#Moment Of Clarity

[inky-tries-her-best]

That one bit between nightmare and moment of clarity is probably, writing-wise, my favorite passage in the entire game. So of course I hand-wrote all of it on a scrap piece of offset ink-stained paper that had a cool texture.

For anyone curious, more about how this weird little piece came to be below the cut

I'm an illustrator in training. By which I mean I'm taking an advanced vocational training in illustration course. One of the classes is a printing class (As in carving art into a matrix you then stamp/print).

Sometimes, you remove the excess ink off your matrix by placing a spare piece of newspaper or magazine paper on top and peeling it off, taking a hefty amount of excess ink with it.

This particular scrap sheet came out with a really cool texture, so I kept it instead of throwing it out.

Then, genius struck:

So I reached for my white gel pen and started going at it. At some point I needed something heftier, so I wound up borrowing a posca paint marker off a classmate, then a red paint marker off a professor.

I was. Locked in. On a mission (the mission was seeing this piece through. I was VERY compelled, for some reason.)

So TLDR this is just a stained piece of magazine paper I drew on. Then I scanned it and fixed the overblown scan in Krita to give the blacks the real depth they're supposed to have.

[perpetuallyscreamingbird]

Today on ideas that have been rattling around my brain, there's something in The Moment Of Clarity and Happily Ever After being parallels of each other.

Okay hear me out, I know they're fundamentally two very different routes but like. Think about it. Both of them are results of choosing to stay in the cabin with your chapter 2 Princess- and there's very different reasons to stay with The Nightmare vs staying with The Damsel, but ultimately it's the same. You refuse to move it forward, and you stay in the cabin.

Both very much explore why what The Narrators doing is... well intention but kinda sucks. I mean that's explicitly stated in Happily Ever After, but it's also still there in MOC.

Happily Ever After is the idea that if change and decay were to stop entirely in a perfect world, eventually everybody would be miserable because there would be no growth, no change, no challenge. Even if its nice, even if it's comfortable, it's not real. Not in the way The Narrator wants it to be.

The Moment Of Clarity is an idea I've seen floated about a lot in the fandom - the fact that perfect, eternal now wouldn't be the reality for a lot of people. Not everyone would be in a good situation when change dies. And without change, when you're in an awful situation, how do you get out?

You dont. You stay trapped with Your Nightmare. Forever. And like, The Narrator doesn't recognise this as another consequence of his actions because it's not what he wanted. Why would he see this and see his own decisions playing out in real time? But its another path of the same choice: stay with your Nightmare, stay with your Damsel.

Stay in the cabin.

[everestgale]

"There are few things more terrifying than one's own heart, and there is almost nothing more terrifying than sharing it with another."

This is an old redraw of Clarity, back from "The End of Everything" update! See the original below, it also includes a minor Pristine Cut spoiler regarding her.

Spoiler: it is now outdated because Clarity got a new design in the Pristine Cut! I want to remake this drawing with new Clarity, but that will happen after I make some other Pristine Cut fanart I've had on my mind. Stay tuned for that :]

[avalaryx]

Let me out.

New MoC for me because I forgot her redesign and I felt bad

[honeyfizzly]

Hey girl. Did you fall from heaven?

[totalstupidityaddict]

All that's left is for you to take my hand. And

my entry for Draw the Princess! My favorite princess MoC <3

[skyward-floored]

Whumptober day 15 - Moment of clarity, (childhood trauma)

I know I know, I’m late 😔 I had a tiring day yesterday and this fic wasn’t behaving and I was just staring at it and making ZERO progress, so I threw in the towel for the night. But it’s here now, in all its messy glory. sorry again.

Anyway, another prompt that only sorta fits, and having fun with an AU-ish thing. It’s not even that whumpy. Idk. also twilight princess freezards are awful and I hate them

Warnings: brief violence, hypothermia

Ao3 link

————————————————————

“I’m not a child.”

Wind had heard those words from Four several times on their journey, often said with an eye roll, a casual snort, genuine annoyance on occasion. Some of them were skeptical about the truth of that statement when they’d first met Four, but after hearing he’d been through three journeys and seeing just how responsible he could be, they eased off the incredulity. The short jokes kept up of course, but Four always ignored them, and never seemed terribly bothered at the fact that he was the smallest of them all.

