Feveruary 2025: 5 “Could you just hold me?”, alt 2 cool wash cloth @feveruary
Fluffbingo: hoodie @flufftober
March of pain 2025: 15 headache, 20 migraine @marchofpain
March of whump 2025: 3 “Don’t leave me.” @marchwhumpness
Angstpril 2025: 20 fear @chaos-company
No one’s POV.:
Beomgyu already knew it wouldn’t be his day, when the shrill ringing of his alarm pulled him from a restless slumber. He had already felt a little out of it but figured a good night’s rest would restore his energy. Maybe it would’ve. If only he had been able to sleep. For most of the night, he had lain awake, countless thoughts circling through his head. It had only been two hours before his alarm went off, that he finally managed to doze a little.
Sitting up in bed, Beomgyu switched off his alarm and rubbed his face. The movement made his head pound and he tried to massage away the pressure behind his temples but there was little use. He released a shaky breath before finding the strength to get to his feet and shuffle to the bathroom. The bright light above the mirror made his eyes sting and water, sending a jab of pain through his skull. “Hurry up, Gyu”, Taehyun muttered as he bumped into the other, “Driver will be here shortly. Did you turn off your alarm again?” Stumbling from the sudden impact, Beomgyu clutched onto the sink. How could he possibly be running late? With how badly he had slept, there was no way he could’ve missed an earlier alarm.
Beomgyu hastily went through his morning routine, ignoring his growing headache for the sake of making it to his schedule in time. Checking his phone, he winced at the brightness of the screen but confirmed that he was luckily enough to be scheduled for recording today. Small graces. There was no way he could power through dance practice today. Deciding that looks didn’t matter today, Beomgyu slipped on an oversized hoodie and pulled the hood over his head to try and shield his eyes. He didn’t know why but they were giving him a hard time, his vision spotty for now apparent reason than his lack of sleep.
“You ready to go?”, Soobin asked, already tying his shoes, “We can grab some breakfast for you on the way, ‘cause you’re kinda late.” The younger gave an unenthusiastic hum, fumbling to put on his shoes. It messed with his balance quite a bit and Soobin needed to steady him for a moment, so he wouldn’t fall over. Buckling his seatbelt, Yeonjun handed Beomgyu a thermos and smiled: “Coffee. Figured you might need a little boost.” – “You’re a lifesaver, hyung”, the younger muttered as he shakily lifted the thermos to his lips. Hopefully, the caffeine would ease his headache and get him functional before they’d arrive at the company building.
Beomgyu didn’t want to admit it but he had never had a headache that severe. It left him dizzy and he clung to Hueningkai as they made their way up to the recording studio. “Are you okay, hyung?”, the maknae asked when he felt Beomgyu’s grip on his arm tighten. The older hummed indecisively, too focused on placing one foot in front of the other to express himself. To be completely honest, he was a little scared. His eyes had started playing tricks on him, making him see weird flashed of light, where he was convinced shouldn’t be any.
Yeonjun and Soobin exchanged a look when they watched Beomgyu collapse onto the couch with a groan. Taking a seat next to the younger, Yeonjun hummed: “You alright, bud? You don’t look so hot.” Beomgyu pulled his hood lower to protect his eyes and winced: “Headache.” – “I see”, the eldest smiled sympathetically, “What about your eyes? You keep looking at the floor.” – “’s too bright. Makes me see splotchy”, Beomgyu mumbled as he rubbed at his eyes. Comfortingly rubbing his dongsaeng’s back, Yeonjun explained: “Soobin’s finding you something to eat and once you got something in your tummy, you can have a painkiller.” – “Thanks, hyung. Not sure I can eat right now though. My tummy’s meh”, Beomguy admitted, palming his middle. “You haven’t eaten anything yet, so that’s probably why your tummy feels weird”, Yeonjun smiled, “You’ll feel better once you had a bite.”
Beomgyu did in fact not feel better after eating. Yeonjun and Soobin had traded places when the leader returned with a sandwich for their dongsaeng. With a trembling hand, Beomgyu popped back the pill before pulling his hood over his face and resting his head on Soobin’s shoulder. “We arranged for you to record last, so there’ll be enough time for the painkiller to kick in”, the leader hummed, “Try to take a little nap if you’re able to.” Though Beomgyu appreciated to gesture, he just wanted to get the recording over with, so that he might be allowed to go ho earlier.
Half an hour later, Beomgyu was glad that he didn’t have to be in the recording booth right now. His headache had only gotten worse and the studio felt unbearably stuffy to him, so he couldn’t even imagine how uncomfortable the inside of the booth must be. He had his knees drawn up to his chest to try and get as much strain off of his stomach as possible but so far, it did little to help. Nausea licked at the back of his throat, his stomach doing somersaults while the slightest noise made his head thump. Soobin glanced down at the younger when he picked up on a soft whimper. “You okay?”, he whispered quietly, hand stroking Beomgyu’s head through his hood. Sniffling weakly, the younger breathed: “No.”
Beomgyu gripped onto Soobin’s arm as he tried to ride out the pain and nausea but only seemed to spiral. “You wanna get some fresh air? You look like you need a breather”, the leader cooed, wrapping his arm around his dongsaeng to help him up. The world tilted when Beomgyu found himself hoisted to his feet and he gagged into his mouth, barely able to swallow it back down but Soobin didn’t seem to notice as he walked him out of the studio. The leader had just closed the door behind them when his dongsaeng’s nails dug into his arm. When he turned to Beomgyu, what little he could see of the younger’s face, had turned ashy white, his knees buckling all of a sudden. With how suddenly the boy had gone down, all Soobin could do was slow his fall and ease him down gently.
Cradling his pounding head, Beomgyu leant to the side his meager breakfast and coffee spilling from his lips. Soobin grabbed his shoulders and steadied him as he retched again, almost knocking himself over. “Breathe, Gyu”, the leader shushed, trying to calm his dongsaeng who only became more worked up. The force of his heaves caused his vision to cup out for a few seconds and Beomgyu clung to Soobin arm as he sobbed. To say Beomgyu was terrified would’ve been an understatement. Never before had a headache left him this miserable and he barely hung onto consciousness as Soobin moved him away from the puddle of sick. Propping the younger up against the wall, Soobin whispered: “You’re okay. Looks like you’re having a migraine. I’ll go get you some water, ‘kay?” – “Don’t leave me”, Beomgyu whimpered, reaching for his hyung.
Not having the heart to leave his dongsaeng alone in this condition, Soobin texted Yeonjun to bring them some water and tissues. “What’s going on?”, the eldest frowned as he crouched in front of his friends. He knew Beomgyu had been feeling poorly but this seemed like quite the escalation. Accepting a tissue, Soobin dabbed at Beomgyu’s lips and sighed: “Migraine most likely. Gonna take Gyu home once he got a chance to catch his breath.” – “Aw, shit”, Yeonjun whispered, “Have some water, hm?” – “Can’t”, the younger whimpered as he buried his face in his sweater paws. The two sat with Beomgyu for a few minutes before he was shifted into Yeonjun’s arms, so Soobin could clear his schedules for the rest of the day.
“Alright, I got permission to take you home, Gyu”, Soobin smiled when he returned, both his and his dongsaeng’s bags slung over his shoulder. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out his sunglasses, handed them to Beomgyu and explained: “It’ll be brighter when we go outside, so you should protect your eyes. Do you think you can stand?” – “No, help?”, the younger sniffled, reaching out his hands. Gently putting the sunglasses on Beomgyu, Soobin took his hands and with Yeonjun’s help pulled the boy to his feet. The younger swayed on his feet and Soobin quickly wrapped a protective arm around him, guiding him down the hallway while Yeonjun went to find some cleaning supplies.
The way back to their dorm was an adventure too, Beomgyu spending most of it cradling his head as he tried to breathe through the nausea and pain. Soobin had given him a plastic bag but considering how badly throwing up hurt his head, Beomgyu fought the urge with all his might. Since he still felt awfully faint when they finally arrived, Soobin pulled him onto his back and carefully carried him up to the dorm. Getting his shoes off was a struggle but Beomgyu eventually found himself sprawled out on his bed, the thrash can pulled up close next to it. “Do you want me to make you some warm broth to settle your stomach?”, the leader asked as he took a seat next to Beomgyu. Voice muffled by his pillow, the younger slurred: “No, jus g’nna puke ‘gain.” – “Possibly”, Soobin agreed, gently running his fingers through his dongsaeng’s hair, “It’ll hurt less when there’s something in your tummy though.”
