Inbox for sticksandbones

[lupusxylem]

I will not make this look pretty later, don't believe me it's all a lie

====

INVENTORY:

-The Punisher: Wolfwood's cross gun, normally covered in wrappings.
INFO from the mods on use so I don't forget: The cross-gun will be able to fire regular bullets (regains of these can be handwaved; silvered bullets can be purchased in the bonus AC store) just fine, without any special nerfs. The laser feature will be usable a max of 3 times a month.

-4 Vials of his Drugs(tm)
Info from the mods on use so I don't forget: Wolfwood can start with up to 5 vials of his Lab Drugs. More of these can be regained for the price of a Small Item (a maximum of 5 at once), but they will not work on other player characters for obvious reasons. Their healing ability will also be slightly nerfed to not heal anything instantaneously, but rather over a few minutes.
3/7: All Vials have been used. Will need to purchase replacements if he wants to use them again.
???: Forgot to put the date here but he's purchased more Vials, one has been used to he has 4 currently.

-A lighter

-A carton of cigarettes, more can be purchased/handwaved

-A winter coat that Heimr bullied him into purchasing

-A matching pair of boots for the coat

-A little knit wolf with sunglasses from Elsword.

-A blanket from Livio.

-A handgun with a wolf engraved on the handle.

-A black husky named Angelina

-A belt pouch to carry his regeneration vials with a cross emblazoned into the leather.

-Authentic rosary beads, with beads made from black glass and a heavy, silver cross pendant

-A black leather choker with a silver cross pendant, similar to the rosary

-A whole church(tm)

-A wool knit cat plushie from Pure Vanilla

-3 tomas chicks that currently live in Kiera's barn

-3 londonites

-Wolf skull shaped cufflinks

-A dagger for his "birthday" from Gnosis

Comments

nebulous time after the suri fight and livash get back from the lighthouse

[livlaughlove]

[livio has been so focused on fussing over nick's injuries and mental wellbeing that for a while, a few days maybe, he doesn't notice the absence of something important. people mean far more than objects, after all.

one day after walking through the house, though... he doubles back to wherever wolfwood is at the moment. he knows nick takes it to the church sometimes, but he's never known him to just... leave it there. he keeps it close by, because an assassin always has to be ready to defend or to kill.]

Hey, Nick? Where's yer Punisher?

[lupusxylem]

[It's funny. All this time, Wolfwood hasn't even thought about bringing it up. Is he pissed off that it got broken? Sure he is. Is he mad that he got disfigured when it blew up in his face? Of course he is. But at the end of the day, it's a weapon that symbolizes the worst part of his life. It's just as much of a boon as it is a crutch. It's hard to say whether he was planning on mentioning it, if nobody else did.

But of course Livio would ask out of anyone else. And when he does...

Wolfwood glances up from where he's sitting, leaning back against the couch cushions with a low breath through his nose.]

S'at the Church. No reason to have it here when it's busted.

[livlaughlove]

[the shock on livio's face is instant.]

Busted? What in the hell coulda --

[and his mouth snaps shut at the same time his brows draw back down. a god could have. of course. probably without a breaking a sweat. despite seeing how injured nick was after the fact, livio is suddenly so much more aware of how close nicholas came to death once again. it's earth-shattering, heartbreaking all over again. his knees feel like they may buckle beneath him.

... there's nothing for it, at the moment, but to trudge over to the couch. he nearly sits down beside nick, but ends up on the floor next to his feet instead, choosing to lay his head on wolfwood's knee.

he seems to keep ending up in these sorts of positions of worship, when he can't process his overwhelming emotions.]

[lupusxylem]

[The moment Livio kneels down like that, Wolfwood wants to tell him not to...but he knows him. He knows him so well, and this is where he wants to be, comforting him.

So Wolfwood instead reaches up to lay a hand against his head, carefully brushing his fingertips through the hair near his bangs. He's quiet, for a while. But he'll speak up again, eventually.]

Thinkin' 'bout gettin' the dragon guy to fix it, maybe. But for right now...it's what it is. Was either that, or my whole torso gettin' blasted off.

