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abigailmoment · 5 months

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It wasn't just bad luck that Staeve was targeted. It was a calculated attack. Halsin knew well enough how a caster could examine their enemies for tells. Halsin did it himself. Considered an opponent's tactics, and guessed at the places their mind would be most vulnerable.

You didn't have to be a gifted empath to watch how Staeve hurled himself into the thick of combat, right at the biggest bandit wielding the two-handed great sword, and think that the man might be vulnerable to a spell that exploited wisdom.

The fact that it took down Astarion too, well, perhaps that one was just bad luck.

It happened like this:

This is written about @velnna's Tav, Staeve. I was delighted to discover that they don't mind fan fiction being written about him.

I'm always cautious about writing for other people's OCs--getting voices right is so important to me. I have elegantly avoided that issue here.

Full text below.

Full Text On AO3

The fight was an incidental bit of banditry. Dangerous banditry, certainly. Bandits with great swords, supported by wizards. Halsin hung back with Gale while the two rogues dashed forward to give truth to the old adage that the best defense was killing the other fellow extremely quickly.

They cut down the man with the great sword and the woman with the mace and shield. Reinforcements were coming from around a rocky overhang. Halsin coaxed the earth to throw up entangling vines to slow them down. Gale drenched them with glimmering light that illuminated all their vulnerable points for Astarion and Staeve to shoot at.

Only the half-orc made it through the vines and the light. He was bloodied and wrathful. He was huge, but it was two against one, and the two were flanking with each other. It would have been an easy end to the combat, except that apparently there was a bandit wizard hidden somewhere in the trees who chose this moment to cast a spell.

One second Staeve was a blood spattered half-drow sprinting full-tilt, sword out, towards a fighter twice his size. And then he was gone.

Some sort of teleportation? Banishment? Gale was saying something about trajectory and scanning the treeline. Halsin was yelling, he wasn't sure what, the concern was more important than the words. He started running forward. Because two rogues against a barbarian was fine, but one rogue against a barbarian was an extremely fast way for that rogue to die.

And Astarion knew that so he should be running away. But he wasn't running away. He was darting forward and ducking low and almost getting hit by a greataxe as he snatched something off of the ground.

Then he was running, thank the Gods. There was something cradled in his arms, which meant he didn't have his rapier out as he scrambled back.

It was a cat. Halsin saw. They were ten feet away from each other when Halsin realized that Astarion was carrying a large, extremely upset tabby cat with grey-green fur.

That was when Astarion vanished. No. Not vanished. As the tabby tumbled to the ground, something small and white was already there, darting for cover.

Then the half-orc arrived. Bellowing and huge, at least when compared to cats. Not quite as huge when compared to Halsin.

Halsin decided to turn into a bear. It was amazing how many problems you could solve by turning into a bear.

"I am feeling my oversight in not preparing dispel magic today," said Gale. "Or counterspell."

"This is not a situation we could have anticipated," Halsin said.

Staeve contributed to the conversation, but because of present circumstances, it came out as a meow.

He was large for a cat. His fur was pale brown, tabby-striped with green. His stripes crisscrossed in a way that reminded Halsin of his tattoos. His scar was a fur-less groove in his face. He had the same pale green eyes as always. That color was quite appropriate in a cat.

He meowed again, more insistently this time.

"We will," Halsin assured him.

"You're speaking with him?" Gale asked.

"Not magically," Halsin said. It had been a long day and he had barely anything left to cast with. "But I think I understand him."

"Do you?"

"Think a moment and I am confident that you too will guess what he wants from us."

It did only take a moment. Gale was an intelligent man, when prompted. And they'd all seen the small white cat vanish into the woods during the bear-orc fight.

"Ah. Of course." Gale addressed the cat, voice reassuring. "Astarion should be relatively safe though. Polymorph is temporary and even if something did happen to him in the interim, he would just revert to his natural form."

Staeve's whiskers went back and his ears went flat in a thoroughly unimpressed way.

"I think it would be best to find him and make sure nothing happens," Halsin said with mellow diplomacy.

"Of course." Gale paused, then said delicately: "Given my skill in woodland matters, or lack thereof, I may best serve this cause by getting out of the way."

Halsin smiled. "It is a wise man who knows his limitations."

"I'll meet you all back at camp then?" said Gale.

"Take a potion of invisibility for the trip," Halsin suggested. "There might still be bandits about."

Staeve had gotten impatient with them, and was padding off into the forest. Halsin handed Gale the potion and hastened to follow.

Staeve scampered about the forest like he was looting the place. No hole, hollow log, wasp nest, or brown recluse spider-web was left uninvestigated. The loss of seventy five percent of his gray matter had done the man's already flagging survival instincts no favors. Halsin spent half of his attention looking for signs of a small white cat, and half of his time making sure Staeve's efforts at tracking didn't get him killed.

After being only a hairsbreadth quick enough to pull Staeve away from the entrance to a dire-badger-burrow Halsin decided that his partner was now going to be carried. Staeve made a meowling, writhing objection. He was terribly invested in the search. A compromise was reached when he was offered a perch high on Halsin's broad shoulders. Staeve proceeded to clamber from shoulder to shoulder as Halsin walked, ears always forward and alert, eyes bright, head turning this way and that as he scanned the woods.

Small cats with stealth training were not easy things to track through dense forest. Halsin did end up using his last spell slot to cast speak with animals. The local mice and voles always noticed when predators passed, even small ones. Halsin spoke to them while keeping one hand on Staeve, who watched the tiny creatures with bright, newly interested eyes.

