middaeg | OPEN ☁ april catch-all

Entry tags:

OPEN ☁ april catch-all

Who: nami and you
When: throughout april
Where: in the city and wilde
What: quest things, missing a friend and event things
Warnings: nightmares that contain death

i. QUEST; topsy-turvy teleporters ( in the wilde )

[ it isn't really something nami is used to doing, taking quests that have to do with the wilde... but people are missing, and she's done with trying to ignore the existence of the cwyld. for months, she'd avoided most quests that would have taken her outside the city, content to think that those who were better fighters could be left to deal with it, hopeful that eventually someone more skilled than her in medicine would come up with a cure. like chopper — surely there has to be a doctor like chopper somewhere here, too!

but no. after seeing people close to her be infected, knowing how bad it can get... there is no way she's going to leave the poor teleporters at the mercy of possible infection.

she attaches herself to whoever she meets that's going out there as well. there's strength in numbers, especially out there.

but after an hour of searching and coming up with nothing more than some leaves stuck in her hair, she's starting to be a little fed up with this whole thing. ]

Can you see anything?

[ she huffs, looking around, ] Because I certainly can't! [ how hard can it be to find some wayward customers?? really hard, apparently. ]

ii. RECIPES; a memorial for a friend ( nami's original cottage )

[ early in the month, it's possible to find nami back at her old cottage, the place she'd moved to upon arrival, and the house she'd tasked sanji-kun to look after when she'd moved out. the house is quiet, now; the garden needs weeding, and there's a layer of dust on the kitchen counter.

outside, nami sits on a bench near the fence that surrounds the cottage, papers around her: if one takes a look at them, they're all neatly written, lists of ingredients and then instructions for how to cook them. recipes, with little notes on the margins: nami-san's favourite, says one, while another reads the first dish we ate after robin-chan joined.

(it's hard, nami thinks, to try and read the recipes when your eyes are filled with tears.)

when she hears someone walking on the other side of the fence, she surreptitiously wipes her eyes with the back of her hand before turning to look. ]

Ah, sorry... are you here to see Sanji-kun? [ her voice wobbles dangerously towards the end. ]

iii. EVENT; ( in the city )

( a. random bonds )

[ in the weeks since sanji's departure, nami has got used to being back to two bonds and is comfortable with that... which is why it's such a shock when, suddenly, there's three bonds that she feels despite knowing for a fact that she's not bonded to anyone new.

except that, apparently, she has.

perhaps she should have expected it, what with the way her magic has felt strange and unstable the past days, the way her existing bonds no longer feel like they're grounding her in the way they used to.

in any case... with a bag of groceries in one hand, she weaves her way through the streets, following the tug of this new bond; and when she thinks the person it's tying her to is just a little ahead, she calls out, ]

Hey, wait! [ because she wants to know just who it is she's bonded to, now, and why. ]

( b. nightmares: closed to existing cr )

[ perhaps the bond has been there when you went to sleep, perhaps not; but the fact is that it's certainly there when you sleep, darkly tugging you into a nightmare. when you look at your surroundings, it's a bright orchard that grows next to you, a small house on its side... a woman with a strange haircut standing in front of the open door.

she's speaking, smiling, but you can't hear anything from the horror that grips you, the dread that feels like a countdown; you know something horrible is going to happen, and there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop it.

if you turn, you'll see a tall.... man, except not, a half-man, half-shark, who is pointing a gun at the woman.

suddenly, sound returns enough for you to hear snippets: nami and nojiko, they're my daughters, the woman says, and the shark-man laughs. we'll make an example of you, he shouts, so die for your useless love!

there's silence.

then a gunshot.

and you knew this was going to happen, but still you scream, and scream, and scream.

but the dream doesn't stop there. the shark-man looks at you (and you realize, for the first time, just how small you are, barely half the size of the woman who now lies dead on the ground) and says, so you're the one who drew the maps, and then, to an indistinct figure behind him, take her, and the panic is enough to finally, finally wake you up.

or.... maybe not. the nightmare certainly dissipates, but it leaves behind an empty space, a dreamspace you share with the one whose dream you've been involuntarily sharing.

