TDM 05

[goldmods]

【 Thank you for choosing the Golden Peacock, 5-star resort and casino. You are currently registered as a WILDCARD in our system.

Due to a high volume of check-ins, temporary accommodations have been made in our KING SUITES for all new arrivals. We will endeavor to have all guests moved into their reserved rooms as soon as possible. We deeply apologize for any inconvenience.

As a token of our gratitude for your understanding, front reception has arranged for a GRAND FEAST to welcome our newest guests. The attendance of all guests is required. The house will enforce compliance.

Please note that rank-appropriate attire is mandatory. Guests found breaking social code may be disciplined. We hope you enjoy your stay! 】

ARRIVAL

DIVINE AWAKENING

A cool breeze lofts across the room. Gentle, soothing. Cotton sheets and silken covers slip with the tired stretch of limbs. New arrivals dozing in the comfort of their king-sized beds wake to the balmy warmth of a hazy sun and the rhythmic lap of waves on the shore. Clouds mist around the floor, granting ethereal ambiance. Gauzy curtains flutter, revealing a majestic stretch of sky in all directions. This temple is nestled at the top of a mountain, one where the sea somehow meets its edge.

All King suites have been set to the Heavenly setting for the comfort of these new Wildcards. To call this place a room feels like a misnomer; all of the senses scream that this is a real temple at the top of a crisp oceanside mountain. The only clue that this place isn't what it seems is the door in the distance. It stands dark against light, a stark rectangle distinctly out of place.

New arrivals aren't waking up alone. Reception would never expect their guests to wake up in a cold bed. All new guests will be waking up next to another Wildcard or a current guest snatched up from the hallways. Guests waking up in these heavenly King suites will wake dressed in sheer white tunics and togas that leave very little to the imagination.

MARK OF THE GODS

None of the traditional suits have manifested on these Wildcards. Instead, all new arrivals will discover intricate patterns winding their arms and legs, each one different from the next. Thorns, vines, stars, or moons — the commonality of these marks is that they come in either glittering gold or shimmering silver.

► BENEVOLENT DIVINE: Those with marks of gold running along their skin have been identified as benevolent deities. The powers that be have sensed the kind spirit within. All benevolent Wildcards may experience the effects of any RED SUITS over the course of the next two weeks.

► MALEVOLENT DIVINE: Those with marks of silver running along their skin have been identified as malevolent deities. The powers that be have sensed the muck that lurks beneath the surface. All malevolent deities may experience the effects of any BLACK SUITS over the course of the next two weeks.

MADDENING HUNGER

Itchy throat, dry mouth. Headache. Hungry. It comes on slow, at first nothing of note. But, surely, it begins to deepen. Grapes don't feel filling. Water barely quenches thirst. All new arrivals will wake up in a state of hunger. They will find that despite the complimentary snacks left in their room by room service, nothing hits the spot.

No matter how much food they eat, these new arrivals, who have been dubbed as divines, won't find any satiation from food or wine. This gnawing hunger is exhausting; as it increases, their strength decreases. They cannot continue on like this for long.

All Wildcards, regardless of divine differentiation, will need to be worshipped for sustenance. Otherwise, they risk falling into a frenzied state.

There are many ways they can be worshipped. While having their bodies worshiped through sex is the most effective, they can find minor relief in acts of praise, affection, offerings, service, and so on. The longer a Wildcard goes without being worshiped, the more their god mark will leech their energy, and the faster they will lose their sanity. Loss of sanity can result in any kind of frenzy, from general mania to breaking from reality.

GILDED CAGE

AN ENDLESS FEAST

Doors to the grand banquet hall of Gilded Cage have been opened. A singular massive table stretches throughout the entirety of the restaurant, every available inch loaded with trays of food and goblets of wine. Waiters seamlessly dip in and out of the kitchens with platters over their shoulders, bringing delectable cuisine from all avenues of every earth around for guests to enjoy. Vibrant fruits, roasted meats, and decadent desserts funnel into the hall without end.

Rugs and cushions have been laid out for low rank guests. All high rank guests have thrones and benches covered in crushed velvet and delicate linens. Wildcards have a seat of honor amongst it all, each fresh new divine lead to the grand dais for their own semi-private tent with daybed and eager servants.

Low ranks are carefully watched by security and wait staff. Some low rank guests may even be dragged in by resort staff to assist serving high rank guests and Wildcards. All high rank guests and Wildcards are revered and catered to during the feast. Low rank guests are expected to feed them, rub their feet, and comply with any whimsical demands. Any low rank guest that defies a higher ranked guest is at risk of being shackled, forced to scrub chamber pots, and other humiliating punishments.

ROYALS

► Royal cards are King, Queen, and Jack ranks. All ranks beneath them must comply with their demands, no matter how whimsical or stupid. They are waited on hand and foot, with low ranks throwing themselves forward for the honor of pleasing them. Royals do not need to obey the commands of anyone aside from Wildcards. While it is good manners for a lower royal card to defer to a higher royal card they will not be punished if they decline.

► Royal cards are encouraged to eat, drink, and be merry. Be selfish! Be greedy! Take everything you want! There is no end to the pampering and indulgence offered to royals. Long-standing guests line up to flatter them and give them gifts. Resort staff are desperate to make them laugh or smile. A royal card frowning strikes terror every servant. Resort staff will insist that they seek their own pleasures and not worry about the feelings of those lowly cards. All numbered cards exist to satisfy the royals; being concerned about their peasant feelings is unnecessary.

► Royals can command any numbered rank. If they find a numbered rank they particularly like they may monopolize them for their exclusive use. The word no does not exist. Whatever a royal wants, a royal gets. They can also issue punishments to numbered ranks that do not please them. There are guards prepared to discipline servants at their command. They may also dominate unruly servants with their own hands if that pleases them.

SERVANTS

► Servant cards are ranks A - 10. Hierarchy exists within the servants as well. While a rank 10 servant must flatter and please the royals, they may issue orders to any servant rank beneath them. This continues down the line — a rank 6 servant must obey and adore any rank above them but may command and bully any rank below them.

► The Ace rank shows its fickle nature. All Ace cards are bottom-barrel servants sitting at Rank 1 that anyone can bully. They are automatically ordered to clean up trash, scrub sticky floors, and dance provocatively for any rank that demands a show.

► Servants must obey anyone that outranks them. There are guards standing along the walls waiting to discipline any servant that defies the hierarchy. However, the guards are mostly for show — suits enforce real compliance. Any servant that disobeys an individual who outranks them is at risk of their suit flaring. If their suit does flare, submitting and obeying or an orgasm can abate suit effects.

WILDCARDS

► Wildcards are akin to deities. There is no greater honor than to serve or possess a Wildcard. Royals want to own them and servants want to please them. All Wildcards are showered with endless adoration. Fights break out for the chance to feed them grapes or rub their calves. Wildcards may do whatever they want without consequences, even toward royal ranks.

► Wildcards are encouraged to indulge in the finest of everything. Servants must tend to them and obey their commands. While royals do not need to obey them, there is great prestige in claiming a Wildcard’s affection. Wildcards are encouraged to be selfish and enjoy themselves to the fullest.

► Any royal or servant that satisfies a Wildcard can collect a Wildcard token. This is an electronic token that appears in their bank account once a Wildcard has climaxed during sex. Physically pleasing two Wildcards bring about great blessings. Players may submit two Wildcard tokens under their rewards thread to collect a small item voucher.

PHOENIX CASINO

ALEA IACTA EST

Phoenix Casino has been reborn in antiquity. Stone pillars line the aisles and embroidered linens cast a gauzy filter over every corner of the gambling center. The number of statues has increased, with every corner decorated with marble figures in provocative poses. The feast continues into even here; scantily clad servants and waiters carry around platters of succulent fruits and pitchers of wine.

