#redoul

     You spent most of your shopping trip in the clothing aisles, as you already had mostly everything else you would need at your house. You had asked them if they wanted anything like beds, but they had both declined the offer when Redoul instead suggested that they just sleep with you and him in your bed (you of course had no issues with that). Although Nebul did end up getting a random pillow he found in one of the aisles out of place. Apparently he liked the texture of it.

     You all looked around for a while longer for anything else you might need, but nothing stood out to any of you. When you all decided that you didn’t need anything else, you started to head for the register.

     Finally arriving at one of the lines for checkout, you begin to wait. Nebul and Redoul had at some point moved into the cart to sit next to Ichor, looking through the things they picked out—par Redoul, who didn’t get anything, but made suggestions throughout your shopping trip.

     Although…

     You couldn’t help but notice that the employee behind the register kept subtly trying to steal glances at your bitties. You couldn’t really blame him, since they were all pretty unique. Ichor was a Shattered Dream—one of the rarest bitties out there, Redoul was an unspecified Fell type—another rare occurrence, and Nebul was an Outertale bitty—one of the more passive AUs—with only one eyelight and a massive crack going down his face. Not exactly subtle.

     Poor guy was probably having a hard time processing the fact that there were three very unusual bitties in front of him.

     Like you said before, it’s not like the staring was unexpected when you were coming in here, but it’s still annoying. Nonetheless, you remained polite when it was your turn to have your things get checked out.

     He did his best to stare at his hands while he worked, trying not to look up.

     Now you kind of want to laugh. The poor kid was just too awkward to ask a question, or make eye contact.

     In the end, it was Redoul who spoke up first. “Oh For The Love Of—If You Have A Question You Want To Ask, ASK!! We Won’t Be Mad At You For Being Curious!”

     The guy flinched, seeming to have been taken out of his train of thought. “Ah, uh, sorry. I just… have no idea what to say, or ask… I don’t want to sound rude…” He admitted.

      “We will not be mad at you for being curious, and we will not be offended. I promise.” Ichor said.

     Nebul nodded. “mhmm, don’t worry about us and ask away. you’ll never learn anything if you don’t ask any questions.”

     The man stuttered. “A-ah, r-right. Um, well, if you say so. Ahem, so, what… what kind of bitties are you? I’m pretty sure you,” he pointed to Nebul, “are a Comet, and you,” he then pointed to Ichor, “are a Shattered Dream. But I don’t know what you are…” he said as his eyes landed on Redoul.

     Redoul nodded. “Unsurprising, But Before I Answer Your Question You Should Keep Scanning Those Items.” He said, pointing to your things.

     “Ah—right!” He continued to scan as he waited for Redoul to continue.

     “Good. Now Then, I’m A Fell Type Obviously, But I’m Not One Of The Known Ones,” he pauses, and looks to you. “Actually, Are We Ever Going To Get That Checked Out? Because We Still Haven’t Had That Looked At As A New Fell Type.”

     You blink, and think for a moment, before answering. “Hm, well if you want to then we can. Perhaps we can go and see that vet that Rynell told us about—the one next to the center.”

     “Good, We’ll Do That Then. Not today though” You nod, and Redoul looks back to the employee, who looked a little stunned.

     “A new Fell type and a Shattered Dream…? Wow, I never thought I’d ever meet even one of those things, let alone both .” He looked at Nebul. “What about you? Don’t tell me all three of you have something crazy going on.”

     Nebul only laughed and shook his head. “nah, i’m the only normal one here.”

     Redoul scoffed, and even Ichor gave him an amused side eye.

     “No You’re Not.”

      “No normal Comet can do what you can do, Nebul.”

     “…good to know you think so highly of me…” He pouted.

     The rest of the time spent at the checkout was filled with light conversation with the cashier. He stuck to asking simple questions, probably not wanting to overstep, and your boys were happy to answer.

     Eventually everything was scanned and paid for. You place your bags into the cart and wave the man goodbye.

     “Well he was nice. A little shy, but once you got him talking he seemed to have been enjoying himself.”

     Nebul nodded, agreeing with you. “mhmm, a real curious guy. seemed like a good kid that one.”

      “I wonder if he has any bitties of his own. He seemed quite used to talking to us as individuals, rather than items or pets.”

     “Maybe, Or He Could Be One Of The Employees That Works With The Bitties More Often, And Just Happened To Be Behind The Register Today.”

     “Maybe.” You say.

     You continue to chat with the three of them as you load your bags into your car, and eventually take the boys with you to put the cart away.

     With that done you head back to your car and get in, letting your bitties get comfortable.

     You look at them and smile with anticipation.

     “Ready to go home?”

     They smiled back, just as big.

     The drive back wasn’t necessarily eventful, but the four of you had continued to talk nearly the whole way there. Eventually, during your conversation, you got on the topic of how you met Redoul.

     “wait, you almost drove over him???”

     “No! …Well… okay yeah I almost did, but I didn’t actually hit him! He ran out in front of me and I ended up swerving to avoid him. No damage done.” You hear Nebul laughing at your words.

     “I Don’t Ever Remember Running Out Into The Road, But Considering I Was Obviously On The Verge Of Passing Out, It’s Not Surprising That I Don’t.”

     “Mhmm, you were in terrible condition when I found you.” You glance over at Ichor and Nebul and continue to tell them your story. “I was originally going to stock up on various different things for the winter, like food and wood, and I eventually did, but I got a little sidetracked when Redoul practically fell into my lap. I took him to a vet nearby—not a very good one, by the way. They didn’t even realize he wasn’t a normal Fell bitty; it’s closed now, thankfully. They checked him out and treated him, among other things. I don’t remember all the details, but in the end, after they were finished, they ended up handing him back to me to take home. Which seemed like a mess up on their part, since Redoul didn’t wake up for another week after that.”

     Ichor blinked in surprise. “A week? I knew he was in bad condition when we snuck him out, but I didn’t know it was bad enough to warrant such a long period of rest.” He said.

     You nod. “Yeah, that was a misstep on the vet’s part, but again, that vet wasn’t very good. Two days later I worked up the courage to leave him alone at the house to finally go stock up on supplies in town. I was able to get everything I needed, thankfully, since nobody seemed to be too worried about the upcoming winter at the time. Their mistake, I suppose, since the winter was about as bad as I had expected it to be.”

