Petstuck: Side A (Part 1)

((OKAY SO THIS WAS VOTED FOR, SO I DECIDED TO DO AMY'S VERSION FIRST TO GET HER OFF MY BACK ABOUT TUMBLR ANGSTFEST. I don't own TAL or its characters, only Kang Im does, please support the webtoon on Naver~!))

Shin Mu-Young wasn't a patient man. Nor was he the type anyone would believe had a sensitive heart. Mu-Young was a rough-looking guy with dark hair, dark clothes, and most would say he had a dark attitude as well.

That is, most people would say that as they hadn't seen him at the park Thursday.

Mu-Young had been taking a stroll on his work break to smoke, an unhealthy habit but one that didn't really affect his health at all, given he wasn't human. Ah yes, the elephant in the room. Shin Mu-Young wasn't a human being; rather he was called a 'Chachaoong'. A type of being similar to humans, but vastly different. He could see things most humans couldn't even with telescopes and microscopes, details almost across the city if he wanted to. And he could summon weapons to his hands just by thinking about it.

But back to that Thursday.

He'd been on a stroll, minding his own business, when his spectacular eyesight caught a flash of bright yellow between the broken twigs of a nest. At first, he assumed a bird's nest had fallen from the tree it was in front of. A sad sight, but not uncommon.

Then something big, fluffy, and bright yellow moved slowly over the twigs. A tail.

His footsteps picked up as he felt an unease creep into him, Mu-Young soon at the tree and crouching down. It could've been mistaken for a squirrel; it certainly looked like one. Tiny nubby ears atop a small head, and the long fluffy tail teardrop shaped, bright yellow with a streak of deeply dark brown that made Mu-Young strangely think of a sunflower seed. But the figure was almost...human. It almost could've been passed off as a toy, a little person with squirrel-like features. But then Mu-Young's eyes caught the tiny pale face scrunching up in pain, and his fingers trembled a bit as he strained to carefully pick up the tiny body.

'...Is this...A Chachaoong too?'

He squinted, analyzing every details his advanced sight could pick out. The tiny body he cradled in one palm had a pair of red pants, a black shirt...and a red tie? 'This form might be his Ability...' Mu-Young's gaze swung upward. 'Something must have knocked the nest out of the tree with him in it...'

A tiny noise, and he panicked, looking down as the squirrel-person made another wheezy squeak, looking weak.

'...He's not dead yet...But I can't take him to a vet...' Mu-Young groaned and facepalmed with his free hand. 'Am I really going to...' He looked again at the tiny shivering body he held and hung his head. 'Yeah, I am. Goddammit.'

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Mu-Young called his workplace with the excuse he felt ill, and returned home with the little squirrel-guy in his jacket pocket, safe and secure. The first thing he did was have his beast, Shadow, find Rex and corral the cat in his bedroom for the time being.

'Let's see...If I remember correctly, I should have an eyedropper somewhere...' After securing and sterilizing said item, Mu-Young pulled the squirrel from his pocket and poked the small cheek with the tip of the dropper. It was weirdly cute as the squirrel-guy batted at it weakly, before a drop of water snuck into his mouth, prompting him to all but cling to the tube of fluid and drink. "Jeez, thirsty huh?" Mu-Young chuckled softly, cradling the tiny creature across his gloved arm as he refilled the now-empty dropper from a cup on the table.

Shadow popped up on the couch beside him, the blob-like creature prodding Mu-Young's elbow with its claw.

"Hm? ...No. I'm not sure...It's a Chachaoong for sure, right? But, he's so small..." The seemingly one-sided conversation was actually Shadow prompting what they were going to do with their impromptu guest. "And he's hurt. I don't feel right even thinking about putting him back out there. I wonder if he was born this small though?"

Shadow's clawtip gently touched the squirrel's ear, the now sated being squeaking and rolling about in a slow but precise manner, Mu-Young and Shadow watching as the tail wrapped about the squirrel-guy's body and turned him into a ball of bright yellow fur.

Mu-Young covered his face, Shadow patting his shoulder as he fought to contain his inner babbling about how fucking adorable this was.

The moment was then paused as something occurred to Mu-Young.

"...Oh. I wonder what he eats..."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Eh? Squirrels?"

Mu-Young sighed as he stared at the petshop clerk. "Yeah. Wild squirrels. They eat nuts don't they?"

