#the krook house

[gryffinthetiredart]

I got to design some CR chibis for the Artists' Guild of Exandria! In order, we have Anni Aughta (Ashton's grumpy musician roomate), Captain Xandis, Milo Krook, and Ashton Greymoore.

I'm.... more proud of some than others. But I'm trying to get out of the perfectionist mindset, so I'm posting the rushed, sloppy ones anyway. Fuck it 🤘

(also, sorry about the colour quality of some of these- my laptop's colouring doesn't translate very well to other devices)

[radama-zard]

Dungeons & Drabbles 2023

Day 11 - Scratch

----------------------

FCG & Anni - Krook House Crew - ModernHuman AU

Fuuuuck.

Okay.

So maybe she’d taken this all a bit too far.

Anni knew well that a prideful fuck, especially one liquored up to the eyeballs, was not the wisest target for her to mouth off to. Had she been thinking a little straighter, perhaps she wouldn't have said a word.

But shitty ass tequila had been flowing through her veins, liquid courage drowning out her better sense as Anni had called out the bastard on his amature castration of Sex Pistols’ Anarchy in the UK. The deteething of such an iconic banger just demanded her scatching criticism, to which the fucker had decided deserved a KNIFE TO THE THIGH in fucking response!

At least she’d gotten to pulverize his nose in return before the two of them had been tossed to the streets, without so much as a napkin to stem the bleeding! Shitty ass dive bar, she hoped it burned to god damned ashes.

So here she stood, having limped her way back home, wincing as she stood in her doorway, trying to jam her keys into the teeny ass, janky lock, when all of a sudden the door swung open, revealing the frantic, panicked form of Fresh Cut Grass.

“Heeeey, Shortstac-”

“Please tell me that’s not your blood stainin’ your jeans, Anni.”

“It’s, uhhh… Just a scratch?”

Anni shrugged, failing miserably to appear casual under her roommate’s withering gaze. His earlier panic was slowly quelling, suppressed by an ever growing sense of frustration tinged exasperation. Yeeesh, she felt a lecture coming on.

Greeeeat.

“Monty Python you ain’t,” Fresh Cut Grass replied dryly, their eyes narrowing as he wheeled himself back and outta the way, giving Anni ample space to hobble on inside around their wheelchair. “Bathroom floor. Now."

He didn't so much as blink in the face of Anni flipping them off, staring down her bleeding, swaying ass, watching as she crumpled beneath the weight of his gaze. Perhaps once upon a time, back in high school, he would have dropped it, wincing and quietly running off to tattle to Ashton and Milo to fix this, not wanting to rock the boat or upset the usually prickly woman.

That was then though.

This was now.

And Fresh Cut Grass wasn't beyond just scooping her up into their lap, hissing and biting like the feral cat she often portrayed, and wheeling her drunk ass there himself!

A fact that Anni knew all too well at this point.

Thus she sighed, harsh and heavy, before dragging her ass as directed, before flopping to the bathroom floor with a heavy thunk, though not before she’d wincingly shimmied out of her now blood soaked jeans.

Ugh, that’d be a bitch to deal with in the morning…

“Between you ‘n Ash, I feel like I oughta be an expert in flesh stitchin’ by now, ya know?” Fresh Cut Grass hummed as they came into view, setting down the trusty old tool box they’d converted into one of many home first aid kits. In this household, just one didn't really, well, suffice.

Carefully he dropped himself to the floor, scooting over on their ass, coming to a stop in front of the ever familiar face of a grouchy, boozed up Anni.

“Ain’t that bad….” She muttered, looking anywhere but him.

“I may have glasses thicker than your common sense, but I ain’t blind, Anni. I know a stab wound when I see one! Please tell me the blade was at least clean? No rust? Or any other bodily fluids you could see?”

“... No rust. Bitch was clean when I yanked it outta my thigh. Fuck if I know how clean it was going in though.”

“At least we shouldn't have to worry about tetanus… You’re still getting a shot after this though.”

“Fuck you!”

“I love ya too, Grumpy Pants~”

Oh how she huffed and grunted, a disgruntled mess as Fresh Cut Grass worked diligently over her wound, cleaning and disinfecting the nasty gash, fingers gliding over and upon it with tender, steady care.

