that Nami's fake cock is soaked with her, that the sheets underneath her on this unfamiliar bed are too by now. Leave it to Nami to have her make such a mess. ]

[ Ever the cool one, Nami's made an admirable showing of keeping it mostly together during the times the casino seems most intent on pressing hers and everybody else's buttons as hard as it can, but this – Mitsuru pressed back against the bed as Nami rocks her hips, glaringly aware of the hot clutch of her friend's cunt around the toy Nami relentlessly fucks into her with – it's too much.

Even in the heat of the moment, there's a part of herself Nami manages to keep some loose control over, but she loses that grip now. For perhaps only the second time since her arrival, she's overwhelmed, the vibrator against her clit pushing her over the edge of her own release, sending her plummeting hard and fast, every moan louder and more ragged than the one before it, her head bowing, short tangerine hair clinging to her cheeks, listening, feeling, Mitsuru as she comes, quickly deciding it's the most beautiful thing she's seen in a long time. ]

Fuck.

[ Still trembling as she rests her head against a soft, flushed shoulder, Nami's hips give an involuntary rock, as the toy between her legs makes her moan softly. ]

You…

[ A breathless, abnormally needy whimper stops her. ]

Turn it off, Mitsuru please–

[ Nami shudders, the vibrator still going hard against her overly sensitive clit, making it impossible for the last waves of her climax to ebb off completely. ]

[ It's a small wonder that Mitsuru remains lucid enough to grab the remote, still breathless with pleasure as she seizes it and presses the off button. She can't resist wrapping her arms tight around Nami then, pulling her down for a kiss that is treacherously tender, murmuring against her lips with a smile, ]

You look so good like this... I love the way you looked just now.

[ Blissed out, utterly wrecked with orgasm... take your pick. Mitsuru has never seen her fellow redhead quite so flustered and wiped and she can't claim that doesn't like what she sees. She'd never heard her make such needy sounds either, something else she likes. It's beautiful - and utterly alluring, leaving her feeling as though she's been treated to something that few would see or hear from Nami.

She reaches to brush a little of the other woman's tangerine hued hair away from her face, pressing yet another kiss to her mouth. ]

[ Still trembling when Mitsuru pulls her down for a kiss, Nami shifts her weight, settling partly against the other woman's body, as she lets herself get caught up in the breathless gentleness Mitsuru's mouth meets hers with, normally nimble hands almost shaky when one reaches up to cradle the side of the darker-haired woman's face, the unmistakable sensation of the smile Mitsuru hides against her mouth only serving to make her heart beat faster.

Nami will count it as a blessing that she's already flushed, it makes it hard to tell that she's gone faintly redder in the wake of Mitsuru's words, her grin dreamy and lopsided as it lights up her face, as drunken-seeming as the way she shakes her head. ]

Me? Look who's talking.

[ Still struggling to get her heartbeat under control, Nami pulls back from that kiss, half-lidded eyes sweeping over Mitsuru's face before she ducks her head and buries her face against the curve of the younger woman's neck. ]

I'm glad I found you.

[ I'm glad I found you.

Is Nami trying to make Mitsuru blush redder than she has all evening? She's actually glad that she had attended this ridiculous mixer event now and that is really saying something...

It takes her a moment to compose herself enough to gather her thoughts and respond, sighing deeply as Nami buries her face against her. She keeps her arms wrapped tight around the other woman as she murmurs, ]

Likewise.

( The staff have been trying to explain the concept of valentine's to Luffy. He's not sure he gets it but they've also helped the guy write a poem, sensing it over without a hint of hesitation.)

roses are red, violets are blue, you do me and i'll do you.

You wrote me a poem?

yeah! the staff said it's what people did around this time.

Didn't expect you to get into this valentine's stuff.

And...Deal. I'll always do you.

it just felt right. only happens once a year.

will hold you to that!

That better not mean you're not going to be cute like this for another year.

Hold me to anything you want.

(Wait, what? He's not going red!)

you think that was cute?

i already do :)

I think you're cute, the poem just reconfirmed it.

Later?

that really worked? i've been sitting on this the whole time and i never even knew it!

yeah!

What did you think was going to happen?

🧡

you know, i really didn't think about it. but i wanted to say it.

wait you can make hearts on this thing??? wait lemme check this.

🐟

Okay that's not a heart.

no but it looks cool and i love everything about the ocean so it's like a heart!

💰💰💰

[ ♥♥♥ ]

[ More than what they're about to do, the sight of his grin and the reason Luffy gives her for his choice make Nami's heart race, leaving her smiling back at him while she nods slowly in agreement. ]

Good, I wanted to see you too. [ Pressing one more absent kiss to his cheek, another tell-tale sign of how at ease he always makes her feel, Nami moves to climb out of the bathtub, fetching the toy he picked and the harness beside it. She fits the fake cock through the front of the belted garment while moving across the room towards another door than the one they entered through. ]

Come on, we can't get comfortable in the tub.

[ Not knowing what's on the other side of the door she pushes open, Nami isn't surprised to see that much like the rest of the resort, the room is occupied with a bed, and everything else people might need to help them fuck. While she waits for him to join her, Nami belts the harness around her waist and guides the pair of straps meant to secure it against her body around her inner thighs and up the outside curve of her ass. Which, in her experience wearing something like this, makes her backside look terrific, in addition to being practical - two things Nami enjoys. ]

[from this prompt]

[This can't possibly be indoors. Or rather, this amount of outdoors can't possibly exist in here. Yu has been in the Vale for what seems like hours, if not most of the day, just-- exploring. He thought he'd trace the river to some kind of source, maybe find whatever device (or...magic?) is feeding water into the place, but he's been walking for about as long as he can with no luck.

This place is gonna drive him nuts, he can already tell. How can it be so real when it's all fake by design? Anyway, he's taking a break by the riverbank when a raft floats by. He's not eager to seem as frustrated --or bewildered, maybe-- as he actually is, so he puts on an easy smile, although he still looks kind of beat.]

Going my way?

[It's a joke. A dumb one, to be fair. He steps onto the raft either way--carefully; shockingly, rafting does not seem to be his specialty.] Thanks for the lift.

[ Watching over her shoulder as he climbs onto the makeshift raft, Nami shrugs, raising an eyebrow at him. ]

Actually, you're going mine.

[ Lifting the long stick she's been using to steer, one corner of her mouth quirks up in a light smirk before she looks ahead again, pushing off from the bank of the river and getting them back towards the middle where they can catch the current. ]

I don't remember seeing you at any of the mandatory weird shit, you new?

[Touché. His smile tugs into something a little brighter at that. Not that there's exactly a wealth of ways to go -- it's a river. Anyway.

She's a lot more comfortable with raft life than he is, from the look of it, but he's a trooper anyway. It's kind of fun, anyway. Rafting down a river like in an old novel... His eyebrows lift at the question.]

You got it. I just arrived recently. But if you have any advice on preparing for that mandatory weird stuff, I'd be interested to hear it.

[As opposed to the non-mandatory weird stuff, like the literal rainforest inside the building.]

I'm Yu, by the way. Nice to meet you.

[ Once the raft is situated where it's being lead along by the river, she gives him a wry chuckle and nods. ]

Nami. And- I have a lot of advice, but, there's a lot of weirdness.

[ They're inside a forest on the roof of an improbably big resort, for starters. ]

You wanna pick a topic?

[Pick a topic. Yu laughs at that, just because -- where do you even start? Is there any one thing that's weirder than all the rest, enough that it makes sense to start there? Other than the obvious. ...the multiple obvious. But Yu has a laundry list of questions about all of the obvious stuff -- and he has a feeling none of the other guests would be able to answer them.

This is an extra wild thing to be talking about in the literal jungle river.]

Hm. What was the last "mandatory weirdness" like?

[Seems like as good a place as any to start. His first introduction to this place had plenty of weird, but not much mandatory.]

[ What a question. Unfortunately, there's no good way to answer it, but Nami doesn't mince words. If their positions were reversed, she'd want useful information, and considering the circumstances, for once, she doesn't mind helping out without asking for something in return. ]

They called it a mixer, but really it was a lot of getting shoved into rooms, pods you got locked in and couldn't leave until somebody came, this game called jenga but there were horny things written on the tiles, weird food. [ Nami pauses for a beat, looking over her shoulder at him. ] The at these things is almost always going to do something to you. Not everywhere, but, when the resort throws a party it's not messing around.

[ It's a lot, she knows, but one wouldn't think it from the way she shrugs and looks back ahead, steering them around a slight bend in the river. ]

Some people play the game. The rumor is the grand prize is a wish, but some people think it's all bullshit. I've heard some theories. [ She leaves her stance out of this for now, deciding this is more about preparing him for the situation he's been thrust into. ]

[The grimace he offers in response to her explanation --very thorough, holy cow-- is nothing short of sympathetic. Weird games, weird food, the pervasive encouragement...he's observed that from the periphery, but he can't help being glad he missed that.

(There's some irony in writing this after the mingle and event, but that's backtags for you!)]

Weird that the house is so serious about this stuff, [the observation is casual; he peers over the side of the raft as he says it, looking down at the river. It really does look real, huh?] It's like...they've stuck us all in a cage and they're trying to convince us that we want it.

[Maybe some of them do. She's right, after all; some of them are definitely playing the game. Yu still isn't sure where he lands on the idea; it doesn't really seem feasible or probable, but some other people seem more optimistic that it's true.]

What sort of theories?

That this place is controlled by ghosts who are feeding on the energy we create when we fuck around, that this place is in some kind of weird pocket dimension there might be no way out of.

[ She shrugs. A lot of the concepts have been more than the navigator can really wrap her head around without a proper frame of reference, but that hasn't stopped her from turning these ideas around in her mind. ]

The first one would explain why the house is doing everything it can to get us to play.

[ Turning to look over her shoulder at him, a mirthless smirk curls at the corners of her mouth. ]

Welcome to the neighborhood, I guess.

I've heard something similar -- that something is feeding on energy. It would make sense. With all the people I've seen around here...if something is using that energy for food, it must be big.

[As much as the theory makes sense, it's kind of disconcerting to think about. Not that it'd be the first time he faced off with some absurdly gigantic conceptual foe, but -- he wasn't exactly planning to do it again. But Nami is right. If they're being encouraged this strongly, there has to be a reason for it. He huffs out a dry chuckle.]

Thanks, I think. Can't say I'm glad to be here, exactly, but I can't complain about the company. [Everyone he's met so far has been good company, something that makes him feel pretty lucky.

Speaking of that, and on a less morbid subject besides--] Is this kind of transportation common where you're from? You look like a natural.

It's all new to me, I'm lucky the people around here who come from worlds that have this kind of mess feel like sharing what they know.

[ Like the chestnut of wisdom Hua Cheng had imparted to her a few months back, about how there are ghosts inside almost all the statues around the resort (something she'll have to tell Yu about before they part ways).

Instead, her attention gets caught by the change of subject, and she finds herself nodding at the question. ]

You could say that. I'm more used to open seas, but the rivers are kind of fun to pilot. [ They take the edge off the restless feeling that comes from being stuck on dry land. ]

I'm the navigator on a pirate ship back home, and I'm guessing you don't get on a lot of boats.

Edited 2024-04-15 05:46 (UTC)

I don't think you're alone in that, [he says, with a bit of a sympathetic expression. Most people probably haven't dealt with that sort of thing -- and he can't say he's an expert, either. But if the Midnight Channel had something like that behind it, then surely it's a possibility for this place, too.

It's definitely something he's going to have to think about, at any rate.]

A pirate ship? [Yu sort of blurts the question out with more surprise in his expression than he had intended. It's not totally unexpected, with how at-home she looks on the water, he guesses -- but she certainly doesn't look like any pirate he's ever seen.]

... You're right about that. If I'm traveling, I usually go by train or plane. [Some humor makes it into his expression as he adds,] Can't say I've met many pirates, either.

Depending on the pirates, it's not the worst kind of ship to end up on, trust me.

[ A plane – she knows the word, and, thanks to the library, she's seen pictures of them, enough that Nami feels confident as she gives Yu a little nod. ]

Your world has advanced technology like airships? Cool. [ From what she's gathered from other guests, there are worlds where the watches the resort gives them fit in perfectly – something a person who makes calls via telepathic snail like her,c can only imagine. ]

I've got a map of the resort I keep working on while I'm here. I can make you a copy. It'll help you know what to avoid.

