justicereigns | ooc: 2 part log, Smoker/Karen + dinner with Zenigata and Tashigi

Out on the deck of the ship, the Flamestress hums quietly to herself with her laptop nearby, a melodic and soft tune emitting from the speakers. Rather soothing, rather beautiful.

Her hands are outstretched and little by little flame after flame sparks and fly towards the sky.

Rolling her wrist and taking a fake dip and bow, a ribbon of fire follows after her much like fabric would on dancers.

"Karen," Smoker called softly searching for her following the fire. "We need to talk," he started slowly, following the fire with his eyes, a soft smile appearing on his face at it. He sat down next to her, crossing his legs and trying not to look as furiously grumpy as he felt.

She flinched lightly at the sudden voice and quickly shut her laptop. The flames around her wrapped within themselves and diminished themselves.

"Oh? About what?"

Smoker winced at the flinch more visibly than if she'd struck him in the jaw. "I guess I'd better start with I'm sorry."

Karen blinked and cocked her head to the side.

"I beg your pardon?"

Faltering slightly Smoker continued, "I'm sorry? For everything?" He ran a hand through grey-green strands. "I don't know for just... not listening well enough or going crazy or not giving you space or just... not getting it." Thank god he still had a steady stream of nicotine keeping him sane.

"So you're apologizing...but you don't know for what, hm?" She blinked, taking a seat a little bit ways away from him.

Smoker hung his head in his hands. "Karen I'd like to think you can be honest with me. I'd like to think I'd earned that much but right now I'm not so sure. I'm not going to force you to talk to me but I'd like you to." Smoker moved over to the railing and hung his legs down the side, leaning heavily against a bar. "Are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong again? Or not do something I should have? I told you I don't know what you want and that still holds true. What DO you want from me? Anything? Space?" His stomach knotted at that, hoping to god otherwise. He cut himself off there before he started to get upset and raise his voice.

Karen looked over the rail as well. What did she want? Well to no longer be a bother for once...but a man of duty was a man of duty.

"I think maybe we should take a small break." She said with a frown, tilting her head to the arms she folded across the rail. "If anything just to recuperate from...I'm not sure. Anything and everything. You have your duty that you must do which I understand...but I'm not used to a sudden life outside of work and the usual-- maybe ten people."

"Karen..." Smoker felt kicked in the ribs, the wind knocked out of him. He turned to hold her with his steely gaze. "Is that what you really want or what you think is for the best? Because I'm not going to lie. I hate that idea." It hurt. He felt a little crushed, his worst fears confirmed. That he was smothering her. That, like his logia, he was choking the life out of her. His hands clenched into fists though there was no change from his expression. "I never asked you to take on my crew as your own even though I'd protect yours as my own. So if it's too much for you, then don't." What had changed? Was it just too stressful now? He'd once worried about making her feel like she had nowhere else to go and now he was desperately worried she'd leave. What a mess.

The suggestion from Rinali rang in his ears that maybe she was jealous of Tashigi or that people thought he was dating Tashigi instead of her. "Is this about Tashigi?" he asked feeling stupid. He expected an explosion but there wasn't much worse she could say to him at this point. Maybe now that she was on her feet she just wanted to be free, and he wasn't about to stop her from flying. The gruff marine swallowed hard, focusing on breathing and not losing control.

"Isn't thinking it's for the best enough?" She blinked and tilted her head, glancing over to him. Just what had been going on in her head. Even she didn't know. He flirted worse than she did, yet she was the one often taking the hits for it. She knew it was probably a set back, that others just thought of her as she truly was. One of those kind of girls. Oh well. This is why she never got involved with people...

Looking back out over the ocean, she leaned her chin on her arms, staring out as the window blew lightly through her hair. That girl he mentioned. The one that did indeed trail after Smoker at a distance she wasn't able to. Karen closed goldenrod eyes. "I know she's special to you. You don't have to explain it. And no, it's nothing about her, Smoker."

