prismaticrap | ▶ TDM .012

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You awaken amidst the darkness with only a faint light to greet you. Your body is hemmed in by shards of crystals, gently sparkling and possibly pricking your skin. The surrounding landscape is dyed in the pinks and purples of the dusk filled with crystals protruding from the ground, some as large as a skyscraper. After an hour or two of wandering through the crystal wilderness, a group of people find you worse for wear. They are the gallant Moon Knights from the planet of Prismatica. Because of the strange phenomena during the past months when scientists observed the sudden appearance of rainbow crystals in the sky, the government has been feverishly combing through the moon for more Moonblessed to be rescued. You’ll eventually be brought into Iris’s moon government center.

You all may have your usual inquiries — Where are we? Who are you? What's going on? — and the Prismals are almost too eager to answer. They tell you about their world and about the first appearance of the Moonblessed as the medical staff give you an examination to make sure you’re not carrying any viruses or biological hazards. If you react violently, you may be restrained and nerfed with a specialized neurotransmitting gun that releases a numbing agent through the top of your spine. Once the examinations are over, you’re informed that you will be provided accommodations on their planet during your stay. You will then be escorted to the docks, and led onto a large transport vessel that makes frequent trips back and forth between the Iris moon and the planet. Faces onboard vary from both old and new Moonblessed as well as the local Prismals.

The next destination: Prismatica.

▶ I am the Terror That Flaps in the Night
Iris Moon, Government Center (Arrival) and Planet Prismatica, City of Lunatia | top

Welcome to Prismatica’s hub, Lunatia, the city of your dreams! A bustling metropolis lush with bright lights, vibrant colors, luxuriant plant life, and all the conveniences of technology absent from your own world… It seems like paradise to all the uninitiated. After a quick tour of the city, new arrivals can find themselves getting cozy in their new homes.

A Settle in your new home at Level 2 to find new roommates and say hello to your neighbors! City officials will give you directions to the designated districts across Level 2 and instruct you to pick out a unit. Each apartment complex has a different aesthetic, some may look cozy, some stylish, and some bizarre. The free accommodations have a basic living space that can only fit two or three people at most in one unit.

Starter Chromaspace furnishings are provided which can be controlled with the touch of a built-in panel. Examples are color-changing curtains, transforming sofa beds, cabinets turning into tables, etc. Customizing your apartment or moving out will have to wait until you earn more chroma. Until then, why don’t you check out your new neighborhood or explore the city levels? Maybe your new roommates or neighbors can give you a “hand” with allowance for dinner.

B Your new flat is covered in a sprinkling of feathers here, there, and everywhere! They appear to be coming through the air vents. This seems to be a city-wide problem in all buildings, as many news outlets are informing people to stay alert. They believe the feathers are from the masked seraphim, King Majestas, who attacked the Elaran Amphitheater a few weeks back.

You are advised to destroy the feathers on sight. Prolonged contact with these feathers cause hallucinations and paranoia. You will feel as if winged creatures are always after you, be it one-winged angels or dark-winged ducks. Other side effects include hearing the chanting of voices in an indecipherable language out of this galaxy. These hallucinations may cause headaches, dizziness, or nausea. Thankfully, a bit of moonlacing will heal these symptoms away.

▶ Got Milk?
Level 2, Crystal Beach | top

With the Coiled Hearts Festival fast approaching, local fishermen have already begun procuring food across Crystal Beach’s clear waters to meet next month’s demands. Around this time of year, the popularity of octopus dishes dramatically rises. The Lunatians have an annual tradition to prepare flavorful octopus dishes for the romantic season, such as the much-lauded dark chocolate-coated octopus or the mouth-watering octopus braised with red wine.

Everyone is welcome to join this heart-throbbing affair. During the Second and Third months, everyone is encouraged to give your loved ones something special for a long, successful relationship. Friends, family, and new acquaintances are traditionally given a small amount of Demichroma in tiny cute cases, while lovers are given something that reminds the gifter of their homeland.

