A new story. Don't worry. This one is already completely written. Also, will have shorter chapters due to myself trying a new style of writing. This is an experiment. Also, this will be updated once a week so long as I am able.
Thank you everyone for your time. Please, enjoy.
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Cruelty of Smiling Silence
Every neighborhood has that one house that is creepy and no one ever sees anyone leave, but they all know someone lives there. Typically, they're at the end of the block out of sight and mind for the most part, right? Not ours. Our neighborhood 'what-the-fuck' house is smack dab in the middle and right across the street from mine.
It's not really an eyesore because the lawn is kept maintained and the garden is always flourishing, the landscaping crew is pretty damn awesome. But, who even lives there? Is it a crack house under cover? Although, I never see anyone come in or leave. Even the car in the driveway never leaves. I mean, what's the point of having one if it's never used? Pointless!
Well shit, let me backtrack a bit; really getting ahead of myself here. I just recently moved into the neighborhood with my best frenemy about six months ago. My frenemy is an absolute psycho, Shiro. If you're not hearing some form of argument coming from our walls, then we're obviously not home. I swear we would fight in our sleep if it were possible.
But damn it, that is not the point I'm trying to make right now. The point that I'm trying to make is that that house bothers me. I can't not watch it. There's something about it that just calls my constant attention to it. Absolutely drives me bat shit! Ha! And you know what's the real kicker? I now have a reputation amongst my neighbors, more specifically among the old grandmotherly persuasion… Cannot tell you how many cookies I've forced down.
Why, you might ask, would I put myself through the gossip and endless numbers of tooth rotting sweetness? Well, for answers. These people have been here for years! Any bit I can get on that house is like a shot of adrenaline! So I put on my best behavior, choke down the cookies all the while screaming in my head.
Shiro has likened me to a nosy old broad more times than is healthy for him. He has even taken to calling me a Lady Killer. Which, you know would be great if the women weren't close to three times my age. It makes me shudder just thinking about it. Urrrrgh…
Fuck, another tangent. See what this torture does to me? And for all my nosing about and whatever, all I've learned is that the man who lives there has been there for 15 years, is very quiet, and that it was so sad what happened to him. When badgered for more info, these loose lipped hags suddenly can't pry open their chops. Same answer every time.
"Sorry, it's not my place to say. But such a tragedy, for sure. Such a sad, sad state of affairs."
I swear to god it's like they do it just to peak my interest more and drive me absolutely mad! It practically makes my skin crawl to think about it. Shiro has more or less given up on telling me to not give a shit and instead tells me to just focus on work.
That mentioned, maybe I should bring up that we both make ends meet by unusual standards. He… well he dresses up as a creepy clown in an alternative nightclub to perform 'magic shows.' When he isn't doing that, the guy sells incense and other earthy shit like gem stones and pottery and fuck all. And myself?
I'm a martial arts stunt man. What the fuck right? How the hell did we end up meeting each other and moving in together, right? Well, I moved into his neighborhood as a kid and was introduced to the only kid my age by our parents. It was hate at first sight.
But he stuck like an STD and here we are, still bickering like an old couple. Speaking of, this fight we are currently having is actually relevant…
"God damn it, Grimm! You need ta leave this fricken house alone! Always wit' da creepy starin'! I bet ya my left nut that this sum bitch is watching you back through the blinds. It's like some creepy, crappy love story where the two leads pine after each other without the other knowin'. Fuckin' weirdos."
The pale man had his hands on his hips, his teeth on display in an aggrieved grimace. He had his fangs in, his fucked up clown make up on, and his freaky ass black and gold contacts in… And he was calling me a damn weirdo. I glared at him.
"What room have you to speak, fuckwad? Look in a damn mirror, you're like a damn horror film gone wrong and – in trying to fix it – they added too many piercings! At least my issue is a normal one!"
Shiro jerked back as if stricken before he burst out in incredulous angry laughter. "The fuck you spoutin'? What I do is part of a flourishing sub-culture! You! You are just bein' plain creepy! At least people think I'm cool and some even think I'm sexy! Everyone will just think you're a creep psycho motherfucker!"
I glared more harshly, our voices steadily getting louder. "What woman in her right mind would find a man in stockings and corsets sexy?!"
"Several! In fact, several have propositioned me and guess who's been gettin' laid recently! Here, let me help ya narrow it down. It's someone who lives in this house and it certainly isn't you!"
Blanching in anger, I sputter. "What? You think I don't receive offers with a body like mine?! I practically have to beat the women off with a stick!"
"Well, ya shouldn't be!"
Somehow, not sure when, but we had moved closer and were nose to nose and panting in each other's face. But after that statement, he sighed and his shoulders slumped. Shiro lifted a hand and rubbed at his brow, smearing his face paint a bit.
"Just… this damn house is makin' ya crazy Grimm. I've never seen ya turn down anyone before. But this house… This past month alone… it's gettin' serious, Grimm. You need ta go out and do something stupid, okay? For god's sake, I didn't move out here to live with a psycho killer, damn it!"
Silence reigned as he stared me down, a soft scowl on his face. Was creepy as fuck with his costume completely in place. But, he had a point I suppose. Turning from him slightly, I gave a soft sigh.
"Just fuckin'… just get ready for work and leave, Shiro. I'll get my shit together on my own."
He glared at me as if I had personally offended his mother or something and stormed off. We didn't say another word to each other before he left, slamming the door closed, and squealing out of the driveway.
But, I couldn't get his words out of my head.
In fact, they haunted me long after he had come home from work at the crack of five A.M. and well past into the week, distracting me from work and causing my black eye accident. Not me, of course… But my co-worker's. Oops, right?
