#whumtpober

[smilesrobotlover]

Whumptober day 3- Set Up for Failure

I don’t like the art for this but oh well. Anyways, I struggled with this one but hopefully y’all like it!

Uuuuh no warnings unless y’all want me to add one. I guess there’s more racism and stuff lol. But it’s pretty tame. For now.

~~~~~~~~

As soon as the sun rose, Leon was up and putting on his snow gear, pushing for the rest of the men to do the same despite the early morning. Though they weren’t entirely in a rush, Leon wanted to get up the mountain as soon as possible—and he wanted to make sure Rusl and Kass were alright in the tiny shed. To the couple’s credit, the room he and the rest of the men stayed in was quite small, but it would’ve fit Rusl and Kass if they had moved a few things. He wanted to leave this place and the couple, not at all happy with how they treated his friends. But…

Leon debated leaving Talon behind. Obviously he would be back for him, but to climb the mountain after what he went through yesterday… he didn’t feel comfortable dragging the poor man up there. He only hoped that he felt the same, and would happily stay behind.

Of course that would mean leaving him with Lonni and Agus, which he didn’t want to do. But, they saved his life and were gracious in doing so. Though he was angry about Rusl, he had to give them some gratitude for Talon. And yet…

Leon sighed, frustrated at his mixed emotions as he stopped shoving his feet in his shoes, exhausted from pulling his heavy clothes over his body. Thankfully, they were dry, but goddesses, he hated the snow. The rest of the men were moving frustratingly slow, with them chatting with Lonni and Agus checking on Talon who seemed to be doing better. Not wanting to wait for them, Leon secured his boots and stepped outside, pleasantly surprised at a calm, sunny morning. Hopefully the rest of the trip would be uneventful, save for finding the Links of course. Leon looked around for a moment, spotting the shed just a few yards away. He walked up to it, his boots crunching the snow underneath him and his breath coming out in a small cloud in the cold air. The shed was a lot smaller than Leon thought, and a ping of worry went through his chest, but he ignored it to knock on the door.

“Rusl? Kass? Are you two alright in there?”

Leon opened the door, having to shove it due to ice freezing in the frames, and he peeked inside to see Kass leaning against the wall with Rusl curled up in the large Rito’s lap. The two reacted to Leon entering, with Rusl shifting in Kass’s wings as he began to sit up.

“Hello Leon,” Kass greeted sleepily, his eyes half closed. Leon nodded, smiling slightly, then looked around at the cramped space.

“Did you… sleep alright?” He asked, and Rusl rubbed his eyes.

“Surprisingly, yes. Kass is awfully comfortable,” the Ordonian said with a chuckle, stretching his arms above his head.

Kass chuckled and Leon smiled, relieved that they didn’t freeze to death. Rusl sighed and began to crawl out of Kass’s hold, taking Leon’s hand when it was offered to him.

“I take it you wanna head outta here as soon as possible?” He asked with a teasing smile on his lips.

“That would be ideal,” Leon said, pushing his irritation away. “It’s awfully nice outside. I’d hate for it to go away.”

Rusl and Kass glanced out the open door, squinting at the blinding white.

“Well that’ll be nicer to travel through then,” Kass commented, attempting to stand but finding himself stuck. Both Leon and Rusl helped him move around the cramped space, and Leon sighed.

“I… I’m thinking that maybe Talon should stay behind,” he said, feeling himself cringe as he said it. Rusl frowned, putting his hands on hips.

“What do you mean? We can’t just abandon him!”

“No no, I mean… we’ll be back for him but… I’m thinking that he stays here while we check out the peak. I…” Leon felt himself rambling as he tried to explain himself, and he sucked in a breath. “I don’t want him to get hurt again. I think he needs more rest from yesterday.”

Rusl visibly relaxed, but Kass seemed rather nervous.

“I’m not sure if I want to leave him with the people here,” he said, “they were kind enough to take care of Talon but… they’re not that kind.”

“Talon is Hylian,” Rusl cut in bluntly. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. But… I do agree with you Leon. He needs rest, and respectfully, I don’t think I want to sleep out here again.”

Leon nodded, not wanting Rusl or Kass to sleep outside either. Kass still seemed unsure, but he finally complied, shrugging his shoulders.

“Alright, let’s head inside and hopefully get some breakfast,” he suggested, but Rusl shook his head.

“I’ll stay out here. It’ll give those two some peace of mind knowing that a disgusting human ain’t gonna eat all their food.”

Leon winced. “Are you sure Rusl? I hate to leave you out here.”

“I’m sure. I’ll want to take off my clothes while inside anyways. Might as well just keep them on when y’all are ready to go.”

Leon and Kass were both hesitant, but they left Rusl outside anyway. Lonni and Agus were giving the men breakfast, which they happily gave Kass and Leon some when they entered their kitchen, though they didn’t bring up Rusl, which made Leon’s stomach churn. The breakfast wasn’t a lot; just some porridge and bread, but the men were grateful for it since they hadn’t been eating much in the mountains. Leon’s own stomach was rumbling, but he debated on actually taking a bite. He didn’t want Rusl to starve while he and the others got food.

“Is there any extra?” He asked, and the couple looked at him like he had mushrooms growing out of his head.

“No,” Lonni said after a few seconds of awkward silence, and Leon held back his sharp words.

“Very well. I’m going to eat outside, it’s crowded in here,” he replied, and left the cabin. Rusl was pacing in the snow, looking up when he saw Leon shut the door.

“Hey! I thought you were eatin’ breakfast!”

“I already ate,” Leon lied, and handed Rusl his food. “This is for you.”

“Oh!” Rusl grabbed the porridge and bread, licking his lips as the warm steam hit his nostrils. “And I thought I wouldn’t get anything! Thank you!”

Leon forced a smile, ignoring the pain in his stomach. Rusl ate a few bites, dipping the bread in the porridge which disgusted Leon, but the two remained quiet, watching the peaceful mountain. It was quite beautiful when violent winds weren’t threatening their lives. The door behind them opened, and Leon turned to see Ammon leaning against the door frame.

“What’s the plan, Leon?” he asked, and Leon sighed, leaving Rusl to his breakfast and entering the cabin where all the men waited. The door was shut behind them, and Leon let out a sigh, staring at Talon who was sitting down. He looked terrible, with his eyes half closed and sweat dripping down his forehead. Leon knew he couldn’t trek up a mountain—he was still recovering.

“Talon,” he started, fidgeting his hands. “I think… it’s best if you don’t go up the mountain with us.”

Talon frowned. “What? I’m feelin’ fine!”

“No, after yesterday I think you still need a day to rest.”

“So you’re just leavin’ me?”

“No, no no I’ll have someone stay with you but—”

“We’re splitting up?” Ammon jumped in, his brows furrowed.

“Yes.” Leon sighed, rubbing his already aching head. “Talon, you're not fit enough to climb the mountain, Rusl can’t sleep out in the shed again, and if the Links are at the peak of the mountain, then I don’t want to miss them. We’ll split up, but we’ll be right back. Ok?”

The group was silent for a moment, until Lonni walked up to them from the kitchen.

“You folks are gonna stay on the mountain? Even after yesterday?” She asked, and Ammon nodded.

“We’re looking for our sons. They went missing a while ago and we hope they’re at the top of the mountain,” he simply explained, and Lonni covered her mouth.

“Oh my, I’m so sorry to hear that!” She gave Talon a sympathetic look. “You folks can stay for a couple of more days if you want.”

“Thank you, if my friend can stay while we search the peak, that would be much appreciated,” Leon said, and she nodded.

“Of course. Are you heading up the mountain now?”

“I’d like to. How long does it take to go up there?”

Lonni tapped her chin, resting her weight on one leg. “Usually about five hours. To get up there at least. It can take you much less time to get down if you shield surf!”

Leon frowned. That sounded dangerous. But ten hours or less would get them back in time, hopefully before sundown (though it wasn’t likely).

“Very well. If it’s alright with you, if Talon and a few others could stay while the rest of us go up, then we’ll be out of your hair.”

“Sure! If it’s just three of you, it’ll be no trouble.”

Leon nodded and he turned to Ammon. “Would you mind staying to protect him?”

Ammon nodded, though he looked disappointed. “Oh, yes of course, I can stay.”

“This is ridiculous!” Talon jumped in, standing up. “I’m fine! I know I had a scare yesterday but I can keep going today! I don’t need a babysitter!”

“You’re not fit to climb the mountain Talon! You almost died yesterday!” Leon argued back.

“I’ve been through worse and kept herdin’ horses! I’ll be fine!”

“No! You’re staying and that’s final! We need to find the Links before it’s too late!”

Talon was silent for a moment, then he let out a frustrated huff, sitting back down. “Fine, I get it. I’ll just slow y’all down anyways.”

Leon winced. “Talon, I don’t mean… I’m not asking you to stay because you’re slow I mean—”

Talon gave Leon a dirty look and he stopped talking, guilt building up inside. It was uncomfortably silent in the room until Ammon stepped up.

“Who else is staying? Lonni said there can be three of us.”

Leon glanced over at Kass, Benji, and Linebeck.

“Who else wants to stay?”

Both Benji and Linebeck raised their hands, but it wasn’t a challenge to pick who would travel with him.

“Alright, Benji, you can stay with Ammon and Talon.”

“Aw what?” Linebeck protested, but a glare from Leon shut him up.

“Get ready fast. I want to be back before sundown,” Leon commanded, and Linebeck groaned, being the only one needing to get ready. Leon waited outside with Rusl, who had finished his breakfast while Ammon talked to Lonni about slopes to shield surf on. Benji wasted no time in going back to sleep while Talon silently stayed on the couch. Leon of course felt bad, but he decided not to discuss the situation with him anymore, hoping he would get over it.

After a few minutes for Linebeck to wrap himself up in winter clothes, the group began their long trek up the mountain in the sunshine. It was nice not having to fight the snowstorm, but the sun shining against the snow hurt Leon’s eyes. The warmth of the sun also made his winter clothes surprisingly hot, and he was tempted to take them off, but decided against it. Just in case.

Kass was doing fine as usual; his feathers kept him warm in the snow, and he occasionally flew overhead to scope the area thanks to his great vision. Rusl stayed behind Linebeck, who was trudging through the snow while grumbling profanities under his breath. Despite having no winds to knock them off their feet, not sliding down the snow while trying to climb the mountain wasn’t easy. Occasionally, the snow was compacted enough to stay solid for them to climb, but occasionally Leon’s foot would slide and his sore calves would have to work to make progress. The snow shoes he and the others had helped, but it was still a struggle. It was no wonder why it took five hours to climb up the mountain. Leon wouldn’t be surprised if it took longer.

It was silent with Rusl or Kass occasionally striking up conversation, and the heat from the sun, the warm winter clothes, and the exercise was becoming unbearable for Leon. Goddesses he wished he at least ate something for breakfast. His muscles were growing weak from the exertion. Occasionally, he would grab snow to either eat it or to rub it on his face, which would make Rusl chuckle.

“I wanna do the same thing,” he said, scooping up snow and packing it in between his gloves. “It’s hot up here.”

“It won’t be hot when I stuff some snow down your coat,” Linebeck muttered, picking up an armful of snow. He began to walk towards Rusl but he raised his newly-made snowball.

“Take one step closer and I’m throwin’ this at ya!” He threatened, a giddy smile on his face.

Linebeck paused, then looked at Kass.

“Oh no you don’t!” The Rito cried, taking refuge in the skies. Linebeck huffed and dropped the pile of snow in his arms, bent down to make a snowball, and threw it at Kass. The Rito yelped as he dodged the snowball, and Rusl chuckled, throwing his own snowball at Linebeck.

“Hey!” Linebeck shouted, making a new snowball and throwing it back at Rusl’s face. The man barked out a laugh and threatened to tackle Linebeck, who jumped back with a yelp. Leon groaned and stopped under a tree.

“Enough! We’re not here to rough house!” He yelled, and the men stopped messing around in the snow, with Kass landing back on the ground.

“Well…you started it,” Linebeck muttered, and Leon rolled his eyes.

“We’re almost at the top, alright? I want to make it up there as soon as possible, ok?”

Linebeck crossed his arms and rolled his eyes as well, like a moody teenager. “Ok your highness. Sorry to offend you.”

Leon gave him a good glare before turning away, pointing to the peak. “Let’s just head out now before—“

The branch above him cracked, and a pile of snow fell right on his head. Leon yelped as he fell to the ground, gasping for air at the freezing cold snow pouring down his coat. He heard the men erupt in loud laughter, bending over to hold their stomachs as they wheezed at the fierce Leon getting beaten by snow. The first knight scrambled out of the snow, feeling refreshed from the cold, but humiliated as his friends giggled maniacally at him.

“Looks like you got involved whether you liked it or not!” Rusl wheezed, holding onto Linebeck as he fell to the ground. Leon huffed and dusted snow off of his shoulders and head.

“You all are so…so… immature!” He spat, spinning away to continue his march up the mountain. The others followed behind him, teasing Leon in between fits of giggles.

The annoying giggling didn’t end as they reached the top, but Leon fully ignored them as he spotted ruins resting quietly in the distance. He shushed the laughing men and gestured to the broken building, walking cautiously towards it. The men grew silent as well as they followed, the sound of the snow crunching beneath their feet being the only sound ringing out.

“What a strange place,” Rusl finally broke the silence when they reached the ruins. Gray brick walls were spread throughout the snow, with broken rooftops and open rooms with glass and debris scattered inside. There were a lot of dead ends, and Leon struggled to find his way forward without slamming into a brick wall.

“Where do you think the Links are?” Linebeck asked, his hand lightly tracing along the brick, and Leon shrugged.

“No idea, these walls are in the way so I can’t see anything.”

“Or hear anything,” Rusl commented, and Leon nodded.

“How about I fly ahead and see if I can see something?” Kass suggested, and Leon hummed.

“That’s not a terrible idea,” Leon turned away from the fifth dead end and nodded at the Rito. “Alright. Rusl, will you go with him?”

“I would love to! Only issue, I can't fly,” the man joked, and Leon let out an exasperated sigh.

“I meant to ride on his back.”

Rusl gave him a thumbs up and wink, and Kass knelt down for Rusl to climb onto his back. Leon watched as they took to the skies, with him moving so he could see them as much as possible. He felt Linebeck follow, and the man got a little too close for his comfort.

“Looks like it’s just you and me—“

“Don’t even think about it,” he warned, slapping his hand away from his shoulder. Linebeck quickly retracted his hand and cleared his throat, watching Kass and Rusl with him. Kass circled around a few times, scoping the area with Rusl sitting up on his back. It freaked Leon out watching the man be so careless, but all he could do was watch anxiously. Suddenly, Kass paused in the air, staring at a particular area.

“What are they doing?” Leon muttered under his breath. Kass remained still in the air, his wings flapping as he and Rusl stared.

