Star is a hyperactive little with ADHD and bipolar, who uses she/they pronouns and experiences regression involuntarily! Puddles, he/him, is a blue puppy baby who regresses due to trauma and has a very hard time day to day dealing with his trauma!
Their mama is Oliver, he/him, who is generally calm and level-headed. They also have a pet pig named Bailey who followed Puddles home after Puddles left the town they were all from!
Cosette
Cosette deals with intense BPD, bipolar one, depression, and psychosis, and regresses to cope with these things! They use they/them pronouns! Their caregiver is Elwin, who is goth as opposed to Cosette's pink and brown toddlercore aesthetic, and Elwin is very gentle and playful. He can be stoic at times.
Court Clowns
This is set in a low fantasy world! Jester is Whimsy's older brother, caregiver, and best friend. Jester will protect Whimsy from anything and WILL get scary clown about it!!!!
Puzzle is their new friend, who is struggling with some nasty symptoms and needs some patience </3
Mario Rip Off AU
Reagan uses he/she pronouns and is a little princess! She regresses between a toddler to a little kid, depending usually on what Jade, their little agere brother who regresses to around six, needs! Jade is very timid, and likes weirdcore! Their mama is named Avery. Avery uses they/them, and likes farmcore!
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Jester was chilling in the living room, reading the news, when Jinx burst into the room with Puzzle at her side. Puzzle looked timid, but Jinx exclaimed, “Baba! The zombies are surrounding the house!”
Puzzle was certain Jester would be angry, but a Cheshire grin spread across his face and he leapt from the couch, throwing the tablet down.
“Get the reinforcements!” He commanded, pointing at Jinx. He came over to Puzzle and knelt to get on his level, resting his hands over Puzzle’s shoulders. “Puzzle, can I count on you? To keep us all alive until morning?”
Puzzle stared into his eyes with a wide gaze. His own brother had never done anything like this for him, whether he was a biological kid or not. Jester scared Puzzle sometimes, but it was times like this when he couldn’t understand why.
“Yes!” He cried, deep into littlespace. “What can I do to help?!”
“Get the weapons! Miss Jinx and I will barricade the doors and windows!”
Jinx grabbed their pretend toolbox and started smacking the sides of the windows with a silicone hammer. Puzzle ran to grab the weapons. Jester looked around, grinning, as they began playing mostly on their own. At one point, Puzzle ran to Jester to hand him a play bow and arrow.
“This will keep you safe if the zombies get in!”
Jester saluted him. “Thank you, my good sir. I appreciate it!”
Puzzle giggled and rushed back to Jinx. Jester watched them play, smiling, because Puzzle didn’t seem quite as timid anymore. He knew there would be more rocky days ahead, but he counted this as a win.
Hi guys, we’re abt to be out of w33d which my fiance uses to manage chronic pain and we both use to manage our mental health…. We’re in such a rough spot rn
I’ll work with your budget for a longer or chaptered agere fic, min $20 and we can negotiate!
Please reblog!
I also do OCs if u tell me abt them!!!! Or we can make up OCs together!!
Little one (while in big headspace) got themselves a new outfit, it's very cute but not a typical "little outfit". Still, when they show it to their cg, they immediately get into the cg headspace. Somehow this outfit is just to adorable not to do so. Cg manages to help little one slip with cuddles, forehead kisses, playtime, cute nicknames, etc. And they enjoy an unexpected little evening.
Cosette went shopping and found a sweater they absolutely fell in love with. It was a fuzzy brown sweater that went down to their knees. They bought it with the last spare money they had, and ran home. They couldn’t explain why—it wasn’t a onesie or a tutu or overalls—but they couldn’t wait to regress in it.
They got home and changed, putting pink tights underneath it and pinning their hair back, and Elwin walked through the front door as they came out of the bedroom.
“Papa!” They called happily and waved.
Elwin looked at them, at first casually then stopping to take them in. He smiled a little. He loved Cosette so much, and despite having a hard day at work, he wanted to take care of them.
