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[And diverted, Marco is.]

[Half a hair from freaking out and worrying that Thatch thought Marco was trying to create distance, thrown in with some of his own worries about how Thatch and Ace were handling things, added in with the "What does that mean?!!?!" mental cries of anguish. Yup.]

Not that anyone could ever turn down such an amazing offer from you.

Nothing to worry about, sweetheart. Stop molting. Everything is fine.

[He does calm down. Like always, Thatch has that magic that works on Marco like that.]

[Still though, he feels lost. Normally he'd tell Thatch that. Only Thatch, or at least using some code only Thatch knew, but now he's trying to weigh it with everything else. Thatch wanted to be his first mate and so his job was also keeping Marco calm, just as they'd always done anyway. But Marco's Pops and Marco always took care of things that would frustrate the other without telling each other in order to keep everything running smoothly. Was that how it was here?]

[But he was still Marco, not Pops. And Thatch was still Thatch, not Marco.]

Come find me.

[Three words, but meant in twenty ways. Ways only Thatch could ever get.]

On my way, Chikadee.

[It doesn't take long to find him. Birds act differently when a pheonix was around. He wondered if Marco ever realized it. They were quieter but when they sung, their songs were brighter--as if trying hard to please it.Like they even had to try, silly things.

But he finds Marco's tree and sits under it, holding a small baggie of pumpkin seeds. Not quite as addicting as sunflower, but still a comfort.]

[He did notice, but Marco always took it to mean that the phoenix was the prince of birds, and he loved it.]

[He hops down in bird form at the sight of the pumpkin seeds, and unabashedly sticks his head in the bag to nom on them and tilts his neck for scritches from Thatch, already swishing his tail cheerfully.]

And this is why you're my favorite.

You're a horrible liar and I adore you.

[he gets all the neck scratches he wants, but no more than that, keeping it simple and just what he wants]

What's wrong [and the indecipherable word Marco used sometimes]

[Ahhh that was confusing in context and Marco shifts, giving Thatch a head tilt at his use of the latter word, but eventually shrugs it off.]

I don't like trying to choose, eh.

Where to go, when to bide our time...

[Another hesitation. Those weren't the words a confident captain should admit. And indeed, Marco himself would usually never admit them out loud, but how many times had he wished Thatch was here so he could ask his advice? It'd be foolish to waste it on even more fear.]

We are already pirates, aren't we?

[had he used the word wrong somehow? He wasn't sure but it all felt like mixed communication to him. Maybe he was trying too hard. He should tone it down a little.

He wasn't really concerned by Marco's worries. Not even Pops knew that all of the time. He had thought very carefully. Wondered the next step. Especially with big things. Thatch had learned to watch him, too, over the years and he was pretty sure Marco could as well--at least instinctively.

At the question, though, he shrugged]

Are we? To be honest, I don't know, mate. You say we are but we're staying here, following their rules, fighting their battles. What does that make us?

Pirates. [That much he can assert confidently. It's not too much different from back home. Protecting the islands they wanted to, protecting the world if they wanted to, getting paid for it, sometimes in favors, sometimes in simple loyalty and trust.]

Do you really think I take anyone's orders? Or follow any rules I do not wish to?

Ask Espio about the first time the Garden suggested that non-humans should use that stupid drink if they wanted to camouflage in.

[That was probably a little confusing, so Marco flicked his tail and thought it over more.] I didn't think that was the reason at the time. I thought it was to force them to hide. Not give an option...

[He shakes his head and sighs.] Just not my style, yoi.

[He goes back into thought again.] I only accept the best of the best to be my nakama. A lot of them wouldn't know how to be a pirate anymore than they could be an enemy to the world or a hero.

Edited 2013-09-03 16:55 (UTC)

If you say so I'll believe it. [since it was true. A pirate for this world was not the same as the pirates back home. They didn't understand. They couldn't.]

I wasn't entirely serious, as it happens, merely presenting a philosophical argument. Poking the anthill to see what came up. But you know... even if you wanted to be a mercenary or a damn navy man [and he scratched the sweet spot on Marco's neck to soften that blow] I'd follow you without fail.

[and after a moment to let all that sink in]

Now tell me what's really bothering you.

[It did soften it and Marco melted happily into Thatch's lap chirping and swishing his tail merrily. Until the final whistle, and Marco froze again.]

["Nothing, that was it," wouldn't quite work. Especially not now. Damn that man.]

[Marco's tail flips again, twitching more like a cat's.]

[This place was like a test run for him. A vacation, a second chance. He could afford to screw up here a little more. The stakes weren't as high, the end wasn't the end, and maybe that was wrong. He didn't like thinking of spending time again with Thatch and Ace as a test run for back home. A chance to actually learn from mistakes, but what choice did he have? Pretending he wasn't worried about the future at home, that he wasn't constantly analyzing how everything played out, how everyone made their decisions, wasn't going to change it.]

