#whumperless whump event 2024

[cuddlepilefics]

Better out than in

Fandom: Ateez

Sickie: Seonghwa

Caregiver: Hongjoong

Prompts: Vomiting / “I got your hair, it’s fine.”

@whumperless-whump-event

No one’s POV.:

Seonghwa always loved visiting new places and making memories with his friends, so he was ecstatic to learn that they’d get some time to explore the cities while on tour in America. The weather too seemed to be on their side, blessing their outings with sunshine. A little too sunny from time to time, maybe. With the comfortable air-conditioning in their hotel, it was hard to convince anyone to go out and explore but Hongjoong didn’t want to disappoint his hyung, who had been looking forward to spending his free time outside. Exploring was always more fun together and going alone could get overwhelming, so it was understandable that Seonghwa was so desperate to convince someone to accompany him. With a sigh, Hongjoong reapplied his sun protection before joining the eldest and humming: “Let’s go. Anywhere specific you wanted to see?”

The leader already regretted his decision a couple of blocks down, as he was drenched in sweat despite not having gone very far yet. Seonghwa was in high spirits though, only tugging on his shirt occasionally to get it unstuck from his sweaty skin. Long hair could really make one’s neck sweat, he discovered, running his fingers through his hair. This was the hottest he had been since growing out his hair and he couldn’t help but fantasize about a short hair cut, despite usually liking his longer hair. Hongjoong swiped his wrist across his forehead, brushing off droplets of sweat before fanning himself with his snapback. “That looks like a mini-market ahead”, the leader panted, “Let’s grab something to drink there. Pretty sure, I already lost all my fluids through my pores.”Seonghwa chuckled at that but no matter the whining, he was still glad that the younger had agreed to accompany him.

While Hongjoong bought a bottle of cold soda, Seonghwa decided to wait and only buy a drink once he felt thirsty. He didn’t want to carry a bottle around and he also didn’t want to force himself to finish it quickly, so he wouldn’t need to look for a restroom while they were out. “You sure you don’t want anything?”, Hongjoong asked after drinking a few sips, “The cold feels amazing.” – “I’m sure. Maybe we can get some ice cream somewhere. That would be the perfect refreshment for a hot summer’s day like this”, Seonghwa laughed, wiping the sweat off his neck. It still took a while of touring the crowded streets for the two of them to come across an ice cream truck. Having just finished the last sips of his soda, Hongjoong frowned: “I just had a fizzy drink. There’s no way I could eat right now.” – “More for me, I guess”, the older beamed, getting multiple scoops.

After accidentally dripping some melted ice cream onto his shirt, Seonghwa proposed taking a break and the two of them found a shaded bench in a small park, where they could sit and rest for a bit. They probably wouldn’t be out for very long anymore anyway because it was simply too hot but there were a few sights, the eldest still wanted to visit and who was Hongjoong to deny him? As they resumed their walk though, Seonghwa was slower than before. It took a while for the leader to notice because he himself felt his energy zapped by the unbearable heat but when his friend slowly developed a limp, he couldn’t help but get concerned.

“It’s probably just because I ate something cold but my stomach kinda hurts”, Seonghwa admitted quietly. As if to prove his point, the organ grumbled noisily, making him blush. Shooting the older a crooked smile, Hongjoong reminded: “You know, we can head back if you want to. Maybe you’ll feel better if you lay down for a while and we can see if we get a chance to come out here once it cooled down a little.” – “You just wanna go back to the hotel, don’t you?”, Seonghwa chuckled weakly but agreed, “Since the heat probably isn’t helping, I guess, we can go back now, though I don’t think we’ll have another opportunity.” He grew quiet after that and they slowly strolled in the direction of their hotel. Seonghwa’s stomach was definitely churning now and he winced as every step jostled it.

Despite the sun beating down on them, Seonghwa suddenly felt cold and goosebumps covered his arms. Hongjoong seemed none the wiser and was mostly glad that the older finally decided to head back. This was no weather the leader enjoyed being out in and he couldn’t wait to stretch out on his hotel bed and let the air-conditioning blast cold air down on his overheated body. Deep in his fantasy, Hongjoong startled when Seonghwa gripped his shoulder hard.

It had become increasingly difficult for Seonghwa to place one foot in front of the other. Partly due to the pain in his abdomen and partly because the heat seemed to affect his circulation and he found himself growing a little lightheaded. The pain slowly morphed into nausea and he broke into a cold sweat, hands trembling as he tried to keep himself upright. This wasn’t good. Their hotel was still a couple of blocks away and Seonghwa could only hope they’d make it back there before he collapsed, or even worse, ended up puking in public.

Seonghwa’s prayers went unanswered and he stumbled, catching himself on Hongjoong’s shoulder as his stomach lurched. Shocked, the leader spun around and rushed to grip Seonghwa’s arm, steadying the older while muttering a curse under his breath. Strands of Seonghwa’s long hair fell into his face as he doubled over retching and Hongjoong quickly gathered them in one hand. “I got your hair, it’s fine”, the leader hummed, using his free hand to pat the other’s back. Unsteady on his feet, Seonghwa only tightened his grip on his friend’s shoulder as another wave splattered onto the pavement, the tips of his ears burning with humiliation. When his stomach finally stopped throwing a fit and he managed to straighten up, he was pale as a sheet, except for his ears. Tugging the older away from the puddle, Hongjoong frowned: “What’s going on? I expected your stomach to hurt, yeah, but that’s a little worse than you mentioned.” – “Don’t feel so good anymore”, Seonghwa mumbled, rubbing his face. “I can see that”, Hongjoong nodded but couldn’t get anything else from the older.

Linking their arms, Hongjoong guided Seonghwa back to the hotel, their pace slow. The eldest still felt incredibly dizzy though he couldn’t tell if it was the heat or anything else. Hongjoong too was confused. Seonghwa wouldn’t have gone on their nerves begging to explore the city if he had already been feeling low earlier, so what could’ve happened in the short time span they had been out? “The more I think about it, the more I suspect it was the ice cream”, Seonghwa groaned, slipping a clammy hand under his shirt to palm at his bloated middle, “Felt fine before that but now…” He muffled a queasy burp against his fist, which left a sour taste on his tongue. “Better out than in then, I guess”, Hongjoong sighed. Trying to speed up, Seonghwa stumbled into Hongjoong and the leader frowned: “Are you going to be sick again?” He crossed his fingers that the answer would be no because the hotel wasn’t even in sight yet but he wasn’t so lucky, Seonghwa giving an urgent nod.

By some strike of luck, Hongjoong managed to pull the older between some trashcans at the back of a building before gathering the sweaty strands of his long hair at the back of his head. Swallowing back bile, Seonghwa braced both of his hands against the bricks to steady himself against the wave of dizziness that washed over him but could only fight hack the nausea for so long. With Hongjoong reassuring him that he was perfectly concealed where they stood and that his hair was out of the line of fire, the eldest took a shaky breath and gave up fighting. A harsh retch tore at Seonghwa’s throat and made him shudder. He couldn’t even see the puddle at his feet as sweat had run from his brow into his eyes, blurring his vision. Was it still so hot? He had no sense of temperature but the air was still humid and hard to breathe, making him lightheaded.

Seonghwa stumbled, knees almost buckling before Hongjoong caught him around the waist and steadied him. “Breathe”, the leader shushed, pulling the older back and guiding him a few steps away. Slumping against the wall, Seonghwa winced. The warm bricks against his back reminded him of his damp shirt, completely drenched with sweat. It was definitely hot. He could feel it now. Lifting the hem of his shirt, he wiped his face and sniffled: “Gosh, I really wanna take a shower.” – “We’re almost there”, Hongjoong comforted, rummaging through his bag, “You want some gum? It’s your call when you’re ready to continue.” Gulping miserably, Seonghwa accepted the gum and pushed away from the wall. He swayed for a moment but groaned: “Let’s go. I really want that shower and I’d prefer the privacy of a bathroom next time.” Though Hongjoong had expected it, hearing Seonghwa confirm that he probably wasn’t done throwing up for long did stress him out a bit.

The peace lasted long enough for them to reach the hotel though and Seonghwa even managed to take his shoes and shirt off before finding himself draped over the toilet, heaving uselessly. Hongjoong had quickly pinned his hair back with cute, little clips and out of his face before running a towel under cold water and draping it across the back of his neck. “Let me get you some water and a fresh change of clothes”, the leader whispered, patting his hyung’s bare back before getting up. He hurried and also adjusted the air-conditioning. The water bottle he pulled from the mini fridge had condensation on it when he placed it onto the sink. Panting, Seonghwa pulled the wet towel off his neck and wiped his face on it. Only when he lowered it again did Hongjoong see the tears in his eyes. Gently removing the hairclips, the leader ran his fingers through Seonghwa’s hair and whispered: “You’ll be okay. Do you wanna take that shower now? Might help you feel a little better. If you’re not too dizzy, that is?”

Seonghwa decided to take a quick shower, though he opted for sitting down and he took Hongjoong up on his offer to wash his hair because his stomach cramped painfully when he tried to lift his arms above his head. Still, it took a lot out of him to wash up, especially after he spent another five minutes dry heaving over the drain. It was absolutely worth it though. Being clean made him feel more like himself, allowing him to relax after stretching out on the bed. Hongjoong set the trashcan next to the bed and draped a cold towel across Seonghwa’s forehead, humming: “Should I set the temperature a little warmer? You still got goosebumps.” – “Nah, it feels nice”, the eldest breathed, keeping his eyes shut, “Thanks Joong. And thanks for going out with me in the first place.” – “You’re welcome. Get some rest now”, the leader smiled, “I’ll be here.”

