[He frowns. Well that fell very flat indeed. He switches back to human and sits on the edge of her bed, looking serious.]
Sorry. I chickened out.
I seem to do that a lot lately.
[He leans his head on a hand and just watches her a little sadly.] For how long? [Shakes his head.] I won't kidnap you, but I can't like seeing you trapped in a loneliness.
[Marco gets up and looks away, pacing about the room, counting the steps, the stacks of books, each individual volume, just counting. It helps.]
[But as he tries to bring up the loneliness... that she helps him and yet... he can't help her? He can't even cheer him up with spontaneous ridiculousness. Was he trying too hard? She cheered him up so effortlessly. Just by being there. By being willing to sit and talk or listen to him ramble. Why couldn't he do the same? He takes a deep breath.]
I love you. I can't stay here forever, but there's a story, eh? Of a man who was stuck under cherry trees. He was too sick to move, so if he left he would have died. But birds brought him fruit and water and nuts and fish and slowly he started to heal, to get better, and to be healthier once again.
You're always going to miss Luffy, and if he was here, you'd want him home. But whether you are stuck healing or not, I can still bring you treats and keep you company for a little while eh?
[His shoulders slumped. For the first time in months, truly showing the weight of the world on them. It wasn't that it was too much. Like he realized when talking to Rei, if the people he wanted to rely on him didn't believe in him, then Marco had trouble telling them they were wrong. He could defiantly yell it, but the cracks in his confidence, the doubts in his capabilities still showed.]
Or is that not enough?
[Of course it wasn't. They weren't nakama. Who was he even trying to be? His father? Since when had Marco become that strong? Since when did he have the stature to fill those shoes to follow in those footprints? Who was he trying to kid? Lying could only take you so far. Eventually you had to have the cards to back up the bluffs.]
[But if she believed in him... he'd never let her down. Never ever. He'd die first--]
[Wast that true? Hadn't he meant to protect Ace's dream? But he had. He protected Ace's freedom, and his dream, just not his life. Because otherwise Ace would have burnt out, worse than death. Surely he could do this. He was Marco, he didn't have to be anyone else, just himself.]
Action / December 20th / Late
Sorry. I chickened out.
I seem to do that a lot lately.
[He leans his head on a hand and just watches her a little sadly.] For how long? [Shakes his head.] I won't kidnap you, but I can't like seeing you trapped in a loneliness.
[Marco gets up and looks away, pacing about the room, counting the steps, the stacks of books, each individual volume, just counting. It helps.]
[But as he tries to bring up the loneliness... that she helps him and yet... he can't help her? He can't even cheer him up with spontaneous ridiculousness. Was he trying too hard? She cheered him up so effortlessly. Just by being there. By being willing to sit and talk or listen to him ramble. Why couldn't he do the same? He takes a deep breath.]
I love you. I can't stay here forever, but there's a story, eh? Of a man who was stuck under cherry trees. He was too sick to move, so if he left he would have died. But birds brought him fruit and water and nuts and fish and slowly he started to heal, to get better, and to be healthier once again.
You're always going to miss Luffy, and if he was here, you'd want him home. But whether you are stuck healing or not, I can still bring you treats and keep you company for a little while eh?
[His shoulders slumped. For the first time in months, truly showing the weight of the world on them. It wasn't that it was too much. Like he realized when talking to Rei, if the people he wanted to rely on him didn't believe in him, then Marco had trouble telling them they were wrong. He could defiantly yell it, but the cracks in his confidence, the doubts in his capabilities still showed.]
Or is that not enough?
[Of course it wasn't. They weren't nakama. Who was he even trying to be? His father? Since when had Marco become that strong? Since when did he have the stature to fill those shoes to follow in those footprints? Who was he trying to kid? Lying could only take you so far. Eventually you had to have the cards to back up the bluffs.]
[But if she believed in him... he'd never let her down. Never ever. He'd die first--]
[Wast that true? Hadn't he meant to protect Ace's dream? But he had. He protected Ace's freedom, and his dream, just not his life. Because otherwise Ace would have burnt out, worse than death. Surely he could do this. He was Marco, he didn't have to be anyone else, just himself.]