#day 19: shards

[pluto-hweat-halcyon-skytober]

Day 19 (very late): Shards

[whumptober]

Whumptober 2023

Welcome to Whumptober 2023 — the sixth year running!

COMPLETIONISTS/PARTICIPANT BADGES CAN BE FOUND HERE

To those of you who participated last year, welcome back! To everyone joining this year, welcome!

Please make sure to read the Event Info carefully, as most of your questions will be answered there already. For everything else, you are welcome to come to our ask box or ask questions in our Discord server here.

This year’s AO3 Collection can be found here.

And this years playlist can be found here.

There are 139 prompt options in total this year - this is including the alternatives list! A special thanks goes out to those who took part in our trope vote back in July. From the 1526 responses to our list of 223 tropes, we looked through the popularity results, as well as your honourable mentions, and were able to produce this years prompts list. Stay tuned, as we will be posting some of the results at a later date!

We’re very excited to see the community come together once more and be a wild, chaotic bunch of creators and consumers of whump. Go wild with the prompts, and support your fellow creators - we wish you all the fun!

Best of luck and happy whumping,

Mods Vanne, Yenn, Kitty and Surro

(All 31 Themes + Prompts, Event Information and FAQs are posted below the cut!)

Whumptober 2023 Prompt List

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

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

No. 2: “I’ll call out your name, but you won’t call back.”

Thermometer | Delirium | “They don't care about you.”

No. 3: “Like crying out in empty rooms; with no-one there except the moon.”

Journal | Solitary Confinement | “Make it stop.”

No. 4: “I see the danger, It’s written there in your eyes.”

Cattle Prod | Shock | “You in there?”

No. 5: “You better pray I don't get up this time around.”

Debris | Pinned Down | “It's broken.”

No. 6: “Do or die, you’ll never make me; Because the world will never take my heart.”

Recording | Made to Watch | “It should have been me.”

No. 7: " “I paced around for hours on empty; I jumped at the slightest of sounds.”

Alleyway | Radio Silence | “Can you hear me?”

No. 8: “I’ve got soul, but I’m not a soldier.”

Overcrowded ER | Outnumbered | “It’s all for nothing.”

No. 9: “Learning everything ain't what it seems, that's the thing about these days.”

Polaroid | Mistaken Identity | “You're a liar.”

No. 10: “Can’t you see that you’re lost without me?”

Broken Phone | Stranded | “You said you'd never leave.”

No. 11: “All the lights going dark and my hope’s destroyed.”

Animal trap | Captivity | “No one will find you.”

No. 12: “I haven't slept in days but who's counting?”

Red | Insomnia | “I’m up, I’m up.”

No. 13: “It comes and goes like the strength in your bones.”

Cold Compress | Infection | “I don’t feel so good.”

No. 14: “Feed me poison, fill me ‘till I drown.”

Flare | Water Inhalation | “Just hold on.”

No. 15: “I don't need you to help me I can handle things myself.”

Makeshift Bandages | Suppressed Suffering | “I’m fine.”

No. 16: “Would you lie with me and just forget the world?”

Gurney | Flatline | “Don’t go where I can’t follow.”

No. 17: “You’re the lump in my throat and the knot in my chest.”

Collar | Touch Aversion | “Leave me alone.”

No. 18: “I tend to deflect when I’m feeling threatened.”

Blindfold | Tortured For Information | “Hit them harder.”

No. 19: “I’ll take one final step, all you have to do is make me.”

Floral Bouquet | Psychological | “I’m not as stupid as you think I am.”

No. 20: “People don’t change people, time does.”

Blanket | Found Family | “You will regret touching them.”

No. 21: “See the chains around my feet.”

Vows | Restraints | “Don't move.”

No. 22: “They never saw us coming, ‘til they hit the floor.”

Glass Shard | Vehicular Accident | “Watch out!”

No. 23: “It’s gonna get me by the end of the night.”

Shadows | Stalking | “Who’s there?”

No. 24: “I’ve got a head full of chemicals; mouth full of ridicule.”

Goodbye Note | Neglect | “I thought they were with you.”

No. 25: “You’re not delivering a perfect body to the grave.”

Storm | Buried Alive | “They’re not breathing!”

No. 26: “Sometimes I get so tired; I don’t even know myself.”

Seeing Double | Working To Exhaustion | “You look awful.”

No. 27: “You drew stars around my scars; But now I’m bleeding.”

Matches | Scars | “Let me see”

No. 28: “We might not make it to the morning; so go on and tell me now.”

Bloody Knife | Sacrifice | “You'll have to go through me.”

No. 29: “I only sink deeper the deeper I think.”

Scented Candle | Troubled Past Resurfacing | “What happened to me?”

No. 30: “It’s okay, just to say, ‘I’m not okay’.”

Borrowed Clothing | Bridal Carry | “Not much longer...”

No. 31: “I thought that I was getting better.”

Emptiness | Setbacks | “Take it easy.”

Alternatives List:

Betrayal

Aftermath of Failure

Brass Knuckles

Decoy

Body Modification

Playing Cards

Examination

Hunting

Drugging

Shaking

Panic

Broken

Miscommunication

Lab Rat

Reluctant Whumper

Event Info & Rules

~ Please read our extensive event info posts before sending us an ask ~

WHUMPTOBER is a month-long, prompt-based creation challenge (think: Inktober, but whumpier). There are 31 official themes this year - one for each day of the month - which can be used, skipped, or combined in any way you’d like. The 'theme' of each day is the line of lyrics.

The prompts are merely to serve as inspiration without being taken literally (e.g. you don’t have to include the exact wording of prompts into your work). Feel free to run rampant on interpretation. For example, if the prompt is "flame", you could create something with reference to a candle/campfire, your character could have suffered a burn, or the flame could be related to the 'spark' of a relationship. It's truly up to you!

In total, there are 4 prompts for each day: there's lyrics, an object, a trope and a line of dialogue to choose from.  We want to give everyone as much creative freedom as possible, as well as increase event accessibility for folks with triggers and squicks.

Creators can PRODUCE work in any media they choose, including but not limited to: writing, visual artwork, photo/video/audio edits, paper crafts and elaborate recommendation lists (not just a list of links). Creators can PARTICIPATE as much or as little as they want (i.e. you don’t have to do ALL the prompts if you don’t want to) and prompts can be used in any order. They are also free to use even after the event ends.

When uploading Whumptober content to your blog, be sure to tag the with:

#whumptober2023 …..(the event tag)

#no.1, #no.2, #no.3, …..(day number)

#lyric, #bruises, #stabbing,  …..(the theme or specific prompt you chose)

#fandom or #OC, … (ironman, originalcontent, oc …)

#medium …..(gifs, fic, podcast, art, etc.)

#teeth, #gore tw, #etc …..(trigger warnings & any additional tags. Add "tw" AFTER the trigger/content warning. )

#nsfwhump …..(only for nsfw content)

#your own tags go here

PLEASE BE DILIGENT WITH YOUR TAGGING. Only properly tagged posts are considered for archiving on the official @whumptober-archive blog. They must be tagged in the order above. An elaborate post about our tagging system can be found [here]

Unfortunately, due to the sheer number of participants in recent years, we cannot guarantee your work will be archived. A random selection of properly tagged posts from all genres will be reblogged each day.

Whumpers who produce content for 31 total theme days are considered event completionists and will be tagged in a masterpost at the end of the month. A form will be published at the beginning of November asking you to tell us if you completed the event. You do not need to post anything you have created, we rely on trust and we will not check this.

Questions not addressed in one of our many event info posts can be directed to this blog. We will not answer any questions that have been answered in the FAQs or rules already.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How does this year’s prompt list work? What do I have to choose?

You can create something based on:

The overall theme/lyric of the day

Prompt 1, 2 or 3

One or several of the alternative prompts

A combination of the above

Q. Is [specific anything] allowed?

When in doubt: JUST DO IT!

Q. Do I have to do all 31 days?

Participate as much or little as you like! Just be sure to tag your posts properly (ex. #no.7, #radio silence). If you create works for 31 total theme days you will become a completionist. But apart from that, there are no repercussions if you don’t fill prompts for each day.

Q. Can I post early/late?

Yes, you can post whenever you want. We will only reblog posts during October, but you can use our prompts all year round. The day you post will only affect your probability of being reblogged.

Q. Will you reblog my post?

Due to the sheer number of content posted during Whumptober we can’t promise to reblog every single post. We will make a random selection trying to capture a wide variety of content. The following will increase your chances at being reblogged:

tag your post properly

post within 2-3 days of the theme you want to fill: if you fill the prompt for Day 1 your chances of being reblogged during October 1st to 3rd are highest and will go towards zero afterwards.

Q. What if I don’t understand a prompt/theme?

Send us an ask! We’re happy to help with wild, unhelpful clarifications or brainstorming. That being said, the themes are entirely up for interpretation. Don’t take them too literally. For example: You can be choking on a cherry, someone else can choke you or you could be choked up on emotions, etc.

Q. What kind of content can I make? Can it be NSFW?

This is a MIXED MEDIA event! You can write fic, post meta, doodle or paint, create a gifset or photo edit, link a song, or get crafty with video - anything goes. As for NSFW, make what you like, we just hope that you’ll tag your work accordingly so that others participating in the event can stay safe.

Q. Can I combine Whumptober with other creation challenges?

Absolutely, as long as the other challenges allow it too.

Q. Can I upload/repost my Whumptober content to other social media platforms?

Of course! You can post your own content wherever you like (or you can opt to not publish it at all). Additionally we’ve created an AO3 Collection to archive any fics posted there. It can be accessed here. The tumblr blog @whumptober-archive is the official archive, so please respect the boundaries of any closeted whumpers in your social circle.

Q. Can I use prompts to write a new chapter for an existing fic?

Yes.

Q. An existing fic I am currently writing contains many of the Whumptober prompts, can I use it?

If you are actively writing this fic at the moment with the Whumptober prompts in mind, yes. If you’ve previously posted something that checks the boxes, we ask that you not include it retroactively for this current year. You can, however, add new chapters relating to one or more of the prompts.

Q. What kind of characters can I write for?

Fandom characters, OC characters, human, furry, alien, cyborg, RPF, whoever you like. You can use the generic “whumpee” character or have specific ones.

Q. Does it have to take place in a specific fandom?

No, you can create works for your own worlds or for fandoms or for both. You can also create more generic or pan-fandom works. You can do cross-overs or use OCs, whatever you want.

Q. Can I use a prompt multiple times?

Yes, but it only counts once towards being a completionist.

Q. If I’m not comfortable with one day’s prompts can I use a prompt of a different day as a substitute and still be a completionist?

No, you can’t exchange prompts for different days. However, if all four prompts of a specific day make you uncomfortable, we have created an alternate prompts list that you can draw from. You can exchange any prompt with these, but please make sure not to use them twice.

Q. Where can I post my work?

Post where and how you want. You don’t have to (cross)post it to Tumblr or at all. Just keep in mind if it’s not on Tumblr we will not be able to add it to the blog archive.

Q. Can I start posting early?

You can, but this is an October event and wouldn’t it be more fun with everyone doing it at the same time? That being said, you can post early, but we won’t be reblogging any work predating October 1st.

Q. Do I have to finish a fic I started/can I post WIP’s?

Yes you can post WIPs. And you’re not obligated to finish it in October for it to count towards being a completionist.  

Q. Is co-writing allowed?

Yes, absolutely, and it would count towards being a completionist for both/all of you.

Q. Do I have to create 31 standalone pieces to be considered a completionist or can I write one continuous story?

One continuous story is fine.  The challenge is to write something for 31 prompts. If that’s spread over 31 fics or just one, you are still considered a completionist. (The same goes for every other media you choose.)

Q. Is there a min/max limit on word count?

There is no limit.

Q. Can I combine prompts? Is there a limit on how many?

No limit and combine as many as you’d like.

Q. Is a hc/angst/emotional whump focus ok?

Of course! We are not going to establish a threshold for whumpiness. If you think it’s whumpy enough, then it’s whumpy enough. It can be physical, psychological, emotional, or any combination of the three.

Q. What’s considered nsfw?

See this post

Q. What is whump?

Typically the genre includes situations where a fictional character is hurt, be it emotionally, psychologically, or physically. Fanlore provides information here.

Q. My interpretation of the prompt isn’t whumpy at all, does that count?

If you don’t think your interpretation is whumpy, then it doesn’t count for Whumptober. Remember that whump comes in many forms, though, and that we don’t have a whump-checker or a threshold for how much whump needs to be included. If you think your interpretation contains enough whump to count, then it does.

Q. Can I start working on the prompts before October?

Absolutely! That’s why we post the prompts a month in advance. We recognise how difficult it can be creating for 31 days in “real time” so feel free to start creating early!

Q. How do I tag triggers?

tw at the end of the word, ex. #gore tw

Q. Do I have to use your tags?

Yes, if you want your work archived on the blog. If not, feel free to use whatever tags you want. 

Q. Does combining prompts count towards completion?

Yes

Q. Can we @ you?

Yes but we mostly rely on the #whumptober2023 tag.

Q. Is there anything we are absolutely not allowed to write?

There are no rules, but please make sure to properly tag your trigger warnings. And keep in mind Tumblr’s policies if you are posting it here (or the policies for whatever site you use).

Q. Where can I go for brainstorming help?

Here on Discord or come into our ask box.

Q. My characters are minors, is that ok?

Yes, but as with everything else, use clear and descriptive tags.

Q. Can I cross post on other blogs?

Yes, multiple platforms and blogs are perfectly acceptable. You can also post different works to different accounts under different names, without posting them everywhere at once.

