3 Fics
Three drabbles - one okay, two that I cringe over. My apologies.
Title: Rejected
Theme: #13 - Clown
Claim: Ace
(Words:) 240
Rating: G
Warnings: Angsty, manipulative, slightly psycho Ace.
Disclaimers: I own everything nothing.
It would be surprising for most of Ace's friends and nakama now to know that when he was a child, Ace wasn't the class clown. He was polite, attentive (when not asleep), obeyed the rules, always did his homework on time, and generally got high (if not top) scores.
He was, in point of fact, a teacher's pet and know-it-all. This probably would have subjected him to being the victim of more than a few bullies and jealous village children, if not for the fact he could have beaten any of them senseless in a few moves (and a couple of times, had to).
The other children on the island quickly learned; Monkey D. Portgas might be a suck-up (actually studying? Unthinkable!) but trying to push him around was asking for a trip to the doctors, at least. Best to avoid him and show your disdain with snide comments and cool glares, to relocate your games when he came too close, to snigger and quieten your conversations if he happened to walk past.
When he left the island at the age of seventeen, smiling like he didn't have a care in the world, despite that Luffy was the only other teen who came to see him off, Ace had already learned who gets accepted and who doesn't.
He'd never be so stupid again, even if - oddly enough - it meant he had to be an idiot.
More fool them.
--
Title: Sticking Points
Theme: #18 - Tears
Claim: Ace
(Words:) 227
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Disclaimers: Still own nothing.
His sides are aching like after a spar with one of Gramps' men, and there are tears of laughter in his eyes - Ace knows it's cruel, that he shouldn't be laughing at his stupid little brother, but really, it's Luffy's fault anyway.
"I'm stuuuck," the boy whines, half-heartedly flailing his arms like that will somehow help him; Ace, standing nearby, has no idea how the kid managed to wedge himself into the narrow gap between two planks of a nearby farms fence in the first place.
Biting his lip to resist giggling (boys don't giggle!) Ace wipes the wetness away from his eyes and pokes at the ten year old's rubbery body. "Serves you right."
"That's mean!" retorts Luffy, trying to kick him and missing magnificently. "Ace, get me out!"
Ace considers this for a moment, judging the sturdiness of the fence, the stretchiness of his brother, the likelihood of getting home in time for dinner. "All right, he says finally, responsibly, because he's a Big Brother and thus has a Duty. "This is what we're gonna do."
Years later, Ace still wasn't able to adequately explain just why he'd thought setting the fence on fire would help, but at least it had given Luffy incentive to force himself free. Besides, it wasn't as if he'd meant those sparks to set the field on fire.
Much.
--
Title: Eat and Walk
Theme: #27 - Hunger
Claim: Ace
(Words:) 219
Rating: G
Warnings: Yet another manipulative, psycho Ace. Joy.
Disclaimers: I? Don't own One Piece. You have just been facted.
Portgas D. Ace is hungry. Portgas D. Ace has no food or money. This is not as much of a problem as it seems.
He swaggers into the café as if he owns the place, smiling politely at the couple of customers who flinch warily when they obviously recognise his face from the wanted posters - or maybe it's just that he exudes 'pirate' - and finds an empty table to seat himself at, casting a cheerful, flirtatious glance at the pretty young waitress who looks torn between doing her job and slipping out back.
The glance must win her over, because she approaches (if hesitantly), notebook up to take his order, clutching it like a shield between them. The wide-eyed look, Ace notes idly, mind more on his stomach, is cute.
"May I take your order?" she says, in a tone that sounds better suited to asking 'Are you going to kill me?'
By the time thirty minutes have passed, she's talking to Ace like an old friend (or possibly a new crush), giggling and smiling as he weaves the conversation around topics he knows she'll be interested in, expresses opinions - real or false - he knows she'll agree with. People are so easy.
She doesn't even realise he hasn't paid until the time comes to cash-up.
Title: Rejected
Theme: #13 - Clown
Claim: Ace
(Words:) 240
Rating: G
Warnings: Angsty, manipulative, slightly psycho Ace.
Disclaimers: I own everything nothing.
It would be surprising for most of Ace's friends and nakama now to know that when he was a child, Ace wasn't the class clown. He was polite, attentive (when not asleep), obeyed the rules, always did his homework on time, and generally got high (if not top) scores.
He was, in point of fact, a teacher's pet and know-it-all. This probably would have subjected him to being the victim of more than a few bullies and jealous village children, if not for the fact he could have beaten any of them senseless in a few moves (and a couple of times, had to).
The other children on the island quickly learned; Monkey D. Portgas might be a suck-up (actually studying? Unthinkable!) but trying to push him around was asking for a trip to the doctors, at least. Best to avoid him and show your disdain with snide comments and cool glares, to relocate your games when he came too close, to snigger and quieten your conversations if he happened to walk past.
When he left the island at the age of seventeen, smiling like he didn't have a care in the world, despite that Luffy was the only other teen who came to see him off, Ace had already learned who gets accepted and who doesn't.
He'd never be so stupid again, even if - oddly enough - it meant he had to be an idiot.
More fool them.
--
Title: Sticking Points
Theme: #18 - Tears
Claim: Ace
(Words:) 227
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Disclaimers: Still own nothing.
His sides are aching like after a spar with one of Gramps' men, and there are tears of laughter in his eyes - Ace knows it's cruel, that he shouldn't be laughing at his stupid little brother, but really, it's Luffy's fault anyway.
"I'm stuuuck," the boy whines, half-heartedly flailing his arms like that will somehow help him; Ace, standing nearby, has no idea how the kid managed to wedge himself into the narrow gap between two planks of a nearby farms fence in the first place.
Biting his lip to resist giggling (boys don't giggle!) Ace wipes the wetness away from his eyes and pokes at the ten year old's rubbery body. "Serves you right."
"That's mean!" retorts Luffy, trying to kick him and missing magnificently. "Ace, get me out!"
Ace considers this for a moment, judging the sturdiness of the fence, the stretchiness of his brother, the likelihood of getting home in time for dinner. "All right, he says finally, responsibly, because he's a Big Brother and thus has a Duty. "This is what we're gonna do."
Years later, Ace still wasn't able to adequately explain just why he'd thought setting the fence on fire would help, but at least it had given Luffy incentive to force himself free. Besides, it wasn't as if he'd meant those sparks to set the field on fire.
Much.
--
Title: Eat and Walk
Theme: #27 - Hunger
Claim: Ace
(Words:) 219
Rating: G
Warnings: Yet another manipulative, psycho Ace. Joy.
Disclaimers: I? Don't own One Piece. You have just been facted.
Portgas D. Ace is hungry. Portgas D. Ace has no food or money. This is not as much of a problem as it seems.
He swaggers into the café as if he owns the place, smiling politely at the couple of customers who flinch warily when they obviously recognise his face from the wanted posters - or maybe it's just that he exudes 'pirate' - and finds an empty table to seat himself at, casting a cheerful, flirtatious glance at the pretty young waitress who looks torn between doing her job and slipping out back.
The glance must win her over, because she approaches (if hesitantly), notebook up to take his order, clutching it like a shield between them. The wide-eyed look, Ace notes idly, mind more on his stomach, is cute.
"May I take your order?" she says, in a tone that sounds better suited to asking 'Are you going to kill me?'
By the time thirty minutes have passed, she's talking to Ace like an old friend (or possibly a new crush), giggling and smiling as he weaves the conversation around topics he knows she'll be interested in, expresses opinions - real or false - he knows she'll agree with. People are so easy.
She doesn't even realise he hasn't paid until the time comes to cash-up.