"No," Smoker growled, temperature, anger, and voice rising all at once. "No it's not. Because if this isn't what you want and it sure as hell isn't what I want I'm not going to agree to it. I already told you Karen, justice comes first but that doesn't mean I'm willing to place my job in front of you. Why are you so quick to assume I should?"

His fists clenched, "Just in what way do you think she's special to me? Do you think there's ANYONE else? Robin or..." He grit his teeth hard on the cigars trying once again not to fly into a rage even though his eyes flashed with fury. His voice dropped an octave lower, dangerously quiet but in control albeit rolling thunder, "You're going to have to tell me what brought this on because I'm too foolish to know and I don't want to spend my days regretting something I don't understand."

"I understand that, as I've told you many times before." She said quietly.

She quirked an eyebrow and tilted her head, stealing a glance at him. "Anyone else? I'm unsure what exactly your assumption is that I'm thinking right now." She said calmly.

Smoker rose to his feet frustration, hurt, fury flickering across his face before settling into disappointed resignation. "So be it Karen." He still loved her, had meant it when he'd said she'd have to try to get rid of him but felt she might as well have. "Maybe I'm just jealous myself." He shrugged. Maybe it really was just better to end things now before it got deeper. If it stung now... He held back a tremble, man of steel and refused to show the cracks, instead let out a deep sigh. "I suppose you won't want to go with Zenigata and Tashigi for dinner then. Their idea." Or maybe she would since she seemed to enjoy Zenigata's company so much, he really wasn't sure anymore.

So be it... She closed her eyes and breathed for a moment before glancing up at him, furrowing her eyebrows. "Jealous?" But he shrugged it off, so in turn so did she. "Their idea? Mm.." She tilted her head at that, thinking on it. "I wouldn't want to disturb you three, but if you're going to be comfortable with it, then I suppose I could go."

There was a lump in his throat Smoker couldn't seem to swallow away but it was just as well, it fit well, matching the pit in his stomach. A flash of memories of her temporarily flooded his mind only making the pain that much worse. Making everything feel that much more final. When he'd been a kid, when she'd first taken him by surprise with a kiss, their first words, their first morning, nights spent speaking on deck. Well hell, this was why he avoided relationships in the first place, wasn't it? He always lost his head.

"I'm not feeling particularly hungry right now and I suggest you go without me," Smoker sighed. He ran a hand through his hair again, suppressing another tremble. "If you wish me to come I will, however." The statement was impossible cold and dry but he meant every word. At least he hadn't lost his control.

She rose up and glanced out over the ocean, the moon doing it's dance on the water's rippling surface. Perhaps under her coat there could be a glimpse of something red like a scarf. A familiar trinket from the past...?

"You invited me though..and they invited us, didn't they? It would be rude to not go." She said calmly with a faint smile, though even then it was easy to tell it wasn't a real one. "But, if you're not hungry, I can't force you to go."

"Karen," Smoker's voice almost broke as he regarded her sadly. She was wearing one of her beautiful sad smiles again that he loved and hated so much. His promise to make her genuinely smile in joy more seemed hollow just then. He kept his hands firmly at his sides, not reaching out to brush her cheek as he desperately wanted to.

He was never going to feign acceptance at this, never going to be okay with letting her go, never going to be able to pretend he could just flip a switch inside himself and stop loving her. Watching her at dinner, laughing at Zenigata's antics was going to drive a knife into him. But he was still the commander, the captain of the ship. He owed it to them to remain strong in any storm. "I'll come," he said softly, seriously. "But only if you are as well." He hadn't even asked her what she wanted to do about living arrangements. She had her own room, would she want to leave the marines over this? Simply vacation somewhere else. Right around the holidays too. Hm. Plenty of time to ask her later, when he'd had a few drinks and didn't feel like breaking a ship with his jitte.

"Hm. I should go freshen up then." She said calmly with that fake smile still on her lips.It was the only thing she could do at the moment.

After standing there for what felt like forever, she turned and took a step back away from him. "I guess I'll meet you back here then along with everyone else?"

