hollower | Appointments

[Today marks the 20th day since last seeing hide or hair of the Ghost Princess (yes, he's counted), and it's on this day that Perona, assuming she's home, will hear a polite but insistent rapping against her front door.

Sanji is a patient man; he is also a worrywart. And the two do not coincide well sometimes, case in point being the way he darted over to her apartment once his mind was made up. If she's determined to avoid him, then she'll have to spell it out. Otherwise Sanji's prepared to hunt her down for a chat.]

[Fate would have it that upon returning home from a little bit of shopping, and an escape to the library, Perona be greeted by the very person she was keeping her distance from. She nearly comes close to dropping all her groceries when she sees Sanji at her door, utterly a surprised gasp. Had...had it really been so long that he'd come to her home? Probably. Unlike Sanji, Perona hadn't been counting. She had easily stepped into the fluid passing of time - floating on the days and hours as she ticked by. But now, with her pattern broken, her heart begin to beat wildly, and she feels her voice catch in her throat. But not long enough for her to voice his nickname.]

Mr. Cook...!

[Don't sound so happy to see him, you idiot. Feeling heat rise up to fill her cheeks, she glances down, to stare at anything but his face. It should be noted that, among her usual hat and gown, she's wearing a rose printed shawl (the one Law gave her), fastened together by a certain, possibly familiar, brooch.]

[It's probably a good thing Perona chooses to look away, as the moment he hears her voice, Sanji inclines his head in the woman's direction and levels the full brunt of his assessing stare on her face.

... It's so painfully obvious now. How the hell had he missed it before?]

[... Whelp.]

Awaaaaah, there's Perona-chwaaaan~! [He drops his serious expression like it's unwanted luggage and twirls until they're facing, and only tact keeps him from dropping to one knee and grabbing her hand, as if a knight greeting some long-forgotten princess. He'll settle for whisking the groceries right out of her hands, though.] And she's wearing my gift, too~!

[He's energetic, he's smiling, he's over the top, he's... normal. As normal as he can afford. Like their last meeting hadn't weighed on his mind for the past three weeks.]

[WH-WHAT JUST...HAPPENED?]

[Seriously, Perona's not sure how to even begin deciphering his behavior, or how to react to it. It was just so...so sudden and explosive and what even?! Should she be happy it seems like nothing's wrong at all? That's he's here and his usual self and doing what she kind of wanted him to do? It's better they both forget about any of what happened that one time. It's not...important...

Yet, there's the itching feeling in the opposing corner that's just a little upset he did forget, as if she was expecting--no. No, don't even start going down that road. It's not...no. This is fine what's happening. It's not like she wanted...to...]

Why're you here?

[The words come out without thought, and Perona blink, then puts a hand to her lips slowly.]

[Sanji draws himself up a little, blinking. Of all the questions she could ask, Sanji would think by now that's the most obvious. Why does he ever come by? Certainly not out of some forced sense of commitment. Then, perhaps, he would visit, but certainly not wanting to bask in her company for as long as she allows.

In the end, the question doesn't put a dent in his energy - he's still smiling brilliantly at her - but the answer Perona receives is almost pointed]

Because it's been three weeks~! I've missed you, of course.

[And then he straightens again, leveling her a calm stare] Would you rather I leave you alone?

[That smile alone is making her feel giddy, but it's what Sanji says that forces a very unnatural, stupid smile on Perona's face. She can even feel herself burning up, and the nagging voice of reason (is that even what it is?) screaming furiously at her that no, this isn't okay; stop it right now, but she just can't be bothered to care anymore.

I've missed you, of course.

Heh...heheh. Perona swallows the heavy lump in her throat and huffs, rubbing her cheeks in a futile effort to wipe away the color that's blazing bright in them. S-S-Stupid heat! Go away! I-It's just because it's cold--hot...wh-whatever in here!]

I-- [Missed you, too. No, she can't say that! That's a little too much, isn't it? But she does want him to stay. It's fine now, right? If they just act like they used to...friends. Friends is still fine, right?] N-No! Don't...leave. Mmhhhrm, come inside, Mr. Cook, I was about to make some food - you can have some, if you like.