“Hi, little one,” Elwin said, putting his stuff down and coming to hug Cosette. “How are you?”
“I’m okay,” they mumbled, hugging him back tight.
“How tired are you?”
Cosette had chronic fatigue. Due to all their mental illnesses, they were constantly tired.
“I don’t know, pretty tired. Why?”
“Too tired to play pretend?”
They gasped. “No, I can play pretend! Can we play restaurant!”
“Of course, baby bug. Go get your toys, I’ll put some stuffies down. Should I also be a guest?”
“Yeah!”
They ran and got all their play food, cash register, and dishes, bringing them all into the living room. They set up a little station to put the food together and let people pay.
Cosette brought their pad over to Papa Elwin, who’s black eyeshadow was smudged and hair, same color, a mess. They hesitated. “Papa, are you too tired?”
“No, kiddo.” He smiled. “I always love spending time with my little love.”
They giggled. “Okay! What do you want to eat?”
“Hmmm….” He looked over the menu that Cosette had hand drawn. “It all looks so good! You better come back to me. I think that panda bear over there looks ready to order.”
“Hehe, okay!” They ran over to Bambi, the panda bear. “What can I get you? ‘Oh, hi! I’d love a coffee, donuts, and lots of vegetables!’ Okay! That’ll be right up!”
“Ooh, coffee, that sounds good,” Elwin mused.
“I can get you coffee!” Cosette giggles and ran to grab their pretend coffee maker.
They found themselves swarmed with orders, and brought everyone their drinks and meals. They checked up on Elwin the most.
“Excuse me, Mx. Cosette,” he asked. “This burger isn’t cooked all the way! Could I get a replacement?”
“Oh no! That’s horrible!” Cosette cried. “How will we recover from this!”
Elwin gasped. “Are you in the hole?”
“So far in the hole!”
“Well, this is quite a pickle,” he admitted. “Because I still need my burger. I’m hungry!”
“Can I get you something else?”
“Hmm… I better look over the menu again!”
Cosette giggled and handed him the menu. He looked over it for a while. “I’ll take the chicken tenders!”
“Done! Glad we could resolve this.” They grinned.
They played for a while longer before Cosette began to get too tired. They cleaned up together, then Elwin came to Cosette and knelt in front of them. He took their paci out of their mouth.
“How’s my angel doing? Did you have any trouble today?”
Cosette shrugged. “I think I had split a little bit,” they admitted. “I was really angry. But I feel better now.”
Elwin smiled. “Good. Let’s get some food in that little tummy, hm? Anything you need to talk about with me?”
Jade never felt good after the holidays. He had to recover from traumatic memories, flashbacks, and general traumaversery symptoms. Reagan tried to help, but didn’t fully understand it. Reagan never had a perfect life, and plenty of trauma of her own, but she was simply further along in the healing process than Jade was. Reagan had found her liferaft and was swimming to shore.
Jade was drowning.
He cried in his sleep, cried when he woke up, and cried when he smoked. The only time he didn’t cry was when people were around. He wasn’t exactly trying to hide it from them, it just felt… unbearable when they were gone, and something about his friends being around was distracting enough.
He stared as Avery loaded him a bowl. They handed it to Jade in his favorite bong, a small thing that was blown to look like a power-up.
“Thank you, Mama,” he said softly.
They kissed the side of his head. “Smoke up.”
He took a few hits and when Avery took the bong, he laid back and closed his eyes. He was finally swimming, at least for a moment.
“My sweet boy,” Avery said softly, “you worry me so much.”
His eyes watered. “I’m sorry, Mama.”
“Let me hold you.”
Jade crawled into his Mama’s lap, and they held him. Reagan came out a moment later.
“Goodmorning, Mama, goodmorning, Jade.” She rushed into the kitchen to make coffee.
“Let’s go take a walk, my little love,” Avery said.
