First flame [Video]

[hot_as_fire]

[The video feed clicks on with Ace sitting at the bar in a restaurant, apparently placing the thing on the table across from him to record. He's seen some video feed den den mushi before so he assumes this has gotta work the same way.]

Hey, guess who's back from the dead? That's right world, it's me! Who's me you might ask? Why I'm Portgas D. Ace, second division commander of the Whitebeard pirates! So since I'm going to be staying with you nice people for a while, how about telling me what are the best places to eat at in town? Preferably meat so I know where I'll probably find my little brother if he ever shows up.

I'd be very grateful for any assistance you feel like giving me in helping me settle in for a spell. Anyone who wants a friendly little chat I'm in a pretty good mood for meeting complete strangers and new friends. Don't let the pirate life intimidate you, I'm not here to pillage your women or rape your stores.

[PRIVATE TO CASTMATES: After asking some polite people at the restaurant he's hanging out at, he's started working some more of the features, figures out that there are some Pirates and people from his world here and creates his own private little feed for them.]

Well hey guys, I'm here to pillage your women and rape your stores. That's what they tried to execute me for after all, right? They almost succeeded too, but it's funny how fate works out sometimes.

Comments

video

[kurobakeneko]

[A look of confusion comes to the ninneko's face once he sees this pirate. Nao remembers meeting Ace before but ever since the man vanished, there hasn't been information about him. That's why poor Nao here looks so confused.

Is this really Ace? Did he really return to Genessia? A scoff escapes the effeminate ninja.]

Oh great! Here we go again...

video

[hot_as_fire]

Again huh? You make it sound as if I come back from the dead on a regular basis.

Re: video

[kurobakeneko]

Perhaps you do since you're quite foolish at times!

[Those bright blue eyes narrow some. He's happy to see Ace alive and well but also annoyed.

Quite annoyed.]

Nevertheless, there's plenty who will welcome you back.

video

[hot_as_fire]

Back from the dead... or back here?

[Because he's pretty sure this is his first time ever being here... so the fact that it might not be is a little unnerving. Maybe he did die here before and he just came back from the dead with all his memories of this place missing? Was that even a thing?]

Damm this place is even weirder than I thought.

[Video]

[enchantressofore]

[ After the experience with Link, she's a little shaken. In the back of her mind, she knows there's a possibility that she won't be recognized by someone she pretty much considers family at this point.

And yet... She can't stop herself from commenting. She does it pretty much without thinking. ]

Ace, that kind of joke is not funny to say so freely in a strange place.

[Video]

[hot_as_fire]

What joke?

[Because clearly she couldn't have seen him saying he really did intend to pillage or anything, because that was a joke just for people who already knew him. Also the fact that she's calling him by name doesn't exactly seem all the weird to him because he just told everyone his name, so he assumes she's just a friendly stranger trying to give advice. Advice he's not sure if he understands since he was just saying he wouldn't do any horrible things.]

[Video]

[enchantressofore]

That you would bring it up in the first place as if it were a thing that needs to be said?

[ She sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. ]

Nevermind... It is good to see a familiar face here, at least.

[Video]

[hot_as_fire]

Hey, people have a bunch of assumptions about pirates! I'm just trying to clear away the bias!

[Not very successfully mind you, but you know.]

You too huh? Damn I must have really gotten around in my past life... not like that of course... unless it was like that? Naw, you probably would have greeted me a bit differently if it were like that, unless... naaaaah.

[If she were an ex, she'd probably react slightly differently and if they were currently dating she'd probably be all woobly about him being alive. So that only left friends.]

Sorry to disappoint you, but this is Ace 2.0, the new, sleeker model, without the gaping chest wounds and look, they even gave me my hat back! Point is though? I don't remember most of the people here.

video;

[steelminded]

Wait, you were dead?

[ Hang on there, that's the only reason he's responding right now, since what. ]

Re: video;

[hot_as_fire]

I'd go so far to say incredibly dead!

[He points to his chest which seems perfectly normal.]

See this? There should be a great big gaping hole here where I got punched through the gut with magma.

video;

[steelminded]

[ Punched through the gut with magma.

That's. That's kind of a strange way to die, and Shirou's been through a lot of shit as it is. No wait, if this guy's dead, then wouldn't that mean?]

Wait, so this place can bring back people from the dead, then?

Re: video;

[justicereigns]

[Slow blink.]

Credit where it's due... I thought you'd be a lot less blase about all of that.

[Smoker's not sure he trusts it. And he's concerned in spite of himself. And he REALLY REALLY doesn't want to be, but he still is. Damn it.]

[Video]

[science_not_witchcraft]

I am unsure if I would be able to help you out with finding a place to stay. I'm afraid that the castle doesn't take too kindly to strangers.

I am curious as to how you evaded Death.

[Video]

[hot_as_fire]

That's alright, I don't think a castle is really my style anyways. I might just go live in the wild somewhere if all else fails.

As for evading death? Beats me to be perfectly honest. Last thing I remembered I was dead, and now I'm here.

