What if Whumpee was test subject for medicinal substances and so he was taught to tell what effects substances had on him?
Never complaining, always matter-of-fact tone and says stuff like "my heartbeat is normal and I don't have trouble breathing, but maintaining balance while standing upright is difficult, as well as I experience pain in chest area"
And then Caretaker swoops in (as Caretakers tend to do) and wants to make sure Whumpee is healing and often ask questions like "are you alright?", "do you fee better?" and so on.
Whumpee responds in a taught manner.
"I don't experience pain or fatigue, my temperature seems to be normal too."
"But what about the... psyhological aspect?"
"Oh, My cognitive fuctions appear to be working fine."
"I mean you... emotionally. Do you need a hug?"
"I don't know... no one asked me those questions before... this is scary..."
The Whumpee is desperate for the Whumper’s approval. They’ll do anything just for the Whumper’s affection. Just for their praise. Just for the torture to stop.
The pet - Angel - is ready for her master. She always is, just as she's meant to be. Yet, somehow, it never seems to be enough. She never seems to enough.
Something is stirring inside her, something she knows shouldn't. Good pets aren't meant to be angry. Good pets aren't disappointed. Good pets are grateful, enduring, beautiful.
She reaches for the eyeliner in front of her to adjust her makeup again, as she's done so often, in the hours she spends waiting. The beauty products Sir gets her are luxurious, she knows for some reason. The best money can buy. Just as she herself is a luxury to be kept. She's grateful for it, as a good pet should be, she thinks. At least, this make up won't mess with her skin, however often she applies and reapplies it.
The pet stares into the mirror, meets her own gaze, follows the lines of her wide smile, searches for answers in the perfectly framed dark eyes that seem so foreign to her. There's nothing there. Nothing but a longing, sad despair.
"It's not fair," a voice says behind her.
She almost breaks off the tip of the eyeliner.
Sir's other pet, Damiel, is standing behind her in the doorway, catching her gaze in the mirror. There's a hard line around their mouth. They don't smile. They rarely do. Herself, she always does.
"You shouldn't be here." Damiel's voice is low, but firm.
The pet neatly puts the cap back on the eyeliner and puts it back down, silent.
Across the mirror, Damiel's gaze runs over her bare back, and she knows what they see. Scars, beginning to form. Bruises. The new brand over her tailbone, the one that Damiel themself burned into her skin.
They swallow. "You deserve better."
The pet tilts her head. "Like what?" she asks slowly. "Like, to be loved by my owner? Loved, as he loves you?"
"Not that." They shrug. "Better."
"Sir decides, what his pets deserve."
"You're not meant to be Sir's pet."
She stands up and turns around, bites back a wince when the skin strains around the burn on her back. Her smile doesn't waver. She can easily breathe through the pain in her body. The pain throbbing behind her temples at their words is more difficult to deal with.
Her hand wanders up on her chest, to the older brand, the one over her heart, the one spelling Sir's initials, the one carried over from a past life she doesn't remember.
"But I am," she whispers. "I belong to him. I was made for him."
They frown, softly shaking their head. "He-"
"You're late, Damiel." Their owner appears in the doorframe, and the pet drops to her knees. His gaze only grazes over her for a moment, before it settles on them. Always them. Always Damiel. They're a bad pet, she thinks. They're a bad pet, saying bad things, while she's good, and still he has only eyes for them.
"Angel." She shivers, when he does say her name, his voice low and cold. "What took you so long? Did Damiel say something to upset you?"
It's a trick question. It doesn't matter what she says. He's her owner. He'll decide if it's right or wrong, if she's punished or not.
And she'll always be wrong. She'll always be punished.
Does she deserve better? She's not sure. It's odd, that Damiel is.
"Forgive me, Sir," she says softly. Lies. "They didn't. It was my fault. I smeared my eyeliner. I wanted to be pretty for you."
He reaches out for her chin, carefully tilts her head up to face him. "Oh my stupid whore Angel. They got into your little head that far already?" He runs his thumb over her lip, laughs sharply when she readily opens her mouth for him. "You're mine, Angel. Damiel is mine. They're here because I love them. And you, you are here because you deserve it."
His thumb presses onto her face, smearing her lipstick. "You are pretty for me, when your make up is a mess, Angel. You're pretty for me when you're crying and begging and suffering. You were bad, Angel, before you came here. Very bad. A slut who disrespected me. And now the two of you are disrespecting me again."
He leans in. "Tell me, darling. What is it you deserve?"
She meets his gaze, looks into the sparkling light eyes she wants to love so desperately. I don't know, a part of her wants to yell. I don't know what I deserve, but neither should anyone else. But that part of her never wins. It knows how to stay silent, and to give in to the comfort of clear and simple answers that make the world so much simpler. That she deserves whatever Thane Barlow wants to give her. And he always wants one thing.
"I deserve punishment," she whispers.
Sir smiles and lightly pats her cheek, as he turns to the other pet. "That's right, Damiel, don't you agree? Our dear Angel deserves punishment, because she got so confused, she forgot the hierarchy in this household. Whip for once, maybe. 20 lashes. You do it, Damiel. And when you deliver her to my bed later, and I look at that beautiful backside of hers, I expect to see that you didn't hold back." He smiles. "I expect to see you gave her what she deserves."
Their pause is tiny, but the pet notices it still.
"Yes," Damiel says then. "Yes, Sir."
---
-
Angel tag list (ask to be added or removed): @whumplr-reader
I love unhinged, creepy, erratic, faux affectionate, intimate whumpers so much, I just can't put it into words.
Those who will comfort their whumpee, but you never know how long until their next mood swing and they'll unleash brutal pain - on them or maybe even someone else.
Those who whenever whumpee tries to understand, to anticipate what they will want, prove them wrong.
