justicereigns | [Audio]

Yeah, well too many people here are like that. [Waves a hand. But seriously, have you met Jack Sparrow? Because clearly that is who just described. Only nicer because you left out scurvy and fleas.]

What? Why would I kill you for that?

[He probably will Lupin, he probably will. Tread carefully.]

[He has met Jack. They got drunk on wassail and destroyed a pillory--all this, after bonding over hunting down Sith Turkeys.

Lupin cracks a smile, but braces himself all the same. The Marine who only thought she was big and scary wasn't going to take this lightly.]

You...kinda don't have the same oomph that you did back in December. It's your...uh, size and ...'assets' really. They...

[Pause.]

Dammit, Cap', you're pretty hot and you'll want to cover yourself better if you want every straight man in the vicinity to not oogle and take you seriously!

[Opens his mouth at not having the same "oomph" as he does as a man -- Ikki said the same thing, but didn't that just prove Lupin was sexist? Women are fucking dangerous too! There's no difference in terms of overall strength just because of size and -- wait. WAIT. WHAT? So Smoker promptly chomps down on the cigars and growls furiously.]

FOR YOUR INFORMATION--!

[AND THEN BLUSHES BRIGHT RED. He doesn't want to zip up just because Lupin's a pervert, BUT EW. So he attempts another withering glare and growling tone; which is just as damn ineffectual as before for all the reasons Lupin said and more.] You're not my type.

[AND THEN EVEN MORE RED BECAUSE WHAT THE HELL. He meant it to be insulting but that sort of implies he has a type and FUCK HIS LIFE. And so, despite the refusal to let the Malnosso "win," Smoker zips his jacket right up. And turns around with his arms folded across his chest.] Women are more than just their bodies. Prat. [You know what? He's going to back-kick Lupin's knees for that like a mule. Don't tell him it's only a third the strength of his usual rib-crushing kicks.] Keep your eyes on business!

Cap?! You--I--!

[he doesn't get words out before Smoker kicks his knees, the sudden jolt has him hissing as he exhales. He pushes the chair away, hoping that the distance and the Marine's shortened reach will keep him relatively safe from further mayhem.]

I didn't mean like that--I-- [pout] I know women are more than their bodies!

[case in point: Fujiko. Daisy.]

I was trying to let you know that you were distracting, is all.

THEN STOP BEING DISTRACTED!

What kind of a man are you?! You can't think as long as a woman is half naked in front of you?

[TO BE FAIR TO LUPIN, most men would have this problem. Especially with the Valentine's event going on. Smoker just prides himself on justice first, sex later. Even if it's more like smokes first, justice just barely under that then everything else... point is. He wasn't distracted by Boa Hancock's sex appeal, so surely Lupin should be able to avoid being distracted by Smoker's newfound... whateverness. Boobs. Clearly not sex appeal, because he's sure it can't be as bad as all that.] Just drink your drink.

How badly were you hurt anyway? By the brawl in the tunnels I mean. [Not that he cares.]

[he OBEYS. It's mostly to save some of his pride in the eyes of Smoker rather than genuine fear, but he downs the rest of his tumbler as a means of quelling his protest. It could have been worse for Smoker. Much worse.

They could have not even gotten very far in their conversation. Lupin could have broken out into reckless flirting.

He breathes, collects himself, and straightens his posture, eyes firmly on Smoker's face than any...assets.]

Broke a few ribs. It's not terrible, just annoying as hell. I've really had a lot worse, but it makes telling jokes and fun conversation a bitch and a half.

[more rum.] Gunshot wounds at least keep you down for a while from bloodloss, or they can be bandaged properly and slinged. This? It's just a pain in the ass.

Edited 2012-02-16 01:58 (UTC)

[It seriously could have been worse, and would have with most. And Smoker shouldn't have been walking around shirtless if he didn't want this kind of attention. Moron.]

[Although he appreciates the not flirting. Even if he doesn't know it yet. He turns back around, just sits crosslegged and grumpy-ish and drinks his own rhum. Mmmm rhum...]

