#caretaker jack

[aceofwhump]

Torchwood 4x07 "Immortal Sins"

[rizzoto-whump]

"Everything's going to be alright, Whumpee. Trust me."

"I know."

"No, it ain't. I'm lying to make you feel better."

[irafuwas]

i don't know why, but in the sparse five hours of sleep i got last night, my brain decided to plague me with dreams of lilia taking care of an elderly silver, up until the final moments of his life. i could hear silver's thoughts the whole time, and he was so absolutely inundated with shame and guilt it almost seemed like he was suffocating. he kept thinking over and over and over again that this all should've been the other way around. he should've been the one looking after his father in the twilight of his life. he should've been his aging father's rock, his safe place to land, his stalwart defender against a world so unbelievably cruel to its most vulnerable denizens. again and again his heart cried out in vain, it should've been the other way around.

as a child he had once wished - prayed, even, to the same force now threatening to reclaim his spirit back into its unconscious designs - for his father to live a long and prosperous life, and it was as though that very wish had backfired on him in a way he never could have possibly imagined

[phantomstatistician]

Fandom: Halloween Horror Nights

Sample Size: 121 stories

Source: AO3

[whumperofworlds]

I'll Always Be Here

Now on AO3!

Fandom: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (OC centric)

A/N: Not too whumpy, but I feel this still applies on this blog LOL. I mean, nightmares suck right? Better give it to my sweet poor guy! Also, it's Gulru and Rae's debut on this blog!!! I loved these two, and it's been a while since I wrote them so. Yeah!

I only own Rae and Gulru. Everything else belongs to Square Enix.

CWS: Nightmares, crying, romantic Caretaker x Whumpee, male whumpee, referenced death, referenced kidnapping, referenced slavery, tied up, food mention

ENJOY!

_____

I'll Always Be Here

He couldn't move.

The Thundara spell had paralyzed Gulru, preventing him from moving his body. The electricity sparked around him, and if he moved a muscle, the spell did its work, shocking him slightly. His breathing grew heavy and quickly, as he tried to breathe to no avail thanks to the panic attack rearing its head.

In front of him was Jack Moschet, grinning wide and with hatred filling his eyes, his arms crossed as he watched Gulru struggle. Behind Jack was Gulru's dear Rae, tied to the large, broken pillar, his hands wrenched behind his back. The Clavat's eyes were wide with fear and guilt, as he watched Gulru struggle to stand.

It hit Gulru then. Gulru tried to rescue Rae from Jack's clutches, but he too was caught. Rae was bait for Gulru, and the Yuke fell for the trap, hook, line, and sinker.

"Stupid bird," Jack mocked. "Don't you realize what you've done?"

Gulru flinched at Jack's voice, wanting to scoot away, but due to the paralysis, he couldn't. He whimpered, wanting to get far away from his former master as soon as possible. He needed to get away. He needed to save Rae.

"P-please…" Gulru stuttered, "Let Rae go! Y-you got me, just let him go, please!"

"And let him come after me once I'm through with you?" Jack laughed. "Ha! You're so stupid as always, boy!"

Tears began to fall down from the eyes of his helm, as Gulru whimpered and sniffled. This couldn't be happening. All he wanted was Rae back. But because of his foolishness, he'd never see Rae again. And it was all his fault.

"For what you've done to me," Jack growled, raising his gigantic hand. His claws shone in the sunlight that peeked over the broken roof of Moschet's Mansion. "I'll kill you right here!"

"NO!" Gulru could hear Rae scream out from behind Jack. Rae strained and struggled against his bonds, as tears fell down his face. He sobbed before he begged, "Don't kill him, please! Gulru! GULRU!"

Gulru shook his head, as more tears continued to flow down his helm. No. No no no. This couldn't be happening. He didn't want to die like this. Not when Rae was in danger. Not when he had just tasted freedom for the first time. Not like this.

Jack's claws flew down, aiming straight for Gulru's neck—

_____

Gulru gasped as he sat up, sweat beading down his helm. If he had eyes, they would be wide as saucers right now. His heart pounded, as he breathed heavily from the nightmare he had.

Wait… nightmare?

Gulru glanced at his surroundings. It was mostly dark, but he could still see where he was. He was in the tent that the caravanners set up for the night, with everyone still asleep in their sleeping bags. Beside him, also sleeping in a sleeping bag, was Rae, alive and safe.

Alive and safe…

Gulru placed a wing to his chest, trying to calm himself down from the nightmare he had. Tomorrow was another day of collecting myrrh—he needed to sleep. But his racing heart wouldn't calm down. He tried to take a few deep breaths to calm himself, something that Rae had taught him whenever he got scared or nervous. But his racing heart continued to pound in his chest. He sighed.

He wasn't going to get any sleep at this rate. He needed some fresh air.

He carefully crawled out of his own sleeping bag, not wanting to wake the others. He didn't want to wake them over something so trivial as a nightmare, so it would be best to let them rest. His eyes adjusted to the dark then, as he carefully stepped over his comrades until he reached the entrance of the tent. Quietly unzipping the flap, he left the tent before zipping it back up; he didn't want to let the breeze wake his friends up.

He sighed, before turning to the remains of the campfire. Smoke rose from the gathered burnt wood, with small embers stuck to their tips. He looked ahead to see the carriage, the Paopamous also asleep. The carriage was the same as it was—at least the Striped Bandits hadn't found them here and tried to steal from the carriage.