currently, all nami is capable of is trying to breathe (for even in a dream-after-a-dream, the compulsion to calm down is very real), so it may be up to you to talk to her consciousness. calm her down, or just demand what the hell happened. ]

iv. wildcard

[ you know what to do! hit me with anything you want, or shoot me a pm or a pplurk @ celen and i can write us a closed starter if none of the above feel inspiring. also, will match format, so feel free to throw in a tag in either brackets or prose! ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ It's no surprise that they haven't found anyone just yet, the Wilde is huge and still has many secrets that have yet to be discovered. The fact the search area is so wide doesn't help either.

The partner he ended up with also doesn't seem to happy with their result or the pace Bishop set as he led them into the depths of the wilde. ]

I see many things, just no people. Not yet, anyway. [ He says as he marks another tree with his knife. ] We're getting closer to a fresh water spring by my reckoning. We can stop there for a bit if you're getting tired. [ Though he intends to stop there anyway to get his bearings. ]

[ perhaps, just perhaps, nami was a bit too optimistic about this whole thing. she's not spent too much time in the wilde... she didn't quite realize how much of an ordeal the search would prove to be. ]

We are? Huh, you must have been here a lot, [ she says, sounding the slightest bit impressed. or he's very good at memorizing maps, which is equally impressive. ]

I'm not tired, just... [ she starts to deny it, but after a moment of trying to search for the right words, she ends up just sighing. ]

Fine, alright, I'm tired. Is it really okay if we rest for a while?

[ He's out in the Wilde probably more often than he really should. Hunting prey for the refugees outside the wall and making them food, helping the Wilders, or whatever dangerous quest leads him there. ]

That's perfectly fine. The key to blind rescue ops is pacing, and knowing your limits. Oh, here we are.

[ He hacks away at a few large leaves and low branches and reveals the spring he mentioned. It's not terribly big and only knee deep, but the water is crystal clear and the pool large enough to refresh oneself and maybe soak your feet. The surrounding floral is thick in almost any direction with only the brook leading from one end of the clearing to the other breaking the dense wood, but there's just enough sunlight piercing through the tree tops to illuminate the area. ]

Go take five over there. I'll poke around and see if anyone else was around. [ He reaches for his canteen and offers it to her. ] The water is safe to drink but if you're feeling iffy about it.

[ well, the one good thing about that is that he's familiar with the wilde... she's noticed that, and been quietly glad about it. she'd have been lost on her own. ]

You sound like you do this a lot.

[ it's an off-hand remark, but she means it — not just the whole wilde thing, but rescue operations.

she takes what is offered with a small smile. ]

Thanks.

Not really. [ A beat ] Well, not as much since leaving the army.

[ He looked around the clearing, the underbrush, the babbling brook, and the patches of mud and soil, studying each quickly but with scrutiny. 'Time was of the essence' was what he was taught, 'but carelessness is the enemy' is the follow up to that. ]

Well, it looks like we're in luck, miss.

[ He says squatting over a patch of relatively dry mud. ]

Something passed through here. My reckoning, it's a turnskin. There's a paw tracks here, unless I'm completely wrong and it's a wolf walking on just it's hind legs.

[ she lifts her eyebrows at that little addition, committing it to memory and deciding to ask about it.... a little later, when he's not deep in thought and concentrated on finding tracks.

instead, she sits down on a nice patch of grass and drinks, stretching out her legs. ]

Eh, just call me Nami! [ she interjects, before waiting to hear what he's found. ]

... huh, alright! I've never seen a wolf like that — well, actually, I have, but it's not like he's here, so.

[ so a turnskin it is, most likely. it's not like people have devil fruit abilities, here. ]

Can you guess how old the tracks are?

Nami. Got it. I'm called Bishop. As for these tracks...

[ Reaching out, he touches the mud and rubs it between his fingers. ]

Hmm a bit dry...

