#(tried to work in what you had decided about Nami's the goddess of as much as I could)

[ikkaku-of-heart]

diety!verse starter for @chatcambrioleur

The Goddess of Guidance walked through a beautiful orchard, the scent of ripe fruits ready to be picked heady in the air. Behives oozed with golden honey while fields of barley grew tall and proud in the nearby field. Reaching up, Ikkaku plucked a bright orange mikan from one of the trees, appreciating the brilliance of its peel and the plumpness of the flesh within. Life and nature's bounty were abundant here, and curiosity compelled her to seek out the gardener who tended to these plants.

The growth here wasn't entirely due to mortal toil, though Ikkaku was certain they worked hard. But no, she could sense magic in the air. Someone was lending a hand and bringing these hard-working farmers some extra good fortune with beautiful weather and soil so rich it seemed like sprouts could burst forth from it in a heartbeat.

Breaking from the treeline, the goddess paused upon finding herself in the presence of a woman with hair as vibrant as the fruit that grew around her. A small smile tugged at Ikkaku's lips, and she instinctively knew her feet had led her directly where she needed to be, as they always did. It wouldn't do for the patron of lost souls to not be able to find who she was looking for, after all.

Leaning against the trunk of a mikan tree, silk robes and black curls billowing gently in the breeze that seemed to be conjured out of nowhere, she said in greeting, "I was expecting a sorceress or a dryad. Seems I've found someone a little higher up in the food chain. Which certainly explains how plentiful this harvest is." Peeling the skin of the fruit in her hand, she plucked a segment and took a bite. Utterly delicious. Almost on the level of ambrosia. "Only the best from a demi-goddess, right? How long have you been here?"

[awlimagines]

How they comfort/care for you when you're sick.

CELIA/CECILIA

Cecilia was on her way to the Goddess Pond when she saw you collapse in the field. She immediately gets help and anxiously waits for you to wake. She gives a gentle but firm lecture about pushing yourself too hard when you recover. Cecilia stays around the farm after updating Vesta to help with crops and make you a meal. Before she heads home for the evening, Cecilia stops at the pond to pray to the Harvest Goddess for your good health.

DARYL

He admittedly did not notice you missing your usual visit to the lab. Daryl only knew you were sick after stepping out to chase off Nami and Cole from talking outside his door. Despite his best attempts to return to work, you kept crossing his mind instead. He did not study medicine but was sure he could whip something up. Daryl arrived at your door, ranting to you about his creation. The black liquid held towards you in a beaker did not look promising. His expectant look had you cautiously take a sip. The next thing you knew, you woke up in bed to hear Daryl arguing with Dr. Baddoch over the medicine’s effectiveness.

FLORA

She returns to the surface after being in the dig site all day. Flora knew something was missing today and tried to focus on what it was now that she was off work. A fish jumps from the river, and she thinks of you. Flora knew you were usually at the dig site most days, especially before Van came to town. Her thoughts turned to the suspicious person across the river. What if they turned to your farm? Flora crossed the water, intent on checking nothing happened at your farm. Flora offers to make you a meal so you can rest. The soup is bland with a touch too much salt, but it’s the thought that counts.

GUSTAFA

Gustafa has gotten so used to your schedule that he quickly notices when you don’t come by to listen to him play. He frowns slightly, worried about what might have happened before heading toward the farm. A few steps past the entrance, he finds out from Takakura you’re sick. Gustafa wastes no time in offering to help with the animals so you can rest. Afterward, he wanders home to clean up before returning with a light meal. Gustafa only stays after you beg and assure him you would feel better if he did. You later fall asleep listening to his soft singing and playing.

MARLIN/MATTHEW

It’s the end of the season, and you’ve yet to come to Vesta for advice on what to plant next. He wouldn’t say he’s worried about you specifically, just about your farm. It’s hard to catch back up once you fall behind. The girls later mention Takakura said you were sick as he returned from the City. Cecilia and Vesta nudge him along to go and check on how you’re doing and deliver some seeds you can pay for later. Marlin only pauses for a moment before leaving for your house. Once there, he explains why he’s there and hands over the seeds. Marlin hands you a hybrid crop explaining it was from their greenhouses and should help boost your health more than a regular crop. He mumbles that he hopes you feel better soon and that he missed you today before quickly leaving.

MUFFY/MOLLY

Molly notices you fail to stop for lunch and decides to swing by the farm instead of the Inn for her break. She is devastated when you answer, wrapped in a blanket. Molly quickly ushers you back into bed. A frown creases her pretty brow as she checks your temperature. The only nursing she ever did was a few hours in costume at parties in the City. Molly is used to cleaning the cafe. She cleans around your house before promising to return with a nutritious, light meal from Griffin and some medicine. Before she leaves for her next shift, Molly says she hopes you’re better soon and cares for her the next time she’s sick.

NAMI

Nami was on her way to the Goddess Pond and noticed Takakura in the fields without you in sight. Thinking this was odd, she stopped outside the farm to observe. Nami pushes herself to speak with Takakura about it when you never appear. Nami is silent and thoughtful for a minute before offering to help water the crops. The next day Takakura tells you about her stopping to help. Nami tells you she was just curious about what farmwork was like, and it wasn’t a big deal. She brushes off your thanks but has a slight pink flush on her cheeks.

ROCK

He did think it was odd not to see you in the fields but minded his own business. He finished races with your dog and took a quick nap before catching sight of Takakura, who tells him you are sick. He doesn’t offer to help around the farm and wanders back to the Inn. Once there, he explains you’re sick to Ruby. Rock was going to take you food. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have enough to buy you both something from the cafe and he’s not a great cook. Rock soon returns to your home with his mom’s delicious curry. He spends the rest of the day talking to you about the latest gossip until you fall asleep. Rock catches another nap for himself before heading off for the night.

[frostios]

Session notes for tonight! Going to a college to get a god some followers while also catching up with an old friend....who is turning to the dark side ruh roh

We’re on the college campus! Joemin takes a nap in the soccer field and the rest of us go to track down Miles to say hello. We find someone that can find him for us, and we meet again! Miles seems really surprised but he’s ultimately welcoming. His arm looks completely revamped and honestly sick as hell. We leave Barnaby with him and Miles says he magicked up his arm himself, which is cool.

Cran goes off to wake up Joemin, not really wanting to do the whole ‘hey follow this goddess’ thing. Meanwhile the rest of the gang is pretty successful in getting Fivwabi followers! Nami especially is really good at convincing people. They run into this snotty Squilliam-looking asshole too. Barnaby talked to Miles. There are a few updates on what’s been going on with us – mostly that we’re not working for Linan anymore (because she turned out bad) and we’ve met a few gods (two of which are on the boat). Miles is very interested in the whole god thing and seems to want to meet them! A lot. And he has a friend that he thinks would be interested as well: someone named Isaac

. When Barnaby asks about Isaac, he gets some surprisingly suspicious responses and starts looking deeper into things. He finds out that Miles has some new views on life, and they’re… not that great. Mostly he had been trying to get stronger, because he looks up to us and wants to be a good adventurer! But it’s turned into Miles trying to be legitimately threatening and dangerous so no one messes with him. Barnaby tries to dissuade him from that, but Miles takes it as complete disapproval and takes offense, saying that maybe they just don’t get along anymore. As they’re finishing up their talk, Barnaby notices a book in Miles’ bag that looks… bad. Probably magic, possibly evil. He steals it without a second thought.

The two of them split off from each other, Miles saying that he wants to meet up later to see us all off even if they’re not agreeing right now.

Over at the fantasy starbucks, Cranberi and Joemin are sorta-kinda talking backstories. Joemin says something about being frequently dressed up, and Cranberi tells him she spent most of her childhood in a cabin in the woods. Barnaby and the gang meet back up at the ship, and now that Fivwabi has some new followers she’s granting wishes! Barnaby wishes to get more knowledge about Miles, and he does in fact get it: apparently that book he stole has guided Miles into becoming a Warlock, and his patron is none other than Lail. Yikes. Freedon’s up next. He wishes for a really good sword, and it gets granted. He now has a legendary sword than can be attuned to him.

Next is Kilgon. He wishes for a way to easily contact people no matter where they are, and gets granted TEN Motorola Razors (flip phones) that all have pictures of both him and Jammy permanently stuck in the backgrounds. He hands them out.

Nami runs to go get Joemin and Cran for wish time, and also hand out their phones. Joemin immediately tries to break his.

When that group comes to the ship, Joemin passes his wish over to Freedon, so Freedon is free to wish for Martinis to have extended life. Barns says Miles did want to say goodbye to us all before we left, so we all head to his dorm! Once there we see that Miles has been tearing up his room looking for the book Barnaby stole, but none of us know that Barns stole it so we try to help looking for it. Inside his dorm we meet Isaac, Miles mentor? And Jonathan immediately goes into anger mode and storms off. Nami goes after him.

We keep looking for Miles’ missing book, but can’t find anything – but Barnaby sees a discarded letter seemingly for us. He motions to Freedon and Freedon gets the memo and distracts Miles so Barnaby can grab the letter without notice. Nami catches up to Jonathan and finds out that he and Isaac have history, and that Isaac is bad news with bad morals. She texts the rest of us with her new Razor so most of us are now in the know. Unfortunately Cran doesn’t check her phone and so doesn’t see anything wrong.

After failing to find Miles’ book and saying goodbye for real, we realize Jonathan is still cooling off somewhere else so Cran takes Bo to go get him. Jon tells Cran about Isaac’s history and that he’s basically a vigilante, which Cranberi admits is pretty bad. But they’re unsure what to do about the situation, so they decide that it’s best to sleep on it before doing something more final. Bo flies them back to the boat. He seems to be getting more personality now And we’re off to the northern coast of Rebakis!