He sat on one of the logs that were around the small campfire, watching the embers and black smoke slowly rise from the remains. His mind tried to focus, to focus away from the terrible nightmare he had. But every time he tried to think of something else, that nightmare came back. How Jack had attempted to kill him. Right in front of Rae, no less. And Rae… seeing Rae scared broke his heart. He always boasted how he was brave and would never back down. But at that moment, seeing Rae crying and fearful for Gulru's life scared the Yuke more than anything else.

And it was all Gulru's doing. He was caught because he was reckless trying to rescue Rae. And now not only was Gulru traumatized from that ordeal, Rae was as well.

"Because of you."

Jack's words to him before he attempted to kill Gulru echoed in his head.

"Because of you."

It kept repeating in his mind. Gulru held his helm with his wings, trying to shut out his former master's voice.

"Because of you. Because of you. Because of you."

It had been a year since Jack was killed after that incident. Why was his voice still haunting Gulru? Why?

Tears began to form in the eyes of his helm, as he sniffled. His body shook, as the voice continued to blame him for what had happened.

He tried to hold in a sob, but he failed to, as he held his face in his wings. His crying was muffled, careful not to be too loud as he continued to cry. The nightmare repeated itself in his mind, as he cried and cried.

"Gulru?"

Gulru stopped suddenly; he would have widened his eyes in surprise and shock if he had them. With trembling wings, he removed them from his wet helm before turning his head.

Peeking out from behind the flap of the tent was Rae, a small frown on his face. Upon seeing how wet his boyfriend's helm was, his eyes widened. He left the tent fully then, turning for a moment to zip the flap up, before he turned back to Gulru.

"R-Rae?" Gulru questioned, his helm red in embarrassment. Oh Cosmos, did he hear him cry? "D-did I wake you? I'm sorry, I didn't m-mean to—"

"No, it's okay," Rae whispered, "you didn't wake me up, I promise. I noticed you were gone and I had to check up on you." The Clavat studied Gulru's helm, to which Gulru looked away shyly. He didn't want Rae to see that he was crying over a dumb nightmare. "...You're crying."

Gulru shook his head, as if denying that he was crying. "I-I was… it's—"

"Oh Gul," Rae said with a voice full of sympathy and worry. He walked towards the log Gulru was sitting in before joining the Yuke. He took Gulru's wing, gently squeezing it; it was Rae's way of telling Gulru that everything was okay, that he was safe. "What happened? Who made you cry?"

Gulru frantically shook his head at the last question. He knew how protective Rae was to Gulru; he never forgot the one time a Selkie had yelled at Gulru to the point of tears, and Rae threatened the Selkie to apologize to the Yuke. It nearly got the group kicked out of the town due to Rae's actions.

"N-no one did," Gulru finally said after a few seconds. "I…" He paused, unsure if he should say what had happened. Would Rae be annoyed or laugh at him over his problem? It was so trivial—nightmares had happened to Gulru before, and they never bothered him as much as this one.

But feeling Rae's warm hand and his worried expression pushed Gulru to at least tell him. Rae never judged him during the few years they knew each other. He wouldn't judge him over something like this.

"I-I had a nightmare," Gulru sighed, tears beginning to form in his eye holes again.

Rae only nodded, squeezing Gulru's wing. A cue to keep going.

"Jack… he kidnapped you," Gulru continued, his voice slowly cracking, "a-and I tried to save you, but he caught me… and he killed me. You were tied up a-and you couldn't do anything… I was scared, you were scared, and I-I…" He couldn't hold the tears any longer, as he buried his face with his free wing and began to sob.

Rae's frown intensified, scooting closer to Gulru. He released his hold on Gulru's other wing, before wrapping an arm around the trembling Yuke.

"Hey…" Rae soothed, "it's okay. It's just a nightmare. We're both safe."

"B-but," Gulru hiccupped, sniffling as he tried to wipe away the tears. They kept coming, however. "It was all my fault. If I-I had paid more attention, you wouldn't have gotten kidnapped and hurt. None of that would have happened if I wasn't s-so stupid—"

"Gulru," Rae piped up firmly, shocking the Yuke. Gulru turned to see Rae's face, noticing the narrowed eyes. He wanted to scoot away, feeling that he made Rae angry at him, but Rae held firm. "Don't ever call yourself stupid again."

"...What?" Gulru whimpered.

"It hurts me to see you depreciate yourself, Gul," Rae continued, his narrowed eyes changing into concerned ones. "You didn't do anything. Jack is the one at fault in all of that, not you. And even if you are at fault, you fixed it by coming for me. You even killed Jack by yourself." He leaned on Gulru, his head on the Yuke's shoulder. "You saved me, Gulru. And I'm alive. You're alive. We're both safe. You're my hero that day, and even now."

Gulru sniffled, the tears finally stopping. He wiped away a stray tear that fell, before he asked, "Y-you think so?"

"I know so, Gul," Rae confirmed. "You're brave, and strong in your magic… you're definitely a hero to me."

"...Rae," Gulru whispered, reaching out to hold Rae's hand again. The Clavat took it, squeezing his wing. "I-I'm sorry that I made you worry."

"It's okay," Rae whispered back, a small smile on his face. "Just know that I'll always be here. Always."