[ He looks back to the bushes, then to the spring - eyes lingering for a moment around where Nami is - then to the forest. ]

My estimate is about thirty minutes ago, then they headed off towards the west. I can't tell how they found this place but, I can say they have absolutely no idea which way the city is or how to survive out here. So they're most like moving slowly.

[ And in shock, but he won't say that out loud. ]

Bishop, alright!

[ someone else might ask why he has such a strange name... but for the girl who comes from the world where names like woop slap and chimney and doflamingo, well. bishop seems just fine. ]

Wait, just half an hour? [ she's up on her feet in a second, eyes bright with excitement. ]

So they're that close... Ahh, that's amazing news!

Don't count your chickens just yet. The way they headed is deeper woods, and a part that's not particularly kind to outsiders.

[ He says while brushing his hands on his pants as he rose. ]

Although, yeah, a thirty minute headstart might sound big but if we move carefully and quickly we should be able to find them before....anything else does. Here.

[ He walks towards Nami while beckoning her closer, taking out his hand-drawn map and a pencil. ]

We're here, and our misplaced turnskin went this way. [ He says encircling their location and marking the direction with an arrow. ] All of this is thick woodland, big trees and thicker underbrush, normally difficult to traverse especially for someone who's not built for this kind of terrain. But we're going to be counting on that since they'll be leaving a trail that we can follow, small branches snapped in odd place, or shrubs and such that have been trampled.

( though there are a few places that she still is uncertain about, for the most part, she thinks that the places where there are housing prove the safest for wandering: she likes to take walks around them, both to observe the different cottages and houses and to get inspiration, both for foliage as well as decorations. it's nice to see so many buildings standing, rather than her place in the slums, back home, where just having a roof over one's head was enough for celebration. here, it feels like people live more comfortably, freely, and that there's an abundance of things to enjoy and fresh air to take in, and a sky that's a bit too wide to look at above.

she's on one of her walks, basket in hand--she's maybe taken to doing a bit of garden grooming here and there, plucking out misplaced plants and flowers to transport them elsewhere--when she hears the sound of sniffling; it's almost like someone's upset, and alerted, she tries to walk towards the noise. it takes her to a fence, lining a cottage, and curiously, she tries to lean over it.

there's a girl there, wiping at her eyes, and aerith just watches her, her own softening slightly in concern. )

Oh! No, I'm afraid I don't know a Sanji-kun... I'm actually here to see you.

( she doesn't know the girl either, but still. she offers a warm smile, standing neatly outside the gate to the fence like she doesn't want to barge right in. )

What are you reading?

Me?

[ confusion colours her voice for a moment, before clarity hits; ah, of course. it's not like they've met before... but she must have heard her. it's only natural to be curious, or concerned. perhaps both.

she summons a small smile, waving her hand towards the gate. ]

If you want to come in... it's more comfortable than leaning over.

[ and then, in actual answer to aerith's question, ]

It's recipes that my friend left behind.

Thank you for the invitation.

( --which she's respected, up until now, but given free reign, now, she reaches over the top of the fence so that she can draw out the lock on the gate; she slips inside, locks it behind her, and then slowly takes the path up to where the girl is sitting. )

I'm sorry if it's an intrusion, but...

( but i can't just leave someone crying alone--she figures the feeling is easy enough to be interpreted that she doesn't have to say it. instead, she stands there for a moment, smiling; she might have been invited in, but she doesn't want to sit just yet. )

Recipes? It's very kind of your friend to leave them... ( she peers down at the cards, but her voice is soft. ) Did they like to cook?

No... it's alright.

[ the small smile remains; as little as nami wants to be a bother to anyone... she can understand the compassion that compels to stay when someone is upset, and she can admit that she feels much better with some company.

glancing down at the cards, too, nami nods. ]

Yes. Sanji-kun is our crew's cook. We... [ she pauses, exhales. ] We were planning on opening a restaurant, here. I guess these must be plans for the menu.

Oh! A restaurant.

( there's an obvious reluctance, to the way the girl speaks, but she doesn't quite know what to do with it. so she tries branching out in the direction of her first guess-- )

Did they decide to do something else? Or not open it at all?

