estoria | I'm a whole lot better [CLOSED]

Entry tags:

sanji,
zoro roronoa

I'm a whole lot better [CLOSED]

Who: Zoro

serving_love
When: IC 7/19 during the event
Where: Straw Hat Apartments, Occupancy 2
What: Neither Zoro nor Sanji have ever told anyone else in the crew where they spent their two years training. Spirit fox shenanigans are going to force them to find out each other's secret.
Rating/Warning: nothing I can think of, maybe some sensitive topics discussed?

[Zoro has been on the slightest of edges since the day the world glitched around him, and though he still chalks it up to a technology problem inside ViViD, since it happened while he was in the gravity room, Weiss's information makes him wonder. Was he supposed to be in that train tunnel? Was he supposed to die?

And then this place just gets worse on him today, he wasn't sure for a good number of hours but now he's certain there's a weird white fox trailing him around. Only not a real one, no, it's all wispy and shit, and whenever he turns to look at the flitter of white, gauzy movement in his peripheral sight, it darts away, avoiding his eye. He only saw it once for the fox-shape it is, on his way back from the dojo, and though he hurried his pace to get indoors without it and hopefully trap it outside, he's pretty sure he just saw it drift through the kitchen. Dammit.

He is not drunk enough for this.

He hasn't even hardly settled into the couch cushions and he's up again, pacing, trying to see where the ghostly fox went. Maybe he can chase it out? Maybe he can find a fresh bottle of sake in the kitchen while he's at it. Cook's around, though...]

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[Shrugs, letting his hand fall again.]

I guess they ain't exactly hurting anything.

[For now. Rarely does something weird popping up like this not lead to a whole bunch of bullshit not long after. He sighs, mimicking Zoro.]

What's yours?

[Sanji wanders over to the breakfast bar, taking a seat as Zoro rummages through his kitchen. He makes an effort to ignore his fox trotting along after him, because it's actually really annoying. Fuck, why can't he just look at the thing straight on? It's just a shitty nuisance as is.]

[He's weighing his options, don't worry, Sanji. He won't make a mess.]

Not by themselves, no, but I was at the dojo earlier and I'd swear it did something to make me light-headed for a second.

[Aha! Success! A light sake will do nicely this time of day. He turns around, mouth opening to answer the question, and without being able to see Sanji's spirit animal, blunders right through it. He doesn't know he's about to get a memory movie in his head...sorry about that, cook.]

[That gets Zoro a sharp look as Sanji's brow furrows in confusion.]

Light-headed...?

[But he's about to have his own question answered, as suddenly a wave of nausea washes over him, strong enough that he sort of grabs at the breakfast bar in alarm because he abruptly feels like he's going to pitch sideways off his stool. He sucks in a breath, cringing against the sudden unpleasant onslaught, completely unaware of what Zoro's about to see.

Which is...pink. Lots and lots of pink. Waking up on some kinda shitty island, sick with panic and worry over missing crewmates with nothing but nightmares of pink and frills to keep him company. The scenes slip by like a slideshow, shot after shot slotting into place and taking Zoro through the first days of Sanji's stay at that place.

His own personal hell.

He's being chased for the majority of it, by big, burly men in dresses and high heels, all calling out to Sanji, trying to say he's one of them, one of them—

For the rest of it, he's fighting. Fighting and getting his ass handed to him. There might be glimpses of a certain pink dress in particular, too, and of blonde hair extensions and terrible makeup. But the memory fades away before that picture can form in any real clarity, though Zoro might be able to put it together.

Meanwhile, Sanji's over here just trying to take slow, deep breaths until the dizziness goes away, one hand now pressed against his temple.]

What the fucking shit...

[Now that...that is a rather educational slide show.

Zoro drops the bottle of sake, which fortunately doesn't shatter against the counter but it does make a loud clunk before it rolls away from him. He freezes in place, not even noticing the lack of alcohol in his grip, as the mind-searing pink vision plays in his head. The scenes don't make any sense, but certain repeat elements finally get through to him - the running, the men in dresses (what?), and the sheer pinkness of it all.

