[ he likes her feeling happy/wanted a lot more than the nauseated feeling at drowning, though he has his own uncomfortable feeling at it. it's not as bad as his feelings on lava but it uh. also sucked. from his end of things. boops her again to be annoying. ]
You'd better not. That'd be embarrassing. [ "embarrassing". anyway he hums a little ] Yeah. The whole thing would've been pretty heavily documented. They wanted to make a show for the whole world, so whatever the outcome was would be in the news. It won't help me locate anybody, but they'd mention anyone with a bounty that died during it, too. It was all a bonus for the marines.
[ which would cover luffy and at the very least the other whitebeard commanders. again just. a pang of guilt thinking about the people that died for him but there's not much he can do there!! ]
Plus we need an actual boat to find anyone, so any place that has a newspaper we can at least get a ship. Letting you swim us to the nearest safe island because we might not have a choice is one thing, but I'd rather not.
also i'm sorry she won't ever stop being furiously angry about the marines trying to make a lesson out of it. she just seethes for a second as she listens, arms folded where she's just sprawled on him ig, and then:]
It's not like I care if I gotta swim. [she tells him, but. she also would prefer a boat.] How easy is it gonna be to get a ship?
[ it probably doesn't help that his feeling on that are kind of like, resignation still a bit. it's fine. BOOPS HER A THIRD TIME a little Annoy because he is not making her swim that far there's weather and monsters and it is a bad idea, but he doesn't specify, just. lets her lie down on him while he looks at the sky ]
Hmm... We're pretty far for you to just swim directly to where mine should still be back on Banaro, but we can steal a small one to get there. We don't need a good one if we can get mine. [ he's like, sort of drawing a map to himself as he says it, gesturing to the sky ] The island I was on is deep in government territory... Sabaody's closest, but we can't go further from that without a boat that can withstand going underwater. I could try to get in contact with people around there but it's got a lot of government involvement too. So going back instead, grabbing a boat and getting to Banaro to get Striker would be easier. No one could have gone off with it, since it only works with my fruit.
[ he is kind of babbling considering she has no context for any of this, he's just trying to math out the safest way to get away without being hounded by the government again to die. he'd like. he'd like five minutes of peace. ]
[the third time she tries to bite his hand. not hard but she does in fact try to do that.
anyway she just listens to him talk, and she doesn't really understand literally any of it, but it's okay. she gets he's charting it out, and besides that it kind of feels like the thing a first mate might do? just listening to their captain figure out a course of action. casually just assigns herself first mate.]
Ssssure, okay. [she says, with a little grin, but:] Is Striker your ship? What do you mean it only works with your fruit?
[ SHOVES HIS HAND ON HER FACE WHEN SHE ATTEMPTS TO BITE just casual bullying ]
Mm. [ there's nostalgia and fondness as he tells the story: ] When I set out, I got shipwrecked on a deserted island before I got a crew, trying to find a rare treasure rumored to be there. The currents and rocks around the shore were too strong, so anyone who wound up there never came out alive. All the boats I tried to build just kept breaking before going anywhere because of that. About a week in, I met some other poor sap stuck there. He ended up being my first mate when I made the Spades. Long story short, we found and split the Devil Fruit. I got the powers, but he's the one who got the idea to build a boat that uses a propulsion system with my flames so we could bypass the current. I've had Striker since. It's small, but it's probably one of the fastest ships on the sea thanks to that. It's not a real pirate ship, but it'll get us to people.
[ boops her nose. it's just fond and proud and a little hehe past me is stupid vibes ]
Deu wears a mask, and he didn't want to give me his name at first, so I gave him the one he goes by now. Masked Deuce! [ he laughs a little ] He hates when I add the masked part. Deuce sounds like Ace, right? I wanted us to match.
[this is the true sibling behavior is just having a conversation while casually trying to beat each other up
she slaps his hands away, amused - and listens with a fascination that's probably embarrassing. not that she cares or notices that's what she's giving off. she didn't even know there was such a thing as islands with currents that are too strong to get around, she hasn't been to an ocean in a very long time... and, well, past that, she kind of just likes hearing about ace's past.]
