37 ✿ [4th wall]

[bokuwadoctaaa]

There's more people, and it got loud.

...didn't this happen before?

[And outside he goes to investigate!]

(ooc: DO WHATEVER YOU WANT. brb after a nap.)

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[littleeggplant]

[There's a very hungry, very desperate little eggplant lurking on you from the shadows, trying to decide if he'll be able to take you down on his own. You might catch a glint of light off that knife he's carrying. ]

GTFO /SCREAMS

[bokuwadoctaaa]

[Chopper stops where he is, turning and seeing... well, nothing this time. But he swears he saw something out of the corner of his eye. And that scent seems familiar too. It's not quite the same but it almost is.

He starts to walk toward whoever might be there.]

Hello?

ILU

[littleeggplant]

[That seem to be all he needs to make up his mind - he tightens the grip on the handle before lunging out of the shadows with all the killing intent he can muster up. The little runt is tired and weak though, avoiding this rather pathetic attack shouldn't be difficult at all. ]

NO /PUNCHES YOUR SOUL

[bokuwadoctaaa]

[His reflex of course is to go into Heavy Point and take down whoever thinks they can take advantage of this commotion and attack him, but that's not happening. So all he can do is make a quick dodge to the side and whack his rather small opponent in the side with one of his antlers.]

What do you think you're doing?!

/FLIES

[littleeggplant]

[He falls almost too easily, stumbling over his own feet as he crumbles to the ground like a bag of bones. A low groan rises in his throat and the boy curls in on himself, pressing a small hand against his sore ribs. Why did you do that?!

Eventually he manages to push himself up to a sitting position, the knife still held in a firm, desperate grip. His blue eyes widen a little as he realizes just what his ears have been trying to tell him these past few seconds.]

Hnn...Aaah! IT TALKED--!

[Wait. This feels oddly familiar.]

Chopper..?

BUT I STILL LOVE YOU. I guess.

[bokuwadoctaaa]

[To say that he's a little terrified is an understatement, because there really isn't much more he can do to defend himself right now. He needs to find the others, or at least hope that blow slowed you down enough to let him escape.

Until he figures out what that scent is. And the voice, and you saying his name makes everything immediately click in his head.]

...S-Sanji?

...you guess? ;o;

[littleeggplant]

[A short nod before he gets back up on his feet, swaying a little where he stands. He's practically staring at you, weary mind working frantically to get all the pieces of the puzzle back together. Discedo... right? He knows this place, vaguely. ]

...I remember you. You... told me about the Grand Line.

[And then he finally breaks that steady gaze, head tilting forward to let his long, messy bangs obscure his features. Hungry and desperate and just a little bit ashamed that he almost slit your throat.]

'm sorry.

HMMMMMM idk. I might need some time to think about it. :|a

[bokuwadoctaaa]

[Even though it feels like a bad idea, what with the knife still in Sanji's hands, but how can Chopper treat him like an enemy when it's Sanji? Even if he's little and incredibly malnourished--]

I did? But when did...

[And then slowly, he begins to remember. But even as he realizes you tried to kill him, and you're going to leave eventually, the only thing he can say is--]

Sanji, you need to eat something.

/waits forever like a puppy in the rain

[littleeggplant]

[Oh god doesn't he know it. That was sort of the reason behind this almost-nakamacide - reindeer is better than tiny bodyparts after all.

He bows his head even further, eyes squeezed shut and hands clenched into fists. He's a man damn it but he's also at the end of his damn rope, energy reserves completely empty, thin shoulders shaking slightly as he's trying to fight the lump that keeps growing in his throat. ]

There wasn't... I couldn't make it last longer and---

CAUSE NOTHIN LASTS FOREVER, EVEN COLD NOVEMBER RAIN

[bokuwadoctaaa]

[No words can explain how worried he is right now. Why is Sanji acting like this? What happened to him when he was little? Chopper frowns, staring at this tinier version of his crewmate and not knowing if he has the ability to cheer him up as well as he always could so many times before.

