When caretaker found them, they were as weak as a newborn fawn. They were shaking on the floor, hardly having the strength to hold their head up. They cringed so far away from them caretaker had to tilt their head up from the jawline. They studied the nasty bruise blooming on their cheekbone; they felt whumpees weight sink in their hand, their posture wobbled just trying to sit upright.

“You’re hurt…” Caretaker rasped, letting whumpee go when they let out a whimper. 

“Shh, sh sh…” Caretaker softly hushed, putting their finger to their lips. They nodded towards the door with a furrowed brow. 

“Whumper’s still here.”

Whumper’s planned a week-long trip as they hand their captive to a ‘caretaker,’ who’s to watch them while they’re gone. 

Whumper wants whumpee terrified, thinking the more frightened they are, the more likely they are to behave. Before they hand them off, they grab their arm, jerk them close and hiss “You better behave while I’m gone… Every peep out of my friend that you pulled anything funny, is a mark on your back when I return.”

Caretaker’s listening to all of this; thinking, knowing that when whumper comes back- 

They have no intentions of returning whumpee to them at all. 

25. Lost Property

CW: institutionalised slavery, dehumanisation, box boy universe, pet whump

Previous - Next

Coriander was kneeling next to Linden’s chair on the balcony. The morning sun touched their faces with gentle warmth, and glinted on the detritus of a demolished breakfast. Linden took another sip of his masala chai, enjoying the milky sweetness and the scent of cardamom and cloves.

Cory was also sipping his tea, cupping both hands around the warm cup. It made Linden feel bittersweet, seeing how effortlessly Cory could use his hands.

“I do this with Col, you know. Sit on the balcony together. It’s pleasant… he likes the sunshine a lot. And I like the view.”

“It’s very nice, Sir. So much birdsong.”

Linden smiled. “Yes. Do you and Lydia often, um, spend time together like this? Just enjoying your surroundings?”

He had never felt more awkward in his life. Making conversation with a borderline stranger was tough at the best of times, but for once, Linden didn’t feel as if he needed to subtly interrogate Cory- to try and worm some evidence of Lydia’s sadism out of him. No, he just wanted to get to know the man a bit.

Cory’s eyes unfocused as he visited a memory in his head. “Miss Lydia has a garden, Sir. When the weather is good, we sit out there together.”

“That sounds nice. Do you like it?”

Cory paused. “Y-yes, Sir. This pet does.”

“I’ve only had Col for a few months, but I’ve been doing my best to make him feel safe. Secure. What… what makes you feel safe, Cory?”

Linden had no idea if that was a question Coriander would be able to answer. He might have pushed too much, but- a memory of Lydia taking Colton to the conference flashed through his brain. Cory was surely more stable, if Lydia had intended to take him?

There was another pause. Linden looked out over the town. There was a pair of teenage girls standing at the bridge, throwing sticks into the river. Seeing which one travelled through the water faster.

“Miss Lydia… takes the time to tell this pet things. Before they happen. Uh-” he shook his head slightly, as if trying to shake the right words into the right order. “She tells this pet when someone is coming over, or if something is going to hurt. It’s- it’s more than this pet deserves, of course. It would never expect this treatment, but…”

“It’s alright, Cory.” Linden tried to keep his voice calm and friendly. “You don’t have to worry. I just want to hear what you think. There’s no wrong answer, I promise.”

Coriander swallowed hard, his voice shivering, but he pressed on.

“Miss Lydia, s-she keeps her promises. If - if she says that something is going to happen, then it usually does. S-she is very kind to this pet, and… and patient.” He looked nervously up at Linden. “And she asks for this pet’s opinion.” He said the last in a hushed voice, as if he was admitting something elicit. “That… that was very hard at first… but now this pet kinda likes it.”

He looked down, cascading blonde hair covering his eyes. In a small voice he continued.

“A-and she touches this pet.” At Linden’s sharp intake of breath, Cory shook his head, aghast. “Not like… not like that, Sir. Miss Lydia doesn’t do that. B-but she often pets this pet.” Awkwardly, he pulled a hand in a caress over his own hair. “Or… or hugs it. S-she is affectionate.” At that Cory looked straight into Linden’s eyes, as if daring him to contradict his description. After a brief moment of bravery, he lowered his gaze again.

“That’s wonderful. Thank you! Thank you, Cory. That…” Linden leant back in his chair. “I’m so happy to hear that.”

Patience, and affection, and speaking. Linden was delighted that he had been on the right track, more or less.

He hoped- no, he knew- that Col could be like Cory one day. Opinionated, and trusting and… dexterous.

He wouldn’t want Col to be too similar, of course. Linden was excited to find out more of what Colton’s personality really looked like.

Each separate thought ran through his head, pushing for his attention. He felt both hopeful, and overwhelmed.

“I’ve never given Colton a hug,” he blurted out, the realisation hitting him. “I’ve been too worried that it would scare him. But he likes it when I pet his hair, or hold his hand. Maybe I should offer him a hug.”

“T-this pet couldn’t say, Sir.”

-

Coriander briefly considered telling Linden that Colton had spoken well of him, back at the hotel. But it was every pet’s duty to be loyal to their master, and Linden surely knew that already. It wouldn’t mean anything to him, except alert him to the fact that the two pets had been speaking together, unattended, about their owners.

At present, Linden was smiling up at the sky. Cory allowed itself a small measure of pride, at having answered such a broad question well.

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