Portgas D. Ace (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
burnt_offering) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
genessia2019-04-04 01:20 am
burnt_offering) wrote in genessia2019-04-04 01:20 am
Entry tags:
[Video]
[Ace is sitting and staring, brows furrowed a little. This whole situation has really gotten him frustrated. He went from either dying, or being damn close to it, to this. And while he's absolutely fine with not having his life ended, there's no amount of questions that are unanswered and he's worried for the people left behind. He really did screw up, there was so much he could have done differently, so much trouble he could have saved for those who had to suffer because of his choices and convictions. He's not even sure that his attempt to save his brother worked, and he's not certain he can handle not knowing if those left behind will be okay or not.
It's easier to live without regrets when death is actually the end and you don't have to experience any further consequences.
And now, he's got this second chance but it's overwhelming somehow. He's not going to take for granted a round two at life, but where to go from here when everything is so new and different is exhausting to think about. And somehow exciting too. He's got an idea of what he needs to do, but he's still a little in shock about the whole situation.
After about a minute, he realizes that he's been filming himself, and actually decides to speak.]
Okay, so I'm-[Ace stops mid-sentence, and his head rolls back at an awkward angle. And he starts to snore, while the camera just keeps recording. This goes on for quite a while, unfortunately. And then as suddenly as he passed out, he jerks upright again and blinks. It's a confusing day as is, and narcolepsy doesn't help with that.] Damn. Happened again. Anyway, I'm Ace. If you've got any good information that might help a guy out, I might make it worth your while. [He probably won't.]
It's easier to live without regrets when death is actually the end and you don't have to experience any further consequences.
And now, he's got this second chance but it's overwhelming somehow. He's not going to take for granted a round two at life, but where to go from here when everything is so new and different is exhausting to think about. And somehow exciting too. He's got an idea of what he needs to do, but he's still a little in shock about the whole situation.
After about a minute, he realizes that he's been filming himself, and actually decides to speak.]
Okay, so I'm-[Ace stops mid-sentence, and his head rolls back at an awkward angle. And he starts to snore, while the camera just keeps recording. This goes on for quite a while, unfortunately. And then as suddenly as he passed out, he jerks upright again and blinks. It's a confusing day as is, and narcolepsy doesn't help with that.] Damn. Happened again. Anyway, I'm Ace. If you've got any good information that might help a guy out, I might make it worth your while. [He probably won't.]
no subject
[THE ENTIRETY OF THE VOID BETWEEN UNIVERSES IS NOT BIG ENOUGH FOR HIS SEETHING LOATHING!]
[AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.]
I have no idea what you mean.
[ :| ]
I wouldn't get a dog with a pirate. And I don't share anything unless I feel like it. And that's rare.
[Video] Private, a while after the thread with Namur because yeah
[Video] Private, Suicide is painless it brings on many chaaaaanges
It's not what you think.
[He's kind of relieved Ace isn't completely freaking out, but... also... :| WHY isn't Ace freaking out? Fuck you Ace. FREAK OUT MORE.]
[Video] Private
I don't know, Namur pretty much spelled it out. You tell me what else it could be. [Okay, Smoker is fun to tease. That's one reason not to freak out. Another reason, the only bad thing about Smoker is that he's a Marine. Which is a massively bad thing, but he can think of a thousand worse people to screw with.]
[Video] Private
[He GLARES at the screen trying to come up with adequate words.]
[But there aren't any. He never even had adequate words when everything was happening, why would it change now?]
I told you. You annoyed the fuck out of me. [He should just... HANG UP.]
[Not that it always worked, but then he could LEAVE.]
[Which would be running away. BLARGH.]
["Friends. Close."]
[Smoker would rather DIE than admit he was friends with a pirate.]
[It's so old and irrelevant now anyway. He's slept with other people. Dated. Ironically, for a brief time, he thought Faye would never leave, and Portgas would never come back.]
[Nah. The worst part is just how much Ace trusted Smoker. Smoker can never forgive that.]
Even two years later, you were still my equal. It rankled. How far do I have to go to reach the top? I barely had my haki under control until the New World, and your little brother is already unleashing Conqueror's Haki left and right. To get there myself I'll have to fight five times harder, and it's never enough.
What happened at Marineford wasn't justice. Not by half.
What's the point of justice if we're not going to uphold any honor we swore to keep? [Fujitora...]
If StrawHat--
[Tongue to the roof of his mouth and he realizes, four years later and he's falling into old habits like it's the same Ace. The same Ace asking him a million questions, trusting him with everything he held important but separate from his crew. Damn him.]
Tsk.
I don't know, Portgas. Don't you just enjoy being a pain in the ass? [Nah. Faye made him laugh more than ever, but even Ace did, and that was.... infuriating. He shouldn't laugh with pirates. And that was the part that Ace did it for. To plant seeds in all of the cracks of doubt in Smoker's armored insistences that pirates are always wrong, and justice is always right. And it worked. It worked too well.]
[Tch. He's reminded of Rip. He's half-tempted to go kick down Namur's door to kick the shark fishman (even though he'll get his ass handed to him and be made to feel like a baby brother and that's horrific no matter what) just for the excuse to drink with vampire girlfriend.]
[He must be REALLY out of it.] Talk to Rip. Namur's main girlfriend. I don't know if you knew each other any time she was here, she was after the first time, but she could tell you.
