006↠ ACTION

[concasse]

[It's sunny. And hot. And perhaps not the best weather to take a nap in while you're unabashedly unconscious.

... Which is too bad, seeing as Sanji's passed out under a tree located at the village's edge - clothes dirty and ruffled, no doubt collecting more dirt as he rolls in his uncomfortable slumber, the crook of his arm covering his eyes.

Go on. Wake him up. Be a good Samaritan.



And hell, even if you don't, Sanji will eventually stumble upon you -- or into you, if that's your thing. Later in the day he'll be all over the village insisting he's fine, no he's not drunk so stop trying to escort him back to bed. B| He can walk it off.]





[ooc: MALLYNAP EFFECT. Touch him and your character will share a memory with Sanji. It can be a memory of his or a memory of your character's; just specify in the subject line what you prefer. |D Any memory is free game, and the scope of it is at our discretion, but keep in mind both characters will view it until the memory ends or they escape the "boundary". (Just imagine the memory as a bubble and if a character walks far enough for whatever reason, they pop it.) Also note they're still in Luceti - no teleporting anywhere. Just assume the characters are mostly slack-jawed and staring at a tree for the duration.

I also endorse all time-breaking. Tis but a flimsy wall in our way.]

Comments

That works for me *_*

[concasse]

[There's a fumble, a muttered curse as someone falls off his own bed and lunges for the door - and then Sanji's staring down at Elicia, hair in disarray and eyes wild from sleep and fear]

Elicia-chan? Are you okay!? [He doesn't ask why she's here, or stop to think that maybe he shouldn't have opened the door at all in his condition. She sounded worried and that's all he can focus on]

[asobouyo]

[DON'T PANIC BUT--

She leaps in for a hug and squeezes him tightly, her own eyes clenched shut. Whoops. The scene starts melting into something new as she keeps squeezing him like he was trying to run off on her.]

I love you I love you I love you!

[Oh, a living room set up for a birthday? Three candles on the cake, and a room full of relatives. Elicia's running around with a bunch of kids her age having a grand ol' time, but in the meanwhile, the real Elicia hasn't even bothered looking at it.]

I know you had a bad day, but it's okay, because we love you and tomorrow will be better! Hang in there! Don't give up!

[concasse]

[-- Child, what even--

Sanji wonders how you found out about his bad day and initially stares on, confused and only half-aware of the scene playing in the background. He gently hugs her back, though, because it's Elicia -- he needs no other reason. Eventually her cheerleader's enthusiasm brings a grin on his face]

Oi now, don't count me out yet~! Your big brother never gives up~!

[asobouyo]

[Dude I'm your little sis! How could I not know you were having a bad day! >:^|]

Good!!

...

Big bro, why're we in my head?

[OH MY GOSH LOOK AT ALL THOSE PRESENTS

I REMEMBER THOSE PRESENTS.

Nearby, Three-year-old Elicia's talking to Winry now.

"So how old are you Elicia?"

"Two--

..."]

No, little me!! [FISTPUMP] You're not two! That's what the birthday's for!

["...

Thwee!!"

SUCCESS.]

1/2

[concasse]

...

[C-can't contain... outpouring of emotions...!]

Elicia-chan is so cute~!!!!! ♥

[concasse]

[Okay, sorry about that. Sanji needed to get it out of his system before he imploded. He calms down and grins at her]

It's a memory! Anyone who touches me gets one of these.

[asobouyo]

Ooooh!!

[She grabs Sanji's arm, tugging him along.]

Well lemme show you my old house! It's really nice here--!

[YOU ARE AT MY DISPOSAL]

This is the kitchen! Mama let me have a little toy kitchen too so I'd feel like a big girl!

And this is our bathroom! It always smelled really nice, 'cus we had a bowl of sweet-smelly stuff; I ate one of the pieces once and she had to put it up on the top-top of the shelf.

[concasse]

[Her excitement is contagious. Though he's still a little taken aback by the sheer difference in experience, Sanji is quick to follow along like a good visitor, nodding and oooing at all the pauses]

What about your room, eh?

[asobouyo]

[DRAGGING YOU NOW]

Over here! It's not as grown up as my new room, but I still like it!

[LOOKIT ALL THIS PINK

and much more girly stuff

I was finding my identity okay]

This is my old bed! I think it's too small for me now, 'cuz I'm always growing.

[concasse]

I know~! At this rate Elicia-chan's gonna be taller than me!

[asobouyo]

...

You really think I could be??

[concasse]

Absolutely~!

... So long as you eat all your vegetables~

[asobouyo]

Of course I will! Vegetables are super duper important for getting that tall!

[The memory is fading out, ending on Elicia opening her presents--gaping at the robotic toy mouse that she gets from her father. Of course, when it's all said and done she looks up at Sanji and grips his hand in confusion.]

How do you know when it starts and ends...?