Note: This is a creation challenge, please don’t repost your old work under our tags (unless it’s been changed or edited for the event).

Thanks for reading, and happy whumping!

[whoreforgyu]

pb&j

MDNI 18+

✌︎ pairing; neighbor!kim mingyu x fem!reader

✍︎ genre; smut, neighbors to lovers, au, fluff

ⓘ tldr; after finally mustering up the courage to ask your fine ass neighbor for help opening a jar of raspberry jelly, he makes sure to fill yours up with some cream by the end of the night 😏

⚠︎ warnings; under 21 drinking (20yrs but turning 21 in a few days (& dw even though i am 19 i don’t drink personally, this is just for the fic 😭)), mingyu has a slight thing for older girls, mingyu is a sophomore and reader is a junior in college, mentions of ‘95 liners, awkward reader, mentions of food, lowercase intentional

✎ note; i’m a new writer so this is my first fic let me know how i did 🫣 got the idea to write this after i spent all night trying to open up this jar of coconut oil from trader joe’s lol 😭

⇅wc; 2.4k

after what felt like an eternity of twisting, turning, and damn near college level research on how to open a glass jar, what are the odds that not a single thing has worked.

“run it under some hot water” they said.

“tap the lid with a heavy object to break the seal” they said.

“slap the bottom with the palm of your hand” they said.

but despite the hundreds of google searches and youtube videos you’ve watched, the tin lid to your jar of organic raspberry jelly hasn’t budged an inch.

“ugh!” you screeched, nearly throwing the damn thing at the wall. but you would much rather go to bed hungry than have to clean up fruit preserves mixed with shards of glass from the ground, or even worse, eat a dry peanut butter sandwich without jelly.

now, was there a quick an easy solution that you have thought of, but didn’t dare to act upon? well, yes! but that would require having to interact with your fine ass, johnny bravo-esque, tank of a neighbor— mingyu. at first, that option was off the table, but soon hunger got the best of you.

so here you are, standing in front of apartment 406 in some skimpy boy shorts that expose wayyy to much ass and a sweater, holding the infamous jar of raspberry jelly.

*knock, knock, knock*

the apartment goes silent, you feel nervous as the sound of foot steps walk up to the door, pause, and a zipper opens moments before hearing the lock turn. your cheeks heat up at the sight of him in a tank top with grey sweats. trying to stop yourself from ogling at his biceps, triceps, and quadriceps on full display, and you peep how his matching grey hoodie is coincidentally hanging from the coat rack.

the smell of sweet and savory spices bless your nose, if there’s one thing about mingyu, that man could cook. sometimes he’ll hand deliver you a bowl of whatever food he’s making, under the pretense of, “i made extra,” as opposed to “i was thinking about you, so i made a larger portion just to share with you.” and you swear he’s ruined your whole perception of food, you can’t help but think about how much better everything would taste if mingyu was the one who made it instead.

“oh hey _____, is everything alright?” he asked, looking up and down your figure, taking notice of the jar of jelly in your hand.

“yup!” you say awkwardly, accidentally look down at his man-cleavage “i just wanted to know if you could open this for me please?” an innocent grin plays on your lips as you shove the jar towards him, trying to ignore the way he was staring at them.

he laughs while gripping the jar and lid, twisting them in opposite directions before hearing a-

*pop*

“there ya go,” he says, handing back the jar. you sigh of relief before thanking him and turning to walk back to into your apartment, all while feeling a pair of eyes burning into your ass.

“y’know,” he blurts out. stopping you in your tracks, turning around to listen to him. mingyu couldn’t help but trip over his words at the sight of your doe eyes looking expectantly at him. “i’m making dinner right now, n’ i was just about to bring some over to you,” the tips of his ears now turning red, “but- i mean, since you’re already here, would you mind joining me?”

“yes!- i mean no- like no as in i wouldn’t mind,” shit, you think to yourself, what the fuck am i saying?

“okay perfect” mingyu says trying to hold back his smile (you know that cute 😗 face he makes), letting you into his apartment, allowing himself a closer look at your ass.

to no surprise, his apartment layout was an exact copy of yours, only furnished to his liking, of course. a dark stained wooden coffee table accompanied by a matching tv console, upholding a flatscreen tv and ps5, and a dark blue ribbed suede couch. hm, interesting.

“almost done, just need to finish sautéing these veggies,” he says now facing the stovetop, and you take the opportunity to get a real good look at his back muscles. you’re so glad you got front row seats to see them, since the view through the peephole of your door every time he came back from the gym wasn’t cutting it.

“could you help set up the table?” mingyu turns off the stove and grabs some plates and glasses from the cabinet above, breaking you out of your trance.

“yea, of course” you squeak, hoping he hadn’t noticed the way you were drooling over him just then. you set down the jar of jelly you, for some reason, still had in your hands on to the counter, and grabbed the placemats, utensils, and glasses from the drawers mingyu directed you to. he brings over the dishes and sets them onto the table before going back to grab a bottle of wine.

“you drink?” he asked raising a brow.

“not really, but i don’t mind having a glass,”

“how old are you?” he questioned.

“twenty one, how ‘bout you?” you wary.

“twenty.” he replied. there’s a brief moment of silence between you two before he’s sporting a stupid grin, like he knows he’s doing something he’s not supposed to, waiting to see your reaction.

“so where the hell did you get that from?” you pressed, raising your voice, baffled by his audacity to ask for your credentials when he, himself, isn’t even qualified.

“a frienddd~” his tone playful as he laughs. “relax, i consider this my early birthday gift, i’ll be twenty one on the sixth of this month.”

you think it must be from one of of his older friends, specifically seungcheol or jeonghan, those dudes from your engineering class who come by often, not that you’re keeping count. you sigh, you can’t blame him. you’ve had your own fair share of alcohol during your birthday party that you celebrated the weekend before your twenty first, especially since you could not afford to get lit on the wednesday night before your exam.

“fine,” you gave a tight lipped smile as mingyu pours you both a glass, starting to loosen up as alcohol soon calms your nerves.

“wanna watch that new ‘baby reindeer’ series, i heard it’s crazy as shit!” mingyu laughs, as you two are finishing dinner.

“ yeah i’ve been meaning to start! just haven’t gotten around to it,” you finish up the rest of the bottle, while mingyu takes the dishes to load them up into the dishwasher. you grab the remote turning on the television, and plop down on the couch, briefly pausing to remind yourself that this isn’t your place, but he sure does make you feel like it.

after drying off his hands mingyu plopped himself right beside you, leaving only about an inch or two in between, and smoothly snakes his arm around you, being careful not to make contact though. you laugh to yourself at how respectful he’s trying to be, and wonder if he’s truly oblivious to the not so respectful feelings you have towards him.

half way through the first episode, you can’t help but feel warm, almost hot due to his body heat. his scent isn’t helping either, he smells like fresh clean laundry and natural musk. you want to study his face now that you’re up close, but it’d be too obvious, he’d notice right? wrong, frankly, his ass is not paying attention to you, so you take initiative and scoot closer into his touch, resting your head onto his shoulder, smirking at the sudden tension of his body.

“you alright?” mingyu speaks lowly into your hair, subconsciously helping himself to your scent. turning down the volume on the tv, he tilts his head to hold your gaze, dammit, there she goes again with those eyes, he curses. swiftly glancing at your lips, and back up to your eyes, it’s like he can read your mind. cautiously, lowering his hand to your ass, he helps you onto his lap. “whatchu tryna get into?” mingyu teases.

“i dunno know you tell me, you’re the one who’s got me on their lap” you tease back giggling while biting your lip.

mingyu uses his teeth to now bite your lip between his before kissing you deeply. he couldn’t wait for the day he could he could get his lips on your pretty plump ones. not a day goes by where he doesn’t think about getting the chance to mess with his pretty ass little neighbor.

whimpering at the sensation of his sunken fangs into your lip, you quickly match his energy, grinding your dampening cunt against his growing erection. his hands now gripping your ass like a vice, increasing the relentless speed and friction between you two. hand nearly getting crushed in the process, you reach between your bodies to free his now rock hard cock from his sweats, beginning to stroke him while slowing down to a more sensual pace. he breaks the kiss, letting out a loud whine as you spread the bead of precum, focusing right on the tip, and dip the pad of your thumb right into the dimple before rubbing circles around it.

mingyu’s body shudders as he throws his head back in ecstasy, blabbering a whole bunch of nonsense, while you lick and bite the sensitive skin from his collarbone all the way to his jaw. continuing to stroke his aching cock, “ah! ouu~ shit- baaabe- baby oh! fuuuuck~ m’ boutta-” are the only coherent words he’s able to slew before you cease all movement. his head shoots up, wide eyed as he looks at you as if your head’s missing.

you give him a sweet— almost taunting, smile before reaching under his tank to reveal his sculpted torso, chest rising and falling as you scrape your nails against every nook and cranny of his flesh. you lean forward to give a few licks and and sucks to each of his nipples. mind you, the man is still staring at you in disbelief. giving a sinister laugh, he holds you by your hips and and in one swift movement, shifts his body under you, so instead of sitting on his lap, you’re now sitting on his face.

mingyu wastes no time lapping at the mere outline of your pussy, desperately sucking your arousal through the fabric of your shorts. like a rabid dog he rips through the fabric with his teeth, lips immediately latching onto your clit like a vacuum. you let out a loud cry desperately grabbing fistfuls of his hair as a poor attempt to ground yourself before he’s gripping your waist, gliding your cunt alllll over his face.

“gy-gyuuu~” you whine, your legs starting to shake as you the feel pressure building up in your core. your thighs now locked tight around his head, you’re scared you may suffocate him but you’re far to worried about reaching your own orgasm to stop. “mmmph~ shiiit pleaseee~ oh my- no gyu! piece of shit!” you scream, as mingyu removes himself from under you, a shit eating grin playing on his lips, his face covered in your juices.

you squeal as mingyu rips off any and every remnant of clothing you still had on, and throws you over his shoulder— face down ass up, giving it a quick harsh slap before heading into his bedroom. throwing you down on the bed, he immediately attaches his lips to yours as he slips his thick middle and ring fingers inside of you, curling them just enough to make you cum better than any one of your pathetic toys ever could. if he could give you mind blowing orgasms just with his fingers, just imagine what universe he’d take you to on his cock.

mingyu teases your entrance with his fat tip, gliding it along your wet folds. his cock was looong, thick, and heavy, a vein running along the left side of the shaft. it felt like steel wrapped in velvet. he begins pushing his way into you, nothing could prepare you for the stretch he gave, he felt invasive, greedy, selfish. invading any space he could find inside your small tight cunt.

“just hold on to me baby,” he growls in you ear, his breathing ragged as he bottoms out, pelvis right against your ass. the man desperately trying to help himself from releasing right then and there at the feeling of your wet pudgy walls sucking him in, as if your body was trying to create a mold of his cock to remember forever.

your legs wrap tight around his torso, nails digging into his broad shoulders as he’s rutting into you like a dog in heat. he desperately pants, holding another vice-like grip onto your hips, the combination of your pornographic moans and walls beginning to clench and spasm around him making his cock twitch inside you like a bolt of lightning.

not even science can measure the amount of pent up tension that has built up in your core, the feeling painfully delicious. the sharp thrusts of his cock soon becoming sloppy as you feel him starting to shudder once again, his mouth now on your neck, sucking harshly at the flesh. he brings his hand down to your cunt, beginning to rub messy circles onto your clit making you cry out, sending you over the edge.

the knot in your abdomen comes un done, feeling like an explosion as mingyu shoots what felt like the entirety of earth’s population into your poor pussy. your body goes numb, your vision, seemingly no different than looking out of a kaleidoscope, seeing shapes and colors you didn’t even know existed.

mingyu lays on top of you, cock still sunken deep inside as if he’s trying to fertilize each one of your millions of eggs, his heavy breathing sinking you into the mattress even deeper than you were before. looking up he sees your fucked out state, locking eyes with you before giving you the filthiest smile you’ve ever seen.

you smile back, matching his same filth, before pulling him into another heated make out session. “ready for round two?”

[loucifersbitch]

tagged by @bidisasterevankinard (and others during the last few days <3) have some tevantober week 2 that i still haven't finished (oops) [aka the freak blizzard/injured tommy fic]

On his very last call of the shift, Tommy was on ground crew for an extrication when he had a small run in with a patch of ice. He could’ve caught himself if Ortega hadn’t hit the same patch of ice and knocked them both on their asses - or in Tommy’s case, on his side, his head smacking the ice and a sharp shard leaving a cut over his eyebrow. Luckily he could get away with some butterfly bandages and wouldn’t have to worry about stitches on his face, but the skin around the cut was still tender. When the paramedics released him, he hopped on the rig back to Harbor so he could go the fuck home, take some Tylenol, and sleep for the next three days. Yanking his phone out of his pocket inside his turnouts put a damper on those plans. 19 missed calls 6 new voicemails 27 unread messages “Goddammit,” Tommy said under his breath, then louder, “who told Evan?” Three hands shot up, not one of them looking the least bit sorry. “Technically I called Chimney,” Donato said. “I called Wilson actually,” Hansen added. Tommy looked at Ortega and raised an accusing eyebrow. “Okay, fine, yeah, I called Buckley. Sue me. I felt bad for getting you covered in blood, and I thought you might need your boy to take care of you.” With a defeated groan, Tommy dropped his head back against the seat, eyes closed. “Fantastic.” Evan picked up on the second ring.

tags

@carrythatwayt @monsterrae1 @bi-buckrights @xofemeraldstars @sherlocking-out-loud

@buckleylonglegs @sunglassesmish @powersuitup @theotherbuckley @lavenderleahy 

@buckhastwohands @buckevantommy @buckera @evansboyfriend @bucksbignaturals 

@aringofsalt @firewasabeast @firehose118 @ohithankyou @beefcakekinard

@smallandalmosthonest @hyperfocusthusly

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for putting a hit out on an ex friend’s dnd character?

