#@snaillamp

[syncopein3d]

Cheap Shot: A Friendly Review

Introduction and Format Explanation:

I've just finished reading Cheap Shot by @snaillamp. In the communities where I spend most of my time here on Tumblr, I see occasional recommendations but nothing I would call a review, so I thought I'd go into a little more detail about why I enjoy stories I read. This is my second friendly review after Smoke, Salt and Asbestos, and this story is in a very different genre from that one.

The reason I think a positive review might be useful to my audience is that, when people praise a story, they seldom give enough detail for me to know as a reader if I will also want to read it. These are stories I liked personally, and this means that reviews will mostly be of hurt/comfort stories with happy or at least ambiguous endings.

Ambiguous here means characters may part, or may have dangling plot threads for later, but they have survived and are in some way better or recovering.

This doesn't mean I disliked everything I didn't review; I read a lot of stories and can't review them all. This is just for stories that are completed according to the author (something of a rare category already) and that I thought deserved special mention.

Another reason is that the Tumblr writing format is more akin to the magazine serials of yesteryear than a novel. That's less applicable in the present case, because this is more of a traditional short story format and is reasonably complete in itself, even if there are other stories with these characters. I could imagine this as a Netflix or Amazon show. It would be inexpensive to produce and it has good characters, strong atmosphere, and intense emotions, and those are all good things from the point of view of producing a streaming show.

I'll attempt some light analysis, but I won't ask authors if I'm right about their intent first, so you only get my reader impressions on it. As such, I might be wrong about some or all of how I describe a story and its lore. I don't insist on death of the author once a review is up, so authors are welcome and encouraged to comment!

Summary:

Cody, a doctor in a small Canadian town, is injured in a way that kicks off a downward spiral in his physical and mental health.

Whump Vibes:

The reason I chose to review this story is that the vibes are simply immaculate. The author is so fantastic at building mood that I read the whole thing, even though real world stories aren’t usually my cup of tea.

If you want to wallow in that feeling of knowing you're making yourself worse but feeling helpless to change it, of well-meaning friends who don’t get it, of not quite fitting wherever you are, this is perfect for that. Cody knows on some level that he's doing it to himself, but he still can't help it. He's even alienated from chemical solutions to the problem - weed makes him nauseated, he doesn't really seem to like drinking, and a lot of anesthetics also make him sick. On a personal note, I liked seeing a fictional character with problems similar to mine about recreationals, since that's very rare to see in print.

If you’re also a loss of consciousness fan, as I am, there’s a fair amount of that scattered throughout, too, not just the inciting incident. There's a vomiting scene near the end that's fairly graphic, so emetophobes may want to skip this one, since it's an important part of the story's climax.

There are rotating caretakers as different people in this small close-knit community circulate in and out of Cody's life, helping where they can before they go back to their own friends, relationships, and lives. There are moments of comfort, but no catharsis. There are moments of connection, but nothing lasting. This is not just a way to introduce us to more of the cast, it's also a way to emphasize Cody's isolation.

Characters and Setting:

Here we come to the other reason for this review. I grew up in a dry town in Eastern Washington, not a damp and temperate Canadian town, but the feeling of rural inertia, of gradual slow degeneration, is the same: the one storefront that's always empty, the ancient public art fading on walls, the community's gradual drain of youth and talent as people who can get out, do.

This is a fantastic example of an author not using a modern setting to avoid worldbuilding, but instead using that base to build a rich, detailed world. There's nothing supernatural here, but everything feels haunted in a very rural gothic way.

Theme (Mild Spoilers):

I would say the principal theme here is decay. Cody's town decays, his hygiene decays, his physical condition decays as he fails to take care of himself and his injury. His relationships remain, but they are stagnant, the same as they've always been. The accident that opens the story is an example of Cody's attempt to find connection with other people causing him real and lasting pain. Connections form around him, even with his help and approval, but they don't include him.

The ending doesn't bring cleansing and relief. It hints at those things, but we leave Cody worse off than we found him. I sat with this for a while before I came to that conclusion, wondering why I felt disturbed when the characters' tone was always light and practical. This story is actually very dark. The characters just don't necessarily find that surprising or unusual. They live in the same world Cody lives in, and this is a mundane awfulness that doesn't really even provoke horror for them, just mild concern and practical action. They get the thing done and move on. Will Cody actually get better? Maybe. It's definitely not certain.

Final Comments and Recommendation:

I enjoyed this story, but I enjoyed it as horror, a new experience for me with whump content. It's not the horror of blood and gore, which you can easily find around here, including in what I write myself. Nobody dies or even gets permanently maimed. It's a horror of emotional detachment, spiraling inward, creeping dread. It held my attention because of the sheer strength of atmosphere, even though it's a very different approach from other whump stories I've read.