[I MEAN, IF YOU WANT TO....]

[Jeez, he tells the truth and it's like he's encouraging terrible behavior on both their parts.

... But she's so cute when she's embarrassed~!

Thankfully he's still got enough tact to keep that part to himself, no matter how hard it is to keep from teasing her - though he's by no means sulking at her offer, either. It really has seemed like a long time since they've been together, and Sanji came over with the intent to do more than just chat for a few seconds]

If you insist~! [He shrugs the groceries more securely in his arms] I'd be honored to taste some of Perona-chwan's cooking~!

[Oh god, he accepted. Ha....hahaha... Now she has to cook for him and he's such a good cook and never once disappointed her with his food and she has to make absolutely sure this meal is her very best! I-I mean, he's got to have a taste for fine cuisine if he cooks that good, right?! It just makes sense! So Perona really has to get working extra hard if she wants to impress Sanji.

E-Even if her skills aren't exactly substantial...no! No, she has to think positive! Positive! She may be the Negative Princess, but she can't let things get her down now! This is important! Sanji came here with some kind of purpose in mind, if only just to see her again... She has to make sure his journey's at least worthwhile. Ganbare!]

Good! [Huff! Wait, no, that's wrong. Shaking her head, she instead opens up the door and ushers Sanji inside and to have a seat anywhere.] I'll make it so it's my very best this time!

[FIST. CLENCH.]

[Um.

Seeing as Perona looks about ready to blaze alight while she puts on her Game Face, Sanji will just go sit these groceries in the kitchen. >_> Really, he's hardly picky when it comes to food, and under the right circumstances believes a home-cooked meal can outclass even the most complicated of dishes. It's the heart that matters.

Then again... He glances back over his shoulder and nearly laughs. Strictly speaking, there's no point in dissuading the girl if she's prepared to put her heart into it. He'll just carefully circumvent what that actually entails and head back to the living room., taking a seat on her couch.]

Are you sure you don't want me to do anything, Perona-chan? [It's tough being a guest and having to keep his ass out of the kitchen, okay?]

Be quiet and let me concentrate! [...Yep. True to her usual form - just be quiet and sit there. Be quiet and be cute, that's all Perona wants. Though, after about a minute, Perona grunts and relents to letting him help while she washes the spinach and cuts the chicken as directed.] ...Eh, set the table if you really want to help.

[And that's that. She goes right back into her cooking mode, though it's on hyperdrive as well. Do this, do that, move quicker, make sure it's perfect. She's timing just about everything, zipping to and fro in her kitchen to make sure everything going right and she's working quickly enough. Is the chicken cooked through? How are the carrots? Oh, right, the garlic needs to be minced! She does that quickly, too quickly considering how her mind is racing and reciting the recipe on high speed, and the blade connects with skin.]

Ah--shit! [OW. Fuckin' knife. B| God damnit, and it's bleeding, too. Guess she can't use that garlic now, either. Oh, this is so frustrating!]

[... She's so cute when she's mean!

She's also ten shades of terrifying. Um. Taking a healthy step back and holding up his hands in defeat, only to immediately perk up when given a task] Yeeeeeeees~! Right away, my love~!

[Doh-- he turns quickly and fights back a wince, cursing his motor mouth to hell. Goddamn, he hadn't even meant it like that, and is he always spouting out that type of shit? Amazing no one's really punched him in the face for it yet. His only hope is that she's too caught up in her cooking escapades to note his slip-up.

... Though seriously, she's going to set something on fire if she continues working herself into a simmer.

Around the time he finishes setting the plates, silverware and glasses is when Perona hisses out Sanji's favorite word, in a way that bodes nothing but ill-tidings. He glances sharply in her direction] Perona-chan, are you alright?!

[Well, it may not have sunk in immediately, but those two words do hit hard once Perona finally realizes just what Sanji said. She sucks in a deep breath and just hold it, feeling dazed and warm. Wha-What'd he just...ah. No. Just a slip of the tongue! It was so obviously a slip of the tongue! Nothing more than that...

My love.