“It’s not too bad. The cut was pretty clean and didn't sink real deep. I think we can stay outta the ER with this one.”

“Thank fuck.”

“Still gonna have to stitch you up though. Sorry…”

“Figured that’d happen.” Anni shrugged, leaning back against the cool tiled wall. “Not the first time, and probably won't be the last. Least you don't throw up afterwards like Milo does.”

“They ain’t the best with open wounds…”

“Understatement of the shittin’ century!” She laughed, the sound weak and boarding on wheezy. “Anyway. Stitch me up so my ass can pass out. Today’s been a bitch and I want it over with before Ashton gets home and bitches at me about pickin’ fights about my weight class again. The hypocritical fuck…”

“Honestly, the two of ya are like two battered peas in a pod!”

Oh how she rolled her eyes, so disdainfully dramatic that Fresh Cut Grass couldn't help but laugh.

“Okay, okay! I’m gettin’ to it. Got something to bite on ta? The neighbors weren't all too kind the last time they heard ya hollerin’...”

One more flick of her middle finger, and Anni was tugging off her jacket, shoving the thick, well worn leather into her mouth. There was a grimace in turn from Fresh Cut Grass, yet they didn't say a word, instead choosing to focus on the task at hand.

As always, it was the first stab that stung like a bitch.

Fuck, the whole thing was straight up miserable, only made better by the gentle, sweet mummerings of their companion, his words a steady stream of assurances and praises, letting her know just how well she was doing.

Out loud she’d never admit it, but by gods did it help.

“There! All patched up!”

Anni blinked blearily, looking down to see her thigh not only stitched up, but appropriately redisinfedted and wrapped. She couldn't help but let out a breath, exhausted and tinged with deep relief, as she let herself fall forward, caught assuredly by Fresh Cut Grass’ waiting arms.

“... Thanks, Grass,” she whispered, words muffled by the sunshiny yellows of his favorite sweater.

“Don't mention it, ‘Ni! I’m just glad you're okay…”

A comfortable silence fell between them, as familiar as the exhausted embrace they shared under the flickering lights of the Krook House bathroom.

“... You’re still gonna need that tetanus shot though.”

“Fuuuuuuuck!”

[chaosgenasi]

How do you grapple with a sense of deep indebted onus? I literally pledged myself to one of the worst people I've ever met, to work for them for years, for a bunch of people I haven't seen since.

[mostlyanything19]

Thinking about how many times Imogen promised Laudna they were here to take her home, when not a one of the Hells currently has anything like a place like that. None of them are settled; least of all Laudna. All of them have left their past homes behind pretty much permanently, if they ever had them. Home is not about a place, with them. It’s people. It’s all people. When Imogen says, we’ll get you home, I can’t imagine she means anything other than we’ll bring you back to us (to me). And Laudna, who has been leading a constantly uprooted existence; unable to ever settle any place at all for 30 years - what else would be home, for her, but that.

[its-your-mind]

back home at the Krook house - c3e65

[chalkbird]

so we're just not gonna talk about the fact that milo poured a wholeass vial of distilled dunamis(?) into ashton's head and that may be the reason for their chaos bursts?? poor kid must be so confused all the time

[spiritusloci]

Mr Krook, Bleak House (2023)

[hand-of-devotion]

Projects upon you all the mental image of Milo-Ashton matching "Victor Frankenstein & Frankenstein's Monster" Halloween costumes

(for bonus enjoyment please also imagine a tinier frankenstein's monster fcg and anni as elizabeth. except her costume is like 10 times more detailed than everyone elses because if she's participating she also needs to WIN)

[piratespencil]

I’ve been trying to figure out for a while now how Ashton “I don’t do friends” Greymoore views his relationship with Milo and Anni, and I think what Taliesin said about “low impact” intimacy and relationships in tonight’s 4 Sided Dive finally made it make sense to me.

He does love them, and his relationship with them is real, but he also holds them at a distance and they know that. The Krook House, it seems, has a sort of agreement that their relationships don’t run too deep. That they don’t get too attached. (Or that’s how Ashton sees it, anyways. I wonder if Milo truly feels the same. They saved Ashton’s life—brought Ashton back from a very traumatic death. How could that not make things run deep for you?)