And because of his repeated insistence that he wasn’t a child, nobody ever thought to ask what age Four considered children to be.

Wind certainly never thought to ask. There was something... about Four though, something that sometimes gave him pause and made him look a little harder at the little smithy. Something that ignited the big brother part of him, and reminded him of Aryll, for some reason.

But that was silly, since Four was several years older than Wind.

And at the moment, talking about ages or children or really much of anything was currently far from Wind’s mind as he and Four plodded through the icy cave they’d been dropped in, icicles on every available surface.

Sudden portal switches were no fun. Especially when they involved being separated from the others and dumped in a cold cave. Wind was lucky he’d happened to have stolen Warriors’ scarf right before they were all separated, but it was still awfully cold in here; he was shivering a little, and could see Four doing the same.

This cave was confusing too, twisting tunnels, long icy stretches, big blocks that they had to push. Wind had figured it was some kind of mini dungeon, but they hadn’t seen a single bad guy yet.

Which made him especially suspicious.

The open area they were walking through began to narrow, another twisting passageway up ahead. Wind and Four exchanged looks, then decided to take a quick break before heading that way, leaning against the wall and catching their breath from the icy slope they’d just walked up.

Wind looked up at the pale blue crystals on the ceiling, admiring the shapes while they paused, and glanced over at Four. The smithy had pulled his hood up, and looked much cozier than Wind felt. And small.

That feeling in the back of Wind’s mind itched again, but Wind ignored it as Four straightened, sufficiently rested.

“You ready?” Wind said, and Four hummed.

“Yeah, I think so. We’ve got to be near the end of this thing,” he said, and Wind agreed with a nod.

“I wonder if there’ll be a boss or anything,” Wind said as they plunged into the tunnel, following the bluish walls and shape of the stone. He thought the cave seemed a little colder this way, but maybe it only seemed like it because the tunnel was smaller. “It’s weird that this place has just had puzzles and nothing else.”

“Yeah, I know,” Four frowned, stepping over a rock. “But maybe somebody else cleared it out and the puzzles just reset.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

Wind kept his sword in his hand just in case, though.

Four did the same, and they walked carefully through the tunnel, avoiding some loose icicles and small pits. Still no enemies came though, and Wind wasn’t sure if he should be concerned or relieved.

He and Four turned a corner and the tunnel opened up, leading to the top of a steep slope shining with ice. Daylight shone below them, and Wind grinned, nudging Four’s arm.

“There’s the exit! Looks like there’s no boss,” Wind observed, peering over the edge.

"Well that's nice, a break is always good," Four smiled, and Wind's grin changed to a smirk as he looked down at the slope again.

“...Race you down.”

“Hey!” Four protested as Wind jumped, and Wind cackled as he slid, crouching to increase his speed.

Four jumped down behind him, and the two whooped as they rushed down the icy slope, wind rushing past their faces. There were some small rocks and things to avoid, but it was mostly smooth sailing, and Wind laughed as he hit a small bump and caught some air.

Four edged ahead as they neared the bottom, Wind could only guess because of his pegasus boots, and he shouted as Four stuck his tongue out at him. That little miniblin!

Wind knew he had no chance of catching up, but he crouched down even more anyways, barreling towards the light at the bottom. Four was just too far ahead of him though, and reached the bottom first with a victorious cheer.

Which was why when the blast of icy air shot out, only Four was frozen solid.

“Smithy!” Wind yelped in alarm, and just barely managed to swerve away from the last bits of icy air. He careened towards the exit as he hit the bottom of the slope, but managed to stab his sword into the ground, halting his slide.

He yanked it back out as he whirled around, and came face to face with a huge icy beast, at least six red eyes scattered across its face, more ice blasting out of its jaws.

Four lay frozen right next to it, and alarm clutched at Wind's heart as he scrambled away from the cloud of ice. He quickly thumbed through his pouch for the item he needed, but it took him twice as long since he had to keep rolling out of the way of the icy monster.

