Week 0 | Saturday Post-Trial

[concasse]

[Wow so trials suck; that's the lesson Sanji's learned after spending nine hours ultimately tracking down Gi-Gan's killer... and of course it's Jae-Ha's roommate. That's enough reason for him to call the day a wash and go to bed, except he's made promises and does wish to chat with a couple people, if only for a little bit.

One of them happens to be Rapunzel. He'll track her down as soon as he's able, whatever room she might be in. A broad smile is beyond him right now, but he'll settle for a small one and a hand wave when their eyes meet]

Rapunzel-chwan~! If I could have a moment of your time!

Comments

[hairbrain]

[ rip. ]

There has to be something we can do for them.... right? Someone has the power to make that call, even if it's not.... you or me.

[ a beat. ]

But we can talk about my hair. If you don't mind.... I wanted some company, anyway.

[concasse]

Well, whoever can make it, sure hope they don't keep us in suspense.

[He'll say no more about it, instead nodding to her request, expression loosening]

Sure. I'm the same, honestly.

[Turns out staying in your bedroom doesn't make the troubles go away.]

You said you wouldn't mind explaining how it got so long?

[hairbrain]

If they do... well, they can talk to my frying pan.

[ it's a weak joke but she's trying. she starts twisting a strand of it. ]

Would you believe that it's magic?

[ just to start things off. ]

[concasse]

At this point, Rapunzel-chan, I don't think I'd believe it unless it was magic!

[Getting kidnapped into castles for murder games sure changed his tune]

Shit, I don't even think you got split ends.

[hairbrain]

[ no kidding. ]

Well, I might get split ends right now --- I have to take extra care, because I don't think it's working properly. It used to have the power to heal people, too, I.... I really wish I could still do that, right about now.

[concasse]

Aah...

[Silently? Sanji wishes she did, too.]

Knowing Gi-Gan-san, she would've appreciated that sentiment, even if it's not possible right now.

[hairbrain]

[ i'm crying at gi-gan-san. ]

Yeah, well. If it were that easy... I could make sure no one died. [ too bad that's not going to happen. ]

The hair -- the healing, the magic -- it came from a magical flower that saved my mom when she was really sick. I was born with hair like this, and it kept growing.... it had magical properties, too, like being able to heal people and stop them from aging.

But because of that, I was.... taken from my home, and locked in a tower by a woman who pretended to be my mother.

[concasse]

[Sanji and his disaster honorifics.




Also? That is some dark, fairy tale nonsense he just heard. She was kidnapped for her magic hair and raised by a woman who only wanted to exploit her.]

Shit.

[He... needs a moment.]

[hairbrain]

[ he's a one piece character shouldn't he be used to tragic backstories!!! ]

It turned out okay, though --- I managed to go out on my own, I met someone who, um, actually ended up cutting my hair to save me from her and took me home to my real parents -- see the thing is, once it got cut, it'd turn brown and lose its magical properties. So, I had normal hair for a while.

[ she keeps relating this like it's perfectly normal which is probably not helping sanji process this fairy tale nonsense. ]

[concasse]

[THAT DOES NOT MAKE THEM EASIER TO HEAR.

Though, uh:]

I mean -- good to hear you got out of that mess, but... [A gesture at her hair that is most certainly not brown, or short.]

[hairbrain]

[ sorry about all the sad exposition, sanji. ]

Well, the thing is --- ummm.... these mysterious black rocks started popping up all over the kingdom, displacing people from their homes and.... destroying everything in their path. Completely indestructible, and out of nowhere. My friend Cassandra showed me, but when I touched them, that's when.... it all grew back. And, totally indestructible, just like the rocks. Like, they're connected to me....

[ there's more to it but it's so weird to explain. ] Since I got here, my hair's lost all of its new powers, but.... I'm really worried about Corona. The rocks..... it's almost like they were trying to get to me, so.... without me there.... who knows what they could be doing?

[concasse]

[Me, the player, staring at all of this like "what the heck"

Sanji isn't doing much better, though he at least masters his surprise and just nods along like any of this makes sense.]

So without you there, the rocks could run wild. [Or he thinks that's the implication.]

[hairbrain]

[ tangled is a fun series. ]

We think..... either way, I need to get back to Corona as soon as I can. Without murdering people.

[ just to clarify. she twists a strand of her hair around. ]

But yeah, that's.... preeeetty much the story.

[concasse]

[... Heh, he has to smile at that tacked on ending, and actually ends up staring down at his hands.]

Honestly, Rapunzel-chan, I owe you an apology.

[hairbrain]

[ that awkward moment when you share the plot to your movie and tv show. ]

An apology--- to me? [ he hasn't even oda'd at her!! ] What for? You haven't done anything wrong!

[concasse]

[Fun fact Sanji thinks she's like... 15. THAT IS WHY.

Also? He is looking pretty nervous right now, his head hunching like he's about to be scolded]

Don't get me wrong, I never thought you actually did anything wrong... I, uh...

Just wondered if you were the one controlling the suit of armor.

[hairbrain]

[ that disney face curse. also, for what it's worth, she doesn't look mad, just perplexed. ]

Me? How come?

[ aside from the fact that she princess tutued...... with it....... ] Does this have something to do with why you were looking at my hair before?

[ she's been meaning to ask about that. ]

[concasse]

[Well, he is indeed glad she hasn't taken a frying pan to his head. Holding up a finger in explanation.]

You mentioned all the shit you could normally do with your hair, so I wondered if you were given an ability similar to it.

[Hence him checking her hair, he wanted to make sure there was no ink or rust on it.]

[hairbrain]

[ there's still time. ]

Well, that's fair. [ it is kind of.... whimsical... like her. plus, magical black rocks are connected to her, apparently, so. ] But I would never kill Gi-gan, and I won't kill anyone here, no matter what those two try to make it happen. [ she means the furries. ] I hope I can convince you of that, even if it takes a long time.

[concasse]

[I give him a week before she clocks him.

And oh Rapunzel, that gets Sanji to laugh softly, shaking his head]

Oi oi, I meant it, y'know -- I never thought you'd killed anyone. I just wondered if you enchanted the suit of armor. [For all he knows, whoever bewitched that suit doesn't have control of it anymore.]

[hairbrain]

[ he just needs to realize she is not in fact 14, like her disney faces suggests. ]

Oh..... well, thank you Sanji. [ she looks genuinely warmed by that. ] I feel the same way about you. The, um, killing, not the enchanting the suit of armor --- though, you're very skilled as a dancer.

[ now she's just rambling a little. ]

[concasse]

Heh, you think so?

[LOOKING KINDA DELIGHTED BY THIS]

I learned when I was a kid. You know how many nights sailors wanna just drink and dance?

All of 'em.

[hairbrain]

Yes!

[ look pirates are still romantic af to her. ]

Maybe you can tell me about it, and some of your pirate adventures? If it's okay with you.

[ tell her about the magic leggy, sanji. ]