“Are the Links there?” Linebeck asked, and Leon shrugged.

Kass’s steady flying suddenly turned frantic, and Leon gasped as he attempted to fly away before a net ensnared him, restraining his wings to his side and making his plummet to the ground. Rusl jumped off his back, and the two fell out of Leon’s sight.

“No!” Leon shouted, sprinting to where he last saw them, but he was frustratingly met with walls and dead ends.

“What do we do? What happened?” Linebeck was shouting, just as frantic as he.

Leon took deep breaths, his mind running rampant. He heard the Links were up here, that was what he heard! But… they weren’t… they…

They walked right into a trap.

It was a trap all along. How could he be so foolish? How could he have led them right into the puppeteer’s hands?!

“Leon?”

Leon glanced at Linebeck who’s eyebrows were pinched together in worry. Leon frowned and nodded at him.

“We need to find them. Stick close and keep an eye out,” Leon pushed himself past Linebeck and ran out to an open area, looking for a place to go next. “They’re in grave danger.”

[lacontroller1991]

Fluff/WhumpTOBER Day 18: Sole Survivor

Day 18: Bewitched/Revenge Masterlist Warnings: GA, nuclear explosion, maybe spoiler for ending of FO4 Word Count: 387, short and sweet

You didn’t want it to end this way. The minute you stepped out of the vault, husband dead across from you and baby missing, you knew that you would do whatever it took to find your son and raise him like you wanted to. You went through hell and back to find mere clues of where he might be. And he was right under your nose the whole time.

The minute you got back from the Institute and confided with your friends about who was reigning terror on the land, you knew there was only one correct answer. Your son was dead. You don’t hate him. You could never hate him. He was raised to think that way. But when was enough enough? You tried talking to him. Tried pleading to his human side, but you knew that his human side was long gone, buried under years of running a corporate business, preying on the weak.

So you stand, looking over the Commonwealth with a sense of longing, hand hovering over the button that will bring an end to years of terror.

“Sunshine?” A hand wraps around your waist, providing you with physical support, bringing your senses back to you. Looking to your right, your eyes meet Hancock’s, who gives you a small smile. “Are you ready?” His voice is raspy, but it’s soft. Taking a second to yourself, you look around the people behind you, people who pushed you to the edge for their gain. Not that you can blame them, this world only brings out the worst of people. 

“Yeah, I am.” Your hand presses down on the button, a blinding flash of light covering the entire city. Seconds later, your eyesight comes back and you face a mushroom cloud, quickly growing by the second as a blast pushes you back, heat brushing against your skin. 

As the dust settles, you’re left standing over the city with a gaping hole in the middle. You’re not exactly sure what you’re feeling, but it’s not sadness. If anything, you’re pissed. Pissed at the world for making you choose the greater good over your own flesh and blood. Pissed that people are celebrating the destruction and death of hundreds, synths and humans alike. But most of all, you’re pissed that they got their revenge and you got nothing.

[firstdegreefangirl]

In Case of the Unimaginable

Tim,

I hope you never have to read this, but it felt important to write. Or, at least, I hope you never have to read it without me. Maybe we’ll look at it together when I’m back. But if I’m not here with you, then you’ve read the envelope and you know what happened.

I miss you. Wherever I am, whatever comes after all this, know that I’ll always miss you.

You have been, hands down, one of the best parts of my life. Even in the early days, when you pushed me through field training, you were always looking out for me. Then we were friends, and that was fantastic. Now we’re an us, and it’s more than I ever hoped for. I never wanted this to turn into leaving you, not like it is if you’re getting this letter. But even after everything we’ve both endured, you’re still pushing me to reach my own goals.

I love you for that.

Read the rest on ao3 here!

[topguncortez]

Truth Hurts || Whumptober Day 1 - J. Seresin

whumtpober masterlist || whumptober taglist form

synopsis: You never imagined sharing your deepest darkest secrets in front of two monsters and your best friend. Loosely based on the book “Still Beating” by Jennifer Hartmann.

@ailesswhumptober whump prompt: drugging @ailesswhumptober

word count: 4.5k

warnings: kidnapping, mentions of sexual abuse, physical abuse, mentions of miscarriage, murder, character death, truth serum, drugging, forced proximity.

You liked to think that when you were to die, it would happen quickly. 

A car accident, a gunshot wound, a failed ejection, ingesting too many sleeping pills. 

You wanted it fast. You didn’t want to suffer. You didn’t want your death to be one that would be talked about twenty years from now and people’s eyes would automatically fill with tears when it was spoken about. You didn’t want to meet the same fate as your husband, Bradley, had met nearly a year ago. 

It’s funny how things don’t seem to work in your favor. 

Six days. Six long, excruciating days of pain, starvation, and abuse. That’s how long you had been locked in this dungeon of horrors, alongside your best friend, Jake. You always thought that these sorts of things only happen in the movies. You didn’t think that you would be dumb enough to fall for a woman on the side of the road who claimed her baby was choking. You didn’t think that you would be dumb enough to make Jake stop the car so you could run out and go help her. You also didn’t think Jake was dumb enough to get out of the car and try to rescue you from the man dressed head to toe in black who held your passive body. 

But, here you were. Chained like animals in some psycho couple’s basement, waiting for them to come down and do whatever horrible things they had on the dockette for the day. 

“They’re probably sending out a search party,” Jake said, from across the room in his own cage. Whoever had taken you had done this before. They had a whole set-up down here with chains and cages that resembled jail cells. You looked over at Jake, giving him the same glare you had been giving him every day since day one. He, somehow, was hanging onto his optimism, while yours had left almost instantly. 

That’s how Jake has always been. He’s always been this bright light in your life, and you should appreciate it. You really wish that you could appreciate it, but something had died inside you a year ago when you had buried Bradley. You weren’t the same happy-go-lucky girl who grew up with an amazing family and got to do the coolest job in the world alongside her husband and her childhood best friend. Instead, you were just the shell of the person you once were. 

“I-I know they are. I know they would have the best-” 

“Jake,” You sighed, closing your eyes. He knew better than to continue on. He had never been on the receiving end of your anger before being trapped down here. You could be volatile, and spit venom when you needed to. You had already apologized profusely for the words that you had said to Jake after what was now probably the worst day of your life, but Jake forgave you. 

The silence between you stretched on for a moment, the only sound being the steady tapping of dripping water from the leaky faucet in the corner of the basement. You had never been so envious of concrete before. 

“Do you miss him?” Jake asked quietly. You turned your head over to him, raising your eyebrows in a silent way to tell him to elaborate, “Bradley.” 

Your eyes went from Jake’s forrest green ones, down to your dirty feet. 

Of course, you missed Bradley. 

You missed everything about him. 

You missed his laugh. His horrible dad jokes. His honey-brown eyes. His loud, off-key singing. His sunkissed, warm skin. His awful dancing. His soft and sweet kisses. Hell, you even missed yelling at him about leaving the toilet seat up. 

But most of all, you missed his strong, comforting hugs that could make a grown man cry. Bradley Bradshaw had always felt like home to you, and you missed your home. 

“Every single day,” Your voice was barely above a whisper as you spoke. 

Every single day, you wished that you could turn back the clock. That you could’ve been the one who was at home that night. The detective told you that it was a “home invasion gone wrong”. A horrible case of wrong place, wrong time. But you always believed that there was more to it. That the detective with the large belly and graying hair just wanted to move on to a bigger, worse case than this. You had pushed and pushed them to look at the case just a little bit more. 

“Sweetheart, no one would want to kill one of America’s finest. The case is closed. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.” 

But he wasn’t in the wrong place at the wrong time. You found his body in the kitchen of your shared home. Those words bounced around in your head on the darkest nights, as you sat on the ground in the room that was supposed to be a nursery. Bradley had been so excited about starting a family with you. The way his eyes lit up every single time he’d see a baby on the street or would look at baby clothes at Target. All you had wanted was to be able to give him the child he longed for. 

“I was going to tell him,” You said, leaning your head back against the cold cement wall. Jake looked up at you. Your face was dirty, and the grime of being without a shower for nearly a week starting to show. Your eyes, the ones Jake used to think resembled the earth, were dark. Your hair was limp and greasy around your shoulders, “I was going to tell him that I. . . That I was pregnant, that night.” 

Jake sucked in a breath and looked down at the ground. He had been with you, cramped in a small bathroom at the post exchange on base as you took the pregnancy test. You had been so happy, he swore he had never seen a brighter smile on your face before. Jake held you tightly as you cried tears of joy, and immediately called your mom to tell her. 

Jake had also been by your side, picking you up off the ground as blood ran down your thighs, just a mere days after Bradley’s death. He never wanted to hear the sounds of pure anguish again. The sound of your wails as you stood in the kitchen, haunted Jake at night. The sight of all the blood made him sick, and the scent of copper was forever engrained into his mind. 

“He would’ve been so excited,” Jake said, looking up at you. 

“I imagine it was a girl. He was always meant to be a girl dad.” 

Bradley had a small pocketbook that he would keep with him, jotting down names that would come to him throughout the day that he liked. They ranged from names of famous rockstars to biblical names. 

‘What do you mean Jebbidiah isn’t a good name?’ 

‘Jeb Bush. . .’ 

‘You got a point.” 

You chuckled at the memory, shaking your head lightly. You and Bradley had narrowed his list of nearly a hundred names down to at least two, one for a boy and one for a girl. 

“Lennon,” You smiled, “Lennon Dhani Bradshaw. Dhani, spelled like how George named his son. You know how much I love-” 

“The Beatles, I know,” Jake nodded. 

You gave him a quick glance and then went back to your little glimpse of happiness, “My favorite song was-” 

“Here Comes the Sun and In My Life, I know,” Jake said again. 

The silence stretched back over the two of you. You used to mind the silence between you and Jake. Before, it was that comforting silence that signified the strong bond between the two of you. You used to be able to sit in the same room, on opposite ends of the couch, reading books or scrolling through your phones, neither one feeling the need to fill the air with conversation. 

Now, you feared the silence. 

You let out a sigh, before going to speak, “Jake, I-”

The sound of the large door at the top of the stairs cut you off. The sick feeling of dread filled your body, as thudding footsteps made their way down the crikey wooden stairs. Your body started to tremble as your kidnappers came down for their daily routine. 

Bonnie and Earl, are two odd, sick ducks that somehow, some way met each other and fell in love. Bonnie had gone on and on the first night, while Earl acted out his vile assaults on you, about their “love” story. Apparently, it was love at first sight, and the two got married within a month of knowing each other. They also kidnapped their first couple within that same month. 

“Rise and shine!” Bonnie’s chipper voice sounded out like nails on a chalkboard. Your throat felt tight as Earl’s eyes locked directly on you. Bonnie walked over to you, grabbing your chin with her cold, dainty hand, “Are you ready, Bunny?” 

You shook your head, tears welling up in your eyes as you looked in her cold blue irises. After the first night, you had hoped to maybe reach out to Bonnie, to break through to her and get her to let you go. What sane woman would be okay with the monstrosities her husband acted out on women? Apparently, Bonnie. 

“Too bad,” Bonnie chuckled, grabbing you by the arm and pulling you up to stand. Earl replaced Bonnie by standing in front of you, his hand already down his pants, jerking himself off. At this point in time, the routine was basically burned into the back of your eyelids. 

Earl takes Bonnie’s spot. Bonnie undoes Jake’s cuffs. Bonnie sits Jake down in a chair across from you and Earl. Jake hurls insults and threats at the two of them. Earl commits his heinous crimes. Earl and Bonnie leave the two of you alone in complete silence. 

You were starting to wonder if it would ever end. 

— — — 

“You know hanging is the worst way to go?” Jake said, cutting through the silence. 

It was day twenty-one, and you had officially lost hope of ever making it out alive. Bonnie and Earl had been feeding you less and less, only a sandwich every two days instead of every day. You made sure that when you brushed your teeth, you took extra gulps of water, savoring the taste of it down your throat. 

“You don’t die instantly,” Jake continued, “You struggle, your lungs aching for air, you know what’s going on until the moment your neck snaps.” 

You looked over at him, seeing the dull look in his eyes as he stared off into space. You knew Jake started to come to terms with your current state. It made your heart ache to hear and see the optimism slip from his body. You weren’t sure when it happened, probably after day fourteen. 

Day Fourteen. 

The second worst day of your life. 

First, was losing Bradley.

Second, was watching as your friend stood defenseless and was forced to commit an act he’d rather take a bullet for. 

You had hardly ever seen Jake cry, but as he stood in front of you, emptying himself in you, he had broken down, whispering apologies into your dirty skin. His light green eyes had grown dark and dull as he was dragged away from you, leaving you cold and broken. Jake had refused to even look at you, turning his body to face away. You had told him several times throughout the night that you weren’t upset or mad, that you understood what he had to do. 

“I’m not mad at you. I understand it, I do. You did it to survive, Jake. I forgive you.”

You thought for sure that you were going to lose Jake after that. He didn’t speak for a whole day. After twenty-four hours in silence, the only sound was the occasional creak of the floorboards and the drips from the leaky pipe. You thought for sure that you would wake up and see Jake’s lifeless body on the floor. But instead, you woke up to his gentle, soft voice, singing. 

‘In My Life… I Love You More…’ 

“I’d say being stabbed to death is worse,” You said softly, “Yes, hanging is awful, but it only lasts a matter of seconds. Being stabbed? Can last for hours. Painful, agonizing hours, where you lie alone in your own blood, and can’t do anything but wait for someone to either find you or for the reaper to take you.” 

