The Hurt/Comfort Meme

[winterbolt]

Hurt/Comfort - Hurt/comfort is a fan fiction genre that involves the physical pain or emotional distress of one character, who is cared for by another character. The injury, sickness or other kind of hurt allows an exploration of the characters and their relationship.

- Post with Character Name | Series in the subject.
- Others respond.
- Roll 1-10 at RNG for a scene, play it out and have fun!

1. INJURY. You've been injured. Broken bones or bleeding out or maybe just a tiny little papercut. The choice is yours.
2. SICKNESS. You're sick and laid up in bed, at home or in a hospital. The severity is up to you.
3. FEAR/ANXIETY. Something is happening and you're scared beyond belief.
4. LOSS OF SENSES. Sight, touch, taste, hearing, smell, etc. You've lost some important sense or ability and now you're left to deal with it.
5. DESPAIR. Nothing is good or right anymore and you can't shake the depression. Maybe that friend of yours can help though...
6. BREAKUP. You've been dumped. You need someone to comfort you, possibly by the one who dumped you.
7. MAKE UP. Fight or break up, it's time to makeup.
8. RESCUED. You've just been held captive and/or tortured for however long and finally, someone has come to the rescue.
9. BAD ROMANCE. Fight, cheated on, abused, whatever the case is, someone else can clearly see you need comfort from someone who isn't your terrible lover tonight.
10. LOSS. You've experience a loss of some kind and need help getting through it.
11. INSANITY. You're seeing things that aren't really there, hearing voices, or you're just convinced you're at your wit's end finally and you're going to crack. Maybe someone can give you a helping hand.
12. TIRED. You've had a heard life recently and you're just worn too thin to really care anymore. There's no fight left in you anymore. Can someone help change your mind?
13. ADDICTION. Drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, or any other type of addiction has got you in its grasp. First time or relapse. Will someone be able to save you?
14. INSOMNIA. You can't sleep anymore, no matter how hard you try. Maybe someone can give you company.
15. NIGHTMARES. Or, on the other end of the spectrum, you can't sleep without gruesome, horrible nightmares. Either someone is stuck in your dream with you, witnessing it or they're just waking you up, soothing you out of it.
16. BLACKMAIL. You've been caught doing something you shouldn't and you were blackmailed because of it
17. SEPARATION. You're going to be separated for awhile or were separated for a long time. Either make up for lost time or try to spend every last moment together.
18. VIOLATED. You've been violated in some way. Can include sexual overtones or not. Can someone help you through it?
19. STRANDED. You've been stranded somewhere remote, with no help of anyone finding you for awhile. Can you survive this together?
20. SINS You're feeling the weight of your sins and guilt clearer than ever. Can someone give you absolution or lessen the ache any?
21. SECRET. It's difficult having to keep that secret of yours, be it a relationship or something you just don't want to share with anybody else. Maybe it's okay to talk about it now though...

From Bakerstreet

Comments

Because I like making the children cry

[soundmind]

[Screaming. Screaming woke her up--it wasn't screaming in her dreams, it was someone in the house, someone in trouble or someone seeing something awful.

No--not just someone, it's Kaneki's voice she comes to realize when she bolts up from bed. Without a thought to what's going on, Maka runs out of her room and to the one Kaneki is staying in. Any other day she probably would have knocked to make sure he wasn't underdressed or something, but she simply bursts in right now, crossing to the bed to check on him.]

Ken, are you okay? What happened?

[Ah...is that blood? Why is he bleeding?]

D-did you hurt yourself?

[He wouldn't have...hurt himself on purpose, it was some kind of accident for certain. But if he was screaming, it had to be some night terror--Hide and Rikki wouldn't have hurt him, either. How did he injure himself in his sleep?

No, never mind the details, she reaches out to him carefully to rest her hands on his shoulders. Don't worry, I'm here, it's all right.]

Ken...?

[samsa]

[He didn't see Maka coming, but he heard her voice. And for the first time when Maka comes over, Rikki doesn't do anything. She's about as confused as Maka is, mostly because it's been a while since Kaneki has had a nightmare like this, particularly one so...violent. The moment her hands touch his shoulders Kaneki jerks back with a choked noise, swallowing thickly against the blood and saliva pooling in his mouth. It wasn't real, it wasn't real, yet all the symptoms of it being real are happening right now and he isn't awake enough to process it.

