#vortex child

"And who, may I ask..."

"I am… as usual. Nothing has changed."

"…The world is cruel. I-I am safe, in this citadel… but my caretaker tells me of such horrors that I have not been able to sleep for the past month… I have been able to fast comfortably for as long as I can remember, but never have I ever felt so faint and ill…"

"…It's been tiring. I'm alright. Nothing has changed. I'm still trying to find my brother. I hope he's safe out there."

Tiny Choco is very afraid of the world… but they have a safe, stable home at least, and they have their friends as a support system. They've recently been getting into painting however, and adore watercolours. They usually paint the sky, since clouds are fun and easy.

Brutalise Choco's condition is currently stable. They are happy that their hair is growing. These days they are able to keep down rooh afza. Rooh afza is a Pakistani rose syrup people usually have with either water or milk, the latter of which being what Brutalise prefers. The mangled prince seems a little bit happier when their father comes to gently tip their head and let them enjoy their favourite drink.

"I'm ok… my speech therapy is going… well… and lately my girlfriend's been… kinder to me. I've been brushing my hair. It's nice. S-she also... seems to like my hair. The kind neighbour brings us Punjabi samosas at… sunset every week. Appa tells me I… I won't be allowed to have… a nose piercing… sadly… but, I still have the fake one… the one my girlfriend made for me…"

"…"

"My health has been deteriorating."

A younger, raspier voice chimes in unannounced.

𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗮𝗱, 𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻. 𝗶 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝘂𝗽𝘀𝗲𝘁.

𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀: 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝘂 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗼, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿-𝘀𝘂, 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗵𝗶𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀. 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻. 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲.

𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳.