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earthry · 8 months

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Working Papas (Mall AU Headcanons)

AU where the emeritus brothers are not papas. Instead, they work in a mall in separate stores. Secondo was originally gonna be a mall cop but I thought it’d be funnier if he worked at a Claire’s.

Primo works at a Bath & Bodywork’s.

He’s a pro at being able to tell what kinds of products you’d like or need just by vibes only.

Can immediately distinguish scents from each other, can tell what a scent is just with one whiff.

He demonstrates a lotion for you, and when your hands touch it’s like it’s meant to be. His hand feels so right in yours.

You swing by often after that, and he always seems to have a new sample for you to try each time— a gift, he says.

When no one is looking he’ll oh so gently hold your hand and press a soft kiss to the back of it.

Secondo works at a Claire’s.

He’s the manager and he hates it.

God to honest tried to get himself fired but only ended up being promoted— Terzo makes fun of him for it all the time and it drives him nuts.

He has a soft spot for children, but unfortunately the mothers that shop there are horrendous.

Spends all his breaks smoking in the back and taking shots from a water bottle of straight vodka.

Okay, maybe the job isn’t so bad— because he meets you. You just like to look at the cute hair accessories and earrings, you didn’t expect for a huge scary Italian man to ask you if you needed assistance.

He actually recommends a few items and you beam when he shows you one that you absolutely adore.

Fuck, you’re adorable when you smile. Yeah, okay. Maybe the job isn’t too bad.

Terzo works at a Sephora or Ulta.

Everyone’s favorite makeup artist; can sell almost any product with enough sweet talk and flirting.

He’s a popular amongst customers and there’s almost always a line for his consultation.

There’s always at least one co-worker who has a crush on him— and you are no exception.

You intrigue him with your wit and humor and how much you tease him back.

The two of you end up making out in front of the Claire’s during break much to Secondo’s disgust.

Yes, you get lots of good deals on makeup and products from him.

Copia works at one of those weeby anime/k-pop stores.

One of those people who have only seen or heard of Naruto and One Piece. If you ask him what k-pop band he likes, he’s only heard of BTS.

Get’s super addicted to pocky after the first time he tries it— it’s very accessible to him because it’s always in stock. He buys a pack or two before going home after each shift. His brothers joke that it’s like a bad smoking habit.

You can always find him re-arranging the stuffed animals, he likes to rotate them so they get turns to sit together and chat. He tells you this when you ask one day and you find it adorable and charming. He looks a little embarrassed but you tell him it’s cute and he gets flustered.

You think it would be funny so you when you confess to Copia, you tell him you have the doki-dokis and he just looks at you all confused and makes Copia Noises as he tries to decipher your meaning. In the end you sigh out: “it means I like you, you idiot.”

He kisses you and Sakura Kiss from Ouran High School Host Club starts playing and you make eye contact with one of his co-workers who ‘eeps’ and ducks behind the counter. “KISS KISS FALL IN LOVE” begins to blast.

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strawberryscare · 3 months

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new fav ship prospect is buddy and fabian. imagine growing up intensely religious and conservative and not only do you end up with rich asshole bisexual disaster boyfriend but he sincerely suggests you meet his godless hellish pirate devil prince father. there’s something very charming in all that.

#STAY WITH ME HERE #listen i know he’s on his ivy embra kick which we can pyschoanalyze as a gilear/sandra lynn parallel in another post #but all i could think of in fabian meeting buddy is the chemistry they had don’t even front #something something ruining innocence trope or wtvr too #please don’t count the adjectives in this post i’m embarrassed #also OBVIOUSLY buddy’s mlm bc duh. mirror of kristen #which doubles with tracker clearly being a yin/yang thing freshman yr with the moon goddess #so u could get that again with heaven/hell but with fabian and buddy #d20 #fantasy high #dimension 20 #fabian seacaster #buddy dawn #fantasy high junior year #fhjy spoilers

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mickgaydolenz · 1 year

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what’s something you are genuinely bad at? like something that no matter how much you’ve tried to improve on it you’ve never been able to get past a certain point? for me it’s learning new languages

#i don’t even know what happens but my whole ass brain shuts off.#i took french all through elementary and into high school but have retained next to nothing. also took two years of german #and have very little to show for that as well #also my auditory comprehension is absolutely shit when it comes to that #my reading comprehension is much better. but trying to listen to someone talk? brain dead immediately

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turtleblogatlast · 1 month

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Mikey and Leo episode centered around Mikey wanting to push Leo and Draxum together since Leo’s the most reluctant to give Draxum any grace (for good reason!) But, thinking on the spot, Leo says he’s gotta go do something for Hueso and “just can’t hang out right now 😔” (yes, he says the emoji out loud.)

