[Prompt] Burrow Sweet Burrow

It’s easy to get lost in the daily hustle and bustle of a city as large as Burrowgatory. Sometimes it felt like no matter where a bun went it was impossible to get a quiet moment alone. Whether it was the whacky hijinks of other buns or the annoying crowing of a flock of corvats there always seemed to be someone around to make noise. But somewhere within the labyrinthine cave system that Burrowgatory was comprised of there existed a luxury hotel. And on the highest floor of that hotel, the floor that not even the hotel's staff were allowed to visit without invitation, there existed a secluded room shrouded in darkness. This room was Pepper's room.

For Pepper, his room wasn’t merely a place to sleep. It was his sanctuary, his cocoon. As long as he was here he could block out all the noise and forget about everything beyond its walls. Nothing would ever harm him here. Here he was safe.

Being a part of the hotel, the room was rather bland on its own. The walls, linens, and cushioning were all a pristine, boring white. In the darkness however they took on the complexion of whatever imagery was being reflected from the screen of his monitor. Maybe other buns were afraid of the dark, but for him it was relaxing. There was nothing quite like watching the gradient hues slowly shift and encompass the room in their color.

Enjoying the light show, he wrapped himself in the soft, warm embrace of his duvet and cuddled with his favorite plush. He had quite a few plush toys of various shapes, sizes, and colors. The biggest of them, the one he was cuddling now, was a stuffed bearly modeled after their natural variant. He would often cuddle with them like this when he was lonely.

In truth, it had been nearly a year now since he had left this room. Not long after coming to Burrowgatory he was taken in by the hotel’s owner and brought to this place. He’d been promised a life of luxury where he would never have to leave his room if he didn’t want to. And it was true, he’d been able to have whatever he wanted since the day he first stepped foot in here. ...But he had to admit that sometimes he actually missed the cacaphony of the other buns. Their cheerful laughter, friendly joking and jeering, even their heated arguments, none of that would ever reach him here.

The formidable enemy standing between him and the outside world was the door forever looming in the corner of the room. Its dark black lacquered surface heavily contrasted the white walls, making it stick out like a sore thumb. Looking at it reminded him that there was a whole entire world outside of this room. The thought made his palms sweaty. In an attempt to push these feelings down he had hidden it behind a white curtain to match the rest of the room.

But deep down he knew that the only one prolonging his loneliness was him. There was no point in blaming the silly door for his own stubbornness. He had convinced himself that he didn’t need anyone else, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. What he was really afraid of was the idea that no one needed him. He was afraid of the possibility being rejected by his new home.

Feeling exhausted from his soul-searching he looked up at the ceiling where softly illuminated silhouettes of swimming jellsi were being projected. Their tentacles swayed beneath them as they moved rhythmically from one end to the other. The tranquil ebb and flow of their motions had a hypnotic effect on him and he felt as though he were sinking deeper than the Forneus Sea itself. One day he would go out and see them for real.

Eventually he felt the allure of sleep tugging at his eyelids. When his metaphorical metamorphosis was complete he would finally open that door and experience all that the strange, wonderful world beyond had to offer. And at the end of the day his sanctuary would be here waiting for him. But all of that could wait for now. For now... he would sleep.