If you're ready for something deeper and darker, for some meaty personal drama and character study with your whump tropes, this is absolutely for you! Go read it right now!

[snaillamp]

"You won't need an enemy to knock you out if you keep like this."

If you're still up to :D And so sorry that this doesn't fit with your ocs.

~Squishy

Ayye Squishy!!! Dont worry about it not being my ocs, this is a perfect excuse for leader whump which ive been wanting to do for a while :D

five second fic

~~

Dead Man Walking

Leader watched the document in front of them blur and sighed. They rubbed their eyes, trying to rid them of the double vision, their head spinning, and body heavy. Their team had been assigned a difficult mission, and they had to make sure everything was ready.

They were so tired, but still had so much to do... But they needed sleep.

They eased out of their chair with a soft grunt, yawning as the world swayed slightly, shuffling to their room. They stiffly pulled off their clothes, getting into their soft pajamas and lying down in their cold, but soft bed.

They instantly felt the aching in their bones ease, their muscles relaxing as they began to shut their eyes, only for a loud, grating alarm to snap them out of their dozing.

With a closed fist, the hit the button to make it shut up, hearing their team begin their morning. Leader groaned as the sat back up, getting to their feet and going out to join them. They could have a nap later.

As they walked into the kitchen, they heard Second in Command say something.

"Hmm?" Leader responded, looking around with bleary eyes.

"I said good morning." Second chuckled. "You look like you slept well."

Leader shrugged, making themself a large coffee, and sitting down at the table. They felt like death warmed up.

"Hey so, what's on the books for today? I know you have that meeting today too. Maybe I should take the others on a drill exercise or something while you do that?"

"Yeah, do whatever you want." Leader mumbled into their coffee, sitting up straighter to avoid their head colliding with the table.

Second narrowed their eyes, looking at Leader.

"Leader..." They whispered, so that no one else could hear. "You okay? You look like shit."

"Just haven't slept much this week... Preparing for the mission." Leader mumbled back, taking another sip of their coffee.

"How much have you slept?" They asked.

"Uhhhh....." Leader frowned as they thought, their brain slow.

"7 hours..."

Second grimaced. "Leader, 7 hours a night isn't enough, especially with the mission coming up."

"No, I mean this week. I've slept for 7 hours."

"You're telling me you've slept an hour a night every night this week?" Second said a little louder, causing everyone to look at Leader.

"It's fine. I was going to catch up on sleep today." Leader lied.

Second nodded, playing along to cover for their friend.

Leader got up, finishing their coffee and stalking away, to their office. Second followed them, watching them sit at their desk and sigh.

Leader stared at the words, but they didn't even make sense anymore. They could barely read the words, let alone make sense of what they were trying to say.

"Leader. You need to rest."

"No, I have too much to do. Don't worry about me, Second, I've managed on less sleep than this."

"I know you were up all last night. You didn't sleep at all." Second accused them. "I heard you walk to your room."

Leader grimaced, their room was next to Second's, and the only one on that end of the compound. of course Second would've known it was them.

"Go to bed for a few days. Rest, I'll handle this, its what I'm here for."

Leader shook their head. "I can't force you to take on this workload. The High Command has been giving me so much to prepare for before the misson and I'm already behind."

"So, tell them you're sick, and let me help you. Please, Leader."

"I'm fine." Leader said firmly. They glanced at their watch. "I have a meeting to get to."

Second watched hopelessly as Leader wandered off towards the front door, disappearing.

~~

"Leader." Everyone greeted the tired looking Leader. They had neatened themself up in the bathroom before they went into the meeting, and at least looked presentable, even if the shadows under their eyes were practically getting their own shadows.

Leader zoned out for most of the meeting, it was a pointless one anyway, talking about meeting quotas and making thing cheaper. Leader nodded along to the pointless graphs and data points, before they got up to leave.

The world swayed, and everything went blurry as they sat back down in the seat. Getting up again, Leader steeled themself, setting their jaw and just focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. They felt like a zombie.

They were almost home when their legs almost dropped out from under them, only for a strong arm to catch them as they fell.

"Idiot." Second grunted, heaving Leader's almost unconscious body up, and steadying them. "I was thinking," They began as they practically dragged Leader towards home. "We should take you on a training mission, get an enemy to knock you out so you get some sleep."

They jostled Leader, who had began slipping from Second's grip, grunting as they hauled Leader's arm over their shoulders.

"You won't need an enemy to knock you out if you keep going like this."

Leader smirked slightly. "You always have creative ideas." They mumbled, as Second got them inside.

The next thing they knew, they were waking up, snuggled in their bed with Medic standing over them, not looking impressed.

