#sailing away together

[profoundmakerdreamerss-blog]

I want a pirate tomarry au where Tom is the marine admiral and Harry is the leader of a ragtag pirate group that just doesn't die.

[bougiebutchbinch]

God, Ouizzy is just so fucking DELICIOUS.

Frenchie is the captain, Izzy his loyal second. The two of them, over the year that follows S2, develop a far, far healthier relationship than Ed and Izzy ever managed.

Frenchie isn't the Best Captain Ever - he's still soft about the gills, and though he's... intimately familiar with the horrors of the world, with a past he likes to keep locked up in that box in his mind where all the Bad Things go, he never particularly wanted to be a pirate. He cares more about his crew than obtaining massive wealth or leaving a fearsome legacy.

Izzy is so fucking okay with that, after everything.

Sure, Frenchie is a soft touch (in comparison to Ed 'kill all pets' Teach in the pre-Bonnet era). But he also respects Izzy's opinion and is learning that sometimes, it is important to enforce orders when you live aboard a vessel whose upkeep is all that stands between you and a watery grave. He uses Izzy as an enforcer and Bad Cop when necessary (as Izzy very much likes to be used), and is intelligent enough to figure out that Izzy is a major fucking asset so long as you don't make him be literally the only one aboard doing everyone else's job, or constantly make him fear for his crew's life.

As for how he feels about him... Well, Frenchie's still shaky on that.

Like. There was that time in the Kraken era, when Izzy was feverish and dying of leg-rot and smelled really fucking gross. One day Frenchie came down to bring him water and Izzy was... crying.

He tried to cover it up, putting on his usual tough act, telling Frenchie to fuck off. But after everything he did for the crew, Frenchie couldn't not comfort him. So he crawled onto the bed behind him and just... hugged him. For ages. Until Izzy's stiff body slowly melted into pliancy, conforming to the curve of Frenchie's arms.

They lay like that half the night, one of them sweating and rotting from the inside, the other spooned up behind him like he could suck the fever-heat out of his broken, shaky little body.

Izzy was out of it, by the end of the night. Totally out of it. Frenchie can't think why else he'd rolled in his embrace and given him a sleepy, sour kiss, that felt far too much like a goodbye.

Only... Izzy lived. He's Frenchie's trusted subordinate now, the two of them running their own ship, hunting down Ricky as part of Zheng's new fleet. And that kiss stretches between them, every hour of every day, an invisible, unspoken thread.

it meant nothing. Frenchie's sure it meant nothing. Izzy was dying! Practically hallucinating! Hell, it was probably intended for Ed.

But Frenchie can't stop thinking about it. Izzy doesn't particularly like physical contact, but Frenchie is THE person on the crew who he's most comfortable with, tactilely speaking. He lets Frenchie grab his hand or sling an arm around his shoulders or rest his head on his lap whenever he wants. And he's kinda cute in a grumpy old-man sorta way. And Frenchie maybe wants to kiss him again -

But he fucking knows Izzy's still reeling from everything that happened with The Kraken, even if, like Frenchie, Izzy refuses to confront half of it. He's uncomfortably aware of their power dynamic, and Izzy's rather disturbing (i.e., kinky but entirely unexplored) relationship with authority. The last thing he wants is to push in where he's not wanted - or, worse, become a bandage slapped over a poorly healed wound.

#

Though Izzy was slightly sceptical of Frenchie's abilities at first, he threw himself wholeheartedly behind his captaincy for multiple reasons. Firstly... Izzy had his stint at captain. Izzy knows he doesn't particularly, uh, suit that role. He got mutinied on faster than even Jack's record (fucking embarrassing; Izzy's glad he's dead, if only because he'd never live that down).

Secondly... Well, this lackadaisical, supersititious musician kid seemed like just another of Bonnet's frails at first - but during the Kraken Era, he came into his own. He was fucked up by Ed, badly, like all of them were. But though it left him with a big fucking locked box that he refuses to talk about with anyone, it showed Frenchie that he could step up to the task, and use his skillset of trickery and guile to protect those he cares about (like, pretending he killed Izzy to keep him safe from Ed).

Now, Izzy's pretty damn sure Frenchie can walk the necessary line between Bonnet's softness and the hardship required of pirates. And, better yet, he thinks Frenchie might know it too. And he wants to be right there at Frenchie's side, protecting him, every step of the way.

Plus, y'know. There's that whole thing where Frenchie (who, for as long as Izzy knew him, looked out for number one) carried him into the hidden space within the ships' walls and tended to him against Blackbeard's orders. Risking his life for Izzy's worthless one, which was (so they all presumed at the time) pretty much over anyway.

And suuuuuure, Izzy was delirious. But, uh. He was also really fucking impressed. In that moment, Frenchie went in his mind from being another 'crewmate Izzy had to protect' to a 'crewmate who is protecting him; who thinks of Izzy as an equal, worthy of kindness and compassion'. Hell, Izzy may have had emotions about it, as they lay tangled on Izzy's damp sickbed, awaiting his death. He has distinct memories of a kiss.