“Can I come?” Reagan called.
Avery looked to Jade. He nodded.
“Sure, princess.”
They put the coffees somewhere safe and made their way outside. They climbed down the vines along the giant flower stalk, the petals vibrant and red in the sky. Reagan grabbed Avery and Jade’s hands as she skipped down the path.
“Bug, you’re going too fast,” Jade whined softly.
Reagan paused with a blush. “Sorry, bubby! I’ll slow down.”
They walked in silence along the wooden planked pathways, down past gardens and scarecrows and heards of cows or pigs, until Avery squeezed Jade’s hand.
“Will you tell us how we can help?”
“If I knew,” he said weakly. “I don’t know how to help. Everything just… hurts.”
“Why don’t we go back and play a game?” Reagan asked. “You can choose!”
Jade looked up in surprise. “I can?”
“Of course, bubs,” Avery said with a smile. “You can always pick the game if you ask.”
He looked down, wringing his hands. His wrists and forearms were covered in silly bandz. “My sister never let me pick the game we played.”
“I don’t like your sister.” Reagan scowled. “She didn’t deserve you.”
Jade shrugged a little, so Avery took Reagan’s hand and pulled everyone to a stop. “We have to be conscious how we talk about our ex-families, Reagan love. Jade isn’t ready to be harsh with them.”
Jade nodded as Reagan looked down guiltily. “I’m sorry, bug… I just still care about them a lot.”
“You don’t have to apologize!” Reagan leapt forward and hugged Jade, squishing his cheek into Reagan’s shoulder. “It’s okay. Let’s just not talk about them unless you want to, okay?”
Jade smiled a bit. “Sounds good.”
They started heading home. “So what game are you going to pick, love?” Avery asked.
“Can we have school?” Jade asked timidly.
Reagan squealed and started running home. Jade raced to follow. Avery laughed as they picked up the pace, meeting their kiddos at the bottom of the vine. Once they were inside the rose’s petals of safety, Reagan rushed to set up their stuffies and dolls while Jade prepared the lesson plan and Avery got their backpack.
“You can be the teacher, Jade,” Reagan said, giving them the pointer—a stick with a smiling cloud on top. “I’ll be the T.A.”
Jade’s eyes widened. “I- I don’t know… I don’t think I’d be good at it.”
“You’ll be great, sweetheart,” Avery promised as they sat at the wooden desk. “Why don’t you just try, and if it gets too much you two can switch?”
“Yeah! Like taking turns!”
“Okay,” Jade said. “I’ll be the teacher. Pass out these workshbeets, Mx. Bug!”
“Yes sir mister teacher sir!” Reagan grabbed the worksheets and skipped as he started handing them out.
“Here you are, student,” he said with a grin as he gave Avery theirs. “Looks like we’re starting with history!”
Jade looked through their lesson nervously. “Um, Mx. Bug?” He asked softly. “Can you come here?”
Reagan rushed over. “What’s up, bubby?”
“I don’t know if I can do this.” He looked down. “I don’t have a big imagination like you do. What if I’m boring?”
Reagan giggled. “It’s school, Jade. It’s supposed to be boring!”
Jade blew a raspberry. “Come on, I’m nervous!”
Reagan hugged him tightly. “I know you can do this, bubby. Why don’t I introduce you?”
Avery smiled.
“Okay!”
Reagan rushed up to center stage. “Goodmorning, class,” she said in her best fancy accent. “Today we’ll be going over the history of Wellinden—how the garden was formed!”
“Psst,” Jade whispered, “and how we got here.”
“Yes! And how we, the people, got here.” He smiled. “Mr. Bubby, go ahead.”
“Um… hi, class.” He giggled nervously, hunched in on himself as he stared at the trembling flashcards. “Um… so the flowers started as massive seeds! That were put there by a giant.”
“Oh, really?” Avery grinned and wrote that down in their notebook. “What kind of giants?”
Jade faltered.