Mikey calls his bluff and now the three of them (Mikey having grabbed a weary Draxum along) go to Hueso’s to find that yes, he actually does have a job for him. Said job asks for Leo to go with Hueso to deliver multiple pizzas to this giant yokai quite a distance away, and Hueso figured it would probably go better with Leo’s help (emphasis on probably.)

Well, Mikey decides that this would be a great bonding opportunity for them and basically invites he and Draxum along. Unfortunately for Leo, Hueso doesn’t care enough to wave away more help, though he does side-eye the wanted criminal Baron Draxum coming with them. But who is he to judge? (This choice has consequences.)

The journey goes about as terribly as you’d expect, but at least the pizzas get delivered on time.

#rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt mikey #rottmnt leo #rottmnt draxum #rottmnt hueso #listen you don’t understand #imagine mikey trying to get leo to accept draxum as a father figure only for this to push leo to purposefully turn to Hueso instead #idk I love when this accidental flaw of Mikey’s is explored and I think it meshes well with Leo’s own AND fits nicely with their dynamic #100% this ends with Leo & Hueso bonding and Mikey & Draxum bonding and Mikey & Leo bonding and even Hueso & Mikey a bit #but notably only a little Draxum & Leo - because it’s important that Leo isn’t forced to accept him imo #Leo realizing during all his denials of Draxum that oh you know who he DOES think of as family? Hueso #Draxum is trying mainly for Mikey’s sake #Hueso is too tired to care about all this family drama but is reluctantly worried about Pepino #Mikey just wants one big happy family because - that’s just easier y’know?#he tries so hard to work with everyone’s emotions that he just wants things to be easy for once #he wants love and family to be easier than it is - than has BEEN lately #gimme that heart to heart Mikey & Leo moment in this regard #by the end Leo DOES raise Draxum up a bit from ‘complete distrust’ to ‘mild side-eye’#but it’s a long ways off if he ever gets pushed into the family tier #and also #SO MUCH SLAPSTICK COMEDY and sarcastic comedy in this episode fr #and if you’re wondering-#yes they DO fight the Yokai monster they’re delivering the pizzas to #but they get paid so it’s whatever #kinda wanna attempt to copy the style of the show and make fake screenshots of this ‘episode’ ngl

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its-your-mind · 6 months

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ORV as shitposts 3/??? (joongdok ed.)

#orv #omniscient reader's viewpoint #omniscent reader #omniscient reader webtoon #orv shitpost #kim dokja #yoo joonghyuk #joongdok #listen they’re so dumb I love them so fucking much #look at these idiots #don’t even know they’re in love #orv textposts

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watchyourbuck · 2 months

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If Buck gets yet another random-rescued-woman love interest arc™️ I might have to retire guys

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betterthanbatman1 · 1 year

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Clark: Butts are for sittin’ not for sassin’

Robin: Kill me now

#jason Todd #Jason would rather be in Arkham than having to listen to Clark’s shitty puns #robin!jason #red hood #clark kent #Kal el #Superman #Updated tags!:#I just found out that this is Damian I think???#IMDb and Google say it’s Damian #I just assumed it was Jason because in the beginning Batman explains that a new Robin joined him after the first Robin became nightwing #so I guess Damian is the dramatic one #idk this is Jason in my eyes but I don’t even know if his name was ever mentioned #not me gaslighting everyone into thinking it’s Jason lmao 😭

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little-pondhead · 1 year

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Thinking about if Dani ever gets added to the Villain Everlasting Trio au, like how would she fit in? Obviously the JL would have to figure out she's a clone and try and figure out why she exists ("maybe fenton is just that narcissistic?" flash asks, meanwhile batman is already texts agent a to get ready another room in addition to the three already prepared). Maybe she acts like the innocent kid in danger until heroes get close? batfamily trying to pspspsps her away from fenton? The trio collectively calling her their daughter?

I love this au so much, even if I still don't fully forgive you for making Tucker hot.

The way I SPRINTED to my computer.