I’m mostly rambling here but I’ve just been trying to work out how Ashton views their relationship with their Krook House roommates this whole time and I feel like this finally started to crack it for me.

[unfortunatelyevent]

no thoughts brain full of Milo smiling at Ashton when realising they're alive only

[fatestitcherr]

ashton knits milo their own fingerless gloves send post

[radama-zard]

Dungeons & Drabbles - 2022 

Day 10 - Pride

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Krook House QueerPlatonic PolyQuad - Modern Human AU

“Fuck, it's pride month already?”

Huh, how the fuck had that snuck up on him? Pride was one of the best times of the year, along with Christmas and New Years, and maybe also Saint Patrick's Day. Any excuse to get drunk.

Pride though was that time of year where, well, they kinda actually felt like maybe they didn't hate ALL of mankind. Sans his little fucked up family and bushel of bitchin’ oddities he called (only privately in his mind) friends. Even a disenchanted asshole like them couldn't bite back a smile when he thought of all those fruity fucks out there, a cacophony of queers like themself.

Huh, actually, like basically everyone they were friendly with, really.

“No shit, Sherlock. What gave it away? The rainbow flags on the cola cans or the sudden uptick in the word ‘gay’ being used god damn everywhere? Or maybe it reeeeally is that quiet and subtle that it never fails to surprise you!”

Like Anni, his favorite snarky, rude ass bitch. Aromantic as they came and twice as asexual, she’d kick your ass for hitting on her, and make sure you could never reproduce if you dared to try and bed her. Honestly? Respectable as fuck.

It was part of the reason why they loved her, platonically of course. He’d rather barf than lock lips with her, and he knew the feeling was mutual. 

But at the end of a hard day she was always willing to lend an ear to his bitching and curse out whoever had pissed them off, all while they lay slumped over her lap. Or in a big ass ‘cuddle pile’, as Letters called it.

She was one of his queerplatonic partners, and they’d slaughter any fucker that gave her shit… if they were still alive once Anni was done with them.

“Love you too, you heartless hag,” Ashton retorted with a teasing grin, earning themself a playful punch to their good shoulder.

“Get fucked, GrimerLocks!”

“Can’t you two ever start a day without insulting each other?”

Ah, there was Milo, his favourite nonbinary they/them! About as AroAce as Anni, but far less aggressive about it. Though they were also far less likely to leave the house, being more of a home body than just about anyone Ashton knew. Not that they were AFRAID to leave the house or anything, but 'outside is where the assholes live, and the only asshole I want to be anywhere near is my own’, as Milo had once said, causing them to crack up laughing. Not that they were wrong or anything, but still, hilarious.

Of course Ashton loved them too, just as much as he did Anni, and in much the same way. Milo was one half of the sensible side of their little queerplatonic polycule, and before Letters had come along they were the only thing that had kept Ashton and Anni alive. 

“Where's the fun in that, Mi?” Ashton laughed, steadying themself against the nearest wall when they suddenly felt rather unsure they were entirely steady.

It didn't go unnoticed by the pair, who shared a look before nodding. Swiftly Anni disappeared down the hall, returning only moments later with one of the household's canes. This one was bright yellow and covered in positive affirmation stickers… sooo it was safe to say it was probably Letters’. Eh, like they'd even care. Silently Ashton took it, grateful to have something to keep himself vertical.

“Need more than that?” She asked.

“Nah. Think I just need to get some food down. Meds too.”

Anni nodded, trusting his judgment yet still sticking close by. Her own silent way of showing she cared. A minute later Milo returned, holding out a travel cup with water and a small tub of yogurt.

“Start both, but don't finish them. Letters is coming with your meds.”

Right on cue, Letters wheeled around the corner, with a deep purple pill organizer box upon his lap.

“Smiley day to ya, Ashton! I got your meds right here!”

Letters. If sunshine was a person, they imagined they'd look just like this. Obnoxiously bright, yet entirely endearing. They might sometimes wanna hide under the covers from the brightness, but they’d be dead within him.

A fellow he/they, (honestly he'd been flattered when Letters had decided to adopt the same pronouns as them) who also lay somewhere within the nonbinary stream.

