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tsuzuki

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Who: Smoker and Tsuzuki
When: This evening-ish
Why: Smoker never gets a break and Tsuzuki is upset
Where: In the stock room under the stairs and possibly on deck
What: Talking and possibly sparring.
Rating: PG for violence and general swearing, Smoker isn't in a good mood and deals with unhappy marines by making them work. Great guy.

Smoker stomped down the stairs to the cargo hold, teeth grinding viciously on cigars. He wasn't in a good mood. No, foul mood insinuated there could be something good to be found in it. He still hadn't gotten his jitte replaced, he'd only finished the Zs on his filing cabinets, and yet he still had to deal with pirate fights, ship affairs, storms, and he'd idiotically given Tashigi two weeks leaving, not knowing this would all happen at once, so he had to do it alone.

He scanned the boxes and barrels and checked various places someone could hide. It wasn't unheard of for marines to go hiding when things got to be too much. Smoker himself had had plenty of days in the past where he'd wanted to. He went to check the crawl space under the stairs and found it slight jammed like someone was holding it closed. Bingo. He tore it open, just keeping it on its hinges and crouched down to look Tsuzuki in the eyes. He didn't say anything at first, just glared down, trying to keep his calm, what little was left.

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After sitting under the cargo hold stairs for the past few days, Tsuzuki had run out of the sweets he'd brought with him the day before. He had lost track of time as well. Since he'd decided to confess to everyone about what he really was, he'd wanted to hide for a bit just in case there was a backlash. He didn't want to relive the ridicule of his home world here. He didn't think he could take that...

Sniffling, he rubbing his right wrist around his watch. So many people had asked him about his life and the things he'd tried to forget. Before he knew what he was typing, he couldn't see passed the tears. He had been crying for as long as he could recall now, and just couldn't seem to stop. He hadn't left because he didn't want anyone to see him in such a disgraceful manner.

Suddenly, the little door to his crawl space swung open. Gasping at the sudden action, the shinigami looked up from where he sat hunched over. His fresh gleamed on his face in the laptop light. He gripped his wrist from some reason, as if trying to hide it. When he saw the gaze of Commodore Smoker, he swallowed some nerves in his thought before putting on a smile.

"H-Hello, Commodore..." His voice was still crack, and he hadn't quite caught his breath from crying either. "I see you found me... I must of sprained my wrist... or something... It really hurts..."

Smoker stoically took the wrist to calmly examine it. "It doesn't seem broken at least," but he hadn't expected it would be, the claim more to explain the tears and redness than anything else. The commodore took a deep breath of smoke and nicotine, and still crouching on his knees calmly glanced Tsuzuki over. The Grand Line had a way of breaking people sometimes if they weren't strong enough but usually not in a matter of weeks. And all this was over something in another world, something he couldn't do anything about, never would be able to. Just like Karen's world. There was a lump of ice and unvoiced frustration in his stomach and it reflected in his slate grey eyes, regarding the new recruit more coldly than he'd meant to.

"Ready to come out yet?" It didn't matter whether Tsuzuki was or wasn't, Smoker couldn't let him stay in there or it'd be letting the man break and Smoker wasn't about to let that happen. Still, it wouldn't hurt to ask.

"C-Come out?" Tsuzuki blinked his damp eyes as he questioned the question. "Um... well... I..." He could form a thought at the thought of the whole ship seeing him this way. What if they all thought he was weak or something? What if they doubted him as a Marine? No one seemed to want his help, and he didn't want to tread on things he shouldn't. This world was a breath of fresh air, but there was always a catch!

He stared at the wrist band of his watch. It had shifted up from the Commodore's gloved hand, and the shinigami could see his scars. No matter what, he could never forget what he'd done...

"You can talk and I'll listen or you can come spar with me," Smoker growled in a tone that left absolutely no room for argument. "Those are your choices." He disliked pushing people with their own inner battles to face but it was the only way to keep moving forward for them. Same for Tashigi, Allen, or any of them, so push them he would.

