Oh um- The prey? The player, the vibe? Sebastian finding the player fishing and bein exhausted making him want to make them sleep for their own good or something so like a comforting safe vibe ya know? , Safe or Fatal? i want it to be safe please- (this is the person who asked about Sebastian Stardew Valley also thank you for answering most people dont acknowledge my comments :] )
Here you go, anon! It's not the longest thing ever but I think you'll like it.
Summary: Sebastian finds the farmer fishing far too late into the night for their own good, so he decides he has to make them rest.
Contains: Safe vore. Soft vore. Technically unwilling prey, but it’s all in good fun and with good intentions. Second person perspective since I do not feel like coming up with an entire farmer for a quick little vore fic.
Wordcount: ~900
~~~
You knew it was too late to be out here fishing, yet you couldn’t stop yourself from casting your line into the mountain pond anyway. Just a few more, then you’ll totally hook… whatever you were out here to catch. It was probably something for the fish tank in the community center. You just needed to keep going, you’d catch it eventually.
But your eyes felt so heavy. So, so heavy.
A small yawn escaped you as you felt a tug on the line and began reeling it in.
Your tired mind was so focused on the fishing rod in your hands, you didn’t even hear anyone approaching you until you heard a deep chuckle that nearly startled you into dropping the wet clump of algae you’d just reeled in.
“You’re up late.” You wheeled around to find Sebastian standing behind you, the lone programmer you’d been getting pretty close to lately with a rare toothy grin as he looked you over. “Thought you’d be in bed by now since you have to get up so early.”
“I was just fishing.” You put your rod away and stifled a yawn with the back of your hand. You looked up at him, he’s twice your size easily, even as he’s hunched over like usual. “What are you doing up so late?”
“Couldn’t sleep, decided to take a smoke, found something much more appetizing instead.”
“Don’t tease me.”
“Who says I’m teasing?” His hands left his hoodie pocket and settled on your shoulders. The grin faltered a little as you swayed under the weight of his hands and your own exhaustion. “You look like you’re about to fall over. Can you even make it to your farm like this?”
“I sure can try.” You glanced around him at the mountain path that would eventually take you down the mountain and back to your farm. The thought of the walk alone made your knees feel like they were about to give out, and that was assuming that you didn’t end up passing out somewhere on the road under a tree. “I better start walking if I wanna make it there.”
Sebastian looked over his shoulder at the mountain path as well, and then shook his head. “It’s too dangerous for someone this sleepy to try and make it down the mountain. How about you stay the night with me?”
“Are you sure?” You blinked up at him, trying to make your brain force your legs or even arms to work. “I’m fi- fine.” A yawn broke through your protests, which seemed to be enough to make Sebastian take matters into his own hands, literally.
Before you even really knew what was happening, you found yourself hefted into his arms as he started to carry you towards his house. Sebastian was softly mumbling about your stubbornness and he paused as he saw the lights were still on in part of the house.
“Ugh, it’s probably Maru in the lab… she’d totally ask questions about me carrying you.” Sebastian glanced down at you in his arms, and you could almost see an idea forming behind his eyes. “Though… I think I can definitely smuggle you in.”
You wanted to protest, but honestly you were struggling to keep your eyes open in his arms. It was so nice, being gently rocked to his footsteps, letting your head rest on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
A little more lucidity came to you, however, when suddenly you were hefted up over his head, his hands clamped firmly around your waist, and you saw him put your feet in his mouth. You’d almost forgotten he could do this, eat someone whole, but it seems that you were about to experience it first hand.
Small protests left your throat as more and more of your body swiftly was pulled down Sebastian’s gullet. “Sebby!” You whined, pushing your hands against his face in an attempt to stop yourself from being swallowed, but it was useless.
Soon enough, all you could do was look up and see the night sky get winked out by a closing mouth. It was a tight squeeze through his throat and chest, but you eventually spilled out into the dark, tight, deliciously soft and warm confines of his stomach.
“Sebastian!” You whined, pushing your hands into the soft walls of his stomach. “You didn’t have to eat me.”
“Shhh, this way nobody’ll notice you’re being smuggled in.” Sebastian firmly patted his round, distended stomach. “Just keep quiet and you’ll be let out first thing in the morning to go check on your farm.”
You couldn’t even really protest as he started moving again, entering his house. It was like being carried again but even better. Gently kneaded by the warm walls of his stomach, pitch black so you didn’t even notice when your eyes were shut, and his gentle heartbeat and breathing coming from above like a soft lullaby.
You didn’t stand a chance to not fall asleep before Sebastian even made it to the bottom of the stairs.
He couldn’t stop the toothy grin as he sat down on his bed, letting his hands explore the surface of his stomach. This really was the best way to make sure that you got some rest. He knew you worked yourself until you passed out on so many days, that it just felt really good to know you were finally getting some sleep.
Before he knew it he was asleep in bed too, one hand protectively over his friend, both of you getting the best sleep you’ve had in years.
Pairing: Seb.as.tian sol.ace x reader (Platonic / Romantic)
Summary: Hide & Seek
NSFW DNI
Notes: Saw a fish man, moral of the story. I like fish man, I'm gonna give him fish fingers for dinner.
Warnings: Soft vore / Nonsexual vore ( If that wasn't obvious), predator/prey behaviour, fearplay ig? Horror elements (it's a horror game), mild swearing, brief mention to trauma etc
Remember to take careful of yourself and drink water! And sleep, that's important too. I kinda am posting it at 1am dont mind me-
Words: 4.7k+
~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~
Hastening the shivering drenched legs threatened to topple and plummet down to the floor; The clunky oxygen mask clung to their neck loosely with rubbery straps, repeatedly colliding with the skin of their neck and mouth. Small bruises formed from the more prominent hits from the face cover.
The comlink that held for dear life within the dwelling of their ear, a hand reaching upwards to tug it back into its place, feeling almost like an earphone that threatened to fall out after so much jogging, a hindrance and distraction.
Attempting to regulate their breathing despite their racing heart, skipping a beat every so often amidst their panic. Their throbbing lungs sent a pang of pain every time they exhaled, accelerating in an attempt to soothe their lungs. Only causing the pounding discomfort to worsen each time.
Desks aligned the walls, lonely without their occupying chair. Coated in a thin layer of dust from a vacancy of use. Calculators, stacks of papers, pens, cups from even the occasional plant. More importantly, though, was the currency down in the depths known as data.
Data was an important asset as it allowed for trading with the facilities merchant, otherwise known as Z-13. Trading the facility’s data in exchange for important supplies such as code breachers or med kits. All essential in the survival of the hell that was the place they roamed.
Urbanshade Blacksite is the literal embodiment of purgatory in which “sinners” undergo harsh environments to endure and complete the mission of collecting the facility power supply, a powerful important crystal.
To a point where they were willing to redeem heinous criminals of their crimes if they were successful in their attempt to get the crystal. Not only that but the crystal held a bounty of a large sum of cash as well, meaning that they’d be rich by the end of it too.
Not all the convicted were criminals though, some took it as their only chance to escape from their guilty sentences. Only to fall to the same fate as all the others who came to Blacksite, besides one survivor in particular.
It was a miracle they’d made it thus far.
The occasional locker that housed an abandoned lab coat made of the essential lifelines within the facility, was used as a covert hiding place from the monsters that lurked in the dark. The only sanctuary given to the people down in Blacksite. However, it wasn’t always the case as a creature occupied the lockers at times.
Tentacled beasts that camouflage themselves within the locker, threatening the only safety towards the expendables. Given the name, the void. If one hadn’t looked for their multiple piercing purple eyes that glowed under the light, they’d either be consumed by the creature if no one nearby came to the rescue.
The memo was simple. Trust no one. Trust only yourself.
Sprinting down the hall, only for it to appear longer than usual. The door seemingly moved further and further away into the distance as their hopes held low as they clung to desperation for their chances at survival.
Everyone inevitably died in Blacksite, it was a miracle they’d make it thus far into their journey as they did. But, it likely wouldn’t last much longer. It wasn’t their fault they were convicted, it was an act of survival, as it always had been.
Death almost embraced them at every second, something they were far too acquainted with in surface life and the depths of Blacksite. Tears clung to their tear ducts, pouring out like an overfilled glass of water.
The occasional sob escaped them, reminding them of so many dreaded horrible memories. They yearned to see their family, their friends, and their pets that awaited their return. To curl up in the safety of their home, within the blanketed sheets of warmth. Oh, how they missed it.
They wished they hadn’t taken advantage of it when they did, as it only served as a weight to their pain. Filled with regrets.
In spite, their disassociation halted. Leaving them confused as they bashed into the door. Quickly, they woke up to the reality of their situation. Realising that they’d reached their destination, flimsily pulled the lever with a sweaty palm.
It took far too long for it to remember its function and open automatically, with shaky breath. They entered the next chamber, revealing another long corridor lined with nothing but a steep hill and windows.
It seemed silent, too silent for it to be peaceful. With far too many encounters under their belt, they knew not to trust the atmosphere. It felt oddly reminiscent of a maze, with no end in sight as to where they were and how far they were from achieving their goal.
The only comforting thing was the familiar hum of the ocean current outside the window, acting as a makeshift wind to the outside world. The only reminder of the world behind them with the sound of the occasional fish passing by, they would have spent their time there if it weren’t for the looming threat of death.
After taking a moment to compose themselves with a chug of bottled water, the irony of drinking water within the depths of the sea. Yet, essential to their continuous survival. It wasn’t every room they got to take a moment to themselves.
Listening for the sounds of growls, metal clanks or screams. It was all silent aside from the sporadic dripping sound of a leaking pipe or the sound of metal succumbing to the underwater pressure.
Taking a step forward, tensely holding onto the rail that accompanied the stairway as a means of stability to their wobbly legs. Each footstep up the corridor sent them into exhaustion, their means of transport begging to rest and surrender. Yet, they refused and continued forward.
In the corner of their eye, they spotted movement. Their head snapped towards the window only to see something disappear into the darkness before they could fully spot what the lurking creature was. In case they were deluded, they checked behind them for a dweller. Only to find none.
Continuing onwards only to reach halfway through the steps with no issue. They refused to believe that it was merely their imagination, that they were hallucinating after going through so many of the same repetitive spaces of isolation. Looking back to the window with a grimace, eyeing the window with suspicion.
Nothing.
Perhaps they were mistaken? Shaking it up to their imagination, though still bracing themselves in case of an encounter. Their thoughts went back to Sebastian, their “friend” down in the darkness. The two of them had a fair share of mutual exchange, both benefiting from one another.
The only friendly face that didn’t wish to kill them and they clung to that attachment for the sake of their sanity. Many times they had to hold back the urge to cry in front of the giant beast in favour of not hindering him with their pathetic cry of pleas.
Small talk was the usual between them, hardly knowing more than necessary than the other. Yet after some time, they considered him a “close” friend. Perhaps even holding back some emotions and feelings towards him.
After their initial brief encounters, the more they met up, the more familiarity grew between the two. Even a level of “fondness” from Sebastian as he always welcomed them warmly into his cramped shop, even being generous as to allow them to rest there when they needed it, desperately.
And right now, they needed it.
Their stamina was at its limits, their body shivering from the lack of heat. Their body was unable to properly produce the warmth they needed after being drenched with water after having to go diving from the flooded areas they’d gone through previously. If they weren’t careful, they could succumb to hypothermia. Which wouldn’t be the most comforting way to die.
Endless, infinite. A relentless maze of torture, horrors beyond human comprehension. The only driving force going forward was the hope of familial warmth and the instinct for natural survival.
It compelled them.
Turning their head towards the window instinctively, their vision blurred and dazed as they believed themselves to be falling asleep due to exhaustion. Their eyelids were heavy, although their panicked breaths remained the same.
As they made eye contact, an influx of pain shot up to their head like a pounding migraine. Quickly realising that they’d been compelled like a siren’s spell by the Eyefestation, its many green eyes staring into the depths of their body.
Fighting back against the urge to glance back, they forced themselves to peer away from the Eyefestation, little by little. The incoming headache increased its pressure, making them wince and groan in pain from the sudden weight on them.
Its glowing neon green eyes were like venom to their psyche, breaking down their already mentally weak barriers and taking advantage of that weakness. To make them succumb to it, as it somehow processed an ability of telepathy.
Gripping the handrail into a deathly grip, the only means of keeping them upright and balanced in the situation they found themselves. Biting back the urge to belittle themselves for letting down their guard, they pressed on.
Their free hand gripped the hairs atop their head harshly, taking out a few strands in the process, irritating their skull. Slowly, they made their way to the top and hurriedly jerked the handle on the door. Retreating into the safety of the next room.
‘Please… Give me a break…’, they sighed as their head became dull and numb, a lingering headache from the encounter. Which was likely to interfere with their focus later on if they weren’t careful. How fortunate were they today?
Begrudgingly, pulling themselves from the wall they found themselves leaning up against. Fluttering their eyes open in an attempt to clear up the haze that clouded their vision, only to spot a dash of light upon them.
A bright red one.
