genessia | [Audio] + [Action]

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[Audio] + [Action]

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.]

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[Itherael's response is brief:] It will be done.

[There's a flash of light on their end. About ten seconds later, that same light appears on Ace's device, illuminating the eerie streets. Itherael levitates within it, the tendrils of their wings spreading outwards. They speak with a boom of authority, a contrast of their usually mellow tone.]

Fiends! Stay back!

[The holy light makes the dolls shirk back, shrieking. Smoke rises from those closest to the archangel. Itherael could smite them, but that's not their purpose here. With the toys held back, they descend, and reach out to place a hand on Ace's shoulder.]

[Another flash of light - ]

[ - and now, Ace and Itherael stand at the foot of the Guardian Tower.]

It seems I was able to assist you after all. [It's a joke, of a sort.] Are you hurt?

[What the hell?!

Ace is beyond shocked at this. For a moment, he doesn't even know what's actually occurred. One minute he was about to pull down flaming death upon the dolls, and then they were surrounded in brilliance and Itherael's power was made known. And that was nothing like the person ace was used to, they're honestly pretty amazing when they want to be.

And then Ace was at the Guardian Tower and his mind is spinning and he very nearly becomes sick from dizziness, drunkenness and confusion. He doesn't know what to do, or how to handle this at all. So he just flops down where he is, and holds his head in his hands.] Y-yeah. Guess you did.

[More like what the heaven, mirite? If Papyrus wasn't beside himself with worry and sweat, he'd have enjoyed the light-show and the justice. Itherael's just so cool, isn't he? Ace, take notes.]

EXCUSE ME, I THINK I HAVE ANGELIC COMPANY!!

[He dashed out of his room and down the steps to find his dear deputies. He pocketed his phone, confident he can watch the good part of the video later.]

NYEH HEH HEH, THAT WORKED!! I'M A GENIUS!!! GOOD WORK, DEPUTY(IES??)!!

[He wasn't sure it would; it was an optimistic guess that Itherael could take people with him. But the guess turned out right, and Papyrus's competence and overall brilliance was proved yet again.]

OKAY EVERYONE, STAND UP STRAIGHT, SPREAD YOUR LEGS, ARMS OUT!! I HAVE TO PAT YOU DOWN TO MAKE SURE YOU DIDN'T BRING ANY EVERGLADE TRASH WITH YOU!! I'M SORRY ACE. SOME GARBAGE JUST CAN'T BE FIRED.

[Yes, he's serious, and obedience will be met with gloved hands feeling them up. Nothing personal! Just doing things by the book. In an effort to make Ace's inspection less awkward...]

UH, SO, IS ANGEL-TRAVEL AS COOL AS I THINK IT IS...?

[He's a little jelly, ngl.]

[Well, this is new. But angels are, more often than not, obedient. So Itherael's spreads 'em. The archangel may not have a butt in the typical sense, but when pressed, their armour doesn't give, either.]

[Ace just crosses his arms, and catches fire like a petulant child. Between prison and the lack of privacy and abuse there, and his own personal discomforts, he's not about to let anyone touch him like that. No matter how much he likes them.]

[One armor and wing-frisking (;D) later, Itherael checks out.]

FEELING COOL AS EVER, DEPUTY #2!!

[The gloves protrude for a commending thumbs-up. It's not a ranking, or anything, that's just the order of the hires. He's more nervous around deputy #1 and the flames.]

UM, ACE, COULD YOU TURN THAT OFF? YOU CAN DO THAT IF WE FIND ANYTHING.

[This is hard mental arithmetic. On the one hand, he believes in his deputies and their collective competence, Ace's escapades notwithstanding. On the other hand, Itherael went ahead with it, and who is he to argue with angelic follow-through?

He has to swallow his fear and monster-up. They're the law, after all. They have to be good examples, and stand for safety and standards, no matter how awkward or painful. Sweat forms on his brow. Is he really willing to get burned just to make sure his friend is 100% doll-free?

His mind invoked the word "friend", so of course he does. Even if he's scared.]

OKAY!! I WILL NOW PERFORM INSPECTION NUMBER TWO!!

[His hands reluctantly go towards Ace's hips, the likeliest place for evil dolls to hang out. An inch before he makes contacts and becomes far hotter than he ever meant, Itherael pipes up and saves him too.]

Edited 2019-09-16 01:34 (UTC)

Stop, Papyrus!

[It's not often that Itherael raises their voice, but it's also not often that they have to stop their friend from catching fire.]

