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clickerflight · 4 months

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Clove: Part 26 - Preparations

Sup. I'm tired and feeling a bit anxious about life but still vibing. Hope this makes sense and please enjoy!

Masterlist - Part 25

Content: Werewolf whumpee, fae whumper, non consensual touch, trapped, dehumanization, strangulation, bruises, scars, fae politics

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Hyrum pressed his ears down to his head and tucked his tail between his legs as he walked along Shallumn, knowing that if he tried to run he would be back within the snake fae’s coils in an instant, and that thought was more effective than chains ever were.

Hyrum fidgeted with the many layers of fabric he wore, panting a little as he overheated in them all. The collar of his undershirt rode up on his neck and made his scars itch while the poofy tunics and overcoat with the biggest roundest sleeves he’d ever seen made it hard to sort out where his arms should be. He wanted to pull off the white scarf that turned into a little caplet in the back, bright against the dark fabric and complimenting the gold details woven and sewn into everything. He wanted to roll up the tight sleeves that continued from his undershirt all the way over the base of his palms but there were little decorative cuffs on his wrists pinning them there to ‘hide his ugly flaws’ as Shallumn put it.

Hyrum felt very foolish, especially since the pants and boots he wore were very tight to his legs, making him feel a bit like a mushroom with a spindly little stalk that could give out at any moment. He hated the clothes and most of all he hated that Shallumn had been the one to dress him. Hyrum couldn’t remember much. Just being transfixed by Shallumn’s eyes and scale pattern, feeling hands and clothing on him from a distant place before he snapped to as the decorative cuffs were clipped around his thin wrists.

He wanted to go home. He wanted Ephraim.

A little whine eeked out without his permission and Shallumn shot him a dirty look that only made Hryum flinch away. He felt Shallumn’s coils push him back into place and Shallumn said, “Now, now, pup. Stay with me. I am a very sweet master. You do not want to be stolen by someone more cruel, do you?”

Hyrum simply shook his head to appease the snake, who seemed satisfied with that.

As they turned the corner into another hall, Hyrum pulled closer to Shallumn, overwhelmed as he saw fae in bright clothing leading people along. Some on chains like pets.

Hyrumn felt his breathing pick up distantly as his mind started trying to escape this place, Shallumn putting a hand on his shoulder to keep him from getting lost as they joined with the crowd and entered a huge ball room.

There were fae flitting about, setting up tables and decorations, some bringing in pots of food, and nearly all of them glaring at the fae with pets who just stopped in circles away from the work to talk with one another.

Hyrum was pulled along until Shallumn joined one such group, his fanged smile wide as everyone’s attention was first caught by the decorative vest he was wearing that paired with his scale patterns, and then moved on to Hyrum. There were even some gasps of excitement as they stared.

“Oh, Shallumn!” an indigo fae with white horns and a battered looking human kneeling at his side, long eyelashes clumped with tears, “Is that the werewolf pup that was here with the guest?”

“That he is,” Shallumn said, voice glowing with pride as he ran his sharp fingers through HIyrum’s curls as though showing them off to everyone. “The guest needed someone to watch over him and I volunteered for the job.”

Hyrum shivered, subtly pulling away so his curls would pull out of Shallumn’s fingers. He didn’t seem to mind as he smiled smugly at everyone in the group he’d arrived in. The group began to make snide comments about each other’s outfits and pets, but Hyrum’s attention had turned again as he desperately hoped to get out of this. He watched the fae flying around setting up decorations, flinching slightly every time their glaring eyes passed over him.

His eyes were drawn to a familiar face. Or, rather, a familiar bad hair day.

The fae from breakfast was laying out tablecloths, her blackened petals on her head flaking off sometimes as she moved, ash powdered over her corseted dress. He watched her as she worked, pausing every so often to wipe her eyes and trying very hard not to touch her petals or look too long at the ash dusting her arms.

He could see her movements growing more fierce and violent as she realized there was nothing she could do to keep her petals from disintegrating while she had to work, and her anger was beginning to show on her face too. She was going to explode soon. Hyrum remembered when Jack would get like that. Ephraim kind of did it too, but his frustration came out in growls and putting a pot down a little hard. No danger of losing skin or meal privileges.

Shallumn grabbed Hyrum, getting a yelp out of him. “Are you even paying attention!?” Shallumn asked, a snarl on his scaled face as he lifted Hyrum off the floor to bring him eye to eye. Hyrum’s eyes darted until Shallum shook him. “Look at me! What did I say?”

“I-I’m sorry, Sir,” Hyrum squeaked. Was it sir? Jack used to have Hyrum call him Master, but it seemed like the fae thought Ephraim was his master so that wouldn’t be good now. “I-um-I-”

Shallumn’s face twisted and he dropped Hyrum, who didn’t quite manage to catch himself as he fell to the floor, the jewels and designs in the outfit pressing uncomfortably into his skin through the clothing as he landed on them.

Coils wrapped around him, righting him, but not letting him go as Shallumn was about to continue when someone cleared their throat, high and loud.

Hyrum twisted to see the fae from before, her petals completely disintegrated now leaving her bald save for tiny buds starting to grow back.

