#sorry this one is all hurt no comfort

[arts-and-drafts]

Ugly Things (Dream SMP)

(In which Tommy and Wilbur have a fight. I've always been morbidly captivated by Pogtopia and the stress it put on everybody involved before the 16th, so this is a little 'what-if' writing exercise of a night that may or may not have occurred :) enjoy!)

CWs: Smoking, mentions of violence

-

Tommy wakes himself up by coughing.

There's a disgusting itch in the back of his throat, and his sinuses are filled with tobacco stench. Bleary irritation spurs him to get out of bed, his body protesting every movement.

Tommy has gotten very little sleep since making Pogtopia their base, and every time he wakes up he is sore from the thin mattress barely making the stone floor any more comfortable.

All this to say he treasures any sleep that he can get, and he is pissed as hell that he's woken from it.

He knows without needing to check that the source of the smoke is Wilbur. Tommy sets off to find him.

It's not exactly hard; Pogtopia is remarkably simple once you know your way around, and there's only a few places you can go for privacy.

Just as he suspected, he finds Wilbur in the farthest side of the ravine by the nether portal, absently smoking a cigarette as he stares into the purple gateway. Tommy pulls his shirt up over his nose in disgust.

"I thought you said you were gonna quit."

Wilbur startles, and turns. His face is gaunt and shadowed in the faint glow of the portal.

"What are you doing up?" Wilbur ignores Tommy's statement. His voice is scratchy and hoarse. Tommy scowls.

"The fuckin' smell woke me up, dickhead." Tommy grumbles. "The portal isn't like a window."

"Sorry." Wilbur says. He doesn't sound sorry at all. "I can't exactly go outside."

"You could not smoke." Tommy presses, irritable. It's too fucking early for this.

Wilbur's face is a mask of indifference. Tommy knows it's a mask, because he knows Wilbur. To anyone else, it would be a real expression. Real apathy.

Tommy knows that it's hiding something.

"It helps me." Wilbur says. It's a conversation they have had a million times over. Tommy narrows his eyes.

"Well, it hurts me." Tommy snaps, the last of his sentence petering into a cough. Wilbur's face goes stony.

"You'll be fine. Go back to sleep, Tommy."

Somehow the words snap Tommy right awake.

Maybe it's built up anger that makes Tommy summon his water bucket from his inventory. Maybe it's misdirected grief at the fact that they're hiding in this shitty fucking ravine in the first place. Maybe it's a lot of things.

Whatever the reason really is doesn't matter. Tommy still throws the water on Wilbur before the man can register the action.

Wilbur finally shows real emotion in the form of sputtering and stumbling, nearly tripping back through the portal.

His cigarette is out, and his glare is piercing hatred. Tommy meets it unflinchingly.

"What the fuck is your problem?!" Wilbur yells. His voice is grating and cracks with emotion, and it riles Tommy up in turn.

"You told me you fucking quit!!" Tommy yells back, raising his voice to match Wilbur's. Their shouts echo off the walls until their voices are just ringing noise in his ears.

"Fucking Christ, Tommy, that doesn't mean you get to waterboard me!!" Wilbur screams. He's pissed good and proper, like Tommy knew he would be.

"'Go back to sleep, you'll be fine.'" Tommy throws Wilbur's words back at him with a sneer, and Wilbur throws back his fist.

Tommy flinches before his mind catches up with what the hell Wilbur just did. For a fleeting second, Wilbur's face displays raw emotion; horror, then anger, then finally settles back into the mask.

Wilbur lowers his arm with a practiced breath, and without another word, turns and walks right through the portal. Tommy is alone, and suddenly extremely aware of how he positioned his bucket like a shield in that split second of reaction.

Against his brother. His brother, who had never before come that close to hitting him in earnest.

Tommy's eyes sting horribly, and he fights back tears in favor for stomping back to his bed. He isn't fucking sorry. Wilbur was the one being a goddamn asshole.

Tommy throws his bucket to the ground as hard as he can, and then kicks it away for good measure. The clanging echoes up the unforgiving stone walls, mocking him. They look like teeth in the torchlight, as if the ravine is just a gaping maw waiting to swallow him whole.

He feels an ugly thing in his chest that he knows he needs to cry out, but he won't give Wilbur that fucking satisfaction. Instead, he throws himself onto his mattress, wincing at how the stone floor digs into him like the padding isn't even there.

Wilbur is gone for a long time. Tommy pretends to be asleep when he finally hears the man come back through the portal, and listens for his breathing until it's evened out into sleep.

-

Wilbur is still pissed off from the night before, obviously.

But he wakes up to find his and Tommy's mattresses pressed together, and his previous anger sticks in his throat.

He doesn't throw away his cigarettes.

END.

[tubbytarchia]

Missed drawing these two too

Bonuses

[joyfuladorable]

Fuck it, here's all my favorite Mikey-centric fanfics!!

There's A LOT + personal blurbs, so they're going under the cut (Mostly AO3, but there are some FFN links, too. Also, besides like the first two, there's no favoritism in the order)

2k3:

Pretend That I Never Left by redstringraven(sirimiri) - Complete/Plans for an Epilogue & Sequel!!

Fic that changed my BRAIN?! If my fanart [1 | 2 | 3] for it is any indicator, lol. I'll say for the umpteenth time that if you're looking for an Excellent Mikey fic with Perfect Characterization, this is IT (and you don't need to know ANYTHING about HZD trust me TRUST ME this fic deserves WAY more love) His swift ride-or-die friendship with Aloy will melt your damn heart!

Dragon of the Sun by ForestWhisper3 - Ongoing

My Other TOP favorite Mikey fic!! Again, fanart [1 | 2 | 3] indicator! Slow Burn(ish) Canon Divergence of Mikey unlocking his Mystic Powers as his family looks on in dismay as they struggle to protect him. The Good Shit!!!

