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#AMOW Winter Whumperland day 5
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A Sculpture of Smoke (Isles of Ysamaldri)
Winter Whumperland 2022 Day 5
Whumperland Prompt Masterlist
Prompt: Frosty the Snowman: Turned into Decoration, Trapped in a Blizzard, Self-Sacrifice, Comfort: Warm Kisses
Word Count: 1.1k words
This is original sci-fi/fantasy, so I have some made-up terms/titles/places.
Isles of Ysamaldri Masterlist
This is also a bit lighter on whump, as I already had this concept in mind and it happened to fit the prompt!
🙞 🙟 🙝 🙜
The two cats waited at the Isle of Portals, by the icy tree that led to the snow-covered Weylide Isle. One looked ready for the coming trip, with her long, white fur and feathered wings. Her blue eyes eagerly waited for the portal to open so she could go to her home away from home.
The other, however, had short, black fur, no wings, and the only odd thing about her was the amethyst set into her forehead. "I hope we aren't acting as messengers for long, Frost."
The white cat, Frost, smiled at the black cat. "Smoke, you know Shimmer and Luna requested us specifically. It's for the best that we're messengers right now. Besides, I miss hanging out with you."
Smoke gave a small smile back. "This is hardly us just 'hanging out' together."
The portal flickered for a moment, before growing into the familiar oval shape, with what looked like the night sky inside. A silvery-white dragon stepped out of the inky portal.
"You two ready?" she asked.
Frost nodded. "Lead the way, Shimmer."
The three made their way into the icy castle of Weylide Isle, carefully maneuvering their way up to Shimmer's personal chambers. They passed on the message to Shimmer and Luna, and took the messages that would go to Ishcyle Isle and Revak Feykro Isle through Frost and Smoke, respectively. Frost would go on foot – or, rather, by wing – so she left through a window, soaring toward her Weylide Isle residence before setting out in the morning. Smoke, on the other hand, would go back to Revak Feykro Isle directly through the portals.
"I left it open for a set amount of time," Shimmer said. "You should have enough time to get back to the Portal Isle."
Smoke nodded. "Thank you."
Smoke made her way quietly through the freezing castle, careful to keep in the shadows where she could. Before she knew it, she made it to the portal, which was still open, just as Shimmer had promised.
"So you're who came through," a voice said from behind.
Smoke whirled around, but she couldn't see anything. Something obscured her natural night vision. She started backing up toward the portal.
"Don't do that," another voice said, near the portal. "We don't want you to go quite yet."
"What do you want?" she said. "I was invited here, and now I'm leaving."
"Who invited you?" asked the first voice.
Smoke didn't respond. That's not something I can tell you.
"See, that's the problem," the first voice said. "Move, now."
The demand didn't make sense to Smoke right away, but then someone grabbed her from behind. Instinctively, Smoke used her ability to turn her entire body into smoke – everything except her amethyst, which stayed in place on her forehead. Also instinctively, she ran forward – away from her would-be captor, but also away from the portal.
"Grab the amethyst!"
Icy panic shot through Smoke. How do you know to go for that? She had to get out. She had to get back to Shimmer and Luna, or go with Frost, and wait it out—
A hand grabbed at her head from behind. It didn't do much but disperse her smoky body, but she halted and whirled around, her form growing into the smoky silhouette of a black leopard.
"What do you want with me?" Smoke demanded, her voice airy and not quite there, like wind. They couldn't hurt her while she was in her smoke form, but she couldn't do much more than try to asphyxiate them, either.
"You'd like to know, so you can report to Dark Wings and Azure Star."
She still couldn't see them. They knew some form of magic to obscure themselves, they had to. "What do you want with my amethyst?"
"To keep you incorporeal. Now."
The air got a kind of chill in it. While Smoke could feel it, in a detached sense, she didn't pay it any mind. She was on Weylide Isle, in the castle's basement. It being chilly here was like making the observation of seeing clouds on a rainy day.
But it grew icy, and the temperature just kept dropping.
Smoke lost feeling in her tail, and one of her back legs.
In alarm, she looked back – and saw the smoke that made up her body start to solidify. "What are you doing?" she demanded, her panic rising further. She's never, ever, been in danger in this form before.
"Have you heard of something created in the human realm, aerogel? It's a kind of insulation that's extremely light." A figure, a silhouette, walked forward, out of the obscuring magic. "It's made of frozen smoke. While you might not actually be a Gemstone, it would be beneficial to get you out of the way for now, and keep you from becoming the next Amethyst."
The cold, while unpleasant, had always been oddly comforting due to Frost's familiarity to the element. It always made Smoke think of her sister.
It creeped up on her, freezing up to her neck before she knew it. This wasn't the kind of cold that reminded her of Frost, or even Shimmer. This kind of cold was deadly. It wasn't something she could fight. What I wouldn't do to have Cinder here. But she wouldn't want her daughter here, in this situation where her assailants clearly knew who she was and how best to subdue her. And though she could become incorporeal, too, that has a danger all on its own.
"You're going to be a very nice decoration and gift for a friend. But don't worry, you won't know a thing about it."
I hope they realize I'm missing when I don't report to Azure.
Smoke's head froze over.
🙞 🙟 🙝 🙜
"A gift for the headmistress," Stormfront, the heir to the Weylide Isle ice dragon throne, announced to Seaglare, the crystal dragon responsible for running the Ziixi Academy. "I was told that it's of Brivia and Weylide craftsmanship. Those with fire element specialties and those with ice came together to manipulate the smoke into a beautiful black leopard shape – the necklace, here," he lifted up the beautiful and large amethyst that hung on a necklace made of dark metal, with a sheen of blue on it. It hung on the neck of the sculpture. "This has the enchantment to keep it frozen for as long as it's on here. If it comes off, the smoke will likely dissipate within five to ten minutes, so we would recommend keeping it on."
The sculpture had no defined edges, but the shape was unmistakably feline. It wasn't so detailed as to show the eyes, or show the creatures muscles.
"It's wonderful, Prince Stormfront," Seaglare said. "I will keep it by the mantle. Come, would you care for a meal and refreshments?"
"I was hoping that you'd ask," Stormfront said.
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sardonic-sprite · 1 year
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Home Alone
Some days, Tim was really fucking glad to have Batman for a next-door neighbor.
He couldn't exactly remember a time when he was quite this glad or relieved, though. He'd never been on the verge of being kidnapped before.
But that was ok. He wasn't going to be kidnapped.
He had a plan.
Call the police would probably have been more rational, but the power was all still dead from the snowstorm, and Tim figured the roads to Bristol were blocked up, too. At the very least, his driveway was, and it was long enough to be considered its own short road.
Stupid fucking snowstorm. It was its fault that Tim's parents couldn't get back in town, and that he was alone and trying not to end up kidnapped on Christmas.
But it was ok. Because he wouldn't. Because he had a plan. And about two hours to set it into motion. And if it failed, the kidnappers were probably just going to be so pissed they'd kill Tim, so technically his goal of don't get kidnapped would still be met.
Technicalities were usually much more fun.
Tim ran around the house in a frenzy, darting glances out the window every few minutes to make sure the creepy men hadn't gotten any closer. But no, they were still huddled around their fires out in the yard, waiting for him to surrender.
