Grimesucker - Blog Posts

@grimesucker​:  there's not much by way of a celebration, but there IS a package of base-white outer-shell pieces that can be attached to fifteen's prosthetic arm ; additionally, a note : 'nothing great, but me n the kids pitched in to get you a little more layers. happy birthday.'

  given he’d practically forgotten about his OWN birthday to begin with, he expects no celebration. in fact, he always figures that dox won’t remember -- not because he doesn’t CARE, rather there’s so much else to worry about that birthdays just don’t matter as much as they did on med-lev. and yet, every year he’s been surprised to discover that NOT ONLY has dox remembered, but even went so far as to put together a gift for him.

approaching the box curiously, shiro picks up the note and reads over it, unable to contain the SMILE that grows with each word. not just dox, but THE KIDS, too. the various little slumbrats he’s taken to helping dox look after helped out with the gift. --granted, it may have been all of dox’s money rather than any of them pitching in, but honestly? it means more to him that they’d care enough to want to be included. it really solidifies that feeling he’s had, of being something like a BIG BROTHER for them. that alone is a great gift.

now grinning to himself, he slips the note into his pocket  ( yes, he’s going to keep it! it officially has SENTIMENTAL VALUE )  and moves on to slowly opening the box. what’s revealed inside... it takes shiro a moment to put it together. at first, it just looks like maybe some assorted pieces of plastic, but the more he looks at them while keeping the note in mind, the more he realizes what ‘layers’ dox was talking about.

he’s never THOUGHT about making his arm look nicer. it functions, that’s the part that matters. not that he’s going to turn the opportunity DOWN  ( maybe it’ll make the thing a little easier to look at and feel more like his arm than a simple prosthetic ).

slowly, carefully, shiro clips the plates into place one by one. he MIGHT need a bit of help later securing them fully, but he manages well enough on his own and, when it’s done, he has to admit: he’s impressed. it gives his prosthetic a completely different look. he... kinda LIKES it.

flexing the fingers, smile remaining securely in place, he wonders how he can thank everyone. maybe cake? he should have enough counts to pick a CHEAP ONE up... definitely can’t bake one himself, he’ll BURN THE HOUSE DOWN. the kids would like something sweet, he knows it, and why can’t he make them happy on his OWN BIRTHDAY? decision made, shiro hurries for the door, grabbing his jacket on the way, and he leaves the rundown home with excitement shining in his eyes.

grimesucker​.

TOO LATE, HE’S ALREADY AWAKE. aggravation sees upper-lip CURL, but fifteen should know well-enough that dox’s temper EBBS & FLOWS - he’ll be GROUCHY for some time, but it’s not as though he could actually remain upset with the kids—he KNOWS that he’s, well, their SOLE SOURCE OF COMFORT - if one of them has something that demands they rouse him at UNFUCKLY HOURS, than he’ll get over it & tend to their bullshit. he’s all they got.

                                                                       “ nah, c’mon kid. ”

pushing himself from frankly derelict mattress, dox adjusts into a sitting position & beckons fifteen back over.

                                    “ i’ll be MORE pissed if it ends up bein’ for nothin’.                                                                             what’s goin’ on ?”

  there’s HESITATION, even as dox gestures for him to come back, and shiro simply remains paused in place for a long moment. he really does hate waking dox, and not JUST because it’s rude and the mender gets crabby, but... well, he’s almost an adult. he shouldn’t be waking his effective CARETAKER up in the middle of the night like he’s six.

     “ it’s fine, it’s not... ”  trailing off before finishing the sentence, the boy exhales and shuffles back into dox’s doorway, hand gripping at what remains of his right arm.  “ ...my arm just hurts. ”

something which sounds small and not worth waking someone for, except that with SHIRO... if he feels the need to tell someone that something hurts, it means that it really hurts. used to being in pain more often than he’s not, he won’t bother anyone about it until he’s about in AGONY. tonight, he’s been unable to sleep due to the pain, even having to remove his prosthetic in an effort to ease it.

     “ i can’t get to sleep. ”

grimesucker​.

@kienokoru​ | ♥ 44 574R73R

                                                          “ it’s FOUR IN THE MORNING. ”

words spoken on rough growl, an IMPRESSIVE glare darkening the mender’s face ; lip CURLS in something of a SNARL, aggravation blatantly APPARENT at having been woken up so early—whatever it is, if it hadn’t woken dox on it’s own, that’s indicative of it being something that can WAIT - it’s too damn EARLY for BULLSHIT.

