Prompt 4
(Takes place December 25th)
Prompt 4 (Snowbunnies): Winter seems to bring out the cutest of all rodents; this isn’t the first time that small, white rabbits have infested Destiny City. They’re small, rarely larger than a guinea pig, and have large eyes and wiggling noses. They are always pure white and seem to show up whenever there’s snow. They aren't menacing or evil, they're just everywhere. They seem strangely domesticated; they are sweet, curious, and friendly creatures that will eat anything you give them. They always seem cold to the touch, and when they shake, little snowflakes sprinkle off of them.

While they seem to be social creatures who seem to appreciate anything warm and will cuddle up to steal body heat, they are too skittish and fast to be kept for pets. They can show up just about anywhere, either alone or--often--in pairs. They tend to wander off on their own without any trouble, but if you surprise them or try to catch or hurt them, they may bite. Their little teeth are enough to break skin, but after one bite they run away. The bite itself isn’t bad, but the effects are a bit unpleasant: for roughly two days after the bite, the injury is cold and the victim will feel random, cold, shooting pains. Their core body temperature will drop and they will often be sent into random fits of shivering. No medicine seems to help, and no amount of blankets or hot baths can soothe the chill. You're just going to have to deal with it and hope it gets better…

Most experiences with the bunnies are perfectly pleasant, you just have to worry about them burrowing. There are holes peppering Destiny City, and with the fresh fallen snow it can be impossible to tell where they are hiding. The holes range from small holes to several feet deep, so can be a minor inconvenience to a potential hazard. On the bright side, sometimes you wind up covered in bunnies looking for warmth from their sudden guest. On the other hand, there are a rising number of trips to the hospital for twists and sprains. The bunnies always leave with the snow, so best to enjoy them--or avoid them--for as long as you can.

Oh, God.

He’d ******** up. ******** anything else, the worst part of it was that he hadn’t even needed to be here. Maybe even shouldn’t have been here. But Ellian wasn’t the type who could sit around and wait when there was something exciting just around the corner. He had energy to burn and his veins were thrumming with eager anticipation, so he hadn’t spent the night at the apartment with Gideon, even though that is what he should’ve done.

Instead, he’d gone out. He’d figured a couple hours out in the cold would get him well and ready for a good few hours worth of snuggle with the bf before he woke up in the morning and set his plans in motion. And since he was going to be out and about, maybe Diesel could make better use of the time than Ellian could.

He would hit up a few of the areas close to bars near the campus and see if there was any energy to be drained, and he’d feel good and productive and suitably ready for a rest.

There weren’t a trillion people out, but there were enough to make Diesel feel like he wasn’t wasting his time, and that was good enough for him.

The worst things always happened right at the end.

Last round. A few more minutes.

Diesel didn’t have to be fully up in anyone’s business to drain them, so he was being “careful” by virtue of that. And y’know, he kept everything outside, so plenty of escape routes and not that many people to even see him. But one girl caught sight of him specifically, seemed to be able to see the little energy tendrils he was pulling off her and her friends. Diesel couldn’t say with any amount of clarity what happened after that.

Except that she must have recognized him or what he was to some degree, because that girl spared absolutely no time in shattering off the bottom edge of the beer bottle she was holding and lunging for him.

There might have been some commotion from her surroundings after that. Other people exclaiming, grabbing for her, grabbing for him- Diesel didn’t know, wasn’t aware of any of it besides that she lurched sharply into his immediate vicinity and gouged him once- twice- wherever she could come in contact with with the most expediency. No thinking, only doing.

He hadn’t even screamed.

Hadn’t done anything besides stare blankly at her and her broken bottle as little prickles of heat bloomed up low in his abdomen. Wet tickled his fingers, and the chilly air nipped at them.

Was he just going to stand there? He’d fought scarier things than some civilian with a beer bottle.

