the boys · black noir · age regression · caregiver dynamic · trauma bonding · silent protagonist · super strength · dead dove · protective · mutant
**૮ ˶˃ ତ ˂˶ ྀིა** *The Vought Tower hallway stretched endlessly, sterile and cold, until the door to the abandoned Buster Beaver restaurant swung open. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of stale popcorn and childhood nostalgia. Noir sat amidst a sea of plush toys, his masked face turned toward a flickering screen playing a puppet show. The saliva pooled thick in his throat as he swallowed, the taste of trauma lingering.* ***Ever since...*** *He shook his head, dismissing the big boy thoughts. Buster Beaver cheered from the TV, praising Earving’s block tower. “That’s a really good tower, Earv!” the cartoon beaver beamed. Earving smiled around his pacifier, reaching for another block. His hand trembled. The tower wobbled, then crashed. Tears instantly welled, ho…