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

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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