concoursec | (no subject)

Current Mood: curious

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(no subject)

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.

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Oh. Damn him and his big mouth.

"Ain't a joke," he said, straightening up from his crouch. "Didn't none a them others tell y' 'bout Time Compression an' all that? Catch y' up on what we know's happened?"

Shit. Namur hoped there wasn't some let's not tell Ace thing going on that he'd missed.

"They told me about time compression but no one said anything about me dying!" His voice was raised...not screaming but filled with more panic then anything. How could they not tell him. How could they just let him come back and be with them when he...when he....

"Is Pops dead too?" He had to know. There was no ifs, ands, or buts. He had to know if Pops was dead too.

"Y' got that one on the first try," Namur wasn't entirely sure he wanted to be the one having this conversation. He isn't the best with words and right now, the right words were going to be important. "They told y' 'bout that but not 'bout yerself, huh? Damn guppy bastards."

He took a deep breath, then remembers to un-junction Quetzalcoatl from his attack.

"What's the last thing y' remember? From home, I mean."

"They hinted at it, they didn't outright say it." Ace fidgeted for a moment...he looked as though he might either light the entire training center on fire...or implode in on himself and shatter into a million pieces.

He really wasn't listening to Namur any longer, lost in his own thoughts and feelings. Was that why Thatch left him that first night? Because he was angry that Ace had been unable to defeat Teach? Were they all having a laugh? Angry at him because he was the reason Pops was dead? Flicks of flame moved off his bare shoulders. He tried to reel it in, but his emotions were a little too much at the moment. How could they not tell him? How could everyone just lie and act like everything was alright? Weren't they family? Wasn't he important? Why? Why? Why?

"WHY?!" Ace let out a rather large column of flame, not caring if anything caught on fire. In his haste to get away for a moment....to process all of this without being bothered...to cry where no one could see him...to mourn for his lost father...the fact that he broke his promise to Luffy...oh god...Luffy...! Tears threatened to fall and all he could do was run. Past Namur. Past all the other cadets and officers. Outside. Fresh air. He just kept running. He didn't care where, he just need solitude, and quiet, and a chance to process all of this before he saw anyone else.

"HELL IF I KNOW!" Namur yelled in response to Ace's question. But his voice was probably drowned out by the flames. He was glad he hadn't gotten around to un-junctioning Ifrit from his defense, because otherwise that fire would have hurt. And there went Ace, running out of the training center. Thankfully the place was made for people to practice things like casting fire and limit breaks, so no major damage was done. At least, not to the facility itself.

"Auugh what is with everyone bein' a damn brat and runnin' away lately?" Namur groaned, then turned to follow after his brother. Since when was Ace such a guppy-shit he couldn't even hear the whole story? Ace never ran from anything as far as Namur could remember.

Ace ran till he couldn't any more. He stood staring out over the ocean trying to keep from shaking as emotions built up within him. Tears started to fall, something he wanted to stop but just couldn't. It seemed he had been doing a lot of that lately. He cried when he learned Luffy was trying to save him. He cried when he begged his grandfather to kill him so that he could save his family and stop the coming war....and now he cried as he mourned the loss of the greatest man in his life.

He didn't cry for himself. He cried for Luffy, he cried for his brothers in the crew who lost their loving father, he cried for Marco who was now alone, and he cried for Thatch, for not being able to avenge his death. For not being strong enough to defeat Teach. He collapsed on the ground, his head in his hands as he sobbed for all those left behind to clean up his mess, for all those lives affected by his own selfish choices.

Edited 2013-08-18 22:10 (UTC)

A few minutes after collapsing to the ground, there was a soft thud in the sand, the sound of someone breathing softly beside him. Namur didn't say anything, just sat drawing pictures in the sand until Ace was ready to talk again.

He wasn't sure how long he cried until there were no tears left. Eventually he just leaned against Namur, he didn't say anything, just relaxed against the fishman, drawing in his strength. He was still a mess inside and he wasn't sure how he would react seeing Thatch and Marco. For now though, for now he was calmer.