[alicewritingstories]

Whumperless Whump Event: Scattered in the Mountains

@whumperless-whump-event

Fandom: Linked Universe

[Previous] << Chapter 7 >> [Next]

Prompts for this chapter:

2: "Eyes open, ambulance is almost here." (except that there are no ambulances in the setting)

25: "I know it hurts. Breathe."

29: Wrong place, wrong time

30: "I can't stop crying, I'm sorry..."

31: "We can't just sit here and wait."

Central characters: Time, Hyrule, Legend, Warriors, Sky, and (though he doesn't know it yet) Twilight

***

Legend had been walking for an hour or so and guessed it was about noon when he finally saw a thread of smoke rising above the trees. He sighed in relief; that looked like it came from a chimney and that meant someone was living out here who might be able to at least give him some directions and a look at a map. He had no idea how Hyrule was so comfortable just wandering around the wild.

He turned and headed in the direction of the smoke, still moving carefully in case he'd misjudged and to avoid losing his footing on the rough ground. Four had already found out how badly that could go.

At that thought, he couldn't help speeding up a little more. While leaving Four and Sky to look after themselves was better than leaving Sky alone, Four wasn't exactly in a position to fight if he had to.

Soon he could see the source of the smoke: a wooden cabin nestled in a sheltered corner against a cliff. He sighed in relief and broke into a careful jog as the slope evened out a little.

As he approached, a hylian walked out of the door, calling over his shoulder, "I'll be back before long. Make yourselves comfortable!"

Then he saw Legend hurrying towards him and immediately tensed, feet moving into guard as his hand moved towards the sword hilt Legend could see poking out from behind the pelt he was wearing as a cape.

"Woah…" Legend slowed to a walk, raising his hands and ignoring the still-raw memories that Sky's delirious ramblings had brought to mind. This man was reacting to seeing an armed stranger running towards his home and family, that was all. "I'm not here to cause trouble," he called. "I need some help. At least some directions."

The man tilted his head curiously, his eyes narrowed between angular black tattoos.

Then the door opened and Warriors walked out. "Legend?" he said, then his eyes brightened as he saw Legend.

"Hey, Pretty boy," said Legend, folding his arms. "Trust you to land on your feet."

Even as he spoke, he noticed the shadows under Warriors' eyes, the spots of fevered color on his cheeks, and the blood on his sleeve. He had not landed on his feet.

"One of your friends?" asked the stranger dryly, looking over his shoulder at Warriors.

"Yes. Have you seen anything of the others, Legend?"

Legend nodded. "Sky's sick and Four is injured. How about you?"

"I found Wind, but he's the only one." Warriors gestured to the stranger. "This is Link. He knows the area and helped us."

At the name, Legend couldn't help a small double-take. Link apparently noticed and a flash of self-consciousness went across his face.

"Well, we'd best get Sky and Four back here as well so you're all in one place," he said thoughtfully, rolling his shoulders. "Then… you said you were a party of seven, Warriors?"

"Yes, that will leave Time and Hyrule unaccounted for."

Legend's heart skipped a beat and he tried to ignore it. If one member of the Chain was well-suited to being lost in a completely unfamiliar mountainside range, it was Hyrule. He'd be fine.

"Right." Link's eyes drifted up to another part of the slope. "Well, come on, Legend; let's go."

Legend nodded, but before turning away he asked, "Where's Wind? You said you'd found him."

Warriors glanced worriedly back at the door of the cabin. "He's been poisoned, but he's recovering."

That raised more questions, but there wasn't time to ask them right now, so Legend just nodded and hurried back up the slope with Link at his side.

~~~

Hyrule had calmed down as much as Time thought he was going to be able to; at least his breathing had steadied and he wasn't trying to struggle any more. Time hoped that was a good sign.

"OK, I'm going to have another try at digging you out," he said, squeezing Hyrule's hand. "Stay awake."

Hyrule swallowed hard and nodded. Though steadier, his breathing was still quick and shallow and he was horribly pale; even his lips seemed to have lost their color. Time started work on moving rocks, occasionally speaking to check that Hyrule could still respond.

Then, suddenly, something shifted. He heard a rustle of falling sand and soil and, although he didn't see any movement from the rock resting on Hyrule's back, Hyrule's scream told him all he needed to know. Time lunged back to his side and took his hand again.

"Time… it hurts…" wailed Hyrule. "It hurts…"

"I know," said Time, keeping his voice steady with an effort. "I know it hurts. Breathe. Just keep breathing."

"Am I… am I going… to die here?"

"No. I'm going to get you out. It's going to be OK."

"It hurts…" Hyrule tried to pull free, tried to wriggle out from under the rock, but fell still with a sob.

"I know," said Time, wishing there was something else he could say. He helplessly pressed Hyrule's hand between both of his. "I know."

Hyrule gulped again, tears spilling down his face. "I… I can't stop crying, I'm sorry…"

"Just breathe. You've faced apparently hopeless situations before and survived. You can survive this."

Agonizingly slowly, Hyrule managed to calm himself as Time held his hand, resting his other hand on his shoulder to remind him to stay as still as he could.

"I'm going to try again to dig you out, OK?" asked Time.

Hyrule sniffed and nodded. Time gave him a few sips of water, then went back to trying to move the rocks.

~~~

It seemed to take forever to get back to the cave where Legend had left Four and Sky. Four was sitting by the opening and as he saw them approaching he waved.

"Hey, Four," said Legend. "This is Link. Link, This is Four and that's Sky. Has he woken up at all, Four?"

Four had been looking at Link with slightly-narrowed eyes, but at the question he turned his attention back to Sky. "No, he's stirred slightly but no sign of waking."

"What happened?" asked Link, kneeling down beside Sky.

"Sickness," said Legend. "He'd been hiding it - trying to push through - but a fever hit him hard overnight."

Link nodded. "And you?" he asked, looking at Four.

"I injured my ankle falling down a hill," said Four.

Link smiled slightly. "Y'all really aren't used to this area, are you?"

"Nope," said Legend curtly, biting down any more acid remarks.

"Well -" To Legend's shock, Link simply scooped Sky into his arms - bedroll, sword and all - as easily as if he was carrying a child. "If you can help Four, we'd best be going."

"How are you -" Legend couldn't see any obvious strength-enhancing items on him, but admittedly he was wearing several layers, including gloves, so that didn't mean anything. He shrugged and helped Four back to his feet. "Link found Warriors and Wind," he told him. "Time and Hyrule are still missing, so the faster we get moving the better."

"So you should carry me," said Four with a wince. "Fine."

Legend boosted Four onto his back and followed Link back down the slope.

"So… you're all called Link as well, huh?" asked Link as they walked.

"Yeah. It's… a long story," said Legend. Time was much better at explaining this and he didn't want to attempt it if he didn't have to.

"Warriors was cagy too. I'm starting to wonder if that story's fit to hear," said Link.

Legend bristled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Four tapped him gently on the shoulder and said, "It's genuinely complicated and a bit weird and I don't think either of us is the best person to ask."

"And Warriors has two modes, one of which is 'cagy'," added Legend. It was unfortunate; Warriors had taken to the idea of the portals and their shared spirit remarkably quickly.

Link tilted his head thoughtfully. "Yeah… that's consistent. Plus it sounds like he's had a rough time since he lost the rest of you."

"What happened?" asked Four.

"He said he'd gotten separated, had stumbled on a monster camp - and I think I know the camp, it was a nasty one - and had cleared it but got wounded in the process. He found Wind shortly afterwards and they were able to camp together, but by morning the wound was infected, Wind had poisoned himself with mushrooms, and they were looking for help when they met me."

Legend couldn't help a wince. This was a hell of a thing to happen for Warriors' first portal.

Despite his best efforts to ignore the anxiety, given what had happened to all of them he shuddered to imagine what might have happened to the two still wandering the wilderness somewhere. Though they were moving as fast as they could, he could feel the time burning.

But at last they were back at Link's hut and Legend set Four down to open the door so Link didn't have to disturb Sky.

"Light Spirits, man, it's my cabin!" exclaimed Link. Startled, Legend looked past him to see Warriors sheathing a knife and moving from his protective stance in front of the bed, looking embarrassed.

"Sorry about that," he said, taking a step forward. "How's -"

"Asleep, as best I can tell," said Link, laying Sky on the floor to one side. Warriors crouched by him to take his pulse.

"Yes, this seems strong enough," he murmured, "though his breathing doesn't sound good…" He glanced up as Legend and Four limped in and shot them a relieved smile.

"If you can keep things under control here, Warriors, I think Legend and I should go and keep looking for the rest of your party," said Link.

Legend nodded agreement and helped Four to sit down on a stool, then hurried after Link.

"Any ideas?" he asked as they walked.

"Well… I don't want to worry anyone, but before anything else I'm going to check that landslide," said Link.