I guess it does. [she teases. she's like deuce sort of sounds like ace? does france exist in nimona i don't know. i don't know if she knows it means two either so they're both out of luck]
You basically gave him a superhero name, I'd complain too. [hehe] That works, though, with Striker? I can just hang out as a bird or something while you navigate.
the thing is ace doesn't talk about himself but he loves talking about the people he cares about. tragedy. so he actually likes that nimona is fascinated because he wants her to know them too, because he cares about her. it is a very simple sort of thing. ]
He was wearing a mask and hiding his identity, I couldn't not give him one. [ hehes a little gremlin-y. the masked part was him being a shit. ] Anyway, don't worry about that, there's space enough for two people on there. You can switch into whatever form so long as it's not too big. A rhino won't fit.
[ she just has to like. stick in front because the back is where ace does the fire ]
... I want to try to find Luffy first. [ unfortunately luffy will be in hiding but he doesn't know that ] Then we can check on my crew.
[ aGAIN GUILT because like. what's left of them. rip ]
[immediately and without hesitation the first thing she will want to do upon getting on the striker is turn into a rhino. she won't but the intrusive thought will be there.
she looks up at the sky too - they're still sprawled on the sand, which she's okay with. she likes being outside. the guilt makes her reach for his wrist, and then his hand. she squeezes it, briefly, and then lets go.]
I said it already but I absolutely gotta meet Luffy. [there's something excited there? she thinks she'll really like luffy, honestly.] ... He's gonna be really happy to see you.
anyway there's a little bit of fondness and embarrassment at the hand squeeze. the embarrassment isn't for the hand squeeze it's for being EMOTIONALLY EXPOSED. he hates it.
it quickly turns into like. they're talking about luffy so it's love and devotion and More Guilt and also worry and also exasperation, because it's luffy, ]
You gotta. He'll think you're so cool. Especially if you turn into a talking beetle. [ amused fondness exasperation but like. 100% sincere. why beetles, luffy. and also there's fondness at her wanting to meet luffy. that feeling of excitement at two people you really love meeting. and then we're back to guiiiilt ] ... Yeah. Man, he's probably going to cry.
[if she has to be emotionally exposed all over the place so does he, suffer
she laughs at the talking beetle part because what. and like she doesn't do requests, but... she would do that request.]
I mean, yeah, but it won't be bad crying. [she says, elbowing him.] I can't think of anything that'd be less sad than thinking someone you care about was dead and they're not, actually.
[ he's like thinking about that incredibly unlikely scenario (looks at the camera like im on the office) ]
I think I'd be a little mad they let me think they were dead, but I guess you're right. It wouldn't be bad. [ there's something a little conspirational when he says; ] Last time he thought I was dead we were ten, and I got mad at him for killing me off so easily.
[ but ace at ten got offended at everything it's fine ]
The not coming back part wasn't on me, Dadan stayed behind with me and got injured. I had to steal some medicine and take care of her before I could drag her back.
[ "why did you stay in the fire to fight the guy in the first place" anyway. also hilarious that the only bit of dadan nimona saw was her saying I DON'T EVEN CARE IF HE DIES STUPID DEVIL CHILD and then this story
Huh. Really? That's cool. [ he does seem to feel like it's cool, though there's a bit of ? ] That could be useful if you ever want to sneak around when you've got your own wanted poster.
[ he has like. no doubt nimona will get one ]
Look like whatever you want so long as I can still find you.
[if she doesn't get a wanted poster in the first like, week that she's there, she'll be so disappointed. there's a squiggly feeling - she feels kind of lame about it, but there's something wildly affirming about that last sentence. be whoever you want, look however you want, just make sure I can find you still.]
Yeah. Obviously. [she says, stretching a bit.] I usually leave some pink somewhere, like in my hair or whatever. Or my eyes. Stuff nobody but you's gonna notice.
