new_world_dr | [Video] With ash in your mouth, you'll ask it to burn again

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[Video] With ash in your mouth, you'll ask it to burn again

[The SmartSnail comes on suddenly, and two jeering youths can be seen making obscene gestures and laughing at the phone they've found. They seem to be pleased with themselves, and their unpleasant adventure starts with flipping up their middle fingers and slapping their butts at the camera.

Ah, the joys of youth.] Finders keepers, bitches. Whoever dropped this? Your loss! We got new tech now! [They give up on selfie time, and decide to use the camera function to keep a record of their destruction. They drag knives into every surface, kick over anything in their path, and brag about their piracy prowess in slurred drunk voices as the continue.] Oh shit, what's that? Hey, can you see-" [The name of the person is slurred beyond being audible, and they pull out a flashlight and shine it into the distance. They drag the weak light jerkily over a wide area, but find themselves staring at a grave . The light hits the top of it at first, and they murmur and mumble in slurred voices about what they could do if they took it apart.] So this is where the sorry bastard ended up. Guess the stones are worth something if nothing el-[A high pitched shriek emits from one of the men as he shines the light from the top of the grave, and then down to a huddled figure shaking at the bottom of it. The figure's back is facing the camera, scarred grotesquely, and a soft noise emits from the direction they're sitting in as they slowly rock back and forth.] Shit. Just a drunk. Go home! We claimed this place! Get out![No response comes.] Fuck off, and go! [One of them comes closer, and tries to kick at the figure while the other laughs and films.

But as he does, the form ignites. And the camera is dropped, shutting off as it meets the ground hard.]

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[Luffy's not sure how he got here; he has a general concept that the world has gone awfully strange lately, things and people appearing and disappearing, but he was there and now he's here and he's not bothering to waste much effort on trying to figure out the whys and wherefores behind what is evident: he's not where he was.

Instead, he moves forward, looking for -- something, not sure what, but driven by a restless nagging sense of incompleteness that he naturally associates with hunger. Instinct tells him there is something here that is important, that he needs, and Luffy has always been a creature of instinct, so he follows it, drawn to wander with a purposeful directionlessness, seeking and searching until he sees two figures up ahead. In the dimness of night, he hesitates, pauses, squints through the darkness to see them clearly, feeling that tug that tells him this is important...

And suddenly, abruptly, he's anchorless, his head spinning worse than any maelstrom, and his whole body feels light, as though there's no ground under his feet, like he's been disconnected from the earth and loosed from gravity and he's just floating--

(he's running, flinging himself forward with a mad rush)

-- until he crashes face-first into his brother's chest, a sound that is both a sob and a scream tearing itself out of his throat because it hurts, it hurts, the feelings inside of him are too much and too big, they're more than he can hold, they're going to crush him, tear him apart with their sheer mass, he can't even tell what he's feeling because he's feeling everything but most importantly what he's feeling is warmth, is the beat of a heart and the push-pull of breathing and the ripple of muscles and it's Ace.

It's Ace and Luffy can only cling to him and press his face into that solidity that has been irrevocably, irretrievably lost to him for the past two years of forever, because forever is over and Ace is here.]

[By the time Luffy arrives, Ace had been held and comforted, and allowed to cry himself sick and then cry some more. He thought he'd had it out of his system, that he'd be alright. Or at least alright as someone could be after all of that. That there wasn't another tear in his body left to be shed for any reason at all.

He was wrong. Oh, he was so wrong. And all of the sudden he's being clung to and even before he was touched he just knew. And his arms go around Luffy, and he's trying to tell him it's okay, he's trying to comfort him because that's what good big brothers do, but all that comes out is a choked noise and tears. And he's sobbing again, and he's not sure why at all. He's back! He's okay! He made it, somehow, and in his mind he's got no excuse to be crying again. But it's happening and he just squeezes as tightly as he can safely manage.

They're going to be okay. They will. And he finally forces out something that somewhat sounds like "It's okay". And then something that's almost "Sorry".And although his words are failing him right now, and although he's in so much pain and so confused, he's got people he loves with him. And that changes everything.

And this time, he won't fail him by dying. ]

[Luffy's arms worm their way around Ace, and around and around -- as do his legs, as though he can physically hold Ace back from leaving him a second time, as though he's the only anchor to keep his brother here again.

He's sobbing, and Ace is sobbing, but he's not sad (but he kind of is sad) and the part that matters is that Ace is here and Luffy can hear him, can listen. Soft and choked as his voice is, it's a far cry from the last time he heard it (and his mind shies away from that memory, which is fine, it isn't needed here) -- it's whole, it's alive, he's alive, he's whole, Luffy's arms closing over a solid back and his face pressed into an equally solid chest, and it feels like waking up after a potent nightmare. This is real.

(That was real, too -- no nightmare. But this is real, and this is now and now is always more real than then)

He doesn't try to pull back, doesn't try to look up, but his wailing manages to transmute itself into syllables, into words -- muffled because his face is buried against Ace's chest, and he doesn't think about trying to be intelligible, doesn't think about anything but Ace, here and now and whole and here.]

