#and a caretaker is draining some days

[sweater-daddiesdumbdork]

Taking care of a parent is hard. Especially when they just lie to themselves and continously justify their bad habits that are hurting them.

To try and be supportive and pick them up all while you are doing your own journey in trying to fix yourself.

When you are peeling back your own layers and now seeing what their trauma has done to you and learning to forgive them for it. Or not. Everyone is different in this case and that's okay.

I do know everyday I will try to be firm in boundaries with them while attempting to be patient and understanding. That I will continue to try be a version of myself who can love gently the parts that need care as well as fiercely to the parts that need fixing.

[lady-ashfade]

All Is Far In Love And Farming

Chapter 1: Getting Started

´*: ･ﾟ⋆˒ Yandere!Mha!Hybrids × Farmer! Fem!Reader. Chapter 1.

╰･ﾟ✧☽ storyline: The calling of being a professional farmer had been your dream since you were young. Growing up on your granddad’s farm was the best thing, many years later you happen to be back. And the property is now yours to restore. With some hard work, you want to restore hybrid caretaking back to what it once was.

╰･ﾟ✧☽ Chapters: Previous // Next

╰･ﾟ✧☽ words: 2.5k

╰･ﾟ✧☽ warnings: short chapters, stardew valley au, yandere behaviors, obsession, stalking, hybrid abuse, slightly sick love, possessive, manipulative, gaslighting. platonic yandere, hybrid and human relationships, and future warnings when more chapters come out, spelling mistakes and grammar who?

╰･ﾟ✧☽ characters for now: Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugou, Mina Ashido, Ochako Uraraka, Tenya lida, Denki Kaminari, Kyoka Jiro, Tsuyu Asui, Shoto Todoroki, Eijiro Kirishima, Hanta Sero, Mashirao Ojiro, Koji Koda, Momo Yaoyorozu

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-`｡ﾟ˘: ﾟ⋆ ––✷☽ ᱬ ☽✷––⋆ ﾟ: ˘ ﾟ｡.`-

Everything you once saw, the brightest of grass and the crops ripe and perfect, and the animals in the barns chirping of happiness— it was all gone. once a happy place you roamed in the summer as a kid was now a abandoned filthy place, old bards with holes and damaged walls. Nothing was what it used to be, the grass was as tall as small trees and it was going to take a lot of lovin.

But if your granddad taught you one thing is that; working for a better future would make everything you did it worth it.

And that’s exactly why you are here, to make your future. Everything in your life was about becoming a farmer, like your grandfather. and like him, you believed hybrids deserved to be in a safe and open land to roam, not such in some metal factory and enclosed to live their life.

“Come join the number one hybrid farm in Japan, The League.” the tv rung in your ears back at the college room, the place had been taking over everything and running all the local and good places out. at one point the only place you probably could work at was The League, since they seemed to be everywhere. “New locations, New Areas, And New Pay. Call the number on your screen for more information.” you had heard the commercial so many times you rolled your eyes everytime.

Never did you believe they would come out here, and be the competition. 

Honestly, the first day your body was drained easily from all the work. The labor wasn’t exactly what you were expecting to start off with, moving the rooks and weeding. But you had supplies to start off with thankfully, the money he left you was so much, and ready for a new purpose. But the only thing that was helping you in all of this, your holy grail was a local store owner. Arthur, who happened to be your grandfathers best friend.

slapping the metal truck with the gloved hand, the old man smiled and stepped down from the back of the moving truck. you whipped off the sweat from your skin and catch your breath as the unpacked heavy boxes placed besides you and man.

“The old man used to buy twice as much as this and unload it all him, then complain when his back hurt afterwards. Lucky, he had me to talk some since into him.” the white haired man spoke breathlessly. you didn’t want him to have to help, seeing his age but he was in better shape then you by the looks of things. “Old bat was stubborn, you got that in you kid?”

taking a deep breath you arose from the bend down position you were in and look at the man, smiling a bit you commented back. “Used to give granddad a run for his money, I think I have it in me.” you were earned with a deep chuckle and a small one from yourself. starting back up again you closed the doors and gave the man who drove the truck the okay and he drove away.

the next day was worse then the first, your body was sore and tired, you wore sunscreen all over your body to protect you from the heat damage and the illnesses you could catch. unpacking all the equipment, getting them put together, and make sure the starter crops are taken care of. you took many breaks. and Arthur was the greatest help you could ask for.

you heard the story of how he met your granddad many times before, but you didn’t mind hearing it from his side. Arthur had moved from the United States to start his business with his family, and your grandfather was just started out in town. they were younger and bonded right away, and there for marriages, children and grandchildren. knowing he wasn’t as alone when you left was comforting in a away but you knew the full story. just before your tenth birthday you were moved away from the small town with your parents and left the farm behind.

“He talked about you every day.” The words perked up your ears. You looked at Arthur as he continued to work on a huge fan.

“Everything that happened in your life, he would tell me. What happened at middle school sport events, to dances and even show pictures of the dresses you wore. And man, when you went to college for Hybrid Education he was bursting with energy again.” It’s been a long time since he was able to leave the cabin. You knew that, but knowing still punched you in the guts.

“Was he proud?” asking was a waste of time.

“Proud as hell, there should be no doubt about it. His pride and joy was you, more then anything he did here, and now you have a legacy to continue.” smiling you continue to work to hold yourself from the weight building up in your chest. you missed him so much.

Each day there was something new to fix and call in, you knew granddad was rich from the bank account he left you. but boy, it sure was a lot of money. and now, you finally had a starting point. you had scheduled a barn repair on the electrical and building. the crops were set up along with the sprinklers and scare crows, even cleaned out the well…but not without getting algae all over you.

Smalltowns in the country side where the best, everyone in the community was helpful towards one other. And since The League had a location down the road, the people really came together. Businesses were losing in hybrid projects and animals, but the crops were the same. But this met more hybrids lost there homes, and had to be relocated elsewhere else or to The League…You hated it.

A big wooden sign at one of the joint shop centers made you smile and turn into the lot. today was the weekly event, selling of many things of local produces. you remember coming here as a kid and always getting blueberry jam from the market lady. and just like then, it was crowded. and with a lot of stalls and moving trucks. Arthur had told you they still had them and that you should check it out. of course you wouldn’t miss this for anything.

you shut the truck door and fixed your clothes before started the walk around. everyone was selling amazing things at their booths. the first table you saw was one cover in homemade soap bars and honey products. a sweet older couple ran that shop. some stalls were for hybrids for sale but you didn’t have room for them, at least until the barns are rebuilt. but milk, crops and seeds where your thing anyway to look at.

“how much for this?” the only person behind the table was a young girl who looked angry and ready to chew off your head, it was laughable. she was going to be hard to haggle, but a amazing work ethic. “I don’t know you, so twenty bucks.” your eyes widen and look down at the honey in your hand. it was a very small jar…and not worth it, I mean for the bigger bottles sure.

“Hmm, how about ten?” the small girl glared at your words and huffed. she shook her head in annoyance and pointed to the tag, “you trying to get out of paying hard working people lady? This is the best honey you’ll find in the whole country! Haggling is only for people I know,” her finger pointed at you and you back up a little at her shouting voice. “And you ain’t it!”

signing you pull out a twenty and handed it to her, she smiles so kindly you forget about the anger she had. placing it in your cloth bag you continue walking down the path, smiling and looking around. not much you could buy yet, though you did buy from groceries and loaded the up in the bed of the truck.

“well if it ain’t the talk of the town,” a sweet woman’s voice called out loudly. you turn your gaze and see a almost forgotten face, but one that filled you with joy and nostalgia. “Aunty Hoshiko.” You scream and rush over, the older woman comes out form her booth and takes you into her arms. only now did you realize the sweet small of jam and the jar’s decorated like they used to be, but this area was bigger and a extra tent was behind it.

“I couldn’t believe you moved back here after moving to the city, heard you got into a good college.” She smiled from cheek to cheek while pulling away. “Why come back here?” it was flattering how much she thought of you, but you couldn’t have stayed away from this place for much longer.

“Well, grandpa left me the farm and I needed to start my new life. Can’t get much better then a already laid for land, and with great soil.” she hummed but her eyes dropped a little and her smile became different. “I’m so sorry, he was a good man. you tell me if you need any help okay? Your granddad helped us a lot, so many people in town will be willing to do help too.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” you smile and take a peek at the table, “mind if I look?” she is excited to show you all the new flavors and jars she has, letting you smell each one. she even offers you a discount for family.

you had a few jams picked out but you keep looking at everything, knowing you’ll come home with more. then there was a sign and paperwork around on a tables end.“Hybrid Rescues” is what you read and your hands reached for it immediately. seeing your interested, Hoshiko started to talk.

“The League has been running out businesses, hybrids are either purchased or…end up alone and abandoned. My friend runs a rescue company, we help her out here trying to give some of them a home.” you clinch the paper in your hand and want both more then to go punch the owners of the company. No hybrid deserves to be left alone.

“I usually have a few here with me, but today only one is for sale. He’s very special. And a house animal, or helper if you will since I know you don’t have much room for more yet.” the next step was to always get hybrids, but you weren’t sure if today was the best idea today…

“Oh!” that wasn’t your choice since she pulled your arm and lend you into the tent where only one hybrids sat. you struggled to look away from the hybrid laying in the floor.

He was huge. he looked peaceful tho, curled up on a bed and resting peacefully. he had long and pointed ears, a middle tail that curled. “he’s a special breed, no idea why they didn’t keep him since he must have cost a fortune.” there was a small scar on his arm and you hated to see, it looked like cattle whip strokes.

“tenya,” she called out quietly to wake the dog. you really didn’t know if you should get a hybrid, but seeing him already you knew you couldn’t say no. his furry ears twitched and his body rolled over ready to see what was happening. he was fast, and he was built. a pure breed for herding and hard labor. “I have someone here who needs a dog to help around the farm.” she patted you on the back and you got shy for some reason.

His tail was sticking up, his eyes glancing over and panicked. he was on high alert. “Hey buddy, my names y/n.” You smile softly. You don’t want to move until he gives you a sign. his nose sniffs into the air for a moment and his body freezes, you both stop for a minute too.

until the thumping of his tail was heard and he jumped up to greet you properly. you are taken aback and he gets excited and starts to shout, you can’t help but to smile. “My names Tenya, I am apart of the Iida breed. I have experience in herding, working and defending territory. I have many skills,” his hands reaches for hers and stuffs it into his nose to get a proper smell.

“Hello to you too,” you giggle. having some help now would be good, and a herding dog would the best thing.

“Tell me iida, are you okay with maybe coming home with me?” if it was only a dog he would for sure be jumping on you from how happy he seems to be.

Iida didn’t want you to leave to get things needed, saying it was his job to be with you now but you need to find food and things before leaving. he whined forever until he saw you again.

you came back to get him…like you said you would. he loved you, loved you so much. the kindest human he’s met.

Riding back to the farm was a journey. he was talking every second about all the things he could do, from each animal, hybrid or not. boy, was so happy to be by your side. and he was asking about you too. why you picked him? what you wanted him to do.

your heart broke once you got back to the cabin.

you held the door open and called for him to come in, but he just stood on the porch looking at you almost guilty. “Hybrids aren’t aloud inside, I must protect you from out here.” he was already looking for a place to set up for the night. it was a miracle you didn’t start crying again.

“Well, whoever told you that was a idiot. Many dog hybrids are aloud inside, and it’s my house so my roles go.” you tap the door again. he was hesitant, and it took about ten minutes to get him inside. and you told him to stay put while you get the things from the car…then told him it was a order to get him to stay.

you placed the things on the floor and smiled, proud of yourself. “Okay, so I got a large mattress for you. We can place it anywhere you want, also got you special food, hybrids approved.” he looked at the mattress for a long minute. Iida couldn’t believe it was his, he hadn’t slept on one of them since he was little, and then at the market earlier. And this one was his, made for his height and weight for him to sleep…inside.

“Your bought this for me?” He asked while poking at the bed, it’s softness amazed him. once he accepted his reality his tail starts to swing like crazy and crawled over to you, and hugged you lovingly.

“I’ll be the best boy I promise. anything you need I will do, anything.” his grip tightened around your waist and pushed his head into your plush stomach. you patted his head and thanked him, and told him he deserved to be loved and cared for.

That night, he placed his bed in front of your bedroom door and stood watch in his bed. to protect you, his master…his.

next chapter.

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Taglist: @serxinns @queenpiranhadon @hah-simp-acc-2 @imlonelyty @yourmommasworld @moonlight-dreamer04 @cherrysxuya @melody-deathnote @ladybug2235 @odevote118 @hrezx @androgynouszombiegentlemen @letmelickureyeballs @lovelystarstruckvoid @simpingmasterpiece

@ please don’t repost my stuff to any other platform. This is my writing so don’t claim it as your own.

[tarotwithavi]

When will you find love? And a little about your person.

How to choose a pile?

Close your eyes and take a deep breath and ask the angels to show you the right pile for you and open your eyes. The first pile that catches your attention is the right pile for you

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Pile 1

Alright pile 1! Welcome to your reading and the first message I'm getting is that you will find love when you start loving yourself The way You want to be loved. And it may be a long journey to be honest. However the love that will come to you between your journey is something you have dreamed of, and for some of you I am seeing that you may also attract your future spouse. Because I keep seeing a long committed relationship with the person that will come into your life when you start loving yourself. But I also want you to know that the universe will test you and will send you duplicate copies of your future spouse who are toxic so you may encounter some situations where you made out if this person is your future spouse or not and I want you to always choose yourself in such situations.

Now let's talk about that person, I see that for most of you this person could be a fire sign or an Earth sign. The person you are meant to be with is really mentally strong and embodies the traditional qualities of their gender. What I mean by that is if you are a woman attracted to men your person will embody all the qualities of a traditional man like being the caretaker, being the provider etc. women attracted to women then your person will embody all the qualities of a traditional woman like being supporting, being nurturing etc. and their qualities will not be toxic like how traditional man are viewed as controlling and lack of consideration etc. and I'm also getting that your person will spend their money on you and their love language maybe gifting. I also see that your person belongs to a really big family or a family that has a rich background like some sort of reality or respect that comes from being born in their family. I also see that your person has a really nice voice and whenever they speak it sounds soothing. For some of you their mother may have been a single mom or they may not have good relations with their father. I also see that your person requires a lot of rest because the work they do requires a lot of their energy and their work could be mentally draining.

Pile 2

How are you? Pile 2, first of all I have a good news for you, you are on the journey of finding love and I am saying that because I see that you have been putting a lot of work on yourself and you have been feeling full of love these days for some of you you can literally feel deep inside of you that you are about to meet someone whom you are going to fall in love with. I also see that some of you may have been invited to go somewhere or you will be invited in the near future and you may meet your person there. Some of you are about to find love within a month and some of you will find love in summer time. I also see that you are about to be asked out on a date and I want you to give this a chance because I feel positive Vibes from this pile (of course only accept if you feel like doing it)

Now let's talk about your person. I see that your person could be a fire or a water sign and Aries, Leo and cancer specifically. I see that this person has been through a lot and you can literally see it on their face or you may feel it when you meet them. I also see that you both share equal feelings for each other and this may be the person you are crushing on currently. They may be an artist or they may like to create beautiful things in their free time. Another message I'm picking upon is that they will give you handmade things like handwritten letters , DIY flowers etc because I see that they are someone who shows their Love by doing things for the person they love. I also see that on a side note they may suffer from anxiety or depression or they may have insomnia. However they will recover soon and they could be born in the month of April or April could be a significant month for you. I also see that they hide their pain and their sufferings from others. This person is really physically attractive and they always have something nice to say. They give great advice and the words that come out of their mouth are literally the words of wisdom. I also see that they may do charitable work or they may work in the medical field. Your person may be a bit different from you or from the way you were brought up. For some of you, they can have a fear of lizards or it can be the complete opposite. They may wear a hat or turban, it could be related to their culture.

Pile 3

Heyyyy pile 3! The first thing I'm getting is that this pile is divided into two groups. People who resonate more with group 1 will find love soon, like within 5 to 6 months and the people who resonate with group 2 will find love in , maybe 11 months to 14 months. Now I will be listing some things which will help you find your group. If you are a fire sign or you talk a lot or you talk really fast, walk fast, have a black round mole on your right hand or right side of your body, long fingers, wear glasses not contracts, have more than 8 friends who you talk to, or like pink then you are group 1. And if you are an Earth sign, wear baggy clothes, have a great balance, are or may have been a cheerleader, live near forest, droopy nose, long fingernails or are wearing a black top/hoodie currently then you are group 2. Of course, you can read if you don't resonate with any of these groups.

