beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young [OPEN]

[counterattack]

Who: Law & YOU
Where: Aldrip and the surrounding area
What: Settling in, getting up to hijinx, with a timeline anywhere from shortly after the TDM to the end of the month
Warnings: Probably nothin'.

Prompts in the comments, some open and some closed! Please feel free to drop any wildcards in the comments as well if there's something else you'd like to do. Law also has a toplevel at the Day of Devotion log, here!

If you'd like to plot something out, you can reach me on discord at tarocchi#8388, or on plurk at astrologies!

Comments

AFTER HOURS - OPEN

[counterattack]

[ It's not easy to sleep lately. There's just too much to think about. Mismatched memories with people from his own world, his father's alive, Rinwell's missing—everything's out of whack, and all the while he's being accused of killing people he didn't technically kill. The day to day happenings mostly take his mind off of it all, but when it's dark and he's gone to bed, Law's mind refuses to quiet. If anything, it only gets louder. Ordinarily he'd meditate, take some deep breaths, or something, but he's too unsettled even for that. Most nights he gets up and wanders off, but not very far from the inn where he and his friends are staying.

Tonight, though, he can't stand it anymore. He slips out late, late at night, silent as a ghost, and goes for a walk.

It's probably something like two or three o'clock in the morning, not a reasonable time for anyone to be wandering around town, but as of yet, he's found no reason to be concerned about a curfew and frankly wouldn't give much of a damn even if there were one. He's just wandering about harmlessly, anyway, for the most part—aimless and at a sort of ambling pace, but not nearly casually enough to constitute a simple stroll. Several times, he changes direction, but never pauses like he's lost or trying to decide where to go. He does pause anytime he sees another person, though, glancing their way almost hopefully before he continues wordlessly on his way.

Eventually, he ends up on the beach. When there's no further to go, what with the ocean in his way, he plops down in the sand with a long, almost exasperated sigh, and cocks his head back to stare up at the sky. The beach at night is the best place for a heartfelt chat, a moonlit battle, or an after-dark exchange of information, so the sky's the limit here. ]

INSOMNIACS UNITE

[aintyourdad]

[ Joel doesn't sleep much, these days. Whether it's because he's getting older, or his trauma, or the fact that he spent the last six months or more traveling with a kid and needing to keep watch over their various encampments, or some combination of all of those things - a full night's sleep just isn't a thing he's capable of.

That, and he's recently been kidnapped to a strange place with no one he trusts, so he simply cannot let his guard down.

So yeah, he wanders a lot at night. Patrolling, getting the lie of the land, whatever. He's wary, is the point. There aren't many people around, despite the fact that there doesn't seem to be any kind of curfew. Most people just don't seem to have any reason to be out late. Which is fine by him. He prefers being alone.

Which means he's surprised, and not necessarily in a good way, when he climbs a rise of sand on the beach and there's a person there. Ah, great. Probably someone who's going to want to talk, make nice, tell each other things. ]

Not much nightlife here.

sleep is for chumps

[counterattack]

[ Having another person come upon him here and say something that, he realizes, is directed at him and not someone else isn't necessarily unwelcome. Could he use someone to talk to? Maybe, yeah. Not about what's on his mind, if only because he's not sure he could ever just dump all his problems onto a complete stranger in an unfamiliar place, but... about nothing? Could be preferable to sitting here ruminating. He hates thinking too much, after all, and that's exactly what this is.

At the very least, it's not a total surprise someone else would come along. Even at this wild hour, Aldrip doesn't ever seem like it's completely asleep. Or maybe that's just the hypervigilance talking. ]

That's probably a good thing.

[ "Nightlife" is kind of an unfamiliar word, at least in the modern sense of what it means, but he gets the drift. ]

Not sure I've ever been anywhere that was so... naturally quiet. Peaceful?

[ Is that the right word? and also, but is it peaceful, though? are both present in that question mark. ]

Sorry if this is your spot. I can move.

[aintyourdad]

Doesn't belong to me.

[ Joel's not exactly claiming property here. He doesn't mind a little company, as long as it's not annoying - as long as he's not being asked prying questions about himself. He's fine talking about this place, though. ]

You a city boy then? [ Joel remembers what downtown Austin used to be like. The crowds, the noise, the lights. He'd never especially liked it, which was why they'd lived out in the 'burbs when he could afford the down payment on a house. ]

[counterattack]

[ Any other time and he probably would be annoying, by virtue of his lack of an indoor voice. Right now is Serious Business Emo Times, though, which calls for the quiet, Serious Business voice.

