[Video]

[rubberpirate]

[The feed starts rather abruptly, with Luffy perfectly focused for the first time ever.]

Has anyone seen my brother? I haven't seen him in a couple of weeks.

[He puts one of his hands up, moving the camera farther so everyone can see his other hand slightly higher than his head.]

He's this tall, has a lot freckles, doesn't wear shirts, and oh, his name is Ace!

[He hums, moving the camera closer, thinking for a moment.]

Is it normal for people to disappear?

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Video

[nosuchthingasnosuchthing]

[Greed frowns.]

[He had assumed that Ace is just avoiding him but this suggests that maybe, that’s not the case.]

He’s up and vanished on me too.

[Greed shrugs almost casually.]

I’d thought he had just... ‘ghosted’ me - in the network sense, not the Geischnact one - but...

[The newly learned term, ‘ghosted,’ comes awkwardly out of Greed’s mouth.]

I guess this means he didn’t.

[Which is, for Greed, both a relief and a letdown. A relief ‘cause it means that Greed isn’t the cause of Ace’s radio silence, and a letdown ‘cause it means that Ace is gone and Greed might never see him again.]

‘Cause, yeah, people do disappear here. Elric, the Full Metal Alchemist from my world, was here the month I arrived, and I haven’t seen or heard about him since.

And I’ve seen other posts on the network, about people vanishing. No one else I knew, though.

[rubberpirate]

[Luffy frowns and nods]

So he's gone? He can ghost anything because he isn't alive!

[Luffy doesn't understand what Greed means.]

Oh so if you don't see him around that means he isn't in this world anymore?

[nosuchthingasnosuchthing]

[Greed frowns.]

[Greed’s not entirely sure what Luffy means now, to be honest, since he’d thought he’d eliminated the ‘ghosting’ possibility already and he had never said Ace was dead.]

[So, the crossed wires are even more crossed now.]

Yeah, he’s gone.

Dunno if he’s dead, though.

[Sighing, Greed then says:]

I really hope he’s not.

[rubberpirate]

I hope he got somewhere where he's not dead.

[He frowns, but then smiles.]

He died 2 years ago, but somehow showed up here and it made me super happy!

[nosuchthingasnosuchthing]

[Though that is new information for him, Greed’s not really that surprised by it. After all, before Greed appeared on Prismatica, he was dead too.]

[(Or, well, sorta dead, anyway.)]

[Casually, Greed says:]

I’m sure he’s fine.

[Though Greed says that more for his own benefit than for Luffy’s, trying to convince himself that if he disappears he won’t become dead again.]

[Greed doesn’t think he will disappear but even still... the idea of becoming dead again disturbs him.]

[And so, Greed tries his very best to avoid it.]

[rubberpirate]

I hope so too, I wanted to spend more time with him.

[Pouts!]

[nosuchthingasnosuchthing]

[Frowning, Greed replies:]

So did I.

[rubberpirate]

He'd be happy to know that people like him here!

video; un: marmorapaladin

[undeserted]

Uh. Sorry for the bad news, but... he probably just left.

[ Keith looks very dejected. ]

It happens sometimes.

[rubberpirate]

[Luffy pouts a little.]

So that means he left without saying goodbye?

[undeserted]

No, I-- I don't think it's voluntary. Kinda like how they brought us here.

There's no way he left on purpose without saying goodbye to you. He wouldn't do that to you again.

[ Wait what. ]

[rubberpirate]

He said goodbye when he died, and thanked me for loving him!

[Luffy smiles sadly.]

But seeing him here made me happier than anything.

[undeserted]

See? That's how you know he didn't just up and leave without telling you.

[ Look Luffy, you get a Keith Smile! Those aren't very common. ]

It's good that you got to see him again.

[rubberpirate]

True...

[He smiles, softly.]

It really was, I didn't notice how much I missed him.

text | un: sOfTaNdWet

[nipzips]

yeah, i had a friend here i can't find anymore. i'm guessing he went back home, 'cause i know people do that.

same thing probably happened to your brother, but at least you'll get to see him when you go back too, right?

[rubberpirate]

It is impossible for him to go back home, because he died 2 years ago. So no, I won't see him ever again :(

[nipzips]

oh. that's a real bummer, man. i'm sorry about that ...

we don't really know each other but if you need someone to talk to ...

[rubberpirate]

yeah... It was difficult but I got over it.

Thank you stranger! I could tell you all about him if you want!

[nipzips]

[ He's definitely relieved Luffy seems to be in an alright place emotionally, at least. He's not great at knowing what to say when people are grieving. ]

sure. tell me all about him. what kinda person was your brother like?

[rubberpirate]

He was super strong! Made of fire and never got hot, so he could go around cold places without clothes on! He was also stronger than me, I could never beat him in a fight! He liked to eat a lot and saving people even if he was a pirate!

[resenting]

The other guy's already gone, huh?

Too bad, I didn't dislike him.

[rubberpirate]

He's a great person, the best man I ever met.

Is it normal for people to leave without goodbyes?

[resenting]

I don't know how people leave this place. If he was just transported out of here, he might not have had the chance.

[rubberpirate]

Oh.

[Now he's just pouting.]

So maybe he can come back?

[resenting]

Beats me, but I know at least one guy who said he's come back so it's possible, I guess.

[rubberpirate]

I hope Ace comes back then!

[resenting]

I'll cross my fingers for you, then.

[rubberpirate]

Thank you! If I see him again I'll let him know you're a cool guy!

[resenting]

Cool, huh? Well, I guess I'm not gonna complain too much about that.

[rubberpirate]

eh? Why would you complain about being cool?

[resenting]

I wonder?

It's fine either way. I don't go out of my way to be 'cool'.

[rubberpirate]

ok! Not trying to be cool makes you cooler!