(A break from reading? Luffy rests his arms on the railing, leaning forwards as he looks out to the waves. Nami had seemed busy recently, but Luffy had put it down to navigation things beyond his comprehension, nothing more. They were nearing the Grand Line after all.
Luffy steals a quick glance at the redhead, his own thoughts straying to the note in his pocket. If Nami wrote it she would have said something? Or is the point of the note because she couldn't speak of it? Making sense of it doesn't seem on the cards just yet, but the mystery proposed by it all is enticing enough to keep hold of Luffy's attention.
A light gust of wind ruffles their hair and Luffy can't look away; had Nami always looked so nice?
No, wait, this is the note or something weighing on his mind and Luffy shakes his head and looks away, giving a small shrug and a smile.)
I'm not on watch, I'm just excited to see Loguetown.
(Not a lie, just not the entire truth. Loguetown is pretty exciting though.)
With your bounty, we'll be lucky if Loguetown isn't excited to see you, too.
[ Not that Nami's going to pin her hopes on everyone in this crew being able to maintain a low profile for a prolonged amount of time, and she knows them all well enough to know she's looking at the most attention drawing suspect of them all.
Which gives her something to think about that isn't the scrap of paper tucked into her balled up hand. ]
We've got about another day to go, if the wind stays with us, you're gonna be out here looking for a while.
[ Only after she says it does Nami realize that an off-handed remark like that might sound like she's got an alternative in mind, something she wouldn't consider painting herself into a corner were it not for the sudden rush of unknown variables seemingly hanging in the air between herself and the captain. ]
It's worth looking anyway, maybe. [ Nami adds, quickly looking out at the starry horizon, suddenly struck by the awareness she's been watching anything but. ] Funny how lately it feels like I've gone a long time without looking at it, even though I see it every day.
(Talk of bounties gets an even bigger grin, Luffy's pride in such big numbers plain to see. He'd been so excited about getting a bounty he'd never given the amount much thought, and now the pirate captain has the privilege of the highest bounty in the East Blue. Talk about luck!)
I heard that Nezumi guy was really angry and made sure the bounty was a big one. Though everyone helped out, you all deserve one.
(Only in Luffy's mind are bounties considered good things and he falls quiet, watching the waves in a rare moment of comfortable silence. Loguetown in a day, it's all exciting, all new and yet Luffy is inherently more interested in Nami and what the redhead has to say.)
Feels that way, like seeing it for the first time in a while. Does the water change the further we travel you think?
[ Her eyes narrow at the suggestion, shaking her head. ]
No, thanks, you can keep it. Somebody's gotta be able to go places without getting bothered on this crew. [ Or bothering anybody else, sorry Usopp, Sanji. ]
Once we get to The Grand Line, anything's supposed to be possible. But, different how?
[ How normal this conversation feels is steadying. She needs that right now, something to take the edge off all the wondering about the contents of a stupid note she can't remember writing but clearly must have. ]
Wanna walk around with me?
[ And why does asking him something that blasé make her want to squirm right out of her skin, strangely unsettled by the familiarity when she knows she shouldn't.
( Nami's reaction to a bounty is understandable and yet Luffy stares in thoughtful consideration for a moment, giving a small, shrewd smile. )
You're worth thirty million too you know.
( All the crew are, but for this one rare moment of clarity, Nami is especially worth it in Luffy's mind. And then, just like that, it's business as usual as Luffy turns his gaze back out to the water, expression nonchalant as ever. )
I dunno, maybe it changes colour. I've heard there are giant waves in the Grand Line so who knows? Maybe the water turns darker with all the sea kings in it! ( He gives a good natured shrug before nodding. )
[ The rebuttal comes immediately, but she sounds markedly breathless when she says it, something she hears but doesn't know what to do with. A stupid comment like that shouldn't be enough to push her off her game even slightly, and yet here she is, following that tart retort up with a soft peal of nervous laughter before stepping past him so he can't see her face while she contends with – well, with whatever the fuck this feeling is. ]
They should be, by now.
[ And that's right, but isn't. The sense that time has fallen out of joint like a hip or a shoulder washes over her again as she approaches the trees with Luffy beside her, her eyes narrowing just a touch at the corners. It feels like the branches should be burdened with ripe fruit by now, but they've barely been at sea a week after departing the Conomi Islands. ]
I hope you're right, about the sea. [ It'll give her a good excuse to pick up new colors of ink as they go, but the idea makes her heart swell for deeper reasons than that, and when Nami speaks again she sounds downright winsome. ] My map is going to have every change in the water, too.
A crew can't have higher bounties than the captain. I'll make mine higher quickly so yours can go up too when you get one.