Of Darkness And Light by Bayluff - Complete

OOOOOOO THIS ONE! Very good (also drew fanart for it)! Evil creature literally trying to consume Mikey's lifeforce from within as his family scrambles to help

A Chat With The Titan by secreterces5 - Complete

Mikey has a fun one-on-one talk with the supposedly reformed Bishop in Fast Forward. Mikey vaguely threatening Bishop, HEEHEE

A Simple Act Of Kindness by UlisaBarbic - Complete

That feel when you put your worth in what you can DO and the wish to be Acknowledged and the ONE thing you thought you did right was taken away OOGH AGH OOOOGH

Difficulty Breathing by RealityBreakGirl - Complete

Mikey did not come out of Grudge Match unscathed *smile* Truly one of my favorite 03 Mikey prompts to read about (honestly just check the entirety of the Grudge Match tag on AO3 for a fun time)

"A delivery boy! Uh, or turtle." by LollyHolly99 - Complete

Fic that has the distinction of being the first one I ever did fanart for! Gender Feels for Mikey cuz they're just like me FR!!

What Darkness Most Fears by UlisaBarbic - Complete

OOOGH AGH I LOVE THIS ONE!! Mikey has to save his bros from the clutches of an evil spirit while surviving horrifying monsters and battling a wicked fever!

Michelangelo by ForestWhisper3 - Complete

Mikey through the eyes of his family and how much they respect him and know him UwU

Mikey's Jigsaw by SailorSaysAhoy - Complete

Another awesome gender Mikey fic HOOHAA

Train-Wreck of Thought by halogalopaghost - Complete

When you're so talented you learn how to astral project but you start using it for pranks instead of understanding the drawbacks of said power and that bites you majorly in the ass big time (very good my stomach turned while reading this /pos)

A Brother's Bond by SuperKat - Complete

Mikey gets Real Sick and the fam can't help but remember last time one of them got so ill. OH MAN heartstrings WILL be pulled in this one!!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by moogsthewriter - Complete

Why can't Mikey ever catch a break during Christmas! A short fic that I enjoy Immensely for Mikey being stubbornly heroic and his family desperately trying to play catch up to help him

Questioning Choices by Mystic Medjai - Complete

Fun day at the beach goes catastrophically bad and the fam has to make difficult decisions to keep Mikey alive. THIS THIS THIS!! If I could pour this into my veins for the perfectly paced plot and characterization...

When It Counts by Kallasilya - Complete

Short fic of Mikey stubbornly and bitterly proving his brothers wrong (+ Don being a good brother)

Favourite Disease by devirnis - Complete

Mikey is forced to save his brothers as his body gradually falls apart from the inside. SO GOOD UGH Mikey being forced to deal with situations on his own always show how far he can Shine!

Nowhere Boy by taizi - Complete

OOOH I dunno how I can summarize this without giving the plot away but just know Mikey pulls through by thinking of his family

To Fit the Crime by T33la - Complete

AHHH AHHHH AHHHHH AHHHHHHHH!! Mikey is accused of Murder and receives his sentence before his brothers can even jump to his defense! Oh the twists and turns of this murder mystery!!

you want to know why i sit and sigh (the night is so young it hurts) by love_killed_the_superstar - Complete

Angel and Mikey bonding over comics and unsupportive brothers So Cute)

imma be real with you (cause i started being real with me) by love_killed_the_superstar - Complete

Leo and Usagi being supportive of Mikey as he struggles to train for the upcoming Battle Nexus fight (and also maybe they flirt with each other a teensy bit)

just a hop, skip, and a jump away by baba_buoy - Complete

Mikey sick fic. Heart melting amounts of comfort UwU

Weak Link by yellowhollyhock - Complete

Sweet fic of Mikey feeling insecure about his place on the team, and Leo going through great lengths to prove him wrong like a good older brother :')

'Cause you are the sun, he is your moon/And though he can't speak, he will thank you soon by naivesilver - Complete

Post-Grudge Match Mikey waking up in the middle of the night bitter and sore and gods damn why's Raph awake, too?

Hunted by DysfunctionalRequest - Complete

Mikey wandering the woods alone in the middle of the night and having a VERY unfortunate encounter with hunters

Flipbook by T33la - Complete

Heartfelt moment between Mikey and Don concerning SAINW that makes me want to smash a cinder block against my head /pos

Dramaturgy by Completely_Unaware - Ongoing

Mind the tags! Mikey deals with a Battle Nexus loss in an unhealthy way (UmU)

The Red Means I Love You (Work) by AnonymousCritter - Ongoing

MIND THE TAGS! AU of Fast Forward. Mikey isn't saved from the traffickers in time and things spiral from there

The So-Called "Champion of the Battle Nexus" by 0ozero0 - Ongoing

Grudge Match canon divergence where Mikey gets hurt a little more seriously than in canon (but still wins)

2012:

Devil took your hand by moogsthewriter & taizi - Complete

Mikey mind controlled by the Shredder moment!! *laughs through my pain and tears and screaming*

walk with open hands by taizi - Complete

Mikey gets his hands on one of Renet's watches and things go topsy turvy from there (and it HURTS ME)

(un)reality by SpectrumWriting - Complete

Mind the Tags! Dimension X AU where Mikey is captured by the Kraang and is put through the wringer in more ways than one (OWIE)

evermore (Dimension X AU) series by coffeejellyenthusiast - Complete?

