{Well, one couldn't really read intentions in words but something felt a little off about this for one reason or another. He wasn't expecting the blond to want to talk to him so soon.}
{commentlog}dontcallmegolOctober 19 2009, 00:29:58 UTC
{Ace had wandered out of the building he'd been calling home for the last few days and made his way across the street. He strode out onto the main walk of the seaport and out to one of the docks. Watching his step as the wood creaked and bended under foot, he took up a spot where he knew he'd be seen. He didn't have his orange hat, Zoro hadn't come to speak with him yet, so he had to be sure Sanji would see him from the road
( ... )
{commentlog}baratiesbestOctober 19 2009, 01:00:38 UTC
[It didn't take him long to reach the seaport and Ace was easy enough to spot, a lone figure standing out against the cold, gray sky. Sanji hurried up the pace - the sooner they got this over with the better - and stopped a few yards away.
It took every ounce of restraint he had in his body not to just attack the other man. He had to be smart about this, get confirmation before he did something drastic. Depending on Ace's answer though... this could very well turn violent long before he got any satisfying answers. ]
We have some unfinished business to settle.
[No greeting, no small-talk - this was as far from a social call as they could come. The cook remained still for now, hands showed into his pockets and eyes dark, almost feral under those blond bangs. If Ace wanted to see fire... well, he just got his wish fulfilled.]
{commentlog}dontcallmegolOctober 19 2009, 01:23:14 UTC
{It would have been utterly ridiculous for him to think this was some sort of social thing, a meeting of friends to chat about ol'times. No amount of wishful thinking could have made him happy about this at all. Something was wrong. He wasn't exactly sure what had set the blond off but, he'd soon find out.
He glanced back once more at the sound of determined footsteps heading up the street toward him and watched the blond approach. His form was rigid, tense...restrained. Not relaxed and easy-going as one would be when just coming to talk. There was something more to this than he knew. It was concerning to say the least.
{commentlog}baratiesbestOctober 19 2009, 01:47:54 UTC
[The cooks eyes narrowed, hands balling up into fists - this was going to be tough to keep civil. Ace obviously didn't know what the hell he was on about so maybe he had been wrong. The evidence pointed in another direction though.
Chopper had been looking for Ace. That was the last thing he had said over the communicator, that he was searching for him. He died not long after that - Ace's reaction was reason enough to suspect that the fellow pirate wasn't nearly as innocent as he pretended to be. They didn't know after all, Ace was a notorious pirate back home and not all of them were as harmless as the Straw Hats. Who the hell knew? ]
Chopper.
[He had to take it slow, get confirmation first. That was one of Sanji's strengths after all - this wasn't the first time he had headed out on his own to gather intel or act as a spy and it wasn't going to be the last. He'd get some answers out of this one way or another.]
{commentlog}dontcallmegolOctober 19 2009, 02:07:58 UTC
{Chopper? He raised a hand to the back of his head, scratching a moment in thought. Really he tried to push aside a lot of what happened, it wasn't him, so he shouldn't dwell on things he had no control over.
He had spoken to the kid, but only what was said over the comms just before Sanji died.}
Yeah, I --
{Then it hit him. Why else would Sanji have come here about 'unfinished business' looking as riled as he was? Then to ask about their Nakama who recently died? He was looking to place the blame on him.
His eyes widened upon his realization and his form went a little rigid. He raised his hands quickly in defense.}
{commentlog}baratiesbestOctober 19 2009, 02:24:15 UTC
[The mere fact that Ace jumped to that conclusion so quickly was suspicious - even more than how desperate he had been for forgiveness. If it was just words, shitty nothings... it didn't add up. It was over the top even if he took the incident with Umi into account. Something was up. ]
Aren't you quick to assume... feeling guilty, shithead?
[It was getting even harder to hold back his aggression - he could feel his heart pound with adrenaline, blood rushing red hot through his veins. A shift in stance - just in case the fire user would try to make a run for it. ]
{commentlog}dontcallmegolOctober 19 2009, 02:42:31 UTC
{So he was right. Sanji really did think he did it. That was a low blow if there ever was one. He was speechless. Sure he'd been crazy, out of control and blood thirsty but to go as far as to say he could have killed Chopper? When he fought Umi he'd been fully immersed in the affliction and yet he could not bring himself to stab her in the back.
Quick to assume! Of course he was! The cook was suggesting that he could hurt an innocent like Chopper. Out of all of them he felt most protective over their youngest member, as if he was a little brother to him. The kid had taken care of him ever since he arrived, put his needs before his own, he owed him a lot. Even in his madness he would never be able to tear out his heart!
