concasse | 006↠ ACTION

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006↠ ACTION

[It's sunny. And hot. And perhaps not the best weather to take a nap in while you're unabashedly unconscious.

... Which is too bad, seeing as Sanji's passed out under a tree located at the village's edge - clothes dirty and ruffled, no doubt collecting more dirt as he rolls in his uncomfortable slumber, the crook of his arm covering his eyes.

Go on. Wake him up. Be a good Samaritan.

And hell, even if you don't, Sanji will eventually stumble upon you -- or into you, if that's your thing. Later in the day he'll be all over the village insisting he's fine, no he's not drunk so stop trying to escort him back to bed. B| He can walk it off.]

[ooc: MALLYNAP EFFECT. Touch him and your character will share a memory with Sanji. It can be a memory of his or a memory of your character's; just specify in the subject line what you prefer. |D Any memory is free game, and the scope of it is at our discretion, but keep in mind both characters will view it until the memory ends or they escape the "boundary". (Just imagine the memory as a bubble and if a character walks far enough for whatever reason, they pop it.) Also note they're still in Luceti - no teleporting anywhere. Just assume the characters are mostly slack-jawed and staring at a tree for the duration.

I also endorse all time-breaking. Tis but a flimsy wall in our way.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[So what happens when the ghost princess runs into the perverted chef, when neither are feeling up to their usual roles?

In this case, they manage not to careen into a wall or tumble toward the ground, lucky them. But Sanji does stumble slightly upon impact and reaches out to steady her on reflex, giving not a thought to his condition until it's too late and his hand has settled on her shoulder]

Ah-- shi-- Miss, I'm-- [After the unsettled series of starts and stops, Sanji blinks owlishly down at her. He never forgets a shade of hair or a lady's body measurements]

Perona-chan??

[Perona makes a somewhat bothered sound, and stumbles somewhat herself, about to glare in irritation at whoever she ran into (even if it was kind of her fault, whatever), but the moment she gets a good enough look at who it was, she's a little less upset. It's the chef she likes - one of the Straw Hats! What was his name again? The pirate woman told her once... Something with an 'S'?]

[It's when she blinks, perhaps only a second or two after she's touched, that Perona's back with them. Those scientists..."doctors", they called themselves. There are seastone cuffs on her wrists, and a room filling quickly with water. A pane of thick glass separates Perona and the scientists, who are watching, smiling, jeering. She yells, she cries, she tries to hit at the glass and beg - please, please let her out - but nothing. More and more water gushes in, higher...higher...

Too high. It hurts. It hurts and she's scared and she can't breathe, and it's getting black--]

Ah...AAAAAAHHH!

[Perona reflexively shoves out, away, and falls over backwards, curling up and covering her face. Oh...oh god. No, no, no...she didn't want to relive that so soon. She didn't want to have to remember that.]

[Some of those faces Sanji remembers. He steps back reflexively as his hackles rise, and has to hold down his desire to swing first, ask questions later. It's a memory. Just a memory.

--A memory that isn't his, he realizes too late. He never experienced this. And the magnitude of their experiment runs his blood cold the longer he stares at the water climbing higher and higher into the room, sloshing its way up his ankles, then thighs, now his waist...

No way out. Just patient faces waiting on the other side for you to nearly drown.

Then there's a scream, shrill and terrified. His eyes snap to the trembling girl right next to him pleading for her life, launching herself at the glass with her last remaining strength. She thinks they might kill her. And even if they don't succeed, the pain and fear and second chance at another "experiment" might give them ample reason to try again. And again.

It's only the real Perona's cries that drag him back to "reality". She's on the ground, shaking, and in her current state of dress she seems so much younger than the man remembers. This is not just a memory to her. You showed her this, chef.

It isn't lightly that Sanji casts the scene out of his mind - he won't forget this, Malnosso. Or those faces. Capture him again and see what happens to you all - but he has a scared girl to look after, and so drops to her side with both hands on her shoulders]

Perona-chan! [Shit. He needs to get her out. Sanji doesn't want to test how long this memory will keep going.] Listen to me! We're getting you out of here!

[Perona's first response is to get away, to lash out in a panic and fight for her life. She's scared, she's terrified, and there's water around them...everywhere. She can remember everything that happened, everything. She doesn't need to see her other self scraping fruitlessly at the glass, craning her head as far as it can go as the water comes to her chin, her mouth, nose... She doesn't have to look to see the bubbles emerging from her mouth after only a few seconds, half a minute tops.

Perona knows.

She can feel the burning in her lungs. She can feel heart thundering in her chest and ears. She can feel herself slowly losing consciousness. She can feel herself losing to the cold, choking blackness.