Those words repeat themselves again and again in Perona's mind, and with each repeat, the outside word becomes farther and farther away. Reality starts to become fuzzy, replaced by a quiet place where nothing else matters but her thoughts, and the sound of her beating heart - rapid and thunderous as it is. That's why Perona doesn't answer, nor really do much about her cut just yet. She just lets it bleed and coat her fingers in red while blissfully embracing her Happy Place.

Please try again momentarily.]

[No answer. No movement. Hell, she doesn't even incline her head in his direction.

... He broke her, didn't he.

Fuuuuu--- okay, okay. No panicking, Sanji. He steps over quickly to her side, about to wave a hand in front of her face when he catches sight of all that blood and winces. The cut itself probably isn't too deep, but it still looks like it hurts.

And besides, this really begs the question: how does one restart a Perona? All the ways he can think of are definitely Master Theatre worthy, but don't lend themselves to the whole "We're just friends" idea.]

Perona-chan, here. Let me see for a second. [He takes a second to grab a cloth, drench it with cool water, and while she's still spacing out, lightly twists her wrist so her fingers face him and dabs some of the blood away.]

[It's actually the damp cloth that snaps Perona out of her stupor. The water and fabric making contact with her cut does hurt, and she flinches, pulling back her hand with a small yip of pain and surprise. That's when she actually notices just how messy she is, and how much that damn cut stings. Ugh, ow...fucking--! She seemed more irritated by it than anything else, once she's come back to reality. If that shit got on her clothes, she's going to be pissed.]

It's fine. Just a cut. I can patch this up easily. [In fact, there should be some large band-aids in one of her drawers. Where did she put them?] This is nothing compared to other cuts I've had to fix. ...I just wish I didn't make such a mess.

[She waves her uninjured hand for Sanji to step aside so she can fix herself up, and take care of the cooking before it burns or something. She also has to clean up, too. Bah, what a blunder!]

[And here he'd been ready and waiting to lovingly take her hand into his and heal her tiny cut away...

OH WELL. Missed opportunities and such. Instead he'll retreat until he's out of her way, though quickly steps back into place just in case the cooking starts pulling an attitude]

I guess that's true. I'm sure the shithead gave you plenty of practice. [Two years' worth, in fact. My god, does he pity her]

[....

Perona locates the bandaids, though for the moment she's cleaning the wound, wincing at the stinging pain that comes with touching the raw flesh. Ugh, ow, shit....fff--! That really hurts for a small thing, my god. She can only imagine what Zoro went through over two years. And his eye...]

PAH! I can't understand how you tolerate such an animal! It was hard enough trying to find him when he was injured, let alone patch him up. Stupid fantasista. [SLAPPING ON THAT BANDAID. B|] Do you keep him on a leash? Or in a pen?

[Aaah, good ol' fashion Zoro bitchin'. This is a conversation Sanji can fully throw himself behind, and he does so with gusto, taking up the most put-upon tone he can muster]

Tch, if I thought a shitty pen could make him stay put, I would've tried it months ago. [Alas, Sanji's pretty damn sure Zoro would cut or gnaw his way out with enough time]

Haven't tried the leash idea yet... [He rubs thoughtfully at his chin] I'll have to give that a shot; thank you, Perona-chan.

Maybe a shock collar would do it.

[The comment actually gets a good bark of laughter out of Perona, as she goes back to cooking, imagining such a picture rather well in her mind. Oh my go--he'd be electrocuted constantly, aaahahahaha! That's wonderful. She looks over her shoulder as she speaks and cooks, smirking back at the chef.]

Horohorohoro! If you go through with it, please let me know how effective it is. I'd be very interested. Though if you shock him too much, that may be more work for me. [A few more minutes and it's finally ready. Perona snatches up Sanji's plate and places the finishing touches on his meal (grilled chicken with spinach and melted mozzarella - and a side of boiled and seasoned potatoes) then finally sets it down in front of him.]

Would you like any wine, Mr. Cook? Or something stronger?