A Interested in catching your own octopus? Horned taurus octopi very frequently migrate to the shorelines to perform their elaborate mating rituals. It’s easy to find clumps of taurus octopi participating in a vigorous dance, filled with undulations and strange moaning noises that octopi should not be making. You can lure the octopi by either using a special flute which mimics their moans to gather them in heavy droves. It’s ideal to have a partner with you to scoop the octopi quickly into water containers once they’ve become entranced enough.

Play the flute carefully! If the taurus octopi grow too excited by your music, they will squirt white ink. If you are spritzed with the thick substance, you will start either randomly puking or uncontrollably secreting a milky sweet substance from any body part that secretes liquids. Luckily, the high-end boutique Prissy Polyp is nearby in case you need a change of clothes due to any sizable stains. Effects will naturally wear off after an hour.

B Come with a friend and enjoy learning some octopus recipes together. The Crystal Beach Resort has opened a seminar where several professional chefs will be demonstrating and teaching how to cook various dishes of different flavors and ingredients guaranteed to impress your date, and taste-testing is free!

One dish makes use of horned taurus octopi skin as the star ingredient, renowned for its irresistibly delectable scent. The chefs explain the palatable skin is a potent ingredient in various love potions and aphrodisiacs, so add or mix them to your dishes in moderation! The effects have a significant delay, so you may feel fine for a while, but when it hits, it hits hard. You will become enamored with every little thing — hey, you just met them and this is crazy — but that person’s smile, the sound of their voice, or the way they say your name will make you unable to resist the urge to shower them with your affection.

▶ Going Viral
Level 2, Moonlight Medical Center | top

“Help Wanted” posters can be found on virtual forums and announcement boards across Level 1 to 3. The Moonlight Medical Center has put out a call for volunteers due to a recent shortage of medical staff. The work involves filling in for overworked nurses, performing tasks such as feeding patients their meals, wiping away their sweat, changing their clothes, encouraging their spirits, and so on. Any volunteers may directly walk-in at the hospital. You will be provided a nurse uniform and any necessary equipment while on the job.

The shortage has resulted from the hospital recently taking in a severe number of patients from a nearby small village to the west of Lunatia, Port Sylvel, a known shipping and freight destination. The number of patients worryingly keeps on rising by the day and will soon fill all available rooms.

A Some of the patients are experiencing varying degrees of paralysis. The worst cases have crystallizing parts of their body. The hospital staff will stress that you should be careful around patients with crystallized limbs. Patients like these have a history of aggressively biting anyone who comes close hard enough to draw blood. Those bitten will exhibit similar symptoms as the victims, including crystallization on their bodies, and experience a steady drop in Chroma. An uncomfortable heaviness will cause you unable to move without the aid of others as well as an uncontrollable urge to aggressively bite someone.

While affected Moonblessed can cure it by moonlacing, the Prismals can only be cured by a gluteal inoculation the Lunar Scientia has recently managed to develop. The sick and beleaguered will probably hate you less if you aren’t the one trying to stabbing them with injections in the hindquarters.

B Aside from nursing duties, other available tasks to be completed include making coffee for fellow nurses and doctors, delivering flowers to patients, and general housekeeping. Specifically, disinfecting medical equipment, tidying up rooms, and cleaning the spaces around the hospital. As a result of the current situation, many crystal shards can be found decorating multiple surfaces, such as floors, walls, toilet seats, and so on. These will have to be swept away!

However, as your work day progresses, some of the shards can be seen suddenly moving on their own. These crawling shards will start clustering together to turn into elaborate, floating monolithic formations that will then begin attacking anyone nearby. Their main ability includes shooting diamond spears to impale any unfortunate victims in their line of sight. In the midst of the chaos, nurses and doctors will beg the Moonblessed to please protect the sick and wounded. The crystal formations can be destroyed by any method, though because of their incredibly sturdy composition, they require multiple hits before they shatter into dust.

▶ Questions
If you have any questions regarding this test drive meme, please ask them in the Questions thread below.