It was infuriating to think that, after everything, Sanji would come to this conclusion about him. He could understand that his trust was broken over those words, and that neither of them really knew where the sickness had stemmed from. But to go this far?}
Guilty? {He uttered incredulously.}Yeah, I'm guilty for a
( ... )
{commentlog}baratiesbestOctober 19 2009, 03:00:38 UTC
Really.
[He didn't believe him. Not fully at least and maybe his mind was jumping to conclusions but there was so many things pointing in this direction and after the past couple of days Sanji just couldn't trust Ace on his word. What he said. Attacking Umi. Chopper---
His memory of their last conversation had been a little blurry but now things started to come together, fragments of sentences, phrases.
'..what I've just done' (...) 'tortured the people I care about' (...) 'monster'
At the time he thought it was just the desperation speaking, that Ace was exaggerating his guilt over what he had said during Sanji's last moments. But then he heard about Umi and he wasn't so sure anymore. And now this---
It had to be true. He didn't want it to be but there was really no other explanation - it made perfect sense. They didn't know him after all, had no idea what he was capable of. But even so - he couldn't punish him. Not yet. ]
{commentlog}dontcallmegolOctober 19 2009, 03:31:38 UTC
{He was stunned, mind running a mile a minute in an attempt to find anything, any proof at all to support that he hadn't killed Chopper. The best he could come up with was the fact that at no point did he have that much blood on his hands. Not enough to say that he ripped out someone's heart. But he couldn't prove that. It would be his words against what Sanji believed to be true.
And in this case, it would be pointless to argue it.
He didn't have proof to help his case at all.
He frowned, feeling the weight of his defeat hit him solidly in the chest. It was constricting him. What could he do?
He wouldn't run that was for sure. He could deny all day till his voice was gone. But that wouldn't be enough to sway the Cook from his conclusion. If he believed he could be capable of killing Chopper. Then maybe he could?}
No. I don't.
{He stared at the ground, grinding his teeth in frustration. So this was it huh? This was how it would end?}
{commentlog}baratiesbestOctober 19 2009, 04:17:59 UTC
[Maybe the outcome would have been different if someone had bothered telling Sanji just how Chopper had died. He never got the details, just knew that he had died coupled with whatever he had managed to figure out by the way the little reindeer looked once he returned to life.
Blood, centered around the area of the heart. Could be a stab, a slash, a gunshot for all he knew. If he had known the truth he wouldn't suspect Ace nearly as much - there was no way the man could be capable of something that gruesome. ]
Then we have a problem.
[He took another step closer, shifted his stance. His leg was still bothering him quite a bit but a limp was nothing in comparison to what Chopper had been suffering through - pushing through the pain would be almost too easy. As for Ace... the man deserved a fair fight at least. Sanji was no executioner and death held no meaning here - humiliation lasted longer either way. Hopefully he wouldn't end up snapping the mans neck in the process.]
{commentlog}dontcallmegolOctober 19 2009, 04:31:52 UTC
{He shifted his eyes to meet those menacing blues and he lifted his head to stand steady, strong. He was no coward, he wouldn't plead or beg for forgiveness this time. He wouldn't believe that he killed Chopper. He couldn't have. So he wasn't going to lie down and take this either
( ... )
{commentlog}baratiesbestOctober 19 2009, 04:45:44 UTC
What kind of moron are you? You think he'd really say if it was you?
[No, he hadn't asked. Had even gone out of his way to make sure the little reindeer wouldn't find out about what he was currently doing - it was obvious that Chopper liked Ace a lot and if he had been wrong that could have done a lot more damage than it was worth.
Spreading doubts from within... it was something he had promised himself he wouldn't do. Whether it was about their own strength or the honesty of their friends Sanji wouldn't be the one who weakened them even further. No, this was something he had to settle on his own even if it meant beating up a friend. The others didn't need to know, not yet.]
Sure.
Where should we meet?
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Seaport. Fifteen minutes.
Think you can handle that?
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Yeah, I can be there in no time. I've been hanging around the Wharf the last few days.
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Reply
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It took every ounce of restraint he had in his body not to just attack the other man. He had to be smart about this, get confirmation before he did something drastic. Depending on Ace's answer though... this could very well turn violent long before he got any satisfying answers. ]
We have some unfinished business to settle.
[No greeting, no small-talk - this was as far from a social call as they could come. The cook remained still for now, hands showed into his pockets and eyes dark, almost feral under those blond bangs. If Ace wanted to see fire... well, he just got his wish fulfilled.]