“Shit…”. Picking up the sound of whirring machinery as it worked, hearing small clunks of metal. It became all too apparent to them that it was the sound of reloading bullets, right towards them. Their eyes shot to a stack of metal crates.
Ducking as a barrage of bullets was shot at them, sending a wave of shivers down their spine as they tucked into a roll, narrowly dodging the bullets with the skin of their teeth. Taking shelter behind the crates as the shots continued to fire.
The spot they’d previously stood at now lay with holes in the walls and floor, black marks of oxidation of the metal that housed them. If they hadn’t moved when they had, they likely would’ve been shot to death. Instantly.
Leaning back against the crates for cover, their hand reached for their beating heart in an attempt to calm down as the organ threatened to burst out from their chest. The turret halted its attack in favour of surveying the area in case they’d escaped, lurking around the area.
They held back the urge to cry in relief, which was far too close for comfort. They watched as the light went around in a linear pattern, left to right. A basic means of monitoring the area, leaving it vulnerable to blindspots and its activation panel across the room. Which was their only way of getting out of their tight spot.
Yet, they couldn’t help but curl up against the crates. Hiding themselves from the sight of the AI that controlled the turrets, holding back the whimpers with a bite of their lip. Their fear catching up with them they held their shaking palm, holding it to their chest as everything slowly came back around.
They weren’t sure why they kept going on, why they kept fighting after everything they went through. A tear slipped past their defence after they held back the urge to break down and cry their lungs out, the stress of everything coming full circle.
Barely holding themselves together, they couldn’t help but notice that it took just a little longer than usual for the turret to register that they were there and fire the bullets. Perhaps they surprised PAInter or didn’t notice until the last second, it was usually very fast to these things.
Sitting up into a crouch, they peeked out to look at the possible coverage from the turret. Only to notice a lack of defence. And knowing the turret, it would shoot at them the moment it noticed their movement.
But there was an opening if the turret looked in the opposite direction. It allowed them to run past it towards the panel if they were fast enough, it only required the right timing to do so, and seeing as they’d gotten through this many times before, they were capable of accomplishing the infuriating task.
Waiting, and when they spotted the perfect opportunity to strike, they took it. Charging towards the panel and yanking the lever to turn off the dangerous machine, letting out a sigh of relief as it shut down.
“UGH- Come on! You’re no fun at all!”. The well-known high-pitched robotic voice cried out, a visual screen appearing on the door’s HUD. An annoyed scribbled face stared down at them with its frowny brows and upside-down smile.
Crossing their arms, they glared back at the face on the monitor. The two of them stared at each other before the screen animatedly rolled its eyes, disappearing and returning the screen to its usual display of numbers.
No idea why a corporation wasted its funding on electric signs, it was impractical as the AI had long since taken over the security of the base. Putting the thought aside, they rummaged through a desk, finding the keycard necessary to unlock the door. Making their way through to the next area. At last.
The next room consisted of pitch-black darkness, letting out a groan as they grabbed their flash beacon off their holster and flashed the room like a flash grenade, using the light to momentarily scan their surroundings.
Spotting no threats, they continued towards the corresponding sound. They were really unfortunate with the amount of encounters they had with the occupants of the facility, hoping to make it back to the safety of Sebastian’s dwelling. It couldn’t come sooner.
<...>
Treading forward with the cramp in their leg, rubbing their eyes in an attempt to soothe their soreness. Exhaustion was shown in their poor posture, leaning forward with frustrating back pain. Complaining about it like they were an elder.
Stretching out as a yawn escaped them, the sound of cracking bones as their joints and bones clicked back in place, relieving them of the tension that had built up. A sigh of relief allowed them to feel at ease. At least temporarily.
With the moment of relaxation over, they progressed to the corresponding room. After so many rooms, it was tiresome at this point. A repetitive cycle of entering rooms, responding to threats, and going forward. It was necessary but infuriating.
They stopped when they heard the distant continual clang of metal, their senses returning to the same state of alertness. The familiar dread of fear returned as it burned at their chest, glancing behind them in distress just in case it was another wall dweller stalking behind them.
It confused them to hear the sound, it wasn’t anything they were accustomed to. It was something heavy moving through the vent, which was rather suspicious considering nothing they knew occupied the vents. Unless it was a monster, one they didn’t know.
With caution, they moved forward into the next mundane chamber. The banging only got louder, sounding closer and closer as it roamed above them. As if the creature were right above them within the ceiling, the only thing separating them was the thick layer of metal that likely wouldn’t hold long with the power the beasts held in Blacksite.
The lights malfunctioned, flickering as their power struggled to maintain its current of electricity. Reacting speedily and swiftly, they raced towards the nearest locker with a quick scan of the void’s eyes before ramming open the doors and diving in, bracing for the screams of the angler or fighting back against pandemonium if it had spotted them.
Which wouldn’t be easy, especially on their poor hands. They’d have to waste some of their precious medical supplies on the scratches and bruises on their hands, repeating the process rooms later.
A loud bang of metal rang around the room, tearing the vent entrance off its hinges with a mere punch as it echoed and reverberated off the walls of the room, sending it flying against the other wall as something pulled itself out of the vent.
It wasn’t the tip taps of a wall dweller's stumpy footsteps, nor was it the sound of moving water or the sound of a rushing angler. It wasn’t any of that, it was the noise of something rustling against the floor. Movement without the help of walking with two feet.
A low yet audible hissing rumbled throughout the room, constant as whatever moved across the floor stalked the room like a hungry predator, hunting for its prey. It knew they were in the room as it refused to leave, pursuing them as it checked the room constantly. Waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
To conceal themselves further, they held their hands over their mouth to hinder the sound of their breathing, refusing to move even a single muscle in fear of being found by the thing. Only hearing the sound of their heartbeat, their hot breath and the lingering hissing of the creature as it sounded far too close for comfort.
Too close.
Suddenly, another blooming bang rang out, louder and thundering as the heavy metal object collided with the floor. Followed by the break of ceramic as a potted plant was flung across the room in the beast's frustration. Letting out a monstrous growl in the process as it continued to throw down lockers and desks in its rampage.
They couldn’t help but hold back a flinch every time something was sent flying, the thundering noise crashing only getting louder and louder as it drew closer towards them.
Only for it all to stop.
Instinctively they held their breath, the sound of taps against the locker door beside them. As if knocking to come inside, an incentive for them to send them screaming. But, they refused. Not budging an inch in its attempt to scare them.
Biting down their wounded tongue to a point they nearly hissed in pain, staying as quiet as possible so as not to hinder their hiding spot. Although they likely had been spotted long ago, the monster continued to toy with them as a form of entertainment.
It sent shivers down their spine, their arms shaking in pure terror of the beast on the other side of the door. It played with them like food, like prey.
<...>
A shriek of horror, screaming as the doors of safety were suddenly sent flying open as claws ripped open the doors off the body of the locker. Leaving them open and vulnerable to the attack they were about to face, they quickly sprung up into action and ran past the beast's side towards the door.
Only for its claw to grasp their neck, a tight grip that threatened to rip open their throat or choke them to death. The safety of their foothold was stripped away as they were held upward from their neck, their feet kicked and squirmed as they struggled against its grip.
Their hands held onto the claw like a lifeline, their grip tightening on the wrist that held them as they struggled for breath. Tears poured from their eyes like a flowing waterfall as they cried out in pain.
“P-please! Let me go!”, the words barely made past their weak hoarse voice, begging the monster to free them from their cage. Almost choking on their spit as the beast let out a cackling laugh at their pathetic cries.
They opened their eyes.
What they saw was a sight that petrified them to their very core, sending a wave of dread and fear. Their mind panicked for fight or flight as they struggled to conclude, only to simply stay still as if playing dead. Their body ceased in their struggles as they witnessed the frightening sight before them.
A large, cavernous maw with rows of jagged sharp teeth threatening to pierce their flesh. A bioluminescent muscle of a forked tongue dripping with saliva like a predator awaiting its prey after a long hunt of patience and struggle.
Dangling them above its open jaw it prepared to crunch and chew them down with ferocious hunger, pressing them against their tongue as it tasted them for delicious flesh. Letting out a ravenous growl as it impatiently sampled its meal, dragging it across their face.
It pulled them closer, closer into their awaiting maw. Laying their face down on its tongue, narrowly missing the teeth. The mouth pooled with saliva, rapidly kicking out as they began to struggle against it, struggling to escape from their incoming fate.
Anxiety and adrenaline were their only company as they kicked out against the grip, attempting to bite down on the hand that held them. Only for a piercing growl to threaten them, silencing them for a moment.
Allowing the beast the opportunity to swallow.
A loud gulping sound as the monster swallowed them down into their anticipating stomach, strong in its pull as it only took a mere few gulps to send them down into its throat. Struggling was futile as the cramped oesophagus pushed against them, refusing to let them budge an inch. Leaving them with no option other than to wait for the pit that was the stomach of the creature. It could swallow them whole, like a bite of a morsel. Meaning they stood no chance against the offender, surrendering to their fault.
That was how it was going to end. With them being a beast's meal.
After a wait for the inevitable, the muscles pulled them down as they made their way into the belly of the monster. The walls dripped with mucus as it was spacious enough to house them within the cramped space. As if they were just the size for an appetising meal.
The stomach glowed faintly with blue bioluminescence like starlight littering the walls that would’ve otherwise been a comforting blanket in any other circumstances. It reminded them of a night sky as they curled up as much as they could within the claustrophobic space.
Surrendering to their fate, they let out a whimpering cry.
<...>
“Pfft- You should’ve seen your face!”, a mocking voice reverberated around them. A voice they were more than acquainted with as they immediately recognised it. The chamber that housed them vibrated as the host let out a series of laughter.
Wiping away a tear from their eye, they punched the velvet wall with the hardest punch they could muster in their position. The predator let out a hiss of pain in between his laughs as he reacted to the pang of pain.
A hand crept its way to the wall of bruised flesh, rubbing it soothingly as it attempted to quell the pain of their hit. The wall collided with their diving suit, flinching away from the touch as they braced themself.
It halted.
“You… Okay?”, a worried voice called out to them. His tone was concerned yet hesitant as he asked the question as if the words were unfamiliar on his tongue. The walls pressed against them, his stomach tensed as if he were checking as if they were still there occupying his stomach.
Their body remained tense in their foetal position, sniffling as they held back the tears that threatened to leak out from their eyes. They’d already cried so much, they didn’t need to worry him with their fear.
Remaining silent, unresponsive as a whimper broke past their quivering lips. Barely holding their composure as they held back the urge to scream and cry out in a breakdown. Gripping the hairs atop their head. A way of relieving stress.
He let out a thoughtful hum, seemingly understanding as it took him some time to think of a response to their reaction. Only to spill out a few words;
“I really scared you… Didn’t I?”. Sebastian was never exactly great at comforting people, after isolation for so many years. You learnt to threaten your way through, not to comfort the people who showed kindness to him. He hardly knew how to react at the time, often responding with distant words and a display of discomfort.
This time, however, he was to blame for their fear.
“You think so?!...”, they snapped with a venomous tongue. Glaring at the stomach that encased them like a reluctant hug. The stomach quickly tensed at their words, and the hands that held the stomach yielded as he physically surrendered to their words.
The atmosphere was tense as the two of them couldn’t speak, Sebastian not too sure how to respond to their anger and them, keeping their mouth shut in fear of upsetting Sebastian and causing an argument between the two.
Neither of them wanted to break the silence.
Eventually, Sebastian let out a sigh. His hand returned to their backside and rubbed it in an attempt to soothe and comfort them in a tender embrace. He’d never audibly apologise, the words poisonous to his vocabulary.
Letting out a sniffle, they leaned back against the touch. Accepting his makeshift apology as it was, finding comfort in the only touch of a friend within the depths of Blacksite. Allowing them to slowly relax and surrender to their exhaustion, letting out a yawn.
It was nice to be in another company, whether it be outside or inside. He seemed to chuckle as they relaxed against his touch.
“Tired, eh? I’ll have you know… I’ve recently decided to charge expendables to spend the night with me, a fair exchange. And seeing how you’ve already made yourself comfortable- And seeing as I caused you an… inconvenience… How about I offer you a discount?”. He played off his theatrics as usual, tending to prefer to lean back into his facade of dramatics.
“A discount?! After all that bullshit-”, they called out his ludicrously, crossing their arms in a frustrated huff. Of course the merchant would take any opportunity to seize money out of their customers, such was the life of a salesman.
Yet, he quickly surrendered.
“Alright! Alright! How about I cut you a deal? Seeing as you’re a loyal customer, how about I let you use me as a sleeping bag for…”, he drew it out with the slurring of his tongue. “Free!”, he seemed to pat his stomach proudly at the idea of such a deal.
Annoyed by his dramatic acting, they pulled back their fist as they prepared to punch his flesh once again. He seemed to sense their movement as he quickly reacted against their retaliation.
“Okay!- I’ll stop!... You should rest though, you’ve been through enough today”. He spoke surprisingly softly, and the hand that stroked their back gently continued in its path. The tender touch was enough to send them into a lull of safety, falling asleep mere moments later after his encouragement.
