toujoursfluer | Appointments Post

[It's very late by the time Marco manages to get this journal working and track down Robin. He convinced Ace that he would go to sleep early, but then promptly snuck out with a backpack of cookies and some fish sandwiches. Ace had his own reasons for needing to get out alone and Marco was pretty sure as long as he avoided the bar he'd be safe and wouldn't get caught.]

[He was still pretty distressed though. Hearing that his Dad died 30 years in the future still didn't make the distance of time a relief. He couldn't get to his Papa here either or make him safe in his own time and that was all so messed up. And he definitely couldn't tell Ace and make him worry, so that left Marco's oracle.]

Miss Oracle? I'm sorry it's so late but I really need to come see you. I got some food too. And from Sanji at the restaurant.

[He's sitting on the fountain again, human this time, and not as happy. Pretending to be happy for so long is exhausting. He doesn't know how everyone else does it. Still, he doesn't know whether to explain about his Dad yet or just wait. He could give her a cookie first and show her his fire heart (the best he could manage, flowers were beyond him right now) and THEN ask. Maybe. If she even replied. If not...

If not then he'd have to find a way to sneak into the library. He should have brought a book, but he didn't want it to get fishy.]

[She had been asleep. Had just dropped off, the journal open on the bedside table just in case. As she blinks in the darkness it takes her a while to place the voice. The title. At first she thinks its someone else, and then remembers]

Marcchan?

[She sits up and pulls the journal over to her, turning on the lamp and looks at him, all alone on the fountain. It's still strange to see him so small.]

Of course. I'll point the way. But hold the journal out in front of you so I can see, ne?

[And a hand blossoms out of the lip of the well, pointing toward the Strawhat house, and more appear in a line as far as her field of vision goes]

Mm-hm.

[There's still a little startled pause at the sudden hands, but he quickly laughs in delight.]

Your devil fruit is really handy~!

[And with that he starts running, making sure to hold the journal as commanded.]

Mm. It is. [That's a horrible pun but you're cute enough to get away with it]

Though not quite as flashy as yours.

Oh, but you can make flowers! That's pretty flashy. Or not flashy... because it's subtle... It's prettier though!

[Because the heart is a surprise.]

Thank you. [It's not fair if you are continually adorable.]

[In either case the hands will continue to point the way until you see the Strawhat house and the hands will continue up the wall, fingers lacing together like a ladder]

Come to my window, little bird?

[And she pushes it open and smiles down at you]

[BEAMS. OH HIS GOD. This is the coolest adventure. He is following hands to an oracle named Robin and climbing up a window like ivy or a super awesome story book fairy tale HERO. Eeeeeee. He cannot wait to tell someone about it later. Except that it's secret that he's here. WELL he find a way and write a letter about it to Pops, yes that will work. With pictures.]

Hi! [All climbed up, and trying to be super light, switching briefly to phoenix for more flapping and such.]

Thank you for having me, yoi.

It's my pleasure, Marcchan.

[she waits until he's inside before closing the window]

It's not every night I get such an interesting visitor. Have a seat. [She gestures to her desk, hands carefully putting away books and papers and she shuts her journal, too] And tell me your story.

[For her part, she sits on the edge of her bed.]

[Nods and moves his backpack to the front, switching back to a child.]

Would you like some cookies? And I brought fish sandwiches in case you're hungry.

[He can't dig into the story right away, he's a little nervous. But he offers them nonetheless and glances around the room.]

Hah~ this is very nice! Like a sorceress tower! Or a wizard Princess' room. [Nods happily and rests his chin on his hands, looking up at her, thinking on where to begin.]

Hmm. It's a pirate's bower. [She absently strokes a finger down his nose] So be careful not to wake anyone. [Though he is speaking low enough.]

But I'll have a cookie if you have one.

Haaai. [Whispers! And hands her a cookie all wrapped up a napkin! He's a clean little birdie.]

Oh, and I couldn't do a flower like you. [Pouts, but instantly cheers back up and demonstrates a fiery blue heart instead!] But I can do this, eh.

That's beautiful.

[and it is. She's tempted to reach out and touch the flames but stops herself]

Be careful not to lose it to anyone, ne. [She nibbles at the cookie and gives him a look that says she means this]

[Blushes a little and just blinks up at her. He's not sure what she means, but he has a decent guess, so he hides under a wing a little mumbling.]

Anyone I give hearts too didn't steal it, I just gave it to them. My choice, eh? Like Pops. [Puts the wing down and looks up at her a little seriously, less shy, though some of it is still there.] I'd never regret something like that.

