School.
Not what he expected to be thinking about today, of all days. It was the strong sour cheese scent. The stick-man drawings scratched over arm rests. His seat was upholstered in bright wiggles also found in bowling alleys and cinemas, he couldn't fight the overriding nostalgia.
It was all a bad omen.
He was on his way to prison. Bound and quartered, at least he assumed that's what the metal frame of the seat was attempting, as it pushed up from underneath the padding to grind into his bones.
He stretched, aborting the movement at the clash of chains against the metal floor. He glared down at the cuffs around his ankles. How were the other fifteen inmates so quiet?! He was the only one making noise.
Using his hair to hide the movement he looked back. They'd been told to keep straight and face the front of the bus, but what were they gonna do, send him to Prison?
His quick glance didn't amount to much. One dark haired man in particular looked terrified. He wore large bug-like eyes, body literally rocking but somehow still quieter than him.
He winced. As the bus turned his pelvis had slid before becoming caught in a dip where the seat padding had fully collapsed into the frame. He didn't bother to look outside, shuffling to realign himself while staring down. Long had the scenery proved barren. Every tree, building and creature seemingly removed to emphasise the lack of sustainable life. A self made desert.
He yanked fruitlessly at his cuffs. On tight, he doubted he could fit a chopstick between the metal and skin. His fingers twitched. An itch climbing under his pads for the smooth paper of a cigarette.
Fuck.
Hot air blew out across his bound wrists. He'd only just escaped the last cycle of cravings. He couldn't afford to think about cigarettes he thought as his fingers curled fruitlessly. Still, he'd been doing better than expected, hadn't chewed past his nails yet. Although the nicotine patches had dried up as the jury stood to declare him guilty.
Withdrawal was blending seamlessly with the realities of incarceration, it was hard to tell which was causing his irritability and depression.
Their destination flashed ahead bisecting the wasteland. Brown discoloration rained across the perimeter of gigantic white walls, as if the entire prison was crying. Eyes at war with the sun, he could just outline the edges of guard turrets. Uniforms sprinting up and down.
A blue tide of anxiety surged. Leaving him unable to breath or fight. Soaked in dread he stared down at the dirty metal floor forcibly replacing the bus's movements with another meaningless journey; driving to the grocery store, picking up his dad from physiotherapy, back after a date. Never far from the coastal path. At home any road led directly down to the sea, where he could park up, smoke, and watch the sun dive into the waves.
Shit, he'd thought about smoking again. He shook his head, placing his tongue between his lips to try and trick his mouth.
Gas released with a hiss, thrown forwards as the bus ground to a halt, He barely missed bisecting his tongue with his teeth.
The doors clunked open. They were here.
"Front seven rows off!"
He looked up at the nine sharpied above his window seat. Body held still as the inmates came to life around him.
They filtered out slowly. Groaning as stiff limbs clicked back together.
"All out. Now!"
He stood, stooped to avoid the low ceiling while shaking the numbness out of his ankles with a jangle, chain dragging behind.
Aware of tiger eyes, he kept his pace slow and calm as he walked the aisle of the bus, thankful his resting face was as disinterested as they come.
He turned, ducking under the door to look up. Heart racing as he stared at what was to be his cage.
He was somewhat disappointed. There were no open pens of gawking prisoners, leering like you see in movies. It looked like they were coming in the back entrance. A large single door the same colour as the wall propped open with a cone.
He looked down at the dirt below, jumping the three steps from the bus with ease as he estimated the chain wasn't long enough to step down comfortably.
Located far, far away from the coast, there was no sea breeze to save them. Heat burrowing deep into his bones. He squinted through his hair, shaking it further over his face in a futile attempt to escape the sun's burn.
Something shoved hard into the centre of his back. His feet planted themselves on instinct, rocking forward.
The stupid chain wrapped around his ankles as he twisted to look behind, windmilling with both bound wrists to stay upright. "What the Fuck do you want?" He hissed, kicking to untangle the chain from around his cheap trainers. He could feel a burning sensation in the centre of his back where a bony elbow had dug in.
He sent a daggered glance towards the guards. They hadn't noticed. He still had time to work out how to kick this guy's ass with his legs bound together.
He faced his attacker.
"Sorry! I'm so sorry man!" Black curls rushed up, exposing the longest nose Sanji had ever seen. The terrified man from the bus? "I tried to step down but my chain tripped me. Why did they make them so short? It's like like- They want us to die before we even get there." He forced a laugh while jerking his chin down to avoid Sanji's eyes. He swam in sweat, practically a different hue.
Unable to sense any sort of threat Sanji hummed, forcing himself to breathe and think kind thoughts as he reluctantly turned to continue walking
His focus was jagged. The endless clinking of their metal parade grated away at some of the wall he'd built, so he gave in, turning to look back at the scared man behind. "Sanji."
The man blinked. "Oh, hi I'm Usopp," He smiled, exposing a flash of pink gums. "Are you bricking it as well? All I know is from movies, they're gonna eat me alive man. Some people in there have eaten people! I can't be in the same room as someone who's eaten people!"
The large redhead in front turned to sneer. Looking them both up and down. As the sole voice in their procession Usopp's terrified pheromones were drawing in sharks.
"Maybe they were just hungry." Sanji said, ignoring the attention.
"Oh," From his peripheral he saw Usopp's face change, grin dropping. "What?! You're in here for something weird aren't you. Oh my god are you a cannibal? No, actually don't answer that, It's fine if you are. It's cool. Fine with me. I'm chill. I'm actually also in for cannibalism myself."
