(no subject)

[mera_mera_ace]

Characters: Ace, Marco, Thatch, Grell, Espio, Toby, Namur, Open
Location: Quad, Marco/Grell's room, who knows where else.
Rating: PG +, never can tell with this family
Summary: Ace just arrived and needs to meet the rest of his wonderful family. That includes the rest of Garden too.



It had been a few crazy days to say the least. Ace had gone from a near death experience to being dragged through time and space to a completely new place unrelated to his own world. After take a few days to get rested up, learn the ropes of Garden, and enroll in classes he finally felt as though he could hold his own here.

So here he stood outside of his room waiting patiently for Marco to come along and get him. The blond had asked him to meet up with him so he could introduce him to the rest of the family. Ace had to admit it. He was curious about Marco's child. What would he be like and would he accept Ace as his uncle? He took a deep breath and leaned against the wall. Marco sure as hell better hurry up before he got bored of waiting and wandered off.

Comments

[fierybluebird]

"I'm surprised you managed to stay awake," Marco drawled in deadpan, practically dragging a pink chameleon he kept grabbing and then thrust awkwardly into Ace's direction.

"This is Espio. He's in a bad mood. He's met you before, like Grell, so he's mad at being forgotten. He's also engaged to my son and Toby is in a state of late. Be nice."

Whether the latter warning was for Ace, Espio, or both of them wasn't entirely clear.

[espio]

Espio, for his part, was... miserable, to say the least, and looking rather disgruntled at having been dragged over here. And for what? To meet more pirates? Geez. It's not like he even belonged with the other damn pirates. Why does he have to interact with them all when it's not like they're gonna give a shit about him. The only reason they even bother at all is because Marco wanted them to.

So Ace just got glared at for a moment before he turned back to Marco, without even a 'hi' in the right direction.

"You really think I care about being 'forgotten'? It's not like I really knew Ace."

[mera_mera_ace]

Ace was about to give Marco a snarky comment when he noticed the pink chameleon being thrust towards him. He knelt down, Espio sure was tiny, and he knew he was huge and really didn't wanna be intimidating, even if the kid was giving him a cold shoulder. Ace had no idea that he and Espio were the same age at all.

"Sorry I don't remember you. I know for a fact it's not fun being forgotten. What do you say we start over? Hi, I'm Ace." He said holding out his hand and smiling widely at Espio.

1/3

[fierybluebird]

Marco let out an exasperated sigh. Screw it, he has lost the will to hide shit. You're all annoying him.

"Fine, Espio is also mad that his universe or realm got destroyed so I vowed to drag him to our world and he feels like Namur and Thatch don't love him as much yet, which is because they're being idiots who are scared of dealing with new nakama and trying not to feel replaced, oh right, and Toby and Espio are also blaming themselves for everyone's problems when the reality is, it's all just it's colliding at once, a lot to deal with and everyone needs to get over it and move on with me already. Can we stop rehashing the past yet?"

2/3

[fierybluebird]

Yeah.

No.

Marco did not actually say any of that. Just thought it very hard and had he been a fraction less composed he might have said it out loud, but as it was, for all his info-dump mode, he hadn't taken leave of all his senses yet.

3/3

[fierybluebird]

Instead, since Marco was still trying to figure out how to resolve all those issues, he tackled the most direct one in front of him, as is his way.

He picked up Espio to his cheeks and gave him an overly affectionate squish to forcibly remind the chameleone that he was he still very, very loved. "So now's your chance. And then if Namur or Thatch say you don't know about the past, you can tell them that you do know it, through them." He pat Espio's head and handed him off to Ace with a big grin.

"Espio was my best man at my wedding. And he's a pilot that flies the Garden sometimes. He's also the only person I'd even ever remotely trust with Toby, so you don't have to kick his ass. Plus, he's been dealing with hotheads almost as long as you've been one, so he could probably kick your ass. More incentive to play nice, eh?"

Ironically Marco didn't need to tell Espio anything about Ace, because well, he already had. Ad nauseum. Poor Espio was probably as sick of the stories as they were all sick of Ace's stories about Luffy.

[espio]

If Marco was expecting that hug to help at all, he was proven wrong. Espio just shoved him, pushed himself away and jumped to the floor before Ace even got to hold him, without so much as a sarcastic comment about being picked up or passed around like some pet.

"You know, I'm really not bothered right now. I'm going back to my room."

[mera_mera_ace]

Ace just kept kneeling and shook his head. He could remember being that standoffish himself when he first was adopted into Whitebeard's crew. He nodded to Espio and grinned still. "No worries kid, I'm not going anywhere. I'll come find you later....we can have some...'fun'." And by fun Ace meant raising hell and making a mess that the blue turkey would have to clean up.

Ace had to admit, it was a little disheartening to not have Espio's approval or acceptance. But he was used to that feeling, and more importantly he could tell the young chameleon wasn't in the best of moods. Best to wait and badger him for real when he was in better spirits.

For Toby, and probably Espio

[redcinemareel]

In a vibrant tangle of red, Grell appeared just a few feet from Toby. She knew where her son was hiding all this time. If she could give off an aura, it would be flashing red by now. She was still bristled by her conversation with Espio the Jerk.