But still, even if he has questions, none of those matter right now. So he quickly takes off his backpack and walks toward the other, taking a seat in front of him and opening up the backpack.

Soon enough, he's holding up a napkin with cookies in it. The cookies Fay gave him, and he holds them out toward Sanji.]

Here. You can eat this for now and then we can go to the bar to get you better food. Okay?

Are you spouting lyrics at me

[littleeggplant]

[Maybe it would have been a good idea for the crew to swap life stories once in a while but as it is now Luffy is the only Straw Hat who knows what all this is about. There's no reason to dig up the past even though they're family but this... yes, this is one of those things that someone should have brought up. It certainly explains his behaviour as an adult and maybe then you wouldn't have to wonder

AND IT'S HARD TO HOLD A CANDLE, IN THE-- yes.

[bokuwadoctaaa]

[One day, maybe. At the right time. They'd gone on long enough with their secrets without it affecting who they were to each other. They would wait a little more, though Chopper was unaware that at least Nami knew about what he'd gone through back on Drum Island. But, she'd never told. No one had said a word about anything, and for now, that was fine

oh, okay. Carry on then.

[littleeggplant]

[He's not looking for comfort or anything like that - he's a man after all, he can take care of himself. But one of the worst things about traumatizing events is when they end. You can't believe that it's over and even now he's half-expecting to wake up back on that rock. Sure, he knows somehow that this won't last but for now... a short respite is better than none at all

.....OR I'LL JUST END UP WALKIN, IN THE COLD NOVEMBER RAIN

[bokuwadoctaaa]

[There was really no way for him to know if any of the things he was doing were right. Sanji wasn't mad at him, wasn't yelling at him or upset or even crying more, so it must have been a good thing. It was different to be the one comforting someone else, especially someone younger. Someone who technically should be a whole lot older. But it seemed like something they'd do for him. As much comfort as they could allow, being men of the sea and all. Strong, dependable family.

Sanji was a kid now, but later on he wouldn't be. He'd grow up, and everything that had made him this sad and miserable would be gone. He'd end up on a ship with pirates, and a kitchen to make food, and girls to cook for, guys to fight with, an ocean to find, nakama...

Chopper moved his arm away and sat next to Sanji, smiling a little when he noticed the tears were mostly gone. That face, which he was very familiar with after a long cry was still there, but he ignored it along with the tears in his own eyes as he smiled even more.Really! And things can be like

*___*

[littleeggplant]

[It was a little strange how little it took to make everything alright. He had been at the end of his rope, tired and scared and starving, still was but somehow, hearing that he'd get through it all and grow up... that was enough for him to take a deep breath and pull himself together.

Sanji swallowed, rubbed at his eyes once more and that was it. He even managed a small smile as he sat himself down next to Chopper, legs a little unsteady and he felt pretty light-headed after all this. Dizzy even. But it was good, it would be okay and so he opened his mouth to say his thanks--

But a loud growl interrupted him before he got a chance, his stomach once more reminding him that he hadn't had a full meal for two months. Ow. He glanced at the remaining cookies, biting his lip as he turned his attention towards the small reindeer once more.]

Can I... have another one?

EVERYBODY NEEDS SOMEBODY, YOU'RE NOT THE OOONLY OOOONE

[bokuwadoctaaa]

[Following along, Chopper made sure his own eyes weren't watery anymore before taking a huge sigh of relief. This was more like it. It wouldn't do them any good to be stuck in such a depressing mess for so long. Yes, Sanji would have to leave eventually, and Chopper had no idea what he was going back to, but he was strong even at this age.

He'd make it. He'd endure through everything that met him on his path to becoming the chef that the reindeer knew now and thought of as a brother.

His thoughts were interrupted by the stomach growl, and his smile faltered for a little as he tried not to laugh. Quickly, Chopper nodded his head.]

You can have all of them! I can always get more another time. I think there's even some leftover cake in the apartment when it was Luffy's birthday. You can have that too.