I see. [Arches an eyebrow.] And Adele's your doctor? [Better than Law, in Smoker's pirate hating opinion.] She seems like a smart woman at least. [And nice. Not bossy. But then, Smoker's not the one with the cracked ribs, and she hasn't told him to stop smoking yet so...] Who broke them?

Yeah, she is. Has already threatened to sedate me too, and whacked me across the head a few times.. [But she was smart. Uncomfortably so.

He watches Smoker get comfortable again, lounging on the furniture in a way that would please Jigen to no end. Despite his misgivngs, he cracks a smile.]

Do you want the long version, or the short version?

[Smirks at Adele smacking him. He's sure Lupin deserved it. Obviously.]

Long. [He doesn't explain why, but again it's the whole solitude for a month and a half thing. Besides, the more information the better. He's already learning a lot from this discussion with Lupin; which after so long of not being able to himself, is rather nice.]

[That makes him lift his brows, though he doesn't voice his surprise at this. Explain he does though, with no guile or games. It wasn't giving up; it was regrouping.]

Well, like with Stark and his grand idea for a little fight club in the tunnels, I've been getting restless too. I've tried little projects here or there--journal stalking, costuming...

I tried to make smoke bombs too. I haven't found any of my tools aside from my gun here, so I figured I'd try to rig some together. Lockpicks...are easy. Just get to the right shops, find the right set of pliers...

But smoke bombs? Not so much. I--well. I kinda set my room on fire. Pissed off several people, including my neighbor above my room.

She is very tall, very strong, very beautiful, and was very angry. We had a little 'altercation', lets just say, and she kicked me pretty damn hard. Cracked a few ribs.

But the restlessness didn't go away, so when Tony made his announcement and we talked, he kinda pissed me off, so I wasn't really thinking when I jumped in. Then...[shrug] I was in. No fighting it, except obviously to fight.

If you're looking for names, the woman was Daisy, and my opponent was a kid called Spada. Seemed like a trained fighter--and I just wanted to blow steam.

It was stupid, in hind sight.

Edited 2012-02-16 03:06 (UTC)

Costuming? [That sounded weird. Why would you want to do that to yourself? But Smoker is thinking of a certain Halloween Shift where he was basically stuck in a Winnie-The-Pooh costume.] Oh. Like disguises. [Nods for Lupin to carry on. The lockpicks comment certainly gets a disapproving eyebrow arch though. Bad thief.]

So you see it as more your fault? [WELL so did Smoker, but he's surprised that Lupin has that wisdom or depth to him. There might be a slight shift in respect. It's fine to make mistakes as long as you get stronger from it and learn better, which can't be done by simply blaming others.] I am familiar with Daisy. [By reputation mostly.] Though not Spada. Has it really been that quiet? [This makes Smoker edgy. It should mean that the Malnosso are plotting something huge... but Ikki mentioned that everyone lost an entire weekend. Are they having problems themselves???]

I see it as me being stupid, not thinking. [He sighs at this.] The one thing I fear in this life is boredom. Not doing anything. I don't do well with it even normally, but its not like I can go woo college girls and promise them the world here. I can only just be here.

I don't like it. It's been waaaaay too quiet for my tastes.

Too quiet for mine as well. [It makes his ears itch. He likes the quiet, but this doesn't feel right.]

Have you ever thought of doing something productive with your time?

[Not that Smoker is one to talk. He reads, smokes, drinks, stacks rocks, and practices jitte. And that's between trying to stalk all the pirates. Which is basically all indulging addictions and bad habits. But he has tried a few things. And more jitte moves. Still, beats blowing up your bedroom and getting kicked in the ribs by a spartan. At least when you have to spend weeks on end doing even less just so you can repair.] I would send you to my friend to put you to work at his greenhouse... but I doubt the Malnosso were so kind as to return him after I left. [Frowns. He didn't even get to give Lab his Christmas present. And that was right after Grell left too. Tch.] Didn't you have any other hobbies before this world?

I had the Game. I didn't need hobbies, except for when jobs ran dry. [Rare was the day when that happened. So long as there were corrupt politicians, artifacts to be hidden, and puzzles to unravel he would always have work.] Back home I would sometimes race cars--but with no vehicles, or even a good road, what good is that here?

