#multiple whumpers

Elise never thought that she would live to see a day where she would dread talking to Maya. 

Yet, there she was, sitting across from her closest friend with a sense of overwhelming dread from simply being asked if she was okay. She had answered yes, automatically, of course. Despite this, it was clearly a bluff.

Elise was, though she hated to admit it, not okay. For several reasons—most of which were too recent, too personal, to speak on, simply too close to the surface of her thoughts to put into words.— Part of it was because Maya realized this. Of course she did, either because she was uncannily observant as always, or Elise could never keep anything hidden for long. Both were viable options, and both ideas made Elise’s skin crawl and writhe at the unsettling vulnerability of being noticed.  

“Hey,” Maya began as she rested her hand on the table, “how long have we been friends?” Elise’s mind faltered at the question, suddenly faced with the notion that she could not recall when they had first met —Elise was certain It was during college, but the exact moment they had become part of each other's lives was lost to her— “So, you can tell me about anything.” Maya continued once it was clear that Elise’s silence was silence was an answer of its own. 

Elise nodded because, logically, it was true. She could tell Maya anything, but the idea in itself sat like a stone in her gut. Speaking what was on her mind would make it realized, casting it in the intruding spotlight of someone else’s knowledge, the very idea sparked her nerves alight like coals and it took everything within her to not coldly reject, to just get up and leave it be. Elise took a shuddering breath, glancing down at her hands that were shaking in her lap. When had she begun to shake? She placed her hands on the tabletop, forcing her palms flat on the table despite immediately being hyperaware of Maya’s gaze. 

Why did she think of things this way? What part of her saw a friend’s invitation to help, and twisted it into an interrogation? Elise forced a breath and glanced up at the chime of a bell that announced a new customer. Looking up at Maya, showed a patient, gentle expression. Elise glanced away, tracing the tattoo of a rabbit silhouetted mid-leap that adorned her left wrist. A symbol of risk, of not knowing where you would land, something to encapsulate the uncertain anxiety that had no proper name. So Elise focused on the symbol as she steadied her breath and silently willed herself to speak.

“It’s Yeay…” Elise heard herself saying despite the tightness in her throat. “My grandmother.” 

Maya looked up from her tea, brown eyes lit with worry, her hand steady on the table cloth. “Is she alright, falls can be hard with her age.” 

“Broken wrist.” She winced through gritted teeth, watching as Maya worried her bottom lip, “But, recovering, yeah…” Elise nodded, trying not to sound dismissive. Eighty-six, it is a pretty rough age to fall. Though, Elise supposed falling at any age was difficult. Suddenly desperate to do something with her hands, she blindly reached for something to top her bread with, unthinkingly grabbing a small packet of grape jam.

“They scanned her.” Elise continued, opening the packet and spreading the jam on the bread with trembling movements, “At the hospital, the doctors scanned her for a brain injury.” Elise took a small bite of her bread, the cheap jam turned a sickly sweet on her tongue, she hoped it would ease her nerves. It did not. “They, the doctors, did other tests as well, because she hit her head…”

Silence settled between them, Maya’s hand inched closer to hers. Elise curled her empty hand into a fist, nails biting into the flesh of her palm.

 It was quiet then, only the faint music from the jukebox and the far off clatter of dishes into a metal sink. Elise breathed in, swallowed her guilt and breathed out as she unfurled her hand, allowing her tanned fingers to brush against the edge of Maya’s own. 

“It’s Alzheimer's." Elise forced out her breath catching, “Moderate stage, but they caught it early.” 

“Elise, I’m so sorry.” Maya breathed out, a sigh thick with sympathy.  

“I-” Elise stumbled. She stumbled because, though it was gradual, Yeay was dying. Yeay, the woman who built a beautiful life after immigrating from her home country, who passed down her recipes from memory alone, who recounted stories of her life in Suong over evenings of learning embroidery. Who held her granddaughter with the same hands that comforted her own daughter so long ago.  

“I should have known.” She whispered, trying to ignore how her voice shook. “I visit her every week. How…” How could she not have realized? The symptoms were not just present, they were glaringly obvious. The misplaced items, forgotten words, the evenings Elise and her mother spent helping Yeay track her finances.