The game tables are abuzz. Special games have kicked off in honor of the new godlings that are waiting to check in. Even here, those of different ranks are distinct from one another. The lowest ranks wear small slips of clothing. Some are even collared to show they belong to a particular royal or Wildcard. Royals and Wildcards dress luxuriously in thick robes and golden jewelry.

Game managers clap and encourage guests of all ranks to join in on the fun. While there are numerous card games, slot machines, and raffles happening around the casino, staff are promoting three events in particular.

WILDCARD AUCTION

► All shiny new Wildcards have a unique number pinned to their robes. Early in the night these nubile virgin Wildcards will be paraded across the stage and asked to introduce themselves to the crowd. After, the bidding will commence. Don't miss this opportunity to claim a resort virgin and beloved divine!

► Bidding for a Wildcard can get intense! Numerous long-standing guests are already obsessed with these stunning new arrivals and are quick to bid high. Bidding wars can break out at any time. Some very eager long-standing guests are willing to get violent if it means they get to monopolize one of these Wildcards. Security is on stand-by for cases of Wildcard theft; some guests are so desperate for these Wildcards that they'll even try to kidnap them if they see the chance.

► The hierarchy is temporarily set aside for auction purchases. Any rank can dominate a Wildcard if they have the means to bid high enough and buy. In the case of Wildcard purchases, their god marks will force compliance to whoever buys them during the auction.

CASTING LOTS

► This special game of lots is designed for a high rank and a low rank to play together. In the case of guests of the same rank playing together, a coin flip will decide who plays the "low" rank for this game.

► The high rank guest will roll a six-sided die. The number rolled will reflect the game rule by which the low rank guest must try to satisfy the high rank guest. If the low rank guest manages to satisfy the high rank guest they will receive a large payout. If the high rank guest is not satisfied they may discipline the low-rank guest in any way they see fit.

ONE: Without using hands.

TWO: Using only mouth.

THREE: While blindfolded.

FOUR: Using only butt cheeks.

FIVE: Using only legs.

SIX: While remaining on knees.

► The high rank decides if and when they have been satisfied. Work hard, low rank!

HEADS OR TAILS

► What's a casino without a bit of risk? There's a special game of Heads or Tails happening at the game tables. All guests must bet their rank in order to play. Winners of the game will have the option to either swap ranks with the loser, or keep their rank as is and move on to another game. With a little bit of luck, even a Rank 2 can experience living the high life.

► All rank swaps are temporary. Winners that choose to swap ranks with the loser of their game will have 24 hours with their new rank before they revert back to normal. They may continue playing on with their "new" rank if they want to test their luck.

► Heads or Tails is played with a physical Golden Peacock coin. Players will take turns as the coin flipper, with their opponent guessing if the outcome will be heads or tails. The first guest to reach three correct guesses is the winner.

BEAK

ENTERTAIN YOUR BETTERS

A massive circular arena has been erected in the middle of Beak. Staggered seats rise up to the ceiling, where royals lounge in luxury viewing boxes. The gaping mouth of the arena is wide and desolate. An assortment of weapons, such as spears and shields, hang along stone walls. It waits for the taste of blood and stench of battle. The sound of the audience cheering and booing echoes throughout the Wellness Quarter.

Beneath the open arena is a smaller closed arena and the warrior’s bunk. Warriors will find cold showers, rustic wooden benches, and training weapons available for their use. Deep in the earth is a grimy prison where servants who refuse to battle are thrown to wait for their turn. There are also cages where the hungry “animals” wait to go out and entertain the masses.

A long track rings around the perimeter of the arena. Gone is the standard green fuzz and white lines, replaced with stone and dust to elicit the real feeling of running beneath the hot Grecian sun. Foot and chariot races take place throughout the day.

BATTLE ROYALE

► Numbered ranks have been conscripted into battle for the amusement of the Wildcards and royals. While high ranked servants may be able to wiggle their way out of a fight, low ranked servants will be thrown into the arena without mercy. Warriors that win their battles will be showered in accolades and payouts while losers will be mocked and pelted with rotten tomatoes. Warriors that try to forfeit their match will be stripped naked, strung up on a pole, and mocked for 24 hours.

► Battle rules are simple. Any means and methods of fighting are acceptable when in the arena. The arena’s overseer will decide if a battle will end when first blood is drawn or if it will continue until one side can no longer continue. There are rare instances of battle to the death, typically reserved for warriors who have deeply offended a Wildcard or royal.

► Royals and Wildcards are welcome to join in the royale if they wish. They will not be forced and they will be given any armor they want before stepping into the arena. Low rank warriors are given no armor — some may even be forced to fight nude.

SUBDUE THE BEAST

► Any numbered ranks that have displeased a Wildcard or royal will be thrown into the arena to fight barehanded against hungry tigers and lions. If there are no troublemakers on hand to throw into the arena for entertainment, low rank servants will be forcibly volunteered instead.

► Those alleged hungry tigers and lions? They are other servants dressed up in sexy animal costumes. While staff will take genuine volunteers for this role first, they will forcibly volunteer low rank servants into the role if needed. All costumes are revealing and offer little protection. There is an assortment of looks to choose from, not just tigers and lions, though whether or not a servant gets to pick their outfit depends on how charitable the arena master is feeling.

► Matches will end when one party can no longer continue or the audience is sufficiently amused. Royals and Wildcards are permitted to partake if they please, and there will be no consequences if they decide to withdraw.

RACE TRACK

► Royals and Wildcards are invited to participate in horse racing. Only, there are no horses to be found — all the “horses” are servants! Any chosen servant must carry their master over the finish line. While piggyback rides may make the most sense for a race like this, many of the high class prefer more elegant positions, so anything goes. Horses are required to wear a bridle at all times during the race.

Servants are also allowed to participate as jockeys as long as they observe the hierarchy. Servants may ride any servant of a lower rank. Aces are ordered to walk around with a poop shovel and bag, even if there won’t be any real horse poop lining the track (probably).

► Royals and Wildcards are also invited to participate in private horse racing. These races involve no track, taking place in the back of Beak in private rooms furnished with cushions and silks. Like with the public races, royals and Wildcards may select any servant that catches their eye. Unlike the public races, the goal here is to make their ‘horse’ orgasm as quickly as possible. Times will be saved on their Watches. The faster a master makes their horse come the more bragging rights they have.

Servants are once again allowed to participate as jockeys as long as they observe the hierarchy. The higher ranked servant must make the lower ranked servant orgasm as quickly as they can. While the ‘horse’ may offer mutual comfort they will receive no accolades for their skills.

TALON

SHOW OF STRENGTH

Talon is bustling with warriors training for the arena. Several strength building stations have been set up, including benches for royals to perch on while warriors bench press them. Additions have been made to Talon as well; multiple mud pits have been dug for warriors to participate in some mud wrestling between arena battles.

Servants that appear too fragile to handle mud wrestling have been conscripted into the oil bearer role. Their job is to slather the warriors in oil from head to toe, and otherwise prepare them for their matches in either the arena or in the pit. This includes styling their hair, tending to their wounds, and wiping the sweat off of their bodies if so desired.

The locker rooms that connect Beak and Talon have been fully stocked with first aid kits and luxury bathing supplies. Warriors that have won their matches get first pick, leaving the dirty towels and shampoo that smells like ass for the losers to sift through. Those sneaky ghost hands are having a field day, snapping rat tails at unsuspecting bathers and locking naked warriors together in the supply closet. Guests lacking vigilance may find their bottoms unexpectedly pinched.

MUSCLE CONTEST

► Who can appeal to the royals and Wildcards most? It’s a competition based on aesthetics! Strip down, oil up, and flex your muscles to earn a high score from the judges. Royals and Wildcards may issue a score between 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest.

