kyoukaru

[kyoukaru]

💞

=( ^>w< ^)=

[kyoukaru]

I had a vision…..

[kyoukaru]

[kyoukaru]

Miscellaneous Ticci Toby Headcanons

for @jst-here-4-da-bad-guyz

- Toby has burns from burning his house down. They start at his hands and wrap up around his arms. He normally uses bandages to cover them up because he hates them.

- Toby has a preference for baggier clothing despite being one of the most buff killers. As stated above, he hates his arms, so hoodies and long sleeve shirts have always been his favorite.

- He keeps his axe on him most of the time. If he doesn’t have it, he has a knife instead. No one really knows why he’s always armed, but they don’t mess with him.

- He’s closest with Eyeless Jack. (Personally, I ship them. They have definitely kissed in my mind.)

- He’s always willing to fight, even if he knows he’ll lose. Everyone calls him stupid for it, but it’s just a knee jerk reaction he has to get involved.

- His tics used to bother him. So did the name “Ticci Toby,” but now he owns it. If someone says something about them, he threatens them.

- He’s a cat person most definitely. Dogs are too wild for him and often intimidate him, though he’d never admit it.

- He’s not the brightest booksmart wise. He left his house young and never returned to school. He’s very street smart though.

- Always has chapstick or some type of vaseline. His mouth, especially the side o where it gashes open, gets dry so easily.

- He’s covered in freckles. His face, his chest, his shoulders, his legs, his back—they’re all freckled and pale.

- Due to his CIPA, he thinks cutting is cool. His thighs are decorated in lines and random designs he made with a blade. It worries the other killers, but he just shrugs it off.

[kyoukaru]

had this stashed away

[kyoukaru]

jeff is obsessed with his reputation as a serial killer because it's the one thing he earned on his own.

he's not so good at anything other than killing. okay he has hobbies, he's strong physically, but he's immature. emotionally unstable. uneducated. he left his home at 13, and the only skill he had to perfect was killing. he's known as one of the worlds most infamous serial killers. he lets that title get to his head. he has to go against what his parents wanted for him. but did jeff really want this for himself, either? in a way, he was forced into the role as a killer, and now it's the only thing he'll ever be. he was 13, and that doesn't provide an excuse, but he was left a child with zero guidance. he had every right to believe he's worth nothing without killing, because jeff has contributed nothing to the world. he takes and he takes and he takes from it. and that sick, sadistic side of him loves taking from people. he loves the life fading from their eyes because it makes him feel so much fucking better than them. jeff is conceited. he's so egotistical he doesnt even care about his fans (because they're all lesser than him wannabes) unless they obey his command like he's some god

(by fans i'm referring to serial killer stans, but also the stans of toby's proxy podcast on Tumble) (...story for another time)

jeff feels guilt for some actions but he'll always find a way to pin the blame onto his victim. he'll always find a way to twist the story so that the victim's at fault. or, not even twist it at all. because how could anything be jeff's fault? jeff can feel sorry after remembering happened in september all he wants but he's made zero progress to becoming a better person. take jane for example. and then liu? well. liu doesn't forgive jeff. liu just doesn't see jeff for what he is.

his relationship with clocky sally n jack could help him. they're there for him. they could help him stop ghosting his friends. help him to deal with his past troubles. but jeff doesn't want to change. he hates himself sure. yet, he doesn't think hes deserving of any change? he's better off as the worst version of himself. that's just him. he can't get to a point where he's the best version of himself because to him: the best version of himself is one that can kill without mercy. all his life his mom wanted him to be perfect but he's not going to give that to her.

[kyoukaru]

i need to start liu posting more T_T

i reworked him a BIT. trying to understand liu's thought process brings me pain... it is and has been complicated since he was 16. best way i can explain it is that jeff is the only semblance of a normal life.

16, he was burnt alive in a fire. he ended up in the hospital (for both his injuries and mental health) for the next three years of his life. when he got out, he was an adult and had to live alone. in those three years, he was in disbelief—denial. he couldn't believe his own brother was capable of this. in his mind, jeff was still the sweet thirteen year old he knew. and, the more he thought about jeff that way, the more the image stayed permanent.

as he grew up it hurt him to hate jeff because he always sees jeff as his little brother. his only family. the only fucking piece of normalcy still left in his life. and if he's alive, he needs to find him. there were moments where liu wanted to find jeff just to kill him and liu hated himself for that.

soon enough liu did just grow obsessed with the idea of finding his brother. constantly broke down over it because he didn't know if he hated his brother or loved him. even as liu found a lover, even tried to start his own family, he COULDN'T recover without jeff. he basically gave himself a complex where he sees jeff as a saviour, for if he reunited with jeff, he thinks he can turn everything around again. liu read newspapers and went to every fucking town or city or whatever jeff was found in. he collected these newspapers obsessively. checking news channels and articles. hoarding evidence and even visiting witnesses.

in the meanwhile, liu could hardly believe he was real (BECAUSE HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE KILLED AND BURNT IN A FIRE?) and the existence of sully only made it worse, because he'd be very disoriented after the possessions (sully's a shadow demon in my version).