Mind the Tags! Mikey was in Dimension X for over a year and he's NOT OKAY

Gravitational Collapse series by Writing_In_Denial - Ongoing

MIND THE TAGS!! An Incredible it gets worse before it gets better series of Mikey being unintentionally abandoned by his brothers post-series and dealing with some Major Isolation and OOOGH IT HURTS ME SO MUCH BUT I WILL KEEP READING FOR THE EVENTUAL COMFORT

traveling so far to get there by taizi - Complete

Mikey and Raph getting stuck in an empty, post-apocalyptic world and struggling to survive (their BOND IN THIS IS SO SWEET WEH)

Rise:

nice, nice by postergirlsprank - Complete

Short fic of Casey Sr and Mikey bonding after an unfortunate encounter while on a snack run (Hey if you want more context for how this author writes Casey, go read his fic Imperfect Animals too heehoo)

either way, we're not alone by sinaesthesis - Complete

Mikey throughout the years of the Kraang Apocalypse (Lots of Loss and Hurt and Badassery)

going under by redhairedmuses - Complete

Mikey almost drowns during a fight with a mutant

Hyperactive Hypothermia by VeryAngryGremlin - Complete

After Mikey's winter wear accidentally goes in flames and a villain-enduced avalanche, Donnie struggles to keep his baby brother warm

that’s where the blood’s supposed to be! by Dragon_Scales_and_Fairy_Tales - Complete

With Raph and Leo constantly bickering, Mikey ignores a very serious injury after a fight with Meat Sweats

Clever Little Dino! by VeryAngryGremlin - Complete

Mikey trying to keep a robot pet a secret and suffering the consequences

Vs The World by DysfunctionalRequest - Complete

The aftermath of the Kraang strains the family's bonds, and Mikey feels hopelessly alone (and definitely isn't dealing with his trauma properly)

Empathy Amplified by Filsamek - Complete

When you accidentally use your powers to connect with your brothers' emotions then purposefully use them to ease their pain

Sunshine in the Rain by Carnati0n_bl00m - Complete

Probably the first fic I read after watching the Rise movie cuz I wanted to find something Mikey-centric involving Bishop and BOY does it deliver with the additional bonus of Leatherhead!! (also hey look fanart)

A Mystic Connection by rytheoneandonly - Complete

Mikey's mystic powers manifesting and evolving in ways he could never predict (aka Long Fic of Mikey stumbling to figure out why he wakes up exhausted and hurt every night)

The whole world in your corner series by GibbousLunation - Complete

Two fics of Mikey being Mikey and his bros being protective

Better Check Twice by Marz_Zero - Ongoing

Bishop captures a turtle with a bear trap (OW) and is an absolute bastard about it

Come Home Soon by Sherlock_Brolmes - Ongoing

With his brothers unavailable, Mikey (with the help of a former enemy) uncovers a massive conspiracy involving New York and the Hidden City. I LOVE THIS I LOVE SOLO DUO TEAM-UPS!!!! *PUNCHES THE AIR 13 TIMES*

Mikey's Artistic Guide to Dealing with Trauma and Fame by Origami_Nami - Ongoing

Mikey using graffiti as an outlet and accidentally becoming famous

Rook by unorthodoxx - Ongoing

Another Bishop fic of him outwitting the turtles to abduct one of them (Mikey)

Multi/Other:

Mystic Malfunction by VanillaVengeance - Ongoing

Rise Mikey accidentally portals himself to the 2012 Universe and struggles to survive and avoid this other version of his family (with mixed success). The progression of familial bonds in this is just *Chef's Kiss*

The Gauntlet by T33la - Complete

A mix of IDW & 03, a wonderful showcase of how Donnie and Mikey support each other (also, a cool invention and a big rocket and a terrifying near-death experience are involved)

I Get Knocked Down (But I Get Up Again) by Justalittleobsessed - Ongoing

MIND THE TAGS!!! Set in its own original iteration, Mikey has been immortal for as long as he can remember, and he's used to his occasional deaths (and revivals). But then his brothers find out... (AGH AGH THIS ALSO HURTS MEEEEE BUT OOGH the comfort and hope of the later chapters is so Worth It)

Whumptober 2023 series by Justalittleobsessed - Ongoing?

Collection of Mikey-centric one-shots from different iterations and feeling the HURT (Personal favorites are If Only the World Could Stop Spinning..., Just a Flesh Wound, and Not the Best of Days)

To Know Peace (You Gotta Let Go) by Deadpool1763492 - Ongoing (technically)

The Last Ronin Spoilers!! Mikey survives and whisks the new turtle tots away to live on a farm instead of being raised as soldiers. (AUUUUUU THE FEELS!! THE TOTS! MIKEYYYY!!!)

How to accidentally kidnap yourself several times over by Camildeni - Ongoing

Rise Mikey gets captured and accidentally summons other iterations (03, 12, and Bay) of himself trying to get out! They do NOT have a good time!! (but at least they have each other)

the dad diaries by angelmichelangelo - Ongoing

More TLR Mikey being a Dad (and dealing with his trauma sorta kinda)

The neighboring cell by SaltyYagi - Ongoing

2012 Mikey and Rise Leo trying to escape Dimension X together (and bonding)

Bonus Non-Mikey-centric:

Weathered Strings, Tethered Wings by Deadpool1763492 - Ongoing

(2003) SAINW AU!!! With the possibility of Don being alive dangled in front of them, the remaining turtles begrudgingly reunite to save him. Drew a cover for this with more art to come! LOVING the slow burn of reconciliation between these bitter old turtles UwU (Bitter Old Mikey my poor Bestie)

Mutant Nightmare by HamsterMasterSamster - Complete

(2003) The immediate aftermath of Worlds Collide

Hanging By A Turtle by CamsthiSky - Complete

(Rise) Literally the turtles struggling to get out of a deep pit they're hanging over

Shell Game by T33la - Complete

(2003) OKAY OKAY SO!!! OOGH Don encounters something Impossible while prepping a tracking device (for himself) and it snowballs into another Renet-involved time adventure (AND UMMM lots of existential contemplation and a surprise historical guest who's Very Cool)

Turtle Power by halogalopaghost - Complete

(2003) Immediate aftermath of the star ship reactor explosion in Exodus

Disposable by orphan_account (kudos to you wherever you are, author) - Complete

(2003) Bishop captures Don and Mikey and gives them a terrible choice

Dissection by AmevelloBlue - Complete

(2003) So much Comfort after the trauma of Worlds Collide (ie Don's interrogation and Mikey almost getting sliced open)

