The cat-like amber eyes of Saya narrowed as she glared at Roronoa Zoro, a visible pout forming on her lips as her black cat ears fell back. Strands of her hair started to curl upward just a bit as time passed. Her tail was dangling behind her, swaying in a manner that resembled the string that was used to control a doll. Her arms folded across her chest, and she remained as still as a statue, as she burned imaginary holes into Zoro while ignoring the object that he held in his hand to the best of her ability.
However, as if she wanted to double check that her eyes were not deceiving her, her gaze slowly faltered toward Zoro's extended hand, eyeing it as if it were her next target. Within seconds, she sneered as she looked upon the small, fish-shaped treat in Zoro's hand as if the sight was disgusting to her. While the gesture came off as something kind to anyone else, Saya knew better than to assume as such. It was not the treat itself she was concerned about, but rather the person giving the treat to her that was the issue. She and Zoro were rivals since she joined the crew; they were both swordsmen with their own particular set of skills, and they were not afraid to butt heads with each other to prove who was better, similar to Zoro's rivalry with Sanji. As rivals, she knew better than to let her guard down around him, regardless if he was offering something akin to a peace treaty.
If there was one thing Saya learned about him, it was that Zoro did not do something unless there was a reason behind it.
After a long moment, she sighed and looked back at him.
"I told you I don't want it, Zoro," she growled, keeping her expression straight and void of any emotion. "I'm not in the mood to keep repeating myself today."
Zoro kept looking at her, keeping his hand with the treat held out, as his eyes narrowed a bit.
"The one time I'm trying to be the nice guy, and you're accusing me of pulling your leg," he stated. Saya's eyes narrowed even further; she was not buying it. He let out a small huff. "Come on. Just take the damn thing. I got it for you for a reason."
"And what reason is that?" She snapped, placing her hands on her hips. "To keep me away from you?"
He shrugged briefly and muttered, "That's part of it, but not all of it."
"Figures!" She exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You're trying to embarrass me, make me out to be nothing but a kitty cat!"
"You are one," he pointed out in a matter-of-fact tone, earning a growl from Saya. "You can't even stay mad when someone scratches you behind your ears, so that should make you one automatically."
She puffed out her chest angrily.
"I'm a fierce lioness, a cheetah, a panther that hides in the shadows!" She exaggerated a bit, turning away from him and moving forward a few steps. "Creatures like myself don't take itty-bitty cat treats and consider themselves happy! They thirst for blood, their next prey to feast on!"
Zoro smirked.
"You should probably consider yourself the cub out of all of those three," he remarked, making Saya turn around quickly with her ears pointing straight up, "because I know for a fact that you'll take this eventually."
Saya snarled at him, bearing her fangs angrily.
"I will do no such thing," she hissed, walking up to him again and standing directly in front of him. "If you think that I'll take this treat and forget about everything I just said, then you're dead wrong."
"I never said that, Saya," said Zoro, still holding his hand out and offering the treat. "Just because you eat a cat treat doesn't make you any less of a fighter or person." Her eyes narrowed again, yet she was becoming less irritated as her gaze shifted between the treat and him. "All I'm doing is offering you a treat so you can enjoy it. That's all. You can take it or leave it. It doesn't matter to me either way."
Saya glared at him for another moment before looking back down at the treat, keeping her gaze on it for much longer than before. The moment she did, however, she soon realized that it was a big mistake. In a matter of seconds, she could hear little voices in her head, the voices she dubbed as her "cat-like tendencies." They kept singing some stupid song and convincing her to take the treat. They told her just how good it would taste in her mouth - seafood, no doubt - and taking it would quench the tendency that plagued her.
Despite the things she said about herself just moments ago, Zoro was, unfortunately, right. Saya still found it hard to keep herself away from the tiny little cat treat, which was shaped into a fish to grab her attention and pique her interest even more than a regular treat. It was hard for her to tell if Zoro was screwing with her head like he always did when he wanted a good laugh, or if he was actually being serious and offering her a treat to keep her occupied while he took his nap. Whatever the case might have been, Saya, despite her desire to go against it, was still forced to revert to those urges and react on her instincts. It was a side of her she despised the most.
Huffing, she snatched the treat from his hand, glaring at him briefly.
"Hm..." She hummed before nibbling on the treat, shifting her eyes away from him as a faint shade of pink graced her tan cheeks. "Thank you..." It was silent at first as Zoro watched her nibble on the treat, his expression still blank, but it was not long after she finished the treat that he burst into a fit of laughter. The unexpected reaction earned him a death glare from Saya as her ears shot up in shock. "What the hell is so funny?!" She screeched, reverting to a defensive state while preparing to unsheath her sword. "What did you do to it, moss ball?!"
It took a moment for Zoro to calm down long enough to say, "I-I didn't do anything to it...b-b-but..." He laughed again for a moment, causing Saya to growl, before continuing, "I didn't realize that...that the panther nibbled on her treats before eating them whole!"
With an offended gasp, she turned away from him, her face flushing with red.
"S-screw you, Roronoa Zoro!" She proclaimed as she walked off, leaving the swordsman laughing on the floor. "You're gonna pay for this!"
