#whump vignette
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Whump Vignette #5
Contents: stabbing, blood loss, hidden injury, falling unconscious, blackmail, self-sacrifice, waking up in hospital, implied past torture
Whumpee and Caretaker sat side by side on the courtroom bench. Whumper was in the defendants chair, a smug look on their face. Chains attached the shackles on their wrists to the ones on their ankles. Every so often Whumper would cast a glance back at Whumpee, causing them to shiver each time. Whumper grinned as they observed the effect they had on Whumpee. Caretaker cast worried glances at Whumpee every so often, but Whumpee avoided their eyes, trying not to let on how much Whumper was getting to them.
After days of trial, the judge had sent the jury for deliberation. The next day a verdict had been reached and the court had reconvened. A few final formalities were dealt with, some statements made, and the judge called for a 20 minute recess before the reading of the verdict. Whumpee sighed and stood up, saying to Caretaker “I’m gonna run to the washroom, I’ll be right back.”
Caretaker looked them over worriedly. They knew Whumpee was under a great deal of stress. Having to testify against Whumper had certainly taken a lot out of Whumpee and Caretaker could see the wave of discomfort that washed over them each time Whumper glanced their way. Nonetheless, Caretaker nodded, figuring Whumpee just needed a moment to prepare themself.
Whumpee wound their way through several corridors, looking for the washroom furthest away from the courtroom. They found one and walked in, leaning down to see that there were no feet in the stalls. Letting out a relieved breath, they went to a sink and splashed some cold water on their face. Whumpee leaned against the porcelain, staring at their reflection in the mirror. They could feel their muscles trembling, responding to the adrenaline which had been running through them since they entered the courtroom that morning. Closing their eyes, they took deep breaths in and out, trying to calm their racing heart.
Whumpee heard the door to the washroom open and they stood up straight, wiping the water off their face with a piece of paper towel. They glanced surreptitiously in the mirror to see who walked in, and their heart dropped into their stomach as they were met with Whumper’s grinning face. Whumpee spun around, pressing their back into the sink. Whumper’s cuffs had been removed and they stood casually with their hands in their pockets.
“How did you get in here?” Whumpee asked, mouth dry.
“I reached an understanding with my guards,” Whumper responded, taking a few slow steps forwards. “They do what I say, their families stay alive.”
Whumpee swallowed roughly, eyes darting around, looking for a way out. Whumper saw this and chuckled. “No use trying to run, the guards are right outside the door and you won’t get past them.”
Reluctantly, Whumpee met Whumper’s eyes with a look of desperation. “What do you want from me?”
“I don’t want anything from you, I want to give you something. A gift of sorts. In kind to the gift you gave me.” Whumper pulled their hand out of their pocket to reveal a small knife. Flicking the blade open, they turned it to admire how the metal caught the light.
Whumpee stood stock still, tracking every movement Whumper made with rapt attention.
Whumper looked back up at Whumpee, as if just remembering they were there. “You got me arrested and in return I give you this.”
Whumper approached Whumpee, getting within a few inches of them. Whumpee was unable to move. They wanted to, told themself they had to, but their feet stayed rooted to the spot. Whumper gently pulled Whumpee’s jacket open, resting the tip of their knife against Whumpee’s dress shirt just above their right hip. Whumpee held their breath, eyes straining down at the weapon.
“I am going to stab you. You will do what you have to do to hide it and return to the courtroom where we will wait to hear the verdict. This way, regardless of the outcome, I will have my revenge.” Whumper spoke evenly. “Then, once the trial is over, you will go home and die. If you tell anyone, seek medical treatment, or otherwise reveal what has happened here today, an unfortunate accident will befall Caretaker. Do you understand me?”
Whumpee nodded stiffly.
“Good.” And with that, Whumper pushed the knife past Whumpee’s skin, reaching the hilt before pulling it out in one smooth movement. Whumpee bit down on a moan at the all-too-familiar pain. Whumper had always been good with knives, knowing just where to cut to ensure Whumpee would not bleed out too quickly. In the past, Whumper would wait until Whumpee was right on the cusp of death before administering medical aide. This time, however, there would be no treatment. This was to be Whumper’s final victory.
Whumper reached behind Whumpee and pulled several paper towels from the dispenser, pressing them against the slow spreading bloodstain on Whumpee’s shirt. Whumpee grasped at their wound with a gasp, allowing Whumper to step back and admire their work. Whumpee sagged, leaning heavily on the sink with their free arm. Their eyes were unfocused and their lip twitched as they attempted to reign in the pain.
Whumper grinned before turning towards the door, calling back over their shoulder, “see you in court.” With that, they were gone and Whumpee was left alone in the washroom. They took a few deep breaths and pushed off the sink, taking a step towards one of the stalls. Unfortunately, their leg failed them and they fell to one knee. Stifling a whimper, they climbed gracelessly back to their feet and stumbled into the stall, locking it behind them. Whumpee hung their jacket on the hook on the back of the door, careful to avoid getting any blood on it. They then unbuttoned their dress shirt with trembling fingers, sliding it off and setting it on the back of the toilet. Their undershirt was next, as they yanked it over their head haphazardly and pressed it to the wound, sopping up the blood that trickled steadily from it. The injury really didn’t look that bad, just a small slit that leaked more blood each time they moved. Still, by the cold tingling sensation that pervaded their body, Whumpee could tell it was bad. It would kill them if they didn’t get help. But to get help would be to condemn Caretaker to death in their stead.
The full force of this fact struck Whumpee all at once and they stared at the stall wall in stunned silence. They were going to die. This was it. They would hear the verdict, go home, and cease to exist. Somebody would find their body, probably Caretaker, and nobody would ever know the truth of what happened. It was that simple.
Strangely, Whumpee didn’t feel panic or fear as they might have thought they would. Instead, a strange sense of calm washed over them. They had only one job now, to walk back into that court room and act as if they were fine, then to go home and die.
With a firm resolve, Whumpee moved into action. They pulled a bunch of toilet paper out of the dispenser and bunched it into a makeshift bandage. Pressing it to their side, they tore off a relatively clean chunk of fabric from the shirt and pressed it over top. They pulled their belt out of its loops and re-fastened it to hold the makeshift wound dressing in place. Opening the door to their stall and peeking out carefully to ensure no one had entered the washroom, Whumpee limped over to the sinks and hurriedly washed the blood from their hands. Returning to the stall, they pulled their shirt and jacket back on, buttoning up the latter to hide the bloodstain and wincing constantly as their wound sent jolts of pain through their torso. As they emerged from the stall, Whumpee took one last look at themself in the mirror. Having ensured there was no blood visible and smoothes out their hair, they walked confidently from the room.
As they traced their path back to the courtroom, Whumpee’s eyes flirted to the face of each person they passed. They kept expecting someone to say something, but nobody seemed to notice anything was wrong. Anything unusual about their appearance or comportment was seemingly dismissed as a result of stress from the upcoming verdict. By the time they reached the courtroom, Whumpee was just glad they would be able to sit down. They slid between groups of people, making their way to their seat. Caretaker glanced up upon their return and took note of how pale Whumpee’s face was. Their brow furrowed in concern.
As Whumpee sat down beside them, Caretaker turned to consider them more fully. “Are you okay?” They asked quietly.
Whumpee nodded, not meeting their eyes. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
Caretaker pursed their lips. “You don’t look fine.”
Whumpee heaved a sigh. “I will be fine, alright? I just want to get this over with.” They watched Caretaker’s face in their peripheral vision. Caretaker clearly wanted to say something, but instead bit their tongue and turned back towards the front of the room in silence. Relief flooded through Whumpee, and they turned their attention to the task of surreptitiously positioning their arms so they could put pressure on their wound without looking suspicious.
They waited for another 5 minutes before the judge emerged from their chamber and called for everyone to be seated. The rest of the process was a total haze for Whumpee. The jury representative stood up and read the verdict. Guilty. There were various murmurs and several sighs of relief from the crowd. Whumper wore a cold, angry look when they stood up to be led from the courtroom, but it turned to one of satisfaction as soon as they turned back to see Whumpee staring at them. People in the crowd began filing out of the courtroom while Whumpee sat stonily, stealing themself for the pain that awaited them when they stood up.
A warm hand touched their elbow, and they turned to see Caretaker eyeing them nervously. “You good?”
“Yep,” Whumpee replied casually. “Why don’t you go ahead? I’ll be out in a bit.”
Caretaker’s eyes narrowed. “I really don’t think you should be alone right now.”
Whumpee made a show of rolling their eyes. “Whatever.” Giving it all they had, they went to stand up. They actually made it to their feet with relative ease, but then their vision went to static and they stumbled to the side. Caretaker caught them under their arm and Whumpee was vaguely aware of their voice asking what was wrong. After waiting for their vision to clear, Whumpee pulled their arm from Caretaker’s grasp and responded. “I’m alright, just stood up too fast. I just need to have dinner and get some sleep. I’ll be fine.”
Caretaker looked at them incredulously. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, now go,” Whumpee responded, gesturing towards the door.
