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Description

CW: Minor descriptions of blood, implied parental death, descriptions of dream imagery/experiences, very minor descriptions of body horror

Nezzie’s back had been itching all day.

No matter how hard she scratched, or how long someone else scratched, or how many trees she rubbed against, the itching would soon return and she’d be rubbing herself against a nearby corner. After a day it had spread up her neck, then down her tail, then to the top of her head. She’d asked Tanji and he had tilted his head and raised a green brow.

“Huh, I don’t know” he put a finger to his chin “Though when my hair grew out my scalp was itchy for a while, so maybe you’re growing a whole mane of it!” he had laughed then, and Nezzie had chuckled. Well, if it was just a new trait coming in, then she didn’t have to be worried. Didn’t make the itching any less uncomfortable. At least Tanji was okay with scratching her back often. She brought him cookies as thanks.

And then one morning she woke and could not see anything for the long, black bangs that fell into her eyes. The itching was gone, thankfully, and now only a light soreness was left down her scalp and spine. She brushed the hair away and rose from her bed. Long dark fur fell over her shoulders, and she followed it with a paw until she hit its roots at her back.

A mane overnight, huh. Hopefully any other features she’d get wouldn’t be so itchy. She got out of her bed and found the nearest full body mirror. Down the length of her spine grew a long, dark mane. It was slicked down her shoulders and sides and tail, and out her back grew large spikes. She blinked at herself. Was that a typical mane? Did they also grow spikes? She thought back to all the maned folk she had seen. Most of them did not have spines, and yet… a certain few did. She had even seen them around the Den. Their manes were long and slicked down, and spines stood up from their backs. Didn’t Winnie Sprocket have something similar?

Well, if other kits had them, it couldn’t be all that weird, could it?

Either way, she’d have to do something about the hair in her eyes. This was gonna bother her.

-

-

-

Tanji tossed in his sleep. He dreamed of ice and snow and naked forest as far as his eyes could see. He got up and headed through the snow. It was cold against his feet and legs, and went up above his ankles.

“Hello?” he called out, his voice loud in the silence “Is anyone there?”

Nothing. Not a breeze, not an animal moving. Nothing.

He furrowed his brows. Odd. Usually forests had some kind of life. But this one was… dead. He continued forwards. He’d shelter eventually, right?

His breath misted in the air. Where was Nezzie? He called for her, but the trees did not share an answer. He pressed forwards, his paws crunching the snow. He was neither warm nor cold, and the snow against his paws did not seem to lower his temperature. How odd.

“Tanji?”

The sudden voice was like a rock through glass. Tanji froze and turned around. A few meters behind him stood his father, tall and wrapped in a long overcoat.

“Father!” Tanji sprung to him and wrapped his arms around him “Where were you? I missed you!”

His father did not answer, he simply crouched down and wrapped his long arms around Tanji.

“Where’s mom?” Tanji looked around. There was nothing but snow and trees as far as the eyes could reach “And Nessie?”

His father only gave a solemn smile.

“Dad?” Tanji’s voice quivered “Where are we?”

“Tanji.” his father spoke, his voice warm and hoarse and melancholic. Tanji leaned closer, eyes wide.

“What is it?”

“Tanji, please be sure to keep Nezzie safe.”

“D-dad?” Tanji tightened his grip around his father’s midriff “Wh-what do you mean?”

His father’s gaze was solemn, the edges of his eyes shiny with held back tears. He cupped Tanji’s face, his paws filled with fading warmth.

“And yourself too, okay?” his father leaned closer, so close their snouts were almost touching. “Can you promise me that?”

“Y-yes, Dad” Tanji pulled his arms back and grasped his father’s wrists, lest he disappear.

“And Tanji” Snow began to drift from the overcast sky “Can you promise me-”

“Anything!” Tanji’s eyes stung. Anxiety crept up his spine.

His father smile drew wider for a single second, his eyes filled with love and grief and tears.

“Promise me” he tugged at the corners of Tanji’s mouth “That you will always keep smiling.”

