[He clenches a fist, quietly acknowledging the firestorms raging on the inside of his head. Too many things he hasn't dealt with, too many things he couldn't deal with. No outlet. Robin missed her crew, missed her friends, didn't feel she could trust other people the same way? Her loss, but of course Marco couldn't accept that. How could he? He wanted to protect her, to help her. Did she think he didn't understand what it was like to be separated from one's family? His crew was his life. Did he wear this tattoo so openly just for show? She'd known the Straw Hats deeply and they'd fought together long and hard, but anyone who denied the experiences of Luceti was an idiot. How many decades had she thought Marco spent with his brothers, with his crew? Did she think it was so easy, such a small task to add more to the numbers of those he wanted to protect?]
[After Blackbeard's betrayal?]
[HAH!]
[Marco almost eerily calmly grabs his former seat across from the Vulcan and quietly takes a sip of his tea.]
My father, my captain, was killed by a former nakama.
Perhaps I am pushing her too hard. [Because Marco himself had to be that strong. To recover no matter what. To still accept new people in his life despite all that fear.]
[To still forgive those who were brainwashed, who were stupid, who made mistakes. Squardo stabbed Whitebeard to betray him in the middle of battle, if Marco could forgive that, how could Robin stand there and say nakama could only--]
[It's not his crew.]
[Perhaps that is what bothers him. Just as Nami's words cut him to the bone unexpectedly, Robin's too, deeply affected him. Because they were the future of the world. They were going to take his place and their ways weren't his father's. And yes, he resented them for it.]
[Still, he fixes Spock with a serious look and in a very calm, all too quiet voice:] Still, I do not understand how a woman as strong as her, and as smart as my father can allow herself to--
[No. He's still too angry. He needs to calm down more. Marco glances off to the side, thinking rapidly again.] Cut herself off from the rest of the world. [It would cause more pain in the long run. Marco knew. He'd been there, done so, experienced that pain too often. And he knew, understood better than anyone, why Whitebeard had such a large family, such a large crew. So then why? Why did she insist so hard on limiting those she trusted? Did she think it made it easier to protect them? Easier to discern the good from bad? It didn't. And it didn't change the hurt when they disappeared. It just meant that there were others to lean on. And she wouldn't even lean on him now. Her pride. And Marco hoped it wouldn't hurt her as much as he saw.]
[If he could see it, then it already had to be more than she deserved. Though, anything was more than she'd earned.]
Again... please forgive my temper. It's been a trying time.
Perhaps I am just sick of watching young kids make the same mistakes I have already had a chance to learn from. But then, if they do not learn for themselves, how will they learn it, eh?
It's still painful to watch. [He hates watching and not being able to do anything. Might as well put him in Marineford all over again. Every move he made, was it ever enough? All he could do was save Straw Hat. All he could was try his last best to protect the future, for the sake of his father and Ace's dreams.] May I ask you something else? [He was slipping into polite now. The manners are a sign more than ever, that he's shook up and trying to hide it.]
Re: [action] 2/2
[After Blackbeard's betrayal?]
[HAH!]
[Marco almost eerily calmly grabs his former seat across from the Vulcan and quietly takes a sip of his tea.]
My father, my captain, was killed by a former nakama.
Perhaps I am pushing her too hard. [Because Marco himself had to be that strong. To recover no matter what. To still accept new people in his life despite all that fear.]
[To still forgive those who were brainwashed, who were stupid, who made mistakes. Squardo stabbed Whitebeard to betray him in the middle of battle, if Marco could forgive that, how could Robin stand there and say nakama could only--]
[It's not his crew.]
[Perhaps that is what bothers him. Just as Nami's words cut him to the bone unexpectedly, Robin's too, deeply affected him. Because they were the future of the world. They were going to take his place and their ways weren't his father's. And yes, he resented them for it.]
[Still, he fixes Spock with a serious look and in a very calm, all too quiet voice:] Still, I do not understand how a woman as strong as her, and as smart as my father can allow herself to--
[No. He's still too angry. He needs to calm down more. Marco glances off to the side, thinking rapidly again.] Cut herself off from the rest of the world. [It would cause more pain in the long run. Marco knew. He'd been there, done so, experienced that pain too often. And he knew, understood better than anyone, why Whitebeard had such a large family, such a large crew. So then why? Why did she insist so hard on limiting those she trusted? Did she think it made it easier to protect them? Easier to discern the good from bad? It didn't. And it didn't change the hurt when they disappeared. It just meant that there were others to lean on. And she wouldn't even lean on him now. Her pride. And Marco hoped it wouldn't hurt her as much as he saw.]
[If he could see it, then it already had to be more than she deserved. Though, anything was more than she'd earned.]
Again... please forgive my temper. It's been a trying time.
Perhaps I am just sick of watching young kids make the same mistakes I have already had a chance to learn from. But then, if they do not learn for themselves, how will they learn it, eh?
It's still painful to watch. [He hates watching and not being able to do anything. Might as well put him in Marineford all over again. Every move he made, was it ever enough? All he could do was save Straw Hat. All he could was try his last best to protect the future, for the sake of his father and Ace's dreams.] May I ask you something else? [He was slipping into polite now. The manners are a sign more than ever, that he's shook up and trying to hide it.]