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#whump fic
monarchthefirst · 3 months
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stoic whumpee prompt
The silent crying.
Whumpee has their bruised, bloody hand clamped over their mouth to muffle the sound, or they’ve buried their face into Caretaker’s shoulder, or they’re biting into a gag while someone does field surgery or sumthin, idk.
But they’re sobbing. Completely silent, except for occasional, sharp intakes of breath that seem to tear them apart. The tears. The smothered whimpers. Oh my oh my. This is my happy spot. Right here.
I will not stop with this Stoic whumpee thing now will I?
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meraki24601 · 2 months
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Sleep
Whumpee was awake.
They didn’t know when they woke up, but they were awake. 
They hurt. 
Tremors echoed from their head to their toes as Whumpee pushed themselves up onto their elbows. A fire burned under their skin, and their head was pounding. Something bad had happened to them. Something they couldn’t remember.
A hand filled Whumpee’s vision. The palm was cold as it pressed against Whumpee’s forehead. It felt nice until it began to push. 
“Lay down. Go back to sleep.”
The voice sounded tired. Whumpee was tired. They should go back to sleep. Yeah. Sleeping was a good idea.
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chiharuuu22 · 1 month
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Whumpee blinked when he felt someone pulling up the blanket. He saw the Team Leader there, smiling at him.
"Sorry to wake you," he said. "Go back to sleep."
Whumpee seemed to circle the room with his eyes because he felt something was missing.
"Where... where is Caretaker?" he asked in a weak voice.
At first glance, Team Leader looked sad, but his expression immediately changed, "She's a little unwell, so I'll be on guard. When she's well, she'll come here."
Whumpee didn't answer and chose to close his eyes again. Team Leader, who felt a little guilty about lying, could only sit beside the bed in silence.
***
"Whumpee is looking for you," said Team Leader to Caretaker who was sitting alone in the dark hospital lobby, handing her bottled tea.
Caretaker did not answer. Her hand accepted the offered drink. Her eyes looked puffy, as if she had been crying for a long time.
Yes, Caretaker just expressed her emotions. The anger, fury, hatred, and disgust she had been holding at Whumper's trial poured out all at once. Had it not been for the Team Leader and other members to be detained, Caretaker would have wanted to kill Whumper right then and there.
How could it not be? It was Whumper who captured Whumpee during their fight, held him hostage for almost a year, subjected him to experiments, and even harassed him. What's more, Whumper records all of it. The recording was also played in court and made many people sick to their stomachs. In fact, the judge also had to pause it several times. Not just Whumpee, but all of Whumper's victims were killed.
Whumpee managed to survive with great difficulty, even taking strong evidence to corner Whumper. Unfortunately, Whumpee also ended up languishing in the hospital and being critical for some time. Victims who survived also had the same condition; some even had mental disorders.
After seeing everything that happened to Whumpee, Caretaker was unable to meet him. Found Whumpee who was still lying weak and still had to be helped with medical equipment, even just to breathe. Caretaker didn't dare imagine what Whumpee was going through.
"Whumpee didn't say anything, but he noticed you were avoiding him," Team Leader sat down next to Caretaker. "He woke up several times and looked like he was looking for you."
"I don't dare go see him. I can't stand what I just saw, let alone Whumpee who experienced it," Caretaker spoke in a trembling voice. "I'll definitely cry if I see him."
Team Leader sighed, "At least he's safe and still has his sanity. I know you two need each other, and now Whumpee really needs you by his side."
Caretaker downed her drink.
"Go meet him; Whumpee will be very happy to see you." Team Leader patted Caretaker's shoulder to encourage her.
Caretaker nodded.
***
Whumpee woke up again when he felt something soft and cold touch his cheek. His eyes widened slightly when he found the Caretaker beside him stroking his cheek with affection.
"The Leader said you weren't feeling well. Are you sick? Are you okay?" Whumpee asked and slowly trying to get out the sound he managed to muster, his hand reaching for Caretaker's face. "Are you crying? Why?"
Caretaker started to feel a pinch in her heart; she wanted to cry again. "I'm okay. Just... just a little tired. Don't worry. I'm feeling better too; that's why I came here. Why? Miss me?"
Whumpee flashed a weak smile and said, "Yeah. Very."
Caretaker chuckled softly and said, "Don't worry. I'll be beside you."
Whumpee actually realized why Caretaker was acting like that. Whumpee knows today is Whumper's court, and he already expects that the indictment and evidence will be shown there.
"I'm sorry," said Whumpee.
"Why apologize? You didn't do anything wrong," Caretaker kissed Whumpee's forehead gently. "Go to sleep. You need it."
Whumpee squeezed Caretaker's hand. Just for that alone, Whumpee felt safe.
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echoingalaxies · 1 month
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cw: hospital/medical stuff mentions, unspecified illness or injury
“You wanna pick up some food on the way?” Caretaker asked, steering her car out of the parking garage and to the intersection.
Whumpee, sitting under a blanket on the passenger seat, watched the hospital disappear as they drove away on the mostly empty highway. He rubbed the pit of his elbow where a small bandage remained to stop the slight bleeding from a cannula.
It had been a long day. New bottles of medicine rattled in the pockets of his jacket when he shifted into a more comfortable position and leaned their head against the headrest. They had sat in the waiting room the whole evening before finally being admitted, and discharged only a couple of hours after. Caretaker hadn’t even tried to argue with the staff anymore. It always ended like this. Not enough beds and not enough people to take care of the ones lying on them.
Whumpee knew he was lucky. He knew he’d be safe going home with Caretaker. But it didn’t mean he didn’t keep dreaming about the day he’d be taken seriously. He’d receive proper care. Otherwise he’d just have to keep going back, over and over again. More pills, more bills, more wasted hours.
“Hello?”
“Oh, uh,” Whumpee blinked, realizing he hadn’t actually given Caretaker a response. “No, I… we should just head home. You’ve got work in the morning, and it’s already way past midnight.”
His stomach let out a loud rumbling sound just then, and Caretaker gave him a quiet look, which Whumpee pretended to not see. He could fix himself a bowl of yogurt at home. Caretaker needed sleep. She deserved it, after putting aside her own responsibilities just to stay with him again.
“What if I told you I already took tomorrow off?”
"What?" Whumpee turned to her, shaking his head. “Caretaker, no. You shouldn’t have.”
Caretaker shrugged. “It’s Friday, we get to have a head start for the weekend. Won’t that be fun?” Her smile faltered slightly and her voice shifted lower, to more serious. “The nurse said someone should keep an eye on you — and I wouldn’t want to leave you, anyway. You still need help.”
Whumpee knew that. He looked down, fidgeting with the hospital wristband. If he’d kept every one of those he’d got even during the past year, he could probably sew them together to make full sleeves for both arms. Money was already tight, as Caretaker worked to support the both of them, and Caretaker missing work because of Whumpee’s various appointments and frequent trips to the ER had had their effect on their income.
“Yes, but…” he said, the familiar tearing feeling of shame finding its place. “I thought we would call Friend or Sibling to stay with me while you’re at work. We have before.”
“Now we don’t have to.” Caretaker glanced at him, frowning. “Do you not… want me to stay?”
“Didn’t they say you can’t keep doing this anymore if you plan to keep your position?” Whumpee asked. “You like your job. I don’t want you to risk losing it because of me.”
“They will understand. I told them it is a family matter.”
Whumpee’s cheeks got hot and he moved his focus away from Caretaker again, watching out of the window instead. They were passing by shops, parks, and pubs, taking many turns in the little streets of their labyrinth of a hometown. Whumpee hadn’t even noticed they had left the main road, but he definitely recognised where Caretaker was heading.
“You didn’t have to lie because of me,” he mumbled, as Caretaker pulled into the parking lot of a local, 24-hour barbeque restaurant they both loved. “About it being a… a family thing.”
Caretaker turned to Whumpee, finally being able to give him her undivided attention as she turned off the engine, smiling softly.
“I didn’t.”
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kabie-whump · 2 months
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♡ Day 15: “Who did this to you?” ♡
@febuwhump
Content: Hazbin whump fanfiction, Angel Dust whump, aftermath of violence, implied choking, overdose mention, very minor references to SA (it’s not much but it is angel dust so,,,)
︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵
The call comes late, late enough that Husk is getting ready to shut down the bar and go to bed. All the other hotel residents have been asleep for hours. Well, all of them except for Angel.
He still hasn’t come back. It’s not unusual for him to slink through the front doors in the small hours of the morning, makeup smeared and knees weak, and Husk has made a habit of being there behind the bar when he does.
But he’s still not back.
Husk’s phone rings. He considers not answering for a moment. At this hour the odds are it's just some drunk prank caller. But he checks the contact anyway, just in case.
It’s Angel.
When he answers he’s immediately overwhelmed by the sheer amount of background noise: loud voices and thumping music and squeaking leather.
“Kid? You there?”
There’s nothing for a moment, and Husk starts to think that maybe Angel had just butt-dialed him.
Then, “Husky…”
Angel doesn’t sound good. He never calls Husk that particular nickname unless he’s in a bad way (or flirting his ass off, but Husk considers those to be the same thing).
“I needya to come get me.”
Husk doesn’t waste any time. “Where are you?”
It’s a long walk but a short flight to a seedy club across town - closer to the studio than to the hotel. He lands outside and can already hear the music pouring from inside. Through the open door he can see a writhing mass of sweaty bodies, entirely too many for a place of this side. Husk takes a deep breath, steeling himself to shove his way inside.
He hates this sort of place, but he’ll do it for Angel. If the spider’s wasted enough to actually need help getting home… Can dead people overdose? Husk doesn’t want to find out.
“Husk.”
Angel is sitting against a nearby wall, knees tucked to his chest. Husk hadn’t even seen him at first; he’d managed to make himself so small and unassuming despite the way his white fur nearly glows against the dark backdrop. 
“Thank fuck,” Husk says as he goes over to Angel. “I really didn’t wanna go in there.”
And then Angel picks his head up to look at him and a stray beam of neon light illuminates the quickly forming bruise around his eye. 
Husk goes silent, rushing over to Angel and holding his face gently, not missing the flinch as he lifts his chin to get a better look at the damage. Blood streams from his nose down to his split lip and then down his chin where it’s started to dry on top of hand shaped bruises. He’s shaking and his eyes are wide and watery and more full of fear than Husk’s ever seen them.
His cheek is scraped and dirty, and an image comes to Husk’s mind without his permission: Angel, being shoved face first into a wall-
Husk isn’t in control of the wave of anger that crests over him. 
“Who did this to you?” he growls, shocking himself with the intensity in his voice. He hasn’t expressed anything but apathy and annoyance in so long, maybe not since his overlord days.
Angel blinks, surprise flashing across his face. “I-I don’t know. It was dark. I was wasted.”
