TDM 007

[etrayamods]

content warnings for this TDM include: violence, potential death, body horror, physical transformation, loss of senses, loss of autonomy ⏵ arrival⏴ Arrival does not happen as Aurora usually plans for it. New characters are introduced to the AI, then informed of a mission that they are required to participate in before they can return to their home base of Etraya. A world called Aphaia is falling apart, and while there is nothing they can do to resolve this broken world, they can participate in the Gamerunner's Stratagem. Their mission is simple: step through the glowing purple portal that Aurora creates once they've had time to listen to her, and survive until a similar portal reopens in front of them, allowing them to return to Etraya. The Gamerunner's Stratagem is something they have been working on building for quite some time. She informs all newcomers that they will not be present on this world that long: their exit will appear to them exactly when it's meant to, allowing them to meet the others who have been recruited to save their worlds. She provides each and every arrival with an earpiece, allowing them to communicate with the other Etrayans. Aurora suggests taking a bag full of supplies along with them, which she will fill with a few generic items as well as any specific items they may need: synthetic blood for vampires, protein bars for those who may burn through calories faster, medication for anyone who requires it. ⏵ aphaia ⏴ Aphaia is a neon-lit, chaotic planet. Cameras are everywhere, every action and inaction is judged by the 'audience'. Towering holograms advertise upcoming events while flashing leader boards track the most "popular" players. Contestants are thrown into challenges, many of which are games of skill, survival, and deception all to keep the viewers entertained. Not participating is an option! However, avoiding playing along and not putting on a show will quickly cause participants' score to go down, and scores that reach zero? Well. Unfortunately, there are only so many resources left on Aphaia. Their wildlife has died off, their planet is falling apart, and most others in this galaxy were either destroyed from the inside out, or warring planets trying to gain control of remaining resources destroyed them to avoid others getting involved. Their natural resources are depleted, and only those who manage to keep their scores up are given the luxury of having any supplies. As soon as one steps foot on Aphaia, as soon as they breathe, they intake nanotechnology which tracks their oxygen consumption, their food, everything they do or need. As soon as their scores reach zero? They disappear. There one moment, and completely gone the next. Their communicators go offline, and while everything they were carrying will be left behind, no one will be able to find them. They are simply--gone, erased from existence. This is a death and counts as a death as outlined in the game FAQ! Please keep this in mind. "Points" that go towards their total score will be assigned to contestants from the moment they drop down on planet. This will be visible using the HUD on their earpiece, and will be randomized at the beginning. For the sake of the TDM, we ask that no one be assigned Paragon initially, but you're free to use other ranks! The possible rankings are: 100: PARAGON 99-80: LUMINARY 79-70: CHAMPION 69-50: CONTENDER 49-30: UNDERLING 30-0: SHADE Ranks may change daily, or even hourly depending on the kind of situation one has found themselves in. Are they having a very public break up in which it comes out that they wronged their ex? They may go from a Champion to a Shade before they can even blink. Did they save a defenseless reporter from the big bad villain of the week? They may find themselves quickly elevated up to Luminary and given all the benefits that comes with being upper class. The world is their oyster, they only need to figure out how they'd like to utilize it! Aphaia is broken up into four districts. The Colosseum is a dynamic battle arena where combatants fight for entertainment, with shifting environments controlled by the audience. Victories earn points, while losses depend on performance. The Symposium is a lavish social hub for top contestants, where alliances and betrayals are made under the audience’s watchful eye. The Agora is the public center of Aphaia, where contestants engage with the audience through polls, interviews, and challenges to maintain popularity. It also houses the contestants in high-rise apartments. And Backalleys provide hidden spaces with intentional blind spots for secret dealings, though the Gamerunner is always aware of what happens there. ⏵ st★rlight soirée ⏴ Something special is happening in the Colosseum. Lights flicker as the arena shifts, rearranging itself into a grand, glittering ballroom - if a ballroom had stadium seating, paparazzi drones, and an ever-changing floor plan designed to disorient those within it. Silver chandeliers pulse with artificial starlight, their glow refracted through the crystalline floors. Music swells, but it sounds - unnatural. It thrums through your veins, setting your blood alight with the urge to dance. Why is the ballroom designed as if intentionally put together to throw off one's balance? Well, it's time for the Panopticon Prom, of course! The Panopticon Prom isn't just an adventure in dancing and impressing your most recent crush. It's a test of endurance, cunning, grace, and charm. The floor beneath your feet moves as if it has a mind of it's own, shifting to the beat like a living creature all of it's own. It tilts, undulates, even vanishing in sections to keep dancers on edge. After all, it's difficult to keep up one's pace if they're falling through a hole in the floor to the foam pit below. Drones zip through the air, catching every stumble, every misstep, and every attempt to throw off others on the dance floor. This is a competition, after all; and what fun is a dance battle without having the freedom to thwart someone else on their road to victory? The rules are simple: You must dance with a partner. This can be an ally, an enemy, or someone you intend on using as a stepping stone to victory. It matters not, as long as you have one hand (or limb) on them at all times. The longer you last, the better your chances. Endurance is the name of the game, meaning one must pace themselves on the dance floor. While epic twirls and impressive moves will garner more attention, it may also hurt your chances in the long run. You may sabotage others by throwing