“It’s not your fault.” Maya placed her hand on Elise’s, palm brushing against the metal of her rings. “She never complains about anything, she would never tell you herself.” 

“She shouldn’t have to.” Elise looked up, locking eyes with Maya only to shatter the connection a second later. “Yeay, she…” She raised me, something inside her realized. The selfish idea was followed with an immediate tide of guilt that overwhelmed her with the fact that her parents had no other choice but to work late. “She loves me and I just let her slip by.”

“Hey,” Maya started, “I’m here for you.” Elise felt her breath catch, she took another bite of her bread hoping to quell the dryness in her mouth. “How can I help?” 

“You don’t have to.” Elise stated, absolute and final, dread filling her chest.

“I know,” Maya nodded, “but I want to.” the swirling tide of dread and grief receded, just for a moment. Elise took a breath and felt her mind clear around the edges. 

“She’s living with my parents, I’ve already helped them install some safety measures.” Elise acquiesced, “you can visit her if you want. She’ll need some company that’s not me or my parents.”

“Will she…” Maya started, brows furrowed as she took a moment to choose her wording, “Will she still remember me?” The question hung in the silence before Maya continued,  “It has been a while.” 

“I’m,” Elise trailed, “I’m not sure.” Her voice was laden with guilt at the admission, “it’s not only her memory, she might act differently too.” Elise explained, noticing how the ring on Maya’s finger caught the fading sunlight. “So, just try to be patient, don’t argue if she gets things wrong.” 

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Maya agreed, stirring her tea once before taking a contemplative sip with a hand that shook ever so slightly.

Elise paused thinking for a moment while trying to swallow another bite of her bread and jam, “Listening to music seems to help, card games too.” she reasoned the statement ending with a dry chuckle, “She’ll still beat anyone at cards.” 

“Some things really never change, do they?” Maya added with a smile, a joke that coaxed a somber yet wistful laugh from Elise, who shook her head in agreement. “Is there anything I can do to help you?” Maya asked after a blissfully calm moment, allowing the sickening feeling to creep in and tangle in Elise’s gut again.

“No.” Elise answered, curt and cold. Elise stifled a cough before continuing, “No, thank you.” She tucked her feet beneath the chair, the soles of her shoes pressing against the paper bag with the sharp crinkling of thick paper. The Paws & Claws logo printed on the side. Maya did not comment, despite clearly seeing her look for supplies earlier, leaving the question to hang in the dead air. 

“I volunteered to care for the cat.” Elise remembered, albeit the comment was a bit sudden. Maya hummed, startled. “Yeay’s, um, Demicat.” Elise corrected. “A Pet, for the elderly.” Elise explained, taking a breath, “We bought him a few years back to help her.” 

“Yes, I remember,” Maya smiled softly, her hand pressing on Elise’s with a gentle force, “she liked him.” 

“Yeah,” Elise agreed, remembering how the pet was only bought to help Yeay with the daily tasks she had begun to have problems with. How these issues were just blamed on Yeay aging, despite being the signs everyone overlooked. 

The signs she overlooked. 

Signs that were only discovered after Yeay fell. eighty-six and broken on the ground, practically alone in her house. The police were only dialed because- 

Elise forcefully slammed the breaks on that train of thought, clenching her jaw as guilt made a home in her again, invading where the comfortable silence briefly rested, settling deep in Elise’s lungs. She forced herself to cough it up, to keep speaking.

“Thankfully, he knows chores and such.” Elise continued in spite of the heavy weight on her chest, “At least I don’t have to deal with that.” Maya nodded, a small agreement before Elise continued, nearly rushed, “He’s quite small too, doesn’t take up much space.” 

“That’s convenient.” Maya replied, adjusting her rose-hued hijab with one hand while her other still held Elise’s. Elise shifted allowing her hand to be held more comfortably. For once, it felt something eerily close to calm, a stark contrast to the battering of emotions that were threatening to bruise her ribcage. Life was not how she wanted it to be, still a constant is never guaranteed. Elise knew would have to make peace with that fact. 

