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#Afraid of the Dark
generic-whumper · 8 months
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Whump scenario: keep a whumpee who is afraid of the dark and hates being cold in a pitch black room room and sporadically hose them down with ice cold water.
What breaks them first, hallucinating their fears in the dark, or them thinking they have hypothermia?
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truths33k3r4 · 12 days
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CHAPTER 23 - Laughter Doeth Good
The bright lights of the Living Room caused Leo’s dilated pupils to contract as he stepped out of the shadows of the hall. His feet sensed the difference as he walked from cold, grainy tiles to the scratchy carpet. He released a long, weighted sigh as he plopped onto the couch centered in the middle of the room. Tiny creaks of aged springs whined as he went slack into the cushions. His eyes closed slowly as he focused on clearing his rapidly moving thoughts.
‘.. Everything’s… fine. Raph is with Lotus. Don is scanning the implant. Everything is just- 
OH SHOOT! ‘
Leo grabbed his phone from its pocket on the back of his shell and texted Raph.
[ If Lotus is still awake, have her take some painkillers. There should be a jar of them in one of the cabinets in the Med Bay. Her leg is going to be sore for a while ]
After hitting [ SEND ], something clicked in Leo’s brain: 
His shoulders slightly ached from how tense he was back in the Med Bay. His eyes still stung as the moisture dried on his skin. The shaking had FINALLY stopped.
He was exhausted.
“ …. I guess one nap wouldn’t hurt. “ He mumbled, as he nestled himself into the couch’s cozy, warm embrace. Not only did the stress leave a toll on his body, but also his mind. It was taking a lot of his emergency reserves of energy to slow it down. But as his mind raced, his body stilled. His muscles finally relaxed as his pounding heart from earlier faded into a quiet hum in the cushions of the couch.
‘ Sleep will help… ‘ 
Leo’s mind slowly hollowed, becoming as quiet and empty as the room itself. His eyelids smoothly shut as he released the urge to stay awake.
“.... Hey.. Bro? “
Leo minisculely flinched at the sudden interruption of his precious silence. His face slightly twisted in discomfort, burying itself into the cushions.
“ Mmmghhhmmm???.... “ He groaned.
Leo heard the light patters of feet as they drew closer, and then shifted as a weight fell onto his couch with another groaned squeak.
‘ Mmmmmmmikeyyyyyyy please not nowwwwwwwwww… ‘ He mentally begged to his youngest brother. However the only sound that actually escaped Leo was a muffled,
“ MMmMgmgGhghhhHGHHHHHhhhhhikey~ “
A beat of silence passed as Mikey twisted and fidgeted on one end of the couch, while his oldest brother was fighting every single cell of his body screaming at him to GO TO SLEEP.
“... Hey, Leo!.. “ Mikey shout whispered as he waved his phone, “ Dude, you gotta see this- it’s pure gold- I’m gonna have Raph doin my chores for a month~ “
Leo groggily opened one eye. ( Since his other was too busy being shoved deep into the couch cushions.. )
“ Mmmghhwhat isss itt Mike?.... “ Leo moaned. It was becoming more and more difficult to keep his eyes open..
Mikey’s focus shifted from his excitement of his brotherly victory over Raph, to actually taking in how Leo looked:
 Awful - He looked awful. Below Leo’s eyes peeked a deep grey through the blue of his mask. His hands slumped limply by his legs as his head would start to lean and then jolt back up just as his eyes would close.
Even despite Leo’s battle to stay conscious, he could still see the tiny gears turning in Mikey’s head.
‘................ He’s not gonna leave… Something is on his mind….. 
..OKKKKKAYYYYYY… ‘
In one violent motion, Leo pulled his limp head out of the embrace of the cushion and slapped his face. His cheek stung from the impact and started to feel warm as the area grew red. Mikey watched with wide eyes as his oldest brother assaulted his own face.
Leo knew if he hadn’t looked so bad, and hadn’t had as awful of a day, Mikey would have been dying laughing right now. 