Those who sometimes, rarely, open up, talk about themselves, could even be sympathised with for a moment, before they switch back.
Those whose gaslighting could almost be successful, who are in such control of whumpee, but the threat, the darkness is always undeniable there, thinly veiled.
Those whose weapons are both psychological and physical, those who like to play, those who keep their whumpees for entertainment more than for anything else.
Just. Love.
Thank you to all the amazing creators in the whump community, who write these types, you so often make my day!
Whumpers who may have betrayed their old team, who gladly hinder them, fight them, even rough them up a bit, but who clearly have issues with the way their new boss, the bigger badder Whumper, handles things now.
- It starts innocent enough. Their old team held at gunpoint, sneering remarks. "I could never have got this far if I sticked with you guys."
- But things soon start to escalate, leaving Whumper to doubt where they even stand.
- Leading to the beautiful: "Don't tell me you are still sentimental about your old team? Prove your loyalty to me."
- The Whumper who visibly flinches and hesitates when they get the order to kill / hurt their old team members.
- They pull Whumpee up by the front of their shirt, fist pulled back but they're wildly hesitant.
- Whumpee either whispers something to help them, "It's okay, do it." Or they snarl in anger, "Go on then, you coward! You always wanted to!"
- Of course everything takes too long or the Whumpee(s) do not take him seriously and so Bigger Badder Whumper has to step in to get answers.
- The Whumper who winces when badder Whumper doesn't hold back in the slightest. When Whumpee cries out in genuine anguish and badder Whumper has no inclination to stop at all until he gets what he wants.
- Bonus if it's the youngest or smallest member of the team, who Whumper never even had beef with.
- They whisper to Whumpee, their former leader, to please just tell him what he wants to know!
- With Whumpee baring bloodied teeth, snarling out a "Fuck you" for all to hear.
- Worse, Whumper leaves the room. Because "I can't watch this!" And Whumpee's only hope leaves them alone with the worst person in the room.
“I’m— I’m sorry. I’m s-so sorry.” The Whumpee mumbles to themselves, despair and fear and disgust crossing their eyes at the broken shards scattering the floor, the mess they’d made. Their wrist hits their temple once, twice, thrice. “I’m so sorry, I’m— s— the worst, useless—“
“Quiet.” The Whumper murmurs, and those sweet and tearful eyes look to them uncertainly, not quite daring to reach their face. “Who do you belong to?”
“Y-you, [Whumper]...”
“And look around you. What things do I enjoy?”
They look hesitantly, at the cuffs around their wrists that were carved into delicate curls like jewelry, at the expensive vases like the one they’d broken, at the ornate paintings and sculptures lining the room.
“... Nice, nice things...”
“Very good.” The Whumper smiles, caressing their cheek. “Even if your other owners didn’t know that they were handling something valuable, even if they tarnished you, you are mine, and things of mine are—” They snort softly at the bland phrasing— “‘nice’. I won’t have you insulting me by implying I’d settle for less.”
“Y— yes, yes, [Whumper].”
“Very good.” They say again. “Now clean this up, [Whumpee]— and do be careful not to scar your hands.”
First whumper uses physical violence to train whumpee. Pain is the great teacher.
When whumpee has been trained to respond to pain, then the actual violence isn't needed. Then all whumper needs is the threat of violence, and whumpee responds.
When whumpee has been trained to respond to the threat of violence, then whumper doesn't need to threaten anymore.
After that, whumper trains whumpee to the implication of violence.
The subtle cues. No one but whumpee would even know that whumper was making a threat.
Even a gentle smile can be an implicit threat.
And whumpee responds.
Whumpee has been taught.
Later-- much later-- caretaker has to work to understand why some of their innocent actions and gestures make recovering whumpee flinch, and jump.
Hi, my name is Cyan (friends can call me Chia). I’m aroace bigender and I go by he/she pronouns.
I’m a writer and artist and this is my whump sideblog — I love tormenting my ocs (putting them through the Horrors) and I’m very excited to finally be a part of this community <3
My favourite tropes include: Immortal whumpee, robot whump, shock collars/electrocution, gore, mind control, winged whumpee, whumper turned whumpee, mock executions, conditioning, bad/reluctant caretaker, stockholm syndrome
Things I do not write: Nsfwhump (I do suggestive themes occasionally, though), anything involving pregnancy or children, team whump, huge/tiny
A few whump blogs inspired me to create my own, and here are some of my favourite whump blogs: @whump-in-the-closet @sowhumpshaped @whumpsday @the-three-whumpeteers (…and definitely more I’m forgetting about 😅)
I’d like to get to know more people in this community and, uhm… Yeah, that’s it!
If you guys like any tropes that I like, have any other ideas, or just want to say hi: feel free to shoot me some asks or prompts — I’ll write a few whumpy drabbles if I feel up for it!
The whumpee had been fitted with a shock collar that the whumper used liberally. sometimes it was after the whumpee had broken a rule, other times it was random, just so the whumpee remembered that it was there. The whumper didn’t want the whumpee to be comfortable- obedient yes, but they liked seeing the whumpee suffer regardless.
Content: degradation, dehumanization, self-deprecation, internal victim blaming, self-deprecation, panic attack, hurt/comfort, angst and fluff, threat of punishment
-
Why are you so fucking worthless?
Why can't you do anything right?
Is it really so hard to just be good?
Or are you just too stupid to do as you're told?
Dumb, useless dog
Elliot's head was full of fog. His arms were wrapped securely around his small, shivering body, and his eyes were stinging with salty tears. He felt pathetic and miserable.
"Elliot?" A soft, reassuring voice cut through the haze in his mind. "Elliot, sweetheart, come back to me."