"Hey Leader." They started softly. "How you feeling?"

Leader's body felt drained, and heavy, like their bones were made of lead. They couldn't muster the energy to reply.

"Figures, you've been asleep for two days."

Leader's eyes widened, as they tried to sit up. They had so much to catch up on.

"No, stay down. You need sleep, we're handling everything else. Second says all your work is good, and that they'll just finish up the filler paper work while you rest."

Leader lay back, half relieved that they didn't have to move.

"Get some rest, the mission is coming up and we need you at your best."

Leader nodded, their eyes already sliding shut again.

It felt amazing.

[snaillamp]

Ask time!

Eggs: soft boiled

Steak: rare

Milk: Full cream cow

Alcohol: white wine

Warm drink: coffee

Potato: fried and topped with cheese (or poutine)

Tags: @syncopein3d @friendlesscat @fallenwhumpee @whumpprentice

[s0upycat]

I really looked at your pfp for the first time today and I can’t look away. I *need* to know where it came from.

Idk I found it on the internet. The story of my name (I’m soupy cat on every social media) is long. In 2018 my brother and I were playing stardew valley and we got a cat. The suggested name was miso, and I made a joke about a soupy cat. The joke sorta stuck.

Anyway about a year later I’m in meme land and found this image

Now, I was over the moon, because the cat was saying soup time. So I stole it and now it’s my pfp for every social media. However my banner is a photo I took myself in Cathedral Grove, British Columbia in Canada. :) the profile picture and banner for @snaillamp are also my photos too, street lamps literally from my street. <3 thanks for the question!

[snaillamp]

OKAY CHUCKLEFUCKS

Yes, thats what im calling you guys now it's lovingly i promise <3

The past few weeks ive received a few comments here and there about people liking my writing. I just want to give you all a big massive happy thank you! Writing is so special to me, it's something i have a lot of passion for, and the thought that i can write something that means something to people... it makes me so happy you have no idea.

SO! I WANT ALL OF YOU TO GO SHOWER YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHORS/ARTISTS/WHOEVERS WITH PRAISE! GO TELL THAT RANDO ON YOUR DASH WHO YOUVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE YOU LIKED THEIR STORY! GO TELL YOUR BESTIE YOU LIKE THEIR STORY! TELL THAT PERSON YOUVE BEEN NERVOUS ABOUT TELLING YOU LIKE THEIR STORIES!

TAG THEM HERE, SPREAD THE LOVE I WANT YOU ALL TO COME TOGETHER AND BUILD EACH OTHER UP!

I’m gonna add any asks i get for this here

| 1 |

GO TELL PEOPLE YOU LIKE THEIR STORIES/ART/WHATEVER CAUSE I WANT EVERYONE TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEIR STUFF CAUSE YOURE ALL SO AMAZING AND TALENTED AND I LOVE YOU ALL!

~ Snail <3

as an incentive, I have a picture of an oc that i was debating on whether to post or not. I worked on it for 13-14 hrs, and in a day if i hear that you guys are out there complementing each other, I will release it.

You have 24 hours.

~ 🐌

Well, my darlings. You have completed the task!

[s0upycat]

I should make a list of prompts when exams are over

[snaillamp]

“Well, that’s all the measurements done.” The scientist smiled as they pulled back from Supervillain’s broad chest.

“How long will it take?” The villain asked, smiling in satisfaction.

“Shouldn’t be more than a few weeks. I’ll have to get the plans drawn up and order the material, but you’ll have the best armour money can buy in no time.”

Supervillain grinned. Scientist felt a chill run down their spine, they could see why the villain was considered so scary… almost creepy. Their dead eyes seemed to gleam with joy.

“Good. The sooner I can be rid of Superhero the better.”

They turned on their heel, putting their shirt back on and walking towards the door.

“A pleasure as always, working with you, Scientist.” They waved vaguely as they continued to walk, only to stop.

“Oh, and I’ve left you a little something, somewhat of a thank you gift to have your way with. You may find it useful in your experiments.”

Scientist smiled gratefully, thanking the villain as they left, and going to the door by their loading dock. Sure enough, a decently sized crate had been left there, with FRAGILE stamped across the front.

Scientist couldn’t help but get a little excited. They never really got gifts.

Wheeling it inside, they excitedly cracked open the crate, gasping in shock when they saw what was inside.

It was a superhero, a long time nemesis of Supervillain’s who had mysteriously vanished about six months ago.

Hero.

Scientist took one look at them, they appeared to be unconscious, and were only wearing some torn up shorts, their exposed body covered in bruises and cuts, scars and burns. They’d clearly been through hell.