Either way, I finally decided to take his words to heart. After pulling home from work a little over two weeks later, I sat in the car staring at the house behind me, contemplating. The groceries that are sent to the house at the back door were gone, so the guy was definitely home. I stepped out from my car, just as I heard our door open.
"Grimm, what the hell are you lookin' at? Usually you're more subtle about your ogling."
Ignoring my roomie, I shut my car door and began determinedly across the street, practically marching. I heard Shiro stumble a bit behind me.
"Grimm? Grimm! What the hell are you doing?! Grimmjow!" He sounded more and more urgent; I could hear bare feet slap at the cement before stopping at the edge of our sidewalk. "Dude, get back here!"
Being an expert at ignoring him, I did so and finished crossing the street and climbed up the creepy house's driveway. Shiro cursed under his breath and ran across after me. He froze at the driveway edge as I started knocking.
Holy shit, what was I doing? Was I really doing this?! … I was really doing this… We were both holding our breath as we waited for an answer. Silence followed, excluding the typical sounds of neighborhood life; like dogs and shit. Finally, I heard the sound of a dead bolt being yanked open, another three locks following. Wondering at the excessive number of locks, I almost missed the door swinging only partially open, a lock chain keeping it from going further.
I saw Shiro jump in surprise from behind me in the driveway.
And then, an irritated brown eye peaked out from behind the door, orange strands of hair hanging in the way.
"Yeah? What ya want?" The voice was deep and scratchy from lack of use or as if the man had just woken up from a deep sleep.
I was frozen, wide eyed, not having expected an answer. "… uh."
The eye narrowed, the door closing more distrustfully. "If you got nothin' to say, then get off my damn porch!"
That jerked me to attention, a bit of my own irritation leaking through. "Hey, just wanting to introduce myself, since I'm new and all. This is Shiro," I motioned behind me to my still frozen and wide-eyed friend. "And I'm G –"
"I know who you are. And you're not new; you two've been here little over half a year. So don't give me excuses and leave."
As he began to slam the door, I caught onto it, now angry. "Hey now, I just wanted to introduce us, you asshole. No need to be so fuckin' rude. If you got issues, they ain't my problem, but don't you fuckin' dismiss me like I'm some homeless tramp. I'm jus' tryin' ta be neighborly."
The eye narrowed more as it looked me up and down. With an irritated sigh, the door slammed shut and I heard the chain rattle and suddenly the door jerked all the way open. Holy hell balls, I was not expecting what I saw.
The guy was a middle-aged man, though he didn't look it. If it weren't for the lines bracketing his mouth and the scowl furrows lining his eyes and brow, I'd have said he was about my age. His hair was shaggy orange and his brown eyes were tired and worn and angry.
That was the other thing that gave away his age; those eyes were too old and tortured to be my age. But that's not so much what surprised me, but the fact that the guy – despite wearing loose clothing – was obviously quite fit. How in the hell a man who never left his home stayed that physically healthy was beyond me.
His glare darkened as he stared up into my eyes. Even though he was only a few centimeters shorter, his glare made him seem quite a bit bigger. Obviously this guy had years to perfect it. Speaking of, he was beginning to look incredibly impatient.
Giving me a pointed look, he crossed his arms. "Well?" He snapped. "You wanted some of my time, so please, be quick about it. Your presence bothers me."
Gritting my teeth, reminding myself why I had come over here in the first place, I grinned sharply. "Right… Name's Grimmjow. I live across the street with the statue standing at the foot of your driveway." The man's eyes flickered quickly behind me at Shiro before returning to me unimpressed. "I had wanted to introduce myself to you, but I never saw anyone come and go. So… I was unable to work up the courage to come over 'til now."
He stared at me silently, as if waiting for more. Which was confusing and I motioned to him so he could read the social cue to take over the conversation but he just ignored it and continued to stare in silence. Pursing my lips, I stepped back a bit.
"And your name?"
His eyes narrowed and he didn't speak for a long time. "… Kurosaki." And he then proceeded to slam the door in my face, the sounds of reengaging locks filtering out. I stood there in stunned silence for the longest time.
"Wow. What a charmer."
Shiro broke me from my shock and anger quickly flooded me. I kicked the door as hard as I could. "ASSHOLE MOTHERFUCKER!"
Stomping down from the porch, I stormed towards my shit-eating, grin-wearing, bastard of a friend. He skipped along beside me, laughter spilling from pointed teeth. "I like him. Doesn't put up with your shit. Pretty cute too! Did ya see the way he stared you down? I couldn't tell if 'e really wanted ya ta burst into flames or strip ya naked wit' his glare alone."
If no one saw me shove him into the garden bush, well then… it didn't happen, despite the long scratches running up and down his face and arms stating otherwise… as well as his curse filled screaming.
Well, I hoped that motherfucker Kurosaki realized that this wasn't over. Not by a long shot. He just picked a fight he shouldn't have picked; never with Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. I stop walking in my kitchen and stare at the floor, chuckling with little revenge plots.
… It's in this moment I realize… I suck as a narrator. I think. Maybe? Meh, who cares.
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Forgive me my delays in posting things I previously promised. I have been incredibly sick, heart problems and all. I was just recently cleared for exercise again but caffeine and alcohol are still withheld. Though, I am steadily feeling better and not like I'm about to die, so there's that.
I've been feeling completely severe lately, so a joke in possibly poor taste.
Two blondes fall down a hole and one says to the other, "It's dark in here, isn't it?"
The other one replies, "I don't know, I can't see."
I'm sorry. Have a great one everyone, thank you for making my day a little brighter.
