The Ninth Day of Whumpmas
[Prompts: Hallucinations | Forced to Perform | Caroling]
(tw: besides the prompts...knife, slapping, a little manhandling, implied past and future torture)
"Come on." Whumper patted the piano bench next to them.
Whumpee didn't move. They stared, confused at Whumper looking so...festive? Happy? At ease? They didn't know how to read this. This was new.
Whumper's brows popped up. "What? You think I'm kidding? We don't get carolers out here, come over here and get in the Christmas spirit."
Whumpee slowly stepped toward the piano while Whumper riffled through pages, flipping through song after song in their book. The pages blurred into a wash in front of them. Like a wave of black dust dancing across a cloudy sky. It made them dizzy. Their eyes burned staring at it.
Whumpee stopped next to the bench. Blessedly, Whumper didn't force them to sit. Their legs ached and their fingers twitched, but they knew they could stay awake if they were standing.
Whumpee still didn't know why Whumper had taken off the ropes, much less why they'd let them into the main room. Maybe Whumpee was just that little of a threat now. That thought should offend them - at least depress them - but all they felt was tired.
Whumper grinned at them over their shoulder. "Oh, this is a good one! Bright. Bouncy. Festive. You do sing, don't you?"
Whumpee swallowed thickly. They shrugged.
"You'll do great, I'm sure." Whumper turned back to the piano. They took a moment to find the right keys before rolling their fingers through the first chord, testing it out before bouncing out the tune.
Jingle Bells didn't seem a fitting song. Not for here. Not in this house. The same chord rang over and over again. It was happy but...wrong. So wrong somehow.
Whumper laughed. "Looks like you missed your entrance. I'll start again."
And they did. Whumpee recognized the intro, but did Whumper really want them to-
Whumpee gasped, stumbling back as Whumper spun, backhanding them across the face. The sharp pain split through their cheek. they winced, cradling the spot, staring down at Whumper.
Whumper sighed, gripping their wrist. they tugged Whumpee closer, then pulled their hand from their face. Whumper's fingers traced the angry red spot. It burned under their touch, but Whumpee didn't dare pull away.
"Don't miss your entrance again, okay?"
Whumpee bit their lip, offering them two shaky nods.
Whumper flashed a smile. "Grand." They turned back to the piano, blasting out the same chords again. Was it faster this time.
Whumpee's chest started to tighten. They blinked hard at the sheet of music, trying to remember what note to start on. What that a G? A C? The notes moved all around the page, skittering like lice across the white and black bars that waved and quivered.
Their throat locked up, refusing to make a sound.
Whumper stopped. The last chord rang through the room until Whumper's hands ripped away from the keys. They turned sharply, then stood.
"Is it really that hard?"
Whumpee took a shaky step back as the familiar darkness returned to Whumper's eyes. That rage - the sadistic twist they were used to - it was back in a moment.
Whumper matched their movement, taking a step closer. "Clearly you aren't in the mood for performing." Whumpee flinched, skittering back several steps as Whumper slipped a pocketknife from their pocket and flicked it open.
"I guess I'll have to find another way to get you to make some noise."
(tags: @prisonerwhump @whumpawink @mabledonut @paleassprince @distinctlywhumpthing @tropes-for-my-md-daydreams @batfacedliar-yetagain @suspicious-whumping-egg-deactiv @wormwriting @jadeocean46910 )
