#tw past trauma
Continued from here
CW: Suicidal character, past character deaths, past murder, past trauma
“My name is Echo.” The stranger said as the carriage started to move. “I’m Calder’s younger sibling.”
Angel’s heart stopped in their chest. “Y… you…” They breathed, mind racing and yet numb all at the same time. Suddenly feeling weak and dizzy, Angel put their face in their hands.
“Are you okay?”
Angel yelped involuntarily as Echo touched their shoulder. They pressed themself as far away from Echo as they could, tears of fear streaming down their cheeks. “I’m sorry— I— please don’t hurt me— just take me back— don’t tell Calder— please, please don’t tell them—”
“Angel— Angel, stop.” Echo interrupted. “I am Calder’s sibling, but we are related only by blood. We don’t speak to eachother. We have no familial relationship.”
Angel’s mind processed this information slowly, unsure what it meant for them. “S-so… so this… isn’t a test of some kind..?”
“No. Angel, I am acting of my own accord.”
“… I wouldn’t bond to Calder and I won’t bond to you either— I’d sooner die than subject myself to that again—”
“Stop, stop— I really don’t know what you’re talking about. What do you mean bond?”
Angel hesitantly relaxed a bit. Maybe Echo really didn’t know. “I… If you’re trying to trick me into opening my eyes, it won’t work— I won’t do it no matter who you are.”
“What does opening your eyes have to do with bonding..? What is bonding?” Echo’s voice was gentle, not demanding like Calder.
“I… I-if I open my eyes, I will irreversibly bond to the first person I make eye contact with.” Angel said quietly, shrinking back as they felt Echo shift in their seat.
“Why..?”
It occurred to Angel suddenly that Echo might not know what they were or anything about their species.
“I-I’m an Avian.” When Echo didn’t say anything, Angel continued. “Avians… we have an ability to bond to the first person we see— which is supposed to be our mother. I-if the person we are bonded to dies, then we bond again to the next person we see— which is supposed to be our chosen mate. There are traditions and safeguards in place among the Avian people to make sure that it happens that way… but…” Angel trailed off, a tear falling to the ground.
“But sometimes things go wrong..?” Echo offered, placing a gentle hand on Angel’s shoulder.
“When… When we bond to someone, we’re compelled to take care of them— to keep them safe… and, to a lesser extent, we’re compelled to obey them. We become linked at the soul and we can tell when they’re upset, or sad, or in pain. But we also share in their joy. We know when they die and it’s… it’s like… a part of us dies with them… We’re only meant to bond twice… but we are able to bond an infinite number of times…”
Echo was silent for a moment. “And you’re not bonded right now..?”
“No…” Angel whispered. “I’ve… I’ve already bonded three times— I… I’m tired…”
“Three times..?” Echo’s voice was laced with incredulity as they withdrew their hand. “But you’re hardly older than twenty! I mean… aren’t you..? Or do you age differently?”
“I’m twenty-three… I… things went like they were supposed to at first… I bonded to my mother, then, when she died four years ago, I bonded to… to my mate.” Angel’s voice cracked. And then there was a tragedy that struck my tribe— not many of us made it through… my mate died… I… I lived… Disease destroyed my tribe. I had to flee. I got… I got lucky… the first person I saw after my mate’s death was a human— but they were kind. They knew my culture, too…“
Echo shifted closer to Angel, causing them to flinch a little bit, but Angel didn’t draw away.
"Hayden… the human I bonded to… they weren’t angry that I had bonded to them… usually humans are. They’re not used to it… they don’t like it— especially when it’s forced upon them without their consent, like it was with Hayden… I didn’t mean to look at them… I… I sort of just thought I’d become sine vinculo— alone without a bond. I didn’t expect them to be there… If… if they hadn’t been there… it was my fault… it’s all my fault…” Angel broke down into sobs, hugging themself.
Angel didn’t fight the warm embrace that Echo surrounded them with next. They leaned into it, sobbing uncontrollably as Echo rocked with them.
After a few long minutes, Angel started to quiet down a bit. “What happened to Hayden..?” Echo asked softly.
“They… Calder ki…” Angel fought to get their breathing under control. “Calder killed them.” They breathed.
Echo didn’t say anything for a moment. “… I’m sorry… I know I’m not Calder— we’re nothing alike, but… I still feel somewhat responsible for their bad choices…”
The carriage began to slow and Echo released Angel from their embrace. “Come on. Let’s get out.”
Angel didn’t move as Echo tried to guide them out of the carriage. “Kill me…” They whispered, closing their eyes tighter.
“I… I’m sorry, what?”
“Just… just kill me… you said you want to help me— kill me. I can’t… I can’t do this again… Please— I can’t live with my eyes closed for the rest of my life and I can’t bond with someone else just for them to die again!”
“… I’m not going to kill you, Angel.”
