epidemiology | EVENT ★ BACK TO THE FUTURE

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EVENT ★ BACK TO THE FUTURE

BENDED TIME

As outlined in the OOC post, things start to slow down and grow quiet in Oska for a few days as the bugs crawl away and slowly disappear. But then the cocoons hatch. Fully grown temporal insects claw their way out of them, each about the size and temperament of raging bulls.

They come out far more aggressive and eager to fight, are are willing to take on anything that moves with jaws and claws alike. Except, of course, another insect — when two of them encounter each other, they enter into a mating dance and then slip away into another dimension, leaving behind only the temporary ghosts of years gone by. If you can’t find a way to pierce that thick shell to take one down, better find another one to pair it off with instead. Just try not to get bit while leading them around and find yourself suddenly 5 years old again.

The insects aren’t the only thing going on in Oska, though. As it turns out, unicorns really hate this adult form of the temporal insects, and will start kicking their way out of their stalls in the stables to get at the insects in an attempt to impale or trample them. According to Uruz they’re gallant warriors, but not always quite cut out to take on a bug, and can easily get themselves hurt or killed. She would really appreciate recruits taking a moment to recapture any stray unicorns they may come across and leading them back to the stables. Try to avoid any insects on the way, or you’ll find yourself suddenly fighting insect and irate unicorn, which is no one’s idea of a good time.

The lake is getting more active, too. All the fighting has woken up something in the depths of it. Dark red tentacles sometimes creep up onto shore — and don’t worry, this time they don’t belong to a sea goddess. The tentacles don’t attack unless attacked, and can in fact be quite agreeable. Nodes along the length of them act as primitive eyes, which see well enough to interact with anyone nearby. They’re also all a little peckish. Toss a tentacle a bit of food and watch it curl around and ingest it using tiny mouths on the underside. It might even be willing to play a few rounds of fetch or slap a bug into the sky for you if you put it in a good mood with a morsel of food.

The senior ALASTAIR members can be seen out and about and doing their part, too. Uruz and Dagny fight as a team, centaur and elf, sometimes fighting back to back and sometimes as mount and rider. They’ll stop and lend a hand, but the cats are a little less generous. Cherenkov and Crowley fight inseparably and use magic and science in deadly combination to ward off and destroy the bugs, but can usually only be seen darting on their way from one place to another. They have a lot of magitek to repair in the destructive wake of the insects. Pomarr, neither as senior nor as invested in actively picking off the bugs, offers shelter near a tentacle-free portion of the lake, calling down storms to toss away bugs for her and anyone in the vicinity.

OOC NOTES

This log spans a week ICly. Characters will find themselves beginning to understand each other again as the bugs first vanish, as the effects of the cats’ work on the magitek pays off. The translation problem will be completely fixed by the time the cocoons hatch. All of the bugs will have been killed or shipped off by the sixth day, leaving the last day before their departure to the next mission blissfully relaxing. Any temporally misplaced recruits will be back to normal by the last day, as well.

A reminder to anyone still texting: the texting feature of magitek jewelry operates based on thought! There are no physical keyboards, recruits merely think the message that they’d like to send to another recruit.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Well here comes the other blonde to the rescue!! He's not really afraid of the bugs, even with them evolving rather prickly and having quite a bite. They were still rather sizable to beat. As the tiny Sanji runs for his life, Sabo charges forward, but stances as he is within a close proximity of the insect. His feet were spread out, planted to the ground, making a smirk at the creature. Hardening his hand with Haki and arching into a claw before gripping onto the bug's head. He twists on that bug's face, emitting a ring of fire before sending it backwards in the direction it was facing.

He stops after the bug has been sent away, relaxing his shoulders and feet clapped back closer together. He then turns towards the meek kid and speaks out in an assuring tone.]

You're safe for now. The bug's gone.

[You know, some day Sanji will look back on this and realize what a bad first impression he's made. First kiting a bug into Sabo and leaving him to take care of it, and now this?