Big fat nope to that one. Tim didn't know who they were working for, or why that guy wanted an eleven-year-old kid, but he knew it was most definitely for something very bad, and he wasn't interested in the particulars.
He paused, shuddering at the thought that entered his head, then scattered a few more Lego pieces on the floor.
The thing was, Tim could neither call for help nor run away while the power was out and the bad guys were surrounding the house. But if he got them inside the house, and made sure they couldn't follow, then he could race across the half-mile stretch to the property line. Crossing that would trigger Batman's security, and he'd come and investigate and bring Tim somewhere safe and beat up the bad guys, and maybe even be impressed at how clever and resourceful Tim had been.
Of course, even getting outside hinged on how many bad guys actually did come inside, and how many got caught in Tim's traps long enough to give him a head start. The traps had never been tested, after all, and Tim only had time for so many math calculations to determine their effectiveness. Drake Manor was also so large that he couldn't sufficiently cover it. He'd have to guide the bad guys where he wanted them to go.
Which meant he was using himself as live bait.
... It was gonna be fine.
The clock began striking nine as Tim finished his second-floor traps and double-checked the wiring. His heartbeat was going crazy in his chest, and he took deep, slow breaths in time with the chimes to steady himself. If he hyperventilated and passed out, he was worse than dead.
"TIMOTHY DRAKE," boomed the voice that had called out before, somehow magnified so that each word was perfectly clear, "THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE. SURRENDER NOW AND YOU WILL NOT BE HARMED. REFUSE, AND WE WILL USE ALL FORCE TO APPREHEND YOU."
Tim threw open the nearest window and stuck his head out, squinting against the snow to see the nearest fire. He didn't know if the man was at that one or not, but it didn't matter. He was sure his cry of "FUCK YOU, ASSHOLE! EAT SHIT!" was heard by all.
He slammed the window shut as the voice yelled furiously and sprinted down the stairs, skipping over the wires and traps. He wasn't sure how many were going to enter in each direction, but the first landing was the best place to bring them all closer.
Tim had to wait there for several minutes, anxiety building, before he heard the first cry of pain. It sounded like it came from the front door, and Tim smirked, thinking of the heavy vase that had just gotten shattered over the bad guy's head.
Strangled swearing erupted from the kitchen where superglue had stolen shoes to bare feet to a sea of Legos. A howl rose from the living room where a hot plate had been set under the window.
"DRAKE!"
"Last chance to surrender!" Tim hollered mockingly, wiping sweaty hands on his pants.
Screams and a terribly loud bang meant that his flashbomb had successfully blinded someone, and the most creative swear Tim had ever heard in his life confirmed that sticking his mother's sewing needles into the grey carpet had been a stroke of genius.
"You will pay for this, you insolent whelp!"
"You want it in cash or credit?" Tim needed them closer. Besides, it was just a little bit fun to tease.
"In blood!"
The first man appeared at the foot of the stairs. He held his right hand close to his chest, but otherwise looked unharmed. He must have avoided the lighter in the hall, though by the sound of it, one of his buddies hadn't.
Tim gulped. All he could see above the black ninja mask was the man's eyes, and he looked furious.
"Um, how about traveler's checks?"
The man started up the stairs with a roar and immediately toppled backwards, slipping on the generous coating of oil over the hardwood.
"Oh, yeah, I just polished that."
One man staggered into the foyer from the front hall. He still had dust and broken pottery on his head and shoulders, and his eyes looked unfocused. Another limped in from the kitchen, barefoot and glaring. He drew a knife, and Tim scrambled backwards.
"No!" The first man grabbed the other's wrist. He didn't look happy about it, but he said, "Lord Ra's wants the boy alive."
"He can live without his arrogant little tongue!"
Tim tried to think up something clever to say, to get them to come up the stairs, but he really did not want them any closer than they were. Out in the yard, they couldn't hurt him, but here they could. They could hurt Tim very, very bad.
Two more ninjas stumbled in, one blinking and squinting, pant leg still smoldering. The other, who looked like a woman, was walking on the sides of her feet. She left a thin trail of blood behind her, and Tim both felt sorry and wished it were worse all at once.
"He's lost his tongue even without your blade, Hans," laughed the first man. "Not so brave now, are you, boy?"
Brave, Tim. Brave like Robin.
Jason wouldn't be scared of these goons, and neither would Dick. Dick would make fun of them, and Jason would cuss them out, so Tim did both.
"Like hell I'm scared of you shit-faces! The wax dummies at the history museum would make better ninjas than you!"
Hans yelled and ran at the stairs. He didn't hear the first man yell, "Fool, it's oiled!" until he was already flat on his back. Tim listened very hard, but couldn't hear anyone else in the house. He taunted, "Where's the rest of you? Maybe you could use the power of friendship to figure it out," to make sure.
"Thank whatever god guards you there are none others," the woman snarled. "Or you would choke on your blood even as you laugh."
"Dramatic," Tim quipped weakly, voice a bit too high.
"How did we fail him that Lord Ra's would punish us this way," moaned Pottery Man. "Being tormented and mocked by an infant."
"Hey!" Tim cried, indignant. "I'm eleven and five twelfths!"
"Enough of this!" Number One shouted. "Hans, the servant's stair, Edda, the back stair. Jethro, the dumbwaiter." They scattered, and One began stalking up the oiled stairs, clinging to the rail and motioning the blinded man to stay behind. "You think we do not know every hall and stair in this house, boy? Every entrance and exit? What do you think will be your salvation if you stall us?"
Tim swallowed, edging into the hall and carefully pushing open the first door. He may have to adjust his escape plan.
"Indiana Jones, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Steven Spielberg, 1981!" Tim hollered. He dove out of the way as his father's massive, prized floor globe, the one twice the size and weight of Tim, rolled down the improvised ramp and onto the stairwell, gathering speed every second.
Tim took off, running down the hall to his bedroom without looking back. He heard screaming from several parts of the house, and would have jeered at them about not expecting him to know how to trap his own house, but he no longer wanted to give away his location. He'd need extra time now. Climbing down from his window was going to be a hell of a lot harder than climbing the rope he'd put in the dumbwaiter for himself.
Tim pulled out his army knife as he passed the dumbwaiter door and started sawing at the rope, grateful the set-up could double as another trap. He didn't even have to cut all the way through, the ninja's weight snapping the fibers in seconds once they frayed. He heard a yell and an awful snap.
The cry of, "I'll kill you, brat!" should not have been comforting, but Tim didn't want to have killed anybody, so it was.
He made it to his room, shut and locked the door, then shoved his dresser against it, grunting and panting. He had to lean against it for a moment to catch his breath, swiping the sweat from his forehead. He gave himself thirty seconds, but dropped it to twenty when the shouting drew nearer.
"I can do this," Tim whispered, stepping onto the windowsill and staring down. "I can totally, one hundred percent do this."
He sat down and shimmied around until he was clutching the window ledge with ungloved hands. His fingers were already freezing. His toes hung and flailed in open air for a few terrifying seconds before they found crevices in the weathered brick.
Tim took a deep breath.
Slowly, inch by inch, he worked his way down the wall until his feet hit the top of the first floor window. His fingers scraped and bled against the bricks, turning white with cold and terror. Sweat ran down his face and back, making him hot and cold both at once. Once he got his hand or foot on a hold, it was hard to make himself move again.