[kyoukaru]

yes i put a great deal of religious trauma onto the woods brothers

no they don't handle it the same way at all

liu still prays every night and seeks forgiveness from god

jeff rips up bibles and will murder a christian on sight

[kyoukaru]

Jeff the Killer 🍴

[kyoukaru]

Tim and Toby get sentenced to being normal people for a month. This is punishment for Tim because he has to deal with Toby with no buffer for a month (they hate each others guts) and for Toby because he has no magical way to get away with murder (effective ban). Everyone else places bets on whether or not they will get along at the end of the month or if one of them will kill the other. They are wrong. It makes no difference to the relationship because as soon as Tim's back in the mansion, Masky takes over, Tim forgets the entire thing and Toby just moves on with no reminder about it. Net Nothing experience

[kyoukaru]

coffee shop au, as made by someone who has been in a coffee shop all of 2 times ever

(liu doesn't know what "the usual" is)

i stole the hair under scarf thing from unpanzito because it looks cool </3 realistically liu probably wouldn't wear the scarf to his job but ykno

[kyoukaru]

someone gimme angst fics where the proxies accidentally disobey and are tortured pls

[kyoukaru]

Age Old Condolences (Part 2) (2k) ao3 / Part 1

Liu ran away from his foster family a few months ago. He and Jeff have been on a perpetual road-trip since, trying not to get caught. Jeff plans his next big murder and Liu worries about food.

Fic under cut!

Over the past month, Jeff and Liu had hid in the homes of their dead victims and pay by the hour motels. They moved frequently by stealing cars and on trains. Both options presented their own risks, people reported stolen cars and trains had conductors. It took one nosy person to recognise Jeff’s scars, then they recognised Jeff and then they had to race out of the state before they were caught, arrested and separated. 

Liu had been awake for forty hours, after he’d been found on a train without a ticket. Jeff had been in the bathroom, a small mercy but not one Liu would hedge bets on. He’d been moving on the train and Liu stood out on his own. Someone could have seen them. So he’d pulled Jeff off at the next stop - ten stops before they’d planned. They’d hotwired an expensive car that had paid for a weekend's worth of parking and started driving. 

Jeff slept in the backseat, his head resting against the window. He snored. Liu used to hate how loud Jeff snored but it was a comfort now. It was impossible to sleep at the wheel while Jeff was sleeping and impossible to sleep while Jeff was awake because he did nothing but talk. 

Two hours later, Liu pulled into a motel on the side of the road. He flipped through the stolen wallet of their last victims and counted the remaining bills. It hadn’t lasted as much as Liu had hoped it would. They would still need to find food for the night and however more nights on the road. The last victims hadn’t kept many non-perishables meaning they’d been denting the rations for if they had to vanish into the woods over the past three days. 

Liu climbed out of the car and wandered around the car park. He couldn’t find any camera’s or a ticket metre. It was dark with no streetlights. In the sleek black car, it was possible they wouldn’t be caught on any cameras that were around. He climbed back into the car. 

“Jeff,” Liu hissed, “Jeff wake up.” 

Jeff opened one eye, “What?” 

“Can you wake me up when it starts getting bright?” 

Jeff groaned. He shut his eyes and ignored anything else Liu said. Liu rolled his eyes. He took his scarf off and balled it up into a pillow. It made the sleep a tiny bit more restful. Liu was asleep as soon as his head hit the window. 

Six hours later, the sun was high in the sky and someone was knocking on their windows. Liu immediately woke up. He turned to the back. 

Jeff shrugged, “You looked like you needed the sleep.” 

“Have they seen you?” 

“That guy?” Jeff pointed out the window. Liu blanched. “Oh,” there was a pause,”I don’t think so, he’s been here for five minutes. Think he thinks I’m your kid.” 

Liu took a short sharp breath and reached for the masks on the passenger seat. He attached it and then winded down the window. 