                                                                “ what do you want ?”

     “ s-sorry. ”

  taken aback by the unreserved aggression, shiro stumbles over the apology. it’s his own fault, really, he knows how... annoyed dox get upon being awoke in the wee hours of the morning -- he should have been prepared for a less-than-welcoming response. quickly deciding this was a MISTAKE, that he should just let the mender return to sleep, he shakes his head and takes a step back out of the room.

     “ --nevermind, it’s not important. ”  making to slink away, he murmurs one final;  “ sorry. ”

@grimesucker.

i read too quickly & thought shiro's name for dox was 'slut mom' 

he was considering changing it after receiving that text tbh

@grimesucker​ sent:  [text]: Quick question. What’s the protocol on going back to a bar after going home with one of their bartenders?

 tfln  ☆☆  accepting

[ txt: slum mom ]  you mean your boyfriend? [ txt: slum mom ]  i THINK you’re okay to go back [ txt: slum mom ]  protocol is not asking me about these things [ txt: slum mom ]  i don’t need to hear about your sexual exploits [ txt: slum mom ]  please & thanks

@grimesucker​ sent:  [text]: Some lady just walked up to me in the bar and proclaimed that I looked like a “shady motherfucker.” Can’t argue with that one.

tfln  ☆☆  accepting

[ txt: slum mom ]  you really can’t [ txt: slum mom ]  you’re in a bar in the uc and she picked YOU out of everyone else in that bar [ txt: slum mom ]  i’m not even there and i know that 90% of the crowd is shady looking [ txt: slum mom ]  if someone came up to you specifically to tell you that you look shady, it’s actually impossible to argue

grimesucker‌.

a TILTED grin cracks across his expression , the mender looking ALL-TOO SMUG as he reminisces a GOOD NIGHT ; it’s not OFTEN that he indulges in booze , but it’d been a GOOD BOTTLE & GOOD COMPANY—

slinging on his jacket , adjusting the collar & smoothing the fabric over weapon straps , dox peeks back towards fifteen with a raised brow—kettle , meet pot .

                                                        “ sure am . i’m ABOVE house rules.                                                                        —wanna come along ?”

  shiro MATCHES the raised brow with one of his own, though his expression weakens some when the offer comes for him to join. he WAS just going to sit up and try to find something to watch or reread those old astronomy books for the hundredth time, but... going out sounds better. more of a DISTRACTION from the thoughts keeping him awake.

     “ yeah. ”

a nod, a quick pat to ensure his knife is still strapped into place, and he hurries to the door. only THEN does he seem to hesitate.

     “ ...where are we going at this time of night, exactly? ”

grimesucker‌.

                         “ what d’you want me to say ? they brought the GOOD SHIT. ”

a single-shouldered shrug , made as dox crosses the space & collects his old jacket from where it hangs by the door ;

                         “ S’IDES , i couldn’t let ‘em drink without adult supervision. ”

     “ they may as well have been drinking without your supervision; they might have gotten LESS DRUNK than they did with you encouraging them. ”

  dox gets an unimpressed look tossed his way, shiro folding his arms. watching the other gather his coat, however, the slumbrat squints.

     “ what are you still doing up? you’re not GOING somewhere this late, are you? ”

grimesucker‌.

@kienokoru​ | 574R73R C4LL

                                         “ the fuck’re you still doin’ up ? it’s late as shit. ”

     “ what, now you care about healthy choices? LATE NIGHTS is where you draw the line? i watched you join the other kids in chanting ‘chug chug chug’ when one of them showed up with a full bottle of booze. ”

grimesucker·.

❝I don’t think you’re as apathetic as you think you are.❞ // @kienokoru·

                                                           just SCREAMS when fifteen tries to bring it up—

@grimesucker​ sent:  his OD had PINGED the notification , allowing him some time to PREPARE---...still, something feels INAPPROPRIATE about this , in how he presents a BOTTLE of SEWER WATER with a BOW around the neck ; look , he doesn't have a lot of EXPERIENCE in buying presents, & alcohol always seems like a good idea. ...& if not , well , he's got some solid itch brownies as back-up. "hey, fifteen - happy birthday."

 belated birthday wishes

  surprised by the bottle thrust in his direction, shiro is LOST, glancing between it and the man holding it with a questioning quirk in his brow. expression softens, however, when explanation comes in the form of dox wishing him a happy birthday. huh, he didn’t really think the mender was one to keep track of that sort of thing.

