OPEN ☁ october catch-all

[weatherscience]

Who: nami and whoever
When: around the month of october
Where: in multiple places
What: quests, a teleporting kitten, drinking, and various other shenanigans.
Warnings: n/a for now

i. it's pumpkin time | quest

[ the third time a vine twirls itself around her leg, trying to tug her on the ground so the pumpkins would have an easier time getting to her, nami starts having regrets about this whole thing.

sure, she'd thought it'd be easy money! but the pumpkins are creepy and gross, and the vines are really starting to get on her nerves.

she grabs her clima-tact and smacks the offending vine, hard. ] Stop that! If I fall down, are you going to pay for the cleaning of my clothes? Didn't think so!

[ the vine only retreats a little. nami sighs and glances around, and upon noticing another person nearby — ] Hey, you! Why are you just standing there? [ help her out with this please and thank you!! ]

ii. all about the leaves | quest

[ this, though? this is easy money. gathering leaves from the streets with a rake... easy, easy, and dreadfully boring.

which is probably why she's resorting to trying some tricks to make it go faster. summoning a gust of wind that blasts through an entire alley, she makes the leaves blow into a nice, neat pile at the end of the street. ]

Yes!! [ she actually jumps a little, punching her hand up in the air with a triumphant grin.

sorry, though, if you happened to be walking along the alleyway, because you almost surely either a) got assaulted by a whole bunch of leaves, or b) had the wind blow your hair or clothes completely askew. oops?? ]

iii. sorry about the cat | for passers-by

[ anyone passing by her little cottage is in real danger of suddenly finding an orange, half-grown kitten landing straight on their head, absolutely out of nowhere.

while tangerine meows in confusion, out of the gate leading to the house comes nami, already yelling before the gate has even had a chance to close. ] Tangerine! What have we talked about teleporting outside the house? Seriously!

[ and then, to the unsuspecting victim of kitten teleportation, ] Sorry, sorry! We're practicing this, and unfortunately Tangerine and I have some... creative differences here.

iv. buy me a drink | a bar of your choice

[ it's rather late at night, enough so that those not committed to drinking have already left the bar — but nami sits there at the counter, a drink in front of her, with other empty glasses in a neat row.

she's always enjoyed drinking, not least because of her absurdly high tolerance... but here, even that has lost most of its appeal. after all, she would always drink with her crew, at banquets, laughing and eating and drinking and having fun with her friends.

who aren't here.

when someone sits next to her, she glances at them with a wry smile and a raised eyebrow, eyes far too clear for someone with that many empty glasses in front of her. ] Are you here to pretend the outside world doesn't exist, too?

( if you want something else, feel free to wildcard it or poke me @ celen to ask for a specific thing! closed starters in comments. c: all starters in brackets but will match format! )

Comments

CLOSED ☁ for jiang cheng.

[weatherscience]

[ it's early afternoon when she sends him the message, reading simply, If you don't have anything else to do this evening, meet me at the docks! Bring clothes you can swim in, too, if you want.

that's all the information she gives... but it's not been long she's mentioned getting a boat in passing, so perhaps it's not that hard to put two and two together.

when it's an hour till sunset, nami waits for jiang cheng at the docks, preparing a pinnance ship — big enough to have its own sail, along with small quarters below deck, but small enough for her to maneuver it on her own if needed.

upon seeing him arrive, she jumps back to the pier, grinning. ]

What do you think? It's small, but it'll perform its job well! So... want to go sailing?

[lotus_of_rage]

[That message was simple enough and of course, how was he going to refuse it? He had nothing to do so he did indeed pack and wear clothes that he would be able to swim in (fully changing lower half made clothing choices hard).

Even though that was all the information that he had, he still set out for the docks as evening approached. It was a path that he was very familiar with. He went there quite often for obvious reasons.

She didn't have to wait too long - he didn't want to keep her waiting. He looked down at the small ship that was waiting for them. After a moment, he couldn't help but grin as well]

Of course.

