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Pale moonlight cast long shadows on the crop fields below. The water moved slowly, calmly, creating a serene atmosphere. Within the barn, the herd slept on, blissfully unaware of their surroundings. And inside a tall, tilted tree, a blonde Feline rested in his bed.
Atop a smaller tree, a vampire perched and cast his gaze over the peaceful area.
Scott Smajor smirked from the branches of his own birch, gazing down at Jimmy's home with scarlet, glowing eyes.
"Not yet, sweetheart," he breathed to the night, to the shadows that danced below him. "Not yet."
His mouth twitched at the scent of live prey, bringing back memories from the week before.
Breathe. In through the nose, out through the mouth.
Thu-Thump. Thu-Thump. Thu-Thump. Thu-Thump.
His mouth was stained gold. So sweet. Heavenly, one could quip.
Thu-thump. Thu-thump... Thu... Thu-Thump.
Crumpled form. Twitching feathers. Brand-new, pure, holy wings, shattered into pieces.
An angel now clipped.
Thump. Thump.
Silence.
As Sausage's body disappeared with a poof of smoke and a final exhale, he reveled in the taste of the (now former) angel's blood. He had several jars of the ichor stashed in his backpack, the outsides carefully wiped clean so as not to stain the leather hide. It wouldn't do to scare off new
prey
friends with a bloodstained pack.
The vampire wasn't particularly worried about his latest victim scrambling outside to kill him. Respawning takes longer when your body has to adapt to an entirely new species. He would know.
(Hours upon hours of pure agony spent alone in his too-small bed, waiting, hoping that someone would come to help relieve his pain. It was torture, his wings shedding and his skin molting and his bones growing back to normal size. A helping hand, a weakness potion, being knocked out. Anything would do.
But nobody came.)
Scott absentmindedly collected the items scattered on the ground and shoved them into a chest, taking the head as a trophy for his home. The normally overbearing stench of blood was replaced with a lighter scent, like ozone and petrichor. But blood was blood, and it was still tinted with a familiar metallic hint. The vampire's senses picked up on every aspect.
(He loved it.)
The shadows poked and prodded him. Time to go. The night was still young, and Scott had a meeting to attend.
She waited. She could feel him. The stench of blood was strong now. He was close.
The shadows whispered and danced across her skin. They were so excited.
I know, I know. Patience is key, he's almost here!
He approached the door. They swung it open.
"Hi Scott. Welcome back!"
"Thanks, Shelby."
She turned to see him. His eyes glowed in the darkness of her greenhouse. The shadows leaped out to swirl around his cape and hair, cooing in appreciation. He smiled at their affection.
"You were watching him again, weren't you?"
"You know me so well."
"I'd hope so, you're like a brother to me now. An overbearing one," Shelby quipped, opening the door to her lounge underground. The two began the trek down the winding steps that had replaced an old, rickety ladder. Scott let his mind drift in the comfortable silence. She had come so far, hadn't she?
The vampire stepped toward the shadow walker. The corpse of a creeper dissolved in a small hiss of smoke. She trembled, her knees collapsing out from under her.
She did not hit the ground.
"You're not hurt?"
A shake of her head. He smiled and pulled her to her feet, carefully leading her back inside.
"I'm fine Smajor."
"We're friends, aren't we, Shelby?"
He carefully untangled her hand from where she had gripped her arm tight.
"I-"
"It's okay. I've got you."
"I thought I wasn't "evil" enough for you, huh, Scott? I thought I disappointed you."
"Shelby, I'm not blind. I saw what happened with that inchling pest."
"Creep. You're stalking me now?"
"You know he doesn't deserve you. He never did."
"...I thought we were friends."
"I know."
"I- I gave back his stuff!"
"We can just take it again."
"I didn't want to be evil!"
"But you are. And that's okay, Shelby. You've got us now. You don't need to hide from it. You can let go."
He held his sister tight. She wept.
She broke.
"It'll be alright. They'll never hurt you again. We'll never hurt you again."
Time passed. Ten minutes, thirty, an hour. It did not matter. Scott carefully moved them to her bed.
She finally slept, tears streaking her hidden face. The shadows writhed in rage.
"I know," he whispered. "He'll pay. They all will."
"Scott." He blinked, snapping back to reality again. They stood in the dark lounge, the soul lanterns above their heads flickering, illuminating the incomplete puzzle on a coffee table and beanbags strewn about. The lounge had improved a lot since that disastrous first meeting. "The others will be here any second."
"Right, right. Is everyone coming tonight?"
Shelby grinned, nodding and adjusting a beanbag before flopping down with a satisfying fwhump . A knock echoed off the wall, startling the vampire. A figure stepped out of the darkness with a menacing giggle and a toothy grin, the grey veins around his eyes pulsing. Sausage strolled into the room, casually plucking a soul out of a lantern and swallowing it whole. "Greetings, Scott! Hi Shelby! You guys are looking fantastic tonight!"
