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[cartographie]

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choo choo, our fave

[legsbenedict]

[ Time is slippery. While there is normally an ebb and flow and an awareness of the passage of time, it's not uncommon for Sanji to look around and see that the sun has changed position or there are no longer trees speeding by outside the windows across from his station. Sometimes, it's hard to even see out the windows when the dining car is full.

He's the only one behind the line, but he doesn't mind. It's easy to fall into a rhythm of prepping, cooking, and plating. This, at least, is something he can pride himself on. If only Zeff could see him now, preparing the food he wants to cook instead of the swill he has to.

While Sanji didn't exactly imagine his own place would be a train's dining car, looking around at all of the patrons enjoying the meals he so painstakingly cooked and presented, he can't find that he minds all that much. A plate is smeared with sauce and delicately arranged cuts of seared fish and a garnish of vegetables, finishing off with a dollop of cucumber mousse. He grins to himself as he wipes the edge of the plate for any spills or fingerprints before putting it on the line.

It's difficult to know how much time has passed, dinner service doesn't seem to truly end.

Thankfully, he hasn't begun to feel tired yet.

Odd.

There does seem to be a lull in service, so he keeps himself busy wiping down his station and replenishing their stocks. As he's flipping a clean towel over his shoulder, he glances up and sees a shock of orange hair coming into the dining car. ]

There is a face I did not expect to see! [ He spreads his arms wide, gesturing around the dining car. ] Not Baratie, but I would argue not bad, eh?

beats back my germs to tag this finally

[cartographie]

[ She wakes up on the train and how wrong it feels sets Nami into motion in heartbeats. With her satchel tucked close to her side, Nami dashes through the cars, frantically searching the faces of the passengers she runs by, her stomach in knots as she tries to grapple with how unreal this feels.

Where's the sea? Even when they make port and spend a few days in a town the ocean's never far from view - when she looks out the window here, it's all just a barren landscape. It's unsettling, she knows there are places far inland where the ocean is more than a day away but this train feels different entirely. Whatever's outside looks like it's so far removed from any of the world's oceans that it feels unsettlingly out of place. She doesn't belong here, and she needs to find a way out.

Nami's sprint through the dining car comes to a skidding halt when, for the first time since this mad dash from car to car began, she sees a fall of fair hair she'd recognize anywhere.

Hope jumps in Nami's heart and she rushes towards Sanji, reaching out and taking tight hold of his arm as though she means to keep them both anchored to the spot. ]

Sanji, what are you doing here? What do you mean not bad?

[ Why is he talking like he belongs here and has for some time when nothing could be further from the truth? ]

@serio, the living nightmare continues

[cartographie]

[ CNTD ]

[ All of this is more than she's used to, but being outright called out for the choices she made in an effort to save Coco Village, by Zoro of all people - it almost feels surreal. After being loathed by the entire village for so long, it still feels weird to have it all out in the open like this.

Weird, and maybe a little nice. ] I don't know what you're talking about. Coco Village is my home. I didn't see a choice. [ Nami chases the thought with another drink, before she's nudging his side and peering up at him. ]

Are you worried? [ She doubts it. This is the guy who challenged Mihawk to a duel to the death after all - what's a 200 foot sea monster in comparison to one of the warlords of the sea, right? Nami finishes her tangerine before adding, with a smirk. ] I'll protect you.

ty for saving us from captcha hell

[serio]

( is he worried? didn't used to be... things have definitely changed for him in the past few weeks. when before he didn't have to care about anyone but himself, things are different now. even more so with regards to his relationship with nami.

not that he'll voice any of these thoughts of his out loud. instead, he just continues chewing on the fruit, keeping that stoic expression on his face -- the one that's frustratingly hard to get a read on. he lifts the pinwheel up a little higher, continuing to look at it like it's the most interesting object he's seen in a while. )

I'm gonna need two more swords. ( he definitely has to find a way to get himself some new weapons already, especially if he intends on keeping all of the crew safe and out of harm's way. ) Wanna head into town with me tomorrow? ( he figures he'll look around the marketplace. see what might be available for trade. who knows? he might get lucky and find the perfect twin blades. after all, if it's meant to be... )

@myownthing

[cartographie]

[ CNTD ]

Ah, you'd have to admit you were paying attention for that.