[weatherscience]

[ she'd figured that the appeal of water would likely get to him, if curiosity wouldn't — and she's glad he shows up, without questions.

he's the first one she's asked to come sailing with her, the first one she thought of when the idea of actually not maneuvering the ship on her own occurred to her.

and it's not that she expects him to say no... but when he agrees, so easily, she beams at him, rushes over to him and grabs his hand so she can start to tug him along to the ship. ]

Great! I know this isn't really like any of the seas we have back home, nor is this ship like the Sunny-go... but it's still sailing. We can sail as far from the harbor as we can before the sun sets. It's really pretty, to watch a sunset at sea. [ then, adding as if as an afterthought, ] The water will probably feel less cold to you, but... I took my swimsuit just in case, anyway!

[ hey, she's used to the seas back home, how bad can this be? ]

[lotus_of_rage]

[The appeal of water was strong with merrow so it wasn't a hard guess that he would be interested in it. He had also spent time around boats for most of his life so it was not an unfamiliar setting for him.

He easily followed after her as she took his hand and began to lead him over to the ship]

It is still good. It still requires less work than the boats on the river.

[Since someone was needed to help row]

Hmm... probably. I've become more used to it.

CLOSED ☁ for alex.

[weatherscience]

Alex-chan!

[ when she's exiting the tavern she works at after her shift is over, alex can hear a familiar voice shouting her name — and indeed, not far, nami is rushing to her while waving, as if the shouting wouldn't be enough to catch her friend's attention.

the truth is... she may have waited nearby, for alex's work shift to end, just to be able to talk to her. she'd thought sending a message... but this felt like something better suited for a face-to-face conversation.

as soon as she catches up, nami smiles at alex, genuinely pleased to see her even beyond the reasons she has. ]

Do you mind if I walk with you?

CLOSED ☁ for jin zixuan.

[weatherscience]

[ more often than not, when nami visits the jin-jiang household, she has her cat with her; not this time, though. it's on a whim that she decides to drop by, walking past the house as she is, on the way back from one of the magic lessons.

she knocks on the door and then shouts, ]

Hi, anyone home?

[ she waits... and waits. but then the door opens, and — ]

— Ah!

[ she blinks at the unfamiliar face opening the door; she'd expected yanli-chan, and this man definitely isn't her. ]

[disasterstraight]

[ It's a rare moment that Jin Zixuan finds himself home alone in the home he shares with his family. But this particular afternoon, that is the case. Yanli had sent a message that she was staying late in her coven lesson to practice a new spell, Jin Ling was out and about somewhere (hopefully finding someone to bond with), and Jiang Cheng had gone out to meet with Wei Wuxian somewhere. Jin Zixuan didn't know the particulars, but it seemed to him that the two of them were working on burying whatever rift had grown between them. Jin Zixuan was relieved for this, if only for A-Li's sake.

So when a raucous knock and a shout come at the door, Jin Zixuan assumes it's some kind of traveling salesman, and is about to tell them he's not interested in their wares, when he too is surprised by who he sees. ]

...Ah. You must be... [ He knows he's seen this woman around the house, visiting both his wife and his brother in law, but he never did catch her name. But she's a witch, isn't she? She doesn't look like any sort of monster. ]

Lady Jiang isn't home at present. How may I help you?

[weatherscience]

[ for a moment, nami just keeps blinking at him. sure, there's little doubt as to who the man must be — as far as she's aware, there's only four residents in the house, and she's well acquainted with three of them.

she grins, laughing a little at the way clearly neither of them can remember the other's name. ]

I'm Nami! You're Yanli-chan's husband, right? And if Jin Ling-kun is your son, then... you're a Jin, too? Jin Something?

[ what an amazing feat of logic!! ] Anyway, it's nice to meet you! [ and then, peering over his shoulder, because there's some use to high heels, ]

Is Jiang Cheng here? I mean, I can just send him a message, but if he's home it's quicker.

[disasterstraight]

[ He's something, alright.

"Yanli-chan." "Jin Ling-kun." These forms of address are unfamiliar to Jin Zixuan, but he has a sinking suspicion that they are far too informal for his tastes. ]

You may call me Jin Zixuan. [ No "-kun" or "-chan" necessary. ]

He is also out at the moment. I suspect he shall be returning shortly, if... you would like to wait.

iv

[peacewithouttyranny]

[It's not rare for Soundwave to visit the bar at this late of an hour when there's scarcely any people around. It's less rowdy and she could enjoy her drinks in peace. Sometimes to drown out her problems with alcohol, sometimes to get a buzz... She doesn't know anyone she could ask to join her in this.