Caretaker reluctantly turned and headed down the aisle. They made it only 5 steps before they heard a loud thump behind them and turned back to find Whumpee kneeling down, arm slung over the back of the next row of benches for support.
Caretaker moved quickly, grabbing Whumpee around the chest to heave them off the ground. As they did so, however, Whumpee let out a cry of pain and clutched their hand to their abdomen. Eyes growing wide, Caretaker lowered Whumpee onto the bench. Without waiting, they unbuttoned Whumpee’s jacket to reveal a large bloodstain that covered nearly half their torso.
“Oh my god,” Caretaker muttered before yelling in the direction of the door. “We need medical help in here!” Several people ran into the room to see what was happening, then there was shouting as they went to get others.
Caretaker pulled Whumpee’s shirt out of their pants and peeled the bloodied rag and tissue away to reveal the knife wound. Caretaker’s heart was racing as they yanked their own jacket off and pressed it against the injury, eliciting a moan from Whumpee.
“Who did this?” Caretaker asked. When they heard no answer they looked up to see Whumpee staring at them with a tear streaked face.
“They’re going to kill you,” Whumpee choked out brokenly.
Realization fell over Caretaker’s face and they shook their head. One of the courthouse guards ran into the room with a large first aid kit and Caretaker stood aside to let him help Whumpee.
Whumpee soon lost all sense of the world around them and slipped into unconsciousness.
• • •
Whumpee awoke to a beeping sound which was oddly calming thanks to its consistency. The bed underneath them was firm, but their body felt like it was floating. Upon opening their eyes they were met with a dark room lit only by the soft glow of a reading lamp in the corner of the room. Under the lamp was a large armchair in which Caretaker sat, eyes scanning the pages of a book.
Whumpee wetted their lips with their tongue before speaking. “Watchya reading?”
Caretaker nearly jumped out of their skin at the unexpected sound. “Whumpee,” they spoke as a stunned exhale before crossing the room to stand at the bedside. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine actually,” Whumpee responded, pushing themself upon their elbows with a wince. “Okay, a little sore, but I’ll be fine.”
Caretaker nodded. “Well, since you’re fine I can tell you that you’re an absolute idiot.”
“If I’d have known what a warm welcome I’d receive them I would have woke up ages ago,” Whumpee said sarcastically.
“I’m not joking,” Caretaker said seriously. “You almost died, and for what?”
Whumpee fiddled with a loose thread on the blanket that covered them. “Whumper told me not to tell anyone.”
“And you listened to them why?”
“They threatened to kill you.”
“So you were just going to, what, die?” Caretaker said it half-jokingly, but Whumpee met their eyes with a look so sincere that their face grew serious. “Really?” Caretaker whispered.
Whumpee shrugged a shoulder sheepishly. “I wasn’t going to condemn you to death.”
Caretaker shifted awkwardly, looking away before changing the subject. “Well, you wouldn’t have anyway. The cops already knew Whumper was planning on killing me, they had a spy in their ranks. While we were in court the police raided their entire organization and arrested nearly every member, toppling their chain of command. Whumper no longer has any power.”
Whumpee thought this over for a moment. “What about the guards and their families?”
“The guards were arrested too once the police figured out what happened. Their families are fine, Whumper has no one to carry out their orders so there is no threat.”
Whumpee nodded. Then, they realized something. “Wait a minute, you knew Whumper was planning to kill you and you didn’t tell me?”
Caretaker sighed, rubbing a hand over their neck. “I didn’t want to put you under any more stress.”
“Jesus Christ,” Whumpee muttered.
“Yeah, well, I guess we can call it even.”
Whumpee gave them a sheepish smile. “I guess so.”
• • •
Fin
#whump#whump writing#whump scenario#whump vignette#hidden injury#stabbing whump#knife whump#whumpee#caretaker#whumper#whump scene#whump dialogue
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Someone should put a collar on Cerus :D
(butler voice) very good, sir
#adding a vignette was the easiest additional shading ive ever done#kira the whump enthusiast#penumbra: shadow king#collar whump
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Alfie Vignettes I've Made That Make Me Cry: a Report
#alfred finch#alfie#oc#mine#my boy#I made some new ones today#I've been writing again too#u guys will recognise these#del#delano sullivan#vignette#whump#whump visuals
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CW: child abuse (implied, mentioned), Christian themes (mentioned)
A one-off young!Travis whump vignette bc I needed to project lmao
"You stupid piece of- Jed, I swear, this boy has the devil in him, that's the only possibility." His ma glares down at him, although Travis is too busy cringing to meet her eyes -- another mistake.
"Look at me, boy."
He does.
He doesn't want to, but it doesn't matter what Travis wants. He knows that. All that matters is what his Ma says. That he's obedient to her. That he's a good boy; he tries to be, even though she never seems to believe him, he wants it more than anything in the world.
He made the mistake of saying that out loud the first day of school when the teacher asked what he wanted to be -- Miss Wright was from the city and his Ma didn't like her and said all kinds of nasty things to the other women but never to Miss Wright's face.
Miss Wright was nice, though. She was gentle and kind and laughed a little, and she told him that he seemed very much like a good boy and she hoped that he would be in class, too.
And Travis blushed and hid his face in his book and the teasing had started that day and never stopped in the two years since then. School wasn't any of the things he was told. It was more of the same pain from home, just inflicted by more people now.
...and all of it underscored with the most awful thing of all, kindness.
Miss Wright asks about him like she cares; she wants to know where the bruises he gets come from, and why he limps sometimes, and she always looks disappointed by his excuses but she stops asking and he's grateful but he also hates her a little bit for it because if being good is what he wants most, he wants almost as much for someone to take him away like he hears people talk about sometimes so that no one will ever hit him again-
The thought is dizzying, not just because he wants it so badly. It's forbidden, too, the sort of thing that's dangerous to even think because somehow his Ma always knows...even his own head isn't safe from her...
#the quarry#travis hackett#constance hackett#jedediah hackett#cw: child abuse mention#cw: religious themes#whump#vignette#my fic
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The Mercy of Shadows (writing)
This one is a bit gruesome and very whumpy. And it doesn’t have a real ending, but it works. I’m hoping I caught all the typos
Words: 1293Rating: PG-13
Trigger warnings: torture of a fantasy being, extreme sun exposure, injury, eye damage, skin damage
It was barely dawn and I had just finished shaving when the screaming started. I quickly wiped my razor dry, dropped it in my pack, and hurried…
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Major Character Death
Kaeya/Neuvillette (Genshin Impact)
Kaeya (Genshin Impact)
Neuvillette (Genshin Impact)
Klee (Genshin Impact)
Blurb
Ficlet
Vignette
Angst
The Cataclysm | Fall of Khaenri'ah (Genshin Impact)
MCD but no MCD
Neuvillette whump
Neuvillette Needs a Hug (Genshin Impact)
No Beta - they died in the Cataclysm
POV Second Person
Summary
its just a blurb for hurting Neuvillette #let Kaeya live
#vignette#ficlet#genshin fic#genshin fanfic#genshin impact#genshin neuvillette#neuvillette#neukae#kaeya alberich#whump writing#angst#major character death
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From Depths Unknown; Part 1
Rolan x F!Tav (AFAB, she/her) *Tav is a Storm Sorcerer, but no actual reference to her appearance.
Rating: M
Tags & Warnings: [18+ MDNI] Language, Canon-typical violence, drinking, sexual content (very brief, very not detailed BUT slight dom/sub dynamics), slow burn, slightly enemies to lovers but not quite, background Bloodweave, the use of ‘idiot’ as a term of endearment.
Series Summary:
The entire first half of Rolan’s life was spent feeling helpless and angry. Even after escaping his childhood home, Elturel and then the Grove, fate seems to be intent on reminding him of how small he really is.
Tav is the gallant hero, always swooping in to save him and it is infuriating. To add insult to injury, despite himself, he actually likes her.
Notes: hooooo boy. This got crazy. It was supposed to be vignettes leading to some smut and now we have a whole multi-part fic exploring both Rolan’s character as an outsider of the tadpole crew but still closely acquainted and the weight of responsibility on Tav during the entire narrative of the game. Smut will happen, promise, but first — some light whump and heavy yearning.
Read below or on Ao3
“Did you lose something, darling?”
Tav had upended her pack, a huge pile of random junk, valuable magic artifacts, potions and rations by the fire. She was
Frantically digging through it, sorting through jewelry and shoving it aside.
“You haven’t seen my necklace laying around have you? The one with the pearl pendant?”
“I haven’t stolen it if that’s what you’re really asking,” he replied.
“Sounds like something someone would say if they did steal it.”
“Ha-Ha,” Astarion snarked. “Last I saw it was when I fed from you last night,” he sighed, “such a lovely chain wrapped around an even lovelier neck.”
“It was a gift from… someone special. I can’t find it.”
“When did you last remember having it?”
“I wear it everyday,” she groaned frustratedly. “I noticed it was gone when I got dressed after my bath upstairs.”
