catchall nimona

[selfimmolation]

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[sharkgirl]

[she is not quite at the point where she can ratshake him for not realizing he's good for making her feel like she has a place in the world like, out loud yet, so she just lets that go, but it's clear that when he says it, it bothers her.

she's quiet for a second, finishing up his hand.]

Give it time and you will. [she mutters, putting his hand back on his knee.]

I'm not looking for work anyway! The pay sucks and all I'm allowed to do is steal candy from children, so I'm done with sidekicking.

[selfimmolation]

[ when she's done he looks at his pink covered knuckles that i am KEEPING for trial and flexes his hands a little ]

Thanks. [ he didn't want the fix but he'll thank her anyway, because it means something that she wanted to do it. which is also why he's following her lead on the subject: ] That's alright. Pirates don't really have sidekicks anyway. Closest thing I can think of is a first mate, and you don't want that job. It's a guy who's there to tell the captain when they're being a pain and try to rear them in a little.

[ that is not accurate. ]

[sharkgirl]

[ok but this would make her CRY if he called her his first mate do you want her to CRY

no, she just watches him flex his hands, and then glances at him.]

Do first mates get to kill guys who suck and break things on top of punching their captains?

[selfimmolation]

[ fool! she isn't his first mate she is his new sibling. ]

Well... yeah. They're still pirates. [ wry. ] Though I can't say the one I had before we joined up with Pops ever punched me. [ he pauses ] He probably wanted to a lot.

[ he sounds a little fond despite it. ]

[sharkgirl]

[that's even worse (positive)]

You're pretty punchable. [be nice to him

anyway she tilts her face away, nose up in the air, fake snooty.] I don't know, maybe I could be bribed into work if it meant I could raze the countryside.

[selfimmolation]

Not the first time I've heard that.

[ don't just agree with being punchable. anyway, he huffs a little at that and ruffles her hair ]

You're looking at it all wrong. Being a pirate isn't work, it's being free. It's not about what you can or can't do, it's about doing what you want to.

[sharkgirl]

[she makes a face when he ruffles her hair, but doesn't stop him.

silence, for a couple of seconds, and then:]

I wanna stick by you. [that's what she wants to do. she stretches out her legs, reaching to touch her toes. just to have something to do that isn't looking at him.]

[selfimmolation]

[ Somehow, This Shocks Him, and he's turning to stare at her wide-eyed when she's looking at her toes ]

...By me? [ WHO THE FUCK ELSE IS IN THIS PARK, THE SHARK? ]

[sharkgirl]

[yeah actually she did mean the shark how embarrassing

she gives him a Look, ears still red.]

Ew, don't make a big deal out of it. [yes, by you]

[selfimmolation]

Nimona...

[ no sorry he is going to make a big deal out of it, even if he hesitates like he doesn't really want to ask: ]

Why?

[sharkgirl]

[she is allergic to this sort of thing and it's killing her but like

he is very serious, and she just kind of flounders for a second.]

I don't know. [no, give him a real answer. another second of struggling, then:] ... You don't look at me like I'm a monster.

[selfimmolation]

[ and isn't that familiar, too.

he rubs at his face a little, looking like there's something else he wants to say, but in the end he settles for something simple; ]

You're not. [ we are all children of the sea, and it'd meant so much to him to hear that. he doesn't know if he can come close to helping her like that helped him back then. ] Even if you were--who cares? So'm I.

[sharkgirl]

[you're not.

she said it earlier - give it time, and that'll change. but she doesn't argue, for right now, because before she got here she was going to give up entirely, and... it's nice to have a reason not to.]

... Monsters stick together. [even if they're not. she's not built to be alone, really.] So. I'll be here.

[selfimmolation]

[ ace doesn't do comfort for himself, feels weird and off with it without fighting it at least a little, but luffy was a needy thing growing up so he's a lot better at offering it to others. that's why he moves over and wraps an arm loosely around her. quick side hug if she wants it to be just that, sort of holding onto her if she wants to stay close. ]

Thank you. [ it's a little quiet. ]

[sharkgirl]

[she'll take it - she's already wildly embarrassed from feeling... well, seen, in a sense. it makes her want to jitter away and hide. but she's a touchy creature, maybe more than people might expect with the way she acts.

so she settles against his side and stays.]

You don't gotta. [thank her. but.] You're welcome, though.

[selfimmolation]

[ he'll hold her a little tighter when she settles ]

Yeah, I gotta. [ it's light in tone. they have been emotional enough, he doesn't feel like explaining that he'll always be grateful for anyone wanting someone like him around. ] For the bandages if nothing else.

[ he already said thanks for that earlier, he is fooling no one ]

week 1, saturday

[selfimmolation]

[ i'm going to be honest it probably takes him a while of searching before he thinks to text her ]

you okay?

[sharkgirl]

[it's okay by the time he texts her she's calmed down, so]

i'm fine

[and then a few minutes later:]

i'm at the penthouse if you want

[selfimmolation]

[ well he doesn't answer the text because instead he's going straight to the penthouse. he doesn't knock this is THEIR penthouse, just walks in ]

Hey. [ what is baby lookin like. ]

[sharkgirl]

[she's fine!! she's being a lil dramatic baby under the bed.

she's in human form, just curled up under there. she's not crying or really even outwardly upset so much, she's kind of just the embodiment of .-.]

[selfimmolation]

[ he's just going to crouch and peeeeer under the bed ]

... Wanna talk about it?

[sharkgirl]

[she glances over at him slooowly.]

I don't know. [...] It's not like I didn't know he was going to kill someone.

[yes, ig]

[selfimmolation]

[ he'll stay over there then, that's fine, but he'll sit down properly instead of staying crouched ]

... He made it that obvious, huh? [ there's a but, but he's waiting for her to bring it up first ]

[sharkgirl]

Yeah, if you talk to him for a second and half you can hear the melodramatic villain BS dripping from his pores.

[but, you know.]

I said this to Nico, but - it's like reading the same story over and over again and expecting a different outcome. I get tired.

[selfimmolation]

What's the usual outcome? [ he can guess, considering argalia's villain speech, but. he's asking. ]