“Sorry, I’m sick.” Liu said, gesturing towards the mask, “How can I help you?” 

The man backed away, “You two have been here all night.” 

Liu nodded. 

“And you didn’t pay at the motel?” 

“No, I was tired, passed,” he pretended to cough, “passed out in the car before I could book a room. Do we owe you any cash?” He fished out the wallet from between the seat and started to count out the few notes they had left. 

Before he could finish, the man cut him off, “Is that your kid?” He pointed towards Jeff. 

Liu nodded, “Little brother. I had him for a long weekend at college, give Mum and Dad a break now and then.” 

“You don’t have class right now?” 

“Lecturer’s sick. There’s a cold going round right now.” He pretended to cough again. 

He looked across at Jeff. Jeff was staring at him with his red eyes. He didn’t blink the entire time the man stared at him, which wasn’t helping his perpetual dry eye. Liu would have to remind Jeff to take some of the eye drops they’d stolen once they left. Jeff nodded, “He ain’t lyin’” 

“Look what do I owe you,” 

Something in Liu’s voice must have given away how desperate he was because the man only rubbed his forehead. “Kid, you didn’t rent  a room and we aren’t running low on parking. Just get home safe okay.”  He said, before he turned around and headed back to the motel. Liu’s head fell against his chest. All his energy left him ,as if he hadn’t slept at all, when he knew they were in the clear. He let himself indulge in the peace for a minute. Jeff was quiet, they still had enough money to get breakfast and fill up the gas. For one minute, he let himself imagine he really was dropping his brat sibling back at Mum and Dads and had fallen asleep against the wheel. 

He pulled his mask off, turned the key in the car and started driving again. 

“How do you feel about stopping at the next state?” 

“For real or for gas?” 

“Real?” 

“Sure. Reckon we could go for the suburbs? Splash out a bit and stay in a hotel?” 

“Let’s see how much we have when we get there.” Liu said. They wouldn’t have enough for a hotel even if they didn’t buy anything while travelling. The only worse thing than a bored Jeff though, was an angry Jeff. 

Later on, at the cheapest gas station they were gonna find, Liu spent half the budget filling the car’s tank and a quarter of their remaining cash on rich pastries for himself and Jeff, as a preemptive apology. They sat at the pump while they ate. In the wing mirror, Liu could see Jeff picking up stray flakes and licking them off his fingers. Liu’s stomach twisted as he took another bite of his plain croissant, holding his left hand below his mouth so he likewise wouldn’t lose a single crumb of food. Once they were both done, all the food eaten, Liu drove out of the gas station and continued driving. 

He made sure to drive within the speed limit and took as many backroads as possible to avoid the stolen vehicle being recognised by cctv cameras. After breakfast, Liu felt more alive. He and Jeff hadn’t travelled much before. It was fun watching the world go by - another perk of staying off the main roads which were nothing but concrete upon concrete upon concrete. Jeff pressed his hand against the window as they passed a farm with animals grazing on the fields. When they continued past pig pens and horses, he shoved his entire face across the window. Liu smiled and kept one eye on traffic and the other eye watching the animals Jeff gushed about. Liu commented about one of the pigs and Jeff pulled away from the window, slouched in his seat and crossed his arms. 

Jeff explained his murder plans for the next town in detail. They wouldn’t have the time to be organised so they couldn’t try and ensure their victims wouldn’t fight back or be heard. Liu thought it would be better to go after a small house in a neighbourhood filled with the elderly. They were retired and a couple of missed bingo meetings could be chalked to sickness rather than death. “No.” Jeff said in reply to Liu’s idea, “Whose going to be scared of Jeff The Killer if I only kill Grandma’s?” 

“Their families?” 

“But not for their own lives. It would ruin my reputation!” Then Jeff fell right back into his ramblings about how they should go after a family with a toddler - show how cruel he really could be. He was insistent on the toddler. There had to be a toddler. 

“Alright, so we find a nice family home and then what if there isn’t a toddler Jeff?”

“Let me pick the house. There will be a toddler.” Liu rolled his eyes. Jeff tapped his forehead, “I’ll sense it here.” In moments like this, his exaggerated smile made him abhuman. Liu could almost believe him. Then he remembered this is his shit eating little brother. 

“No, I’m serious.” Jeff continues. “Trust me.” 

Liu didn’t trust Jeff as far as he could throw him, which was a distance that got shorter every year. However, letting Jeff choose and be wrong would get him to shut up. So Liu nodded, “Fine. Just this once.” 