As it is, the little Vinsmoke isn't thinking of appearances or coming across as strong, or of anything other than RUN, FLEE, SURVIVE at the moment. Which is why, Sabo runs forward, Sanji keeps on going, only stopping to glance over his shoulder a good twenty feet behind his unexpected savior.

Which is about when he gets a good view of a bug barbecue.

When Sabo turns back around, he'll see one big, awestruck eye and a slack jaw from the kid down the hallway. At least until the little guy manages to get his mind back in order.]

T-Thank you! [He practically squeaks it out, training kicking in as he hitches a quick but practiced bow (the kind you give to others out of politeness-- not low enough to presume their station over your own, but still enough not to insult if they are of a higher rank. He knows this bow down to the millimeter).] I don't have any weapons right now, so I couldn't fight it on my own.

[A bold faced lie. Sanji knows full well he'd have been dead if he tried to stand in front of that thing. But he has to say at least that much. For his family name.]

Whoa whoa.. hey now. You don't have to be so formal! [He waves his hands in front of him. Sabo was happy to save him, honestly. He doesn't feel the need to deserve any praise, even though this is technically the second time happening.]

Don't worry about it! I've learned all sorts of techniques to fight, an utilized them to my advantage. [Fire powers included.] So it's not a big deal if you needed some help.

[He looks over the little bruised blond though. Those don't look like some injuries made from some bug. He crouches down to his level.] Say.. where did you come from anyway? I know your parents aren't here but ... [He scratches his hand behind his head.] Those wounds you have... they aren't from the bug are they?

[The insistence that Sanji doesn't have to put on any airs for his rescuer has the kid letting out a sigh of relief, his shoulders slumping slightly as the adrenaline rush finally drains out of him.

He'd been about to ask about the kinds of techniques Sabo uses (namely about all that fire) when the man is suddenly down at his level, asking about the bandages and bruises Sanji is suddenly acutely aware of.]

They're... they're from training. [It's an easy enough lie, something Sanji's gotten used to saying to any of the maids who took the time to show a little bit of pity for him.] It's okay, I heal really quickly.

[As for the other question Sabo's asking him, Sanji just shrugs. He's honestly not too concerned where he is, at the moment. It beats his father's dungeon, after all.]

I was at home until a little while ago, and then I was here with the [QUEUE A FULL BODY SHUDDER] bugs.

Heh... so I see. [Not that Sabo doesn't mind being lied to. He's not hard pressed to ask Sanji the truth if any. He lifts up the frontal bangs of his to get a better look.]

If it was some kind of training, it must've been pretty tough. Were you going through some prickly vines? Beaten up by some bears? [The list goes on...] Though the bump from your mouth... it looks like something or someone punched you. [Considering it's happened numerous times before in his own childhood anyway.

He pauses as he noticed the kid didn't answer the question, tilting his head though. He then nods as if he understood, and makes another grin at the kid.]

Well I'm here now. I can protect you from the bugs. [Stop trying to be so heroic, Sabo.]

[Sanji can't help but wrinkle his nose at the different scenarios Sabo's coming up with. Beaten up by bears?] Who gets beaten up by bears?

I just-- I didn't move fast enough. [He clenches his fists, frowning as Sabo looks him over, trying his best not to flinch away at the touch to his hair. In a way, the dull throbbing in the hand he'd used to punch Ichiji not too long ago is helping to keep him centered in the lie he's coming up with.] We do this kind of training all the time, so I'm used to it. I just messed up this time.

[That heroic declaration, however, has everything Sanji's trying to carefully build up crashing down. He can't help the little start he gives, the way his gaze snaps up from where it'd fallen to the floor, the way he looks confused as all hell, as if Sabo's speaking an entirely different language.]

Protect...? Why--? I--

[Good job, Sabo. You reduced this teensy six-year-old (seven??? who knows) to some very confused floundering. After all, why would someone as strong as Sabo want to protect a weakling like him?]

Why would I need a reason to save you? [He chuckles. Sabo's really the type to just go with the flow. Don't ask questions, just understand him for who he is. It doesn't have to do with how weak or strong you are, but more in line on whether it is needed.]