But that's all in the past. They left Stede and Ed in their inn and sailed away to start a better life with the rest of the crew - a fresh break, a clean start. Izzy doesn't want to know if The Kiss actually happened, or if it was just a fever dream (HAHAHAHAA IT'S EATING HIM UP INSIDE). But he's sure as hell NOT gonna ask.

Look what happened the last time he fell in love with his Captain, after all.

Anyway: they are THEE recipe for traumatised mutual pining <3

[arsenicflame]

do you guys ever think about how ed wouldn't intuitively recognise izzys steps anymore because ive been thinking about that a lot this week

[despite-everything]

i simply can't believe ed and stede are staying behind on land in that old shack by izzy's grave.

[lethalhoopla]

The new trailer has injected hype straight into my veins (rip everyone who is tired of Varric narrating trailers feat. Solas, but I'm a sucker for both) and the art is just gorgeous as always so I took screencaps - figured I'd share in case anyone else wanted them!

[inamindfarfaraway]

Team Chaotix in Sonic Prime

My headcanons for what Vector the Crocodile, Espio the Chameleon and Charmy Bee are like in the Shatterspaces.

New Yoke City

Vector’s variant is called Missile (a missile is a vector, having direction and magnitude). He embodies Vector’s responsibility, practicality and seriousness. He was trying to make a difference as a teenage detective when the dystopian city appeared around him four years ago and it became clear that, with the Chaos Council’s control of the new justice system and law enforcement, the person he aspired to be would never make it. Of course he wants to fight, but the Council is brutal and their absolute power seems impossible to overthrow. He soon ended up with two children in his care, one only a toddler. If he got arrested, killed or roboticized, what would happen to them? If the three of them had the Council’s protection, on the other hand, as per the contract of an exclusive, specialized detective agency who would do whatever dirty work they were ordered to… he knows that those tyrants are the reason his kids have nobody else. He knows that the vast majority of people he leads the robotic police to don’t deserve any punishment, and none of them could deserve the cruel horrors they get. He knows that he isn’t a hero - that he may even be the exact opposite. And he hates it. But any money that keeps his family alive is money worth having, he’s regretfully decided. Big concepts like good and evil are none of his concern. He’s just trying to pay the rent. It’s too late to back out now, anyway. Now that the people are rebelling en masse and the Council is busy exploring the Shatterverse, he’s desperately waiting for things to stabilize and daring to hope against hope that some positive change occurs. And that the citizens don’t recognize the collaborateurs in their midst and turn on them.

Espio’s variant is called Trace. He embodies Espio’s stoicism and pragmatism. His ninja training was cut short - and his village razed and everyone he knew killed or taken prisoner - when the Chaos Council remade the world in their image. But he’s gained plenty of experience in stealth, deception, infiltration, espionage and combat working in the Chaos Detective Agency. Dishonour means nothing to a ninja. That’s what he tells himself, at least. On the outside, he’s reserved and aloof, a cold, ruthless foe. He will only show his family the slightest show of emotion. Internally, however, his repressed grief for his old family, community, home and life; guilt, shame and self-loathing due to his service to the Council; and years of accumulated trauma are brewing into a storm that he barely keeps contained under the surface. He’s afraid of his feelings burdening his teammates and distracting them from what’s most important: survival.

Charmy’s variant is called Sting. He embodies Charmy’s eagerness to be helpful and fighting spirit. He can’t remember anything except New Yoke and doesn’t understand much of how his society works, but he knows that his family’s work is very important to them being alive and wants to be a part of it. He does notice their stress and the general unpleasantness everywhere and can infer that circumstances could be improved. But their work being dangerous is all the more reason he should help! Teamwork makes the dream work, right? Danger just adds to the fun of stopping ‘bad guys’. He’s also terrified that if they leave him behind, they might not come back. So he kept breaking out and running away when Missile and Trace went on missions until they agreed to train him and let him join them. He revels in the thrill of action and finds people getting hurt amusing the way a six-year-old boy can, not emotionally connecting to anyone he’s told they need to catch and earnestly believing that their enemies must be in the wrong. He often imitates Missile when trying to be tough and intimidating.

Boscage Maze

Vector’s variant is called Reed. He embodies Vector’s optimism, lightheartedness and musical side, and tends to have his coarser manners too. He, the other two and Cream and Vanilla’s variants are in a different small tribe to the Scavengers and haven’t yet met them, so Thorn Rose didn’t banish them to the emergent layer; they are nomadic and moving toward the Scavengers’ territory. He’s cheerful and generous, always ready to raise the tribe’s morale. He can be immature and irresponsible at times, more focused on enjoying life and entertaining his companions than applying maximum effort to practical tasks. He’s highly resourceful when it comes to instruments and has invented drums and a reed flute. He loves to play them and sing. He’s also bold enough to flirt with Vanilla and the casual first stage of a romance is budding between them.

