If You Are Lost In Your Way

[mikangirl]

Who: Nami, Nefertari Vivi
What: Comfort
When: July 12th
Where: The orchard
Summary: Robin's truths are harsh. Nami's are only slightly less so, but with children she tries to temper it.
Rating: G


[Nami doesn't know how to feel about Luffy leaving.   On the one hand, he's been here for nearly four years. He deserves better. He's forgotten, now. That's good. And she promised she'd stay with him as long as she could. Kind of a stupid promise to make in Luceti, but... if he's back home, maybe she doesn't have to feel so tied to this place anymore. And that's a relief.

On the other, she thinks maybe her heart should be torn out. It was, the last time.  Today it's just another source of bad news, and you get used to rolling with it after a while.  Which is a warning of its own; she's been here far too long herself. But when she goes home, everything will reset, so why worry about it?  Which is why she left the house when she did. Because the only thing she could think to say to Robin's announcement was oh. Okay.

He's better off at home.  She's happy for him.

So Nami heads up to the orchard, business as usual, and tries not to pay attention to the numbness that leeches more and more of her motivation away as she works.

She wasn't expecting to be followed up here.]

Comments

[alabastatomboy]

[Vivi's initial running pace has slowed to a dull trudging by the time she nears the mikan grove. Maybe she'd overreacted when Robin told her what she did, but she still didn't understand why Robin had said those things. It seemed cruel, and entirely unlike the kind lady Vivi had thought she was. And maybe it was rude to call her a liar, but that's what she was. What Vivi couldn't figure out was why.]

[When she gets close enough to see a blur of orange hair through the screen of leaves, she picks up her pace again, running like her very life depends on it.] Namiii! [She sees Nami look up in surprise, but she doesn't slow, just keeps barreling forward until she can wrap her arms around Nami's legs, panting too hard to speak. And as she makes contact, the tears she'd been holding back since before all come spilling out at once, sobs wracking her small body. For now, she just clings.]

[mikangirl]

[Of all the possible suspects for those footsteps heading this way, Nami wasn't expecting Vivi. Too young to be heartbroken over Luffy leaving, surely. But there's no mistaking how upset her friend is when she comes tearing across the orchard, and Nami rocks slightly at the contact, taking a moment for Vivi's tears to sink in.

Then her hands come down onto the small girl's shoulders, voice soft.]

Vivi...?

[alabastatomboy]

N-Namiii... [She begins, and then trails off into more sobs, her small body shaking. Still, Nami's hand helps to steady her somewhat and after a moment she takes a few breaths and tries again.]

L-Luffy went home...and...and R-Robin said... [And here she starts to sob again.]

[mikangirl]

[...oh gods. She can bet there's any number of things Robin could have said to get such a reaction. Nami crouches down instead, hands still on Vivi's shoulders and glancing into her face.]

Hey, it's okay. [...and that's a pointless thing to say, isn't it? She frowns.] Tell me what Robin said.

[alabastatomboy]

[It takes her just a little longer to compose herself enough to speak, and even then it's still punctuated by sniffles and the odd sob.]

Robin said that...L-Luffy shouldn't come back to visit, and I asked why and said that I will for sure when I go home b-because I made lots of friends. And she said I can't because I'll forget everybody anyway, a-and...I said she was lying and she got mad at me, but she was! [And here she begins crying again, burying her face in Nami's shoulder.]

[mikangirl]

[...damn you, Robin. It's a half hearted curse at that... Nami doesn't believe in coddling children by protecting them from the truth. But she does believe that when that child's only going to be a child for a matter of weeks, some things can be better left unsaid. This place is confusing enough for nakama made unnaturally young.

She lets Vivi cry though, stroking her hair, wondering how to address this. She might wish Robin had never said it, but she's not going to deny what was said, either.]

...do you remember me telling you this place was kind of like a mysterious island on the Grand Line that people get drawn to?

[alabastatomboy]

[Vivi nods her head mutely, her tears beginning to subside.]

[mikangirl]

It's got its own rules here. People wake up here, and then one day they wake up back at home. It's like a dream... you visit without meaning to, and you leave much the same way.

And you don't always remember your dreams.

[I'm sorry, Vivi.]