“Why not?” Angel asked, desperation creeping into the edge of their voice.
“There’s another solution. One that doesn’t involve your death.”
“What is it?” Angel allowed Echo to help them out of the carriage.
“… I… I don’t know yet.”
Angel pushed Echo away, stumbling back and falling to the ground. “No! No, there isn’t another solution! Calder wants me to bond with them. If I bond to anyone else, they’ll kill them too! I can't—” Angel pressed their face to the dirt. “You don’t understand— I can’t do it again! I can’t lose someone else!”
Angel fought back as someone— probably Echo— pulled them up off the ground. “Calm down— calm down, please, everything is going to be okay.”
“No! No it isn’t! It’s not okay— it’s not—”
Echo began to stroke Angel’s wings gently and Angel stopped yelling, their tone quickly losing it’s passion.
“It’s… it’s not okay…” Angel breathed, starting to have difficulty thinking as their body relaxed.
Angel found themself leaning into Echo, an odd sense of peace sweeping through their limbs.
“Just calm down.” Echo insisted softly. “You’re scared and upset— I understand— but you’re not thinking clearly. You don’t have to die. There is another solution. We just need to think of it, okay?”
“I don’t like this…” Angel whimpered.
“I know… I know, but it’s going to be okay.”
“Why did you even break me out..?” Angel asked, finally able to get control of their breathing.
“Honestly..? I don’t trust Calder. I heard they were up to something and decided to check it out when they left town this weekend. Then I found you. I don’t know what Calder wants with you, but if they were keeping you locked up in sensory deprivation it can’t be anything good.”
“They… they want me to bond to them and… and something after that, but they wouldn’t say what.”
“Let’s go inside, Angel. You can rest and we can talk more later.” Echo led Angel across the threshold into a building. Angel couldn’t tell very much about their surroundings as Echo led them down halls and finally stopped inside a room.
“This is a guest room. There’s some clothes in the dresser if you find some that fit. Theres an adjoining bathroom as well. You can open your eyes once I leave the room, right?”
“… I can.”
“Good. Then I’ll leave you here for now. I’ll knock before I enter so I don’t take you by surprise.” Echo steadied Angel against a wall before leaving.
Continued from here
CW: Drugging, implied sex trafficking/prostitution, head trauma mention, poor self image, discussion of past trauma, passing out, implied suicide attempt
“Where… where am I..?”
Atlas turned from the window to look at Val. “You’re awake.” Relief swept over them.
“Wh-who… what’s going on?” Val struggled to sit up, their tone rapidly becoming more upset.
“It’s okay— you’re okay. We’re back at my house.”
Val grasped the edge of the blankets near their chest, their eyes flickering over the interior of the room. “D-don't— You don’t have to dru-drug me again— I can— I’ll be good— I won't— I won’t try to get away anym-more— I’m sor-sorry—”
Atlas sat at the end of the bed, mentally kicking themself as Val flinched. “I’m not going to drug you. I won’t hurt you.”
“I don’t believe you—” Val whimpered, shrinking back against the pillows.
Atlas took a steadying breath. “Val— listen, you might not believe me, but it is true. I swear on the soul of my father that I will not hurt you and that I only want to help you.” Atlas extended a hand, open and palm up, to Val. “I can see that you don’t trust me. I know I’ve made mistakes with you already and for that I am deeply sorry. Can you forgive me?”
Val’s eyes fixed on Atlas’s hand, their muscles tense. “I-I… I f-forgive you…” And they reluctantly and gingerly placed their small hand atop Atlas’s.
Atlas didn’t really think Val had forgiven them, but they found the gesture of trust— however small— reassuring. There was hope that things could change. One day, Val would be okay.
“Can you get up? Are you strong enough?”
Val struggled and managed to get their feet on the ground from the bed, but when they tried to stand, they had to sit back down.
“May I help you?” Atlas stood and Val flinched again.
“I don't— d-don’t want to be carried…”
“Then I won’t carry you. If you lean on me, do you think you can walk a short ways?”
“I-I… I-I can try…”
Atlas helped Val to stand and led them out of the room into the hallway. Val was slow, but Atlas didn’t try to pick them up. “Right in here. Come on. Sit down.” Atlas helped Val to the table and to a chair.
Val sat down, taking a shaky breath as they looked around the dining hall.
“I’m going to bring you something to eat. And I want you to meet the rest of the household if that’s alright.”
Val nodded lightly and Atlas disappeared into the kitchen. “Six? Would you find Seven and Emery and join me in the dining room please?”
Six, a short werewolf with bangs obscuring most of their face, nodded and left the kitchen.
Atlas made something for Val to eat and came back to the dining room just in time to see Six, Seven, and Emery come in through a side door.
Val started to tremble a little bit as the three new arrivals sat at the table.
