#whump fics the lot of them

[prince-liest]

New chapter tomorrowwwwww, this one was weirdly difficult to write and I can't tell if it's because of the writing or because I've been busy/tired all week. Perhaps I will Fix It In Post (read: edit it a bunch tomorrow before posting and feel better about it)!

[tomurakii]

My last post about bloodweave was pretty negative (though necessarily so imo) so I wanted to talk about the little things about the bloodweave dynamic that I DO like and want to see more of in fic (under the cut).

- the orb means Astarion can't start their relationship transactionally. Gale can't give Astarion blood, and also can't have sex with him (and presumably would refuse casual sex anyway). How would the relationship develop without Astarion being able to rely on the give-and-take, forced instead to just trust Gale will watch his back? Astarion isn't a plans guy, I imagine having to come up with something on the spot (considering none of the other companions are reeaaaally an option either) would lead to a lot more emotional vulnerability as he tries to take a route he has much less experience with. Not to mention that the flirty and standoffish front isn't exactly going to endear him to Gale, who approves of the capable, loyal, and righteous. How long can Astarion pretend to be invested in Gale's wellbeing before it becomes true?

- they both have bad ascension endings, but different natural outcomes. Gale is considered the more morally upstanding one, but in their solo states (without the player's influence) Gale will go through with ascension and Astarion won't. Would they goad each other on? Gale disapproves of Astarion's ascension, using arguments that could apply to himself about the personal sacrifice and loss of the soul. Would Astarion flip them around, become defensive? Their dynamic could mean the power hungry character ending up discouraging the pursuit of godhood, or the two of them hurtling over the edge together. Or, maybe, Astarion encouraging Gale to ascend and having to trust him to return.

- they're the party members with the most life experience, and they're also both pretty well-educated (even if Astarion's law qualifications may well have expired by the events of the game). He spent his time under Cazador sewing (like Gale in his Baldur's Gate epilogue) and learning languages (of which Gale knows four). They have enduring common interests beyond their circumstances. Gale can help Astarion rediscover the latent nerd potential he lost when he died, and lord knows he would love to pick his brain for a first hand account of the mid-to-late 12th century.

- Astarion recently regained hope for his future when the tadpole freed him, Gale recently lost all of it. While act 1 is a continuous series of positive discoveries for Astarion (tadpole frees him from cazador -> ceremorphosis is held off by the dream visitor -> tadpole can be controlled), Gale's life gets worse with time as his treatment stops working. It's a dynamic that could give Gale hope, force Astarion to practise empathy, or put them completely at odds.

- Astarion's all-encompassing desire to reclaim his life could be inspiring to Gale. Moreover, I imagine seeing just how passive Gale is about his death would infuriate him. To have so little regard for his real, mortal, free life? It's a great source of angst, and also a great starting point for Gale to start wanting to live again. Because after learning about Astarion's past he would agree, he'd recognise how much value a mortal life was supposed to have. He'd think himself ungrateful or impolite for entertaining the idea of throwing it away when Astarion would give anything to have what he had. This would lead to guilt, and potentially self-loathing, unless someone was there to help pick up the pieces.

- If Astarion meets Oblodra before Gale's act 2 romance scene, (or for a fanfic plot, just before Gale is confident enough to confess) they most likely won't have sex until the graveyard scene in late act 3 (or the post-ascension equivalent). It means that rather than the fuckfest we so often see from bloodweave fics, the relationship is almost entirely a slow-burning, emotionally intimate affair. I'd really love to see that play out, the progression from semi-horny yearning on both parts as the orb keeps them apart, to two love confessions that are followed by the both of them experiencing non-sexual intimacy for the first time in years. I doubt Mystra was one to hug her chosen, after all, or hold their hands.

I just love a bg3 ship that forces the characters to take different actions than they do in canon. It makes me feel like I'm developing a broader understanding of the characters, you know?

[livelaughwhump]

I just saw an ad on YouTube for an animal shelter and it made me think about a pet whumpee shelter putting out a similar commercial

Like just imagine an ad for an animal shelter that strictly sells human pets. It pans through several images/clips of their human pets sadly staring at the camera through the bars of their cage. Then it cuts to a random celebrity saying, "Please call xxx-xxx-xxxx to help give these poor animals a good home." While they're petting one of the whumpees that's kneeling at their feet.

Or alternatively, it's a commercial showcasing a bunch of human pets performing humiliating tricks while a happy family strolls through the rows of cages to pick one out.

