Hear Me Out

Hear me out

Hold me cuddly…

(Twitterであげたものの再掲)

No one requested this but I had a dream that really inspired me

The reader is part of the Grimm Troupe. The take care of Grimmchild when Grimm grows too weak as the ritual nears. In the current incarnation, everything seems to be going wrong and it’s stressing Grimm out. Some fluff and angst, heavy headcanon

Grimmchild clings to your chest as you prepare their next meal. Their too large head resting on a shoulder while their tiny wings to wrap around and cling to anything they can.

A campfire slowly warming a small pot of spider’s milk; a rarity that the troupe only recently could acquire. In your hands, you carefully ground a mealworm with a mortar and pestle. It’s crunchy at first before smoothing into a thick yellowish paste. you continue to crush to ensure there are no chunks before adding it to the pot. You take a ladle and begin stirring. It doesn’t mix at first but as you continue the past slowly thickens the milk, staining it a faint yellow color. The child grumbles softly on your chest while you stir.

A large puff of red smoke plumbed to your right as Grimm pops into existence.

“Is it feeding time for the master too?” You tease, pulling the pot off the heat. You carefully pour it onto a few bottles, each one made of thick glass so they can be stored and reheated later.

Grimm slouches ever so slightly, eyes half-lidded, tiredness painted across his face. “No, I simply wish to check upon the child.”

You make a click of disapproval and shake your head, “You should be resting. You grow wearier each day. I can take care of them while you sleep, it is my job after all.”

He sits down with a sigh before speaking in a soft tone. “I don’t think I can rest… Are they eating well?”

You chuckle at the old Grimm’s worry. “They may be smaller than most children but they have an appetite of a child twice their size,” Grabbing the closest dropper you took in some of the formula. Even as you moved to feed Grimmchild they started to wiggle and whine in an attempt to reach the food faster. You laugh and carefully grip the back of the child’s head to keep them still while you feed them. Still, wiggling their little tail as they drink it down.

“See? They’re just as lively as any other.” You look at Grimm and he looks for a moment he and closes his eyes with a grimace. “What worries you so? It doesn’t look to be just the child itself.”

“Everything is going wrong. The child is weak, no kingdoms near are ready for a lantern’s call but if we keep waiting the heart will be weaker than ever before,” Grimm curls into himself as he whispers to himself, “How can everyone be so calm in such horrid situations?”

“We’re calm because we’ve been in similar situations before, you just don’t remember them so well.”

Grimm’s head whipped towards you, “When?”

You laugh as you get another dropper for the child. “You’re the only one of the troupe who reincarnates, everyone else stays the same. Not every memory is transferred with each reincarnation so the recent ones are the only ones you’ll remember well. Your previous few incarnations were short-lived so you don’t remember the hard times that happened before them. Kingdoms have a habit of several sprouting up and falling at the same time, it’s the periods between were our troupe struggles. You’ve led us through hard times before, you’re leading us through this one again.”

“My last incarnation lasted several centuries before me, I’ve lasted nearly a millennia,” he argues.

“And your incarnation before that lasted a decade and was the fattest Grimchild yet. Before that, it was a decade and a half and before that a measly five years. So many kingdoms fell and we swept in as quickly as we could to pick up the mess. So much space and resources left a perfect place for strong new kingdoms to live. Of course, they lived long, especially with wyrms ruling them. It’s long overdue though, the old kingdom had fallen long ago. We’ll be called soon, it’s only a matter of time.”

Grimm paused for a moment. “Will the child survive that long?”

“They’re only a week old Grimm! Give them a chance before you start getting a coffin prepared.” Half the bottle has been drunk by said child, their stomach slightly distended under their thin chitin. “We’re already giving them the best nourishment out there and they’ve grown well in such a short time. Here,” You carefully pull the child off your chest and hold them out for Grimm take. “Feed them, see how much stronger they’ve grown.”

While the child wiggles, trying to grab at anything with the tendrils that will one day be their wings. Grimm carefully holds them like their made of glass in his arms. With a free hand, he tries to mimic what you had done. A full dropper, carefully grasp the back of the child to keep their head still and squeeze the formula into their mouth.

The child coughed for a moment and Grimm immediately tensed and began lightly tapping on the child’s back. They only coughed a few more times before licking their lips of any liquids they sputtered.

“Good instincts there. You looked to have given too much too fast and possibly aimed it on their throat on accident. Try a little bit on their tongue at a time.”

Grimm muttered a little “That’s what I was trying,” before getting another dropper full. He goes slower and the child quickly laps up everything. As Grimm gets another the child wiggles their head, whining as they squirm their way out of his grasp. He adjusts again and feeds the last third of formula in silence.

”Now wipe off their face or anywhere else you think there might be liquids on. They may not be opening their eyes yet but we still don't want food drying to them, ” you hand Grimm a soft towel.

He’s quick to work and quietly laughs as the child huffs and groans at their face being messed with. When Grimm is satisfied he sets the towel down and shifts so he can rub their back. Grimm’s shoulders are finally relaxed, his eyes are still half-lidded but not out of exhaustion as he looks down at his child like they were the most precious thing in the universe.

”I forgot how much I love caring for them.”

”Most do.”

”They’re so small. Will they be strong enough for the ritual?” Grimm looks at you with concern in his eyes.

”Of course. You always get the sense of when we will be called and create the child before. This one may be smaller than most but the performer in our ritual won't know.” You smile as Grimm rubs the side of their face. Eyes still closed and head larger than their whole body. It was usual for the head to be a little bigger but with how small their body was it became a concern. Still, they’ve grown a good inch in a week so they still had time to grow into it.

The child gives one last content grumble before latching onto Grimm’s chest and nuzzling itself to sleep.

”You were like that too when you were little. All energy and fuss during feeding then immediately falling asleep.”

”Like father like son I guess, ” He gave a rare soft smile.

”You bit a lot more though, ” you mused, ”thankfully you didn’t have sharp enough teeth or bit hard enough to hurt my shell but my poor robes had so many little holes you nibbled into it.”

”Do you remember caring for every Grimmchild?” You nod, it was your favorite thing to do, to care for such odd bundles of life. ”Have any other incarnations talked about wanting to raise children outside of the ritual?”

”Oh yes, many times. Some questioned if they could have whole families. One time they search for so long to find another way to add to the heart or raise the child to adolescents. They just wanted to watch them grow up. Why do you ask? Do you want to raise more?”

”I… Yes.”

”Well… There isn’t to prevent such a thing to prevent it but it's just a matter of time now. You’re growing tired and weak, you may struggle to raise young if you found a mate tomorrow. Even then you would have to find a mate, I have no idea what bugs would be compatible with you. There are other ways, adoption, a surrogate, probably many other ways that don’t come to mind. All of them still need time though. I haven’t seen a Grimm want children till it's too late.”

Grimm slumps slightly at this.

”Don’t lose hope just like that. Just because it hasn’t been seen doesn't mean it’s impossible. Maybe in your next life, you’ll be cared for by someone who has kids before we come to pick you up again.”

He smiles slightly, ”I hope so.”

Birthplace

I don’t have enough geo for chicken nuggets...

Hear me out, hear me out….

big brother hive knight