sailedfirst | III. [Action: July 15th--19th]

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III. [Action: July 15th--19th]

[It's been a week since Luffy was brought back home. The first few days were hard; the fact Sabo might never see him again and he's helpless to do anything about it still cuts deep. But he and Ace promised to keep living, keep moving forward. It's what they've always done, and Sabo's not about to stop now. And so to avoid moping so much, he decides to get busy.]

[July 15-19 -- Mornings, the Library]
[He'll be seen occupying a table in the library, with large sheets of paper spread out and books lying open all around him. The books are noticeably all about ships and how to build them. He's busy sketching out blueprints of a small sea-faring vessel. he's obviously not an expert, so the blueprint's almost cartoony and not accurate with regards to the finer details, like measurements and stuff, but he's got most of the main parts down.

On the 19th, he'll open his journal to ask something.]

[Voice]

Hey, are there any shipwrights around here? Or anyone who knows anything about making boats or ships?

[Afternoons (except the 17th), the beach/the mountain]
[Afternoons are spent out in the beach, just looking out to the sea, and/or exploring the nearby mountain in the hopes of meeting the Wind spirit Kipinn.]

[Evenings, the Battledome]
[Sabo can be found in the Battledome. The simulation shows a wide forest, with towering trees and a huge mountain looming behind. Sabo's armed with his usual pipe staff, and his chosen opponent is an old acquaintance to the ASL brothers: the Great Tiger of Mt. Corvo.

Even knowing he's no match by himself, he'll fight on determinedly. Of course, he's just going to get smacked around by the giant paws or batted away by that bludgeon-like tail. But he'll get up, again and again, until the auto-abort kicks in due to the boy's over-exhaustion. At one point, his journal will get knocked aside and start recording one of these fights on video.

Once he catches his breath, he'll rest a bit within a peaceful simulation of a cliff overlooking a wide blue sea, before making his way home.]

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[Oh, you little stinker. For a moment, Norma was actually getting hopeful that she could have a regular, ordinary, normal sea-faring kid to talk with and show her the ropes regarding being more, uh...water savvy and such. BUT ALAS, it was not meant to be, obviously.

Dropping her head onto her folded arms, Norma breathes out a long, exasperated sigh, and reaches for her little stone fragment.]

Grant me a normal sailor for a change, please and thanks and...all that. Oooh...I swear, there really will be a day when I convert!

[Hey, he's a normal sea-faring kid. Of the pirate variety, but still. At least he's the most normal you can expect to meet from their world.

He watches her curiously, head tilting.] Why? What's wrong with pirates? [And he doesn't think it's necessary to even add aren't you friends with two already?]

[That's actually a question Norma has to think about for a few seconds, a fter looking up at Sabo. There...really wasn't anything wrong at all with them - save for the negative connotations associated with them, but knowing Ace and Marco shot that out of the water (booo) a long time ago. In all honesty, Norma can't think of a reason, and instead she just laughs and smiles.]

Not a thing, actually. [Giggle, giggle.] Though I really do think your roomies are trying to convert me...and I'm--uhhh...not exactly ready, yet. [Ahem. Norma's not addressing piracy at all, but Sabo doesn't need to know that.] I guess if I were maybe waled into it all slowly, y'know? Maybe then I'd be a little more accepting of...it.

[Little sister. Little sister. Norma's never been a little sister before, and she's not exactly the best person to talk to about family, considering she ran away from home and hasn't heard from her parents since.]

[Oh man, if only Sabo knows what exactly she's referring to. They even have a similar history about families. As it is, all Sabo knows is that they're talking about piracy. And it's one of his passions.]

Being a pirate's not bad, y'know. It just means you want to have the greatest freedom on the sea. Well, I guess most pirates abuse that freedom, and they do stupid stuff like pillage and burn villages. But not all pirates are like that. Some are just setting out to chase their dreams. Me, I wanna sail out and see the wide world as a free man, and the only way I can do that is by raising a pirate flag!

[Pauses, and grins.] If you're gonna be a pirate, you have to really want it.

[Heh, actually hearing it like that, and really getting the gist...it's weird. It actually sounds a lot like what she felt, and still feels, about treasure hunting. That openness, that exposure to whatever may come, that freedom. Finding treasure was one thing, sure, Norma loves the valuable stuff, but getting to go on the journey is just as fun sometimes.]

I still dunno if I really want it, that's the problem. What I'm doing already is a heck of a lot similar to what you and those other two do out on the sea. The only difference is I do my adventuring, my plundering, and my dream-chasing on the land. I'm a treasure hunter back home, and I-- [She laughs as a thought crosses her mind. Ah...how could she forget?] Jeez...I actually told someone once, that I'm kinda like a land pirate. Opened up a can of worms with that one, I think.

So it isn't that much different, huh. [In fact, it's practically the same thing.] You know, if there are more land in our world than water, I bet the piracy'll be done in land too. But we have five oceans, so there's no other way to freedom but towards the sea.

