A LAWFUL WASTELAND
Dec. 8th, 2022 04:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
counterattack[ it's December 8. Law turns 18 today. at this point, he's been living in Copalli for over a year. during the final relic fiasco, he achieved trance within about five seconds (because it's basically overlimit) and faced Tiamat in her castle because he had a score to settle with dragons (dragons, wyverns, same shit) and had enough taking shit from these mother fucking guardians in this mother fucking jungle. it was epic.
anyway, it's a few months later and Law lives in Tikal again, down at the bottom of the crater. they've built bridges and pulleys aboveground, as well as created a system to keep the crater from filling with water when it rains. although most of his farm was lost during Tikal's fall, he's rebuilt it bigger and better than ever and repopulated it with even more chickens, hogs, cows and even a few semi-domesticated mist monsters. there's also proper crops, probably due in part to at least one friend or another planting on the huge expanse of land he's set up there. he also rebuilt the inn that collapsed on top of him back then, and this time it's actually finished. he got a local business manager to help run the place and they export animal products and crops all over Copalli. the inn is booming. it's great.
all is well.
except now it's his birthday and Law is just trying to go about his business like he doesn't know that, strapping on his fancy wolf gauntlets and shouldering a big pack of supplies to go make some delivery trips to the other cities. nothin' to see here, not ya lil dude all growed up, a solid 5'9" (and a half) with some cool tribal tats done over his wyvern scars and something of a more mature countenance, buuuuuttt still the dweebo dorkus doofus meathead he's always been.
ANYWAY, THIS IS #LATERGRAM INCENSEDVERSE. medallion him, meet him at any of the cities, fight monsters together on the road, pretend there was a party planned that he's trying to sneak out of showing up to, WHATEVER WORKS. ]
anyway, it's a few months later and Law lives in Tikal again, down at the bottom of the crater. they've built bridges and pulleys aboveground, as well as created a system to keep the crater from filling with water when it rains. although most of his farm was lost during Tikal's fall, he's rebuilt it bigger and better than ever and repopulated it with even more chickens, hogs, cows and even a few semi-domesticated mist monsters. there's also proper crops, probably due in part to at least one friend or another planting on the huge expanse of land he's set up there. he also rebuilt the inn that collapsed on top of him back then, and this time it's actually finished. he got a local business manager to help run the place and they export animal products and crops all over Copalli. the inn is booming. it's great.
all is well.
except now it's his birthday and Law is just trying to go about his business like he doesn't know that, strapping on his fancy wolf gauntlets and shouldering a big pack of supplies to go make some delivery trips to the other cities. nothin' to see here, not ya lil dude all growed up, a solid 5'9" (and a half) with some cool tribal tats done over his wyvern scars and something of a more mature countenance, buuuuuttt still the dweebo dorkus doofus meathead he's always been.
ANYWAY, THIS IS #LATERGRAM INCENSEDVERSE. medallion him, meet him at any of the cities, fight monsters together on the road, pretend there was a party planned that he's trying to sneak out of showing up to, WHATEVER WORKS. ]
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Date: 2022-12-08 10:16 pm (UTC)so he contacts law out of nowhere when he definitely isn't busy with anything more important /s. his voice, over the medallion, sounds almost accusatory. ]
Is it your birthday?
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Date: 2022-12-08 11:04 pm (UTC)Ack—uhhh... what? Who, me?
[ QUICK, STALL ]
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Date: 2022-12-08 11:14 pm (UTC)If he hadn’t shot up like a weed in the last few months, filling out that extra height with extra muscle, and all those fancy tattoos offsetting old scars left by certain past battles, Rinwell probably wouldn’t care. But she is still short, barely growing half a foot taller in the Copalli-based interim, so there’s definitely reason in her mind to huff and puff.
(It’s fine. She’s fifteen. Plenty of time to have her own spurt later so she’s not 5’3” forever. It’s fine.)
Right now though, she’s perched on a railing outside the Eagle messenger post; travel pack at her feet, Hootle on her shoulder, and attention partially on the road out of town and partially on the Phoenix crystal resting on her palm. Fire magic may still not be her forte, but the power in the crystal had healed what could not be seen and helped unleash her astral artes once more - and helped those who’d fallen around her during the final attacks, getting them all back on their feet. Back into the fight. She hasn’t called on it again since, but carries it with her just in case. Things were Better(tm) but that didn’t guarantee anything when on the road.
There’s a faint hoo in her ear, which brings Rinwell’s attention back to the present. And she lifts a hand to wave at Law, getting his attention before hopping off her seat. ]
All set?
[ For this absolutely ordinary, no planned surprises at all Nope none what so ever Ordinary Routine Trip between cities. Yup. ]
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Date: 2022-12-08 11:15 pm (UTC)maybe not this particular angel, though. ]
Who else would I be talking to?