Carefully -- oh, so, so carefully, when Tim's feet hit the top of that window, did he turn his head over his shoulder. The snow rose to the bottom of the window, making the drop only about three feet into a cushion. Tim closed his eyes and jumped.
The snow crunched loudly beneath him, and he broke through it up to his knees. He didn't dare waste time celebrating, but immediately started off, hoping the blizzard would help to cover his tracks.
Half a mile due east. Tim could make it.
Half a mile through ever-deeper snow, in wind and dark, with only a coat and boots, and furious ninjas hunting him down.
Tim had to make it.
At first he tried to run, shoving his hands in his pockets to make them warm, but it was like trying to run through a pool, and Tim soon found himself basically swimming with his arms and legs. Within minutes (though each felt like an hour) he couldn't feel his fingers at all.
The snow was high enough to slip into the tops of his boots, melting into his socks and making his feet grow numb. Tim started crying, only realizing it when the tear tracks burned down his cheeks and froze there. Every breath became a white cloud in front of his face.
The whole world had turned into the snowstorm. Tim didn't know anymore if he was going east or west, north or south, up or down. If he was still going towards Batman and safety, or if he'd got so turned around he was about to run right into the ninjas' arms. He stumbled and staggered, knowing he had to keep moving no matter where he ended up. Fall down in the snow, and he was never getting back up.
Then finally, finally, Tim saw light in the distance.
"Help!" he cried, but his voice was ripped away by the wind.
"Batman! Mr. Wayne! Robin! Help me, please!"
A shadow blocked the light, and Tim sobbed in relief as arms hugged him tight.
"So this was your clever plan, was it, boy? No wonder Lord Ra's took an interest in you."
Tim screamed and started thrashing, but the ninja had his arms pinned, and the snow blocked his kicks. He tried to bite, but there was nothing in front of his face but thick cloth.
"Let go!" he wailed. He was so close, he couldn't fail now. "Let me fucking go! Hel--mmph!"
Tim was spun around and a hand covered his mouth, grip bruisingly tight, enough that Tim couldn't even move his jaw, let alone bite.
"Oh, no, boy," the ninja snarled in his ear. "You will be brought before the Demon's Head, and punished for every injury inflicted, and even the great Detective can't save you!"
"Can't he?"
Tim's heart leapt as a hulking shadow appeared out of the snow, Batman's unmistakable growl now a roar over the wind. He had done it! He'd gotten to Batman! He was saved!
And then he felt ice cold metal against his throat.
"Stay out of this, Detective. Lord Ra's cares not if he must resurrect his prize."
Tim trembled, even though he'd stopped shivering ages ago. He didn't know what that meant, but he never wanted to find out.
"He should care that Gotham and its people are under my protection. Let the boy go, or there will be retaliation."
"We do not fear your posturing, Detective," the ninja sneered. He started dragging Tim back, away from Batman and safety. "And we do not fear your allies. But continue to oppose us now, and we will strike you down--"
"Wanna bet?"
There was a loud thunk and the ninja's hold went slack. The knife dropped to the snow, its wielder crumpling, and Tim stumbled, grabbing for his throat to be sure it wasn't bleeding.
"Kid? Kid, what's wrong, are you hurt?" Robin hollered over the wind.
Tim slowly shook his head, staring at the ninja. He felt something warm and big and surprisingly soft drape over his shoulders, like a blanket, and looked up to see Batman leaning over him with his cape.
"You're freezing," he murmured, sounding much more like Mr. Wayne. "Robin, get him inside!" His voice dipped back to a growl as he said, "I'll deal with the League."
"Here, kid."
Batman was replaced by Robin, but the cloak remained wrapped around Tim. He was bundled tighter into it, then scooped right off the ground and into Robin's arms. He squeaked in surprise, but pressed closer because Robin was so warm.
"Geez, you're tiny!" Robin half-shouted, wading through the snow only a little faster than Tim had. "How old are you, kid?"
"Eleven and a half," Tim mumbled. Jason Todd was a fine one to talk about being small for one's age.
As Robin muttered something like, because the half makes all the difference, a big black shape loomed out of the snow right in front of Tim's face. It took him far too long to realize it was a Bat-Snowmobile; Robin had plopped him on top and climbed on behind him before he registered the headlights had turned on.
"Hang on tight!" Robin ordered, and the engine roared to life.
Tim yelped, grabbing Robin as the vehicle lurched and zoomed into the storm, throwing his arms around the older boy's neck and hiding his face against his shoulder. One arm wrapped around Tim's waist and gently squeezed.
"Just hang in there a few more minutes, squirt. It's not far."
"What's not far?"
Not Tim's house. Please, not Tim's house. He didn't want to go back and run into the rest of the bad guys -- the League -- without Batman. Robin was awesome and warm, but Batman was powerful, and Tim didn't think the League would give up without more of a fight.
Robin hesitated before answering. "Wayne Manor is just under a quarter mile. They can look after you while I go back to help Batman."
Tim sighed in relief. Wayne Manor would be warm and safe, and until Batman and Robin came back to be Bruce Wayne and Jason Todd, Tim would no doubt be looked after by Alfred Pennyworth, and he was as powerful as Batman himself in Tim's book.
I did it, he thought happily, cuddling closer to Robin's warmth. I actually fucking did it.
"Eat shit, Lord Ra's."
Robin laughed.
After only a few more minutes, Wayne Manor appeared, looming out of the dark with a few cheerily lit windows. There was a glowing Christmas tree visible through one, and seeing it warmed something other than Tim's fingers.
Robin parked the Bat-Snowmobile outside the back kitchen door and swung himself off, then scooped up Tim to plop him on the ground. He kept an arm around Tim's shoulders as he went and knocked on the door. Tim could see the kitchen lights on, and it only took a minute before the door opened to reveal Alfred Pennyworth in a robe and nightshirt.
"Good heavens!" he exclaimed, and immediately backed up to usher them inside.
"Mr. Pennyworth, this is Tim Drake, your next-door neighbor," Robin introduced. "His home was attacked tonight by the League of Assassins, and he had to run a long way through the cold. If you would look after him and warm him up, Batman and I will be back before too long."
"I-- yes, of course," Mr. Pennyworth said, surprise changing to concern. "Thank you, Master Robin."
Robin nodded and ruffled Tim's hair. "You'll be safe here for a while, ok, squirt? Batman or I'll be back soon."
Tim nodded, and Robin grinned and left. Tim could hear the roar of the Bat-Snowmobile as it tore off outside.
Mr. Pennyworth turned to put a kettle on the stove, then told Tim, "Come, let's get you out of those wet things, Master Tim."
Tim nodded eagerly, stumbling a bit on frozen feet as he followed Mr. Pennyworth to a bathroom, still clutching Batman's cape around his shoulders.
"I'll set some of Master Jason's things outside the door for you. You're about the same size, I think. If you can find your way back to the kitchen, I'll have hot cocoa ready in moments."
"You don't have to go to any trouble," Tim said shyly.
"Nonsense, dear boy." Mr. Pennyworth smiled. "Tisn't any trouble at all, I assure you."
