Day 27: Lunch

[norainu]

Renji wasn't so certain what this grilled cheese thing was all about, but he liked the sound of some soup. Even if it was strange western soup, well... there wasn't anything bad people could do to soup, in his experience. His good mood was starting to fray at the edges, a little, from the strain of dealing with the Ichimaru issue, and even more from what had been on the bulletin board earlier.

He'd never had difficulty simply writing something before. But...

He shook his head as he entered the line. He didn't want to think about it. He wanted to hold on to the tenuous equilibrium he'd managed to find.

Renji got himself a large bowl of soup, water, and even one of those sandwiches, just to try it. Old habit, recently awakened, had him over to one side of the cafeteria, where the fewest people possible would have the chance to pass behind him. He sat there with his back toward the wall and started eating.

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[usoppsenchou.livejournal.com]

Usopp whirled around to face Zoro with disconcertingly wide and wet eyes, rather matching the way he'd first met Sanji. "ZORO!" Without hesitation he grabbed Zoro around the shoulders, hugging the swordsman with strength that seemed unlike the sniper, sniffling against Zoro's shoulder for just a moment. "You're okay too! I knew you guys were! This is so great!"

He let go of Zoro and leaned back, looking back and forth between the habitual rivals with a huge grin, for the moment overwhelmed with happiness. "This is so great," he repeated, "I can't wait to tell Luffy!"

He couldn't have looked happier if someone had just gifted him with his very own set of eight thousand followers. Sure, Zoro went on the 'needs leading' list, but he was here and he was alive, not that Usopp had ever doubted for a moment, but... "Zoro, Zoro, quick, what's the last thing you remember?"

[i-promised.livejournal.com]

“Sleeping.” Zoro answered bluntly. He frowned at Usopp as if he was trying to figure out how to rip his head off and reattach it backwards without spilling any blood. As if that hug wasn’t odd enough…

The swordsman eyed his friend, then took a moment to consider Usopp’s tray of food. He promptly decided against a bite of his own sandwich.

“What’s wrong with him?” He asked, turning to Sanji and jerking a thumb in Usopp’s direction. The cook had been the most coherent so far and at least now Zoro knew Luffy was here. He didn’t know if he should be surprised or annoyed that almost half of them had been captured.

[misterprince.livejournal.com]

"He means before you were sleeping, idiot," Sanji grumbled. "Don't you know anything about this place yet?" Despite the fact that Usopp's descriptions had been utterly confusing and hadn't made all that much sense overall, they still gave Sanji a general idea of what the place was about, which seemed to be a one-up on Zoro, at least. He was willing to bet his green-haired rival was completely clueless.

He was actually a bit consoled seeing Zoro there as well. If he'd been caught and the swordsman hadn't he might never hear the end of it. This was more equal footing, where it should be.

[usoppsenchou.livejournal.com]

"Don't talk about me like that after you made me worry so much!" Usopp smacked Zoro on the arm, although harmlessly, and looked annoyed at the frown. True, Zoro had no way of knowing Usopp had worried, and no way of helping the situation at all probably, but that didn't mean he got off scot-free in Usopp's book. Honestly, both of them had worried him way too long.

"For your information, you're really late getting here. Luffy and I have been stuck here forever." Luffy's forever had taken place over a couple more weeks than Usopp's forever, but Usopp was more sensitive to this sort of thing, being a delicate artist and all.

He crossed his arms, leaning back again. "So, come on, like Sanji said--what's the last thing you remember happening? A big thing, not something that happens every day like you taking a nap or getting in a fight with Sanji, okay? This is important!"

[i-promised.livejournal.com]

So, okay, maybe it wasn’t the food. They both sounded like his answer would actually mean something.

That didn’t stop him from scowling at Sanji for the “idiot” comment, though.

“What do you mean you were stuck here? I get that this place is some kind of prison but I didn’t think we were here that long.” Zoro was honestly confused. He remembered hearing Usopp and Luffy messing around on deck as usual, fishing or whatever it was. And he hadn’t been out that long… right?

He slung an arm over the back of his chair, still frowning but thoughtfully this time. “Last thing I remember? Luffy’s grandpa trying to murder us a few days back. We were getting closer to that Triangle place. Why’s that important?”

[misterprince.livejournal.com]

Zoro's reply caused Sanji to frown in confusion. He had hoped that the swordsman would recall the same things he had, and yet he spoke of only just now remembering a time a good couple days before the last thing he himself remembered. Was there actually some truth to Usopp's whole shpeal about time traveling? But that was impossible...