Espio’s variant is called Berry. He embodies Espio’s caution, wisdom and love of art and culture. Yes, that’s in this dimension. The tribe took him in after they crossed paths when he was eight, him having previously had to survive on his own for as long as he can remember. He’s mature beyond his years, highly knowledgeable about the forest’s flora and fauna, wary and prepared to defend his tribe from any threat using his carved flint blades and hand-to-hand skills. He used to find it difficult to relax, but has learned to unwind through playing a shamisen-esque string instrument Reed built for him and painting with plant pigments. While acutely aware of nature’s hazards, he can still appreciate its wonder and majesty and respects it.

Charmy’s variant is called Honey. He embodies Charmy’s innocent kindness, friendliness and trusting nature. He and Cream’s variant are best friends and adoptive siblings, since his parents entrusted their friend Vanilla with him when they left on an exploratory expedition in his infancy. They didn’t return. But Honey doesn’t mind. He has everything he needs right here. The one thing he can think of that would make his life better is a friend who can fly like he can.

No Place

Vector’s variant is called Bullion (because of precious metal and a male crocodile is a bull). He embodies Vector’s sharp intelligence, charisma, greed and courage. He left his home island in a modest but sturdy vessel, dubbed the Treasure Trove, to seek his fortune and established himself as a travelling merchant. Cunning, socially savvy and theatrical, he is willing to (if you insist on using such accusatory language) ‘scam’ customers and has an endless supply of get-rich-quick schemes. He and his crew live in a fiercely competitive, unpredictable environment full of pirates! Material wealth is essential! That being said, he isn’t all talk. He will brave high seas and stormy weather, chart uncharted waters and do business with anyone to obtain the best goods and things no other merchant is selling, and the genuine quality and rarity of a lot of his stock keep people endeared to him despite his rough edges and occasional bad deal. He takes pride in his competence as a salesman and seafarer and part of him is more fulfilled by honest work. Not that he’ll admit that. He’s very attached to his swashbuckling rogue self-image.

Espio’s variant is called Fathom (a measure of water depth and a verb for contemplative thought and understanding). He embodies Espio’s firm sense of morality and diligence. He met Bullion when the crocodile docked at his home island and, struck with wanderlust and needing a job to get by, Fathom offered to manage his finances with his advanced mathematical ability and do some manual labour. Bullion agreed, but it didn’t take Fathom long to figure out that he was both running a con and a broke mess. A weirdly likeable broke mess. In the aftermath of Fathom exposing the con, the customers angrily demanding refunds and the Treasure Trove being hastily undocked, they made a deal to support and protect each other, with Fathom promising to follow his boss’s lead on the strict condition that Bullion stayed on the straight and narrow. He’s a dutiful hard worker, patient and polite. He tries to remain calm and be civil to everyone no matter how wild things get. He grounds his crewmates, restraining their more energetic, eccentric and, most frustratingly for him, selfish and amoral behaviour. He knows they can be better. And when they are, it’s extremely rewarding. But they certainly test him - though he won’t deny that the motley crew all truly care about each other and would stick together through anything.

Charmy’s variant is called Dodger. He embodies Charmy’s mischievous, irreverent side. He was born to pirates and left at an orphanage on one of the larger islands, but could never follow rules or be satisfied with a simple, mundane life in one place. He wanted excitement, and usually made his own by causing trouble and playing tricks. He totally wasn’t lonely. One day he stowed away on a ship. His plan was to steal all the stuff he could carry on him and fly off. Bullion and Fathom, the sailors who caught him, took a liking to him and were hesitant to send him back to his boring, miserable old home once he explained his life before. They were nice and cool and made him feel wanted and like he belonged more than anyone else ever had, so he hung around. Bullion makes him do chores, but respects his pranking prowess and nerve. Fathom is a great listener and playmate, albeit sometimes a killjoy.

[allthegoodusernamesaretakenagain]

The interaction stick is back! ^^

If your characters could choose any vehicle or mount from any timeline or universe what do you think they would choose?

A horse? A tractor? A hoverbike? Something else? Maybe a dragon? ^^

Haha, this is a fun question! Love it!

Quentin, ever the curious, would chose something from TOTK. Something that can be made by his own hands, but not something that risky. He would love the calming nature of a hot air balloon. But for speed and distance, he would enjoy a hoverbike I think.

Clorissa is all about the water. She would love the boat from Windwaker, sailing acorss lakes and rivers, fishing with her kids, jumping into the ocean on hot days!

Ronan is obviously going to pick a horse. Being a horse guy, he loves them. He's a classic traveller, he doesn't need any fancy new invention, no matter how cool or quick it is. Horse Loyalist for Life.

Daria would pick a dragon hands down. She will be riding them across Hyrule, gliding from dragon to dragon, earning their trust. It's all about the dramatic entrance too. She's just too cool.