"W-what do you mean... by spar... Commodore...?" His breath was still catching as his jaw trembled. He clenched his fist, pulling his arm against his chest. His scar was monstrous, and he was afraid if the Commodore saw it he really think him a monster. He stared down at the glowing screen, trying not to cry again. Of all people to see this, he didn't want the Commodore to know he was weak. He wanted to prove himself, but all he'd really done was look more of a fool.

"A spar. With me. You'll get stronger, I'll stay in practice, and it'll make up for missing drills," Smoker answered without a change in his expression, not letting Tsuzuki escape his piercing gaze.

"But... I told you... I don't have a... weapon... I use magic... It w-wouldn't be fair...!" The shinigami coiled tighter into the corner. He could feel the harsh eyes on him. Was he really frighten of the marine? Or, was he just afraid of coming out of his rat hole?

"Then we'll fight logia to magic," Smoker shrugged simply. "You can't stay in here forever Tsuzuki and it's not doing you any good right now," he added coldly, aware of how harsh it was, but so was life and he wasn't about to let anyone give up on his ship.

Tsuzuki looked up nervously. He swallowed another lump in his throat. If this kept up, the marine might just drag him out by his scalp. Closing the laptop, he sniffled.

"Very well... I'll spar with you..."

"Good," Smoker nodded and turned his back, expecting obedience on this one and waiting for the man to come with him. Heavy boots thudded up the stairs and Smoker waited with his arms crossed for Tsuzuki to come up. The sniff made his jaw tighten on the cigars but he refused to show that he was worried. So long as Tsuzuki had no choice, there was no room to back down.

Picking up the computer, Tsuzuki crawled out. His head hung heavily as he rose from his hunches. He walked through the supplies to the stairs. Walking up slowly, his face was blank.

"Here's good enough," Smoker stated grimly and pointed for a spot for Tsuzuki to safely put his things. There weren't many marines on deck at the time but Smoker sent the others to work just with a few quick glances. He was almost crackling thunder and spitting lightning enough that his men knew that now was not a good time to press their luck with him, his punishments would be dealt out with swift justice. It was mostly so Tsuzuki wouldn't have to worry about dealing with too many other people and Smoker stoically looked back at him, taking a fighting stance he usually reserved for when he was going to need his Devil Fruit.

"Ready when you are kid," he growled despite Tsuzuki's real age.

Placing his computer and sweet sack in the corner, the shinigami walked beside the mast. Putting a hand on the wood, he stroked downward. Looking around the deck, his empty eyes took in the scene. He finally turned around.

"If you say so..." He produced some talismans from his coat. "Suppose we should begin."

Smoker shifted on his feet, still in a defensive posture. Rushing in would tip too much of his hand away and he wanted to get a good feel for what Tsuzuki was capable of first, since he's already had a small taste during the snowball fight. The White Hunter held his ground and waited for Tsuzuki to make the first move, not willing to try to end this with a quick White Snake or White Whip before anything could get started.

Seeing that the Commodore was waiting for him, the shinigami didn't want to drag things out. He glanced at the deck once again. The last thing he wanted to do was wash his commanding office overboard. Pulling a talisman in his left hand, he pointed it downward with his index and middle finger, folding his other fingers to his palm.

"Spirits of wind, heed my plea and come to me." A breeze picked up around the guardian, swirling about his feet and kicking up his coat. It grew in width and strength. He looked up at the Commodore. "Did you not want to battle?"

Smoker narrowed his eyes at the subtle swirl of wind around Tsuzuki's coat. Too dangerous to rush blindly into. Very well then, hand to hand was how Smoker first learned to fight in the first place. He wasn't nearly as fast as a full human but was far from slow either, able to hold his own chasing pirates all across town, as he'd been known to do with the Straw-Hats. He ran forward to close the gap between him and Tsuzuki and carefully aimed a low kick at the man's legs. It'd be easy to block and even if it connected, the most it would do is send him off balance, but Smoker was testing to see how the shinigami would block.

"How bold..." Waiting until the last moment, Tsuzuki leapt upward. With the strength he still had, he was able to flip up to the next deck. Landing, he looked down at the marine with cold, empty eyes. If the Commodore wanted a fight, then he would grant him that request.

