[Open] Canon Update & Catch-all!

[bad_crowmance]

Who: Crow Armbrust and YOU!!
When: January 4th and thereafter
Where: Mirror House and around Aefenglom
What: Canon Update/Catchall
Warnings: Major spoilers from Trails of Cold Steel 3! Possible themes include death, betrayal, political unrest, mental manipulation, supernatural disasters... I'll update if needed!


I. Mirror House.

[ Crow did not, as a general rule, go to the Mirror House. That's not saying anything against it so much as he just preferred to look forward towards his life in Aefenglom with his friends rather than focusing too hard on a path with no future to it. Feelings get complicated and Crow is allergic to feelings, or at least he doesn't like having his on public display very often. But he'd gone to the mirror house today, almost as if he were compelled to. He didn't stop until he'd reached his own mirror, one that was familiar to him in more intimate ways than any other.

And then he touched it.

He wasn't aware a couple of his friends had been there-- or were perhaps with their own mirrors at this very moment. Either way, his experience was a little different than theirs. For one thing, they were catching up on a few short months-- Crow had nearly a year and a half all at once, flashing vividly behind his eyes in full detail. A life he hadn't expected to keep going, or rather-- to be brought back. Such as it is.

There are physical changes that come for him in a way that the others hadn't really gotten. A year and a half for Crow is enough to grow a little, to fill out just a bit more-- for his hair to grow in length, to become suddenly several shades paler. And at the end of it, Crow lets out a gasp as he finally--

He pulls his hand away from the mirror almost as if he'd been burned. But it only takes a moment of recovery before he's glancing around and then folding his hands behind his head. ]

Well, that's enough time reflecting on things. Heh...!

II. Aefenglom.

[ It's going to be pretty hard for Crow to hide that something's happened when you can take one look at him and tell just by the physical differences that something has. But this is Crow Armbrust and he's very willing to deflect as much as he has to. Of course, maybe you don't really know him-- maybe he doesn't have anything at all to explain. He's more than fine with that, he doesn't really want to talk about it anyway.

After his adventures in the mirror house, you might find Crow eating in a nice spot at a local café, a nice cup of hot chocolate in hand. Or you could find him by the docks, chatting with some of the workers there or else just looking out at the water for a brief moment before moving on. You might even find him wandering around the shopping district, looking for all the world like any other person out to buy whatever it is that's caught their interest. Either way, if you look like you want to talk to him, he'll lift his hand and grin. ]

Hey, what's up?

Comments

[fiddlestick]

[Fair point. Elliot meanwhile is reeling some, this is a lot of positive energy to lay on after the heaping dosage of terrible Elliot just dealt with, not to mention new information he has to process]

C-Clothes...right. [Clothes were a thing. Elliot had trouble comprehending why clothes matter in this moment, so he goes back to what's more on his mind]

But how are you...? Do you...do you remember...?

[Not just the events back home, but everything else. Was Crow really back? Memories and all?]

[bad_crowmance]

[ Crow tucks his hands behind his head, still grinning. His tone's pretty casual as he speaks. ]

Which part-- Class VII? Aefenglom? ...Azure Siegfried? Yeah...

[ He only allows his voice to get a little softer for the next part. ]

...I remember everything.

[fiddlestick]

Y-You do...?

[Well, that certainly confirmed it. Crow got all his memories back. Elliot had been so far away from him at the time, and so many things were going on, but he does recall one thing...]

Wait, so when Ordine was holding Valimar back, that...that was you?

[It wasn't some ploy on the Black Workshop's part. Some order for Azure Siegfried. It was Crow. Trying to stop their friend from doing more things he'd regret later. On its own, it'd be news that'd make him so happy. Crow was back, as himself. Truly a wonderful thing.

But unfortunately, it came the same time as they lost someone else in Class VII. Not to mention possibly the rest of the world. That alone was enough to put a damper on it. His head lowers.]

...T-Then...at least one thing went right...

[bad_crowmance]

[ Crow nods slightly. ]

My timing could've been better, but... yeah. That was all me.

[ He hadn't remembered soon enough to stop things from getting truly awful and he wasn't even a fan of the timing from a dramatic angle-- it was awful from any way you looked at it. But he'd remembered, and that was the important part. ]

[fiddlestick]

[yeah, no argument on the timing]

It's okay...I don't think time was on any of our sides.

[Maybe if they had more time, things could've played out so differently for all of them. And considering what Crow was dealing with...well, it was better late than never, honestly.

It's real tempting to cling and cry right now, but he's already done that once on Crow, so tries to hold himself back. So instead, try to find something that wasn't liable to make him burst into tears again. They were talking about looks before weren't they?]

You look a lot better without that mask on.

[bad_crowmance]

[ Crow truly appreciates Elliot not clinging and crying again. He'd put up with it, let Elliot cry it out if he needed to. But he's never really been good at dealing with those kinds of feelings. It's easier for Crow to compartmentalize and deal with things in private.

That being said, Crow reaches up to brush against where the mask was on his face and smiles. ]

Gotta say, I definitely agree with you. That thing seriously went against my aesthetic. I mean, come on! When it comes to masks, you should either go all the way or else why even bother?