Barnaby and Cranberi talk about the book Barnaby stole, and Cran absolutely ruins it by casting Remove Curse and Dispel Magic before tossing it to Kilgon for burning, which starts a whole argument about burning books and why casting dispel magic on spellbooks makes them nearly useless that continues until Kilgon gets fed up and starts screaming into Jammy’s shirt.

Barnaby and Freedon go to read Miles’ discarded letter. It says a lot about Miles wanting to be as strong as the group but he’s loosing steam and feeling useless. There’s things about him considering giving up, and something at the end about this possibly being a final letter. Oof. the letter:

hey guys, how are you all?

ive been doing alright. times have been rough. i might... leave the college. im afraid. theres so much i cant do. i cant even play an instrument well. but... i want to be like you all. i want to be something great. i... i need to do something. i need to change myself. (most of letter is blurred, erased, scribbled out) you guys don’t know just how much you mean to me, even if im a stranger to you all, you have inspired me, but i don’t know if im worth anything. i don’t think i am. this may be—

[itsthemoofacewriting]

The Roommate

I actually wanted to write this the SanNami week event last year, but I was still at university and super stressed; so imagine my delight when I realised that I could work it into this year’s prompt list!

Summary: There was only one downside of living together. For SaNami week. Day 6: Home. @sannamiweek     (Sorry if you got this a few times, I’ve been playing around with tumblr today)

Rating: M, Mild suggestiveness and bad language (Looking at you Sanji)

Also posted on FFN and AO3

Enjoy

—————————————————

Sanji had been living with his beautiful girlfriend for almost three months now and it was going extremely well.

They’d been together for just over a year. They knew each other well before getting together, they’d both been in a very tight friendship group, and had finally taken the plunge when they’d finished education. More like Nami had, it’d taken her a bit longer to realise her feelings for Sanji. He still claims it was love at first sight for him.

Both were established in their fields during their year together and once they’d started earning decent money, they’d taken the leap to get a small house together.

Whilst Sanji was in the bathroom shaving he could hear Nami in the lounge singing to a song on the music channel. He smiled to himself, he never imagined that she would give him a chance. She was a goddess and he was the luckiest man alive.

He was interrupted from his thoughts when he heard her scream and jumped, nicking his face with the razor. A small bit of blood started to ooze from the cut, but it was the last thing from his mind as he dropped the razor, turned on his heel and ran as fast as he could towards the lounge.

He only got as far as the top of the hallway before she appeared around the corner, running towards him. Sanji inspected her head to toe to see what was wrong, finding nothing, he calmed slightly and took a chance to fully inspect her. This had to be one of his fantasies, was he dreaming? The girl of his dreams running towards him with her arms open in only a skimpy pair of shorts and white tank top, the only thing amiss was the look of terror on her face and tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

All thoughts, perverted or not, were pushed aside as she leapt for him. He had just enough sense to catch her as she wrapped her legs around his waist and brace himself to support her weight… although he wouldn’t mind rolling around the floor with her.

‘What’s wrong?’ he squeezed her sides to get her to look at him, her face currently buried in his neck.

He immediately felt bad for his perverted thoughts when he saw her distraught face.

She sniffled and tried to get her words out coherently, ‘Oh god… in the lounge! … and it touched me! It touched me, Sanji!’ She shuddered and the arms wrapped around his neck tightened.

‘Someone’s in the house!? I’ll fillet the bastard!’ He said, alarmed at the thought of someone breaking in and having the audacity to touch her.

She laughed at this and although he was confused considering the situation, it was still a lovely sound. She cupped his face and pecked him on the lips.

‘I know you would, I probably would have gotten them first though with the moves you showed me,’ she smiled at the memory of him showing her how to kick effectively, ‘but this is much worse.’ Her smile disappeared, replaced by a look of utter defeat.

‘…What? I’m confused, my love.’ His eyebrows knitted, ‘Can you start from the beginning, please?’

One hand was still supported her rear, whilst his other hand was now rubbing up and down her back.

‘Okay, I was about to start hoovering, so I put on the music channel and my favourite song came on. I stopped to listen to it and then it happened.’ Nami shuddered. ‘A massive spider came out of nowhere and ran across my foot.’

Sanji felt the blood drain out of his face and his hold slackened, ‘Oh shit!’

‘It touched me! I don’t have any socks on-’

‘Wait, wait! Where is it now!? Did you at least see where it ran?’

Nami’s face also paled, now matching Sanji’s. ‘No… oh god.’

Both of their faces simultaneously turned to look down the hallway in horror.

.

.

.

It was well known within their group of friends that both Nami and Sanji had an intense fear of anything creepy crawly.

It wasn’t so far-fetched to hear this about Nami, she was a bit of a coward, unless money or a child in need was involved. The surprise was Sanji. He was the toughest out of them, alongside Luffy and Zoro. He held a blackbelt in kickboxing, for god sake.

When Nami had shared a flat with Robin, the woman lived for anything like that and was more than happy to dispose (set free) of any bugs, blissfully ignoring Nami’s objections of all bugs being Satan’s spawn. Sanji hadn’t been quite as lucky as Nami before they lived together, there was Luffy that wanted to play with them or the moss head that wouldn’t let him hear the end of it.

Funnily enough, everybody forgot about this when they decided to live together. Or maybe they just didn’t say anything for their own amusement. That’s more likely. It was probably the moss head’s idea too. Dick.

That’s what lead to their present situation.

Sanji, bravely, taking the lead into the lounge, kitted out with a saucepan and slipper. Normally he wouldn’t even dream of using his beloved kitchenware for anything other than cooking, but this was desperate times. Nami was tucked behind him, her face poking over his shoulder, now donning socks, and holding bug-spray. They both figured he was the offence and Nami was the defence, in case the spider came running at them.

Neither of the two had even suggested a cup and magazine, it was madness to even think about freeing the abomination.

Sweat was starting to form along Sanji’s hairline in anticipation and he felt Nami’s grip from behind tighten around his waist. He steeled himself. This is what he promised himself and Nami when they started dating, that he would her knight in shining armour.

Dread filled them both though, when they entered the living room and couldn’t find it anywhere.

The spider was clever, it knew of their fear now and was probably out plotting for when it would jump out at them. It was going to be when they were in the shower, at their most vulnerable, he just knew it.

‘Sanji, can you see it?’

‘No.’

‘What are we going to do?’

‘I suggest we either move or burn the house down. Maybe both, in that order.’

‘It’s awful that they both sound like good suggestions.’

Whilst they discussed what neighbourhoods were good and far away from here, they both heard a plopping sound. They whipped their heads at the sound and found the culprit now on the floor, stunned from its drop from the ceiling.

They both screeched and Nami clambered onto Sanji’s back, her arms wrapping around his neck and effectively strangling him. ‘It after my beautiful, feminine feet again! Do something!’

Sanji hesitated for a split second, trying to think, then threw all logic away as he hurled his slipper at the spider and spectacularly missed, thus spooking it into running under the sofa.

‘Abort mission, abort, abort!’ Nami cried.

Without thinking, Sanji dropped the saucepan to support Nami and swiftly turned towards the door to make their escape. He stopped dead when he saw another above the door frame they’d just entered.

‘I knew it! There’s fucking more of them, those bastards are plotting. Plotting!’ Sanji said hysterically. ‘Spray it.’

Although that was a sound suggestion, Nami was now also sweating and had also lost all logic at the unexpected sight of another spider, so instead she lobbed the spray. She also missed.

With a war cry, Sanji ran out of the door, hoping the spider was still in shock and closed the door after him to trap them.

.

.

.

After inspecting the room for intruders, Nami and Sanji took sanctuary in the kitchen. He was slumped over the counter, mourning the loss of his saucepan as she rubbed his back in condolence.

‘I’m sorry, Nami. I should be able to do this for you.’

She snorted, gesturing for him to stand and laid her hands against his cheek, ‘You do so much for me, don’t be hard on yourself. But you know we can’t move or burn down the house… you know what we have to do.’

He sighed in defeat, his head dropping to her shoulder as she played with his hair soothingly. ‘You call him, I can’t bring myself to do it.’

Zoro laughed and laughed and Nami could feel her temper thinning.

‘Are you going to do it or not?’ She bit out.

‘He’s there isn’t he? He got you to call me, right?’ He actually chortled and Sanji felt the urge to kick something in that moment. ‘I know he is, pass me over. This is amazing.’

Nami sighed but knew she wouldn’t get any further in this conversation unless Zoro got his chance to speak to Sanji.

‘What do you want, Moss head?’

‘Well, that’s not a nice way to speak to someone you want a favour from. Too much of a pansy to do it yourself, huh?’

‘Shut the hell up!’

‘Say please and I might consider it.’ Zoro said gleefully and commenced another round of laughter again.

That was the last sound both Nami and Sanji heard as he was promptly hung up on.

‘Yeah, should have seen that happening,’ she groaned.

‘What about Robin? You said she was good at this?’

‘She’s out of town, I never would have suggested Zoro otherwise. She took Franky too, so he’s out too.

‘Luffy?’

‘He’ll actually burn our house down, spider or not, and we already decided against that option.’

They continued on with the list and sat next to each other in complete defeat, everyone was either busy or out of town. How did they not see this coming? It was inevitable that their joint fear would put them in this situation sooner or later.

Another minute passed.

Both of their heads shot up at the same time as they had a joint brainwave.

‘Usopp!’

.

.

.

‘The master insect handler is here, move aside so I can tame the beasts,’ Usopp exclaimed with a flourish, when Nami opened the door. He’d gotten here as quickly as he could when Nami had called him in a panic.

‘How does Kaya put up with you?’ Sanji said.

‘How does Nami put up with you being a wimp?’ Usopp quickly shot back but instantly regretted it once he saw Sanji’s face darken and leg twitch.