Scientist had always had a gut feeling Supervillain was behind Hero’s disappearance, but they hadn’t ever had any proof. Besides, they worked for the villain and it was great money, and whatever conscience they did have just kind of ignored the bad stuff Supervillain got up to.

Scientist liked to invent things and get paid exorbitant amounts of money for it. They didn’t want to think about how dirty that money was, all that mattered is they had it and it was their to do with as they pleased. It was just the nature of the business.

But now, being confronted with the state Hero was in, their broken, battered, body slumped in the corner of a tiny cage… It was suddenly a bit too real for Scientist. The consequences too bitter.

The thrill of a new tool to test their armour on was gone. This had been taken too far. What were they supposed to do? They couldn’t dump Hero at a hospital, Supervillain would come after them next and do what they did to Hero to them- or worse.

But the human in the scientist took over, as they gently unlocked the cage. They grabbed the limp Hero and dragged them to a nearby work bench, cleaning it of stuff with a sweep of their arm, sending blueprints and parts flying everywhere.

Hero flinched slightly at the sound, opening their eyes. They seemed dazed, not quite all there, and scared. A weak moan escaped them, making Scientist’s stomach drop.

“Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe. I’m Scientist, I’m gonna help okay.”

Scientist looked over Hero’s body. They had no idea where to start. They knew basic first aid, but they weren’t a doctor. But they had to do something…

Hero looked at them, scared and desperate, but Scientist could see something else in that glance.

Desperate, foolish hope.

“I’m- I’m going to fix this.” Scientist told the weakened superhero, grabbing their hand and giving it a comforting squeeze.

“Thank…. you….” The Hero replied, their eyes drifting shut.

Scientist’s mind had already kickstarted into gear, and they were already piecing together a plan in their mind. They knew an old friend who was a doctor, and owed them a massive favour, who could help them with the medical side of things…

“And I will use you to test that armour, but not in the way Supervillain thinks…” They grinned.

Supervillain isn’t going to know what hit them.

Whumpee being sent to mad scientist as a touch subject after being captured by supervillain. At first, mad scientist is excited to continue their experiments, but then they see the horrible condition whumpee is in, and they have to help.

[scrimblobimblowhump]

Got the ask game - a pen

~ @snaillamp :) 🐌

Ohhooooo *rubs hands together*

Whumper stabbing whumpee with a pen (school bullies??)

Hospitalised whumpee having doctors make markings on their body for medical purposes with a pen (surgery? allergy test? x-ray for Broken Bones?? the world is your oyster)

Overwhelmed whumpee clicking a pen to calm themselves

Student whumpee absolutely overwhelmed and furious with schoolwork aggressivelly stabbing their notebooks and textbooks with a pen in rage (I have done that on multiple occasions, I'm afraid

Whumper heating up a metal pen and pressing it against whumpee's skin

[serickswrites]

Chatter III

Part 1 Part 2 Part 4 Part 5

Warnings: restraints, hypothermia, torture, exposure, defiant whumpee, unconsciousness, noncon touching, creepy/intimate whumper

Whumper dumped Whumpee onto the floor as soon as they got into the cabin. It was cold outside and Whumper needed to get warm. Whumpee landed in a boneless heap at Whumper’s feet. 

They stared down at Whumpee. “All this effort, all this defiance,” Whumper said as they cocked their head, “to what end? I’m still going to get what I want from you.” They knelt down and caressed Whumpee’s cheek. “You are so pretty like this. Maybe I’ll keep you like this so I can enjoy you more.”

While Whumpee’s flesh was still pale, their lips still tinged blue, color was beginning to return to them as they warmed up. But they didn’t respond, unconsciousness still having an iron-clad hold on Whumpee. 

Whumper leaned down and smelled Whumpee’s hair. “So fresh. So crisp. The cold has done wonders for you, Whumpee.” Whumper kissed Whumpee’s forehead, recoiling back at how chilled Whumpee’s flesh still was. 

“I need to warm up a bit first, then we can begin.” Whumper gave Whumpee a quick kiss on the lips before rising. “Then our fun can begin.”

Tags: @writing-prompts-and-more @tempoghast @lady-pirate @writinggremlin @novawhumps @whump-me @whump7401 @bloodshottears @poorlittlekittycat @writingprompts-n-thelike-storage @watermelons-dont-grow-on-trees @bookworm7543 @snaillamp @whump-me @whatiswhumpblog @tiny-feral-arachnid-man @writereleaserepeat @whatwhump @doebait @

[snaillamp]

Ayyye I get to share my guys!

Enjar is aro ace, always has been! He’s also experimenting with his gender more, and still identifies as a man, but does maybe like the idea of using he/they pronouns at some point, he isn’t quite sure yet.