them off balance, but keep in mind: everything is televised, and it won't stay secret for long. The arena adapts to the chaos. Expect sudden obstacles, environmental shifts, and sudden changes in the music's tempo. Gravity may shift, walls may close in, but participants can't let that stop them - they must continue to dance, if they wish to win. The audience is watching. Who will make the final cut and become Prom King and Queen? Everyone is vying for the titles: it doesn't matter what rank you started at when you joined the Panopticon Prom. Whoever wins becomes a Paragon until their points drop. There aren't many opportunities to sail through the rankings, but this is a sure way to do it. As long as they can keep up. ⏵ casino royale ⏴ Out in the Agora, another popular quarterly event is being set up! The Casino Royale has been destroyed countless times, but it seems as if the Gamerunner just can't let it go - every time it gets knocked down, it gets rebuilt. There is one rule. One must take a turn at the revolving wheel just inside the door as their entry fee, and whatever the wheel lands on, they must maintain until they exit the building for the night. Sometimes, this is easier: an effect they have no control over and cannot undo even if they wanted to. Sometimes, this is more difficult: an assigned task they must complete. Failure to abide by the wheel once means receiving a penalty. Twice? Certain death if caught by any employee. The wheel's effects are as follows: 1 You must speak entirely in rhyme. 2 Your body has become unnaturally delicate. The smallest injury hurts like a fatal wound. 3 You must avoid stepping into any sources of light. Doing so causes massive burns to appear on any area of your skin where light has touched. 4 You have been transformed into an animal! You can still think as you had before, but you cannot speak or communicate easily. 5 You have been cursed with supernatural strength, but cannot control it. 6 Time doesn't flow normally for you anymore. Each mistake you make makes you visibly younger, slowly erasing your experiences, skills, or even memories. 7 You can no longer form your own words, but only repeat what others have said to you. 8 You cannot meet another person's gaze. 9 You can no longer turn around, physically or metaphorically. If you try to return where you came from, you'll find that the pathway no longer exists. 10 You are given a specific letter that you must avoid using out loud entirely. "A"? Better hope you know enough words without one. 11 Every time you speak, your words come true - but never in the way you intended. Trying to control this is futile; the monkey's paw curls with every new sentence. 12 Within the casino, you lose the ability to feel anything. No pain, no pleasure, no warmth, and no cold. At first it may feel like a blessing - until you realize you cannot feel hunger, or tell if you're injured. 13 Regardless of if you've drunken anything, you still act inebriated. The effect only gets worse the longer you stay. 14 No one can see you. You are invisible, even if you are still able to reach out and touch or converse with those around you. 15 Any special ability you have is gone. You are reduced down to what an average human being is capable of - regardless of if you are human. 16 Violent impulses become impossible to ignore. You are rage incarnate, and you will be heard. 17 Every time you make a decision - to walk into an area, to start a conversation, anything, a small thread pulls loose from your clothing or your skin. Keep making choices, and you may become entirely undone. 18 You may speak freely, but for every syllable you say, your ability to hear slowly fades. You may want to watch your word count - too many, and you may not be able to hear at all. 19 Perhaps you arrived with a friend, or beside a stranger. It matters not: whoever came in either just before or just after you, you feel a powerful urge to protect them to the point of aggression. 20 Love is in the air - at least it is for you. Every time you meet someone's gaze, you feel the need to try and make them fall in love with you, through whatever means necessary. The casino is alive with the hum of conversation, the clink of glasses, and the steady whirl of the roulette wheels. Golden chandeliers cast a warm glow over velvet-lined tables, where fortunes are made and lost with the flick of a wrist. But something feels. . . off. The dealers never blink. The cards never seem random. And the house always wins - always. Maybe it's just paranoia, or maybe this casino is something more than just a den of chance. Tonight, you're not here just to play; you're here on a mission. You've arrived dressed to kill, blending into the sea of bodies filling the casino's floors. But you're not here to win points or boost your social standing - you're here to win intel. Somewhere in this casino is a single flash drive containing information on just how Aphaia maintains their system. The only problem? The House knows someone is coming for it. After all, they're well-aware of the game: whoever retrieves the flash drive will obtain information on how to flip the script, to change the rules of the game to fit their wants and needs, rather than following the current Gamerunner. After all, this is the Gamerunner's Stratagem that Aurora has sent them out on! Many apply for 'employment' within the Casino Royale in hopes of getting insider information on where the flash drive is hidden and what it looks like. However, it seems that even the employees have no clue where it has been hidden. ⏵ NOTES ⏴ This is an extension of our Aphaia Mission! We have included enough information in this post that catching up to current in game logs isn't necessary to play with it, but you are welcome to use any part of the Aphaia setting in your prompts as you'd like. Current players are also welcome to bring the events from this TDM into their in-game threads. This mission can happen outside of time as needed! Incoming characters will find themselves introduced to Aphaia as they arrive. Current characters may find Aurora calling on them to visit Aphaia after the current mission for the Gamerunner's Stratagem. Characters already in game are welcome to post to the TDM, too! Please mark them as current characters in your header. Threads can be kept as game canon as long as both characters get into the game! Please direct all questions relating to this log to our mod queries comment! All other questions can be directed to our FAQ. ⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Comments