Usopp quickly put his arm around Nami’s shoulder, knowing the other man wouldn’t do something when she was near. Usopp would need to keep her close for the next week until Sanji forgot about that comment. He was oddly sensitive about his fear of bugs.

‘Now, lead the way and show me where your new guests are residing. I can’t wait to meet them.’

‘You’re a dork,’ Nami said, high fiving Sanji as she and Usopp walked past him.

Usopp made short work of the spiders. He completely ignored the squirming and squealing from the other two at the door frame when he picked up each spider, putting them inside the plastic cage he’d brought along.

Nami and Sanji kept their distance from Usopp when he brought the cage closer, trying to impart knowledge on them. He soon sighed and gave up when they both kept suggesting different ways to kill them.

Just as Usopp left, he made an offhand comment about the spiders. One of them was female, the other male and it was mating season. When they started to panic about spider nests, Usopp assured them the male shouldn’t be alive if that was the case and then made a tasteless joke about Sanji being lucky he was still alive.

He was instantly punched and then kicked; the door being shut in his face afterwards.

‘This has been really stressful,’ Nami exhaled, in exhaustion as her shoulders slumped.

‘You know, a bath might be really good for us both right now,’ Sanji’s tone had taken a husky edge as his arms wrapped around her.

Nami gave him a suggestive smirk before whispering in his ear, ‘You run the bath and I’ll meet you there with wine.’

He didn’t need to hear anything else as he pressed an impassionate kiss to her lips and took off to start the bath.

.

.

.

It was only later as they were in the bath, doing something incredibly intimate that should only really involve the two of them, that their newest roommate decided to make an appearance in the corner of the bathroom. A big black spider.

‘I told you this would happen.’ Sanji exclaimed, his head resting on Nami’s shoulder in defeat.

‘You did say they were plotting against us.’

‘But to actually cockblock me!?’

‘Us. But yes, I know. Let’s go.’

‘We don’t have time to… you know?’

‘Well, I suppose it’s just sitting there… never mind, it moved! It moved!

‘Call Usopp.’

————————————————–

Seeing both of them like this during Jaya was hilarious and something I could completely see happening. Spiders just ruining their lives… and cockblocking them, the ultimate offence.

No spiders were harmed in the making of this fanfiction, but I did have to do a tiny bit of research for this. That earns a review, right?

Thanks for reading

P.S. I actually have another piece I’m currently writing for SanNami week, it’s absolutely huge and very late. I’m praying I can get it done before the 14th.

[fantroll-purgatory]

@silenteko

Same As Sallva: Tronia, so an AU of Sorts I Guess.

Name: Nellie Axolte - I had actually been thinking about Axolotl when I came up with his last name. As in the Giant Space Salamander Mabel and Dipper ran into in that non-canon adventure they had. So yeah, I like Gravity Falls quite a lot.

That’s really cool! Did you also know the axolotl is a legit existing creature? Also looking into Gravity Falls theories it seems that the predominant consensus is that Axolotl may in fact be Xolotl, the Aztec god of lightning, death, twins, monsters, misfortunes, . We can work with that to get him a first name that ties back! He’s also listed as a dark personification of Venus (the planet, not the goddess, though that gives us room to play with it), so maybe we can use that to get him a new first name!

The Romans looked as Venus’s evening star aspect and called it “Vesper,” which seems easy enough to convert. How about Repsev Axolte? Sounds suitably alien.

Age: 4.15 Sweeps, 9 Years

Strife Specibus: Staffkind - I like Bō Staves. Their cool. Anyone who can use one is awesome. Both Aang of Avatar and Nami of One Piece use them and those two are awesome.

If I could make a suggestion, maybe they can have a modification that lets it be used like a slingshot to hurl spears? That’s an atlatl, which sounds a little like axolotl.

Fetch Modus: Pictionary - IDK why. It just seems to fit him for some reason.

If we’re going off Xolotl’s “twins” alignment, maybe Jade’s Memory modus! You’ve gotta find the twin before you can access the item!

Blood Color: Teal

I think he’d be better suited as a purpleblood if we’re gonna push the axolotl theme?

Symbol and Meaning: Libun - It actually really represents what I feel like his personality would be like, if I’m being honest. And it was actually my friend that had chosen his Symbol

Derse and Breath…I wasn’t sold on it, initially, but I like Derse especially with the tweaks I made to his bio. As a purpleblood, this would make him Capriun, the Cartographer, which is great for a character whose skill is navigation. Even better, Xolotl is the god of twins and this is one of the Soleil twins’ signs!

Troll Tag: titanicVamps - I was actually thinking of both Titans and Vampires when I came up with it. I don’t know why though. My brains weird.

Maybe axoLittle? I think it would be super cute to go with his aesthetic.

Quirk: He doesn’t have one. He actually writes everything completely with proper punctuation.

>If you wanna add something, maybe he just encloses his thoughts in accents like this?<

>To look like the gills on the sides of an axolotl’s face<

Lusus: A dog with bat wings. Mostly because I like both dogs and bats

I think the dog bit works given its association with Xolotl, so how about a Mexican hairless dog (also known as Xoloitzcuintli, or “water dog”) with axolotl gills so it can traverse the water more easily! Good dog, best friend.

Personality: He is hyperactive and a happy-go-lucky kid. Though, there are times when he can get pretty serious, which is a bit scary now that I think about it. Never piss off a happy-go-lucky kid. Um… I don’t know what else to put here. I know how he is, but I can’t put it into anymore words. Sorry.

It’s all good! This initially reads as a Prospit description, but the interests I’ve added could potentially make him Derse.

Interest: Crossdressing, His Lusus, His Moirail, wood carving

Idk that crossdressing needs to be a specific interest of his. He can just be a dude who wears skirts sometimes. It also sort of lines up with my headcanon that highbloods are more likely to adopt signifiers of femininity to align themselves with the Heiress. Woodcarving is def. a good hobby!

But let’s expand more based on what we know about Xolotl! His role as a deity was to protect the sun as it traveled through the underworld each night. You could make him a guide to trolls trying to traverse the ocean! Especially good since people sometimes used the evening star to navigate.

Since Xolotl is associated with lightning, maybe he’s a stormchaser? This would be especially interesting as a nascent Seer of Breath; he’d be exceptionally good at predicting where storms would start.

As for monsters, misfortune, sickness, deformities…maybe the “sun” he’s trying to guide are vulnerable lowbloods who feel that they don’t stand a chance in modern troll societies? He could guide them to islands where they could form their own communities, opening their minds to the possibilities of a better life!

Title: Seer of Breath

Land: Haven’t thought of one yet

Maybe it’s too on-the-nose but I really think Land of Tidal Lightning (LOTL), which is COVERED in stormy ocean and extremely difficult to move around. He would need to use his windy powers to part the seas and create paths through the planet.

Dream Planet: Derse

More Info: He’s Sallvas Moirail. He is a literal Seer, but he loses this ability after he Rises to God Tier. Or at least, that what he told Adrium. I haven’t decided on whether or not he’ll actually lose this ability or if it will get stronger after his rise because of his Tier. He foresaw Sallvas Lusus’ death and warned her. She refused to believe him and they got in a big fight and ended their Moirailgence(?). After the event happened Nellie went back to her, which shocked the hell out of her. From then on, Sallvas never doubted him again. As you can probably guess, they became Moirails again. He was, and still is, friends with Nepeta and Equius who he met when they went to Alternia.

I think I like the idea that he voluntarily gives up using his abilities for some time before god tiering. If we run with the Xolotl idea, he would need to reach a point where the risk involved with guiding a troll would be so great that he would refuse to use his powers, akin to Xolotl crying so much at the thought of having to sacrifice himself to move the sun that his eyes fell out.

Since this isn’t an Insert, you can go to town on him. Thank you for your time.

Thanks for the submission! Redesign to follow.

Nellie’s original outfit can be credited to naphal, whose sprites I edited, and you, whose drawings I referenced.

Horns - I wanted a little more axolotl reference in there! Since Purplebloods are known for extremely weird horns and I already had to make them loop down to match the symbol, I decided to give them three curls to look like axolotl gills. I had a lot of fun spriting these.

Face paint - As far as we know, all purplebloods still wear facepaint or something circus-y, but I didn’t want to make him look mean! So instead I tried to do the axolotl :D face.

Tube top - I was just going to slap his symbol on but then I realized it could be easily incorporated into the design!

Skirt - I wanted to continue with my headcanon that highbloods might like to dress similarly to the empress. I haven’t reviewed the Tronian fuchsiablood yet, so I used Feferi as the inspiration. Hence, the swim top and bi-colored skirt. But unlike Feferi, Repsev is not a high enough caste to wear all that color without reason. So instead, I used his moirail’s colors.

And that’s it for your troll! Hope you like the changes I suggested.

-TR

[forcedapotheosis-blog]

Gloomy Days VII

“I do not know what makes a writer, but it probably isn't happiness.” - William Saroyan, The Bicycle Rider In Beverly Hills

Disclaimer: One Piece and its characters do not belong to me.

Chapter VII – The Graceless Knight / Two Minutes To Midnight

This is it. How it’s going to end. Goodbye, my dreams, my family, my love. I could never have imagined that this would be the tragic extent of my failings. The woman said that I’ve arrived at the crossroads, and my actions could change the course of things, but the only way to win this game is not to play at all. Just .. just let it be over quickly.

After the conversation at the bar, his mind was torn apart. The moment he went there to talk to the mysterious woman, he had already decided to take whatever was coming head on. But she, that woman, whoever she was, had managed to make things more complicated. She had shown him a tiny spot of hope, but in truth, she just led him to an even higher cliff to jump from. There could be no hope in this wonderful hell-hole. No hope at all. After taking his seat on the side of the bride, as far away from his former crew mates as possible, he was left with his own thoughts again. Struggling not to care, fighting his inner demons in a last, defiant stand. One that he was about to lose for good.

