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[counterattack]

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[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

[counterattack]

what were you even trying to break!??!

[crimsoncrow]

a boulder.

[counterattack]

you couldn't break a
A BOULDER?
how old were you?!

( he says "a bolder" like it's fucking styrofoam or something )

[crimsoncrow]

Maybe sixteen? I didn't have anyone to teach me. Most of what I taught you, I had to figure out on my own.

And... your mother taught me a few things too. Mostly how to focus. When I said I was reckless, I meant it - I was all over the place like Grenar is. Ready to fight at the drop of a hat and almost no concept of chilling out.

[counterattack]

i guess everyone has to start somewhere, but still... i just can't picture you struggling with a boulder... wow.

so you... smashed your hand on a boulder trying to do a technique you didn't know how to do... and she laughed at you didn't she

[crimsoncrow]

Her friends did. My own mentor cuffed me upside the head and she dragged me off to our only doctor while calling me "the stupidest man she'd ever met."

_{[ THE JOKE WAS ON HER SHE MARRIED THAT MAN!!!! ]}

[counterattack]

wow... this whole time i was convinced it had to be something really cool or romantic or impressive...

i

don't even know what to say

[crimsoncrow]

I'm



sorry?

_{[ does he apologize for that?????? ]}

[counterattack]

no, it's ok
it's pretty funny. and i guess in a way it makes sense
mom always was the brains in the house. even though you were a total dork, she still fell for you anyway

that doesn't help ME any but hey

( ayyy lmao no he's just screwed no matter what really )

[crimsoncrow]

a dork?

_{[ that arrow? RIGHT into his heart. ]}

i may not be the romantic you thought but
try me
see if we can't figure it out

[counterattack]

totally.

i mean i guess you grew into that eventually too because i know you were always making mom giggle and she wasn't exactly the giggly type
but i don't have any
you know
i mean there's nothing SPECIFIC...
it just seems like i can't even look at a girl without getting in trouble and i have no idea how to get people to notice me but i am not about to punch a rock to make that happen

[crimsoncrow]

She has one hell of a smile. How could I n

Alright even I didn't get myself in trouble by looking at someone. How much trouble are we talking here? Gimme an example or two.

[counterattack]

well one of them was shionne so i probably don't need to explain that even though ALL I WAS DOING WAS LOOKING
AND NOT WEIRDLY just regular looking!!! i thought what she did with her hair was nice and she looked like she was gonna put the shocks to me but that's also just how she always looks...

but i'm always getting barked at for "staring" like i have any control of where my eyes are every second of every minute like geez

[crimsoncrow]

I wouldn't bark up that tree anyway. Not because of her demeanor, but... I'm pretty sure there's something between her and Alphen. Or could be. Just a hunch, you know?

But hm...
Why are the others yelling at you?