He held back a chuckle, allowing his occupant to sleep soundly in the comfort of his belly. The faintest of smiles on his face as he carefully navigated his body through the vents, attentive as to not wake up his loyal customer. Or should he say, friend? He wasn’t sure but knew that his attachment was going to be a hindrance to him one way or another.
It didn’t matter though, so long as they were safe.
He was surprised, to say the least. They managed to get pretty far away from him after their clumsy escape, perhaps it was a result of his stupor from the recovery of a flash beacon pointed into his eyes. Usually, he wouldn’t allow that off of any expendable person. But, he made an exception.
Maybe, too many exceptions. He was going to chase after them anyway, they had asked to practise against the horrors of Blacksite. And what better than the apex predator?
How to play pranks on your Annoying Fish Monster Roommate (5+1)
Pairing: Seb.as.tian Sol.ace x Reader (Platonic / Romantic)
NSFW DNI
Notes: I've always wanted to try the 5+1 format- If you aren't familiar with it its when something happens 5 times within a fic and 1 thing to contrast the many things previously established. It really fun!
Also fishmanfishmanfishmanfishmanfishmanfishmanfishmanfishmanfishman
No idea if this is turning into its own AU now- I'm probably gonna make a masterpost for this bugger-
Summary: 5 times the expendable annoyed Sebastian and the one time he got them back
Warnings: Soft/Safe vore, Hurt/Comfort. A little hint at flirting in one of the parts (Its a joke dw), A very angry and annoyed fish man, mild swearing, brief mention to trauma etc
Inspired by @/Curledwithin 's Headcanons- I'm scared to tag them-
Words: 7.9K +
Scribbling down the lines without much thought, the sketch of a humanoid figure on the page. They’d yet to decide on who’d become another one of the many masterpieces they’d made thus far. Perhaps it would be another addition to the ever-growing collection of Sebastian doodles they hid within their desk out of view so that he wouldn’t find out about their hobby.
They’d try drawing off memory as a reference for old cartoon shows. Which proved to be rather mundane or simply not up to par as the human mind wasn’t always reliable. It always looked off to them, unsure of themselves as something wasn’t quite right yet they couldn’t determine what it was.
With communications cut off, including access to the luxury that was the internet. They were left with nothing besides the dull marine biology books plastered around or the monotonous documents that served their purposes. It was nice to pass the time in the beginning but now, it never wielded such results.
As the self-proclaimed expert in marine biology after reading every single book in their arsenal, though those weren’t the only subjects they were versed in after reading book after book. Some with facts of science others were business and finance. If they got out of Blacksite, they’d know how to start a business.
They couldn’t determine if that was either a good thing or a bad thing.
Drawing had become a recent pass time for them, an indulgence. But after so much time, they procrastinated more and more until simply trying to finish their current sketch was infuriating as it wasn’t right!
Their attempt at curing their ailment of boredom proved subpar, nothing. Their mind went blank as they could hardly think, a blockage within their head as any attempt at properly thinking only got them in a pit of frustration. Repeatedly they tried to draw a line, only to falter further. Hesitation in their next step as their fingers shook with the graphite pencil in their grip.
“Fucking-... DAMN IT!”, the pencil sent flying against the wall. Colliding with the metallic surface of a wall as it banged against it, only to helplessly fall to the floor. The paper sketch gripped within their hand crunched and scrambled in pain as it was carelessly folded into a ball, and thrown onto the floor in a litter.
It didn’t even look like him.
Whenever the documents Sebastian collected proved to be utter nonsense, he’d hand over the paper for them to use if they wished. For them, a gift. To him, something to get rid of clutter that he didn’t need. Mutual exchange as he’d say. And it was an act of kindness they rarely saw from him in contrast to his attitude most of the time.
They had even found a dusty old notebook that was empty, filled with horizontal lines of writing paper. It had become personal to them, acting like a sketchbook, journal and memories of their time within Blacksite. Something to look back on whenever they felt down or wanted to remember positive things during a rough patch. It kept them sane down there.
With a look of solemnness, they turned to a random page. Only to land on a specific one they were fond of. It was a harmless prank they played on Sebastian, using a camera’s flash they’d found and using it to blind him. It wasn’t as bad as a flash beacon, yet still pretty bright. It startled him enough that they managed to get a picture of his reaction.
A chuckle escaped them as they remembered the ramifications of their actions, caught mere seconds later of taking the photo and forced down into their “Time-out spot”. As Sebastian called it.
Only to get struck with a shock of inspiration…
<...>
Turns out their knowledge of marine biology proved to be rather useful for plotting their silly shenanigans. They could hardly hold their composure as they wanted to bawl over in laughter at their heinous idea.
It wasn’t just horrible, it was genius.
Gripping the bottle in their hand, containing acetic acid within. A strong scent of citrus and acid stung the top of the lid in a putrid aroma, a smell reminiscent of the outer seas or maybe even the welcoming smell of a British chip chop.
A common condiment often acquainted with fries or chips to flaunt the taste of a salty combination. A salty sour taste, some enduring the taste out of distaste with nothing left to eat after hitting a pub or just enjoying the delectable cuisine.
It also proved essential in their survival, especially for cleaning off blood in their blood without access to laundry. With due diligence even tending to Sebastian’s clothing whenever he was too bothered not to wash his clothes. Complaining about the smell of it afterwards as he hated the smell.
To be more specific, it was fucking vinegar.
They’d learnt through much pestering that Sebastian was composed of differing sealife DNAs, including one of which was a sea snake. Snakes absolutely loathed the stench of vinegar as it messed with their sense of smell, perhaps even their organs at times.
Which made it all the more perfect.
Opening the cap, they began to generously dose the vinegar in areas tended to sleep or interact with, especially in the corner where he maintained his shop. Not only that but, just to spite him. They poured some of it on his belongings, careful not to ruin his electronics as they only dripped a small drop on the items.
They snickered in mischief, feeling like an arsonist as it was dunked around the room like gasoline, yet to light the flames of Sebastian’s fury, the matchstick being the trigger as he entered the room.
Standing proudly in front of the results with their hands on their hips, the prank was in full completion. They inhaled the smell, holding back a grimace as it attacked their nostrils. It was a strong stench, even for them as they could pick up on it in the corner of the room they kept safe from the vinegar.
It was definitely going to work.
They waited for his return, passing the time with another book of humdrum. Flipping the paper pages in disinterest, they practically scanned the book for pictures rather than for the text within. A book they’d read a couple of times at that point
Sat down upon their throne of victory, a crate that acted as their sofa whenever they dwelled in the room of Sebastian’s company. A hard surface against their back as they struggled with a sore pain from sitting down on hard surfaces for so long. More than accustomed to it at that point.
As if on cue, they heard the clanging of metal as a heavyweight crawled through, complaining as it struggled with the pressure and movement it was made to endure. The man of the hour pushed his head from the vent, pulling himself up into a standing posture. A bag holstered over his shoulder.
They watched as his eyes widened in a look of shock, the smell flooding his senses as his ears flared up in confusion as he wearily scanned the room for whatever it was that attacked his sensations.
A large forked tongue poked out from the gaps of his teeth, quizzically tasting the air as he tried to figure out what the stench was. Only to recoil in disguise as it worsened, the odour so bad to him that he physically revolted.
He knelt over, holding the lower half of his face as he tried to block out the stench. One of his hands gripped the wall for balance as he was hit with a wave of nausea. Holding back an urge as he heaved, on the verge of vomiting as his body could hardly manage to combat the odour.
A low hissing sound escaped his will, constant as his instinct flared in reaction to the fragrance of vinegar. A look of disgust on his face, sneering as he clenched his teeth shut to shelter his tongue that had been assaulted.
They hid their reaction with a book, biting back laughter as they barely held themselves together. The smile threatened to throw over their facade, their eyes met with the book in their hands. Welcoming the delight of the situation as they feigned interest in the media in front of them.
A voice called out to them, speaking their name with spitting venom as he looked at them with a look of bitterness. Muffled despite its loud volume, thanks to the hands blocking his means of speech.
They hummed thoughtfully, slowly turning their gaze to him in a look of faux perplexion. Innocent in their demeanour they gently put the book aside on the crate, looking over at Sebastian in a facade of worry and concern.
“You okay there?”, they asked with a small voice. Pretending, they looked over him in confusion, trying to figure out why he reacted in such a way. Walking over as they reached out a hand to his shoulder, trying to reassure Sebastian that they were there for him.
He removed the hands covering his mouth as he opened it to talk, only to be audibly wrenching in displeasure. Wincing as he bit it down, looking up at them in a scowling pout. Heaving in his breathing as it hindered him, overwhelming him.
“Why does everything smell like-... FUCKING VINEGAR?”, he shrieked as he rose his voice. Angry as to why everything smells like something he absolutely loathed, hatred in his gaze as flicked his tail in an irritated manner.
“Oh!- I’m sorry!- I forgot… I just wanted to clean up some of the blood in my bedding- I didn’t realise it was that bad! Shit- I forgot how sensitive your nose was… I’ll try and find something to stop the smell…”.
They quickly retreated in a panicked stupor, little did he know that their little “mistake” wasn’t as innocent as it displayed, many things hidden behind the surface. As he would soon find out their intentions in due time.
<...>
Their little prank had been an outstanding success! Ever since the vinegar incident, the stench remained for the following days. Sebastian could barely cope as he bit into a chocolate bar or simply yawned. He glared at them for the rest of the day but didn’t once retaliate since the accident.
They had to grab a softer-scented bottle of Febreeze for Sebastian to spray around the room. Intoxicating the room with a rich fragrance to contrast the smell of putrid acid in his room. And eventually, it only came as the occasional whiff from an item he missed. It hurt their lungs but it was worth it!
They had confessed their crime to PAInter later that day, only to get a lecture that they shouldn’t have done that otherwise it would’ve pissed off Sebastian. But, he did also get a good laugh out of it like they did.
Their next plot struck them in a cord of intellect when they stumbled upon a ridiculously large speaker in a supply closet. It looked a little banged up, coated in a layer of dust as it had been left abandoned within the cramped space for a long time.
That’s when they had their next idea…
Sebastian had many things in his arsenal, including a gun. Often wielding it for emergencies in order to save the bullets, but it wasn’t just that. He had impeccable hearing thanks to his heightened senses, which was a virtue on many fronts as it allowed him to smell, hear or see things from a large distance.
But, that also made them incredibly sensitive. Another reason he hardly used his gun was that they really hurt his hearing when shot, deafening him in his vulnerability for a while as he recovered.
They weren’t going to shoot his gun though, that wouldn’t be the wisest choice. So, what better than a speaker? It wasn’t as loud as a bullet but it was boisterous enough for the use in their plans.
Fortunately, PAInter had managed to access a file of various audios that they’d gone through together earlier that day. Many of them were old logs from workers within Blacksite, yet they weren’t particularly interesting or useful.
Except one.
The two of them had managed to find gold, a needle within a haystack. Perfection. An utter masterpiece for the ears to hear. A catchy tune that everyone could dance to, PAInter even loved it, putting it onto a playlist for them both to enjoy.
Nothing else could compare to the emotion, the words, the beauty behind such a work. It was the little theme that played in the Blacksite elevators when in use, just to distract the occupants from the monsters outside the door as it forced them to dance along and forget their worries.
And now, it was about to take another victim into its arms.
Sebastian, the dearest fish man. Slept on the floor in his coiled curled form, his head atop his tail as he relaxed in a deep sleep. Usually, it was routine for them to use him as their personal warm bed as they’d cuddle up next to his tail or sometimes even within him if it was a particularly cold night.
He let out soft snores in his sleep, drool escaping his jaws as it flooded with saliva. His hair tangled from his ruffling, a sheet of cloth draped over his shoulders in a makeshift blanket as Urbanshade never owned proper bedding for their subjects.
He was calm and vulnerable. The one time he let down his guard around them, he openly displayed his affection in spite. Joking with one another as they talked about whatever came to their mind. Keeping them safe within his coils, protecting them as they too were left out in the open. Despite all his sulk and facades, he was a good soul.
And now, they were going to torture it.
They had refused to sleep much to his annoyance, delaying it until he eventually gave up and fell asleep to their advantage. In addition to looting and carrying the heavy speaker on their back throughout the halls of Blacksite, it lay at their feet at the ready.
Plugging in the audio jack from the speaker into their laptop, holding back a snicker as they opened the inbuilt media player, Hovering the cursor over the play button, turning back to Sebastian in for certainty that he was indeed asleep.
Pressing the button, they waited as it loaded up for a moment as it required the components of the computer to load rather than the use of the internet. Only to pause as they didn’t hear the song, despite it playing on their laptop.
Turning towards the speaker in confusion, wondering if it was broken due to the state they found it in. Looking over the panel, they realised they hadn’t even turned the speaker on in the first place. Flicking the switch towards on, it blasted in volume.
They flinched from the sudden increase in volume, the loudness hurting their ears as they were far too close to the speaker for comfort. Holding their ears with their hands as they adjusted to the amplification of sound.