Denzel, would be chaos incarinate. He wouldn't have a desginate mode of transport, he would be making dangerous inventions with the devices in TOTK, falling from great heights at something that ran out of battery, speeding past Clorissa on the water with a boat he made with rockets. If all came to fail, he use Link's master cycle.

[lovely-letters-for-ed]

Anybody else cry at the end of S2 when the scene closes and the credits roll and The Times They Are A-Changin' plays?

Just me? Cool, cool.

[llycaons]

while I'm Posting I think legalos/gimli is overrated and I never cared for it. samfrodo for me and that's it

[child-of-the-cosmos]

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 <- You’re here! - Part 5

(~2,000 words.)

You've always loved the morning air. Something about it was always so.. full of life. You'd been walking through the forest for about an hour now. Following a path engraved in your head. Damp branches cracked beneath your feet. The glow of the sun just barely peaking out from the trees above you. Small droplets would fall here and there from the leaves above. It seemed the rain really did a number on the forest. In a good way, of course.

The smell of oak and damp soil hung lightly in the air, hints of a sweeter aroma- wild flowers, wafted from a few patches nearby. It was something only the rain could bring. You had made your way through the hardest part of the hike, which honestly wasn't too hard since you picked the easiest path. It was a little narrow, being covered with leaves and small brush scattered around, but it was easy to see that the path was now beginning to clear and opening up into a new zone. Your favorite area.

You've seen tons of things coming through this particular path. Small squirrels, a baby fox and their mom, a raccoon, a large centipede, and now... A large deer? No, that wasn't quite right.

There was something there, for sure. You could tell that much from here. But the real question is, what exactly was it? A human? That'd be impossible. No one really came this far out... at least, no one that you've seen. As you got closer you were able to make out a figure, then a color. Okay, definitely not human. Either that, or they were wearing a LOT of yellow right now.

Was there something in your food this morning? There'd have to been, for you to see something like this. But.. you've been completely fine up until now. You were close enough to hear a faint voice. It was so quiet... you could barely hear it- but something was... off about the sound of it. It was then that it hit you that this thing wasn't breathing at all. You were close enough to see scratchy movements, and exposed wires by it's arm. A robot. Animatronic, to be exact.

"Woah," What was an animatronic doing out here, of all places? Civilization was far away from this point, you had made sure of that when you first moved into these woods. But to see something like this...

"What.. are you?" You already knew the answer, but this was amazing! You've never really seen an animatronic like this one. The ones before were pretty much void of any colors, and only gave out automated messages last time you checked... which admittedly had been a while. You're knowledge on robots were pretty limited- if you could call the little info you had on them knowledge that is. But from what you could tell... this one was different. You had heard they were getting pretty lifelike before you moved and left the city- but this, this was something new.

The figure- no, robot  was now looking at you. Maybe you scared it? Was that even possible?? You didn't know, and didn't have much time to think about it either. Because as soon as it saw you- it started moving. In the worst way possible. You watched in horror as it slowly maneuvered it's body to face you. Well, it's upper body. It's lower half stayed still, facing the same direction you first saw it in. You stepped back. Cool or not, you did not sign up for any of those horror movies you had watched on tv.

You glanced at it's arm again. It was holding it, almost as if a child would cradle their wound; Close to their chest, somewhat scared for you see it.

It just sat there and watched you. You couldn't get a read on what it wanted.

You tiled your head. Was it hurt, then? If so, does that mean people started building robots with pain receptors?? but... why?  Why would someone want something like that- and could that even be possible in the first place?? You'd have to think about that later. Whoever built this thing definitely had a lot of money though.

You were beginning to feel uncomfortable with the overwhelming silence. It was still staring at you. Menacingly. It hadn't moved an inch since it first contorted it's body. Just what was this thi- Crackling. Then soft humming. It was very quiet, almost like a whisper... then, "S-ssssorry" It spoke.

Sorry?  You were taken aback. Out of all the things it could've said, it said sorry? But why?? You inched closer, just a bit... If it was willing to communicate then it couldn't be that dangerous, could it? So it technically wouldn't hurt to communicate back... right?

"Sorry for what?" You asked. It seemed pleased with your response, perking up just slightly before slouching back down. It looked like it was fighting to stay awake. The grip on it's arm loosening. What was wrong with it? Well you didn't really need an answer, because it started talking again. Their words were slurred together, but you could just make out what it trying to say. "Plea---se," It began to slump to the floor, earthy forest below surrounding it, "H-h-h-helllp us."

Then... nothing.

Did it just die??? You slightly began to panic. Wait- no, right... it's a robot. Pretty sure robots don't die.. hopefully. So, it's not dead? Then... You snapped your fingers and walked closer to it. Right, things like this needed a charge! It's probably out of battery. Does it need like a.. double A or something? That's always worked for your tv remote.

You knelt down, glancing over it's features exposed by the earth beneath it. Light golden rays lined it's head, and you could see a wide smile plastered across it's face. Okay, this thing definitely wasn't a remote, but.. it'd still have to charge and all that, right? So there were still some similarities... you could work with this. Robot or not, your weren't the type to just leave someone alone, especially if that someone personally asked you for help.  