     “ thanks, dox. ”  accepting the sewer water, despite it not being the sort of thing he’d ask for or even purchase for himself. it’s a gift, and one from DOX for that matter, so he appreciates it regardless. it’s the THOUGHT that counts, and dox cared enough to think of him on his birthday and buy him a present. smiling, the boy holds the bottle in both hands, the one of metal clinking against the glass, and gives it a GLANCE OVER. the bow is a cute touch.

raising his head again, shiro nods toward the kitchen and raises his eyebrows at dox.

     “ why don’t we share this? ”

@grimesucker​ sent:  it's a MESS of a cake , too many layers that now threaten to TOPPLE---it's PRETTY otherwise aside from unsteady foundation , all fluffy cream & fresh fruits ; atop sit candles, a HAZARD in how they're alight, but dox doesn't seem CONCERNED about it---"c'mon, make a wish n' blow it out!" // think sleeping beauty cake..... shaman verse ??????

  belated birthday wishes

     “ oh my god. ”

  shiro LAUGHS at the sight of the cake, unable to help himself. it looks like it’s barely staying balanced and it might light the whole cottage  ( which is ALL WOOD, by the way )  on fire if they aren’t careful. he suspects there’s some magic at work to prevent this, but still.

     “ this is the most RIDICULOUS cake i’ve ever seen. and also the most amazing. ”

laughter still marks his voice, but now it’s more bewilderment than amusement. no one’s ever made him ANYTHING like this for his birthday; how long did dox spend baking this and topping it? clearly so much work has been put into it and, for some reason, it’s all been done for HIM. it’s... maybe it’s silly, but it makes emotions of all sorts pile into his chest.

watching the flickering lights of the candles atop the CAKE MOUNTAIN, he takes a moment to think. make a wish? there’s nothing he needs to wish for, everything is already good  ---  he’s HAPPY, even if there are still some struggles he’s working though, and he wouldn’t change a thing about his life the way it is now.

i want things to stay like this, he thinks to himself, stepping up to the cake. breath drawn, the candles are all blown out in one go and shiro still has a BROAD smile on his face as he leans back, gaze turning to dox.

     “ you really didn’t have to go to this much trouble. ...but since you did, i think we should have a couple of big slices RIGHT NOW. ”

no addressing our problems we downward spiral like MEN

                                                  dox  &&  fifteen                                  @grimesucker  &&  @kienokoru

grimesucker‌.

@kienokoru | ♥’d 44 574R73R

                                                                   “ stay quiet, ”

demand given in assurance they don’t SPOOK their target , a young DOE who is already frightened ENOUGH— taking CAUTION in his footsteps , dox travels slowly closer , hands raised to present NO HARM as feet carry him to the fallen deer ; she lies upon the ground with a WOUND across her side , hunters already DEALT WITH before they could claim their victim——

near enough , the shaman eases into a kneel , one palm coming to stroke along soft fur , SHUSHING the creature as she makes pitiful whimpers ; 

                                                      “ hello , sweetheart ; it’s me. ”

CARETAKER — the shaman is known to the beasts in his forest , & while the doe’s flinching doesn’t HALT , her shudders at least appear to LESSEN.  with gentle COOS he further endeavors to calm her , providing positive ASSURANCES as he continues to stroke her pelt ; & while he does so , a GLOW emanates from his palm , source of LIFE channeled into her in order to seal her injury.

                       glancing back to shiro , dox beckons him nearer ;

                                           “ the salve - come apply it , like i taught you. ”

  order followed, shiro REMAINS in place and silent as he watches as dox deescalates the situation, doing what he can to calm the injured doe and assure her that she’s safe now. he’s seen this sort of thing before, but shiro still can’t help but to watch in awe as the shaman works, so caught up in it that he nearly JUMPS when word is finally addressed to him once more.

     “ ---right. ”

hurrying over, the boy pulls a jar from the satchel slung over his shoulder and lowers carefully to his knees upon reaching the other two. in the past, his mere presence had been one which FRIGHTENED the creatures of the woods  ---  werewolves are not so beloved by humans nor animals  ---  but fortunately, he had been able to prove himself to them through good deeds and little rescue missions not unlike this one.

now, they almost consider him one of their own.

jar seal removed, shiro dips in his fingers and brings the thick salve over the injury the doe has sustained. just as dox taught him, he begins the application; carefully, gently, he spreads the ointment, all the while sharing his OWN calming aura with the deer.