Did you pick your name? The Fire Fist one or whatever.
There's plenty of people with pink over there, you know.
[ her squiggly feeling gets affection back so he boops her face again ]
Sort of? Fire Fist was the attack I was most well known for when I got my wanted poster. Sending out fire with my fist. I've taken out dozens of ships at once with that. [ prideful of all his murder ] Not everyone gets to pick like that, but it helps if you yell things out.
[ there's a pause and his enthusiasm drops a little ]
I'm sure they'll update my wanted poster when they figure out I'm alive. Probably too much to hope they leave my name the way it is.
[ YELLING OUT YOUR ATTACKS IS COOL, NIMONA. HE IS GENUINELY OFFENSE. also yea they are both just going to be sand forever but he has no qualms about it. just kind of a dissatisfied type feeling when he thinks about the rest ]
... The world knows me as the pirate king's son now, whether I like it or not. [ which his feelings on that are angry, because whitebeard's his dad, fuck you, etc, ] So they'll probably raise my bounty and change my name back to his.
[ he shrugs and the feeling is now like. wry. he's aware it doesn't matter, it's just a poster. but. y'know. ]
It's stupid, but I was kinda relieved when the profiles in this place still had it down as Portgas.
and like - her instinct is to tell him to own it, but she knows it's more complicated than that, and she knows that he doesn't want to own it. maybe it doesn't matter on a large scale, but it matters to him. it's his identity. he should get to present himself however he wants to - he should get to be whoever he wants and the world should have to accept it.
all that buzzes around in her chest, a bright and stubborn sort of sensation, and then:]
It's not stupid. You can still be that. [she rolls over to just sprawl on him, frowning.] I know what you mean. You can't change what the world thinks of you.
But you're the only person who can say who you are. [...] And you'll always be just Ace to me.
[ all cool attacks are named so the fansub team can do cool transition with the name in the subs GOD nimona
kind of oofs as she sprawls on him like she actually weighs anything to him, but her buzzing feeling and talk just make his emotions something warm and soft and also a little embarrassed he even mentioned anything. he doesn't want to complain about silly things all his issues should stay in the vault ]
Yeah, I know. [ children of the sea and all. plops the hat so it rests on her back and he can ruffle her hair like an asshole ] Thanks, Nimona.
[ a beat ]
Well, I can at least change one way the world thinks of me. Considering I'm coming back alive in the first place.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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You'd better not. That'd be embarrassing. [ "embarrassing". anyway he hums a little ] Yeah. The whole thing would've been pretty heavily documented. They wanted to make a show for the whole world, so whatever the outcome was would be in the news. It won't help me locate anybody, but they'd mention anyone with a bounty that died during it, too. It was all a bonus for the marines.
[ which would cover luffy and at the very least the other whitebeard commanders. again just. a pang of guilt thinking about the people that died for him but there's not much he can do there!! ]
Plus we need an actual boat to find anyone, so any place that has a newspaper we can at least get a ship. Letting you swim us to the nearest safe island because we might not have a choice is one thing, but I'd rather not.
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also i'm sorry she won't ever stop being furiously angry about the marines trying to make a lesson out of it. she just seethes for a second as she listens, arms folded where she's just sprawled on him ig, and then:]
It's not like I care if I gotta swim. [she tells him, but. she also would prefer a boat.] How easy is it gonna be to get a ship?
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Hmm... We're pretty far for you to just swim directly to where mine should still be back on Banaro, but we can steal a small one to get there. We don't need a good one if we can get mine. [ he's like, sort of drawing a map to himself as he says it, gesturing to the sky ] The island I was on is deep in government territory... Sabaody's closest, but we can't go further from that without a boat that can withstand going underwater. I could try to get in contact with people around there but it's got a lot of government involvement too. So going back instead, grabbing a boat and getting to Banaro to get Striker would be easier. No one could have gone off with it, since it only works with my fruit.