I can believe it. [Said with a little smile. He imagines the pirates she knows might be a little more like fictional ones, in his world -- real pirates, the ones you hear about on the news, are way less friendly.

He can't help but wonder if there's some connection, though. If maybe things that are fiction in some worlds are real in another.

Anyway--] You could say that, yeah. I never think of it as "advanced" because it's normal, but compared to some places, maybe.

[That, too, is an interesting thought. Different worlds, different realities -- in spite of the resort itself, and in spite of how much he misses his friends, at least there's things here to keep his mind occupied. Anyway, a little smile tugs at his expression at her offer.]

A navigator and a mapmaker? That's really impressive. I'd appreciate that, thanks.

[Funnily enough, that despite being here for months, he really hasn't gone out of his way like this to contact another person. Maybe a couple of times before, but nothing frequent. It's not like he's nervous or anything, but ah... he wants to say the right thing still. Not completely mess things up.

He's been meaning to talk to Nami again after their last encounter, maybe take her to a nice dinner? Just try and get to know her more.]

Ah, Nami? This is Scott, Scott Summers. Can I have a moment of your time?

[ It's never not going to feel just a little wrong to hear voices coming out of the watch when there's no Den Den Mushi to account for it, but it's been long enough that she only jolts slightly at the sound before turning her attention to her watch to talk back to it. ]

Just one?

[Despite himself, Scott finds himself smiling at the answer. It actually eases some of the nervousness in his chest and isn't that silly in the first place? He's the leader of the X-Men and he's acting like this...]

Maybe a few moments then. If that's still okay.

Yeah, I'd say it's okay.

[ Grateful that her watch isn't on the wrist of her dominant hand, Nami rests her chin on her hand and goes back to idly drawing in the margins of her notebook, wondering if she can hear a smile in his voice. ]

So? Something on your mind?

[She's still talking to him, so he considers that a plus. Well, no use waffling, or wasting her time, and he might as well get to the point, right? He's normally that type of person.]

I was wondering if you wanted to go out to dinner with me. I'd... like to treat you to something after our initial encounter.

[Not that their initial meetup was bad or anything, far from it. He'd just... like to spend more time with her, in a more normal sense. Although, spending more time with humans in general has been something to adjust to, but... it's been decent so far. Nice, even.]

Like a date?

[ She could point out in her flattest tone of voice that usually people go out to dinner before sex, and that they've got this all backwards, but frankly, she's a little too charmed by the offer to quibble with it, even in jest. ]

When are you picking me up?

Yeah, pretty much.

[Should he be worried by that question? Scott almost sits with baited breath as he waits for her answer-- with said air leaving his lungs in a whoosh when he hears her full response. He can't stop himself, he chuckles, something with full relief before he responds back to her.]

Did you want to do this tonight then? I believe the elevators prevent me from meeting you exactly at your door, but the lobby around 6?

Well, I had big plans to get drunk on my beach and draw, but I think I can squeeze you in.

[ Does he like double entendres like he likes puns? She kind of hopes that's the case. ]

Six it is. If you want to meet me at my door – [ And Nami's beginning to suspect he's the type who would. ] – There's a passage up from Red Cardinal that'll take you right to me.

Those sound like some pretty good plans. Sure you want me to interrupt them?

[It takes him a moment to get the double entendre and Nami will hear a small cough on his end, the sound a little embarrassed as he clears his throat to answer her once more.]

A passage by the Red Cardinal, understood. I'll be there. Not a minute late. [To keep his date waiting... unheard of.]

Head into the storage room, there's an empty table that's a trap door, it'll take you right to me.

[ And maybe her voice grows progressively warmer, and just a bit smug the more she speaks. ]

Maybe you'll get lucky, and I'll let you get drunk on my beach with me after dinner.

Almost feels like I'm infiltrating a base.

[He likes it though. Almost reminds him of being back home, but this is far more easygoing. He can only imagine the endless teasing he'd get from his teammates about going through a secret route just to pick up his 'date' though. Well, they're not here, are they?]

I'll try to push up my odds by giving you a good time during our dinner.

Oh?

[ Not exactly the kind of comparison she'd expect such an upstanding seeming guy like Scott to make. ]

That kind of experience something we have in common?

[ She'd bet money if it is, they were motivated by drastically different reasons. ]

[Oh right, sometimes he forgets that people really don't know him here. It's nice, he prefers it. One good thing about this place is that he doesn't have to watch his every move and be 'good representation' for the media.]

Possibly. Sounds like an interesting dinner conversation to have.

[He's interested hearing about her... experience. Undoubtedly it'll be for a different reason, but it's just one extra thing to really learn about her.]

Really into this date stuff, huh?

[ It's cute. As far as she can tell, Nami's only ever been on a handful of real dates, how intent he is on making the evening good is as thoughtful as the rest of him has been so far. ]

Should I start getting ready, or are you going to make me wait?

I wouldn't dare to. See you then.

[It's a promise and one that Scott doesn't intend to fail on. ...Is it a bit much calling a relatively simple date a 'promise?' Maybe, but as soon as that thought enters his mind, he's really unable to dislodge it. He's always sort of taken these things seriously, because the thought of disappointing others has always been a driving force for him. He doesn't want to ruin people's expectations. At least Jean was always so understanding when it came to him...

But yes, getting dressed. Following her instructions and meeting her in front of her door.

About 5 minutes until their chosen time, Scott stands in front of he suite and raises a hand to knock. Never hurts being just a little early, right? Shows that he was excited and that he really wants to do this. Dressed in a blue dress shirt and black slacks, the mutants with a small amount of anticipation for her to answer.]

[ Though she'd normally take her time, leisurely trawling through all the cute outfits waiting in the utterly massive closet the queen's suite came with, she's a little too charmed by Scott to want to linger. When it doubt, a little black dress can do no wrong, and that it strikes a good contrast with the bright shade of her hair a happy bonus, one that keeps her feeling confident in the face of Scott's unexpectedly soft, thoughtful invitation.

Having space in her life to do more than be extremely careful about who she lets in and how close they get to come, is new. The friends she's made here have been eyeopening in more ways than one, the encounters that the casino thrusts her into something of a crash course in intimacy she would have otherwise never planned to take, but dates? Because a cute, respectful man wants to get to know her? It's still unexplored territory in a lot of ways, something she meets with that flutter of nervousness in her stomach carefully tamped down, and an easy smile on her face as she heads across the walkway spanning her water garden and meets Scott by the door from the passage. ]

You want the tour now, or later?

[ Marine-colored eyes narrow almost fondly as Nami slips her arm into Scott's and tilts her head towards the private elevator, curious whether he'll choose to linger here or get whatever he's got planned for their date going. Whatever he decides, something tells Nami she'll be enjoying his company either way. ]

[While he doesn't care much for the rank system in this casino, he is glad to know that she is living in relative luxury. Not that anyone deserves to live in the basement or be compelled to have sex just to live, but... ah, it's complicated. He's happy for her while still being angry at the system itself? There, something like that.

At least he draws himself away from his thoughts when she opens the door and greets him, a warm smile forming as he takes in her appearance. She's cute, beautiful, as always, even if his shades hide the full colorful picture of anyone he looks at. He can still say that people are attractive and he's been attracted to her since the day they met. Granted, they met in rather unusual circumstances, but isn't that how this place runs.]

You look beautiful, Nami. [He says it so sincerely, almost openly, as he lets her arm slip into his. While it's tempting to explore her suite, doesn't the normal protocol dictate that he first take her out to dinner and maybe he can go inside? He wants to stick with that.]

Tour later, assuming I'm still good company. [Scott lightly remarks while guiding her back to the elevator so they can get started on their date.] Dinner sounds good right now?

[ Using her appearance to her advantage has taken her a lot of places in life, Nami knows she's attractive. Still, how genuine the compliment sounds is enough to make her pause, leaving her privately grateful for the color of the visor he sees through, as it means the light flush that rises to her cheeks when she's caught off guard will hopefully go unseen. ]

I'd say you're off to a pretty good start.

[ Her lips brush against his jaw in a brief kiss hello after she draws herself up alongside him, holding onto his arm loosely as she guides them both towards the elevator. ]

So, what did you have in mind? [ She may secretly be asking because she honestly has no idea what sweet guys like him do on dates, but the cool, relaxed tone to her voice covers that up fairly well. ]

[It's nice to know that he still has it, taking a lovely lady out to dinner and having a good time. As her lips brush against his jaw, his heart beats just a little faster, the small contact drawing out a smile that is almost shy. He's certainly pleased though, happy in a way that seems small, but significant still.]

Ever been to the Gilded Cage? I got a reservation for us there.

[A table that is away from the main hustle and bustle of the restaurant, just so they can have a more 'romantic' or 'quiet' dinner just between the two of them. He figures that she might like something like that.] If you're up for it later, would you want to talk a walk around the Cloud Dwelling Gardens?

Only once for dinner. The rest of the time, I'm sneaking in to get my friend out of the cage they toss him into for stealing food.

[ Everybody's got their own weird routines in this place, and even though they're stuck on land, she and her friends are still pirates, swiping food is just part of the gig.

Nami shrugs, her arm relaxing as it settles around his. He's easy to be comfortable around. It's just dinner and a walk he's suggesting, but it's enough to make her turn her head, hiding a smile under the guise of paying slightly more attention to her elevator's controls than she needs to, to call the car. ]

Something tells me I'll be up for it.

[ Because she's a sucker for the good-hearted sort. The elevator doors slide open and Nami steps on, sending them down to the lobby as she lets her weight shift, leaning comfortably against him now that they're not walking. ]

We never did the tell me about your life before the sex casino thing, did we?

[ Her eyes crease at the corners as she looks up at him, aware that's probably a topic set to come up over dinner, pleased that he was left curious enough to want to know after they parted ways the first time, ]

[Between the admittance of her sneaking around here and infiltrating a base, his curiosity about his current companion really only grows. He's enjoyed Nami's company since he met her, but he is genuinely looking forward to learning more about her and who she's really like. Someone that seems fine with bending a few rules, someone that cares about her friends. It's already a nice picture.

Scott chuckles lightly as they wait for the elevator to come. He likes to think she's comfortable in his presence as well. He's not sure if he gives off that demeanor often, especially in this place, but... working on it and everything. It's not like he wants to appear entirely closed off and distant. He thought it would be beneficial, but it's been exhausting. It's okay to trust humans in this way, he knows that. Not to mention that he does feel better when he's open with others.

Guess he's pretty human himself after all.

As they step inside, he gently wraps an arm around her, wanting to show that he's more than fine with her leaning against him. He enjoys this closeness.]

We haven't. [Scott admits with a wry grin.] Although, we haven't talked about your life either. A story for a story?

[ The gentle weight of his arm settles around his shoulders, and as silly as she feels about it, Nami can't help but smile to herself, doing what she can to replace the softness in her expression with gentle dubiousness as he suggests trading a story for a story. Considering everything that's already passed between them, she probably shouldn't be so pleasantly thrown by how casually affectionate he is, but the move is as charming as the rest of him, her arm looping around his lower back in return before she gives herself enough time to decide not to. ]

It's gonna take a couple drinks to get me to tell some of my stories–

[ The understatement of the century? Perhaps.

Life is different for her now. There's less at stake when it comes to what she keeps to herself and what she doesn't, but much like dating, Nami's new at sharing, and having people to share with beyond her crew and the heated exchanges that a person falls into while just trying to exist in the casino. Though she would never admit it out loud, Scott's sweet enough to make her want to figure her way through this, there's a lot she doesn't want to talk about, but it's not like she's never steered a conversation into more favorable conditions before. ]

How about we start small before we get to dinner?

[ The arm around his lower back slackens enough for her to reach up and rest her hand against his back, blue eyes narrowing slightly at the corners, roguish, but just barely. ]

Tell me something easy while we get there, like – where are you from?

Just a couple? Not a bad exchange still.

[He sees some of the caginess on her end though and honestly, he understands. Maybe he should still hold his cards close to his chest but he just... feels tired. And it's not like he's telling everything to everyone as soon as possible, he's just trying harder with being more open in the first place. He can't fully expect people others to be open with him if he keeps himself distant and polite.