     “how were you able to tell that the winter was gonna be bad? how come nobody else was expecting it? I thought humans had that whole weather thing figured out.” Nebul asked.

     You hum and answer. “Kinda. Weather forecasts are a thing, and they are usually pretty accurate, but sometimes things can slip under the radar. Everyone was expecting it to be cold, yeah, but they also all lived in town, where help was just around the corner in the form of neighbors. I, on the other hand, live too far away from town to get any help if I need it. I needed to stock up on more than they did, because I would have nobody to help if I needed it.”

     It’s silent for a moment, and you briefly glance at your bitties, wondering why they were so quiet.

     Nebul and Ichor looked almost solemn at your words, clearly not expecting them. Redoul just looked proud, already familiar with how you lived your life, let alone being a part of it.

      “So you… survive your winters, essentially?” Ichor finally asked.

     You pause to think a moment, before answering. “Not really—or not usually , at least. That winter was a bit of an exception. I had just moved into my new home and wasn’t expecting the winter to come so early. It wasn’t necessarily trying to survive , I—or we, since Redoul was there, weren’t in mortal danger or anything, I had already gotten everything we would need to winter through the cold.” You pause again, before continuing. “Last winter wasn’t like that one at all. The first snow came when it was expected, there wasn’t so much snow that we were stuck inside, it wasn’t even as cold, and we had way more time to prepare than last time—I will admit, I kind of over prepared, but I much rather be over prepared than under prepared. But that’s not the point! We’re getting off track!”

     The boys laugh, and Ichor and Nebul seem to have been put at ease, so you continue.

     “A day before Redoul woke up, it had snowed so much so suddenly that we ended up being snowed in. The snow piled up so high I couldn’t even see out my windows. We were completely stuck. Which, to be honest, ended up being a good thing. When Redoul woke up the next day, he lashed out—understandably. He was in a completely new environment with no recollection as to how he got there, along with coming from a more than unpleasant situation, I can’t blame him for reacting the way he did,” you look down when you feel something on your legs, only to find Redoul climbing into your lap, making himself comfortable. Looking back to the road, you continue. “Due to the snow he wasn’t able to leave, and thus kinda forced him to stay and rest. I’ll skip over the details for now, but we ended up being stuck together for nearly two months. In the beginning we agreed that once the snow melted enough for us to actually go outside, I would let him leave—if he still wanted to. I think we can all guess what happened after the snow melted.” You said cheekily.

     Everyone, even Redoul, laughed a little.

     “But yeah, that’s what happened.” You concluded.

     It was quiet for a moment longer, and you let them think, not wanting to disturb them.

      “…so,” Ichor started hesitantly. “If that is how you met, how did you fall in love?”

     You draw a blank.

     “What?” You and Redoul both say, surprised.

      “How did you fall in love?” He asked again.

     You blink, feeling slightly flustered and caught off guard, taking a moment to think. “Um, well, to be honest, I didn’t really fall in love with Redoul until after I agreed to let him court me. I don’t really fall in love easily; I have to let myself fall in love.” You say honestly.

     “…what?”— “…I’m sorry?” You hear Nebul and Ichor say.

     You go to answer, but Redoul beats you to it. “Ma Chère Does Not Love Passively. Once She Starts, She Won’t Stop. Ever. And Because Of That, She Has To Guard Her Heart Closely. If She Doesn’t, She Could—And Has—End Up Getting Hurt. As For How Or When I Fell In Love, I Can’t Say. It Happened Over Time, And When I Realized I Had, There Simply Was No Turning Back.”

     …

     “what did you mean… when you said she had been hurt?” Nebul eventually asked.

     “Ah,” You couldn’t help but sigh, thinking back on it, but you answered nonetheless. “I’ll keep it short; years back, long before I was even living in this town, I had some friends that I loved very dearly. However, apparently, one of the girls there didn’t like me at all, and spread rumors about me behind my back to the others. No matter what I said or what I did to try and defend myself nobody would listen to me—not even my best friends. I was outcasted from everyone. I don’t even know what I did to get that girl to hate me so much, but she did. It feels embarrassing, knowing that I had trusted them so much, but I had been completely heartbroken. I’m over it now, but even when I think back on them, I can’t bring myself to hate them, or even be mad. I still love them, but I’d never want them back in my life, as contradictory as that sounds, but I know they would only hurt me again if I did. So, hopefully, we’ll all never see each other again—for everyone’s benefit.”

     You glance down at Redoul and the absolutely stormy look on his face. “…and probably for their safety.”

     …Redoul only growled.

     Ichor and Nebul didn’t look all too pleased either. “…I’m sorry you had to go through that. …I think I would need to join Redoul in whatever he had in mind should we ever meet them.” Nebul nodded in agreement.

     “Please don’t. That would only get you taken away from me.”

     “…not if nobody finds out.”

     Ichor and Redoul perk up at Nebul’s words.

     “Oh shining stars, you three…”

     Finally, the long awaited moment is here.

     You’re home, with your boys.

     With your bitties in your arms, you step out of your car and stand in front of your house.

     “…Welcome home boys.” You say softly.

     You look at Redoul. “Do you want me to drop you off inside while I get the groceries? That way you can show them around.” You look at the other two. “Or do you want me to stick around?”

     They all glance at each other before Redoul looks back at you. “Go Get The Groceries, And Then All Four Of Us Can Go Inside To Show Them Around.”

     You smile and nod. “Okay, let me set you down so I can go get everything.”

     With that, you set them down on the hood of the car and move to the back to get your groceries. There weren’t too many bags so you were able to carry everything easily enough. You go to close the trunk, only to see your boys standing on top of its door.

     You huff out a laugh, “Well hello, boys.” You say.

     You feel a sudden weight on your right shoulder, and look over to see Nebul. “hello~” He says.

     You make eye contact with Redoul, readying yourself for what you know he’s going to do. As expected, he jumps and lands on your left shoulder in a well practiced movement. “Hello, Ma Chère.”

     You look at the final bitty on the door, and wait for what he’ll do. With a hum, he reaches over with his tendrils and carefully grabs onto the base of your neck, right where it meets your shoulders. He pulls himself over and settles himself next to Redoul, wrapping a tendril around him to keep him from falling off—just in case.