Beomgyu was already convinced his hyung had left him to succumb to his misery but the elder eventually returned with a cool washcloth, whispering: “Come on, let’s elevate your head a bit to ease the pressure. The cold cloth should make the pain more bearable.” – “Hyung, how do you do this all the time”, Beomgyu whimpered, almost turning to putty as Soobin rearranged his pillow and gently positioned his head, so he could drape the cool washcloth over his forehead. “I dunno, bud. It sucks but it’ll pass”, the leader cooed, stroking Beomgyu’s pale cheek, “Anything I can do to make you more comfortable?” – “Could you just hold me?”, the younger requested and who was Soobin to deny?
Feveruary 2025: 4 herbal remedy, 21 from better to worse @feveruary
Fluffbingo: “This was a bad idea.”, late night @flufftober
March of pain 2025: 6 insomnia, alt 5 side effects @marchofpain
March whumpness 2025: 8 exhaustion @marchwhumpness
Whumpril 2025: 7 restless @whumpril
Angstpril 2025: 12 insomnia, 29 inevitable, alt 2 unable to help @chaos-company
No one’s POV.:
Groaning in frustration, Jeongin pulled his pillow over his head. Despite this ungodly hour, his dormmate was awake, so Jeongin inevitably was too. He never told Chan but he could hear the leader pacing in his room every night when his insomnia got bad. If he knew, the Aussie would be mortified, feeling guilty that he robbed the maknae of his precious sleep, so Jeongin kept it to himself despite ending up almost as exhausted as Chan himself. Tonight, the boy was reaching his breaking point though.
“Don’t you think you should head to bed, hyung?”, the youngest yawned, gently resting his hand on Chan’s shoulder. Startled, Chan spun around, his tried eyes needing just a moment too long to focus on Jeongin. Calming his racing heart, the leader sighed: “What are you doing up, Innie?” – “Making sure you go to sleep”, Jeongin replied, hesitant to let the older know. Chan plopped down on the couch, frowning: “Yeah, good luck with that. If I could, I would be sleeping right now. You should sleep though.” – “Hyung, I can’t sleep either with you pacing like this”, the maknae admitted, “I know you’re restless but let’s try to settle down, yeah?” – “I kept you up, didn’t I?”, Chan pouted defeatedly. Patting the spot next to him, the Aussie sighed, “I’m sorry. Go back to bed, I’ll keep it down.”
Jeongin didn’t go back, much to Chan’s dismay. Shaking his head, the younger denied: “That would only be ignoring the problem. We gotta figure out how to put you to sleep, hyung.” He couldn’t bear feeling so helpless while watching Chan suffer. “Well, I tried pretty much all there is, from meditation to prescription medicine. Nothing has helped my insomnia so far”, the leader complained as he rubbed his eyes. Jeongin took his hands and softly pulled them away from his face, knowing the dark eyebags would only become more prominent if Chan kept rubbing.
Dropping his head back against the couch, Chan squeezed his eyes shut. They stung badly from how long he had been awake and the faint light from the hallway illuminating the living room made his headache worse. “My mom once gifted me that valerian root tea when I had trouble sleeping and it always makes me really drowsy. I could make a cup for you”, Jeongin offered, giving his hyung’s hand a gentle squeeze. By now, Chan was so exhausted, he’d try anything if there was even the slightest chance for him to get some shut eye though he neither had high expectations nor hope. He nodded slowly, even if it was just for Jeongin’s peace of mind, so the younger wouldn’t feel so helpless, he’d drink the tea.
Chan massaged his temples as he listened to Jeongin rummaging through the kitchen. He always hated these late nights wen he was at the mercy of his body and mind, never knowing whether he’d be lucky enough to be granted some sleep this time. “Just so you know, it tastes really bad”, Jeongin warned, stirring a spoonful of honey into the cup of steaming tea, “I added honey because it’s impossible to get it down without any additional sweetness but you can always add more.” Despite his exhaustion, Chan chuckled. His dongsaeng surely was dramatic at times.
Or so he though…. “Ugh, that’s nasty”, the leader frowned, shuddering as he lowered the cup after a single sip. Taking a seat next to the older, Jeongin laughed softly: “Told you. If you want, we can add more honey.” – “Nah, it’s okay. Just didn’t expect it to taste this bad”, Chan denied, lightly blowing on his tea. It wasn’t worse than some of the caffeine concoctions he had forced down in desperate situations when he needed to function despite not having had any sleep, so he could handle the taste, if it meant it would help.
Against all odds, Chan had to admit that he was getting drowsy after he had finished his tea. Still, he didn’t want to go back to his room, afraid the restlessness would overtake him once again, so neither did Jeongin. “Was that your stomach?”, the maknae asked with wide eyes when a loud gurgling noise cut through the silence. Awkwardly rubbing his stomach, Chan mumbled: “Yeah, the tea’s really sloshing around in there. I don’t know if I chugged it too quickly or what….” Jeongin guided his hyung’s head down on his shoulder and hummed: “Try to relax.”
Chan really seemed to get sleepy but before Jeongin could ask him whether he finally wanted to go to bed, the older winced: “My stomach’s not handling this all that well. I’ll go sit by the window for a bit.” Sluggishly getting to his feet, Chan protectively wrapped an arm around his middle and shuffled to the dining table. He pulled a chair up to the window and opened the window to let in some fresh air. The cool night air cleared his mind and also soothed his headache a little, though it had little effect on the nausea.
Grabbing the blanket from the back of the couch, Jeongin followed Chan and draped the blanket around his shoulders. If he was going to stay there by the open window, he shouldn’t catch a chill. “You okay, hyung?”, he whispered, carding his fingers through Chan’s curls. To exhausted to lie, the Aussie just shrugged. It was safer not to give a verbal reply right now anyway. ‘This was a bad idea’, he thought to himself. He drew his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on them, breaking into a sweat. His stomach still churned angrily and it took all his remaining self-control to swallow down the saliva that rapidly filled his mouth.
Jeongin jumped a little when the chair scraped across the floor from the urgency with which Chan got to his feet. The older knew he wouldn’t make it to the bathroom, so rushed to the kitchen sink. A burp brought up a small trickle of tea, which was all the warning he got before his stomach contracted and a large wave gushed from his lips. “It tastes even worse now”, he choked out when he felt Jeongin’s hand on his back before retching again. Chan shuddered and clutched the counter for support. This was disgusting. If he had really thought the tea had tasted bad going down, he had had no idea….
“You think you can handle some water, hyung”, Jeongin frowned, offering Chan a glass. The eldest weakly shook his head, merely rinsing his mouth with some water from his cupped hands. Bringing the chair Chan had been sitting on, Jeongin instructed: “Here, sit for a moment, hyung. How’re you feeling now?” – “Wrung out”, the Aussie rasped, shivering in his sweaty shirt. “I’m sorry, I made you sick, hyung”, Jeongin pouted as he picked up the blanket that had fallen from Chan’s shoulders earlier. Once again wrapping it around his hyung’s shoulders, he sighed: “Once your stomach calms down, you should really have some water before going to bed. Your headache’s only going to get worse if you get dehydrated.” – “How’d you-“ – “You’ve had your signature headache-crease on your forehead all day”, the maknae informed. “There’s no such thing as a signature headache-crease”, Chan argued, rubbing his forehead to smooth it. Nodding, Jeongin giggled: “Yup there is and you have one.”
He managed to coax Chan into sipping some water before guiding him back to the couch. Chan still refused to go to his room, reasoning that he felt pressured to fall asleep if he went there and if he felt pressured, he’d inevitably fail. Glancing at the couch, Jeongin was truly surprised how small Chan managed to look when he curled in on himself so tightly. He didn’t want to leave the eldest there by himself, not when he looked so vulnerable and not after making him this miserable in the first place, so he pulled up a chair next to the couch and started to pet his hyung’s hair.
Jeongin’s own eyes had started to droop shut as he sat in his chair, fingers tangled in Chan’s curl when a noise caught his attention. Glancing down at Chan in the dim light, the maknae realized his friend was snoring softly. A surprised laugh escaped Jeongin’s lips. He’d have to remind Chan that puking his guts up was the solution to his insomnia.
Fixing the blanket one last time, Jeongin curled up on the other couch and finally allowed himself to go to sleep too.
