could i suggest the name "luca" for one of the boys? it means 'light' or 'bringer of light' (and i associate with the ocean, partially because of the pixar film)
Oh, I saw that name and instantly went like!! I love it! And I loved the pixar movie too - that's gonna be red-haired boy, that's a Luca to me!
how old are zoro and sanji? and how old are the kids?
Back to my very irregular posting schedule! Sanji and Zoro are the same age, so it depends a bit on the month, but when Sanji and the kids arrive on the Sunny he's 29 (close to 30), Kuina is 10, and the boys are 5 and something around 12 months old.
Also Kuina might only be 10, but in her mind it is absolutely her responsibility to care for Sanji, so she will do a lot of looking out for him.
Why do they call Sanji "Mum" and not "Dad"? I'm new to omegaverse, sorry
Ahh, no need to apologise! This might be a good time to explain how I imagine omegaverse, since everyone does it a bit differently:
I imagine the kids call Sanji "Mum" because that was basically forced on him. If Sanji would have stayed on the Sunny he would have picked "Dad" for himself, because he sees himself as a man and wouldn't want to make it instantly obvious that he's an omega to whoever listens in. I do think in an omegaverse universe the word "mother" is more gender neutral to begin with. In a society where it's not totally uncommon for the person who gave birth to you to be of various genders, the word would probably evolve to be more inclusive - I did say before tho that I see male omegas as something rare. And I think the whole role to be 'nurturing, soft, gentle' is already forced on people who give birth, so there is definitely also some feminisation happening that Sanji rebels against. (Let's also not forget he's also misogynistic sometimes, he wants to be a manly man.)
So I guess that was not his choice (the kids got told from an early age that he's their mother and they should call him that) but after a while it sticked and I think he kinda likes it by now. (I still have some sketches to finish with Sanji missing his suits, cause he does wear more flowy, soft stuff while in captivity, but we'll come to that!)
Another thing to talk about is the whole thing with mating bites, heats and pheromones - I think the first one don't really exist anymore (that is a bit archaic) and if you're bitten there is no kinda magical connection - you just have a bite scar, which will probably raise some eyebrows, but that's it. The pheromones I already established as existing, but I think they are often a bit more subtle and overlooked, especially if you wear perfume and stuff (which the strawhats don't do - and they probably don't shower as much, let's be real, so on the Sunny it's quite easy for them to smell each other out). I think heats do exist, male omegas maybe get like four a year? But they definitely also get their period afterwards if there is no pregnancy - everything else doesn't make sense to me.
So yeah! I kinda toned some things down, but I also think that socially, especially in a universe like one piece where slavery still exists it's not easy being an omega and there a still many expectations about gender in general.
Sitting here wondering how Zeff will react when he learns what happened to his son? Is the Baratie about to become the biggest threat to Germa? (I know he’ll love those grandkids no matter what)
Sanji is hesistant to talk to him, but if Zeff knew, absolutely!
I don't think Sanji is realizing it here, but he is stalling because he feels like a failure: he's not cooking, he couldn't protect his hands, we will come to the 'never kicking women' thing (because Sanji had to make some hard decisions regarding Kuinas upbringing and how to prepare her for the world) and I think for a while... He gave up on the idea of finding the All Blue. His only goal/dream was getting the kids to the Sunny. (Sanji doesn't realize that Zeff would be 100% be able to relate, as history basically repeated itself there...)
do any of the kids prefer zoro over sanji? (or any of the crew) im kinda worried baby 3 would find sanji more detached and zoro more fun to play with
That is definitely something that will happen! There are videos on YouTube about the 'still face experiment' that shows quite well how distressed babies and toddlers get if their caretaker doesn't show emotion/ isn't engaging with them; so it's actually good for baby 3 that there is someone it can latch on to! And while I think Sanji tries to smile (not because he feels like it, but in a conscious effort, he knows at least some of that) and is engaging with the kids, it's good that he has backup, it's really needed. And I don't think Sanji is at a place in the beginning where he's hurt by that (that comes later) and baby 3 might still be nursing, so it's not like they don't have no bonding time at all.