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Date: 2022-12-08 11:38 pm (UTC)[ Law grins, totally relaxed and totally unsuspecting. It isn't that he insisted on no birthday things, gifts, or anything like that, he just hadn't made a point of mentioning anything about it at all. It's not so weird, really, when you think about it. Like, what Dahnan is all that used to being like, "hey, it's my birthday soon" and having anyone around them care? Sure, yeah, he had a big party a year ago and it was great, and he sure doesn't act the same as he did back home after a whole year of living in Copalli, but... still. Old habits, or whatever.
Anyways, Law gets his kicks in lording his extra inches over her from time to time, just not right now. Especially not when Hootle's around, because then the little (getting bigger though, geez) pest will just fly up and try to peck his eyes out. His pack's notably lighter after this Coba dropoff, but there's still plenty more to do, and it seems like a perfectly fine and sensible use of his time, birthday or not. (But particularly, like, not.) ]
You sure you don't just wanna take a spiracorn? It's faster.
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Date: 2022-12-08 11:39 pm (UTC)Geez. Yeah, alright, it is. I'm not, like, making a big deal out of it or anything, though. Who even told you...?
[ besides, like, everybody?? ]
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Date: 2022-12-08 11:43 pm (UTC)Even the natives know, Law.
[ like, duh??? ]
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Date: 2022-12-08 11:45 pm (UTC)Wait, seriously?! Why would they know that? I didn't mention it to anybody! I-I mean, I was here last year, but that was just... I mean... I hadn't been here that long or anything.
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Date: 2022-12-08 11:51 pm (UTC)Your friends probably told them. I think they're throwing a... "birthday party" for you.
[ /JUST RUINS THE SURPRISE ]
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Date: 2022-12-08 11:52 pm (UTC)he swings his arm out and catches the younger man in a loose headlock, yanking him close against his side and assaulting his scalp with his knuckles. just because he's not on Eos anymore and technically a quarter (half?) behemoth doesn't mean he can't continue being the Annoying Older Brother figure, right? ]
There you are, runt!
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Date: 2022-12-09 12:40 am (UTC)Do you have something that needs to be delivered that urgently? [Rinwell doesn’t; plenty of things signed and sealed that need delivering, but no need for speed was specified] The trail is pretty secure these days, but if you’d rather not walk, I guess we could grab one. Or maybe one of the sleds?
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Date: 2022-12-09 05:02 am (UTC)...Oh. It's Dodo again, I bet. I just kinda had this feeling...
[ wait, but will he get thrown across the room by a hot/evil redhead again this time? possible merit here ]
Wait, how come you're saying it like you've never heard of it before?
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Date: 2022-12-09 05:08 am (UTC)Dodo?
[ he can throw you across the room if you want ]
I know what a birthday party is. [ HE CAN READ CONTEXT CLUES /eyeroll ] I've never attended one before, though. I don't know what they entail.
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Date: 2022-12-09 05:11 am (UTC)[ yeah, but with Law, it's always a Need For Speed. it's clear skies all the way from here to anywhere they want to go, so speed isn't even a necessity anymore. at this point, the incense does more good than harm (selectively; sometimes shit still gets fucky, guess the world dragon has some kinks to work out just yet) so it isn't as if they have to hurry to avoid getting turned into wolfmonsters anymore. still, old habits die hard there, too.
and also, yeah, he may be bigger and smarter, but he's still a freak that thinks BIG DEMON HORSE GO NYOOM is fun. ]
I don't mind walking. Or, uh, if they have a cab that isn't being pulled by those giant bugs, maybe... is it just me, or do they always seem like they've got the mantises lately?
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Date: 2022-12-09 05:19 am (UTC)No, seriously, I don't need extra. Just keep it! It's fine. See ya later!
[ not even two steps. not even two steps and suddenly he's captured and dragged a few paces back. he lets go of his travel back to immediately grab hold of the arm around his neck, so it's a really good thing he already offloaded those eggs, otherwise it'd be a real catastrophe. it's just lucky the noogie comes before Law can sweep the leg and break his hold. his reflexes are wayyyy faster than his brain is. ]
Nghgghhh, cut that out! Gah—Gladio?! C'mon, stoooop!
[ and as soon as he gets free, of course the first thing he does is fix his hair. it's really growing out. he's almost got enough for a teeny tiny ponytail in the back. ]
What, were you lookin' for me or something?
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Date: 2022-12-09 05:34 am (UTC)What, like it's hard? I can see that tail of yours from a mile away.
[ says the one who has a pair of purple, fuzzy behemoth-esque ears and the equally lethal set of horns to go with them. neither of them do a very good job of blending in all things considered but hey. details, right? ]
But yeah, I kinda was. You busy?
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Date: 2022-12-09 05:51 am (UTC)[ last year was Very Different, seeing as they'd all very recently arrived in Copalli and not all of their friends had been around at the time.
also bitch are you a redhead?? ]
It's—they're kinda what they sound like. You just celebrate somebody getting older. Usually with food and drinks and stuff, and sometimes you give gifts. Where I'm from, we'd put treats or little trinkets or even money inside clay pinatas, then break them.