It looked like it couldn’t really move, only swivel around, but because of that Wind couldn’t dart in and grab Four without getting frozen himself. The monster only paused to occasionally gather its breath for more ice, and Wind’s fingers finally closed around his bow.

Four still hadn't moved, too close to the frigid monster to unfreeze, and Wind bit his lip as the monster’s red eyes glared at him. It revealed a gaping maw full of icicle-like teeth and blasted more ice towards Wind, but he was just out of range.

Hold on Four!

Wind drew on his magic and pulled back a fire arrow, loosing it through a cloud of ice into the monster’s face. It roared, and Wind hurriedly loosed another, and then yet another when the monster kept roaring.

It took another three arrows for the beast to finally disappear, and Wind gasped in relief, scrambling forward and sliding beside Four. The smithy’s eyes were frozen wide open, his body encased in a solid sheen of ice, but right as Wind joined his side, the ice around him shattered.

Four collapsed, Wind’s heart skipping a beat when the smithy didn’t move.

“Oh geez— Four? Can you hear me?” Wind asked frantically, pulling Four up into his arms. The smithy was blisteringly cold in his lap, lips blue and skin frostbitten. He didn’t move when Wind gave him a cautious shake, and Wind’s stomach sank. Four hadn’t been frozen all that long.

Though... he had been right next to that monster’s ice breath for while.

Wind pressed his fingers over Four’s wrist like Warriors had shown him to do, and felt desperately for any sort of pulse. Right when he was about to despair, he felt a soft beat against the pad of his fingers, and gasped in relief.

“Oh Four, okay, okay,” Wind breathed, his breath coming fast. His eyes began to sting as he wrapped Warriors’ scarf around Four, and he hurriedly blinked back the tears trying to form. Oh come on, not now tears! I need to focus.

He quickly tugged Four up onto his back and stood up, surprised at how light he was. Four was small, but he was still a teenager, and Wind had expected more muscle. He was mostly a bit gangly, and Wind had to adjust him so he was actually secure on his back.

Wind then tugged Four out into the sunshine, pleasantly surprised at how warm it was outside of the cave. That monster must have been lowering the temperature. Wind had emerged into a forest that was just starting to turn into fall, the edges of the trees dipped in orange, lit brightly by the sun. It didn’t take Wind long to quickly find a safe enough looking spot beside a large tree, and he set Four down, hugging him close.

The smithy seemed so small like this, tight in Wind's arms.

Wind swallowed, and held Four tight, his stomach rolling. He didn’t really have any other way to warm Four up, aside from pulling out his and Four’s blankets, so he just kept hugging him, making sure the blankets and Warriors’ scarf were wrapped warmly across his shoulders.

Worry still clutched at his heart as he held Four, the smithy's head freezing where it was tucked in Wind's neck, and Wind held him even tighter. So tight in fact, that he almost missed it when Four abruptly stirred.

"Smithy?" Wind asked when Four groaned, and he sighed in relief as Four's eyes twitched open. "Whew, I didn't know when you were gonna wake up."

"...Wake..? What happen..." Four murmured, his brows scrunching.

Wind squeezed him a bit. "A big ice monster ambushed us, basically. You got frozen for a little longer then you probably should have."

Four slowly blinked, then shivered a little, his face suddenly paling.

"Oh. Right... I remember now," he whispered, his voice small. "Ice."

Four swallowed, and Wind frowned, unused to seeing the smithy so visibly shaken. "...Don't like ice, huh?"

"Don't like being e-encased in it, no," Four said, voice a little choked. "I was... my third quest..."

His voice began to shake too much for him to speak, and Wind felt a pang run through his chest, hugging Four tighter again. Four shrank into his hold, and Wind began gently petting Four's head, just like he always did for Aryll after she had a nightmare.

...Why was that my first response?

Wind shook aside the thought as Four leaned into it, and neither of them spoke for several minutes.

"Sorry," Four whispered after a while, taking in a shaky breath. Then he let out a wavering laugh. "I'm... ugh. It was months ago, but I’m still... sometimes it's hard to... y'know."

Wind smiled at that. "Yeah, I know. Sometimes it just... stinks."

Four snorted thickly, and curled a little tighter into Wind's arms. "Well, it's b-been better then my l-last birthday at least."

