#🞮 ��� ɪꜰ ɪ ʙᴇɴᴅ ᴊᴜsᴛ ʀɪɢʜᴛ﹐ɪ ᴄᴀɴ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ɪᴛ. ❜ ( kuro / main. )

[huronnade-moved]

@abxndonedd​  said:   "Oops..."  Well,  maybe  he  can  put  it  back  together  before  Kuro  comes  back?

                                                           _____  . ( 🞮 ) .  _____

      He hadn’t even been gone for long, but somehow he’d missed the child slinking into the office and breaking something.  Even without seeing the pieces of his broken coffee mug scattered across the floor, one look at Teddy’s face upon entering told him that something had transpired while he’d been gone.

     With a cautionary glance around the room, performing a quick mental checklist of everything still properly in place, his gaze landed back on the boy.   ❛❛ So.  Wha’d y’do? ❜❜

[huronnade-moved]

@pluviatempestas​  said:  ❛❛ Fingerless  gloves  make  me  feel  powerful. ❜❜

                                                           _____  . ( 🞮 ) .  _____

     ❛❛ Y’know, I actually sorta understand you. ❜❜

     Though he couldn’t attest to the practicality of fingerless gloves, he did indeed think they looked cool  Hell, the gloves he used for work--  the ones that handled dead bodies and picked up murder weapons that were sometimes still covered in blood--  gave him an inexplicable feeling that he could only describe as right.  At this point, he’d feel naked at a crime scene if his hands weren’t encased in that ruby latex, which was equal parts relieving and disconcerting.  Perhaps it was due to the relentless anonymity he was granted whenever he subtracted his prints from the occasion.

      ❛❛ There’s nothin’ like a decent pair’a gloves, fingers or no fingers. ❜❜

[huronnade-moved]

      ❛❛ So?  Wha’d’y’a think?! ❜❜

      ❛❛ This’s...  horrifying. ❜❜

       There was a pause, almost uncomfortable, before the theatre star started cheering.  That response was exactly what he was going for when he started producing the short story.

[huronnade-moved]

      ❛❛ We need t’talk. ❜❜

      ❛❛ ... don’t like that. ❜❜

      ❛❛ ‘s nothin’ bad. ❜❜

      ❛❛ ... like that considerably more.  Do go on. ❜❜

[huronnade-moved]

       He awoke to the dull ring of his telephone, as he often did.  After fumbling uselessly in the dark for several seconds, the Sheriff sat up with a grunt and brought the receiver to his ear.

       ❛❛ Hello? ❜❜        ❛❛ Sheriff, we have a… situation. ❜❜        ❛❛ Talk t’me. ❜❜

       He listened with growing impatience as his coworker stammered for several seconds, the sound of the telephone wire being coiled nervously around his finger causing an unpleasant crackle of static before he released the pressure once more.  After several seconds:   ❛❛ There’s a lady here.  Stumbled into the station covered in blood.  Said she’d only talk t’you. ❜❜

       ❛❛ I’ll be down. ❜❜        ❛❛ She said the phone works if y’wanna speak with her immediately. ❜❜

       He paused to think for a moment.  Something told him to take the offer before she could elude him.  For some reason, he trusted a faceless woman’s sincerity over the phone more than he did in person.  Perhaps seeing him would cause her to retract, fold back into her reclusive little shell like a snail, and they’d be there all night trying to fish answers out of her.  Kuro had always been one for brevity, even at the expense of tastefulness.

       ❛❛ I’ll talk t’her. ❜❜

       At this point, his wife was stirring, mumbling incoherently and shuffling in her spot beside him.  Though he couldn’t do much about the noise, he did his best to lower his voice somewhat. He honed in on the sound of the phone being pulled along, cord dragging across the wooden floor before the bulky device was sat in what he could only assume was the woman’s lap.  He listened to her breathe quietly for a few seconds before she spoke words that appeared to him only in nightmares, her voice monotone and dull.  Slowly, Kuro sat up more, turning on the light, reaching for the notepad he always left on his bedside table.