Sinners have started to take notice of Angel’s presence, sending long looks their way as if trying to decide whether or not they’d get anything out of butting in. Husk subconsciously extends his wings, slielding Angel from view.
“Do you remember what they looked like? Are they still in there?”
Angel shakes his head. “I just wanna get outta here. Please, Husky.”
Husk breathes heavily, forcing himself to calm down. Angel doesn’t need a guard dog right now. He needs a bartender. 
“Alright.” He stands, offering his hand to Angel. “Let’s go home.”
︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵
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life-at-hogwarts · 11 months
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Crucio (Ominis x GN! reader) HURT/COMFORT
Pairing: Ominis x reader
Warnings: whump, angst, hurt/comfort, fluff, alcohol
Word count: 3.7k
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Summary: When you get trapped in Salazar Slytherin’s room of torture, Ominis is forced to relive past trauma. Not being able to bear hearing the sound of your screams he insists on taking your place. 
Authors note: This is the first fic I actually finished, hope you enjoy it. Might be a one shot, but I’m thinking about continuing the story.
Finally, Ominis turned around to face you. His expression softened, his mask melting away, revealing the hurricane of emotions he was struggling to hold back.
 “Please let me do it. I’d rather take the pain that hear you scream. Believe me, you’ll never forget these kinds of screams. I can’t take hearing you suffer. Please, „ he pleaded. It was an impossible choice, but when you looked at him you knew what to do.
“Are you sure about this?”
“I’m sure. Not my first time, remember?”
---
“This is where she died. This is where we’ll die! I shouldn’t have listened to either of you!”  Ominis cried out, his voice unusually shrill. While you were searching for comforting things to say, Sebastian, who had been studying the door finally broke his silence. “I’m sorry about your aunt, Ominis. But I know how to get us out of here. It’s going to be difficult,” he murmured absentmindedly. Unlike his friend, the tall brunette did not seem to be bothered by the situation at all, which could only mean he had already come up with a plan.
“What do you mean you know how to get us out of here?” you asked.
“Look around. Tortured faces on the door and ‘Crucio’ etched into the stone. My guess is if we cast the Cruciatus curse the door will open. That’s why Noctua died - she had no one to cast the curse on. Ominis has the most experience with this. He should cast it. You seem to be in Ominis’ favor. Will you ask him about this?”
Knowing how insensitive Sebastian could be, you agreed and carefully approached Ominis, who was still anxiously pacing on the other side of the room. Before you could say anything, he blurted out, “I overheard you and Sebastian, and I won’t do it. The Cruciatus curse is pure torture - I would know.”
“Sebastian told me a little of what happened when you were young. It sounded as if you had no choice,” you replied, hoping he wouldn’t mind his friend sharing this with you. You still vividly remembered how badly he reacted to finding out you knew about the Undercroft. To your surprise, this time he didn’t even mention it. If anything, he seemed glad that he didn’t have to explain it to you himself.  
“One always has a choice. I’m as guilty as the worst of my family. Unforgivable curses won’t work unless you really mean them. I had to want to cause pain and for that I shall never forgive myself. That spell is the reason I have no family left,” he exclaimed frantically.
“You’re not a bad person, Ominis. I know you. You are good. What happened was not your fault, do you hear me? You have to forgive yourself.”  
Ominis misty grey eyes filled with tears. “Please don’t make me do it. I can’t. I won’t,” he whimpered and covered his ears with his hands, as if to block out a noise only he could hear.  “I don’t want to. Please don’t make me.”
Shocked by his reaction you immediately started apologizing. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t even have asked. We will figure out another way, I promise,” you assured him, softly placing your hand on his arm. Seeing him this upset rattled you, and you wanted nothing more than give him a hug, but he pulled away and sat down on the floor, cradling his head and rocking back and forth. Unsure what to do you looked at Sebastian for help. He gestured with his head to come to him. You felt awful leaving Ominis like this but obeyed his bidding.
“I’m guessing that’s a ‘no’ from Ominis. It’s up to us then. I can teach you Crucio or I can cast it on you.”
“You know how to cast Crucio? Why did you have me ask Ominis in the first place? You know how badly that spell messed him up!” you snapped at him, pointing at his friend who clearly was not doing well.
“I’m not sure I do. But I think I can cast it if I have to. It sure is a better option than dying in here,” Sebastian replied calmly. His composure was truly remarkable, and you were glad that at least one of you was keeping a cool head. Now it was your turn to do your part. You had already made the decision.
“Alright. But you must cast it. I could never bring myself to hurt you. I’m sorry.”
Sebastian nodded and you took a deep breath and closed your eyes, trying to brace yourself for what was coming next. When you opened them again the two of you exchanged a solemn look, and he pulled out his wand. Before he could open his mouth, Ominis had crossed the room, moving with the stealth and swiftness of a cat and grabbed Sebastian’s arm, forcing him to lower his wand.
“Cast it on me,” he demanded, his face an impenetrable mask.
“Ominis, no. He’ll cast it on me,” you protested but the blonde ignored you, standing his ground.
“Didn’t know you’re all so eager to be tortured,” Sebastian remarked dryly.
Finally, Ominis turned around to face you. His expression softened, his mask melting away, revealing the hurricane of emotions he was struggling to hold back. “Please let me do it. I’d rather take the pain that hear you scream. Believe me, you’ll never forget these kinds of screams. I can’t take hearing you suffer. Please, „ he pleaded. It was an impossible choice, but when you looked at him you knew what to do.
“Are you sure about this?”
“I’m sure. Not my first time, remember?”
You recalled what Sebastian had told you earlier regarding Ominis’ experience with the curse. The thought of his family torturing him as a child, made your blood boil with anger, and now he had to go through it again.  Everything inside of you was screaming to take his place but you knew how stubborn he could be. You opened your mouth, ready to argue, but closed it again when you caught Sebastian quietly shaking his head to signal you that you should leave it alone. This way Ominis at least had some control over the situation. The tall brunette took the lead, by pointing his wand and preparing himself to cast the spell.
“Ready?” he asked, looking at Ominis grimly.
“I’m ready.”
Sebastian took a deep breath and his eyes darkened.
“Crucio.”
The second the spell hit him, Ominis groaned and doubled over in pain, his body twitching involuntarily as the curse shot through him in a bolt of cackling red light. The door seemed to feed off his pain, absorbing every single drop of it. You watched with tears in your eyes as he fell to his knees screaming out in agony. Ominis had been right. This was awful. The sounds he made vibrated through your entire body, making the hair on your neck stand up in terror.  Finally, you couldn’t take it anymore.
“Stop it, Sebastian.” you screamed hysterically, your voice breaking but he shook his head again. The door was not open yet. Not knowing what to do you threw yourself on the floor next to Ominis and took his hand, hoping it would give him some sort of comfort. His screaming had died down to a mere whimpering, which for some reason was even worse. You fought the urge to hold your ears to block out the awful sounds coming from the boy on the ground and held his hand even tighter. At last, the door started to melt away, giving way to the room behind it and Sebastian stopped the spell.
Ominis was on his side, his misty eyes staring into nothingness. “Ominis?” you asked carefully but he didn’t react. Sebastian joined you and kneeled next to his other side, checking on his friend. “I’m sorry. Are you alright?” When this too was met with silence you exchanged a worried look with Sebastian. You had both heard the horror stories of people being driven mad by the curse. “Ominis. Say something.” After another 30 seconds that felt like an eternity, he opened his mouth and whispered, “I’m fine.” Slowly, he sat up and a small sob escaped your lips. He was a mess. His face was wet with tears, his hair disheveled and robes covered in dirt. “Don’t scare us like that,” Sebastian grumbled and roughly patted his friend’s shoulder, before getting up and glancing through the doorway. “You have to see this! We made it. We found Salazar Slytherin’s scriptorium.”
Still in shock, you watched Sebastian disappear into the other room, leaving you alone with Ominis. For a moment, you sat in silence, both trying to process what just happened. “Are you really alright?” you asked, even though you could already guess the answer. He most definitely did not look okay. In fact, you had never seen him in such a state before. He was there but not really present. The confident, sassy Slytherin you had gotten to know and love was gone, his body an empty shell. It was like he was trapped in his own dimension of hell, having to relive the torture he went through as a child. He flinched when your question brought him back to reality, then slowly turned his head to face you, “Not really. You?” ���Not really.”
You fell into each other’s arms, desperately holding on to each other, trying to find comfort in the warmth of the embrace. You felt his body relax against yours and leaned into him, even more. A stifled sob escaped his mouth, and he buried his head in your shoulder. Following his example, you let your tears flow freely. The sound of his screams still rang in your ears. The sheer agony in his voice was the worst thing you’ve ever heard, and you couldn’t stop replaying it in your head. You needed him as much as he needed you. His arms wrapped around you, holding on to you as if you were the only thing keeping him from drowning.
You let your fingers run through his hair and pressed your face into his neck, inhaling the sweet scent of his shampoo. Your touch seemed to have a calming effect on him, his breathing slowed down and his grip on you weakened. “You’re okay,” you murmured over and over again, like a mantra, unsure if you were saying this to soothe him or yourself. Slowly, the chaos in your head started to ebb down. It was impossible to tell if you stayed like this for minutes or hours but neither of you was ready to let go. Finally, Ominis tightened his grip on you once more before breaking away.
For a moment you looked at each other in awkward silence, both unsure what to say after the intimate moment you had just shared. “Ominis…” you started but he interrupted you. “I don’t want to talk about it. For now, let’s focus on getting out of here.”
With one swift movement he got up and elegantly offered you his hand. A gentleman as always. Glad, that he seemed to be back to his old self again, you let him help you up. After dusting himself off, he took the lead and walked towards the entrance of the scriptorium, with you following close behind. All of a sudden, your gaze fell on the pile of bones in the corner, and you froze. “What’s wrong?” Ominis asked, his voice full of concern. “Your aunt. Her…remains are right behind you.” “Oh.” You guided his hand towards the spot so that he could see it with his wand, watching his face closely for his reaction but he remained expressionless. Then he quietly asked, “Would you mind giving me a minute alone?” It broke your heart how much pain he had to endure in one single night, and you squeezed his arm reassuringly before stepping through the doorway.
When you entered the scriptorium, you were greeted by Sebastian, who seemed to be completely oblivious to what just happened. “What is taking you guys so long? Come take a look at what I found. Slytherin’s spell book. I have only browsed but it looks promising. I think this could be the key to curing Anne.” His eyes sparkled with excitement when he showed you the old dusty tome with Slytherin’s initials on the front.
“That’s great news Sebastian,” you replied, forcing yourself to give him a smile. Of course, you were happy that there was new hope for curing Anne, but the price for this book had been high and Ominis was the one who had had to pay it. Sebastian didn’t notice and enthusiastically continued talking while he showed you around the scriptorium.
“This room is amazing. I could spend hours and hours rummaging through all of these books.”
“Yeah.”