“Val? I’d like to introduce the rest of the house. This is Six—” Atlas motioned to the werewolf with bangs covering their eyes. “They don’t really talk much. This is Seven, Six’s litter mate—” Another werewolf, who looked identical to Six aside from the fact that their hair was brushed out of their face, gave a curt nod. “They have an… interesting attitude, but they’re sweet at heart. And this is Emery—” A tall lanky vampire with red hair and brown eyes waved at Val. “They’re a social butterfly. Six, Seven, Emery— this is Val. They’re a shapeshifter.”
A chorus of hellos resounded from the trio. Even Six chimed in, albeit quietly.
Val whispered a hello in response.
“Val, you don’t have to share anything if you don’t want to, but I’ll let you alone with them now if you’re okay with it.”
—
Val nodded weakly, unsure if it was a proper response, but then Atlas was gone and they couldn’t change their mind. They didn’t trust Atlas, but… well… they didn’t really want them to leave, either…
“So I’m Seven.” Seven kicked back in their chair. “Me and Six were born at a mill. There were so many litters that they just named us by number. That’s why we’re Six and Seven. There used to be One, Two, Three, Four, Five, and Eight too. Then Two died when we were born. The rest didn’t make it out with me and Six. Last I saw them, Three was still alive, though.”
Val didn’t know what to do with this information, so they just stared. Why was Seven sharing this with them?
“Atlas is a good human— one of the only good humans. You seem like you don’t trust him, but you can. And you should.”
The vampire— Emery cut in. “Don’t be weird, Seven. They haven’t even been here for twenty-four hours yet. Talking about trust and shit… Anyway, my name’s Emery! I’m a vampire— obviously. When I got turned, I thought I was a monster. I tried… well… long story short, things weren’t good for me— y'know— mentally. But Atlas helped me take control of my life again.”
Val looked at Six, almost expecting a story from them too, but they didn’t speak.
“Six… suffered a traumatic brain injury.” Seven said, following Val’s gaze. “They can understand everything, but… they can’t really put together more than three or sometimes four words at a time…”
“I-I’m sorry…”
“It is… okay” Six said, haltingly.
Seven gave a reluctant nod. “It’s good to have a new addition to the house. Your name’s Val, right?”
Val nodded. “I-I’m a shapeshifter. I’ve li-lived with a human called Knox all my life… they… they helped me learn how to u-use my magic to make people ha-happy…”
No one said anything then for a long minute.
“How so?” Seven asked, finally.
“We-well… I… People… I become different things to suit different people’s t-tastes…” Val stopped, uncomfortable and uncertain. They didn’t dare meet anyone’s eyes. “I… I-I’m sorry— I—” Val stood to leave the room, but suddenly their vision blurred. They collapsed.
Taglist:@villainsvictim@wolfeyedwitch@dragyouthroughthewhump@someoneelsebolg
Continued from here
CW: Slavery, past trauma, drugged
Taglist:@villainsvictim@wolfeyedwitch@dragyouthroughthewhump@someoneelsebolg
Val’s eyelids felt heavy. They couldn’t seem to move… their thoughts were moving at a snails pace. Val opened their eyes to a blurry world.
“Val?”
The voice sounded distant. It took Val several minutes to realize they were looking up at a face. They tried to speak, but their words came out in an unintelligible slur.
“Shhh… you’re alright.”
Val leaned into a gentle touch on their cheek. They didn’t try to speak again, but fell back asleep.
—
“They still sleeping?” Seven leaned in the doorway, looking in at Atlas and Val.
“Yeah… I’m… I’m actually starting to worry. The doctor said they’d only be out for about two hours. It’s almost been three.” Atlas stood from their chair.
“Don’t worry too much yet. I’m sure they’ll wake up soon.” Seven came into the room, looking down into Val’s face. “They’re pretty for a shifter.”
“And you’re pretty for a mutt.”
“Hey! That’s derogatory.”
“So is shifter.” Atlas shrugged. “If you want to be called a werewolf then you’d best call them a shapeshifter. Or, even better, Val.”
“That their name?”
Atlas nodded, sitting back down. “Y'know, when we got to the doctor, they lost it. No reason either.”
“Stress?”
Atlas shrugged again. “I really don’t know. I suppose I just hope they’ll get better with time and some serious therapy…”
“Well… they can’t be any worse off than I was.”
“You don’t know… You didn’t see…” Atlas trailed off. “… Knox— their… the person I bought them from… I don’t know all the things they did to Val or made them do, but it wasn’t good…”
“Human?”
Atlas gave a vague nod.
“Humans fucking suck— except you, of course.”
“Don’t make snap judgements, Seven. There are good humans. There are bad werewolves.”
“Whatever you say, boss.” Seven turned to walk out.
“Hey.”
Seven stopped.
“I mean it. Just because you’ve had bad experiences doesn’t mean all humans are like that. Don’t give up on us that easily.”
Seven left.
