Living Weapon Whumpee #9
Part 1 here
Part 2 here
Part 3 here
Part 4 here
Part 5 here
Part 6 here
Part 7 here
Part 8 here
Hope you enjoy! :)
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“B?” A called out. They were both sitting in the grass after a light breakfast. B hummed back.
“I want to come with you to gather today.”
B looked up. “What?”
“I said I want to come with you to gather today.” They repeated as B stared at them. They didn't say anything for a long time.
“Can I ask why..?” they asked slowly.
A shrugged. “I feel kind of restless?” They said, but B had a sneaking suspicion it was because they wanted to be away from leader for a while.
A feels somewhat responsible for what Whumpee did. B can tell that much.
“Besides… I can hunt us some dinner. I know you know traps but I can brush off my rusty aim and pick up the bow and arrow again.”
“Hunting isn't good for you yet.” B shut that down immediately.
“I can still help you gather. You know just like old times?” A tried at a smile.
B sighed. “Who's staying with Leader?” B raised an eyebrow.
“Well… if you and I are going, then… Whumpee. Whumpee will.” A said calmly. B couldn't believe A could even manage that with a straight face. “You're not serious.”
“What's wrong with that?”
B stared. “What's wr- A, Whumpee's the one who did that to Leader. That's what's wrong.”
A waved their hand casually. “That was because Leader was attacking me. Whumpee won't attack Leader if I tell them not to. So I'll just tell them not to. Besides, they didn't know what they were doing when they did that, they don't underst-”
“No.”
“B come on, we have to leave the two alone at some point.”
“And that point is not today.”
“B…”
“No, A.”
“Fine.” A grumbled standing up.
B watched them go back to their tent and sighed.
A may feel responsible for what happened. But that doesn't mean B can just let everything collapse. But A was right. They will have to let Leader and Whumpee be alone at one point.
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A grumbled as they came back in to their tent. They didn't want to. They didn't want to stay at camp. They didn't want to stay in their tent. And most of all they didn't want to stay with Leader. They knew they probably sounded like a five year old being told ‘no’ but they couldn't help it. It's been nearly three weeks. And the only time they went away from camp was to the brook to get water or something.
It was driving them insane.
If there was a wall here they would've banged their head against it. But there isn't. So they can't. A got why B said no. They really did. But…
They didn't want to go near Leader again.
Leader’s burns were scabbed over now and the swelling had gone down significantly but it wasn't that they couldn't look at their wounds. They just… they didn't want to stay here.
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B left with Whumpee a while after that. A went in to Leader's tent and sat down in their usual spot. They closed their eyes. Maybe meditation would help. Breathe in. Breath out.
It smells a bit like B's room back home.
With the Herbs and crushed plants. The soft almost sweet scent felt like a warm blanket on a winter's day. It almost made A forget that leader was there.
“I… was right” A's eyes shot open.
“W-what?”
“Whumpee… is a.. weapon. A killing .. machine.” the voice was scratchy and charred.
A gulped. Where was B? A didn't want to stay here while leader was awake.
“They didn't know what they were doing.”
“Didn't look like it… looked like… they knew exactly where to hit… for it to deal the most damage.”
“They were just keeping me safe.”
“By.. killing anything in the way?”
“....”
“Listen to yourself.”
“... They don't know what they're doing. And we should teach them. Not demonize them. They're still a person.”
“They were a person. Now they're a weapon.”
“No.” A stood up.
“You know I'm right.”
“You're not.” A walked out of the tent and made a decision.
B can make them stay at camp. But they couldn't make them go inside Leader's tent.
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“I think that's enough for a couple of days. Good job, we finished early today.” B said brushing their hands off. Whumpee stared at them and nodded, looking away.
B looked over in their bag again. They had started slowly waning Leader out of the herbs that were putting them to sleep. So they had more inventory for other things like food. Even some wild strawberries.
Maybe that'll cheer A up. They felt a little guilty for shooting them down this morning. But what other choice did they have?
B looked at Whumpee. They had their back to them while looking down at their own bag, and only then did they realise… the plait was still mostly intact. With some wilted daisies that were too stubborn to fall off with movement.
B sighed. “Whumpee? Come here.”
Whumpee turned back and walked towards them silently.
“Let's fix your hair. Will you like that?” B coaxed. Whumpee looked at the end of the braid and looked back at B then nodded.
B smiled. They've had a bit of progress with Whumpee it seems.
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B picked the old daisies out of Whumpee's hair carefully and combed their hair with their fingers. It felt… nice. B's hands were always warm and soft.
“Your hair is really nice Whumpee. It's soft and wavy enough to not tangle much.” B said while separating their hair.
Whumpee didn't care. They just wanted the nice feeling of B's hands in their hair.
It was the same warmth. The kind that spread out from B's fingers through their scalp down to their neck and shoulders. The tingly kind.
Whumpee closed their eyes. Not just because the colours were hurting their eyes this time. This time they closed on their own.
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B felt Whumpee lean in to their hands and and saw the rise and fall of their chest evening out.
“Do you like flowers in your hair Whumpee?”
Silence responded.
“Whumpee?” They looked over their shoulder.
Were they…? Were they sleeping?
…
Oh my god they were sleeping
B carefully finished plaiting their hair and waited.
They looked down at Whumpee. This… this can't be the same person that did that to Leader. This is an innocent soul…
They started just stroking Whumpee's head. B had never seen them sleep before like A had, and now they understood what A meant.
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They stayed that way for about ten to twenty minutes before Whumpee stirred awake. By that time B had taken upon themselves to put some new flowers in to their hair.
After Whumpee woke up, B pretended not to know that they drifted off.
They just fixed something in their hair. “All done! What do you think?”
Whumpee looked down at the braid and looked back at B. “Thank you.”
“You're welcome. Let's get back now yeah? I'm sure A is wondering where we are.” B tried not to squeal in excitement.
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A was outside Leader's tent already. They didn't come out of it like they usually do.
They were poking the ground with a stick and by the looks of it they've been doing that for a while. Whumpee went and kept the bag in B’s tent as usual and went and sat on the ground next to A.
A startled.
“Oh!... Whumpee. B. You're back. How was gathering?” They asked as Whumpee held out the small bag of wild strawberries.
“Wh-what's this?” A looked between Whumpee and B while taking the bag. B chuckled. “Wild strawberries. They remembered you liked them and started picking every strawberry they saw. Wouldn't even let me have any.”
A blinked.
“You… you picked these for me?” they looked and Whumpee and they nodded. “Thank you” A smiled.
It felt like the first ray of sun after a storm to see A smile. Even if it was a small one.
“A?”
A looked up with a mouth full of strawberry. “Hn?”
B smiled. “We'll go gathering next time.”
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