So, she's gotten used to drinking alone, sadly. Soundwave thought this night is going to be a typical one, up until she found Nami. It doesn't take a lot to convince herself to approach Nami and take the empty seat next to her.

Though, it might be surprising to see Soundwave, considering how young she looks.]

Maybe. [It definitely is. She shrugs, then glances towards the many glasses] How long have you been drinking?

[She must have really high alcohol tolerance if she drank all those glasses and still seems to function well.]

[weatherscience]

[ perhaps, if it were their first meeting, or even their second, nami might be surprised... but at this point, she is at least somewhat used to the way soundwave, despite looking so young, talks like someone beyond her years.

which is maybe why she's here, drinking. nami wonders if she should say something; then, she decides that if soundwave has made it here with the purpose to drink, then she must know what she's doing.

so she just smiles a bit wryly, still happy to see someone she knows. ]

Ehh, a couple of hours now, I think?

[ and she could keep going for another couple, easily. her tolerance is on par with zoro's — she'll need far more than this to get her really drunk. ]

What do you say? Want to drink with me? We can try to ignore the outside together.

[peacewithouttyranny]

[Hours, huh... That's impressive, for a human. Since she had quite a headstart, Soundwave wonders just how many more she could drink before getting drunk. Which one will be inebriated first... Her own tolerance is pretty high, too. Either way, Soundwave's hoping this is a night to remember.

Though, Soundwave huffs in slight amusement at her suggestion.]

Of course. I was hoping I could join you. [She's already starting to make herself comfortable and has her elbow on the counter table, with her hand on her cheek.] Drinking is a better experience with friends, don't you think?

[weatherscience]

Great!

[ nami wastes absolutely no time in pouring soundwave a glass and pushing it in front of her. ]

Mm, it's definitely better! Usually, when I drink, it's always with my friends at a party of some kind...

[ which makes this whole drinking alone thing seem even sadder, probably. oh well. ]

How about you, Soundwave-chan?

iii - Rikku was serious about wanting to meet that cat, so time to force it to happen!

[al_bhed]

[As cute as the kitten is, it's always disorienting to have something land on your head out of nowhere. As such, Rikku flails a bit upon impact. To the cat's credit, it manages to maintain its perch on her head until she reaches up and pulls it off of her.]

That was rude, you know.

[And here comes Nami falling over herself to apologize. Rikku waves it off and hands the offender back to his owner.]

At least he's cute? He didn't hurt me or anything, so it's okay.

im so happy omg

[weatherscience]

[ tangerine, on her turn, simply blinks at rikku, and then meows as she's lifted off her landing pad.

she tries, however, to make herself a little smaller in rikku's hands, as though trying to avoid being handed back to her angry owner... not that nami seems all that angry anymore, when it's obvious rikku doesn't mind that much. ]

Ahh, that's good... still! Tangerine, it's not polite to drop on people like that, the next time you might not get so lucky!

[ and then, with a grin at rikku, ] Tangerine is a girl... so of course she's cute!

kitty bonding yay!!

[al_bhed]

Oh! My mistake.

[Tangerine being a girl makes the kitty somehow cuter, though. Nami's right there!]

I love her name! You did a really good job picking your familiar.

I got a cat too. His name is Geddo. [Nami wouldn't catch it, but it's a very uncreative name--it's simply "kitty" in her mothertongue.] He's kind of a scaredy-cat and doesn't teleport much because of it. But if you have time, I can run home and grab him so our cats can meet each other!

[Introducing unfamiliar cats to each other never goes wrong!]

[weatherscience]

Thanks! My friend adopted Tangerine's sister, so I figured I'd get one from the same litter so they could play together.

[ so far, li mei and tangerine seem to have a great time together, so that plan has been a rousing success.

at the news, nami claps her hands together and beams. ]

Oh! How cute! Ahh, of course, we can see how they get along! Hopefully Tangerine isn't too much for him... no, I'm sure it'll be fine!

iii.

[gynvael]

[ Despite living in the apartments (or sleeping in there, as it were), Geralt tends to be around the cottages more solely because that's where Yennefer and Jaskier -- and by proxy, Roach, stabled as she is in Jaskier's yard -- are.