This time... I am telling you to ask. [SMALL GRIN.]
[But REALLY SMALL. TEENY EVEN.]
[YOU MIGHT EVEN BE IMAGINING IT.]
[Video] Private
It seems like Smoker has the wrong idea about what piracy means for Ace. And Ace has the wrong idea about what being a Marine means for Smoker. To Ace, Marines are the bad guys. Corrupt assholes that sit as biting guard dogs for the world government. People that support things that are innately wrong, under the guise of some code of Justice. And to Ace, sure there are some bad pirates, but it's about freedom to him. He just craves a world that doesn't hate him just for his genetic lineage, a world where people can be safe and live life how they want without fear or regrets. But that world just doesn't exist back home.
So people will always struggle with ideas of freedom and justice and little gets fixed. No matter how many pirates get executed, the world is still dirty and dark as long as the Marines look away from what's right. And that sort of burden has to be exhausting and miserable to the Marines that want to change the world for the better.
It's just a lot for the good people on either side to deal with. And hearing Smoker speak like this makes this conversation hard for Ace. Especially knowing that at one point, he came here and got close enough to let Smoker be intimate with him. And Ace is full of shitty choices, but he's not someone that would sleep with someone he hated. Especially more than once. So that leaves another issue in Ace's mind, as far as what kind of person Smoker really is.
Shit. He's not ready for any of this.] No one ever thought it was justice. Anyone who said that's what my execution was about was lying to themselves. And anyone else who'd listen. And strength only gets you so far. [Ace purses his lips, and actually considers ending the feed for a moment because this is so damn raw. It hurts, thinking about this at all.] So maybe what's more important than just strength and justice, is what those things mean to you. But fuck, I'm not drunk enough for this conversation.
[And would rather get back to that annoying, playful asshole that Smoker keeps telling to fuck off. While not actually ceasing to speak to him.]Yeah, I'll talk to her. [That tiny little grin has just damned Smoker to so much Ace. If he wanted to be free of him, that was not the way to go about it.] But seriously, you're delusional if you think we're not gonna share custody of Ash. I want visits. [And an excuse to harass Smoker on a more consistent basis, especially now that he knows things are different here.]
[Video] Private
Ace!Portgas. Smoker would never think of him as anything else. Even in his head.][And again, he wasn't expecting it, so he winds up laughing, and mentally kicking himself.]
[STUPID PIRATE HE HATES YOU.]
Well, first of all, you'd have to get an actual place. Last time you were pretty much a homeless wanderer who crashed at your brothers' when you felt like it. [Or Smoker's. Ace was like a fucking tomcat. So annoying. And Smoker didn't even always leave the window open for him, but it didn't matter, Ace always came in through the windows. Also annoying. And that's why he charmed Ash. To protect Adela and maul everyone except Ace. And apparently Sami a little too. Not that Sami was a hard sell. Samoyeds are less guard dogs than golden retrievers.]
And secondly... [Really REALLY grins at this.] You can have my dogs over my cold dead body. [He wasn't willing to say they were his before, but is he a petty enough asshole to now that Ace wants one? Fuck YEAH, he is! Besides, he KNOWS Ace. Portgas wouldn't settle for just Ash. He'd definitely want the wolf most. Which Smoker had to start considering bigger places to stay than above his work garage already. Argh.]
And thirdly. I'm going drinking too. That's not an invitation. But I might not punch your lights out if you show up. Maybe. [Honestly, Smoker might try to punch him. It's Smoker. That's the risk you take.] It won't be at a bar though. Too crowded. Fuck people.
[HE WILL NOT ADMIT HE MISSED THIS. NOT TO ANYONE EVER.]
[Okay, he'd admit it to Namur, at which point... it'd be fucking pointless because then EVERYONE would know.]
[Who is he kidding?]
[Video] Private
I don't want to live alone. I've got options, so why should I get a place for myself when someone else is okay with me living with them? [He's not going to talk about it, but last night was hellish for him. He kept waking up with nightmares, shaking and crying alone because of the knowledge of what happened to him, the memories crushed him even in his sleep and wouldn't give him any peace. So he thinks if he can stay with someone else, one of his crewmates, he'll fare a little better.]
You're a cruel man, keeping me from that puppy. [He's grinning now though, it's good to get a reaction out of him. And while he doesn't particularly want a dog of his own, or so he thinks, he likes trying to get a reaction out of Smoker already and this is a great way to get one.] That sounds like an invitation to me. You're really bad at this, y'know? [Don't mind this dumb brat just beaming. He's having the time of his afterlife.] So where are we meeting up? I've already died once this week, it's not like another shitty choice is gonna make it worse.
[Video] Private
It's not an invitation!!
You'll have to find me! I'm not even settled on where yet! I'll probably just wander! And I have my motorcycle, so it's not like you could keep up!!!
[THIS IS NOT A DARE / CHALLENGE FROM ONE HUNTER TO ANOTHER, PORTGAS. DO NOT TAKE IT AS SUCH OR YOU WILL BE REWARDED WITH BOOZE AND GIANT DOGGOS.]
[Video] Private
If it wasn't an invitation, you wouldn't have thrown it out there. [Just gonna dorky grin at him, he feels victorious right now.] You'll be easy to find. But until then, I've got stuff to do.
[Video] Private
GOOD GET LOST PIRATE!!!
[Video] Private