What has become of me? I can’t even look them in the eye. Chopper .. Chopper even seems to be afraid of me. Am I really that broken of a man? Vestigial in all but outward appearance? I need to leave this place as soon as the ceremony is over. Can’t take it anymore. Memories are a terrible thing, and I remember everything. Every tear she cried, every night of drunken stupor to numb the pain of leaving her behind. If I had known that the way would lead me here, I .. I might have ended it all. Me being .. just being, is no more good to anyone, least of which to her.

He finally forced himself to look around for a moment. On the side of the groom, he could see no familiar faces. On Nami’s side though, all of their former nakama had arrived, at least those that could make time for the event. Those that were still alive. If he hadn’t known it better, he might have thought that denial could be found in all their faces. What they denied, he did not know. Maybe him being here? Some of them had already left when he clashed with the swordsman and had to flee from the love of his life. Word, though, travelled fast and far. He was sure that they knew about all the things that had transpired. He was sure that they knew how much he hurt Nami on their last day, and even if they found it in their hearts to forgive him, he could never do.

I’m sorry that you wasted your time, madame. After you left me at the bar, I felt invigorated. If even for a moment, I saw a chance that it just might work out. But moments vanish like summer rain. I will not do it, I can not do it. This is Nami-san’s chance for a good life, a wonderful life even. She will have security, she’ll be a wonderful mother, she might even have true love. What could I offer to her that’s worth more? Nothing. I’m a broken man, unable to give her anything but more wounds on her soul. She was so wonderful .. she .. she might have loved me. Why did I ever leave her behind?

Mere thoughts alone did not have the power to change the world. And after tens of thousands of words, the clock finally struck the hour and the band began to play the wedding march. Heads were turned in the supposed direction the bride was coming from and voices were raised in collective awe.

She .. oh my god .. Mere words and thoughts failed Sanji at the sight he was given.

Even at the worst, the most stygian of days, the red-haired goddess that went by the name of Nami was a light in the darkness. Even when the universe seemed uncaring and ignorant of humanities insignificant existence, even the most callous of beings must have felt the heat that she was radiating. If mankind ever ceased to exist, if only one human being should remain as the precursor for its renewal, it should have been her. In the light of this angel - no -, this goddess, mankind should be reborn. When Sanji talked to the mysterious woman at the bar, he thought that she might have been the most physically perfect being he ever witnessed. Now, all thoughts about her were forgotten. The bar for human perfection had been raised. No one could ever be her equal, a bride fit for the progenitor of all the things that men looked upon and felt tenuous.

He was paralysed with awe. Senses went numb and even if he had tried, he wouldn’t have been able to battle down the thought that pictured himself as the groom, not the man who was waiting for her at the altar. Dying wouldn’t have been half bad right now, gaze set upon the most beautiful sight that he could ever think of. Unfortunately for him, the story didn’t end here and a silent death was too easy a way out.

After a moment that seemed like an eternity in the light of the celestial plains, his mind returned and he was able to witness the shock that went through the groom’s side of guests. Shock, murmur and whispers became prevalent were awe had been just a moment before. It took him a surprising amount of time to find the source of it, and when he did, his heart stood still a second time, the mind that was racing to show him pictures of what could have been came to an abrupt stop.

“Is that ..”, he focused to understand the whispers.

“Yes, it’s him!”

“I thought he died?”

“This cannot be. Absolutely not!”

“Is this a crude joke?! What an impudence!”

“I vividly remember his wanted poster, it’s definitely him!”

“Her father is the infamous Strawhat Luffy?!”

“The son of the Dragon?!”

“Was she a member of the Revolutionary Army?”

“No, idiot, he was a pirate. Does that mean that she was one, too?”

“That’s enough of a reason to stop the wedding, isn’t it?”

“Cassian seems to be perfectly comfortable, maybe he knew?”

“Might be that she was forced to stay with the Strawhats. It might not be her fault.”

Cassian .. the cook’s eyes moved to the altar and focused on the groom.

He indeed seemed to be the very embodiment of serenity, as was befitting his overall appearance. Sanji couldn’t deny that he was a handsome man. Not tall enough to be towering over everybody else, but it was still an impressive size, possibly around 1,88m (around 6ft2), his dark brown hair was combed back to not take away anything from his face. His cheek bones were clearly visible and his broad, distinctive chin was radiating virility and masculinity, even more so because he was cleanly shaven. His eyes might have been the real catch for the ladies, though. They were of a lighter tone of brown and perfectly comfortable with reflecting the smile he had on his lips. When everything else about his face said that this man was better than his peers, these eyes made him approachable, friendly, gave him the look of a caring man, the ideal partner.

I want to hate him. I really do. But .. he knows about her past. He knows that she was a pirate under our captain and he doesn’t care. Even in front of his friends and his family, he doesn’t care. Oh, I want to hate him ..

Moments passed and somewhere along the line, the murmurs subsided. The guests saw that the groom was comfortable with this show of affiliation and, at least for now, went with it. Meanwhile, Sanji was finally able to avert his gaze from Nami for more than a few seconds and he began to examine the clergyman or whatever he was, who as accompanying the groom at the altar. Or is it his best man? I really can’t tell. As he would soon find out, his first assumption was right. The long-haired man that was standing beside the groom was, indeed, of the clergy. From his clothes alone, no one could have said. Clad in a tailored suit with a red tie, he could have been just another guest. Not a person of consequence, probably. His eye began to wander again, this time coming to a halt when it met his former captain.

Were all these past years just a dream? It’s as if nothing changed, nothing ever happened. Brook’s still alive and we’re on our way towards the next adventure. Back again on the Sunny, living for our dreams alone. No .. no, no. Idiot shitty dreamer, that’s what I am. These days are long gone by. We’re no longer nakama. No longer family, our dreams are buried and forgotten, nothing could ever bring them back. Purpose failed us, fate was no longer on our side. Our bonds are shattered, we’re acquaintances, not family anymore. All of us have our own lives to live. We’re done. Not even seeing him with his greatest treasure again can make it undone. Years of living apart, an eternity of not talking to one another, a lifetime of existing with a broken heart. We’re done, we’re through. She’s getting married and I should be here to support her, yet I cannot. She mustn’t see. She mustn’t see that I’m torn, that it’s killing me to just be here, to see her. All of them must not know. Keep up the act, idiot! Tear your eyes from him, from them. One last act of duty. Be here for her, wish her all the best. She’s happy. She must be happy, will be happy. The most important thing of all. Luffy has his hat again, so what? Maybe it was her request. Just to have the impression of being family one last time until she starts her own. There’s nothing left. The only thing that remains from our shared past are wounds to be tended, lessons to be learned. STOP! LOOKING! AT! THEM!

His mind was screaming as so many memories came back to haunt him. She cried because of him, she cried because she feared that he’d leave her. He didn’t want to, never wanted to hurt anyone. Yet he did, in the cruellest way imaginable. He ran away from her, broke her heart and his own and never tried to mend it. If suffering was the price, he’d gladly pay it. Seeing her with this man was just the beginning of it all, it must have been. Under these white ceilings, she would say ‘yes’ to a man he could not hate. A man that must have been better than him, if only for the reason that he managed to fight his demons instead of giving in to them, whatever they were. Everybody had these demons.

All of a sudden, the bride and her surrogate father had reached the altar. The maiden of honour was waiting to bring the rings. The stage was set, the troupe was ready and as the clergyman began to speak, Sanji felt as if he was finally drunk on all the shadows that his fragile soul carried for so many years.

Dazed, reeling, about to break.

The sonorous voice of the long-haired man filled these opulent halls with ease, demanding attention and silence. Even the erratic energy of the present children was not enough to successfully struggle against it. There was no way to stop all of this from happening, his darkest hour was the hour of her ascension. The heavenly bride was about to be united with a worthy husband. A husband that would not make her cry.

“Honoured bride, honoured groom,

Take a look around. In this decisive hour of your lives, you are not alone. You are surrounded by people who are close to you, who were close to you for years on end. Looking into each and every single face that gathered here, I can say with the utmost certainty that the bonds that run between all of you can be felt, can even be seen.

It is these bonds that make a human lifetime so precious.

Some philosophers say that life has no intrinsic purpose. That the universe is vast and dark and uncaring towards our very existence. But it is their conclusion that the uncaring universe is a good thing. Sometimes it might seem that the Gods are ignorant about humanity’s very existence, as they left their creation in a stygian void.

What better place but this void, though, to struck the match? To bear a blazing star? To make the shadows afraid?

These philosophers might be right, a life might not have intrinsic value, but the greatest gift bestowed on us is opportunity! Where there is no destiny, there are no bounds, no rules. Every life is free to find its own worth in the world. We all find bonds that might last for a whole lifespan and even longer.

This is what keeps all of us alive. This is what’s the most wonderful thing about living without a cosmic purpose, we are free to pursue what’s most important to us. If no one lends us a torch, we are free to find our own. To live the exact life that we are dreaming of.

The indefatigable search for our own, personal purpose, our own dreams and their fulfilment, the bonds forged in fire that accompany us for our whole life. All these things nourish the flame that stands between us and the darkness of the void.

Looking at all of you, honoured bride, honoured groom, dear guests, even the endless void is trembling. Within the uncaring nature of the cosmos, one can see that it’s eternal premise is to drive us apart, as one alone might not always find the strength to stand against the ever-growing darkness. This eternal adversity, though, fosters resilience. Within it, we find the heat that is necessary to temper the bonds we share.

I ask you, all of you: Is there a better way to laugh into the growing abyss’ face, than to be a part of this communion?

We are gathered here today, in the face of this illustrious company, to join together Cassian and Nami in traditional matrimony; an honourable estate, instituted by our forefathers, since the first men and women walked the earth.