     “ she’s still SHAKEN by what happened, but she’s already thanking you, ”  he notes quietly, eyes unmoving from his work.  “ ---like this, right? ”

@grimesucker​ sent:  puts hands on his shoulders from behind , tucks forward & plants a kiss in his hair .

  cozy on the couch, shiro doesn’t even hear dox coming up from behind. he’s too focused on the OLD BOOK on astronomy in his hands and the CAT in his lap. even when the weight of hands fall on his shoulders, he’s slow to pull himself from the paragraph he’s reading. the KISS placed against his head, however, is enough to tug him much more quickly to the moment, blinking in surprise. head raises and he glances over his shoulder in an effort to glimpse dox, honestly startled by the blatant act of affection.

     “ feeling sentimental tonight? ”

though there is a teasing lilt in his voice, the smile on shiro’s face is PURE of intent. he’s always been a physically affectionate person but, in the undercity, it’s rare that he gets to express himself that way these days and rarer STILL that someone else is affectionate with him.

that said, it’s ALWAYS a nice surprise.

@grimesucker​  //  5liip.  (x)

HEAD RISES as fifteen enters , a TIMELY appearance since his summons— the boy stands STIFF , 5liip notes , inspiring a slight TILT to the angle of his head in endeavor to come across as QUESTIONING , portraying personality more INQUISITIVE than REPRIMANDING.

answer soon comes regarding the member’s rigid posture , to which a soft BREATH escapes 5liip , lips spreading into small SMILE.

                              “ it’s alright . it’s not something we could have planned. ”

                                                                                                    says the man who planned it.

—it wasn’t as though he ACTIVELY pushed the two into the same space at the same time , he merely… coaxed them into the vague area , & provided enough circumstantial conditions to ensure there was nothing else to do BUT encounter one another—

a gesture of his arm , 5liip invites shiro to take a seat , to RELAX ;

                                  “ it must have been JARRING for you, to see him again.                                      i’m certain he wasn’t expecting to see you EITHER. ”

                                                                        a CERTAINTY by his OWN craft.

  having expected REPRIMAND for causing a scene, it’s both surprising and relieving when the gang leader doesn’t seem remotely bothered. in fact, he seems mildly amused, if understanding. when it sinks in that he’s not going to be punished, let alone lectured, the tenseness in shiro’s body RELAXES some and, when waved toward a seat, he accepts the invitation.

     “ it... yeah. jarring might be putting it lightly, ”  he replies, lowering into the chair in front of 5liip’s desk. hands fold in his lap and his gaze rests on them for a few moments, mind CHURNING with thoughts of this afternoon, as well as the last time he’d seen dox.

     “ the last time i saw him, he kicked me out of his life with NO WARNING. ”  and it still hurt. more so after today, after the way dox had regarded him, the things dox had said to him. when you had come to view someone as a BROTHER, you never expect them to abandon and turn on you at the drop of a hat over ONE THING. metal hand clenches into a fist in his lap, and shiro lifts his head to meet 5liip’s gaze.

     “ he might not have been expecting to see me either, but it was sure easy for him to THROW INSULTS. i’ve never felt so... i don’t know... betrayed? ---i’ve never felt like that before, and i just... i SNAPPED. ”

something which only ADDED to his emotional turmoil over the situation. control is something he’s always been able to maintain, under EVERY circumstance, no matter how strong his emotions. and yet... here he had snapped and been the first to physically attack. it’s genuinely SCARED him, left him all the more rattled by the encounter.

               dawson  “ DOX ”  cox                     penned by ghost

                                               &&

                                                takashi  “ FIFTEEN ”  shirogane                                                                penned by grey

                            --- x.