[ he is kind of babbling considering she has no context for any of this, he's just trying to math out the safest way to get away without being hounded by the government again to die. he'd like. he'd like five minutes of peace. ]
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anyway she just listens to him talk, and she doesn't really understand literally any of it, but it's okay. she gets he's charting it out, and besides that it kind of feels like the thing a first mate might do? just listening to their captain figure out a course of action. casually just assigns herself first mate.]
Ssssure, okay. [she says, with a little grin, but:] Is Striker your ship? What do you mean it only works with your fruit?
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Mm. [ there's nostalgia and fondness as he tells the story: ] When I set out, I got shipwrecked on a deserted island before I got a crew, trying to find a rare treasure rumored to be there. The currents and rocks around the shore were too strong, so anyone who wound up there never came out alive. All the boats I tried to build just kept breaking before going anywhere because of that. About a week in, I met some other poor sap stuck there. He ended up being my first mate when I made the Spades. Long story short, we found and split the Devil Fruit. I got the powers, but he's the one who got the idea to build a boat that uses a propulsion system with my flames so we could bypass the current. I've had Striker since. It's small, but it's probably one of the fastest ships on the sea thanks to that. It's not a real pirate ship, but it'll get us to people.
[ boops her nose. it's just fond and proud and a little hehe past me is stupid vibes ]
Deu wears a mask, and he didn't want to give me his name at first, so I gave him the one he goes by now. Masked Deuce! [ he laughs a little ] He hates when I add the masked part. Deuce sounds like Ace, right? I wanted us to match.
[ HAS NEVER ONCE JUST LEARNED IT MEANS TWO. ]
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she slaps his hands away, amused - and listens with a fascination that's probably embarrassing. not that she cares or notices that's what she's giving off. she didn't even know there was such a thing as islands with currents that are too strong to get around, she hasn't been to an ocean in a very long time... and, well, past that, she kind of just likes hearing about ace's past.]
I guess it does. [she teases. she's like deuce sort of sounds like ace? does france exist in nimona i don't know. i don't know if she knows it means two either so they're both out of luck]
You basically gave him a superhero name, I'd complain too. [hehe] That works, though, with Striker? I can just hang out as a bird or something while you navigate.
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the thing is ace doesn't talk about himself but he loves talking about the people he cares about. tragedy. so he actually likes that nimona is fascinated because he wants her to know them too, because he cares about her. it is a very simple sort of thing. ]
He was wearing a mask and hiding his identity, I couldn't not give him one. [ hehes a little gremlin-y. the masked part was him being a shit. ] Anyway, don't worry about that, there's space enough for two people on there. You can switch into whatever form so long as it's not too big. A rhino won't fit.
[ she just has to like. stick in front because the back is where ace does the fire ]
... I want to try to find Luffy first. [ unfortunately luffy will be in hiding but he doesn't know that ] Then we can check on my crew.
[ aGAIN GUILT because like. what's left of them. rip ]
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she looks up at the sky too - they're still sprawled on the sand, which she's okay with. she likes being outside. the guilt makes her reach for his wrist, and then his hand. she squeezes it, briefly, and then lets go.]
I said it already but I absolutely gotta meet Luffy. [there's something excited there? she thinks she'll really like luffy, honestly.] ... He's gonna be really happy to see you.
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anyway there's a little bit of fondness and embarrassment at the hand squeeze. the embarrassment isn't for the hand squeeze it's for being EMOTIONALLY EXPOSED. he hates it.
it quickly turns into like. they're talking about luffy so it's love and devotion and More Guilt and also worry and also exasperation, because it's luffy, ]
You gotta. He'll think you're so cool. Especially if you turn into a talking beetle. [ amused fondness exasperation but like. 100% sincere. why beetles, luffy. and also there's fondness at her wanting to meet luffy. that feeling of excitement at two people you really love meeting. and then we're back to guiiiilt ] ... Yeah. Man, he's probably going to cry.
[ so will ace but that's. fine. ]
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she laughs at the talking beetle part because what. and like she doesn't do requests, but... she would do that request.]