He ran a hand through his hair again and grunted softly, "I suppose you will." Inside he felt like a confused little kid again. Women seemed to do that to him universally. He took a deep smoke-filled breath and turned to lean against the railing, looking out at the ocean. He really hated this city. This last month as a whole, had been miserable and no matter how irrational it was, he was dead-set on blaming the city. He couldn't wait to get moving again.

Tashigi moved fast and towards the male, her brows drawn tight and the youngest there could tell something was wrong, simply by the way the man was holding himself. Reasons flew through her head and she tried to reason with herself that nothing had happened, it was just Karen wasn't coming, not that she and Smoker had split up. She kept her feet in line, carrying herself closer to him, almost jogging in her haste to make sure that he was okay. She reached him and quickly moved to stand in front of the male, watching his expression with a sad look. Fingers instinctively went for the battered and worn container of cigarettes she kept in her pocket and was nearly relieved to know she had them.

"Sir...? Where is..." She paused, thinking over her words carefully. "She?" She couldn't help the emotion that filtered through her voice, and she stared up for a few moments longer, her then shifting and looking away.

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It was a cool evening. Zenigata wondered if he should bring his trench coat along as he walked down the hall towards the deck. He couldn't help but think about Lupin again when he learned about Goemon and Fujiko's little stunt. Was that really him, yelling at them in Goemon's journal? Was he ever that angry in his life? The Inspector felt a little embarrassed of losing his head. Although, he just couldn't help but feel frustrated. Fujiko and Goemon were the only part of Lupin he had right now; In case Lupin would come back, he had to make sure they would be alive and well. It just wouldn't be right.

As he approached the deck, someone brushed past Zenigata. He stopped to glance over his shoulder to see Karen walking down the hall quietly. Confused, he turned back towards the deck to see Smoker standing on the deck, staring off in space. The Inspector approached him. "Smoker?"

Smoker's jaw clenched on the cigars, trying not to lash out at neither Tashigi nor Zenigata. They were worried but it wasn't helping. Treating him like a wild bull ready to charge. "I'm fine," he growled furiously, simply sounding his usual state of grumpy annoyance. "Karen will be along shortly I'm sure, she mentioned freshening up." Women. His brow furrowed pushing out the resentment that if she was dressing up specially for Zenigata he was going to kill someone halfway through dinner. It didn't matter anymore, she wasn't his to get mad about. He wondered idly if she'd gotten the water drop lilies. "What kind of food did you have in mind?" he asked casually, lighting up twin cigars with a deep breath, simply acting as grumpy as he usually was.

Not even really needing to "freshen up" Karen more so slipped away to regain her own composure. To not loose it and flee like she knew she could do. Not with Nataku still on the ship. That would be one person she wouldn't ever leave behind despite any feeling she may have.

After spending about five minutes in her room, not the shared one, she emerged again, redressed in a simple black dress that ruffled the edges with the red scarf gone and replaced by a long black one that wrapped around her neck, the ends ruffled much like her dress. Put a smile on. She reminded herself as she nervously headed back down the hallway, idly tossling her fiery hair before she spotted the group and waved. "My apologizes for holding up the party."

Her mouth tightened and she turned half way to look at Karen, her brows furrowing together as she thought for a moment. She took a step back from Smoker, returning the nervous look at the red-head. Her stomach knotted and she looked down at the ground suddenly. The air felt tense, Smoker wasn't in the best of moods and the Ensign could only guess the reasons. Her chest constricted and she instinctively reached into the pocket holding the case, withdrawing it and pushing a smoke between her teeth out of a nervous habit.

"It's no problem, Karen-san... I... I chose a place close to here, some cuisine from East Blue... I had something from there earlier today..."

Zenigata looked up, as Karen entered the deck with her fiery hair and a black gown that complimented her incredible figure. He felt a jerk inside his stomach, as he reminded himself not to stare at her like a moron with Smoker on deck. She was difficult to ignore, however, especially since it had been so long since he had been with a woman. The inspector shelved that while he was chasing after Lupin, trying to focus all of his energy and frustrations on catching the little French bastard. Yet, Lupin wasn't here.