A few years ago I [M 18] was the link between two different online friend circles along with my longtime friend A [M 22]. Essentially, both A and I ran two different dnd campaigns that acted as a melting pot between our two friend groups. It was really fun, super casual stuff. Enter C [M 19], who was originally one of my friends and played in both groups. Over time it became clear that C was, to put it lightly, not a great person. At the time, I was a really new DM and struggled a lot with my self confidence. C was a super disruptive player in my group, going off the rails and generally trying to undermine both me and other players. I tried to sort it out between sessions, but it didn’t end up working out. It came to a head where I ended up shutting down my campaign, claiming school got to be too much, but in reality I just couldn’t deal with C’s behaviour. It was a really big blow to my self confidence at the time.

At this point a lot of people had been cutting out C for various other things like this - generally being disrespectful and callous, not taking responsibility for harm he caused, etc. Pretty soon the only times I was interacting with C directly was during A’s campaign.

A, who wasn’t 100% aware of the situation, came and talked to me after a session one day about why I’d shut down my campaign, and I told him everything about how I was feeling. He was really understanding, and said that he got the feeling that I probably didn’t want C around anymore, and neither did he. I agreed, so A offered to ‘sort out some stuff with C’s character’ and shuffle him out of the group. I made a joke about wanting C’s character to die, in a pretty flippant way, and the conversation diverted.

This is where things get kind of weird.

So, at the time, I was expecting A to just talk with C and kick him out of the group in between sessions, but that didn’t end up happening. C was at the next session just as planned, and continued to show up for several weeks. During this time A, and I really don’t know how else to describe this, pulled some Machiavellian scheme on C’s character as the DM to ruin his life. A wove in this story where C’s character got this evil mask shard of a dead god, and played on C’s want to sabotage other players & go his own way in a very ‘lone rogue’ way to isolate him from the group and get him involved in all these evil deeds (killing minor npcs, etc). None of our characters knew about this in character, but A dropped all these hints and the context lined up to make it seem like C’s character was slowly going insane. C, unable to communicate in or out of character, backed up this idea by refusing to talk about the god IC or OOC. Eventually this god fragment lead to the death of C’s character when an overpowered assassin struck him down, in a fight that felt very ‘well this could’ve been a party boss but because you didn’t tell anyone, you died’. Immediately following this the party found out about C’s character’s evil deeds, meaning he wouldn’t be mourned by the party. The whole death felt so… hollow. It really felt like C had ended up in this situation because of their own hubris. But they hadn’t.

A had masterminded the whole thing. He’d given me live updates about his plan to essentially manufacture a situation where C’s character died a miserable death that felt totally deserved in the eyes of the other party members. And then we all just blocked C anyway???

I’ve never seen someone manipulate somebody like that in my life before and I’ve never seen anything like it again. I’ve never told anyone else in the group that the death was masterminded by A because of my petty grudge about my failed campaign. I don’t speak to either A or C now but I still feel bad about not doing something. Should I have just told A to kick C way before this?? I had no clue it would spiral into actual months of chess mastering his demise!!

What are these acronyms?

[salty-autistic-writer]

Whumptober 2024 Day 19: Blood Trail

Title: Like a Rubber Band (Until You Pull Too Hard) (AO3)

Summary: Tommy is hyper-independent and wants to do things on his own. Buck wants to help and take care of Tommy. Tension rises.

1

Something is wrong. Buck can’t put his finger on it. Not yet. But he can feel it. He can feel the tension.

It’s like a rubberband being stretched in the silence between them. And Buck has a feeling it might snap soon.

“You know you could have asked me to help you with this, right?” Buck asks, running a finger over Tommy’s freshly painted living room wall. “Like. I would have loved to paint the walls with you. Might have been fun.” He smiles.

“Thank you for the offer,” Tommy says, scratching the back of his head. “But … You had a long shift. And I was doing fine on my own. Do you like it?”

“Yeah. Hm. You said the same when you repaired the roof. And when you had that new fridge delivered. You bruised several of your toes while trying to carry that massive thing by yourself,” Buck says dryly. “You do know you don’t have to do everything alone, right?”

“Of course,” Tommy says.

But … Buck has the feeling he doesn’t really mean it.

“Tommy?” He asks uncertainly. 

Tommy’s eyes flicker up to meet his. “Yeah?”

“Is there anything we should talk about?”

Tommy scrunches his nose in confusion. “I don’t think so?”

“Okay,” Buck says. “Alright. Great.”

And the mental rubberband in his head gets stretched a little bit more. 2

The tension is not there all the time. 

Sometimes Buck just forgets about it. Like now, while he’s having dinner with Tommy and they are laughing about something that happened during a call. They both had long shifts but now they finally can spend some quality time together and Buck is really looking forward to that. After he had a good night’s rest. He knows Tommy is exhausted too. His boyfriend is hiding hearty yawns behind the back of his hand and sometimes his eyes are drooping a little.

Since they are both exhausted, Buck thinks it’s only reasonable to share the necessary household chores and then go to bed.

But after dinner, Tommy gets up and reaches for a plate. “Gonna do the dishes,” he mutters.

No way. Buck stands up as well and grabs the plate as well so that they end up each holding an end of it. “No. Give it to me. I’m going to do the dishes. You already made dinner and set the table. Let me take care of the rest. You’re just as exhausted as I am. Relax.”

“No,” Tommy says, not letting go. Something defiant flickers in his eyes.

Buck blinks, baffled. “No?”

Tommy exhales slowly like he has to ground himself. “No. You don’t have to help. This is my house and I can do this on my own. Sit down and … and do something.”

“But … I want to help you,” Buck says, his confusion mixing with irritation. And there’s also a pinch of pain. My house?  

“You don’t need to. Let go,” Tommy repeats, pulling at the plate.

Buck narrows his eyes. He doesn’t let go. This is not only about the plate or the stupid dishes anymore. “Tommy. Why won’t you let me help you?!”

“I already told you, Evan. You don’t have to help me. I’m fine doing this on my own. I’m an adult!” Tommy exclaims.

Buck shakes his head. “That’s not what this is about. Of course, you’re an adult. But I’m an adult too. I won’t let my boyfriend do all the work! I want to help you. So let me!”

Tommy scowls. “No. Now give it back.” He pulls at the plate again. Firmer.

“No. You give it to me!” Buck demands, pulling as well.

“Let go, Ev - Buck!” “You let go first, Thomas!”

What follows is kind of inevitable, really. Buck’s fingers eventually slip. Tommy’s slip as well. And somehow, between their irritated scowls, the plate drops, shattering on the ground.

Silence.

The silence is stretching. Like a rubber band.

Tommy blinks at the shards. Then, he turns on his heels and storms out of the room. Without a word.

“Jesus, why are you so stubborn!?” Buck yells after Tommy who doesn’t stop and slams the door.

Buck stares at it. At the closed door. The silence is too loud. He can hear his own breaths. Dumbfounded, he glances at the mess on the floor. What the hell just happened? Not that long ago, they were talking about Buck moving in and now? Now Buck isn't allowed to do the dishes? He shakes his head and starts to clean up. And while he's picking up the broken pieces of the plate, he anxiously wonders if he did something wrong. 3

Buck slowly starts to put the pieces of his tension puzzle together.

Tommy never asks for help. But Tommy also never accepts any help. He wants to do everything on his own.

He is always there for Buck. But he doesn’t let Buck be there for him.

And it’s really starting to go on Buck’s nerves. The situation is hurting him. He has this deep urge to do nice things for Tommy. He knows they have to talk about it.

But after the plate incident, Tommy has been withdrawn and Buck wants to give him some space. So he goes to sleep at the loft and decides to address the issue after his next shift.

He also talks to Hen about it. “Like, he doesn’t want me to help him with anything! He also doesn’t want me to do “any great gestures”. Just told me I don’t need to make an effort. I don’t get it, Hen. Why would Tommy be that defensive about me helping him or doing something for him? Like … That’s what you do in a relationship, right? You’re taking care of each other! It’s not meant to be a one-sided thing, right?!”

Hen hums thoughtfully. “Maybe he’s scared,” she says calmly.

“Scared?” Buck asks, frowning. “Why would he be scared?”

“Maybe he never really had anyone who wanted to take care of him before,” Hen says. “Maybe he learned to take care of himself very early in his life and now it’s a habit. He might think that he has to be this independent strong person, you know? If that’s who he had to be for a very long time, it might be hard to let that go and accept help. Or care.”

“Oh.” Buck swallows. He remembers everything he learned so far about Tommy’s past. Which … really isn’t that much. Fuck. Tommy shielded him from that too, didn’t he?

“Thanks, Hen,” he says, already reaching for his jacket. “I have to go and talk to him.”

“Do that. You and Tommy are going to be alright, Buck,” Hen says, smiling at him. “As long as you talk to each other honestly, the hurdles aren’t going to be too tall for you to overcome.”

4

When Buck opens the door, something feels off.

Tommy’s house is silent. Too silent. There’s light, but Tommy is nowhere to be seen. Or heard. Buck frowns. He takes off his shoes and jacket, calling, “Tommy? Are you home?”

Nothing.

Maybe Tommy fell asleep, Buck thinks. He has a habit of taking naps. Especially after he had a shift. But Buck still feels like something’s not right.

He goes into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water. And then he sees it. The blood.

Buck freezes.

It’s on the counter. A bloody almost perfectly shaped hand-print. 

“Tommy,” Buck gasps, his chest being flooded with icy fear. “Tommy!” 

His call echoes from the wall. There’s no answer.

But he sees more blood. It’s like a trail. Blood on the freshly painted wall. Blood on the floor. Leading up the stairs …

Buck follows them, his heart pounding in his chest and his blood rushing in his ears. That’s a lot of blood, right? No. No, no, no. Please. Don’t let him be … No. He can’t think of that. The trail leads him to the bathroom. The door is closed. And when Buck approaches, he can finally hear a quiet groan.

“Tommy!” Buck calls out, reaching for the door handle. 

There’s a gasp. “No … Don’t come in!”

But Buck is already ripping open the door. His heart seems to miss a beat.

Tommy is a heap on the floor, with his back leaning against the toilet, pressing a towel against his right arm. It’s already soaked in blood.

“Tommy. What the hell happened?!” Buck asks, crouching down beside his boyfriend and pulling out his phone.

“I … I wanted to install a board for your spices. In the kitchen. I wanted to get the wood into a proper shape. But then I cut myself with the saw and it won’t stop bleeding,” Tommy croaks, trembling and staring at the bloody towel. “Please. Don’t call 911,” he adds and it sounds close to begging.

Buck swallows, putting his phone to the side for now. “Let me see,” he says as calmly as possible.

Tommy lifts the towel. Buck curses as he sees the cut. It’s long and jagged. But it doesn’t seem to be too deep. Still …

“That needs stitches and proper cleaning,” he says. “I’m going to wrap it up and drive you to the ER.”

Tommy groans. “Is that really necessary? I … I might be able to -”

“Please don’t say you want to do the stitches yourself,” Buck says, raising a finger and narrowing his eyes. “Just don’t.”

5

The drive home is silent. Tense.

Buck can feel Tommy glancing at him a few times, where he’s sitting in the passenger’s seat, cradling his bandaged arm to his chest.

Finally, Buck can’t stand it anymore. He parks the car at a quiet corner, clears his throat and says, “I could have helped you with that board, you know? Like I could have helped you with everything else. The paint. The fridge. The dishes. And I still can't believe you didn't call me when you cut yourself... Tommy. We really have to talk about this. Because I can’t … I can’t go on like this. I want to take care of you. And I feel like you won’t let me.”

Tommy sighs. “I’m used to taking care of myself,” he mutters. “I know. I know you are. And you’re doing a great job. Um. Not counting what happened today of course ... But you being able to take care of yourself doesn’t mean you can’t let someone else take care of you once in a while, don’t you think? Especially if that person loves you and wants to take care of you?”

Tommy swallows. He looks at Buck, wide-eyed. “You love me?”

“Yeah,” Buck says, chuckling. “Of course I do.”

“I love you too,” Tommy breathes. “God. I do. I … I’m sorry, Evan. It’s not you, I promise. It’s all me.”

“Help me to understand?” Buck asks quietly.

Tommy takes a deep breath. “I can try. It’s just … I’m used to taking care of myself, you know? I’ve always done it, in a way. My Dad … He was a drunk. So he either was at a bar or he was asleep on the couch. And my mother … Well. She was depressed. She wasn’t doing much either. And I was an only child. So I was on my own pretty much all the time. Then, later, in the army, it wasn’t much different. It was kind of expected from soldiers, you know? To not ask for help or care. We had to be tough and independent. It just continued like this. I was living alone. So I did things on my own all the time. If I didn’t know how to do something, I learned how to. And now … Well. Now you’re in my life. And it’s the best thing that happened to me since … I don’t know since when to be honest. I’ve never been in a committed relationship before, Evan. Which is pretty pathetic for a guy as old as me …”

“I don’t think you’re pathetic,” Buck breathes, reaching for Tommy’s hand and squeezing it gently.