Halsin of course spoke with Staeve as well, but it wasn't quite the same. Talking to a person who had been transformed into an animal was not the same as talking to that person. Shape changed you. How you saw things. How you thought. The mind of a cat was a fraction of the size of that of an elf or half-elf. Thinking with it was different. The change was easiest for druids. It was hardest for the cursed, who did not choose the new shape. Who were surprised by it.

He spoke to Staeve and learned things he had already known from observation. He reassured Staeve that the mice had given useful guidance.

That guidance led them north, then west, and then to a long hollow log, moss covered and broken in two places. A good hiding spot, and the sort of shelter that had a lot of escape routes. Staeve jumped off of Halsin's shoulder as the druid knelt down and they both peered inside.

In the darkness, Halsin could just make out a pair of ruby-bright eyes staring warily back at him.

Beside him, Halsin watched Staeve relax for the first time since becoming a cat. He wasn't actually as large as Halsin had first thought--it was just that his hackles had been up and his tail puffed out for the duration of the transformation.

It could be a painful thing indeed, to have one's heart so completely entwined with another's safety. A deeply worthwhile thing, but a painful thing, sometimes.

Halsin made a deferring motion to Staeve, who nodded in a rather un-catlike like way. Halsin stepped back from the log, moving slowly so as not to startle anything. He shifted a few feet away and sat close enough to watch, but far away enough that his looming size wasn't an ominous thing.

Staeve didn't go inside the hollow log. He sat at the entrance. Lay down at the entrance, body long and casual, head up on the lip of the log so he could keep looking inside. Modeling relaxation.

He started to purr. Halsin could hear him purring even from a few feet away. A loud, constant, soothing rumble. It somehow did not surprise Halsin that Staeve had a loud purr.

And then Staeve waited. Patient as anything. Waiting and watching and purring in a low buzz, as steadily as a beehive.

Halsin could not see inside the log, but he could guess at when Astarion moved because Staeve's ears would flick. Staeve had a fine poker face, but everyone had tells.

Something happened, or occurred to him, that made Staeve raise his head and sit up slightly from his sprawl on the ground. Then he stood up entirely. He gave Halsin a significant look, and trotted off into the underbrush.

Conscious that he had just been assigned new responsibility, Halsin shifted so that he had a good view of the log's entrances and everything around it. There wasn't much danger, Halsin’s presence in general kept most predators away from this space. But still.

During his vigil, Halsin saw the glimmer of red cat-eyes once. And only briefly.

Staeve came back soon. He had a dead vole in his mouth and he looked exceptionally pleased with himself. He dropped the vole at the mouth of the log, took a few pawpads back and watched expectantly.

It took another long minute, but after that minute a small white cat crept out of the darkness.

This should surprise no one, but Astarion was a beautiful cat. Slender and graceful with large eyes. His fur was pure, silvery white and just long enough to curl slightly. He moved with a cautious precision that Halsin recognized as his habit, and that deeply suited his new form.

He sniffed at the vole. He shot Staeve a judgmental look, because Gods forbid the man accept any kindness without prevaricating about it in some way. He glanced at Halsin. And then he leaned down to slide exceptionally long canines into the corpse's chest.

Staeve flopped down about a foot away and watched him with an expression of pleased devotion that would honestly be a bit more appropriate on a dog.

Astarion ate fastidiously, and without getting even a blot of blood on his snow-white fur. When he finished he licked his teeth.

When Staeve was quite sure Astarion was done eating, he sidled up slantwise, sauntering around the vole corpse as if he just casually happened to be taking a stroll in this part of the forest for no particular reason. He stopped just short of Astarion. His ears were forward. His tail flicked lightly from side to side.

Astarion regarded him levelly with his 'I know what you're doing and I know you think you're being clever about it but you're not' expression. Then, as if granting a boon, he deigned to rub his forehead gently against the underside of Staeve's chin.

Staeve took this as the invitation that it was and pressed back, much more enthusiastic and honest in his delight at the contact. Which in turn gave Astarion an excuse and space to do what he wanted and enjoy it.

They were always very dear to watch together. Whatever form they took. In about a minute they were curled over each other on the ground and Staeve was industriously grooming Astarion's head.

Halsin let this go on for as long as he could. But the shadows were lengthening, and they were very close to the Shadowlands, and he was out of spell slots, and the rogues were currently housecats.

"It is getting late, dear ones," he said softly.

Astarion twitched at the interruption, and Staeve licked him three times along the neck and chest in a soothing way. Then they disentangled from each other and padded over to Halsin.

Halsin picked up Staeve, but he knelt down and laid his arm on the ground so that Astarion could climb up and find what perch he wanted by himself. They did both end up in his arms. Staeve was tired and quite ready to be carried, and Astarion didn't want to be out of contact with him.

As Halsin walked through the woods with an armfull of cat, Staeve started to purr again. It was really the most marvelous sound. A soothing distillation of satisfaction and care. Almost enough to tempt one away from being a bear.

Astarion did not purr. Some cats didn't. Or purred only very rarely. But Astarion did, at one point, look up at Halsin and blink his bright red eyes very slowly.

And that was a precious thing.

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Other stories like this.

