#meet the caretakers!

[little-pondhead]

Classic "promised-at-birth-to-the-Ghost-King" story, except the contract never states how, exactly, the King is to use the offered soul. Usually, one would be offered as a bride or sacrifice. But with Pariah Dark sealed away, his retainers got a little lazy in the last few millennia. They just made some generic contracts and practically handed them out like candy.

When Danny took over as king via conquest, that included all the weird and messed up soul contracts the previous retainers had signed. And since ghost magic was a thing and seemed to have it out for Danny personally, many of these contracts updated their terms and conditions as soon as that crown hit Danny's head, reflecting the new King's subconscious desires and personality.

This caused many issues with those still around to profit from these contracts. Some people lost their power, some gained more, and some were unbound and kicked to the curb. A few special people found themselves dropping dead after their less-than-ethical abilities disappeared.

Danny was unaware of the chaos he had unintentionally caused for quite a while. It was only brought to his attention when a letter arrived on his desk one day with a copy of someone's valid contract enclosed. The new changes have been highlighted, and a separate note is attached.

It seems that in exchange for blessings of near-immortality for her infant son, a mother had offered Pariah Dark both their souls in order to ensure her child's survival during harsh times. (The souls were to be collected upon death and were to be used as soldiers in the King's Army.) The mother's soul had returned to the Keep decades ago and was recently assigned to tend to the gardens, while her son seemed to have grown into a fine gentleman and was still alive. He used his mother's gifts to serve his country and loved ones well, it seemed.

At first, Danny didn't see what any of this had to do with him. If the mother was already a part of his kingdom, and the son would be eventually, why was a letter about the whole thing showing up before him?

Then he read the revised contract, which bore his magical signature. A signature that overruled the power of Pariah and binding it to him.

'...and as such, in return for the abilities stated above, [Mary Pennyworth] and [Alfred Pennyworth] will fulfill the conditions detailed below, upon pain of Ending.

[Mary Pennyworth], when returned to the Kingdom of Dark Kingdom of Stars, will work as a lieutenant in the Skeleton Army caretaker in the Gardens of Pluto.

STATUS: COMPLETED

[Alfred Pennyworth], when returned to the Kingdom of Dark Kingdom of Stars, will work as a general in the Skeleton Army caretaker of the King and his Court.

STATUS: PENDING'

Danny had to re-read the contract several times to understand what it was saying. He now had a caretaker? What did a caretaker do? Was it like a ghost parent? Could this guy ghost-ground him??

He sighed and pressed the speed dial on his phone for Tucker. Time to find out who the hell this Alfred Pennyworth guy was, and how to break a magic contract when it wasn't even fulfilled yet.

Meanwhile, Alfred had just found the original copy of the contract amongst his mother's belongings after it glowed and drew him in. The paperwork cleared up a lot of mysteries he'd always wondered about himself, even if he disapproved of his mother's methods. Nonetheless, he smoothed out the aged paper with dark green ink, noted the fresh (sloppy, a teenager?) signature, and began preparing to meet this supposed new King and his Court.

It wouldn't hurt to make introductions before he died, after all.

[lunarharp]

..polly pocket au.. (<- a type of doll.)

[grissomesque]

Kathryn Janeway + the last moments of the lives she's known

STAR TREK: VOYAGER 7.17 'Workforce Pt. 2' 7.25 'Endgame'

[whumpitisthen]

Two whumpees who are scared of each other:

Neither of them want trouble

They are both so afraid of being near the other they avoid each other constantly

They flinch away at the slightest touch like one person and their mirror image

They are strangers, they do not trust each other, they have been burned too many times in the past and they will not be burned again

They stare at each other from a distance, not daring to actually interact

They want to avoid a fight so bad that they won't even say a word

Whumper loves seeing them together because it's amusing how similar they are

Their uneasiness around the other is promptly forgotten when Whumper arrives

Whumpee can't have friends; Whumper doesn't want them to, and we all know what happens when Whumper sees Whumpee doing something they don't like

If hungry enough, they can be bribed with food to spend time in the other's vicinity

Non-human whumpees?! Two puppy boys being very nervous with pulled back ears and big sad eyes hiding behind their owner's legs

One Whumpee lives here and in theory should be more confident than the other one, seeing as they aren't the one in a strange unknown place. That confidence flees as soon as the Other Whumpee takes even a single step in their direction. They do not want to fight, they just want to keep an eye on them at all times.