"Hello, Sausage." "Thanks, you too!"
The Wither hybrid settled on one of the couches and began sorting through puzzle pieces. Shelby lightly kicked Scott's ankle, catching the pale man's attention again.
"You're totally off your game tonight. What's up?"
"I'll tell you what's up~! Bloody boi Scotty here is ready to pounce!"
In a flash, Oli perched on the table, causing Sausage to flail and let out a tiny shriek that he would absolutely deny. In a single graceful movement, the Enderian vaulted off and tipped himself into a handstand before finally landing in a beanbag of his own. The puzzle didn't move a single centimeter. "May the Grace of the Orb be with you! I would've brought my new friend tonight, but Callum is spending some ~quality time~ with the Orb back home and required a teensy tiny bit of a rescuing."
Shelby sat up in her seat. "Wait, Callum? I thought he was maintaining that whole "just because I'm a Phantom doesn't mean I hate the sunlight" thing?" The shadow walker had brought up the idea, but the former Giant (and former Angel) was determined to make the best of his situation.
Oli's unwavering grin widened unnaturally. "Oh, my dearest ghostly friend was met with a fiery fate in his quest for Ender Pearls. He's a Horseman now, a Dullahan~! I had to rescue him from the Nether Roof. That silly boi got himself stuck without any obsidian or hope of escape. It was up to me to save him! And so I did. It was quite fun!"
Sausage clapped his hands in delight. "Oh, oh, another soul-eating buddy! How exciting! He'll have to come by next week, hmmmm?"
"Dang skippy! I can already hear him becoming One with the Orb, so it's only a matter of time before he'll be right as rain and ready to feast with you!"
"Perfect! I'll have to bring him some spare soul lanterns, he probably has very few left. It's kinda impossible to get any souls up there! Or is it down there, hehe?"
"Arigato, Sausage, Callum will certainly appreciate the wonderful gift!"
The Enderian's swirling void-blue eyes lasered in on Scott once more. "But I digress. How's the kitten doing, Scotty?"
The vampire smirked, leaning on the side of the couch. "I don't see how it's any of your business, Oli." His eyes flashed threateningly, but there was no real ill intent. He was met with more unstable giggling.
"Oh, don't be like that! The time has finally come, you know!"
The room went still. The glow behind Scott's eyes grew brighter, subtle yet eager. Shelby smiled and clasped her hands together in excitement. Sausage sat up straighter.
Oli nodded. "Yes, you've all been patient, I know! I think lil ol' Scott here wants to go by himself, though."
Sausage groaned. "Yeah, yeah. But I call second dibs on cuddles!"
Shelby mock scoffed and threw a pillow at the Wither hybrid. "Really," she sighed, "you just had to call dibs, didn't you? I've barely seen him at all! You built him that whole thingy!"
Scott ignored their playful bickering and leaned towards the Enderian. "I've been very patient, Oli. Very. The only reason I hadn't made a move earlier was because I respected the wishes of your little Orb. Why now?"
"You'll just have to see when you get there, my bloodsucking friend!"
"...Tonight? Now?"
"Tomorrow night, actually. It's a New Moon. You'll see, Scott, I pinkie promise!"
The group moved on to other topics, laughing and joking well into the night. Scott excused himself early, eager to prepare.
He glanced at the large pet bed in the corner of the meeting room. Just one more night.
Jimmy was officially spooked. The Feline had been jumpy all day, barely wandering out of his base to collect logs. Any sudden sound or movement made him leap into the nearest tree; so far, he'd stepped on six branches, run into four wild pigs, heard a fish jump out of a pond, pushed a pickaxe off a workbench, and seen his own shadow. He was officially done! His instincts were going mad, he'd barely started on his newest build, and he couldn't even force himself to go mining. Not that he could mine if he tried, due to his Feline weakness.
Sighing with exhaustion, Jimmy eyed the position of the sun. It was already sunset, and nothing productive was completed. He might as well call it a night early, honestly. Besides, with the New Moon...
The Feline grinned and stretched, hesitantly removing his sword from his belt. He eyed the blade, his instincts still screaming, and sighed again. Really? He was going to bed, he didn't need a sword. He placed it back in its sheath and took the entire belt off, leaving it on the workbench. He was fine. He was safe.
As the sun finished sinking below the horizon, Jimmy stood in front of the bathroom mirror. He stared as the fur on his face retreated and his pupils rounded out more, looking less feline and more human. His paws became more like human hands again, the little toe beans remaining on his finger pads and in the center of his palm. His ears twitched and his tail swayed in excitement.
