( kind of ew, but also. nami has had her fair share of ew since being here, so she's not sure this will be any worse. as long as she doesn't have to skin him. right? )
ok, weird request but i'm here for you. wanna meet up?
you know i'm tempted to yell at you, but i guess that is where seals go. give me ten minutes.
( she's not sure what kind of state koby will be in, so a little like a mother hen she tosses an extra blanket over her arm and heads towards the river, looking out for him. )
[It's still snowy, and the water is absolutely frigid, but apparently thats what seals like. Koby's hunched on the riverbank, wrapped in pale pink fur, staring at the water with glazed eyes. He's definitely either been swimming or crying -- maybe both?
But he brightens at Nami’s approach, albeit minutely, standing and letting the pink spotted fur slip off his shoulders. It moves like something alive, like quicksilver, pooling in his hands.]
Hi. I promise I'm -- myself. I won't attack or anything. [Because he's so intimidating, obviously.]
( well — he doesn't look cold. nami, on the other hand.
she gathers the blanket around her shoulders and comes up to him, spreading her arms like a bat's wing and catching him in a hug. it isn't nami's usual greeting for people, but he looks — sad, in need of comforting. not really dangerous at all. when she pulls back, she turns a small smile up at him. )
[A stronger person -- one more emotionally stable than Koby, probably -- wouldn't immediately be reduced to big teary sniffles at one hug. But: he is what he is.
So he hugs Nami back, nodding, lower lip trembling slightly as he manages a smile.] Yeah. I'm okay. You're -- freezing.
( the river isn't helping, but it really isn't that bad. mostly, it's because nami refuses to dress for the weather — she has a coat on, but it's not doing much with her legs exposed under a short skirt.
anyway, she pull back and presses the corners of the blankets to koby's cheeks, thumbs running under his eyes. her expression is sympathetic, but not pitying — she doesn't ask koby if he's alright. instead, she looks down at the pink pelt between them, head tilted. )
Is this it? It's pretty.
( she offers out a hand, if koby wants to let her feel. it does seem. well, slightly intimate, to be touching someone's skin. she imagines it holds great responsibility, and she doesn't go for it lightly. )
It's really cold. We should get inside soon, or you'll get sick. [Koby says it quietly, confirming, looking down at the goosebumps on her legs, brow furrowing deeply. Nevermind the red eyes or the dark, dark shadows beneath them, he's going to find a way to fret about her regardless. Still, at least there's a blanket, making her look like some sort of tropical bird, or butterfly.
A sniffle, and Koby glances down at the sealskin. It looks smaller like this, pooled on his hands like liquid, pale pink with deeper pink circles and spots scattered in a haphazard pattern. When Nami reaches out, it seems to -- shiver, move, slip easily from his hands to hers. It's velvety, warm to the touch, like a living thing.
Koby lets it go, something in his head going abruptly quiet as soon as the pelt is in Nami's hands. It doesn't feel bad, just -- odd. Strange. Like handing someone an internal organ. But he trusts her -- it's why he'd asked for her to help him test out the theories he'd read in the dusty old books at the castle. Still, there's an unsettling blankness in his expression, his tone when he speaks.] The books said that if anyone else holds it, they can -- tell me to do anything, and I have to. No matter what. [A bit of a weak, dazed smile.] I knew you wouldn't make me do anything too embarrassing or dangerous, so...that's why I asked for you.
( she catches the pelt, holding it with a certain kind of reverence while her thumbs rub back and forth on it, feeling the downy fur brush against the pads of her fingers. it's slick, silken. warmer even than the blanket on her shoulders despite the cold, and a soft breath of air leaves her lungs as it seeps into her numb fingers, a feeling almost ... intimate, coursing through her. at least as intimate as it ever is, sharing body heat like wolves in a den. nami's eyes lift from the pelt to meet koby's gaze, a firm nod settling her resolve. )
Of course I won't. ( a thoughtful beat. ) But ... it should still probably be something you don't want to do, so we know for sure.
( something koby doesn't want to do? it should be easy — renounce the military, or do a strip tease, or say you love yourself. it's more delicate than just an order, though — it's that nami is the one issuing it, enforcing her will on him. she takes a stubborn hold on his pelt, clutching it to her chest, before extending one of her arms towards him, wrist flicked out, as if offering a vein. )
Koby, I command you. Pinch me.
( probably still high up there on things he doesn't want to do. even if he didn't like her — she's pretty sure koby isn't a bully and doesn't really have a violent bone in him. )
[As soon as Nami's grip tightens on the pelt, Koby is seized with a bone-deep, chilling terror, snarling like a terrified, hunted creature in his chest: She'll never give it back, you'll never be free, you'll be trapped, trapped, trapped. Get it. Take it back. Grab it and run. It's immediately at war with the sense of helplessness, of his body not quite being his own, missing something vital from it's very core.
With an effort, he pushes the conflicting fear and numbness away, nodding at Nami's suggestion, seeing the logic in it. That had been why he'd asked for help, really, wanting to know what might happen if someone unfriendly or dangerous took the pelt. Survival had always meant learning just how vulnerable he really was, and being as careful as possible in response.
And then Nami says that and Koby laughs in surprised amusement, crossing his arms and shaking his head. I'm not going to pinch you, Nami, he says, rolling his eyes fondly.
Except -- no.
Koby doesn't do any of that. He wants to, he means to say and do exactly that, feeling the reaction so vividly he almost doesn't realize he isn't. But instead he reaches out, thumb and finger pinching Nami's outstretched arm, expression completely blank. It's not a hard pinch at all -- apparently there's some wiggle room within commands.
