[Action] Change in Fortune

[lileggplant]

[The little figure is hanging around at the very edge of the town's market square, trying his hardest to be absolutely invisible -- and probably not faring all that well, as a small child in a heavy iron mask isn't exactly subtle. He's also crying softly, audible only at close range -- not full-on sobs, but little shivering, hitching breaths and his one visible eye welling up with tears. This isn't where he was when he fell asleep, and he doesn't know where he is, and after so long spent in dim solitude, the noise and bright sunshine in the market are overwhelming.

He needs to figure out something about where he is -- what has happened to him, where his home has gone, what he's going to do with himself now -- even though the thought of approaching a stranger is frightening.

He looks around, searching for someone who looks unthreatening, or kind, or maybe like they're good at picking locks.

(After all, if he isn't at home, there is no guard with a key who can unlock the lower half of his mask so he can eat. That's important.)]

"U-Um. Excuse me?"

[When he makes his approach, his voice is thin and tremulous.]

"If... if it isn't too much trouble... could you please tell me where this is?"

Comments

[lileggplant]

[Do you think anyone can do something right from the start? It's meant to be reassuring -- but it feels a little like a defeat, too. After all, of the five children of Vinsmoke, only he had needed time to learn, had needed time he wasn't given to hone his strength and endurance.

But while it doesn't reassure him as to his own talent or lack thereof, it does create a thread of recognition -- he can see himself in this older Sanji, not just visually but in spirit as well. He hears it not as anyone,, after a moment's thought, but as we. Being Sanji (Vinsmoke Sanji no longer, but Sanji all the same) means not getting it right the first time, or the second time, or the tenth time. He knows that all too well.]

I'll do better. [That's something in the nature of a promise to his older self, and his jaw firms in determination. Something he has learned since coming aboard the Sunny is that he's capable of learning, given enough time and freedom from fear -- not learning as fast as he feels he should, not nearly as fast as has always been expected of him, but learning all the same.]

[gourmet_gams]

You will. [Sanji's tone is relatively flat when he speaks. He's not saying it to be particularly encouraging or kind in this moment, he's saying it because the child is a wealth of potential and talent. And he has the capacity to be even better than Sanji, a greater chef and a better man. When Sanji says that the boy will do better, he means it as a fact.

Sanji is about to get back to the chicken, he trusts the boy to get a clean knife for himself, but then something actually comes to mind. And he picks up the carrot that was being peeled, it can go into the stock after this just fine, it's not going to end up wasted. And he leans against the counter after rinsing it, picks up a knife, and starts cutting. Tiny pieces cut out with precision, dropped into the pile that will be stock flavoring later.] How long did that take? What, less than a minute? And this is my first attempt. Think of what you'll be able to do with more time and practice.

[lileggplant]

[This, he watches with a sense of pure fascination. These tiny, deft, precise cuts -- it looks easy, looks effortless, until the chunk of carrot blossoms into a delicate carving. And here he was, struggling just to peel it!

But that's the point. This is his older self. To cut the carrot so beautifully, so easily -- it's within his capabilities, or will be eventually. It isn't an impossible standard -- it's entirely possible, with the proof of it right before him.]

Wowww! Just like that... That's so cool!

[Cook was his hero before he knew -- now, it's a little weird, but in the end, still his hero. Just a hero he knows he can live up to.]

[gourmet_gams]

Just like that. And we'll figure out more too. Food is so important, and it's always changing. There's never going to be an end to what you and I will learn.

[Food is the one thing that binds all humans, in the end. Even if they deny love, friendship, money, and more? Everyone eats. And making food beautiful and tempting is as important as making it nutritious. And every skill that Sanji picks up as he goes makes his friends happy. Which has a value that's beyond measure.

Sanji makes a few more carrot roses, they'll be gently steamed and seasoned and served as an edible garnish. It's a bit soothing somehow to actually make the cuts and watch it form. And then he goes back to the rest of his tasks, it's like clockwork with something so simple.] What do you want to learn how to do most?