The Zangoose notes his distress and edges closer to him, a low growl starting up in her throat. It's not directed at Maka, persay, but the fear and confusion has her on edge, wanting to attack the thing that's hurting her trainer but not having anywhere to actually direct her aggression. Hide, meanwhile, had been trying to hold onto Kaneki's arm, but when he tears away he scurries back and over to Maka's side, hiding his face in her sleeve.

Kaneki stares at the three of them for a long moment, both hands still gripping his face until he's all but clawing his hair, one hand trying to completely cover the eye that has been completely normal for years now. A small trickle of blood drips down the corner of his mouth as he gasps out, swallowing again.]

I...h-h...

[soundmind]

[Her hands left abruptly free, Maka lays them to rest in her lap. Then after a moment of consideration what to do next, she puts her arm around Hide, reassuring him that it's all right.]

...Nightmare?

[She'll finish the sentence for him, he had a nightmare. It made him scream and it apparently made him bite himself, that was the only way she could guess that blood got in his mouth.]

Was it...the ghoul again?

["The" ghoul, though she never learned its identity (and she never asked Kaneki if he did either) frequently chased and hurt Kaneki in his nightmares as far as she recalled. If he's having nightmares, somehow ghouls must be on his mind, even if he hasn't had to worry about anything involving ghouls for a while.]

[samsa]

[All he can do is nod weakly, even though she isn't entirely correct in her guess. It was "a ghoul", that's for sure. Just not the one she's thinking of. On top of that, he's already starting to feel waves of guilt at not letting her get close, but the thought of it is too much to bare right now. He still isn't entirely sure where the blood in his mouth came from, and that's what scares him the most. It reminds him of that terrible time when he nearly killed Hide and woke up later with the taste of blood on his tongue...

Instead of trying to climb her way back into his lap, Rikki just hovers as close as she can get without being shoved away again, her gaze shifting restlessly from Kaneki to Maka and back.]

[soundmind]

Ken...

[God, what can she even say? "It's all right, there's no ghouls here"? He's a ghoul, and once he goes back to sleep he'll probably see another ghoul.

Ghouls eat people...and he bit himself...maybe it wasn't that he was being chased by a ghoul, but...

Oh.]

...Whatever you saw, it's not going to happen. You're not back in Tokyo, you're in Johto, and you're not a ghoul anymore, you're a human.

[samsa]

...

[She's right. He knows she's right, yet he can't help the way his hands shake when he lowers them from his face, turning to wipe his chin against his shoulder without thinking about how it's going to stain his shirt.

Whatever you saw, it's not going to happen. You're not a ghoul anymore. You're a human.]

Maka...I...I was...

[He starts to say, looking up at her weakly with fear still shining in his eyes.]

We were...

[His head tips to the side, the words he wants to say not seeming to come out right. But with the way his expression contorts as he says it, it's probably easier for Maka to pick out what it means. What he's trying to say. She's been around him long enough to tell, and he had that look just a few nights ago when they were talking about it.]

[soundmind]

[They were--?

Oh.

Any other time, Maka would have blushed and felt embarrassed, "you were dreaming about that?" but...now isn't the time. If she was present in the dream, then--]

Well, you should know for sure that wouldn't happen. I like you a lot, but there's no way I'd let you eat me without a fight.

[Somehow kissing led to him eating her, she supposes they can write off the idea of it being "okay" to try it in the future for...a while. Still, the fact that he bit himself in his distress and is so terrified weighs on her more heavily than the thought of her being violently cannibalized.]

Ken...look at me. I'm all right--and you, you're bleeding right now, but your kagune hasn't come out. Rikki and Hide are here with us. Take a deep breath and focus on that.

[Thunder rumbles outside, inspiration for helping Kaneki refocus on his surroundings hits.]

The storm should be passing over. Let's count to the lightning flash.

[samsa]

[Count to the lightning flash...that's easy enough. He can do that, probably. He gives another weak, smaller nod as he lowers his still trembling hands into his lap, swallowing again against the blood still in his mouth, the inside of his cheek finally starting to sting from the self-inflicted bite. Nothing about what he was tasting right now was pleasant, one of the only things keeping him from spiraling into panic at the moment. It was enough to prove to him that he wasn't still dreaming.

He takes a slow, shuddering breath, looking back up at Maka for a moment before glancing over to the window. She's right, she'd fight him off...she'd never let something like that happen. Right?

He wants to tell her, but his voice won't come, not right now. But he feels like she needs to know...she didn't stop him.]

[soundmind]

[Ironically, even if he dreamed of her death by his hand (or teeth in this case) all Maka feels like doing at the moment is holding him, to pet his hair and kiss him gently so she can reassure him that it's all right.

