Lucifer winces at the biting. They will tend to that after. Macaque can take those teeth, he's definitely had worse. The Devil wracks his brain. Firm. Not rough but firm. Nothing soft. Okay. Think, Lucifer, think. Macaque is wrapping his arms around her tight. What can he do to help get her up that's firm. Oh! He puts his hands on both of her cheeks and firmly presses in to try and keep her head still. Firm voice.
"Wake up, Choco. It's time get up." Lucifer summons an orb of light above them. Not so bright as to banish the shadows but enough to try and shine a light that even the closed eyes can sense. Maybe a firm light will help draw her out of the darkness of the nightmare.
[ The moment Macaque lets go of Korone's wrist, Yuzuki grabs it. More specifically, he summons Shigeon to do the grabbing for him. Good birb —]
[ Maybe it says something about how fucked up this all is that the shadow clone actually startles Yuzuki. His tail bristles, and he narrowly bites back a warning growl. It's just — it's just Dad. Not a threat. ]
[ It's just Dad. ]
[ Dad wants to help. Even him? … Even him. Apparently. ]
[ Yuzuki hesitates for a long moment. He shouldn't need this. He doesn't. … But if it'll help him tune out the noise and ground himself … he'd be in a better position to do his job, right? It's practical. Finally he jerks his head in a nod, accepting the squish and burrowing into it without ever taking his eyes and ears away from what's happening. He mutters instructions, ]
Tighter than that. Even pressure over a wider surface area. Legs too, if you can. It feels — [ he shudders violently ] like they're everywhere.
[ Breathe. In. Hold. Out. ]
Keep talking. Or try singing, that might help. Make sure you don't get too close to her temples, Toucifer. The light — that's good.
[ It's unexpected. Jarring. It doesn't fit. It doesn't make sense. It isn't enough to wake her, not yet at least, but it's one more solid step in the right direction. While she doesn't fully let up on the biting, she's somewhat less of a bear-trap, and the godawful glamourie horror show seems to be slowly losing steam. Slowly. Slowly.
(Her eyes are gone.)
(She's coughing up blood.)
(She's — wearing her clothes from the Temple, stained scarlet, asking a Macaque who doesn't remember her if she should try to get the bullet out herself—?)
(She's choking and laughing and laughing and laughing behind her big brother's hand, eagerly awaiting her turn to become one with the hive. Rude of him to try to stop her, but it won't be long now.)
She's —
… Being held?
Whimpering and squirming, eyes squeezed shut. Held tight. Lungs wet, full, heavy and eaten away, no room for air, it's just blood and honey and bees and bees and —
And sometimes, those whimpers sound like words. Broken pleas to make it stop, make it end, make it all stop, please, she can't do this, just make it stop please make it stop. Sometimes those whimpers sound like a seventeen year old girl begging to die, because death is a mercy when every other option is pure torment.
… Sometimes those whimpers are breathless hiccuping giggles, and the squirming eases. She's a delicate hol-e maiden. Get it? Hee. ]
Macaque's shadow clone grasps Yuzuki tightly, with arms and legs and tail and more arms still that come out of the shadow. Macaque applies the same to Choco, wrapping all his limbs and his tail around her and summoning more clones to wrap her up tight.
He's mildly horrified when Lucifer grabs her face, knowing her proclivity for panic, but Yuzuki gives him instructions... 'Touficer'? Well, he'll ponder that one later.
Lost for more to do, Macaque starts singing a Japanese folk song. Hopefully it'll call her back from whatever she's going through.
So much blood. So much screaming and laughing and her nightmares rage on. Yuzuki is being taken care of. The cute little bird he clocks as it helps grab her wrist. Okay. He'll remember that adorable thing for a later thank you to Yuzuki. For right now, they need to focus on Choco. No temples but pressing his hands against her cheeks, holding there right, no temple brushing or touches. Macaque is wrapping himself and his clones around her. What else can he do to help with the weight needed?