You gently looped your arms around theirs, careful not to touch the one with the open wires. You huffed and lifted. This thing was quite heavy. Even though you were pretty confident in your strength right now, you doubted you'd be able to carry it all the way down.

So, you did the next best thing. You lifted and decided you'd carry it at least half way, run and get your wheel barrow- somehow put it in, and push it the rest of the way back to your house.

This, was much easier said than done. And you quickly found that out. Firstly, you didn't take in account how tiring it was to carry this thing- plus run back and get the wheel barrow, just to jog it back up to where you left it (luckily it was fine), Then somehow get it in the wheel barrow- (which was very hard but you managed), Just to finally wheel it back down the rest of the way.

Once you actually got back home, all you wanted to do was sleep. But sleep wasn't an option right now. You still had to get it inside. You sighed, lifting one last time to carry it up your porch stairs and inside your house. You sat it down near a wall and flopped on the floor. You stared at ceiling. Home... finally.

You could hear Slinky chitter curiously as she peered at you from her cage. She had witnessed you struggle to carry it inside and lay down on the floor. You lifted a hand and waved at her. "I'm fine Slinky, just tired." You said.

You could see her staring at the hump of metal leaning on your wall from your peripheral. "Had to help a friend." You clarified. Slinky had always been anxious around guests, especially humans. She had her reasons... you knew that. That's why it helped to introduce them as a friend when they first meet Slinky. And family if you're really close to you- like a relative. You could tell Slinky was still tense as she looked between you and the robot, sniffing and moving to and fro in her cage. She was still anxious about it. You sat up to fully face slinky. "Hey... it's okay." You started. "They're a friend, they won't hurt either of us... okay?" You leaned over and rubbed her fur through the cage. She relaxed a bit. You watched as she cast once last glance at the robot before fully settling down. You hummed. This was good. You didn't want to stress her out. Actually, it was the last thing you wanted.

Once Slinky was satisfied with your rubbing, you quietly sat up and walked over to the robot. Okay... now what? You knelt down in front of it, hoping to at least get an idea of what it needed. You hadn't noticed before, but something really messed it up. Did it get into a fight? Something big laid A deep gash across it's chest, and there were multiple other cuts lined on it's body. There were some on it's arms, a few by it's face (though those definitely weren't that deep, more like light scraps if anything), and one more lining it stomach. One you definitely recognized as teeth marks. Yeah, it definitely got into a fight... most likely with a predator.

From what you knew it was still functioning with all this going on... so maybe it was still okay. Something you could handle later after turning it on. It was then that you noticed a tiny little compartment on it's side. It was closer to it's back, so you had to gently bend it over to get a better view.

The hatch was barely visible- actually it was almost seamless, but you could tell there was a tiny screw holding something in place. You got up and ran to your backyard, ignoring how slinky glanced your way before falling back to sleep. You had a screwdriver that was the perfect fit for that. Well, more like a set you could attach to a screwdriver.

It was a gift you were given long ago by a relative who thought you'd like it. You didn't really have a place to put it back then, so you just moved it to the shed in the backyard. the shed was a small thing.. or maybe it just looked that way. There was so much clutter you couldn't really tell.

You didn't really have a lot space to move, but there it was! The screwdriver set! Right where you left it. Satisfied, you triumphantly walked back in the house and sat back down near the robot. You hooked up your screwdriver and started twisting. You really hoped this was what you thought it was... and not something that would just confuse you more.

With one last twist the screw was out. You sat it on a table nearby. You pulled the latch open with anticipation. In the compartment revealed a small cord and a usb plug thing. You knew what this was! Well, kinda. Your tv had something similar. Which meant one thing. You could plug it in! You squealed in what could only be described as joy as you quickly plugged it into a socket nearby.

...

Nothing. Well that's to be expected, you thought. You had only just plugged it in. You knew it'd take way more time for it to turn on than just a few seconds.

You sat up and stretched, a soft yawn bubbled up as you walked over to Slinky. There was still a lot of the day ahead of you two... plus the robot. So you three. But honestly, right now you could use a nice nap. It seemed like Slinky agreed with you, already fast asleep in her little ball she curled herself into. You tiptoed into your room and picked up a spare blanket you kept near your bed. You had others.. but this one was your favorite. It was your favorite color... plus you didn't feel like looking for the other's right now. You walked back into the living room and laid on the couch. Might as well make yourself comfortable. You wanted to keep an eye on the robot. Plus, you wanted to stay with Slinky... you didn't want to leave her there alone. You glanced at the robot one last time, eyelids heavy. As you fell asleep you missed the small blinking light flash across the robots eyes.

1%... 16 hours until fully charged.