     You couldn’t help but tilt your head and lift your shoulder—the one Nebul was on—at the sensation while giggling. “Hahaha, that tickles.”

     Ichor smiles somewhat bashfully and apologizes. “Ah, my apologies…” He said.

     …he can’t help but be glad that you weren’t bothered by his tendrils around your neck, most humans would have been… uncomfortable, even by the thought alone.

      The last human to have them there certainly was.

     As you closed the trunk, Ichor felt an elbow in his side, breaking him from his thoughts. He looks over to see Redoul already staring at him. “Stop that.” He says quietly.

      “…” Ichor smiles, thankful to Redoul for breaking him out of his thoughts. “Right, of course.”

     You walk towards the front door, locking your car as you pass it, and unlock the front door of your home… of their new home.

     With a click, you open the door and walk into the living room. “Here we are, welcome home.”

     You look around your living room. It hasn’t changed much from when you first moved in, the most that has changed was the few houseplants that now decorated it and the kitchen. There were also two or three blankets thrown across the arms of the couch, too, but that wasn’t surprising. Most bitties absolutely loved soft things like blankets and pillows for things like making nests. Redoul was no exception, and he only fed your love for things like bedding and soft clothes.

     …You’re brought out of your thoughts by Nebul, who was starting to… shake?

     You look over at him, only to see him with magic tears pooling at the edges of his sockets.

     He lifts his arm and rubs at his face with his sleeve, partly hiding his expression. “i… i don’t remember the last time i got to call a place home. sorry.” He apologized meekly.

     You lift your hand—letting the bag you’re holding slide to rest at your elbow—and go to hold him, only to stop short, not wanting to overstep.

     Ichor takes one of the tendrils resting on that side of your neck and wraps it around Nebul gently, cradling him as he begins to cry.

      “You can cry, Nebul. This place is safe, you can cry.”

     Nebul only curls in on himself and tucks his body into your neck, under your chin. Taking that as a sign, you cup your hand against his back and pull him closer, along with Ichor’s tendrils, one of which wrapped around your forearm.

     “i‘m sorry… ‘m just so happy… sorry… sorry…”

     Your heart and soul clenched at his words, and you couldn’t stop yourself from speaking. “Shhhh… you can cry, you don’t need to say sorry. No one will be mad at you for being happy. Not here, not ever.” You run your thumb across his skull as he sobbed into your neck.

     “You’re home, and home will always be safe.”

     Before you know it, you find yourself sitting down on the couch, grocery bags discarded on the coffee table. You cuddled your three bitties to your chest, cradling each of them gently. Ichor and Redoul took to holding Nebul between the both of them in your arms, comforting him as he cried.

     Minutes passed—you’re not quite sure how many—before Nebul’s sobs finally died down. He pulled away from your chest and sat there, still between his packmates and in your arms.

     “well, that was embarrassing.” He said, whipping at his sockets for any stray tears. His cheekbones were covered in one of the cutest blushes you’ve ever seen. It was like a little galaxy; covered in blues and teals and purples, and speckled with white dots like little stars— it was adorable.

     But, nonetheless, you decided to keep that opinion to yourself.

     “No, It Was Not. You Have Nothing To Be Ashamed Of.”

      “Crying is to be no embarrassment, Nebul. There is nothing to apologize for.”

     “haha, right, right. thanks, guys.”

     You look at the three of them with a soft expression, before addressing Nebul. “Are you alright now? That was pretty sudden.”

     Nebul looked sheepish as he rubbed his neck. “yeah, i’m good. i just… this is probably gonna sound a little weird to you, since you’re a human, but this placed just smelled so much like you and redoul, and your presence was everywhere, and you called it our home… i just couldn’t help but feel like it was just… ugh, i don’t know how to say it. it just felt like i was finally home .”

     You smiled as you spoke. “That’s because you are home, Nebul.”

     He froze, seeming to not know what to say. His blush grew brighter, taking on deeper, richer colors, and the stars (or were they freckles?) only grew brighter.

     He looked away flustered, and a soft, soft , smile stretched across his skull.

     “yeah, i am… we are.”

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- || Note -

Not my best chapter, not my worst, but I don’t hate it, and that’s all that really matters.

I’m not a hundred percent sure where to take the story from here… do I want to write more scenes with our main three, do I want to do a timeskip and explore the universe I’ve set up more, do I want to finally introduce Allira (reader’s best friend (not the old ones)), or do I want to introduce more bitties with or without a time skip? Idk.

Any suggestions on what bitties you want to see the boys interact with? Either now or in the future. I’m still drawing a blank on who I want to integrate into the story first and how.

     You stand hesitantly in front of the rescue center’s doors, staring absentmindedly at the sign above it. Redoul wasn’t doing much better, sitting on your shoulder with a blank face, looking lost. You knew this was hitting him hard; he was afraid to hope. Afraid to hope to see his friends, the people he had walked through hell together with, and the people who set him free from it.

     What if they weren’t there? What if it wasn’t the ring he was in? What if—

      What if they didn’t make it?

     You never met them. You never knew them. But what you did know was that these people were so, so important to your mate, and you couldn’t help but be afraid of what it would do to him if they weren’t there. You loved him so much, and you didn’t want him to hurt any more than he already had, but you couldn’t avoid this. You had to do this.

     Clenching your teeth, you take in a breath and pull the door open.

      You're scared. He is too. More so than you.

     The atmosphere you’re greeted with is warm and welcoming—it soothes you, even if only slightly.

     The walls are colored with a dark, warm maroon. It wasn’t the color you were expecting, but it somehow fit. At the front desk sat a woman with curly brown hair and thin gold wire frame glasses. A small red jewel hangs down from a chain next to her left lens. The woman’s hair was held up with a hair clip, with her bangs out framing her face. Resting on her face was a small, relaxed smile.

     She looked up at the sound of the door, and her smile widened as her eyes landed on you and your mate.

     “Hello and welcome to the Great Lake Black Rescue Center. My name’s Rynell, is there something I can help you with?” Her words were obviously practiced and repeated often, but something about her posture, or perhaps her smile, eased some of the tension out of your shoulders.