Reply
He glanced back once more at the sound of determined footsteps heading up the street toward him and watched the blond approach. His form was rigid, tense...restrained. Not relaxed and easy-going as one would be when just coming to talk. There was something more to this than he knew. It was concerning to say the least.
His brow furrowed some as he spoke.}
Unfinished business?
{What did he mean ( ... )
Reply
Chopper had been looking for Ace. That was the last thing he had said over the communicator, that he was searching for him. He died not long after that - Ace's reaction was reason enough to suspect that the fellow pirate wasn't nearly as innocent as he pretended to be. They didn't know after all, Ace was a notorious pirate back home and not all of them were as harmless as the Straw Hats. Who the hell knew? ]
Chopper.
[He had to take it slow, get confirmation first. That was one of Sanji's strengths after all - this wasn't the first time he had headed out on his own to gather intel or act as a spy and it wasn't going to be the last. He'd get some answers out of this one way or another.]
You talked to him, right?
Reply
He had spoken to the kid, but only what was said over the comms just before Sanji died.}
Yeah, I --
{Then it hit him. Why else would Sanji have come here about 'unfinished business' looking as riled as he was? Then to ask about their Nakama who recently died? He was looking to place the blame on him.
His eyes widened upon his realization and his form went a little rigid. He raised his hands quickly in defense.}
Whoa...wait a second. I didn't kill him.
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Aren't you quick to assume... feeling guilty, shithead?
[It was getting even harder to hold back his aggression - he could feel his heart pound with adrenaline, blood rushing red hot through his veins. A shift in stance - just in case the fire user would try to make a run for it. ]
Reply
Quick to assume! Of course he was! The cook was suggesting that he could hurt an innocent like Chopper. Out of all of them he felt most protective over their youngest member, as if he was a little brother to him. The kid had taken care of him ever since he arrived, put his needs before his own, he owed him a lot. Even in his madness he would never be able to tear out his heart!
It was infuriating to think that, after everything, Sanji would come to this conclusion about him. He could understand that his trust was broken over those words, and that neither of them really knew where the sickness had stemmed from. But to go this far?}
Guilty? {He uttered incredulously.}Yeah, I'm guilty for a ( ... )
Reply
[He didn't believe him. Not fully at least and maybe his mind was jumping to conclusions but there was so many things pointing in this direction and after the past couple of days Sanji just couldn't trust Ace on his word. What he said. Attacking Umi. Chopper---
His memory of their last conversation had been a little blurry but now things started to come together, fragments of sentences, phrases.
'..what I've just done' (...) 'tortured the people I care about' (...) 'monster'
At the time he thought it was just the desperation speaking, that Ace was exaggerating his guilt over what he had said during Sanji's last moments. But then he heard about Umi and he wasn't so sure anymore. And now this---
It had to be true. He didn't want it to be but there was really no other explanation - it made perfect sense. They didn't know him after all, had no idea what he was capable of. But even so - he couldn't punish him. Not yet. ]
Got any proof of that?
Reply
And in this case, it would be pointless to argue it.
He didn't have proof to help his case at all.
He frowned, feeling the weight of his defeat hit him solidly in the chest. It was constricting him. What could he do?
He wouldn't run that was for sure. He could deny all day till his voice was gone. But that wouldn't be enough to sway the Cook from his conclusion. If he believed he could be capable of killing Chopper. Then maybe he could?}
No. I don't.
{He stared at the ground, grinding his teeth in frustration. So this was it huh? This was how it would end?}
Reply
Blood, centered around the area of the heart. Could be a stab, a slash, a gunshot for all he knew. If he had known the truth he wouldn't suspect Ace nearly as much - there was no way the man could be capable of something that gruesome. ]
Then we have a problem.
[He took another step closer, shifted his stance. His leg was still bothering him quite a bit but a limp was nothing in comparison to what Chopper had been suffering through - pushing through the pain would be almost too easy. As for Ace... the man deserved a fair fight at least. Sanji was no executioner and death held no meaning here - humiliation lasted longer either way. Hopefully he wouldn't end up snapping the mans neck in the process.]
No one hurts my nakama and gets away with it.
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[No, he hadn't asked. Had even gone out of his way to make sure the little reindeer wouldn't find out about what he was currently doing - it was obvious that Chopper liked Ace a lot and if he had been wrong that could have done a lot more damage than it was worth.
Spreading doubts from within... it was something he had promised himself he wouldn't do. Whether it was about their own strength or the honesty of their friends Sanji wouldn't be the one who weakened them even further. No, this was something he had to settle on his own even if it meant beating up a friend. The others didn't need to know, not yet.]
Reply
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