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#staeve #astarion #bg3 #Transformation #Fluff #Hurt/Comfort #Cuddling #A Great Deal Of Cuddling #Implied Trauma #Very Brief Peril #taking care of astarion as a group project

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bl0odsharkk · 1 year

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IDK WHY I DECIDED TO DESIGN HIM BUT explodes

he's a lil monster fella

i have a lot of headcannons and lore help me

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whumpshots · 1 year

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Whump Snippet Saturday #19

Caretaker has been watching whumpee for quite some time now, having witnessed their body relax more and more around them and the group. It's something small and subtle, but great progress for someone who has been through so much shit.

Accidental touches don't cause them to panic anymore, a well-meant hand placed on their shoulder causes only a soft flinch - and most importantly - some relaxation afterwards. Sometimes caretaker gets the feeling that whumpee seeks the touch, but doesn't know how to communicate it.

Which is why caretaker has been watching them from the sofa for the past few minutes, patting the cushion next to them. "Want to sit down for a moment?", they ask and wait for whumpee to sit down next to them, not as vary as they were months ago.

It takes some awkward silence until whumpee scoots over, inch by inch, gaze averted like they are watching something interesting in the corner of this room. Until their shoulders touch.

Caretaker tries to hide their smile and carefully puts their arm around whumpee, who tenses up a little until they relax more and more. "It's okay, you can stay as long as you want." And whumpee does.

#whump #whump writing #whump drabble #caretaker #whumpee #caretaker whumpee relationship #emotional whump #emotional hurt/comfort #comfort #touch starved #touch starved whumpee #implied trauma #soft caretaker #whump prompt #whump snippet #whump snippet saturday #whumpshots #hurt/comfort #emotional comfort

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squintingcats · 9 months

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“H-have to go….. I’ve taken too much already… I can’t pay you back….”

“Pay me back? For what? I care about you. There’s nothing to pay back!”

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callaeidae3 · 3 months

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An old WIP comic I don't think I'll ever finish haha

This scene is about six months after the Ninao kidnapping incident: in the summer following Yuuki's kidnapping ordeal, Yuuki collapses at the Harrison family's house as the exhaustion of post-traumatic stress and the insomnia that's been plaguing him hit him.

The dialogue scribbled on the art differs slightly from what I wrote in the novel version of this scene, but reads:

"Yuuki, are you alright?" "I'm fine." ...just a little light-headed ...from this trauma that won't go away.

#wip art #comic #the ninao incident #yuuki takahashi #timothy harrison #ocs #kindall k series #post traumatic stress #exhaustion #sleep deprivation #unsteady #collapse #fainting #implied trauma #support #concern #hurt comfort

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starstruck-flames · 11 months

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Comfort - Mirio

A/N: Please… please forgive any shitty writing/typos! I still have a cold… recovering from a tattoo. My god it never ends!

You know, it takes a lot to feel ready to love again. I just want you to know I’m really proud of you.

Content includes!! Shower fluff, shower smut, implied trauma/PTSD, Mirio is a big ol softie but also he’s loving what he seeees, overall this is just a soft loving post but as always tell me if I miss something!, fingering, soft sex implied after

Song for your mood?

He could hear the shower as soon as he walked through your apartment door. Chances are you poorly timed it for his arrival, that’s okay! He smiles, striding over to the bathroom door. He can hear music playing but…

A knock.

“Mirio?!” He hears you call out, clearly you definitely didn’t realise what time it is… he can’t help but chuckle in response.

“Sure is! Mind if I come in? Or do you want privacy today?”

“…Come on in!”

He can’t help but smile softly, of course he wants you to know when those boundaries are set but it does always make it more fun when he can appreciate the natural state of your body. He gets himself all hyped up just thinking about it as he runs back out to the hallway, knowing EXACTLY which wall leads into your shower. He grins, letting his head phase through slowly.

Though, what he didn’t expect was for you to be totally ready for that, giving him a wet kiss on the forehead.

And my…

The view is impeccable.

“Haha… hey sunshine!” He calls out, glancing around. “I’m gonna come through, back up a little for me?”

You take a step back as Mirio phases through, his clothes obviously already off as he lets out a soft sigh at the hot water against both of you.

“I needed this…”

He looks a little surprised as he feels you press up against him, not in a… sexual way but it’s clear you needed some love right now. Mirio chuckles, pressing a soft kiss against your wet hair.

“And this. Is everything ok?”

“Rough day.” Is muttered out, your face smushed up against his chest. “…Memories is all.”

His smile flattens a little as he hears this, pulling you in more for a tight embrace. Mirio’s hand messing with your hair as he thinks on what he should say…

“You’ve come to trust me a lot more, haven’t you honey?” He asks softly, feeling you nod against his chest. “And I think… I really do think that’s incredible. I can’t imagine how it even feels but I can only imagine how incredible you are to be strong enough to keep going.”

You feel his chest let out a long huff, struggling to speak. He knows you don’t need words but he really wants you to know just how he feels. It’s incredible to watch from his perspective, and maybe it’s a little biased but Mirio truly, truly loves you for your strength. Even if he’s physically stronger, ehe.

He takes a step back, making you look at him as he smiles. “I really couldn’t be luckier to have met you, and to have your trust. I hope you know that.”

Planting a soft kiss on your wet skin again, he chuckles, noticing your wandering eyes. Maybe you hadn’t intended to look… there, but he knows sometimes you get embarrassed by these softer moments.

“Hey, hey, eyes up here sunshine.” He chuckles, leaning in ever so slightly. “Unless you…” He trails off, wondering if this is badly timed. “Hey, if I’m ever being a pig, tell me, okay?”