But Diesel’s mind felt completely stupid. He should’ve snatched her starseed and eaten it right there, and maybe then he’d have some clarity- or at least some energy to muster up an idea about what he should do- not stay, no, couldn’t stay, no matter who was shrieking around him, someone call the cops.

No. He knew he didn’t want to be part of that. ********, oh no. s**t. What could he do. Leave.

The Negaverse’s energy twisted haphazardly around him as he flung himself into a teleport. He had no idea where he landed because he had no idea about where he’d been thinking of going. No one was around him. It was dark and silent. Still somewhere in the city proper. Brick walls to either side of him. Probably not very far from where he’d just been; wouldn’t have had the energy or wherewithal to go far.

He sucked in a breath. It didn’t help.

Just made his body more aware of something being not right, and that was no good at all because once it was aware, it seemed to unilaterally decide all at once that nothing was good, nothing was right, mayday mayday- Diesel threw out one arm to brace himself against the wall while the other wetly smacked low against his abdomen-

“Hh-!” A shocked gasp of sound.

It hurt. He’d never been hurt like this.

Alright, keep it together. He had to- Get safe. Be better. Help: that’s what he wanted. Had to get somewhere so this could be handled. Diesel tried to pull at the Chaotic energy again. He’d been with the Negaverse for years. He could teleport more than once. …At least he probably could’ve even if hadn’t been zipping around all night, if he hadn’t been trying to wear himself out, if he wasn’t seeping thick and inky red droplets into the snow in front of him. When he tried to manifest the energy to teleport, it felt like it slud like threads through his fingers, something he couldn’t even hold.

Nat could summon him. And his older brother would know what to do.

He was too afraid to pull his hand off his stomach. The chill of the air was seeping in at the edges of where he kept his palm pressed, licking at the wet leather of his fuku.

Diesel picked his hand off the wall. His shoulder hit brick to brace himself, and he slid down to his knees in the snow, leaning against the wall for support. He could barely even grab his pen with how numb and clumsy his ******** useless fingers were. Definitely wouldn’t be typing out a message then. Voice memo, then. He could do that.

He could do that, he could do that, he could do that, come on.

It felt like the ice grabbed him and jerked him down into the snow, so that Diesel was half curled in on himself, laying on his side, a great swatch of rainbow hair spilling out behind him and an increasing blot of deep red staining the front. “Nat- Nat,” he croaked at his entirely unresponsive pen. “Help.”

Diesel should be freezing. For as often as he’d had to save people from winter with the heat of his magic, he should still be freezing, but that didn’t seem so bad right now. He could barely tell. He was more aware that he couldn’t. Move. He couldn’t move. His stupid tablet pen was loose in his hand and not even on and he couldn’t move. But he didn’t hurt. That had to be a good sign, probably. It couldn’t be that bad if he didn’t hurt.

He focused on breathing. One in, one out. He shut his eyes. One in, one out. Opened them again. Something entered his vision. Two little specks of blue crystal bobbing toward him. It took Diesel maybe a bit too long to realize it was a creature, something small and white and fluffy, hopping over to him. One breath in, one out. It cranes forward to sniff his nose.

A rabbit.

One in… one out.

He wasn’t sure if he managed to smile at it or tell it that it was very cute, but it tucked close to his cheek. The pure white of its fur was his entire field of vision.

One in…

…One out.

Something else brushed the top of his head. More fur pressed in close to his neck.

Oh, no…

Gideon.

Those plans Ellian had made for them to spend the day together. Diesel had ruined them. Even if he made it home in time, this wound… would he be able to stand in the kitchen and cook? Could he go ice skating? Could he drive…?

…One in…

…One out…

A little tickle in the palm of his bloodied hand. It had fallen away from his stomach, but there was a weight there now. Those snowy bunnies… they’d be stained.

He’d wanted to make the day special for someone he cared about. And it wasn’t going to be that, was it? He’d wanted to show his boyfriend how much he meant to him, show him that he could be not-selfish… But he’d left their stupid apartment alone.

And now…

WC: 1329