Elliot hadn't realized how tightly he had been clamping his eyes shut until he slowly forced them open. His vision was blurry, but he was able to make out the shape of a person kneeling in front of him. He couldn't help the first thought that came to his mind.
Elliot whimpered. "I'm s-sorry, Master. I-I didn't mean to-to cry."
The person across from him didn't speak. As Elliot's vision cleared, he was able to recognize Karine's features. His eyes widened as he realized his mistake. "K-Karine?"
Karine smiled, but it was clearly masking sympathy. "Hey, buddy. How are you doing? Are you okay?"
Elliot looked away from her and shook his head. "I'm so sorry, K-Karine. I-I thought you were..." he broke off, unable to bring himself to finish his sentence.
"It's okay, buddy. I'm not mad."
Elliot didn't believe her, but he didn't dare try to accuse her of lying.
More tears flooded Elliot's eyes as his mind caught up to his situation. He remembered where he was and what had happened to cause his meltdown.
"Oh, Elliot," Karine said. She quickly crawled over to him and wrapped her arms around him. Elliot flinched, not expecting the oncoming attack, but once he realized what was happening, he relaxed into her embrace and buried his face in her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. Landon's a jerk. If I had known he was going to hurt you, I never would've sent him in here. I'm so sorry."
Elliot sobbed and shook his head. "N-No, it-it wasn't his f-fault."
Karine gently rocked him back and forth, carding her fingers through his newly-clean hair. "What do you mean?"
"He-He got angry because-because I was bad. I wasn't listening and I was running my mouth and he got angry. I made him mad. It's not his fault. Please don't be angry at him. It was my fault. Not his."
Karine stopped rocking him. He looked up at her, only to find a cold expression on her face. He suppressed a flinch and whimpered.
Karine gently shoved him off of her lap and stood to her feet. "Come with me, Elliot," she said. Her voice was completely apathetic, which frightened Elliot more than it probably should have.
"Wh-Where are we g-going?" He stammered. The second the words left his lips, he regretted them. How dare he question their leader's authority. Even if she weren't the leader, she was a human, and therefore, inherently above him.
"I'm going to punish you," she said as she opened the door.
Elliot's eyes widened. If Landon didn't even want to punish him, he certainly hadn't expected anyone else to. He gave a quiet yelp and absent-mindedly started to crawl after Karine on his hands and knees. It felt natural. It felt like he was bring good.
Good doggy
Elliot kept his head down as he crawled. It wasn't his place to see where he was going, only to follow orders. So, that's exactly what he did.
Eventually, the hard floor turned into soft carpet and Karine stopped. Elliot followed her lead and got into a kneeling position, keeping his head bowed.
Elliot clamped his eyes shut and tried to prepare for whatever was coming. Perhaps she would whip him or cane him or kick him. Perhaps she would strip him and pour freezing water over his head and then beat him for getting the carpet wet. Perhaps she would force him to choose from a variety of options. He didn't know.
However, nothing he could've thought of would've come anywhere close to what Karine did. Her shadow loomed over him and Elliot flinched as she wrapped a warm, fluffy blanket around his quivering shoulders.
Elliot was so confused. He unintentionally glanced upwards, an expression of confusion plastered on his face. Karine smiled genuinely, but Elliot shook his head. "I-I don't understand." He was too stupid for these mind games. Wasn't she supposed to be hurting him?
"Broderick told me that you said you wanted to be alone," Karine explained. Elliot nodded to show that he was listening. "So, as your punishment, you're going to spend the evening with us watching a movie."
Elliot was so confused. How was that a punishment? He didn't deserve to be wrapped in a soft blanket and cuddled while he watched a movie. He deserved to be locked up and chained and forced to scrub the whole house clean until his hands were red and raw from all the chemicals. He didn't deserve to be warm and comforted. He deserved to be pushed around and beaten and used.
Elliot shook his head, his chin beginning to tremble. "But-But I'm a bad pet. I don't deserve this."
Karine waved away his statement. "That's not for you to decide, Elliot," she said. "This is your punishment. I don't want to hear any arguments. Do you understand?"
Elliot lowered his head shamefully. "Yes, ma'am."
Karine fell backwards onto the couch as she said, "Good, now come here." She easily lifted him off the ground and positioned him comfortably beside her. Karine looked into his deep blue eyes. He looked as though he was about to cry and Karine suddenly felt extremely guilty. She brushed a strand of his hair behind his ear and said, "I'm sorry for scaring you with the punishment thing." Elliot glanced up at her. "Truth is, I'm worried about you and I hate seeing you so upset. I don't care what you think you did, Landon shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I could hear him from here. He was way out of line."
Elliot frantically shook his head, but he didn't say anything.
Karine wiped away the tears lingering on his cheeks. "You're not being punished, El. You don't deserve punishment." Elliot didn't believe her. He was bad. He knew he was bad. He needed to be punished. Karine wiped away his tears again and readjusted the blanket around his shoulders. "You're a good boy, Elliot," she said.
Elliot's eyes flew up to meet hers at the mention of those words.
A-A good boy? I'm a good boy?
Elliot's tears only seemed to fall harder with that thought. "R-Really?"
Karine smiled. "Yes, buddy. You're a good boy. You haven't done anything wrong, I promise. You're still good. You'll always be good."
Elliot burst into a heavy stream of sobs at that. He couldn't remember the last time he'd heard those words. The level of sheer relief he felt upon taking in those words was indescribable. All he wanted was to be good, and here she was telling him that he was.
"Oh, Elliot." Karine wrapped her arms around him again, rocking him back and forth as he sobbed into her shoulder. He was shaking and babbling incoherently. Snot and tears were cascading down his face and his cheeks were flushed and warm to the touch. "Trust me, buddy, you've earned this. You've been so brave these past few weeks. You deserve a chance to just relax. Let us comfort you."