Besides, you remind me of someone. Someone who tries their best. Someone who strives to be strong. [He moves his hand to pat Sanji on the head.] He often gets injured himself, but he picks himself right back up. [He grins.] My little brother, Luffy.

[He pauses for a moment, and kneels down this time in front of him. Sabo grabs his own hat with his hands and places it right on top of Sanji's head.] He, our other brother Ace, and I would actually get beaten by bears... at times. Tigers too. We're usually in the wilderness fighting out those nasty creatures.

[He then tilts his head at this moment recalling what Sanji had said.] "We"? Who were you training with?

[The entire time Sabo speaks, Sanji's left awestruck. Never in his entire life has someone done something for him. Even something as simple as beating back monsters who seemed to be attacking everyone in this weird place is a huge thing to the little prince.

So instead of responding, Sanji just reaches up and grips the edges of Sabo's hat when it's placed on his head, pulling the brim down as much as he can and biting his lip hard to try and keep it from trembling.]

... That sounds dangerous. [He mumbles just that much, at the mention of fighting tigers and bears, of living in the wilderness and being able to fight off whatever attacked them there. No wonder this guy was so strong.

As for that question, though...]

I... ["Training". Why did he come up with such a stupid lie? To make himself look better? To make it so that if his father ever finds out about this, he at least didn't bring any more shame to their family?

If his brothers are here, too -- and they could be. Why would it just be him who ended up in this strange, bug-infested world -- then they'll just let everyone know about him anyway. They'd probably make a public spectacle out of it, too. Just to let everyone know that the three Vinsmoke brothers were strong, and the other...] My... my brothers. It wasn't real training, though. I'm still not good enough. S'why I got hurt.

[Maybe that'll be a good enough lie. Maybe that'll fit in with whatever Niji might say, if he ends up here too. Maybe then this nice guy won't think Sanji's as weak and hopeless as he really is.]

Well I think you're strong.. considering you managed to escape from the bugs.

[He merely gives Sanji another pat to the shoulder with the biggest smile you can imagine. He's not about discouraging kids of anything. Their talents.. their strength.. they have the potential to do anything as long as they put their minds to it. When he was a kid.. he really believed in his brothers in achieving what they wanted to do and inspired him to move forward as well when he had regained his memories of that childhood. Remembering he wanted to be a pirate in order to travel and record his adventures.. they were great things to think about.]

It's not dangerous if you have friends or siblings who can help you. [He pauses, thinking of what to say about Sanji's family.] You must've looked up to your brothers. Even if it wasn't real training.. it was still fighting! [Because he also knew that when he was fighting with his brothers as kids, it's usually considered training... but not anything proper or formal. Maybe it was similar?

In any case, Sabo crouches his head to take a peek of Sanji's face. He chuckles looking at the kid biting his lower lip.] You probably need more confidence. You are better than you think. [Even if he says he's weak, Sabo knows that with kids it's easier to encourage them than put them down. That's what he believes.]

... if I was as strong as them, I wouldn't have had to run.

[He mumbles this, hands clenching hard on the hem of his shirt again as he remembers all those weeks of training. As he remembers each hit of a practice sword against his skin. As he remembers his brothers laughing and punching him, telling him to just get thicker skin already. As he remembers the bite of flames against his skin in the obstacle course, that horrifying feeling of sinking to the bottom of the sea, choking on saltwater.

Of course he looks up to his brothers. They're everything he should be. He's wanted nothing more than to be able to keep pace with them since the day their father started their training. But...]

Yeah. [So long as he's here, his brothers can't touch him, he won't fail another test, his father won't be disappointed in him. As long as he's here, he doesn't have to be Sanji the failure. At least not to anyone but himself. So he looks up at Sabo, grinning just a little too hollowly for a little, seven-year-old kid.] I can just try harder next time.

[Seeing this boy so small, and so... sad and discouraged reminds him of how he was raised in his noble household the first five years of his life. The strict rules of having to stay in the house, the amount of hard studying he had to do and it's on top of putting up with the noble behavior his parents ensued on him. This was all so that he would be brought up to be married to someone richer so they could be rich. It's no wonder he ran away.

