◍EMUX◍

(as a form of defiance)

Content: defiant whumpee, humiliation , food whump (kinda), self-degradation, forced to kneel, death threats, past parental whumpers, suic1dal whumpee, whipping

"By the time I'm done with you, you'll be begging to lick the dirt off my boots." "Won't take long either, I'm not a picky eater."

"You're being a stubborn little ass." "And I'm too stupid to stop."

"You're acting like a child." "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"On your knee---" Whumpee thumps down. "Already there, m'lord."

"How did your parents not kill you the day you came out of the womb?!" "You don't give them enough credit, they tried."

"You're a---" "Wait---before you say it---you're not wrong."

"I'll kill you." "I call first dibs! I've been wanting this way longer than you have."

Whumper hangs up the whip, looking down at the quivering whumpee on the floor. "Now tell me you deserved it." "I did, of course I did." Whumpee sobs.

(as a form of defiance)

Content: defiant whumpee, humiliation , food whump (kinda), self-degradation, forced to kneel, death threats, past parental whumpers, suic1dal whumpee, whipping

"By the time I'm done with you, you'll be begging to lick the dirt off my boots." "Won't take long either, I'm not a picky eater."

"You're being a stubborn little ass." "And I'm too stupid to stop."

"You're acting like a child." "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"On your knee---" Whumpee thumps down. "Already there, m'lord."

"How did your parents not kill you the day you came out of the womb?!" "You don't give them enough credit, they tried."

"You're a---" "Wait---before you say it---you're not wrong."

"I'll kill you." "I call first dibs! I've been wanting this way longer than you have."

Whumper hangs up the whip, looking down at the quivering whumpee on the floor. "Now tell me you deserved it." "I did, of course I did." Whumpee sobs.

So they rehearse to themselves as they trudge in the direction of safety, repeating their injuries in a slurred mumble until they're exhausted. Finally, finally they reach a town, or flag down a car, or get back to whoever they were separated from, but to their horror it's been so long that all their careful rehearsal falls out of their mind completely and all they can manage is "I'm really cold and something hurts and I think I hit my head..."

and someone inevitably very concerned asks, whoa you good?

they raise the world’s shakiest thumbs up, give a smile that looks like a wince and try not to zone out long enough to make eye contact. really sell it. of course they’re totally 100% good fine and dandy. of course they don’t wake up screaming every night. no stress isn’t slowly killing them. yep, totally good here

They feel ashamed that Caretaker trusts them so little, that they have to be held back instead of just instructed. Until Caretaker does it in the car after a car in front of the brake checked them and Whumpee can’t figure out what they were stopping them from.

They ask, hesitantly, hoping that at least if they were punished for asking, they might figure out how to prove themselves, but Caretaker explains that they were trying to protect them, that was what that always meant. Caretaker laughs, asking if Whumpee thought they were strong enough to hold them back anyway, and it finally clicks.

Whumpee spends the rest of the drive staring out the window, tracking each memory back, recontextualizing it through this new information. Caretaker had a point, they were far stronger than them, and by extent, that meant that realistically Caretaker’s arm of protection would do very little to protect them but that wasn’t the point.

Short story: under 7,500

Novelette: between 7,500 and 17,500

Novella: between 17,500 and 40,000

Novel: over 40,000

https://uquiz.com/O4A9nZ

maybe they're hiding an injury from Caretaker so they don't stop running to treat it and such a decision eventually proves to do more harm than good.

Caretaker lets Whumpee take a moment from time to time so they don't simply pass out on their arms.

Caretaker can feel Whumpee growing tired and weak by the minute, slipping from their arms more often than not, and can only hope they'll get back on time.

Caretaker keeps encouraging Whumpee to stay awake: "Come on, Whumpee." "Stay with me." "Eyes on me!" "Please don't close your eyes..." "We're almost there!" "I won't lose you too, you hear me? I won't!"

Caretaker has to change the way of carrying Whumpee from one of their arms around their shoulder to piggy-back carry or even bridal style after they gradually slip out of Caretaker's grasp and fall to the ground.

or, it's only once they get to safety that Whumpee feels their legs giving up under their weight, but Caretaker's there to catch them before they can even touch the floor.