[necrotic-nephilim]

What do you think about the fab five polycule

(Dick x donna x wally x garth x roy)

i'll be SO honest i wish i had like. insightful interesting opinions on them but i've always been a Young Justice kid and sort of. breezed past consuming Fab Five Teen Titans content-

but of what i *do* know, from the few comics i've read with these characters is this is one of the best ships for Dick, honestly. it always deeply annoys me when fanon content breezes past the Titans as if they're just some distant teammates and not some of Dick's closest friends, if not a second family. *especially* the Fab Five. for most, if not all of them, it's the first time getting to actually connect with other teen heroes. so there's something fun about how sort of terrible they are at it, at first. they all care about each other a lot. but they're kind of chucked into the deep figuring out how to work with each other and get along with *very* different personalities, so it's fun to see where the conflict comes.

as a ship, i do really love it. the Titans are a family. like we call a lot of teams found families, but for the Fab Five, that shit is the truest. they depend on each other and trust each other. when Dick and Bruce are on outs and Bruce fires him, he goes to the Titans.

i also enjoy how, to an extent, all of them are outsiders of some kind. Donna is alone in a new world she's never experienced, the same as Garth. Roy is still new and awkward to living the rich life with Oliver. Wally doesn't connect to his parents well. and of course, Dick has lost his parents and only has Bruce, who isn't the most emotionally available. of course they're going to cling to each other, as the first people they can really develop connections too. they're very clingy with each other and i think that's both cute and *fun* to explore like, codependency issues with them. how protective they can be of each other, how they default to trusting each other over their mentors, etc. it's all very interesting for a polycule, especially since for most of them, it's their first real relationship. i'm a big fan of "none of us know what dating looks like bc we've had such strange childhoods so we don't understand the Rules very well. we're all just going to date each other bc why would i date only one of you. do teamups count as dates now." vibes with teenage polycules. and the Fab Five just. have that on lock. they each fulfill a different "niche" in the group. Garth is the softer, more emotional one you can go to if you're upset. Donna is the one for planning bright fun trips and making sure you don't wallow. Roy is protective and can pretend to be suave, but he shows affection through gift giving and grand gestures where words fail him. Wally can cheer any of them up with jokes and distractions. and of course Dick is the logical one who makes sure they all keep their heads on and don't drown in the responsibility.

overall i think it's a really cute ship and i do wish i just. knew more about them to be able to write them/read fic of it because i do love their dynamic. and i'm just a firm believer in the Titans being Dick's family, just as important to him as the Batfam. they're a disaster and for that you gotta love them.

[dykekarkat]

hey! any angsty aftg fic recs?

okay prefacing this by saying i don't read a ton of like pure angst fics so these recs are mostly angst mixed w/ fluff and all of the finished ones at least have a happy ending, it might not be exactly what your looking for but they are some of my faves so

-Learning to be Human by coritkyo is one of my favorite andreil fics of all time it's a robot/android/cyborg au with a really amazing andreil dynamic it's unfinished (for now) but the mix of angst / healing / fluff is genuinely so good i was crying at 3 am while reading the last chapter idk if it fits what ur looking for but im plugging it anyway bcus i love this fic so bad.

-i know Baltimore Blues by spanglebangle is one of the more kudo'd fics in the fandom but if you haven't read that DO ITTTTT, i am always a slut for andrew baltimore povs. honestly any fic by spanglebangle is worth it even their unfinished fics are so good

-Coffee and Lies by Leocante is just a really good character study of neil though i think this is one of the more subtly angsty ones but it really digs into his pysche which i'm a fan of

-I Hope You Lie To Me by NikNak22 is actually so fucking good and so fucking worth it's post canon and all about andreil settling into their relationship and neil delving into his sexuality which i'm always a huge fan of

-if you're looking for more like heavier angst / aus / long fics Innominate by Major_816 is very good though it is unfinished right now it's probably one of the only very heavy raven esque / adjacent neil fics i have been able to get through

-final longer fic rec is Amor Vincit Omnia by Stjosten which is another au but the andreil build and struggle is just really good in that fic and i enjoyed it immensely

-okay this is my last rec for now I'm gonna make this place your home by earthworms is a what if mary was alive au and i LOVE fics that go into the mary neil dynamic so that's one of my all time faves im truly just a sucker for it

[ssreeder]

Is it okay to ask a spoiler? (kinda, like, it's probably just for me I'm at the beginning of your fic and I'm anxious as fck 😂😂)

I'm reading LIAB (chapter Going the Distance), and loving every word of it! I'm considering it as a real book instead of fanfiction, because you're a really skilled author and I can't wait to read the whole series and become an unbearable fan annoying you!! 😜❤️🙏🏼

Anyway, while reading I can't help but wonder: during the series are we gonna see Zuko and Iroh together again? I can't stop thinking about how Zuko misses his uncle (for context, Chang just was left behind for me, so I'm a little emotional about that yet!!!) and I can't stop thinking if we get to see Iroh unleashing all his angry at Zhao once he finds out what happened to Zuko and how our boy suffered...