Disclaimer: This particular AU has nothing to do with Fun Sized and Feral by @nutcase8691 or my Dani Fenton redesign from a while ago. This isn’t really important, but I thought the plot of this au might be straying the tiniest bit too close to the Feral AU (which I love btw) and I just didn’t want to cause confusion.

TLDR: Dani had to mature too quickly in their home world, so when she arrived in the DC universe, she finally got to slow down and be a kid. :)

Okay okay. Give me a moment. Since everyone is acting like the opposite of their usual self when they're playing villains, your question was, how would she fit in? To backtrack to this earlier post, I said that each of the trio's specific gimmicks somehow ties into their everyday lives. They looked at their immediate friends, family and acquaintances, picked out the traits they saw as 'villainous,' and then applied that to themselves.

Danny became a mad scientist because even though his parents love him through and through, they still hurt him the most. The threat of capture and dissection from the GIW didn't help, either. He wears a suit similar to his parents, pushes his hair up so he can see better, and his white lab coat looks a little like the GIW's suits. The suit is also red, which is the opposite of green, distancing himself further from his hero life as Phantom and connecting him more to his civilian self, where red is present on his shirt. He refuses to use his powers, as well.

Sam looks like an angel, which seems odd given her completely goth look and slightly pessimistic attitude. And if she uses her plant powers (shut up, she totally has them) as part of Team Phantom, then that rules out using them as a villain. They want to completely separate these alter-egos from each other. Well, one of the most significant sources of strife in Sam's personal life is her parents. In the show, they're seen constantly fighting with Sam, trying to mold her into their perfect daughter, when Sam is very obviously happy with how she is right now. So as a silent fuck you to her parents, Sam gets a hold of a Realm artifact, the halo, which gives her a pair of ghostly wings and the ability of flight. Now, she's the one in the air, and Sam is still doing what she does best, even as an angel. She tries to show the world that not all angels are perfect, and in fact, they can be downright monstrous. (This is where her more aggressive and destructive attitude comes in.)

As far as I'm aware, Tucker doesn't have any trauma related to his parents. (The lucky bastard.) He is the tech-nerd stereotype, however. And since he's from a cartoon from 2004, that means he gets bullied. A lot. The show focuses mainly on Danny, but you cannot tell me Tucker wasn't bullied like that, either. For the sake of the au, let's say Danny was taking all the beatings for Tucker. Maybe he was in canon; I can't remember. But not only is Tucker being physically bullied but so is his best friend. (Eventually lover!) And imagine his feelings when Team Phantom shows up to a ghost fight, and Tucker is absolutely useless the entire time. He just can't help at all. Danny and Sam are on the front lines, redirecting hits and doing damage control, and here he is, waiting for the Wi-Fi to catch up on his PDA. It eats him up. He wants to be helpful in more ways than one, and that's what the DC universe gives him. He takes another Realm artifact; this time, it's actually his by birthright, and the artifact drastically increases his physical power, just like he's always wanted. He learns Egyptian magic and dresses in a way that gives homage to his time in Egypt-which was traumatizing by itself, but hey, he has sweet beetle magic now.

Basically, Fenton, Manson, and Foley are all the results of the trio's frustrations and fears. They become the things they stress about the most to help cope with their everyday lives. The DC universe is their outlet.

So where does Dani fit in?

Well, Dani is a clone, as we know. Her creation and introduction to the world were rather sudden if you compare her to a typical baby. And that's what she is; a baby. Unless you jumped the timeline far into the future, Dani is barely a year old in canon (I think.) And after her team-up with Danny to defeat Vlad, she makes the decision to leave Amity and travels the world. She has to navigate an entire world independently, even if Danny wants to help her. So now, plop her in the DC verse. What's the opposite of an independent clone who's had to fend for herself from a very young age and has had almost no real familial bonds?

A kid. A scared, touched-starved child who's had no one to look after her for who knows how long. (Vlad doesn't count here.) Dani gets to the DC verse and cries because she and Danny can finally bond like she always wanted to. She doesn't have to put up a strong front because the trio is there to protect her. Dani is extremely young, and now she can finally be a kid. It's not mental age regression; instead, Dani no longer has to hold herself back from doing childish things or crying. Both are things that could be a danger when you're living on the streets. She spends almost all her time here now.