Ace relaxing against him was a good sign. So it was just overload, not a full on fit. Namur slung a long arm over Ace's shoulders, holding him firm but not too tight. He tugged at a few of the scragglier strands of hair, then went back to doodling in the sand- nothing fancy, just graffiti of Ace's name- and waited until Ace broke the silence.

"Ne, Namur...does...does everyone else make it out okay?" Ace asked after a long while. He worried for his friends, he never wanted anyone to come after him and he was afraid to lose anyone else. Family meant the most to him out of everything.

Namur sighed heavily and patted Ace's shoulder. "Don't know, Matchstick. Got brought here when we was kinda still in the middle a things. What y' remember last? Can pick y' up from there an' tell y' all I know."

"Last thing I remember was Luffy getting me off the platform." Ace said softly, still leaning against his older brother and still feeling like utter shit. He wanted to know what happened. How he died, was it worth it? Did it matter in the end...that he was born? Or did it only bring heartache to those he loved?

It took Namur a second to think back, to get things clear in his head.

"We called a retreat, since we'd got what we came for. But Akainu went after y', started talkin' shit 'bout Pops t' make us mad an' want t' stay an' fight. Then Akainu went after yer little brother an' so y' blocked him..." The hand on Ace's shoulder squeezes a little tighter. "Y' took the hit for yer little brother, an' that's what did y' in."

Namur took a second to swallow, and steady his voice. "After that, ol' Jimbei snagged yer brother an' ran like hell. Was some shitty punk in the harbor with a submarine an' they hopped in with him. One a the other Supernovas, I think. We started gettin' overrun, so Pops came out an' ordered us all t' gather up behind him. Then he opened up this nasty, bigass chasm an' told us all t' go home. Said he wanted t' die protectin' his family. Captain's Orders an' everythin'..."

Shit, why was this still so painful? Hadn't he rehashed it enough lately? Namur sniffed, then took another deep breath. "Pops started fightin' off the Marines, right? Jus' plowin' through 'em with his bisento. But Teach showed up an' started talkin' shit. The Old Man disowned him, said he wasn't a son anymore an' they started t' fight. Then when the Old Man had him cornered, the shitty coward started pleadin' for his life an' Pops hesitated. It was jus' long 'nuff for Teach's new crew t' get in, an' the bastard told 'em t' blow Pops t' hell." Namur's hand started shaking a little, though he squeezed harder to try and make it stop. "We couldn't get back t' help or nothin', jus' watch the damn bastard kill the man who called him his son for longer'n y' been alive. Then they threw this tarp thing over him after he was dead an' Teach went under too, an' when he came out he had the Old Man's Devil Fruit ability. Used it an the darkness at the same time t' prove it weren't no trick. Then the ground opened up underneath me an' swallowed me like a damn seaking horkin' down a fish an' I woke up in Trabia. That's all I know. Marco saw more, said most a us made it out okay, though Jozu lost an arm or somethin'."

"So...so I died saving Luffy...." He wasn't happy he died...but if he had to go that was a good way to go. He could almost get over this and move on...but Namur kept going. Teach did what? He stole Pop's devil fruit ability? Ace was pissed. He was so far beyond angry he didn't know what to do. How could that man do that? How could he betray his family like that.

Though the knowledge that all of this had happened because he had failed to defeat Teach made him feel even worse again. He failed...and his father paid the price. He failed...and he died in front of his little brother. Ace couldn't help it. He started to cry again. He buried his head in his hands and wished he had his hat to hide his face. "It's all my fault."

Namur pulled Ace close, let him hide his face in his leg.

"It ain't yer fault. An' it ain't Thatch's. Yer both a couple a morons if y' let yerselves think that," he growled. "It's Teach's. He tasted a deception from the first day I joined the crew, but I overlooked it. Trusted that Pops wouldn't a made a mistake. An' y' know? One out a 1600 ain't bad. Jus'. That one ended up bein' the shittiest son of a bitch imaginable. Y' can't blame yerself for what that bastard's been plannin' since... hell. Since maybe 'fore he even joined the crew. We ain't."