He left, and Tim stripped out of his sweats and socks. He hated to drop Batman's cape on the ground, but it had gotten soggy with snow just like everything else. He tried to fold it up, but it was like trying to fold his sheets, it was so huge.
A knock came at the door, and Mr. Pennyworth called that there were pajamas and a sweatshirt outside. Tim answered with a thank you and waited a moment before sticking one hand out the door to snatch the bundle.
He was startled into a laugh to see that the pajamas were themed like Batman and the hoodie like Nightwing. He wondered if Dick had gotten it for Jason. There were also a non-themed pair of slippers, and now that the feeling was coming back to Tim's toes, he could tell they were wonderfully soft.
Once dressed, he found his way back to the kitchen, where a kettle was starting to whistle before Mr. Pennyworth plucked it off the stove.
"Warming up, Master Tim?"
"Yes, thank you, Mr. Pennyworth."
The butler tutted. "Alfred is quite alright, dear boy."
"Thank you, Alfred," Tim corrected shyly. He'd never called an adult by their first name before.
A very loud yawn from behind made Tim jump, turning to look at the doorway, where...
Tim blinked.
Where stood Jason Todd.
He was dressed in Wonder Woman pajama pants and a red hoodie, rumpled like he'd been asleep, but his hair was still damp and his nose and cheeks pink from the snow and cold. His eyes looked bleary and sleepy, like he'd just woken up, but he most definitely scanned over Tim like he was looking for injuries.
"'S goin' on, Alf?" he asked, slurring his voice to sound half-awake. "Who's that?"
Tim just kept staring, dumbfounded, as Alfred said, "You recall young Timothy Drake, Master Jason? I'm afraid he ran into quite the spot of trouble tonight. Robin brought him here for us to look after until the situation is resolved."
Jason's eyes widened like he hadn't himself, as Robin, dropped Tim off ten minutes ago. "No way," he muttered. "What the hell were you doing, Timbit, that you got mixed up in superhero stuff?"
Tim hesitated.
"Batman! Mr. Wayne! Robin! Help me, please!"
"So this was your clever plan, was it, boy? No wonder Lord Ra's took an interest in you."
Tim hadn't had any idea just why he was being almost-kidnapped, except maybe for ransom or something, until the ninja had said that, and Batman showed up seeming to know all about that Lord Ra's guy and his ninja-kidnappers. At the time, he'd been too terrified to analyze, but now he wondered...
Did Ra's somehow know that Tim knew who Batman was? Tim didn't think that was possible. He hadn't even told his parents. But maybe Ra's was a mind-reader. Or had some kind of special powers. But then why would he need Tim to tell him who Batman was? Especially when the ninja sounded like Ra's and his League already knew all about Batman.
"Timber?"
Tim blinked and looked back at Jason. He and Alfred were both watching Tim, sharp-eyed. That was when he realized Jason wasn't just asking as a shocked civilian, he was investigating as Robin. In order to protect Tim, he and Batman needed to know why he'd been endangered in the first place.
"I...I don't know," he admitted. Jason's mouth twisted into a thoughtful frown, until Tim hesitantly added, "But I might have a guess?"
"Yeah? What do you think?"
Alfred set a cup of steaming cocoa on the table in front of Tim. It warmed his face, and he almost thought it burned his hands when he cupped them around it, but he didn't care. One sip warmed him all over inside, like he hadn't been cold or frightened at all. He wondered if Alfred was magic.
There was another clink of ceramic, and Tim realized Jason had gotten a mug of cocoa, too, and had sat down across from Tim. He held out a bowl of marshmallows, and Tim took two with a soft thanks.
Jason waited until Tim had taken two more sips before prompting, "Timmers? What's your guess?"
Tim took a deep breath, trying to calculate how mad Batman was going to be when he found out, and blurted, "I know who Batman and Robin are."
"What? No way! Who are they? How did you figure it out?" Jason gasped, face splitting into a grin, looking for all the world like someone expecting to hear the most amazing secret in the world.
But Tim saw the panic behind his eyes.
"I wouldn't tell you, if you didn't know," he promised. "But they're you. You and Mr. Wayne. I... I know because it was Dick Grayson first. He's the only person ever who can do a quadruple flip, and I saw Robin do it with my own eyes."
Jason stared.
Alfred stared.
Tim ducked his head and stared at his cocoa.
Then Jason said slowly, "You... you saw the first Robin in person? Doing a four-flip?"
"Yes?"
"How... how old were you?"
Tim frowned, calculating. "Nine?"
Alfred coughed.
"You were nine," Jason repeated. "And you were out in Gotham and saw Robin. Doing a fancy flip. And figured out one of the most dangerous and well-kept secrets in the city."
"Yes," Tim said, a bit more confidently. "Like I said, only Dick Grayson can do that flip. And if he's Robin, Bruce Wayne has to be Batman. And you have to be the next Robin. It's... it's just logic."
It's just logic, Jason mouthed. His lips stayed parted in astonishment as he turned to look at Alfred.
"That's... quite impressive, Master Tim," he managed. "Although, might I inquire... just what were the circumstances under which you saw Robin's flip?"
Tim hastily took a sip of cocoa. Jason raised his eyebrows and copied him, not setting down his mug until Tim did. Tim immediately took another sip. Jason and Alfred exchanged a glance.
"IusedtofollowBatmanandRobinaroundatnightandtakepictures," Tim blurted.
Jason blinked rapidly several times before suggesting, "A-again... slowly, please?"
"I... I used to, to follow Batman and Robin around at night. And take pictures."
"And your parents let you?" Jason yelped.
"They didn't... exactly know?"
"How...?" Jason's voice kept sounding more and more strangled. If Tim didn't know better, he'd have thought an invisible villain was throttling him.
"Well..." Tim ducked his head, shoulders almost rising to his ears. He stared intently at the melting marshmallows in his cocoa as he said, "They're not really around much."
"What exactly do you mean by 'not much,' Master Tim?" Alfred asked, both firm and kind, but also concerned.
Tim's ears felt hot. "They're usually on digs. They come back for a weekend or so every couple months. So they never knew I went out at night. I never told them I figured out who you are. I promise that I've never told anybody, and I never would tell anybody, even that Ra's guy, no matter what he did!"
He looked back up at Jason and Alfred, hoping they could see the honesty in his face.
Their faces showed a mix of shock and horror. Jason's eyes were wide and round, but Alfred's were pinched, and his mouth was drawn into a hard line. Tim swallowed nervously.
"You're a very impressive young lad, Master Tim," Alfred said in a carefully measured voice. "If you'll excuse me a moment, I think I ought to go inform Master Bruce of... these developments. I assume your parents were not home tonight?"
"Their flight got cancelled," Tim admitted. He wondered for the first time, as Alfred nodded curtly and stepped out of the room, if Batman had a mind-wipe machine or something. He very much hoped not.
Jason made a low whistle, then murmured, "Well, damn." He took a sip of cocoa, looking at the door Alfred had left through.
"What's 'well damn'?" Tim asked, voice too high.
"Alfie's 'bout'a go off," Jason chuckled, then, seeing Tim's expression, clarified, "not on you, Timberly, on your parents. And Ra's. Definitely also on Ra's."