“You’re not.” Is all you can respond, fingers… ever so lightly trailing his abdomen. “I’m really glad you found the patience to love me.”

He smiles brightly again, his hair completely flattened by the water at this point as his hands wrap around your butt. He’s careful, pressing you up against the shower wall.

“Honey… I would have waited years for you if you needed it.” He chuckles. “Of course… I am glad to be here. Right now. With you.”

There’s a long pause.

“…Can I-“

“Yes.”

He smiles softly, pulling you into a gentle kiss. His fingers are careful, feeling around your hole before a single digit slips in. The small gasp and whine as he presses in is enough to already start making him go crazy but today… today he’s going to make sure you feel nothing but loved. His movements are slow, precise as he feels your body respond oh so positively to him. And his body aches for you.

“Now… one more question.”

“Mm?”

“Do you want to keep going here or…?”

#mha mirio #bnha mirio #mirio smut #mirio fluff #shower loving #implied trauma #tw ptsd #ptsd implied #baby boy baby #mdni #Spotify

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cielcreations · 1 year

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“JUST HIT ME!” - Empires SMP Story

TRIGGER WARNING: Implied past abuse, implied past trauma, implied PTSD, and lots of cursing.

Solidarity wasn't sure what started the argument.

All of the emperors were just trying to enjoy a nice time at Chromia. But Joel had said something. Was it that Solidarity was a toy? Asking if he could pull his string? Asking how Buzz is doing? He wasn't sure, but he knew that whatever Joel said set him off. He told the god to stop, only for the brunette to amplify his jokes. He simmered, simply not reacting. Joel continued amplifying the jokes as Solidarity bottled everything, drumming his fingers, slowly, slowly, slowly getting angrier and angrier.

Well, it all toppled over and Solidarity, without thinking, just pushed the other down and screamed to "fucking shut up!"

Joel went to step forward, but the others immediately moved to stand between the two. Joel and him began screaming. Solidarity was screaming how enough was enough and to shut up while Joel screamed how he was being oversensitive, that is was all a joke, that there was no reason to get physical. All things he has heard before.

Solidarity screamed, "JUST STOP, I DON'T LIKE IT, THE JOKE IS OLD, STOP!" He went to step forward, Scott, Fwhip, and Pix holding him back.

Joel was being held back by Sausage, Lizzie, and Gem, "WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?! CALM DOWN-"

"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN YOU ARROGANT FUCK!"

Joel's eyes widened and his eyes turned yellow, sparks surrounding him, "What was that, toyboy?"

Solidarity grew angrier and went to step forward with a growl, only for Scott to yank him back.

"JOEL!" Sausage screamed, "Enough! Stop it, now!"

"HE'S THE ONE WHO STARTED IT! WHAT'S WRONG, SHERIFF?! IS THE SNAKE IN YOUR BOOT BOTHERING YOU THAT MUCH OR IS IT THE STICK UP YOUR ASS?!"

Solidarity tried to push the other three off, "DON'T YOU HAVE ANY BOUNDARIES, AND FUCKING RESPECT?! WHEN PEOPLE TELL YOU TO STOP IT MEANS 'STOP'! NOT 'KEEP GOING UNTIL I FUCKING EXPLODE'!"

"AREN'T YOU ONE TO TALK?! TELLING EVERY TO FOLLOW YOUR CORRUPT WAYS AND, IF THEY DON'T, THEY'RE A CRIMINAL! FUCKING HYPOCRITE!" Lightening struck outside and Sausage and Lizzie screamed at him to stop.

Solidarity managed to get out of Pix, Scott, and Fwhip's hold, screaming, "JUST HIT ME! FUCKING HIT ME! HIT ME, PUNCH ME, DO WHATEVER! I'M USED TO IT, JUST DO IT ALREADY!"

That seemed to make Joel stop, eyes widening at his words. Solidarity had tears in his eyes as he glared the god, who had completely froze. Everyone had, it was so silent, you could hear a pin drop. The only thing you could hear was Solidarity's heavy breathing.

"J-Just do it already! Just hit me!" Solidarity huffed, "T-Tell me how pathetic I am, how useless I am, go ahead! I-It's fine, I'm used to it!"

"...Solidarity...." Joel muttered.

"Just do it..." Solidarity whimpered, trying his best to hold back his tears, "Just do it..."

Joel gently pushed the ones holding him off as he stepped forward. Solidarity sucked in a breath and closed his eyes. Don't make a noise, don't make a noise, don't-

Joel had shrunk to his mortal height before gently pulling the dirty blonde in for a hug. Solidarity went stiff, choking on a sob.

"I'm not going to hit you. I'm not going to hurt you." Joel squeezed Solidarity, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Solidarity. You're right, you are."

Solidarity began to shake, tears running down his cheeks.

"It's okay, I'm sorry." Joel gently rubbed his back, "I'm sorry. I'll stop with the stupid jokes. You're not a toy, Solidarity, you're a good sheriff, I'm sorry."

Solidarity's knees shook as he whimpered, hugging the other as tight as he could, burying himself in the brunette's neck, sobbing his heart out.

That's the first time someone told me I was right and that they were sorry...

#empires smp #empires jimmy #jimmy solidarity #Solidarity Gaming #solidaritygaming #empires solidarity #joel smallishbeans #empires joel #smallishbeans #empires smallishbeans #implied ptsd #implied abuse #implied trauma

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wretchedwoes · 5 months

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Edgy dog vent doodles

#vent #vent art #my art #my posts #religious trauma #// religious trauma #implied trauma #idk it’s very vague #so I’ll leave it up to interpretation #furry art #traditional art

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vacant2007 · 1 year

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creationsabyss · 1 year

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The Universe Loves You (Its People Are Blind But It Hopes That Forgiveness Can Still Be Found)

A small piece based off of some of @i-put-the-yan-in-polyandry's works.