“And before that?”
“We fought off that horde by the lake,” Tav frowned and then gasped. “Shit. It must have broken during the fight.”
In her mind’s eye she could imagine when it may have happened. She had been positioned directly in front of the portal in which Halsin had gone into the Shadowfell. Gale and her kept directly in front of it to hold off stragglers, while Karlach and Shadowheart flanked in front of them. A flock of undead Ravens had descended upon her and Gale, clawing a scratching and she had lost her balance careening into the water. Some undead Harper’s had made an effort to keep her from climbing back up on the stone outcrop.
She had made it back to her position, but only barely. Tav still felt herself tense and worn down after what was the longest five minutes of her life. The dead just kept rising, new apparitions of horror springing up when they finally had the upper hand.
“I’ll be back.”
Tav stood and left the camp they had set up near the docks below the Last Light Inn. Her feet took her to the same edge of the lake where even now there were remnants of their battle littering the ground. She checked up on the stone outcrop where the portal had been, dancing lights guiding her eyes as she scanned for a glint of metal from the lights.
Nothing. She danced the lights closer to the water but it was impossible to see through. Tav dug for the last dredges of her magic to cast detect magic, she felt something below. Not too far but hard to pinpoint exactly where with her magic so spent.
Tav examined the water. It was just as dark as the rest of this place, and who knew what lingered below its surface. With a sigh, she took off her shoes and stripped down to her small clothes. She dipped her foot in, the water was as cold as it was when she was pulled in earlier that day.
Then she leapt in. Darkness surrounded her, the muffle of the water creating a sense of pure nothingness around her. In a way, it was peaceful, and quiet, but she had to find her way to the bottom and find that necklace. It was not too deep, but she had to fully submerge herself to reach the floor and when she did she tried not to think about what she was grabbing as she blindly felt around.
With only the vague sense of detect magic to guide her, she grabbed blindly. She felt the metal of armor, maybe a rock or a long rusted weapon, but nothing that felt like a thin necklace chain. She had to thrust herself up to the surface to gasp a breath of air.
Just as she went to dive under again she heard a shout, “what the bloody hells are you doing?”
Her head whipped around to the stone she had jumped from. Tall and lithe, standing rigidly straight with fists balled at his side and eyes glowing slightly in the dark. It was Rolan.
“Are you insane?”
“I lost something!” She said back. “Just a minute!”
His call of, “wait!” Was cut off as she dunked under again. Her hands frantically searching, focusing on the detect magic spell that would fizzle out any moment now. She let it lead her, let it show her the pulsing of the magic it was picking up from the bottom of the lake. There was no way of knowing if it was her pearl, but she had to try.
Her hands dug into the muck of the bottom of the lake, pulling some up and bringing it back to the surface. She could barely see, but there in her hand the pearl sat amongst rot and mud. She choked on a gasp, her eyes stinging either from tears or the grime that no doubt was in the water. The chain was long gone, but the pendant was there.
The gold of the delicate clawed setting that held the Pearl of Power was dirty and dented, but the pearl itself seemed to be in good shape.
“I found it!” She called.
“For the love of — get out of the water!” Rolan yelled.
Carefully she tread towards the stone again, reaching it and dropping the pendant onto the stone so she could pull herself out. Just as she lifted herself up, something caught on her foot, and then tugged. She hit her chin on the stone, teeth clacking together and then she slipped into the water again, skin scraping against rock and her vision going dark as the depths.
Rolan’s hand delved deep into the water, clutching at whatever piece of Tav he could get a grasp of and pulled. Her hand emerged, his hand tightly around her wrist as he grunted with the struggle to lift her above the water's edge. When her face emerged she gasped for breath.
“Something’s pulling me,” she yelled.
Rolan had little time to think, and just kept pulling as Tav’s free hand grasped at the rock and started to get herself onto it. As she did, the rest of her torso was revealed, then legs where he saw a long dead, gnarled and rotten hand grasping her calf. He let go of her with one hand to cast magic missile, the angry red jets of magic landing each hit until the hand let go of her.
Tav crawled onto the rock, coughing up water, and catching her breath. She stayed on hands and knees, her hand coming out to grab the trinket she had dived in for.
Rolan turned on her in a rage. “What in the hells is wrong with you?”
“Nothing,” she breathed, “thanks to you. Appreciate it.”
“Weren’t you telling me not to go wandering off into the curse just yesterday?” He seethed.
“I told you not to go alone,” she clarified, “but I guess your point still stands.”
“Thank you,” he said sarcastically. “I watched you and your friends hold off an undead army just here earlier, another truly noble venture I’m sure — “
“We were trying to help lift the curse—“ she stood.
But Rolan’s ire was truly raised and he trampled over her words without acknowledging them. “You cannot truly be this stupid,” he spat, “you know what lurks in this land, what could possibly be so important you need to jump into the accursed lake?” Despite himself he found himself saying, “another hero’s errand, no doubt, the long lost heirloom of a poor, pathetic creature that will simper and whine your praises.”
Tav looked like she might hit him. Instead she grabbed her discarded clothes and started to walk away.
“You’re welcome,” he called after her.
“I already said thank you,” she turned to snarl at him, a spark of lightning curling off of her in her anger. “Would you like me to stay so you can yell at me more or can I go? Will that make you feel better? Will it bring Cal and Lia back?”
Rolan was charging forward before he could stop himself. “They are only gone because you can’t keep your nose out of other people’s business.”
Tav’s angry expression faltered, something he couldn’t quite parse flashed over her face. “Rolan -“ she started and then sighed, shoulders slinking into a hunch.
For the first time he noticed that she looked tired. The kind of tiredness that not even a good night's rest would fix. Bone -deep, mental and physical exhaustion written in the bags under her eyes, the downturn of her mouth. His stomach dropped, his jaw clenched and a new anger flared in him.
Prick, idiot bastard is what you are, Rolan, the thoughts set off in his mind, taking the flashing of rage with them. Can’t save the only family you have, and you kick the one person who can while they’re down. Useless. Idiot.
“Tav? Darling, are you alright?”
Both of them turned to find Astarion, accompanied by Gale who had a suspecting frown on his face. “By the stars, Tav, you’re soaked,” the other wizard said, coming forward, removing the cloaked cape he had and wrapping it around her shoulders.
“And quite underdressed,” Astarion quirked an eyebrow, “not taking advantage were you, little wizard?”
Rolan had hardly thought about her state of undress. Had purely been driven by whatever it was that made him run up when he saw her dunking into the lake. The worst case scenario had crossed his mind, she had fallen to the curse and it was pulling her under. It very nearly did.
Now he was very aware of it. Embarrassment and pure concentration to not look at her legs which were still bare kept him from saying anything in response.
“Rolan helped me, I fell into the lake.”
“You jumped into it,” he found himself saying.
“Why on earth would you do that?” Gale scolded.
“My pearl!” She held it up. “Chain must have broken earlier.”
Gale hummed thoughtfully, eyes slinking towards Rolan, then to Tav. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I believe another bath is in order.”
“Probably best,” Tav sighed, pulling some grime out of her hair. “Goodnight, Rolan.”
Rolan said nothing in return as Gale walked with her back to the shore, his eyes flicked up to the elf waiting for them. Astarion and him never spoke much, he was around and had a smart remark to provide at someone’s expense but they had rarely ever spoken.
There was something unsettling about the elf as he peered at Rolan while he waited for his companions to make their way. A stillness of his body that was unnatural, a look in his eyes that was half warning and half challenge. A predator, guarding its territory that almost immediately softened once Tav and Gale were next to him and they began their walk back to the inn.
Rolan rubbed his hands over his face, and made his way back to the inn. He needed a drink.
Tav had smiled sheepishly at Jaheira after requesting another tub of water. Gale and Astarion had slipped away after whisking her away from Rolan, and now that she was alone she found herself truly feeling exhausted. She bathed and went back to camp, found a chain from the endless piles of jewelry she had hoarded to sell for camp funds and slipped her pearl pendant back on.
The weight of it on her chest was comfortable, a sense of normalcy in a place that was far beyond her everyday life.
Tav played with the pendant as she laid in her bedroll, despite the tiredness her mind was reeling.
Rolan had been so angry with her. When they had rid the path of the goblins and held their little party she had comforted herself in knowing that the two of them parted on friendly terms. Her encouragement of his siblings to stay and help their kin had paid off, and she had spent a good chunk of the night talking with them.
The last time she saw him he was full of laughter, showing off his prowess which landed him a position as an apprentice with a well-renowned wizard.
Her mind played over their interactions. His drunken fury after Cal and Lia were taken, his resigned anger after they saved him from the cursed wraiths near moonrise - he was always so angry with her.
Perhaps he had a right to be. They had rid the path of the goblin threat and sent them straight into a horror beyond imagining. All her talk of doing the right thing, helping who you could and ‘playing hero’ as he put it was for nothing.
Laying in the dark with her eyes wide open became too much and she got up from the bedroll. She could grab some wine from their wares and head inside, not wanting to take anymore of the Last Light’s limited supplies.
