This fic contains: whipping, burning, whumpee refusing to leave captivity
Whumpee doesn't try to escape anymore. They, of course, tried, once upon a time. They tried many different times, as a matter of fact. But it always ended the same way. With Whumpee back in their cell, curled up in pain.
The cruelest escape, had been the one to give them hope. Whumper sent someone to pretend they were going to help Whumpee. They still flinched involuntary at the memory. How stupid thay had been. The punishment had been so much worse than the others.
They could still feel them, sore aching scars, the whips biting deep into their skin and ripping away flesh, then each individual wound being painstaking cauterized afterwards. No ever really talks about how much burning flesh smells like barbeque.
Hope was a thing Whumpee tried to avoid and when another person showed up claiming to "rescue them" they knew better.
"Leave me alone." They stated simply. They had to give credit where it was due. Whumper's new actor looked genuinely surprised.
"What?"
"I don't want to go." They stated again. It was easier when they stayed. Whumper was always a bit kinder to them after those.
A silence passed between them, Whumpee suddenly felt a soft hand on their shoulder.
"What did they do to you?" The question was so soft, so gentle, that Whumpee almost forgot it was an act. Still, Whumpee knew what answer they were expected to give.
"They did only what was necessary. I know my place now, and that is in here."
They didn't look the person in the eye as they said it. It was better than letting the tears come out and risk further retribution. This one was a far batter actor than the others and Whumpee feared their expressions might finally make the mask slip.
TW/CW: mention of implied SA, discussion of pregnancy and mention of abortion, trauma effects of extreme pro-life views
Lumina
The papers shook in Lumina’s hand as she took in the words on the page.
Pregnant. She was pregnant. How? She hadn’t even had sex since long before they’d captured her. And she’d been with the trio a majority of the time since. So, how?
“Oh, here you go, dear. I was a crier too when I was carrying my son.” the nurse soothed, giving her a box of tissues.
Lumina took some, giving her a smile she barely felt. Clearing her throat, she croaked, “Do you… Does it say how long? I- this is a lot to take in all at once.”
The nurse took the offered papers, skimming over them as Lumina wiped her eyes and blew her nose. “You’re around two months along.” she said, giving them back. “So conception would have been around when you had your assessment. Though I’d say it’s more likely you conceived before then, since you were under lockdown after. Unless…” She frowned, sitting beside Lumina, resting a hand on her trembling knee. “Did someone assault you? When we had you in the cells?”
Lumina shook her head. Even if she couldn’t remember the assessment, she could remember what happened after, at least some of it. She'd strained in the last few months to just get at least bits and pieces from what her mind could recall. Now she could remember being slammed to the ground, muzzled. How the bindings had cut into her skin. How her body felt raw and vulnerable. How her… How she'd felt between her legs. Her clothing had been disturbed before they'd tackled her. This… it had to have happened then, she realized now. But the nurse had to know that already. Wouldn’t she?
“I-” Lumina rubbed her forehead, trying to think. Maybe she could say something now? Defend herself? Whatever happened during the assessment… It was Cruella’s doing, she knew that much, but could she get someone else to understand that without saying it directly?
“I don’t know.” she said finally. “There’s… ever since I’ve been here, some of my days just disappear. No, they, they just don’t happen. They’re blank. I remember being one place one moment, then the next, somewhere else.” She looked up at the nurse. “Is that normal?”
The older lady just hummed before going to pick up her clipboard to jot something down. “That sounds like dissociative amnesia. Or something similar. I’ll mention it to the doctor, see if he wants to run any tests or assessments. In the meantime,” she said, handing Lumina her clothing. “You can get dressed and then I’ll take you back out to your team.”
Nausea roiled in her gut. Well, that hadn’t worked. Maybe they didn’t know about Cruella’s powers, what she could do. “But… I mean, shouldn’t I stay here? For monitoring or something?”
“Oh, there’s no need for that,” the nurse assured her, patting her shoulder gently. “We’ll tell them everything they need to know to keep an eye on you.”
She knew the nurse was only trying to make her feel better, but she only felt more like she was going to throw up. Maybe a plan b? “But what about the baby?” she managed.
That made the nurse pause. She frowned, tilting her head slightly at Lumina. “You want to keep it? Even with how you may have conceived it?”
Still queasy, Lumina nodded. Somehow, with her past history, she’d dodged the bullet of having this scare before, other than the once. But that was it. It’d probably almost happened again. A lot. Her heart had always frozen in fear when her period came late.
Now it had happened again. Was happening again. And she was always told taking measures to get rid of a baby, wanted or not, was the worst thing she could ever do. Even at the Company, they took that very seriously. They'd forgiven her past mistakes, but she couldn't go through with it again. Not since- It wasn’t something she could just… ignore? Just because these people went by different rules, that didn’t mean she could- How was that even a question?
Slowly, the nurse nodded, her kind smile back. “I’ll put that on your chart and give the pharmacy a list of medications for you to pick up before you go. And I’ll let the girls know with some instructions and pamphlets on how to help both you and the baby.”
Lumina sat there, stunned as the older woman left. She wasn’t sure how long it was until she broke down in tears.
There really was no way out of their hold on her.
She’d be their prisoner for the rest of her life. And now her baby would be, too.
It was like… after everything that had happened, it felt like a message. After everything she’d done. Every person she’d hurt. Maybe, maybe this was the universe’s way of telling her she deserved this.
Tears spilled over now. She wrapped her arms around her stomach.
Even if she did, even if she fully deserved every second of this torture for what she’d done, even if there was no way out for her, she’d make sure her baby would be free. They’d get out, even if she couldn’t.
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MLOR @may-lancholy Whump Drabble Day 23
On AO3 here
CW: Religious Imagery
Day 23: No way out
Antonio Salieri.
Judas Iscariot.
Isn’t it the same thing?
Perhaps it is blasphemous to think so, but Mozart to him is like the God of Music – an ethereal being having become incarnate.
Salieri has smiled at him, has worked with him – are they friends?
But his envy, his jealousy, his selfishness are growing each day, too much to handle, too much to withstand the dark temptation of bringing about Mozart’s downfall, so Salieri can shine afresh.
But there is no other way out, is there? No possibility to stray from this path of treachery.
There’s the hate, and then there’s the love… forbidden, strangled love.
Maybe it wouldn’t get as bad; maybe it wouldn’t have to be a crucifixion.
Just letting him silently fade into nothingness.
Only…That is even worse.
Salieri puts on a smile, opening the door to Rosenberg’s office.
Maybe other sinners will have mercy on his soul.