Leo pushed himself away from the warm cushion and leaned over, supporting his chin with his knuckles as his elbows rested shakily on his knees. 
“...What’sss - what’sss on your mind, little brother? “ 
Leo knew what he was doing. Was he exhausted? Oh ABSOLUTELY. Is the couch calling to him in an enticing melody? Yeah it really was- He could hear like four different harmonies singing in his brain- 
.. But no matter what..
.. Leo would always have enough strength to support his brothers.
Mikey’s eyes were still full of empathy- and Leo could see him trying to decide if he should say something; If it would be fair for him to speak to Leo in the dreadful state he was in.
 Leo decided to make his decision a little easier.
“ I’m all ears, little brother. “ He softly spoke as he reached out and patted Mikey’s fidgeting hand.
The youngest’s eyes filled with gratefulness as he let out a shy smile. 
“ I’m..uh.. I’m sorry I wasn’t much help.. back in the Medbay.. “ He spoke as he continued to play with his fingers and nails, “ .. I don’t think Lotus digs any of my jokes… “
Leo’s eyes shined with his tired smile as he gently punched Mikey’s arm.
“ I thhhhink it’s more of your VOLUME that she doesn’t ‘dig’. “
Mikey rubbed his bicep, as he let out a somewhat shameful snicker. 
“ Heheh… Yeahhhhh I don’t think I have a volume control button. If I did, Raph woulda found it by now.. “ 
Even after hearing his little bro joke, Leo could still see that Mikey was resisting telling or asking him something. 
Leo squeezed his hand.
Mikey turned over his hand and held it in Leo’s, squeezing a little back. The youngest let out a sigh as his left leg started rhythmically bouncing. 
“ I could tell you were stressing like crazy, dude. Your stress chasm was -like- HUGE. “
Leo sheepishly stroked the side of his temple as he felt his cheeks grow warm.
“... I guess… I guess I thought a little humor would help… but..I guess I’m not actually that funny.. I just- I guess- I wanted to help!! Maybe calm Lotus down.. Just like you guys would do for me when we were little. A little comedy goes a long way when you’re goin through something scary.. “
Leo thought back to the years when Mikey was terrified of the dark. There were countless nights when Leo would wake up to the sound of sniffles, finding little Mikey out of bed crowded next to their nightlight in the corner of the room. No amount of light was ever enough for him. It had to be the full-blown SUN in order for him to not be afraid. Master Splinter was thankfully able to find the nightlight, but he would still gently scold Mikey for leaving his bed.
‘ “ You must not be afraid, my son. It is safe in our home. Whether it be day or night, our home remains the same..
 ..The darkness only holds as much power as YOU give it. “ ‘
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..Unfortunately.. logic can only go so far in the mind of a six year old.
One night, as Mikey was brushing his teeth, all his older brothers came together and had a little meeting…
“ - GUYS, I SWEAR TO FOUR CHEESE PIZZA - IF I DON’T GET ONE NIGHT OF GOOD SLEEP, I WILL MAKE MIKEY SLEEP IN THE TUNNELS. “
“ Raph, chill. We aren’t doing that. “
“ On the contrary, eliminating the source of noise will most likely enhance our sleep- “
“ - DONNIE. “
“- Oh I’m sorry- but the facts do speak for themselves! “
“ Ok, so what’s YOUR plan then, LEOOOoo? “
“... We gotta show Mikey that the dark isn’t that scary. “
“ Thank youuuu~ Captain Oblivious~ “
“- Obvious. “
“- SHUT UP, DON. “
“ - Guys stop. Ok- what can we do.. to make a six year old not be afraid.. “
Later that night, their plan was set in motion.
Sensei had just finished tucking everyone in. Well- he tucked Mikey in- the other brothers were a little too old for that now.. ( Though all of them wouldn’t outwardly say it, but they missed it. ) As Sensei said goodnight and clicked off the lightswitch, all the brothers could hear the sounds of a stuffed animal being squeezed tightly, letting out a choked squeak. The brothers all took this as the sign to begin Mission- ‘Make Mikey Not Afraid of the Dark so We Can All SLEEP’.
