Marco the Phoenix (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
fierybluebird) wrote2013-09-12 03:35 am
fierybluebird) wrote2013-09-12 03:35 am
[Voice] / Question for the masses
[Marco is chilling out on the roof of what used to be the Straw Hat house. He's not sure what it is anymore. They're all scattered, through different worlds, different times, lost and confused. Marco is too, really, if he's honest with himself. So, as he often does during such things, he surrounded himself with fellow birds. This, if anything, however, just created more juxtaposition of the very question he was trying to hide from. A bird, but not a bird. A friend, but not a friend. An ally? A guardian? Of who, of what? The changing of eras? What did it mean? What did it matter? He was a bird separated from his flock, and indeed, everyone in Luceti was to some degree or another. So sometime during twilight, he opens up the journal, still on the roof with a couple dozen birds, and poses a question to Luceti at large. A question? No, more like a dozen.]
What does it mean to be a monster?
My father once said a man's worth can only be measured by those he cherishes and who cherish him in return. He adopted a bunch of worthless pirates and gave us worth because we became his treasure, so he was ours.
None of us matched. During all that illusion crap, a lot of people got to understand, I suppose, what I've been lucky enough to have for decades. Family just for the sake of wanting to be. My family are all pirates. From my father, our captain, to every last brother. For that, there is rarely a soul in the world who doesn't hate us. We're outnumbered all over the world, between the world government, Kaidou, Big Mam, to slavers like Joker, or idiots we kicked out of the New World and sent packing like Crocodile.
Piracy is a fickle thing, eh? Everyone has some strong ideas of what it means. I don't care when other people call me a monster, or when I'm hated, because I'm always in the best of company. Two decades ago, I would have taken being called that with pride. My friends are all monsters, and being like them is a compliment. And while I know I'm nothing like Kaidou, or Joker, and Teach and Crocodile can go fuck themselves, they laugh at my father's idea of piracy as much as I scoff at theirs. They think piracy should be about power or money, or security, rather than the exact opposite. Two eras ago by my world's time, piracy was about freedom and camaraderie. Freedom from a judgmental society and their restrictions and rules. Freedom from things like blood lines or having someone else decide for you when you would grow up or how. And the only rule was to never hurt a fellow nakama.
I consider pirates who don't get that to be worthless fools, because their allies and friends aren't always their first priority, but even idiots like the Third Party have friends and people who share their ideals. Is it really just that I value my family over obfuscated ideals that makes me better than them? Or is just a style preference? That I'll kick an enemy in the face, but I'll never bother pretending to befriend someone to get close enough to stab them in the back. There are many who would say "whatever works," and I never really thought myself one to give a damn about morals. After all, I'm a monster, eh? But then perhaps, even I have lines I won't cross, and won't forgive.
Sorry, I suppose I've just been rambling. It's been on my mind, and you'd be amazed how much spending a week trying to get people to hear your voice makes you want to use it when you get it back. I'm Marco, and if you're a new feather, just give a little whistle, and I'll come flying if you're lost, eh.
What does it mean to be a monster?
My father once said a man's worth can only be measured by those he cherishes and who cherish him in return. He adopted a bunch of worthless pirates and gave us worth because we became his treasure, so he was ours.
None of us matched. During all that illusion crap, a lot of people got to understand, I suppose, what I've been lucky enough to have for decades. Family just for the sake of wanting to be. My family are all pirates. From my father, our captain, to every last brother. For that, there is rarely a soul in the world who doesn't hate us. We're outnumbered all over the world, between the world government, Kaidou, Big Mam, to slavers like Joker, or idiots we kicked out of the New World and sent packing like Crocodile.
Piracy is a fickle thing, eh? Everyone has some strong ideas of what it means. I don't care when other people call me a monster, or when I'm hated, because I'm always in the best of company. Two decades ago, I would have taken being called that with pride. My friends are all monsters, and being like them is a compliment. And while I know I'm nothing like Kaidou, or Joker, and Teach and Crocodile can go fuck themselves, they laugh at my father's idea of piracy as much as I scoff at theirs. They think piracy should be about power or money, or security, rather than the exact opposite. Two eras ago by my world's time, piracy was about freedom and camaraderie. Freedom from a judgmental society and their restrictions and rules. Freedom from things like blood lines or having someone else decide for you when you would grow up or how. And the only rule was to never hurt a fellow nakama.
I consider pirates who don't get that to be worthless fools, because their allies and friends aren't always their first priority, but even idiots like the Third Party have friends and people who share their ideals. Is it really just that I value my family over obfuscated ideals that makes me better than them? Or is just a style preference? That I'll kick an enemy in the face, but I'll never bother pretending to befriend someone to get close enough to stab them in the back. There are many who would say "whatever works," and I never really thought myself one to give a damn about morals. After all, I'm a monster, eh? But then perhaps, even I have lines I won't cross, and won't forgive.