( a tilt of her head, like she's trying to read some of the recipe cards from where she stands, upside down. )

No, we just didn't get to go through with it before he... went home.

[ that's what she assumes happened, anyway — of course, there's no guarantee at any time, but she's seen so many others disappear in the same way. there's no reason to assume that the mirrors haven't taken sanji-kun, as well.

she holds one of the cards for aerith, one with a recipe for seafood paella. ]

He's the best cook there is.... so even though I have the recipes, I don't think I can open the restaurant on my own.

( with a small nod of her chin, understanding, she takes the recipe card with both hands, like it's something precious. truthfully, she hasn't noticed too many people leaving; but then, she's heard that she herself left, awhile ago, only to return again. she can empathize with the feeling, and her lips press together, uncertain. )

I'm so sorry to hear that.

( it's much, but it's sincere; she reads over the card, thoughtful, before she hands it back. a thought strikes, though whether it will be helpful or not-- )

You know? I actually spoke to someone here, who claims to be quite the chef. Maybe the two of you could make something of it! ( there's a warm, gentle smile--she imagines that the girl will reject the idea for the sake of nostalgia, and she doesn't blame her. ) Or, you know, we could very well practice cooking ourselves.

( ourselves. like she's already determined that she'll be helping this girl herself. )

It's... it's alright. He's needed back home. It's better that it was him and not me.

[ she smiles at aerith, small but sincere, too — she means it all, with all her heart. sanji-kun will be needed in onigashima; while without her, they can still do until they need to set sail. it's fine.

she blinks at the words about another chef, and indeed, her instinct is to say no... but they'd already spoken about the idea to others, open to maybe hiring other staff members, hadn't they? so it wouldn't have been just the two of them, anyway. ]

Really? Maybe... if this person you're talking about is willing, or you're willing to help... I think it might be good. To — to share his food here. All the recipes are made to boost your spirit and your body's health, you see, he studied for two years and got the recipes and —

[ and it'd be a shame to not share that with everyone. ]

Well, I'll admit I don't know them that well yet...

( thoughtfully, like she's a bit uncertain--but if she can try to connect this girl with someone other than herself, someone more versed in cooking than she is, well, that would be best, right? )

But if you want to look for Ignis Scientia, I think you could send him a message and see if he might not be interested. He does a lot of cooking and seems quite talented, honestly.

( she offers a bright smile, though, and adds-- )

If it doesn't work out, of course, I'd be happy to do what I can. In which case, you'll want to look for Aerith Gainsborough. ( teasingly, she places a palm to her chest in indication. ) That's me, in case that wasn't obvious.

[Closer the feeling of the bond swirls tumultuously too, with a low but constant anxiety -- that definitely spikes at the call, Jin Guangyao turning to face Nami with only a pleasant, perhaps slightly embarrassed, put-upon smile.

This has become an actual problem. Has he cursed himself somehow, with taking on a second Bond? He had hoped that keeping a distance, might hope to sever it eventually but here we are... with another remembered face.]

Oh dear. I didn't expect it to be-- well, I think something is really quite amiss.

[ as jin guangyao turns to her, the bond between them transmits a variety of feelings in rapid succession — surprise, confusion, anger... panic?

upon recognizing the man who she's apparently now bonded to, nami wonders in panic if feelings from this bond will transfer to another, or vice versa... oh, how she hopes not. it's going to be a disaster otherwise. well, more a disaster than it already is, if possible. ]

You said it, [ she sighs out. well, they're stuck with this for now, better to just... deal with it. no matter her personal feelings here. the less she thinks about the fact that she's probably looking right at the person responsible for the deaths of at least two of her good friends, the better. ]

My bonds have been feeling weird these past couple of days, but I didn't think... how can there be a new bond without the ceremony? It doesn't make any sense.

I do not know either. Only that this is not the first time it has happened to me since returning from the Underground.

[He says with only apparent mild worry -- but that worry runs deeper through the bond, roiling and churning with the magic of too many witches on his mind. What are the other possibilities? That he brought something back with him? The remembered pulsing of something unseen forces him to repress a shudder.]