[fiddlestick]

[He's trying his best okay, but don't think you're out of the woods yet Crow. Elliot is a Craig, they are naturally full of emotions and prone to clinging with little to no provocation.

But boy Crow. He knows you're just being...well you, to avoid dealing with the emotions. He won't directly call him out on it, but there's still a bit of sarcasm in his tone.]

Oh yeah, that was the problem with the whole situation. The aesthetic.

[bad_crowmance]

[ At least as far as Craigs to Get Hugged By, Elliot is a safer option than his father. ]

It's a huge problem! These are important things to consider!

[ Not, you know, the memory suppression or the mind control aspects of it. ]

[fiddlestick]

Pretty sure it's only important to you...

[Sure, the outfit hadn't been great, but it's not like that was what they were talking about when they talked about Azure Siegfried.

Still, Crow's dramatics about something so shallow is helping with the tension breaking, just like Crow hoped. Elliot will think a moment before reaching out for Crow's sleeve, tugging it a little]

Hey, you said you needed clothes right? If you wanna go shopping, I'll pay for them.

...I'm not ready to go back to the house yet.

[Going back to the house meant having to explain what was wrong to Machis, Fie and Randy - assuming they didn't get the memory jog as well. He...he wasn't ready for that. Not yet.]

[bad_crowmance]

[ The outfit was so bad, and this is coming from a guy who thinks the Darth Vader aesthetic is a legitimate style worth pursuing. ]

Well, if you're offering... I wouldn't mind taking you up on that.

1/2

[fiddlestick]

Well considering the situation ... I don't mind spoiling you a little this time.

[Crow came back from the dead in Erebonia and it was unlikely any of them are going to be in the mood to throw him another party anytime soon, so letting him shop for clothes he needed seems more than fair. Plus, if it stalled going home for awhile, even better.

He moves closer, standing on his tip toes to presumably do something like give a quick peck on the cheek, but--]

[fiddlestick]

[It becomes very apparent he doesn't reach nearly as high on Crow as he did not long ago. And he knows he hasn't grown today, so the only explanation was--

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elliot rears back, totally affronted by this new revelation]

Seriously?! Even YOU got taller!?!

[YOU WERE DEAD SIR. HOW IS THIS ALLOWED???? THIS IS BULLCRAP]

[bad_crowmance]

[ Crow had known he'd get that kind of reaction out of Towa, that she'd be vexed he'd managed to get taller after he was brought back. But getting it from Elliot was such an unexpected delight that he can't even respond at first. He's too busy laughing like the jerkbird he is. ]

[fiddlestick]

[Admittedly, Elliot isn't as fixated on his own height as Towa is. But boy, that doesn't mean he doesn't think about it sometimes. It's hard not to when you're the shortest guy of your friends group by several rege]

H-Hey why are you laughing?!

It's bad enough Gaius and Rean grew taller, but you too??

[bad_crowmance]

It was an unexpected growth spurt!

[ Very unexpected considering he'd, you know, died. ]

Anyway, there's no way I could let Rean beat me.

[fiddlestick]

[He gives the smallest of huffs.]

Sure, but at what cost Crow? My neck get sore enough as it is from how much I have to look up! And poor Towa probably suffers even more.

[This is dumb, and part of him knows it's dumb. But after all the heavy things he's been thrown today, sometimes you need dumb]

[bad_crowmance]

Have either of you considered wearing heels?

[ He's going to suffer for that suggestion but it's worth it. ]

[fiddlestick]

[He lets out a little dry "ha" sound]

Please. With my lack of coordination? That'd just be asking to hurt myself.

[So in other words, to Crow's surprise ....yes. Yes he has considered it.]

[bad_crowmance]

[ Very much to Crow's surprise! He lets out a laugh. ]

You know, I've heard it's all about practice.

[ Because you'd better believe he'd talked with either Vita, Scarlet, or both about heels at some point. ]

[fiddlestick]

Aha....

...You just wanna see me in heels, don't you?

[He sees through this Crow Armbrust.]

[bad_crowmance]

Guilty as charged!

[ He says cheerfully and without a shred of shame. ]

[fiddlestick]

[HE SIGHS. Crow, despite everything they went through, really hasn't changed.

..... ]

Heels for me or outfits for you.

Pick one.

[That's right. It's hard choice time]

[bad_crowmance]

Why do I have to choose?!

[ That's so mean, Elliot? That's so mean! But it doesn't take Crow very much consideration at all before he makes his decision. ]

The shoes, of course!

[fiddlestick]

Because I'd go broke if I indulged all your whims!

[But...crap. Part of him had hoped Crow's vanity and love of fashion would overrule his kinks. Guess not. He turns slightly pink at it, but he won't try to argue. ]

M-Man, even over your aesthetic?

...Fine, let's go to a shoe store.

[bad_crowmance]

[ Crow isn't sorry his kinks are more important to him than his looks. ]

Alright, now that's what I'm talking about!

[ Crow is delighted. ]