When your blood runs gold

Who will you run to?

When your wounds fade

Into shining star silver

Who will you trust?

When the world hunts for your head

For a crime you did not commit

Who deserves your favor?

When the world is kind

Where its people are not

Where will you turn?

When you are scorned

Turned away with glare and blade

Will you return to its cradle

Be embraced in its loyalty?

The world knows and will never turn

You will find safety here

Amongst the fauna and the flora

Your reign is undisputed

The world knows

Its people shall know in time

So I wonder

Where you'll end up next

#poetry #the ramblings of a mad god #genshin impact inspired #slight sagau #slight imposter au #implied yandere #implied sentience #implied trauma #the slight pov change is deliberate #because I like adding small details people probably won't ever see #the title is long #but it does have a reason for it

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schnoodleus · 3 months

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inspo:

Mr.Kitty - Neglect

#oc #original character #implied trauma #anorexia #as a tw #i know some people are uncomf with it

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whumpshots · 10 months

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Whump Snippet Saturday #33

It's been a while since whumpee was able to go outside without coming home drenched in sweat and shaking, almost throwing up. They see whumper lurking everywhere, their anxiety spikes way too high whenever they hear a noise.

But whumpee forces themselves to go outside, not wanting whumper to have these lasting effects on them. Their confidence shatters like glass when someone hoots their car horn only a few metres away and panic grasps their heart with ice-cold hands.

Looking for a way out, they run into a stranger, who looks at them with raised brows as they try to keep their shaky hands under control, tears only waiting to spill and roll down their cheeks. Walking around confused and disoriented, they suddenly feel a hand on their arm.

"Too loud?", a gruff voice asks and whumpee grits their teeth, but nods softly. "Let's get you inside for a minute," caretaker mutters and gives them a small smile, a hand on their back already guiding them into a small store. "It gets better with time, kid. Just take a deep breath right now."

#whump #whump writing #whump drabble #whumpee #caretaker #stranger as caretaker #traumatised whumpee #implied trauma #tw trauma mention #tw trauma #disoriented #panicked whumpee #aftermath of capture #comfort #hurt/comfort #emotional whump #whump snippet #whump snippet saturday #whumpshots

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savebatsfromscratch · 6 months

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No.25. Perfect.

Ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51114592

Words: 1,170

Cws: Referenced “sleeping around”, death of a best friend/boyfriend, funeral, implied dubious consent, Implied/Referenced Sex, implied hyper sexuality due to trauma, implied murder, crying

Prompt: No. 25: “You’re not delivering a perfect body to the grave.” Storm | Buried Alive | “They’re not breathing!”

Notes: Personal headcanon of mine that Red is the first dexholder to die, don’t bother talking to me about the other personal headcannons in this particular fic. (: I have no explanation for myself.

This is not exactly the correct vibe I was going for but it’s good enough.

Written while listening to One Last Song by LORD OF THE LOST. (And Dem Beats by Todrick Hall but that’s not relevant.)

The sky was cloudy outside the small building, as if the smoke from Charizard’s tail had flooded the whole thing with charred gray when Blue had flown his mourning laps across the sky. Outside of the tiny windows, rain was beginning to fall. As cliche as it may have seemed, the world seemed to be crying for the tragedy that had fallen on it. It was crazy to think about it, but something was missing. Something that would never come back.

Blue felt tears drip down his face as he stared down at the body in the casket before him. Deep down, all of them had known it was coming, but none of them had expected it to happen so quickly. How could they have?

He had been so alive. So strong. Such a fighter.

Now, he lay lifeless and still, and Blue’s mind spun as he stared down at him.

He was beautiful.

He was pristine.

He was nothing if not perfect.

That shoulder length black hair, just as unruly in death as in life, lay still against the pillow. Though it was just as rebellious as the man it had once belonged to, it seemed somehow tamed by his stillness, and that simple fact sent stabs of pain through Blue’s chest. He just couldn’t seem to process what was happening, even with all of the violence and death he had seen, this hit the hardest.

Blue knew that Red couldn’t have gone down without a fight, but that awful stillness was just enough to steal his agency away from him one last time. (And Acreus knew it had been many times before.)

He looked so calm. So at peace. Just as if he were sleeping.

But Blue knew that Red had never looked that calm while he was alive. Even while he slept, his eyebrows had always been knit together, and he had always twitched and turned as he fought to fight those awful dreams that he had once confided in Blue about. Even when he had been happy, Red had never been calm, and those dark shadows in his eyes had always told Blue the truth of how he felt. Even in times of peace Red had never had a truly peaceful mind.

He’d never really had a chance to speak for himself. Even as one of the strongest trainers in the world, it was no secret that Red had been putty in much everyone’s hands. Even as someone known for fighting for every right and truth, Blue knew better than anyone how Red could sweep horror under the rug, rationalize what he was doing, pretend it was what he had wanted.

Pretend it was what he had wanted.

Blue wiped his eyes roughly with his sleeve.