       ❛❛ Could y’verify that, ma’am?  Y’said you… stabbed yer two children ‘n’ then        yerself? ❜❜        ❛❛ Yes, sir. ❜❜

       At this point, Deeana had risen, was staring at him like a cat caught in a neighbour’s backyard.  He barely glanced at her, clicking his pen and beginning to scribble.  His calligraphy had always been blocky but neat, succinct capitals steadily filling the lines as he jotted down tirelessly.

       ❛❛ ‘n’ yer in the station now? ❜❜        ❛❛ Yes, sir. ❜❜        ❛❛ Okay.  Where’re yer children? ❜❜

       There was an eerie pause before she answered him this time, the silence punctuated with something that was almost grief before she continued:   ❛❛ In their bedroom.  On the floor.  With their favourite stuffies. ❜❜

       ❛❛ ... dead? ❜❜        ❛❛ Dead, sir. ❜❜

       How coldly she addressed the whole thing was seriously beginning to give him the creeps.  A veteran officer he may be--  a veteran Sheriff at this point, one could argue--  but he’d never become immune to the merciless nature of psychopaths.  He could uncover every sick mind in The Great Unknown, could explore every nook and cranny of everybody’s brains, and he’d still be left with the daunting feeling of horror whenever he came face to face with darkness.

       ❛❛ Okay…  where did y’stab yerself? ❜❜        ❛❛ In the neck, sir. ❜❜

       ❛❛ Okay, are you... ❜❜   He paused for a moment, the word feeling blocky and foolish sitting on the tip of his tongue.      ❛❛ … bleeding? ❜❜   It felt fit to ask despite its supposed obviousness.  She’d managed to stumble from Raku-knows-where into the station while apparently sporting this abrasion.  Perhaps she hadn’t thought to do it hard enough;  or perhaps, just maybe, she’d become scared and been unable to execute herself despite her desire to.  People often did, even if they felt they deserved it.  He himself had struggled with the idea of throwing himself off of a bridge despite his ache to be free of the life he’d hurriedly glued together.

       ❛❛ There’s blood everywhere…  one of your officers is tryin’ to stop it.  ❜❜        ❛❛ D’y’feel faint, ma’am? ❜❜        ❛❛ A little, sir. ❜❜

       ❛❛ Mmkay.  I’m certain a paramedic will be with y’shortly.  Do listen t’any instructions. ❜❜   Already clambering out of bed, he dragged the receiver along with him as he began to get dressed for work.  A brief glance at the clock told him it was a little after three in the morning, and a glance out of the window told him that it was much too early, yet all too late, to be having this kind of conversation.  As he dragged his pants over his legs, belt secured steadily in place, he fished in his dresser for a shirt and continued to talk.   ❛❛ Can I keep you? ❜❜

       ❛❛ Yes, sir. ❜❜

       As he began to tug his shirt over his outstretched arms, phone pressed between his shoulder and ear,  Kuro threaded the buttons through their respective holes whilst continuing to question her.  Keep her talking, he thought, it’ll keep her awake.  What is your address?  Do you still have the murder weapon in your possession?  (  what the fuck is wrong with you?  )

       ❛❛ What’s yer name, miss? ❜❜

       There was a brief silence on the other end, as if she had suddenly become reluctant to speak further.  Then:   ❛❛ Oswald.  Hana Oswald. ❜❜

       Kuro felt his stomach turn briefly.    For just a moment, he recalled the case a terrified husband had made against his wife under the same name a couple of decades ago.  Sheriff, you’ve gotta help me--  the police in Vide ain’t listening to me.  This woman, she’s NUTS, she’s threatening to kill me if I talk about leaving her.  /  ‘m afraid this ain’t my jurisdiction, sir. Y’should file fer a restrainin’ order with yer respective taskforce.  /  Oh God…  they won’t help me.  /  Try again.  If they refuse t’file yer case this time, come back here.  I’ll assist you.