Confused, Sanji glanced over his shoulder. He'd never seen someone so red.
Usopps brown eyes darted around the compound as his chest heaved for air.
Sanji kept his stance firm, ready to be barrolled into if Usopp passed out. "Really? You know that does surprise me, I'm sure you're aware that's a risky career move for you, as we know, noses possess the most succulent meat."
The man gulped like a cartoon character.
Sanji blew out the air he was holding, letting loose the small smile he'd built up.
"You'll be fine." He said simply. It wasn't as fun to tease someone so clearly seconds away from a panic attack.
"I will?"
Sanji hummed, ducking as they entered through the door, finally entering the Prison. It was cool inside, thick cement walls keeping the sun out.
He tried to peer back through the open door but was pushed on. He'd wasted his last time in the sun. He shouldn't have cowered. When was the next time he'd see the sun free from bars warping its sphere?
"Through here, inmates!"
He exhaled and followed the guard in front, marching numbly up through a corridor.
A horrific intimate search had already taken place before they left the jail cells. Stupidly relaxed-Well as relaxed as you could be for your first day in prison. He jolted, chain protesting at the violent stop his body performed at the sight of the room.
Usopp crashed into him from behind.
There were off-white trays of needles. Two nurses with palms open, ready for them to insert their arms into their grasp. "One at a time please."
Fire danced, as the fourth consecutive needle pierced the flesh of his inner elbow. He fought the flinch, gritting his teeth.
"What's this for?" He repeated.
The nurse slid back the syringe, blood pooling up into the tube.
Quiet, with a still smile. They didn't respond.
Sanji's hand locked, jerking without his input as another thick needle slid in. His teeth reined in his temper. Forcibly inferring his own answers that satisfied himself to remain calm; the cure for Coronavirus, Cancer or perhaps he'd grow really tall
The nurse finally dropped his arm, slapping a blue bandage down to barely cover the wounds. "Next!"
As he was rearranging the bandage they were handed a tote bag by a stiff grey haired guard who the nurse referred to as Smoker.
It gaped to reveal two sets of grey sweatpants and sweatshirts, briefs, t-shirts and a clear set of toiletries.
"Three in one, shampoo, conditioner and shower gel." He repeated, staring numb at the thin blue bottle. He was already in a bad mood, this might just push him over the edge. "Is it also a toothpaste?"
"Give it back 119. Getting the taxpayers' money out of your scum hands is always good to me." Smoker stretched to take the bag back. Top button undone, his shirt flapped open revealing thick corded chest muscles, it was almost grotesque.
Sanji's legs locked. He possessed a similar ailment to small man syndrome, but replace small with slim. He'd always struggled to put weight on, broad shoulders and muscles made him instinctively irritated. Not like he was even that small anymore, regular meals and a late growth spurt had seen to that.
He couldn't think with Smoker so close to his face, thoughts hazed in red, alongside the burning punctures in his arms. "You gonna take it off of me officer."
"Was that a threat 119? A threat to a senior member of staff is a strike, you got three." The man's hand was on his weapons belt, thumbing between a pepper spray and baton.
His blood roared, burning the sides of his face.
It was his first day, his first of hundreds. He just had to get through one day without an incident, just one, to show himself he could do fifteen years. Otherwise what chance did he have?
Zeffs ghostly figure materialised in his ear telling him to breathe and get over it. Hypocrite.
His breath came through his teeth. "No." He spat simply, turning his head to stare at the white wall.
Smoker frowned stepping towards him. Sanji stiffened, arching his chin. He looked younger than Sanji first thought, around a similar age to himself. It was his features that aged him, stiff grey hair but predominantly his tired bitter eyes.
If he'd been paying less attention to Smoker he wouldn't have flinched as two hands gripped him from behind, tight around his calfs. He jerked, swinging back.
Smoker's rough hands came down on his shoulders stoping his movement.
Head free he squinted back , a guard was knelt behind, unlocking the chain from his ankles. Seeing the fight leave him Smoker hooked his wrist chain with his pinky, manipulating the cuff upwards to unlock. It was done electronically, some sort of swipe card.
"Cell A29" He barked, only centimetres from his face.
Just audible was the "Cell B12" given to Usopp.
He'd only learn later the significance of the blocks, how much was assumed from an A, B or C. He'd unknowingly and unfortunately already marked himself a target.
Heat hit them as they went through a large steel door, led out by guards into an open courtyard. They slammed the door they'd come through shut with a heavy clank.
"Keep together!"
They'd finally been released into the wild, out alongside the established inmates. He kept his chin up, eyes narrowed, refusing to look at the men moving around the courtyard.
The bald inmate leading their procession was breaking ahead. As the next in line he looked at his own feet, confused to see he'd kept his hands together on his chest, feet in small steps as if he was still bound in iron. He relaxed, twisting his wrists while allowing his legs to take longer steps to catch up in a few quick strides.
They weren't able to blend with the established inmates standing around the courtyard, drawing lurking attention. Shoes too shiny, hair too clean.
He caught up with the bald man in front who was spinning like a top as his eyes twitched from inmate to inmate. They walked further and further into the prison, paranoia pricking the back of Sanji's neck. He frowned, keeping his own stare straight. They were surrounded by threats with nowhere to run. He sucked damp air, wishing again for sweet nicotine.
Huddled together was a group of four. They didn't stand out bar the fact they were all short and in the way.