It is only natural, that Jeff, by pure dumb fucking luck, picks a house with not just a toddler, but an five year old kid who he can also kill. Liu knew this because of the boxes of baby formula that were getting close to the gone off date and the large amounts of chicken nuggets in the fridge. He is only a little jealous, he wished he could feed Jeff chicken nuggets most nights as well. They’re easy to cook and don’t get boring and don’t require trying to steal cutlery. Chicken nuggets requiring freezing though. Liu went back to the pantry and started taking all the soup and putting it in a can. He also took the bags of cereal and canned ravioli. It was rare the houses they raided had a full stock. They could live for weeks off this haul. 

There was a loud scream from upstairs. Liu checked the pantry for the second time. There wasn’t any more food worth taking. The next stop would have to be upstairs. He picked the bag up and wandered up the stairs. 

One of the bedroom doors was open. Jeff stood over a small bed. He turned his head and the large smile of his was splattered with blood. He looked happy but in the faint glow of the light, it was too dark to tell for sure. 

Liu turned around and walked into the bathroom. He locked the door behind him. There, in the bath, trembling, was a middle aged man. His hair was balding and starting to turn grey but his face wasn’t wrinkled with age just yet. Liu rummaged through the cupboards. He found a singular tube of toothpaste - strawberry flavoured. Less than ideal but Liu and Jeff could cope. 

“Please… please- don’t hur-hurt me.” The man in the bathtub blubbered. His fingers were white from how hard they were gripping the edges. Liu picked up a razor and looked over him.  

It’s important, he thought, to recognise that he didn’t feel much guilt. 

The house is covered by yellow police tape. Jeff is safe in the car, a two hour walk away from the crime scene, asleep. Liu walks down the street. He isn’t sure why but making sure none of the victims survive has become part of his routine. Jeff has the ritual of the murders and Liu has the ritual of watching. Four bodies are carted off in body bags. Two are small bags. One of the police officers is crying, must have kids their age. They’ve turned off the bright red and blue lights so it’s too dark for anyone else to know what’s happened. 

A car speeds down the road, slows down. Liu recognises the licence plate. If he were less of a gambling man, he’d probably be afraid of how quickly the same car always came to the crime scenes. He ducks between the bushes and waits until she gets out the car. 

The few years apart have been good for Jane. She’s grown and the way she holds herself demands attention. Despite being sixteen, no one else gets out of the car beside her. None of the cops question it, they never do. 

Liu doesn’t stick around the crime scene after that. All four family members are dead, they have enough food to travel for a few weeks and he has to make it back to his brother before he wakes up.

[kyoukaru]

Age Old Condolences (Part 2) (2k) ao3 / Part 1

Liu ran away from his foster family a few months ago. He and Jeff have been on a perpetual road-trip since, trying not to get caught. Jeff plans his next big murder and Liu worries about food.

Fic under cut!

Over the past month, Jeff and Liu had hid in the homes of their dead victims and pay by the hour motels. They moved frequently by stealing cars and on trains. Both options presented their own risks, people reported stolen cars and trains had conductors. It took one nosy person to recognise Jeff’s scars, then they recognised Jeff and then they had to race out of the state before they were caught, arrested and separated. 

Liu had been awake for forty hours, after he’d been found on a train without a ticket. Jeff had been in the bathroom, a small mercy but not one Liu would hedge bets on. He’d been moving on the train and Liu stood out on his own. Someone could have seen them. So he’d pulled Jeff off at the next stop - ten stops before they’d planned. They’d hotwired an expensive car that had paid for a weekend's worth of parking and started driving. 

Jeff slept in the backseat, his head resting against the window. He snored. Liu used to hate how loud Jeff snored but it was a comfort now. It was impossible to sleep at the wheel while Jeff was sleeping and impossible to sleep while Jeff was awake because he did nothing but talk. 

Two hours later, Liu pulled into a motel on the side of the road. He flipped through the stolen wallet of their last victims and counted the remaining bills. It hadn’t lasted as much as Liu had hoped it would. They would still need to find food for the night and however more nights on the road. The last victims hadn’t kept many non-perishables meaning they’d been denting the rations for if they had to vanish into the woods over the past three days. 

Liu climbed out of the car and wandered around the car park. He couldn’t find any camera’s or a ticket metre. It was dark with no streetlights. In the sleek black car, it was possible they wouldn’t be caught on any cameras that were around. He climbed back into the car. 

“Jeff,” Liu hissed, “Jeff wake up.” 

