Private Barracks/Imperial Condos The Trenches The Canon

[Asta Dalgaard]

Asta glanced down at the small piece of paper in her paw, then back up at the street sign on the building at the cross street where she currently stood. She had finally found the correct street. Though she had been to the Trenches before, it had always been with somebeast who knew where they were going. Navigating Bully Harbor had yet to become second nature for her--she was far more accustomed to farm paths and wooded trails rather than the maze of streets that was the city she now called home. She was rather proud of herself for getting this far in her search, and as she made her way down the street, she counted the numbers on the flats she passed until she came to the one listed on her piece of paper.

She felt a hint of nervousness as she stepped up to the door. The last time she had seen the fox had been under harrowing circumstances, and she only hoped Whisper would not find it unnerving to see the jill on their doorstep. Though it had been a month since the attack at the Opera House, Asta suspected it was just as fresh for the fox as it was for her.

Asta raised her paw and knocked.

 

[Marie "Whisper" Deftclaw]

Whisper was, in a way, in the middle of creation rage. The events of opera were traumatic to say the least for the fox that was sheltered from most harm for their entire life. It did however leave them impossibly inspired. Whisper, casing that perfect symphony, combining chaos, stress and destruction. Fortissimo crescendos that would build the tension! Adagio and allegro syncopation, making the music beautifully anarchic! The possibilities were endless.

And it was second week of that creation madness when Whisper heard a knock to their flatlet. They expected nobody so it made them jump from the chair and fall onto the floor in shock. This resulted in hundreds of pieces of paper Whisper covered in music to fly everywhere around the flatlet. It was an absolute mess, just as Whisper, who in their chase for perfection forgot about even most basic needs of their body.

After scrambling for a moment, Whisper got to the doors and slightly put them ajar. They were looking miserable. Unkept fur, deep circles under eyes. Clothing that consisted of a blanket draped over their body. Only upon actually witnessing who was there, Whisper caught up with the fact they could've at least put underwear onto themselves before opening doors. Especially as on the other side was one very familiar Jill. Asta. The one beast that helped her immensely in the Opera before... everything went to the gutter.

Mortified, Whisper managed somehow to forced a bit of saliva down their parched throat and usher very weak and barely audible "H-hello." After that, their anxiety froze them in place.

 

[Asta Dalgaard]

Asta blinked. For a moment she thought perhaps she had gotten the wrong flat. A glance to the number on the building told her that she was in the correct place. The little fox, however, was quite different than Asta remembered them. A maternal sort of instinct rose in Asta as she looked down upon the disheveled Whisper.

"Hallo," she said pleasantly. "Um, sorry to be intruding this morning. I having a question for you, but maybe another time better?" Then, because she could not go without asking, without at least checking on the small vulpine, "Are you doing okay?"

 

[Marie "Whisper" Deftclaw]

Whisper was in no way sure what to answer. That is aside of course the fact they were unable to do so for a moment. After a very long moment and a few tears that went down their muzzle, they opened the door a bit more to show the absolute chaos of the flatlet.

"I... b-been bu-busy." They weakly managed before again realising they are practically naked. Running away to the closet sized bathroom, Whisper only threw a mismatched mumble to Asta that could mean anything.

 

[Asta Dalgaard]

Asta stood in the open doorway as the fox darted off. She stared at the mess within the small flat. Deciding that Whisper had not told her directly to go away, the jill stepped into the room and shut the door behind her.

"I'll just wait here, ja?" She kicked off her boots and set down her satchel in the entryway, then walked in several more steps to crouch and pick up several sheets of music. Humming the line of notes, she gave an appreciative nod. "What are you working on? It sounding nice."

 

[Marie "Whisper" Deftclaw]

Whisper was now frantically trying to get themselves together. Putting on a skirt and a shirt that were absolutely mismatched and further added to apparent androgyny of the fox. Upon hearing this question, Whisper got confused and left the bathroom to answer. Still disheveled but at least wearing something more than a blanket.

„H-hi Asta… G-good t-to see yo-you.” Whisper stated meekly and moved to sit down in the sofa, first taking a few drums off of it. „I’m so-sorry. I-I did not expect g-guests. I w-was tr-trying to make a n-new sy-symphony t-to p-p-put that opera tr-trauma s-sealed in it.” Whisper sat down on the sofa, realising they forgot underwear. Curling their tail around their legs the fox put their muzzle into their paws, barely managing this combination of exhaustion and embarrassment. They were not good at all, and now they were showing the worst of them to one of few beasts in Harbour that did show them kindness.

