Chapter Text
On the way back home, when you were on the flat roads and didn't need to switch gears with your right hand, you gently and carefully stroked the trimmings head, not really caring if your fingers got dirty. This got you a little clicking of its little bone plates. For some reason, the little thing was so precious that you couldn't get over it. You heard how juvenile mimics look like trimmings, and how they had four limbs, just like the one you craddled in your arm. A small part of you became a little anxious, but, you would know if it was a mimic! you also heard that they were packed with a ton of instincts and they go for the juggular, and if this was one, it would have already bit your throat out.
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When you finally pulled into your driveway, you sat back, sighing and petting the trimming that seemed much less afraid. You turned off the car and untied yourself. You covered its face with the blanket fully before getting out of the truck, being careful not to move too quickly. It chattered quietly, a retaliation at you moving, claws gripping into you harder as it stabilized itself again. You felt the the way the claws dug deeper into your skin, nerves angry and cold. Whatever, you really couldn't care less right now. You walked towards your house, gently petting the trimming.
Finally, you reached the door, grabbing your key and unlocking the door to your home before walking in. Once you made it inside, you closed the door with your foot before making your way towards the living room. Once you made it, you opened your jacket, removing the trimming slowly, claws carrying some blood from your collarbone. You gently placed the trimming onto the couch, getting onto your knees in front of it, making sure it was really tucked in and comfortable before getting up and quickly making your way to the bathroom. First thing you wanted to do was check the damage done to your skin. Pulling down the black shirt, you saw the deep claw marks left by the trimming. Yikes.
You opened up the cabinet, looking around before reaching out to grab some polysporin, taking off the cap and putting a small glob of the translucent grey cream cream onto your finger. Carefully, you added some to your cuts, it luckily didnt sting as bad as you expected... but it still stung like a bitch! You heard a sort of barked out chirp over your whining, clearly from the trimming.
"Yes! I'll be there soon, little guy!" You said as you quickly finished applying the cream, wiping the excess off on a cloth. You then walked over to the bath tub, getting down onto your knees to turn on the water. You had limited knowledge on how to take care of a trimming, only a few facts from elementry and high school projects about the vita carnis, so, you poured some warm water into the bath like you would a baby or small animal. The water stood at about two and a half inches high. Perfect... i hope?
You prepared a towel and a square blanket near the tub before getting up quickly and walking to the living room eagerly. When you entered the living room...
THUMP!
You saw the trimming with the blanket now on its face hit its head on the leg of the coffee table... its teeth chattered, clearly frustrated. Letting out a smiliar bark-like chirp that you heard before at the table leg, but it had more anger in it. Giggling to yourself quietly, you carefully pulled the blanket off of it, looking at its face now full of life. it looked up at you, a little scared, but It seemed to be smiling... cute!! You then motioned with your hand for it to follow you, slowly taking steps towards the bathroom. You wanted to train it to follow you, in a way.
"Come on, buddy!" You cracked a small smile at it. It seemed to understand and chased after you playfully, grumbling and growling like a puppy. It even jumped at your legs. You yelped in surprise at the contact of its little paw-like hands on your ankles. You replied by picking it up and smothering it in attention. You then discovered something... it was ticklish! you tickled its little tummy, getting your hand nibbled before entering the bathroom. You approached the bath, getting on your knees in front of it. It seemed curious at the water, so you slowly lowered it into the water. When its toes hit the water though, it freaked out!
"Ah! Hey! its okay!-" You quickly took it out, holding it close to you again. You thought for a second, stroking its head before... Oh yeah! You got up, put the trimming down, slipping off your socks, rolling up your pants, and then stepping into the bath. You sat on the side of the bathtub with your feet in the water, showing it the water was fine and wasn't going to brutally murder it like how it reacted before. The trimming then hesitantly jumped onto the edge of the bathtub, looking at the water before placing its two from paw-like hands back into the tub while its back paws were on the edge of the tub. It froze, its eyes watching and feeling the water move against its skin. Fascinated, it then let its back paws go into the water next. It was still a little worried, looking around whilst almost frozen, until you scooped some of the water up and slowly poured it onto its back with bumps from its spine. You leaned back to grab a wash cloth that was almost completely out of your reach, but fortunately, not too far. Managing to grab it and regain your balance.