"Why would Alfred be mad at my parents? And what does he need to tell Batman? Are you mad at me? Because I figured it out? Or..." Tim gasped in horror. "Or because I led them here? I led them here! Oh, God, I told a villain who Batman is! I--"
"Tim! Tim, calm down, it's ok!" Jason seemed torn between laughter and concern, but he reached out and put a bracing hand on Tim's shoulder. "You didn't do anything wrong. Ra's already knows who we are. Alfred just has to tell Bruce, um. Not to look for your parents. And why they're not there. And that's why he's pissed off, because nobody should leave a little kid all by himself for all but a few weekends out of the year."
Jason looked pissed himself when he said the last bit. Unfortunately, all of it just left Tim with even more questions. But even as he opened his mouth to ask them, there was a loud rattling and banging from above.
"What was that?" Tim yelped, jumping and spilling cocoa on the table.
"The storm," Jason said, completely expressionless. He grabbed some napkins from the holder on the table and dropped them on the spill, clearing it with one neat swipe. "Don't worry about it."
"You're sure it's not the ninjas?"
Jason snorted. "Don't ever let them hear you call them that. I'm sure, kid. Batman's got it covered."
Alfred came back into the kitchen muttering about reception, and took Tim's and Jason's empty mugs over to the sink to wash. There was a loud pounding from up above, first moving distant, then drawing near again. Tim realized it was running feet.
He raised his eyebrows at Jason.
"The storm, huh?"
Jason shrugged with a smile too mischievous to be innocent.
A moment later, Bruce Wayne appeared in the doorway, hair mussed and face pink, barefoot and wearing a red bathrobe that did not succeed at hiding the Batsuit underneath.
The way he blinked and squinted at the warm kitchen light appeared genuine, but he sounded far too awake as he said, "Alfred, what's going on? Who's this? Jason? I thought you went to bed."
Jason glanced at Tim, mischief peaking.
"Dad!" he exclaimed, jumping up and running over. "Dad, you'll never guess what happened! This is Tim Drake, from next door, and he was attacked by supervillains and Batman and Robin came and saved him and brought him here!"
"Oh! My... God..." Mr. Wayne faltered, glancing from Alfred (who's back was turned to hide his smile) to Tim (who was just as confused as he seemed) to Jason (who was grinning just a bit too wide), before narrowing a bit at the last one.
Jason beamed up at him, and Mr. Wayne apparently decided not to worry about it, because he turned to Tim and asked, "Are you alright, Tim?"
"I... think so," Tim said slowly, staring at Jason, who was mouthing at him. Mr. Wayne glanced down at his son suspiciously, but Jason shut his mouth in an instant.
"Are you hurt at all? Cold?"
"No, I'm ok now. Mr... uh, Alfred's hot chocolate warmed me right up."
Mr. Wayne smiled. "It does that quite well. Are..." He turned hesitant again, glancing at them all before asking, "Do you know if your parents are alright? If they escaped?"
"They weren't even there," Jason said, bright smile turning downright ferocious. "They leave Tim all alone in the house all year and only come in for a weekend every once in a while. And since that's criminal neglect, and Batman and Robin asked us to take care of him, I guess I got a little brother for Christmas like I asked for after all!"
Tim stared. Mr. Wayne stared. Jason beamed. Alfred coughed in a way that sounded much too much like a laugh.
"Um..." Tim started, but had no idea how to continue.
"It... I... don't think it's all quite that simple, Jay," Mr. Wayne cautioned hesitantly. Jason just stared straight up into his face, both grinning and glaring at the same time. It was mildly terrifying, and Mr. Wayne cleared his throat before turning to Tim. "But of course, you're more than welcome to stay with us until it's safe. We'll be glad to have you."
Tim stammered out a thank you, wondering if Mr. Wayne offered because he knew as Batman that it wasn't safe. He hoped not. As awesome as being Jason Todd's little brother sounded, Tim already had parents and a home, even if they were... distant. He also wondered why Jason was pretending he was an ordinary civilian, and that Tim didn't know better. And Alfred was going along with it, even though he'd been about to tell Batman everything just before.
"If you're quite warm and well, Master Tim, I think a good night's rest would do you good," Alfred said, "as it would the rest of us."
"Oh. Um, yes." Tim blinked and looked at the clock, which read 11:30 PM. "Sleep. Yeah."
"Great!" Jason chirped. He did a cartwheel over to Tim, channeling Dick Grayson, probably, and pulled him up, slinging his arm over Tim's shoulders. "C'mon, Timbers, we can have a sleepover in my room."
"Uh, sure."
A sleepover with Robin? Tim was equal parts confused and ecstatic. He followed Jason past a mystified Mr. Wayne, who wished them both goodnight, and up a small back staircase to the second floor.
It wasn't until Jason had showed them into his room and they got settled in bed that Tim finally asked, "Jason? Why didn't we tell Mr. Wayne that I know who you are? Isn't it kind of important?"
"Oh, Timmy Tim Timmers. Think about it. We only get to tell him that once."
"But-- oh. Ohhh."
"Exactly." Jason sounded smug. "Just you wait, Timbit. I have a feeling you and I are gonna be the holiest terrors this city ever saw."
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serickswrites · 6 months
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Ebeneezer Scrooge
Warnings: referenced torture, hurt/comfort, hurt/aftermath, hurt/recovery, caretaker and whumpee
Caretaker wrapped Whumpee in the warmest, softest blanket they had. The fire was roaring in the fireplace and the steaming mugs of cocoa in front of them had them smiling. Having Whumpee home made them smile even more.
Caretaker ignored the fine tremor that Whumpee's time with Whumper left Whumpee with as Whumpee picked up a mug and brought it to their lips. Ignored the marks that were slowly fading on Whumpee's face. And they ignored the hollow, tortured look that haunted Whumpee's still.
"I'm so happy you are here," Caretaker murmured as they snuggled up next to Whumpee.
Whumpee gave a wan smile. "Me, too, Caretaker. Me, too."
The two sat in silence, slurping their mugs of molten chocolate slowly. When Whumpee had first gotten home, the silences killed Caretaker. Had made them try to do everything to counteract the silence. But this was a warm silence. A silence not of pain and fear, but of peace and tranquility.
Because Whumpee was home. They were safe. And there was nothing more they could ask for.
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ashintheairlikesnow · 2 years
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The Least
CW: Hypothermia, environmental whump, referenced pet whump, this is genuinely a comf piece though
Follows after this piece. You can see other work Marc Sonders is in right here. For @amonthofwhump day 5, Trapped in a Blizzard
-
A knock sounds at the door, but Marc doesn’t dare move out from under the blankets, even just to answer it. He’s not even sure he can. 
He’s still shivering, muscles locking and releasing so intensely and so close together that he isn’t sure he’d be able to stay standing even if he did try to get up. All he does is briefly peek his head out from under the blankets and say, in a tremulous voice, “C-come in!”
The door doesn’t lock, anyway.
Not from the inside.
It’s made to keep him in, not keep anyone else out. Even if it was unlocked, he’d never make it back into the town before he froze out there in the snowstorm. It’s coming down too hard, too fast, and it’s so cold Marc can barely stand to breathe in the air. It’s like knives stabbing deep into his lungs.
He’s in a little shack of a space just outside of Hope, far enough away that the residents aren’t frightened of his presence, but close enough for interrogations. So far, he’s answered every question they give him, and Brock thanked him for not being trouble. He’d explained to Marc, in his friendly enough voice, that he’s never felt easy having to make someone scream.
