003↠ ACTION/VOICE -- Chibi free for all

[concasse]

[ooc note: Okay, here's the deal, folks. Rather than create two posts for chibi!Sanji and risk losing my tags (because it would happen, trust me), this is the only entry I'll put up. I'm going to leave it up to you what age Sanji will be when your character(s) run into him. I put out the scenarios, and you guys run with them. |D Don't be afraid to be creative, I don't mind. Just mention the age in the subject line. If you want more than one chance to tag, create another thread, and specify the new age. |D Easy, yes? Possible ages are 11 through 20. Possible dates are February 3 through the 12. I am fine with either voice or action, though if it's voiced, it'll be assumed your character contacted Sanji through the journals first.

Ladies who volunteered to be crushed on! The applicable ages for that are 14 and up. But of course, you can interact with a younger version of Sanji if you want.

And also, bear with me on the icon front. >> There are plenty pictures of Sanji as a child and an adult, but not much in-between. U-use your imagination? ;A;]



[Nights have been rough so far, with strange dreams lingering on after his eyes have opened. And it makes him feel... different, somehow, like his life has altered in leaps and bounds. Skills that weren't accessible before, come to him easily. There are recipes in his head that shouldn't be there. He almost wishes he could tell someone about them; maybe one of the crew, eventually. They're nice enough, and have been more than accommodating, taking him in like this.

These thoughts are heavy to carry, but he's still a young boy suddenly trapped in a weird town with weird things. His attention isn't meant to dwell on problems for long. The goal to find Zeff eventually lessens to a dull ache, and Sanji busies himself with exploration: this Seventh Heaven restaurant, for one, and maybe the grocery store. He visits the item shop on a the fickle whim of a curious child, and eventually finds his way to the forest. He won't run away, though. He promised himself he wouldn't try anymore.]



[And in just a few days, Sanji finds himself forced to leave adolescence behind. It's more than a little obvious that something isn't right. While the crew has probably mentioned the nature of experiments, all the explanations in the world aren't gonna make this any less awkward, as he speeds through growth spurts and into sore, lanky limbs. He's grumpy half the time, flustered as well... which seems to happen like clockwork, whenever a pretty girl is nearby. He spends the majority of these days as red as a tomato and resorting to petty insults if it will get people out of his hair. When it gets hard to control, he seeks solitude to practice stretching and single-sparring. Or perhaps Nami. She's going through the same thing, too.

House 6 and Seventh Heaven are still his main places of solace. He considers himself a worthy enough cook by now, though he will often yield to Yukito's directions. He's broadened his explorations, however; he heavily frequents the forestplains, and will use the teleporters to sneak off to the ocean, when he feels like it.]



[Given enough time, the strangest of circumstances stop being strange, and turn into a compromised status-quo. Sanji barely gives any attention to his nightly dreams now - they come and he changes, both mentally and physically. His temper is still hot as ever, but slowly being tempered by a knack for cunning and kindness. Even his initial anxiety around women has all but disappeared - he eagerly greets them now, with what the residents might note to be his usual enthusiasm. Still rough around the edges and prone to silliness (or hormone spikes), but that's Sanji for you.

He knows the entire village layout, and you can find him anywhere: item shop, grocery, clothing store, battle dome, forest, ocean... He finds a reason to visit them all because sometimes, it's easier walking blindly, even when you don't really have a place to go to.]

Comments

[lil_eggplant]

Oh, you mean like aliens! [Sounds like a cool job to him. Tiny chef is intrigued, and where he once shuffled around Robert like he might make an escape, now he eases his way by the man's side.]

[semper_cogitans]

Yes, that... is wh-what I hear most people r-referring to them as...

[He offers the little boy a smile as said tiny chef steps closer to him.]

... It is... a-always nice to hear how... e-enthusiastic some people are, when it comes to... l-learning.

[lil_eggplant]

Well, they are cool. [The boy doesn't see what learning has to do with it. Everyone loves aliens, right?]

I'd do something like that, if I could-- well, if I wasn't busy already.

[semper_cogitans]

Busy...? W-With what, your education...?

[Because surely all young children must be in the school system, right?]

[lil_eggplant]

Yeah! [In turn, Sanji doesn't take Robert's question to be anything but what he's familiar with, so the boy answers with gusto] I'm a chef!

[semper_cogitans]

... A chef...? [That isn't too unusual, but -] Was that... your ch-chosen career path, or... or were you assigned to it...?

[lil_eggplant]

Uh... I guess I chose it. [To be honest... Sanji doesn't remember. All he knows is that he's always been a chef, always been cooking and creating in the kitchen. It's so ingrained into his way of life, he can't disconnect long enough to trace back the starting point]

Right now I'm assistant chef on the Baratie back in East Blue.