Plus, it's been stressful, just being emotionally distant from everyone while the weight of Jean's death holds him captive. Not to mention that it has been nice to trust humans in this way once more. Having humans and mutants mingle like this... it's what he and the X-Men always wanted.

So, even though he knows she's putting him on the spotlight first, Scott rolls with it. He smiles, understanding hidden behind his sunglasses as he starts walking with her to to the restaurant.]

Really letting me off easy, huh? I'm from New York-- Earth. [Right he shouldn't assume everyone is from the same planet here. Funny how things work.] Familiar names at all?

I've heard of Earth. Japan's there too, right? [ There are a few places on Earth that have come up in conversations with others, but Japan's the name she's heard the most while talking with other casino dwellers. ]

Is New York an archipelago as well?

[ There's a lot to boggle the mind when someone takes into account the idea that all these worlds exist at the same time, while simultaneously occupying different wheres and whens – but it's how different the land and waters themselves are that captivates Nami, even if it does put a nerdy spin on what qualifies for small talk with her. ]

I'm from the East Blue. The Conomi Islands, but I bet you have no idea where those are either.

[ As soon as they reach the restaurant, they're led to a table, something Nami easily rolls with, too preoccupied with stealing glances in Scott's direction while they speak to notice the swift way they're ushered to their table. ]

Yeah, Japan's around. Visited a couple of times in the past, but I'm probably not as familiar with it compared to others that you've spoken to.

[Usually he's only been to Japan for official X-Men business, so he really has a different perspective compared to the people that actually live there. Maybe he can say that about America as well, in some sense, given his status as a mutant, but Scott decides to save that sort of conversation for another day. That's not really the point and he understands that.]

New York's my home and it's part of the United States, a large country that's part of the North American continent. So, not quite an archipelago.

[He smiles, his tone almost teasing and lighthearted. That good mood continues as he listens to Nami talk about her own world, a place he's definitely not familiar with. It's really nice though, hearing about other worlds in this manner. Maybe years ago, he would've been extremely excited hearing about people living on other planets and 'aliens,' but.]

You got me there, I haven't heard of those islands before... and I'm not terrible with geography.

[As they are led to their table, Scott can't stop himself from pulling her seat for her.]

[ Not an archipelago, but a continent. She's seen some substantial landmasses while working for Arlong, but nothing more than one country could fit on, while what Scott's describing sounds much larger–

It's a good thing he pulls her chair out like that. The unexpected gesture is surprising enough to get her thoughts out of the geography gutter before she starts asking questions about the climate or the terrain. Instead, another uncommonly unguarded smile softens her face as she meets his eye briefly before sitting with an almost bashful nod of thanks. ]

If it's any consolation, there aren't that many people where I'm from who have heard of the Conomi Islands either.

[ Looking up, Nami watches Scott long after he's helped her into her chair, quietly working out how she's supposed to get through this if he's this hellbent on being quietly charming. ]

Your turn. [ A dangerous offer, potentially. ] What do you want to know about me?

[Scott thinks it's a shame that she almost appears surprised by what he considers to be basic levels of polite mannerisms. Unless she's just shocked that he'd do such a thing, in which he really needs to step up and be better. But he has a feeling that it has more to do than just that, the knowledge only making him smile in support before taking his own seat across from her.]

Something nice about being relatively unknown.

[There's a wistfulness to his voice. He misses that, back home at least. Here? He can be on the down low to some extent, if it wasn't for his rank. At least people aren't looking at him as Scott Summers, the mutant leader that can't make a mistake or cause mutant rights to set back ten years or so.]

Leading with that? Pretty dangerous. [He raises an eyebrow at her, head almost cocking to the side as his smile increases.] Did you want to talk about sneaking into a base at all? Or shall I pour this wine for us first?

You seem like you're into being known to me. [ She shoots back, quiet and wry, arching a playfully appraising eyebrow at him across the table before she settles back in her seat, lifting her shoulder in a passive shrug. ] Or maybe I'm just lucky.

[ That he seems intent on wanting her to know him, and vice versa, though Nami can't say if that part makes her feel lucky. Not for the first time she reminds herself of how different things are now, how there's no need to keep people away to protect them, back home, but especially here at the resort. That thought it makes it easy to laugh when Scott picks up the gauntlet she's thrown down, and goes with it to surprisingly shrewd places. ]

You pour, I'll talk.

[ There's a fondness in her voice as she says it, a warmth that reflects in her eyes even as she glances off to the side in thought before beginning to speak. ]

It's a pretty straightforward story, though. [ Nami sits up a little more, smiling quietly. ]

I snuck onto a Marine Base to steal a map to The Grand Line. Waited for a guy with the right proportions and took his uniform, got close enough to the guy in charge to steal his keys. [ Fell out the window with an idiot who she later attempted to betray, very standard stuff.

Waiting for him to finish filling her glass before she lifts it, Nami takes a sip of her wine before peering at him over the rim. ]

What about you? Have you snuck onto any good bases?

[ He brought it up, after all. ]

Edited 2024-05-31 01:39 (UTC)

I make a couple of exceptions here and there.

[Especially if the present company is as charming as her, but he feels almost embarrassed saying that bit out loud, so he keeps it to himself for now. Besides, the sentiment is still there, and he continues to smile as he starts working on pouring that wine for her. Honestly, he really doesn't mind talking about himself in front of Nami. Maybe not everything, but everyone keeps a couple of things to themselves anyway.

He's sure that she plans on keeping some stuff to herself too and that's fine. It's enough seeing that warmth in her eyes, the way she fills the quiet atmosphere with her retelling of her adventure.]

Oh? Are you a pirate?

[He throws that theory out. His curiosity has already increased hearing the start of her story and while there are many reasons why someone would sneak into a marine base for a map, it's the first thing that pops into his mind. Maybe it's just because he knows a couple of pirates here already.

But to answer her question in return...]

I snuck into a secret military base when I was 16 years old. Mostly to do an impromptu rescue mission. [Almost ten years since that moment... probably the day when his life completely changed. Scott's not sure if he can look back at it fondly, because a lot of bad things happened then, but.]

I'm still kind of surprised that my friends and I survived that.

That's right. How could you tell?

[ He's right, but she's still surprised that he's right. As common as the assumption might be for her world, there have been enough people who look stunned hearing that she's a pirate for Nami to assume it wasn't exactly a typical career choice in most of the worlds the other casino residents came from.

Eyes bright, creasing in the corners with faint amusement, she sits forward, resting her chin on her hand while Scott tells her about his own adventure. That it was a rescue mission doesn't surprise her in the slightest. He's already made it obvious that he's good, being noble is a big part of that. ]

But it worked. [ Some part of her that Nami wasn't aware was worried, relaxes after he marvels over surviving. She wanted everything to have ended up okay for him. ]

You did all that at sixteen? Are you a pirate?

Edited 2024-06-01 02:52 (UTC)

Lucky guess.

[Which isn't a complete lie. Maybe he should ask her if she's heard of Luffy or Shanks before. He doesn't think it'll put anyone in danger, since he has a relatively good opinion on all three of them and there's probably a decent chance they they know each other anyway. Hopefully they aren't all rivals? But that's for them to settle, if it comes down to it.

He smiles, either way, as he finishes his own story and she asks him if she's a pirate. If only.]

Not quite as adventurous as that. [He admits, one eyebrow quirking as he prods her just a little.] I'll give you one more guess though.

[He teases, because he's pretty sure that she won't be able to pinpoint his occupation. Well, given what he does, he's probably cheating anyway, because who would guess 'mutant vigilante group?' Or maybe 'superhero' if people still want to use that term.]

[ Another sip of wine and Nami relaxes enough to let her hand reach out across the table until she's close enough to brush her fingers against his wrist, not taking her eyes off him as she makes a slight show of humming thoughtfully in the wake of being granted another guess. ]

Something heroic, that's obvious. [ Her thumb grazes over his skin one more time before Nami moves to pull away. He's obviously sweet, and clearly upstanding, but ]

Maybe you're the captain of a rebellion somewhere, or, part of a wandering band of heroes.

[ Whether she hits or misses the mark or not, Nami's at ease, enjoying the guessing as much as she'll enjoy whatever the answer ends up being. ]

[As she reaches forward across the table, Scott leans just a little closer as well, fingers slowly sliding into hers and gently holding their hands in a warm grip. Just another innocent touch, especially after the sex they've had before, but there's something he just really enjoys about this, and his fingers stroke along the back of her hand.]

Do I really come off as that heroic?

[Scott you literally just mentioned infiltrating a base to rescue people--

Still, there's a spark of amusement in his eyes, one that's also legitimately impressed because her next couple of guesses really aren't far from the mark. Honestly, they're probably correct answers, and Scott smiles at her with an appraising look.]

You're really not far off. [He thinks about it for a moment, but if this is a date where he and Nami are supposed to learn more about each other, he should actually be honest. He... he is tired of hiding anyway and Scott feels comfortable telling her about his status. He wants to be himself again.]

I'm the leader of a mutant vigilante group. We... kind of help out around the world. [They try to anyway, even if humans sometimes hates them.]

Pretty sure only the heroic types are the ones charming people around the side of an anonymous sex wall, yeah.

[ When his fingers lace through his, Nami has no choice but to let her hand linger where it is, the slightly calloused pad of her thumb grazing across his knuckles, enjoying him too much to be mindful of the way the tattoo from the resort is visible like this, tiny but obvious where it's situated on the back of her hand between her thumb and forefinger, faded but still enough to quietly call attention to the scars from all the years of bad pens nicked into her skin. ]

Mutant? [ That's a new one. Nami gets what it means, but she's no closer to understanding how it's supposed to fit anything about him. ] You're gonna have to elaborate.

[ Because apart from what she's guessing is a slight vision issue based on the constant presence of his glasses – he's pretty dreamy, nothing mutated to speak of that she's noticed. ]

[His mouth quirks upward in amusement at her comment. She got him there.

Maybe, surprisingly, his hands aren't rough, but there's no judgment or anything flashing across his face as she rubs her thumb against his knuckles. It speaks a lot about her and Scott's here to not only enjoy Nami's company, something that he can do with his eyes closed at this point, but learn more about her. He gently squeezes her hand in support, something encouraging in his expression even as he nods to her question.

The first start in relating to others is being honest about yourself, right? Especially a part of him that is important, essential to who he very is. He can't be Scott Summers without being a mutant.]

I'm mostly human. [Is he human at all? That's part of the eternal debate--] But there's something called the X-Gene in my body. Other mutants and I develop abilities because of that mutation... and yeah, mine involves what's going on behind my glasses.

[ In the past, when guys look at her like Scott is right now, it's because she's buttered them up to the point where it'll be a lot easier to pick their pocket. It's a testament to how many things have changed for Nami – horny casino aside – that she's able to relax enough to have something like this because she wants to, rather than because she's got work to do and a massive price tag to reach for.

And it's hard not to be engrossed while Scott begins to clarify. Nami's smart, but she's not a scientist, mutating genes may be a bit beyond her sphere of knowledge without some research, but she thinks she understands the concept of random people ending up with random abilities because of something that happened to them. Sounds familiar enough, anyway.

But– ]

Something with your eyes?

[ Thinking back, if she hadn't been influenced by wine, and thoroughly beguiled by the way he approached her when they first met, it might have struck her as odd that he kept his glasses on during sex, now it feels like she's got double the things to wonder about. ]

Does it hurt? [ Maybe her asking that first, rather than more about his powers tips her hand in some way, but, surely he's figured out she likes him on his own at this point. ]

[Her question gets him to smile, as if realizing that she's asking about his well-being first. She truly is special, huh?]

It doesn't hurt.

[He confirms and while he could just explain his powers, Scott pauses for a moment before leaning just a little closer to Nami. He's now close enough where she can easily reach his face.]

Would you like to take my glasses off? You won't see my powers, because I'll have to keep my eyes shut, but... [At least offer her a view of his full face, even if she can't see what he looks like with his eyes open. It's still something, right? Scott thinks it's okay offering it, trusting Nami with this much as he looks at her through his red lens.]

