futurology | voice: un; CAPTAIN

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voice: un; CAPTAIN

[The feed is going to start up easier than it did last time. Looks like someone's actually learning how to use his communicator--how about that.

Either way, the face that Luffy's making this time around is a little bit unreadable. A smile is on his face, but somehow, if you're someone used to the sort of expression this man usually makes--it's clear that there's something not quite right with it.

Even if the tone that lights up the speakers is a bright one.]

Everyone been having fun yet? It's been messy, right? I hope no-one got too hurt when it came to the big ugly swamp monster. [After all, he'd gotten quite beaten up by it. Look at the bandages and scrapes on his hands and face.]

Even if you did, there's lots'a people here to fix you up, Like Torao. But anyway.

Have any of you seen Ace? My brother. He's always flying ahead of me when we go on adventures together, and he did it again this time around. So I think he got lost.

I'm sure we'll find him when the mission's over, but you know!!
It's not fair, I wanted to be the one who got ahead this time.

[He's so steeped in denial, it might hurt to hear. Sorry.]

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[This text comes a while later, after all the arguments and repeated denials that "Ace can't be gone!" Law isn't about to help with that. Arguing with Luffy isn't fun, stubborn as he is, and he can only think about the broken man he rescued in Marineford when he considers it.]

Are you by yourself right now?

[Probably the shortest text Law will ever receive from the rubbery-bodied captain here, honestly. And while there's still no punctuation or proper capitalization, it's still a pretty clear tell.]

yeah

Edited (what the fuck is html) 2016-07-19 02:14 (UTC)

[YEAH that's honestly about what he expected. Which is entirely why he's now doing what he'd already resolved to do.]
Okay.
Stay put for a bit.

[Now, Law is an introvert. When he's in A Mood, generally he wants to be left alone with his thoughts. But he knows Luffy is not. Luffy thrives off of people. He's sure Luffy needs some time to himself in the situation too. But he won't be able to recover without someone to talk to. It'll take Law a while to find him, anyway. He knows using Room and Scan to try and find the pirate probably isn't the best choice he could make, but he has something to pay Luffy back for.

So maybe he's a little winded when he finally shambles himself to where Luffy is. But he'd probably still be a little winded anyway from the lingering effects of the neurotoxin. The more obvious evidence though is the pale splotches discoloring Law's skin. They've begun to fade, but they're still pretty obvious and also the reason Law contacted Luffy via text.]

Straw Hat.
[Hopefully Luffy isn't too startled by his friend suddenly appearing in front of him.]

[He's sitting, off to the side where his fellow Straw Hats may have been with him earlier. The light was getting low, and it was possible the other two had long gone to sleep, leaving the Captain to stare off into the alien sky, a sleeping Shanks settled in his lap.

He definitely DOES jump a bit when Law comes out of basically no-where--that's pretty new. Though the reaction doesn't last long, and he's going to give his friend a long look up at him.]

Torao. You-- [You're all splotchy, he'll address that later.] Hey, Torao.

[Wow it wasn't out of nowhere, he took the place of a rotted log. But he appreciates saving that for later, really. But for now he'll just sit down next to Luffy. It's kinda familiar, isn't it. Except this time he isn't drunk, which is a nice improvement.]
Hey.

[He realizes too late that he actually has no idea how to approach this situation. But outwardly he keeps his cool, which is the most important thing. The cough he lets out is entirely because of the lingering neurotoxin.]
... How are you holding up?

[Exhausted would be a good word. He'd probably spent the better half of the day on the network, claiming to anyone who may have said Ace wasn't around anymore that they were stupid.

Someway, somehow, he's finally been pushed to accept that Ace was gone again, and it's taken everything in him not to cry.

Even if his bottom lip is quivering even as Law talks to him.]

He's really gone.

[Ah, there it is. Law gave ample time before he responded, to ensure that this conclusion would have already been reached. But still, it's so weird to see Luffy like this when he's usually so indomitable in his moods.

He honestly hasn't seen him this down since Luffy lost Ace the first time. Law doesn't offer any hazy assurances that he "might come back" or that he's still here in one way or another. He's not the type to think in terms like that. Instead, he just does what helped him a week ago. He slings an arm around Luffy's shoulders.]

Aah. [That's all.]

