genessia | Text / Action for Misc.

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Text / Action for Misc.

Other than going cold turkey, what can you do to deal with an addiction? And how do you know for sure that it is an addiction? Especially if it's something you still need in your life? Like work, or exercise, or food, or sex, or whatever.

- S

[A is for Action: At the Sycamore Cycles, Smoker seems pretty well focused. Nothing out of the ordinary going on with him, even if he is wearing the leather jacket despite the heat, that's still not that unusual for Smoker. And it's a lot cooler this week than last. This time it's not jazz on the radio, but rock instead, although he doesn't appear to be enjoying himself any less. However, upstairs, he keeps playing with a pen, apparently trying to chew gum and smoke at the SAME TIME, and fidgeting about with wanting to make coffee... and not wanting to. Weird. Even for Smoker.]

[B is for Baseball: At the batting cages, Smoker cranks up the speed to as high as it will go, and despite wearing very dark motorcycle goggles at night, he does seem to be hitting the balls fairly regularly. It's cheating though, he's just got the rhythm figured out, and he needs a pitcher. Preferably not like Garp though, no one needs to practice batting cannonballs, not even someone who wants to catch the future pirate king.]

[C is for Carp: And then he's just fishing. And he looks really really out of place with it. Like he's the fish debating whether to go for the bait despite the obvious hook or leave it be and look somewhere else. Decisions, decisions.]

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[ Eep. She waves off his hand, nose twitching a little before she looks over her shoulder at her again. ]

I would not say it is exactly "putting up with you" either, Smoker. Then again, perhaps a situation where it would call for that simply has not come up yet.

[You know that bad timing thing Smoker does?]

[THIS IS ONE OF THOSE TIMES.]

[READY?]

[READY?]

[HOW ABOUT NOW?!]

[No just kidding, he chickens out like always.]

[Reforming his arm and rubbing the back of his neck, red-cheeked.] Even with midnight fights with Portgas?

Ah... no, don't answer yet. That makes it sound like it's equally his cause.

[HOW TO DO THIS.]

[He drags the gloved hand down his face.]

[He's floundering to the point of almost asking Adela for help, but even Smoker is not that cowardly.]

I might be addicted to catching pirates. And I guess he's trying to humor me. Or he just enjoys bugging me but...

[Yeah that's like a 2 on the scale when what he needs to tell her might be an 8.]

[Gah.]

Did... you get things kind of worked out with him now?

[ She can take a 2, but who knows about an 8. Adela nods to him, smiling a little at seeing him so flustered. She's not even teasing him that much, he makes it too easy. ]

I was wondering what that text was about.

[ A little sad that she was wrong, but maybe that's only for now. ]

I do not think you have much to worry about, quite honestly. Yes you do still fight with Ace, but part of it is because he does enjoy bothering you. That much is simple to see. You still have other things, and is it stopping you from enjoying other things, like your work or fishing or baseball?

[ A beat, and she goes back to the parts she was working on assembling. Probably to try and hide the big grin that she's wearing. ]

... He did come by and apologize the other night. You were right about that much.

Mm.

[Back to cranking on bolts.]

[Puffs on the cigars.]

He stole my motorcycle for a joyride.

And that was after stealing my jitte a week ago.

[PUFFS HIS CHEEKS UP.]

[HUFF.] Actually... it was kind of fun.

I am glad to hear that.

[ Maybe a small part of her wants to tell Smoker that Ace was a little concerned over how Smoker would take him as well, but she thinks better of it and keeps working. ]

Ah...

But that's not such a good thing.

[Looks up and over at her.] At Punk Hazard, my men were acting extra idiotic. They said if they didn't, it was too easy to like the Straw Hats. I thought that was absurd at the time, but now I think I understand the difficulty they were facing.

I told him to trust me to hold my own, but I underestimated the effect a pirate could have on me.

Do... you understand what I'm saying, Adela?

I think a little. I suppose... It is difficult to suddenly act like none of that matters here, is it not?

[ She'll put down her tools and look to Smoker again, picking up her coffee mug and taking a sip as she mulls over her next thought. ]

Even if he is a pirate, he is still far too likeable to simply hate for that, right?

[Nods.]

Especially knowing he was raised by someone whose foundation of justice greatly impacted all of us.

[Rubs the back of his neck.] Although I've no doubt his Grandfather would kick my ass and thoroughly make me wish I could sink through the ground, but whatever.

[She gets the gist at least! The important stuff.]

Tashigi said I should use a simple solution, but the simple solution... causes complications?