@grimesucker​ sent:  ❛ Everyone has secrets and if you keep asking, you’ll see how far I’m willing to go to keep mine. ❜

across the universe   ☆☆   accepting.

  brought to an abrupt halt by the words, or perhaps more by the severe tone in which they’re spoken, shiro falls still and simply blinks at dox, eyes wide. while he’s NO STRANGER to dox’s more harsh tones of voice, it’s not often that they’re directed at HIM. typically, dox is talking to some other slumrat in this manner, whether they’re deserving of it or not, so whenever it does come ‘round to focus on him... shiro is startled every time.

it isn’t as though he’d been egging the man on or anything, either. yes, he may have been asking questions, but they had been INNOCENT  ---  mere efforts to understand dox better  ---  and not remotely forceful. ironically, these are usually the things that have made the mender snap at him in the past, too, although there have been times where the boy had been more insistent.

     “ i’m not trying to... ”  trailing off, shiro blinks again, hesitates, then lowers his gaze. he GETS that everyone has secrets. he GETS that people in the undercity have more than people on med-lev. he GETS that they’re willing to go farther to protect them. what he DOESN’T GET is why, even when they’ve practically become family, dox is so ABSOLUTELY ADAMANT to not share so many things with him.

for a moment, shiro remains as he is, but soon exhales a low breath. a step is taken back to signify him backing down from the confrontation  ( one that he didn’t want started in the first place )  and, turning away, he shakes his head.

     “ sorry. i wasn’t trying to upset you. ”

@grimesucker​ sent:  look it's nothin' special , he's just got fresh flowers poking through the floorboards right by where shiro sleeps , & a cloth set beside these at whereupon rests a still-warm chocolate chip muffin, fresh from his oven . // platonic v-day gifts in the witch verse pls thank u ;;;

  soft scents rouse him slowly from his sleep, though they don’t initially REGISTER in the haze of fresh consciousness. a tongue-curling yawn paired with a big stretch, forepaws extending out in front of him as far as they can, hindquarters rising slightly from the heavily cushioned bed, and eyes finally blink open blearily. body relaxes, and it’s THEN that both eyes and nose clue in to the morning surprise.

a puff of air leaves the werewolf’s snout: a FOND LAUGH. it honestly is a surprise, but it’s a nice one, one which dox will no doubt NEVER bring up. his kindness has always been expressed... in interesting ways.

nosing at the flowers before him for a better whiff of their sweet scent, shiro would smile if this form were capable of it. as it is, fluffy tail instead thumps a soft beat against cushioning. he thinks he might LEAVE the flowers there, if he can  ---  it’s a pleasant sight, and he doubts that dox will have a problem letting them be.

TEMPTING as it is, once he’s finished appreciating the flora, to simply devour the delicious-smelling muffin still waiting for him, that almost seems disrespectful. plus, given it’s still warm, it should be SAVOURED. thus, rather than hork it down between large jaws, wolf shrinks and mere seconds later a hand reaches for the pastry. now the smile that has been waiting finally SHOWS ITSELF, spreading wide as two fingers pinch a chunk of the muffin off to bring to his mouth.

glad to have taken the savouring route, shiro makes note that he’ll have to find something nice to do IN RETURN. ---not because he feels it owed for the nice surprise, but because he WANTS to do something kind for dox. maybe some people like to keep this day exclusively for romance, but he’s always been someone who much more enjoys using it to treat EVERYONE he cares about to something nice. he wouldn’t have thought dox would be the same, but... somehow it’s not all that shocking to discover that he is.

grimesucker‌.

MOST PEOPLE wouldn’t have such a TOUGH TIME picking a weapon - a lot of people came in already with an idea of their FAVORED TYPE - something SHARP ? something BLUNT ? something HEAVY ? —but dox supposes there’d never really been much fantasizing towards PERSONAL COMBAT MECHANICS during fifteen’s time up on MED-LEV. lot less CRIME, lot more KUMBAYA. 

…& in all honesty , he’s pretty surprised he got the kid to AGREE to come weapons shopping—DON’T GET IT WRONG, he’s GLAD that there wasn’t any HEEL-DIGGING, he’d just been prepared with a whole SPEECH that now he feels STUPID for rehearsing over & over in his head.

—though he doesn’t feel this way for LONG, self-criticism making way for something like PRIDE as fifteen’s attention seems caught by a KNIFE - dox’s own favorite type of weapon , & he wonders if fifteen’s into it for the TACTICAL benefits , or because he’s seen dox’s own proficiency & thought it NEAT .

        …most likely the former , but the grimesucker still awards himself a ‘ 6 ′ .