Okay so I see that some of you literally manifested this person. Within the past 9 months you may have done a ritual or made a wish about love and your wish is about to be granted. I also see that you may meet this person through a friend or your sibling. Because I see that you will get to know this person through a mutual friend or someone. Another message I'm getting is that your person is literally a dream come true for you however I also see that they may have a lot of passion (you know what I'm talking about 🌝👀) and I also see that they are really knowledgeable they may speak 3 to 4 languages and they may have a lot of friends that are different from them. Another thing I'm getting is that some of you share a past life connection with this person and in this lifetime you two are meant to be together so nothing can pull you apart. I also see that your person has a lot of responsibility on their shoulders and I also see that sometimes they get overwhelmed by taking care of everything. They also have a tendency to stress over things they cannot control. Your person could be an air sign or Earth sign. They already have a bright personality and a lot of people notice them. I also see that they know how to take care of things and situations but sometimes they just stress over nothing. They have good time management and hate people who are not punctual. They know what they are capable of and they know what they deserve. They are really sure about themselves and they will not second guess their choices. They require a lot of time alone to function properly, however that will not be a hurdle in your relationship because I see that you have this quality too.

Muah 💋

[yet-another-heathen]

On the topic of realistic conditioning/deconditioning,

If the trigger is something whumpee wouldn't hear often when they're with caretaker but whumpee still wants to break it because they might hear it elsewhere (like kneel being taken as a command)

Would whumpee ask caretaker to casually trigger them so they have the opportunity to challenge it in their own head and in a safe place? Would this be a good idea for recovery?

And of course being there with the praise everytime whumpee makes just a little bit of progress, or comfort when they don't.

Heads up, anon: your ask was an EXCEPTIONALLY good one, and I ended up writing another mini TED talk (~3-4 min read) in response. Thank you so much for sending it in!

...on Conditioned Whumpees - Part 3

[ Part 1 - Part 2 ]

That is a very, very good idea! You're spot on with all of it, particularly operating in a safe environment where whumpee is ultimately calling the shots. Having that comfort/support readily available will make a huge difference in how well whumpee can tackle the matter. And while the process isn't fun, approaching desensitization with this much intent is much, much more likely to result in success.

I can offer a few pointers that can add another few layers of realism, as well as some other things to think about while tailoring it to your story:

if whumpee is actively working through their conditioning in this way, memories of their trauma will become closer to the surface. As a result, all of their other PTSD symptoms will be elevated during the course of their practice sessions, as well as for at least a few weeks after.

flashbacks are a very common experience during times like this. engaging with triggers like this is going to cause their flashbacks to become more frequent and intense.

during such flashbacks, it is almost a given that whumpee's mind and body will enter a similar state to the one it was in during the time when the flashback was taking place. By that I mean that the fear they felt in that moment, where it was physically located in their body, will echo into their body in the present moment. Same goes for other all other emotions, and sometimes even phantom aches surrounding any injuries they received at the time...

while the emotions tend to be identical to the ones felt during the trauma, in my experience, the pain comes out distorted in a similar way to the way it does in dreams: less intense, and more "blurry" and imprecise in location. When we say that someone having a flashback is "reliving the moment", we mean that their body literally feels as though they're in the same immediate danger that it was in back then.

this is true even though they'll be aware to at least some degree that they're presently with caretaker and safe.

the flashbacks don't always happen immediately after the conditioning trigger is used. Often they flare up hours or days later, sometimes without warning, sometimes as a result of encountering a different flashback trigger. The whumpee's thresholds for what counts as a trigger will drop, which is part of what causes the flashbacks to happen more often. Something they could normally ignore is going to affect them much more while they're like this.

your whumpee is more likely to experience severe mood swings while in this heightened state. Especially feelings like irritability, frustration, anger, loneliness, and grief. This stuff ain't pretty, folks. Even your sweet cinnamon bun is most likely going to lash out at someone as a result.

PTSD episodes are also exhausting. your whumpee is going to feel mentally, physically, and emotionally drained. And, to add insult to injury, being tired amplifies the emotions listed above.

Now all of this said, your whumpee may or may not know that this is to be expected. If they've worked on processing their trauma before this, they'll have figured out that one often leads to the other. They'll go into the deconditioning practice knowing this is coming, and will approach it carefully, but with a fairly level head. Knowing that it'll suck, but they'll come out the other side okay.

If not, they're in for a rather nasty surprise.

For the latter, they will feel at first that the deconditioning practice is making everything worse. They're suddenly struggling the way they did when the trauma was fresher, and it can be tempting to stop and refuse to touch it again because the mental/emotional pain gets so intense.

If they do give up at this stage, it will make trying again far more daunting in the future.

But the trauma being stirred up is actually a sign that it's helping. It means that the whumpee is starting to process what happened to them, which is a fundamental step in being able to heal.

Note: All throughout the process, crying is a very good thing. It lets them physically get rid of a lot of the brain chemicals associated with these surges of emotion. Letting themselves cry over things they couldn't cry about back then can actually help them let go of those feelings in a similar way to if they'd been able to process them in the moment. [Which is the basis for much of EMDR, a specialized tool used in trauma therapy.]

Okay. So now we know what other effects can cascade from the actual deconditioning practice, now we have some things to consider.

First off, what time parameters are whumpee and caretaker working within while deconditioning? There are three basic options:

they sit down together and practice repeatedly using the trigger for [X amount of time; usually <45m at once] back to back. Once that time is up, caretaker will no longer use the trigger at all, the excercise will end, and they'll get up to do something else.

whumpee sets a specific window of time [X number of hours] within which caretaker will use the trigger word at random points. Once that time has elapsed, the exercise is over.

over the course of days, caretaker uses the trigger word at random points without giving warning. the excercise only stops after being ended by whumpee.

Now why is that important? Because of something called hypervigilance. It is another symptom of PTSD which, to put it into the simplest words, is whumpee waiting for the other shoe to drop. It's a heightened state of tension and wariness in which whumpee is expecting that something bad is going to happen, and is constantly searching for any sign to indicate when it's coming.

It is beyond exhausting.

Imagine knowing that someone is about to slap you as hard as they can, and you have to sit there with your eyes closed, waiting for it. The breath-holding, the flinchiness, the rigid tension in your body as you strain to listen for when they're coming.

Only now, stretch that moment out into hours. Days. Weeks. That is hypervigilance.

A hypervigilant whumpee is not going to be able to relax. Or rest. Or decompress. Or readily trust much of anything around them. They're MUCH more likely to flinch at sudden movements/sounds. They might start biting their nails or showing other signs of nervousness and distress.

These methods above have a gradually increasing chance of setting off whumpee's hypervigilance. If they know exactly when the next trigger is coming, as in example 1, then their 'waiting for it' tension will be low. But the more uncertain they become of exactly when it's going to happen, as in examples 2 & 3, the worse the hypervigilance is going to get.

The trade off is that the later examples are more effective in desensitizing them toward the trigger. The more their practice mimics encountering an unexpected trigger in day-to-day life, the easier it will be to fall back on that desensitization when the time comes.

Therefore, it would be a very good idea for a whumpee who's new to this to start with number 1, then gradually progress to 2 & 3 as time goes on. They should be the one to decide when the next step is made, and if/when they need to dial it back.

Other questions to ask yourself while plotting:

how mentally prepared is whumpee for worsening symptoms? what about caretaker? did either of them know it was coming?

how much of this heightened PTSD stress can your whumpee take before it becomes too much? how do they react when they do hit that tipping point?

if caretaker feels that whumpee is getting too distressed during practice even though they're not tapping out, would they call it off themself? Or would they ultimately leave that decision to whumpee?

based on the answer, how would whumpee feel about caretaker's decision? Relieved? Belittled? Betrayed?

does whumpee have any grounding tools they can use while practicing?

how does caretaker handle the mood swings and instability that come with whumpee's heightened PTSD? You should consider both their internal and external reactions on the matter.

how does whumpee prefer to decompress after a practice session? what things would help them calm down and recover?

how long do they need (hours or days) before the next attempt?

Even with all I've just written, there's far more to the resulting hightened state of PTSD than flashbacks and hypervigilance. PTSD symptoms that they're most likely to encounter in the background while doing deconditioning practice include:

Flinchiness, anxiety, panic attacks, nightmares, exhaustion, emotional mood swings, outbursts, crying spells, depression, executive dysfunction, dissociation, numbness, racing thoughts, freeze responses, tremors, inappetence, muscle tension, and heart palpitations.

Yes, usually many of them at once, even those that contradict. Your whumpee is going to have a LOT going on at once, and it is not going to be a fun time. I recommend looking up any of the above symptoms you don't recognize, and looking for whump inspiration in what you learn.

(Because everyone experiences PTSD episodes differently, there's a lot of wiggle room in which ones whumpee will encounter. Don't feel pressured to use all of them, find what you want to write and have fun with it!)

Thanks again for the incredible ask, anon. And again, I want to congratulate you on how spot-on your original ask was. You nailed it. I know this was a lot more than you asked for, but I hope this provides helpful context for your whump! My inbox will always be open if you think of anything more <3

[bitchfitch]

After years and years of having a schedule that was more a halfhearted shrug than a neat itinerary, there was a certain peace to finally having a dinner time routine.

Rice in the cooker, wild game cuts in the oven with whatever vegetables hadn't gone off since his last trip into town. The timer set for ten minutes longer than the meal ever actually needed. His stomach couldn't handle meat still pink with a memory of life anymore.

While it cooked he'd place a tarp before the back door. The blue plastic wrinkled along the lines by which he always found it folded.

Then he'd step out into the cool evening to where his freshest trophy would be hanging just beyond the edge of the creaky porch. It a was a deer today, it's back hooves tied to the rafter so it's blood could drain from the dainty gash across it's throat. This wasn't a necessity, it just lessened the mess he would eventually have to deal with.

He untied it, and carried it to rest it in the center of the tarp before pulling the corners up to encase it in crinkly darkness. The bright green climbing rope being used to bind the package closed while he made a note to himself to dig out the hank of rope again so he could cut a new, less gnawed on, piece for tomorrow's meal time.

He could hear the thing coming up the staircase from the basement. Stairs were difficult for it, always had to crawl up them on its hands and knees. Stopping every few steps to gather itself against vertigo.

"What's cooking?" it called in a chipper voice, its bruise darkened fingers scrabling at the lower edge of the door. Its cracked nails adding to the deep gouges in the old wood. "What's cooking?" it repeated like a scratched record. Its clawing growing more frenzied as it got more and more excited at the prospect of meal time.

"Deer." he responded, dragging the bundle to the locked door.

"Einer!" it said, its voice being stolen from a long gone day at the lake, "Home," it whined with defeat borrowed from a day it never saw, then a garbled growl as it's limited repertoire of echos ran up against a concept it didn't have the words to express.

"You know that's not how it works," Einer sighs with some glimmer of fondness. "Who am I?"

"Einer!" a perfect echo of what it had said before.

"Where are we?"

"Home."

"Who are you?"

The growl came on its cue, exactly as it had every miserable day since Einer managed to trap it and establish this little test of whether or not it might be able to be reasoned with today.

"Good, good. To your spot please."

It scrambled back down the stairs, heavy thunks sounding as its excited crawling turned into more of a controlled series of falls.

Then a loud metallic racket bounded forth from the vent slats in the floor as it slapped at the ancient pipe that connected the furnace to the rest of the cabin's mostly defunct air ducts. Their way of signaling when it was well and clear away from the stairs where it might damn them both by attacking its caretaker.

He undid the bolts on the door quickly yanking it open before kicking the plastic wrapped deer down the stairs and slamming the door shut again. The unspoken race between them commencing as he rushed to get the bolts and locks latched once more before it could get up the stairs in an opportunity fueled bout of blood frenzy.

Einer won today. He's won every day so far.

Its fingers appear under the edge of the door again, its breath ragged and sounding wet with too much spit as it uselessly dug into the steel toe of his boot.

"You know where your dinner is," he took a step and waited to see if he'd be granted one moment of clarity as it came down from it's frenzy.

It churred, a soft animal sound he didn't think something so human looking should be able to make. Its fingers stilled, then disappeared back into the darkness beyond the door before returning. Its hand palm side up this time.

He was quick to crouch, carefully curling his fingers against it's. Its skin porcelain, smooth and cold against the callouses he had earned in his time caring for it.

"Einer," it said, this echo being taken from a gentle memory of two lovers in their wedding bed, before its touch disappeared and it began its clumzy trek back down the stairs.

He always stayed knelt there a little too long, wondering if it knew he lingered there. If it cared. Before standing and checking to see if his meal was over done to his liking.

[lilacxquartz]

Don’t Make Me Feel Alive | Chapter 1

kenjaku x f!reader

plot: diagnosed at an early age with an illness that slowly deteriorated your body; you went from being a promising sorcerer to a retired husk of your once former self until he found you, offering you an opportunity to live instead—not that you had a choice to refuse.

chapter summary: you used to be so powerful before your illness claimed you and right on your deathbed, rather than finally meeting your end, you met your salvation instead. or did you?

themes: yandere, chronically ill reader, forced dynamic, non-con, dub-con, violence, caretaking, unrequited feelings, sorcerer reader, dead-dove, mixed pov, potential interpretations of dubious sorcery, spoilers

AO3 Link • Chapter Directory • Next Chapter >

1. Beginning

You were born with a disease; a terrible one too.

At first, you didn’t really notice it in your youth as the progression was initially subtle, the signs not really quite there just yet and for that duration, you were bustling with potential, a promising sorcerer with a powerful technique—a future so bright and aglow with promise.

However, all good things must come to an end and that’s exactly where you were headed.

Even if you were once sculpted with such strength and vibrancy—the illness drained away all the colour from your once saturated existence, replacing your present day life with a film of bleak monochrome, anchoring away at your body, soul and mind.

Not even your cursed technique known for its electrifying power was capable of reigniting the spark lost within you; your body relented against you, forcing you to succumb and deteriorate with not a single thing you could do.

It was a little humiliating in a way—like a bitter pill that you weren’t quite ready to swallow and yet here you were, forced to face reality whether you wanted to or not.

It felt strange being on your deathbed in your mid twenties, but it wasn’t all too bad.

The doctor who oversaw you did her best to offer comfort, assuring you that it likely wasn’t your time just yet, but she didn’t feel what you did, she didn’t understand your body the same way that you did. It was close, almost time for you to go, but strangely you didn’t quite mind. Whether it was your final week or your final day, you felt excited; you wanted to rest.

This was a sickness that made you feel weak after all, so tired and terribly sore.

So when you felt that strangely alluring pull invite you to a place you probably shouldn’t quite tempt going to just yet, you found yourself unable to resist the promise of a good sleep. Maybe even, with some luck, it could last forever and you would never have to live out your days in pain again.

To finally be devoid of suffering.

To drift off into oblivion, lost in an eternal void.

And yet, as you succumbed to the total darkness that otherwise awaited you, there was a strange sensation that manifested in the waking world—an interference of some kind? It felt as though unseen hands reached out to grab you, interrupting you from going under a final time and pulling you back to the surface, forcing you to live another day.

Your eyes reluctantly opened, feeling that something was off.

You were being monitored—watched by something, someone.

Your eyes focused on the person who stood before you, meeting with his chilling gaze from a stare so vacant and devoid of humanity, that he could have been the devil himself.

The stranger greeted you with cold indifference, bordering contempt as he continued to guide his gaze, the palms that he had initially planted firm against your chest now slowly moving away, having successfully done something that you couldn’t quite understand; your body still felt sore and yet, the pull of the void wasn’t so strong anymore.

Did he just give you life?

“It would be such a waste of a good technique if you were to die right now, you know,” the stranger spoke, his voice calm and deliberate, laced with a threat that he kept hidden well.

“What good is it if I can’t use it?” you croaked in response.

His lips curled into an amused smile as he heard your question, those soulless eyes finally ablaze with life, a flicker of something almost human.

“You can. Or, at least, I can make it so that you will be able to again.”

“Impossible,” you denied, knowing fully well that your body didn’t work the way you wanted it to, no matter how many times you have tried before.

“Don’t be so sure,” he persisted, his voice ringing almost melodic as he continued to fill your mind with ideas you couldn’t quite believe, “don’t you want to live your life again?”

You sighed into a nod, however not trusting the stranger just yet. There was something incredibly off-putting about him, seeming just a little too calculated and methodic, as if danger lurked behind his promising words.

“I mean, I want to, but…” you began.

“Sleep on it,” he told you, seeming to tease you as his widening grin revealed his teeth, “you were about to anyway, weren’t you?”

“Y-yeah, but-”

“Then do so,” he said, taking a step forward, “dream.”

The strange man’s words felt strangely hypnotic as you found yourself exhausted once again. A part of you wondered if this was some sort of hallucination already, perhaps one of those dreams that people could have as their bodies closed up shop, even if you did clock it as unfortunately real.

You closed your eyes as you let the pull of the void take you under once more, feeling the strangely familiar touch of unseen hands tugging away at your body once again, pulling your soul back up to the surface, preventing you from fading away. It was again that you felt haunted by a looming danger, your eyes blurring to focus awake.

When you finally properly awoke, you took immediate note that you weren’t in the hospital anymore despite being hooked up to similar machinery.

Where exactly were you?

