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... Nami-san’s gone home.

[The announcement comes early afternoon, after Sanji has tracked down all available housemates to share the heavy news; after spending thirty minutes alone in an empty room, leaning against the door frame and smoking while he stares dead-eyed at the stripped bed, and struggles to remind himself the tray of food he brought with him needs to go back into the fridge; after telling himself around breakfast, when she didn’t come to join them at the table, that she was probably in her mikan grove for the morning, and it wouldn’t be gentlemanly to disturb her; after waking up at the crack of dawn, grumpy and disheveled, thinking that at least with the Valentine’s Day shit over, he and his nakama could look forward to some semblance of peace.

...

His expression isn't grieved. Nor his tone. He keeps his gaze steady and serious] You all better wish her the best, you hear?

[He'll stick around to answer anyone who responds, then check on his nakama. And after his duty is finished, he's heading for the sea, and will stay there well into the night.

He's done all the talking he can manage. Now? He just wants to be left alone.]

[ooc: Action is open for castmates, and for anyone who'd like to track Sanji down, if they want /o/]

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[The news is met with a sharp inhalation of breath.] Are you su--? [Vivi cuts herself off with a shake of her head. No, of course he's sure; he wouldn't state the news so matter-of-factly if he weren't, and he'd just said her room was empty. Vivi can't even say the news shocks her: a crewmate going home had been one of the possibilities that flickered through her mind when she saw he had bad news. Still, even if that had been the case, she really hadn't expected Nami to be the one who'd gone.]

...but. She just came back. [As if that meant anything. It had been months now, too, since Nami's last trip home--not exactly an insignificant amount of time, especially here.]

[Vivi's expression is blank, and not by design.]

I know. [It's why the words burn on his tongue all the more, and it's hard ignoring the weight of the food tray still in his hands.]

... I'm sorry. [It's a weak sort of condolence to offer the woman when she's still digesting the news, but Sanji can't think to say anything else. No other words will come]

[Her reply is a sigh--a soft, weary-sounding one. Vivi thinks she made her peace with Nami leaving the last time it happened, so there's no overwhelming wash of sorrow this time. Nor is there relief, though that would make sense, considering how miserable her friend had come to be here. No, for now there's only a sense of exhaustion that seems to cut right down to the bone.]

[She takes a step closer to Sanji and leans against him--it's not a hug, though she lets her head rest against his shoulder. It's not comfort she's looking for, or seeking to give, either--just pure physical support in the strictest sense of the word. If he weren't right there, Vivi suspects she might have crumpled to her knees on the floor, just because standing seemed so much effort. And she is tired. So, so tired.]

[Sanji stands, silent and motionless with his head hanging, and lets Vivi use him as her support without complaint. That he can't take any real pleasure from the act is enough proof that he too is just. Tired. Like he always seems to feel.

How many more times will they have to go through this shitty dance? Gods, he just... wants to go home.]

[Vivi stays like that for what seems like a long time, though in reality it can't be more than a minute at most before Carue ambles his way over to the two, making a low sound of concern. That catches Vivi's attention, and finally she raises her head. Even that small movement feels more draining than it has any right to.]

It's all right, Carue. [The words come out in an almost absent mumble. Vivi raises one hand to Sanji's shoulder and gives it a small squeeze to silently thank him before taking a step back, slipping her arms around Carue's neck instead.] Nami-san's just gone back home.

[Somehow, his body feels heavier once she pulls away to attend to Carue, his moment of purpose flickering out of existence. He's at a loss for words or what to do until awareness gradually reintroduces him to the weight in his hand.

Right. The food. Put it away. Rousing himself, he begins a slow shuffle for the kitchen, feet as graceful as pounds of lead. He'll finish this and then... then...

Something. He'll do something.]

[Vivi's so preoccupied that it takes her a moment to notice Sanji's slow trek toward the kitchen. That's right; it's almost lunchtime. She raises her head and calls after him:]

Do...do you want any help? [Of course he doesn't need help, probably not even under these circumstances, but she hopes he'll accept her offer just the same. Even something as simple as letting her set the table, or--]

[She wants to feel useful, and she wants his company, even if they don't converse.]

[She's right; Sanji doesn't actually need the help. He's cooked meals under more dire circumstances; but in this case he wasn't planning on making anything. Once he slides Nami's food back into the fridge for a later date, he closes the door with a weary gesture, and glances over his shoulder]

That depends. Is Vivi-chan hungry right now? [Sanji isn't. He doubts Robin is, either. Thus there's no food to prepare for two out of the three remaining Straw Hats (shit, what a small, fragile number), even if it goes without saying that the chef will bow to accommodate if Vivi requests a distraction]

Ah. [Vivi looks almost apologetic as she nods slightly, holding her thumb and forefinger an inch or so apart.] A little.

[Certainly her appetite had taken a hit in the wake of this news, but the fact remained that she'd come home for lunch because she was starting to feel hungry, and she knew Carue felt the same. She hadn't realized that they might be the only ones. In that case, she'd be perfectly content to just make some simple sandwiches for them herself, but it struck her as insulting to Sanji to say that now.]

[So she follows him into the kitchen, pulling the closest chair from the table out and sliding into it gratefully. That weariness still drags at her limbs, and it's all she can do not to just let her arms drop onto the varnished tabletop like lead weights.] Do the others know yet? [Not that there were many more of them here anymore.]

