"Of course!" Marco blinked in his own surprise at the minor outburst. He ran a hand through his hair raggedly. It was actually at the crux of his confusion.
"Lately I'm wondering if he's the one that forgot."
He's quiet for a bit, thinking hard. He told the world that they ordered Ace away, and he stood by it. But for Ace to reject Roxas from the crew was...
Marco's hand trembled on bottle, so he moved it to the table instead, reaching for a spare hand from Robin instead.
"There's a young kid in our crew. Thatch and I accidentally scared off his best friend." Accidentally on purpose. It was a mess. "Lea is like his Thatch to Roxas' me. So when Lea said they were going, Roxas agreed." His frown deepened. Too many mistakes he couldn't take back, too many things he didn't want to take back either. He hated all of it. "I got to say goodbye, but I was the only one who did."
Marco clenched his teeth slightly. It went against his grain to question his captain, but it was Ace. Ace, whom Marco was still supposed to lead. Ace, whom Marco remembered trying to teach patience. Ace, who took off against orders to hunt down Blackbeard and yet they still had his back. Was Ace any less of a Whitebeard just because he chased Blackbeard? No. If anything he was even more. So wasn't it the same with Roxas? Why not?
"I feel like a little kid again, trying to understand something Pops got, that I don't." Another frown. "Only it's worse because... it's Ace. I've been a first mate longer than he's been alive. He doesn't have to do things like Pops, but while I'm busy trying to figure out how he's doing things, he's too busy trying to follow some code I don't know anything about. How the hell am I supposed to back that up?" Marco shook his head and scowled. "Worse. I don't want to. Not just because it's not Pops' way, but it's not even what I remember of Ace's way." He made a spiral with his fingers. "It keeps building up worse and worse."
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"Lately I'm wondering if he's the one that forgot."
He's quiet for a bit, thinking hard. He told the world that they ordered Ace away, and he stood by it. But for Ace to reject Roxas from the crew was...
Marco's hand trembled on bottle, so he moved it to the table instead, reaching for a spare hand from Robin instead.
"There's a young kid in our crew. Thatch and I accidentally scared off his best friend." Accidentally on purpose. It was a mess. "Lea is like his Thatch to Roxas' me. So when Lea said they were going, Roxas agreed." His frown deepened. Too many mistakes he couldn't take back, too many things he didn't want to take back either. He hated all of it. "I got to say goodbye, but I was the only one who did."
Marco clenched his teeth slightly. It went against his grain to question his captain, but it was Ace. Ace, whom Marco was still supposed to lead. Ace, whom Marco remembered trying to teach patience. Ace, who took off against orders to hunt down Blackbeard and yet they still had his back. Was Ace any less of a Whitebeard just because he chased Blackbeard? No. If anything he was even more. So wasn't it the same with Roxas? Why not?
"I feel like a little kid again, trying to understand something Pops got, that I don't." Another frown. "Only it's worse because... it's Ace. I've been a first mate longer than he's been alive. He doesn't have to do things like Pops, but while I'm busy trying to figure out how he's doing things, he's too busy trying to follow some code I don't know anything about. How the hell am I supposed to back that up?" Marco shook his head and scowled. "Worse. I don't want to. Not just because it's not Pops' way, but it's not even what I remember of Ace's way." He made a spiral with his fingers. "It keeps building up worse and worse."