#from dust to ashes

[clickerflight]

Voltober 15. The Ones Who've Hurt You - From Dust to Ashes

Author's notes: Welcome to me playing with a man's trauma for all of our enjoyment!

Challenges Masterlist - Voltober 14

Content: human whumpee, traumatized whumpee, fear, seeing whumper in public, caretaker protecc!

@voltober

Seeing Whumper on the Street | ��This is for __” | Whumper Turned Whumpee

Kyle allowed himself to be cajoled out to the store with Joseph more and more these days. It was getting bad for his wallet and he had no idea how Joseph managed to keep up his own funds, but he wasn’t too upset about it. He had finished his degree and had a good position in anthropology circles. He could always find a place willing to pay him to speak if he needed some extra cash.

Joseph was chatting at him as they pulled up to the grocery store and Kyle checked his shopping list to see if he needed anything. He had already bought everything he needed on Monday, so this would mostly just be a snack run for him.

“And I’m thinking of doing this whole roast like my grandma used to do. Thing is, Muir doesn’t really like beef, but I think there will be plenty of sides to keep him happy, and if he’s still hungry he can make himself a sandwich because I’m getting my roast dang it! Would you like to join us for that?”

“Sure,” Kyle said, putting his phone away.

They got out of the car and walked toward the store, Joseph planning out loud what they would need.

They got inside and Joseph was immediately distracted in the juice section.

Kyle looked around, feeling a little out of his body. He had spent all day reading a book written by an ancient vampire about life and the things she had seen and was still feeling a little unreal as Joseph had stirred him out of his book very suddenly before whisking him off to the store.

He tried too bring his mind to the present, shaking his head a little and murmuring to Joseph that he was going to look at the snacks.

The store was pretty quiet as it was a bit too late in the evening for humans to want to be going to the store but still too bright and warm for most vampires to want to be out and about either. Not that Joseph cared either way.

Kyle walked into the snack aisle, looking over the cookies and candies the story had to offer.

He picked out a couple packs and then paused and put one back. He should probably find a healthier snack. Maybe baby carrots?

He left the aisle and rounded a corner to the vegetable and fruits section, glancing over the crowd.

His chest gave an involuntary pang where he had been shot about three years ago and he rubbed at it nonchalantly until he realized what had brought the memory back.

There was a woman, her hair much shorter than it once was, older, sadder, and wearing baggy clothing picking through the fruit.

Joanna. Joanna was standing there in the same store as Kyle. The woman who had shot him was OUT OF JAIL! He knew that she had gotten a light sentencing because people didn’t take the pain of vampires that seriously so they didn’t really punish her much for what she did to Esial, but she’d also shot him! And Kyle was human. Why was she out so soon? Why hadn’t he been notified? Had she escaped from prison? There was no way she’d be here just looking through the apples if she’d escaped prison. Was there?

She looked up and her eyes locked with Kyle’s wide ones.

Kyle didn’t even see her reaction to him, turning and bolting, dropping the cookies he had grabbed in his desperate search for Joseph. Joseph had the keys. They needed to get out and drive away very very fast. He needed to get away from here and call the police.

He awkwardly tried to get his phone out of his back pocket while sprinting through the store. He found Joseph and practically crashed into him, grabbing his arm. “We have to get out of here,” he gasped, shaky fingers trying to dial 911.

“Woah, calm down! What’s going on-”

“Joanna!” Kyle croaked. “She’s here!”

“Here?” Joseph asked, a rare look of rage darkened his face. “You’re sure?”

“I am! Let’s go please!”

Joseph nodded and, after a regretful look at his cart, abandoned it. Kyle felt rather touched by the gesture. Joseph would never abandon his cart for anything he didn’t consider serious.

Joseph and Kyle made their way toward the entrance, pausing only to apologize to an employee for abandoning the cart, before they made it to the exit.

The only issue was Joanna had the same thought.

The three froze and Kyle stood stunned as Joseph got in front of him, baring his fangs at Joanna. “What are you doing here!?”

The people nearby froze, surprised by the sudden aggression from a vampire in public.

Joanna put her hands up quickly. “I’m leaving.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be in jail?” Joseph snarled, drawing the attention of more customers. Security would likely be there soon.

“I’m out on probation for good behavior,” she said quickly. “I’m leaving. I’m going. I’m sorry.”