The sleeping beauty, the prince dreaming of sleep. The victim had awoken to their shenanigans from the rowdy noise, his half-lidded groggy eyes stared down at them in a somewhat state of alertness and anger.
His breathing was heavy as if he’d been startled, holding a hand to his holstered belt. He had nearly instinctively grabbed his gun as he realised it had simply been only the two of them in the room.
His fanged teeth held together in a toothy frown, evidence of his dislike of the circumstances as he glared at both the speaker and them. His tail flicked in anger, evident in his irritated state. Audibly growling, muffled due to the speaker but if they picked up on it. The growling was hostile as he prepared to strike.
He rose from his cocoon, looking down on them in a gaping shadow as he loomed over them. The soft glow of his eyes combined with the light of his angler barely shone the burrow between his browline, raising an arm in preparation to strike down on… them?
They braced, bringing their arms towards their face as they leaned away. A pitiful attempt at a dodge as they prepared to be hit by the impact of his fist. Instead of them though, there was another victim.
The speaker met his blow, smashing it like a compressor as it was squished in a metallic crunch into a shell of its former self. Sparks sent flying from the device as it was torn apart in a mere punch from Sebastian. A declaration of strength, a means of intimidation.
He flicked his hand as if wiping away the dirt on his hands or an attempt to wipe away the pain as he crunched metal with his fist. They weren’t sure as he continued to growl despite the destruction of the device.
He turned to them with a look of disappointment and rage, grabbing the scruff of their collar as he brought them towards his face in warning. They were left in shock and awe of the circumstances, fearful yet amazed at his strength.
“Don’t. Do that. Again.”, those four words were enough for them to understand the assignment given to them. To which they responded with a series of quick nods, not wanting the confrontation in front of them as they leaned away. Trying to escape from it all.
He grumbled as they did so, exhausted and annoyed, they’d certainly managed to piss him off well enough. But he took a moment to breathe, seemingly calming down just a bit as the hand that held them let go. His face turned to plain tiresome exhaustion.
“Why did you do that?”, irritated in his tone as he eyed them down in suspicion under his lidded eyes, barely able to keep them open.
“Accident…”, they answered with a hint of regret and hesitancy. suddenly found themselves regretting the idea of their prank. A look of guilt on their face as they looked away, unable to look him in the eyes. Clutching a hand within another, squishing the limb to ease the stress that suddenly enveloped them.
He only sighed, turning towards the screen of the laptop as he folded the screen gently. Casting the room in darkness, with the only light of his angler remaining. The only view was his face as it still frowned, yet they were met with a look of softness in his eyes.
With one of his hands, he tugged at their tangle of hands until his hand enveloped one of them in full. Giving it a tender squeeze of reassurance, gentle in consideration as he held onto them. His main pair of arms enveloped their waist as he picked them off the ground.
Coiling up into his original position, grabbing their folded bedding that lay onto a crate. Smothering them in a blanket as he threw it on top of them, ruffling their hair as he let go of the hold. Only to shove a pillow in their face, demanding that they were to fall asleep there. They surrendered, tucking themselves in and making themselves comfortable.
Maybe they should lower the volume of their pranks, literally.
<...>
The next morning, they awoke to a sense of loneliness and unwavering warmth. Opening their eyes felt heavy as if something weighed them down, inhaling from their nose proved to be stuffy with blockage.
They could hardly determine what they were feeling, whether they were hungry or sick with vomit. Their throat quenched with thirst, drier than a dessert. It felt as though it was made of sandpaper, not only that but the headache they had threatened to crack and break their skull from how bad it was pounding.
Their cheeks flushed with unbearable heat, yet their body shivered with cold. Their joints ached with pain as they attempted to move, wincing upon opening their eyes to the blinding light that attacked their eyes.
They heard a voice call out to them, repeatedly hurriedly speaking their name in murmurs. With the weight of their body dragging behind them, they managed to sit up and turn towards whoever was calling their name.
“Oh, thank god! You’re awake!-”, someone's voice spoke up from the buzzing of their ears, barely audible as they sighed in relief. Tilting their head in confusion, they approached the source in a flimsy crawl. The voice got louder as they were finally able to hear, their mind realising it was PAInter within their daze.
“Hellooo…. I’m awake… Where’s Sebby?...”, their speech was drawn out in a slurring manner. Their voice hoarse in almost a whisper as they barely managed a murmur, croaky as they hardly got the question out.
“Uh- You, okay there?- You don’t look too good- Also, Sebastian went out to get some stuff to fix you up.”, they sounded worried in their tone of voice. They let out a long yawn as they sipped their eyes in an attempt to clear up the weight and dust in them. The only thought on their mind was to take a painkiller or two.
They propped their body up against the crate where their laptop sat, crossing their arms as a makeshift cushion to balance their head. Whilst also sheltering their eyes from the light that came with it, blinding them. They felt like shit as if they were dying.
“Blub…Blub blub blub- blub…”, they deemed that a decent enough reply. Not holding the energy to keep up with the conversation PAInter was trying to have with them. Their delirious state barely kept up with his talk, only thinking of fish at that moment. For whatever reason it was, they had no idea either. But, they really wanted to fish. Just fish.
“Blub… Blub blub??”, PAInter responded in the same speech as them, as if attempting to converse in a language of nonsense. Evidently, they were confused as to why they’d respond with fish sound effects.
“Blub… blu blub blub blub-”, they were soon having an in-depth conversation about numerous serious topics troubling them in their now sudden language of the speech of fishes, repeatedly going with the same word or sound. ‘Blub’.
It was just a constant thing, neither of them stopping as they continued in their conversation. It was a truly insightful, resolution-breaking speech between two sentient beings. Wiping their forehead, they were drenched in sweat, yearning for sleep but not wanting to pull away from the interesting talk with PAInter.
Only for it to be cut off from the palm that gently pressed into their forehead, the touch was cold; Pleasant in contrast to the pounding headache that made their head swell with ache, it soothed their pain ever so slightly.
They leaned into the touch, perhaps a little too much as a hand gripped their shoulder and they were nearly sent flying forward. Nuzzling into the hand as it smothered them in a tender touch, allowing them to relax into the hand.
“Sheesh- You’re hot…”, the voice of Sebastian commented, his hand withdrawing from their forehead from the rising temperature of their forehead. They’d gotten sick in the night, developing a fever in the process. Reacting far too late to prevent it to the stage it's gotten to, only able to treat it as it was and hope that it’d get better.
Admittedly, he was worried about them.
He wasn’t an expert in telling temperature but they were boiling, probably far too hot than the recommended amount. Yet, he couldn’t risk taking the blanket away from their shoulders in case it caused them more shivering. It was the only comfortable thing he could use as well.
“Thank you-....”, they replied in a slurred manner. Responding to his prior statement he quickly realised all too quickly that they interpreted it as a compliment. His face flushed in embarrassment suddenly, hoping they wouldn’t take notice of it in their state. They’d probably make fun of him for such a thing.
“T-That isn’t what I meant!- Moron-...”, he stumbled on his words slightly but managed to keep himself together. Turning his attention towards a pouch on his tail, picking up a packet of Paracetamol into his hand. Finding them in an old infirmary in his search for supplies to treat them with.
He wasn’t going to risk them taking the pills themselves, they could hardly hold themselves up. Let alone take the pills on their own. With the one hand keeping them stable, holding the pills between his fingertips as the other held a bottle of water.
“Open your mouth.”, he commanded with haste, watching as it took them a moment to process his request and comply. He shook his head at their condition, wondering how they kept up with themselves in such a state. Gently placing the pills on their tongue, tilting their head up as he gently handed them the bottle of water.
They understood quite quickly, taking the bottle from his hand as they greedily gulped down the water alongside the pillows. Letting out a sigh of relief as they did so, only to go for another drink to clench their thirst.
Once they’d finished, they yawned in exhaustion. Leaning their weight towards Sebastian as he caught them, he realised that they were going to need the rest in order to recover. He moved them into a more comfortable lying position, propping their head onto his lap to act as a substitute for their abandoned pillow.
“What were you guys doing?”, he found himself asking the question to PAInter. As soon as he’d gotten back, the two of them were just making fish noises towards one another. It was a sight to behold.
“Here I thought you were fluent in the art of the dialect of fish! And here you are, a fish man! Wow-”, PAInter dramatised their speech in an odd attempt at a British accent. Drawing a pose on the monitor with arms raised to his digital face. Wait- was that an avatar?
Not quite in the mood for jokes, he rolled his eyes as he growled in a low volume. PAInter seemed to get the message as they quickly erased the painting they’d worked on. Only giggling in response as Sebastian worked through the tangled mess of hair atop the expendable head.
Thus concluding the third prank, if that counted to their toll.
<...>
About a day or two later, their fever had fortunately broken in thanks to Sebastian’s constant nagging. As they made progress towards recovery, they found themselves in a tiny mood for mischief, at minimum a small prank.
And they weren’t looking forward to another prank that involved something that might scare him again. Seeing Sebastian that angry wasn’t a friendly sight, it was frightening to even think about. Luckily, he accepted their apology afterwards.
“It’s fine- Just don’t do any of that bullshit again.”, he responded to them after they profusely apologised, a small smile on his face as he leaned forward as he ruffled their tangled hair, causing a worse mess for them to work through. They took it as a promise, nodding in agreement. Only to usher them to feel soon after.
And they weren’t a person who broke their promises. Most of the time.
They were forced into bedrest, under the watchful eye of PAInter as Sebastian went to do something productive. They didn’t remember what he said about what he was going to do but it was probably something involving their sickness. They groaned audibly as they weren’t even allowed to get up from the floor and stretch out in case they collapsed.
PAInter refused to even let them budge an inch, yet their joints were stiff with soreness. Even as they stretched, it wasn’t enough to get their muscles moving. They really needed the movement, at least for a small walk or something.
They were left behind with only their thoughts for company.
So, they decided the best course of action was to roll across the floor. Barrel rolling like a crocodile with a pillow in their grasp. PAInter quickly became alerted to their movement, looking down at them with a scribbled frown.
“HEY!- You’re not supposed to be moving!”, he chastised them in the form of a lecture. They rolled their eyes, ceasing their movements as they let out the loudest, grumpiest, annoying groan they could muster in a long drawn-out breath until their lungs eventually gave up.
They decide to ignore PAInter’s commands, standing off the floor as they stretch, joints cracking under the new pressure, withering away the soreness as a yawn escapes them, suddenly feeling more awake and energetic.
Not feeling in full condition but enough to do some things, whatever those things were. Looking around the place, Sebastian was quite the mess at times, leaving files littered on the ground. He often left his comb, rubbish, bedding and whatever was left over on his plate because he couldn’t be bothered to clean it up.
Don’t get them started on whenever he sheds, that was a catastrophe to clean up.
So, being caring and productive as they were. They began cleaning the mess left behind, much to the complaints of PAInter who tried earnestly to get their attention. Only for them to poke their tongue out childishly in response to his nagging.
Folding the sheets he used as makeshift blankets, topped on top of a crate in a neat pile. Their dirty laundry including their sickly bedding was tossed aside for them to tackle later. Piling up rubbish into a random crate with nothing in it, to dispose of in one of the random bins throughout the facility.
They even dedicated the time to organise his little mess of documents in data in order of files to a mountain of storage drives.
“You really shouldn’t be moving like this!- You should be resting!- You can’t possibly combat the infection in your body without sufficient energy!- If you were to use it up, you could end up even worse than before!- Oh gods- Sebastian is going to dismantle me!-”, PAInter panicked in their fumbling speech, if they were human. They’d be the embodiment of a stuttering mess.
“Relax- He isn’t going to kill you. Not if I have anything to say about it- Also I’m fine- It’s only a little bit of cleaning and besides I’m practically done”, and they were done. Besides the laundry, that was a task for their future self, not the current tense.
That’s when they got an idea, they remembered their little fever dream of speaking fish with their companion. And what better than some wordplay, especially along the lines of the fish category? It was harmless and probably funny.
Perhaps even punny.
Grabbing a bottle of water and the medication they’d found on the floor. They popped a pill from the seal and swallowed it down, giving an ample amount of water with it. Grabbing some of the laundry into their hands, they began to fold it away into a neater pile for easier transportation later.
Only to hear the man of the hour arrive back in time, he looked tired as he leaned forward with an arched back. He quickly took notice that they were up and running compared to the state they were in earlier. He stared down at them after scanning the room, deadpan as if he wasn’t very impressed by the recent cleaning they’d done.
He didn’t bother asking either of them what happened. Far too used by their little schemes up to that point. He began to unpack all of the items he’d garnered including some medical supplies, refills of water, flash beacons, batteries and the like.
“Water are you doing?”, they asked with feigned curiosity as to his recent business. Standing up, they inspected a bag left untouched by his moving hands. Reaching out a hand towards it, only for it to be snatched by his.
“Don’t. Touch. It’s tonight's dinner.”, without the ability to see or touch whatever was housed within the sack. They sniffed at the contents, only to be met with a stench of salt and oceanic algae. Not only that but it looked as though there was a wet patch at the bottom of the pouch, concluding that it was likely fish in association to the word food.
