#whumpcember2022 day23

[alexversenaberrie]

#star wars paintings

[sylvanfreckles]

No. 22: Stumbling

Part 22 of Deck the Hells

Fandom: Critical Role Rating: G Warnings: none

Summary: "Dorian! Stop pining and get back in the fight!" (Read on AO3)

(I will freely admit, this was inspired by a short reblog exchange with @sidleyparkhermit when they mentioned bringing Dorian back with the Orym love triangle unresolved, which made me cackle like the madwoman I am and plot this little tale. Also we decided the Dorian/Orym/Ashton throuple is called Earth, Wind, and Fighter.)

...

Zephra.

The wind blew around them, but the sun was warm above. The scents of Spring—cherry blossoms and rain, new leaves and fresh soil—surrounded them.

In his hammock, Dorian closed his eyes and let the peace seep into his bones. Orym was a warm weight on his chest, head tucked under Dorian’s chin as he slept. It was nice to be here, after everything. After Dorian’s travels had ended, after Orym’s answers were found, after all they’d been through. Just to exist here, in this soft, warm space between them.

He risked a peek at Orym, smiling at the halfling’s sleeping face. To be here…to be together…it was the closest he’d come to paradise.

A cherry blossom petal landed on Orym’s cheek, and Dorian lifted a hand to brush it away. The motion woke him, and he lifted his head to blink sleepy eyes up at Dorian.

“Everything’s all right,” Dorian murmured. He ran a hand through Orym’s hair, across his shoulders. “Go back to sleep.”

“Not sleepy,” Orym protested, even as he laid his head back down. His arms tightened around Dorian’s middle; feet tangled with his knees.

“Of course you’re not,” Dorian laughed. “Not sleepy at all.”

Orym lifted his head again, lips pursed in a frown. It was utterly, completely adorable, and Dorian couldn’t help but pull Orym closer and…

“Dorian!”

Imogen’s voice in his head pulled him out of the dream. He rolled, off his bedroll into the mud, clumsily stumbling to his feet. “Wha-what? What’s happening?”

“We’re under attack!”

He blinked furiously, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. The pleasant warmth of the dream was replaced by the harsh reality of life on the road, camping in this cursed jungle. Imogen, a few feet away, was trying to rouse the others while Orym and Ashton fought…

Oh…

That was a two-headed owlbear.

Dorian pulled his scimitar free and sprinted forward to deflect one large, clawed paw before it could smash Laudna. “You okay?”

“Thank you, Dorian,” Laudna panted. She was scrabbling backward on her hands and knees, which was a little horrifying to watch.

He shifted around to block another strike from the creature as Laudna hurried away to a safer distance, then risked carving a long slash up its leg. It roared in pain and swung at him, and he had to dodge back to avoid the blow.

Where were the others? Fresh Cut Grass was tending to Chetney, Imogen had woken Fearne, and Orym and Ashton were fighting together on the owlbear’s other side.

Orym and Ashton…

He watched for a moment as the two of them moved smoothly around each other in battle. Ashton feinted with his hammer, and Orym effortlessly spun around him to catch the owlbear across the face with his blade. It was smooth, practiced…the motions of two people who’d fought countless battles together.

“Dorian!” Imogen screamed into his head. “Stop pining and get back in the fight!”

“I wasn’t pining!” he shouted back, charging back in with his scimitar. He wasn’t…really…all he wanted was for Orym to be happy.

Orym, who had leapt onto the head of Ashton’s hammer, which they spun around in a wide arc before flinging him into the air. He arced over the owlbear, then shot a vine out from his shield hand to wrap around the creature’s neck and pull him towards it, blade out, at lightning speed.

The blade struck true, the beast roaring in pain. Ashton gave a shout of excitement, the glass in their head sparking in rainbow colors, as they swung their hammer in an upward arc to catch the owlbear under one of its chins.

“Dorian!”

He cursed, yanking the diamond from his breastplate to spin up a chromatic orb and fling it at the owlbear’s other head. He barely paid attention to the hit, already darting along the beast’s length to strike at its back legs.

Ashton was laughing at something, and Orym replied—too quiet for Dorian to hear. He cut at one of the back legs, trying to cut through to a tendon, but his scimitar just bounced off of tough hide and muscle. The beast kicked out, catching Dorian across the chest and flinging him back into a tree. He let out a groan as his head bounced off the graying bark, shoving himself back up to his feet to stumble back into battle.

There seemed to be little left to do. Chetney had rejoined the fight, chisel in each hand. Fearne was throwing handfuls of fire. Laudna, shadows sprouting from her fingertips, sent twin spirals of purple energy to carve through the owlbear’s second head, sending it crumpling to the jungle floor.

Dead.

“Dorian!” Orym, leaping off the back of the owlbear, jogged toward him with a worried smile. “Hey, you okay?”

“What, me?” Dorian asked lamely. “Oh, oh no…no, I’m good. I’m. I’m good. Good.”

Orym frowned, staring up at him. “Did you hit your head.”

“Well, you know how hard my head is,” Dorian tried to joke, laughing a little too brightly. “That was some move you pulled. With-with Ashton. And the hammer.”