[The next scene is growing outward like plants beneath their feet, leaving her and him in the middle of an Amestrian street--to the left, the other Elicia's playing in the sand in her front yard while her mother sits and watches.]

[concasse]

[Elicia's hand in his is so familiar and natural, Sanji finds himself at a loss for why another memory starts. But he relaxes at the humble atmosphere - another one of Elicia's, eh? Well, that's fine. No big deal. He turns his head, getting a better view of the town]

Hoooo... is this Elicia's home city? It's so big!

1/2

[asobouyo]

Ah--! Yeah! I remember I always felt like I was in the biggest place ever...!

[Look at all those cars and people!]

This is my house! Right here!

[The other Elicia's making a sandcastle, it seems.]

[asobouyo]

[Suddenly the ground begins to tremble--something palpable in the air, stifling, and the citizens take pause. What is this--? But Elicia remembers it well, and hides herself behind Sanji, gripping his pant leg.]

Oh no....

[This is bad.

This is really bad.]

[concasse]

--Elicia-- [Her name is barely out of his mouth before a sudden thud to their right, and Sanji's now tense stare darts over. An older woman tending to her garden, now sprawled out in the sun, writhing in agony.

The first person has fallen.

Like a gunshot, pandemonium rushes the streets. Screaming, crying, people clawing at their throats, only to hit the ground soon after. Sanji only stares in horror, uncomprehending how this can be one of Elicia's memories.

What is going on here?]

[asobouyo]

[They're all dropping, and all around them--at their feet--are small wispy hands reaching out from the earth. The cause of this misery at hand. Elicia grabs at Sanji's shirt, panicked.] Big bro, don't touch them! They're bad--don't let them take me!

[In her yard, Elicia collapses, holding her throat.

"Mama...!"

Gracia's already moving to her side, but she can barely move herself. She's trying to shield the child anyway, even if it doesn't seem to be helping. Nothing seems to be helping. Many people have already gone still.

Their surroundings blur and unblur, as Elicia's memory demands it; she's starting to lose track of her life here.]

[concasse]

[If he wasn't panicked before, Sanji is now, and drops down so he can shield Elicia's face from the memory - from seeing her own self and her mother dying on the ground. He, on the other hand, is too shell-shocked to do anything but stare around at the proof of death all around them, thickening in the air, until it manifests as what might be a literal, giant tornado of souls.]

Shit... What is that?

[asobouyo]

It's the hands--the black hands, they're here--! [She hugs him tightly, suddenly worried that maybe he'd be subject to them.] I'll protect you, bro! Just hold onto me and I'll protect you, 'cause it's my memory!

[To which she squeezes him tightly. The tornado swirls around them until it's clear that the memory takes place in it, that she's no longer in her body anymore, but trapped in this vortex of screaming faces and pain and sadness--

She really hates remembering this.

But it's okay. We'll be okay because it's all from the past!]

[concasse]

[If he holds onto her any tighter, he'll squeeze her poor torso in half, and it's not just because of Elicia's plea. The memories Sanji experiences with others are not simple movie clips he watches from afar - he feels every second of pain, every stretched moment of agony, as if his own soul had just been ripped out of his body. His grip twitches around her until at last he swallows his breath and holds it, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to focus on the little girl.]

[asobouyo]

[It's this way for a few minutes--a wave of sorrow and horror before the floor feels like it drops underneath them, knocks them around as the tornado swirls higher and higher into the sky. And then they're on the road they were just at, ghoulish faces ('souls', she'd never know to call them) whirling back down and re-entering the bodies they belong to.

People gasp and wheeze in the road. Ask what just happened. Elicia's other self gasps and coughs and cries in her mother's arms. There's an explosion in the distance, and then, just like that, they're back in Sanji's room.

Elicia doesn't seem to notice that they're back. She's squeezing her eyes shut, protectively clutching onto Sanji even still.]

[concasse]

[Even with that happy(?) ending and seeing Elicia restored back to her body - crying and shaken, but alive - all Sanji does is thank God when the memory ends, and the air seems to rush into Sanji's lungs the moment they snap back to reality. Very slowly he eases his grip around the girl, hastily reminding himself that it was a memory, just a memory, and it's over.

It's still several seconds before he thinks to speak. And not once does he let her go]

Elicia-chan, it's okay. [Just a soft murmur. He smooths some of her hair back and takes another deep breath] We're back now.

[asobouyo]

[You'd think she'd be super serious and grave. It was all really scary, after all. She hasn't forgotten how awful it all was to go through. But when she looks up at Sanji, and then back around the room, she collapses to her knees dramatically, sighing.]

Phew!

[THANK GOODNESS WE'RE ALIVE]

[concasse]

[Well then. Sanji watches her dive to her knees, laughing breathlessly. Once physical contact is broken, his first act is to give her a wide berth, lest they start another ride on the crazy memory train.

What he wants to do is ask her what that was, but a part of him doesn't dare risk it. Maybe it's better he doesn't know.]