( Luffy knows it's the right thing to say, something he would say, and yet a part of him points out that Nami is worth a hundred times his and more. There's a sense of disconnect sweeping in, a disconcerting sensation of not understanding something that sits on the tip of his tongue.
And then just like that the feeling is gone and Luffy stares at the tangerine trees, a puzzled frown furrowing his brow. There should be tangerines there, he's sure of it, but there are none and he huffs quietly. )
Wasn't me eating them this time....
( Luffy clears his throat, looking around at the water and hoping he hadn't been heard. )
Something tells me, your bounty's going to go up no matter what.
[ Because he's so damn delighted about it, that it's left her with almost no doubt the number tacked under his name on these posters is just going to climb higher and higher. And that scares her, maybe more than she'd like it to. There's no protecting someone like Luffy, who neither needs nor wants it, who blows her own strength right out of the water, and still, she can't shake the feeling that he's precious, and deserves it from her anyway.
But the whole crew is precious to her, Nami reminds herself, and while that should help, just like the tangerines being wrong, the sentiment fits, but it's not quite the whole picture.
The trouble is, she can't tell what's missing. Just that something is. The further trouble is, Luffy is talking and Nami hasn't been paying that much attention, too preoccupied with trying to shake this déjà vu-but-not. ]
What?
[ Smooth, Nami.
Whirlpools, damn it. He was talking about the Grand Line. ] Oh. Sure. Monsters too. I can just see you three idiots fighting them right out of the water for Sanji to cook, too.
( He is delighted and the fact Nami knows his will go up undoubtedly gets a small noise of cheerful agreement from him. Luffy doesn't care too much about being hunted, or people trying to cash in on him as his numbers go up. The amount is only important in order to understand where he is in regards to Shanks, to be able to measure up how he's doing when it comes down to pirating.
If it went on crew alone, Luffy would have no doubt in the fact he'd win, hands down. The Straw Hats were perfect in every way.
Including Nami. They all deserved to be protected, but there's the acknowledgement too that they could all fight and each had their own strength. Perfect in every way. )
Yeah! Can't say we'll go hungry in the Grand Line that's for sure. You ever had Sea King? I bet it tastes good.
[ Nami shoots him a look as soon as she says it, smirking wryly, while some part of her wonders if that's enough to tell him she's kidding around. She regrets the move almost instantly, because looking at Luffy means she's looking at Luffy.
Everything about this would feel so much less out of her hands if she just had a plan, or a clue as to why she was leaving herself notes, and the tangerines seemed to be growing slower than they should be – maybe. It's the tree she busies herself with now, hands carefully moving leaves aside before she finds a lone ripe one and carefully pulls it free, only to immediately pass it to him. ]
Did… [ She starts, suddenly, her voice sounding weak to her ears. ] Did I get really drunk last night? [ It's the easiest question to ask, and the one with the most clarifying answer. ]
(Truthfully there's only a second or two where Luffy's expression looks shocked before melting away into a grin and a tilt of the head. He knows Nami is teasing and takes it with nothing more than cheerful good nature, happy to play along. It isn't often the pair of them get time to themselves to just talk.
Though even as Luffy thinks it, he feels that such a sentiment is wrong. An emotion tugs at him, almost familiar feeling as his mind tries to correct him. They did have time to themselves to talk? The sentiment felt right but it didn't add up; everything has been busy from the word go, from getting the Merry to finally heading out for the Grand Line.
Nami's question almost makes sense too, as if some unspoken and unrealised understanding stood on the horizon, just out of reach of outstretched fingertips.)
[ The trouble is, even though she's not drunk, Nami isn't any closer to working out what she's feeling. The words, like everything else, escape her. ]
I almost feel like I missed something. [ She looks away from him, lips pressed together in a thin line, narrowing her eyes at the moonlight catching on the sea. ] Almost like when you're doing something that takes longer than you think it did, and you find out it's later in the day than you thought.
[ That's the best she can do for an explanation, both for her sake and for his, and no sooner do the words leave her mouth than she feels ridiculous for trying to put words to what's probably a stupid feeling brought on from not being on land in a while.
( Luffy watches Nami as she talks, taking note of the complicated expressions that cross the young woman's face. There's something just out of reach of understanding for the pair of them and the pirate captain is already making his mind up, determined to find it out. So Nami has something less to worry about.
He reaches into his pocket, fingers curling around the note as a vague sense of agreement washes over him. )
It's like when you sleep for the whole night, then you wake up and only an hour went by. ( There's no other way Luffy can find it in him to explain it and he looks back to the trees, thoughtful and not at all concerned by the strangeness of it all as he sighs to himself. )
Feels like weeks. ( Another shrug. Everything in him clamours over how important this is, whatever this is. Figuring it out with nothing to go on, however, is a different problem and one that already has Luffy's lips curling back into a grin. As if he's ever needed a plan or directions for anything! ) Had any weird dreams ?