“That was a little shallow of you- Are you okay? Shorely you’re not feeling under the weather too?”, they raised a hand towards his face. Only for it to be pushed away by him, his eyes looking down at them in suspicion.
“I’m fine- Why are you up anyway? I told PAInter to make sure you rest-”, he eyed down the suspect in question. Raising an eyebrow in intrigue at the subject before the three of them, PAInter visibly sweated with animated droplets on his face.
“Uhh- I tried to get them back to sleep but they wouldn’t listen to me…”, it spoke with honesty and truth. They knew not to cross paths with Sebastian, or test the waters so to speak as they refused to lie to someone they saw as family.
“What? I was just trying to kelp out!”, they exclaimed with their hands above their head to exaggerate their words. Only to be met with the collective glares of both Sebastian and PAInter with the same frown, one thing they had in common besides the escape of Blacksite was how annoying their companion could be.
“I’m going to break every bone in your body if you don’t stop.”, he threatened in a dry tone of voice. PAInter joined in on the threat by drawing a picture of their face with Xs over the place that should’ve been their eyes.
Motherfuckers. They weren’t gonna give up that easily.
“Oh come on! You guys would be bonely without me-”, they were cut off as Sebastian tackled them with full force. Dragging them to the fall with him as he held them down, feeling them squirm and struggle under the pressure as he laid down atop them.
“I AM NOT DONE!- I HAVE A SKELE-TON OF JOKES IN MY ARSENAL! I’M VERY HUMERUS!- IT’S YOU GUYS WHO DON’T HAVE A FUNNY BONE! COME AT ME- I BET YOU GUYS DON’T EVEN HAVE THE GUTS! I’M NEVER GONNA RUN OUT EVEN IF I’M BONE-DRY”.
He held them there for about an hour or two.
<...>
They grumbled under their breath, pressing their head as their cheek squished against the solid cold surface. They had been dragged across the entirety of Blacksite into a small cafeteria that Sebastian had found, equipped with the luxury of an inbuilt electric stove and plenty of pots and pans. It even had the leisure of a spice rack!
Sebastian watched over the pot on top of the stove, watching the water boil as bubbles burst from the influx of heat at the bottom of the pot. A ladle in one hand as he tasted his culinary expertise, sprinkling a dash of salt if necessary.
In the other laid the skin and bones of deceased fish, stripped of their outer coating and bone structure for the flesh within. Snacking on the delights of raw fish, the crunch of bone on his teeth.
He had called the dish, Sebastian’s special stew. A dish composed of whatever tinned vegetables he found in the cabinets, carrots and peas. A can of chopped tomatoes and water for the base, and whatever fish he found whilst hunting during his swim earlier that day.
Turns out he went swimming out in the inner cavern that shrouded some of Blacksite and with his strength. He managed to chase and hunt down the stray fish that happened to be too slow for the rest of their school. A liability to their survival and more importantly Sebastian’s dish. He actually seemed really happy about it.
He actually wanted to make them a stew to help them feel better, and what better than homemade fish soup? The sound of it didn’t sound disgusting at all! Yet, they couldn’t really afford to be fussy with food down in the depths of Blacksite.
“...Could you pass the pepper from the cabinet up there?”. He called out their name nonchalantly, which had been a massive improvement from expendable or human since they’d bonded. Pointing towards the cupboard that contained the spice rack inside of it. They whined with a huff but stood up otherwise, walking towards the container.
Upon opening the small door on top of their tiptoes, they spotted something that caught their eye. A devious scheme came to mind as they grabbed the small bottle into their hand, hiding it in a pocket as they picked up the pepper shaker with it.
“Thanks-”, he was about to pour the dosage of spice into the soup. Only to pick up a pungent scent coming off the container, a drop of the contents spilling into the soup much to his dismay. He growled in a low snarl at them for what they had done, the betrayal in his eyes evident as it was revealed what was in his beloved soup.
Cinnamon. Another stench happened to mess with his senses, gently placed the spice back down onto the container as he eyed them with a look of bewilderment. Only for them to hand him the proper condiment he was looking for originally.
He gripped a strand of their hair as it tugged them towards him, careful not to rip it out of their scalp. He glared at them down with a hiss, displeased by their actions as he opened his mouth in a widened manner. They let out a pout as they leaned back, preparing to be shoved inside.
A hand gripped their shoulder, hindering their movement and chances of escape. Preparing for the inevitable time out they were about to face for roughly the next couple of hours. Waiting with bated breath as the tongue came closer to their face, taking in their taste as it dragged over their cheek. Drool dripped from the side of the cheek as it clung to the skin of their face.
He chuckled upon seeing them seize up and halter, pulling away from their personal space as he returned his attention was drawn back towards the soup. Picking up a small bottle of oregano and pouring just a little extra into the soup to combat the taste of oregano.
“You remind me of my siblings at times-... I used to cook for them whenever our parents weren’t home… They’d always try and “help” out with my cooking- Trying to pour hot chocolate into the pasta sauce I was making!…”, he reminisced with nostalgia, a look of sorrow on his face as he remembered happier times of his human life.
He must really miss his family…
They didn’t respond, their expression soft as they stood there next to him. Listening in case he wanted to talk about it some more, yet he didn’t utter another word as he looked conflicted. A mix of hatred, regret, sadness, anger, and happiness all at once. He looked as though he wanted to cry.
Their hands wrapped around his waist, holding him close as they mustered all their strength into a strong hug. Trying to comfort him in a warm embrace despite their small stature, he turned to them with a soft smile as it appeared to have worked.
One of his hands clung to their backside, rubbing it in an up-and-down motion as he returned the hug. Maybe they were trying to reassure them in return, or maybe it was just a gesture of his gratitude.
“I’m fine- Don’t you worry…”, his hand retracted from their back towards the top of their scalp, ruffling the locks between his fingers as he let another chuckle escape his lips. A look of softness in his eyes.
Not too long after he finished his culinary masterpiece, the two of them sat at one of the many tables in the cafeteria. Sebastian hardly managed on the cramped metal seat but managed to sit down to eat the food. The food looked really nice actually, with the spices and vegetables to disguise the smell of the fish.
After hesitating after a bite, they plunged the bite into their mouth. Preparing for the urge to spit out the fish from their mouth, only for it to taste really good. A squeal of delight escaped them from the rich taste, surprised that it worked so well together.
Sebastian watched as they helped themselves bite for bite, only to realise that they’d quickly finished their dish. They looked around aimlessly as if they wondered where the food had gone, a smile on his face as he realised they liked his cooking.
Picking up their bowl, pouring another scoop of stew into the bowl as they handed it back to them. The two of them enjoy the moment between each other. He couldn’t help but notice how much they ate, a little concerned over the gesture but he never withdrew the food. Content that they were eating a full meal for once.
<...>
A day later, they fully recovered from the fever they’d endured. Strolling the halls of Blacksite, book in hand with the text of pages gripped tight to their chest. Returning from their secluded spot after having retreated to the room for some privacy.
A yawn escaped them, tired from having to clean out the laundry with whatever cleaning supplies they could find. Using their hand and sponge to scrub out the stains had somehow gotten into the fabric.
It took some time, but they were spotless afterwards. After many events throughout the past week, they asked PAInter to take some pictures from the security feed for them to remember in their scrapbook.
They’d written each little “prank” they’d done within the journal. PAInter suggested adding a couple of their comments for the book of remembrance. A memorabilia for them to look back on with nostalgia.
Making their way back towards Sebastian’s little shop, crawling through the metallic shaft that was the entrance vent. Difficulty in their crawl with one hand to push themselves forward as the other held their beloved book.
As they entered, preparing to announce their return to their companions. They were met with the complete pitch-black darkness of the room, with no sense of voice or electricity with the poor light of the room. They knew Sebastian liked the darkness but it was never that bad that they could never see anything.
Something was wrong.
Pulling out from the vent, they called out in a desperate cry to hear their companions. Worried as to where they’d gone, wanting to know their whereabouts. Only for the shadows to envelope their figure in a dark embrace.
“Sebby!- PAI?- Are you guys here? Where-”, anxiety hit them in a sudden wave. Their breathing was hindered as they felt a weight on top of their lungs, their eyes scanning around for any sign of movement. Clutching the book tighter as if it were a lifeline.
They were cut off by their own scream as something roughly grabbed the collar of their shirt. Lifting them from the ground as they kicked out from the scare, trying to get their feet back onto the ground as they struggled in the sudden grip.
Wielding the book in their hands, they began to wildly attack whatever held them so mercilessly. Trying to fight off the attacker with the book as their sword and shield. Only for it to be thrown out of their grip with a small grip of the monster.
Unable to see, they tried slipping away with rapid movement, trying to squeeze their way out of the hold. Only for something wet to drip atop their head, feeling the liquid fall from the hair down to the drop below.
They looked up to see glowing blue eyes, a soft yellow light flickering in front of them. Their eyes widened as they witnessed fate befall them, their panic turned to a sombre deadpan stare as they accepted the reality of what was about to happen.
The tongue drew a line across their face, coating the skin in a thick drool as the creature- Sebastian tasted them. His open maw creased upwards at the sides, a big smile on his face as he noticed their grimace at the gesture.
Shoving their head inwards, gulping down as he licked at their form. Enjoying their delectable taste with ravenous intent as he greedily swallowed them into his empty belly. With a couple of gulps sending down to his stomach, hissing in delight at the meal.
His tail flicked happily as he pressed his finger to his throat, feeling the weight pass by until his little human landed with a plop into his stomach. A purr escaped him as he felt their movements, hands pressing down on them as they settled in.
They were met with the soft surface of velvet walls of his stomach, the walls cocooning around them in a welcoming hug as it accepted its new “meal”. The walls pressed down on them as Sebastian rubbed circles into their space, soothing them into the space that was himself.
Those weren’t the only things dwelling in his belly as they found a blanket and pillow housed within. Confused, they gripped the cloth into their hands, feeling a slightly damp yet dry fluffy sheet and one of the many scratchy pillows of Blacksite.
Audibly groaning at the situation before them, only to smother themselves into the blanket as they leaned into the tender flesh. The pillow cuddled to their chest as the surface was comfortable enough without it, not needed yet fond of the object nonetheless.
“Comfortable? Thought I’d return the favour after all the shit you’ve been pulling lately-”, explaining the reason behind the sudden scare. The realisation dawned upon them as it was revealed that he got his revenge against them. A predator lying in wait for the prey, striking at the perfect moment.
He let out a snicker as they punched his stomach, returning the gesture with more rubs as they reluctantly leaned into the affection. Hearing a small yawn escape them, cradled in warmth as they tucked into the comfortable space.
“Get some sleep, little guppy. You need it.”. He bit back a chuckle moments later as they were on the verge of sleep within the space, a hand continuing its movement to lull them to sleep.
His attention turned towards the abandoned book on the floor, observing the cover revealed nothing of its contents. It didn’t look like any valuable data nor did it look interesting with the blank front cover.
Opening the contents within revealed a different story, looking upon different memories with their little scribbles of drawings and pictures. Writing down each memory in key detail as if they took in every second of their shared moments. They noted down their thoughts and feelings towards each of their companions too.
He read in awe, a small content smile on his face as he curled up in his comfortable coiled form, flipping each page with intrigue. It didn’t pass him that they saw through his tough exterior, almost letting out a sigh of relief that they never saw him as the monster he looked like, rather the person within.
Maybe they should let them in some more…
<...>
“W-what are you doing with that flash beacon?...”.
(Get it, cause the game is called Pressure? Hehehe-)
Pairing: Seb.as.tian Sol.ace x reader (Platonic/Romantic)
Words: 8.8K+
Warning: This chapter contain a bit more heavier tones in the story compared to my last work. Including mild violence (Heavy injury and injuring monsters via self-defence).
But aside from that, I wrote this with as much emotion as I could so there might also include heavy influences to trauma. But remains vague. Including Soft vore/safe vore too!
Please be careful when reading this, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.
(Edit: I changed the warning to include more information in case someone wanted more information for possible triggering subject matter.)
NSFW DNI
Notes: Had an idea cooking in my brain, kinda overcooked it but I promise it's juicy! Also sorry I wrote this kinda long, I had too much fun writing PAInter for the first time! And don’t worry it's filled with hurt/comfort BABY
I am also working on requests, yippee
Help this doc is 22 pages longgggggg
Cranking down the door handle, mustering the strength within their body to pull their weight to an imbalance, the heavy door sent flying shut with a loud slam. A back tendril caught between the door frame, slicing off in a flimsy mess; the appendage landing with a plop, secreting a dark liquid in a mimicry of blood.
The disembodied limb moved with rigour mortis, squirming across the floor. Gazing upon the sight with a grimace, whether it be an expression of disgust or fear. They weren’t certain of themself as all they could do was sigh and mentally congratulate themself on the victory.
Adrenaline slowly took its toll in wearing down their body’s heightened senses, calming down from the sudden fright of the attack. Only to look away, feeling regret for the creature they wounded. That it was just like them, trapped and scared down in the depths of Blacksite.
It was their stupidity that led to the event, forgetting the dangers for a mere moment and entering a room with an eye-soring light. It acted out in fear.