Cody is ace too, and on the aro spectrum somewhere but he doesn’t quite know where.

Cameron is bisexual and is dating Roman, who is gay.

Keh-yah like all demons of his kind, is non-binary and aro ace. He prefers using he/him pronouns and his “default” form is an masc one, but he’s perfectly happy presenting as female, androgynous, hell if he wants to he could be a floating eyeball. The other demons all had a variety of gender presentations and Keh-yah is no exception. He’s not really gender fluid, at least not in his opinion, but there are some days where he just decides he wants tits and/or no dick.

As for side characters:

Darren and Dan from Cody’s stories are a gay couple. Vanessa is also queer but refuses to define it, but she leans more toward the lesbian/maybe bi label. She’s not really sure.

Nathaniel from Keh-yah’s story is gay.

Johaan, the lighthouse keeper before Enjar, and Enjar’s mentor is pan. He and his wife had some wild nights together with other men in their youth. (I can’t wait to write the Johaan stories istg that man is wild)

Shae from Cam and Ro’s stories is dating a non-binary person. They use they/them pronouns now, but did use he/they and he/him at one point, and is partial to trying she/her but doesn’t really vibe with it. I’m hoping to maybe write their transition into the background of the story idk.

If you couldn’t tell, I’m an enby aro ace and love writing a variety of representations, but in particular aro ace rep. I don’t see it enough, so I wanna make it myself! :D happy June to all of you whumpy people!

June is coming.

Which means LGBTQIA+ pride is coming!

So whump community! Share your LGBTQIA+ OCs via reblog or reply here! Doesn't matter if they're a whumpee, whumper, Caretaker, etc. Now is your chance to share your LGBTQIA+ little guys and gals and nonbinary pals and more!

[emcscared-whumps]

For the ask game: you like sushi

I know you like seafood and a lot of sushi is that sooooo

~ @snaillamp

from this post

LMAOOOOOOO

im afraid you're very very wrong 😂😅

the only sushi i'll eat is teriyaki chicken because while nori is one of the few things i can tolerate, i actually despise seafood; it tastes absolutely foul to me 😂😂😂

i was in a restaraunt with a friend recently and every second item on their menu was seafood, and as we went to the counter to order, i asked her if it smelt good, because all i could smell was cooking fish

she said yes

which was interesting and incredibly wild to me because i thought it smelt absolutely horrible and incredibly unapetising 😂😭

fun fact, pete also hates seafood :) a) because i do and i made that decision yeeeeaaaaars ago, but mostly b) because i thought it would be fun and contrary if the fish hated eating fish, the thing fish critters are supposed to like and eat :D and c) because i could traumatise him with it :)))

i talk about and write and draw my fish boi constantly but do i actually like seafood? no, definitely not XD you can put that shit back in the water where it belongs, it is not food to me 😂

[porschethemermaid]

What's a whumpblr blog and/or whump author (from any site) you love? What's something they've written, posted, or reblogged that you liked?

Hey!

A whumpblr blog is basically a blog on tumblr that's dedicated to specifically whump. Whump is a genre of fan fiction in which a character endures injury, torture, or other forms of physical and mental suffering.

I don't have a different whumplr blog actually, this is my main account and i reblog, post and do everything here on all topics I'm interested in.

Tbh, I have discovered that I like whump at quite a young age but I only joined the whump community recently so some of my personal favourite whump blogs are @fallenwhumpee @whumpster-dumpster @snaillamp

These people have the best leader whump, I'm not kidding. And there is a major shortage of leader whump out there. I obviously like to read all kinds of whump but leader and team whump hold a special place in my heart. Do check them out! Thanks for the ask! Hope you have a great day/night <3

[syncopein3d]

One to Five Tag

Thanks for the tag, @whumpbug! If I tag anyone and you're not into it, don't feel you have to reply. Maybe this will get me to go back to working on Left Alone.

One word to describe your WIP:

Fervid

My two favourite lines:

Arden actually smiled back, and Tolly felt something twist in his chest again, as if his dead heart were trying to beat.

“Thanks. Your flattery is as terrifying as everything else,” Arden said.

Three songs from my WIP playlist:

(A/N: I can't have music on while I write. I actually need silence or white noise, or I get a headache. So I guessed.)

Evelyn - Kim Tillman/Silent Films

Take Me To Church - Hozier

Jerusalem, New York, Berlin - Vampire Weekend

Four feelings from your characters:

Fear, bloodlust, uncertainty, affection

Five tropes mentioned:

The old saved by the new, isolation, vampire bite reluctance, magic artifact, hunted to silence a terrible secret

Tagging @snaillamp, @quietly-by-myself, @whump-galaxy, @whumpster-dumpster

[snaillamp]

Catheters are fixed with a balloon!