[myownthing]

And we both know I don't do that.

[ ooh, self burn, those are rare. ]

@thekingofthepirates preemptively saving us from captcha so the situation can devolve in peace

[cartographie]

[ Just like he showed restraint not eating all those kebabs, Nami manages to make it out of the shop to wait for Luffy with only a modest stack of books tied tidily together with twine, in addition to a few other bags she'd accumulated during this outing.

The straw hat he wears stands out in a crowd, especially now that she's spent so much time looking out for it over days and weeks, and the sight of it now is enough to make her smile, letting one of her bags hang from her wrist so she can lift her hand and wave to catch his attention before walking over. ]

See? I didn't buy the whole store. [ Nami raises the bundle of books she's carrying before stepping close enough to kiss his cheek, sneaking her hand into his so she can get one of the bags hanging around her wrist onto his. ]

Ready to head back?

[thekingofthepirates]

[... The kiss definitely makes carrying bags back a lot more appealing.. and the hand holding too, of course.]

You didn't! The whole store might have been hard for me to carry back... we'd have had to get Zoro to help. [Which would have been all kinds of awkward if he got a hint of why they want to get back so fast...]

Did you find some good stuff? [The bags and books sort of imply she did, but--]

i'm sorry we were stretching out the page it was getting shameful

[cartographie]

[ CNTD ]

Sounds like a fun first date. Up in the crow's nest? Do you do this for all your VIP gun show guests?

[ Are they going to make it through dinner after this? ]

cackles evilly

[berrying]

no, you're special.
might be a little cramped, but i think we can make it work.
think you can keep quiet?

( are they even going to make it to dinner after this? )

@thekingofthepirates

[cartographie]

[ 🧡 ]

I'll be right there, I'm not going to press my luck.

[ It's meat, after all, she wouldn't fault him for changing his mind if she was too slow. ]

It wasn't obvious? Lately, you're my favorite a lot of things.

[thekingofthepirates]

You're right.

The meat just sealed the deal.

[but just in case it's not obvious enough--]

You're my favorite a lot of things too, Nami.

@mouton & serio & just one bed

[cartographie]

[ The depth of Nami’s inner strength could never be questioned, at least not by any of the crew, now that they know her story, so it’s almost ironic how that it’s members of that same crew who are somehow the best at testing that strength. After a series of mishaps - at least one four-hour chunk when Zoro simply vanished into thin air, leaving Sanji and herself to clean up the loose ends of a messy bartering situation, four shops that were missing at least one thing off the list, a half hour where Sanji became besotted with a gelato vendor, and the ensuing spat between Zoro and Sanji that followed - Nami is ready for bed.

They share a ship, so they can all share a room, and she’s not dipping into her personal stash to accommodate their objections about it either. Sure, Sanji and Zoro argue, but they’re fucking around with each other like she’s been messing around with both of them, and hopefully - the door to the room is going to close, putting this stupid day behind them, and the two guys trodding down the hall of the inn behind her will be too tired to keep up their respective fronts.

She realizes how stupid that hope is the second she walks through the door. ]

Oh. Great.

[ It's funny, but it’s not great.

After a momentary pause in the doorway of the room they're stuck in that night while she sizes the situation up, Nami heads further into the room, letting the two guys behind her inside so they too can appreciate how not great the arrangement is for themselves. One of those 'you have to see it to believe it' things.

She drops her rucksack on the bed, not saying a word about how they’ve been rented a room with just the lone space for sleeping, deciding that one, or both of them is likely to do it any second now for her, and she’s better off keeping quiet and staking a claim to the mattress while Sanji and Zoro argue. Not to mention - she’ll likely just start laughing if she’s the one to point it out.

