#this is just Artemio @ Ketil

[whumpqin]

Asking the important things 🤨

1. which ocs are the most touch-starved?

2. which ocs are most likely to be caught eating cheese at 3 am?

OOOOO these are some good ones!!

I went a little exposition heavy so these ones are going to go under a cut so my post isn't taking up a huge chunk of space. Content below the cut!

Which OCs are the most touch-starved?

This is a rough one, considering touch starved characters are genuinely my favorite! It's a common trope I find myself writing in general LOL But to narrow it down to the most.... I think it would have to be Artemio and Caleb, and Quinn!

Artemio is that typical loner whumper that generally hangs out alone in his cabin birdwatching and tending to his own needs. Being a "devil" made him an obvious outcast in the nearby human towns and he hates having to talk or deal with them at all, if said interaction doesn't have some sort of brutal end to whoever he's talking to. But being alone in the cabin for months on end actually makes him extremely terribly lonely. So when he kidnaps finds his angelic Little Bird/Ketil, he finds it hard to keep his hands off of them bc he's not had gentle contact with anyone for so so long.

With Caleb........ being touch starved was apart of his conditioning. His Masters would constantly leave him alone for days on end and use their touch (in gentle ways... most of the time) as a rewarding system for him, Jeremiah especially. If Caleb was good, he could lay in Jeremiah's lap or even hold onto him for comfort. Aridai in general always allowed Caleb to seek them for comfort so that he would be conditioned to look for them in periods of anxiety or stress, and Caleb is always anxious or stressed. In latter days of captivity this proved a good warning sign also bc he could warn Aridai if he was seeing/hearing things.

Quinn is just. He needs a lot of attention almost constantly, honestly, and gets a bit whiny when he doesn't get it. Though he's been on his own for a large chunk of his adult life due to wanting to be self-sufficient, getting tangled up in some unfortunate underground stuff never really help him get any of the comfort that he really wanted. It's part of the reason him and Caleb make such a good pair, considering that they tend to just seek each other out and hold each other when either of them feel bad.

Which OCs are most likely to be caught eating cheese at 3 AM?

MMM this would have to go to Ketil and also Caleb, TBH

Ketil as an angel doesn't... actually eat, except to indulge in their personal vices. They rely purely on bright sunlight to revitalize themself, being an angel of radiance and peace! HOWEVER, Ketil really, really likes to indulge in sweets such as honey and the like, despite Artemio being adamant that they not eat if they don't have to. When they can finally roam the cabin freely for... reasons, it's nothing to find Ketil hunched over their stores devouring what they can when hunger strikes them regardless of the time.

Caleb tends to be a bit odd with food in general after being routinely starved to break him a bit easier and to keep him weak. That, combined with horrible insomnia, and it makes for him being up at weird times eating all sorts of weird stuff he can get his hands on. He tends to sneak off to eat unless people sit him down and eat because sometimes he forgets he's actually allowed to eat whenever he wants. It's something he'll probably never break entirely, either.

#sorry if this doesn't make all the sense #it is 4 am and I am very tired #where do you think Caleb gets the insomnia from HA #Elisha/Caleb #Artemio #Ketil #Quinn #touch starvation #touch starved #starving tw #whump #ask answered

[whumpqin]

Febuwhump 2022 Day 5: "Let Me See"

A short one but one that I enjoyed writing!

Characters: Ketil (Little Bird) and Artemio

CW: nonhuman whumper, nonhuman whumpee, injured whumper, blood, whumpee helping whumper, mild threats, captivity

Word Count: 400

If you would like to be added to the taglist for The Gilded Cage, please let me know!

Content under the cut!

Artemio had been moving a lot more slowly since His trip into town.

Ketil had noticed it first when He'd sat down to tan some skins. It was slow, methodical, similar to the manner they moved after a session with the knives, or the aches when the pull of the world made their body too much to handle. Followed with a grunt as He got to work. They had said nothing then because it had not clicked until now.

Artemio was shifting some things in the leather room. Moving boxes and stored items with great care, checking for small animals, and moving perishables away from the range of Ketil's sorrow. Artemio kept pausing between lifts, where Ketil distinctly remembered before His lack of restraint.

That's when they'd seen it: a blotch of red across His left shoulder, seeping through Artemio's shirt.

"You're hurt," Ketil blurted out. They drew their wings in tightly as Artemio's dark gaze rested directly on them.

"And? What about it? I get hurt, Little Bird, it happens," Artemio grumbled.

"Let me see."

"No."

Ketil's mouth opened, then closed with a set jaw. There wasn't much else to do from there. But they gritted their teeth regardless, and got up to their feet.

"Let me see, my Lord. Please," they said.

Artemio stepped forward with a huff through His nose, tail whipping behind Him and He towered over Ketil. "I told you no, Little Bird. Aren’t you listening?"

They bit back the words they wanted to say, gripping their fists tightly as tears sprung to the eyes on their hands. My name isn't Little Bird. You don't tell me what to do. I'm stronger than you.

"I can help. Just... just let me look," Ketil finally said.

Artemio was quiet for a moment. The quick darting of His eyes showed some line of thought, at least, but Ketil could only hope He was considering their words.

Then He opened His mouth and uttered a stern, "No. And don't insist again, or I'll put you in that box just long enough to make you wonder if I'm going to kill you."

That was the final nail in the coffin. Ketil's wings slumped as Artemio turned away again and struggled to lift something else. They found their way to resting on the floor again and watched their Lord continue His hard, painful work of moving the room’s furniture about.