     “Yes, um,” you clear your throat, trying to find your words. “I saw a news article about a bitty ring being broken up… and I’m wondering if you received any of the rescues from there. I’m—well, we are looking for… well, my bitty—Redoul’s—old friends.” You gesture to Redoul on your shoulder with your hand. At your movement he looks up from the floor and at the woman—Rynell—behind the desk. He doesn’t speak. His silence concerns you slightly, but you can understand his lack of words.

     You couldn’t help but notice the tremble in his hands.

     Rynell’s smile drops into a pitying look as she hears your words, before smiling again and nodding.

     “We have actually received most of the recuses from the ring just two days ago. We didn’t have enough room for all of them, so the ones that we couldn’t take in were sent to one of the other nearby centers; if your friends aren’t here, they would likely be there. Could you tell me who you’re looking for?” She moves her hands to her mouse and keyboard, quickly clicking through something before looking back to you and Redoul.

     You glance at Redoul, seeing if he wanted to speak, but he made no move to do so. Instead he looked back to the floor.

      ‘This is really getting to him…’ you thought worriedly.

     You take in another breath and look back to the woman behind the counter, nodding. “Yes. We’re looking for two bitties in particular; one is an Outertale Sans bitty called Cos. Redoul says that he had a rather large gash over his left—wait no—his right socket, and that socket’s eyelight was extinguished. The other is… well, a Shattered Dream bitty. I don’t think you need much of a description for him. They called him Umbra.”

     You saw a brief look of surprise pass over her face at your descriptions of them, before it settled as she nodded. “I know exactly who you’re talking about. They’re both here and in about as good of health as they could be at this point in time.”

     Redoul’s head shot up at her words.

     “THEY’RE HERE!?” He exclaimed loudly. You flinch slightly at the volume in your ear, but make no comment.

     Rynell smiled at the bitty, before looking away with a compliment look. “Yes, they are. Um, hmmm… well, usually, when someone comes in to see a rescue bitty they need to file an appointment before getting the chance to see them—not to mention the fact that rescue bitties aren’t supposed to have any visitors until either a week to a month has passed, to give them time to recuperate and settle from the change in environment. But…” she glanced at Redoul. “There can be exceptions, like in the case of a missing bitty reuniting with an owner or family member… excuse me for asking—this is very unprofessional of me—but would you have happened to have been from the same ring?”

     Redoul straightened slightly, looking her in the eyes. “…I Am. Back Then, I Was Called Roi. I Decided To Leave That Name With The Ring When I Got Away.”

     Rynell stared at him for a moment, her expression vague, before she huffed a laugh and straightened herself, smiling once again. “Alright, I’ve made up my mind. The rescues have only been here for two days now, and usually you would have to wait at least a week before you could meet anyone, but I can make it to where you can see them tomorrow; I would let you in today, but unfortunately there are certain paperwork I need to fill out for a rescue to have a visitor before anything else—least someone get arrested—and the soonest that I can get that paperwork and then fill it out is tonight. Anything you would need to sign can wait until tomorrow. Does that work for you, or do you need more time? Either for work or other personal reasons.”

     You and Redoul stare shocked at her.

      ‘She—she’s an angel!!!’

     You step forward. “That would be perfect! Thank you so, so much! What time should we be here tomorrow?”

     “The earliest I can get you in is 9:30 in the morning—although I recommend getting here by 9 o’clock , so that you have some time to read through and sign the paperwork.” She reached over and pulled out a business card from her desk, before flipping it over and scrawling a phone number across an open space. She then hands it to you. “On the front is the number to the front desk, and the one I just wrote down was my personal number. What I’m doing with getting you an early meeting isn’t necessarily illegal, but it is certainly bending the rules, so it’s best to just keep this between us for now, okay? And don’t worry about me, I’ll be letting my boss know about this—where do you think I need to get the papers from?”

     “I really can’t thank you enough,” you take the card from her. “I’ll make sure to call you if we need anything. Um, should I give you my number just in case you need to let us know of anything?” You ask as you look at her.

     She hums slightly, before grabbing a sticky note and a pen from her desk. “Probably a good idea, do you want to tell me or do you just want to write it down yourself?”

     The two of you talk for a bit longer, with Redoul chiming in every once in a while, much to your joy. After a few minutes of conversation you eventually finalize the rest of the details that needed to be discussed in the moment.

     Before you knew it, you found yourself making your way back to your car, ready to drive home and rest for tomorrow.

     You take your place in the driver's seat and simply sit there for a moment, processing everything that had just happened. Redoul had a pile of blankets in the passenger’s seat he would stay in whenever you were driving.

     He sat there looking as dazed as you felt—if not more so.

     “They’re alive…” Redoul muttered, his usual volume and strength absent from his voice. He began to shake, and buried his face in his hands. “They’re Alive…!”

     You felt your eyes water as you looked at your trembling mate, feeling a cacophony of both your and his emotions from across your bond with him. With a shaky breath, you reach over and pick him up, cradling him gently against your chest. He continued to tremble in your hold, clinging to your shirt and pressing himself into you.

     “Ma Chère… I’m—I’m So Happy. They’re Alive, And I’ll Get To See Them Tomorrow! I… I’m Just So…” he buried his face into your neck, not bothering to finish his words.

     “I know, my love, I know. I couldn’t tell you how relieved I was when she said they were there and alive . I’m so happy for you, Redoul.” You covered his back with your hand as he clung to you.

     You can’t wait for tomorrow.

     You felt giddy as you drove to the rescue center the next day. Redoul was in his spot in the passenger seat, looking about ready to vibrate right out of it with how jittery he looked.

     He clasped his hands together and wrung his phalanges—a nervous habit he’s had for a while now.

     “Ma Chère… Do You Think They Will Be Glad To See Me?” He asked quietly.

     You weren’t sure how to answer. “Well,” you start. “I can’t say for certain. I haven’t met them personally, so I’m not completely sure, but I’d like to think so. From what you’ve told me, it sounds like they really cared about you—or as much as they could afford to, given the environment you were in. They risked their own safety, and likely their lives, to get you out despite the dangers. If I were to take a guess, then I’d say they will be very glad to see you.”

     He didn’t respond, but you could tell he relaxed a little at your words. After a few seconds he hummed and nodded. “Hm. Thank you, Ma Chère.” He said.

     “Of course.”

     You park in an empty spot in the parking lot of the rescue center. 8:58. Perfect.