As you sat up to make sense of your surroundings, your eyes scrolled around the room in a surge of desperation—your gaze begging for a clue, only for your stomach to drop as your body froze. Right by the door, he stood there, that same man from before with his creepy, unsettling smile.

“I will be honest with you though, you might not like what you’ll have to do,” the strange man spoke, his words flowing as smoothly as they did before.

“Which is…?” you asked, sounding a little resigned. Of course there was a catch, there always was.

“You’re going to be helping me with something.”

You blinked, “And that’s bad?”

“Given your prior alignment, I’d say so,” he smiled as he took a step closer, his fingertips brushing against your cheek, “but worry not, you will live should you accept.”

“But what if I refuse?” you dared to ask, your voice barely a whisper as his touch seemed to dampen your ability to speak.

“Don’t be silly,” he replied with a softer tone, his black eyes boring into yours as he intensified his unrelenting gaze—his smile falling flat, “I wouldn’t let you.”

(Not even if you tried to do so again and again.)

[sapphicmutt77]

CW: Ego/Identity Death! Continue with care!

Oh to be reset. Maybe even erased.

Imagine being taken by something beautiful, you're minding yourself, existing as you always have, and the next moment you're somewhere else. A basement, a garden, a quiet segment of forest, it doesn't matter. And she's there, she stands in front of you. Her eyes are as gentle as can be. You try to scream but she puts a finger to your lip.

"Shhh, it's okay pet, you're safe. I know how you've suffered." She plays with your hair, she leans in to kiss you on the cheek. You don't resist, you don't want to. "I'm here to make things much better~"

You feel something sharp penetrate the back of your neck. You feel it drain you, perhaps not physically, but you feel your grip on reality lessen moment by moment. Your memories are fading, at first a day, then a week, fragments disappearing moment by moment. Where did you go to school? I've forgotten. Who is your family? I don't have one.

"Don't worry pet, it'll all be over soon, you'll be able to start from zero, doesn't that sound lovely?"

It does sound lovely. So lovely. You choke back sobs for a moment, unable to tell if they are tears of joy or fear. You call out to the woman through tears.

"Yes Pet?" She says, her voice smooth as honey.

"Please... Hold me..."

Her arms wrap around you, squeezing you into a comfortable warm embrace. She pets your head, humming a gentle tune as your eyes flicker.

"Good night pet, it's time for you to rest."

Your eyes softly close.

When you awake, well, maybe not you, but you, she's there.

You don't know who she is. You don't know where you are. You don't know your name. It's scary. Everything is scary.

You curl up in a ball as you begin to sob, it's the only thing that makes sense. She comes over to you, and gently pets you. You look up to her with innocent eyes. She's so pretty.

She tells you your name, she tells you that she'll be your caretaker from now on. She tells you that she will love you to the fullest. She tells you that you'll never have to worry again. Even through the fog, you know she's telling the truth. Her earnest love sings through ever word. She offers you her hand. You reach for it with your shaky paw and hold it tight. She helps you up, your poor legs give out as you find them hard to use. She doesn't let you stumble for long as she lifts you into a princess carry. You nuzzle into the crook of her neck. She's so soft. After some minutes of walking and being carried, you hear a door creak open. A flurry of warmth floods over you.

"Welcome home pet~"

You feel your heart beat and your cheeks flush. A warm delight blossoms deep within you.

You smile.

You're home!

[pepplemint]

Like okay imagine you are a human child growing up with a vampire mother. You don't know any other humans like you - not because humans don't exist, but because they're all locked up. And although your mother is keeping you hidden, the majority of society is just vampires. Then one day you find out the truth - the vampires are in fact eating (from) the humans, and they would probably eat you too, given the chance. This is a horror movie scenario -

But! The vampires technically don't have a choice in this - human blood is the only thing they can eat. There's not enough humans that would willingly give up blood, so they have to "farm" them just so that they can survive. Some of them even try their best to care for the humans - like your mom, and some humans like their vampire caretakers. They've never even lived without a vampire to care for them, so they might not even know how to! Sure, there's also the bad apples, those who only see humans as food and nothing more, but isn't there always?

Nonetheless - both good and bad are draining humans of their lifeforce and taking away their freedom, that is a fact. The kid decides that because of the circumstances making them the only one capable of it, they need to save the other humans and get far away from the vampires. ...Also they have a magical vampire killing m20 bazooka 👍 So up against individual vampires they are way overpowered, really. They kill vampires like slicing through butter.

The issue here is too complex to say that anyone is wrong. Both sides are doing what they're doing not out of pleasure, but to be able to survive and feel safe. There is no possible middle ground. Vampires live, at the cost of humanity being enslaved and milked for blood. Or humans get to live (safely), but the vampires starve.

And we could apply it to the world in an even larger metaphor or take it at face value, doesn't really matter. Humans and vampires might look alike, might be just as smart and good with words and have similar needs, but ultimately one of them living is dependent on the other suffering. So can you possibly say that one deserves to live more than the other? That one has more of a right to hurt the other to protect their own species?

Anyway yes this is about Trigun. And how Millions Knives maybe wasn't right but he sure also wasn't wrong

[her-satanic-wiles]

Dawn Chorus - IV

Dracopia x Fallen Angel!Reader

When you question the Almighty for a third time, you find yourself on the run and escaping a horde of wrathful angels ready to punish you for your insolence. Whose garden should you fall into than Cardinal Copia’s? And he has more nefarious plans for you.

Masterlist ⛧ Commissioned by anonymous ⛧ Series Masterlist

Words: 6.1k.

Reading Time: 25min.

Warnings: blood extraction, body control, corruption kink,finger sucking, forced sexual activity,gaslighting,irrelevant character death,mentions of death by sun exposure, non-consensual sexual activity,objectification, religious disillusionment, religious trauma, sexual harassment, taking advantage of innocence, use of needles,use of the word “bitch” unkindly

Taglist: @da-rulah @teenage-birt-dag @akayuki56 @dopey-fandom-girl @ravensbars @copiaspet622 @onlyhereforghost @ultrahalloweengirl @ad-astra-per-aspera-1976 @whitepawfics @dolceterzo

🔞 MDNI 🔞

As this fic is quite dark, I'm choosing to rate it 21+. Please respect my decision. Thank you.

“I feel as though thou hast drained all my blood and brought me to the brink of death.” You tried to stand but your body was too weak. “For how long hath I been in slumber?”

“Five days,” the Cardinal looked back to his book, “your recovery time is getting longer. We’re going to have to start rationing if this keeps up. Or get another angel. Say, do you think we could use you as bait?”

“I pray thee choke and perish upon my blood.”

The Cardinal laughed. “If that happens,” the door to his bedroom knocked, then opened, “you’ll be stuck in that cage forever - ah! Brother López. Come in, please!”

The Brother opened the door wider and stepped inside, looking polite as he watched the Cardinal stand to greet him.

“Angel,” the Cardinal addressed you, “this is my new cleaner, Brother Santiago López.”

You couldn’t help the wave of disappointment and fear take over you. But as you spoke, you tried to keep your voice level and nonchalant, “Oh. What befell thy previous caretaker?”

“I found out he was trying to help a certain prisoner escape, and so he needed to be punished.”

“If thou has slain him, I swear by the Almighty I shall smite thee!” Your anger bubbled up far too quickly for someone who was supposed to remain nonchalant.

“Oh relax, you crazy bitch. We sent him to an abbey in America to shovel pig shit.”

You exhaled a sigh of relief, feeling your muscles relax knowing that he was okay. “For what reason?”

The Cardinal tapped Brother López on the shoulder and gestured for him to leave, which he did promptly, fearing what he was going to see. “You know why.” The Cardinal said, simply. His voice quieter than usual.

Your voice was less sharp, but still loud. “I can assure thee, I do not.”

“You mean to tell me that you weren’t trying to escape? That you and Brother Hayward weren’t attempting to break you out of that little cage to get you to freedom, hm? Come on now, Angel. I’m more than happy for my pets to have pets, but when they start rebelling against me, lines must be drawn.”

“Thou wast aware he visited here?”

He took in a long breath through his nose, so sharp his nostrils retracted with the inhale. “Could smell him Every time I came home and his scent was stronger than usual - knew he was here a while. And then when he was under the bed, his heartbeat was so loud.” The Cardinal walked over to the cage and rested his hands on the bars, leaning his whole body on it. “His fear would have tasted so good.”

You spat in his face, hearing some of your spittle sizzle against the metal bars. The Cardinal sighed, and wiped it away before hitting the side of the cage.

“The next time you pull something like that, Angel,” he began, his voice loud and so enraged, “I will personally make sure your little pet dies in front of you, and I’ll make it slow and painful. Do you understand?”

When you didn’t answer, he hit the cage again. “Understand?”

“I understand.”

He stood up to his full height and straightened his hair, then began fiddling with his clothes. “I don’t like getting angry with you, Angel. But sometimes you leave me no choice.” He turned to walk away, but stopped at the door. “Oh, and angel?” He said, his voice soft and sweet like butter wouldn’t melt. He looked at you, mismatched eyes piercing into your soul. “Brother Hayward may be in a different country, but one word from me and all 6 litres of his blood gets delivered to my fridge, and his corpse will be buried beneath abbey soil. I’ll be back.”

The threat of his return felt even more sinister with the tone of voice he used, and for the first time since this whole ordeal started, you felt the sharp pang of fear that had the small amount of blood inside you run cold. Your safety didn’t matter. You were just you. But now Thomas’ life was in jeopardy and it was entirely your fault. Memories of Brother Thomas’ kind eyes and gentle words flooded your thoughts, each one a painful reminder of the danger he now faced because of you. Guilt gnawed at your insides like a ravenous beast, twisting and clawing at your conscience until it threatened to consume you whole. You had thought yourself strong, resilient in the face of the Cardinal’s torment. But now, faced with the consequences of your actions, you felt nothing but fear and despair creeping in, threatening to engulf you entirely.

As the Cardinal’s footsteps faded down the hallway, leaving behind an oppressive silence, you couldn’t shake the weight of his threats echoing in your mind. The air in the room felt heavy, suffocating, as if the walls themselves were closing in on you. For though you may be trapped in this gilded cage, your spirit remained unbroken. And as long as there was breath in your body, you would fight tooth and nail to protect those you held dear, no matter the cost.

Your own body continued to repair itself, slower than it usually would. The five days it took you to regain consciousness turned into twenty more of total healing time. The Cardinal kept a monitor of your levels based on how you smelled, which meant every day, his long, rodent nose would poke through the bars as he inhaled your scent, making sure his tavern was restocking perfectly well. He didn’t try and pry any information from you in that time, which you hated to admit that you were grateful for. But he had developed a habit of sitting and staring at you, taking joy in watching you squirm uncomfortably. He’d brought in a red, velvet armchair from the living space to do just that. Every evening, he’d waltz into his room with a glass of your blood, now tainted red from your essence, and sit and observe you, like an animal in a cage. You never said anything: always believing he wanted you to start a conversation, but you’d never let him win.

At first, the Cardinal’s constant scrutiny had been unbearable, like a stifling weight pressing down on your chest, making it difficult to breathe. His presence had been a constant reminder of your captivity, of just how at his mercy you truly were. But as the days stretched into weeks and the Cardinal’s routine became an unsettling rhythm in your life, something shifted within you. You found yourself growing accustomed to his gaze, almost welcoming it in a twisted sort of way. Not that you enjoyed it, by any means. Just that a routine was being established and the Cardinal became the only constant in your life. The only entertainment, too. And so, instead of shrinking away from his viewing, you began to meet his eyes head-on, a silent challenge in your gaze. You refused to cower under his oppressive stare, refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing you squirm. You found yourself seeing him in return, studying the lines of his face, the way his eyes glinted with a predatory gleam. There was a darkness lurking behind those mismatched orbs, a darkness that chilled you to the bone. But even as you studied him, a sense of defiance burned within you. You refused to let the Cardinal break you, refused to let him strip away your dignity and humanity. You were more than just a prisoner in a cage; you were a warrior, a survivor, and you would not be defeated so easily. Heaven couldn’t get you, neither could he.

So, you met the Cardinal’s gaze with steely determination, a silent reminder that despite his best efforts, you would not be broken. And as you stared back at him, you couldn’t help but wonder what secrets lay hidden behind those calculating eyes, what darkness lurked within the depths of his soul.

The Cardinal’s entrance into the room that night was accompanied by an air of smugness so thick you could practically taste it. His smirk was evident as he sauntered in, a book tucked under one arm and a glass of your blood held casually in the other, a smile so wide, you could see his fangs underneath the skin. You watched him with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity, wondering what had put that self-satisfied gleam in his eyes. It was rare to see him so openly pleased with himself, and it set your nerves on edge.

As he approached your cage, he made no attempt to hide his triumphant grin, relishing in the power he held over you. He settled into the red velvet armchair with an air of satisfaction, taking a leisurely sip from the glass of blood as if it were the finest vintage wine, because, to him, it was. His eyes flicked over to you, and you met his gaze with a steely resolve, refusing to let him see any hint of fear or weakness. “So, Angel,” he began, his voice dripping with arrogance, but his words slurred slightly from the drink, “I’ve been doing some reading lately. Did you know there’s a whole chapter in this book dedicated to angels like you?”

Your stomach twisted uneasily at the implications of his words, but you kept your expression carefully neutral, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing you flinch.

“It seems there’s quite a lot I didn’t know about your kind,” he continued, his tone laced with malice. “But don’t worry, Angel. I plan on remedying that very soon.” With a chilling smile, he opened the book in his hands, his eyes gleaming with a dark intensity that sent a shiver down your spine. “Do you know this book?”

You shook your head.

“It was written by Lorenzo Giovanni during the Renaissance, the last time an angel knowingly fell to Earth. A vampyre, like me. Spent most of his days studying the angel, finding out what makes you tick - turns out, he got pretty far. Unfortunately, his work was unfinished. A mob found out what he was and got to him in 1492, tied him up and let the Sun do all the work. But, do you know what he did find?” He didn’t wait for you to shake your head this time. He cleared his throat, and began to read aloud. As he began to read, you couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of something far more sinister. “‘In celestial governance, once the manner is known, it is a simple matter. The heavenly messengers utilize the dread of the Almighty to manage their subordinates. However, those angels who have questioned the supremacy of the Lord are subject to the influences of their sacred radiance, the origin of which is their halo. Thus, one who attains an angel’s halo possesses the capability to command the entity, as well as the sacred radiance enveloping it.’ This we know, correct?”

You remained silent. So, the Cardinal continued, “‘This process assumes two guises: one to govern the physical form, the other to govern the intellect. To command the physical form, one must initially acquaint themselves with the name of the angel. As is observed with infernal entities, names possess a potency beyond human comprehension. Consequently, an angel bearing a name can readily relinquish control of their physical form merely by disclosing this fragment of information. Subduing the intellect, however, presents a greater challenge.’

“Basically,” he said, closing the book shut for dramatic affect, “I know your name, your body becomes mine.” He sighed, “Giovanni then goes onto say your mind is fully intact during this process, that you’ll feel your body moving but have no control over it.” He set his glass down on the dresser and walked towards your halo in its cage.

He grasped hold of it and you notice his hand was gloved, taking note of the care he was using to touch it. Your halo was just as dangerous to him as it was to you, but for different reasons. Without your halo, you were dead. Without your halo, you were controlled. For him, his skin would burn at the touch of it, like yours did with hellfire. For him, one wrong move and he would evaporate in the holy light. There was a part of you that wanted that to happen - wanted to see him perish in one of the most painful ways you had ever known. Yet there was an overpowering guilt that ate at you when you thought about it - knowing that the Almighty wanted you to love everyone, even at the detriment to yourself.

He took a step back and looked at you, smugness oozing from every pore. “I haven’t told Sister yet,” he mumbled, sitting back down on the chair. “I wanted to find out if it worked first. Tell me your name, Angel.”

“Thou must deem me a fool to willingly disclose such information.” You retorted, your voice barely above a whisper. Your mouth was dry.

He chuckled, a dark sound that shook you to your core. He nestled into the armchair, becoming comfortable in his throne of power. All of his movement was in his hips, lifting himself off the velvet to help him slide down it a little more, legs spread wide to exude his dominance. He was disgusting. “I thought you might say that,” he commented, his grin widening, “but you forget who I have.”

Thomas.

“You’ve experienced firsthand what I can do, Angel,” he continued, “except, I’ll make sure I’m much worse with him.”

“Thou would not.” You protested, trying to quell your panic. “The constabulary would be aware. Thou would be compelled to answer to the authorities.”

“I never said he’d survive.”