Tanji forced the muscles in his cheeks to move “Y-yes, Dad”

Tanji’s father closed his eyes. Snow fell in heavy droves. The trees disappeared behind a wall of shifting white.

“Good boy.” His father stroked the top of Tanji’s head. For a brief second Tanji was back home in the cottage, at the warm firelight with his sick head in his father’s lap, his father stroking him just like now.

Wind whipped through the trees, howling like a furious predator. Tanji gasped for breath, the air searing cold in his lungs. His father kept smiling that melancholic smile, and he slowly drew his hands away. Tanji grasped harder, and yet his father kept retreating.

“Dad!” Tanji almost yelled, cold tears streaming down his face “Don’t leave me!”

“I love you, Tanji” his father said, his voice quiet in the howl of the wind. Snow whipped around them, so thick his father was falling into the wall of white.

“Dad!” Tanji yelled “Dad don’t leave me! Please!”

His father just smiled “Go pick our flowers one day, my boy.”

“Dad! Dad!” Tanji screamed, his father nothing but a shadow in the blizzard “Don’t leave us! We need you!”

His father disappeared into the storm. Everything was white and whipping and cold. The wind howled in his ears. Something dark flashed in the corner of his eyes. The wind picked up in speed, its screaming making Tanji’s ears hurt. He called out for his dad, screamed his name at the top of his freezing lungs, and the trees did not respond.

The world fell away into darkness. Tanji awoke with a start, sweat making his short fur stick to his body. His ears hurt, and something warm trickled down from them. He sat up and stared into his dark blanket, his breathing quick and light and his eyes burning.

His father wasn’t here.

His shoulders quivered.

Neither was mother.

He hiccupped.

It was only him and Nezzie now.

-

-

-

Nezzie creaked the door open. A stream of light fell into the room, widening as the door swung lightly on its hinges. Tanji was sitting up, his back to her, head hunched. She pushed her bangs out of her eyes, then froze. Tanji was shaking, and from the back of his head jutted two long, sharp ears. Trickles of blood as red as Tanji’s fur dripped from the black teeth-like forms inside the ears.

“Tanji?” she piped up.

Tanji’s head rose, then slowly turned towards Nezzie. A shaking smile grazed his lips.

“H-hey Nezzie” he said, voice shivering as tears streamed down his face. Nezzie’s eyes widened and she burst into the room, leapt onto Tanji’s bed and wrapped him in a hug.

“H-hey it’s alright” Tanji said as he placed his head on her shoulder “I’m alright.”

Nezzie made an objecting noise. Tanji let out a shaky laugh.

“Just had a bad dream, that’s all.”

Nezzie reached up and tugged at Tanji’s new ears. He froze.

“W-well…” he pulled back and wiped his eyes, then looked at Nezzie “That is… quite a lot of hair you suddenly grew. Is the itching gone?”

Nezzie nodded, causing her bangs to fall back into her eyes.

“Oh goodness!” Tanji’s laugh was less shaky now “How about we get that cut so you can actually see?”

Nezzie nodded.

“Alright, let me go get the scissors!”

-

Word count: 1337

Not entirely sure if the description of Tanji's ears qualify as body horror, but here it is just in case.

Nezzie and Tanji got some new upgrades! And Nezzie gets a haircut. The story was originally gonna be a comic, but I'm super busy with other art projects right now + hootenanny prep, so I don't think I have the time to make it. So now it's a written story instead!

Nezzie:

+ Kelpie mane (Event myo upgrade)

Tanji:

+ Grin ears (Event myo upgrade)

I did not know what to title this, so have this which totally fits the darker themes in the story /j

Tracker

-
If you see an account called KenLichi liking/commenting, then that's my main account!
-

9/533

Have an awesome day!
- KenChiShi

Art (c) me - KenChiShi

Tanji, Nezzie (c) KenChiShi

Do NOT steal, trace, heavily reference, repost anywhere, or use my art in any shape or form without my permission. Thank you

Description

CW: Minor descriptions of blood, implied parental death, descriptions of dream imagery/experiences, very minor descriptions of body horror

Nezzie’s back had been itching all day.