You them grabbed soap made for sensitive skin, squeezing some soap out onto the cloth before using your feet to pull the trimming towards you. You started to scrub it, seeing the difference in colour compared to the brownish hue the trimming had before cleaning off some of the dirt and grime. You scrubbed under its armpits, legs, neck, and belly. and... oh my god, is that a tail?! You squealed, scaring the trimming. You made sure to clean it's tadpole-like tail as it wagged like the one of a ducks. too cute!!! you didn't even know why you were so surprised anyway. it was obvious a trimming would have a tail... but still!
After a bit of cleaning and playing, the water started to turn brown. So, obviously, you drained and refilled the bath. But when you were about to close the faucet because the water was roughtly at what it was at before, the trimming tried to nip at your hand, but you pulled it away from the handle fast enough to escape its little bone plates. You let the water fill up the bath enough for the trimming to be able to swim... which it had fun doing! It played in the water and basically cleaned the rest of itself, but then, as it was swimming, you grabbed it. It chattered in retaliation, but let you take it out. It shivered as it was placed on the bath mat and had the towel thrown onto it. You reached out to grab the towel, rubbing the towel in circels at first against its sides, drying it roughly but playfully. It moved around, chattering and chirping, angry yet happy. Once you dried the trimming as best as you could, you also decided to dry your legs, the trimming then tried to press against you for warmth. Smiling, you pet it. You then got back onto your knees, reaching into the water of the bathtub and unplugging the water blocker from the drain.
Now, you tossed the white towel stained with some of the trimmings natural oil into the washing machine. Now... grabbing the trimming, you laid it down on the soft square blanket laid out in the diamond shape, the top corner, where its head rested, was folded down. it obliged, letting you pull the right corner over it, then the bottom corner, and lastly, the left corner. Now...! It was swaddled like a baby! You picked it up like a baby and kissed its little head, holding it against you as you got up and walked out the bathroom and into the kitchen, baby talking the trimming on the way. It would chatter back at you, making your heart swell.
Now that you were in the kitchen, you remembered you had limited knowledge of what trimmings ate and trimmings in general, so you decided to grab a banana, peeling it and putting the peel on a plate. You placed the insides into a container, saving them for something else. Then you added leftover pork that your butcher neighbor had given to you beside the banana peel. After hugging the trimming tightly, you unswaddled it and set it down. placing the plate down in front of it. It sniffed the plate, nibbling on the banana peel before pushing it off the plate. It then went for the pork, eating it enthusiastically... Bein, it's good that I know it's preference, huh. As it ate, it's tail wagged, which made you chuckle.
Once it was done, you made sure to clean the pork juice off its face with a scott towel. You even caught yourself with a big smile! it's been a while since you've smiled like that...
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After playing with the trimming, it was clear that both of you were tired. it yawned and stretched in front of its ball. It reached out to push the ball, its claw barely grazed it before the trimming gave up and stayed on its back. You decided to get up and grab it. It wasn't even surprised anymore, completely used to you just picking it up in your arms, and it was also pretty tired after all, so it didn't care in the least.. its lower body dangled as your arms wrapped around it.
Once you made it to your room, you fell to your side, letting the bed catch you. You also did this just to scare your trimming. Which you successfully managed, but it scratched your arm in fear, leaving red, irritated lines on your skin. Luckily, it didn't break through your skin unlike when you found it.
The trimming chattered and pushed its head under your shirt, trying to burrow in an attempt to get feel safer. The skin to skin ended being calming for the trimming. It really was like a baby... Your arms instinctively wrapped around it protectively, something in you also wanted to make sure it felt safe, as if it was your child... You both fell asleep shortly after.