PSL: fullcowl

[hot_mes]

Original starter

(continuing from this)

[Even though he still has a long way to go to restore his strength, Law manages to last out the rest of the night without dropping off again. It helps that once or twice something a little too large passed a little too close to their hollowed-out tree, but whatever it was either didn't like fire or wasn't into humans and kept going on past. His haki alerted him in time, but he sat tense until it passed rather than wake Deku. Kid needs his rest, after all.

The gap in the tree must face east, because Law eventually can see a gray line in the distance as light starts to come up behind the hills, and then the approaching dawn getting brighter and brighter. The fire fizzles out about then, and he stretches out a heel to scratch some dirt over it lest the smoke attract attention. With dawn coming, he won't be able to sleep anyway, so he just lets Izuku sleep for as long as he needs. Besides, he's nice and warm.]

Comments

[fullcowl]

Sorry, I don't know exactly how the Room works.

[He'll take the bottles though, and head over to the stream. He'll clean up his arm before filling them up, his back to the kill.

They definitely can't stay too close to the boar though. The scavengers aren't the problem- it's what might notice the scavengers...]

[hot_mes]

[he'll remember that for next time, to warn Deku before showing another new technique. For now, Law works as quickly as he can without using his power, to conserve it after using Mes like that. He skins as much of the boar as he can to use the hide as a makeshift bag, filling it with meat and turning it into a portable parcel. When he's done, he heads back to the stream to wash his hands and the knife.]

Let's get out of here before something smells the blood. We'll stop and eat when we can.

[he promises! but now they have a bag o' meat to carry on top of their other supplies]

[fullcowl]

Right, that's- that sounds good.

[He'll hold out Law's tin for him to take as he rises and gets ready for another long walk.]

It'd be nice to have a bag for all this stuff, huh?

[hot_mes]

Yeah, wait until it can be washed off before you start doing that.

[look at them, already making their own supplies like real woodsmen. Thanks, boar-like beastie, you'll taste great and help them get even further toward their goal. Hell, once he has the freedom to use his power as much as he wants at any time, Law might even use it to turn the hide into a real bag, sewing it up with invisible stitches. Later, though.

Between the hot sun, the heavy burden, and the gnawing hunger, Law doesn't keep them moving for too long. The stream bends again in the wrong direction, so before they have to leave the water and strike out eastward again, they should stop and get a fire going.]

[fullcowl]

Right...

[Once they stop Izuku goes and pick out the tinder and branches to get the fire going before lighting it. He's glad he went on that camping trip, even if a lot of things went wrong...]

Do we need anything else?

[hot_mes]

[while he does that, Law cuts some of the meat and then deftly offers the knife handle-first to him]

Cut some green branches to use as skewers.

[this is real camping, Izuku! Roasting meat over the fire on sticks, quite literally. It'd be even better if they had something to balance all that meat, but survival means getting something, anything, into their bellies, not worrying about a balanced meal.]

[fullcowl]

Got it.

[There's definitely nothing like being on the run from people who want to recapture them and turn them back into slaves.

But he'll come back with some green branches, settling next to Law.]

[hot_mes]

[Meat go on stick, stick go over fire...there! Now they wait, because nobody wants to get sick from undercooked meat out in the middle of nowhere.

Even if they've been walking half the day and had a little hunting excitement, Law is looking a lot better than even when they woke up that morning. He's using his right arm more, though he occasionally rubs at the spot where the scar is now hidden underneath his sleeve, and despite the dark circles under his eyes (those never go away) he looks healthier and less wan. He looks down at Deku beside him, wondering what else there is to know about his tough kid.]

Once we reach the territory controlled by the empress. What do you want to do?

[fullcowl]

Me... um...

[He looks into the fire for a moment.

Deku didn't look that bad off before, but he looks a bit more like himself now that they've stopped running for their lives (well the running bit is over for the moment). Like this his slightly mangled right hand and the scars on each side of it are obvious, and the wound to his upper right arm is clear as day.]

I mean, I guess I wouldn't mind helping her. But... I'd like to help everybody who's still stuck in the Warlord's dungeons. Nobody deserves something like that. And joining her faction is probably the most straightforward way to help them.

What about you?

[hot_mes]

[he's noticed the scars, but even if they're recent, there's not a lot he can do as a doctor to erase them once they've scarred up.]

I hadn't thought about setting out to sea until yesterday, when I mentioned it. I have nothing against the empress herself, but there are other ways to go about winning her war besides just throwing soldiers onto the front line. [he's thinking aloud while he pokes at the fire, turning some of the boar-steaks] With a ship, there's a lot I could do. Maybe even rescue slaves.

[fullcowl]

[Izuku himself has already accepted them- if he goes over his 5%, two more times his arms will be permanently disabled.]

You think you could do that- rescue them?