[ Under better circumstances she might have questioned when, in his whole life, he only ever slept for an hour, but Nami's too pressed, the unsettling feeling of being out of step with time pervading her thoughts the longer they talk about it. ]
Weeks. [ Nami echoes while she mulls it over. ] Months, the more I think about it.
[ Her mouth sets in a thin line as she purses her lips together. ]
Have you been having weird dreams? [ She doesn't know how to answer that, smarter to turn the question back around on him and see what happens. ]
(Luffy can't help himself, unsure of how to put into words how things have felt recently. Things have felt a little off, but the excitement of finally heading to the Grand Line has helped soothe such feelings. Going to see Loguetown? Best day ever to look forwards to. Yet there's still the occasional sense of déjà vu, of having said things of felt them already despite it never happening.
Whatever it is, Nami seems to be feeling it too. Luffy has already spoken with the others, somewhat gently probing to see if anything felt awry to them and all of them had said nothing on things being odd.)
Not really, there was something about a black plate but Sanji thinks that was because I ate cheese too late at night. As if!
[ Naturally he's got a baseline of weirdness, she expects that from him, but the remark still strikes her as funny enough to let her shoulders slacken up and some of the uneasiness she's been wading through dissolve.
It's a woefully short-lived reprieve.
Black plates are just black plates. They're meaningless, but the mention of one surfacing in his dreams makes Nami tense right back up, her eyes rounding as she's left momentarily speechless, utterly thunderstruck but unable to say why.
Black plates are just black plates, aren't they? The mental image of one almost immediately springs to mine, so keenly specific, she can't stop herself from speaking, asking questions she doesn't understand. ]
Is the plate empty? [ Why does it matter if it is? Disconcerted by the thought that the her that knows the answer is the same her that stuffed that note in her pocket, Nami stares at Luffy, her jaw set tight with tension. ]
( Luffy watches Nami from the corner of his eye, keenly aware that something strange is happening and that — despite everything — she would understand the black plate weirdness. The reaction from the navigator speaks volumes; there's tension in the words as Nami asks her question, one that spreads when Luffy hears them.
It had been an empty plate now that he thinks about it, for some reason it had been a terrible thing and not just due to a lack of food. But the whys and hows of it all elude Luffy in all their mystery and he nods, folding his arms with a thoughtful look. )
Yeah, but that's all I remember in my dream. Weird huh? ( Even as he tries to downplay it the words sound almost hollow, falling short of the usual reassurance Luffy wields. )
[ When she nods, it's almost too grave a gesture to stem entirely from simply agreeing with him. Yes, it's weird, but it seems like it runs a lot deeper than that too. With her thoughts whirling in what feels like a plot hole laden whirlwind, she stares at Luffy, her forehead creasing deeply. His voice sounds as strange as her own does to her ears at this moment, and the thought that he's wading through the same murky quagmire of knowing but not knowing is just one more thing that weighs on her. ]
What did it mean? That you missed dinner?
[ Even with a sword aimed at her heart, Nami wouldn't be able to say why that turned out to be the question she asked. It just sort of… happened. ]
Was it snowing? Were you on land? [ Plucking details from her imagination, sourced from nowhere, but ringing true. ] Were we on land?
( It's weird, all of it so surreal and yet there's an odd sense of deja vu, of having gone through the dream prior to having it. Not that Luffy believes too hard in such things, living more in the moment than in past dreams and happenings, and so the strange dream hadn't been given much thought at a time to best remember it.
Which doesn't explain why he feels uneasy at the questions, almost feeling cornered by it and Luffy fidgets, turning his attention to the trees and rifling through the leaves as if looking for a stray tangerine. )
Like a castle? Sure. ( He pauses, there's a sensation of needing to get his shit together, but over what even he can't say. ) All this talk of no food is making me hungry. Want to raid the kitchen with me?
Like a castle. [ She repeats, not knowing if she should. ] Let's go. I need a drink.
[ At this point, it's either that or pace a hole in the floor of her bedroom while clutching the stupid note burning a hole in her pocket in her fist. Nami doesn't let herself think about the part of her that wants to stay in Luffy's presence, even as it flummoxes her completely.
Her pace is brisk as she turns from the trees to head towards the galley, one arm crossing over her chest, reflexively defensive, silently mulling over the castle. There was a tower. There were burnt clothes in the corners of certain spaces. There were so many places she can almost remember. ]
(All in all it's shaping up to be an odd time, but despite feeling cornered there's no sensation of true concern. If anything there's some consolation that Nami has been having similar dreams and ultimately, at the end of it all, Luffy believes that dreams can't hurt them.