“And where are you off to?” Shadowheart asked. They technically did not need a watch shift due to the Harper’s having their own but it was routine now.
“Need a drink,” Tav said. “I’ll be back.”
“No more dips in the cursed lake, if you please,” Shadowheart called after her.
Tav waved her off and headed inside. The Last Light was always somewhat active. Everyone’s sense of night and day was off kilter, at least one shift of Harper’s and the Fists were milling about at any given time. Healers were needed at all hours for returning scouting parties, and the bar with its meager offerings always had someone behind it.
She sat close enough to keep an eye on the children behind the bar, and look out at the space. There was still damage from the attempted kidnapping of Isobel, winged horror guts and blood stained the walls. Tav uncorked the wine in her hand and took a swig.
“You’re cut off for the night!” Umi said, head barely coming above the line of the bar with his hand pointing upward.
“I’ve had one glass, you little brat!”
Tav’s eyes slid towards the tiefling at the bar, robes still a little wet from fishing her out of the lake, and wearing his typical grumpy frown. At least he did not seem belligerent and the irritation in his voice held no bite for the child. Not like it had for her earlier.
“Give him a glass of mine,” Tav held out her own bottle. “He earned it.”
Rolan’s head snapped up and she immediately regretted speaking. It was meant to be a last ditch effort for a truce, but the way his face curled into snarl made her want to shrivel up and die.
“I don’t need any more charity from you,” he snapped.
Her heart dropped, her face got hot and she took a deep breath. Turning on her barstool, she leaned her back against the bar. She never could win with him. She wanted to apologize, she had been out of line by bringing up his siblings before. He had started it, but she was not too proud to own up to her own part in it.
It was clear he wanted nothing to do with her, so she turned her back to save him having to even look at her. She took a long swig of the wine, it was cheap and bitter, but it was what they had.
The scrape of wood made her look over. Rolan had sat in a stool on her side of the bar, not right next to her, an empty seat between them. He faced the bar, not looking at her as he held a tin cup out towards her. Tav leaned over to share some of her wine.
He was quiet, and that was better than yelling. And watching the activity in the inn was better than staring up from her bedroll all night. It would have to do.
“No chaperones with you this time?”
“They went off to… “ Tav trailed off, she didn’t know what Gale and Astarion were doing. Just that they slipped away as they had been doing more often lately. “Well, it’s not our business what they went off to do.”
Another stretch of silence. Tav played with her necklace in between sips from the bottle. They had to make their way to moonrise again tomorrow, finally entering the belly of the beast to figure out if they could free any prisoners and find a heading towards finishing all of this.
“What’s so special about it?”
“Hm?” She turned to Rolan.
His eyes flicked up from where he was watching her toy with her necklace. “The pearl.”
“Oh,” she said dumbly. “It’s a pearl of power.” She looked down at it, “an heirloom. Passed down from my father.” Her thoughts trailed off again, “when I thought I’d lost it…” she shook her head.
There was no world in which she imagined he wanted to know about her or her family. This was a truce, and he was being more gracious than she expected. She thought she may as well keep it as neutral as possible to prevent an argument.
Rolan was quiet again. For a long time neither of them spoke, at one point she heard the clack of tin on the wood and found he had put his cup out again. She poured him some more wine, and she felt at least relieved he was not unwilling to sit with her. Albeit quietly and only with her offering him wine, but it was something.
They sat quietly until the bottle was done. Tav felt her eyelids getting heavier and heavier. She thought she may finally be able to sleep if she laid down. Her heart still felt full of the weight of guilt, her body weak as if it knew only more horror awaited her the next day. But she didn’t get to rest more than one night, the chain of events of her life recently had made that very clear.
There was a lot she had to make up for, and a storm to weather before she could find harbor.
“If Cal and Lia are alive in Moonrise, I’ll bring them back,” she said, not having the courage to look at him. “I promise.”
She felt him staring at her but she still couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eye. Guilt weighed too heavily on her, the weight of the journey ahead looming over her in the face of yet another promise she was not sure she could keep.
Bidding him goodnight, which was met by silence, she walked away from the bar.
Tav had left with a small group to head to Moonrise, leaving behind the Archdruid who was dead set upon helping out around the inn. This encouraged others to pitch in, Dammon was lending strength to fixing up the broken railings and doors at the inn. Rolan made himself useful, he had magic to spare and nothing else to do.
He employed two mage hands to help lift a beam of wood to repair one of the holes that had been created by winged horrors dropping through during the attack. Isobel chanted out on the balcony, while he and Guex worked. Tav had been in the room when it happened, he thought to himself, always in the right place at the right time.
Except by the lake. Even now he had no idea what possessed her to strip out of armor to get inside waters full of bodies in a place which undead walked so freely. In his mind’s eye he could see her bare legs, and though at the time he had not thought about her state of undress now he found himself trying to piece together any snippets in his subconscious of what the rest of her had looked like.
“Rolan,” Guex called. “Bit higher, mate.”
“Sorry.” He said, the mage hands lifting the wood up.
His mind kept drifting to her. The way she played with the pearl she had so desperately been trying to find. Her laughter as it carried over the sounds of the crowd from her camp. More annoyingly the glimpse of her legs he had gotten just a couple nights ago. She was pretty, objectively, he had noticed immediately, but he wasn’t a naive boy so easily distracted by a pretty face.
The storm behind her eyes as she had gone toe to toe with him at the lake seemed to haunt him. what she said had hurt, yes, but he was a little distracted by the vision of her soaking wet and looking at him with so much feeling.
“Rolan, if you need a break just say so,” Guex said.
“No,” he growled, shaking his head, “no, I’m fine.”
He was a wizard. He could control his own mind. He focused on the weave, the sensation of it taking shape into the mage hands before him. Rolan made it a point to close the door on any further thought of her while he went about his business.
Until the second day with no word from any of the party that had ventured into Moonrise. He had even gone as far to venture into their camp, where the remaining four of her companions were sitting around the fire.
“Rolan,” Wyll greeted him warmly. “How are you?”
The Blade of the Frontier was an invaluable asset during their time on the road into the grove. Rolan liked him, although he preferred him when he wasn’t doing his folk hero act.
“I’d rather not say,” he said. “I didn’t come here to dampen your mood.”
“Have the Harpers seen any sign of our companions returning?” Halsin asked.
“Not yet,” he said. “That’s why I’m here. Your tadpoles, they can transmit to each other can’t they?”
“There’s quite a distance between here and Moonrise,” the half-elf Shadowheart said. “I’m not sure our tadpoles can connect to each other so far.”
“Unlikely,” the Githyanki grumbled. “Attempting to do so is an unnecessary risk.”
“How?” Rolan asked.
“The ghaik tadpole could reach anyone, and give away our location.” She explained, haughty as if he was an imbecile for not realizing it.
“If anyone can get your siblings out of Moonrise, it’s Tav,” Wyll said, making eye contact with him.
“If they’re even alive.”
“Take your self-pity elsewhere,” Lae’zel replied. “You chose to save the offspring.”
“Should I have let them get taken?”
“No.”
A strange pause happened, Lae’zel expressionlessly staring directly at him .
“I think,” Shadowheart said, “what Lae’zel means is you made the right choice. Your brother and sister would have done the same.”
The only confirmation was a single nod from Lae’zel. “Your offspring are weak. Untrained. In order to maintain the continuation of your species you must protect them.”
“That’s her version of a compliment,” Wyll clapped him on the shoulder.
“Chk.”
Shadowheart laughed softly, and Wyll stifled a smile. “Join us,” he offered, “we have plenty of room by the fire.”
On the third day, Rolan was at the bar. Not drinking, well, not drinking as much. He liked to sit around with Umi and Ide, it felt sometimes like watching them play a game of pretend. Acting like grown up barkeeps, as if they’d been running the Last Light for more years than they’d even been alive. Everyone was willing to play along, and Rolan found himself playing the part of the grumpy regular.
“Hey arsehole!”
Rolan’s hackles went up at the sound of Lia’s taunt. Prepared to be annoyed at his sister — until he realized that it was Lia. A rush of relief spread through him so thoroughly that it made him shudder as he looked over.
“Oh, thank the gods.”
Lia was beaming, and behind her Cal had a goofy grin. They were there, in front of him. Alive and whole as far as he could tell, no trick of the curse making them strange and hollow. Just as quickly as relief came over him, anger flared. Nights and nights of constant worry not even dulled by multiple bottles of wine.
“Is that all you have to say, to me? Did you enjoy yourselves while I battled that wretched darkness? What were you thinking?”
“I’m sorry, we got captured by murderous lunatics.” Lia was just as ready to fight.
“I thought you were dead, you ass,” Rolan seethed. “Both of you!”
“We’re all safe, Rolan,” Cal finally said, trying to keep the peace as always. “That’s what matters.”
“Good thing you’re back!” Ide shouted from behind the bar. “He’s been drinking about it for a week straight!”