Harsh static quickly permeated their ear, reacting with a hiss as a hand pressed down on the earpiece in an attempt to soothe the pain. Only to let out a soft beep, signalling that something had connected to their comlink. The buzzing of the attack quickly faded upon hearing the familiar voice.
“You don’t have to do this-... You know that, right?”. It cut through in sternness yet held a heavy level of solemnness in its speech, their tone conflicted. A mix of concern and hesitance. Yet it wasn’t seemingly directed towards them but rather the circumstances the two of them found themselves in.
To delay their response to the robotic speech, they turned their attention to the room. Revealing a circular designed hall, littered with miscellaneous storage items consisting of crates and lockers. Items scattered onto the floors of differing value, some of data. In any other instance, it would’ve been the first thing they approached. But that wasn’t their main priority given their self-assigned goal.
Treading forward with a face of determination, no one was going to convince them otherwise. No one.
Their stubbornness was a virtue in the face of survival. however, when it came to trying to convince them of other options, they usually took the first in favour of others. It took time and patience, something they didn’t possess at the moment given they had practically arrived at their destination.
Turning towards the door with the lit number, Blacksite decided that placing their room with labelled numbers was more professional and easier than labelling the rooms with actual names in their layout plans. It really went to question their finances, which now included their design choices...
“Wait- Wait!- WAIT!!!”, the voice over the com quickly cried out in alarm, desperately trying to call out the danger in front of them. Yet, they ignored the AI’s concerns as they pressed onwards. “Wrong door!- WRONG DOOR!!-”, it continued in its panic until they finally realised the cries all too late.
Their hand grasped the lever, sending a wave of electrical current into their hand. Flinching from the sudden shock, pulling the hand towards their chest from the suddenness. Only for sparks to be sent flying from the malfunctioning door. The small discharge was enough of a warning to quickly retreat their hand from a full-on electric shock.
Perhaps they should’ve listened to PAInter…
Looking up towards the door’s HUD, they spot the signature expression of the animated pixels on PAInter’s face. Its chosen software was MS Paint as its canvas, perhaps not the best option but the only one seeing as it came inbuilt with Windows. They were pretty diligent in their skills too, allowing for an animated look in their speech. Thanks to their quick lines.
It glared down at them with scribbled pointed brows and circular white eyes, the mouth a large frown with sharp teeth in its display, a seething grimace. Typically used to express extreme anger as its current emotion they were feeling, directed towards them in that moment. They were in for a lecture…
“Be more careful! You Moron!...”, he berated with fury. Yet, it came from a place of care. It was their fault as they allowed their impulsiveness to take over their rational line of thinking. Finding themselves feeling scolded like a child, feeling remorse over their selfishness at that moment. Still rather new to the concept of trusting another.
“I know… I’m sorry… But- I’m not a carrot!”. They found themselves biting back sarcastically, their self-loathing turned to mock defence. Pouting playfully as they crossed their arms dramatically. Their lips in a forceful frown as they held back a smile. Teased over its use of the word ‘moron’ as it meant ‘carrot’ in another language they recognised.
“Don’t get snarky with me, Young laird! Seriously though- do you need to do this?- REALLY?”, it dramatised its last word as if to express the severity and weight of their decision. As if they were silently trying to plead with them to turn back, anxious about the possible consequences.
They weren’t going to avoid it.
“Well, it’ll benefit the three of us. It's crucial!- We need it!- It’s not something we can pass the opportunity on…”, they spoke with a decently reasonable claim. They weren’t incorrect in that fact but the response seemed to annoy PAInter as it knew they were right but refused to put their safety first. Prioritising something rather than their life. An unnecessary risk.
“There’s a reason Sebastian’s been avoiding it!- It’s dangerous!”, they quickly warned of the dangers ahead. Which they had contemplated many times at that point, had thought it over every second of the day. And the more time they wasted not wanting to dwell on it and linger, it would be leaving Sebastian to do all of the work as more weight was put onto his shoulders.
“You think I don’t know the risks?- I do PAInter- But… I can’t just- stand around any longer! Not while you both are suffering in this stupid place! I- I owe both of you already, Sebastian is working hard to get the evidence we need and keep the two of us fed. And you are doing your best to keep Urbanshade off our backs.”.
Sharing their inner thoughts, all the turmoil laid out on a silver platter in front of it. Their self-preservation was the last thing on their mind, prioritising those they held dear to them.
They stood their ground.
It let out an audible synthesised sigh at their words, their expression turned to more of a saddened one. PAInter speaking their name in a soft voice that they rarely heard from either of them, often keeping their tenderness hidden in favour of guardedness. It immediately caught their attention upon the seemingly impossible in front of them.
“I- I’ve nearly killed you- Multiple times!… We’ve hurt you, not only that but you were with Urbanshade in the program...”, believing they were undeserving of the care they displayed towards the lines of code. It recounted its mistakes like a list of regrets, the past interchangeable but doing what was necessary to survive at that time.
It pissed them off to hear it blame itself for such things.
“Hey! You listen here!- Nobody here is perfectly innocent- I can say that because I’m literally a convicted criminal… I’ve done things, not good things… But, that doesn’t mean it isn’t justified. In most cases…”, they whispered the last sentence to themselves as the past crept on them for a moment. Only to push it away,
“The moral is- people make mistakes- things happen that we regret… But it’s in the past! The best we can do is press forward, for our sake…”. They finished their words, standing tall to show they stood behind their words.
They made sure to purposefully hint at PAInter’s sentience, humanising them and treating them like any other friend as that was what they were, a trusted loyal and good friend. One who deserved the best, and they would remind them of that as many times as they needed.
The advice seemed to send a wave of comfort to the person in front of them, they weren’t just lines of code perfectly executing orders to achieve currency in block exchanges. It was PAInter. Small slashes in red text on its expression in a mimicry of blush, seemingly flustering the AI.
Alongside a small smile displayed on the monitor, it seemed to finally accept their ambitions as they were. Understanding their relentlessness and allowing them to go forward, ceasing their struggles to stop them. Leaving it all up to them in the decision department if they wanted to go through with it.
They had already decided the moment they stepped into the hall.
They backed away from the threatening door, now with a level of confidence in their step as they now held a sentient AI backing them up and aiding them in their mission. Approaching the correct door, watching as the adjacent door opened automatically without human authorization. PAInter silently led the way to the docking bay for them to follow.
Which was literally the next room.
The room was large and spacious, abandoned diving suits littered the hangers, the smaller lockers consisted of random work supplies. Some fell to the floor, making it look like a mess as no one left to maintain the room. But what stood out was a powerful computer in the corner with multiple monitors.
Upon inspection, it seemed to be a survey of information on the surrounding environment outside the facility. The hud of a program displaying scanner results from the terrain mined outside, deposits of various ores only to stop on the date of the lockdown. Another was a reminder of such, a blazing red warning with a danger symbol on the front reminded them of the lockdown that held them within the facilities walls.
PAInter appeared upon another monitor in a mini window, seemingly taking over the computer's systems as it used the RAM to check every file on the PC. Perhaps searching for important information in the files, only to draw a bored expression on its face as it completed its task. Closing everything aside from the open program.
“Nothing useful in terms of information, but it does allow me to monitor the water below with the echo-locating scanners. I’ll be able to watch you a bit outside for a distance… Luckily….”. PAInter seemed to let out a sigh of relief upon learning that fact.
“Oh- Shush it! Fucking worrywart…”, having enough of his constant worrying over their wellbeing. It did so constantly whenever they weren’t around Sebastian to watch over them, taking over his role. It annoyed them as they had survived thus far, on their own! They could most certainly handle themselves in the depths of Blacksite.
“Hey! I apologise if my concerns over your health, mental well-being, safety and entertainment over your small, fragile, accident-prone, vulnerable-”, PAInter began to list off every essential thing to a human’s health to describe the weaknesses of the human body. Reminding them how breakable they were in comparison to the horrors in the whole facility.
…
“Don’t you dare call me inferior!”, they quickly bit back. Stomping their foot against the floor to grab its attention with a pouty lip. Bickering with it akin to a sibling, arguing without the malice in their tones. Joking with one another, turning the seriousness into a comedy bit.
“That’s Sebastian!- Not me! If we’re having this fight again- Then I’ll-”, they drew out the l in their tone as a window suddenly appeared on the screen, opening a file within a video player. Slowly dragging the cursor towards the option. The file was simply named, “Blackmail”. Seemingly playing into their comedy.
Opening it revealed a video of themselves on a webcam as the main focus, the sounds of a clicking mouse as they browsed the miscellaneous files on the computer to combat their boredom. It played like that for over a minute.
Only for the speakers to pierce the sound barrier from the loudness of their screams, the mic cutting off in the process. The framerate struggled to keep up as they jumped up with a look of fear and panic on their face, pushing away from the screen as if something were to climb out at any moment.
What followed was a yelp as the sound of their foot colliding with something was picked up, watching as their expression looked upon the screen in horror as their head slowly disappeared off the screen, their body falling to the floor in a stupor.
They slipped.
It took a moment for them to recall the events in front of them, turning from amused confusion to one of chaotic anger. Turning to PAInter revealed a giant smiley face on the screen that it had drawn, the sheer audacity to save such a moment of weakness. PAInter was turning to the dark side, now using blackmail…
“You kept that thing?!- I thought you didn’t save shit like that on your hard drive!”, they attempted to reason against the usage of their image. PAInter often commented that it kept collections of multiple drawings and important files in their storage. Nothing like a video of them.
“I keep important things!- This is important”. It defended itself as it emphasised the seriousness and crucial thing that was their blackmail. But, to put the bit aside for a moment. It was surprisingly heartwarming that it kept memories it's like to keep close to them, including one of their silliness. That they were close enough to be deemed important to the AI.
Biting down their lip, they held back a giggle. Holding back the laughter that threatened to escape them only to let out a series of chuckles and snickers. PAInter joined in with its robotic laughter as it struggled to properly sound it out. After laughing for some time, they both decided to put their shenanigans aside for a moment. They needed to press on.
Stretching their limbs, glaring down at the main structure piece of the room. The access point that allowed the entrance of submarines, the thing that led to the outer world. A gigantic pool in the centre, a moonpool to be more specific. A room built with pressurised air that prevented the water from flooding the place.
Dripping a toe into the pool of liquid to test the waters, pulling back from the sudden change in temperature from decent numbers to the near negatives. However, they were more than accustomed to the change after diving into the flooded areas of Blacksite so many times.
The crouch quickly changed into a sitting position with their lower calves submerged in the water, adjusting to the change like a swimming pool.
<…>
“Remember! Before you go diving in… If you’re in an emergency- Spam your comlink, I’ll.. contact Sebastian”. Making a makeshift backup plan in case a crisis or accident were to occur, making sure that they weren’t alone in their idea. No matter how naive or stupid it was. His tone held a level of worry, his uncertainty about the plan returning.
They nodded their head in simple understanding, taking a moment to take a deep breath as they thought to themselves. They didn’t believe in looking into the details, they often sought solutions when it came to time in their plans, procrastinating until the last minute. But, the steps were simple when summarised. Plain and simple.
Putting it in retrospect, Blacksite held a small department within Blacksite that held highly classified information, valuable information. Such as possibly including details of Sebastian’s operation, the creator of PAInter’s code, and the secrets behind the inhumane experiments of Blacksite.
But it had long since fallen into a state of ruin following the lockdown, an avalanche of rock burying down the secrets never to be seen again. Or at least, it was speculated to be so. PAInter had received an SOS signal from the collapsed building, telling Sebastian about it.
The two of them decided it was far too risky, putting off the idea in favour of their survival. Using expendables as a means of gathering the data they needed, until the two of them had met them. And so, when the two brought it up again when the two were alone. They overheard, wanting to help.
Despite the dangers of the sea life outside the facility, they decided that they were going to dive into the open waters and get into that facility, retrieve the data and hopefully get all three of them to freedom.
With Sebastian occupied, tending to his shop with expendables once again trying to make their way through, it was the perfect opportunity to strike. It would help Sebastian, who worked hard to scavenge food for them to eat, providing them with protection and a comfortable place to sleep.
Securing the mask that provided oxygen to their face, making sure that the straps were tight around their scalp. Checking the hollow flexible pipe that connected their mask to their air tanks was stable. Certain they wouldn’t have their gear malfunction whilst underwater. Which would've been a nightmare.
Tightening the strap that holstered their belt pouch, equipped with a flash beacon and medkit. Perhaps mostly to annoy Sebastian or scare off the sealife, all essentials. The suit that clung to their figure like a skin suit showed no signs of constraining them in its tightness.
Testing their gear with a deep breath, inhaling the oxygen provided by their air tanks. Giving assurance that they would have enough time to swim in and back from the ruined rubble and that the plan would be successful.
Glancing back towards the readied turrets that surveyed the room, acting as the makeshift eyes for PAInter to use with access to the security feed and systems. Raising their arm into view in a waving motion, giving a signal that they were about to dive.