The Everlasting Trio had already missed her before, but they had just fully adopted her in this new world. Dani is their baby. Their little girl. She didn't ask to be born-she shouldn't have to suffer because it was unsafe at home. Well, they can make a new one, just for her, here in this universe. And look! There’s more clones for her to bond with! The GZ is more accessible than ever, and their commute between universes really isn’t that bad. They like it here! And the heroes and villains will never take her away, no matter how hard they try. Sure, Dani can have playdates with some of them, but she will wail and scream if anyone so much as suggests she stay the night without her parent's permission.

Oh, and she never stops being a little shit. If anyone doubts that Fenton and Dani are related, they are simply ushered online to see that one viral clip of Dani latching on to King Shark with her teeth and not letting go in the middle of a shopping plaza. The camera pans to the left a moment later, and the audience spots Fenton doing the exact same thing to John Constantine.

The first time the Justice League meets Dani, it's right after she got lost during a spacewalk with Danny and Sam. She enters the first place she sees, the Watchtower, and breaks down in front of Wonder Woman about how she can't find her parents and doesn't know how to get home. The heroes are baffled and try to comfort her until Danny comes barging in five minutes later, panicking over his baby girl missing. They reunite, the heroes are reeling, and Superman mentions he didn't think Fenton was old enough to have a kid.

Fenton looks up from his bear hug and goes: "Huh? Oh, no. I'm only seventeen. (work with me here) Dani is technically my clone, but we adopted her properly as soon as possible."

And now the League has two issues. Their most annoying enemy is only seventeen. And he has a clone.

What the f u c k.

Extra analysis: Dani's outfit is cleaner and a little fancier than what she wore in the show. She ties her hair up like Tucker and pins her bangs back like Sam. She already looks identical to Danny but likes to wear his sweaters, especially in cold weather. The oversized clothes remind her of her time with Danny in Amity Park, and helps hide her physique better, so it's hard to tell how old she is. She wears leggings to show that she no longer has to fight for her life every day on the streets. Now that the trio adopted her, she can relax and let someone else take the hits for a while. (We all know how fast leggings and tights can be ruined when doing literally anything.) Fright Knight gifts her a cursed doll that helps protect her in stressful situations and functions like an SOS beacon. JLD hates the bear. (She named it Strawbeary.)

She acts on her impulses more often, which the trio sees as a good thing. Even if that impulsive desire gets her in trouble, it gives everyone a chance to learn and grow as a family. Dani also refrains from going ghost at first, following her dad's wishes. Right now, she's just giving herself a break from her previous nomadic lifestyle. After a bit, she and Danny will bond over their halfa status, and she'll grow into her own unique core and powerset. The heroes dread the day the littlest Fenton decides to join her parents in their shenanigans.

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pickedyou · 3 months

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I am so weak for the heart swap trope.

Loosely inspired by the thing that remains from tciddaemina.

#listen I know that would be borderline suicidal in canon #but something about law literally giving Luffy his heart is just so *clenches fist*#and it’s not like he isn’t dramatic enough to do this once he is all in #and don’t even get me started on Luffy #this counts for Valentine’s Day right?#one piece #lawlu #trafalgar law #monkey d. luffy #pickedyou draws

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shima-draws · 2 months

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Normally Sanji is the most put together person between him and Luffy. He’s probably the most put together person on the entire crew besides Robin. Meanwhile Luffy is a walking disaster, chaos is naturally drawn to him and he’s ALWAYS getting into trouble. When it comes to their actual romantic relationship tho. It’s COMPLETELY flipped lmao

Luffy will walk out on deck with his hair slightly tousled and his vest a bit askew but that’s normal for him. He looks smug as hell but that’s also normal for him. Nobody bats an eye. Then Sanji comes tumbling out of the galley. Shirt untucked and buttoned up the wrong way, hair thoroughly ruffled, clothes rumpled, looking utterly fucking disheveled. His nose is bleeding, he’s stumbling like he’s drunk and his neck is covered in hickies. Everyone on deck proceeds to lose their goddamn MINDS

#Sanji tries to tell them he was ‘attacked’ but then Luffy goes ‘Yeah by me ;))))’ and Sanji promptly gives up #Usopp: Dude you’re a mess. I’ve never seen you this unkempt before #Sanji: I. Listen.#Luffy: 😋#Sanji: DON’T LOOK SO PROUD OF YOURSELF THIS IS YOUR FAULT #Luffy: I take full responsibility and I WILL be doing it again!!!!#Sanji: NFJSNFNSNCNSNCNSN #Lusan #Sanlu #One Piece #Sanji #Luffy #Shima speaks #Just reminding you all where my heart lies. In case you didn’t know already tee hee <3 #I love the contrast between how they are normally and how they are when they’re intimate #AKA Sanji’s a fucking mess after Luffy gives him any kind of affection and Luffy is fully unbothered #Sanji getting overwhelmed at any physical affection makes me ill actually.#Luffy knows that he’s doing smth right when Sanji’s nose starts bleeding LMAO #Luffy: Cool!! I’m glad Sanji’s enjoying it :D #Meanwhile Sanji’s brain is fried. He can’t even articulate. LMAO #Idk what it is about them!! They’ve changed me!! They awakened something in me………jfjdnnd