[ Her expression warms at the offer, the hand resting on his tightening gently for a moment in a wordless show of appreciation as she shakes her head, the butterflies in her stomach fluttering not unpleasantly at the though. ]

Yes. [ Obviously. ] But, not here.

[ Nami gives his hand another light squeeze before she gives into the desire to shift her chair around the side of the table until she's sitting more beside him than across from him. ]

I don't want to see your face for the first time with a table between us.

[ What is with this guy getting her to say the dumbest stuff?? ]

[As she closes the distance between them, Scott smiles. There are still many things he's learning about her, but it feels like a large gesture for her to initiate such a move and draw them closer. Of course, one may think it's because she's a pirate and wants to steal something from him, but such thoughts are nowhere in his mind. She's just a talented and smart individual that has greatly captured his interest.]

Back in your bedroom then? [His eyes glint behind his shades.] So, I did earn my ticket back to your room after all.

[He's so definitely teasing.]

You sound confident about that.

[ He should sound confident about that. For all the dryness in her tone, there's warmth in the way Nami lifts the hand not holding onto his to brush his cheek before she goes back to her drink, trying not to think about how easy it felt to let herself be so drawn in by his offer to let her see him without his glasses on that she got closer without thinking about it. Smirking from behind her glass, she shrugs a shoulder, facetiously noncommittal. ]

I've got a big suite, but, you're going to get a tour.

Just this once.

[Scott chuckles, the confidence in him unwavering even though he has felt out of his game for a while now. Not like he's dated a lot since Jean's death, but slowly and surely, he's been feeling better. It helps not having his suit be active or something else in this casino influencing him. Sure, those things give a temporary boost, but it never made Scott feel better.]

I noticed that your suite was upgraded from last time. Congratulations on that, by the way.

[Although, at last, the server comes to take their order. Scott orders something relatively light, like salmon with rice, along with some light wine, but otherwise, his focus returns immediately to Nami once she's done finishing as well. His smile still borders on playful, totally content with keeping their new arranged seating as he holds her hand.]

[ Laughing quietly at that answer, Nami favors him with a slight shrug, the fingers of her free hand tracing the back of his as she holds it. ]

Could be more than once if we end up doing this again sometime. [ Already coyly hinting at a second date while they're still at the start of the first? She's usually upfront about everything except things like this, a little too guarded to be the flirtatious promises type, but Scott brings it out of her, like there's something extra gratifying about getting him to loosen up and smile. ]

You could decide to get used to it.

[ Her order follows his – duck in tangerine sauce and rice. It's not as good as her mother's, but it's still a favorite (and truth be told, she'd be unsettled if the resort's version were as good as Belle-mere's). Once the waiter departs, she looks back at Scott, lips quirking in amusement at the well-wishes. ]

I'm happy I have a place to go when the casino gets weird. [ As with most of her life, she made a plan and stuck to it, getting herself where she felt she needed to be, regardless of any time spent quietly feeling like she was in over her head. ] People on the lower floors can't escape a lot of it.

[ What she doesn't say is that she did it as much for her friends throughout the resort as she did to appoint herself in luxury. They deserve a spot of refuge just as much as she does. ]

You're going to have to tell me if your place is bigger, by the way. I might have to go for King if it is.

I'd... like that, Nami. A lot.

[And there that playfulness goes, at least some of it, morphing into something that is just a little more sincere, almost earnest. Taking her out on a second date and possibly more in the future just because they like each other's presence so much... it's exciting, if a little terrifying in a way. Not that they can become too attached to each other, to anyone in this place (at least in Scott's mind), but it's still a big step. Going on multiple dates, really learning about his date or partner of the night... almost like a couple.

It's okay. He's allowed this, right? Jean... will always remain in his heart.

But focusing on her words, Scott's glad that Nami has a place to go to, somewhere she truly feels comfortable. It's strange that he never had to worry about that since he got here. Perhaps he's spoiled in that way.]

Wish we could do more for those people... they don't deserve that. Maybe it's time to start a revolution. [His mouth quirks up, but honestly, he plans on taking down the House one way or another. This can't be continued.]

Well, you can come by my suite someday too. Get a second opinion.

[ The suggestion that they start a revolution is met with a wide-eyed, pointed look, Nami wordlessly making it clear she's up for it, without saying so directly somewhere so public. ]

I've showed a few friends the way up to my suite. It's big enough for them to use it when they need a break without me even noticing. [ She sighs, glancing down at the table thoughtfully. ] You're right about it not feeling like enough.

[ Scott gives her the chance to shift topics back to lighter fare when he extends an invitation to the king suite, making her meet his eye with another grin, raising an eyebrow at him . ]

Sounds like you are gonna have to ask me out on a second date then, Scott.

[ He's also going to have to deal with the fact that if things continue as they are, Nami will be happy not to let this first date end until tomorrow, but something about the openly sweet expression on his face tells her he's unlikely to complain. ]

Feels more just like a temporary band-aid than an actual solution, correct? I've offered my suite to others before, just for them to have a place to stay, but it doesn't solve the fundamental issue here.

[But with that last statement, he matches her grin with his own, something almost boyish about it. They can't solve the suite issue for others right now and he still wants to enjoy this date with Nami without getting bogged down by deeper issues. Those problems can be addressed later. Even back home, he had breaks like this, because it's not like one can solve mutant acceptance just by talking about it over dinner.

It's okay to experience life a little still.]

It sounds like it. [He agrees easily, only looking away from Nami when their orders arrive on the table along with an extra bottle of wine, which the server conveniently opens for them before leaving once more. Oh, right, he really hasn't been drinking all that much, huh? But guess he's just been so interested in learning more about her.]

Looks pretty good. [Scott glances down at his meal, reaching for his utensils to start digging in.] I'm assuming that you've had to eat whatever is available, since you were at sea a lot.

[ Likewise, it's only after the waiter brings them more wine, that Nami remembers her glass, pulling it closer to have a sip as she glances over the plates set down in front of each of them.

Reaching for her fork to try a bite, Nami glances up at Scott's words. There's a brief pang of sadness that darkens her gaze, there and gone in a second, before she shakes her head. Sanji was here up until recently, and while she's relieved he's home, the unwitting reminder that she's without her crew is still sobering until she brushes it aside. Which she does in short order, flexing that poker face, unwilling to dwell inwardly and ruin their date. ]

We fish a lot, but, we've got one of the best cooks in the East Blue on our crew. It's always a surprise what he can make. Before him, I did a lot of the cooking, but the guys didn't like it when I charged them for what I made.

[ To which she shrugs. Business is business, after all, and back home Nami's always into the business of affectionately exploiting a crewmate for their cash. ]

Many weeks ago on the network you offered maps of the resort for trade. I was hoping I would find you still willing and able to make this deal.

We can work something out, sure. It's gotten a lot more detailed since I put that message up.

[ This place has layers, okay. ]

Even better. Do you prefer your payment in chips transferred to your name?

That works, unless you want to buy me a lot of drinks instead.

[ Attached is a digital copy of Nami's resort map, designated areas marked 'haunted', 'horny' and 'safe' clearly detailed. ]

queen nami.
heard there is a party.
i want in.

[ and then much later, she adds, as if an afterthought, just realising. ]

congrats.

You know they expect our dates to wear a collar and a leash right?

can make the collar and leash pretty?

[ she's not so keen on playing the submissive pet. but, anything to check out what the party has in store. ]

Yeah, of course. We can treat like weird jewelery if you want, it doesn't have to be a pet thing.

good.
pick for me?

[ usually belarus would decide on her own. but if she's going to play the part, then she'll leave that decision in nami's hand. ]

The one I've got already is pretty heavy-duty, I think you need something prettier. Velvet or lace?

lace

[ the reply comes immediate. ]

Very pretty. Come up to my place and we'll get ready and go from there.

ok

[ another quick, short reply, and belarus is on her way. it takes a couple minutes, but soon there's a firm knock on nami's suite door. ]

Glad you wanted to come.

[ Nami greets Belarus, stepping aside to show her across the walkway above the water garden and inside the suite proper, shooting the other woman a wry smirk before she adds– ]

I didn't do all this not to take advantage of it.

[ Never mind that letting those she likes enough to share with benefit is a very happy bonus. ]

[ how did belarus know which exact door to nami's suite? shhh, she has her method.

either way, belarus gives nami a small smile when the door opens, stepping in before her eyes widen slightly at the surrounding sights. ]

I can see why. Fancy.

[ how many rooms are there? this is next level presidential suite! queen's suite, more like. ]

Could put a whole ship in here.

I think if they gave me anything big enough, my captain would try to get me to use it to bust out of here.

[ Her shoulders lift in a quick shrug as one side of her mouth quirks up in dry amusement. ]

Should we head to my closet? I sent somebody to get us something pretty to fit the leash and collar requirement, it should be waiting by now.

[ belarus can't help but chuckle softly in return, before nodding and waving for nami to lead them. ]

It better be pretty. Would not want to make you look bad.

[ as displeased as belarus is about having to attend the party as a submissive, collared and leashed, some sacrifices will have to be made if she wants in. ]

With such a large suite, I am not surprised if your captain and the whole crew starts living here.

Taking all the stupid bullshit in this casino, that might not be a bad thing.

[ She could keep an eye on those idiots. Getting Luffy out of his kitchen cage after he's caught stealing food is fun, but there are better ways to spend her time. And the suite certainly provides. ]

You know where to find me if you ever feel like getting some fake sun.

[ Taking that invitation into consideration, Nami makes a mental note to try to remember which vodka it is her friend prefers, and get the staff manning this place to stock it for her.

After reaching a wall covered in different framed maps, islands from Nami's world, and a few others thrown in here and there, she presses the face of her watch against the side of a particularly large one and causing a secret panel to pop open, ushering into the private set of rooms meant just for her, and the walk-in closet waiting around the nearest corner. ]

✨YOU HAVE BEEN CORDIALLY INVITED TO✨
A DAY OF PLEASURE AND DELIGHTS
With Buggy the Clown 🤡
Text is good for one free request of your choice ✨

All for the low price of coming shopping with me.
I need a second opinion on makeup and have you seen the tastes Straw Hat and Red Hair have?
At least one of them would try to eat it instead.

Which part is supposed to be the pleasure part?

And yeah, I'll come. Give you the shopping with a queen experience.

That comes after.

What sort of experience is that exactly?

We get served champagne while staff brings us everything we ask for. Should be good for makeup.

Are you joking? That's so unfair!!

Are you really gonna complain about getting waited on, hand and foot? You might learn something new about how to give the princess treatment.

Not complaining at all.

So, that means you're in, right? Are you free today?

Yeah I can be free. Where am I meeting you?

Near the shops? We can decide which ones from there.

[ And by the shop is where Buggy finds her, a coffee from Birdbucks fetched by one of her already shooed off entourage in one hand, the other lifting in a small wave as she heads over to where he's approaching from. ]

So, make-up and pleasure, huh?

[ Did she wear a dress specifically due to the promise of the latter? Nami would absolutely never give Buggy the satisfaction of admitting or agreeing to that, but, it couldn't hurt matters, right? ]

Maybe both at the same time.

[Why play coy? Especially when that dress looks -- really good on her. He might be distracted, just a tiny moment.]

Unless you're not as adventurous as you seem. [SIGH.]

Oh?

[ That sounds like both a challenge and an invitation, and considering some of the more sordid things they've talked about doing in some very heated moments, Nami's curiosity is quickly piqued.

Turning to look at him, Nami raises her eyebrows, getting closer to him in one casually slow, smooth movement so she can murmur her next question against the shell of his ear, and not risk being overheard. ]

Are you going to be able to focus on shopping if your cock is inside me?

[There's a slight curl to his lips at the taunting. It sounds like she's giving a challenge in return -- and it sends a shiver down his spine.]

What, you think my focus is that bad?

[He fixes her with a more playful look.]

I can promise you, I've got enough attention for both. Unless you're really gonna go out of your way to distract me.

[ Leaning far enough away from him that he can catch the impish dubiousness in her expression, Nami spares a glance around them before meeting Buggy's eye once more, her head nodding slowly as her face warms over with barely suppressed amusement. ]

Oh, yeah, I'm going to go out of my way to distract you, but considering I'm the one getting fucked while walking around, you can't blame me for that. [ Then, after a beat, because her mind's been made up and the thought is impossibly arousing– ] So where to?

