We Must Prove Who We are Only to Ourselves - Act III
Continuously changing dynamics lead to constant uncertainty and doubt as the batch strives to find a balance.
Series warnings: Each chapter has what I hope to be a very inclusive list of potential trigger warnings, but common themes throughout include severe whump, body horror, PTSD, violence, medical procedures, and heavy emotions such as guilt, regret, grief and more. If there's a topic that you are particularly sensitive to, you are ALWAYS welcome to message me for warnings or even to summarize/ censor parts to allow you to read the story comfortable. Additionally, romance scenes will have both a sfw and nsfw version that are clearly labeled for your discretion.
A History of Violence - Rex & Echo - Rex steals himself for a much needed talk with Echo.
Warnings: Mostly guilt and regret, reference to character death, some profanity and vague medical references.
Divergent Paths - Pt 1 - Doc comes to a decision.
Warnings: Body horror, major whump, discussion of limb amputation, blood, intense medical terms/ dialogue, massive regret/angst, betrayal, adultery (ish)
Divergent Paths - Pt 2 - Hunter reveals a secret after tensions turn violent.
Warnings: Lots of the, at this point usual emotions like guilt, dread, regret, anger, but this time with a tasty helping of violence and blood
Divergent Paths - Pt 3 - The air is cleared. At least, a little...
Warnings: Uh. Profanity. And. Kissing. Guys. There's proper fucking kissing in this one! Some talk of amputation
Divergent Paths - Pt 4 - Tech clarifies things.
Warnings: Some boundary discussion and relationship clarification. Sorry, nothing spicy here beyond some kissing
Divergent Paths - Pt 5 - A few more quick words in the the privacy of the Marauder.
Warnings: Medical terminology, sexual tension, PTSD, guilt, reference to murder/ torture, snogging
the prompts this year were chosen through a suggestion poll and subsequent vote, where over 350 people voted for their favourites. the top 28 make up the core prompts, and a mixture of the next most popular and this blog’s personal favourites have become the alternatives!
i’m so excited to see what you all create with these prompts, and hope they’re inspiring enough to trigger a whole month’s worth of creativity for you! if you have any questions, make sure to check out the blog’s FAQ, or check out the previously asked questions on the blog before sending one of your own!
please note: this year, notifying the blog of completionist status will happen through a google form that will be released closer to the end of febuwhump.
full write-up of prompts and rules under the cut:
FEBUWHUMP 2023 PROMPTS:
DAY 1: touchstarved
DAY 2: flinching
DAY 3: muzzled
DAY 4: knife to the throat
DAY 5: "that's gonna scar"
DAY 6: secrets revealed
DAY 7: made to watch
DAY 8: panic
DAY 9: voice loss
DAY 10: difficulty breathing
DAY 11: fever
DAY 12: "can you hear me?"
DAY 13: forced to hurt a loved one
DAY 14: captivity
DAY 15: self-sacrifice
DAY 16: semi-conscious
DAY 17: silent tears
DAY 18: can't stay awake
DAY 19: "you deserve this"
DAY 20: knife wound
DAY 21: shackled
DAY 22: can't scream
DAY 23: "you'll have to go through me"
DAY 24: bloody clothes
DAY 25: assumed dead
DAY 26: forced to choose
DAY 27: survivor's guilt
DAY 28: "you're safe now"
SWITCH-OUT PROMPTS:
is there a specific day’s prompt you don’t want to fill? here are ten alternatives you can switch them out for!
ALT 1: rope burns
ALT 2: caged
ALT 3: soft words
ALT 4: experimentation
ALT 5: time loop
ALT 6: limp
ALT 7: immortality
ALT 8: found footage
ALT 9: natural disaster
ALT 10: inferno
RULES:
SOFT RULES:
prompts should be answered in the form of whump
creators can produce whatever kind of media they want
you don’t have to complete all the prompts! you can create however much you want to
you can use the prompts after the event ends
you can post on any platform you want, however this blog will only be sharing those posted on tumblr
if you want to be featured on the hall of fame then you have until the 3rd of March to inform this blog that you completed all the days
HARD RULES: (specifically for being featured on the blog)
when uploading febuwhump content to tumblr, please use the tags:
febuwhump (i’ll also be checking febuwhump2023)
the relevant day’s tag e.g. febuwhumpday1, febuwhumpday2…
nsfw (if relevant)
and any trigger warnings that may be important!
you can also tag the blog, @febuwhump
i cannot guarantee your work will be archived on the blog because I have no idea how many participants there will be. a random selection of works tagged in accordance to the rules above will be reblogged every day of february.
{WC: ~578} {Lucifer x reder, anxious thoughts, trouble sleeping, and of course a very touch starved demon, this takes place shortly after they start sleeping together}
@febuwhump
Lucifer did not think of himself as “touch starved.”
