I met him as a bird. Back then I was still a little bit wild. I didn't trust people, I didn't want to deal with people, and I very often didn't bother.
I went down to the cargo hold one day and there was this stowaway. But it was the strangest thing.
Back in those days there were a lot of rumors about my Pops' pet. The great phoenix, eh? So when the man started trying to lure me over with sunflower seeds, I figured he was some idiot after Pops' head and trying to use me as bait. But he said everyone was Whitebeard's son, and I must be too.
[He's quiet for a moment. It's strange to him. Even now. Thatch never once had trouble reconciling both sides of him. Human, phoenix, and better still, Thatch always bridged the distance to the other side.] Ah, you have to understand. I was Whitebeard's first son, but not everyone knew it. And back in those days, I had that bad habit of not dealing with most people, like I said. So there were plenty of people who never realized I was a man. [Right, that's why Thatch had chided him about Roxas. One day he'll need to be more upfront but...]
[Sometimes it's nice just being a bird.]
[And it's not like he ever truly stops being one.]
So here this stowaway is, feeding me sunflower seeds and yet still treating me like a friend, like a person. I knew he wouldn't be able to understand anything I said to him like that, but I kept listening so I could figure out his plan. He wanted to join the crew, but because we already had a swordsman he didn't think he could do anything. And as he put it, I didn't exactly need a bird handler.
So I decided to keep him secret until he could make up his mind. [A small laugh.] It's funny actually. I think I adopted him as a pet at first, even though I was the one in bird form. I'd bring him down food and I made him a little hideaway, and told everyone else I had it.
And then he started copying my whistles and trying to learn to talk with me back, and I knew right then and there I loved him no matter what.
Voice
I met him as a bird. Back then I was still a little bit wild. I didn't trust people, I didn't want to deal with people, and I very often didn't bother.
I went down to the cargo hold one day and there was this stowaway. But it was the strangest thing.
Back in those days there were a lot of rumors about my Pops' pet. The great phoenix, eh? So when the man started trying to lure me over with sunflower seeds, I figured he was some idiot after Pops' head and trying to use me as bait. But he said everyone was Whitebeard's son, and I must be too.
[He's quiet for a moment. It's strange to him. Even now. Thatch never once had trouble reconciling both sides of him. Human, phoenix, and better still, Thatch always bridged the distance to the other side.] Ah, you have to understand. I was Whitebeard's first son, but not everyone knew it. And back in those days, I had that bad habit of not dealing with most people, like I said. So there were plenty of people who never realized I was a man. [Right, that's why Thatch had chided him about Roxas. One day he'll need to be more upfront but...]
[Sometimes it's nice just being a bird.]
[And it's not like he ever truly stops being one.]
So here this stowaway is, feeding me sunflower seeds and yet still treating me like a friend, like a person. I knew he wouldn't be able to understand anything I said to him like that, but I kept listening so I could figure out his plan. He wanted to join the crew, but because we already had a swordsman he didn't think he could do anything. And as he put it, I didn't exactly need a bird handler.
So I decided to keep him secret until he could make up his mind. [A small laugh.] It's funny actually. I think I adopted him as a pet at first, even though I was the one in bird form. I'd bring him down food and I made him a little hideaway, and told everyone else I had it.
And then he started copying my whistles and trying to learn to talk with me back, and I knew right then and there I loved him no matter what.