#butchersbird; shrike

[astrcthesiai-archived]

@butchersbird He was assigned to investigate the current affairs in the village just off of Jeneora Rock. It was not his favorite kind of article to do, but it was at least something until he was assigned another. His last one died from skirmish between the authorities and pirates. The last one was a newbie as well. He shuddered a bit thinking about it.

He placed a new cigarette in his mouth, and lit it. He would just have one more before he stake out the bar for any information. He was likely to find a villager or two to interview, before taking a look around the place. Besides, he could use a refill of his flask.

Roberto pondered what questions he would ask should he manage to find one at the bar. There were a few informants just in case he did not run into one that wanted to share information with him.

He waited until the cigarette burned near the butt before taking it out and stomping it. It marked the end of his cigarette break, he sighed as he walked towards the entrance. He made for the bar.

[thehumcntyphccn]

if you're still taking those sentence starters: "you look like you could use a hand with that." or "oh god. please tell me you haven’t just heard me talk to myself." because i couldn't decide which one i liked better :3c (from @butchersbird)

"oh god. please tell me you haven’t just heard me talk to myself."

--

" I wouldn't say it's a bad thing. Some people say talking to yourself is a healthy way to express yourself! Well- when you don't have anyone else to talk to, of course. "

The tall blonde man has his head cocked to the side in an almost puppyish manner, not even trying to hide his meddling interests. His blues are wild and massive behind almost-amber lenses, as a rather stupid smile lounges on his lips. Something about him seemed obnoxiously pushed, perhaps even the smile on his face - yet despite the antics and the playful grin on his face, there's a bizarre and deep expression only his eyes played off that reads as more than just understanding.

" I hope I didn't bother you, friend. Just figure some of those words might not be easy to shrug off without an ear to listen; only if you wanted it. "

[blissfulanguish]

The gift was a collaborative effort - as much as Ramiel wanted to go with Shrike into town to help pick it out, both he and Legato were still ... reluctant to let her go anywhere off the farm, young and prone to wandering as she was. But Ram was given free reign to package how she pleased, and so she finds her father in the living room, wrapped gift held behind her back.

"Happy Father's Day!" she chirps, bouncing on her heels as she offers up the package: wrapped in garishly colored paper is a leatherbound sketchbook, the pages inside of clearly high quality, and a set of charcoal pencils. / @hclythunder

It's different now, but a good kind of different.

Shrike has his work in town, while Legato manages their home. Ramiel assists him with chores around the small farm- Checking in on the flock of Orphingtons and cattle they raise, cleaning out the pens, and feeding. They even managed to pick up a cat somewhere along the way, who has become their resident pest control- often leaving the half-eaten corpses of large rats, mice, and even gophers on the front stoop (much to Shrike and Legato's displeasure). They knew the cat was doing so out of good intentions, but the last thing they needed was Ram picking up a disease from one of the things.

As it was Father's Day, Legato was instructed to wait in the living room with his eyes closed, so he covered them with his hands for good measure. The small package is brightly colored (definitely Ram's doing) and heavily patterned, but he tries not to tear it up too much, just so he can save it.

The book itself is beautifully bound, it even had a strap to keep it closed with a fastener carved from horn. He runs his fingers over the archival quality paper slowly, then turns the pencils over in his hands carefully.

"They're wonderful, my little angel- Thank you so much," he laughs, drawing his daughter in close to pull her into his lap for a hug and a loud kiss laid against the crown of her head.

"I really feel like drawing now, what should my subject be..."

He doubted Ramiel would be able to sit still for very long, so he might have to wait until she was asleep to scribe a good drawing of her.

"Should we do a portrait of Daddy together for his gift?" he suggests, glancing over at Shrike with an expectant look in his eye.

[millionsnife]

@butchersbird || #1 of 36 neuroses

"So how exactly did we end up here?"

Knives crouched, hands resting on his knees as he watched Shrike from across the room. The closet door was open, which he assumed was at least an improvement from an hour ago when it had been closed and barricaded by a pile of clothing.

"You ready to come out, or you need more time?"

[spaces0ngs]

IRIS LAUGHS AT THAT, an airy giggle against the fluffy top of shrike’s hair. dressed up like this they always get a bit of a persona to them, less the hardened outlaw and more something of years past — a beloved and spoiled child who liked to dance in pretty skirts and get whatever they wanted. “ mhm, you’re right ! but being too much is the point of this, darlin’. ” it’s cute how shrike buries his face in the swell of their cleavage, pushed up by the corset. it sends a warmth down their back, too. “ it’s okay, i’ll fight off anyone who looks at you weird. how does that sound ? ”

@butchersbird / x .

[humanitysong]

"who are you?" / @butchersbird (already sobbing and crying at the mere thought of amnesiac shrike waaAAA)

the moment vash hears that shrike has woken up he is already in the room. he wonders if it would be alright to hug the other... it should be fine. they had been friends for years and if shrike managed to remain his friend even after the incident at jeneora rock then letting down his guard once would be fine, right?

he starts to smile when he sees shrike, lips part to speak and he wants to hurry over but shrike's next word bring him to an abrupt halt. 'who are you?' his eyes widen in shock but otherwise he keeps his expressions under control. so shrike lost his memories... vash hesitates for just a moment before smiling gently.

