WoW's Birthday Whump: Day 1
Netted / Tied up / "It's rope, dumbass"
Whumpee sank into the ropes, chest heaving. Gods, how could they be so stupid? They knew Whumper's men were in the area, and still they fell into such an obvious trap.
They gripped their pocket knife harder, fearful of dropping it. The net had pulled them far up off the ground, far enough that they worried for their safety on the climb down. Any lost items would be impossible to retrieve.
Deep breaths. As much as they wanted to rest, now was not the time. Someone could come to check the trap at any moment.
Whumpee continued sawing through the rope. Their knife, dulled from use, did not make quick work of it, and their awkward position did not help. They sat on their rear, knees splayed out to give them more space between the netting. Despite their efforts, their elbow kept bumping into the ropes behind them. It was infuriating.
The knife broke through another rope. The hole was starting to look big enough. They could maybe... no, it was a bad idea to rush. Getting stuck partway through would put them in a worse position.
The crunching of leaves broke them from their thoughts. Desperately, they started on the next rope, not bothering to scan their surroundings. Seeing their enemy would change nothing about the situation.
The footsteps drew closer. Whumpee bit their lip, sawing as hard as they could. It made the net sway, but at this point they didn't care.
"Fuck off," Whumpee muttered.
"Do you require assistance?" they called.
That made Whumpee pause. They glanced down to see a complete stranger wearing common traveler's garb. Not the uniform of Whumper's men.
Could it be a trick? But why would they bother when Whumpee is already caught?
"I've got it under control," Whumpee shouted down. Their knife broke through another strand. Maybe this would be big enough?
"Are you sure?" came another call from below.
Whumpee slipped the knife into their pocket and reached through the hole, gripping the net from the outside. It shouldn't be so bad, right? Nets had lots of handholds. It was basically a ladder.
They looked down. Oh. That was very far.
Well, they would have to do this one way or another.
They poked their head out and maneuvered their other arm free. The hole allowed their torso to slip through, but it didn't seem big enough to fold their legs. They would need to shimmy out.
The stranger continued shouting helpful comments like "Don't fall!" and "I'll stay in case you change your mind!" What a bother.
Lifting themself up took more effort than they were willing to admit. They managed to reach a standing position, but every shift in weight made their feet sway. If they kept climbing, they should be able to lift their feet out.
It did not prove that simple. With nothing holding the rope open, it kept catching on their feet. Trying to untangle use of their hands felt like an impossible task, but what were they supposed to do? Let go?
Whumpee pressed their forehead against the ropes. They were so exhausted.
The stranger yelled something else, but Whumpee didn't bother listening. They had to keep going. They didn't have time for rest.
And then jerked to a stop. They hugged the rope, faintly aware that they had just shrieked. Did...?
They dropped again, this time landing on the ground with a hard thump.
Whumpee squeezed their eyes closed, registering nothing but the pounding in their head. Gods damn this.
Minutes ticked by. Or maybe only seconds. Whumpee found it hard to care at the moment, despite knowing the consequences of ignoring their surroundings. It felt very far away.
A certain someone found it necessary to interrupt.
"Hey!" A hand lightly patted their cheek, and Whumpee had half a mind to bite it. "Are you okay?"
Instead they groaned and turned their head away.
"I didn't mean to let you down that hard, it just—sorry," they said.
Whumpee reluctantly peeled an eye open. The face in front of them shifted in and out of focus.
"My name is Caretaker," they added, pulling a flask from their belt. "I have water, if you think you can sit up. It's the least I can do."
Water. Whumpee licked at their lips, only now realizing how parched they were. Even if this person had been a bit annoying... water sounded good.