Edited (fuckin link. B| ) 2013-02-02 14:45 (UTC)

[You'd think as a chef, Sanji would have a hard time turning off his brain and any meal would be subject to the ridiculously high standards he's set him for himself... but no, it's relatively easy just humming in quiet delight at the sight of the food]

Any wine you have is fine, Perona-chan -- and it looks delicious~! [He's impressed, truly] I bet you could teach some of my shitty cooks a few things about presentation.

[Okay, maybe he's just inflating her ego for the hell of it, as Sanji is nothing but proud of the work his chefs put into their dishes - but he grins up at her all the same.]

Really?! [Yes, yes, Peorna's face did just light up brighter than Christmas day at the compliment. She's practically sparkling, and her smile takes up the whole of her face as she sways back and forth pleasantly. Hehe, he said it looks nice - delicious even! Hee~! Hehehehe! ♥♥♥ Now why was she ever worried about him coming over?] Please enjoy more than its looks, Mr. Cook!

[She floats, literally, to the cupboards to fetch a good bottle of wine and touches down on one foot, pouring him a glass of white wine. It goes better with lighter meals like chicken. Red is more for the thicker, richer meats.]

Mmmh, but I've never been displeased with what I'm given at your restaurant... It's always looked delicious to me. I don't think I'd improve anything, really.

[Aaah, a white wine. He'd insisted she use whatever she had on hand, though being something of a wine connoisseur means Sanji is able to appreciate the attention to detail. He rests his chin on a propped hand and picks up the glass, glancing over the rim.]

Well, the shitty place has come a long way since I took over. [Sanji remembers when Cloud Nine was just a concept, and he the only chef pulling regular hours. Heh... Just thinking of all those crazy months and the ridiculous amount of time and effort he put into the restaurant sets a satisfied curl on his lips.] Doesn't even feel that long...

[But he's getting caught in his thoughts. Sanji blinks, then glances at Perona. There's a moment where he feels disoriented being served like this, and must fight off the urge to fetch the woman a plate. He'll just play it off with a grin] Perona-chan's joining me, right?

[Living with a wine addict makes one rather aware of the posh taste and delicacy of wine and its many flavors. Perona's become a bit more knowledgeable about the drink herself, after living with Mihawk for two years...and raiding his wine cellar a few times when he was out... H E H. She's come to learn more about it mostly through him, and from her own poking through texts and guides on cuisine. Just a bit of curiosity that grew into a sort of awareness and appreciation.]

Has it? How long have you been manning the restaurant, Mr. Cook? [She's genuinely curious. He must've...been here a while, then. Possibly a few years. Aaah, that's so strange - not being out on the open sea for so long... At least on Kuraigana, they'd sail for supplies sometimes.] Ah--eh? What? Oh!

[Ffff, she got so caught up in serving him she forgot about herself, whoops. Perona sputters, turning pink all over again, and nods quickly.] Y-Yes, of course! Eh, but don't wait for me, it'll get cold.

[And she put some hard work into that dish, she doesn't want it to go to waste. But Perona will serve herself a plate and take a seat across from Sanji in just a minute or two. Wow, they're...actually having dinner...t-together. Heh.] Please, tell me what you think of it.

Let's see... [He pauses, taking a slow sip of the wine first before continuing on] How long has it been... At least two years, maybe a little longer than that.

[Which means he's been in Luceti a good three years or more, even counting his disappearance for two months. That's longer than he spent on that forsaken okama island, he realizes, and longer than his time with the crew back home. Nami-san, Vivi-chan, Luffy, the shithead... save Franky, he's known the Straw Hats longer in this prison than outside of it, and the chef stills from his own silent musings.

Hell, if not for Luceti, he wouldn't even be having dinner with Perona, would he? She'd still hate him, or just not care, and her image would only cross through his mind on some odd whim before vanishing without a second thought.

Head slightly bowed, his sightless gaze wanders along the table until resting at the plate in front of him, and it's with some effort that Sanji stirs back to himself. He picks up fork and knife, cutting off a piece to sample.]

... Delicious~! [Not surprising at all. It's flavorful, and tender, and even if he were in a position to seriously critique her work, Sanji would still praise the taste and effort]

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