Me neither, Marc had confessed, and Brock’s thin humorless smile told him that his attempt to connect had not exactly been a resounding success. 
Between you and the person you were doing harm to, Brock had said in a level voice, only one of you held the remote, Handler Sonders. Only one of you held a whip. Only one of you held any power to stop it.
Right, but it didn’t-... feel like-... I’m sorry. Please, call me Marc. I’m not a handler anymore.
You and I both know that handlers don’t have the option to simply quit. You remain Handler Sonders until and unless I change my mind. You see, Handler, between the two of us... only one of us has the key to that door. Only one of us can order you buried in the woods or up on the mountain.
Marc swallowed around a lump in his throat. Only... only one of us has the power, he echoed.
Brock smiled. Precisely, Handler Sonders. Your cooperation so far is appreciated. We’ll be voting on allowing you out in another few days.
Then he had left Marc here, sometime... yesterday. Just before the snow started to fall, and the temperature dropped from chilly to dangerously freezing in what felt like ten minutes but in all reality, probably took a couple of hours. Now he’s out here, in a shack-house located inside a fenced-in horse pasture. The horses are settled snugly tight into a stable, now, a big barn that looks like a painting against the view of the mountains in the distance, the forest where the secret road to the border winds through. Marc has seen people trudging in and out to keep them fed, caught a flash of heavy woolen horse blankets slid over their backs. They’re warm enough. 
It’s just Marc who is freezing, slowly, maybe to death.
Maybe that’s how they get rid of handlers out here. Maybe they held the vote, he failed, and now... this. He’ll stay locked alone in a single room with almost nothing in it. He’ll lay here, isolated, until he loses his mind. He can’t say he’d blame them, really. Not after what he’s been party to.
The key turns in the lock, the door pushes open inward, and Marc’s first thought is simply of the white.
Snow is piled up two feet high against the door, some of it spilling downward and not even melting much when it touches the little shack’s floor. That’s… probably not good. 
Heavy snow boots crunch down onto the floor, thickly padded quilted snow pants shaking white powder off, heavy gloves that barely resemble hands and a ski coat, gloves, face mask, and fur-lined hood. The figure is short, but with all that on, Marc can’t begin to tell who it is, other than to know it isn’t Beringer.
Ber’s taller than that, and he wouldn’t leave Mallie alone, not to come out here. 
Not that they’ve let them see each other more than once or twice, and it’s been at least two days since the last visit. Two days since Ber had last pressed a quick, rushed kiss to his lips and Mallie had wrinkled her nose and declared them both very gross and then cried when Beringer had to pull her out of Marc’s arms. 
Ber is probably already in Canada, honestly. They’d want to get him up to the border ahead of the storm. Marc wouldn’t hold it against him. If he took Mallie with him, well, that’s good, too, even though it makes Marc’s entire chest burn and ache and tears sting his eyes at the idea of his little girl being somewhere where he can’t see her again.
It’s okay, though. Someone else can do a better job raising her to know right from wrong. God knows Marc’s fucked her up just by making the choices he made, choices he thought would help him afford a good life for her, but what’s a good life if you’re not actually good? Beringer knew being a pet was wrong even while he was one. Marc had to figure it out from conversations over Mallie’s little head with a man who seemed to catch his attention more every day at drop off and pickup, until he realized…
He had a crush on a pet.
Not wanting him like the prospectives want them. Not wanting him like a body, but wanting to know the person inside of it. He had wanted to know who Beringer had been before, and had let himself go hunting for information he wasn’t supposed to have to find out. He’d asked about his favorite tv shows and really cared about the answer.
He’s been a bad guy in so many lives, and he never felt happy about it but a job’s a job, right? You have to make a living. WRU made it so he could have a house with a backyard for Mallie to play in, so he could take her to the doctor when she was sick and buy ridiculous cakes for birthdays. WRU had made sure he could pay for Mallie to go to private school - there’s a tuition reimbursement for half the cost, for God’s sake! - and get braces one day… 
It had seemed like a good enough trade - someone else’s life, some stranger’s, made worse to make his better. It had seemed like a good trade… until it wasn’t, any longer. Until he’d realized what it meant to have other lives torn apart to sew together your own.
Yeah… yeah, he won’t blame the people in Hope if they let him freeze to death out here. He deserves it, and more. 
The person in the doorway shoves it shut behind them, dropping a heavy knapsack to the floor and groaning with relief. Then they shove the ski goggles back from over their eyes, pull off the face mask, and Marc realizes who it is, blinking with surprise as he pushes himself up on one elbow, even as his body protests every movement. 
“Rye,” He says, and the young man’s face breaks into a wide smile. 
“You remembered my new name!”
“Course I d-did. It’s a good one. Did… B-Brock s-s-send you?” 
“Yeah. I brought some stuff for you. The others still don’t want you in the town, um, safety reasons. But with the snow…” Rye glanced at a window, watching the snow continuing to fall in great heavy flakes, so close together it felt more like fog than frozen rain. “And the temperature… you’re not safe out here, there’s no real heat in this place. The blizzard’s going to go at least one more day, we think.”
“Yeah.” Marc’s breath puffs out in front of him, making a new cloud right inside the room. “I kn-know. I’m sh-sh-shaking pretty bad, actually… And my h-h-hands feel… well, th-they don’t feel m-m-much…”
“Yeah. So I brought some stuff. You shouldn’t be, um, frostbitten or anything else just yet. You just stay there.” Rye holds up a gloved hand, and Marc settles back into the bed, watching him. The younger man shuffles around, opening up the heavy backpack - it’s one of those army-style things that can hold a hundred pounds of stuff without bursting. The Rye he knew had been lithe and couldn’t possibly have hauled that kind of weight around. But this Rye - he looked a little older, of course, but also stronger. There’s a hint of muscle to him that he hadn’t had before. It looks good, he looks… healthy. Happy.
Marc smiles, watching from beneath the dubious protection of his blankets as Rye starts pulling things out of the knapsack. 
First, a thick plastic square like fogged bathroom windows after a hot shower that Rye tapes over the single window in the shack, his lips pressed together in concentration. Almost immediately, some of the chilly drafty breeze simply stops making its way inside. 
Then, something in a box that he sets down on the little wooden table with its single chair. Marc squints - it’s little heating pads, the kind that you crack and then hold as they warm you. He nearly lunges off the bed for it, startling Rye so badly the kid trips over himself and nearly falls back into the wall.
“Sorry! I’m sorry, just, I’m s-so cold-”
“No, it’s okay, go ahead, you. I just didn’t expect-” Rye laughs, breathy and nervous. “I guess I’m still kind of flinchy from… before I ran away.”
Marc’s useless numb fingers somehow manage to clumsily paw open the box and pull out one of the packs, listening to its crack with a thin trickle of hope as he breaks it. The warmth starts slow, at first, and then all at once and he retreats back into his blankets to hold it tightly until his fingers start to tingle and burn as the feeling fully returns to them. It hurts, but it’s so good to know he can feel things that he doesn’t even care.
“I’m sorry,” He says, looking up to meet Rye’s eyes.