He preferred terms such as private, reserved, or even aloof and detached. As cold as the latter were, as much as they painted him in an unfeeling light, Lucifer still vastly preferred them to touch starved. That term implied he was like an animal; some poor wretched thing that could not function without being held, or petted like some dog.
But now, Lucifer was kept up at night. Eyes wide open, body frozen under the bedsheets. Because sleeping with you had become a habit. Not a habit like checking himself in the reflection of a window, or scribbling with his pen when he needs a microbreak from doing paperwork. A habit like his bitter coffee in the morning to wake up and strong demonus in the evening to knock him out. A habit like taking a walk around the bedrooms, making sure all his brothers were safe before he could sleep. The kind of habit he had started doing only once or twice to ease his nerves, but he now could not function without.
The very thought of it was like driving a dagger into his heart. How would he sleep without being able to wrap his arms around you. Without seeing the way your eyes lit up when he unfurled his wings- the same wings he foolishly hid away because he could only see them as imperfect, eternally missing a set. He doesn’t admit it before he’s had several drinks, but when he sees the way you look at his wings he feels silly for hiding them at all.
But even more private is what he hasn’t admitted at all. He isn’t sure you’re even aware of it, and he is afraid that if he told you you’d stop. But sometimes when you’re asleep, you roll over and wrap your arms around him, and suddenly he’s the one being held, he’s the one being soothed to sleep and he likes it. He loves it. Some nights, he skips the wine and only pretends to fall asleep because he’s waiting for you to roll over, to give him the kind of hug he doesn’t know how to ask for.
And while he waits, he’s haunted by his own mind, which torments him by asking what he’d do if you stopped, and he had to sleep alone in his large and empty bed in his room which is colder than death even with a roaring fire. He knows you cannot control all of the ways you could stop. You are a human, and he still sees you as fragile, even if the thought now brings forth feelings of protectiveness rather than superiority.
But what tortures him most is the thought of you voluntarily stopping. His pride and stubbornness finally trying the last of your patience. Because deep down…
He knows that his pride is the reason he is touch starved to begin with.
Lucifer is rescued from his own thoughts when you begin to stir, tossing and turning in the bedsheets. Finally, you’re turning over, your hands sleepily curling around his chest and his stomach, pulling him into your own. You mumble some sleep talk, as he feels his heartbeat slowing. He thinks he catches “it’s ok,” and “go to sleep already,” and suddenly he’s wondering if you’re more awake than you look.
“…promise not to leave me,” he whispers, allowing himself to ask for what he needs.
CW: recapture, drugging, intimate Whumper, non-con kiss
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
Hero tried to escape again.
Naturally, they didn't get very far; Henchman caught them shortly after they sneaked out the main building. They were so careful and planned every step in advance, but in all their eager forgot to calculate Villain's increased security personnel. Whatever had been in the vial Henchman forced down their gullet just moments prior, made their vision swim.
The treetops radiated with the light bursting through them, Hero basked in the golden rays of the August sun, the worries about Villain's reaction fading far away. Of course, they would be upset with them, but that little detail didn't matter right now. The leaves-
The next time their eyes opened, they were inside the manor walls. Unsure about how many minutes had passed, Hero tried to focus again on the lights above. The sun had been replaced by the dim chandelier overhead the dinner table, seeming to cast light with a halo-like sheen across the room.
Somewhere deep inside their mind, they recognized their prison, the building they were trapped in for the last few weeks. But that thought was now buried, washed away by the dust particles floating through the air gracefully, like a gentle fall of snow during the winter months...
"-you listening?" a faint voice called out to them. Maybe Hero should snap back, stand up to fight their way out again. But not now, they loved to just stare for a little while longer. The worries of tomorrow could wait.
--------
Villain waited for a response, even shaking their captive didn't seem to change the blank stare towards the ceiling. They looked peaceful, a certain calm was radiating from their limp form, slumped in their designated chair. As if looking right through them, Hero let their droopy eyes roll from side to side, untroubled by the world around them.
There was something Villain didn't expect: a light smile danced around Hero's lips, even though dry and ripping, but content nonetheless.
"How much did you give them?", they asked Henchmen, all the while petting Hero's hair gently, a gesture of affection they were normally punished for with vicious resistance.
"The - the whole thing," they answered uncertain, not wanting to risk any consequences for possibly damaging the precious good, "I wanted to ensure a safe transport and-"
"You can leave now," their boss interrupted them calmly, an unusual luster to their eyes. Henchman would keep all their fingers for today. "You may all go, enjoy your day off."
With that, the two enemies were left alone. Villain sat down next to their guest, filled with artificial bliss the potion still pumped through their system, Hero didn't even bat an eye at their gentle touches anymore.
--------
From time to time, they could see quick shadows interrupting the surrounding snow, brushing hair from their face or taking their pulse. Rationally, Hero should have known it would come to something like this, after rejecting the invitations of their nemesis countless times. They were slowly gaining back some control about their mind and body, exhausted but still prepared to start the fight anew.