[semper_cogitans]

[Robert smiles a little, despite himself.]

Is... th-that why you find Seventh H-Heaven so interesting, then...? There are many ch-chefs here... some of which are v-very skilled.

[lil_eggplant]

Yeah! I thought maybe they could use some help. [Or he hopes he can help, at any rate] But I don't know the guy in charge.

[semper_cogitans]

Ah... I believe his n-name is... Sanji.

[...

... And Robert's gonna watch this towheaded blonde boy closely now. He's not sure if, well, he is speaking to Sanji now...]

[lil_eggplant]

[Robert will probably get the reaction he's expecting. Sanji's nose wrinkles from bemusement]

He has the same name as me? [Er. Odd]

[semper_cogitans]

...

... I was... c-correct then...

[Robert smiles gently, at that.] ... Has... a-anybody told you that... you are u-usually significantly older...?

[lil_eggplant]

[Sanji's tone turns frank, and a little bit reproachful. Robert, you're a scientist. This should be easy for you!]

That's impossible. Are you brainwashed too? [His adamant response probably tells the other all he needs to know; this is not the first time someone has approached him about his age]

[semper_cogitans]

I can a-assure you, Sanji... in L-Luceti, very little is... e-entirely impossible...

[He knows it sounds ridiculous though, so -]

... W-Would you like me to... play a recording of y-yourself, from earlier...? I was speaking to you h-here, using the journals Luceti h-has... anybody c-could show you this...

[lil_eggplant]

[Funny how Robert is the only person to consider this angle - or perhaps the only adult willing to thoroughly crush Sanji's sense of hope, though probably unintended. And it's not a move that fills Sanji with relief, or curiosity. The offer to provide physical proof unnerves the boy, enough that he stares back, both wide-eyed and a little horrified.]

W-what? No way!

[semper_cogitans]

[...

... Well, that's a frightening reaction. Robert actually steps back at that, noticeably cowed.]

M-My... my apologies then...

[And quickly dropping his gaze away. He'd have thought that this would at least say "I don't want to talk down to you or presume you can't understand". Why did it frighten him so much?]

[lil_eggplant]

[The gesture is nice, but at the end of the day, Sanji's still an eleven-year-old who wants to go home. Finding out he never will... he can't handle that.

He does note Robert stepping back, however, and that breaks through some of his horror. Seriously, this guy is really easy to bully without even meaning it. The boy nearly parrots his earlier statement - "I'm not gonna hurt you."]

... Sorry. [Congrats, Robert. You're so much of a woobie that even the child feels the need to console you.]

[semper_cogitans]

[He's ashamed - frightening a child? What kind of barbarian does that? - but he's also confused and unsure how to approach someone who is afraid to see proof. What does he do, then? Does he just act like Sanji is like any other normal New Feather?]

...

Ah...

... [The confusion and awkward sadness is written across his face.]

... N-No, I think I m-must... apologize...

[lil_eggplant]

Why? [Huff] You're just trying to help. That's what adults do. [That and be egregiously annoying.]

But I'm busy. [Y-yeah. >_>] I have to make food.

[semper_cogitans]

[Sometimes adults don't know what to do any more than children do.]

... D-Do you... want assistance, at... at the least...? I have some skill at... f-food preparation.

[lil_eggplant]

Really? [Oh. Robert didn't strike him as the type. Sanji is too used to big, burly men wearing aprons and spitting out curse words as they make delicious food]

[semper_cogitans]

[That's such a hilariously awesome inversion of the usual stereotypes.]

Yes... it is s-similar to chemistry, and... not d-difficult to grasp...

[Though Robert's might be a little overly-specific and unadventurous for Sanji's tastes.]

[lil_eggplant]

[... Chemistry.

You equated his one true love to chemistry. While Sanji can at least admit cooking is partly a science, his nose wrinkles something fierce]

Okay... then what do you wanna cook? [He hums lightly] I'm thinking pasta!

[semper_cogitans]

Pasta... that c-could be interesting...

... What kind? Are there not... m-many varieties? [As a Terran, he is really not familiar with most of them, but he still knows they exist now thanks to seeing them.]

[lil_eggplant]

Oi, there's all different kinds of pasta! [Robert, you grew up under a rock, didn't you? It's okay; Sanji's here to guide you.]

Like we can make spaghetti and meatballs! [Simple, easy, and delicious. Winning combo] Oh! And maybe some bread sticks. [Hmming to himself now, he glances about the restaurant, then starts marching to the kitchens.]