Week 0 | Sunday, Post Execution

[concasse]

[He's spent most of his afternoon either training or running around checking on people, and it's towards the beginnings of twilight that he finally chooses to relax. No cigarettes, sadly -- he doesn't have enough to splurge -- but that's alright. He can take a walk throughout the castle, not unlike a soldier making his rounds.

At any point that he sees Sousei, however, he'll slow his steps enough to nod at him, much like their brief communication in the kitchen. Normally he'd leave it at that, too, except... well, congratulations should be in order, right?]

How's it feel escaping that shit?

[Sorry man, Sanji's just crude in speech. Pirates]

Comments

[concasse]

[He was called a sensible adult by another dude; Sanji is officially shook.]

Uh -- right.

[Rubbing the nape of his neck, momentarily stunned into silence. Sousei has no idea how weird this is for him.]

Shit, I'm not used to this level of competency from guys...

[Twilight zone]

[disilluded]

[... Oh my god.]

Is it truly that unexpected?

[He feels bad for your life immediately...]

If you have to deal with such incompetency constantly, that is...unfortunate.

[concasse]

Tch! Tell me about it. I'd follow my captain into hell itself, but that doesn't make him any less of an idiot. And I can't trust the shitty swordsman for decent conversation.

[Which leaves a lot of other male crew mates but much as Sanji loves them, he would not apply the term "adult" to most.]

It's fine, though -- they can keep sailing back home and I'll deal with this mess.

[disilluded]

[That sounds like actual hell and he's glad he doesn't have to deal with that. Incompetence gives Sousei metaphorical hives.]

Indeed? Well, we are of much the same opinion then.

[ie that this is a mess that needs dealing with ASAP.]

I will do what I can to discover ways to derail this "game"--I believe that the moment it is no longer following its strict rules, the entire sham will fall apart.

[concasse]

... Might come down to figuring out what our hosts want.

[Voice turning business-like]

Seems to be the ink they're after? Which comes from the bodies of whoever dies. No idea what it's being used for, though.

[disilluded]

It could very well be. We simply do not have much information to work off of.

[It's the worst.]

... Perhaps the ink categorizes us...?

[concasse]

Categorizes...?

[There's a thought. Though Sanji doesn't completely follow]

What, based on our secret titles or some shit?

[disilluded]

Perhaps...? If it is some sort of war, then they are keeping score in some way, correct?

[Maybe it ties into that...?]

[concasse]

Hn, true. Maybe without us knowing, we're assigned to one of 'em, and they're keeping score of how many pawns they lose.

[disilluded]

... It makes as much sense as anything else. I suppose right now it is all conjecture and nothing more.

[...]

I do have a question for you, though you do not need to feel obligated in any sense to answer, if you are willing to hear it.

[concasse]

[Arching his brows.]

What?

[he's not promising anything.]

[disilluded]

What are your sincere impressions of this game?

[It's an abstract question, he knows, so he'll elaborate:]

Its win conditions, its purpose... the sorting of all of us into villains and heroes... there is something about it that I am having trouble putting my finger on.

[Like he's having trouble processing just what it is about this whole thing that will let them escape.]

I feel as though if we're able to dismantle even a part of it, the entire farce will come crashing down.

[concasse]

[That's a complex question, even with the elaboration. That said, Sanji doesn't look unwilling to answer... just suddenly tired]

Shit if I know. I keep wondering myself.

[Because he. Hates it. He hates it. Pirates don't do well chained to games, and this one has half of the rules still veiled in darkness]

Were we even promised we'd get to leave? Sure, the point of this is to survive, but I can't recall the ladies ever elaborating... just that they want a conclusion that suits their tastes.

[disilluded]

You're right on that count.

[He'd noticed that too, but in the mess that was Everything, he hadn't thought about it...]

We are quickly losing sight of issues such as "how did we get here", but I believe they are still relevant if we wish to ever escape from here.

... The fact that we do not know what a "win" for one of them would lead to for the rest of us is extremely concerning, however.

[concasse]

Yeah, I managed to talk to Tiger-san last time she made an appearance, but she refused to elaborate on what she wanted from us besides dead bodies.

[A sigh]

I'm assuming they're hiding details on purpose... maybe because there is a loophole to all of this, so the less we know, the better.

[disilluded]

[Dead bodies... of course.]

That is my suspicion. Why be so cagey about the entire situation if it was foolproof? There is undoubtedly some secret we can make use of to end this early, and save lives.

[concasse]

Yeah, probably.

... well, I'll keep my ears open. It'd be one thing if it was us against them, but I'm pretty damn sure they're gonna keep recruiting some of us to their side.

[So trusting anyone will come with risks. Not that Sanji needs to say it.]

[disilluded]

That is the nature of this entire mess. They wish for us to mistrust everyone around us.

[Sousei frowns a bit, shaking his head.]

It is dangerous, I'm aware, and yet if we also trust no one, we cannot save everyone's lives either.