“You should be!” Joseph practically spat.

He watched as she darted out and he relaxed with a sigh.

He turned to Kyle and put a hand on his arm. “Are you alright?”

Kyle nodded numbly as security got there.

Joseph explained the situation to the men and was given the permission to keep shopping so they wouldn’t have to go out and maybe see Joanna in the parking lot.

As they returned to the cart, Kyle stared at the items Joseph had collected inside for a long moment before he asked, “Do you think Muir would be annoyed if I stay the night at your guys’ place?”

“No, not at all. Especially after all that,” Joseph said, annoyance in his tone for the situation, not at Kyle.

Kyle relaxed a little and nodded. “I’m not sure if I’ll get much sleep.”

Joseph’s expression softened and he stepped around the cart, pulling Kyle into a hug.

Kyle hesitantly hugged him back, embarrassed about doing so in public, but relieved nonetheless.

“We’re always going to have your back, man. Don’t be afraid to ask,” Joseph told him before leaning back and smiling up at him. “Now, do you want to help me with my list?”

Kyle sighed, smiling shakily. “Yeah. I’d love to.”

VTB Part 16

FDTA Masterlist

From Dust to Ashes Taglist: @whumpsday @honeycollectswhump @writereleaserepeat @tragedyinblue @hyrules-sleepiest-knight 

@why-not-ask-me-a-better-question @thecyrulik @gt-daboss @currentlyinthespiral @pigeonwhumps @not-a-space-alien

[moogaiashe]

Bc I think they'd be boyfriends

[lucdoodle]

was learning how to draw maskless adam

[reineydraws]

mishanks sketch dump bc ive been doodling them to de-stress or when i need a break from other pieces lately ✨️

[calamint1234]

There's something here with Fiyero wandering through life before he meets Elphaba and she pulls him out of his stupor.

[druidshollow]

sorry its. literally. always this guy

[yourlocalabomination]

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust.

[wryn-redacted-thrives]

okay what the hell has dave malloy been through that gave him the ability to write such good coming-to-terms-with-mortality songs

[1ichtbringer]

Mahito had to wonder that if humans were creatures whose fear gave birth to curses, was this old man really a human being? His feelings at the moment were difficult to describe, but they were peaceful. Since encountering human beings, he had never felt such peace. “If everyone in the human world was like you, I’d never have been born,” Mahito noted. He looked at the book in his hands. The old man fell silent and stared into space as he always did. Humans gave birth to curses, but curses killed humans. There was no possibility of coexistence. Yet a curse and human were coexisting there in this tunnel. The situation was unusual, but it was a serene time, and together they passed it in serenity.

- Allegory of Darkness, Jujutsu Kaisen: Summer of Ashes, Autumn of Dust

[smytherines]

king of the ashes

[akystaracer22]

Free the Bird from its Gilded Cage

Synopsis: Lucifer would tell anyone who asked his greatest regret was letting humanity eat the apple. Better than admitting what he really regretted.

Notes

Golly gee good thing affairs didn’t exist back then huh!

In which Lucifer’s tism hurts his best friend, the fic.

I think I can tag this as Edenpoly considering the conversation between Lucifer and Lilith.

I give my greatest thanks to my good friend Hat who uttered the phrase “I raise a glass to the friend you could have been and drink to the monster you became” (Or something of the sort) which has not left my brain 2 years later.

No shade on other people’s depictions of the ancient archangels. I love good archangels as much as you guys but… this is very much bashing.

I’m so sorry Michael. And Azrael, and every single angel who’s characters I butcher in this AU. It’s not you guys I swear.

God on the other hand fuck you I’m not sorry.

I have been told by many people irl that I have religious trauma. I didn’t think I did but fuck it we ball.

I am so sorry this came out late but I had two assignments and I'm moving houses, I'll try not to have a repeat.

Word count: 1957

Fic under cut!

Lucifer felt Lilith before he saw her, the first woman’s aura screaming frustration and hurt louder than the tears in her eyes.

She was sitting under an aspen tree with her legs tucked to her chest.

Lucifer didn’t need to guess why she was upset; it could really only be one thing these days.

“Adam did something again, didn’t he.”

Lilith huffed and lifted her head to meet Lucifer’s gaze, “We fought, again. He still doesn’t get it.”

