interstellar5555 | Thistle and Weeds

Oh right! That's why I came!

Do you have friends?

[WOW THAT WAS BLUNT ACE.]

[his face flashes hot and he curls up a little, hunching over his guitar. What's worse is he knows the reaction is going to be misinterpreted. Friends or not is not the issue. That the guy just-- Just didn't even acknowledge-- That Sabo had failed so utterly to -- to even engage him in the point of--

He shouldn't have tried to make him fell bad.

No the hell he shouldn't that was a hefty chunk of change! And all he'd been trying to do was stop making Ace stop setting fires--

AND WHY HAD HE PAID FOR HIS FOOD IN THE FIRST PLACE?!

Sabo furiously reviewed the night in his head, even going so far as throwing the guitar onto the bed and getting his notebook, flipping through it. He'd recorded it as he habitually did. There had to be some switch. Something that had changed from beating the crap out of the guy to--

To the singing god he didn't want to relive that

To buying him dinner.

What the hell?

Was this guy some kind of manipulation master?

No.

No way coming from a face that dumb.

So how had Sabo been suckered into it. He had to know!

He had to figure it out to avoid it in the future.

Cursing under his breath, Sabo snatches a fresh notebook from the pile on the shelf and starts to write the night over from the beginning, trying to pull his memories to discover exactly what he'd done.]

[.... ??????????????????????????]

Is that a no????

[SERIOUSLY HE WANTS TO KNOW.]

[Although he hadn't meant to ask it quite like throwing a brick into Sabo's face, but what was done was done.]

What?

[distracted. He's trying to figure something out. Why are you still here?]

No. Don't need them.

[there had to be something he was missing here. Beating the guy up. Buying his dinner. Beating the guy up. Buying his dinner. The transition didn't make any logical sense]

[Dramatic face palm.]

Oh my god, that explains so much.

Fuck that.

You and I are going out clubbing. You can bring your stupid notebook, and if you really insist, we can stop at a quiet cafe for coffee, but you need a life beyond your work.

[Because otherwise he'll never get justice boy off his back.]

[Also he was totally just going to thank Sabo's friends for putting up with this loser because it must be difficult but GAWD THAT IS HORRIBLE. HE FEELS SO BAD FOR YOU.]

And no excuses. If you complain about clothes, I'll dress you myself, and we both know you'd hate that.

[wait a second. Hold the damn den den. He turns around to glower at him]

Who said I needed that? Who said I wanted that? I've got work to get done and you're not going to interfere. [he pokes him in the chest]

Find someone else to go to your clubs. Get a life. Go away. Go home. Get out of here.

[starts shoving him toward the door]

That is part of your job stupid! You think anyone cares about some asshole who hides away and does good deeds in the night? They don't. They need big flashy splashes. Make a name for yourself if you want them to listen. You want to change the world, you want your music to be worth something? Then Live, damn it!

[NOPE. HE IS PUTTING UP A FIGHT AND ALREADY GOING THROUGH SABO'S CLOSET. CAN'T STOP THIS.]

Get out of my closet!

[he loops an arm around Ace's neck, trying to haul him back by the crook of his arm]

No one tells me how to be a musician. No one tells me what to do. What do you even know what I want to do? You don't! So just back off and find someone else to patronize!

[he's getting angry. Why is he letting this guy under his skin]

Hey pot, I hear the kettle also hates the sound of steam escaping you.

[Wrassles, but gets out of the closet.]

Don't say you don't need friends. That's the stupidest shit I've ever heard. And I've heard a lot of stupid shit.

[I mean, look at Ace himself saying stupid things, he has to hear all of that.]

I don't patronize!

[what the hell, man! He's better than that]

I don't need them. I don't want them. And even if I did I don't need or want your help. So kiss off already.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. Looking after street urchins, buying them food, making them get off the street. Look at it like this, at least you'll be keeping me out of trouble for a couple hours or so.

[.... He has SUCH A RETORT to that, but...]

[He doesn't even want to pull the "I'll show you what I can kiss" line. It's just ewwy.]

[So he just punches Sabo's face.]

[Kiss that.]

Give up already. We both know I can out-stubborn you to the point of insanity. Friends will help save your brain.

That's not friendship, that's charity for a lesser being.

[his own words struck him cold. He'd meant it to get a dig in but something... something twitched in him that made a sudden surge of self-loathing flood his heart. Maybe the line wasn't so thin. Maybe it was something he couldn't run away from...

He knocks away the punch without thinking and shakes his head]

Whatever. I don't have time for you. Get lost or don't I have things to do.

[and he goes to pick up the guitar again, a little shaken]

[That was not the right thing to say.]

[Aside from hurting Sabo mentally, it made something inside of Ace completely break so he just grabbed Sabo by the throat, fully throttled and forced to the ground. Someone should probably rescue him.]