[She can't blame him for sneaking a hand down to give her ass a little grope when she's talking about him fucking her in public, right?

Right.]

Some place so we can get a moment of privacy. A dressing room, maybe?

[They can worry about all the rest of the shopping later.]

You're on.

[ As queen, she can get away with a fair amount, but sneaking around with his cock inside her is still going to present a challenge, but the idea of having her cunt filled for hours while she walks around undetected is too thrilling to resist.

Her hand shifts against his ass before Nami leans in again to bite the side of his neck. ]

Fitting rooms are just that way, come on.

[ Another bump of her hip and she's off, leading him to their first destination, and likely not the last she'll drag him to for horny reasons. ]

[Was Rinne waiting in the casino specifically for one pirate to come? Absolutely. Did she know about it? Not at all. Not that one can probably tell that was his real reason, since he's hitting up the pachinko machines and testing which ones feel rigged or not. Lady luck seems to be smiling on him today, because he's getting a fairly decent payout this time.

That, and his target finally arrived after... about an hour of waiting. Casually. Like he wasn't just there pretending he wasn't going to ambush her or anything.

Which is why Nami's not even going to get a normal greeting. Normal greeting is for chumps. Instead, Rinne just gets in her way and grabs her around the waist, taking a hand in his and twirling them around, before he dips her towards the ground, careful not to drop her.]

Hey pretty lady. We're goin' on a date.

[ No, she had no idea, the whole looking very fetching in a little black dress was for her. Any seasoned gambler knows the importance of looking cute at the high roller's table, after all.

Rather than spending her night growing her surplus of chips, she's bent backwards in an unsolicited dip, without more than a befuddled what?! of objection before the realization of what's happening here sinks in. Lucky for Rinne, she likes him, and when the surprise drains from her face, and she's scowling up at him instead, the exasperation on her face doesn't reach her eyes, betraying her amusement. ]

Is that what we're doing? [ One of her arms has ended up wrapped around his shoulders in an unconscious move to brace herself while she was all but swept off her feet, but her free hand reaches up, tugging the ends of his hair. ] And where are we going on this date?

When I find ya in a little black dress. Oh wait, I already did.

[He'll pull her back up as he says that, keeping his hands in place-- holding hers, and around her waist-- before he leans in to kiss her forehead.]

Come on, I wanna go to Chickadees with a chickadee, and I found the perfect one right here.

I guess that's smart.

[ He eyes close briefly when he draws close and kisses her forehead, the hand not holding onto his brushing his cheek as he does, a potentially familiar gesture at this point, for all its absent affection. ]

I am pretty perfect.

[ Shifting to settle against his side, Nami leans into the arm he's wrapped around her, raising her eyebrows at him. ]

You better plan to win me the biggest prize you can.

[ Which is to say, yes, she'd be happy and more than just a bit charmed, going on a date with him tonight. Not that Nami would ever use those words. ]

Edited 2024-06-09 04:06 (UTC)

I got lady luck by my side, so I'm confident I'll get it.

[Well, that at least made it easier for him. He didn't doubt she would be up for it, but it would have depended highly on how much she wanted to get some chips in. Seems like not so much for now.

With that in mind, he slips his hand to the small of her back, leading her out of the casino.]

Ever been there?

What a cheesy line.

[ Pursing her lips to hold back a smile after being referred to as lady luck, Nami rolls her eyes, bumping her hip against his before she lets herself be led out of the casino and towards the arcade instead. ]

A few times. [ Nami drops the last of her exasperated facade, and looks back at him with a grin. ]

You'll see if you get me by the skee-ball.

[ Or the claw machines, but he's the one winning her prizes tonight. ]

That so? I'll treat ya to the skee-ball then. Gotta see just how good you are.

[And well, he can always get her a prize later, or through skee-ball winnings. Surely, tickets are a thing they can exchange for dolls. He likes that kind of turnout.]

Don't think I'm gonna give you my tickets so you can get me a prize.

[ Heading into the neon drenched confines of the arcade, she looks up at Rinne, reaching up to gently tug the ends of his hair. ]

Well? Take me to your favorite game first.

Aww, ya caught me. Guess we'll just have to play for fun.

[He chuckles, and when she asks for his favorite game, well...]

Cranes it is, then.

[Time to lead her to one with giant fox dolls then.]

Cranes?

[ That's one she hasn't played yet, and Nami perks up curiously as they approach the game, letting his arm go once she's close to the giant fox dolls, to admire the choice of prizes. ]

I want you to win me– [ Nami points at a fox wearing a baseball hat, its pointed ears sticking out of two slits in the top. ] That one.

[ Nami sets a hand on his shoulder and plants a quick kiss to his cheek. ]

Looks kinda like you.

Ha? How's that supposed to look like me?

[Probably the redness, but the baseball hat. He tilts his head, squinting at it, but grins after a while once he figures the best angle to go for. All right.

He's going to go ahead and win that on the first try, because of course he does. He's probably got more experience with this than one might expect.]

Look at the way it's smirking, it's practically based off you.

[ Nami goes quiet when Rinne gets ready to play, laughing quietly in surprise after he wins her the fox on his first attempt. ]

Not bad. Guess I might consider a second date.

Kyaha~ Ya got a new copy of me, but only consider a second date? Ain'tcha a hard sell.

[Not that he minds, not when he picks up the doll from the slot and boops her cheek with its nose like a kiss.]

You haven't asked for a second date yet, you don't know what I'd say.

[ Grinning in spite of herself when he boops her on the cheek with the fox's stuffed snout, Nami takes the toy off him and hugs it loosely to her chest. ]

Come on, my turn to show you my favorite.

[ And expose herself as a hopelessly, highly perfectionist skee-ball addict, which takes her all of one turn once they get to an open lane. The way she rolls the ball, makes it very obvious she's studied this and practiced. ]

Guess we'll find out when that happens.

[Which is subject to Rinne's whims, just like today. Skee-ball reminds him of a certain other individual, and his heart aches a little when he realizes it, but he ignores it for now. The whole purpose of this exercise was to make sure that people who were still here were okay, and those who weren't...

Well, he'll figure that out later.]

Wow, yer keepin' the top scores on yer own? That's impressive.

I can't spend all my time at the casino. I like having all these chips to go shopping with when I want to.

[ The remaining two balls are dispatched up the lane with similar ease, and Nami collects her tickets, looking pleased with herself as she holds them up. ]

Wanna pick another game, or help me pick another prize to go with this guy?

[ She lifts the fox cradled in the crook of her arm when she asks, even though deep down Nami has already made up her mind to get him something stupid and small from the prize counter instead — like a mood ring, or a keychain with a squishy tangerine hanging from it. ]

Did you go to places like this back home?

Nah, let's make a competition of it. Ain't it more fun with some challenge?

[And if they get more tickets, all the merrier, even if it's not going to him. He enjoyed the thrill of it, after all. This kind of win-lose situation, where there were stakes.

People would say it's unhealthy, but well, what was healthy here? He'll go ahead and start the adjacent machine, so that he can compete with her score.]

I did sometimes. Not that often though, just when I got nothin' better to do. I prefer goin' to a bar or a pachinko parlor when I can.

Suit yourself, but don't come crying to me when I completely crush you.

[ She turns the wooden ball cupped in her palm around, shifting her weight from foot to foot while she seems to size the lane in front of her up. ]

There weren't that many gambling machines in the places I've been, just the really fancy casinos. [ The ones she pickpocketed and charmed her way through, rather than gamble. ]

What about cards? [ Nami takes her next shot after asking, managing to hit the 1000 point hole, which only serves to make her look even more smug. ]

I've never been to a fancy casino before this place. Been wantin' to, but not like this.

[So you know, his familiarity with the smaller pachinko parlors was much more comfortable for him. No big gambling places, unless it was just for a stage performance.]

I play 'em. I'm better at mahjong though. You ever heard of that?

[He's taking it seriously enough, at least, observing the way she moves before mimicking it. He just narrowly misses, the ball bouncing off the 1000 point to fall to the next ring. Oof.]

Damn, so close.

No never. Teach me how to play?

[ Nami watches Rinne from the corner of her eye, she lets him take his shot before glancing towards him with a playful shake of her head. ]

You gotta let the ball roll off your fingertips when you shoot it.

[ Which is what she does with her last ball, hitting the 1000 again with a smug huff of victory. ]

You don't want to know how many chips I've lost figuring out how to hit that thing.

Kyaha~ Sure, sure. We'll make it our next date.

[They were a bit too heavy to carry around on a day-to-day basis after all. He rolls the ball in his hand for a moment, trying to test the feel of it over his palm, the length of his fingers, before the tips... It wasn't too hard to do, at least.]

Weight's throwin' me off. Give me a few.

[He's going to try again. It's closer this time, but still ends up falling over to the other side at the bounce.]

Gonna hold you to that.

[ Both teaching her a new game she can gamble with, and a second date. She counts her tickets and looks up just in time to watch Rinne's ball go off course at the last minute. ]

You gotta– [ Heading over to Rinne after pocketing her tickets, Nami's hand slides to his, covering the back of it with her palm as she guides it back and out again, her front leaning into his side a little more than it needs to while she walks him through the mock shot, an incidental byproduct of how familiar he feels to her after all these months. ] Like this.

Show off.

[He teases, but it's with fond exasperation, clearly not bothered. He did, after all, immediately relax into her touch so she can lead his hand, let him get the point that he'd been aiming for this whole time.]

Ya sure you were ever bad at this? Yer so natural~

[ Nami briefly lets her chin settle on Rinne's shoulder, a passing show of fondness before she pulls away, her eyes flicking towards a skee-ball shaped scuff mark in the wall beside the lane she's been playing at. ]

You missed my first attempts. [ She smirks, tilting her head towards the mark before looking back to him. ]

Besides, isn't showing off part of the whole, date thing? I'm supposed to impress you, or something, right?

[ Like she knows anything about what happens on dates. ]

And here I thought that was my job. Well, if ya wanna sweep me off my feet, I ain't complainin'.

[He lets the timer run anyway while he speaks in a teasing manner, especially when it starts to make noises a few seconds later, signaling his obvious loss to her.]

Looks like yer still the grand champion, Nami-chan~

Maybe I do. [ Reaching down to tear off his tickets, she holds them out for him to take. ] But that doesn't mean you can slack off from sweeping me off mine.

[ Taking a step back, she cocks her head towards towards one of the ticket exchange booths. ]

Come on, I gotta get you your prize. Make sure you're swept or whatever.

[ Whether she's sincerely trying to brush the notion off, or not, the grin lurking at the corners of her mouth reveal just how pleased with herself she is. ]

What game are we playing next, dream date?

Ever played basketball?

[Since, you know, he still had to focus on games that had tickets so he can win her a prize.]

It's that one over there with the hoops. Best score wins?

Nope. Your turn to show me.

[ Which, she doesn't mind, come to think of it, secretly charmed by the idea of taking turns showing off with him for the rest of the night. ]

Meet you over there.

[ Nami's got to take a detour, swapping out her tickets for an alarminglyon point looking prize, before she finds Rinne by the basketball machines, holding her winnings out for him to take with a quietly proud smirk on her face. ]

[He's not turning in his tickets yet, so he doesn't complain when she goes off, already heading to the machine so he can grab one of the basketballs and toss it up a few times to test its weight. Someone probably forgot to toss it back in, because there were no other balls present. Once she's back, he takes one look at the cat and laughs.]

Looks just like ya! How cute.

[He shows her the ball, grinning.]

This one's a little easier. Yer goal is to toss as many of these into that hoop over there before the buzzer. Wanna try it?

You can look at it when you miss me.

[ She takes the basketball off him, tossing it idly in her hands as Rinne points out the hoop and explains how basketball works. It's not a game she's ever seen played before, and rather than look foolish, Nami tosses the ball back to Rinne. ]

Show me how it's done, dream date.

Kyaha~ All right, I'll do one round on my own, then we do a match.

[Starting a new game then.

Because enstars has bullshit skill progression though, he's gonna be pretty amazing at hitting those hoops. Not always-- some balls bounce off and he curses for those, but he doesn't stop until no more balls are rolling down for him to pick up.