Wind froze, and stared down at Four in disbelief.

"What?"

Four stilled, and Wind could almost hear him thinking oops.

"Four, it's your birthday? Why didn't you tell me?!" Wind said indignantly, and Four shrugged, barely noticeable with how bundled up he was.

"I don't know. Not a big deal. It's not like eleven is an important age."

If the previous sentences had hit Wind like a brick, that next one hit him like an entire wall.

He stared at Four, the smithy lying very still all of a sudden, and repeated the words he'd just heard in his head a few times just to be sure he hadn't been mistaken.

"What?" he finally whispered, and Four swallowed, curling into a tighter ball.

"Never mind," Four said, muffled by the blanket he turned his head into.

"No, no not 'never mind', Four you... are you... I’m older than you?” Wind choked out.

Four gave him a tiny nod.

“Are you really eleven?” Wind asked, and Four didn’t say anything for a few long moments.

“Yeah,” he finally whispered.

Wind stared, flabbergasted, and Four stayed quietly huddled in his blanket, still faintly shivering.

He quickly reevaluated every single piece of information he had about Four, thinking back to conversations, random moments where Four had acted oddly childish that he'd brushed off, discussions of age that Four had always avoided. The way Wind’s big brother instincts always seemed to sharpen around Four more so then any of the other Links.

"Eleven?" Wind repeated in disbelief, and Four looked mildly annoyed.

“Yes. But I’m not a kid,” Four insisted, huddling tighter in his blanket. “Once you’re past ten you’re an adult in my Hyrule. Or at least, not a kid anymore. Young adult.”

“At ten?” Wind said in disbelief, and Four glared at him.

"You've said you become an adult at twelve on your island!"

"Not like a real adult!" Wind spluttered, beyond shocked. "Four how are you— you've been on three quests!" he gasped. "How old were you when you started?!"

"I was almost ten, stop yelling," Four grumbled, and Wind couldn't help noticing how childish he sounded. "Weren't you and Time just talking about being underestimated because of your ages?"

“Well yeah, but—”

“It’s not any different!” Four said fiercely, then was wracked by a violent shiver.

Wind watched him shake, then breathed out, holding Four closer again. Four didn’t snuggle up quite as tightly as he had been, but he didn’t pull away either, and the two sat in silence for a bit, sunshine warming their faces.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Wind asked after a bit. “Everyone thinks I’m the youngest, why...”

Four looked away. “I... I didn’t want to. When I saw how everyone treated you, even after you told them off, how they kept underestimating you and treating you more like someone to protect rather than a teammate, I... I didn’t want all that to shift to me... I’m sorry,” he whispered. “It was cowardly of me.”

“No, it wasn’t, I... get it,” Wind sighed. “I probably would do the same. I can only image how they’d all react with the news that you were ten all this time.” Twilight would probably explode or something.

Four grimaced. “Yeah. They’d be insufferable.” He hesitated then, and looked up at Wind, grey eyes looking silvery in the sunshine. “Could you... not tell them?”

“What?” Wind startled, staring at him. “But...”

“Please?” Four pleaded, eyes wide, and he looked so much like Aryll in that moment that Wind found himself physically incapable of saying no.

“Okay, okay,” he grumbled, visions of finally not being treated like the youngest abruptly silenced. “I won’t say anything. But you can’t keep this a secret forever, Four.”

“I know,” Four said quietly, and set his head against Wind’s shoulder again. “It’s just... nice being treated like I’m capable for once.”

Wind sighed, and leaned back against the tree. “Yeah. I get it.”

Silence fell over them again, and Wind watched a few orangey leaves drift by, catching the sunlight and glowing like embers from a fire. Four’s shivering was easing more and more, and Wind had to resist the urge to begin petting his head again.

“Can we at least tell Wild it’s your birthday? Even if we don’t tell him what age,” Wind said after a bit, still watching the leaves. “Maybe he’d make you a cake.”

Four perked up at that, and Wind laughed at the expression on his face.

“I take it that’s a yes.”

“Absolutely,” Four nodded, smiling brightly. “I’ll risk dozens of age questions for some of Wild’s cake.”

