high_seas | Bubble Trouble

[just gonna sit here on the floor for a bit.]

Fuck this world. Seriously.

[MEANWHILE IN THE BATHROOM...

Turning his face every direction as he gapes at his reflection. He brings a hand up, poking warily at his chest (and frowning at the way that button is straining, heads will roll if it pops off), before his gaze drifts lower.

And he swallows.

A few seconds later there might be a very undignified yelp coming from this direction.]

[he is too goddamn tired for this shit, but at the same time, a yelp like that gets his attention. As Zoro hauls himself up to his feet and plods over to see what the problem is now, he tangentially notices that Luffy isn't in his hammock.

Hm.

Nope, one problem at a time. He edges into the doorway.]

What now?

[Turns to give Zoro a pathetic look, one of his hands shoved right down into his boxers though he isn't doing anything, gosh, shitty pervert, get your mind out of the gutter.]

It's gone!!

[WELL REALLY, WHAT DID HE EXPECT.

But no, it's still a surprise somehow.

And also distressing.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh why.]

[WELP.

One part of him does think well duh.

But another part is equally disturbed by that revelation.

After a very long silence, in which he flushes crimson for a moment and then the color drains, turning his tanned skin ashy, Zoro just turns and leaves the doorway.]

Shit. I don't even know how to deal with this.

[it's probably ten thousand times worse for Sanji, and he knows it, but at the same time, his brain has reached critical overload. No more thinking can happen right now, please reboot your marimo.]

[HUFFS.]

You don't know how to—oi, Zoro! Hey!

[Yanks his hand free and stomps after him, abruptly remembering that it is the middle of the night and maybe he shouldn't be shrieking all over the damn place while his nakama try to sleep.

So he whisper-shouts instead.]

Where the hell are you going??

To sleep.

[in his own hammock, unfortunately.]

Maybe when I wake up it'll all have blown over.

[he doesn't like himself much right now, because his own reactions are teaching him things about himself he didn't know.]

[Sees where Zoro is headed and stops short several feet away, a weird feeling spiking through his chest. He hovers there uncertainly for a moment, wanting to say something but suddenly fearing that he might sound too needy or some shit.

Which doesn't mix well with his current...form. There's an annoying urge to overcompensate for looking like a girl by acting like a MANLY MAN because he is a man, dammit, and he doesn't feel vulnerable or need Zoro by his side or any of that, nope, he's fine.

Totally fine.]

...Alright.

[But he still doesn't know what to do with himself. He eyes his own hammock, but it looks lonely and empty and sad and crawling into it by himself seems strange and jarring when Zoro is such a short distance away. After a beat, he turns toward his locker, pushing a hand through his hair and thinking he could probably smoke like eighteen shitty cigarettes right now so maybe he'll just go hole himself up in the galley or something.

He needs out of this shitty shirt first, though, so he claws at the buttons and then shrugs out of it, his movements jerky. For once in his life, he doesn't want to see any goddamn boobs, so he avoids looking down and instead yanks on the first t-shirt he can find.

It's tighter than he'd like, but fuck it. He'll steal one of Zoro's later, he's got broader shoulders so maybe it'll be a little looser. Then he grabs a pack of smokes and slams the locker door shut, harder than he'd intended, and turns to head outside.]

[he winces at the slam, knowing full well...yes, he could have done better. But he doesn't know how to. He'll owe a thousand apologies in the cold light of day, but for now, Zoro curls up tightly in his hammock.

Sleep, unfortunately, does not come.]

[Sometime after Luffy's post the next morning, Sanji's in the galley getting a birthday party ready for someone who's not actually here to celebrate it...dammit. He's trying hard to be into it, but there's no denying he's in a mood. Hard not to be -- he's still irritated at his shitty body, not to mention uncomfortable, Luffy's running around wearing Usopp's face, and Zoro...

Well, Sanji doesn't really know what to think about that. He's angry, but also mad at himself for being angry. For letting the jerk's attitude last night get to him. The hell does he care if Zoro wants nothing to do with him when he looks like a girl? Sanji doesn't want anything to do with this girly form either, he just can't run away from it like some shitty cowards. Hmph.

Goddammit, he really wants his body back. Nngh.

ANYWAY, he's at the counter, brow furrowed as he furiously mixes some cake batter together.]