Feveruary 2025: 11 “you’re burning up”, alt 1 forced to work @feveruary
Fluffbingo: “It’s just so much.” @flufftober
March whumpness 2025: 6 alone, 8 exhaustion, 20 fainting, 29 collapsing at work @marchwhumpness
Whumpril 2025: 25 too weak to stand, alt 11 missed medication, alt 13 “Why won’t you believe me?” @whumpril
Angstpril 2025: 4 “I trusted you”, 8 ignored, 9 “I don’t want your apology”, alt 1 “did you even care?”, alt 3 collapse @angstpril
August of whump 2024: alt collapse @augustofwhump
No one’s POV.:
San sighed as he plopped down in the backseat of a taxi. The rest of the group had long since been able to go home for the day but he had been stuck at his solo schedule till late into the night. His entire body ached from the exhaustion, head throbbing. Knowing he’d feel far worse if he didn’t eat well to fuel his body, San opened the takeout bag and glanced at the kimbap in disgust. For some reason, it didn’t look the slightest bit appealing, which was weird considering how long he had gone without food. There simply hadn’t been enough time for him to eat, so perhaps the dull ache in the pit of his stomach was hunger pain. With a sigh, San sank his teeth into his late-night dinner, wanting to be done eating once he got back to his dorm, so he could collapse straight into bed.
Shortly before the car came to a halt, San suddenly flashed hot, the car’s interior seemingly closing in around him and he was glad when he could finally get out. His head spun for a moment and he had to brace himself against the trunk before the cool night air cleared his head, allowing him to stand up straight. Shakily making his way up to his dorm, San envied Seonghwa and Mingi for already being home. He stifled a soft burp against the back of his hand as he kicked off his shoes, wincing as the kimbap he had forced down sat heavy in his stomach. Eating so late never really worked well for him but it had never actually made him sick, so he figured he’d be fine if he just went to bed to sleep it off. Especially because he barely had any time left to sleep anyway.
Sleeping it off didn’t work for San though and only half an hour later, he found himself kneeling on the bathroom floor, knuckles turning white as he clutched the toilet seat. His throat burned as he brought up wave after wave of barely digested kimbap. San didn’t even try to stay quiet anymore at this point, partially hoping one of his dormmates would wake up and come to check on him. The dorm stayed quiet though, an eerie silence hanging over him as San sat back on his heels, only disrupted by his panting. Still trembling, he pulled off his shirt and cringed at how sweaty it had become in only a matter of minutes. A shudder ran down his back and he swallowed hard. When had it gotten so freaking cold? There were only a couple of hours left till his alarm would go off, so he should really get to bed but his legs had gotten all numb from kneeling there.
San stretched out his legs, trying to ignore the tingle as blood flooded through them again. Swallowing, he tried to ease the burn in his throat but it was to no avail. He couldn’t even get rid of the vile taste because the sink was so far away and his legs still felt like jelly, refusing to carry him. Defeatedly slumping back against the wall, San ran his hand over his sore abs. What had he done to deserve this misery? And how had both Seonghwa and Mingi managed to sleep through his ordeal? San knew he wasn’t a quiet puker by any means, but they were probably exhausted too. Still, he hated being alone when he was sick.
After what felt like ages, San finally managed to pull himself to his feet, though he was still a little wobbly. He had a few sips of water and rinsed his mouth with mouthwash before grabbing some painkillers for his headache. There was no way he could take them right now, not with how bubbly his stomach still was, but he would place them on his nightstand to swallow as soon as his stomach calmed down. Why did they have to split up dorms? He really didn’t want to sleep in a room all by himself right now but he also didn’t feel like he could go bother Seonghwa or Mingi, so he tiredly trudged back to his room and flopped down on his bed.
Morning came far too early for San’s liking though he counted it as a success that he hadn’t thrown up again that night. His stomach hadn’t really calmed down though, so he doubted he could handle eating breakfast today. When his eyes fell on the painkillers on his nightstand, he quickly shook two into his palm and swallowed them dry, wincing as they scraped his raw throat. Since he still felt a little chilled, he threw on an oversized sweater and made sure to wear loose pants, so they wouldn’t dig into his middle. Luckily, Mingi was already in the bathroom getting ready and San managed to catch Seonghwa alone in the kitchen.
“Good morning”, he rasped as he walked up behind the oldest and poured himself a glass of water. Seonghwa greeted him with a smile and took a sip of coffee. Carefully sipping his water to see if his stomach would tolerate it, San pouted: “Hyung, I don’t feel good. Can I stay home today?” – “Aish, Sannie”, the older chuckled, “I know you have a special dislike for that choreographer but come on. You gotta grow up. We can’t just fake sick whenever we dislike our schedule. Now, come on. Get ready or else we’ll run late.” San was stunned. His hyung didn’t believe him?! Shit, he had completely forgotten what schedule they had today. He couldn’t do this. Not today.
Though Seonghwa had brushed him off, the eldest seemed more amused than annoyed at San’s perceived attempt at skipping dance practice. The same wasn’t true for the rest of the group though. None of them really enjoyed working with this choreographer, so the atmosphere in the practice room was already tense to begin with. “Why won’t you believe me?”, San pouted after Hongjoong chewed him out for acting childishly. Rolling his eyes, the leader reminded: “I know you don’t wanna do this but we have no choice. He’s good at his work and we need him if we want our next comeback to be a success.” There was still another hour left till San could have another dose of medicine and knew he’d need it if he was forced to work. By now, he was convinced that he was also running a fever and when he went to check his bag, he realized that he had left the medicine on his nightstand at the dorm.
“Woo, you don’t happen to be carrying some painkillers?”, San whispered during one of their water breaks. Leaning back against the wall, Wooyoung ran his hand through his sweaty hair and sighed: “No, I don’t and seriously, Sannie. Taking medicine just to keep up an act isn’t good. It’s not healthy to swallow this stuff unnecessarily.” – “You have no idea how necessary it is”, the older muttered bitterly but Wooyoung didn’t hear him. Having missed his medication, San was feeling more miserable by the minute. He tried talking to Hongjoong again but the leader ignored him. Eyes burning with tears, San trudged back to his position and took a deep breath. His vision was already fuzzy around the edges and he feared that if he lost his breath, he might faint right there. He didn’t think he could handle being scolded for ruining another run-through although it wasn’t in his control.
By some sort of miracle, San made it through most of the song before the dizziness really hit but when it did, boy did it hit hard. It felt like someone pulled the rug from under his feet. Luckily, he didn’t stumble too much but he barely heard the last few beats over the ringing in his ears, tumbling to the floor the moment the music was cut. For a moment, he must’ve been unconscious because he didn’t even feel the impact of his body slamming into the ground but when he came to, all he was really aware of was pain.
A hoarse whimper escaped San’s limps as he clutched his head, the throbbing unbearable. His stomach cramped, making him subconsciously curl in on himself, which took a lot more effort than he had anticipated because his aching muscles strongly protested the movement. “Stay down”, Seonghwa instructed, a gentle hand on San’s shoulder keeping hi down, “Shit, you’re burning up.” – “Told you”, the younger breathed, weakly sitting up despite Seonghwa’s objections. The water San had sipped earlier sloshed nauseatingly in his stomach and he feared if he lay down flat, he wouldn’t stand a fair chance at keeping it down. Hongjoong’s heart raced as he requested the others give them space. How could he have ignored his dongsaeng when he so adamantly told him that he couldn’t keep going.
“Shit, Sannie, I’m so sorry”, Hongjoong mumbled as he knelt down next to the younger, offering him his water bottle. Weakly pushing it away, San whispered: “I don’t want your apology.” What he really wanted was to go home, to lay down in his bed and not on the practice room floor, to take the medicine he had forgotten, so he’d hopefully feel less shitty soon but he couldn’t voice that. Not with how heavy his tongue felt in his mouth, already struggling to swallow the saliva that filled his mouth at an alarming rate.
Before either Seonghwa or Hongjoong could react or even comprehend what was happening, San pulled the hem of his shirt up as his stomach lurched, the water he had forced himself to drink suddenly gushing from his lips. Though taken by surprise, Seonghwa gently patted his dongsaeng’s back when he choked on a cough. San shuddered with a retch, his stomach burning as it tried to bring up something that wasn’t there. Since he had skipped his breakfast that day and had already thrown up his dinner earlier, stomach acid and bile were all that was left and burned his already strained throat on the way up.