[somfte]

Flint's face journey as Gates tells him he won't help him fight the Spanish warship

[mccoys-killer-queen]

It's hard to explain why I love Styx all of a sudden but i think part of it boils down to the fact that they were around me my whole life growing up and I never knew it and now that I'm realizing they were always there and not too far away it's like I'm getting to re-meet someone for the first time but in the way it was always meant to be? like "hey it's about time we finally met, I heard so much about you!"

[blacklight-shadows]

Tag Dump! (Characters/Verses)

[butcharyastark]

god i just realized one of madi and silvers last conversations was half an argument..... hate. loathing. sadness.

[100layersofdaddyissues]

I’m angry about ofmd so spoilers in the tags ignore me

[honnelander]

go fish! part 2

guyssss i did NOT expect this little series to blow up. y'all are amazing! i'm turning into a Sanji writing blog and am i mad about it? no lmao i received a couple of requests and i'll work on them as soon as i can. i'm really in the zone rn so i'll ride this wave as long as i can. if you want to be a part of the taglist for whenever i post new Sanji content, lmk. i hope you enjoy!

WARNINGS: none

word count: 2.8k

pairing: opla!sanji x fem!reader

summary: after being humiliated by Usopp earlier, reader stays in her room to decompress. however, she gets a visitor.

prequel part 1 part 3 part 4 masterlist

taglist: @smolracoon25 @mischiefmanaged71 @jovialcat123

Mortified. That’s how you felt. Still. 

Ever since you ‘forfeited’ from finishing your Go Fish card game with Usopp a couple of hours ago, you had taken your glass of water that Sanji had poured for you and boarded up in your shared room with Nami, refusing to come out due to “heat exhaustion”. 

Poor Luffy, ever the golden hearted captain, was immediately worried for your wellbeing as soon as he heard that but after multiple reassurances from you and getting up off of your hammock multiple times to prove you were in fact, just fine, he relented from wanting to stop by the nearest island so he could find a doctor for you. Usopp had managed to convince him as well that all you needed was some water, alone time, and that you would be fine by dinnertime. 

You rubbed your eyes as you let out a sigh, vowing to yourself that the next time you wanted some time by yourself, you should just take a bath or something, since any other excuse would cause someone on the crew (Luffy) to lose their mind at the thought of someone not feeling well. 

You readjusted yourself, sitting more upright, as you downed the last of your water, it being warm by this point since it had been poured by Sanji hours ago. 

Sanji. Ugh.  

Your heart fluttered once again at the mere thought of him, but that flutter was immediately replaced by a wave of crashing embarrassment at the thought of the afternoon’s sequence of events. What had happened earlier wasn’t even anything that groundbreaking or special, but to you? It was everything. It wasn’t common practice in your life for the object of your affections to be so kind towards you, so thoughtful, to read and anticipate your needs before you even knew they were even there. But Sanji? He was all of that and more. And you didn’t even know him for that long! You’ve all been a part of the straw-hat crew for 5 months at this point and it felt silly to admit to yourself that you had developed a crush on one of your crewmates in that short amount of time. 

And having feelings for your crewmate? Someone who you literally couldn’t get away from since you all were trapped on a ship together (not that you would ever want to be away from him or anyone else for that matter, besides Usopp, but still), it felt morally wrong. You guys were all a team. Sure, you all were off to sail around the world and chase dreams, but achieving all of that required teamwork and trust, and that was hard to do if two of those people were caught up with matters of the heart every hour of every day. 

Like, what if things didn’t work out in the end? Would you really want to put the crew’s dynamic at stake just because you thought the blonde guy was cute? No, you wouldn’t. It would be selfish so you would never dare to put yourself or Sanji in that position. No matter how much you liked him. 

So as much as it pained you, you could never tell Sanji how you feel. You would never cross that line of being a ‘professional pirate’ into something more, like a pirate wife. Or a pirate chef’s wife. 

It definitely didn’t help that freaking Usopp of all people on the crew knew about your affections for Sanji. Ugh, you groaned. He was the absolute worst person to know about it too. Why did he have to figure it out? Why did he have to be the one that had put two and two together to equal four? That your random bouts of awkwardness and shyness plus ‘heart eyes’ and blushes whenever Sanji was around equaled to you having a forbidden crush on the crew’s chef? It was embarrassing. And complicated.  

He loved to stir the pot too, so whenever he could tease you for it when you both were alone or in front of a clueless Sanji, he would. You remembered the kiss he had shared with Kayla back when the straw-hats had acquired the Going Merry, so you definitely jabbed him right back when you had had enough, since part of you felt guilty for it since Kayla was thousands of miles away and Sanji lived on this ship with you. Your situations were slightly similar but completely different.  

Also, completely different in the way that him and Kayla were basically dating at this point, albeit long distance, and had shared a kiss while you could barely sustain eye contact that lasted more than 5 seconds with Sanji. 

You were hopeless. 

“Knock, knock,” a familiar accented voice came through the closed door. “Y/n? Are you awake?” 

"Sanji?” you blurted out in complete surprise.  