"Oh deities of the sky and air, lean me your power!" Swinging his left hand from right to left, a gust of wind swept over the main deck below. Using the recovery time to his advantage, he leapt down to the deck once more to reestablish their standing.

"Hn," Smoker grunted, ducking back and having to brace against the strong wind. That was interesting. Possibly useful over the Calm Belts if they had a problem running out of fuel. The White Hunter kicked up his fighting, well aware now that as long as he had to remain solid, lest he get blown away by the wind, he might as well try to make contact. He ran in close again, this time aiming his knee for Tsuzuki's chest.

Narrowing his eyes at the boorish attack, Tsuzuki dashed left at an alarming rate. He wasn't sure how much that knee might hurt. The Commodore was a well built man, but his strength was a double-edged sword. With his swift, agile form, Tsuzuki had a big advantage, but he too had a disadvantage. He still wasn't sure how much of his power he still had...

Tsuzuki seemed to be getting a good idea of Smoker's fighting style already so the White Hunter maneuvered to keep Tsuzuki between the railing and himself. He took on a defensive fighting stance again, hoping to trick him into using the last of the wind power he had left which would free Smoker to fight back using his devil fruit instead of the straight-forward kickboxing style. He aimed a short jabbing fist over Tusuzki's right shoulder with Smoker's left fist and while it went easily too high, it was a distraction for the right fisted punch he hoped the man would still be able to block or dodge.

Ducking down in a flash, the shinigami grabbed the marine's right fist with his left. He held it there with a bit of effort. It appeared he still had his strength. Looking up at the Commodore, his amethyst pools glazed over into the gaze of a predator. The Commodore had strength, but they appeared to be equal there. This wouldn't satisfy the man if they continued this way.

"Just who is the child here? I believe you said this would be logia versus ofuda. Why do you hesitate?"

Smoker smirked, "I'm not that easily baited, recruit," he answerer in a low growl. "How much wind do you have left?" He let his fist be held, he still wasn't going to use his full strength to punch or kick, not while it risked actually hurting one of his own marines. Instead he brought his knee up high to Tsuzuki's chest again, the predatory glint in Tsuzuki's eyes one that Smoker himself knew all too well from personal experience.

"I have the Wind at my disposal until I call upon another element..." He didn't dodge this time. Meeting the knee in his sternum, he suppressed his grunt. Wrapping his right arm around the raised leg, Tsuzuki's talisman glowed as he stared up again.

"Care for a little tornado, Commodore?" A swirling wind grew around them that carried them up into the air, trapped within the vortex within the thin funnel.

Smoker ground his cigars irritably. Shifting into smoke in the middle of a tornado was just begging for his insides to get shuffled up. Nevertheless, what else could he do? Smoker turned into his logia, staying solid enough to wrap around the shinigami and angle him back towards the deck. He was started to get blown away so pulled himself back together solid despite still being in midair.

Tsuzuki ignored the Marine's shifting. He focused on taking them higher, intensifying the gusts. Once he reached the crow's nest, he stood on the edge, letting the funnel recede for the most part, but he keep up a strong current. It was obvious that he could no longer fly, for it had taken a great deal of focus just to carry them this far up.

"Enjoying the view, Commodore? Can you use your logia here?"

Smoker grabbed onto the railing of the crow's nest and pulled himself over the edge, standing on the wood carefully. "I can," Smoker growled irritably. That didn't mean he would, however. Any times he tried, he'd risk another surge of wind blowing him off course. It was worse than fighting seastone. "You're not going to get anywhere just using wind on me, boy," Smoker growled, taunting despite Tsuzuki's true age of 106.

"You're right..." Releasing the talisman in his left hand, the wind died away as the paper deminished like a tissue paper set ablaze. "I thought this atmosphere would be more of a challenge..." Gripping a small stack of talismans in his right hand, he stared the Commodore in the eye.

"Which element should I call next than?" He flicked his wrist outward. The talismans glowed and slid out of his hand, connecting end to end...