Motorcycles? [Ears perk. Smoker loves his Billower Bike. And misses it like the dickens.]

Tch, yeah, Donatello said they had a hard time getting anything for vehicles to work here, even if they had fuel. [Such as Smoker's devil fruit which is how he powers his ~~love of his life~~ motorcycle.]

You could try building and racing sailboats. [He totally says this with a straight face. Because he's serious.] Or build a ship in a bottle. Or find a hobby here.

Haaahh~~ Shoulda figured that Donatello would have worked on that at some point. No surprise, no surprise~.

[he drinks more rum, pondering all of this carefully. Here was some advice. It was unasked for. It was free.] You proposing a race there, Cap'? 'Cause that'd be cool if we can work it out sometime.

My problem though is that I don't want to get too comfy here. I want to find a way out, or at least a way to hit our handlers, remember? I don't want to get distracted--and I will get distracted if I go shipwright.

I haven't seen him around yet. I should make sure he's okay.

A boat race? [Thinks it over. It is actually not his forte, believe it or not. He doesn't know how to make ships, and while he can sail, he's nervous on small ships since he can't swim. So a single capsize would be instant death for him.] Only if we had teams... and then you'd have to best pirates who are very good at what they're doing. There's an actual pirate game involving that.

A way out... [Chews his cigars slowly.] You really think you could get complacent so easily? [Takes a drink and gives an extremely rare compliment, but mostly because he doesn't completely mean it that way. Then again, he doesn't NOT mean it that way either.] Someone as ambitious as you? Seems unlikely no matter how "distracted" you get. [Even if boobs distract Lupin easily :| Those are different. Because Boobs. That's why.] Besides. [Says this casually between finishing his drink and pouring more.] For someone so good at disguises and crap, I'd think you'd want to pretend a little complacency to surprise our captors so they don't see anything more coming.

I spoke with him last month. He was all excited to talk about the research topic our handlers gave him for a few weeks, which was dragons. He seemed pretty damn chipper about it too. [then again, who wouldn't be? It was dragons!

He watches Smoker witn unwavering eyes in consideration of the sport with a small smile and a shrug.] Anything, really. It doesn't have to be boats, but maybe organizing something like that in the summer might be fun. Just as a thing to do, really.

[Because veryone needed a diversion, from teenagers to geniuses. People needed a distraction. people needed something, anything.

being told those things by a man he barely knows is a really good ego booster. Not that he needed it, but hearing someone say it not in jest is refreshing. He can feel some of the tedium that had settled into his brain lifting.]

You know? I hadn't actually looked at it like that, Cap'. Got wrapped up in things and all. That's what I mean by distracted.

Have you ever considered life on the other side? You'd be damn good at it.

Dragons? [All the ear perking again. Definitely will have to ask Don in person about it.]

Like running? [This actually really does interest him. But he's normally six foot six and chases pirates all day like a dog. Why wouldn't it?] I meant to talk to Ginia and Selphie, if she's still here... [Damn it Selphie has to still be here. She's grown on him too much.] about having a baseball league. If we could get enough people. [Smoker. Loves. Baseball. He (canonically in games) plays Catcher with the marines.] Or even just having a couple of games would be good.

[Oh Lupin. You just lost Smoker's good side for now. Those words especially. That was Drake's reason for leaving the marines. "To see how the other side lived."] No. [Brief, but very firm. Closed discussion, not something you want to bring up again if you value your life and/or limbs in tact.]

[The brief, short syllable gives him pause. Oops--that was completely the wrong move. He bites down the urge to apologize in Japanese, 'honto ni sumimasen deshita' and instead chooses his words carefully.]

I didn't mean to imply you were a corrupt element. There's a lot of overlap in my world, and probably everywhere, but there are always a few honest-to-God cops that you just can't bend and whose minds are always surprising. Pops, for example. I respect him, and its rare that we do work together. He usually barks that he 'doesn't work with thieves'.

My bad. Sorry.

But yeah, maybe if we draw up some plans and bring them up to Ginia or Selphie or whomever, we can get something rolling sometime.[another shrug, another sip of rum.

Another moment of watching, like he always is anymore.]

