Appointments

[sailedfirst]

This post is for one-on-one interaction with Sabo outside posts.

Please make sure to specify whether it's [Voice] || [Video] || [Written] || [Action] and include the date on the header. (e.g. [Video, March 20], [Action, March 20])

Thanks! o/

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[sailedfirst]

[Sabo looks away. He can't deny that he doesn't like his family now, but there's something he can't deny, either.] ...Dad used to be a real father to me too, y'know. It's all faint and stuff, but I remember him playing and laughing with me. He's actually the one who taught me how to read, not my tutors. But then I learned to think for myself and started questioning stuff. [Shrugs, like this doesn't matter.] Guess that's when things changed.

[He pauses, fists clenching at his sides, but it doesn't last long. The words just kept coming.] Sometimes I wonder why he tried so hard to find me, to bring me home before the fire in the Terminal started. He didn't have to, y'know. He's already got a new heir. But I guess, in a way, he still cared. Like, he really believes keeping me in High Town's the best thing for me.

I... I can't say I appreciate it, but I think--maybe, he did love me in the only way he knows how.

[hiken_ace]

[Ace just stays completely silent for a while. He wants to yell that Pops can give him that for as long as Sabo wants, but... Ace doesn't know what it's like to be with your birth father. He never grew up with anything like that, so why is he telling Sabo that doesn't matter?

He almost wonders if Roger would've been a good father. Would he have been happy like Sabo was? Sure, he had Garp, but Garp wasn't really a father. He cared, definitely, but... it felt different from Pops.] ... sorry. I guess I should let you decide this, not push it on you.

[sailedfirst]

[That's the thing. Sabo remembered being happy, that's why it hurt a lot worse when he was losing that love. No matter how different Whitebeard might be as a father, Sabo will always carry that fear of somehow disappointing him and being called useless all over again.]

...M-maybe someday, Ace. And who knows, I might get to meet your Pops, and I can ask to be a Whitebeard son too! [Trying to smile cheerfully.] But until then, I'm just Sabo; that homeless orphan kid from Gray Terminal with dumbass brothers. That's good enough for me, for now!

[hiken_ace]

[If only Ace knew that, he'd try to tell him Whitebeard is nothing like that. But he still feels like he doesn't have room to talk, Sabo knows things Ace doesn't.] He'd gladly take you in, too. I bet he'd be proud to have a son like you.

[At the dumbass comment, he just shoves him lightly.] Oi, oi. You're a dumbass along with us. [He can't help feeling there's something off, but it's hard to pinpoint it. What's Sabo worried about?]

[sailedfirst]

I sure hope so! But, aaah, how would that work? I'd still want to be a captain of my own crew, y'know... [It's almost just a fantasy now, but there's no way he'll give up that dream.

And just laughing, in the hopes to lighten the mood more. He's already dumped a lot of stuff on Ace today; he doesn't need to worry him more.] Yep! We already said that last night, right?

[hiken_ace]

You could be an ally! He treats his allies like family, too. [He doesn't expect Sabo to give it up if he doesn't want to. Ace was the same way.

Um, bro, you can dump all you want, he can help... sob.] Ah, that's right, we did. Then so's Marco!

[sailedfirst]

Really?! That's great! I can definitely work with that. [Someday, this'll happen. Someday.

Shh, it's fine. He's been doing this for years... sob.] 'Course he is! Or, if he weren't before, he'd be one now for willingly dealing with us.

[hiken_ace]

There you go, then! [They will make it happen.

B-Bro, that is not a good thing.] And don't ever let him deny it.

[sailedfirst]

Yeah! That's something to look forward to. [When there's absolutely nothing left, there's always hope.

He will learn that, m-maybe.] Well, I don't think he'd want to. Some dumbassery's what makes life fun, y'know!

[hiken_ace]

The whole crew will. We're always happy to get more nakama. [One thing they always have.

You better.] Hahaha, he knows that just from watching us.

[sailedfirst]

Heh, you and Marco told me so much about them, I feel like I know them already. But I'd love to meet 'em for real one day.

[Snickers.] Yeah, I bet!

[hiken_ace]

Ahhh, you'd love 'em. They're a ton of fun to be around. It's like 1600 of you and Luffy!

[sailedfirst]

[Laughing his loudest laugh so far. Because the mental image is just horrifyingly ridiculous.] So that's why you're right at home with them, huh?!

[hiken_ace]

[Oh, he can imagine how hilarious it must be.] You bet I am! Never a moment without fun with those guys.

[sailedfirst]

[Catching his breath back, and giving the widest grin.] Man, I'm really happy you and Luffy got to have such great nakama.

[hiken_ace]

[He grins back happily.] I'm really glad, too. How many of Luffy's nakama have you met?

[sailedfirst]

Ah, let's see... There's Chopper, Zoro, and Robin, and Sanji and Nami. Vivi too, I think. But she's a princess, not a pirate, so I'm not sure how that works.

[hiken_ace]

Sounds like you've met all of his nakama. That are here, anyway. And as for Vivi, Luffy helped her country, Alabasta, so I think they're nakama.

[sailedfirst]

[Frowns.] Really? Wow, I'd never have thought Luffy'd get involved in a country's politics... But, I guess if it's for someone he cares about, he'd do just about anything, huh. [Quite forgetting all three of you are the same in that regard.]

[hiken_ace]

To be honest, I doubt he even completely understood what was going on. But hell, he beat a shichibukai over it, so he must've known something. And come on, we're all like that, aren't we?

[sailedfirst]

What do you me-- oh. [Chuckles.] Yeah, we'd always pull Luffy out of trouble all the time!

Ah, wait a minute. Isn't Alabasta where you guys met up again? Or was that just a coincidence? Did you help 'em out too?

[hiken_ace]

'Course we would! He can't keep his nose out of trouble for more than two minutes.]

Yeah, we met up there. I was... looking for someone, and I thought it would be a good idea to see him in Alabasta. I left a message for him on Drum Island, but I guess he never got it. We met up, anyway, kinda on accident, though.

[sailedfirst]

And you'd yell at him so much he'd cry and come running to me, and then I'll yell at you next, and we'll argue so much Luffy'll start yelling at us and then we'll both hit him for it... [Laughs.] And yet we'd do it all over again the next day!

[Huh, that's strange...] Oh? I'd always thought you're there just to meet with him... Who were you looking for?

[hiken_ace]

[Man, he just can't keep his laughter down when talking about the good old days.] Those were the days! We fought, got dinner, trained, everything was just a ton of fun.

[... hm, he needs to sugar coat this.] Just someone I needed to settle a score with.