#resurfacing past

[dreemurr-skelememer]

Inktobertale 2023 Day 9: Arguing

hayyyy im a wee bit late but i swear im catching up, just been busy and taking breaks! anyway more rsp :)))

[errinkgarbagedump]

guilt and self-resentment can be a bit of a monster

⚠ THE CHORUS IS PRETTY EAR PIERCING! please turn your audio down!

i wanted to make something that directly referenced a home for two, the 2k comic, AND paperjam's own personal turmoil in the story so ummm yeah i did this in one sitting LOL

i can't wait to hear you guys talk about what's in this LOL

- mod garbage

( YouTube / my ko-fi! )

[eggo-tistical]

sorry can we just talk about how light's choice for another kira proxy (doubling as a manservant) was a pale, sallow faced man with black shaggy hair, who was young enough to be around his age.... like i'm probably reaching but it's both so sickening and pathetic that he selected mikami, who did what L never would: worship light and carry out his bidding

[canisalbus]

If Machete and Vasco were roommates before they became a couple, there had to have been moments of innocent touching/body contact, followed by deep gay panic.

.

[whumpypepsigal]

Whumptober 2023 | No. 29

Troubled Past Resurfacing

Prodigal Son s01e12: “What were you so desperate to forget?”

@whumptober @whumptober-archive

[bryverros]

redrew this post

[ridox]

RAFAYEL

[soldearestsoulmate]

Wonder how fast Sol will try to hunt down anyone who dared to cheat on you in the past. Just to make them pay for hurting you at all.

[oneluckydragon]

got hit with the echo+sora brainrot so i am once more rambling in your askbox about it. because reasons.

anywho i think there is something truly saddening about echo's struggles to make peace within herself and how she truly finds it hard to find that peace when she is so certain that if the truth about her origins were to be revealed to the world, much less to *sora*, everything she achieved, everything she worked for, all of which matters to her most, will crumble away in a moment's notice.

but the fear of losing all your life's work is none compared to the fear of losing sora. the feeling of poison that settled itself within themselves and between each other out of fear and tragedy of what had happened to them is familiar. echo's resemblance to dusknoir was already enough to set the two off because of how much it had all hurt to see someone you love and yourself turn into a mockery and a splitting image of someone who had pretended to care yet showed he never did at all, but this poison is louder. it hurts to bare, to carry, and to have none but yourself to be its sole holder.

but this poison, this feeling of heartache is different. because whereas the previous pain was something both of them felt, sora was lucky enough to not have known the truth about the person who she cares for so dearly.

echo knows that she used to be darkrai. and it haunts her to have known that her previous incarnation was so *cruel*, all for the sake of it just feeling right. wishing to engulf an entire world in darkness, solely for whatever desire she used to have.

and for how much she knows, how much she will hammer it into her own head that she is *not* like that anymore, that she looks at her past with sneer and disgust and that she will not be the barer of evil anymore, it will not matter in the slightest when she will have to look at sora if she were to ever find out.

how afraid, angry and dejected she would look when finding out, and how she will go on the defense/offense because of how much this will overwhelm her.

because when echo looks at her own shadow, she sees herself for what she is. she knows what she is, be it out of shame or guilt.

but when sora will look at it, she will see a tall, contorting and menacing shadow, towering over with a bright cyan eye doing nothing but looking at her, as if tempting her to make the next move.

and she defends herself. from someone she knows will not harm her. she raises her arms up in self defense from a hand that would never hurt her more than the world has already did.

she knows echo will not hurt her. and thats why she is afraid.

Oh my oh my OH MY, Sinnoh!!! YES YES YES!

HOW!!! IN THE WORLD!!! Are you so good at crawling into my head and creating these vivid analysis/snippets on my OCs??? I've barely shared ANY information about Echo and Sora because I've been wanting to hoard most of my stuff for when my fic is finally finished... but... I think you've broken my resolve a bit, if I'm entirely honest.

You know what? I'm so inspired by your accuracy and eagerness to talk about my girls that I'm gonna forgo my crippling anxiety regarding my writing skills and instead post a snippet of my WIP fic here as a treat for you. A teaser, if you will. Since I have no idea when the fic in question will actually be done and ready (or when I will be satisfied with it, cause the thing is currently 36,000 words and still slowly climbing). And now you've got me eager to share SOMETHING of my fic with you and anyone that might want to take a peek at it.

Please enjoy this conversation between Dusknoir and Echo. The topic deals a lot with what you'd described up above!! c:

[Note: this is an unedited part of my fic because I am still in the process of writing and it may change in the future, so please be gentle w/ me but I'd love to read any thoughts/comments that pop up while reading!! pls send asks or replies or anything really cause I love you guys]

+++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++

“I’m going to tell you something now, and you are going to listen.” Echo commands with a sharp bite in her voice that Dusknoir cannot fathom ignoring. He pauses and then offers a slow nod, waiting, wondering what she could possibly desire to tell him at a time like this, of all things.

