Eternal Night (placeholder name)

by ParadoxBloom

Summary:

Vampires and weretoons have always had bad blood between them. Even if they may both be hated by villager toons, they'll always hate eachother, always fighting for things such as territory or resources.

Shrimpo is a vampire who's regarded as weak. He's only able to survive off the blood of small animals, as he's barely able to take down even a deer! However, in order to prove himself, he sets out to kill off the alpha of the nearby weretoon pack; Dandicus Dancifer.

Notes:

So if you're wondering why I haven't updated my oneshots, then uh, blame this fic lol

I've been struggling to come up with a multi-chapter angryflower fic that covers all the things I wanna write. I'm not in a canon compliant mood but perhaps in the future, I'll make one that takes place in canon.
For now, Werewolf!Dandy x Vampire!Shrimpo!

Do not ask me about the worldbuilding of this. Because not even I know. By the way, Weretoons (werewolves) and Vampires can still be considered "toons", which is why you'll see them referred to as such.

Oh right! Most tags will come into play later in the story. Some may change since the whole thing isn't planned out, but I have at least half of the fic planned. I don't have plans for the fic to be super long, but we'll see. More character tags are likely to be added as more appear. Dandy, Shrimpo and Glisten appear in this chapter, Bassie and Astro are mentioned, and Sprout will be playing a major role in like the next chapter, or the one after that. I forgot.

I also forgot to add, the name is a placeholder because I want something more interesting, but I don't know. Yes, it's named after The Legend of Spyro. I fucking love Spyro. *wearing a badge that says "talk to me about spyro"* (grim fandango x dandys world fic soon/j)

Chapter 1: First Meet

Vampires are regarded as regal and sophisticated. They made their homes in dark areas such as abandoned landmarks, commonly castles or mansions, and often didn't bother any toons unless necessary. They are unable to go out in sunlight without protective gear on, so instead are active at night, hunting down their prey. Their targets were, of course, animals; they could live just fine off of animal blood, normally going for deer or rodents, but toon blood (referred to as "ichor", an inky black substance different to what's found in animals) was an option for those brave enough to walk into a village of those things. They could at least take down a deer, roughly by their early teens.

Shrimpo, a grown man, could not do any of this.

To his peers, he was regarded as annoying, and an oddball. He'd had a troubled upbringing as he was the prime target for bullying, which caused him to turn the tables later in life, turning him into what he once hated. Shrimpo's only ability was that he could breathe underwater, but that was only because he was a shrimp toon, and had nothing to do with being a vampire. Unless getting his shit kicked in and nearly dying on multiple occasions to deer counts as an "ability"! He could barely even hunt rabbits or mice, always being just a little bit slower to catch them. Unfortunately, this meant he had to rely on the more experienced vampires who resided in the castle with him for food.

"You know, maybe it might be best we sign you up for some of those classes Lord Astro is starting." Glisten teased, poking Shrimpo's cheek to further annoy him. It was a habit for everyone in the castle to poke fun at him, really, since it was easy to push him over the edge to another outburst. It was entertaining to watch him start yelling nonsense at anyone who dared come close, at least to most. "But seriously, when are you gonna work on those hunting skills? You can't rely on us forever, you know."

"I KNOW! I HATE WHEN PEOPLE BRING THAT UP!!" Shrimpo snapped, pushing Glisten away from him. "AND I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE STAND TOO CLOSE TO ME!!"

"Yeesh, sorry." Glisten crossed his arms, and rolled his eyes in offense. He wasn't sure if he actually wanted to help the guy out from how in denial he always was. Whenever he got criticised, Shrimpo would retort with things such as "YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND SHRIMPO'S METHODS!" or "YOU'RE JUST JEALOUS I'M BETTER!", refusing to change his ways no matter what. "Or do you want to be weak forever?"

"Wh- NO! SHRIMPO IS NOT WEAK!" There he goes again, protesting his own lack of skill. "SHRIMPO HAS MORE POWER THAN THIS UGLY MIRROR COULD EVEN IMAGINE!"

"Ugly mirror--!? Actually, I suppose that's not the worst thing you've called me." Glisten scoffed, now looking at the shrimp with disgust. "I am serious, though. If you're not able to take down even a deer, you're probably going to be exiled."