“CLOUD GIANTS!” Reagan yelled.
“Yes! Cloud giants… who… came down from the skies to plant their holy garden! But by the time it grew to completion… the giants were all extinct!”
Avery gasped. “What a twist!”
“Yeah! And… and then our first settlers found the garden and used it to hide from the giant mice!”
Avery chuckled. “Oh, the giant mice? What happened to them?”
“The fences keep them out! My T.A. will now help me demonstrate what to do when you encounter a giant mice.”
Reagan giggled as Jade brandished the pointer like a sword. She made her best rodent face, then lurched forward. Avery gasped as Jade whacked at her, missing widely.
“Careful, kids,” they warned.
“Heheh, sorry Mama,” Jade said quietly. “Um… yes! Worksheet time!”
Avery looked down at their worksheet. “I have a question about question number one.”
“Yes!” Reagan ran over. “What is it?”
“Is this a philosophical question? ‘How many flowers are in the garden of Wellinden?’ How am I meant to know that?”
“It is phil-o-soph-ophy,” Jade told them. “It’s a warm up question!”
“Oh! Well, that makes sense. Teacher, can I have a snack?”
“Why yes,” Reagan said, “we have plenty of snacks for student kiddos. Can I help you by retrieving one, Mr. Bubby?”
“No, Reagan, I want to get it,” he said softly with a pout. Reagan nodded, so the smile returned as he ran off.
While he was gone, Avery waved Reagan over. “I’m so proud of you, princess.”
Her eyes widened. “For what?”
“For being a good older sibling for Jade. I can’t imagine what he’s going through right now… but I can imagine you’re making him feel very special, and we can’t know what that means to him.” They cupped Reagan’s face. “Keep being my little ray of sunshine, okay? And you know you can come to me when it’s you who needs the support.”
“Of course I know that, Mama!” She giggled and hugged Avery tight. “We have to be there for bubby!”
Jade stood behind the doorway, listening. Tears gathered in his eyes.
He smiled, finished making the snack, and came back in as if nothing had happened. They continued playing, and when they passed out after recess, Avery covered them in a blanket.
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Over the course of his months with Star and Oliver, he did a lot of watching. Watching that soft voice overtake Oliver’s throat as he came close and helped Star ease into her regression. She didn’t regress voluntarily, like Puddles did, rather it happened as a trauma response or just her brain deciding she needed some serotonin. Puddles saw it first hand one night, when Star and him got into a fight.
“I just feel so… pushed aside,” he had admitted, and Star got defensive.
“We literally asked you to move in.”
“I know, but…” He cringed. He was bad at expressing himself. He never made any sense.
“I just don’t understand what more I could do to make you feel like you’re part of the family.”
Part of the family. He stared at her, suddenly angry. “What?”
“What more do you need?”
“Part of the family?” He repeated, standing.
Oliver wasn’t home. He had run out to do some late-night hunting, as they were almost out of food. He wasn’t there to step in.
“I’m not part of anything. I eat dinner alone in my room.”
“Dinner that Oliver cooks,” Star argued.
“I play by myself.”
“With my toys!”
“I never asked for your toys!”
She stood, too, crossing her arms. Her breathing was coming out quick, erratic. “This is so unfair, you’re making me feel so bad and we— we let you move in, I don’t—”
Puddles flinched. He didn’t want to make her feel bad. His whole intention here was to convey his feelings. He was never good at that, though. He always made people feel bad, which was why he had to stop conveying his feelings, immediately. It was never worth it.
He should’ve stayed silent.
Because now Star was hyperventilating and snapping angry, mean words, until Oliver burst the door down and ran over to her. He spared Puddles a glance, once Puddles merely caught through wet eyes, and he could have sworn Oliver looked worried. But it was just hope, as always. Because he picked up Star and carried her into their bedroom. The door shut.
And he was once again alone.