That and there's no answer burning brightly to be found, only a few shared glimpses of dreams and a piece of paper in his pocket that currently weighs the world. Perhaps it's best to let the dream fade, as they all do when morning becomes day.
Even as Luffy thinks it he knows doing so would be wrong, and he takes note of the defensive posture from Nami before slinging an arm around her shoulders.)
Now we're talking. You know you'll break Sanji's heart.
[ Her eyes are dark with confusion, jaw tightening right up until the moment Luffy stuns her out of her reverie as his arm goes around her. In her shock, Nami's head snaps up a little faster than she'd like it to for the sake of playing it cool before she makes herself relax, wholly unwilling to endure being called out for how hard she's bristling right now. ]
I'll tell him I was testing the locks. [ Nami shrugs, but keeps the gesture minimal so as not to disturb the arm he's slung around her shoulders. It's vexing when it shouldn't be, but she still doesn't want it going anywhere – which is even more perplexing if she lets herself think about it too much. ]
They didn't pass.
[ Visions of black plates still dancing in her head, Nami stops right after they duck into the galley, letting the door swing closed behind them as she balances on one foot, her other leg bending up enough for her to fish one of her lock picks out of the top of her boot. ]
This ever happen to you before? Dreaming the same dream as someone else?
[ Lifting the pick and flashing him a small smile despite the weight of her questions, another of those dreamy recollections seeps into up back of her mind. She'd taken the same pick out after they split a sandwich behind prison bars, except thankfully Nami can't remember them ever being into custody for that to happen.
Thankfully, she only gapes at him blankly for a split second before pulling herself together and heading over to the lock, throwing herself into her work as a means of distracting herself from whatever is going on. ]
(Nami's reaction to his arm isn't so unusual. Luffy is used to the navigator giving him a good shove on his way and when that doesn't happen he raises an eyebrow before opting to just go with it. The theme for the day seems to be "going with it", though Luffy couldn't say what they're going with.)
That's a shame about Sanji's locks. If he asks I'll just say I found it like that or something. (Then again, Luffy is pretty sure if Nami admitted to lockpicking them, Sanji would be fine with it...
Soon enough they're in the kitchen, a familiar place that for some reason feels more homely to Luffy than usual. A feeling not dissimilar to returning home after a long trip away and he basks in the warmth as Nami sets to work on the lockpicking, only just noticing the strange look and brief smile beforehand.)
Normal dreams? No. People can share the same dream they want to achieve, but not the nightly ones. Have you? (Brown eyes glance at the fridge with the usual, culinary expectation.) I hope it's sandwiches.
[ The lock is shamefully easy to pick, but Nami takes her time with it, using the diversion to the fullest extent she can, as long as it means she doesn't have to turn around and contend with the suddenly intense task of looking at him head on again. With the hazy, but no less unsettling sense that they've done something like this before – chatting amiably while Nami picks a lock for their benefit – she can't trust herself to not stare and incidentally reveal just how baffled and bewildered she feels. ]
Can't say I have. This is a first for me. [ Nami's voice is low and matter-of-fact. As tempting (and plausible) as letting herself believe nothing out of the ordinary is happening here, deep down that feels like too big a lie to let herself indulge in, like she would struggle to look Luffy in the eye if she did. ]
Sandwiches… [ Nami presses her lips into a tense line as that passing remark strikes a chord, making the hazy things she can't quite remember a little more vivid, however fleetingly. ] I had a dream that we shared one. [ The lock pops open and Nami steps back, tossing it on the counter as she shakes her head at him, suddenly eager to brush the comment off. ] Crazy, huh? Like you'd ever share food like that.
(There's a lot of weirdness in the air it seems, but the more Luffy picks at it the more he's convinced it's not malicious. Certainly there's an unease at not knowing something, but it doesn't come hand in hand with the trepidation that usually follows. Somehow, despite everything, it almost feels as if they're on the verge of discovery, a few steps from a pile of treasure that has long been chased.
That, and if there truly are sandwiches in the fridge, Luffy knows they're going to be great and his stomach growls loudly with the realisation. Somehow he's missed Sanji's cooking despite not having been away and Luffy considers that thought, almost missing Nami's mention of sharing dreams and food.)
If it was the only food left I'd share it. Split it in half. Maybe. (Even as Luffy says it he can hear the question mark at the end and he gives a small shrug. Everyone has their vices and he's happy to own his.) This doesn't feel bad. I don't think we should worry about it.
Just because it isn't bad, doesn't mean it's not weird.
[ And frankly, it's all bizarre. How she woke up off-kilter and hasn't been able to hit her stride since, bogged down by an unexpected, bewildering almost-memory, or the sense that it's been months, not hours since she went about the daily tasks that keep this ship upright and heading in the right direction.