Looking down on the boy, he decides to give a bit more sympathy... and maybe another touch of a smile. Little kids need a little brightness in their life.]

But you survived, right? That's what matters.

[He holds onto both shoulders of Sanji... staring straight hard on him. It's like he's being this life coach.. this bright pinnacle of positiity to break through the low self-esteem of a gentle kid.]

You tried your best. But the burden you put on yourself, it's not needed. [He lifts the boy up, carrying him like parent would.] You have the freedom to do what you want.

[Sanji's still not a very good liar. As a kid, an actual kid, he's still learning. He hasn't perfected shadowing his past and brushing off mentions with half-truths and open ended answers. He hasn't built up a whole other life to pull experiences from, to bury the pain of a sad, unwanted child underneath the brightness of people who actually seemed to care for the shitty brat he'd become.

So of course Sabo sees through it. Of course this man's still trying to make him feel better, is still saying reassuring things that hit the little chef like knives. Every uplifting statement he hears out of Sabo's mouth stings because it's the complete and polar opposite of everything his father has ever told him. How can the words of a total stranger be true when the words of his father were so much harsher?

So he hesitates, he waits to respond because he doesn't quite know what to say. He survived? He always survived. Niji once called him a cockroach because of it. Something weak and small that just won't stay dead when it's supposed to. He hesitates, and apparently that's all the time Sabo needed to reach out to him, to scoop him up and hold him up and off the ground, tucked against his chest in a way Sanji can't ever remember being carried.

He blinks, one hand clutching at Sabo's coat to stay grounded to him, the other up and holding the hat the stranger had given him tight to his head, just to make sure he didn't lose it. And maybe it's the words Sabo's saying now, maybe it's the brightness on his face, the earnestness in his voice, or maybe it's the warmth the little kid can feel in his chest at feeling taken care of, for once in his life.

Either way, he buries his face in Sabo's shoulder as tears well up in his eyes, spill down his cheeks, and cause his shoulders to tremble slightly with the strength he's using to keep from outright sobbing.]

M-mm! [He manages, somehow, to grunt out an affirmation to what Sabo's saying, nodding his head, if just to show him that he is listening to what he says. And when he thinks he can manage speaking without embarrassing himself even further-] I... I can do what I want?

[His tears, they come. They're all drenched in Sabo's coat as he continues to comfort the young lad. He peers over at the gripping of the coat, the tight tug of his borrowed hat, and the wet stains he felt over the kid's sorrow. You must've suffered a really hard life, he thought. It may be tragic but he knows... he knows so well. The kids who go through such a traumatic situation where parents get beyond abusive or do things to hurt their kids. These children end up either really hesitant about discussing their life, fearing that saying anything bad would punish them - or resent it really bad. He was like this when he had been rescued by the Revolutionary Army. Despite the memory loss at the time, he didn't want to go back to his parents. He just knew it was that traumatic that it was etched into his brain.

Though in this kid's case.. he has this pushover attitude where he himself doesn't think he's any good at all. It's not how kids should think, or act. They should play, have fun. Have the freedom they can to make their dreams come true. The parents of his must've been really harsh on him. He can tell. His parents weren't any different. It was just borderline abusive, but the public doesn't see that.

He holds tightly to the small blond child, patting his back from all the tears he had been keeping to himself for who knows how long. Sabo makes the "shhhh" sounds as he does so.]

All you can do... right here, right now. [While it's only temporary, he feels.. he should at least enjoy the small freedom he has here compared to whatever was at his home.] You just need to believe.

[Sanji, at the very least, is very used to crying. He cries when he gets hit, he cries when training is too hard, he cries when Reiju bandages him at the end of the day, he cries when their father is disappointed, he cries when his food is thrown to the floor--

His food. His food.

All of a sudden, Sanji's jerking back in Sabo's arms with a little gasp. His cheeks are still wet, his eyes a little red around the edges, the one that hadn't been slowly turning purple swollen to match the other, now.]

