I think if Ed called Stede cute or, god willing, adorable, it would baby brain him instantly. his whole body halts whatever he was doing and everything immediately goes fuzzy.
Tw Panic Attack, Minor Injury, Interpreted Monsters, Vent Regression
"Hurry up you dorks!!!"
The day before Halloween. The ninja had plans to go to out of town to this fall festival that everyone loved to go to. There was Apple Bobbing, DIY games, Ring Toss, rides.
And the ninja had went to all of them.
Except one.
The Corn Maze
It was one of the ninja favorite activites in the festival. Maybe it sounded like a childish thing to be excited to do, but the maze always added people and props in the maze to scare people going through it.
And the maze was always made into a unique shape on the map. The first time they have gone through the maze, it was a clown. Then it was made into a pumpkin the following year.
This year, it was...
Well, they didn't know yet. Even if it was getting dark, they were about to know.
If they picked up the pace with Jay.
"We are trying to!!" Nya yelled from the group that just couldn't keep up with the ninja who was obviously excited for this activity.
"Well, try harder!!" Jay screamed back, before turning the corner of the food lines, getting closer to the maze.
By the time the others got around the corner, Jay was gone.
"How the heck is end so fast?!?!" Cole bent down to catch their breath.
"I'm not sure. But let's hurry so Jay doesn't get lost on the way there." Zane went back to running the way that Jay went. The others soon after, following his steps.
Before Cole could follow them, he was stopped by someone talking to him.
"Hey!! I like your costume!!"
"Oh! Thanks!" Cole responded. It maybe wasn't Halloween yet, but they all still wanted to wear costumes.
Kai and Nya were lazy this year and they just wore their ninja outfits as a costume.
Cole was a wizard.
Jay was the Grim Reaper.
Zane originally was going to go with the ninja outfit like the Smiths, but Cole convinced them to go as a snowman.
And Lloyd was a polar bear.
The stranger walked over to Cole and gave him a high five.
"I like your clown costume, too. Bye!" Cole said, before going back to running towards the others.
Wasn't too long until they got to the start of the maze, near the barn. Jay was already in the barn, because that was where the display of the map was of the corn maze.
When the others got to the barn, Jay was already leaning over the map, admiring the shape of the maze.
"Guys! Finally! You're here! Look at the map!"
Cole leaned up against the door frame to catch their breath. "I'll be there in a second!"
The others walked over to Jay and looked at the map.
"So this year is a bat." Kai responded. "Very cool."
"Did they grow more corn on the borders? It looks bigger?"
"Pretty sure. I'm comparing it to last year's maze, and it does have more square feet this year."
"It seems it has a lot more of dead ends this year. We might get lost more easily." Lloyd looked to the table against the wall and saw a stack of papers with the map copied on it. He walked over and grabbed six of the papers.
"It might be safer to grab a map over here so we don't get lost." He said, holding them out for his friends to grab.
"Good idea." Cole, walking from the door, grabbed one.
"I'll have one, too" Nya grabbed one and put it in their backpack.
All of them had brought backpacks so it would be easier to carry the prizes they won. And also bring essentials like; water, first aid, phone, etc.
"I don't need a map. I already have it stored in my memory card."
"Alright then."
"I don't need one either. I can go through this maze. It looks simple enough."
"Kai, you can't be serious about going in this maze without a map."
"Actually, I wanted to try to go through the maze without a map too."
"Really, Jay?"
"Yeah! No Map Buddies!" Kai walked to Jay and hugged end. "Do you wanna buddy up in the maze?"
"I'm down for that idea."
"Actually, we should do buddy-ups so we have less of a chance to get lost." Nya announced to the team. Zane then walked over to Lloyd.
"Can I be your buddy, Lloyd?"
"I'd like that, Frosty."
"Hey! No one call Zane "Frosty" but me!" Cole then chased Lloyd.
Grabbed a laugh from the others.
"Well, I'll be Cole's buddy then."
"Alright, let's go!!" Jay said, before running out to the corn maze.
"Wait for me, Sparky!" Kai yelled before running out with end. Jay stopped at the entrance, already able to see three different paths they could go through.
Kai was able to catch up easily since Jay was contemplating which path to go down.
"Hey, Kai? Which path do you think we should go down?"
