5 Sense List 2 - Entry 1 (Sanji/Vivi)
Title: Remembering Alabasta
Fandom: One Piece
Pairing: Sanji x Princess Nefertari Vivi
Rating: PG
List Two: #5 - Memory
Warnings: None, really. A bit of angst, kinda.
Disclaimer: One Piece and its characters do not belong to me.
Vivi used to cherish the fact that she had such a good memory. She could easily recognize a face, a smell, or a sound - which she’d only encountered once or twice. King Nebra appreciated it on days he had to make important decisions and, in his increasing age, he had forgotten a detail or two that Vivi could remind him of. As she grew older and was no longer treated with a nightly bedtime story to lull her off to sleep, she could always recall every detail of every nighttime tale that her father, or anyone, had ever told her - so she could put herself to sleep.
But now, having such a good memory is nothing but a curse. She stands on the deck of the Going Merry, her arms hugging herself around the waist as she gazes out at the sea. In her mind, she can see her land - the beautiful, bright land of Alabasta. She can see the dancers in their costumes, swaying their hips to ancient music. She can see the merchants in the marketplace, holding up freshly fried meat or beaded necklaces. She can see her father, smiling kindly at all his people as they cheer, calling out his name in admiration and joy…
Her shoulders start to shake. She bites her bottom lip. She squeezes her eyes shut, wishing all the memories would just go away. Because she knows that when she returns to her kingdom, it will be nothing like she remembers. It will be a place of blood, violence, and rebellion. People will curse her father’s name. No one will feel like dancing. She wishes she just couldn’t remember, so seeing it won’t be so hard.
“Vivi-chan?” Sanji’s familiar voice sounds from behind her. “Is everything all right?”
She refuses to turn around. She’s trying so hard to keep herself together, and she knows that if she sees that genuine, concerned look in his eyes, she’ll fall apart.
“I’m fine, Sanji-san. Really…”
She places her hands on the railing of the ship to steady herself. She can feel his stare on her back.
“It’s all right to cry sometimes, Vivi-chan.” He speaks softly and seriously, as if these words are created only for her. “No one in this crew is judging you.”
She feels a warm hand on her arm and is unable to stop herself from turning her head and meeting his gaze. He smiles gently.
“Especially not me.”
And there, in his eyes, is a look Vivi knows she will remember all her life. A look of not only concern, but also comfort and friendship - a strong and pure look with unspoken promises of loyalty. A look that says that he will do whatever it takes to return Alabasta to the way she remembers it.
She sniffs and turns away once more, hanging her head as the tears burst free from their dam and cascade down her face. She stands there and cries until she can’t cry anymore, and his steadying hand stays on her arm until she is done.
Fandom: One Piece
Pairing: Sanji x Princess Nefertari Vivi
Rating: PG
List Two: #5 - Memory
Warnings: None, really. A bit of angst, kinda.
Disclaimer: One Piece and its characters do not belong to me.
Vivi used to cherish the fact that she had such a good memory. She could easily recognize a face, a smell, or a sound - which she’d only encountered once or twice. King Nebra appreciated it on days he had to make important decisions and, in his increasing age, he had forgotten a detail or two that Vivi could remind him of. As she grew older and was no longer treated with a nightly bedtime story to lull her off to sleep, she could always recall every detail of every nighttime tale that her father, or anyone, had ever told her - so she could put herself to sleep.
But now, having such a good memory is nothing but a curse. She stands on the deck of the Going Merry, her arms hugging herself around the waist as she gazes out at the sea. In her mind, she can see her land - the beautiful, bright land of Alabasta. She can see the dancers in their costumes, swaying their hips to ancient music. She can see the merchants in the marketplace, holding up freshly fried meat or beaded necklaces. She can see her father, smiling kindly at all his people as they cheer, calling out his name in admiration and joy…
Her shoulders start to shake. She bites her bottom lip. She squeezes her eyes shut, wishing all the memories would just go away. Because she knows that when she returns to her kingdom, it will be nothing like she remembers. It will be a place of blood, violence, and rebellion. People will curse her father’s name. No one will feel like dancing. She wishes she just couldn’t remember, so seeing it won’t be so hard.
“Vivi-chan?” Sanji’s familiar voice sounds from behind her. “Is everything all right?”
She refuses to turn around. She’s trying so hard to keep herself together, and she knows that if she sees that genuine, concerned look in his eyes, she’ll fall apart.
“I’m fine, Sanji-san. Really…”
She places her hands on the railing of the ship to steady herself. She can feel his stare on her back.
“It’s all right to cry sometimes, Vivi-chan.” He speaks softly and seriously, as if these words are created only for her. “No one in this crew is judging you.”
She feels a warm hand on her arm and is unable to stop herself from turning her head and meeting his gaze. He smiles gently.
“Especially not me.”
And there, in his eyes, is a look Vivi knows she will remember all her life. A look of not only concern, but also comfort and friendship - a strong and pure look with unspoken promises of loyalty. A look that says that he will do whatever it takes to return Alabasta to the way she remembers it.
She sniffs and turns away once more, hanging her head as the tears burst free from their dam and cascade down her face. She stands there and cries until she can’t cry anymore, and his steadying hand stays on her arm until she is done.