Look I know that this au implies that Sanji has lost all of his emotions now thanks to Germa + the stress of raising his kids + being kidnapped and held hostage for years. (Love it tho, my butt is at the edge of my seat everytime)
But can we get like some confirmation of Sanji getting his emotions back one day? 🥺
My heart can't take the idea of our Snooji not being able to feel all the things he should've felt anymore. Especially loving Zoro again 😭
I had a few similar asks to this + with the question if Sanji will be turning blonde again, and I have not decided yet, but I think he won't! His hair will stay black, besides the few blonde streaks, but!
He'll definitely get his emotions back. I think I said it somewhere else, I see it as them not being actually gone - he just can't access them. And he will be happy and he will feel loved - I'm a sucker for a happy end. I'm also trying to show it already, mostly through body language, that he is already there in some way. Like the way he leans in to Zoro in one of the last posts, the way he holds still with Chopper even if he's uncomfortable, the way he keeps hugging the babys close and being kind to them - some of that is pure instinct, some of that he does because he knows logically it's what he's supposed to do, and some of that is because it's comforting to himself, even if he doesn't quite get it yet.
I mean I love the idea of showing him healing via haircolour because that is an interesting plot device visually - but story wise (at least at the moment) the thought of 'he changed and it stays visible, he lost a part of himself and still gets back on his feet and finds happiness again, even if it looks a bit different now' is a bit more appealing to me.
Has Sanji had any miscarriages during his time trapped?
Yes. I think the first two were on purpose, afterwards it was a mixture of preexisting scaring, stress responses and because there was also some physical violence happening. (Also another point but I am a firm believer that a. Sanji had terrible pregnancies so far, his morning sickness in the first trimester is basically incapacitating and b. Kuina is well aware what is going on. She has seen things. She knows.)
Yesss. This is later, so he's a little older here (maybe three) but in a way Baby 3 is the easiest for Zoro to bond with! Not because he's basically little Sanji, but because he was too young to really remember the way life was before.
When they finally met again, baby four was not as apparent as it is later, but Zoro still immediately knew. Either he smelled it out instantly (even if it's very faint) or he just felt the barely there bump.
Ahh I sent that before I was done!!! Do you also have a timeline of events? I love that you jump around but it is a little confusing >~<
Oh yeah, I know, oopsie! Since I had that question a few times I'll try to give you a timeline under the cut, but I'm really not a writer:
Sanji leaves Germa as a kid, deeply insecure about being an omega. Sora tried to hide it first, but when it came out Judge was furious. It adds an extra layer of disdain he has for Sanji in this AU; but it was also the only thing that increased his value somehow, in Judges eyes. I think even as young as he was, Sanji did realise that whatever the plans were Judge might have had for him, they were.. not good at all. Omegas don't really exist on Germa, but if they do, they are seen, not heard. Even as a kid Sanji heard some really degrading, overtly sexist comments from his brothers. When he ran away, Sanji learned to hide that part of himself.
Zeff definitely knows, but he's the only one that does. Sanji is a extremly skittish kid when it comes to that, that alone has cost Zeff years of his life (he worries all the time, but they also never talk properly). Worldbuilding wise, I think male omegas are very, very rare. In the context of how the cooks talk to each other, Sanji definitely has heard a lot of very crude jokes about himself.
As old habits die hard, Sanji didn't tell the crew when he joined. With scent suppressants he easily seems like a beta - and even if they run out here and there (which he desperately tries to avoid) with all the smoking he does you can barely smell him anyway.
Zoro and Sanji happened. Neither of them expected that.
Zoro knows Sanji is an omega, probably even long before they got together, I'm not completely sure yet. He's the first one to know and is the only one that does for a long time - Kureha didn't tell Chopper on Drum Island, but he'll eventually be the next one to know.