"Oh come on, asparagus top," the cook pried not so politely. "You've gotta remember a little further than that..." From Zoro's expression, Sanji couldn't help but feel that he wouldn't get the answer he was looking for.

Perhaps the swordsman had just hit his head waking up...

[usoppsenchou.livejournal.com]

"Luffy has a grandpa?" Usopp tilted his head, confused. Somehow, he'd always figured Luffy just kind of happened one day. Well, everybody had to have families, even if Luffy had never mentioned his. Come to think of it, almost none of them talked about their families... he knew about Bellemere from Nojiko, and that was pretty much it for details. Aside from his own illustrious heritage.

"Okay, okay, don't tell me anything else! See, that's in the future. I'm from your past. This has to do with time travel! Don't worry about it if you don't understand what I'm talking about, Sanji doesn't either." But it was still great news--later-timeline Zoro meant alive and healthy Zoro. Even more, when he thought about it, neither of them were surprised to see Usopp healthy and happy. Sounded like his future was in fine shape!

Assuming he didn't die here and change time somehow.

"You and Sanji both come from a time different from me, and it sounds like you come from a time before Sanji. That's the weird thing about this place. Sometimes it takes people from the same world but different times. Oh, and we're on another world. Or dimension, or something. Anyway, the last thing I remember is finally getting out of Skypiea."

[i-promised.livejournal.com]

Sky…? Oh yeah. That place.

That was pretty long ago, if Zoro remembered correctly.

“Nah, that’s all I remember.” Was his answer to Sanji’s goading. “We just left Water 7. That’s about it.”

Usopp had told him not to worry about not understanding anything (he told him a lot of things actually, but eh) and while he trusted his nakama’s judgment, he had to admit to a little concern considering the sharpshooter’s apparent frame of mind. It was possible that he was just lying again but, somehow, Zoro got the feeling that that wasn’t the case this time.

Time traveling. Different worlds. Dimensions. All were so far-fetched and yet… not really. They’d seen some pretty weird things on the Grand Line and Zoro didn’t have as much trouble accepting the story as he probably should have. If it was true, then it was true. If it wasn’t, well, whatever. Still, it was a little odd that he didn’t remember a thing about how he’d gotten here; it was even stranger that they hadn’t all arrived at the same time.

There were probably more important things to focus on, but Zoro couldn’t resist smirking at Sanji smugly when Usopp proclaimed that the cook didn’t understand much himself.

“Different times, then. Don’t see how that matters now. You sure the cook didn’t just run into a wall while ogling at the witch again?” He snorted, dark eyes challenging as he smirked at Sanji. Zoro’s theory didn’t have to make sense. It just had to get under the chef’s skin. “That doesn’t explain anything, though. Who’s running this place? Marines?” Tell me so I can go beat them up. “Where the hell are our things?” Like my swords.

“And what’s this I heard about monsters?” Read, more like, on that bulletin that may or may not have held any truth in the posts on it. That bit sounded promising, though, and Zoro was eager to learn more on the subject from two people whose information he actually trusted.

The rest of the warnings he’d read had pretty much gone out the window.

[misterprince.livejournal.com]

Sanji restrained himself from delivering another foot to Usopp's face as the sniper mentioned his own lack of knowledge. The smug look on Zoro's face made him want to start something right in the middle of the cafeteria, but with the way the nurses were placed all around that probably wasn't the best idea at the moment. Not until he knew more about them anyway. Those orderlies had restrained that large man earlier with little difficulty.

The swordsman's statement about Sanji running into a wall was a bit ironic, considering his own previous thoughts. His questions, though, made the chef feel more informed after all, thankful that he'd picked up at least a couple of the things Usopp had been rambling on about.

"He said it's another world," Sanji corrected smoothly. "That means there aren't any Marines." Or at least he thought that was what it meant. No Baroque Works and no other group they'd already met. Wasn't that what he'd said?

He could really use a cigarette about now. Zoro's question about where their things had gone to only reminded him of this further.

[usoppsenchou.livejournal.com]

"Not any Marines that I've seen. If there were any, they'd probably just be kidnappees like us, I think." Apparently unaware of the danger he flirted with sitting between Sanji and Zoro, Usopp took a bite of his sandwich.