Shit. You weren’t mentally prepared to see him just yet. At all. You were still replaying the interaction you both had earlier in your head, your overthinking mind going over every minute detail to figure out if Usopp’s careless teasing had given away your affections.  

Usopp, you mentally ground out. You were going to kill him. Sanji had never stopped by your room before so what on earth was he doing here now?  

Suddenly, a thought struck you like a bolt of lightning and made your stomach drop fifty miles below sea level: if Sanji had specifically stopped by your room just to gently let you down, that no, in fact he did not feel the same way about you, that he only thought of you as a member of the crew and nothing more....then yeah, you were definitely going to kill Usopp and throw him overboard. 

Before you could mentally plot out more details on Usopp's murder, the door opened and the straw-hat chef’s blonde head appeared. His eyes quickly scanned Nami’s empty hammock on the room’s left side before turning his head to the right, his blue eyes immediately finding your surprised ones, a (relieved?) smile lighting up his face at the sight of you. 

“So, I take it you’re awake?” Sanji asked in a light, teasing tone but not making an effort to move himself away from the doorway. 

“Uh, y-eah,” you stuttered out in surprise as you just stared at him dumbfounded. You still couldn’t figure out why he was here. 

Sanji continued to lock eyes with you, making your cheeks flush the longer you both stared at each other, and your palms sweat as the silence stretched on, making the tension in the air become thicker by the second. He blinked, his eyes darting to the side in confusion, raising an eyebrow as he asked, “May I come in?” 

“OH! Yes, of course- sorry,” you stuttered as you waved him inside, sitting up in your hammock and mentally face palmed yourself. Of course, Sanji was waiting on you to invite him inside. Like always, he was acting like a true gentleman. “Please, come in. Have a seat. Sorry, that was rude of me. Make yourself at home.” 

Sanji stood up to his full height and walked into your room with an easy smile and a small laugh, closing the door behind him. “Ah, don’t ever apologize y/n. You could never be rude to me,” Sanji rebuttalled and waved off your apology as he looked around and took in your very plain and basic shared room with Nami.  

Your room, or side of the room more specifically, wasn’t much to brag about considering you really didn’t have much to your name but for now, it was home to you. Your side consisted of your hammock, a wooden barrel next to it to act as a makeshift nightstand that housed your only book, a journal, and a lamp, along with an empty wooden crate to act as a makeshift seat and another to hold some of your other clothes and small travel bag. Nami’s side was similar to yours but had a touch more personality as she hung up some maps she found at various markets and drew up herself on her wall. 

You swallowed, suddenly feeling a tad self-conscious about the lack of things in your room considering your current guest was dressed, as usual, to the nines in his signature black suit and blue and white striped shirt complete with a skinny black tie. “Sorry for the sad state of my room-” 

“Sad?” Sanji stopped admiring your room and snapped his gaze to look at you. His eyebrows pulled together as another confused smile adorned his features. “Why would you say that? Your room isn’t sad, I like it. It’s a reflection of you,” his next words came out softer, “and I think that’s beautiful.” 

You could feel heat crawling up your neck at his words as you busied yourself with placing the empty glass in your hand on your barrel nightstand. There was no way Sanji was calling you beautiful, he was just commenting on your room. With Nami. On your shared room that owed any ounce of ‘personality’ to the ship’s navigator because it was obvious you literally brought nothing special to this room whatsoever.  

You stopped yourself from spiraling into ‘I don’t bring anything special to the straw-hats, I don’t know why they keep me around’ thoughts because now wasn’t the time to think about any of that. Those dark thoughts were reserved when you couldn’t sleep in the middle of the night.  

As you placed the glass on the nightstand, you asked, “So, what brings you all the way to my room? Aren’t you usually prepping for dinner around this time?” 

Sanji’s eyes followed your hand and lit up when he saw the sole book on your nightstand. “Oh, a book? I didn’t know you liked to read.” His megawatt smile lit up a couple of notches as his eyes sparkled, he looked like he had just learned one of the universe’s greatest mysteries as he took a seat near you on an empty crate. “What book is that?” 

“Oh, that?” You mentally deflated at the fact you now had to tell Sanji about your favorite book, “It’s Pride and Prejudice.”  

You weren’t ashamed of having that book specifically, you loved it and it was your favorite book of all time, you had lost count at how many times you had read it at this point, but it was the fact that you now had to share this part of yourself with the guy you fancied. Guys normally scoffed and turned their nose up at romance book and romantic things, so you were bracing for Sanji to scoff and laugh at you like all the other guys did (like even Zoro and Usopp did when they first saw you reading it) but it never came. 

Instead, Sanji’s smile remained bright. “Ah, so you’re a lover of classic romances? Pride and Prejudice? Romeo and Juliet?” 

Immediately, you smiled, finding yourself instantly comfortable suddenly whenever you got to talk about one of your favorite things. “Absolutely. I don’t think there’s a problem big enough out there that love can’t solve. Family backgrounds? Wealth and status? At the end of the day, none of that stuff matters. What matters is if two people love each other.” 

