justicereigns | [Audio]

I'm sure you can get a last minute date. I'd flirt with you, but that wouldn't end well.

[He pauses and lets out a sigh.] Not like they'd have anything to send me back to.

[Shudders. And then remembers last Valentine's. WELP. Not going there.]

Oh? [Arches an eyebrow. ~~She doesn't have them either, just pretend.~~] So you heard about that? [Actually Ace, he was mallynapped before your canon update, so he doesn't even know that much.]

[Wow rude. He'll just. Freeze up for a bit here.]

I did more than hear about it, trust me.

[Silence over here. What the hell can he say to that. For once, Smoker has no desire to snark about it. He didn't like how things went down. But he's not going to apologize for it either. He didn't go against his justice, it just sucks for Portgas. The same Portgas who still chose to be a pirate. Although... wanted by the government before he was born... how much choice did he really have? Fuck. How many times is he going to argue this in his head?]

Sounds like you could use a drink.

[Oh yes. He DID just say that. Not that it was an offer. :| Just stating a fact.]

[...did the Marine, justice-obsessed Smoker just ask (in a very roundabout way) to go drinking with him? IS THE WORLD COMING TO AN END okay maybe that's an exaggeration, but still, this was a very rare-- more like something that never, ever happened.

So... yes complete shock is one way to put it.]

[And then there's the other side of Ace. The flirt one. The one who's shock is fading into a nice smirk and chuckling because ohohoho Smoker, you're not very sly about this. Never mind he's been drinking since he came back.]

A chance to go drinking with a potentially hot girl? How could I say no?

[GROWLS at that. He might be a girl, and he might have had some qualms about Ace's execution, but he still definitely Smoker. And oh joy, blushing. Of course the growl has a lot less intimidation factor. It could even be cute under the right light.]

Don't start with that bullshit! I'm still me you stupid prat!

[Oh wait. That wasn't a refusal either.] And I didn't say I'd drink with you. [Bright. Fucking. Red.] But if you're that hard-up for company... [He should just stop while he's ahead, but he doesn't. Of course.] You can stop by the barracks. Unless you had someplace in mind? [Why is he doing this again? Information. That will be his excuse. But seriously, Ace is the only person from his world to show up so far, and he'd like to know what's going on with them. Plus a month and a half in solitude makes even Ace's unnerving shit-eating grin almost borderline welcom.]

[...oh. She's. Blushing. HELL, THIS IS KINDA FUN NOW. Awwww, she's trying to be all fierce and stuff-- Ace, LISTEN TO YOURSELF THIS IS STILL A MARINE.

But a hot one.] I can tell you are. [Smoker. Is being. So tsun. He wants to be able to tease him about this forever, this is HILARIOUS.]

Well, would bar be okay?

[Smoker is extremely tsun at all times. It's just clearer that that is what it is now. ~~Fufufu.~~]

What, you want witnesses around to make sure I won't kill you? [Tsun, tsun tsuns harder.] Yeah, the bar is fine.

[Smoker might even zip up. Just to make sure Ace doesn't get ideas... then again he might not. His zipper might be broken since he never ever uses it in canon.]

Can't blame a pirate for not trusting a Marine. [Even a hot one that is tsuning and blushing and is kind of cute.]

Okay, I'll meet you there. [...and then he remembers. He's not too upset about dying anymore. He's still very much sad yes, but mostly lonely that he's got no one to talk to.

Okay, reason for drinking, sweet.]

[Smoker will actually beat him there first. Though this is the third person he's having drinks with today, so he should be really careful not to get drunk. His tolerance can't be the same now that's a foot and a half shorter and nearly half his weight. Oh well. What's the worst that could happen?]