When it ends, he's left standing there blinking in shock, hand empty and still curled as if around the neck of a bottle.]

What the fuck.

[It comes out breathless, completely stunned. How does he even begin to process what he just saw? Where was that?]

Cook. You. What did I just...?

Eh?

[He squints up at Zoro, still trying to fight back the lingering nausea. Of course, the look on Zoro's face has Sanji quickly sitting up. The empty hand still hovering in midair doesn't help anything, either, and Sanji finds himself feeling alarmed all over again.]

What did you just what? The hell just happened, marimo??

You. [the empty hand curls so he can point at Sanji, wagging his finger loosely] I saw you. Somewhere pink. With...flowers and heart-shaped shit and all that. [and then, without even really putting anything together into a conclusion, he feels like he has to press for an answer] Where was that? We've never been to an island like that.

[For a moment, Sanji's just confused. What Zoro's saying, what he's describing, doesn't make any sense. Oh, it all sounds horribly familiar to Sanji, of course, but Zoro shouldn't have any idea about that place. He shouldn't know what that hell looked like.

So the more he says, the wider Sanji's eyes get. The bigger the block of ice in his stomach grows. Dread explodes in his gut, and he stands abruptly, the stool shoved backwards behind him and nearly toppling over.]

How the fuck should I know?

[Is what he spits out, but his voice is all wrong and panicky and ugh, fuck, he stood too quickly and he's hit with another rush of vertigo that has him stumbling slightly, making him take a step backwards right through Zoro's own wispy fox.]

If we haven't been there then we haven't... How did you even...?? I don't—

[And then his own head goes fuzzy as he's treated to one of Zoro's memories!]

[FUCKING. VERTIGO.

It's a good thing he already dropped the sake, because the wave of dizziness nearly knocks him completely over, only by the grace of gripping the edge of the counter in time does Zoro stay on his feet. Mostly. He sags against the counter, and has just forgotten the word 'potato.'

But what Sanji gets in turn is no fun, either.

The flailing of hairy baboon limbs and glint of light off metal weaponry probably goes by in a blur, there isn't much distinct that Zoro remembers about any of them except the one with the tell-tale mimic sword. But there's a cloudy sky, a foggy landscape, tall fir trees and curly-cued hillsides. Blood. Darkness. A castle? Whatever half-formed images there are coalesce in a face familiar to them both. Cool, superior, heavy-lidded golden eyes and a frown of disapproval. Sanji may see through Zoro's eyes, then - his hands on the floor, then Mihawk's perplexed frown vanishing as Zoro's head bows fully. The sound of Mihawk's amused laughter, You're asking me to raise with my own hand a swordsman who is after my head?

It's everything he wouldn't want the others to know.

Zoro is cursing his little ghostly shadow as he comes up for air, breathing huge gulps of it to steady himself and his stomach.]

Fucking...!

[Sanji reels, clutching at the breakfast bar as the images flash through his mind. None of it makes any sense because he's certain it never happened. At least, not since Sanji's been around. And dammit, he was there the first time Zoro faced off against Mihawk, that's not something he's ever likely to forget -- so he sure as hell knows they haven't run into the man since then!

He's staring hard down at the bar top when the memories finally fade away, drawing in deep breaths. There are a million questions he wants to ask, and somewhere in the back of his mind something sparks. He's too busy scrambling to understand what he saw, too busy mentally shouting what the fuck?! at everything to really make the connection, but if Zoro's suddenly spouting off shit about where Sanji was during their hiatus from the crew, then is this...?

But he can't get the bits and pieces to fully coalesce into an actual realization, and instead he just blurts out the one thing that stands out above everything else.]

Mihawk...?

[all the questions he still has about this pink place and the weird people disappear from Zoro's head for a moment when Sanji says that one word.