On the new moon, Jimmy looked somewhat human again. Last month, he had screamed in shock, excitedly staring in the mirror for hours. He loved the features that came with being a Feline, but it was always nice to see his face once in a while. When he woke up the next morning, he was back to normal, and it didn't take long to realize what had caused his transformation. The Feline was certain there was some way to control the shift himself, but he couldn't figure it out.
He eyed his jaw thoughtfully. He was completely clean-shaven. "I don't know why I thought I'd have some sort of scruff," he remarked aloud. He laughed at his own silliness- eyeing himself in the mirror, really?- and quickly finished up his nightly routine. Just as he sank into bed, a knock sounded at the door.
Jimmy groaned quietly and tried to ignore it. Surely they'd leave if they thought he wasn't awake, right? Surely! But the knock sounded again, and Jimmy reluctantly called out. "Alright, alright, hold on a tick-!"
But the visitor let themself in. The blonde froze in bed as he heard the door open, eyeing the ladder warily. "Really? That's just rude! I'm a cat, I need my beauty sleep you know!"
"Well, you are quite beautiful already. I'm sure you'll live."
Jimmy scrambled out of bed, backing himself into the corner and eyeing his visitor warily. The vampire stepped into the moonlight, illuminating his silver hair and the scarlet glow in his eyes.
"Scott."
"Jimmy."
"What are you doing here?"
"Can't I come to see my little kitten?"
Jimmy blushed bright red, immediately becoming flustered. "Buh- wh- really? Seriously? What?"
Scott laughed, leaning on the frame of the hanging bridge and smirking at the Feline. "You're adorable when you're flustered, petal."
Face aflame, the blonde crossed his arms and pouted. Jimmy slowly relaxed, sitting on the bed and glaring at the vampire. It was very cute, not threatening at all. Scott leaned forward, his smirk softening into something resembling a smile. His eyes almost seemed to grow brighter.
"Jimmy," the vampire cooed softly, "aren't you tired? Sorry for disturbing your rest, you can relax if you want."
The Feline locked eyes with him. Forest green against scarlet red. Jimmy did feel tired, really. He slumped back, leaning against the wall.
"Yeah, I guess I am still tired," he mumbled, never breaking his gaze from Scott's eyes. Were they always glowing that brightly?
"Relax, Jimmy." The whisper echoed in his mind. "It's okay, it's me, you trust me, don't you kitten?"
The blonde nodded slightly. His eyelids drooped, but couldn't fully close. Scott was on the edge of the bed now. The vampire reached out and cradled Jimmy's cheek in his palm. "Oh, kitten, it's okay, it's okay. Shhhh. You're so tired now."
"Sc- Scott..." A little voice in the back of Jimmy's head screamed, but it faded away the longer Scott smiled and held him so gently. A purple haze rose in his eyes, toying with the corners of his vision.
"You're a sleepy kitty, aren't you, Jimmy?"
"Mhm..."
"You can let go now. I'll catch you."
His eyes glazed over fully, a soft smile fixed on his face. Jimmy slumped into Scott's arms, dazed and relaxed. The vampire smirked and cradled the Feline against his chest, idly petting the blonde's ears. He had been pleasantly surprised to see Jimmy in a semi-human state. The Feline's instincts were severely dulled by the new moon.
Jimmy was vulnerable like this, with no instincts or natural protections to shield him from the vampire's thrall.
"Jimmy," Scott murmured, "in a moment, you're going to be able to respond to all of my questions naturally and easily, without any tension or stress. You're still so tired, aren't you kitten? You don't need to wake up, you can just speak, do you understand?"
"Mhm," came the response, quiet and dreamy. The Feline was completely out of it.
"You like this form, don't you? Don't you miss it?"
"Yeah..."
"It feels so natural in this form. It's so easy to let this form stay. Would you like to keep it? I can help you."
"Please..."
He nearly lost his composure. Jimmy, enthralled and relaxed in his lap, was completely open to whatever Scott wanted. It was perfect.
"There's a warm, soft bed in front of you, kitten. It's dark red, and is piled with pillows and blankets. Can you see it?"
Jimmy nodded. He could see it, it was so clear. The bed looked so comfortable, he just wanted to dive into it and never leave.
"Don't dive in just yet, petal," Scott whispered, amused at the Feline's eagerness. "First, you have to take off those chains around you. They're heavy, but they don't hurt. There's one around each ankle, and one attached to a collar on your neck. You can't take them off, no matter how hard you tug. You can try if you want."
The blonde tugged and whined quietly. His ankles and his head refused to move, held by the chains. "As soon as I remove these chains, a few things are going to happen. Listen carefully, okay? You can stop tugging now."
The movement stopped, and Jimmy went limp in Scott's lap again. His ears sluggishly twitched in the pale man's direction.
"Once the first ankle chain is off, sweetheart, you'll no longer need to switch back to your other form. This form will stay, easy as breathing. You won't need to switch back at all, because you don't want to. Do you?"
