Work Text:
According to Wizeman, the First Levels were his greatest creations; Powerful, intelligent, and with the invaluable ability to steal every kind of Ideya.
At least, they would be. Currently they were little squirming beasts that fit in the palm of your hands. Even the younger visitors could lug them around effortlessly, even more easily than one of the nightopians. They were weak- eyes barely opened, movements clumsy and uncoordinated, incapable of flight.
Utterly pathetic life forms.
Currently-Currently they were filthy and needed to be washed.
Puffy had no idea how exactly two freshly hatched nightmarens who did little more than eat and sleep could get so dirty- Jackle’s explanation was frankly incomprehensible, somehow even more so than when the deranged imbecile was composed.
Still, she was the only one with a proper bathroom, so this had become her responsibility. Both had gotten a quick rinse to get most of the gunk off of them- plus their clothes and helms being washed, but they’d need a bit more focused cleaning to fully remove the rest.
Reala was more difficult for Puffy to deal with- which was why she chose them first. Yes, their sibling was much more snap-happy with biting, but NiGHTS was at least quiet.
Reala, by contrast, seemed to cry over everything. Being held, being put back down, being hungry, being fed, the list goes on.
Currently the offending issue was soap. It wasn’t the texture- she’d barely gotten to open the bottle before they’d begun wailing.
Any of the bottles, actually. The second the seal was broken on a soap, they’d begin sobbing, a shrill noise that hammered into her head ruthlessly.
Her sensitive hearing- enough to detect sounds in other nightmares- was usually a strength of hers, but this sound used it against her.
Puffy begins humming, a small soothing tune that slowly makes Reala calm down. The hatchling twitches, their whines quieting down into small whimpers. They curl up against her palm, staring at her with damp eyes. She sighs.
“Picky little soul, aren’t you darling?”
“Bbyeh.” She sets the bottle back down, before reaching for one final bottle.
“Look, darling, I’m running out of options. You better like this one or we’re both going to be miserable.” With that, she opens the bottle. Reala wiggles a bit, before-
A squeak.
Just one.
She blinks, tilting the bottle closer to Reala. They sniff at it a few times, before looking up at her. Reala mewls- a weak little sound, but notably not crying.
“Of course you like that one, it’s difficult to make.” She gently pets their head, the hatchling's eyes dampening a bit. “You have quite the refined taste considering how young you are.”
“Myehhhhhh.”
“Let’s get to washing you then, yes?” She pours a small glob of soap onto the hatchling’s belly before lathering it up, careful to not get any in their throat. Reala is surprisingly quiet, minus a few chirps from their face being touched by a damp towel. Still, they’re very cooperative, especially when she begins to rinse them off. They splash a bit in the water, cooing with excitement. Puffy tilts her head slightly, surprised by this behavior.
“You… certainly have some secrets, darling.”
“Byu!”
Given their small size, Reala is wrapped in a washcloth to dry off, still burying them in quite a bit of fabric.
Reala snuggles into the towel, purring loud enough that their entire body was shaking. Despite being arguably louder than their cries, the rumbling was a welcome reprieve from the piercing noise.
Soon enough, Reala’s helm is slipped back onto their head, hiding their nubby horns and tuft of hair. A peep of protest comes from the hatchling before their vest is once again on their body, snug on their miniscule form. Their tiny hands are slipped into their gauntlets, gently locked onto their arms to keep the child from losing them. Boots were placed on tiny paws- earning Puffy a wiggly kick from Reala, and their collar was placed back on, the hatchling’s head tucked safely into the fabric.
“Time to rest, darling.” With that, she headed back to her bedroom, where the twins nightmare- and NiGHTS herself- currently resided.
Their nightmare was little more than a red and violet cushion, but it still was incredibly generously sized for the two infants.
NiGHTS was beginning to wake, eyes cracked open slightly as she wiggled around the nightmare.
She sets Reala back down next to NiGHTS, earning a bite from the purple hatchling. “Nice to see you too, dear.” NiGHTS growls, before letting go of Puffy’s fingertip. “Now it’s your turn.” Puffy scoops her up, getting another growl in response.
Reala gives a single peep of protest at her taking away their twin before they fall asleep, too tired from the oh-so-busy job of crying.
…
NiGHTS was afraid of the water.
Incredibly so.
As soon as it touched her, all the snappiness melted away, replaced by the hatchling desperately digging her tiny needle-like claws into Puffy’s skin. She’d managed to claw her way up the second level’s shoulder before stopping, burying her face in Puffy’s cheek fur.
“Mm. Let’s try something different.”
After a few minutes of preparation, Puffy gently pulls the hatchling away from her face. Instead of the sink having water inside, there now was a washcloth placed at the bottom, with a water jug set on its side- alongside another cloth and the soap. NiGHTS stares up at her, eyes wide and body shuddering.
“I will try to be fast, dear.”
With that, she sets the hatchling onto the sink-cloth, NiGHTS’ claws immediately digging into the fabric. Pouring a small amount of water from the jug got a small squeak from her, but thankfully no panicked squirming.
A small glob of soap was placed on the second washcloth, before being rubbed in- easier to have the lather ready before bothering the snappier twin.
NiGHTS didn’t seem to care as much about scents as Reala did, not reacting until the washcloth touched her belly.
“Nyyeeeeb.” She wiggles around, trying to pull away from the soap-cloth.
“Dear, you smell terrible. It can’t be pleasant for you to be coated in… that.”
“Byyyeeeh!”
Soaping up NiGHTS took significantly longer than Reala, given her constant squirming.
Washing it off made the protests begin anew, more displeased squeaking coming from the hatchling. Still, her energy being used to whine meant she wasn’t biting, which was some sort of a plus. Eventually, despite NiGHTS’ protests, she was clean.
Putting her clothes back on was effortless- for the most part. NiGHTS had clamped down on one of Puffy’s fingers with her lantern, but the collar was much too small to really get stuck, instead sticking onto the pad of Puffy’s finger. At the very least, it made it easier to place the collar over her throat.
Fully washed and dressed, NiGHTS just glares at Puffy.
“Exhausted, dear?”
“Graaaaa.” She halfheartedly bites Puffy’s palm, lazily staring up at the second level.
“Mhm. Let’s find your sibling.”
Reala was still dozing by the time they returned, still tired from their own bathtime endeavors. They didn’t even wake from NiGHTS being placed beside them, instead sleepily snuggling up to their twin. NiGHTS continues her angry glares, staring up at Puffy despite actively falling asleep. Alas, after a minute or so exhaustion won, NiGHTS joining her twin in sleep.
Puffy exhales softly, sitting down in an armchair beside their nightmare. Watching them rest peacefully made an odd feeling bloom in her chest.
She wasn’t the type of person to be a mother despite what her-not her memories insisted.
That wasn’t relevant here.
Her feelings weren’t relevant here.
Only Wizeman’s orders were.
She was, however, content to observe them. To study them. Train them.
She could be their teacher, and nothing more
…she lies to herself.