Exiled. That last word immediately rang through his head. Becoming exiled only happens under specific circumstances in vampires; usually if they betray their lord, or if they're not strong enough by a certain age. Shrimpo would be pushing his thirties in toon years (but vampires lived for centuries, in comparison to toons, so he'd be well in his hundreds by now), meaning he'd passed his time to be strong, but Lord Astro pitied him, and allowed him extra time. It was waning thin, but Shrimpo couldn't bring himself to accept the fact he was truly weak, instead deciding to lie to himself until it became the truth.

"N-No, that won't happen! I'm too STRONG!" Shrimpo's voice wavered for a moment. He'd been exiled once, believe it or not, which was why he was amongst... an assortment of toons, to say the least. He was a shrimp, after all, and most toons here were land-based, even if not necessarily an object like Glisten was. He'd never felt truly home here, but it was the only place he had shelter, so he tried to "fit in" the best he could. Even if he didn't spare anyone from his bullying, it made sense in Shrimpo's head instead of anyone else's.

"Oh yeah? And where's your proof?" Glisten questioned, which seemed to further upset the smaller vampire, who looked to be bubbling with hatred.

"WELL-- I-I'LL TAKE DOWN..." Shrimpo looked around the room. Old paintings and tapestries decorated the walls, mainly ones representing vampires before them, even ones long gone from this world. His first idea was to select another powerful vampire to fight, as it wasn't unheard of for vampires to have duels, but he knew he'd be outclassed. That was when his eyes locked onto a wolf skull on one of the drawers (well, it was some sort of furniture, I don't know what it's called do not fucking ask), placed there like a trophy, reminding him of who they shared a forest with. That was when he got an equally stupid idea in his head. "... I'LL TAKE DOWN THAT STUPID WERETOON ALPHA EVERYONE HERE HATES!"

Glisten couldn't help but burst into laughter. He knew full well who Shrimpo was talking about, the whole castle did, but he sounded way too serious to have it actually be taken seriously. "You? Kill Dandicus? Maybe you should give up being a vampire and be a stand-up comedian. I think that'd suit you better."

"I AM NOT JOKING!" Shrimpo huffed, stomping his foot on the ground.

"... You're not?" Glisten's laughter stopped, now looking at him with uncertainty. "You know the only vampire who's equal in power to Dandicus is Lord Astro, right? I don't think that's a good idea.."

"AGH-- WHO CARES! I DON'T!" Shrimpo would retort, spinning on his heel to go leave. "AND I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE GET IN MY WAY! SO DON'T TRY TO STOP ME!"

 

---

 

In comparison to vampires, weretoons are considered almost barbaric. They were quite literally wild, being more connected to animals than toons, specifically wolves. They'd possess sharp claws with paws, thick, messy layers of fur on their bodies, and a similarly scruffy tail. Some would have wolf-like ears, others didn't. The only similarity they had to vampires were their sharp fangs, and being half-toon. What they lacked in magic they made up for in brute strength, being able to take down even bears in some cases. They never really made their homes in, well, homes, but instead lived in caves in the forest. They find themselves most active at dusk and dawn, like typical wolves, but mainly hunt at night. All weretoons live in packs, ones ruled by a specific weretoon known as the alpha.

Dandicus filled this role. Even if weretoons were known for being ruthless, he possessed a kind soul, one that cared deeply about his fellow pack members. He wasn't the most serious leader, often cracking jokes, and even allowing his pack to refer to him as "Dandy" - a shorter, cuter nickname, than his birth given one. This doesn't mean he was completely defenseless; he was the strongest around these parts, feared even by his vampire enemies. The only one who could rival his sheer strength was the vampire lord Astro, however Astro rarely leaves the castle, having his own businesses to attend to. 

Currently, it was the middle of the night. Most of the pack were awake, including Dandicus himself, mainly because he had a job to do; hunting. They'd often go in groups, splitting up to cover more forest, but Dandy decided to (very conveniently) go off on his own. This wasn't odd, and he had his sister Bassie to watch over the pack in his absence; everyone likes a little solitude once in a while. It helped him focus more, not having to worry about others getting hurt, being able to target prey easier. He had his eyes on a deer currently, looking at it through nearby shrubbery, waiting for the right time to pounce--

Snap.