“Aren’t you lot supposed to be helping?” She asked sharply. “If the Monarch comes back and the feast isn’t ready she will be properly displeased.”

“Oh, Halia,” Shallumn said, waving his hand and not minding as Hyrum wiggled, trying to get out. “Don’t worry about it. It will all be done.”

“No it won’t,” she said, folding her arms. “I’ve spoken with the lower fae and we have decided this time that you slackers aren’t getting away with it.”

Hyrum froze, jaw gaped open in pain as Shallumn’s coils tightened around him, pressing the breath out of him.

“You wouldn’t,” Shallumn said, eyes narrowed. “You’ll be punished right along with us.”

“And we’re completely fine with that,” she replied, tilting her head at him. “Imagine how difficult it will be to rise into the procession if the Monarch remembered that you were one of the ones tasked to be certain that the preparations were finished and you failed.”

Shallumn hissed as stars danced in Hyrum’s vision. “We have pets to keep track of! And-”

“Should have thought about it before you brought them,” Halia replied snarkily. “The rest of you should take your pets back to your rooms and come back to help. I’ll return this one to his room while you take over supervising. This is your job after all, not mine. Unless you want me to tell the Monarch this was my work and rise up above you.”

Shallumn trembled for one, long, agonizing moment before he released Hyrum, who gasped for air, tears streaming down his cheeks, still held up in the coils but now able to breathe.

“Fine,” he said with a growl. “I’m sure no one wants to see your ugly head anymore. You might want to find something to cover it before the feast.”

Halia stuck her nose in the air as he unwrapped from Hyrum and slithered off, the other fae slowly piling out.

Hyrum nearly toppled but Halia caught him. She smelled a bit like nasturtiums.

“There, there, little mouse. That was scary, mm? Let us take you back to your rooms.”

Hyrum hunched his shoulders up, hiding his face in the scarf. It hurt to breathe and he didn’t want to move.

Concerned, Halia carefully led him to just outside the hall and set him down on a bench, sitting beside him. “Are you alright, sweetheart? Did Shallumn hurt you?”

Hyrum curled his arms around his ribs, prodding gently to make sure none of them were broken. Thankfully, none of them shifted under his crooked fingers. Just bruised then.

“I’m fine,” he whispered. He still wasn’t safe. He wasn’t safe until Ephraim was back.

“Alright. Let’s get you back to your rooms then,” Halia said. She helped him and paused. “Did Shallumn take you from your rooms?”

Hyrum nodded.

She frowned and Hyrum realized what she was thinking. If she took him back to the guest rooms, someone else could come grab him and drag him out again. Hyrum remembered the bite marks and bruises on the other pets and shuddered.

“Alright….hmmmn, this is a bit tricky…. Perhaps I should keep track of you until your master comes back. Yes?”

Hyrum looked up at her, horrified by the thought of having to follow another fae around, being shown off like a prized pig.

“Oh, it’s okay, sweetheart. I will need to clean up and… find something for my head,” she said, her eyes misting over a little as she was reminded of her own calamity. “Perhaps we can find other clothing for you. Those don’t look comfortable.”

Hryum shook his head, unsure if he was confirming that they weren’t comfortable or objecting to the idea of being forced into new clothes against his will again. Maybe both.

“Alright. This way, dear.”

He allowed her to help him but was relieved when she let him go, letting him walk freely beside him, no fear coils catching him.

Halia’s rooms were fresh and quiet. No sounds of pets or anything within them as she went to a wardrobe. She opened it and gestured to one section. “If you can find anything you like, you can have it. I might not have much seeing as I don’t keep pets. Those are the more casual clothing that might work. I’m going to get changed.”

Hyrum was startled when she vanished, letting him have free reign of the room, the door still unlocked behind him. He didn’t dare run out, though. There were fae out in the halls. Ones that did keep pets.

So he rummaged through the closet, finding tunics and loose, billowy pants. He did change, too itchy to put up with Shallumn’s outfit anymore. He didn’t tuck the tunic in since the pants rode a little low because of his tail so he let the tunic hide the awkward juncture. He didn’t manage to get the wrist cuffs off so he was forced to keep them, but he chose to keep the scarf capelet since the tunic was made for someone with wings and he didn’t want anyone seeing the horrible marring on his back. Even with the scarf, he was much cooler in this outfit.

Halia came back, wearing a darker dress with a more loose flow to it, and a head scarf tied to imitate a ponytail coming out of a complicated braided knot.

“Better?” she asked, seeing Shallumn’s outfit scattered across the floor.

Hyrum nodded and she smiled. “Good. I’m glad. Sit and rest. The others will finish the preparations and I can return you to your master at dinner.”

Hyrum nodded hesitantly, sitting on an absurdly comfortable couch, but trusted her words a little more. Adrenaline traded out for exhaustion as she picked up the clothing to put them away, and soon his eyelids drifted closed, and he was asleep.

Part 27

Clove Taglist: @wolfeyedwitch @the-blind-one-speaks @whumpsday @extrabitterbrain @inkkswhumpandstuff

@honeycollectswhump @whump-blog-reblogs @pigeonwhumps @mj-or-say10 @percy-frayer

@currentlyinthesprial @scoundrelwithboba @whumps-and-bumps @hellodecisionparalysis

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