Jake felt a sudden rush of nausea run through his body at your words. His body felt hot as he looked over at you, sitting on the ground, absent-mindedly moving your foot back and forth over a crack in the cement. You always used to be the one who got sick at even the thought of blood. Now, to hear you talk so frankly about death, made goosebumps arise on Jake’s skin. 

“You think he struggled?” Jake whispered. 

“He fought back,” You sniffled, “The detective said he defense wounds on his arms. He always said he’d find a way to come home to me.” 

Jake could remember sitting in the stale, white-walled room with you as the detective handed you the manila folder that held the official autopsy report. Why you wanted to read it and see the photos of Bradley’s mutilated body, was beyond Jake. It was bad enough that he had to see the blood trail and stained red hands. But you stared at the pictures for hours. The pictures of the man you loved and the house that was now an active crime scene. 

The morning faded into day, as the shadows of the sun coming through the basement windows began to move. On day three, Jake taught you how to estimate the time by the position of the shadows on the cement wall. He guessed that the house faced towards the west, and every night as the sun began to set, your hair would have a certain warm glow to it. The two of you were playing your usual game of twenty-one questions, trying to pass the time until the inevitable happened. 

You were trying not to think of whatever horror could unfold today. It seemed that on every seventh day, something worse seemed to happen. Day Seven was the first day you were assaulted. Day fourteen was the day Jake was forced to hurt you. And now, you were waiting to see what day twenty-one had in store. 

Every time the sound of the basement door would open, a cold shiver would go down your spine, and you pulled your knees up to protect yourself. It was a futile chance at hopefully keeping Earl and Bonnie away from you, but it never worked. There seemed to be some charged energy between the two of them as Bonnie happily skipped down the stairs and stood outside of your cell as if you were an animal at the zoo. 

“Today is gonna be great!” She cheered, a sick smile on her face, “I want the girl first, baby. I know she’s got secrets to confess.” 

“Anything for you, honey bunny,” Earl cooed at his wife and placed a kiss on her lips. He then turned, digging the keys to your cell out of his pocket, “You must be waiting for today, bunny,” Earl said to you, a sickening smirk on his face. He undid your cuffs like he always did, and led you over to the open space between yours and Jake’s cages. Instead of chaining you up to the post in the middle like he usually would, he sat you down in a chair. He chained your cuffs behind the back of your chair and chained down your ankles. 

Earl took a step back, admiring you like you were some type of animal he had just hunted down. You felt bile rising in your throat as he stepped towards you, his disgusting scent invading your senses. He smelled of sweat and blood, and his hands were dirty as he grabbed your chin in his hand, “You’re so beautiful, you know that, bunny?” 

You clenched your jaw tightly, keeping your eyes down at the floor, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of looking at him, “I bet that’s why that boy of yours loved you so much.” 

You snapped your head up, “What?” 

Earl roared with laughter as he let go of your face and took a step back, “That’s what got your attention! Whew, and I was here thinking you were an idiot.” He wiped a tear from his face, stepping back to you and running a finger down your face, “That boy, what was his name? Bradley, was it? Handsome young man, so sad what you did to him.” 

“You know nothing,” You shook your head, tears welling up in your eyes. 

“Everyone will know all, very, very soon, bunny. . . hold still.” 

“Wha-Fuck!” You cursed as you felt the pinch of a needle being injected into your neck. Your heart began to race as you looked in terror at Earl and now Bonnie who stood in front of you, “What did you do? What was that!?” 

Bonnie giggled and held up a vial in her hand, “Truth Serum. Made it myself!” Earl put his arm proudly around Bonnie, her face resembling a kid who just had sugar for the first time. 

“Is that going to kill her?” Jake yelled at Bonnie, who simply shrugged, “Hey! Y/N, look at me!” Jake rattled the chainlink that had been keeping you apart, “What the fuck did you do?!” 

It felt like you were being suffocated as you looked over at Jake. Your head began to swim, and your limbs felt like you could hardly hold yourself up anymore. Your body began to feel warm and tingly as a thin layer of sweat started to cover your body. The only thoughts in your head were that this was it. This was the moment in which you were going to die. In this dirty, dingy basement with your kidnappers watching and your best friend trying to fight his way towards you. 

Then, everything seemed to change. Every muscle started to contract, making you shiver violently. Every fiber of your being felt like it had been lit on fire, and a small scream left your body at the pain. You were scared your heart was going to explode from the sheer force of it beating in your chest. 

“It hurts!” You cried, pulling on your cuffs, “Help! It hurts!” 

“It’s working,” Bonnie clapped her hands in excitement, “Ask the question!” 

Earl chuckled, holding his wife against his front, “Not yet, sweets. We gotta start off slow. First question, bunny, have you fucked anyone else since your husband?” 

The words felt like hot lava trying to escape you, but you fought against them, pushing them down in your body, “No.” 

Earl’s eyes narrowed at you, “It’ll feel better if you let the serum do its thing. Keep fighting, and it’ll kill you.” 

“I’d rather die,” You grit your teeth, your nails digging into your palms. 

“Don’t worry sweetheart, I can make that happen,” Earl said, “Now answer the question, have you fucked anyone else since your husband?” 

You shook your head, scared that if you were to open your mouth, the truth would come spilling out. You never knew that the words “truth hurts” could be real until you found yourself in utter agony trying to hide the truth. Bonnie had her jaw clenched tightly as she watched you fight off her experiment. You wondered how many other people had been in your position. How many other people tried to fight and ended up dead? Or worse, ended up dead before they even got the chance to fight. 

“I love him,” You choked out, “I would never hurt him.” 

Jake shook his head, a scoff falling from his lips. Earl looked over his shoulder at him, a smirk forming on his lips, “You know something.” Jake instantly went quiet, not daring to look at you, but his body language was enough of a giveaway. You looked up at Jake, tears in your eyes as you begged him not to say anything. But Bonnie always prided herself on being a problem-solver, and a gasp fell from her lips. She waltzed her way over to Earl and whispered in his ear.

Earl stood up tall as he looked at you with a menacing smile on his face, “You cheated on him, didn’t you,”  You groaned in agony, tears streaming down your face as you tried to fight off the effects of the serum. Earl huffed as he pulled the gun out of the waistband of his pants, and pointed it at Jake’s head, “Answer the question you fucking bitch! Or, I’ll blow his brains all over the wall!” 

“Y/N. . .” Jake called out softly as you let out a scream. 

“I cheated on him!” You admitted. The feeling of sweet relief filled your body, as the words came tumbling out, “It was a mistake! A total and complete, stupid mistake!” You cried, tears and snot running down your face as you looked at Jake, “I-I. . . it was stupid! And I told him, I know we promised no one would know, but I couldn’t lie to him. I felt awful. It was killing me!”

“And he forgave you?” Bonnie asked, letting out a guffaw, “What an idiot!” 

“He loved me!” You snapped, pulling on your chains, “He forgave me, and it made us stronger.” 

“So you don’t love, puppy over there?” Earl asked, turning to glance at Jake like he was fresh meat. 

You clenched your jaw, feeling the painful truth rising up in your chest, but you fought it. Your nails dug into your palms as you shook your head, and you willed your voice to stay calm as you spoke. 

“I don’t love him.” 

Earl chuckled, walking up to you, and undoing your chains. You fell into a heap in his arms as he helped walk you back to your cell. You felt utter disgust as he ran his hand over your filthy hair, whispering how good you did in your ear, but your eyes never left Jake. His jaw was clenched tightly as Bonnie grabbed him and pulled him over to the same chair you were just chained up to. His green eyes bore into yours as Bonnie injected the same truth serum into his neck. 

The serum felt hot as it made its way through Jake’s body, making his nerves tingle. It was a dull ache that he felt and did his best to remain upright on his own two feet. He wondered to himself if you wouldn’t have fought so hard to hide the truth it wouldn’t have caused you so much pain. He could feel his heartbeat start to rise in his chest, and sweat pool on his brow. Taking a deep breath, Jake looked over to Earl and Bonnie; 

“Do your worst,” He sneered. 

Bonnie shrieked in excitement, “Finally!” 

Earl shushed her with a grin on his face, “Since the bitch won’t tell the truth, I guess the puppy will. . . You fucked her, didn’t you?” 

“Several times,” Jake’s face was stoic as he answered truthfully. The guilt in your body seemed to weigh you down like cement stones. You hated what you did to Bradley, and the lies that you kept from him, but you couldn’t help your attraction to Jake, “And she loved every moment of it. Even begged me for more.” 

“Whew! So she is a slut after all!” Earl looked over at you with that disgusting hunger in his eyes you’ve seen before, “I knew it. So tell me puppy. . . did you feel bad about it? What was it that she said? Oh, did you think it was a mistake?” 

Jake clenched his jaw and looked over at you, “Never.” 

“And why’s that?” Bonnie asked. 

“Cause he was screwing someone else,” Jake admitted. 

You gasped, holding your hand to your mouth, “That’s not true.” Bradley would never hurt you the way that you hurt him. He loved you too much to do that and it killed you to know how much you had hurt him. 

“It is! I saw him, Y/N!” Jake yelled, “I saw him with that girl at the bar. Do you remember the one he told you was some annoying junior pilot with a crush? He was screwing her,” Jake spat. You shook your head, eyes wide, refusing to believe the words that Jake had just spoken. 

“That’s a lie. He would nev-” 

“It’s the truth, Y/N. They were doing it everywhere. At work, at the Hard Deck. . . at the house. Remember when he went to Virginia for a week? He went home with her to meet her family.” 

“No!” You screamed, “He wouldn’t do that to me!” 

“So what did you do?” Bonnie asked. Jake’s eyes bore into yours as he took deep breaths. Bonnie looked between the two of you, before yelling, “Say it!” 

“I killed him,” Jake whispered. 

“What? What was that?” She instigated, leaning into Jake and holding her hand to her ear. 

“I killed him.” 

“Louder! I can’t hear-” 

“I killed him!” Jake yelled, his eyes never leaving yours, “I. . . I just wanted to scare him, to let him know that I knew what he was doing, and to get him to either come clean to you or stop. I-I don’t know what happened. But he. . . he started fighting back and I just. . . I lost control.” 

“It felt great didn’t it?” Bonnie asked, walking over to Jake, putting her hands on his shoulders, and running them down his chest, “You felt that release. That sweet, sweet release,” You wanted to kill her as she placed kisses up and down Jake’s neck. He couldn’t help but flutter his eyes closed at the gentle feel on his skin, “You let out all that pent-up need that someone was depriving you of. It felt like the best orgasm ever, didn’t it?” 

Jake looked away from you, guilt swimming in his eyes. You let out an anguishing cry as you collapsed to the ground, sobs racking your body as you dry-heaved. All Jake could do was sit in the chair and watch you. Earl walked over to you and picked up your body as if you weighed nothing. You thrashed in his arms as he grabbed your chin and forced you to look at Jake. 

“You’d do it again, wouldn’t you?” Earl asked. Jake was silent as he looked down at the ground. “Answer me!” Jake looked at him, still keeping his mouth quiet. But you knew. By the look on his face, you knew what he was fighting. 

“Answer him, Jake,” You said quietly, “You’d kill Bradley again, wouldn’t you?” 

Jake couldn’t help the smirk that grew on his face as he looked at you, “I would kill anyone who hurt you, sweetheart.”

taglist: @a-reader-and-a-writer @seitmai @cassiemitchell @topgun-imagines @xoxabs88xox @sarahsmi13s @els-marvelvsp @ohtobeleah

[hufflepuffwritingstuff2]

Whumtpober No. 12- "Just a Little More"

“Come on,” Hero said to themselves through clenched teeth, “just a little more.”

The only thing holding the building up was Hero’s raw strength, and they were using every last bit of it right now while the convention-goers evacuated. They only hoped their team would get everyone out soon. Their muscles screamed with the effort of holding it up, and Hero wanted nothing more than to throw the structure off their shoulders and collapse.

“Just a little more…”

People rushed out of the doors while their teammates coordinated the evacuation. Screams of panic filled the air. Just a little more. Just a little…

The last person ran out, and Hero’s knees buckled. When the dust settled, they were nowhere in sight.

…

“Hero!” Leader shouted.

The entire team rushed to the rubble, rapidly sifting through it to find any sign of their friend.

“Here! Over here!” Sidekick called.

Teammate and Vigilante hauled Hero’s limp and battered body out from under the buidling’s crumbled foundations.

Leader put an ear to Hero’s chest.

“They’re alive,” they said, “get an ambulance over here!”

…

Hero stirred to the sound of steady beeping. Dull pain throbbed through them, barely perceptible but still there. Hero groaned when they felt it, it was like their entire body had been bruised.

“Hero?”

Hero’s eyes slowly fluttered open. Their team stared down at them.

“Are you guys okay?” hero croaked.

“Are we okay?” Vigilante asked, “you’re the one in the hospital bed.”

Hero looked around lazily. Yep. Definitely a hospital room.

“Did everyone get out?” Hero asked.

“Everyone is fine, Hero,” Leader said, “you bought us enough time to get all the civilians to safety.”

“Cool…” Hero said.

Hero went to sit up, but pain erupted along their torso.

“Ah!” Hero winced.

Leader and Vigilante rushed to their bedside, gently guiding them back down.

“You have some broken ribs,” Leader explained, “among other things.”

Sidekick and Teammate approached Hero.

“You did good,” Teammate said.

“Yeah, I knew you were strong, but not that strong!” Sidekick added.

“I didn’t either…” Hero admitted.

“We’ve apprehended the villain responsible for the collapse,” Leader said, “seems they had planted dozens of bombs throughout the foundations.”

“Hate when that happens,” Hero yawned.

Hero coughed a few times, their broken ribs hating them for it.

“When do I get out of here?” Hero asked.

“Not so fast,” Leader said, “you’ve sustained way too many injuries to be discharged.”

“But… I wanted victory ice cream…”

“There will be plenty of time for that once you’ve healed up,” Vigilante said.

Hero pouted, looking up at their team with sad puppy eyes.

“…Or we could have some brought here,” Vigilante sighed.

Hero smiled. That was a better answer.

As far as Hero’s team was concerned, Hero could have anything they wanted. They had given their all and then some, it was only fair to return the favor in any way they could.

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[much-obliged-timothy]

Whumtpober #8

Day 8 - Baldur's Gate 3 - "Leave the lights on"

*

Tav walked through the dark, damp hall of the home they’d built for themselves. Torches cast flickering shadows around him, but he’d been through far too much for it to make him paranoid. 