He grins at her when it's done, taking the tickets and pocketing it for later.]

Whaddya think? Doable?

[ Crossing her arms comfortably over her chest, Nami hangs back and watches Rinne play, sizing up the way he moves to shoot the ball and the fact that more times than not, his efforts very clearly pay off. It's not the kind of skill game she's going to be instantly flawless at, and Nami's already prepared to lose, but, she'll give it a shot. ]

Doable. [ As comfortable as she is with not winning this round, she's still got her game face on, even though after she gives him an almost serious-looking nod, Nami follows it up with a small, but sincere grin.

She's not going to let herself dwell on the thought that she doesn't mind looking like an idiot in front of Rinne, which is good, because once it's her turn, she misses every shot but one. ]

I guess you have this and I'll have skee-ball.

That last shot was good though. Ya managed to find a position that works for ya.

[He says cheerfully, focusing on praise rather than teasing in this case. She wasn't gonna get it immediately, but even one can be hard if you're not used to it and that's how he sees it.

He'll take his new stack of tickets, pocketing it for now.]

One all then. Ya want a tiebreaker? Coz I got a game ya might like~ Even if it's got no tickets.

[ The unexpected praise leaves her grinning, a surprised laugh escaping her before she reaches out to take his arm, waiting to settle against his side until after he pockets his tickets. ]

Come on then. Let's see what you have in mind.

[He shuffles behind her, reaching up to cover her eyes with both hands, grinning.]

It's a secret~ Just follow my lead.

[It's not a big secret, not when it's so close but-- it's air hockey. He is leading her to the air hockey table.]

[ Naturally, she has never seen an air hockey table before, but some things – two goals at opposite ends of an arcade-sized pitch – are a common set up for any game, regardless of universe. Nami figures it out quickly enough to laugh after Rinne lifts his hands from her eyes to reveal the surprise final round. ]

We defend our goals, right?

[ Nami's hand covers the pusher, experimentally guiding it around the table close to her goal after she takes her side. ]

You're going down, Amagi.

Kyaha~ So ya already know the game. That makes it easy.

[Going down, is he?]

I like yer fightin' spirit. Ya better back it up, coz I ain't goin' easy.

[And he won't. The question is, who will win through sheer determination and not due to flying puck?]

[ cntd ]

Should I dress up, or undress?

It is a birthday celebration, so there should be presents to unwrap. But I suppose those should be more for you, less for me.

And I do like presents. You unwrapping me could be as much of one for me, as me unwrapping you is going to be.

Then, it sounds like the best present would be giving you the chance to experience both.

I'll be really impressed if you get a bow on.

Well, now I need to find a way.

[ There's a bit more banter, the flirtatious with a soft twist variety she and Shanks fall into with increasing ease the longer they're here, the more they end up doing with each other. She's excited that he's coming to see her for her birthday again, their night getting drunk and then some with Buggy had been a good time, but deep down, she likes getting Shanks to herself.

When he arrives, she meets him at the door of her suite with a lazy, lopsided smile on her face. Nami resists the urge to reach out and pull him inside, stepping sideways inside so he can show himself in. ]

So, did you manage a bow?

[ Shanks looks down, lips in a slight pout when Nami first asks her question, then he lifts them to Nami's face and gives her a smirk. ]

You'll just have to find out, won't you? [ In fact, he did find a cock ring in one of the shops that had a bow on it. Tying an actual bow would have been a little much, for him. ]

[ He steps in, then pauses by Nami to lean in for a kiss, if she will accept it. ]

[ More than accepting when Shanks gets close and ducks down to kiss her, Nami's arms slide around him, pulling him against her as she takes a few steps back into her apartment, kissing him hard as the firm press of his cock against her draws a low laugh out of her. ]

Gonna have to unwrap you first. [ Which she's done often enough by now that his shirt is already half undone, her deft fingers working to pull the last few buttons free in an impatient rush before she pushes the garment off his shoulders. ]

Think we're going to make it all the way back to my bed? [ Nami asks in a low purr against his lips, her teeth catching his bottom one and tugging hard. ]

[ The kisses are passionate, in between Shanks moving his head, his arm, his feet, to allow Nami to remove what clothing she can. His hand always goes back to her body, at her waist, to squeeze a breast, cup her face. He can't seem to stop touching her. ]

[ Shanks answers, earnestly, with a grin. ] No, but we have enough experience with the rest of your place.

[ As they make their way, he starts to pluck at Nami's clothes, to help get her naked, if she'll allow him, of course. He's not against the queen keeping her clothes, if she prefers to lord over him. ]

[ All too happy to be kissed and touched, and enjoying the pampering that's come with it being with her birthday enough to lower her guard to do so openly, she sighs as his hand finds her breast, arching into Shanks' hand.

Helping him get her dress over her head, Nami reaches back to unclasp her bra, tossing it aside before she wraps an arm around Shanks again, continuing to lead him backwards while ducking her head to kiss his neck. ]

There's a table to your left. [ The words are murmured against his skin as her hand roves down, running her palm over the hard line of his cock through his pants. ] If this isn't part of my present, I'm gonna be pissed.

[ The only reason his hand leaves her breast is to feel the rest of Nami, or to help with the undressing. Once she's undressed, Shanks starts on his own clothes, in between the attentions he pays Nami. ]

[ Shanks barely murmurs understand to Nami's remark on the table. His arm goes around Nami's waist to lift her and place her on it, then he chuckles at the feel of her hand against his dick. ]

[ She might be able to feel the cock ring on it. ]

Whatever you like is part of your present. I'm all yours, today.

[ It's not until his pants her pulled open and her hand is fisting around the shaft of his cock and working down towards the base that she feels the ring, a sensation that makes her gasp softly in surprise against his lips. ]

Something else you're gonna teach me about? [ Nami purrs against Shanks' mouth, rising onto the balls of her feet before shifting back far enough to perch her ass on the edge of the table. Today, she's not going to ignore how good it feels to hear him say things like that to her. They're never going to be all for each other, not here, not at home, but, today – as with all the little moments they've spent the months here sharing between them – she's willing to indulge it, her hand eagerly stroking his cock as she guides it out of his pants, one of her thighs already settling on his hip. ]

[ Shanks grins when he feels her fingers against his flesh, when he sees the Expression on Nami's face when she feels the cock ring. ]

Perhaps. It was the quickest thing I can find with a bow on it. [ He lifts his hand to point out why tying an actual one would have been a bit more time consuming. ]

[ No, they never will be able to give each all of themselves, but that doesn't change anything. Doesn't make this any less fun, or soft, or sweet. He puts his arm around Nami's waist, and lifts her onto the table proper. Then his hand slides down to the swell of her ass as she massages his cock. Their skin touching burns, in a welcoming way. Like cold hands moving toward a fire, he pushes his his body closer to Nami's. ]

[ Sometimes, it's almost like Shanks doesn't care if he gets burned. ]

[ Nami lets Shanks go long enough to grasp the edge of the table when his arm goes around her, hoisting herself up purely to free his hand up a little quicker, eager to have him touching her again, sooner. ]

Something tells me you're gonna be a great gift.

[ Her eyes dart down as she speaks, catching sight of the ring around the base of his cock, and how incredibly hard it's made him. By the time their eyes meet again, she's flushed, her thighs hooking onto his hips to pull him closer. ]

Come here already.

[ Just for today, she can be openly greedy for him (not that she manages to hold back normally), letting her hips arch towards Shanks' until the hard press of his cock is teasing just against her entrance. ]

That is always the goal. [ He says that with half amusement, half sincerity, though, really, it's not very serious. As soon as Nami is on the table, he moves in closer. ]

[ And her greed is always accepted, welcome, and encouraged. In fact, he chuckles when she tells him to 'come here.' For all of his usual mild expressions, Shanks does breathe out a soft moan at the feel of Nami against his tip, with his eyes fluttering closed for a second. ]

So, today, Queen Nami, [ Shanks leans into whisper in Nami's ear ] I only come when you allow me to. When you remove the bow.

[ The prospect of being allowed to control when Shanks gets to find release, even though she can fuck him as many times as she wants to, makes want flare through her. Her hips lift a little more urgently, as a soft moan escapes her after feeling more of his cock slide slowly inside her.

Nami turns her head, nuzzling the side of his face, her lips brushing against his skin as she speaks. ]

Make me come so many times, I need to feel your cum filling me up.

[ Shanks, too, finds want and desire burning through him even more at the power he's given Nami. That he trusts her with it. ]

[ He pushes in carefully, as it makes him want to move in her until he gets release, but, of course, he can't. Not yet. ]

[ Nami nuzzles him, and Shanks feels pleasant sparks along even bit of skin Nami touches. ]

I think I can manage that. [ He manages to sound at ease about the concept, when really, he's eager. The ring might be a little cold, but it doesn't hinder him from entering Nami. He moves a bit quicker. ]

[ Inhaling sharply as he sinks further into her, the blunt tips of her nails bite lightly into his shoulders as she all but arches towards him in search of more. ]

Fuck me, Shanks. Fuck me so hard.

[ It would go beyond the constraints of their relationship to tell him she wanted to be fucked to the point of feeling claimed, but the needy way she moans before her teeth tug at his earlobe betrays just how much anticipation built through her. ]

[ Shanks gives a throaty chuckle to her words, then his expression softens as he nuzzles against Nami's neck. ]

I have no intention to do anything otherwise.

[ He thrusts into Nami, his body eager to come, but the bow keeps him in check as he gives a soft moan against Nami's skin. Just her words make him burn, eager for release. ]

[ cntd ]

It's bigger than it should be, and that's not even the weirdest part of this place.

When I got here I woke up in a jungle, naked, so yeah, just a bit.

[ cntd ]

They do what you want if you tell them it's turning you on, so I send them on errands.

Meet you at the library, I'll bring the booze.

Ha! That is a fantastic plan. I will keep that in mind if I ever work my way up the ranks

[Unlikely, but hey, you never know.]

I will see you there.

[ cntd ]

She wouldn't be able to resist both of us.

So tire you out first by getting sweaty, then read. Got it.

You're right. If we catch her off guard, we'll have an even bigger advantage. I'm sure you've pegged some of her weak spots by now.

What do you read? It's not just maps?

I've had the chance to do some in depth recon, yes. Think you can handle both of us?

Not just maps, but there are a lot of cool ones from other worlds in the library. I like books about the stars in different worlds too, the folklore, stuff like that. I read this romance novel last week about a disgraced baroness turned beekeeper who gets her bodice ripped off by a lusty farmhand. That was pretty cool.

If not, I'm willing to die trying. It seems like a worthy cause.

Any novels about a handsome swordsman sweeping a feisty innkeeper that's secretly a pirate off of her feet?

You'll die smiling, at least.

Oh yeah. It was a filthy book too. I wasn't expecting the handsome swordsman to literally pick her up and run down multiple flights of stairs, but after he fucked her into the bed, I was sold on the idea.

Hah. It works up a sweat, doesn’t it? More impressive than taking the easy way and gets the blood boiling.

Is that your usual type of book? I can see why you’d want to join a club, in that case.

Happy Birthday, Nami. Care to join me at Crane's Respite for a bath? Don't worry, I've ensured that the two of us will have whichever bath we want to ourselves. Or we can just explore the pools.

[ She might have just swooned a little bit, getting this message. ]

Spending time with you sounds like the perfect way to spend today. When do you want to meet up?

I was hoping you'd say that. Can you meet me there in an hour?

I'll be waiting. Thanks for asking me out today.

[ Don't perceive her. ]

Meet me in the Main Hall there.

***

[ True to her word, Mitsuru is as punctual as ever and at the bath house within the hour. De-clothed, wrapped in a towel and perhaps feeling just a little jittery with nervous excitement, she still enters the main looking as regal as one can possibly can be while nearly nude. The little flush on her cheeks betrays her inner feelings somewhat as she scans the vast space for a sight of the beautiful woman she's here to meet.

That baths are as empty of anyone else as she promised they would be and she's holding a small, rectangular box in one elegant hand. ]

[ While she isn't the best at showing her her feelings, there's a relaxed bent to her smile as she waits for Mitsuru that day. This is the first time in a long time that anything special has happened for her birthday, and the fact that Mitsuru noticed, and cared enough to bring it up, warms her heart.