“Thanks,” Tommy says and squeezes back. “What I wanted to say … I’m not used to living with someone. I’m not used to someone wanting to take care of me. And I think I just … I kind of had a fight and flight response to it, you know?”

Buck thinks back to what Hen assumed and nods. “Yeah.”

“But I can learn. I know I can. And I want to,” Tommy adds. “Because I do want you to help me and take care of me. I … I really love how the thought, the idea, makes me feel. I just … I’m just a little scared, I guess. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Buck says, smiling at Tommy. “If I’m being honest, I probably was trying a bit too hard. I was pushing you to allow me to help you. I should have been more thoughtful and should have given you a chance to explain it to me like you did just now. I’m sorry. But now we can work on it together, right?”

“Yeah,” Tommy says and smiles as well. “I’m sorry too.”

“You can start by letting me help you repaint your living room walls,” Buck says with a wink. “Since it now wears your bloody handprint.”

Tommy groans. “Right … Here we go again. But we are going to have to buy new colour first …”

“Does this mean we are going to Ikea?!” Buck gasps in delight. “I’ve never been to Ikea!”

Tommy laughs. “Well. There’s a first time for everything. Yeah. We’re going to Ikea and since I’m gravely injured, my strong boyfriend is going to carry all the bags, right?”

“I can’t wait,” Buck says with a chuckle and starts the motor.

[danwhobrowses]

Since Critical Role's big endgame battle has begun (as of ep. 113) and looks to give us a fair handful of Lv. 20 combat across the board with VM and later the Nein - and also since the Omen Archive are yet to do a level up overview for Bell's Hells to Lv. 15 like I expected them to do after ep. 112 - I find myself optimistically and curiously wondering how Bells Hells would shape up should they reach Lv. 20.

Admittedly, I do remain worried about how underleveled they are; I know it's intended since the Hells are the 'underdogs not meant to be in this position' group but still, for comparison Essek debuted at Lv. 15 in C2 and Vox Machina ended their campaign at Lv. 18 when the stakes were slightly lower than what we have with Ludinus, the Vanguard, the Imperium, and Predathos. Still, with nothing we can do but pray they make it out alive - and I hope they do - I've decided to indulge that rare bout of optimism and deep dive into what would their Lv. 20 state look like? While also considering what they may add during this final arc should they level up in between like they did the last time they were on Ruidus.

We're gonna go through each character one by one for this, so I'll start with my favourite (aka the one I wanna talk/ramble the most about).

Ashton is perhaps the easiest endgame build to tell class-wise, it's likely Tal will have them go the full 20 since Grog has already done the Fighter dip and there's not many other multiclasses that can be of a greater benefit to them; the intrigue however with Ashton focuses on the ASI they get at levels 16 and 19, the first one particularly if there's still a level up mid-battle. The obvious route for the first ASI is to get back the CON they lost in the shard incident - which I still find an unfair penalty since they gained nothing from surviving the bold and deemed impossible action, 'your reward is you get to live' doesn't stick with me given that the 10 rolls (well, 9 plus the resurrection ring) are proof of survival anyway - and absorbing Dusk Hunger sadly didn't give back, adding to their DEX instead - which, also kinda stubborn of Matt, adding 1 AC isn't exactly worthy of absorbing a legendary item especially compared to what Orym got with Ishta, they were better off trying to dual wield it if Matt's not gonna give stats that'll suit Ashton's wheelhouse, STR and CON, and let the tank be a tank - so it will likely fall into Tal's hands to get Ashton's stats to where they want them to be. Either way, Ashton's STR and CON are going up if they hit Lv. 20 as pure Barbarian, Primal Champion adds 4 to both and increases their max to 24, so without ASI Ashton will have 22 STR and 20 CON by Lv. 20 anyway, with ASI however Ashton can go 24/22 in either direction - and we can't rule out more absorption in the future, since Legendary loot may be yielded from this endgame battle plus Otohan's Backpack, Zathuda's storage cloak and maybe any other armour from the two could be Legendary items just gathering dust among the group, but if Ashton were to take any of them they'd have to wait a day since the Harness only grants 1 permanent and 1 temporary buff per person, and each person who uses it on the same day risks it breaking by 20%. However, we also can't rule out Ashton taking a feat instead of ASI, it's a slim chance but there are some feats that can be of use for Ashton in general or specifically vs Ludinus; Mage Slayer, Strike of the Giants (Hill or Stone Strike, of the two I'd go for Hill because of it causing the prone condition, which will help Ashton and allies, like Orym with that 1d6 extra Force Damage, stack critical damage), and Great Weapon Master could be powerful if they don't focus on ASI. The Tough feat is always good for being tanky too, but such a feat would likely only be used at the Lv. 19 ASI/Feat domain to get the most out of it. The only other places Ashton can get major potential buffs - outside of any new enchanted items that aren't armour - are from Dunamancy and their Titan powers, but neither have provided a clear opening for improvement as of yet. Ashton hit their final Dunamancy path at Lv. 14, where they got Mark of the Messy End (which compared to Essek getting access to stuff like Reality Break doesn't seem to balance out but I guess Wizards are glass cannons so Dunamancy does more with them), but there is a quiet, lingering mystery over how Potions of Possibility and Luxon Beacons will behave if Ashton and their Dunamancy brain interacts with them, given how they have many potions on hand, in general and gifted to them by the Kryn Dynasty before they met with the Nein, and Ludinus using Luxon Beacons as power sources, there is potential for Ashton's Dunamancy to increase that way - or simply through Matt adding an extra Dunamancy path in place of an ASI/Feat, a Dunamancy-based feat, or swapping Primal Champion with something else. The Titan Form could also improve by level, and I kinda hope it does, it's powerful but given the time limit and Exhaustion it's still below the level of Grog's Titanstone Knuckles in terms of utility, if more power or less limitations are imposed the higher their level it could scale Ashton up further in a similar manner to having a Vestige or, in Orym's case, a Relic of the Red Solstice.

Speaking of Orym, you'd assume that he'll also go for the clean 20, but this is Liam O'Brien we're talking about - he gave Vax a Druid level for his love of Keyleth, so you can't put it past him to add a level in Bard for Dorian. Like Ashton, Orym has 2 ASI waiting for him at levels 16 and 19, due to maxing his DEX - and absorbing Ishta overclocking it (a DEX increase that actually makes sense as a Finesse blade Fighter, adding +1 to AC and attack rolls and a higher DC for enemies to save against superiority die attacks) - Orym has already dipped into feats a lot but could always find room for more. Great Weapon Master, Shield Master, Mage Slayer, and Tough again at level 19 are viable options for Orym and his build, but there's also a unique option of, instead of taking a level in Bard, Magic Initiate: Bard in lieu of Dorian; taking the feat lets him gain the 4th attack Lv. 20 Fighter yields while adding some handy Bard magic such as Friends, Thunderwave, Command, Bane or Cure Wounds - all of which are Level 1 Bard spells. While adding a level in Bard would be a nice gesture, the Magic Initiate feat would probably work better for Orym's build if he wanted to reference his connection to Dorian this way, since he doesn't need 4 extra 1st level spells and he already has a lot of proficiencies and bonuses to cover his rolls anyway, plus he still carries the sending stone if he doesn't want to do either. If he went for ASI, Orym could try to rival Ayden's passive perception by buffing his WIS, but I doubt anybody would hold it against him to be less perceptive than a god. Regardless of ASI and feats, a pure 20 in Fighter does up Orym's lethality immensely, getting a potential 12 attacks with two Action Surges - the second gained in Lv. 17 - in one round (16 attacks if hastened and 17 if hastened and a Time Rage Mark of the Messy End - which I believe allows you to attack with Bonus Actions - is used on an enemy), which would make him an extra efficient killer and protector for combat, which suits his character as well. While multiclassing is an uncommon trait to reference a partner, in Orym's case it's probably moreso cute but unnecessary flavouring.

Adding an element of their partner into their build is something Imogen has done already with decent effect, however. Imogen is another pure 20 likelihood; she has 2 ASI, a Metamagic choice, her final Origin Feature - Warping Implosion: essentially you teleport and anyone within 30 feet will be caught in a gravity fissure - and Sorcerous Restoration - 4 sorcery points restored per short rest - waiting for her at the full 20. As alluded, she already has Laudna influences in the Shadow Touched feat and a vial of her blood in her equipment so she needn't use a feat or a multiclass in further reference to her, which means it comes down to what options she chooses for her ASI/Feats and future skills. With her CHA maxed out already, the two ASI would need to go elsewhere or to feats; War Caster could be used to help her concentration spells, such as the reskinned Hunger of Hadar, Telekinesis, and Investiture of Lightning, unused spells such as her mother's Reverse Gravity, Hold Person, or Globe of Invulnerability, or future 8th-9th level spells such as Dominate Monster, Gate, and Mass Polymorph (turn them all into horses!). Otherwise using one of those ASI to add 1 to INT and WIS will add to saving throws of those stats (+1 for INT and +2 for WIS), she can also remove all her stat negatives by adding an ASI to her STR in place of a feat. Imogen also has options with choosing a final Metamagic from Sorcerer; she has Quickened, Distant, and Twinned Spell already, so the next one needs to also be helpful in combat; the potential of Extended and Transmuted Spell are decent, but Heightened Spell may be the best fit for her - spending 3 Sorcery points to impose disadvantage on a spell save can be very useful when using Imogen's spells such as Psychic Lance, especially against powerful magic users like Ludinus. Going a little extra meta with things, Imogen at Lv. 20 is only going to exist in one-shots or guest appearances - which means short rests aren't likely to faze her as much, also recovering 4 out of a total of 20 Sorcery Points per short rest isn't a lot when you get all of them back after a Long Rest. If Imogen were to pull a swerve and multiclass she could simply sacrifice an ASI for an 18/2 split or just take a 19/1 dip without it doing any negative effect to her current build. Of the multiclassing options, I find that the Tempest Cleric could gel pretty well with her build; connecting her lightning magic and her storm analogies (and her attempt to reach out to the Stormlord) from a narrative perspective, while combat-wise she'd get to use Wrath of the Storm to damage anyone that attacks her (as many times as her WIS, so 1-3 depending on her ASI usage) and, if she goes for the 18/2 split, she can use the class' Channel Divinity to max out a spell's lightning damage - which if used on a 9th Level Lightning Bolt is 76 damage without enhancements! - she also gets some minor healing to add to her repertoire, and with a group without a pure Cleric you can't really have a shortage of players who can heal even if it's a little bit. I can't see any other dip doing her as much benefit, so the full 20 is more likely, even if the maxed out Lightning Bolt would work wonders.

You know who also knows Lightning Bolt? Well, a fair amount of players and NPCs but also Dorian! Let's talk our Boy in Blue - no I did not say 'Blue in Boy' in my head when typing, shush! - he's our last PC likely to be a pure 20 of the group, also because the rest have already multiclassed, but like Imogen there is also the opening for a little bit of multiclassing. The ASI in levels 16 and 19 are probably best put into maxing his CHA stat that's currently at 16, DEX could also go up to 20 for additional Gambolcleft damage but the sword is pretty powerful as it is - it depends if Robbie wants Dorian to focus on Spell or Melee output for stats, but casting is probably the better way to go. Not many feats would help Dorian outside of maybe Tough and War Caster, perhaps Slasher but they do seem like minor additions he can go without, so ASI is likely the best route to take for him. Unlike with Orym where a dip in Bard wouldn't do much good mechanically, Dorian could easily take a dip in Fighter and have it be a solid investment; the Bard's Lv. 20 ability Superior Inspiration only helps if you've used up all of your Inspiration, and as said with Imogen that probably won't come up in a one-shot scenario where Lv. 20 Dorian would likely appear, but by Lv. 19 he will already have added spells from any magic class via his final dip into Magical Secrets - and honestly I have no clue what one he could take because like, all of the spells! Wish is probably the go-to one but Dorian doesn't want anything from the gods so maybe not? - and he'll already have a 9th level spell slot from earlier levels. A 1-level dip in Fighter can give Dorian Second Wind for some self-healing and another Fighting Style to choose from: either Superior Technique - like Orym has - or Duelist would suit best, and if Robbie sacrifices an ASI he can go up to a 2nd level for Action Surge, which is handy should he focus on melee. There aren't many other 1-level dips that would suit Dorian narratively, there was probably Warlock potential in EXU: Prime when the crown was in play but since, again, the group lacks a pure healer, Dorian is probably better off investing his stats and skills towards Bard spells - which in turn bolsters DPS as well as healing.