Find the Road by SillySocks - Complete

(2003) Perfect encapsulation of the family as they cope with Leo's absence while he trains with the Ancient One

Handle with Care by HamsterMasterSamster - Complete

(2003) April is seriously injured during a mission and has to deal with the turtles distancing themselves from her as she recovers

mind-body problem by hiraethseok - Complete

(2003) April and the Turtles Being Siblings the Fic

Healing in Tandem by Eggstasy - Complete

(2003) Canon divergence of Worlds Collide where Splinter is just a little too late to intervene before Bishop starts sawing into Mikey's shell

Let's Take Ibuprofen Together by GreenGoddessSmoothie - Ongoing

(2003) The turtles swap body and have learn to cope with each other's chronic pain

Not the Face I Know by GreenGoddessSmoothie - Ongoing

(2003) Mikey accidentally makes a wish that changes his family's lives forever (THEY'RE HUMAN THEY BECOME HUMAN AND THE PLOT IS COOL AND ALSO QUEER THEMES MY BELOVED)

The Great Skittle Heist of 2105 by AmevelloBlue - Ongoing

(2003) AU of Fast Forward where the Dark Turtles are babies instead and are very swiftly adopted by the Fam

The Labyrinth by HALFnHALF1 - Ongoing

(Mix of IDW/03) The Turtles wake up separated in a labyrinth with only a mysterious voice in their heads to guide them (and manipulate them)

“You didn’t tell me your extended family was in town!” by BoStaffsAreCool - Ongoing

Post-Turtles Forever. The 03 fam is Just beginning to wind down after the events of the movie and look who's knocking at April's door (the 87 turtles)

[pinkgrapefloyd]

daniel larusso & terry silver / the smallest man who ever lived

[introspectivememories]

walki with me... tommy kinard calling buck "baby"..... tommy kinard kissing buck..... tommy kinard gently holding buck's waist.... tommy kinard making buck laugh.... tommy kinard listening to buck ramble with stars in his eyes.... tommy kinard peppering kisses all over buck's face as buck blushes..... tommy kinard letting buck set the pace for their relationship..... tommy kinard calling buck "evan".... buck learning to love his own name because how can he not when tommy says it so gently..... buck sitting in tommy kinard's lap..... buck getting hurt on a call and tommy is there right away taking care of him.... buck waking up in the morning with his head pillowed on tommy kinard's chest as the sunlight streams in through the window and casts tommy in a sort of halo and his breath catches and buck is so happy he made it through his twenties and the tsunami and truck falling on him and the embolism and the lightning strike and any of other myriad of ways the universe has had it out for him because he gets to wake up to tommy motherfucking kinard in his bed as the sunlight gently cradles them in her embrace

("baby," tommy says, eyes still closed, less than two seconds later, hand brushing along buck's spine to card his fingers through buck's hair, "you're thinking too loud. go back to sleep."

buck honest to god flushes at the endearment. because that's what he is, tommy's baby. he's tommy's baby. jesus fucking christ, he feels like combusting. burying his head in his boyfriend's (boyfriend!!!) chest, buck tries not to whine.

"don't wanna," he whispers, peeking up at tommy, "wanna look at you."

tommy's other arm comes up to settle along his waist and buck wants to, fuckin', purr or whatever with how right it feels. tommy cracks open his eyelids to peer down at him.

"evan," his boyfriend (boyfriend!!!) says fondly.

and that's another thing he never knew about himself until he started dating tommy. he loves his name. not his nickname or his last name or buckaroo or any variant of that but his first name. he fuckin' loves the name "evan" or maybe he just likes the way tommy says it. and tommy has so many ways he says buck's name.

there's a soft, whispered "evan" in the mornings, and fond "evan" in the afternoons. there's an "evan" that tommy says like he's holding 3 tons of solid gold in his hands. there's an "evan" that he can barely get out through his laughs when buck bursts out with a fun fact at a wrong time. there's a choked-off, bitten, "ev-" when they're in bed at night and tommy can't believe buck is under him, gorgeous and panting. and there's the panicked "EVAN!" on a call gone wrong and there's an angry "evan" when buck doesn't take care of himself and there's a worried, two-syllable "ev-an" when he comes home with more bruises than he left with and there's-,

well the point is that there's a lot of different "evan"s that tommy says these day. he's going to catalogue them all one day. like his very own personal auditory archive. something to pull out on his off days.

"evan," tommy says fondly, "i'm not goin' anywhere sweetheart. i'll be here when you wake up. so go back to sleep, i'll be right where you left me."

and well-, buck forgets sometimes that this is a two-way street. that he may be tommy's baby but tommy's his boyfriend too. that tommy's practically required by law to be here when he wakes up. (oh by law?, he can almost hear his boyfriend snark. buck's bites the inside if his cheek to stop himself from giggling.) and more than some vague, ephemeral, Boyfriend Laws™️, tommy wants to be here when he wakes up. this is something tommy is actively choosing to do.

so when tommy says, "go back to sleep sweetheart" and "i'm not going anywhere, evan", well, who is buck to question that? he burrows deeper into the warm cocoon tommy has made, and let's his boyfriend's heartbeat lull him back to sleep.)

[megafaunatic]

wenzhou • on changming mountain

[maudiemoods]

Characters based off 3 emojis!!!