Jeff opened one eye, “What?” 

“Can you wake me up when it starts getting bright?” 

Jeff groaned. He shut his eyes and ignored anything else Liu said. Liu rolled his eyes. He took his scarf off and balled it up into a pillow. It made the sleep a tiny bit more restful. Liu was asleep as soon as his head hit the window. 

Six hours later, the sun was high in the sky and someone was knocking on their windows. Liu immediately woke up. He turned to the back. 

Jeff shrugged, “You looked like you needed the sleep.” 

“Have they seen you?” 

“That guy?” Jeff pointed out the window. Liu blanched. “Oh,” there was a pause,”I don’t think so, he’s been here for five minutes. Think he thinks I’m your kid.” 

Liu took a short sharp breath and reached for the masks on the passenger seat. He attached it and then winded down the window. 

“Sorry, I’m sick.” Liu said, gesturing towards the mask, “How can I help you?” 

The man backed away, “You two have been here all night.” 

Liu nodded. 

“And you didn’t pay at the motel?” 

“No, I was tired, passed,” he pretended to cough, “passed out in the car before I could book a room. Do we owe you any cash?” He fished out the wallet from between the seat and started to count out the few notes they had left. 

Before he could finish, the man cut him off, “Is that your kid?” He pointed towards Jeff. 

Liu nodded, “Little brother. I had him for a long weekend at college, give Mum and Dad a break now and then.” 

“You don’t have class right now?” 

“Lecturer’s sick. There’s a cold going round right now.” He pretended to cough again. 

He looked across at Jeff. Jeff was staring at him with his red eyes. He didn’t blink the entire time the man stared at him, which wasn’t helping his perpetual dry eye. Liu would have to remind Jeff to take some of the eye drops they’d stolen once they left. Jeff nodded, “He ain’t lyin’” 

“Look what do I owe you,” 

Something in Liu’s voice must have given away how desperate he was because the man only rubbed his forehead. “Kid, you didn’t rent  a room and we aren’t running low on parking. Just get home safe okay.”  He said, before he turned around and headed back to the motel. Liu’s head fell against his chest. All his energy left him ,as if he hadn’t slept at all, when he knew they were in the clear. He let himself indulge in the peace for a minute. Jeff was quiet, they still had enough money to get breakfast and fill up the gas. For one minute, he let himself imagine he really was dropping his brat sibling back at Mum and Dads and had fallen asleep against the wheel. 

He pulled his mask off, turned the key in the car and started driving again. 

“How do you feel about stopping at the next state?” 

“For real or for gas?” 

“Real?” 

“Sure. Reckon we could go for the suburbs? Splash out a bit and stay in a hotel?” 

“Let’s see how much we have when we get there.” Liu said. They wouldn’t have enough for a hotel even if they didn’t buy anything while travelling. The only worse thing than a bored Jeff though, was an angry Jeff. 

Later on, at the cheapest gas station they were gonna find, Liu spent half the budget filling the car’s tank and a quarter of their remaining cash on rich pastries for himself and Jeff, as a preemptive apology. They sat at the pump while they ate. In the wing mirror, Liu could see Jeff picking up stray flakes and licking them off his fingers. Liu’s stomach twisted as he took another bite of his plain croissant, holding his left hand below his mouth so he likewise wouldn’t lose a single crumb of food. Once they were both done, all the food eaten, Liu drove out of the gas station and continued driving. 

He made sure to drive within the speed limit and took as many backroads as possible to avoid the stolen vehicle being recognised by cctv cameras. After breakfast, Liu felt more alive. He and Jeff hadn’t travelled much before. It was fun watching the world go by - another perk of staying off the main roads which were nothing but concrete upon concrete upon concrete. Jeff pressed his hand against the window as they passed a farm with animals grazing on the fields. When they continued past pig pens and horses, he shoved his entire face across the window. Liu smiled and kept one eye on traffic and the other eye watching the animals Jeff gushed about. Liu commented about one of the pigs and Jeff pulled away from the window, slouched in his seat and crossed his arms. 

Jeff explained his murder plans for the next town in detail. They wouldn’t have the time to be organised so they couldn’t try and ensure their victims wouldn’t fight back or be heard. Liu thought it would be better to go after a small house in a neighbourhood filled with the elderly. They were retired and a couple of missed bingo meetings could be chalked to sickness rather than death. “No.” Jeff said in reply to Liu’s idea, “Whose going to be scared of Jeff The Killer if I only kill Grandma’s?” 