Therefore; it is not to be entered inadvisedly and lightly, but reverently and soberly.

Into this venerated estate, these two persons present come now to be joined.

If any one can show just cause why they may not be lawfully joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.”

I .. I can. Because I love her more than I love myself. Because she’s worth more than a thousand dreams to me, her eyes are deeper than the All Blue, the Grand Line and all the Blues together are but puddles compared to how vast her heart is. Because she is a goddess, a goddess that needs proper veneration. Because I shall never tire in trying to make her happy. Because I’d gather all the stars in the sky if she just asked for it. Because .. I love her. Truly, madly, deeply. Having known her, I can never, ever fall in love with another woman. Having met her, I know that she’s both the Alpha and Omega to all the things I yearn for. Having known her for so long, I feel that she’s the brightest beacon in an endless night, the most wonderful being in existence. Nothing can ever, will ever be able to compare. I love her. I will never stop loving her, even if it drives me insane. In the reflection of her eyes, I can see myself being reborn into a light I had never known existed. I can not .. even though I have to let her go. Goodbye, Nami-san. I’m yours, forever.

Tears were filling his eyes, blurring his vision. The end was nigh, the words were about to be spoken. Despair filled his heart, breathing became increasingly difficult and death, right in this moment, would have been nothing but relief. His broken heart would never be able to recover. But she would be happy. She was everything that mattered. She would always be everything that mattered. Her smile. May she be happy.  The hour struck midnight. The clouds gathered and unleashed a furious storm. His mind drifted away, may the roaring thunder be the witness of their communion. He was no longer able to control his sobbing, the frail picture of masculinity that he so carefully cultivated throughout his life was crumbling.

He was alone. All alone within an endless void. The one reason to live for was taken away from him, never to be found again. He could not speak, he could not bear witness to their union. Just being here, knowing what was about to happen, tore his heart and mind apart. Desperation and madness took over. There was no hope in this Hell. No hope at all.

The old tales and stories told of heroes that journeyed to Hell and back, emerging victorious. In this moment of perceived clarity, he knew that all of these stories told nothing but lies. One person alone could never emerge unscathed from facing the abyss.

“Yes.”

A female voice. Nami-san .. gods .. she said it. She said yes. All is lost. I should have never come. I'm vermin. Nothing but. I .. I .. I can't take it anymore. No one should be forced to endure a situation like this. All I asked for was forgiveness and love. All I ever wanted was her.

Were men allowed to cry? Were they not? Did anything matter anymore? His uncontrolled sobbing found its climax. He finally broke down and began to weep bitter tears.

The groom's side grew louder as the moments passed. They were happy. He was sure. And no one would ever pay attention to this broken man.

The End.

Or was it?

[monkeydluffy19920]

SaNami in the New World pt. 4 - Zou

A busy December is over and it’s been a long time since the last part so let’s continue to analyze how the relationship between Sanji and Nami has been made huge steps of developments and how it can be seen in the New World. Some of these points taken out have been shortly introduced in  “Reasons why SaNami could happen part 1 and part 2 as well.  Previous parts of this series are handling happenings in Fishman Island, Punk Hazard and Dressrosa. this Zou/Totland arc is currently running but there are already so many important moments and so much to talk about so it’ll be easier to divide these into smaller pieces. In other words this part will handle the happenings from Zou until the retrieval team is formed. Then the next upcoming part (number 5) Tottoland/Whole Cake Island will start from where they sail towards WCI.  Like the previous parts this is going to be a long post but there might be points that we’ve been missing, feel free to make additions :) !

But before starting this part I want to give a special thanks and credits to my fellow SaNami mate @pernanegra​ who inspired me to do these projects. The posts in this series are based on his awesome thoughts from OJ threads (here are links to part 1, part 2 , part 3,  part 4 and part 5). He has made amazingly splendid job by gathering and doing such detailed analyze about Sanji’s and Nami’s nakamaship and I really recommend you all to read them  !

1. Mugiwara re-union and Sanji’s disappearence

Nami and others have survived from BM and we see them in Zou. We can see that Nami is sleeping at the daytime. This is something that I didn’t first pay attention but thanks to Pernanegra’s sharp eye and discovering now this panel became much more interesting from shipping perspective and in general as well. If we think about it, we haven’t seen her taking daytime naps after leaving her home village in canon at least. Back in Arlong arc we saw Nami taking a nap after having a temper tantrum due her upset of betraying her new friends. Pernanegra stated this very well:  Sleeping can be a way to escape reality, to forget the pain and as he menioned, it’s possible that she has been crying herself into sleep. At least she has fallen asleep after great exhaustion most likely caused by worrying, just like in Cocoyashi. Don’t know if this is just imagination but it looks like she is sleeping in a fetal position and one reason why it’s really popular way to sleep is because I’ve heard it brings safety and brings some health benefits because somehow it makes the blood flow well but not expert in these things so maybe someone knows more?

Then Chopper wakes her up but she seems to be very sleepy in the beginning. Once she is awake she becomes happy to hear that others have arrived so they rush to see them. After a while Mugiwaras are reuniting but that joy didn’t last long, at least for Nami  who bursts into tears when Luffy mentions about Sanji and Momo. 

Oda loves cliffhangers and yes, he made us wait for a while before we finally found out what was going on. First there was a welcome/reunion party with Mink tribe and almost everyone seems to have. We know that Nami usually enjoys partying and having some drinks with her nakama but this time it looks like she is not in mood for the partying. Because I read manga and watch anime I like to compare them and the difference in anime was that she was partying with other like she had no worries. Of course manga usually pictures one moment in panel and it might not show everything but for me it left the feeling that Nami would rather be searching Sanji but that’s just one opinion. 

Meanwhile the others are partying without worries Nami intrudes them and asks about Sanji. However this doesn’t lead her anywhere because her crew mates tell Nami that there is nothing to worry about. Luffy and Zoro  are definitely thinking he’ll manage on his own. Their reaction to her question is something that makes the navigator only upset and angry. It is pretty clearly that Nami really is worried about Sanji and she even tells her crew mates to treat his disappearence as a urgent situation. 

Probably many of us were expecting to see the reason for the disappearence when Robin asked Nami to tell what happened before  but we only managed to see that they fought with Big Mom’s ship. That’s informative indeed but Oda wants to keep the tension by not telling immediately what happened. Franky brings Nami back on earth by making her realize she is the one who is behaving oddly here and she finally admits that she hasn’t been rational and she has overreacted telling that she was impatient. Like Pernanegra said, it’s really interesting that back then when they reunited and they were on their way to welcoming banquet Nami didn’t explain at all what has happened in Zou (that they saved the minks, beat down Kaido’s men and face Capone and BM pirates again there) but it might be that Chopper told something while partying or maybe not (because that would’ve kill the party mood). Anyways, only things mentioned by Nami is the letter Sanji gave and that she has been in hurry to save him. 

2. Saving the Minks

Nami explains in the flashback how Curlyhat Pirates (Sanji’s team) were blasting against BM pirates by doing awesome team work. Nami and Chopper feel flattered when they are praised by rest of the crew. Back to Nami’s story and happenings at Zou: Sanji is now their temporary captain and orders Brook to take care of Nami.  Like pernanegra said, Sanji is now “the boss” and he has now different responsibilities that are showed in the Dressrosa part.   By the way their new captain has been a positive influence to Momo because that little samurai wants to protect the ladies just like Sanji ! Their relationship has evolved after Sanji became the captain and started to take care of him instead of being jealous over Nami. 

After sailing arriving to Zou Curlyhats part for a short moment to explore the places. Sanji later finds out Nami is in trouble so he rushes to help her. Too bad the anime ‘killed’ the moment of reunion by making Nami kick him after he makes a cheery mellorine-greeting to her.  Anyways when they go further they learn that Zou is inhabited by Minks and that their home was ambushed and attacked and inhabitants were left to death. Sanji warns Nami about the risks that are around the corner if they start to save them. It is thanks to incident with kids in Punk Hazard that Sanji acknowledges and senses that Nami would want to save them, even though she doesn’t say a word about it.

After Fishman Island  and Punk Hazard Sanji is now able to understand Nami’s thoughts much better than before and he was really right about his guesses. When Nami was attacked by one of the minks, Wanda the navigator swore that they will help the inhabitants and that they are not going to leave anyone behind. (she was so damn brave for keeping her head cool, even though there was a dynamite waiting to be exploded just in front of her). As said, Sanji predicted it right when it was about her intentions, she wanted to help them. There has been a major change in their nakamaship because now they have achieved a level where they understand each other even without words, it’s like mind reading.

With the help of Curlyhat pirates the residents of Zou gets the help they  need. It’s kind of sad that these are the last moments where we’ll see Sanji’s team happy and smiling together for the last time before the tragic happens. This definitely does strengthen the nakamaships between curlyhat members. Minks are so thankful the Curlyhats are treated like national heroes. 

After helping the Minks Sanji rushes to see Nami and others and he is very pleased to see Nami in her new dress and goes all mellorine like usual. Maybe he could’ve controlled himself if he wasn’t that hyped about Mink women but well he wanted to try the “garchu” on her and this is how he fails his chance to be romantic and gets a punch instead and he flies with hearts : D This is a comical gag of course but it would be interesting to see whether there will be a day when Sanji approaches her without any mellorine-overload and would that change something? In other words would Nami punch him if he approached her more seriously?

Funny fact is that he has now seen Nami twice in a gorgeous dress in canon story, first in Thriller Bark and now here in Zou. What makes it more interesting detail is that, in both situations Sanji’s first thought has been that “is Nami a goddess”. Just like Pernanegra said, Sanji is actually the only character that has reacted to her dresses and who makes compliments out of it.