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blank-barrel · 5 months

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BEST FRIENDS

edit: I didn like the text lol

(slightly outdated timelapse under cut)

#blark's art #ULTRAKILL #v1 #SIGNALIS #elster #i don’t even know #I was possessed to draw this after listening to a mashup and seeing that fucking GoPro stand next to that robot space lesbian #this goes hard

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katiebell · 11 months

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you know, I actually think the moment byleth steps in front of that blow meant for edelgard, an action that changes EVERYTHING about their fate, really is monumental, especially after warriors came out and added context

you have this mercenary who’s known for being stone cold, emotionless, and who can annihilate entire mercenary camps in minutes blank faced, as we saw with shez - by all means, they should never, WOULD never take a blow like that so carelessly for someone they don’t even know, much less with such an angry, determined expression - and yet.

the game draws some clear parallels between byleth and edelgard, and in all routes they have a connection that seems unbreakable - all of this starts at that very moment, when the merciless demon gets swept by a wave of emotion so strong that they throw rationality out of the window.

idk, one of my favourite fe3h analyses mentions the ‘literal divine intervention triggered by edelgard’ and that’s exactly what that moment is. not even because of sothis, but because that’s exactly when byleth takes their first step towards humanity and their freedom - i honestly think that byleth only fully regaining their humanity in crimson flower is the only outcome that makes sense, since that’s exactly what we see in one of the first scenes in fe3h. excellent foreshadowing, I’d say

#edeleth #byleth #edelgard #fe3h #few3h #byleth eisner #I’m a byleth fan as you all know lol was just listening to the very cool ashen demon ost and thinking about this #idk it’s just wild to see people saying that edeleth’s interactions in non cf routes come out of nowhere and don’t make sense like guys.#their meeting was THE pivotal moment of the series. it’s more obvious with el and many people unfortunately dismiss byleth’s personality but #el immediately is taken with byelth we all see it AND BYLETH IS THE SAME it’s just more subtle #even in non cf routes their interactions are always… intense and charged. el caught byleth’s attention as much as the other way around - so #much that she pulled on the power of the god inside her I mean come on. you can’t get more intense and dramatic than that

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misathinks · 3 months

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this little trend is so cute omg

but I don’t have a bf…or a husband… so,

things my situationship (?) does that are very Porter coded ♡

obsessed with cars and when I told him I just wanted a regular ford pickup he called me boring and rolled his eyes

“oh btw I won’t be in class today” “what? you’re leaving me? why?” “you’re acting a lot like you’d miss me sir!!” “and what if I did?”

proceeded to FaceTime me while he was sitting in said class

called me emo after I told him my quince dress was black. Mind you I’ve never seen him in anything else BUT black.

threw me over his shoulder and spun me around after I told him I’d be too heavy

Bullied me for my braids the whole day, then, “maybe I should put a hat on.” “Why?” “dunno.” “Do you actually think they look bad?? Never listen to me again”

puts his headphones on me at random times to show off his “hardcore” music taste (rap), but he was in Faye Webster’s top listeners for 2023… also thinks I don’t know this

“hey I love my little pony!!” “honestly??” “yeah, Twilight Sparkle is goated”

remembers almost every episode and its plot, including Equestria Girls

swears up and down he’s a “lover” but has played multiple girls in the past

Interestingly enough though hasn’t talked to anybody but me since we met. Very surprising

“I don’t see the issue you have with me tbh” “get off my cellphone please.” “lemme hit? :/”

gets mad at me if I open doors for him. “I am not going through there.” “you’re beyond difficult.” And then opens the door for me instead

acts nonchalant and tough with his friends and other ppl and then sweet to me

would be endearing if he didn’t join them making fun of me sometimes

says he doesn’t mean it afterwards

“I told you to never call me again. ” “…if I get you Wendy’s will you forgive me?” “yes actually!”

had horrible cramps once and he kept his hand on my stomach for an hour while working because I told him it helped

notices little things like my texting habits and the tone of my voice…He knows what he’s doing. Bastard.