A chill ran down your spine. Your mind raced with fear and uncertainty as the Cardinal’s threat hung in the air like a dark cloud. Thomas was now in grave danger, and you were faced with an impossible choice. Would you sacrifice your own identity to save him, or would you stand firm and risk his life? You did know what the Cardinal could do - you’d been subjected to it since the moment you met him however long ago that was. You knew you could survive going through that again, especially if you had nothing to lose; but you couldn’t be sure about Thomas. He definitely didn’t deserve to feel the Cardinal’s wrath any more than he already may have. And could you live with yourself knowing you’d condemned a man to death just to save yourself, even if he did belong to the Satanic Church? By robbing him of his life, he’d never get the chance to return to God, to see the light and repent. You’d never get the chance to meet him again in Heaven. You’d rob him of his salvation, but you’d save yourself from the Cardinal’s damnation. Either way, you lost.

“If I divulge,” you began, puffing your chest to sound more confident and unafraid, “can thou ensure his well-being?”

The smugness faded from the Cardinal, if only for a moment. “Of course.” He responded, genuinely. “How else would I get you to do things I wanted?” He let the second sentence slip out, but paid it no mind once it had been released. He planned on using Thomas’ safety to continue to control you. You never should have let yourself get close to him - it allowed the Cardinal to win.

“And wilt thou demonstrate that he is unharmed? Wilt thou prove that thou speakest truthfully unto me?”

“I’ll get him to video chat you every week.”

You frowned, “I comprehend naught of thy words.”

“Video chat? FaceTime? Angels have no technology up there at all?” The Cardinal sighed at your blank expression and rummaged in his pocket to pull out the device you first saw him use. “This thing lets you have conversations with people that aren’t there with you. It shows you their face and hear their voice and, boom, conversation.”

“And thou wilt employ that contrivance to contact Tho- Brother Hayward?”

“Yes.”

You sighed. “___.”

“What?”

“My name. It is ___.”

“___.” The Cardinal nodded and set down the device next to his glass. He stood and unlocked your cage, before returning to his spot on the couch. He gently maneuvered your halo into the palm of his right hand, and brought it up to his mouth. “___, I command you to exit the cage.”

You laughed. You laughed at him. He lacked conviction which was why it failed, and it was so funny to watch him fumble. He cleared his throat, and now, with more confidence, repeated his order. Your body tingled in response, and despite you fighting it with great strength, your legs moved of their own accord. Your bare foot stepped out of the cage and onto the floor, barely feeling the textures beneath your feet. Your body ducked around the metal, wings tucked tightly to your body to stop any part of you from getting injured. Even under control, your body still did what it could to preserve itself. This was a new sensation to you, as you’d never been under someone else’s control before - you’d never needed to be because you were always a good soldier, even when you had your doubts. You’d never known anyone be subjected to this, either. Within seconds, you were out of the cage, standing in front of it with your wings outstretched. He hadn’t ordered you to stay still, to wait for the next instruction. But you did anyway, fearing that defiance would bring a painful end to Brother Thomas.

“___, I command you to spin on the spot.” The Cardinal ordered, a mischievous smile on his face and a glint in his eye.

When you did as he commanded, he laughed. It was a guttural laugh, hearty and jovial, clearly he was having fun with this. “Like a game of Capitan Giro. Capitan Giro dice stand on one leg.”

You did as commanded, and the Cardinal screamed in delight.

“Wait, I don’t need your name? I don’t need to be so formal? What if… put both feet to the floor.”

You did as commanded.

“Incredible. I wonder what else I could get you to do. How else I could humiliate you…” He stopped and thought for a moment, eyes darkening. “Come here.” This command was lower and deeper than the previous ones, quieter and somehow more intimate.

You fought against this command, but to no avail. Your feet, slowly, dragged you towards the Cardinal and only stopping when you were right in front of him, between his open legs. “On your knees.”

You obeyed. The whole time you made eye contact with him, staring daggers into his face and still hoping that the halo hurt him.

He held out his left hand, the one not holding the halo, and said, “Remove the glove.”

Your hands immediately sprung into action, grasping onto the hem of the leather and peeling it gently off of his hand, exposing the skin beneath.

“You know,” he grumbled as you pulled the final finger of his glove off him, “the Sister told me about you.”

He moved his hand to your face and tried to caress your cheek, but you moved away. “Come back, don’t fight me.” Slowly, you moved back to your original position, feeling your cheek meet his fingertips. His hand was large, taking up most of your face as he stroked it with such gentility, you weren’t entirely sure that this was the same man who had caused you great pain for so long. His thumb sat beside your nose, and gently stroked your skin.

“She told me about your purity,” he continued. “How you’re still the good angel Yhwh intended.” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “Open your mouth.”

You did. You opened it a small amount, but it was enough for him. He slotted his thumb inside and rubbed the pad over your tongue, as if he was studying your mouth. His knuckle, briefly, hit the tip of your small fangs - not enough to hurt him, but enough to have him fascinated by them.

“Suck on my finger.”

Your mouth closed around the digit in your mouth, lips stretching just a little over his skin, and you heard the Cardinal exhale a shaky breath. He watched the obscenity in front of him, how your cheeks hollowed around his thumb that he slowly began to move in and out of your mouth. His cheeks were flushed, partially because of your blood, but also because his own was rushing around his body, still pumping life into it despite his insides being almost dead. His pupils were blown, and his eyes were hooded, making him look a little crazy. His lips parted, and his breaths were laboured, chest rising and falling as though his lungs still worked - a force of habit, you thought.

You didn’t understand this - what he was doing. You’d never seen anyone do this before, but your mind was racing with possibilities. Perhaps he was testing your mouth, making sure your health was good. Or maybe it was some strange form of comfort for him, you pondered. Perhaps he found solace in this bizarre act, a fleeting moment of intimacy amidst the chaos of his life. As his thumb moved in and out of your mouth, you couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease mingled with curiosity.

You should bite down.

You couldn’t. Not that you weren’t trying, but you were under the influence of the halo. You just couldn’t get your teeth to clench around his thumb.

Despite your confusion, you continued to suck on his finger obediently, just as the Cardinal had ordered. You focused on the rhythm of his movements, trying to make sense of the strange sensation in your mouth.

“Cazzo.” He let out a whisper, barely audible but because of the quiet of the room, the humming of technology barely covered the sound.

As time passed, it couldn’t have been more than a minute, you couldn’t shake the feeling of discomfort that gnawed at you. Yet, you dared not speak up, afraid to disrupt the fragile peace that enveloped the room. So you remained silent, your mind still racing with unanswered questions, as you obediently continued to suck on his finger.

Suddenly, the Cardinal’s eyes widened, a look of shock appearing on his face. He yanked his thumb from your mouth and physically pushed you away, grasping onto the halo a little tighter than he should have. “B-back in the cage.” He said quickly, standing up and walking over to your halo’s cage.

He didn’t need to use the halo to order you back behind bars, you were already scrambling to your feet and rushing to fit yourself in through the bars. He refused to make eye contact with you, noticing that he was feeling shame. Shame for what, you couldn’t say, but he spent most of the time staring at the floor as he locked you back inside. Your eyes wandered, too. From his face, over his body, until you saw the tent in his crotch every time he stood side-on. You weren’t completely foolish, you knew what that meant. You’d spent enough time with mortals, and saw a varying degree of sin that they would commit regularly. But you still couldn’t piece together the correlation between his finger in your mouth and the reason for his body’s reaction. He didn’t say a word, instead grabbing the glass and all but running out the door.

Perhaps you were feeling some of his shame now that you knew he’d used you to sin. He’d sinned with you before, every single time he caused you pain was sin enough, but this felt different somehow. Before, it was all the sins that were done to you; because of your implicitness due to the halo’s control, it felt like he was sinning with you. Shame, anger, and a deep sense of discomfort gnawed at your insides, making you feel vulnerable and exposed.

You had been subjected to a degrading and humiliating act, one that left you feeling powerless and violated. The Cardinal’s actions had stripped away your dignity and autonomy, reducing you to nothing more than a mere object for his pleasures.

Anger simmered within you, fueled by the injustice of being treated in such a deplorable manner. You resented the Cardinal for his blatant disregard for your dignity and for his abuse of power. How dare he manipulate and exploit you for his own perverse desires?

The deep sense of discomfort stemmed from the violation of your boundaries and the invasion of your personal space. His unwelcome advances had left you feeling exposed and vulnerable, as if your very essence had been laid bare for his scrutiny.

But then, the feeling dawned on you, was this not a similar way the Almighty had treated you? How He would get His subordinates to send you down to the mortal realm and commit atrocities on His behalf. In Egypt and Canaan, and even the shores of Italia, in His name you enacted awful things, bore witness to tragedies no person should ever see. While the Cardinal used you for some kind of sexual gratification, the Almighty used you for egotistical gratification, and either way, you were a pawn in someone else’s game, an object to be used at will regardless of your own opinions. You could never condone or justify the Cardinal’s behaviour towards you, but you’d also never had autonomy over your own person, so was it any different?

In some weird twist, you had come to realise that despite being trapped in a cage, your mind was freer than it ever had been in Heaven, your thoughts were your own, and your feelings went more-or-less unpunished. And in comparison, who was truly the Devil? Lucifer, or the Almighty?

The Cardinal didn’t come to visit you the next day, or the day after that, or the subsequent week that followed. He wouldn’t even come back to his chambers to rest, opting to spend his time elsewhere and avoiding you - an easy task, you were sure, given that he had kept you in the cage the whole time. You were unsure how to feel about this, whether this was something you should be grateful for, or if you should be afraid.

The longer you were around the vampyres, the more you’d begun to understand them and their ways; their thoughts and feelings, and what made them tick. Given that you’d not seen the Sister in so long, you could assume that the Cardinal hadn’t told her about his discovery. If he had, she’d have charged into his chambers, gripped hold of your halo, and practiced on you herself. Her insatiable thirst for power and control outweighed her thirst for your blood, and thus, if she knew your secret, you’d know too.

But then, why had the Cardinal kept that secret? Both he and the Sister wanted power, specifically power over you. They had been working together from the start to make sure they got what they wanted, your health and safety be damned. So why hadn’t the Cardinal told her everything? You pondered these questions in the silence of your cage, the only company being the dim glow of your halo, a sense of unease washing over you in more ways than one.

By the time you had healed completely, the Cardinal had returned with the empty bottles, but still found it difficult to look you in the eye. His gaze flickered with a mixture of guilt and apprehension, a silent acknowledgment of the unspeakable acts he had committed in his pursuit of power… or pleasure?

You watched him closely, noting the tension in his movements and the weariness etched into his features. Despite the disguise of indifference he attempted to show, you could sense the conflict raging within him, a storm of inconsistent emotions that threatened to consume him whole. He’d not rested well enough - you wondered if he’d even eaten properly. Then you wondered why you cared.

As he went about his task of arranging empty buckets around his bed, you remained silent, studying his every move with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. Why buckets, this time? There was an obvious shift in the air, a tension that hung between you, heavily shrouding you both an an intense suffocation.

With each passing moment, the weight of his silence grew heavier, a burden that bore down upon you with unbearable force. You longed to break the oppressive stillness, to confront him with the questions that burned in the depths of your soul, but you held your tongue, wary of the consequences of speaking out.

In the end, it was the Cardinal who broke the silence, his voice barely above a whisper as he addressed you. “I won’t bind you when I let you out… I’m trusting you to be on your best behaviour.”

You simply nodded in response.

“No funny business, no trying to escape… no attacking, got it?”

“I shall not undertake such actions today,” you told him, “yet I offer no assurances for the morrow.”

He laughed as though you were telling him a joke. His laughter echoed through the chamber, a hollow sound that reverberated off the walls. Despite the tension that lingered between you, there was a sense of relief in his amusement, a fleeting moment of levity amidst the heavy atmosphere that surrounded you. “Well, I suppose that’s better than nothing,” he replied, his tone lightening slightly. “Just remember, Angel, I’m not afraid to put you back in that cage if you step out of line.”

You met his gaze with a steady stare, your eyes alight with a quiet defiance. “I understand,” you said, your voice firm and unwavering. “But mark this, Cardinal - I shall not be imprisoned anew, not without resistance.”

There was a flicker of something in his eyes, a spark of recognition that mirrored the fire that burned within your own soul. In that moment, you saw a glimmer of respect in his gaze, a grudging acknowledgment of your strength and determination.

“Very well,” he said, his voice tinged with resignation. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

He moved towards your cage, unlocked and opened the door, and took a step back, still holding it as though he were a gentleman holding the door for his wife. With apprehension, you climbed out, wings cocooning your body again until you were completely free of the metal. You chanced a glance at your halo, which was still locked up tight in the cage, and somehow you felt relieved. You stretched your entire body out, wings included, grateful for the feeling. All the while, you still watched the Cardinal potter around the room until he invited you onto his bed again.

You hesitated until you saw the plea in his eyes. “What dost thou withhold from me, Cardinal?”

He shook his head, “If you don’t let me drain you now, things will end up worse for us both. Just do as I ask this one time, please.”

You regarded him with a mix of wariness and resignation, knowing that you had little choice but to comply with his request. With a heavy sigh, you moved towards the bed, your movements slow and deliberate as you approached him.

As you settled onto the plush mattress, you couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that settled over you like a heavy cloak. The Cardinal’s intentions were clear, his desire for your blood palpable in the air, and yet you found yourself unable to resist his command. You felt the first needle prick into the crook of your arm, and watched as your blood began to pour into the bucket. Then you saw him prick the second needle in, and the cycle repeat. Usually, the Cardinal would stand back and watch menacingly. But this time, he gently crawled onto the bed, lifted you up, and slotted you on top of him, so you were using his body as a pillow instead.

As the Cardinal cradled you in his arms, using his body as a makeshift pillow, you couldn’t help but feel a surge of discomfort wash over you. The intimacy of the gesture was unsettling, a stark contrast to the usual brutality of your interactions with him.

With each drop of blood that left your body, you felt a sense of vulnerability creep in, the realization dawning on you that you were completely at his mercy. Despite your instinctive urge to resist, you found yourself unable to muster the strength to pull away, trapped in a state of submission that left you feeling powerless and exposed.

You passed out, despite your body fighting it.

You were barely conscious when you woke, the needles still in your arms and the Cardinal still behind you. This time, you could feel his hands running up and down your biceps and stroking your hair, as if he was trying to comfort you. You wanted to recoil from his touch, to push him away and reclaim the boundaries he had violated so mercilessly more than once. And yet, a part of you couldn’t help but crave the warmth of his embrace, the fleeting sense of connection that offered a brief respite from the cold reality of your captivity.

Your body lost consciousness again, the last thing you felt were his fingertips tracing light patterns into your skin.

You roused from your uneasy slumber, disoriented and groggy, the memory of the Cardinal’s touch haunting your exposed flesh. As your senses slowly returned, you realized that the needles were no longer piercing your skin, their absence bringing a faint sense of relief amidst the lingering discomfort.

You looked around the room, heart heavy, seeking any sign of the Cardinal’s whereabouts, but all you saw was the empty space of his bed and the stifling silence that enveloped the room like a blanket. Feelings of fear and panic started to seethe at the borders of your mind as you struggled with the disconcerting realisation that you were alone in the room, and not trapped up in your cage where you’d normally be after such an extraction.

You strained to get yourself upright, your muscles protesting with each movement as you forced yourself to look around more closely. However, no matter how hard you looked, there was no sign of the Cardinal, no clue of where he had gone or what he was plotting next.

The sound of voices coming from the living room sent shivers down your spine, breaking the strange calm that had encased the Cardinal’s quarters. You strained your ears, nervously attempting to figure out who was talking and who was there.

Your heart pounded in your chest as you listened closely, the murmur of voices becoming louder and clearer with each passing instant. Their tones conveyed a sense of urgency, a palpable tension that appeared to linger in the air like a building storm.

For a tiny moment, you cherished the hope that Brother Thomas would return to liberate you from your captivity and deliver you from the Cardinal’s tyranny. But deep down, you understood that such dreams were nothing more than desperate illusions created out of your own sorrow.

One of the voices belonged to the Cardinal… the other… the Sister.

You strained to catch every word of the furious discussion between the Sister and the Cardinal, their voices rising and falling in a chaotic symphony of wrath and frustration. From your position in the bedroom, you could feel the tension crackling in the air like electricity, heavy and stifling.

The words they exchanged formed a bleak picture, indicating a flaw in their carefully crafted relationship. It became clear that the Cardinal had acted with purposeful intent by draining you of your blood before the full moon night, undermining their plans to perform the second ritual.

Confusion blurred your mind as you tried to make sense of the Cardinal’s strange choice to sabotage the ceremony. It didn’t make sense; why would he go to such extent to foil plans that he had personally set up? You felt lost and confused, as if the puzzle pieces would not fit together in your brain.

You couldn’t shake the notion that the Cardinal’s acts were more than just what they appeared to be. His intentions remained a mystery, and you couldn’t help but wonder what underlying agenda drove his betrayal. Was he behaving in his own self-interest, or was he motivated by something else that you couldn’t figure out? Or was there a deeper, more nefarious motive at work?

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Anon commissioned artwork by @taylaedraws - I believe the full version is on their Patreon! Please be sure to check it out when you can!

[pixelchills]

"A Not so Sunny World" Character Info Cards

Very long post!

This post contains all the essential information about our Main Characters, their personalities and relationships with each other!