"And the same goes to you too, dear," Gulru chuckled, scooting closer to his beloved. If he had a mouth, he would be smiling. Smiling that he was lucky to have a boyfriend like Rae.

At the corner of Gulru's eye, he spotted a small bright light shining from across the hill. He gasped, seeing the sun slowly rising from behind the hill. The sun's rays shone, its light brightening up the dirt roads and the trees, giving them more color. It was beautiful; it shone just like the giant crystal that Gulru had seen in Tipa. How long were they sitting here, talking it out? Gulru wasn't sure. But he didn't mind at all.

"Wow," Rae piped up in awe, his eyes sparkling. "It's been a while since I saw the sunrise. This is beautiful!"

"I-it is," Gulru agreed. Despite seeing it many times, Gulru never took the sunrise for granted; after over a decade as Jack's slave, he missed the little things such as this.

The two watched the sunrise together, cuddled up to each other and enjoyed the view. It wasn't until a few hours later did the two heard stirring in the tent nearby.

Rae reluctantly released his hold on Gulru before standing, much to the Yuke's disappointment. But he understood why; it was another day of collecting myrrh.

"I gotta go make some breakfast," Rae said, stretching his arms up with a sigh.

"I-I can help," Gulru offered, also standing. "I got enough ingredients to make some apple fritters."

Rae smiled at his beloved, nodding to accept his offer. "Sounds great! Thanks, Gully."

Gully… another nickname. That's so cute.

The two began their work on breakfast, their bond stronger than ever after that night.

[twst-drabbles]

Jack 12

Summary: You have a little stalker tailing you after you left the cemetery. The little creature, the church grim, the spirit of fog, follows you to keep you safe.

(Requests are still open. Two more slots! Get that angst request out. Anyways, have this silly idea that entered my head at the ungodly hours of the night and dawn.)

The forest was a difficult thing to traverse for a spirit as small as Jack. At the start, he was born on a pleasant hillside place by a lake, and his next home was in a clear cut cemetery. Both of these places didn’t have the confusing cluster of tress and roots with paths narrow and inconsistent. It’s easier for Jack to become a cloud of fog, but he never manages to stick the landing quite right.

So, what is a creature such as he doing in a place that he was clearly not familiar with? Well, simply put, Jack had a goal. And said goal was walking further and further away from him with the greatest of ease, with five little plant nymphs that were having even easier time keeping up.

A human’s senses are dulled to the sounds of nature around them. A farmer would have an easier time knowing what’s off and what’s not, but even that doesn’t compare to the razor sharp instincts of animals and magical pets. Jack’s ears were raised, his tail still and puffed. The plant nymphs, especially the smaller red and blue one, were constantly looking around themselves.

The deeper you went, the softer and more muffled the noises of nature became, but they were never silenced. No, they blended. Tweets of birds warbled out into rushes of leaves. The crack of a rotted bark piece echoed into the breath of a flame.

As the sounds became nothing more than a messy thrum of its former self, the trees and roots became more and more twisted. Natural juts of strong roots began to resemble gnarled grips into the ground, spiraling and digging into the dirt as though trying to become its parasite. The leaves, as you walked deeper in, grew bigger than the last until they all consumed the last of the sun’s rays.

The forest was quiet. The forest was hungry. And yet, you and your little group kept walking in deeper, as if you knew your goal was somewhere beyond.

Jack’s chest huffed and puffed, but something kept him from making any noise. Perhaps he knew if he was too loud, he’ll catch the attention of something. He dispersed his form into fog once more, looping under a large root to close the distance, but not quite enough to catch your or the plant’s attention.

However, when he solidified once more, his foot got caught on a stray rock. He didn’t yelp, but something gurgled in his throat. He rolled forward when he landed on the ground. Little Jack did not catch his balance in time, for he crashed right into your ankle.

Only then was there pure silence. The lingering echoes all held their breathes.

Then you sighed and corroded noise returned, just the slightest bit more distinguishable than before. You reached down and scooped up Jack, who was trying to shake dirt from his eyes.

“I was wondering who was following us. What are you doing all the way out here? Didn’t you want to stay in the garden we left behind?”

The abandoned cemetery was nothing short of a paradise of glorious flowers and lush nature. Not even a flood would be able to wash away the land Jack wanted to protect. But…

Well, the flowers you planted were beautiful. The glossy leaves and sturdy stems were perfect for Jack to run through. The headstones and those that sleep no longer have to worry about being left alone. Nature has taken this place, as as such, Jack no longer has to linger. He can leave it behind, knowing it won’t simply be taken by the floods.

That’s why he chased you.

But Jack was a prideful little critter. His face pinched up, huffing out as though that will help him regain his cool. The plant nymphs, all looking up to you, knew better. And so did you.

Either way, when Jack puffed himself onto you shoulder, you didn’t fight it. Though the red and blue plant nymphs certainly squeaked a complaint out.

“Well, I guess we have a new addition. Welcome, Jack.”

[mycurrenthyperfxations]

Thank you James Keaton for the crumbs

Source: https://x.com/mrfurious32821/status/1781545827774673077?s=46&t=wr-9R-ptafDhx0m2OG8z0A

https://x.com/mrfurious32821/status/1781545827774673077?s=46&t=wr-9R-ptafDhx0m2OG8z0A

[thecareandkeepingofwhumpees]

Content warning: nightmares, blood, and scars (not from s/h). Please ask if you need any added.

