(Luceti) Appointments Post

[rashness]

This post here is for personal conversations which should happen but one or both of us doesn't want to put up a new post/log and thus we will just thread it out here. This can be used to thread with Rin anytime and anywhere. This can either be in person (with action), or via the journal's call feature (voice and/or written).

When replying to this post please mark in the subject line when and how it is taking place EX:
[Action, March 11th]
[Voice, September 8th]
[Written, June 10th]

Comments

[rashness]

Yeah, and my dad's the strongest person in mine. Was. Anyway, that's beside the point. The point is that old demons and spirits and the like that get followings can be gods over time.

[fierybluebird]

No one's the strongest forever.

What's the advantage of being a god? Or disadvantage I suppose?

[rashness]

A...Ah. Hell if I know. [...Strongest forever, huh. His dad was a "was" too]

[fierybluebird]

Hah... I'm not sure I'd like it then. It's enough responsibility just being me. Seems like with a title like that, everyone would rather just team up to take you down, eh? Where's the fun in that?

[rashness]

Who'd team up to take down a god? That's just disrespectful - more like people are gunna make offerings and you look out for 'em in return. Fight off challengers who're messing with what you're looking after. Being a god's 'bout helping people, man.

[At least in Rin Land]

[fierybluebird]

If I really wanted offerings in exchange for protecting whole islands and fighting off challengers I could do that as a pirate emperor.

But even that draws a lot of other pirates who just want to take that spot for their own selfish gains. Too many young idiots thinking that it's a perk, not a responsibility.

[rashness]

But that's why the world needs experienced old geezers like you, right? Kick around little punks who think they know what's what and remind 'em that when you gotta lotta power, it's actually a lotta responsibility.

[fierybluebird]

It's annoying. I once thought I knew who would take up my father's reigns, but that has long since stopped being an option. There aren't many options left now and none of them are good.

[rashness]

So why not you?!

[ HAHA ]

[fierybluebird]

I don't want it.

[He's taking up what he can, but there are limits man.]

[rashness]

...Right. If you say so, man.

[fierybluebird]

[Sighs.]

Would you? [Genuinely asking yo.]

[rashness]

Yes.

[Sincerely] In fact, I am! There's a lotta people who called my old man the "worst Paladin" or have all kinda doubts about 'em because he spared me, despite him being the strongest ever. So I'm working to take up his same rank, Paladin, to show 'em all how wrong they are.

ooc: massive apologies for the TL;DR orz

[fierybluebird]

He truly sounds like the best kind of man.

[Marco just closes his eyes, thinking off on a hundred thousand, nay, millions of responsibilities. Remembering his father and mildly willing Whitebeard there next to him like a guiding force he'd almost always been.]

Your father would be proud of that goal though, eh? Mine... [Would be happy so long as they can just survive. Keeping the crew together, or splitting them up. Whichever lets them survive. To live, to be happy, to be free.] I can protect his islands, all the things he protected, but not without being as strong as he was. And if I try to become that, I'd stop being me and doing what I want, and I'd fail. Besides, being the world's strongest just means everyone wants to beat you so they can prove that they're really the strongest. How can I protect my family or those islands if I just turn myself into a target and draw those types to us? Even now, our flag back home is like a bull's eye target for weak fools seeking to gain reputation like pike sensing trapped bait. And then following them are the bigger sharks, and then still bigger seakings or krakens. Everyone's so ambitious, they all want to go to the top, but I just want my family to live, to help them chase their dreams and survive.

[And even if he was as strong as his Pops, the situation, the world is so different now. It's not like it was 20 or 30 years ago when they could plant their flag and tell anyone wanting to hurt the island to come fight them. Now, all those people who were too scared to fight, or worse, who got defeated because they did fight, now all those people want to take a bite of them when they're already wounded. Marineford had every single one of Whitebeard's allies fighting side by side, and yet all those old enemies that survived, teamed up to kill him too. Their reputation was once their best asset, and now; their problem. Marco could start over, his own crew, claim his own territories and fight just as hard as he did back in the early days, but it would require sacrificing everything else. And in that case, why not just defend to the death what he already can? But family comes first. If he can just protect them, keep them alive, the rest will fall into place slowly. Though damn the slowness to hell.]

