claudio

Whumpee shaking, unable to speak clearly, curled into Caretaker's lap.

Caretaker looking around, waiting for Whumper to come back, because they know that they have to be nearby.

Whumpee trying to explain what happened, but they can't, for whatever reason that may be.

Whumpee apologizing. "I know I'm meant to be stronger than this, I know I'm meant to be better, I don't know why I can't stop crying, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"I don't want to, I don't want to, I'll be good, I'm sorry."

Whumpee not being able to move... nearly completely immobile, completely in Caretaker's hands, forced to trust that they'll be kind.

"Shh, shh... it's alright, it's just me. You're safe now."

someone calls out for them. they blink. is it time for whumper to be home yet?

"—where are you?" comes the tail end of a question. they are awfully tired, they think. the floor feels nice on their skin, even if it's hard and digs in their bones. but it's loads better than being tied to the ceiling for hours on end, waiting for whumper to show them mercy.

they blink once again, and suddenly a face swims into their vision. it's all blurry at the edges. "hey? what's wrong?" what a silly question, they think. the face cracks a smile, "yeah?" oh. they said that aloud. they want to brace for the hit, but they feel sluggish all over. at least they can apologize.

"mmngrh," whumpee says. their tongue isn't quite working. fear is slow and languid in their bones. "are you... drunk?" whumper says somewhere in their periphery. there's some clattering of cupboards being opened, followed by clinking of glass. it's a nice sound, the sound of dining. hunger is a distant simmer in their body, but they know that they don't deserve food yet. they haven't done anything to earn it.

"why did you drink all of this?" whumpee thinks before answering, "ev'rth'ng h'rt," their body was hurting all over. and something else— "sad," now their already blurry vision is blurring even more. they hiccup as the fan becomes a circular blob. "'m s'rry," they apologize, belatedly. if the whumper is feeling nice, maybe they won't hurt them too much after an apology.

but all of a sudden, they're being pulled up, hands soft on their shoulders and against their waist. they settle against the warm neck. a confused sound slips free from their lips. gentle hands smooth down their back as they are cradled like a child. it feels very, very nice. "it's okay," someone whispers, "you're okay, I promise," and then they are drifting off to a dream world.