#rescue?

“So water can kill you?” El asked, pushing him further into the cave, leading the way through forks and narrow paths. “That's cute of you. And fire? You'll be living with a dragon after all, does fire hurt you?”

"Heat and fire are the direct counter to shadow."

A dragon, that's what this creature was. Aloka had talked about them from time to time but he'd never met one...

"I-I'm a shadow devil so fire wou- would be extremely painful."

TW: Left behind, locked in a small space

"And don't come out! If we're losing the ship, you're going down with it!" Whumper slammed the trapdoor closed, locking Whumpee into the secret compartment. "You're not worth the space on the raft."

As the rug was rolled out over the door again, sounds from above dimmed.

Whumpee sat in the dark, straining to hear any sounds on the ship. Suddenly, dozens of footsteps passed over them. They banged on the trapdoor.

"H-help... Please, I can be useful. Help!"

The footsteps faded away. The rig was never moved.

—

Whumpee was falling asleep. The raiders were still on the ship. Whumpee could hear them in the distance.

Someone was walking over them again. Whumpee knocked on the trapdoor. "Please let me out..."

There was a pause above.

The sounds became less muted as the rug was rolled away. A pang of regret struck through Whumpee's chest. Maybe they should've kept quiet. Did they really want to be found by these people? They whimpered, pressing back against the wall as they heard someone smash the lock.

The door cracked open. "Hello?" Came a thickly accented voice. Sharp green eyes locked onto Whumpee. "What's this? Who are you?" The man reached a hand down to Whumpee.

Whumpee flinched. "P-please don't hurt me!"

Whumptober #26

You Will Go Down With This Ship

There is no reaction to the opening of the door. No response to the sound of voices or footsteps. Only the slow, almost imperceptible rise and fall of his chest betrays that he lives still.

Up close, the realities of his suffering are even clearer. The chains that bind him to the floor are short, permitting little motion. His skin is ulcerated beneath the shackles and all along where he lies in contact with the floor. His body is marked all over with the livid, recent scars of torture - healed enough that they are no longer scabbed, but still angry red and purple. Dramatic against his pallid, corpse-hued skin. He shivers under scrutiny, the first suggestion that he is not deeply unconscious.

The blindfold is shaped cloth, closely fitted to keep out light. Like the chains, it has been in place long enough that the skin is raw and seeping beneath it, and a scabby crust glues the cloth to his face.

The first time she saw red hair in the town near their cabin in the woods, she couldn’t deny that she froze. Saeran hadn’t been with her, having gone off to try and find the correct box of dye while he trusted her enough to pick out food stuffs for the practically empty cabin. 

There was only like a 1% chance that that red hair belonged to Seven. Despite that, there was a sudden shock of fear that he would find her there. 

(It’s definitely not the Stockholm syndrome kicking in, she told herself)

But then Saeran was suddenly by her side, box of dye in a bag at his side.

“You’re supposed to be getting dinner. What are you doing?” He asked her, raising a brow. She let out a shaky breath and nodded, taking the items she had and moving quickly towards the check out.

“Just ready to get back.” She mumbled. He’d shrugged at her behavior. There was a small part of him that was thrilled to be shopping with her. He let that feeling spread in his chest, enjoying it more than he wanted to admit, but it didn’t stop him from noticing how she glanced around nervously.

~

They never talked about how easily she gone with him, and how easily she’d stayed with him. She’d had multiple opportunities to try and take off, but she never did.

She’d been in the grocery store again, this time all on her own. Without the elixir that Rika had been pumping into him, Saeran got migraines. He didn’t know that she was even here. He’d been asleep, trying to sleep it off and she decided to get ice cream, something to make him feel slightly better.

She was scanning the different containers, debating on whether to get something simple or to get one with an interesting name.

“MC?” Her head shot up. No one here should know her by her actual name here. Wide eyes sat behind glasses as Seven stared at her in shock. “You’re here?”

She had to resist taking a step back as Seven walked towards her. He pulled her into a hug, and she hesitantly gave him a quick hug back. He pulled back, relief clear on his face.

“I finally found you. And you’re okay?” He asked quickly, eyes scanning over her face.

“Yeah! Yeah, I’m good.” She said, trying very hard to keep eye contact. His face scrunched in confusion.

“Why haven’t you tried to contact us? Just to let us know you’re safe.” Seven asked, and she couldn’t keep eye contact anymore. She stepped back and away from his arms. 

“I- I need to go.” She mumbled. “I’m safe, so tell everyone not to worry.”

“Are you still with Saeran?” Seven asked her. She nodded hesitantly, unsure if sharing that information would be okay to share. She’d figured out some things while with Saeran. His hatred of Seven stemmed from something personal, and the way Seven reacted confirmed some of it.

“Take care of him. Please.” Seven said softly. She nodded again, and started to walk out of the store.

She was almost at the door when Seven spoke again.

“What should I say to V?” He called after her. She paused, and finally turned back to him. She smiled weakly, and she could feel how her chest constricted.

“Tell him I’m sorry.”

________________________________________________________________

“It is, isn't it?” she smiled, pushing him inside. “I have been collecting them for AGES they are so beautiful!”

She ler out a satisfied sigh, her hands still holding him in place.

“I was bored the other say and had an amazing idea! So I brought you! You are the first skeleton I bring that still has meat and life in it.”

So she had found them like this,

She hadn't killed them?

That was good?