“Their families?” 

“But not for their own lives. It would ruin my reputation!” Then Jeff fell right back into his ramblings about how they should go after a family with a toddler - show how cruel he really could be. He was insistent on the toddler. There had to be a toddler. 

“Alright, so we find a nice family home and then what if there isn’t a toddler Jeff?”

“Let me pick the house. There will be a toddler.” Liu rolled his eyes. Jeff tapped his forehead, “I’ll sense it here.” In moments like this, his exaggerated smile made him abhuman. Liu could almost believe him. Then he remembered this is his shit eating little brother. 

“No, I’m serious.” Jeff continues. “Trust me.” 

Liu didn’t trust Jeff as far as he could throw him, which was a distance that got shorter every year. However, letting Jeff choose and be wrong would get him to shut up. So Liu nodded, “Fine. Just this once.” 

It is only natural, that Jeff, by pure dumb fucking luck, picks a house with not just a toddler, but an five year old kid who he can also kill. Liu knew this because of the boxes of baby formula that were getting close to the gone off date and the large amounts of chicken nuggets in the fridge. He is only a little jealous, he wished he could feed Jeff chicken nuggets most nights as well. They’re easy to cook and don’t get boring and don’t require trying to steal cutlery. Chicken nuggets requiring freezing though. Liu went back to the pantry and started taking all the soup and putting it in a can. He also took the bags of cereal and canned ravioli. It was rare the houses they raided had a full stock. They could live for weeks off this haul. 

There was a loud scream from upstairs. Liu checked the pantry for the second time. There wasn’t any more food worth taking. The next stop would have to be upstairs. He picked the bag up and wandered up the stairs. 

One of the bedroom doors was open. Jeff stood over a small bed. He turned his head and the large smile of his was splattered with blood. He looked happy but in the faint glow of the light, it was too dark to tell for sure. 

Liu turned around and walked into the bathroom. He locked the door behind him. There, in the bath, trembling, was a middle aged man. His hair was balding and starting to turn grey but his face wasn’t wrinkled with age just yet. Liu rummaged through the cupboards. He found a singular tube of toothpaste - strawberry flavoured. Less than ideal but Liu and Jeff could cope. 

“Please… please- don’t hur-hurt me.” The man in the bathtub blubbered. His fingers were white from how hard they were gripping the edges. Liu picked up a razor and looked over him.  

It’s important, he thought, to recognise that he didn’t feel much guilt. 

The house is covered by yellow police tape. Jeff is safe in the car, a two hour walk away from the crime scene, asleep. Liu walks down the street. He isn’t sure why but making sure none of the victims survive has become part of his routine. Jeff has the ritual of the murders and Liu has the ritual of watching. Four bodies are carted off in body bags. Two are small bags. One of the police officers is crying, must have kids their age. They’ve turned off the bright red and blue lights so it’s too dark for anyone else to know what’s happened. 

A car speeds down the road, slows down. Liu recognises the licence plate. If he were less of a gambling man, he’d probably be afraid of how quickly the same car always came to the crime scenes. He ducks between the bushes and waits until she gets out the car. 

The few years apart have been good for Jane. She’s grown and the way she holds herself demands attention. Despite being sixteen, no one else gets out of the car beside her. None of the cops question it, they never do. 

Liu doesn’t stick around the crime scene after that. All four family members are dead, they have enough food to travel for a few weeks and he has to make it back to his brother before he wakes up.

[kyoukaru]

Age Old Condolences (Part 2) (2k) ao3 / Part 1

Liu ran away from his foster family a few months ago. He and Jeff have been on a perpetual road-trip since, trying not to get caught. Jeff plans his next big murder and Liu worries about food.

Fic under cut!

Over the past month, Jeff and Liu had hid in the homes of their dead victims and pay by the hour motels. They moved frequently by stealing cars and on trains. Both options presented their own risks, people reported stolen cars and trains had conductors. It took one nosy person to recognise Jeff’s scars, then they recognised Jeff and then they had to race out of the state before they were caught, arrested and separated. 

Liu had been awake for forty hours, after he’d been found on a train without a ticket. Jeff had been in the bathroom, a small mercy but not one Liu would hedge bets on. He’d been moving on the train and Liu stood out on his own. Someone could have seen them. So he’d pulled Jeff off at the next stop - ten stops before they’d planned. They’d hotwired an expensive car that had paid for a weekend's worth of parking and started driving. 

