fierybluebird | [Voice / Written]

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[Voice / Written]

Yo. I'm back. Longest month of my life, including that time I dyed my hair black.

Did anyone remember to water and feed Ace while I was gone? Take him for walks and make sure he got sun and all that?

[There's a pause and the fluttering of wings along with a mutter.] Damn this new book system is strange... [But he speaks back up again trying to sound more chipper.]

So what did I miss? Did the entire landscape change? Any new books about pirates at the library, eh?

[For those who know him well, Marco actually sounds pretty exhausted for a change, and lacking some of his usual ridiculousness.]

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[Because older brothers live to mortify the younger ones. Or something.]

Depends on how many friends you made out with. [Because Marco can only be serious for so long before ruining it with deadpan jokes.] Blood doesn't matter Ace. It's the choices you make. The Malnosso weren't giving anyone choices, eh? So anyone holding grudges is as dumb as someone who'd have a grudge against blood. Don't sweat it. [MORE RUFFLES. He's starting to wonder how many more times he can do this before Ace starts batting his hand away like a cat.]

[Meanie. He chuckles, and holds up three fingers.] Only Nami, Vivi, and Miyabi. Think you can control your anger.

[And here is where Ace freezes. "Blood doesn't matter." Marco, you have no idea how much Ace disagrees with that statement. For a good number of reasons he's learned about his whole fucking life. To say he's extremely skeptical about it is just putting it lightly. "As dumb as someone who'd have a grudge against blood"... try telling that to the shitty marines, Marco. Because no matter how hard he tries to think otherwise, he will always know blood does matter. Which is why he is just not going to answer you now because he doesn't want to say anything. It already hurts too much.]

Those are some pretty hot ladies. Depends on which guys get jealous, eh?

[Marco frowns. He did tell the marines that, so did Pops. They sent the message via kicks to marine skulls. But so far as Marco's concerned, if they can't understand that, they aren't worth bothering with. Because unlike Ace, Marco really and truly doesn't care about people like that. To him they could very well be ants. Someone too dumb to understand that blood didn't mean anything, that people could choose family, that adoption was just as good; maybe better, Marco didn't care what they thought about anything. It made them ants to him. And if an ant feebly called you names, would it bother you? So when Marco breaks the silence, it's quietly intense, a rolling fury wrapped in cool deadpan.]

You have one father Ace. You made that clear to the whole fucking world when you said the Era was his. You know where your grave is? Right next to his. So that no one can ever look at one of you and not see the other.

[Gets up give Ace some space under the pretense of grabbing something.] Don't forget that on me now kiddo.

[He listens to Marco's words, a feeling of pain washing over him. He tries not to let it bother him, that he doesn't care. But... people have been hating him because of blood since before he was even born. Before he had even come into the world, people were saying he needed to die, people were trying to kill his mother, just for holding him. He hated Roger more than he ever thought he could now. It's because of that bastard's blood that he's in this-- even Ace knew blood mattered. It mattered to him for so many reasons. He knew Whitebeard was his father, that was all he cared about. He didn't want to care about who's blood he had, except for his mother's. Hers was more important than anything to him. Ace never wanted to think about Roger's blood. Yet people kept reminding him about it ever since he was a child. And possibly before that. How could Marco just shrug it off? Ace was glad his grave was right next to his father's, it made him feel like he really was his son. Marco could just not care about the rest of them. And at times... Ace wished he could do that. He hugged his knees, hiding his face on his them.]

It's not that simple...

Why? [Comes back to get down on his own knees in front of Ace, on the same level.]

Why isn't it? You want it to be, Pops says it is, I say it is, so why not?

[He grabs Marco's collar and shakes him violently.] I grew up my whole fucking life with people hating my guts just because I'm that bastard's kid! I CAN'T JUST GET OVER SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN SAID TO ME EVER SINCE I CAN REMEMBER!

[He keeps shaking, but eventually gets weaker and stops, trembling.] I want to believe it... more than anything, I want to think blood doesn't matter! But it's the whole reason any of this shit happened, why Marineford happened at all. I can't just brush it aside no matter how hard I try.

[Nonplussed by the shaking, but blue eyes burn with inner rage.]