Main characters from the tallest to the shortest!

~Information~

Sunrise "Sun"

Occupation: Daycare Attendant, Superstar Daycare Jester

Level, species: Level 3, Celestial Alien

Day of awakening: September 30th, 2037

Assigned gender, pronouns: Male, he/him

Height: 6’3” or 190cm (no rays included)

Sexuality: Demisexual

Personality and relationships:

Sunrise is a sweet and kind Animutant with a golden heart. He wants to believe the best in everybody, and loves meeting new people. He is curious, yet innocent, sometimes even a bit naïve. He has bad anxiety and tends to be a people pleaser. He gets scared and nervous easily, especially in new situations. He is a terrible liar.

Sunrise feels his emotions with a full heart, sometimes draining himself with it. He is often described by the Daycare workers as dramatic, annoying and a bit over the top – but it’s just because he feels every feeling, positive or negative, to a great extent. He often needs assurance and help from others, because he was created to be more obedient and dependent on others than his precursor, Solar.

Sunrise likes crafting and creative activities and dislikes rule-breaking. He wants to be seen as a good worker and caretaker – but he loves when someone takes care of him too. Sunrise loves being praised, but has no sense of direction; he gets lost very easily. He doesn’t stand cold very well. Sunrise is the youngest Animutant working at the Mega Pizzaplex.

Sunrise is Moondrop’s boyfriend. They’re best friends, laboratory sweethearts, and absolutely inseparable. Sunrise fell in love with Moondrop at first sight on his first day out of the incubator tube. They’re deeply in love and cannot stand being away from each other for too long. Sunrise wants to always know what Moon is up to, and he never gets tired of spending time with his boyfriend.

Sunrise is friends with the other Animutants in the Mega Pizzaplex. He gets along best with Chica, who wants to always make sure he is comfortable and included in the activities they’re doing, sometimes even a bit too much. He doesn’t always get along with Roxanne, who tends to bully or mock him, and he has a hard time understanding Foxy’s sarcastic humour.

But overall, he gets along with everyone to some extent, and his slightly innocent nature is adored by the older mutants. (Even Monty gets along with Sun after Bonnie’s incident brought them accidentally a bit closer.)

Sunrise has difficulties socialising with the others sometimes, because he was left alone in the Daycare without any Animutant company for 9 years after his awakening, which caused him to under-develop social skills normal for other Animutants. He looks up to the others like his superheroes.

Sunrise obeys humans usually without a question. He is afraid of the small devices the authorities will use for misbehaving or disobeying Animutants.

Moondrop "Moon"

Occupation: Daycare Attendant, Superstar Daycare Jester, Night Security

Level, species: Level 3, Celestial Alien

Day of awakening: September 21st, 2037

Assigned gender, pronouns: Male, he/him

Height: 6’4” or 193cm

Sexuality: Omnisexual

Personality and relationships:

Moondrop is serious and observing Animutant, but that’s mostly just the cool demeanour he gives to the others. Deep down he is sensitive and humorous, and wants to always make sure everyone around him is safe and happy. He has some scars from his past he is still trying to heal, and his self-image is not the best, resulting in him often doubting his actions and trying to keep it to himself. He is strong and independent and doesn’t really like anyone else but Sunrise, stating that his heart is small and tightly sealed; and there’s only enough room for Sun.

Moondrop is seen as a quiet and soft-spoken attendant in the Daycare. He doesn’t speak much with the human workers, and some of them find him a bit intimidating. Moon lost the regular sight in his left eye in a fight with El Chip and covers the eye with a star-shaped eyepatch when working with children to not scare them with his night vision.

Moondrop loves lazing around during his free time, reading books, and watching horror movies; he doesn’t like to feel or be seen as submissive and vulnerable, and his past with El Chip is something that haunts him even to the present day. It’s also the reason why he hates Mexican food and the smell of cigarettes; El Chip also caused Moon to develop a slight fear of people wearing sombreros.

Moondrop is Sunrise’s boyfriend. The two lovebirds are inseparable. Moondrop doesn’t show his funny and overly sweet self to anyone else but Sunrise. Sun is also the only one who Moon is willing to show his vulnerabilities, as well as his true, sensitive self. Sunrise has helped Moon slowly heal from many hardships in his past. Moondrop is overprotective of his boyfriend and likes spoiling him with attention and small trinkets and things he sometimes picks up during his nightly patrols. Moondrop adores Sunrise more than anything.

Moondrop doesn’t really consider the other Animutants in the Mega Pizzaplex his ‘friends’. He has trust issues and argues that he ‘doesn’t need’ anyone else but Sunrise. Truthfully, he gets well along with Bonnie and has slowly become more comfortable with his previous co-workers as well, Roxanne and Monty.

Roxy and Moon bonded over their like of horror movies, and Roxy and Chica helped Moon out when he started his periods; Moon’s body had developed ovaries due to a hormonal change. Moon and Monty used to be at each other’s throats, but after Monty and Sun got closer, they try to act civil with each other.

Moon shows his humorous side to the others after a while with his silly tricks and pranks; unharmful little jokes he and Sunrise put up for the others after they started feeling a bit more comfortable in the group.

Moondrop tends to talk back and threaten the humans if he doesn’t agree with them. He is not afraid to lie his way out of trouble to protect himself or the others. He gets punished but isn’t afraid of the small device nearly as much as Sunrise. Moondrop is good friends with the Head Nightguard Vanessa, who saved his life back in the previous location.

Freddy Fazbear

Occupation: Franchise Mascot, Band’s main Singer

Level, species: Level 3, Brown Bear

Approx. Day of awakening: February 2025

Assigned gender, pronouns: Male, he/him

Height: 6’11” or 210cm (no ears included)

Sexuality: Bisexual

Personality and relationships:

Freddy is a polite and understanding mascot of the franchise. Despite his position as the head of the band and as the face of the Fazbear co. Freddy is kind and tries to get along with everyone. His soft and somewhat calm demeanour is adored by the children and some of the workers, his energy often seen as close to a parental.

Freddy is a sticker for rules and company policies, often reminding the other Animutants in the plex about them. He likes spending time with the others and helping them out with their free time projects or activities. He has more responsibilities than the others as the franchise mascot, but he is often given more free passes and goodies in return.

Freddy gets along well with everyone. His politeness and calmness are sometimes seen as him keeping his distance, but it’s just the way he was designed. He knows how to take the role of the leader when needed and is often the middle ground in disagreements between the other mutants. He is best friends with Bonnie but is still somewhat distant from the Daycare Attendants.

Freddy sticks to the rules strictly, but it is unsure how he is handled at the management levels. He respects his position as being something less than a human, but never boasts about his position as the main star.

Bonnie the Bunny

Occupation:  Band’s ex-bassist, Bonnie Bowl Mascot

Level, species: Level 3, Purple Rabbit

Approx. Day of awakening: March 2025

Assigned gender, pronouns: Male, he/him

Height: 7’2” or 218cm (no ears included)

Sexuality: Gay

Personality and relationships:

Bonnie is an outgoing and generous tall bunny. He gets along with everyone from a kid to an elder, from Animutant to a human. Everyone likes him, he radiates very warm and humorous energy. He is almost like an older brother to the other Animutants in the Plex.

Bonnie likes sports and action, and he is ready to help and take care of others when needed, but also ready to party and go wild if necessary. He is very easy-going and supportive. Bonnie lost his right arm in an accident in Monty Golf, but because he was so liked by the people in the Mega Plex, they decided to give him a prosthetic arm instead of decommissioning him. He gave his spot in the band to Monty and works now in his attraction Bonnie Bowl as its full-time mascot.

Bonnie has a good sense of humour and is often able to cheer everyone up even in the darkest situations. Sometimes he forgets to take care of his own needs or feelings though, but tries to keep a bright and brave mind.

Bonnie is best friends with Freddy and Monty, often helping the former with the decision-making and stuff that comes from the higher-ups. Bonnie seems to be the only one able to handle Monty easily. He is good with the girls, and even Moon, who doesn’t seem to really ‘befriend’ anyone, doesn’t have anything bad to say about the purple bunny. Bonnie and Foxy bicker back and forth constantly, rivalling in the field of humour by teasing each other.

Bonnie is very liked by the human staff, as his helpful nature is often appreciated with his size and strength. He helps with physical work, but also by being a good friend to many. This quality saved him from being ‘put down’ after he lost his arm.

Chica the Chicken

Occupation: Band’s guitarist & back-up singer, Mazercize and Cupcake World Mascot

Level, species: Level 3, White Chicken

Approx. Day of awakening: June 2025

Assigned gender, pronouns: Female, she/her

Height: 5’11” or 180cm

Sexuality: Pansexual

Personality and relationships:

Chica is a cheerful and energetic Animutant. She is known in the plex as the ultimate extrovert; always ready to join and meet new people and hang out with someone. She talks and laughs a lot and has a very bubbly and happy nature. She the shortest Animutant of the group. Her favourite colour is pink.

Chica loves make-up and dates that include food or dancing. She is a flexible party girl, who sometimes gets herself into trouble just by being a bit too careless. She doesn’t seem to fear almost anything, but is very sensitive to fights between her friends and wishes everyone to get along and have a good time. She loves pizza and ice cream.

Chica is Roxy’s girlfriend. She shares a very special relationship with Roxy, the wolf being the first female mutant she has ever worked with, quickly making the two fall for each other more deeply. Chica adores her cool girlfriend and pokes her with teasy jokes and comments all the time, knowing that Roxy won’t get mad at her no matter what.

Since Chica was previously the only girl in the old location, she has all the male mutants around her pinkie quite tightly. She is small, but made from pure pepper if someone angers her (which doesn’t really happen). Most of the time, she handles her role as the Princess/Queen Bee of the Pizzaplex quite well, and is liked by everyone.

She is sweet to her friends, and has taken Sunrise under her wing almost like an older sister, making sure he and Moondrop are always comfortable in the group hangouts after the first couple of catastrophes that occurred.

Chica learns a lot of gossip from the human staff and knows a lot of secrets about almost everyone working in the plex. She accepts her place as an Animutant, but tries to make the most out of it by enjoying her life to the fullest. 

"Captain" Foxy the Pirate Fox

Occupation: Pirate’s Cove and Superstar Theater Mascot

Level, species: Level 3, Red Fox

Approx. Day of awakening: January 2025

Assigned gender, pronouns: Male, he/him

Height: 6’7” or 200cm (no ears included)

Sexuality: Aroace

Personality and relationships:

Foxy is a sarcastic and somewhat cynical Animutant, who takes his role as a pirate very seriously. He speaks with a pirate accent and prefers the others to call him ‘Captain’. Foxy is the oldest Animutant working at the Mega Pizzaplex, and often reminds the others about it by calling himself ‘an old fart’ or reminding them of the time of ‘his old days’ (he woke up one month before Freddy…).

Foxy is good at fixing things with different mechanics on them, screwdrivers and wrenches are not unfamiliar parts of his hook, which replaces his right hand. Foxy’s left eye has been covered by an eyepatch, but it has caused him to develop a lazy eye. He likes sugary drinks and adventure stories.

Foxy is the only one of the Level 3 Animutants (besides the Daycare Attendants) who has never been part of the main band, but held on to his own side location. However, he is often considered to be part of the main four due to the previous location having the Pirate Cove Stage right next to the Main Stage. Foxy is aromantic and has absolutely no clue about romance.

Foxy gets along somewhat well with everyone else. He is sort of a lone wolf of sorts, he kind of knows everyone and hangs around, but he still holds a somewhat weirdly mysterious aura around him. He and Bonnie bicker with each other constantly, but they do it on good friend terms. Foxy respects Freddy as the leader greatly, and is ready to do everything he’d just ask him to. Sometimes the others don’t get his sarcasm and jokes, but it has never stopped him from continuing to tell them.

Foxy is on somewhat neutral terms with the human staff. He calls them ‘pesky crewmates’ but most likely obeys their rules with a roll of an eye and pirate swearwords muttered under his breath.

Montgomery "Monty" Gator

Occupation: Band’s new bassist, Monty’s Gator Golf Mascot

Level, species: Level 3, Alligator

Approx. Day of awakening: April 2030

Assigned gender, pronouns: Male, he/him

Height: 6’8” or 204cm (no mohawk included)

Sexuality: Bisexual

Personality and relationships:

Monty is confident and strong Animutant who tends to fall into jealousy and be reckless. He doesn’t particularly like following rules and has somewhat of a big ego. He doesn’t really care if he gets himself into trouble, and often lets his inner issues and anger out in bursts of physical violence by breaking things in his room or beating up the lower sentience STAFF mutants. Monty doesn’t like to be told what to do, but wants to be seen as a cool and tough idol. His violent anger issues are caused by his past at El Chip’s.

Most of the time Monty seems quiet and almost cold to those who don’t know him, but he actually has a playful and tender side too, even though he won’t admit it. Monty is multitalented and can play almost any instrument given to him. He was originally only filling in or playing drums in the band occasionally, before he replaced Bonnie as the bass player. He likes working out with dumbbells and enjoys showing off his muscles by wearing tank tops.

Monty seems a bit indifferent towards the other Animutants in the plex at first. He is somewhat jealous of Freddy’s fame and position as the head of the band, and often thinks the bear is too nice and soft to be considered a leader. Monty gets along the best with Bonnie, who is the only one that can handle him. Monty seems to also have a soft spot for Sunrise for some reason. He doesn’t really get along with Moondrop, but the two are civil with each other. Monty and Roxy tend to fight like siblings.

Monty doesn’t really care about the human staff and his handlers/assistant jobs are constantly being re-filled. He is probably the most punished mutant in the plex, but it doesn’t seem to stop him from causing a mess on purpose just to annoy the workers.

Roxanne "Roxy" Wolf

Occupation: Band's keytarist, Roxy Raceway Mascot

Level, species: Level 3, Grey Wolf

Approx. Day of awakening: October 2029

Assigned gender, pronouns: Female, she/her

Height: 6’1” or 186cm (no ears included)

Sexuality: Lesbian

Personality and relationships:

Roxanne is a quirky and brave Animutant. She is often described as beautiful, gorgeous, or sexy by workers and other Animutants, and she loves her appearance or skills getting complimented. She appears to others as tough, self-centred, and sometimes even mean, but deep down she is just very insecure about herself due to her past in El Chip’s. She has a soft, almost parental side to her, but it often gets run over by her competitive nature and self-image problems.

Much like Moondrop, Roxanne doesn’t like talking about her problems to others, only to those really close to her. She loves make-up and her hair is her biggest pride. She likes horror movies and competitive games but gets moody and emotional easily. She doesn’t really get scared and carries the title of the “cool emo mutant” of the group.

Roxanne is Chica’s girlfriend. She gets along just fine with the others, but prefers to hang out with Chica or Freddy, often just fishing compliments from the latter. She doesn’t really get that well along with the Daycare Attendants and tends to think about them as less than the rest because they ‘change diapers’ as their job. Obviously just ignorance on her part but she sees Sunrise as childish and annoying, who takes her too seriously. But she has worked up her relationship with Moondrop to a somewhat good level despite their past issues. Roxy and Monty also bicker back and forth similarly to Bonnie and Foxy.

Roxy treats the human workers like her besties. She talks back at them if they nag at her, and will become over dramatic if she is ever even considered to be punished. She has a collection of phone numbers from multiple human male workers from the plex, even though she doesn’t own a phone.

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

Would you write for the M6 with an MC who's touch-starved and craves affection? Thanks in advance!

The Arcana HCs: M6 with a touch/affection-starved MC

Sequel is here! M6 with an MC who's been bottling up their affectionate tendencies

~ honestly I don't know why I didn't think of writing this one sooner, these kinds of headcanons are always my favorite to read and now I get to write some! many thanks @lemon-len ^.^ ~

Julian

If you think he didn't notice the way you melted into his touch when he healed you of that vampire eel bite that first night, you are wrong

He totally noticed

Most of it he chalked up to chemistry, but it definitely piqued his interest

He's also a champion at writing off his own impact on people, so the whole time you're unraveling the mysteries of the Red Plague and stealing moments with each other he's assuming it's the adrenaline high

It doesn't become apparent to him until after, when he's checking over all the bumps and bruises you've accrued, that he sees the way you lean into his touch

He's told you he loves you, and he knows you love him too, so he doesn't have to be hesitant (though really, when was he ever?)