There was red. So much red. His red suit, skintight and made for maximum mobility, but serving to make him feel restrained and exposed. Red blood, drying on his knuckles and dripping from his nose. It wasn’t his, the red on his knuckles. He’d rather it had been. He didn’t want to hurt anyone, he didn't!

Jack jolted awake to sheets soaked with sweat, breathing heavily. It took a minute for him to realize where he was, and even longer for him to realize what had woken him up.

Xander was sitting on the edge of his bed, watching him. “It’s alright, darling. You’re safe now. Can you name one thing that you’re touching?”

“The-the blanket?” Jack asked rather than said, still disoriented.

“Good. Can you tell me what color it is?”

“... Blue.” Blue, not red. Blue is good.

“Yes, and it’s soft too, isn’t it?”

“Mhm.” After a few seconds, when he felt more grounded, Jack asked, “Why are you here?”

“You were shouting in your sleep. I came to wake you up.”

“Oh… sorry.”

“What for, little one?”

Jack shrugged. “Being loud. Forcing you to help me.”

Xander let out a breath through his nose. “Are you okay with touch right now?” At Jack’s hesitant nod, he scooted back so he could lean comfortably against the headboard, and pulled him against his chest.

After a moment of silence, Xander spoke again. “First of all, the government has me classified as an A-tier villain with a risk level of 8. Honey, you couldn’t force me to do anything if you tried. I’m here comforting you because I want to be.”

Jack hid his face in Xander's shoulder. Xander could feel the warmth of his blush through his shirt.

“Secondly, you don’t belong to The Agency anymore. You don’t have to abide by their absurd rules. You are allowed to be scared, and you are allowed to show it.”

“Okay,” Jack mumbled. His wandering fingers found a scar he’d left on Xander during one of their initial altercations. “Does it still hurt?”

“Not anymore. I’ve given it time and taken good care of it, and now it’s healed.”

“But it’s not the same anymore. It left a scar,” Jack said, with the air of a child listening to a bedtime story.

“I like it better this way,” Xander laughed softly. “It’s kind of…" he tilted his head, "badass.”

Jack giggled and immediately yawned.

“Do you think you can go back to sleep? It is quite early, after all.” Xander asked.

“I will if you stay,” Jack bargained, with a confidence he would never have had were he not half asleep.

“Then stay I shall.”

[shallowseeker]

Jack doesn't complain about Sam's cooking so much as sighs sadly at it, poking it with his fork at long, drawn-out intervals.

///

At least Mary likes Sam's cooking.

One night, after cutting out of dinner early to finish an email to one of the AU hunters, Sam comes back in to find her raking the contents of her plate into the garbage.

She freezes.

Recovering, she sputters, "I-it had a hair in it."

[pxppet]

"Tell me, and do be honest. For what purpose did you steal me?" Elliot points the fingers of his touching hands at the scientist like a stereotypical Sherlock, a contemplative grin on his face.

They look up from the papers they had been shredding across the room, turning in their rolling chair to face the ALTR. "I told you, and while I don't mind telling you again, I wish it'd sink in: I saved you from that awful place. You lived a long, dreadful life and- and you're only 19, yet. It's not- I needed to-" They sigh, massaging their temple to knot out the stress.

Elliot picks at the sleeves of his sweater, distant. His entire right hand is bandaged in gauze from an 'incident' during his transport. But Elliot is used to incidents, particularly ones where he is the culprit. "Where did the clothes you dress me in come from," he tests, immediately getting his answer as the scientist stiffens and turns their chair away slightly, half going back to destroying documents, half considering if Elliot even needs verbal confirmation.

"From the store, Elliot. Remember the store, the big store I went into and you had to hide in the car?"

"Store," Elliot tries out the word on his tongue, giving a hum of approval. "So, doctor, was it a spouse or a chil-"

The scientist slaps their own leg in shock and turns around to look at him with eyes that shut him up immediately. When they see him shrink under the blankets with his wide, orange eyes, they immediately untense and correct themselves. "Im sorry, it's okay. It's- it's not polite to ask certain questions. I know the testers don't... hold back on you ALTRs, but out here, people don't ask such personal things."

"Have you ever experienced a terrible occurrence that impacted you significantly," Elliot mumbles under a breath, almost too faint to be heard. The colour is gone from his face, and he suddenly lies back down, quieted by being startled.

The scientist licks their lips, brow creasing with pity. "I have supplies for burritos tonight. It's something you've never tried before. It has meat. You'll like it." They turn back around and gnaw at their lip with guilt as they resume their tasks of covering up Elliot's vanishing.

"Doctor," he calls softly over the whirring of the shredder. "Thank you for letting me wear your child's sweater." He yawns, seemingly exhausted into frail sleep yet again. "I think it is the only clothing I've ever enjoyed. I will get no blood on it."

The blunt confession is the first outright thanks they've received so far, and their hands clench shakily around the papers. They blink away tears. What do you even respond to that with? What could possibly addendum such a genuine thanks?

They turn back to face him, mouth already forming words, but when they see him, he has gone back to sleep. They sigh. They will shred papers. Then they will make burritos. Then they will care for this strange and wild little ALTR as much as they can. No matter what.

[clickerflight]

Clove: Part 12 - Why?

Masterlist

Part 11

I love my boys, of course of course, but also have you seen Margie and Josh? IDK what this side plot is doing, but I am invested personally.

