resumed | PC: ACE 💀

[ he seems pleased with this? even if he's nudging him with his elbow. ]

Shut up. It wasn't that bad. And I still stand by the fact it should be open by now. [ but he hums a little. ] Then again...you'd think they'd give us access to the beach by now, too. They have to be importing goods and stuff by boat, don't they?

It definitely should, if people can break into it.

[ it's been long enough open the halloween store stop letting it be closed. at that he kind of sighs and leans further on the railing like he's bent over it instead ]

You'd think so. Considering everything else we've learned so far, I'm not sure there's really anything outside this city anymore.

[ he's making a face because he wants his goth couture but it's fine. ]

I've been wondering that, too. Like we're in a pocket dimension of some kind where everything's being rebuilt because there's nowhere else to go. I don't know how it all works, but...it would at least explain why we could only go certain directions why we were brought in. I thought about asking any of the citizens here if they remember living elsewhere, or even traveling outside of Oceanside, but considering what we know about them now I doubt I'd get any answers there either.

Right. If all the citizens are from a previous round... And the penguins are from another world entirely. There's nothing native to this place. I never thought much about it, because plenty of islands back home don't get news from outside, but we've never heard of anything past the city besides the moon.

[ a pause ]

But maybe it's paranoid. I don't know. [ he huffs ] It's not like we could even sail away if we got access to it, I just... Miss being near it.

It changes the whole narrative we're working with, right? If nothing's native, who are we really fighting for and what exactly are they hoping to achieve by bringing all of us here to take each other out? All of the news archives are still gone besides that paper we recovered when we were gone last week. Nothing makes sense.

[ so no if it's paranoid he's right there, too. ]

...I don't think that's a bad thing. It's home for you, isn't it? Of course you miss it.

Yeah. If everything's part of some bigger plan... what's the end goal, exactly? Why would a bigger number help?

[ he hates? a lot. ]

... It's not quite the ocean itself. [ home is-- the moby dick, the people he called family, luffy-- ] But it's where I found it. And I guess I miss that.

They're looking for something specific. We just don't know what yet. Or why us. [ he also hates a lot, it's fine. but he's looking at the ocean quietly for a few moments. ]

...I do and I don't miss New York. I miss camp. And I miss being able to know how things might go, and the people I could count on if we really needed the extra help. [ so he gets it. ] We've been here for about a month now. I think we're all starting to feel it a little more than usual.

We're running out of weeks to figure it out.

[ time goes by so slowly and so fast at the same time. that stupid festival deadline.

he looks over at nico instead of the ocean, pensive ]

... Yeah. I guess you're right. [ he laughs a little, sheepish ] I guess I'm just being too obvious. [ it's clear longing, when he looks back at the ocean, but there's also something like resignation in his stare ]

I know. [ and it's frustrating all over again. he's still looking at the ocean, but he catches ace looking out of the corner of his eye. ]

I feel like I'm the last person who can say anything about someone being obvious about something, you realize. [ just pointing that out. ] ...I think maybe it's a good thing to miss home. It just means you have something to still fight back for. Doesn't it?

[ he says, not knowing ace is fucking dead. ]

[ wow maybe i took him from when ace is just about to be executed. which is worse. ]

... Yeah, I guess. [ a little quietly, still looking out there. ] It's not like I'd ever stop fighting anyway.

[ that last part is wry ]

[ THAT'S STILL FUCKING DYING, ZIA. ]

I know. I mean...we're all sticking together for that reason, you know? Nobody said we all had to keep working together as a group after we got arrested. But I don't think it occurred to any of us to fall back either. Pretty sure most of us wouldn't know how to run from a fight even if we had no choice.

[ something about not knowing how to run from a fight makes him laugh ]

Yeah. We're all a pretty stubborn group, aren't we? [ he smirks at Nico a little ] Not that I'm glad we got arrested, but... glad you guys joined me.

We are. But I already told you why we did it. [ there's a little grin. ] You still don't believe me?

[ he laughs a little, rubbing the back of his head ]

'Course I do. I can be glad anyway, can't I?

Sure, but I'm just checking. [ so THERE. ] The dumbest part is that if you asked us all to do it again we'd probably agree without a second thought.

[ well. he laughs ]

I'd aim to have a better plan so it actually goes through this time. [ HE'S NOT EVEN SAYING HE WOULDN'T ASK AGAIN ]

Hey, how were we supposed to know the prison would have power blockers? I think we did pretty okay for not having a single idea what to expect. [ that's fine he's not saying they'd disagree, so who's the stupid one here. ]

...kind of feels bad, maybe, but since Mika I haven't really felt that inclined to break anybody else out.

Yeah, well... [ he shrugs ] Argalia was an asshole, and I'm not going to pretend I felt bad about Hans.

[ they can both be kind of terrible. ]

[ he did and didn't feel bad about hans, because being a scapegoat sucks no matter what, but hans also was not doing himself any favors. it's a complicated situation, so he nods in agreement. ]

I'm not going to pretend I feel bad about saving Reigen either. [ same event, different sentiment. ] But I am kind of worried about what this might mean for all of us if this keeps happening. You know?

[ this is actually the same sentiment, because Ace doesn't feel bad about hans because it was between reigen and hans, but saying it was to save reigen sounds more noble than he thinks the whole thing was. it sure is complicated! ]

... Yeah. But it was always going to end up this way if we couldn't find the real "villain". [ which, ok, they did, but it was self-defense sooo it doesn't couuunt ] No matter who we name, the city's fine so long as we put them on the execution stand.

[ metaphorical stand ]

Yeah. I'm not really worried about the wrong vote part. To be honest, I'm sort of impressed we've done this well so far as it is. We aren't exactly great at being organized and not fighting with each other in the last couple of hours. [ shrug. ] But more...the longer we're here and if we have to keep following their rules...there's a bigger chance it'll continue being people we don't want to lose. That's what it comes down to, isn't it? Picking who we may or may not want to sacrifice because the city wants to see us "save the day."

[ this is such a depressing conversation, and he seems to pause as he realizes it. ]

...sorry. We don't have to talk about that, that's not why I came up here.

We're gonna have to acknowledge it sometime.

[ this is ace saying they can talk about it if nico wants to, but if he doesn't: ]

So why did you come up here?

I know we are. [ which is his way of saying he will likely come back to the topic on his own in a bit, but he needs to break from it for a moment. even if he's constantly worried about it.

the question kind of throws him off-guard though. ]

...I don't always like being inside the penthouse. Reigen made a good suggestion to keep the blinds open and that helps, but I do like being outside a little better. [ a beat. ] Plus I figured you'd be up here anyway.

[ maybe...he just wanted to hang out with ace...but that's dumb to say. ]

Yeah, I'm more of an outdoors guy too. [ no one is surprised by that, but ace looks a little pleased at the implications nico just wanted to hang. horrid. but he doesn't say that and just laughs ] I think that means I'm coming up here too often.

[ and being a sadsack, he means ]

There's still a difference between being outside and being outside though. [ the look says that no one is surprised, yes. ]

Hey, there's nothing wrong with being a creature of habit. I still check the store every morning to see if anything's changed. And I think most people know by now that if I'm not in my own dorm I'm at Fox. [ he shrugs. ] I think it's better to be consistent anyway. It means you'd be the first to notice if something changed, wouldn't you?

[ he is trying to make ace's pathetic pining a little cooler than it sounds, but it's fine. the horrible part is he does think ace is cool and still wants ace to like him. ]

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