He drew away from her, though. He doesn't want to be anywhere near her.]

...Fly me to the moon, and let me play among the stars. [She sings it softly, more to herself to alleviate her nerves, watching the window for a flash of lightning. Maka can count the syllables in the words more easily as a countdown to the flash than actual numbers at the moment.] Let me see what spring is like--

[A flash illuminates the room for a brief second. Kaneki looks so hollow and pale, it pains her to see him like this.]

[samsa]

[The singing is familiar, and while it does help, he nearly forgets to count in the wake of it. It doesn't matter much anyway, because the moment the flash happens it startles him into jerking, hands twitching in his lap. But he'd been looking back at her, and the flash gives him the opportunity to really see her in the dark. She's a little disheveled from sleeping and clearly concerned, but more importantly, she's uninjured. The only blood here is coming from himself.

He can see Hide watching him from past Maka's arm, too. The Smeargle looks concerned as well, more scared for his trainer than anything. That alone is enough to break Kaneki's heart.

The roll of thunder follows soon after the lightning dissipates, leaving the room mostly dark with Phantom softly glowing in the corner.]

...are you...sure you're okay?

[He's asked her this before, but he can't help it. It's like he needs to hear it from her again, just to be sure it's true.]

[soundmind]

Other than being worried as hell about my boyfriend, yeah, I'm fine.

[She brushes her hair with her free hand to get it out of her eyes, still watching Kaneki with an expression of quiet contemplation and concern.]

I'm fine. [Then Maka holds out her hand to him so he can see, yes, there's no blood and no sign of injury.] I'm fine, see?

[samsa]

...You didn't stop me.

[He suddenly blurts after staring blankly at her hands for a long moment, long enough for the thunder to roll in the distance again.]

You told me...it was okay.

[The last word is nearly lost as his throat threatens to close on him, his voice barely above a whisper yet a lot louder than it seems in the stillness of the bedroom.]

[soundmind]

It's not. I wouldn't let that happen.

[Her tone is firm, as if to remind him and herself at the same time.]

I worry that I don't provide enough for you sometimes, considering all you've done for me. But I wouldn't allow you to eat me. It'd hurt you.

[A pause, Maka tilts her head at him.]

Besides, I'm so scrawny and damaged you'd probably get sick if you ate me. I'd never let that happen.

[samsa]

[That gets him to shake his head a little, but whether it's at what she's saying or just at the situation in general, it's hard to tell. If nothing else, his breathing has nearly returned to normal with his only problem being how his body trembles slightly beyond his control. That won't stop for a while, probably not until he goes back to sleep.]

It just felt too real.

[The blood didn't help, solidifying that strange sensation of not knowing whether he's dreaming or awake.]

[soundmind]

I know. I know the feeling.

[How many nightmares has she had about past encounters, she doesn't even know anymore.]

...Crona can eat that dream, and I can keep him in here with you in case it happens again. I think you need him more than me right now.

[Meaning he needs to Musharna's services more than she does, not that he doesn't need her around. ...Maybe. Though she doesn't like the idea of being pushed away either.]

[samsa]

Thank you.

[Kaneki's answer comes quietly, but sincerely. The Musharna's presence would be more than welcome right now, especially if he'll be able to keep the nightmares from returning. A blank, thoughtless sleep would be far better than one riddled with nightmares.

He doesn't intend to tell Maka to leave, either. He's too wary to let her get too close, but he doesn't want her to go away either. Being alone would just make it worse, leaving him with nothing but his thoughts and the sound of the storm outside.]

...I'm sorry I woke you up. You're probably tired.

[Kaneki knows he doesn't need to apologize for that, really, but he can't think of much else to say.]

[soundmind]

[She shrugs, reaching up to pet Hide as her eyes cast down to her lap. It's all right, Hide, we're all here and safe.]

I'm...a light sleeper anyway.

[You have to be if you're a Meister, you have to be aware of your surroundings at all times and be able to quickly act.]

Ken, can I stay here with you? Let's just read a book together and not worry about the storm or what dreams you had.

[samsa]

[He glances down as well, his hands playing with the edge of the bed sheets. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Hide still watching him while nudging his head up into Maka's hand when she pets him.]

Please. I...I don't want you to leave.

[soundmind]

Hide.

[She directs her attention to the little Smeargle, smiling gently.]

Why don't you pick out a story for us to read? Ken and I will read it together.

