resumed | PC: ACE 💀

[ 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. ]

I can't believe that store still isn't open. Do they usually take so long?

[ ace will never know a halloween... ever... ]

You don't have to cheer me up about it. Whenever I'm somewhere for long enough, I always end up having a spot like this to watch the sea from. There was this cliff overlooking the ocean in the forest of the island I grew up on... I'd always end up there after getting into fights.

I guess in a lot of instances it's a seasonal thing so it's not like it's open year round. But then again there're some that are, and the ones are are seasonal are open at least a month in advance.

[ but he shrugs. ]

Who said it was about cheering you up? [ shut up. there's a long pause though, and he's busy looking at the ocean instead. ] ...I don't know. I think I prefer having something to miss and something I can always come back to instead of not having anything at all anymore.

[ just kind of nodding along to the seasonal thing because he doesn't know when in the year they are, never mind when in the year halloween is. so. moving on

except nico says that and ace stays quiet for maybe a beat too long before he turns back to the ocean with just an oddly sad smile ]

... Yeah. I guess that's true.

[ ...this isn't about him. it's very rarely about him, but he thinks maybe it's a thing to say. ]

...I don't regret the times where I didn't have that for that reason, I think. It reminds me how important it is to have something like that, especially when I'm away from it and things are bad. Maybe I've been thinking about that a lot lately, too.

... About not having something to go back to?

Yeah. Or...both, I guess. About having something and the people who might not. And what it might be like for them in a place like this.

... Like that Argalia guy?

[ it's the first example that comes to mind, considering the guy admitted to murdering because Why Not He Has Nothing To Go Back To, so ]

Yeah. He's one of the examples. Not that I think it excuses him for what happened, but...just thinking out loud, maybe. If a person feels like they don't have something to go home to, what do you think they'll do? Is it more likely they'll find something else to fight for? Or give up when it gets too complicated?

I don't know.

[ STARES DRAMATICALLY AT THE OCEAN ]

... I can't really relate to that. I think I've always been fighting for something. Looking for an answer.

[ ...relatable content, but he does not say so this time yet. ]

Have you found answers? Or are you always just fighting to get there?

... Some, I think. [ his hands grip the railing a little tighter ] I'm not... searching as much.

[ as much. ]

[ ...the thing about nico di angelo is that he's pretty damn attentive. he's blunt and stubborn in a lot of ways, but likewise, he's fairly observant and willing to give some leniency to the people he likes best.

it's why he sees the grip change from ace's hands, and he chooses to veer slightly to the left on the topic. ]

...it's strange how sometimes things happen and it changes the direction you thought things would go. Sometimes you know it's coming, but other times when it catches you off-guard you kind of find yourself rearranging your priorities.

[ speaking of catching off guard; the sort of change in conversation direction. it makes him relax his grip a little and he stares blankly at nico for a bit before he kind of grins ]

Yeah. Sort of what happened when I joined with Whitebeard.

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