Wildcards and royals are welcome to join in the competition. For some reason, their scores always end up being 10 no matter how skinny or noodly they may be! The flattery and praise for their stunning looks and bodies is endless. No need to work out, my lord, my lady. You’re stunning as is! Truly no body is more perfect!

► Servants are not only allowed, but encouraged, to bribe royals and Wildcards into giving them a high score. While chips and gifts can certainly be offered, isn’t the most compelling argument some hands on experience? Staff will hint to competing warriors that offering sexual favors to the judges may help improve their scores. What better way to prove their physique is the most superior than to put it to work?

► Royals and Wildcards may purchase warriors for their exclusive entertainment if they so desire. Staff are eager to impress these nobles and make a pretty penny in the process. While this isn’t an official auction, these sneaky staff aren’t above making sure the elite and their requested warrior are left alone in a locked room. You grease my palms, I’ll make sure that sexy warrior greases yours.

WRESTLING MATCHES

► Guests will find that a deep mud pit has been added to the front hub of Talon. Servants are stripped and oiled down before being thrown into the pit to wrestle for the entertainment of the nobles. While staff will take volunteers for wrestling matches, they will also grab whoever looks good, even if they’re just passing by! On-lookers place bets during the matches. The winner of the match will receive a small cut of the prize money.

► Wildcards and royals may enter as well. Servants are expected to throw their matches if they’re facing a noble… and if they don’t, they may be facing some unexpected consequences! All suits are sensitive to the hierarchy and will suddenly flare if a servant starts thrashing a noble.

► During a match-up of nobles, it is expected that the lower ranked noble will throw the match in favor of the higher ranked noble. While royal suits will not flare if this isn’t adhered to, discipline between royals isn’t unheard of!

► Some matches are held under “Special House Rules” — which means that the winner of the match gets to claim and fuck the loser. On-lookers will jeer and demand that the winner publicly fuck the loser where they can watch, but private rooms are available for the winner to claim their spoils of war without sharing.

WAYWARD ARROWS

► An archery range with targets has been established for warriors to show off their shooting skills. Like the arena, there are benches and boxes for the audience to admire this graceful art — or to throw tomatoes from when a warrior misses the mark! Both servants and nobles are welcome to participate as archers.

► Servants have been conscripted to act as moving targets across the range. They are told to heckle the archers while avoiding their arrows, and only advised that the arrows won’t pierce their bodies if they get hit. It’s all fun and games. We can’t have all of our servants dying en masse!

During this portion of the games, archers will be given an assortment of charmed arrows with chalk tips that elicit different effects:

RED ARROW: Chalk powder from red arrows will trigger an intense need for physical release by grinding, humping, or frotting.

BLUE ARROW: Chalk powder from blue arrows is pure aphrodisiac. Inhaling this powder will cause close spike to near-orgasm, one that the target will find that cannot be completed by their own hand.

GREEN ARROW: Chalk powder from green arrows will stir neediness. The hit target will suffer cravings to be sticky and hug, climb, and generally latch on to another person.

PURPLE ARROW: Chalk powder from purple arrows will cause a bad case of loose lips. This may manifest in a compulsion to loudly speak in pretentious purple prose, dirty talk, or say otherwise hilarious things for the amusement of the audience.

► Effects from the arrows will wear off within the hour. Multiple hits from differently colored arrows can create fun new effects so feel free to get creative!

INDULGENCE

DESIRES FROM THE VOID

The spirit of the festivities rouses something primal. With emotions heightened, the core of the Golden Peacock responds in kind. It drinks in the sweat of the warriors in the arena. Inhales the laughter of the royals using servants as furniture. Basks in the brilliant glow of fresh Wildcards. The portraits in the elevators are rowdier than usual and the chandeliers lining the hallways gleam with new vibrance. Energy is palpable.

Things begin to move around the resort. The forgotten and the old exhale a dusty breath. Like the hunger that the Wildcards woke up with upon arrival, as its heart begins to beat quicker, there is a tension in the air of those things hungering to feed. To join in, and indulge. To get what they want.

And they’re coming out.

GALATEA

► Statues around the resort begin to stir. First it’s with a hazy blink, moving to the slow creak of their stiff mouths. Eventually they break off of their pedestals and out of their poses before clumsily making their way down the hallways, stone feet an emphasized thump with every step. They tremble, their cold stone bodies aching for warmth and human embrace.

► Statues around the resort have begun trying to kidnap guests for themselves. Once they’ve spotted a guest they want, they will stop at nothing to try and drag them back to their pedestal to spend forever locked in love’s embrace with them. They do not need food, drink, or rest.

► There are two ways to put a statue to rest. One is to engage the statue in battle and break off its head. Once the head is broken off, it will cease to have a spirit and crumble to dust. The second is to involve the statue in a physical act of intimacy — have a threesome with it! Or twosome, if someone is willing to watch. In the case of the second, statues will return to their pedestals satisfied upon completion.

► Statues that end up destroyed may drop a small lore hint. They will wheeze as their stone begins to disintegrate, their stone eyes dripping liquid gold tears. “I just wanted to feel alive again… I wanted to feel like you again… to be whole,” will slip past their marble lips before they crumble away.

NARCISSUS

► Gaze into the water. Admire your pretty face, the curve of your lips, the squint of your eyes... wait, are you winking at yourself?! Over the next few weeks, water-based reflections will begin acting of their own free will. They have the ability to move within the scope of the water and speak, their voices muddled but understandable.

► These reflections are extremely flirtatious and charming. They smile and bat their lashes, pretending to be innocent while drawing the original owner in closer. How about a smooch? How about more than a smooch? Their whispered promises are sweet. Salacious. Loving. Anything to get closer to you. Leaning in too close to the water is dangerous — these reflections will reach out and try to drag unsuspecting guests in. Whether this is out of malice or affection is unclear, but how can they possibly make love to you unless you join them in the water?

► Once caught, it is challenging to escape from their phantom limbs in the water alone. Several long-standing guests need to be saved from The Nest’s decorative fountain because they keep coming close to drowning after trying to kiss their reflections. Unfortunately, not every location with water is as prepared to save unsuspecting would-be lovers. No body of water is safe — not even a cup of it!

► Reflections will become increasingly indignant if they're ignored. Their sweet words will take a sharp turn into insults similar to, "I'm the better looking one between us anyway!" They may also let slip some personal secrets like, "This is why Johnny will never love you back! You're so cold, ignoring even yourself!"

Any mention of the fact that they'll end up drowning the character in question will earn a scoff and another small lore hint along the lines of, "Why are you being such a baby? Only the resort can really kill you anyhow. It's not like you'll die forever if I fuck you in here for a while!"

PANDORA’S BOX

► A spider's web threads through the resort. Invisible, but audible to those that are willing to listen. One of the Punishment Rooms on the maintenance levels is unlocked. Without the padlock on the door to keep them silent, silvery whispers drift up from the basement. A brush of thought, a tickle of an idea that won't quite go away — come down… come down and see… what is inside… don't you want to know?

► Those that heed the call and explore the maintenance levels will find the unlocked Punishment Room. The closer one comes to this door, the stronger these voices grow. They will continue calling, eagerly encouraging whoever stops in front of the door to step inside.

► The inside of this Punishment Room is plain. White walls, a single card table, and two plastic chairs. A single lightbulb offers a dusty glow. There is nothing particularly interesting upon first glance. Slowly, the door behind will creak closed until it is closed, locking itself in the process. That small lightbulb will begin to dim until everything inside the room is plunged into darkness.

► This Punishment Room senses the worst memories and fears of one of the captives inside and forces them to experience them in real time. The manifestation of memories or fears inside this room are realistic, to the point that it's impossible to discern whether or not this takes place in reality or the mind. The Punishment Room will randomly select which prisoner to dig from if there is more than one, but all guests inside will experience the room's effects.