#febuwhump #febuwhump 2022 #febuwhumpday5 #whump #whump writing #captivity #nonhuman whumper #nonhuman whumpee #injured whumper #blood tw #whumpee helping whumper #mild threats #Little Bird #Artemio #The Gilded Cage

[whumpqin]

Febuwhump 2022 Day 7 (Altprompt): "I'll Never Forgive You"

This is less whumpy and more just.... late timeline stuff but I mean... it's them of all things so that has to count for something

Characters: Ketil (Little Bird) and Artemio

CW: nonhuman whumper, nonhuman whumpee, whumpee bonded with whumper, mostly fluff with heavy undertones

Word Count: 258

If you wanna be tagged just let me know

Content under the cut!

"I'll never forgive you."

The words are spoken against skin and tangled limbs, flush against a soft woolen bed. Ketil kept the eyes upon their head closed, but left the ones on their hands open to stare at Artemio's expression. For a moment He was solemn, until He met Ketil's eye. A brief warmth flashed through his features. He untangled one of His arms from being wrapped around a wing to take Ketil's hand, kissing against their upper eyelid.

"Would you go back, if you had the chance?" Artemio asked softly, voice rumbling in a low tone.

Ketil looked away from Him. They curled away just a bit, wings pressing against their body as they thought. The answer was simple, but Ketil drew in a deep breath to take in the smoky scent of Artemio's shirt.

"No. I don't think I would. I like breathing. Sleeping sometimes. Eating, most of all." Ketil curled their other hand against the back of Artemio's shirt. "I just want us to remember your part to play in that."

"...Is that good or bad?" Artemio asked after a pause.

"I'm... I don't know. Both."

Another pause, and then a large sigh from Artemio. He pulled Ketil closer and pressed his lips close to the shell of their ear. His voice was as soft as a whisper as he clasped Ketil's hand tightly.

"Well, then. I suppose I'll never forgive you, either," he murmured.

The hand eyes closed gently, and they leaned into his touch. "I'm glad, Artemio," Ketil said with a small smile.

#febuwhump #febuwhump 2022 #altprompt #febuwhumpday7 #whump #whump writing #my writing #nonhuman whumper #nonhuman whumpee #whumper bonded with whumper #hurt/comfort #Little Bird #Artemio #The Gilded Cage #I've been meaning to get this out but busy!! lol

[whumpqin]

Febuwhump 2022 Day 2: Failed Rescue Attempt

annnd day 2!

Characters: Ketil (Little Bird), minor human character, Artemio

CW: Failed Rescue, nonhuman whumpee, reluctant caretaker, mentions of past torture, nonhuman whumper, a pretty light one this time!

Word Count: 495

Content below the cut!

“...What in the Hells is this?”

Ketil blinked up at the human in the doorway. The shock of seeing them seemed to stop him right in the frame, staring at Ketil with mounting horror as they sat upon the dirty ground, wings curled around them for warmth.

They said nothing as the human warily approached. His gaze flicked down to the chain wrapped around their ankle, preventing their escape while Artemio was working outside. “Not privileged enough yet,” He had said. Not obedient enough, Ketil reminded themself.

“‘Spose the rumors are true, then,” the man muttered to himself. “Hey, how long have you been here?”

“I don’t know. Is it, um…” Ketil thought hard about the last time they had tasted fresh air and heard the fellow birds sing, right before Artemio’s trap had sprung. “Is it still spring?”

The man furrowed his brows. “Shit…” He took a quick glance towards the door he’d come from. “I don’t have a lot of time. Fuck, this was not the plan.” The human wiped his face with his hands, then looked at Ketil. “Okay listen, I’m gonna get you out of here. Might as well since I’m here. Is there another exit other than the front door?”

Ketil nodded, then pointed at the other door. “Down the hall. Small room for storage.”

“Great. Stay as still as you can, alright? I see an axe we can use to maybe get that chain off.”

The human shifted quietly, casting glances to the front door as he did, and picked up a small handaxe Artemio had left in here. He moved back and laid the chain out straight. Then after bunching his muscles he swung the axe down and Ketil flinched away, hearing only the sound of metal against metal.

Hands grabbed their elbows. “C’mon. Quickly, now. We don’t have a lot of time before that devil wanders back in here,” the human hissed into their ear.

Ketil was up to their talons. They took the opposite door that the human had entered into and went into the hall. This particular hall had only one distinct memory, where they had angered Artemio that He had hung them up not to stare at, but instead as punishment for their failure. The two walked into the small storage space, where meat had been hung up to dry with an array of spices.

The human stepped forward and grabbed the handle of the door and turned it. However when he pushed, he was met with impossible resistance. Just for good measure the man pulled, but the door would not open.

“What the Hells? Why the fuck won’t it open?!” The human hissed. He rammed his shoulder into the door and spat out a curse.

“Is this the commotion I’ve been hearing inside, then?”

Both the human and Ketil fell deathly silent. They turned to see a deep red devil in leathers holding an axe, charcoal black eyes narrowed in cold fury.

Artemio.

#febuwhump #febuwhump2022 #febuwhumpday2 #whump #whump writing #my writing #failed rescue attempt #nonhuman whumpee #nonhuman whumper #reluctant caretaker #mentions of past torture #Little Bird #Artemio #Little Bird name reveal :) #surprise! (not really) they're a person with thoughts and wishes to escape! who knew!