A twig suddenly cracked. It wasn't because of him, he was completely still. That was when the bushes in front began to shuffle about, before a flash of black and orange shot out from it-- only to land flat on its face as the deer ran off in fear. Even if Shrimpo's initial intention was to find Dandicus, it wouldn't hurt to bring back some food.

Dandy rose up from the bushes, revealing himself to the smaller toon. It wasn't someone he recognised, but he was quick to underestimate him; Shrimpo had a very thin stature, and was only chest-height to Dandy, even if the weretoon was short by his species standards, he didn't believe Shrimpo would be able to do much to him. "You know you're near weretoon territory, right?"

"I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE POINT OUT THINGS THAT ARE VERY OBVIOUS!" Shrimpo immediately started yelling, disregarding who he was yelling to, getting back on his feet and brushing his suit off. He wasn't very sophisticated in personality-wise, he was still forced to wear a black suit with a matching cape; most vampires did, it was tradition!

Dandy raised a brow. "If you know, then why are you here?"

"BECAUSE-- I'M GONNA FIGHT YOU! RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!" Shrimpo pointed to the ground, having that serious tone from earlier.

For a few moments, Dandicus didn't say anything, and instead looked at him flabbergasted - up until he burst into a fit of laughter. "You? Fight me? Oh, come on, that's hardly fair."

Shrimpo growled. He didn't believe it wasn't fair, he wanted to believe that he was stronger, if he was just given a chance. "AGHH-- IT IS FAIR! IT'S MORE THAN FAIR!!"

Dandy had to forcefully calm himself down, a red claw reaching up to his eye to wipe a tear away. "You vampires have always fascinated me. Always too confident for your own good," He said, crouching down to Shrimpo's level, obviously attempting to mock him. "Listen... wait, what's your name?"

"SHRIMPO!" Shrimpo responded, almost proudly, puffing out his chest as Dandy got closer.

"Right. And you came to me specifically because you know how "strong" I am?" The larger toon questioned.

Shrimpo nodded. "I DID."

"Then, you should know you're fightin' a losin' battle, got it? I much prefer my opponents with a little more resistance to 'em." Dandy pat Shrimpo's head, before raising back up, turning to leave. "Just get out of here before the rest of the pack get here. Trust me, it won't be good."

Shrimpo's fists clenched into balls as he frowned, somehow more than he usually would, utterly furious at how he was brushed off so easily. He wasn't going to accept that, chasing after Dandicus, lunging at him from behind and clinging onto him, attempting to bite into his neck, when he suddenly whipped around and slammed Shrimpo into the ground. The reaction was scarily quick, the vampire going from full of rage, to near paralysis from the fear he felt. Maybe there were times Shrimpo should accept the fact he really wasn't all that. And those eyes showed it; Dandy's normally pure black eyes had little red pricks in them as he glared down at Shrimpo, grabbing his neck.

"You really wanna try it, huh, lil' vamp?" Dandicus snarled, grasping Shrimpo's neck tighter, but not enough to totally crush it yet. He could see the fear on Shrimpo's breath as he struggled for air, thrashing about to try and free himself, but the weretoon didn't budge. 

Shrimpo felt a lump in his throat as he opened his mouth to speak. He wanted to yell and scream and beg, but he knew that'd make it worse. He could only hope Dandicus was merciful on him like he initially was, but that hope was dwindling. There wasn't much he could do now aside from stare back at him, breath rapid as he could sense his end, the only thing he could focus on being Dandy. Well, maybe he shouldn't. He couldn't tell if it was the lack of air giving him funny thoughts, but damn, he was actually kinda hot. Large and battle worn, just how he liked his men-- wait, huh?

Dandy had fallen silent by now, still having his claws wrapped firmly around the vampire's neck, but being so close up meant he could admire Shrimpo. He didn't want to admit it, but he was rather cute; the brash exterior he once had was endearing, and it was interesting how fast it faded - he didn't like how he liked Shrimpo, a vampire, enough to spare him, even after what he tried. Dandy resented vampires for their greed, and how they'd take more than they gave back. To a very, very small extent, vampires and weretoons had an allyship; they were willing to spare each other, allowing each other a share of land, even trading items in some cases, but they still weren't on the best of terms. 