                                                            “ nice choice. ”

praise given sincerely , dox more than a little SMUG in the face of any option taken that involves BLADES— a nod towards cipher, who recites ‘450 counts,’ these of which dox passes off with a quick transaction between cipher’s collection device & his online drive ; during which they make remark, ‘ corrupting the kids again?’ to which dox responds with a shrug , ‘ i’m only equipping them to better handle it. ’

—with purchase made cipher passes over a nylon of which fifteen may attach to his person, the knife nestled neatly inside. as dox loops an arm around the kid’s shoulder & steers him away, cipher bids farewell with ring-adorned fingers waving goodbye in disconnected intervals. half-joking , dox grins in fifteen’s direction—

                                                      “ wanna get some PRACTICE in ?”

  with the knife, neatly sheathed, handed to him, shiro grips it in his hands and continues to eye it with some degree of WARINESS. this is his now. this is something he has to keep on his person at all times. while he may have been living in the undercity for a number of MONTHS now, it’s still difficult for him to grasp just how likely it is to wind up in a violent and dangerous situation at any time of any day. 

giving a slight start when dox’s arm wraps over his shoulders, the boy blinks and PULLS his attention away from the weapon. allowing himself to be steered away, eyebrows raise skeptically at dox’s prompt.

“ that seems UNSAFE, ”  he notes, frowning slightly. yeah, he’s going to have to learn how to fight with the knife SOMEHOW, but armed practice just seems like it’d be asking for unnecessary injury. ---dox’s healing abilities aside, shiro doesn’t want to harm him, and he’d really like to avoid a knife piercing his own skin. he’s still recovering mentally from the first time he experienced that.

     “ maybe some hand-to-hand instead? ”

@grimesucker​.   ( x )

[ text » 15 ]                                                       well [ text » 15 ]                                                       exCUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSE [ text » 15 ]                                                       me [ text » 15 ]                                                       i was doing something important

                          - SMS image attached -

[ text » 15 ]                                                       (:

[ txt: dirt mom ]  .... [ txt: dirt mom ]  i’m gonna alter my previous statement [ txt: dirt mom ]  i hate texting you, period.

grimesucker‌.

@kienokoru | ♥’D 44 574R73R

                                            “ SO ? WHAT D’YOU THINK ?”

inquiry made with slight NUDGE to the slumbrat’s shoulder, followed up with a vague gesture to the stall front whereupon sits a plethora of weapons set between them & the vendor , a neon-colored punk named CIPHER— a BRAT to the HIGHEST DEGREE, but the one vendor in the black market that dox has had the most dealings with - neither would consider the other a FRIEND , but dox doesn’t steal from cipher & cipher doesn’t cut off dox’s fingers for thinking about it.

they’re out here now because dox is ADAMANT on getting fifteen some kinda WEAPON, something to at least ease his OWN mind to know the kid has some means of self-defense ; whether or not he’d USE IT remains to be seen , what with his penchant for trying to remain the VOICE OF REASON , but better to be SAFE than SORRY . …actually , dox has never been sorry a day in his life - so SAFE it is.

fingers tap across the assorted weaponry - knives , throwing stars , retractable batons , knuckle dusters , a whole-ass MORNING STAR—

                                                               “ anything ya like ?”

     “ ...i dunno. ”

  clear INDECISIVENESS clings to the response, dark grey eyes scanning over the wide range of weapons for at least the fourth time now. he hasn’t WANTED a weapon, he’s only here because dox almost literally dragged him here and is now forcing him to pick something out. ...if he were to be COMPLETELY honest though, shiro doesn’t think it’s the worst idea  ---  he knows dox only wants to get him a weapon for his own safety and, really... decent as he is with his fists in a fight, having something more would help him protect himself  ( and the other slumbrats )  a lot more.

     “ maybe... this? ” 

fingers move forward, a glance cast to cipher tentatively, and curl around the handle of a steel black combat knife. the weight feels good in his hand, but it feels WRONG to be holding something like this. it’s something obviously MEANT for combat, nothing else, but out of everything laid out before him... this is what’s caught his eye. perhaps because it seems the least BRUTAL of everything.

grimesucker‌.

       samsara vc : who raised you—???

          shiro vc:  you.

