PC: ACE 💀

[resumed]

Comments

[selfimmolation]

[ this is a lot. and it's not so much pathetic as a little sad, but not in a pity way, just in a. damn the kids AREN'T alright way. ]

Well... I'm glad they did. You probably wouldn't have given me the time of day otherwise, huh?

[resumed]

[ there's a very long pause. ]

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?

[selfimmolation]

Yep. No point lingering on what ifs. [ laughs a bit ] You're already stuck with us now.

[resumed]

Incredibly tragic for me. What ever will I do.

[ offers a red vine. ]

[selfimmolation]

[ doesn't even take it like a normal person just

chomps it when it's offered ]

[resumed]

[ hey!!! ]

You really could have just taken it, you know.

[selfimmolation]

Yeah, but this is funnier.

[ also he has his hands full of other snacks wow ]

[resumed]

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. ]

[selfimmolation]

[ he literally bought one of every single snack available at the theater nico can go nuts here ]

Are you actually bothered by that? [ shameless ]

[resumed]

[ popcorn it is. ]

Not in the slightest, it's a token protest. [ OKAY THANKS. ] Maybe I'm still learning how to share?

[selfimmolation]

[ it is nice and buttered. i want popcorn now. im so sad. ]

Baby steps, huh? [ teasing ] Sharing food can be a pretty big deal for some people.

[resumed]

[ 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. ]

[selfimmolation]

[ 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.

[resumed]

[ 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?

[selfimmolation]

[ he blinks a little at that question, humming ]

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 ]

[resumed]

[ frowning deeper. so ace won't say, but nico's going to ask. ]

How old was that then? How long were you living with those people?

[selfimmolation]

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.

[resumed]

[ keeps this one going at least bc lore. ]

...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.

[selfimmolation]

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.

[resumed]

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." ]

[selfimmolation]

I didn't start off with the big predators, so that helped. But I was always a lot stronger than the average kid, too. Something of a demon, I guess.

[ it's said a little wryly ]

[resumed]

[ ...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.

[selfimmolation]

[ hums back. it makes sense for demigods, so he's not too surprised. ]

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 ]

[resumed]

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.

[selfimmolation]

[ sorry he's rude and he laughs at that ]

Seriously? Maybe you are a little like Luffy. [ MEAN. RUTHLESS. ] I never used a sword. As a kid I'd use a pipe, though. Never hit myself with it.