Jeff slept in the backseat, his head resting against the window. He snored. Liu used to hate how loud Jeff snored but it was a comfort now. It was impossible to sleep at the wheel while Jeff was sleeping and impossible to sleep while Jeff was awake because he did nothing but talk. 

Two hours later, Liu pulled into a motel on the side of the road. He flipped through the stolen wallet of their last victims and counted the remaining bills. It hadn’t lasted as much as Liu had hoped it would. They would still need to find food for the night and however more nights on the road. The last victims hadn’t kept many non-perishables meaning they’d been denting the rations for if they had to vanish into the woods over the past three days. 

Liu climbed out of the car and wandered around the car park. He couldn’t find any camera’s or a ticket metre. It was dark with no streetlights. In the sleek black car, it was possible they wouldn’t be caught on any cameras that were around. He climbed back into the car. 

“Jeff,” Liu hissed, “Jeff wake up.” 

Jeff opened one eye, “What?” 

“Can you wake me up when it starts getting bright?” 

Jeff groaned. He shut his eyes and ignored anything else Liu said. Liu rolled his eyes. He took his scarf off and balled it up into a pillow. It made the sleep a tiny bit more restful. Liu was asleep as soon as his head hit the window. 

Six hours later, the sun was high in the sky and someone was knocking on their windows. Liu immediately woke up. He turned to the back. 

Jeff shrugged, “You looked like you needed the sleep.” 

“Have they seen you?” 

“That guy?” Jeff pointed out the window. Liu blanched. “Oh,” there was a pause,”I don’t think so, he’s been here for five minutes. Think he thinks I’m your kid.” 

Liu took a short sharp breath and reached for the masks on the passenger seat. He attached it and then winded down the window. 

“Sorry, I’m sick.” Liu said, gesturing towards the mask, “How can I help you?” 

The man backed away, “You two have been here all night.” 

Liu nodded. 

“And you didn’t pay at the motel?” 

“No, I was tired, passed,” he pretended to cough, “passed out in the car before I could book a room. Do we owe you any cash?” He fished out the wallet from between the seat and started to count out the few notes they had left. 

Before he could finish, the man cut him off, “Is that your kid?” He pointed towards Jeff. 

Liu nodded, “Little brother. I had him for a long weekend at college, give Mum and Dad a break now and then.” 

“You don’t have class right now?” 

“Lecturer’s sick. There’s a cold going round right now.” He pretended to cough again. 

He looked across at Jeff. Jeff was staring at him with his red eyes. He didn’t blink the entire time the man stared at him, which wasn’t helping his perpetual dry eye. Liu would have to remind Jeff to take some of the eye drops they’d stolen once they left. Jeff nodded, “He ain’t lyin’” 

“Look what do I owe you,” 

Something in Liu’s voice must have given away how desperate he was because the man only rubbed his forehead. “Kid, you didn’t rent  a room and we aren’t running low on parking. Just get home safe okay.”  He said, before he turned around and headed back to the motel. Liu’s head fell against his chest. All his energy left him ,as if he hadn’t slept at all, when he knew they were in the clear. He let himself indulge in the peace for a minute. Jeff was quiet, they still had enough money to get breakfast and fill up the gas. For one minute, he let himself imagine he really was dropping his brat sibling back at Mum and Dads and had fallen asleep against the wheel. 

He pulled his mask off, turned the key in the car and started driving again. 

“How do you feel about stopping at the next state?” 

“For real or for gas?” 

“Real?” 

“Sure. Reckon we could go for the suburbs? Splash out a bit and stay in a hotel?” 

“Let’s see how much we have when we get there.” Liu said. They wouldn’t have enough for a hotel even if they didn’t buy anything while travelling. The only worse thing than a bored Jeff though, was an angry Jeff. 

Later on, at the cheapest gas station they were gonna find, Liu spent half the budget filling the car’s tank and a quarter of their remaining cash on rich pastries for himself and Jeff, as a preemptive apology. They sat at the pump while they ate. In the wing mirror, Liu could see Jeff picking up stray flakes and licking them off his fingers. Liu’s stomach twisted as he took another bite of his plain croissant, holding his left hand below his mouth so he likewise wouldn’t lose a single crumb of food. Once they were both done, all the food eaten, Liu drove out of the gas station and continued driving. 