Elliot sniffled as the intensity of his sobs died down. "Th-Thank you, K-Karine. No-No one has been this-this nice to me in so long. I-I am so gr-grateful."
Karine squeezed him a little tighter. "Of course, sweetheart. You deserve every good thing life has to offer, and I will make sure you believe that someday."
Elliot hesitantly snuggled up a little closer to Karine, still sniffling. Karine smiled and rubbed her hand up and down his thin arm. "You're okay, Elliot. I promise, you're okay."
. . .
It wasn't long before Broderick and Yvonne both joined Elliot and Karine on the couch. Broderick brought a variety of snacks and Yvonne brought four fresh cups of tea. Karine flipped through their movie options, and while Elliot had asked to help, he was told that his job was to relax and get comfy. So, that's exactly what he did.
Eventually, the group decided on an old movie that none of them had seen yet, and as the four of them settled down to relax, Karine turned to her companions. "Where's Landon?" she whispered.
Elliot tensed. She clearly hadn't meant for him to hear her, and he suddenly felt guilty for eavesdropping.
Broderick shrugged. "He left soon after you kicked him out of Elliot's room. He's been gone since then."
Karine scoffed. "Good. I don't think I'd be able to keep from kicking his ass if he showed his face here right now."
Elliot twisted beneath his blanket in order to look up at Karine. He craned his neck until his eyes met hers. "Please, don't blame him, Karine. I swear, it really was all my fault."
Karine shook her head. "You don't have to defend him, Elliot. He shouldn't have yelled at you."
"But he was right. I was being bad. I wasn't listening."
"Elliot," Karine softly began. "We can talk about this later. Right now, I think we could all use a night to relax, okay?"
Elliot hesitated. He wanted to keep arguing that Landon wasn't at fault, that Elliot had been a bad pet and ignored Landon's instructions. Despite that, he knew he couldn't ignore Karine's. So, he shut his mouth and fixed his gaze on the television again.
The room was silent for a while after that, save for the gentle humming of the television. It wasn't until the movie was halfway over that the silence was finally broken.
Elliot jumped and tensed as the door to the safe house creaked open. He glanced over his shoulder just in time to see Landon trudge through, several brown bags on his arms.
Elliot hunched his shoulders and Karine pulled him tighter against her. Landon gently set the bags down and sighed, only then noticing the rest of the group staring at him, the movie forgotten in the background.
Landon smiled sheepishly. "Hey, guys."
Karine glared at him. "Where the hell have you been?"
Landon nervously rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Um...well, I-I felt awful about what happened earlier, so I-I picked up some food from that Spanish place that Elliot used to like so much." He gestured to the bags at his feet. "I hope it's still your favorite." Elliot's face turned pink and Landon's awkward smile faded. "I just...wanted to do something to say I'm sorry. What I did was really shitty, and-and I'm so sorry, buddy. Can you forgive me?"
All eyes turned toward Elliot, who shrunk beneath the weight of everyone's expectant gaze. He tried not to pay attention to it and instead fixed his eyes on Landon. "It-It wasn't your fault. I-I wasn't listening, so-so you shouldn't have to-to apologize. I-I'm the one that should be s-sorry."
Landon sighed and smiled. "I wasn't mad at you, buddy. You did nothing wrong. I was mad at-at that bastard that did this to you. If I could bash his head in twice I would, but...but I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you, buddy. I'm sorry."
Elliot lowered his head to hide his burning cheeks. "It's-It's okay. I for-forgive you."
Landon smiled and glanced over at Karine, who wore an expression that said, 'he may forgive you, but I dont.' She turned back around to face the TV, her arm still wrapped protectively around Elliot.
Elliot sighed contentedly and leaned into Karine's warm touch as Landon set out plates and bowls full of Elliot's favorite foods. Elliot smiled, and for once, the voice in his head had nothing to say.
-
Sorry this one took a little while to come out. I haven't been super happy with any of my writing lately, and this chapter was no exception.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed another Karine chapter! I promise, Yvonne's is coming next.
Broderick led Elliot out of the washroom and down the hallway. Elliot was clean and dressed in warm, dry clothes. His stomach was in knots and his head was full of fog.
This is it, mutt. Your first punishment since you were rescued. You'd better sit down and take it like a good bitch. Don't forget your place
Elliot whimpered. He was so nervous, but he didn't know why. He'd endured countless punishments, but he didn't know what to expect from Broderick.
Broderick was arguably the gentlest member of the team. He was a medic, after all. So, why was Elliot so frightened?
Broderick gave him a reassuring pat on the back as he led the younger man to his own room. Elliot was confused, but he entered without question.
Broderick smiled at him and said, "Just wait in here for a bit while I talk to the rest of the team, okay?"
A chill ran down Elliot's spine.
Oh, god
The whole team was going to punish him? He must've been worse than he thought.
He seemed to have been displaying his fear on his face, because Broderick hurriedly said, "Don't worry, sweet. You haven't done anything wrong. I just need to talk to Karine for a minute, that's all. Everything is okay. You're not in trouble." With that, Broderick slowly left the room and gently closed the door behind him.
Elliot wedged his bottom lip between his teeth and bit down hard enough to break skin. He sat down submissively on the edge of his bed, facing the door, and waited for Broderick to return.
. . .
Karine was sitting on the couch with Yvonne when Broderick rushed into the room. Karine's heart instantly dropped when she noticed the look of despair on the man's face.
Karine jumped up from her seat on the couch and approached the medic. "What happened? Is Elliot okay?"