She grits her teeth together and sobs hard, her shoulders shaking under Sanji's hands. She can barely breathe or speak through her gasps and sobs, but even then she manages to still cry out. It's all she can do.]

Make it stop! Please, make it stop! I don't want it to happen again! I don't want it to happen again...! ...I-I'm scared...I'm scared.

[He doesn't know how to make it stop. If it were possible he'd end it by murdering all the bastards on the other side of the glass. But that isn't possible, so stop thinking about it. Sanji grits his teeth instead, so sharply that he cuts the inside of his cheek and draws in the metallic flavor on his tongue, and in one swift motion has Perona off the floor and curled in his arms.

With no guarantee this will work and only the driving desire to get her out as quickly as possible, Sanji jumps. In his current state and with the dark memory covering their surroundings, the chances of him careening into a building are high -- but statistics don't matter because Perona's terrified, and that's the only thing he cares about.

Braced for impact, he shoots through the roof - a phantom roof, he discovers with a breath of thanks, as they both slide through what should be reinforced concrete like ghosts. Sunlight pours forth seemingly from nowhere, and with its appearance, the memory melts and disappears.]

[Perona barely registers that she's in Sanji's arms when he grabs her. She doesn't feel him at all, trapped in the far too recent memory from her first kidnapping. She continues to cry and whimper while Sanji makes his escape with her, and it's only when Perona feels the rush of wind, the warmth and light of the sun that she finally, finally braves opening her eyes to the world around her.

Out. She's out. There's no room, no water, no one there to watch her suffer. She is free. Perona blinks her eyes in confusion, and stares at Sanji curiously. What was that? What happened? Why did that all happen?! She doesn't quite understand, but she is so, so glad to be away from those horrible people. Perona hopes to never, ever have to go back there again, even if it's a futile wish.]

I want to go home...

[Another futile wish, but it had to be said. Perona sniffles, and wipes at her face with the back of her hand, then leans her head against Sanji's shoulder. If only Bearsy was here - she'd feel so much better if she just had him to hug.]

[His breathing near ragged, Sanji descends as soon as Perona quiets, though her sniffles and pleas for home are not ones he can guard his heart against. And knowing that he's the one who reminded her of what those bastards did...

Soon as he touches down on a rooftop to catch his breath, his hold on her tightens a bit. Maybe not a Bearsy hug, but Sanji tries his best anyway]

... I'm sorry. [His voice dips low in remorse] This is my fault.

[Blinking slowly, Perona stares up at Sanji as she's held. She doesn't understand what he's saying. What does he mean it's his fault? It wasn't - the only ones at fault were the lowlife bastards that took her captive in the first place. She can't be entirely mad at him, she's a smart girl, he must've been messed with as well. Besides, from what Perona knows of the chef, she knows he'd never do such a thing himself. He's not that kind of man. He even just helped her out, despite what she did to him and his crew, his captain, under Moria's orders.]

No...you're wrong. You did nothing! It was those disgusting people that should pay for what they did!

[Sanji had expected a demand and maybe a few vicious words, with Perona escaping his grasp and working to avoid him from here on out - all of which he would've respected in his guilt. And while the real targets of her hatred are hardly a surprise, it doesn't lessen the visible reaction on the chef's part; how his eyes grow large and his mouth twitches a little low, all accompanied by a wordless nod.

Still, his shock does not substitute concern for long. All at once Sanji's eyebrows knit back in place, looking carefully at the girl]

Will you be alright?

[Of course Perona was mad at Sanji, but she's not stupid. Nor heartless. Hearing Sanji's tone from earlier, his body language and posture, and their "relationship" before this all happened, the girl put two and two together. If anything, her opinion of him has changed somewhat. He helped, he got her out, he stopped that terrible illusion. Despite him being the so-called cause or not, he still helped and comforted Perona when she really needed it.

Hrrm...maybe these Straw Hat people aren't as awful as she first thought. They've done quite a lot for her already.]

Yes. [No. No, she won't. Not for a while.] ...I'll be fine.

[Riiight. Given the reaction he'd seen? Sanji finds that a little hard to swallow. But he's respectful nonetheless, knowing it's not his place to start poking holes in her words.]

Understood~! [He puts a flip in his voice, paying no mind to the abrupt change in tone he's set. A little normalcy could do them both some good. He'll also finally start setting her back on her feet] Then Perona-chan will let me know if she requires anything, yes?

[The offer makes Perona bite her lip, mostly to keep from uttering anything embarrassing or desperate sounding. She's already had to have these people save her life once, she'd rather not show that she's weak or anything to another of them. The panic attack she had before was...humiliating, to say the least. She's ashamed of herself, and angry. What would Moria think of her if he saw that?! He'd laugh!

But...hnn--]

...Cocoa. I want cocoa. With whipped cream. [Comfort food.]