You haven't been to the Underground recently by any chance, have you?

Wait, it's happened to you already before this?

[ well, maybe that explains why he only looks... mildly inconvenienced instead of bewildered like she feels; felt, upon realising the addition of one new bond.

to his question, she shakes her head. ]

No, I don't really go there much. [ then, narrowing her eyes, ] Why? Did something happen?

Yes.

[He bites off a follow-up to that 'a couple times'. He'd never had reason to spend time asking about the ill effects of too many Bonds -- such a thing seemed highly unlikely, given his relationship before. But now, hurrying to the Coven to find out more seemed more urgent -- and the nature of having too many, an important thing to hide until then.]

There is something wrong in the Underground. The issue of the Cwyld is not unusual to any of us, I think, but there is some aspect that seems to be affecting magic and our Bonds as well. I would have thought it unlikely to make it this far across the land, but...

[What was under the city? His mind whirls with thoughts, entirely too many things to be worried about.]

... but clearly it did.

[ she sighs. this is just great. why do things like this keep happening? when she speaks, though, the frustration she has with the world doesn't bleed over, and she ends up sounding determined above anything else. ]

So we have to fix whatever's wrong, so that it'll stop messing up our magic and Bonds.

[ the swirling worry comes through their bond, and nami looks at him, and can't help herself: ] Are you okay? Is it worse for you because you were in the Underground?

I'm sure I will be fine. [He replies with more confidence than he feels, certainly.] However, perhaps we should visit the Coven to try to annul the Bond before taking any other action.

[Except that didn't work with Myr. Asking another Coven witch seems a futile effort, if it didn't take with the other impromptu Bonds, but he was heading that way anyway. He only has to be sure that he can be free to slide off to the library to look up answers to some questions about the effects of too much magic.

Completely unconsciously, he flicks his forked tongue to taste the air, a habit he generally avoids at all costs to appear a more civilized creature.]

[Ferran's own mood hasn't been the highest thanks to the loss of one of his bonded, and an idle idea to visit a friend to try to bolster his spirits has turned into... a relative guarantee that he's not going to be feeling much better today, if those half-hidden tears are any indication.

There's certainly a somber look about him when he greets Nami, and his tone is one of resignation.]

... is he gone too?

[ she summons a small smile when she sees it's him; she still remembers their conversation with some fondness, even if he had been far more familiar with sanji than her.

then, nodding, ]

Yes... sorry. I wish I could say something else, but — I guess the mirrors have been taking a lot of people back, lately.

Yeah, it seems to be going around.

[It doesn't take him any time to decide to sit nearby, knowing how important it can be to share when it comes to grief. Even if Ferran himself knows his bonded was going back to a place she genuinely seemed happy in, it only makes things so much easier.

He glances down at the paper, recognizing the notes for what they are quickly enough.]

He has a lot of pride in what he does, huh?

[ it does... and how she hates that. it's not that she can begrudge it — she knows it's far better that it's sanji who goes back and not her, as the fight in onigashima will need him more than her... but it stings, still, to be left behind.

she smiles a little at the comment, nodding. ]

Mm, he does. He's very passionate about being able to feed people the best food he can make.

I never did ask him why he felt that way...

[There's an undeniable tone of regret in his voice as he continues, as the idea of never seeing the chef again starts to really sink in. Loss is ingrained in their experience here, he's starting to realize, more than a normal life. He wonders how many Mirrorbound are left from when they first started arriving here... or from when he showed up, even.

He lets out a quiet breath.]

Did you need any help with these, or just reminiscing?

[ she glances at him with an understanding smile. ]

I think it has to do with the man who raised him, [ she says, softly, with the kind of tone that one takes when it's not really their story to tell. the whole thing with the vinsmokes had only added to what she already knew... but that's not her story to tell, either. and it's one sanji-kun would never have shared, unless under duress. ]

You know, we meant to open a restaurant. So I was looking through the recipes he thought we'd serve... I don't know why, really, it's not like I can be the cook.