“I was just…”
Worried sick, grappling with the thought that I nearly lost the only family I had, rendered helpless and faced with my own failings.
“Overwhelmed.” He settled on. “It doesn’t matter.”
“I’m sorry,” Lia folded first. “We should have been here.”
And how would they have done that? It wasn’t their fault they were captured.
“No - no,” Rolan winced. “It’s not your fault. I shouldn’t have shouted. I’m sorry.”
Lia came up to hug him then. They were never very affectionate physically. Even when he had moved into their home he had shared a bed with Cal, Lia always teased them for the way they had to struggle for space as Cal grew stocky and Rolan grew ever more lanky.
But this was a comfort, to hold his little sister in his arms. Safe, and whole. Not even his pride could overpower the gratitude he felt to have them back, and as Cal’s bulky arms wrapped around them both in a steel tight hug he had to laugh.
“We thought the curse got you,” Cal said. “When Tav told us you were alive —“ his brother’s voice cracked and the rest of the sentence died.
Tav. He opened his eyes, half expecting to find her and her crew watching on as she seemed to be in every major upheaval of his life lately. But the only new faces were some deep gnomes, and a few other tieflings from their caravan from Elturel.
“Where is she?”
“Who?” Lia asked, rubbing Cal’s back as he tried to maintain his composure.
“Tav.”
“They needed to save face in Moonrise. Her and her friends had a big fight with the warden as a distraction while we got out.” Lia replied. “Apparently they’re posing as cultists.” His sister’s eyes narrowed, “why?”
“I — “ he started. “I owe her an apology. And thanks.” He cleared his throat, “but that can wait. I have a room upstairs and there’s baths, you two reek.”
“You’re such an arsehole.” Lia grinned.
“I’m starved,” Cal groaned, the only evidence that he was crying were some trails in the muck that coated his face. “They have food here?”
“We do!” Umi called. “But it'll cost you!”
The light of the inn was in sight. It had been a rough couple of days, but they had found their next heading. Tav was ready to debrief Jaheira, take a bath and sleep.
“The inn will be bursting now,” Gale said, “with the deep gnomes and the tieflings.”
“I hope they all made it okay,” Karlach said. “They’ve been through enough.”
“More than enough,” Tav agreed. “We will check in on them. Add that to the list.”
“Noted,” Gale tapped his temple.
As they passed through the barrier of light around the inn a weight lifted off of them. Traveling through the cursed lands was always exhausting, it was a suffocating darkness that covered the land and something always felt like it was lurking nearby.
After discussing with Jaheira and the rest of the camp, Tav took some time to check in with the rescued deep gnomes and tieflings. Barcus had bounded up to her before she could even take a mental count of who was present, dragging her over to Wulbren Bongle.
The leader of the Ironhands brushed both her and Barcus off, as if the former hadn’t just broken him out of a prison and the latter hadn’t begged so earnestly for her to do so. If she was not so tired she may have made a comment about it, but Barcus looked mortified and Tav didn’t have the energy.
As she moved on, she nodded to Lakrissa who was glued to Alfira’s side at the bar. There was no sign of Bex and Dannis, but she could only imagine their reunion was something they wanted to have in private. She saw the back of Cal’s head at the bar, heard Lia’s loud laugh and approached to find Rolan with them, leaning over the bar.
The two she had saved seemed better than she had found them. Clean, smiling and animated. Rolan’s shoulders were still an even line, but they seemed to have dropped a few inches, no longer settled up to his ears in tension.
“It’s you!” Lia grinned.
“I’m glad you lot made it back alright,” Tav smiled. “He’s been a pain in the ass.”
“Yeah,” Cal grinned. “But he’s our pain in the ass. Thanks for dealing with him while we were gone, we’ve got it from here.”
Tav just nodded. Rolan was staring at her, but she could not decipher his look. She awkwardly shifted and then said, “well, I was just checking in. I’ll leave you to it.”
“Wait,” Cal turned. “Thank you - for saving me. And the two idiots. I never thought I’d see them again.”
“It was nothing,” she shrugged.
“That black eye you're sporting says otherwise,” Lia said seriously. “I saw those hits you took. It wasn’t ‘nothing’. I’m not the best at showing it, but I love Rolan and Cal to death. They’re family - thanks for bringing us back together.”
Tav felt suddenly uncomfortable with the praise. Rolan had suggested before he thought she got off on playing the hero. His siblings' thanks felt like it would only prove his point further.
She just smiled, “I’m just glad you three are together again.” Clearing her throat, “I ought to check on my camp.”
Rolan stood suddenly as she turned, “Tav.” She waited, half expecting another comment about her heroics. “I’ve lashed out at you. Drunkenly and otherwise, and you helped anyway. You didn’t deserve that. I’m sorry. And thank you.”
With a nod she took off for a bath. She checked in on camp, hearing any intel and updates she needed from those left behind. Everyone quickly began discussing strategies and next steps, they needed to find their way to this Balthazar and find Ketheric Thorm’s weakness. There was also the matter of finding Art Cullagh’s lute, seeing if they could find any hint that Arabella’s parents were alive and figure out how to finally put this curse to rest.
Even after a victory there was still so much left to do.
She slipped away to sit on the outcrop of stone by the lake again. Everyone at camp meant the world to her, but every once in a while she needed her space. It was dark and creepy, but if she closed her eyes she could hone in on the lap of the water against the rock. A soothing sound.
“Not thinking of taking a swim, are you?”
Tav jumped, and turned. Rolan stood not far off, a bottle in his hands and to her surprise a small smile on his face.
“Gods, you scared me,” she placed a hand over her heart. “I wasn’t expecting —“ she cut herself off. She wasn’t expecting anyone, let alone him and smiling no less.
“I’ve got a bottle of Arabellan dry, if you’re up for it.” He walked up and sat down next to her, showing her the bottle.
Tav considered him for a moment. “Is it poisoned?”
“Very funny.” He said sarcastically. “I would not waste poison in a wine such as this.”
“And where did you find it?” She looked at the bottle.
“I stole it from the cellar, the last bottle,” he said, popping the cork. “I brought cups, but I know pulling straight from the bottle is more your style.”
“I’ll try a cup,” she hummed.
He poured them each a cup, and held his up to clink against hers before the first sip. Rolan hummed in pleasure. “Gods, that’s so good.”
“It is,” Tav agreed. The flavor bloomed on her tongue, smooth and without the bite of the cheap stuff she had been drinking of late. “What’s the occasion?”
“An apology. A proper one,” He muttered. “You went out of your way to help us, it’s only right you get something in return.”
“You don’t have to —“
“You were right,” he said before she could finish. “I wasn’t really angry with you. I was angry with myself. Angry at the gods awful hands we’ve been dealt on this journey.”
“It’s alright if you were a little angry with me,” she admitted sheepishly. “I shouldn’t have used Cal and Lia against you.”
“That was rather wretched of you.”
“It was,” she agreed. “But I think I more than made up for it.” She was teasing, testing the waters in this new peace they had found.
“I thanked you once already,” he said haughty tone overdone and just as playful, “don’t be greedy.”
Something about the tone, about the smile on his face and the words themselves spurred her imagination into overdrive. Him above her, wrenching an orgasm from her only for her to ask for more. Don’t be greedy, she imagined him saying it again, condescending and admonishing. A truly mortifying high pitched giggle escaped her. She took a gulp of wine, her body hot and shocked at the instantaneous reaction.
She was very glad he did not have a tadpole.
A silence stretched between them that made her itch, he did not seem to mind but she felt like she would start to fidget if she didn’t say something. Luckily, he spoke while she floundered for something to say.
“I never asked, are you alright?”
She did have a black eye and possibly a concussion. She had left camp before Shadowheart could offer some healing. “Bumps and bruises,” she said casually. “Occupational hazards, nothing to worry about.”
“Hm,” he huffed. “That’s what you get for being a meddlesome hero. But I shan’t say more, you’ve done too much for me lately.”
“Karlach, Astarion and Gale were there too, you know,” she said.
“Yes, well, I won’t be sharing my favorite wine with them,” he said stiffly.
“Oh, and what makes me so special?”
He took a drink of wine, looking into his cup. “You are — “ he started, “particularly infuriating.”
“I’m special because I’m infuriating?”
He grimaced. “Yes.”
“You don’t make a bit of sense,” Tav laughed in disbelief.
“I make perfect sense,” he said haughtily. “You’re the one jumping into cursed lakes. Or risking your life for someone who has never been particularly nice to you.” He drank the last of his cup, pouring another as he added, “top up?”
She offered her cup for him to fill. “I told you why I jumped in the lake. A precious family heirloom was at the bottom.”
“And the gallant rescuing?”
Tav frowned, taking a drink. “I don’t know. I just… if I can help, I don’t see why I shouldn’t.”
Rolan didn’t seem to find that worth responding to. The silence stretched on again. He cleared his throat and held out his hand. For a moment she thought he was asking her to hold it, and she felt a strange tingle throughout her body. On his pointer finger was a ring, old and a bit scratched up, but with some kind of inscription in a language she couldn’t read on the flat surface.