       But Mr.Oswald hadn’t returned.  In fact, when Kuro had sought him out while working on Vide soil, asking him if he still needed help, the man had replied with a firm no.  With all that being said and done, Kuro had assumed that the couple had worked out their differences;  that the hysterical husband had calmed down and was now able to take her hyperbole for what it was: distasteful exaggeration.

       ❛❛ … Hana.  Are you, or were you, married to a man by the name’a Jaspar Oswald? ❜❜        ❛❛ He’s my husband. ❜❜        ❛❛ ‘n’ where is he? ❜❜

       The spooky quiet that settled between them made his blood turn to ice.  Even before she had uttered a word, a bad feeling was beginning to seep into his gut, poisoning his steady work ethic until he felt fit to collapse back into bed.  Sometimes, the chilling brutality of criminal passion was enough to bring even the most steadfast of efforts to a grinding halt.

       ❛❛ He left me. ❜❜

       Even before she carried on, the pieces slotted into place for him.  With a reserved frown on his face, Kuro straightened his collar with a grim tug, as if tying a noose rather than dressing himself.

       ❛❛ So y’killed his children.  T’get him t’come home. ❜❜

       ❛❛ … yes.  Sir.  And after doin’ it, I came here, because he mentioned that the police here were different, that he was goin’ to take his ‘’case’’ to Huron.  I wanted to see the task-force that had the gall to impose on my life with my own eyes. ❜❜   Her voice was different now, consumed by anger;  his title uttered with only the strictest of poison.  Though they had never met, Kuro was certain she reserved only the most toxic of hatreds for him.  She seemed to hold her tongue for a few moments before continuing, and the more she went on, the further unhinged she revealed herself to be.   ❛❛ He said he wanted a divorce.  How can that be?  We had the perfect life together.  Two beautiful children.  A nice house.  We both had steady, well-paying jobs.  How could he just throw that away?  Jaspar’s always struggled with… selfish tendencies.  Sometimes the only way to appeal to his good side is to do somethin’ drastic.  You understand that, right?  Sheriff?  I was just tryin’ to get him to see that he’s bein’ foolish, throwin’ this perfect life with me away.  The grief of losin’ our kids will bring us closer together.  He’ll understand. ❜❜

       ❛❛ Why did he wanna divorce y’? ❜❜   He didn’t care;  he’d want a divorce too at this rate, but keeping her talking was in his best interest.  He listened as her breathing became deeper, as if brutally wounded.   ❛❛ Ma’am--  Hana.  Please stay calm.  Talk t’me. ❜❜

       She started to bawl then, and even without standing in front of her, Kuro  could tell that the grief was only spared for herself.  There was nothing remorseful about that methodical meltdown--  only rue, filled to the brim with self-righteous fury, her noises reminiscent of a mental patient after escaping their unfair captivity;  primal and ruthless and devoid of guilt.  The Sheriff stood there listening, and at one point he felt the distinct teeter of his shadow leaning closer, as if feeding on the sorrowful noise.

       He heard a clatter then, harsh enough to have him flinch against the receiver, and the growing chaos in which he could only assume was his officers rushing to put her in handcuffs.  In the distance, the sound of someone vomiting was audible.  Me too, kid.  Me too.

       Her shrieks were becoming more distant, and even before the previous officer collected the phone, Kuro already knew what had transpired.

       ❛❛ She’s…  bein’ detained.  Dear Raku-- Sheriff, come quick, it’s all goin’ t’hell-- ❜❜

       ❛❛ Easy does it, deputy.  Y’stay put.  Stay calm, clean up, ‘n’ I’ll be down in five minutes.  Do not engage with her.  She’s severely disturbed. ❜❜

       He heard the officer mutter something to the affirmative before putting the phone down.  This was how it often was.  A disturbing phone call in the dead of night, begging for his assistance or begging for his time, and as tired as he often was as a result of it, Kuro wouldn’t have it any other way.  This was what it was to be the Sheriff of Huron.