► The door cannot be unlocked from the inside. Someone must either open it from the outside or captives must wait until the punishment is over and the door unlocks itself. How long that takes is random, ranging from a few minutes to a few hours. That’s what you get for listening to disembodied voices!

OOC NOTES

INVITES | RESERVES | APPLICATIONS

▶ BLANKET CW: Alcohol; aphrodisiacs; battle; blood; bondage; compulsion; costumes; discipline; dominance; drowning; dubcon; fears; fighting; food; hierarchy; humiliation; indulgence; kidnapping; noncon; paranormal; power imbalance; roleplay; servitude; stalking; submission; supernatural; terror; violence; weapons

▶ All characters on the TDM are WILDCARDS, which means they have not yet been assigned a card value. Suits will not manifest until characters are accepted into the game.

▶ All TDMs are game canon. This TDM acts as the game's August event. Changes to the above locations will ICly be present from August 15th - September 1st.

▶ Current characters may top level on the TDM. Any current characters posting to the TDM should note they are current in their subject header.

▶ The top level directory is for new characters only. We want to make sure new characters are prioritized and receive attention! If you would be interested in a game invitation, you can note that in your comment header.

▶ If you aren't satisfied with these prompts, please feel free to check out our LOCATIONS to explore more of the resort!

▶ Smut threads that take place on this TDM can be used for rewards. If both parties in the smut thread join the game, you may retroactively apply the character's initial card values to your 52 bank. If one character does not join the game the thread will not be applicable toward rewards (as that character would not have a card value). The character that does join would still receive a small payout for the encounter. Hopefully it was a fun thread regardless!

▶ Wildcard tokens from the GILDED CAGE prompt may be redeemed even if the newbie(s) in question do not join the game, but only for the small item reward; the token does not carry over to Game 52.

▶ We ask you to kindly add content warnings to your threads as appropriate.

▶ If you do not currently have permissions and kinks listed in your character’s journal we suggest leaving a note in your top level of any limits or boundaries for other players to reference.

▶ Don't forget to relax and enjoy the end of your summer! ♥

NAVIGATION • LOG • NETWORK • OOC • MEME

Comments

[chiffonades]

[ Someone else might not have noticed just how worried her laughter is, but even considering the short time they’ve known each other, there’s no hiding it from him. Of course she’s worried about him. He’s worried about her, and he’s only been here a couple of days— he’s barely begun to understand what this place is capable of— so of course, she’s worried about him.

But that’s part of what being on the same crew is about— worrying about one another when times are tough. ]

Since you insist— [ While he might be able to tamp down some of the worry and keep it off of his face, there’s no hiding the obvious delight at the invitation. Staying close to her is high on his list of priorities because out of all the people here, she’s the one that’s irreplaceable to him. They need to have each other’s backs, no matter where they are, and that’s doubly true here. He’s practically beaming as he looks at her, feeling better about being in this strange, impossible place now that she’s near. ] —it would be my pleasure to stay here.

[ Sanji would have been thrilled to receive that offer from any member of the crew, even Zoro, but getting the offer from her in particular delights him. He still hasn’t forgotten about everything she did for her village, a kind of self-sacrifice that speaks to him in a way that few other deeds can, or the way she saved her Captain all the way back on the Baratie.

His expression shifts a little as the topic turns to his hunger pains, blinking as he processes the full implication of what she’s saying. ]

Ah, Nami, you don’t have to— I mean, I wouldn’t mind but— [ He blurts it out almost instinctively, still not quite used to the bluntness with which everyone discusses the demands the House makes on them. It isn’t that he’s against the idea of sex with her, but doing it because this shitty place requires it of them feels wrong.

Shaking his head a little, he stuffs a hand in his pocket and clenches it for a brief moment. ] Shit, sorry. What I mean is you don’t need to worry about me, you know? I’m tough. [ His stomach grumbles internally again, but none of the other symptoms are active. Smiling at her, his shoulders raise in a quick shrug. ] And they’re bearable for now. We just got to see one another again, yeah? We can, uh, figure that out later.

[cartographie]

[ The cocktail in her hand keeps her grounded, the clink of ice and the sharp sweet burn of alcohol running over her tongue with every sip is steadying, even while Nami's mind races at a mile a minute. She's spent months sizing up the resort, exploring as much of it as she can access and charting it all on the massive paper hanging in the map room her suite came with. She's worked hard to keep the upper hand on the casino, even when the House proves time and again there's no real way to anticipate its every move. It can yank the rug out from under a person anytime it wants to.

And that's a chilling realization to have, made doubly so by Sanji's arrival. Now she's got to worry about him, along with herself.

Some of the fear sitting heavily in her gut lightens after Sanji agrees to take her up on her offer, and use her space as often as he wishes. He's never concealed how much he wants to be around her. It might be manipulative to use that to keep him where she feels safe having him, but given the circumstance, Nami isn't aiming for the moral high ground.

That pragmatism is what makes it easy to get to the point – the House's game and what happens when a person doesn't participate in it. She's seen a few things and heard a few more, and it's been enough to keep her (mostly) in line, playing it safe. Back home, she wouldn't pull anyone into bed as quickly and easily as she has in this place, especially a crewmate, over time, however, she's learned what works anywhere else doesn't help anything here. ]

Yeah, yeah, you're tough. [ Bearable for now. And maybe up here and away from the rest of the casino he might be able to hold out, but Nami knows better. ] So is this place. It's not normal.

[ It's not enough to leave it there, but Nami momentarily goes quiet, her lips pursing together in an agitated frown as she steps close enough to set her glass down and rest her hand on his arm, her fingers covering some of those marks. Nami's eyes are round, as she looks up at him, forehead creasing with worry as she exhales a mirthless chuckle and shakes her head, looking back at him as she forces herself to press on. ]

Fuck's sake, Sanji, I grew cat ears a few months ago, there's a secret marketplace full of ghosts. This place can do whatever it wants. [ She looks down at his arm and shakes her head. ] Just don't try to ignore it if it gets worse. I don't want to lose you too.

[chiffonades]

I know it isn’t. It brought us here, yeah? Away from our world. Nothing normal could do that. [ Nami echoes his words back at him, but he already knows the truth that she’s hinting at: the casino is infinitely tougher than him. No matter how much he wishes he could find whoever trapped Nami here and kept her in a place that’s turned her smile into a frown that’s worried beyond belief, he can’t do simply bust down a few doors and resolve this with violence.

And when she touches his arm, it’s enough to make him shiver. He isn’t foolish enough to believe that she’s inviting him to stay with her because she’s somehow grown as fond of him as he is of her, just as he knows that her second invitation— the one to let him sate that gnawing hunger— isn’t due to anything more than her worry over him as a crewmate and a friend.

That’s something he’s okay with. ]

Cat ears? Shit, Nami, that— [ must have looked fucking adorable on you is what he almost blurts out, vaguely picturing it in his head. He gives his head a little shake, and looks at her, eyes serious, lips pressed into a slight frown. ] It will, you know? It gets worse slowly but— but it’ll get worse. [ The idea of being a burden repulses him, but there aren't any other options. His voice grows softer, blue eyes intent on her face, as he says the next part. ] I’ll tell you when it’s too much. Promise. I don’t want to leave you alone here. Not anymore.

[ What else can he really do? It’s not like he has other allies here, not yet. And if it came down to it, if the choice was really his, he’d choose her over anyone else in this shitty resort in a heartbeat. ]

Mind if I pour one for myself? [ Between all the talk of his mark, he still doesn’t have a drink of his own. It won’t do anything to help with the gnawing sensation of his hunger, but it can help distract for a brief minute. His eyes flicker up to meet hers and his lips curl into a small smile, tentative after that last promise. ] You can tell me more about this shitty casino, or your room, or how you are, or— whatever you want.