[alabastatomboy]

[Vivi pulls back a bit to look at Nami. Why hadn't anyone told her this before? The thought of going back home and forgetting all the friends she's made is almost too much to bear. Still, she latches onto the sliver of hope Nami's words offer.]

B-but...sometimes you do? [Vivi knows she certainly does, just not all the time. And sometimes even when she remembers, it's only bits and pieces of it. Still, it's a chance, isn't it?]

[mikangirl]

Sometimes. [...but she won't. Lie.] But not this dream. People sometimes come back, and then they often remember they've been here before. But we don't have any choice about that.

[...] So the best thing you can do is just enjoy every moment you can while you're here.

[And in other cases, you hold on to the fact that eventually you do go home. But Vivi's stay here as a child has been as trouble free as they can make it.]

[alabastatomboy]

[...no. No, that's awful. Her lip quivers slightly.] But...that's not fair!

[She fists Nami's shirt in her hands and buries her face against Nami's shoulder again.]

I don't want to forget you! Or Sanji, or Ikki, or anybody!

[mikangirl]

[Those words go a long way to nearly undoing Nami, and she wraps her arms around Vivi and rests her cheek on that crown of blue hair.]

I'm sorry. I know how much that hurts. There are people we all don't want to forget.

[...]

...but you'll see us again, I promise you that.

[alabastatomboy]

[Still sniffling, Vivi nuzzles in as close as she can, as if Nami's arms can protect her from this harsh reality.]

You mean. Maybe I'll come back again and remember everybody?

[mikangirl]

Definitely. It might not be soon, but you'll see us again. And you'll remember us.

[alabastatomboy]

[She desperately hopes Nami isn't just telling her placating words to make her feel better. She doesn't really get that sense, but how can Nami be so sure if things here are so uncertain? But Vivi wants to believe, so much.]

Do you promise?

[mikangirl]

[It's easy to be sincere when Vivi doesn't have the full story. But Nami knows Vivi will wake up one morning older...and that's close enough to the truth.]

I promise.

[alabastatomboy]

[At that, Nami can probably feel Vivi relax in her arms. She's still at an age when a promise is like a magical oath; if Nami promises she'll see them again, memories intact, then it must be true.] Thank you, Nami.

[She's still not quite satisfied, though.] ...how come nobody told me I'd forget? I called Robin a liar, because...I thought she was lying.

[mikangirl]

...yeah. I'm sorry about that. [Because there is nothing she can say to excuse it for someone like Vivi.] It hurts to know you'll forget... so we didn't say. We weren't expecting Luffy to just up and vanish while you were there, though.

[alabastatomboy]

[Vivi nods slowly. It sounds like they just didn't want her to have to worry. Honestly, she wishes she could go back to not knowing, so she can't really hold it against anyone.]

...I guess I better tell Robin I'm sorry. [Not a thought she relishes, but she'd been wrong, and even if she hadn't, she'd still behaved pretty rudely. She lets out a small sigh.]

[mikangirl]

Robin will understand. [Robin had better shut her mouth in this one instance, Nami thinks. Though really, she can't hold it against the other woman at all. Neither of them really like lying to kids.] I could talk to her if you want.

[She makes the offer, but she's pretty sure already Vivi will turn it down.]

[alabastatomboy]

[The offer is definitely tempting right now, but Vivi shakes her head, looking down at the ground.]

No, it's okay. [It was her responsibility, after all.]

1/2

[mikangirl]

[...]

[mikangirl]

Well, now you're here, you wanna give me a hand for a little before you go home? I won't keep you long.

[And tempers and emotions can die down a little on both sides.]

[alabastatomboy]

[Vivi nods quickly, the relief on her face plain. She's not ready to go back to the house and face Robin yet, that's for sure.]

Sure! [She rubs the tear stains from her cheeks with the heel of her hand, and the smile that follows isn't forced at all.]

What are you doing?

[mikangirl]

I'm pruning back the trees and looking for any damage. [The leftover bits of rubbish from the party are long gone, but Nami is protective about her orchard and with even one acre, there's always something new to do.] The fruit's not very ripe yet, but we might find a few we can take home with us. Then I think I might make it rain up here.

[alabastatomboy]

How do you know if it's ripe?

[...waitaminute]

[alabastatomboy]

...you can make it rain?!

