[ sanji & jae-ha, tuesday evening ]

[alttitude]

[ - presumably after Sanji's had some time to sit down to Jae-ha and Gi-Gan. It's toward the evening, when everyone is headed off to sleep, but Jae-ha takes a moment to grab Sanji's attention.]

Sir Chef! Let's have a chat.

[and as if to make his intentions a bit more serious, he adds:]

Pirate to pirate.

Comments

[concasse]

[... Summoning him as a pirate, is he? Well, Sanji is obligated to pay attention, canting his head as he regards Jae-Ha with a neutral expression]

Alright.

Where you want it?

[alttitude]

Let's walk. Talk. Maybe grab something to drink? Have you ever tried pairing your food to alcohol? I'd love to see what you could make.

[he's a chatty fucker sanji is gonna regret this]

[concasse]

Of course I pair my food with wine...!

[HE SAID ALCOHOL SANJI, your goddamn bias is showing. Anyway, there's a huff of disapproval as he starts to walk, assumedly to the kitchen]

Oi, this ain't a date, tell me what you want.

[B|]

[1/2]

[alttitude]

It could be a date.

[alttitude]

[but no, he won't push his luck too far, not when he has something actually fairly pressing. as they walk to the kitchen, they go past the dining hall and he gestures toward the tapestries that hang at the front

gi-gan's continues to drip ink]

Unsettling, isn't it?

1/2

[concasse]

[WHAT DID HE JUST SAY--]

[concasse]

[Ugh, and he can't even angle in a kick because Jae-Ha switches topics, and Sanji swallows his fury in favor of a more pressing concern.

He swears the asshole did it on purpose]

Of course it is. And hers is the only one looking like that.

[...]

She, uh... doesn't feel any differently, does she?

[alttitude]

[yeah he might've done it on purpose]

If she does, she'd never openly say until it became truly concerning.

But she's acting the same. Her walk and breathing aren't labored. She hasn't told me anything.

Nonetheless, I can't quite take a threat to my captain so easily. You understand, don't you?

[maybe more than anyone else in the castle]

[concasse]

[... No answer.

The silence speaks for itself]

So what do you plan to do?

You heard those ladies. They want a shitty battle royale.

[alttitude]

I don't plan on playing, but if someone raises a hand against my captain then my hands are tied. Being forced into things is ugly, one of the ugliest acts imaginable, but I can at least recognize that protecting who I can is a choice I make for myself.

[it's frustrating but,]

I'm not asking you to do the same. But I'll do whatever it takes if it means more eyes on my captain.

[concasse]

She's not my captain.

[Just. Establishing that right off the bat, and there would be a note of callousness if not for his next admittance:]

... But I don't like people raising a hand against women, so if I see any shit going down, I'll put it stop to it.

[1/2]

[alttitude]

I don't know if you'd be able to handle her as your captain. [right back at you!!] Though you're always free to try.

[alttitude]

[that said,]

... thank you.

[the relief is painfully obvious.]

[concasse]

I ain't doing it for you! It's for the lady's sake, got it?

[Keep your thanks and your smile, Sanji doesn't want 'em]

... And anyways, I can't say I wouldn't be pissed off if my captain was here.

["My captain" -- which answers that joke of Jae-Ha's.

Sanji doesn't stray.]

Between the two of us, you got the shorter end of the stick.

[Sanji... misses his crew. More than a couple of handpicked words can express. But they're not here, in danger, and he won't have to have his faith tested, either, wanting desperately to believe Luffy would save him while having to stay realistic.]

[alttitude]

[NOPE, HE STILL APPRECIATES IT.]

You're not wrong. I haven't been able to see her in months... but I could've waited longer if it meant that she wasn't a part of all this.

[it's the greater of two evils, no doubt]

She can take care of herself but... I'd rather not have had to worry about it at all.

I answered this tag in my head and forgot to hit send

[concasse]

... Months?

[Rather odd, for a crew mate to be away from his captain that long, unless there's a decent story to go with it.]

And, well... just keep an eye on her. Seems like she'd kick your shitty ass if you start hovering, but just making sure she makes it to her room...

[The small stuff, but the most important]

A MYSTERY

[alttitude]

I was going to do that already. She doesn't need me to hover, but it's easier under the guise of not having time with her for a while.

[That said - ]

Oh, she's an ex-pirate captain, even if she's just as staunch about the spirit of it at heart. But I've known her for so long that calling her anything else feels... wrong.

[concasse]

If you two consider yourselves ex-pirates, did you accomplish what you set out to do?

[Sanji knows of men who just hang up their flags out of cowardice, or exhaustion, or their spirits being too thin to manage another voyage...

Neither Gi-gan or Jae-Ha seem the type, though.]

[alttitude]

An excellent guess.

[though they're probably entering the kitchen about now? and jae-ha just turns back to sanji with a smile and also sooort of leaning in to invade his personal space]

Are you finally admitting your interest in us?

[in me]

[concasse]

Shithead, like I'd ever have interest in you!

[KICKING??

KICKING!!

Get the fuck out of his way before he mangles you with his feet, asshole.]

I only wanna hear about your captain! Just turns out you're a two-for-one deal, and I'm playing nice!

[alttitude]

Oh, that feels rather good. ♥

[GROSS PERVERT

but he'll move aside because he wants to be fed.....]

I don't mind if you want to play rough either.

[concasse]

-- What the hell is wrong with you?!

[Just. Gonna. Quickly dart into the kitchen.

Don't follow him, pervert]

Just be quiet for two shitty seconds!

[alttitude]

[HE'S FOLLOWING]

I could've sworn you wanted to know about me and Captain Gi-Gan...!

[concasse]

QUIET OR I'LL FUCKIN PAINT YOUR INSIDES AGAINST THE WALLS.

[alttitude]

[He doesn't speak.

Instead he mouths:

'Promise? ♥']