Ace and Sabo are gone // Written, Action

[fierybluebird]

[The first few times Marco tries to find his voice, he can't. This is what Robin, what everyone tried to warn him about isn't it? And he didn't listen. He always refused. Even if his father had been here and told him the same things, he wouldn't have listened to him either. At first he tries to seek solace in the rooftop, the memorial for his Pops, but today, not even that is enough. Where can he go other than "home?" And home is no longer CH3. It is still Luceti, scattered throughout his loved ones, but other than Leanne, that describe CH3 now.]

[He opens the journal and tries to speak, but he can't. So he winds up writing instead.]

Happy Post-Valentine's Day to anyone. I hope many happy couples found each other and no one was too disrupted.

[His hand shakes, and then clenches and the pen breaks. Too angry, so much rage. He uses the bottom half of the quill as best as he can to write more.]

My little brothers, [A long pause. He looks up at the flag and... it's not enough. Nothing is.] are both gone. Even knowing that every single day they had here was extra time, and as grateful as I am for that, they deserve more. I can't tell you they've gone to a better place, because they haven't.

[The last thing Sabo saw before his death was fire. And Ace died crying and smiling at the same time.]

But they're in good company I guess.

[Good company? He was jealous of them, still, even now. He had a huge fight with Ace about it, but he was jealous. Ace was jealous that Marco could be with the living, and Marco was jealous that Ace could be with the dead, could protect someone he loved that deeply by dying for them, something Marco never could. It was a dumb thing to be jealous about, but even knowing how infantile it was, didn't make it go away. It's a good time to go get a new pen. So Marco jumps down and goes to the item shop, finds a pen and right there, in middle of the shop, sits down on the floor and continues.]

I've lost a lot of nakama before, but Ace's affected me the worst. He brought with him a new era. He saved the man who will be the New Pirate King and renounced the world's idea of villains and heroes. [Marco sets the book and pen down so he won't break them again and it's all bit before he picks them back up.] In legends, phoenixes are supposed to herald the changing of eras, but I hate it. Mankind's eras in my world are tragically majestic things, but what use are they to an individual?

I'm not going back to the apartment for a long time. And I might move when I'm ready. I took the important things with me, but I'm not going back there.

Luceti is still my home. Make no mistake, I'll fight forever for my right to stay and the right for anyone else who wants to stay. I always will. That's who I am.

[He needs to talk to people, to try to comfort them in the wake of Ace's absence, in the wake of Sabo's, but all Marco wants to do is fly away. It's too cowardly though, so he won't. He wants to switch into phoenix form and stop feeling anything, but that's also cowardly and he know Robin's been trying to break him of the habit.]

If you think you can find me, you can try, otherwise, say the word and I'll come find you. No promises about the state I'll be in.

- Marco

Comments

[fierybluebird]

I remember. Aye. Lots of people. I promised Xion I wouldn't leave even if Ace and Sabo did... I didn't think that would actually happen, but I'll stand by it.

[entreats]

.. You better. I'd like to have you around to talk to you every once in a while, you know. [ Even though.. well, Ange is fine as long as she just has Keiichi in the end. But of course it's even better having regular friends too, even if she's still so unused to it. ]

So don't just go pity yourself somewhere all alone. This place didn't let me do that either, you included.

[fierybluebird]

[That actually gets a soft grin out of him.]

I won't leave. I promise. But you have to stick around to make me, eh?

[Lightly rests a hand on her head without too much ruffling because girls tend to hate it, and Ange has long hair so he has less excuse to get away with it.]

I'll check in on Norma, and maybe stay with Robin for a bit, but I'll be around. I'll keep my journal with me, no matter where I go. And if I haul off to the mountains, call for a guy named Phoenix Ikki and send him out there to kick my ass. He'll know why.

[entreats]

[ YES, MARCO, DON'T DO THAT.. She feels like she's being treated like a kid here, okay, she's an adult now!! Although her older brother used to do that to her all the time so it's not like she can entirely dislike it since it makes her think of that memory.. ]

I'm not leaving anytime soon. [ Mostly since she has to be with Keiichi. No matter what. ] .. But you sure make friends with interesting names.

[fierybluebird]

[He grins again at that.] Not nearly as interesting as the people themselves.

Norma's my baby sister, I call her Buttercup. Robin is my fiance, sort of, and Ikki is my phoenix brother. [Nods.]

[entreats]

It's only in a place like this that you can have something [ she swallows 'as ridiculous' for his sake this time ] like phoenix brothers.

But still.. if you have people like that here, there's no way you can leave. Your fiance's counting on you, of course. [ AHAHAHA YEAH ANGE YOU SURE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT BY NOW. ]

[fierybluebird]

Robin would rather I gave up on this place, actually, but I won't. You're right about Ikki, and after being the only phoenix like me for a long time, having another is a gift.

[entreats]

.. Huh? [ That makes her blink. ] Why would she want you to give up..?

[fierybluebird]

Inevitability I guess. But to me, it's all inevitable back in our world too. The only thing to do is to enjoy the moment, eh?

[entreats]

Yeah.. I mean, my situation is pretty special since staying in my own world would only make me more and more miserable no matter what, but not everyone's homeworld is definitely better than this place, right?

[fierybluebird]

Aye. It's not like she thinks my situation back home is any good. I think she just wants to protect me from getting hurt when I lose things, and since I will lose them, there's nothing else she can do.

I feel disconnected though, eh? I don't know how to explain that it's worse to not have these things at all than to lose them.

[Rubs the back of his neck.] Well, maybe I do now.

[entreats]

I think we all know that feeling here. [ Honestly, she might have been in the 'better to not have them at all' camp before, but.. it's changed. Mostly thanks to the people here. ]

But as long as we have a chance here, we should hold onto it as much as we can. If it does end up going wrong, then we can always still start thinking like that after all in the end.

[fierybluebird]

Exactly.

Damn, you always get this. Why can't I explain it to anyone else? I could never explain it to Ace either. I mean not the living in the moment thing, that he gets, just other things.

[entreats]

It's since it's something I had to learn. I guess the same counts for a lot of people here.

[ And it took a lot. A whole lot, considering it's Ange. ]

But like this it means you at least have one person who understands, right? [ See, she might actually even be smiling here. Imagine that. ]

[fierybluebird]

Fair enough.

Aye. [Oh you know what that means Ange? You get a head ruffle!!! Nope, can't fight it.] Thanks Ange.

[entreats]

[ ... Say bye to the smile and hi to the grumpy pout. You look so mature like this, Ange. ]

I'll say 'you're welcome' if you can drop the ruffling part of it.

[fierybluebird]

Girls are too fussy about their hair.

[Ruffles more.]

Relax, you're as gorgeous as ever, I promise.

[entreats]

[ A choked sound comes from her. ]

L-like saying that out of nowhere is going to make it any better! Keep your lame jokes to your haircut. [ tsun tsun.. ]

[fierybluebird]

[Laughs. Actually genuinely laughs at that and gives her a small light hug.]

Please, we both know my haircut is fabulous. [Puts on his glasses and poses.]

[entreats]

[ At least that makes her tsun fade more into a derisive snort. ]

Save it for that Robin of yours.

[fierybluebird]

She thinks it makes me look ridiculous. And like a decapitated pineapple when it's red.

[True story.]

[entreats]

[ ...

snort. ]

Such kind words from her. You two must be pretty happy together.

[fierybluebird]

Actually, aye, we are. But I'm a masochist, as you know.