A soft, cheerful humming heralded the RabbitMaid's arrival, a jarring contrast to the X’s pulsating form that writhed half-depressed around the now-innert MoonStone. She hopped through the doorway, a single, excited eye peering out from beneath her floppy ears.
In her nimble paws, she carried a tray adorned with a sickeningly cheerful floral pattern. Atop it sat a mound of glistening, crispy blobs - the FroggySnacks. With a twirl that would have done a ballerina proud, she sent her frilled skirt whipping through the air, a cottony white blur peeking out to brighten the dark chamber.
"A late-morning snack, (◡ω◡)و♡, for you my dearest Master!" she chirped, her voice a touch too chipper, the way a bird might sing before a storm. She blew a kiss that landed with a wet plop on the nearest eye tendril, causing Master X to recoil with a low, mournful gurgle.
Then, a tangle of writhing tentacles shot out, snatching the tray before it could even settle. More tendrils, pulsating with a dozens of eldritch eyes, erupted from the shadows, eagerly devouring the crispy offering. The fried snacks were doomed the moment they entered the chamber, all gone in a matter of seconds.
"Oh dear," the RabbitMaid beamed a wide, unsettling smile that stretched a touch too far, revealing a row of sharp incisors. "Someone seems particularly peckish today, ♫. Perhaps in need of a few more snacks to quell the existential dread, ♫?" she purred in a voice a tad too sweet.
The eldrich appendages made a happy wriggle, all eight of them. A single, thick tentacle unfurled and dabbed at the empty tray with a dramatic flourish. "You do know how to cheer a fellow up, my dear," a tentacle emanated from the writhing mass in a gesture of appreciation. "Even in the face of impending doom, your… enthusiasm is refreshing." Then, despite the words spoken, the tentacles drooped down. It was heavy with the burden of the crow menace.
"Think not of the crows, my Master!" the RabbitMaid declared, her voice surprisingly forceful. With a playful nip, she pinched a drooping tentacle. "We'll face them together! Everything is going to be just peachy!" she declared, her long ears bouncing with each emphatic stamp of her foot. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe there are more delightful snacks to be procured, (੭˃ᴗ˂)੭!"
With a final wink that held a hint of manic cheer, the RabbitMaid hopped out of the room, leaving the X alone with his battle anxiety and a single, forlorn FroggySnack nestled in a trembling tentacle.
"What would I ever do without my dearest maid?" the drooped tentacle perked up, its tip wiggling in a semblance of a grateful smile. "She tries so hard," he continued, twirling in a worried monologue, "but all I can do is worry."
The tentacle's anxieties spilled out in rapid succession. "The crows… their barks… their song of gloom and doom…" As he gestured of the "barks," the tentacle shuddered, then slumped back down in despair. "And I… How am I supposed to protect the village? The morning sun burns so brightly… I would turn to ash." Eight appendages rose in unison, shaking a multitude of mouths towards the ceiling. "The BlasTed DEITIES and their Curse," they grumbled in a chorus of accusations.
A single, mournful eye peeked out the hole in the wall. The sky remained a churning mass of black feathers, the CarrionCrows' neverending barks a constant reminder of impending battle. "Caw, Caw, Caw – a song of gloom and doom…" he gestured, his tendrils feeling it.
But then, another song, a counterpoint to the crows' harsh chorus, reached his eldritch appendages. It was a high-pitched, sing-song melody with questionable lyrics: "Crispy legs, a golden treat; Froggy Snacks, you can't resist! Hoppin' flavour, oh so neat; Second helpings, can't be beat!" This cheerful, albeit unsettling, tune managed to overpower the angry barking of the crows for a moment.
And as if summoned by the very song, the RabbitMaid hopped into the room. A dazzling display of twirls, bobs, and a playful nod announced her arrival. In her paws, she held another tray, presenting it with a flourish.
"Delicious AppleSmiles to make you… ( •ᴗ-)✧," she chirped, her wink bordering on manic. "To smile of course!" she added, her voice sweet like honey. Then, the playful smile faltered, replaced by a pout. "The chef," she mumbled, "sends you her… kisses! ( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀)," she sent a half-hearted, almost annoyed, kiss into the air.
X, despite his anxiety, couldn't help but chuckle at the rabbit's antics. A greedy tentacle reached out, eager to snatch a smiley dessert. After all, everyone seemed to be working so hard – the RabbitMaid with her relentless cheer, the chef with her… um, desserts and kisses?, and other rabbits, with their unwavering dedication to weather the craws’ song of gloom and doom.
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But alas, the delectable treat never reached its destination. A horrifying disturbance, a psychic scream that ripped through the very fabric of reality, shattered the playful scene. The tray clattered to the ground, the meticulously carved smiles scattering on the floor, turning upside down to frowns. The RabbitMaid, ears flattened against her head, cried out in pain. The eldritch tentacles thrashed around the room in a feral, panicked dance, their playful demeanour replaced by raw terror.
