YASUSADA

[concasse]

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W0 || Saturday

[concasse]

[Sword puppy, where you at?

Sanji is on the lookout... not that there's many places to search on a third-level bus, but the chef still takes his time until he's found Yams and a semi-private area of the bus (probably a corner where the music is blaring so no one can hear them).

Don't you just love the lack of privacy?]

Oi, you busy right now?

[okitactless]

[Yasu has no modesty and no filter, so the lack of privacy doesn't bother him all that much--but if Sanji wants to talk in private, then that's fine with him! Yasusada's poking around the books for now, looking for any sort of history books, mostly. But it's not urgent, so he looks up, and shakes his head. Hopefully his hair is dry by now...]

No, not right now. Why?

w0 thursday

[okitactless]

[HELLO SANJI... here is a pompom sword, coming to find you. He's been trying to stay somewhat optimistic, but even he isn't oblivious enough to ignore the passage of time, or the foundations of everyone's skepticism. IF IT LOOKS LIKE A DUCK AND IT QUACKS LIKE A DUCK IT'S PROBABLY NOT A MONKEY etc. etc. He didn't approach Mystery NPC earlier, but he couldn't have missed the commotion; it's not not suspicious, okay.

He's not patrolling, exactly, but he's definitely keeping an eye on things as he makes his way to whatever Sanji is. He's kind of assuming Sanji will be keeping tabs on things, so.]

Is everyone alright so far?

[concasse]

So far, yeah.

[If Yams is gonna go around on patrol and make himself useful, far be it for Sanji to interrupt. There's in fact a very approving look on the chef's face, and he beckons for the other to come closer]

By the way, before I forget -- what's your favorite food?

[IS IT

STILL HAMBURGERS OR SOMETHING...]

w0 friday

[okitactless]

[HE'S BACK from his useless adventure

Probably he took a detour to meet with the other swords first, but here he is! Looking fine, aside from the fact that he's very clearly not happy. As soon as he approaches, he shakes his head.]

Nothing. We [Him and Shinobu, that is] just ended up back here.

[concasse]

[... He's not sure if he should be relieved or disappointed.

Seeing Yams is safe? Well of course that immediately puts his soul at ease. But it means they're well and truly stuck here, same as the castle.

The chef sighs, nods in understanding, and then gives a delicate wince at his own movements.]

No weird side-effects...? Loss of appetite? Anything?

w0 post-trial

[okitactless]

[Hey wow hey wow this was a bad time!!!!

But after going to make a few more visits, he'll come find Sanji! He looks... pretty bad, actually??? This was a bad trial for both swords and Grimms and Yams is the only one of both...

But he bows his head, and then bows a little lower.]

...I'm sorry. Tsurumaru-san should have known better.

[They weren't the best of friends or anything and Yasusada was hardly his keeper, but. Yasusada still feels somewhat responsible.]

[concasse]

[At this point?

Sanji's just tired.

And feeling a little out of touch with his own anger. It's not as if he and Evan were close -- shit, they can't really stand each other -- but the results of the trial have already wounded him in ways he thought impossible.

Seeing Yams apologize just picks at the wound. After a pause, Sanji shakes his head.]

Oi, it's not your fault... Not sayin' I'm happy with him, but he didn't act callously.

[Just stupidly. The chef heaves a sigh]

How you holdin' up? Shit's gotta be worse on your end than mine.

W1 || Friday

[concasse]

[Well there are... less bodies than Sanji predicted there would be. And that's good! But it also means he's got a lot of pent up energy with nowhere to go, so... time to make the rounds and check in on a few key people.

One of whom is a sword. No surprises there. Yams, where you at?]

[okitactless]

[BIG MOOD SANJI.

But Yasusada will be in his cabin!! Which is evident by the fact that his wet clothes are probably hanging on the open door to dry. He's probably gotten cleaned up at this point, and he's bundled in blankets on his bed. He's also back in the clothes from the bus?? He's trying.

He's also sneezing quite a bit, and probably still has faint traces of ink letters on his face. GOD. But come on in, Sanji.]

W1 || TRIAL DAY

[concasse]

[Goddamn, they fucked up.

And it means it's time for Sanji to make his rounds, looking for his castle-mates. Assuming Yams is back in his cabin, that's the first place Sanji goes looking, armed with tea]

Oi, Yasusada. You in here?

[Knocking since he can't enter without being let in I DON'T THINK]

[okitactless]

[I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT and even though Yasusada nyoomed for the directors post-trial, he is now in his cabin and perfectly willing to answer. He's bundled back up in his blanket because he's still sniffling, but he shuffles on back to let Sanji in!]

