fierybluebird | [video] Back with the chocobos / All the jokes

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[video] Back with the chocobos / All the jokes

[In a scene that might be familiar to some, Marco is back in the barn, with five baby chocobo. Not quite so baby now, he might be able to fit one of them in a bag on his back, but not all of them. He can't even fit them all under one wing, but that's all right, the others he's dealing with in different ways. It might not be immediately obvious, but the loss of Ace is hitting him hard. Normally he'd go into a rage to kill things, but he doesn't seem to feel it's worth it.]

Ace's name is up on the memorial wall. He might come back... I hope so.

[There's a much too long pause in which he looks a world away and scoops up a chocobo fitted with a Spade collar.]

Ah so how about some bird jokes, eh?

You've probably all heard this one: Why did the chicken cross the road?
To get to the other side.
Why didn't the turkey cross the road?
He didn't want to be a chicken.
Why did the ducks cross the road?
To prove they could do it better than the chicken.
Why did the chicken cross the road twice?
It was a double-crosser.
Why did the rooster cross the road?
To prove he wasn't a chicken.

A phoenix walks into a bar filled with a bunch of turkeys. He gives them a polite nod and then buys everyone a round of drinks. They crowd around their new friend and offer some peanuts. "Gobble gobble gobble?" they suggest. "No thanks," he politely declines, "I'm allergic." They offer him pretzels. "Gobble gobble gobble?" He takes a few of those and they continue on for hours. Eventually they run out, and just as he was about to leave, they look him up and down and ask, "Gobble gobble gobble?" He gives them a horrified look and explains, "No way! I'm not into that!"

Why did the marines arrest the turkey?
They brought it on suspicion of fowl play!

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[Stops instantly though he whistles quietly and carries the chocobo in a blanket over to Japan.]

Bushido. Bored with the mountain of salt? [Teasing words, but a gentle smile, there's clearly no malice behind it, just amusement.]

[Bored...? Hardly. When he thought about all of the salt he collected, and how much he had had already, but how it wasn't enough, he just wanted to run back and--]

[NO THERE WERE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DEAL WITH. ...He could continue his quest after. Right. After.]

No. [A sideglance, but it slides right back to watch the pirate]

But is Marco truly alright?

No? When will--

Ahh... [Hands him Vista. Then hugs Japan.]

I'm furious and I have nothing to direct it at. He kept saying none of us belonged here. If there's such a thing as an afterlife... maybe it's better? But I want him here. Where I can still be with him. Where I can just... [Truly distraught expression and just sighs.]

I'm all right.

[Ignoring the salt part, he holds the chocobo and stands there in the hug.]

I hope Marco can realize that while it is fine to be upset and miss someone... They can be at peace this way. Of course his death was not ideal, but... I like to believe that Ace was someone who was happy with his life by the time he passed away. [Man he sure isn't hesitating to make sure on details anymore. Oh well.]

...I miss him, too. But... I believe he would not want us to be so upset.

[Clenches his fist and walks back to the others.]

I'm tired of him getting to decide how we should feel. Big damn heroes. Living on is...

[Leans against a barn wall and whatever emotion he had is quelled again. The rage turning back into sad, masked over with deadpan, and Marco's a million miles away mentally.]

[Japan moves closer quietly and kneels to let go of the chocobo he had been holding.]

Living on is something good. Something Ace wanted as well. But all things come to an end. When given that sort of fate... Wishing for Luffy-kun and Marco and the others to live on even more than he could is natural, isn't it?

My enthusiasm for living on in void of those fallen wears thin. [Dry tone, but shakes his head.]

Everything ends, but he had a chance here. It's ridiculous to miss something I never had, but still, I do. People should get more than a few minutes of realizing they're loved before dying. And here... he never had time to even work out what he wanted. Always how things go for him.

[He stands up and just stares sort of sadly at Marco from where he is.]

His time here was nice, but... to be trapped in a world where your friends are constantly in danger that even your powers cannot always help, and know still that back at home... You died? [. . .]