Which means that regardless of what he says, Nami will worry, but now that routine concern is peppered with uncertainty, like she isn't sure she wants to see what's waiting when she turns over these rocks. ]
Hey. [ She narrows her eyes, balancing on one foot as the other leg extends until she can nudge his calf with the top of her boot. Because she wants him to focus, and not at all because for a moment she forgot herself, and reaching for him felt all too natural. ] Get me a snack too.
( It's bizarre, disconcerting, but nothing seems to be making itself known as to the cause. For now they've been grasping at straws and feeling at the mercy of Deja vu more than anything, and Luffy can't help but wonder if they'll ever get to the bottom of it. A blasé outlook on things will always clash with a more structured view.
A nudge to his leg brings Luffy back to the present, the only response to that a grin a little warmer than the usual he throws around. )
Wish me luck! ( Stated as if he doesn't just need to open the fridge and reach in, obviously addressing it all as the adventure it is. It only takes a few moments before Luffy reappears from his foray, a plate of BLT sandwiches that have been covered prior in his hands. ) Hold these, I'll see what else there is, but you gotta keep watch for Sanji.
( Sneaking around with the threat of being caught? Also feels familiar somehow. )
[ Internally debating what Sanji's reaction would be if he caught her raiding the fridge along with Luffy, she tisks under her breath after the captain reminds her to keep playing look out. ]
I'm watching, I'm watching. [ Rather than reminding him that she's been stealing long before he even left his village, Nami settles for another mildly exasperated huff. The hand not occupied holding the plate of sandwiches picks half of one up to bite off a corner before holding it close to Luffy's mouth for him to do the same.
It's an absent-minded movement, something she's not even cognizant of doing until an unexpected pang of nostalgia warms through her stomach. They've done this in reverse – she thinks, without understanding why when, as far as Nami can remember, this is the first time she's dared to try and split a sandwich with Luffy. ]
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Luffy steals a quick glance at the redhead, his own thoughts straying to the note in his pocket. If Nami wrote it she would have said something? Or is the point of the note because she couldn't speak of it? Making sense of it doesn't seem on the cards just yet, but the mystery proposed by it all is enticing enough to keep hold of Luffy's attention.
A light gust of wind ruffles their hair and Luffy can't look away; had Nami always looked so nice?
No, wait, this is the note or something weighing on his mind and Luffy shakes his head and looks away, giving a small shrug and a smile.)
I'm not on watch, I'm just excited to see Loguetown.
(Not a lie, just not the entire truth. Loguetown is pretty exciting though.)
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[ Not that Nami's going to pin her hopes on everyone in this crew being able to maintain a low profile for a prolonged amount of time, and she knows them all well enough to know she's looking at the most attention drawing suspect of them all.
Which gives her something to think about that isn't the scrap of paper tucked into her balled up hand. ]
We've got about another day to go, if the wind stays with us, you're gonna be out here looking for a while.
[ Only after she says it does Nami realize that an off-handed remark like that might sound like she's got an alternative in mind, something she wouldn't consider painting herself into a corner were it not for the sudden rush of unknown variables seemingly hanging in the air between herself and the captain. ]
It's worth looking anyway, maybe. [ Nami adds, quickly looking out at the starry horizon, suddenly struck by the awareness she's been watching anything but. ] Funny how lately it feels like I've gone a long time without looking at it, even though I see it every day.
[ She's babbling, and she needs to stop. ]
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I heard that Nezumi guy was really angry and made sure the bounty was a big one. Though everyone helped out, you all deserve one.
(Only in Luffy's mind are bounties considered good things and he falls quiet, watching the waves in a rare moment of comfortable silence. Loguetown in a day, it's all exciting, all new and yet Luffy is inherently more interested in Nami and what the redhead has to say.)
Feels that way, like seeing it for the first time in a while. Does the water change the further we travel you think?
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No, thanks, you can keep it. Somebody's gotta be able to go places without getting bothered on this crew. [ Or bothering anybody else, sorry Usopp, Sanji. ]
Once we get to The Grand Line, anything's supposed to be possible. But, different how?
[ How normal this conversation feels is steadying. She needs that right now, something to take the edge off all the wondering about the contents of a stupid note she can't remember writing but clearly must have. ]
Wanna walk around with me?
[ And why does asking him something that blasé make her want to squirm right out of her skin, strangely unsettled by the familiarity when she knows she shouldn't.
Stupid note. ]
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You're worth thirty million too you know.