The color drains from his face, and even if he has managed to straighten up all manfully, the hard stare he has for Sanji is anything but confident. He looks genuinely shaken, and if possible, a little offended that of all the memories the cook should see, it's about him.]

What do you know?

[He glances up at Zoro, then straightens fully due to something that might actually be alarm. Zoro looks...

Shit.

Sanji's not sure he's even seen him look like that.]

...I don't know. It was someplace I ain't ever been, but Mihawk was there. And... [He peers at Zoro.] You, I guess. You were—

[And then it kind of sinks in a little. Sort of. The way Zoro's hands were on the floor, what Mihawk said.

Sanji's eyes widen.]

You asked him...

[And maybe he doesn't need to say it out loud. Because he's pretty sure Zoro knows exactly what he asked him, and he looks shaken enough as is without Sanji throwing the words back at him again.]

[Yeah, that's information enough to confirm the worst. After all, Sanji was there to witness the first time he and Mihawk crossed paths, that wouldn't be a secret memory to either of them. No, of course, it had to be that.

Still gripping the edge of the counter with one hand, Zoro goes from paling to flushing red pretty quickly, dropping his gaze angrily. Of all the things...!]

Shit. You saw that.

[what does he even say, now? He never intended to tell the story to anyone, not even if they got to the end of the Grand Line and found their way barred by shichibukai and the jerk made some kind of off-hand comment about meeting again, Zoro would have just brushed it off and gone for his head. No one would ever be the wiser. But now the cook knows...]

It's not. Dammit. [he turns slightly away, clawing a hand through his hair] I don't know how much you saw or what you think it was...

[The thing is, that half-formed idea he had before, the vague thought that he and Zoro might've somehow just witnessed a similar time period in each other's lives, is starting to become a more solid conclusion the longer he stands here frantically trying to piece together what happened. And he's burning with curiosity, he wants to wonder over Zoro's flushed face, his embarrassment, the rare kind of frustration he's currently got on full display...

Sanji really wants to ask what the hell happened then, and he wants to know what Zoro went through when they were all separated.

But he's scared to.

Because the idea of Zoro turning it around on him, of Zoro remembering just what he saw and bringing it up again if Sanji pries too much, is...

Terrifying, frankly.

And something Sanji would prefer to avoid at all costs.]

I think it was you doing what you had to do to get stronger for Luffy.

[Apparently his mouth has other ideas, though, and he sort of lets that slip out without meaning to. He catches sight of his goddamn fucking fox out of the corner of his eye and tries to glare at it briefly, sure it caused all this somehow, but then he's quickly clearing his throat and taking a step away from the breakfast bar.]

But we don't gotta talk about it.

[too late, cook, he's not going to forget. He's only skillfully waiting for his chance to bring it back up again so that there's no escaping it, no clamming up and running away. Zoro gives himself a moment to internally flail at having his secrets revealed, taking a breath and letting it out slowly, and then turns back around at Sanji's comment.]

There's not much to talk about. You're right, though. I spent two years on his island, fighting to get stronger. He was the one who trained me in haki.

[which maybe explains why his Armament is stronger than his Observation.

Speaking of which, he realizes he's lost track of his own fox and hunts around the kitchen for that silvery little bastard. Can't see it, shit. Where'd it go?]

...so what's with the pink place, now?

[...Dammit. He'd only managed to back up another two steps and partially turn away before he paused to listen to what Zoro was saying. Trained by Mihawk of all people?]

He actually trained the guy who's trying to defeat him? Shit, what a cocky bastard.

[It's said with a somewhat impressed tone, though. Maybe even a tad awed. There aren't many people who would do that. And Zoro spent his entire two years there? With that man? Hell, Sanji hasn't even lived with Zoro for that long yet.

...That's a weird thought. One he's had before, though, when thinking about himself. It's still hard to believe that he lived with Iva and the others for longer than he's sailed with Luffy.