They’re inflated with sterile water

And are very painful to yank out. You can cause a lot of pain and damage if it is pulled out, especially with a 30cc balloon.

This goes into detail as to what happens if a Whumpee for example, pull it out and what can be done.

Happy whumping!

Whumpee wakes up in a hospital, lying in a bed with an IV stuck in their arm. They stand up and rip it out..

And immediately regret it.

Don’t rip out iv’s, kids. They will hurt going in and will hurt even worse if you rip them out and you will bleed everywhere, it will be very messy and annoying for the nurses. It is a literal needle going into your vein and if you rip it out, it will not be cool, it will cause you a lot of injuries. Dont be stupid like whumpee, okay?

(But you can make your whumpee stupid. Blood everywhere, horrible wrist pain, dizziness…)

[snaillamp]

Sunset

CW: contains major character death

“Uh, Villain, I mean no disrespect when I say this, but this building is a waste of money. I do not recommend purchasing it. You’re flushing money down the toilet here.”

Villain clenched their fists, whirling around to look at their assistant. “It’s not about money. This building. It’s more than that! I’m purchasing it now. I won’t let them knock it down!”

The assistant frowned at Villain’s sudden emotional outburst, taking a step back and glancing around the roof they were standing on. The apartment complex was old, a small 6 storey thing with a dirty, crumbling exterior. But when Villain had learned of it’s impending demise, they insisted on purchasing it.

“May I ask something personal, Villain?” The assistant asked cautiously. Villain huffed in annoyance, nodding. “What?”

The assistant sighed, glancing around at the roof. “Why do you want to buy this… derelict building, Villain? There are plenty of good apartments that are in need of renovations, what makes this one so special?”

Villain gazed out at the slowly setting sun, breathing in a soft breeze and smiling. “Let me tell you a story…”

~~

Villain spotted Hero making their way towards them, ready to thwart their plans. Villain quickly took off, running though the streets and scaling a fire escape, Hero hot on their heels. Finally they reached the roof, where Villain chuckled evilly, turning to face their nemesis and sliding into a fighting stance. Hero rolled their eyes, assuming their own and waiting for Villain to attack.

That was weird, Hero always jumped to make the first move. Villain threw a punch, then another, then kicked, easily making contact with Hero, who half heartedly fought back. Stopping suddenly, Villain panted, frowning. “Come on, Hero. Put your back into it, it’s no fun if you don’t try.” Hero scoffed, walking away from the fight, shaking their head. “Hey come on, what’s up?“ Villain asked, following them as they sat on the edge of the small, 6 storey building they were on.

Hero sighed, glancing away. “It’s nothing, Villain, and anyway, why the hell would I tell you? You’re my enemy. We hate each other.” Villain pulled a face. “I mean… sure, I’m not exactly your biggest fan, but I don’t hate you. I like our fights, our banter, everything. It’s all part of the fun that is our job.” They punched Hero’s arm playfully, only for their nemesis to glare at them and shuffle along the wall. ‘Yeah, okay somethings up…’ Villain thought, their face softening. “Hero… I know I’m the last person you wanna tell anything, but… Are you okay? You look… off.” Hero looked up at Villain, sighing. “No, Villain. I’m not.”

Villain shuffled over again. “Come oooooon. It can’t be that bad!” They smirked, wrapping an arm around Hero’s shoulders. “What, your partner leave your or something? Well, there’s plenty more fish in the sea, Hero.” Hero scowled. “I don’t have a partner. I live alone. I don’t have anyone.” Villain’s smirk faltered, “Aww come on, Hero! You have me!” They smiled desperately, trying to get Hero to smile, but their nemesis only seemed to grow darker.

’You have to tell someone…’ Hero’s mind reasoned.

“Don’t be so down Hero. I’m sure whatever it is, you’ll be able to fix it! Come on, you’re Hero, you can to anythi-”

“It’s cancer, Villain.” Hero interrupted. “I have cancer…”

Villain stopped, staring in shock as their mind reeled. But Hero was so healthy and strong and alive? So youthful… so witty and smart and… how could they have cancer? “Oh, but I’m sure it’s fine, Hero. I mean, they’re great at treating cancer these days. A few months of chemo and you’ll be right as rain, and back to beating me up for robbing banks or something.” Villain was desperately trying to reason their way out of this as Hero sighed, their eyes shining with tears.

“The prognosis isn’t good, Villain. It’s a rare, aggressive type… It’s in my bones, my blood… my organs. It’s not going to get better.” Hero’s voice cracked as Villain’s head began to shake in disbelief. “But you’re Hero… you can survive anything! You can survive this… you have to!” Hero shook their head.