So he went back to watching. Watching the hand on the small of Star’s back, pulling her close so he could hug her. Watched the pride in his eyes as he accepted a coloring Star did for him, messy and imperfect and so cute. Watched them stumble out of the bedroom in the morning, when she’s big and they have stars in their eyes but only for each other.
Puddles had only had one caregiver in the past. An older man who he couldn’t remember the name of. They were together for four months, and it was the worst four months of Puddles life, disguised as the best. Most people who had been through something similar to Puddles swore off caregivers, partners, the like. The difference was Puddles saw that his experience was not universal. Puddles saw, through Oliver, there were good caregivers out there.
Just not for him.
Puddles stopped sleeping in his bed. He didn’t know why. He just did. Somehow he found it unbearable to be beneath the soft covers, reaching his paw out endlessly for ghosts under the sheets. He curled up inside Star’s toybox, full of plushies and hard blocks that dug into his sides, and somehow a blanket always ended up over him by morning. Star made a comment about it being his nest. He didn’t mind. She didn’t sound like she did, either.
One day Puddles didn’t get out of bed. He didn’t know why. He just didn’t want to. And no one asked him to. So why would he?
It wasn’t until it was dark again when there was a hand on his shoulder. Dry tears matted his fur beneath his eyes, so he didn’t raise his head, only hummed what he hoped sounded neutral at least.
“We’re worried about you, Puddles,” Oliver said softly, and it made chills chase across Puddles’ skin. “Are you feeling sick?”
“No,” he admitted. He hated lying.
“What’s going on?” He was using his Caregiver Voice. Why was he using his Caregiver Voice?
“Nothing,” he mumbled.
“Just didn’t feel like getting up today?”
“I guess not.”
There was silence. Puddles wanted to cry. They always left him alone, why not now?
“Well, Star is off visiting a friend,” Oliver said. “And I think you and I deserve some bonding time. She gave me free reign on the dollhouse. What do you say?”
Puddles looked up in confusion. “What?”
“Do you want to regress and play with me?” He asked clearly. “I think it would help you feel better.”
Oliver wanted him to feel better. Why was that so hard to get through his head?
“Come on, pup.” He smiled and held out a hand. “Come play with me.”
He couldn’t resist that if he tried. He took his hand and allowed Oliver to pull him out of the toy box. He was still dressed in the onesie he had on last night, which was lavender and covered in pink axolotls, so he didn’t feel too awkward being in the playroom.
“What do you want to do first?” Oliver asked.
“Um…” Puddles hesitated. What if he suggested something Oliver hated, but he agreed just to be nice? Puddles would feel so bad.
“How about you just tell me yes or no, okay?” Oliver smiled.
Puddles nodded. Oliver looked around the room curiously.
“Hm… dress up?”
Puddles hesitated. Then shook his head.
“Pretend?”
Puddles perked up. “Yes!”
“What kind of pretend?”
“Um…” He thought about it very hard. “Can we play house?”
“Sure, sweetheart.” Oliver grinned. “Who do you want to be?”
“The son, like Christopher Robin!” Puddles ran forward and grabbed Star’s soccer ball. “But I’m also… a pirate!”
“Okay,” Oliver laughed, “sure, you’re pirate Christopher Robin. And who am I?”
“You’re also a pirate,” Puddles said, crashing down into little space. “But we don’t know that we’re both pirates and we need to hide it from each other!”
“Ohhhh, okay, that’s interesting, sure. So how do we know each other in real life?”
Puddles faltered. There was an obvious answer, one Puddles liked very much. But he just couldn’t live with himself if he made Oliver or Star uncomfortable.
“Maybe I adopted you.”
Puddles looked up in surprise. “Yeah?”
Oliver patted Puddles’ head, and offered him a hug. Puddles took it eagerly. “Yeah, kiddo. But we were both pirates before then and we have no idea!”
Puddles giggled. “Yeah! And now I’m late coming home to dinner!”