Wind and Four both laughed, Four’s a little weak still, but hearty enough that Wind wasn’t too worried. But as Four curled up again with a yawn, Wind looked down at him, and made a promise.

Wind would look out for him. Subtly, and he wouldn’t be overbearing like Twilight or anything, but... he would keep an eye on him. Stick a little closer. Watch out for the smithy.

After all, he had a feeling Four would do the same for him if their roles were reversed.

[nanaarchy]

Heart. Lungs. Liver. Nerves. Cock. Balls.

[thesoupisburning]

MOMENT OF CLARITY

me after i try to post this like 67 times. im the mometn of clariyt. yeah.

COULD YOU BEAR THE WEIGHT OF AN ETERNITY ALONE?

the image id:

the moment of clarity from slay the princess drawn in sketchy pen. she bows at the viewer, looking at through her broken white mask, her face otherwise obscured. she has dark curly hair that floats up behind her, and her arms end just below her shoulders. instead, she has five animated gloves. two of them extended up and behind her, two holding up her dress, almost in a curtsy-esque move, and the last, an odd right hand, clutched in front of her chest. her smoky black dress extends in tendrils around her. it's as if she awaits applause.

[death-envoy]

'Clink' 'Clink' 'Clink' The Abyss from THE FURY OF A SHATTERED MIRROR Ch. 14 by ASpooky on ao3

[small-sinclair]

Unfavored Cards

Whumptover 15: Childhood Trauma

Post Void!Gambit x Villian!reader

Tw: Gambit being a bit violent, blood, broken bones, sudden attack, being held down, Plot Twist Ending

Moment of Clarity

He hunted you down in the void like a rabid wolf looking for a squared meal. You were the reason why he got here in the first place, and it was your fault that he wasn’t home. He wasn’t sure if his cats were alright or know if Rogue was waiting for him. He longed for him more than he wanted to admit, but it was clear to everyone whenever he would wake up screaming out her name into the cold night air, flinging a card into the darkness to explode at nothing.

It was your fault.

All. Your. Fault.

So, hunting you down was like a little reward for him, and getting the satisfaction of watching the light leave your eyes was the most rewarding thing he’ll ever settle for in this wasteland. The moment he got a lead on you, he took it; no one was going to stop him no matter how hard they tried. Hell, even Johnny tried to stop him but ended on the ground with the business end of a charged bow staff. The glow in his red eyes screamed danger as they burned in bright embers and coal, making Johnny shuffling away from the ground to his feet. The anger that raised from Gambit’s blood to his stare was enough to warn off any creature, mutant and human alike. He was going to hunt you down without mercy, without thinking. He hated the way that you’re still breathing and not six-feet-under yet. For you, he’ll make it twelve feet.

You’re about to become a body that’ll never be found. Even in the land of the forgotten, no one will ever remember you. Show him a good time while he ends your life, though. It would be the cherry on top of his sundae.

So, when he found you at your makeshift campsite at the bottom of a haler, living your life as if you weren’t in danger, only brought more heat on his breath. How dare you hum a familiar tune. How dare you act as if you did nothing wrong! You were the main reason why he felt empty, felt hollow without his love! Whenever he closed his eyes, he would envision her in all her beauty, all her grace. Rogue was the true Mississippian Bell of the south, and he a fool of Louisiana with a heart of coal and swamp water. The more he thought of her laughter and her smile flashing in his memory, the more possessed he felt on putting you down. If he were a puppet right now for someone’s game, he only hops he was pulling the strings and breaking free from your grasp.

He gripped staff tightly and felt a few cards beginning to hover by his face, up by his eyes, and alongside of his free hand. Gambit wanted nothing more than to hurt you, break you until you were begging him to stop. This ends now; today! It may not bring back his love or free him, but it would bring him temporary comfort knowing you’re gone. With a flick of his wrist, his cards flew past him and hit you in the back. He earns a surprised yelp from you, but it wasn’t good enough. He towered over you from his spot, his shadow casting over your campfire with only his bright red eyes glowing in his darkness.

“You,” he snarled, his eyes narrowing down. “You took her from me!”