They flinch back and the other one flinches back too. They cannot stop doing this

Caretaker basically has to pretend with each of them that the other doesn't exist. If they mentioned that their counterpart is in the room right across from them, Whumpee would not be able to sleep.

They sleep as far away from each other as the room they are kept in allows, backs to the wall, staying awake until they can't anymore

I think Whumper should collar them and bind them together with a short length of chain. For enrichment purposes... For me

One of them starts to finally unwind and gently tries to connect with the other. The other does Not react well. They are both scared again

One Whumpee has a lot of scars — must be a fighter -> scary

The Other Whumpee has no scars — must be a Really Good fighter -> scary

Whumpee looks just like the Other — must be just as desperate and unpredictable/their whumper must be just as bad/they must be at a similar level of strength as them, no guarantee to win if fight breaks out -> scary

One whumpee is scared because they have been tortured into perpetual fearfulness — the other has never been tortured, but sees how bad Whumpee has it, and being the newest addition to Whumper's collection has them just as terrified

Whumper forces them to interact. The forceful, scary nature of their meetings sets back their otherwise slow natural warming up to each other by miles, having the worst kind of counter effect. Seeing the other reminds them of that time Whumper made them sit and hold hands for hours with the threat of punishment if they disobeyed

They both escape. They see each other across the street. They freeze and stare, thrust back in time, stuck in their old frightened and cautious headspace. Their caretakers are perplexed.

[whiskeyandcigarsmoke]

This isn't meant to be good, it just needed to be written. Just trying to figure myself out thru writing about Logan.

"Stare"

*Post Void*

There are days where Wade will wake up and Logan will just be sitting in front of one of the windows, staring silently. He's so still and silent that if not for the occasional flicker of his eyelashes and subtle rising of his chest, he could very well be a statue. He doesn't respond to Wade’s normal teasing banter. No side eyes, no glare, no snarling or snapping. He acknowledges Wade with a turn of his head, but goes right back to his thousand yard stare. The stare of a man who's lived a lifetime far too long. Wade tries to talk to him, but gets nowhere. He used to Logan not speaking sonetimes, but he'll still communicate via grunts, huffs, and growls. Plus his non-verbal communication is always present. But today all of that is shut off. Logan is a blank, silent slate. Wade gives up trying to talk to him, but keeps an eye on him as the day progresses. He brings him a cup of coffee, setting it next to him on the end table next to Logan’s chair. Checking on him a couple of hours later, he finds the mug still full of now cold coffee. Dumping it in the sink, he returns to Logan’s side with a glass of water and one of Logan's cigars. Setting them both down on the table, he ruffles Logan’s hair and kisses the top of his head. Looking down, he sees a few stray tears slowly sliding down Logan’s cheek. Wordlessly, Wade wipes them away and gives the older man a kiss on the forehead. He decides to give Logan some space and privacy for a few hours, leaving him alone with his thoughts in the apartment. Returning later in the evening with takeout, he picks up the smell of cigar smoke and while Logan is still in the same spot that he left him in, he did at least smoke a bit and drank some of the water. Wade will consider that an improvement. Putting the takeout on the counter, he goes over to check on Logan. He was asleep and snoring softly. Wade figured him the smell of food didn't wake Logan up, it would be best to let sleeping dogs lie. An hour later had Logan rousing from his sleep and finally getting up from his chair. Grabbing his cigar, he crawled out onto the fire escape to finish smoking it while Wade re heats their food. Returning to the apartment, Logan saddles up to Wade, hugging him from behind. Pressing his nose to the back of the younger man's neck, he took in a deep, slow breath and rested his head on Wade's shoulder. A soft, low thrum began rolling thru his chest, filling Wade's diaphragm with Logan’s gratitude and thanks. Holding him closely a few more minutes, he placed a sweet, soft kiss on Wade's cheek before letting him go. Picking up his food, Logan walked over to the couch and sat down in his usual spot. After flicking the tv on, he looked to Wade and back to the spot next to him and repeated the cycle. Knowing what Logan wanted, Wade grabbed his own food and sat next to the silent Mutant. Scooting closer, Logan leaned into Wade's side, getting comfortable before eating his food. With the man's weight pushing into him, Wade smiled, happy Logan was learning to be comfortable leaning on Wade when he really needed it. Both emotionally and physically.