At any rate, cool, he'll just cross his legs and settle in for the long haul. ]

You could say that. I was born in a small village, and the last place I lived was a city, but it's more that... most places where I come from are all hushed-up at night. The quiet felt tense, even in the wilderness between towns. Like walking on eggshells, y'know? But here, everybody settles down for the night like they don't got anything to worry about.

[ A one-shouldered shrug. And then, after a pause, a quick glance aside. ]

Almost everyone, I guess.

[aintyourdad]

[ Joel shrugs. ]

We just got kidnapped. No matter how nice this place seems, it's a prison, and we were brought here for a reason. Letting my guard down would be stupid.

[thornygunner]

[Back on Dahna, Shionne was far too focused on her goals to ever really stop and appreciate things. Looking up at the sky always showed Rena and Lenegis lingering above the planet, reinforcing everything and making her feel the pressure of what she has to do until it was all she could think about.

Even with the addition of all the others to the party, she just felt it even more. The closer she gets to them, the more she knows that what she's doing is for the best. But now it's starting to dwell with a new feeling: regret.

Regret that she'll never get to see what Dahna will be like free. Regret that she'll leave others behind who might actually miss her. Regret that she can't be happy. Regret that she can't tell them because she doesn't want to place any burden on them like that.

It's no wonder that she can't sleep on this new world. It's too quiet.

As it is, she's standing on the beach, watching the night sky as the moon slowly moves across the horizon and letting the soothing sound of the water calm her down. She isn't ready for company, but it's not exactly surprising to see that Law also has too much on his mind to sleep properly.]

It feels strange not to see Rena and Lenegis when you look up, doesn't it? It feels.... lonely, in a way.

[counterattack]

[ The silhouettes the moonlight makes out of everything and everyone on the beach makes it hard to tell just what he's seeing, or who. It isn't until he's nearly flopped himself down entirely already that he realizes it's Shionne standing there, but the realization doesn't make him hesitate more than maybe a fraction of a second. Down he goes, digging his shoes into the sand. He can tell just by the outline, the shape of her dress and the fall of her hair, before she speaks up.

Even if she hadn't, he'd be comfortable here. After all, he hadn't left the inn to get away from anyone, necessarily, just... to get away from himself. His own head. And that didn't work, but honestly, did he really expect it to? It's all too commonplace by now for one or more of their party to be up past bedtime, lingering by the fire or loitering someplace on the fringes of their campsite, to silently drop down across from them and maybe not say anything, just... be in each other's company.

Even Law, loudmouth that he often is, appreciates the quiet times, too. ]

It's... confusing. Kinda thought I'd be glad to see a sky without either of them in it, but it's not like that at all.

[ The goal was never for Renans to disappear. That's not how you broker peace. Law searches the sky in silence for a few moments, finding the fathomless expanse a bit overwhelming to look at for too long. ]

Do you ever... miss it? Lenegis?

[thornygunner]

[She can understand the desire to escape yourself. She feels that way everyday, but it's starting to fade away the more she spends time with others.

And even if he didn't have the guilt of what happened in Cyslodia hanging over him, just witnessing the murder of his father would have left a mark on anyone. She doesn't even need to be close to her family to know the truth of that. Besides, it's nice to be alone while not being totally alone.]

I know what you mean. Even on Lenegis, you can see both Rena and Dahna in the sky sometimes. I wonder if it's the same on Rena, looking over at Lenegis and Dahna in the sky and imagining life on them.

[She only knows that the Sovereigns go to Rena, but no one ever sees them after they ascend to the throne.

Law's question drags Shionne out of her thoughts and she looks over at the martial artist with a quiet look as she tries to figure it out.]

I don't know. My feelings about Lenegis are... complicated.

[counterattack]

[ Law only gives the thought of what it must be like for the Renans to see Dahna in their sky consideration for a moment or two, then shrugs it aside. He can't assume it's anything sympathetic to the plight of the planet they conquered, and he'd rather not think unkindly thoughts if he can avoid it. He just doesn't have it in him for that kind of energy right now.