From one Bard/DPS healer to another, Braius debuted with some pretty high stats to begin with, with only WIS being a negative modifier. As a 12/3 multiclass he can go a few different directions - much like his character arc and selection of deity - but it leaves him at a crossroads - also like his character arc. The 12 levels in Oath of the Ancients Paladin means he's locked out of getting Bard's Magical Secrets, if he maxes out his remaining levels in Bard he gets 2 ASI, a College of Tragedy feature (make crits be at rolls 18, 19 and 20 after an ally is hit with a crit plus a '+10 on a roll but a -10 penalty on the next' skill), Countercharm, and his Bardic Inspiration dice will go up to 1d8, but all of those are kinda covered by Dorian's higher level Bard class and Ashton's Mark of the Messy End while in Luck Rage to a higher or better extent. The 3 levels in Bard however has locked Braius out of Paladin's Aura improvements and the big Elder Champion buff, which is a big loss, if maxed out in Paladin they'll get Cleansing Touch - end a spell on yourself or anyone you can touch as many times as your CHA, one ASI, a 5th level spell slot (handy for Banishing Smite, Circle of Power, Destructive Wave, and Summon Celestial), and Undying Sentinel - which is just a once-a-long-rest Relentless Rage with no CON save. Build-wise, it would be best for Braius to go one of three different paths; either go for a 15/5 split - so no 5th level spell but he gets 1 ASI, Undying Sentinel, and Font of Inspiration for the 1d8 inspiration - a 14/6 split - where we swap Undying Sentinel for the college feature, or go the unique path and add a third class - while the 5th level spell slot has powerful spells Braius' combat is much more melee-based so it is a less likely option. A 14/3/3 triple split sacrifices his ASI/feats but 3 levels in Fighter gives him another Fighting Style, Action Surge, Second Wind, and a Fighter subclass to add to his combat prowess. One unlikely Fighter subclass that could suit Braius is the Rune Knight; with 3 levels Braius will have access to 2 runes, which can be tied to his character's artistry, to add to his gear - the Fire and Cloud Runes being the most useful to him from what I see - they would also get Giant's Might as a skill for an extra 1d6 of damage once per turn. Fighter isn't the only class Braius can benefit from though; he would only need to dip 2 levels in Cleric or Druid to gain their subclass-based abilities; a Shepherd Druid would give the group a slight benefit with the Hawk Spirit skill, using a reaction to attack with advantage and having advantage on perception checks, but similar to Imogen he'd probably benefit a bit more from dipping into Cleric - particularly Grave, War, Ambition, and Peace Domain Clerics, who each have abilities that can further empower him. A dip in Barbarian would be handy for Danger Sense - not so much Rage because you can't use spells - maybe opting for the Zealot path subclass, which also suits narratively, for an extra 1d6 damage, or a dip in the Monster Hunter Ranger to aid in picking out weaknesses. A 12/4/4 split could also work, forgoing Cleansing Touch to grant Braius 2 ASI or feats if Sam wanted them; with that they can balance their WIS to 10 and then max out their CHA and another +1 elsewhere, or just do a feat like Fey Touched - since he was touched plenty by a Fey Hag all across her manor - to max the CHA and gain a spell like Hunter's Mark to aid in combat.

Speaking of Hunters, Chetney may not have been designed to survive the campaign but with Travis rolling the fatal 0 when playing as Grog that old man is still, somehow, kicking. If Travis doesn't pull a Bertrand and allows him to continue defying the odds and live to Lv. 20, Chetney would be in a similar position to Braius - having gone the Tealeaf route and locked himself out of the full 20 in Blood Hunter by having a dip in Rogue - in being in a crossroads of classes. If he invests his remaining levels in Blood Hunter to 19, he still gets a lot from the class; 2 Order Features (advantages on bloodlust saving throws and on any branded creature, then unlimited hybrid transformations on the next feature), 2 ASI, and an extra Blood Maledict. Chetney's 1-level dip in Rogue however means he could also invest into any Rogue subclass for a 17/3 split (or a 16/4 split if he sacrifices a Blood Maledict for 2 ASI over one) instead; Assassin would help his damage output especially since he likes going Invisible, but the Revived subclass would be funny implying that he died but miraculously came back and no longer needed to risk dying in his sleep because he doesn't need to sleep anymore. Chet could also triple class like we suggested with Braius; 3-5 levels in Artificer - since he's a toymaker his toys can be infused beyond the enchanted distractions, going for the Armorer subclass can also be handy for the Thunder Gauntlets ability too, 2 levels in Fighter - for Action Surge, 2-4 levels in Monk - which has decent potential if his chisel is made a dedicated weapon plus the possible boons from Kensei, Mercy, or Open Hand paths, or even 3 levels in Ranger - where Hunter, Gloom Stalker, and Monster Slayer subclasses each have skills that could help Chet in combat, can all be seen as options, but it can also run the risk of being overcomplicated. Despite a Feat sidestepping Chet losing control in his Hybrid Form, logic says that Chet would likely stick with the 19/1 route since the feat only imposes a disadvantage against losing control and he can still do collateral damage, character-wise he'd likely want to keep his Lycanthropy on lock as much as he can. Plus, going to 19 Blood Hunter levels yields unlimited transformations and the second ASI hits at Lv. 19; with the two ASI - which he cannot get from triple classing - he can max out his STR and buff up his CON, DEX, and/or CHA for any additional bonuses, he has no negative stats so any are fair game. I don't see any feats that'd be too helpful, but outside of AC or DC boosts from increasing CON or DEX, upping CHA could also help with persuasion and being persuasive and tricksy.

Persuasive and Tricksy are some of many words you can use to define Fearne, who is also a Rogue multiclass. Her current 10/5 with Wildfire Druid as the majority allows her some wiggle room for her to go a few different directions. The 5 levels in Rogue have locked her out of a second ASI in Druid, the timeless body (not really a big deal for a fey), additional Wild Shape perks, and the 9th Level Spell Slot though, but if she invests only into Druid levels for the full 15 she does still gain one ASI and her Wildfire Feature 'Blazing Revival' - where once per long rest Mister can sacrifice himself (I don't think it's a permadeath sacrifice just like an 'off the board until resummoned' sacrifice) to revive her to half HP if she's downed - alongside a 6th, 7th and 8th level spell slot. If she goes for an even spread of 10 levels each with Rogue's Arcane Trickster however, she gains 2 ASI, 2 more proficiencies, Evasion, Magical Ambush, and a few more lower level spells. Both have valid directions - and as much as Fearne is a 'collector' I think a third class probably won't suit her and will perplex Ashley further - for her character even with mixing the level splits; a 12/8 split will grant her 2 ASI and a 6th level spell slot, while a 14/6 split grants one ASI, a 6th and 7th level spell slot, the Blazing Revival, and 2 proficiencies. Since Fearne doesn't do many sneak attacks and uses her Rogue abilities more for pickpocketing, it would probably be sensible to lean more towards Druid; a 15/5 split if she wants that 8th level spell slot for Sunburst, Incendiary Cloud, or Feeblemind, but a 14/6 split if she can do without - Plane Shift could narratively be on her radar so she can travel to the Feywild as she pleases, but Fire Storm is still a mighty 7th level spell that can be additionally buffed by her titan form which as mentioned with Ashton could also potentially scale up with levels - would give her more stuff to work with, plus extra Druid Levels buffs up Mister's health so he could be looking at 75-80 total HP (5+(Druid Level x 5)) depending on whether Fearne goes level 14 or 15. Since Fearne took War Caster already from her last level and her WIS is already maxed out, ASI to CON could be looked into to add health, AC, and DC, while also improving her chances at holding concentration for her saving throws, alternatively she can up her DEX to improve her pickpocketing so she can finally claim one of those eggs, since she's tragically 0-2 on that. Feat-wise, there is still the Elemental Adept: Fire feat to bypass enemy resistances to Fire too, lots of enemies will have Fire Resistance after all, so if she doesn't want to use ASI there is still that to use it on. So level-wise there is some wiggle room but class-wise she is better off picking one to focus on.

Our final member of the Hells Laudna has already picked her focused class; on a 12/3 Sorlock with her patron bound to a soul anchor - get fucked Delilah - she has implied to go pure Sorcerer from herein. Marisha has previously stated that she saw no gain in any more Warlock levels even when Delilah was still active and while a 6th level in Warlock would grant her an ASI at Lv.4 and unlocks Grave Touched - change damage to Necrotic plus 1 extra damage die when in Form of Dread, which is pretty solid - it does indeed suit narratively for Laudna to avoid more Warlock levels. The 3 levels she has gained from Warlock though have (war)locked her out of her final Sorcery feature of Umbral Form - which would've made her resistant to everything but Force and Radiant Damage, so like Braius' Primal Champion it's quite the loss - but she still looks to get Shadow Walk which aids her mobility, providing that there's darkness or shadows in the vicinity, as well as one ASI and another Metamagic option by continuing the Sorcerer's path, not to mention a dangerous 9th level spell slot. Unlike Imogen, Laudna opted for Empowered Spell in her current Metamagics alongside Quickened and Twinned, doing Heightened or Transmuted probably wouldn't suit Laudna like it does her partner though. Instead, Careful Spell could be a good choice for Laudna since her CHA is maxed out, so she could pick 5 creatures to auto-succeed a saving throw to a spell she sends, but since she doesn't have many AoE spells Extended Spell may be the better fit to keep up concentration on spells like Animate Objects, Mirror Image, or any future powerful concentration spells she'll have access to like Eyebite, Globe of Invulnerability, Reverse Gravity, or Blade of Disaster - which Delilah used pretty effectively in Aeor - ongoing. Even so, the one ASI remains; the Amulet of Health puts her CON to a fixed 19 so if she added one CON it'd be 16 without attunement, which is still pretty good but worthless if she just keeps using the amulet, she could put +1 in her woeful STR so it's a -2 rather than -3, or opt for feats such as War Caster - for those powerful concentration spells - or another Eldritch Invocation with Eldritch Adept, such as Armor of Shadows or Eldritch Spear, which may be more fitting for her fun scary nature.

And that's all of them, for a TL/DR I expect Ashton, Orym, Dorian and Imogen to do the pure 20 for their classes, while Chetney will go 19/1, Braius and Fearne go 14/6, and Laudna goes 17/3. But if it were me, the only ones I'd adjust from those would be Dorian (19/1, adding Fighter), Imogen (18/2, adding Tempest Cleric), and Braius (14/3/3, adding Rune Knight Fighter) just from a meta/fun perspective. Either way I'll just be happy to see them make Level 20, so fingers and every other digit I have stay crossed for whichever route they choose.

[luminologism]

skytober day 19 - shards

letting go of you, that's a heartbreak

[just-my-latest-hyperfixation]

To the victor the spoils

Written for the @steddieholidaydrabbles, day 19

Prompt: Enemies to lovers

Rated: T

CW: light blood and violence; steamy kissing; very light dubcon if you squint (they're actually both super into it, I promise)

Tags: Fantasy AU; Magic AU; Guard!Steve; Thief!Eddie; Sexual tension; Flirting; Fighting; First kiss

Notes: Thought that kiss was hot in writing? Wait until you see it! @house-of-the-moving-image did an entire mini comic!

In the end, it’s just the two of them again. 

Steve jumps over another groaning pile of half-conscious guards and bursts out onto the roof, cold night air slapping him in the face and making the cape of his uniform whip. 

“Munson!” he barks. 

He is standing by the edge of the roof, a black cut-out against the starlit sky. As Steve stalks closer, he can see the smile curling at his lips, the amusement glinting in those dark eyes. 

“Stevie,” he greets, like they’re two acquaintances who’ve just met on the market square - not the new Captain of the Guard and the city’s most wanted criminal. “My, don’cha look strapping in the new get-up. Congrats, I bet daddy’s mighty proud.” 

“Shut it,” Steve growls, ignoring the way Eddie’s eyes linger on his golden breastplate, the way it makes a treacherous heat prickle at his neck. “Flattery will get you nowhere. Now give it back!” 

He jerks his head at the necklace clutched in one black-gloved hand. Eddie pouts. 

“Don’t wanna. It’s shiny.” 

Steve groans. It’s like talking to a five-year-old. A five-year old clad in black armor who’s versed in combat magic. 

“It is a priceless magic artifact that’s been in Lord Carver's family for generations-” 

“Yeah, and what a load of good they’ve done with it,” Eddie sneers. “High time it got into the hands of someone who actually knows what they’re doing.” 

“Oh, and that someone would be you?” 

“Look at you,” Eddie winks. “Pretty and clever. Now if you’ll excuse me, I gotta-” 

“You’re not going anywhere!” Steve snaps. His sword slides out with a high, metallic sound. 

Eddie raises his hands. “Woah, big boy. Careful now, you don’t wanna-” 

Steve roars and lunges. 

Eddie skips out of reach, but not quite fast enough. A lock of curly hair floats to the ground. 

“Oh sweetheart, you're gonna regret this,” Eddie purrs. 

And all hell breaks loose. 

The air crackles with the taste of ozone, a blinding light erupts from the artifact, and Steve just barely manages to parry. Something whirrs through the air, glides off his blade and a sharp, hot pain explodes all over the side of his face. Something warm trickles down his cheek. 

“Hell yeah,” Eddie whoops and comes flying at him, giant shards of solid magic whirling around him, eyes eerily alight with their glow. “That's what I'm talking about!” 

The world blurs into a frenzy of movement and adrenaline. Attack and parry, dive for cover behind the towers and turrets and battlements of the roof, attack again. It’s almost comforting in its familiarity, this dance of theirs. Steve knows all of Eddie’s little quirks, the subtle twitches of his face that indicate his attacks before they actually come. They’ve done this so often, he can read him like an open book. 

The problem is, Eddie knows him just as intimately. Steve screams with rage, forces his aching limbs to go faster, harder, but it’s no use. Every blow that he tries to land, Eddie blocks, every twist and turn he makes, Eddie’s already there, always with that infuriating, dimpled grin, that amused little quirk of his brow. 

Until Steve’s foot lands on a wet patch of moss and he slips. 

It all goes so fast he has no time to be terrified - just feels the horrible sense of vertigo as the world tilts and the cobbled street jumps at him. Then, before he can so much as scream, there's arms wrapping around him and he's being hauled backwards, back pressed flush against another body. His blade goes clattering into the shadows.

“Whoops,” Eddie chuckles into his ear. Steve can feel his chest rising and falling with exertion, can feel his hot breath clouding against the shell of his ear. “Thought I told you not to fall for me.”

“Shut up,” he snaps, tries to struggle free, but Eddie has one arm around his chest, the other flush against the hollow of his throat, and he can't go anywhere. “Don’t give yourself too much credit.” 