▶ As a reminder, test drive memes are for new characters only. However, current players are more than welcome to use these prompts for their own posts in the IC communities, personal inboxes, catch-all posts, etc.!
▶ As our test drive memes are game canon, feel free to keep any threads that happen here as canon for your character should they be accepted.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[A hit of -- something, god, Sabo doesn't know what it is, but a rush that's far more than simply emotional nearly flattens him, and he's crying on Ace, he knows he is, and he can feel Ace crying on him too, hot tears and quick shuddering breaths between sobs of sheer feeling, and the entire rest of this confusing world can just vanish for all he cares because Ace is here and he never, ever could have dreamed he'd have this.

Finally, both of them pull back enough to look each other in the eye -- not far at all, but it feels like a chasm, and there's nothing he wants to do more than pull Ace as close as he can and hold him tight until they merge into one -- and he feasts on the sight of that face, tear-stained and snotty but so, so beloved.]

Luffy said--

[That's too much for him to catch up on at once -- something doesn't weigh quite right, nothing really makes sense, and logic is utterly powerless against his emotions right now. But the thought of Luffy sparks some kind of connection in his mind, and he laughs, shaky and breathy but a laugh all the same.]

This... this must be how Luffy felt, when I found him...

[Seeing a ghost, or something very much like that. But Ace is here, not a dream or a ghost at all, but solid and real, so warm against him.]

[But then Ace says it -- thank you for being alive -- and the old grief and guilt stir up in his chest, and his expression crumples, joy intermixing with pain, that old ghost of anguish that prostrated him two years ago. That's been haunting him ever since, lurking in the back of his mind to reach out and tear at him whenever he lets his guard down. He cups Ace's face in his gloved hands, bowing his head.]

Ace, I'm sorry. I'm so damn sorry, I wasn't there, I didn't know...

[When Sabo cups Ace's face and bows his head Ace knows something is up. And he braces internally for what might happen next. The beautiful moment that they've shared is interrupted by Sabo's heartbreaking apology and for a moment Ace is silent.

What can he even say to that? He hurt more than just Luffy with his death.

And those tears he's fought hard to keep in spill over once more. He hates that Sabo holds any guilt over this.]

What? Sabo don't be stupid. There wasn't anything you coulda done. Luffy told me that you had magnesia anyway. You couldn't help it, you were sick, you've got nothing to be sorry about.

[One of Ace's hands rests on Sabo's cheek, gently cupping scarred skin.]

And Sabo, I'm so damn glad I got to see you again. I'm so glad you're alive. Besides, without you and Luffy I wouldn't have wanted to live at all. So you're responsible for keeping me around as long as I lasted.

[Shit, it hurts -- it hurts so goddamn much, it always has and Sabo's certain it always will, and Ace is crying too and that makes it worse, because he's hurting Ace with his own pain, and fuck, it's all too much, he's fucking drowning in his own feelings.

It's a welcome break when Ace's words stumble over magnesia -- enough to sidetrack him from the instinctive flinch of Ace's hand pressing against the scar around his eye. It doesn't hurt, physically speaking, but he hates it all the same.

But. Magnesia.

It's so incongruous, that word, right in the middle of something so painful -- Ace's conviction that he couldn't have done anything, that it was inevitable what happened, his acceptance of it -- that it shocks a small, hiccuping laugh out of Sabo, and he raises his head again, looking Ace in the eye with his face red and blotchy apart from the dead scar, eyes red-rimmed and full of tears.]

Magnesia? Is that what he called it?

[Affection overflows in his heart -- for Ace, for Luffy, both of them his brothers, both of them infinitely precious to him.]

[Ace's eyes are still red and tears fall occasionally, but suddenly the conversation has taken a different turn so his mood shifts a little. He keeps one arm around Sabo, he's so afraid that if he lets go that he'll lose him again, Gramps came and went in such a short time after all, Sanji too. And he rests the hand that touched Sabo's scar on his own face while he tries to remember the exact way Luffy put it.

He can't. He'd been stressed and drinking that day. And everything blurred together. So he goes about this as best he can.]