And now, the oh-so-powerful alpha of a weretoon pack, had to come to terms with the fact he found a weak little vampire like Shrimpo cute. 

Dandicus slowly loosened his claws, before pulling away and standing up, yet still glaring down at Shrimpo. "You've already wasted enough of my time. I've got some hunting to get back to... so please, just get out of here."

Shrimpo scrambled away, pushing himself back to his feet, and diving back into the shrubbery. He did not want to get his ass handed to him again, and he was already embarrassed. He started to second guess if he really thought he could beat Dandy, or if it was just seeing if he could. He was an idiot.

Chapter 2: Shrimpo has issues

Summary:

The chapter where Shrimpo vents to Dandy??? Don't ask me how we got here, that wasn't the plan but I forgot the original plan, so fuck it we ball.

Notes:

HI SO THE NEW UPDATE AMIRIGHT???

God I love Blot he should kiss Dandy AND Shrimpo. I'm considering giving them their own mini AU but again, I have this one to focus on. I've just been hooked on DW but due to that stupid Grow a Garden game, its been lagging. Can't distract for shit.

Anyways uhh, there's no slow burn at ALL they're definelty gonna have their tongues down eachothers throats next chapter(/j). I don't plan on making this fic very long, maybe about 10-15 chapters. I don't have a solid ending written out just yet, though, I'm currently knocking down the chapters I have planned beforehand and seeing what ideas I get in the process. Hopefully things will be semi-coherent by the end!

After the encounter, Shrimpo didn't want to stay outside much longer, hurrying himself back to the castle and slamming the door shut behind him. His heart was pounding in his chest, as if it were about to burst free, and he was out of breath. His neck still stung from Dandicus' claws and was likely bruised, but he hadn't checked yet. He wanted to forget what had happened. He couldn't bear to remember all the little details; the way Dandicus' body was pushed against him to keep him down, how their breaths mingled as he was close enough to rip his throat out, and those eyes - they terrified him, yet were so alluring. God, he was a freak! An idiot! An idiot and a freak!

Shrimpo facepalmed as he rested against the door for support, having only just regained his breath. He wanted to rip his brain out and stomp on it for the strange way it made him feel. He could hardly think of anything outside the encounter, making him wish for a change of subject. That was when he heard two voices get closer, one flamboyant and boisterous, the other much more quiet and nervous in comparison. He couldn't really hear what they were talking about until they stepped into the hall with him, mentioning something about hunting.

"Well look who it is." Glisten smirked, noticing Shrimpo's dishevelled look. His suit had remnants of dirt and leaves, and the fur on his face was a mess. "So, did you have fun taking down the alpha?"

"The alpha?" Boxten, the vampire beside him, repeated. Similar to Shrimpo, he was rather weak, but on the timid side instead of whatever Shrimpo had going for him. The difference was Boxten had taken down larger prey before, even if it was quite rare, as he preferred the easier targets. He hit the bare minimum to be allowed within the castle, at least.

"Ah, right, I forgot to tell you. Shrimpo here thinks he can kill that weretoon alpha... Dandicus, was it?" Glisten started to explain, Boxten looking at him in shock. Everyone knew about Dandicus, notably due to the rivalry he had with Astro, and again his strength. All vampires were warned not to venture too far into the forest as to not cross paths with him. If they were to aggravate him, they wouldn't come back alive, and if they did, they'd be severely injured. "Anyways-- Did you even get one hit in, or?"

"W-Well, actually... he- he was-" Shrimpo cleared his throat, thinking of a lie on the spot. "HE COWERED IN FEAR BEFORE ME! THE SECOND I SAID I WANTED TO FIGHT, HE STARTED WHIMPERING, SAYING HE YIELDED-"

"Shrimpo. You could barely even win a fight against a pup." Glisten interrupted, lifting a hand to his mouth as he snickered.

Boxten, on the other hand, had some sympathy for Shrimpo. He knew the guy had it pretty rough, being bullied by everyone, even if he bullied everyone back - he likely had his reasons for this (which he did, but he's never told anyone, and likely never will). "Maybe he's... right?" His voice got quieter as he spoke, realising that what Shrimpo was saying definitely wasn't true, but maybe it'd make him happy to play into it.

