week 7 | saturday

[concasse]

[Well damn it sure got crowded.

Don't get him wrong; Sanji is ecstatic this all worked out, but he's working on very little sleep and so decides he'll meet people in private for a last goodbye.

Of course Eichi is on his list. He'll leave the kid alone so he can have some time with his boyfriend, but after that, gonna track him down (likely to his room) with a wide grin in place]

Yo.

Comments

[finethanks]

Sanji...

[Of course, this time it's Eichi that immediately moves to wrap him in a hug. Arms around his shoulders, pulling him close, warm and happy. He looks healthier just from this stress hanging over them disappearing.]

I'm sorry that I could never help you enough... but I hope that now that things are over, you're able to get back to your crew and never experience something like this again.

[concasse]

[Of course Sanji will return the hug, smile warm and giving Eichi a gentle squeeze. Oh you sickie, why did they never wish your shitty symptoms away.]

You helped me just fine, Eichi. C'mon! Be proud of your accomplishments.

[gonna RUFFLE YOUR HAIR, fight him.]

And well... we'll see. Being a pirate is dangerous shit. There's always something happening.

[...]

But first, I gotta decide if I'm going back.

[finethanks]

[Wishing away symptoms is for the WEAK!!! But ah, a hair ruffle out of nowhere gets him flustered again. He startles back, reaching his hands up to fix it.]

S-should you really do that, out of nowhere, when I'm only trying for a hug...? It's weird to touch my hair if I'm asking for a hug, you know?

[Shut up and take it, Eichi. There's something more important, anyway.]

Ah, wait, is that an option? What else are you considering?

[concasse]

[Sanji can't help that he loves hair ruffles. His smirk says he does not regret it at all, but it ends up becoming tempered and... almost sad.]

Jae-Ha offered to let me come along with him.

... Because back where I'm from, I'll probably be killed on the spot

[Shaking his head]

The entire time I was here, I thought, "Oi, don't think about that shit, you've got enough on your plate as is", but now we've won and it's time to figure out what I'm gonna do.

[finethanks]

...I suppose the life of a pirate is dangerous, after all. It was foolish of me to wish otherwise.

[He's sorry...]

In that case, living is more important, isn't it? But I wonder what might happen in that world you've left behind... Rather than dying, will you be missing? Will your crew continue to look for you...? [He's making it worse and not trying to]

[concasse]

[Nah, Eichi is only bringing up things Sanji didn't want to think about, but it's time to face them head on. Expression muted, he glances down at the ground, mulling the options in his head]

My captain will never stop looking for me. And even if I die, they won't ever stop trying to avenge me, either. If I don't go back, I gotta make sure they don't remember me in the first place...

[A sigh]

Or, y'know, I can go back and hope they save me anyway.

[finethanks]

...I don't want you to die, Sanji.

[He says that first, curling some of his hair behind his ear as he looks to the ground, takes a step back and gives him breathing room.]

However... I've learned some important things about love and friendship while I was stuck in this place. Though I'm far from an expert, I believe that... if I was in the position of your Captain, even if it risked your death... I'd want you to come back to me.

Love and friendship are selfish things. I used to think that was bad, you know? That it was a weakness, a flaw... However, that selfishness is such a grand strength that it can power past what you might view as a helpless situation. Those scenarios I thought only existed in fairy tales and books for children... they can come to be.

[concasse]

[Ha.

Haha.]

... You really do remind me of my crew sometimes.

[There's something so fond in his voice, even as he feels his throat constrict with tears. But he swallows them, and instead forces himself to breathe through the pain.]

Over there, I pretended to hate them so maybe they'd leave the island and save themselves. But all that shit backfired in my face. They got captured, I overheard my fiance telling my sister that she was gonna kill me and the rest of my blood relatives...

[Another swallow. He closes his eyes]

Sacrificing myself didn't work at all. Acting like the villain just created more fuckin problems. I didn't think I deserved to be saved at that point.

... I still don't think it, but y'know, Luffy would probably punch me in the face for being a sad sack of shit and drag me back anyway...

[finethanks]

[Eichi laughs at that, fond beyond belief.]

No matter what you try to do to remove friends like that... they'll look past it. I've been learning that myself. I once had my idol, my true hero, crawling on his knees at my feet to gain power. I felt horrible and wonderful all at once... but he came to my side when all of those "friends" that I had crushed left. Even after all that I did to him... he's the closest one by my side to this day.

[It's wild!]

In any case, Sanji, don't we all believe that we don't deserve this or that? In the end, it's not up to us, what we deserve or don't deserve. It's out of our hands. So... if you'll allow me to speak for Luffy-kun in this case... I think you should return to him. I think you should run at him with all of your strength and call out for help.