[she finishes one hand, and then - just fucking punches him in the ribs!]
Knock it off. You're not our captain here, dude, it's not on you. [scowling...] But even if you were, you're not the only person who screwed up, and it's dumb of you to be like blah blah, I'm a piece of hot garbage for not somehow magically knowing who was going to die ahead of time and saving two people all by myself. Dumbass. This is why heroes suck.
[she grabs his other hand. in a pissy tone:]
You can avenge them, though. That part still works. [...] So we find who did it together and kill them. Alright, Boss?
Oof--[ what the fuck! he kind of rubs at his side with his free hand and an annoyed frown. ] I'm not trying to be a hero.
[ is this all he got from that speech? maybe. but also he knows he's not in charge of them, but he still feels like he is, and it's hard to explain so he doesn't bother. he's staying quiet and letting her switch hands and work on that one instead. ]
... Yeah. Yeah, alright. [ but, also, he has to-- ] You can't say I'm not captain and then call me boss.
[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.
[ 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.
[ 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.
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.
[ 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.
[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.]
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.
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.
[ 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. ]
[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.
[ 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 ]
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2023-09-30 04:49 am (UTC)Knock it off. You're not our captain here, dude, it's not on you. [scowling...] But even if you were, you're not the only person who screwed up, and it's dumb of you to be like blah blah, I'm a piece of hot garbage for not somehow magically knowing who was going to die ahead of time and saving two people all by myself. Dumbass. This is why heroes suck.
[she grabs his other hand. in a pissy tone:]
You can avenge them, though. That part still works. [...] So we find who did it together and kill them. Alright, Boss?
no subject
Date: 2023-09-30 05:00 am (UTC)[ is this all he got from that speech? maybe. but also he knows he's not in charge of them, but he still feels like he is, and it's hard to explain so he doesn't bother. he's staying quiet and letting her switch hands and work on that one instead. ]
... Yeah. Yeah, alright. [ but, also, he has to-- ] You can't say I'm not captain and then call me boss.
[ almost a tease. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-30 05:13 am (UTC)You're not trying, you just can't help yourself. [she mutters.] Can't do anything but fight, he says.
[her ears are a little red, though, at the teasing.]
Shut up, I didn't mean to call you that. [she did but she's EMBARRASSED]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-30 05:17 am (UTC)I'm not lying. I know what I'm good for.
[ no he does not but anyway moving on he likes her embarrassment better even if he is missing the full capacity to look amused there; ]
Hey, I didn't say I disliked it.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-30 05:23 am (UTC)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.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-30 05:31 am (UTC)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. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-30 05:43 am (UTC)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?
no subject
Date: 2023-09-30 05:49 am (UTC)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. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-30 05:54 am (UTC)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.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-30 06:03 am (UTC)[ 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.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-30 06:20 am (UTC)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.]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-30 06:22 am (UTC)...By me? [ WHO THE FUCK ELSE IS IN THIS PARK, THE SHARK? ]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-30 06:25 am (UTC)she gives him a Look, ears still red.]
Ew, don't make a big deal out of it. [yes, by you]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-30 06:31 am (UTC)[ 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?
no subject
Date: 2023-09-30 06:35 am (UTC)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.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-30 06:40 am (UTC)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.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-30 07:09 am (UTC)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.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-30 07:15 am (UTC)Thank you. [ it's a little quiet. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-30 07:28 am (UTC)so she settles against his side and stays.]
You don't gotta. [thank her. but.] You're welcome, though.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-30 07:44 am (UTC)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 ]