But he hadn't wanted to. He hadn't told himself to. The command had meant nothing, and yet Koby had responded instantly. No hesitation. Like his body wasn't his own, for that split second. It's chilling, that sense of zero control, so much more thorough than even Alvida's iron fist had been. At least when Koby did what she said, he had to force himself, had to battle the indignant hurt and inward protests every single time.
This was like he -- had ceased to exist in his body, while obeying. It clearly rattles him, prompting a shaky laugh, a smile that doesn't quite reach his wide eyes.] That...huh. Well. We know that part of the legend is true, at least. [Koby's voice sounds thin, even to his own ears.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[If he needed money, he'd ask...probably Shanks? Maybe? Which is a weird thought.]
Okay. Great. I need you to hold my skin and tell me to do something.
That sounds much more upsetting than it is, I promise.
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( kind of ew, but also. nami has had her fair share of ew since being here, so she's not sure this will be any worse. as long as she doesn't have to skin him. right? )
ok, weird request but i'm here for you. wanna meet up?
no subject
Real skin
Sorry.
Yes. I've been sleeping in the river, so I'm
There.
[Very mysterious, very strange.]
» action
you know i'm tempted to yell at you, but i guess that is where seals go. give me ten minutes.
( she's not sure what kind of state koby will be in, so a little like a mother hen she tosses an extra blanket over her arm and heads towards the river, looking out for him. )
action~
But he brightens at Nami’s approach, albeit minutely, standing and letting the pink spotted fur slip off his shoulders. It moves like something alive, like quicksilver, pooling in his hands.]
Hi. I promise I'm -- myself. I won't attack or anything. [Because he's so intimidating, obviously.]
no subject
( well — he doesn't look cold. nami, on the other hand.
she gathers the blanket around her shoulders and comes up to him, spreading her arms like a bat's wing and catching him in a hug. it isn't nami's usual greeting for people, but he looks — sad, in need of comforting. not really dangerous at all. when she pulls back, she turns a small smile up at him. )
Okay?
no subject
So he hugs Nami back, nodding, lower lip trembling slightly as he manages a smile.] Yeah. I'm okay. You're -- freezing.
no subject
( the river isn't helping, but it really isn't that bad. mostly, it's because nami refuses to dress for the weather — she has a coat on, but it's not doing much with her legs exposed under a short skirt.
anyway, she pull back and presses the corners of the blankets to koby's cheeks, thumbs running under his eyes. her expression is sympathetic, but not pitying — she doesn't ask koby if he's alright. instead, she looks down at the pink pelt between them, head tilted. )
Is this it? It's pretty.
( she offers out a hand, if koby wants to let her feel. it does seem. well, slightly intimate, to be touching someone's skin. she imagines it holds great responsibility, and she doesn't go for it lightly. )
no subject
A sniffle, and Koby glances down at the sealskin. It looks smaller like this, pooled on his hands like liquid, pale pink with deeper pink circles and spots scattered in a haphazard pattern. When Nami reaches out, it seems to -- shiver, move, slip easily from his hands to hers. It's velvety, warm to the touch, like a living thing.
Koby lets it go, something in his head going abruptly quiet as soon as the pelt is in Nami's hands. It doesn't feel bad, just -- odd. Strange. Like handing someone an internal organ. But he trusts her -- it's why he'd asked for her to help him test out the theories he'd read in the dusty old books at the castle. Still, there's an unsettling blankness in his expression, his tone when he speaks.] The books said that if anyone else holds it, they can -- tell me to do anything, and I have to. No matter what. [A bit of a weak, dazed smile.] I knew you wouldn't make me do anything too embarrassing or dangerous, so...that's why I asked for you.
no subject
Of course I won't. ( a thoughtful beat. ) But ... it should still probably be something you don't want to do, so we know for sure.
( something koby doesn't want to do? it should be easy — renounce the military, or do a strip tease, or say you love yourself. it's more delicate than just an order, though — it's that nami is the one issuing it, enforcing her will on him. she takes a stubborn hold on his pelt, clutching it to her chest, before extending one of her arms towards him, wrist flicked out, as if offering a vein. )
Koby, I command you. Pinch me.
( probably still high up there on things he doesn't want to do. even if he didn't like her — she's pretty sure koby isn't a bully and doesn't really have a violent bone in him. )
no subject
With an effort, he pushes the conflicting fear and numbness away, nodding at Nami's suggestion, seeing the logic in it. That had been why he'd asked for help, really, wanting to know what might happen if someone unfriendly or dangerous took the pelt. Survival had always meant learning just how vulnerable he really was, and being as careful as possible in response.
And then Nami says that and Koby laughs in surprised amusement, crossing his arms and shaking his head. I'm not going to pinch you, Nami, he says, rolling his eyes fondly.
Except -- no.
Koby doesn't do any of that. He wants to, he means to say and do exactly that, feeling the reaction so vividly he almost doesn't realize he isn't. But instead he reaches out, thumb and finger pinching Nami's outstretched arm, expression completely blank. It's not a hard pinch at all -- apparently there's some wiggle room within commands.
But he hadn't wanted to. He hadn't told himself to. The command had meant nothing, and yet Koby had responded instantly. No hesitation. Like his body wasn't his own, for that split second. It's chilling, that sense of zero control, so much more thorough than even Alvida's iron fist had been. At least when Koby did what she said, he had to force himself, had to battle the indignant hurt and inward protests every single time.
This was like he -- had ceased to exist in his body, while obeying. It clearly rattles him, prompting a shaky laugh, a smile that doesn't quite reach his wide eyes.] That...huh. Well. We know that part of the legend is true, at least. [Koby's voice sounds thin, even to his own ears.]