He’s glad the younger man isn’t that close to him. He knows he would smell, if this place wasn’t so frozen he can’t even sweat. He needs a shower, like, three or four days ago now - but really, isn’t this what he deserves? Didn’t he lead trainees with hair matted to their skulls from overwork, or a week in isolation, to the showers more than once?
Even if all he did was look down at his phone and let them have any privacy they could find - even if he never, ever had his own trainees go into iso - he still escorted other trainees as a favor to coworkers. He still saw how they looked at him, worried he would touch them or frightened that he wouldn’t. He still ignored his prickling unease every time a trainee put a hand on his arm to try and curry favor by giving away the only thing they had left to trade.
Even if he said no, every time, he still knew it happened.
And he still worked there.
Hell, he sat across the lunch table in the cafeteria chatting about TV shows and football games with guys he knew had been beating the shit out of someone who couldn’t fight back a half-hour before.
“It’s not your fault,” Rye says, shrugging.
Marc shakes his head. “No, it r-really is.” He watches Rye set up a tiny little space heater in one corner, close to the bed he lays on and facing him. When it clicks on, he’s almost fascinated by the soft buzz and the way, after a few seconds, he can feel a touch of warmth against his cheek. “I could have taken you to a safehouse, or something-”
“Wouldn’t have gone, probably. I don’t know. I don’t like to think about it, the-... the Facility. Training and all that.” Rye lays a blanket over him, one that’s silvered like foil on one side. “Juliet sent this for you, it’s hers. She’s, um. She came here and got stuck out in the cold, too, before they found her, and she says these blankets are worth their weight in gold. She keeps seven in her room.”
“Seven?”
“Seven. She says you never know when you’ll freeze and need them. I think she’s a little scared of cold, now.”
Marc nods. He’s already warming, with the tiny heating pad under the heavy blankets. His toes start to tingle, too, inside the three pairs of socks he’s wearing. “Don’t blame her. I might not be so happy with it, either. Rye, can I ask-... my daughter. Is she-”
“She’s in town, she’s safe. She’s asking for you, a lot, but Brock wants to wait until he can finish asking you questions. Then maybe he’ll have some smugglers take you up to the border or something.”
Marc swallows, his heart nervously fluttering, and forces himself to ask the next question. “And… and the person I came with. Beringer, is he… did he leave, or…”
“Are you kidding?” Rye looks up, and then smiles. His face is full of kindness, just like it was in training. He was such a good trainee, worked his ass off in his classes, just rocketed through every step. Marc had really liked him.
He’d really enjoyed the company of the poor kid he was helping train to spend his life counting pills to make sure some old lady took them on time-
He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “No, I just-... did he make it to Canada before the snow? At least?”
“No. But, hey wait, don’t get upset or anything, I just mean… he didn’t leave. He stayed.”
“He… he stayed?”
“Yeah. He said he won’t go anywhere unless he can take you with him. So he’s watching your daughter while Brock figures everything out.”
Marc’s exhale comes out of him so fast it’s almost an oof, which makes Rye break into soft laughter. Marc puts his burning hands up over his face and finds he could almost sob with relief he hadn’t quite realized he would feel. He won’t go anywhere unless he can take you with him. “Thanks… thanks for telling me. It helps to know.”
“He really likes you, I guess.” Rye pulls out a thermos and a bag of crackers. “We had beef and vegetable soup for lunch. I got you some, plus there’s some cornbread in here, too. It should still be really hot. Oh, and... hold on, Juliet sent some coffee...”
“Thanks… thank you.” Marc pushes himself up to seated, keeping the blankets wrapped tightly around him, and finds his hands working well enough to hold the thermos if he keeps it balanced on his leg. The soup steams up out of it, and he inhales salt and beef broth smell with delight. Has soup ever smelled so good?
Rye hesitates, watching him, and then sits down at the little table. “Handler Sonders-”
“Please, just Marc. I quit, like I said. Or, well, I kind of walked off the job. But please... I don’t want to be called that shit anymore. I ran away.”
“Just like me.” Rye grins, and he has a bright and shining smile, the kind you find yourself answering whether you mean to or not. 
Marc shakes his head, spooning a bit of soup into his mouth and trying not to make an audible sound of happiness as it nearly burns his tongue. Outside the taped-up plastic-covered window, the blizzard is getting heavier. “Not really. You… you ran because of what was done to you. I ran because of what I did.”
“But you decided not to do it anymore.”
“... Yeah, pretty much.” 
“Well, that counts for something.”
“Does it?”
“To me it does.”
Marc takes another bite. This time he can taste the beef a little bit better, gets a chewy bite of it, a bit of carrot that nearly melts as fast as he spoons it up. “So what made you choose the name Rye?”
“I don’t know. I just liked it, the sound of it. Juliet calls me Rye Bread sometimes.” Rye smiles. The little shack is warmer now, with the little heater hard at work, the window taped, and the good company. “I don’t mind, she’s not nice but she’s, um, kind, you know? She’ll do anything for you but she might ask you why you did it the wrong way the first time.”
“I think kind is probably better than nice.” Marc thinks about Rye as a trainee, skinnier then. He’s put on weight, it looks good on him. Weight, muscle, and a brighter smile. “I tried to be nice, but what I did was… evil, not kind. Can you stay for a while?”
Rye glances back outside at the falling snow, then turns back and nods. “Sure. For a little bit. Not like we can do most of our chores in weather like this, anyway.”
“Great. I just… tell me about your life.”
“What part?”
“... everything since the last time I saw you.”
The way Rye brightens at interest and attention is sickeningly familiar, but Marc fights past it. He does want to know, to see what Rye made of himself when he created his own identity, after the Facility took the first one and he decided to shake off the second. He does want to know who Rye really is, now. 
“Uh… okay, yeah, sure. So, you remember my prospective…”
The snow falls, and Marc finds himself wishing he’d known how to walk off the job when he could have taken Rye, too, but finds that in the end… in the end, it doesn’t matter. Rye found his own way here, and so did all the others in the little town.
Marc wants to know them all.
It’s the least he can do.
-
@burtlederp @finder-of-rings @arlinthesnep @endless-whump @doveotions @emdeighamae @wildfaewhump @whump-tr0pes @hackles-up @orchidscript 
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callaeidae3 · 1 year
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A Month of Whump (@amonthofwhump ) - Day 5: Frosty the Snowman
Turned into decoration | Trapped in a blizzard | Self-sacrifice | Comfort: Warm kisses
"You’re tired," Kyle murmurs. He brushes Yuuki’s hair out of his eyes. "You’re tired and you’re hurting, but you’re not weak...
"You’ve survived so much already.
"...that's not weak at all."
Scene from The Redemption of Kindall, K. (Kindall K, #2) - Ch. 30
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redfieldfamilyfan24 · 2 years
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Winter Whumperland Day 5: Warm Kisses
@amonthofwhump
a03 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43432461
Prompts Frosty the Snowman, Trapped in a Blizzard, and Warm Kisses. Title: Warm Kisses Fandom: Star Wars: The Clone Wars Rating: G Warnings: None really Pairing: Satine Kryze/Obi-Wan  Genre: Fluff  Summary:  When Satine and Obi-Wan are caught in a blizzard, they're not just worried about what will happen to them but also to Qui-Gon who is dealing with bounty hunters after Satine. However once they find shelter and discover Qui-Gon is okay, Satine and Obi-Wan might get some much needed quality time together.