Now he's folding you into his chest, wrapping his arms around you as snugly as he can and tucking your head under his chin

You're all surprised and tensed up at first, until he presses a gentle kiss to the top of your head and you melt

He can feel the tension draining out of you and the way your fingers are tying themselves into the back of his shirt, and how you're burrowing into his chest

He's always been "too much" in his relationships as to how much physical touch he likes to initiate, but now he's found someone who wants what he has to offer and it's the person he's promised his life to

You can fully expect him to make you a solemn vow to never let you go uncuddled again

If you thought he was already generous with the PDA, it's about to get waaay worse

Asra

In case it's not obvious, their love language is touch

One of the hardest parts of hiding his affection for you those three years was not letting himself touch you

They already knew it was something you craved, it was obvious when they were your caretaker

But the first time he pulled you into a pillow pile with him to snuggle the familiarity of it rocketed you into inhuman levels of pain, and he wasn't going to risk that again

Once it became clear that you had grown enough to learn about the past and accept their affections, it was on

You have five minutes? cuddle time

There's a seat next to you? He's sliding into it and falling into your lap

You're walking by while he's sitting down? They're pulling you into their lap

You're getting ready for the day? He's doing your hair

You're having a conversation with someone that they're not a part of? They're standing behind you with their arms around your waist and their head on your shoulder, letting you take their weight

He has been known to fall asleep on you in public like this, most notably in the town square during a royal proclamation

If you're each doing your own unrelated tasks, they're either sitting beside you with your knees touching or behind you so you can be their backrest

He also knows how people tend to associate the feeling of different clothing articles with the people who wear them

So anytime they leave the shop while you're asleep you can expect to wake up wrapped in one of their shawls

He fully expects you to let him take your clothes with him on long journeys too, which is fine for the most part except for when it's one of your favorite pieces (you still want to wear that!)

Nadia

Her favorite way to love people is to provide for them

It demonstrates her commitment to being an important pillar in your life for you to lean on

Which is why she is completely tuned in to picking up on any of your needs, so she can satisfy them

So she figures out early on that physical contact is a desired and effective method of showing affection to you, but she can't figure out why you never ask for it

She guesses this could make a fun game, so she tries holding back a little and waiting for you to initiate

And then she watches you slowly withdrawing for a whole day, the confidence you always show in her is wavering slightly, and by the time dinner rolls around you're picking at your food with a face full of hurt and confusion, but you haven't said anything!

That's when it clicks for her that there could be another layer to this

Maybe one of the reasons you cherish affection so deeply is because you know what it's like to live without it

Now she's bodily lifting you out of your chair and dragging you to a more secluded spot to make up for her mistake

She feels awful, she should have known not to trifle with depriving you of something that obviously meant so much to you

She has you reclining in her lap, insisting on feeding you your dinner and apologizing for making you worry

Words are very important to her though, so she's going to ask as many questions as you're comfortable with answering about why you don't ask for affection and how to help you get there with her

Now she checks in with you every day by taking both your hands in hers and not letting you go until you've requested some gesture of affection from her

Muriel

He is so generally touch-averse that it took a long time for him to feel comfortable with giving or receiving any kind of physical affection

This didn't bother you too much until your trip south into the tundra

Because it was so cold down there you were incapable of keeping yourself warm at night, and needed to share a blanket and sleeping space with him

Oh my, that did things for your heart

Every night for several weeks you got to finish a day of uncertainty and training and exhaustion by sliding your back right up against his and melting in the waves of body heat he produces

It got easier as he relaxed around you, sometimes you'd wake up to his arm slung around you in his sleep and then you'd happily suffer through Morga's unimpressed stare as you savored the moment

But he was still so self-conscious of how big and intimidating he was, and you were still too hesitant to initiate contact whenever you wanted it, so things stalled for a bit there

You also have to be careful navigating his own relationship with his body

He's got so much trauma from the physical pain he was put through and the deprivation he endured that he's still learning how to taste the food he eats

Eventually you're able to ask him why he doesn't want to touch you, to which he responds that he's not used to touching someone without hurting them or them being afraid of him

It's progressing slowly, but now you have permission to initiate or invite cuddles, and it's changing the world for him bit by bit, because you're showing him that his touch can be a good and precious thing

Portia

She notices how much you love it when she touches you, but she doesn't really get why it's such a big deal at first

She grew up with a sibling and a grandmother and a town of friends and she does manual work elbow-to-elbow with a multitude of palace servants, touch is normal

Until she's sneaking another chapter of a favorite novel and encounters a character for whom touch is not normal

And now she's drawing connections between you and the character, is this why you relax as soon as she puts her hands on your face or your whole body sags when she hugs you?

She can't imagine a life without hugs and tussles and elbows to the ribs and tripping over other people's toes

As soon as you're both back in the cottage that evening she's pulling you onto the couch with her for cuddles

She's telling you all about the book character and listing all the ways you're similar to them, how you don't touch people often but you melt as soon as somebody does, how the character was that way because they weren't used to being touched

Was it the same way for you? Who gives you hugs? How many hugs did you normally get? Did you also get locked in a tower and use glass slippers to climb a beanstalk out?

You're surprised by the onslaught of questions, but her tone is purely curious and slightly concerned, without an ounce of judgment

Once you tell her more about why you crave affection so much she's determined to give you as much as you can handle

This is her partner in crime, her ride or die, you have always had her back and she is going to watch yours

Besides, she thinks you're the most attractive human to walk the planet, who wouldn't want to cuddle you for hours?

Lucio

He clued in faster than you expected him to

He's not very emotionally intelligent, but he is physically intelligent

He grew up in a warring tribe and spent his youth as a mercenary, interpreting people's body language for strengths and weaknesses is second nature

So here you are, dragging him through mystical realms he's completely vulnerable in, and he's watching you like a hawk

And he picks up on it quickly, any time you two make casual physical contact your guard slips a little

At first he's thinking of ways to use it against you, but your charm gets through to him fairly quickly and he never acts on it

It's the night you spend in the labyrinth that settles his doubts for him

You're stumbling every few steps but you're too hyped up to rest, until he sits next to you and pulls you into his side

He watches the way you tense and then completely relax, falling asleep on his shoulder while he's still holding an open weapon in one fist

He's briefly wondering if he'll have to make a habit of this, pausing everything to guard you so you can sleep

And then he's getting an emotional punch to the gut by feeling just how much trust it takes for someone like you to fall asleep on someone like him

He can't remember the last time somebody trusted him at all, much less this completely

By the time your eyes are fluttering open he's decided he'll be willing to keep watch while you sleep as often as you want him to

He's not shy about showing affection at all, so once you two save the world and start your new life together you can expect to receive some kind of physical affection several times a day

(an extra note from brainrot - this prompt has me inspired for a second one, which would be the M6 with an MC who has a lot of affection to give, but has been bottling it up and is just now getting to share it with someone who wants/appreciates it. Would anyone like to see that?)

[whump-and-other-misfortunes]

The Unexpected Gift

cw reluctant whumper, pet whump, captivity, carewhumper, caretaker new master, dehumanization/use of “it” as a pronoun 

“My lady?” 

She huffed, paintbrush hovering over the canvas in front of her. “Why on earth are you interrupting me, Julian?” she demanded without looking up. “You know I like to concentrate when I'm painting.” 

“Yes, miss, I know,” Julian replied from his place in the doorway. “However, I must inform you that Lord Donovan sent you a gift. It has just arrived, and he requested it be brought to you at once.” 

“Oh, how lovely,” Charlotte said, voice dripping with sarcasm. She set aside her paintbrush and turned to face Julian. “And I'm sure he expects something in return. Perhaps my hand in marriage, or something equally ridiculous?” 

Julian’s lips quirked up in an understanding smile. “According to him, the gift is merely a show of friendship. Although, I am sure neither he nor your parents would be opposed to finally marrying the two of you off.” 

Charlotte laughed, abandoning her easel for the time being and taking a seat on the sofa. She appreciated Julian’s good humor and their shared distaste for the supposedly inevitable union between her and Donovan. “Well, alright then—bring it to me. Heaven knows I need another pearl necklace or tea set or whatever he’s sent over this time.” 

An uncertain look flashed across Julian’s face. “Right, yes. Well, I must warn you, this present is a bit different from the ones Lord Donovan has given you before.” 

Charlotte adjusted the fabric of her skirt, smoothing out a sea of blue satin. Already bored of the whole ordeal, she said, “I don’t have all day, Julian. Just bring it to me.” 

“Right away, my lady,” he replied with a nod, before swiftly exiting the room. 

Late afternoon light formed golden panels on the floor, and Charlotte’s gaze followed it out the window. Her mind wandered as she studied the gardens outside, which she had been in the middle of painting before the interruption. She hardly noticed Julian and one of her other servants return to the drawing room until he coughed, announcing his presence. 

“Lady Charlotte,” Julian said as he crossed the room to stand in front of her. “Your gift from Lord Donovan, sent with his deepest affections and admiration.” 

Charlotte shook herself out of her thoughts and turned to face him. Her breath caught in her throat and she felt the color drain from her face when she took in the sight in front of her. Standing just behind Julian was another of her servants, who was holding onto a delicate silver chain. The chain was connected to a pair of cuffs which were locked around the wrists of a young man whose gaze was cast on the floor. 

“Is this some sort of practical joke?” Charlotte choked out, looking at Julian for answers. 

He shook his head. “I am afraid not, miss. Lord Donovan said that a lady of your standing deserves such a gift. You may read his letter at your convenience.” 

Charlotte’s eyes returned to the “gift.” The man was fairly young—about her age, she figured—of average height, and worryingly thin. His clothes hung loosely from his frame and they were worn; the neckline of his shirt fell to one side, revealing a prominent collarbone. He had a small, upturned nose and his face was framed by messy, dark locks. Charlotte’s first thought was that he needed a haircut. 

“I—I really don’t know what to say.” Charlotte glanced at Julian again, floundering. “Why in God’s name would Donovan send me such a thing?” 

“It seems that he acquired it in his recent travels,” Julian answered. “However, he said that if it displeases you, you may return it at once and he will figure out something to do with it.” 

The man’s shoulders tensed at that, but he made no other move. His eyes remained obediently fixed to the floor. 

Charlotte’s chest tightened and she replied hurriedly, “No, no—don't send him back. Heaven knows where he’ll end up.” Wherever it was, she could only expect it would be much worse. She had heard stories of the way people treated their pets, and it was horrifying enough to keep her up some nights. 

“Well,” Julian began, “if you wish to keep it, I can arrange for accommodations to be made. For the time being, would you prefer to have it sleep in the cellar, or perhaps the shed in the garden?” 

“Dear god,” Charlotte breathed in shock. “Nothing of the sort. He can sleep in my chambers.” 

The man looked up at that, a pair of piercing blue eyes locking onto hers. They were filled with equal parts shock, fear, and gratitude. It broke Charlotte’s heart. Then, just as quickly, he lowered his gaze back to the floor. 

“My lady,” Julian interrupted hesitantly, “with all due respect, that would not be proper.” 

“What is improper,” Charlotte spat, beginning to lose her temper, “is that a man sent me a human pet as gift with no warning. Now here I am, completely unprepared and unequipped to accommodate him. He may sleep on the floor in my room, and that is final. I will not be locking my gift in the cellar. Are we clear?” 

Julian sighed, then nodded once. “Yes, my lady.” 

She turned her focus back to the man—her gift—and asked, “When was the last time you ate?” 

Those blue eyes found hers once more, fearfully searching her face as though Charlotte’s question was some sort of trap. “I eat when I am permitted, Mistress.” His voice was soft and hoarse. 

“Julian, have him given a proper meal immediately,” Charlotte instructed with a huff. “I would also like him bathed and given a fresh set of clothes. After that, you may bring him to my room.” 

“Certainly,” Julian said. 

Once she was left alone, Charlotte returned to her easel. She stared at it for several minutes, trying will her mind back into the space it entered when she was painting—contented and focused. But her stomach was still turning from what had just happened. Her hands trembled. 

Charlotte grabbed the canvas and threw it across the room, knocking over a lamp with a loud crash. 

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Fateful Love in Motion (Prologue)

Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Expect grammatical errors and inaccuracies.

This is the story of a princess from a small country, trapped like a caged bird, who meets her destined partner.

(The day has finally come.)

I was walking down the mansion's corridor with a heavy heart.

(I really want to escape from here right now, but...)

The thought that the survival of my family rested on my shoulders made it difficult to abandon everything.

------------Flashback-----------

Father: "You are of marriageable age now. You need to get yourself a husband."

Mai: "What?"

A month ago, my father, with whom I had hardly interacted, suddenly summoned me and said that.

(He lived in a separate mansion and hasn't sent a single letter since my mother passed away.)

Mai: "I'm sorry, Father. I haven't been able to find a suitable partner yet."

Father: "Don't worry. I've chosen some excellent men for you."

(What's that supposed to mean?)

Father: "If there aren't enough guys, I'll bring in more. You can have as many men as you like."

Mai: "Wait! Why are you making such an important decision on your own?"

Mai: "Who are these 'excellent' men? And why are there several of them?"

Father: "You're my only child. It's better to have many to increase our bloodline."

Mai: "Are you saying I should take multiple husbands?"

Father: "Exactly."

(----!)

I felt the blood drain from my face, understanding the implication of my father's words.

Since I was an only child, I had been prepared to be told to bear children, but I never thought he'd use me like this.

(I don't want to be embraced by numerous men, and I don't want to be used as a political tool either.)

(But running away from Father would mean abandoning my responsibility as a princess.)

(If you ask me if I made the right decision...)

Father: "You're not going to argue with my decision, are you?"

Mai: "No, of course not."

Father: "Good, as long as you understand."

Father: "I’ve already gathered the men in a special mansion."

Father: "You will live with them and ensure our lineage by bearing children."

---------Flashback Ends--------

Thus, he prepared the mansion known as the "Ooku," where the men were staying.

(I wonder what kind of people these guys are.)

Vassal: "Princess, it's time!"

He shouted and instantly opened the door.

(Whoa!)

The brilliance was so overwhelming that it made my head spin.

Everywhere I looked, there were handsome gentlemen.

(There are so many of them!)

Despite feeling dizzy from nervousness, I somehow managed to make my way to the inner chamber.

I took my seat in the designated place, and the men of the Ōoku lined up in the hall.

Nobunaga: "So, you’re Princess Mai. I've heard about you."

Mai: "Y-Yes. And you are?"

Nobunaga: "I'm Nobunaga. I belong to the Seiya Group and oversee this Ōoku."

Mai: "Seiya Group?"

Yukimura: "Huh? Did you come here without knowing anything?"

Ranmaru: "It can't be helped. Lady Mai seems to have a lot going on in her life."

Shingen: "Well then, let's explain the workings of the Ooku briefly."

Kennyo: "First, let's explain the groups, then we can show you around the mansion."

Mai: "Groups? Are the roles divided based on kimono styles?"

Sasuke: "Exactly. Lady Mai, you're quite perceptive."

I received immediate praise and felt a little relieved.

Yoshimoto: "As you said, the Ōoku is divided into three groups."

Mitsunari: "Those dressed like me belong to the Seiya Group. We're responsible for internal affairs within the Ōoku."

Hideyoshi: "Those in the same attire as me belong to the Suimei Group. Primarily, we are your attendants."

Kanetsugu: "Wearing this attire makes us part of the Fūgetsu Group. Everyone here excels in the arts."

Mai: "I understand the roles in internal affairs and caretaking, but why arts?"

Ieyasu: "Why? To entertain you, of course."

Masamune: "Each of us must capture your heart with our talents."

Mai: "Huh?"

My heart skipped a beat as they directed powerful gazes toward me.

Mitsuhide: "Oh dear, why are you surprised? Surely you understand your own situation by now."

Kenshin: "You're in constant demand from the seventeen men here."

Mai: "That's..."

(I thought I understood Father's intentions and my own position, but...)

Whenever they put it into words, I felt like I was being pushed into a cage and wanted to run away right now.

Keiji: "Whoa, ease up a bit. You'll scare the princess, you know?"

Kicho: "But we can't just leave her in the dark. It would be troublesome if she continued to live unaware of her position as a princess."

Motonari: "He's right, so you better brace yourself, Princess."

Mai: "I..."

I desperately wanted to escape from this situation.

I never intended on getting involved with any of them, let alone falling in love. Yet, as I spent time with them in the Ōoku, I ended up falling in love.

Collection Events Masterlist

[heartfullofleeches]

Ranking my non-human darling's by how much they like to take baths and how willing they are to let their yan(s) bathe them:

Puppy Streamer/Mall Security Darling: 1000/10. Loves a hot bath after a day at the gym or at work. Washing all that fur themself is a bit of a pain so some assistance is much appreciated

Cat Streamer Darling: -10/10 As a grown ass person they can wash themselves just fine. Only takes a bath if they haven't showered in a couple days. Hates every second of it

Bunny Streamer Darling: 5/10. Also prefers to wash themselves, but so long as their yan has a gentle hand they'll eventually warm up to the idea

Alien Streamer Darling: 9/10. Confused by these human bonding rituals, but never doubts the words of their dear friends. Probably enjoys eating bath soap.

Incubus Darling: 10/10. Sees past their yan's little tricks, but would never say no to free pampering. Be sure to polish their horns well, love

Angel/Cupid Darling: 9/10. Not sure to a mortal form and loves some assistance. Lil hesitant about letting people touch their wings due to how sensitive they are, but warms up to it with a bit of love and patience

Werewolf Bodyguard Darlingx: 4/10. Only allows others to bathe them if their fur is covered in too much filth to get out on their own like mud/blood

Werewolf Sheriff Darling: 0/10. Just give them a bucket and fuck off.