“*talking about my research project*” “you like… smile with your eyes.” “I do?” “yeah.” “oh.” “sorry, I just like to look at you. Keep going.”

please help me.

tbh tho he could be Vincent if he tried.

#redacted asmr #redacted audio #redactedverse #redacted porter #I don’t know why I still talk to him #he has big eyes that’s why. damn #dw I’m self aware ik hes toxic #hopefully he comes to his senses bc we could be married with two kids by now 😞#Also if this isn’t porter-esque.. bare w me #haven’t even listened to the summit audio

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clottedscream · 1 year

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“it’s just a warmup sketch,” i say to myself. “i’m just gonna warm up on shading and coloring. i’m just warming up on anatomy.” my spine crackles from sitting in shrimp stance for 2 hours. “just to warm up.”

#dairydraws #epithet erased #molly blyndeff #prison of plastic #jelloapocalypse #epithet erased prison of plastic #eepop #digital painting #molly is really fun to practice drawing hair on but i do kinda feel like i’m fighting against the skin tone in her ref whenever i draw her #i don’t even necessarily feel like i favor warmer or more saturated tones in general but idk #something about the color in her ref doesn’t mesh right with my painting style #i should try painting her lit in cooler toned light that might help #i was drawing her crying and then changed my mind #but i forgot to erase the little snot bubble. so i guess molly has a runny nose #the reason i got so carried away is almost definitely because the cafe im in is playing such slow relaxing music #i usually listen to pretty upbeat stuff when i draw #and it motivates me to go fairly fast. but i was just kinda enjoying myself and going with the rhythm of the lowfi beatstrumentals #this is a great cafe. the masala chai here fucking shreds #it’s so cardamom heavy and baby do i love cardamom #you know a tea at a cafe is good if drinking the stuff leftover at the bottom gets a lil grit in ur mouth #molly deserves a warm cup of masala chai frankly

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garlikstiks · 11 months

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watched the new season today and i just hope these 2 had some gay sex

#i don’t even know mr poulters characters name #but i cannot stop thinking about him #was carmy the chef who was better than him that he learned from??#did he try to hook up w carmy???#we all know carmy is too repressed to actually hook up w a man #but damn i hope he tried #(listen hes gay i’ve decided)#the bear #the bear fx #will poulter #marcus the bear #the bear season 2

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inoreuct · 5 months

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drink from me

a sherry-laced conversation about thirst and running away. zosan | 2k | hurt/comfort

Being a coward isn’t as easy as one might think.

It’s juxtaposition in its own right; cowardice is, as defined, a lack of bravery— And yet Sanji supposes it takes bravery to be able to ditch everything you stand for. To turn tail and run. Bravery to bear upon your shoulders the disappointment of everybody who had ever believed in you.

He sighs deeply, tilting the bottle in his hand so that the dregs of liquor slosh within. This is why he doesn’t drink.

It’s relatively easy most days. To lock his past behind a set of double doors, bar the handles with a padlock and chain so he can pretend that everything he’s running from isn’t just three paces behind, snapping at his heels, starved and ready to eat him up whole. Alcohol slots the key back into place and twists it without his permission. Twists his heart until it aches.

He doesn’t know why he’d started. The bottle of sherry had sat, nondescript and guileless and half-full on the galley table after the night’s dessert, and Sanji had paused before he’d slowly wrapped his fingers around the neck of it and let his nails scrape against the dark glass.

The cork had popped almost too easily and here he is now, taffrail digging into his forearms as he takes a long drag from his cigarette and lets bitter smoke fill his lungs full to bursting. Blood orange coats the back of his tongue, cloyingly sweet, thick on the roof of his mouth— He’d made a layered trifle with cacao nibs and caramelised cream that had been slathered between slabs of boozy vanilla sponge, and the aftertaste clings to his teeth. Sanji peers down as what’s left of the sherry glimmers vaguely inside the bottle and fights the urge to chug the rest.

He could, if he really wanted to. He hardly drinks but it certainly doesn’t mean he can’t.

A soft scrape against wood catches his attention, barely perceptible. He fights to keep his spine from stiffening, fights to maintain his loose-limbed, easy demeanor; the liquid warmth in his veins helps some but not enough, and he’s halfway through another drag when near-silent footsteps stop just behind him.