[livlaughlove]

[his eyes close for a time, as if he can pretend that the only thing here in the world right now is nick, living and breathing and touching him. but he can't quite shake how precarious their position is. even tomorrow, the fucking creature could rip them away from one another again. the last time livio lived in a neverending state of so much terror... he doesn't even want to think about it.]

Y'think he can? [he doesn't know the extent of anyone's skill with firearm repair except their own. a punisher is a highly specialized custom piece, though. it would take one hell of an expert. livio hopes he's up to the task.] What d'you have in the meantime? Just the pistol?

[lupusxylem]

[Wolfwood can't say he's super confident, but from what he's heard, the guy is really good at what he does. They don't exactly get along, but Sesa is a bleeding heart. He'd probably do it if someone he liked more asked on his behalf.]

Guess we'll hafta see...but yeah. The pistol, and a dagger Gnosis got me.

[Not that he uses knives much, but hey. If he needed to knife somebody he would-]

[livlaughlove]

[oh, livio has no doubt he would.

for a few moments longer, he remains there, then lifts his hands to take the one nick pat him with. gingerly, he kisses each knuckle and places the hand back in wolfwood's own lap so that he can stand back up without resistance. from there, he paces into their room and back, retrieving his double fangs in their holsters and standing over nick once more.

there's a long silence on livio's part as he stares at the guns rather than looking back up at wolfwood. he still feels awful for having put nick through losing him, and every one of his survival instincts beaten in to him by their mutual oppressor screams for him not to admit weakness, but...]

... Ever since I came back from the Garden, I can't hit my mark. [his voice is quiet, almost unintelligible in his humiliation.] They can still protect you, even if they're not in my hands.

[lupusxylem]

[It's so genuinely sweet, the affection Livio lavishes Wolfwood with. He feels like he can't offer even a fraction of what he's being given, though he wishes he could. He even thinks to do so, but before he can...Livio suddenly rises to his feet and steps away, disappearing into their room to bring his Fangs out.

You'd think he would understand what this means pretty much immediately, but he doesn't. The confusion on his face is apparent as he looks up at his partner, and then...]

...what?

[Flabbergasted, Wolfwood gets to his feet too- a little too fast, the pressure on his bad leg causes him to wince before he rights himself- as he looks back at Livio, his expression equal parts serious and just...

Completely stunned.]

Liv.

[livlaughlove]

[luckily for wolfwood, livio feels drowned in affection when nick so much as looks at him. if only they could both communicate and believe that.

as for the moment... he flinches a little, on reflex, as wolfwood stands. just as instinctually, he extends a hand to try to help steady him, though he takes that one back himself afterward. all the time, his eyes remain cast down.]

I can't shoot anymore, Nico. [the name wolfwood asked him to use, in moments of vulnerability. his exposed belly.] Please. I won't get it back any easier than you'll regrow your leg.

[lupusxylem]

[It is, with no better way to put it, devastating to hear. That what the Forest took from Livio was his dead eye, his ability to shoot...it makes Wolfwood want to scream. The only reason he isn't is because he can tell just by the look in Livio's eyes how pained he is just having to admit to it at all.

But the fact he's handing over his Fangs is...]

Christ...

[He saw the way Livio had reached for him, so after he pulls back, Wolfwood decides to be the one to take initiative this time as he reaches out to put a hand on Livio's arm to try to get him to look back up at him. Then, that same hand shifts down, traveling from his elbow to his hand, brushing the back of his knuckles holding one of the Fangs.

That's where his hand stays, for a moment.]

...f'that's what you want. I'll take care of 'em, for you. Guard 'em with my god damn life.

[livlaughlove]

[the touch gets nick what he wants, at least -- livio's gaze meeting him. seconds later, his eyes close in a pained laugh.]

That ain't what I want, Nicholas. These... things that I murdered with. That I -- [he swallows down another laugh, tears welling.] That I all but murdered you with. I want them to guard you.

