Hello everyone, here is another one shot

This one is from the series Dark Flame, and a request from CrackPairingsRule

This is about the captain getting some information he wants to ask Ace about. Also mentioning something I might use in the main story

Hope you enjoy

Read and relax

Whitebeard put a spade down, waiting to see what Marco would do. The two of them was playing a game of cards, the two of them enjoying a calm evening together. They had done this since day one, when they were just the two of them, before they got this entire family. It was a small thing they had kept up all these years. It was enjoyable.

"So," Started Marco, moving couple hearts down. "I found out something about Ace, yoi." That had him hum, picking up a card. "And what might that be?" Marco chuckled. "Remember how I said Ace gets a monthly shipping of organs?" The captain nodded, seeing Marco putting a card down. Marco had told him that a couple months ago, shocking him as he they had somehow not noticed. "I do. Are you going to tell he gets more than one shipment? Or if someone else found it?" Marco chuckled as he shook his head. "No, I know about when that comes and make sure I'm on duty, yoi. But he got his favorite food two days ago." That had him frown, curious on what that could be as he picked a card. "What is that? I thought he liked blood best."

Marco hummed. "He probably likes that the best, yoi. But, as he mentioned, organs help him feel more fed longer." That made sense. "I see. I can imagine it might be liver. That have a lot of blood if I remember what Bay have said." Marco gave a small laugh. "You remember that right, yoi. But no. His favorite food is eyeballs." Whitebeard blinked, lowering his cards some. "I'm sorry. His favorite is what?" Marco chuckled, shaking his head. "You heard right. Eyeballs, yoi. Of all things." Whitebeard needed few seconds to process that, Marco moving to take a card from his hand and putting it down, before continuing the game, making him lift his cards. "How did you figure that?" Marco hummed. "His last shipment had it, and one was crushed, making me wonder what the smell was, yoi. Ace came and he was so excited to, and I quote 'finally get eyes again'." Well, he didn't expect that. "That wasn't what I expected." Marco shook his head. "Me neither. I was shocked too."

Well, Ace didn't eat just internal organs, which he had thought to be honest. But that wasn't the case. He wondered if they, vampires, could eat the entirety of a human, aside from bones. He would see if he could somehow bring it up with Ace, wanting to learn about him and know what he could do to help. He gave a hum as he continued the card game, already knowing he would lose. Marco was good.

-x-

Ace walked out on deck, having night shift, and he enjoyed that. He liked to be out at night, and he often dropped having his ring on. It made him feel freer in a way, feel more at place. He had it in his pocket though, just in case. And, it was a beautiful night, stars shining and moon half full on the sky, him hearing a couple having their small parties here and there. Yes, he liked calm night like this now and then.

When he moved to the front of the deck, him being in the dead hour where they were the least out as it was now most out went off and others went on, just 5 out now for about 30 minutes, so Ace was to be at the front, that being his responsibility.

When he got to the front of the ship, he felt glad when Pops was out in his chair and looking at the sea. He hadn't been able to be too much around Pops one on one for a while, things just being busy. "Hi, Pops!" The man looked at him, giving a smile. "Hello, son. You on the night shift tonight?" Ace nodded, moving to sit on Pops' armrest, looking out at sea. "I am. I changed with Izou though. I am supposed to have tomorrow but have today instead." That had the man nod. "I see. I thought it was weird you had the night watch. How is it fairing?" He hummed. "Fine, and it's such a beautiful night too." Pops gave a laugh. "It is. I'm hoping Marco won't find out I'm out." That was right, Marco didn't like when Pops was up late.

"Why are you up? I mean, shouldn't you sleep?" He asked, sending a look at Pops, making him laugh. "Don't tell me you're turning into another Marco! And Bay was out earlier and forced me to bed early." That happened, that the doctor forced the man in to bed. Before he could ask anything more, Pops hummed as he looked at him. "I see you don't have your ring on. Is there a reason for that?" Ace blinked, not knowing the man would see something as small as that. He used a second to respond, not sure what to say, or what he felt he could say. "I just… I feel better without it… Especially at night." Pops gave a nod. "That makes sense, son. It is night." Ace nodded. "Yeah. I have the ring in my pocket though. Just in case." It had Pops nod and give a smile, and they just sat and watched the ocean.