Minutes pass as Echo remains rooted in place, still as her own shadow, and her eyes dart around as she stares at the patches of dry grass and sand beneath her paws. Her claws clench and unclench, digging into the earth like daggers as the wind of the forest (it’s trees so close, just behind them, a looming sort of presence that could engulf them whole) whistles through the surrounding branches, carrying stray leaves of many bright greens through the chilling breeze. Dusknoir watches them dance around Echo, twirling, floating down, down, down… but it’s quiet, too quiet, and Dusknoir feels a shiver pass through him when Echo’s voice finally rings out through the silence.

"When I evolved, Sora was petrified," She says, nearly a whisper, an admission that melts away her confidence and appears to bring her a flood of both shame and regret. Her face twists up then, strangely, like she’d felt a twinge of pain from somewhere deep inside the very fabric of her own soul and was unable to quell it. "She couldn’t even bring herself to look at me most days. At first, my appearance… well, it reminded her too much of you. And eventually of someone I used to be.”

Someone I used to be. At that, Dusknoir’s immediate reaction is to recall Echo’s previous life as a human, as the miserable shell of a creature surviving alongside Grovyle that he’d relentlessly hunted in the dark future. A human made of contempt and anger and apathy, who never smiled or laughed or cried or screamed like the old legends said humans would-- an entity that simply existed rather than lived. An echo of a life long dead and buried. But, judging by her tone, by her voice, by some uneasy intuition itching in the back of his mind like a swarm of pestilent Ninjask… he knows that she means something else entirely. Something that she isn’t willing to share. And frankly, that concept utterly terrifies him.

Someone I used to be. Dusknoir wants to speak, to break his own silence, wants to ask the myriad of questions bubbling up in his throat because this isn't the first time she's hinted at another life beyond being human, but those questions die at the source like a flame doused in water. And always the coward, coward, coward, instead he takes the easy way out by doing nothing at all. Whether Echo notices his surge of inner conflict or not-- the nervous wring of his hands and the tremble in his spine that he cannot control under her gaze-- she does not react.

“I’d take a step and Sora would flinch away.” Echo confesses, her markings flickering with light before going dark and dead, as if her body wished to snuff them out entirely, a deep seated rejection, a self-loathing so strong that Dusknoir cannot help but recognize it and empathize, and his heart aches, “It took ages for her to stop shaking when I’d speak. To stop looking at me like-- like I was going to…” 

Echo grimaces like she’s enduring waves of grueling torture and doesn’t finish that string of thought, but it’s not hard to make an educated guess on what went unsaid. Like I was going to betray her. Hurt her. Break her heart. She’s been through so much already and I couldn’t bear to be another influence in the history of her suffering. I hate myself because of how I made her feel. When her eyes went wide in fear and through them I could see myself staring back like some sort of burden, some sort of curse.

“I am not my past.” Proud and true, Echo straightens up and holds her head high, a spark igniting in her eyes, a glint of determination, a will to keep going and going despite such circumstances and strife, despite this horrid, unspeakable past that haunts her so, “And I am definitely not you. It’s taken a while, but I know that much now. I’ve accepted it.”

I am not my past. And I am definitely not you.

A sigh, a breath, and Echo glances at him with a certain sorrow that cannot be described, a sorrow that lingers even through the veil of her tenacity, "But no matter how I feel, no matter my conviction, my shadows still find ways through the cracks. Every time I think I'm getting a grip and that I might finally understand myself… I change all over again." She admits, sounding more angry and tired than defeated now-- like a mirror of her old self, her human self that had clawed and damned and cursed him, despised him more than anything. "I hate it. I hate that I never truly know who I am. That I have to learn about my past through stories others tell me, or through fragments of twisted, broken memories that I wouldn't wish on anyone. Through conflict and pain and… and..."

"Echo," Dusknoir murmurs her name softly, an offering, a potential escape if only she would wish to drop the subject and forget this conversation had ever happened-- if she'd overstepped and needed an excuse to back out, a diversion, an understanding. And briefly, Dusknoir wonders why she is opening up about this particular information, why she would delve into something so vulnerable, so personal. Why she would bring up this hurtful history when it obviously brings her great discomfort.

And then, he gets an answer.

“You’re lucky, Dusknoir." There it is, that wildfire burning in her eyes again. A spark that’s new and bold and startling. But lucky? No, never. He'd have to disagree, accounting the mountain of evidence that was his life and regrettable deeds.

