Serendipity

Memories

Conversations were held around him, some he partook in, as his family ate their dinner. Even with his unintentional avoidance of dinner, whether or not his siblings believed him, he couldn't help but enjoy watching his family interact with each other. There were so many people, along with his responsibilities as First Mate and a Commander, made these moments in between the work worth it.

"So Ace," Izou said as he set down the drink in his hand. Marco knew that look in his eyes, Izou wanted to know something and wouldn't stop til he knew.

"Have you met them yet?"

Looking slightly confused with the question, Ace set down the food he had been eating and made a questioning noise, as his mouth was still full.

Huffing a laugh, Izou gestured towards his bare arms, fully of tallies no one had questioned, til now.

"You have quite a few tallies. So, have you met them yet?"

Ace swallowed his food and looked Izou straight in the eyes saying, "No. And I don't care if I ever do anyway."

"Really?" Thatch said as he unintentionally gripped Izou's hand.

Most people waited for the day they would discover their soulmate, though not all soulmates stayed together. The knowledge that once the words "I love you" or some iteration of it were said, that a tally would appear was powerful in itself. At least, that was how Marco had seen it through his life.

Having lived as long as he did, the majority of his life his skin had been clear of any tallies, except for August, though that had been long ago and Marco left the memories buried in his mind. The love he had for his family once he met Pops was enough to fill some of the void that seemed to be left. That changed during the last twenty years or so of his long life. Even though they were far and few between, the knowledge that he at least had another soulmate brought him enough joy.

Marco knew he would remember the day he got that first tally for the rest of his life.

                                                                              ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦

He had been flying above the deck, clearing his mind and enjoying the freedom of flight when he began to feel a small burning pain on his arm. Confused by the seemingly randomness of it and the feeling of any sort of pain lingering, he landed on the deck and transformed him back to his human form.

The pain had left by now, yet plain as day on his forearm was a solid, black tally.

Marco's eyes widened, and he was frozen staring at his arm.

An arm was thrown around his neck, making him almost fall forward with the movement.

"What's got you so unsettled?" Thatch questioned, looking Marco up and down for injuries he knew wouldn't be there.

Without saying a word, Marco lifted his arm towards Thatch waiting for him to react.

After a few seconds of silence, Thatch put the pieces together of what had happened and a huge grin broke out on his face.

Grabbing Marco and hugging him tight, Thatch whooped and cheered, those around them not questioning the interaction.

He let go of Marco and immediately turned towards Pops.

"Thatch waitー", Marco tried to stop Thatch from yelling across the deck, but was out yelled by Thatch's exclamation of,

"POPS, MARCO GOT A TALLY!"