sanji | one piece | new character

[sanji]

୭ st★rlight soirée

[ a colosseum doesn't seem like much of a challenge, even if sanji typically doesn't have much interest in trying to prove himself in terms of strength, at least not in ways that certain empty-brained swordsmen would try to boast. there's plenty of confidence that his kicks could get him soaring to the top of a competition and there's certainly appeal to how quickly it might be able to boost his known reputation considering his own fresh arrival. but when he steps inside, he isn't met with grunting men carrying weapons or trials of combat, as instead, the glittering display of a grand ballroom comes into his sights.

instantly, his eyes spark with a newfound interest, the glint of the glittering surroundings reflecting in his eyes as one could almost swear they see actual heart shapes shoot out from them like birds in a cuckoo clock. ]

Ohhhhh! Hellooo, beau-tee-ful ladies!

[ really, his attention only swoops to one thing, thrilled enough about seeing women in ballgowns and flashy dresses that he doesn't even think twice about what it means to enter the dance competion: ]

(1) [ if he's lucky, he'll find that his partner is exactly who he hopes it to be — a woman — which will have him descending down on a knee, hand pressed to his chest as he exaggeratedly holds out the other, similar in pose to some dramatic declaration of love. ]

Fear not, mademoiselle! I will make sure the light reflects perfectly on your form as your dear Sanji-kun supports you in being an elegant, shining star~ ♡

(2) [ but most often than not, luck isn't exactly tilted his way when he particularly wants it to be, which is likely why he finds his partner not to his preference. lit cigarette slumping downwards from where it hangs between his lips, he frowns as an excessively curled eyebrow knits inward. ]

Oi, oi, what's this? I didn't sign up to do this with a man.