Then comes the trouble, Big Mom Pirates. Again, Sanji takes instinctively the lead like a captain and decides to go for some negotiations with Brook. By the way it seems like Nami isn’t bothered from Sanji’s company at all (otherwise she would’ve avoided him after the punch but they are close to each other even after the “garchu” tryout). Curlyhat captain tells Nami to stay safe with others. If you take a close look to Nami, you can see that she accepts his will but seems to be a bit unsure about the decision. Maybe she did not want to let him go without the whole crew. (note: in Mangastream verson Nami says “I got worried” instead of “we” and in anime she says also “we” instead of “I”. I might have asked this before but does anyone know what she says is in the original manga?)

That might also be the reason why she got caught with Chopper later. This is really interesting thing because usually Nami does it all to avoid getting into fights but now she tried to sneak against the enemy. Forgot to write about this in reasons to love mugiwaras - Nami”-post but this is definitely a sign of Nami’s character development because just like Pernanegra reminds us in his post, Nami did ditch Zoro and left him all alone against Baroque Work members Mr 1 and Miss Doublefinger back in Alabasta or when she openly said in Fishman Island that she is scared while hiding in Franky’s tank. Things have changed, now she is more ready to face enemies from her own will in order to make sure everything is ok. 

3. Invitation to tea party and Sanji disappeares

Since they got surrounded by Capone and others they are forced to go into his castle (seriously that DF power still is kinda creepy). This is where Oda-sensei finally tells us why Sanji left so suddenly and this is what definitely shook part of the fandom, the invitation for Sanji that came as a surprise for everyone.

After the shocking declaration Nami is the first one to react asking what’s going on but Sanji remains silent. He is probably quiet because they revealed his last name, something what he wanted to forget and knows that his family has something to do with this case. Maybe it’s because of the shock but unlike the expectations Sanji is not mellorine after hearing about  the marriage, instead of that he actually dislikes it a lot, even hates it. 

His reaction might sound odd from the first hand since we know that he is a quite a hopeless romantic who always dreams about ladies but if we think about the post about marriage @namibean wrote a while ago this might make sense because as she said, marriages in One Piece have been represented as a opposite to term freedom and this is excactly what Sanji will lose if he marries Pudding. I don’t know whether he knew it from the very beginning but marriage would tie him down to either BM Pirates or to Germa66 and this would mean bidding a farewell to his dream of finding All Blue with Straw Hats and so on.

This has been pointed out in numerous posts but I still find it a very interesting that Nami is highlighted a lot in this disappearece case maybe even more than usual. She shows lots of interest in first hand and keeps on digging information. When they heard about Sanji’s origin Nami brings up something that has happened more than 2 years ago, before time skip: Remember in Jaya when they tried to find gold from Norland’s territory? Nami told to Chopper to dig out as much as he can but after hearing Sanji mention about his origin she tells Chopper to stop the search. It almost feels like Sanji’s story was more interesting for her at the moment than gold what could indicate also to that fact that she might not be as greedy as she looks. 

Nami’s flashback to Jaya could be another remarkable parallel to Fishman Island where Sanji brought up something Yosaku said linked to Nami’s past. This does not only mean both of them have really detailed memories but also that both have paid a really good attention to the necessary things back then.

Sanji still refuses to take part to this tea party. He makes it very clear that marrying a girl he doesn’t even know is ridiculous. Like Pernanegra said, even though Sanji is known to be a womanizer and “a dirty minded ero kappa” he still have some principles. The response is not ok for Capone who tightens up the situation by threatening Nami. Mangastream version says “As you can see, I won’t need to hurt you for you go to the tea party”  We don’t know how much Capone knows about Sanji but at least he managed to hit the nail on the top. Sanji is reacting immediately to see Nami sinking down by Capone’s DF powers

One of the biggest mysteries in this arc is that what Vito whispered into Sanji’s ear. It’s something we still don’t know for sure but my guess is that it has something to do Nami. Not maybe anything straightly related to her but possible that it’s something that affects her as well. Anyways, she is very curious but confused about it.

After Vito’s words Sanji makes the decision and goes for the tea party. He writes a letter to his captain and rest of the crew. Another interesting detail is that he gives the letter to Nami, not to Brook who is his first mate or to Chopper. Really hard to say the reason but maybe he gave it to her was because she is the one he has known the longest among the Curlyhats or if he thinks she is the closest person he can trust (don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying Sanji does not trust Chopper or Brook ! but maybe he feels like Nami could take the best care of the letter). This is a bit out of topic but I love how Oda made that panel so intimate for them, even though they are surrounded by the enemies and in the anime episode  Toei highlighted them in that hugging scene.

After the hug he throws his nakama out of Capone’s castle but they want him to go too. It might be just Nami’s tendency to become highly distressed if someone she likes is in danger but she is really worried and wants him out as well. Not talking about romantic aspect when I used the word ‘like’ because she does not only become stressed about her crew mates but also other people she becomes attached, for example she was very worried when rescuing the kids in PH etc. 

Sanji tries his best to comfort them and he gives them a smile telling there is nothing to be worried about, just before the doors to Capone’s castle closes. Nami reacts with two exclamation marks, Brook is pretty much speechless as well and Chopper is in edge of tears.

In manga Capone with his castle tank disappears into woods and the rest of the Curlyhats are left behind calling for Sanji but animation team decided to make it even more dramatic. Intended or not Toei made Nami run after Capone but unfortunately she has to give up and she collapses to the ground and probably keeps yelling Sanji’s name (or something like “noooo”/”come back” etc.). Pernanegra made another good discover but Sanji’s smile might have reminded her of Bellemere who also flashed a smile before the tragedy. This could be one reason why she reacted so strongly to his farewell and why she wants him back so eagerly. No doubt she does not want to lose another important person from her life and she is aware that Sanji is in danger. 

4. Building up the Retrieval team

Then we move to present where Brook sings about Master Nekomamushi . Lyrics are pretty simple but pernanegra was wondering whether the lyrics could’ve gotten inspiration from Sanji’s farewell. Brook told he does not know Nekomamushi and only imagined how he could be. This is pure guessing but what could link Sanji to lyrics is that he decided to face his problems alone.  

Nami’s reply to Luffy’s question about marriage is surprisingly laconic and I don’t think this is usual for her (mostly she always have a answer to questions but now she seems not to have one). It may also be her posture and the size of the panel why her answer catches the eye easily. Like pernanegra said she might be unsure because of thinking of future and how Sanji’s marriage would change the relationship between him and his crew mates.  Now the Crew acknowledge that Sanji went from his own will.  We’ve been writing how Sanji and Nami has been able to read each others minds and actions during their adventures in New World but this time things are different. Maybe one of the reasons that Nami feels so unsure and has a troubled expression is because no matter how logical she tries to think she can’t find reasonable reasons what could explain why he decided to go. This is the first time she isn’t able to understand him and it bothers her.  

Robin tries to comfort the others by saying they shouldn’t blame themselves. She can relate on Sanji because she has gone through similiar situation when she was about to leave the crew.  Zoro however is having a different opinion. Because he witnessed in Thriller Bark how Sanji does not want to be trouble for his nakama marimo is very upset to find out that Sanji has underestimated his friends who were ready to go after him.  He is also mad because Sanji’s disappearence ‘messed up’ the Kaido plan and he makes his opinion very clear. 

Nami’s reacts very strongly to Zoro’s arguments. She is furiously taking Sanji’s side and telling that accusing him is wrong because Sanji did not intentionally end up in his mess. It’s understandable why Luffy is following their argument from aside and does not intrude. After seeing and realizing how important this seems to be for Nami he decides to go after their cook. 

Nami goes to see Pekoms with Carrot, Luffy and Wanda. She is really curious and wants to know more so she can finally understand his reasons. When they hear about Vinsmokes she seems to overreact when hearing that Sanji is linked to ‘evil’ people. When she finally learns why Sanji was leaving she realizes that there was nothing she could do even though she would’ve wanted because the main reason is that BM is blackmailing him extremely. 

When Luffy tells that he is going alone with Pekoms Nami feels a bit surprised and upset. She always thought that the crew would form a retrieval team and Luffy going alone would mean that she would be counted out from plan and this was something she did not expect, especially when she has been constantly talking what they are going to do with Sanji-kun.

When story keeps on rolling and they find out about raftels.  She shows there few moments of self-confidence and one of them is when telling that she will protect Robin no matter what. Oda made Nami burst in flames swearing that she will do bad things if anyone lays their finger on Robin. Intended or not this fiery detail looks like a nice parallel to Sanji because he is usuall the one who sets in fire (for example hell memories). 

Later Luffy is ready for some parties but Nami tells that there is no time for it.  She acknowledges the fact that every minute counts. Nami also tells that she is coming and gives him another reason to join the retrieval team. Even though they were mainly able to come over of the thoughts of guilt she is still feeling that she is responsible for his disappearence and seeing her already being eager to get him back makes me feel that she definitely is worried about him and why wouldn’t she be worried? 

Remember how distressed she was when Robin disappeared they had only little time to find her? Of course these are different cases with different backgrounds and reasons but there are some similarities and as said, it’s in Nami’s nature to become so stressed when it’s about her nakamas.

Like pernanegra said, this situation about Luffy thinking food and fun before the rescue is by the way really similiar to one that happened in Skypiea and it is another parallel because we can see Sanji telling Luffy that there is no time to waste and they have to find their navigator.

Now the have built the Sanji retrieval team that includes Brook, Chopper, Luffy and Nami and from the Mink tribe Carrot and Pedro joins in as well without to mention Pekoms.  They have now agreed to meet the rest of the Mugiwara crew in Wano, after they get Sanji back. 

Pernanegra summed up this part very well telling that Nami has now done 3 acts or redemption since the New World. First she forgave Jinbei and Fishmen in Fishman Island, then she saved the kids in Punk Hazard  and now she has saved the minks. Most interesting thing is that Sanji has been important part of these missions by standing by her side.

