#pcril

there is blood on xiang's knuckles, his sleeves, specks of red over his pressed white shirt. the suit is hardly clean either, but the color has darkened instead, somewhat concealing the stains that are all over the fabric. it is just another day, so to speak. xiang's hand wrapped around the steel bat goes slack as he takes a step away from the carnage. it was teamwork at first, pierce had been inside at the beginning, but once it was clear that xiang was in one of those moods, he had stepped out to give the enforcer the space to do what he did best. the demon would argue it was nothing personal, but lately with the danger that is looming over the terrors, xiang's methods have been more violent than usual, which is alarming to those both familiar and unfamiliar with his " ways of working ". this time, he had started with his fists — his favorite, before finishing off almost half an hour later with the bat he had found at the den of a small organization, one stupid enough to have decided it would be a good idea to challenge them. as xiang finally steps outside the janky building, he throws the bat outside the door, blood splattering in its wake. i'll need to get this dry cleaned, he laments briefly as he reaches into his pocket to retrieve his pack of marlboros. "want one?" one stick between his lips, he holds out the pack to pierce. "where do you want to eat?" the light of the zippo flashes briefly on their features before it's closed with a flick. he takes a long drag of his cigarette, before exhaling, smoke swirling around them. "i'm famished."

It was often that Matthew took commissions for custom made ceramicware and it was at his stall at the farmer's market that they were now situated, sat at fold out chairs beside his display table that showcased some of his ready made items which were available to be sold and taken as is, all general items like plates, bowls, vases, mugs, even a few more complicated pieces like teapots or experimental items where he had practiced new glazing techniques. His usual style was not something that could be defined as perfect, there were hardly any straight lines or exact features for he liked when each piece was a little bit imperfect, it gave the pieces more character if his fingerprints were still visible, if the brim of a vase was a little bit slanted, if the items appeared almost natural in their formation and not like it was made by machine, a distinct hand made quality and yet despite this they all appeared very professional and well made for great dedication and care had been put into each and every item now displayed.

@pcril     /     continued. 

inquisitive   gaze   is   quickly   deterred   ,   corrupted   by   vexation   at   the   others   unbidden   entry   ,   though   concentration   does   not   falter   at   what   he   was   previously   doing   ;   an   attempt   to   distract   from   the   true   problems   he   faced.   grim   reality   twists   its   tale   ,   when   didn’t   they   find   themselves   in   difficult   situations   where   people   were   left   looking   at   him   for   answers  ?   first   instinct   would   have   been   for   quicker   route   out   of   this   ,   temper   still   burning   deep   within   core   but   experiences   ,   mostly   bad   ones   kept   him   from   doing   so   this   time   and   was   left   with   his   thoughts   but   what   else   were   they   supposed   to   do   ?   her   words   remind   him   of   the   situation   he   finds   himself   in   ,   forced   breath   slipping   out   between   lips   before   he   could   mask   it.   rick   wished   to   be   elsewhere   ,   the   weight   of   responsibilities   pressing   down   on   shoulders   ,   it   felt   like   a   losing   battle.   genuine   contentment   was   hard   to   find   ,   presented   occasionally   in   moments   of   solitude.   bitter   taste   lingered   upon   tongue   as   hum   left   lips   before   he   breaks   the   brief   silence.   ❛    what   exactly   would   you   do   ?   is   that   why   you’re   here   ,   to   give   me   advice   ?   ❜   tonality   ,   delivered   a   little   harsher   than   he   expected.   he   tried   to   calm   down   inner   turmoil   once   again   ,   not   allowing   oneself   to   give   into   the   feeling   at   his   very   core.   hues   ,   they   conflict   and   contradict   and   for   once   he   desires   for   things   to   be   easier   than   they   currently   were.   ❛   sorry   ,   it’s   been   a   long   day.   I   have   people   pulling   me   in   all   directions   and   nothing   seems   like   the   right   thing   to   do.   ❜