#whumptobe2023

[inscrutable-shadow]

Whumptober 2023 Day 1 - Brick to the Face

@whumptober-archive

No.1: "But now this room is spinning while I'm trying just to fill in all the gaps."

Safety Net | Swooning | "How many fingers am I holding up?"

contains: nausea (no vomiting), concussion, mild gore

also available on ao3!

“Whoa, Rhys, you okay? How many fingers am I holding up?”

Rhys’s head rang and his vision tilted as he tried and failed to sit up. He couldn’t remember how he’d ended up on the ground to begin with. One moment he’d been rushing through the forest with Landon, chasing a bounty target, and the next he was looking up at the stars through a hole in the tree canopy. “Ugh… Four? what happened?”

“She got you with these,” Landon replied, holding up a set of stone weights attached with rope. “Bolas. Lousy throw, though. Usually, you aim for the legs, but these smacked you right in the forehead. Surprised you’re still kickin’, to be honest.”

He probably wouldn’t be if he were still human. One of the good things vampirism had done to him was strengthen his body so it resisted being smashed to pieces. A thinner skull would have caved and turned his brain into mush, but he’d gotten away with just a massive headache and probably minor brain damage which would heal in a day or so if he got a blood meal. Which he still intended to do. He tried to stand for a second time and found himself once again watching the world spin above him.

“Whoa, dude, holy shit, you passed out on me. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine, I just… feel sick when I stand up…” He felt sick lying down, too, actually. Had he passed out, or just fallen?

Landon frowned. “You should probably stay down, then, man. We’ll try for the Nightstalker another day. She’ll turn up again, you and I’ll get that bounty, don’t you worry.”

Rhys was having a hard time keeping his thoughts together, but one word did cut through the haze: bounty. Yes. He was a mercenary, collecting bounties was his job, how he got money and most of his hunts. He needed to finish the bounty, to catch the woman. They wanted her alive, but maybe he could drink her a little? That would fix him right up. It probably took a lot of blood for the Shadow to fix his brain. He was so hungry…

This attempt at lurching to his feet was mostly successful, though he was leaning heavily on Landon, who protested. “Hey, buddy, like I said, give it a rest. You don’t look so hot. Pretty sure I’m the only thing holding you up.”

It was true enough. Rhys’s knees had given out almost immediately, given that it took every ounce of willpower he had not to lose what little blood was still in his stomach. He panted heavily through his nose and wished the stars would leave his vision. He didn’t want to give up on this. Some of it was not wanting to look weak in front of the other mercs when Landon had to drag him back to the tavern to heal up, but mostly he just didn’t want to be shown up by a mark. The rational part of him knew what he had to do though. 

“Give… my scythe, yeah? Won’t make you carry me.” The weapon was lying discarded on the forest floor, and Landon scooped it up with his foot and pushed it into Rhys’s hands. The familiar shaft was comforting, in its own way, and he wasn’t above using it as a walking stick. He still needed Landon’s help, but this way it looked less like he’d nearly died and more like he was fine and just needed to regroup a bit.

“You’re a beast, dude. Glad I got assigned to you, huh? I’d be dead if I were out here alone!” Landon joked, trying to lighten the mood. “Come on, let’s get you back. Next time I get a lead on the Nightstalker I’ll be right at your door.”

Rhys hoped so. He knew exactly what, or rather who, he wanted his next meal to be.

taglist: @milkshakes-lust-and-chiral-dust, @albatris, @thethistlegirlwrites, @athenswrites

#whumptobe2023 #no.1 #how many fingers am i holding up? #oc #fic #concussion #nausea tw #gore tw #original fiction #my writing #whumpblr #coy whumps #wip: ieiunusverse #rhys velancier

[aprocessionofthoughts]

Partial Explanations

whumptober 2023 day 15- I'm fine fandom-dp x dc TW- none summary- Jason finds out he's still got a foot in the land of the dead.

ao3 whumptobe2023 masterlist part 3 of DLM

Jason was working on preparing some hot chocolate while the kid, Danny, sat at his table nibbling on a cookie. As much as Jason wanted to get straight to who had hurt the kid and where they were, so he could dismember them, he knew the kid needed some time to trust him.

“Where you from, Danny?” Jason asked with his back still turned to the kid.

“The Midwest.”

“And what brings you to Gotham?”

“Men in Black ripoffs.”

Jason paused his stirring of the hot chocolate. “What?”

“Never mind.”

“Kid, I’m sorry, but you clearly need help.”

“I’m fine.” 

Jason turned and gave him his best expression of disbelief. “You’re clearly not.”

“There’s nothing you can do about it so it doesn’t matter.” The kid said scowling. “I should probably get going anyway. Thanks for the cookies.” The kid started to get up and Jason quickly shut off the stove but didn’t move forward.

“Wait a moment, kid. I won’t ask questions, but please stay. It would be rude to have me make hot chocolate and then not drink any.”

Danny paused, his expression uncertain. 

“And I’ve got more cookies.”

“They are good cookies.” the kid grumbled, but he sat down so Jason counted it as a win.

He served the hot chocolate and they both enjoyed the drink and some cookies in pleasant silence before Danny started fidgeting again.

“Look, thank you. You’ve been very nice, but I really don’t want to lead them to you.”

“I can handle myself.”

Danny raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

“I really can. I grew up in Gotham, I’d be dead if I didn't know how to defend myself.” he smirked.

Danny snorted, but then his expression sombered. “You may normally be able to protect yourself, but they have weapons specifically made for us and they’ll be able to sense you.”

“Who are you talking about, kid?”

“The GIW. They’re a government branch made to hunt ghosts down.”

“Ghosts aren’t real.” Jason said, but the dread he’d been feeling earlier that evening was starting to resurface, and the Pit was swirling even though Jason didn’t feel any anger.

Danny rolled his eyes. But when Jason didn’t say anything else he said, “You don’t have to pretend. I’m like you.”

“Kid, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The Pit was roiling and Jason’s heart was beating fast, but still no surge of anger.

Danny furrowed his brows. “You really don’t know…” he said quietly. 

Jason just stared at him. Something was happening, and Jason wasn’t sure if he liked it. The Pit was active, but there was no anger. There was dread, but also a sense of calm. He felt like something was pulling him toward Danny, like there was a connection there.

Then Danny sighed and looked at him tiredly. “Alright, what I’m about to say may sound strange, but I need you to hear me out. Okay?”

Jason nodded.

“I’m guessing that you died, but then came back somehow.” Jason froze, but Danny continued. “The same thing happened to me.”

#whumptober 2023 #whumptober #no.15 #I'm fine #dp x dc au #dp x dc crossover #dp x dc #dc x dp #dpxdc #dp x dc fanfic #fanfic #Danny fenton #Jason todd #gotham #giw