The oni demon, strawberry pufferfish dragon, and candy skull guy are my favorites disisjakia

[rapidhighway]

i love hurt/comfort but i fucking hate hurt/comfort so bad stop doing the hurt comfort template i beg of you i am begging please pause for ten seconds and think if he would actually say that and do that i promise you can write satisfying hurt/comfort and have everyone be in character and not "character A" and "character B" template screenshot you found on pinterest

[crescentfool]

beaming everyone on the dashh with good brain day vibes!!! i hope that you all can remember to extend self-compassion to yourself whenever you're feeling down about something 💙

[lambjock]

genuinely hope natalie keeps jackie's necklace in s3 -- that she fiddles with it and stares at it, a little crooked heart on a golden string, and thinks about jackie taylor and how never in a million years would she have given this gift to nat, and yet it now belongs to her anyways. the good luck charm. the blessing of protection. an undying promise of a love natalie has struggled to know her whole life ( i would never hurt you on purpose / you're my best friend and i'd do anything for you ) and most importantly it's something that replaced the cold steel of a knife against her neck in the form of their soccer captain's delicate heart. it's hers, hers, hers, and when her head is weighed with antlers the only warmth she feels is from a metallic shape that's long since indented itself against her sunken, bony skin. a love she'll pass down to prey she'll always feel sorry for but a love that'll return to her all the same. and maybe in a kinder life it was something nat rightfully earned rather than the premature consolation it really was. and maybe in that other world the necklace comes from a well maintained, plushy hand : dangled into nat's ring-clustered fingers with a smile. and instead of pitiful sorry i love you's, it's a sickly fond look, one that's just for her.

[puppy-steve]

had my stepdad's funeral today (not my current stepdad) and hoooooo boy the abandonment issues are in full swing :)

[hopelesshawks]

While we’re on the subject of hurt/no comfort hanahaki:

Keigo getting chronic hanahaki. It’s not necessarily lethal, it’s more like a disability or chronic illness where there are good days and bad. He refuses to confess because he doesn’t have time for a relationship nor does he want to put you in the line of fire (both of villains and of the general public) by starting a relationship with you. Plus you’re his only real best friend and he doesn’t want to jeopardize that either by you not returning the feelings or entering a relationship only for it to go sour.

At the same time, he knows the HPSC absolutely cannot find out about it. They’d flip if they knew he had any kind of chronic condition and they’d also never approve of him getting into a relationship which would leave only one solution in their mind. The same solution that is Keigo’s worst nightmare.

So he’s as careful as he can be about hiding his condition. But there’s only so much he can do for so long…

It’s a bad day. One of those days where he coughs up whole flowers instead of just petals and they come up tinged with red. He’s struck by a coughing fit mid-meeting with the HPSC President and no matter how hard he tries to suppress it and ignore the bitter perfume taste collecting on the back of his tongue, eventually his body has to let instincts take over and let the coughs spill out. By the time he’s done there’s a small, bloody garden on the table and a cold look in the president’s eyes.

The guards catch him while he’s still vulnerable from the coughing fit and make sure he can’t get away.

Not even a week later Keigo wakes up in a hospital bed, chained to it by quirk suppressing hand cuffs as they were the only way of ensuring they’d be able to tranquilize him and keep him still for the surgery.

He wakes up and he still has the memories of you. He still remembers the first time you two met, the first time he made you laugh, the first time he opened up to you, and the first time he realized he was in love.

But now when he examines those memories there’s no actual emotions associated with them. Where his love for you used to warm his heart there is now only a cold, numb indifference that can’t be shaken or removed.

Keigo doesn’t love you anymore.

He can’t love you anymore.

And it’s the loneliest he’s ever felt

[medicbrainrot]

either born in hell or heaven sent, but either way i’m into it

Simon and Artemis, call signs Ghost and Jaguar, were on their way to exfil from a stealth mission, then their transport came across an IED. The IED detonated, subsequently flipping their truck. 

Ghost had been knocked unconscious in the explosion, and was bleeding slightly from his head. 

"Ghost. Lieutenant! Ghost, wake up!" Jaguar said, shaking his shoulder. 

Ghost was unresponsive. Even after being shook, it seems like no one's home. Jaguar shakes him again, coughing wetly as she does so. 

This time Ghost's eyes flutter slightly and he coughs, before jolting awake with a gasp. 

"Jesus, fuck." Jaguar swears under her breath. "Are you okay LT?" 

He looks at her, rubbing his head. "Ugh…" He mutters. "I'm fine… I think…" He groans, and looks around groggily. "Where… Are we?" He asks, coughing again. The force of the cough makes him feel dizzy and nauseous. 

"Our truck got hit by an IED, we got flipped over." She coughs. 

"Damn…" Ghost replies, sighing. He tries to sit up, only to realize he's upside-down, making his head spin. 

"What the hell is happening?" He slurs, his vision blurring slightly. 

"I think you're concussed LT." Jaguar says, voice straining as she struggles with her seatbelt. 

"Well that's not good." Ghost groans, rubbing his head again. He unbuckles his seat belt and tries to carefully work his way to the floor. 

He looks over at Jaguar, seeing that she's struggling with something. "You need help over there, Jag?" Ghost asks in a drowsy tone, trying to offer his assistance. 

"I… I can't unbuckle my seatbelt." Jaguar coughs. She's still hanging upside-down, all the blood rushing to her head. 

Ghost sees her still struggling. "Oh, damn. Let me get that for you…" He says, fumbling to reach her seat belt connector. It was difficult since he was dizzy and wanted to throw up, but he managed to unclip the belt. "There…" 

Jaguar grunts as she hits the floor, but at least she isn't stuck anymore. 

"Thanks LT. Let… Let me get my med kit and I'll take a look at you. Do you think you can get out of the truck on your own?" She coughs. 

Ghost groans, "I'll try…" He groggily kneels on the floor, his limbs feeling like rubber, but after a little bit, manages to steady himself and climb out of the truck. He doesn't trip, but he does have to pause to catch his balance a few times. 

His vision stays blurry, but he manages to stay upright upon exiting the overturned vehicle. 

He reaches out a hand in case Jaguar needs assistance getting out of the truck. 

Jaguar reaches out a bloody hand to take Ghost's as she gets out of the vehicle, letting out a wet cough as she stands up, trying to steady the med kit on her shoulder. 

Ghost steadies her as she stands, waiting for her to adjust the kit on her shoulder. "You alright, Jag?" He asks, a hint of concern in his voice. 

"I'm good." She nods. "How's your head?" 