Sanji scoffed. They were only there to gawp, getting off to the plume of fear their parade emitted. He glared back, immediately forgetting his resolve.
Their eyes widened into moons. One hitting the other's arm to move aside. Odd, he didn't think they'd noticed him.
He followed their stare to the left, automatically flinching, foot sliding back before his brain caught up to what he was seeing.
A man was striding out towards them.
He swallowed, unable to look away from the charisma oozing from this man. Charisma that ate the very air he breathed. Inmates were stepping away, out of his path, repelled by some invisible force.
Sanji starred as ants crawled over his chest, biting through the skin to swim through his blood stream. He blinked, dumb, unable to think while tangled in seafoam hair.
Scars bit at the man's body. Long river seams of pink scars ran to drip down muscled arms, just missing his hands to stop at his wrists. Another long scar bit through his left eye, a brutal slash bisecting what would have matched slanted brown. Sympathy pain lanced his own lid hidden by his longer hair. It must have been excruciating, to be sliced in such a sensitive place.
Sanji jolted. That one dark brown eye had shifted, snake-like, to suddenly look straight at him.
He captured his surprise. Swallowing his initial reaction to step out to meet the man head on. The aura had doubled with his stare. Everything in his body was telling him that this man was a threat, a primal command to take him down quickly. He kept his jaw tight, refusing to let the man, who appeared amused at the effect he was having, achieve further awareness.
"Roronoa you're supposed to be in woodshop." Sanji jumped as Smoker spoke, emerging from the back of their queue.
"The room's moved." His voice was deep but smooth, vibrating his ear drums. It was at this point Sanji decided to despise him, this guy was born sounding like that!? To achieve his own deep tone had taken hopes and prayers and thousands of cigarettes.
"It hasn't, Tashigi escort Roronoa." Smoker's words were exhausted, spoken in the way only a man that had repeated them multiple times could say.
"Yes, sir, come on Zoro." Tashigi, a female guard who'd been accompanying them, split off from their procession, walking over to pull lightly at his arm.
Zoro growled, his face scrunching like tin foil at the much shorter woman. His eyes flicked back to scowling Sanji. He better not be rude to Tashigi, Sanji thought, he already wanted to take him down a few pegs and really would lose his resolve if he dared treat that angel with anything but respect. He tried to make this clear in his burning glower.
Zoro eventually relented, letting himself be dragged. He walked like a tiger or a cat Sanji thought amusing himself. All large steps and swaying shoulders. His figure disappeared from view into the door in front.
His breath came easier as the haze cleared. He pinched his leg, doing it harder as it failed to shake the irritation. What was he thinking? It was only day one, he'd promised himself one day without incident. He grit his teeth while eying the surrounding guards. He had to remain calm.
Ordered onwards they entered a door to follow a long corridor down.
Announcing itself with a painted A in yellow was Block A. The theme so beloved the bottom half of the corridor wall was painted the same colour. The personification of piss, a dusty sort of mustard hue.
To the left through a gated arch cells were visible. Two wide metal staircases led up to the floor above mirroring the cell layout below. A few of his neighbours were in sight, tall ants in the distance.
A soft palm, Tashigi's, patted the centre of his back. He hadn't even seen her return to the group before he heard the clop of her boots move away. He stepped aside to watch her ponytail swing as she walked, disappearing with the parade out of sight. He was left as the sole new inhabitant of A block.
He stepped inside through the open iron gates, trying to Preemptively stun his loneliness. He'd been dreading this, painfully aware of his own distribution towards family and abandonment. Yet unnaturally for him he was strangely relieved to be alone, he'd already been separated from his family, those people weren't substitutes. He was alone whether he surrounded himself with strangers or not.
Nobody to look out for but himself.
All he saw was a blur to his left. A shoulder smashed into him, their bones grating together. He stepped back, hovering on one leg to get his balance. Both feet coming back to the ground with a slap.
"Watch it." He snapped, jaw swinging on a nonexistent cigarette. He had to arch his neck up pretty far to find the man's face. When he got there he saw his eyebrows fly up at his words. Long brunette hair swung over his shoulders as he leant forwards, overpowering him in height.
"You can show my cock your apology." The man cronned, hand coming down to wrap around himself over his jumpsuit.
"He looks like a bitch, we always need more of those." His friend called. Swinging back and forth on the bar over his door.
He shivered, shifting from one foot to the other. He'd been aware of certain- stereotypes, but he certainly wasn't indulging this. Like hell he would choose this scum to finally explore his latent bi curiosity. He was nobody's prison bitch.
From his peripheral, he could see more grey sweatsuits exit the nearest cells, arrowing towards their conversation. He swallowed, swivelling to keep them all in his vue. For fuck's sake, he'd been here five minutes.
He was brutally outnumbered, although when had that stopped him before?
One day Sanji, just one day.
He sighed, leaning back on his hip. "My apologies." His teeth grated harshly to push back the sarcasm. Even to his own ears he failed in masking his ill intent.
"Bet Sanji won't last one day in prison without starting some stupid shit. "
He shook the voice out of his head, blinking to try and focus. Passive, he could do passive. "You're both very pretty, but I need to find my cell." He spoke through his teeth. Begging this guy to grow bored. Yet, he was in prison where nobody was very good at being told they couldn't do something.
"Diamante, that's enough."
Sanji stiffened, turning on his heel to locate the command. He hadn't noticed the man creeping up from behind. He was nightmarish, as tall as Diamante with large red sunglasses, mirroring the shape of his blaring smile. Bright blonde hair flicked out around his head.