     With a breath, you unbuckle and step out of your car with Redoul now in his usual spot on your shoulder. You walk towards the doors and pull one open, stepping inside.

     At the desk sat Rynell. She seemed to be filtering through some papers when she heard the door open. She looked up and saw you, glanced at the clock, and smiled.

     “Right on time, and welcome back. Since I already know what you’re here for, we'll skip over the rest of the pleasantries,” she pulled some papers off of her desk along with a pen and presented them to you. “Here are the papers you need to sign. You can take them over to that table over there and fill them out. Let me know if you need anything, alright?”

     “I literally think you are the best person in the world right now, thank you.” You say with a hint of playfulness in your tone. She laughed goodnaturedly and thanked you before you went and sat down to fill out the paperwork.

      *Bonk*

     Rynell looked up from her desk at the sound. You were laying face first on the table.

     “My wrist hurts.”

     “Ma Chère, Get Up. You Need To Finish Filling Out The Paperwork.”

     You grone and sit up, looking back at the papers. “Why is there so much??”

     You hear Rynell laugh. “That's so that no one has to get arrested. Bitties aren’t your average… pet,” you couldn't help but notice how she hesitated to use the word ‘pet’. “and need the extra work to get to so that no one can try anything unsavory with these already abused individuals. The paperwork is just there so that neither you nor I have to get arrested for something unfounded.”

     “I understand that, I really do, but it’s still a lot of work.”

     “Tell me about it.”

     “Oh yeah. You probably do this a lot, don’t you?”

     “Kind of,” as if to prove her point, she shuffles through more papers. “It’s not like it’s every day we receive the survivors of a fighting ring—this is only the second time we’ve received them from a bitty ring, actually—but when it does happen, the load of paperwork feels ridiculous, even if it is necessary.”

     You hum thoughtfully as you continue to fill out more papers. “I can imagine. It really is unfortunate that things like fighting rings are even a thing.”

     “True is that.”

     “Okay, I think I’m done.” You say as you hand the papers over to Rynell. “Hopefully I didn’t miss anything…?”

     A minute or two passes as she looks through the papers in her hands.

     “Everything seems to be good!” She smiles and stands up, walking around to the front of the desk. 

      Wow she’s really tall—

     “Now, usually after someone fills out the paperwork they aren’t due for their meeting with the bitty or bitties until the next day—due to more legal reasons—but we can skip over that step since I already have the green light from my boss, so we can either head back there now or you can schedule for another time—”

     “We Would Like To Head Back There Now, Thank You.” Redoul interrupted.

     You glanced at Redoul, and placed a hand on him. “Calm down Redoul, we’ll go see them. I promise.” You look back to Rynell. “Sorry about that… Yes, we would like to go see them.”

     She seemed to take the interruption in stride, and continued on with her explanation. “Alright then. I’ll head back first and get everything ready, along with letting the other two know that you’ll be heading back there soon.” She filed the papers away in one of her drawers and started to walk towards the hall on the right hand of the room, before pausing and looking back to Redoul.

     “By the way, the other two seemed very happy to know that you’re doing okay, and looked pretty excited when I said that you’d be coming to visit yesterday. Just wait a bit longer and I’ll come back to get you when I have everything ready.” With that, she turned and walked down the hall.

     You blinked at her words, before smiling.

      ‘Yeah, she’s a pretty damn good person.’

     Redoul looked surprised for a moment, before straightening up and laughing. “I Like Her.”

     You laugh with him. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

     A few moments of silence passed between the two of you before you spoke up.

     “…You’ve seemed to have relaxed.”

     He sighed, leaning into the side of your head. “I Suppose. I Am… Unsure Of What To Feel At The Moment.” He confessed.

     You gently took his hand in yours and brought it to your lips, kissing it softly. “I can understand, but if I may say; you’ve been handling all of this remarkably well. I’m proud of you.”

     He flushed scarlet red—redder than his own scarf—and turned away from you. “Of Course You’re Proud! I Would Do Nothing Less Than The Best!”

     …You couldn’t help but notice his eyelights. You always did love them, and they looked especially striking when he was blushing. Instead of just one color that most bitties had, Redoul had blue eyelights ringed in purple.

     He huffed and smiled a little. He muttered “Thank you… for being here with me.”

     You felt your own smile widen. “Of course. Where else would I be, if not with you?” You nuzzled him gently.

     “Obviously! The Best Place For Anyone To Be Is At My Side, Then They Would Get To Bask In My Marvelous Presence!” He nuzzled you back. “But… I Do Believe The Only One I Want By My Side Is You.”

     You hum. “I love you.” You whisper quietly.

     You don’t think his expression could get any softer. “And I You, Ma Chère.”

     “Alright. Everything is ready and the two are waiting in the meeting room for you. If you’ll please follow me I will take you back there now.” Rynell said as she emerged from the hall once again.

     You look too Redoul, searching his expression. He took in a deep breath and sighed, before straightening up and nodding. “Yes, Let’s Go.”

     “Just follow me.” She turned back and started to walk down the hall again, this time with you behind her.

     Soon enough, you stop in front of a door made of a dark colored wood.

     “They’re right in here. Would you like me to stay with you, or would you prefer it if I stayed out here?” She asked, looking not to you, but to Redoul.

     He blinked, thinking for a moment, before answering. “Stay Out Here Please, I’d Like To See Them Without An Audience.”

     You looked at him again. “Should I…?”

     “No. You Go With Me.”

     “Okay, shall we?”

     “Yes.”

     Rynell smiled, and stepped forward. “Allow me.” She pushed the door open and stepped to the side, making room for you. “Let me know if you need anything, alright? I’ll be right outside the door.”

     “Thank you.” You say.

     “Of course.” With that, she closed the door behind you.

     You look around the room. It was rather spacious, with four chairs lined across one of the walls, and across them being some sort of structure that looked similar to an elaborate cat tree. Just more bitty friendly. Below the structure was a table at about waist height with smaller chairs, beanbags, and other furniture made for various bitty sizes. There were also normal sized cushions and one or two beanbags for people to sit on on the floor.

     …And on the table sat two bitties; one was an Outertale bitty lounging in one of the bitty sized beanbags, and the other was a Shattered Dream bitty sitting in one of the many bitty chairs at a miniature coffee table.

