He couldn't find his signature gloves. He looked in his dresser, the closet, and even under his bed. Nothing. He flooped onto the bed, burying his head in his pillow. He would scream into the puffy object if he didn't have to worry about his friends.
He looked them; the faded scars marring his skin. All of them had a story. There were many cuts, but they could all be hidden by his gloves so no one ever found out.
It has been too long since he took a blade to himself. The last time he cut himself, one of his kids caught him. Crow was able to lie his way out of the situation and calm down the child. Ironically that event made him spiral down into more self mutilation before actually stopping. Even now, he curses himself for letting that happen.
He flipped over on his back and traced over one of the scars
'The first one...'
It made a long diagonal trail on his upper arm. Dangerously close to his wrist.
It was after team Satisfaction broke up, but before he met Pearson. Kiryu was taken to jail, Jack made his way to Neo Domino, and Yusei had lost all contact with him. His family was gone. The events were too much to process that he wanted to stop feeling anything.
One night, alone, he pulled out a small blade he carried on himself and slowly pricked his arm before sliding down in a diagonal direction. For those few seconds, felt like bliss. The pain was a form of escape from all the stress. Or was it release. Maybe both. Crow felt like he could breath again. His thoughts were more clearer. This had been the way he dealt with feeling overwhelmed.
No food for the kids: a cut.
Pearson's death: a cut.
Dealing with any stressful situation brought on simply by virtue of living in Satellite: cut, cut, cut.
A loud knocking noise came at his door.
"Crow! Here's your laundry!" Yelled Jack from the other side. "Why do you have some many gloves?"
"You have refused to come out all day. Is everything okay?" Yusei asked.
Crow didn't know what to do. They would see the cuts. They would ask questions.
"Thanks! Just leave it by the door!" Crow called back.
"Are you daft!?"Jack turned the doorknob and forced his way inside Crow's room. He stormed up next to his youngest brother and dropped the basket one the bed. "Get your clothes."
Crow saw his gloves and instantly grabbed those first. Jack caught his wrist.
"What are those?" He asked, his voice was surprisingly soft. There was no judgment, only curiosity.
"Satellite is a harsh place to live, so you have to find ways to deal with it. This was my way..." Crow snatched his arm from Jack's grip.
Yusei slowly walked up to them. He eyed the faded lacerations covering Crow's arms. Slowly he pulled Crow into a hug. Probably because he didn't know what to say.
For some reason Crow began to cry. He was feeling too much right now, this was something he needed.