"The nurses lead us around, and I've heard they turn into monsters at night, but I haven't seen those yet. I have seen monstrous animals, though. And some people who seemed kind of like monsters. Oh! And giant leeches! Luffy and I defeated an entire bathroom full of them just the other night." Usopp preened faintly. "With some help from a guy named Sai. Um, in charge... there's a Dr. Landel who comes over the intercom and talks to us and at night, makes fun of us or insults us, but I don't know if I buy that he's totally in charge, he seems pretty stressed out sometimes for someone who's on top of everything. There's also a Mr. Radio guy who talks over the radios that are in the room, giving advice on where stuff is. But I don't trust him. I'm not sure who's really behind it all."

"As for our stuff, I don't know. Luffy got his hat back somehow, but he doesn't want to talk about it, and everyone else seems to agree that if our things are here, they're nowhere anyone can find them. So everyone improvises. I've been working on some stuff..." He quieted down and took another bite of sandwich instead. Of course he had been, he was always doing that even back home on Going Merry. No need to explain that to Zoro or Sanji--it wasn't exactly a change of pace.

[i-promised.livejournal.com]

There was a lot of speculation going on in Usopp’s information but Zoro took note of it anyway. Usopp was pretty perceptive so Zoro left all those little details up to him. Vaguely disappointed at the lack of reaction from Sanji, Zoro placed another arm over the back of his chair and looked a little bored. The thoughtful glint in his eyes said otherwise.

There were several points he’d highlighted as Sanji and Usopp spoke:

One, there were no Marines. Maybe.

Two, there were monsters. At the very least, some giant leech things. Also, Zoro knew the nurses were no good.

Three, there were some people on radios and stuff that they’ll probably have to beat up.

Four, Luffy had his hat.

Five, getting his swords back was going to be harder than he’d thought.

And six…

“Anything interesting?” He asked Usopp, in regard to his “stuff”. Of course, everyone knew the sniper’s inventions were interesting, Zoro just wanted to know what kind of improvisation they’d have to make when it came to their things.

Eyeing the food with some suspicion, Zoro scowled at the glass of water he’d been given. Didn’t they have any booze here?

[misterprince.livejournal.com]

Making further notes on the information Usopp was giving as he heard it for a second time, Sanji was also interested to hear what the sniper had been working on. Seeing as they'd taken all their things, it meant the other pirate had to have found some new things andhe was interested in hearing how.

The rest of his food he was managing to choke down. Somehow.

Monsters were nothing. He atually wondered how many were just large animals - new meat to attempt to cook. That was if he could ever get to the kitchen. You'd think the staff would appreciate any help. He knew the patients probably would.

[usoppsenchou.livejournal.com]

"Well, I always think it's interesting or I wouldn't work on it," Usopp pointed out to Zoro logically. Still, he tried to think of any that Zoro or Sanji would be interested in.

There was the obvious... "I'm... kind of altering some lawnmower blades to make a couple sorta swords... like... swordlike things for an ally who did me some favors. Nothing like real katanas, though. And I'm working on trying to gather stuff to make a flame thrower!" Usopp perked up at mentioning that, but thought maybe Zoro and Sanji wouldn't be interested in it. After all, what did they have to do with fire? That was his thing.

"I'm trying to make other little things. I wanted to make a new slingshot. And I've made some smoke bombs, out of--" he glanced guiltily at Sanji, "stuff. And I've gathered some spare fruit and things from the kitchen at night, for in case Luffy got hungry--HEY!" Usopp perked up. "Sanji, if I leave some cans of fruit juice open long enough, eventually they'll turn into alcohol, right?" Finally, someone to properly ask.

[i-promised.livejournal.com]

Zoro nodded along to Usopp’s list, keeping stock of everything his crew mate was saying but not really caring. Unless someone mentioned actual katana, he didn’t think it mattered.

The swordsman looked up at the mention of alcohol and the only sign that he was interested in the answer was his impassive gaze focusing on Sanji.

[misterprince.livejournal.com]

"Cans of fruit juice?" Sanji raised one curled eyebrow. "What are you talking about, Usopp? You need yeast for proper fruit fermentation." The long-nosed pirate wasn't storing fruit juice in the hopes that it would turn into drinkable liquor, was he?

...Probably.

"A can of fruit juice won't turn into wine if you let it sit around," he explained with the air of someone giving a lesson to a young child. "It would require some preparation to be any good. What are you trying to make?"