[cartographie]

[ As they talk about it, the hand not settled on his arm wanders up absently, touching her hair briefly as though she half-expected talking about them to will those ridiculous ears back into existence. It's not, and besides that, there are more pressing things to think about. Just as quickly as she reached up to pat at her hair, her arm falls away again, the momentarily mystified glint in her eyes tamped out and replaced by worry once more.

Of course, it's going to get worse.

She could have told him that about almost anything this casino does to a person, but knowing a thing and hearing it from a crewmate are two different things. Her fingers curl almost possessively around his forearm, answering him with a slow nod as determination clinches tight in her gut. She's seen what someone who neglected their suit for too long started to become, she's not letting that happen to Sanji. ]

Tell me before it's too much, idiot. [ Nami reiterates, voice quiet, visions of gray, stony looking skin growing up another's arm dancing through her memory. ] Even if it's not with me, we can find you – someone. [ Not that any candidates spring to mind, but the thought of laying this all out has her cagey, and feeling as though she needs to fumble around and present alternatives lest he start to feel boxed in. It doesn't seem likely, but, maybe it's not even a woman he'd want to help him out.

Strangely enough, it wasn't awkward until she started thinking too much about it. Sex is how things get accomplished in this resort, but–

It always hits differently with a crewmate.

His asking for a drink reminds her of her own, and Nami pulls her hand back and grabs for her glass, muttering a series of yeah of courses until she silences herself with a big sip. ]

I wouldn't even know where to start.

[chiffonades]

[ The worry in her gaze pricks at him again, and even though Sanji knows it’s warranted given what the markings have already done, it makes his simmering anger at this shitty resort want to boil over. Back at home, she’d never looked at him quite like that before. It’s something new, something unique to this place born of her experiences here and that’s a fact he’ll never forget or forgive the House for.

It takes more effort than he’d ever admit to keep from shivering when her fingers wrap around his arm like that, like he’s something precious and important. That she wants to protect him and keep him safe aren’t surprising— they’re crewmates and that’s what they do for one another— but it still feels new given his short tenure on the crew. ]

I will. [ He agrees with a quick nod of his head, determinedly ignoring the slight feeling of warmth that starts bleeding into the rest of his skin from the marks. A part of him wants to tell he that it’s almost too much already— each hunger pang is an uncomfortable reminder of that damned rock— but no, not yet.

And in that time, as she offers to find someone else, he shakes his head before he really has time to think about it, words tumbling out of his mouth quickly. ]

No, no, I’d, uh, rather it be you. [ He takes a deep breath, eyes focused on hers, teeth worrying his bottom lip. ] If anyone’s gonna help me, I want it to be someone I trust, you know? [ It’s awkward to admit and awkward to talk about, but yeah, given the choice… even though they’re crewmates, he’ll always take her over anyone else in this place.

Watching her take another drink, he starts to pour himself one, a thoughtful frown on his face. It’s just straight liquor over some ice for himself, nothing fancy as he nods and decides to start with something specific. ]

How about this? [ His voice is quiet as he looks at her, leaning forward and lightly resting a hand on her shoulder, and tries something easier to break the ice. ] Tell me what you like to do here when you’ve got free time.

[cartographie]

Yeah, I know. [ It would be a lie to say this casino hadn't backed her into a similar corner on more than one occasion. That he wants it to be her helping him out fills her with a strange relief. He's crew, and it's a line they shouldn't be crossing back home, much less as pragmatically as the two of them approach it here, but Sanji wants her protection, and after months of feeling unmoored and alone without any of her band of morons, it's wildly gratifying.

Once she drains the last of the cocktail away, and Sanji's filled his own glass with little more than ice and spirits, Nami tops herself off with the same. Fancy cocktails are fine and all, but if she's supposed to talk about the long, strange time she's had for the better part of a year, anything with a mixer might not cut it. His question gets a quiet, exhale of a laugh out of her ]

Alright, but you have to tell me everything that's happened to you since you woke up here after. [ It's a good way of feeling out not only what he knows, but which of the casino's awkward traps Sanji has fallen into already.

After one more drink, she sighs, picking over her words even as she begins to speak. ]

All I have is free time, you know? I started drawing here, since it's not like there's a lot to make maps of, other than the casino itself, which, I'll give you a copy of. [ It's far from complete, but it's at least got a fair number of dangerous, or otherwise horny places clearly marked, which she hopes will help keep him out of trouble, a thought that makes her lift her hand to rest atop the one he's placed on her shoulder. ] I go to the casino a lot, and– [ Nami frowns. ] This can't seriously be interesting to you after everything that's happened.

[chiffonades]

[ Some of the tension eases in his muscles as Nami says that she understands, his shoulders relaxing as he lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. A part of him was almost afraid that she wouldn’t. It still feels a little surreal, agreeing to let her help with the kind of “worship” that his god marks demand. It’s the kind of thing he would have jumped at back on Baratie— a beautiful woman offering to have sex with him— but with her, it isn’t just sex he wants. It’s her.

Not that he says as much, looking down at the glass of dark liquor and briefly swirling it. He still hasn’t gotten a lighter and a pack of cigarettes yet, but staring into the liquid gives him that moment to clear his thoughts just like a long inhalation of a cigarette does. ]

Deal. [ His reply is accompanied by a quiet laugh and a soft smile. There isn’t anything that’s happened that he isn’t willing to share with her anyway. ]

Yeah, can’t imagine there’s much to do outside of the whole, uh, shitty game they want us to play. [ While she gathers her thoughts, Sanji takes a long sip of his drink, letting himself savor that too as she begins to speak about making maps and visiting the casino and drawing. Drawing is the only surprise on that list, but even then, it’s not really something out of the realm of possibility. He watches her, bright eyes intent on her as he drinks in every word she says, genuinely curious to know more about how she spends her time. ]

It’s very interesting to me, Nami. [ Maybe not the most interesting of the things he wants to know about, but it’s a start. He grins at her, soft but wide, and shrugs his shoulders. ] I want to know everything about you and your time here. Telling me what you like to do with your free time is just a good starting point, yeah?

[cartographie]

[ Frowning when Sanji mentions the house's shitty game, Nami shakes her head with a sigh. ] If the house isn't doing everything in its power to get you to go along with the shitty game, then it's doing everything in its power to make you not mind being here. [ The hand not occupied with her drink lifts, gesturing around the lavish accommodations, as though that might explain why, at least in part, her surroundings suit her perfectly. Like the casino had plucked the choice of rooms and the decor that fills them right out of her imagination. ]

I started on the five's floor, but after seeing how shitty it was for everyone below that, I decided to secure my position. [ What Nami doesn't say, however, is that a good portion of that motivation stemmed from the knowledge that she'd be giving others in the casino a safe place to hide out as well. Instead, the more obvious explanation is offered– ] One of the friends I made here started out as queen, that's how I learned the casino doesn't really fuck with the face cards like it does the lower ranks.

[ Nami swirls the alcohol and ice in her glass and has another sip before her eyebrows pinch up at Sanji. ]

Okay, your turn. Don't tell me you woke up naked in a jungle like I did.

[chiffonades]

Pretty sure they tried giving me a taste of that royal life, too. [ Which had felt so off, considering he hadn’t done anything worth the treatment and the uncomfortable way it reminded of life before boarding The Orbit, but the gambit behind it is obvious in retrospect. Most people don’t want a servant's life, after all, a point Nami herself reinforces with her story. Mostly. Call it a gut feeling, but he’s certain there’s more to her climbing the ranks than just self-interest, just like he was certain there was more to her back in Coco Village than just the apparent greed she’d shown the villagers. He grins at her, though, big and wide and broad, as she takes another drink of her liquor. ] Being a Queen suits you, Nami. Couldn’t ask for a better person to hold the rank.