“What’s with the sour face? Ominis is fine, isn’t he?” he grumpily asked, as he turned around to look for his friend, who was nowhere to be seen.
“No. And neither am I. I want to leave. You got what you came here for.” It wasn’t your way to be so cross with him, but you were still on edge and desperately wanted to get away from this place, that was practically vibrating with dark magic.
Sebastian looked at you with a mixture of confusion and defiance. “You can’t be serious? There is still so much to explore.” You let out a deep sigh and prepared to argue, when Ominis appeared at the foot of the stairs, joining in on the conversation. “I agree. Let’s get out of here.” His voice was calm and authoritative, leaving no room for debate. In one hand, he held his wand, the other was clutching a gigantic vase. You furrowed your brows in confusion before you realized what he had been doing while you and Sebastian had been talking. “Is that…?”
“I am going to take her with me. Give her a proper burial.”
Finally, understanding dawned in Sebastian’s face and he gave in, waiting for you to take the vase from Ominis before gesturing to follow him. The exit was hidden in an eerie looking statue of Salazar Slytherin’s face with a snake coming out of its mouth. Sebastian stepped forward and tapped the snake’s head with his wand, causing the statue to rotate and reveal a platform of sorts. “After you.” A few minutes later, when all of you were back in the Slytherin dungeon, Sebastian spoke up. “About your aunt Ominis -”
“Please, Sebastian. All I want is for you to swear never to engage in anything to do with dark magic ever again. You almost got us all killed tonight, with your stupid obsession with the scriptorium.”
“We are so close to curing Anne. I found Slytherin’s spell book in the scriptorium, and I think I saw something that could be useful….”
Ominis face crumpled with pain and disappointment. His best friend truly did not care about anything other than his search for a cure. He turned away from Sebastian, who was still rambling on about some spell he had found. When he noticed that Ominis wasn’t listening he snapped at him, “Why are you not happy for me? I thought you cared about my sister.”
After a long, tiring night, you’d had enough of his selfish behavior and stepped in.
„I know how important finding a cure for Anne is to you, but right now this is about Ominis. We put him through hell tonight, do you understand that? He has every right to be angry at you. You keep putting yourself before everyone else and completely ignore the wreckage you leave in your path.”
Sebastian glared at you, ready to retaliate. “Why isn’t he angry at you then? After all, you convinced him to go in there.”
“I’m sure he is, and he is right to be. Tonight was a mistake. Now take this and find a place to hide it for tonight. It’s the least you can do. Tomorrow we will decide what to do with it. I’m taking Ominis home.” You handed him the vase with Noctua’s remains and held his angry gaze.
“He can find his own way back to the dorms you know. He’s not helpless.”
“Of course he can. I just don’t want him to be alone right now.”
With that you turned around and demonstratively took Ominis hand, interlocking your fingers with his. “Let’s go.” You felt his surprise, but he went along with it and didn’t pull away. Usually, he hated it when people tried to help him in any sort of way, and you almost expected him to snap at you but tonight he was tame as a kitten, letting you lead him down the corridor, away from a fuming Sebastian. He too seemed to be too tired to argue. The sound of your steps echoed through the empty corridors as you walked in silence. When you stopped in front of the entrance of the Slytherin dorms, you waited for him to take charge and decide whether or not he wanted to invite you into their common room. He didn’t let go of your hand when he spoke the password and the gigantic snake revealed the door. After a few seconds of hesitation, he stepped forward, gently pulling you with him and you followed.
You had been here quite a few times with Sebastian, still the elegance and grandeur of the Slytherin common room never ceased to amaze you. The room was filled with eerie greenish light leaking from the windows showing the depths of the black lake. The only sound was the gentle cackle of wood being devoured by the flames. You followed Ominis, or rather let him guide you, to a sofa right in front of the big windows that faced the water. Only then did he let go of your hand and slumped into the soft pillows. You awkwardly waited a few moments before sitting down yourself. Ominis rubbed his face and sighed wearily, “I don’t need you to stand up for me.”
“I know. I just wanted to make it clear to him how wrong his behavior was tonight. I’m so sorry I dragged you into this. I should have never asked you to show us the entrance. This is my fault.”
“I appreciate that. I have already forgiven you. Everybody makes mistakes.”
You raised an eyebrow, knowing full well that Ominis was usually not one to hold back his anger when someone screwed up. His tongue was as sharp as his wits and not something to be messed with, as you knew from firsthand experience. Tonight, he was oddly calm, it was almost unsettling.
“Yeah, but mine almost got us killed.”
“You know me. I’m a thrill seeker,” he replied dryly, making you snort with laughter. Amused by this, Ominis too started giggling and you laughed even harder. It probably was the adrenaline, but you could not stop laughing, both of you cackling hysterically like maniacs. It took you some time to calm down, but the laughter had helped dissolve some of the stress and you felt a little better.
“Glad you have your sense of humor back. Seriously though, are you going to be okay?” you asked solemnly.
“Don’t worry about me.”
“Of course I worry about you, silly. You have been through a lot tonight.”
“Please don’t. I can’t…I can’t talk about it,” he whispered, and his entire body stiffened. Trying to hide how much this affected him he dug his nails into the palms of his trembling hands and avoided your gaze.
“That’s alright. Just know, if you do need to talk, I’m here for you,” you replied softly and placed a hand on his outstretched leg. By now you understood that physical touch had a calming effect on him. It was odd, since he was a very withdrawn person, not like Sebastian, who was rather touchy and comfortable with physical proximity. Ominis was a proper gentleman, always keeping his distance, never intruding your personal space. Yet tonight he really seemed to need the intimacy of human touch.
“There should be some firewhiskey in the globe behind us, would you mind getting it?”
“Are you trying to get me drunk?”
“I’m inviting you to join me for a nightcap.”
“Well, if you put it like that, how could I resist?” you chuckled and got up.
As promised, when you opened the globe, you found an almost full bottle of firewhiskey. You waved the bottle in the air letting the liquid slosh loudly against the glass, to let him know about your find and returned to the sofa, but it was empty. Ominis had made himself comfortable on the floor in front of it, resting his arms on the seat. Following his example, you sat down next to him on the soft carpet and handed him the bottle. He took a deep swig of the bronze liquid and passed it on to you. You took a small sip and coughed, quickly handing it back to Ominis. After another few sips he broke the silence.
“Why are you so kind to me?”
“Because I care about you. Is that so hard to believe?”
“Yes.”
Too tired to talk, you reached for his hand, and he took it. The way his fingers wrapped around yours ever so gently felt like the most natural thing in the world and you felt the urge to never let go of his hand again. For a while you sat in silence, quietly passing the whiskey back and forth, then Ominis spoke up again.
“You know why I like to sit here so much?” He paused for a moment to look at you, waiting for you to meet his gaze. For a moment you got lost in the reflection of the lake in his milky grey eyes. “Because I like the way, the water breaks the light. I can see light and shadow, you know? When I watch the lake, the light is dancing.”
“That sounds beautiful. Tell me about it.”
“It dances with the rhythm of the waves. It’s so soothing it’s like listening to a lullaby. Sometimes, when it’s stormy it gets really fast and erratic, it’s like I can see the thunderstorm.”
Slowly but surely the alcohol was taking effect and he was struggling to stay awake. He rested his head on your shoulder and asked, “Can we just sit here and watch them for a while?" already starting to slur his words a little.
“Ominis?”
“Mhm?”
“Never scare me like that again.”
Instead of answering he nestled his face into your neck and sighed. You rested your head on his and listened to his breathing slow down as he started to fall asleep, still not letting go of your hand. You smiled at his cute little snores before you too drifted off to sleep.
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reid-whump · 11 months
Note
How can you dehumanize a whumpee?
THIS IS MY FAVOURITE TROPE!! SEND MORE DEHUMANISATION ASKS PLEASE
use them as an ash tray!
force them to kneel next to you as you work!
shock!!! collars!!!!
carving their owner’s initials into their back!
using them as entertainment at parties!
sharing them with friends!
pulling their hair to meet their owner’s eyes!
assigning them a new name one might call a pet!
draw pretty patterns into their skin!
training them not to be disobedient!
giving them a treat when they’re good!
alter their appearance to your liking!
have them repeat that they were worthless!
don’t let them sit on furniture!
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Text
Fever and Fainting
Pairings: Wandanat x R
Word count: 1.6K
Summary: being sick sucked a little less with your girlfriends.
TW: vomiting, fainting (i guess?), like one swear word
A/N this is my first fic so it might kinda suck sorry
You had spent the last five days looking after your old neighbours kid who was sick, so it was no surprise to you when you woke up feeling like your head was packed with sand. The headache you could deal with but the pit of nausea that seemed to only get worse had you throwing back the sheets and sprinting to the ensuite in a heartbeat. As your dinner from the night before made a reappearance you thanked whatever gods were out there Nat and Wanda had training early this morning and weren’t there to watch. As much as you loved them you had never once been sick whilst together. Sure Wanda had the flu a couple months back and Nat had been great but this was different. This wasn’t the flu, and frankly you didn’t know what it was yet. You flushed the toilet and wiped your mouth, wanting nothing more than to climb back into bed. Fixing your hair in the mirror you saw how pale you looked. Ghostly. Changing into Nat’s fluffy long pants and Wandas sweatshirt, and throwing on some makeup you walked down to the kitchen. Pulling your hands into the sleeves as a chill ran up your spine. Clint was sat in the kitchen as Wanda made breakfast Nat hovering nearby and stealing bacon.
The sound of your girls laughing made it an easy decision. You weren’t going to tell them. They looked so happy and they had just come back from a week long mission in Moscow and needed some time to relax. You’d taken a swig of anti-nausea meds that had tasted like dirt so you thought everything would be fine. Clearing your throat, the girls looked up. It had been a bad idea. Now along with the headache your throat hurt too. Smiling you gave them a hug dodging their kisses to your cheek, you missed they looks of surprise. You never avoided kisses. Once you sat down at the table your body seemed to suddenly gain mass. Your limbs now felt like dead weights and it was somehow getting colder. Suppressing a shiver, Wanda came over with a plate of bacon and toast, knowing your dislike for eggs. But after only a couple bites you went back into the kitchen to “get more”, but really you simply put back what you didn’t eat and left.
Wanda frowned at the slightly larger pile of food in the kitchen, her and Nat knew you were acting odd, but lying to them and not eating wasn’t something you did.
Your legs screamed at you as you walked back to the lift. When your eyes landed on your bed your legs seemed to not take no for an answer. Eyes rolling back in your head you didn’t hear the door open.
Walking into their shared room to find you halfway to the floor wasn’t something Nat had ever planned on. “Y/N!” She yelled, reaching you a second too late and having to watch you head connect with the floor. Nat rushed over pulling your unconscious body into her arms.
“Friday, alert Wanda that i need her now.”