He reached the end of the hall and gave a light knock on the door. When there was no answer, he knocked harder. Still nothing.

He sighed quietly and pushed the door open. Astarion lay in their shared bed, white curls a mess on the pillow and blanket tugged up to his neck.

“They took some of the young ones out to hunt,” Tav said. “It’s as quiet as it’ll ever get around here, if you want to go out.”

“No.” Astarion did not even bother to look at Tav.

Tav walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, giving Astarion his space but staying close enough that the comfort was there if Astarion wanted to take it. He watched the flames of the nearest torch dance around a bit before speaking again.

“I know it’s not easy,” he said quietly.

“Don’t,” Astarion snarled. “Don’t you even pretend to know what it’s like. I had the sun back. I had a life back. I gave it up, and for what?”

“Me.” Tav tried not to let the pain into his voice, but it slipped out anyway.

Astarion stiffened next to him. “Yes. You. You, who can go into the sunlight and see something other than the bloody Underdark whenever you want. I am always confined to the shadows.”

“I know…it’s not the same,” Tav said. All he’d been through, and this conversation felt like the most dangerous battle he’d ever faced. “I know it, Astarion. But I sacrificed for you, too. You wanted a purpose, so here we are, living in the Underdark with the other vampires. Together. I had a home in Baldurs Gate, once, and I’d never consider going back to it if it meant leaving you.”

“And if you tire of me?” Astarion asked darkly.

“I won’t,” Tav said simply, but with a certainty that eased something in Astarion. “I will die one day, though. I’m not immortal. And I cannot stand to think of you like this alone. Centuries are nothing to an elf, much less a vampire. But I don’t get centuries. What time I do have, I want to spend with you, wherever we are.”

Astarion didn’t respond to that. Tav waited a few beats longer before slowly rising.

“You need to rest. You’ve been stressed lately,” he said. “I’ll put out the torches and-”

“No,” he said, finally rolling to face Tav. He swallowed hard, then reached a hand out from under the covers. “I don’t…want it to be dark in here. Leave the light. Come join me, so long as you promise not to continue being so unbearably sappy.”

Tav took his hand and slid under the covers with him, both holding tight to each other. Tav pressed a gentle kiss to Astarion’s shoulder, nuzzling his head up under Astarion’s chin.

“No promises,” he muttered. “Maybe it’s not the sun, but it is light, and you are not alone. You’ll never be alone in the dark again, if I have my way.”

He would die someday, and Astarion would live on. They both knew it.

But for now, the torches cast a pleasant light over them, and they embraced, enjoying each others company while they could.

[ao3feed-jaytim]

Self-Destructive Tendencies

read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/50708533 by Mayarenerose Tim Drake was a bad idea wrapped up in thorns and enticing black and red kevlar. Words: 1440, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 10 of Whumtpober 2023 Fandoms: DCU (Comics), Batman - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: Jason Todd, Tim Drake Relationships: Tim Drake/Jason Todd Additional Tags: Angst, Unhealthy Relationships, Unreliable Narrator read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/50708533

[fairygothmotherisgay]

Day fourteen of Whumtpober is out now!!

[ao3feed-jaydick]

Unwilling Participant

read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/50596057 by Mayarenerose One night, Jason closes his eyes and he sees Dick choking on his own blood and desperately holding onto a slit throat. He closes his eyes and feels his hand, wrapped around a knife, still dripping with blood. He opens his eyes and knows deep in his heart that absolutely nothing is wrong. Words: 1495, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 6 of Whumtpober 2023 Fandoms: DCU, Batman - All Media Types Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Major Character Death Categories: M/M Characters: Jason Todd, Dick Grayson Relationships: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd Additional Tags: Character Death, Mind Control, Established Relationship, Angst read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/50596057

[nuggeteri]

Hey guys! I'm sorry to announce I won't be doing Whumtpober anymore. At least, not all of it. Many reasons why, and two of them is that i don't have the time, and that I got sick. I'm sorry! You will be getting like, Half of Whumptober. 3 different stories (with multiple chapters and pormpts). They're all awesome I swear,,, And I'm sorry again for not being able to do it all. In compromise, TTEOTE and Rotten Dessert will continue being posted during October. I hope that's okay with everybody.

[endless-whump]

@whumptober2021 Day 23: Ransom/Auction

Whumtpober Masterlist

OC: Kefi

Tags: dehumanization, use of the pronoun it, fae whump, wing whump, talk of abandonment, muzzles

Universe belongs to @wildfaewhump <3

---

“Anybody back home willing to pay a pretty penny for you, demon?”

A kick to their side made Kefi lurch, keening pitifully as they curled to protect their stomach from the blow.  They could taste blood, feel it trickling down their wings and wrists and ankles with every movement that made iron dig further into vulnerable skin.  Every limb felt weighed down by it, by the days of cold and hunger and ache that filled them to the brim without even a breath to recover from it.  

“You’re a pack animal, disgusting as you lot are.  So where are they, hm? Your flock abandon you?”

Another sharp kick told them the man wasn’t actually expecting an answer, voice dripping with mockery.  It was humiliating, even more so than how low they were forced to the ground, like some specimen to be prodded at for a reaction.

Kefi bit their lip, drawing blood that dripped down to join the rest from the harsh bite of metal and leather against their skin, muzzle still locked tight around their head.  They couldn’t answer even if they wanted to, whimpering in pain like an animal under some cruel owner's heel.  

“Probably a runt, with how little it is.  Left in the woods to die, is that what happened?  What’d ya do to deserve that?”

The scream that left their throat when a boot slammed down on their shackled wing echoed in their own ears with enough force to make them ring, jaw locking in pain as they thrashed with the muzzle on.  Memories of blood soaked talons choked them, old horror drenching their body like a bucket of ice water that left them with chills that would never subside.  Runt and useless and disgrace floated like ghosts in their mind, occupying every inch of space with no room to breathe.  

“You’ll go for a good price in the market if nothing else, or at least parts of you will.”

Kefi shuddered, swallowing back their horror at the statement.  Nobody was coming for them, certainly not their kin.  Trying to picture their faces, their voices, their touch was only painful, because what came with it was the hurt and the cold left in the wake of abandonment they’d never recover from.  Abandonment that was soaked in the same blood that was on their own hands.  They were cast out, and rightfully so, left to be ravaged by the natures of man in constant punishment for their actions within their court.  

No, their kin probably didn’t even think about Kefi anymore.  Not after what they did.

[smilesrobotlover]

First|| <-prev next-> (soon)

AO3

Chapter 11- Attack on Castle Town

It was infuriating

Two whole days had passed since Link and Rusl arrived to Castle Town, yet it felt like no one was making an effort to come up with a plan. They had talked about hunting the beast down, luring it in, or waiting to see when it would attack again to then strike. But it felt like they were talking in circles, the conversation melting into the talk of the mundane.

Rusl, of course, loved visiting with his friends and talking to them about whatever came to mind, but not now. Not when that thing just attacked his children and threatened his home. The anxiety ate up at him, and he found himself unable to sit still at the table where everyone else sat. So he stood in the corner, his arms crossed as he glared at the others.

“So we should head to Faron since it was in Ordon last night, right?” Shad asked, staring at the map.

“No, it was just in Faron, it might’ve moved,” Link corrected.

“Didn’t sound like it moved from when it first attacked you guys,” Ashei butted in, her arms crossed at the table.

Link pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. “I guess…”

“So we head to Faron?” Auru suggested, and Sheik finally stepped into the conversation.

“It seems like the most logical place to go, but we need to know how to fight this monster. If five soldiers couldn’t kill it, then I doubt six of us could.”

“Yes, but we do have one more person,” Shad said, his finger in the air, “and we’re more prepared.”

“It’s not like the soldiers of Hyrule are anything impressive,” Auru muttered, and Sheik looked away.

“Will you be fighting though Shad?” Link asked, and Shad gave him an offended look.

“Why—of course, old boy! I may not wield a sword but I have a weapon stronger than that!” The scholar patted his book, and Auru snorted.

“Are you going to throw the book at the monster?”

The group erupted into laughter and Rusl rolled his eyes. They were getting off track again.

“No! I have my head right here!” Shad defended himself, and Auru laughed harder.

“Great! So we’ll use your head as a weapon when the rest of ours break!”

“I meant my brain!” Shad stood up in fury, but his fiance pulled him back down, an amused smile on her face.

“We get what you mean, Shad,” she said and gave him a peck on the cheek. Rusl sighed and cleared his throat loudly, catching the attention of Auru and Link. His son looked down, a slightly guilty look on his face, and his fingers interlocked together.

“Well, we may have a better chance than the soldiers, but we still need a plan,” he said, and Rusl felt relieved that they were finally strategizing. He and Link discussed strategies several times, but ultimately they wanted to brainstorm with the others for more ideas.

“You fought the beasts, old boy,” Shad started, his anger having disappeared entirely, “what is your suggestion?”

Link looked down, his eyebrows furrowed. “I… I don’t know. This isn’t a normal shadow beast.”

“I remember they were a challenge,” Auru contemplated. “Having to kill them all at the same time was… infuriating.”

“They just kept coming back to life,” Ashei added, and the rest of the group nodded.

“Well, as long as you killed them at the same time, they were relatively easy,” Link said. “But this beast is alone, so I don’t think we have to worry about it coming back to life once it’s dead. It’s just… tough.”

Sheik nodded. “It has to have a weakness though. We will weaken it, keep our distance, and…” they grabbed their right hand, “perhaps we could get the light spirit’s assistance? If it’s from the twilight, I doubt pure, divine light will feel good, hm?”

Link’s eyes widened as if he realized something and he nodded. “That’s a great idea, Sheik. We’ll get the light spirits to help weaken it, and while it’s down, we’ll give it everything we have.”

The group seemed to agree with the plan—if Rusl could even call it a plan—and Auru raised his drink.

“To victory then,” he cheered, and the others raised their own, with Link simply bumping his fist since he didn’t have one. Rusl let out a sigh and pushed his frustrations aside. He wasn’t sleeping well, and the anxiety felt like it was eating him up inside, so he was much more quick to anger than normal. But he had to try to be patient—they were going to get to deal with the threat, he knew it. He just had to slow down with the rest of them.

“Alright, let’s head out then,” Rusl muttered, stepping closer to the group, but Sheik stood up.

“Not yet. I must convey this information with some… allies. They may help if something were to go wrong.”

Link and Ashei seemed understanding while Auru and Shad seemed indifferent, but Rusl was exasperated.

“What? We’re not—when will you be back?” He asked, a sharpness to his voice as his patience was wearing thin.

“I’m not sure, hopefully before tonight—”

“Tonight? Where in the spirit’s name will you be going?” He snapped. Sheik’s eyes widened in surprise and they looked around uncomfortably.

“I just have things I need to do,” they muttered, and Link looked up at his pa, a worried expression on his face.

“We don’t have time! We should leave now and deal with it before it takes more people!” Rusl argued, and Auru stood up.

“If what Sheik says is true, then we should get help if something were to go wrong. Calm down—”

“Don’t tell me to calm down!” Rusl shouted, leaving everyone surprised. “You don’t know what type of a threat this thing is! If we wait any longer, we could lose it!”

“Rusl,” Auru started, his hands raised in an effort to calm him. “I know, but we are merely six people… and… really it’d only be four of you physically fighting it—I may not be able to do much. We need all the help we can get.”

“But it’ll be too late! We won’t be able to travel until the morning!”

Shad hummed. “Maybe leaving at night would help us find it better.”

“No, that's a horrible idea,” Link jumped in, and Rusl let out a groan.

“I can’t sit around any longer, I need this thing dead!”

“Goddesses, what has gotten into you?” Auru asked. “You were perfectly fine this morning—”

“That was because I thought we were safe during the day,” Rusl spat. “I thought we had more time as long as everyone stayed in at night. But no, it’s dangerous no matter what time it is! We can’t stall anymore!”

Everyone looked at each other. Ashei looked understanding, Sheik looked guilty, while Link looked uncomfortable at the outburst. Rusl blinked a few times and let out a sigh, running his hands through his hair.

“I–I’m sorry I…” He started, but he couldn’t get the words out. He looked up at Auru who stared blankly at him and he turned away. “You do what you need to do Sheik, I’m gonna go cool my head,” he said softly, and he left the backroom, ignoring Telma’s confused look as he burst through the door to the bar. He didn’t know where he was going—he supposed he was simply walking around the town to clear his head. The lack of sleep from the past few nights was catching up to him, and the fear surrounding the shadow beast plagued his waking mind. He felt like he couldn’t escape it, and he just wanted it taken care of so he could finally rest. He supposed with his own children and grandson having to get involved, it finally caused him to break.

The loud noises of the town wasn’t doing him any favors, so he went through the southern gate to escape to somewhere quieter, leaving behind the shops lined up next to Telma’s bar and entering a clearing. It was empty and peaceful, with a fountain in between cobblestone stairs that poured out the bluest water. Rusl walked to the fountain and kneeled, the anxiety and anger leaving his body to make way for vulnerability. He opened his heart and prayed.

He didn’t know who he was praying to; he wasn’t exactly praying to Ordona, or the light spirits themselves. But he found himself praying to someone. He prayed that he and the others would be safe, he prayed that his children would be safe, and he prayed that his wife would be protected. Goddesses she must’ve been worried sick over them—she always got extremely upset over these things. He hoped that she would know that the children were safe, and that she wouldn’t blame herself for what happened. As he prayed, tears started to trickle out of his eyes, and he leaned forward to rest his head against the stone. He was so tired, so tired from everything that happened to him from the past few days. The beast would plague his mind every moment, even if he was asleep. He couldn’t escape it no matter what he did, and now his own family was involved—his own children.

“Papa?”

Rela’s soft voice broke the silence, causing Rusl to sit up and turn his head to look at his daughter. He wiped his tears quickly and forced a smile, and she looked nervous as her hands fidgeted with each other.