“This was Cal and Lia’s grandfather’s ring.” He said looking at it. “Their mother gave it to me when I came to stay with them for good. It’s not enchanted, nor is it worth much but it — it’s proof. We’re a family, bound by something stronger than blood.”
That sunk in slowly for Tav as she pieced it together. She had questions: if Cal and Lia were not his biological siblings what happened to his parents? How long ago had he been one of their own? These felt invasive, and they had been getting along so she chose not to voice them; happy to have been trusted with a small tidbit of his past.
Delicately her fingers came out to run over the inscription. As she did her fingers brushed over his, and perhaps it was the wine, but she grabbed his hand to bring it closer to her face. The writing was maybe infernal, with some sort of emblem.
“What does it say?”
Rolan didn’t respond.
Tav looked at him, finding him very intensely focused on her. She dropped his hand, “sorry, I shouldn’t —“
“It’s fine,” he replied tersely.
An awkward silence filled the gap and she kicked herself internally.
Rolan cleared his throat. “It’s his title and rank, he was a Hellrider.” He pointed it out on the ring and she ran her eyes over it. “The Hellriders protected their lodges with wards, and could only be accessed with ward tokens. This was his.”
“Do you miss it?”
“Elturel?”
“Yes.”
“We had nothing there, even before it fell,” he said.
Tav nodded her head. “So, Baldur’s Gate was always in the plan?”
“An apprenticeship, regardless of where it was, that’s what I was after.”
“Gale says Lorroakan is a well-renowned wizard,” she left out the part where her friend called him a ‘cad.’ They were talking and getting along and she didn’t want to ruin it. “You must be excited.”
“When I get to the gates I'll be excited,” he sighed. “The journey so far has been one disaster after another.”
“We’ll get you there, Rolan.”
He looked at her for a long while. “Another promise, little hero?”
“I know how much you love when I’m gallant,” she smiled.
“That’s the problem with you,” he pointed at her with a smile playing on his lips. “I believe you. I believe you will get me there.”
Tav wasn’t sure what to say. Her face warm and her smile wide as she felt the need to look away from him. She drank the rest of her wine.
“So,” he said, “what’s the promise this time, Tav?”
“Rolan,” she began, “I promise that when we get to Baldur’s Gate, I’ll buy you a new bottle of Arabellan Dry. since you so generously shared yours with me even though I saved your ass from the Shadow Curse. It was rude of me to come to your rescue, and you’re being just so gracious about it.”
He laughed a rich deep sound that made her heart flutter, and the rest of the night her only goal was to get him to laugh again.
Part 2 will be out very soon! Thank you for reading 💜
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barbara gordon JAN 2024 fic awards
another installment of "fic awards," where I comb through every fic posted/updated in a character tag for a specific month and find my favorites! there were more this month for babs than there were in december which made me really happy :) hope you enjoy!
-> Currently Updating <-
Hot Chocolate and Fruitcake, by HermesDay. 2.9k, G, dickbabs focus, 1/2.
my summary: babs, through moments where she realizes she may be asexual.
my notes: I loved the pacing of this -- babs' internal struggles coming to terms with her asexuality, the missteps she makes along the way. dick being incredibly respectful without even knowing what's going on. the cliffhanger made me yell a little, but I cannot wait to see how it's going to resolve!
&&
Homecoming as Labyrinthian, by cabezas_de_vaca. 22.1k, T, gen, 7/12.
my summary: babs comes home from college, determined not to get back in the game after giving up batgirl. of course, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
my notes: I know I already put this one on december's list, so check there for more concrete thoughts, but it updated again in january, which means on this list it goes! it would have been amiss to not recommend it again.
-> Whump & Angst <-
Interrupting Bat, by partybarge. 1k, G, gen.
my summary: babs yells at bruce about his treatment of cass.
my notes: aurgh... every time I think about batgirl 2000 I start sobbing and this is why!! bruce and babs, cass and bruce, babs and cass... everyone's messy relationships are on display here. this fic says so much in barely 1,000 words and I'm obsessed.
&&
Grave Promises, by PsycholoGeek. 3k, G, gen.
my summary: after jason's death, babs builds a safehouse for children in crime alley.
my notes: there are ever so many stories about batfam members making safe spaces for kids in crime alley, but something about babs doing it just hits different. because she can't do all of the things she's used to doing, but she does everything she can anyway. and she does it through interaction with the community, instead of violence.
⇘ click for more! ⇘
-> Action & Plot <-
objects in a mirror, by clytemnestras. 2.7k, T, gen.
my summary: four vignettes about the girls of the batfam.
my notes: LOVE this!! one of these vignettes is babs pov, and helena's also contains quite a lot of babs and her and helena's relationship, so I figured it belonged on this list. I absolutely adored the way babs was written here and
&&
Oracle: rise and fall, by chick_with_wifi. 4.4k, T, gen.
my summary: a look at babs through time, and her relationship with the title of oracle.
my notes: this fic ends up tracking her emotions in response to canon events over the years in linear order, which, honestly, if you don't know anything about babs, this is an excellent rundown.
-> Fluff & Humor <-
we'll all be here forever (you're gonna go far), by theragingstorm. 2.4k, G, dickbabs focus.
my summary: a little futurefic about bruce finally retiring and giving the mantle to cass, told through a gentle moment of dick and babs talking to each other about the future.
my notes: this falls into this category under fluff, but it's bittersweet, and I love that. the casual inside jokes, the relief these two find with each other -- it's something I find tremendously endearing.
&&
they see me rollin', by ELLIDIOTT. 3.7k, T, gen.
my summary: a fluffy little fic about babs and her wheelchair, in stories of her and the batfam.
my notes: cute!! like this is genuinely just sweet pure fluff and I love the way both babs' relationship with her physical body and also the members of the batfam are showcased in snippets over time.
send me an ask for fic rec lists ++ to find a fic lost to the sands of time
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Excuse me- Shackled SEQUEL?! GIVE MEEE
🫡
shackled sequel my beloved!!! There’s definitely going to be a lot more whump and angst, and maybe just a bit of comfort :)
I cast opening snippet upon ye!
The old clone was staring up at him. CT-7567, colloquially known as Rex to his peers and superiors. He had fought under Anakin Skywalker, then later Ahsoka Tano, and for a brief while, fell under the command of one Pong Krell, a corrupt Jedi that had infiltrated the religious order’s ranks in the heat of war. The reports given from the campaign upon Umbara were fascinating, if he did say so himself.
One quick search into the Holonet’s backlogs had told Thrawn all this information, and practical experience told him more. He knew that the clones were fiercely individualistic, he knew that at one point in history, they had been almost rabidly loyal to their Jedi. He also knew that upon the execution of Order 66, the clones had been told that their beloved Jedi had betrayed their republic, and that they were to be killed on sight. It had happened in the sands of Utapau, among the exotic flora of Felucia, in the snow on Kaller, and it had happened in the skies of the Bracca system, on a ship called the Albedo Brave. All of this, just from a quick search, and a keen mind.
Chaos reigned around Rex, CT-7567. Voices layered one on top of the other, a green lightsaber flashed in the small cell, and yet still, the clone looked upwards at the camera, eyes wide and layered with shock and anger. By all accounts, Cal Kestis should be terrified of the clones, and conversely, CT-7567 should hate him for his actions while he was still aligned with the Empire. Yet, a stony type of rage glinted in the old clone’s brown eyes like flint against steel. Thrawn found the whole dichotomy utterly captivating.
The purple blur streaking past Rex was surely Garazeb Orrelios, and the Lasat was just one more piece of the puzzle that made up Cal Kestis. The way the former guardsman scooped up his trembling friend could hardly be read as platonic, nor the Lasat resting his forehead on Cal Kestis’ furrowed brow, murmuring soft words that were lost amongst Sabine Wren calling for a frantic pickup.
Captivating indeed.
Thrawn broke his gaze from the monitor for a moment to study the gloves folded in his hands. Warmth still leached from the old, weathered leather. Chiss naturally ran colder than other humanoids, their bodies instead pulling heat from the objects around them. If Thrawn concentrated, he could feel the ghostly warmth left from Cal Kestis’ freckled hands seep deeply into his.
With a satisfied nod, Thrawn clicked the monitor off, closing the curtains on the vignette, pocketing the gloves to savor what warmth was still left on them. He had not been in possession of neither the time nor the resources to monitor Cal Kestis’ heart rate or brainwaves; thus, his experiment could not be considered a complete success. Nevertheless, he was certain that this would not be his last opportunity to test the limits of his traitorous Jedi’s abilities.
#TOXIC YAOI ME LADS#I’m so excited for this one y’all can’t believe :]#star wars rebels#swr#sw rebels#star wars#zeb orrelios#agent kallus#alexsandr kallus#garazeb orrelios#kalluzeb#sheep in wolfs clothing au
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Whump Vignette #11
Contents: power dynamics, obedient whumpee, creepy whumper (sort of?), psychological whump, whumper has just acquired a new play thing
• • •
Whumpee sat very still on the edge of the bed. Their back was ramrod straight, hands folded neatly on their lap, head facing forward. The heat of anxiety was ever-present in their chest.
