[Audio] + [Action]

[burnt_offering]

Audio: Drunk/Accidental Posting

[There are a couple of disjointed audio posts that come within a couple hours of each other. One has the sound of breaking glass and the sound of impacts. In one Ace's voice can be heard saying something that sounds like "Goddamn thing keeps-" but then trails off into nothing else before being turned off. Another has the sound of a roaring fire.]

Action

[Ace is on a pub crawl today, trying out drinks in all of the cities save for Somorrah. The special occasion? The loss of his brothers in Genessia. Ace knows he's fine. That they're better off back home, where Sabo won't remember what happened to him in that terrible place he was trapped in before this, and where Luffy can continue the rise to the top and become the king of the pirates. But he can't go with them, there's no back home for him now, and even if he could he'd lose everything else he's gained here. So he's sad because Sabo and Luffy are gone, angry because of how sad he feels, and frustrated in general at feeling like a toy on a string, dangled about for someone's amusement.

Alcohol is not an ideal cure for a heavy heart. But it's the best one Ace knows.]

Comments

[om_nom_namur]

[Namur slides another bottle over to Ace. Must be nice to be able to literally burn the alcohol out of your system, but sometimes it could be a drawback.]

Drunk 'nuff t' talk 'bout it yet?

[fierybluebird]

We could do more fire.

Fire solves everything. [Best role model.]

Namur --> Marco-->Ace?

[burnt_offering]

[Ace downs the bottle in one go. Then he burps, flames coming out of his mouth after. Finally he sets the bottle back down hard and huffs.]

Maybe. But I still wanna burn stuff.

[om_nom_namur]

How 'bout some rocks an' metal an' shit?

[He grins a bit wider than he ought.]

Got a forge now. Can throw y' any kinda shit an' y' can burn it hot as y' want.

[fierybluebird]

Yeah, let's see how hot we can get you.

[Action]

[light_of_willpower]

[The audio snippets are what gets Trunks' attention first, and while he'd talked with Ace before--he wouldn't say they were close. Still, it seemed like the other hadn't meant to be overheard and so Trunks let it be.

But he was hardly in his own best state of mind, and while logically he knew alcohol wouldn't help... He didn't care. It hurt. He'd spent most of his life with only a few cared for and trusted people around, and he wasn't 'alone' here either. But it still hurt.

Bulla, Goku... Both hurt much like when his mother and father had gone home. Seventeen being gone had hurt, and Trunks was only slightly surprised by how much it did. Mai--Mai being gone hurt the most in some ways. Worse than any beating and lost fight.

So alcohol it was, on his way to indulge in his unhappy mood. In Genessia for now, almost to the same bar that he'd first been too when he'd first arrived. Which Seventeen had suggested.

When he spotted Ace, and the man's posture said it all. Trunks sighed, but gave a half-hearted yell in greeting anyways. Not that he wanted company so much, but he definitely didn't really want to be 'alone' right then.]

[burnt_offering]

[Ace lifts his head up when he hears Trunks call out in greeting. But it sounds almost as defeated as he feels, void of joy and energy.

Ace raises an arm and lazily waves, before kicking the stool next to him. It's open, if Trunks wants to sit with Ace.

Misery loves company, after all.]

[light_of_willpower]

[Trunks will come sit, sliding into the offered place and signalling the bar-tender for the strongest drink he's got. Slumped, head down and with a deep and weary sigh.]

Lemme guess. Someone, possibly multiple someones, you care about are gone from here.

[burnt_offering]

[Ace takes another long drink, not just pouring it down his throat at least, he's known for amazing feats of eating and drinking when he wants to and that bottle could have been long gone by now. He's drunk enough to at least stay that way for a bit if he keeps maintaining it, so it's slow and consistent for the time being.]

Yeah. [His voice is slurred and he sounds sad.] Is that how it is for you?

Video

[cool_skeleton]

[Those were sure some weird posts. Imagine Papyrus' surprise when he finds out who they're from. Of course he has the ID's of all the phones memorized, why do you ask?]

UM, ACE? ARE YOU OKAY?? THERE SEEM TO BE SOME VERY DESTRUCTIVE THINGS GOING ON IN YOUR PHONE'S BACKGROUND...

[Video]

[burnt_offering]

[It takes a couple of tries for the camera to actually center on Ace, he's not sober. But he finally stares at the screen, and sighs.] I'm okay. Just cleaned up some trash earlier. Community service stuff. [Doing it drunk and throwing things and setting the trash on fire isn't what people had in mind, but hey. It got some of his bad mood dealt with.]

Re: [Video]

[cool_skeleton]

[There's no better way to throw Papyrus off the trail than to smokescreen with good deeds.]

THAT'S ACE!! ENEMY OF TRASH, ALLY OF COMMUNITY! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

[Video]

[burnt_offering]

[Ace hiccups, and blows fire out of his mouth. He's a little out of it.]