“Rela, what the heck are you doin’ out here by yourself?” Rusl asked. “I thought you were sleeping.”

“I… Uh… I couldn’t sleep,” she said softly. “I wanted to talk to you and I saw you walk out so I followed you and… uh…”

Rusl’s smile went away and he sighed. “I don’t want you by yourself in town. Monsters ain’t the only thing we need to look out for.”

“I know… but…” Rela’s arms wrapped around her waist. Her pa gave a more genuine smile and gestured for her to join him. She was hesitant, but she finally joined him, kneeling on the ground as she stared at the fountain. Rusl stared at her for a moment and finally pulled her close, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as she leaned into his hug. She was never a touchy person, always hating his hugs and kisses, so he made sure to enjoy any moment where she enjoyed his touch.

“Um… papa….” Rela started, her fingers fidgeting more now. “I need to tell you something.”

Rusl raised an eyebrow and pulled away to fully look at her. “What is it?”

“The reason… um… the reason that me and Colin and Kori are here is that… um…”

“The monster?”

Rela shook her head, shame apparent on her face. “No… I mean—yes—but… it’s my fault we’re here.”

Rusl frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I was… I was tryn’a teach Kori how to sword fight ‘cause I knew that there was a monster in the woods but… I accidentally left your wooden swords in the water at the spring and I went to go get them and…” Rela sighed. “I dragged everyone into it ‘cause I was dumb… I’m sorry papa.”

“Oh.” Rusl certainly wasn’t expecting Rela to say any of that. “So… y’all left Ordon?”

“Well… me and Kori were practicin’ in Ordon spring, but we met the soldiers and we showed them where y’all found the monster…” Rela sighed. “But we wouldn’t have been there in the first place if not for me. I’m sorry.”

Rusl stared, not knowing how to react. He could be angry, he could be sad, or he could be horrified, but he brushed it all away. She shouldn’t blame herself.

“Sweetie, I wasn’t clear enough with y’all,” he said softly, looking down at her. She did not look back up at him. “You didn’t understand the danger we were in. I certainly didn’t make it more clear. Don’t put all the blame on yourself.”

Rela frowned. “But… I still left.”

“Not on purpose. And I suppose I should’ve told y’all to stay away from the spring.” Rusl let out another sigh and he gave Rela a squeeze. “Besides, it’s in the past. Me and Link are gonna head out tomorrow to fight it. I want y’all to stick with Colin here until it’s safe, ok?”

Rela nodded. “Ok…”

“Wait, we’re not goin’ home—”

Rusl and Rela flinched at Kori who was suddenly behind them, with Rusl grabbing his daughter closer to him as he moved from the young twilian. Kori watched them with a bewildered expression as they stared horrified, and Rusl let out a breathy laugh.

“Spirits above, Kori. You scared the living daylights outta me!” He breathed, letting Rela go. “Why’re you here?”

“I heard Rela leave,” he answered simply, and Rusl rolled his eyes with an annoyed smile.

“Ok, no more going out into Castle Town by yourselves, ok?” He scolded. Kori looked down and tapped his feet on the cobblestone, and Rusl raised an eyebrow. “Where’d you come from anyways? I didn’t hear you at all.”

“Oh, I was in the shadows!” He answered, and Rusl and Rela glanced at each other.

“What the hell are you talkin’ about?” Rela asked, and Rusl let out a sigh.

“Watch your language sweetie. And Kori, I have to ask as well. What do you mean you were ‘in the shadows’?”

Kori grinned, his dimples appearing just below his black markings. “Watch this!”

To Rusl’s surprise, his grandson suddenly morphed into a dark figure, diving into his and Rela’s shadow next to them. Rela jumped to her feet and stared at her own shadow wide eyed, Kori’s little blue eyes appearing to stare back.

“Kori? Since when could you do that?” She yelled out, and Kori emerged from the shadows, giggling slightly.

“Since last night.”

“And you’re mentioning it now? Do you realize how cool that power is? You can hide in the shadows!”

Rela and Kori began to chatter excitedly over his new power, while Rusl glanced around at the empty plain in front of him. The wind blew slightly, the sunlight dimmed, and an uneasy feeling began to overwhelm him. He stood up and started to nudge the kids closer to the gate, checking behind him to make sure he wasn’t being followed. There was nothing there, but he still hurriedly pushed the kids to safety.

“Alright, it’s time to head back to the bar,” he said, his arms wrapped around the two. “And I’m serious about not traveling alone in town. It’s dangerous, ok?”

“Yes papa.”

“Ok grandpa!”

Rusl smiled, but it quickly faded as he thought about the two, his babies, facing such a horrifying monster…

They were too young, too innocent to see such horrors. Goddesses, what kind of a man was he—what kind of a father was he—to let them suffer so? His grip on them tightened as he led them through the busy town, determination flowing through him. He wasn’t going to fail again— he was going to protect them. Even if it killed him.

“Kitties!”

Kori suddenly pulled away from Rusl, running to a home with cats in the front playing with a ball. Rusl sighed, but he allowed the children to play with the cats, not really wanting to see the others just yet.

“Hi baby,” Kori cooed, holding his hand out for a kitten, who sniffed at his hand cautiously. Rela tapped the ball, sending it rolling for the other cats to chase after, and she giggled as they pounced each other. Rusl wished he could enjoy watching them play, but a sinking feeling of dread made him antsy, and he kept looking around him as if he were to be attacked any second. The townsfolk seemed to be anxious as well, with them hurrying to the homes and emptying the streets. Rusl turned to the kids and tapped Rela’s shoulder, gesturing to the direction of the bar with his head.

“It’s time to go. Say goodbye to the kitties.”

“Aw, but he just started to like me!” Kori whined, holding the kitten in his arms.

“I’m sorry kid, but it’s time to head back. Come on.”

Kori pouted but obeyed, reluctantly leaving the kitty behind. Rusl was pushing them faster now, wanting to get inside the bar as soon as possible, which clearly annoyed them with his hands gripping their shoulders.

“What’s the matter, grandpa Rusl?” Kori asked, glancing at Rusl’s hand.

“Nothin’, I just think it’s best if we head inside. A storm might be comin’.”

“Well you don’t have to grab my shoulder like that!” Rela complained, trying to shake off his hand as she spun around. “I can walk on my own you kno—”

A scream from his daughter interrupted her, and Rusl moved on instinct, grabbing the two children and sprinting towards crates for cover. Behind him he heard a slam along with screams, and when he turned, the beast was watching him, snarling growling.

The beast… the shadow beast… it was here—it was here.

Was it following them?

The beast’s snarl was aimed at him, and Rusl froze in fear, the fear of that night returning to him in full force. He was in danger, it was going to kill him, he was going to die, he was going to die he was going to die—

Rela screamed again in fear, burying her face in Rusl’s shirt while Kori remained quiet and stiff, which snapped him out of his stupor. It wasn’t just him that was in danger, but his children. By the goddesses he wasn’t going to let this thing hurt them again.

The shadow beast watched him, as if waiting for him to make a move. Its black, leathery skin looked like a void against the light cobblestone, save for the yellow teeth that dripped a black goo out of its mouth, staining the stone. It didn’t look different from when Rusl first encountered it, just as horrifying as before, yet it felt far more powerful, with a dark magic emanating from it. People were screaming in the town, running like wild animals to get away from the beast, but Rusl ignored them, shoving Rela and Kori behind him.

“Rela, get Kori to Telma’s bar and tell the others to come here,” he commanded, keeping his eyes on the beast as it stared.

“B-b-but p-pa–” Rela stuttered, but Rusl pushed her away.

“Get away from here!” He yelled, causing Rela to flinch, but she got up, trying to drag Kori behind her, though the boy was frozen.

Right as she and Kori moved though, the beast reacted and began to charge at the two. Rusl gasped and grabbed a crate, swinging it and throwing it right at the beast, which stopped it before it could reach the children. The crate shattered on impact, allowing Rusl to grab a broken piece to use as a makeshift weapon against the beast. It wasn’t as good as a sword, but hopefully it’d be enough to buy Rela and Kori time. Rusl swung the broken piece at the beast’s head before it was able to fully recover, it being almost pathetic at how little it reacted from the hit. After the wooden piece bounced off its head, it turned and snapped its jaws at Rusl, the teeth smacking against each other when it missed.

“Come on! Over here!” He shouted, trying to divert its attention from where Rela and Kori were, which worked for a moment as it turned its head to look at him.

“Come on Kori! Move!” Rusl heard Rela shout, and it drew the beast’s attention back to them. To Rusl’s horror, Kori was frozen in fear, staring at the beast with wide eyes as Rela tried to drag him back to the bar. Rusl sprinted to them just as the beast charged. Rela screamed and ran away, her hand slipping from Kori’s as she tried to pull him with her, leaving him alone as the beast got closer and closer. But Rusl got to him first.

He grabbed his grandson and rolled out of the way, dodging the beast’s rampage. Rusl searched for his daughter, but she was long gone, and the beast recovered too fast for him to stall any longer. He sent a prayer to the spirits to keep Rela safe and he ran to Malo Mart, slamming the door and setting Kori down. The poor boy was still frozen, his breathing rapid and tears forming in his eyes. Rusl moved him away from the door, cupping his face.

“Kori, look at me,” he said as calmly as he could as the boy started to sob. “Kori, I need you to be brave for me, ok? Hide out here, and do not come out unless I say so, ok?”

Kori stood sobbing for a moment, and Rusl wiped his tears and readjusted his head so he was looking at him.

“Kori, everything is going to be ok, ok?” He reassured, and he buried the boy in a hug. “Now hide in the shadows or whatever it is you can do and stay away from the door, you hear?”

Kori sniffled and nodded, seeming to calm down just enough to be able to think. Rusl smiled, but the moment of safety was gone in an instant when the roof broke, and a large, black hand reached out to grab them. Rusl pushed Kori away right as the hand landed on him, knocking the breath out of him.

Rusl grunted as the hand tightened around him, and he was lifted up through the hole. Kori watched in horror, moving to try to reach him, but Rusl waved him away, struggling in the thing’s grip.

“Hide Kori!” He yelled out, and he was pulled out of the building, his grandson’s voice calling out to him from within the building.

Rusl clawed at the fingers wrapped tightly around him, and he was suddenly inches away from the thing’s face. The stench from the monster’s hot breath nearly suffocated him, the endless, black mouth was open wide, and he flinched away, only to be trapped in its grip. Panic spiked within his chest as memories from the night of their first meeting flooded in—the memory of the tight throat swallowing him down, the slime and goo falling on every inch of his body, the tendrils in its stomach grabbing onto him…

“No, no no no!” He shouted, struggling against the beast’s hold while staring at its teeth in horror, but it didn’t put him in its mouth again. Instead it simply put him in one of its back hands as if he were a worthless toy, going back to digging around in the shop, and Rusl gasped as realization hit him. It was after Kori.

“KORI!” Rusl yelled in warning as the beast broke another hole through the roof. He squirmed and shifted, but his arms were pinned to his sides, the monster’s grip tight around him.

Just as the beast was about to tear another hole into the roof, an explosion hit the monster’s left side, causing it to shriek in pain. Rusl felt its grip around him loosen, and he was able to get one arm free before the grip tightened again. He looked to see where the explosion came from, and he saw Auru kneeling on the ground, his bazooka on one shoulder as he glared at the beast. Ashei and Shad were behind him, with Ashei’s longsword drawn and protectively in front of Shad, who stared at the beast wide-eyed.

“You better drop him now or else I’ll shoot again!” Auru yelled, aiming his weapon, but the beast didn’t seem threatened, and instead returned to trying to find Kori. Auru followed through on his threat and shot at the monster again, it shrieking in pain when it was hit, but it remained stubborn. Rusl watched Ashei run to the building, climbing to the top with her sword still drawn. She sprinted to the beast and sliced at its injured shoulder, making it flinch away. Annoyed, it went to smack Ashei off the roof, but she dodged and countered with another swipe of her sword, hitting its right arm once again. The beast snarled and directed its full attention to the woman, slamming its fist at her as she hopped back and forth. It soon began to swing its claws at her when squishing her didn’t work, but Ashei was quick despite the armor she had on, and she ducked to avoid the beast’s claws. The shadow beast grew agitated, and it slammed its fist hard against the roof next to Ashei, which didn’t hurt her, but it caused her to lose her footing, and she wasn’t able to dodge the monster slapping her off of the roof. Ashei yelled out as she flew, landing on the cobblestone ground with a sickening crack.

“Ashei!” Shad shouted as she fell off, sprinting to her side as she struggled to stand up. Her face was pale, she cradled her side, and she looked like she was struggling to breathe, which made Rusl worried. The beast turned to look at Ashei and Shad, and Auru let another shot from his weapon loose, which hit it right in the chest. It shrieked in pain, but remained standing on the roof.

“How many hits is it gonna take?” Auru exasperated, loading his weapon again.

“Auru, I’m afraid you’re going to hit Rusl!” Shad yelled, but he didn’t listen as he shot the beast again. Everytime, Auru hit the beast head-on, which Rusl felt as the shock rippled through his body, the heat making him sweat. But the blasts never hurt him directly, with the monster feeling most of the pain, and its grip loosened enough for Rusl to get his other arm free. But once again, its fingers tightened around him just as he was about to slip away.

“Oh come on,” Rusl groaned in frustration, feeling his sides bruise from the grip. The beast recovered from the blast again, and faced Auru with fury radiating off of it. But before it could pounce, Rusl heard a sword being drawn and spotted Link right as he landed on the beast, the blade of his sword facing down and piercing the leathery back.

The shadow beast let out a shriek that rang out through the entire town, stinging Rusl’s ears from the shrill, and he gasped as the grip finally loosened, causing him to fall. He landed on the roof with a painful thud, his knees and ankles stinging from the impact, but there was no time to sit there as the beast wailed in pain.

“Link!” Rusl shouted, scrambling to his aching feet. His son glanced over at him, his grip around his sword tight. “Kori’s below us! It’s after him!”

Link’s eyes widened in realization, his glare turning into a horrified expression, but before he could do anything, the beast stood up straight, making Link hang onto the sword still embedded into its back. Then it jumped back, threatening to crush Link. Link jumped to Rusl before he could get trapped between the roof and the monster, and the roof beneath them collapsed from the impact. Pain exploded in Rusl’s body as Link landed on him, and everything went dark, the sounds of debris falling being the last thing he heard.