[honeycollectswhump]

more on grief. the symptoms.

the feeling overwhelming you at random times of the day, without warning. suddenly you are stuck crying and gasping for breath.

your stomach cramps every time you think about them. it makes you want to vomit. nothing really helps and it can kill your appetite.

you are constantly tired, no amount of sleep seems to be enough. you could sleep for a thousand years and maybe you wish you could.

no matter what you are doing and how happy you are, they are always on your mind. you ruminate and ruminate if there was anything you could have done differently. you think about all the things you should have done.

grief alienates and isolates you. it feels like people can’t understand, there is no right words to calm you down.

you will hate yourself for this but sometimes you feel so powerless you wish you would have never been put in this situation. even if that means never knowing that person. you don’t really mean it though you are just desperate.

you can grieve people that are still alive

your grief can project in other things and situations. your mood can drop quickly. you can overreact or be aggressive and abrasive. this alienates you further

people will tell you to distance yourself. you cannot.

feel free to torment your blorbos with this

[whump-galaxy]

The whumpee trying new mobility aids. They help, somewhat. But the more they use them, the more they hurt.

Crutches bruise their armpits and misalign their hips. Canes cause wrist pain, eventually causing their entire arm to get too tired to use it. A wheelchair requires upper body strength they haven’t quite honed yet.

They wonder if it’s worth it to even use one if they’d be in pain anyways.

[sicktember]

We, @yes-i-am-happyaspie and @obsessionoftheday , have been discussing making Sicktember 2024 our last year for quite some time. Long enough that we considered making 2023 out last year… Not because we haven’t enjoyed being a part of such a spectacular event. Interacting with all of you has been amazing and coming up with new and exciting prompts has been great fun. However, we have reached a point where we feel we are no longer capable of offering the event the amount of time and attention it requires and deserves. 

The good news is, just because we are stepping back doesn’t mean Sicktember will be coming to an end. After much thought and consideration, we decided it would be in everyone’s best interest to pass the blog over to a new mod. We are certain they are up to the task and we are looking forward to seeing where they take Sicktember in the future. We hope you are too!

Without further ado, we’d like to introduce you to our Sicktember successor. 

Starting October 8th, @itsmechara426 will be running the Sicktember blog!

--

Hi everyone! I’m Alex from @itsmechara426, though I’m better known for my prompts blog, @irondadmadlads

Despite rarely participating in Sicktember as a writer, I love reading all the stories you guys come up with! Everyone is so creative and I’d like to continue inspiring your creativity by running this event!

I’m excited to continue Sicktember and can’t wait to see everyone’s ideas!

[spicyraeman]

I love the domestic bliss of shadzel raising lil baby xan, but something about single mom lae'zel is incredibly compelling

[echo-goes-mmm]

So we all the love the whumpee-thinks-caretaker-is-their-new-master trope but what if it's true

Caretaker who did buy whumpee, and who does wholeheartedly believes and acts like whumpee belongs to them

But damn it they take great care of their possessions. After all, cats and dogs get spoiled with treats and comfy beds and vet visits when they're sick and cuddles and a form of love

Why should a slave be any different? Especially because caretaker bought whumpee for companionship

Plus whumpee can tidy up, cook for themselves, hold a conversation, and even play games like cards or board games, and can go everywhere caretaker can

That's infinitely better than a cat or dog.

It's just such a shame their old owner was so terrible. Whumpee is so timid now, and nearly skin and bone. But that's nothing a good owner can't fix, right? The poor thing needs some proper structure and attention that's all. It's a good thing whumpee is human. It would be a lot harder to rehabilitate a rescue who can't comprehend speech.