Now that they are dealing with arranged marriage we can see how much Sanji is against the idea and after their ways part Sanji has left his nakamas so many questionmarks about the situation but they learn that he had no other choices. Sanji’s departure has distressed Nami a lot and for many reasons.  Like written above for example she is bothered that she can’t currently understand his motives. However she has been the one who has ‘taken the lead’ and pushing others to focus on finding him and refused to be left out from the retrieval team telling. There is again the theme of responsibility around in this arc. Sanji feels like he is the one who must solve this case “he caused” by himself and Nami has been feeling responsible for letting Sanji go away. 

[forcedapotheosis-blog]

Solstice Ch. II

Whaddup fellas, I’ve been writing a bit and think I can release this stuff without hating myself too much. I really hate tagging it, though. Gloomy Days is probably coming soon, we’ll see about that. No warnings for this chapter, just have fun.

Chapter II

It took them a while to finally reach the Vinsmoke’s ancestral estate as the storm was still growing stronger, howling in the night like a savage wolf. But alas, he didn’t mind. Being able to spend time alone with a woman like her was a blessing, even though she had to concentrate on the sole purpose of not killing them. The streets were in a terrible condition and it had seemed to become worse as soon as the car had left the dim light of the station. The heavy rain hammered onto the car in a staccato that would put a machine gun to shame and even the winds tried their best to lead the vehicle astray. But again, the Goddess managed to surprise him. She was calm, collected, focused and even if the end of the world was approaching, she wouldn’t lose the way nor the control of the car. A damn fine driver, to put it shortly. Other than that, he wasn’t able to learn a lot more about her. Nami was approachable and friendly, no questions asked, but he had the feeling that she willingly held back some informations about her background.

“So, you’ve been working as his secretary for .. how long, now?”, he tried to restart the conversation, having to speak a little louder than usual as the roaring engine of the car fought a losing battle against the terrible storm.

“Around a year now, it’s kinda difficult to find a job with my rather peculiar background.”, she replied, still having her eyes focused on the road .. or whatever she could identify as a road in that play of black and brown that unfolded before their eyes. “Peculiar background? Would you elaborate?”, that sounded rather mysterious but, at least in his eyes, turned out like a load of false decisions when she started her studies. “Anthropology and German as a second language. I mean, I could probably start as a teacher, but I majored in anthropology for a reason, you know?”, now, that explained a little more. Anthropology .. interesting field, I guess, something along the lines of studying human culture and development or so. And not really what I’d have expected from a secretary at all.

“I guess so. Admittedly, I don’t know a hell of a lot about anthropology, but I can see where you’re coming from, at least I assume I can.”, he ignited another cigarette and turned to the side to take a look out of the window. Nothing of note had changed, black in brown with a little wrath of the gods on top. He sure was happy about not having to find a hotel for the night, especially not when forced to travel on foot. For all throughout his life, he had been living in cities, some big, some small, but they always had the flair, they radiated the liveliness of a place inhabited by people.

It was nothing like this.

This whole area seemed just so abandoned, he couldn’t even make out any houses in the nearest vicinity. And if there were some, he was sure that the inhabitants would be as if taken out of the books he sometimes read. Clichéd to no end, mindlessly staring down foreigners and holding back a dark secret. He didn’t consume loads of works belonging to the horror genre, but he was sure that the people here – if there were any – would live up to nearly every trope used.

“We’re close. Are you excited to see your family again?”, her clean voice disturbed the image of degenerated country folks cannibalising each other while sacrificing virgins to dark gods that was forming in his mind. Thankfully. How can she know? My sense of orientation isn't that bad, but in the middle of the damn night, every bit of black and brown looks like the same bit of black and brown two kilometres ago!, he certainly was in awe of her and, even though he knew next to nothing about her, had no problems in trusting her judgement. “Want me to be honest? I’d rather sleep under a bridge than under the same roof as my .. relatives.”, maybe he overstepped his bounds a bit as Nami was employed by one of his brothers, might even be somewhat loyal to him, but he didn’t want to lie to her. And if everything went down as abysmal as he expected, the illusion of a happily reunited family would shatter quickly enough. “Any particular reason for that?”, the estate was finally in sight. The lights on the ground floor of that decade old beast of a house were lit, not caring that normal people used to sleep at this time. Maybe they were actually waiting for their arrival.

“Well, I certainly didn’t have the best possible childhood. And I'd lie if I said that my dear siblings didn't play a huge part in that.”, that was about as far as he wanted to go. It wouldn’t serve any purpose to tell her about the things his father used to do and to say to ensure that his children would grow up the way he intended. And that wasn’t even mentioning the fact about his strange obsession for ancient books and even older languages. Judge Vinsmoke, and that was the only positive thing Sanji could think of, had been a very sophisticated man, well versed in foreign languages and even dead languages (that sounded more like a drunk trying to talk in ancient Greek after he had been hit on the head with a club). For whatever reason.

“I was young when I left my family.”, to that, she just nodded, deciding that it would be better not to dig deeper until he opened up himself. “I deeply respect you for coming here, though. It’s better to give this whole reunion a shot than to live with yourself when the opportunity to do so no longer exists.”, she said, finally starting to park the car. There were three other cars that Sanji could identify through rain and darkness, large, state of the art. It seemed like his siblings had been pretty successful in whatever they did with their lives. He also noted that the cars marked a stark contrast between the modern world and the old ancestral mansion that had been in the possession of his family for much longer than he lived.

So many years have passed and still .. around these halls, I don’t feel well. Just looking at them summons shades of the past, of mother not being able to sleep in here, looking as pale as a ghost. The walls used to sound so .. hollow, as if something was living within them. Faint voices whispering in your ears. I’m not a child anymore, but it still chills me to the bone.

“Are you ready to go, Sanji?”, her clear voice effortlessly broke through his sombre thinking and he couldn’t help but to smile. Maybe people and old stories didn’t lie when they spoke of a light in the darkness that was able to burn the shadows away?

“As ready as I can be, I guess. Please, Miss Nami ..”, his arms slid out of his jacket and he held it towards her. “It’s raining cats and dogs and I wouldn’t want for you to catch a cold.”, to that, she answered with a smile and slung it around her shoulders. The car’s engine finally grew silent and for a moment, he felt lost. Caught in the heavy rain, the hurricane winds trying to yank around the car, the starless sky and a beacon of light, sitting right next to him. But before he could lose himself in that thought, she broke the silence once again, handing over the silvery case in which he stored his cigarettes.

“Pretty sure you’re going to smoke before we get inside, hm?”, she was right, of course. Even though somewhere in his subconscious he had garnered some hope of leaning in on her to get his cigarettes. Opening the case, the subtle smell of dried tobacco hit his nose and put his nerves at ease. I could still flee. Just run into the dark of night and never look back. How ‘bout that?, he knew that he wouldn’t do it, but assuring himself that he could was nearly as important as actually doing it. Without a second thought, he put another cigarette between his lips and exchanged glances with Nami. “Think I’m as ready as I could be. I just .. well, thank you for picking me up. It’s been a very pleasant experience.”, sure, there was the chance that she would consider his words as weird, but not knowing what was to come made him speak out anyway.

Nami answered with a smile and gently put her hand on his shoulder. Even though the touch was as soft as a butterfly landing on him, it nonetheless sent a shiver through his body. By all means, electrifying. “I wouldn’t worry too much if I was you. I’m sure it’s not going to be as bad as you think it will, remember that all of you are adults now. Times change and people tend to do the same.”, and again, she was right. And his conscious mind didn’t have any problem to believe her, but the underlying feelings and memories were still there. She’s got a point. It’s been nearly fifteen years since I have last seen them. Things might have changed for the better. It’s very unlikely that these days will go down as badly as my mind is trying to tell me they will., in hindsight, both of them had a point. Things wouldn’t be as bad as he imagined.

Also, things just might be a little better now, as he was still feeling her touch on his shoulder. He enjoyed it so much, actually, and got soaked in by it that the unlit cigarette nearly fell from his mouth. But nature seemed to have a way to interrupt humans whenever the opportunity arose. Even through the hammering rain, through the loudness of raging winds, both of them startled when a loud thump destroyed the precious moment.

They quickly found the offender, but that didn’t help the startling effects of the sudden noise. Or the effect that the disturber had.

Fuck you, bird.

Indeed, it was a bird. A rather large one at that. From what Sanji could see through the pale light that reached it, coming from the inside of the car, it must have been a crow. Or a raven. Not that he knew nor cared about any difference between these two. What he cared more about was that Nami’s hand had left his shoulder, which now felt empty and cold. But the longer he looked at it, the more creepy it became. Its black feathers seemed untouched by the rain and, besides the noisy landing, the animal seemed unshaken by the winds. Silently staring at the both of them through black eyes. So .. when’s the ‘Nevermore’ coming?, he had never been a huge fan of Edgar Allan Poe, but seeing the bird brought back memories long buried of him reading ‘The Raven’. To his delight, Nami broke the silence with the exact same thought. “Sanji, are you, perchance, looking for a lost Lenore?”, she chuckled and it was as contagious as it could get, driving away the shadows, even momentarily the ones he kept to himself.

“Nevermore.”, he said, himself smiling by now. “He’s a tough one, though. Flying through this storm should earn him some respect.”, still, the bird was just standing on the car’s bonnet, silently watching them. Maybe out of slight curiosity, or .. was it judging them? Yeah, it sure is. Well done, Prince Sanji of Dumbass Kingdom. That bird is absolutely judging people.

But as abruptly as it came, the bird left them. With one powerful stroke of his wings, the raven (or crow?) effortlessly soared into the air, seemingly untouched by the heavy rain or the wind's violent play.