Maybe we can ask her for a ship... Since we all have the same goal of defeating the Warlord, she might be willing to part with a ship. But that's assuming she has that many to work with...

[hot_mes]

Among other things. I know that the only way home is through one of these countries, and won't come until the war is over. So just sailing off into the distance isn't in my best interest, ending the war is. I'll do what needs to be done.

[he heard that 'we,' there. Law looks at Deku again]

Warming up to the idea of joining my crew?

[fullcowl]

[He did say we, didn't he?]

I don't know if I'm ready to be a pirate... But I think we work well together, and I think we could do a lot of good.

[hot_mes]

[Law smirks to himself, relaxing and draping his arms in his lap as he tends the cooking]

What is a pirate, but someone who resists the laws of the ruling government? If the laws we break belong to Wulgrimm, is that really so bad?

Justice is not absolute. Pirates can do good when the government fails.

[he's seen it first-hand, even if the intention wasn't to liberate a country or end a civil war.]

[fullcowl]

[He'll think it over for a moment before speaking up.]

Is that what pirates are like where you're from?

[Then maybe it wouldn't be that bad, especially if they're going to be fighting Wulgrimm anyway. Plus he's pretty sure Law needs somebody around to fish him out of the sea if that's the kind of blanket weakness all the devil fruit users have.]

[hot_mes]

[he doesn't fall into the water as often as certain Straw Hats but yeeaaaaahhhh he needs at least one crewmate who can swim around]

Don't get me wrong. Pirates are like anyone else - they take all forms. The cruel and the terrible, the tyrants, the petty criminals, the jackasses. And the strong, the brave, the adventurous.

Sometimes you don't have a choice, and survival depends on flying a black flag. But here? It's probably just a word. I don't even know if they would find meaning in it if I ran a black flag up the mast.

[fullcowl]

[... He might just stay with Law for that one specific reason- fishing his friend out of the ocean before he drowns in it.]

Then... if I'm working with you I wouldn't mind. I don't know how they view pirates around here either- you don't learn a whole lot when you're confined to the dungeons and some soldiers' rooms whenever they ask for you.

[hot_mes]

[he grimaces for a moment, just imagining this kid in some brute's room, being used for such a shitty purpose. He has to squash down the anger before he does something dumb like slam a fist into the fire on accident.]

I haven't learned much more by fighting on the front lines. There was some talk of a fishing village below the stronghold, so they have some use of the sea, but I don't know about pirates and the like.

[his smirk starts to come back] Maybe it's time they were introduced to a new idea.

[he uses the knife point to poke at a couple of the steaks, checking to see if any are done. One is, so he turns it one more time to be sure and then offers it to Deku first. He's been doing all the hard work, and young, growing bodies need protein.]

[fullcowl]

[Please don't hurt yourself, he only knows basic first aid and they're lacking in clean bandages.]

Yeah, seems like a good time to make them learn.

[Though he's not one for terrorizing random villagers.

He'll take the meat offered to him-]

Ah, thank you.

[hot_mes]

Eat up. You need your strength. [like he doesn't?

Law pokes at another one, letting it drip into the flames. The aroma coming off the cooking meat makes his stomach growl angrily. How terrible, his pride makes him blush at the embarrassing noise. Just a minute or so and he can join in, though.]

Once we reach the border, we can at least stop looking over our shoulders and expecting that every living creature or person we meet is out to get us. After that, though...I'll take a fishing boat if that's all they've got.

[fullcowl]

You should too, you know.

Do you miss it? Being out at sea, I mean?

[hot_mes]

[he's getting there! Look, see, this one is finally done. He shouldn't have cut them so thick, oh well.]

Yeah. Some. It's only been a couple of months, but it feels like forever. [full-on pout] I miss my hat more.

[and with that he digs in. It's nothing fancy and not even salted but holy shit, it tastes like a feast!]

[fullcowl]

[It's been a long time since he's eaten anything, and even this unseasoned meat is amazing.]

We'll go back for it. That and your nodachi, right? They're still in Wulgrimm and we've got a lot of unfinished business there.

[hot_mes]

[only starvation could make Law into a good cook]

Mm. If we go back for the others, we'll definitely find them there.

[he's not in a hurry, though - better to strengthen their assets and prepare before attempting anything like a raid. It would be terribly lame if they couldn't free anyone and only came away with a hat and a sword.

By the time Law finishes his first stick o' meat, the rest are pretty much done, so they can just sit and chow down for a bit, until everything cooked is gone.]

[fullcowl]

[Izuku could probably manage a decent meal, but he's no cooking hero.]

When we're properly equipped and ready to stage an assault on them. It might take a while before that happens though. We should try to gather as much intelligence on them as we can though...

[He'll eat and pace himself as he tries to think of the logistics of a naval attack on Wulgrimm.]