"Whichever one you want," Smoker braced himself as carefully as possible on the wood. "I'm ready for it." He paused with a quick sidelong glance at the mast. "Just careful of the ship." They couldn't afford to take the time to repair it again so soon after Water 7.

"Spirits of water, heed my call and enter this brawl..." Swirling water spiraled about the glowing whip. "My shiki aren't here to reek havoc, Commodore. My ofuda is much more focused..."

The shinigami's eyes were still hard, but something in his voice said that he really didn't want to do this. In his heart, Tsuzuki had always disliked fighting. It reminded him of his sins of long ago. Gripping his right hand around the whip, he suppressed the thought to focus. Whirling the whip of water above his head, he gave the marine a look as his only fore-warning.

Water. Hn. That wasn't so good. Fire he could fight. Lightning didn't bother him, and he'd been through Whitebeard's earthquakes but wind was too risky and water was something no devil fruit user could do well against. "Call it off," Smoker sat down cross-legged in the Crow's Nest. The fight wasn't relieving Tsuzuki's stress at all, and Smoker was beginning to doubt how well he could hold his own, much less provide a challenge. Strength in fighting wasn't want Tsuzuki needed as much as strength of heart. "Talk. I'll listen and wait it out."

"Talk... About what?" Tsuzuki gaped in surprise. The Commodore was done? Had he disappointed him? The talisman whip died away, and just as the one before, it was gone moments after he let it go. The shinigami just stood on the railing, staring down at the marine. His black trench coat rippled in the light breeze, and his brown locks fluttered around his amethyst gaze. He didn't know what to say.

Smoker leaned his head back against the wood of the mast and inhaled cigars sharply. Sweet blissful nicotine. He'd long since stopped claiming he was addicted. His desire not to let his logia take him over didn't extend that far. The feel of the smoke lingering in his lungs made up for whatever control his devil power had over him. And he'd rather use the tools of the devil himself if it meant fighting on justice's side. "Your justice," Smoker answered dryly. "What is it you're looking for here?" It was better than saying 'inside you,' Smoker felt.

"Looking for...?" Tsuzuki reached for his right wrist. Gripping around his watch, his shoulders hunched forward. When he had first come to the Grand Line, he had wished to be free of his ties as a shinigami and try to find if he was really a demon, but people had seen right through him. Now, he was haunted once again by his sins. Could he ever be free of them?

"I... I wanted... to find... me." Looking out at the sea, Tsuzuki's eyes softened even more. "I want to know... if I'm really a monster..." He gripped his wrist, recalling his gravest sin of all. It was the sin that truly damned him...

"So you said," Smoker sighed, "And you hate using your powers because it hurts people." Smoker ran a hand through green-grey hair. He'd hoped that by showing ~~the kid~~ Tsuzuki he could use his powers for good it would get them somewhere. "Do you really think a man like that could be all bad? A monster?" Smoker growled bitterly. "There are men who spend their whole life striving for nothing more than power, fame, riches, who hurt others and trampling everything in their pass. You try to help others even in death. You think a man like that deserves the title of monster?" He didn't bother fixing Tsuzuki with one of his infamous stares, preferring that the shinigami thought the words over himself and actually thought about it, took it into consideration somehow.

"There are monsters like that, but I'm worse..." Pulling his wrist to his chest, a tear escaped his left eye. It took everything in him not ot break down. "I'm a coward...! A coward that slaughtered innocents and ran away! I even tried to escape the divine punishment for my crimes by commiting another! I... I'm damned! If it wasn't for the King interceeding at my trial, I would be burning in Hell...!"

"And why do you think he interceded?" Smoker pressed calmly.

Tsuzuki paused. He'd always thought that the reason Enma-Daioh had stepped in was because of the depth of his regret, which made him a great candidate for the shinigami. Having to kill more was a much worse punishment than hell in the shinigami's eyes. It had taken 80 years for him to get this numb to it, and that wasn't all that much better. Hearing the tone in the marine's voice, he knew what he was trying to say. He sounded just like Tatsumi: You didn't do anything wrong. It's not your fault. Just rest and you'll feel better. That didn't ease the pain in his heart! It only sounded like running away!