[huronnade-moved]

    ❝ If she touches me one more time, I’m callin’ the police. ❞

    ❝ No. ❞

[huronnade-moved]

     Look each other in the face.  Look away.  Pretend it never happened.      This had become their new routine.

      After returning to Huron properly, moving into the house that his mother and father had been keeping void for him for the duration of his isolation, Murr had crossed paths with the Sheriff a number of times.  Every time had been wildly charged, despite its brief span, alight with unspoken feelings and troubles and hatred.  Even though he’d done a lot to frustrate Kuro in the last century or so, the supposed ‘’burden’’ he was putting on his shoulders was nothing in comparison to what the man had done to him.

           Every time I look at you, I want to fucking die.  Do you even care about that?

     It explained his hesitation to knock on the officer’s door, fist hovering uselessly before flopping back to his side.  You can do this.  Just knock.  It’s one quick request.  You can do this.  Before he could go through with it, a woman attempted to get his attention.  One look at her told him that she wasn’t of his race, his brow furrowing with confusion, then derision.  Her offer to get Kuro’s attention for him was sneered at.  It gave him the confidence necessary to grab the handle and push it open, striding inside without so much as a hello.

    ❝ I told y’already:  knock.  The damn.  Door. ❞   Kuro drawled, voice strung tight with annoyance.  His head was currently buried in a case file, grey eyes feverishly scanning information.  Whatever his latest case was, it clearly had him thinking hard.  When nothing was said for a while, the man slowly lifted his head, expression immediately flattening when he realised who was standing there.  With a heavy sigh:   ❝ Haaah.  What is it this time, Murphy?  The soil’s turned t’acid?  The sky’s fallin’ down?  The scarecrow on Route 9 has mysteriously moved? ❞

    ❝ That last one’s actually true-- ❞

    ❝ Aaand here it comes... ❞

     For a short while, Murr had to furiously hold his tongue.  He dug his teeth in so hard that he thought he tasted blood.  When he didn’t feel as if he was going to explode with rage, he forced himself to bow his head, hands clasped feebly in front of him.  Though the Sheriff said nothing, he could feel his eyes boring into the top of his head,  trying to burn a hole through his skull, trying to vaporise him completely--  but a spark just wouldn’t fizzle.

    ❝ I...  have come back ta Huron.  ‘n’ in doin’ so, I know I have a lot ta make up fer.  I came...  ta apologise, fer all the trouble I’ve caused.  I realise that I’ve been a nuisance.  An idiot, even.  I really just...   want ta leave this foolishness behind me, ‘n’ start over. ❞  He hated apologising.  He hated explaining himself even more, but no apology was complete without it.   ❝ I...  thought I could make ya notice me if I acted like a fool.  I thought that ya’d...  at least acknowledge me enough ta tell me ta go away.  ‘n’ I see now that all I did was make ya dislike me more.  I don’t expect ya ta accept me.  I can’t give you back the time I took from ya, but I hope that...  we can move past this--  f-from a civil standpoint.  L-Like adults. ❞

     The silence that followed was heavy, filled with doubt so lugubrious that it served only as an uncomfortable blanket;  the kind that itched and smothered.  Why is my heart beating so fast?  Am I really that afraid of him?  After all this time, do I still fear what Kuro thinks of me...?  Before he could delve any deeper into his brain, he was granted a temporary reprieve in the form of a response.

    ❝ What prompted this change’a heart? ❞

     Though his mouth felt incredibly dry now, Murr forced himself to continue speaking.   ❝ Well.  I did a lotta self-reflection while I was away.  I came ta the conclusion that it’s in my best interest ta try ‘n’ live a normal life, like a normal person.  No more...  hidin’ away ‘n’ playin’ pretend like an idiot.  I’m ready ta face stuff now.  A-And...  that’s kinda why I’m here.  I-I mean, aside from--  t-ta apologise-- ❞   He could feel his face gaining colour, a flush of embarrassment staining normally unperturbed cheeks.  Murr never blushed.  It just wasn’t in his nature.   ❝ I want ta...  request permission ta have a facility built. ❞   For a moment, he fumbled with his hands before continuing on.   ❝ I know ya have all the reasons in the world ta say no at this point.  But I also know that it’s worth a shot.  No amount’a wealth or prestige puts me above the law.  New projects should be approved by the High Court.  ‘n’ so, I’m...  askin’ you ta file a request fer me.  As the Sheriff. ❞

     By now, he knew that he had Kuro’s attention.  The sound of the file being put down sounded like gunfire to him.