Glisten sighed, shaking his head. "Boxy, you can't seriously believe him..." 

"SOMEONE GETS IT! BOXTEN, I TOLERATE YOU NOW!" Shrimpo was gullible. He half-believed that Boxten believed him, but there was still some doubt to be had. 

"I mean, no one saw, so we can't say for sure what happened...?" Boxten still tried to go along with it. Shrimpo seemed happy, in his own way. Being told he was "tolerated" by the guy who hates everyone sounded good at least!

"He could've killed all of us if we went with him. But it would be funny to see." Glisten said, before walking up to Shrimpo to push him aside. "If you don't mind us, we're leaving to go hunt. You go do your little... Shrimpo things, I guess."

"SHRIMPO DOES MIND, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!" Shrimpo pulled his cape up over his face in embarrassment, trying to hide his red blush. He could hear Glisten laugh as he opened the door, watching him and Boxten walk out, before it closed again. At least he didn't have any annoyances with him anymore. But now what? Considering the fact he lacked any positive relationships around the castle, beyond his respect for Lord Astro, he didn't have anything to do. Most of his days were spent trying to hunt, yelling at people, or scribbling nonsense on paper. It was a boring life, truly.

Maybe writing down how he felt would help him process it easier. Shrimpo also lacked someone to confide in, so writing was all he could do to express his feelings, outside of his hatred. He managed to pick up a diary from the nearby toon village, pretending to be a regular toon like everyone else - it was easier to do since vampires have less identifying features than weretoons. He had already used it several times, evident by ripped out or torn pages, and this time he felt like destroying the whole thing. 

WHO THE HELL DOES DANDICUS THINK HE IS?? I HATE HIM. I HATE HIM MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE.

HE'S SO UGLY. MORONIC. STUPID.

Everything he wrote, he ended up crossing it out. He couldn't think of how to put his thoughts into words, instead ending up with a crude drawing of Dandicus, arrows pointing at him with labels such as "STUPID", "MORON", "UGLY", and "SMELLS LIKE WET DOG!". Everything he wanted to write but couldn't.

 

 

Once he was done, Shrimpo slammed the diary shut and put it away in his desk drawer, throwing himself onto his bed and staring idly up at his ceiling. He knew tonight would be a long night.

 

---

 

Meanwhile, Dandy wanted to have a nap to try and clear his mind, but his thoughts kept him up. The sheer idea of someone of his rank being in love with someone he's supposed to hate was strange. He didn't even know if it was actual love, either, as he hadn't felt these emotions before. It wasn't that Dandy had no interest in romance, it was just that he hadn't found the right one for him, and Shrimpo definitely wasn't going to be "the right one" if he had anything to say about it. 

"Dandy, are you alright? Rudie told me you're thrashing about in your sleep alot." A gentle voice came from outside his cave. It was his younger sister, Bassie. She peered in, concerned for her brother, considering what her nephew had told her. 

"Mmm? Oh, yeah, I'm just... thinking." Dandy answered, not sure if he should fess up, or keep it to himself. He knew he could trust Bassie with anything, they've been through the worst together, so this would be no different. But still - it was a vampire he was thinking about. A vampire! A creature all weretoons are taught to resent. 

"Well, if you need anything, I can stay around. But we do need someone else to lead the hunt." Bassie said, walking into the cave, and sitting down. 

"Cosmo or Scraps, I say. They're the most competent. I still think Rudie's a little young to lead." Dandy trailed a claw along the stone floor, still half-lost in thought. He could only think of those two toons because, again, they were the best of the best, even if Cosmo was more a medic type - he's a good leader when he needs to be. Scraps had the upper hand in the aspect that she was a proper hunter, but she rarely got the chance to lead hunts, usually going off with her brother, Goob, instead. Someday, though, Dandy hopes his son - Rudie - can lead, even if he's not really a weretoon. Rudie's species was up in the air; he was clearly a deer of some kind, but consumed meat, and had some weretoon-like traits, but perhaps that was because Dandy adopted him when he was young enough to influence him. "I mean, you can go if you want. I only wanna nap for a bit."

"It's still possible to send two groups, right? I could go out with one group, then let Scraps lead the other?" Bassie would suggest.