You're here -- you're alive -- Ace -- I'm sorry -- I didn't -- I couldn't -- but you're --

[They don't make sense, none of it makes sense, he can't make sense but making sense is overrated, and Ace surely understand him, because it's Ace and they're brothers and when have they ever needed words to really get each other?

He's here. Luffy's here. They're together again. And Luffy is stronger than ever and he will never let Ace be taken from the world again.]

I'm here. It's okay, it's fine now. I'm not going anywhere. Don't be sorry. It's good now.

[His heart is breaking with every wail, every syllable seeped in raw human emotion, Luffy is so real and raw and intense, and all he can do is hold onto him and try to be comforting while soaking up the wild force that is his brother. While Marco was an anchor, something soothing and protective, Luffy is the wild itself. And he almost feels like he's going to be alright, with this energetic beast wrapped against him like a octopus.

Luffy never goes the subtle route. His existence is too much, in the best sort of way. And Ace hums a little, listening and holding and just taking in all that Luffy is. The warmth and power of the would be king.] It's okay. Come on, no more crying. [His own voice cracks when he speaks, as he tries to ignore the tears streaming out of his own eyes and how close he is to sobbing all over again.] It was crappy of me to leave you for so long. Two years, right? I wanna know everything that happened. I bet your bounty went way up. [He forces a smile, and hugs him a little tighter. He didn't think it was possible to feel this much, but the sadness and fear are starting to give way a bit. Leaving room for more. And that more is making it easier to handle being alive again.]

[Ace can say "don't be sorry" all he likes and it won't change what's true -- but it's also true that Luffy isn't the sort to stubbornly stay sad. It's not in his fundamental nature to cling to melancholy, and when he looks up at Ace, his face red and blotchy and covered with tears and snot (and Ace is wearing a bit of that too, sorry), he's smiling wide, clouds breaking in the face of the sun. That too-big feeling of seeing Ace alive again is diminishing, is breaking down into something he can digest, and in the place of its suffocating weight he feels lightness, a bubbling in his heart that turns into laughter even as tears continue to leak from his eyes, even as his nose continues to run all over his upper lip.]

Yeah... it's so big! The last time they updated posters I actually thought they'd dropped it cause I lost count of all the zeroes!

[Two years feels like forever, and there's so much that he wants Ace to be proud of him for, so that his mind is a kaleidoscope of memories, shimmering fragments of adventure and danger and wonder whirling about his head. How can he choose just one to let fall out of his mouth first? He just wants to bask in his brother's returned presence, and let eveything else fall by the wayside. ]

Right? I'm gonna have to get a recent poster, I'm way behind.

[They're a mess, the two of them, all tear stained faces, runny noses and hearts ready to burst from happiness. And Ace is overwhelmed, in the best of ways. Mind spinning, manic joy rushing through him, and he swears he can do anything, anything at all. This is a second chance, if this horrible force called death can't keep them truly separated, what can manage to? Fuck the world, fuck the forces that are against him. They can't win.

He's still pretty confused overall, it's going to take some time for him to feel right again, but he's alive and Luffy's here and that's good enough for now. He can worry about what happened, the place he went to, the darkness that can't be remembered well or thought about without his stomach souring and his heart racing. He'll figure out what he's forgotten later, what he needs to do, and move on with a sense of power and victory.

Because he's alive.] You can tell me about it later. We'll eat and talk and figure it all out. [He sniffles again, but shakes it off this time. It's easier to when he's got Luffy to focus on.]

[He's way behind cause he was dead, and that's not a skull joke -- not with Ace. The thought starts to form in Luffy's mind, but doesn't make it as far as words before he shies away and accepts the distraction dangled in front of him.]

Eat? Is there food around here somewhere?

[Best way to avoid deep and painful conversations, that. Dangle the prospect of food in front of the eternally voracious. But Luffy isn't letting go quite yet, either; holding tight to Ace, feeling him whole and solid and real is too intoxicating.]

Not here. But I'm going with Marco, he's got food. For now. Maybe not after you're done eating though.

[Everything hurts. His mind hurts like it's been fractured at it's core, his body aches from wounds that have little evidence of their existence now, even his happiness is so intense that it's nearly agonizing. Making him feel like his heart is about to rip itself open just to have some relief.

So small talk, fun things, teasing and play and family are his focus. He can pull himself back further, as he lets Luffy cling to him and talks about food instead of pain and stress.

One step at a time. The grave. The Rise. And now recovery.]

For you, I'll share.

[It's said with the tone of an enormous concession -- because it is, this being Luffy. And he's grinning, making a joke of it, and just grinning because he can, because Ace is here and Ace is alive and somehow Luffy ended up right here so he could latch onto him and feel his solid reality.]

Coming from you? I'm flattered.

[And unsure that it's really going to happen, but hey. He's used to food being stolen right off his plate, and he's been known to pull the same crap from time to time, especially in retaliation. And this is what helps, this stupid inane nonsense that means it's safe enough to relax a little. That it's okay to stop and breathe.]

