[ he did choose his own family. over and over. it makes him smile softly, despite the fact that whether he wanted it to or not being roger's son did define him in the end. since. that is part of what he died for. well, never mind, his smile turns a little wry ]
... They were bandits. And they weren't thrilled to be blackmailed into taking care of such a rowdy kid, and how dangerous it'd be if the government found out. [ it's self-aware, but somehow. fucking fond. ] The old hag wasn't always nice, but she wasn't the worst. And Gramps' got kind of an unusual sense of how to raise kids in general. He used to throw Luffy into the jungle to train him too. I think that's just how he is.
You were still just a kid, you know. [ he doesn't care? these people all suck oh my gods he's so annoyed actually. ] ...it still doesn't change the fact they shouldn't have done this to you. No matter what.
[ SORRY HE DOESN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO SAY TO THAT FOR A WHILE. fun, new sentiments he is hearing for the first time.
... in the end he kind of nudges nico lightly ]
... I didn't live a bad life, you know. [ it's said a little quietly. yes, parts of it were bad, but overall... ace ended up so loved, when he never really did anything to deserve it. he can't regret that. ]
I know. [ which is maybe the awful part, that in the end ace still had something. it's no different than bianca or jason or any of the others who've died early in their lives. they had people who loved them and people they loved in return, places they called home and lives they were just starting to live but got snuffed out too quickly by nature of being who they are. ] No regrets, right? I know, and I'm glad there were good things, but...I can still say there were a lot of things unfair to you. You should have gotten to live it longer.
Maybe. But maybe if I'd had a different one, I'd never have met Luffy, or my crew. I never wanted to live forever. [ it's on his damn profile. i'm horrible. ] ... I just wanted to know... [ well. nico saw it. he shrugs ] This place leaves a lot to be desired. But it's still time I wouldn't have gotten otherwise, and some pretty good people met. So... I'm happy with that, too.
[ he considers this for a few moments. like. yes, that's a fair point. but he can't help but think of the idea of ace having to...well. basically go back to nothing. he hates it, really.
but he tries to dredge up a tiny smile anyway. ]
...fair enough. It's...time is always kind of a precious gift. [ "getting a second life is one thing. mkking it a better life, that’s the trick." ] I can't say any of us would disagree with meeting good people here though.
[ the implication is ace is good people. and this is a hilarious time for the comic panels to return with this. ]
[ actually being cursed to be hated and live a shitty life because of things completely out of your control is NOT something he wanted to have in common with nico, so after staring at the comic panels wide-eyed he turns to kind of. stare at him, sad and furious both. ]
... Guess gods aren't so different from humans, are they. [ same hat! same horrible hat. anyway he's watching nico to see how he is taking it because watching your mother die in comic book fashion can't be good. ]
[ he's not sure what's worse, actually. seeing it in real time and not remembering, seeing it through a ghost vision like 73 years later, or revisiting it now with a friend who he didn't want to see this.
so he's staring off into space for a second while trying to figure out how to process this. again. ]
I'm sure they'd beg to differ. [ his tone is a little clipped, but it's mostly because he's busy reining in his emotions. and after a moment, he glances at ace again. ] ...perhaps I wasn't fully honest about why I hate my powers here.
[ sometimes electrokinesis actually kills your mom horribly. ]
It's not like that's something you had to tell me. [ he never needed to know the details. there's plenty of reasons to have powers you hate. (darkness, he thinks, is a funny thing, but he'll never mention it to nico.) ] ... But it's a pretty good reason.
It's a reason I didn't remember for the seventy years my father kept Bianca and I in that hotel. [ ...but he looks at a point past ace for a moment. ] I'm sure you can imagine how things went after we were released. And after Bianca died, and people realized who I was.
[ it's not so much "look at me and listen to how sad my life was." it's "i think i understand what you went through." ]
[ well there is important progress today and that progress is that ace is allowed to ruffle his hair even as he bows his head a little and has a similar kind of smirk on his face. ]
Kinda fits the theme here, doesn't it? [ having things put upon them they didn't ask for...haha...ha. ] ...I think...in the end, the important part is that we both eventually found people who didn't care so much about that kind of thing.
[ even though it hurt like hell, left lasting emotional damage and trauma years of therapy with the god of madness may need to try and untangle someday. ]
[ 1. lucky for ace he cannot have therapy when he's dead! :) 2. just grinning at nico letting him ruffle his hair without actual objection he stays winning ]
... Yeah. We did. [ and nico is even dating his, which means: ] You and Will will get back to them.
[ this is going to be the only time ace gets to do the hair rufflies!!! (it won't be, this is just what nico is telling himself.) ]
...I'm really scared something's going to happen to stop us both from getting there. But I can't really let that stop me from figuring out what to do next either. So...we will. We kind of have to. I'm not leaving without him.
Edited (i hate this keyboard.) 2023-10-18 08:16 (UTC)
Ideally, we're getting everyone out. [ he says, already wondering if they can just kidnap ace to bring him to one of their homes. not that he's sure ace would be happy, but...that's just the tiny, selfish part of him thinking. ]
[ ...he's quiet again, tilting his head as he examines ace. ]
...I'm giving you a choice, because I think you deserve that much instead of being forced into something. Do you want me to see if there's something I can do for you, too?