~~~

There was chaos in Castle Town. She knew from the screams and broken buildings, but she paid it no mind. As soon as Rusl’s daughter barged into the bar where she and the others still sat, they were all up and ready to go fight the beast, knowing that the time for planning was over. Sheik had planned to tell Edmund about the beast, as a safety measure in case she didn’t make it back, but she supposed there was no time for that now. She just had to trust that Edmund would notice the giant shadow beast attacking the town.

Instead of joining the others in the fight, however, Sheik was standing in her room at the bar, praying to the light spirits the same way she did ten years ago. She knew that the light arrows she acquired from them would aid them in the fight, but it was a matter of getting them to help again. Truthfully, she didn’t know if they would. The tyranny of Ganondorf was over; the threat of the world was no longer there, but she hoped that they would understand the threat now.

“Oh light spirits,” she started, the only sound of her voice in her room feeling awkward, but she continued, “I ask for your help once again, to help defeat an evil that threatens Hyrule.”

Nothing happened, so she continued, ignoring the unease in her heart. “I need the light arrows to defeat this foe. It is a shadow beast, but it is a powerful one. Please, it’s taken and harmed my people. I need to defeat it.”

It remained silent, the familiar feeling of the divine spirits didn’t appear, and panic began to settle in. Why weren’t they responding? They immediately replied to her during the invasion, granting her the light arrows that stunned Ganondorf long enough for Link to fight him. But now it felt like they were ignoring her. Why?

“Please,” she begged, kneeling on the ground and bowing her head. “Please, help me. I must protect Hyrule, I must fulfill my duty as a queen and—and as a mother. Please.”

Frustration began to build up in her as nothing happened. Everything felt easier back then for her despite nearly losing her kingdom. She felt like she could focus, like she could clear her head to figure out what to do. But now everything felt hard, impossible. Like she was trapped in quicksand that she couldn’t escape. Every decision led to a terrible consequence, where she would bear the weight of the blame due to her position. Not looking into the disappearances earlier, not spending time with her family, not building good relationships with people, stretching herself thin where she felt like she could barely do anything—

Goddesses, she couldn’t fail. There were too many people depending on her—an entire kingdom depended on her.

