[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

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.

[justicereigns]

[Cuuute. It probably says a lot about Smoker that he finds the fire hiccup cute, but luckily he's enough of a stubborn dumbass himself to not care.]

Yeah, Portgas. Home is with me.

Namur and Rip have been to five worlds now. I think Namur said there wouldn't be anymore, he was through with it, but if the phoenix has held onto you this long... Then I'll cast my fate alongside, okay? So you won't have to make do without me.

[burnt_offering]

[Well, it is. It'd be cuter if it didn't smell like pure alcohol burn, but that's aside the point.]

Home is with you. [He repeats it, because it sounds surreal and too good to be true even if he's lived with Smoker for a bit now. Even on the Moby Dick, he held secrets. Here, in Genessia, maybe he's finally and truly home. Even if he had to die to get there.]

Good. We'll do this together. And handle whatever comes.

[justicereigns]

[Nope! That's part of what makes it adorable in the eyes of Smoker!]

You got it, Portgas. Together. [Back on the shoulder Ace goes, and Smoker waits until Ace is comfortable upside down to hand him back the bottle again.]

[burnt_offering]

Yeah, together...

[The bottle is taken with a happy little sound of approval, and he drinks immediately.] Hey, I wanna ask you something.

[justicereigns]

What's up, Portgas? [Always all ears.]

[burnt_offering]

Gimme a second...

[Of course Ace takes a drink to get himself ready to ask about drinking.]

Do I drink too much? I think I'm okay unless I'm sad.

[justicereigns]

No, Portgas. If you drank too much, I wouldn't give you the bottle.

Most other worlds don't hit it as hard as us, pirates or marines alike, but until you start drinking daily or it interferes with the rest of your life, you're fine.

[burnt_offering]

[Ace snuggles as much as he can in this position.]

See, I also eat more than other people too. And when I use my powers, it all burns away anyway.

[justicereigns]

Exactly. So what made you think this was a possibility? Or... concern?

[burnt_offering]

Someone thought that they needed to help me. Said they didn't get why I'd do this to myself.

[justicereigns]

Sounds like they've never had an occasion to be drunk then.

[burnt_offering]

My life's kinda an excuse to get drunk.

[justicereigns]

Yeah.

I think that probably goes for our whole world, to be honest. At least the more I see of other worlds I think that.

[burnt_offering]

They don't get it. But that's okay. We can understand for each other here. [Another drink.] You gonna put me to bed? Or are you feeding me first?

[justicereigns]

Yeah.

What do you wanna eat? I can make you eggs or an omelette, or we can stop somewhere that opens early. I'm not buying if you want to break your Grandfather's doughnut record though.

[burnt_offering]

Do we have any leftovers left? 'Cause I just wanna shovel something down, kiss you a lot, and then pass out.

[justicereigns]

I think I can put something together.

[Cutest freckle brat ever.]

[burnt_offering]

Ok. Then I wanna kiss you.

[It's been a rough day. But if he can go home, eat, maybe get laid and then pass the hell out? Things will be okay.

Oh shit. he forgot about the home ec baby.]

[justicereigns]

Right now, or do you want to get home first?

[Yeah, so where is that demonic thing anyway?]

[burnt_offering]

I want to eat first.

[Ace dropped it off home earlier, before going out to get drunk again.]

[justicereigns]

[Surprise Smoker!!! You're a daddy!!! Again. But not a real fully actualized potty trained talking child yet. Yay.]

You can eat my dick.

[Not really. Smoker has way too much self preservation sense to put that anywhere near an unfed D's mouth, tyvm. He just thinks he's funny. Because he's an idiot.]