Pops would want me to carve out my own path, he... [Stops hunching his posture and stands up straighter as a phoenix, proud of the tattoo and practically flaunting it now.] He trusts me to do that.

I just don't know what path that is yet.

[He wants to kill Blackbeard, but not at the risk of protecting his family, and even if he kills Blackbeard, there are other enemies they have to face. If he has to become the world's strongest on his own right in order to protect them all, he'll find a way to make it work, but he can't yet. For now, it's enough to just survive and make the New World a little easier for Ace's little brother to be the next pirate king. It's not killing Blackbeard, but making sure someone else beats Blackbeard to his goal? It goes a long way.] Well, I have ideas. But I won't know what path is best until I'm there with my brothers facing it. Make sense?

[rashness]

[It does make sense, sort of. It's mature and open ended, which are two things he is not. He nods, thinking about Marco's words and about his own resolve. About what Father Fujimoto would want... The thing of it is, though,

"You have two choices left. Be killed by us, or kill us and run away."]

As for me, I don't have any idea what that old man would have wanted out of me.

["Ah... You could also kill yourself, so actually that makes three choices."]

But I also don't have any choices to to go forward. None of 'em that I could take but the one I'm on now.

["Now, which one would suit you best?"

He doesn't regret it though. Of course he doesn't - he made his friends, and he's protecting people from demons. He's keeping the world he loves safe. He goes to reach out and take the sword, Kurikara, in hand. He holds this out]

My Old Man got this to seal my powers away, and told me to always keep it with me. I've been doin' just that, and trying to work on controlling the flames. I'm working hard to be an exorcist.

["What would you do if you became an exorcist?"]

Because that's the way I can prove them all wrong, make Paladin, and kick Satan's ass!

[fierybluebird]

[There's kind of a small phoenix grin at that. It reminds him far more of Ace than of himself, but that's okay. Marco secretly likes Ace more than himself.]

Sounds to me that if your father was trusting you to live on like that, he already trusted that whatever path you took would be good for you and those around you, eh?

[Seal away power...] Your flames are difficult to control, right? Even though they're blue? [Birdie head tilt.]

At least you've definitely got the drive required. [Flutters a wing, smoothing out the flaming feathers.]

[rashness]

Mmmhm. They're... well, blue flames are supposed to be Satan's, but my flames I think are... it's kinda confusing, but the flames of my heart, or... something.

[fierybluebird]

So you're the one who controls them, not him. But you have to get more in touch with your... heart?

[rashness]

Yeah, that's how it is.

[fierybluebird]

That sounds useful, eh. [More than Marco's which kind of just... are. He can control them but only in whether they're not they're there and active and where. So he has a slight envy of fire types, even if his flames are so different they don't even burn.]

So what can you do with them if you control them? [And also; heart feelings. Is this an excuse for him to ship things? Because he will.]

[rashness]

Well... Uh. [How does he even put this. He doesn't try to will them into existence to show it, it just pats Marco on the head. To pet his... blue feather flame. He adjusts how he's there and also sits, sword next to him] Been learning to control what they burn. And how hot they are? But they're pretty intense...

[fierybluebird]

Ahhh really? [Ohhhh headpats. He glances up a little.]

I kind of envy that, eh. Mine just absorb damage and heal, eh? Ace is the one who burns things, but his can't differentiate too much, just explode.

[rashness]

Why would you be envious, dude? Healing flame's gotta be the best thing ever! I mean, I only was sorta able to do that 'cus I was burning miasma, but flames which make people healthy? That's the best thing I ever heard of.

[fierybluebird]

[Definitely looking away now and fairly quiet.]

I can't heal anyone else, that's why.

[He can absorb damage, puff himself up large enough to take barrages of cannonfire, or absorb all the radiation of light, or even fight a volcano, but he can't heal the others.]

[rashness]

...Oh. [...That's a downer. He's not sure what to think of that. He heals much better than most too, but a power like that really isn't going to help someone like Shiemi being kidnapped or anything]