Yeah, he said you had magnesia and that's why you forgot everything. And that's why you can't hold it against yourself. If you didn't remember us, it wasn't your fault. It's sickness, so if you're mean to yourself about it you'll have to answer to me about that. And I'm pretty sure you remember how hard I can hit.

[The rush comes again, and while Ace doesn't even care that he's moonlacing with Sabo, albeit unintentionally, that nagging voice says he should tell him. In case he didn't know. Or in case he didn't listen.]

Hey...

[Wow, this is awkward.]

You know about what's happening, right?

[Sabo laughs again -- a small, broken sound, torn between laughing and crying, but coming out just a little on the side of laughter.]

Oh, Luffy... It's amnesia, that's what it is. A bad head injury... [He pulls in a shaky breath.] But the core part of it, he's not wrong. I couldn't... I couldn't remember anything for a long time, from before Dragon-san pulled me out of the water. I forgot you and Luffy, even my own name...

[His throat chokes off, and he leans into that feeling that rushes through him; he doesn't understand it, doesn't want to analyze it right now, but it comforts him, a roar of heat and connection and closeness, and he needs it like hell right now.

The implications of what Ace said finally get through to him, though, and he freezes up.]

Wait, Luffy told you? But -- [Confusion sets in, and now he's starting to really think about what it could mean, that Ace is here in front of him. He's not certain he believes anything the people who examined him said, and given where he was before he woke up in this strange world, what he was up to...

Confusion lights up in his eyes, along with panic. Ace is dead -- but Ace is here. And he's here, when he was just in Mariejois, risking his life to strike a great blow against the World Government. And Luffy...

Ace is dead. Is he dead? Is Luffy dead?!

The confusion, the sudden whirlwind of something that's awfully close to dismay, is clear in his eyes.]

Amnesia? Shit, I was wonderin' why people were giving me funny looks when I asked about it. Dammit, no one told me!

[Ace groans, absolutely embarrassed about having talked to people about what to do with someone suffering from magnesia and the lasting effects of it. Shit. But his uncomfortable moment comes to an end quickly and his existence revolves around Sabo once more.] So some dragon saved you? [It's not quite clicking. Yet anyway. And he doesn't push, instead curling in against Sabo with his heated form for both of their comforts. Something isn't right, there's something really worrying Ace about Sabo, and then he freezes. And Ace doesn't know what's happening in Sabo's mind.]

Yeah, he told me! Sabo, are you okay? Sabo, we're together again, it's fine. Luffy and I saved up for a really nice apartment for all of us, you even have your own room. We didn't get furniture or anything but it's yours. Sabo? What's wrong? [Ace hates that panic and reflecting stress, he wants this to be a happy reunion.] Sabo it's okay. I'm here, whatever it is I'll fix it. I take care of Luffy, I can take care of you too if something's wrong.

[Ace wraps both arms around Sabo again, pulling him close and trying to take a strong stance for him.

He wants to make whatever this is right.] It's okay. I'll make it okay, promise.

[God, it feels so good to have Ace lean in against him. Sabo doesn't remember it being this intense when they were kids, and it certainly doesn't feel like this with any other members of the revolution. He's not too worried about it, though -- no, far from it, he's enjoying the way it feels to touch Ace. Even if he's suddenly terrified that something's happened to him, to everyone he led to Mariejois -- and worst of all, to Luffy.]

Ace-- [How the fuck does he say this?] How I got here -- how Luffy got here...

We're not dead, are we?

[If he's dead, what's happened to everyone else? If Luffy's dead...

No. He can't even think about that. It's unbearable.]

[When Sabo admits what he was thinking, asks if he and Luffy died, Ace's heart breaks for him. Gods, what an awful thing to think. And a pretty rational thought process, when it comes down to it. It's never easy arriving, from Ace's experiences and who he's talked to here. And as happy as Ace is to have Sabo back, he's still sad that he's struggling.]

Oh, Sabo...

[Ace holds Sabo tighter for a moment, and he's silent as he just takes in more of that wonderful feeling. Generating chroma is so good, and while supposedly the more intimate the act the more chroma is generated, for Ace the closer he is to the person the better it feels. And gods, it's like he never missed a moment with Sabo and lost an eternity at the same time. So he hopes that the moonlacing helps Sabo too, that it makes this more comforting somehow.