Ghoul Darling: 3/10. Scary.... Their Yan has to be extremely cautious or risk scrubbing off bits of their flesh. Easy to persuade with treats for good behavior

Evan's Spouse Darling: 0/10 when they first met. 11/10 currently. Stinky fleshy eater was initially frightened by bathing because it got rid of their natural scent and Evan used nasty 5 in 1 body soap. Now that he switched over to soaps with a more fruity and they moved into a place with a tub they both could get in, they look forward to every bath.

Cult Monster Darling: 2/10 at first. 100/10. Monster Darling was cautious of humans and nearly ran away when they mentioned bathtime as to their previous cartakers it meant chaining them down and spraying them with a hose. The cultists nor darling's mate would ever subject them to such torture and bathe them with the utmost care which they grow to love.

Sea Creature Darling: -1000/10. Fuck you. They live in water- there's no need to give them a bath. Thinks their caretaker's just want any excuse to touch them. Nearly took someone's eye out just for having a sponge near them.

Clown Fish Darling: 1000/10. Fun! Sees bath time as play time which can be a hassle for their yan if they're washing them in doors. It's best if their yan bathes with them as this darling will mote often than not try to pull them in anyway

Thembo Shark Darling: 7/10. ??? - but, they're in water all the time.... it is nice to have some help picking fish bones out of their teeth and they'd hardly refuse anything if food is involved

Slime Darling: 0/10. Do not need to be bathed and runs risk of losing parts of themselves in the water/down the drain. Likes watching others bathe instead.

Nightlight Darling: 0/10 as an android they do not need baths, but as a caregiver they like to help give them. Acts like one of those floating bathtub lights and can dispense bubbles from their mouth.

Doll Darling: 9/10. Also also doesn't need baths, but it's fun to pretend and if it makes Yan happy they'll gladly do it

[fairyniceyeah]

⌛🐿️🧸 Day 16: Toxin/Poison

@sicktember

Summary: “Are you feeling okay, Jongho?” Jongho wondered what prompted the question. Hadn’t he just established that he was fine and enjoying the tour a lot?

CW: emeto, diarrhea in the context of illness

Sickie(s): Hongjoong + Jongho  Caretaker(s): Seonghwa + Yeosang

“Are you feeling okay, Jongho?”, Hongjoong asked as they entered the hotel again.

As tradition dictated Hongjoong would invite a member to dinner each week in order to give them some captain-member bonding time and the possibility to just speak as two individuals not members of the same group. It was greatly appreciated by all of them and tradition was never broken - not even on tours. So Jongho counted himself very lucky that it was his week when they were in LA of all places and Hongjoong had chosen a really good seafood restaurant.

Jongho wondered what prompted the question. Hadn’t he just established that he was fine and enjoying the tour a lot?

“I’m fine, hyung”, he replied, “just tired. You know how it is.”

“That is true”, Hongjoong said, interrupting himself half-way through the sentence with a yawn. “Well, see you tomorrow, I guess. Sleep well, good night.” 

“Good night, hyung. Rest”, Jongho replied and trudged to the next room, the one he shared with Seonghwa. For a moment he watched as Hongjoong fumbled with the keycard reader, the captain known for losing his card or generally always having issues with it, but he got into the room he shared with Yeosang easily. Jongho waved and entered his room.

Seonghwa was sitting on his bed, freshly showered and hair still dripping a bit, reading on his phone. 

“Hey, Jongho-yah, how was dinner?”

“Very good”, Jongho said, “you done in the bathroom? I want to take a shower too.”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

Once Jongho had cleaned up himself he fell into bed easily. He was exhausted, so much was true. Concert tours were always draining, like he had told Hongjoong earlier. Going to sleep early wasn’t a luxury they had on most days and so, after talking quietly with his oldest hyung for a bit, Jongho dropped off into sleep easily.

⌛

Sleep didn’t hold for long. A glance on his phone revealed that it was only two hours he had slept. As he became more aware he noticed that Seonghwa was talking rapidly on the phone with somebody. 

Jongho was about to tell his hyung where he could stick the device in the middle of the night, when Seonghwa ended the call with a concerned: “Don’t worry, Sang-ah. I’ll be there in a moment.”

“Wha’ ‘s go’n on?”, Jongho slurred, body more asleep than brain.

“Hongjoong isn’t feeling well, Yeosang just called me”, Seonghwa explained, running his hand through his hair, silhouette barely visible in the low light coming in through the curtains. “I’m gonna go see how I can help. Go back to sleep.”

“Hm, okay”, Jongho said, turning onto his other side. Maybe he should be a bit more worried about his captain and hyung but as he had pointed out earlier, tours were draining. He was so tired and he certainly didn’t want to get up if Seonghwa and Yeosang had it under control. 

Seonghwa slipped out of the room soon after and Jongho tried to fall back asleep. Now, however, as the opportunity presented itself, he couldn’t. He was so hot. Sweat was making the sheets cling to his body. Damn him for drawing Seonghwa as his roommate - his mat-hyung was a cool roommate normally but he was well known for liking warm temperatures. Why had he turned the A/C off? They were in California after all. 

The maknae fumbled a bit to stick his legs out under the blanket, hoping that like turning his pillow around, it would cool him down. It did. He shivered. Great. He just wanted to be comfortable, damn it.

Jongho had nearly fallen back asleep, already barely awake, when the door opened again.

“Hyung?”, Jongho asked.

“Hi, Jongho-yah”, Yeosang greeted with a sigh, “sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“It’s okay”, Jongho assured him, now wide-awake again, and turned onto his back. “I wasn’t asleep, I think. What are you doing here? How is hyung?”

“Hongjoong-hyung said he felt nauseous earlier and went to sit in the bathroom just in case. He really didn’t look good, I have never seen him that pale. Told me to stay away and wouldn’t let me come in or call anybody for help”, Yeosang explained, sounding exhausted. “Next thing I know I am waking up to the lovely sound of puking. He refused to let me in, so I called Hwa-hyung to deal with him.”

“Oh, damn.” Illnesses on tours were always the worst. Jongho still had vivid nightmares of the time Yunho had the stomach flu in Madrid. That had not been fun at all with the heat, the older feeling like he had been dying. Jongho had been quarantined with his then-roommate, trying to help him and yet wishing he was with all the other members chilling at the pool during the day. He wished that fate on nobody, least of all on his hard-working captain.

“Yeah. Are you feeling okay? You were out eating with him, if this is food poisoning…”

Oh, please. No. It would however explain why Hongjoong had asked earlier how Jongho was feeling. Maybe he had already been feeling off back then. Jongho didn’t though, so he was fine.

Jongho felt fine, didn’t he? A bit hot but that was to be expected if one shared rooms with Park Seonghwa.

“I feel fine”, he assured Yeosang. 

“That’s good”.

Considering the time of day (or well, night), Yeosang slipped under the covers of Seonghwa’s bed and just fell back asleep. Jongho was a bit envious. He had now been awake for over half-an-hour and he was so exhausted. Yet sleep didn’t come.

Now that he wasn’t distracted by talking with his hyungs, Jongho was for the first time realizing that the A/C was indeed whirring in the warm room and considering how Yeosang, who like Jongho liked it cool, had still buried himself under the blankets he started to assume that maybe the room was indeed cold.

With the realization also came the first agonizing cramp in his stomach that had the maknae nearly whimpering in pain. He curled into himself, pressing his hands to his aching abdomen. It hurt so badly, leaving him breathless. He tried to breathe through the pain anyways, but it didn’t do much.

It was then that Jongho started to wonder if maybe he was experiencing food poisoning, considering that Hongjoong was sick as well. It would make a sick (pun not intended) form of sense. God, he hoped not.

Yet, as if understanding the situation gave his stomach permission to worsen everything, he felt a pressure deep down that he did not ever want to experience. His brow slick with sweat, Jongho groaned, cursing their food choices. Then, a wave of nausea hit, nearly making him throw up then and there.

Jongho barely had any time to wonder if the pain and his messed up bowels were causing the nausea or if he was nauseous from the food itself, before he had to fling himself from the bed and rush to the bathroom.

Though he was embarrassed knowing that Yeosang would be able to hear everything if he woke up (the hotel was fancy, the sound-proofing was not), he had no time to lose or any caution for silence to spare.

He barely managed to close the bathroom door behind himself and sit down on the toilet before everything decided to leave him at once. Jongho quickly had to understand that his nausea did indeed come from an upset stomach and not just the pain. He felt himself sweat badly, body expelling itself violently and loudly. Yet Jongho didn’t have the time to feel embarrassed before his stomach decided that down was not the only way his food wanted to come out.

Jongho gagged violently, leaning over sideways to throw up in the bathtub that was luckily directly next to the toilet. His stomach cramped anew at the terrible position he was in but at least he wasn’t throwing up on the floor. 

It was truly disgusting, seeing the waves of pale yellow and chunky vomit splatter onto the previously clean porcelain. Honestly, all of Jongho felt disgusting. 

To make matters worse, there was a knock on the bathroom door and then Yeosang’s voice asking if he could come in.

If he didn’t die of this illness Jongho was sure he was going to die of humiliation.

“No”, he yelled between gags, hoping his hyung would respect his wishes. He didn’t think he could ever look Yeosang into the eyes again, if he saw Jongho this way: Pale and sweaty on the toilet, his body evacuating from both ends at the same time. No, he would not survive that.

“If you need help, yell”, Yeosang said and hopefully left to go somewhere far away. Deep down, Jongho knew that Yeosang would never leave when his maknae was this obviously, this violently sick, but he could dream.

Another wave of vomit splashed into the disgusting puddle in the tub but then luckily it stopped. Everything stopped. All Jongho was left with was awful cramps and a still very nauseous feeling in his stomach. Plus a very terrible clean-up.

Just standing up was a problem, his abused stomach muscles hurting and pulling at every movement. In the end, Jongho barely managed to clean himself up, flush and wash out the tub with water. Though he didn’t want to face Yeosang, he knew he had no choice. All he wanted was to sleep this off.

When he exited the bathroom, he saw Yeosang sitting crosslegged on Seonghwa’s bed, typing or playing on his phone. He looked up as he heard the hesitant steps coming towards the second bed, mustering Jongho up and down. 

“How are you feeling?”, the dancer asked, his tone carefully void of emotion. Jongho had expected him to sound a bit more worried, if he was honest, and even if he didn’t want any fuss it was suddenly weird. He flushed, looking down.

“Awful. My stomach really hurts”, he admitted, curling into himself.

“I can imagine”, Yeosang mumbled and stood up, reaching up to feel Jongho’s forehead. “You’re really clammy.” And then. “You said you were fine.”

“Cleary I lied”, Jongho snapped. He was in pain and sick and confused and whatever game Yeosang was playing he was rapidly losing.

Yeosang sighed, moving his hand to Jongho’s nape.

“Sorry”, he apologized, “I’m so worried about you, maknae-yah. Why didn’t you say you felt sick too, especially after it was clear that hyung was unwell?”

“It all happened so quickly. I’m sorry.”

⌛

Earlier:

“Sorry, I didn’t know what else to do”, Yeosang said, wringing his hands. “He told me to go to bed but I was on my phone and I got worried when he didn’t come out, so I asked if he was okay. He said he was really nauseous and wanted to stay in the bathroom just in case but he didn’t want my help but now he is throwing up and …”

“Breathe”, Seonghwa interrupted the rambling, wrapping his arms around his shaking dongsaeng. “I got him. Joongie is probably not keen on anybody seeing him like this anyways.”

“You’re probably the only one who can get through to Hongjoong-hyung at this point”, Yeosang admitted, gesturing helplessly at the closed bathroom door.

“Go sleep in my bed”, Seonghwa suggested, running his hand through his hair, “no use in staying awake here.”

“I will. Thanks, hyung”, Yeosang replied, “I’m sorry, I wish I could be of more help.”

“You called me, that’s help enough”, Seonghwa assured, “if Jongho is still awake, ask him how he feels, please. I’m not sure if I want this to be food poisoning but that’s better than a stomach bug.”

“Yes, hyung.”

Once Yeosang had left, Seonghwa dared knock on the bathroom door. “Joongie? It’s me. Can I come in?”

“Hwa?”, Hongjoong asked, his voice raspy. Likely from getting sick, Seonghwa mused. He really didn’t sound good. “I…”

Hongjoong stopped talking then and for a moment Seonghwa was incredibly worried but then the lock turned. When Seonghwa opened the door, he found Hongjoong curled up on the floor, only a towel keeping him from laying on the tiles. The stench of vomit nearly made Seonghwa gag but he knew he needed to focus on Hongjoong.

The captain was incredibly pale and there was vomit drying around his mouth and on the toilet seat. Seonghwa wouldn’t be surprised if anybody looked up the definition of sick and found a picture of the young rapper there. 

“Hey there”, he whispered, kneeling down by Hongjoong’s side, brushing hair out of his face. He suppressed a shudder as he realized that Hongjoong even had vomit caking in his hair. The poor man was really sick.

“Hwa”, Hongjoong repeated his hyung’s name, moving one hand from the tight grip he had on his stomach to reach out for him. Seonghwa grasped his hand gently, knowing that any disgust he felt was nothing in comparison to how awful Hongjoong must be feeling. There were deep lines of pain on his face. “Jongho-yah … is he okay?”

How typical, always worried about the maknae - or any other member than himself - first. 

“I’m more worried about you right now”, Seonghwa said, “if Jongho is sick, which I didn’t notice when I just spoke to him, he has Sangie with him. Do you wanna get cleaned up?”

“Not sure if that would make a difference right now”, Hongjoong muttered bitterly.

“Feeling nauseous again?”

“Never stopped.” Hongjoong moaned in pain. “But yeah, uh … help me up?”

In one swift motion Seonghwa managed to hold Hongjoong over the toilet just in time for a wave of vomit to spill into the murky water below. Clearly Hongjoong had been too ill to even flush.

Hongjoong seemed to be mostly empty, barely anything coming up. He shook violently in Seonghwa’s arms and the older was sure he would be crying if he could produce tears.

Seonghwa tore a bit of toilet paper off, wiping Hongjoong’s mouth, then taking new pieces to wipe his whole face. Gently he leaned Hongjoong against the tub, where the leader pulled his knees to his chest, hugging himself. 

“Let me just clean up a bit, okay?”, Seonghwa explained. “Then we can see about getting you back to bed with a bucket.”

Hongjoong nodded tiredly.

Seonghwa had barely managed to clean the splatters of puke from the seat and thrown the paper into the toilet to be flushed with everything else, when Hongjoong whimpered in pain. As he turned around, the oldest saw the deep pain on his face and the way Hongjoong was fighting against the cramps assaulting him.

“Are you …?”

“Get out!”, Hongjoong pressed out, teeth clenched.

“What?”

“Out.”

Understanding dawned on Seonghwa and he rushed out, not wanting to make Hongjoong feel any more humiliated than he probably already did.

He blocked out the sounds of Hongjoong facing a very different problem now and texted Hongjoong’s manager. Considering how sick Hongjoong was, they would need medicine or a doctor soon. Then he texted Yeosang asking for updates, receiving an immediate reply:

Maknae is sick too.

Shit. Great.

“Hyung?”, Hongjoong called weakly. Seonghwa felt his heart break - Hongjoong only called him hyung when he was feeling particularly vulnerable and in need of comfort. “Can you bring me new pajamas?”

“Sure”, he called back, feeling awful for the younger. He didn’t want to imagine how embarrassed Hongjoong must have been to ask the question.

He grabbed a pair of comfy clothes from Hongjoong’s suitcase and knocked on the door. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah.”

Hongjoong had wrapped a towel around his lower self, shaking in the cold. His trousers lay abandoned, wet from a poor attempt at cleaning, in the tub.

Seonghwa rushed over to Hongjoong, handing the fresh clothes over, looking away but holding onto Hongjoong’s shoulder to help his balance as he changed.

“I’m sorry”, Hongjoong whimpered once he was changed.

Seonghwa shook his head and pulled him against his chest, feeling Hongjoong take shuddering breaths. “There is nothing to be sorry about. You’re sick.”

“I mean, I … Hwa, I’m dizzy.” Hongjoong interrupted himself, a wave of panic in his voice and clutching Seonghwa's shirt frantically.

Seonghwa held him more tightly, knowing that Hongjoong was prone to fainting and that the best way to help him was to lie down flat. But it was too late. As he laid Hongjoong on his back, feet propped up against the tub, the captain’s eyes fluttered shut and he went limp.

They needed a doctor now.

⌛

Now:

Their conversation was interrupted as Yeosang’s phone began to ring. Jongho managed to catch a glimpse of Hongjoong’s manager’s name before Yeosang lifted the phone to his ear.

“Yes. Yes. Yes, alright. Be there soon.” Yeosang hung up.

“Hongjoong-hyung fainted. They are taking him to the ER to get some meds and fluids. The manager wants you to go too before anything happens.”