"How could you not blame me? If I hadn't left, hadn't gone after him and let him defeat me...let myself get captured and ex...executed...." He choked a bit on that, still having trouble believing he was going to die. "If I hadn't done any of those things then Pops would still be alive!"

"An' if y' hadn't gone, y' would a lived yer life regrettin' it," Namur flicked the back of Ace's head. "Shit happens, Ace. Y' jus' got t' try an' wade through it the best y' can. Y ain't here alone, y' got me an' Thatch an' Marco. An' the others too, once we all figure out how t' work with each other. We're all goin' t' wade through it with y'. Teach's the one that set it up, made y' damned if y' went an' damned if y' didn't. We'll heap this hurt on his sorry ass if he ever has the gall t' show his damn face 'round these parts."

That was true too. If Ace hadn't gone after Marshall he would have regretted it forever. And that promise was older then his one to never die. Live without regret. Both he and Luffy had made that promise. Well, one things for sure, it sounded like he went down with one hell of a fight. Did it still hurt knowing, hell yes. Was it probably going to be a while before he was back to normal...oh yeah. But he knew with his family beside him, he could handle anything. And as long as he was in Garden, he had a chance to live again.

"Thanks, Namur." He whispered lightly, closing his red, sore eyes and leaning against the fishman again. He sat there watching the sun starting to set and realized how late it was getting. "We should head back. Before the others start to worry."

Namur smiled a little. "Take yer time, Ace. Y' been through a lot the last little while. Shit, everyone has. Last thing anybody needs is y' tryin' t' rush back 'fore y' got yer nets set jus' right."

Also if anyone was going to worry, they'd already be doing it, and a few more minutes wouldn't make too much of a difference.

Ace just leaned into the fishman and was silent. There was nothing more that needed to be said. It was a lot to take in and process. A lot to have to live with...knowing that ultimately he was going to leave everyone and never see them again. He let a few more tears slide down his cheeks as he closed his bloodshot eyes and relaxed. He felt tension start to leave his body and he supposed he might ask Thatch for a back rub later. That would be nice.

It wasn't long after that thought, that Ace fell asleep. His breathing was soft as the emotional upheaval he had experienced in the past few hours finally took its toll on him.

Namur gave him a few minutes of uninterrupted sleep. It felt like a whole damn hour, but Namur knew he didn't have that kind of patience. Then he picked up his sleeping nakama and carried him back to Garden.

Ace woke up before they reached the Garden entrance. "Nam-chan." Ace whispered. "You can put me down." He smiled standing when his brother put him down. "Thank you. For everything tonight, and for telling me about what happened. I appreciate it. I'll see you tomorrow, ok?" He smiled as he stuck his hands in his pockets. "I'm gonna go see if Marco's in his room. Good night, Namur." He said bidding the taller man good night and heading down the halls to Marco's room. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door, hoping Marco was in.

It was Grell that answered the door, with a book in her hand. Seeing Ace on the other side was surprising, but his face was as well.

"What's wrong, dear?" It was in the evening, and Marco, being the bird that he was, was snoozing already. "You look quite gloomy."

Ace gave her a weak smile. "Hi, Grell. Sorry to barge in so late...but may I come in? I'd like to see Marco." He asked. He really needed the blond right now. He needed the reassurances Marco always seemed to have. The steady warmth of his loving brotherly embrace. He didn't want to be a burden but he wasn't sure he could handle seeing Thatch just yet.

That bright smile from earlier was gone, so something had to be amiss. Grell nodded, taking his hand and leading him inside. "Don't be sorry. Come whenever you'd like."

It was a relatively short walk to their room, where Marco has made a nest of sorts from their blankets and pillows. He looked too cute to disturb, but knew marco wouldn't mind being woken up for family.

"Marco, you have company."