Legend swallowed hard and nodded.

~~~

Time scrubbed a hand over his face with a sigh, looking up at the tangled mess of rubble just waiting to crash down on the boy lying at its base. He suspected he'd cleared as much as he could. He'd freed Hyrule's other arm and splinted it to secure the broken bones and had at least made sure his head was probably going to be safe, but he was starting to realize that there was nothing else he could do alone. To get Hyrule out from under that rock, he needed someone to help him lift and brace it and someone to move Hyrule, since he wouldn't be able to move himself.

"Time? I… you can't get me out, can you?" asked Hyrule, his voice cracking.

Time knelt down beside his head again. The traveler's breathing was shallow and he was shivering despite the blanket Time had laid over him.

"I'm going to need to go and get help," he said, as calmly and clearly as he could manage.

Hyrule's eyes flickered open, wide and fearful.

"I can't get you out on my own and we can't just sit here and wait in the hope that someone will stumble by who will be able and willing to help."

Hyrule looked away. "I just… I…" His breathing was speeding up, jagged and desperate. "Not alone… Don't… leave me…"

Time winced. That was the choice. If he left to try to get help and Hyrule didn't survive, he'd die alone. But he meant what he'd said: they couldn't just sit and wait. There was nothing more he could do; if he stayed, he would be staying to watch Hyrule suffer and giving up any real hope of saving his life.

"Hyrule," he said quietly, "I'm not abandoning you. I need to go and find help to give you any chance to survive. I'll be back before nightfall."

Hyrule shivered, tears in his eyes again, his breath still too fast, too uneven.

"It's OK," said Time, stroking Hyrule's hair. "I'll be back. Just… just breathe."

Hyrule screwed his eyes closed, biting back a whimpering sob. "P-promise? Promise you… I don't… want to die alone…"

"I am not abandoning you," said Time. He laid Hyrule's sword within reach, then added the rations he had left in his bag and his water bottle. "Try to keep sipping water and eat something if you can. And…" After a moment's hesitation he took a neatly-folded handkerchief from a pocket in the lining of his bag. He never used it; it was just a little reminder of home, with the cow-head badge of Lon Lon Ranch clumsily embroidered on one corner. He remembered Malon sewing it when they were so much younger.

He gave Hyrule's hand one last squeeze and then put the handkerchief in his palm instead.

"What's this?" asked Hyrule.

"A promise I'll come back. Keep it safe for me."

Hyrule swallowed hard and nodded. Time got up and, before he could change his mind, he hurried away.

~~~

Sky felt like he was made of lead. He often struggled to wake up, but this was different. He felt like he was smothered under a nesting loftwing, held down by something soft but huge and too heavy for him to lift it.

Perhaps the easiest thing to do would be to just accept it and he started to sink back down into unconsciousness, but then he heard a muffled voice in the distance. Familiar. Worried.

He took a breath and it snagged in his chest, making him cough. A groan bled out of him. He ached.

"Sky?" The muffled, familiar voice was a little clearer and a hand took his, steadying him in the dark. "Can you hear me?"

He thought he'd garbled something out and the hand clenched around his.

"It's OK. You're safe."

The surface under him felt more solid and the weight on him a little easier. Gradually, he peeled his eyes open and was met with a vague blur mostly dominated by blue.

Zelda's loftwing?

"Bluebell?" he slurred.

There was a pause.

"How's his fever?" asked someone further away.

A hand slipped under his bangs. "His temperature feels normal."

"Yes, but you're feverish."

"Blue… Bluebell?" Sky blinked sluggishly. Hadn't he been with Legend? He remembered the portal, and Legend, and he didn't think they'd been on the Surface in his own era, but maybe… "Zelda?"

"It's OK, Sky. Get some more sleep."

But Sky was finally managing to blink the blurriness of weakness and exhaustion out of his eyes even as he remembered collapsing in the cave and a vague impression of Legend caring for him.

It was Warriors leaning over him now, he realized. The blue was his scarf.

Sky cringed.

"Sky?" asked Warriors gently.

Sky started trying to sit up, but the floor under him suddenly swirled and tilted and Warriors had to catch him.

"Hey, easy!"

"I'm OK."

"You are not OK. Take it easy. You're safe for now." Warriors eased him back down onto his bedroll. He lay still, bracing himself for the tongue-lashing he was about to get.

Soft child of peace.

Too slow.

Too weak.

"So, why did you lie to me when I asked if you were all right?"

"Give him a break, Warriors," said Four from somewhere in the distance.

"It's OK, Four," said Sky. He could at least try to fight his own battles. He blinked up at Warriors. "I didn't realize how sick I was."

Warriors frowned. Then, after a moment, he lowered his voice to a murmur and asked, "Sky… has anyone ordered you… has anyone told you… not to say so if you're struggling?"

Sky stared at him.

"If so, I think I should know," said Warriors, an odd solidity in his tone. "I've… encountered commanders with that attitude before and I will not tolerate it."

"Do you… you think…" Sky stumbled over the words, unsure what Warriors was suggesting or how to really answer the question. "I… no. No, nothing like that."

You were late and you failed to protect her.

"And the closest… wasn't from anyone you know."

"If you'd told Time you were sick…?" prompted Warriors.

Sky shrugged as best he could. "I'm sure he'd have told me to rest, but… a portal is a portal and I…" Then it struck him. "Wait, you think Time would punish me for being sick?"

Warriors smiled, some tension going out of him. "Not given that reaction," he said with a relieved sigh. "As I say, it… is something I've seen before. Cruel and unproductive, but sadly not unheard of."

Sky stared at him. He was the one he'd expected judgment from. But he was tired and the fog was starting to fade back into his brain and he couldn't work out how to ask the question that was now vaguely drifting in his mind.

"Well… in future, if you're sick don't hide it, OK?" said Warriors gently. "Maybe I don't know as much as you do about these portals, but forcing yourself on when you're too sick to continue is counterproductive in the long term. Yes, sometimes it's necessary, but as a rule any unit must move at the speed of the slowest." He gently laid a hand on Sky's shoulder. "Taking care of the sick and wounded will slow us down, yes, but it's far too important an obligation to lightly be ignored. Now get some more rest."

Sky felt ridiculous, but nodded, the fog growing deeper. "OK," he murmured. But as he closed his eyes he realized something: Warriors wouldn't have hinted something like that about Time if Time were in the room. And Four's was the only voice he'd heard. "Wars… th'others?" He wrenched his eyes open again. "Where… where are the others?"

Warriors had been drawing back, but he looked over his shoulder. "Wind is here; he's asleep. Four is here too."

"Time and Hyrule were still missing, so Legend went with the owner of this cabin to go search for them," said Four.

"His name's Link too and he's been trying to clear monsters in the area and make the roads safer," said Warriors. He smiled. "I think I may not be the newest member of this group for long."

Sky only just noticed the remark as he started trying to sit up again. "Time and Hyrule are missing?" he asked. "I can…"

Again, Warriors caught him as his head swam. "Sky, we just talked about this," he said. "You're still healing and you need to rest. If it's necessary for you to push past that, we'll tell you, but in the meantime the best thing you can do for them is to recover and regain your strength, understand?"