This was not smart. Three against one weren't odds he loved. This was A block. These were murderers, serious abusers, rapists. No matter his strength he had to play this smart. He coached himself under his breath, it was never too late to get into mindfulness.
"Doflamingo, he was disrespecting me on his very first day." Diamante drawled, leaning back on his hip.
"Hush Diamante. Now, this is a poor welcome to our block. Now, good afternoon, I'm Doflamingo."
Their block!? He'd been here all of five minute and was already stepping on gang territory?! The brochures hadn't covered this. Although amusement pushed through under the panic, who called their kid Flamingo? "Sanji," He said quickly "But look, please excuse me, first day and all that, I just want to settle in."
"Ahh, so fresh I can smell the pigeon shit. Now, Sanji Let me give you the good news, you make good friends, smart choices, this place can be your jungle," His hands shot out, long nails curling into the meat of his shoulders. He was a puppet, spun to take another look at the cells. Iron, cement and dirt. Sanji wondered if they were seeing the same thing. Maybe after a few months, perhaps even weeks, he too would see this shit hole as some sort of luxury." My family offers benefits, protection, good food," Doflamingo's face crept over his shoulder to watch him. "Entertainment." Blond eyebrows jumped up and down.
His skin crawled, frozen at the foeign proximity. How stupid did they think he was. He wasn't joining a prison gang, this was the number one thing they told you not to do.
"Well, you've given me a lot to think about," He leant to the side to pretend to think. "Like I've said, I need to find my cell, settle in."
"A29, you're four from the end," Doflamingo spoke quickly, grin growing larger at his discomfort. His glasses meant he was unable to tell where he was looking. A black void for eyes. "Goodbye, Sanji."
Sanji took the out. Forcing his steps slower than his heart wanted Hyper aware he still had the gang lords attention as he displayed his back. How on god's earth had Doflamingo known his cell number. He'd only heard it once in the administration block himself.
He frowned. Head twisting before his consent to see they had dispersed like spiders back to their dens. Let them come, he thought, stretching his legs as he walked. It'd be their downfall.
His cell was unfortunately where Doflamingo had decreed. It was bleak. He'd had higher hopes walking up, but the other cells he'd spied had been edited with patches of life, pictures, bright food packages. His looked like a dungeon, even came with a chill as you walked in, cold leaking out from the painted white brick.
He didn't have to turn to see the whole room. A bunk bed, metal toilet and sink.
With the lower bed haphazardly made, compared to the grey bedding folded onto the bed above, he guessed he had a roommate.
Kicking off his trainers. He sighed, climbing quickly to lie back on the top bunk. He kicked aside the bedding, too emotionally drained to think about it.
He was here. Prison.
His mattress felt normal. Not particularly comfy or uncomfy. It wasn't so different from the cells under the courts he'd just about got used to before being bused here.
He fought his harsher thoughts that urged him to panic. Shutting his eyes to stave them off. The walls weren't closing in on him. He was okay.
He'd been half asleep when bright blonde hair entered his vision from below. He threw himself up. Scaring the man who definitely wasn't Doflamingo in turn.
"My roommate, or I guess cellmate, I presume." Sanji said, resting his foot down on the ladder. His irritation jumped as the man ignored his greeting, standing back to look him over in disgust.
"Don't get up on the top bunk if i'm not in the bottom first, if I get in after it could be the last straw and fall on me."
"It seems pretty sturdy." Sanji shook back and forth. The bed barely rocked.
"Stop it." The man snapped, stumbling forwards to hold the bedpost still.
"Surely it would be more dangerous for you to be in there first?" He was growing bored of this already, too tired with stress and depression to debate bunk beds "Why don't you just take the top bunk?"
"No!" He looked even more affronted. "I could fall."
Sanji peered off the edge. "You'd hardly die."
"People have died from much less, I assure you."
"Right," He decided to agree, chanting mantras under his breath. His cold dead cell had just become more unpleasant. His roomie didn't notice, moving over to the rudimentary sink to play around with his long hair. It was long and silky, almost the same shade as his.
They made eye contact in the reflection in the sink, twin frowns as the silence built.
He should probably pretend to be interested in his life, ask the rudimentary questions, it was on the tip of his tongue yet gathering the breath necessary drained him. Pretending to be nice here might just tip him over the edge.
"Great meeting you." He concluded jumping quickly down from the bunk bed to get out.
"DON'T JUMP FROM_!"
His voice faded as Sanji strode out.
The canteen felt like the centre of the prison. A large hexagon, with a corridor that wrapped around leading out to every block.
Countless rows of steel tables and chairs polluted the space flooded in burning white. He squinted up at the glass domed roof, Sweat immediately bubbling out of his skin. It was a greenhouse. They were not creating the best ambience to eat in.
"You would hate this Zeff." He whispered under his breathe
The herd of inmates gathering in the far corner notified him of the que. He watched over shoulders at the *chefs* technique. Amateurs, The portions seemed highly variable. Five potatoes to one, two to another. He frowned, shuffling forwards till it was his turn facing the chef.
"Plate!" The ladal banged down against the filthy steel divide. Sanji flinched.
"What plate?" He looked back across the entire cart. No plates. "You haven't given me one."
"No plate, no service!" The chef, which Sanji was closer to declaring wasn't one, turned their body to the man behind. Sanji also looked back. The blue haired boy next in the que was balancing a plate between their hands. He craned his neck, jerking his hair out of his eyes to peer behind. Everyone was carrying a plate. White disks stark against grey dirty sweatshirts.