He whined quietly and shook his head ever so slightly.
"It's okay, it's okay," Scott soothed. "I'll remove those chains, I promise. Just a little bit more."
Jimmy sighed and relaxed further against the vampire, which almost seemed impossible.
"The second chain is attached to your instincts. They make you so twitchy, so miserable. It's so hard to function with them, so they're going to fade away. You'll feel more relaxed, and I'll protect you. You'll feel amazing, petal."
"No more jumpn'?" The Feline asked quietly, his words slurred and muffled.
"No more jumping," the vampire promised.
He smiled and nuzzled into Scott slightly, his ears brushing the pale man's chin.
"The collar," Scott began softly, reverently, "is so heavy. It's holding you down, making it so hard to move. It's tight and it won't budge. You want it off, kitten?"
Another nod, more fervent, accompanied by a soft but eager "Please."
"When I remove the collar, all of your negative emotions will disappear. Your embarrassment, your worries, your sadness, they'll all slip away, and you'll feel so content. Every time you listen to me, you'll feel amazing and relaxed. You'll be my kitten, obedient and affectionate. I'll pamper you and pet you like you deserve. Doesn't that sound nice? You want to be good, don't you, Jimmy?"
Yes, yes, yes. Jimmy nodded eagerly, cuddling against Scott as much as possible. He wanted to feel good. He didn't want to be scared or sad or lonely anymore. He wanted to be his kitten.
Deep, deep down, Jimmy roared.
Scott smirked. Almost done, he was almost his.
"Every time I take a chain off, you'll feel incredible. A wave of bliss will build up in your feet and rush up through your head. Are you ready?"
"Mhm."
"I'm removing the first chain now. It's falling off your ankle."
Jimmy squirmed, cooing softly and shuddering. His eyes glazed over further, his lips parting slightly.
"The second chain is unlocked, and the anklet is removed."
The shuddering grew. He whined slightly, shutting his eyes tight. His tail wriggled.
"My hands are on your collar, kitten," Scott whispered, his eyes brighter than ever. "I'm removing the collar now, slipping it off your neck."
Jimmy writhed, shaking and moaning, before finally falling still. His eyes were rolling slightly, the pupils wide. His lips were parted and lax. Scott smirked and pet Jimmy's ears. "Every time I call you a good kitty," the vampire whispered, "you'll feel that same feeling, twice as strong as before."
A quiet whine emerged from the blonde's throat.
"And I think my good kitty deserves a treat for being so well behaved."
The Feline squirmed and writhed, his tail going wild and his ears tickling Scott's throat. He was dead quiet, but the vampire didn't need to hear Jimmy's moans to see the effect it was having.
"I'm going to count down from ten, and when I reach one, you're going to feel a wave ten times stronger. And when that wave has finally faded, you're going to jump into that nice warm bed in front of you, and fall asleep until I call your name again."
An eager noise slipped out of the blonde's throat. He wanted to jump in the bed. It looked so comfy.
"Ten. Nine. Eight."
Jimmy's eyelids were heavier than ever, and he wriggled in anticipation as his owner Scott counted down.
"Seven. Six. Five."
The moonlight illuminated the Feline's eyes, glazed with a sheen of purple coating the forest green.
"Four. Three."
The vampire smirked.
"Two."
The last of Jimmy's instincts were gone. The internal screaming had vanished.
"One."
Jimmy wailed.
When Jimmy next gained some semblance of consciousness, it was to a soft cooing and a warm hand petting his ears. The Feline woke up slowly, feeling incredibly content and happy. He'd never been so blissful in his life. The cooing around him slowly made sense and turned into words.
"Good morning, kitten."
Scott! Jimmy perked up immediately, pressing his ears into his palm for more scritches. The vampire happily obliged.
Curiously, the Feline glanced around the room. He was in the pale man's bedroom, in a warm and cozy cat bed. The bed was large enough for him to curl up comfortably without any issues. Across the room, a bookshelf stood next to the door of a walk-in closet, and in the mirror...
Jimmy's eyes widened. A collar. Around his neck lay a gorgeous collar, embedded with Nether rubies and emeralds. It gleamed in the candlelight, the golden nametag clearly displaying his name. He brought a hand up to feel the expensive gems.
"Oh, do you like it, petal? I made it just for you."
The blonde grinned eagerly. "I love it, thanks Scott! Awwwwww! It's so cute!"
And Scott laughed in return. "Anything for my good kitty."
(At the next meeting, the Feline will go to Shelby's with his vampire. The shadow walker will coo and pet his ears, moving her beanbag next to his bed. Sausage will mock-pout and do the same, dragging the coffee table over so he can still work on his puzzle. Oli and Callum will share knowing, void-colored glances, but smile all the same, entering the fray with eager laughter.
And Jimmy will be his.)
Scott smirked. He loves a happy ending.