"just a traveler, I found you and brought you to the doctors here." vash pulls a chair closer and sits down. "though i know a little bit about you, I came by your hometown once or twice" far more often than that but he does not say that.

"I know that your name is shrike and that you lived at jeneora rock. you were the teacher there" and your eyes shone the brightest when you took care of the little ones. you always had a soft spot for those rascals and you always scolded me alongside them when we got into trouble. and yet you never chased me away but let me stay close. "I believe you lived together with the tavern keeper and her son." he makes a thoughtful hum and acts like he is trying to remember something "I think their names were rosa and tonis" as if he could forget.

"sorry I don't know more than that" also a lie, he knows far more than that but he has made his choice. this could be a good new start for shrike with no ties to vash he could live a peaceful life - a safe life -. "oh wait no" he suddenly grins "I think, some people called you shrimp as a nickname but I might be wrong."

amnesia prompt ( no longer accepting ) // @butchersbird .

[stxrblccd]

shrike grabs his brother's cheeks and leaves an obnoxiously loud, wet kiss at the top of his forehead, right along his hairline. then - for good measure - he gives luca's earlobe a light tug. "love you, stupid." / @butchersbird

A loving chuckle from the boy. The rest of the family had always been so physically affectionate, it was nice to see Shrike picking it up now! "Hiya, Shrike!" Smaller arms reach up to give his big brother a hug, chin resting on his torso as he looks up at him with eyes shut tight and a giddy grin. "Love you too!"

[blissfulanguish]

my  muse  accidentally  biting  yours  too  hard,  drawing  blood (shrike is bitey and overstimulated today hehe) / @butchersbird

He's accustomed to pain, has learned to deafen the silent screams of his nerves alight with invisible white hot needles- all singing in wordless agony. Managed to disassociate from the visceral, deep-rooted animal impulse to make himself small and unnoticeable, still and passive, mind abandoning the body at will.

Being fully conscious, present in the here and now is almost overwhelming to his senses. Their actions are hardly illicit, but achingly intimate and extremely inappropriate given their surroundings. For a moment Legato can almost feel the chill of icy blues staring down in abject judgment of his sacrilege. The hairs at the back of his neck stand on end in response to a phantom presence, the oppressive weight of His gaze settling unpleasantly in somewhere in his gut.

His hand slid down the length of Shrike's calf, fingers tracing the shapes of his ankle, pressing into the bony landmarks and divots of thin flesh before wordlessly hiking the hem of black dress slacks higher.

A sudden and unexpected bite to his collarbone and a thin rivulet of blood tracked down his sternum, Legato making no sound nor reaction aside his the inky blackness of his pupils dilating slowly- irises of gold thinning into twin halos.

The brunette beneath him spooked like a startled hare, both apologetic and slightly fearful.

"O' gentle heart ever present in blessed sacrament, pray deliver mercy upon the lost souls of my fellows. Be not severe in your judgments, but let drops of your precious blood fall upon the devouring flames," he murmurs against the shell of the other's ear, low and sweet as though in confession.

At least he was (somewhat) preserving the sanctity of Holy Communion.

Probably.

[millionsnife]

@butchersbird || this is how we acquire children

"We have a spare room." Technically it's the guest room his brother uses when he visits with his human, but Vash can live with sleeping on the couch. Shrike, on the other hand, needs a room.

Knives slid another sandwich across the table.

"If you want to stay."

[blissfulanguish]

the baby's currently asleep swaddled in shrike's arms. it's a miracle she didn't wake up when he took her from the crib (or the conversation that came before that). "you can hold her," shrike murmurs, stroking his thumb over the blue peach-fuzz crowning her head before handing her over. "watch her head." said more out of habit than a lack of trust.

and that's when ramiel wakes up; a squirm and stretch of limbs. deep brown eyes blinking open. she stares up at legato in silence, owlish expression growing more and more confused.

... then she starts crying. / @butchersbird (WOAH . BABY BE UPON YE)

If someone had told him he'd sire a child in the past, he would have killed them on principle. Why ruin another life by bringing them up in this hellish, chaotic wasteland?

After everything, all of the personal details he'd actually shared about his background, why would Shrike endanger himself and their child like this. It was a difficult exchange to sit through, he mostly said nothing. He tried to listen, to be patient.

It hadn't been fair, but he'd said a few unkind things. If the baby in question looked anything like he did... it probably would have been a mercy to simply kill her. Out of all the things that Shrike could have done, just up and leaving without any form of protection or plan was just-

"watch her head."

Legato doesn't have to look twice and his heart drops out of his chest, beneath his feet, and sinks somewhere into the core of the planet. If only Ramiel had taken more after his partner, she could have had a fighting chance. His despair is unquantified. He moves almost robotically, fearful golden eyes haunted by his own appearance staring back at him as he gently cradles the infant in the crook of his arm and against his chest.