Instead, he focuses on Shionne when she glances his way, eyebrows raising. It's not exactly surprising that she'd having complicated feelings, just given what he knows about her, or—rather, given how she acts. He'd have to assume something similar of Dohalim, too. Still, it might be the first time he's heard her tell him what she's feeling before, other than, like. Annoyed and impatient. Or confused. Usually about Alphen. Which, to be fair to her, even Alphen is confused about Alphen, so. ]

You... wanna talk about it? I don't know a whole lot about Lenegis and what it's like there. The people I used to work with didn't bring it up very often.

OLD MCLAWNOLD HAD A FARM - OPEN

[counterattack]

[ There are plenty of things Law could be doing to help out around Aldrip, either just because he likes helping people or because he's trying to curry favor, gather information, and earn himself something of a living. Other than punching things, working over on the farmstead is probably the best use of his time, given how inexplicably prodigious he is at it. Not the growing crops part—he's basically useless at that. But managing the animals? You betcha.

Everything goes great the first few times he heads out there. He really has a way with the livestock, the herding dogs, even the barn cats. Production's up and the animals seem happier, and his laid back attitude makes it easy for others to feel comfortable asking him to jump in where he's needed, everything's awesome.

And then someone* leaves the gate open.

* not Law**

** allegedly



It's chaos. The sheep make a break for freedom, cascading out into the field and spreading out to graze. Then the chickens get in on the action and sprint for the hills. Everyone working the barns is running and yelling, frantically lassoing cows, the cattle dogs are basically going in circles, there are feathers everywhere. Madness. It takes awhile to restore some semblance of order, but there's still plenty more frantic running around to be done. Hope you weren't thinking of coming by for a tour today.

Law comes sprinting past, holding a struggling chicken in both arms. He looks like he's seen some shit. Or... hasn't, as it were. ]

Hey! Did you happen to see a sheep go by here? A big, wooly one? Answers to Lambchop?

[ Don't know why anyone would know the sheep is named Lambchop but don't worry about it. Anyway, the sheep he's looking for is about 40 yards over yonder, innocently milling about. Ya dude needs glasses. Also, he's just having a heck of a time. He could clearly use an extra pair of hands. Or eyes. ]

ROOSTER 101 EDUCATE HER

[sisterlyshield]

[Kisara's meant to get a better look at the farmlands, just for a better understanding of the area. She doesn't really work in that kind of field and there are multiple reasons as to why she ought to look into it. It'd be an excellent way to keep her hands occupied. And her mind. It'd let her learn something new. She's very likely to run into Law while doing so. All upsides, really.

Today, however, is a little more than what she's been prepared for. Whooping and hollering ensues and goes on around her. There's a sheep that practically propels its way past her and she's turning to watch it run in the opposite direction of the gate for the habitat.

When Law addresses her, she looks back to him.]

There was one that just passed me, but if you seriously named it after a food item, no wonder it's running away.

[Honestly, if she was called something like 'Nugget' or something, she wouldn't want to stick around either. Maybe the sheep thinks it's going to get stuck on a dinner plate.]

Do... you need some help?

[She gestures to the chicken that he's holding as it attempts to flap its very impressive chicken wings. At least, they look pretty impressive to her. Considering she knows nothing about chickens, she is probably not a very good judge of this.]

IT'S CLUCKIN' TIME

[counterattack]

Crap.

[ "Just passed," she says, but when he looks around, squinting fitfully against his mediocre depth of vision, he can see no wooly beast responsible for making his day Difficult with a capital D. To his credit, Law only looks a little bit like he's been run ragged, the slightest bit flushed and sweaty, smudged with dirt and maybe a few errant chicken-talon scratches. It could be worse. One of the local farmhands got a pair of billygoat horns to the ass and he's probably not gonna be sitting anytime soon. ]

—Oh, they're all called stuff like that. This is Omelette.

[ A little less aggressively offensive, since the egg's already hatched into a moderately-sized chicken, but still kinda fucked up when you think about it. Which, as usual, Law isn't, or wasn't, nor will he ever. Said moderate chicken alternates between acting as though it hopes to take flight from the secure grip of Law's arms and seemingly being quite comfortable there, an unpredictability that has led him to decide to just not ever loosen up on the poor thing for anything. Last thing he needs is a fleeing chicken, too.