“Please, I need your help,” she tried one more, resting her head on the ground, her voice shaking, “I cannot do this without you.”

“Zelda.”

Her head shot up, finding herself in a dark world that was lit up by the water and the light spirits watching her. Relief swelled in her, and she bowed her head.

“Thank you, light spirits,” she started, “I need you help—”

“No you do not,” the spirit of Lanayru interrupted her, the snake-like eyes watching her. Zelda paused, taken aback from the sudden bluntness.

“W-What do you mean?”

“You do not need our help.”

“I–Yes, I do. I need the light arrows to defeat a beast of darkness—”

“And you were wise in searching for the light arrows…”

“But… you’re not going to give them to me?”

Eldin moved closer to her. “You already have them…”

Zelda paused, looking down at her empty hands. “I…I already have them?”

“You’ve always had them,” Faron jumped in, tilting their head. “They never left you.”

“I—How do I get them then? I’ve never used them since Ganondorf.”

“That is something you will have to figure out yourself…” Faron explained.

“You do not put enough faith in yourself…” Eldin added.

“And so you struggle to find that divine power…” Lanayru finished.

Zelda frowned, rubbing her right hand where the triforce of wisdom glowed. “How do I find it then? How… how do I simply put faith in myself?”

“It is no easy task…you’ve dealt with many obstacles in your life now…we do not blame you for struggling so…”

“But you must learn to be kind to yourself…you are only a Hylian…”

“A Hylian that is responsible for my kingdom,” Zelda grumbled. “I must be hard on myself otherwise I’ll never make the right decision!”

Lanayru shook their head. “You’ll simply overthink everything…you put too much pressure on yourself…”

Zelda paused, looking down at the bright water, the memory of her and Edmund’s conversation playing through her mind.

“… looking at you now, I’ve grown more worried than upset,” Edmund said to her. “You’ve overworked yourself so much to the point that you collapsed. That’s not a good thing. I suppose I… I just want to know why you’re so intent on doing everything yourself, when I’m here to… help you.”

She had put so much pressure on herself that she literally passed out from exhaustion, and her mind has felt foggy ever since. Perhaps it’s felt foggy long before the disappearances have gotten worse, since the twilight invasion…

Goddesses, everything has felt impossible, cloudy, and too heavy for her to bear. But she didn’t know how to receive help—she didn’t know how to fix it. Yet it clearly was keeping her from the light arrows, so much so that the light spirits recognized it.

“I…see…” she simply said. “I’ve always had the light arrows?”

“Yes…you’ve always had them… you just need to learn how to use them…”

Zelda sighed, frowning as she stared at her hands. A familiar, warm tingling sensation started at where her triforce piece lingered, and she nodded. She could do this, she had to.

“Can I ask you one more thing then?” She asked, looking up at the light spirits. They each nodded, and Zelda got to her feet, still keeping her head bowed. “What are we up against?”

Ordona stepped forward, with the others making way for her. “This is a shadow beast… one of the first created by the usurper Zant…it has lingered in the Twilight Realm all these years, getting stronger…”

“If it’s from the Twilight Realm, how did it get here?” Zelda asked, thinking of Midna somehow coming back for Kori.

“It has stolen force from the Twili there… growing strong enough to be able to move between worlds while staying hidden…”

“Force? Like… life force?”

The spirits each looked at each other, and the world around them began to fade.

“Your kingdom needs you, Queen of Hyrule…go, and save them…”

Zelda blinked and she was suddenly back in the room. She still felt clouded and weak, but she knew that her friends needed her, as did her kingdom. Ignoring the questions that weren’t answered, she looked at the triforce of wisdom on her hand and closed her eyes, reaching deep within her to access the magic she had. The warm feeling in her hand began again, and it spread throughout her chest. For a moment, she felt the power in her flow through her veins, a warmth in her fingers.

Then it went away.

Zelda opened her eyes to see nothing in front of her, only the empty room above the inn. Her brows furrowed as she stared at her hands, the fingers trembling slightly.

“I don’t understand,” she whimpered, clenching her fists, “I need them! How do I… why couldn’t you just tell me?”

The room remained silent as Sheik sat there, her prayers unanswered and her hands empty. She looked around her, kneeled down, and once again tried to reach deep within herself to find the arrows, but there was nothing. Not even the faint glow of the triforce of wisdom appeared.

“Come on! I can’t leave without them! I said I’d get them, why can’t I get them?” Sheik punched the floor in frustration, her divine magic suddenly feeling like it was being sucked out of her. She simply asked back then, and the light spirits answered. Of course it had to be different now, of course it had to be harder for her.

A faint explosion was heard outside, along with screaming, and Sheik finally sat up, looking around the room. She could sulk in the room forever, but she still had a duty to the resistance; she needed to help them, empty-handed.

Admitting defeat, Sheik stood up and ran to the window, jumping out and climbing onto the roof. Immediately she spotted a cloud of smoke ahead of her, with the sounds of roaring and yelling, and she took off towards it. A shop in front of the fountain was completely destroyed, with Link trying to distract the shadow beast while Rusl laid unconscious in the rubble, and Kori worriedly looked over him. Sheik grimaced at the sight, dread resting in her stomach as she watched Rusl, pale and unmoving.

“G-Grandpa–” the little boy whimpered, shaking him gently, but he didn’t wake up.

“Kori, get out of here!” Link yelled, but Kori remained frozen at his grandfather’s side. They were helpless against the thing, and Sheik couldn’t help but feel her blood freeze at the sight of the creature. It truly looked far more powerful than the normal shadow beasts, and she could feel the power—the force—radiating off of it. Memories of the twilight invasion came flooding in, with her watching shadow beasts killing her soldiers right before her very eyes, her own parents twisting and morphing into the black creatures by Zant’s hands, and her watching helplessly as it all happened. It’s all she was—helpless!

It turned from Link and spotted Kori, directing its attention to him, and Link tried to get it to turn back around.

“Don’t you dare—LOOK AT ME!” He yelled, desperate to keep his son safe, but it was in vain as the beast turned fully to Kori, who hugged Rusl in fear. The rest of the resistance seemed to be down, with Shad trying to help Ashei off the ground and Auru loading his bazooka frantically, and Sheik knew that Link wouldn’t be able to stop it from charging at Kori and Rusl. For some reason, a vision shot through her mind, one of the beast attacking her daughter in the same manner, and something inside her snapped. If she failed to kill this monster, then it was going to harm her daughter, and she couldn’t bear to let that happen.

She wasn’t going to let it happen.

As soon as the beast started to charge towards Kori, she jumped from the roof, landing in front of him and aiming her right hand at the beast. The triforce of wisdom glowed against her hand, shining brightly against her eyes as the diving light warmed her entire body. The magic was soon condensed and it formed into the bow of light and arrows, floating before her until she grabbed hold of it. Without having time to think, she pulled the bow back with a light arrow and shot it straight at the beast’s chest.

The shriek from the beast rang out through the town, the light attacking every inch of it like lightning as if flinched away from her. Sheik heard a confused grunt and turned to see Rusl wide awake, his brows furrowed and eyes wide as he stared at Sheik.

“Look out!” Sheik heard someone yell, and she turned just in time to see the beast charging, its mouth snarling open wide that almost paralyzed her in fear. She’s never seen their faces before. Breaking out of her fear, she shot an arrow at it when it was inches away from her, and it shriveled, growing agitated from the pain. Sheik was about to shoot it again, but it began slamming the ground in anger, nearly smashing her in the process if Rusl hadn’t pulled her out of the way, and she was huddled up next to him and Kori. The beast shrieked as the light attacked it, and Link got close to finish it off, but he was smacked away from the chaos.

“Papa!” Kori yelled, and ran to where his father landed.

“No! Kori!” Rusl yelled, holding tight to his grandson and following.

Before they could move past the monster however, black magic formed from where the beast rampaged, spreading right under Sheik and the others. A red swirl appeared in the center beneath the shadow beast, a sight that was all too familiar to Sheik, and she suddenly felt trapped in one place from the black magic surrounding her. A dizziness assaulted her as she tried to stand, and to her horror, she watched as the light arrow and bow disappeared from her hands. Her fingers began to vanish, turning into black squares that were being sucked into the center of the portal, and the last thing she saw before disappearing was Link reaching out to her.

[walker-extended-universe]

Basic Instinct

Whumtpober prompt filled: Day 24- Fight Flight or Freeze

Summary: Coda to 3x03. In which Cordell storms down to Desert Speed Wars to pick up his kids and his car. Shannon and her buddies have varied responses.

Tags/Warnings: Threats, Scolding, Canon Divergence

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/42597558

[underworldobsessed]

Summary: Whumptober Day 15: New Scars ll After the draining spell, the coven heads ended up with scars reflecting what happened to them. Now that everything was back to normal, Eda and Raine finally have time to themselves, and Raine has a chance to talk to Eda about something that concerned them. After all, they hated that Eda refused to even touch the scars on their body.

Happy Owl House Season 3 day! This is my first time writing for the fandom but when I saw the prompt for Whumtpober, I couldn't resist writing this. I hope you all enjoy!

[topguncortez]

Not Dead Until You're Warm and Dead || Whumptober day 7 - R. Abbott

whumtpober masterlist || whumtpober taglist form

synopsis: Your and Rhett's relationship had been anything but easy between bull riding and lies. But you had hoped that you would be enough for him to come back alive.

word count: 2.8k

@ailesswhumptober prompt: flatline

warnings: cursing, mentions of cheating, mentions of sex, mentions of drug and alcohol abuse, death, character death, allusion of suicide.

When Rhett first laid eyes on Y/N, he knew she was the one for him. He had missed his chance with Maria, holding back on his feelings and letting her walk out of his life. But when he saw her standing on the fence line as he lowered himself onto his bull, he knew that she was going to be his wife. He held on for his life, lasting the whole eight seconds, and impressing her. The boost of confidence from the ride was what he needed to go over and talk to her. Her cheeks turned red as he invited her for a dance, telling him that she couldn’t dance to save her life, but he assured her that it was okay. He had kissed her that night. 

After that night, Y/N basically disappeared. She was nowhere to be found and it seemed like no one really knew who she was. Rhett had asked around town, asking pretty much everyone where the y/h/c girl went and who she was. It had dawned on Rhett, he never got her name. When Rhett was ready to give up, throwing in the towel that she was just a one-night stand sort of girl (even though they didn’t hook up) he received a call from an unknown number. 

“Hello?” He asked, creasing his eyebrows. 

“Rhett Abbott,” Her voice was like honey, and Rhett chuckled to himself. 

“How did you get my number but I never even got your name?” 

“I asked a friend,” She smiled. 

“I asked a friend about you, but it seems like you are just some figure of my imagination.” 

“I can assure you that I am not.”

They had talked for hours on the phone after Y/N had explained who she was. She was originally from Amelia County, but as soon as she graduated high school, she packed her bags and went to the coast. She would occasionally fly back to Wyoming, the last time she flew back was to watch her little brother ride against Rhett. Neither one had noticed the sunset, the moon rising in the sky, or the first strands of the orange morning sun. Rhett woke up to his alarm clock and looked down at his phone to notice that he was still on the line with her. He smiled to himself and whispered ‘sweet dreams darlin’’ before hanging up. 

And that’s how it went for weeks. He would call Y/N after dinner and they would talk for hours about everything under the sun. He learned that she was studying to be a nurse, in her third year at USC. Y/N learned that Rhett had made it to the finals, and she was already looking at flights to come watch him. Rhett rode one of his best rides when he noticed her smile in the stands during the finals. He focused on her the whole time, and the second he heard that buzzer go off, his mind was locked on finding her. The next morning they found themselves wrapped up in each other's arms. 

They continued their relationship long distance for about two years until she graduated college. Rhett had saved up his rodeo money packed up his truck and headed out west. He stuck out like a sore thumb as he walked around campus in his levis and blue flannel. He was going over in his head what he was going to say to her. The last time he had seen her was over six months ago when she had flown home for Thanksgiving. Rhett was going to propose to her, he had already asked her dad for her hand in marriage. He easily found her dorm room and waited on the bench until she came out. 