“Oh, do I?" Eddie’s lips twitch into a smirk against the nape of his neck. “Then why were you holding back?” 

“Fuck you!” he grits out, but all it earns him is a low tut. “Now release me.”

“What, without a reward?” Eddie’s voice tingles down his spine, sweet and potent like poisoned mead. “You know how I am about pretty things. And you wouldn't wanna deny the victor his spoils, would you?” 

“Asshole!” Humiliation coils hot and heavy in Steve’s abdomen. “Stop joking and-” 

Eddie snarls against his ear. “I've told you a million times, honey. I'm not joking.” 

Steve’s world spins again, breath punched clean from his lungs as he is flipped around and slammed against the nearest wall. Eddie doesn’t leave him any time to recover, just surges in with a hungry growl and crashes their lips together. When Steve tries to struggle, he bites down on his bottom lip, uses the pained gasp it earns him to lick into his mouth. 

Someone moans, but it takes Eddie running his tongue over the roof of his mouth and pushing a leg between his thighs before the sound tumbles out again and Steve recognizes his own voice. They only break apart when they run out of air, both flushed and struggling for breath. 

And that is when the door to the roof slams open and Lord Carver and his men push through. 

“He went this way! Seize him!”

Eddie lets out an annoyed huff and leans in for one last peck against Steve’s lips. 

“Sorry, darling. Gotta go, y'know how it is. See you next time.” 

He steps out of his space and the night air hits Steve like a bucket of ice water. Eddie winks at him and steps over the edge of the roof. 

By the time Carver and his guards arrive, the night has long swallowed him.

Part 2

All my holiday drabbles

[thalialunacy]

[for the @calaisreno May Promptcation. two fills in one day wooooo that's how much i hate my job lolol]

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (20) (21) (22) (23) 24: imperfect (25) (26) (27) (28) (29) (30) (31)

The silence that greets John as he walks up the seventeen steps, bags of groceries in hand, is perfectly ominous. He's only been gone two hours, for God's sake.

… but he's kidding himself if he thinks Rosie & Sherlock can't do a significant amount of damage in twenty minutes, let alone two hours.

He resigns himself to a huge repair bill and/or an angry Mrs Hudson, and opens the door.

Sherlock is stood in front of the sitting room table, holding a squirmy Rosie. 'Hello, John.'

'Hi Daddyyyyy.'

John raises an eyebrow. 'She's very excited about something.'

Sherlock clears his throat and looks down momentarily. 'Yes. Well. We may have had an exciting…incident.'

John sets the bags down on the kitchen table then walks back to face them. He runs his eyes over his daughter, but doesn't see any obvious damage. 'Any blood?' 

'Absolutely not,' Sherlock says immediately.

'On either of you?' John amends.

Sherlock shifts Rosie in his arms. 'Not important.'

'Alright, I'll bite. What is important, then?'

'Well, first we need to apologise, because we may have--'

'Broke bowl,' Rosie interrupts him firmly.

John shakes his head. 'We break bowls all the time, I don't--'

Sherlock moves aside, and John sees what's on the sitting room desk behind him.

'Oh,' he says shortly, his heart plummeting somewhere into his belly. On the table sits a sad pile of ceramic shards where once a handmade bowl had stood.

His eyes start to sting. John has very little left of his mum, and she'd been especially proud of that bowl. He can feel his heart rate increase as anger begins singing through him.

'I'm so sorry, John.' Sherlock's voice is low, and John's gaze snaps to him. His cool eyes are muddled with worry, and that's enough to jolt John into action.

'Need a minute, thanks,' he says, enunciating clearly, and Sherlock doesn't hesitate to nod, then reaches for a toy with which to distract Rosie.

John closes his eyes and doesn't count to ten; instead he forces air into his lungs, pictures his baby girl, and begins to count her toes and fingers. This he does, over and over and over again, until he can breathe, until he feels the anger slip and slide on its way, transforming into resignation and maybe even a glimmer of acceptance.

It is what it is.

He opens his eyes and breathes out. His body feels loose, almost depleted, but the red haze is gone. 'What happened?' he asks, throat a bit rough, as he approaches the table. Part of the bowl is actually intact, though there are a few small cracks running along it like wrinkles.

'We were playing aeroplane,' Sherlock explains, 'and her feet made an unexpected landing, one could say.'

John's lips twitch. 'And you're all right? You didn't try to heroically save the shards and end up slicing your hand open?'

Sherlock's face-- John's not sure what to make of it, exactly, but he has the feeling that as soon as they've settled in for the night he's going to have the living daylights kissed out of him. He is very much on board.

'It's just a little cut,' Sherlock says. 'And I already have a plaster on it.' He shifts Rosie and holds up the wounded finger in evidence.

It's a Sesame Street plaster, and that for some reason breaks John. He feels laughter shake through his limbs. 'Oh, Christ,' he says, wiping his eyes and looking up at Sherlock. A final chuckle escapes him, then he nods. 'You know what we're going to do?'

'What are we going to do?'

'We're going to declare that what was once a bowl is now an ashtray. In its final form, like.'

Sherlock lets out a surprised huff of laughter. 'An ashtray, you say?'

Rosie is not to be left out. 'What's ash tray?'

John and Sherlock exchange a look, but Sherlock speaks first. 'Something that will sit on our shelf, right here--' He walks over to the bookshelf by the fireplace. '--right next to the one that we s--'

John clears his throat.

'--acquired from the Palace.'

Rosie perks up, no longer interested in the ashtrays one little bit. 'Palace?'

Sherlock realises he's landed into some Prince & Princess Time a split second too late to do anything about it. 'Yes, palace,' he ad libs. 'In the sky!'

Rosie's eyes go wide, and the corner of John's mouth turns up. 'Well done.' He walks over to where they're standing and kisses them both. 'I'm going to put away the groceries and see about tea, all right?'

Sherlock leans in and kisses him again before he can move away. 'Thank you,' he says quietly while shifting Rosie to his other side. 'I know that's difficult for you.'

John nods in acknowledgement, and picks up the newly-christened ashtray one more time. 'Looks a little… rough, but should work fine.'

'It has character,' Sherlock replies.

'Personality.'

'An origin story.'

'A palace!' Rosie interjects, throwing her hands up in the air.

John's grin matches Sherlock's smirk. 'Close enough.'

[ <3 ]

And we get a little further from perfection Each year on the road / I think that's called 'character'; I think that's Just the way it goes

[inspired by 'Imperfectly' by Ani Difranco, from the album Imperfectly, which I have been listening to obsessively bc of this, and it's been a marvellous, self-indulgent time.]

[cantdrawbutimhere]

After reading a post I had a question, was bored, and then I wasted hours of my life.

said question: what every coach's % in Ao3 tagging is out of the 365 fics. here's the answer that no one asked for:

Jack rose: 210 (57%)

Wanderlust: 198 ( 54%)

Brezziana: 135 ( 36%)

Mihaily: 137 ( 37%)

Sara: 127 ( 34%)

Night Swan: 126 (34%)

The Traveler: 72 ( 19%)

Mr Overload: 1 (0.2%)

Si’Ha Nova: 64 (17%)

Disco: 32 ( 8.7%)

Rubika: 3 ( 0.8%)

Giulia:2 ( 0.5%)

Panda: 19 (5.2%)

Alano: 5 (1.3%)

Lilith: 7 (1.9%)

Ari: 12 (3.2%)

Grace: 12 (3.2%)

Rasputin: 6 (1.6%)

Phoenix: 6 (1.6)

Freyja: 3 (0.82%)

Clementine: 4 (1%)

Mr. Saxobeat: 7 (1.9%)

California girls: 2 (0.5%)

Liza Friday: 19 (5.2%)

Hit the lights: 1 (0.2%)

Disturbia: 1(0.2%)

Alzena:3 (0.8%)

The sweet escape (beta): 1(0.2%)

Icona Shard: 8 (2.1%)

Skarlet gold:8 (2.1%)

Scotty <3: 10 (2.7%)

Starships: 2 (0.5%)

Topaz: 1 (0.2%)

Ruby:1 (0.2%)

Onyx:1(0.2%)

Boss witch: 11 (3.0%)

Vester:13 (3.5%)

Louise Dallas: 5 (1.3%)

Countless Butterfly: 4 (1%)

Cygnus: 35 (9.5%)

April:3 (0.8%)

Devlin: 4 (1%)

Gabriela:4 (1%)

Layl:4 (1%)

Temperature P2: 4 (1%)

Liv: 18  (4.9%)

Blake: 19 (5.2%)

Gray: 5 (1.3%)

Haze: 6 (1.6%)

Joy-ce: 4 (1%)

T-Bam<3my son: 4 (1%)

Felicia: 9  (2.4%)

Ruban: 4 (1%)

Polo: 5 (1.3%)

Unai: 2 (0.5%)

Agent D: 2 (0.5%)

Captain Catastrophe: 2 (0.5%)

Mothigan: 11 (3%)

Oshii: 1(0.2%)

Pokerface(all): 1 (0.2%)

Rich Girl: 1(0.2%)

Evachase: 2 (0.5%)

Cameron: 1 (0.2%)

Sailor: 2 (0.5%) 

Valentine: 1 (0.2%)

I like it P3: 3 (0.8%)

Sweet Sensation: 3 (0.8%)

Lauren: 1 (0.2%)

Tyler: 2 (0.5%)

Rudolf: 1(0.2%)

Pandafan: 5 (1.3%)

Deerstan: 4 (1%)

Lucero:1 (0.2%)

Mariol:1(0.2%)

DJ Lama:1(0.2%)

Small town boy:1(0.2%)

Cat:2 (0.5%)

I feel it coming: 1 (0.2%)

Lights: 1 (0.2%)

Don't Start me now:2 (0.5%)

Levitating extreme(the guard):  2 (0.5%)

Etria: 2 (0.5%)

Rosearia:2 (0.5%)

Phone Girl: 4 (1%)

Hair Man: 8 (2.1%)

Pool man:4 (1%)

Luke Cyther: 16 (4.3%)

Fuchsia Blue:1 (0.2%)

Can't hold us: 1(0.2%)

Michiya:1(0.2%)

Captain Crimson:1(0.2%)

Plum:1(0.2%)

Forgotten Queen:1(0.2%)

Moxie:1(0.2%)

Joshua: 1(0.2%)

Mayble: 3 (0.8%)

Keenen:1 (0.2%)

Brooke:1 (0.2%)

Isaac:1 (0.2%)

Doran:1 (0.2%)

Diego:1 (0.2%)

Rock N' roll Will get you up the mountain: 5 (1.3%)

Hadley: 4 (1%)

Banagrange (both): 2 (0.5%)

Till I find you: 1 (0.2%)

Migul:1 (0.2%)

Arleen: 3 (0.8%)

Im an Albatraoz: 2 (0.5%) 

A little Party Killed nobody: 1 (0.2%)

Bang bang:1 (0.2%)

Ann. G Lina:11 (3.0%)

Venus coach:1 (0.2%)

Selios: 5 (1.3%)

Triton: 3 (0.8%)

Lets save the planet: 3 (0.8%)

Stop, drop, roll: 2 (0.5%)

Happy: 1 (0.2%)

Kill this love: 1 (0.2%)

Adameve:1(0.2%)

Baby one more time: (1:1=(0.2%)) (2:2=(0.5%)) (3:1(0.2%)) (4:1(0.2%))

Rave in the grave: 1 (0.2%)

Crystal: 6 (1.6%)

Pulse: 4 (5?) (1%, 1.3%?)

Dolores:ew 6 (1.6%)

Love again: 1 (0.2%)

Chaves: 4 (1%)

Estrella: 6 (1.6%)

Juan: 4 (1%)

Kimby Bill: 4 (1%)

Russil Bill: 4 (1%)

Teddy Bill: 10 (2.7%)

The Bride: 11 (3%)

 Calypso: 2 (0.5%)

Talia Sway: 13 (3.5%)

Shadow rider: 3 (0.8%)

Epsilon: 7 (1.9%)

Lacrosma: 1 (0.2%)

Alec: 1 (0.2%)

All the stars: 1 (0.2%))

Sacrifice C2:6 (1.6%) 

Girlfriend (both): 1(0.2%)

Bonnie: 1(0.2%)

Clyde:1(0.2%)

Jopping P1: 2 (0.5%)

Jopping P2: 3 (0.8%)

Jopping P3:2 (0.5%)

Aureain:2 (0.5%)

Dark Horse:1 (0.2%)

I kissed a girl:2 (0.5%)

Rare:1 (0.2%)

Beedabop:5 (1.3%)

Kaa’riki 1 (0.2%)

Masi’el: 1 (0.2%)

Body moving: 3 (0.8%)

did I miss some? I bet. my sanity ran out.

if you for some reason read all of this, why? But have a great day/night!

[kikker-oma]

Whumptober 2023 Masterlist

Day 1 - Swooning/ How many fingers?

Day 2 - They don't care about you

Day 3 - Make it stop/ Empty room + moon

Day 4 - Shock

Day 5 - Pinned Down

Day 6 - It should have been me

Day 7 - Can you hear me?