Kai took a moment to look down the paths from the entrance. Then he pointed towards the left path.
"My instincts say that path."
"Alright, let's go then." Jay responded, already walking down the path, with Kai right behind.
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15 minutes later.....
"Ugh" Kai groaned in annoyance, kicking a corn stalk while he and Jay walked.
"It feels like we have been in here for.e.ver."
Jay had to agree with him. "It does take us less time than this to get out. Is it because they expanded the corn maze?"
"Probably... Look... another fork in the path..." They walked over to the seperation in the paths before a cardboard skeleton popped out from one of the paths. Catching a suprised yelp from the two ninja.
And an elemental surge through Jay.
Not a second later, the cardboard skeleton was burned to ashes. Jay and Kai looked at the ashes in the spot where the cardboard once laid.
"I-I'm sorry..."
"It's fine. I probably would have been the one who destroyed it if you didn't." Kai replied with a chuckle.
Jay closed ends eyes and took a second to catch ends breath from the skeleton. Kai said something, but Jay didn't notice. By the time Jay calmed down and opened ends eyes...
Kai wasn't there anymore.
Jay panicked slightly, but end calmed endself down again.
Ok, Kai must have went down one of the paths in front of them. Just.... which one?
Jay took a second to figure what path Kai could have gone down. End remembered Kai usually seemed to go down left paths, so that was probably a good direction to go.
Jay gripped onto ends backpack, kept it close, then went down the left-most path. Even though end didn't see Kai immediately down the path, Jay kept ends expectations high.
I'll see him soon. I'm sure that fireball went down this path.
Jay walked down the path, took another left, and hit a dead end. Some people were already there and turning around for hitting this dead end.
But Kai wasn't around.
D-Did I loose my buddy?? Did he ditch me???
Jay started to panic again, and end couldn't calm down this time. Jay frantically took end backpack off of them, and started to search for ends phone.
Come on... I know I brought it... Yes!
Jay grabbed the phone and pressed the power button.
.
.
.
W-why won't it turn on??
Jay shook the phone to see if was just lagging, or whatever. Something! Anything! Whatever the excuse was so end could fix it and call Kai or the other ninja.
Then it dawned on Jay.
It died.
Jay forgot to charge it for the trip here. Jay put the phone back in ends backpack and slung the backpack onto ends back, slowly.
As if it would stop ends mind from racing.
It's dead. I can't call anyone. Kai's gone. I'm not near anyone of my friends. I can't call them. I'm lost. I'm lost.
"Hey. You ok?"
Jay jumped slightly and turned to someone in a werewolf costume.
But, Jay wished end knew it was a costume.
It was such a convincing outfit that Jay was terrifed of who was in front of end.
Jay couldn't handle it, so end just ran.
End ran and ran back to that fork in the path and went down the middle path.
Don't follow me! Don't follow me! Are they chasing me?! They're gonna hurt me!!!
Jay felt ends glove get stuck on one of the dead corn stalks, but less then a second, ripped the glove off the sharp leaves.
It was enough to bring Jay back into the moment and stop end from running.
Jay took notice a strange feeling on ends hand, but kept that to the back of ends mind. End went back to walking down the paths, so end could try to find an exit or maybe the ninja.
Every prop that jumped out at Jay in the path would be made into ashes from ends element.
Better safe than sorry.
Those monsters are going to kill me!!!!
I just wanna get out of here......
No one Jay passed seemed to notice ends panic.
But, why would they?
Jay was wearing a mask so no one could notice end crying from ends stress.
Jay just looked like a reasonable, mature teen who wanted to dress up for the holidays.
When it was nothing like that.
Jay felt like a small, scared kid.
Someone who just wanted to be back home and to relax on the couch with their friends, watching halloween movies that weren't as scary as the costumes people were wearing around them.
Jay wanted to be in ends warm house, that wouldn't have things jump out at end everytime end turned a corner.
Jay walked up to the fourth fork in the path since the one that end and Kai were last at. End just decided to go down the path that was on the right.
Walking towards it though, two killer, bloody clowns jumped out, scaring Jay to the point of making end scream for the first time that night in true terror.
"AHHHHHHH!!! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!!!!!"
End might have electrocuted them if end wasn't so intent on running away. Jay ran towards the other path trying to get away from those killers.