They broke apart and Puddles ran out of the room, only to come bursting back in, fake panting and apologizing for being late. He pretended to take off a pirate hat and throw it behind his shoulder. Oliver laughed, and it surprised Puddles with how sincere it sounded.
“You worried me sick!” Oliver cried. “You were gone all day, and I had no idea where you were.”
“Sorry,” Puddles said sheepishly. “Can I help make dinner?”
They stood at Star’s play kitchen and pretended to chop vegetables, putting them in a giant stone pot. They pretended to be mother and son until it got dark, avoiding each other when they were pirates and eventually having the big reveal, gasping overdramatically and pretending to be unsure of how to move forward. Eventually Puddles fell asleep, curled up in Oliver’s lap in a pirate hat.
Star came inside the next morning to find Puddles curled at the foot of their bed. Oliver rolled over in bed, his head at the pillows, and pulled Star close.
“How was your time with Puddles?” She asked uncertainly.
“Great. He’s a great kid, just like you.”
“So are you wanting to ask him?”
“I think so, but I’m not trying to rush you.”
“I…” Star thought about it for a second. “I’m not ready, but I wouldn’t feel right hiding our intentions from him. So why don’t we just see what he wants and go from there?”
Oliver kissed her forehead. “My little Star, so smart. We’ll talk to him when he wakes up.”
What they didn’t know, is that Puddles had heard the entire conversation.
You're On Your Own Kid [Agere Minecraft Fic] [APTR AU]
Trigger warnings: disownment, agere hating, there will be a happy ending and more parts
____
PUDDLES WASN’T USED TO BEING ON HIS OWN. He was raised as part of a large family, with six sibling pups who were all bigger, more confident, and apparently nicer than Puddles was. Puddles had an attitude, apparently, and wasn’t always in touch with reality. Apparently.
Sprinkles, his sister, barged into his room one day when he had forgotten to lock the door. It was the biggest mistake of his life, because the moment she saw the adult paci in his mouth and the toys on the ground, she turned on her heels and was gone in an instant. It felt like moments later he was packed and on his way out of Silvermount.
He had only managed to save one of his little items, one he begged and cried for until his ex-mother acquiesced, shoving it in his hands and then slamming the door in his face. It was a raggedy stuffed rabbit, one that used to be cream but was now a light brown. It had a faded, soft-from-time yellow ribbon around its neck. Puddles hid his tears in her fur.
He wasn’t going to lie and say he loved his family. At least, he wouldn’t say it was cut and dry. As the runt of the litter, Puddles had to fend for himself his entire life, and while Sprinkles grew up on a fluffy pillow, he had to fight for scraps of food. He was used to being on his own.
But he wasn’t, too. Because at least they pretended. At least they tried. One adult pacifier later, and they weren’t. One wooden train later, and he was alone.
It didn’t feel much different.
Silvermount was a tiny village built along the peaks of a tall mountain, with a rough path winding down to the valley. The valley in which Star and oliver disappeared into three years ago, after they were found out by the others for their lifestyle. No one understood the age regression, and they didn’t care to try. Puddles didn’t know what happened to the two.
He wandered for days, until he was too tired to hold back the sobs anymore. He curled up on the forest floor for so long a pig laid next to him, plump and serene, not at all spooked by the pup’s unnatural blue fur or loud cries. He named her Bailey.
“Puddles?”
He jumped ten feet in the air. Bailey ran, squealing, to hide behind a tree. He sat up with his pack of useless adult stuff weighing on his shoulders, only to find Oliver, Star’s caregiver, standing there. He held a basket of apples, a diamond axe at his side. It sheened with enchantment.
“Oliver?” His voice cracked.
“What are you doing all the way out here?” Something in his voice told Puddles he knew Puddles would be lying if he said camping. “They didn’t…”
It was all it took. Oliver sat next to him and held him while he cried, which was more than Puddles ever had or ever would deserve. Oliver had always been nice to him. He was a natural caregiver, in any capacity. Puddles would never be like him.