୭ casino royale

[ strategically searching around for a flash drive seems simple enough (not that he has any clue what a flash drive is, but he's sure he could improvise in figuring that out at some point). initially, he's plenty skeptical that it has to be completed while a certain rule from the spun wheel is in place, but when it seems to land on 14, an excited thrill soars through his entire body — his now very invisible body.

his lifelong dream! the power of invisibility! finally achievable here! sanji nearly abandons the task of the flash drive entirely as he's consumed with a race of ideas of how he could make use of this, giggling privately to himself while he steps further into the casino and ...

someone bumps into him, a look of confusion caught on their face as they peer around at nothing before moving on. sanji, tipped forward in the minor collision, regains his balance and straightens his unseen tie with a slight shake of his head. well, that's bound to happen once or twice. not a problem. now if he could just — another bump. except this time, before he could balance himself properly on his feet, in comes another, and another, as the setting of a very crowded casino proves its great inconvenince for someone who can't be seen.

knocked down to the ground, a few stray footsteps catch on his fallen body, nearly tripping in the process before moving on, one kicking him square in the head.

sanji inhales his cigarette nearly to the butt before this invisible man shouts loudly, ]

OI, WILL YOU ALL QUIT IT ALREADY!?

୭ wild card

( open to doing other prompts or messing around with other wheel ideas! as a warning, sanji has a very loud (and often annoying) obsession with women, where he might lay on the flattery a little thick to start, but i make it a point to cool it down over the course of the interaction. also bear in mind that this is just an aspect of his personality and there won't be actual romantic intentions behind it! for women under 18, sanji will still be highly respectful but there won't be any alluded physical attraction. his canon point is generally considered to be post the whole cake island arc. )

st★rlight soirée :)

[keepitgoing]

[Peter looks left, looks right. Is he with the right person, actually? Sanji seems pretty convinced of it, but all this poor guy gets is an awkward 18-year-old with a penchant for looking completely out of his depth when a Spider-Man suit isn't involved.]

... Aw, c'mon.

I know I'm not that great at dancing, but I think I could get the hang of it.

[DOESN'T MATTER, YOU'RE BOTH MATCHED. Peter doesn't even get his spidey sense set off when an uninvolved observer shoves him from the back; likewise, Sanji gets a playful push, too, so that they're nearly knocked into each other. The orders are pretty wordlessly told: shut up and get to it.

Peter chuckles weakly as the music starts up.]

[sanji]

[ suddenly, the glittering sparkle of sanji's dreams dim down with the crushing fall of the reality, his shoulders slumping with the weight of his disappointment. where's the beautiful, humble maiden he gets to waltz across the floor, spinning her on her feet? when does he get to dip her gentle as she peers up into his eyes with the soft light of her flattered gaze? where is his dream!?

he stares at the awkward kid for a few silent moments before he raises his hand. ]

No, thanks.

[ but before he could turn to step away from this terrible match-up, he feels the nudge from behind him, colliding him into the boy. ]

Oi, what the hell is this!? I don't dance with men! [ his eyes peer around, but there doesn't seem to any indication of renouncing this mistake. sanji squints with annoyance before turning back to his partner, frowning, and reaching to grab his wrist — because he's not holding his hand for this. ] Don't embarrass me in front of the ladies, got it?

[keepitgoing]

[Peter looks at Sanji's hand on his wrist, wincing.]

... This feels like a mugging more than a dance...

[That's where his webshooters are, man! Easy with the goods. Is this a waltz? Looking at the other dancers, it looks like it's supposed to be some kind of waltz. Or is it a free-for-all? He's panicking a little, because he's immediately too aware that he's gonna embarrass this guy in front of everyone.

The music starts up, and he awkwardly tries to fall into some kind of step that doesn't involve stomping on his dancing partner's feet. Whether or not this works is for luck to decide; how is your luck, Sanji? As horrible as his?]

I'm Peter, by the way. Uh. Nice to meet you?

୭ casino royale you get 2 of mine for the price of 1

[shoplifter]

[Laura watches people bumping into some mysterious hurdle for a while, and perhaps even watches him getting curb-stomped a bit longer than he rightly deserves. It's just a little entertaining for a child who has never met a person with invisibility powers. She can't see the man, but she certainly can smell the very obvious scent of cigarettes and spices from delicious foods that she's slowly learned how to be accustomed to. Especially here, as someone who has the highest score achievable.

And boy, she can hear him.

Aphaia's youngest paragon crouches down near the poor guy with her chin in her hand; the gesture is a blessing for Sanji, because it means less patrons are near him.]