I'm gonna die!!! I don't wanna die!!!!
End ran down the path, tripping over ends own feet, then turned to the right down the only way the path went.
But it was a dead end.
With no one around.
No witnesses.
The perfect place to be killed.
No. No! No!! No!! I'm going to die here!! I'm gonna die without seeing my friends again!!!!
Jay couldn't handle it all.
Everything was cold.
Everything was dark.
Everyone and everything was scary.
Jay's legs were sore.
Ends hand was hurt for some reason.
End felt like a little baby.
So weak.....
So vulnerable....
Jay threw of ends mask, exposing ends disgusting crying. Jay started to try and wipe off ends tears and end fell to the ground.
Jay leaned against the corner of that dead end as if end could hide in the shadows. Hopefully those clowns wouldn't find end again.
Jay was too distracted from ends thoughts to think about grabbing end comfort items in ends backpack.
Jay was also too distracted to hear the footsteps coming towards end.
"Hey there, little guy..."
Jay jolted and moved ends hands out from ends face to look up at who was in front of end. It was too dark for Jay to see who was in front of them.
That made start to Jay panic more.
"Go *hic* Go away! D-Don't kill m-m-me!!" Jay held ends hand out with ends element activated, ready to keep them away for good.
"We aren't going to hurt you..." Jay didn't really believe them. End looked up at the two people in front of end, and they didn't seem harmful.
Jay still couldn't see them well, but ends lightning was enough for end to see that they weren't monstrous killers. Jay lowered end hand and ends element wasn't activated anymore.
"C-C-Chu Pwomisss??"
One of them bent down next to Jay to ends eye level. Still couldn't see them well. Then, that person held out their pinkie.
"I pinkie promise, if you are willing to join in such a strong promise." The way they sounded so bold made Jay chuckle and end decided to to take their hand and give back the pinkie promise.
"S-So... who awre chu? I don't ssssee chu in dark..."
"I can't actually see you either. Can you get the flashlight, darling?"
"Oh course, honey." The person still standing up grabbed the backpack that Jay didn't notice them wearing. They scrounged around the backpack until they grabbed the flashlight.
They turned it on and focused the beam of light to the ground so it wouldn't hurt anyone's eyes. It was enough for them to see each other at least.
The first thing Jay noticed that they were those scary clowns earlier, but their masks weren't on anymore. End could see who they actually were.
And they could see Jay without ends mask, as well.
"Jay????"
"M-Mom?! Dad?!?"
Jay was all of a sudden forced into a strong hug with Edna, the one who did the pinkie promise.
"Oh, babyboyyyyy. I missed you so muchhhh. We need to visit more. I'm so sorry that we made you feel scared."
Jay was so fucking confused....
"Why awre chu hewre?"
"Well, it is the most popular festival around these days." Ed replied, sitting down next to Jay and setting the flashlight on the ground for them to still see each other.
"And they needed help with more recruits for the jobs here and we did need some more money to buy candy to give out to kids."
Jay hugged ends mom back, and just wanted to cry into her shoulder.
"Chu didn't n-need to ta'e amother jo-o-ob..."
"It was only for two days, little guy. It wasn't going to be forever."
"But isn't it sssstwessfull??"
Edna smiled, "No, it's a lot of fun! Especially here, it's so scary here and there are so many nice people here!"
"Chu aren wying?"
"I wouldn't lie about how I feel, kiddo." She brought her hand to Jay's head and played with ends curly hair.
"How old do you feel?"
"I-I-I'm fouw.."
Jay tried to lift ends hand up to play with Edna's hair as well, but then end winced in pain and grabbed ends own hand.
"Honey!! Are you ok?"
"What happened?"
Ed grabbed Jay's wrist to not touch what was in pain and brought it over to his eyeline. He grabbed the flashlight with his other hand and shined it on ends hand.
He didn't have a good view of the state of Jay's hand with ends glove, so Ed took it off. Jay used end other hand to grab the glove and observe it.
"It wripped..." Jay wanted to cry. "I'm sssso cwumsssy..."
Edna gripped Jay more tightly in their hug.
"Jay, it's ok. Accidents happen."
"B-but... Thisss ou-oufi was fwom my fwiend...."