[And yet he can't answer Thatch either.]

[To tell him that it might as well be a test run? A scratch of paper so Marco could remember what not to do in their world? That would hurt them both. More than Marco could bear.]

[Maybe it was a test run for Marco, but for Thatch and Ace it was an epilogue. Chapters extra they couldn't have normally, but not necessarily something they could continue either. Eventually they'd be gone, and Marco wouldn't. Marco would carry on.]

[He winds up laughing softly in spite of himself.] The same as ever. [He gently nudges Thatch's hand and chest to demand more pets.] I missed you, so I want to savor it all, eh.

[whatever it is...it's something Marco doesn't want Thatch to know. Maybe it's something he can't help with. Something about him or...something in a place he has no presence anymore. Thatch couldn't say. He scratches Marco's head and loves on him with pets and strokes designed to melt him into a puddle of contented phoenix goo]

You're a horrible liar and I adore you.

[he murmurs this, but warmly. He knows Marco is hiding a lot and he knows Marco knows he knows. So forget it for now. Though he wished he were like him. Could bend time and space. Could just fly with him like Grell did, throughout the centuries... but that wouldn't do him any good here.

He had to figure out how to work here. How to be more than satisfied. How to move forward in this place where he was second class just because of his origin. Now he really understood Fishmen.

Though that's not important right now either. He needed to focus on the problem at hand...]

It's not been much to savor lately has it? [he rubs his chin on the top of Marco's head. He continued in a low voice] I don't know what to do about Ace, though, eh? The more he wants me the more I want to run. [he smirks] I'm a tired old man, you know. Can't keep up with these little bastards.

[Marco nodded. That about summed it up, and he leans up to give Thatch some affectionate phoenix kisses.]

Aye.

[He wants to tell him that maybe he should be upfront with Ace, but instantly Marco can see eighty problems with that.] And the more you run, the more he pursues, eh?

[More thinking it over and Marco swishes his tail. If it took too long, eventually one of them would snap and it could get very bad indeed.]

Ace is like the sun, eh. Very intense. I think he is worried if he leaves your side for even a second or even a little, then you'll be gone forever. He's so difficult to get through to though. No matter how you explain it... [It was like rolling dice. Who could say what went on in that crazy wildfire's head sometimes?]

At the minimum don't tell him it's because you're old.

[At this Marco switches back to human and cuddles Thatch's back with his chin in the giant pompadour.] He'll see it as a challenge or that you'd be lonely without him and redouble his efforts.

Mah. And you know how Ace is. [Switches straight back to phoenix, perched now on Thatch's shoulders and with his beak poking through the hair.] He doesn't want to be left out or leave anyone else out either.

Edited 2013-09-04 00:33 (UTC)

I think I've already told him that. [he makes a slight face at the hair pokes but trusts Marco not to mess it up. One crack about finding things to eat, though, and Thatch was going to tie him to a tree.]

I don't know... [he leans back against the tree and closes his eyes, idly stroking the smooth wing under his fingertips.]

I don't... [God. It was hard to say. He turned his head and buried his face into that warmth, seeing the soft blue behind his eyes] I'm not the same person I was.

[and what if Ace didn't like that? What if he couldn't like that? What if Thatch couldn't take care of him? What if Ace wanted more from him than he could give? How much could he give until he broke? Ah it was all such a mess]

Some first mate, huh?

[Marco just grins softly and hugs Thatch that much more, finally switching back to human for a bit longer now.]

You wouldn't be my first mate if you hadn't grown up a little, eh? And I wouldn't be captain.

Ace isn't the same either. He's been through a lot. Places I can't reach him. Maybe only you can, and maybe vice versa, eh? He doesn't love the Thatch from the past, he loves you as you, past present, future, and all alterations thereof. Just as I still loved Ace from the universe he was a marine.

Don't run away before he even has a chance to see who this newer Thatch is, eh?

[he snorts]

The newer Thatch is a miserable old bastard and I hate him. Can't we just go with a younger model?

[even if Ace did love him...there was still so many ways to let him down. But in the end he'd just have to power through it somehow]

No. Your younger model was a vapid idiot. [Pokes a temple.] Become a newer you who you want to be.

Oi, he was not. [he waves Marco's hand away. He'd been a man full of promise instead of...bah] I don't want to be anything...but, eh, don't worry, chicken-man, I'll be fine.

[Marco had enough to worry about]

[A laugh.] Perhaps not, but you are deeper now. I like it. [Nuzzles an ear affectionately.]

I prefer rugged. [he reached up and tweaked a strand of Marco's hair, then he closed his eyes and leaned back against Marco's shoulder] Glad you're here, Captain.

[BBS]

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Okay reply-able now :3

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