Which, shit, of course Zoro has to remember and ask about it. Sanji had started to turn back to face the other man while he was talking, but now he winces and turns on his heel with the goal of escaping to his room.

Fuck fair play and all that.]

It wasn't nothing. Forget about it.

[Can he make it to the hallway now??]

[Zoro huffs a sardonic sort of laugh under his breath. Yeah, cocky bastard is right. At least Sanji can appreciate how fucked up that whole thing probably was. But he's not inclined to elaborate unless further questions come his way.

But he's not letting Sanji get away with just 'nothing,' oh no.]

Don't give me that shit! It was something and if you know about mine then I wanna know about yours! Get back here!

[and then, a second later, he lunges from his place, banging his hip against the counter island as he scrambles to get around it and get to the cook as fast as possible. He stretches to grab both his arm and the collar of his shirt at the same time, intending to yank back hard on whatever his hand closes on first.]

DON'T! Stop right there!

[because he just found where his little fox pal ran off to. It's standing right in the doorway, as if waiting for Sanji to walk through it again.]

The fuck do I care if you wanna know, it ain't your busin—ack!

[As he's yanked to an abrupt halt and choked by his shirt collar, what the shit?!

His foot's hovering right over the fox, unbeknownst to Sanji. But Zoro pulling on him like that has Sanji nearly stumbling backwards into the broad chest behind him. He manages to catch his balance and slams his foot backwards onto the ground instead, just barely missing stomping on one of Zoro's feet.

He doesn't miss elbowing the jerk in the gut, though.]

What the hell, asshole?! Get off me!

[Sanji tugs himself free, backtracking into the living room instead and rubbing at his neck with a scowl. He's sort of aware that there was something different in Zoro's tone right before he grabbed him, but he's too busy bristling like an angry cat to wonder about it.]

It ain't that fucking interesting, okay, it was just some other shitty island! Geez, calm the fuck down.

[He wants to leave it at that. He really wants to, but he also...

He needs to know.

So he more or less hurls the following question at Zoro.]

The hell all did you even see, anyway?!

[he takes the elbow without flinching, letting Sanji go and breathing a loud huff of relief when he goes the other way, missing the fox. Zoro takes a moment to aggressively advance on the wispy figure, but this time it doesn't startle, it just stands there looking at him like the dumb spirit thing it is. All he can do is growl at it and leave it be, for now, though as he wends his way through the kitchen, he wonders where Sanji's beast is...

Oh well, if he walks through it now, cook deserves to have another memory on display.

He stands just outside the doorway with his arms folded confrontationally over his chest.]

There was a lot of pink - the trees, the grass, everything. You were running from some really ugly women, and then...I guess, fighting? It was kind of blurry.

[but that non-answer already gave him enough to work with] Some other shitty island is where you spent those two years, wasn't it? Was that your so-called hell?

[Yeah, yeah, yeah. Shitty pink everything, he got that part. He can deal with that probably, it's the rest...

Sanji cringes slightly at the "ugly women" line, but even that he can sort of handle. So long as that...one thing...wasn't revealed. He's still tense with nervous anticipation, but he throws himself onto the couch with a huff, pulling his legs up and hooking his arms around his knees as he peers over the top of them at Zoro. His face is flushed pink and he's got his lips pressed tightly together, like he's still stubbornly going to refuse to talk about it.

He does, though. With effort, he forces himself to open his mouth and reply.]

Kamabakka Kingdom... Nothing so-called about it, it was hell. And those weren't women.

[He looks like he's about to say more, but his mouth snaps shut again and he just sort of glowers at Zoro. Trying to see if he can figure it out himself.]

[It takes him a second, but he works through it - if not women then what else...oh - and then peers, more perplexed than ever. Really, if he hadn't been shaken by having his own private memories revealed, he could be way more of an asshole about this. But instead of making snide comments about preferences, Zoro lets it go and focuses on the strange vision.]

