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[counterattack]

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[crimsoncrow]

I didn't get the scars on my head from some giant zeugle or a renan lord like Grenar liked to believe. When I say it almost killed me, I meant it.

[counterattack]

wait
THAT'S how you got those scars?! i knew those stupid rumors couldn't be right! grenar was always full of crap!!!

( hate that guy... u`///u )

geez, you're lucky mom didn't give you any more of them when you got back looking like that.

[crimsoncrow]

Grenar just assumed and I never bothered correcting him. Not even Nayth knows the story behind them and he was my best friend after you and your mother.

_{[ so many things could've been avoided if he just said something!!!! ]}

I was lucky she didn't cut her losses with me after that. She'd patched up a few things here and there - scrapes, cuts, a broken bone or three but never anything like that. I wouldn't have blamed her if she thought I was too much of a disaster and didn't wanna deal with it but... You know what? Given the chance I'd do it all over again.

[counterattack]

( best... friend... if this is how the rest of the day is gonna play out he is Not getting out of bed. it's too emotional already. )

well, i always just figured it's because the scars look cool and girls are into that, right? so it's fine if you were a dumbass

( time to have this theory proven once and for fucking ALL )

[crimsoncrow]

I'm










actually, you know something? All those years and I never did think to ask why she was
as you said
"into me"
I sure as heck wouldn't have let someone like me court me if I were in her shoes.

[counterattack]

you never asked?????

[crimsoncrow]

Not seriously, no.

_{[ in the end the only answer that really mattered was that "yes" when the proposal came around. ]}

[counterattack]

well
then
it's gotta be the scars! and because you're cool??
were cool

still are
i guess i dunno whatever
i can't believe you never asked her

[crimsoncrow]

"Were"? When'd I stop?

_{[ WAS HE EVER COOL... ]}

I must've never felt the need to beyond asking her the more important question. You'll realize it once you start falling head over heels for someone, kiddo. Just make sure whoever it is they treat you good, yeah?

[counterattack]

( when you gave your final words to alphen and not him and then died like an asshole, dummy. )

fine, you still are. when you aren't telling lame jokes

i don't know about all that. i was hoping i'd have an idea of how to act first, but i don't think almost dying and screwing my face up helped in this case.
not that there's anyone like that around or anything
i'm just saying.

[crimsoncrow]

You might need 'em one day, son.

But... I don't think there's ever one right way to act. Everyone is different so you just gotta kind of figure out what sort of person they are but your best bet is to just be yourself. Don't go putting on airs to act all tough to get their attention or pretend to be something you're not. I've seen plenty of people try it and it usually comes back to bite 'em in the ass. And sometimes what you're looking for...

Mine was right in front of me the whole time after the old man took me into the fold and got me out of that hellhole I was in. Even if things didn't work out we'd have still remained friends, and things like that are more rare than the most precious gemstone any slave could've dug up under the renans.

[counterattack]

( right in front of him... gee, doesn't that sound familiar. maybe. shut up. )

yeah, that makes sense. i think i know what you mean.
but like
what if being yourself isn't enough? if you're not supposed to show off then do you just give up? i mean
like it's probably not gonna work out... kinda thing

( lord have mercy, he is so awkward. also not really how and when he planned on having any version of The Talk, but since they're on the subject... why not. )

[crimsoncrow]

Showing off and big gestures are fine as long as you're still you by the end of it. Before I knew who she really was, I was trying to do everything in my power to get her attention and to work up the guts to actually talk to her. Once I broke down that particular wall it was a little easier and I could ease up, but I won't lie.

It's terrifying.

Just... try not to get too carried away or it could backfire. Almost did with me.

[counterattack]

i can't picture you being too nervous to talk to anyone...

oh man, i don't know if i'm ready for this story. i've been wondering about this for years, but now it sounds like it's gonna give me secondhand embarrassment

[crimsoncrow]

It took me awhile to understand that I was free to say whatever I wanted. To do whatever I wanted without fear of having a boot on my back with a gun trained on me. The man I was back then... He was afraid of a lot of things. Constantly worried. Angry. Reckless. A wild animal that had his chains broken after a lifetime of imprisonment and had no idea where his place was in the world.

How do you think it went?

[counterattack]

( there's a big ol ink blot where law sits there with his pen, not knowing what to say to that. it's a pretty familiar sentiment, one he keeps being constantly reminded of by things like alphen regurgitating zephyr's words every chance he gets or that letter he got outside of ulzebek. but actually hearing it was just the same for zephyr is... hard. )

sorry

( is all he can eventually come up with. )

i don't know really. i'm not sure what my expectations were. i just remember how the two of you were and i guess i figured it was always like that.
you always seemed to know exactly what to do and say and you always looked so awesome to me. and everybody idolized you. so of course it'd be easy to be that
charming i guess.
and mom really

( fuck )

really loved you
anyone could tell by the way she looked at you. even me

( FUCK )

so
yeah

[crimsoncrow]

You don't have to apologize for anything. I just
don't talk about it that much. It's not exactly a dinner conversation, you know?

_{[ and there was no way in hell that he was going to talk about that sort of thing when law was just a little kid. knowing the dangers is one thing, but hearing everything that zephyr himself went through? nope. he wasn't going to put those thoughts in his child's head and give him more reasons to worry whenever he'd go out. ]}

You gotta remember something too, Law. You knew...

You knew me-me. The real Zephyr, not the one that was heading a rebellion. You knew a father and a husband who would move the skies and earth itself for the people he loved s
when we first met though it was... geez
I can feel the secondhand embarrassment hitting me just thinking about it.

[counterattack]

did i really know you though?

( clearly he's missing quite a lot of information here. and of course he's getting all dramatic about it, because he's having a Bad Time and now it's his birthday and this shit is still raw and difficult to talk about, even in writing. maybe some secondhand embarrassment will do them some good. )

ok, i give. i have to know now. what happened?

[crimsoncrow]

You knew me at my best, I think. But if you want to know about my childhood... All you have to do is ask. You're old enough to hear it.

_{[ even if going over it isn't easy, he meant it when he said he wanted to be better. no more secrets, no more hiding. it meant letting people in rather than shutting them out like he had years ago, and if one of those people happened to be law? then that's all there was to it. ]}

Anyway, it's uh.
I thought I'd try to win her attention by showing off. Try and get her to say something first, you know?

[counterattack]

i will.

( add it to the insane laundry list of Shit They Need To Talk About. today his birthday gift is finding out how embarrassing his dad is/was. ...is still tbh. )

so now i'm about to find out why you told me not to show off......
what did you do dad??

[crimsoncrow]

I

_{[ he starts to write, only to scratch whatever it was out. writes again, another scratch out. third time? same thing. finally he gives up and leaves it simple- ]}






nearly shattered my hand.

[counterattack]

how

[crimsoncrow]

Remember that trick I taught you? To break through armor and whatever else you might've needed?

[counterattack]

yeah??? i use it all the




oh no. dad. no

[crimsoncrow]

let's just say it wasn't even developed back then