Zoro’s haori shifts in the wind, palm loosely wrapped around the end of Wado’s hilt where she’s strapped alone to his hip. “Was wondering where you went,” he says easily, looking out over the ocean.

Sanji scoffs. It burns his throat more than the sherry did. “For someone built like that, you’re surprisingly quiet, marimo.”

The immediate urge to kick himself is something new. He rarely feels it— It appears often, don’t get him wrong, he just. Ignores it. It’s a little more difficult tonight. Built like that. The noise that escapes him is mirthless. What’s that even supposed to mean, huh? Alcohol’s always made him snappy and he does feel bad for once — But he’s tired, and the chores won’t do themselves.

“Make it quick, would you?” he mutters when Zoro still hasn’t replied, low and quiet in the still evening air as he curves down to dig the heel of his palm into his temple. “My spice jars are still all over the counter, and I have to mop the floor before I wash the dishes—”

“It’s done.”

Sanji blinks, before his eyes narrow and he turns his head to look at Zoro properly. “The dishes?”

“Everything.” The swordsman huffs when Sanji gives him a dubious look, gaze flicking over and away again as he rolls his eye. “Luffy asked me to clean up the galley. Said you needed a break.”

Well. The cook exhales, measured, and buries his face into the crook of his elbow. Taps his cig so that ash doesn’t fall into his hair where he’s holding it aloft above his head. “Tell him thanks, but I don’t.”

He clocks it out of his peripheral vision when Zoro smirks and waves a hand to gesture to his cigarette and his slouch and the glass bottle dangling against wood. “What’s this, then?”

I don’t know. Shop’s closed, please fuck off and come back tomorrow morning.

The other words that sit at the tip of Sanji’s tongue are far more scathing. He feels them, bites them back viciously before he can burn anyone other than himself. “If there’s a single thing out of place in there I’m gonna—”

“Kick my ass, I know, I know.” Zoro chuckles under his breath. “Don’t you get tired of saying the same things over and over again?”

“Maybe I wouldn’t have to if you didn’t constantly choose to be selectively deaf, moss-for-brains.”

The swordsman huffs another soft laugh, and conversation peters out after that. Sanji feels an itch building at the base of his skull, flickering just under his skin; it’s making him restless. He taps the bottle against the rail just to fill the silence. Zoro reaches a hand out and Sanji gives it to him easily, unthinkingly, watching and pretending he isn’t as the swordsman thumbs over the faded paper label that’s peeling at the corner.

Zoro’s hands are scarred, he notes. He knows this, of course, but he never gets tired of letting his gaze drift over tan skin and old scars, thin slivers of pearly tissue painted silver in the moonlight. A breeze ruffles his hair as Zoro finally drinks, and he’s distantly surprised to see that it’s a measured sip and not a swig like what it usually would have been.

Fucking hell. Sanji’s inhale shudders when he pushes himself up and stands straight, now-free hand wrapping around lacquered wood as he finishes his cigarette and tosses the butt over the side. He needs to stop thinking. He’s paying too much attention. There’s a pressure building behind his forehead and Zoro is an overwhelming presence beside him, unavoidable, stoic and staunch as ever, perfect posture, perfect honour, a sentinel with a pure white sword like some sort of— of hero from a storybook. Perfect perfect perfect.

It’s all building like a scream behind his lips, a river at a bottleneck, and he clenches his jaw to keep it in. Grits his teeth until he hears them creak because what would happen if he opened his mouth? Nothing good, he’s sure. Nothing anyone needs.

Sanji nearly startles when the bottle taps against his elbow. “Talk to me.”

“Nothing to say,” he replies immediately, taking a careless gulp and holding in a cough.

Zoro’s slow exhale feels like it shifts the wind itself. Their ship creaks gently. “You always have something to say, curls.”

“Look, you—” He cuts himself off, tempering his breath. “I’m tired, alright? So can you just get to the point?” Fuck, he needs another cigarette.

Maybe that’s the problem. He knows he’s the problem, sure, but Sanji suspects that he’s been running for so long that he’s forgotten how to walk. It’s grown into him like weeds wound through his ribs, the way he sees poison in water that’s perfectly clean, the way peace makes him more anxious than chaos does. He needs to stop running. He doesn’t know how.

Zoro pries the sherry from his fingers and it’s only then that he relaxes the death grip he’d unintentionally had, a shudder slipping over his shoulders. Zoro holds the bottle loosely between his scarred fingers and doesn’t drink.