It's where he's walking back from when a furry thing thumps onto his head, sudden enough that it startles him. ]

The fuck. [ He reaches up to grasp the fuzzy creature. Seriously? The cat squirms. Geralt lets it go, glancing at the familiar voice. The young woman, from the tavern. Nami? He raises an eyebrow. ] Your familiar?

ah.... beautiful

[weatherscience]

[ the fuck is truly an accurate assessment of the situation — something tangerine seems to agree with, as she blinks at geralt and then meows at him.

nami, meanwhile, glares at the kitten before sighing. ]

Yes... unfortunately.

[ the, she seems to actually realize she recognizes him, and she brightens up instantly. ]

Hey, it's you! Thanks for the whole bar thing, again!

[gynvael]

[ He's had a bird on his head (courtesy of Yennefer and her raven), but a cat's another matter. For one, he's still not used to them being anywhere near him without hissing or clawing.

Funny. He turns into a canine and somehow cats mind him less than when he was a Witcher. Typical, isn't it. ]

Ah. Yeah. [ It's clear he's not familiar with being thanked. Especially not with enthusiasm. Geralt sidesteps the teleporting cat as it stares up at him. ] He hasn't made a reappearance, has he?

[weatherscience]

[ her grin doesn't falter — from what she'd seen of him before, he wasn't exactly the friendliest-seeming person, so she just assumes he's a bit socially awkward!

which, that's fine! she can work with that. ]

No, [ she shakes her head, pursing her lips. ] Though I haven't gone back to that bar, either, just in case. Ugh, it's really a curse, being pretty... It was a perfectly good bar, too!

iii...slowly makes this log a pile of cats...

[tothemetal]

[you would think that suddenly finding a warm weight atop your head would startle an average person simply going about their day, even in a place like Aefenglom where even the cobblestones were lousy with magic. either that's an incorrect assumption or Styx is a bit of an oddball, as he barely slows his steps when the cat decides to make his skull its new perch.

reaching up to gently remove the cat before it becomes tangled in his hair, he looks down at the fluffy little thing with an expression of deep confusion. more than being baffled over its existence, however, he seems to be...honestly it feels like he was expecting something about this cat to be different from what reality had presented.

at the sound of Nami's voice he looks up suddenly, face melting into an easygoing smile.]

Oh, you don't gotta apologize or nothing! My cat's the same way...actually thought I was home for a couple seconds there when it happened.

[well, that would explain the strange mystification. of course, the big guy's house is nowhere near his current location...ah, well. you can't win them all.]

i approve of this very much

[weatherscience]

[ if anything, his bafflement seems to transfer over to nami, who fumbles in her apologies as he...... doesn't seem to be all that upset?

tangerine, too, blinks up at him and meows inquisitively. it seems she's just as confused by his mild reaction as nami.

though, ]

Oh! [ well! that explains a lot, actually. nami grins, too. ] Eh, maybe it's some kind of a common characteristic for teleporting kittens, then... But I'm glad you don't mind! [ then, reaching for tangerine, ]

Tangerine, the next time you teleport, maybe don't land on a stranger's head? Please. [ her tone is a mix of exasperated and affectionate. ]

>:3

[tothemetal]

[mew...ah, cats really were cute, weren't they? Styx can't help chuckling at the kitty in his grasp, rubbing her affectionately under the chin before handing her back to her rightful owner. he doesn't note his observation aloud, because even he isn't stupid enough to make such a childish remark, but he can't help thinking all the same how cute it is that pet and mistress both have the same color hair.]

Think it might be 'cause they get so excited, you know? Gotta go say hi right away.

[besides, look at that face. who wouldn't want to lavish some attention and praise on such a lovely feline?]

If she's having problems getting the hang of that, though, um - I'm Styx! So now it won't be a stranger.

[weatherscience]

[ truly, they match... if asked, nami would tell him she totally picked tangerine because she was just as cute as her!! ... or maybe because her friend has adopted a kitten from the same litter, shh.

she laughs at the remark, nodding. ]

Yeah, I think so too! I know some cats are a bit shy, but Tangerine loves people. Is your cat like her, too?

[ meanwhile, tangerine is leaning forward in nami's hands trying to sniff styx's hands. ]

Hmm, I guess you're not! It's nice to meet you, Styx. I'm Nami!