A tight grip clung to the surface of the concrete, hesitating for a moment as the weight of it caught up with them. Yet, refused to yield as the safety provided by the concrete slipped away, pushing themselves off the edge into the water. Closing their eyes as the flow of water embraced them into its crushing depths.
Their body shivered as they fully adjusted, the sheer cold sending shivers down their back. Adapting to the sudden change; Water flooded into their ear canal, muffling their hearing as all they would hear was the distinct sound of flowing water.
Gripping the concrete edge of the surface, they pushed themselves off of the solid ground as they dove into the large body of water. Closing their eyes as the cold sea openly embraced them in a shivering hug, water flooding into their open ear as all sounds became muffled from the blockage.
Upon breaching the surface of the water, sinking slowly as they lay dormant. Opening their eyes to the fishes that feared their presence, swimming at high speeds away from the possible danger of a predator. The weight of the water atop them as it slowly sunk them, bubbles emerging from their mask, disappearing as quickly as they came.
It was peaceful.
A lack of light within the depths, indicating that it was likely nighttime or they were too deep into the ocean to see the clear waters, went to show how far away they truly were from the safety of home. How far they’d gone into the abyss of Urbanshade Blacksite.
Their visibility was limited, only able to see temporarily thanks to the illuminating light above them. Once they swam away, they’d be left in the titanic cavernous space of the open sea. That they were a mere insignificant speckle of life in the vastness of the world.
To their right was a wall of stone, likely indicating they were in a cave of sorts or at least within rocky terrain but that hardly mattered as they finally adjusted to the water. Using the view above them, they turned in the direction of neon green glowing lights, an indication of the way that they were headed.
Taking their first breath underwater, their hands ahead of them as they pushed back against the clear waters. Kicking their feet with swift and rapid movements, further pushing against the current as they began to swim forward. Treading the waters, continuing as they followed the path ahead.
Until the ruins finally came into view.
Coming face to face with the sector, unveiling it before their eyes. They found themselves in awe as by some miracle it remained intact under the collapsed rubble, holding its integrity of strong metals that refused to bend under the weight of it all.
Cracked windows lay bare in their shattered states, cracked apart as if the window was slowly revealing the secrets of Blacksite through the forcefully opened window, the secrets flowing out via drenched documents into the outer sea.
The lights that clung to their false life, barely maintaining, holding on as the source of energy was slowly stripped away from the struggling power source. Cut off from the main power supply of the crystal, using the reserved generators to function. It likely wouldn’t last much longer, feeling the need to go quickly.
One of the corners had been ripped apart in shreds, metallic structure frames torn off like a massive bite. An exposed wound, yet it acted as the perfect entrance for them. The water flowed inwards, flooding the building but knowing Blacksite. There would be air pockets.
They hadn’t even realised that they stopped breathing, their lungs begging for the air as they took in the sight in front of them. They had been savouring the air to save it for the long haul, careful on its usage. They attempted to push back on breathing but it was required, taking another breath of air.
They couldn’t waste time.
It felt surreal being in such a large body of water, they were used to being in the cramped vents, navigating the flooded halls, and hiding away from the monsters that lurked behind them. They thought they’d seen it all, yet they couldn’t help the lingering feeling of anxiousness in their chest, fearing what was ahead of them.
Swimming through the gap, they were met with a room of server stacks. A network of data housed within, all lost due to the exposure to water. Damaging the equipment as it rotted away the inner components, all that valuable data was lost to time. Never to be seen again.
The furniture floated within the room akin to zero gravity, desks and tables with their supplies lying above them. Paper with written pages of a person’s research, distorted as the written ink stained the papers from the exposure to the water, also lost.
At a loss for thought and words, the idea of everything else collapsing in ruin hadn’t occurred to them until that moment. A sense of hopelessness came over them as they came to the realisation that the risk could all be in vain.
Their thoughts went back to their two companions. Sebastian and PAInter, two of the people who helped them, cared for them down in Blacksite. Sebastian, was a man of mystery that they couldn’t decipher no matter how hard they tried to understand, only understanding the mutual relationship between the two.
Yet he showed compassion in rare moments, showing them a means of stability. They had long since gotten attached to him, whether their intentions were romantic or platonic. There was no doubt a level of care between them.
PAInter was one of the two who was much more open about its expressions and thoughts, developing a much more close personal relationship with them than Sebastian. The two opened up to one another, sharing laughs and moments of vulnerability between the two. Much to the dismay of Sebastian.
They weren’t sure about Sebastian’s stance on them, regarding whether he shared the same feelings or simply viewed them as a tool for use. The thought made them feel a sense of sorrow as they wanted to learn more and get to know the person behind the mask.
The two had become family to them.
Their determination returned, not ready to give up after just looking through the first room. After all, they had a whole sector to explore. There was still hope, a chance that they were able to get something from this all.
Spotting a standard sealed door in the corner of the room, curiosity peaked at them as they swam towards it. It was the usual door they’d see in the halls of Blacksite, non-distinguishable from the others within a high-class sector of the facility.
It usually required power to open but with the limiting power, pulling the handle didn’t automatically unlatch from the locks. Meaning they’d have to rely upon their own strength under the water where the human body struggled but with a face of resolution, they persevered.
They struggled as it refused, the weight too heavy for them to lift. A loud creaking noise as the door wrestled against them. Until it finally gave a small opening after using a massive amount of strength, seizing the opportunity. They slipped through the gap with precise precision as it slammed shut behind them into its returning position.
Taking in another inhale of air, they inspected the room they’d entered. It was another standard hall of the facility, except it came with much more decor and class than the others. Plagues of employee names floated about, embroidered in golden alloy.
The desks were bigger, with an entire computer set up of multiple monitors akin to the one. Many of the documents laid closed and sheltered within sorting cabinets in perfect order, despite being exposed to the waters. Many differing plants had drowned under the water, which had blossomed with life despite the dreary conditions of Blacksite.
Heck, they even had a fish tank!
They debated whether or not to waste time looting the place. It may not be precious data but some of it could be useful at least for their entertainment or personal use.
Shaking off the idea that dwelled within their head, physically doing so as if the water were clogging their head. Something caught their eye in the process, it was another door. Truly shocking! Except it wasn’t any other door, it was a different door!
It was decorated differently with diagonal yellow and black stripes around the door frame and skirting; hazardous warnings. It stood out against the greys and blacks colour palette of Blacksite, not only that but it was bigger than normal. A with a yellow valve in the centre.
Whatever was inside was highly dangerous or greatly important, especially with the label on the front. ‘Highly classified’. Which was surprisingly blunt of Blacksite, which normally kept everything as secretive as possible. Hidden.
They treaded closer, depending on whether or not to open it. It seemed much more durable than the rest of the building, stronger. It even looked sealed enough to keep out the threatening floods. And so, hand on the rusted metal.
It took a strong tug for the valve for it to begin turning, taking a good amount of strength with it. Trying to pull it open against the weight of the ocean, but it wouldn’t budge an inch despite the backbone and muscle.
It would be a lot easier with something to pry it open, like a crowbar. Something that Sebastian would likely own in his arsenal- Wait- No he wouldn’t. That guy would be able to open it with one hand, seeing how he could punch metal and bend it.
They weren’t Sebastian though.
Spying a thin rusted pipe barely clinging to the wall, they decide that would make the perfect makeshift crowbar. Pulling it off, surprisingly easily; They once again try to open the heavy door and after much struggle, jam the pipe between the gap of the door, using the gap to their advantage.
Slipping through the small gap, water flooded into the room at a rapid pace from the jammed pipe. The room was surprisingly filled with air, reacting to the realisation they had. They take out the bent pipe, the door slamming shut as a result.
With a resupply of air and a large puddle behind them, they observed their surroundings. It was in pristine condition compared to the rest of the facility, everything tidy, complimented with a carpet and another fish tank, algae clinging to the glass. The life inside had long since perished from their poor conditions.
Despite the better conditions, it remained the same boring standard in terms of furniture and equipment. It was just another office sector with just fancy stuff for the richer employees. They had always wanted to explore more of Blacksite, even the sectors containing the holding cells and… ‘Medical’ stuff. Yet, they were never allowed to do so.
Sebastian never allowed them to.
Walking their soaked body towards the comfortable-looking desk chair, and sitting down on it. The soft material pressing against them. It was much nicer than sleeping on the chairs, tables or the dreaded floor of Blacksite. The only other space that reminded them of such comfort was… They pushed the thought away.
After nearly falling asleep, bringing the keyboard closer to them on the desk. Making sure no excess water dripped onto the electronics, they booted up the pc. Only for it to be locked with a password.
Grumbling with annoyance, they turned to the pouch on their hip. Fortunately, it was waterproof as they pulled out a USB. Plugging it into a socket, the screen suddenly turned to a sort of BIOS menu as it automatically navigated it. Implementing code in the process.
As PAInter had experience in bypassing the security system, they asked it to prepare a crack. Otherwise known as a system bypass or hack, it would allow them to log in without needing a password. Watching as the screen glitched with errors, only to cut to the desktop.
Ignoring the questionable wallpaper of whoever owned the device, they opened the file explorer. They didn’t have the time to explore every single document on the storage drive, with no idea what to look for either. So, they simply copied it over onto the USB.
The computer struggled as its air vents loudly complained about its usage of RAM, it would take some time for it to be completed. To quell their boredom of waiting, they debated opening the built-in solitaire.
Yet their curiosity got the better of them.
In the files search bar, they typed in the four letters. ‘Z-13’. The top result was a document about the creation and overview of the ‘experiment’. Reading through the document revealed photos of Sebastian, as a human…
“He... was a…”, they clicked off the document in a second. Letting out a solemn sigh as a wave of guilt hit them. They knew better than to pry into people's past, despite their curiosities. It was best decided not to look into the private matters of a friend without consent. Sebastian would tell them in his own time.
The revelation was enough to turn a few gears inside their head, some key pieces of the puzzle clicking for them. Sebastian wasn’t just some sentient creature, he was once human. Explaining his usage of the word legs on occasion and referring to himself as a human once or twice. They understood the idea behind it.
His hatred of Blacksite made much more sense.
Solitaire didn’t improve their mood, the guilt was too much for them to bear. Knowing their clumsy tongue, they’d end up coming clean to Sebastian or PAInter later on. They’d get lectured for being noisy and Sebastian wouldn’t trust them ever again…
“Fuck…”, they held back the tears in their eyes. They made a mistake, a stupid one. And they were going to repent, one way or another. It was just as it has always been, they ruined everything… Just like…
A sudden pop-up caught their attention, stating that the transfer was complete. A small smirk appeared on their face for a second, only to go back to the same look of guilt in their eyes. They’d deal with it later, putting off the breakdown.
Standing up, making sure to properly eject the USB to avoid corruption of the data. Pocketing it back into their pouch, making sure it was secure before turning back to the door. The dilemma of opening it returned.
Making sure to resecure their oxygen mask into a more comfortable position, they looked over at the looming door. The busted pipe was held in their palm, ready to ram it between the door yet again.
Pulling on the value yet again, heaving the door towards them with the strength of Hercules. Only to be rammed up against the wall by the value. Pressing against their stomach as it puts a large amount of pressure on them. A sharp pain burrowed in their chest, the weight feeling as if it would break their ribs at any second.
Shoving the valve away, they quickly realised what they had done. Water began barrelling in a roaring flood into the room, quickly taking away the safety of the air. Everything was sent flying as the water pushed its way through like a bull, narrowly dodging the incoming furniture.
It was swiftly embraced.
A strange sight to see the room they once saw in its neat state turn to disorder and chaos, watching everything break and flip into mayhem. A roaring tsunami turning normalcy into the acquainted ruined Blacksite. Even the best security can be taken away in an instant. They were lucky that they even got the data, a miracle.
The pain remained in their chest, consistent in hindering their movements. Briskly they retreated into the previous room in a makeshift dive, paddling their way out of the building into the open sea despite the persisting agony.
Taking the time to collect themselves and catch their breath. Staring out into their surroundings, spotting the distant smokey neon green glow in the distance. The markers showed off the path back to the way they came, letting out a sigh of relief that they wouldn’t get lost at least.
Manoeuvring their arms in a waving motion, allowing them to swim forward. They hesitated upon seeing a shadow shift, unable to distinctly make out the shape of it from the darkness of the deep sea. Deciding to turn a bit in another direction to hopefully avoid what they saw, believing it only to be a fish but moving just in case.
The view of the main building slowly came into view, the lights spotted in the distance. Letting out a sigh of relief upon seeing their refuge of safety, feeling joy upon the thought of seeing Sebastian and PAInter after their separated time. To be welcomed and congratulated for their efforts.
They didn’t see it coming.
A loud piercing roar broke the sound barriers within the water, even hurting their ears as they heard it shriek into their ears, clear as day. The beast began its hunt as it called out to its prey, swimming towards them with speeds they could only hope of achieving.
They couldn’t make out its face as it came barreling towards them. They froze up in fear of the incoming attack, like a deer caught in headlights. A relenting chase, one it was easily capable of winning against its weaker counterpart.
It bit down into the flesh of their arm like a hearty meal, threatening to rip it off as it shook its head as it pulled them about. Increasing its pressure until it reached the bone of their arm, ripping the foamy fabric that protected them from the water like it was nothing.