I can do anything. [He repeats the words almost reverently, an idea quickly forming in his head. Wiping his eyes and nose with a quick scrub of his shirt sleeve, he wiggles around in Sabo's hold until he can look at the kind man who decided to save him not too long ago.]

Can I... can I cook for you?

[And just like that, the subdued, sad little boy is gone. And in his place is one that's probably going to start vibrating out of Sabo's grasp if he puts off answering any longer.]

[Whoa, he's can feel the jerking of the tiny hands from the other blond. Wow, you've got some strength. Though Sabo sees your eyes drying up finally, he wipes those cheeks dry with his gloved hands. Your eyes may still be cherry colored, but you're much less sad now! The fact that the boy's just so happy .. is a positive one that he kind of ends up laughing - this stubborn smile of his and the words he mustered up got through to the child. This boy is now joyous, excited, and ready to do what he wants.]

Yes, of course! The kitchen is free to use and by all means. [He finally puts down the little kid, lifts the hat from his head to put it back on his own head. He then holds onto his hand as a means to further support the child in need.] We're in the hallway right now so we just gotta go a few doors on that side. [He points to the side closest to Sanji.]

[He won't admit to it ever, but he almost feels a little sad when Sabo puts him down. He's never been held like that before, like he'd seen illustrations of parents doing to their children in storybooks. Or maybe... maybe he had, once upon a time. Back in a time he barely remembers, with a woman who died. His own, personal fairy tale.

Either way, he takes the time Sabo takes to tell him about the kitchen and reclaim his hat to rub at his eyes a little bit more, trying to tone down the smile that's seemingly stuck on his face at the prospect of being able to cook for someone who's being so strangely nice to him... he can barely believe this is happening.]

Then let's go. [Sanji takes that offered hand and pulls Sabo as best as he can for a few steps. At least until he remembers just where they are. And what could lurk on the other side of the door.]

Um... you don't think... are there any more of those b-bugs over there?

Even if there are.. I can take them out. [He did say he was gonna protect you should any more bugs come anyway. He's that kind of nice, Sanji.

He slowly opens the door... only to find that there were no bugs in sight. It was either by chance the bugs have been vanquished, or it was during a time the bugs could be hibernating for the night. Either way, he takes the advantage to walk Sanji over to the kitchen area. You can see lines of cupboards, a fridge, and a stove. A sink with a few drawers left open, with utensils in them were there. The utilities weren't too fancy, and a bit used. However it's not a big deal to him, as any kitchen can be used to cook up anything. Hopefully Sanji thinks the same.]

Looks there aren't any so we're safe. [He walks over to a nearby cupboard and pulls out a bowl.] Shall we get started?

R-Right! [The kid's saying, even if he's still going to hide behind Sabo's leg as the door gets opened. Normally, he'd at least try and put up a brave front, even with a stranger as nice as Sabo. But these things are just so creepy he can't help it.

But once they're inside, Sanji's bee-lining right to that kitchen area, gasping quietly as he pulls open drawers and sees all the equipment inside. It's not as nice as the kitchen in the palace, but somehow it feels better. He doesn't have to worry about keeping the noise down, about covering up scents and the light of fires in the middle of the night as he tries his best to perfect the seafood and rice dish he's been working on.]

No! [He rounds on Sabo suddenly, snatching the bowl out of his hands and darting behind him to push at the backs of his knees, hoping to forcefully get him over nearer the seating area, rather than in the kitchen itself.] I said I'd cook for you! Just sit there and don't move.

[And, all of a sudden, Sanji realizes what he's doing. He jerks back a little, color rising in his cheeks.] U-Um. Please?

[Pushy kid is right. He says he wants to cook for Sabo, not with him. He sweats a bit, letting the little blond push him over. In fact, he walks right into the seating area, letting the kid push thin air instead.]

Yeah I won't get in the way. My bad, uh.. I didn't catch your name.