I mean, yeah, but it won't be bad crying. [she says, elbowing him.] I can't think of anything that'd be less sad than thinking someone you care about was dead and they're not, actually.
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I think I'd be a little mad they let me think they were dead, but I guess you're right. It wouldn't be bad. [ there's something a little conspirational when he says; ] Last time he thought I was dead we were ten, and I got mad at him for killing me off so easily.
[ but ace at ten got offended at everything it's fine ]
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What, he just thought you blew up or something?
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[ admittedly in retrospect most people would assume him dead ]
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[ "why did you stay in the fire to fight the guy in the first place" anyway. also hilarious that the only bit of dadan nimona saw was her saying I DON'T EVEN CARE IF HE DIES STUPID DEVIL CHILD and then this story
sorry his foster mom is tsundere ]
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... Don't vanish on me for three days or else.
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[ because he does. still have a tendency to go off to do his own thing. it's fine ]
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but he's right, she will keep up.] ... I can look like other people, too. When I'm not here. I don't know if I ever told you that.
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Huh. Really? That's cool. [ he does seem to feel like it's cool, though there's a bit of ? ] That could be useful if you ever want to sneak around when you've got your own wanted poster.
[ he has like. no doubt nimona will get one ]
Look like whatever you want so long as I can still find you.
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Yeah. Obviously. [she says, stretching a bit.] I usually leave some pink somewhere, like in my hair or whatever. Or my eyes. Stuff nobody but you's gonna notice.
Did you pick your name? The Fire Fist one or whatever.
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[ her squiggly feeling gets affection back so he boops her face again ]
Sort of? Fire Fist was the attack I was most well known for when I got my wanted poster. Sending out fire with my fist. I've taken out dozens of ships at once with that. [ prideful of all his murder ] Not everyone gets to pick like that, but it helps if you yell things out.
[ there's a pause and his enthusiasm drops a little ]
I'm sure they'll update my wanted poster when they figure out I'm alive. Probably too much to hope they leave my name the way it is.
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Yeah, but I'll make sure you know it's me. [as for the rest, she shifts, glancing up at him. god she's gonna just be covered in sand forever.]
You yell your attack names out? Okay. [the vibe is ok dork, even if she does think it's wildly cool that he took out a bunch of ships.
a little ? ping...] Update your poster? Why?
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[ YELLING OUT YOUR ATTACKS IS COOL, NIMONA. HE IS GENUINELY OFFENSE. also yea they are both just going to be sand forever but he has no qualms about it. just kind of a dissatisfied type feeling when he thinks about the rest ]
... The world knows me as the pirate king's son now, whether I like it or not. [ which his feelings on that are angry, because whitebeard's his dad, fuck you, etc, ] So they'll probably raise my bounty and change my name back to his.
[ he shrugs and the feeling is now like. wry. he's aware it doesn't matter, it's just a poster. but. y'know. ]
It's stupid, but I was kinda relieved when the profiles in this place still had it down as Portgas.
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and like - her instinct is to tell him to own it, but she knows it's more complicated than that, and she knows that he doesn't want to own it. maybe it doesn't matter on a large scale, but it matters to him. it's his identity. he should get to present himself however he wants to - he should get to be whoever he wants and the world should have to accept it.
all that buzzes around in her chest, a bright and stubborn sort of sensation, and then:]
It's not stupid. You can still be that. [she rolls over to just sprawl on him, frowning.] I know what you mean. You can't change what the world thinks of you.
But you're the only person who can say who you are. [...] And you'll always be just Ace to me.
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kind of oofs as she sprawls on him like she actually weighs anything to him, but her buzzing feeling and talk just make his emotions something warm and soft and also a little embarrassed he even mentioned anything. he doesn't want to complain about silly things all his issues should stay in the vault ]
Yeah, I know. [ children of the sea and all. plops the hat so it rests on her back and he can ruffle her hair like an asshole ] Thanks, Nimona.
[ a beat ]
Well, I can at least change one way the world thinks of me. Considering I'm coming back alive in the first place.
[ lol. lmao. living. ]
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