Nya bought this outfit for end and end fucking ripped it. Of course the only things Jay broke were gifts ends friends gave to end.
"Don't worry, when we get out of this scary maze, I can sew it up for you." Jay smiled and gave her a side hug.
"Jay, do you remember hurting your hand at one point today?"
Jay took a moment to think on it.
"M-my gwove got ssstuk on a stwalk... It kinda felt bwad....."
"Well, seems it was enough to make a cut-"
"What?!" Jay yelped in panic, pulled ends hurt hand in front of end and freaked out at the sight of blood on ends hand.
Maybe Jay's adult self could handle fights and blood on the ninjas' missions, but ends little self couldn't.
Jay burst into tears and end gripped tightly onto Edna's shirt.
"It hur's!!! I don' like it!!!!" Edna gently gripped Jay's hand so they could treat it.
"It's ok, my little bunny" Jay nuzzled against her shoulder to try and not focus on what they had to do. Ed went into his backpack and grabbed a small first aid kit.
"I don't have water to clean the cut. Do you have water in your backpack?"
"Mhmmm"
Ed slowly pulled Jay's backpack off of end to not overwhelm end. Then, he opened it and searched for a water bottle.
He grabbed a couple of other things as well. He set those of onto the side and opened the bottle.
"Ok. I'm going to clean your hand now. Are you ok with that?"
Jay gripped more tightly onto Edna's shirt with ends spare hand, keeping ends eyeline away from ends cut.
"I-I-I'm wead-dyy.."
Jay felt the water and slight sting on ends hand and end let out a whimper.
"It's ok, sweetie. I'm right here" Jay felt the sting last until something pressed against the cut and stuck there.
A simple bandaid that ends parents packed up.
Ed grabbed the other things he originally got from Jay's bag.
A navy blue mask with yellow stars, a blue-and-pink cotton candy pacifier, a curly-haired bear plush, and a small red blanket.
He wrapped the blanket around end then handed the plush over to Jay.
Gasp
"Honey!!"
Jay gripped the bear tightly into ends arms. End gestured to the pacifier still in Ed's hand.
"Can hav's baba?"
"Of course," Ed responded,handing the pacifier and mask over to Jay. Jay put the pacifier in ends mouth then Edna helped cover ends mouth with the mask.
"Are you feeling better?"
Jay nuzzled up against the plush, "mhmmm!"
"Now, I think it's time for us to get up and leave the maze. You ready to leave?"
Jay nodded ends head. Edna helped Jay get up onto ends feet. Ed got up then grabbed their backpacks. He put his own backpack on and Edna put on Jay's.
While they walked back down the path, Edna grabbed Jay's mask that end threw earlier. Then she stealthily put the mask into Jay's backpack.
Then Edna went to look for something in it. She grabbed something and pulled it out.
It was Jay's phone.
She tried to turn it on, but it seemed to be dead.
"Hey, are your friends here, Jay?"
Jay stopped, with ends parents following suit. End grabbed ends mask and pacifier then pulled them out.
"Mhmm. We wen' into the ma'e toge'her."
"Did you get seprated up from each other?"
"I was wi' fireboi... I thin' he wen' ahead witho' wealising I was behin'...."
"So, did you try to call your friends, but it died?"
Jay let out a sniffle.
"Mhmmm..." end started to cry. Ed gripped Jay and hugged end.
"We'll call Kai and inform him on where you are."
"O-ok, I hope he oka'"
"He'll be so relived knowing you are safe"
Ed picked his phone from his backpocket and started to dial Kai's number.
Brrrr
Click
"Jay!!! Is that- oh, h-hi Ed..."
He sounded incredibly worried.
"Hey, Kai. Are you looking for Jay?"
"Yes!!!! Please tell me you know where end could be?!?!"
"Jay's ok. Ends with us."
"Fuck, yes! Thank the First Master! Thank you!! Please!! Where are you?!""
"Don't worry. We'll be on our way."
They talked a bit more about where each other were in the maze since Kai was still in the maze on the search for Jay.
Kai said he had found Zane and Lloyd, let them know what happened, and all of them were buddied up looking for Jay.
"Ok. Ok... I'll s-see you s-soon. We'll stay where we are.."
Click
"I can't wai' to see fireboi."