( All the crew are, but for this one rare moment of clarity, Nami is especially worth it in Luffy's mind. And then, just like that, it's business as usual as Luffy turns his gaze back out to the water, expression nonchalant as ever. )
I dunno, maybe it changes colour. I've heard there are giant waves in the Grand Line so who knows? Maybe the water turns darker with all the sea kings in it! ( He gives a good natured shrug before nodding. )
Sure. Think the tangerines are ready to pick?
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[ The rebuttal comes immediately, but she sounds markedly breathless when she says it, something she hears but doesn't know what to do with. A stupid comment like that shouldn't be enough to push her off her game even slightly, and yet here she is, following that tart retort up with a soft peal of nervous laughter before stepping past him so he can't see her face while she contends with – well, with whatever the fuck this feeling is. ]
They should be, by now.
[ And that's right, but isn't. The sense that time has fallen out of joint like a hip or a shoulder washes over her again as she approaches the trees with Luffy beside her, her eyes narrowing just a touch at the corners. It feels like the branches should be burdened with ripe fruit by now, but they've barely been at sea a week after departing the Conomi Islands. ]
I hope you're right, about the sea. [ It'll give her a good excuse to pick up new colors of ink as they go, but the idea makes her heart swell for deeper reasons than that, and when Nami speaks again she sounds downright winsome. ] My map is going to have every change in the water, too.
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( Luffy knows it's the right thing to say, something he would say, and yet a part of him points out that Nami is worth a hundred times his and more. There's a sense of disconnect sweeping in, a disconcerting sensation of not understanding something that sits on the tip of his tongue.
And then just like that the feeling is gone and Luffy stares at the tangerine trees, a puzzled frown furrowing his brow. There should be tangerines there, he's sure of it, but there are none and he huffs quietly. )
Wasn't me eating them this time....
( Luffy clears his throat, looking around at the water and hoping he hadn't been heard. )
Like whirlpools too?
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[ Because he's so damn delighted about it, that it's left her with almost no doubt the number tacked under his name on these posters is just going to climb higher and higher. And that scares her, maybe more than she'd like it to. There's no protecting someone like Luffy, who neither needs nor wants it, who blows her own strength right out of the water, and still, she can't shake the feeling that he's precious, and deserves it from her anyway.
But the whole crew is precious to her, Nami reminds herself, and while that should help, just like the tangerines being wrong, the sentiment fits, but it's not quite the whole picture.
The trouble is, she can't tell what's missing. Just that something is. The further trouble is, Luffy is talking and Nami hasn't been paying that much attention, too preoccupied with trying to shake this déjà vu-but-not. ]
What?
[ Smooth, Nami.
Whirlpools, damn it. He was talking about the Grand Line. ] Oh. Sure. Monsters too. I can just see you three idiots fighting them right out of the water for Sanji to cook, too.
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If it went on crew alone, Luffy would have no doubt in the fact he'd win, hands down. The Straw Hats were perfect in every way.
Including Nami. They all deserved to be protected, but there's the acknowledgement too that they could all fight and each had their own strength. Perfect in every way. )
Yeah! Can't say we'll go hungry in the Grand Line that's for sure. You ever had Sea King? I bet it tastes good.
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[ Nami shoots him a look as soon as she says it, smirking wryly, while some part of her wonders if that's enough to tell him she's kidding around. She regrets the move almost instantly, because looking at Luffy means she's looking at Luffy.
Everything about this would feel so much less out of her hands if she just had a plan, or a clue as to why she was leaving herself notes, and the tangerines seemed to be growing slower than they should be – maybe. It's the tree she busies herself with now, hands carefully moving leaves aside before she finds a lone ripe one and carefully pulls it free, only to immediately pass it to him. ]
Did… [ She starts, suddenly, her voice sounding weak to her ears. ] Did I get really drunk last night? [ It's the easiest question to ask, and the one with the most clarifying answer. ]
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(Truthfully there's only a second or two where Luffy's expression looks shocked before melting away into a grin and a tilt of the head. He knows Nami is teasing and takes it with nothing more than cheerful good nature, happy to play along. It isn't often the pair of them get time to themselves to just talk.
Though even as Luffy thinks it, he feels that such a sentiment is wrong. An emotion tugs at him, almost familiar feeling as his mind tries to correct him. They did have time to themselves to talk? The sentiment felt right but it didn't add up; everything has been busy from the word go, from getting the Merry to finally heading out for the Grand Line.
Nami's question almost makes sense too, as if some unspoken and unrealised understanding stood on the horizon, just out of reach of outstretched fingertips.)
Nope, don't think so. Do you feel drunk?
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[ The trouble is, even though she's not drunk, Nami isn't any closer to working out what she's feeling. The words, like everything else, escape her. ]
I almost feel like I missed something. [ She looks away from him, lips pressed together in a thin line, narrowing her eyes at the moonlight catching on the sea. ] Almost like when you're doing something that takes longer than you think it did, and you find out it's later in the day than you thought.