With the baths as empty and quiet as they are in anticipation of the arrival of the pair of queens, Nami wastes no time getting comfortable, her towel left on the edge of one of the natural-seeming stone pools as she sinks into the steamy water. Her eyes fall closed, only opening again at the sound of familiar footfalls echoing through the baths, the already comfortable little grin on her face spreading wider as her friend approaches. ]

All this peace and quiet is a pretty good present. I could get used to this birthday thing.

Happy birthday, Nami.

[ She smiles at Nami's remark and Mitsuru is actually a little grateful that the water is blocking the view in front of her as she approaches. It wouldn't be terribly well behaved to immediately start ogling the other woman the moment she sets foot in the baths after all. She's deliberately keeping her hands behind her back for one very obvious reason. ]

Would you like your actual gift now or later? When we both have clothes on again...

[ Because Mitsuru definitely has a preference, even if she's not going to say it aloud. Not yet anyway.

She moves her hands back round in front of her, a small box clutched in one while she uses the other to start unfastening her own towel. She lets the towel fall to the floor next to Nami's at the edge of the pool as she awaits the other woman's response. ]

Edited 2024-08-15 21:02 (UTC)

Now, of course. I don't think we're going to be dressed for a while.

[ And because she's greedy. Especially so when Mitsuru's concerned. More than that, just thinking about how her friend – one of the first people she met at this resort – thought enough about her birthday makes her so happy her heart aches. It's good to have her life back, even if that freedom has manifested itself, very ironically, by way of their current imprisonment in the casino.

The grin on her face grows wider at the soft sound of rustling fabric as Mitsuru's towel pools at her feet. Before she has the chance to think twice, Nami finds herself moving through the water towards her, the present slipping from her mind, replaced by the overwhelming need to kiss her once she gets close enough for Nami to do so. ]

[ They can't get carried away already, surely? But as Mitsuru takes a seat on the edge of the pool, legs dangling into the water as Nami approaches and kisses her, she's already parting them to let the other woman take her very natural place between them. She could so easily lie back on the edge of the pool and surrender to that familiar flustered warmth building inside of her, beg Nami to take her from her position in the water like the siren she might as well be to Mitsuru at this point... Fantasising about the auburn haired beauty's mouth and tongue...

Not yet.

And if anything, Nami should be the one receiving all of the pleasure today.

She forces herself to break the kiss that she's already hungering to make just a little too heated. Instead turning her attention back to the small box still in her hand. She holds it out, feeling a little nervous - her friend might not like it after all. Jewellery is such a personal thing. ]

Here. Open it, Nami.

[ Inside is a ruby and platinum necklace. ]

[ Settling very comfortably between Mitsuru's thighs, Nami's hands run along them as Mitsuru leans in to return that kiss, leaving her senses stirring, crackling with newfound heat and awareness. After everything they've shared over the last few months, it isn't hard for Mitsuru to make Nami's heart beat faster with just that first kiss hello.

Mitsuru pulls away, leaving Nami flushed and sighing dreamily as she lifts her gaze towards her friend's face, unable to quell the softness in her smile and not bothering to try either.

The box is a surprise, enough to make Nami straighten where she stands in the water, glancing between it and Mitsuru before she reaches to open it.

Stunned by the sight of the necklace, color rises to her face as her smile grows wider. Nami's a fan of the finer things, and unafraid to use the chips she earns spoiling herself, but it's different when it's somebody else doing it, especially like this, especially a person she likes as much as she does Mitsuru. ]

You've really outdone yourself.

[ There's no mistaking how touched she is, even though Nami keeps her voice soft. She keeps one hand on the box as the other reaches for the darker-haired woman to pull her into another kiss. ]

Put it on me?

[ That kiss is returned with no small amount of enthusiasm until Nami voices the question of Mitsuru putting the gift on her. ]

Of course. Turn around for me?

[ Even with all of Mitsuru's vast wealth back home she still recognises such a gift for what it is, quite an extravagant one amongst other things. The smile on her lips is warm and genuine as she does as Nami asks, taking the box to remove the shimmering necklace and undo the delicate fastening. Ready to place the exquisite item of jewellery around the other woman's neck. ]

I believe ruby is your birthstone, so I thought it appropriate.

[ That deep red is also not far away from Mitsuru's own colouring although she doesn't feel the need to voice that Nami wearing a little reminder of her in several ways is a very pleasant thing. ]

Edited 2024-09-10 15:37 (UTC)

[ With her lips still tingling from that last kiss, she turns around as she's asked. The bashfully elated smile that Nami's been working hard to cover up slipping through now that she's facing away from Mitsuru, her eyes downcast, watching the pendant as it settles below her collarbone. ]

It's perfect, Mitsuru.

[ Just like the giver, actually. The necklace settles as Mitsuru fastens the clasp, and Nami reaches up, running her fingertips over the smooth surface of the precious gem as she shifts again, color clinging to the apples of her cheeks when she finally looks back at the other woman once more. ]

I'll think of you forever.

[ The stone being the same color as Mitsuru's hair is just one more wonderful detail, and it hasn't escaped her attention, although whether that's the reason Nami admits something so soft, or if it's just a general matter of fact is a mystery.

Maybe a bit of both.

The cat burglar's hands run up Mitsuru's thighs, gently palming the soft flesh as she tips her head up, meeting her friend's eye as she leans out of the water and kisses her shoulder. ]

We might not get around to the rest of the day. I think we can celebrate my birthday right here.

[ Nami's fingers travel high on Mitsuru's thigh before delving inward, two of her fingertips grazing lightly over the fabric at the front of her swimsuit. Desire is never far away when she's alone with Mitsuru, and it never has been, but the mental image of her head between her friend's thighs, making her cum while the necklace brushes over her skin in time with the way Nami works her tongue over Mitsuru's cunt is more alluring than Nami anticipated, a very well-spoiled pet enjoying thanking her mistress properly even. ]

I'm so glad you like it.

[ I'll think of you forever.

Those words will be reverberating around the younger woman's head for good while and that flush on her face has nothing whatsoever to do with the heat and humidity in here although she could certainly try and play it off as such. Badly.

Despite the heat, she shivers with appreciation and anticipation when Nami's hands begin to explore her, moving from her thighs and finally, between her legs... It wouldn't take much to make her wet, not with Nami and the other woman must more than know that by now... She bites her lower lip for a moment as she gazes back at her. ]

It's your birthday. We can spend it however you wish...

[ Although if Mitsuru were to be asked for her say in it then she would most definitely request that Nami absolutely not stop the way she's started touching her through the front of her swimsuit... ]

It's been a long time since I got to enjoy a birthday.

[ Her voice might be low and calmly conversational when she starts, but Nami's hands are anything but casual. Were she thinking tactically, she would have kept touching Mitsuru in the hops that the weight of her words goes missed, but in actuality, that doesn't matter as much as how good the act itself is. ]

So I think I want to spend it celebrating.

[ Applying a pointed degree of teasing pressure, Nami's finger runs along the edge of Mitsuru's swimsuit, the back of her hand maddeningly light as it brushes against the soft skin of the other woman's inner thigh. Not bothering to try to mask the warmth underscoring that mischievously hungry look in her eye, Nami leans forward enough to run a line of kisses low on Mitsuru's abdomen as her fingers stray beneath the fabric. The tips of her fingers delve past the outer folds of Mitsuru's cunt and brush her clit, moving back and forth slowly while Nami kisses her way along the top of her friend's thigh. ]

Getting you to come on my tongue sounds like a celebration to me.

[ The hand not between Mitsuru's thighs moves to her hip to start tugging down the bottom of her suit, while her fingers maintain that slow tease, wanting to work her friend up just a little before getting her to perch on the edge of the pool so she can taste her. ]

[ The effect Nami has upon her is immediate, embarrassingly fast as usual and the pirate's fingers will find her slick with want. She shows zero hesitation in moving so she's perched right on the very edge of the pool, greedily taking the other woman's touches as she strokes her clit and makes her moan. She watches the way Nami trails those kisses down the length of her abdomen, she can hardly look away-

Honestly, it hardly seems fair that she's the one getting this kind of attention on Nami' birthday and yet, if this is really what her friend wants, ]

Whatever you wish for, whatever you demand... I'll give it to you.

[ Give herself to Nami, however she wants her. She sounds a little breathless already. ]

[ Despite the years Nami has spent needing to keep the expression on her face in check for one reason or another, she cannot tamp down the cheeky grin on her face while her mouth travels lower on Mitsuru's body. Nami might like being lavished with attention, and she does enjoy being spoiled (especially by Mitsuru), but the idea of having someone this special, a person that means this much to her, proves to be a powerful motivator. The weight of the pendant as it sways and bumps against her skin serves as a sweet reminder of that, ensuring she looks downright delighted when she eases Mitsuru's bottoms off while stealing a glance up at her face. ]

I've got an idea of what I want, for a start.

[ The idea of just how hard Mitsuru comes sometimes, and the memory of doing exactly that together, paired with the sight of her newly exposed folds sends a powerfully strong pang of desire straight to Nami's cunt, a sensation strong enough to draw a moan out of her, encouraging her closer to settle between Mitsuru's thighs and sinks lower into the water.

Her gaze stays fixed on Mitsuru's face as she leans in to let her tongue flick against Mitsuru's pussy, a brief tease before she delves deeper, her fingers delicately parting the other woman's folds to allow her to press her tongue against Mitsuru's clit, pressing gently to tease at that sensitive bud before she licks over it, letting her tongue flit back and forth. ]

[ Even if they have the place to themselves and Mitsuru had ensured that, there are still staff in the retreat ready to attend to them both behind the scenes, they're still in a public place and this just feels naughty... To have her fellow queen teasing her cunt and driving her crazy with her tongue already.

One of her hands grips the side of the pool, knuckles already turning white, the other reaches down to tangle in Nami's hair, sexily damp from being in the bathing pool she notes. Like an exceptionally devious siren, or mermaid, having her wicked way with Mitsuru who is all too willing to let her. ]

Nami- God-

[ The other woman's name leaves her mouth as easily as ever, she's quivering and spreading her legs wider as her fellow redhead's tongue presses to her clit and then begins to flick deliciously back and forth. It makes her whimper, grow wetter and slicker for her lover with every moment that passes. There is tension growing in her core, ready to uncoil and unravel within so quickly, so rapidly already. Nothing less is to be expected when Nami fucks her. ]

You're going to make me come...

[ Hearing Mitsuru say her name like that will never fail to send a jolt of desire straight to her core, lighting up her awareness and filling her with want. The taste of her wets Nami's lips and sears through her senses, compelling her to press her thighs tightly together, giving herself the barest bit of teasing pressure to squirm needily against beneath the water.

Flattening her tongue against Mitsuru's clit, Nami presses against that sensitive bud for a moment before resuming the purposefully quick passes back and forth over it instead.

One arm wraps around one of the darker-haired woman's thigh, settling it on her shoulder as Nami sinks lower in the water to let her mouth travel down, licking over the slick clinging to her entrance before her tongue fucks into her instead, moaning low as the heat and warmth radiating from Mitsuru's body leaves her own cunt shuddering with need. The fingers of her free hand run up Mitsuru's thigh before parting her folds, so the tip of one can circle against her clit. ]

Hard to imagine anything more beautiful than that right now.

[ Nami's breath is hot against Mitsuru's folds when she speaks, blue eyes flicking upward, dark with desire, as the corners of her lips curve into a grin.

Honestly, it's hard to imagine anything more beautiful than making Mitsuru come most of the time.

A low moan of want purrs from somewhere low in her throat before her mouth finds Mitsuru's clit again, lips tightening around it to suck while the tip of her tongue continues its relentless swirl as she presses two fingers inside the other woman and lets them curl. ]

[ cntd ]

[ It might not be the reaction she's expecting to what she tried to play off as a passing remark, rather than own up to whatever fondness she harbors for Ragna directly, but she gets it. ]

Weird being appreciated, huh?

[ Her full lips curve into a wry smirk as she looks over at him with slightly lifted eyebrows, her expression a good deal less guarded than it should be as she subtly tries to show that she understands how he feels.