He cleared his throat, trying to choose his words carefully. "Y-You look... Very nice, Miss Karen." He said.

Hot and cold, it was boiling ice water in Smoker's veins. He took off walking, having no more words for Karen or Zenigata and unable to stand there as if it didn't bother him while the inspector ogled her. Jaw clenched on cigars, avoiding a half-snarl he reminded himself exactly what he'd told Robin, that he couldn't fault the inspector for not being blind and having good taste. But somehow it didn't seem so valid when he couldn't rest secure in the knowledge that Karen was still his and therefore he didn't have to worry. When he couldn't just remind himself that her fire would burn a non-devil fruit user so he was an exception in being able to handle it. Right then it didn't seem to matter as much.

"Point the way Ensign," Smoker growled shortly as his heavy boots stomped down the wooden stairs, not caring whether they followed him or not, just knowing he needed to move. If it was any other port, any other ISLAND but Water 7, he'd be on his bike. Just moving to hunt down pirates. Even Shabondy archipelago with the island made of tree had more turf to travel over and plenty of scum to beat up. As it was, he still had his jitte with him, unlikely as it was that they would encounter any difficulties here.

Fiddling with the rosary around her neck, Karen watched the girl that Smoker kept so close. She could see why, too. Everything Karen couldn't be. Cute. Adorable. Tiny like that. ~~Useful~~.

Clearing her throat, Karen looked back at Zenigata and smiled faintly, tilting her head as she moved forward. "Why thank you." She said quietly. "I hope you're doing well, Mr. Zenigata?"

She moved quickly, following after the commodore with long purposeful strides as she walked after him, guiding the the group towards the restaurant.

The cigarette between her lips was itching to be lit, so she could suck back the nicotine in a fit of anger, at herself, at Karen, at Smoker for letting whatever bother him. But she was quick to get their seat and sit down, her Marine jacket shed to rest against the back of the chair, her black tanktop being shown, along with a the small kanji of 'Umi' tattooed on her shoulder, brows furrowing as she sat down, looking from Smoker to Karen with a worried expression.

"Sir... would you like me to get your regular, East Blue Lauger. Zenigata-san, is there anything I can get you? Karen-san?"

Zenigata felt his face go warm, as he glanced to the side quickly. "I-I'm alright." He said stiffly, almost certain he felt the commodore glaring daggers into his neck. "We-We better not k-keep Smoker waiting."

As he followed them to the restaurant, the inspector tried not to glance at Karen and noticed Tashigi ahead of them. She was chewing on the end of a cigarette, yet it was unlit. He tried to recall if the ensign was a smoker, but he couldn't remember her even looking at one. When they reached their table, he decided not to ponder on it as they took their seats. When Tashigi asked their orders, Zenigata set his hat down. "I'll also have an East Blue, please."

"I'll take a rum, East Blue brand Rhum, the whole bottle," Smoker rumbled softly, adding to the waiter in a low voice, "And keep them coming." He usually didn't have rum in front of Tashigi, sticking to milder beers that got thinned out quickly due to his devil fruit. But right now he didn't care. Tashigi was already toying with the package of cigarettes he hadn't seen since Alabasta, just sucking on one, not lighting it. Choosing to remark on the anomaly for a relatively safe pieces of conversation Smoker noted to his Ensign, "I haven't seen those since we left Alabasta. Special occasion?" He was fairly certain Hina had given them to her and as she'd mentioned missing the woman before Smoker avoided calling attention to that fact, biting back the question of where she'd gotten them or why she held one unlit. Probably because she missed the pink-haired woman.

