[she looks at him, expression mostly firm. she only wobbles a bit.]
Yeah, it is, because if you don't, they'll just sell you out next. They gotta know that it's bad news to screw with monsters. It doesn't make you a hero just because you can shove a sword through someone who doesn't look like you!
[sometimes you project a little. or a lot.]
They should know better, so I'll make them know better.
I said it wasn't only about the message. [ he's pretty calm as she projects. there's something a little relatable to her projection, mainly. ] Are you doing this to prove something to the world, or to avenge Rocket? Because a weapon doesn't care about the people who died.
[ he'll repeat himself because it was truly about the wording; ]
You're not a gun, Nimona. People are the ones who grieve and take revenge.
[a weapon doesn't care about the people who died. that's... that's true. that's the director. that's every knight who shouted destroy it, no matter what form, and it's someone who she thought had changed the way he saw her, pulling his sword on her.
and she doesn't want to be like them. so.
she swallows hard, and then:]
I'm not people. [she tells him, voice breaking just a little. but. even so.] ... I want to avenge Rocket.
You're not human, sure. Doesn't make you not a person. [ he's not going to harp on that description too much, though, putting her back against him and starting to walk again ] Then let's do that. Let's figure out who killed him and put them down.
[ well. he notices but he's not going to call her out on it ]
If that's what you want. You were closer to him anyway. [ there's a pause and then just to lighten the mood 10%: ] I was busy being Groot's best friend.
she makes a note to like not joke about that again probably, and instead:] Considering like one of the only things I know about him is that he ate something that turned him into rubber without even thinking, like. Yeah.
Awesome, though. At least neither of you are boring.
Thanks. You're not wrong, Luffy's the least boring person in existence. [ and himself? well anyway here's more about luffy ] When we were kids, he was clumsy and a total crybaby, always getting himself into trouble. He nearly got eaten or fell off a cliff more times than I want to count.
[she shifts, reaching to bap the side of his face with her paw.]
You talk about him a lot. [this is a neutral statement - she doesn't think it's a bad thing, really, she just has noticed that he doesn't sing his own praises very much.]
[ laughs. it's not sheepish or anything but there's something self-aware there ]
Haha, yeah. I've been told that before. [ he shrugs a little ] I wasn't always nice when we were kids. But I promised I'd take care of him, so I've got to root for him too.
[ which is to say, do it, he deserves. his smile turns a little more wistful then ]
Not always. We had another brother. Sabo. ...He was killed when we were kids. [ there's no easy way to say that, so he just. says it. ] We were the same age, so it was two big brothers and one little brother.
[she squirms when he says that, in a way that makes it seem like she's just coincidentally bunting him. she is allergic to sorry, so she doesn't say it.]
What got him? [he doesn't have to answer, she's just curious.]
[ scritch scritch because he doesn't mind. he's always going to talk about sabo if someone asks, he just doesn't volunteer him like he does luffy because, well. dead brother. ]
The world. [ it sounds almost like a joke but he's being very serious. ] The three of us promised we'd be pirates so we could be free. Sabo... I met him when we were both about five. He'd run away from home. I didn't know that at the time, though. He pretended to be an orphan for years, like I'd care who his parents were. He was forced to go back when we were about ten. He ran away again and set sail. Sent me a letter to apologize that he was going on ahead. I got it after he was already...
[ he sighs a little as he looks up at the sky ]
There's these people who have control over the world. They're called Celestial Dragons, and people basically treat them like gods. One of them was visiting our island, and since Sabo's ship was near... they shot it down.
[ he normally wouldn't go into so many details, probably, but he just lets it spill out ]
we promised we'd be pirates so we could be free feels so similar, like the echo of a promise she made once. she frowns, as much as her kitty face allows, and then:]
Why'd they shoot it down? Just for no reason? [she sounds a little angry on his behalf, almost.] ... That's garbage, that - sucks.
[her tail wraps gently around his wrist where he's scritching, bracing.]
He was in their way, probably. [ there is something like an old anger there, but he sighs and scritches and tries to let it go ] Yeah. It sucked. They had to tie me down so I didn't do anything stupid. Sabo was-- he was a lot better, as a brother. As a person. [ he says it like it's a fact ]
He asked me to take care of Luffy for him. And I promised Luffy we'd live without regrets and be free for Sabo.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2023-09-23 05:16 am (UTC)Yeah, it is, because if you don't, they'll just sell you out next. They gotta know that it's bad news to screw with monsters. It doesn't make you a hero just because you can shove a sword through someone who doesn't look like you!
