tampered | LOG: complete

LOG: complete

When; June 12, noon
Rating; PG
Characters; Sanji [

erocook_ftw] and Makie [

sworddancing]
Summary; Sanji cooks for Makie, and she pays him with a performance.
Log;

The kitchen of the Going Merry was evenly saturated in an aroma of broiled fish and mixed seasonings. Sanji stood amidst it all, clad in a white dress shirt, black slacks, and his favorite apron. Armored with a pair of mitts, he leaned down to pull the pan of halibut from the oven. Once the pan was securely grasped, he straightened, whirled around, and shut the oven door with his heel in one smooth movement.

The pirate transferred the finished meal to a more elegant plate and carefully topped it with a line of garnish. Satisfied, with a smug expression of self-approval on his face, he turned to wash the bowls and pans in the sink before his guest arrived.

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In the two weeks that she had been in the City, Makie had learned about a lot of things. The laptop, the technology, the people... It was all still a great mystery to her, but no mystery that she cannot understand and master in time.

With directions asked from someone on the street, she proceeded to the cross-gate that Sanji told her about which would take her to the beach. The heavy bells and dangling ornaments she wore jingled every time she took a step. She did not expect to find the same exact costume she wore on that day, and yet one of the shops on the square did carry it. It was only a matter of finding the blades again and draping herself with a nondescript cloak to hide her attire from unwanted eyes.

When she emerged from the cross-gate to the beach, she gasped at the sight. She had seen the sea before, but it was such a long time ago, back before when she and her mother were banished from their home. Back when...

She shook her head. It was not the time for such memories. She took a step forward towards several harbored ships and walked towards the one with the sheep's figurehead. Seeing it, she called out to him.

"Sanji-san?"

The last bowl was tucked behind cupboard doors when Sanji heard his name from outside the ship. The satisfaction on his face from earlier blossomed--as that was the only possible word to describe it--into an expression of sheer ecstasy. He was certain that Makie was a strong woman, but also gentle, judging by the sound of her voice over the network. And she danced. The last time he'd watched a woman dance was at Alabasta, in a time that seemed now like faded pages of a diary.

Absently wiping his hands on his apron, Sanji hurried to the kitchen door and stepped out into the sunlight. The swordswoman stood on the dock, a little hesitant, heavily cloaked.

"Makie-chan! Over here!" The pirate made his way to the gangplank. "You can come up using this."

She smiled at the sight of the lanky pirate. She forgot if she was ever called Makie-chan when she was younger, even by her own mother. She walked up to the gangplank, paused for a moment, then bowed to him first.

"I am honored to meet you again, Sanji-san. I am looking forward to what you have prepared today."

With that, she gingerly made her way up the gangplank and into the boat itself, standing just in front of Sanji with both hands holding the cloth-wrapped blades she would use for the dance.

"Ah, forgive me if I am a bit unsteady on my feet for now. I have never been on a boat before."

"And I'm looking forward to what you've prepared," the blond man replied, grinning. "Watch your step, it might seem a little wobbly on the ship if this is your first time."

But he was sure she would be fine. She was that kind of woman, he thought, and he led her into the middle of the ship, raising his hand to shield his eyes as his glanced skyward. "Its a beautiful day, so would you mind if I brought the dish outside? I have a folding table and chair, too, that I can have ready in a minute."

[ ooc: Oh right, I forgot they'd already met. XD ]

"That would be lovely, Sanji-san. I would not mind it at all."

It was... refreshing to hear him say that he was looking forward to the dance, alluding to nothing else after. Or perhaps it was the effect of the bright sun, the tang of the sea air and sound of the waves lapping at the shore. She had not gone anywhere else since Rin showed her around the City. And other than the forest, she had not gone to any place beyond the Temple walls.

"I hope you will not be too disappointed with what I will dance for you."

"I highly doubt it."

Bowing, still smiling, he ducked into the kitchen and returned moments later with said table and chair fit for one. This unfolded in front of Makie, with the former topped in a clean white cloth. A second trip to and from the kitchen produced the woman's meal, which Sanji arranged as aesthetically as he could with its accompanying cloth napkin and utensils.

The pirate stepped aside to pull Makie's chair out for her. "If you'll have a seat, I'll take your order for a drink."