     …

     They looked relaxed at first glance, but you knew better. Redoul would take that kind of posture when he was stressed, or having a bad day… it was how he stood when you first met him. Guarded and tense, but disguised as relaxed and confident.

     Nobody moved at first, but after a moment you moved to the table and leaned into it with the side of your body that Redoul was on. He hesitated for a moment more, before jumping off and landing on the table. Once he was on the table you moved away to go sit in one of the chairs on the other side of the room—in the one the farthest away from them.

     Nobody spoke, nobody moved.

     Until—

     “—roi! you’re okay!” A smaller body rammed into Redoul’s, knocking him back far enough to where he almost fell over.

     Redoul caught the other bitty easily enough and righted himself, before shouting back. “I Should Be Saying That, You Fool!!! How The Hell Are You Still Alive!?”

     The last bitty got up and joined the other two in a hug, wrapping the four black tendrils on his back around them. He nuzzled . “It’s good to see that you are in good health, Roi.” He lifted his head and locked eyes—er… eye? with you, making you blink in mild surprise. “I assume that would be in thanks to the lady who you came in with?”

     Redoul huffed and pulled back slightly, although not enough to break his hold of the other two bitties. “First Of All, My Name Is No Longer Roi; It’s Redoul. I Left That Name With The Ring. Second Of All,” He looks at you flatly. “Ma Chère, Come Here, Would You?”

     With a small laugh, you stand and approach the reunited trio slowly, making sure your hands are visible to the still-skittish newcomers. You stop a few feet away from them and lean against the table, making sure they’re still out of your reach.

     The shorter one—Cos—finally pulled his head away from where it was tucked into Redoul’s chest and regarded you with an analytical expression; just as Umbra—the Shattered Dream—has been.

     You introduce yourself softly, but before you get to say any more than that, Redoul interrupts you.

     “She Is My Mate.”

     …

     “…what?”—“What?”

     “…I feel you could have broken that to them more gently.” You say, bemused.

     “That Was Simply The Most Efficient Way To Do It, What Were You Expecting Me To Do?”

     “I don’t know, but it wasn’t that. Maybe talk to them more before introducing me? We’re not here for me, Love.”

     “Why Wouldn’t I Want To Introduce My Marvelous Mate? Clearly You Do Not Know Me.”

     “Oh yes, because we’re complete strangers. Totally. Mhmm.”

      “Clearly.”

     …

     “*snirk…* pfft…haha… hahahahahaha!! what the hell? i didn’t know you had it in you, roi—no, sorry, redoul —but seriously, a human? wow. good job landing a pretty one, too.” Cos snarked with a sly smile; his sarcasm didn’t seem to be directed at you, thankfully, but more at Redoul to tease him.

     …Umbra’s expression changed from analytical to something more… content? Satisfied?

     “So that’s what I was feeling. It was your bond with her.” He looked back to Redoul with a firm nod and a smirk. “…You made a good choice.” …something told you that he was also teasing your mate.

     Redoul’s eye socket twitched, and his face was steadily getting redder. “…You Bastards.”

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     Sunlight shone through your windows, sending soft rays across your sleeping form. The chirps and whistles of birds ring through the air, announcing the arrival of the sun to any and all who are listening…

     “…Ma Chère, It Is Time To Get Up.” You heard a deep but soft voice speak from above you, a small hand placing itself on your forehead, brushing away any stray hairs that may have been there.

     “Mmmh… good morning, Redoul.” You muttered out tiredly, your eyes blinking open slowly.

     In front of you was a bitty, standing atop one of your pillows. He looked like some of the Sans bitties of the Fellswap AUs, but didn’t look quite like any one of them exactly. He stood at about 9”, a rather tall height for a Sans bitty, and wore a long dark scarlet scarf that nearly reached his feet. The scarf was filled with tatters, and the ends looked almost washed out, but the scarf was well taken care of and clearly loved.

     This was Redoul, your bitty, and you weren’t quite sure what kind of bitty he was.

     You see, there are many different kinds of bitties.

     From the original bitties, the Undertale Brothers, to things like the lamia bitties, which are from all different kinds of AUs. Ah—speaking of AUs, the Alternative Universes, or AUs, was how the company and its customers would refer to the different branches of bitties.

     The bitties could either be artificially made, which was how they were originally made—to naturally made, between two bitty parents.

     Oh, and um, bitties don’t, y’know, reproduce the same way that humans and monsters do. Bitties reproduce by manually combining their magic into making a new bitty soul. Since bitties are already artificially made, it’s rather easy for them to use their magic in this way to do this. One of the parents would house the still growing soul inside their body until the soul was strong enough to form itself a body with its magic. Both parents would need to stay near each other for the still growing soul to absorb its parents’ magic, at least until it can start using its own magic. Although, in the case of Lamias, the soul will stay inside of an egg, instead of the body of one of its parents.

     (…The whole process of bitty reproduction is honestly more complicated than this, so this is mostly just a summarization, but you digress.)

     Usually, no matter the type of bitty the parents were or what AU they were from, the child or children would end up being more or less a copy of either one parent or the other. The bitties’ genes were not made to mix, so that when a baby was born they would already be a part of one AU or another.

     However, sometimes odd things would happen when two bitties had children together.

     These “odd things” were how the Swapfell AU was made…

…Then the Fellswap AU… To then the Fellswap Gold AU… which then had made the company rename the last two Fellswap AUs to Fellswap Violet and Fellswap Red respectively…

     …For whatever reason, it seemed that when an Underswap bitty and an Underfell bitty had children together, there was a very, very small chance of their genes mixing and accidentally making a whole new branch of bitty.

     This is what happened to Redoul, who was born as a “new” Fell type. But even then, he was considered an oddity among the already “odd things.”

      Born to a Baby Blue and a Mamba (Mambas being the Fellswap Sans of the lamia bittys), Redoul was soon found to be a completely new type of “odd thing” that hadn’t been seen before. The odd things that would usually happen had only ever occurred when an Underswap bitty and an Underfell bitty had children together. Never before had the odd thing happened outside of a pairing between those two AUs—of course, an Underswap bitty was still involved, but apparently that didn’t matter, since the other parent wasn’t an Underfell bitty. So when Redoul was born he was an entirely new case of odd things.