Again. ]

Actually—yeah, if you've got time. Do you wanna hold her while I try and wrangle Lambchop back in the paddock? That's the last escapee. Other than getting the chickens back in the coop, I mean, but that's the easy part.

[sisterlyshield]

You named all of them after food?

[Law, that's just cruel.

Wait. Maybe he's not the one who named them, though she would believe if he was. That just seems like peak Law energy. She's following his gaze for the woolly renegade that she's certain she saw earlier. But to be fair, the whole chaos of the farm was a bit distracting and it's not like she was looking for any of the farm animals.

She makes a note for the future to maybe become more acquainted with the animals here.

When he asks her to hold onto Omelette, Kisara looks back to him and her eyebrows raise. He means her, right? Well, duh. There's no other blonde-haired ladies here.]

I can do that, I think. Anything special I need to do for this?

[Because excuse her while she's awkwardly reaching for the chicken in question. Surely nothing can possibly go wrong. Everything's going great.]

[counterattack]

Well, I mean, they are food.

[ That still doesn't technically answer the question of whether he named them all, but the evidence is pretty damning. The only real thing one could possibly say in his defense here is that any other names he'd come up with would be a whole lot less creative. They'd all be stuff like Frank, or they'd be named after his friends, and considering the "they're all food" thing, this... is for the best.

As soon as Kisara starts to reach for the chicken, Law immediately moves to hand it over, only to stop just before the Transfer of Chicken can occur. ]

Oh, right. No, yeah, it's really easy! Chickens are pretty harmless and Omelette's not one of the feistier ones in the bunch. All you gotta do is put one hand over her wings, and then put your under hand— underneath. Like this.

[ He explains as he passes Omelette over, gesturing with a tip of his head, then gesturing with his free hand once he has one. Omelette clucks and tries to flap about, but there's nothing (mostly) to fear with Law passing her off. ]

Got her? Then just hold her close to your body. She'll settle right down.

BACK ON THE TRAIN GANG - OPEN

[counterattack]

[ Now, more than ever, is when everyone should keep in tip-top shape and be prepared for anything, as far as Law is concerned. He'd think training is important no matter what the situation, really, but he's not taking any chances by slacking off. He prefers the arena for his workouts mostly for the opportunity to spar against other people, particularly ones he's never met before, so he can learn as much as he can about who he's dealing with here. That's an open invitation to anyone who steps up to the ring looking for someone to go head-to-head with: approach him and he'll generally always accept, or maybe he'll be the one to initiate with a quick, you in? As a martial artist, he's got no problems with going up against someone using a weapon, just as long as everyone keeps it sportsmanlike.

Or maybe, if fighting and sparring isn't your thing, yoga and meditation is? Anytime Law isn't throwing punches and pulling off sick moves, he can also be found diligently practicing his stances, working on his balance, or doing stretches that range anywhere from "seems easy enough" to "basically contorted into a human pretzel", or maybe just seated off to the side, cross-legged and eyes closed. If he doesn't look up and respond the first time you approach him while he's meditating, just, uh... try again. He's not ignoring anyone, he's just really focused. Balancing his energies and whatnot. It's important serious business and he definitely isn't bordering on asleep because he isn't getting enough rest at night. Nope. ]

She's had enough of trains tbh, but no one asked for Rinoa's opinion

[wishupona]

[Considering sparring isn't really her area of expertise, Rinoa's going to avoid that. But she's walking by one day when she can't help but stop.]

Bodies can bend like that?

[The words are out of her mouth before she's even realized it. But there's no going back now. Instead, time to own that she's totally interrupting what's obviously someone's training. So she takes a few more, curious steps closer.]

Sorry, it's just I've never seen anyone do anything quite like it.

at least it ain't DOOM TRAIN (or is it...)

[counterattack]

[ He'd been a little bit focused, but not so engrossed in his stretching that he doesn't see Rinoa coming from the corner of his eye. By this point, Law's back up on his feet—or rather, foot, since he's got his other leg stretched up completely straight in the air beside his head, one hand pulling on the toe of his shoe. He drops it when she calls out, kind of accidentally, his expression jumping from sheepish to just a little bit cocky in short order. ]

It's okay. That's one of the easier stretches, actually. I can show you how to do it, if you want. All it takes is practice.