Sky tried to argue, but he felt like he was floating and - little though he wanted to admit it - Warriors had a point. He let himself be helped down again and dropped once more into the dark.

~~~

Time hadn't gone far from where he'd left Hyrule when he saw movement on the path ahead. With a gasp of relief, he hurried towards it, ready to draw his sword in case the two vague shapes were monsters but rushing nonetheless.

He felt his heart jump into his throat when he recognized Legend's red tunic.

"Legend!" he called, just remembering not to break into a run on the uneven ground. He would be no help to Hyrule injured.

Legend waved and rushed to greet him, his companion trailing behind.

"Time! Are you OK? Have you seen Hyrule?" he asked.

Time nodded. "I'm fine, Hyrule isn't." He turned to point to the scar in the mountainside that the landslide had left.

Legend made a horrible gasping noise.

"He's alive, but trapped and badly injured. I had to leave him to search for help."

Legend pointed to the other hylian who was hovering a couple of steps away. "This is Link. He knows the area."

"And I can help move rocks," said Link. "Is there anything else you need? I don't have any potions on me…"

"Will he be able to heal himself?" asked Legend. "Wait… he hasn't already?"

"It was too risky given the way he's trapped," said Time. "We need to pull him out and brace the rocks while we do so."

"Warriors isn't in a good state to help, but out of all of you…" mused Link.

"You've found the others?" asked Time, glancing from one to the other of them. "And what do you mean he's not in a good state?"

"It sounds like he landed right in a monster camp," said Legend. "And on top of that, Wind's poisoned himself, Four's broken his ankle, and Sky was hiding the fact that he was already sick." Even as he spoke, he was starting in the direction Time came. Time caught his shoulder.

"Link," he said, "You said you can move rocks?"

Link nodded.

"Legend, we're going to need all the help we can get. Go back and get Warriors; Link and I will work on getting Hyrule safe. He was conscious when I left; we just need to hurry."

Legend balked, but before he could argue Time beckoned to Link and started back towards where he'd left Hyrule.

"This has been on the point of coming down for a while," said Link as they ran, Time pulling out ahead. "Y'all have been really unlucky."

"Story of our lives," muttered Time. The ground was getting easier to cover and he broke into a run, leaving Link behind as he rounded the last corner and crashed to his knees beside Hyrule.

Hyrule stirred, hand reaching feebly for his sword, but Time gently caught it in his.

"It's me," he said softly. "Eyes open; help is almost here."

Hyrule's eyes flickered open and he looked up at Time, then sighed, his hand clenching for a moment. He'd laid the handkerchief by his cheek, perhaps picking up the sweet, homely smell that still clung tenaciously to it.

By now, Link had also arrived and he swore as he took in the situation.

"I think if you and I can get that one rock lifted and braced, Legend and Warriors will be able to drag him clear," said Time.

Link nodded, stepping closer. "And I see why you couldn't do anything on your own." He moved into Hyrule's field of view and crouched down to smile at him. "Hey, Kid. I'm Link."

"Me too," murmured Hyrule.

"I thought you might be."

"'m Hyrule too."

Link nodded and looked sidelong at Time as he said, "I have a lot of questions that nobody so far has been willing to answer, but let's solve this problem first."

Time nodded, then looked round at the sound of running, scrambling footsteps. Legend sprinted around the corner and stumbled to a halt, his eyes going wide. Warriors joined him a moment later.

The captain was clearly sick, unsteady on his feet and his complexion livid, but his eyes narrowed and he drew himself up, his expression going strangely blank.

"Right," he said. "Time, Link, I'll need you two to move that rock. Get ready, but do not touch it until I give the order."

Time was startled by the sudden change in manner - and unspoken transfer of authority - but it was in line with the plan he'd already made, so he glanced at Link, shrugged, and gave Hyrule's hand one last squeeze, putting the handkerchief back in his palm before he moved. Legend immediately took his place.

"Legend, don't let him move," ordered Warriors.

"What are you -" blurted Legend.

"The damage is probably already extensive, but movement will make it worse." Warriors knelt down beside Hyrule as well, by his waist, and gently removed the blanket. "Hyrule, I'm afraid this is going to be painful, but I need you to relax as much as you can, OK? Let us move you."

"OK," whispered Hyrule.

"Legend, you and I will need to drag him clear. We'll move along the line of his body and must not twist him, do you understand?"

Legend was scowling, but nodded. Though he could be hot-headed and prickly, he wasn't stupid and wasn't going to argue when Warriors clearly knew what he was doing.

"Hyrule, I'll have to take hold of your hips to brace them."

Hyrule nodded. "OK."

"Right. Link, Time, get ready. I will count 'one, two, three', then call 'lift'. At that, lift the rock. When I see it's clear of Hyrule, I will shout 'move'. Legend, at that, we move him. When it's safe to lower the rock, I'll shout 'clear'." He turned his head to look square at Legend. "Understand?"

Legend nodded. "Got it." He pulled off his belt and slipped it between Hyrule's teeth.

Warriors looked at Link. "Understand?"

"Yeah." Link braced his shoulder against the rock and planted his feet.

Finally, Warriors looked Time in the eye. "Understand?"

"Yes." Time slipped his hands under the rock as best he could.

"One. Two. Three. Lift!"

Time hauled the rock up with all his strength, trying to ignore a muffled cry from Hyrule.

"Move!"

He gasped with relief, only just managing not to let himself relax.

Hyrule let out a horrible agonized groan.

"Clear!" shouted Warriors.

Time and Link let the rock down carefully, then Time dashed back to where Hyrule now lay, Warriors and Legend beside him. Legend was trying to tip a green potion between his lips: a difficult task given that he was lying half on his front and looked like he was struggling to stay conscious, his breathing coming in desperate, shallow gasps. Warriors was bracing him so he didn't roll. Link knelt on his other side to help support him, his eyes wide and horrified as he stared at the visible kink in Hyrule's spine.

"However are we…" he started.

"He can heal himself," said Time. "He'll be OK." He tried to keep his voice as steady as possible. Hyrule's magic was astonishing, but that injury was so brutal that he suddenly had doubts. "Come on, Hyrule," he whispered as another mouthful of green potion went down. "Come on."

Hyrule took a breath and gritted his teeth, his eyes screwing shut. The familiar glow of healing magic began to creep through him, gleaming through his torn, filthy clothes. He relaxed his head into Legend's supporting hands as the glow centered on his broken spine. Time found himself holding his breath as well, his vision narrowing to that hideous twisted step in what should have been the smooth curve of his young friend's back.

"Come on," he whispered, trying to will the magic into working. Wishing he could pour just a little of his own strength into Hyrule.

Hyrule made a soft, gasping noise of effort and the glow brightened for a moment, then he yelped as his spine suddenly snapped back into line. Link recoiled with a curse and even Warriors jerked back, but Legend ran a hand through Hyrule's curls and tipped the green potion to his pursed lips again.

Hyrule didn't drink, breathing hard through his nose.

"Hyrule…" said Time, forcing the name from a tight throat. "Can you… feel your legs again?"

For a moment he wondered if Hyrule had heard him as the traveler went limp, panting. The glow faded.

"I can… I can feel them," whispered Hyrule, tears spilling from under his closed eyelids. He moved his feet feebly. "I can…"

He sighed as he finally lost consciousness.

***

Note: there will be one more chapter to wrap this up, but not as part of the event.

[oncemorewithwhump]

Summary: Reid gets hurt on a case and tries to stitch himself up. Good thing Morgan won't let him.

Rating: T

For the @whumperless-whump-event

Day 1: Emergency First Aid

self-done stitches / "it's just a scratch, i've had worse"

[beautyconsumer]

Whumperless Whump Event Day 20

Like a Narrow Box

It's not fun if you're panicking: Stuck in an elevator / Claustrophobia / “Get me out.”

@whumperless-whump-event In time today! Also cross posted on AO3

Relationships: Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Jason Todd/Grant Wilson

Fandoms: Batman, Batfam, Deathstroke (comics)

Words: 678

Content and TW: Brain fog, claustrophobia, trapped in an elevator, a glimpse of blood, flashback, PTSD.

The narrow box they're in stutters to a stop.

Jason blinks, the realization of what's going on tenses his muscles tight.

The first one to speak is, unsurprisingly, Grant.

“Fucking great, stuck with you of all people, Grayson,” he complains loudly.

Jason can hear the unpleasantness in Dick's grumble, “I'm not excited about this either…”

They keep arguing, bickering, Jason can't focus on it, because he had been staring at the red numbers on the elevator’s tiny screen going down, down, down…

And then it stopped. And the adrenalin curling in his gut had nowhere to go.

Jason feels stuck in place, irrationally thinking the more he moves the less space he'll have left.

“Jay?”

When he comes back down Jason's eyesight focuses on Grant's face, he's in front of him now.

“Everything alright?” Grant asks.

Jason notices he's breathing rapidly, heart hitting against his ribcage rapid and hard. Grant must have heard it.

“We're stuck,” Jason croaks.

That much is obvious, which explains the confused silence that follows.

“I already pressed the emergency button, emergencies should be on their way, we just have to wait,” Dick says.

Jason shakes his head, a whimper stuck in his throat, he can't— he can't be here any longer.

He can't see outside of this damn box.

His eyesight fails him again, dark spots around his vision, he's being unable to see or process anything else He's— stuck again— trapped and he's—

Someone takes his shoulders, “Hey, hey, what's wrong?”

Jason can't formulate much thoughts, panic rushes in his brain, he wants out—

Now.

“Get me out,” he says, his voice pathetic, terribly weak. Anger floods him, out of nowhere, it clashes powerful inside him, “Get me out!” he shouts.

He meets worried confused dark brown eyes, then Grant steps away. Jason almost feels himself float away, like a wandering balloon, he didn't realize the touch was as grounding as it was.

“What the hell are you doing?” he hears Dick say.

Jason can barely focus on the noise, thuds, blunt hits and the bizarre noise of metal screeching It doesn't do much to calm him down, Jason doesn't know what the fuck is happening—

He doesn't like being unaware of shit.

But his mind is blurry.

He grasps at reason, tries to make sense of the situation that feels like a senseless tangle in his head.

“Getting us outta here,” Grant responds, voice unexpectedly terse.

Jason looks at Dick, for a second his frown makes him think he's gonna protest and keep Grant from what he's doing — getting them out—

But then Dick focuses on Jason, and approaches him, “Jay, Jayce you're gonna be okay, alright?”

Dick settles in front of him, warm hands on his shoulders again and it brings relief in him.

The noise doesn't stop, he thuds brings back an unwanted memory—

Of his fists hitting upwards against sturdy wood, padded with useless silk, fighting until he bled, the pain didn't matter when he had to get out.

Dad— where are you—

Jason gasps.

The moment the doors are forced open— the moment Jason sees light, more oxygen he crawls out— no, not crawl, he rushes out.

He scrambles out of the tiny space, leans onto the wall next and wheezes out breath after breath trying to regain his sanity, to come back to normal.

Who is he kidding? He’s gonna feel like a ticking bomb for the next few weeks, days if he’s lucky.

A soft voice calls out to him, Jason looks to the side and Dick is there. Kind blue eyes on him, it blooms warmth on his chest, he stares for too long, he can finally focus and register what he’s seeing.

“You’re fine,” Dick says, tone steady and calm.

It soothes him.

Then Grant is on Dick’s side. His hands are stained scarlet.

Jason furrows his eyebrows, Grant crosses his arms quickly as if to take his hands out of his sight.

“You’re fine, doll,” he says quietly.

Jason closes his eyes, shudders out a breath feeling put together finally.

Everything's fine.

[williamvapespeare]

@whumperless-whump-event Day 30 prompt: I don’t mean to get emotional / fear / breaking point / “I can’t stop crying, I’m sorry -" - Charles nods and then immediately stills, doing a decidedly mediocre job at disguising a wince. It’s a motion that makes Edwin’s heart lurch right along with him.