Tch... Maybe I'm just looking at this all wrong.

Sorry for troubling you with it, but I guess the only way to figure out where the lines are crossed and to uncross them is like this.

What are you speaking of, Smoker?

[ At some point he's lost her, and she really has no clue just what he's going on about. Where lines are crossed, and uncrossing them? Honestly Adela has no idea, so she'll wait for Smoker to either explain or... Well hopefully explain but she won't be too sore if he changes subject. ]

[Facepalms.]

When Maribelle and I worked things out, she was also worried about me doing something stupid, and at the time I thought it was as absurd as my men acting like idiots. And now...

[How to say this...]

[Puts down the wrench and coffee cup so he doesn't accidentally break anything.]

When you first drawn to the forge, was it because of your uncle, your magic, the lure of fire or something else?

[It's not actually a subject change, just... roundabout as hell.]

What? Uhm... I do not know... I did not discover my magic until I was older, so I suppose it would have been interest in his work, admiration for him, and seeing how he could control such dangerous tools and assets with ease.

I see.

That's... similar to how I am too.

With pirate hunting, and fire, and motorcycles.

Even baseball and fighting, to a degree. It's a matter of one's own strength and skill handling the situation, isn't it?

That's part of the problem with Portgas and me. We cancel each other out. So we keep trying to find other ways to fight... so to speak.

[Adela are you sure you are not his daughter? Because that was so much like him it almost unnerves him but he loves her for it.]

[ She still has literally no idea where he's going with this, so for the moment she'll nod and wait for him to continue. At some point she does get that it might be easier if she's not staring at him the whole time, so for the moment her own empty coffee mug has her gaze. ]

I kissed him.

To shut him up, but...

I knew you were close and--

[.... Just gives her a moment to fall over, crash into things, knock over motorcycles, or whatever else is going to happen to epitomize the trainwreck that is everything about this.]

[And please ignore how his face is currently the color the strawberries he introduced her to. Because there is NOTHING that can fix that.]

[But he's gotta do this, at least he can be strong about it!]

You're way more important to me than him. So I care most about making sure you're okay. I'll figure something out, no matter what, but I don't want you to get hurt just because we're both fucking morons. Him and me, I mean, not you.

[S i g h.]

Edited (icon indecision) 2016-08-06 04:29 (UTC)

[ Aaaaand suddenly that mug is very very very fascinating to her.

Smoker and Ace had...

It's taking a little bit to process. ]

[ Maybe more than a little bit. She feels far too warm suddenly.

They had kissed? There wouldn't be any other reason for Smoker telling her this unless it's what she thinks it is, too. And, as Smoker might expect, it does hurt a little. It's uncomfortable, not the idea of them being together, but...

Absently, a part of her wonders if this is why Ace said he wasn't interested in her, but thankfully she soon enough dismisses it as unimportant -- his reasons were his own and no one else's. All that matters in the end is that things are as they are. ]

[ It probably feels like far too long to Smoker - it certainly does to Adela as she breathes out a sigh, allowing her shoulders to slump and leaning back in the chair after. She'll finally meet his eye again, still rather pink but smiling - a little forced, but at the same time not. ]

What you both do together is no concern of mine -- you need not worry for that. In fact, if that is what makes both of you happy I could ask for nothing more.

[Just...]

[Laughs nervously at that...]

I don't think happy is the right word.

I want to punch myself repeatedly.

[But he watches her cautiously, taking in every little reaction she has to get a better beat on it and to take his cues from her.]

Well, it is still no concern of mine. Do not trouble yourself over it anymore Smoker.

[ She's not going to give away any more than that if she can help it, though Smoker might be able to pick up on the slightest bit of shakiness to her. It's hard, but... She'll bear it. ]

[She's almost too much like him.]

[Really.]

[Because he would be doing the same thing. Only times five. Since he's had twice as long to perfect it.]

[Which doesn't reassure him in the least.]

[He's almost tempted to ask Kuzan, since he was able to handle Smoker's teen years, but that would require explaining the severe awkwardness, which he hopes to never ever ever have to do again.]

Hn.

[He doesn't completely believe her, but going off the theory that she's reacting like he would, he would have preferred his friends went along with it and let him keep his pride for as long as he could.]

[So he cranks open the piece he's working and sets it up for her to do.]

Here, I think you can handle this part better than me, all right?

[Unless she wants space to flee. Because girls. Or something.]

Very well.

[ She sets the mug down and makes her way over, taking over for the moment and honestly feeling quite happy to do so. If nothing else, it'll help keep her busy and her mind on other things at least. ]

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