"Sore." Ghost replies. "It feels like a million tiny people are inside my head, jumping up and down punching my brain." He says, cringing slightly when his vision blurs again. 

"You ever gotten a concussion before?" Jaguar asks him. 

"Twice, actually…" Ghost replies, wincing again as he rubs his head. "Never this bad though." He adds, stumbling a bit as he goes to sit down. 

"Shit." Her eyes widen as she jumps forward to steady him. "Hey, hey! Look at me. You with me?" 

Ghost groans again. "Yeah, I think so…" 

He shakes his head slightly. "Something feels really weird inside my head." He groans. 

"Ok, look at me." Jaguar pulls a pen light from her pocket and checks Ghost's pupils. 

Ghost looks at Jaguar as she does so, wincing slightly at the brightness of the light. He follows her actions, and waits for jer to finish checking him. "You find anything?" Ghost asks, his vision settling a bit. 

"Your pupils are equal and reactive, so that's good. But I'm a little worried about the concussion. Where did you hit your head?" She asks, a small cough escaping. 

Ghost groans. "Where didn't I hit my head?" He asks, in a slightly dazed tone. He rubs his head again. "I don't really remember anything besides pain."

"Fuck. Okay. Can I check your head?" She asks. 

Ghost nods a bit groggily, allowing Jaguar to check his head for signs of injury. 

"Any other symptoms of this concussion you need to check, Jag?" Ghost asks, his vision and hearing still a bit fuzzy. 

"Yeah, hold still. This might hurt." She says as she runs her hands along his head, neck, and chest, doing a partial trauma sweep to check for blood and fractures. 

Ghost follows Jaguar's instructions as she does the sweep, trying to remain still, as she checks his body for external and internal harm. He does wince slightly when she checks his head again, but otherwise holds still. 

"Okay, I found where you're bleeding from, I'm going to bandage it." She says as she pulls some gauze from the med kit. "Do you want any painkillers?" 

Ghost nods groggily. "Yeah… Maybe…" He groans, wincing a little at the pain. "I'd really appreciate it…" He adds, his eyes drifting shut. 

"HEY." Jaguar says firmly, getting Ghost's attention. "The meds are in my left pants pocket. My hands are covered in blood. Grab one, okay?" 

"Okay…" Ghost says, slowly moving his hand towards Jaguar's pocket to grab the meds. "Got them…" He says, shaking one out of the bottle into his other hand. 

"Okay. Can you dry swallow or do you need water?" She asks. 

"I can dry swallow." Ghost says, tossing the pill into his mouth and swallowing it. "I feel like shit though… I hope this works." He groans. 

"It'll help." Jaguar pulls some more gauze and starts cleaning a wound on her arm, suppressing a cough. "What's your favorite color?" 

Ghost look at Jaguar, his eyes still a little hazy from the pain. "Blue, I guess. Why?" He asks, his eyebrows scrunching in confusion. 

"I need to keep you talking." She states. "What's your favorite food?" 

"Ah… Umm… I like steak, a lot…" He says, starting to get curious about the whole 'keep you talking' thing. "Umm… Why do I have to keep talking?" He asks, squinting his eyes at Jaguar as he tries to get them to clear up. 

"If I can keep you focused, it'll make it easier to direct you. Do you still have your radio on you?" She asks, coughing wetly towards the end. 

Ghost checked his vest. "Yes, got it right here." He answers. "Why do you want me to keep focused?” He asked, curiosity in his tone.

“You’re concussed, but we are still in enemy territory. We can’t afford for you to lose focus.” She says as she applies a bandage to her arm. “Where else are you hurt?”

“Other than my head?” He asks. “I’ve got a cut on my back, but I don’t think it’s bleeding too badly. Other than that, just the headache…” He groans. “And I’m still a little dizzy…” He adds, wincing as the pain from the headache worsens.

“Okay.” She approaches Ghost from behind and pulls up his shirt, quickly applying a bandage to the wound before turning her head to the side to cough. “The meds should kick in soon.”

Ghost nods, feeling the sting of pain from her attending to the wound on his back. He stays silent for a bit, just watching as Jaguar patches up a few cuts and scrapes. His eyesight has cleared up significantly as well.

He looks at Jaguar. “Thanks…” He groans slightly, his voice a little hoarse.

“No problem.” She says, wincing slightly. “Have you called for evac?”

“No… I should do that, huh?” He asks, his vision continuing to clear a bit more.

He shakily stands up, reaching for his radio. He activates it and send out the message to send in the evac, as well as their current location.

“Done.” He says a bit gruffly.

“Good.” She winces a bit as she tries to suppress a cough. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

Ghost nods. “I’m pretty sore all over, but I don’t think I’m bleeding anywhere else. I’m still dizzy, but I think it’s getting better.” He leans up on a nearby fence post for support. “What’s with your wincing? Are you injured?” He asks, mildly concerned as his vision is finally able to focus.

“I’m okay.” Jaguar says as she suppresses another cough.

“Are you sure?” Ghost squints at her, a hint of worry in his eyes. “I can help you if you need me to, if you want…” He adds, the painkillers having finally kicked in to ease some of the pain in his head.

“I’m fine, there’s nothing I can do about it here.” She coughs again. “What’s the ETA on the evac?”

“About ten minutes, they’ve got a chopper inbound now.” Ghost states, his head feeling a little clearer.

“Good.”

“We just have to wait and sit tight, then.” Ghost says. 

He takes a look around, seeing the remains of their vehicle scattered about the area after the explosion. “Do we wait here? Are we safe here? What do we do?” He asks, hoping Jaguar has an answer since his head is still feeling a little fuzzy after the impact.

“We should be okay here, but we should at least move out of sight.” She wheezes.

“Yeah… we should.” Ghost agrees, glancing over at her, a frown forming on his face. “You really aren’t doing too hot, are you?” He asks, an eyebrow raising up under his mask. “Do you need to sit down?”

“I…I might need to.” Jaguar coughs roughly.