They’d had many a conversation about sexualities, about romance and all, and it had taken a couple of years for Letters to really figure themself out in that regard.

Eventually they’d settled on demi, both romantic and sexual, and only after a long while of thinking that perhaps they were AroAce like Milo and Anni. That was until they’d fallen in love with the woman who was now his girlfriend, and fuck had that been a surprise to Letters!

Ashton was happy for him though. They deserved all the love in the world, and now they had, what, four partners? Anni, Milo and himself all loved the cheery little fuck as much as they loved each other. A queerplatonic love for the ages.

And although they'd been slow to trust her… Marwa really did seem to love Letters as much as he loved her.

“Meds. Right. Fuck.” Ashton groaned around a mouthful of yogurt. Uck. Pills. The worst part of living life disabled. Well, that and the constant pain, and between making that pain worse and sucking down a handful of colorful disgusts, they’d take the pills any day. Which they did, as Letters poured this morning's meds right into his unoccupied hand. They all went down together, washed down with a swig of water and an entire mouthful of yogurt.

“Thanks. All of you fucks.”

“Always happy to help, Ash!”

“Rather you alive than dead. Shit’s boring without you.”

“You do the same for us. Just don't push too hard today, okay?”

Ashton couldn't bite back a warm smile.

“Yeah yeah… Hey, wanna push back the start of the day with some time in The Pit? Feels like today’s gonna be a bitch and Netflix just dropped a new season of that weird ass cookin’ show. You know, the one with the kink shit in it.”

“Cutthroat Kitchen?” Letters suggested.

“That's the one!”

“I'd be delighted! Today started with a pain level 6, so some time in The Pit sounds nice. I’ll grab the heat pods, it's always nicer when it's extra toasty in there!”

“Lemme grab some popcorn to put on. Can't watch Alton Brown introduce some serious BDSM shit into the kitchen without snacks.”

“Well if you're all going to be in there… then how can I say no? I'll go set the laptop up.”

Ashton watched as his partners all vanished, rushing off to go make this morning a brighter one. Fuck, whatever had he done to deserve the love of these three blessings? 

They didn't dare question it though, simply letting it be as they slowly shuffled their way into the lounge room. There they dropped into The Pit (a big old couch that had been gutted, modded and extended, now fused with several beanbags, cushions, pillows, doonahs, blankets and a scattering of squishmallows, to make the perfect pit of comfort) and let their exhausted body relax.

Heh.

Who needed to remember pride month when they had their own pack of colorful fucks to love 24/7? 

Not that they were gonna be quiet about it. No, as per usual Ashton was sure they all planned to be wonderfully obnoxious above their queer ass selves… and real fucking proud of it.

[chaosgenasi]

the desire to see milo again & let them study the potions of possibility/residuum vs the fear that bells hells could be tracked to the krook house

[radamazard]

Dungeons & Drabbles - 2022

Day 6 - Entropy

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Krook House QueerPlatonic Polycule - Modern Human AU

(Okay, so I was super stuck on this for a whileeeee. For the life of me I just couldn't think of anything for entropy… except for the MLP fan song for Discord. Soooo you're getting that. The song’s a bop anyway~

Also, I've decided now that any Modern Human AU I write for this is just a prototype for the biiiig Bells Hells / Crown Keepers Modern Human AU that I wanna write. It's good practice to get used to writing them all human and outta the canon universe~

Anyway, I hope y’all enjoy!)

“You tried so hard to make a hero outta me, but there are some rules I don't obey… and I just wanna cause a little chaos and entropy~♪”

Fuck, now it was gonna be stuck in his head for WEEKS. Everyone knew that when you started singing the damn song absentmindedly, that it meant you were bound to have it bore into your brain and hibernate there for the next fortnight and a half at LEAST.

Which was gonna be hellish, but hey, it could have been worse. Anni could have heard hi-

“Fuckin’ knew it was you!”

Speak of the devil. Or in this case one of his ‘beloved’ partners, who right now seemed to be screaming to be thrown out a window. Defenestrated, if they wanted to get fancy and earn a few brownie points from Letters. ‘Learning is always important!’ after all.