[Boy, Ace has come to the right person for stupid inane nonsense. Or the right person has come to him. Whichever.

But Luffy's hold is relaxing a little now -- enough that they can move on from this spot in the dark, even if he's not letting go entirely. After all, there isn't food here.]

Just this once, though! I'm not gonna make a habit of it.

[Ace will have to fight him for breakfast. Just like old times.]

I wouldn't expect you to. [Ace starts moving slowly towards where Marco is waiting for them. He's still tripped up on how much he hurts, almost as much as he's tripped up by the fact that he's not dead. But food and family are helping him to stay calm, they're a good focus. He can go eat with Luffy and Marco, and then he can sleep this off and figure it out in the morning.

If he wakes up on time, sure, it'll be a breakfast battle.]

Edited 2019-02-25 05:03 (UTC)

That's cause you know me so good!

[And Luffy's just beaming, because he has his brother back, and apparently lightning does strike twice because he's gotten to have this huge good-heavy feeling twice.]

And that's 'cause I'm your brother.

[Oh god, it's going to be alright. It's really going to be alright. And that smile of Luffy's has him feeling like his heart is about to break, in a good way. He didn't even know it was possible to feel so much.]

That's right! And nothing can stop us!

[Not even death, apparently. Speaking of which...]

OH!! I gotta tell you, Ace, listen, Sabo... he's still alive, too! I mean, he has been, he went away but the explosion, it didn't kill him.

[ASL are all in the world again, and this time, they have a chance to be really reunited.]

Damn right!

[If death can't win, the two of them are going to cause so much hell of the world and any other they end up in. ]

Wait, what? He survived that? [He's not quite sure how to handle this, and he's excited and confused and still struggling with this whole back to life business. Hearing that makes him nervous as much as happy, because what if they're just all dead?

Dammit, no. He shakes his head, and waits for more information. Refusing to let himself sink into that place inside of him that's still reeling from the misery of the grave.] How do you know? Is he here? Is he okay?

I ran into him on Dressrosa! He's been with the Revolution all this time, but he kinda forgot us, but then he remembered but you were...

[Not finishing that sentence. That's not the important part. The important part is that all three of them are alive. They could, at least theoretically, be all three reunited again.]

We had to split up after Dressrosa cause he was doing Revolution stuff but he's okay! He's super badass too, and we made sure-- see, the Dressrosa thing, Mingo got ahold of your fruit, and he was gonna give it away, and me 'n' Sabo, we weren't gonna let just anyone take it. So he pretended to be me and joined the big tournament and got it!

[Skipped a few steps in there, Luffy.]

Wait, what? He forgot us? And of course he'd be badass, and who's Mingo?

[This is a lot to take in, okay. Luffy, take it easy. He's pretty impressed with what he's getting out of this, but he's still jerky and disoriented. He's not sure that he's really grasping this.] Shit, okay. It wasn't my fruit anymore, but you two did that? God, you're both crazy. It's not a bad thing, but... So okay, Fruit, Sabo, tournament? Luffy, I'm tired. Maybe we can try this again once I've eaten.

[He's not following very well, and the aching feeling is pulling in again, making his steps falter a little.]

[He's about to explain further when Ace drops the once I've eaten line, with its predictable distraction.]

Oh, okay! Everything's better after food.

[That much, he totally gets.]

We'll find you the best food! Or the best that's here, anyway. Cause Sanji isn't here so it won't be the best best.

[Food really is a thing of healing for them.] Yeah, I wanna eat 'til I pass out. Just shovel it in until I'm too full to think about anything anymore. [He's still a little out of it, but it hits him what Luffy said about Sanji.] Hey, where's your crew?

[It's the true bond of brothers, right there.]

... I dunno. We were all on Wano, but then I was here, and apparently things are weird.

[Grab what you can, eat like a glutton, live your stomach's best life.] Wano? Damn, you really do go places. I can't wait until I hear all of it. I-I'm not sure who's here. I'm still kinda confused about all of this. Marco's here, but besides you and some people I didn't know, I haven't seen anyone. [Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about the other grave or how much it aches.] Yeah, food. Food. Food first, then sleep. And we'll figure this out when I've eaten a whole restaurant's worth of stuff.

[The ASL motto, right there, or at least the A&L parts of it.]

It's all really messed up! But you're here, and that's the important part.

[He's not quite sure what to make of Marco, but the easiest answer to that is to shrug and let that part of Ace's comment pass by.]

Loads of food! That fixes everything. After dinner an' midnight snack and breakfast, everything'll look better.

[The S means sanity, something the A&L parts of it don't hold much in the way of.]

Hey, you being here is the important part to me.

[Better get used to it, he's gonna be around a lot Luffy.]

Yeah. Let's just go eat until we pass out. Tomorrow things will be better. And we'll really figure out what's going on.

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[Video] With ash in your mouth, you'll ask it to burn again

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had a response half written and then chrome decided I didn't need it

Chrome pls