“Right away Ms. Roman-off”
A second later Wanda appeared in the doorway.
“Nat you needed m- OMG what happened.” Wanda raced to Nat’s side who now had you clutched tightly to her.
“Im not sure she just passed out, I only got here in time to see her hit her head when she fell” Wanda tapped you cheek lightly in an attempt to brig you around.
“Y/n/n. Wake up sweetheart. Come on”
A muffled sound pulled you out of wherever you were. But as it came clearer so did the pain in your head which had increased ten fold. Groaning you made out the voice to be Wandas.
“Baby, are you ok” Wanda laid a hand on your cheek, only to sharply pull it back a moment later.
“Shit Nat she’s burning up.”
A moment later another hand placed on your cheek. Leaning into the cold touch you moaned slightly at the feeling. Too tired and sick to be embarrassed. Suddenly your eye flew open and you frantically tried to extract yourself from the assassins arms. Wandas eye went wide at your loud thoughts, quickly passing you a bin as what little breakfast you had tumbled into it. Nat’s hands drew back your hair as Wanda shushed you and traced patterns on your back. Tears slipped down you cheeks, you hated being sick. When you were done your head lolled, the girls quick to pull you back before you ended up in your own sick.
“Sweetheart can you hear me?” Wanda asked, you groaned in response, both girls too concerned to laugh, they exchanged looks of worry.
“I’ll take that as a yes” Nat smiled softly.
“Can you stand up baby we need to get your fever down.”
“Based off the pink medicine in the bin I’d say you knew you were sick already, didn’t you” Nat poked.
Wanda glared at her for a moment mouthing “not now” to her. You turned your face into Nat’s shoulder as she picked you up. Wanda already in the next room drawing a tepid bath. You were too tired to process what was happening and too sick to care, as they peeled off your clothes. Damp with your sweat. You half stood half leaned on the counter shaking violently as the girls watched the bath water fill up the tub. When Nat lowered you into the water, which felt freezing against you skin, you almost cried. Clinging to her they shushed you. Together they washed your skin free of the sweat, before wrapping you in a soft fluffy towel and dressing you in Nat and Wanda’s spare Pjs.
Nat carried you back to the bed as Wanda went off in search of a bucket.
“M’ s’rry” you mumbled, feeling slightly more lucid after the bath.
“Oh sweetheart” Wanda said walking back in. “You don’t need to be sorry.”
“You cant help being sick” Nat agreed. The two girls joining you on the bed. Nat ran her hands through your hair whilst Wanda traced shapes on your leg. Slowly you drifted off to sleep.
Only to be awoken a couple hours later in violent need of the bucket Wanda had set down by the bed. Crawling over the top of your girls legs, you hung off the edge of the bed as you threw up again into the bucket. Waking both girls up in the process. You found your hair being pulled back again. Nothing came up but bile, your stomach having rejected all food earlier. More tears fell as you finished, strong hands pulling you back up onto the bed. You sniffled snuggling into their embrace as they whispered sweet nothings in you ear.
“Oh sweet girl. Do you feel better now?” Wanda asked, sighing in relief at you little nod.
“Not going to go again?” Nat asked, sweeping you hair back from your eyes. You shook you head slightly as more tears fell. With the pad of her thumb Wanda brushed them away, as Nat peppered your cheek with kisses.
As you fell asleep again, the two girls shared a look. Normally you were never so quiet and needy, but then again they had never seen you sick before. Pulling you closer to them they spoke in hushed tones. Agreeing if you didn’t get better soon, especially after giving you meds they would take you to Bruce. It seemed you fever had broke but the vomiting hadn’t stopped. Each time they fed you food, soup or other light things it simply came back up around a half hour later. After almost two days Nat and Wanda carried you to Bruce’s lab. Your half asleep form clutched to Wanda’s chest, as you watched through half lidded eyes.
After running some tests Bruce confirmed a bad case of the stomach flu. Giving the girls some stronger meds and a sick bag for the trip back to your room. He gave you some meds and small nibble of food. As the meds were ones you couldn’t take on an empty stomach. You made it all the way to the lift before your eyes snapped open and you threw up on Wanda and yourself. Bursting into tears, Nat and Wanda shared a surprised look before reassuring you and telling you it was alright.
“Its ok sweet girl i know you didn’t mean to.” Wanda cooed brushed back your hair.
“Come on we’ll go back and you can both shower.” Nat smiled pulling Wanda and you down the hall.
After a shower the three of you were back in bed. The two girls verbally wrestling with you and begging you to have more to eat.
“Come on baby we’ll even let you choose the movie.” Wandas hands held the awful syrup you’d come to despise. Sighing deeply you opened your mouth allowing them to give you the medicine. After twenty minutes, the girls watched you sleep ready to give you a sick bag, not wanting a repeat of the lift situation. Chicago PD playing on the tv in the background. When a half hour passed and so did an hour they relaxed some. Keeping the sick bag by the bed if you needed it later. Snuggling up to you they held you close as you all fell asleep. That night you only woke up twice to be sick, both times your girls held you and comforted you until you were asleep again.
Over the next few days you slowly came good again. Back to your usual self, life in the compound returned to normal. Or as normal as it can be for a witch, an assassin and their girlfriend.
Master list
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one-piece-aus · 6 months
Note
Can I request Whumptober No.13 for Yan Rob Lucci or Yan Kaku?
Sure thing! ^-^
Whumptober Day 13
Yandere Lucci x Reader
Tumblr media
"Hello there," you greeted a little white pigeon wearing a red tie. "Aren't you cute."
"Thank you."
You jumped, startled, and surprise clouded your face. "You can talk?"
"Yes, but don't tell anyone, okay?" The pigeon held up his wing as if they were hands forming the shush sign.
"Ohhhhh okay," you nodded. In awe and fascinated by this talking bird, you didn't pay attention to the noises next door. 
For hours you asked the bird questions until it announced it had to leave. Sad to see it fly away, you waved goodbye until it flew out of sight. You'd never see it.
At least, that's what was supposed to happen.
A month later the pigeon came back, and your excitement skyrocketed. You were beginning to believe the talking bird with a tie was all a dream you had, you were happy to know the bird's real. You asked more questions but then you asked one you should've asked sooner.
"Do you have a name?"
"I do, forgive me for not introducing myself," the pigeon apologized and bowed. "I'm Hattori."
"Hattori, huh." You petted his little head. "Do you have an owner?"
"Mhm, but he's... busy right now, so I came here out of boredom."
You giggled, "I hope I don't get in trouble for keeping you away from him."
"Oh, I'm sure he wouldn't mind." Hattori leaned into your hand. "I think he'd like you."
"You think so?" You mused before going into the kitchen to get Hattori a snack.
Little did you know, his owner was standing under your balcony, arms crossed and leaning against the wall.
Like clockwork, you saw Hattori once a week now. You invited him inside a few times, but he declined, saying he preferred being outside with fresh air. At least, that was before tonight.
"[Y/n], it's cold outside, can I fly in?" Hattori shivered with his wings wrapped around him.
"Of course." You stepped to the side and let the poor bird into your home, forgetting about your glass of water on the counter. "Here let me get you a blanket."
You left the balcony door open and headed to the hallway closet, taking out the handstitched blanket you made for the bird you had created in your spare time. When reached, Hattori was perched on the counter beside your drink.
"Here," You laid the tiny thing around the bird. "You should feel better now. Oh, I almost forgot about my drink." You picked up the glass, sipping the contents. "What kind of owner leaves his pet out in the cold of night? Actually..." You placed the drink down and held your head. "I don't feel so good."
The counters became sideways and the ground came up to slam into you. Hattori flew up from the counter, you didn't quite see where he went. The last thing you saw was dress shoes approaching you.
Tag: @bookandyarndragon @roseoftrafalgar
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chaotic-orphan · 5 months
Text
Intoxicating Fear (VII)
The Great Escape
Part one here
Continued from this part here
*~*~*~*~*
Kit tied Ambrose up with duct tape. It wasn’t the best thing to restrain Ambrose with, if he really wanted to secure Ambrose the only thing to do would be to tie up his mind. Or use power dampeners.
And as it happened Kit wasn’t able to do either of those.
So he tied Ambrose’s hands behind his back, and duct taped his mouth but Kit was pretty sure Ambrose could use his powers with eye contact alone so he wrapped a long sleeve t-shirt over Ambrose’s eyes and went to his phone.
If Superhero got here by the time Ambrose woke up, he could sort it. He’d have power dampeners and Kit would finally be free of him. Once and for all.
Kit saw his red eyes flash up at him from his phones black screen, and felt nausea climb up his throat at the sight.
It will go away with time, Kit reassured himself, just like the blue does.
Time was of the essence now; he could worry about his fucking eyes later.
Kit unlocked his phone and went to his contact list again. He glanced at Superhero’s name and clicked it. Sure, enough Ambrose’s phone started ringing, bad moon rising echoing around the house again and Kit hung up.
That’s okay.
Ambrose doesn’t know Superhero’s civilian identity, so he was fine.
Kit scrolled down to Superhero’s real name and clicked the green call button.
Bad Moon Rising.
Kit froze in his home. There’s… there’s no way Ambrose knows— there’s no way he forced Kit to tell him was there?
No. Kit was just being paranoid. He wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t.
He knows he wouldn’t. He could never betray Superhero like that…
Kit went down to Other Hero’s name and pressed call and Bad moon rising started playing again.
Fucking FUCK!
It’s fine. It’s fine. Everything’s okay. Come on. The Agency’s number is online he could get that, and call and he would be fine.
Kit opened his browser and tapped the search bar. The screen dimmed and a parental control password came up.
A six-digit code.
Kit glared over at the unconscious Ambrose and wanted so badly to kick him in the face. He couldn’t just leave Ambrose here, could he? What if he woke up and got out and used some innocent civilian as his own puppet?
It wasn’t very heroic of him, but Kit honestly didn’t care.
He just wanted to get to Superhero.
Superhero would know what to do. He always knows what to do.
Decision made, Kit grabbed his jacket and keys and left his useless phone and walked out the door.
Or he would have.
If the second he walked out the door he didn’t get an eardrum shattering headache that made white flash behind his eyes and brought him to his knees. Kit cried out, backing up and once he was back in the house the pain stopped and Kit could breathe again.
He let out short, useless pants trying to ground himself and make sense of what just happened, even though he already knew.
Kit got to his feet again, and this time he ran out the door.
It was like a fire alarm going off in his brain, paralysing him. His breath stolen from his lungs and he couldn’t breathe, choking on air like a fish out of water.
Kit scrambled desperately back towards the house, his vision turning black at the corners of his eyes like a vignette as he dragged himself over the threshold of his apartment and collapsed, wheezing. Greedily gasping in gaping breathes and choking on them, his lungs screaming at him for depriving him of oxygen.
Kit started crying.
