Something like that? [ ...hm... ] Bianca died when I was ten, and I left camp around the same time to figure stuff out on my own. I kept in touch with some of the others because of the war with Kronos that was brewing. We had to work together to defend Olympus. That happened a few years later, and after we won the war I stayed at camp for a little while. And then...eventually, I wore out my welcome and I left again for a while. Prior to the end of the war, there wasn't even a cabin to honor my father. Usually, you stay in a cabin with your siblings and it's specifically to honor your godly parent. What was the purpose of staying when it was just for me and I wasn't wanted anyway?
So I went to the Underworld for a while. I met Hazel, and I escorted her to California and to her own camp. Father wanted me to pose as an ambassador and infiltrate, so I stayed there for a while. I didn't know why at first, but...[ he waves a hand like he's skipping details. ] Anyway a few months after all of that Gaea started stirring and we had another war on our hands. I met a lot of the others around that time, including Jason. We defeated her last summer, and...even in the last days of the battle I didn't think I was going to stay. I wasn't sure if I could really consider Jason a friend, and I didn't think anyone else would care if I left. No one else tried to stop me.
[ he realizes this sounds pathetic, actually. ]
...anyway you can kind of thank a combination of Jason and Will for getting it through my head that I could have a place there and actually stick around and make friends. Even if it was a long work in progress.
I don't know. Sometimes talking to you feels like it did talking to Jason, so maybe. [ and maybe that's why he bothers talking to ace at all. ] Guess it's a good thing we don't have to guess, huh?
Maybe for you. What if I wanted to split it? Now I can't eat it because it's got your germs all over it. [ he says as someone who does not give a fuck about germs and instead is scouring through ace's own snacks to take. ]
[ our popcorn :( soon...someday...perhaps. anyway gross that means it's greasy but he doesn't seem to care. ]
Yeah. I mean...I share with the Cocoa Puffs now, and Will usually does his best to make sure I'm eating something three times a day but it's still different.
[ he does not say it's partially because he spent a while just not having food and being hungry while wandering on his own. ]
[ they have napkins probably it's fine they can be gross boys. also he just assumes nico was poor instead of a worse (pjo) explanation, and if there is a worse one he doesn't want to prod at it. food insecurity real ]
Well, it's good Will's making sure you get fed. [ he hums in thought around a different red vine ] I guess I've kind of always had to share. I'd bring in food for the bandits to earn my keep, or just hunt together with my brothers. Though with Luffy, it's less sharing and more making sure he doesn't eat your portion. Every man for himself there.
[ there's a hum in return because will isn't always successful, but he sure does try.
he hears the phrasing of that and he frowns a little though, chewing on a kernel of popcorn at at time as he listens. "earn my keep"? ]
That is definitely a fight I'd lose. [ kind of a joke but also no he would not fight luffy for food, just take it. jeez. ] What would've happened if you didn't bring in enough food? The bandits were probably hunting too, weren't they?
Yeah, sometimes. But they only really guaranteed one bowl of rice a day unless you contributed to the house in some way. So when I got old enough, I started going off into the forest to hunt. It got me away from there and it was good training.
I left at seventeen. [ so, y'know. when he set sail. ace kind of shrugs because tama's reaction was not great so he is aware it's a little... fucked: ] I was about four when I started hunting in there? Or something like that.
...pretty sure most animals would've been even bigger than you back then. [ idle observation, but true. ] By yourself? Before Sabo and Luffy joined you.
Most animals were bigger than me the entire time. They run pretty big. [ idle right back. ] I met Sabo when I was five, and Luffy showed up when I was ten. So, yeah.
Guess that makes sense. A lot of the stuff we fight back home can run pretty big, too. But, like, we don't eat them. [ they just murder, it's fine. ] You must've been pretty skilled to survive that young against predators quadruple your size.
[ he says, thinking "why did you have to do this if there were literally other people" and also understanding "other people won't always help you, no matter what." ]
[ ...there's a low hum to that, curious in nature but not quite pushing. ]
We're more resilient than average, too. Guess you could say we're sort of born to fight? So I get it. [ steals more popcorn. ] That probably helped until you were ready to leave.