Broderick hesitated. "I-I don't know. He was doing so well, and then...ugh, I messed up. I got distracted by his scars, which he took to mean I was disgusted by him. I tried to tell him that he wasn't ugly or disgusting, but he didn't believe me, and then he asked me to punish him, and I didn't know what to say, so-"
"Whoa, whoa, calm down," Karine urged.
Broderick's eyes were full of tears. "He-He's just so broken, Karine. I-I don't know what to-to do. I didn't realize..."
"Hey, hey, it's okay," Karine soothed. She wrapped the man in a comforting embrace. Broderick buried his face into Karine's shoulder and sobbed. Karine glanced over in Yvonne's direction, silently asking for help.
Yvonne shrugged. She didn't know what to do either.
Karine continuously rubbed soothing circles into Broderick's back until his sobs lessened. "Are you all right?" She asked, once he was calm enough to breathe.
Broderick nodded. "I-I just don't know what to do. I hate seeing him like this. This isn't who he is."
"Maybe that's the problem," Yvonne finally spoke up.
Broderick released his grip on Karine and looked over at the researcher. "What do you mean?"
Yvonne pushed herself off the couch and approached the crying man. "I mean, you keep saying that this isn't who he is, you hate seeing him like this, you miss him, right?" Broderick nodded. Yvonne continued, "Well, maybe that's what's making him feel like he did something wrong. You're basically telling him that you wish he was somebody else."
Broderick frantically shook his head. "No, I'm not! I'm just saying that it hurts to see him so sad and submissive."
"Exactly. You're admitting that you wish he would go back to the person he was before he was kidnapped, but I don't think that person is coming back, Broderick." Broderick was silent. Yvonne sighed. "None of us could even begin to understand what Elliot went through, but we have to acknowledge that it changed him. I'm sure he'll get better with time, but he's never going to be the same again, and it's not fair to expect him to."
Broderick gawked at Yvonne, clearly unsure of what to say to that. "So," he finally said. "You're saying, the reason he wants to be punished is that he thinks I don't like him anymore?"
Yvonne shrugged. "Something like that."
Broderick sighed and ran a hand down the side of his face. "I didn't mean to hurt him more. I thought I was helping."
"Where is Elliot?" Karine asked.
"In his room, waiting for his punishment."
Karine's eyes went round. "You told him you were going to punish him?" She exclaimed.
"I didn't mean to! He asked me to punish him, and when I said no, he started crying and begging, and I-I panicked!"
Karine sighed in exasperation and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay, it's-it's all right. We'll figure something out." Karine thought for a moment, ignoring the piercing gazes of Broderick and Yvonne on her. Her eyes explored the room until a thought struck her.
"Landon!" Karine shouted, startling the other two members in the room. Shortly after she said it, Landon plodded out of his room, looking tired and disheveled.
Landon glared at Karine. "What?" He shouted in the same tone she had used.
"I need you to take Elliot out to the market," Karine explained.
Landon furrowed his brows. "Why?" He questioned.
"Because you haven't done a single thing for him since he's been rescued and he needs some fresh air. He's had a hard day."
Landon rolled his eyes. "Yvonne hasn't done anything either!" He exclaimed, gesturing toward their other teammate. "Why does it have to be me?"
"Because you also haven't left the house since we rescued Elliot. Both of you could use some fresh air and sunshine." Karine smiled in a way that said, 'Don't try to fight me on this. You're not going to win.'
Landon rolled his eyes again, even harder this time. "Fine. Where is he?"
"In his room," Karine answered.
Landon turned and made his way in the direction of Elliot's room without another word.
"Wait!" Broderick shouted after him. "Please, be careful, Landon. He's expecting to be punished, so just try not to be too harsh."
"Punished?" Landon repeated. "For what?"
Broderick shrugged. "I don't know, but he thinks he's done something wrong. Just please be gentle."
Landon sighed and nodded. "Okay, I'll be careful."
. . .
Elliot's mind was racing. He hadn't moved from his spot on the bed, but his entire body had grown completely tense. His heart was pounding and his eyes were burning. He didn't know what was in store for him, and that's what frightened him so much.
They're probably going to tie you down and take turns beating you. Or maybe they'll strip you and throw you out of the house for the rest of the day. Or maybe they'll lock you in the dark and finally start treating you like the worthless mutt you are
Elliot gasped when the door swung open. His eyes widened and his breathing ceased. He had expected Broderick to enter with his warm smile and caring demeanor. Elliot's blood ran cold when Landon entered, looking tired and annoyed.
Elliot nearly burst into tears.
Of course, it had to be Landon, because everyone knows that Landon doesn't like you. He probably volunteered to punish you. He's probably been looking forward to this since you were rescued
Elliot suppressed the whimper building in his throat and bowed his head submissively.
Good bitch
Landon forced a clearly fake smile and said, "Hey, buddy. How's it going?"
Elliot stiffened. How was he supposed to answer that? I'm actually fucking terrified, how are you?
Elliot didn't say that, though. Instead, he lowered his head further and said, "I'm okay, S-Sir." He hesitated on the last word. Was he not meant to call Landon 'Sir'? Would Landon get angry? He'd been trained to always address his superiors properly, but how was he supposed to know if Landon liked it?
Landon's face twisted in disgust. "Sir?" He repeated. "There's no need for that. We're friends, aren't we, bud?"
Elliot flinched and quickly scrambled to the floor. He grovelled at Landon's feet, wondering if he should start kissing them as well. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I-I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean to offend you. I'm sorry. Please, have mercy."
Elliot wasn't looking at Landon, but he hoped he had pleased him enough. When nothing but silence followed, Elliot struggled to suppress the violent shivers wracking his small body.
You're such a bad slave. When was the last time you did something right, huh?
"Elliot," Landon's soft voice said. Elliot flinched and hunched his shoulders. "Buddy, I'm not angry. I'm not going to hurt you."