@grimesucker replied to your post: @grimesucker​ sent:  “ you didn’t outgrow your...

samsara : —-wait wtf don’t turn this back on mE ,

samsara: *thinks shiro hasn’t learned anything from him despite being his second* shiro:

@grimesucker​ sent:  “ you didn’t outgrow your misery , you grew into it ” ,,,, samsara @ shiro ,,,,

cursed suggestion   ☆☆   accepting!!

  drawn to a pause by the words, shiro doesn’t look up from the files he’s been organizing for dox’s-- samsara’s-- office. the hell is THAT supposed to mean, that he grew into his misery? that it never left him and instead he... adapted and changed to fit into it? that in the misery of being sent from his home to the TRASHCAN of the city, he slowly became one of the very slumrats he’d been forced to join in the undercity?

  ---actually, as weird as the statement of dox’s is, it’s... not inaccurate. even beyond the more obvious example of it, there was the misery of dox ABANDONING him that had resulted in him putting his everything into  { black bracket }. that had molded him further, made him into who he is NOW. and it had eventually led to him and dox reconciling, to running the gang together.

his misery is still there, but now more of a WEAPON than a WEAKNESS.

     “ guess so, ”  he finally replies, exhaling a low breath that sounds somewhat like a chuckle. adjusting the stack of papers, shiro then turns to the other, the small bit of a smile at his lips rather wry.  “ but i think the same could be said of YOU. ”

grimesucker‌.

during the process of shiro’s physical shift the shaman stands, hands finding placement upon his hips. a brow ARCHES in reaction to the boy’s words, followed by a NOD. he’s already AWARE of the trouble in the woods, & has been speaking with the roots & the leaves in search of a TRAIL - but all the nature tells him is that there’s an unfamiliar DARKNESS, not one that WELCOMES nocturnal existence ; the roots remain hidden beneath the earth , & the shaking to the leaves is not always by cause of a BREEZE—something out there FRIGHTENS them, & dox is having some difficulty in PINPOINTING it.

there’d been a time some days ago wherein he’d tried to project his consciousness into the woods, meld into the earth & astral travel to find the SOURCE of the wickedness, but there’d been something that CUT him OFF—whatever corruption has intruded his woods is VILE & jam-packed with it’s own runes & enchantments meant to BLOCK him OUT—not only had dox hit a BARRIER in his search, but he’d been forcibly SHOVED back into his body, & had been met with a churning SICKNESS that had him spitting up thick, black BILE for two days.

his concerns towards the source have him wondering towards the FORM it takes—the tenebrosity is, itself, more a GLOOM than anything else, a SICKNESS, but where it sprouted from has the shaman curious - a curse ? an angered spirit ? a practiced warlock’s phylactery left to spit forth darkness where it’s been set ? whatever it is, it’s causing a DISEASE to his WOODS, & dox will see the infection dealt with.

                                          “ i know - i’ve been looking for it, but it blocks me. ”

the shaman is certain that if shiro COULD pick up on the scent, it’d be rather NAUSEATING - as it is, even the werewolf’s capable nose is deterred by whatever warding the entity protects itself with.

                                    “ so far there’s been no DAMAGE, but it sure as shit                                       doesn’t feel PASSIVE. just—be careful goin’ out, yeah ?”

…urges the shaman who keeps sending the werewolf on ERRANDS. LOOK, he ensures the kid’s got his charms on, & things on this side of the forest haven’t faced the worst of the Gloom - as it’s to be henceforth referred as ; whatever it is is spreading, certainly, but it’s SLOW-GOING, & while dox carries CONCERN for the ENTIRETY of his domain & that which lives within, he has to keep asking tasks of shiro to ensure he’s stocked up on what he needs - were dox to step off the grounds of his woods, his forest would be severely weakened, even more susceptible to the affliction.

                                         “ —but i’ll get it, it’ll be handled. c’mon, you hungry ?”

  that’s news. this is all news, actually. the fact that there’s some... ---WHAT? force? entity? --- in the woods alone is something he hasn’t realized, but the fact that dox ALREADY KNOWS this is what catches him more by surprise. how long has he known? and why hasn’t he said anything? especially if he’s already been trying to look for it?

eyebrows furrowing further, shiro shoves himself up from the floor, wiping the dust from his hands  ---  both that of FLESH and that of FOLIAGE and MAGIC  ---  and pursing his lips. he hates it when dox hides things from him. he doesn’t want to be protected, he wants to HELP when something’s wrong.

     “ yeah, starving, ”  he nods slowly, though the expression doesn’t leave his features. having spent most of the day walking, yeah, he’s pretty darn hungry, so he’s not about to TURN DOWN food even if he does want to have a serious word with dox.