He sobbed, which didn’t really help the breathing matters, out of pure frustration. Ambrose had let him free. Given him hope that he could somehow win and the whole time, the whole time he knew it didn’t matter if Kit overpowered him, because Ambrose had already ensured that Kit could do nothing even if he was unconscious and incapacitated.
He didn’t know how long he sat there, crying, glaring at Ambrose, but eventually he got hungry, and made his way to the kitchen where Ambrose’s breakfast was waiting for him. Still a bit warm, Kit took some bacon and pudding and sat down with his back to his front door staring at Ambrose because he couldn’t do anything else.
Kit began eating.
*~*~*~*~*
Ambrose stirred within the hour. Groaning and shifting, trying to get comfortable. Then he mumbled something incoherent behind the tape on his mouth. Kit just watched him come to terms with his situation and wondered what kind of sick satisfaction Ambrose got from watching Kit struggle and try to get his bearings.
Ambrose inclined his head, staring directly at Kit even through his makeshift blindfold.
Is all this really necessary? Ambrose asked, voice in Kit’s head.
“Yes. Yes, it is.”
Kit.
“You’re a fucking bastard, Ambrose. How does it feel to be the one on the back foot?”
I don’t know, Kit. Tell me. How does it feel? Being free. Being so close to escape and yet so far?
Kit clenched his hands into fists and grit his teeth, leaning forward from his place on the ground and wrapping his hands around his knees.
“I guess we’re both stuck like this until you undo whatever you did to me.”
Ambrose relaxed in his stance.
I can sit like this all day.
Kit said nothing.
Or I could always make you untie me, Kit. You don’t want me to force you to free me, do you? Do you really want everyone you love to die by your hands?
“I think you’re threatening me because that’s all you can do. I got something right, didn’t I?” Kit said. “Covered your eyes, do you need your eyes to compel me to do something? Or your voice? Or your hands?”
I think you’ll go mad before you wait me out, Kit. I’m willing to wait, silent and restrained. Want to see how long you can go without speaking to someone? I don’t mind.
Against his better judgement, Kit stood and walked over to Ambrose and yanked the blindfold off. Ambrose stared up at him grinning, dark eyes smug. Kit didn’t waste time going gentle with Ambrose’s gag. He ripped it off and smiled as Ambrose winced, his lips even more red than usual.
“Thank you,” said Ambrose with a smile. “You can untie me now.”
“Untie yourself, you dick.”
“I made you breakfast Kit, come on now. Don’t you want to leave the house?”
Kit’s hands crackled blue sparks up his left arm to his shoulder, glaring down at Ambrose who grinned up at him. “Ooh. Careful, Sparkles. You might hurt yourself there. Your eyes are almost the same colour as your blood.”
“Shut the fuck up!” Kit yelled, feeling the currents run through his hair. Red sparks flew from his usual blue angry and pulsing and dangerous, the red wrapping tight around his fist like a force of its own just begging to let Kit use it to hurt Ambrose.
Just to wipe that stupid smirk off Ambrose’s face, it would be worth it…
“Scary. Go on, kill me,” Ambrose said, leaning forward, closer to the sparks than safety would grant. “Go on. You could do it. You could kill me, if you wanted to.”
Kit froze at that. Kit didn’t kill.
He didn’t kill.
He wasn’t a murderer he was a hero.
“I won’t sink to your level,” Kit said, his voice echoing static with the sound of the sparks flying. The electricity ran from his body in an instant, drained and dissipating. Kit stalked to the kitchen and grabbed a knife from the knife block before storming back and kicking Ambrose onto his stomach.
“Harder,” Ambrose said with a strained breath.
Kit dropped down to his knee, dropping his other knee onto Ambrose’s spine and smiled at the grunt of pain Ambrose let out. Then he cut the duct tape around his wrists and got off Ambrose, keeping the knife in his hand as he went and leaned against the door.
“Now get this fucking thing out of my head.”
Ambrose got his hands under him and got to his feet. “I never ate breakfast,” Ambrose said instead, taking the last of the duct tape off his wrists and heading to the kitchen. Casual as if being tied up is an everyday occurrence. “Do you want an egg?”
“Go fuck yourself.”
Ambrose shrugged, grabbing the oil and pouring it into the frying pan. “That’s not an answer, but I’ll make two anyways.”
“Get this thing out of my head!”
Ambrose turned slowly. Dark black eyes settling heavy on Kit, cold and threatening.
“In the course of my nap, have you forgotten what I can do to you?” Ambrose asked. He didn’t wait for an answer. A piercing screech rang out in Kit’s mind, and he screamed, hands flying to cup his ears and stop the unmerciful ringing, pounding tight in his brain as if every blood vessel was being stretched and contorted and pulled and twisted, trying to get away from the sound.
The screech got louder the closer Ambrose got to Kit, and louder and louder until it was unbearable— white flashed behind his eyes and Kit was on his knees, screaming for relief, bent double and crying at the floor. It didn’t stop when Ambrose’s boots came within Kit’s sight line. A cold, lithe hand reached down and grabbed Kit’s chin tilting it up. The moment Ambrose’s cold hand made contact; the screeching stopped.
Kit was panting, brain and eyes still fuzzy from the aftereffects of the mental assault. Ambrose tilted Kit’s head all the way back, until he was sitting upright on his knees. Panting and shaking, exhausted. Brain caught between a frenzy of anxiety and a tired induced sloth, like trying to wade through a swamp.
“I could keep you on your knees like this forever, Kit. Like a pretty little statue, something to stare at, something that doesn’t speak or think. Just a dazed little angel, would you like that?”
Kit swallowed the lump in his throat and sniffed, his nose running from crying and screaming. In answer he reached a hand up, pulling at Ambrose’s hold but Ambrose grabbed his wrist before it made contact and bent it back on itself.
Kit hissed out a breath through his teeth, glaring through pained eyes at Ambrose who just smiled down at him.
“Let go of me!” Kit grumbled pulling his head back. Ambrose twisted his wrist more in reply and Kit cried out, trying to yank his hand free, jerking back. Ambrose’s grip didn’t relent, in fact, he tightened his grip on Kit’s face, pinching his cheeks together with one hand.
“Kit,” Ambrose sighed, stepping forward, forcing Kit’s body to bend back uncomfortably. Kit’s head moved with Ambrose’s hand and Ambrose put more force on bending Kit’s wrist back. “If I let go you have to promise to be good.”
Kit pinched his lips together, but Ambrose didn’t let him. He squeezed Kit’s cheeks until his mouth formed a crude ‘o’ shape.
“Uhck-you agh!” Kit cried as Ambrose twisted his wrist further, tightening his grip until it turned bruising. Kit struggled and tried to back up, but his head hit the wall and he was trapped between Ambrose’s body and the wall.
“Oh-kay,” Kit managed, furious, embarrassment flooding his cheeks.
Ambrose smiled, said, “good,” and true to his word Ambrose released him.
Kit’s head bobbed forward immediately, wrapping a hand around his wrist and rubbing it soothingly. Ambrose just went back to the kitchen, whistling, not even entertaining Kit’s glare following him. Kit got to his feet, the world tilting slightly as he stood but he ignored it going to the bathroom and slamming the door.
Angry red eyes found Kit’s in the bathroom mirror. Kit’s hand went out quick, too quick to think and the next thing he knew his fist had shattered the reflective glass. Broken shards fell onto the sink and the tile with a glimmering tinkle, so Kit punched the mirror again, and again.
He would have done it again, if he could, if it wasn’t for the cold rinse of Ambrose’s power flooding through his arm stopping his fist from punching the mirror until he broke his hand. Instead, Kit turned and opened the bathroom door against his will, stepping out into the living room to see Ambrose setting up Kit’s first aid on the table.
Kit’s feet dragged him to the table and forced him to sit and hold out his hand for Ambrose to inspect.
“I hate you,” Kit declared, a furious childish part of him wanted Ambrose to know that.
“I know Kit,” said Ambrose, taking his wrist delicately, the same wrist he had tried to fold in on itself not two minutes ago. “Seven years bad luck to break a mirror.”
“Fuck you,” Kit replied emotion colouring his voice. Ambrose’s touch was tender on his hand as he inspected it for damage. Shards of glass were sticking out of his hand that was steadily streaming blood onto the table.
“I’m going to have to take the glass out to bandage your hand,” said Ambrose, dark eyes dragging up to Kit’s face. Ambrose’s expression twisted into one of pity, as if he could actually feel human emotion and it somehow made Kit feel worse. Kit’s heart hammered against his throat as Ambrose reached over and wiped fresh tears from Kit’s cheeks. “It’s okay, Kit. I’ll make sure it doesn’t hurt.”
Kit didn’t even realise he was crying until then. Frustrated, helpless tears were streaming sad and steady down his cheeks. “Please just let me go,” Kit whispered, half leaning it Ambrose’s hand. He couldn’t do this anymore. Ambrose sighed, rubbing his thumb soothingly over Kit’s cheeks.
“If you want, I can make you go to sleep while I do this?”
Kit sniffed, blubbering like an idiot. He didn’t want to be forced to sleep again, he hated that groggy feeling of waking up after it, completely unaware and vulnerable.
“No,” said Kit eventually. “No, I’ll stay awake.”
“Okay,” Ambrose cooed, drawing his hands back and going to the first aid kit to pull out tweezers and the disinfectant. “I’ll make sure you don’t feel a thing.”
True to his word, Kit didn’t feel anything as Ambrose worked. Not the disinfectant that would have stung. Not the glass being plucked out of his hand and onto the table. Not the bandage as it was tightened around his hand.
Ambrose moved with graceful fluidity, like this wasn’t his first time. Kit just watched him work in silence. If he imagined hard enough, he could be Superhero or Medic stitching him up after a fight with another villain. A friend looking after him telling Kit that he’s an idiot, and why did he punch a mirror. The thought made Kit’s heartache more than his hand would have.
“Okay,” said Ambrose with a smile, a genuine small happy smile. “You’re all done. How’s that feel?”
On Ambrose’s question, feeling flooded Kit’s body and he clenched his hand and opened it again. It was tight enough to hold and loose enough to have full range of motion.
“It feels good, thank you Ambrose.”
The words escaped Kit’s mouth before he registered what he said. Wide eyes went to Ambrose’s dark ones, but it wasn’t the smug pride he saw there. Ambrose smiled sympathetically at Kit and nodded.
“You’re welcome, Kit. How about you go get some sleep? I’ll clean all this up and we can go back to hating each other after.”
Kit nodded numbly. He was exhausted and deflated at his almost escape, he should have known Ambrose would have thought of everything Kit would do. The only way to defeat Ambrose properly would be to kill him and Kit knows he would never do that.
He couldn’t take someone’s life.
So, he stood and walked to his bedroom, shutting the door and collapsing onto his bed. Kit curled up under the covers and cried until he fell asleep.