Whumper paced a steady beat back and forth across the floor in front of Whumpee. Each shoe fall was punctuated by a distinctive ‘tunk’ sound, which seemed to fill the room.
One, two, three, four—swivel—one, two, three, four…
Whumpee kept their eyes straight ahead, face expressionless. It was their way of showing that they were prepared to listen, to follow whatever orders they were given.
Their composed demeanour was little more than an act.
Every nerve ending in Whumpee’s body tingled with dread and anticipation. It burned its way from their cheeks, through their neck, across their shoulders and chest, all the way down their back to the base of their spine.
When the footsteps finally fell quiet, Whumpee had to stop themself from flinching, so loud was the silence. As the quietude stretched, they dared not move a muscle.
Then, the footsteps began again. They moved slower this time, growing ever closer. Whumpee’s vision, unfocused as it was, was overtaken by a dark shape. They stared unseeingly through it.
There were several moments of pause, during which Whumpee’s body coursed with adrenaline at the proximity of Whumper. The tone of Whumper’s voice was delicate but cold when they spoke at last.
“Look at me.”
As those three words entered the room, all air left it. Whumpee’s chest constricted as they fought the urge to shrink away from the command. It took a great deal of self-control to maintain their dispassionate comportment.
Ever so slowly, they raised their eyes. Whumpee’s gaze skated up the trail of buttons on Whumper’s jacket, reached their neck, then hesitated before meeting their eyes.
The angle at which the light fell across Whumper’s face painted it with shadows, giving them a near-demonic visage.
Whumpee shivered, eyes straining up through their lashes. They lifted their chin laboriously, as if it were weighted, until their neck strained. Whumpee looked up at Whumper with a lax jaw, brows raised in an expression of innocence.
They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity. Whumper stared as if their sight were a knife which could whittle Whumpee down to their very soul. With each passing moment, Whumpee hunched a little further under the weight of Whumper’s scrutiny, gaining precious millimetres between them.
Finally, Whumper’s lip quirked. An unnerving grin bloomed across their face.
Whumpee felt their throat tense up, a twitch of their eye the only outward expression of their fear.
“Yes.” Whumper’s voice was smooth as silk. “You’ll do just fine.”
• • •
Fin
#whump#whump writing#whump vignette#whumpee#whumper#creepy whumper#obedient whumpee#power dynamics#psychological whump#whump community#whumpblr#whump stuff#whump drabble
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Maedhros doesn't engage in touch until he truly feels comfortable with the idea of a relationship and even that would take time, months of their private teatimes and a certain slowness in getting to know another -- a sweet sense of familiarity of each other's small habits and changes in expression. Reader gifts him a book, perhaps in the dead of winter for him to read by the fire, a book that she had held dear and close to her heart, though willing to part with it in order to gift it to someone more close and more dear.
I like to think of springtime when he invites her to a walk, to see the sun against her hair and her soft gasp at the sight of the season's first butterflies. Maedhros had once anticipated a much more formal arrangement for himself, hypothetically -- a marriage of state for one reason or another, but he hadn't quite expected this, such an unexpected gentleness within his heart, from such an unassuming maiden. It's a true comfort to have Reader by his side, and he makes his intentions clear to her under the shade of an old tree.
So, uh, this was way longer than I thought it would be, and I'm not 100% happy with it… at first I had imagined a lot of short vignettes -- Reader coming out of her shell, explaining in measured, thorough fashion what had held her gaze towards him for so long… an inevitable wedding and the altar being the site of their first kiss… the distinctions between their class and how it would change after their betrothal, though Maedhros would find it endlessly charming that she continues to have the same humbleness as ever. The hard part was making that all somehow feasible. (Still, I want to know how you might have gone with it!) While I'd love an AU that ends with them having a lot of children and maybe Reader passing on (really, human!Reader is my favorite, size difference and "human/elf relations are known not to bear fruit easily, so I'll have to seed you full to be sure a child takes" aside), I also like the idea of Reader left alone after he and Maglor take the Silmarils. Maybe there'd be some leeway given to him at the Hall of Mandos? Angst with happy endings is the only good form of it in my book, no whump allowed here. Anyhow, that's it for now. I don't know if you'd be receptive to the idea, but those vignettes are stark in my mind -- I'm just terrible at describing them -- would it be possible to draw them out and send them via your submit box? I don't believe I'm able to upload images through your ask box… is all. Regardless, thanks for indulging me, even if I'm not at all familiar with writing!
Alright, first of all: I enjoyed reading the out-of touch/touch-starved journey, and what an interesting version of reader. I don't believe I've ever come across a spinster reader before, so this was interesting. I'm also into your differences you mentioned with reader having children. Then that would mean when Mae leaves Mandos, he meets only his children or descendants should one of them marry an elf to strengthen the chances of being immortal.
I can see you're not someone who enjoys the sad endings. No fault, happy endings are good for the soul. Keeps us nourished.
As for your inquiry, you are welcome to send it in as a submission (I'll turn on the submit function) or via images but you'll need to be off anonymous to send them in I believe. And no need to apologise about your writing, we all have to start from somewhere 😁.
Thank you for feeling comfortable enough to share them with me 🤗
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The Whumps of March 2024: "Castigate"
A series of vignettes based on Arthurian legend, collected on AO3 here.
"I can't believe this!"
Merlin winced. He wouldn't have thought that Arthur's anger could make him wince. After all, he had known this whelp since he was born...earlier, even.
And it wasn't like he hadn't seen this confrontation coming.
The king paced back and forth, rage giving him too much energy to stand still. "So it's true, then? You really did—that? To my mother?"
Merlin noted, in the back of his mind, that it was the first time that Arthur had called her that without sounding awkward. What he said was, "I don't recall doing anything to her, my king. I cast a spell on your father, at his request."
"So that he could—he—!"
Arthur ran his hand through his hair, breathing hard. "Why?" he said finally, turning to face his old teacher.
Merlin closed his eyes wearily. "'Why' what? Be clear, Arthur. Define your aim—"
"Shut up, old man! Why would you help him with something so—foul? When Kay or I asked you to help us sneak pastries from the kitchen, we'd get a lecture at best, or a box in the ears! I can't even imagine what you'd say if we had asked for a spell to trick some girl—some married woman—!" His face twisted, and for another moment he was unable to speak clearly. "So why did you do it for him?"
"Have you considered that he was my king, and I was bound to heed his requests?"
"I want the real reason."
Despite everything, Merlin nodded. "Good. I would have been disappointed if you had misread me so. A perfectly obvious answer for most people, of course, but you're assessing my motives. I always knew you would make an excellent king."
Arthur's fist slammed down on a table. "Answer the damn question!"
Merlin breathed deeply.
"That is my answer. Because I knew you would make an excellent king." He stroked his beard slowly, thoughtfully. "Because I saw, perhaps at the same moment that King Uther was first enchanted Duchess Igraine's beauty, a future where their son would be born. A son who could, perhaps...with the correct upbringing, the right guidance...become the greatest king that this land will ever know. One who could achieve things, such marvelous things!—if you only knew some of the paths that I've seen, the great things that you might accomplish—!"
He raised his hand, then lowered it. When he looked back at Arthur, he suddenly seemed very old.
"You would not have been born, had I not done what I did. And that seemed like a worthy end, no matter the price."
The two stared at each other for a long moment. Arthur's chest rose and fall heavily. His face was stony, his eyes hard to read.
Merlin thought they looked guilty.
"I want you out of Camelot by sundown tomorrow."
With that, Arthur turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
The silence was heavy for several seconds. Then, Merlin sighed.
It wasn't like he hadn't seen this coming. Not because of foresight. Because he knew the sort of man that Arthur was. The sort of man he had helped raise him to be.
He had always known that Arthur would hate him for this. That had been part of the price.
#Arthurian legend#Arthurian mythology#TheWhumpsOfMarch2024#King Arthur#Merlin#Igraine#Uther#Uther Pendragon
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Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love❤
Oooh, thanks anon! I'll stick with One Piece for this, and even then it's going to be hard because I've written 50+ fics in that fandom.
1. Lead Me Back to Suffering (77.1K | slow-burn Lawlu + noncon Doflaw): In the wake of Kaido's fall, Law is kidnapped from the shores of Wano.
No list of my favorite fics is going to be complete without the the most popular of my fics XD This was meant to be about 3 chapters of very self-indulgent Law whump and just kind of exploded.
2. A Fleeting Moment (When the Sun Can Kiss the Moon) (4.3K | Lawlu): Once upon a time, the Sun fell in love with the Moon.
This is probably the most original thing I've written for OP; it's an original fairy tale, and it was so fun to write.
3. Aftermath (1.1K | Gen, Law and Bepo): The aftermath of the fight at Winner Island.
The first of my multiple post-1081 fics. I picked this one for the list because of the details about what Law and Bepo lost after the events of that chapter.