Suddenly, a kind but firm hand took hold of their head to tilt it back. Thin liquid started to coat the inside of their mouth, like cherry wine but way too bitter, making Hero quickly gulp it down with a confused moan. The aftertaste was horrifyingly familiar.
"That's it," Villain purred against their ear, so close, the distance between them was barely more than a hair's breadth. They continued to keep Hero's head between their hands, stopping the vertigo for just a moment, before the candles in front of them started to lose shape again. Their flicker smeared across their view like an oil painting and smothered them into a forced ease.
"I think I will keep you like this, at least for a bit longer..."
Hero's inner screams deafened in an instant, the only feeling left were the soft lips of Villain against their own.
Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi for @febuwhump 2023 - day 15 "Self Sacrifice"
Flowers? Yes. Hanahaki is the disease of flowers, when you know or think you are not reciprocated in romantic feelings.
As the Jedi are inspired by Japanese culture (samurai) Hanahaki is also a Japanese myth. IF we tie it to the world of users of the light side of the Force we can consider Hanahaki as a "getting sick in the Force, that's why attachments are also avoided."
In the year Obi-Wan was on the run with Satine Hanahaki hit him hard. He was ready to leave the Jedi, to sacrifice his ideals and his beliefs, she however knowing how important the Jedi were to Obi-Wan refused to tell him that she loved him.
So these are gonna be kinda late (and out of order) from here on out since it’s MARCH but hey some of these were solidly set up!! School just was A lot. Anyway.
@forwantofacalling wrote a Drabble and shared it in our discord about Cater Overblotting and Trey tracking him down after the fact. 12/10, painful concept, here’s a drawin.
Please do not tag this with shipping tags, this is meant to be portrayed as platonic, thanks!
This one is inspired by my all time favorite thing ever: this comic by @wolfy1298. This fic is not exactly what happens in the comic, but it has some of the same scenes and the same vibes and I was seeing it in my head as I wrote this. AO3 link.
Warnings: none.
The full moon shone brightly, illuminating the camp in its pale glow. Warriors stretched his arms above his head and allowed himself a moment to wake up before he moved.
Judging by the moon’s position, it was well past his turn for watch. Warriors lifted himself up from his bedroll with a yawn and curled his scarf tighter around his shoulders to ward off the chill. He glanced quickly around camp, doing a quick headcount, before he carefully walked over to Time.
Time was perched on a rock, sword drawn and placed over his knees. He was staring at the moon with an unreadable expression on his face. Time’s hands were loosely clasped together and two fingers were on his wedding ring, twirling the band in lazy circles.
“Time?” Warriors asked in a whisper. Time didn’t react. Warriors glanced back at the other heroes sleeping, then back to Time’s motionless form. Very gently, he placed a hand on Time’s shoulder.
Time flinched. It was a small movement, and he took control over his body nearly instantly, but Warriors didn’t miss it. He pulled his hand back and left it to hover anxiously above Time’s shoulder.
“Old man? You with me?” Warriors asked.
“My apologies. You startled me,” Time said. He moved one hand to rest on the hilt of his sword.
Warriors hesitated, then asked, “Are you okay?”
Time sighed deeply, his eyes moving back up to the night sky. “I’m alright. I was just… thinking,” Time said in a quiet voice.
Warriors narrowed his eyes, taking in the bags beneath Time’s eyes and his white-knuckled grip on his sword. As if he noticed Warriors’ gaze, Time heaved another sigh and relaxed his grip on the sword.
“You don’t need to worry about me, Captain. I’ll be alright,” Time said.
Warriors huffed a laugh and flicked one side of his scarf over Time’ shoulders. “It’s far too late for that,” he said with a smile.
Time returned his smile, and Warriors could have sworn he saw a faint blush cross Time’s cheeks. Warriors unwound his scarf and settled it more securely around Time’s shoulders. He moved Time’s sword to rest against the rock then lowered himself down onto the rock next to Time.
“It’s my watch. Get some sleep, sprite,” Warriors said. Time’s lips quirked up and he dropped his head onto Warriors’ shoulder. Warriors chuckled.
“I meant in your bedroll, you gremlin,” Warriors said.
“Same thing,” Time mumbled, pulling Warriors’ scarf tighter around his body.
Warriors shook his head and tried with all his might to keep from smiling. He wrapped an arm around Time’s shoulders, a content and nostalgic feeling in his heart.
If this was what Time needed to feel safe tonight, Warriors would happily act as his pillow for as long as he needed.
A little Buddy Daddies fanart for today’s @febuwhump prompt “You’re Safe Now”
I originally wanted to do a little drabble to go along with this, but didn’t get around to it. I am however really loving this show so far, and I highly suggest checking it out if you haven’t already. So much lovely found family goodness :’)