[... Oh Perona. Sanji makes sure to hide any traces of amusement for her sake, instead donning the same enthusiasm as before] Then it shall be done~! One hot cocoa with whipped cream for Perona-chan~!

Ah--wait. [Because as much as she does want something to make herself feel better after that little episode, Perona can't just ignore Sanji's condition - especially after he helped her out. He was practically on his last leg a second ago.]

You shouldn't exert yourself if you'll only collapse a second later. I don't want to have to scrape you off anything...!

[And he'd been ready to launch himself off, too. It's a sad day for Sanjis when even Perona expresses concern. In the face of it, however, he only shoots her a thumbs up, a wiggle in his step]

Aaaaahn, Perona-chwan's concern, like a beacon lighting the way in the torrent seas of my heart~! But you needn't worry~! [See? Just look at this boss twirling. Twirl twirl twirl--]

[Oh that's right we're on a roof. WELL THEN. Possibly to no one's surprise, Sanji trips right off the edge, breath catching in a choke before gravity yanks him down. Goodbye, Perona! Our time was short, but perhaps in the next life...

... Though actually, despite all odds, he somersaults in the air and lands on his feet perfectly unharmed. And then proceeds to collapse on his back.]

[ahdjchd--OHGOD THERE HE GOES. Perona scrambles to try and catch Sanji before he hits the ground, waving her arms about with a loud squawk, but...alas, he's too far gone for her to grab.

Um. H-Hopefully he's all right.]

[Peeking over the edge of the roof and--ohgod, he's on his back. He fel on his back and broke his spine and he's dead or something. There's no blood, so that's a little cheap, but still um. ...Th-This isn't her fault! He spiraled off the roof of his own accord! So...so no one can get mad at Perona for it, right? The Straw Hats won't come after her for revenge or anything, right?

...Should she dispose of the body?]

Mister cook? [ARE YOU DEAD?]

[And then, like his body is made of magic instead of fleshy bits, Sanji jumps to his feet into a pose, arms stretched out to the sky]

Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaafe!

[Oh, awesome, he's not dead and she's not going to die as a consequence. Glorious day! Hm, but how is she going to get down from here? Perona can only fly in her spirit form, so this may be tricky. Maybe if she goes feet first, slowly...

Okay, yeah, no.]

Oh, good, you're alive! Get me down.

[Sanji's first response is to wave his hands merrily, complete with hearts and promises of ladders or a moonlit path that will return her to Sanji's arms. Too bad reality is a mood-killer. >_>

Hm. How is he gonna get her down? Even if he jumped back up, there's a self-inflicted "No Touchy" rule Sanji can't ignore, especially if there's a chance a new memory might send the girl into a meltdown.

He might really have to try that ladder idea] Just a second, Perona-chan~! [Luckily, Seventh Heaven isn't far, and Sanji knows there's a retractable ladder hanging around in storage. He'll stumble over yonder and be back in a jiffy]

[Is he just...leaving her here? Really? Perona watches as Sanji nearly trips over himself a number of times as he dashes away and her head droops. Honestly...this was her supposed savior? Goodness, her vision must be impaired pretty badly. Maybe if she just tries just sliding off slowly...it couldn't be that high, could it? It looked tall, sure, but if she just slowly lowered herself, it'd be okay if she fell r-right?

...Ahaha, okay no. She's not willing to chance a broken leg or something.

But Perona does sit on the edge of the roof and wait, kicking her legs back and forth and grumbling. How annoying this all was! This cocoa better be worth all the trouble.]

[Hey, hey. He's hurrying! It won't be five minutes before he returns, proving that even when drugged to hell, superhuman abilities beat all. There's a folded ladder tucked underneath his arm, which he unfolds and sets against the building's side. Seeing as Perona isn't sitting on a skyscraper or anything, the top rung just manages to clear the bottom of Perona's dangling feet.]

Perfect~! I'll hold it steady for you, Perona-chan~!

[Oh, hey. He's back! And with a ladder, to boot! Ah, what good little servant he's turning out to be! Definitely a keeper, this one, yep. ♥ Pleased with this outcome, Perona thanks Sanji politely and slides her foot forward some, so that it touches the very top. She's a little unsteady at first, but gathers herself and grabs tight to the ladder, climbing down swiftly.]

That's better! ...Hm, you're rather handy to have around, aren't you, Mister cook? I'm starting to like you a little. [And, to prove her point, she reaches up and pats Sanji on the head like a good puppy.

...Before remembering that...she wasn't supposed to...touch him...

Oops.]

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[Action] oh god you have no idea how much this tag made me laugh

[Action] 8D glad to oblige THOUGH THIS MADE ME LAUGH, TOO

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[Action] - I can do another memory next tag unless you wanna do one?