"Hey-Look, nobody told me," He leant in, banging his fist against the partition to get their attention. "Where do I get a plate?"
The man wasn't listening. Holding the ladle out to the blue haired boy, who looked awkwardly between the potato and Sanji.
"Plates are over by the left door, I can try and hold your position." They said softly. Clutching their plate to their chest.
"No holding, back of the line!" The cook's veined arm launched over the cart to yank the boy's plate flat, ladle coming down potato heavy. "Next!"
Only the simple, well learned knowledge that it wasn't smart to piss off the person giving out food kept him from putting his foot through the counter.
The blue haired boy gave him a small smile in apology, before moving onto the next cart.
He stomped back, finding stacked dirty white plastic to the left of the door. He studied the smudges of food from the last recipient, the plate had a skin. Dried tomato peeling up in one long strand. Had they no pride? He dug his nail in to chip the worst away. Skin crawling.
As he tried to judge how much lunch he'd get by the long line and the meagre tubs, his eyes stuttered on green hair.
That man.
Adrenaline surged through his bloodstream. Caught in the same deadly aura, his blue eyes thinned to slits.
Zoro didn't seem to notice him in return, too engaged with the strange group he was sat with.
Sanji observed, trying to be subtle on his walk back to the que. Loud screeching laughter erupted. How odd, it was the only table in the entire prison that looked like they were genuinely having fun. A snapshot from the outside world or a warp in time.
Zoro actually had friends. Four altogether; a crazed looking brunette, a slim boy with shoulder length bright orange hair, a tiny one with chubby cheeks and a ginormous blue haired man.
The crazed brunette with the beaming smile fell from his chair, long arms flapping with laughter. Sanji's eyes flicked to the guards, but they stood straight. Heads jerking past like it didn't exist.
"Hey, eyes down newbee," He jolted. Looking around. It was the man infront who was talking. "That's Roronoa Zoro, guys a psychopath, sadistic fucker. Don't stare at him."
"I gathered that, the guy has a missing eye." He looked at his plate as a ladal of- well, something crash landed. He turned to comment to the man infront but he'd already moved away, striding off across the cafeteria. He swallowed his disappointment. He'd been the first inmate to talk to him that wasn't inducement into gang activities.
The food was as disappointing as it looked. He chewed quickly, tongue curled up at the back of his mouth. How had they managed to create this? It was almost impressive. Tasteless but overwhelming. He peeled his gums back from his teeth, coughing as he swallowed too early, sewage potatoes lodged in his throat.
He dug through the pile of spongy meat with his fork. Feeling the food collapse down the back of his throat with a stronger swallow.
"Wooh!"
He jerked, a skinny elbow entered from the left, A body following after to skid across his table, narrowly missing him. His plate flew. Muscles tensing as it disappeared off the end of the table. Goop flew up, brown chunks spraying passing inmates.
He didn't immediately react. Bending, to peer at his upended plate. The food was ruined, splintered into powder.
The splashed inmates spoke quietly to themselves hurrying to the other side of the room. He frowned. Numb as his eyes drew back to his food mixing in with dust. A spark wheel spun, smoke flooding his veins. Hair barely covering his daggered eyes he glared left to the boy who'd done this.
It had been the boy behind him in the queue, blue hair draped over his back. His insect-like arms scrambled off his table, backing away from a hulking man with a wide grin in front.
Sanji squinted. The guy blue hair was running from looked familiar. Ash brown hair and pursed lips. He pushed his chair back. It was that prick from his block! The very same one who'd cornered him. Diamond or something. He'd physically picked up and thrown the other boy onto his table. Seemingly about to do it again.
What a twat. Sanji's eyes fell back to his inedible food. He saw red. Kicking his long legs out to stand.
"Oi." He saw himself in third person, stepping out into Diamante's line of sight. Rationality was dead and gone with his food.
Diamante didn't react, throwing the blue haired boy to the ground. They shrieked, but didn't call for help, lips glued shut. A crack hit his ears. Diamante's foot had stomped down onto their chest. The boy howled, hands shoving uselessly up at the ginormous foot.
Sanji's eyes flicked back. The guards were present, one at each exit, none moved.
It should have been then that Sanji realised that this man belonged to something much bigger than himself. If he could go back in time he'd have done alot to sit himself back down. Shut up and move on.
But life wasn't fair.
"Oi, Fuck face!" He shouted, walking up the aisle.
Diamante's head finally turned, squinting down to place who he was. "Oh, you again. You come to apologise? Well you can wait your turn, you know Daddy has enough love for everyone."
He was nearing Roronoa's table. The man himself didn't seem interested, the same bored expression present as he glanced over, but his friend did. The orange haired boy had caught his attention with his hand flying up to cover his mouth while they gripped and shook the smiling brunette, who was chattering away to someone on another table.
Sanji leant back on his hip, almost panting through the waves of anger. "You dropped my food."
"Huh." he finally had Diamante's attention, giant body swinging round. He didn't look happy at the interruption.
Sanji smiled, stepping closer. "Now, I don't like wasting food you see, so either you get on your fucking knees and eat it off the floor, or I'm going to kick your ass." His chin arched, while his blood felt like it was bubbling, forcing his ribcage wider as it boiled underneath
Silence burnt through the room. Utensils clinking as they were put down.
The orange haired boy sat at Roronoa's table's jaw dropped.
