Backdated to the weekend Beach Party and Birthday Log! \o/

[fierybluebird]

[Marco runs around setting everything up. There's platters of food laid out -- more than enough and some extra as a habit from dealing with Ace and 1600 pirates, a boombox with tons of music, beach volleyball set up, a campfire, and according to Selphie and Marco, fireworks for later. GO NUTS. There will be some threads set up, but you can make your own or do anything! Just remember if the thread gets wild, mark it as NSFW.]

Comments

[fierybluebird]

[Marco also brought a book. No lie. Just ask Namur and Thatch, he used to do this all the time back in their world. So he leans against the chameleon, pets his head, and casually reads.]

[thatched]

Ah my two favorite bastards in one place. [he may be smashed out of his mind as he gives big hugs and a sloppy kiss on the cheek to both of you crazy kids] You wanna go for a swim?

[espio]

[SGSFFSFF shove!]

No! I can't swim!

[At least, not very well, but Marco can't swim either!]

[fierybluebird]

No.

[SO THEY CAN BOTH DIE?! Screw you! And if you get his pages wet, he's kicking you with love you bastard!]

[thatched]

Suit yourself, honey dolls. I'll have my fun without you. [and with a nip to Marco's ear, he staggers off as drunk as he came by]

[espio]

Well, that was interesting.

[Sigh.]

So, Twinklebird. I think this is the first time we've been near enough to talk today.

[fierybluebird]

[He just watches Thatch leave and then nods quietly.]

Congratulations. Toby seems happy about the engagement.

[espio]

I can't believe how happy I am that he agreed. I knew it would be a good feeling, just not so much I can't...

Ah! Dammit!

[Snatches Marco's book and runs away with it.]

[fierybluebird]

[askdljalskdjalskdj]

[Chases after, switches to phoenix and tackles him, quickly chattering in phoenix a thousand outrages, despite how incoherent they'll seem. Eventually though, he just quiets down and looks at Espio expectantly.]

[espio]

[He's happy to wrestle, grinning like a maniac the whole time. When Marco settles down? He holds the book out. This what you wanted?]

[fierybluebird]

[Shakes his head no. Still waiting.]

[espio]

I can't put it into words! I don't know what the words are! I'm just... I can't believe he showed up! That he remembers! Right when I just got the ring and everything! And then said yes to me!

[fierybluebird]

[Soft phoenix grin and pats his head with a wing.]

[He knows the feeling. He can't put his own thoughts or emotions into words, but he is glad for them both.]

[So he chirps cheerfully and nudges Espio with the top of his head.]

[espio]

But...

[He remembers talking to Thatch on the BBS, and how he'd just killed the whole damn conversation when Grell came up, even before Espio told him he didn't want his wedding reception to be Whitebeard themed.

Marco's family... are going to be a problem, aren't they?

Or more specifically, Thatch is.]

No. That's not related. I -

I think we're looking at Spring next year, if you're interested.

[fierybluebird]

[If he's interested? If he's interested? Marco irritably flips his tail up and down like an angry cat, though his face doesn't give much away.]

[Of course he's interested! Who does Espio think he is?]

[Wait. Does Espio think Marco and the others don't want him to get married? Argh, so much is a mess, and there's not time to process anything!]

[Marco headbutts Espio again to knock him off balance, and then switches to human and picks him up by his feet.]

Espio, who was my best man at my own wedding? Just whose son do you think you are marrying?

[Flicks Espio's forehead.] Don't misunderstand, we are all happy for you, eh? All of us.

It's just fast and I know I feel like I'm juggling eight balls when I don't know even know how to handle three, eh?

Spring's a good time for it. He'll be graduated and eighteen. And don't even think of marrying him before then.

[A small sigh and scoops Espio up in a giant hug, right-side up.] I am really happy for you kiddo. Both of you.

[espio]

Hey!

[Urk, Espio's getting motion sick from being tossed around like this... the fact he spent the whole time flailing manically didn't help.]

[So... you're happy for him, huh? Well... yeah, okay, Espio kinda figured Marco'd be happy about it. But all of them...?

He can't help a small, harsh laugh into Marco's shoulder as he's being the helpless victim of a hug.]