"I'll just take what everyone else is." She mentioned quietly. The two of them really did seem engrossed in their own world. Jealousy perhaps that she acted more like a wife then Karen ever could. Somehow she was bittersweetly reminded of Aoki. He had his wife and child to think of yet she still fell for him...Why couldn't it of been simple like Sorata and Arashi? They met. He vowed that she would be the one he would die for and from then on the two had been together none stop. Maybe that was just young love at its finest.

Feeling more like the third and fourth wheel more than anything, while the two talked she looked up at Zenigata and smiled lightly. "Do you often drink, Inspector? I'm afraid I can't really hold my alcohol."

"Please get Karen-san a virgin screwdriver, will you?" she mumbled to the waiter, her eyebrow perking high on her forehead and then ordered herself something much unexpected for her.

A glass of whiskey and a bottle of beer. It was unexpected as the woman rarely drank whiskey or beer (As she much preferred the fruity tastes of mixed drinks), another tell-tale sign of on nerves she was.

Her brow drawn tight and she glanced wearily at Karen and Zenigata, before turning her attention back to him. "No reason, I just decided that I missed having something to chew on." She implied that she was taking a bit after him, and allowed her self to relax a smidgen, before they looked back to Smoker and stiffened all over again. Perhaps her body language spoke more than she really wanted it too, but his spoke more than he probably wanted it too either. She wanted to ask and she wanted answers as to why Smoker wasn't even glancing at the red-head. And why she wasn't looking at him. She could feel it, her brows tightening even more if it was possible as she thought about the fact that the only thing that would make this awkward would be if Karen and Smoker had split.

The cigarette in her mouth stilled and she looked over to the other. "Sir, may I use your lighter?"

As Karen spoke to him, the Inspector felt his face flush again as he tried to answer normally. "N-Not very often... U-Usually when it's h-hot. Tokyo has really humid s-summmers." He answered, mentally kicking himself for sounding like a fool. It was then Zenigata noticed the lovely redhead, while she was smiling and being friendly, seemed unnerved about something. Her golden eyes were focused on the table cloth, but not on Smoker. He felt something begin to churn in his stomach. Did something happen earlier?

Smoker eyebrows rose at the order for whiskey and beer and right through the roof when Tashigi asked for a lighter. Completely stunned he half reached into his pockets, paused, frowned and his brow furrowed intently. He'd been trying not to listen too much to Zenigata and Karen's conversation, if they wanted to be on yet another psuedo-date so be it, but it was impossible not to. His cheeks pinked at how flirty Karen got with alcohol and how much he loved it.

Still, Tashigi was being downright alarming. He hadn't expected to keep his break up secret from her but he hadn't expected her to take it harder than him. "No," he frowned and the fingers holding the lighter about to hand it over pointed at her warningly. "What the hell is going on with you? You only drink the fruity sugary crap and I don't care how much you miss Hina you are not to begin smoking over that." He hadn't meant to bring up the Black Cage but too late to take it back. The commodore longed to make a joking quip about alcohol to Karen but couldn't do it. Instead he stuffed it inside, merely glanced at her knowingly before looking back to his Ensign, fingers still held in a position to lecture.

For the most part she kept her gaze away from Smoker and his Ensign, but when he did look at her and her eyes met his, she quickly glanced away, returning the gaze to Zenigata.

"I'm afraid I only drink during mass. Even then, it's a bit of a stretch." She mused quietly with a small smile and tilt of the head. The other two were in their little world, speaking about things that other worlders had no ideas about. All this talk of lighters made her want to help, but after everything that had happened, and while she was in her room, she realized her heart was no longer in it to make flames.

She was just human now.

She shifted slightly, eyebrows drawn tight as she took a quick swig of her drink. Her shoulders relaxed and she let out a soft sigh, finally relaxing as she was now sure Smoker wasn't going to explode. "I apologize sir..." She pulled out the black tin, opening and replacing the extremely chewed up cigarette into the case, before closing it and let it rest there.