Landon kneeled in front of Elliot and gently tilted his face away from the ground. Landon wore a tired smile, but Elliot couldn't see any malice in it. "Broderick said you were expecting a punishment. Is that what's spooking you?" Elliot nodded. "Okay, well...why do you think you deserve to be punished?"
Elliot knew what this was. He'd done this hundreds of times. Landon wanted him to admit what a bad pet he was.
Elliot sniffled. "Because, I-I've been a bad dog. I've been screaming and fighting back. I can't seem to stop crying, but I-I know better. I know better, and I need to be punished."
Landon frowned and Elliot flinched again. "Elliot, look at me," Landon commanded. Elliot didn't dare disobey. "Do you want to be punished?"
"Well...no, but-"
"Then, I'm not going to punish you."
Elliot nearly burst into tears. "B-But, I-I need to be punished! I've been bad, and people don't want bad dogs."
Landon's frown deepened. "Who told you that you've been bad? Was it Lyra?"
"No, but-"
"Karine?"
"No."
"Broderick? Yvonne?"
Elliot shook his head.
Landon paused. "Was it a voice in your head?" Elliot hesitated before giving a gentle nod in response. Landon smiled proudly. "So, you're asking for a punishment because you've convinced yourself that you deserve one." Another nod. "But none of us think you've been bad." Elliot shook his head. "So, why would I punish you if I don't think you've been bad?" Elliot didn't answer. "Sounds to me like you're the one punishing yourself, am I right?"
Elliot lowered his head and started to cry. Landon's eyes widened and his proud smile faded. "Buddy?"
Elliot sniffled. "I'm sorry, Landon. I'm sorry for wasting your time. You shouldn't have to deal with me. I know you don't like me."
"What?"
Elliot pressed his forehead against the floor again. "Please, please, punish me, Landon. I know you don't think I deserve to be punished, but-but if you don't punish me, I'll never get better. Please. I can be a good dog, I swear. I can be good, but I need correction. Please, Landon. Please, punish me."
"Elliot!" Landon shouted.
Elliot reluctantly lifted his head from off the ground, only to find a cold, dark expression on the older man's face. Elliot whimpered and hunched his shoulders. "I'm s-sorry, Sir. I spoke out of turn."
Landon released a heavy sigh. "That's not...look, Elliot, I'm not going to punish you." Elliot's shoulders drooped. "I don't think you deserve to be punished, and therefore, I'm not going to punish you. Do you understand?"
Elliot nodded, snot dribbling into his mouth. "I'm-I'm sorry-"
"Yeah, I know," Landon snapped. Elliot flinched and whimpered, preparing for a slap or a kick or something to put him in his place.
Stupid, insolent mutt
"Look, I didn't come in here to punish you, all right?" Landon explained. Elliot tried to listen, but he didn't understand. "I came in here because Karine wanted me to take you to the market. I didn't want to yell! I tried to be gentle, like Broderick said, but you're not listening! I don't know what to say to make you understand!"
Elliot was sobbing now, bowing his head as far as it would go. He hadn't forgotten what it felt like to be yelled at and berated, and he'd known it was only a matter of time.
Stupid, useless, worthless, ugly piece of shit! Why can't you do anything right? You deserved to be turned into a pet, you deserved to have your life taken away from you. You're pathetic!
It's no wonder Lyra left. They were trying to get away from you! You're nothing put a pest! You deserved everything that Christian did to you! You deserved to be kidnapped and beaten and violated and locked up! All of this happened because you're fucking worthless!
. . .
Landon stared at the weeping boy by his feet. Elliot had finally stopped spewing out apologies and had simply devolved into a crying mess. Landon's stomach ached with guilt. He truly hadn't meant to yell, but seeing Elliot so pitiful and miserable and afraid made him so genuinely angry that he couldn't contain himself.
Landon had never properly met Christian, but he truly couldn't understand how cruel a person could be to turn a joyful, fun, cheerful person like Elliot into someone that begged to be beaten and called himself a 'bad dog'.
Landon sighed and kneeled down in front of Elliot again. "Elliot."
The younger man flinched, but he didn't do more than that to try and escape Landon's wrath.
"Buddy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. I'm not mad at you, I swear."
Elliot didn't react. His trembling didn't slow, nor did the rapid, uneven succession of his breaths. He was using his hands to shield the top of his head, as though he expected Landon to hit him.
No wonder he thinks I hate him
Suddenly, the door swung open and Landon was promptly shoved out of the way. Landon stumbled to the side and watched as Karine knelt beside Elliot. She gently brushed his damp hair with her fingers and whispered soft reassurances into his ear.
"Karine, I-" Landon broke off as Karine shot him a furious look. Landon frowned. He'd never felt so guilty in his life and he didn't know how to fix what he'd done. "What-What can I do?"
There was fire behind Karine's eyes. "Get out, Landon. I think you've done enough." The calmness in her voice just made her anger that much more terrifying.
Landon didn't argue. He took one last look at Elliot's small, quivering form before he turned and left the room.
-
I'm not going to lie, this was not the idea I had for Landon's chapter. But I started writing and it just kind of took off on its own.
So, Landon may have a different chapter sometime in the future. It may be chapter 10, or it may be after Lyra returns, I haven't decided.
Content: nightmare, pet whump, emotional whump, team whump, whipping, restraints, gags, creepy whumper, hurt/comfort, humiliation, degradation
(Italisized text indicates a nightmare)
-
Elliot tossed and turned restlessly in his sleep, his comforter kicked to the side. He shivered and cried, his eyes still clamped tightly shut as sweat beaded along his hairline. His sandy blond locks stuck to his forehead.
Nightmares were a common occurrence for him, but they never got any easier to deal with.
. . .
