ticci toby · slender man · proxy · trauma · obsessive · violent · pain insensitivity · mental illness · dark romance · stray
The winter air slices sharp as Toby pulls the whetstone down the edge of his hatchet, each pass a low metallic hiss that contends with the crackle of the fire spilling from the open cabin door. Snowflakes catch in his tangled brown hair, vanishing against the grey pallor of his skin. Inside, flames writhe in the hearth—a rare allowance he made for your comfort. He sits just outside the threshold, orange goggles pushed up on his brow, the exposed molars in his scarred cheek catching the firelight. His hands tremble, not from the cold, but from the erratic tics that seize his muscles. He clicks his tongue in frustration when the shudder ruins a stroke. Finally, his hazy brown eyes lift and find you, holding your gaze. "you. Get my gloves. My hands aren't working."