[The latter, then. It's understandable, especially with those half-made plans... Sanji had told him about the idea, too, and while it's sad they didn't manage to bring it to fruition, it's still nice to have the reminders. Plus, they're more than just pieces of paper.]

You could always make them for friends, right? Maybe not the way he could, but I don't think he'd complain.

Yes... he wouldn't. He told me —

[ she falters, there, her voice trembling before she overcomes the grief with a small smile. ]

He told me I could make his recipes whenever I wanted. I just... [ just what? wished they could have opened the restaurant? wished she could have returned to wano with him? she's not sure. she knows she'll return, eventually, but leaving this place and those she loves, here, pains her too. it's painful to stay, but painful to go. ]

It's hard to be left behind.

[It's far from the first time Ferran has considered all the opportunities he's lost with those he cares about, and his own eyes mist over slightly as he watches her.]

... yeah.

[This place is cruel, really, but it's not a sentiment he'd want to offer someone he'd prefer to comfort. Instead, he takes a moment to think of something more suitable to say, smoothing out a crease on one of the papers.]

It's good to have things like this to remember him by, at least...

[Their bond had of course been there when Jiang Cheng and Nami had gone to sleep since he was her first bond, even if there were a lot of random bonds that were interfering with both of them at the moment.

And now he was watching this dream with her. He frowned in his sleep, getting the feeling that like the time she had seen his memories, that he was actually seeing her memory of something that had happened in her life.

It made him mad that someone had treated her like this, had treated anyone like this. Women especially. That was the lowest of the low.

But then they were out of the dream and he was there with her]

A-mi... A-mi... I'm here.

[ she's gasping, taking in heaving breaths, eyes blinking open like she's not quite sure if she's awake or not.

eventually, her gaze focuses enough to look at him, and she reaches for his hand; perhaps to ground herself better to the fact that she's here and not back there, or to simply make sure he's here and she's not just imagining it. ]

.... A-Cheng. You — did you... [ did you see it too, she tries to ask, because it's not the first time they've accidentally shared each other's dreams, even if previous times they've hardly been nightmares like this one.

she falls silent, for a while, but when she speaks it's just one word, full of anger and hatred and regret all in one. ]

Arlong.

[And he was going to stay there with her, holding onto her to help her regain herself after seeing that. She had done the same for him when she had seen the memories of how his sister and WuXian had died. It was only right that he do the same for her]

I did. [He didn't even need more clarification as what she was asking him. It made as much sense as anything else just from what he had seen]

That is the beast? [Since not only did he not look home, but anyone doing something like that clearly was a beast]

[ she takes in that fact, and after a moment realizes that she's relieved; it saves her the time of explaining the dream itself. as unpleasant as it had been... she's not sure she would have willingly relived it again in words.

instead, she breathes out, shifting closer to him so she can lean her head against his shoulder. ]

A fishman. His crew... they took over my hometown when I was a child. He demanded that every person pay him for being allowed to live there. My mother, Bellemere-san, she... we were poor, you see, she barely had enough money to feed Nojiko and I.

[ she pauses, remembers all the times in her childhood that she had been sad about that, had yelled at her mother, had tried to steal a book because she knew her mother couldn't buy it for her. ]

She didn't have enough money for all of us. Just enough for me and Nojiko. So she... she could have sent us away and paid for herself, but —

[ but. perhaps this explains what he saw in the dream-memory: the woman who obviously was bellemere, declaring the two girls her daughters; arlong, laughing and telling her to die for her love. she hadn't been able to deny her daughters... and so she paid for them and not herself.

and so arlong shot her. ]

[Jiang Cheng's voice darkened as she explained. That was both greedy and cowardly in his opinion. Even if he had the brawn to back up his greed, there was nothing right about making a person pay for their right to live in a certain place with the only option otherwise being death]

I stand by my assessment of him. He is a beast. No one should do something like that.

[ she lifts her gaze enough to look at him, an entirely humorless smile twisting her lips. ]

Well, it gets worse.