He saw you were about to open your mouth, but he silenced you with an ace card. It hit you in the chest and knocked you back, slamming you into a log. He didn’t give you time to get up as he slide down the little hill and slung another card at you, the charge stronger than the last. It knocked you to the ground within a snap, and he didn’t give you time to get back up on your feet; he pinned you to the forest floor, his legs on each side of you and a strong hand holding your hands above your head. He brought back his fist and landed it on your face, breaking your nose in the process.

With each hit from his gloved hand, each blow and broken bone under his touch, his thoughts flooded of Rogue in the sundress, the one with lime slices and honeysuckle. He heard his voice, singing sweetly and bright, as she stirred the pot for dinner. Everything he did, every he landed blow on your face and skin, felt like justice for himself. No matter how loud you screamed at him to stop, how many pleas and begs, he didn’t hear them Gambit knows what he wanted, and it burned his skin like wire over a flame. He wanted to free; he wanted to get out faster and sooner! Even if you can’t bring him back to his world and back to the swamplands, this will be the closest thing.

If anything, he was happy to see the blinking collar around your neck, showing that your mind powers were off and not tricking him. Where did you get it and who put it on you? He didn’t care. He won’t care.

He felt the strings around him break as his mind finally breaks into clarity. He wanted to see you bloodied and beaten under him. He held his fist over your head and watched as blood dripped from his knuckles; your blood never looked sweeter.

He quickly dug into his coat pocket and pulled out the Queen of Hearts. He felt all his energy, all the static around him, build into the card and charged it up with bright purple and red energy. He wanted you to fell the burn and the swiftness of his powers. He wanted you to see how fast and easy he could end you with this single card.

The cards always be in Gambit’s favor—

“Remy.”

As soon as the blood in his ears stopped roaring and his eyes were cleared from his anger, he looked down at the person beneath him. His heart nearly stopped as he looked at the woman looking back at him. His heart began to break, and his lungs filled with pained regret. Looking back at him with bright green eyes was Anna Maria, Rogue; his world. Her face swollen and bruised from his hits, eye swollen and too blue and purple for his stomach to handle, her throat with his mark, his handprint, that will forever be burned into her skin just under the blinking collar, shutting off her strength. The cut on her cheek bleed with the cut above her eye. The shattered look in her eyes only made his heart erupt in pieces. Her lips, beautiful and so soft, was plumped and bruised, cracked and bloody. The clothing he thought you were in turned into her green and yellow jumpsuit, and her hair a mess and matted from being held down for so long. He physically felt the string around his throat snap and break free from his skin, and he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

She looked like an angel whose wings were torn off and left for the gators to finish off.

His charged card quickly stopped glowing, and he got off her. His touch made her flinch away as he scooped her into his arms. His emotions flooding his lungs as he cradled her in his arms, holding her tightly as if he was the duct tape trying to keep his world together. It all felt so real when he told Johnny to stay behind. It all felt real when he found your campsite. He was so sure that he was there beating you until your lungs stopped and he had your heart in his hands, but he wasn’t. The world he thought he was in wasn’t there at all; the void surrender him months ago and brought him back to Rogue, back to her arms.

He let her see the side of him he never wanted to show. How could he do this? How could he let himself—

You’re a good puppet, Gambit. Your voice began to echo in his head, causing him to look wildly around the forest clearing until he saw you standing in your shadows and cloak. Such a good tool for me to use.

“Get away from us,” he breathed, shielding Rogue with his bruised hands. His red on black eyes were sharp as he glared at you. “You get away from us!” As he raised his voice, Rogue flinched in his arms, curling into a ball. “Shh, mon chere. Gambit ne vous fera pas de mal. I won’t—”

He heard your cold, heartless laugh, which only made him growl. You’re a fun one, Remy LuBeau.

He growled as he felt his powers begin to build back into the cards in his coat. “Ya don’ getta say my name!” He snapped. When Rogue’s tears touched his skin, it felt like acid burning through his bones and his skin. Every cell in his body felt like it was dying. “Never say my name!”

Do you know how easy it is to shape your vision? How easy it was to make you believe you were attacking me? It’s almost as if you were mocking him as you swirled shadows around your finger. It was so careless and thoughtless; he hated it. You really thought that New Yorker was going to stop you? Gods, you’re so stupid.