*~*~*~*~*
Continued here
The Orphanage (plz lemme know if you want to be added or removed <;3) — @nameless-beanie @andithewhumper @annablogsposts @whatwhumpcomments @whumpasaurus101 @0eggdealer @rejectedbytheempty @princess-bubble-blossom @sleepy-pearl @n3rv0usn0v4 @whumpatize-me-captain @mj-or-say10
*~*~*~*~*
Hello, it’s orphan this is a sneaky PS that I am in the process of moving my work here to a new, primary account @patchworkorphan because I stupidly made this blog a secondary one
I am uploading my backlog of posts to that new blog, updated and edited shocking!
Okay thank you for reading, have a good day, watch the late late toy show! It’s officially Christmas!! okay bye!
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monarchthefirst · 5 months
Text
Whump: Needle Trauma/New Caretaker
Whumpee’s stoic gaze was unsettling, to say the least. 
Doc gave them a reassuring smile as they lay on the table, but it was not enough to break the cold silence. Whumpee watched Doc’s every move with hawklike focus, their thin lips pressed together in firm calculation. Doc had never felt this judged since med school. 
One of the nurses was pulling on blue latex gloves to begin the examination and Doc was sure he caught a shiver from Whumpee at the sight of them. He had had patients who were triggered by blue latex gloves. The mere smell had sent a few trauma victims into a wild spin. Was this going to be another one of those moments? Caretaker should have warned him.
To his relief, Whumpee just shut their eyes tightly as the hated gloves touched their skin. A glance at their vital signs told him their heart rate had quickened slightly. But the disturbed staring had stopped, thank goodness. Doc carefully kept his hands below Whumpee’s range of sight as he explored their rib cage, which was covered with violent bruises of all sizes. “Sorry, sorry!” He exclaimed as Whumpee caught their breath suddenly. “Think we have a fracture here. Might hurt just a little, Whumpee. I’ll try to be careful, okay?”  
More cold staring. Doc sighed and got back to work. 
Minutes into the examination, Doc knew they couldn’t go far without causing Whumpee even more suffering. Their whole body, painfully exposed in the bright light of the surgery, was torn and abused beyond belief. It was almost hard to connect the white, impassive face with the mutilated torso and limbs. Whumpee seemed too far gone to care about what had happened to them. 
The nurse had caught on to Doc’s thought process and had reached for a syringe, her eyes questioning. Doc looked Whumpee over and nodded slightly. Probably more merciful to just put Whumpee out for a few hours while they tried to patch them up. 
The nurse pulled the cover off of the syringe and filled it. She set the bottle down and approached the table with an alcohol swab, preparing to sedate Whumpee. 
Whumpee had been watching Doc’s every move, mistrust growing in their empty eyes. Now, they happened to glance in the nurse’s direction in time to catch sight of the syringe in her hand. 
Without warning, Whumpee’s left arm flashed out and slammed into the nurse, sending the syringe flying across the room. In a flash, they were up in a sitting position, gasping hoarsely in pain and terror, their limbs shaking. Doc rushed forward to push them back down but they were ready, warding him off while sliding one leg off the table. 
“Call Caretaker!” Doc ordered the nurse, grabbing hold of Whumpee and desperately trying to keep them on the table. Whumpee fought silently, with no other sound but their sobbing gasps for breath. 
*****************************
Caretaker wrung their hands in the waiting room, pacing back and forth under the TV. Was Whumpee alright? Why were they taking so long? Yeah, they had never gotten a proper please or thank-you from them. Pretty much zero conversation on about anything, Whumpee seeming to hold to a strong-silent-type mindset. More a don’t-make-me-talk-about-it mindset, Caretaker knew. There was a ton of recent violence that they did not speak of, and that was what had Caretaker so worried.
So when their phone buzzed in their pocket, Caretaker pulled it out and immediately started for the hall. “Yeah, I’m coming. Which room?” They said quickly. Oof, this was not going to be pretty. 
And it wasn’t. The surgery was chaos. Whumpee was somewhere in the heart of a crowd of personnel, being pinned to the operating table. Caretaker couldn’t see them, but they could hear the asthmatic wheezing of their breath and it sent pangs of compassion through their soul. Whumpee was fighting hard, despite their injuries, and Doc was trying to calm them, without much success.
“Here, let me sneak in,” Caretaker pushed against the wall of people. “Yeah, I’m Caretaker. Got a call you needed me.”
“Oh thank God you’re here!” Doc breathed a gasp of relief. “I can’t get through to them. Not sure what exactly tripped their switch.”
Caretaker pushed the nurses aside and grabbed Whumpee’s flailing arms in an iron embrace. “Calm down, Whumpee!” They said loudly, firmly. “It’s me, Caretaker. You’re safe! Stop fighting.”
Whumpee sobbed once and continued to squirm, but not so strongly as before. Apparently Caretaker’s voice had worn them down. Caretaker held them close, bending low over the table, sending meaningful glances to the nurses to back away. As Whumpee choked and gasped, trying to catch their breath, Caretaker smoothed their hair and whispered to them comfortingly. “It’s gonna be ok. I won’t leave you. These guys are trying to help you. It’s alright.”
Whumpee shook their head violently. “No! I saw him, Caretaker. Whumper…he had his favorite needle—” 
“Hush! Hush, Whumper’s not here, I swear.” Caretaker’s heart felt like it would tear in two. “If he was I would have taken him down with my bare hands. No one’s gonna hurt you, I promise.”
Whumpee was crying now, their pale face blotched and twisted with pitiful terror. But they held on tight to Caretaker when Doc approached carefully with the sedative once more. Instinctively, they turned their head to see what he was doing, but Caretaker stopped them and held them tighter. “No, don’t look at it, Whumpee. Just look at me. You're gonna be okay, you hear me?”
Whumpee sobbed with fear. “Please don’t let him touch me, Caretaker,” they begged, burying their head into Caretaker’s chest. Caretaker held them tight while Doc cleaned the injection site with an alcohol swab. Whumpee tensed and whimpered as the needle went in. Caretaker nuzzled their hair gently. “It’s gonna be alright. Great job. You’re doing so awesome,” they said.
As the sedative took effect, Caretaker continued to hold Whumpee close, listening as their breathing gradually calmed down and their trembling stopped. Whumpee’s hands were twisted desperately in their shirt to keep them from letting go. “What’re they going to do to me?” Whumpee murmured timidly, watching the nurses with furtive glances. Caretaker hushed them. 
“They’re just going to make sure you’re all ready to come back home, buddy,” they assured them. “Just fall asleep and when you wake up it’ll all be okay.”
“Home…?” Whumpee muttered drowsily. “You mean I….”
“Yeah, you’re gonna live with me, bud.” Caretaker gave them a comforting smile. “I’m going to be your Caretaker from now on.”  
238 notes · View notes
meraki24601 · 2 months
Text
Ring
“Whumpee, where did you get that ring?”
Caretaker had gotten used to Whumpee flinching. It seemed they hadn’t stopped since they were released from the hospital. Or, maybe it had started even before that. Before Whumper had taken them, or even further when they had first gone to file a restraining order. But they hadn’t expected them to flinch away from the curious question.
That was all the answer Caretaker needed. “You know, Whumper is dead. You don’t have to keep wearing their ring.”
“I can’t take it off.” Whumpee’s voice was small. They kept their head down as they stirred the pot of soup nearing boiling on the stove. 
Caretaker blamed the fumes from the onion Whumpee had chopped up earlier for the tears forming in their eyes. “You’re safe now, Whumpee. I know I can never make it up to you for not believing you sooner, but I swear I will never let anyone hurt you like that again. You can take off the ring.”
“It’s stuck. I can’t take it off.”
“Oh.” Caretaker’s hands stilled as they placed the last spoon on the table. “Would you like some help?”
“Yes, please.” 
Whumpee held very still as Caretaker approached and guided them to stand beside the sink. They didn’t shy away from Caretaker’s touch as the ring was slowly worked from their swollen finger but curled in on themselves and took three giant steps back the moment they were free. The mark left on the skin where the ring had sat dragged a whine from Whumpee’s throat. 
The inside of the ring had been engraved. Imprinted into Whumpee’s skin were four letters: 
M.
I.
N.
E.
Whumpee fell to their knees, holding the finger away from their body. “I’ll never be free.”
Caretaker wrapped a bandage from the kit under the sink around the possessive letters. Kissing Whumpee’s knuckles, Caretaker whispered, “You are free. Whumper is dead. I killed them. I swear on my life, no one will ever touch you again.”
255 notes · View notes
chiharuuu22 · 3 months
Text
One thing that made Caretaker feel relieved was when she finally saw Whumpee crying.
Whumpee, who has never shown specific emotions, never complains, always carries on, and gets through all his difficulties and suffering. Alone.
That day, Caretaker just sat opposite Whumpee. Staring into his eyes while holding his hand. Saying that now Whumpee is safe, everything is finished, and he can let out all the things he has been holding back.
Whumpee was silent at first, but when finally Caretaker took him into her arms and gently rubbed his head and back, Whumpee sobbed and started crying. Whumpee cried loudly in the Caretaker's arms, complaining of pain from all the wounds on his body, saying that he was scared, saying that he was tired, and explaining haltingly and incoherently everything he had been through.
Caretaker didn't say anything; she just kept quiet and rubbed Whumpee. Even though Caretaker felt a prick in her heart, she honestly also felt relieved. Whumpee, who always stood up straight, finally collapsed with a cry. Until finally, Whumpee fell asleep in Caretaker's arms and was then slowly laid down and covered by Caretaker. Sometimes, Whumpee sobbed in his sleep, but at least he didn't wake up until morning.
The next day, when the sun was high, Whumpee finally woke up with puffy eyes. Caretaker smiled and helped him wash his face with cold water and compress his eyes. Whumpee smiled a little, and Caretaker felt it was another step towards Whumpee's recovery.
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generic-whumperz · 7 months
Text
Me reading other people’s fics: Fuck yeah, this is so good! Instant fan! Literally obsessed and invested in this story line and these characters, add me that tag list buddy!
Me reading my own shit: This is cringe and straight dumpster fire. You thought this was a good idea? What an odd-sounding sentence. Yikes, you already said that word three times. You’ve been writing for two days straight, and this is the best you can do? You know what, I think you need to just stop right here pal.
156 notes · View notes
whumptea · 1 year
Text
whumpees who are terrible people my beloved. <3 maybe they’re former whumpers, or have committed some terrible crime that they’re on the run from when they get kidnapped. maybe they were disowned by their family after dishonoring them and have no one to go home to. maybe they manipulate and lie and cheat and steal and are toxic and terrible people who believe no one is looking for them and that they deserve every bad thing whumper does to them. <3
511 notes · View notes
Text
An Adventurer’s Cold
****************************
An original fic commissioned anonymously
********************************
Subject: Original Characters By Author
Length: 3,998 Words
Genre: Denial, RPG, Contagion, Stuck Sneeze
Rating: E for Everyone
CW/TW: Slight Food Description, Mild Blood
*********************************
You have entered MARLINE’S MAGIC SHOP.