4. Heart Affords a Smile (4.7K | Gen, Heart Pirates): Contrary to popular belief, Trafalgar Law does smile. Sure, he’s more apt to smirk, and he doesn’t smile often or widely, but he does smile.
Or, five times Law smiled and one smile that inspired him.
I'm particularly fond of this entry from this year's Heart Pirates Week because it's a bunch of little vignettes of the Heart Pirates' time together, and Law gets to smile!
5. Carry You Home (1.8K | Gen, Law and Bepo): Bepo could feel Law’s limbs getting heavier as the exhaustion worked its way through his system. He could imagine Law’s eyes drooping as he fought unconsciousness. It was a pattern Bepo was well familiar with, having been with Law for as long as he had. Sleep would, undoubtedly, win in the end. And, as always, when Law finally fell asleep, Bepo would be the one to carry him home.
I just love the relationship between Law and Bepo, and I loved writing soft for them.
It was incredibly hard just choosing five, and if you caught me on a different day, the list would probably change. But let's go with these for now, ha!
#Caitlin's fic#Trafalgar Law#Monkey D. Luffy#Lawlu#Best boi Bepo#Heart Pirates#One Piece#One Piece fic
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Doll Eyes (Puzzle-verse repost)
I'm reposting and updating fic and here's the first thing I wrote about Rowan, Daniel, and James.
Word Count: 1688Rating: PGWarnings: immobilization / claustrophobia, discussion of blood, mention of potential eye injury, panic attack / anxiety
(more…)
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This week’s theme is one of our recurring themes, Hidden Gems (Fics with less than 100 Kudos that deserve more love and attention).
For the future, specifically for our recurring themes, we will only be reccing two fics from the same author, with overflow recs going towards the next time the theme comes around. This rule does not apply to themes that will only be featured once.
Bleeding Out For You by Xhorhasian_Beacon (3853, Teen)
Warnings: None
Adeen kidnaps Caleb in an attempt to find out where Essek is. Meanwhile, Essek, Astrid, and Eadwulf are looking for Caleb and whoever took him.
Reccer says: Nice whump with a satisfying rescue
Cold Be Hand and Heart and Bone by LuckyOwlsFoot (5723, Teen)
Warnings: None
A follow up to the very delicious whump "Hang the Hourglass". Essek is having trouble adjusting after his resurrection.
Reccer says: Very soft comfort while acknowledging the traumas that occurred in the previous story.
Shapes in the Smoke by Luckyowlsfoot (2817, General)
Warnings: None
Essek dances aerial silk. Caleb is highly affected.
Reccer says: It is able to skim a little of a story in the background
Don't Save Me (I Think I'm In Hell) by Luckyowlsfoot (5882, Mature)
Warnings: implied/referenced torture
Essek is suspected for treason and questioned. it is not a good time.
Reccer says: It shows some vulnerability and the intimacy of trying to heal
Time: Every Wizard's True Enemy, Every Wizard's True Desire by Ms_Fahrenheit (2466, Teen)
Warnings: None
Caleb considers the hubris and temptations of past wizards and battles his own.
Reccer says: It shows how when so many wizards failed because they were alone, but Caleb and Essek help make each other better.
Still Sands by Luckyowlsfoot (1038, Teen)
Warnings: None
sequel to hang the hourglass. covers esseks return and fills in some gaps
Reccer says: Emotional with a hopeful ending
Thinner Than A Razor by Cers (4066, Teen)
Warnings: None
It goes through the major points of Essek and Caleb’s lives showing how similar they are.
Reccer says: I like the poetic writing style.
I fell in love with the dirty promise that you made me keep by Anonymous (5086, Teen)
Warnings: Infidelity, Illusions to stillbirth and infanticide, postpartum depression
Jester struggles after a mistaken affair and Essek helps her out.
Reccer says: While the premise was originally a turn off and most of the fic is spent with Essek and Jester, the side of Shadowgast seen in this fics is both interesting and different. Also Babygast obtained in a very different way than usual.
Chickening Out by biscuityskies (2181, Teen)
Warnings: None
Caleb accidentally polymorphs into a chicken. That's it.
Reccer says: This is a fic I smiled all the way through reading. Definitely a Crack fic but very enjoyable. Does need an Ao3 account to read.
A Moment by PenchantForPoison (1004, Teen)
Warnings: None
Essek and Caleb make out and get interrupted.
Reccer says: The dialogue is chef's kiss
Compass Point Me Anywhere Closer to You by LunaSakamoto (1203, Teen)
Warnings: None
Caleb breaks down after destroying the T-Dock. Essek is there for him.
Reccer says: Essek is trying his best in this fic and it's very sweet.
We received two recs for this fic!
Amber and Amethyst by find_me_in_the_ivy (8816, Explicit)
Warnings: No warnings
Modern with magic wizard grad school AU where Two wizards catch each other's eye across a lecture hall and wind up having sex about it
First Reccer says: I love how immediately into each other Caleb and Essek are. Soft dom Essek and Caleb being a good boy are top notch. Second Reccer says: Nothing
stolen from the night sky by royalgreen (allyoop) (1629, General)
Warnings: No archive warnings apply
Canon divergence AU with a smattering of Stardust vibes, spun into original worldbuilding that I freaking love. Essek needs living stardust to complete the most ambitious spell he has ever cast.
Reccer says: The worldbuilding, the vibes, the potentiality. Perfect little vignette that leaves you wanting more.
[Name], The Wonder Cat by Professor_Rye (10020, General)
Warnings: none
Essek gets Caleb a Moorbounder kitten. Hijinks ensue!
Reccer says: It's extremely cute and fun, a little bit of domestic shadowgast.
Three weekends in Rexxentrum by Technojuicebox (1157, Mature)
Warnings: None
fluffy shadowgast keep getting interrupted via sending my various members of the mighty nein
Reccer says: Nothing
Hold Me Steady by Luckyowlsfoot (5000, Explicit)
Warnings: pre-established kink of begging to the point of cnc and orgasm denial
Creative use of shibari! Dom!Caleb and Bratt!Essek
Reccer says: Nothing
Aeor is for Lovers is an 18+ Shadowgast Discord server. The above fanfic recommendations were pulled from our community for this weekly event. All fics, unless otherwise specified, will primarily feature Shadowgast.
Have any questions about what this is? Check out the FAQ! Next week's theme is Professor Widogast, so stay tuned!
#critical role#fan fiction rec list#aeor is for lovers#shadowgast#essek thelyss#caleb widogast#hidden gems
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My BG3 Fic Wips <3
My AO3 - AkbalKiin
Accidentally deleted the old post, my bad !
Current word count + dated last worked on
Titles are not final.
Oathbound — Yuta(Tav)/Zevlor, Sequel to Oathsworn
The party splits off from the tieflings to go to the Underdark. Recounting key parts of Act 1 & 2, then following vignettes of Yuta and Zevlor's relationship as they navigate both mundane living and a new murder plot in Act 3.
30k words, 04/13/24
St. Sebastian — Astarion, Haarlep, Raphael, Sebastian (various ships)
Astarion makes a strange deal with Raphael to kill Cazador. Raphael kills the vampire lord personally, including all his spawn, except one. Astarion is horrified to learn Raphael has made a contract with Sebastian and has now gifted him to Haarlep. Mephistopheles is annoyed.
16k words, 03/06/24
Rival of Ixalan — sequel to Crimson Vow, Raphael/Astarion
MtG Crossover - Raphael takes Astarion to another vampire-filled plane called Ixalan, where vampires are worshiped as protectors blessed by the sun, to try and convince him to sell his soul so he can walk across the planes. One Ixalani vampire has eyes for Astarion, and Raphael becomes possessive.
3k words, 12/9/23
Oathtower — Zevlor/Rolan
Zevlor feels responsible for what happened to the tieflings and wants to apologize. Rolan blames him, but pities him, and employs him at the tower.
4k words, 11/26/23
Several others put on hold for now.
Requests & Asks under cut
REQUESTS —
I'm fairly open to a lot, but my general rules include:
At least 2 characters (More is fine)
Please include a theme, word, kink, etc for me to write about
You can be more specific but at least a word is necessary
Can be smut, platonic, familial, fight scenes, etc.
Things I tend to favor: Guro, Angst, Whump, Dubcon, Darkfic, Psychological, Horror, Power Dynamics, Monsters, BDSM, various kinks
I'm fairly open to pretty much any ship, any dynamic.
I have a few hard limits but they’re not common asks. I won’t elaborate but if you somehow manage to request them I won’t make a big deal about it, I'll just delete them.
ASKS —
I love getting asks ! It helps me think sometimes, so if there's a WIP you're anticipating, feel free to ask about it!
Send a fic with a word and I’ll post a sentence with it or add it
Send a fic with a 🖊️ and I’ll post the last thing I wrote
Send a fic with any numbers 1-30 and I’ll answer these asks
Send a published fic from my AO3 and any questions you want !
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