About the same for us. There's a forest that borders camp with monsters that roam around, so sometimes we fight those off and fight each other in training games. You either learn fast or you don't. [ ...this is embarrassing, but: ] When I was first learning to use a sword I ended up slicing my own leg, so.
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Something like that? [ ...hm... ] Bianca died when I was ten, and I left camp around the same time to figure stuff out on my own. I kept in touch with some of the others because of the war with Kronos that was brewing. We had to work together to defend Olympus. That happened a few years later, and after we won the war I stayed at camp for a little while. And then...eventually, I wore out my welcome and I left again for a while. Prior to the end of the war, there wasn't even a cabin to honor my father. Usually, you stay in a cabin with your siblings and it's specifically to honor your godly parent. What was the purpose of staying when it was just for me and I wasn't wanted anyway?
So I went to the Underworld for a while. I met Hazel, and I escorted her to California and to her own camp. Father wanted me to pose as an ambassador and infiltrate, so I stayed there for a while. I didn't know why at first, but...[ he waves a hand like he's skipping details. ] Anyway a few months after all of that Gaea started stirring and we had another war on our hands. I met a lot of the others around that time, including Jason. We defeated her last summer, and...even in the last days of the battle I didn't think I was going to stay. I wasn't sure if I could really consider Jason a friend, and I didn't think anyone else would care if I left. No one else tried to stop me.
[ he realizes this sounds pathetic, actually. ]
...anyway you can kind of thank a combination of Jason and Will for getting it through my head that I could have a place there and actually stick around and make friends. Even if it was a long work in progress.
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Well... I'm glad they did. You probably wouldn't have given me the time of day otherwise, huh?
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I don't know. Sometimes talking to you feels like it did talking to Jason, so maybe. [ and maybe that's why he bothers talking to ace at all. ] Guess it's a good thing we don't have to guess, huh?
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[ offers a red vine. ]
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chomps it when it's offered ]
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You really could have just taken it, you know.
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[ also he has his hands full of other snacks wow ]
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Are you actually bothered by that? [ shameless ]
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Not in the slightest, it's a token protest. [ OKAY THANKS. ] Maybe I'm still learning how to share?
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Baby steps, huh? [ teasing ] Sharing food can be a pretty big deal for some people.
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Yeah. I mean...I share with the Cocoa Puffs now, and Will usually does his best to make sure I'm eating something three times a day but it's still different.
[ he does not say it's partially because he spent a while just not having food and being hungry while wandering on his own. ]
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Well, it's good Will's making sure you get fed. [ he hums in thought around a different red vine ] I guess I've kind of always had to share. I'd bring in food for the bandits to earn my keep, or just hunt together with my brothers. Though with Luffy, it's less sharing and more making sure he doesn't eat your portion. Every man for himself there.
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he hears the phrasing of that and he frowns a little though, chewing on a kernel of popcorn at at time as he listens. "earn my keep"? ]
That is definitely a fight I'd lose. [ kind of a joke but also no he would not fight luffy for food, just take it. jeez. ] What would've happened if you didn't bring in enough food? The bandits were probably hunting too, weren't they?
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Yeah, sometimes. But they only really guaranteed one bowl of rice a day unless you contributed to the house in some way. So when I got old enough, I started going off into the forest to hunt. It got me away from there and it was good training.
[ he does not specify when old enough is ]
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How old was that then? How long were you living with those people?
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...pretty sure most animals would've been even bigger than you back then. [ idle observation, but true. ] By yourself? Before Sabo and Luffy joined you.
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[ he says, thinking "why did you have to do this if there were literally other people" and also understanding "other people won't always help you, no matter what." ]
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[ it's said a little wryly ]
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We're more resilient than average, too. Guess you could say we're sort of born to fight? So I get it. [ steals more popcorn. ] That probably helped until you were ready to leave.
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Yeah, pretty much. [ munches on snaccie ] We used the forest as training grounds to get stronger. And fighting each other, obviously.
[ obviously. he does not mention special grandpa training because that sucked ]
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