"Are you alright?"

“Yeah.” The words are clipped and, from a few steps closer, Edwin can make out the tension in Charles’ jaw, the subtle rigidity to the way he holds himself. “Course. Just memory shit, innit? Like Crystal warned us.”

“I believe so,” Edwin agrees. Then, much more carefully, “That does not necessarily make it easier to relive. Especially since I have grown used to an intangible form, it is…strange to remember so immediately.”

[ailesswhumptober]

Prompts for AI-less Whumptober 2024

As promised, we're bringing you the official prompt list of AI-less Whumptober 2024 today!

We have 31 days of excellent whump prompts, with three prompts per day to pick from, fun themes, and 10 alt prompts to play around with. We hope you enjoy! Additional info + plain text versions of the prompts can be found under the cut.

FAQ and Rules

What sort of content can I create for this event?

You can create whatever you want (fic, art, edits, etc). Any fandom is allowed, as well as OC stuff. NSFW is allowed, but please tag your content accordingly! The only thing not allowed is AI-generated content.

Do I need to make 31 things to participate?

Oh heavens no! You can make as much or as little content as you like, skip days when desired, or combine prompts (so for example, write something that covers a prompt from day 1, 2, AND 3). You don't have to do the days in order either, go wild! To be considered a 'completionist', you only have to make sure that at the end of the month, you've covered 31 prompts from 31 different days, but whether you do that in 31 works or just 1 is up to you.

What are these alts about?

If none of the three prompts of a particular day are your cup of tea, you can swap them out for an alt prompt of your choice.

What are these themes about?

Just a little bit of extra fun for the mods. Like last year, we'll be handing out various badges for people participating in the event. A full list can be found here, perhaps there is a special badge or two for people who can't be completionists but who do manage to finish every single day of a specific theme ;)

How do I tag and is there an AO3 collection?

It suffices to tag your work with #ailesswhumptober for us to see and reblog it! Please also tag nsfw, since we'll be using that tag too. Tagging the day is optional but does help the mods along.

There is an AO3 collection to add your fics to here.

That should be all. If you have any additional questions, check our pinned or hit us up in the ask box. Or join our discord maybe, whumping can be a great group activity!

---

Plain text versions of the prompts:

October 1 - Torture Tuesday

public torture/public use, stress position, “If you cry, we’ll go easy on you.”

October 2 - Whumperless Wednesday

Unfortunate fall, car accident, “Don’t move. You’ll be okay.”

October 3 - Trauma Thursday

Shared trauma, survivor’s guilt, “It’s not your fault.”

October 4 - Fright/Freaky Friday

Painful transformation, non-consensual body modifications, “You’re a monster.”

October 5 - Sensory Saturday

Overstimulation, migraines, “I can’t take this anymore.”

October 6 - Surprise Sunday

Multiple whumpees, self sacrifice, “I’m the only one who can do this.”

October 7 - Medical Monday

Field medicine, running out of supplies, “Hold on, we’re going to have to improvise.”

October 8 - Torture Tuesday

Rope burns, gagged, “You’re so much prettier this way.”

October 9 - Whumperless Wednesday

Hypothermia, heatstroke, “You look pretty pale.”

October 10 - Trauma Thursday

Self worth issues, pushing away a loved one, “You don't need to earn this.”

October 11 - Fright/Freaky Friday

Hallucinations, truth serum, “Why would you even say that?”

October 12 - Sensory Saturday

Isolation, sensory deprivation, “Can you feel me? I’m right here, whumpee.”

October 13 - Surprise Sunday

Whumpee using themself as bait, defiance, “Take me instead.”

October 14 - Medical Monday

Seizures, concussion, “See if you can follow my finger with your eyes.”

October 15 - Torture Tuesday

Waterboarding, removing body parts, “Don’t break down on me yet.”

October 16 - Whumperless Wednesday

Drowning, hostile environment, “I don’t know how anybody could survive that.”

October 17 - Trauma Thursday

Abandonment, misunderstanding, “Why did I even think you cared?”

October 18 - Fright/Freaky Friday

Mind control, possession, “Everybody will end up despising you.”

October 19 - Sensory Saturday

Disassociation, losing a sense, “I wish I could get you back.”

October 20 - Surprise Sunday

Enemy/Stranger to caretaker, accidental de-aging, “I’m absolutely not qualified for this shit.”

October 21 - Medical Monday

Drugged, ambulance ride, “This will make you feel better, okay?”

October 22 - Torture Tuesday

Forced (to kneel/watch/hurt somebody else), whipped, “Do not look away.” October 23 - Whumperless Wednesday

Fever, passing out, “Hey?! Stay with me, okay?!”

October 24 - Trauma Thursday

Deconditioning, relapse, “It’s normal that you need more time.”

October 25 - Fright/Freaky Friday

Humiliation, betrayal, “How could you?!”

October 26 - Sensory Saturday

Electrocution, burning, “This is going to sting.”

October 27 - Surprise Sunday

Before vs after, Alternate universe, “Well, there’s a first for everything.”

October 28 - Medical Monday

Internal bleeding, needles and stitches, “I didn’t think the wound was that bad…”

October 29 - Torture Tuesday

Ownership, branding, “Everybody will know that you’re mine.”

October 30 - Whumperless Wednesday

Poison, delirium, “You’re not making sense.”

October 31 - Trauma Thursday

Panic attack, facing a phobia, “You need to get out of here!”

Alt prompts:

1) Pistol whipped

2) Co-dependency

3) Animal bite

4) Zombies

5) White room torture

6) Shock collar

7) Pulling teeth

8) Kidnapping

9) “You always make everything worse!”

10) “If you weren’t around, I’d be long dead by now...”

[asidian]

Pixie Dust

by: Asidian

Fandom: Dead Boy Detectives

Pairing: Charles/Edwin

Event: July 2024 Whumperless Whump Event: Day 16 @whumperless-whump-event

Collab art: By the incredible kaciart

Warnings: idiots in love, altered mental states, truth serum, past torture

Excerpt:

Charles kneels down by Edwin's side and gets an arm around him – levers him up to sitting. Edwin blinks, slowly, like he's some sort of owl that just got walloped upside the head with a rolled-up newspaper.

"I am not prone to naps at all," he declares, as though he suspects Charles has gone daft.

"I know," says Charles. "Funny, innit? But here you are."

Edwin blinks again. He looks down at the mushroom circle, and then up at Charles.

"Charles," he says. "You have the most remarkable eyelashes."

[mariamegale]

What Becomes of the World

Burakhovsky, rated M, 13,131 words.

He thinks about what a fucking miracle it is that he’s still alive, and his chest tightens again. The problem with survival isn’t the here and now, Artemy is beginning to realise; that’s easy. Here and now, what matters is taking another breath, is pushing through whatever is happening into the next moment. Doing what you need to get done when your life is on the line and, by proxy, the lives of countless others, isn’t the hardest part. That is what comes after, when you’re no longer gasping for air, when there are no longer singular moments to gather your thoughts but an endless stretch of time ahead of you with no more looming disaster to take your mind off of the future. Now, that’s where he finds himself; in the future, inside that vague notion of hope he was clinging to for weeks as he sprinted across town, plague clouds chasing his heels, herbs and bottles and raw human organs jostling around in his medic bag, dead bodies left in his wake. The whole time, the future was on his mind, getting himself and his children and his friends to it, and now it’s here and he doesn’t know what to do when he’s stopped running.

Read it on AO3!

For @whumperless-whump-event 2024, day 29: Wrong place, wrong time: Robbery / One of many hostages / “Stay behind me, I can take a hit.”

a/n:

'write something for whumperless whump,' i said. 'it'll be fun,' i said. little did i anticipate when i woke up this morning with 800 words that this was going to evolve, because i don't know myself and never learn the message of anti-hubris i need to sorely figure out.

I have once again seen inspiration, lost my mind, and hurled out a fic so fast I should be concerned by my mental state. I do also have covid, so please, any typos or other nonsense, point it out to me.

As always, I adore you, and I hope you enjoy <3

Tags: Enemies to Lovers, The incredible romance of shooting three people to protect your idiot beau, Getting Together, Fighting, Hurt/Comfort, Arguing, Making Up, Making Out, Slow Burn, Post-Diurnal Ending, you know when you're soulmates, but you need to argue for a few thousand words before you both figure it out, yeah that: The Fic

Archive warnings: Graphic depictions of violence

Full tags under the cut.

Enemies to Lovers, Robbery, The incredible romance of shooting three people to protect your idiot beau, Getting Together, Fighting, Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Major Character Injury, Canonical Levels of Violence, aka nothing too bad, Arguing, Making Up, Making Out, Slow Burn, Post-Diurnal Ending, after the world ends, and the horrifying realisation you need to figure out what to do Next, Existential Crisis, Artemy is a Dad but it's very very background, Drug Use, aka morphine, Safe Sane and Consensual, aka daniil is not going to veer into dubcon whether artemy likes it or not, (he does not.), you know when you're soulmates, but you need to argue for a few thousand words before you both figure it out, yeah that: The Fic

[greyling-writes]

Whump Writing Challenges Masterlist (2024)

Format:

Title of Challenge [ With link to 2024 prompts list ] - @/the blog name

February

Febuwhump - @febuwhump

March

March of Pain - @marchofpain

Trope-a-Thon - @amonthofwhump

June

June of Doom (2025!) - @juneofdoom

July

Whumperless Whump - @whumperless-whump-event

Whumpmas in July - @whumpmasinjuly

August

Augusnippets - @augusnippets

AugustofWhump - @augustofwhump

September

Whumptember - @whumptember

Sicktember - @sicktember

Alphabet of Whump - @alphabetofwhump

October

Whumptober - @whumptober

Angstober - @angstober

Flufftober - @flufftober

Full-Year / Anytime

@year-of-whump-tropes

Bad Things Happen Bingo - @badthingshappenbingo

[issy5316]

whumperless whump event of july 2024: day 1

day 1: "it's just a scratch, i've had worse"

[cuddlepilefics]

I don’t mean to get emotional

Fandom: Stray Kids

Sickie: Chan

Caregivers: Stray Kids

Prompts: Fear / Breaking point / “I can’t stop crying, I’m sorry—”

@whumperless-whump-event

No one’s POV.:

“Hyung, are you sure, you don’t wanna lay down? Just a quick power-nap or something”, Changbin asked softly, resting his hand between Chan’s shoulder blades. The Aussie had been nursing a headache for over a week now and was getting increasingly rundown, yet that didn’t stop him from spending the night at the studio. 3racha had been at it for hours and Chan’s eyes already watered from the bright screen, so his dongsaengs did their best to convince him to take a break. Resting his chin on his hand, Chan hummed: “Not gonna sleep.” – “We know, hyung”, Jisung sighed, “Your eyes look really irritated though, so why don’t you let us take over?” – “Yeah, hyung. You can still add your ideas from the couch with your eyes closed. We’ll note them down. Come on”, Changbin encouraged, helping the older up. Chan didn’t put up much of a fight when he was manhandled onto the small couch at the back of the studio but while Jisung already moved in front of the laptop, Changbin couldn’t help but notice how warm their leader felt.

A relieved sigh left Chan’s lips as he relaxed into the cushions. He hadn’t realized just how tense he had been until he was able to lay down. That didn’t mean that just because he was horizontal now, he’d stop working. Oh no, most definitely not. Chan still had a lot to add to their tracks but eventually allowed his eyes to close, when Jisung played the changes he proposed over the speakers to try them out. After a while, Changbin noted that Chan had been quiet for a bit and asked softly: “I think if we change the last syllable, it’ll rhyme better. What do you think, Chan-hyung?” Both, him and Jisung looked at the eldest intently, but he didn’t even stir. “Finally asleep?”, Jisung breathed hopefully and watched how Changbin scooted closer to their leader. Lightly brushing the back of his hand against Chan’s forehead, Changbin frowned and moved it to the other’s cheek before humming: “Hyung has a fever. No wonder he’s been so rundown. With how long he’s had a headache, I wouldn’t be surprised if he already had that temperature a few days ago.”