The first few sleepy grunts begin to turn to cries and he nearly shoves the child back into Shrike's arms, looking both confused and terrified. Instead he repositions the swaddled blanket surrounding the child, making sure to support the back of her tiny neck and begins to murmur softly- just reassurances and sweet promises that everything was going to be alright.

But would it? How could it be?

Someone would come and take her- They always did.

After everything, the constant unending humiliation and dehumanization, the only thing that had kept him from just biting his own tongue off and bleeding to death had been his anger. His spite. The hope that one day, he might be able to enact revenge, then he'd be free of this rotten excuse for a life.

He couldn't- Would NOT let her go through what he did, ever. He would kill everyone before letting them take her.

"Did you even stop to think about what this could mean, for her? Just running away isn't good enough. They'll hunt her down, they'll-"

He stops himself, biting down against his lower lip until blood blooms against his tongue.

"She's innocent. Light, pure, and free of all the filth and sin. They'll do anything, pay anything... You don't understand how valuable she is to those disgusting pigs, you don't understand-"

His voice breaks, feels a crack splitting open in an otherwise obdurate foundation of faith and loyalty. He's quiet, hot tears spilling down the harsh angles of his cheekbones as a vehement fire rages to life within the cage of his ribs.

"Right now, today, tomorrow- She takes priority. She's our responsibility. Everything else doesn't matter."

He stares down at Ramiel- watching in fascination as her tiny, perfect fingers try to grasp at his hair.

"None of it matters, just... her."

[millionsnife]

next stop on shrike's forehead kiss tour: he isn't even going to bother trying to reach his dad while he's standing. he settles for a drive-by kiss while knives is sitting in his armchair. / @butchersbird

Yank. Shrike gets grabbed as he passes, dragged down into his lap for a hug.

[millionsnife]

Shrike had no idea what to actually get for Knives - the idea of giving him anything at all on a day like today felt, in some ways, like he was betraying the man who had raised him until this point. But he was trying to move on - get better - like Knives said. So, Shrike settled on a simple card, illustrated with flowers in flowing black pen ( he might’ve nabbed a set the last time they were in town ). He left it in the kitchen for Knives to find and then disappeared off to his bedroom closet, nervous to see his adoptive father’s reaction. / @butchersbird

He wasn't expecting anything today; he's actually forgotten today was even a holiday of some sort. The card's cute though. Now he just has to figure out if he's supposed to do something in answer; should he say thank you? Maybe do something nice?

Does Shrike want him to acknowledge it?

[millionsnife]

🔪 / @butchersbird is shrike having an Extremely Not Good Moment? was knives teaching him how to fight? literally does not matter im leaving the context up to you

It's a good thing his instinctual use of his knives as a shield is faster than Shrike's panicked flailing in the middle of whatever flashback he's having; Knives holds out his hands without actually touching as he tries to catch the knife on the next pass.

"Shrike–Shrike."

[millionsnife]

it's probably not the greatest sign when your son and granddaughter show up on your doorstep in the middle of the night; ram's a little unsteady on her feet like she's about to fall asleep standing up, and shrike doesn't look any better. "i need ram to stay here for a bit - just a couple of days." / @butchersbird (everything is fine dad wdym)

Knives should probably ask questions, get some sort of explanation. Instead he simply pulls the door open wider and steps aside, letting the pair pass him before he's scooping Ram off of her feet and heading for the guest room.

"You know where the spare blankets are," he reminds Shrike over his shoulder. "Grab a few."

[millionsnife]

ram went through phases - much like her father, she was prone to retreating to spending time alone, usually in his study and surrounded by books. but other times, she'd stick to your side like a stubborn burr and refuse to move. not that most people minded.

this is very much a stubborn burr kind of day. ram, with all the excitement and lack of self-awareness of a four year old, runs at knives' leg as fast as her own little ones can take her (which is getting faster every day, much to shrike's chagrin), and collides with him, wrapping small arms around the limb and holding on tight.

"hi." because shrike has been teaching her to at least say hello first. / @butchersbird [ idk why this ended up so long orz anyway GRANDPA HI GRANDPA ]

"Ah, I've acquired a parasite." He lifts his leg, child and all, off the ground and swings idly for a moment before Knives finally reaches down to peel her off. He sets her on his shoulders instead, letting her grab onto his head to stay steady.

"Hello, tiny brat. You been behaving for your father? Anything I need to stab Legato for on your behalf?"

[humanitysong]

it's time for vash's turn - shrike isn't leaving any foreheads ... unkissed? he catches vash by the waist as he passes him, reaching up with his other hand to drag his partner down far enough to press a kiss to his forehead. "hey there, pretty boy." / @butchersbird

vash had been busying himself around the house all day, fixing little things here and there or chasing ram around in a game of tag, pretending to be some terrifying villain. he's currently holding the little rascal when shrike stops him.

immediately his eyes close and a soft smile appears on his lips together with the hint of a light blush. "hey there" he replies before leaning their foreheads together for a moment. "how about I get the little whirlwind to bed and then I'll join you here? you can read to me from that book you got" sometimes he enjoyed just holding shrike close and listening to the other's voice.

unprompted asks ( always accepting ) // @butchersbird .