[You know for all the comforting to this stranger, he by all means has a lack of remembering to do introductions. His tendency to just care for people in need without a name or a reputation is something he usually does. Aside from his loved ones, he's about that equal treatment amongst everyone as a whole - even if the world isn't.]

I'll sit over there. [His hands crosses as he sits, his butt placed flat onto the seat, and his legs stay still. Carefully observing the vicinity, he says one more thing...]

You sure are confident at cooking. Did you want to be chef when you grow up?

[He didn't mean to be pushy. He just got a little carried away, that's all. In a few years, something like this will be nothing to him. He'll be bossing people around left right and center, kicking their asses when they don't listen and getting his ass kicked in return.

For now, though. Acting like this is something Sanji just isn't allowed to do. Which is why the poor kid looks so embarrassed. At the very least, Sabo doesn't seem to mind it all that much.]

N-No, I just. I wanted to cook for you. As a thank you.

[He wanders back to the kitchen proper, pulling a stool out from the corner and moving around to get all his ingredients together on the counter.

His name, huh? That's right, he still hasn't given this man his name. And honestly, he probably shouldn't. If word got back to his father or brothers about how he's been acting here... he'd be in big trouble. Actually, he'd probably just be in trouble for leaving Germa in the first place, even though he didn't really have any choice in that.

So, he thinks as he sets water to a boil, as he pulls out a knife and starts chopping vegetables and preparing the seafood with more motor control than a kid his age really should have. And, as he pours rice in the boiling water and preps a pan for his seafood mixture, he comes to a decision.]

Sanji. My name is Sanji. [He carefully measures oil, pouring it into the pan before putting a lid on the rice, letting it simmer away.] I... I can't be a chef. [Even if he wants to be with all his heart, it's just... not an option for him.] But... I love cooking.

[He turns back to Sabo, grinning so wide it looks like his face might split in half.]

There's nothing better than making other things happy with something I've made.

[You know, he'd never thought this kid would be the same person he had met not too long ago. He remembers Sanji all right-- well the adult version he met. Crude, easily tempered, but warms up to you once you reason with the man. His ~~emo~~ frontal blond bangs are even flipped the other way! Not that he can't tell.. those curly brows are definitely an unique trait of his. He blinks for a few seconds, before he responding to the kid's introduction.]

Ah.. Sanji, huh? It's nice to meet you. My name is Sabo. [He crosses his arms then, making a smirk, observing the prep work this kid is doing. The kid possesses quite an amount of skill - the precision in his chopping, being able to utlitize the stove without burning himself... he's definitely no beginner.]

I think you'd be a great chef though. Trust me. [Considering you kind of grew up to be one anyway???] That's definitely admirable of you to do so though. The thanks is appreciated.

[He looks to the direction of the sink, his expression still as bright as ever.]

You abandoned your surname too? [He says it casually...]

Edited 2016-09-25 02:36 (UTC)

Nice to meet you! [He repeats cheerfully enough, politeness kicking in beyond everything else. His brothers would probably just sneer at someone introducing themselves, would laugh at the mere thought of remembering someone's name. Sanji had never liked that. He likes meeting people, likes getting to know them, even if it's just for a few minutes.

He's pretty sure he's the only one in their family that actually knows their maids' names.]

I hope so. Some day I wanna cook for lots of people. Maybe... maybe even complete strangers. [There's a pleased little flush on his cheeks for the compliment to his cooking, even if he really doesn't think he's all that good yet. His cuts are more uneven than the ones on the food that comes from the kitchens back home, his seasoning is always just a little off, the seafood unevenly cooked.

For a moment though, he loses himself to the work, humming just a little to himself as he struggles with a pan that's maybe a little too big for his tiny arms. A pan he's almost flipping on top of himself when he hears Sabo's question.]

My... surname? [He repeats, if just to try and buy himself some more time to think. He lets his hands continue to work, to add ingredients and carefully stir them around, making sure they're cooking instead of burning.

Why didn't he give his surname? They'd all been taught to be proud of who they were, that they would all become leaders of great armies, that they would lead the way in reclaiming all of North Blue for their family. And even just yesterday, Sanji probably would have still been all for that.