Why don't you just stop using your powers?

heck yeah

[sanji]

[ the shouting doesn't seem to work as it only seems to make every passing body seemingly confused at the presence of a random voice shouting out of nowhere. there's a few more kicks to his head, some to his back, and one that narrowly misses his groin before he manages to curl his body up in a defensive position.

he's grumbling about not even having the chance to get himself back onto his feet when he suddenly notices the young girl crouching near him. ]

Eh? These aren't exactly my powers. It just kind of — [ huh? ] W-wait! [ eyes widening, he points to himself. very invisibly. ] You know I'm here? Can you see me?

[shoplifter]

[She doesn't seem to quite look him in the eye, but she at least is. Looking towards him. Kinda. Or maybe she's just staring very intently at the ground under him that should be clear of people but obviously isnt'.]

Mm, no. I smell you.

You stink like cigarettes.

[-100 HP]

st★rlight soirée 1 ofc

[bubblegumheart]

[It could be a lot worse, she supposes. In terms of challenges she hadn't been expecting, ballroom dancing seems fairly tame in comparison. The dress they'd given her is really nice, too, if not something she'd necessarily choose for herself.

Really, it's her assigned partner's enthusiasm that gives her pause. Though, if the worst she has to deal with for this challenge is an overeager dance partner, Chrissy feels like it'll be a cinch.

Besides, it's sort of cute in an over-the-top sort of way.]

Hi. That's really nice of you, but I think the point of this is that we both look good.

[sanji]

[ see, it's with complete luck that he finds himself paired with such a cute girl, privileged for the chance to help her flaunt that elegance on the dance floor. there really isn't a moment that he considers how he should be presenting himself in this challenge, since he hardly has interest for a win when a lady is up for the prize.

but he blinks when she seems to address the partnership aspect of this whole thing and he straightens up. ]

Okay, my lovely lady, I'll make sure not to do anything that would embarrass you~ [ really, does he get it? he holds out his hand in offering to hers. ] I'm Sanji, and what is your beautiful name?

oh sanji, I love you

[bubblegumheart]

[Well, she'd known going into this that she'd be at the whims of whoever they ended up partnering her with. And sure, maybe she wasn't expecting someone quite so enthusiastic, but maybe that's not a bad thing. He seems nice enough, at least.

And really, if the worst thing she has to deal with today is this guy who wants to lay it on pretty thick, Chrissy is going to consider it a good day. Either way, she can't help but smile.]

You're funny. Do you know how to dance?

[She's hoping so, since that's the name of the game- and she's kind of doubting that he'd be okay with her leading.]

It's nice to meet you, Sanji! I'm Chrissy.

— casino royale

[ingestion]

( there's an air of rage that seemed to follow heather wherever she went and in the things she did. at this point she was far too accustomed to all the tricks and games this placed played on them all. from food that influenced their behaviors, to events that made them see illusions, it had all just become too much.

she wasn't even sure what she was expecting to find in out in agora, but she was hoping it wasn't another battle. instead what she stumbled onto, or rather stepped onto was something far more strange. )

What the hell—

( and as she bent down to reach out to the writhing mass of flesh on the floor, screaming at her, she scrunched up her face and began to poke at it. )

Disgusting...what kind of an idiot crawls around on the floor at a busy place like this. Are you trying to get yourself covered in germs?

( she isn't outright angry at the invisible man, but her attitude made it clear just how youthful she was— annoyed with the world and all of its bullshit and the people that came with it too. )

[sanji]

[ the mass on the floor is definitely writhing, with all the unintended violence that seems to be happening to him. luckily enough, he has a fairly sturdy body that a few kicks weren't going to be the end of him. after all, he's suffered through much worse.

and it's not as if he's not exactly used to finding himself in the most pathetic of predicaments, though getting poked around as he remains slumped there is definitely telling in how none of this has turned out quite as planned. ]

Oi, oi ... [ he mutters as he seems to sink in apparent defeat further against the ground, cheek pressed to the floor, as the poking seems to emphasize how ridiculous this all is. at least he can hide his shame in the invisibility. ] I tripped, is all. [ more like pushed and knocked around, but. ] Do I look like I like being covered in germs?

[ currently, he doesn't look like much of anything. ]

[ingestion]

( after she felt where exactly he was, she stood back up and held her arms out as if to create a barrier around him. most people walking by shuffled away, but if truly needed―

she was more than willing to brandish her gun to help protect him. given he was invisible and seemed to be complaining about it, he probably wasn't having the best time. [though she'll hesitate on doing anything too drastic given they were being carefully watched, points on the line]. )

Well no actually you don't look like much of anything. Why are you invisible anyways, powers? You should probably turn them off unless―

( he was trying to get ahead of all of them regarding that flash drive.... )

You dirty sneak, you're trying to use your powers to get ahead of all of us!