"NOOOO!" A cacophony of enraged roars erupted from the X's writhing mass. His tendrils lashed out, striking the walls with a tentacle-jarring impact. His beautiful BloodApple, the tree he'd nurtured all the way from a tiny sapling, was gone. Stolen by those wretched… His rage burned hotter than any sun, threatening to consume him whole. Any chance at diplomacy was dead. They would pay for this transgression, every last one of them!
Fueled by a berserker's fury, X surged forward, pushing past the startled RabbitMaid. His tendrils, coiling with murderous intent, smashed through the doorway and into the unforgiving sunlight. An agonizing shriek tore from his throat as the light struck his skin. The tentacles blackened and bubbled, welting under the sun's harsh gaze. His very blood felt as if it were on the verge of igniting.
"They will PAY!" he roared, his voice choked with pain. But defiance quickly gave way to despair. He was pushing himself beyond his limits, driven by a rage that was slowly consuming him.
"Master, no!" A blur of metallic sheen slammed into him. The RabbitGuard, a towering figure compared to her kin, tackled the Master's pulsating mass with surprising strength. Other rabbits, their brave little faces etched with concern, joined the fray, pushing and shoving him back towards the building's entrance.
"No!" X roared again, his voice weak. His smoking tentacles thrashed against the rabbits' relentless hold. Their determination, fueled by a love for their Master, was as strong as his rage.
"You, get back in there! [Rally]!" the RabbitGuard commanded, her voice ringing with authority. The rabbits, her loyal soldiers, responded in unison, their small forms pushing with surprising might.
The struggle was brief. As quickly as it began, it was over. X, his anger spent, slumped back into the cool shadows of the building, his blackened tentacles still smoking and oozing.
"Please! Stay there!" the RabbitGuard ordered, her voice firm but tinged with concern. "We have this. Leave it to us." Then, a softer expression flickered across her face. "Master, don't throw your life away. We… We need you." The other rabbits echoed her sentiment with a series of synchronized nods.
X's monstrous form slumped further, defeated. "I just… I just feel so powerless… So useless…" he tentacled, his tentacle heavy with self-loathing. "This UV-Sensitivity curse… it's a constant thorn in my side."
The RabbitGuard, perhaps lacking the common capacity for complex words of comfort, simply said, "We have this," again. This time, however, her voice held a deeper meaning, a promise of unwavering support. With a gentle nudge, she guided Master X further into the chamber.
The RabbitMaid, ever the picture of devotion, hopped forward. Her nimble paws pressed against the Master's wounded tentacles, her touch light but firm. A soft glow of Care emanated from her hands, a magical balm that soothed the burning pain and began the slow process of healing. A meaningful glance passed between the RabbitGuard and the RabbitMaid, a silent conversation filled with worry and fierce determination. They would protect their Master, from the sun, from the crows, from whatever horrors awaited them. He may be a monstrous eldritch being, but he was theirs, and they would fight for him until their last breath!
"Master," the RabbitMaid spoke softly, her voice motherly and gentle. "You mustn't leave us. Ever. Promise me you won't risk your life so recklessly."
Her words held a strength that belied her fluffy exterior. X, humbled and singed, could only manage a weak gesture with his remaining healthy tentacle. "I understand," he twirled, his mouths stretched into a hopeful smile.
A mischievous glint sparked back in the RabbitMaid's eyes. "Excellent! Now, where were we?" she chirped, hopping around his pulsating form in a flurry of fur and cotton. "Ah yes!" she exclaimed, a triumphant note in her voice. "There's this new dance I've been practising, (˶˃ᵕ˂˶)," she beamed, her smile as wide as a crescent moon. "You simply must see it!"
In a clumsy yet endearing attempt at discretion, the RabbitMaid launched into a hopping routine. With each hop, her skirt fluttered playfully, offering a tantalizing glimpse of her fluffy tail. As she weaved around and over the Master's tentacles, a strangely cheerful song filled the air:
♫ "Whiskers twitching, ears a-flop; Hoppy service never stops!"
♫ "Cottontail a-fluffin' high; Happiness you can't deny!"
♫ "Sugar, spice, and fluffy buns; Zippin' fast I'm on the run!"
♫ "Stretch a tendril, pick your treat; Rabbit service can't be beat!"
Master X, despite his singed and sorry state, couldn't help but chuckle again at her antics. The song, while undeniably strange, held a certain charm, and the RabbitMaid's infectious enthusiasm was impossible to resist. He watched, mesmerized, as she twirled and frolicked, strategically offering glimpses of her sweet-sweet rabbit snacks, her ’candyfloss treats’ – an entire ensemble of her charms. Truly, a fluffy eye candy.
And perhaps the rabbits were right. Maybe there was no need for a hasty and potentially disastrous confrontation. The heroes, whoever they were, would eventually find him. After all, the Rabbit Village, now fortified and protected, was the ideal location for a defensive battle.
Or at least, that's what the X tried to convince himself. In truth, a small, hopeful ember of defiance still flickered within him. He wouldn't simply wait for the enemy to arrive. But for now, surrounded by the warmth of his loyal rabbits and the sweet delight of the ‘candyfloss treats’, he allowed himself a moment of respite. The battle could wait. For now, he had a dance to watch and a peculiar, fluffy maid to entertain.