Wanting Chan to get as much sleep as possible, Changbin carefully tugged the Aussie’s beanie down over his eyes, so the light wouldn’t bother him. Jisung had already put on headphones by the time Changbin rejoined him at the desk and the two continued working in silence, trying their best to not wake their hyung. With their headphones on, they didn’t hear the soft groans coming from Chan as he slept but even if they had, they probably wouldn’t have thought much of it. The older often sounded distressed in his sleep when apparently everything was fine, so they had learned not to wake him. Only when Jisung caught a movement from the corner of his eye, did he turn around to study the other. Realizing that Chan was shivering, the younger adjusted the air-conditioning and dug a thin blanket out from one of the bottom drawers. That was the benefit of having their own studio and having spent many nights there. They were well equipped and Jisung had an easier time focusing after making sure his hyung was tucked in warmly.

~

They had been working in this track for ages and felt like it finally was their time to present it. JYP had them come in for their evaluations, which happened more frequently now that they had entered the survival show. Chan didn’t hate the evaluations like one might think. After so many years, he had finally gotten the chance to pick members for the show and to lead them through it. Though he worried about the results of their evaluations every time, he saw them as a chance to prove himself. Today, 3racha would be evaluated as a sub-unit of Stray Kids and Chan really felt like they were in their element. This was his group, they were performing his song.

JYP remaining stoic throughout their performance was no surprise. He usually did that for suspense and maybe also to see if they’d waver or remain confident. What was not all that usual was JYP asking them to go a second time. “Try it again without Chan?” The Aussie felt his heart sink and he could barely breathe when Changbin and Jisung performed the track a second time, though this time as a duo. This couldn’t be true. Not again. He could not be removed from another group he had been training with. The group he himself had assembled. JYP really thought Chan’s song sounded better without him in it?! That thought made the Aussie feel sick to his stomach and it was like someone had pulled the rug from under his feet. He felt himself falling…

~

“Hyung?”, Changbin asked for a second time after Chan had shot upright. With a trembling hand, the older pushed his beanie back up and was finally able to see again although his heart still raced. Spinning his chair around, Jisung too pulled off his headphones and watched in stunned silence as the Aussie burst into tears. Changbin hesitantly got up and took a seat on the couch next to Chan, opening his arms to silently offer a hug without forcing himself on the older. When Chan slowly leant against him, Changbin whispered: “Did you have a nightmare?” Still trying to get his bearings and assure himself of where he was, it took a moment for Chan to nod. Jisung picked up the Aussie’s water bottle and offered him a drink.

“Do you wanna talk about it?”, Changbin hummed, handing Chan a tissue. For some reason, the older has a hard time calming down, despite realizing that it had only been a dream. Drawing a shaky breath, the Aussie tried to pull himself together but failed when his chest immediately hitched again. “I can’t stop crying, I’m sorry-”, Chan choked out, rubbing at his eyes. Tracing his back, Changbin promised: “It’s okay to get emotional from time to time. Especially with the fever you’re sporting.” – “Fever?”, the leader sniffled pathetically. Changbin and Jisung looked at him in disbelief, Jisung muttering: “Don’t tell me you didn’t notice.” – “Uhm”, the Aussie mumbled, running one hand under his nose, “I- I actually didn’t? Makes sense in hindsight though.” – “Mhm, it surely does”, Changbin sighed, motioning for Jisung to save their work and pack up, “Let’s get you home, yeah?”

When they got back to their dorm, they expected Hyunjin to have gone to bed already but him and Felix were still watching dramas in the living room. “You’re home!”, Hyunjin exclaimed, Felix’ face lighting up instantly when he spotted his hyungs. The dancer’s smile quickly faltered though when he caught a glance at Chan’s face. The leader’s eyes were still a little puffy from crying and held a sickly gloss, which combined with the flush on his cheeks easily gave away his fever. Getting up from the couch, Felix frowned: “You don’t look so good, Chan-hyung.” The eldest hummed in confirmation and rested his head on Felix’ shoulder when the younger pulled him into a hug. “And you’re overly warm”, the dancer added, reaching up to cup Chan’s cheek.

Changbin already set about warming up a late dinner for Chan, so they could fetch him some painkillers for his headache, while Jisung explained: “Someone needs to learn how to read his body’s signals, right, hyung?” Chan grumbled something, which came out muffled by Felix’ shoulder but when the younger pulled away, he saw the unshed tears in the leader’s eyes. “What’s wrong?”, Felix whispered but Chan only shook his head, breathing: “I don’t mean to get emotional.” – “It’s okay. Nothing to be ashamed of”, the younger assured, tightening his hug. He glanced towards the kitchen to figure out what Changbin was doing, when the rapper already returned, humming: “You should have a bite, hyung. I’ll go and fetch you some medicine.” – “Thanks, Bin. Not really hungry but I’m tired of this headache”, Chan whispered to keep his voice from cracking.

Chan plopped down on the couch and drew his legs closer to try and ease the chills as he hesitantly lifted a bite to his lips. Hyunjin and Felix sat down in either side of him and kept him company, smiling a little when Changbin placed two pills and a glass of water on the coffee table. Hyunjin traced Chan’s back while he ate and the leader barely knew how to handle the affection. He felt flustered, especially with the amount of eyes on him, but he was to tired to do anything about it. Secretly, he hoped Felix would stay for a sleepover and cuddles, though he knew it would be unwise to risk the dancer getting sick too.

With the encouragement of his friends, Chan found the energy to take a shower before bed and was glad he had. The warm water soothed the deep ache in his muscles and seemed to release some pent up emotions, the leader hadn’t even been aware of. At least, he would have to feel the tears on his face with the water running over his skin, washing them away immediately. Nobody would see him overwhelmed by his emotions now, which Chan couldn’t be more glad about but that didn’t mean that his nose didn’t get incredibly stuffed up from all the crying. To his relief, nobody pointed it out and perhaps, his dongsaengs just assumed it to be one more sign of his illness. At least, the Aussie hoped so.

“Hey, are you feeling up for cuddles or would you like some space?”, Felix hummed when Chan sleepily shuffled out of the bathroom. He knew his hyung tended to get vivid nightmares whenever he ran a temperature and Changbin and Jisung had confirmed that once again while the leader was in the shower, so Felix couldn’t bear the thought of his Aussie brother experiencing the fear all by himself.Though he felt a little guilty about it, Chan mumbled hesitantly: “I think, I’d really like cuddles, actually.” – “How about you get ready for bed and I’ll be there in a minute”, Felix smiled kindly, squeezing Chan’s shoulder before walking off, “You guys don’t mind me borrowing some sleep clothes, right?” – “Have we ever?”, came Changbin’ and Jisung’s muffled reply and the younger giggled at their sync.

Laying on his back, staring up at the ceiling, Chan contemplated going back on his request. He really didn’t want Felix to feel this wrecked but before he could dwell on it more, he felt the bed dip next to him and only a moment later, his favorite koala was pressed against his side. The dancer had noticed how irritated and puffy Chan’s eyes looked and had fetched a cold washcloth. “Close your eyes, hyung”, Felix whispered, gently draping the cloth over his hyung’s eyes. He smiled when the tension on the lower half of the leader’s face melted away, his jaw no longer clenched. When Felix ran his fingers through Chan’s damp curls, the older was already asleep.

[alicewritingstories]

Whumperless Whump Event: Scattered in the Mountains

@whumperless-whump-event

Fandom: Linked Universe

[Previous] << Chapter 6 >> [Next]

Prompts for this chapter:

6: Panting

18: "It's just a nightmare. You're safe."

24: "Why did you think that was a good idea?!"

26: "You'll be okay, we can help."

28: "It's just me, go back to sleep."

Central characters: Warriors, Wind, and Four

***

It had only been an hour or so, but Warriors could already feel the pain in his wounded arm getting worse, throbbing in time with his heartbeat against Wind's leg where he held the boy on his back. Already, he felt tired, an ache running through his muscles far worse than he should have been feeling after such a short time. He let out a huff of breath, trying to ignore it. The knowledge that the infection was progressing so quickly was more worrying than the possibility that he was losing condition after only days out of standard military training.

On his back, Wind stirred and made an uncomfortable noise. When he didn't settle again, Warriors stopped and gently laid him down, on his side in case he started vomiting again.

Wind mumbled something, curling in on himself, and his eyes opened vaguely.

"It's just me," said Warriors softly, brushing the boy's bangs back from his face. "Go back to sleep."

Wind made another miserable groaning noise.

"Do you still feel sick?"

"N-no…"

"In pain?"

"Yeah… stomach…" Wind curled in on himself a little more with another groan. "How long…"

"We've only been walking for about an hour. I've seen no sign of civilization or of the others." Warriors sat back on his heels with a sigh. Carrying Wind in this condition would probably only cause him more pain. It seemed they were safe enough here for now and with nothing obvious to aim for there wasn't an obvious benefit to continuing immediately. "OK," he said, picking up Wind's bag and taking out his bedroll. He continued speaking as he laid it out and gently moved Wind onto it. "We're going to stay here for now. Hopefully you'll continue to recover and we can be on the way again soon."

"What… 'bout th' others?"

"We'll look for the others when you're feeling better. You're currently in no fit state to travel."

"I can…" Wind tried to struggle up, but Warriors gently stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "I'm not a baby," said Wind, though he stopped trying to fight. "'m not. I can…"

"You're sick and we're going to wait for you to recover," said Warriors. "Any unit must travel at the speed of the slowest. This isn't about your age, OK?" He could understand Wind's feelings - though a reasonable age for an ordinary soldier, he had been hurled to the front of the army before he was even twenty and had had plenty of experience with being treated like a child.

Wind's breath caught on a sob and he curled up again, panting as another wave of pain went through him. Warriors laid a blanket over him and once again brushed his hair back from his face.

"It's going to be OK," he said firmly. "You just worry about recovering. I'll look after you."

Wind nodded and curled up under the blanket, shivering and still panting for breath. Warriors patted his shoulder one more time and settled down next to him to keep watch.

He could ignore the throbbing in his infected arm for a little longer.

***

His arm could wait, but it was becoming increasingly clear that Wind's condition couldn't. They hadn't been waiting long when the boy suddenly thrashed against the blanket with a cry.

"Aryll!" he wailed, then clutched at his stomach with a sob. "No! Give her back!"

"Wind!" Warriors dropped to his knees beside him, laying a hand on his brow to feel for fever. No fever. In fact, he was worryingly cold.

Wind flailed at him, tears spilling from under his closed eyelids, and Warriors carefully deflected the blow, then shook Wind's shoulder. "Wind, it's OK. It's just a nightmare. You're safe."

Wind's eyes flew open and he jerked away from Warriors' grip, then curled up with a soft wail. "It hurts…" he groaned.

Warriors hissed out a breath between his teeth. This was getting worse. They couldn't continue to wait. Even though he didn't know how to even start finding help out here, they had to try.

"We're going to move on," he said. Gently, he wrapped Wind in the blankets and started to pick him up only to almost drop him again at a flare of pain in his arm.

"Time…" Wind's voice broke again. "'Rule… it hurts…"

Warriors winced, taking a few deep breaths to brace himself, then tried again, breathing through the pain. He'd had to work through pain before. He'd fought past wounds, burns, infection, broken bones and damaged joints… he could do this. He had a mission to fulfill: get Wind help. Nothing else mattered. His pain didn't matter.

With another breath, he started to walk.