[ And then it’s his turn to swirl the alcohol in his glass and take a swallow, letting the burn of it help him gather his thoughts, before his gaze returns to her. ]

Woke up here a few days ago in a room that looked like it was carved into a fucking mountain. I could see the sea just like earlier. Had no idea what was happening. [ There’s a moment of hesitation as he thinks about what to say next, another pang of hunger distracting him. ] I, uh, woke up next to a friend of yours. Weiss? She helped me out. Told me you were here. Been looking for you ever since ‘cause I didn’t want to go any longer without seeing you. And I knew if I was here, you’d wanna see me, too.

[ And had a lot of help along the way, although that’s neither here nor there for the moment. ] After that, there was this whole feast thing they did. That’s where I learned about… about the hunger thing. And some of the other shit that happens. [ His shoulders lift in a quick shrug as he drains the glass of it’s remaining liquor, still watching her carefully. ] Spent the next couple of days roaming around the casino to see if you were there. And then they roped me into that shitty auction and now, I’m here.

[ He sets his glass on the table, trying to ignore the spark of joy that comes with remembering that moment where he finally saw it was her and failing to keep it off his face, grin and eyes full of warmth. ] Guess it wasn’t too bad since it finally let me see you, huh?

[cartographie]

[ That compliment is so perfectly Sanji, she almost rolls her eyes at it out of habit. For the time being, he's spared from her exasperation, as it still feels just too damn good – too damn stabilizing – to be with another Straw Hat again at last.

Instead, Nami listens, nursing her drink right up until Sanji mentions Weiss. It's not a turn she expected his story to take, despite being aware that people end up in this casino in all sorts of weird ways, but out of everybody being kept prisoner here, Weiss is someone she's come to like and trust. While she can imagine what might have happened there, there are worse hands he could have fallen into. ]

I wasn't even gonna go to that dumb auction. [ The corners of her lips quirk up in a subdued smirk. ] Guess you got lucky. [ Or, she did, not that Nami's the type to come out and express a sentiment like that. ]

Wish I had something hopeful to offer, but at least you're here now, and I won you fair and square.

[chiffonades]

[ The thought of someone else potentially winning him at the auction is almost distressing— given what they’d briefly explained about the deities becoming servants to the winning bidder, there’s no telling what could have happened— but it’s only a fleeting feeling now because, in the end, she did go to the auction and he’s here. The grin on his mouth spreads wider, somehow becoming brighter as she nearly smirks at him. That feels familiar— familiar enough to be like they’re back on the Going Merry, just for an instant— and warm laughter just bubbles out of his chest. ]

Yeah, yeah, I did. I got damned lucky. Most luck I’ve had since coming here, you know? Maybe I should go back down to the casino and see if it holds [ Even waking up next to someone as friendly and helpful as Weiss just doesn’t quite compare. He’d been prepared to end up as some random person’s prize— and that had been a truly distressing thought then— and she’d just been there by a stroke of luck and happenstance.

Sanji doesn’t usually gamble, but it feels like he’s hit the jackpot. ]

You did at that. [ He glances down at his drink for a brief moment, laughing with a shake of his head, before looking up at her with another broad grin on his face. ] What’re you gonna do with your prize? Force him to cook you the finest damn dinner you’ve ever tasted? Make him whip up a tangerine tart for you? Something else, like wipe down your countertops?

[cartographie]

[ She likes it when he smiles. It's bright and warm, almost enough to make her forget where she is, along with the potential horrors waiting a short elevator ride away. The look is almost as gratifying as hearing him agree with her about her victory is, and it leaves her looking pleased with herself before her chin tips up in a feigned show of haughtiness. ]

Don't think I'm going to forget how many chips I had to spend on you, either. You owe me. [ With interest, but right now isn't the time to go over the finer print, not when the drink in her hand and the sight of such a friendly face have paired together to put her at ease to the point where she's dryly joking around with him. ]

I think we'll start with all of the above, then– [ Because she hasn't forgotten about his predicament, and wants him to know that. ] See how hungry you are.

[chiffonades]

I think I’ll find some way to make it up to you, yeah? [ There’s more laughter as he says it, a light chuckle, head tilted to the side slightly as he looks at her, still grinning like they aren’t trapped in a sex-obsessed resort together. After a few days of being trapped here, this is the closest he’s felt to being totally at ease since his arrival, nearly all the tension gone from his shoulders and neck. ]

Since that’s what you want, Nami, I— [ The hunger hasn’t disappeared, still rumbling away in his stomach, but he’s fully prepared to cook for her first. That’s what he’s prepared to do, but then it feels like something twists, a ripple of something along his nerves and his bones. One second, he’s talking, ready to move to the refrigerator and look through what she has on hand, and the next, all he can do is stare at her lips— soft and warm and thoroughly inviting— as the impulse forms in his head.

He should kiss her, right? It’s a sudden urge, but it burns like fire in his mind and he just can’t stop himself.

Before he has a chance to think, his glass is back on the bar cart as he steps around it, both hands catching her face by the cheeks and he kisses her, mouth moving greedily against hers, as hungry as the pangs inside him. It’s such a sweet feeling, her lips soft against his, but the kiss only lasts a moment before he breaks it, gasping. ]

Shit— sorry, Nami— I think it’s the damn— [ But the impulse isn’t done with him because the second he’s finished taking a break, he’s kissing her again, harder as want blooms inside him. ]

[cartographie]

[ Knowing this place as she does, Nami really shouldn't have been shocked when Sanji bridges the space between them suddenly, and brings his mouth down against hers in that first, dizzyingly warm kiss. So stunned she almost drops her glass, Nami finds herself gripping it tightly instead as she rolls forward onto the balls of her feet, letting her body settle firmly against his, drawn in by the warmth of the familiar and how sorely she's missed it.

Besides, out of all the bullshit positions this place has thrust her in, this doesn't even rank among them. She wants to be there for him about as badly as she wants Sanji to be here for her. ]

Don't– [ Nami breathes on the heels of that apology as the way she's flush against him leaves her senses crackling with new awareness. ] Don't apologize.

[ This place will do exactly this to a person, something Nami doesn't get a chance to point out before Sanji's kissing her again and her hand's on his cheek, guiding him closer. While Sanji might be subject to the resort's whims more than she is right now, Nami's captivated, with or without the added push, the thought of getting him close and keeping him there urging her arms to wrap around his shoulders tightly. ] It's okay, Sanji. [ She whispers, her voice earnest despite the softness. ] I want you to.

[chiffonades]

[ Some part of Sanji thinks that when Nami dismisses his apology out of hand— when she draws close to him like that, body pressed fully against his own— his immediate reaction shouldn’t be relief and joy mingled together. It is, though, it is and it makes the ensuing kiss all the sweeter, even with the impulse still driving him. His lips work against hers with more hunger, desperate for more of the sweet heat of her mouth against his own, head tilting just a little more to the side to lean into her touch. ]

You sure, Nami? [ It’s a breathless murmur as the need to breathe forces the kiss to shatter, sucking down another breath briefly as he stares into her gorgeous blue eyes. The impulse to kiss her is still there, still demanding more, but he redirects it for the briefest moment. His hand gently catches hers by the wrist and steadies it as he turns his head and brushes a kiss to her palm. ] I don’t wanna do anything you don’t want me to.

[ Even as he says that, his arm is looping around her waist to keep her held tight against his chest. He’ll let go, if she asks him, if that’s what she wants, but some piece of him knows it isn’t, knows she’ll do whatever she can to help him and keep him safe.