Holding the trashcan underneath San’s chin, Yunho hummed: “Try to take a deep breath.” He had traded places with Hongjoong because San looked so obviously uncomfortable with the leader’s presence, who now gathered the rest of the members and left the room with the choreographer in tow. Drawing a shaky breath, San broke into tears. Sobs wracked his frame while Seonghwa did his best to comfort him. “I know you probably don’t want to hear it right now but I’m really, truly sorry for not believing you”, the eldest whispered, carding his fingers through San’s hair to get it out of his face. Squeezing his eyes shut, the younger whimpered: “I trusted you, hyung.” – “I know you did, love”, Seonghwa sighed.
“Did you take any medicine?”, Yunho asked after helping the other removed his soiled shirt. Wiping his lips on a clean corner of his shirt, San shook his head and mumbled: “I took some this morning but missed the next dose. They’re on my nightstand, so I asked Woo but he didn’t have any.” – “I have some”, Seonghwa frowned, feeling San’s forehead again, “Do you think you could stomach them right now?” The younger shook his head again as another wave of tears washed over him. “I wanna go home”, San choked out, exhausted from the night he had had and the torturous dance practice that had taken the rest out of him, “I’m sorry, it’s just so much.” – “No, you’re the only one who doesn’t have anything to apologize for”, Yunho scolded, “And especially not for feeling upset and overwhelmed right now. Let’s get you cleaned up. You can borrow my hoodie, yeah?”
Yunho helped San clean himself up, while Seonghwa packed their bags. “Do you think you can stand?”, the eldest asked, offering him a hand. Shaking his head, San mumbled: “I-I feel like jelly.” – “It’s okay”, Yunho smiled, “We’ll help you but we should really get you home.” They soon came to realize that San hadn't been kidding. It took them both immense effort to hoist their dongsaeng to his feet and even more to keep him there. “Hyung, I don’t feel good”, San slurred, squeezing his eyes shut. He wasn’t sure if he was going to faint again but his vision was cloudy to say the least.
With San in their middle, Seonghwa and Yunho slowly shuffled to the door, hoping Hongjoong was already arranging a ride for them. In the hallway, they ran into Wooyoung, who paced anxiously in front of the door. When San and him made eye contact, the older breathed: “I really needed medicine.” – “I know, Sannie. I’m so sorry”, Wooyoung apologized, trying to hug his friend. Shaking his head, San muttered: “Did you even care?” The younger bit his lip, eye trained on the floor. Of course, he did care but he surely hadn’t acted like it, so he couldn’t blame San for being hurt. “We’re taking him home now, Woo. Do you know where Hongjoong is?”, Seonghwa asked calmly though he was slowly starting to sweat from how much strength it took to keep San on his feet.
They found Hongjoong at the front desk, chatting with their manager, who seemed stressed when they approached, frowning: “Hey. I heard you weren’t feeling well, San.” San shook his head, trying to stand up a little straighter between his hyungs but he was still unbearably dizzy and too weak to hold his own weight. “Do you want to go to the hospital to get checked, since you collapsed or would you want me to take you back to the dorm?”, the manager offered, closely studying San’s ghostly pale face. Drawing a shaky breath, San rasped: “I really just want my bed please.” – “That’s alright”, his manager agreed, “We’re already working on the schedule changes to make sure you’ll be off for the rest of the week to recover.”
“Sannie-“, Wooyoung called after him, guilty still eating him up. Turning his back on his friends, San sighed: “I don’t want your apologies, I trusted you.”
Angstpril 2025: 6 Holding back tears, 13 hiding their pain, 26 accident, 27 giving everything they've got @angstpril
No one’s POV.:
Approaching another comeback, the group had been working incredibly hard. The dance-racha had barely been outside the practice room all week, perfecting the choreographies for 3racha’s new songs. They were on a tight schedule and with Felix’ back giving him troubles, it had been mainly up to Minho and Hyunjin to ensure they’d get everything done on time. Keeping in mind that they’d also have to teach the choreos to the rest of the group. With Hyunjin frequently being gone for individual schedules since he had struck another modeling deal, Minho had taken it upon himself to stay at the company building longer each night to compensate for his dongsaengs’ absence. When their other schedules were too tight and he couldn’t stay longer, he’d cut his breaks and occasionally skip his lunch for those extra thirty minutes.
Luckily, Hyunjin and Felix were fast learners and Minho had no problem bringing them up to speed with the steps he had added. That way, they could at least help him teach the other members because Minho had found his patience wearing thin lately and he doubted he’d be able to keep his calm. It was probably his lack of sleep lately that had left him on this emotional rollercoaster and that the members would probably understand if he told them how worn down he was from trying to take as much off his dongsaengs’ shoulders as possible but he wasn’t one to complain and he knew how guilty Hyunjin and Felix would feel. He’d have to suck it up and try not to make his tense nerves anyone else’s problem.
The had been practicing for most of the day already. ‘Like usual’, Minho thought bitterly. He loved dancing but doing it all day every day was still a bit over the top. Now however, the rest of the group joined them and they could present what they had come up with before teaching them the steps. Felix had been struggling with the steps himself, so Minho had once again skipped his lunch to help the Aussie get it right, which he now kind of regretted. His legs already felt crampy and he wished he could’ve sat down for a couple of minutes but their time was tight, so no break it was.
Minho’s mind felt slow when he walked up to the speakers to start the music, knowing the others were watching them. ‘Focus!’, he reprimanded himself, pinching his arm. He couldn’t afford to slack off now. The world still seemed off kilter when Minho got into position and the first beats rang out. That had happened a lot lately and he figured it was him running low on energy but he had gotten increasingly good at ignoring it lately.
Everything seemed to be going well and Felix nailed the sequence they had been working on till the very last minute, so Minho was glad they had taken the time to go over it instead of getting lunch. With every spin though, his vision blurred as if his eyes had gotten to slow to follow his body’s movement, while his left ankle felt stiff, leaving him unable to put as much energy into the jumps as he would’ve liked. Having been a dancer for so long, Minho should’ve known that what he was doing was a recipe for disaster and before they managed to get to the bridge, him and Felix collided, tripping over each other’s feet. A sharp pain shot up Minho’s leg and he gritted his teeth before turning to check on Felix. With tears trailing down his freckled cheeks, the Aussie struggled to his feet, one hand pressed firmly against his back.
“Gosh, Lix. I’m so sorry!”, Minho stammered as he forced himself up off the floor. The pain that shot through his ankle took him by surprise and nearly knocked him back down but the adrenaline kept him on his feet. Felix had been making so much improvement lately, it couldn’t all have been for nothing just because of Minho’s clumsiness.
The group had all but crowded around the youngest dancer who tried some gentle movements, harshly scrubbing away his tears. Holding back another wave of tears, Felix sniffled: “I-I’m okay.” The pain was still evident in his voice and after checking the younger over, Minho decided to not take any risks. “How about you sit the rest of the day out? You got all the steps down an hour ago, so no need to push yourself further”, Minho hummed, rubbing Felix’ shoulder, “I’m sorry, hyung should’ve been more careful.” Giving a defeated nod, Felix trudged off towards his bag to have some water and put on his sweater, so he wouldn’t catch a cold, Chan and Hyunjin following close behind to make sure the boy was alright. Minho instructed the rest to take a small break before excusing himself to the restroom to collect himself.
It had taken quite a bit of willpower not to limp in front of the members but once the door had closed behind him, Minho hobbled down the hallway to the restroom. Fulling down his sock with a wince, he bit his lip. Silent tears dripped from his chin. This wasn’t good. His ankle was already beginning to swell with a bruise forming on the outer side. Though it hurt badly when he tried to move it, Minho was glad that he still could, so he decided it couldn’t be broken. Hell, he had sprained his ankles dozens of times in the past. It was something that just came with being a dancer and trying more reckless stunts every time. With Felix out of commission for the rest of the day, they couldn’t afford him being hurt. He couldn’t just dump all the responsibility on Hyunjin, so after soaking some paper towels under cold water, Minho stuffed them into his sock and hopped to his locker.
Minho was glad he always kept a first aid kit in his locker and carefully removed his shoe and sock. If there was any more swelling around his ankle, he wouldn’t be able to wear his shoe anymore, so he bandaged it tightly before covering it with his sock and putting the shoe back on. It had to be laced very loosely but hey, he was still able to wear it. Determined not to let this slow him down, Minho wiped his tears and hobbled back to the practice room.