~~~

As the sun rose enough to cast enough light to see, Four rubbed the grit of sleeplessness from his eyes and ate half of what little remained of the trail rations from his bag by way of breakfast. Then he eyed the injured ankle, still encased in his boot. He'd left it on, hoping that the compression and support would help and knowing that if he took his boot off he wouldn't be able to get it back on.

He tried to wriggle his toes and winced as pain lanced up his leg. He couldn't tell for himself whether the injury was a break or a sprain, but it didn't make a lot of difference right now. The best thing to do was probably to try to find the others and get help from Hyrule. Hopefully none of them had been hurt.

He was also curious about that wolf. It had led him to shelter and then disappeared, suggesting that it was not only intelligent but benign. However, he wasn't inclined to wait around and see if it came back and what its intentions were.

With a deep breath, he rolled to his knees and, leaning on his branch, pushed himself back to his feet. Another flash of sickening pain ran up his leg and he was still for a moment, breathing fast through his mouth, letting the pain wash over him. Gradually, it faded back to a manageable level - or he got used to it - and he straightened up again to look around. He'd come from the right, so he turned left and started to limp along the faint path.

The terrain grew increasingly rocky as he went, but the path continued, picking its way across the mountainside. Several times, he had to stop and look around, panting for breath, because he couldn't keep watch and walk at the same time. He was getting worried; the path was getting harder to follow and he was starting to think he might just be following an animal trail further into the wilderness. But there was little else he could do and at least it was taking a stable route across the slope, so he kept walking.

Everything was quiet until suddenly the peace was shattered by the rattling roar of rocks falling somewhere worryingly nearby. Four gasped, stumbled, and fell, barely catching himself on a rock. The noise continued for what felt like several minutes, then faded away again.

That was a rockslide on the slopes of this very mountain.

For a moment, Four was caught up in indecision. It was horribly likely that that slide had been triggered by something such as a lost hero searching for his companions. He knew the best thing to do was to get off this mountainside. He wanted to go and investigate. He knew that he was in no fit state to do anything and approaching would be dangerous.

But the sensible decision won out. If one of his friends had been caught up in that slide, there was nothing Four would be able to do for him with a possibly-broken ankle. He would just be risking becoming another casualty. The best thing to do was to keep walking, keep himself safe, and hopefully find some help.

He gritted his teeth, pulled himself back to his feet, and kept walking, though every step hurt even more than before. He kept his eyes on the ground, placing each step with wincing, agonizing care to avoid a stumble, focusing on that rather than wondering if one of his friends had indeed been caught in that landslide.

"Four!" The shout broke into his concentration and made him stumble, losing his footing and going to his knees with a yelp even as he reached for the hilt of his sword.

Only then did he recognise the voice.

"Legend?" He looked up and saw the familiar figure scrambling towards him along the rough path.

"Are you OK?" asked Legend, stumbling to a halt next to him and looking at the makeshift crutch. "How bad is it?"

"Ankle," grunted Four, hauling himself upright again. He nodded thanks as Legend slipped a hand under his elbow to help. "The portal opened on a slope and I fell down it. I don't know if it's broken or sprained. What happened to you?"

"Sky and I came through together. The feather-headed idiot was really sick and hiding it and he went downhill fast once we were through. I think he's recovering now, but he had a rough night. I was trying to find some water when I heard that landslide."

"Do you know anything about what happened to the others?" asked Four, starting to walk alongside Legend back in the direction he'd come from.

Legend shook his head. "Presumably split up like us, but if you came through on your own that's worrying." He glanced at Four's injured leg. "But if you can stay with Sky I can make more of a search."

Four nodded and went back to focussing on walking. It was a little easier now he had Legend's support and fortunately it wasn't too far before they reached the mouth of a small cave. Sky was lying on the floor just inside, covered with two bedrolls' worth of blankets. Four crouched next to him and tilted his head to look at his face. He was horribly pale, with dark shadows around his eyes, and his breathing sounded congested.

