Effect: The Next Generation [✔️]

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"Flowbermeow~"

Xuefen summoned a special Dream Eater in order to help put Cassidy at ease.

This specific Dream Eater is a variation of his Meow Wow, but not as rare as Meowjesty or Catanuki. It's mostly pink and even has a flower-tipped tail.

Cassidy is a little uneasy after everything that happened with The Boss, and he's not used to being in a completely safe environment.

He's been on his guard the entire time since we entered the HQ, and keeps getting startled by every little thing. Xuefen noticed this and decided to help me calm him down.

"This is Flowbermeow~. It's one of my most friendly and cuddly Dream Eaters, and it usually helps me feel better when I'm sad or scared~"

"This is actually one of the Dream Eaters that Xuefen used to sleep with a lot to keep him calm as a baby and toddler. It should be able to help you too Cass~"

I kindly reassured him.

The Dream Eater slowly approached Cassidy and bounced around him a few times, until it finally crawled into his arms. The way it snuggled close to him seemed to calm him down instantly, and he looked really happy.

"I-It's really cute..~"

"It really seems to like you hyung~"

Xuefen was happy to see Cassidy hugging the Dream Eater so gently.

But he still looked a bit uneasy to me.

"Cass, are you still worried about hurting us?"

His expression changed completely when I asked him that, indicating that I was right.

Marshall took away the muzzle he gave him after we got here, supporting my idea to help him stop relying on it.

"I...am a bit afraid that something might happen. I do feel secure and in control when I'm with you, b-but I still don't trust myself completely.."

He confessed, petting the Dream Eater to try and calm himself more.

"Let's see... From what I can recall, everything that you went through in the past before meeting Marshall-hyung caused your Feral ability to completely take over. But after he gave you the muzzle, your sanity and other emotions came back, right?"

Cassidy nodded.

"Then when we met again on Planet Xochao, you still were completely fine since you still had control over your power. But after what The Boss did to you, it took over you again until our recent battle. That can only lead me to conclude that your power is closely linked to your trauma, as well as your negative emotions"

"R-Really?"

"That's what I believe. It took over the first time after you were taken advantage of, and it took over again this time because the same thing happened. I feel like your fear and anger of those memories and that feeling of vulnerability are what lead to you losing control of your power. But if we can help you tap into that power any time you want, then things will be a whole lot easier for you~"

I explained.

"Y-You really think so~?"

"I do~"

"I agree with dad! You just need a helping hand and a strong support system~. All of us can help with that~"

Xuefen added, encouraging him further.

"We can always give it a try later if you want. For now, we can just focus on making you feel safe. We have a special barrier that Renjun just got a replacement for a few minutes ago. It's called a Phantom Barrier, and it's an impenetrable barrier that can keep all enemies out"

"I see. B-But how come it didn't work when we attacked the first time?"

"That's easy to explain~. We have one at our home too, but even though we had replaced ours, we hadn't replaced the one for this HQ yet at the time of the party. I believe The Boss knew that, and made sure to initiate his plan on that specific day before we got a new one"

"That makes sense. We should be careful to replace them as soon as possible next time. O-Oh, wait.. I'm sorry, I didn't mean we.."

Cassidy apologized with a guilty look on his face.

"You don't need to apologize Cass. We consider you and the others as part of the family now. When all of this is over, I'm sure our hyungs will be more than happy to take you guys in. But if you guys don't want to live here, then we can always help you find your own place~"

"I agree with dad! You guys will always be welcome in any of our homes, and you're always welcome on our team~"

Xuefen added, hugging him whilst I pet his head.

I could tell by how his tail slowly began to sway that he was put at ease, and I could tell that he felt even more safe when I felt him relax.

We may not be able to fix what happened to him in his past, but we can still try to make sure it doesn't happen again in his future. I want him to be as happy as he can be, even if it'll take a while.

"You guys are so nice.. T-Thank you so much~"