... Yeah, but that's... in your world. [ and also he is pretty sure raising the dead back to life was established to be a no no thing in that flashback ]
Yes. But my father owes me a favor or two, and I'm sure he'll be exasperated to know that it's once again not for me but for someone else. [ this is a joke, hades will actually likely just shake his head because this isn't unusual. ]
...but as I've said, it's your decision. We don't know what will happen or where we can go when we're done with this place.
[ he can't leave luffy, he means, even though dying means leaving luffy anyway, but it's different, if he's living and luffy thinks he's dead. it's worse. it's abandoning him instead. the rest of his crew, too, but-- he promised luffy. ]
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... They were bandits. And they weren't thrilled to be blackmailed into taking care of such a rowdy kid, and how dangerous it'd be if the government found out. [ it's self-aware, but somehow. fucking fond. ] The old hag wasn't always nice, but she wasn't the worst. And Gramps' got kind of an unusual sense of how to raise kids in general. He used to throw Luffy into the jungle to train him too. I think that's just how he is.
[ read: garp is an asshole ]
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You were still just a kid, you know. [ he doesn't care? these people all suck oh my gods he's so annoyed actually. ] ...it still doesn't change the fact they shouldn't have done this to you. No matter what.
[ any of these people, actually. ]
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... in the end he kind of nudges nico lightly ]
... I didn't live a bad life, you know. [ it's said a little quietly. yes, parts of it were bad, but overall... ace ended up so loved, when he never really did anything to deserve it. he can't regret that. ]
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I know. [ which is maybe the awful part, that in the end ace still had something. it's no different than bianca or jason or any of the others who've died early in their lives. they had people who loved them and people they loved in return, places they called home and lives they were just starting to live but got snuffed out too quickly by nature of being who they are. ] No regrets, right? I know, and I'm glad there were good things, but...I can still say there were a lot of things unfair to you. You should have gotten to live it longer.
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but he tries to dredge up a tiny smile anyway. ]
...fair enough. It's...time is always kind of a precious gift. [ "getting a second life is one thing. mkking it a better life, that’s the trick." ] I can't say any of us would disagree with meeting good people here though.
[ the implication is ace is good people. and this is a hilarious time for the comic panels to return with this. ]
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... Guess gods aren't so different from humans, are they. [ same hat! same horrible hat. anyway he's watching nico to see how he is taking it because watching your mother die in comic book fashion can't be good. ]
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so he's staring off into space for a second while trying to figure out how to process this. again. ]
I'm sure they'd beg to differ. [ his tone is a little clipped, but it's mostly because he's busy reining in his emotions. and after a moment, he glances at ace again. ] ...perhaps I wasn't fully honest about why I hate my powers here.
[ sometimes electrokinesis actually kills your mom horribly. ]
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[ it's not so much "look at me and listen to how sad my life was." it's "i think i understand what you went through." ]
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Yeah. I can imagine. [ sorry he is ruffling nico's hair again ] ... This isn't the kind of thing I'd want to have in common with you, you know.
[ unwanted and cursed by the world. ]
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Kinda fits the theme here, doesn't it? [ having things put upon them they didn't ask for...haha...ha. ] ...I think...in the end, the important part is that we both eventually found people who didn't care so much about that kind of thing.
[ even though it hurt like hell, left lasting emotional damage and trauma years of therapy with the god of madness may need to try and untangle someday. ]
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2. just grinning at nico letting him ruffle his hair without actual objection he stays winning ]
... Yeah. We did. [ and nico is even dating his, which means: ] You and Will will get back to them.
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...I'm really scared something's going to happen to stop us both from getting there. But I can't really let that stop me from figuring out what to do next either. So...we will. We kind of have to. I'm not leaving without him.
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[ they're not the only two working for it, is all he means. no one wants the boyfriends separated ]
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Ideally, we're getting everyone out. [ he says, already wondering if they can just kidnap ace to bring him to one of their homes. not that he's sure ace would be happy, but...that's just the tiny, selfish part of him thinking. ]
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[ ace is uh not really including himself in something people can do to help buttttttttt ]
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...I'm giving you a choice, because I think you deserve that much instead of being forced into something. Do you want me to see if there's something I can do for you, too?
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My powers sort of specialize with the dead, remember?
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...but as I've said, it's your decision. We don't know what will happen or where we can go when we're done with this place.
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[ he can't leave luffy, he means, even though dying means leaving luffy anyway, but it's different, if he's living and luffy thinks he's dead. it's worse. it's abandoning him instead. the rest of his crew, too, but-- he promised luffy. ]
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It wouldn't necessarily have to just be that. There are methods to look into. [ ... ] But it's...no pressure. I just thought...if you ever wanted.
[ it would feel shitty not to try, is all. ]
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[ it's not like he wants to be dead, is the problem. he's accepted it, he's okay with it, but.
does he even deserve to think that but? ]
I'm not... saying no outright. But...
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