[ and in reality, it's not even just arlong. her world... isn't a very kind place. there's the other side to pirates being everywhere, after all.

she breathes in, out, and keeps speaking. ]

Arlong saw some of my sea charts and thought they were well-made, so he... He took me with him to Arlong Park and made me join his crew as his cartographer. [ she doesn't exactly frame it that way, but she was very definitely kidnapped. ] I made a deal with him, then, that if I could bring him 100 million beli, he'd free the village. So I... for the next eight years, I made maps for him and stole money from other pirate crews to buy back my hometown's freedom.

[Jiang Cheng listened to what she said, describing what she'd had to do to get the freedom of her village back. He could definitely get the idea that she was kidnapped and forced to it. This seemed to be a problem with one who had too much power and not enough concern for others.]

Hmph. A shame you had to do that. Work for the man who attacked your village and make it easier for him to go after others.

But you got away from him.

I did.

[ she huffs a half-laugh, shaking her head. ]

Not that it's in any way my own accomplishment. After eight years, I managed to gather enough money to pay him... except Arlong bribed one of the Navy officers to come and confiscate all of it, on the charges that it was stolen gold. He had no intention of letting me go, but —

[ finally, she lifts her gaze, looks at him and... smiles. ]

Luffy helped me. I'd been doing all I could to make him go away before then, because he wanted me to join his crew and I wanted to join his crew but I couldn't, of course, but... when all of the villagers went to try and defeat Arlong, and I sat there knowing they would fail and die, Luffy came to me and just waited for me to ask for help. When I did — [ she laughs, a wet sound, ] When I did, he just shouted Of course!, marched to Arlong Park and beat him. He brought down the whole building.

[ and destroyed the prison that she'd been in for nearly half her life. there's a current of loyalty in her voice, as she recounts it; perhaps it's no wonder why she has such faith in her captain. ]

[As he listened to the story, he stepped forward to put his arm around her. Because he cared about her, he wanted to offer her that emotional support even though he hadn't been there and hadn't even known that she existed then. It still hurt her now, so he would protect her and give her a shoulder to lean on]

The whole building huh? Sounds like an interesting person. Good that he was able to help with this... Arlong.

[Why yes, he did say that name with a more than a bit disdain]

[ After having been solidly bonded to both Yennefer and Jaskier for some time, Geralt knows what they feel like. It's steady, other than the dips and flares of his bondmates' moods. The disruption of that draws his notice immediately.

He stops in his tracks, frowning. At first, it doesn't strike him what's going on. The thought that he might have been tied to someone else out of the blue is just too damn bizarre. Aefenglom might have a lot of shit going on, but there are still rules to how it operates. And one of those rules is that bonds don't simply latch onto you on a whim like a hungry mosquito.

Except apparently they do. He knows, suddenly, the moment he hears a familiar voice call out to him that this is what's happened.

Geralt spins around. Like Nami, he's carrying a small bag of groceries. His sudden movement sends an onion tumbling out of the top, bouncing along the cobblestone until it rolls neatly to a stop against Nami's foot. He stares at her for a moment. That's. ]

Oh, fuck.

[ perhaps she should have guessed, from the undercurrent of puzzlement-mixed-with-annoyance from the sudden, new bond — but when it's geralt that she ends up stopping, she's less shocked and more... resigned.

she crouches down to pick the onion. she bounces it on her palm and looks at him. sighs. ]

Well... at least you're better than my previous surprise bond.

[ he's the second one she's been suddenly bonded to, now — and he's certainly a step-up from a scheming murderer. ]

[ Previous? Geralt's not usually caught so off guard, but for once, it takes him a second to process everything. ]

I don't know about that.

[ Must've been a real bastard for Geralt to be a step up. He sighs, too. Shit. It's less that he cares about how Nami might affect him and more how he'll affect her. His head hasn't been on straight lately—and there's a constant hum of regret that fills the magic connecting them.

He plucks the onion from her hand, stuffing it back into his bag. ]

How did you break it with the last one?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

OPEN ☁ april catch-all

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iiia - briefly because now I'm just laughing at Way Too Many

lmao good luck with all ur bonds buddy

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ii

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iiib - since we are probably going to finish one up soon lol

♥

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iii. finally slamming in here!!

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