Lucifer sighed and sat down next to the first woman, not for the first time the little voice in his head bemoaned Adams chronic inability to listen to anyone other than God. It was really starting to cause problems in Eden.

“He’ll regret it.”

“He always does, but he still does it.”

Lucifer nodded, “He needs to learn that God isn’t right about everything,” His siblings would murder him if they knew he was spreading this kind of blasphemy, “But I do agree, it’s a little irritating.”

“It is!” Lucifer jerked as Lilith stood up abruptly and began to pace, “He’s great most of the time don’t get me wrong, but he’s just increasingly growing more and more insufferable! It’s like every time he gets better he just goes straight back to being worse!”

“Truly the trials and tribulations of the first humans.”

“I just wish he would listen to me! Not some stuck up self-important know it all who thinks I’m worthless.”

Lucifer wisely held back the instinctive defence of the Creator, “Especially when you are so much more than that.”

Lilith seemed to finally run out of steam, falling back into Lucifer’s arms and holding him tightly, “I hate this… I hate him.”

“No, you don’t.”

“No, I don’t… I hate the man God wants him to be.”

“I hate that man too,” Lucifer admitted, “I hate how he hurts everyone.”

Because it wasn’t just Lilith that was left hurting. Lucifer hated how he was losing track of the near silent breakdowns of Adam’s.

God created humanity different from the grand design, and every day Lucifer loathed that fact more and more.

“He’s going to win, that man.”

“Neither of us will let him.”

“He’ll let himself,” Lilith hissed right by his ear, the sound sending a shiver down Lucifer’s spine, by the choirs that felt good “Adams an idiot.”

“Yep!” Call Lucifer blasphemous, but he was so tempted to-

Lilith opened her mouth to say something, and Lucifer listened to the little voice in his head once again.

He caught her mouth with his own swiftly before pulling back, face flushing as he realised what he just did.

That was something only Adam and Lilith was supposed to do with each other.

Lilith blinked, taking time to process before giving her response, “Do that again.”

Lucifer didn’t need to be told twice.

The bark of the aspen tree was lit up by Lucifer’s wings as he pressed his lips to Lilith’s again.

And again.

And again.

Lucifer had never felt so good. He could see why Lilith and Adam like doing this. This felt so good.

- - ┈┈∘┈˃̶༒˂̶┈∘┈┈ - -

It was hours until Lucifer disentangled himself from Lilith, still not having quite recovered from the experience. Sadly, he could feel the mental tug attached to his halo signifying his siblings wanting an audience with him. The last thing he wanted was to have them come down and see him with Lilith.

The moment he returned to heaven however, he had the distinct feeling that he might have messed up regardless.

Michael was pacing and muttering angrily under his breath, sharp sounds grating Lucifer’s awareness. When the archangel saw Lucifer, his wings physically bristled as he lunged forward and grabbed the Morningstar by the robe.

“You are so very fortunate that God was already growing tired of Lilith’s rebellion!”

“What?”

“Michael,” Lucifer turned to see Azrael landing nearby, “I highly doubt Lucifer knows what he has done, as impulsive as he is.”

“What? What happened,” Lucifer demanded, mantling his wings to make himself look larger as he stared down the other archangels.

“You don’t know?”

“Know what!”

“God decided to give the first man a new wife,” Michaels words cut through Lucifer’s anger and left only shock, “Made from his rib.”

“… what?”

“Yes, I had to tear it out myself,” Michael huffed, Lucifer noticed the dried red still dusting the angels gloves, “Adam tried to flee.”

“…”

“What Michael means,” Azreal shot the other a look, “Is that Adam didn’t take the information well, and saw it fit to attempt avoiding the situation entirely.”

“He was awake?!” Lucifer screeched “By the choir what is wrong with you two?!”

“It was the Creator’s wishes, none of us knew it would bring pain,” Azrael sighed, “However, it would encourage not repeating the situation…”

“It doesn’t matter anyway,” Michael scoffed, “The Creator ensured Adam wouldn’t remember.”

“It would taint him.”

“It would motivate him.”

“What?”

“Our Creator has decided to take a more… hands on approach in ensuring the situation does not repeat itself,” Azrael looked uncomfortable, “Xe employed the use of divine power to keep Adam and Eve from straying from the grand design.”