[Which is Ace's point.] If you had friends you wouldn't be in this position right now.

Projection is an ugly look for you, and not befitting a musician of the Pride label. I'll see you at 7 and you'll either be ready or I'm going to fully kill you.

[He hasn't gotten up though.]

[....]

[And he needs to calm down enough to keep from literally trying to kill Sabo already.]

[Sabo is eerily calm throughout. He's not afraid, though he's pretty sure he should be. In a way, he supposes, he deserves this. This and more. But what would meeting up serve? More fighting? To what end? No. It's not going to go out like that.]

I'm-- I'm sorry. [he means it though it's hard to say and he hates that it's hard to say] That wasn't right of me to say... I don't even feel that way I--

[but there's no point babbling. He's said he's sorry and while he could make up for it by going Ace's way he refuses. There's something else that needs doing and the further apart they are, the better for both of them]

But I'm not going to meet you. Not anywhere. Not any time. I have deadlines. Practice. If you want to have it out here, fine, but otherwise just find someone else to [bother] befriend.

[or kill, he adds mentally. But honestly doesn't want to encourage him]

[Lets up but punches Sabo hard in the forehead.] I know.

[He doesn't even know how he knows. And he only barely cares enough to think about it.]

You don't have a choice. I'm not offering to be your friend. I'm going to make you get friends, because I'm not about to feel sorry for my rival. Meet your deadlines later. [He almost offered to help... but fuck that. He doesn't want to so you're on your own. Make some friends to help duh.]

No one's above anyone else, especially not for blood or some shit. [He doesn't know why that's so important. It just suddenly is. Like the worst kind of metallic bloody taste in his mouth, all bile and rage, but still important.] And it sounds like you better meet more of the common man so you can realize that, Knockoff.

I know that. [he rubs his forehead. That hurt.] No one's above anyone else. Even the rich. Maybe especially the rich. [he smirks a bit] I meet plenty of the common man...

[... no wait. Shit... the smirk fades and he rubs a hand over his face, letting it rest there]

... I meet plenty of people. But friends are not something I'm interested in. I'll meet my deadlines when I want to regardless of you being in the way or not.

Besides, haven't you ever heard the saying you can lead an ass to water but you can't make him drink?

[rueful smile at this]

[Punches again.]

Then I'll hold him underwater until he drowns.

[This is why Ace doesn't have pets.]

Then that would solve the friend problem, wouldn't it?

[geeze that's dark. But not surprising. And he's not entirely sure if it's true. Unless... Unless what? He dismisses the thought]

In this case, water is the being surrounded by lots of annoying people until you have no choice but to kill us all or learn to survive.

Your choice.

[Ace can get darker. Luckily he hasn't, but he's clearly not far off.]

[you have no idea Sabo's capacity to tune out what he doesn't want to pay attention to. In a way he almost feels sorry for this guy.]

I'll pass. I've survived on my own for quite a while now.

[and what's more he makes his own choices. It's the only thing he has to hold on to, really]

No shit. You must have to be able to just ignore the idea of having friends that easily. [Eyeroll.] But it's hella annoying, boring, completely un-rock-and-roll and kind of a lot worse than leaving pyro-idiots to starve. So try it.

[Holds up three fingers.] Three times out with me to places and a genuine effort to make at least one friend. That'll get rid of me.

I'm not rock'n'roll. I'm... [well not punk either if he'll be honest] whatever... [he waves a hand]

And no. Like I said, do what you want-- but I'm going to be who I am regardless. I'm not some kid who needs handholding. I know what I'm doing.

[sort of. More or less. Not really but he also knew what he wasn't going to do and what he couldn't afford to do]

Yes, yes, you're a Knock-off. I know.

[Tugs Sabo's cheeks.] I don't think you get it yet. You interrupted what I was doing and stopped me. You stood out there for hours. Not only do you have no life, but if you think this is annoying, then guess what cheap-shirt, retribution is a bitch.

I was going to thank your friends for putting up with an asshole like you and try to figure out if they had any connections to the law or something I should be worried about. But this is even sadder.

[there was that knockoff thing again. And excuse him, Sabo's shirts were not cheap. He liked good clothing, not some shabby knock-- some shabby hand me downs. But whatever.

The reasoning for Ace to want him to have friends doesn't make any sense-- or it does in an exceedingly round about way and just trying to follow the guy's logic on this is making him dizzy so he stops trying.]

Yes, alright. I'm a sad friendless knock off. Congratulations. You win. [he applauds slowly, though still biting back the retort that his clothes were well-made. Because it wasn't important. Even though they were, damnit all]

Now get lost.

No. Pay attention moron! The point is for you to stop being a pathetic knock-off moron who gets in people's ways!

Thistle and Weeds

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