The silence thickens. Static crackles within his bones.

Sanji doesn’t know why he starts talking. Doesn’t know why it feels like a dam breaking in his chest, but his mouth is open, and the words are emptying out. “I’m tired of looking over my shoulder for something that isn’t there. Luffy gave me something to run towards, for once, but—”

He doesn’t know how to say it’s not enough without sounding ungrateful, without being greedy. “Sometimes I think I could… consume every one of the Blues, and still want more,” he allows. “Need more.” His fingers lace together, and Sanji dips his head with a wry smile even as he looks at the endless expanse of sky in front of them. “I’m afraid I’ll drink the world and still come up dry.”

There is a thirst in him. Something different than what had wracked him for a month on that barren rock. Hunger he can handle; he eats just enough to stave it off and goes about his day. This, though— Sanji can’t help the way it buzzes in the back of his head and keeps him wound up like a coil of electrical wire. He kneads dough and whisks egg whites just to have something to do with his hands. He defaults to his usual barbs when he’s feeling ungrounded so he can kid himself into thinking he possesses some semblance of normality. His shoulders ache as he stares out over the sea and wonders what it’s like to hold so much and still, still, be so achingly empty.

The winds change, carding cool fingers through his hair.

“Drink from me,” Zoro says, and Sanji’s breath catches between his teeth.

His head snaps up to find Zoro already looking at him, face unreadable, elbows on the taffrail and bottle cupped in his hands. The swordsman looks serene, Sanji thinks. Gaze trained straight ahead, ever clear of his objectives as Wado gleams at his side, starlight in an ivory sheath.

“Drink from me,” he repeats. The words are solemn as they always are in moments like these, the liminal space just after dusk but before true night, as his eyes shift over to Sanji and lock in place. “I won’t let you go thirsty again.”

Sanji’s mouth dries. It’s hard not to feel pinned as Zoro looks at him; the weight of his gaze is almost physically tangible, like a familiar green coat settling over his shoulders. That’s the thing about Zoro— For all Sanji jokes about him having plant life in his skull, the swordsman has a penchant for dropping absolutely earth-shaking statements without even seeming to think about them at all. The cook swallows once, twice, tries to find his words as his lips part and loses them as soon as he takes his next breath.

He doesn’t know if he’ll ever stop feeling like a ticking time bomb. But as Zoro’s lashes flutter and he looks away, Sanji feels something in him settle. The relentless buzz that always seems to sit just beneath his skin soothes out into a quiet hum.

Maybe part of it’s how Zoro’s scarred and still perfect. Untouchable. Sanji couldn’t hurt him even if he tried, even if he blows apart.

His fingers wrap, unthinking, around the neck of the bottle as it’s pushed back into his hand, the pressure of Zoro’s touch lingering until he’s sure that Sanji has a good grip. The swordsman’s boots brush softly across the planks as he turns to leave and he’s halfway to the stairs before Sanji speaks.

“Marimo.”

He knows Zoro turns without even looking. “Hm?”

“Did Luffy really ask you to clean up the galley?”

A pause, before Zoro starts walking again. “Get some sleep, cook. I’ll take the rest of your watch.”

The silence he leaves in his wake is honey-thick. First watch is Sanji’s shift, it always is— He cleans up the galley and stays awake until Zoro comes to take over.

(The galley is clean. His watch is covered. His mind is quiet.

For once, he can’t find himself another reason to stay.)

The sherry holds no evidence of them ever having shared it. Sanji lifts the tinted glass and there’s no trace of Zoro, no proof that his mouth had ever been where Sanji’s is— None of the candied orange and rosemary from the duck they’d had for dinner, gamey and blood-sweet.

I won’t let you go thirsty again.

Sanji tastes it still, gentle in the back of his throat as he drains the bottle.

#wrote this all listening to hozier #not a necessary accompaniment but cherry wine fits the mood perfectly even though the lyrics don’t 😌#zosan #one piece #roronoa zoro #black leg sanji #sanji #one piece zosan #one piece sanji #zoro #zoro x sanji #one piece zoro #when will i ever stop angsting sanji you ask? NEVER #cuffs him over the head because he doesn’t know how to accept affection LOOK AT HOW MUCH ANGST I CAN FIT IN THIS BAD BOY #ino writes #will i ever stop using fruit and food and liquor as symbolism? also never

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