Content: Werewolf whumpee, vampire caretaker, so much fluff, so much panic, mentions of a child who is chronically ill

............................................

Everything smelled like Ephraim. Hyrum hummed softly, nestling farther under whatever was draped over him. He felt content and safe. Protected. 

Faintly, he caught the scent of Ephraim’s blood and his eyes flew open as he scrambled up to see what was wrong. Ephraim was sleeping in the bed next to him, and he woke up as Hyrum started checking him for where he could smell blood. There was dried blood on his shirt on the floor so Hyrum pulled the shirt Ephraim was wearing back and forth, trying to see whatever damage there was as much as his addled brain could manage. 

Ephraim reached out, taking Hyrum’s arms, making him whine. 

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Ephraim asked. 

“Blood,” Hyrum said, struggling to get free, to make sure the vampire was okay. “There’s blood.”

“Ah,” Ephraim said. He sat up, letting Hyrum go and lifted his shirt. There was a pale scar across his chest and Ephraim said, “I’m okay, see? There was a dangerous man at the cottage and he hurt me when we were fighting, but I’m okay.”

Hyrum brushed a finger over it, to make sure Ephraim was telling the truth, but true enough the wound was sealed and all that was left was the scar. 

“Oh,” Hyrum said softly.

Ephraim dropped the shirt and held his arms open, letting Hyrum plough into him. Ephraim held him for a while, soothing all of the spiraling little fears that had taken up residence in his brain the night before. Still, there was a quiet terror he couldn’t quite shake. He had gotten a tiny taste of what it would be like to lose what he had here and it had been devastating. The real thing would surely destroy him entirely. 

He tried to shake the fear. Just because there was a bad man at the cottage, it didn’t mean that it was necessarily Jack. Who knows how many bad men there were in the woods. Hyrum knew that Jack had friends so it stood to reason there were even more than that. In fact, at one point he’d been convinced that all humans were like Jack.

Still, curious and apprehensive at the same time, Hyrum twisted, grabbing one of Ephraim’s hands and closed his eyes, smelling it deeply. 

His hackles rose as his deepest fear was confirmed and he froze. 

Ephraim pulled him into a tighter hug as the werewolf began to hyperventilate, tried to pull closer to Ephraim, tried to crawl into his very chest so he could hide forever. 

“Goldenrod, hey,” Ephraim’s soft voice said urgently. “I know you’re scared. I know, I know. Stay with me, sweetheart.”

Hyrum made a conscious effort to calm down, pressing his ear against Ephraim’s chest and listening to Ephraim’s very slow heartbeat. Ephraim ran a soothing hand up and down Hyrum’s back, a touch the boy couldn’t have even imagined just a month ago. 

Hyrum quickly came to a realization, one that he had shied away from before because it couldn’t possibly be true, but now….

“You’re not going to let him take me,” he whispered in awe, twisting his head to look up at Ephraim, only really seeing the bottom of his chin. 

“No, I’m not going to let him take you,” Ephraim said gently. “And the next time he comes to cause trouble, I’ll…. I’ll kill him. And then he’ll never get to take you.”

Hyrum relaxed into Ephraim’s arms as Ephraim pressed a kiss to his head. 

“Thank you,” Hyrum breathed. 

“Of course, Goldenrod,” and Hyrum was too ecstatic and relaxed to hear the gentle and complicated sort of sadness in Ephraim’s voice. 

…………………………………….

Margie was exhausted. She had spent nearly all day working on the cottage and she had only cleared the front room. There hadn’t been any traps or curses in the kitchen or the storage room, but both of the bedrooms were hexed to the high heavens. 

Josh helped support her as she grumbled, unable to do anything else even with Josh’s help. They’d have to come back in the morning. Not for the first time, Margie realized she needed an actual apprentice, someone to take over for her when she was too weak to do this anymore. Most of the time she pushed the thought off to deal with when she was ‘actually old’ in her mind, but now, exhausted, feet aching underneath her and feeling sick to her stomach, Margie allowed the thought to actually stay this time and make a nest in her mind. Maybe she didn’t feel ‘actually old’, but she recognized that she was. 

She was faintly miffed with herself that she needed to be so run down to be able to accept thoughts like that, but here she was. 

She ran the people of the village through her mind, trying to think of who would work best for this sort of job. Someone who was careful and fairly neat in their actions. It would be useful if they had some knowledge in distilling and brewing, even if it wasn't specifically experience with potions. Lots of free time on their hands to learn this sort of thing and an ability to sort out magic by feel. Not likely to be bowled over by other people’s opinions. 

Just as she was starting to run the adults of the village through her mind, she realized the answer was right in front of her. Or, rather, right beside her helping her walk. She inwardly groaned. Still, there were worse people to work with and Josh met all the requirements. Well, most of them. While his business with wine and alcohol meant he had knowledge in brewing and distilling and gave him the winter’s off because of the money made during the summers and he wouldn’t have to tend to the grape vines he kept, he had three children he helped his wife look after so free time might not be as free as she liked, but he was the best option, especially after seeing him work alongside her in the cottage. 

“Josh,” Margie said in a croaking voice.

“Yeah?”

“Have you ever considered becoming the village’s magic man?”

Josh’s stunned silence lasted only a moment before he said, “Can’t say I have. Why?”

Margie grumbled a little before saying, “You were very helpful in there, and I can’t keep this up forever, you know.”

