catchall nimona

[selfimmolation]

Comments

[sharkgirl]

[she stretches a little, and then:]

But me and Saya coming with you is changing a lot of stuff, I think. [she says it sort of idly.] And you being alive is changing a lot of stuff too, but it's... good, though, none of it is bad.

[a beat, and she glances up at him, a little flatly.]

Don't argue with me about that one. [it's good that you're alive and if you try to say otherwise she's going to suplex]

[selfimmolation]

I wasn't going to!

[ damn... i mean he had a moment of being like Is It What If They Are Better Without Me again but he wasn't going to say it ]

[sharkgirl]

[ELBOWS HIM

but then she pauses, staring out at the ocean, and:]

So like, if those are okay changes, I don't see why it'd be so bad to make other ones. [... she's really just thinking about him frowning every time he mentions whitebeard's name, honestly.] Like blah blah it's about the adventure, I don't like shortcuts, but I don't think the one I'm thinking about is a shortcut at all.

[selfimmolation]

... Kind of simplifying that badly but fine, what are you thinking?

[ a little offended but also just received an elbow to the gut so he thinks he is more offended at that ]

[sharkgirl]

[that's fair, he can be offended, it will not stop her]

I think you should have Datz write in the book that Whitebeard is alive again when we go back. You could even make it so he isn't sick.

[selfimmolation]

[ i'm going to be honest, he opens his mouth to argue first but then she adds the part where he isn't sick and ace kind of stares blankly at nothing for a bit ]






Huh.

[ HE HADN'T THOUGHT OF THAT OPTION AT ALL ]

[sharkgirl]

[this is the funniest thing in the world

she just gives him such a like ....... ace sort of look]

[selfimmolation]

... I could... cure Pops?

[ excuse him he's having a mental breakdown in his emotions ]

[sharkgirl]

[BUDDY

she shifts so she can sit up - and be a human girl form for real, peering down at him. she has sand in her hair.]

Yeah, you could, if you wanted. Do you think that'd be weird?

[selfimmolation]

I don't...

[ he rubs at his face a little more looking at the ocean than at her ]

I don't know how long he's been sick. He already was before I joined up. It's why he was fine dying in battle, and to make sure the crew made it out, but...

[ but. but but but oh this is a disgusting hint of hope he doesn't know how to deal with ]

[sharkgirl]

[she nudges him. more gently this time, head tilted.]

But he wouldn't have to. Because you're not dying, and neither are they, and if you put this in he wouldn't even have to look for a better way out. He'd just be okay. [...] Kinda sounds like the world's a worse off place without him.

[selfimmolation]

It is. It definitely is. [ he sounds so sure of that and yet himself like nyeh? he's so dumb. but he's still not looking at her when he tugs at the hem of his shorts like he needs to grab something but they are surrounded by sand ]

... You really think that'd work? [ dad would you be mad if i erased your death because i love you - ace, after doing it ]

[sharkgirl]

Why wouldn't it? [she's sticking close, watching him.] ... I wanna meet him, too.

[maybe that's selfish of her, but.]

[selfimmolation]

[ he takes a moment to bury his face in his hands at that ]

... He'd love you. [ it's said with such certainty, and: ] Saya, too. [ once he got over thinking ace stole a 10 year old anyway. he laughs but it's like wet and a little relieved ] Fuck. I didn't... I didn't think of that at all.

[sharkgirl]

[he just stole a whole ten year old

nimona smiles a bit, and then - she reaches up, takes his hat off her head, and puts it on his. just for now, she wants to keep wearing it, but - get hatted, idiod]

Well, you have now. And it's not too late.

[selfimmolation]

[ no it's great to get hatted it means he gets to hide that he is crying a little. on top of like, hiding in his hands ]

Yeah. Yeah, I-- [ he just laughs wetly again ] ... Thanks, Nimona.

[sharkgirl]

[waaaaah, she does actually grin now, but it's not mean!! she shifts so she can just hug him? she just hugs him.

there's a lot of things she could say here, but what she settles on is:]

Yeah. Of course, Ace. [because really more than anything she just wants to see him happy? she wants him to suffer being loved.] Guess that really does mean it's my job to make you not make dumb decisions.

[don't tease him when he's crying]

[selfimmolation]

[ hugs back with one arm to keep his pride (hiding that he is overwhelmed with his other hand) and sort of huffs ]

A lot of people have tried that. It's a pretty thankless one. [ self-deprecation joke over how not a single person can hold his leash he will bite out of it. will never learn etc. ]

[sharkgirl]

[she will just stay here for a bit and let him be overwhelmed!!]

Eh. I'm not doing it for the pay, or I would've found a different captain ages ago. [she doesn't mind, and besides, it's not like she's any better with leashes.]

[selfimmolation]

[ pretending to be big and tough by going pft! like he is not wiping tears still it's fine ]

I'll have you know I'm really rich now. [ so is she. ]

[sharkgirl]

[snort.]

Wow, really? How rich? Better watch yourself, too rich and I gotta get rid of you.

[selfimmolation]

You've grown too attached to get rid of me now over some money issue. [ ha ha. ha. but also ] Speaking of that, you think it's going to show up as change in our pockets like here?

[sharkgirl]

That's what you think. [he is correct, she's full of it.

as for the rest, though:] ... I didn't even think about that. I guess? That'll be annoying when we wanna buy stuff that costs a ton, like okay, hold on a second, I just have to pull five thousand gold pieces from my shorts.

[gazes.] I guess it's better than nothing.

[selfimmolation]

I never tried to pull out any amount that big, so maybe it'll come out in bags. Then it's about the same as paying for stuff back home anyway.

[ treasure bags...... ]

[sharkgirl]

You say like you ever pay for anything. Didn't you just say you dine and dash like all the time?