“Snf…welcobe back, traveler.”
Marline took a worn handkerchief out of her front apron pocket, blowing her nose mightily. She sniffled, leaning against the old oak counter she stood behind.
“Whad can I interest you in today?”
Terra, only half listening, looked at the many mystical items lining the shelves. Dragon’s heart, succubus horns, even a small jar filled with pixie wings for one silver piece each. Not a bad price, considering how hard pixies were to catch.
However, she didn’t have time for browsing today.
“You wouldn’t happen to have a bronze kobold fang, would ya?” she asked, looking through a green eyepiece at the tired shopkeeper.
Marline smiled. “You took thad request for the rabid fairies, I take it?”
“Yep! They’re some nasty critters, but we’ve got a potion that should stun ‘em -”
“Hah-! hhhhp’TSHIEW!”
Marline bent over the counter, her long red hair spilling over her face. She groaned, taking her handkerchief out again. Terra lowered the eyepiece.
“Good health, Mar. Though it sounds like it’s a little late for that.”
Marline blew her nose with a loud honk. “I was bushroom hunting during a rainy spell ereyesterday - snf! I believe I bay have lived to regret it.”
“I’ll say,” Terra said, frowning. “Have any faeleaf? It doesn’t taste great, but it’ll set you right again.”
“Not this week, I’b afraid. I wasn’d the only one who fell ill after the storm. I would harvest sobe byself, bud I…hih! hhh’PTCHIIEW!”
“Hey, no worries!”
Terra reached into her traveling bag and pulled out a small, bitter-smelling burlap pouch.
“I always keep some with me for emergencies.”
Marline shook her head. “You busn’t – hih’PSHIEW!”
Terra set the bag on the counter.
“Listen, if anybody has an emergency, it’s what you’ve got. Besides, I haven’t caught a cold since I was a kid! I don’t think I’m going to start getting one now.”
Marline gave a knowing smile, but took the herbs with no more opposition.
“Stday in good health, kind traveler,” was all she said before stuffing her handkerchief back into her apron pocket.
“I will!” Terra replied, not noticing Marline’s expression. “The spirit of adventure will keep me warm! And a little mead, if I can get it.”
Terra chuckled, and turned on her heel to leave.
“Ah! Your kobold fang!” Marline called after her.
Terra spun around again, putting her hand on her forehead.
“If my bow wasn’t on my back, I’d forget that too,” she said, reaching for her belt. “Let me just get my coin purse, and I’ll -”
Marline shook her head. “No, no, dear traveler, please. Your kindness has been paybent edough.”
She reached into her apron, pulling out a sharp, yellow tooth with a purple tint at the crown. She held it out to the adventurer.
“Don’t mention it,” Terra said, accepting the tooth.
Suddenly, Marline’s handkerchief was retrieved again, and she sneezed into it yet again, sniffling with a quiet groan. Terra suddenly realized that the tooth must have been next to the shopkeeper’s many handkerchiefs throughout the day. That would explain its uncharacteristic shine.
She shrugged, putting the tooth into her satchel. She’d touched worse bodily fluids.
KOBOLD TOOTH is now in your inventory.
“Get some rest, Marline!” Terra called behind her as she left.
“I shall,” Marline said wearily. “Fare thee we-heh! hhhh’PCHIEW!”
**************************************
You have entered the DARK FOREST.
“I believe this is the place, if my master’s geography is correct,” Vin said, peering at a dusty, yellowed scroll. “Though the topography may have changed since he made it.”
“Eh, how much can a bunch of rocks move?” Terra said. She squinted above her, checking the branches of the surrounding trees for glittering wings or beady eyes between the leaves.
Vin adjusted their glasses with a mechanism on the side of the hinge. “Quite a bit, actually. Earthquakes, battles, magical events, even the migration of animals can-”
ENERGY has decreased. You are now FATIGUED.
Terra yawned, rubbing her suddenly burning eyes. Vin scowled.
“You can at least pretend to be interested.”
Terra started. “Huh?”
“We have been walkin’ for a while,” Norif said, hoping to placate the scholar. “We ought to set up camp – it’s gettin’ dark anyway.”
Vin hmphed, but didn’t have any objection.
Suddenly, Terra noticed that there weren't as many sounds of footsteps as there were before. Her worn brogues, Norif’s dwarvish leather boots, Vin’s cork soles…
Terra turned around.
Frederick had completely stopped, and was looking up at the sky, which had just begun to show the pinpricks of summer stars. His wide, moonish eyes stared, unmoving. Then, with a slow motion, he lifted a thin arm and pointed a finger to the trees, his other hand moving inside his cloak. Terra instinctively rubbed her hands together, preparing her magic.
The others soon followed suit, grabbing their own weapons and standing at the ready.
Their preparedness paid off, as, before the party knew it, a swarm of angry fairies descended upon them, snarling and screeching.
Norif swung his ax at the creatures, taking large clouds of them with a single blow. Vin, with a scraping of iron, loaded their crossbow, the many cogs and mechanisms firing the arrows directly into each fairy heart. A thin rope attached to every arrow jerked them back into place with a satisfying clack. The practical Frederick fired his revolver quickly and without mercy, leaving every target a blood splatter on the dark soil.
But even with these efforts, the fairies quickly overtook them. Frothing mouths and gnashing teeth soon surrounded the adventurers.
They had expected this – after all, fairies could only be kept at bay with magic, as was their birthright. They all looked to Terra, their resident mage.
Taking this as her cue, Terra retrieved the kobold tooth from her belt, crushing the hollow bone in her palm until it was a thin powder.
A simple wind spell would spread the tooth, subduing the fairies until Terra could harness lightning to defeat them for good – electricity was the only natural element they had no control over.
Terra took a deep breath, and a howling gust of wind blew through the forest as she puffed out the ground tooth. A white cloud swirled around her. The rest of the party kept their distance, both out of reach from the spell and the rabid fairies. The cloud overcame the swarm, and, as they smelled the scent of their natural enemy, went limp and hovered in the air.
Exactly as planned.
Terra stretched her fingers, feeling the warm pulse of magic flow through her hands. To the knuckles, to the joints, then to the tips it went.
But, before she could cast the final spell, her breath caught.
The KOBOLD POWDER is tickling your throat.
Terra tried to will herself to focus on the spell, but it was no use. The powder was making her eyes water and her throat dry. She hacked out a cough, still holding her hands in front of her to cast. The spell buzzed uselessly from her fingertips.
No matter how much she wheezed and croaked, Terra couldn’t keep upright long enough to cast her spell. The cloud was starting to settle, and one of the bigger fairies shook itself from its haze, baring its fangs. It dived into a thin part of the cloud towards Terra.
“Watch out!” Norif called, but it was no use. Terra could hardly hear herself think, much less anyone else over her hacking.
Terra looked up just in time to see the fairy rear back an arm and sink its claws into her cheek. She yelped, stumbling back. A tree root caught her heel, and she tumbled to the ground. She lifted herself onto her elbows to the fairy growling a low growl, preparing another, deadlier attack. Green venom dripped from its fangs, and its yellow eyes dilated. Terra held her hands in front of her, trying in vain to ward off the creature.
“N-Nice fairy…snf…”
Unbeknownst to the mage, the tickle in her throat had slowly traveled to her sinuses. Her freckled nose began to twitch.
You need to SNEEZE.
“Deh-Don’t…hih-!”
A small group of black clouds gathered above them, and Terra’s hands began to crackle. Thunder crashed. The fairy started, looking up with wide eyes and a whimper. Terra squeezed one watering eye shut.
“A-Almost…gih-!”
The clouds grew thicker, the thunder louder. The tree branches trembled in the wind. The other fairies, still hovering, looked up at the rumbling sky. Terra hitched, curling her fingers.
“HAH-!”
KSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSH!
You used CALL OF LIGHTNING.
Lightning flashed, hitting every single fairy with a bolt of white hot magic. They fell to the ground, singed and lifeless. Barely contained, bolts began hitting nearby trees, giving them black, round burn marks with red centers. If the rest of the party hadn’t gotten out of range of Terra’s magic, they would have surely been struck as well.
It was VERY EFFECTIVE.
Once the spell had run out of targets, it ended, and the dust cleared. All that was left in the now barren clearing was Terra, stunned and still holding her hands in front of her. A light drizzle began to fall.
There was a long pause as the party stood still in front of the clearing, afraid to join the fairies littering the ground.
“Cogs and corkscrews,” Vin murmured, their usually narrowed eyes wide.
Norif gingerly stepped into the singed circle, keeping the blade of his ax above him just in case.
“Y’alright?” he said, taking a torn rag from his breast pocket.
Terra blinked, and a nervous smile shook on her lips.
“I, uh…the spell kind of got away from me, huh?”
“I’d say so,” Vin said, earning him a glare from Norif, who had begun dressing the wound on Terra’s cheek.
“At least the job’s done,” he soothed. “No one in their right head would want fairies caught alive.”
Terra nodded. “Yeah. That’s right. Just - koff! - give me a sec and I’ll -”
ENERGY has decreased. You are now EXHAUSTED.
Terra fell back against the tree trunk, wincing. Norif rubbed her shoulder.
“We’ll make sure the fairies don’ seep back into the soil. You did your part. We’ll do ours.”
Hardly in a position to argue, Terra leaned her head against the tree trunk, closing her burning eyes.
Before she knew it, a pair of strong arms lifted her up from the ground. All she heard before she dozed off was Vin complaining that their glasses would get rusted in the rain, and there wasn’t a blacksmith for miles, and was it really necessary to do a lightning spell of all things…
*****************************************
You have entered GWALT’S INN.
“A c-couple rooms, if ya would.”
The innkeeper peered over at the counter at the adventurers. Terra was standing, as she had insisted on entering the inn on her own two feet. However, she had a hand on Frederick’s shoulder for support.
The innkeeper raised an eyebrow. “On whose account?”
Terra looked around. Instead of drunken workmen or soldiers recounting battle, the fine oaken tables were filled with nobles politely chatting over honey mead or aged wine. A few of them had turned to stare at the soaked, mud-covered party in varying degrees of confusion and disdain.
This wasn’t an adventurer’s inn, but a place for those of higher standing to feel a clean ruggedness, a false sense of bravery as they “conversed with the locals.”
This wasn’t a place for them.
However, before they could return to the stormy darkness, Frederick held up a hand and reached inside his cloak. He retrieved a thin card, one side silver and the other gold. A few words that Terra didn’t recognize were engraved into the metal. Frederick laid the card on the counter, pushing it towards the innkeeper with the tip of his finger.
To Terra’s surprise, the innkeeper began to sputter, his waxy face turning red.
“Of course, sirs! Madams! His majesty’s brave battalion!”