No matter how hard she scratched, or how long someone else scratched, or how many trees she rubbed against, the itching would soon return and she’d be rubbing herself against a nearby corner. After a day it had spread up her neck, then down her tail, then to the top of her head. She’d asked Tanji and he had tilted his head and raised a green brow.

“Huh, I don’t know” he put a finger to his chin “Though when my hair grew out my scalp was itchy for a while, so maybe you’re growing a whole mane of it!” he had laughed then, and Nezzie had chuckled. Well, if it was just a new trait coming in, then she didn’t have to be worried. Didn’t make the itching any less uncomfortable. At least Tanji was okay with scratching her back often. She brought him cookies as thanks.

And then one morning she woke and could not see anything for the long, black bangs that fell into her eyes. The itching was gone, thankfully, and now only a light soreness was left down her scalp and spine. She brushed the hair away and rose from her bed. Long dark fur fell over her shoulders, and she followed it with a paw until she hit its roots at her back.

A mane overnight, huh. Hopefully any other features she’d get wouldn’t be so itchy. She got out of her bed and found the nearest full body mirror. Down the length of her spine grew a long, dark mane. It was slicked down her shoulders and sides and tail, and out her back grew large spikes. She blinked at herself. Was that a typical mane? Did they also grow spikes? She thought back to all the maned folk she had seen. Most of them did not have spines, and yet… a certain few did. She had even seen them around the Den. Their manes were long and slicked down, and spines stood up from their backs. Didn’t Winnie Sprocket have something similar?

Well, if other kits had them, it couldn’t be all that weird, could it?

Either way, she’d have to do something about the hair in her eyes. This was gonna bother her.

-

-

-

Tanji tossed in his sleep. He dreamed of ice and snow and naked forest as far as his eyes could see. He got up and headed through the snow. It was cold against his feet and legs, and went up above his ankles.

“Hello?” he called out, his voice loud in the silence “Is anyone there?”

Nothing. Not a breeze, not an animal moving. Nothing.

He furrowed his brows. Odd. Usually forests had some kind of life. But this one was… dead. He continued forwards. He’d shelter eventually, right?

His breath misted in the air. Where was Nezzie? He called for her, but the trees did not share an answer. He pressed forwards, his paws crunching the snow. He was neither warm nor cold, and the snow against his paws did not seem to lower his temperature. How odd.

“Tanji?”

The sudden voice was like a rock through glass. Tanji froze and turned around. A few meters behind him stood his father, tall and wrapped in a long overcoat.

“Father!” Tanji sprung to him and wrapped his arms around him “Where were you? I missed you!”

His father did not answer, he simply crouched down and wrapped his long arms around Tanji.

“Where’s mom?” Tanji looked around. There was nothing but snow and trees as far as the eyes could reach “And Nessie?”

His father only gave a solemn smile.

“Dad?” Tanji’s voice quivered “Where are we?”

“Tanji.” his father spoke, his voice warm and hoarse and melancholic. Tanji leaned closer, eyes wide.

“What is it?”

“Tanji, please be sure to keep Nezzie safe.”

“D-dad?” Tanji tightened his grip around his father’s midriff “Wh-what do you mean?”

His father’s gaze was solemn, the edges of his eyes shiny with held back tears. He cupped Tanji’s face, his paws filled with fading warmth.

“And yourself too, okay?” his father leaned closer, so close their snouts were almost touching. “Can you promise me that?”

“Y-yes, Dad” Tanji pulled his arms back and grasped his father’s wrists, lest he disappear.

“And Tanji” Snow began to drift from the overcast sky “Can you promise me-”

“Anything!” Tanji’s eyes stung. Anxiety crept up his spine.

His father smile drew wider for a single second, his eyes filled with love and grief and tears.

“Promise me” he tugged at the corners of Tanji’s mouth “That you will always keep smiling.”