Marineford happened because a bunch of people took an opportunity to turn you into a scapegoat. Ace... do you remember what I first told you? Why we call Pops our father? We're all hated around the world for who and what we are. There isn't a single damn person in our family who hasn't been an outcast. Devil fruit users, fishman, okama, Pops' size, Pops' dream, being the strongest damn pirate in the world, do you think people outside the crew, liked him for those things?

Do you think before you came along no one ever hated me, hated Pops, hated all of us? What do you think would have happened if I fought Teach instead? The exact same fucking thing. It didn't matter which of us got nabbed, they would have used any of us and all of us to get a chance at Pops' head. Teach used us, used them, and all while they thought they were using him.

What is blood? Some construct of someone else's design? You're Portgas D. Ace. You know why? Because you say you are. If I call you a cowboy, you tell me you're not. So why is this different? Why does them hating you for your blood matter over them hating you for being a pirate? Or hating you for having freckles? Or hating you for having tattoos? No one can choose to be born, no one can choose their blood, their species, any of it, so what does it matter? You wouldn't hate anyone for their blood; no one worth talking to will hate you for yours, so leave the rest behind. They're too shallow to think in a grand scale. They've done nothing of worth so they hide behind something they think will make them special. Then they drown in their own stupidity.

Why do you care?

[He can't say it. He looks Marco in the eye the whole while he says that, and just can't SAY it. He bites his lower lip to keep the words from coming out. His blood caused him to die by Akainu's hand, Roger's blood caused his mother to die for him. He doesn't want to think that he's different from his crew, no matter what. He wants to be their nakama, not care about blood and what it means or how it affects someone. He wishes he could just forget it all.]

I care because... I... [He can't even say anything now. His lower lip quivers, and he just rests his head on Marco's shoulder, trying to suppress the tears.]

[Instantly hugs as warmly and soothingly as he can.]

It's okay.... it's okay. I'm sorry. If it matters to you, it matters to me... I just want to fix it. Things like this... [Blood doesn't matter to Marco, but it does matter to him that Ace is hurt over it. It matters to him enough to destroy everything and everyone that ever hurt Ace, but for now he settles with a warm hug.]

I can't change how other people think. What they say, what they do. But I promise you Ace, from the bottom of my heart, your blood doesn't mean a thing to me. [Good, bad, anything. All that mattered to Marco was that it was upsetting Ace and that he had to try to find a way to lessen that.] You will always be my nakama. My fireworks. Whether you're a marine, or join your brother's crew, I know who you are, and I love you just like that. [As a little brother. And Marco would move the world for Ace if he asked it. Wouldn't even think twice.]

People... not everyone's judging you, eh? You know I'm not, and here?? Everyone's got something they want to hide. Something they fear. No one from the other worlds even knows his name. [Tightens the hug and gently strokes Ace's hair.] Be who you want to be. I'm by your side no matter what. Got it? No matter what.

[He doesn't even hesitate to hug back and take in the warmth. He keeps his face buried in Marco's shoulder, still shaking a little. "Fix it"... someone wanted to fix it. That meant the world to him. His blood didn't mean a thing to nakama, and that made him happier than he ever thought he could be.]

... thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you... it means everything to me. Thank you.

[Ahhhh he's going to start crying... Okay holding it together.]

Damn kid. I can't tell you enough. All of the crew, all of us feel that way. We came to get you because we love you, because you would have done the same for any of us and we know it. And it doesn't matter if you're by a blood a tenruubito or related to Davy Jones, you're Pops' son, you're one of us, and that will never change. Once you're accepted, you're with us forever.

[Mumbles and tearing up now, holding Ace tight.] I'm glad you're alive here.

[How he wishes the rest of the world would believe that. That way, he might have been able to have some peace with himself. He holds on tightly to Marco, refusing to let go of one of the few people here who didn't care what his background was.]

... I'm glad, too. I'm really, really glad. [Though the tears coming down his face may seem to suggest he's not. But really. He's glad.

Good. Don't you forget it. [Just holds onto him forever and lightly pets Ace's hair.]

I won't... I swear I won't. [He trembles a little and quietly sobs into Marco's shoulder. He just wants to stay there.]

And if you do, then I'll be right here to remind you ten thousand times over, eh?

[He gives a shaky nod.] Mhm. Good.

[He doesn't have much else to say. He just keeps hugging him to feel secure. And not lonely.]

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