Touficer? He would squeak if things weren't so out of control. He will squeak later. For now, he has to think. What did Charlie like when she had nightmares? Think weighted blanket. Maybe he could do something that just helped all this pressure feel like more. Wind starts to move in the room. It blows down on them all. The air warming as it pushes down. The blankets and anything loose gets pushed down and maybe slides across the floor. It's more warm pressure over everything, though he makes sure it doesn't touch her eyes to the top of her head.
The joins in the singing with Macaque, the melody of the folk song playing on the wind as it blows down on them all.
[ Escaping this nightmare is like climbing out of an abyss, where every ladder is made of ice and thorns and broken glass. It's all too easy to slip, to falter and fail and flay yourself apart. But this … this helps. It all helps, is helping. ]
[ Slowly, slowly, slowly, painfully slowly, Korone's wild thrashing winds down. The bite eases to nothing, leaving her mouth and chin stained with blood — whether hers alone, or Macaque's as well. The crying, the screaming, the heart-wrenching whimpers and broken pleas taper to uneasy, exhausted quiet. ]
[ It's a long while until she's anything close to settled, and even longer before her lashes flutter for the first time. Even then, she doesn't really seem to be awake ... Macaque may be able to hear the misfiring electrical signals somewhere deep inside, subtle on the surface and fortunately short-lived, or else sense it through Yuzuki, who trembles and wavers like a guttering flame. ]
[ The shadow clone almost vanishes completely, only to claw himself stubbornly back from the brink. He rasps, ]
I'm. G-Going to take front. For Choco. Wake up for her. Let her rest.
Macaque can feel Choco slowly easing into a less frenzied restlessness. he knows that she's not out of the woods yet, but it helps him to relax a little. He keeps holding on though, him and his clones.
The clones holding Yuzuki are left with empty arms as Yuzuki nearly vanishes. Macaque nods at his inclination to front for a while, give Choco a chance to be a little less jolted by the experience of waking up and finding herself not alone.
"Good idea. But one thing first--" His shadow rises up from the floor and unwinds the scarf it's wearing, the one Macaque rarely takes off. He wraps its silhouette around Yuzuki's neck, draping it loosely. "Take this. To ground you."
Things are slowly calming down. Though Choco isn't waiting up yet. Yuzuki will take the driver's seat, as it were. Let her actually rest in hopefully peaceful sleep. Good dreams or no dreams. Lucifer just hopes there are no more nightmares. He keeps the wind going and keeps his pressing firm. He watches as Macaque gives that scarf to Yuzuki.
It is no small gesture and he's sure Yuzuki will know that.
"We'll be out here for you too, when you take the front. We're not going anywhere. You got us here for you too."
[ Yuzuki's breath hitches sharply, and his glassy eyes widen in shock. He's wearing Dad's scarf. Dad ... Dad gave him -
He touches the scarf, shakily but so, so gently, as if it's a delicate treasure. Beyond priceless. Uncharacteristically lost for words, lips trembling and nose ever so slightly scrunched exactly like Korone when she's trying not to cry, Yuzuki nods. He swallows, blinks a couple of times, and nods again, then carefully tucks the scarf in closer, nice and snug. Perfect for hiding in. ]
[ And then, finally, he sinks back into the shadows, Shigeon following close on his heels. Korone sinks too, albeit metaphorically; she drifts down into heavy, molasses-y fuzz and restful oblivion. ]
[ Macaque and Lucifer will have a moment to themselves. It's going to take Yuzuki a few minutes to muddle his way up. ]
Lucifer watches that reaction and can't help but smile. He will be making Yuzuki his own cute little shadow duck. Complete with adorable scarf. Like the little bird friend he has. For now though, Yuzuki has a job to do and Lucifer knows he needs to look after his fiancé.
"Take your time, love," Lucifer says softly and spreads one of his wings to gently lay over Macaque's shoulders. Just soft down feathers there as his own personal reminder that Lucifer is here and not going anywhere.
Macaque gives up on having his eyes closed when it gets him a weird combination of blue static and nothingness. The last time he held Choco this tightly was in the jar.
He's shaking all over when Lucifer's wings find his shoulders.
"Don't leave," Macaque pleads with Lucifer despite that he knows it's unnecessary.
Lucifer makes a double to hold Choco's face as he slides over to wrap his arms around Macaque gently. He leans against him and nuzzles the back of Macaque's head with his nose.