(Another question completely different: is there any scene in the story you would love to see draw? I actually got to know your fic because of the lovely fanarts hahah, and now I was thinking about drawing something that I read but can't decide which scene 😭😭)

HELLLOOOOO!! I had to look at the chapters to figure out which one was Going the Distance & then I realized you really are in the very beginning of the fic series haha! Well…. WELCOME! (&your anxiousness is super valid it’s a super anxious fic I’m even anxious just thinking about you being anxious lol)

AWWWWW I HOPE YOU LIKE THE ENTIRE SERIES!!! it gets a little wild in some places & super duper dark so I just like to always warn lol. heed the tags lol.

OK AYYYY so as for the spoilers: Iroh & Zuko will absolutely be reunited & it’s going to be a mess. So much will happen between where you’re at in the fic & where you’re going, that it’s hard to even explain without spoiling the entire fic! Which I will do if you want just let me know haha. but Iroh will be part of the story and I think you get an update on him towards the end of the first book & then you’ll hear about him in RIA & then they’ll be reunited in ITF. They have a long & painful journey ahead of them I’m sorry… you have quite a bit of angst to get through.

& I can promise you Iroh is going to be very very PISSED. I love me some slightly feral Iroh, especially when it comes to his nephew.

(omg omgomgomgommgggg fanart is like a proposal to me and I swear I’m rolling on the ground happily just thinking about it. But idk what scene I’d pick I really like people who create the fanart to pick because I like to see what they choose! Also you have a long way to go so maybe something will interest you?? I’m super excited either way!)

thanks for the ask I hope you enjoy reading!!

[one-in-a-million-fishsticks]

Sometimes when I'm in the midst of inventing progressively shittier character traits for Cristien Belmont, I like to imagine that when he finally dies, Trevor and Richter will be waiting at the door of the afterlife with freshly shined weapons and fists primed for a pummeling.

[marshmellowtea]

i would be more open to posts about how to be more realistic in whump fics if they weren't always phrased so condescendingly lmao

[independent-fics]

Absoloutly love “The Corkscrew Job” for the ot3 moment of Hardison and Parker fighting to help Eliot. It happens so rarely I feel like because Eliot’s always the one taking the hits for them but there is a few episodes where it’s them fighting and it’s usually to help Eliot.

[bulletdyke]

the problem with politically charged media is that the average fandom person thinks we fell out of a coconut tree

[tmmyhug]

dunno what exactly ur looking for but I think this is real whump??

https://archiveofourown.org/works/57133102

this technically is still hurt/comfort. looks like a great fic. i'll be checking out this whole series so thanks :D

mind the tags people

[purplecatghostposts]

I keep a list of every Fic/AU idea I have for different fandoms in my notes app and there’s a lot in the Marble Hornets one (95 if you want to be specific, though some are discarded) and sometimes I read through them to determine which ones I want to make, right? And there’s a solid string of fic concepts where I basically kept going, “Yeah what if I fucked up Alex Kralie Specifically?” Because I was in the mood for Alex Whump for like, a hot minute and it shows.

[aweisz]

me a couple days ago: oooooh i love this whumptober prompt for the 9th i'll do such an elaborate thing oooooh

me on the 9th: why does drawing involve drawing

[noemitenshi]

Excerpt

“She’s supposed to be in medical,” Troy declared with a head-nod towards Ri, who… did she look worried? Because of Troy or Crazy Dog?

Crazy Dog, however, inclined his head, conceding the point. And for some reason that pissed Troy off even more.

“Why isn’t she?!”

“She wanted to train,” Crazy Dog replied, much more calmly than Troy had been. God, that tone drove him crazy and it was him now, that stepped into Crazy Dog’s space.

“Then you bring her to me,” he hissed, “She’s my responsibility. If she wants to train, you bring her to me!”

“You were busy. And she needs modified training, not what the militia is getting. With her injuries…”

“You bring her to me.” Troy wasn’t happy with how high his tone rose but what was so fucking difficult about understanding this? Crazy Dog’s face closed off even further.

“So your guys can throw her around some more? Fuck that.”

“That’s not your call to make.”

“In fact, it  is,” the asshole disagreed, “You brought her into the militia, so she’s my responsibility, too.”

“Oh,  fuck you, asshole. What, you’re saying I’m doing a shit job looking after her?”

---------------------------------------------------------

That was, in fact, what Crazy Dog was saying but he knew it maybe wasn’t the best course of action to admit to that.

[hum--hallelujah]

SAW AU SNIPPET. JOIN ME HERE. THIS SHOULDN'T SPOIL TOO MUCH BUT TELL ME EVERYTHING ONCE YOU'VE WATCHED IT

SHAKING SCREAMING FROTHING AT THE MOUTH AAAAAUGHHH I CANNOT WAIT TO READ THIS

[adrift-in-thyme]

Are going to make more to the masterlist...? I really enjoyed reading them...

I’m so glad you enjoyed them!!

I’m planning to continue day 25 (the one with First) but otherwise I don’t intend to write anything else for Febuwhump. At least not for this year. I might complete next year’s prompts if I get a chance. And God willing I’ll participate in Whumptober this fall ;)