“Hey,” Oliver said softly after a while. “Hey.”
Puddles looked up. Oliver wiped the mud from under Puddles’ eye.
“Come stay with us.”
Puddles’ eyes widened. “Wh-what? No, I can’t— why would you even offer that? After…”
“Because it’s my house and I make my own decisions.” He smiled. “And I forgave you a long time ago.”
“But what about Star?”
“She’s mad at you, she’s not evil.” He laughed. “She won’t let you suffer just because you made a mistake.”
Puddles’ heart was pounding. How was he meant to accept this? He couldn’t. But Oliver was stubborn, and after arguing for half an hour, Puddles was too tired. He just wanted to sleep. Maybe in a bed.
Oliver led him through the Muted Valley, birch trees towering and bees buzzing over tulips and sunflowers. Bailey followed. They came across a decently sized house, clearly handbuilt but done very well, made of baby blue terracotta with a dark oak roof. Mossy cobble lined the dirt path. A few mushroom trees had grown, whether intentionally or unintentionally Puddles didn’t know. Oliver would truly go to the ends of the Earth for Star. What was it like to have someone who loved you that much?
“Little star,” Oliver called when they entered. “Puddles is here.” Something crashed to the ground. Oliver laughed. “You okay?”
“Did you say Puddles?” She poked her head through a doorway. “Is that a pig?”
The living room was covered in toys. Drawings by Star lined the walls, both from when she was big and little, it looked like. Puddles was astounded that they lost everything for littlespace… and kept it. They didn’t seem ashamed or embarrassed. This was just how they were.
Puddles stared at the ground, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes and hugging his bag. Oliver placed a hand on his shoulder as he explained.
“Yeah, I mean,” Star shrugged, looking uncomfortable and definitely not little anymore, “you can stay as long as you need. But… you better be telling the truth.”
His eyes watered. “I am. I promise.”
“I believe you.” She sounded genuine, but he couldn’t fathom why. “You need some little time. Come on, we’ll set up your room later, let’s have a tea party.”
She turned and walked briskly over to her toybox, pulling out a handmade wooden tea kettle and some cups. Puddles hesitated so long she stopped to turn and ask, “You coming? Your pig can join.”
He felt silly sitting at the tea party dressed in trousers and a leather tunic. He missed his onesies, his flare skirts. Star noticed, because after a moment of pouring fake tea she stood and demanded he follow her.
“Play nice, baby,” Oliver called as they left.
Puddles swallowed. They entered the bedroom and Star started going through her little closet.
“You’re a femboy, aren’t you?” She asked. Puddles hesitantly agreed. “So skirts don’t bother you, even though you’re trans?”
“I like skirts,” he said quietly.
“Okay, then I have something you can borrow.”
She pulled out a skirt made of light wool, pastel blue with little fluffy white clouds. She tossed it to him with a white long sleeved blouse. He changed in the bathroom, and when he came out, he felt strange because he felt like himself again.
Star grinned. “You look great! Perfect for a tea party. What about your little guy—what’s his name?” She pointed to his rabbit.
He gripped her tighter. “Delilah.”
“Oh, a girl bunny?”
“Mhm.”
“And did you name your pig?”
“Bailey.”
She crouches down and pets Bailey’s head. “Who’s a good girl? Who’ll probably eat some of my clothes if I’m not careful? You are!”
They went back to the living room and Oliver read a book while he watched them play. Puddles had trouble regressing—a lot of trouble—but found himself slowly sinking into the headspace as Star made conversation and offered him toys. They raced wooden cars along the floor. His favorite was a pink one, made of cherry wood. She gave it to him. Like, for good. He almost cried.
It wasn’t happy tears, though.
Because he was used to being on his own. He was used to fending for himself and keeping his shield raised and his head high, but now? He was crumbling under any small gesture of kindness. He dropped his walls and showed them everything, made himself completely vulnerable.
And they accepted him. They didn’t seem to want to take advantage of him.