I sense no evil among us. The darkness of the island remains there. We are safe.

[Please don't set yourself on fire, Paps.]

I had enough pat downs and strip searches and shit like that in prison. I'm not playing that game again here.

[While Ace isn't likely to allow the fire to actually harm Papyrus, he can choose what burns or what doesn't, it's meant as a serious warning. And now that he's slowly starting to sober up from literally burning off the alcohol, he'll realize that Papyrus is someone who makes just as bad of choices as he himself does.]

[He yanks his arm back at such wonderful news.]

G-GOOD TO KNOW, ITHERAEL! SORRY FOR THE SEARCH THEN. FROM NOW ON, YOU'RE MY GO-TO EVIL INSPECTOR!!!

[But then Ace said something disturbing again, as he eyes him nervously.]

SO, IF ITHERAEL DOESN'T DETECT ANY EVIL, THAT MEANS WE'RE ALL GOOD GUYS. JUST AS I SUSPECTED!!!

SO...HOW DID YOU GET IN JAIL ACE...?

[He looks so lost.]

The beings on the island were powered by dark and wicked forces. Their evil is easy to detect. Mortals, however, tend to be more...complicated, though their complexities may be beyond my ability to truly understand.

I would also like to know the answer to Papyrus's question. I only advise that there is a difference between true evil, and the intricacies of humanity.

[Itherael, too, now waits on Ace's answer.]

[For a moment the flames raise up around Ace, and he can't be seen. It's a last bit of a fit, refusing to talk about the issue at hand for a moment. But as the fires rise, the last of the alcohol in his system burns off. And he reforms in a standing position, still with the arms crossed. His stance is defensive, as if he's a bit afraid. He doesn't like talking about this, and it shows.]

I guess it's not important. It's not like people from my world don't know anyway... [Ace sighs. He needs another drink to deal with this nonsense.] Pops was the closest I had to a father. The man that helped make me was dead before I was born. But it was because of him that I was imprisoned.

[He'd be impressed with Ace's hotness, were it not for the heavy question hanging in the air. Fortunately there's a (somewhat) innocent answer, dispelling all doubt. Not that he had any to begin with, of course.]

I SEE. SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS...IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU!!!

[He's not trying to be insensitive, but Ace is the one he cares about, not so much bygone dads or dad figures. He offers a comforting glove on the shoulder; much better than pat-downs.]

THANK YOU FOR CONFIDING IN YOUR VERY COOL FRIENDS, ACE. YOU'VE COME A LONG WAY!! AND THAT DESERVES A PRIZE! A SUR-PRIZE, IN FACT!!! I'LL BE RIGHT BACK!!!!

[He dashes right back into HQ. Look at those legs go. He returns moments later with a purple box wrapped in yellow ribbon.]

I'VE BEEN SAVING THIS FOR JUST THE RIGHT MOMENT, AND AFTER SEEING YOUR MOSTLY MATURE DISPLAY, I BELIEVE THIS IS IT! WHENEVER YOU'RE READY!!!

[That doesn't sound so bad. It's unfortunate that Ace experienced that at all, but at least it wasn't his fault. As the two of them await Papyrus's return, the angel speaks to him.]

Justice is not my aspect, but even so, it is clear that punishing someone for the actions of another is entirely unjust.

[Stating the obvious, there. But they mean it in solidarity - to acknowledge that they aren't judging Ace, and none of it seems like his fault.]

[When Papyrus returns with the sur-prize, the archangel lets them have their moment.]

[Ace does not know what to do now. And this day has gone to hell in a handbasket, and quickly. He's sober now, humiliated at his drunk display, stressed out at having to have talked about his time in prison at all, and then further horrified at his fears and trauma having been exposed to people he wants to respect him. So he's not sure what to do with the box, and he holds it with shaking hands and Ace shakes his head repeatedly.]

I can't accept anything right now. Today has been one big screw up.

NOT ALL OF IT!!! ITHERAEL DIDN'T SCREW UP ONCE!!

[And if nothing else, they can always be happy about that.]

BESIDES, IF TODAY IS BAD, THEN THIS PRESENT PICK ME UP WILL MAKE IT WAY BETTER!! THE TIMING IS PERFECT!!! THE MOMENT IS RIGHT!! DESTINY IS WAITING FOR YOUR UNWRAPPING!!!!

[Shucks.]

[Itherael would appreciate the praise more if Ace didn't seem uncomfortable. In their encounter earlier, Ace wanted to be numb and alone - and that's not the case now. The angel is incapable of imagining how Ace might feel, but they aren't surprised that he doesn't like it.]

