A small eatery within Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia
Night
Being directed to a private room by the restaurant manager, a well dressed Candy struts in to an empty private dining area, prepared with a pleasant flowery scent and ambiance.
Admiring the decor, she as she looks about the warm candlelit table.
Candy: "Hmmhmmmhmmm.. Nash sure has a way with women.."
As she readied to sit, the door she came in shut.
A quick look around, and another man who's definitely not Nash Kirkham awaits her, somberly asking..
Clark: "Bitch, what gave you THAT idea?"
Candy: "Hngk-"
She turned, only for Nash to set up a meeting with his brother instead of himself, prompting a reason to panic.
Crawling into a corner, she whimpered..
Candy: "OH PLEASE DON'T HURT ME I PROMISE I'M GOING TO MAKE IT UP TO YOU!!"
Clark: "Hmm.. I do miss that of Cierra, surely.."
After a quick reminisce, he then went back to business, declaring sternly..
Clark: "A fuss in the middle of a public place is the last thing I want. Sit."
As if her greatest fear of being on the spotlight came to be, she couldn't stop shaking, while sitting.
He then sat too, and as soon as they both are settled on the specially prepared table, he makes his move..
Clark: "Listen, you shrimp: I aim to get to the bottom of what mess you caused.. So.. if I'm hearing right.. Cierra.. ran away at her own volition?"
Candy: "You.. don't believe that, do you?"
Clark: "At first.. no. So far, that remains a no unless I get word personally. Good luck getting THAT out of her."
A brief pause then followed, but Clark knew enough from what he saw with her nervous worried face.
He asked, roughly and politely.
Clark: "Are you not hungry?"
Candy: "My appetite's gone.."
Clark: "I know what you're thinking.. the thick air's got you all mucked up, you can't even take a nibble?"
Candy: "I.. uhh.."
He then felt his relations souring with her causing this, prompting him to declare..
Clark: "I'd say you have a hand in all this awfully awkward foolishness. I was going to have The Guts join us, but that would mean an extra... 10 to 20 Euros out of my own pocket. Not to mention that f[BLEEP]er can eat."
Candy: "Him.. eat?"
Clark: "Yes. You know.. with their mouth? I don't care what planet that t[BLEEP]t claims to be part of. To anyone he's an alien, sure, but to you and me: he's still a mortal who can f[BLEEP]ing bleed."
With that in mind, Clark then followed by pointing at one side of the restaurant..
Clark: "Look over there.."
The man he points to, joyfully munching down a meal for two, is somebody who still wears a race attire, but with a full balaclava mask on, giving Candy a curious thought..
Candy: "I've never seen a man eat with balaclava on.."
But remembering The Guts also got her wary, asking..
Candy: "Ergh.. I hope you have your phone with you.."
Clark: "Oh, that's still here. Never had an issue with that kleptomania of his. No sir."
They both go back to each other.
Clark: "I know you're thinking in what ways am I going to strip your soul from your body. Lest you forget that both Ginoa and Boniface are under my supervision in some form."
Candy: "Oh, huh? (HOW COULD I EVEN FORGET THAT?!!)"
While all that happened in the mind, Clark sees that she can't hide it through her face.
Clark: "Let's get this heavy air out of the way. You think I'm here to serve you your last meal while I then eventually find a way to eke out some form of revenge, is it?"
He asked, respectfully, but Candy remained unmoved.
Clark: "I may like violence.. but I sure am not unintelligent to challenge those that.. let's say, protect you."
Candy: "Protect? Hah. If not Minori-chan, who's as we both know, quite rogue.."
Clark: "Rogue is just a nice way to put it. I mean, I might have my beef with the Guild, so what?"
She remained on edge, which was not in his schedule for what he has in mind tonight.
Flipping the pages of a well made menu, he then shared..
Clark: "But I suppose for you, since you're not hungry, I can skip straight to dessert. That's what Ginnie's been telling me. Go ahead.."
He slid over the menu, revealing various pastries and cakes flooding the pages.