Day 8 - Shaking

Day 9 - You're a liar

Day 10 - Stranded

Day 11 - Examination

Day 12 - I haven't slept in days

Day 13 - Infection/ Cold compress

Day 14 - Water inhalation

Day 15 - Makeshift bandages/ I'm fine

Day 16 - Flatline

Day 17 - Leave me alone

Day 18 - Hit them harder

Day 19 - I'm not as stupid as you think I am

Day 20 - Found family (Fluff)

Day 21 - See the chains around my feet

Day 22 - Glass shard

Day 23 - Shadows/ Who's there

Day 24 - Goodbye note

Day 25 - They're not breathing

Day 26 - Sometimes I get so tired, I dont even know myself

Day 27 - Scars/ Let me see

Day 28 - We might not make it to morning, so go on and tell me now

Day 29 - What happened to me

Day 30 - Bridal carry

Day 31 - Emptiness

[monstersdownthepath]

Herald of Asmodeus: Basileus

CR 15

Lawful Evil Medium Outsider

Inner Sea Gods, pg. 278 (though the picture is from Council of Thieves: Mother of Flies, pg. 79

Yes, Medium sized. You see, Basileus is NOT the terrifying, diabolic apparition with multiple snakes emerging from it, but the tiny figure settled in its ribcage. Crafted from the very essence of Hell itself to fill Asmodeus’ lofty expectations--expectations which spelled death for at least six other Heralds before--Basileus represents the power of Hell incarnate, which includes the ability to cow any lesser being nearby into submission with nothing but a look. While his Veil of Forms normally keeps his true nature hidden from onlookers and makes him look attractive to anyone who can see him, he can raise or drop this comforting veil as a free action to wreak unholy terror on everyone that draws too close... but we’ll get to that later. First, a bit of background!

Basileus (or “Basil,” as I’ll be calling him from here on out) is Asmodeus’ perfect doll, crafted from Hell’s essence and, some say, the best parts of his past Heralds, all of whom disappointed him in some fashion. For a tyrant who desires absolute control, the only solution he would accept is the creation of a being who would follow his orders without question, hesitation, or creative interpretation. Basil does exactly as Asmodeus commands, following orders in accordance with both their spirit and letter with an efficiency that rivals machines, and thankfully for the mortal plane, these orders usually have him serving as an envoy and diplomat between Asmodeus and other powers across the Great Beyond. He is explicitly stated to rarely ever step onto the Material Plane, and even then only long enough to complete a task which directly benefits Hell and its infernal master. He tolerates mortals in the same way a sculptor tolerates dust and stone shards all over the floor, in that dealing with them is a side-effect in the process of creating something worthwhile, but they’re ultimately waste to be brushed aside and disposed of the instant the main project is finished, and certainly nothing to cozy up to and talk with. Basil’s contempt for mortals is one of his most famous aspects, to the point that even Asmodeus’ own followers hesitate to beseech their god for his Herald’s assistance, seeing the diabolic abomination as a last resort despite the power he offers his summoners, which includes the ability to grant a Wish once a day... but only for a mortal.

There is some delicious irony in Basileus having the most powerful spell available to him 1/day, a power no other Herald approaches, but he can only use it on the very mortals he despises. No matter how pitiful their lack of imagination or careless their wording, this power belongs to them. Unfortunately, he’s quite clever in manipulating people into getting what he wants out of their wishes, and only grants them in accordance with Asmodeus’ desires anyway, so the irony isn’t AS delicious as it could be.

Despite being a glorified mailman in terms of purpose, Basil nonetheless embodies perfection in every respect, both physical and mental: He possesses the strength to bend iron with his bare hands (26), arrow-dodging levels of dexterity (22), an indestructible constitution (25), staggering intellect (26), and enough charisma to clash with the most boisterous personalities and lay them low at his feet (25). The only stat of his that’s lower than 20 is his Wisdom, sitting at a 19. While many Heralds have one or two of his stats beaten out, no other Herald has such towering ability scores across the board, truly showing off Asmodeus’ craftsmanship... pity that he falls short in many other areas including, ironically, his hit dice. Though he has a nearly-unequaled stat distribution, he actually has less HD than the average Herald at 16, whereas most have 17 or 18 (though Sunlord Thalachos and the Menotherian both have 15 for whatever reason).

Of course, such flaws in his form aren’t evident to anyone not looking directly at his statblock. To everyone in-universe, Basileus is something like an advancing wall of death, something to be desperately avoided at all costs, because coming too close to the Herald of Hell may see one slain before they can even draw their weapon.

As previously mentioned, Basil normally hides behind a Veil of Forms, a specialized illusion which makes him look attractive to whomever is looking at him, regardless of their individual tastes and preferences. If he cannot be attractive then he will appear powerful instead, and oftentimes he combines the two... just not intentionally. Basil has no control over what onlookers see, nor does he gain any supernatural insight into whatever they’re seeing, and truth be told he doesn’t really care (if he did, he has a +23 Sense Motive to try and hash it out). The more important part is what happens when he drops his veil.

Basil can raise or lower his veil as a free action on his turn with no limit, allowing him to lower it and expose his true, diabolic form just enough to focus his crushing Gaze onto a creature within 30ft before raising it when that poor victim drops to the floor, dead as a doornail. You see, any being subjected to his Gaze must succeed a DC 25 Will save or be subjected to the illusory sight of the most terrifying thing they can possibly imagine, a sight so overwhelmingly horrifying that any creature with 6 HD or fewer is slain instantly if they fail the save, while everything above the threshold becomes irrationally panicked for 2d4 rounds if they fail, and REGARDLESS if they pass or fail, victims take 6d6 points of damage from the strain of seeing their worst fears brought to life before them. While he normally uses this power to snuff out a select creature like a candle, in pitched combat he can simply leave the veil down, blasting everyone around him constantly as long as they keep looking at him; the damage and panic recur every round a creature remains within 30ft of the Herald of Hell while also looking at him, as there is no 24 hour immunity clause.

You may notice a couple harsh limits to this otherwise overwhelming power: A strict 30ft limit, and victims must be able to see him. So long as you’re either keeping your distance or keeping your eyes closed, his terrifying gaze can’t affect you, and he lacks any ability which explicitly punishes a creature trying to blind-fight him like Sneak Attack... though this isn’t to say that the embodiment of Asmodeus’ will can be beaten by simply closing one’s eyes, no. He has plenty of other tricks up his horrible, horrible sleeves.

First and foremost is his least impressive aspect, his melee: Basil can cause horrible wounds to open up on any creature he touches, inflicting 1d8+8 damage. This is less than impressive, especially when stapled to his Medium-sized frame, but he has other options. Five of them, in fact! When his veil is down and his true diabolic body is exposed, he produces five additional, monstrous limbs which can slam anything within 15ft of him for 1d8+8 damage each, making his melee offense much scarier. However, this isn’t where he truly shines. No, his magic is the scariest thing about him.

As a being of illusions, Basil has quite the menagerie of illusion spells. At-will, he can use False Vision to prevent people from scrying on him or anyone he’s talking to, Mirage Arcana to shape the terrain to his liking, and Persistent Image for basically whatever distraction he needs. At 3/day, he can use Phantasmal Killer to terrify someone outside his 30ft aura of terror to death, but more dangerously he can use Greater Invisibility 3/day, which prevents him from using his lethal gaze but combines in a bad way (for everyone else) with his supernatural 60ft flight speed, his natural +25 to Stealth, and the rest of his offensive prowess, mainly consisting of his melee slams and his at-will Scorching Ray for any distant foes.

Cheating is only fun when the devil does it, so of course Basil can both Greater Teleport at-will and use Ethereal Jaunt 3/day BUT he has Dimensional Anchor to prevent anyone else from doing it. Likewise, all of his illusory power can be defeated with True Seeing, so he has THAT available at 3/day, and Greater Dispel Magic besides to destroy whatever spells or effects he cannot maneuver around. It’s especially fun to shuck buffs off anyone trying to fly up and harm him or use spells to make themselves immune to fear (his Gaze is a mind-affecting fear effect, so immunity to fear prevents the entire thing!), fire, or poison.

Poison? Oh yes. I forgot to mention the poison, didn’t I? It’s the very first spell you’d see in his statblock, as well! Cloudkill. At-will. The mist covering alone would be valuable enough, but the poisonous cloud slaughters anything too low-HD for him to care about in a single breath while sapping 1d4 Constitution slowly but surely out of everything else. Immune to poison himself (and Fire, but that’s besides the point), Basil can spray Cloudkill in every direction and even in his own space without fear every single round, and it makes trying to fight him through his Greater Invisibility all the more dangerous, as the twisting mists further hide his movements. And as mentioned, he enjoys cheating, which is why he has Blind-Fight for himself when he battles in his own poisonous clouds, giving him a much higher chance to actually connect with his melee or Scorching Rays than he’d otherwise have.

Basileus is a terrifying and potentially frustrating foe, often able to spell the end of a battle as a free action just by lowering his veil and blasting the entire party with 2d4 rounds of panic and 6d6 irresistible, typeless damage which will continue to grind down anyone not completely immune to fear. Then, when everyone is fleeing screaming from the awful thing, he fills their spaces with Cloudkill, blasts them with Phantasmal Killer or Scorching Ray, or simply LEAVES with his teleport or jaunt. The guy is a jerk, but you have to admire his efficiency; every other Herald needs at least one standard action on their turn to send the whole party packing!

You can read more about him here.

[desultory-novice]

March Kirby Birthdays!

Head's up, everyone! Following that zany little leap year day known as February 29th, we'll be heading into March, the month with the highest amount of Kirby Game/Character Birthdays! Everyone who wants to draw, write, or otherwise celebrate, mark your calendars!!

03/07 - Extra Epic Yarn (5 yrs old!) -it's just the port; no new characters introduced : )

03/16 - Star Allies (6 yrs old!) -The Three Mage Sisters (Flamberge, Francisca, and Zan) -Lord Hyness -Void Termina + Void

03/21 - DL 2 (29 yrs old!) + Super Star (28 yrs old!) -Rick, Coo, Kine -Gooey (alt 1 - first appearance) -Dark Matter Blade / Real Dark Matter -Bandanna Waddle Dee -The Meta-Knights (alt 1 - as a full crew w/ sailor dee and vul) -Marx -Galactic Nova

03/23 - Adventure (31 yrs old!) -Meta Knight -The Meta-Knights (alt 2 - first appearance; non-speaking) -Nightmare

03/24 - Canvas Curse (19 yrs old!) + Crystal Shards (24 yrs old!) -Drawcia -Ribbon -Adeleine (alt 1 - first appearance by this name) -Fairy Queen -Miracle Matter -02

03/25 - Forgotten Land (2 yrs old!) -Elfilin -The Beast Pack (Gorimondo, Clawroline, Sillydillo, Leongar) -Fecto Forgo + Fecto Elfilis

03/27 - Dream Land 3 (26 yrs old!) -Nago, Pitch, Chuchu -Gooey (alt 2 - first playable appearance) -Ado (alt 2 - first appearance if you believe Ado = Adeleine) -Zero

[katyawriteswhump]

omega found, omega lost #4

Chapter 1 on tumblr Chapter 2 on tumblr Chapter 3 on tumblr On AO3

Title: Omega found, Omega lost; Chapter: 4/5; WC: 2356; Rating: E; Tags: Steddie, Omega Steve, Alpha Eddie, angst, hurt/comfort, fluff, nightmares.

for whumptober prompts day 19: blood trail, abandoned cabin, one way out. day 20: emotional angst, and day 22: bleeding through bandages, day 26: nightmares, and day 27: voiceless (yes, whoops, that's a lot of whump!)

Chapter 4: "I have no mouth and I must scream"

Then came the shout: “Alpha—get away from the Omega. Come out now, and if he’s unharmed, we’ll spare you.”

Eddie jumped up, insides wrenching at the small distance between he and Steve, while Steve was so sick. He glanced around, loathing even to rip his eyes from the Omega.

Was there any other way out of the cabin? Could he somehow haul Steve over one shoulder and flee? He’d never wanted to be a clod-headed beefcake kind of Alpha. Right now, it could be helpful. If they could get out. He assessed only the one door and two windows, the closest of which was now shattered and letting in a sleety gale.

An impotent growl escaped him. He grabbed for his damp pants, hoiking them on. He might make it out alone, but he couldn’t leave Steve at the mercy of a baying pack. Even Steve’s own pack. Eddie trusted them less than ever. Was this it… was he gonna die?

All this streaked through his head in a few seconds. He’d not even started to properly lose his shit, before another shout boomed from outside:

“What the heck are you morons doing throwing rocks? What you gonna do next—burn the cabin down?”

Eddie recognised that rumbling voice. Jim Hopper, chief Alpha of the Hawkins pack. Yeah, Wayne always claimed he was a reasonable guy. The idea of handing over Steve to anyone, however trustworthy, gouged like a jackknife in Eddie’s gut. He dashed to the unbroken window, squatted down, and glanced out.

 A couple of Alphas—oh, yeah, and Steve’s Beta dad—prowled the thawing snow, carrying rifles and sticks.

Nope. No sneaking out that way.

“You gonna open this door, Alpha, or do I kick it down?” Hopper hammered on the flimsy wood.

“I’m coming.” No choice. No damn choice.

Eddie dragged his shirt on, slunk to the door, pulled the bolt aside. Hopper barged in, and Eddie stood his ground between the larger Alpha and Steve—shoulders squared, fists clenched, his lips peeling back from his gums and his incisor-fangs quickening. He expected the larger Alpha to grab him or go straight for Steve. He wasn’t sure how he was gonna defend the Omega, only that he must.

Should he really make a dash for that shard of glass and slash it at Hopper’s throat?

Hopper’s attention latched straight onto Steve, and he made no sudden move. He closed the door behind, before the rest of the pack could swarm in, which was unexpected: “Christ, tell me he’s alive, Munson.”

Eddie was stunned enough to let Hopper pass.