“Signed the ownership transfer papers yesterday. I’ll be um,” Elise stumbled, caught up on saying a statement that still didn’t feel entirely real, “taking him off my parents hands tomorrow evening.” Glancing to the side absentmindedly she caught a glimpse of a spotted tail, looking up to find the friendly face of Patches, whose ears flicked with a hidden anxiety.

“May I help you?” Patches interjected, his voice professional yet just cordial enough to feel personal as he subtly adjusted the nametag on his chest. ‘Worker’ and ‘not for sale’ were the only words not caught in the glare of the sun reflecting off the casing. 

“No, thank you, we’re alright.” Maya addressed, placing both hands on her half empty cup. Elise gave Patches a subtle shake of the head, carefully grabbing a napkin and placing the untouched piece of bread onto it, before pushing the treat towards him.

“Thank you, Miss.” Patches smiled as he grabbed the napkin. His impartial tone was only betrayed by the slightest glint in his eye, a curling of his tail and the revealing of dimples in his cheeks that showed genuine gratitude without a word. Elise did not respond as the pittering of Patches’ receding footsteps was swiftly drowned out by the ambiance of the cafe.   

“Say, speaking of cats,” Elise began, swift to change the subject in order to prevent her emotions taking a grasp on her mind again, “any sign of that stray recently?” 

“No, I’ve got nothing.” Maya sighed, taking a long sip of her tea “I’m thinking about sitting out near the food though.” 

“I hope it doesn’t run.” Elise commented , “you don’t need to go through another chase today.” Maya furrowed her brow in confusion before letting out an easy laugh as her eyes lit up

“You were listening.” Maya remarked between laughter. Elise shifted in her seat at the sudden thought that perhaps Maya did have low expectations for her, though she let herself smile as she pushed it away, reasoning that if Maya did think so little of her, she’d make it known. 

“Of course I was,” Elise pushed her plate to the edge of the table, “how could I not be enthralled with Harvey’s latest catastrophe?”  

“Honestly, I have no idea how he can escape heavy level restraints,” Maya laughed as she finished off her tea, “we could probably make a show out of it, sell tickets or something.” Elise chuckled at the idea, gathering her belongings before standing up. Maya swiftly followed, both of them still trading quips and ideas as they prepared to leave.

“I’m gonna go and change.” Elise commented once they were settled, glancing down at her stiff handler attire.

“Okay,” Maya commented, simply turning towards the front door, “Good evening then, I’ll see you tomorrow." Elise waved before suddenly remembering her manners and speaking up before Maya could take a step towards the door.

“Maya,” Elise stumbled over her words, “thank you. For–” Elise cursed herself silently as all ideas of what to say fell short. 

“It’s no problem.” Maya reassured, a gentle, yet reassuring weight to her words, “Anytime, okay?” Elise simply nodded, grateful that some things didn’t need to be expressed with words. 

Maya enjoyed her job. 

Or, at least she hoped she did. Maya took a sip from her thermos of lukewarm coffee, her eyes halfheartedly flitting to the horribly cheesy posters that decorated the staff room. Being a Head Handler at Paws & Claws wasn’t a bad gig all things considered. Sure, Feral male Demihumans weren’t the easiest to control, sometimes the customers were a bit odd—especially those who adopt Cuddlers, though she would never judge them aloud—and the hours are stiflingly long. 

Yet, despite these flaws, Maya had to admit the salary was fair enough to put food on the table, that most customers were patient, and that she was doing rather important work. 

At least, Maya hoped it was important.

So, after running through the pros and cons for a moment more, Maya figured her job wasn’t something worth abandoning. After a glance at the clock Maya finished her coffee, rinsing the thermos in the sink before returning it to her bag in the staff locker room. Taking a moment to rub her knees, Maya found herself a bit concerned by the fact that kneeling on the floor to play with a catboy gave her issues at thirty before a sharp tone from her radio snapped her out of her thoughts. 