He made sure to drive within the speed limit and took as many backroads as possible to avoid the stolen vehicle being recognised by cctv cameras. After breakfast, Liu felt more alive. He and Jeff hadn’t travelled much before. It was fun watching the world go by - another perk of staying off the main roads which were nothing but concrete upon concrete upon concrete. Jeff pressed his hand against the window as they passed a farm with animals grazing on the fields. When they continued past pig pens and horses, he shoved his entire face across the window. Liu smiled and kept one eye on traffic and the other eye watching the animals Jeff gushed about. Liu commented about one of the pigs and Jeff pulled away from the window, slouched in his seat and crossed his arms. 

Jeff explained his murder plans for the next town in detail. They wouldn’t have the time to be organised so they couldn’t try and ensure their victims wouldn’t fight back or be heard. Liu thought it would be better to go after a small house in a neighbourhood filled with the elderly. They were retired and a couple of missed bingo meetings could be chalked to sickness rather than death. “No.” Jeff said in reply to Liu’s idea, “Whose going to be scared of Jeff The Killer if I only kill Grandma’s?” 

“Their families?” 

“But not for their own lives. It would ruin my reputation!” Then Jeff fell right back into his ramblings about how they should go after a family with a toddler - show how cruel he really could be. He was insistent on the toddler. There had to be a toddler. 

“Alright, so we find a nice family home and then what if there isn’t a toddler Jeff?”

“Let me pick the house. There will be a toddler.” Liu rolled his eyes. Jeff tapped his forehead, “I’ll sense it here.” In moments like this, his exaggerated smile made him abhuman. Liu could almost believe him. Then he remembered this is his shit eating little brother. 

“No, I’m serious.” Jeff continues. “Trust me.” 

Liu didn’t trust Jeff as far as he could throw him, which was a distance that got shorter every year. However, letting Jeff choose and be wrong would get him to shut up. So Liu nodded, “Fine. Just this once.” 

It is only natural, that Jeff, by pure dumb fucking luck, picks a house with not just a toddler, but an five year old kid who he can also kill. Liu knew this because of the boxes of baby formula that were getting close to the gone off date and the large amounts of chicken nuggets in the fridge. He is only a little jealous, he wished he could feed Jeff chicken nuggets most nights as well. They’re easy to cook and don’t get boring and don’t require trying to steal cutlery. Chicken nuggets requiring freezing though. Liu went back to the pantry and started taking all the soup and putting it in a can. He also took the bags of cereal and canned ravioli. It was rare the houses they raided had a full stock. They could live for weeks off this haul. 

There was a loud scream from upstairs. Liu checked the pantry for the second time. There wasn’t any more food worth taking. The next stop would have to be upstairs. He picked the bag up and wandered up the stairs. 

One of the bedroom doors was open. Jeff stood over a small bed. He turned his head and the large smile of his was splattered with blood. He looked happy but in the faint glow of the light, it was too dark to tell for sure. 

Liu turned around and walked into the bathroom. He locked the door behind him. There, in the bath, trembling, was a middle aged man. His hair was balding and starting to turn grey but his face wasn’t wrinkled with age just yet. Liu rummaged through the cupboards. He found a singular tube of toothpaste - strawberry flavoured. Less than ideal but Liu and Jeff could cope. 

“Please… please- don’t hur-hurt me.” The man in the bathtub blubbered. His fingers were white from how hard they were gripping the edges. Liu picked up a razor and looked over him.  

It’s important, he thought, to recognise that he didn’t feel much guilt. 

The house is covered by yellow police tape. Jeff is safe in the car, a two hour walk away from the crime scene, asleep. Liu walks down the street. He isn’t sure why but making sure none of the victims survive has become part of his routine. Jeff has the ritual of the murders and Liu has the ritual of watching. Four bodies are carted off in body bags. Two are small bags. One of the police officers is crying, must have kids their age. They’ve turned off the bright red and blue lights so it’s too dark for anyone else to know what’s happened. 

A car speeds down the road, slows down. Liu recognises the licence plate. If he were less of a gambling man, he’d probably be afraid of how quickly the same car always came to the crime scenes. He ducks between the bushes and waits until she gets out the car. 

The few years apart have been good for Jane. She’s grown and the way she holds herself demands attention. Despite being sixteen, no one else gets out of the car beside her. None of the cops question it, they never do. 

Liu doesn’t stick around the crime scene after that. All four family members are dead, they have enough food to travel for a few weeks and he has to make it back to his brother before he wakes up.

[kyoukaru]

Yeah.

Yeah.

[kyoukaru]

Finished chapter 2 of Age Old Condolences. Did plan on a third chapter but I kinda like the ending it has here. Anyways, gonna sleep now and edit it tomorrow o7