week 6 | Friday, Post-Investigation

[concasse]

[For once, Sanji doesn't stay in the kitchen to see if Veronica will appear. A couple of bottles of alcohol in hand, he'll instead track the woman down to her dorm room, knocking on the door with the toe of his foot (and hoping her roommate isn't around)]

Neh, Veronica-chan? It's Sanji...

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[concasse]

[He's a pirate, ain't got time for manners. She can drink from the bottle if she wants, he's about two shakes away from doing the same]

Oh, we're probably fucked if that happens.

Whatever we do tomorrow, we gotta be... careful.

[asswipe]

... I know.

[Believe her, the last thing she wants to do is fuck herself over here. Which is why she has to ask:]

Sanji, what are your plans for tomorrow? Are you going to look for justice, or are you going to follow the advice of the letters to keep balance?

[concasse]

... To get Ion and everyone back, I don't have a choice.

Even though I can't forgive who killed him, I don't want to make everyone else suffer because I can't keep my shit together.

[Closing his eyes]

... But I still want to know who did it.

[asswipe]

[Yeah. This is a mood. Veronica sighs, taking another swig from the bottle.]

There's... something you should know, then. About Ion's letter. Do you want to know what was written in it now, or wait until the trial?

[concasse]

[... This is going to hurt him, he knows it.

But it's not like Sanji can get lower. Though he told Veronica he couldn't read the letter, it's fine if she just... tells him]

Go on.

What was it?

[asswipe]

[Even with his permission, Veronica still hesitates for a moment before. Just. Talking.]

... Your letter was longer than the others. I don't remember everything that was written, but— [...] Ion wrote that his killer approached him earlier in the week and told him what they intended to do. Ion gave them his consent. He planned out his own murder.

He... doesn't want us to blame his killer, even though they'll show up as guilty if we vote for them.

[concasse]

... I know.

[-- Sanji drops his head into his arms, words slightly muffled but still audible. He sounds like someone shot him, numb and miserable all at once.]

I know he did. He told me that he made a deal with the Crafters during the first week we were here. If the Blotters couldn't figure out who to kill, they'd offer up his name. All he wanted in return was being told he was gonna die.

But I thought, since he wanted to live finally... maybe he could-- get out of the deal.

[...]

All this week, he started asking me for cooking advice, did a concert for me, hugged me yesterday... Even knowing what I knew, I just. Didn't want to believe it was gonna happen.

[Sanji's grief is two-fold. He knew this was a possibility from the start, but ignored the warnings because it hurt too much. It's like Ion's death is his fault.]

[asswipe]

[Oh.

Well.

That's one way to get Veronica to put down her bottle, placing it on the floor before she... hesitantly places a hand on Sanji's shoulder, trying to be comforting.]

... I'm sorry, Sanji. [She is. She really is.] We'll get through this and Ion will be back with us in no time at all. I promise. I... I don't know what he got in exchange for offering the Crafters his life like that, but we're going to bring him back. So... Please don't beat up yourself over this.

[concasse]

[Veronica tries, and honestly, that's the most important part. Sanji stills his breath, grits his teeth, and finally pulls his head out of his lap.

His face is dry, even if his eyes are wet with moisture]

Y-yeah.

[Pull it together, chef]

Tch, damn it. You'd think I'd know better by this point. They need us to keep going, for their sakes. [Wiping his face some]

Thank you, Veronica-chan. I'll keep it together.