"Sir, how old am I?" She finally commented softly, as if proving a point. "I am not that 17 year old girl any more, sir... I would also let it be known, Smoker-san, I am a grown woman, you are not my father, nor have you ever been seen as such. Yes, I admire you, yes, you have helped shape the person I've become. But you are not and never will be my father, do not act as such. So please treat me as my age and not my shoe-size," Her voice strained with how soft it was and she looked briefly at the two to the side of them, before stilling and breathing in sharply.

She turned to the other two and brightly smiled. "I apologize for keeping both of you out of our conversation, would you mind if I asked about 'Mass'? As a foster child... I really never had a chance to get a taste of such things. I grew up fairly agnostic as a child, but that doesn't mean I'm not interested in hearing about religions." Her smile never turned away from them, as she tried to include them into all of their conversation, not letting it bother her anymore that Smoker and Karen weren't on speaking terms. While it still did deep down.

"Oh... Y-Yes, I remember you're a Ca-Catholic, right?" Zenigata said. "When they pass out those biscuits and the wine at mass... I-I think t-that's the blood and f-flesh of Christ, right?"

This dinner was becoming incredibly tense, and they hadn't even ordered their food yet. He was surprised by Tashigi speaking out at Smoker; usually it was the opposite while the young ensign would nervously report something and then trip or knock something over. Zenigata was starting to feel uneasy, hoping that once they did order their food and ate, it would cut down the awkward conversation.

Flushing bright red in embarrassment, Smoker bit hard on the cigars and stood up. "No you're not," he acknowledged in quiet fury, more with himself. "You're 21, extremely capable of your own decisions and I do trust you Ensign and only meant to treat you with respect. I never called you my daughter nor meant to treat you as such." It was really too much at this point. "Forgive my attitude," another jaw twitch as he scowled tighter over the cigars, "I shall attempt to not give a damn and worry about the women in my life." He was fully red now, speaking to them both and done with this idiotic situation. Why had he even agreed? If she was going to get so upset over things being tense then why put herself into them?

"I'm going for a breath of fresh air. Don't follow." He tossed Tashigi the lighter and finally stormed out, not even bothering to finish his rum, too furious to speak anymore or pretend he could be civil while he felt like his insides had snapped simply leaving his steel jitte holding him up. He walked away from the restaurant door in case any of them did try to follow and down to what he could only hope was a seedier part of town.

He'd gotten too close to his men but maybe he'd always been that way. For as much as he claimed to loathe pirate loyalties, misplaced, foolish and leading them against their own consciences, against justice, here he was wanting to protect his crew as surely as any pirate crew. Smoker climbed some stairs as there wasn't much else place to go in Water 7 except up. A good captain was supposed to protect his men, pirate or marine. It was just justice. Friendship. Smoker felt stung. He'd considered Tashigi a friend and worried about her. Had he gone too far? Maybe he was supposed to keep his distance from even that. He was an asshole to his friends and knew that much but had always considered her one. Had considered Rinali, Miranda, Allen, Karen, Zenigata friends too.

Robin had suggested once he only stayed in the marines for nakama. That he followed the Straw-Hats because of their own nakamaship wherein Luffy rescued a kingdom over friendship with its princess. Justice. Smoker wanted justice. He'd smothered Karen too much until she wanted to run away, until she didn't love him anymore. He worried about Allen to the point he didn't want to let his old master near him for concern he'd get hurt. Lavi had told him off almost the same way as Tashigi, that Allen wasn't his son and he needed to stop trying to look after him. Leo had done the same regarding Rinali. Smoker's cold fury only strengthened with the climb but at least the wind was blowing on his cheeks and making them feel less hot.

The only place Smoker had even felt home, at peace, himself, wanted, accepted was the marines. His own ship where he was captain of his life and in charge of protecting others. True justice. And for the first time he no longer felt that way. No matter how he ran or fought it, sometimes there was a lot of pirate in him. He couldn't take sitting on an island doing paperwork, needed to be free. He couldn't stand the marines who used the men in their command as slaves. Couldn't stand brass's orders and being told what to do, how to do it and when and where to do it. Dichotomy.