["Together" of course implies being close to each other, so when Maka looks back up at Kaneki her expression falls into the same one of concern she's been carrying since she arrived.]

Ken...can I sit next to you? Please, I want to.

[samsa]

[The Smeargle nods quickly, looking back at Kaneki one last time before slowly climbing down from the bed, scurrying off to where he knows Maka's bookshelf is.

In the meantime, Kaneki looks back over as well, his uneasy expression momentarily illuminated by a flash of lightning. She was just asking to sit next to him. That's all.

He swallows thickly before nodding.]

[soundmind]

[All right. Good, that's progress. Maka carefully moves herself over so she's sitting next to Kaneki, pausing for a second to consider what to do next, then she looks away.]

[Now, more than ever, the burden of her memories weighs on her--the thoughts of all the kishin eggs still shaped like humans that tried to torture or kill her. Retaliation against Lord Death and her father, mostly, being the Death Scythe's daughter was more troublesome than glamorous. All of these kishin eggs, these monsters that masqueraded as humans, would brag about different aspects of how they were injuring Maka, how they were going to kill her, how delicious and rare her soul looked.

No, there's worse than the ghouls in her mind. There's worse atrocities than what Kaneki saw in his nightmare...and many times, it's Maka herself who's committed them just so she can stay alive. "Kill or be killed" "fight to the death" those were the orders Lord Death gave to her as a form of permission. There's still so much he doesn't know about how truly violent her life in her own world was...how violent she actually is...and he never will. He doesn't need that burden on his mind.]

Crona should be coming in when he realizes I'm gone. I'll stay here until you go back to sleep.

[samsa]

[While he still seems a little uncomfortable and definitely not at ease, he doesn't move away when Maka sits next to him. He just nods again to what she says, watching the doorway until Hide returns carrying a large, flat book over his head. He tosses it up onto the bed with a grunt before climbing back up, reaching out to take Maka's sleeve and tug on it a little to guide her hand toward the book.

It's "Good Night Lunatone". What else?]

[soundmind]

[Carefully, Maka takes the book and opens it, leaning it over to Kaneki slightly so he can see the contents too, and patting her lap with her free hand to invite Hide to join there.]

In the great green room
there was a telephone
And a red balloon
And a picture of the Miltank jumping over the Lunatone.

[Well, it's rhyming, so it can give the two of them something to focus on. As Maka reads, Crona floats in and takes the spot next to the bed. He's aware of what's going on, it's pretty easy to sense in the air, but he won't interrupt Maka while she's reading and instead direct thoughts of "are you all okay?" to Hide and Rikki.]

And there were three little Ursaring sitting in a hot spring,
And two little Skittens and a pair of mittens
And a little toy igloo and a young Pikachu.

[samsa]

[Hide wastes no time crawling into Maka's lap, looking up at Kaneki expectantly for a moment to see if he's reading too before looking down at the book.

The Smeargle is too distracted to answer Crona- though he seems content enough- so Rikki does instead, rolling her eyes to look up at him from where she's laying against Kaneki's leg. Things could be better, but they'll live.

When Maka reaches the part about the Skitty, Hide reaches over and puts a paw on Kaneki's arm, pulling on his sleeve and pointing at the pictures. The boy's response is to stiffen slightly at the unexpected contact, but he doesn't move away this time. He just offers Hide a small smile until he turns his attention back to the book.]

[soundmind]

And a comb and a brush
And a bowl full of mush
And a quiet old lady who was whispering, "Hush."

[Hush, right, an odd stillness has fallen over the group despite the thunder still rumbling outside. Out of the corner of her eye, Maka sees Kaneki twitch again--is he still worried? Well, now that Crona is here hopefully the nightmares won't come back.]

Good night, phone. Good night, Lunatone.
Good night, Miltank jumping over the Lunatone.

[Goodnight nightmares, goodnight unwelcome thoughts, goodnight ghouls and goodnight Meisters.]

Good night, light and the red balloon.
Good night, Ursaring. Good night, spring.
Good night, Skittens. Good night, mittens.
Good night, clocks. Good night, socks.
Good night, little igloo. Good night, Pikachu.

[This feels like the longest goodnight ever, but as long as they're reading and not worrying about whatever's waiting for Kaneki back in his dreams it's fine. As she's reading, Maka gradually leans against him, mostly out of habit, some part due to sleepiness starting to claw at her mind again.]

Good night, comb. Good night, brush.
Good night, nobody. Good night, mush.
Good night to the old lady whispering, "Hush."
Good night, stars. Good night, air.
Good night, noises everywhere.