“No, Villain. I can’t.”

Villain sat in the weight of the silence for a moment, before pulling Hero into a hug. “You didn’t have anyone else to tell, do you?” Hero shook their head. “I live alone… have no friends… work a dead end job and my parents are gone… there’s no one to tell. No one to go through this with me.” Villain shook their head. “No. You have me. I’m not letting you go through this alone. I promise you, I’m gonna take you back here, a year from now and where gonna watch this same damn sun, set right damn here.” Villain pointed at the slowly setting sun, Hero glancing at it, laughing softly. “Okay. You’re on. If you can get me here a year from today, you win.”

The two enemies shook hands, before watching the sun set below the horizon, before both heading home.

~~

Hero sighed as they lay in bed, feeling awful. The chemo had been destroying them, the radiation and the needles and the operations. It was all so much. They were tired.

“And here’s my favourite hero!” Villain piped up, walking into their room. They were holding an obnoxiously large bouquet of colourful flowers. They smelled wonderful. Hero was honestly surprised they could still smell, their taste had vanished not long after chemo started.

Villain hugged Hero tightly, before gently tucking some of their hair out of their eyes. “How are you feeling?” Hero sighed, looking weak. It had only been a couple weeks of treatment but they already looked awful. At least they seemed to be happier with Villain around. They had really come to like each other, outside of being work enemies, they had similar interests, senses of humour… they got along like a house on fire.

Hero admired the flowers as they sighed tiredly, looking back to Villain. “I feel better now that you’re here. I was getting bored out of my mind without you to piss me off.” Villain blushed, hiding it with a smirk, sitting beside Hero, and taking their hand. They held it, rubbing Hero’s pale, weak fingers as Hero began to tell them about the different nurses and doctors.

“Well have you heard about Superhero and their sidekick?” Villain asked, grinning. Hero perked up. “No?” Villain sat back, looking at Hero with a glint in their eye. “Apparently they’re a thing now. Like officially.” Hero laughed, “I knew it! I knew they had a thing for each other, the romantic… hell, the sexual tension was so strong between those two.” Villain nodded eagerly. “I know right? I was wondering when they were gonna stop fucking on the side and make it offical.” Hero frowned. “I didn’t know they were fucking, how did you?” Villain pursed their lips, smiling mysteriously. “Well I was in my way back to my base one night, after fighting you actually. I heard a crash in the alleyway below me, looked down and saw them. They were really going at it…” Villain’s eyes widened at the memory.

“You’re bullshitting.” Hero smirked. “No! I swear!” Villain raised their hands in surrender. “Promise! I saw it.” Smiling, Hero nodded. “Honestly, kinda not surprised. They kept undressing each other with their eyes in the field I swear to god.”

The two laughed, swapping embarrassing stories about their coworkers for the rest of the evening, until Hero began to doze. “Sleep well, my Hero.” Villain whispered as they tucked their friend in, watching them sleep for a bit.

~~

Villain sat with Hero who gazed at nothing in complete silence. They were doing this more and more often since the months of treatment had begun. “Hero?” Villain murmured, touching their arm. Hero seemed to break out of their daze, looking upset. “Oh, Hero… what’s wrong?” Villain asked, already knowing the answer. Hero burst into tears, Villain deciding to crawl up onto the bed and hold them tightly as they sobbed into Villain’s shoulder. Villain rocked them back and forth, hugging them tight and running their hand over Hero’s thinning hair.

“I don’t-wanna d-die, Villain.” They stammered. “I know.” Villain replied, unsure of what to do. “But the treatment has been working, you said yourself, things are looking better.” Hero nodded, sniffing. “Yeah… I guess…” They looked up at Villain. “It’s just… it’s not fair! I wanna be like everyone else my age! Go on stupid dates and mess around with my friends and go to work and complain about the weather… I don’t wanna be here! I don’t wanna be waiting to fucking DIE!” They screamed, voice shaking as Villain held them.

“Hero. You can’t give up. You can beat this, I know you will!” Villain tried to say the words with strength, but they didn’t know if they were saying it for Hero or for themself. “You said yourself the chemo was working pretty well.” Hero shook their head. “Not well enough. Villain, I told you, this is gonna kill me. I’m not gonna see that sunset.” The reality of what Hero had said set in, Villain clutching Hero tightly. “No. You’re gonna see it. I promise you. You’re gonna make it through and see it. You’re almost half way, Hero. You can do this.” Hero shuddered beside Villain. “Bag.” They gasped, reaching with a shaking hand for an emesis bag. Villain grabbed one quickly from the table beside the bed, holding it over Hero’s mouth as they threw up.