[mikangirl]

[Hee. Thought that'd get your attention.]

Uh huh. Not for very long, but long enough to give my trees some much needed water.

[alabastatomboy]

Show me, show me!

[mikangirl]

[Distraction: get.]

Well, I guess we can make it rain now and look through the orchard later. It might cool us down as well, right?

Okay. Watch closely.

[And she slips the climatact out of its holster. And because she's showing off, she'll flip those pieces end over end before snapping it together with a flourish.

And then she swings it through the air and leave a long, shimmery trail of bubbles, rising upward in the simmering heat of the day.]

[alabastatomboy]

[Vivi watches with curious fascination as Nami pulls her staff from the holster. Apparently, this is a needed tool for the operation; that answers part of one question. Too young to be familiar with Dance Powder, she'd been wondering how anyone could make the rain come. For some reason, it seems easier to swallow knowing it requires some extra preparation.]

[She blinks at the bubbles that issue from the Climatact, and thinks immediately of Norma's bubble straw and the magic she was able to place in the bubbles she blew. Perhaps this is similar?]

Will the bubbles make it rain?

[mikangirl]

That's right. If you look at them really closely, you'll see what's inside. [Tiny, little fluffy grey clouds.] And as they rise, they'll pop up in the sky.

[Not...exactly at the same height of normal clouds, admittedly. But high enough that as the bubbles pop, the larger cloud that forms hovers over the majority of the orchard.]

[alabastatomboy]

[She squints, trying to see what the bubbles contain.] Little rainclouds? [Well, that makes sense.] How do you get them in there?

[She continues to watch, fascinated, as the bubbles begin to pop and the clouds from within gather together to form a larger one. She inches a little closer to Nami, the big storm from last month still fresh in her mind. She doesn't think this will be the same at all, but it can't hurt to confirm. When she speaks, her voice is hushed and Nami may detect a note of apprehension.]

Will there be lightning?

[mikangirl]

It's a special technology from the Grand Line. There's an island there that specialises in weather science!

[The apprehension registers, and Nami ducks down, hands on her knees to speak to Vivi's level.] No lightning here. I can do those clouds as well, but this is just a light summer shower.

[alabastatomboy]

Oh, wow. I didn't know about that!

[The smallest of relieved sighs escapes her at Nami's reassurance. No lightning, so she can relax and enjoy the rain when it comes. In fact, she kicks off her shoes in anticipation, laughing at the ticklish feel of cool grass between her toes. Then she tips her head up, waiting for the first drops to fall.]

[mikangirl]

[It doesn't take long. The rain isn't especially cold, but it's cool enough by the time it reaches ground level, first a smattering, before the sky opens up just in their little part of the world.

Nami tilts her face up to enjoy the water as it splashes across her face with a faint, wistful smile.]

It won't last long, but it's nice, isn't it?

[alabastatomboy]

[Vivi begins to laugh as the first drops splash against her cheeks, and she spreads her arms, letting the rain patter against her open hands. This felt a lot more like the rain she was used to back home. She nods enthusiastically in response to Nami's question.]

Really nice! [She gives a small shriek of laughter as the rain intensifies, plastering her dress to her in a matter of moments. She kicks through the grass, enjoying the feel of the scattering raindrops, and spins in a circle.]

[mikangirl]

[Well, that's enough to bring a more genuine smile to Nami's face, and she's content to just watch Vivi spin in circles. You've got about ten minutes, kid.]

[alabastatomboy]

Nami, let's dance in the rain!

[She runs up to Nami and does a few quick spins around her, then giggles and flicks her fingers to send droplets splashing against her.]

[mikangirl]

[But she's not much a dancing-in-rain kind of person, you know-- she'll compromise by reaching out a hand to take hold of Vivi', holding it up so she can twirl under it.] I-if you say so!

[alabastatomboy]

[Vivi giggles, clearly satisfied with Nami's contribution to the dancing, and does a few twirls.]

This is the kind of rain I like!

[mikangirl]

Me too. [Hey, she can get into the twirling thing a little. A little. Nami takes both of Vivi's hands and spins her around gently.]

[alabastatomboy]

[Ooh, she's dancing! That only intensifies Vivi's happy giggling, as she kicks her feet through the damp grass. Her initial reason for seeking Nami out has been all but forgotten.]