When he entered, Hyunjin tossed him an energy bar from his bag, informing: “You skipped lunch and looked out of it, so your blood sugar’s probably low. You should watch out for such things, hyung. We can’t afford anymore injuries due to your negligence.” Hanging his head in shame Minho nodded and tore into the energy bar. It barely tasted like anything, probably because his breath was a little wonky while he tried to hold back his tears. His ankle throbbed and putting any weight onto that foot felt like an impossible task but Minho pushed on. They had all danced injured before and it was his fault that him and Felix were injured in the first place.
Minho’s mind had shifted to autopilot at some point as he demonstrated the moves again and again. Hyunjin took over most of the teaching and Felix eventually started to pipe in some advice too after calming down and assuring his friends that his back pain was probably just flaring up and that he doubted he had seriously injured himself. Surprisingly, nobody seemed to have caught on to Minho’s struggle or if they did, they probably didn’t care. All they cared about was him being the reason somebody else got hurt. “Don’t skip your meals, Minho-yah”, Chan warned before they parted ways to got home to their individual dorms, “Today proved how dangerous that can be.” The dancer nodded defeatedly. All he had wanted was to help Felix learn the moves he had been struggling with.
Jisung sat quietly next to his during the ride home, figuring the older didn’t want to talk. Only when he glanced over at Minho, did he notice the silent tears glistening on his hyung’s cheeks. Wordlessly reaching over, Jisung took the other’s hand and linked their fingers. Minho would talk if he wanted to, so for now, silent support it was. The dancer stumbled when they got out of the car and Jisung worriedly caught him around the waist, frowning: “You okay, hyung? Is your blood sugar still low?” – “I’m okay”, Minho forced out, trying to shift his weight, “It’s just my ankle, I twisted it a little earlier.” – “Hyung! Why didn’t you say anything?!”, the rapper gasped, stepping closer so Minho could lean on his shoulder. Shrugging, the older winced: “It was my fault we got hurt and since we were already a dancer down, I couldn’t leave Hyunjinnie teach you all on his own. Don’t worry, I bandaged it earlier for stability and to reduce the swelling.”
“Take off your shoe. We gotta take a look at that”, Jisung announced after disposing Minho on the living room couch, “You shouldn’t have been dancing on it. Do you know how negligent that was, hyung?!” – “Please don’t use that word?”, the dancer groaned. Couldn’t they see that he was trying his hardest? While Minho slowly and carefully peeled himself out of his shoe and sock, Jisung gasped: “Hyung! That bandage is far to tight! What were you thinking?” – “It wasn’t so tight earlier”, Minho defended, swallowing hard when he saw how the bandage dug into his swollen and bruised ankle. He slumped back against the couch cushions defeated while Jisung carefully unwrapped his ankle and inspected the dark bruise, frowning: “Are you sure it’s not broken?” The dancer nodded. “Probably sprained, dancing just made the bruise worse”, he muttered, “Didn’t mean to neglect it but I felt so guilty for what happened with Lix. I couldn’t, I just couldn’t be injured too.”
Placing a pillow on the other side of the couch, Jisung instructed: “Elevate your leg and I’ll go fetch an icepack.” While his dongsaeng walked off to the kitchen, Minho stretched out on the couch, rubbing his face. How could he let something like this happen so close to a comeback? “Here, keep this on your ankle for the time being”, the rapper smiled, handing the older an icepack wrapped in a tea towel, “How about we order delivery for dinner? This mess happened because you weren’t eating well, so I want you to have something nutritious for dinner. Your body needs it to heal but you’re not getting up from this couch anytime soon and I’m not in the mood to cook, so….” – “Sounds great. I’m starving”, Minho hummed, tiredly running a hand through his sweaty hair. He’s still need to take a shower at some point but he really didn’t want to stand. Seemingly reading his mind, Jisung offered: “Want me to run you a bath?” – “After dinner? The icepack feels nice right now”, Minho breathed, closing his eyes. The rapper hummed in agreement, gently playing with his hyung’s hair to comfort him.
“You ordered pudding too?!”, Minho gasped, a bright smile spready on his lips. Mirroring the dancer, Jisung chuckled: “I wanted to cheer you up with a nice dessert because I know you were doing your best and I saw how hard you’ve been working lately. It just hurts my heart to see you neglect yourself for the rest of the group.” Maybe if he hadn’t been so tired, Minho’s eyes wouldn’t have gotten so teary or maybe they would’ve. With how quickly he dabbed at them, Jisung didn’t notice it either way. “I’d like to put some ointment on your ankle and bandage it properly after you washed up”, the rapper munched, worriedly scanning over the sizeable bruise. Bumping his shoulder, Minho pouted: “Are you telling me I did a bad job with the way I bandaged it?” – “Yeah, you did a terrible job”, Jisung teased, “With how tightly you wrapped it, you’re lucky you didn’t lose a foot.”
After devouring his pudding, Minho let his dongsaeng help him to the bathroom. He was surprised how much tension melted off his shoulders once he was submerged in the warm water, his foot resting on a towel at the edge of the tub. The heat had him grow sleepy and he was glad that he could go to bed soon. Like he had promised, Jisung gently spread ointment around his swollen ankle and dressed it with a fresh bandage, his touch careful and light. “Keep it elevated on this pillow while you sleep, hyung”, the rapper advised, helping the older get comfortable. Lips turning into a pout, Minho whined: “I don’t think I can sleep like this. That’s not even close to my normal sleeping position.” – “Well, don’t get hurt then if you’re so picky about your sleeping positions or don’t sleep”, Jisung remarked, earning a weak punch to the arm, “Just kidding. Cuddles would help, wouldn’t they?” – “Cuddles would help”, Minho agreed with a smile and opened his arms. Finally, he could get some sleep.
Feveruary 2025: 23 “You need a tissue?”, 24 “Don’t you think you should stay home today?” @feveruary
March of pain 2025: 1 cough, 26 infection @marchofpain
March whumpness 2025: 16 cold, 17 fever/sick @marchwhumpness
Whumpril 2025: 7 restless, 27 tossing and turning, alt 7 congestion @whumpril
No one’s POV.:
“You look like shit”, Heeseung greeted when Jake shuffled into the kitchen that morning. Rubbing his eyes, Jake groaned: “Hyung, if you think this is bad, you should see Jay.” – “Let me guess, he didn’t catch a break, did he?”, the eldest frowned, taking in the dark circles under Jake’s eyes. The Aussie shook his head. Jay had come down with a cold a couple of days ago and what had merely been an annoying tickle in his throat, soon turned into a persistent cough that kept him awake for most of the night. Sluggishly dumping some cereal into aa bowl, Jake yawned: “With how restlessly he’s been tossing and turning, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was running a fever. Could you check on him before we leave, hyung? I don’t think he should go to work today but your chances of convincing him are higher than mine.” – “Will do”, Heeseung smiled and ruffled his dongsaeng’s hair, “Thanks for telling me.”
Softly knocking on the bathroom door, the eldest called: “Can I come in, Jay-ah.” The door opened and Jay blearily looked at his only hyung, toothbrush in hand. “Don’t you think you should stay home today?”, Heeseung hummed, cupping his palm over Jay’s forehead, “Mhm, you’re running a fever and Jake told me you didn’t get much sleep. How’re you feeling?” Jay squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. Those were far too many words for his sleep-muddled brain to comprehend and he needed a second to focus. “’m just cold, hyung”, he sniffled, placing his toothbrush down on the sink before taking a seat on the edge of the bathtub. If they were to have a conversation, he really needed to sit. Raising an eyebrow, the older challenged: “Plus, sick and sleep-deprived. You look awful.” – “Geez, thanks”, Jay mumbled, voice cracking painfully. Lifting his towel to his face, he muffled a scratchy cough into the damp material and sighed: “What choice do I have? We got so much to do and it’s just a cold. Doesn’t matter that I’m not fully on top of my game.”
While Jay continued to get ready for the day, Heeseung approached Jungwon and hummed: “Wonnie, could you call manager-nim, please? Jay is sick and he shouldn’t work today but he feels like he has no choice, so maybe manager-nim has an idea.” – “Of course, I’ll give him a call”, the leader nodded, already pulling out his phone, “What do you want me to tell him is wrong with Jay-hyung?” – “His cold has gotten a lot worse, he’s feverish and barely got any sleep last night”, Heeseung explained, patting his dongsaeng’s shoulder, “Thank you, Wonnie.”