"Mhm. Sounds good to me." Dandy yawned as he flopped onto his back, a blank expression on his face as he got lost in his thoughts again. He could hear Bassie get back up to leave the cave, vaguely hearing her say something as she did so, but he had everything tuned out. Shrimpo, Shrimpo, why did he like that vampire so much? He was so strange...

---

 

The full moon would rise again...

 

It had been one day since the encounter, and Dandy couldn't stop thinking about it. He had been pacing around his cave for most of the night, and hadn't been focusing on his hunt during the day, so he needed to take a walk to clear his mind. Maybe he'd just forget about Shrimpo and go on with his life. That would be for the best, but dammit, did he seriously have to like the same lake as Dandy did!?

"You're close to weretoon territory. Again." Dandy growled, looking at Shrimpo from the other side of the lake, who seemed relatively unphased despite their last encounter.

"I've been coming here for days, yet none of you have ever come here, soo..." Shrimpo shrugged. He was looking into the water, watching the fish swim by, occasionally reaching his hand out to try and catch one.

"The rocks are here for a reason, you know. They indicate where vampire territory ends, and weretoon territory begins. Stick to your side, and we stick to ours." Dandy reminded.

Shrimpo groaned, "Yes, yes, I know! I hate it when people remind me of blatantly obvious stuff... Do you really think I'm idiotic enough to go any further than this?"

Dandy looked at him, raising an eyebrow before nodding. "Absolutely."

"UGH! I SWEAR I'M NOT THAT STUPID! WHY DOES EVERYONE TAKE ME FOR A COMPLETE IDIOT!?" Shrimpo facepalmed, holding both hands over his face in humiliation (probably). He'd like to believe he isn't an idiot, which he is, because he swears he knows what he's doing half the time, which he doesn't. "I'm not an idiot, and I'm not weak! Yet everyone thinks I am!"

"Mhm, sure. I mean, if they can assume that just by looks, maybe you might have a little problem on your hands." Dandy said, smirking lightly. 

"SHRIMPO DOESN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS, BECAUSE SHRIMPO IS--!" Shrimpo got up and took a step forwards, but he was too caught up in his rants to remember he was in front of a lake, the first step he took sending him face first into the water.

Dandy sighed, walking around the lake to pull Shrimpo out by his cape, unintentionally pulling the shrimp onto him, who was promptly pushed off. "Don't get me wet, too, idiot. Oh, right! I believe you were going to say stupid, right?" 

Shrimpo yoinked his cape back from Dandicus, delivering him a harsh glare. "No! Because Shrimpo isn't stupid!" He clicked his tongue in annoyance, before continuing on, "Besides... Maybe Dandicus is the idiot for not knowing I have the cool and awesome power of breathing underwater!"

"You know I know nothing about you, right?" Dandy crossed his arms, still having that "my god you are so fucking stupid" look on his face.

"Well, then, uh-- DO know!" Shrimpo didn't have anything to retort with. He wasn't the best at comebacks, ironic for such a bully, but he still had a fear of Dandicus, taking a step back when he noticed how close he was to the weretoon.

"At least I know to leave you floating down the stream next time we meet." Dandy, quite literally, turned tail to return to his side of the lake, but stopped when Shrimpo spoke again.

"... Why the hell did you save me anyways? You could've let me drown, and... you didn't." Shrimpo's tone was oddly soft, but he still didn't want to risk pissing off Dandy again to where he actually gets killed. He needed to force himself to be friendly so as to not get himself killed, so for once, he was smart.

"I pity you, Shrimpo. I really do." Dandy confessed, looking back at him. "You're a pathetic, weak little thing, which isn't something you're supposed to be. I've seen villagers more powerful than you, and they're villagers."

"HEY! DON'T COMPARE ME TO THOSE FREAKS!" Shrimpo barked. Despite all their differences, vampires and weretoons both hated villager toons, as the villagers would hunt both species down regardless. They knew their weaknesses and abused it, resulting in them being forced to live in forests and abandoned landmarks.

"If you want to survive, you need to just... be better. You can't keep lying to yourself and expecting everyone to believe you, yknow?" Dandy started to hate himself for how he cared about Shrimpo, even just a little bit. He was always told he was "too friendly", but to the extent he'd try to help someone he's supposed to hate? He doesn't like the idea he'd be even the slightest bit upset if he found Shrimpo dead in the middle of the forest because of his idiocy. "You need to learn. Does anyone even try to help?"