     He was neither an Underswap bitty or a Lamia bitty of any kind. He looked like a standard skeleton bitty—likely the Sans of his newly made branch. Which is unsurprising, considering his parents were the Sans’ of their respective AUs.

     What was especially odd, though, was the fact that, despite not being a Lamia, he had still inherited his Lamia parent’s venom. So he was a “normal” bitty with a venomous bite.

     …Unfortunately for Redoul, the owner of the bitty store he was born in had connections to a more than unsavory organization…

     …A fighting ring, and one that specialized in showcasing their bitty “members” .

     …And so, he was sold to a bitty ring soon after he was born; all for being a new branch of bitty—a one of a kind “item”…

     “Ma Chère.”

     Your thoughts stop in their tracks, and you look back to Redoul—your mate.

     “Yes?” You ask softly.

     “…” He stared at you silently, knowing exactly what you were thinking just now. “…Stop That Train Of Thought. You Don’t Need To Upset Yourself So Early In The Morning—Or Ever, For That Matter. Now, It’s Time To Get Up. You Need To Get Ready For The Day, And I Will Not Be Having You Lazing About In Your Bed All Day!”

     You laugh softly, watching as he moves from your pillow to your nightstand with a familiar ease, going to where he keeps his clothes to get dressed. You move to sit and stand up and begin to follow your mate’s lead, sparing a glance out the window to look at the rising sun peaking through the trees. The light bathed the room in a warm glow, soaking into your skin and shaking off any daze left over from your sleep. With a stretch and one final yawn, you make your way towards your closest to change out of your night clothes.

     You softly hum a song, one you can’t remember the name of, as you prepare breakfast with Redoul, focusing on the pancakes cooking on the skillet in front of you. Some of the pancakes were made significantly smaller for your little mate. Of course, they were still comically large in comparison to him, but bitties needed to eat quite a lot despite their small size, so the prepositions were about right.

     Redoul was working on making some scrambled eggs for the two of you in a small pan—a pan that was honestly too big for someone his size to use reasonably, but both of you were quite used to this routine and his skill in your kitchen has vastly improved ever since you first started cooking together… not to mention the fact that he was very strong even without his magic, and was easily able to move many objects several times his weight without breaking a sweat, so the size of the pan wasn’t much of an obstacle in that aspect.

     Flipping the last of the pancakes, you grab two cups to pour yourself and Redoul a drink to go with your breakfast—with one of the cups being appropriately sized for your bitty mate. Filling them with your drinks you set them on the table and quickly return to your pancakes, checking them to see if they’re ready.

     Seeing that they would need a few more minutes until they are done, you leave them be and set down your spatula. At your side, Redoul appears with the pan of scrambled eggs and carefully disburses the appropriate amount of eggs onto your respective plates.

     “Thank you, love.” You say as he places the pan back on the stove, off of the still hot burner to let it cool before either of you would put it in the sink.

     He swiftly walked around the skillet to stand near the fridge, turning back to face you, and spoke. “Do Not Waste Your Thanks, Something As Simple As Making Eggs Is Nothing I Cannot Handle—Now, If You Would Open The Fridge For Me, I Need To Get The Berries.” He waited with his hands on his hips; he tried to brush it off, but you could see a small twinge of crimson decorating his cheekbones. Praise and thanks have long since been a weakness of his that he refused to acknowledge and often denied, but you could still see the effects it had on him.

     With a small hum you lean forward and kiss him gently on his skull, then move to open the fridge for him.

     “There you are, and if you’d like, you could get the lemons out for me to cut and I could make us some lemon water.” You say, watching as the crimson on his face grows deeper in color—and if your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you, you’re pretty sure you just saw his brow twitch.

     Holding back a giggle, you watch as he twitches once again, likely trying to fight back his blush.

“THANK YOU.” He jumps down onto the floor and climbs into the fridge, opening the drawer where the berries are.

     Swallowing your laugh back down your throat, you turn to your pancakes and pull them off the skillet. He always gets loud when he’s flustered.

      ‘He’s so cute~’

     “I AM NOT!” 

     “Oh I said that out loud.”

     He growled. “Yes. Yes You Did…”

     “Well, if I’m going to be saying things out loud,” you place your last pancake down onto your plate, “I guess I should just say that I love you. So. I love you, Redoul.”

     “…I Love You Too, Ma Chère.”

     You walk around town with Redoul on your shoulder, the two of you enjoying the nice weather. You chat idly with your mate, all but wandering around the little town as you converse and look around.

     You have been to almost every corner and alley that the town had to offer on your little outings with Redoul—although, to be honest your “outings” with him were all but your thinly disguised dates. Unfortunately, most people still didn’t acknowledge bitties as actual people, so openly going on dates with him were going to be off of the table until further notice, if only for your own comfort in public.

     But it’s not like you’ve hid it from everyone in town. One of… or, more like the only person in town who knew of your relationship with Redoul was Allira, your best friend. Who not only knew of it, but actively supported it.

     …In fact, she was the first person you went to when you had started to gain feelings for him. You needed someone to vent to, to get your thoughts and feelings out, and to essentially hang up your heart to air out—to give it a break.

     It was at a time before either you or Redoul had confessed to each other, when you had started to suspect his feelings for you. You have always been rather perceptive; picking up on the little details and having the ability to put the pieces together and figure out an answer or a possibility. So when Redoul started acting differently than from how he did before set off flags in your brain.

     It honestly didn’t take you long to become nearly certain that he had romantic feelings for you. With the red (very red) faces, roundabout helpfulness and affection of a rather tsundere attitude, and an overall gentleness that just wasn’t there before, it wasn’t hard for you to figure it out.

     Of course, you were still nervous— concerned . When you had started to piece things together, your feelings for him weren’t actually that strong at the time. You were fond of him and cared for him dearly, but you harbored hardly any actual romantic feelings for him—if any at all.

     It almost scared you. You didn’t want to hurt him, he had already been through so much, and you didn’t want to be the one to add heartbreak onto the long list of unfortunate things that had happened to him.

     And so, you took refuge at Allira’s little flower shop for a few hours, and vented out all of your fears and feelings to her.

     She had listened silently to your worries, standing behind the counter as you sat at one of the tables she had in case someone just wanted to enjoy the scenery of her shop—of course, you hadn’t been doing much enjoying.