“Do we gotta do this shi-”

“dO wE gOtTa DO tHiS sHiT~? Fuck yes we gotta, I heard your ass singing pony shit, and it's my duty and right to tease the ever loving fuck outta ya!” Anni grinned, the edges of it taking on just a hint of malice, yet only a teasing way. As much as the two bickered and bitched about one another, there was a lotta love there, and neither of them actually wished any harm on the other… nor would they wanna cause it.

Teasing and being a casual dick though? That was fair game.

“When a track slaps, it slaps. I don't control the rate at which shit slaps, An,” Ashton argued in turn, and ignored the pointed eye roll he received in turn. Hey, if she wanted to fight them on this then she'd have to do all the heavy lifting.

“Maybe, but you DO have enough of a brain left in there to still have good taste, right?”

“Low blow,”

“No lower than your shit taste in music.”

“Least it ain't as low as your taste bud count. Lemon juice on spaghetti o’s? What the actual fuck?”

“Fuck you! You’ve just got the taste buds of a five year old!”

“Better the taste buds than the IQ.”

“You callin’ me a dumb bitch?”

“Never a bitch! I'm a fuckin’ gentleman, Anni, you think I'd stoop that low? Am calling you dumb though.”

“Get fucked you sparkle horse loving cu-”

“What are you two fighting about this time?”

Both Anni and Ashton froze, already feeling the disapproving gazes of their partners upon them. Getting the look from just one of them was bad enough, but having both Letters and Milo stare at you like that had a certain silencing effect.

Especially when it was mixed with Milo’s rare ‘what the fuck is pulling me from my work’ tone of voice.

“Anni’s calling me a loser for liking pony songs, like the elitist prick musician she is.”

“Get stuffed!”

“With you? Nah. Gross.”

“I'd be offended if that feeling wasn't fully shared. Cause yeah. Gross.”

“... Is there something wrong with liking My Little Pony?”

Never had Anni gone from being a smug ass bitch to horrifically regretful so fast. The woman may have claimed to the world that nothing would ever make her take back anything she said, but one sad look from Letters… Man, the guilt had rarely kicked in so fast.

“Fuck. No… I was just-” Anni cringed, looking between Milo and Ashton for support. The former raised a brow at her from behind their coke bottle glasses, a hand now balanced upon their hip in a way that just screamed ‘You dug your own grave, find a way out.’

The latter brushed past her, coming to kneel beside Fresh Cut Grass’ wheelchair with only a slight wince of pain. He laid a hand over FCG’s own and offered it a reassuringly squeeze.

“Nah. The ponies are fine by me. And hey, Anni likes The Batchelor, so maybe she should shut the fuck up.”

“The Batchelor is a god damned mas- Right, fuck. Apologies.”

Anni had the decency to look guilty at least, kicking her heels as she gnawed at her lip anxiously. Apologies had never been her strong suit. Nor had any kind of intimacy. But for her partners she was willing to try. They deserved at least that.

“... Sorry. I was bein’ an ass. Just wanted to rile Ash up and didn't think shit through. You're free to like whatever the fuck you like. Cringe is dead and Ash and I personally shanked that bitch! It's flne for ya to like the pastel horses. But you ain't ever getting me to watch it, okay? I’d rather choke to death on actual horse cock,”

“Stunning visuals there as always, Anni.” Milo sighed.

“What can I say? I live to displease~”

“... Thanks, Anni. And Ashton,” FCG uttered quietly, smiling a little as they watched Anni’s cheeks burn and cough into her hand awkwardly. “Oh! What was the song you were singing, by the way? Let me guess!! Smile? No… I'm thinking it was a fan song, right? Oh! I know! Is it the one I showed you last night? Entropy?”

“Damn right it was Entropy! The fuckin’ thing is STILL in my head!”

Letters laughed, the sound as brightly infectious as ever. There was a round of chuckles and snickers, and by the time they all wandered off to do their own things each and every one of them was wearing a smile.

Damn was their good mood contagious.

Just like that dang song.

[bardly-working]

excuse me excuse me the memories are fuzzy for MILO too?!?! Wait wait wait wtf is up with this?!

[fukoronoko]

Meeting the parents but it’s meeting Milo and Anni