So what was so hellish about it? Why were you running instead of, I don't know, kicking their asses?

[because if he knows anything about the cook, he doesn't run. The situation has to be more than it looks in a simple flash of memory.]

[Ugh, he's torn. He immediately feels defensive and wants to make Zoro understand just why that place was so fucked up, but he also doesn't want to go into too much detail.

Fuck. Dammit, why is this place always such a pain in the ass?!

Sanji's brow furrows. He doesn't know all the details of where the rest of their nakama ended up, but from what he's heard and pieced together it seems like they were all sent places they could improve.]

That shitty bear sent you to the home of the one guy you can't defeat. So that you could get stronger. You really think he would've sent me someplace where I could beat everyone there that easily? Those assholes were fucking strong and I couldn't— I wasn't about to let them catch me again.

[He looks away, raking a hand through his hair.]

I didn't only run from 'em, that's just what you saw.

[See? That's a perfectly acceptable explanation. Zoro nods vaguely, his arms loosening a bit but not dropping, and he shifts to lean one shoulder on the door frame]

Just like you only saw that one thing about me. [but what a thing, ugh] Guys in dresses were really that bad, huh?

[He heard that bit about getting caught, but actually...he doesn't want to know. Even if what happened to Sanji was horrifying, Zoro's own ideas of what would happen are actually worse so let's not go there.]

I still don't get why it's hell but that's all you, cook. It got you stronger, so it obviously did you some good.

They were okama.

[He glances back at Zoro, though he doesn't exactly expect him to get why this was such as issue. It's going to sound ridiculous (and probably like he's a discriminating bastard) without all the information, and Sanji isn't willing to give him that.]

There wasn't a single goddamn girl on that island, and did you hear where Luffy ended up?!

[The non sequitur is enough to get Sanji to unfold out of his defensive position as he sits up, letting one of his feet slip off the couch and onto the floor so he can make random angry gestures with his hands]

I mean, what the hell?! I could've killed that idiot. He's off living with a bunch of gorgeous women and I get stuck with these aggressive assholes who just want to be women and think everyone else should, too— What kinda bullshit is that?! I got stronger, yeah, I had to, that's how I learned Sky Walk, too. Just trying to get away from them.

[He slumps back against the couch again, digging a hand into his pocket and pulling out a cigarette that he immediately jams into his mouth and lights.]

They were good cooks, so there's that. I learned more than just how to be a better fighter. But fuck if that wasn't the longest two years of my life.

[Zoro has exactly zero shits to give about okama one way or the other, but Sanji's complaint that Luffy had it better drags a magnificent roll of his eye out of him. Of all the things!]

Don't give me that shit, you know full well he was training his ass off. With Rayleigh, it sounds like, not the warlord lady.

You weren't the only one, you know. Those two years weren't a walk in the damn park. [well, maybe for Brook. And Nami.] If that's where you got sent then that's where you needed to be, same as me. Same as any of us, really. So you had a shit time of it, you still survived.

[there's something more, maybe an admission of sorts, right on the tip of his tongue, but he bites it back. It's not like he's not sympathetic because yeah, it looked like a dumb place to spend two years, but Zoro has his own turmoils and refuses to own up to any of them. Where Sanji gets angry at the hand he's dealt, Zoro denies his entirely.]

Oh fuck off, I don't need a damn lecture. It's not like it's something I've been bitching about since we got back together. I wasn't planning on telling anyone, ever, and I sure as hell didn't fucking ASK for you to get a shitty glimpse of that place. I know it wasn't easy for any of us.

[He gives a mighty harrumph, crossing his arms over his chest as he puffs away at his cigarette.]

I told you, surviving is what I fucking do. I wasn't gonna let that hellhole beat me.

[And he has to stop himself from grinding his teeth at the idea that it's where he needed to be. He gets it, yeah, but it's still... Ugh, it just makes him uncomfortable all over again.

He shoots Zoro a look.]

Perona-chan was with you, too. Right?

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