#i write one type of whumpee

[whump-in-the-closet]

Whump Prompt

cw: implied mouth whump, interrogation whump, defiant whumpee, demeaning language, knives, manhandling

“If you weren’t so stupid, this would be over by now.” Whumper turned their back on the captive, surveying the blades lines on the table in front of them.

Whumpee pretended they weren’t watching. But their eyes never left the long fingers trailing along the hilts of the knives. Fingers with rings and blood for decoration.

Whumpee shuddered. They tilted their head back to stare at the fluorescent lights. Better than staring at the interrogator.

“If,” they squinted at the ceiling, wishing their throat wasn't so raw, “If this was over, I think I could happily say I won’t miss you.”

“Don’t worry. It’s not.” Whumper had finally settled on a knife. “Should I start with your mouth? I don’t think you’ll be needing it for much longer.” They turned, smiling.

Whumpee closed their mouth with an audible snap, backing themselves further into the corner as Whumper approached, the knife a whirl of metal in their hands.

For once, all urge to be sarcastic left them. And cold horror seeped into their bones, cracking them in a hundred ways.

They crumpled. Silently. Eyes wide.

Their heart in their throat.

The cold walls offered no protection and Whumper easily hauled Whumpee to their feet, shoving their back up against the wall. With their free hand, Whumper grabbed Whumpee’s chin, tilting it towards them.

“I would say this won’t hurt. But,” again that insufferable smile. “It really will.”

[rainbowsandwhumperflies]

tw for vomit and tooth whump

Apparently your teeth are kinda easy to erode? If you've never heard of "mountain dew teeth" it's when you drink too much mountain dew and even if you brush teeth really well, your teeth just start wearing away.

Anyway, this can also happen if you have bad acid reflux, or if you vomit a lot. This is because your stomach acid is pretty acidic and will literally wear away your bones if it comes up too much. (mt dew is also pretty acidic, and more common)

So yeah. Does your whumpee get access to the right quality of food? (Different types of food can affect acid reflux a lot. Frequent vomiting is a whole other problem.) And the right quality of dental care?

[federaliszt]

food in hurt/comfort

underrated part of whump for me is when someone cooks a favorite home cooked meal for whumpee. obviously there's a lot of sheer comfort from the meal itself, but there's also the thoughtfulness of the caretaker or caretakers, the preparation and effort that went into it, the pure love and care that is almost as palpable as the scent of the food cooking in the air.

if you want to dial up the tension, then you can give whumpee a reason why they can't eat it, and then add to the burden by making it impossible for them to express why they can't eat it. maybe their stomach is in knots from an illness or an injury they're trying to hide. maybe they're badly hungover but they don't want anyone to know. maybe they've just experienced dire food scarcity, and it's messing with their thoughts about whether they deserve to eat it or not. maybe they've got an eating disorder. maybe the last time they ate this particular dish was right before a big fight they had with a partner or a loved one, a fight they still feel ashamed about how they behaved in, and so even the scent reminds them of the bad unresolved feelings still gnawing at them under the surface. maybe they're grieving a sudden loss and even nibbling at any kind of food makes them feel sick to their stomach

whumpee experiencing those twin desires to eat to their heart's content and accept the love they're being offered while simultaneously needing to protect their deepest secrets and act unaffected or indifferent = 💯

[lumpofwhump]

Bad Things Happen Bingo: Scalding

...AKA, more Lighthouse Whump

Whumpee abruptly jerked awake as his chair tilted under him, crashing backward onto the floor with enough force to make him bounce before his head hit the floor. Through his swimming vision, he saw Whumper standing over him, staring down with cold fury.

"I hope you enjoyed your rest," she spat. "Thanks to you, there's a shipwreck down on the rocks."

Whumpee's eyes went wide and his stomach dropped even further than it already had from the fall. "W-what? I'm… I'm sorry, I -"

Whumper bent down and yanked him up by his now long and unkempt hair, bringing him only inches from his face. "Do you think that matters to any of the people out there?"