“Good morning, Jay-hyung”, Jungwon smiled as he returned to the living room, finding the older slumped on the couch, “I called manager-nim for you. Damn, you really look bad.” – “Thanks”, Jay muttered, his bitter laugh quickly turning into a cough. The leader winced as he heard the congestion rattling in Jay’s chest and informed: “Manager-nim said, he’d take you to a doctor after dropping the rest of us off at the company and that he wants you to wear a mask while we’re in the car because you probably have some sort of infection and he’s afraid of it being spread.” Nodding obediently, Jay pushed off the couch, ready to head to his room to get his mask. “Thank you for calling him, Wonnie”, the older rasped before he shuffled off.
Jay scrunched up his nose as he felt it leek behind his mask. He had been sniffling through most of the ride and felt he couldn’t do so again if he didn’t want to annoy his friends. With how badly his skin was stinging, he knew his nostrils would be chapped before the day was over. “You need a tissue, hyung?”, Sunoo offered quiet, holding out the travel pack, “Keep them.” Jay nodded his thanks and pulled out one of the tissues before slipping the travel pack into his pocket. As soon as the members got out of the car, he tugged his mask down and blew his nose, cringing at the thick gurgle. It had been a while since he had last been this congested and he couldn’t even remember when that had happened. Glancing over his shoulder, his manager frowned: “Jungwon-ah wasn’t kidding. You sound like you’re drowning, kid.” – “Feel it too”, Jay muttered as he fixed his mask and leant back in his seat. He closed his eyes in hopes of easing his headache a little and hoped they’d be there soon. The sooner he could get his doctor’s visit over with, the sooner he could go back to bed.
Collapsing back into his seat, Jay sighed. The trip hadn’t been rewarding at all because he already knew he had some respiratory infection before he had left the dorm and hearing that there was not much that he could do about it except for resting and staying hydrating, was nothing short of frustrating. At least, they stopped at a pharmacy, so Jay could stock up on tissues, nasal spray, cough syrup and vapor rub. He felt a little sorry for Jake, knowing he had kept his roommate up all night with his coughing. Still, the Aussie had to attend their schedule while he could go back to bed. Not wanting that to happen again, Jay also bought earplugs for Jake before finally heading back to the dorm.
As soon as they arrived, Jay thanked the manager for taking him and for clearing his schedule before trudging inside and dropping his bag on the kitchen counter. Starting the kettle, he checked his phone and found a text from Sunghoon, who let him know that he’d be coming home sooner than expected. The younger had been casted to participate in another drama and would be sent home to memorize his script. Jay probably wouldn’t admit it but he was grateful for that. A completely empty dorm always felt weird since he had become used to having the members around him at all times.
After preparing his tea and stirring in a generous spoonful of honey, Jay sliced an apple and nibbled it slowly. He had no appetite but he really wanted to take something for his headache and the vitamins surely wouldn’t hurt, right? “Hey, what did the doctor say?”, Sunghoon asked, startling Jay into dropping his apple slice. He hadn’t heard the younger get back, a testament to the feverish haze that still clouded his mind. Clearing his throat, Jay rasped: “I should rest and drink lots of fluids, nothing fancy.” – “So, you’ll live?”, Sunghoon chuckled, earning an amused snort. “Unfortunately, you won’t get rid of me that easily”, the older joked, “I’ll take some medicine and lay down for a nap once I finish this apple. Won’t distract you from your work.”
“Oh, right! Heeseung-hyung wanted me to ask if they should bring back some takeout soup for dinner when they get home later”, Sunghoon remembered before Jay could walk off. Though he really loved cooking, Jay could see himself find the energy or motivation to do so anytime soon, so he nodded: “That’d be great. How’s Jake doing? He’s gotta be so tired.” – “He’ll be fine, don’t worry. Yeah, he’s tried but he’s handling it well”, the younger promised, wanting to ease his friend’s guilt, “But you gotta be at least as tired and I don’t like that glossy look in your eyes. You should really try to get some sleep.” Giving Sunghoon a strained smile, Jay nodded and shuffled to his room.
Placing the tea on his nightstand, Jay changed into more comfortable clothes and smiled tiredly when he pulled out his warmest sweatpants. He knew his fever was still pretty high from the way his skin immediately pricked with goosebumps when he took off his shirt. Plopping down on the edge of his bed, he used his nasal spray and allowed himself to go to sleep.
Sleep didn’t come all that easy, his muscles too achy for him to get comfortable. For most of the afternoon, he kept tossing and turning, only managing a few minutes at a time before eventually waking up to a cold hand on his forehead. He blearily blinked up at Jake, who smiled sheepishly: “Sorry, I didn’t wanna wake you.” – “’s fine”, the older breathed, voice thick with sleep and congestion, “What time’s it?” – “Eight. We just got back”, the Aussie replied, “We got you soup, do you want me to heat it up for you?” – “Yes, please. I’ll be there in a minute”, Jay sniffled, sluggishly sitting up and running a hand over his face. It took a moment for him to get his bearings but he eventually rolled out of bed and padded to the common area.
“He’s alive!”, Sunoo cheered, patting the spot next to him. Placing the bowl on the table, Jake chuckled: “Looks more like the walking dead but hey, you’re up.” – “Mean”, Jay pouted as he sat down next to Sunoo, “Would anyone be up for movie night?” – “Sure am but are you?”, Heeseung questioned, giving his friend a scrutinizing look. Shrugging his shoulders, Jay mumbled: “I might fall asleep but I feel too restless to sleep right now and I don’t wanna be alone. Maybe some distraction is exactly what I need to sleep.”
After dinner, they all settled in the living room with Jungwon and Niki collecting all the blankets they could find. Jay hadn’t said it but they could see him shiver from time to time though he tried not to let on how miserably chilled he still felt. “There are your fluids”, Sunghoon winked, handing Jay a steaming cup of tea. Carrying some supplies, Heeseung asked: “I got some cough drops and a box of tissues, you need one?” The younger nodded slightly and accepted the tissue with a hoarse ‘thanks’. He tried to blow his nose but failed, the congestion clogging it completely. When the members were satisfied, they had gotten Jay set up with everything he might need, they could finally start the movie.
“Sorry, the later the evening- the later- the worse it gets”, Jay choked out between coughs, pressing his blanket to his face. Sunoo handed him his tea and Jake calmly rubbed his back, while Sunghoon hummed: “Didn’t you bring back cough syrup earlier?” When Jay nodded, he continued: “Stay put. Just tell me where you put it and I’ll get it for you.” – “Nightstand”, the other forced out, voice almost gone by now.
Hurrying back to the living room, Sunghoon passed Jake a little jar and measured out the cough syrup, announcing: “I also found the vapor rub. Figured it’d help you breathe a little easier.” Jay knocked back the medicine and took a sip of tea to wash away the taste. Heeseung passed him a cough drop to suck on while Jake opened the vapor rub and dipped his finger in. “Relax and try to breathe deeply”, the Aussie instructed softly as he slipped his hand under Jay’s shirt, gently spreading the ointment on his chest. Since it seemed to soothe his friend, Jake kept his hand on the other’s chest as they resumed their movie. Jake’s hand trailing in slow circles over his chest was Jay’s last conscious memory that night before sleep finally took him under.
A little story for @marchwhumpness, Day 25. Topic: "stitches"
CN: body horror
Stitches, by Christina Nordlander
Camillus and I – not his wife, and he was not my husband, – woke to bars of powdery sunlight through the gaps in the blinds. That was not what had woken me.
I had a nauseating pain, making me gasp. It concentrated to a section of my right side. The flesh was fever-warm, but only there.
My screams woke Camillus.
For a moment, he was just confused, trying to comfort me. He must have felt something tug against his movement.