 

[Asta Dalgaard]

"A new symphony?" Asta's expression brightened. "That a good way to dealing with what happened, I think."

She stood there, unsure of where she ought to go. With a shrug, she pushed some papers aside and sat on the floor. "I decided to joining the Unsmudgables after everything happened. I thinking you do a good thing, too, writing music. Except, maybe you should eat, too, ja? When is last time you eating something, Whisper?"

 

[Marie "Whisper" Deftclaw]

Whisper still held their tail tightly around their lap as they mellowed. Asta was meaning well. Whisper just had to repeat themselves that over and over and over again. Seeing as she sat on the, the fox too slipped from the sofa onto the carpet. Finally feeling more at ease, the almost motherly question from Asta hit them like a cart.

"I... Th-three d-days ago?" That was the last time Pomodu came for her lesson bringing some buns. Whisper ate a few then. And since they didn't have any food left at home, Whisper just forgo food to continue doing music.

And now, as they were taken into the real world again, Whisper finally started feeling it much. It was so bad it hurt. "G-good... Good for y-you! I am s-sure yo-you wi-will b-be a g-gr-great Smudgie!" Whisper admitted truthfully. They got to learn a lot about them in the past weeks or so.

 

[Asta Dalgaard]

Asta shook her head. "Thank you, I'm doing my best with learning. But Whisper, three days without eating? We needing to get you some food."

She stood up, looking around the small flat. "You having anything here? I can cook something for you. Or," Asta went to pick up her satchel, rifling through it. "Yes, looking like I having enough gilders to buy you something. I not taking 'no' for an answer, either. You needing to eat. Can't writing music if you not eating."

The jill smiled despite her firmness. "So, we going out to get food or I making something for you here?"

 

[Marie "Whisper" Deftclaw]

Whisper blinked a few times as they struggled with Asta suddenly acting like their mother. It was almost too familiar and caused a lot weird feelings clashing within the fox. Fortunately with tired body and starvation creeping in, Whisper didn't dare to say no. Instead, they did let out a weak whine as they've stood up themselves.

"I... d-don't have a-any f-f-food h-here. W-we ha-have to g-go... I-I c-can pay!" Whisper assured, more themselves than Asta as they moved to the doors, once again forgetting that they are in no state that any beast should see them in.

 

[Asta Dalgaard]

"Whisper, wait." Asta could not keep the laugh out of her voice as she blocked the fox's exit. "Not that I minding how you look, but you should probably be washing and putting on underwear."

 

[Marie "Whisper" Deftclaw]

Whisper stopped in place, reminded of their sorry state. Of course, in their anxiety, confusion and exhaustion the fox had forgotten again about such thing as their looks. The worst part was that they reacted automatically, as they always would back at home.

"S-s-sorry mom. I j-jus..." They cut off while blushing from embarrassment so hard they were now the second most red fox in the whole Harbour. Sure they've now done it, that they've now scared Asta away forever, Whisper collapsed onto the floor in tears, looking as scared as they were in the Opera upon seeing Caden's blade.

 

[Asta Dalgaard]

"Mom?" Asta frowned. At first she thought perhaps the fox was mocking her caretaking, but when Whisper collapsed on the floor, crying, the jill softened and went to her. She crouched beside her acquaintance--perhaps even friend--and laid a gentle paw across their shoulders. "Whisper, you are okay, ja? I'm not upset. It's okay if you calling me 'mom'." She let out a small laugh.

"I not remembering my mom much, so maybe I trying to act like I wish having a mother was like." Patting the fox's back, she continued, "When you're ready, though, we getting you washed and in clean clothes, then some breakfast."

 

[Marie "Whisper" Deftclaw]

Whisper was just horribly embarrassed and anxious, but Asta coming back to humour them and help them out was nothing but soothing. As much as the fox wanted to push away the parallels between the Jill and their own mother, they just couldn't get over that and it stressed them even more.

Still, Asta was reassuring and made a good point. Whisper relied heavily on their family. Asta saying that she wanted to act as she would want her mother to be made sense and Whipser calmed down a bit finally. They gave Asta a weak hug before standing up again. "T-th-thank you... I-I think I need y-your h-help. And I a-am g-glad to ha-have you here. P-pl-please, Fe-feel free t-to explore. I n-need a few mi-minutes to g-get ready."