Lucifer took a step back.

Michael opened his mouth to say something, but Lucifer couldn’t hear over the roar of nothing in his ears.

No.

Nononononono.

Lucifer ran.

He broke into a sprint before diving back down to Earth, landing on the soft grass of Eden he looked around desperately.

“Adam!”

“Yes?”

Lucifer turned around as Adam’s figure came into view from behind a tree, “Adam-”

His eyes were gold.

Lucifer stumbled back as he took in the first man’s appearance, Adam’s eyes were no longer the colour of earth. The familiar dark brown orbs that bore the gold of honey and of leaves in the sun were gone. In their place was the brilliant gold of divinity, of heaven, the same gold of the-

The chain attached to his wrist.

Lucifer lunged forward and grabbed his friends arm, pulling him forward and running a hand along the softly glowing cuff on Adams wrist.

It was definitely the Creator’s doing.

“Adam what have they done to you.”

“Ah, apologies, but have we met before?”

Lucifer’s golden ichor froze as he looked back up to meet that accursed golden gaze, “What?”

“It is just that… you seem familiar with me, but I do not recall ever having met you. I apologize.”

Lucifer stepped back from the first man, “What.”

“Were you present for my creation? That day was such a blur I hardly recall all those present.”

“Adam- Adam look at me,” Lucifer grabbed Adam by the shoulder, staring desperately into those too gold, too inhuman, too holy eyes “Adam. You are my best friend. You remember me don’t you?”

Adam’s eyes flickered for a moment, that familiar beautiful earth brown peeking through for a moment before being swamped by heavenly gold.

“You are an angel; how could I ever be friends with someone of a higher status such as you?”

Lucifer wanted to cry.

The Creator truly was cruel.

“Are you alright, sir?”

Lucifer couldn’t do this.

Lucifer shoved Adam away and ran like a coward, stumbling through the bushes and past trees as he ran away from the puppet wearing his best friends face.

He didn’t even talk like Adam.

The Creator just stripped his best friend of everything that made him… him.

Lucifer collapsed under a willow tree as he sobbed into his arms.

He didn’t move for a long time after that.

- - ┈┈∘┈˃̶༒˂̶┈∘┈┈ - -

Lilith found him in the dim of night, her eyes sharp and he teeth bared in a rueful grimace even as she took him into his arms.

“We’re not letting them get away with this. Not this time.”

A hot flame of righteous anger sparked in Lucifer’s heart as he held onto Lilith. She was right, this crossed a line.

Lucifer wanted to rush in, to steal Adam away and find a way to break that chain.

Lilith told him to wait, to watch and observe as she would.

“Right now, heaven does not know about our rebellion, if we move too quickly we will both be destroyed.”

She was right, of course she was. Lucifer hated it though.

They had to watch Adam go through the motions of what his life used to be. The way he would no longer wander the garden without reason.

He wouldn’t play with the animals anymore or sit and relax under the sun.

Lucifer almost broke the trunk of a tree when he saw Adam tear out a plant Gabriel considered ‘too imperfect for the garden’ even though Lucifer knew that it was Adams favourite flower.

That flame of anger grew every time that damned shackle glowed and chained Adams will.

It took a little time to figure out, but if there was one thing Lucifer was sure would free Adam and Eve, it was the apples of knowledge.

They had to.

Lucifer and Lilith also watched Eve through everything. She seemed meek through the control of the Creator, but in the few moments the attention of heaven faded and the gold in her eyes let a little bit of reddish brown through, they got to know her.

She was gentle and sweet to the animals but there was a steel in her spine.

She was vibrant and wild as she chased the cheetah’s around the garden or buried her head in a grizzly bears side.

Lucifer grew to love her in a way. As little of her as he could see. But she was the one the Creator paid less attention to, and why would xe? She is supposed to be subservient to Adam.

Lucifer shifted into the form of a snake and curled through the branches of the tree of knowledge as she came into view.

Showtime.

“Eve my dear, may I borrow your attention for but a moment?” Lucifer sing-songed, drawing the girls eye as she stopped at the base of the tree.

“What is it you require of me, snake?” Eve asked, Lucifer watched intently as the telltale hint of red brown filtered into her gaze, this was the shot he needed.

“The fruit of this tree, could you tell me how it tastes to you?”