୭ st★rlight soirée (wow, who's this loser)

[mossheaded]

[ for as obstinate as zoro could be, if cooperation came in the form of a good fight, he wouldn’t turn it down – not when he’d already missed out once, with dressrosa’s colosseum. he hadn’t paid much attention to the finer details, but the gist of the situation was clear enough; the more points he could rack up, the better. if that meant pitting his blades against the best this world had to offer? well, sounded like his kind of game.

or not.

zoro had been understandably put out upon learning that the so-called ‘battle’ was actually some kind of stupid dance contest. (when he’d said he wanted to cut something, he’d meant it in the literal sense, not cutting a rug.) and, to compound that frustration, he was expected to work alongside some assigned partner, thus hanging his success on more than his own skill. if they slowed him down-

whatever mental threat he’d been about to make was abruptly derailed by the sound of a familiar voice, the scowl that twisted his lips near reflex by this point. zoro hadn’t needed to see that obnoxious curled brow to know exactly who it belonged to, knuckles white as he gripped at the hilt of kitetsu.

what the hell was he doing here? ]

You.

disgusting!!

[sanji]

[ being forced into a dance contest, sanji wouldn't want his partner to be anyone but the finest of ladies, prepared to shoo away any incoming man until he could rightfully catch the delicate hand of a sweet, shy maiden he could aid to be a bright, shining star in this contest. but there's being slightly annoyed by the presence of some strange man stepping into his space, and then there's this.

it just takes a mere sideways glance to catch that tuft of green hair, familiarity striking so quickly that there isn't a longer moment necessary to confirm who it belongs there. a wide range of emotions bubble up from there — rage, annoyance, disappointment (and, to his great dismay, a stray ache of guilt, as he recalls the last time he'd met with zoro had been before he'd left that letter to his crewmates, before he'd made the choice to leave them behind to sort out his own messes).

it's the first emotion that empowers itself the strongest as soon as he sees that hand on the hilt of one of those triple set of swords, a furious flame of fire growing off of his own body as he readies his own leg to counter any attack. ]

Ehhhh!? Who the hell asked for you, shitty swordsman!?

[mossheaded]

[ anger was easy. zoro understood anger, and he knew what to do with it – unlike the tangle of other, more complex emotions evoked by the cook’s presence.

their relationship had never been one about words, written instead in a language of physicality and unspoken understandings. there had never been an issue between them that couldn’t be solved with a good fight, pitting leg against steel until the tension abated and tempers cooled. whether it was the clarity that came with battle, or the way they’d always fallen into easy synchronization, reading the other down to the most subtle movements – the why of it had never mattered, as it worked for them.

for the first time, zoro had doubts.

he wanted the fight, if only because he needed to know who this man truly was; as it stood, he sure as hell wasn’t the one the swordsman had believed him to be. knowing the reasons behind his decision had blunted the edge of his upset, and he’d even forgiven him, in some regards. despite his efforts, sanji remained a part of their crew, and zoro accepted that – but they were not okay. how could they be, after learning that he would sooner risk their trust and respect, than ask for their help? had they ever understood one another at all, or was he a fool for believing they had?

zoro wanted to be angry, because that, at least, was less vulnerable than betrayal. ]

Like anyone would ask to pair with you, shit cook.

[ this wasn’t the time or place for this. regardless of what had happened prior, luffy had said he was going to bring the idiot back – and if he wasn’t here to do that, then zoro would do it in his stead. that was how a crew was meant to work. for the moment, that meant setting aside his own conflicted emotions, and handling the situation at hand.

… however difficult that may have been.

he loosened his grip on the sword, instead leveling sanji with a cold look. ]

Just stay out of my way.

casino royale!

[donfire]

[To say that Ace is good at gambling is a lie, but he loves how crowded and rowdy the casino can be.

Also, he has no idea what it is he's supposed to be searching for, so he hopes he can find someone from Etraya to ask what a flash drive is.

He doesn't feel when he bumps into something that's seemingly not there, (he landed on a 12), but he hears the nothing yell.]