“Are you asking me to become your apprentice?” he asked, a wry smile on his sun tanned face. 

“If you have to know, yes.”

Josh thought about it for a moment before he said, “I think I could? I’ll have to talk it over with Anna first, of course.”

“Of course,” Margie grumbled. “Maybe I could teach her too. You could split the load between the two of you. She’s already proved herself useful when it comes to herbs and remedies and the like.”

Josh sighed. “Yeah. I guess that sort of happens when you have a child like Dimitri.”

Margie nodded. Dimitri was a weak, though resilient sort. He was almost always sick but still plowed on through life like he was going to live it to the fullest, no matter if it shortened his lifespan. It seemed to make his parents happy, though. The village often watched him carefully, wondering if this was going to be his last winter. 

Margie certainly remembered his birth and his first winter. Anna had nearly died giving birth to the child and he practically lived in Margie’s little hovel during that first winter with endless bouts of croup and any passing cold that decided to drop in for a visit. 

“I’ll walk you to your house and then I’ll let Ephraim know he can’t go back today,” Josh said matter of factly, and Margie bristled. 

“I can tell him myself.”

“Oh, no, old bird,” Josh said easily and Margie nearly cursed him out. He had been growing to be just as brazen as his wife. “You’ll go home and rest. Orders from the possible future magic man.”

Margie huffed. “Insufferable. Completely insufferable.”

“Your knees will thank me,” Josh promised. 

And Margie hated that he was right.

……………………………….

Guntar was kind enough to let Ephraim and Hyrum stay in his house while he was out working, and Ephraim was glad for it. He didn’t much feel like leaving the bed, and Hyrum certainly wasn’t up to it. 

As the two laid curled together, dozing off in intervals, there was a knock on the door which made Hyrum whimper, grabbing hold of Ephraim. 

Ephraim stroked his head, listening as a familiar voice called, “Ephraim!?”

Ephraim placed his hands over Hyrum’s sensitive ears and called back, “In here! Come in!”

The door opened and Josh shuffled in, eventually poking his head in. 

“Oh, sorry,” he said, surprised when he saw the two. 

“It’s fine,” Ephraim said. “Goldenrod and I had a bit of a scare, so we decided to just rest for today.”

“So I heard last night. Well, not that I actually heard it. Embarrassed to say I slept through the whole event,” Josh said. “Anyways, I went up with Margie to try and sort out your cottage. It’s a mess up there. The spells were laid pretty thick. We did what we could but the bedrooms are still hexed and trapped. We’ll be going up again tomorrow to see if we can finish…. Well, that’s if Margie can make the trip back up the hill. Her knees have been giving her some trouble, see?”

“Oh, thank you, Josh,” Ephraim said kindly, pulling up the blanket to hide Hyrum a little better. “I know you probably have things to do, but would you be able to drop by the butcher’s shop and ask Guntar if we can stay here another night or if we should find other accommodations?”

“Absolutely,” Josh said with a warm smile. Ephraim deeply appreciated that Josh didn’t pry as to why Ephraim couldn’t do it himself. He didn’t want to draw attention to Hyrum when he was so scared. “I’ll be back in a bit, then.”

“Thank you,” Ephraim said softly and Josh nodded, heading back out to do as he was asked. 

Ephraim stroked Hyrum’s head under the covers, laying his own head back down on the pillow, contemplating the situation. It sounded like he and Hyrum wouldn’t be able to go back to the house for a while, which left him in a rather sticky situation. He wasn’t certain how well Hyrum would do when it came to being around other people. As far as the vampire could tell, the werewolf was terrified of everyone who wasn’t Ephraim. 

And even after Josh and Margie got the spells cleared up, Ephraim would have to find someone to try and clear out Jack’s scent or at least cover it, or go do it himself, though he wasn’t sure how well Hyrum would take it. He supposed he would just have to see how Hyrum reacted after he had a couple of days to process everything. Who knew, Hyrum had proved to be rather resilient, if a bit hesitant. He could grow to like people after finding that they wouldn’t hurt him. After all, he had grown quite attached to Ephraim pretty quickly, so there was a good chance that all would be well. 

“Ephraim?”

Hyrum had shifted, poking his head out of the blankets, his ears flicking up once freed from the covers. 

“Yes, Goldenrod?”

“Who was that?”

Ephraim smiled. “That’s Josh. He’s a friend of mine. He’s married to Anna. You met her when Morticai was in town, remember?”

Hyrum nodded. “So he’s…. Like you?”

“I’m not sure I understand your question, dear.”

“He’s not going to h-hurt me? Or tell Jack?”

“Oh, no. Not at all.”

“Oh…. I just thought that humans were…..” Hyrum searched for the words for a moment before continuing with, “I thought they all knew Jack and that they’d help him.”

“No. People who would help Jack are pretty few and far between, really. The people in the village are my friends, mostly… maybe not Harry or Katrina. They’ve never really warmed up to me, but that’s alright.”

Hyrum mulled those words over carefully, his ears flicking slightly back and forth as he did so. “So…. what does Josh want then? Jack wanted to make me a weapon-” Doubtful, Ephraim thought to himself, “-And you want to keep me safe and M-Margie wants to heal people? Then what would Josh want?”

“He probably wants to take care of his family,” Ephraim replied. “You know, making sure his children grow up strong and are happy and have happy lives of their own.”

“Oh.” 