Ace, your kind has the potential to reach higher than that of angels. We are static; you can grow. However, doing so is an effort. It is my understanding that this growth, this effort, often requires making mistakes. If you feel that you have made a mistake today, take solace in knowing that you may have also made progress. What that progress is, I cannot say. That will be for you to decide.

[Ace almost wants to flee. There's that instant urge to get out of this before things get worse. And now that he's sober, he's being reminded strongly that the three of them together still have less social capacity than one normal human being. And that makes this whole situation close to cringe-worthy. But almost too awkward to handle doesn't mean too awkward to handle. So Ace shakes it off, forces a fake smile, and bows to both of his friends.]

Thanks. I'll do my best. Sorry for causing you both trouble today. [Ace doesn't want to open the present, but he feels like he has to. So off the wrapping goes.]

Edited 2019-09-19 03:56 (UTC)

[Whatchu talkin' 'bout Ace. The three of them are clearly the coolest people for miles. The Musketeers wish they had this much penache.

Papryus' face beams with anticipatory pleasure as Ace uncovers his gift.

And what a gift it is.]

NYEH HEH HEH, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ACE!!! I GOT YOU WHAT YOU ALWAYS WANTED: A BABY!

[Basking in the light of his own gift-giving excellence, he continues the monologue.]

BUT NOT JUST ANY BABY: A HOME EC BABY! THAT MEANS YOU CAN LEARN HOW TO TAKE CARE OF ONE WITHOUT ANY RISKS!! IT'LL EVEN GRADE YOU ON THE GO!!!

YOU SEE, MY BRILLIANT IDEA CAME TO ME AFTER YOU GAVE ME THOSE NIFTY, EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SET OF WINGS. WHAT COULD BE MORE NATURAL THAN FRIENDS HELPING EACH OTHER ACHIEVE THEIR DREAMS? SO THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA DO FOR YOU, BUT EVEN BETTER AND WITH NO BROKEN BONES!!

AFTER ALL, WHAT BETTER TIME TO GRANT YOU THIS VALUABLE EXPERIENCE IN BABY EXPERTISE THAN TODAY??? RIGHT AFTER YOU HANDLED ALL THOSE EVIL DOLLS!! NOW I CAN ENTRUST YOU WITH A GOOD DOLL INSTEAD!!

[The baby stared deep into Ace's very soul with its glassy, lifeless eyes. No stabbing threats so far.]

ITS GOT ALL THE FIXIN'S!! SPARE CLOTHES, DIAPERS, BOTTLES. THE WORKS! YOU'LL BE A BABY EXPERT IN NO TIME, NYEH HEH HEH!!!

[The wind stirred his scarf, as though the very air exulted in his genius and charity. And just in case Itherael wasn't in on Ace's biggest hobby, he addressed him next.]

YOU MAY NOT KNOW THIS, BUT ACE IS ACTUALLY A BIG BABY FAN. DON'T YOU THINK HE'D MAKE A GOOD DAD???

Edited 2019-09-19 04:15 (UTC)

[Itherael stares at the doll as Papyrus speaks. Such a simple thing, and yet it sounds as though it does so much. When addressed, the angel looks to him.]

I doubt I am the right person to ask. Angels are not born as humans are. I do not know what makes someone a good parent, besides what I would assume to be a considerable amount of care.

[They turn to Ace] Having a passion for providing that care seems like a leaning in the right direction. If that is the path you follow one day, may it be a blessed one.

[Their piece spoken, Itherael's attention returns to the doll. They speak softly, mostly thinking aloud.] So humans make such tools to prepare themselves for raising children...fascinating.

[Ace is shaking. Just staring at the doll like it's a literal monster, his expression contorting to something akin to rage. Or maybe fear. What the hell is Papyrus thinking?]

Papyrus, what the fuck is this? I'm the kind of person that'd ruin any kid he touched! No amount of practice would fix me. [This is the most frightening gift he's ever been given, save for maybe that one time his grandfather jokingly described a beatings as a gift for Ace's further well being but damn. He shoves the doll towards his bony friend, and quickly. Take it take it take it now!] Pap, I'm in a relationship with a man, so I'm never gonna have kids and I don't need this! Itherael, this isn't normal stuff. I've never seen a doll this creepy before!

[He takes a deep breath, and sighs.] What about work? I can't have this thing around, I'm busy!