Who's there?

[sanji]

[ sanji's more than prepared to simply keep yelling since his aggravation has only seemed to escalate with his predicament, but when he turns to the latest body he's run into, his words get caught in his mouth and his invisible eyes widen with the magnitude of his surprise.

it ... can't be him, can it? no, he'd seen the paper when it happened and luffy had been there himself to witness that pain for himself. but the face is unmistakable. ]

Ace? [ his unseen body manages to sit up from its place on the floor, trying to get a better look. ] Is that really you?

[donfire]

Yeah, I'm Ace. Who might you be?

[He looks to where the voice is coming from, not knowing it by sound alone.]

Are you tiny or somethin'? I can't see you.

starlight soiree - 2

[maximumlegend]

[ Sanji may be looking disappointed, but the young man he's found himself partnered up with looks outright offended. Not at the fact he's also dancing with a guy here, but more so at Sanji's reaction, considering Fabian's facial expression doesn't slip into said offense until the other speaks up, saying that. ]

What do you mean?

[ Maybe the offense is a little hypocritical - even as it drips from every single word Fabian speaks - considering the way he often speaks about girls, but-- look, he does know there are a few more important things going on here. ]

Do you think you're going to get more points if you dance with a woman? Instead you are dealing with an expert here, you know!

[sanji]

[ the other man's offense really doesn't do much to instill much guilt into sanji who merely crosses his arms, continuing to look entirely unimpressed. ]

What do you mean, what do I mean? Who cares about the points? What's to get excited over in dancing with a man?

[ sure, sanji likes a good win, but it only really matters if it's winning for the sake of a woman, or if it's for his own crew's protection. of course, he does have plenty of his own pride, but — well, he has his priorities. ]

It's a lady who holds the true beauty and elegance in dancing. Why would I be impressed by you?

st★rlight soirée

[unaliveyourself]

I didn't either!

[The cranky whine follows Sanji's own expression of dissatisfaction immediately, as Dazai allows the air stuffed up in his cheeks like a squirrel to deflate, crossing his arms in something like disgruntlement.]

A really annoying oversight, if it wasn't done on purpose. If you were to refuse and simply allow your score to drop to zero in protest, I'd completely understand.

[There sure is an alarming lack of sarcasm to that statement,,,]

[sanji]

[ an oversight seems to be an understatement, considering the amount of cute girls looking incredibly stunning around while clearly in need of a partner to help them shine upon the dance floor. sanji's own cheeks purse a bit, cigarette in his mouth angled upward with the gesture, before brows begin to knit tightly with the other guy's very incorrect assumption. ]

Ehh?? You think I'd quit over some guy like you? I can still make it to the top, even if I've gotta be stuck with you. It's just a damn waste when I could be helping some lovely woman be supported in shining on the dance floor.

[ grumbling, he steps forward, arms held out. ]

Straighten up. We're not losing, just cause you're a slouch.

st★rlight soirée (captain swinging in late, no Starbucks)

[tensibility]

[Luffy is always down to party and dance with the best of them, but this glittering ballroom and stuffy competition ain't it. He's kind of prefer to be throwing fists right now.

You know, until he's met with a familiar face.]

Sanji!? [The last time this Luffy has seen his cook was Whole Cake. So that smile has a slight edge to it. They had just agreed to crash a wedding--save Sanji's family and get the cook back. The main problem with all of that is, well, Luffy had ended up here before they actually got to do any of it.]

ahh! ♡ oh captain my captain

[sanji]

[ as easily distracted as he might be with the scatter of woman around him, there are few voices that take absolute priority over any other body that happens to be in the room, and luffy's just might be the one that could get his attention the most (and nami-san, of course).

the sound of his voice has sanji's head doing an instant turn, immediately directed towards his captain. though stuff had still been feeling a little strange from his end, on account that he had just officially returned back to his place on the thousand sunny, there's relieved joy in seeing luffy's face, who had just helped him save his family, after a confrontation that had allowed him to finally open up to asking for help.

a smile spreads wide on sanji's face, holding his arm high and waving. ]

Oi, Luffy! [ he greets, before stepping quick over in his direction. ] So you made it here too, eh? Have you seen any of the others? Nami-san? Chopper? Brook? Carrot-chan?