Come in, Sanji-kun.

w2 saturday

[okitactless]

[WELL THAT SURE WAS A SHITSHOW hello Sanji. WHERE ARE YOU a pompom is coming to find you!!! He still doesn't have coffee, but he does have an apple? Where did he get this. Please don't ask, but it's a gift anyway.]

[concasse]

[For once, not in the kitchen -- just on his way to his cabin. Though for Yams he'll stop, and then his eyebrows pinch in surprise when he's presented with an apple.

It... gets a smile outta him? Listen, Sanji doesn't say no to food when it's offered, no matter the circumstances.]

Looking after me, eh?

W3 || MONDAY

[concasse]

[well... sure, he and Yams need to talk, but this was not supposed to be on the menu:

Snapshots of him and a green haired swordsman giving each other nothing but hell from start to finish.]

... Can't believe I'm saying this, but I kinda miss tryin' to kick his ass...

[Watching all of this with a whimsical sigh as he and Zoro attempt to beat up the most amount of people in their way. Tragic]

rubs hands together

[okitactless]

[WELL. This is some tomfoolery!!! Look at these idiots... though, of course, Yasusada's delighted to see it. Although, honestly, his first reaction is--]

--Why does he have three of us?!

[MAYBE THEY'RE TRIPLETS???

God.

Unfortunately, Sanji isn't so lucky. Because as soon as Yasusada blinks out of the memory, he turns to face Sanji again, and that means it's his turn. HOORAY. The memory he receives isn't a fond one, but it, uh. Might explain a thing or two.]

w3 friday

[okitactless]

[WELL here is Yasusada again whenever they reconvene, he's probably gone to get more apple juice??? Amazing.

Anyway, first of all--]

The bathroom wouldn't let us in.

[concasse]

-- Y'know, at least when we were in the shitty castle, we could get into places?

[WOW HE HATES HOW THIS PARTICULAR ELEMENT OF THE GAMES ARE RUN. This has gotta be cheating???]

W3 || Sunday

[concasse]

... Alright, so we're not completely useless, it looks like.

[The first and most blunt assessment Sanji thinks to offer once he meets up with Yasusada for their weekly "meeting" of sorts, in the kitchen and out of the ugly weather]

I still think we gotta be prepared to take someone out, but at least morale isn't bottom of the barrel.

[okitactless]

[When Yasusada does show up, it's probably easy enough to tell what he's been doing. There's snow all over him--like he's been out in it, not like he'd fallen--and his hair is a mess from exertion. He didn't have his sword with him at the execution, but he has it now, so. Three guesses as to what he's been doing.

He doesn't look like he injured himself further, though; he's moving fine, for someone with a broken arm. He does go to make himself a cup of hot tea, though, since it's cold out there.

He's subdued, now that he'd burned off most of his wild frustration--but he's no less unhappy with how this weekend has gone, and simultaneously no less focused on their discussion.]

Not for everyone. [That much, he has to agree with. Many of them considered today to be a "win", and it technically was. But they really are past the point of avoiding messy connections--it's objectively better, that Nie Huaisang died in there today.]

W4 || TUESDAY

[concasse]

[... So.

They know what they can't talk about, and considering the stakes, Sanji works hard to keep any evasive thought free from his head.

Which is why that isn't why the chef is looking for Yasusada Tuesday afternoon. It's for completely different reasons, the type of shit that has a slight wrinkle in his brow, and he'll approach the sword with a nod in greeting]

Hey, lemme borrow you for a bit.

[okitactless]

[Perhaps unsurprisingly, Yasusada hasn't felt much besides calm focus, this week. The only thing he's asked of Sanji is to spar with him each day, in a variety of ways and with different tools to substitute for weapons. But that's something he likely would've done anyway, once Black Shadows told him (very apologetically) that his arm couldn't be healed.

Still, beyond that, it's been easy enough to act normal. After all, this was his normal for much longer than it wasn't--a nighttime raid was no excuse to shirk your daytime duties.

He's in the stables today, brushing one of the horses--his favorite, a gentle chestnut. He looks over at Sanji when he approaches, tilting his head slightly.]

Hm? Alright, I'm almost finished here. [He'll give the horse a few more brushes, then pat her gently on the nose. Sorry friend, they must discuss Things.]