Sure. Damn right. I'm trash. [Ace blinks, that came out exactly like how he feels and nothing like how he meant it to come out.] I'm the enemy of trash.

[Action]

[fate_aspect]

[Itherael appears before Ace while he's between pubs. They can tell something is wrong with Ace. However, they've also never been around booze, or drunk people, before. So all they have to go on is that something is wrong.]

Hello, Ace. You appear unwell. Do you require assistance?

[Action]

[burnt_offering]

[Ace is absolutely startled by Itherael, their presence was not expected. Once the visible jolt of surprise passes, Ace waves his arms, a bottle in each hand, and wobbles as he does so. He's very intoxicated, but he also doesn't want anyone to think that anything is wrong. Or that he's unwell.]

Nah, I'm good. [And he's slurring his speech too.] I'm just explorin' the cities...

[Action]

[fate_aspect]

[Oops. Startled another mortal. They would feel worse about that if they weren't still concerned for Ace. There's a long moment of quiet as Itherael observes him further.]

My experience with mortals is still rather limited. However, you do seem...impaired, somehow. Exploring like this may not be wise.

[Itherael turns their focus to the bottles. They don't recognize the labels, and it certainly doesn't look like water. Humans make such strange sustenance.]

Is it possible that whatever you're drinking may have been poisoned?

[Action]

[burnt_offering]

[Ace doesn't hold it against him. He's just so out of it that he's thrown off in general. When it comes down to it, almost anyone could startle him right now.]

I'm not wise, so it's okay! I just seem repaired 'cause I'm drunk. [Wait, that didn't sound right. He takes a second, shakes his head, and starts again.] I just seem impaired 'cause I'm drunk. It's not poison, I did this to myself. So it's okay.

[He wonders if he needs to ignite himself soon, turn to fire to force himself to sober up. But that means he'll have to feel more without the balm of intoxication to soothe his aching heart.]

action;

[feathersandsmoke]

[Gilbert was really not one to drink, but at a time when his worrying over people who were still at home, he found himself sitting at the bar in Genessia, twirling the liquid around in the glass. He had set up a job and such here, but he found himself knowing that he wanted to go back.

But the not knowing how bothered him and so he had the drink and pondering over a few things. Once he finished the last of the drink he placed the glass down and looked around at who else was there.]

Are you drinking for a reason to?

[burnt_offering]

Yeah, I am. And it's a good reason.

[Ace turns to look at Gilbert, and he holds up the bottle of rum in his hand so that Gilbert can see it. Why? Because that's what his booze addled mind has decided is the best route, gotta prove he's not playing around with the light stuff.

Or something close enough to that reason. Maybe.]

I'm drinking... [He hiccups, and a bit of fire comes out of his mouth.] For the reason of getting drunk. What about you?

[feathersandsmoke]

[He really was not sure if that was a good reason or not. Though to be fair his reason probably wouldn't be a good reason for others. But he also knew that he wasn't going to be drinking more than maybe a drink or two. No one needed to see what would happen otherwise.]

Interesting reason. Not that I understand that. As for me, I guess I am drinking simply because I can.

[burnt_offering]

[Ace actually stares at him like he's grown a second head for a moment. And then he sighs, it's not worth the trouble to argue.] I guess that's as good as reason as any. [And after another moment.] You sound like the guy who's scared of cats.

ICly late Action

[justicereigns]

[Smoker waits until pretty much everyone else has come and gone, he shies away from the Whitebeard party like a shadow afraid of entering the direct sunlight, but he's around, and gently nudges Ace with smoke whenever Ace seems to need a reminder that he's not going through this all alone.]

[And when it's nearly fucking dawn, Smoker just slings Ace over his shoulder, gives him the bottle to keep drinking, and walks, carrying Ace back home.]

He's going to be the next pirate king. If I don't stop him first.

[burnt_offering]

[Ace doesn't binge drink like he used to. As a rule, he's done far better in trying to sober up, but Luffy's disappearance has broken his heart. He doesn't fight the slinging, and he does his best to not make a mess of the booze while he's walked home.

Smoker's words are good, and he knows that Luffy will keep rising to the top. But he also knows that he'll never see him do it.]

Don't wanna think about it. If you go home too, I'm alone. 'Cause I'm not gonna ever be able to go home.

[justicereigns]

[He sits down on the sidewalk and puts Ace in his lap, and gently pats his head and cuddles his dumbass pirate.] I've been here four or five years, Portgas, I'm not going anywhere.

You'll just have to make home with me here, and wait for Strawhat to come back again.

[burnt_offering]

[Ace clings with a level of determination that Luffy would be proud of.] ...Yeah, that's right. [Ace hiccups a little fire, and then takes another drink. His mental gymnastics are a struggle right now, but he's getting something out of this. And when it hits, it hits with a burning, brilliant realization.

He is home. He doesn't have to make one, because they already have together.]

Home is with you now, isn't it? Not back where I was born.