The woman flinched back as if struck, and Lucifer’s eyes narrowed at her response.

“I couldn’t, God said-”

“And have you not wondered why xe demands such things of you? Have you not questioned why xe forbade this?” Lucifer hissed, snapping off an apple and letting it fall to the ground at Eve’s feet, “I know, and that is why I ask this of you.”

Eve’s will fought with Heaven for a moment as she picked up the apple, but she was not gone yet, “God said that if I ate the fruit, I would die.”

“And the Creator lies to you,” blasphemy dripped off of Lucifers tongue as he all but snarled at Eve, the white-hot flame of fury envenoming his words, “To eat the apple is not to die, but to be freed. To have your eyes opened to the truth around you.”

Eve held the apple in her hands, the reddish brown in her eyes traitorously present.

“How do you know I won’t die?”

“Because my dear, I have had my eyes opened long ago. To open them is a freedom the Creator keeps from you on purpose,” Lucifer hissed, “You will not die, of that I can promise.”

Eve bit into the apple, and the chains snapped under the weight of knowledge granted.

[a-whispering-echo]

band! doodles

have some random drawings i collected up and put on one canvas and finished up because i need storage space <3

[crimson-catalyst]

once again the prompt for April was a little too specific to fit any of my nephs and i was thinkin about airplanes anyway soooo ash&dust neph au time <3 perfect for the upcoming mermay LOL

there's actually an egg in the real prompt but i took it away so i had a nice pretty clean version of merphdiesel <3

the prompt detailed a tourist-trap event with an egg hunt on one of nephfei's floating islands, touting it as harpip tradition (false) so we're pretending this one fell off. better be careful where u put those egg

[seafoam-taide]

thinking about (you) again

[frankiebirds]

I don't recall if hotch's religious beliefs are ever discussed, but ive always gotten the sense that he was. probably catholic?

anyway. i wonder if, from his perspective, he wasn't lying here.

(for a refresher: this is 2x19, ashes & dust. they're speaking to a woman who was in a fire with her husband and son, of which she was the only survivor. she is unaware her husband and son are gone, and hotch and emily have been informed that "whatever they say, she won't live long enough to know the difference.")

[spotaus]

Orchid and Horror doodles! (More context under the cut!)

Orchid is an errormare ship kid! She was made from loose magic in a bid to make an heir for Nightmare so that he could give Dream even more hell than before. However, the child he'd intended to train into a weapon ended up being far too cute, so he raised her right instead.

Horror was one of Orchid's main influences as a babybones, because Horror was pretty much the only one who'd looked out for his brother in his own au. Night trusted him to be around her from the start (Dust and Killer didn't recieve that same trust) so as much as Orchid most certainly knew Night was her father, Horror was her Uncle from the start. He knew how to raise a babybones and helped Night learn (with actual hands-on learning instead of his books).

Of course, Horror was also her main influence even after her bad injury (cracked open her skull and snapped off her leg). The rest of the household coddled her, rightfully so, but she didn't like the taste of their pity and wirry. She would more often than not try to keep up a brave face up until Horror arrived, and then she'd dig into his jacket and cry and tell him all about her woes. Little kid logic on this one I guess.

And of course he didn't always know how to help, but he tried not to take away her freedom now that she was injured. Obviously her bed-rest days were important, but he'd carry her around on her better days and have her watch him cook or train. She picked up most of her swearwords from Horror, and she loves to use his hands-on fighting style when she's older too.

Horror was the reason she grew less ashamed of her head wound and loss of death perception. He never treated her too differently about it, and one day during an outburst, Nightmare told her that Horror had the same injury as her, in a way. That had almost immediately changed her perspective.

And yeag, idk. I just really wanted to finally draw Orchid with her favorite uncle. She might've gotten all her magic lessons from Nightmare, but her combat style is built on the base which Horror gave to her.

Oh!! Bonus art!

Idk if I posted this or not, but Orchid is on the right! She usually uses her 'Spindles' to move, but Post-Eternal Ashes and very shortly after her injury she uses these canes(???) To get around a lot more often. As a kid Horror and Dust taught her how to keep her balance on her one leg and move quickly using these crutches so she wasn't vulnerable if her magic was restricted. (Don't mind Shotput on the left, he's unrelated. Just didn't wanna crop it weird.)