The real DOOM TRAIN was Rinoa's model ones all along....

[wishupona]

That's what you call easy?

[Rinoa's eyes are wide. She's always been fit and active, but that? There's no way her body could do that. Right?]

Oh... I don't know.

[counterattack]

[ On the first try? Probably a recipe for disaster, but Law's always had kind of an unrealistic expectation of what's "easy," considering how he was raised. Still, he smiles encouragingly, motioning her over. ]

Yeah, totally! Anyone can do it. You look pretty limber to me. You do stretches, right? Work out and all that?

[ It's honestly hard to say if it's a compliment or if he's just that much of a musclehead (it's kind of both). ]

CLOSED TO ZEPHYR

[counterattack]

[ This has been... a really weird few days. It's been said already. We all know it. But it bears repeating, because it has been a really weird few days. Law hasn't slept much, if at all, across any of them. Not the first night, because he'd spent it outside waiting for Rinwell to show up, completely unable to accept the idea of going to sleep when they haven't found her yet. Not the second night, because... see above. Not the third night either, because by then that constant note of strained worry had turned into agitated restlessness and he'd given up the tossing and turning to get some air. And so on and so forth, to the point that he now physically, noticeably feels the sluggishness in every bone and muscle.

But it can't be helped. How the hell is he supposed to sleep with his father in the next room? As in, how is he supposed to sleep with that on his mind, hanging over his head, plaguing his conscience, but also as in, when he's in another room and not visible? Even if he can put his various anxieties and his worry for Rinwell out of his mind, remembering Zephyr is here always manages to get him back up again as soon as he's gotten settled.

It's hard to say if it had been better or worse after they'd all met up together and sat in the same room. Law had purposefully found a spot in a corner so nobody could sit next to him or directly in front of him, not wanting to bear the brunt of the glances askance he knew he'd be getting from the others. Distance is an old band-aid he slapped over an even older wound, and it isn't doing him any favors now, but at least it hasn't forced him into having to confront anything he isn't quite ready to handle directly. Just because Zephyr's alive doesn't mean he has to be clinging to him every second. Or making eye contact, sometimes. Instead, he stares at the floor, his lips a thin line but his brows creased with something like worry or sympathy or regret.

At night, when the doors are closed and they're apart, the switch flips and it's all he can do not to whine outside his room to be let in. It's driving him absolutely out of his mind, constantly worrying that Zephyr might disappear if he leaves him unattended and out of sight for long enough, either by virtue of just... what, going back to being dead or something, or maybe that he'll up and walk off on him again. Like before.

So he just doesn't allow for it. Every few hours he's creeping like a shadow out of his room and putting those eavesdropping skills of his to use, lurking at the door and listening in. If he hears voices, fine. No need to listen to what they're saying, just knowing they're in there is enough. What he really wants to hear, though, is snoring. That's when he knows the coast's clear to peek inside, twisting the door handle ever so carefully and peering around just enough to get a glimpse of him, lingering just long enough to let his eyes adjust in the dark and make sure it's really him sawing logs over there. Once he's satisfied, he shuts the door again.

Repeat ad nauseum. Several times a night. For like, a week or two or however long it's been. And of course he doesn't say anything about it. Why would he? What would he even say?

Anyways, he's getting sloppy from all that fatigue. Doesn't have his wits about him. It's late but it's not that late, and as usual, Law's working on wearing a groove in the floor from all his pacing. Sometimes, if his dad's really knocked out, he can hear that storm drain snore clear or the tenor of his voice through the wall that separates them, but not tonight. And he's anxious. And tired. He doesn't really think straight, just exits his room and heads for Zephyr's. He pauses at the door, but he doesn't really listen for very long before he tries the knob. Slightly delirious, he pushes the door too far too fast so that there's no quick recovery short of just slamming the door shut again.

Too late for that. The light's on, idiot, you couldn't have checked for that under the door first? If this were Cysloden, he'd be getting a grade of S for Straight To the Prison Tower.

Still, the door's only actually open enough that he can barely fit through it. Law ends up doing the only thing he can think of, which is to just go with it he guesses, and pokes his head in, forcing some vague look of feigned concern to cover up the absolutely out-of-his-gourd tired and full of regrets that he actually is feeling right this moment. ]

...Dad? Are you okay? I thought I heard, uh... something.

