Day Six-Hundred-Seventeen: Hey girl

"Why did you leave?"

Because I was unhappy.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

Because they would have stopped me.

"Where have you been all this time?"

Places.

"How's it feel being all grown up?"

Better than being small. 

"Are you going to stick around?"

I'll think about it.

"Can I have my diary back?"

Maybe next week.

"?"

No, I haven't seen him. That's for the best. Stop looking for the guy. He's a catastrophe.

"Is your partner a lesbian?"

... I'll get back to you on that.

Actually, no. Wait. Maybe I'll address it right now.

Once I'd been caught up on current and not-so-current events, I fit right in with the crew. Was a bit uncomfortable, maybe, given that I'm not sure if I wanna stick around, but I know these people. I remember most of them from back home. Shared laughs with 'em, gave 'em ridiculous commands, played pranks on 'em... I'm surprised they don't hold it all against me. I was quite the bratty prince.

(Promoted from a brat to a thief. What progress I've made.)

Nagi lacks these bonds. She knows Plato, and his rat, and... me. That's all. Wasn't exactly best buds with Plato, either, 'cause she hated Traveller, and they hung out all the time. She's just some stranger who wandered onto the Dauphine one day, and she's not going to great pains to fit in.

Nagi's an odd duck. She's pretty much what I want to be: free. She has no ties she'll speak of, no home to go back to, no affiliations with any groups. She cons, she collects her due, she moves on. The first time we met she was trying to con me. Turns out I was just good enough at the game to be a partner rather than a target. I suspect, once she gets bored of me, that she'll take off without a word.

I can respect freedom like that. I've tried to emulate her. A shame that's seemingly gone down the tubes now.

Back to my point, though. Nagi's not treating these folks like potential friends. They're... I dunno. Pedestrians. Complete strangers to be ignored. Marks, even. Target practice. I'm not sure I appreciate that. Already made her return at least three  coin pouches people didn't know were missing. Stealing from strangers, yeah, but folks you know? Hrm.

The only exception seems to be Bora, which brings us back to the lesbian thing. When we were, uh, 'traveling' with Traveller, he hit on her all the time. It wasn't a full day without Traveller expressing his undying love for her. (Or any woman. He is horndog supreme, that man. Good thing he doesn't use his ungodly strength to enforce his affections.) Nagi couldn't have been less interested in him, and indeed, she spent every waking hour trying to fight him off.

I can understand that, of course. Traveller was a smelly lunatic. Nice, cheery man, but a lunatic. But... he wasn't the only male she turned down. During cons she turned on the charm, yeah, but after? Disinterest. In the time we spent together, Nagi's rebuffed the advances of:

- Several dozen peasants, human and snake person alike

- Three Weekendists

- An assortment of guards who hadn't seen her wanted poster

- A guard captain

- A rich merchant (I robbed him blind while he was trying to woo her)

- A boxer (Good ol' Antonio, wonder how he's doing)

- Me (She's pretty attractive, y'know...)

- And at least five giggolos (We hang out in a lot of bars in our line of work)

This in and of itself is not evidence of lesbianism. No, it requires evidence of Nagi actively hitting on women, and I've seen some of that. Not much, but some.

Such as, you know, Bora. The bartender. She doesn't feel quite right to me, but Nagi? Nagi spends most of her time in the Neo Beefiary, absorbed in flirtatious conversation with Bora. Waves off anybody who tries to ask Bora for food or drink, too, as if the barmaid's her personal property. Kinda makes you wonder.

So, yeah. She might be a lesbian. I'm thinking so. Wish that wasn't the only question people would ask me about her, but there you are. Sex is a thing to adults. I've learned as much.

Sex.

Yeah.

All this might be a way of deflecting discussion about more serious topics. Like friends. Or parents. Moms and dads, you know.

Erm.

This is only Tuesday?

Man. Maybe I should give the diary back to Dragomir. I don't know if I wanna discuss three more days of emotional turmoil. There's too much to say.

K THX BYE,

Logan the Thief