His fingers unwrap from around her arm as the urge to kiss her again becomes too much, too demanding to be diverted, and he can’t quite muster up the willpower to resist, lips crashing down against hers eagerly with a soft sigh of her name. This time, though, this time his tongue dips into her mouth, tasting her even as his fingers curl around the hem of her shirt, not wanting to let her go. ]

[cartographie]

[ It would have to be someone as close to her as Sanji feels, despite their short tenure sailing together, to bring the subtle, soft candor she meets those worries with. Her fingers are gentle on his cheek, tracing over his jaw as she looks up at him. ]

I want you to. [ She repeats, soft but still emphatic. The way he's looking at her leaves her shaken in unexpected ways. She's tumbled into bed with people out of the need to get rid of something the house has done to her, or to help another out of the same, and even though she's doing that now, she does, actually, want him to.

At home Nami wouldn't even let herself think of him like this, but here, where they're mostly all they're going to have until they're back where they belong – it feels right, and the gentle way she kisses him, lips parted enough to let her tongue lick int his mouth, speaks volumes for how right she feels. ] Let me take care of you.

[chiffonades]

[ A knot unties within him the moment she affirms that this is what she wants, the uncertainty that tried to hold him back vanishing in the blink of an eye. There is no doubt in Sanji’s mind that this is only possible because they’re here— in a place far from home, where they’re all there is of their crew— but that doesn’t matter at the moment to him. The only thing that matters is that she wants this. She wants him. ]

Good ‘cause I want to. I want you. [ His lips curves into a smile that’s as soft as her kiss, his nose pressed against hers for a brief moment as he nips gently at her lower lip. The impulse finally seems to settle so that when Sanji kisses her mouth next, returning her kiss with one that’s every bit as gentle, it’s all him and none of the mark. It’s slow and languid and sweet, his fingers tangling in strands of her tangerine-colored hair, as he savors the feeling of kissing her purely of his own volition.

It’s better than anything he could have hoped for. ]

Only if you let me take care of you, too. [ A moment later and he’s grinning at her again, bright and wide, even as his gaze darkens with want. He can’t quite stop his hands from gripping the hem of her shirt, mouth brushing another quick kiss to her mouth as they inch her shirt higher. ] Can I take your clothes off? I wanna see and touch and kiss all of you.

[cartographie]

[ He doesn't tell her anything she hasn't known about Sanji from the moment they met at Baratie. From that over the top deep dive into her water preferences, to how he warmly tried to greet her, how he'd fought for her – barely more than a stranger – as Arlong Park collapsed, he hasn't bothered to hide how quickly, and ardently he started to want her. There's no doubt her time here has made letting things happen in a rush seem almost typical, playing the game is what got her this comfortably appointed, and after all the hustles she's ran on the crews that came before the Straw Hats, she knows how to get close and keep her distance at the same time.

They might have only sailed together briefly, but, she doesn't want that logic to apply here. She knows she will still bristle while fumbling her way through the moments where everything gets sincere and intimate enough to make Nami feel like she's heading towards uncharted waters, but, it's Sanji. ]

I know you do– [ Softly spoken smug confidence threads though her reply before he kisses her again, shedding the heated urgency that's been carrying them forward for sweetness. If there was any doubt lingering in Nami's mind just how much, and in what ways Sanji wanted her, they're blown away in the wake of that kiss – in the way he handles her like he's utterly treasuring her.

There's being spoiled, and then there's this. It's enough to leave her shivering as he guides his shirt higher, exposing her skin to open air. ] Like I could stop you by telling you I can take care of myself. [ Nami draws back, a soft, dazed smirk on her face when she meets his eye, smiling too softly to look like she'll ever mind the relentless doting she's sure is coming her way if the cook has anything to say about it. ] If I can take yours off too.

[chiffonades]

[ The smirk is almost audible in her voice as she assures him that she knows he wants her. And as true as that is, it’s different now. It isn’t just the raw physical attraction that drew his eye back on the Baratie and onwards. In seeking for her, for the only piece of his crew, of his home, left to him here, he’s only learned to cherish her all the more. ]

Nah, it wouldn’t. But you don’t need to tell me that. I already know you can. [ Better than any of the rest of them could ever take care of themselves, and by a large margin. He leans back in, then, unable and unwilling to resist the urge for another soft, sweet kiss that lingers and leaves his lungs aching for breath and his lips warm from the contact. ] Just wanna take care of you, too.

[ What goes unsaid is the fact that she shouldn’t have to take care of herself, not anymore. It’s there in the softness of his gaze, though, as he grins at her, lips hovering less than an inch from hers. ] Deal. [ As soon as he says it, his hands are pulling the shirt off of her, lifting it until he tosses it to the side, unforgotten as his mouth presses against hers in a kiss that’s still soft, still warm, but hints at that building want inside him, lips working eagerly against hers.

In the midst of that kiss, his hands are busy still. Strong arms loop around her for a quick moment as they find the clasp to her bra and deftly unfasten it in an instant. He breaks the kiss for a moment to suck down a breath, teeth grazing over her bottom lip as he pulls back, and pushes her skirt and underwear down her hips and thighs in a smooth motion.

It only takes him a heartbeat to take a step back, bright eyes taking her in, all of her, drinking in every detail of her— the soft curve of her hips, the dip of her waist, the inviting swell of her breasts— and shudders, teeth biting his lip. ] Fuck. [ Sanji chuckles, breathless and husky, as his gaze darkens and sweeps over her again. ] Fuck, Nami, you’re perfect. [ His arm is around her waist the next second, pulling her close again, mouth hot and eager against hers as he murmurs encouragement. ] Your turn.

[cartographie]

[ Sanji makes short work of her shirt before gathering her in his arms to kiss again while snapping the closure on her bra open, a move that has her letting him go long enough to slide the straps off her arms and toss the garment to the floor. He moves so easily, and eagerly she has to laugh, a low adoring sound that's lost between kisses. Amused fondness warms over her chest, making fresh heat rise to her skin, ensuring there's a flushed pink adorning her shoulders, bringing out the freckles dusting her skin as he pulls back to admire his handiwork.

For someone who's never had an issue changing anywhere she has to, how earnestly Sanji takes her in almost makes her want to turn in a rare moment of bashfulness. It's not like she doesn't think it's completely the correct reaction anyone should have to her tits, but how eager he is to let her know in everything he says and does, floors her in the best way possible.

There is a moment where Nami doesn't seem to know what to do with herself, settling for crossing her arms over her chest as she shakes her head in response to all that shameless, giddy staring. She elects to do her best to pretend that she doesn't love it, even as the grin she tries to hide haunts the corners of her mouth, impossible to hide. ] Been waiting for this long?

[ Eight months hasn't changed that much – due to the artificial sunlight in the resort, the deep tan perpetually beneath her shoulders has faded, along with the marks on her arm left behind after the return to Arlong Park, now thin scars and a fully healed tattoo. The straightforward way she moves towards him is new, too, her hands curling in the fabric of his shirt as she advances, pulling him towards her with a smug nod.

Fingers fly down his buttons as her mouth captures his in another kiss, Nami barely allows enough space between their bodies when she pushes his shirt off his shoulders and eases his now loosened pants down his hips, following his haste with the efficiency of a skilled thief.

She doesn't put as much space between them when he's finally undressed, and she has to lean back to look him over, but the way she raises her eyebrows at him afterward speaks volumes for how much Nami's enjoying the sight. Her palms run up his arms and curve over his shoulders, wrapping her arms around him before she draws herself up close. ]

Table, or bedroom? Table's closer.

[chiffonades]

Yeah, I have. For long enough. [ Even with the soft, affectionate laughter that accompanies his response, there’s no hiding the sincere earnestness from his voice or the slight note of his own bashfulness as he realizes just how blatantly he’s been staring. He’s drawn to her in ways he can’t begin to describe, fond warmth flooding his chest at the upturned corners of her mouth as she teases him, just as it had a moment ago when she’d laughed so fondly at the way he’d undressed her.