Selfishly, he had loved Red for that lack of agency, that horrible weakness, but he knew he was nowhere near the only one who had. Even with the mortuary cosmetologist’s best attempts to fix his face with makeup, Blue could still see the bruises as they faded through the pale foundation. He could still remember that awful shock in those closed eyes when Red had first seen him looking at those “scars.” That horrible realization that his “secret” wasn’t so secret. (And Blue could still feel the awful stab of attraction that Red’s horror filled face had made him feel.)

Blue knew he had used Red as much as anyone else. No matter how much he wanted to forget, the shame kept burning inside him. No matter how much he tried to tell himself that he had done nothing wrong, that hot, sticky shame kept up bubbling deep within.

He had done everything wrong.

Blue balled his hands into fists, but he could do nothing but stare at the corpse that had once been his closest thing to love. Yes, love. Even though he had never been able to admit it to Red, Blue had loved him. Through everything they had been through, every battle, every day, every night, Blue had never told him. Now he would never get the chance.

How could he have ever done that to someone that he knew he loved?

Maybe he had thought Red was invincible. Red certainly seemed to have thought it. Running off with random trainers in the middle of the night… That wasn’t something he should have been doing. That wasn’t something Blue should have let him do.

Why hadn’t he helped when he could?

Why had he made it worse?

Through his actions, he had certainly intensified the problem, hadn’t he? Sure, he’d never told Red that it was all okay, but then again, he’d never asked him if he felt alright either, and wasn't that the most important part of all of this?

He'd never helped Red to get better, even though the signs of his struggle were so clear now in hindsight. Those handprints on his throat, the scratches that Blue knew lay across his back... All of it pointed so clearly to someone who had desperately needed help.

Help that Blue had never given him. He’d never even thought to let him ask for it.

Blue suddenly felt sick to his stomach, and he took a shaking step backwards, trying anything to get away from the body of the one he had once loved.

The one he still loved.

Instead of helping him like a lover should have, Blue had taken him as the toy he had made himself out to be. Blue had taken him at face value, unable to see through what he had wanted to see. Only now that he was gone, could Blue tell what had truly happened. Only now could Blue see what he could have done, what he should have done, what he would have done if he had known what was coming.

This hadn't been the first time Red had been bent to someone else's will against his own, not by a long shot, but it was the last. Blue felt sudden tears coming fast down his face, and the body in the casket blurred and warped before him as they did. He felt like an idiot. He was such a fool.

Red had been so much more than what had taken him.

He’d been caring, loving, careful, creative, a fighter through and through. He’d saved so many lives, so many stories, so many experiences. He’d won through so much with his ingenuity and strength. So many things that Blue knew not just anyone could have done. So many things that he would never again be able to brag about around a campfire. So many things that were now history.

So many battles won.

A tragedy.

A final loss.

The media may be crying over the loss of their “perfect” trainer, but Blue knew better.

Red had been perfect for all but one flaw, and it had killed him. Shiny black hair. Glowing red eyes. Skin paler than death itself.

He had been perfect for Blue.

Now he was gone.

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stupidscav · 4 months

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yeah it's 2:30 am perfect time for a hunter rant.

I feel like Hunter (er. me. kind of.) would feel really betrayed by nsh. they gave them the rot even if it was an accident, now they have to suffer for the fault of someone else. the rot makes them feel disgusting and like something is eating them from the inside. and it gives them urges and hungers and intrusive thoughts. and they're expected to forgive nsh for that/nm? tiny vent I guess but when I was younger I wanted to be with my mom so bad. I wanted her to love me and be proud of me and make me feel like my family was normal for once. after I learned why I was like this (shit went down that I can't remember) I felt fucking sick for wanting to have a mom. and I'm supposed to forgive her for that? for causing so much pain like something was eating me from the inside. ig I'm better now but sometimes I'm still pissed. for years she did nothing but dig herself a deeper hole and I thought I'd never be ok with her being around me. and now she got the help she needs and I just kind of calmed down. the things that scared me have mostly stopped. the only time I could forgive was when the problem was basically fixed. I don't imagine hunter would take too kindly to forgiving their maker when their own body isn't really even theirs because of him. they probably trusted nsh to keep them safe, after all they were buddies right? and now they're just waiting to die from a mistake nsh didn't fix. especially being more upset if it could be fixed, and nsh just didn't want to waste time on it. I want them to have a happy ending, I don't think they would succumb to the rot completely (I think Monk would help with it.) but they still have a right to be upset for all the shit they went through. maybe they forgive nsh eventually. who knows

#scav quit your yapping!!!#implied trauma #rain world #rw hunter #rw #rw hunterkin #hunterkin #scavs silly misc #ill put this in the vent tag bc i got a little carried away with that.#scav feels shitty #ramble

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pupspuppet · 2 years

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Still my #1 comfort ship

#darkest dungeon #my art #jester #sarmenti #vestal #junia #jestal #ship #tw #tw implied abuse #implied trauma #cw #content warning

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cielcreations · 1 year

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The Heart Doctor - Rancher Duo

Inspiration from this wonderful comic called "The Heartsmith" by miyuliart on Twitter! Make sure to check them out!

"Oh, Doctor, thank you so much!" The woman sobbed, hugging the man, her little girl just as happy. Both cried happy tears as the little girl hugged her stuffed animal.

"D-Doctor, you're t-the best!"

"Of course!" The dirty blonde smiled, gently hugging back. He pulled back and smiled, "Trust me, when I was mending her heart, I could feel the love for you. She never once blamed you."

"D-Doctor..." The woman smiled brightly.