Edited 2019-09-20 05:02 (UTC)

[The fantasy in Papyrus' head is allowed to run for about ten seconds.]

Thanks, Papyrus! This is the best gift I've ever gotten. My life was incomplete before I died, came here, and met you. Once I get the hang of this, would you do me the honor of being the honorary mo-

[Then he swore again. Papyrus' mien registers some shock, as he lifts his arms out of the way. You know the rules, Ace. No take-backsies!]

THEY'RE CALLED PRESENTS SIR SWEARSALOT!!! YOU'D BETTER CUT THAT OUT IF YOU WANT A GOOD GRADE!! LUCKILY IT HASN'T STARTED YET, BUT I'M WARNING YOU!! YOU'LL HAVE TO DO YOUR BEST TO GET AN A!!!!

[What is he gonna do with him?]

NO FIBBING!! THE DOLLS TRYING TO STAB YOU A FEW MINUTES AGO WERE WAY CREEPIER. THIS ONE'S THE NICEST SO FAR. IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE KNIFE ACCESSORIES!

PFBBT! LIKE YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WORK. ITHERAEL AND I ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR ANY AND ALL GUARDIAN RESPONSIBILITIES!! YOU CAN TAKE AS MUCH TIME AS YOU WANT UNTIL YOU'RE GOOD AT BABIES!!!

UNLESS...

[He restrained his usual chastisement to take a rare moment of thought. He can't read people as well as his brother, but he's far more willing to use what little he gleans to manipulate. For their own good.]

GEE ACE. I GOT THIS FOR YOU CAUSE I THOUGHT YOU WERE A COOL GUY WHO FACES HIS FEARS AND NEVER BACKS DOWN FROM A CHALLENGE. OOPSIE!! MAYBE I WAS WRONG...? WELL, I GUESS I CAN TAKE IT BACK IF IT'S TOO MUCH FOR YOU TO HANDLE...

Edited 2019-09-20 08:10 (UTC)

[Oh. Oh. Hm. This is getting a little more complicated than they expected. Ace doesn't seem to want or like the gift, but due to some sort of anxiety. Papyrus is pushing for him to take it by appealing to his honour.]

[Itherael is going to let Ace and Papyrus figure this out. They don't know what to do here - best leave it to the mortals.]

You asshole! You're basically saying that I'm useless here. Is there any point to me being a deputy?

[Is he really on leave, for baby care taking practice? This is surreal and awful and he's about to beat Papyrus with the doll and then the magic words are spoken...

Face his fears.

Never backs down.

Fuck his life.] Fine! But if you want me to do this, I better be on paid leave the whole time! And you two have to get me if there's a real emergency!

[That wasn't quite what he was expecting. More anger and swearing, yeah, but Ace seemed genuinely hurt by an insinuation he didn't even make! Did Ace have self-esteem issues? Sure there was that time at the singing showdown, but...

Well, he can play armchair psychologist later. He can play cheerleader right now!]

THAT'S A BABY-FACED LIE!!! WHAT I'M ACTUALLY BASICALLY SAYING IS THAT I BELIEVE YOU CAN DO BOTH!! LIKE MAYBE YOU COULD STOP BY WHEN IT'S NAPPING? BUT EVEN IF IT WAS TOO TOUGH TO HANDLE TWO RESPONSIBILITIES AT ONCE, YOUR AWESOME FRIENDS AND COWORKERS HAVE THINGS UNDER CONTROL!! WE CAN ALWAYS MAKE TIME FOR PERSONAL PROJECTS. THAT'S CALLED A TEAM-BUILDING EXERCISE!!

THAT WAY, MAYBE WHEN ITHERAEL OR I HAVE KIDS, YOU CAN WATCH 'EM WHILE WE WATCH MOVIES!!

[Don't ask about that fantasy. Just don't.]

SO DON'T DOUBT YOUR FRIENDS OR YOURSELF!!! WE'VE ALL GOT THIS!!

Edited 2019-09-22 05:41 (UTC)

[Itherael isn't usually one for mediating - that's Auriel's forte. But this situation is starting to heat up. They did once attempt negotiations with a demon, though. Maybe - ]

[And then Papyrus mentions Itherael having kids. Not even as an "if" but a "when". The archangel visibly stiffens. That's not even something his kind are supposed to be able to do. ~~Inarius doesn't count.~~ Even considering intervening pushed their boundaries. Papyrus's suggestion causes a seraph system crash.]

[Itherael.exe has stopped running. Please stand by...]

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