"You are stuck with me. I will be there when you wake up like this. Here to hold you, sing to you, pet you, or simply sit with you in your line of sight so you know I am here. You lay beside me when I couldn't get out of bed. You held my hand, you sang, and you come to me the moment you hear me need you. I will forever to the same for you, Macaque."
Macaque leans down to nuzzle one of Lucifer's arms with his cheek. Then he nods. He knew that would be the answer.
"I'm so scared that you'll be gone again." Not something that Macaque would ordinarily admit, but he feels like if they're going to be married than they should share everything.
"I do not plan to leave you, love. And I will fight, nail and tooth, to always come back to you should we be separated," Lucifer keeps holding Macaque and nuzzling back.
He'll only be able to fight to be together again if he remembers that Macaque exists, he thinks bitterly. But there's nothing they can do about that. The same thing could happen to any of them.
"I know," is all he says instead. He leans against Lucifer without sacrificing his hold on his daughter.
"Love you too. I'm glad you're here right now. And always."
[ There's an exceptionally groggy, even more exceptionally wrecked mumble from your local pigeon, ]
Hm. Wow. Think 'm gonna throw up.
[ Your local shadow pigeon, because their blended voice is far more Yuzuki than Korone. When he finally succeeds in cracking his eyes open for all of 1.24 seconds, inky purple and gold are bleeding in to replace their heart's true blue. ]
[ ... Also, he's not joking. Like, yes, he is, but oh boy oh boy he absolutely is not, not even a little. ]
"Thanks, love." He'd deal with getting puked on but it wouldn't be fun. Sorry about more mushiness but it's gonna happen again, so best get used to it.
He glances over at Yuzuki's shadow (and his own since he's still holding on), seeing that it's wearing his scarf. Good.
[ Heaves a sigh that was supposed to sound Vaguely Aggrieved, and ends up embarrassingly close to 'sad wet cat in the rain'. It's wobbly. It's pathetic. Ugh.
Ughhh.
His shadow, which is his shape, flicks its tail. ... and then winds its tail around Lucifer's ankle ... ]
... "Want" is a strong word. [ Mumble-grumble. He breathes in, trying to steady himself. Swallows. ... Swallows again, grimacing, and makes a slightly alarmed sound despite himself ] - now, now's good.
The sound is so sad and wobbly. Lucifer can almost feel the ghostly sensation of a shadow touching his own and it translating to near touch. Like the whisper of a sensation. Toucifer will gently pet Yuzuki's hair and pull his hands away when the signal, though clearly reluctant, is given to let go.
"Well we can burrito you in hugs again when you want or need too. On demand. Just let us know. Alright?"
[ Yuzuki's heart rate jumps up a notch or six the moment their dad(s) pull away. Hard to say whether it's because of the loss of warmth and weight or the impressive, violent twisty-turny roiling churning somersaults their stomach is doing - ]
[ Speaking of which. ]
[ The moment he can move, he scrambles inelegantly for the bucket without wasting a single second to take off the mittens, and proceeds to throw up for what feels like a lifetime. It's painful and gross and beyond miserable, and the blood coming back up is ... so fun. So fun. ]
[ He'll be with you in. Like. Ten minutes or so. Fifteen. ]
Poor poor Yuzuki. Lucifer makes sure to help hold back his hair with one hand after bunching it up, and rubs his back with the other.
"It's okay. Let it out. It's a big bucket. You're going to be okay," Lucifer tries to just be soft as Yuzuki goes through this for however many minutes it lasts. If needed, a second bucket will be summoned. And a glass of ice water and a bendy straw. And mouthwash. Because...yeah.
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Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
"Wake up, Choco. It's time get up." Lucifer summons an orb of light above them. Not so bright as to banish the shadows but enough to try and shine a light that even the closed eyes can sense. Maybe a firm light will help draw her out of the darkness of the nightmare.
