// I may look happy, but honestly dear //

[oda_hates_me]

Who: Sanji (oda_hates_me), Chopper (tanukipoint), Naoki (denyingreasons), and Vash (goldenglasses) (( with guest appearances by Nami (mikangirl) and Zoro (threeswordsoul) ))
What: Sanji needs to chat with his friends in private.
When: Tuesday for Chopper, Wednesday for Naoki, and Thursday for Vash
Where: Various
Summary: ... Just some one-on-one quality time.
Rating: R

Comments

Tuesday

[oda_hates_me]

[He stays relatively silent during the walk, and when words are exchanged, answers briefly but in good cheer. This won't take long, he promises Chopper - just a quick walk to the smaller lake down south, along what is deemed a more secluded part of the forest. What he wants to discuss is private, after all. No reason to involve anyone else; this is between the two of them.

It might sound like a vague excuse, and it is, but they're nakama - that always counts for something. Why not spend some time together while the weather still permits? Sanji has a surprise waiting for the reindeer, too, and the brief grin he sometimes flashes at intervals, like a impeccable clock, says at much.

Then, without warning, he abruptly stops walking before they reach their destination. His gaze picks at the scenery: plenty of trees, the lake is nearby, no one around... the wildlife has hushed a bit, as if they're waiting for something, too.

Yes, this is fine.]

[tanukipoint]

[There's something wrong about all of this. Chopper is young, a soul too wizened for his age, but he can see the haunted pallor in Sanji's skin and a tiredness that cannot be found in a person decades old. When he's asked to speak privately, there is nothing else he can do but accept and watch the gap grow wider.]

[So they walk. The air smells like heat. He talks a bit, and there is nothing off about the answers he gets. Sanji's spirit seems hardly dampened by the recent turn of events, and even though such camaraderie can't possibly exist - not right now - Chopper does little to challenge it. It's far easier to pretend.]

[And then Sanji stops. Chopper doesn't notice at first, but soon he turns around and the man is standing with his chin raised and eyes sweeping across their surroundings. It's not a strange action.]

[But it still doesn't feel right.]

Sanji?

[oda_hates_me]

[This part always takes time. He needs to absorb and catalog every detail; note the height of the branches, which direction the wind blows at them, because it's all going into the equation. And if Chopper's paying close attention, he'll bear witness as Sanji's mouth begins to gradually move until it picks up speed - now a rapid motion that lacks all sound.

That doesn't mean he's not talking.]

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[The silent flow only stops when the reindeer speaks up, and the gaze still on the treetops drops like a lead weight in Chopper's direction.

It's a dead expanse of blue. Not even a flicker of emotion.]

Yes?

[tanukipoint]

[The eyes clinch it. Chopper knew this moment was prone to happen in any number of days, but now that it's here, he's wishing it isn't today. He's not ready for this - spent hours agonizing over what it would be like, what he should do, how to survive. But it's not enough. No amount would ever be enough.]

[But the person pulling the strings needs to believe that Chopper doesn't know. The reindeer hasn't heard from anyone else, and knows that he has to be the first: that means he can't screw this up.]

[So he forces a grin. And there's nothing wrong with the world.] What's wrong? Did you see something funny?

Wednesday

[oda_hates_me]

[It's early morning, right after the breakfast hours, and they're heading for the plains. It's a path they've taken often, sometimes together even, and there's no need to think about where his feet are leading them.

He talks with more freedom than the past week has allowed, every smile and laugh natural, consistent. Why does he want to go out so far, nearly upon the mountains? Well, why the hell not? How about a spare, Naoki? He's been stuck in that shitty house for so long, he's afraid his feet are gonna rust on him. The shithead's too busy; it's gotta be you, kid.

The smile is still on his face when they arrive, and he turns to silently regard the teenager. That the friendliness doesn't quite reach his eye anymore is irrelevant.]

[oda_hates_me]

Yeah, this'll be fine. [He can hear a roar of wind that sounds displeased before brushing it off, more interested in observing the full expanse of their surroundings. So much space. They'll have plenty of room to move around.

Good.

Sanji drops what's left of his cigarette, the dim light crushed out by the heel of his foot. He doesn't reach for another one.]

Ready? [It's all the warning Naoki gets before Sanji launches himself forward, and there's a very ugly sidekick aimed for his ribcage]

Thursday

[oda_hates_me]

[He and Vash need to talk.

He'd asked the gunman to give him a week, except there's been a change in plans, and hopefully his friend won't mind the shift. Sanji drags him away on Thursday with the promise of urgency and leads him deep into the forest. Not near the rivers or the lakes, however; instead they continue until hitting a particularly dense portion of the woods, where the trees weave close together and make navigating a shitty, tiring experience.

... This will do. He halts, turns on his heel. Sanji's not looking directly at Vash yet, eye on something beyond him.]

Thursday

[goldenglasses]

[Of course he didn't mind the shift, he would be there right away. As they move deeper into the forest, much deeper than Vash begins to wonder is really necessary for a talk, the warning he was given echos in his mind. Which Sanji was he dealing it right now?

As the trees start becoming more dense he causally slips his sunglasses on, making sure his poster is still relaxed. All these trees, makes ranged attacks a bit impossible.] What's up, Sanji?

[oda_hates_me]

[After a beat of two--

Sanji's the one that's up, perched on a branch behind Vash. He's a blur of movement for that one instance, but lacking the usual grace by a margin.]

Nothing. Just sit tight a second. [He answers, flatly, all the hurried emotion from before gone. And then he's gone too, disappearing into the darkened foliage.

Guess what game you're gonna play today, Vash?]

[goldenglasses]

[He mentally cringes. This is going to hurt. He hopes any other targets you might have had fared better. But for now the easiest thing will be to play dumb.] Uh... alright then? [Stands arms slack and relaxed to his sides with just a look of mixed mild amusement and confusion. He shifts his weight now and then on his legs to get a better view of his blind side when he can.] Did you hide something up there? [Please don't come from the right.]