They enjoyed the silence of the sea for some minutes, before Pops gave breath. "I would just want to ask something, son. I don't need and answer. But Marco mentioned you had a favorite food; eyeballs." Ace gave a nod, not sure why the man asked that. He knew Ace ate organs now and then. "Y-yeah. Why do you wonder?" Pops hummed. "I just thought you were limited to internal organs. And it made me wonder when Marco told; what can you eat? As in, everything meat on a human's body?" Ace blinked, moving his hands to fidget, not sure what to say. He felt Pops moved a hand to nudge him, giving a reassuring look. "I don't need an answer. It was just an old man's musings. I remember when I was a child and what others called victims to a vampire had just puncture wounds on their neck."

That had him frown, before he got it. "Oh, um, those who just… just drink blood, aren't… real vampires?" Honestly, Ace wasn't sure how to explain this.

-x-

Whitebeard frowned, looking at Ace. "What do you mean? Not real vampires?" He saw Ace give a sigh, seeming to think. He didn't want to make Ace uncomfortable. "You don't need to answer, son." Ace shook his head, sighing. "It's just. We don't like being compared to them… they don't have control." The captain frowned. "Who are they?" This seemed to be a topic Ace was unsure about.

Ace sighed. "We call them level D's. Why I don't know. But they are… accidents. They are humans who have been bitten and drained of blood. A few times, they wake up as vampires. But, if their first feeding isn't from a vampire, they lose their minds to bloodlust. They just drink blood, nothing more, often tearing villages apart, attacking everything that moves. Many think we are like them. But, eating organs help us feel better about not feeding of humans all the time. We don't know why their first feeding need to be a vampire, the one who bit them. That, or a pureblood. They can be healed by a pureblood, if they're not too far gone. It's… complicated."

It sounded complicated. "What is a pureblood, if you don't mind me asking." Ace gave a small shrug. "They are descendants from the first ones. Not bitten, but born. They have power, more than us. Vincent is that. But…" Ace got an unsure look, making him move a hand comfortingly on his back. "But what?" Ace sighed. "There is something called Descendants. They are from the very first purebred vampire, one to be born from the purest of the vampires and fed of both of them. They are told to have immense powers, able to control many, bring someone back from the dead, communicate with mother fate herself. No one has seen them for decades though. They are said to still be one or two somewhere, but no one knows." This was all interesting, Whitebeard never having heard anything about this, that they were different ones.

"I'm sorry you get compared to those other ones, I must say most tales are about them, unfortunately, I now realize." Ace gave a nod. "Y-yeah. Most rumors though… are about the wrong side of the real- umm- creature. Werewolves, mermaids, fairies, and spirits." That was something he could imagine, as they probably were the ones to be seen most often. "But I have heard good things about fairies? They are helpers and bring healing powers." Ace snorted. Fairies are awful. They bite- and they are poisonous- as well as just being mean." That was something he would not have guessed. "But," Continued Ace. "To your original question. A real vampire… we are a mix of vampire and what others called ghouls. You know, meat eaters, often being within groups of people. They are just vampires that eat." Aha, that made sense. He felt as everything he knew about supernatural beings were wrong. Which weren't that surprising. Even they were described as being ruthless savages that killed and fought all.

He looked at his son. "I can imagine most are portrayed wrong. But I need to ask. Mermaids, what are they like?" Ace gave a chuckle. "There are two types. Groups of killers, or sirens. But sirens make more sirens. They lure you to them and takes you down in the water, making you a part of them. A few is nice though." That made sense. But he didn't know they sometimes were in groups. However, a group of killer mermaids did probably massacre their victims.

Whitebeard moved a hand to rest behind Ace's back. "I would love to hear more of these beings, to know what is a lie or not, true rumors or not. This is interesting and I'm glad you told me. I had no idea." Ace chuckled. "I can probably tell more later." Whitebeard nodded. "I get that. You don't need to push yourself to tell anything you don't want to. But know that I will never judge you for it." It had Ace smile and nod, looking comfortable.

The world was a weird place, even more so as all he knew about the superstitious were wrong. He would tell Marco that Ace, or vampires in general, were the so-called ghouls. They ate meat, human meat. It didn't bother him, he was just glad to get to know his son better, also wanting to make him feel more comfortable with them, not be afraid to be judged.

And that's the chapter, I hope everyone enjoyed

This might have been somewhat messy, but I hope it was readable. This is more to set things for later and a small teaser on what to come. The level D things come from the anime Vampire Knight, they are a bit different from them though, I just took the name

I hope this was something you wanted, CrackPairingsRule. But I will make more scenes of Ace settling as things progress

If you have any ideas, don't be afraid to tell them, I love hearing them

And I love feedback and it is what keeps me going

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