Smoker stopping climbing stairs, any higher and he'd start looking out over the ocean and this city he'd grown to hate so much. Any higher and he'd remember the night after Karen rescued him and Allen in vivid excruciating detail. He leaned against a wall feeling weary. There wasn't a lot else he could fuck up right now and he was miserable. Just like a pirate, somewhere along the line he'd choked a relationship, losing control to his smoke logia, letting it take over his instincts and desires, letting it twist his desire to do good, to be a good captain, a good boyfriend, just to do good and wound up doing something wrong. And worst of all? Try as he might, standing in the darkness alone, refusing to look at the stars because they'd only remind him of her; he had no idea where he'd gone wrong and he couldn't bring himself to regret any of it. Just like a pirate.

Like an old married couple... Karen was about to answer the two who had asked her questions on her religion.At least that was something she could talk about without thinking too much on how to tip toe around things.

However, the Explosion from Smoker dramatically changed the air no doubt. She closed her eyes after the initial blast and took in a deep breath, slowly opening them to look at the remaining two at the table.

After what felt like an awkward eternity, Karen rose from the table as well and set her napkin down. "I'm afraid that was partly my responsibility for which I apologize..." She calmly said to the two before touching her rosary once more.

"I'm afraid I need to leave for now. If he doesn't return within ten minutes, I suggest you possibly go find him."

She caught the lighter and almost threw it back at his retreating form. Then Karen got up to leave, and her fist clenched around the lighter and her brows tightened and she felt the knot in her stomach lurch and grow more intense. She looked apologetically at the other two, before she focused it on her drinking. Nodding vaguely at the red-head's suggestion. "I will," she sounded meek even to her own ears, but as she brought a shaking glass to her lips and drank, she couldn't help but scold herself internally at how she had said everything. But the hand tightened around the glass and she looked at Zenigata, forcing herself to smile.

"I apologize that this didn't turn out as well as it could've."

Even before he could blink, the conversation went from awkward to explosive as Smoker stood up and confronted Tashigi. Then, he turned and stormed off into Water 7 to cool himself off. After a pregnant pause, Karen rose from the table as well, calmly apologizing before taking her leave. Zenigata stood up to stop her, but he didn't. Instead he watched her leave quietly, wondering what in the world had just happened and why it had unraveled so fast.

As he sat back down, the Inspector stared at his beer. So much for a nice dinner between friends. Tashigi turned to him, which caused him to look up. "Wha...? Oh, no don't worry about it Miss Tashigi." He replied, trying to give her a reassuring smile. "I think everyone just has too much on their personal plates at the moment."

Feeling pretty much the lowest Smoker had felt in his life, Smoker did what he usually did in such situations and silently prayed to himself, eventually singing Ave Maria quietly. He wandered around until he could find something resembling a church or a cathedral. He needed to think in quiet and a bar was just going to interrupt too much.

Brows furrowed and she kept her eyes trained on the table, the shaking hand tightening further against the glass as she internally battled with the idea of looking for Smoker and just ... She finally looked up at Zenigata and let out a hoarse cough. "I didn't help the situation by speaking my mind, I realize this... Especially with the fact that I doubt Smoker-san and the Ma'am are together anymore." She bit her lip and stood, the glass still in her hand, cracking under the pressure, before she realized it and released the glass, setting it on the table. "I... Zenigata-san. I apologize again. I... I need to take a walk. Go and get some fresh air. You're welcome to join me."

Zenigata looked at her. "N-Not together anymore...?"

It finally clicked. That must explain what was going on. Not just at dinner, but recently Karen had been very moody. He wondered if something was bothering her, but he never knew she was actually hurting behind that smile she wore. The inspector looked downward at the table. Even though he had nothing to do with it, he felt guilty.

Tashigi rose from the table, grabbing her coat and told him she would also be taking a walk. Zenigata stood up, giving her a tired smile. "If it's not too much trouble, Miss Tashigi."

ooc: 2 part log, Smoker/Karen + dinner with Zenigata and Tashigi

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