All of you. Yeah. Sure.

[fierybluebird]

You're an idiot. [One armed hug now and a light noogie with a grin.]

Aye. All of us, eh? Thatch, Namur, and Grell included. We're having trouble showing it because it's fast. You forget how old we are, eh? Thatch and Namur are just having troubles adjusting to the fact that you've been here for the last three years when they weren't. Frankly, us old guys? We're all a little jealous. It's a lot of changes and it takes awhile to adapt, okay? But we are happy for you, even if we have trouble showing it. I promise.

If we weren't? We wouldn't be nice enough to even say Congratulations. Pirates, remember? We're not nice.

[espio]

Unless it's just a token comment to satisfy you.

[Because as far as Espio can tell, that's what it is. He's got the distinct impression Thatch doesn't even want to try to get to know him or Grell. He's been sort-of-okayish maybe, but the way he abruptly finishes conversations and gets dismissive on the rare occasion he even bothers to talk to him makes Espio pretty damn uncomfortable. Hell, even when Thatch was drunk the conversation seemed to go sour.

And as for cutting off the conversation the second Grell was even mentioned, well...

Espio doesn't really care who likes him. If he cared, he'd make an effort to be more approachable. But the way Thatch is, that's just disrespectful to Marco, and aren't they supposed to be best bros?! What kind of complete ass does he have to be to act like they don't count for anything when Grell's Marco's wife and, within possibly the next year, he'll be Marco's son-in-law.]

Because frankly, Thatch doesn't even want to talk to me! He pretends, but it's obvious. I know the difference between not liking someone and not even wanting to like them.

[fierybluebird]

[Sets Espio on his head, and whistles to himself thoughtfully.]

Okay, I need some distance from the people. So we're going for a walk.

[So he can think through the words to use.]

And you're right. He doesn't want to like you, eh. Because liking you means hurting you. Because liking you means hurting him. And aye, that's immature, but he spent too many years alone after being stabbed in the back.

What if Shadow instead of being some psycho sick of the Special Zone had been one of you? And what if you had died from it? And what if because he killed you, the rest of the Chaotix tried to avenge you, stop him, and failed?

I hope my best friend is not so stupid as to blame himself, but I know most of my family still does. Ace did. [Closes his eyes and thinks more.] Everyone seems to think they should have known that Blackbeard was a bad seed. That he was plotting, that he wasn't to be trusted.

But wouldn't that mean distrusting fellow nakama? Thatch has been hurt in the worst ways possible. All his problems are bubbling just below the surface where I can't reach them. The thing is though, you, and Grell, and Toby, you can. You can help. But not if he won't let you. And he won't because he's like Toby was. He's scared to death of hurting anyone else, especially those who try to help him, understood? I'm not going to ask you to fight your way through to him, that's my place. And I always will.

Thatch was my you when we were younger. I was a lot like Toby back then. Wild, barely human, I wanted to believe I could be alone, even when I knew I could not. Even now, there are times when the phoenix part of me wants to take over and I wish to ignore that I'm still a little bit human, that I'm still a man with family and responsibility. Thatch pulled me through that. He befriended me as a bird and taught me how to be human. But it was like you. It wasn't just being human, it was to not be afraid of people. To learn how to interact with that, all right?

I assure you Espio, we don't do token comments to satisfy anyone. Namur isn't even capable and Thatch is too much of a jerk. We are merely dealing with a lot of our own things, and as such, not as supportive as we would like to be okay?

He's jealous. You are young, happy, in love, and with a bright future ahead of you that he feels he does not have. I don't know how to reach into that darkness completely, you'll have to trust your instincts, but if he truly wasn't willing to make any effort? He wouldn't be here. He would have run away a long time ago. He's wanted to bolt a hundred times, I can see it, because I'm the same way. But he's staying. For me, and because deep down, beyond the darkness, he's not that weak.

Do me a favor, and keep trying, eh? You'll wear him out before you know it. And if you can provoke an argument in him that's good.

[Sighs and rubs the back of his neck.] Poor Namur... According to him Thatch was even worse before they came here. I didn't think that was possible, eh?