As Mikey clutched his stuffy to his chest, he could hear the sounds of footsteps and a ladder wobbling. Soon after, three pairs of eyes rose up from the railing of the youngest’s bunkbed. 
“.. Bwothers”? … “ Mikey squeaked.
“ Nah- it’s the boogeyman- “
“- RAPHAEL! “
“ Hehe~ Sorry- sorry- ahem.. We’re here to help, lil bro. “
“ That’s right Mikey. We’re all here. “
All of Mikey’s older brothers slowly crept their way into his bed. Mikey flung out of his blankets and hugged Raph tightly, as tears began falling down his face.
“- Heyy heyy. No tears. “ Raph whispered as gently as he could, pulling the youngest’s face away from his chest.
“ Mikey, “ Leo whispered, as he scooted a little closer, “ We have a little surprise for you. “
“ …. Uh.. *sniff* a suwpwise? “
“ Yes, dear little brother. “ Don spoke as he fixed his oversized oval glasses. “ We couldn’t help but notice you find fear and anxiety in the thing called darkness. “
Mikey buried his face back into Raph’s plastron. 
“ .. It’s scawy and I can’t see!...”
Raph patted Mikey’s head half-heartedly and pulled him away again, this time lifting him up into Leo’s lap.
“ It can be scary, yeah. But the dark can be really cool too! “
Leo couldn’t help but smile down at his little brother as his small lip trembled and his eyes grew big and pitiful. 
“ Look at this, Mikey. “ Leo handed the youngest a small plastic star with a weird feeling on the back of it. It was glowing. Mikey’s eyes lit up as he played with it in his tiny hands. He’d never seen something like this before!!
“ It’s gwowing!! “
Leo smiled at Raph and Don. The plan was working!
“ That’s right little brother. “ Don said, “ But the only reason that you can see it glowing is because it’s dark. You wouldn’t be able to see it shine if it were in the day. “
Leo lifted Mikey and handed him to Raph, and then Raph plopped him down next to his pillow. 
“ Watch this! “ Raph said as he, Leo, and Don all slid down and jumped to the floor. Mikey moved to the edge of his railing and watched closely. As Leo, Don, and Raph all went to their beds, the youngest could see color-coded stars shine brightly from the backs of their shells. They were glow in the dark stickers!!
“ Ok, Mikey, “ Don spoke up as he took off his glasses and placed them on the side table by Leo’s bed, “ Any time you get scared, and think you’re alone, just look at the stars on our shells. It will remind you that we’re right here. “
To prove the point, Leo, Don, and Raph all began dancing in the dark, making the little stars on their shells dance too. They bounced and shimmied and spun all around the room resulting in a loud chuckle from Mikey. He pointed to each star swimming in the darkness.
“ Wed! Bwue! Puwple!!! Hehehehe!! “
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:MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
~
Leo smiled at his brother as the memories washed over him like an inviting wave, then were swept down the stream of his mind.
“ It’s alright, Mikey. I get it. You were only doing what you thought would help. Humor can be great to heal, like that saying that Sensei taught you.. Uh, how does it go again? “
Mikey lifted his head and scooted back into the couch giving a small grin.
“ It’s laughter doeth good like medicine. Proverbs 17:21. “
“ Yeah that’s it! You worked for weeks trying to memorize it. I remember any time you said “ doeth” your tongue would stick out! HAHA!! “
Mikey’s grin grew into his signature smile as he elbowed Leo in the ribs.
“ DUDE, I WAS LIKE SIX!! SHUT UP!! “
At that moment, the room that was once peaceful and serene erupted with roars of laughter as Mikey launched over the couch and piled on top of Leo. The brothers tussled, testing each other’s strength as their arms and legs kicked and yanked.
A wrestling match between siblings was nothing new in their home. Splinter would have the brothers attempt to pin each other down, using any of the allowed techniques they were taught. Not only was it good for training, but for a single father of four teenage boys, it was a great way to drain any remaining energy at the end of the day.