“Code yellow!” A tinny voice yelped beneath the static and the faint sound of footsteps, “I repeat Code Yellow. Catboy um—“ the voice stumbled as Maya rushed out of the staff room, “FerM411J8 is running through the staff hallways unsupervised.”

“Harvey…” Maya hissed to herself before unlatching her radio from her belt, “I’m on it, where’d he come from?” She responded, keeping her ears peeled as she scanned the hallways.

“He ran down the staff entrance to the grooming salon.” The voice Maya now recognized as Jordan’s, responded. In truth Maya was thankful the code was only a warning so far, the last thing anyone needed was for this to escalate. 

“I see him, J.J!” Vera chimed in, “It seems like he’s headed to the training rooms.” 

Maya cursed inwardly, so much for three months without incident.“Code Orange; Catboy FerM411J8 is trying to escape.” Maya called over the radio, picking up the pace as she clutched the radio tighter; Of course he’s going for Triscuit. He'd never leave without him. “Would the Handler of Catboy FerQ128R7 please stay with him and lock the socialization room.” Maya rattled off before returning her radio to her belt, ignoring the responses to the code.

 Maya heard the putter of padded footsteps down an adjoining hallway and turning the corner she came face to face with the—honestly quite pathetic—sight of a dripping wet Harvey: stark naked with soap still lathered in his blonde fur. Upon locking eyes with Maya, Harvey turned on his heel and ran. So, Maya gave chase, hastily reporting that she had eyes on him before calling after him to no avail. Harvey suddenly turned left, knocking over a nearby recycling bin in hopes of slowing his assailants down. Maya simply stepped around it and continued the chase, barely keeping her balance as her workboots slipped on the wet tile; she continued to run after the soaked catboy. Maya shouted after him, well aware from their shouting that J.J and Vera were close behind her. 

Just when he was gaining some distance, Harvey fell. Scrambling on all fours and sliding with a screeching yowl, before slamming into the wall and losing momentum. Maya took the opportunity, closed the gap, and tackled the catboy just as he was getting back up on two feet. Maya radioed in to call off the code, steadily pressing down between Harvey’s shoulderblades to pin down the thrashing catboy. “Got him!” She yelled to J.J and Vera who were rapidly making their way down the hall. 

Uncapping a syringe of sedative with deft movements Maya settled herself on Harvey’s upper back, barely holding back a startled sound as she caught his arm as he swatted at her, pinning it to the tile floor. Harvey, predictably, attempted to bite at the arm that was pinning his hand, only receiving a mouthful of her arm guard as a result. “Just stay still, and you’ll be fine.” Maya soothed, preparing the syringe as Harvey bucked and yowled beneath her. Steadily, Maya lined the syringe up with the vein before pressing the needle beneath the skin just below the barcode on his wrist. 

Maya made swift work injecting the sedative before removing the needle and placing the syringe aside. Ignoring how the blood began to bead at the injection site, Maya used her now freed hand to give a soft pat to Harvey’s soaking wet hair. Maya sighed, taking a second to calmly comb the soap out of Harvey’s hair with her bare fingers all the while he continued to scream and writhe like he was dying. 

“Oh Harvey, you were doing good.” she tutted, “Why do you do this to yourself, kitty?” Harvey only let out a petulant whine, babbling something Maya didn’t truly care to listen to. Soon his thrashing began to still, his eyelids fluttering shut and body going limp as the drug took effect. Maya felt her shoulders relax, she grabbed the empty syringe before standing.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Maya addressed the crowd of two, “the latest escape attempt of Harvey The Houdini.” The joke was only met with the hum of artificial lights and the exhausted silence that always followed these predicaments. After a moment Vera clapped lightly, hastily moving to care for the unconscious Catboy. 

“I’m sorry, Maya,” J.J panted after a moment, straightening out his collar, “I had him chained in the bath, I just turned my back to get something and he slid out.”

“It’s not your fault J.J,” Maya placated him, rolling up her sleeves, “he tends to do this.” A flicker of relief crossed J.J’s face as Maya dimly recognized Vera was humming a soft tune. 

“I’ll put a note in his file to sedate him during grooming.” Maya stated, tightening her arm guards before pulling her sleeves over them again.