    ❝ What for...? ❞

    ❝ I want ta have a theatre built. ❞   There was a long pause before Murr continued.   ❝  It’ll be mine.  But it’ll also be a public facility.  I’ll open it ta the masses.  Huron doesn’t currently have a functionin’ theatre.  I checked.  I can easily cover the expenses.  You know that. ❞   He took a breath he didn’t know he needed, trembling hands curled tightly into fists in an effort to mask his apprehension.           ❝ I want ta try again.  Since failin’ college-- ❞   The quiet became deafening in that moment, a deep sense of discomfort echoing dimly in their ears.  Murr swallowed hard, rage rising much like vomit, and he pushed it back down with just as much perseverence.   ❝ ... I haven’t stepped on a stage since.  I want that ta change.  So please, f-file my request...! ❞

     His head felt uncomfortably full in that moment, like a mason jar topped to the brim with unread confessions.  It’s your fault.  No matter how you slice it, you’re the reason I failed.  You stole my life away.  Now I’m stealing it back.  If you don’t try to help me, I’ll do it myself.  Yeah, myself.  Just like always since you left.  I’m no stranger to getting my hands dirty at this point.  I could kill you--

    ❝ Okay. ❞

     Murr blinked, snapping back to the present.     ❝ A-Ah...  okay? ❞

    ❝ Yeah.  I’ll file yer request. ❞   He watched, somewhat stupefied, as Kuro recollected his papers, eyes sharp despite their half-lidded state.  Dear Raku, how long has it been since you slept, Kuro?  Is it as long as me?   ❝ When y’leave-- ❞

    ❝ Close the door, ❞   Murr finished feebly.  There was a moment where they locked eyes  (  or at least, he thought they did, for he felt his soul quiver  )  before they both looked away again.  However the situation had turned out, it couldn’t be denied that Murr still knew most of him inside out.  It didn’t matter how many years had passed since they’d last shared proper time together.  A person was never gone for good.  In a pained but clear voice:    ❝ ... I know.  Ya hate it when it’s left ajar.  Ya always have. ❞   Do you even think about me anymore?  Or have you forgotten who I am?  Do you still know me like I know you, or am I just a ghost from your past?   ❝ ... thanks fer yer time, Kuro. ❞

     Before the Sheriff could utter another word, Murr pulled the door closed and left the station, all but running from the woman who was fervently trying to ask what he was there for.  Mind your own fucking business, bitch.  Are you riding Kuro’s dick or something?  I feel like vomiting.  Why am I breathing so hard?  Why is my face so hot?  Why’re my eyes filling up?  Why, why why?

     He stopped at the end of the road, wiping gently at his eyes.   ❝ Wh-What’s wrong with me...? ❞   His fingers shook against his reddened cheeks as he attempted to slap himself back into focus.

     It’s seeing him.  It’s seeing him that’s doing this.  He’s so unaware of what he’s done to me.

[huronnade-moved]

@pluviatempestas​  said:   Flower  for  Kuro  as  well,  he  gets  a  Bird  of  Paradise,  meaning  joyfulness  c:

                                                           _____  . ( 🞮 ) .  _____

     His  vision  was  wholly  focused  on  the  strange  flower,  head  tilted  somewhat  as  he  examined  the  bizarre  pointed  petals   (  were  they  even  to  be  considered  as  petals?  )  with  a  healthy  level  of  curiosity.