Ghost sighs, “I can try to help you,” He says looking over at her. “Do you need me to carry you?” He asks, worry evident in his voice. He reaches forward to steady her. “It’s alright if you aren’t okay y’know. You’ve been tending to me this whole time, it’s my turn to tend to you.” He offers gently.

“I’d love that, but carrying me might make it worse.” She coughs wetly. “How’s your head?”

Ghost’s mouth turns down in a frown. ”I still feel… kinda weird, if that makes sense. It still kinda aches.” He grimaces, not really sure how to describe how his head is feeling, as it’s not a normal headache.

“That’s normal for a concussion, but you’re still talking and still focused, so that’s good.” Jaguar wheezes.

“Okay. Is there anything I can do to help you with that cough?” He asks, holding out a hand in case Jaguar needs it. “Do you need some water? Any pain meds? What can I do?” He asks, trying to be gentle.

“The pain isn’t the issue.” She coughs wetly. “I think my ribs are broken, and they migh–” She gets interrupted by another cough.

“Broken? How?!” Ghost asks, a hint of panic in his voice, his head swinging to look at her, causing a wave of dizziness to wash over him. “Did this happen in the explosion?” He asked, worried about his medic.

"It's okay. You're concussed." She says. 

"If your ribs are broken, that's not okay!" Ghost continues, notes of concern in his voice. "What if they've punctured something?" 

Jaguar coughs again, wiping at her mouth. "One of them might've punctured my lung, but there's not much we can do about it here." 

"Jesus Christ. What if there's blood filling up in your chest?" Ghost asks, worry in his voice. 

"How far out is the evac?" She wheezes. 

"About seven minutes." Ghost says, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down. "Are you going to be okay for that long?" 

"I can do anything for seven minutes. I can do anything for seven minutes." She says. "How's your head?" 

"I still feel… Weird…" He murmurs. "But the pain is starting to subside. I think the meds have kicked in." He adds. "Your ribs are still a big concern though."

"Are you seeing double or anything like that?" Jaguar coughs. 

"No, things have started to clear a little bit." He looks at their surroundings to make sure they are still relatively safe. "Why do you ask?" 

"Okay, that's good, that's good. I'm just checking. Still dizzy or is that better?" Artemis coughs again and wipes something from her mouth. 

"Yeah actually, I'm not as dizzy now…" Ghost replies, nodding slightly. "But that cough of yours is worrying me. Can you breathe alright?" 

"I've–" She gets interrupted by a wet cough. "I've been better." 

Ghost's face goes pale as he notices that Jaguar coughed up blood. "That's… Not good….your lungs…" 

"Yeah, I know." She wheezes as she wipes the blood from her hand on her pants. "How's your head?" 

"It's still really sore." Ghost replies, gently grasping at his head. "My ears are kind of ringing."

His hands are starting to tremble, and his breathing is getting heavier. "What's happening?" He whispers, worriedly, trying to figure out what to do. 

Jaguar gently places her hands on Ghost's cheeks, softly cupping his face. "Hey, hey. Look at me. You're going to be okay. Evac is on it's way, right? How many minutes?" She asks softly. 

Ghost's fear starts to settle at her words. "Three minutes. Evac will be here in three minutes." 

"Beautiful. We can do anything for three minutes. Right?" She asks, still holding his face. 

"Right…right…three more minutes. We can do this." He answers, trying to compose himself. He locks his eyes onto Jaguar, trying to find comfort in her gaze. 

"Remember around the time when we first started dating, and we got caught in that hail storm?" She smiles softly. 

Ghost pauses for a moment, but then his face lights up when his memory jogs. "Yeah, I remember…we almost got hit by lightning." He says with a chuckle. "That was quite the night." He adds, a smile crossing his face at the memory.

"It was so scary." She smiles. "The hail was the size of golf balls."

"But we made it through, like usual. We even made it home alright." He replies, voice soft. "It's kinda amazing how far we've come, y'know?" He smiles at the memory "It almost feels like we've been through hell and back."

"Through hell and back." She repeats softly, then leans away to cough for a second. "We made it through that just fine, just like we'll make it through this just fine."

Ghost smiles at the statement, nodding in agreement. "Yeah. We will, we will." He squeezes Jaguar's hand. "We'll be fine, I promise. 

She nods softly before leaning away to cough again. 

Simon looks at her, concerned at her consistent coughing. Worried that she'll start coughing more blood, he reaches out to put a hand on her back. "Artemis, you're going to be okay, I promise. You'll be okay." He says softly, trying to reassure her. 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay." Jaguar slurs slightly. 

"...Are you sure?" He asks, squinting at her as he continues to gently rub her back. "You're coughing up blood, it doesn't seem like you're okay." He says, worry creeping into his voice. 

"It's a little hard to breathe, if I'm being honest." Jaguar wheezes, gesturing in reference to her broken ribs. 

His eyes widen at her words. "It's hard to breathe?! Is your lung collapsing? Do you need CPR?" He's trying to run through all the medical training he has, but the concussion is making it difficult to think straight. 

She laughs but then winces. "CPR is for when your heart stops, sweetheart. My heart is working just fine, I don't n–" She gets interrupted by another cough. 

Simon flinches at the cough, looking at her in worry as he listens. He takes a moment to process what Artemis said before finally responding.

"Is there anything I can do to help you? Do you…do you need anything?" He asks, sounding a bit anxious. 

"Just your love and affection." She slurs.

"I can do that." He replies gently. "Do you need anything else?" 

"As long as evac gets here soon, that's all I need from you." She coughs wetly. "Now how far are they?" 

"Just a minute or two out. They'll be here soon." He says reassuringly. "We'll be okay."

"Yeah, we'll be okay." She slurs. "How's your head?" 

"Better than it first was." He answers. "How's your chest?" 

"Ok, that's good." She coughs roughly. "I… I think I need to sit down."

"Okay." Ghost nods. "Do you need help, or do you want to sit down on your own?" He moves a little closer and extends his hand in case she wants help. 