     “ how long have you been aware of this... thing? whatever it is? ”  question comes as the boy steps further into the kitchen area, coming to lean back against one of the counters. “ and why haven’t you SAID anything? you had to know i’d notice something’s wrong at some point, even if i’m not as in tune with nature as you are. ”

grimesucker‌.

it’s with a fluid, albeit LAZY action that the shaman sits up, his floating flora coming to circle around his head like an earthen halo. as the werewolf provides DENIAL, a slow smirk begins to overtake dox’s mouth. YEAH, he doesn’t believe shiro for a SECOND—

but he doesn’t FAULT the kid ; SHIT, part of the reason he’d sent SHIRO on the errand was so he COULD swing into the bakery - he’s earned some GOOD KARMA, & if his good karma is the baker’s son, than dox will cheer him on. —reaching to take the coltsfoot from where it’d been dropped to his lap in his rise, the shaman pushes further to his feet, free hand landing on the wolf’s head & giving a slight RUFFLE to the fur ; 

                                                                     “ thanks, romeo. ”

& across the space he moves, bare feet padding across hardwood flooring ; sunlight illuminates the inside of the cabin, motes dust caught in the rays of light that speckle the floor through dirtied glass windows—not in FRAMES, simply SET into the wood & clay walls.

above the clay & copper appliance that serves as KITCHEN SINK does he go to hang the herbs amid a collection of various others ; after letting it SETTLE for a few days in the glow of the sunlight, he’ll store half for medicinal purposes later on, & SMOKE the rest.

—after tying the bundle to the cord from which his other herbs hang, dox turns to shiro & drops to a squatting position in order to better meet the werewolf face-to-face, teetering mildly from side to side in INSPECTION ;

                                                            “ you made it in & out okay ?”

there’s been TROUBLE in the woods lately, & while dox never lets shiro leave without a DEFENSIVE ward strung around his neck, it could be said that he’s a little OVER-PROTECTIVE of the kid.

  another huff, this one something more along the lines of EXASPERATED at the dumb nickname, shiro gestures with his head to insinuate a rolling of eyes. he doesn’t, however, shove dox’s hand away from the brief affectionate gesture. moving along behind the shaman, tail swaying behind him, he watches the herbs be set to hang, gaze following when dox drops to his eye level.

     ‘ yeah. i didn’t even SEE anyone or anything that far out in the forest. ’

this is where he pauses for a beat, brow furrowing some at the prompt about his trip bringing back some of the things about it which had... bothered him a bit. for a few moments, shiro doesn’t say anything more, even glances AWAY, trying to decide how to word his observations. another beat, and he shifts  ---  where previously an abnormally large white wolf stood now sits a semi-gangly seventeen-year-old with white hair.

“ but it’s QUIET out there, dox. weirdly quiet. ”  grey eyes meet dox’s gaze once more, uncertainty clear across the boy’s face.  “ it feels like something’s wrong, but i don’t know what. i couldn’t even smell anything out of the ordinary. ”

@grimesucker​:  ( x )

IT’S FINE - dox has spent his OWN time lying on the floor, a handful of various objects floating above him under the influence of his magic - a mushroom, a ball of moss, loose petals from a flower ; like a druidic mobile . the items remain floating even as dox turns attention towards shiro, returned from what was meant to be a simple errand run ;

                     “ s’okay. time is fake. it means nothing to the trees, it means nothing to me.                                                               —were you at the bakery again ?”

  padding across the room, eyes on the objects floating above dox, one of shiro’s ears simply twitches to acknowledge that he’s heard the response. ---THEN a half-second later, the question brings him to a screeching halt, his gaze snapping to dox, looking both STARTLED and perhaps a bit found out.

     ‘ what? --no. ’  the answer is immediate, and shiro internally curses himself for reacting on that denial instinct. it only makes him sound more guilty. in an effort to LESSEN his obviousness, he continues;  ‘ the bakery’s nowhere near where i had to go, why would i... ’

trailing off, allowing the words the HANG in the air like dox’s ball of moss, he realizes it’s no use. dox sees right through him and already knows that yes, he went to stare at the cute bakery boy again. conceding, though not without some embarrassed irritation, the werewolf puffs an exhale through his nose and moves to stand over the prone shaman, DROPPING a bundle of herbs onto his chest.

     ‘ --just take your coltsfoot. ’