[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

[bad_crowmance]

Any time you want to, I'm more than interested.

[ Look, Crow is very horny and he's not afraid to admit it. ]

[fiddlestick]

...Today's probably a bad day to get carried away.

[He says this after a brief pause, as if he had considered something. It was really tempting, to use it to try to forget all the pain he was feeling - not unlike what they've been doing with the heels. But there was a difference between this and actual intimacy - when emotions could run so much higher.

No...tempting as it was, Elliot knew they were both still processing in their own ways. They needed time, not to make things worse by having sex.

Still...he lowers his voice to a whisper for Crow]

Though...I don't think there's a harm in letting you have a feel, before I get out of this skirt.

[bad_crowmance]

[ Crow lets out a soft sigh. ]

You're right.

[ Unfortunately. He's not about to make things weird with Elliot by messing around when emotions are high and they're both vulnerable. Still, it's a pity.

But hey, if Elliot's going to offer him a feel.... Crow glances around to make sure no one's looking-- more for the sake of Elliot's modesty because he has very little of his own-- and slowly slides a hand up, up, up the uncovered flesh of Elliot's thigh and leans in to lightly nibble at his ear as he does, in fact, have a feel. ]

[fiddlestick]

[Give it a few days Crow. Once they've both had a chance to sit and process and scream about every terrible thing that happened to them, then they can move to the next step: engaging in impulsive and reckless behaviors as a means to avoid dealing with reality.

Even now, this was playing with fire. He's no longer surprised Crow takes him up on his offer immediately. Crow was still a mystery in so many ways, but there was a refreshing frankness to this side of him.

The nibble on his ear and the hand sliding up his thigh feel good, sending shivers through him. When his hand gets high enough, he'll feel that Elliot's wearing underwear. Elliot meanwhile, isn't exactly going to stand by. His body leans against Crow's, using the heels height as an advantage to turn his head and kiss at his neck. Meanwhile while one hand takes hold of his shirt for balance, the other will slide around the waist and move down, trying to get his own feel.]

[bad_crowmance]

[ Crow will be more than happy to engage in impulsive and reckless behaviors when Elliot's up for them. It's practically a hobby for Crow.

Crow's going to behave only just enough to keep his hands above Elliot's underwear, and that's mainly because, well, they are in public and there's got to be a line somewhere. Probably. He curves his hand over Elliot, slowly moving against him, enjoying both the feeling of him and the friction of his underwear.

Meanwhile, he makes an encouraging sound at both the kiss against his own neck and the hand working its way down Crow's pants. He's more than willing to have this be a mutual gropefest. ]

[fiddlestick]

[The shivers of pleasures turn into more a heat as Crow rubs his hand over his underwear. Crow could easily feel him getting aroused through the fabric. It doesn't help that Elliot's bonded has reached something of a mating season, the influencing emotions making his own sex drive run hotter than normal. And boy, this was doing a good job reigniting that drive.

And with Crow's encouragement, he's not about to end this yet. The hand on his ass turns into proper groping, getting as much of a feel as he can. The kiss too goes from light kisses to a bit more intense, sucking and nibbling with his teeth.

Around this time, the bell on the shop door rings, and the sound of chatting customers come in. Elliot freezes, but doesn't pull away either. If anything, he seems conflicted what to do. This might be a good time to call it quits before they get caught, or the dressing room Elliot used is right nearby. ]

Um....

[A decision should probably be made quick]

[bad_crowmance]

[ While the dressing room is a very tempting thought, Crow is going to behave just this once. Sorry for your poor sex drive, Elliot, but Crow's gonna respect your first call and pull away from Elliot, albeit reluctantly. ]

We'll pick up that thought some other time.

[fiddlestick]

[Congratulations to Crow for making the responsible choice. We're all proud of you. When Crow pulls away, elliot blinks a little in surprise before realizing- oh. Oh yeah. That would've been bad. ]

R-Right, sorry.

[Definitely was starting to get carried away there. Embarrassed and needy as he is, he's grateful for Crow doing that.]

I should change back into my clothes.

[Just gonna...very slowly back up into the dressing room. and I mean slow because heels are tough man]

[bad_crowmance]

[ Mark the day on your calendar, Elliot, because it doesn't happen very often. ]

You've got nothing to apologize for. Just go ahead and get changed.

[ He'll wait for Elliot to be ready. ]

[fiddlestick]

R-Right

[Don't worry this day is forever burned into his memory...though mostly for terrible reasons.

He finally makes it back to the dressing room, managing to do so without tripping, and shuts the curtain to change. A couple minutes later, he pulls it back and he's back in his normal clothes. He's got the boots with him, but the skirt's getting left behind]

Least it's nice to be able to walk normally again.

[bad_crowmance]

[ Alas poor skirt, Crow barely got to know you. ]

You were doing okay with those heels by the end there.

[fiddlestick]

[Perhaps one day Crow. Something to dream about]

Well, it's like you said, practice did help.

Still, it was hard enough that now I'm even more impressed Laura fights so well in those....

[He trails off, going quiet as thinking of Laura makes his mind segue into remembering that her dad was on the Courageous. Laura and her father had such a good relationship, the kind that he's sure his own dad would've once killed to have with him, and she had to watch him...

His shoulders slump and he lets out a breath. Right. There's the pain he had managed to forget about for a few moments. It hadn't gone anywhere after all.]

[bad_crowmance]

[ There goes the mood. Well, it wasn't going to last forever. ]

Laura's a really strong person.

[ He means that in more than one way. ]

[fiddlestick]

[Nope. They could play around for awhile, but realities like this had a way of catching up with you.]

Y-Yeah, I know. She's one of the strongest people I know.

Still...she's so close to her dad. To have to watch that happen...

[It's terrible. Beyond cruel]

[bad_crowmance]

...Yeah.

[ Crow doesn't really have anything to add to that, lapsing into a momentary silence. It's terrible and there's nothing any of them can do about it.]

[fiddlestick]

[A moment into that lapse of silence, and Elliot shakes his head]

S-Sorry. I know you're trying really hard to be okay in front of everyone, and I'm just making that harder.

[bad_crowmance]

[ Wow, why would you call him out like that?

Crow shakes his head slightly, moving his hand to rub at the back of his head. ]

Nah, I'm not trying to deny things went pretty badly there. ...Probably as bad as it could've gone.

[fiddlestick]

[Because he knows you Crow Armbrust??? You tried to be chill and cool when you had a literal sucking chest wound ok.]

I know you aren't. [So don't worry about that.] ...You're not wrong though. So many things went badly, it's hard to process one without another one popping up.

[bad_crowmance]

[ Hey, having a gaping chest wound is no reason to freak out. ]

No kidding. You should take care of yourself tonight. It's a lot to remember all at once.

[fiddlestick]

[You died from it. That is every reason to freak out.]

I will ... not sure what I'm gonna do yet, but... no overdoing it, promise.

[He shuffles his feet a little]

This...did help a little though. So thanks.

[bad_crowmance]

[ Nahhhhh, there were more important things to worry about. And besides, freaking out when you're dying is not an appropriately dramatic death. ]

Haha, I'm glad. I'm always here to help out a pal.

[fiddlestick]

You're a good friend, Crow.

[He means it. Really. But enough on that, he'll hold up the boots]

Now as I said...I'm buying these. Gimme a few days to practice, and I'll give you a show.

[bad_crowmance]

[ Crow grins-- or perhaps "leers" is a more appropriate word-- at Elliot. ]

I'll look forward to it!