God, no wonder Sabo was upset. If he thought Luffy had died? It must have been a horrific feeling. But then Ace's hands rub over Sabo's back, soothing him as best he can before answering.]

Unless you know something I don't know, you never died. Luffy sure as hell didn't. I think he'd just beat up one of Big Mom's brats when he got brought here. [No, Ace is the only one who failed his brothers and left the world of the living.] I did die. You know that. But that's okay. I got brought back, and that's what counts. And for now, we can be together again.

[Ace pulls back, and turns so that Sabo can see the tattoo down his arm.] Look! [And then he turns his left wrist upwards, to show the A●S●L tattoo there.] Even when we were apart, a part of us stayed together. Even death couldn't keep us apart.

Edited 2020-02-09 05:22 (UTC)

[The press of Ace's hands on his back is more soothing than Sabo can easily express. And with that touch, the closeness of their contact, Ace's words relax him too. He still doesn't really understand how or why he's here, but if Ace says it isn't because of death, and this isn't some bizarre afterlife, then Sabo believes him. He trusts his brother utterly.

The tattoos make him smile -- the one on Ace's wrist especially, the ASL; he rests his fingers against that tattoo, relieved and delighted with the show of connection.]

A part of us together... I like that. [He's not so sure about even death not being able to keep them apart -- the death of his memories certainly did. But he doesn't want to wallow in bitterness or regret, not when Ace is here in front of him. His own grief and guilt have been expressed and answered, and Ace is here, warm and solid and real.

He raises his arm and scrubs the cuff of his sleeve against his face. All this crying... he feels a little gross. But it's worth it, because Ace is here.]

Luffy got the one on the wrist too, we went and got it together on my birthday. So that means you should too so we all match.

[He doesn't expect Sabo to do so. He's teasing really. But it'd be nice for them all to share this.

But something else comes to mind. Something they have besides Ace's memories and love for Sabo engraved on his skin.]

It's not just through ink, Sabo. We have something else too. [Ace takes the hand that was near Sabo's face, lacing bare fingers through gloved ones.] You got my fruit. So it's like I'm with you always. And when I found out, it felt like a part of you was with me here too.

[Ace ignites, flames rising off of him that rush over his body and clothes. Then the fires spread towards Sabo, and Ace waits for him to respond.

Ace still has it here, somehow. And in Ace's mind, that means that he and Sabo are linked through it, even worlds apart.]

Of course I will! [He loves it; something to keep of the three of them, something that is the three of them all together.

Ace takes his hand, and flames rush over him; after a bare moment of hesitation, Sabo follows suit, letting the little licks of flame race over him. There are other people around them in the docks, who will hopefully ignore two young men playing with fire -- he doesn't want to be interrupted, but this moment, he needs this. Needs to feel his own flames merging seamlessly with Ace's, blurring the boundaries between them.]

I got your fruit. I had to -- I was there, so how could I let anyone else take it?

[He sucks in a breath as Ace's flames and his meet and entwine -- that strange rush that's been cropping up in this reunion, that intense feeling as they touch, is suddenly magnified by a thousand in his mind, an intimate connection that should be impossible in their world.]

I know. And I'm so glad you did. It feels like that was just how it was supposed to happen. It wouldn't have been right if someone else got it. It's your inheritance, I guess. [Ace laughs, bittersweet feelings heavy in his chest. He at least was able to pass something on to his Sabo. And because of that, now they both have those powerful flames to protect what's important with.

And now, they can share those fires here.

The two absolutely have a wide berth around them, the people at the docks are understandably keeping their distance from the pillars of human fire standing before them. But they're still keeping their distance regardless of why, letting the two have this moment together, and that's what's important to Ace. The mera mera no mi binds them together in flames, they both hold the same power and together the lines between Sabo and Ace are blurring for now. And he doesn't want to be interrupted when this is so wonderful.