An agonising torturous scream escaped them, howling as it rose in volume until their throat turned sore, hoarse. Struggling against the creature by yanking back the arm that lay in the mouth of the creature, shredding the flesh.
Watching with tears flooding from their eyes as it merged with the seawater. Their blood flowed out in a crimson smoke in ribbon-like patterns from their arm. The liquid life that kept them alive slipped away in the jaws of a monster.
Their body reacted in an acute stress response, turning to a fighting retaliation as their fist met the creature's face, impacting with its hardened skin-like armour. It was tough like nails, persistent as it refused to stop despite their resurgence.
They struggled against it, fighting back as they repeated the action. Persistent themselves as they fought back, yet it resulted in nothing but more pain. Their mind barely grappled with the situation, attempting to think of a plan that would allow their escape.
Their hand reached for their flash beacon, targeting it straight into the animal's multiple eyes. Only to press down on the trigger without a moment of hesitation, a blinding light attacking both of their eyes.
The creature screeched, retreating away back into the depths of the water. Their knowledge of deep sea creatures was limited but they knew their eyes reacted negatively to light due to a lack of photoreceptors. Often causing harm or even blinding the creature completely. It wasn’t nice but it was self-defence.
They blinked away the black spots in their eyes, watching as the shadow escaped their view. But, they saw it was quite huge, roughly their size in length. It left them behind with their leaking arm, yet it wasn’t done. If nature documentaries proved to be true, predators were relentless in their pursuit, patient.
Action. No reaction.
They took the action that first came to mind, abandoning the dead flash beacon as they pressed down on their ear without mercy, smashing it against their ear repeatedly as static scrambled in their ear. Trying over and over to establish a weak connection towards the base, to warn PAInter.
A voice responded, calling out the syllables of their name in pauses as the comlink struggled to make out the words into their ear. They continued, the voice that responded becoming even more panicked, it desperately cried out to them.
Unable to answer due to the mask on their face, muffled their speech as they tried to cry out for help.
The glitches were too much, unable to decipher the words spoken to them. Unsure of whether or not help was coming to them, they spammed the button again as they begged for help.
Scared beyond belief, taking in greedy gulps of air amidst their panic. Their body shivering not only from the cold but from the fear that embodied them. Crying out in fear, shaking from the anxiety and overdrive of adrenaline. They wanted nothing more than to hide away in safety, like a whimpering puppy.
Biting down their tongue, drawing blood in pain, they held back their screams. A grimace of determination, fighting out of self-preservation as they fought back the pain. Taking their injured arm, cradled it to their chest as they kicked their legs, swimming towards the base.
At a slow pace, the image of the base became clearer. Letting out a sigh of relief, coping with the pain would be worthwhile after reuniting with their companions.
Hearing a beep from their diving suit, the signal that their oxygen supply was low. Leaving them with 30 seconds of oxygen remaining, they quickly took in another breath. Their legs kicked at a faster speed in a panic, the adrenaline working harder.
Only to be dragged down.
Something dug into their leg and clung to it as it tore into the skin of their calf. Strong in its strength as it swam downwards into the depths, pulling them alongside it. They kicked and struggled against it. Trying to get away.
Yet it was all futile, the entitlement to air stripped away as their oxygen supply depleted to its last breath. And again, it was stripped away by their screams. Leaving them behind to suffocate on the lack of oxygen in their system, slowly and gradually drowning.
They instinctively tried to inhale, their lungs begging for air as they choked on their own blood and spit. A burning pain in their chest, throbbing in a twisted pain. The lung labouring, carrying the weight of their malfunctioning body upon its shoulders, hardly working under the weight of it all. Heavy in exertion.
It was worse than a panic attack.
Clinging to their consciousness, to hope. They continued to struggle with weak kicks and a waving arm reaching out towards the sky, feeling themselves fade away slowly. Their arm left a trail of smokey red behind them.
They felt remorse, regret, and guilt as they sobbed with their eyes. Feeling their tear-ducts struggle with the submergence of water, discomfort in their pain. They yearned for touch, for comfort within their last moments.
‘Is this how I’m really going to die?... I’m so stupid- I should’ve listened to PAInter… I should’ve-...’.
…
A loud splash was heard as something breached the surface of the water, something heavy as they heard it from a distance. Something dove in the water, snapping its head in all directions as it searched for something.
Or someone
It inhaled the surrounding waters, breathing in the opposite of air as it adjusted its body to an aquatic mode rather than its humane functions. Gills finally being able to breathe after much abandon.
It sniffed the waters, only for its eyes to widen and the fins on the side of its head to flare in anger. The strong scent of a shark's nose picked up the smell of delicious, savoury crimson blood. Human blood to be more specific.
His head snapped in the direction of them, diving down with the flicks of his massive tail, traversing the waters with quick speeds as the slithering of a snake combined with a fin made for a powerful combination.
His human quickly made its way into his view.
…
‘Sebastian?...’ they saw a soft light in the distance of their foggy gaze, basking in the soft warmness of familiarity. They wanted to call out, scream, and cry as their arm struggled to reach out in the direction of the serpentine.
A strong grip caught their arm, tugging on it as it caught their attention. Met face to face with their saviour in front of them, watching on as one of his arms grasped their cheek in worry. Checking if they were alive and conscious.
They returned the grasp with a weak grip, reassuring him that they were still alive despite everything. They were a fighter, the fighter. One he knew all too well at that point. His expression turned from panic to shock for a moment, only to press their forehead up against theirs.
Staring into his eyes, observing as he embraced them in a welcoming hug. His black curls flowed in the waters, whipping around in a dance as it complimented his face. A mimicry of the wind.
They pressed their forehead in return, struggling to keep their consciousness as they hardly had the strength to keep their eyes open. Whether it be from the blood loss or suffocation, they weren’t sure.
Their closed eyes seemed to send Sebastian into a panic, his relief subsided as he quickly realised the endangered life in front of him. They needed air and safety, quickly. And just like he had done so many times, something that had become routine to him.
Opening up his mouth, as wide as he could. Shoving them inside without a second thought, careful as he manoeuvred them due to their injuries. Yet, something clung to their leg. Refusing to let go as he struggled to gulp them down. Something trying to take away the human.
…
Fury overtook him, all he saw was red as he grabbed the creature into his main pair of arms. Mustering the strength in his claws he gripped the main torso of the creature. Which refused to let go under the pressure, his talons penetrating its hardened skin like it was nothing, watching it squirm and shriek in pain as it finally let go of them.
He held his grip, refusing to let it get off the hook so easily. Greedily swallowing down the human until he felt the weight of them in one of his stomachs. A protective nature took over him as he opened his mouth once again towards the creature in his grip.
Only to sink in his fangs in a sickening crunch, injecting his venom into its body. Lethal in its dose it would slowly die as it finally escaped his grasp, scattering away like a fearful coward. His attention turned to the weight burrowed inside of him.
‘Please… Be okay…’, he thought to himself as he began to swim back towards Blacksite. Cradling his stomach as he rubbed it in a circular motion, trying to soothe and comfort the human occupying the space.
<...>
They awoke to a sudden gasp, choking on their spit as a result. hacking and coughing from the soreness in their throat, the taste of salt lacing their tongue. They leaned against whatever they were propped up against, the hand reaching up to cover their mouth as they continued to heave with spit. Eventually, coming to a close.
Their delirious state quickly switched to one of alertness, adrenaline pumping through their veins as they sat up. In their panic, taking in their surroundings. Their eyes met with piles of crates containing data, genetic material and stacks of paper littered on top of them.
On the floor led out various amounts of medical supplies. Antiseptic and bandages were tossed across the floor, and splatters of dried blood decorated the floor alongside them. In the distance, they spotted a table, a surgical needle with medical thread on top, also decorated in the same deep red crimson.
Was that their blood?
The last thing they remembered was being attacked by something in the darkness as they were retreating and… Recalling Sebastian and PAInter, they put weight on their feet as they went to stand. A wave of pain hit them as they held back a scream, quickly collapsing back to the ground, letting out a pained hiss in reaction.
They quickly realised that their lower leg and right arm were held in a cast, a heavy and tight one. Remembering the fact that they had gotten practically mauled under the water, they were surprised that they remained intact, alive even.
There was a soreness in their injured leg and arm, they could still rotate their elbow and knee if needed too, meaning they still held a level of mobility as they recovered. Someone had treated their wounds, urgently.
Gripping their palm proved to be painful as the torn muscles in their arm were used. Meaning that they wouldn’t be using the appendages for a while. They felt a weight on their shoulders after adjusting to the pain for a while.
It was a small yet soft and comfortable blanket that protected and sheltered them, keeping them warm despite the cold. A cushion pressed up against the back, out of place due to their struggles but it was there nonetheless. Not only that but a change of attire, a plain white T-shirt alongside a pair of trousers.
They didn’t remember any of this.
Their gaze turned to the one that had coiled his tail around them in a protective cocoon, his hair matted with tangled hair as he hadn’t fixed it up, unlike the usual maintenance of his hair. Which he usually kept brushed and silky smooth.
There was a darker tone of flesh under his eyes, almost like sleeping bags under them. Eye bags to be more precise, he had likely lost sleep some time ago and judging by the mess, he had overworked himself to exhaustion.
He had saved them and even went through the trouble of making them comfortable and treating their wounds, he went through hell just to keep them alive. He…
Their hand dug into the skin and fabric of their leg, tears threatening to spill out from their eyes despite the soreness that came with it. Their lips quivered as they held back a whimpering cry, guilt-stricken.
They crawled with one leg towards him, using their weak arms as a means of balance until they reached their destination. Propping their back against the scales of his tail, they embraced his head into their lap as they began to sob, hugging him with all sorts of emotion.
Sebastian let out a sleepy murmur in response to the movement, fluttering his eyes open with a heaviness of exhaustion. Glancing up his eyes met with their tears, his expression turning to a tired yet concerned look.
His arm reached up, cradling their cheek with a gentle stroke. Rubbing it soothingly in an attempt to comfort them in their cries.
“You… alright?”, unable to bring themselves to a response, the words unspoken as they found themselves lost for words. The tears went from small droplets into a downpour of rain as they used a hand to wipe away the misty eyes.
He didn’t seem pleased as he let out a low growl, not in warning but out of concern as he pushed himself away into a straightened posture, his equivalent of sitting up as he looked down at them with a softness in his eyes, yet also mixed emotions.
Only to notice a scratch on his upper lip, likely a result of his altercation with the creature and him. He had gotten hurt by their recklessness and stupidity, their stubbornness caused this. Their hand instinctively went to the missing pouch on their hip, pausing in confusion as they realised it wasn't there.
Upon seeing their panicked expression, Sebastian seemed to sigh as their head snapped around as they scanned the room for whatever they were looking for, pressing a hand on their chest in a pat-me-down.
“Looking for this?...”, reaching into his pocket, between two fingers laid the USB they had gotten from their chaotic trip. It quickly dawned on them that they were in trouble if he had found it, it meant that PAInter had told him… The emotions were now obvious and distinguished with the furrow in his browline, a seething heavy frown of anger and sternness.
“DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED I WAS ABOUT YOU?! I came back to the shop- Only to see you weren’t there! With PAInter making excuse after excuse to where you were! And after so long of searching, they tell me that you’re being ATTACKED in the outer quarter?!”. He concluded his rant with a sigh, pinching two fingers between his eyes in irritation.
His fangs were out on full display in a pissed grimace, clutching the USB between his fingers in anger as he looked ready to crush it then and there.
“I- I’m sorry…”, they murmured akin to whisper under their breath. The words slipped off their tongue as they struggled to find the words for their heartfelt apology, so much to say yet so little they could.
“What was that?...”, he asked in a growl, words laced in seething venom. His face came closer towards theirs in an attempt of intimidation. They flinched under his gaze, their body shaken with fear as they braced for some sort of physical confrontation.
He looked taken aback for a moment.
“I SAID,” I’M SORRY!”. And I’m sorry! Really- I just- I got so tired of being that pathetic mouth you needed to feed- To provide for me as you worked your ass off as I stood by and did nothing!- I know I’m stubborn- I KNOW I’m impulsive- I know I’m just that stupid human you keep for some fucking reason! I-”.
He yanked their head into his hands, forcing them to look into his. He no longer looked pissed, only worried and sad as he brought them close to his chest, sitting them on his lap gently as he held them as tight as he could without hurting them. Worried that he’d lose them if they let go in that second.
“I thought I lost you…”, he admitted. In a whisper, he uttered their name instead of referring to them as human or flesh bag. Spoken with sincerity and fear.
They returned the hug with all the strength they could muster, clinging on and holding close to him as they cried their lungs out in heaving breaths. They heard him sniffle as he held back his own tears. Accepting the other's apology, they embraced one another until they fell asleep in one another's arms.
<...>
PAInter repeatedly called their name the next morning, his face appearing on the laptop they’d taken for themselves. Their background was a drawing made by the AI of the three of them. They seemed eager to get their attention.
A window opened, revealing a cat dancing to music.