[ Not a peep. But sure. ]

[crimsoncrow]

<sub>[ Fortunately (depending on your point of view) Law wasn't the only one struggling to sleep. The first night Zephyr couldn't get comfortable no matter how hard he tried, but whether it was because the bed was too soft or the blankets too warm was anyone's guess. The second night he'd managed a few scant hours in the chair provided by the inn, pulled up close to the small fireplace but it wasn't enough to put him at ease. He'd been alright despite a stiff neck until his dreams had taken a turn for the grim and once he'd jolted awake in a cold sweat, that was it. Night number three... Time had finally caught up to him and Zephyr had finally managed to pass out on the bed, rendering him dead to the world until the next afternoon. Ordinarily he might've felt a little embarrassed about sleeping so damned late but considering everything else, he's certain everyone would've understood.

The other thing that kept him up at night was knowledge he felt like he shouldn't have had. It was one thing to know what Law had been up to but what was truly eating away at the older Dahnan was the fact that he was lucky to be here. It was the unspoken truth that Zephyr would never live to see the world outside of Cyslodia. Hell that much doesn't even bother him in the long run — everyone dies, and he isn't special. No, what truly, honest-to-gods bothers him isn't his impending fate.

It's knowing that whenever the others look at him they don't see Zephyr. They see a ghost.

He can try to deny it all he wants but despite his age and the decades of explosives going off around his head and his broken eyesocket, his vision and hearing work just fine. Hushed voices and averted gazes speak volumes and maybe if he'd come from a later point in time he'd be more understanding of it, but Zephyr hasn't experienced it yet. Maybe if he were more eloquent with his thoughts and actually speaking them into being it'd be easier, but he's always been clumsy when it comes to expressing himself. Especially now. Realistically he knows he shouldn't be so... all of this and considering he has the one thing he'd selfishly wanted for years Zephyr had expected himself to be doing whatever he could to make up for lost time and past mistakes.

Dreams, all of it. Instead of getting up and doing any of it, Zephyr remains in his room at night. He listens to chatter on the other side of the wall, too muffled to pick up on exact words but still enough to tell the Dahnan that Law was... well. He has friends from other realms. That was what he and his wife had always wanted for their son. Friends that you can count on. By all means he has nothing to worry about regarding him anymore and yet Zephyr still feels the tingle of anxiety scratching at the base of his spine every time they look at one another. Or more accurately every time Zephyr looks at him because eight out of ten times Law winds up averting his own gaze towards the floor. Sometimes he can hear her voice in the back of his mind chastising him and urging him to go "make things right" but every time he tries, he turns into the coward he had years ago.

Tonight he's so engrossed in his own thoughts that he doesn't hear the door down the hall creak open like he sometimes does at this hour. Zephyr's attention is so focused at the worn band he keeps twisting around his ring finger that he doesn't feel the vibration of footsteps through the floor, and when he catches his door opening in his peripherals, he starts from the edge of the bed.

Knocking his knee right into the endtable with a short hiss and forcing a dog-eared book off the surface and onto the floor. Thwump. Hopefully that didn't wake anyone else up. ]</sub>

For cryin—

_{[ Ah. ]}

—Law?

_{[ Who else would it be? For a good five seconds Zephyr just sort of gawps at the door, knee raised to keep it (and his foot) out of harms way and his right hand still touching the left, ring and all. A zeugle with its head caught in the food stores, this one. ]}

I... No, I'm fine. Just... Talking to myself, that's all.

[counterattack]

[ So much for stealth. To be fair, that all went out the window the moment Law left the room half-cocked to stalk his dad again, but still, Law winces partly in sympathy, partly in apology, and partly out of concern that they just woke the whole damn inn. There aren't any immediate reactions to the minor ruckus, though, so maybe they're lucky this time around. ]

S-Sorry. I—yeah. Of course you're okay. Probably just... someone outside or something.

[ You'd think that would be grounds to make an excuse to go check for this so-called prowler, but Law isn't thinking even remotely about any logical processes here. It's just pure blurting out whatever comes to mind and hoping nobody, namely Zephyr, asks any questions.