“Get outta my head.” He took a card from the ground and charged it until it glowed bright and strong. “Laissez-nous!”

You smiled sweetly at him as you opened your lips, letting luna moths escape from your lips and flutter around him. “I’ll always find a way to hurt you, Cajun. Never forget me. Never.”

“I’ll make ya pay! Hear me clear—I swear!” Gambit held Rogue protectively as he readied his card. “Swear it t’ya. I’ll never stop until you’re dead!”

“Oh, Remy,” you said his name with empty emotion that it nearly made a vein pop in his neck. “I look forward to it.”

With a yell, he through his card and hurled it towards you with as much as he could muster, with all his energy and power.

The fireflies danced with the sound of your endless tango with Remy, and what a dance it’s become.

[misomurka]

Since i absolutely ADORE Slay the Princess and MoC is one of my favorite chapters, i decided to have my own take on her! (I was trying out a new app while drawing this so it's not the best)

(Difference is in the eyes chat)

Quick edit, i didn't know MoC got a new design in Pristine Cut, i haven't gotten to that yet 😓

[chaoticallyfluffy]

Bugs by ChaoticallyFluffy

—-

Summary:

Whumptober Prompt No. 15: CHILDHOOD TRAUMA

Painful Hug | Moment of Clarity | "I did good, right?"

—-

Billy notices he doesn't see bugs as much as he used to.

—-

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: Gen

Fandoms: Shazam! | Captain Marvel (Comics), Shazam! (Movies - Sandberg), DCU (Comics), DCU

Character: Billy Batson

Additional Tags: Whumptober 2024, Whump, Whumptober, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt, Emotional Hurt, Billy Batson-centric, Billy Batson is Captain Marvel | Shazam, Billy Batson Needs a Hug, Childhood, Childhood Trauma, Bugs & Insects

Language: English

Date: October 15, 2024

Words: 322

Chapters: 1/1

[thomothysdoodles]

when your (now) only son launches himself in a fire to recover some stupid documents because he’s more scared of you yelling at him than the fire, you need to reassess some stuff

15: CHILDHOOD TRAUMA

painful hug | moment of clarity | “I did good, right?”

[kybercrystals94]

All of Us

Read here on Ao3!

Whumptober 2024 - Day 15 - Prompts: Painful Hug // Moment of Clarity

Rated: G | Words: 1136

“You’re their brother, Crosshair…you’re my brother too.” 

The words had stung then freshly spoken, and they sting now, salt to an open wound. If he had swallowed his pride that day, forsaken the Empire before it had forsaken him…Mayday would still be alive. Crosshair wouldn’t be in this cell. His brothers might have forgiven him, his sister could have even come to love him like she loved them. 

But no. He’d clung to it, his pride, fisted tight in his grasp because he had nothing else left to cling to except being a good soldier. And their final memory of him will be his back turned on them, unwilling to even say goodbye. He’d felt Omega watching him, hoping he might change his mind. 

He should have changed his mind. 

Why didn’t he change his mind? 

“You’re their brother, Crosshair…” They’ll forgive you. 

“...you're my brother too.” I love you.

Crosshair does not even glance at his cell door when there’s movement on the other side. The guards have nothing better to do than to jeer at their prisoners, mocking their helplessness. He’s learned to ignore them. He’s learned to keep silent, even when his blood boils in his veins, when he wants to lash out. What good would it do? 

“Crosshair?” a voice whispers. 

“You’re my brother too.” 

Crosshair turns his head, and there’s the girl. She peers at him, eyes and face wet. “Are you alright?” she asks. Her voice wobbles dangerously.  

Crosshair doesn’t answer her. He sits up. “What are you doing here?” 

“I–” she begins, then stops, gaze dropping. “We were trying to find you.” 

If something like relief ignites in his chest, he snuffs it out. 

“Trying to find me?” Crosshair sneers, “I told them to run.” 

“Not without you,” Omega says. “Not again.” 

“And yet, here we are, aren’t we?” The venom in his voice makes her flinch. “The others were captured too?” 