“I might need some help. Can…can you help me take my vest off so I can…can check which ribs are broken?” She wheezes.

“Yes, I can do that.” He nods. Simon gently holds her by the arm, and helps Artemis to sit down on the ground. He then unlatches her vest, making sure not to apply any pressure to her ribcage.

Once the vest is off, she takes off her shirt and starts running her hands along her ribs, wincing as she figures out which ones are broken.

Ghost watches this, seeming concerned as she does so. “Do you know which ones yet?” He asks. “Is your lung…” Simon tries to keep his tone soft, calm, as he reaches for her hand. “Are you still able to breathe okay?” His heart skips a beat when he hears his medic breathe sharply.

“Yes, probably, and not really.” Jaguar coughs, answering Simon’s questions in order.

“Is there anything I can do to help? They should almost be here, I can hear the chopper in the distance.” He says trying to reassure her.

“If I pass out, tell the flight medics ribs 7 through 10 on the right side are probably broken.” She wheezes. “How’s your head?”

“My head is…better… I think.” He replies. “So, I just need to keep you awake until they get here?” He asks.

“You’re the one who’s concussed.” Artemis slurs, her eyes struggling to stay open. 

“Stay awake with me, alright?” Simon pleads, squeezing Artemis’ hand when he realizes she’s getting drowsy.

“Mmhmm.” Artemis sways slightly as her eyes start drooping shut.

Simon moves quickly to try to catch her, trying to take care not to injure her ribs further. He cradles her close to his chest, and his eyes widen when he sees that she’s struggling to stay awake. He looks and can see in the distance that evac is approaching, that they’re almost here. 

“Jaguar!” He shakes her shoulder gently, trying to keep her awake. “Artemis!” His voice sounding more and more desperate each time he calls her name.

“Mm…” She mumbles.

Simon shakes her a little harder, holding her close as he tries to keep her awake. “C’mon love, just a little longer, they’re almost here.”

She pries her eyelids open, her mumbling barely audible. “‘M tryin’, ‘s hard.”

“I know love, I know. They’re almost here.” A sense of relief floods Simon when he sees the chopper preparing to land nearby.

Artemis is just barely able to stay conscious long enough for the flight medics to get both her and Simon onboard and stabilized on the flight back to base.

“You were amazing back there.” Simon says softly to her. “You are so strong.” He presses a kiss to her forehead through the mask as she finally closes her eyes and slips into a painkiller induced sleep.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Likes, reblogs, and feedback are appreciated!

Masterlist

[journey-to-the-attic]

thot..... its unlikely ik gets out of seven sin things in a row totally fine right? hear me out. what if being in all their inner worlds like that 'stained' her with their sins somehow. so ik gets like an overload of the entire thing?

idk im just rlly over mc constantly and thanklessly doing the most for the brothers in nb so i want ik to get some of that good hurt/comfort too 😭

i really can't tell if you're calling me a thot or if that's your way of writing 'thought'... but, anyway-

yess [rubbing hands together evilly] this is good fodder for angst!! i think it could mix with the idea that being in the past is also taking a toll on her in a more direct and tangible way - like mc and solomon beginning to lose their magic (though... they seem to have forgotten about that in recent lessons??)

i feel like what happened with lucifer during his own Sin Thing probably was a triggering factor... i've said before that ik just kinda goes through nb with a very "fuck it we ball" attitude, because the only way she can cope with the stress of the whole situation is to be super happy-go-lucky about it - and it's been alright so far, because the brothers have taken well to her, but it's not like there aren't moments (especially early on) where she's treated kinda poorly

it'll be better by the time the sin stuff all happens, but all the same ik's kind of on her last nerve, so lucifer snapping on her is just the last straw. of course, at the time, she managed to pull herself together long enough to resolve the situation - and lucifer did immediately go "shit" and start trying to salvage things - but then things kinda got lost with lucifer being 'cured', so i don't think ik really recovered

the 'sin staining' thing is a super cool idea! it makes sense too, since i see the brothers 'inner worlds' as a sort of snapshot of their soul at that point - their deepest thoughts made physical - so it makes sense that ik would be affected by entering them during the Sin Stuff, since i figure there'd be high concentrations of that dark energy or something

i'm not yet completely sure on how her symptoms would manifest, though... i imagine all seven sins combining would make for an absolute mess of emotions, so when she crashes, she crashes hard. might be an opportunity for her to just go genuinely unhinged - constant swinging between moods, between painful clarity, where she's begging for help, and incoherent delirium, where she's so lost in her own head that she doesn't know the difference between hurting herself and taking care of herself

she gets a concentrated dose of each other the brothers' own emotions that led to their own Sin Thing (which i shall henceforth call their singularity, aren't i clever), which would mix with her own anguish about being trapped in the wrong time - plus she'd probably be beating herself up for being 'ungrateful, or else about the sort of things the seven deadly sins would make you think

solomon would probably have to just put her to sleep for her own safety.... i don't think the brothers could just pull the same inner world trick ik used to help them, either, because it's not just an ik thing, it's also all of THEIR things interfering and corrupting her mind. barbatos could do some weird time magic maybe????

[bunnihearted]

🐁☁️🌫️

[enden-k]

im sorry to hear people are stomping all over your boundaries, big props to you for sticking up for yourself and putting your foot down. I hope you're doing ok (/gen)

on another, hopefully happier note, i noticed your info post mentions that you self ship! I'd love to hear about your favourite self ships if you're comfortable talking about them some time?

i actually never did or had interest in this but then haitham waltzed in so hes the first and only one (this whole thing flusters me so its smth i indulge in for myself in private by reading or daydreaming or sometimes i babble and ramble about him very in depth)

(most hkvthm things i draw is just me going 'wish that was me' and drawing it LMFAO)

ohh also same w kaveh but in a slightly different way than haitham (theyre both the only ones) i want them to hold hands. i want them to hold my hands. there