Jongho felt his eyes fill with tears against his will. He didn’t want to go to the hospital. All he wanted was sleep. But he knew to not challenge a manager’s decision in the middle of the night, especially since he had no good defense for himself. So he just nodded, resigned.

“It’s probably for the better”, Yeosang comforted, wrapping the overwhelmed maknae in his arms. “You’ll feel better with some fluids and meds.”

The ride to the ER was more than unpleasant. Jongho had given up on sitting straight within a minute and had slumped into Yeosang’s side. The only thing that kept the maknae sane was his hyung’s embrace, he was sure otherwise he would have freaked out with his symptoms in an enclosed space with no bathroom near.

Hongjoong, while he had woken up, was incredibly sluggish. He was laying stretched out in the backseat, head on Seonghwa’s lap. 

By the time they pulled into the parking lot, Jongho was in extreme pain again, holding back barely an option. Yeosang pulled him into the building and to the nearest bathroom with only seconds to spare. Red-faced and humiliated in Jongho’s case and very worried in Yeosang’s, they reunited with the manager twenty minutes later.

“They already took Joongie to a room to give him meds and fluids”, the manager explained, sighing. “Seonghwa-yah is with him. I’m going to get a nurse, you’ll be admitted too, Jongho-yah.”

Jongho bit his lip, turning his face into Yeosang’s shoulder to hide. He didn’t want to be prodded by nurses and doctor’s all night, he just wanted to sleep. He didn’t know how to deal with the situation anymore but cry in his hyung’s arms.

“Do they know what is wrong?”, he heard Yeosang ask. The older was tenderly stroking Jongho’s hair, seemingly very aware that he was the only thing keeping the maknae from breaking down.

“Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning”, the manager replied, “apparently they have been getting cases all evening and night. A batch at the seafood restaurant they were at must have accidentally been contaminated.”

That was when the tears started to flow.

⌛

Getting an IV took ages, despite a doctor being available immediately after the manager had gotten a nurse. They had led Jongho into a private waiting room but with the overwhelming situation, Jongho was barely able to sit still for longer than a few minutes before having to rush back to a bathroom. With how badly he was dehydrated it was difficult to find a vein for the IV.

It hurt and Jongho had given up on being embarrassed by the time he was crying on Yeosang’s lap while the young doctor carefully spoke to him while placing the IV, chatting to keep Jongho distracted. 

By the time Jongho was wheeled into a private hospital room, hiding his face in the pillows and clutching Yeosang’s hand as the bed he was laying on was pushed through the vast hospital halls, Jongho felt emotionally numb.

He looked up when he felt another familiar hand hold his other one in theirs.

“Hwa-hyung?”, Jongho asked quietly, blinking up at their eldest. His brain was too foggy to even question why Seonghwa was suddenly there.

“Hi, baby”, Seonghwa greeted him, placing a kiss against Jongho’s forehead. Normally Jongho would have hated it but right now it was the most comforting feeling ever. “How are you feeling?”

“Awful”, Jongho whispered, “tired.”

“Sleep.”

⌛

Hongjoong couldn’t remember the last time he had felt this sore when he woke up. His stomach hurt and his head was pounding in time with his heart. 

“Good morning, Hongjoong-ssi”, a woman’s voice greeted him. He blinked open his eyes, wincing at the bright light, to look up to what appeared to be a nurse. “My name is Nali, I’m a nurse here.”

Hongjoong was still incredibly sleepy, his head filled with what felt like cotton, so he was glad the nurse was speaking Korean. They were in LA, weren’t they? He truly was in luck, except for, you know, the whole hospital thing.

“Good morning. Where are …?”

“Your manager drove your friends back to the hotel, he should be back soon”, the nurse explained, “Jongho-ssi is asleep next to you.” She gestured to the other side of the room where Hongjoong could spot his maknae curled up under the covers, face slack in sleep and still very pale.

“How is he? What…?”

“You’re both still a bit dehydrated and might experience some slight nausea and diarrhea the next few days”, the nurse explained. “Let me take your vitals and then we can see about waking Jongho-ssi up.”

Numbly, Hongjoong nodded. The nurse seemed happy enough with his vitals, blood pressure a bit low but not as bad as he had experienced in the past. Indeed did he feel a bit nauseous still and he was glad for the kidney dish resting on the bedside table even though he didn’t feel like he would be sick in the close future.

“Can I wake Jongho-yah?”, Hongjoong asked just before the nurse turned to the still knocked-out maknae. “He isn’t really a fan of strangers … no offense.”

“No, of course. Go ahead. Just take it slow.”

Hongjoong slowly sat up, breathing through the slight vertigo he felt. He slipped down from the bed and, clutching the IV stand for support, wobbled over to Jongho. He was grateful for the chair at his bedside, sinking into it with a sigh. He was much more exhausted than he would have imagined from the barely five steps he had taken. 

“Maknae-yah”, he whispered, “wake up, baby.” He ran his hand over Jongho’s upper arm, hoping the stimulation would help. Jongho looked so young in his sleep and yet, so exhausted. 

It took some time until he woke up but then Jongho mumbled a sleepy: “Hyung?”

“Hey”, Hongjoong replied, “try to wake up a bit, hm? You’re in the hospital and a nice nurse wants to take your vitals.”

Jongho yawned and slowly opened his eyes. 

Hongjoong gestured at the nurse to start looking him over. If they waited until Jongho was really awake, they might sit there awhile. He always needed a bit extra help waking up when he was not feeling well.

By the time Jongho seemed truly able to understand where he was, the nurse was mostly done.

“What happened?”, Jongho asked, sounding painfully confused, “I remember feeling awful but … where are Sangie-hyung and Hwa-hyung? Aren’t you also sick, Joong-hyung?”

“Manager-hyung drove them back to the hotel”, Hongjoong explained patiently, intertwining their hands, “I feel much better than last night. How about you?”

“My stomach hurts”, Jongho mumbled, “what made us this sick?”

Right, that Hongjoong didn’t know yet either. He turned to the nurse expectantly.

“You both have Diarrhetic Shellfish poisoning. A seafood restaurant uptown apparently got a tainted batch.”

Hongjoong felt horror was over himself. He had chosen the restaurant.

“God, I’m so sorry, Jongho-yah”, he apologized, feeling even more terrible as he saw how long it took the younger one to puzzle the information together.

“Not your fault”, Jongho finally said, “you didn’t know and the food tasted good. I thought you chose it very well.”

“He’s right”, the nurse said, “nobody could have known. The restaurant didn’t either until the first cases started to come in. Just focus on resting. Do you want help getting back to your own bed?”

Hongjoong was about to nod, knowing he was never going to make it on his own, but then Jongho scooted a bit away from him. “Stay, hyung. Cuddles.”

It was so un-Jongho-like that Hongjoong for a moment wondered if he wasn’t hallucinating it all, but the honest and yearning look in Jongho’s eyes decided for him. Jongho hated hospitals and strangers and sickness, and Hongjoong couldn’t fault him for wanting to be close to his hyung when he was still obviously feeling so bad.

So, until the manager came back with Yunho and San to take them home, Hongjoong and Jongho stayed cuddled up on the bed together asleep, the maknae resting his head on his hyung’s chest. 

Masterlist links: Fairy's Full Masterlist Fairy's Sicktember 2024

[mj-iza-writer]

"Whumpee please don't go that far away from me", Caretaker requested, "I can't go into the sunlight like you can."

"I'm sorry Caretaker", Whumpee jumped around in the new puddles a recent storm created.

"Thankyou", Caretaker watched them get closer, they adjusted their umbrella.

"Caretaker?", Whumpee stopped suddenly.

"Yes Whumpee", they smiled.

"How come you come outside with me even when you could get hurt?", Whumpee jumped closer, "and why can I be in the sun, but you can't."

"I come out to make sure you are safe, and have company", Caretaker sighed, "as for the sunlight, no one really remembers why we can't come out into the sun. We just know we get severally burnt from it."

"I get burnt from the sun to" Whumpee showed their arms.

"Yes, you're right. My burns are a little different though", Caretaker smiled, "humans have to have sunlight, it helps your body. That's why I rushed you out here after the storm, it's been a week since we've had sunlight here."

"Caretaker, if you're not human, what are you?", Whumpee stopped in front of Caretaker now, almost splashing them.

Whumpee gave a terrified look, "I-I'm sorry."

"No harm done, Whumpee", Caretaker smiled, "for right now, just know me as your Caretaker, I'm sure you will find out soon enough on what I am."

Whumpee looked down and nodded.

"You seem sadened by my answer. Do you not trust me?", Caretaker looked at Whumpee sadly.

"I'm sorry, it's just....", Whumpee thought for a second while staring at the ground, "secrets are hard Caretaker, I don't like them."

"I understand. For this one secret though, I need you to trust me. I will tell you as soon as I feel you're ready. We are still new to each other after all", Caretaker sighed, "I must ensure that I am safe with you, as I have to show you your safe with me."

Whumpee looked up at Caretaker sadly, "are you a vampire?"

Caretaker felt their heart sink, "no, what a thing to suggest", Caretaker tried to remain calm.

Whumpee looked at them for a second, then went back to splashing in the puddles. Out of the corner of their eye, they watched Caretaker breathe a sigh of relief.

Later, when the sun was down, Caretaker tucked Whumpee into bed.

"Remember stay in your room until I come get you in the morning, the castle can be a little scary at night", Caretaker smiled as they patted Whumpee's head.

Whumpee nodded, "okay, goodnight Caretaker."

"Goodnight Whumpee", Caretaker started to leave.

"Um Caretaker?", Whumpee sat up.

"Yes Whumpee", Caretaker turned and walked back to the bed.

"I'm sorry if I made you sad today", Whumpee said shyly, "I shouldn't have asked if you were a vampire."

"Whumpee, you didn't make me sad. You asked a question you were curious about", Caretaker gently brushed some loose hair from Whumpee's face, "I just don't know where that came from."

"Whumper was a vampire", Whumpee sighed as Caretaker helped them to lay down, "they never drank from me, but I was forced to watch while they drained all of the blood of their victims."

"Oh", Caretaker said sadly, "I-I'm sure that was scary to watch."

"Yes it was", Whumpee frowned as they thought back to those days.

Caretaker also thought back to the night they raided Whumper's mansion, then rescued Whumpee.

"Well their is no reason to worry about vampires any longer. Vampires will never hurt you", Caretaker smiled, "I promise."

Caretaker left the room. Once the door was locked, they recited a protection over the room and Whumpee to keep Caretaker and any vampires out.

Caretaker went to their chambers to hide until dawn. Their blood lust had become increasingly worse, but they couldn't bring themself to hurt a human, and animal blood was starting to not help.

Caretaker sighed as they tried to sit and ignore the stabbing pains in their stomach.

"You can handle this Caretaker. Once morning comes, the pain will subside", Caretaker sighed.

"Why fight it, you've got a nice human upstairs", a voice mocked from a shadow in the room.

"Whumper", Caretaker jumped up.

Whumper walked out of the shadows with a grin, "you have something of mine, I want them back."

"Not going to happen", Caretaker bared their fangs, "they are safe from you."

"Don't bother. I know you're weak. I injured you when you raided my mansion, and I know without blood, your healing has been a very slow process", Whumper bared his fangs, "you don't stand a chance", Whumper jumped toward Caretaker and they started to fight.

Whumpee jumped when they heard a crash.

They ran to the door and remembered what Caretaker said, they held the door knob for a second. Another crash, and they found themselves opening the door.

This caused the room protection to be broken. Whumpee was the only one who could do that, they just had to open the door. The second protection over them could be removed by anyone as long as they knew the magic to do it.

Whumpee followed the sounds of struggle until they peaked into Caretaker's chamber.

Both Whumper and Caretaker instantly looked at Whumpee.

Whumper laughed as they threw Caretaker and ran toward Whumpee.

"No", Whumpee cried.

Whumper grabbed at Whumpee but pulled away in pain.

"So you have an enchantment on you, by Caretaker no doubt", Whumper turned to Caretaker, who was struggling to get back up, "if I kill you, it should remove that pesky protection."

"Run Whumpee don't look back", Caretaker yelled as they huffed to get up again.

Whumpee sobbed, "but you..."

"Don't worry about me", Caretaker groaned as Whumper attacked mercilessly, "just go, I'll hold them off as long as I can."

Whumpee cried as they watched Caretaker being attacked.

"Your weak", Whumper laughed as they continued to attack.

"Please", Whumpee yelled, "don't hurt them."

"Whumpee, I want you. They only stand in my way of that', Whumper stopped for a second, "once they die, it will be much easier for me."

Caretaker was thrown against the wall. Whumpee glanced over at a suit of armor, which held a spear.

Whumper stood over Caretaker. They were locked eyes. Whumper didn't pay any attention to the fact Whumpee was behind them until the spear was stabbed through them.

"Why you little", Whumper turned slowly with a wince, and they stumbled and fell to their knees, "you missed my heart, wait until I get my hands on you, you'll pay for that."

Whumpee quickly knelt beside Caretaker.

"You need to drink from me, that's not going to stop them for long", Whumpee pleaded watching Whumper work to remove the spear.

"I can't. I swore I'd never drink from you, no matter what. Vampires will never hurt you again remember", Caretaker groaned as they tried to stand again. They fell forward weakly.

"Please, they're coming", Whumpee cried.

"Desino (cease, stop)", Caretaker pointed at Whumper.

Whumper paused moving as though frozen in place.

"Whumpee listen to me, I want you to run. Get out and run, don't worry about me", Caretaker fell to their knees.

Whumpee whimpered and held Caretaker's face, tears streamed down their face.

"That spell won't last much longer", Caretaker groaned, "go."

"Caretaker you were the first person in my life to show kindness to me, please don't make me leave you to die when I know my blood will help you", Whumpee sobbed, "I'm scared if you get killed. I'm scared they'll find me again. I'm so scared. I don't want to lose you."

Caretaker looked deep into their eyes finally understanding. Caretaker nodded.

"Are you sure, Whumpee?", Caretaker finally sighed, realizing the spell on Whumper wasn't holding.

"Yes please, I don't want to be scared anymore. I don't want to be alone anymore", Whumpee knelt and showed their neck to Caretaker, "drink from me."

"Dimittis (release)", Caretaker waved their hand over Whumpee to remove their protection, then leaned in for the bite.

"No", Whumper cried out, still partially frozen.

Whumpee winced as the teeth went through, "I'm okay", they whispered.

Caretaker drank as they watched their spell weaken on Whumper.

"I can still destroy you", Whumper yelled as they yanked the rest of the spear out.

Caretaker smiled as they looked up at Whumper.

"Thankyou Whumpee", they stood, and gently leaned Whumpee against the wall, "that's all I need for now."

Whumpee slid weakly against the wall until they were lying against it. They hadn't realized how much blood was going to be drained and how that was going to feel.

Caretaker felt their power being restored as they were able to stand now.

You shouldn't have come here", Caretaker frowned, "Et non morieris (you will die)".

Whumpee's head felt heavy. They went in and out of consciousness. The last thing they saw was Caretaker delivering a deathly blow.

Caretaker grinned as Whumper fell to the ground, eternally silenced now.

Caretaker sighed, "and stay down", they stumbled sideways before catching themself.

"Oh Whumpee", Caretaker gently stroked Whumpee's face, "so brave, I am indebted to you."

Whumpee fluttered their eyes open, then jolted up in their bed.

"What happened?", they grabbed their neck, which had been bandaged, "oh right."

A small noise caught their attention. They were scared to look, not sure if their blood was enough to help Caretaker.

"I was starting to wonder if you'd ever wake up", a familiar voice called from where the noise was.

"Caretaker" Whumpee turned quickly, "ouch", they grabbed their neck.

"Oops yep, that will be a bit sore for a while", Caretaker came and sat on the edge of Whumpee's bed, "that was very brave of you, even in a scary situation you were able to help me."

"I didn't want you to leave me", Whumpee looked down, "isn't that selfish Caretaker?"

"No, not when it comes from so deep in your heart. You didn't want to be alone. You didn't want to lose someone important to you. You were afraid", Caretaker smiled, "you are not selfish at all my dear."

"So what happened to Whumper?", Whumpee looked up.

"Thanks to you I was able to finish him, he's gone forever."

"What language were you speaking, and, and, and I have so many questions", Whumpee's eyes grew wide in excitement.

"I was speaking in Latin", Caretaker smiled, "we have plenty of time for questions. For right now how about some dinner, then you need to rest. I took more blood then you were ready to lose, I'm sure."

Whumpee nodded, "but that's okay, and if you ever need anymore, don't be afraid to ask me. I don't want you to feel sick, and I know you need it."

"Thankyou Whumpee, I'll keep that in mind."

Taglist. As always please let me know if you want to be added or taken off of the list. It's not a problem at all. @villainsandheroes @the-beasts-have-arrived @sacredwrath @porschethemermaid @monarchthefirst @generic-whumperz @bloodyandfrightened @freefallingup13 @notpeppermint