sticksandbones | If it were the real me and you

Entry tags:

If it were the real me and you | OPEN

Who: Wolfwood and YOU!
What: Wolfwood schedules a cult book burning and invites everyone
When: March 10th
Where: The Church
Warnings: Relevant info for this event can be found here, general warnings for: monster attack which could lead to blood/gore/etc in threads, please tag accordingly! Will update as needed

Netbook | Morning

Hey everyone, it's me Wolfwood. Nicholas D. Wolfwood if you're new.

So, here's the deal. The church I bought has a problem. It came with a bunch of religious texts inside of it, and while that's...you know. What you'd expect in a church, these ones are like

super fuckin culty.

Not exactly what I asked for. Not that I asked for them at all. I keep trying to get rid of them but they keep showing up again later so

Basically Im gonna be burning them again this evening if anybody wants to come to the bonfire, or help me in getting rid of them cause theres a shit ton. Bring marshmallows or whatever, I dont care.

and before someone comes preaching to me about burning books, again: its cult propaganda bullshit. read it for yourself if you dont believe me
just make sure you chuck it in the fire afterwards or ill do it myself.

Church | Evening

[Should you choose to come to the Church later that evening for whatever reason, you'll find the Priest himself already hard at work setting up a pyre in the yard just outside of it. (Just look for the massive bound cross propped up nearby, you can't miss it.) With the way he loads up the firepit he's created with kindling, it's clear he's already had to do this once before. It's a bit tricky to find anything dry given that the snow is still on the ground in a lot of places, but he's making do with what he's got. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Beyond getting the fire going, there's a matter of getting the aforementioned books out of the church. It's just as Wolfwood described, should you grow curious and crack one open. They're very religious, but strangely...plant focused. Like it's a religion that revolves around the Forest itself, almost. Definitely nothing orthodox about this, that's for sure. There are quite a number of them to take care of as they've all refilled the church pews since the last time he did this.

Or, perhaps you're just here because you think bonfires are cool and want to simply enjoy yourself for a change. The Forest seems to have had its fun with the animal race given that everyone's back to normal at this point, so really, why not kick back and enjoy the warmth of the flames while it isn't sub-zero temperatures outside anymore?

Feel free to mingle...or don't. Perhaps the distant unease in the atmosphere is enough to stop you.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Honestly, Wolfwood pretty much expected Livio to drop by, which is why he opted not to tell him he was doing this in advance. This is a familiar song-and-dance for the two of them, they've done it before. Second verse, same as the first, Wolfwood is just hoping they can get it done faster with a bigger fire. It only makes sense.

Plus, it helps having another pair of hands to gather the wood. He's done his best to find what seems like it will be most apt to burn, and burn well, but that can really only take you so far.

It's not quite evening yet, but the sun is starting to go down in the sky. When Livio comments on the size of the pyre, Wolfwood gives it a once over before nodding.]

Should prolly be enough. We can always get more if it starts dying down too much.

[He's already reaching into his pocket for his cigarette carton and lighter as he says this, grabbing one out with his teeth.]

Figure we'll get started in about an hour here.

[He offers the carton to Livio questioningly as he talks.]

[after he pats some... tree dust off of himself, livio waves off wolfwood's offer. not that he minds nick smoking, if the way he stands even closer to him is any indication. he practically looms over him, as a matter of fact, the front of his chest touching the back of wolfwood's shoulder, and his head tilted down and towards nick. it's almost comical, how catlike nick is and how doglike livio is, considering not too long ago they were stuck as a wolf and a puma respectively.]

Sounds like a plan. What d'you wanna do in the meantime?

[It's very comical, but it's a comedy lost on Wolfwood currently since he's been busy getting everything ready for the evening. Plus, having Livio close isn't unusual. He grew up with Livio breathing down his neck, so this is just a return to form if anything.]

Take a break, I guess. Shoulda' known it would be hell trying to find enough burnable wood when the snow's barely finished melting.

[He'll pocket the cigarettes, then, puffing on the one between his teeth until it's lit properly before he says anything else.]

Thanks for comin' to help again, by the way. Was hopin' this wouldn't be a regular thing, but. Yaknow.

[it may have been hell, but not impossible. livio is pretty sure they could do just about anything together.]

You're welcome. Always. Do it a thousand times with you if you need me to.

[he can't say he isn't grateful that wolfwood wants to take a break, though. for his own sake, of course, not livio's. he would gladly run himself into the ground, even if that's technically possible with the ever so slight weakness he's subject to in the grove.]

Do you want some water?

[Hey, Livio, buddy. He would like it if you loved yourself, just a teeny, tiny bit-]

Sure. Kinda hard to tell if you're gettin' enough when it's cold like this, ain't it?

[It's so much easier to know you're dehydrated when you're dying out in the desert, ask him how he knows.]