[ That's the best she can do for an explanation, both for her sake and for his, and no sooner do the words leave her mouth than she feels ridiculous for trying to put words to what's probably a stupid feeling brought on from not being on land in a while.
That's a thing, right? ]
Forget it.
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He reaches into his pocket, fingers curling around the note as a vague sense of agreement washes over him. )
It's like when you sleep for the whole night, then you wake up and only an hour went by. ( There's no other way Luffy can find it in him to explain it and he looks back to the trees, thoughtful and not at all concerned by the strangeness of it all as he sighs to himself. )
Feels like weeks. ( Another shrug. Everything in him clamours over how important this is, whatever this is. Figuring it out with nothing to go on, however, is a different problem and one that already has Luffy's lips curling back into a grin. As if he's ever needed a plan or directions for anything! ) Had any weird dreams ?
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Weeks. [ Nami echoes while she mulls it over. ] Months, the more I think about it.
[ Her mouth sets in a thin line as she purses her lips together. ]
Have you been having weird dreams? [ She doesn't know how to answer that, smarter to turn the question back around on him and see what happens. ]
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(Luffy can't help himself, unsure of how to put into words how things have felt recently. Things have felt a little off, but the excitement of finally heading to the Grand Line has helped soothe such feelings. Going to see Loguetown? Best day ever to look forwards to. Yet there's still the occasional sense of déjà vu, of having said things of felt them already despite it never happening.
Whatever it is, Nami seems to be feeling it too. Luffy has already spoken with the others, somewhat gently probing to see if anything felt awry to them and all of them had said nothing on things being odd.)
Not really, there was something about a black plate but Sanji thinks that was because I ate cheese too late at night. As if!
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It's a woefully short-lived reprieve.
Black plates are just black plates. They're meaningless, but the mention of one surfacing in his dreams makes Nami tense right back up, her eyes rounding as she's left momentarily speechless, utterly thunderstruck but unable to say why.
Black plates are just black plates, aren't they? The mental image of one almost immediately springs to mine, so keenly specific, she can't stop herself from speaking, asking questions she doesn't understand. ]
Is the plate empty? [ Why does it matter if it is? Disconcerted by the thought that the her that knows the answer is the same her that stuffed that note in her pocket, Nami stares at Luffy, her jaw set tight with tension. ]
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It had been an empty plate now that he thinks about it, for some reason it had been a terrible thing and not just due to a lack of food. But the whys and hows of it all elude Luffy in all their mystery and he nods, folding his arms with a thoughtful look. )
Yeah, but that's all I remember in my dream. Weird huh? ( Even as he tries to downplay it the words sound almost hollow, falling short of the usual reassurance Luffy wields. )
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What did it mean? That you missed dinner?
[ Even with a sword aimed at her heart, Nami wouldn't be able to say why that turned out to be the question she asked. It just sort of… happened. ]
Was it snowing? Were you on land? [ Plucking details from her imagination, sourced from nowhere, but ringing true. ] Were we on land?
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( It's weird, all of it so surreal and yet there's an odd sense of deja vu, of having gone through the dream prior to having it. Not that Luffy believes too hard in such things, living more in the moment than in past dreams and happenings, and so the strange dream hadn't been given much thought at a time to best remember it.
Which doesn't explain why he feels uneasy at the questions, almost feeling cornered by it and Luffy fidgets, turning his attention to the trees and rifling through the leaves as if looking for a stray tangerine. )
Like a castle? Sure. ( He pauses, there's a sensation of needing to get his shit together, but over what even he can't say. ) All this talk of no food is making me hungry. Want to raid the kitchen with me?
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[ At this point, it's either that or pace a hole in the floor of her bedroom while clutching the stupid note burning a hole in her pocket in her fist. Nami doesn't let herself think about the part of her that wants to stay in Luffy's presence, even as it flummoxes her completely.
Her pace is brisk as she turns from the trees to head towards the galley, one arm crossing over her chest, reflexively defensive, silently mulling over the castle. There was a tower. There were burnt clothes in the corners of certain spaces. There were so many places she can almost remember. ]
Need me to pick the lock on the fridge?
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That and there's no answer burning brightly to be found, only a few shared glimpses of dreams and a piece of paper in his pocket that currently weighs the world. Perhaps it's best to let the dream fade, as they all do when morning becomes day.
Even as Luffy thinks it he knows doing so would be wrong, and he takes note of the defensive posture from Nami before slinging an arm around her shoulders.)
Now we're talking. You know you'll break Sanji's heart.
