Hermitcraft/Empires & more agere | SFW!!!

A zombie deserves rest | Cleo & Joe

!!REQUESTS ARE OPEN!!
CG: Joe
Little: Cleo
Prompt: Cleo is too overwhelmed by running her hermit daycare so Joe comes and help her relax

Cleo somehow ended up running a daycare for regressed hermits. Often respective caregivers couldn't stay the night with their little one because of massive, unfinishable projets -note that the littles that had regressed due to extreme stress, caregivers would have dropped everything and took care of them- It was quite overwhelming. One kid throwing a tantrum not wanting to go to bed, the other had a nightmare and another was worried and another was bothered by the tantrums. A never ending circle.

She was happy to help, especially since:
Zombies don't sleep
Zombies don't need rest
Zombies don't feel
Zombies don't breathe
Zombies are dead

Those thoughts were spiraling in Cleo's head while she was watching the regressed hermits sleep. Why is she tired, exhausted, overwhelmed and struggling to breathe if those are things zombies aren't supposed to do. Her brain went hazy as one would get if bitten by a zombie. But she is a zombie, however her brain didn't tell her to eat brains but instead it wanted Joe. Joe, her -very rarely- caregiver, the one that could make all the hazy go away.

She can't go to him. Little hermits, Caregivers counting on her, herself being little wasn't an option. She tried to keep herself big and messaged Joe

<you whisper to Joehills>
overwhelmed help

<joehills whispers to you>
Don't worry hun, I'll be right there

He knew Cleo was at the daycare, she was every night! Only a few minutes after the message was sent, Joe arrived.

"Hey Little Zomble" Joe whispered
"No"
It seems to be a confusing reply but Joe understood that she didn't want to regress infront of others, much rather keep it to herself and her caregiver.

"Alright then, if you aren't small, can you fly to your base, get comfy and I'll message everyone to come get their littles alright?" Joe explained
Cleo nodded, She was still in her big headspace, if she wasn't, she'd be toddler size due to armor stand magic.

Cleo flew to her base, not too far from the daycare. Upon landing, her communicator buzzed, a server-wide message appeared from Joe

<joehills> hey everyone! sorry to bother but Cleo's daycare is closing early due to... health condition? Please get your littles in the next fifteen minutes, otherwise, im dropping them off at your doorstep

<impulseSV> Alright! I'll be there in a min to get Pearl and Gem! Get well Cleo! <3

<Docm77> I'll be right there! Get better Cleo

Much more hermits had told her some get wells which, helped? She wasn't sure, but she was happy to have them.  She put away her comm and went to find her own little gear that she had very well hidden.

After finding her gear, she had become tween size, not much taller than 4ft2 but she knew her mind would plummet tinier once she saw Joe. And she was very much right as she got a full foot smaller and 3 years younger.

"Awe, hiya little zomble, how about we change the chewy for a pacifier huh?" Joe proposed to the little one sitting in the middle of her ballroom. Cleo didn't put up a fight when Joe helped her get the pacifier in her mouth and took the chewy necklace off her neck.

Joe tried to leave for a moment but he got interrupted by whines and grabby hands from Cleo. He picked her up with one hand and took the blanket and stuffies from the floor with his other hand.

He walked to the living room to place down Cleo which only got him more whines from the young zombie "I know kiddo, it's no fun being put down but i gotta make you food" Joe explains, that argument seemed good enough to Cleo so she just played with her blanket and stuffies whilst waiting for food.

"Alright, I have for you here little zomble, some apple sauce!" Joe exclaimed and got greeted with happy babbles "Spoon!" Cleo tried grabbing the utensil Joe was holding "Wait wait now" he said moving the spoon away "I don't think you're big enough to feed yourself honey" Whines. "I can give you a spoon?" Joe proposed and 'magically' made one appear from his pocket and once again, that sufficed for Cleo.