“That .. was strange.”, Nami leaned forward, trying to follow the bird’s path, but within a split second it had vanished into the black night. “Did you notice something odd about it?”, she asked, sinking back into the chair and turning her face towards him. “Odd? You mean, besides the fact that it stared at us for no reason?”, he looked at her in perplexity. “Yeah, besides that. The poor thing was crippled, it had three legs.”, his eyes widened at that. Three legs? He didn’t pay too much attention to other parts than the bird’s creepy black eyes. But that was something that you didn’t get to see every day. “Seemed to be holding up well enough, if you ask me. Maybe he’s more resilient thanks to being different?”, actually, the bird was holding up even better than he was giving it credit. Not only had it seemed utterly unfazed and unflinching when it came to wind and rain, it even made its final ascent and good-bye looking perfectly natural, as if it was effortlessly riding on the wind, bending nature to fit its needs.

“Well .. what I wanted to say before that unnecessary interruption: I think that your siblings are already waiting for us. So, one last cigarette and then we head in?”, again, she was right. Confronting them was inevitable by now, might as well get it over with. Sanji nodded in agreement, unbuckled and finally stepped out in the cold and rain. Surprisingly enough, it felt good. After the time he had spent with Nami by his side, his body was in dire need of cooling down. And the weather did provide that, a little too much, actually. Stepping out of the car didn’t really feel like stepping into the rain, but more like taking a shower with all your clothes on. Not a very pleasant feeling, but it did help him in getting his head clear. He didn’t need to hurry, too, since by the time they would reach the door, he’d be wet to his bones anyway, so he took his time walking over to her side and falling into his usual manners. He opened the door and held out his right hand towards her. Nami accepted it and readily let him help her to get out of the car, his fine jacket hanging loosely on her shoulders. Contrary to his shirt, it might hold the water back for a few minutes before it was soaked. He shut the door and both of them began walking towards the dimly lit entrance, a wide door made from heavy and expensive wood. It even had an old-fashioned knocker, too. A sinister little thing, the head of a dog, mouth wide open with fangs that seemed just a little too long and pointy to be on the realistic side of things. In its mouth, it held a thick ring made of rusty iron. Whoever designed this house read too many horror books. Fortunately for the both of them, though, he also seemed to have had some kind of sense regarding practicality. The house’s roof extended a meter or so, so that one might find shelter from the rain when standing next to the door.

The moment of truth had finally arrived and Sanji felt a strange tingling in his stomach. Even though it’s been so long, the bad memories still haunted him from time to time. And there were some wounds that were just too deep and too stubborn to heal. He was pleased to see that the cigarette between his lips still was mostly dry, ready to be ignited. Just a few minutes more .. a little time to enjoy next to the goddess.

But hope was the first step on the road to disappointment.

The moment he lifted his lighter to ignite the cigarette, a loud screeching put rain and storm to shame. The heavy door was being opened and the old, rusty hinges ached under the sudden pressure. It sounded like the metal was being torn apart, and when it ceased, a shadowy figure finally strode into his line of sight. Confronted with that rather small, undefined frame, he felt like Igor had just opened the doors to Dracula’s castle for him. Only that this Igor didn’t have a hunchback. And wasn’t even male to begin with.

“Our guest of honour has finally arrived, I see..”, the voice was definitely female, not as clean or high as Nami’s, but more of the smoky, seductive kind that had appealed to him for most of his teen and adult life. But not this time, for reason that should become obvious in a few seconds. Even though he couldn’t remember all of it, the familiarity of her voice was what made the tingling in his stomach grow wild. All the time, he had prepared to meet them on his own terms, when he was ready to do it. This situation just stomped on his plan and he felt his confidence crumbling in the face of unexpected events. What came next, somehow, made it even worse. “Nami, dear, Ichiji is waiting for you in the kitchen. I think he’s got a surprise waiting for you.”, maybe it was true or maybe it was just a polite way of telling her to go so that his sister, Reiju, might have a minute alone with him. It didn’t matter, the thought of being without Nami distressed him. For a second, he hoped that the secretary would decline, saying that his damned brother could wait a few minutes more, but she was far too polite for that.

“I’ll go see him, maybe it’s important. Sanji, I’ll put your jacket up for drying, is that alright?”, he nodded, forcing himself to smile confidently, even though he didn’t feel like it. A moment later, she was gone and silence fell upon him and his sister. There was so much to say, but he couldn’t decide on what was important and what not.

“It’s .. good to see you, Reiju. You’ve grown up.”, that wasn’t exactly creative or heart-warming, but as neutral a thing as he had to say. And there it was again, a strange feeling of impending doom. He wasn’t usually like this, but since her letter had reached him, it had become increasingly easy to follow dark and gloomy thoughts. “I didn’t believe that you’d really come, Sanji. It’s been so long.”, she said, wearing a strange smile that didn’t extend to her eyes. Somehow, it felt like she was wearing a mask, trying to conceal her true feelings about all of this. “Can’t believe it myself, to be perfectly honest.”, he took a deep draw from his cigarette and exhaled through mouth and nose, not being able to decide if this was good or bad. In fact, he wasn’t even able to look at her for an extended period of time. All the bad memories that haunted him became just so lively again. “We’re all adults now, right ..? It’s not going to be like it used to be.”, to that, she gently shook her head, her pink hair being a rather odd and colourful contrast to the surrounding darkness. “We’ve all become bigger, Sanji. But looking at you, at least trying to conquer your past and make peace with it, I feel that you are one of the rare people who actually grew up.”, that was cryptic and not encouraging at all. Did she want to say that his brothers didn’t change over the past fifteen years?

She sighed silently, taking something that looked like a slighty bigger, black cigarette out of her pocket. “Would you mind me borrowing your lighter?”, he didn’t answer and just handed it over. If she had been any other woman, he’d have given her light, of course. But she was his sister and could surely do it on her own. For the moment, he averted his gaze from her and stared into the black sky. Still, there wasn’t even the slightest sign of star- or moonlight, the thick black clouds all but painted the heavens. Again, he inhaled the smoke deeply and felt his nerves easing when it hit his lungs and the nicotine did its magic. Next to him, he heard her lighting the flame, accompanied by the characteristic swoosh of gas leaving the lighter.

Indeed, he was so distracted by the ominous black sky that for the first few moments, he didn’t even realise that Reiju had grabbed his hand. And then, the stinging, sharp pain arrived.

He let out a deep grunt, instinctively trying to draw back his left arm, but the Vinsmokes were more than met the eye, and it showed again. Reiju had a small frame and the perfect figure for a woman, no hulking muscles, just pure elegance, but she hid steel underneath that. Her grab on his arm was close to a vice, nearly inescapable with only the strength of his own arm to rely on. The crying pain dragged on for a second or two, before she finally let go of him. He backed up a metre or so into the rain, grabbing his forearm. “Have you lost your damn mind?!”, he shouted at her. Under different circumstances, his voice might have reached the people inside the mansion, too, but the storm all but drowned it out. By now he could see that she was holding the small, black thing that had looked like a cigarette in her right hand.

Sanji breathed heavily, still trying to cope with the pain she had inflicted on him while his own resilience tried to match it. What the ..?!, he forced his right hand to let go of his forearm to see the damage she had done. And by what means.

“Have you lost your mind, Reiju?!”, he shouted again, even though a little less furious, now that he had seen the damage. It sure hurt like hell, but the pain was worse than what actually had happened. She had branded him, the damn mad woman. He wasn’t able to clearly make out what it was, but at least it wasn’t too big and wouldn’t cripple his arm or his precious hands, even though the pain was still radiating all over the left side of his body. It was a small thing, relatively fine and shaped, covering a room on his skin as wide as the tip of his thumb.

“You can thank me later, brother. Just keep it covered up with your sleeve.”, obviously, she didn’t even think about answering any questions about it. The fine hairs on his arm had been burned away and, again looking at the shape of the branding, he could finally make out what it was. It looked like a strange type of a very branch, nothing too complicated. Three arms on its left side, two on the right. “If that’s some kind of a shitty freaking joke, Reiju, I’m going to leave right here and now!”, he wanted answers and he wanted the pain to go away (actually, it did cease a little since his fury towards her numbed it).

“Maybe you sh-“, she began only to be interrupted by another, eerily similar to Sanji's own, deep voice. “Sanji, don’t you want to give your little brother a hug? It’s been a long time.”, another shade appeared from inside the house, stepping next to his sister. It was kind of astounding to see that so little had changed about him. Unconsciously, Sanji rolled down the sleeve of his shirt to cover up the branding Reiju had given him. As uncomfortable as a soaked shirt was, the coolness of it was quite adapt at easing the pain of said sign. He hasn’t changed at all. Not his eyes, his hairstyle or his posture. Just the clothes are a little more extravagant. Indeed, the green-haired, muscular man was the exact, though grown up, mirror image of the Yonji he remembered .. not so fondly, to put it mildly. And even though his words were probably intended to at least sound amicable, he didn’t even try to conceal the disdain in his voice when he addressed Sanji. And where Reiju at least tried to put on a friendly, welcoming smile, his brother was just staring at him with a brick for a face, no emotional value to find therein. His slicked back hair only underlined that Yonji was the archetype of a spoiled brat with too easy a childhood. Sanji’s hands, again unconsciously, formed fists.

“You’ll catch a cold if you stay in the rain. Come in, everybody pretends that they want to meet you.”, he stepped aside, doing a mockingly welcoming gesture to invite him into the house, while Reiju kept shrouding herself in silence. What was it that she wanted to say? Sanji had travelled so far. Now he had to go through with it, setting himself in motion, leaving the storm behind himself and, after so many years, stepped into the ancestral estate of his family again.

And just before Reiju closed the heavy door, he heard it again.

Another caw coming from somewhere within this blackest night, a lonely voice raised in defiance of storm and rain and darkness.