    ❝ I’ve  never  seen  somethin’  like  this, ❞     he  admitted,  blinking  owlishly  at  the  plant.   He  was  nothing  if  not  inquisitive.    ❝ What  plant  is  this?   Kinda  looks  like  an  origami  crane. ❞

[huronnade-moved]

    ❝ I’m gonna be real, Kuro--  I’ve had no sleep.  ‘n’ I’m workin’ ‘til ten tonight. ❞

     Muffled scream behind his hands.

    ❝ I feel like killin’ myself-- ❞

[huronnade-moved]

      ❛❛ So?   How d’y’feel? ❜❜

       He watched as his dearest friend gingerly set the book he’d been given down, face-first, his hands clasped in a businesslike fashion atop one knee as he stared into nothing.  After a few moments of silence, Murr cleared his throat and spoke with a dull amusement, grin strained as if in great pain.

      ❛❛ Well, it’s just a bit heinous, isn’t it, Kuro?  I can’t sleep, because of that passage. ❜❜

       Holding back a laugh was exceptionally difficult, though he managed for a few seconds longer.   ❛❛ Right?  Ain’t it just the worst thing y’ve ever read? ❜❜

      ❛❛ Y’know, it very well may be.  That’s comin’ from somebody who is very aware of the technical wrongs of his literary works, too.❜❜   His friend sniffed, clearly disinterested in reading more widely.  Kuro wasn’t in the business of reading smut, but a poorly written sex scene was indisuptably hilarious--  even he could see that.  Who better to expose to bad writing than somebody who wrote for a living?   ❛❛ Y’knooow, not ta discredit survivors of abuse or victims or anythin’ but like--  I’ve just endured worse.  Grow up. ❜❜

      ❛❛ GroW UP-- ❜❜    The laughter was instantaneous, the normally stoic Sheriff doubling over in his seat as he heaved for air.  It wasn’t often than he gave in to hysterics  (  or laughter in general, if he was being painfully truthful  )  but Murr’s brusque attitude was often the source of it when he did.   ❛❛ Y-Y’can’t just SAY THAT-- ❜❜

[huronnade-moved]

     ❛❛ I love you. ❜❜

     The Sheriff remained sideways in bed, phone pressed against his ear.  Most of the time, when Murr called in the dead of night, he was awake to receive it before the ringing could wake his wife up.  Sleep didn’t come easily to him anymore.  It never had, but especially not now.

     ❛❛ ... what’re y’doin’ awake?  I thought y’said y’were goin’ t’sleep hours ago. ❜❜

     ❛❛ I did.  I’m goin’ back t’sleep now.  But I was almost certain ya’d still be awake ‘n’      wanted ta remind ya.  G’night. ❜❜

     Without another word, Murr hung up, the dial tone buzzing in Kuro’s ear before he thought to put the phone down again.  He was left with a pleasantly warm feeling in his chest the longer he thought about the whole ordeal.  On occasion, Murr could be stupidly sweet.

                                                                I love you too, you fucking dumbass.

[huronnade-moved]

@lunarxdaydream said:  “ i’ve been running on 5 hour energy all day, there’s no stopping now. “

                                                         _____  . ( 🞮 ) .  _____

      ❛❛ Now yer speakin’ my language, girl. ❜❜   Something that was almost a smile flickered across his face before he fell stoic again.  He wheeled over on his office chair, a handful of folders in his grasp.  After clearing the space, he laid them out for their conjoined perusal, lips pursing briefly as he thought.   ❛❛ But if y’need a coffee break at any point, I won’t hold it against y’. ❜❜

[huronnade-moved]

      ❛❛ Are you starin’ at that woman? ❜❜

      ❛❛ Affuuu, look at the  b r e a d  she’s holdinnn’... ❜❜

      ❛❛ ... I’m really concerned by you occasionally, y’know that? ❜❜

[huronnade-moved]

Kuro  tags.

[huronnade-moved]

    ❝ I mean, I see yer problem, but it ain’t exactly a legal issue...  what can I do fer you?  ❞

[huronnade-moved]

      ❛❛ ‘fraid that metaphor’s lost on me.  I hate the sun.  I’d never wish fer its return. ❜❜