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Date: 2022-12-09 05:55 am (UTC)[ bitch he COULD be. literally. he could be. find him a redhead to possess ]
That sounds... interesting. My friends don't celebrate theirs, and I don't have one. So.
[ no parties for him ]
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Date: 2022-12-09 05:55 am (UTC)[ pas possible. his tail is very prominent. the tail has grown proportional to the rest of him, and has remained just as immensely fluffy as well. he isn't quite as overly self-conscious about it now that he's had awhile to get used to it, but he still gives it a flick to hide it behind himself anyway.
Gladio bumps him, and Law bumps him back, then bends down to pick his mostly-empty bag up off the ground. nothing fell out of it, partly because there's little more than his map, compass, and a few other survival supplies left in there in the first place. he seems surprised to hear he was actually sought after, but it's hard to say if that's willful or genuine ignorance. ]
Nah, I just got finished here. I was gonna hit up Viento's before I leave. You, uh... need some help with something?
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Date: 2022-12-09 06:31 am (UTC)Nah. Well... Unless you wanna celebrate? I got somethin' pretty special from the statue. Viento's might be a good place to bust it open, 'specially before Princess and the others catch wind of it.
[ only they probably? wouldn't? at least not before Law has had a chance to get his hands on it. ]
Figure it's a good time to return the favor from earlier this year.
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Date: 2022-12-09 04:19 pm (UTC)[ "weird poetry" is him actually being polite. listen, dohalim taught him about art and he actually is kinda into drawing and stuff now, but miss him with that damn poetry. it's too abstract for his caveman brain.
also yeah don't do that, there's something wrong with redheads. ]
Don't have one...? You just don't remember it, you mean.
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Date: 2022-12-09 04:26 pm (UTC)Wait, which favor? What'd you get? Something from home?
[ it'd probably have to be, if it came from the statue. Law chooses to assume this is not Specifically For Him even though all signs point to the contrary and just goes on acting like he doesn't know nothin' about nothin'. good ol' Cyslodian sensibilities. they're good for (absolutely nothing) something, sometimes. ]
Uh—yeah, you wanna go check it out over drinks? I'll buy.
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Date: 2022-12-09 10:33 pm (UTC)[ Gladio shifts to show off the bag - relatively nondescript and looking more like the kind one might take on a short trip into the woods or to another city, but definitely full of something or another. when he swings it back over it even crinkles but beyond that? it's totally normal. no secret contraband or plots in it whatsoever. hell, the only thing that stands out to Gladio's own (relatively new, cursed) sense of smell is it's something that was distinctly Insomnian. something familiar.
something that risks pulling at his heartstrings if he thinks too much about it which will no doubt inevitably happen once he opens it up at Viento's. ]
First round is on me. After that? Go nuts, so long as I get to pay for the food. Though... we'll probably wanna get an actual table instead of sittin' at the bar this time around. I wouldn't want an entire bag getting dumped out across my workspace if I were them, you know?
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Date: 2022-12-10 12:58 am (UTC)Yeah, guess you're right.
[ it's a lot harder to get embarrassed in public at a table, too. he darts his searching gaze up from the bag to Gladio's face, then makes a good show of shrugging it off and gesturing with a nod of his head before he starts off toward Viento. inside, they get their table, their first round of paint thinner—uhh, drinks i mean—and an order put in for some of those crispy veggie sticks that could kinda pass for healthy fries if you pretend really hard, in short order. Law makes sure to pick a corner table and then sit with his back to the wall, facing the entrance, juuuust in case.
like, if this is gonna turn into some big thing, he wants to see it coming so he can react accordingly (by doing absolutely nothing, since the attention is secretly really, y'know, kind of nice). anyway, he gulps his shot like it's water and tries to be Super Extra Casual about what comes next: ]
Sooo... whad'ja get?
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Date: 2022-12-10 02:11 am (UTC)[ no matter how many times he's had the same alcohol it never fails to make him grimace. it's strong and makes his mouth numb just like the hardest stuff that his father had in his liquor cabinet for special occasions, but it lacks the spice that marked it for what it was; centuries-old Lucian booze that likely cost a small fortune in Gladio's day and age. he'd only had it twice himself throughout his lifetime, too. once when he'd officially became Noct's shield, and once before when he was in Law's own position.
sure, the kid never really advertised or spoke about it but that's just the thing - Gladio listens, and he listens to people talk. a couple questions here and there, even to the kid's own father, and... well, look.
Gladio raises a brow and after a moment or three he hefts the bag up onto his lap, moves his empty glass out of the way, and pulls out a dark, plain-looking bottle with an intricate label on it to take its place on the table. then he tips the rest of the bag over and out comes a variety of nothing but pure junkfood and cans from vending machines and gas stations. ]
You gave me a taste of what you got where you come from on mine. It's only right I try and give you a taste of what came from mine on yours.
[ he knows. ]
I'd take you to the greasiest joint Insomnia has to offer if I could, but... I'm hoping this'll make up for it. Just go easy on the orange bag - it's genuine Galahdian shit, so it might be on the hotter side.