[he'll take that under advisement. (no he fucking won't.)]

... Nicholas, even in this weather, you shouldn't wait until you're parched to drink water. There's plenty here, you don't have any excuses.

[he is grabbing one of those flasks and pushing it into nick's hand. look, he's even got one for himself.

... but he's waiting, looking expectantly at wolfwood first.]

I got it, I got it...

[Wolfwood shakes his head a little as Livio hands him the water, hefting it before knocking back a good third of the flask. See Livio? He's drinking! He's hydrating!]

I even made sure to eat a real breakfast this morning.

[... good. livio will be good and have a sippy, too.]

Yeah? What'd you have?

Eggs, bacon, toast. You know, the kind of shit you take for granted.

[Because you don't often get that back home. It's like eating luxury food, and Wolfwood still isn't used to having free access to it.]

Not that I'm all that great at cooking, but at least all you need for that is a hot pan.

... Yeah, okay. A real breakfast, for sure.

[makes livio hungry, in fact. his metabolism is slightly lowered here, but they have been lifting heavy shit all day. he isn't about to go wandering off to stuff his face and leave wolfwood alone, though.]

Hah. Maybe I should've brought somethin' to roast, after all.

See, what'd I tell you? What good is a bonfire if you don't have something to cook by it?

[Not that

Wolfwood brought anything himself but shhh he's been busy-]

Ain't too late to go get something, if you wanted.

Nah. All I came here to cook's some cult propaganda.

[he flashes nick a rare, toothy smile. big and awkward, like he still isn't used to doing it.]

[Wolfwood smiles right back, though it's more of a smirk than anything.]

Well you've come to the right place. Here's to hopin' it stays gone this time, yeah?

Yeah. We can hope.

[they will only regret.]

[Nooo shh it'll be fine no ragret]

Yeah. And even if it doesn't, I'm just glad you're helpin' me. Half the rest of the Grove is giving me shit about doin' this.

[he knows. ohhh, he knows.]

... I won't turn my back on you. Not ever again. [even if part of him knows everyone's fears are well founded. if anything, that makes him even more adamant about having nick's back. someone has to protect him, even from himself.]

Thanks, Liv. I mean it. But I'm still trustin' you to keep me straight, yeah?

[He punches Livio's arm, lightly.

...]

Well. Not straight straight, but. Yaknow.

[maybe if it were any other situation, liv would give something more than a half-hearted smile. as the sun sets, he can't help the occasional glance toward the treeline and the fog beyond.

wolfwood trusts him to keep him safe...]

... Nick? You know, it isn't too late to call it off.

I'll be here with you no matter what. But if you have second thoughts...

[Ugh, Livio. Not you too.

He doesn't say that, of course. But he IS thinking it.]

I ain't. Least not yet.

[He takes another drink from his flask.]

Don't you think it's best to get rid of these? You and I both know that they ain't just about the Forest.

[It is 100% Eye schlock. That's half of why Wolfwood wants to can it so badly.]

[usually, he wouldn't give in so readily to outside influence. or maybe he's just shifting away from who he used to be as a person. he isn't even worked up at the idea that other people in the grove might suffer. he's just worried about nick.

and now, worried that nick will think less of him for this.]

I know they're not.

I'm sorry. I won't question you again. [... even despite the changes, he's still so used to living like this that he doesn't realize how that sounds.]

[Well, the good news is...Wolfwood isn't like the people who had Livio under their thumb, before. He isn't like Chapel, who expects unflinching obedience to his authority at all times.

It doesn't feel right. It immediately hits him as wrong, and he doesn't like it.]

...hey. You didn't "question" me. It's okay. I asked for your opinion, so that's what I wanted to hear.

[Well. Maybe he did lead it with the wording being a bit loaded, but...that wasn't intentional.]

[and yet, wolfwood still seems disappointed. even when he's trying to defer to someone he's sure knows better than him, he's still doing something wrong...]

Alright.

Like I said. I'm with you, still.

[Yeah, Wolfwood is feeling that awkwardness even now. Hm...]

...I'm glad. Really. Havin' you here means a lot.

But I'll tell you what I told Vash earlier. If shit looks like it's getting bad, I'll stop. I promise.

[part of him wants to just... pick wolfwood up and carry him away from all of this, whether he likes it or not.

another is almost too scared to even ask for one small thing.]

... Okay, Nick.

[He has to hope that helps to assuage his fears, if even just a little. He gets they're worried, he just...

He wants to do this. He feels like he needs to, to make a point.

And so, he will.]

Alright. Well. The pyre's big enough, like you said, so we've got time to just hang out for a while.

[Wolfwood rubs the back of his neck, glancing over at the church.]

You uh...wanna see how the church is lookin'? It's almost completely clean now, save for what I can't keep cleaned up thanks to the birds.

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