#nami thread;

"You hurt my feelings." Nami had been thinking about how to react for a while; she had been given time to do so, the crew was injured and emotions were still high, and so she had mulled over everything she had learned about Sanji - a few questions had been asked to Reiju herself in between plotting what to do - and she also had to think about everything that she still wanted to learn. But she expected Sanji to deflect. Either that, because it hurt, or to feel so guilty he would not know what to do with himself. After all, that was how she had reacted in scarily similar circumstances. And so, that first sentence was what she had come up with to have his full attention after they were left alone. "You hurt Luffy right in front of me and you hurt my feelings," she reiterated to make a point, "And we did our very best to save you, so you owe me, Sanji." The onorific -kun had been fully ditched, but while it had been a way to push him away earlier, it was now her way to close some of the distance between them, even if her expression was neutral, studying his reaction. "So I want... sixty seconds. If you want to make up with me, I want you to give me sixty seconds to say and do whatever I want, and you cannot hold it against me. I'll be completely free and you'll have to accept it. Deal?"

Any horror she may have felt had taken a seat back when faced with the overreaction from her crew; the lovable idiots had been far more pained and scared than she was, and what could Nami do, if not look after them? They were her idiots, after all. Sanji had to be her next victim, there to bring her food because Chopper had recommended she'd stay in bed until she had recovered enough from the blood loss. "So, how do I look?" her temporary arm-replacement, made entirely of wood, couldn't be hidden, so she had wear a perfectly normal sleeveless - and pretty revealing - dress to bait Sanji into being normal. So help her, she was going to cook for Luffy too if she had to. "Do you like my new dress?"

Nami sighed, checking her Log Pose, and stretched her back a little; she had taken a rough fall, but she knew another restless night awaited her. Seeing Hachi hadn't upset her right away, but all that thinking about Arlong had manifested in sleepless nights after Fishman island. "Granted, I'm new to the North Blue, but I don't think I have seen anyone look like you yet. Where are you from?"

They had been knocked out when surrounded by the smoke, just like with Buggy, with the difference that this time Nami had been able to avoid the worst of it, and from her hiding spot had seen the little group of Red Pirates take Zoro's precious sword; collectors of rare items, no doubt, and she should have waited for her friends to wake up and kick their asses, the gas wasn't that strong. She should have waited. She should have, and yet she was running after them, because they had such a penchant for disappearing, and what if the Wado Ichimonji disappeared with them? Nami ran up the hundred of steps that led to the citadel above, chasing the pirates, and attacked with her staff as soon as she reached them to slow them down: it was just three of them, maybe she could buy time until Zoro woke up. Usopp was there too, but she knew she had to count on the strongest of the two.

Unfortunately, she found herself quickly beaten down. They weren't interested in ganging up on a woman, so they were ready to walk away, but Nami got up and tried again. And again. And again. Feeling as powerless as she had with Arlong, she pulled herself from the ground with shaky arms but couldn't get up on her legs, blood dripping on the ground underneath her. Only then it occurred to her that she wasn't alone anymore, and he was her friend, he would come if she held on enough. One of the pirates shoved her back down, and she took a deep pained breath.

"Zoro!!!"

@gumventure x Nami

“Hey, hey, stay with me, ok?“ ( sanji @ nami! ) @melpcmene

She had almost passed out, her hand grabbing Sanji's jacket for dear life. "It's okay, it's a normal fever..." she reassured him, no prehistoric insects this time, just a stupid, stupid, stupid captain, who didn't understand how her delicate, precious body shouldn't be exposed to insane changes of temperatures just because he saw a fish-unicorn or whatever the hell that was. "I'll be fine, Chopper has everything we need to help me," she assures Sanji again, her tone just a little softer at the thought of why the cook might be particularly uncomfortable with her being ill. "... and then, I'm going to kill that idiot, and I'll be as good as new. All in favor, yes?"

“I got you. It’s gonna be okay, you’re going to be okay.” ( also sanji @ nami! ) @melpcmene || because you sent 2, this is from my au thing where she loses her arm

His voice sounds weird, and not just because all sounds are a little off and far away. She vaguely remembers shielding him from that deadly beam, isn't even sure the enemy is gone just yet, but Sanji somehow managed to find her under the rubble, so everything is alright. She doesn't even feel pain, only cold. And wet, her clothes are wet. "I know," she answers with a smile, and tries to reach out, but doesn't see her hand come into view, and tries again with the other arm - it works, her shaky hand lands near his chin, a little pat to reassure him because of course it's okay. "I saved you this time. We are even--no, it was a big save, you owe me. You owe me a shopping trip, Sanji."

Big words considering how many times he's saved her, but who cares. And then, for no reason, she's suddenly aware something is wrong. It's just a moment of clarity, something about his face, something about that explosion. Her mother's face keeps flashing before her eyes, smiling, Arlong's gun at her head, making sure her daughters know she's going out on her own terms, that she stands by her choices.

Nami liked to think she could take care of herself, she had been doing it her whole life, hiding and escaping, but with so many dangerous individuals in the crowd, and so much money in her bag and, worse, Luffy's hat on her head for safe-keeping, which she felt responsible about even more than the money, she was so relieved to have bumped into Ace. With a 'hey, Luffy's brother!' she had earned that extra layer of protection.

And she was about to offer him compensation if he stayed while she looked for what she needed, when a scent hit her nose. Hopefully he's a little like his brother. "So, how do you feel about meat? I kinda need someone to walk with me so I don't end up getting robbed." She's not about to tell him she's a master thief herself, not as a second introduction at least, but it's not as if it matters now: if a bunch of pirates attack her, she may end up losing the hat or more, thief or not. "And those steaks smell good."