[corruptedsouls]

Tobias had mostly been dozing in his room, hidden under the bed with the blankets pulled over in a way that it hid him from sight. It was a comfort right now, when all he wanted to do was fade in the darkness, and one easy enough to do.

When Grell appears, though, Pikachu bristles and causes him to stir, poking his head out from his little fort.

"...Mom?"

[redcinemareel]

At first, Grell turned around to see where the voice came from before seeing the cover move at her feet. Of course he would be down there.

She knelt down, peering at him and Pikachu. "Hiding from the world, still?"

[corruptedsouls]

"A little. I wanted to sleep and just think for a while."

He climbs out properly, adjusting his pajama top and yawning a little.

"What are you doing here?"

[redcinemareel]

"I'll get right to the point." She sat on the edge of his bed, crossing her arms. "You're fiance is an idiot and probably doesn't deserve anyone as wonderful as you."

[corruptedsouls]

Huh?

"Why?"

Tobias blinks a little again, rubbing his eyes to try to wake up fully. For some reason, he felt groggy...

Late afternoon

[om_nom_namur]

Namur was on his way back to his room after classes when he noticed a familiar figure walking in front of him, and ran to catch up.

"Hey Firebreath!" he chuckled, tackling his little brother from behind. "How y' settlin' in?"

[mera_mera_ace]

Ace was shuffling down the hall rather aimlessly as he headed back to Thatch's room. He was planning on taking a nap. All morning he has spent trying to get acquainted with Marco's kids and all he learned was that they were having some major issues at the moment.

He heard Namur call out and turned, smiling widely at his fishman brother. "Alright I guess. They're making me take classes...and it sucks so bad. I hate it already and it has barely been a week."

[om_nom_namur]

"Ehh, y'll get used t' the classes," Namur said. "It's hard but y' learn some wicked cool shit. Check this out." He fiddled with the handheld GF interface- which he'd figured out a way to attach to straps and keep wrapped around his wrist- then stepped back and crashed his fists together. Flames engulfed his hands and flickered up his arms on impact.

"Know that ain't nothin' t' you, but watch." Namur put out the flames, pushed some more buttons on the device, and crashed his fists together again, this time sending lightning skirting across his arms. "Can do it with teeth or feet or anythin' I want, since my body's my weapon. They give y' a Guardian Force yet?"

[mera_mera_ace]

"Not yet. We're suppossed to go over junctioning tomorrow I think. It's only been like 3 days since I technically started classes." He said a bit out of it. He was more impressed by what Namur just did. Sure he could already do the fire thing but lightning?

"How did you do that again?"

[om_nom_namur]

Namur laughed, and punched some more buttons. This time, ice spread out over his knuckles, and nearly up his whole arm. Clearly, this is the strongest of the three elements. "Y' got t' have a GF first. An' y' got t' make friendly with 'em, so practice with 'em an' shit like that. Then after awhile once they get t' know y', they'll junction up with y' an' make it so y' can do cool shit. This one's Shiva. The others are Quetzalcoatl an' Ifrit. Y'll prob'ly get along with him best, I think. Ifrit does all the fire shit."

[mera_mera_ace]

Ace had a huge smile on his face as he reached out touching Namur's are carefully. It was so cool!!!! He was impressed and he was kind of interested in this Ifrit thing. "That sounds like fun! Maybe I'll actually go to class tomorrow," Oops...did he say that out loud? Oh well?

"So how long have you been here? Thatch and Marco said they'd been here years." Ace leaned against the wall, not wanting to block the hall in case anyone came through.

Later on.

[corruptedsouls]

Tobias knew a lot about Ace. With Marco as his father, he knew even far before Ace had ever shown up. And even with him struggling with his own problems, his Dad had gone a long way in making him feel better, so it was only really fair that he speak to his new uncle, too.

Which is why, some time later in the day, Tobias had gone looking, inhaling a little as Pikachu chittered out on sighting him.

"Um... Hello."

Re: Later on.

[mera_mera_ace]

"Huh? Oh Hi." Ace smiled at Toby and Pikachu. "Oh, it's so cute! What is it?" Ace said leaning over a bit to get a better look at Pikachu, but not touching her. Ace had heard mention of Toby but had no idea what he looked like, so the kid before him didn't register as his new nephew.

[corruptedsouls]

"Um, this is Pikachu, and I'm Tobias. I think... you're my uncle, Ace?"

Pikachu eyed Ace a little suspiciously, shifting on Tobias' shoulders and flicking her ears.

[mera_mera_ace]

"Tobias?" Ace stood for a second thinking and musing. "TOBY!" Ace grinned and picked him up spinning him around in a circle. "Oh man it's great to meet you finally! Marco hardly shut up about you! You really are adorable! And so is your little mouse thing!" Yes. Ace was excited indeed to finally meet his not so little nephew.

[corruptedsouls]

Of all the things to happen, being picked up wasn't what Tobias expected, though seeing as it is Marco's brother, he probably shouldn't have been surprised. He latched onto Ace, unable to entirely contain a light giggle at the spinning. Pikachu hung tight to Tobias' back, cheeks sparking in annoyance at the sudden movement. It was fine if MARCO did it, but this guy...

...won her over with the adorable comment. She makes a flattered "Cha" noise, flicking her ears pleasedly.

"It's nice to meet you, Uncle Ace."