Shrimpo scoffed. "And why should I tell you!? You're not my therapist!"

"If you don't want to end up dead, then maybe you should start listening to people." Dandy bared his fangs, almost in an attempt to intimidate the shrimp into listening to him. The intimidation worked, at least, watching as Shrimpo stepped back.

"I-- I-... I don't care! What do they know that I don't know?" Shrimpo still tried to lie. He couldn't be in the wrong, he didn't want to be. If he was wrong, he was weak.

"Fess up and admit you're not weak and maybe I'll consider not mocking you for it." Dandy furrowed his brows, Shrimpo did the same.

".... Ffffffine, maybe I'm a little.. bad at vampire things. But I'm not completely weak!" He still wasn't willing to entirely double down just yet.

"I'll tell my whole pack. Word spreads like wildfire there, you know."

Nevermind. Now he was willing.

"OKAY! SHRIMPO IS WEAK! ARE YOU HAPPY?!" Shrimpo looked genuinely uncomfortable, or even a little afraid. Dandicus had this little voice in his head trying to convince him to drop the "Who hurt you?" line, but he couldn't. They weren't friends, they'd never be friends, so he didn't need to. 

Dandy sighed, giving a light chuckle. "More than happy. Seriously, have you even tried asking for help from anyone? Do you even have friends?"

Shrimpo went to respond, before clenching his arms, slouching over and looking away. He went quiet. Somehow, Dandicus had knocked him into a mood he rarely ever felt, being sadness. He occupied himself with the idea of hating everything to ignore his true problems, and whenever he got reminded of them, he'd practically shut himself down. 

Dandy was surprised at how sudden the change in mood was, it made him feel even more sympathetic for the guy. The voice in his head got louder and louder, almost shouting at him to say something, but he was conflicted. It wasn't like anyone would know he was the one to help Shrimpo, right? As long as Shrimpo never tells, he won't tell either. 

Finally, the weretoon took a deep breath, before asking; "Are you okay?"

Shrimpo flinched, briefly looking at Dandicus, before looking away again. "Why do you care so much all of a sudden? Don't you hate me?"

"I'm supposed to, but that doesn't mean I can't be worried about you." Dandy sat on the grass in front of Shrimpo, patting beside him. "Now just sit down and answer my question."

As much as he didn't want to, Shrimpo caved, sitting beside Dandy and grumbling something under his breath. He still kept his distance, especially when he felt the soft fur of Dandicus' tail suddenly brush against his side, but he didn't sit too far. It took him a bit before he finally started speaking. "I'll only say if you promise to never tell anyone. Take it to the grave."

"Lips are sealed! As long as ya tell me." Dandy made a zipping motion with his hands, pretending to throw away a key afterwards.

These were problems Shrimpo had never opened up to anyone about, so he was struggling with his words, but this was Dandicus he was talking to. A weretoon who could easily kill him at any moment, calmly asking him if he's alright, willing to listen to how he feels. It was strange, but he had the chance to tell someone, and he wasn't going to throw this aside.

"It's stupid, but I've always been bullied. I'm gullible and too trusting, and they took advantage of that, so I kinda bully people to keep them out... that's it. And everyone hates me, because why wouldn't they!"

Dandy nodded as Shrimpo rambled about his problems. "There's an obvious problem there. No one wants to be friends with someone so mean."

"Yeah, I know that! That's why I act this way, because I know it'll happen again, and I don't want it to. But I'm not sure what'll happen if I suddenly stop..." Shrimpo pulled his knees up to his chest and hunched over into a ball. "What would happen if I changed? They already bully me back as is, would they take it as a chance to get "proper payback" or what?"

"I mean, there's no telling what'll happen unless you actually try it," Dandy rested his large, clawed paw on Shrimpo's back in an attempt to reassure him, but pulled away when the toon shivered. He didn't seem to like touch. "I can sort of understand, though. I've just never been bullied myself, so..."

"So you don't understand. If you've never been through it, how could you ever understand?!" Shrimpo clung to any reason he could to try and shut Dandicus out. He was torn between continuing to vent, or shutting his mouth and running off. The part of him who needed to talk about his problems kept him nailed to the floor, but the other half that wanted him to shut up controlled most of what he said or thought, making him lash out.