Sanji gets pregnant (to his own horror) and has to deal with that. Because they are actually functioning quite well at this point as a couple (who would have thought) Sanji tells Zoro as soon as he suspects what's up. They find out together, but don't immediately tell the crew, since they are unsure how to proceed.
thriller bark happens and Sanji looses his mind in the aftermath for a hot minute. (he'll eventually tell the crew in the aftermath.)
close to sabody and marineford (or parallel to it) Sanji gets kidnapped. Omegas are often sold into slavery there, so the crew is on the wrong track for quite a while. As other things are happening simultaneously, and plot happens, the strawhats are sweeped up in chaos. (I might come back to those details later)
the world is made to believe that Sanji died. It is Judges doing, but the timeline plays into his hands: it fits the narrative of the navy retaliating and punishing the strawhats for both what happened at Enies-Lobby and marineford perfectly. Since the strawhats don't know about Sanjis family, they fall for it.
Kuina is born in Germas prison. Sanji does everything he can to convince Judge to keep her alive. He knows Judge has plans for him and threatens to kill himself, should Judge do anything to her. She continues to be the bargain chip through the next few years, to make Sanji to comply to do things. They don't even need to threaten Zeff here.
Sanji gets married off. It's not a happy marriage, but of big political interest for Judge. (This time, there is no one to stop the wedding.)
Kid two and three are born (I don't know their names yet).
It takes them nearly nine years, but Reiju and Sanji get Kuina out and send her on a journey to find the crew. Sanji doesn't see her for more than a year, before the strawhats are back and all hell breaks loose.
There'll also be baby number four 🙈🙈 But Sanji is completely done after that. (My whole reason for that is that I felt like Sanji deserves to have Zoro for at least one pregnancy his side-)
Could we hear more about your thoughts on the Vinsmokes + Emotionless!Sanji?? :O It sounds super interesting!!!!
Ahh, I hope I manage to not make it too confusing!
I think the whole topic is really interesting - it has a lot of nature vs. nurture, but also a lot of neuroscience, if you think deeper about it. Like! Emotions are a very important part of our limbic system, which we need to initiate action, we need emotional input for our hippocampus to create lasting memories, emotions are very important for survival (hunger, tiredness, thirst, pain) - like you could have a super solider without all that, but it would be either a pretty useless one, or one that dies quickly! And for the Vinsmokes - we see them concerned, we see them laugh, Sanjis brothers definitely enjoy beating him up as a kid, they don't have empathy, but they are clearly not emotionless, I don't buy it!
For Sanji now I imagine that he is cut off from it all, emotion wise. Like he gets a glimpse of what's on the surface, but he doesn't really have access to what he's feeling - but that doesn't make him cruel (at least not in a purposeful way, he will say some things that are tactless and painful) it just makes him numb. And even if he doesn't feel much of it right now, intellectually he knows that he loves his children and knows he would be upset if he ever mistreated them, so he's just going through the motions. The bits of love that he can express and squeeze out of himself will definitely go in the direction of the kids. (But he needs someone spelling out things for him or approaching him, rather than the other way around.)
I just realized! Sanji had one of Zoro's earrings, but it looks like he gives it to Kuina. I'm assuming this is a way to let the crew know that he's still alive somewhere, right? Or it's something sad like: Sanji doesn't know if he'll make it out of there, but Kuina can so he can at least show that Kuina is Zoro's kid.
It's a bit of both, I think! I think it was hard for Sanji to part with it, cause he sees it as the wedding ring he never got to have, but he gives it to Kuina as some sort of proof that she's not lying. It's good that she has Zoros hair and generally looks similar to both of them, but... I have not yet explored that here, but I think Zoro changed in the aftermath of their 'deaths'. He's not gonna look at Kuina and go 'oh my kid', he's gonna be enraged by the thought that someone is trying to trick him.
I AM IN PAIN! Please tell me that Sanji gets hugs from Zoro and the crew when they finally get to him?
I think Sanji would be overwhelmed by the grouphug that is he really, really deserves, even if he himself can't realise or verbalise it right now. But there needed to be a Zoro hug!