Tanji forced the muscles in his cheeks to move “Y-yes, Dad”

Tanji’s father closed his eyes. Snow fell in heavy droves. The trees disappeared behind a wall of shifting white.

“Good boy.” His father stroked the top of Tanji’s head. For a brief second Tanji was back home in the cottage, at the warm firelight with his sick head in his father’s lap, his father stroking him just like now.

Wind whipped through the trees, howling like a furious predator. Tanji gasped for breath, the air searing cold in his lungs. His father kept smiling that melancholic smile, and he slowly drew his hands away. Tanji grasped harder, and yet his father kept retreating.

“Dad!” Tanji almost yelled, cold tears streaming down his face “Don’t leave me!”

“I love you, Tanji” his father said, his voice quiet in the howl of the wind. Snow whipped around them, so thick his father was falling into the wall of white.

“Dad!” Tanji yelled “Dad don’t leave me! Please!”

His father just smiled “Go pick our flowers one day, my boy.”

“Dad! Dad!” Tanji screamed, his father nothing but a shadow in the blizzard “Don’t leave us! We need you!”

His father disappeared into the storm. Everything was white and whipping and cold. The wind howled in his ears. Something dark flashed in the corner of his eyes. The wind picked up in speed, its screaming making Tanji’s ears hurt. He called out for his dad, screamed his name at the top of his freezing lungs, and the trees did not respond.

The world fell away into darkness. Tanji awoke with a start, sweat making his short fur stick to his body. His ears hurt, and something warm trickled down from them. He sat up and stared into his dark blanket, his breathing quick and light and his eyes burning.

His father wasn’t here.

His shoulders quivered.

Neither was mother.

He hiccupped.

It was only him and Nezzie now.

-

-

-

Nezzie creaked the door open. A stream of light fell into the room, widening as the door swung lightly on its hinges. Tanji was sitting up, his back to her, head hunched. She pushed her bangs out of her eyes, then froze. Tanji was shaking, and from the back of his head jutted two long, sharp ears. Trickles of blood as red as Tanji’s fur dripped from the black teeth-like forms inside the ears.

“Tanji?” she piped up.

Tanji’s head rose, then slowly turned towards Nezzie. A shaking smile grazed his lips.

“H-hey Nezzie” he said, voice shivering as tears streamed down his face. Nezzie’s eyes widened and she burst into the room, leapt onto Tanji’s bed and wrapped him in a hug.

“H-hey it’s alright” Tanji said as he placed his head on her shoulder “I’m alright.”

Nezzie made an objecting noise. Tanji let out a shaky laugh.

“Just had a bad dream, that’s all.”

Nezzie reached up and tugged at Tanji’s new ears. He froze.

“W-well…” he pulled back and wiped his eyes, then looked at Nezzie “That is… quite a lot of hair you suddenly grew. Is the itching gone?”

Nezzie nodded, causing her bangs to fall back into her eyes.

“Oh goodness!” Tanji’s laugh was less shaky now “How about we get that cut so you can actually see?”

Nezzie nodded.

“Alright, let me go get the scissors!”

-

Word count: 1337

Not entirely sure if the description of Tanji's ears qualify as body horror, but here it is just in case.

Nezzie and Tanji got some new upgrades! And Nezzie gets a haircut. The story was originally gonna be a comic, but I'm super busy with other art projects right now + hootenanny prep, so I don't think I have the time to make it. So now it's a written story instead!

Nezzie:

+ Kelpie mane (Event myo upgrade)

Tanji:

+ Grin ears (Event myo upgrade)

I did not know what to title this, so have this which totally fits the darker themes in the story /j

Tracker

-
If you see an account called KenLichi liking/commenting, then that's my main account!
-

9/533

Have an awesome day!
- KenChiShi

Art (c) me - KenChiShi

Tanji, Nezzie (c) KenChiShi

Do NOT steal, trace, heavily reference, repost anywhere, or use my art in any shape or form without my permission. Thank you