"Eat it? Hah!" Diamante laughed sharply, "Are you going to start a little charity project? Send it to Africa?" With a jerk he'd grabbed the plate of the nearest man to slam down against the floor. The plastic cracked. Food jumping ship. Unidentified meat seeped across the stained floor gathering dirt and dust. "Oops."
Sanji stepped back as fake gravy ran out from underneath the plate, making a break for the door.
Diamante pushed forwards, inferring his backward step as latent fear. "You've arrived today, so clearly you don't understand the pecking order around here. You are nothing, a bug, you don't know how vulnerable you are. "
"You don't know how valuable food is or how much work goes into cooking" Sanji's neck stretched, skin pulling to allow his eyes to look up at Diamantes giant figure. He squinted up to ascertain his height. Perfect. "And I wasn't asking."
Blood burst from Diamante's mouth as his jaw snapped closed, tongue cleaved between his incisors.
Sanji's foot kept rising into a perfect standing split.
Bloody drool fell like snow as brown hair flew back. His body descended, collapsing back onto the table behind with a slam. Inmates previously sat at the table threw themselves away. Diamante slid, to fall flat across the dirty floor.
"What the fuck." one of the displaced inmates cried.
Sanji's foot fell back to earth. Taking a long stride to stretch his aching hip. His head had been harder than expected.
Weak stuttery noises were emerging from the slumped giant form of Diamante. Rolling sideways to spit blood. Most got caught in his stubble, stringing together. His outstretched hand shook, causing his elbow to buckle.
Sanji smirked. Addrenalyn looped through him, a hormonal pat on the back. Diamante wasn't getting up.
Suddenly a thick arm appeared under his chest, yanking him back into the air.
"Desist!"
He kicked back, trying to twist around. Eyes catching blue sleeves wrapped around his waist.
Ocean blue sleeves, weaved with the thinnest cheapest material, material that made up the uniform the guards wore. That this guard wore.
Water doused him, bones becoming soft.
His eyes blinked searching for sammon pink tiles under his feet. This wasn't his restaurant. It wasn't his fathers arm dragging him away for a slap on the wrist and a forced smoke break.
The inmates spun past him; laughing, crying, terrified. A voice in his ear screamed at him to obey.
He was dissociating. Eyes pushing back into his head to make it all far far away. His feet came back down to earth, obeying the guard who dragged him out of the cafeteria along another long corridor.
He blinked. His elbows jerked, held back by tight pressure on his wrists. Pink hair flashed from behind.
"Bet Sanji won't last one day in prison without starting some stupid shit. "
Patty rocked his head back, laughing at Carne's comment.
Zeff stepped forwards. Smacking him so hard his head nearly hit the glass partition.
Sanji sat back on the plastic chair, eyeing the camera filming in the corner of the interview room.
Their eyes had met, Blue to Blue.
Wrinkles, stress and sleepless nights cast his father grey, ageing before his eyes.
"You will behave yourself kid, you put your head down, you promise me, I raised you, I know what you're like." Sanji had squinted through unidentifiable streaks on the glass to see one long tear cutting through his face. "You promise me-"
"119, on your first day you attack another inmate."
Thoughts snail like, his eyelids shut easing the burn. He forced himself to reopen them through the thick guilt, looking slowly up at Smoker, the grey haired guard from earlier. Bulk now blocking the corridor. Perfect. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?!"
He'd broken his final promise to his father.
He inhaled, trying to get past the ghosts revolving behind his eyes. Gritting his teeth, he straightened up to stare back at the man. Forging confidence he no longer felt.
"I can't say I didn't expect it, you've been a loose cannon since you entered this place. Koby put him in the box, that might curb some of his enthusiasm."
"The box?" He questioned looking between them quickly.
"It's a solitary cell," Koby, the pink haired guard who was holding him said politely.
"Lovely."
"You'd be the first to think so. It's like something out of the dark ages," Koby trailed off, clearly uncomfortable. He stepped out to walk alongside Sanji rather than behind. "Smoker sir, shouldn't he just get a strike?"
"He assaulted another inmate on his very first day, he needs to learn the way things work around here."
"Its fine." Sanji said before his face dropped to a frown, why was he trying to comfort the guard? His circular eyes, all large, were uniquely tragic but he was the one getting the ultimate punishment. A solitary cell. Trapped alone with his thoughts. Back before all of this, his boredom had so often rotted into depression. This wasn't going to be good for him. He kept his head high on instinct. Breathing in rhythm to his steps.
"Ah, Mr Smoker sir." Was there an angel present? With a voice like a chiming bell.
Long black hair flowed as a waterfall, out from an open door just in front. Sanji didn't want to blink and ruin what was clearly a hallucination. She was beautiful. Ocean blue eyes blinking innocently out at them.
Smoker stomped to a stop. So they could also see her.
The woman stepped further out of what appeared to be an office, Hair falling back around her shoulders as calm eyes settled on his chest.
He tensed, pecs flexing. Odd, He had an impressive build but he wasn't remarkable, not at Smoker or Roroanoa's level- he stopped that trail of thought unwilling to compliment him even in his mind. Engaging his suspicions his neck collapsed to follow her eye line, down to his inmate number.
"I'm afraid I'll have to steal him from you."
He turned to goop. She wants me, his only thought. He stood taller, unable to stop the goofy smile as she got closer. "Meeee?"
"We need to process Mr Black for his induction." She said to Smoker "I'm sure whatever was done can be excused as, first day nerves."