I don't work with thieves either Lupin. Remember that.

[Lights up a fresh pair of cigars, his mouth is smaller, but he's had decades of experience, and he's too stubborn to stop now.]

[For all of Smoker's gruff though, he has been known on occasion to sort of work with them. If you can count very temporarily looking the other way. But he knows Lupin was... sadly... just doing the same thing Luffy did, in his own way. It's just not something Smoker will ever be happy or comfortable with. The marines are corrupt as hell, but he doesn't think they'll be changed from the outside. And just because it's corrupt doesn't mean they can't do good. Better than just giving up on them entirely. But that gets back into the whole not giving up on people in general, even some pirates and thieves have good in them that isn't worth tossing away.] I also have a lot of respect for Zenigata as you know. [Other than Ikki, Kohaku, and Ginia, Zenigata's pretty much Smoker's best friend in Luceti now. Seeing as Labrador and Grell are gone.]

[He waves a hand dismissing the worries on Lupin's behalf. Not like Lupin would know about Drake. Smoker just doesn't want the offer. Or would-be compliment, however the intent. But then Smoker is a rare man who deals better with insults than compliments really.]

Some form of sports would be nice anyway. Selphie would definitely get a kick out of it.

...I know you respect Pops, and that's part of why I respect you. [That, along with the firm but relaxed demeanor, the stern but well thought words, and the acceptance of their differences inherently without attendant lectures on laws and morality did much to Smoker's benefit. It was a simple misstep, really.

He was mentally kicking himself.]

That wasn't entirely why I wanted to talk to you though. I just...I'd rather go to someone like you than my direct friends, is all. I'm not gonna ask you to work with me, and there's nothing I can do to make you anyway.

[Smoker doesn't lecture on morality where it'd be wasted.]

[And he blinks in surprise. And blushes a little. He's respected? Oh, that's kind of nice actually. But the being talked to over friends...]

What is it you want help on? [Not that he will help, but he might. If it's a good cause. Which by the sounds of it, seemed likely if the not!pirate wasn't going to his not!nakama.]

...I'm thinking on getting some actual training, because I'm not very useful in a fight without my toys.

[He sets his tumbler aside and reaches for his Walther, setting it down on the table with a soft -clack-] I can do fine in a bar fight, but when the chips start flying I like to have this on hand...and--well. I only have a half a clip, four shots, left in there. That's my entire store.

[Hence the failed smoke bombs, hence the frustration, hence his impulsive decision to brawl in the tunnels in the first place.]

If I go to Pops, it'll turn into a game--it always does. Same with Jigen, but differently.

[He levels his gaze, completely serious.] I promised them I'd find a way out, and I don't want them to start losing faith if I start doing things a little differently.

Frankly, I was hoping you could help me.

[Nods his head. He will. He wouldn't normally be willing to train a pirate, but well... Smoker's been known to make exceptions]

[He has conditions for it, however. And holds up three fingers to count them off.]

I will depending on three things. First, Zenigata has to be all right with it. [Because teaching jitte to someone who regularly fights his bff: another jitte wielder seems unwise at best, dangerous at worst. And while Smoker assumes Lupin means regular hand to hand, Smoker's style is still straight-forward cop, and he doesn't want to overstep a line.] You can ask him in your own way, or I will. If he refuses then my hands are tied, but I'll try to find a way to teach you something to defend yourself against the other idiots. Secondly, while the Doctor might be overly concerned, I'm not a doctor, and I'm a devil fruit user besides. For some reason she likes you enough that she doesn't want to see you in pain or worse. Pushing the limits is fine, overstepping them isn't. So go see her to make sure you're in enough shape to handle the lessons.

And thirdly, you cross the line in this place once, and you're out. I don't mean the petty kid stuff -- [By which means blowing up your apartment or fight club.] -- I mean if you endanger my other students with something stupid we're through. [Crosses a finger over her neck in demonstration.] Kirimi's gone home so I don't have too many kids in the lessons now, but some of them are clutzes, and others are just starting. If you fool around and get them hurt or involve them in stupid antics, we're done.

[Offers a handshake.] Welcome aboard Lupin.

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