The thought that they could all fit crosses her mind, and she’s glad she’s facing away from them when it does, having to purse her cheeks to suppress the soft laugh that threatens. ]

[serio]

( not sure why they can't just make the trek back to the merry, but since he has no clue about the distance they've traveled so far, he's gonna assume nami knows what she's doing. he follows along without a word, staring daggers into the back of the cook's head as he's walking behind him in the hallway. his attempt to look for swords to purchase had ended in failure. he'd snuck off thinking he knew where to go, but somehow he'd ended up in some goddamn forest, so he took a nap instead. by the time he got back to town, he was told the weapons merchant had already left. )

What the hell is this? ( he pushes past the blondie, poking him none too gently on his side with the hilt of his sword as he walks into the room, taking one look at the bed, and at nami having staked a claim on it with her rucksack. yeah, no. he hooks a finger on the strap and gives it a tug, letting it slide off the bed with a heavy thud, and he promptly sits himself down on the edge of the bed, crossing both his arms and his legs together. )

Obviously we're gonna need separate beds. Plus, a futon. ( he hadn't wanted to voice out his demands when nami had requested for a room for them to share, but he thought that would be a given so he'd shut his mouth. now he's wishing he'd given the guy at the counter more than just a death stare after he'd smirked as he gave nami the key. ) And you. ( he tilts his head slightly at the waiter, but he's not really bothering to look at him, not after the petty argument they had earlier. ) What's for dinner?

@bigsmile

[cartographie]

[ 🧡 ]

On your back just as a start. Tornadoes move around don't they? We could end up anywhere. On a table, even.

♥

[bigsmile]

i've heard that when there's a tornado, it's best to be up against a wall.

@thekingofthepirates

[cartographie]

[ 🍊👒 ]

[ In her defense, she hadn't been sober when first coming up with this, but, like it usually goes with Luffy, one thing led to another, leaving her waiting in her room beside a dish of cubed meats, clad in a sheer bra and a pair of his shorts, the top button left undone.

While Nami's a little closer to having something resembling a plan she's still figuring things out, her fingers toying with one of the scarves she's pulled out of her closet, leaving it by the head of the bed when she hears the door creak open.

Turning to greet him with a smile she takes a few steps toward him, pausing half way across the room to regard him with a little smirk. ]

Let me guess - you're here because you smelled the meat. [ Honestly, she's pretty sure the meat didn't hurt, but Luffy's a familiar enough sight in her bedroom even without snacks. ]

[thekingofthepirates]

[He's there, as promised, looking proud of himself until-- he's distracted by everything he sees. The scarf on her bed, the outfit she's wearing. He might really be taking a moment to appreciate that, laughing a bit to himself.]

Well, maybe. And this-- [He steps closer towards her and holds out the single flower he promised to get her. In her favorite color. That's what boyfriends do, right? Bring flowers.

And, he decides on a whim, that girlfriends should definitely wear their boyfriend's hat if he's about to be tied up, so he reaches up with his free hand to pluck it off his head and put it on hers.]

If you're going to wear those shorts, you should really have that to go along with it, right?

@gripping

[cartographie]

[ 🍊⚔️ ]

How many guys do you think I think about like that?

[ Flames. Flames on the side of her face. ]

ok mrs white calm down

[gripping]

i don't even know what you're thinking on a good day, nami. how the hell would i know who who fantasize about?

@notawaiter

[cartographie]

[ cntd ]

Now who's trying to make the other blush?

[notawaiter]

I'm just telling the truth.

The fact that you look even prettier when blushing is just a plus.

i'm sorry i cannot with captcha

[cartographie]

[ cntd ]

What if I just knock him out? I hate to get you naked in the shower and have to rush.

death to the captcha tbh

[chiffonades]

not to discount one of your fantastic ideas, but how? it's not like a bottle to the back of the head would work with the whole rubber thing.