Smokers skin distorted, eyebrows flying up. "Nico-"
She twisted to face him, long hair falling to shadow her face, her eyes were lamps, glowing a poisonous blue as she stared. "This paperwork must be done tonight Mr Smoker."
There was silence. A guard pushed past. Broad with greying hair.
"I'll play along." Smoker finally exhaled, briefly watching the older guard disappear down the corridor.
Sanji'd been breathing like that since he was eleven, after a customer had left a pack of cigarettes in easy reach. Smoker must live up to his name's sake, inhaling subconsciously on a stick of nicotine. Big strong puffs in and out.
Sanji licked his lips, looking over his large belt. He wasn't a thief by nature but he'd dahm himself for cigarettes. He'd let it corrupt his health, why not his morality.
Smoker noticed, finding his eyes near his batton.
"You put one foot out of line, tie your shoes wrong, you'll be in the box for a month." He spat, leaning back to look over his shoulder. "Koby, back to the canteen. I'll escort Black back when he's done."
Koby gave him a quick smile before hurrying back up the corridor.
"Mr Black would you please enter my office," The woman chimed, disappearing through the door
"Of course my darling, Nico was it?" He stepped in, thankful the desk was hidden deep inside the office, safe from Smoker's bitter eyes.
"Please call me Robin," She was briefly lost under a stack of forms, red painted nails quick to shuffle them over to his side of the desk.
He asked to borrow a pen. As it was passed over his eyes narrowed in on a little figure of a reindeer affixed on top. Cute. He multitasked while writing, neck yo-yo-ing from the forms to her face.
"Lucky I saw you passing by. I'm your personal case officer, I'll be looking after you." She said as the room became quiet. "Do let me know if you need anything explained."
He hummed, trying to show through his eyes how grateful he was to be assigned to her.
Her chair creaked as she leant back in her chair, moving her thick hair out of her eyes. "I found your case very interesting, fascinating really."
His pen etched down, creasing the paper. He ignored her gaze to smooth out the allergy list. She was assigned to him, of course she'd be given some of his case details. "Oh, yeah?"
"They stopped investigating when you came forward, even reopened the aquarium the next night. How very strange." Her soft voice waived between antagonistic and curious.
He blinked, pulling at his fringe before deciding to agree. "Yes, it was strange."
"Three out of the five who were there weren't even interviewed, I bet you'd have a case for an appeal-."
"There'd be no point. It was my actions that got me here." He shuffled the papers, forcing a smile. "Where do you want these?"
She stared at him a long second. Restarting to thrust her hand out to recollect the papers, spreading them out across her cluttered desk to look them over.
"I see you've completed secondary education, excellent, but I'll still have to put you forward for a mandatory education elective. If you could browse through the options on this blue sheet. I do find it helps make the time go quicker." She pushed forwards a list with her elbow while stapling his forms.
"Fifteen years of woodshop." That oaf Roronoa was in woodshop. Pass. He scanned the list. Pen skidding down the admittedly small list, before wandering back up, tracing the block letters at the top. Woodshop . Addrenalyn burnt through him. He forcibly pulled his hand away, dropping the pen back onto the desk.
His lip twitched. Irritated was an understatement. Was he that simple? He'd met the guy twice. He couldn't afford to permanently ruin his peace to put some scum in his place.
Forcing his fathers crying face back into his mind he circled the pen, reindeer spinning on top. "I'll do Japanese." At least that may end up being vaguely useful.
"Now, final form, here is your list of applied visitors, you can write more names underneath. I can contact them for you to arrange a visit."
He grit his teeth as he read the name, immediately drawing a harsh line straight through the familiar name of Zeff Black.
"They'll need to be approved-Oh." She'd looked up at the sound, eyebrow arching at his choice. "I've been here a couple of years Mr Black. Those that shut themselves further away rarely survive."
"We'll see." He said, not in the habit of arguing with women.
"You'll find many choices taken away from you so I'll warrant you this."
He exhaled slowly. Her neck led down to a white blouse, the first button undone to clutch at her neck. Her bell-like voice sung as she spoke on but her skin was louder, commanding his attention. He inhaled, could he smell Roses? In this wasteland, she must be the only flower.
Paper appeared, blocking his vision.
He blinked.
"-so, you can't be late. You've been assigned Laundry duty, so please report to D block at 9 o'clock sharp starting tomorrow. You also will be taken to the showers first thing every other day at six thirty, starting tomorrow. "
Oh, he'd seemingly missed most of his induction. He raised the paper thrust in his face. It was a timetable.
Name: Sanji Black Inmate: 119 Cell: A29
Lights on: 0600
Breakfast: 0700
Employment: 0900
Lunch: 1200
Educational elective: 1400
Dinner: 1700
Lights out: 2100
Thank god for printers and ink. He thought. Skimming his life plan. "Then do it all over again?"
"For fifteen years, yes."
He waited an extra second, at Robin's silence he concluded there was nothing more that needed to be done.
"Goodbye Miss Nico, It was lovely to meet you."
She smiled back, eyes shut. He realised then how much of her expression was performative, seemingly going through the motions. He tried to not let it bother him, swallowing his disappointment. She sat back in her chair to watch him stand. He couldn't expect more from her, he'd made that mistake before. He smiled, waving before stepping out to find Smoker where they'd left him, leant against the white brick.
"All done Nico." Smoker puffed, leaning forwards to glare into her office.
"Ah yes, thank you for assisting me, you may take Mr Black back."
