Week 6 | Tuesday

[concasse]

[Sanji is on the hunt for Cardia.

And whenever he finds her, she'll be able to see this isn't a pleasure trip. His expression is sketched with irritation, no matter how he tries to offer her his usual smile.]

Neh, Cardia-chan~!

Mind if we speak for a sec?

Comments

[discardia]

[ Cardia tenses up, not having expected that but definitely... not too happy about it either. There are more people finding out about her than she's comfortable with, but she can't exactly blame Evan for wanting to know, either.

... She's so tired. ]

... Do you believe him?

[ Evan's been nice enough, but she hardly knows him. ]

[concasse]

I take full responsibility for fuckin that up.

[Said immediately after she tenses, and Sanji bows his head. He'd been... well, agitated.]

And the truth is? I don't know him.

[A pause... he looks to the side, almost uncomfortable, weighing words in his mouth.]

I'll say this. He and I didn't have a good conversation. And there was a point in there that he mocked me for not being able to protect you during our adventure.

[Yep.

That happened]

But he seems really proud and dedicated to getting us a good ending, too. Whatever my shitty beef with him, he seems to be taking the welfare of everyone seriously.

[discardia]

[ He what.

Cardia almost blurts out a very sharp, immediate "No" because if there's one way to get under her skin, it's to insult her friends and to blame them for things that weren't their faults.

But she bites her tongue and simply listens, although she's definitely frowning. ]

... You can tell him-- on the one condition that he apologizes to you for mocking you. If he's not willing to do that, I'm not comfortable trusting him with my identity.

[concasse]

[He'd been standing a little terse through all of this, but perhaps strangely, Cardia's willingness to give Evan a chance allows him to relax and smile sheepishly.]

Alright, I'll let him know.

[...]

Not gonna pretend it didn't piss me off -- [IT SURE DID] -- but he's got his reasons to hate me. At least the kid's not short on attitude.

[discardia]

Is... that a good thing?

[ Sure, he's probably mad because his partner was more or less doomed by Sanji's partner, but from the way Sanji's smiling... ]

[concasse]

I meant I'd rather he be proactive and trying to help us out than the alternative.

[...]

Neh, Cardia-chan...

[...]

How have you been doing? Given everything that's happened...

[discardia]

[ ... ]

... I'm angry, and hurt, and sad.

[ And she says this slowly. ]

But I-- don't want to give up.

[concasse]

I'm glad to hear it.

[...]

I know quite a few people working to get us out of this mess, so we just gotta keep faith and help out.

Let's both try our best, alright?

[discardia]

... All right.

[ ... ]

But my newest objective is to beat someone with a pumpkin until they're unconscious or dead, so I don't think I'll be all that helpful with accomplishing objectives.

[concasse]

[.........]

I mean.

We could come up with a plan to make that happen.

[Raises a finger]

I know a healer, so as long as you can get through kicking my ass...

[discardia]

...

Haven't you already been through enough abuse?

[concasse]

[GOD SHE WENT FOR THE THROAT]

O-oi, but think of it this way!

I'm used to it, so it'll be kinder to use me instead of anyone else, right?

Plus I'm volunteering! I wouldn't do it if I didn't trust you not to go too far. All you gotta do is knock me out.

[discardia]

That's... a considerable amount of force. And I'd have to do it with a pumpkin.

[ Sanji!!!! ]

A-and this isn't something you should be used to!!

[concasse]

But I trust Cardia-chwan with my liiiiife~!

[He's not gonna shut up about this.

Cardia just do it.

Do iiiiiit.

Slap him in the face with a pumpkin.

Look at his eager, pumpkin-punchable face]

[discardia]

... Who is your healer?

[ she's just going to wonder how her life has come to this. ]

[concasse]

... I, uh... can't admit to that one quite yet.

[HANDS IN THE AIR IN SURRENDER]

They'll help if I ask, but they might be shy about showing off their ability. So after I ask, what we might have to do is you... hit me, then leave, then the healer comes and does their job.

Does that sound alright?

[discardia]

[ Honestly, this sounds like a terrible idea. ]

Talk to your healer first. I can't do this if I don't know for certain that they'll agree to it.