[Anyway, he'll just be chilling, not zipped, but he can as need be, and he's being his usual self, despite Ikki's advice not to do that since the growling intimidation fails utterly with his giant eyes. Whatever. Still acting like he owns the place, and as if he's comfortable in this body, because he'll be damned if the Malnosso make him change the way he acts. Then again, isn't there something reversed about waiting at the bar for Portgas? Oh right. At Spicebean, Ace was there first and Smoker walked in to find him after scaring everyone thinking he was dead. Oh narcolepsy, so funny.]

[Ace walks into the bar, wearing a shirt to cover the scar. He looks and around, a bit surprised to see Smoker there first.

Oh but Smoker looks goo-- stop that thought right there, Ace. You are not going to finish it because:]

Y'know, I think I like you better like this. Being chased by a hot girl is much more appealing than some stuffy geezer.

[Flat stare. He expected SOME sort of snarky comment, but that was just weak dude. ~~Because he has no idea Ace means it.~~ Also it should be noted his flat stare is completely ineffectual like this because he has no frowny face chest to glare with him; AND because his eyes are too big and cute. And he still doesn't get it.]

I don't chase you, Portgas. Just your brother. You merely happened to be in the way. [Folds his arms over his chest. Hm. Maybe he should have zipped up after all. But no! That would be letting the Malnosso WIN! He can't do that. At least he has jeans on. Girl jeans, and boots, but still, jeans.]

... you take things way too seriously sometimes. [Shakes his head and takes a seat at the bar. He'll... wait for her to order first. Since he still has manners and shit. FUCK he hates that part.]

Geez, need to lighten you up a little.

[Just orders a rum and leaves Ace to order his own, since he doesn't know what Ace drinks. Whitebeard was famous for sake mostly, but that doesn't mean his sons are all the same way.]

[And he'll arch an eyebrow again.]

Someone needs to take things seriously. [Doesn't point out that maybe Ace should have taken things more seriously. Frankly he doesn't buy that Ace was actually careless. Whitebeard wasn't, and Teach killed Whitebeard. Besides, Smoker got in a fight with Teach and nearly died, no he knows Blackbeard wasn't an act of not being serious enough on Ace's part.] And exactly how would you lighten me up? [There's a small amused smirk at that. Almost flirting, probably more just mocking though. Because he really doesn't think Ace could possibly have a good answer to that that won't make him sound like an idiot.]

[Orders a Going Merry. He's gotten a few favorites here. He chuckles again. He shrugs.] Taking everything so seriously, though... it's a bit dull. Not to mention, you took it seriously in the wrong way.

[Oh he/she did not just ask that. OOOOOOOOH HE'S GOT YOU NOW. He gives Smoker a shit-eating grin again, feeling accomplished.]

Oh, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve.

[Eyeroll at the name of the drink. This is why he prefers drinking at Ginia's... or would except a certain other stupid pirate takes some of the shifts and so Stalker McGee practically has to memorize Marco's schedule in order to avoid him.] What did I take the wrong way?

[Flushes a little at the last line and those damn grins ~~mostly the grin~~, but steadfastedly sips his drink and ignores it.] And here I thought you kept the Aces under your sleeves. [Gestures vaguely to the misspelled tattoo peeking out from under the T-Shirt.]

[He grins a little, and then shakes his head again.] You figure it out, Miss Marine.

[He looks down at the tattoo and then back to her, a playfully mischievous smile on his face. He's gonna go ahead and ~~do something he'll regret~~ be a bit forward. He brushes a few strands of hair out of her face, tucking them behind her ear. Oh god... that was kind of awkward.]

They like to come out every now and then.

[He's about to kick Ace's shins for the Miss comment but just widens his eyes, purely stunned by the hair brush.]

Don't do that. [Still debating kicking him and just flusters internally. What is he dooooing?]

Maybe you're just really bad at hiding things. Show-off. [Smoker would REALLY like if he didn't blush so much. Is it worse as a girl? He can't tell. It was admittedly, pretty bad to begin with. Even Kirimi called him on it and if a seven year old could spot it... He's going to try to bury his face in his drink now.]