Sorry, I suppose I've just been rambling. It's been on my mind, and you'd be amazed how much spending a week trying to get people to hear your voice makes you want to use it when you get it back. I'm Marco, and if you're a new feather, just give a little whistle, and I'll come flying if you're lost, eh.
[Action]
And I don't want to take them all on. Just because there are pirates I hate, doesn't mean it has anything to do with me.
It's the ones in my own turf that bother me. They are my responsibility and I can't take them down. If I can't even do that, what right have I to even claim my piracy is different? If there's no way to prove to her that there is a difference, then what difference even exists, eh?
[Action]
[Action]
[Oh right.]
[The most obvious problem and he forgot it entirely.]
Ah... right. That's a good point, eh.
[Action]
[There's a soft chuckle at that, yeah he figured Marco had missed that little detail.]
It's not that I don't understand what you mean, or what troubles you. But I've come to realize that at the end of the day, the only thing that counts is what people see with their own eyes. So unless Blackbeard or those guys come here and you beat them right in front of her... There's not much else you can do.
As for when you're home... The answer is simple, just keep doing what you have done, protect what's yours and if you can stretch your arm to protect something else. Most people will keep thinking that piracy is about all the things that bother you, and there will always be scum sailing the seas. But even that will change one day, trying to rush it or over worry about it won't serve you for anything. That only serves to those whose time is limited, ours isn't so much, whether we like it or not.
[Action]
[Pokes Ikki's cheek and ruffles his hair to tease him.] Mah, but I'm not like those other guys, right?
[Action]
[He growls at the poke and ruffling, but doesn't do anything to really stop the other.]
If you were like them I wouldn't have this by now.
[He doesn't signal or explain what "this" is. It may just be the moment of having a drink with Marco, it may be the part of having an older brother, a friend with whom he can talk about the burden the phoenix has given him since he discovered it, the tattoo on his shoulder, or everything at once.]
Not even when the Malnosso stripped you of your "nice guy" face were you like them.
[Action]
[A secretive grin over his drink.] If it weren't for freaking out Robin and Norma, I think I might have really enjoyed that whole thing. More than I should have anyway.
[Action]
[At least not that Ikki could see. The biggest discomfort he got was due the flag issue and because of the risk that Kotomi could see or meet him and be terrified forever.]
[Action]
And Norma has never seen my fully violent side. It's probably best to keep it that way a little longer.
[Action]
Women. I thought it was fun, though it started to get annoying after the fifth time I had to put up the flag again in two days.
[Action]
Even though I was the one changing it, she knew I'd be angry when I came back so she kept trying to stop me.
Did I ever thank you both for that?
[Action]
[It wasn't that much of a pain, but Ikki isn't going to admit that. Or that it wasn't even a pain or a bother, frustrating yes but not that much.]
I'm just glad I didn't get the tattoo before that, or you would have tried to cut off my shoulder.
[Action]
[Action]
[He's sure Smoker knows well that it's not the case, but no one said their friendship didn't have moments in which they lied to themselves to avoid certain arguments.]
[Action]
[There's a long pause as he thinks over the thing with Smoker.] So you're hiding your tattoo now? [He can't say he likes that. He DOES like that it was a surprise, but it should always be worn with pride. Then again, plenty of the crew covered theirs up, especially when they had to work undercover, but it leaves an uneasy feeling in Marco's gut. They shouldn't be afraid of what people will think of it, they should revel in it.]
[But Ikki said it was so that Smoker had the excuse to convince himself of that. Turn a blind eye then? Marco can't pretend to tolerate marines, but Ace seemed strangely okay with Smoker, and even Robin didn't hate him. Hm.]
[Action]
Of course not, if I wanted to hide it I wouldn't have got it there. Not even my Cloth covers that part.
[It's true that sometimes he wears sleeves or jackets, but must of the time his arms and shoulders are in clear view. And he has no plans to change his habits.]
Hide it, who do you think I am?
I just don't rub in his face that I don't like his dear Marines, which isn't anything new or coming from knowing you, actually. He knew that if I was at your world I would be either a pirate or a revolutionary way before you started calling me brother. But despite that he trusts me and is my friend, if he wants to act as if the tattoo wasn't there or as if it came from the Malnosso, I won't argue with him.
[Pause.]
At least as long as he doesn't target you. If that were to happen I would have to "remind" him of it.
[And if Marco was the one to target Smoker then he would have to do the same and remind him that Smoker is Ikki's bff. He will never stop being glad that they ignore each other for the most part.]