However, she remained, once again, unfazed.
Candy: "Urhh, she has more reasons for me to dock her pay.."
Clark: "What, reporting to me is strange? You really believe she's loyal to you purely? Rubbish. She looks out for herself more than anything, then to us. It's how f[BLEEP]ing she operates."
Knocking herself out of this trance, she asked..
Candy: "So, what brings you here to this part of Croatia?"
Clark: "Sim Gear, if it's not obvious enough. Only that we're a man short, but the show must go on, as they say. Dragon's Trail is ours for the next few days.."
Candy: "We're racing this weekend."
Clark: "The more the reason I want less about it. But being the f[BLEEP]ing face of Sim Gear, as well as even being the main sponsor of the race means I can't crawl my way out this time."
She's reading through the booklet, but Clark hasn't an intention to keep the air feeling weighted.
Clark: "Right.. umm.. pressured, are we? How about something else to calm those waves. Ever hear on how I treat women?"
Candy: "That's not.. what I know a lot of. But Minori-chan.. every mention of you, she's got nothing but good words for you."
Clark: "It's because I treat her with f[BLEEP]ing respect, and that I get back. Never had a love for anyone who disrespects the females. To harm them is to be treated similarly to those that takes advantage of the weak.."
He spoke it out loud and clear, he followed up, still with his usual gruff tone..
Clark: "You got it, champ?"
But his expectations end up broken when she then retreated off the table, and crawled under it.
Candy: "I.. I don't!! I'm going to be the exception!! I. Am. Doomed!!"
He looked under, seeing the little racer cowering in ample fear.
Clark: "Daft c[BLEEP].. She misses the point, entirely.. Snap out of it. There's NO way you giving up Cierra to those shady bums would lead to such an outcome. Not by me, at least."
He snaps his fingers, but refused to act further.
Not in a mood to scheme something, he revealed..
Clark: "This meeting is set up by my brother, and even if I was bul[BLEEP]ting about my treatment to good women, there's no way you're coming out of it hurt. Even though you disobeyed orders.."
Candy: "La la LAAHH, I'm not having any of it!"
Sternly, he continued..
Clark: "Please.. you're probably the first person I openly talk about my old flame Dorah about. Not even my brother gets that special treatment."
As it went on, another person enters the room, with his theme song going on, and seeing the scene briefly has his thoughts collected enough..
Nash: "Oh look, my brother's a terrible socializer like he's always been."
Clark: "Sod off. Don't think it's MY fault this time."
Nash: "Well. it's SOMEONE's fault, and look how lost she's in. All we gotta do is.. clear up the discord."
Clark: "Clear up the discord.. right."
He closes the distance, and leaned down, requesting peacefully..
Nash: "Come now, Candy.. all my brother wanted to do is apologize."
Clark: "Apologize? F[BLEEP] off with that s[BLEEP]e! I'm the victim of this encounter, don't you say?"
He argued, not angrily.
Candy saw these two men together, and that enough granted her a smidge of courage, leaving the undersides of the table..
Candy: "He's right. I mean.. it happened in front of me so quick, I didn't.."
They knew what she was about to talk about, but before she went further, Nash stopped her, consoling her..
Nash: "There. It's in the past now."
Clark: "She's going to do more than just plain forgive and forget to get back my trust, brother."
Nash: "Well.. tiny steps then."
Seeing the situation change for the better, Clark then noted, cheekily..
Clark: "You hear that. I'm giving you mercy."
Candy: "Don't remind me."
She gets on her feet, now soothed of the troubles she faces from Clark by himself.
Nash, on the other hand, has other thoughts..
Nash: "As a matter of fact, I'm at the mercy of my appetite. Got something ready for me, brother."
Clark: "You know, I thought the doctors said you have to fast.."
Insulted through a man's appetite, Nash didn't hold back, even though he obviously was trying to keep his composure strong..
Nash: "How many times do I have to-you KNOW I don't need to fast when travelling, brother, how dare you!"