You'd also think this would be a fine time to excuse himself and leave, but much like his father, Law has the same sort of "busted" look on his face, gaping right back. It's the first time in awhile, since he started these late-night check-ins, that he's really been able to see him. Of course he sees him during the day, but it's... different at night. When they're apart and there's nothing for him to do but lay there and ruminate, and worry, and let his mind run away with all the things that are bothering him. He takes in the whole picture: the offended, bumped knee, the slouch of his posture at the table, one hand over the other, fingers pinched around... his ring. That's the sobering sight that finally smartens Law up, his teeth going straight for the inside of his lower lip and biting down.

His gaze may drift askew, like it often does, but it doesn't fix itself pointedly somewhere else, and the only expression really left on his face is the fatigue: heavy, ringed eyes, strain in all of his features like it's taking effort to keep them taut. ]

...You sure? It's late. Should be asleep.

[ Look who's talking. ]

[crimsoncrow]

_{[ Zephyr glances towards the window flanked by the tackiest curtains he's ever known which is really saying a lot considering there was a distinct lack of decor in the average Calaglian "home". Sure there've been the tell-tale signs of wildlife howling out in the fields beyond Aldrip and maybe an occasional cat fight (he since discovered that was the source of the Mystery Someone Being Murdered some nights ago), but nothing that has concerned him too much since then. He's even taken to sleeping with it open if only to take advantage of fresh air without nary a trace of smoke from mining pits or the distant stench of heavy machinery which, uh. Would be a terrible idea if someone had ill intentions within the town, but so far everything seems fine. Probably. ]}

Could've been, but I haven't heard anyth...

_{[ It's murmured mostly to himself, but loud enough for Law too. As he turns back to look at him, Zephyr's brows pull together in a barely-there frown as he finally takes in his appearance. His stance against the door, the dark "bruising" under his eyes, and the almost-glassy look in them is enough to make him slowly stop fidgeting with his ring. There it is again between them — that odd uncertainty like they're both standing on opposite ends of a rickety bridge bouncing in the wind. If Zephyr feels like something big ran him over then Law looks like something did. ]}

You're the one who should be asleep, son. Have you seen yourself lately?

<sub>[ Should he get up? Should he walk him back to his bed and make sure he goes to sleep? Maybe he should, but then he'd also risk waking up the boys — boys, as if they're both not in their twenties and probably thirties — if he did that. No doubt they'd start fussing too which necessarily wouldn't be a bad thing, but if Law is anything like how Zephyr was (and is), then that might prove to be more of a detriment than anything. So, Zephyr twists his ring around one more time and lets it go. His fingers rest over the former spirit core after that, itching to fidget with something.

You never used to be like this with him, he thinks to himself. He's your son.

He takes a slow breath and wills himself to not look away despite an unseen weight trying its best to coax him to. He can't keep running if he wants to try and fix this like he said weeks ago. ]</sub>

You, uh. Bad dreams?

_{[ Because he's not the only one in that case. ]}

[counterattack]

Huh? No, why?

[ Does he look tired? It's slipped his notice. A lot of things have, which really goes to show just how much he's changed since he left Cysloden. This kind of inattentiveness is the sort of thing that got you killed or shipped off to the floodlights. You couldn't afford to look tired, to start getting sloppy, missing details that could end in a report or some other kind of backstabbing. He knows how he feels, though: tired as hell. He knows he hasn't slept.

Law feels himself shrinking, a little, under Zephyr's gaze, but just as soon as he does, he pushes back, stands up a little straighter where he's hovering in the half-open doorway. As always, he wants to just let himself in, shut the door and stay here—he'd thought about it a couple times, honestly. Just sit on the floor and watch his father sleep, make sure nothing happens to him, and then be gone before he wakes up. Maybe not even that. Just stay. Sleep on the floor. Make up an excuse. But instead of give in to it, he goes on hovering, uncertain.

He does, at least, meet Zephyr's eye again, finally. ]

It's not that, I just... can't sleep. Someone's gotta keep watch, right?

[ That's a flimsy excuse and he knows it. This time he really does look all the way away. He wants to tell him, but he holds himself back there, too. Why is it so hard to just... reach out to him? Be honest. He sure was when he was screaming I hated you back in that alleyway, but now everything's so real. ]

I'll wear myself out eventually. It's okay.