[sometimes you project a little. or a lot.]
They should know better, so I'll make them know better.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-23 05:23 am (UTC)[ he'll repeat himself because it was truly about the wording; ]
You're not a gun, Nimona. People are the ones who grieve and take revenge.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-23 05:30 am (UTC)and she doesn't want to be like them. so.
she swallows hard, and then:]
I'm not people. [she tells him, voice breaking just a little. but. even so.] ... I want to avenge Rocket.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-23 05:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-09-23 05:44 am (UTC)maybe she purrs a bit too, but she's not admitting to that.]
Okay. [she says finally. against every bone in her body telling her to not let this happen again, she just lets it.] You gotta let me do it, though.
[she says, like she's not going to potentially wuss out]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-23 05:46 am (UTC)If that's what you want. You were closer to him anyway. [ there's a pause and then just to lighten the mood 10%: ] I was busy being Groot's best friend.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-23 05:50 am (UTC)Congrats, you're a dad now, I guess. [nobody in this cast should be in charge of groot but especially not either of these two doofuses]
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Date: 2023-09-23 05:59 am (UTC)No thanks. I'm a big brother at best, and I had my hands pretty full with Luffy.
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Date: 2023-09-23 06:10 am (UTC)she makes a note to like not joke about that again probably, and instead:] Considering like one of the only things I know about him is that he ate something that turned him into rubber without even thinking, like. Yeah.
Awesome, though. At least neither of you are boring.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-23 06:16 am (UTC)Thanks. You're not wrong, Luffy's the least boring person in existence. [ and himself? well anyway here's more about luffy ] When we were kids, he was clumsy and a total crybaby, always getting himself into trouble. He nearly got eaten or fell off a cliff more times than I want to count.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-23 06:20 am (UTC)You talk about him a lot. [this is a neutral statement - she doesn't think it's a bad thing, really, she just has noticed that he doesn't sing his own praises very much.]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-23 06:24 am (UTC)Haha, yeah. I've been told that before. [ he shrugs a little ] I wasn't always nice when we were kids. But I promised I'd take care of him, so I've got to root for him too.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-23 06:28 am (UTC)[...] Was it just the two of you?
no subject
Date: 2023-09-23 06:36 am (UTC)[ which is to say, do it, he deserves. his smile turns a little more wistful then ]
Not always. We had another brother. Sabo. ...He was killed when we were kids. [ there's no easy way to say that, so he just. says it. ] We were the same age, so it was two big brothers and one little brother.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-23 06:54 am (UTC)What got him? [he doesn't have to answer, she's just curious.]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-23 07:07 am (UTC)The world. [ it sounds almost like a joke but he's being very serious. ] The three of us promised we'd be pirates so we could be free. Sabo... I met him when we were both about five. He'd run away from home. I didn't know that at the time, though. He pretended to be an orphan for years, like I'd care who his parents were. He was forced to go back when we were about ten. He ran away again and set sail. Sent me a letter to apologize that he was going on ahead. I got it after he was already...
[ he sighs a little as he looks up at the sky ]
There's these people who have control over the world. They're called Celestial Dragons, and people basically treat them like gods. One of them was visiting our island, and since Sabo's ship was near... they shot it down.
[ he normally wouldn't go into so many details, probably, but he just lets it spill out ]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-23 02:54 pm (UTC)we promised we'd be pirates so we could be free feels so similar, like the echo of a promise she made once. she frowns, as much as her kitty face allows, and then:]
Why'd they shoot it down? Just for no reason? [she sounds a little angry on his behalf, almost.] ... That's garbage, that - sucks.
[her tail wraps gently around his wrist where he's scritching, bracing.]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-23 03:04 pm (UTC)He asked me to take care of Luffy for him. And I promised Luffy we'd live without regrets and be free for Sabo.
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Date: 2023-09-23 03:08 pm (UTC)[maybe she's allergic to sorry, but not this as much.] Not everybody would just pick up like that, like, they just. They just wouldn't.
[a beat, and then a little fiercely:] You're good too.
[after he's spent half an hour trying to remind her that she's got a soul, she can't just let he was a lot better slide.]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-23 03:59 pm (UTC)... Thanks. I'm trying, now. [ he laughs a bit, sheepish ] Sorry about talking your ear off.