"Thank you, Sanji-san. This looks very delicious indeed." she remarked, seeing the white sauce dribbled all over the fish. She had not eaten anything like this before and she can feel her stomach softly grumble in anticipation.

She put the bundle that she was carrying down beside the table and graciously took the seat she was offered. She noticed then that there was only one chair, and that the table was set for only one diner.

"If it is no trouble, I would appreciate some saké, if you have it, Sanji-san. But will you not dine with me?"

Sanji chuckled goodheartedly. Sake? Of course they had some. With Zoro gone, the Going Merry was very well-stocked in sake. "We have enough to drown a whole crew, Makie-chan. You can start eating, and I'll get it."

When he returned with the drink, he poured it into a glass for her and set the jug to the side. "I'll be fine," he assured her regarding his own lunch. "I can cook for myself any time of the day, but I can rarely cook for you. This meal is yours to enjoy. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask."

"I would not want to drown myself in saké before the dance, Sanji-san." Makie laughed. Yet she took the glass (so much liquid it can hold, she thought) and drank a fourth of it.

"Itadakimasu."

She picked up the chopsticks from the side of the dish and, gingerly getting a bit of the fish fillet in front of her, brought it to her mouth and chewed.

"... I have not tasted anything like this, Sanji-san. This is... truly delicious. A marvel to my taste..." She raised her glass towards him. "My compliments to you."

Pride welled inside his chest, and an added blush tinged his cheeks at such praise from a woman. Sanji couldn't help the grin that split his face. "It's nothing, really," he replied, smoothly covering his boyish delight with a more suave tone. "Seafood is my specialty."

He watched her eat as any anxious chef would, taking note of the changes on her expression, the parts she liked best. All of these details would be filed away into his mental cookbook and assessed against others' reactions to the dish so he could refine the recipe. Such was his technique, such was his talent.

Makie ate slowly and savored every bite. She had not really appreciated the taste of food that much, opting instead for a dish of warm saké to enjoy. But the atmosphere of the ship, the sea rolling underneath gave the food a whole new perspective.

And as she finished eating the last of the fish, she put down her chopsticks and turned to her gracious host.

"Sanji-san, it was... Wonderful. Exquisite. Delectable.

I do not believe I know enough words to describe how delicious it was. I am very honored to be able to taste such a dish in my lifetime."

With that, she drew back the chair, stood up and bowed low to him, a sign of her deep gratitude.

Oh, he was utterly ecstatic.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it! I hardly get to cook for such kind and beautiful women, so I am honored as well." He returned the bow as he would to any customer, his bangs falling forwards and hiding his inordinately wide smile. "I'd love to cook for you again any time, Makie-chan," he added, straightening up again.

Sanji began to gather her empty plate and used utensils. "Let me just put these back in the kitchen to make room for your dance."

As Sanji entered the kitchen she picked up the bundle that she set aside at the beginning of the meal and unwrapped the cloth that bound it. She brought out two curved, broad swords that were quite sharp, the shopkeeper told her as she acquired it from him. They might have been used for dancing, but both are useful for fighting as well.

From the same bundle she bought out a square piece of metal. The proprietress of the costume shop told her that she should be dancing to music and handed her the small recorder. She taught Makie which button to press for it to generate the music she needed.

Setting the things that she needed, she finally let her cloak slip from her head and shoulders to reveal her costume underneath. The sea breeze felt wonderful on her bare midriff and ruffled the tassels on the skirt she wore.

When he returned from the kitchen she made a turn. "Does this please you, master?" She asked playfully.

"It's a lovely outfit, Makie-chan," he replied, nodding his approval of the outfit. He remembered the cut from the desert curse day, though it was his first time seeing this specific one. An awkward laugh broke from his lips at the mention of "master"--that word in combination with that curse day brought back unnecessary desires--and pulled the table and chair aside to make room for the dancer. He took a seat then, folding his hands expectantly in his lap.

"Start whenever you're ready."

The outfit made an impact, she guessed, judging by the nervous laugh she heard. Or perhaps it was her tease by calling him "Master". In anyway, she knew that he would be paying attention.

She set down the two swords, crossed, in front of her. Then she picked up the recorder and placed it just a few inches from where Sanji sat. She had listened to the music several times before, so she knew how it went. And she wasn't that very far from where he sat, but far enough as not to let the blades reach him.

