#jesus this kept me up until 4am thinking about it

[daboyau]

I’m so sorry but i am having Thoughts and they won’t fit in the tags so I’m going to put my incoherent rambling under a read more so it doesn’t disturb anyone

But

Oohhhh man i just can’t help but think that that last picture is the first of the real story. At first I thought it must have happened within the context of the other pictures. He’s there he’s happy all is well and then someone ELSE came in and hurt him. But. what if that is the moment he was taken by the fae? What if, chronologically, that last picture is the start of the real story? Maybe that’s the moment that his shell was suddenly not his anymore and he realizes that his body and his mind were being played with like clay in a child’s hands. Maybe for one brief, glorious, and horrifying moment his reaction to this terrible mutilation/violation was completely his. but of course that autonomy to feel his own feelings about the things they did to him didn’t last long because. Well. What is there to worry about? They’re all so kind and pretty and interesting here! He amuses them! They like him, and what better reason would someone need to take him? Who cares if sometimes he remembers somewhere else and people who he misses but can’t put faces or names to? Who care if his back (not a shell why would it be a shell) sometimes feels strange and wrong, like a parasite slowly leaching all the things that make him himself away, so what if the sensation makes him want to claw it off? Pluck it, petal by petal until there’s nothing left at all? Who cares if he has nightmares on the few occasions he is allowed to dream?

They tell him he’s happy here! He’s happy here! He’s so so happy here! Nothing is wrong!

(Something’swrongsomething’swrongsomething’swrongsomething’swrongsomething’swro)

even more no context concept art...

[apphiarothowrites]

I’m back again bitch! Time travel time!

“Ace, he’s married.”

Three words but they knock the wind right out of his sails. Izou gives a sympathetic smile and rubs his shoulder. Aces vision starts to blur and he furiously wipes at his eyes, of course, why did he even think…

“Oh honey.” Soft hands and a yukata that smells of sandalwood embrace him, holding him tight as he bawls like a baby. Over someone who had never been his in the first place.

It’s rough for the first bit and it had taken a lot of gentle bullying, long nights of sleeplessness and more than one crying session for Ace to not exactly stop being in love but at the very least accepting the love was one sided.

And of course marco had eventually found out, which had lead to Ace trying to throw himself off the ship multiple times until the older man had cornered him in his cabin. He had ignored all of aces pleas on ‘forget about it’ and ‘really I’m ok it’s just a crush’ and ‘I will go through the window! Don’t think I won’t!’

And he had just hugged him. It was weirdly un awkward for how awkward it should be, the hug was warm and full of love. (Just not that kind of love) and is of not to leave anything to chance marco told him directly “I love you” and kissed his forehead. And for once Ace didn’t doubt the man’s words.

Time went on, things got better. Sometimes ace did catch himself looking a little too longingly but kept those moments to himself. Things for the most part settled down.

Then Marco got a letter, everyone knew he got a letter because a crow had flown right into the mess hall and planted it on his head. It did not help that Marcos entire face had lit up at the sight and he immediately ran from the mess clutching the letter like a maiden getting post from her solider.

Marcos husband was coming to visit.

Marcos husband was coming to visit.

Oh no

Ace wasn’t exactly scared, marco knew about his crush and was fine with it. So there’s no reason that his husband would be all in a tiff right? And his husband seemed like a decent guy from what he could hear, lover of bad jokes, would do anything for marco. Kind of an idiot.

But then again thatch jokes all the time about his jealous husband, often sitting himself in Marco’s lap before going ‘don’t tell your husband, he’ll set something on fire again.’

So ace wasn’t worried but maybe concerned and Jesus when was this guy gonna get here?

A week before Marcos birthday, a loud cheer erupted from deck and pulled ace from a groggy slumber. He emerged on deck, still in his boxers because fuck proprietary he was up till 4am on watch. Just in time to see marco swept off his feet and into a very deep kiss by a tall handsome man.

Ace blinked and then the man was in front of him holding out his hand “names russett!” He laughed “but just call me Russ.”

Ace stared at him, Russ was tall maybe an inch shorter than Marco. Scruffy beard. Dark red wavy hair that piled up into a messy knot on his head. Gold glinting from his ears. An open floral shirt hinted at some sort of scarring on his chest.

“Ace.”

Russ’s face did a complicated thing before his eyes softened and he took the younger man’s hand “nice to meet you Ace.”

3 months later Ace dies on the battlefield in his brothers arms.

The last thing he thinks about is Russ and the night he asked if his hopeless crush would ever go away.

Grey eyes had turned pensive. “You’ll love him even after death.”

Ace dies

Minutes later he opens his eyes back up to see marco checking him over for injuries. “We pulled you out of the water, how the fuck did you get burns of all things?”

Ace mumbles a non response because why does marco look so young? And where is the fight? Unfortunately blue flames light up around his torso (fuck akainu) and darkness claims ace once more.

It takes him a couple waking and subsequent fainting sessions to figure it out.

White beard looking far healthier than ace had ever seen him asks his name.

Ace gives his best roguish grin “Russett, but you can call me Russ.”

Additional notes

- Ace stares at Marco, he remembered the man mentioned having a “promiscuous youth.” But goddam, he nearly walked into a pole when he spotted the gold bars on the others chest. Not to mention the hair, which he had only known as close cropped and shaved. Now it seems to be in a different style and length every week. (Later Marco discloses that his hair grows incredibly fast and the short cut was simply most efficient) but for now Ace watches a ponytail sway with sash covered hips.

- the scars are still there, the ones he got in his first life. Especially the one on his chest. Luckily or maybe unluckily the scarring on his back has taken out any trace of his previous tattoo.

- he meets Roger, he remembers this remembers Russ telling him a bout the father he only got to meet “after it was too late” and realizing that his father maybe wasn’t all that awful. And Roger really isn’t that awful, the way he acts around the two cabin boys… Roger would’ve been a really good dad..

- he meets rouge who is nothing like he expected at all, loud, obnoxious. With a wicked smile. She is a lot like luffy honestly. She sees his freckles and immediately claims him as a long lost cousin

- he also meets dragon?!? Who should not be considered the most dangerous man in the world. Ace has to stifle a laugh as a mere child started cussing him out in rapid northern before hauling him away by the cloak.

(He sees dragon again once more, this time smiling dancing with a handsome woman who seems endeared and exasperated by the man’s antics)

- Russ has no devil fruit, but somehow he is very good at setting stuff on fire

- ace/russ becomes a wanderer, home base sphinx. He is mostly like a cat that does what he wants.

Marco is 22 Ace is 20,

On Marcos 23 he gets a coaster to add to his collection

24 he gets a letter and a kiss

25 he gets ace in his bed holding a strategically coaster (that covers nothing at all)

26 he gets a ring

- shanks hates Russ (not really) but he jealous that marco married another red head over him

—

I did toy with the idea of Russ deciding to adopt the asl in second rendition, but this is already so long. So you decide

I also toyed with this being Marcora but.. I wanted Marace to grow old together so no sexy clowns

Russ defo checks in on Dawn Island. He realizes exactly what's going on, but even so he's selfish. A closed loop this may be, but that doesn't mean he can't tweak what he can.

I'm so in love with this concept. This might get written. It's going in the idea doc