But, hey. If you're saying you're like a land pirate, what's so different with being a sea one? Other than going by ships, I mean. [He looks a bit concerned.] Oh. Are you one those people who get seasick all the time?

Melfes is covered in water. Most the of the entire planet is water. The only real landmass is the Mainland, and then there's the Legacy. It's not really a landmass, but a floating ship...the size and makeup of a large island. Maybe even a continent. It's huge.

[Norma smiles, though it doesn't exactly reach her eyes. She looks down, at the little jewel fragment, then at her notes. Water...a planet covered in water, yet there were barely any pirates. The ferines could very have been the pirates of her world, yet they never were. Not that she can remember, at least. They warred, surely, but...eh. It's a idiotic war. Thank god it was all over.]

Haha, not quite seasick. Not unless I'm on Hotshot's boat, and he's rocketing across the water like that first time. Uuurrgh... But, uh, I guess it's more...I'm not as comfortable on the water as I am on the land. In my world you'd call me an Orerines, a person of the land. I can handle it, it's just...I need a little bit to get used to it, y'know? It's real hard to make a change like that without...being broken into it a little.

[He listens attentively, always interested hearing about other worlds, even giving a look of wonder when she mentioned a floating continent ship!!!1! That sounds so cool-- but, he bites back his reaction, seeing her weird smile. Did... something bad happen to her in her world?]

Oreirines, huh... [Fail pronounciation, not that he realizes it. Scratching his cheek, looking troubled.] Guess I gotta apologize. The way I've put it, it's like I'm insisting for you to accept pirates and what the sea means the way I see 'em. And that's really wrong of me.

Change is always hard for anyone, and adapting takes times. [He should know, he's having a hard time dealing with changes around him too.] No one should force their beliefs on you if you don't want 'em. I'm really sorry.

[Norma raises her eyebrows in mild shock, surprised by the boy's wisdom at such a young age. He's pretty smart, and really insightful - it's a good thing to see in youth, and makes Norma grin and pat him right on the head. Sabo, you are too cute, and such a sweetiepie. Norma is so glad her first impression of you was dead wrong. She carefully tugs him closer for a hug snuggling against the top of his hat.]

Hey, don't sweat it, okay? I'm not opposed to anything, and you definitely weren't pushing anything on me, so don't you start. If anything, you and those other two are giving me a whole bunch of reasons to consider it. I mean, the way you guys speak about something that's totally taboo back on my planet's like...I dunno. But I feel the same rush I get when I talk about my adventures hunting for treasure. Getting to see the world - mountain ranges, plains, crystal caverns, and old ruins...!

I've never really had much of an interest in the ocean until just recently back home, ever since I got a wicked power boost from Nes--uh, I mean... a kind of ocean god back home. And then when I came here and met your friends, I kinda got reconnected with the ocean in a way, I guess? I've been thinking about home a lot more, and the sea, and Nessy, and maybe even trying to learn to sail myself or something. The way you guys talk about it makes me feel invigorated, y'know?

So don't apologize.

[Oh. Is this... a hug? She's hugging him?! The first and only hug he got from a woman was from Makino, months ago. And while his brothers' hugs are great too, they'll never have the same gentleness. And being the affection-starved kid that he is, being hugged like this is like a gift. So please excuse him, Norma. He's going to flail as he's tugged closer before cautiously melting against you, his face bright red.]

I, um. Actually, I... I talk big about going out to the sea and having adventures, but I've only sailed once. It-- well, it didn't go so great. [And he'll never not wince, however subtle, when mentioning that.] All I know of our world's what I've heard from my brothers. So I realized, I'm being horrible for assuming you'd want the same things I do.

But I'm really glad to hear we're kinda helping you along! It'll be good if you can join us sailing the sea one day, but adventures on land are really great too. Just being free to explore and travel and meet different people is already a big deal to me, so hey. If you want someone you can drag along in your adventures here, count me in!

[Well, that's good that Sabo's enjoying the hug, because Norma's not exactly letting him go very soon. He's adorable, a great kid, and she doesn't get much of a chance to baby people other than Sophie, and the young girl tends to get sick of it after a while and complains, or wanders off to do her own thing. She keeps him close and smiles. Honestly, if he keeps being this adorable and sweet, she may take a leaf out of Marco's book and kidnap the kid for a day.]

I said don't start. [She pinches his nose, gently.] And you weren't. What more explanation do you need, jeez! [A pause, as she takes a minute to soak that in. What could she even explore in Luceti? There isn't caves, ruins, old castles or anything like that here, is there? Still...] Y'know what, I accept. I could use a side-kick explorer, adventurer, and treasure hunter, and you're pretty quick, smart, and got a real eye for what's good in life, Chip. I'll teach you my tricks if you teach me yours - deal?

[She extends a hand.]

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III. [Action: July 15th--19th]

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