Omega swallows. “I don’t think so. I think Echo helped them and they got away.” 

“And they let you get captured? Pathetic.” 

That seems to strike a chord. The girl bristles, drawing her shoulders back. “You take that back.” 

“Make me,” Crosshair growls. 

She holds his gaze, brow furrowed in a scowl. It reminds him of Hunter. It makes his heart ache. 

When she doesn’t say anything else, Crosshair turns away. “Get out of here before you get us both in trouble.” 

He almost hopes she defies him, almost hopes she lingers, tells him off. Instead, he hears her leave. 

He wonders if she’ll ever come back. 

**

Crosshair knows how to get a rise out of his little sister now, the right buttons to push to make her expression twist into one of anger or annoyance. However, even if her expression gives her away, she manages to hold her temper…most of the time. It reminds him of Echo, expressive but level headed. 

Omega refused to leave him on Tantiss, refused to leave him behind. A small whisper inside him hopes it is because she cares about him. She has said as much, but words can lie. It is safer to believe the louder, darker thoughts instead, that he is simply a means to an end. She probably can’t get off Tantiss without him, can’t get back to the brothers she actually loves. 

But no matter what Omega really thinks about him, no matter if she loves him or not, she is kind. She is kind to even those who don’t deserve kindness. And he most certainly does not deserve it. Not after everything he’s done. 

If he had forsaken the Empire that day on Kamino…Tech would still be alive. Omega would not have been stolen away for months by the Empire. His brothers would not have suffered. 

But Omega is still kind to him, even if she doesn’t love him like she loves their brothers. He has not earned her love, and he never will. 

“You’re their brother, Crosshair…you’re my brother too.” 

The words still sting. 

**

Omega is taken again because he failed to protect her. He should never have let her go. Why did he let her go? His little sister, dark eyes determined to save the people she loves, people she barely knows. 

And now they’re here, his brothers and him, staring up at the mountain fortress that he thought he’d never have to see again. He can’t lose his brothers too. Not again. Not to death. “Change of plans. You two, head to the communications array and try to contact Rex. I’ll infiltrate the base myself.” 

“Not happening,” Hunter says. 

“Yeah, we’ve handled worse situations than this. Countless–” Wrecker begins, but Crosshair cuts him off. 

“Wake up, Wrecker,” he bites out, “Clone Force 99 died with Tech. We’re not that squad anymore. I’ve been inside that mountain. I know what we’re up against. If we all go in, we’re not all making it out. Omega needs you both. So, I’m doing this alone.” His voice catches. “It’s…it’s what I deserve.” 

“Don’t even think about Plan 99, Crosshair,” Hunter says. “Omega needs all of us, and so do those clones.” 

“We’ve always known the risks,” Wrecker says. “And so did Tech. We do this together.”

Omega needs all of us. The words rattle around in the hollow of his chest. He wants to believe it, he wants to believe it so badly. That Omega could miss him, that Omega needs him too. After everything. 

But he doesn’t think he’ll survive to know whether or not it’s true. 

**

The rain on Tantiss is warmer than Kamino, but Crosshair is still shivering. Pain and adrenaline leave him trembling. He can’t quite find the strength to stand. Not yet. Hunter, breathing raggedly beside him, doesn’t move to get to his feet either. It is all they can do, Crosshair thinks, to keep from collapsing entirely. 

Omega is running toward them, the long distance stretching endlessly between them. He can see the binder bouncing on her right wrist. If he had just been a little off, he might have shot her hand instead of severing the connection between her and Hemlock. He would never have forgiven himself. 

After a lifetime, Omega reaches them. Relief and elation on her face as she looks at Hunter, but when her eyes flicker to him, to his vacant wrist, the expression crumbles to something else. He can’t read it, but it surprises him, twists an emotion in his gut. A breathless sob escapes her, and she launches herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck. 

The same way she embraced Wrecker on Ryloth’s moon…the same way she ran to Hunter…the same way she greeted Echo…extended to him. 

Omega needs all of us…

You’re my brother too.

And he dares to believe it. 

End.

A/N: I seriously need to stop writing these right before I go to bed 😅 Putting the pro in procrastinate! 🫠

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