[Video]

[justicereigns]

Simmer down, Portgas, you got everyone's attention with the first line. The rest is just extraneous.

[Video]

[hot_as_fire]

Well if it isn't captain smoke stacks! How've you been holding up anyways?

[Video]

[justicereigns]

[...........................................]

["Go away."]

[Why is Smoker always like this?]

[Oh right, he's Smoker.]

[A small snort.]

[He is SO DAMN IRRITATED by Ace's mere existence, but like hell he'll give Ace that satisfaction.]

[That said, it's not like Smoker can act so carefree and blase right back.]

What's it to you, pirate?

[No no no. He doesn't want to do this again. The whole Ace trying to worm his way into Smoker's life, Smoker reluctantly unable to stop him.]

[Fuck. Fuckity fuck.]

[Holds up a hand.] Save your breath. If you try to tell me you care, I'll just want to kill myself, and we both know I'm too stubborn to give you the satisfaction. [Hah?]

Do you remember being here or not?

[Because if this is going to result in Ace's usual temper tantrums, flirting, and showing up in Smoker's space...]

[He might as well know how much he remembers.]

[Video] Later that evening...

[enchantressofore]

[ She sighs when she turns on the feed, in a distinctly different location than she was before. She's definitely tired, drained from earlier, but... There's a difficult thing she still has to do, and it involves the man she's contacting there and then. ]

I... I will start by saying I understand if you do not wish to listen to this.

[ It's hard to record a message for him, and if her soft tone and defensive body language aren't clear indicators, perhaps the spoken message will be of just how ashamed she is of herself right about now. ]

I, uhm... I owe you an apology. For earlier.

[ The first words have her wilting a little bit, slumping as she leans forward on the desk she's at. She's not able to quite look at the camera, even if she can't see Ace on the other end right now. ]

I suppose... What I was feeling, then and there... I should not have taken it out on you. I am sorry for what happened earlier. I should have just been happy to see a familiar face, whether he recognized me or not. Because you are right -- even with different memories, you are still Ace. I will not hold any promises made to you, but... If...

[ She trails off again, groaning at herself because she knows she's beet red. She doesn't want to do this, but she knows she has to. Probably the only saving grace is that she is doing this of her own volition, at least as far as she's concerned. ]

If... You still wish to know me, I... That is to say, I would be happy to know you... Again... And will try not to take it too hard whenever you do not remember something of what happened before. There is no saying if the life you led was even the same, it would not be fair to you to expect as such.

[ Ugh she knows she's beet red doing this, still feeling embarrassed -- mostly with herself. Why in the world did she even think that was all right, anyway? Well, at least this is just a recording and she knows he doesn't owe her a reply for it, so once she's done... It's done. Probably. ]

I suppose... Yes. I wanted to apologize, and, well... You do not have to forgive me for it, either. I just knew I owed it to you, Ace.

[ She's going to end the first message there and hit send before she can second-guess herself or delete it. Because clearly that's a good decision, right? ]

[Video]

[hot_as_fire]

[He wanted to just laugh and tell her everything was fine, that he didn't hold a grudge or anything. Which was true... but she had made an effort to apologize to him, so the least he could do is respect that apology. He takes off his hat, the brim being a bit too distracting as he tries to think of the right words to say.]

I'm sorry too. I can get pretty stubborn when it comes to protecting my friends, even when it's friends that are sort of indirectly my friends... in a way it's sort of like you're my best friend's friend, but that still means you're a really important to me because you're so important to him. If that makes any sense?

[Is he botching this again on semantics. He heaves a heavy sigh.]

Look... I'm not saying we have to pick right where you and the other Ace left off, I doubt I'd have an easy time keeping up with that myself, but I do still want to try to be there for you as a friend and whatever you need me for. Whether it's just somebody to talk to when you're bored, or somebody to help you fight to protect something important to you. Just... remember that the stronger you try to push me away, the more I want to resist.

[Video]

[enchantressofore]

... I never understood how you could care so easily.

[ She sighs again, though she's less tense than before. She's more slumped on the desk out of being tired than anything else, but at least it seems like she's calmed down a bit. ]

I can tell you that I am very much the same way -- should someone try to force me to act a certain way... It may be out of spite more than anything else, but I tend to wish to do the opposite. That kind of thinking may be the reason I am a blacksmith now, honestly.

[Video]

[om_nom_namur]

Welcome back, Grill Pit. Y' ever been t' one a these alternate realities 'fore or are y' back t' rookie status?

[Video] 1/2

[hot_as_fire]

NAMUR! OH MAN! It's so good to see yo-

[Video] 2/2

[hot_as_fire]

Oi! I haven't been a rookie in years! ... Though yeah I guess I am sort of a rookie here. So... god dammit.

[redcinemareel]

...you seem to say the same thing each time you return... [Doesn't he have anything new??]

[hot_as_fire]

Yeah... if I'd known previous me had already said all this I might have tried for something a bit more original. Umm...

[Jazz hands with fire?]