"You already know exactly who you are and what you’ve done, and most importantly why. You have more than a tattered picture of yourself that reflects broken answers. And you can change with that knowledge. I see you trying.” She tells him, searching, looking for something so deeply and Dusknoir wishes he knew what it could be so that he could give it to her, because he would, he would gladly give it to her without a second thought if it meant they could be close again. But he isn’t a fool, and he’s wise enough to know they’ll never be like they were before. “And if somehow I could change, even as half-assed as I have. Well, then what’s your excuse?”

You can do it, say her unspoken words, I believe in you.

[promptsforyourwhumpfic]

Whump Prompt #1329

Anon asked:

Do you happen to have any prompts for characters who were fighters/victims in the past, and have suddenly been roped back into that life?

I have a few ideas:

They’re in denial at first. Of course they are. Or maybe they’re compliant - their mind going blank as they’re given the news and forced to go back into the arena. They remember exactly what it was like, and their brain screams at them to stop, but their body keeps on moving.

They carry the numbness with them. They’re blank faced through every interaction and interview, but they could lose themselves completely if they’re given the chance to train. 

If they were a successful fighter: when they’re in the fighting ring/arena, the cheers, the atmosphere, and existing pain and scars has their heart thumping, but not out of anxiety. A feral smile draws on their lips as the routine slips into place. They see red. And before they know it, it’s over. Maybe they’re horrified at their cold, calculated speed and clinical ease at which they win. Maybe it affects them for the duration, maybe it doesn’t, but they’re more worried at what their friends think when they see the footage. 

If they were not a successful fighter: they're running purely on survival mode. They're scared and panicking, and constantly on edge. Just like last time, they're bullied by the guards and other contestants. However, now they have the knowledge and experience. They're stronger and they know someone on the outside will help them get out. They know the routines well, but the new fighters are far more threatening. Maybe this time they fight just to prove that they can, not just because they need to.

You get bonus points if the friends don't know about the whumpees past.

[losthavenmine]

Whumptober 2023 Day 29 || Troubled Past Resurfacing

The Mummy (2017)

[dreemurr-skelememer]

Inktobertale 2023 Day 3: Medicine You've got a warm heart You've got a beautiful brain But it's disintegrating From all the medicine

rsp ink jumpscare! :)

[gierosajie-art]

Whumptober 2023 Prompt List | No. 29: “I only sink deeper the deeper I think.” | Troubled Past Resurfacing

[Genshin Impact | Collei Voiceline - Chat: Memory]

"When I don't have much to keep me occupied, old thought patterns start to creep back in, and— Soon as I start talking about it, the flashbacks start..."

[elitadream]

hHm ... Sonic-shaped, but definitely not Sonic. The silhouette feels very familiar to me but I can't put my finger on it yet!

Haha well you're really not far off! :D Said character could actually co-exist very well with the Sonic crew and almost looks like he belongs in the same universe! Chances are you'll immediately remember the game when I'll share the finished drawing. x3

(And to the Anon who guessed right away: the tail was a dead giveaway, wasn't it? 😂)

[lbibliophile-sw]

Safety Briefing

Also on AO3 @whumptober-archive - day 29: troubled past resurfacing @clonefandomevents - Coruscant Guard bingo: GAR versus Corries @clonefandomevents - 501st bingo: flashbacks

For a long silent minute, Fox just looks at him.

“Usually, I tell GAR transfers to follow contested territory protocols and put them on street patrols, and that’s enough to keep them alive as they learn our rules. But you’re a mutie and a Captain. So I think you’ll understand when I say we are closer to Kamino SOP.

“Don’t stand out, don’t draw attention. Ensure that everything you do is perfect and without fault. Know that sometimes that’s still not enough, and all you can do is endure until they lose interest.

“Welcome to the Coruscant Guard, Captain Rex.”

[wenellyb]

It's sad that Lou and his character Tommy have a racist past in common. People can choose to never forgive Lou or Tommy for their past. People can also choose to forgive Lou and Tommy. Some people think that Lou has changed because he doesn't post the ignorant things he used to post. They are allowed to feel that way. I think the problem comes when people try to make others change their opinion by trying to imply that their opinion is wrong. Even IF Lou and Tommy have changed no one is obligated to forgive them or like them. The argument that Lou and/or Tommy have black supporters/friends so people should forgive them for being racist in the past is ridiculous. Forgiveness is personal. For example, just because some black people are okay with Lou and Tommy that doesn't mean all black people have to be.

Hi Anon!!! Thank you!!!

You summarized my thoughts perfectly. I think I'm going to to pin your ask and go back to enjoying the ship because you said it perfectly.

Thank you so much for this!