And although she never says it, he’s certain she’s drawn to him too, can read it through the smugness of her nod and the eager press of her lips against his. They’ve both spent their lives making their livings with their fingers and their hands— hers in picking locks and pockets, his in slicing vegetables and meat— and it’s no surprise to him that she manages to unbutton his shirt and shove his pants off his hips with a speed that matches his own.

He laughs, a soft, fond sound of his own, against her mouth as she does it, a shiver of anticipation running along his spine and then again when she leans back to take him in. Grinning that wide, bright grin as she pulls close, his arm curls around her and fingertips trace the curve of her spine from between her shoulder blades down to the small of her back, hand settling there for a brief moment as he glances over her shoulder. ]

Table. [ More soft laughter as he steals another kiss from her mouth, harder now, hungrier, now that they’re pressed against one another skin, bare skin against bare skin, her body warmer and softer than it has any right to be. The feeling of her breasts pressing against the hard plane of his chest leaves him shuddering again, taking a few slow steps forward as they move towards the table that’s nearby. ] For now. [ It’s a quiet murmur— almost a question, but not really, not when he knows now that this line has been crossed, once can’t possibly be enough.

It only takes a few more stolen kisses before they’re there, the table only a few feet away as the hard length of his cock rubs against her belly with every step. Grinning again, so wide and fond, his hands sweep under her thighs and lifts her up, setting her on the very edge of the table. He can’t help but take another look at her, then, eye dark with want, his shaft throbbing with need at what he sees. ]

Fuck. [ The curse is laughed out, soft and eager, as he takes a step forward, one hand touching her cheek, the other slowly drawing its fingertips along the inside of her thigh. He kisses her again, softly, as he murmurs almost dreamily. ] Gonna touch your cunt, now, and see just how wet you are for me.

[cartographie]

[ The warm strong shape of his body as it presses against hers etches its way into her memory all too easily, ensuring that her skin seems to buzz the whole slightly staggered trip back towards the table, with her leading, him steering, and neither of them paying that much attention to anything beyond that.

Her tongue licks into his mouth, nodding in earnest agreement at that muttered 'for now' before Nami rises to the balls of her feet, making it easier to feel the delicious press of his cock against her, whatever pre already beading at the crown of his cock ending up streaked on the skin low on her belly. The sensation makes Nami's breath catch before his palms move over the backs of her thighs to lift her and place her on the table, and it's her turn to laugh dazedly.

On the verge of letting her thighs settle on his hips and her legs wrap tight around his middle, Nami looks up with surprise when Sanji draws back to take her in. She can feel herself blushing under that stare, rolling her eyes, despite the sight of him naked and hard for her leaving her cunt throbbing with need. ]

Fuck. [ Nami echoes in a whisper, before the hand he settles on her cheek draws her gaze back to his face, meeting his eye with a soft smile as her body shifts on the edge of the table, her thighs parting as she moves towards the hand he runs along her skin, fingers skirting closer to the already slicked heat clinging to her folds. ]

Have you thought about this? [ She asks impulsively as her head tilts up, allowing her lips to brush the side of his neck. ] Are you going to tell me if my cunt feels as good as you imagined?

[chiffonades]

[ The surprise in her gaze quickly morphs to exasperation as he greedily drinks in every detail of her that he can manage, but he notices the slight flush to her cheeks, too, and that makes his smile turn almost shy as his teeth bite his lower lip.

And then, of course, her legs part to accommodate his touch and it’s just another sign of her desire, a grin spreading wide as he stares into her eyes with a gaze that’s dark with want and full of adoring delight. There’s no hesitation as his fingers slide even higher, nails gently raking against her skin, soft, husky laughter rumbling in his chest at her question. ]

A few times. [ There’s a hint of shyness in Sanji’s voice at his admission, eyes drifting close for a second as he enjoys the sensation of her warm lips against his neck. When they open, he brushes a kiss of his own against the top of her head, thumb gently stroking her cheekbone as he keeps his hand on her cheek. ] Yeah, yeah, I will. But… I know it’s gonna feel perfect. You already look even better than I imagined.

[ And then his fingertips are there, eyes wide as they press flush against the throbbing lips of her cunt. This isn’t his first time by any stretch of the imagination, but still, he never really imagined she’d want him like this. His fingers lightly trace the shape of her— all the dips and folds, the slit of entrance, the stiff bud of her clit— as he watches her. ]

Fuck— [ It’s a groan, low and throaty, as he eagerly rubs the flats of his fingers along her cunt, coating them in her slick. The hand in her hair pulls gently, tilting her head back so that his mouth can crash down against hers, as greedy to kiss as he is to touch. ] Nami, you’re so fucking wet for me. Fuck. [ That last curse is a breathless chuckle against her mouth. ] Are you gonna tell me how good my cock feels when I fuck you?

[cartographie]

[ For everything she's done since arriving, somehow this – keeping her eyes trained on his as his fingertips map the folds of her cunt, touching her for the first time – feels almost a hundred times more intimate than most of what came before it. Whether or not that's her loneliness talking is unimportant, in fact, nothing seems more pressing than the first wisps of pleasure his touches send moving through her. That blissful beginning makes her eyelashes flutter and her lips part while a shiver runs down her spine, a dazed, dreamy look that turns hot and sharp as his hand sinks into her hair to tug it back, guiding her face up. ]

So wet– [ Breathing soft against his mouth as she repeats those words, her hips rolling forward slightly, encouraging more of his touch. ] So tight and hot for you too, Sanji. [ Based on the way her heart's pounding, and the heat all but radiating off her skin, it's clear that isn't an exaggeration. Those soft fingers he runs over her folds, gathering the wetness already clinging to that silky flesh, stoke her desire as easily as a more direct caress.

He mentions his cock and, as if asked, one hand lifts to wrap around it in a warm, loose fist. ] It already feels so fucking good, Sanji. [ There's no masking the need in that tight little whisper, and Nami doesn't bother to try, the hot wetness of his pre on her hand keeping her palm slicked up enough to start stroking him. ] You're already so hard for me too, I wanna feel your cock spreading my cunt open.

[chiffonades]

[ For all the rendezvous he’d had back at the Baratie— not that many, all things considered, but more than enough— it feels almost like they might as well not have existing at all as he touches her, breath caught in his throat at the look on her face. It’s not nerves, or uncertainty, or anything of the sort that makes the comparison a moot point, but the raw fact of how every moment feels like something new, something private shared between just them. How anyone could want him like she seems to— could crave the touch of his fingers with such a fond, dreamy expression on her face as if there’s nothing else she wants more right now— eludes him, but he cannot help but delight in this discovery.

That soft, gentle smile on his face is reverent as his fingers acquiesce to her hips plea for more, teasing the sodden, soaked entrance to her cunt with a more substantial touch, slow, deliberate strokes that only grow faster with each touch. ] I can’t wait to feel it, Nami. I can’t wait to feel your cunt tight around my cock as we fuck. [ His voice is breathless as he steals another languid kiss, fingertips skating over her slit and settling on the stiff bud of her clit for a long moment, rubbing it in slow, lazy circles.

There’s no hurry to him— even though there should be, considering how his cock twitches and aches with each pump of her fist, hips greedily grinding the underside against her palm— just a greedy desire to savor everything about this, about her. Groaning her name softly, he looks at her with equal parts awe and fondness and desire, free hand smoothing over her forehead. ] Do you wanna feel it right now? [ It’s a low murmur against her mouth as he takes a half-step forward, hips flexing until the dripping tip of his cock hovers a bare inch from her entrance, fingers dipping down to spread her folds open. ] Wanna feel my cock inside you, right where it belongs, fucking your gorgeous cunt, right now?