ACE

[ballies]

(pirate noises)

Comments

[selfimmolation]

The bandits liked me better out of the house.

[ this is also abnormal for one piece. ]

It's alright, I could handle myself. [ that actually does not make it ok ]

[ballies]

I don’t doubt you could handle yourself, but I also don’t care?! You don’t just boot a kid out because you feel like it — that’s bullshit!

[ :o a swear ]

[selfimmolation]

[ :o a swear... ]

... It probably won't make you feel better if I say I also liked it better out of the house, huh? [ a measure of self-awareness, here ] I was the one running off, they didn't kick me out or anything.

[ballies]

Not really when you just told me you had to hunt for your food. They couldn't throw a sandwich after you or something?

[selfimmolation]

I just had to earn my keep, that's all. Once I was old enough they'd only do a bowl of rice a day unless I helped out around the house, so I went and hunted and shared the meat instead.

[ there is no part of this backstory Tama is going to enjoy ]

[ballies]

[ yeah no kidding. she just looks Tired. ]

No such thing as child labour laws where you're from then, huh?

[selfimmolation]

Even if there were laws, I don't think the bandits would've cared much.

[ on account of being criminals. ]

[ballies]

"Even if there were"--? Geez.

[selfimmolation]

I was kind of in the lawless area of the island, so maybe I'm not a good example.

[ lightly because she is clearly Offended on his behalf but also yeah kids work. why wouldn't they. ]

[ballies]

[ labour laws!!!! ]

Maybe not. There’s pretty strict rules about it where I’m from, mostly to some kids from being exploited for cheap labour. [ … ] Not that it works all of the time.

[selfimmolation]

Well, at least they're trying, right?

[ just gonna... glide past... the backstory stuff and move on.... ]

[ballies]

[ jiiiiiii. ]

Yeah, which sounds like more than whatever was or wasn't happening where you're from.

[selfimmolation]

Mostly kids'll work if they're poor and need the money, I guess. Or just... beg and steal.

[ s h r u g s ]

[ballies]

Well, yeah. That's a given. It still happens where I'm from, in some places.

But that's why there's laws in place in the majority of countries -- to support families so the kids don't have to work. Or to protect kids that don't have a family until they find a replacement or are legally old enough to take care of themselves.

[ sigh ]

The system isn't perfect, but like you said: they're trying at least.

[selfimmolation]

Yeah, the World Government doesn't have any kind of system like that, so most islands kind of decide what they do by themselves. Some villages are nicer to orphans and some aren't.

[ eats his snaccie ... it is almost gone... tragedy ]

[ballies]

[ they fell into the politics sauce-- well. tama fell, and dragged ace down with her i guess, and no shopping was done. ]

So it's like a roulette of island policies, and sucks to be you if the place you were born has nothing for you.

[ hmmm ]

There's probably a pretzel stall around here somewhere, by the way.

[selfimmolation]

Sure, something like that.

[ it's more like sometimes villages are nice and take care of kids and sometimes they aren't, let's not go there. she is freaked out about hunting in a forest and that is actually the least terrible part of his childhood. he grins at the mention of pretzels ]

Oh, seriously? Let's stop there!

[ballies]

[ still the hit or miss principle. but hey-- food. ]

Sure-- you've gone through what you got earlier pretty fast. [ pacify with food tactics-- go. ]

[selfimmolation]

We stopped for a while. [ so clearly it's not his fault there wasn't a lot of food? ]

[ballies]

Yeah, yeah. My tangent. [ she's not stopping him from buying like seven pretzels. ]

[selfimmolation]

[ he is buying ......... all the pretzels. but he does offer one to tama after ]

It's fine, it's fine. I keep forgetting people get a little weirded out when I talk about stuff. [ "a little" ]

[ballies]

[ all of them...


she will accept a pretzel. and actually, hold on, i'm a*ntie a*n-ing it up in here and saying they have pots of cheese sauce, which she's going to nab. ]

It drives it home we're all from very, very different places.

[selfimmolation]

[ with his mouth full: ]

Yeah, no kidding.

[ballies]

[ by the power vested in me, i'm saying they're somewhere with clothing racks now. so tama can be rummaging through them. ]

How did they even find us all?

[selfimmolation]

That... is a great question.

[ eats pretzel and ignores clothes. this is her job ]