Thankfully, when he calls her a good person it breaks the moment for her enough to laugh, waving off the remark before she leans across him to pop open the cooler full of drinks. ]

Not that long ago, you'd be in the minority with an opinion like that.

[ Holding up a bottle, she looks over her shoulder at him, cocking her head in offering. ]

Just a tiny bit, yeah.

[ Yeah. Definitely weird. But it also doesn't hurt that he's in an environment where he gets a chance to actually show this side of himself to others. He never would have put himself in this position before, for a number of reasons... Reasons that, frankly, didn't seem to matter here. It's lead him here on this boat, able to fleetingly "get away" from it all with Nami. He may not know her full story, but she looks so much brighter in this light.

Like it was something he needed to appreciate for the time that they've got here. The moment she leans across him for a cooler full of drinks, his mismatched gaze follows her when she calls him the minority in wanting more people like her. Or at least, he would have been. Raising his hand in acceptance, he nods for the drink in thanks. This oughta hit the spot while they set sail! ]

That'll happen when you don't have the whole story. [ A story that he wouldn't mind hearing, regardless of the circumstance. But he doesn't pry on her own past any further than that remark. Only that he gets it. ] I can probably count on one hand the list of people who DON'T think I'm an asshole.

[ Dot. Dot. Dot. ]

...Back home, I mean. [ Another beat. ] I think? Whaddya think, am I an asshole, Nami? You could join a very exclusive list—

[ Now he's having fun. ]

[ That eternal sense of trepidation flares deep in her chest at the mention of whole stories, and she's quick to shift her focus back to adjusting the sails, carefully pushing the boom until she hits the sweet spot with the wind.

It's a blessing that he's an idiot, his wondering aloud over being classed as an asshole leaving the corners of her mouth quirked up in barely suppressed amusement, eyeing him dubiously as her hair gets pushed back in the breeze. ]

You really want me to answer that, Ragna? [ That's when her smile finally breaks through her defenses, softening her whole expression as she shakes her head at him, draining away the critical, dry veneer she's been working on keeping firmly in place. ]

Not like I know the full story either, but – [ Nami tilts her head back, shaking her head at him, still smiling in spite of herself. ] Asshole's not the word I'd use.

[ It's seeing her mouth quirking up, that smile breaking upon her face, that deep down has Ragna playing around with the whole topic about whether or not he's an asshole. But it's as far as he'll chase the subject of his own accord. The prior one, anyway, as he decides to stand back up alongside her, drink in hand and a "breeze" brushing his thick white hair. Well, if nothing else, the resort knew how to emulate that feeling of being out on the open blue. A rough approximation of it anyway. He's mindful to stay out of her way as she adjusts the sails. ]

I'm a big boy. I can take it.

[ "Asshole's not the word I'd use." ]

Welcome to the list.

[ The list of people who don't think he's a jerk. ]

Y'know...there's a lot I can say I appreciate about you. [ Here, out on the "open sea", a little honesty never hurts. No one else was listening. No one else can hear. ] Doing something like this is one of them.

[ Nami laughs quietly at the ready welcome Ragna comes at her with, and shrugs a shoulder. ]

I've met a lot of assholes.

[ And though she knows she shouldn't, certain that she can keep sidestepping saying anything that might tip the tight, protective hold she keeps on her cards, Nami finds herself reaching out to nudge his thigh, eyeing him almost expectantly. ]

So? Your turn. What about me? [ And then, the worst thing she could possibly say if she intended to remain a mystery– ] Or do you need to learn more before you decide? [ It's the kind of carte blanche she doesn't normally hand out, but the even, dry tone of her voice doesn't betray that, or the anxiety that flares in the wake of that offer. ]

We have so much in common.

[ There's still that easier lift in his voice, his demeanour more relaxed out here. When she nudges his thigh, he blinks with a cant of his head when she asks about what he really thinks of her. Was he curious about her? Of course he was. As much as he kept the world at large at arms length back home, whilst the Grim Reaper didn't yearn to huddle everyone close to him...that didn't mean he didn't care. If anything, this world has given him an opportunity to learn so much more about others that he otherwise wouldn't have had the time for back home. Especially when he really does want to know more.

Regardless of how explosive their own initial encounter had been during the Hunt, it's the time he's spent with her outside of those salacious forays that's shown him how comfortable he can be around others. Nami was more than just easy to get along with. So if he wanted to learn more? There's one thing he has to set straight. After all, he's caused untold amounts of damage in his world on his own journey...he's hardly a saint himself, and she's fond of him. So regardless of what Nami says (or doesn't): ]

I'd wanna learn more because I like ya anyway. [ He says it so plainly, for someone he considers a friend ~~with benefits fsdjkl~~ ] FYI? That ain't gonna change.

[ That earns him a laugh, and for a moment Nami can't help but wonder what the assholes are like in the world Ragna comes from. It's not uncommon to know people without knowing them here, and admittedly more than a few of the friends she's made started out as trysts, or, like Ragna, because the resort decided to throw them together for its own ends. She can keep people at a distance like a pro, but learning how to enjoy warming to people is something she's learned to appreciate while being stuck here.

That doesn't mean she's especially good at the whole getting to know you thing. Still, he's here, and apparently interested. Nami likes him enough that she doesn't want to keep shutting that down. ]

Yeah? What would you wanna know? [ It's a blank check, after a fashion, but she's curious. For someone who knows her in the way Ragna does, it's hard to imagine what the first thing he'll ask her is. ]

Where to start... [ He doesn't have an inkling as to the torture and trauma Nami has had to endure on her way to becoming the hardened girl that she is today, and though he doesn't suspect a single thing now? He's still going to list off a couple ideas. ] Your hobbies, what you were up to before you became a pirate, favourite color—

[ Blank check, yes. And he's filling it! It's not about equivalent exchange, but he won't leave himself off the table either as he goes to take a swig of his bottle she's given him. ]

[ A couple light blows and one heavy-hitter he probably doesn't know is a weighty question. Disinclined to back down, although Nami's fairly certain she could balk and divert the question away from the stickier subjects she wouldn't get into on her own, Nami's eyebrows raise slowly as she draws a breath, her gaze darting off to the side as she goes for the worst first. ]

Before I was a pirate, I was a little kid. [ Her gaze returns to Ragna's as her shoulders lift in a shrug, quietly contending with the sense of caginess talking about her past always brings to life. ] I guess you could say I've been at it a long time. [ For better or much, much worse than anyone could imagine.

Then it's off to safer territory, and because of that, a tightness in her chest loosens slightly. ]

I like blue and orange – and I like drawing, and reading. [ Nami lifts her bottle to her lips and takes a drink, swallowing as she tips her chin towards him. ]

What about you? What did you do before you got a bounty?

[ Unbeknownst to Ragna, the hard hitting question and the company that she kept ~~was forced to stay with~~ remains a mystery to him. But it's when Nami's own bright gaze flicks to the side that his lighter curiosity does dampen slightly. He knows that body language, because he's also been there, hiding or figuring out how to handle a delicate situation. All the same, he waits, patiently by her side while she talks about her time as a small child before her life of piracy.

Meanwhile, the Grim Reaper holds to his neutral expression until they're out of the proverbially rougher waters together. ]

Drawing's no wonder. You're pretty good at it.

[ Although the tension doesn't return, there is a fleeting instance of hesitation in Ragna when it's the queen's turn to ask what he was up to before he got a bounty. The question was a loaded one, by no one's fault whatsoever. His timbre is relaxed even while he reflects, staring down the top of his bottle and deciding against having another drink whilst he starts with his red and green gaze set upon her. If there's a tinge of pensiveness in those unnatural eyes of his, he doesn't bother to mask it anymore. ]

I used to live at a church out in the countryside. I had two siblings; my little brother Jin, and Saya, my little sister. We didn't have a whole lotta luck before the Sister came along and took us in.

[ That's when his gaze sets out for the 'open' ocean instead, just past Nami's as even glossing this part of the story was always a difficult one to maintain eye contact for. ]

It's a long as hell story, [ And like he'd told Weiss once, some of it still didn't make sense to him either. He's still trying to understand now... ] But a lot happened since then. That church I used to live in got burnt down. Lost my right arm, got separated from my siblings, wound up training until I was strong enough to start getting back at the bastards responsible. I caused a lotta trouble along the way. And now I got some bounty on my head to show for it.

[ His shoulders sag, blinking as he looks to Nami beside him. His life isn't something to smile about, but the brief little one that tugs his lips in an apologetic manner was truthful. ]

Sorry. Theere's no real easy way of answering your question. [ "I was a little kid before I was a criminal" felt a little too cheap. ] Let's just say I caused a lotta property damage.

[ World government property damage. ]

[ Nami's eyes go to Ragna's arm after he mentions it, her lips pursing slightly as she tries to piece together how he could lose it and still have it, however different from the original it might be. Glancing away and out to the horizon as she chalks it all up to magic, she continues the quiet work of taking in every detail he elects to share.

Part of her almost admires his candor. For all the moments Nami can rise to the occasion and run her mouth, when it counts, when it's about something deeper than she's used to sharing, she hesitates, she trips over her words, bristling along the way. The resort puts a funny spin on every relationship, especially the ones that begin, like her friendship with Ragna did. They know, and they don't know, a strange detail that makes already challenging waters even more fraught. ]

When I was eleven, I joined the Arlong Pirates. [ She starts, carefully, inching along while simultaneously feeling as though she's saying too much. ] They came to my village, took it over, along with the rest of the island. [ Nami turns on her heel and busies herself with the knots keeping the sail fixed to the boom, saying the next bit faster than the rest. ] A lot of people died, but I made a deal with the leader. I'd join his crew and draw his maps if he let me buy back my village.

[ Turning and tucking her chin down, Nami lifts both shoulders to shrug. Based on what he's said about himself, it doesn't feel ridiculous to assume Ragna knows about trying to cut a deal with a dick hole like Arlong. ]

I didn't cause the damage, but I showed the worst kind of pirate where they could go for that.

[ Another shrug and she lifts her bottle from its resting spot by the mast, taking a swig and letting the alcohol burn her throat before adding. ]

So we were both pretty happy-go-lucky people before we came here then.

[ No one was the exact same. Especially when it came to falling back upon their deepest wounds. He could be angrier. Would have been a whole lot angrier if he'd only just arrived and got forced to oust his own past. Her fleeting assessment that magic was involved when it came to his right arm was pretty accurate. Though...out here, where no one else was looking, it might be a good idea to show her exactly what he means. Especially when her eyes go right to that arm of his. For now, he keeps a pensive hold on the younger pirate with his eyes. If the waters were getting rougher the deeper they went, he'd just have to hold firm and be an anchor for her.

It's the least that he can do out here, where she was doing her best to live in reminisce and that faux sense of freedom before waking in a guilded smuthole like this one. Ragna doesn't force her. Surprisingly? He's a good listener, as such with the way he pipes up briefly upon her mentioning the Arlong Pirates. ]

Helluva young age for that...

[ It's hardly a sardonic tone. Observant. And the rest was silence as his mismatched eyes lose some of that pensive edge to them, silver brows lifting with a well of empathy rolling through his body. Starting from his heart. Forced against her will... There's no sense in getting angry for her now, but Nami did what she had to do for the sake of her village. And guessing by her hastened tone and her body language fighting oh-so-desperately not to shut down as she shares...

It wasn't sunshine and rainbows. ]

Sounds like it...for the most part.

[ He shouldn't delve any deeper on his own past. Not how he wasn't even a real human. Not how he was nothing more than some labrat along with his siblings before getting saved and taken to that church he talked about. Not out here. But he's grateful that she shared what she did to him anyway. He steps a little closer, not making any moves to place a hand upon her shoulder or anything physical. Only watching the 'horizon' that Nami sees as he holds his own bottle by his hip. ]

Looks like I was right though. [ Now he tilts his head slightly towards her. ] I still think there should be more people like you.

[ Even after hearing about the scum she was forced to work with, and being responsible for enabling the mayhem that Arlong and his crew caused thanks to her mapping skills. ]

That Arlong prick, meanwhile? Wouldn't be able to tell his head from his ass by the time I'd be through with him.

inbox for golden peacock

note.

un: nami

un: sanji

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un: KINGOFTHEPIRATES

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