[He has NEVER seen Smoker blush that much. Even on the girl Smoker. It's almost... cute. She's like a schoolgirl or something, and he kinda loves being the dominant one right now. But even so, she didn't like it, so he raised a hand in apology.] All right, sorry.

[He stares at his drink for a minute before taking a sip.] Hiding things, huh... you'd be surprised.

[Oh my god. The sorry just makes it worse. Why is Ace sorry? Why is a pirate apologizing to him? This has never happened before. Is this what a heart attack feels like? OKAY focusing on the cigars and drinking now. He's just... going to ignore that apology because that is even more awkward. Normally he'd realize the whole damn thing was weird and awkward, but between Valentine's Shift and being a girl + prolonged seclusion from people in general, he's not going to think too hard about it.]

Hm...

[Sip. He has several way too nosy questions, but as awkward as things are now, bringing up Gol D. Roger would make that a BILLION times worse.]

Maybe you just think you're good at it because you've always been forced to hide things. [This has a million layers to it. Forced to hide his parentage, even the name: Portgas, tributing his mother, hiding his father. Forced to hide a lot of things then. On top of which, it speaks to Smoker's own questions about all of it. And whether Ace tries to flaunt what he can, just because has to hide so much. No one is ever what they seem at first glance. But isn't that how it should be?] You show off everything else. [The things he doesn't have to hide. Whether that's because of hiding other things or not, Smoker just throws those quiet observations out there.]

[He freezes and just stares down at his drink, paling a bit. He really does not want to have this talk with a marine. Actually, he almost never wants to have this talk. But, everyone knows about it now. He can't keep acting this way. Excuse him while he just downs the rest of his drink in one go and becomes a huge mess of conflicting emotions.

Again.] ...mn. [Fuck this shit, he is getting up and leaving now.] Gotta go.

[Frowns. He didn't mean to do that. What was the point of meeting Ace here if he was just going to scare him off? How does he fix it though?]

Oi. Ace. [Looks up with big eyes. And uses his other name, it's a big thing, seriously.] Sit down. [Shakes her head.] We'll just talk about anything else.

[Why? Was he really that lonely after all the Malnosso? Still, Smoker could go look in on the turtles. Or practice jitte. Or something less masochistic. But he doesn't want Ace to go. Not like that. He wants information, but if the pirate wants to hold onto those secrets; they aren't the ones Smoker's chasing anyway. Like he told Ace before.]

[And Smoker's looking back down at the bar, not sure whether Ace will stay or go after that. And not sure if he should be hoping for one way or another.]

Sorry. [It's so mumbled, it'd take Ace being right there. And while he doesn't regret saying it... it's strange. Smoker isn't someone who apologizes. Especially not to pirates. Still, he hadn't meant to push the kid's buttons. He was trying not to, wasn't he? Hard to do. Ace was a wildfire with a lot of buttons easily pushed. And Smoker had a tendency to smash through things.]

[Stops dea because holy shit girl. You just said his first name. "Talk about anything else"... Smoker's just doing this to get some information, he knows that.But he's bored as hell and lonely.

Wow. So lonely he'll spend time with a Marine. He didn't hear the apology (but he heard something mumbled) and just sighed. He walked back over and took a seat, ordering a stronger drink. He'll just stay quiet for now.

You wanna talk, you start talkin', Smoker.]

[He's just going to sit here thinking on a safe topic. The problem is, even if he means one innocently, he can't see how it wouldn't get construed as something more malicious. Asking how long Ace has been narcoleptic is out. Asking about Garp is out. Talking about the Malnosso isn't a place either of them want to go. And this is so outside of Smoker's "comfort zone" they left it in the dust years ago. Assuming Smoker even has an actual comfort zone. Still, he prefers to get pirates to talk themselves into circles or traps... and that's precisely why Ace is on his guard. On the other hand, it's also why Smoker is wary about saying too much himself. Like hell he wants to make the same mistake so many pirates make.]

So what's the story with the hat?

[Gotta start somewhere.]

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