"That's hard to answer. I don't believe anyone in my pack were bullies growing up, and any other packs we encountered, we were on good terms with..." Dandy explained, leaning back, looking up to the sky. It was completely clear, giving him a view of all the stars in the sky, and the full moon beaming down on them. "... Okay, maybe I don't truly understand, but it still doesn't mean I can't try to give you advice."

"You're stupid." Shrimpo mumbled.

"Hey! At least I'm trying to help!" Dandy rolled his eyes, a small, yet playful smile on his face. He at least knew Shrimpo was troubled in some capacity, something he suspected from his attitude. "Maybe try to talk to someone? You never know who'd be willing to help if you just tried."

"But what if they shut me out? What if, when they realise I'm weak, they tell the whole castle, and everyone makes a big joke out of me!" Shrimpo buried his face in his hands, groaning at the idea. "They mostly leave me alone now, but they'll never leave me be if they know I am weak. They'll know I'm an easy target, and- and they'll..." He trailed off, trying to stop himself from crying at all the thoughts he was getting. He couldn't be humiliated again. That's why he so easily opened up to Dandicus; he didn't want to be made a fool of. 

"They're stupid, then. I don't know how bad you actually are, but if you're genuinely trying to change, maybe they should give you a chance." Dandy said, tilting his head to look back at Shrimpo, who peeked out from behind his hands to return the glance. "I mean, if you were part of my pack, I'd be more than willing to give you a second chance."

"That's because you lot "stick together" as "family", or whatever. Us vampires don't need help from each other, we're perfectly fine on our own!" Shrimpo moved his hands from his face to create air quotes as he spoke.

"Still. Vampires aren't complete jerks to each other... at least, I'd imagine they're not-- what I'm trying to say is it still wouldn't hurt to try." Dandy said.

"If it goes wrong, it will! I'll have to leave the castle if they don't accept me back!" Shrimpo protested further.

"But if it doesn't go wrong?" Dandy rebutted.

"I need a plan for what happens if it does go wrong first. If I don't have a plan, then I am dead." Shrimpo threw his hands in the air dramatically, flailing them about a little before they rested back to his side. 

"You're overthinking this, Shrimpo. Try looking on the bright side--!"

"Thinking on the bright side only ever got me hurt. If something good happens, then it happens, but if they don't accept me, then I'm as good as dead. I'll have nowhere to go!"

Dandicus went silent, biting his lip as he realised Shrimpo spoke the truth. If no one accepted him, no one would help him, and Astro would exile him. He can't keep getting repeatedly exiled over and over again until he dies. Then, he had a very, very stupid suggestion. "... If it doesn't go well, then you can... stay with us?"

"Me? In a wolf pack? If I even showed my face near you lot, I'd be killed!" Shrimpo crossed his arms, shaking his head in denial.

"Try it tomorrow. Once it's done, come back here and tell me what happened. If they see me bringing you back, they're less likely to suddenly pounce at ya." Dandy, completely forgetting the fact Shrimpo (probably, which was definitely, but he didn't know) didn't want physical touch, pat him roughly on the back - again, trying to reassure him, but instead winding him.

"F-Fine. But be more gentle, geez!" Shrimpo got up and rubbed where he'd been basically slapped, Dandicus following suit with a chuckle.

"Oh, alright. Just make sure to toughen up a little in the future, got it? Maybe we could try to fight someday." Dandy turned again, raising a paw and waving goodbye to Shrimpo, before leaving to return to his den. 

Shrimpo very slowly raised his hand up, only to his chest, giving a small wave back. Was he seriously just nice to a weretoon? A weretoon alpha, of all toons? Weird, but sure. He at least found him tolerating Dandicus a little more, thinking he wasn't actually so bad despite his affiliations, leaving back for the castle. He had this odd feeling in his chest, a fluttery feeling - he was nervous for what was about to come, but this was something he had to do.

So he could finally be strong.

Notes:

Are they even enemies anymore?? What are they? They're not lovers yet... maybe frenemies? Dandy will still kill Shrimpo if he steps too far out of line, but if Shrimpo is willing to be nice, then perhaps letting him stay won't be so bad...