After only a few measly minutes, Leo and Mikey found themselves on the floor, squeezed between the couch and coffee table. They were still laughing as they panted and coughed from the rigorous expelling of their energy. 
Leo’s body still ached, but it was a good kind of pain. Like the kind you would feel after running a marathon: adrenaline coursing through your body, a flickering burn in your chest as your heart beat rapidly, and a pit in your stomach all happening at the same time. 
Leo crawled back onto the couch as he gasped in between breaths. 
“ You’re… getting stronger, little brother.. ”
Mikey remained on the floor, also panting, and dramatically waved his finger in the air.
“.. Not- guh- Not so little anymoreee~ I’m thirteen now, so.. phew.. No longer a kid!! “
Mikey’s hand flopped back down landing with a *slap* on his plastron.
“.. What you see before you.. Is the peak of maturity.. “
Mikey expected a sass-filled comeback from the oldest, but.. Nothing came. Mikey started to worry a little by his brother’s silence- until he heard something.
Leo was snoring. Loudly. 
‘ WHOA DUDE- Had no idea you could hide a lawnmower in your face..’
Mikey sat up to inspect his now slumbering brother, taking note of the deep lines making themselves known under his mask again. 
He knew how much stress Leo put on himself. Not only as the leader of their team, but as the oldest brother. Sensei had told Mikey that that kind of weight was healthy for someone who carried as much responsibility as Leonardo did. It kept him from being foolish, always weighing his options and never becoming arrogant.
Always on his toes.
NEVER at rest.
Mikey looked over to his brother once more, whom was now curled up on the end of the couch, nearly suffocating himself in the clutches of the cushions. 
Mikey smiled. He watched as all of life’s burdens and responsibilities fell off of Leo’s shoulders as he was pulled deeper into sleep. Where once a tall, strong leader stood, now laid an exhausted teenager.
Leo channeled everything he had in him to keep his family safe. This ongoing burden changed him as he grew.
Molded him.
Sharpened him.
Where dull, rounded edges of fun and naivety once were, now stood as pointed corners of honor and understanding. Of fear. Of protection. Sensei was the iron that scratched and tore through his smooth exterior to reveal the steadfast facets of Leo’s jeweled heart.
The thing about having a jewel as a heart though…
.. It comes at the cost of your freedom. It comes at the cost of not having the choice to have fun and live as if life were the same as when you were a child. The burden will weigh you down, as a golden chain around your neck. It brings honor. It brings a sense of duty. But Mikey would question if it was all worth it to Leo; needing to grow up.. so fast…
Looking at Leo would always make Mikey doubt if he would ever reach the level of maturity and honor as his oldest brother. 
‘ Leo wasn’t even that old!! He’s SEVENTEEN!!! And yet the oldest has never failed to keep his family saf- ‘
Mikey’s mind froze as it flashed him back. 
Back to that awful night.
When Don and Raph…
.. were gone.
That's it for this chapter!! :) Hope you enjoyed!!
To God be the glory!
( EDIT- Mikey's eyes in the second panel are inspired by @allyheart707's Mikey!! ) :)
~ Melissa
Masterpost <- PRIOR CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER ->
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goblinpuppy35 · 7 months
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David Thewlis
Afraid of the Dark - 1991
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Like this post if you are afraid of the dark
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darthmasterchief · 1 month
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I’m still afraid of the dark.
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costancen · 2 years
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Dove andiamo quando dormiamo?
È come scendere, gradino dopo gradino tutti gli strati della nostra coscienza, fino a guardare in faccia, chi? Sempre noi stessi. Non dobbiamo avere paura di guardarci, dobbiamo vivere facendo in modo di allontanare questa paura. Gli incubi si evitano così: non avendo paura.
Cercare l'origine della nostra paura e prendercene cura è il primo passo.
•Costancen
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lunar-goodness · 11 months
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I think my cat is afraid of the dark.
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pumpk1n-writes · 11 months
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Anyone have any tips on how to write a character that is super loveable without using the basic “have good personality traits!” And “make sure they make mistakes!” Cause those aren’t very helpful
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dontdieonmeyet · 6 months
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safe and sound
my door is locked
my windows are closed
with the lights turned off.
there's a bump in the wall behind me
there's a groan coming from above.
