catchall nimona

[selfimmolation]

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[selfimmolation]

A Devil Fruit.

[ that doesn't explain it more. also, well. he doesn't get why he would freak out, but he can tell it means a lot to her so, sure; ]

Sure. Promise I won't freak out.

[sharkgirl]

[it is very important to her, and the promise just gets her to look at him for another long moment. it's not like this matters, she's been in different forms several times with people around here, and it didn't matter, because she didn't care what they thought. they're all strangers. so is ace, technically!

maybe this one matters, though? she's not sure why, but it feels like it does, and she goes with her gut.

so - she transforms! into a little pink fox. if it looks like a wolf no it doesn't. it's a fox.]

[selfimmolation]

[ oh! he immediately crouches with a kind of !!! look, grinning ]

Like a Zoan fruit. Nice. Does that mean you've got other forms normally? Is that the difference?

[sharkgirl]

[there's

just this big sigh of relief. her tail wags just a little.]

I can be whatever I want, normally. I can only be a handful of things here, for an hour, and then I have to wait an hour to change again. [it is. torture.]

[selfimmolation]

Whatever you want? Woah, that's impressive.

[ he sounds like he genuinely means that too ]

It sucks that you can't do it now, but I can't say I'm not limited to not be the only one with my powers on the fritz. Usually, I could set this whole city ablaze, you know? [ a little wistful. MISSES BEING DESTRUCTION SO BAD!! ] What kind of things can you turn into here?

[sharkgirl]

[a little fox grin, at that first bit. and then, a little quieter:]

Yeah. It feels like - it's like being in a cage. [it's not fun! it sucks! but.] ... Sorry you're limited too. Uh - right now, I've been able to do a cat, a rhino, an armadillo, a horse, a bird, and this. But nobody has seen me as a bird or a fox.

Except you.

[selfimmolation]

Except me. [ huh. interesting. ] There's this item people can use back home, that inhibits powers like mine--but it stops them entirely. Never had a partial cage.

[ he thinks the metaphor is apt. also he kind of wants to scritchy the fox behind the ear by reflex so he ... holds out his hand listen he likes animals ]

I've got a friend who can turn into a bird, too.

[sharkgirl]

[she tilts her head to the side, ear flicking. when he holds out his hand, she gives him a flat look like please i am not a dog

and then butts her head forward so he can pet her if he wants. sheesh. humans (?).]

You do? [???] Just a bird? Or other things too? [...] Is that - you said you have that fruit thing, is it like that? The devil fruit. Jeeze, what an evil sounding name.

[selfimmolation]

[ ear scritchy with a grin. hehehe. ]

A phoenix, technically. He can turn into one, or just change partially, and he can't get killed, since he heals instantly. It's pretty cool. [ calling devil fruits evil makes him laugh again, also. ] Yeah. Devil Fruits. It's 'cause eating them is making a deal with the devil, so they say. Every fruit gives a different power--only way to know is if you've done a lot of research into what the one you'd want looks like. You get whatever power the fruit gives you... but in exchange, you can no longer swim. The sea hates you and it takes away all your strength.

[ dramatic. ]

[sharkgirl]

[she wiggles. like toothless waiting for fish.

she stores the phoenix information in the back of her mind. wow that's relevant even though she doesn't know it yet. anyway.]

-- You're a pirate. [she blurts this out, laughing.] You're a pirate and you ate one?

[YOU LIVE ON THE SEA]

[selfimmolation]

Yep! [ DON'T SOUND SO CASUAL ABOUT IT ] Our entire world's mostly sea--anyone eating a Devil Fruit better be sure they're worth it. My little brother ate one as a kid by accident! He's rubber. It's a pretty useless power, but he makes it work.

[sharkgirl]

He's rubber?

[she laughs again, and it sounds a little like gekkering.] He sounds like fun. Man, you guys have got guts, being out on the ocean with that.

[like, respect. also, she's going to go around telling everybody that she ate a devil fruit, so thanks ace.]

[selfimmolation]

[ he would back her up ]

Rubber! He can stretch, and he couldn't control it worth anything for the longest time! [ please. say something nice about luffy once. ] Mine makes me immune to most attacks, so it was a pretty lucky find.

[sharkgirl]

[this icon is cracking me up]

Yeah. I don't really feel anything, so same. [her ear flicks.] Are they rare? The fruits, I mean. Maybe not since your brother just accidentally found one and put it in his mouth.

[selfimmolation]

[ he bully ]

They're pretty rare. You can get hundreds of millions just by selling some. [ laughs because; ] The way Luffy tells it out, he was hanging out with a pirate crew in town and just gobbled up the one they had! He's lucky the captain was a nice guy.

[sharkgirl]

I guess if some kid ate my rubber fruit I wouldn't be that pressed. Like as far as powers go that's probably not high up there on the value.

You just have to be creative with it! Turn into a human parachute and flip a ship!

[selfimmolation]

I don't know if he's ever done a parachute, but he's gotten really good at being a human balloon last I saw. And he's immune to anything that wouldn't cut him, for the most part. That was a load off my mind.

[ a beat ]

And probably how he survived being eaten by alligators.

[sharkgirl]

[she has to think about this one...]

Wait, but... alligators have teeth? [she's trying to remember being an alligator for this reference point

also:] Have you not seen him in a while?

[selfimmolation]

I think he just bounced right in? I dunno, I didn't think of the logistics, I just beat up the animal.

[ i meant to write snake but it's fine don't question it. anyway he shrugs ]

We've got different crews and different goals. I left about three years before he did, but I got to meet his crew not too long ago. They seemed like a good bunch.

[sharkgirl]

[SNAKES ALSO HAVE TEETH its fine she doesn't really care to argue that much about it]

Huh. [she nudges against his hand again as a very subtle hint to scratch behind her ears.] What are you trying to do that's different from him?

[he doesn't have to answer any of these questions, she's just fascinated by pirates and the devil fruits and like, everything about one piece i guess.]

[selfimmolation]

Sorry, sorry. [ scritch scritch!!!! it's important to pet your local furries. ] He wants to be King of the Pirates! So that meant he had to be the captain of his own crew. First problem there--I wasn't about to get bossed around by my stupid little brother. [ every insult is said so fondly. it's gross. ] To get that title you've got to find a specific treasure--I've never been interested in that junk. I just wanted to spread my name across the seas.

[sharkgirl]

[it's cute, honestly, not that she'd ever admit it? she can tell he loves his brother. it's nice to hear someone care about someone like that.]

And how's that going for you, Mr. Flame Ghost? [her tail is wagging again.]

[selfimmolation]

[ he makes a face at that ]

It's "Fire Fist", but I guess if I can't do the technique it doesn't matter... [ he's annoyed!! his moniker!! oh right actual question ] That was my old goal, I guess. All I want to do now is help Whitebeard with his goals.

[sharkgirl]

[it's better than her's, which she will not be talking about!]

You really like that guy, huh. [she says, like it's weird to want to help people.]

[selfimmolation]

[ scratch scratch scratch... ]

He calls us his children. And he means it, you know? He'd go to war for any one of us. [ there's something very sure in ace's tone ] When the great pirate age started, twenty two years ago... There's this island everyone has to pass through to find the One Piece. It's got fishmen, and mermaids, and the rush through-- pirates ransacked the place. Stole people as slaves. And then one day Whitebeard came, and he put that island under his protection. And just his name was enough to get people to stay away from them.

He's got tons of islands like that. Government doesn't do squat for these people, but Pops takes care of 'em. He even took in a hopeless idiot like me, despite...

[ stops abruptly and laughs, a little sheepish and sudden ]

I'm talking your ears off. You get the idea.