"You are a strong woman, an even stronger mother. And your daughter learned her strength from the best." He reassured before kneeling down, smiling at the little girl, "And you, little missy! I don't want to see you back here, got it!" He teased, poking her nose, the girl giggling, "You're a feisty little one, so don't go around giving your heart to anyone else until your older and you're ready! Hearts are very special, so be careful, okay?"

The little girl smiled, hugging the man, "Th-Thank y-you, Doctor!"

"Of course." He hugged her back.

The two ladies bid their final goodbyes as they left, the man waving back. He turned away and sat at his desk, taking out a needle and string to begin to mend the heart in front of him.

Brrrrring!

"Welcome!" The man exclaimed, turning, "I- Oh, hello there! Was wondering when you were going to show up!"

The man smiled, "Hello, Doctor. A pleasure to see you as always." He turned, "Helped the mother or the daughter."

The doctor sighed, "Such a painful one, Tango. Poor little girl went through so much pain, but I managed to help her."

Tango sat in a chair, the doctor rolling over, both across from each other. Tango smiled and leaned against the counter, "You help everyone, Doctor."

"Come now, I told you, just Solidarity is fine." The dirty blonde gently took the other's hand in his, "And not everyone."

"Not this again..." Tango teased.

Solidarity kissed his hand, "I won't push, but I will remind you I care for you, light."

"And I care for you, Soli. I'm just... not ready."

"I understand." He reached out to the other's cheek, stroking it, Tango leaning into the touch, "Just remember, I'm hear to mend your heart when you need me. Whenever you're ready, I will happily warm your frozen touch."

Brrrrring!

"Welcome!" Solidarity called, seeing a short dirty blonde with green eyes, "Hello there! I'm the Heart Doctor, how can I help you?"

The dirty blonde seemed hesitant, "Am I...? Interrupting...? I-I'm sor-"

"No, you are not." Tango stood, "I should actually get going anyways." He smiled at the dirty blonde, "Never apologize to the Doctor, he will take care of you. He's amazing."

The man then left, Solidarity smiling at the other, "That's Tango. He's a great friend of mine. He comes in everyday just to check on me. Here, sit." The other did as Solidarity sat across from him, "How can I help you?"

"Um... there's this guy I-I like... Two, actually... They're very sweet and lovely and patient with me and I do... I want to love them but... I can't... A-And I heard that if somethings wrong with y-your heart, you come here... I've just never did before because I don't have a lot of m-money and I-I still don't and-"

"Hey, hey..." Solidarity held his hands up, "I don't accept money as payment."

"Y-You don't? T-Then how do I pay you back...?"

"Simple, when I'm done mending your heart, you owe me one thing-" He lifted his hands, pointing to his cheeks, "A smile!"

The man in front of him blinked, "...A... smile?"

"Yep! But, we can talk about that afterwards. May I see you heart?"

"Oh, right... I-It's... really bad..." The man cupped his chest before bringing it out. Sitting in his hand was a heart nearly torn in half, ugly black cracks coming from the tear.

The doctor sucked in a breath, "Tsssk, poor guy. Really damaged, huh? Old wounds that never got healed?"

"It tore when I was in highschool. An ex boyfriend he, well..." The man looked away, "I... I went to a lot of therapy and stuff but my heart... it never..."

"I understand. May I?" The man nodded and Solidarity gently took it into his hand, "...You waited awhile, huh? These wounds run deep."

"S-So, I might never feel love for them?" Tears came to the man's eyes.

"Now, now, I didn't say that!" Solidarity smiled, "I'm the Heart Doctor! I mend every single heart that comes through that door! However, I just might need to hold onto it! It should take me two, maybe three days!"

The man widened his eyes, "R-Really?"

"What's your name and number? I will fix it and then call you, okay?"

The man smiled brightly, "T-Thank you, Doctor!"

"Of course. Now, name and number?"

"O-Oh, right! It's Grian!"

The man gave him his name and number before he left. Solidarity smiled and turned to the heart.

"Don't worry, I will fix this." The man put on some gloves, "I always do."

***

Brrrrring!

The doctor turned and smiled, "Hello, wel- Oh, Grian!"

"Hello! U-Um, you called saying it was ready a-and so I brought one of my b-boyfriends!"

"And I got cake!" The brunette beside him explained, "I figured it would be a bonus for working hard!"

"Oh, wow, thank you!" Solidarity rolled over as Grian and the brunette sat in front of him, placing the cake on the counter, "What kind?"

"Vanilla, it's the easiest!"

"Heck yeah! I love vanilla, thanks again! Now, about your heart!" Solidarity smiled, getting a black metal box from under the counter. He then offered the box, "Go ahead, open it!"

Grian did and gasped, "T-That's... my heart?"

"It looks brand spanking new!"

Solidarity smiled, "Go ahead."

Grian hesitantly held the heart before putting it in his chest. He gasped.

"A-Are you-"

"I-I FEEL AMAZING!" Grian smiled brightly, turning to his boyfriend, "S-Scar, I love you and Mumbo so much!"

Scar blushed and laughed, "We love you-"

"N-No, I-" Tears came to the dirty blonde's eyes, "-I can feel it! I can feel just how much I love you, just how much I love Mumbo! I-I-!" He turned to Solidarity, "Y-You made me-!"

"I only mended your heart." Solidarity took his hand, "When you've gone through things, you sometimes need a little help to remove the trauma and fear from your heart. After I did that, I just sewed it back together. You could always feel love, you were just a bit scared. And that's fine. Sometimes, you just need a little help!"