Sanji stayed quiet for a moment, looking into your eyes with a twinkle of an emotion that you couldn’t decipher. It made your heart skip a beat. “Yeah,” he agreed quietly, never breaking eye contact. “I agree.” 

You swallowed. “You like this stuff too? Have you read Pride and Prejudice?” 

Sanji blinked and that indescribable emotion he had in his eyes was gone. His smile remained, however, and became sheepish as he held up his hands, “Ah ok, you caught me. I’ve never read the full thing, but I know the main parts of the story. My favorite part that I did read though, was the first dinner with Mr. Collins and he complimented the Bennets on their ‘excellent boiled potatoes’.” 

You couldn’t help but laugh at that, shaking your head slightly as you teased, “I should’ve known that the chef of the Going Merry’s favorite part of the book is when food is discussed!” 

The blonde cook held his hands up again with a good-natured laugh, “Ah, you got me!” His face softened as he asked, “What about you?" He nodded towards the book. "What’s your favorite part?” 

You paused for a second as you mulled the question over. “Well, I'm not sure if you know about this part since you never read the book...” 

“Try me,” he encouraged softly. 

Your face turned to the side, your eyes looking at the wooden wall to your right, unable to bring yourself to look at Sanji as you told him your favorite part of your favorite book. You took a deep breath to steady yourself and calm your nerves, your voice becoming quiet as you told him, “My favorite part is...when Mr. Darcy barges in on Elizabeth for the first time, while she’s at her friend Charlotte’s house writing a letter. He had come to practice ‘conversating’ with her since he admitted that it wasn’t something he was good at and she had told him to practice it. So, Mr. Darcy just barged in and they had one of the most painfully awkward conversations ever...and he did all that just because he loves her. He did something he hated and was bad at, and opened himself up to embarrassment just because he wanted to improve and be better for her. It’s so romantic and beautiful.” 

The air was quiet after your mini monologue and for a moment, nothing could be heard except for their quiet breathing and the occasional crash of the ocean from outside your small window. 

Part of you worried that your little rambling had bored Sanji, so when you finally looked at him, imagine your surprise when you found him leaning in towards you, hands clasped, elbows resting on his knees and his eyes watching you, completely engaged. It was like he was hanging onto your every word. 

Sanji scanned your face for a moment, the corner of his lips curling upwards as he said, “Yeah, you’re right. I’m not familiar with that part in the book,” and before you could open your mouth to bring yourself down, he continued, “but, that doesn’t mean your answer is wrong.” He leaned back and slapped his hands against his thighs, “Hell, it’s a much more insightful answer than mine!” He laughed. “I just liked how they were poking some fun at boiled potatoes.” 

You laughed with him because yes, that part in the book also made you laugh as well. But at the mention of food, you realized that you still didn’t know why Sanji was here in the first place. Wasn’t he normally prepping for dinner at this time? He had to be running behind schedule at this point. 

“Why are you here, Sanji? Isn’t it almost time for dinner?” 

“Yeah, it is actually but I heard you weren’t feeling well so I wanted to check in on you, make sure you’re feeling alright and see if you have any special requests for dinner?” 

You couldn’t help the slight smile that overtook your face, trying to hide the blush at the fact that he was kind enough to check in on you and offer to practically be your own personal chef for the evening. 

You hummed for a moment, acting like you were deep in thought before asking with a raised eyebrow, "And what would you say if I requested some boiled potatoes?”  

The smile that lit up the chef’s face was priceless. He had never looked more beautiful. “To that, I would say ‘Absolutely. If that’s what the missus wants, then that is what the missus will get.’” 

Missus. There it was again. You felt all warm inside whenever he called you that, it made you feel like he was your husband and that you were his wife. But that wasn’t the case. Sanji definitely must have called other women that before. You weren’t special to him, he was just being polite.  

You swallowed down your emotions, putting your sudden wave of sadness away for later, putting on a small smile. “Then that sounds perfect. I would like to formally request some ‘excellent boiled potatoes’ as a side for dinner, please.” 

If Sanji noticed your sudden change in mood, he didn’t show it. Instead, he grinned as he said, “Excellent choice, Madam. Boiled potatoes, coming right up.” As he stood up and made his way towards your door, Sanji did one of the most unexpected things that nearly knocked the wind out of you. With his left hand on the doorknob he said, “And don’t worry, Madam. I’ll sprinkle in a little bit of extra love in there,” he turned and winked at you, “just for you.” 

With that, Sanji left your room, gently closing the door behind him, leaving you completely dumbstruck in your room, your mouth agape and body frozen. 

Did Sanji just say he loved you? 

You shook your head, because there was no way he did, right? He said he’d ‘sprinkle in some extra love’ into your potatoes, not 'I love you". You weren’t a chef, maybe that was a euphemism for something. 

You sighed.  

Those better be some good boiled potatoes.