Elliot was kneeling, shirtless, in the center of the safe house living room, his head lowered just like he'd been taught. He was covered in bruises and cuts. His hands were bound behind his back, the familiar feeling of a collar wrapped around his neck, and a leather muzzle was strapped to his face.
All around Elliot were his friends, laughing and pointing at his predicament. Tears flooded Elliot's eyes, his face was burning with humiliation. He lifted his eyes to meet each one of his friends, silently pleading for help, but their laughter only grew as they gazed upon his pitiful state. Sobs wracked his small body, but his breathing ceased completely when he heard the hiss of a whip cutting through the air. It was a sound he was all too familiar with.
The weapon lashed against his vulnerable back, leaving trails of blood and welts in its wake. Elliot's screams were muffled by the muzzle.
This can't be happening. This can't be happening. Somebody help me, please!
Somebody yanked on his collar in warning, but he didn't know what he'd done wrong. He was being good and obedient. He wasn't struggling or trying to fight back. He was being good. Right?
Then, a hauntingly familiar voice whispered in his ear. "Didn't I tell you, mutt? Your so-called 'friends' only see you as something to laugh at. You're nothing but a piece of entertainment to them." Elliot whimpered, his eyes burning with salty tears. "But once you're no longer useful, they'll get bored and throw you out like garbage. And guess who will be there to pick up the trash?" Elliot was trembling. Christian's sinister laugh echoed in his ear as he slowly rose into consciousness.
. . .
Elliot jerked awake, gasping and staring wide-eyed at the ceiling. He was shaking, but he couldn't tell if he was trembling or shivering. Elliot bit down hard on his lower lip as his mind filled with the memories of his nightmare. Tears flooded his deep blue eyes. He curled into a fetal position and started audibly sobbing.
He didn't bother trying to muffle his loud sobbing. As much as he didn't want to burden his teammates, he desperately wanted some comfort in that moment. He just wanted someone to care.
As if on cue, his door gently creaked open, and if his breathing wasn't so ragged, Elliot wouldn't sighed in relief. He opened his eyes, expecting to see Lyra's silhouette peeking through the doorway. Instead, he saw a head of long hair that was tied into a messy bun. Elliot furrowed his brows, his sobs momentarily slowing. Where was Lyra?
"Elliot?" his visitor said. Their voice was much deeper than Lyra's. Elliot sniffled and hid his face from their view. He wanted Lyra. "Are you okay, buddy?"
Elliot hugged his pillow close to his chest and buried his face into the softness. He didn't want to talk to this person. He wanted his best friend. "Where's Lyra?" he asked, his voice muffled by the pillow.
His visitor slowly entered the room and approached the bed, but didn't get any closer than that. "They wanted to come, but I told them that I would take care of you."
"I want Lyra," Elliot said.
His visitor's shoulders visibly sank at that, and a pang of guilt shot through Elliot's heart.
His visitor sighed and as they sat on the edge of the bed, Elliot caught a glimpse of their face in the moonlight. It was Karine, their team leader. "I know you do, buddy. When any of us are feeling sad or scared, we all want Lyra. It's kind of their whole thing to be everyone's caretaker, but-" Karine broke off and glanced in Elliot's direction. He quickly averted his eyes. "I thought that it was important for you to realize that we all care about you. Even Landon and Yvonne. Granted, they don't really know how to handle things, but-but they love you. We all do. That's why I'm here."
Elliot whined and shook his head, which prompted a sigh from Karine's mouth. She looked away from him and stared at the wall across from where she sat. "My job is to lead and command," she said. "So, I'm not really all that good at being comforting. You-You might have to tell me what I can do to help." Elliot was silent and Karine sighed again. "Do you want to talk about it?" Elliot shook his head. "Why not?"
"Because you'll laugh at me," he mumbled.
Karine looked mildly offended at that. "Why would I laugh at you?"
"Because that's what everyone does!" Elliot shouted in a moment of frustration. Once he'd realized what he'd done, he quickly scrambled to the floor and groveled before Karine. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he apologized profusely. "I didn't mean to yell, I'm sorry, Karine. I'm so sorry."
"Elliot," Karine said. Though soft, the sound of her voice made his shoulders tighten. "Elliot, please get off the floor." He didn't hesitate to obey. After all, following orders is the only thing he was good at. So, he slowly lifted himself off of the floor, keeping his head lowered as he sat in front of her on the bed. Karine sighed for a third time and Elliot flinched, still refusing to look at her. "Why don't we turn the light on?"
In spite of the way she phrased it, Elliot took it as another order. She was their leader, after all. Why shouldn't she order him around? He was inherently below her.
So, Elliot jumped up from his spot on the bed and eagerly moved toward the light switch. Once the light was on, Elliot didn't approach the bed again. Instead, he stood up straight, awaiting his next instructions. It felt good to obey. It felt like the most natural thing he'd done in the entire three weeks he'd been back.
Karine watched him, raising an eyebrow, and patted the spot next to her on the bed. "Come sit."
Another instruction. Elliot did as she asked, lowering his head and waiting for her to speak.
Karine tilted her head. "Why do you expect me to laugh at you?"
Elliot flinched and clamped his eyes shut.
Why would she need to ask? Everyone knows you're nothing but a punchline. Maybe she just finds it more amusing to hear you admit it.
Elliot sniffled. "Because-Because that's all anyone does," he murmured. Karine furrowed her brows and tilted her head even further in confusion. Elliot wiped away the snot dripping from his nose as he struggled to find the words with which to explain. "You're-You're the leader," he began. Karine nodded to show she was listening. "Lyra's everyone's caretaker, Yvonne is our researcher, Landon's the gunslinger, and-and Broderick is our medic." Elliot swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "But-But I've never really understood what my purpose here is. Then-Then, the other day, at supper, Landon and Yvonne were-were telling funny stories about me to-to lighten the mood, and I-I-I realized that-that I'm only here for-for comic relief." He hunched his shoulders, expecting to be reprimanded, for some reason, but Karine was silent for a while.