Grian smiled brightly, "T-Thank you..."

"Of course."

The two smiled and left, Grian practically bouncing from excitement. However, before the door could close, someone caught it and walked in.

"Hello, light!" Solidarity smiled, opening the container with the cake, "Would you like a piece?"

Tango smiled and nodded, "I would love one."

They sat in front of each other, smiling and eating their cake together.

"Another heart fixed-"

"Mended." Solidarity corrected, "I don't fix anything. No one needs to be fixed."

Tango smiled, "Right..." He took another bite, "...Say, how... how busy are you, Soli?"

"What do you mean?"

"With work...?"

The doctor blinked before he smiled, "All the hearts I needed to mend, I finished. I'm just making new hearts for people who don't have one."

Tango hesitated, "...I think... I think I'm ready..."

"Ready?"

"Ready for you to... to fix-"

"Mend."

"Mend my heart..." Tango smiled, "I... After seeing you helping that man...? How happy he was with his heart mended, how he could finally love his boyfriend... I... I want that. I want that with you."

Solidarity smiled, "I'd be happy to help you."

Tango hesitated but brought out his heart. It was an icy blue, cracks in the heart, it looked like a shard of ice itself.

"...It's bad, I know..." Tango said, tears in his eyes.

"It's beautiful." Solidarity gently took it, "I will take good care of it. I will mend it, Tango. Might take a few days, but it will be brand new, I promise. Your heart will be mended, it will be okay."

Tango smiled, "...I lo-"

"Say it when your heart is mended." Solidarity grabbed his hand, placing a gentle kiss on his hand, "That way, I can see the explosion of emotion, a beautiful, real, smile on that beautiful face."

Tango blushed and smiled softly, "I can't wait."

The two smiled at each other and waved, Tango leaving.

Solidairty looked at his heart, "My poor light... don't worry..." He hugged Tango's heart, "I will mend your heart. Everything will be better."

***

Brrrrring!

"Soli?"

"Perfect timing, light!" Solidarity spun around in his chair, a black metal case in his hand, "Your heart is all mended!"

Tango's eyes widened, "Really? After two days? I-I thought you said-"

"I may have pulled an all nighter..." Solidarity giggled.

"Soli..." Tango narrowed his eyes, teasing.

"Come on, I was excited!" The dirty blonde giggled again, "Now, sit! Sit!"

Tango laughed and sat in front of him. He opened the case and gasped. A normal, red, glowing heart was in front of him. He took it in his hand, it felt so warm. Tears came to his eyes as he hugged it into his chest, letting out a sob.

"Well?" Solidarity asked.

"It feels-!" He jumped over the counter, tackling Solidarity into a hug, "S-So good! It's so warm! I-I can feel my love for you! It feels so good, I love you, so much!"

Solidarity sat up, hugging him back, "I-I'm glad..." The other coughed a bit.

"O-Oh my goodness! Are you-"

"I-I'm fine." Solidarity smiled, cupping the other's cheek, "I knew your smile would be the prettiest!"

"...Soli, you're cold..."

"I-"

"Your heart, let me see it!"

"Tango!"

"Soli, please! What did you do?!"

The dirty blonde bit his bottom lip before he took out his heart. Tango gasped, seeing... seeing an icy blue heart, black cracks and tears in it.

"...Soli-"

"I tried to mend it. I could unfreeze it but then the cracks would start to completely tear, way too fast. I wouldn't be able to mend it before it tore completely."

"...Then... who's...?"

Solidarity put the heart back into his chest, "There's a reason I became a Heart Doctor, Tango... I wanted to mend people's hearts, because I didn't want people to have the same pain that I carried in my heart." He poked Tango's chest, "The heart that you have is mine. And that heart used to be completely black and torn to pieces. No one, not even I, could mend my own heart. At least, that's what I thought." He smiled, gently stroking Tango's cheek, "When I met you, my heart mended itself."

"It... It did...?"

"It turned into the glowing, bright red heart you have right now." The dirty blonde gently hugged him, "I think... I think that was a sign for me. Not only did I love you to death, but... if you ever needed me, I would do anything for you."

"Soli..." Tears came to Tango's eyes, "I... I don't want you to walk around with my broken heart-"

"Who said it was broken?" Solidarity smiled, "Sure, it's a little torn and frozen, but I can still feel the love for you! You know why?"

Tango shook his head.

"Because you're the light of my life, Tango. My soulmate. So, as long as your heart is healed and mended, as long as you're happy, so am I."

Tango stared before he smiled, "I love you so much, Solidarity."

He smiled back, "And I love you just as much, Tango..."

***

"Tango... Tango...? Tango!"

The blaze gasped, turning, "Huh?"

"You okay?" Grian chuckled, "You kinda spaced out."

"Yeah, sorry, just..." Tango put his hand to his chest, "...Just remembering someone..."

"Who?"

"...The Heart Doctor."

Grian raised an eyebrow, "Who?"

"He... he saved my life, but sacrificed his own to do it." Tango smiled, "He gave me his heart and said we'd be together, we'd be soulmates. As long as I was happy, he would be too..."

Grian blinked, "You... You don't have to play Double Life this season if you don't want to. I don't want you to feel bad if you already have a soulmate."

"No, it's okay, I don't mind."

Grian hesitatedbut shrugged, the two stepping into the portal to the game. Once through, Tango's eyes met familiar light blue ones. He ran over and grabbed the other's wrist, staring in shock.

"...Doctor?"

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