     You felt childish, thinking back on it, and any time it was brought up in conversation between you and her, the two of you would laugh. In the end, after all of your ranting and venting, she didn’t even need to give you any advice or an answer. Because you had come to your own answer.

     You decided you were going to give him a chance, and see if you could cultivate your own feelings into something more for him.

     Turns out that was the best decision of your life.

     You were still grateful to her, even if all she did was listen and watch you verbally sort out your thoughts, feelings, and options. The fact that she listed at all was immensely helpful to you.

     You continued to walk down the street with Redoul on your shoulder, enjoying the warm weather now that winter had passed. You walked by a sign board with various pieces of paper posted to it; some random posters, one or two missing pet signs (how sad, you hope they find their way back home), one random piece of paper with various handwritten jokes on it, a newspaper article—

     You stop in your tracks, and nearly stop breathing as you see one of the headlines.

     “Ma Chère? Are You Alright?” You hear Redoul speak from your shoulder, and vaguely feel him tug on your hair. You shake yourself from your surprise and turn your head to face Redoul, gently cupping your hand around him.

     “Redoul… the article…”

      Breaking News! Bitty Fighting Ring is Broken Up Near the Great Lake Black!

     Redoul looks just as shocked as you are as he stares at the paper, with something almost… hopeful… showing in his expression.

     “Do You Think…?” He couldn’t even finish his sentence, his words trailing off as his grip on you tightened just barely.

     Redoul had escaped from a bitty ring just under a year and a half ago. When you had first met him—on the first snow of an early winter—he had only been free from it all for two days, before he finally collapsed on the road in front of you while you were driving. Bitties need affection to survive. That was part of their charm as “pets” , and if they went too long without it, they would get sick and eventually die if they didn’t get the affection they needed in time. Redoul told you that even in the rings the bitties only received a limited amount of affection, and would usually be paired with another bitty they got along with to sustain themselves. But even then, bitties can only sustain themselves on each other for so long before it’s not enough; only bitties who fought well got to reap the rewards and live another day.

     Redoul was one of the three most popular bitties in the ring, due to him being a new unspecified fell type, and his venomous bite. Ever since he got there he had been brutal and lethal from the very start, fighting to survive for almost as long as he could remember.

     There are times, every once in a while, where Redoul would tell you about the other two bitties that held the spotlight with him. He had been paired with them to keep each other up and running. He got along with them, but he hadn’t called them his friends, or not at first at least. Making friends was something considered almost taboo among the rings, as you never know whether or not you or the other person make it out of your next fight, or worse be paired against each other in a fight. Making friends just wasn’t worth it; it’d kill you more than an actual death would if, or really when, you lost them. Redoul hadn’t called them his friends until well into being under your care.

     One of these two bitties was his cellmate, an Outertale Sans that had somehow made a bit of a name for himself. He was called Cos—short for Cosmic—and apparently, according to Redoul, Outertale bitties often didn’t make it far in the rings due to their more docile nature, unlike any of their more violent fell variants, like Fellswap or just Underfell in general, who were naturally more prone to violence and could (usually) go longer periods of time without needing affection. Outertale bitties were one of the more cuddly AUs, for reasons no one really knew, and tended to need more affection as a result. The fact that Cos lasted so long and could fight so well made him one of the favorites of the ring, next to Redoul and their cell’s neighbor.

     Umbra was the name of his neighbor, and he was, as Redoul had told you, an extremely rare case—rarer than even his own. Umbra was known as the star of the ring, the main attraction, and the most popular bitty out of all of them. And it was, unfortunately, for good reason. That was something both you and Redoul agreed on.

     Umbra was originally a Dream bitty; one of the most docile bitties on the market, and were notoriously known for being extreme pacifists. 

     Umbra—whose name was originally Sun, apparently—had been bought by the head of the ring to be a part of what was supposed to be a brutality show. As Redoul told you, a brutality show was when they would take a weak bitty and pair it up in a fight with someone or something much stronger than them; the fights would often lead to the bitty being practically torn apart in the fight, with the odds always being extremely unfair. Usually when a bitty is brought in they are usually paired with other bitties on their level so that they actually have a chance. But that wasn’t always the case. Sometimes, all the audience wanted to see was a show. Hence the brutality shows.

     Umbra, or Sun, had been paired up against a rather large and very hostile cat, one that was known for starring in brutality shows. However, when the cat was released from its cage and went to attack— He snapped .

     The only way he could describe it, Redoul said, was like passing out for a few seconds. Everything had gone dark, and nobody, not even the audience, could see or hear anything. Then, a few seconds later, the darkness faded, and the audience was shouting in alarm, and all that was left was a dead cat and an unrecognizable bitty covered in black.

      The dream had shattered in fear and absolute hopelessness, and all that was left was a shadow.

     A shadow that merely wept.

     Redoul didn’t like talking about Umbra’s… introduction , and you only ever heard the story once. You can understand why.

     “I—do you think… that they found it…?” Redoul stuttered out, his voice uncharacteristically quite.

     Roughly a year ago, just as the winter ended, you had went to the nearest police station and informed them of Redoul and his background in the ring; you weren’t able to do it sooner, because you had been focusing on healing your new charge and preparing for an unexpected winter—which proved to have been a wise decision, as you had gotten snowed into your house just over a week later. You had been laminating your luck at the time, since you had gotten stuck with a very hostile and very abused bitty that had a very lethal bite and was very not afraid to use it .

     …even if it was one of your most beloved winters you’ve spent thus far.

     Either way, when the snow had finally melted enough for you to make a trip to town, one of the first things you did was make a stop by the police station and inform them of the potential bitty ring that may be nearby.

     The officers were understandably shocked, but thankfully they didn’t deny your statement outright—you weren’t actually sure how competent they were, and you were afraid that they were just going to brush you off, but thankfully your fears were unfounded. Although, with the living proof of the ring sitting right on your shoulder, that may have helped in persuading them into believing you… but that was beside the point.

     And now, a year later, that effort may have finally paid off.

     Your town was the only one that resided nearby the Great Lake Black, near where they found the ring.

     You swallow thickly. “…I think we should make a stop at the rescue center, yeah?”

     “…Yes, I Agree.”

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