He waited, hovering behind the guard like a child on his first day of school, unsure which way Smoker was going to lead him, to the Box or back into Block A. The man had no reason not to stick to his prior plan of dragging him into solitary.
He swallowed his surprise as Smoker grabbed his arm, marching him back towards his cell.
He let the silence sit as a thank you. Although his gift was immediately thrown back in his face.
"Most people who come here carry a certain look. Did you notice?" Smoker said, thick fingers tightening around his arm.
"Um, no?"
"They appear emaciated. Exhausted. Each step, even small movements, absolutely drains them, because they know to a cellular level that they don't deserve to take that step. Not now that they've taken away someone else's." Grey eyes bore down into him, alight in quiet fury. "You however don't have that, you're the other kind, much rarer but the ones I despise the most."
"Oh yeah?" Sanji blew out, blonde hair flying up while staring straight ahead.
"The people you've killed mean nothing to you."
His head was all soft flesh for his jaw to shove through. He marched along on autopilot. Sticking his tongue to the roof of his mouth as he grinded his teeth.
"Oh don't be like that," Smoker forced a laugh, pushing him to make him speed up.
He growled, looking down at the man's tight grip.
Smoker didn't seem to hear his warning. "Fighting on your first day, you're an idiot. You don't even know how things work around here."
"And how do they work?" He snapped, licking his lips as he recognised the door to the cafeteria. They weren't far now.
"It's worthless explaining, you'll see for yourself soon. Let's just say this won't end here."
He rolled his eyes. Of course he'd say that, old fashioned fear of consequences. If deterrence worked, he wouldn't be here, in prison.
Diamante had friends. That had been clear from the moment he'd stepped into Block A. But just how protective were they? That he didn't know. With weapons banned he just had to be worried about numbers.
Smoker nodded to the guards standing either side of Block A's gates. He stopped, releasing Sanji from his grasp
"You're not going to tuck me in?" Sanji asked, looking back.
Smoker's expression curdled. Seems any antagonistic thoughts had worn out on their way here. It wasn't personal he supposed, just another faceless monster.
His hand raised to wave without turning, feet quick to march back up towards his cell. Goodbye Asshole.
The slap of his feet reverberated around the empty block.
The sole lights were the ones that ran down the hallway. The dim lamps in the cells had all been turned off. Eyes shone out from the dark.
It must be near lights out.
Blonde hair had Sanji turning, a beacon in the night. Doflamingo. The gang lord was visibly surprised to see him, sunglasses slipping down his nose as his head revolved, to finally bear dark beady eyes.
He straightened, glaring as he passed. Yes he'd kicked the shit out of his friend and he wasn't in the box. Bitch.
He walked slowly to his cell, finding a reluctance in voluntarily going somewhere he'd subsequently become trapped in when the doors closed.
"Honey I'm home." He said. Spayed against the bottom bunk was soft blonde hair. His roommate was already asleep.
He stepped into his open cell keeping his footsteps light. He'd always thought of himself as a good roommate. He was quiet, tidy and a cook which was always well appreciated. Admittedly he had no access to a kitchen to display his arguably only likeable quality and they already didn't get on, but he would still try his best to honour his self given title.
A clock on the far wall caught his eye. Until now he'd been unaware he could spy it from his cell. They had fifteen minutes before lights out, if he remembered past Robin's breasts. His lips pulled up. They were-
He slipped. Foot skiing out. Monologue lost as his hands windmilled.
"Wooh! You drop something?!" Whatever it was, was staining his shoes. The dark tinted everything monochrome. An expanding black pool against the grey floor of their cell. His lips pursed at the lack of movement from under his roomates duvet. "Oi!"
They weren't waking up, despite his shouting. Licking his lips he listened for a change in breathing, a hint that his roommate was ignoring him, tilting his head like a bat to find the source of that new strange noise.
Drip..
DripDrip..
Drip..
It was coming from their beds. The bottom one.
He ducked a little to see under the bunk, eyebrows pulling together. The top half of his cellmates's face was cut off by the thin duvet. Skin pale where the blonde hair parted. He watched his hand come out to pinch at the duvet. It shook in midair, unsure if curiosity was worth irritating his roommate further, hovering, before with one decisive move he yanked back.
The duvet flew, before flopping back across his cellmates chest. They didn't move. Not even a flinch. Yet his eyes were already open.
Sanji swallowed. A Pavlovian instinct overtook him to look away from that terrifying intensity frozen in blue irus's. Yet, what was below was worse.
Blood.
There was blood.
It oozed, Black in the dark to seep out from his cellmate's slit throat. What wasn't absorbed by the mattress pooled to drip onto the floor.
In his flat above his dad's restaurant, he slept facing a mirror. He'd watched himself wake up every morning. Asleep, his cellmate was all blond hair, lean form, he even slept with his hands pushed under his pillow like he did. He was staring into the mirror now. At himself. Dead.
A distressed whine rose involuntarily, feet slipping as he ran as far as he could in his cell, bars jolting as he crashed into them. "Heyy!" He shouted, leaning out to project his voice down the corridor. "Quick! Help!"
Ants in blue left their post hurrying down the endless hallway at the pure mania in his voice.
He watched the moment they saw Helmopo, eyes wide to take in the death seeping through the mattress.
Behind them he could see a face. Teeth reflecting in the thin light, exposed as their owner beamed behind iron bars. Bright blond hair white in the darkness.
They'd got the wrong person. He was sure of it.
Gold strands of hair came loose in his hands as he pulled, caught under jagged bitten nails.
What the fuck had he done.