voice: un; CAPTAIN

[nishishi]

[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.]

Comments

[nishishi]

[Oh.

...OHHH! BAN, THIS IS A GREAT ANSWER! Suddenly he feels ten times as relieved. He looks it, too!]

You think they picked him up and sent him on a different mission??
That makes perfect sense--no wonder he's not answering! He can't, right? Haha!!

[perma_banned]

[Ban remembered having that sort of conversation with Papyrus. Losing a sibling was something horrendous and, for some reason, he wasn't sure he wanted to see Luffy go through that sort of thing.

It wasn't as if he knew, after all.]

Well, they've sent a ton of us on random missions in the middle of the ones we're already on ♪. They're pretty bad with monitoring what work we ought to be doing.

Hopefully, they didn't toss your bro into something boring~.

[nishishi]

....

[It's pretty gradual, but... he seems to smile. Ban's words were telling him two very important things, and it's better than what literally anyone had offered so far.

One, his brother wasn't gone. His brother wasn't dead again, he was just... somewhere else. He was still out there.
And two.... that he could come back. If Ace was out on another mission with ALASTAIR, then...]

Nihihi. I think if they tossed Ace into something boring, he'd make a real ruckus and get sent back here pretty quick.

[Look at that--he's already cheered up.]

[perma_banned]

H'oh. So, your brother's a real trouble-maker, huh?

[The sudden uptick in Luffy's attitude secured a smile and good mood in Ban as well. He felt better, seeing Luffy's reaction.

He wasn't lying or anything but at the same time--he didn't have absolute confirmation. Word of other missions was scarce, at best, but he had still heard of it. He had wished he could sent elsewhere a few times before--occasionally.]

Course, we've made a ton of trouble during our missions as it is ♪. He'd have to make one hell of a ruckus.

[nishishi]

Of course he is! He's a pirate!

[PROUDLY, of course. His teeth clicking together with a much better expression, his shoulders hunched in as he seems to relax, too.]

Maa, yeah. I almost got stuck in the ice during the first bit. And then there were those gross snappy weeds ...

[Pleh.]

No wonder these jellyguys can't get to the end on their own. It's pretty dangerous here, huh.

[perma_banned]

Every place has got some danger to it. Sometimes, it's monsters and nature. Sometimes it's starvation and the need for water. Sometimes, it's people.

[Luffy earned a shrug from Ban, who moved on nonchalantly.]

We've just gotta escort these kids to somewhere they can grow up in. Then, I bet they'll have more to worry about amongst themselves than in the world around 'em.

As for your brother--is he much of a babysitter, anyway? Most of us don't know shit about kids, so he might have really lucked out ♪.

[nishishi]

I guess so. I grew up fighting bears n' stuff in the woods, so it's just weird that there's nothing here worth fighting against or even eating. [HE FROWNS, he's frustrated about there being literally nothing here worth eating other than plants.]

Maa... Iunno if Ace is good with kids or not. We grew up together, but we were the only kids around for a really long time. [Honestly... Ace would be about as good with kids as Luffy is. Aka: Awful.]

[perma_banned]

Fightin' bears as a kid? Jeeeez, I would've died for real if I were in your shoes~.

[Ban would agree with Luffy. A vegetarian diet, while sustainable, didn't exactly put muscle on bones. He was glad he didn't have to worry about bulking up as an immortal.

He smirked.]

But, you had a brother with you. That was enough, right?

[Remembering something, Ban set his eyes' gaze aside.]

[nishishi]

Yeah, you're right! I had both of them with me.

['Both.']

I wouldn't die so long as Ace and Sabo were around. They were the strongest.

[If he were at least 10% more observant, he would have immediately caught on to that little eye-slide there, Ban. Careful.]

[perma_banned]

Sabo? [Ban repeated after Luffy, tilting his head. So, that kid was even luckier than he thought. Not one, but two brothers who would look after him as a kid?

Even so--Ban caught it without realizing that Luffy had set his eyes aside for the slightest moment.

Even the happiest people there were had their low moments. Something about that brought up a concern in Ban but he didn't exactly have time or motivation to pursue it subtly.]

A second brother, huh?

[nishishi]

Yeah, a second one. [There was a little oddity to it, the way he sort of looks off to the side--but the smile returns in a matter of minutes.]

Maybe he'll show up one day too. I really think Ban should meet him.

[A 'low' moment was right--after all, he'd thought he'd lost Sabo for years. Having him back, well...

It's a wound still healing over.]