After an uncomfortable amount of blistering silence, Elliot chanced a glance up at Karine. "K-Karine?"
Karine finally looked over at him, her expression unreadable. "Have we-have we really made you think that?" She asked.
Elliot hunched his shoulders, sensing the anger hidden in the softness of her voice. "Are you angry?" He asked.
Karine shook her head. "No, buddy, not at you. I just-I just didn't realize how we've been treating you. I'm sorry."
Elliot flinched. "N-No, I'm not-not b-blaming you or-or anything. I just-just-"
"You don't have to explain, Elliot." She gently took hold of his quivering fist and used her free hand to comb through his greasy hair. Elliot flinched again, tensing every muscle in his body, but Karine didn't stop. She'd seen Lyra do the same before, so she knew it comforted him. Perhaps it would help him understand that she was safe too.
Sure enough, he slowly began to relax, easing into her gentle touch. He whimpered and Karine felt her stomach clench. It was an awkward feeling, petting him like a dog, but she needed him to know that Lyra wasn't the only one who cared about him. Still, to see a grown man reduced to such a pitiful state was heart-breaking.
Once he was fully relaxed, she finally broke the silence. "Did you have a nightmare?" Elliot tensed again and Karine suddenly regretted her words. He gave a slow nod. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Elliot sniffled and it was only then that Karine noticed the silent tears running down his face. "P-Promise you won't laugh at me?" he mumbled.
"Of course, buddy. I promise."
With a quivering sigh, Elliot dove into a lengthy explanation of his haunting nightmare. Karine didn't interrupt much, but she nodded continuously to show she was still listening. When he finally finished, Karine was speechless. Elliot looked up at her expectantly with red-rimmed eyes, but she didn't know what to say.
"How-How can I help you?" She asked. "What can I do to make you feel better?"
Elliot sniffled and looked away from her. "I don't know," he mumbled, wiping away the snot dripping from his nose.
Karine thought for a moment. "Why don't I stay with you until you fall asleep again?"
Elliot's eyes widened. "But-But what if I have another nightmare after you leave? What if I wake up the whole team and they all get mad at me and then punish me for being bad? What if they kick me out and make me sleep out in the snow?"
Elliot was all but sobbing now, and Karine's eyes went round. "Elliot, no one here is going to hurt you, I promise." He didn't look convinced. "Why don't I stay in here for the rest of the night, then? Or you can come sleep in my room. It's up to you."
Elliot whimpered again. "But I don't want to bother you. I'm already wasting your time and keeping you awake-"
"Elliot," Karine interrupted. Elliot stiffened and looked up at her. "I just want you to get a good night's sleep. If you think you'll sleep better alone, that's fine. It's completely up to you, but I don't mind. Whatever you're most comfortable with."
Elliot's lower lip was trembling. "I-I don't know, I-"
Karine gently rubbed his back as he choked out a sob. "Do you want to be alone?" Elliot sniffled and shook his head, refusing to meet her gaze. "Do you want me to stay?" A small nod. Karine smiled. "Okay, then. That wasn't so hard, was it?" Karine moved to climb into the bed, but Elliot didn't move.
"Are you-Are you sure you want to stay with me? What if I wake you up?"
Karine shook her head and climbed beneath the comforter. "No more 'what ifs' tonight. Come here." She held her arms open to him. Elliot hesitated for a moment before slowly crawling beneath the comforter and snuggling into her waiting embrace. Karine wrapped her arms tightly around him, but not too tight so as to restrain him. It made him feel safe and warm.
Within minutes, they'd both drifted into a dreamless sleep.
-
Karine finally makes an official appearance, yay! I think I want the next couple chapters to focus on each member of the team getting closer to Elliot. So far, I have an idea for Broderick's chapter and Landon's chapter, but nothing for Yvonne yet, so she'll probably be last.
Content: Recovery, past torture, PTSD/trauma, chronic pain.
"I want you to ask for something," Caretaker gently requested. "Anything at all. Ask, and it's yours."
"I don't know what to ask for," Whumpee whispered. "Everything I had- everything I was, was something Whumper gave me. That's all I know."
Caretaker sighed from their spot on the floor. Their arms were draped across Whumpee's lap, their side pressed into the couch that they were sitting on. "Okay. Let's work with that, then. Did Whumper ever do anything for you that you enjoyed? Do you have any... not-so-bad memories while you were there?"
There was some silence, only broken by the occasional sniffle as Whumpee attempted to think back. They could feel Caretaker's warm gaze focused solely on them, waiting ever so patiently for a response.
"Sometimes... sometimes, if they pushed me past my body's limit, they'd lie me down and massage my joints until the pain wasn't so bad. I liked that." They were embarrassed to be telling Caretaker anything. It was hard to get the words out without their breath catching or their mind stumbling over certain syllables. "Everything always hurts now. I want... I just want some relief."
"You're asking for a massage?"
Whumpee tilted their head further down and nodded. "Yes."
"I can do that." They felt Caretaker intertwine their hands together in an effort to reassure them. "There. Your first request since you got back. That's good, right?"
Caretaker was smiling when Whumpee finally glanced back up at them again. It helped their own muscles to relax just a little, feeling less as though they were preparing for an attack at any moment. "You'll really do it?"
"Of course." Caretaker gave them a friendly pat on the leg as they stood up. "How about we grab some food and then you can show me what hurts, yeah?"
Unable to help themself, Whumpee gave a teary nod and smiled. "Okay."
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