Robin-chan might. [After shrugging off his jacket, he rolls up the sleeves of his shirt and pulls out his cutting board. If she's hungry, he'll feed her. Simple as that. It's just a shame the weight of responsibility is nearly on-par with what should be honest enjoyment. His kitchen suddenly feels stifling, like the walls might close in on him.]

Zoro... [A pause saturated with hesitation] I don't think he does, yet. [Another nakama he'll have to tell. And then there's always the village at large.

So many people... Nami-san touched so many people here, and he'll be the one delivering the good and bad news.]

Nojiko-san isn't here yet, is she? [So it's probably a safe bet she doesn't know either. Then again, she doesn't always come home for lunch, considering she works in the bakery. It's not the kind of news Vivi thinks should be broken over the journals to Nami's sister, though it seems best to let her know as soon as possible, too.]

[Vivi compromises by pulling out her journal and sending a message to Nojiko asking her to come back to the house as soon as she can. Or at least that's the plan.]

[The filter breaks as soon as she tries to send the message, though it takes a moment for Vivi to realize it. She spends a little time just staring blankly at the journal page, mind too tired to register that something's amiss. Then...]

...I must've made a mistake. [She's only murmuring to herself, brow furrowing slightly as she looks over the filtered message she'd just composed.]

[Sanji shakes his head in response to the question, though Vivi's already fetched her journal by then. He doesn't admit that he almost forgot about Nojiko-sama, her name having been lost amidst the sea of acquaintances Sanji is more familiar with, and his guilt is penance enough for such thoughtlessness. She in particular will be a tough one - at least, on his end. No doubt the woman would take the news in stride, and with the same composed air she always exudes.

He's only managed to fetch a few vegetables for Vivi's sandwich when he hears the woman mutter to herself, and unlike her, there's only one conclusion he arrives at.]

Did the filter break? [His voice is flat, and yet tinged with expectancy; a crack in the bleakness because at this point, there's little else to feel. That would just be the luck, wouldn't it? Nojiko returning home with her sister.

Gods, he hopes so. Someone else to escape. One less person to tell.]

It did. [Still looking at the journal, it takes her a moment to understand why Sanji made that assumption.]

You don't think...? [Glancing up at him, then back at the page. The timing seems too coincidental, yet it's not as if that means it's impossible. Her face grows more placid.]

They were sent home together. [Never mind that they'd come from different corners of the globe back home, and more importantly, different times. They wouldn't be returning home together, no, but something about the idea that they'd left Luceti at the same time seems almost comforting. Perhaps if it had been someone else instead of Nojiko, Vivi would have felt differently, but they were family. Sisters. It seemed fitting.]

Seems that way. [His tone matches her expression, with just the hint of a smile. He turns back to his cutting board and grabs a knife]

... It's better this way. [And there's no sadness to be found, for once. She's right - there is something comforting about both Nami and Nojiko leaving at the same time, and it hurts just a little less than before.]

[She can only nod slowly. How many times has she heard those words, or said them herself--knowing they were true, but needing them as a reminder that leaving Luceti really was better. Often enough that they'd stopped carrying the meaning they should, and seemed almost a trite platitude now. In this case, though, she can take comfort in them.]

[Vivi stands.] I'll be right back. I just want to check...

[To make sure Nojiko's room is bare as well. Just in case, though she feels almost certain that's how she'll find it. There's still a tiny sliver of doubt, and she thinks once she confirms things, it will...what? Make all of this easier? She's not sure, exactly, but it's easy enough to confirm whether Nojiko is still here or not. She's not exactly moving at top speed as she leaves the kitchen, but her pace is less plodding than it had been just minutes before.]

[Ah, he hadn't thought to check. Call it fatigue or weariness, but he's done with checking rooms for the rest of the day. As Vivi leaves, Sanji inclines his head just enough to watch her exit, then turns back to the meal he's preparing.

He doesn't plan on anything extravagant. Especially compared to the meals he usually conjures up for the girls, this will turn out rather bare bones. A simple dish of soup and some sandwiches; delicious, but lacking visually. He starts with the vegetables first, finely dicing a mix of carrots, potatoes, and celery before he grabs some chicken broth and hunts for a sauce pan. Simmer it first, maybe mash up the potatoes to thicken the broth, and then he can concentrate on the second half of the meal...

Times like these he's glad the motions are so second nature, they don't require his undivided attention. He sways around the kitchen, blank-faced and tired.]

[When Vivi returns a few minutes later, she only shakes her head silently before slipping back into her chair. Nojiko is gone, just as they'd thought. Carue makes a place for himself next to her on the floor, heaving a duckish sigh. He may not completely understand what's going on, but he can read the general mood, and it's affecting him as well.]

[She doesn't want to interupt Sanji as he works, and indeed, there's little she wants to say right now, so Vivi remains quiet, trying to sort out her own thoughts. She can't help but wonder when it will be her turn to go back home, though it's also a thing she dreads in some respects. Going home means forgetting.]

[Given enough time and the pervading quiet, and Sanji finishes up Vivi's meal without fanfare: soup, salad, and sandwiches. The three basic S's of any quick meal. At the very least it will assuage her hunger, and for Carue, Sanji has some fresh vegetables and grains that he keeps for Vivi's friend especially.

A small part of him relishes this accomplishment; it means he's free of his duties for a few extra hours. But it also means there's work of a different type to be done.

The announcement that Nami's gone home won't write itself. He won't place that burden on Vivi or Robin, either. But still, he's got some time to think the words through in his mind.]

Will that be enough, Vivi-chan?

[She summons up a smile for him, though it's a bit weak.]

It's perfect. Thank you, Sanji-san.

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