[chapel surely taught wolfwood just the same as livio that close combat is far more dangerous to one's health than a safe distance and a powerful firearm. the way of the eye of michael is efficiency, not honor, after all. since he began formal training, his main weapon has been a gun, but it isn't like livio has never crushed skulls with his bare hands before.]

And me... I got some strength back. I got sharp fuckin' horns 'n the power to shatter bones with a goddamn dragon tail! I'll learn how to protect ya this way. I swear t'you.

[lupusxylem]

[Oh, Wolfwood knows that good and well. It's a lesson that's been etched into his very soul and being, whether he likes to admit it or not. And while he hates this- hates what the Forest has taken away from him- he understands that Livio will accept nothing less.

So, after a moment, he'll carefully reach out and take both Fangs in hand, hefting them carefully. They're so much different in feel compared to his Punisher, yet he feels like he could still wield them without a second thought. Yet, even as he holds them, they feel hollow in his hands compared to what he knows Livio could do with them.]

...they will. You will. Can promise you that.

[livlaughlove]

[getting control of his emotions is an uphill battle, but one that livio is steadily winning. it helps that wolfwood understands him so thoroughly, and doesn't fight him. he understands. if their roles were reversed, and nick asked, livio would take up the punisher in a heartbeat to protect him.]

Thank you, Nico... They're in good hands. Y'wear 'em well.

Can give ya the rundown, now or later. Got a pack o' silver bullets for it I ain't used yet I can hand over, too.

[lupusxylem]

'Preciate it. Whenever you want s'fine. Bullets would be good, too...pretty sure whatever I had with my Punisher got wasted.

[Honestly, he doesn't want to be like "yeah let's do it now" if Livio is still feeling raw about the whole thing, so he feels like it's safer to defer to his word, in this case.]

One good thing it did for me in the end is it saved my life, I guess. Kinda fuckin' ironic, that.

[livlaughlove]

[he thinks on it for a moment...]

Y'up for it now? [it would be very unlike the forest to wait to strike until it's convenient for them, after all.]

... I'm real grateful it did. 'm sorry y'lost it... 'least it ain't permanent. [hopefully.]

[lupusxylem]

Yeah, I am. Any time, with you.

[Wolfwood rolls his shoulder, gesturing for Livio to follow him outside.]

S'fine. ...I mean, it ain't fine, but...coulda' been worse, yeah? It's a thing. Things can be replaced.

[And the Punisher can be fixed...maybe.]

[livlaughlove]

Yeah. It coulda.

[his brows furrow as they step outside. the guilt is hitting him again like a steamer. he's silent for a while as he gestures for wolfwood to hand over one of the fangs, and points out the intricacies specific to its model. the best and fastest way to open and close it without crushing one's fucking fingers, how to switch between shooting out of one versus both barrels. he doesn't bother with more general firearm instructions; he knows wolfwood is plenty efficient and can figure out how to reload quickly. before he hands this one back, though...

livio usually asks before touching anyone, even nick and vash, even after all this time. right now, he just holsters the gun and moves in front of wolfwood to pull him into a tight embrace. his hands clutch at the back of nicholas' jacket as he buries his face in his shoulder and tries to keep his body from shaking. his voice is quiet and choked when he finds it again.]

'm so glad yer here... 'n I'm so sorry I wasn't there.

[lupusxylem]

[Despite having intricate knowledge of guns and their workings, Wolfwood studies everything Livio explains down to the letter. He memorizes it, not just what he's told, but the way they feel in his hands. Their texture, weight, everything.

He's reaching to accept it when Livio suddenly rushes forward, sweeping Wolfwood up into his arms. It's not what he's expecting at all, but it's still automatic the way he lifts his free hand to rest against the middle of his boyfriend's shoulders, his head resting against the side of his neck.

Oh. Oh Livio...]

Hey. Hey...

[He presses his fingertips gently into his back, holding him close to his chest.]

S'okay. I know...I got real fuckin' hurt. It was bad. But it ain't your fault.

[He knows well how Livio would have taken the knowledge that Wolfwood got so injured when he wasn't there. God, does he know.]

I love you, okay?