I think it's coming for me
shaped like my demons
a strange assumption which
brings me
to the point where I can be alone
yet insecure
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therapy-bites · 1 year
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Afraid of the DARK?
Happy Spooky Season! Afraid of the dark? Actually, even if you THINK you are, it’s not the DARK that scares you.
Doc Heath here; your Friendly Neighborhood Neuromechanic!
Think about it. You don’t REALLY believe the DARK is a harm to you but, rather what might be HIDING IN THE DARK.
In other words, your brain - behind the murky curtains of your awareness - has a whole CAULDRON of things you BELIEVE are a danger to you: Lions and tigers and bears…OH MY!
Or is it ghosts & goblins & things that go BUMP in the night?
Likely, it’s things much more down to Earth and not even in the dark at all (except the dark corners of your own mind): A loved one not loving you; losing things you want such as a relationship, a job, your health.
The next time you THINK you’re afraid of the DARK, think DEEPER. Ask yourself what SPECIFICALLY am I afraid of, THEN ask yourself how ACCURATE & REALISTIC is that SPECIFIC thought.
Double, double toil & trouble; fire burn & cauldron bubble!
(The cauldron is the mind; the fire, your THOUGHTS; the bubbling, your LIFE).
We FIRST engineer our thoughts; THEN our thoughts engineer our lives.
#therapybites #bitesizedtherapy #docheath  #couchcrumbs #MINDSETCOACH #successmindset #SUCCESSCOACH #Halloween #ghosts #goblins #witches #spooky #spooks #monsters #boogiemen #haunted #superstition #scared
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super-selfpower · 1 year
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How Can You Overcome The Fear of Emotions?
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There are a few strategies you can try to overcome the fear of emotions:
Educate yourself about emotions: Understanding the role that emotions play in our lives can help you see them as a normal and healthy part of being human, rather than something to be feared.
Practice mindfulness: Paying attention to your emotions in a nonjudgmental way can help you become more comfortable with them and less afraid of them.
Seek support: Talking to a therapist or joining a support group can be helpful for learning how to cope with difficult emotions.
Use positive self-talk: When you start to feel afraid of your emotions, try to reassure yourself with positive self-talk. Remind yourself that it is normal to feel a range of emotions and that you can handle them.
Practice self-care: Taking care of your physical and emotional needs can help you feel more grounded and better able to cope with difficult emotions.
Remember that it is normal to feel afraid of emotions at times, but with practice and support, you can learn to manage your emotions healthily.
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Angel Witch - Afraid of the Dark
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debora-goth · 2 years
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thaumium-block · 2 years
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The house of the Spellmason.
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cryptids-stories · 2 years
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Afraid of the dark 👀
This one is basically the ghost king’s origin story lol (kind of). It’s supposed to be at least a little bit spooky but idk we’ll see how it goes.
The story follows Henry, an aspiring young musician from the roaring 20s. The problem is Henry is certain he’s cursed, as he’s been haunted by a mysterious ghost for longer than he can remember. A ghost that only ever appears to him in the dark.
I’m yet not sure if I want it to be a comic (which would be a fun chance to use a more Art Deco style) or a novella or something but I have a while to figure that out I guess
Ask game
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mvaljean525 · 2 years
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You are afraid of the dark, for which you blame the raccoons, or more to the point, your father, who took you and your mother into the night with a flashlight and shotgun, then left with both, while you held her shaking hand. You would follow your father to the end of the world, those distant birch woods where raccoons rustle and flash their green eyes. His gun was firing into the persimmon trees and the rain of leaves and ripe fruit fell farther and farther, until only the crackle of his shots and the distant baying of the hounds could be heard. The raccoons came then to hiss all around: he left you, he left you, and now you are ours.
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You Are Afraid of the Dark
Kathryn Nuernberger  (B.1980)
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Graphic - Norman Catherine  (B.1949)
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