Legend winced. "I didn't want to leave him alone even for a minute, but we needed water." He set two water bottles on the ground by Sky.

"I'll stay with him," said Four, settling down on the floor by Sky's head. "You got and see if you can find help or any sign of the others."

"Thanks," said Legend with a sigh of relief. "I'll be back by nightfall even if I don't find anything."

Four nodded and leaned back against the wall, watching Legend hurry away up the path. Beside him, Sky slept on, his labored breathing the only sound apart from birdsong and the wind in the trees.

Then a thought occurred to Four and he groaned softly, muttering, "I forgot to tell him about the wolf."

Well, it couldn't be helped. He relaxed his head back against the wall again and laid his sword within reach, then settled down to wait.

~~~

Warriors was still walking, his teeth gritted, steeling his heart against the occasional pitiful whimpers from Wind. At least he was mostly still; carrying him with hot, aching pain crawling up his arm was hard enough without having to restrain movement as well.

Then he heard a twig crack somewhere up ahead and froze, the pain and growing exhaustion forgotten as he narrowed his eyes, looking around carefully and quickly planning the best way to get Wind to the ground and defend him if needed.

Then a hylian walked around a corner of the path up ahead. Warriors watched him carefully, only a little comforted by the fact that the noise hadn't been made by a monster. He'd had to fight too many of his fellow hylians to be complacent. This one was tall and muscled with strange black tattoos on his cheeks and forehead, a sword hilt visible past the fur pelt draped around his shoulders. A threat if he wanted to be.

However, the other man didn't seem inclined to be a threat; he stopped a few paces outside arm's reach, holding his hands out at his sides so they were visible but away from his sword.

"Howdy," he said. "Not many travelers this far up the mountain."

Warriors shook his head. "We got separated from our party and lost our way," he said.

The stranger looked at Wind with a small frown. "What happened?"

"A mistake - he ate a mushroom that turned out to be poison."

"You let your kid go foraging and eating what he found when you hadn't even taught him to tell the difference between good mushrooms and bad?" asked the stranger, judgment heavy in his tone. "Why did you think that was a good idea?"

Warriors gritted his teeth. At the very least, this person might be able to direct him to someone who would be helpful. "I told you, we're strangers in this area."

The man started to walk towards them, still looking mostly at Wind, but he paused as Warriors took a step back.

"Easy, I'm not going to hurt either of you," he said, his tone gentling a little. "Like I said, there aren't many travelers coming through here, but I'm here clearing monsters off the roads and making it a little safer. My name's Link."

At that, Warriors stared at him. Presumably, this was a new member of their Chain. "That's my name too," he said carefully, remembering how Time had introduced himself. "But call me Warriors."

"How about that?" said the new Link with an awkward laugh. "Well, since we share a name, how about you let me take a look at your kid? I know most of the mushrooms around here, so I can probably come up with an antidote."

Warriors looked at Wind again as the boy stirred and whimpered. There wasn't much choice. "Come on over," he said. "His name's Wind."

Link closed the distance in a couple of steps and felt Wind's brow, then bent to smell his breath. "Has he thrown up?"

"Several times. He was complaining of stomach pain."

"What did the mushroom look like?"

"Brown cap, pale gills. I'd have taken it for an edible variety myself until I smelt it."

Wind stirred again, his nose wrinkling in pain.

"Just relax, kid, you'll be OK," said Link. "We can help." He looked up and narrowed his eyes at Warriors. "Or at least I can; you don't look so good."

Warriors drew back before Link could try to feel his temperature. "I was wounded clearing a monster camp."

"And couldn't clean the wound out properly?" guessed Link. "I've been there." He stepped back and ran a hand through his hair. "Well… The good news is that I may have seen some traces of the rest of your party. If you come back to my hut I've got some medicines there and you can rest up while I go and check."

Every fiber of Warriors' being told him not to take himself and Wind into something that could so easily be a trap.

But the sick, throbbing pain was just getting worse and Wind let out a miserable little sob in his sleep and curled in on himself a little more.

He was going to have to at least try to trust this stranger who might also embody the soul of the hero.

He took a breath and nodded. "Thanks."

[oncemorewithwhump]

Reid gets a little too hot while working a case.

Rating: T

For the @whumperless-whump-event

Prompt: Summer is a Curse

heatstroke / panting

[waywardwizzard]

☆Writing Masterlist☆

Hi everyone! My blog's tag search thingy hates me and someone asked me if I'd put my writing in one place so I decided to create a Masterlist

Most of these are Firefly fics (as y'all know) but I'll add my original stuff under OG if y'all are ever interested in reading them

(Also, I finally learned how to make hyperlinks, yay!)

Writing Masterlist Part 2 (because I've apparently written too much)

Firefly fic requests are [open]

Now, onward with the links ->

Yeehawgust 2024 ->

Day 1

Whumperless whump event

[See Writing Masterlist part 2]

June of Doom 2024

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13 | Day 14 | Day 15 | Day 16 | Day 17 | Day 18 | Day 19 | Day 20 | Day 21 | Day 22 | Day 23 | Day 24 | Day 25 | Day 26 | Day 27 | Day 28 | Day 29 | Day 30

Whumpril 2024

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

Febuwhump 2024

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13 | Day 14 | Day 15 | Day 16 | Day 17 | Day 18 | Day 19 | Day 20 | Day 21 | Day 22 | Day 23 | Day 24 | Day 25 | Day 26 | Day 27 | Day 28 | Day 29

Yeehawgust 2023 (I'll add these slowly but surely because I have to manually scroll back to last year August-)

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13 | Day 14 | Day 15 | Day 16 | Day 17 | Day 18 | Day 19 | Day 20 | Day 21 | Day 22 | Day 23 | Day 24 | Day 25 | Day 26 | Day 27 | Day 28 | Day 29 | Day 30 | Day 31

Misc fics

Luck (Halloween 2023) (with added Discworld sprinkles!)

What we lost (Christmas 2023)

Fic requests

Ties that bind | Slice of life

[williamvapespeare]

in the grand scheme of a life cut short

“Perhaps we should move on,” Edwin says. As curious as he is to learn the history of the room and Charles’ presence in it, he more than understands the need to leave certain memories behind. “I believe the deeper we go, the closer we should get to whatever the client has hidden.”

There’s a beat, silence broken only by the slight hitch of unnecessary breaths, likely from both of them.

“Sounds aces.” The words are a touch softer than before, unfocused and breathed into the hand Charles still has over his face. “Just give me a second, yeah? Haven’t been hungover in bloody decades and I feel like I’ve been hit by…” He trails off, like the words are all of a sudden too much effort. “You know. Maybe that thing from ‘07?.”

“A Dullahan,” Edwin fills in, feeling decidedly unhelpful.

“Sure, yeah. Him.”

-

Fic for the July 2024 Whumperless Whump event. Prompt: breaking point. Ft: reliving memories, having a body again at the worst possible times, the give Charles Rowland a hug agenda

[lancedoncrimsonwings]

Augusnippets 2024 Masterlist- Completed

(Ao3 Link)

Character Masterlists; (1: Whumpees/Caretakers/Allies) (2: Whumpers/Enemies)

Fandom; Cursed (Netflix)

Pairing; Lancewain - Lancelot x Gawain - The Weeping Monk x The Green Knight

These snippets may contain major spoilers for Horizons to Battlegrounds!!!

Progress:

Total Completion: 31/31 - COMPLETE!

Path of Hurt; COMPLETE

Path of Comfort; COMPLETE

Path of Whumperless Whump; COMPLETE

Total Wordcount: 16,665

Average Daily Wordcount: 537

Links to all completed days of @augusnippets whump writing event 2024 below!

Day 1: Hypnosis/Brainwashing (337)

Day 2: Platonic Bathing (499)

Day 3: Thunderstorm (232)

Day 4: Alt. Forced To Watch (736)

Day 5: Feverish Caretaking - Part 1 (551)

Day 6: Alt. Medical Complications (624)

Day 7: Choking (527)

Day 8: Found Family/Friends (570)

Day 9: Overheating + Feverish Caretaking - Part 2 (228)

Day 10: Execution + Whipping (492)

Day 11: Escape + Poison - Part 1 (554)

Day 12: Trapped (500)

Day 13: Escape + Poison - Part 2 (591)

Day 14: Gifts/Celebration (737)

Day 15: Throwing Up - Part 1 (500)

Day 16: Humiliation + Sadistic/Intimate Whumper - Part 1 (831)

Day 17: Alt. Snuggling + Throwing Up - Part 2 (699)

Day 18: Infection + Feverish Caretaking Part 3 (752)

Day 19: Branded + Flashbacks (531)

Day 20: Gentle Touch (607)

Day 21: Alt. Drugging + Delirium (815)

Day 22: Captivity/Recapture (498)

Day 23: Massage (283)

Day 24: Animal Attack (499)

Day 25: Sadistic/Intimate Whumper - Part 2 (498)

Day 26: Snuggling + Flashbacks (599)

Day 27: Chronic Pain (366)

Day 28: Mind Control/Betrayal Part 1 (434)

Day 29: Singing (453)

Day 30: Self-Harm (676)

Day 31: Mind Control/Betrayal Part 2; Breaking the Conditioning + Forgiveness (449)