The nobles began to whisper among themselves, their disgust turning quickly to awe and reverence.
“I am terribly sorry, no, outraged that you had to travel in such dreadful weather!” the innkeeper stammered, showing them up the stairs with a low bow. “I will have your clothes washed immediately, and perfumed of course! And whatever of our selection of humble morsels you may like, if thou wishes.”
Terra raised her eyebrows, looking at Frederick. He only nodded solemnly.
It wasn’t long before the mage was in a pair of silk bedclothes, laying in a large bed with frilled sheets and a thick quilt.
However, she wasn’t sleeping.
“Ih-! Hih…!”
You need to SNEEZE.
She sniffled, then, with a sigh, blew her nose. Mounds of tissues surrounded her, all provided by the inn staff, of course. However, no matter how much she snuffled and sniffled and rubbed her nostrils with the palm of her hand, she couldn’t bring herself to sneeze – though the need grew ever more powerful.
Unable to doze for more than a few minutes, she tried to plan the next few days' journey with Vin and Norif, but to no avail.
“If we - snf! - take the high road,” she wavered, keeping a tissue at her nose, “w-we can…meh-!...make good time.”
Norif rubbed the end of his beard. “I don’ think we’ll be leavin’ this inn for a while. On account’ve…”
He cleared his throat.
“...the weather, a’course.”
“The rain’s never stopped us before,” Terra said. “A-And we won’t - snf! - have to stop for washing! We’ll just let the rain…c-clean - HI’HIH-!”
“Would you be quiet?” Vin hissed, not looking up from the map. “I can hardly concentrate.”
Norif slit his eyes at the halfling. Terra growled in frustration.
“You made me lose it again!”
She reached for another tissue, but, finding there to be none left, she buried her nose into the neck of her shirt.
“Disgusting,” Vin said, recoiling and putting the map in front of their eyes.
Terra ignored them. “Maybe some of the kobold tooth got into my nose…I’ve neheeded to sneeze since we bagged the fairies.”
She sniffled.
“Or maybe it’s a curse? But what curse makes you n-need to sneeze?”
Before Norif could answer, the door opened, and Frederick came in, arms full with packs of tissues from the innkeeper. He moved carefully around the bed, handing one of the packs to Terra. She ripped them open with one hand – as the other was more than occupied – and put almost half of them to her streaming nose.
“Thangk you,” she said with a blow.
Norif moved the quilt up to Terra’s shoulders, gently pushing her head onto the mountain of silk pillows.
“Well, until this, er, curse passes, it would be best to lay yourself down for a bit. Maybe Vin could find a cure for ya. Yea, Vin?”
Vin raised their eyebrow at the pointed request, but said nothing to refuse.
“I’ll be fine,” Terra said, propping herself up on her elbows. “And we’re - snf! - leaving tomorrow, rain or shine…!”
She yawned, settling back down again.
“Curse…or no curse.”
******************************
The innkeeper had insisted on breakfast before the party left. An array of meat, pastries, fresh fruit, wine, and mead were brought before them – a king’s feast.
But Terra could hardly touch it.
Having been kept up almost all night by her burning sinuses and aching head, she could only lean against the back of the wooden chair, shivering as the chilly morning air drafted through. Her coat was made to be warm, even in the most frigid northern wind, but it seemed like the cold was leeching into her very bones.
She was only awoken when Norif put a hand on her forehead. The warmth of his rough palm felt her head, then either side of her neck. She heard him whisper something to the others, but the only thing she could hear was her pounding temples.
“Mmn…is it tibe to leave?” she murmured, trying to push her chair back from the table. Her sore joints were too weak, and the chair’s back legs clacked back onto the floor.
“Ah! Not just yet,” Norif saud, an odd tone of urgency in his voice. “We need’ta…er, Vin’s gonna go to a library nearby. T’cure your curse. There’s really no use ‘n you goin’, it’s all dusty books and scrolls.”
“Don’d have tibe,” Terra croaked. “Back to the guild.”
Norif gave Vin a pleading look, and the scholar fumbled with their knapsack, taking out a few tattered papers and maps.
“Eh, w-well, we are a few days ahead of schedule. We needn’t be back for at least another week, and it only takes three days to - ”
Terra was already up from the table, ignoring Vin. Without much choice, everyone else followed suit. After yesterday’s battle, they were afraid of what might happen if they tried to force her back to bed.
The weather had much improved since the day before. Though it was still a bit gray, the sun peeked out between the clouds, sending rays of light through the raindrops still left on the leaves.
Despite her weakness, Terra took the front as usual, plodding alongside Norif. Shivers ran up and down her spine as a cold wind left from the storm began to blow.
As the group walked near the edge of the woods, the clouds grew darker, and the sun disappeared again. Terra put a thumb on the underside of her nose.
You need to SNEEZE.
Terra sniffled and rolled her eyes. As if on cue, her nostrils began to tremble, and a burning tickle flared in her swollen sinuses. But, this time, the urge grew so great that it made the mage stop in her tracks.
“Hih…? HIH-!”
Attempt to STIFLE? > YES NO
She put her hands over her nose. A slow tingling made its way from her nose to the rest of her body. Soon, the air around her crackled with blue sparks of magic.
“Terra?” Norif said, reaching towards her before thinking better of it.
Terra tried to answer, but it was taking everything in her to keep the magic contained. Thunder rumbled in the clouds as she squeezed one watery eye shut.
“I-I’m…guh-! HUH-!”
She desperately waved to her friends to stand back – she knew that this sneeze was coming, one way or another. The party wasted no time, running behind the treeline with whatever they could carry above their heads to protect them.
“HihihHIH-!”
Terra leaned her head back, the magic coming to a peak inside her. The air was suddenly silent – a calm before the storm. Until –
“HIYA’TSHIIIIIIIEW!”
A circle of lightning flashed around her, and thunder rumbled loud enough to shake the earth. Smoking burn marks smoked around her.
But, before the rest of the party could join her again –
“HYESH’IIIIIEW!”
Again and again Terra sneezed, with each sneeze bringing another ring of lightning and another round of thunder. All of her lost sneezes from the night before seemed to finally come to fruition, and she couldn’t stop for some time.
Finally, though, Terra did stop. She lifted her head, dazed and with singed hair, and sniffled thickly.
SNEEZE COMBO x15!
Snottiness Rank B! Power Rank A+!
Bless you, TERRA!
One by one, her comrades came to join her – Norif first, of course, then Frederick, then, after some convincing, Vin.
The thunder had subsided, but a heavy rain had begun to fall. Terra started to shiver again, her trembling breath visible in blue puffs of steam.
“Ya poor thing…” Norif said, taking off his own fur-lined cloak and tying it around her shoulders. “You really oughta’ve stayed in bed.”
Terra rubbed her nose on the back of her damp sleeve. “Bud…th-the guild…we need…koff!”
She began coughing into her arm, and Norif fastened his cloak tighter around her.
“Ya need do no such thing,” he said firmly, though not unkindly. “You’re sick as a gnome in the rainy season. And almost half as wet –”
“And the sooner you put aside that hero complex of yours,” Vin interrupted, “the sooner we can get inside the inn, out of this weather! I’m already soaking, and we certainly don’t need two people ill in this party!”
They crossed their arms, and lifted their chin.
“Furthermore,” they added, “we wouldn’t want you catching pneumonia. That’s quite a bit harder to treat than that disgusting cold. And I will be significantly more furious with you if I catch it.”
Frederick took off his combat gloves, then put them over Terra’s red-tipped hands. He looked over his glasses and gave her one of his rare smiles. Putting his palms on either side of Terra’s hands, Frederick rubbed them together, trying to warm them.
“Ya feelin’ better, Terra?” Norif asked.
Terra sniffled. “C-Cold…”
“Well, no wonder!” Vin said, scoffing. “Heat is mostly lost through the head. If she had some sort of covering, then, perhaps…she could…”
Vin stopped. Everyone was staring at them. Or, rather, their scholar’s beret.
“I mean…or, rather…” they spluttered, then threw their hands up. “Oh, fine! But it had better be returned to me in the exact condition I lent it. It’s irreplaceable, you know.”
They took off their hat, stiffly handing it to Frederick, as if through ceremony rather than a favor.
“Your sacrifice will be remembered through th’ ages!” Norif said, chuckling.
Vin glared at him. “My patience has already been tested enough. Do not test it further.”
“Aye, aye.”
Terra could feel a slow warmness spread through her, and her eyes suddenly felt heavy as iron.
“Alright, up ya go. Let’s get ya out of the cold.”
Terra was heaved up again, and, surrounded by the warmth of her friends, drifted into a dreamless, sneezeless sleep.
FRIENDSHIP LEVEL +1!
********************************
You have entered MARLINE’S MAGIC SHOP!
“Welcome back, traveler! Might I interest you in our wares?”
Marline smiled at the returning Terra, who replied by blowing her nose into a pink tissue.
“How’s it going, Mar?” Terra said, sniffling as she looked at the glimmering displays.
Marline’s smile faded. “Are you not well, traveler?”
“I’m weller than I have been. Just a liddle sniffly now. Snf!”
Marline put a hand to her mouth.
“Oh, Terra…it must have been my chill that you caught. And I left you without any faeleaf!”
Terra rubbed the back of her neck. “About that. You wouldn’t happen to have any more of that left in stock, would you?”
“Ah, yes, a fresh bunch! Why-”
Suddenly, a large, dwarvish sneeze came from outside the shop, followed by a chorus of harsh coughs. Marline put her lips together underneath her hand, keeping back a giggle.
“Oh, dear.”
“Yeah,” Terra said sheepishly. “I’ll take three pouches.”
She furrowed her brow, counting on her fingers.
“And a few-”
Another sneeze rang out, this time small and high-pitched.
“Okay, a lot of tissues. We’re gonna need ‘em. Maybe some tea? I guess? That’s what Vin gave me when I was sick, anyway.”
Marline winked. “I know just the thing.”
She disappeared behind the shelves for a few moments, coming back with many packs of tissues, two pouches of strong-smelling tea leaves, a few pouches of faeleaves, and a thick blanket.
“May your party be blessed with a quick recovery,” Marline said.
Terra started to reach for her coin pouch, but Marline stopped her.
“I gave you and the others my cold. I’m going to cure it as best I can.”
Terra opened her mouth to argue, but closed it again. She began to put the items in her bag.
“You’ll have nothing to sell at this rate, Marline,” she said.
Marline tilted her head. “Well, I can always deal in colds.”
Yet another sneeze came from the doorway, raspy and shuddering.
“It appears I’m quite good at it, I’m afraid.”
“I am too, if being an adventurer doesn’t pan out,” Terra said, turning to leave. “See you later, Marline!”
“Goodbye, dear traveler! And good health!”
Marline chuckled as Terra joined the others.
“Though it appears it’s a little late for that.”
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