ACE

[ballies]

(pirate noises)

Comments

[selfimmolation]

I didn't tell her to throw me in the lake.

[ he'll continue to blame sigrun for it despite me telling nick `do it`. anyway his grin just. widens. ]

Yeah! He can stretch. He had no control over it at all when we were kids, so he'd just snap back and hit himself in the face. [ he laughs a little at the big brother energy call out ] Thanks?

[ballies]

You both gave us a heart attack, so the blame is shared.

[ but he can blame sigrun if he wants to. if it makes him feel better. ]

That-- [ hang on. give her a moment. that's a really funny mental image. ]-- like snapping a band? But it was your brother? [ pfft. ]

Some people just have the aura.

[selfimmolation]

It's not like it's the first time I fell in water.

[ that's not better. anyway he laughs ]

Yeah! He's punched himself in the face plenty of times trying to get me. And then he'd cry about it. [ hehehehe ]

[ballies]

... I can't even comment on that, I know what your job is.

[ pirate. ]

...

[ YEAH THE ELDER SIBLING ENERGY HERE IS IMMENSE. ] Ah. Brotherly love.

[selfimmolation]

It was training. [ so that makes it okay? ] Luffy's gotten a lot better at it these days, at least. Would be embarrassing for his crew if he was still punching himself in the face on the regular! He's Robin's captain, did you know?

[ballies]

[ wah ]

Really?!

… Y’know, this place is really dismantling the idea I had of a “pirate” in my head. [ because “terrible cargo shorts and a loud hat”, and “possibly the most elegant woman here” weren’t it. ]

[selfimmolation]

There's all kinds, obviously. [ he shrugs ] I only found out when she mentioned her crew, so I was pretty surprised myself.

[ballies]

[ hm… ]

Do you not see your brother a lot then? Although— I guess if you’re both travelling a lot, there’s no guarantee you’ll cross paths often.

[selfimmolation]

I set sail at 17, and Luffy followed three years after. I sought him out not long after he got his first bounty, but she wasn't on his crew then. It's been a while, though, so it makes sense he's gotten some new members since. His bounty's increased a lot too!

[ don't sound happy about it. ]

[ballies]

Like… “Wanted Dead or Alive”? That kind of bounty?

[ ace why do you sound so happy about this. ]

[selfimmolation]

Yeah. We're pirates. That's how you know you've made it.

[ :3c? ]

[ballies]

When someone puts a target on your back?

…

I guess it makes sense…?

[ ace you are so chaotic. ]

[selfimmolation]

Nah, when the government acknowledges you as a threat.

[ IT'S WORSE ]

[ballies]

I mean— fuck politicians.

[ tama don’t swear ]

But doesn’t that make your life more difficult?

[selfimmolation]

[ shrugs ]

Being a pirate means you'll be wanted by the government no matter what. Getting a wanted poster just adds bounty hunters to the mix. If you're a good one, you should be able to handle that much.

[ballies]

So it's like a ticket to a thrill ride. But the thrill ride is your life.

[selfimmolation]

No one becomes a pirate to lead a quiet life, Tama.

[ballies]

See the world, but chaotically?

[selfimmolation]

Something like that, sure.

[ballies]

[ she laughs. ]

If it works, it works.

[selfimmolation]

Yeah. I wasn't ever going to lead a peaceful life anyway, might as well make waves while I'm at it.

[ballies]

Might as well lean into it, if you know the white picket fence life isn't going to be for you. [ she wanders through people's memories for a living, like. who's she to judge? ]

[selfimmolation]

White picket fence?

[ something about that metaphor makes him laugh a bit ]

[ballies]

[ give her a moment, she has to explain a very earth based concept to mister pirate man over here. ]

Like... you settle down, you work a set hours job and live in a house that looks like every other house on the straight, doing the same things day to day.

That's genuinely happiness to some people. But it's not for everyone.

[selfimmolation]

Wow. That sounds like a nightmare.