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
[ Maybe it says something about how fucked up this all is that the shadow clone actually startles Yuzuki. His tail bristles, and he narrowly bites back a warning growl. It's just — it's just Dad. Not a threat. ]
[ It's just Dad. ]
[ Dad wants to help. Even him? … Even him. Apparently. ]
[ Yuzuki hesitates for a long moment. He shouldn't need this. He doesn't. … But if it'll help him tune out the noise and ground himself … he'd be in a better position to do his job, right? It's practical. Finally he jerks his head in a nod, accepting the squish and burrowing into it without ever taking his eyes and ears away from what's happening. He mutters instructions, ]
Tighter than that. Even pressure over a wider surface area. Legs too, if you can. It feels — [ he shudders violently ] like they're everywhere.
[ Breathe. In. Hold. Out. ]
Keep talking. Or try singing, that might help. Make sure you don't get too close to her temples, Toucifer. The light — that's good.
[ It's unexpected. Jarring. It doesn't fit. It doesn't make sense. It isn't enough to wake her, not yet at least, but it's one more solid step in the right direction. While she doesn't fully let up on the biting, she's somewhat less of a bear-trap, and the godawful glamourie horror show seems to be slowly losing steam. Slowly. Slowly.
(Her eyes are gone.)
(She's coughing up blood.)
(She's — wearing her clothes from the Temple, stained scarlet, asking a Macaque who doesn't remember her if she should try to get the bullet out herself—?)
(She's choking and laughing and laughing and laughing behind her big brother's hand, eagerly awaiting her turn to become one with the hive. Rude of him to try to stop her, but it won't be long now.)
She's —
… Being held?
Whimpering and squirming, eyes squeezed shut. Held tight. Lungs wet, full, heavy and eaten away, no room for air, it's just blood and honey and bees and bees and —
And sometimes, those whimpers sound like words. Broken pleas to make it stop, make it end, make it all stop, please, she can't do this, just make it stop please make it stop. Sometimes those whimpers sound like a seventeen year old girl begging to die, because death is a mercy when every other option is pure torment.
… Sometimes those whimpers are breathless hiccuping giggles, and the squirming eases. She's a delicate hol-e maiden. Get it? Hee. ]
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
He's mildly horrified when Lucifer grabs her face, knowing her proclivity for panic, but Yuzuki gives him instructions... 'Touficer'? Well, he'll ponder that one later.
Lost for more to do, Macaque starts singing a Japanese folk song. Hopefully it'll call her back from whatever she's going through.
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
Touficer? He would squeak if things weren't so out of control. He will squeak later. For now, he has to think. What did Charlie like when she had nightmares? Think weighted blanket. Maybe he could do something that just helped all this pressure feel like more. Wind starts to move in the room. It blows down on them all. The air warming as it pushes down. The blankets and anything loose gets pushed down and maybe slides across the floor. It's more warm pressure over everything, though he makes sure it doesn't touch her eyes to the top of her head.
The joins in the singing with Macaque, the melody of the folk song playing on the wind as it blows down on them all.
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
[ Slowly, slowly, slowly, painfully slowly, Korone's wild thrashing winds down. The bite eases to nothing, leaving her mouth and chin stained with blood — whether hers alone, or Macaque's as well. The crying, the screaming, the heart-wrenching whimpers and broken pleas taper to uneasy, exhausted quiet. ]
[ It's a long while until she's anything close to settled, and even longer before her lashes flutter for the first time. Even then, she doesn't really seem to be awake ... Macaque may be able to hear the misfiring electrical signals somewhere deep inside, subtle on the surface and fortunately short-lived, or else sense it through Yuzuki, who trembles and wavers like a guttering flame. ]
[ The shadow clone almost vanishes completely, only to claw himself stubbornly back from the brink. He rasps, ]
I'm. G-Going to take front. For Choco. Wake up for her. Let her rest.
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
The clones holding Yuzuki are left with empty arms as Yuzuki nearly vanishes. Macaque nods at his inclination to front for a while, give Choco a chance to be a little less jolted by the experience of waking up and finding herself not alone.
"Good idea. But one thing first--" His shadow rises up from the floor and unwinds the scarf it's wearing, the one Macaque rarely takes off. He wraps its silhouette around Yuzuki's neck, draping it loosely. "Take this. To ground you."
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
It is no small gesture and he's sure Yuzuki will know that.