W5 || MONDAY

[concasse]

[Death is -- well, it was never going to be a pleasant experience. Beyond the crushing guilt and depression is an over-layer of boredom, equally as annoying, and it's all Sanji can do to keep from bouncing off the walls.

At least he has Yasusada here -- though god, what an ugly thought that is, that he can take solace in knowing he isn't alone. It makes him feel like a child until he pushes the thought out of his head and focuses on what he always has:

Business.

Which means finding Yasusada and dragging him off to a secluded corner of this forsaken afterlife, and throwing a concerned glance over his shoulder]

... Tell me what happened, alright? The trial, your death... all of it.

[okitactless]

[How strange it is, to be the one more used to doing things this way.

Not that it's easier for him, exactly. Even with Sanji's company on this side (and Tsurumaru's, and Shinobu's--many of the others, honestly), he'd suffered some deep emotional wounds before his death. Failing to take Sanji's killer down with him, even if he understands why he was stopped, is something that he isn't sure he can forgive--not himself, nor Dimitri.

But the fact remains that while the circumstances are different, it isn't the first time he's been on this side. There wasn't much he could do at the castle, but he hadn't tried very hard, because he'd had faith that Okita would succeed. This time, he only has Stephanie's reassurances--and he does, truly, want to trust her. But even after everything that's happened, he can't stand idly by. If there's something he can do on this side to ensure victory, then he'll do it.

Withdraw and regroup. That's all this is. If he doesn't let himself view it that way, he's basically throwing Okita's life away, and he refuses to do that.

The trial and his death, though... ah. Sanji wasn't able to see it, then.

Even before he starts to explain, Yasusada's body language radiates unhappiness. The look on his face isn't one he'd be wearing if things had gone totally according to plan, but--well. Sanji's here to have that conversation with him. That's probably explanation enough.]

Yu-kun had the ability to tie two people together. He must've used it right before he left a mark on me, to tie me to Lili-kun. [Who has told him about 50 times to just call her Lili but he keeps reverting back because it feels weird.] I didn't know about his ability, or I would've told him not to bother with it. But Dick-san came after me on Friday, [since he reacted so terribly in public to the announcement] so I showed him the wound Yu-kun left and told him I'd been in the cabin, and that I didn't know where it came from.

[Which was so blatantly flimsy and suspicious that he'd assumed, correctly, that Dick would know what he was trying to do. Unfortunately--] I only told him because I wanted everyone to focus on the other deaths, especially yours. [SORRY MINAKO AND ZENITSU.] But he must not have understood me, because they made a big scene about it immediately. If I'd known they were going to handle it like that, I wouldn't have mentioned it.

[He is Not Happy with Lili and Dick right now, if that wasn't obvious. But anyway--]

I don't think they found anything useful for Zenitsu-san and Minako-san's killers. I think they all just assumed I did everything. [Which was insulting? Yin Yu's body was right there? HE'D BEEN SO FUCKING OBVIOUS everyone in this camp sucks.] But for you... Akira-kun, Belph-san, and-- [HE doesn't actually have a clue who 45 is even though she constantly helps out in trials oops] --someone else found Nami-san at the isolation cabin by herself. She reacted badly to Magnus.

[So. That settled that, in Yasusada's mind. He doesn't bother explaining how he'd reacted; Sanji can probably take a guess.]

Taako told some big stupid lie about how it was self-defense, but I know Stephanie-kun didn't believe it. I think Belph-san knew it didn't add up either. [It wasn't impossible to them, he thinks, but after Yasusada's explanation came out, it definitely would seem implausible.] A few people came to visit me in the cabin, so I explained to them all the reasons it didn't make sense. I think at least Stephanie-kun and Chuuya-kun will look into it.

[So he hopes, anyway. All he can do now is hope.]

W6 || Monday

[concasse]

[... He knows Yasusada needs time alone, but Sanji is. worried. And will afford the sword about an hour before he also travels through the portal taking them back into their old "home".

Where can Sanji find a displeased sword pup?]

[okitactless]

[Haha!

Well. Surprisingly, Yasusada isn't in Okita's room. He isn't in his own, either, or the observatory.

By now, he's ended up in the armory. He has a little bowl of lemon juice with him, and a soft cloth that he's using to gently dab along some of the rusted swords. His tail is tucked around him, and he's quiet as he works, focused on his task.

Oh! A tsukumogami? I never thought I would be able to meet one myself!

...Doing this won't bring him Okita a second time. He knows that. But when he's feeling so frustrated and betrayed, his first instinct will always be to fall back on things that remind him of his master. So here he is.]