“It’s okay, Hero… let it out… let it out…”

~~

Hero seemed to be doing a little better, as Villain helped them up the stairs to the roof. Together, they crossed the building, looking up at the sky. Villain had set up a little picnic before hand, helping Hero sit and eat as they waited for the sun to begin its descent.

Hero lit up at the sight of it, and they laughed, cuddling in the cool evening as they ate way too much cake.

Eventually, they both sat in the edge of the roof, watching the sun go down, hands entwined.

“Told you.” Villain smirked, kissing Hero’s cheek. “I win.”

Hero chuckled, nuzzling Villain’s shoulder. “What do you mean?”

“It’s been a year today, since we sat on this exact roof and you said you wouldn’t live to see this sunset.”

Hero laughed, wrapping their arms around Villain. “And I’m glad you made that bet. I couldn’t have done this without you. Especially after I lost my lease on my house… it’s just been nice living with someone too… someone who I love so much.”

The breeze blew gently. “You know… after I’m gone, I don’t want you to mourn me. Move on. Live life to the fullest. All I want is to see you happy.” Hero gazed into Villain’s eyes, before gently pulling them in for a kiss. Villain smirked against their lover’s lips. “You will live to see many more sunsets, my love.”

They watched the vibrant colours begin to fade, as Hero sighed in content, the breeze blowing gently around them. “Hey.” They murmured. “Yes?” Villain asked, running their hand over Hero’s head. “I want you to know, that after everything… every time you feel a breeze, that’s me. My spirit will live on the wind, flying and free… and it will always be with you.” Hero’s voice cracked, as they looked up at Villain, shivering. Villain smiled, cupping their hero’s face. “I like that. I like that a lot.” They swallowed back the rising sob.

“You’re cold. Let’s go home.”

~~

Villain sat beside the bed, clutching Hero’s emaciated hand. They had been in a coma for days… and it was time. “Hero?” Villain breathed through sobs. They had heard hearing was the last thing to go. “Listen to me. I love you. Okay? I love you so, so much. I always will.” They gasped, wiping away tears. “G-Go when you’re ready… okay? Go and fly, and become the wind. It’s okay… alright? You’ll be okay…”

Villains body shuddered as they looked up at Hero’s pale face. “Go when you’re ready… go when when you’re ready…”

Villain wasn’t ready. It had only been two months since the roof picnic. They weren’t ready to say goodbye… and yet, somehow… they were.

So they sat there, repeating their phrase as Hero’s breathing got slower and shallower. They repeated it through the tears, the cries and the shakes…

And then Hero drew their last breath, sighing in relief as they became the wind.

They were finally free.

~~

Villain stood in the rain in front of the grave. Everyone, heroes and villains alike stood shoulder to shoulder, gazing at the stone.

None of them could believe it. A hero so young and full of life… gone in just over a year. So that day, they all stood together, in solidarity.

For Hero.

~~

“That’s why I can’t give this place up.” Villain whispered, gazing at the sunset. “I’m not ready to move on. I never will be.” They smiled as a gentle, warm breeze kissed their face. “But I have to move on. Which is why I have to make this place something. Help their legacy stay alive.”

Villain glanced at the assistant, who had pulled off their glasses, dabbing their eyes. “I see.” They replied. “Well. I’ll get started on the payment process, and uh… give you a moment.”

Villain nodded appreciatively, feeling the breeze, stronger and warmer this time push against them. Something told them to turn around, so they did. A gasp escaped Villain, before they could stop it.

Hero was standing there, on the edge of the roof, gleaming. Their body was strong, healthy, just as it had been before and they looked so, so happy. Warm golden light illuminated their figure as they nodded at Villain, smiling softly. They were okay. They were free.

Turning into the sun, the light glowed brightly, Villain shielding their eyes as Hero dissolved into the breeze and the light. They could almost hear Hero’s laugh of glee.

Smiling wistfully, Villain nodded.

“Goodbye, my Hero. I love you.”

[fallenwhumpee]

tumblr user Serickwrites has plenty of Leader whump with the exact things people ask for - leader having to stay strong, their team finally noticing how vulnerable Leader can be, Leader slowly becoming cold towards their team because they don't want to be seen as vulnerable, yet they keep putting themselves in a position of a protector... it's not a lacking trope.

Just a warning though, a lot of it is NSFW.

And I promise that I'm not them lmao i just stumbled across their blog awhile ago

That's probably why I didn't see their posts, I've got NSFW tags and variants blocked, though I'm a follower of their blog! They have some good stuff there. snaillamp and bleedingintogold (too shy to tag, sorry!) also have so good leader whumpee stuff if you're looking for. Ah, and shywhumpauthor has two pieces written about it. That's all I can remember for now, but I'm pretty sure I'm missing some.

Thank you anyway!