"Well not really?" The clerk, a pale young man with chocolate brown hair and eyes and a piercing in his eyebrow, leaned on the table of pet carriers he'd been restocking when Mu-Young came in. "They're foragers. They eat nuts if they can get 'em, but they also eat fungi, treebark, fruits. It depends on what they can find. I know I've seen some videos online where they eat popcorn too because people used it for decoration."

The Chachaoong huffed, scratching his head. "Ugh, great. So I still have no idea what to feed him."

"What, did you find an injured one?" The clerk asked, seeming to be stunned that someone like Mu-Young would be capable of such gentle kindness. "...Well...If it's injured, I'd say try mashed vegetables. Even though the critters love nuts, they're herbivores. They need their greens, man." The human paused, then suddenly went around Mu-Young and searched the shelf before bringing a jar to him.

Mu-Young read the label immediately. "...'Organic raw coconut oil'?"

"Oh trust me, it's great for squirrels. Actually, any little critter. Uhm, I forget the stuff they said in school, but it gives wild critters an immunity boost. It might help the little dude back on his paws faster."

The clerk seemed embarrassed to know such a thing, but Mu-Young patted him on the shoulder. "I'll need a few more. And you said mashed vegetables right? Wild grown or would store bought do?"

"Oh, actually, around the corner from here-"

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

When Mu-Young returned home, his arms were laden with several bags. A large squash, a head of broccoli, several apples, and a small bag of sunflower seeds were in one bag, the jars of coconut oil in another and still, another bag had some small cushions and bottles for feeding the critter.

"How is he?" Mu-Young prompted his beast, Shadow saluting him before pointing to the box on the table, which Mu-Young had filled with shredded newspaper to make the squirrel comfy.

The dark male sighed as he let Shadow take the bags. "I can't just keep calling him 'Squirrel'. I wonder if he has a name?" He paused, taking one of the jars and opening it. When Mu-Young lowered his hand into the box, his fingertip had a dollop of coconut oil on it, and he slid his digit carefully towards the squirrel's face.

At first there wasn't much of a reaction, but then the tiny head moved, and flinched. Mu-Young's gaze caught that the flinch, however, was the squirrel's tongue shooting out and dabbing at the solid oil. Another flinch, before the squirrel moved a little closer to begin nibbling at the oil in what Mu-Young swore was the most adorable three minutes and twenty-nine seconds of his life. Soon the oil was all but gone, the squirrel still licking off any remnants. "Hungry huh? I wonder if you'd be able to eat something more solid?"

Mu-Young then lifted his hand - and the squirrel with his limb. He stared as the squirrel clung to his digit, and watched as the eyes opened to show two bright orange eyes that dazedly stared back at him.

Then the squirrel realized what was going on and squealed. Mu-Young yelped as the critter-Chachaoong jumped from his hand, the larger Chachaoong diving after the fluffy target and barely catching his house-guest before they could hit the table. 'This...is what I was warned of...' He thought gingerly as he recalled how the clerk had made it a point to tell him how skittish small animals were.

"...Easy...Easy now...You're in my house...I brought you here to help you." He explained to the shivering form in his hands. His voice had dropped to a low volume, and he carefully cupped the being as he stood up. "You were hurt...Does it still hurt?"

The squirrel blinked, then examined himself by raising his arms and wiggling his legs, tail moving from side to side. Then he shook his head, Mu-Young's excellent gaze catching the nub-ears twitching. "See? I'm not a bad guy." Mu-Young chanced smoothing his fingertip between the tiny ears, the squirrel not protesting at the action. "...Are you...by chance...A Chachaoong?"

Hesitation, before the squirrel nodded.

"Do you have a name?"

A shake, the soft tail waving again.

"...Then how about I call you 'Maru' for now?" Mu-Young asked, watching as 'Maru' perked up. Then he froze as the squirrel lunged and clung to his nose, realizing a second later it was Maru's attempt at a grateful hug. "I guess that's a yes. Well, then, Maru..." Mu-Young pulled the squirrel off, holding the tiny Chachaoong in his palm. "Are you hungry?"

An affirmative squeak, the opening of Maru's mouth showing off adorably small buck teeth.

"Then let me get that stuff cut up for you." A smile tugged on Mu-Young's lips. "And you're welcome, by the way."