"H-How should I know?! I never understood why Enma-Daioh saved my retched spirit! I didn't deserve it! I murdereded my whole village! I killed the only person that ever cared about me! And then... then..." Tears fell once again. He couldn't help it. He'd keep everything bottled up for decades, for he knew there was no one that could accept all of him. The Commodore had been so good to him. He couldn't bare to fall in his eyes as well.

Edited 2010-01-15 23:46 (UTC)

"I said it before," Smoker growled furiously, mostly with the situation, partly with himself but very little at Tsuzuki himself who was at least trying. "A real murderer wouldn't regret it. Wouldn't feel they deserved the suffering. If you don't want it to happen again then get stronger so that it can't. Find out why it really did and make sure it never happens again. That's what you're here for. To do some good for the people here and also yourself. You have a sense of justice, kid. Of right and wrong. If someone else was in your situation, would you really rebuke them the way you are yourself?

Catching his breath, Tsuzuki gaped down at the Commodore. How could he ever say such things to someone else? Was he really just being too hard on himself?

"What... else can I do? I want to help people... but..." Suddenly, his left foot slipped from the railing. Failing his arms about, the shinigami grabbed the edge of the crows' nest. Looking innocently back at the his new boss, he gave him a look that said: I'm so useless...

Smoker snorted. "But what? You think you can't? Work at it until you do," Smoker fixed him with a stark stare that left no room for argument. "No one who can hold their own against me is incapable of doing something, or getting stronger until they do."

"Commodore..." Tsuzuki looked back at the gaze. This wasn't like anyone back home. They all treated him with knit gloves and avoided talking about things. That got him nowhere. The marine was right. He had to get stronger of heart. Then he would be able to get over his fear of himself. He would protect lives and follow the justice he had always believed in. With his legs still dangling in the air, he gathered up the courage to speak his mind.

"I want to get stronger... The only weakness I have is my fears... So many people have suffered because of me, and I don't want that to happen again... If I can, I want to be the angel that Luka called me. I want to be someone like that..."

"Then do it," Smoker growled seriously, his face a gathering storm cloud. "Get stronger until you get there. There's only one way to move on this ocean; forward and up or you'll be left behind." He fixed him with another piercing gaze, grey eyes on purple, "And I'm not leaving any of my men behind."

"Alright then." Pulling himself up, he swung his legs around to sit on the edge of the nest. He smiled that was a goal he could work on. "I won't give you a reason to, Commodore Smoker." Putting an elbow on his knee, he rested his cheek on his palm. He smiled down at the gaze. Maybe on the Grand Line he might learn to forgive...

Smoker nodded to himself and glanced out at the horizon. No matter what struggles someone faced; externally or even inside of themselves, the world kept turning. Life moved on and it was either keep up or fall behind. Aokiji had learned that long ago and Smoker knew it well by now. He wouldn't be falling behind any time soon, and if he wasn't allowed to, neither was his crew.

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ooc: Log closed

Sorry! Chelsea gets hurt if I don't give her my full attention.

Real Life should always come before RP <3

Yes, but I don't like looking like I've broken my word either...

NAH! S'fine! I'm slow right now with the meme as it is :3

The Truth or Dare one?

yeah

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Smoker won that round.

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Ha ha! This is when the fun begins!

\o/

Re: \o/

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Heh heh...

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He plotting...

haha.

Smoker... You asked for it...

Smoker underestimates a lot :| *cough cough Luffy*

Hehehehehehehehe

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Smoker won this round too

Smoker canon "Always gets his way" with Hina >> and others << It happens. He's a bastard. SMUG one

Getting closer... He's hides stuff if you couldn't tell...

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I think we've hit a breaking point... Is Smoker slow with body language? Cough! Wrist! Cough!

He gets it but he's not going to press the fact that Tsuzuki is suicidal cutting >>

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Book Luka, not his sister, but I don't think Smoker knows the diff...

he doesn't but *shrugs*

Tsuzuki has smiled!

Achievement unlocked! \o/

Smoker underestimates a lot :| cough cough Luffy

he doesn't but shrugs