Oh, but I was going to tell you a story and ask a question, right?

[Don't even start speaking of choices like that, little bird. She'll have that discussion when you're older and easier to be mad at. Besides the hiding is entirely too cute, cheating little thing]

Yes, a story and a question. [Something had made him want to see her, after all. Though she's not sure yet what it's all about]

[Fidgets. He still doesn't know what to do. He has more questions than story, but he was going to pay her with a story. Yosh...]

There was a big white doggy who rescued a little blue bird! [Okay so this is the most obvious story ever, but give him a break, he's not used to this.] The bird was a lot older than the doggy, but the doggy adopted the bird as a son anyway because he said it was a terrible thing for fathers to outlive their sons and the birdie was gonna live a really really long time after the doggy because dogs don't have long lives.

[Fidgets and switches to bird, feeling a little distressed and panicky again.] But the bird thought that was okay because he would protect the doggy for as long as possible. And then they made lots more friends and family and they were never ever separated long.

But then one day the birdie wound up in another place trapped far away and a mermaid told him about thirty years in the future......

[O-oh. He just about never cries as a phoenix. Being a phoenix was cheating, he could barely feel so emotional as a bird and as a phoenix was "detached." It was nice... so why was he starting to cry now?]

I don't want to lose Papa. [Hides in the wings.] I promised to protect him... how could I fail? [He wasn't good enough, wasn't strong enough, even in the future.] A-and my brothers need me to be that strong, they need Papa too.

What'd I do wrong?

[/Brb crying quietly forever. Throughout all of it, he's immensely quiet, almost calm sounding, even the tears are quiet, just steady streams he tries to hide. He has to be strong to protect them all.]

[Oh, so that's what it is. Well it was bound to happen eventually. Old pains are relived. But perhaps this one isn't so old. Even two years on, no doubt Whitebeard's absence is still very much felt.

She's not sure what to say at the moment and chooses to say nothing, cupping the little phoenix between her hands and holding him on her lap, using a third hand to stroke his head and back. Finally, after a while, she speaks.]

There was a Captain. He was strong and brave and anything he set his mind to do, he succeeded at, despite the odds. And this Captain had a brother that he loved very much. One day, his beloved brother was caught and set to be executed and this brave Captain went through hell to save him. [She doesn't know all the details, but she's heard rumor enough and knows Luffy enough]

But in the end, no matter how hard he fought, no matter how much he loved his brother, his brother died in the end, to protect him. [They say. She's heard. She's pieced together from one account and another, filtered through the revolutionaries until she can almost taste the war in the air.]

And he was sad for a very long time [And this part she guesses. She doesn't know. But it seems it would be so. And there is always a little elaboration in history. A little instinct required] but he had nakama who depended on him to be strong. There were still people waiting for him to come back. And even though the loss was deep and it hurt, he kept moving forward and didn't look back.

[Oh. Pets and reassuring warmth, this is good... He listens to the story, starting to perk up until the end. Then he's just sad, but he's no longer crying at least. The Captain sounded like Pops, but Pops didn't have any brothers. Was it Marco? No, someone else. Marco nods slowly and leans into the hands.]

S-so I shouldn't look back?

B-being a phoenix is hard.

But... I guess everything is hard, yoi. All I want is to protect them though.... A-And I guess Miss Mermaid is right that Papa will still be watching me no matter what....

It is hard. But I suppose it means you can look after your brothers for a long time.

[And see the greatest age of history unfold...and maybe even see it pass away. She doesn't really know this but if it is true she envies him in a way--and feels for him, too]

Either way. No regrets, yoi? [She strokes a finger over his chest]

Aye... [Almost giggles at the finger stroke, but just winds up snuggling around the finger instead.]

Robin, is your crew very strong?

Not as strong as yours. At least not yet. But yes, we are, and getting stronger.

[Switches briefly to human in her lap, then back to bird, to snuggle against her.]

I don't want to fight your crew. Can we be friends? Or allies at least?

Who can say? That's my captain's decision. We may ally. We may fight.

[But that's the way of the sea and pirates]

[Sighs! But he'll befriend who he wants, even if their captain is a dummy. So it'll be fine.]

Okay... But until then we'll be friends, right?

I don't want to go home alone, yoi.

Home? [she cocks her head] Do you mean your ship or your house here?

[Cocks his head to the side. Oh that is weird, he called it that.]

Here. My brother is here, oh! Two of them. But Ace went out and Sabo wanders and I have to be strong for them, but right now I just miss Papa and I don't want them to see that and think they are not enough.

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