“Yeah, he’s… he’s alive, okay?” Eddie hurried back to Steve’s side. “I found him caught in a hunter’s trap, and he was bleeding and scared and really, really cold.” Christ, in the minute since he’d unwound his body from Steve’s, the Omega’s lips had turned a worrying shade of blue. “Look, you gotta get him to a hospital. The rest of your pack can…”

Eddie trailed off, mouth hanging open. Stop thinking like a knot-head Alpha and think like Eddie Munson.

He wasn’t gonna beg to be torn to pieces, especially for so little ends. That said, Hopper appeared to have no intention of chewing his head off, at least not literally. Eddie shoulders and spine sagged, and his head drooped: “How many of your goons are out there?”

“There’s a dozen Betas and three more Alphas, all howling for your blood.” Hopper huddled Steve in the blanket and scooped him up into his arms. Eddie bristled at his own helplessness and a tinge of jealousy. “We didn’t even need the blood trail to follow! He’s letting off scent like he’s gone into heat, and we scented you too. Did you knot him?”

“No! I swear on my life.” His sudden fear for Steve proved the most painful stab yet. “You can’t let them punish him, man.”

Hopper effortlessly jostled Steve up a little, so Steve's lolling head rested against his shoulder. “The Omega is the least of your problems, Alpha. If it wasn’t for your uncle, I’d rip your throat out myself, apart from… this is as much my damn fault as yours.” Huh? Eddie hadn’t been expecting that. Nor Hopper’s guilty glance down at Steve. “I should have kept him glued to my side last night. Look, you better get outta here pronto.”

“How?” Eddie flapped his arms around wildly, reverting to the feckless teen he’d been only a couple of years before. “There’s only one way out.”

Hopper chuckled dryly. “Your old man knew different when he hid out here. There’s a panel behind the stove.  Took me ages to figure how the crafty old dog gave me the slip. Go. Hide. I’ll draw them away. Make sure nobody torches the place.”

Eddie obeyed, hating it. What choice did he have? While he sensed Hopper had Steve’s best interests at heart, he churned with anger at the whole damn world, and at himself.

Fuck, he was such a terrible Alpha. This proved how unready he was for a soulmate, let alone fatherhood and shit.

He had to let Steve go. Others could take better care of him.

As he hauled aside the stove, he dared not glance over his shoulder, in case he shed an incriminatingly un-Alpha tear.

…

Steve had been sick and hurt. Of that part, he was sure. But he’d been okay.

Eddie’s warm scent and body had enveloped him. The brush of Eddie’s soft lips had comforted him. Then he’d been ripped from that safe cocoon and hurled straight into Hell.

Barbed fangs glinted in an inky blackness, and the beast pounced, fangs piercing deep into Steve’s leg. It lifted him in its jaws and shook him violently, before smashing him into the icy ground, a hunk of dying meat.

He couldn’t hear his own scream after scream after scream. The exposed nerves and tendons in his ankle screamed louder, mocking his silence. The stench of his blood clotted in his nose and clogged up his throat, already shredded by his useless cries and thickened by terror.

Can’t breathe… can’t… can’t…dying… dying… dead? Eddie… Alpha... Please help me… It hurts… Eddieeeeee!

A wall of darkness slammed down. He floated, lost, mercifully senseless. When the dreams kicked off again, they weren’t all so bad. He was in a dingy cellar, chained to a damp brick wall, and… Okay, this was exactly how Tommy H claimed he’d wind up, some rogue Alpha’s plaything.

Steve was fiiiine with it.

Eddie was there, his body slamming Steve’s flush to the bricks. He nuzzled Steve’s throat tenderly, dragging his tongue over Steve’s mating gland. Steve’s every sinew strained toward him, trying to purr and rub into him. He couldn’t glean Eddie’s delicious scent. Violent shudders dragged him back from the cusp of getting slick.

“Eddie?” he whimpered. “Eddie, please? Where are you?”

When Steve finally opened his eyes for real, he squeezed them tight again before daring to peep.

He was in a hospital room. He’d gotten an IV drip attached to his arm, and other scary wires had been attached to his chest, poking out of his hospital gown. His heart lurched, and a green line spiked on a bedside monitor.

How did he get here? Last thing he recalled was Eddie… the cabin… Oh, Christ, what was real and what wasn’t? His head throbbed so hard he feared his skull would crack, and his stomach felt like somebody had punched it.

“Eddie,” he croaked, though nobody was around to hear. “Eddie.”

The next time he stirred, daylight stung his eyes. His mom stood at the door, talking to a doctor, “Mom?” he whispered. She didn’t turn her head. “Mommy?” Okay, that was shameful. “Please… mom? Where’s Eddie?”

His voice couldn’t compete with the penetrating hum of the strip-light.

I’m an Omega, not a pushover.

Yeah. Right.

Holy crap, he couldn’t leave the house alone without screwing up, bigtime, and his voice was little better than that of a ghost’s. Tuning into the doctor’s conversation didn’t exactly help:

“Mrs Harrington, you must understand—your son bled through bundles of fresh bandages after we brought him in, which made little sense. When he was found, he was sick, but his injuries had started to heal. He was never hyperthermic, yet he GOT WORSE. The bleeding has finally stopped, but his vitals have never stabilised.”

“Could he be pregnant, Doctor? Should I book him into an Omega Clinic?”

“It’s hard to tell with Omegas. I wouldn’t want to subject him to any invasive examination, let alone have him moved while he’s so sick.”

“But…”

With pup?

Steve’s blood simmered beneath his clammy cheeks.

And now his mother talked of the Omega clinic. Would she really dump him in that horrible place again, though they’d had to drug him to the eyeballs to survive it? And why, oh why, must he picture Tommy H, cackling in his face?

Did my soulmate fuck me and ditch me? Or was the whole soulmates BS all in my ‘air-brain little head’? Did Eddie knot me and skip town?

Okay, he’d literally been asking for it. He’d begged Eddie for dick and opened his legs to him like a ‘wanton little hussy.’

Was Tommy right about him? Tommy was right! His mom, too?

“I’m no Omega specialist,” the doctor was saying. “However, at this stage, the best remedy may be to find this rogue Alpha your son has been crying out for.”

“Yes. Hunt down that lowlife dog and destroy him for ruining my son.”

Steve’s panic ripped through him like a floodtide. His shallow breaths refused to sooth his clenching lungs, and his skin broke out into a cold sweat. By the time the doctor’s attention slid his way, he was full-on flipping out.

The next few moments passed in a terrifying blur. He fought the suffocating blankets and yanked the wires from his arm and torso, before more than one set of strong hands pinned him down. A sharp prick on his arm was echoed by the cool glide of a needle into his skin. Cool air flowed from the mask placed over his face. He drifted into dreams and that murky basement, wandering it like a spirit.

“Eddie,” he murmured, “Where are you?”

…

Three days.

Three fucking days.

That was how long Eddie had skulked in this dingy brick basement—pacing to keep warm, punching the bricks, wringing his battered hands, and all but ripping his hair out. He’d passed hours squatting in a corner, holding his drooping head.

Christ, he should get the fuck out of Dodge.

Perhaps distance could kill this agony. This crushing misery at knowing Steve was dangerously ill and being unable to see him, let alone do anything about it.

Yet Eddie wasn’t going anywhere, which was lunacy. None of his designs for life included mating a high-class Omega who’d grown up, basically, in a palace. Oh, and Steve’s mom had put a price on his head.

Ten thousand dollars. Dead or Alive. Seriously, where was he living—the Old West? Medieval Europe?

“Why me?” Eddie was muttering, over and over. The soft tap on the basement door set him snarling.

Okay, it was his and Wayne’s secret knock, based on an old Def Leppard guitar riff. Damn, Eddie was skittish as a goddamn Omega. Wayne descended the rickety wooden stairs, and Eddie leaped up, sweeping his heavy unwashed hair from his eyes. “Everything okay?”

“Had a visit from Hop and Steve’s dad.”

“Shit!” Eddie buried all eight fingers in his uncombed tresses. “Did they follow you here?”

“What sorta fool do you take me for, son?” Wayne chuckled, squeezing Eddie’s super-taut bicep. Eddie teetered suddenly on the brink of throwing his arms around his uncle and bawling his eyes out. Anything to release the tension thrumming through his every vein. “Wouldn’t have mattered if they did. Hop talks the talk about ripping your throat out, nothing more. I swear to God, he begged for your help.”

Eddie met Hopper around the back of the hospital, near a delivery entrance for the kitchens. On sighting him, Eddie stopped dead, smacked his boot heel loudly onto the ice-hardened asphalt.  

The older Alpha’s lips peeled back, hostile vibes billowing from him. Then Hopper pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned:

“Okay, Munson, stand down.” He hurled some scrubs at Eddie. “Gonna smuggle you in. Apparently, your Omega pepped up no end on learning we were trying to contact you on the sly. Even the docs are bleating on about the soulmate bond—it’s the worst case of rejection sickness in living memory. So, yeah, let’s move. We’ll deal with the nuclear fallout in the morning.”

Eddie pulled on the scrubs and tied back his hair, using a scrunchie he was pretty sure Hop had swiped off his daughter. He followed the Chief through the quiet corridors, struggling to get his head together.

Soulmate bond. Rejection sickness. Some doctor had more or less prescribed Eddie as a cure? He snatched a swift, fortifying breath.

You got this, Munson. Make your Omega well again, and everything else is gonna be child’s play…

…hahaha, seriously? You gonna rob a bank or something?

Screw it. Perhaps he would.

After they’d passed through the dark kitchens, Eddie sensed something off. He’d smelled Steve over a mile off in a snowy forest, and yet… Okay, maybe that was Steve’s musk he detected, heavily interwoven with others,’ and faint beneath the tang of chemicals.

It was way too faint and soured with a bitter tang that set Eddie’s guts flipping.

He shoved past Hopper and sprinted up the corridor. He followed his nose up several flights of stairs. Along a dark corridor, he almost collided with an angry nurse, then he rounded a corner and slammed into Steve’s dad. Eddie braced the Beta and shook him, taken aback by huge, scared hazel-brown eyes, startlingly like Steve’s: “What is it? Is Steve okay?”

“I-I don’t know. He’d been on the mend since I promised to find you. I came over to break the news you were on your way… and he’s gone and discharged himself.”

...

Chapter 5.1 (it's gonna be fine, okay!?!)

Please like and reblog if you’re feeling kind 🥰 it’s so very much appreciated ❤️

tags: @wheneverfeasible @mugloversonly @ellietheasexylibrarian

@strawberryyyenthusiast @stripey82

If anybody else fancies reading more, I would be happy to tag :) Or follow #katya's omega whump

My endless outpourings of Steve whump can be found on AO3 here :)

[skyward-floored]

Whumptober 2023 Masterlist

I’m going to try and beat the rush this year and update this as I go! We’ll see how that goes lol. You can also, as always, read these on ao3.

Day 1 - (Swooning, “How many fingers am I holding up?”) feat. Twilight & everyone

Day 2 - (Thermometer, Delirium (“I’ll call out your name but you won’t call back”)) feat. Sky

Day 3 - (Make it stop, Solitary confinement) feat. Wild, Time, Twilight, Wind & everyone

Day 4 - (Shock, “I see the danger, it’s written there in your eyes”) feat. Legend, Hyrule, Warriors & everyone

Day 5 - (Debris, Pinned down) feat. Four & Wind

Day 6 - (Made to watch, “it should have been me”) feat. Warriors & Twilight

Day 7 - (Alleyway, “Can you hear me?”) feat. Legend & Wild

Day 8 - (Outnumbered, Betrayal) feat. Hyrule, Warriors, & Time

Day 9 - (Polaroid, “You’re a liar”) feat. Time, Malon, & everyone

Day 10 - (Afternath of failure) Continuation to day 4, feat. Warriors, Legend, & everyone

Day 11 - (Animal trap, Captivity) feat. Wild

Day 12 - (“I haven’t slept in days, but who’s counting?” (Insomnia)) feat. Wind, Time & Twilight

Day 13 - (Cold compress, Infection, “I don’t feel so good”) feat. Warriors & Four

Day 14 - (Water inhalation, “Just hold on”) feat. Twilight & Sky

Day 15 - ("I'm fine") feat. Legend & Time

Day 16 - (Flatline) feat. Four, Wild, & everyone

Day 17 - (Collar, Touch aversion) feat. Time & Twilight (Sky, Wild, & Four)

Day 18 - (Blindfolded, Tortured for information) feat. Warriors

Day 19 - (Psycological) feat. Legend & Malon

Day 20 - (Found family, Blanket) Continuation to day 17, feat. Twilight, Time & everyone

Day 21 - (Restraints, “Don’t move”) Continuation to day 8, feat. Warriors, Hyrule & Time

Day 22 - (Glass shard, “Watch out!”) feat. Time & everyone

Day 23 - (Shadows, “it’s gonna get me by the end of the night”) feat. Wild & Wind

Day 24 - (Neglect) feat. Sky & everyone

Day 25 - (Storm, “You’re not delivering a perfect body to the grave”) Continuation to day 22, feat. Time & everyone

Day 26 - (Seeing double, “You look awful”) feat. Hyrule

Day 27 - ("Let me see") feat. Dot & Four

Day 28 - (Sacrifice) feat. Sky & everyone

Day 29 - ("What happened to me?") Continuation to day 25, feat. Time, Warriors & everyone

Day 30 - ("Not much longer...") feat. Hyrule & Legend

Day 31 - (Emptiness, (“I thought that I was getting better”)) feat. Wind & Sky