He fumbled along his left side. His lips blanched for the scream when he touched swollen flesh, blushing and shiny, and four hard black stitches.
hello fellow pirates here is the aforementioned promised fic update!! it's something that's been on my mind for a few months now and i'm glad i got to put it to paper!!
oh yeah this was for @marchwhumpness Day 10: "I'm going to kill him/her/them". I bent the prompt a bit because it's never explicitly said with those words buuuuut it's very much the same meaning lol
also this is my last potc fic for a bit i'm heading back into my main fandom for their event month and will be working on a longfic for it this summer as well. i'll likely be back to potc writing as soon as that longfic is finished! goal is september but i'm weird with deadlines imposed by myself lmao just ask my mutuals and readers XD
despite being a big fan of the physical side of things, most of my fics for this month so far have tended towards a more "emotional angst" style (with a small side dish of physical harm), and that continues here— except i return to @tachiharas-brother's lab au in two of these, which is a glorious arena for physical whump, and wrote my first straight-up torture of the month in 15~
Characters: Arivios (oc), Celine (oc), Taranias (oc) (just a bit of the last two)
Disclaimer: English is not my first language so I apologise for any errors. I also won’t mind if someone points them out (spelling, grammar etc.) It would help me improve :)
To say that that meeting Neltharion in Aberrus made Arivios feel disappointed would be the easiest way to describe it. There were different feelings, of course, like sadness, anger, desperation, and even a bit of excitement when he noticed dragon’s charm and immediately understood where the other black dragons got it from, but mostly the negative feelings, and since it was rather hard to name them all, Arivios decided to stay on the „disappointed” part.
He didn’t know what he expected when they first entered Aberrus, other than lots of fighting and chasing Sarkareth, but when Echo of Neltharion appeared and started talking to Sabellian and Wrathion, Arivios got excited and hoped that he would be noticed as well. After all, he was one of his dracthyrs, and the others referred to him as the „father”, so why wouldn’t Arivios see him as a father figure as well?
Alas, Neltharion seemed to be only interested in his real sons, and Arivios was too shy to try and initiate a talk on his own. Why would he dare to speak to the ex–Earth Warder? He was only a dracthyr.
Then, when they reached the lower levels, when Neltharion paralyzed Sabellian and Wrathion, and then turned against the champions, Arivios felt said disappointment and quickly lost all the hope of getting any kind of attention from his „father”. Without hesitation, he joined the fight and buried any last thoughts of a possible connection, accepting the fact that there was no real parental figure for him in this world.
Arivios’ position was in the back, where he fought side by side with Taranias – he thought it was funny how tiny the mage seemed to be, when Arivios was in his visage – while the others were spread around the room, fighting the Echo, as well as summoned by him creatures. Arivios was impresed how synchronized with each other they were. Not in the way the dracthyrs were, with their trained formations and maneuvers, but in a more natural flow. Each with their own magic and abilities, and yet each fitting perfectly with their companions.
Suddenly, Neltharion turned his head towards Arivos and smirked to himself. The yellow eyes pierced the dracthyr with intensity and filled him with terror, making Arivios realize that he didn’t want any kind of attention from the black dragon anymore. The ex–Earth Warder raised his hand, and Arivios felt his influence, like shadow tentacles wrapping around his mind. He stopped casting spells and grabbed his head in desperation.
Arivios didn’t respond, still fighting the pressure of the intrusive presence inside his brain.
„Evoker,” Neltharion’s voice echoed inside dracthyr’s mind, „every breath you take is for my purpose!”
With those words, Arivios lost control of his body. Forced by Neltharion’s influence, he turned towards Taranias and, before the young mage was able to react, grabbed him by his throat and raised up.
„A–vios…” Taranias wheezed through his squeezed throat and tried to break out from his grasp by kicking and pulling away.
„Yes!” laughed Neltharion, while the Echo was still fighting the others. „The only reason for your existence is to serve me!”
The lack of control over himself was horrible, but made Arivios think, that Neltharion might be right. After all, dracthyrs were only made to serve.
He took a breath, ready to unleash flames upon the choking mage, when a sudden swish of a hook on a chain flew in front of him, interrupting him. Before he was able to acknowledge what was happening, Celine, pulled by the chain, whirled through the air and cut off Arivios’ hand. The limb fell on the floor, as well as Taranias, desperately gasping for air, while Celine landed between his husband and Arivios, furious and ready to attack again.
„I don’t want to kill you!” he yelled, „but if I had to, I won’t fucking hesitate!”
The words didn’t fully reach Arivios, who was roaring in pain and holding his wounded arm. He collapsed on his knees, filled with agony from physical wounds as well as Neltharion’s constant pressure on his mind.
Whether it was thanks to the pain, Celine’s terrifying fury, or the realization that he almost killed his companion, Arivios slowly started taking back control of his body. He also noticed that the wound started healing rapidly. He raised his head and saw that one of the healers, Spe, was reaching his hand towards him, clearly mending to his wounds, even when he was still under Neltharion’s influence.
Those are my friends, he realized. Those are my friends and father… And this Echo is trying to make me kill them!
He took a deep breath, shaking off the rest of Neltharion’s influence, and with a clear head, he looked up at Celine, and nodded.
„I’m fine. I’m back.”
Celine looked at him for a second, searching for any sign of danger in the dracthyr, but finally decided that he was saying the truth. Then he turned towards Taranias and helped him get up.
„Are you alright?” Celine asked with worry.
„Yes,” Taranias voice was still hoarse, but he was able to speak. „Quick, the rest needs us.”
Celine frowned, but finally nodded and threw himself back into the battle.
Arivos also managed to get up from his knees, and suddenly felt the pressure on his mind once more.
„You insolent creature! Listen to me!” roared Neltharion. „You were made to serve!”
„No!” Arivios responded out loud and turned towards the Echo, who gave him a surprised look. „I won’t let you make me hurt my friends!”
„Pity,” Neltharion smirked and turned away from the dracthyr. „Then you shall die with them.”
And so Arivios didn’t get any more attention from Neltharion. Not that he cared. Instead, he went back into the fight, focused on supporting his friends.
Characters: Julia (oc), Kor'vas, Illidan (just a bit of both of them)
Disclaimer: English is not my first language so I apologise for any errors. I also won't mind if someone points them out (spelling, grammar etc.) It would help me improve :)
It references this story.
Julia was panting from exhaustion and bleeding from a few wounds across her body. Her leather armor was torn on her back, and she felt cold on her skin, but fortunately, the hit only scratched the clothes and did not reach her flesh.
Her enemy stood a few feet in front of her, just as beaten and tired – a dreadlord with a shit–eating grin on his face. He was a worthy opponent and their fight lasted for a while already.
They were in a ruins of one of many draenei buildings scattered across the wastelands of Outland. To the room led three corridors, from which issued sounds of a battle. Julia’s demon hunters were fighting around the ruins with demons, while her job was to keep the most powerful of them occupied, or with a bit of luck, to even kill him.
They charged at each other once more. The room was too small for Julia to change into her dragon form, but she could still teleport around and change her hands into claws, which was her usual style of fighting.
She took a swing at the demon, but he turned himself into a swarm of insects and appeared behind her back, ready to once more hit her from behind, yet he hesitated, what Julia noticed with the corner of her eye, right before turning around to face him.
„Now, what is this?” the dreadlord chuckled. „You have the master’s mark on your back, little dragon?”
„Master’s…?” she repeated, confused, but then recalled the scar on her back, and her eyes got wild from realization. So that’s what it was. Sargeras’ mark.
Well, that’s one less mystery. She would have to worry about it later.
Pushing aside the anxious thoughts that appeared in her mind related to the „mark”, the woman jumped again at the demon and slashed him through the chest. The enemy groaned in pain, but the smile didn’t disappear from his face – he seemed to be even more amused than before.
„I wonder, how did that happen?” The demon touched the new wound and looked at the blood on his hand, before raising his eyes again to look at Julia. „It wasn’t very pleasant, I bet.”
They both started to circle around the room, carefully watching each other’s movements.
„So you know what that is?” Julia asked with hesitation. Maybe she could get something out of him about the scar.
„Of course!” he laughed. „Although it’s obviously not active. It just needs a little blood.”
„Blood? What do you mean?”
The demon didn’t respond, just once more started laughing. Julia ignored it and charged at him, aiming at his chest. She expected him to dodge, but the dreadlord stood in place when the sharp claws sunk into his body. This lack of reaction surprised Julia, but she didn’t let it throw her off, so instead she pushed deeper, destroying demon’s chest and reaching for the heart. The dreadlord didn’t even flinch, just put his bloody hand on woman’s back and pressed her even closer while looking her in the eyes.
„Good luck,” he spat through his grim before his eyes went dim and life abandoned his body.