It's feels amazing. It's like being one person when the flames meet, and the intimacy of this is surreal to Ace. Moonlacing feels good. Even if Ace has mixed feelings about the more intimate acts, the way this place works leads to enjoying touch regardless of emotions. But nothing he's done to moonlace before touches this, an indescribable feeling that shouldn't be possible, but that is none the less glorious.

Ace loves this. He has Sabo back, and ASL is together once more.

What could be better than this?]

[There's something about hearing Ace say he's glad for it -- it isn't as though Sabo was worried, he knows it's right that they keep this power among them, but hearing it unknots something in his chest all the same.]

It lets me have something of you. And you know? Going after it led me back to Luffy, too. So it's like you helped us find each other again.

[He could stay like this forever, blending in flames with Ace, savoring this reunion. But he's starting to feel a little conscious that they're both on fire in the middle of a public place. Maybe he should ask about that apartment Ace mentioned... mm, but a minute more of this, first. He doesn't want to stop.]

[Ace could stay like this forever. It's something that no one else besides the two of them will ever experience. But a nearby woman whines in fear, looking like she's close to tears as she watches two young man apperantly burning, and Ace pulls back the flames fast.

He doesn't want to stop. It feels too good for that. But he also doesn't want to be rude and scare bystanders.

And then he turns so that he's facing her, and bows before apologizing.] Sorry for scaring you. You weren't in any danger, promise.

[He turns back towards Sabo, and scratches his fingers through his hair sheepishly.] Guess we were drawing a lot of attention...

[It takes Sabo a few seconds longer to pull back his flames than it takes Ace -- after all, he's not had this power for very long, and he's must better at going all out than he is at fine control. And he's rattled and off-balance and full of so many emotions he can't even begin to catalogue them all.

But Ace -- bowing like that, making a courteous apology, all manners, it makes him smile. What a change from the angry little boy he used to know.]

I guess fires tend to do that. Maybe we should find somewhere else... you mentioned an apartment?

[When Ace realizes that, he'll want to train with Sabo. If nothing else, Ace has some real experience in using the mera mera no mi, and he'll be able to help Sabo hone his flames.]

Yeah! Sabo, Luffy and I got it 'cause we wanted to have a nice place for you to live if you ever showed up. It's huge, everyone's got their own room. You've gotta see it! Come on, let's go pick up some food and I'll show you home. It's my treat, whatever sounds good to you I'll get.

[Ace is so pleased, Sabo is everything he'd hoped he'd be and more. Their bond isn't gone, and they can pick up and figured out more about each other as they go.] And on the way, if there's somethin' you wanna know, I'll fill you in!

[Ace's excitement is palpable, and Sabo shares it. Food, a home for the three of them, no pressing emergencies or running back and forth, there's so much he wants and it's all possible right now.]

Something I wanna know? Everything, come on. We've got like ten years to catch up on, and you know how Luffy is -- he didn't tell me anything.

[He... probably could have stuck around longer after the mess on Dressrosa was sorted, taken the time to really talk with Luffy once he woke up from his injuries, but it was dangerous enough with the Marines on the way. They only really got that brief talk in the Colosseum, and it's not nearly enough.

But here, they're far away from the Marines and the World Government. He hasn't yet really tried to think through what it means that he can't get home easily or quickly, but for right now, it means he has time to get to know his brothers again. To get time with Ace, which is a gift he could never have hoped for.]

I'm not good at just rambling on about stuff! Gotta be more specific than that. Once we're settled in for the night, I'll get long winded on you though. You'll wanna know about stuff that happened when I was with the Spades, and then the Whitebeards, right? And I got to meet Luffy's crew too, or part of 'em at least. He's got more since I last saw 'em in Alabasta.

[Ace groans and starts walking, Luffy's descriptive ability is nothing impressive.] Damn, he's the worst with that. He told me that you were alive, badass, still had a hat, and that you had magnesia. [Ace's eyeroll is impressively dramatic though.] And that's after me proddin' him about it.

[Ace thinks that dinner out is good, and they can take Luffy something home. Or maybe they'll just pick up something. He doesn't know, everything is so exciting.