"It's been a while since we've seen them"
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2 mintues later
"Ok. Now we take a right here and..."
There they were! Kai, Lloyd, and Zane were all there, talking with each other. Kai seemed to be little since he was squishing his pink fox plush in a hug.
"Ka'!!!" Jay ran forward, down the path, right into Kai's arms, both of them dropping their plushies.
"Jay!!" Kai hugged end back. Zane and Lloyd soon joined the hug. Jay glanced towards Kai and could see his puffy eyes.
Zane and Lloyd soon backed out of the hug. Kai stayed connected to Jay.
"It's good to know your safe, Jay."
"Agreed"
"I'm so zowwy for weaving you Jay.... I didn' mean too...." Kai started to tear up.
"It ok fireboi. Chu didn' wanna have it happe'"
Kai back out of the hug and looked at Jay with a fearful look.
"Did-Did I make chu wegwess?! Waz tha' my fault?!?"
"No! No! It wasss the monssstersss!"
"C-chu wouldn' of h-have to face them awone thou if it wazn't for mee..."
Edna walked over to Kai and hugged him. Kai started to cry into her shoulder.
"It's ok baby boi. You couldn't have planned this happening."
"I-I'm-I'm zowwy!!!!"
Jay sprinted back to Kai and forced endself into the hug with them.
"It's oka' Ka'. Don' be sowwy!"
Jay took the blanket end had and wrapped it around Kai's shoulders. Kai clung onto the blanket for comfort. Jay hugged Kai again.
"I hewe. I safe fireboi..."
Kai nuzzled up against Jay.
"O-okay.. I'm gwad you'we zafe."
Kai pulled out of the hug and walked over to Ed and Edna.
"Tank chu zo much for findimg emd."
"Well, of course, baby boi" Ed replied, petted Kai's messy hair.
"I hope you feel better darling." Edna said. Lloyd walked over to them.
"Well, I have the directions to the exit, so let's get out of here, you cute babies."
Kai walked to Lloyd and leaned against them.
"Bye bye Mrz. and Mizter. W-walker."
"We'll go back to our post! Stay safe!" Ed responded before walking back down the path with Edna.
little Stede's primary vocal stim is just repeating Ed's name, which Ed thinks is very cute but he was a little confused by it at first, and he sometimes has trouble knowing when Stede wants his attention and when he's just saying his name because he feels like it.
Ed thinks it's especially cute when Stede repeats his name as a happy stim :]
On the early days of Ed taking care of Stede when he's small, he's still working out which petnames work and feel nice for the both of them, and so far everything has been pretty good! but then Ed tries calling Stede his baby, and it immediately hits Stede the wrong way, he gets very upset and defensive and insists that he's not a baby! Ed helps calm him down and he promises he won't call Stede that again,,,
but Stede explains he doesn't exactly hate it, sometimes he does feel very small and act more like a baby, it's just being called a baby that upset him, but at the same time he likes the idea of being Ed's baby. they talk it out and work out ways Ed can essentially say the same thing without using the word baby so that Stede won't be upset, he can be Ed's sweet little boy and get the same idea across without having to be called something with such an upsetting history to him.
Stede not really feeling ready to share his regression with Ed but still feeling so safe and comfortable that sometimes he slips, mostly when they're going to sleep. and maybe Ed notices a few little things but just chalks them up to Stede being tired. but then one night when Stede is regressed he's having a nightmare and Ed wakes him and Stede just immediately looks at him with the biggest, saddest eyes and goes "papa?" because he's scared and he's completely forgotten that he hasn't told Ed about this yet, he just knows Ed is there and he needs comfort from. and Ed just takes it in stride and immediately is like "yeah, papa's got you, it's okay" because he might not know what's happening but he knows Stede needs comfort and so he just goes with what seems right at the moment.
sick baby Stede is the saddest creature with the wettest eyes,,, he is weepy and sensitive, lots of crying to papa Ed bc he doesn't feel good and he wants papa to fix it! he needs all the naps and he gets spoonfed soup and bottle fed some nice hot tea bc milk would make him feel even more icky,,, poor baby needs all the coddling in the world
all my love to Ed if he has to try to give tiny Stede some icky old timey remedies, he will not enjoy that,,,