[There's a small part of him still holding onto the hope that Ace will come back, but at current, it's hard to keep the hope up--especially when Ace had promised not to leave in the first place.

He's holding it pretty damn well, too. Feeling himself shaking, but he's not letting a single tear pass his eyelids. A man can't cry every time something bad happens.

Sure they can't.

Even if the addition of Law's arm around his shoulders suddenly is an unexpected--welcome--and sudden, it doesn't break down that dam of tears that are being held back.

Aah. He agrees, just like that--Torao always understood things in the subtlest ways, didn't he. Luffy's head turns to look up at the surgeon's splotchy face... and that's when tears start to pool in the corners of his eyes, running rivers down his cheeks.]

It's not fair. I finally had him back. I finally... Ace...

Edited (what the fuck is html) 2016-07-19 03:38 (UTC)

[When he sees those tears, Law reaches out without a word to shove that straw hat down on Luffy's face. Again, Law isn't sure if this is the right thing to do. He's just drawing on his own experience. It's what he always does. If it backfires then well, he'd like to think that maybe Luffy would stop insisting they were friends, but he knows the younger pirate would just forgive him.]

It's not. It's not really fair you got to see him again, either.
[He'd have liked to see Corazon again, but on the other hand, he'd spend half the time worrying about this exact scenario anyway. BUT HEY, lets not focus on that. What else can he say....]

.... He was really happy, when I told him what you'd been up to. I think he was glad that you were doing so well.
[That much he can say 100% for sure.]

[It's... probably one of the few things he could have done that wouldn't make him angry--if only because when it's pushed down over his face, his hands come up to grip the edges of it, pulling it down even furthur over his face as, finally, a sob looses forward from him.

Another moment and his head is ducking down below his shoulders, and he's turning in against his friend.
Sorry, Law. You're still in his good books. This will only make it worse.]

I didn't. I didn't get to tell him anything. About--about anything. About Sabo, o-or--

[Another shaky sob escapes him, tears starting to soak a nice wet patch in the leg of his trousers.]

I was happy, too. I wanted him to stay, just-- just for a little longer...

[Ah yes, you use your hat to hide your feelings too. He understands that. And the rest, too. Yeah. There's plenty of things he wishes he could have said to his loved ones before they died, and plenty of things he'd like to tell him now.

He didn't get a chance like Luffy did, but he's pretty sure that no matter how long Ace had been here before dissapearing, it wouldn't have been enough. Because how could it ever be enough? You can't truly make up for lost time, that time is gone and you'll never get it back. Cora-san did his best to make a happy memory for Law to remember him by, but closure is hard to come by. He didn't get it with his family, and he never expect to. But that doesn't mean he doesn't still think about all the things he wishes he could tell them.]

It's hard. [He simplifies it to just that. He said it a week ago, but being on the other side of the conversation, it carries a different sort of weight. He's not here to make things any more complicated than they already are for the other man.]

But you'll get through it.
[Just like you did the first time.]

[Law was learning, honestly. It would be amazing for anyone listening to really think about--how Coby had piled on sentences and sentences worth of logic pointing to the fact that Ace was gone, followed by longer strings of words to try to calm his pirate friend down--only to make him angrier.

It's the short, simple sentences that Luffy seems to understand best. And the single two words--It's hard--god, he can feel them for himself this time around. Just as Law had said last time. It was hard.

But with the support of others, he'd get through it. He doesn't reply using words, though it should be transparently clear that Law had done something right here, what with how he nods in response underneath that hat of his, his body becoming a little heavier underneath the other pirate's arm.

He was gone. And he hadn't enough time to appreciate having him back at all. No time would be enough time.]

[That's all the response he needs, really. And then he falls silent too, leaves Luffy quiet air in which to sort out his thoughts. He isn't here to offer more words that may or may not mean anything. Nope, he's just here to be a physical reminder that yes, you have people here supporting you and pushing you forward through this.

He remains quiet, but lets his hand on that other shoulder tighten slightly, reassuringly he hopes. Get all your tears out now, because later you've gotta be the Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates again, and you've gotta be strong. But for now you can just be Luffy.]

[It's silent for a while--save from the small bursts of sniffling and a scattered sob from the straw-hat wearing pirate. The sound is dying down, now, at least--especially after the others' grip on him tightens a little. An anchor, a friend there with him to remind him, quite simply, the same thing Jinbe had reminded him.