“Oh!” Orym’s face relaxed, a smile breaking through. “Yeah, we’ve been working on that for a little bit. Sometimes it pays off to be a little guy, right?”

“Well, you would know!” Dorian thumped Orym on the shoulder, then winced at his words. “Not that…I didn’t mean…I just said…”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m great. Mm-hm. Great.”

“Well…all right. I’m gonna check on the others.”

“Give them my regards,” Dorian called after him. Which was stupid. He just had to walk ten feet and he’d be able to see the others for himself.

“Coward.” Imogen, in his head again.

“I don’t know what you mean,” he shot back.”

“Oh, please. You’re pining so hard I can sense it without using my powers.”

“That’s not true!” he blustered. In his head. Gods, he couldn’t even get out a sentence in his head.

“Dorian, just tell him how you feel.”

He whirled around to glare at her across the camp. “Like you’re one to talk.”

She straightened up, eyes cold. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Dorian smirked. “Laudna?” he called out loud, jogging toward the dark-haired woman, ignoring the death glare from the lavender-haired one. “Wasn’t Imogen spectacular just now?”

[much-obliged-timothy]

Whumpcember #23

Hawkeye - #23 - Stumbling

*

Clint and Barney had a very simple agenda for the night: Walk the dog, pick up dinner while walking the dog, and return to Clint’s apartment to watch a movie and eat dinner. 

Not on the agenda: Being jumped.

“Who the fuck tries to rob an Avenger?” Barney whined, punching an attacker in the face. 

“Hey, you’re upsetting my dog,” Clint said to the guy currently trying to stab him. “C’mon, man, I’ve got like eight dollars on me. This isn’t worth it.”

“Eight? More than me,” Barney said. “Really not worth it, fellas.”

One pulled a gun on Clint, who looked like he wished he’d never left bed today. Lucky growled and leapt at the gun-toting asshole, biting his arm.

“Lucky, we’ve talked about this,” Clint said. 

Lucky picked his head up curiously before biting back down on the criminal. Clint sighed but didn’t pursue the issue. 

“I think that’s all of them,” Barney said. 

He was proven wrong as another leapt out from the shadows, slamming into Clint. Clint cried out before grunting and grabbing the guy, flinging him off of himself. Barney caught the guy and punched him so hard that he didn’t get back up after crumpling to the ground.

“Now that’s all of them,” Barney said, kicking the one Lucky was biting in the head to knock him out. “So do we call the police or the Avengers, or just…go home?”

“Barney,” Clint said, his voice odd. 

Barney glanced over at him. Clint stumbled forward and Barney hurried to catch him. He felt something wet on his hand and yanked it away, looking at the blood on it. His eyes widened and he checked over Clint, face paling at the stab wound in Clint’s back, dangerously close to his kidney.

“No, no,” Barney muttered, kneeling on the ground and pulling Clint with him. “Clint? Clint, look at me.”

He was losing blood fast. He rested his head on Barney’s shoulder and reached out to pat Lucky on the head.

“Good boy,” he mumbled, closing his eyes.

“No, Clint!” Barney said in alarm. “Hey, open your eyes. Come on, Clint, how am I supposed to pay for dinner without you? Open your eyes, asshole.”

He pressed his hand hard to Clint’s wound to try and stop the bleeding, his heart slamming. No, this was supposed to be a pleasant, easy-going night together. 

“Clint!” he said, but Clint did not respond. Barney could do nothing more but keep his hand on the wound and shout for help, hoping it would arrive in time.

[rain-candles-jazz]

whumpcember day 23: stumbling tw:  mention of gore/surgery, body control, body modification

Maddie didn't sleep... or she didn't think she did... she couldn't remember sleeping.  The thought didn't bother her.

What did bother her a little was seeing her own ribcage... how long ago had it been?  She vaguely recalled that something was a little odd about seeing one's own ribcage.  This thought too swept through her mind like a wave flowing in and then out.

Standing up (had she been laying down?), she found her balance a bit off... also unusual.  Her arms burned.  An odd buzzing sounded in the back of her head.  Maddie glanced around the room.  It was full of odd metal things.

A blonde guy popped his head in a doorway in front of her.  "Ah, you're up already!  God I always miss these things..."  He stepped into the room and stared at her.

Maddie blinked.  Her arms hung limply by her side.

"You don't have too much going on up there, huh?"  The dude pointed to his temple a few times.

Maddie tilted her head.  Thinking too much was bad.  Thinking too much had gotten her into trouble.  Best to avoid thinking too much.

"Eh," the guy waved a hand.  "Whatever, I wanna see the blades!"  He clenched his fists in front of himself.

Maddie didn't remember telling them to, but her arms moved.  Her hands flexed.  Out of each hand, a long metal point shot out.  Blood sprayed on the floor. The guy giggled.  "That is sooo cool!"

Maddie pulled an arm up to her face.  The blade was pointed but sharp on the ends.  She thought about this development.  These weren't always here... something about this whole situation was odd... The thought washed away. These things seemed fun.  Maddie smiled.  She wondered what other fun things this odd city held.

[sanitatemsss]

Whumpcember 2022 Day 23

@whumpcember

Fandom: marvel, clint centric

Warnings: shot in thigh

Prompt: Day 23 - stumbling