Ephraim supposed the idea would sound quite foreign to Hyrum, so he just let the werewolf process that information for a moment. 

After a few long minutes, during which Ephraim started to drift off again, Hyrum patted his chest to get his attention again. Ephraim gave it willingly, opening his eyes. 

“So… most people don’t want to make weapons, do they?” Hyrum asked. He sounded like he was coming to that conclusion himself and just wanted to make sure he was on the right track. 

“No, they don’t,” Ephraim assured him, though that seemed to leave Hyrum more confused. 

“Then, why would Jack want to make me a weapon?”

Ephraim had expected this question, though perhaps not this early. He thought it over for a moment. He could see no rhyme or reason to what Jack had done, and he certainly wasn’t trying to make any sort of weapon. Hyrum had turned up on the verge of death, for crying out loud. 

“Hyrum… I’m not sure he was trying to make you into a weapon. I really have no idea what he was doing, but I think he was just hurting you for the sake of it. I’m so sorry I don’t have an explanation, but what he did was not okay, and it was not normal, and I’m here to protect you now.”

Hyrum stared at him, and Ephraim wasn’t sure the werewolf really comprehended him. Hyrum looked down, distressed as he gently kneaded his stomach, trying to wrap his mind around it. 

“But….. Why!?”

Ephraim just held him closer while Hyrum whimpered softly, kneading his stomach harder. “I’m sorry,” he whispered into Hyrum’s hair. “I’m so so sorry. It’ll be alright. I’ve got you now. He’s not going to come anywhere near you.”

Ephraim’s heart could only break as Hyrum shuddered under his arms, hiding his face in his hands.

Part 13

Clove Taglist: @wolfeyedwitch @the-blind-one-speaks @whumpsday @extrabitterbrain @inkkswhumpandstuff @honeycollectswhump @whump-blog-reblogs @pigeonwhumps

[keyyu]

HHN icons pins I made recently!

[hugheses]

there is something extremely bizarre to me about how some people on here/twitter will like. performatively “stan” ellen for like feminism brownie points or something but then go on to bash her children. if you’re genuinely an ellen fan you 1) probably wouldn’t be constantly insulting her children who she loves and RAISED and are basically her mini mes 2) would actually know shit about her career beyond her wikipedia page. not to be all “name 5 albums” but like i have trouble believing you have watched extensive ellen weinberg hockey tape considering it doesn’t exist on the internet. it’s totally fine and wonderful to think she is an impressive woman who accomplished a lot especially considering her generation, AND understand that her impressive talents include coaching especially her 3 most beloved elite pupils! if you want to support women’s hockey im sure ellen herself would tell you to watch the pwhl and college women’s hockey and support team usa. woso too. but the weird fake “omg ellen is a queen but her kid(s) SUCK” is so odd and i promise you she would not be flattered by you complimenting her and insulting her children in the same breath. same thing goes for quinn fans who hate jack or luke fans who hate quinn etc etc. THESE PEOPLE LOVE EACH OTHER. A FUCKING LOT. THEY WOULD BE OFFENDED BY YOU INSULTING THEIR FAMILY TO PRAISE THEM.

[yaksha-lover]

This AU got me thinking about this, what if Reader has a very serious illness? I'll divide this into two categories:.

1. Their illness can be cured but it takes a lot of money and time, although it takes a lot of time, but at least they are well taken care of in some way.

2. Their illness is incurable and they don't have much longer to live. But it's up to everyone to become a vampire or not,accept becoming a vampire to live a long life or refuse and die in peace?They might die in happy,peace and sadness but also they know before they die, they are not lonely because they lived and enjoyed such happy memories until the end.

cw: terminal illness, reader death, grieving

1. Whether you were being kept at the mansion or stayed there willingly, Lilia would get you the best care possible. He can afford any expensive treatment, and would go to any lengths to help you be comfortable in the extended period of time. Plus, your friends would help in any way they could, they would take your care very seriously. Epel will stay with you if you’re bedridden, bringing you whatever you need and trying to entertain you. Ace and Deuce will hang around too, and while Ace focuses more on trying to make you laugh, Deuce is a very diligent caretaker, fussing over you. Jack won’t let you lift a finger to do anything, he’ll gladly take care of it for you, and he’ll also be the one to kick the others out for you to sleep or have alone time.

The other residents would take time to come to see you too. Idia actually leaves his room for once to bring his consoles to your room so you can game together. Jade and Floyd would stop by, and while you might be wary of them at first, you’ll find that they’ll be uncharacteristically gentle with you. They’ll bring you food from the Mostro Lounge (still Azul’s restaurant in this au), whatever you’ve been craving. You’ll witness the rare sighting of Leona awake when him in Ruggie come to bring your newly designated therapy cats. On days when you want both company and quiet, Riddle will bring you a book he’s picked out for you, and sit by your side while you read together. If you don’t have the energy that day, he’s happy to read aloud to you. Rook would bring you fresh flowers he’s gathered himself every day, citing that he wishes to brighten up your room. He’d also make sure to keep remarking about your beauty, especially when he can tell you don’t feel your best. Kalim comes too, and with his endless smiles and positivity, it’s easy for you to forget about everything going on for a while.