And with that Whisper went to the bathroom again. This time at first picking more complete and fitting set of clothes on their way as well as some basic grooming tools. Though it was very very apparent they were struggling with walking even. Hunger and lack of sleep were taking their toll.

 

[Asta Dalgaard]

Glad that she had not further traumatized the poor fox with her efforts to comfort them, Asta allowed herself to sift through the sheets of music littered throughout the flat as Whisper went to clean up. She felt the urge to organize things, but knowing how eccentric musicians could be about their work (her father had certainly had his unhinged compositional times), she made sure to place everything back in the disarray in which she had found it. From what she could see of the disparate parts of the symphony, it was going to be a unique masterpiece, if Whisper survived long enough to finish it.

Asta eyed the closed bathroom door. It had been long enough that the jill was beginning to worry. She made her way to the doorway and knocked softly.

"Not rushing you, just checking and seeing if you are okay in there."

 

[Marie "Whisper" Deftclaw]

Asta knocked and knocked. Worrying for the little fox and calling out to them.

But nobody came.

That is because, exhausted Whisper, after entering the tub with lukewarm water, simply fell asleep inside it. It was hard not to considering they had a total of single digit hours of sleep in the past three days. The fox was simply needing it and the water was soothing enough to make them mellow out. Fortunately the tub wasn’t too big or deep for Whisper to drown that easily. Lying inside it, semi-curled around their own tail, exhausted to the bone, Whisper who normally had very light sleep, wasn’t going to wake from just soft knocks and calls.

 

[Asta Dalgaard]

Asta cracked open the door to peer inside. She let out a small squeak of concern at seeing the fox lying so still in the tub, and she swung the door fully open to step into the bathroom. "Whisper--" the jill began, then stopped, realizing her companion was simply asleep rather than in any dire situation.

She leaned against the door frame with a bemused smile, paw on her hip. "Hva skal jeg gjøre med deg?" Knowing it would be dangerous to leave the little vulpine to sleep without anybeast there, and feeling that perhaps they needed some rest before food, Asta darted out of the bathroom in search of something to entertain herself for a while. She returned with a dense tome on botany and sat herself beside the tub, opening the book to a section on flowers native to the Tookumberry Keys. Perhaps when she finished the chapter she would attempt to rouse the exhausted fox.

 

[Marie "Whisper" Deftclaw]

Whisper slept dreamlessly for the next hour or so. Were it not for their shallow breaths, one wouldn't be able to tell they were alive. But the exhaustion was so deep, the body fully gave up to it.

When Whisper finally blinked themselves awake, still tired but at least slightly energised from a nap. They've spotted Asta sitting by them, reading one of their books about flowers of the world. They were speechless and needed a moment to realise they were not dreaming, at which point they sunk into the tub. The fact they were naked in the tub brought out one of Whispers biggest fears and anxieties to the levels unheard of before. This fox after all hated their pathetic body that was in no way what any fox should have. The idea itself that Asta seen it was appalling. Whisper could only quietly sob at what was most likely to come. Being called a child, an underdeveloped failure of a vixen they never were. At least under the water Asta could not see the tears, but Whisper could only hold the breath for so long and yet they... were not leaving the water.

 

[Asta Dalgaard]

Catching the movement of Whisper sinking further into the tub, Asta sprang to action, thinking her friend was in danger. She dropped the book and stood quickly. The jill leaned over and thrust her paws beneath the surface of the water to latch beneath Whisper's arms and drag them bodily up and out of the tub. With water dripping from both of them now onto the floor, Asta slipped and fell to her tail, Whisper in her lap.

"Sorry," she said, trying to find some appropriate place to put her paws as she belatedly remembered all the nudity taboos of the Imperium that had yet to become second nature to her. "Are you okay? I seeing you go under the water, thinking you might be drowning."

 

[Marie "Whisper" Deftclaw]

Whisper needed a moment, a long one, to even process what was going on. Clearly Asta was joking. How could they not notice their dismorphed body? Their absolute lack of feminine or masculine traits? Their lanky, tiny structure? It wasn't possible Asta was not readying themselves to make a comment on that. Not to Whisper.

And yet, even after fall, Asta held them. In their lap, apologising and trying to not touch them in any of the places that long would've developed for any vixen their age. Further humiliated with that, Whisper broke crying into Asta, holding onto them dearly for a long while. Only after the tears slowed and Whisper could speak, they did whisper some meek words. "P-please... t-tell me h-how pa-pathetic I-I am... y-you s-s-saw it... I fa-failed e-even a-at having a p-pro-proper b-body..."