"We'll be out here for you too, when you take the front. We're not going anywhere. You got us here for you too."
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
He touches the scarf, shakily but so, so gently, as if it's a delicate treasure. Beyond priceless. Uncharacteristically lost for words, lips trembling and nose ever so slightly scrunched exactly like Korone when she's trying not to cry, Yuzuki nods. He swallows, blinks a couple of times, and nods again, then carefully tucks the scarf in closer, nice and snug. Perfect for hiding in. ]
[ And then, finally, he sinks back into the shadows, Shigeon following close on his heels. Korone sinks too, albeit metaphorically; she drifts down into heavy, molasses-y fuzz and restful oblivion. ]
[ Macaque and Lucifer will have a moment to themselves. It's going to take Yuzuki a few minutes to muddle his way up. ]
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
He keeps holding tight with his limbs and tail, refusing to let go. Yuzuki might need it as he wakes.
Shutting his eyes tight, Macaque speaks to his mate in a low, pinched voice:
"Lucifer--" He needs a minute of comfort himself, after seeing them like this. Just one minute and then he can go on.
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
"Take your time, love," Lucifer says softly and spreads one of his wings to gently lay over Macaque's shoulders. Just soft down feathers there as his own personal reminder that Lucifer is here and not going anywhere.
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
He's shaking all over when Lucifer's wings find his shoulders.
"Don't leave," Macaque pleads with Lucifer despite that he knows it's unnecessary.
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
"I am not going to leave. You're stuck with me, love."
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
"You are stuck with me. I will be there when you wake up like this. Here to hold you, sing to you, pet you, or simply sit with you in your line of sight so you know I am here. You lay beside me when I couldn't get out of bed. You held my hand, you sang, and you come to me the moment you hear me need you. I will forever to the same for you, Macaque."
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
"I'm so scared that you'll be gone again." Not something that Macaque would ordinarily admit, but he feels like if they're going to be married than they should share everything.
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
"I love you."
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
"I know," is all he says instead. He leans against Lucifer without sacrificing his hold on his daughter.
"Love you too. I'm glad you're here right now. And always."
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
Hm. Wow. Think 'm gonna throw up.
[ Your local shadow pigeon, because their blended voice is far more Yuzuki than Korone. When he finally succeeds in cracking his eyes open for all of 1.24 seconds, inky purple and gold are bleeding in to replace their heart's true blue. ]
[ ... Also, he's not joking. Like, yes, he is, but oh boy oh boy he absolutely is not, not even a little. ]
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
"Do you mean that legitimately because we can get you a bucket," Lucifer snaps and poof. Puke bucket appears.
"Or you're going to have to learn to live with us being so cute like this all the time. I'm sorry that I am not sorry, as the young folk say."
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
He glances over at Yuzuki's shadow (and his own since he's still holding on), seeing that it's wearing his scarf. Good.
"Let me know when you want me to let go."
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
Ughhh.
His shadow, which is his shape, flicks its tail. ... and then winds its tail around Lucifer's ankle ... ]
... "Want" is a strong word. [ Mumble-grumble. He breathes in, trying to steady himself. Swallows. ... Swallows again, grimacing, and makes a slightly alarmed sound despite himself ] - now, now's good.
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
"Well we can burrito you in hugs again when you want or need too. On demand. Just let us know. Alright?"
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
"I'm right here if you need anything. Consider me a weighted blanket on demand."
He has time to smile over at the tail wound around Lucifer's shadow before he and all his clone hands release Yuzuki.
"There you go."
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
[ Speaking of which. ]
[ The moment he can move, he scrambles inelegantly for the bucket without wasting a single second to take off the mittens, and proceeds to throw up for what feels like a lifetime. It's painful and gross and beyond miserable, and the blood coming back up is ... so fun. So fun. ]
[ He'll be with you in. Like. Ten minutes or so. Fifteen. ]
Re: tw: body horror bee nightmare
"It's okay. Let it out. It's a big bucket. You're going to be okay," Lucifer tries to just be soft as Yuzuki goes through this for however many minutes it lasts. If needed, a second bucket will be summoned. And a glass of ice water and a bendy straw. And mouthwash. Because...yeah.
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