2. If your illness was incurable, Lilia would take you aside and ask you if you’d like him to turn you. It would be the most serious you’ve ever seen him before, but he would mean it earnestly. No tricks or teases, he wants you to know the option is there if you want it. Either way, he’ll respect your choice, and he understands that living as a vampire isn’t for everyone. Lilia knows there’s countless reasons you wouldn’t want to continue on that way. If you chose not to become a vampire, everyone would do what they could to make your last days happy ones. They would do their best to make sure you knew how loved you were. It would be very hard on your friends, especially Epel and Ace who don’t understand why you won’t choose to live as a vampire, but they would put aside their feelings to make the most out of the time you have left. They will come to understand eventually, it’s just hard for them to accept that you’re gone. Malleus is stuck between his grief and understanding that even if you became a vampire, your lifespan is would never have matched his and you still would’ve left him far too soon.

[burlaptrickrtreater]

Color picked pride flags because I was bored

[somedayonbroadway]

uhduheu okay so i feel like i send wayy too many asks and i might be annoying you so i’m sorry aidndknd but could you do the whump prompt in which the whumpee wants to go back with the whumper with jack and race please dkmdnc tyyyy💕💕

Of course I can! Sorry it took so long!

Here is the prompt, written by @green-eyed-whumpster from forever ago!

TW: kidnapping, criminal activity, abuse

Jack wiped at the tears falling down his cheeks as he wrapped up his brother’s ribs, being very cautious of his whipped back. The boy had barely been able to open his eyes when Jack had gotten to him in that awful place. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” he whispered, mostly to himself as he figured Race couldn’t hear him. He brushed the boy’s hair back, to find another bruise hiding beneath his blond curls.

The boy’s hair was so grown out. His curls were matted and distraught. He was incredibly thin. He looked so small and pale and skinny that Jack was almost afraid to even hold him.

“Hey,” Jack whispered, using a cool cloth to dab at Race’s face. He had a fever. “You’re safe with me, little brother,” he promised.

His brother had been gone for nearly five months now. It was Jack’s fault. It was always Jack’s fault. He'd gotten mixed up with the wrong people and they’d come after the most important thing in the world to him. Jack knew they couldn’t stay in this basement for long. He’d staked out this house. The owners would be gone for at least another day. He just needed to get Race better so they could hitch a ride out west and get away from the mess Jack had gotten them into.

See, Jack had thought this would be good at first. He was quick and clever and when someone had offered him money to get in and out of houses with valuables without raising any suspicion, he knew all he could do was take the money. He had his brother to take care of.

Lot of good that had done him.

Jack reached to check the makeshift brace he had around Race’s wrist, before the boy’s hand grasped his own. Jack gasped and nearly jumped out of his skin but he looked down at his brother who was staring back up at him with so much fear and confusion in his eyes. “Racer,” he whispered. “Hey, hey…” The young man reached up to take the boy’s face in his hands. “I gotcha,” he promised. “I gotcha, you’re safe, kid, you’re safe—“

“Mr. Snyder?!” Race cried weakly, trying to move. “Mr. Snyder! Mr. Snyder—“

“Shhhh! Sh!” Jack hissed, stunned at the sudden broken cry. “He’s not here, he’s not here, it’s just you and me,” he swore.

The little boy shook his head. “No, I need Mr. Snyder, I need him.”

Jack stared at his teenage brother. He could barely breathe at those words. “What?”

“Wh-where are we? I wanna go home, I have ta go back—“ Race whimpered desperately as tears began to trail down his face.

“T, you don’t have a home. We’ve never had a home, it’s been you and me, it’s always been just you and me,” Jack assured. “Look at me, you don’t mean that, you don’t wanna go back there, Snyder… h-he’s got you all twisted up, he was hurting you—“

“I deserved it!” the boy whimpered.

The way that Jack’s heart seemed to shatter even more at those words was near impossible. He took a slight gasp of air as he stared down at the boy who was the only family he’d ever had. “Don’t you dare say that,” he whispered. “Don’t say that, no one deserves this, least of all you, Race, you are just a kid. Look! Look at what he did ta you!”

“He fixed me,” Race breathed, with the truest look in his eyes.

“He brainwashed you,” Jack whimpered right back. “Fuck, kid…” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the boy’s head. “I’m gonna get you out of here. We’re gonna go somewhere nice, okay? Someone green—“

“Jackie,” Race whispered.

“What?”

The boy sniffled. “I have ta tell you somethin’.”

“Anything, baby brother, whatever you need, I’m right here.”

“H-he told me I h-had ta call him. I-if I ever got lost…” Race admitted. “He said he would come and find me.”

Jack squinted a bit, confused before he looked down at Race’s hand, the one he couldn’t see well, as it was on the ground, nearly behind him. Jack saw his own phone in the boy’s hand and his heart dropped. “Tyler…”

“I told you I have ta go back…”

The basement door swung open with a loud creak and Jack didn’t even dare try to move. He knew it wouldn’t do any good. He just let tears stream down his face as footsteps got closer and closer to him. The barrel of a gun rested on his shoulder as he stared down at his brother who only had eyes for the man in the room.

“So nice of you to call me, pet,” Mr. Snyder grinned.

Jack knew that it was over right then and there. All of his hope dashed from his body and it hurt. He listened as more people came into the room, grabbing him by the arms and yanking him up. Still, he tried to look back at his baby brother, trying to get back to him, but being unable to do anything of the sort. He was forced away ruthlessly, shoved into the back of the trunk before he let himself scream.

It was over. It was all over.