"Very well. Here is a very special repeat performance. Only for you, Sanji-san." she smiled, as she pressed the "Play" button and went to her place.

As she heard the thump of the drums and the snaking melody of the flute, she just instinctively threw her head backwards and arched her back, reaching her arms and hands over her head. She smiled coyly at her lone audience when she returned to her upright position and began to sway her hips sharply from side to side to the beat of the drum. She was inwardly surprised at herself for being able to pull this off, despite the absence of the influence of the curse, but she guessed that it had something to do with the freedom of movement, the abandonment of care and the sensual style of movement that made her movements lithe and free-flowing.

And when she picked up the two swords, she closed her eyes and remembered the movements that she practiced over and over again while she secretly trained. The time she decided to take up the sword was about the same time that she was instructed in dance by her mother, and she found it easier to intergrate the dance with her swordplay than just go about whacking a tree trunk. She had no formal training in swordplay, and was no traditional warrior anyway as far as she was concerned, so the arc of the sword followed the path of the arc of the fan in dance.

She remembered the sound, the feel of the blade as it sliced through a man, severing an arm or leg in the process. Only in this case there was no flesh to slice through, only air, so nothing interrupted the movement of the blades as they sliced the air with her whirling it around and about. Her body felt alive and electrified by the swooshing sound of the weapons, as it whirled and gyrated in front of a man who she almost forgot was there watching her.

Sanji had seen many things in his short life, from various Devil Fruit abilities to islands in the sky, but he'd never before seen a sword dancer perform. He wasn't sure what to expect. He liked the sound of the music, and the way it accompanied the liquid movements of Makie's entire body quickly enraptured him. He was vaguely aware that his jaw had slackened, his cigarette forgotten.

When Makie had finished, her arms quivering and her eyes unfocused, Sanji surged to his feet and applauded. She deserved more than a standing ovation, but that was all he could give her at the moment, and he gave it wholeheartedly.

"That was amazing, Makie-chan! That was..." The pirate groped for further words, better ones, "...perhaps the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Exotic and... and amazing and..." But that failed.

"It was brilliant," he finally said with a grin, his clapping ceased.

She was so focused on the music and her movements that it took some time for it to register that she had stopped in time with the music. It was Sanji's sudden standing and applause that snapped her back to the present.

She slowly and shakily lowered her arms and upon realizing that he was gushing about the dance, surprised herself by blushing and looking down at her feet. It was always like this. Break her concentration at any point and she would fumble, lose focus or be surprised at herself.

"I... it was?"

Taking a moment to close her eyes and breathe out, she shyly looked at the beaming pirate and bowed low to him.

"I... I am glad that Sanji-san found it most enjoyable. It was only righteous for me to give the dance my all, thanks for the wonderful dish you have prepared for me."

"I liked it a lot," he assured her, amused by her embarrassment but not about to tell her. She was flustered enough as it was without him acknowledging it. "And don't worry about the meal; it was entirely my pleasure."

Sanji began to refold the table and chair for storage in the kitchen. It certainly was a pity for their meeting to end, but such was the way of things. He hoped he'd be able to cook for her, and for her to dance for him, again some other time.

Cheeks still flushed, she collected the recorder and re-wrapped it with the swords with the cloth. She wished she saw herself performing sometimes. She never knew if her old customers in the geisha house were really pleased with her dancing and playing the shamisen or if they were just being polite. But with Sanji's reaction, she felt pleased with herself and thought that she did give a good performance.

She wore the cloak again just as he finished folding the chair and table to set aside. Clutching at her package in front of her, she bowed low to him again.

"I had an enjoyable day today, Sanji-san. Thank you very much for... everything."

And, in an afterthought, walked forward to him and stood on her toes to plant a kiss on his cheek. She stepped back, gave him a sweet smile, and walked serenely to the gangplank.

He decided she bowed too much, but he didn't stop her. If that was her custom, then by all, means, she should bow as often as she liked. It still bothered him that she was being more humble.

"No, thank you," he replied, but those words were barely out of his mouth when he received a kiss on the cheek. The result? Utter silence and the most awestruck face any man could possibly imagine on another person.

Sanji's hand came up to slap over the lower half of his face, and unfocused eyes followed Makie as she disappeared off the ship.

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LOG: complete

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