But he feels like he's missing something.

Or several somethings.] Shit, do I work tonight? I don't think I'm working tonight. [Ace pulls the communication device off of his belt, and checks his schedule.] Okay. I'm good. Didn't wanna call in, but you come first. You and Luffy always come first. I'd quit if it came down to comin' in tonight or seeing you. [There, that's settled.] Do you wanna eat out and take stuff home to Luffy? Or grab takeout for everyone?

Let's grab takeout for all of us. I wanna see your -- our -- place, and I wanna hear all about the Spades and the Whitebeards.

[Everything. He wants to hear everything. To make up for all those years of his brothers' lives that he's missed. And maybe to share a little of his own, too, if Ace is interested -- though Sabo's not wholly certain he will be. Wouldn't it hurt, to hear what Sabo was doing instead of looking for them or trying to be reunited?

Anyway. That's not important. Ace is important.]

I've met a few of Luffy's crew, but not all of them. Things were a little crazy when we found each other.

Got it. [This is already shaping up to be an amazing evening, after an amazing reunion. Ace starts off on a set path mentally, he knows where he wants to pick food up from.] That makes it easy. Tonight we'll just share something easy. Tomorrow I'll get groceries and make ramen to celebrate your welcome home with. You're gonna love our place! And after I tell you about what happened to me that you missed, I wanna hear about what your life was like. You're a big deal back home, like you'd be anything else but important. [Ace's smile is prideful then. He really loves his brothers.] You had friends too, right? And maybe we can even get Luffy to give a couple real details about his crew between the two of us.

[Well, that answers on the If Ace is interested front.]

Anything you wanna know on the way? This place is weird as hell, so I can answer any of those questions if you have 'em on the way home so we don't have to worry about it when we're storytelling. [Now that they're out of the docks, Ace relaxes a little, hands in his pockets. He's dressed as he always did back home, more or less. But there's no signs of scar or injury.]

[Quietly, deeply, Sabo is grateful that there's no mark on Ace -- he doesn't know how that works, and doesn't want to probe too deeply, but the thought of seeing the evidence of a death-wound on his brother feels like a stab in the heart.

But. It's not there. Ace looks hale and healthy and happy.]

Hell yes. I... may not have really been listening when they tried to give me the whole lecture before. [He admits it a little shamefacedly.] When I'm getting poked at by government types, listening's not really on my mind, you know? So I'm still pretty foggy on what exactly all of this is.

[He pauses a moment, then rubs at the back of his neck as he admits,] I'd rather hear it from you, anyway.

[Ace is happy. He has Sabo back, and the trio is reunited. What could be unhappy about this?]

I'm not surprised. I don't think you were ever the type to play nice with government dogs. [Ace looks kind of embarrassed then.] I probably should have fought harder, but they kept feeding me and I was pretty out of it. I was easy for them to deal with. Probably didn't hurt that I thought I was still dead.

[Ace thinks for a minute. Trying to remember what they told him then. He really doesn't.] So you know about what it means to be a Moonblessed, right?

Never was, and I've only gotten worse at it since. [He's proud of that, okay.] See, now, maybe if they'd been nice enough to feed me, I might have listened. But I tried to punch a few, and then they zapped me, and then I was just pissed.

[If he never has to have another date with that -- whatever it was -- he'll be glad.]

Um. I heard them use the term, but I'm not quite sure what they meant by it. The moons do something to us?

That's what I've heard. [Ace smiles fondly, he's so glad that Sabo was able to make such a name for himself. They had their plans, plans changed and were interrupted, and Sabo raised himself up anyway.] See, most of 'em don't like being punched, who woulda guessed? They kind of take that personally.

[Ace isn't the best at this sort of explaination, and he knows mostly about his moonblessing. But he's at least able to search if he needs to.] So we're moonblessed. Which means we have a moon we align with. And we change when our moon is in effect. It changes a lot by what moon you align to. Luffy and I are both Iris, I dunno how it affects him besides getting clingier.

▶ TDM .012

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