Julia wasn’t too confused by his lack of fear. It was really hard to permanently kill a dreadlord, and she knew that he would be back sooner or later. He was gone for now at that’s what mattered.
„Mother!”
She raised her head to see how two of her demon hunters run into the room – Sevis and Hiaro.
„We cleared the ruins.” Hiaro walked towards her with worry on his face. „You don’t look so good.”
„It was a rough fight,” she responded and then sent him a forced smile. „But I’m fine now. We need to go back to–” she didn’t finish, as she suddenly felt dizzy. She took a step back and touched her forehead.
She looked up, but the room seemed to get dark and cold. A shiver ran through her spine along with demonic blood that started cooling down on her back. She heard an echo of her Illidari calling to her, but she couldn’t even see them anymore.
A laughter filled her mind, causing her to groan and grasp her head.
„Finally! I’ve waited so long to be able to reach you. You strange little creature. You’ve avoided my grasp for way too long.”
Her heart almost stopped when she recognized the voice inside her head. Sargeras.
„Fuck off!” she growled at him. „I won’t let you nestle inside my brain! You don’t know anything about me!”
„Oh, but I’m about to find out. You are not as strong as I suspected at first, but you are definitely interesting.”
„Get out!” She felt her body tossing around, but she was unable to control it.
„Now, what world are you from? Tell me, so I could find it and destroy it, like countless before!”
„I won’t tell you anything!”
„You are already under my influence. It will be only a matter of time before you break.”
„I’m not under any influence, you bastard!”
„Are you sure about that?”
„Mother! Lady Julia, please, stop!” Hiaro’s voice reached her through the fog of her mind.
Slowly, her mind became clear and her vision returned. She realized with terror that she has been holding Sevis by his throat and pressing him against the wall, while Hiaro tried to pull her away.
„Oh no, darling, I’m sorry!” she mumbled with shaky voice and took a step back from her Illidari.
The demon hunter collapsed on the floor, gasping for air, while Julia pulled away from Hiaro’s grasp and took a few steps away from both of them. Suddenly, she felt dizzy once more. The whole room started spiraling, and she collapsed on the floor.
***
She woke up feeling sore, desoriented and in pain, but the surrounding felt soft and warm. She slowly opened her eyes and realized that she was laying in her chambers, in the Black Temple. In the room with her were two blood elf priestesses and Kor’vas, who was sitting on a chair next to the bed. When huntress noticed Julia opening her eyes, she quickly rushed to her side.
„Mother, you are awake!” she expressed her relief with a smile. „We were taking turns watching over you.”
„How long?” Julia murmured while sitting, with Kor’vas helping her. She noticed how the blood elves exchange looks and one left the room.
„Three days.”
The memories started returning and Julia quickly asked about the next thing that worried her:
„How’s Sevis? Is he alright?”
„He is fine,” the huntress shrugged. „A bit in a shock, but that’s all.”
„I need to talk to him.” Julia tried to get up, but Kor’vas quickly pulled her back.
„Later, Mother, you are still wounded.”
„Then ask him to come here,” she hesitated and added, „if he feels like it. He must be afraid of me now.”
„A little, but it will pass. Honestly, we all are a little bit. You killed a dreadlord!” she chuckled.
Despite the cheerfulness of her voice, Julia frowned.
„He let me kill him,” she recalled, mostly to herself. „But why…?”
Master’s mark. It just needs a little blood. Demon’s grin when she pierced his chest. His hand on her back. Warm blood cooling on her skin, spreading on the scar. Sargeras’ voice in her head.
She suddenly understood what happened.
Oh no.
The doors opened with a rapid swing, and to the room marched Lord Illidan, with the priestess who left earlier. Kor’vas immediately got up, and Julia also straightened her back.
„Leave. Now,” Illidan spoke in his usual growl, and all three women quickly left the room, closing the doors behind.
Illidan walked to the bed and sat on the chair that previously was occupied by Kor’vas.
„Your back. Show me,” he commanded.
Without objection, Julia turned away from him and took off the bandages that had been wrapped around her chest. She felt demon hunter’s hand on her back, with unusual carefulness, touching the scar.
„Who did this to you?”
Julia blinked, confused. That wasn’t the question she expected.
„It’s a long story,” she responded while turning her head to look at him.
„Then try to shorten it.”
„Medivh. The Last Guardian.”
Illidan raised his eyebrow, clearly expecting more of an explanation, so Lady took a deep breath and started her story. He already knew how she was the librarian in Karazhan, where she prepared all the informations she had about this world to later serve Illidan, but she never told him how she tried to save Medivh from his fate and almost failed, so she explained it, as well as how she almost failed because she decided to do this on her own, and how the corrupted Guardian carved the mysterious symbol in her back. How for years before her departure to Outland she and Medivh tried to find out what that symbol meant, and how they failed.
„Now, it seems to be a sigil that somehow connects me to Sargeras,” she finished, „and the demonic blood activated it. I heard Sargeras in my head, he started controlling me, that’s why I attacked Sevis, I–”
„Don’t worry,” Illidan raised his hand to stop her. „I believe you. I know you wouldn’t attack him on your own. You care too much about the Illidari.”
Julia relaxed slightly, glad that the demon hunter understood her, and then allowed him to help put the bandage back on her.
„We will find a way to clean you from this,” he promised and turned her to face him.
„I don’t want you to waste time–”
„Don’t even start,” he interrupted her once more. „You are too important to this cause to let you be corrupted like that.” He hesitated and then added slightly softer: „And too important to me.”
Julia smiled slightly. Their relationship started not so long ago, and she knew how hard it was for Illidan to express his feelings. At least yet.
„Thank you,” she responded with sincere gratitude. „I know I can count on you, my Lord.”
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 2/?
Fandom: DCU, Teen Titans - All Media Types
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Tara Markov, Dick Grayson & Slade Wilson, Dick Grayson & Tara Markov, Tara Markov & Slade Wilson, Dick Grayson & Slade Wilson & William Randolph Wintergreen, William Randolph Wintergreen & Tara Markov
Characters: Tara Markov, Dick Grayson, Slade Wilson, William Randolph Wintergreen
Series: Part 2 of Devil’s Bargain au
Summary:
Snapshots from Dick and Tara’s apprenticeships with Slade and their developing relationship with each other
Souvenir is now a collection of apprentice era Robterra (as opposed to Break Your Heart Again, which takes place much later)
Seraphina toyed with the ring hanging around her neck, gaze far away and distant.
"Hey, Seraphina?"
Seraphina was snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of Meteor's voice. She glanced up at the man, who was gazing at her with a concerned look.
"Ever since Alphinau said we'd be going to Ishgard, you've been distant,"
"I'm fine," she mumbled
"Clearly not," muttered Meteor, "Come on, talk to me,"
"Remember my whole "from another universe" discussion?"
"Yeah?"
"And how I mentioned I almost married someone?"
"Yeah? That someone died before he could ask you,"
"He lived…lives in Ishgard,"
"Oh…" said Meteor, "Yikes,"
"Yeah, His name was-is Haurchefant Greystone and we are going to meet him again,"
"Are you afraid to see him again?"
"Of course I am!" exclaimed Seraphina, turning wildly to face the Warrior of Light, "The last he knew of me, I was a hero, the Warrior of Light! I feel like I no longer deserve him after my whole Warrior of Nothingness stunt!"
Seraphina looked away, tears blurring her vision.
"Plus, he only ever falls in love with the Warrior of Light. I am no longer the Warrior of Light,"
Meteor didn't know what to say, but he placed a hand on her shoulder anyway. Seraphina glanced at him.
"From how you've described him in the past, I do not think he will ever hate you, I think he would have lamented not being there to help you when you needed it the most,"
Seraphina teared up, a sob hitting her throat like a fist.
"Did you ever get to mourn him?"
"No…No I was so focused on revenge and then there was the liberation of Doma and Ala Migho and I feel to Nothingness not long after,"
"Then mourn him now,"
"But he's alive now?"
"Mourn your Haurchefant, mourn that man,"
Tears fell down Seraphina's face. Choked sobs escaped from behind the hand she rose to cover any sound. Meteor pulled her close to him as Seraphina sobbed uncontrollably.
In the corner of his eye, he saw Alphinaud enter the room. He froze, looking between the Hyur and the Viera before slowly back out of the room.
Meteor tightned his grip as Seraphina broke for the first time since she had arrived in this other Erozea.
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