Now, though... now, all he can hear is his father's voice. All he can hear are those words repeating over and over again in his head. Weak. Worthless. Disappointment. His brothers had been saying as much for years, but with his father finally saying as much to him, looking down on them and allowing his brothers to beat him senseless, not even caring about what was going on...]

... it doesn't matter here. [He finally says. Quietly, just barely audible over the sizzling of seafood and vegetables in the pan.] There's nothing to gain for using it here, that's all.

[Strange, though. That a kid his age doesn't even seem to mind being in such a strange place. Even he doesn't quite know what to make of that thought.]

No, not at all. [He knows this. Surnames... the nobles use them to boast and serve a vast reputation for themselves. If you're married to someone of higher status, you also inherit their riches. Finding and marrying someone who comes from a richer family was in his parent's planes, but Sabo wasn't about that life. Marriages, especially arranged ones, were not on his agenda in life. He'd rather have his freedom than being locked to a life chosen for him.]

I wasn't asking for it. It was a mere curiosity if you had the same feelings I did about them. [He doesn't know the kid much, other than the fact that he's really sweet, and likes to cook. He seems ... reluctant about a lot of things, but as kids he understands this hesistation.]

If you could open a restaurant... then you'd be able to cook for many people. [He closes his eyes and listens intently to the noises of the vegetables and seafood cooking in the pan. He could hear the crackling noises, the oil bubbling from the food itself as it absorbs the flavoring from the sauce. His hands patiently folded while sitting quietly as he smells them... he could breathe in the savory smoke coming from the little cook's cuisine in progress.]

The food you're frying.. it smells so delicious. I look forward to tasting it. [He gives a thumbs up, smiling ever so widely at the other blond.]

[For a while, the only sounds in the kitchen are those of cooking. But if Sabo looks closely enough, he'll see that the kid's shoulders are a little hunched, that there's a bit more energy in the way he's moving food around. That there's a huge grin on his face that he's trying hard to hide. He knew he'd improved since his mother passed, but without anyone tasting his food or watching him cook... it's been hard to really justify that.

After he spoons the rice out of its bowl and into the pan, though, he takes a moment to glance back at Sabo, to really take in his appearance, the ease with which he's sitting there. As if he doesn't have a care in the world.]

I dunno about your family, but I don't hate them. [If you asked him in a few months, if you asked a child in an iron mask, locked away in a cell, the answer might be a little different.] I don't hate my name, I'm just not good enough for it right now.

[But just a few seconds later, there's a small child speeding towards you holding a place piled high with rice, vegetables, and shrimp. He plops it on down on the table, practically beaming over how well this all turned out.]

Here you go!

Wow...this looks really delicious! [His mouth opens really wide as he is impressed at what Sanji could do, even as a little kid. The rice was colored a nice roasted yellow, the vegetables glazed over with some oil but not a lot.. and the bits of shrimp look puffed and ready to eat. Food is food.. but when Sabo takes a gander at what he has cooked.. he is definitely savoring the amount of effort he has put in.]

I think you'll be great. I believe you will. Trust me. [He says this with the utmost honesty. If anything, he has tried a little bit of Sanji's cooking before with Luffy. So it's not entirely new. He sees where the aspiration to cook for others to come from.]

Well.. it's not so much hating my own parents.. but rather how they act as nobles. [He does say this not only his upbringing but also of others he's witnessed in his own hometown - he's just not the biggest fan of the snottiest they put in.

After staring at the food a little longer than usual and chatting with the child, he finally grabs a spoon and digs right in. No manners, no "Thank you for the meal" was needed. He was definitely enjoying the food laid out to him by Sanji. The loud chewing from the crunch of the vegetables and the churning of the grains was something you could hear from him. While there isn't meat in the fried rice, the level of skill with this meal more than makes up for it.]

You definitely should continue cooking. [He says this with a full mouth.] As long as you enjoy it.

EVENT ★ BACK TO THE FUTURE

a. bugs are the worst

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