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amonthofwhump · 7 months
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It's that time of year again! AMonthOfWhump's Winter Whumperland event runs from December 1-12, with a collection of prompts for your inspiration each day. To participate, create in any medium and share your works on Tumblr. Use the event tags or @ us in your post to get reblogged here. Prompt list transcript, tagging info, and a free-to-use post header under the cut.
1: Santa Claus
Claustrophobia
Forced Celebration
Panic Attack
Comfort: Secret Santa Exchange
2: Krampus
Sensory Overload
Temptation
Whipping
Comfort: Decorating Cookies
3: George Bailey
"We've lost everything we have."
Disowned
Drowning
Comfort: Christmas Market
4: The Grinch
Sedatives
Blackmail
Yandere Whumper
Comfort: Ugly Sweater Party
5: Ebenezer Scrooge
Power Outage
Time Loop
Overworked Whumpee
Comfort: Snuggling by the Fire
6: Jack Frost
Post-apocalyptic Winter
Amnesia
Comfort turned to Fear
Comfort: Snowball Fight
7: Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer
Inhuman Whumpee
Exile
Self-sacrifice
Comfort: You’re Not Alone
8: John Mclane
Held Hostage
Russian Roulette
Forced to Watch
Comfort: Rescue
9: Jólakötturinn
Feral Whumpee
Left Behind
Collared
Comfort: Wiping the Other’s Tears Away
10: Tio de Nadal
Conditioning
Left to Die
Final Countdown
Comfort: Holiday Traditions
11: The Yule Goat
Branding
Stitches
Public Whump
Comfort: Trimming the Tree
12: Elf on the Shelf
Trapped
Bedside Vigil
Used as bait
Comfort: Mistletoe (or avoiding it)
Event Tags: #amow winter whumperland 2023, #day1, #claustrophobia, (tag the prompt you're using)
And lastly, here is a post header to use for the event if you like. Happy whumping!
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AMOW Winter Whumperland
@amonthofwhump Day 5: Turned into a Decoration
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Strawberry Boy returns for the holidays. Hope he's brought inside soon. Forecast calls for snow ;-;
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serickswrites · 2 years
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Frosty the Snowman
Warnings: torture, captivity, body modification, blood, infection
“There now, last piece and then you will be all ready, my sweet,” Whumper cooed as they continued to thread the needle through the skin on Whumpee’s back. 
“Please,” Whumpee begged through their tears. “Please, just stop. You don’t have to let me go. Just please stop.”
“Shhh, shhh, it’s ok. You are going to be perfect for the tree.”
Whumper had been saying that for days. Saying that as they made feathery wings in front of Whumpee. Saying that as they tried to attach the wings using rope the first time. Cursing as the rope broke the moment they’d tried to lift Whumpee up. 
Then they tried gluing it to Whumpee’s back. Whumpee’s skin still hurt from the reaction to the glue. They knew without looking that their skin was red and oozing back there. Whumper had said as much when they had yanked the backless tunic over Whumpee’s head today. 
“I thought of the perfect way to get these wings on you and then you will be the perfect tree topper, my sweet.” Whumper had said as they held up a needle. 
“I’m not the best tailor, but this will work, I know it.” 
Whumpee had screamed the moment the needle went in. Whumpee had screamed and thrashed around so much with the first wing that Whumper had had to take a few breaks and start from the beginning twice. 
Which was why Whumpee was still now. Still, but begging. They couldn’t bear the pain of Whumper redoing the wings again. Couldn’t stand to feel the needle going in and out of their skin. But they also couldn’t stand being turned into a tree topper. 
“All done, my sweet,” Whumper cooed as they stepped back. “All that’s left to do is put the angel on the tree.”
“Please, please,” Whumpee begged. It would be agony if they had to remain upright with these wings. They were so heavy they would rip right out of Whumpee’s skin. 
“You are just perfect,” Whumper said as they hoisted Whumpee into place. 
Whumpee screamed as the skin on their back pulled taut, threatening to separate from their body. They screamed the entire time they were lifted up the high tree. Higher and higher. 
It was only when Whumpee was at the top of the tree did the yanking of the rope stop. But the pain did not. Whumpee’s grip on the waking world was tenuous. Darkness encroached on their vision. 
“Oh, my angel,” Whumper whispered in their ear as they were shifted into place. “You are the most perfect angel yet.”
Whumpee could feel a rod press against the base of their spine. Could feel the scraping of pine needles against their exposed skin. But everything was so distant. So far away. All they could really feel was pain. And the cold, empty dark that awaited them. 
“You are just perfect,” Whumper said as they slid the rod into Whumpee’s skin. Whumpee’s world became a white hot pain and then it faded to nothing. 
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amonthofwhump · 2 years
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We are excited to present AMonthOfWhump's Winter Whumperland 2022! Transcripted prompts, event tags, and general info below the cut:
Prompt List:
1. The Nightmare Before Christmas
Nightmares/Shared Nightmare Realm
PTSD
Stalking
Comfort: Hope
2. Home Alone
Missed Holiday
Unhappy Family Reunion
Comic Relief Caretaker
Comfort: Home For the Holidays
3. Miracle on 34th Street
Forced Celebration
Mistaken Identity
Public Whump
Comfort: Getting a Letter in the Mail
4. It's A Wonderful Life
Burning the Yule Log
Wing Whump (or Body Modification)
BBU AU
Comfort: Holiday Lights Show
5. Frosty The Snowman
Turned into Decoration
Trapped In A Blizzard
Self-sacrifice
Comfort: Warm Kisses
6. How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Starvation
Stress Position
Too Late
Comfort: Shared Holiday Meal
7. A Christmas Story
Christmas Wishlist
Can't See
Bleeding Out
Comfort: Holiday Pageantry
8. A Christmas Carol
Holiday Haunting
Revenge Whump
Head Injury
Comfort: Unexpected Kindness
9. The Christmas Shoes
Unwanted Gift
Medical Abuse
Main Character Death
Comfort: Baking
10. Polar Express
Waiting for Santa
Tied to Train Tracks
Abducted
Comfort: Hot Chocolate
11. Elf
Countdown to Christmas
Elf Whump
Strangulation
Comfort: Experiencing Freedom For The First Time Ever
12. The Nutcracker
Forced to Perform
Animal Attack
Forced Transformation
Comfort: Favorite Holiday Movies
Event Tags:
Tags will help us when reblogging! You can help us out by using the event tag, a tag with the name of the prompt fill, and any relevant trigger or character tags.
Example tags for day one: #amow winter whumperland 2022, #nightmares, #your other tags here
General Info:
There are three whumpy and one comfy prompt for each day. Each day is also titled with a holiday movie, and if it inspires you feel free to use the day's title as a prompt as well! You can use any combination of prompts from each day. You can combine multiple days into one fill. Any form of creation is okay! Writing, art, cosplay, doll mod, playlists, tiktoks, embroidery, build a whumpy lego set, you name it! If you make something it counts.
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whumpookies · 2 years
Text
AMOW Winter Whumperland 2022
Title: Home alone
Prompt: Comfort; home for the holidays.
Day 2 of 12.
Çukur episode 5 @amonthofwhump
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