And whumpee doesn't want to leave. Fetching files from a desk and playing checkers and occasionally cleaning the kitchen while master chatters about work is far better than being locked in a cold basement and getting beaten every day

Their new master doesn't lay a hand on them, their version of punishment is no music while doing chores, or no dessert

After all, you wouldn't hit your dog. Caretaker's new pet deserves at least that

[whumpderella]

Meet You at the Blossom (Episode 04)

[nyctohyloph0bia]

POV. I have entered your house. 😈

[sapphicsnzs]

the way that when my cat can tell my girlfriend doesn’t feel good she’ll just sit and purr into the phone. literally last night she had her paws around my phone and kept dragging it back to her. and she was doing the little biscuit making with her paws around the phone😭😭😭

[necrotic-nephilim]

https://www.tumblr.com/necrotic-nephilim/764367433969664000/for-the-recent-ask-game-im-really-curious-about

Agree with all of this but especially the Parentification thing has always annoyed me! I never understood why people think mentoring Damian was parentification, Dick was a grown man way out of his teens?! Lowkey, because I see this in the anti fandom side a lot, think they want to write Dick being the other boys’ mommy so bad but can’t because that’s icky so they say “parentification” & “Eldest Daughter Syndrome”, half joking but there is at least some feminization going on.

(linked post) YEAH you get me!!! like? Dick is in his mid to late 20s, he is a *fully grown adult* who has the facilities to make the decision to be Batman and take in Damian. no one forced him to do that. it was his choice and even if he was strong-armed into it, it *still* wouldn't be parentification bc he was an adult. he was never a child taking care of other children and *that* is what parentification is. he's a grown-ass man there's no need to infantilize him or his relationships.

honestly, you're right about the feminization, i totally agree. because it's always weirded me out, this whole Eldest Daughter Syndrome thing? which is just a fancy, nicer way to say parentification. and the worst part is these concepts aren't even genderbending Dick, which i would be really interested in. they just want to assign him feminine aspects to further make him the victim that they can woobify and whump. if you feminize him, it's easier to put him in that submissive, victim role contrasted against Bruce or anyone else. and while i think gender roles can be interesting to play with in fanfic, esp in subversive ways, it has always picked me slightly that the fandom feels the need to feminize him in such a bold way where the only aspects of "feminity" he can experience are ones of subjugation. Bruce forcing him to parent and "mommy" the other Ribins like you said, Dick being isolated and only being appreciated as a caretaker, him never doing Any Wrong to other characters, and so on. when the fun of Dick is that he's nuanced and sometimes, he reflects some of Bruce's worst traits. his anger is not "female rage" it's *just* anger. (honestly, i'm not even sure what "female rage" is supposed to be anymore-) he's just someone with a complicated relationship with Bruce and yes, Bruce certainly failed him in certain aspects. but the thing is, the reason Bruce and Dick's fallout is *so* violent, is *because* they were so close. they had their golden years in Dick's youth where they ran as a well-oiled machine and everything was (relatively) perfect. Bruce definitely misstepped with Dick, but he far from victimized Dick.

it's always wild to me how the anti side of the family wants the Batfam to be Schrodinger's found family. in which is both completely wholesome and nuclear and everyone gets along and they have family meals together and they all live in Wayne Manor. but *also* it wants Dick to be a victim of parentification, Tim to be a victim of horrific abuse at the hands of his parents and then Damian and Jason, Jason to be deeply traumatized by his death and not coping well. like these don't click together? and it makes for a very jarring comparison when antis are so so clung to the idea that the Batfam is a nuclear happy family but also shoving these roles onto Dick that don't make sense. you can't have your cake and eat it too, yk.

also, not to fandom wank *too* hard but like. parentification is a *real* word. it's a real form of abuse and not something that exists in a fictional vacuum. and assigning it to characters that it outright doesn't fit can make it harder to discuss bc it dilutes the term. maybe it's bc i grew up in a home with rampant parentification so it hits close to home but like. this isn't just something you can slap onto a character to make an interesting-sounding meta anylsis. some fictional characters have been parentified and their stories explore that. Dick's does not. that is an adult. free him.

[khryptid]

Every day I’m grateful that Huyang survived not just the Jedi purge, but through the Empire and into the New Republic. The centuries worth of knowledge, the deadpan wit, and the sassy care, the loss would have been devastating

[tomwambsgans]

tomgreg is not "i could fix him" nor "i could make him worse" but "i could make him feel like a real person." from both ends.