He still had his nakama.

And the fact that Law was right there only solidifies that for him. His head tips up, the first flicker of those dark brown eyes visible from under his hat. It's quiet for a moment, but...]

Why's Torao covered with spots.

[Well, Law's mood is immediately soured. He can't really fault Luffy for it, it is weird and Luffy is nothing if not straightforward.]

It's a reaction to that gas those swamp creatures were breathing out. I was careless.
[He's hoping that Luffy hasn't seen anyone else who was affected by the toxin because they sure as hell don't have spots.]

[Sorry to ruin the mood, Law. But you really shouldn't have expected the straw-hat pirate not to say anything, his eyes lingering on the fingers of the hand that was settled over him. He hasn't moved to touch them at least.

His eyes flick up to look at him. So that's what happened... funny, he got blasted with the poison full-on and yet...]

You're gonna' be alright, right? [Yeah, you're the only person he's seen yet. McCree and Hanzo stayed far enough away to not get hit, and when Sanji joined the fight, well... the thing died too quickly to that rage of fire to spit anything at the cook.]

I should be. It was worse earlier. [When he could barely breathe and had to be carried by Achilles for several aggravating hours. But he's not bringing that part up.]

[He frowns minutely as he looks down at the splotches on his free hand, his brow furrowing that way it does when he's thinking hard about something. Even now when he's thirteen years removed from the disease, he could always see the marks if he squinted, like scar tissue. But for it to return in full force as such an ugly obvious reminder of how weak he used to be... He really hates it.]
I just want them to go away.

[Yeah, please don't bring up the agonizing pain part up. He'll get even more worried.
A hand moves up, rubbing the tracks of wet, salty water away from his own eyes, a hard sniff given unabashedly a few moments later. His head leans to the side, thumping against the others' chest a bit.]

They'll go away. Torao's a good doctor, so you already healed the poison away, right?

[A beat.]

Torao's strong like that.

[After a sharp exhale of breath that's almost a laugh, Law shakes his head. He starts to open his mouth to say how it's "not that simple," but then reconsiders, because he can guess the complaint Luffy would voice.]

Liv-ya and Achilles-ya did. [As he was incapacitated.] The spots faded the first time, I don't see why they wouldn't again.
[He doesn't seem to realize the information he's revealed there. But maybe Luffy won't notice.]

[Things can always be simplified. If you don't think that, then you really are a guy who thinks too much. Your head must really hurt a lot sometimes, man.

But despite that, he's quiet for a long moment, and sorry, Law, much to your irritation--being upset means he has more clarity than he usually does.]

First time?

[Law stares up at the sky for a long moment, but honestly, it's not that big a deal, the more he thinks about it. Maybe being around Luffy at the moment helps make that more clear. It's in the past, he got through it. The visible reminder of that part of his life was unpleasant, but he'll get through it this time too.]

Aah. The... illness that I was able to cure, thanks to Cora-san. It turned my skin white like this.
[That's why he wasn't happy to see them again. He already told Luffy that Corazon saved his life, that should make the severity of the illness fairly obvious.]

Edited (apparently I have two icons with very similar keywords oops) 2016-08-02 17:45 (UTC)

[Oh, yeah... he remembered that story. Of course he did--he wouldn't forget any of his Nakama's words if they were important like this. So why would Law be any different?

Luffy reaches a hand down, the top of his thumb trailing along one of the patches of white on Law's hand.]

They'll go away soon.

[Because you don't want them there, right.]

[Law laughs softly, more just a sharp exhale of breath, really. He wishes he could simply believe that, he's trying to, but he's naturally a pessimist, so that worry that they'll stick around somehow this time is sitting at the back of his mind nonetheless.]

They should. [All of his medical knowledge suggests this to be true. Then again, he has no idea what was actually in that gas.]

It'd be nice if we could leave both of our problems here in this swamp.

[Leave their problems here in the swamp... that sounded really good, honestly. The idea settles in his stomach and he closes his eyes.
Wherever Ace had gone... he'd just continue carrying his spirit with him, just as he had done back in the Big Blue.

Finally, he lifts his head, a hand moving to rub the salt off his face--and a smile settles over his features.
It's clearly a little forced and no-where near as powerful as his natural expression, but.]

Just another memory to look back on and tell stories about when we're older.

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voice: un; CAPTAIN

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