“Oh, how long in isolation?” Vera asked from behind her, Maya turned around to see her holding Harvey—who was thankfully no longer naked—in a bridal carry.

“An hour should be fine.” Maya decided, Vera blew a stray ginger hair out of her eyes before nodding and hurrying over to isolation. 

Maya stifled a sigh before turning back to J.J, who had seemed to have some energy returned to his wiry form. “Do you think he’ll be alright?” J.J prodded, eyeing the trail of wet pawprints that winded down the hallway behind him, “I mean, does pinning him down break the Three B Rule?” Maya frowned, taking a moment to adjust a bobby pin in her hijab before cringing at the unfortunate wetness on her pants and apron.

“It wasn’t my best move,” Maya admitted, “but I'd rather pin him down than have him break something as I'm trying to put him into a hold.” J.J hummed in agreement and put on an easy smile. 

“Thanks for catching him.” J.J smiled, the pleasantry tailing off into a weary laugh at the end as he ran a hand over his neatly clipped afro. 

“All in a day’s work.” Maya replied with a grin, “I hope your next appointment is easier for you J.J.” She offered, J.J replied in turn as they both went their separate ways. In the privacy of the empty staff locker room, Maya traded her wide legged teal pants for a pink ankle length skirt. After swiftly swapping out her apron for a dry one, she attached the necessary note to Harvey’s file; Maya made a mental note that she had laundry to do when she got home. 

It wasn’t long until Maya found herself in the lobby of the shelter. Despite the stiff mundanity of the simple room, Maya could admit that the natural light and walls adorned with cheerful posters were a more than welcome reprieve from the staff hallway’s artificially lit maze of white walls. Now, seated in a plastic chair with a lethargic catboy resting by her side, Maya hummed a tune as she gingerly threaded her fingers through the creature’s ginger hair. keeping a tight hold on the rope leash before startling as a mitted hand hit her on the knee hard enough to trigger her leg to kick out in a reflex. 

“Hey. No hitting, Junior.” Maya scolded, gripping the catboy’s hand and setting it back down next to him. Junior simply looked up at her, his yellow eyes nearly hidden by his blown pupils, raised his mitted hands to the cloth gag over his mouth and slurred out the start of a muffled sentence.  

“Nuh-uh, bud.” Maya interrupted with an exaggerated shake of her head, “No talking. Your voice has got to heal.” Junior’s brows furrowed, nose wrinkling in what Maya was sure was a pout hidden behind the gag. “Oh, it’s not forever.” She explained trying to hold in her laughter at the uncharacteristic display. 

Cooing, Maya positioned Junior to lay his head on her lap with careful movements, before playfully tickling under his chin. Unfortunately, Junior gave her nothing but a discontent sigh, only settling as Maya rested her hand on top of his head. Glancing around the practically barren lobby and scanning the room for any familiar faces, Maya decided to at least try and channel her boredom into an excuse for good conversation. A mother chatted with the receptionist, her teenager idly reading some pamphlets to her left. A tall man waited behind them with a bag of kibble in his arms and– 

Maya paused, boredom immediately fading as she recognized the sight of a broad shouldered woman in carefully embroidered jeans. Maya wondered for a second why Elise was standing in the leashes section of the small shop, but swiftly brushed the thought aside with a grin as a particularly impish idea came to mind. Maya failed to stifle a chuckle as she unhooked her radio from her belt, glancing over in Elise’s direction.

“Hey, Khim, this is Fathi checkin’ in. Over.” Maya pestered into her radio, the words echoing in a static filled reverberation. Maya choked on the laugh clinging to her ribs as Elise glanced at her own radio before turning in her direction and sighing with an unusually dour shake of her head. Maya simply smiled with a wave. Waiting with hopeful silence that Elise would at least play along. However, Elise simply returned the leash to its hook and hurried over to Maya, only plastering on a grin halfway. 

“I’m in the same room as you, Maya.” Elise huffed, her voice as smooth as ever despite the clearly forced smile

“I know, it's just so fun using these, right?” Maya grinned, smoothly clipping her radio back on her belt despite anxiety flickering deep in her stomach. Elise only nodded with a forcefully cheery sound as Maya began rubbing gentle circles behind Junior’s ears, “are there not enough leashes in stock for Domestics?” 