Ah... Forgive me... I do not believe my words carry my thoughts. ...Ace's death is sad. It has always been sad. But... [Shouldn't that be inspiration to live on? Or something like that. He really can't voice his thoughts very well. And the tension coming from Marco is hard to address, too.

And maybe he was speaking too much. This level of comfort he'd grown into in this place... Maybe he should realize there are exceptions to it and stay silent. He's still not sure.]

[Congratulations, you have the most morbid Marco ever on your hands.]

You've died before, right? What's it like?

[He completely stills at that. Yes, he has died. Multiple times. Oh gosh and now he's remembering it, and... It was just... nothing. Lonely...? No, he didn't want to think about that. And what if it was only in this place, where death was only a waiting room for life once again?

After a bit of stunned silence, he folds his arms and looks away.]

K-knowing whether it was paradise or hell or something in between will not stop this sort of pain Marco is feeling.

[Glances back at him with piercing blue eyes.]

Then what will?

...Nothing but time. And even that does not help so much. Surely Marco knows this...

[A frown, and he's not looking at him]

I'm sorry.

[There's still a lot of rage looking for a direction, but Marco just goes over to Japan and rests his head on him.]

I want to protect him. I wanted to see him happy. Just smile more. [Wraps his arms around Japan's shoulders and crosses them to hold Japan closely.] I will still protect Luffy and try to see the new Era through for my Pops, but it's a lot harder to just enjoy what I can here without him.

And he was the only brother I had here. I guess Luffy and Sabo adopted me so I won't let them down. [Decides to be mad at Ace. Because fuck it.]

Harder, is it... [Japan's very quiet, but he'll let Marco hug him. Really he's feeling kind of useless right now. Is he even helping at all? Has he ever helped at all? He has no idea what to do.]

I'm certain Marco can get through this.

I will. But don't go. You're the only reason I--

[Clicks teeth shut, mentally tsking himself. He's gotten so used to trying to talk around Japan maybe he's saying too much. Being this clingy, this dependent... what kind of first division commander was he?]

I am not going anywhere. [He hesitantly returns the hug, though it's weak. ...He tries okay.]

...But I am wondering if Marco is still here.

If I'm still here? [Confused tone and face.]

...Ah... Of course.

[He doesn't seem to be so eager to elaborate on that, but it's definitely not something physical he's talking about.]

[Takes one of Japan's hands and touches it to Marco's chest.] This part of my heart is all yours. Where you are, it follows. My mind is elsewhere, but heart and soul are with you, always.

[What he's actually thinking is, isn't it cruel to say things like "It's hard to enjoy things without Ace here" when Japan is right in front of him? But then he scolds himself for thinking selfish thoughts and curls his fingers a bit against Marco's chest.]

I don't know how I can help.

[Nudges with his head.]

How you can help... Japan.... Right now...

Ace was... already dead. You were the first person to give me hope of something other than just trying to see my family live to an old age. And then what? Ace would ask what about me, and I never had an answer. I don't... I don't want to go back to how I was before Pops found me. You're my salvation. Didn't you know? Right now you're the only thing keeping me from feeling like I'll fall to pieces. You're why I'm not tearing up the place trying to bring him back.

Right now, I'm borrowing all your strength. Sorry.

[He knows how pathetic it must sound, but he doesn't care that much. He wasn't exaggerating when he said he needed Japan. It terrifies him the extent of it, but if that's how it is, that's how it is. Dropping his voice a little softer he croons in Japan's ear.]

You helped me by coming to find me. I needed that. I will be fine soon, I promise, I just have to let this tumble around for a bit. Thank you for being patient my love.

[He's actually pretty surprised by that. Now that he thought about it, he wasn't kicking down any trees or... Anything Japan would have expected. ...So he can help. That's good. That's very good, right? He's not sure he can help Luffy or Sabo or anyone else, but holding back his sadness for at least this-- it meant it wasn't for nothing.]

...There is no need to apologize. Please use my strength as best you can.

Ah, I know! Marco should come help me find salt! It is much more rewarding than standing here!

[...Is that how you cheer people up, Japan. Sneaking in selfish things. Gosh. But he means well. And underneath meaning well, he just really wants some salt okay.]

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