[cartographie]

[ cntd ]

[ A low chuckle purrs its way past her lips when Zoro's hand finds her hip and pulls her in. Nami moves with him, rolling forward on the balls of her feet until her chest is flush against his, and when she tips her chin up, she's close enough to brush her lips against his jaw. ]

Some of the work, anyway.

[ One of her arms drapes around his shoulders, bent at the elbow, so her fingertips can curl through the short hair just above the nape of his neck, while the other hand finds his hip, the pad of her thumb brushing under the bottom of his shirt, teasing lightly over skin. ] I'm not going to just let you win after all. [ Nami murmurs as her head ducks, allowing her to press kisses to his neck. ]

[myownthing]

[ Just the press of her body against him sends a pleasant little tingle across his skin. While he'd never admit it too readily, it wouldn't be a lie to say that he's gotten kind of hooked on... whatever this is. Not that he's trying to put a label on their relationship, other than crewmates who occasionally fuck. Obviously. Why would he want it to be anything else or anything more than that?

Obviously.

Now that she is so close, his arm curls around her waist, drawing her up closer and more secure against him. ] Oh, sure. Gotta protect that pride of yours. [ As his other hand pushes up under her shirt, skimming up her back and savoring the silk of her skin against his. ] So tough.

@myownthing – fake dates for reprobates

[cartographie]

[ Honestly, she’s grateful that it didn’t take that much to get Zoro cleaned up and dressed sharply enough that he blends into the casino as well as she does. Together, they look exactly like the well-off honeymooners they’re meant to be seen as, her in her little black dress, and him, in a similarly dark suit coat.

The plan is simple. Get in and work the room while Zoro watches her back. If everything goes well, they charm their way to the VIP table and walk off richer than they entered – because the captain’s meat habit doesn’t pay for itself. Should things not go according to plan, Nami’s prepared to make money on her own terms. They’ll play the role of tipsy, horny newlyweds, and fondle one another through the gaming house’s hallways until they’re in the back corridors. From there it becomes a short and sweet shakedown, one they're practically guaranteed to end up celebrating naked by sunrise.

She feels good about this. As long as nothing goes wrong, it's just a matter of time before the parts of her brilliant scheme to start clicking into place.

Nami doesn't expect the drink that gets sent Zoro's way, however, or the dark-haired woman posed at the end of the bar who ordered it. Just as unanticipated, there's a pang of jealously sitting heavy in the pit of her stomach, a feeling that makes her down her drink a little faster while working hard not to glare. ]

Maybe we don't look married enough. [ For the plan to work, of course! No other reason! ]

[myownthing]

[ It's not quite how he expected to spend his evening, he'll be honest, getting all dolled up and on an away mission. Some would argue why he was the one picked at all. It's not like Sanji wouldn't happily volunteer to play the part of Nami's devoted husband, and not like he doesn't dress up properly as standard, compared to the far more simple and casual Zoro.

And yet. Weird how that happens.

Not that it means anything, of course. It's just a job, just a mission, and having her walk around in her little cocktail dress on his arm, well, it's not like that inspires anything in him. And even if it does, it's only because he already knows how she looks naked, and how good she looks naked. Maybe after this, when they celebrate, they can enjoy themselves thoroughly in a more intimate setting. You know. Just for the fun of it.

But for now, they have to focus, have to do the mission right. Play the part of the married couple, not that he's quite the best at that, being reserved by nature. And maybe it's coming back to bite them. A drink is sent his way, and he grins just a little bit. More at Nami's quiet bristling, as opposed to anything else. He noticed. ]

You think? You're hanging off my arm enough. [ He offers a polite nod at the woman across the bar, though, before waving off the drink. She pouts. Sorry, but he's married. Well. Fake married. Nothing else. Obviously. ] Maybe we have to dial it up.

[ That's probably his fault, but... ]