Elise’s mouth twitched into a confused frown before she choked back a startled noise. “No, um it’s fine, we have enough.” Elise stammered out, adjusting her Hello Kitty bandana as she explained “just poking around before my next appointment.” 

“Oh,” Maya paused, keenly aware that Elise would never just shop aimlessly, “fun.” Maya agreed, realizing that she was probably overthinking. The silence that followed was only broken by the sound of a deep, content purring that was coming from—an unusually calm—Junior. 

“Huh, that’s new.” Elise commented, tilting her head as a genuine grin pulled at her lips.

“Yeah,” Maya agreed, watching with a small laugh how the catboy’s ears flicked when she stopped the petting, “I guess I finally found something he likes.” Elise nodded as she shifted in her sneakers. A moment of unnatural silence followed before Maya spoke again. 

“Say, ” Maya started, trying to keep her voice low, “Is everyone okay, after what happened last week?” She asked, biting the inside of her lip as she remembered how suddenly Elise left work. 

“It’s alright.” Elise forced out, fidgeting with her hands idly, “Thanks.” She added after a second, her lips pressed into a tight line. 

“Any time,”  Maya frowned, “let me know if you need anything.”  Worry sparked in Maya’s chest as she recalled how Elise’s text explained through misspellings that her grandmother fell, and her parents were waiting with her at the hospital. Elise only nodded, eyes averted. 

“Junior?” Connor called from the doorway of the vet’s office, “Dr. Lewis will see you now.” The assistant grinned with a cautious smile that did not dissuade Junior from cowering under Maya’s chair.  

“Bye, Elise,” Maya smiled, keeping a firm grip on Junior’s now taut leash. “See you later?”  Elise only nodded, mumbling something Maya couldn’t catch before turning to leave with a wavering smile. Maya sighed, confusion and anxiety writhing in her chest as she focused her attention on coaxing Junior forward. 

The vet’s office reeked of rubber gloves and hand sanitizer. A scent so artificially cleanly that Maya stifled a sneeze as she entered, trying to keep a grasp on Junior who was intent on trying to climb over her shoulder from a hastily done—and admittedly poorly executed—bridal carry. 

Maya pushed down the anxiety thrumming in her veins, focusing on comforting Junior with gentle words when he was strapped to the table with methodical hands, on holding his head steady while Dr. Lewis slid a wire-like scope down his throat. As Maya watched Junior’s voice box weakly contract and expand on the screen as he yowled, she found herself disturbingly comforted by the guttural noises that signaled he could breathe despite the intrusion. When the examination was finally done, Maya walked Junior back to the Ferals den, staying calm despite having to drag him by the scruff of his neck when he refused to move with the leash—if only because the hissy-fit, while annoying, meant the drugs were wearing off— In spite of this, Maya was thoroughly relieved by the fact that the rest of the day would only entail . 

Maya had clocked out of work when she saw Elise from across the room again, sitting alone at their small table across from the front window of the quaint cafe that adjoined the shelter, still in her handler uniform. Worry sparked in Maya’s chest again, she busied her hands by stirring sugar into her decaf tea before sitting down across from Elise, thoroughly startling her in the process. After hastily apologizing, Maya made a halfhearted attempt to regale Elise with a retelling of Harvey’s latest escape. Barely getting started before the silence from Elise became far too concerning, and the worry became far too pressing to ignore. 

“Elise,” Maya called, setting down her tea as her friend met her gaze. Upon feeling a rush of anxiety at Elise’s despondent stare, Maya forced herself to relax her shoulders. “are you okay?” 

tropes:

Whumper's point of view

Multiple whumpers

multiple whumpees

nonhuman whumpees

lab whump (Mentioned)

medical whump

institutional/societal whump

carewhumpers

defiant whumpees

bound and gagged

pet whump

conditioned whumpees

minor whumpees (Mentioned, no harm done on screen)

parts:

1. Code Orange