[Thanks to Luffy's shenanigans Zoro is in and out of the cabin all morning, hasn't slept much at all. Part of it was definitely the gnawing guilt at his reaction, coupled with his irritation at himself. Does this mean something, or not? How does he really feel? He has absolutely no idea. So, after doing his best to doze and at least rack up an hour's sleep, he comes crawling out and edges sheepishly into the galley doorway to watch.

That girl is definitely Sanji, no doubts, but he still can't reconcile it with his feelings. It's weird. Weird. Fucking weird.

But Zoro has come full circle, and no longer gives no shits when the cook is pissed at him. Now he cares too much, and needs to fix it. So he raps on the door frame to let him know he's there.]

[The knock draws his attention, but Sanji only spares Zoro a brief glance before focusing on stirring again.

He debates just going full-on cold shoulder, but no. He's above that. He can be mature, unlike some assholes.]

If you're looking for your shitty hammock, it ain't in here.

[...Yes. Very mature.]

[Nnnggghhrmph.]

I'm not...ugh.

[He steps fully into the doorway, blocking the light with his bulk.]

It's. The bubbles in the air, isn't it?

How the hell should I know?

[Smacks the bowl down on the counter.]

Could be the damn bubbles. Or I might've breathed the wrong shitty air.

[Bends down to look for a cake pan in the cabinet, banging things around more than he normally would.]

Or maybe it just fucking randomly happened. Does it matter?

Course it matters! Because some of these things wear off and some of 'em don't!

[and he really really hopes this wears off, for Sanji's sake as much as anyone's. He vaguely remembers something about Roxas pissing off a witch and that didn't exactly just...go away.]

Or maybe if we figure out how it happened, we can undo it.

[Oi, oi, Sanji doesn't want to think about this not wearing off, what the fuck?! Although...he can't think of anything that's happened in this shitty world that's lasted more than a week. (He still hasn't talked to Roxas since coming back, so he doesn't even remember all of that.)

STILL, as disturbing as the thought it, Sanji stubbornly blocks it out as a possibility and instead stands up again, pan in hand, and slowly turns to face Zoro so he can give him a dangerous look.]

And if it doesn't wear off? And we can't undo it?

[the usual flush creeps up his neck all over again. No, he can't think of that, because he already doesn't like it.]

Don't say shit like that! It's gotta wear off. It has to. You can't...

[Zoro takes a breath and lets it out in a hard sigh. He's focusing too much on himself, and he knows it.]

You're not enjoying being in that body, are you?

[he remembers Punk Hazard very clearly, cook...]

Of course not!

[Snaps that out immediately, tossing the cake pan onto the counter and then throwing his arms out.]

Look at me, asshole! Does it look like I'm enjoying it?!

[His outfit is a far cry from Nami's skintight jeans and bikini top. Instead he's sporting a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt that's too tight across his chest. Definitely stealing a new one later.

Then there's his hair. It's not any longer than it was before, but somehow there still seems to be more of it. It's thicker or something, he's not sure, but he hasn't put a brush to it yet so it's all over the place.

And Zoro's not the only one who didn't get much sleep last night.]

This ain't my body, I don't want it!

[It takes him a moment of really paying attention - looking, and listening - and he gets it. Like a brick to the head, he gets it. The fight ebbs out of him, and for a bit Zoro looks just as dumb as he feels.]

That's my shirt.

[Not the most important thing to be said, no. Taking another breath, he tries again.]

...you okay?

[and it's not about the shoulder this time.]

[Drops his arms with a scowl, glancing down at the shirt and plucking at it while making an unhappy sound.]

Yeah, I didn't like mine and I figured yours wouldn't be so shitty close-fitting but I guess I grabbed one of your tighter ones—

[Looks back up abruptly at the question, eyes widening a bit.]

...Yes.

[No.]

[finally edges into the galley and closes the door behind him. He doesn't get too much closer, no more than he ever would around Robin or Nami, but he's trying.]

Don't lie to me, cook. You suck at it.

[Frowns, noting that he closed the door, but also noting that he's keeping his distance.]

I'm fine. And even if I wasn't, what the hell would you do about it?

I don't know. [at least he's honest about that, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly] I don't. Just...what I said last night was shit. M'sorry.

[Falls silent for a moment, fidgeting a little, then he gives a short, harsh exhale and turns back to the counter, picking up the bowl with the cake batter in it again.]

I don't even remember what you said.

[Well, he does, but that wasn't what got to him.]

[prowls a bit closer, going to perch himself on the corner of the table. All the better to watch the magic.]

Where'd you go?

[he remembers hearing the door, and finding himself utterly alone.]

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the following morning~

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