“Why look at what we have here? You lost Cowboy?” Y/N asked as she walked out the door. Rhett stood up, holding the bouquet of carnations in his hands.

“Slightly,” Rhett said with his usual half smile, “For you,” 

“Thank you, love,” Y/N took the flowers, and then placed her hand on his face and brought him in for a kiss. 

Their date went off without a hitch, Rhett taking her to a lookout spot that he had heard about. He laid some blankets down in the back of his truck and shared the sandwiches and stuff he had prepared. She talked about her final days at university and how she got a good job at the children’s hospital nearby. Rhett told her about how he had finally gotten away from his family, and Y/N was shocked. She never thought she’d see the day when Rhett Abbott left his family’s ranch, but here he was. He took her to the one-bedroom apartment he got which was covered in boxes. He tucked his shaking hands in his pockets as Y/N walked around the small place and explored. 

“Rhett this place is- what are you doing?” 

“I’m proposing,” Rhett said, as he was down on one knee with the ring box in his hand. 

“I know, why?” 

“Because I love you enough that I want to be with you forever.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah, really,” 

“Yeah, yes! Yes!” 

Rhett placed the ring on her finger and held her tightly in his arms. He made love to her for hours that night, trying to make their bodies as close as possible. They felt as if they had truly become one, their hearts, minds, and souls. 

Their wedding was small, held back home in Wabang. Perry and Royal had worked hard to clean up one of the barns so they could have a reception out there. It was no secret to Royal that he wasn’t thrilled about the wedding and his youngest son fleeing out west. He had hoped that Rhett would take over the ranch when Royal couldn’t do it anymore. Perry was happy to see his brother finally settle down and had hoped that this would stick. Cecilia was also happy to have another daughter in the family. The two of them seemed very fairytale-like as Rhett held his new wife close to his chest as they swayed on the dance floor. But the honeymoon feeling came crashing down quickly. 

Their first fight had been an ugly one, over Rhett’s drinking. Years of riding bulls and popping painkillers had become a second nature to him, something he quite couldn’t let go of. Rhett had found a farm to work as an extra hand, but it was quite enough for him. He thought when he left Wabang and chased after the woman he loved that it would be enough. Having her be his, his own Mrs. Abbott, would be everything he had ever dreamed of, and it was. But he fell back into his old ways. Y/N would get pissed as he’d stumble in at odd hours of the night as she was trying to sleep before her early morning shifts. She had finally had enough of it. 

“Jesus Christ Rhett,” Y/N cursed under her breath as she looked at the drunk man who had just knocked over something, “Why do you constantly do this shit.” 

“Do what? I’m too fucking drunk to do this shit with you right now.” Rhett slurred. 

“Well Rhett! The hell do you expect!? This is the fourth night in a row you have come home completely trashed. You keep doing this shit, enough is enough,” Y/N yelled. 

“What do you mean?” Rhett sobered up as she climbed out of bed, and grabbed a bag from her closet, “What are you doing?” 

“I’m leaving.” 

“No, baby please, I’m sorry,” Rhett grabbed her hands to try and stop her, “Please, you can’t leave me,” Rhett’s voice cracked, “You’re all I have. I left everything behind to be with you. I have nothing.”  

“I never asked you to do that,” She bit back tears. 

“I know, baby, please don’t leave me.” 

And she didn’t. She stayed by his side, even when he told her that he was going back to riding. She was actually proud of him for getting back on the bull. He had done his best to stay away from the temptation of the old life; the booze, the pills, the pussy. But old habits die hard. His body was older now, taking rougher beatings when he would get bucked off. He would have a simple celebratory drink with the guys after the rodeos. Rhett found himself out later at night, coming home to a quiet house with his wife at work. Their schedules hardly ever matched up. He got bored of using his hand in the shower, and he could hardly remember the last time he and his wife made love. 

He didn’t fuck them at first. He’d only let them suck him off before a ride, releasing the tension. But that only did so much. The rodeo hands seemed to look the other way when it came to his infidelity. He’d fuck the no-name buckle bunny before the ride, not bothering to learn their names or even show them an ounce of respect. He saw them as playthings to fill the void he was missing from his wife. He thought he was good at hiding it, but Y/N had always been smart. 

She knew that he was hiding something from him. She could tell in the way he wouldn’t touch her, his kisses were just pecks, and he avoided looking into her eyes. Y/N had even seen it with her own eyes at one of his rides. She had gotten the night off of work last minute and decided to surprise him. The whole crew seemed to act weird and barely paid her any attention as she walked through the trailers to find him. The smile ran away from her face the second she saw him walk out of his trailer, fixing his belt, and a bombshell blonde walking out behind him. Y/N felt her heart break as she leaned against the side of the trailer away from his eyes. 

Y/N felt bile rising in her throat as she emptied the contents of her stomach. Rhett heard the sounds of someone retching and walked around the side to see his wife. His eyes widened as he ran over to her, and moved her hair back. 

“No!” Y/N cried and pushed his hands off of her. 

“Baby, you’re sick, let me-” 

“Get the fuck away from me!” She yelled and Rhett stepped back in shock, “Fuck you, Rhett! I saw you! How could you?” 

“Babe I’m-” 

“Your shit will be in the driveway.” 

Rhett had come home that night to exactly what she said, his stuff in the driveway, but he wasn’t ready to throw in the towel just yet. So he sat outside the front door and waited for her. Y/N felt bad when she saw him in the morning and let him in. She ignored him the best she possibly could, but it was hard to do. Rhett could hear her break down while she was in the bathroom and it made him shed a tear himself. He sat on their bed and waited for her to come out of the shower, he could see the dried tear stains on her cheeks. 

“I promise you, I’ll never ride again. I never wanted to hurt you.” 

And he had stayed true to his word. He had told his dad over the phone that he had officially given up riding. That he and Y/N had decided to start trying for a family. Rhett didn’t want to spend his time away from his family or worse, like some of the legends in Bull Riding, dead or gravely injured. Rhett had stayed away from the rodeo life for about six months. And in those six months, Y/N and he worked on their marriage. They went to therapy, talking out their transgression and disagreements. They got back to the basics, bringing back romance into their lives; going on dates and trips. They had some of the best sex they had in years. They had both seemed to forget what had happened six months ago until he got that call from Royal. 

“I told her I wasn’t going to ride,” Rhett whispered as he stood in the kitchen. He was making breakfast for Y/N, after a busy night of lovemaking. 

“We’re in danger of going bankrupt, we need this,” Royal said, “We can’t lose the farm.” 

“There’s nothing you can do?” Rhett ran a hand down his face. 

“You know I wouldn’t have asked you to do this if there was,” 

“Fine,” Rhett said, “When is the ride?” 

“Three days.” 

“Three fucking days?! That’s our anniversary.” 

“I’m sorry Rhett.” 

“I gotta go, she’ll be up soon.” 

Rhett had gone to the rodeo by himself, it didn’t bother him, he was used to going by himself. It did make him a little upset that she didn’t even bother to come with him. He stood in the waiting area as he waited for the name of the bull he would be riding. The second he was given the bull, he knew it was a lost cause. The bull was impossible, no one had been successful in completing a ride. His team gave him a pat on the back and Rhett gave them a shy smile. The first person he had called was her. 

“Is there anything you can do?” Y/N asked. She was sitting on the back porch of their house, looking out at the waves as they crashed on the sand. 

“You know how these things go,” Rhett said as he leaned up against the side of his trailer. 

“I don’t like this Rhett,” She said honestly. Silent tears were running down her face. 

Rhett could hear the sadness in her voice, and could only picture the tears running down her face as she looked out at the setting sun, “I know you don’t. But I promise, I’ll come home to you.” 

“You fucking better Mr. Abbott,” She sniffed and wiped her tears away. 

“I will, Mrs. Abbott,” He smiled back, “I gotta go okay, I promise I’ll call you right after.” 

“I love you Rhett.” 

“I love you Y/N.” 

She had watched the clock, as she settled down in a chair in front of the fireplace. The class of whisky was cold in her hands as she counted down the seconds until Rhett’s ride. Rhett said a small prayer as he walked up the metal steps towards the bullpen. The crowd was going wild as he waved his hand and greeted his team. They helped him down on the bull, and it already was bucking the second Rhett put his weight on the animal. Once it settled, Rhett tied the rope around his hand, making sure he had a tight grip on it. He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath, seeing glimpses of his future life with Y/N, a few kids, and a beautiful house back home on the Abbott Ranch. Rhett opened his eyes the second they opened the gate. It didn’t last long until a consuming darkness filled his eyes once again. 

Time seemed to tick on slowly, and her eyes never left the clock as she waited for the call from Rhett. Assuming from the time it had taken from the ride until now, that it hadn’t gone well. Everyone in the community knew that the bull Rhett had was a troublesome one. It was known for bucking off its riders in the first couple seconds. The second her phone rang, she picked it up. His name hadn’t even slipped past her lips when his team manager told her what had happened. Her heart was shattered in her chest as she dropped the phone on the carpet. Her knees shook as she collapsed to the ground screaming out his name. 

Her eyes were blurred with tears and her head was spinning as she pushed herself up from the carpet. Her phone was still on the line and they could hear her screaming for him. She walked out into the sand, her chest felt on fire as she let out loud sobs. She didn’t stop as her feet hit the wet sand from the waves. The further she walked into the water, her clothing felt heavier and heavier. The waves would crash and pull her underwater. She fought to keep herself above the surface, keeping her lungs inflated with air. The saltiness of water strung her eyes as the waves hit her. She looked up at the sky, looking at the stars and feeling the heaviness in her heart. She felt her feet leave the ground and she took a deep breath, as she felt a wave pull her completely under. 

In the black abyss she had fallen into, she could see the man she had always wanted. Rhett stood there waiting for her, his hand outstretched. She smiled at him as she placed her hand in his. He placed a hand on her cheek, brushing the tear from her cheek. He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her lips. 

“I told you I would come home,” Rhett said. 

“I know you did,” She spoke to him.

taglist: @els-marvelvsp @sarahsmi13s @topgun-imagines @cassiemitchell @xoxabs88xox @seitmai @a-reader-and-a-writer @bradleybeachbabe @kmc1989 @senawashere @beautifulandvoid @ohtobeleah @rogersbarnesxx @oatmealisweird @dempy @devil-angel-winchester @gillybear17 @cornylovers

[obi-wkenobi]

Rules: DON’T REBLOG THIS ONE, MAKE A NEW POST! List the first lines of the last ten (10) stories you published. Look to see any patterns you notice yourself, and see if anyone else notices any. Then tag some friends.

I was tagged by @binaryeclipse @edge-ofnight & @rexismycopilot, thank you all so much. 💙

1. Anakin had always disliked these types of things. Bloom the want.

2. The moon hung a luminous pearl in the middle of the inky night sky, stars scattered around it, twinkling brightly, almost obnoxious. After everything, only us.

3. Anakin was once again pulled from the bacta tank on Sidious’ order. Whumptober day 31, prisoner.  

4. Anakin shouldn’t have told him. Whumptober day 30, major character death.

5. When was the last time Anakin had actually slept?  Every time Obi-Wan saw him, his eyes grew tighter with exhaustion.  Whumptober day 29, overworked.

6. Anakin woke to darkness and Coruscant’s many lights filtering through his blinds, dread furling down his spine and an inexplicable feeling that something was wrong. Whumptober day 28, nightmares.

7. He was exhausted. Whumtpober day 27, vertigo and collapse.

8. Anakin heaved in a sudden gasp, eyes opening and a chill shuddering through him. Whumptober day 26, fallen.

9. It was Vader’s life day today. Whumptober day 25, hiding.

10. Someone should have been here by now. Whumptober day 24, self-induced injuries to escape.

Apparently, I write a lot of things from Anakin’s perspective, which is strange because I prefer writing from Obi-Wan’s POV. Also, it doesn’t seem like I start my fics with dialogue, which isn’t surprising given that I don’t like writing it.

I’ve seen most people tagged in this, but if you haven’t been and you would like to do it, then consider yourself tagged!