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I'll tell him I was testing the locks. [ Nami shrugs, but keeps the gesture minimal so as not to disturb the arm he's slung around her shoulders. It's vexing when it shouldn't be, but she still doesn't want it going anywhere – which is even more perplexing if she lets herself think about it too much. ]
They didn't pass.
[ Visions of black plates still dancing in her head, Nami stops right after they duck into the galley, letting the door swing closed behind them as she balances on one foot, her other leg bending up enough for her to fish one of her lock picks out of the top of her boot. ]
This ever happen to you before? Dreaming the same dream as someone else?
[ Lifting the pick and flashing him a small smile despite the weight of her questions, another of those dreamy recollections seeps into up back of her mind. She'd taken the same pick out after they split a sandwich behind prison bars, except thankfully Nami can't remember them ever being into custody for that to happen.
Thankfully, she only gapes at him blankly for a split second before pulling herself together and heading over to the lock, throwing herself into her work as a means of distracting herself from whatever is going on. ]
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That's a shame about Sanji's locks. If he asks I'll just say I found it like that or something. (Then again, Luffy is pretty sure if Nami admitted to lockpicking them, Sanji would be fine with it...
Soon enough they're in the kitchen, a familiar place that for some reason feels more homely to Luffy than usual. A feeling not dissimilar to returning home after a long trip away and he basks in the warmth as Nami sets to work on the lockpicking, only just noticing the strange look and brief smile beforehand.)
Normal dreams? No. People can share the same dream they want to achieve, but not the nightly ones. Have you? (Brown eyes glance at the fridge with the usual, culinary expectation.) I hope it's sandwiches.
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Can't say I have. This is a first for me. [ Nami's voice is low and matter-of-fact. As tempting (and plausible) as letting herself believe nothing out of the ordinary is happening here, deep down that feels like too big a lie to let herself indulge in, like she would struggle to look Luffy in the eye if she did. ]
Sandwiches… [ Nami presses her lips into a tense line as that passing remark strikes a chord, making the hazy things she can't quite remember a little more vivid, however fleetingly. ] I had a dream that we shared one. [ The lock pops open and Nami steps back, tossing it on the counter as she shakes her head at him, suddenly eager to brush the comment off. ] Crazy, huh? Like you'd ever share food like that.
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(There's a lot of weirdness in the air it seems, but the more Luffy picks at it the more he's convinced it's not malicious. Certainly there's an unease at not knowing something, but it doesn't come hand in hand with the trepidation that usually follows. Somehow, despite everything, it almost feels as if they're on the verge of discovery, a few steps from a pile of treasure that has long been chased.
That, and if there truly are sandwiches in the fridge, Luffy knows they're going to be great and his stomach growls loudly with the realisation. Somehow he's missed Sanji's cooking despite not having been away and Luffy considers that thought, almost missing Nami's mention of sharing dreams and food.)
If it was the only food left I'd share it. Split it in half. Maybe. (Even as Luffy says it he can hear the question mark at the end and he gives a small shrug. Everyone has their vices and he's happy to own his.) This doesn't feel bad. I don't think we should worry about it.
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[ And frankly, it's all bizarre. How she woke up off-kilter and hasn't been able to hit her stride since, bogged down by an unexpected, bewildering almost-memory, or the sense that it's been months, not hours since she went about the daily tasks that keep this ship upright and heading in the right direction.
Which means that regardless of what he says, Nami will worry, but now that routine concern is peppered with uncertainty, like she isn't sure she wants to see what's waiting when she turns over these rocks. ]
Hey. [ She narrows her eyes, balancing on one foot as the other leg extends until she can nudge his calf with the top of her boot. Because she wants him to focus, and not at all because for a moment she forgot herself, and reaching for him felt all too natural. ] Get me a snack too.
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A nudge to his leg brings Luffy back to the present, the only response to that a grin a little warmer than the usual he throws around. )
Wish me luck! ( Stated as if he doesn't just need to open the fridge and reach in, obviously addressing it all as the adventure it is. It only takes a few moments before Luffy reappears from his foray, a plate of BLT sandwiches that have been covered prior in his hands. ) Hold these, I'll see what else there is, but you gotta keep watch for Sanji.
( Sneaking around with the threat of being caught? Also feels familiar somehow. )
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I'm watching, I'm watching. [ Rather than reminding him that she's been stealing long before he even left his village, Nami settles for another mildly exasperated huff. The hand not occupied holding the plate of sandwiches picks half of one up to bite off a corner before holding it close to Luffy's mouth for him to do the same.
It's an absent-minded movement, something she's not even cognizant of doing until an unexpected pang of nostalgia warms through her stomach. They've done this in reverse – she thinks, without understanding why when, as far as Nami can remember, this is the first time she's dared to try and split a sandwich with Luffy. ]