He whimpered in pain and cringed before her fury. "No! I just - I couldn't help it! I, I can't…"

"Do you think I want to hear your excuses?" Whumper snapped, shaking him in her tight grasp by the head. This only added to his dizziness. "All you had to do is keep the light burning, and make sure the ships could see the rocks."

And clean, Whumpee thought resentfully. And mend your clothes. And fix anything that breaks. And…

"It really isn't much to ask for saving your life," Whumper continued, as if reading his thoughts. "And for not turning you over to Her Majesty's Navy." She let him fall to the floor again without warning, prompting a frantic yelp. "You wouldn't have stood a chance if you'd been transported."

He looked down, knowing she was right.

"It's already midday. Go boil the water for lunch, and then we'll talk about how to make sure this won't happen again." Whumper's tone suggested that this conversation would not end well for him. He swallowed, beginning to shake despite his best efforts, but nodded and backed away toward the stairs to go down to the kitchen. He didn't dare turn his back on her, not when she was in this kind of mood.

Waiting for the water to boil just gave him time to think about what this "discussion" might end with. If he was lucky, he'd just be locked in his tiny room without meals for a few days while Whumper carried out his duties, if only to prove how expendable he really was if hi proved to be too much trouble. If he was unlucky…

His had ran over a cluster of scars on his shoulder from when she'd slammed him into a window hard enough to crack the glass. His room had never been particularly warm, but since then it had been too drafty for him to get a good night's sleep.

His shoulders tensed as he heard footsteps coming down the spiral staircase, and only then did he realize that the water had already reached a rapid boil.

Whumper entered with a look of disgust, shaking her head.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad this time, he tried to reassure himself. At least he hadn't burnt anything…

"Would you like soup or -" he started, but broke off as Whumper strode over and grasped him tightly by the arm and thrust his hand into the boiling water.

He had a long second before the pain hit to realize what had happened and dread how bad it was going to be. And then he started screaming.

He tried to wrench his hand out of the pot, but Whumper was stronger, holding his arm in place for one second, two seconds, three, four, five, as his skin started to blister grotesquely under the bubbles. Finally she let go, and he pulled his hand out, gasping as tears streamed down his face. He couldn't bear to make himself look at his hand, so instead his eyes involuntarily drifted over to Whumper. He whimpered at seeing that she was hardly less angry than she'd been a moment ago.

"The other one," she commanded, reaching out her own hand.

He shook his head with a sob and pulled away on quivering legs. "N-no, no please, Whumper, I can't. You know I need to… please…"

"What did I say about excuses?" she asked in a low, dangerous voice.

Still, Whumpee couldn't make himself move.

Whumper's eyes lit up in fury at his disobedience, and she grabbed for the pot, lifting it and preparing to throw its contents on Whumpee.

He cowered and scrambled away, but she continued toward him, backing him into a corner. He raised his trembling, as-yet-uninjured hand in self-defense and then surrender with a defeated whine. She gave him a stony glare and a long moment of anticipation before roughly dragging him and the pot both to the table and thrusting his hand into it as soon as she'd set it down.

This time there was no delay between the scalding and the screaming.

As soon as she let go of his arm, he pulled away sharply, so much so that he spilled the rest of the pot onto his legs. His sobs turned into still more shrieks of pain as the boiling water made contact with the ragged remains of his pants and shoes. His legs gave out under the shock of the pain, prompting yet another scream as his burns made contact with the floor.

Whumper watched him impassively, eventually shaking her head at this display. "Get up," she said contemptuously.

"B-but my hands…" he said weakly, only to be met with Whumper's narrowed eyes. He bit back another whimper as he put his burnt and bubbling hands to the floor up onto his blistered, reddened feet, stumbling forward and nearly collapsing.

"And get those off," she snapped, gesturing to his pants. "Because of your carelessness, they'll need to be replaced."

Whumpee sniffled and staggered off to his room to clumsily peel the pants off his scalded legs. For once,the cold wind blowing in through his broken window felt something like comfort.

That night, Whumpee pushed through the agony of every task, and for that matter every movement. Trimming the wicks. Keeping them lit. Cleaning the floors and windows till they were spotless on burning hands and knees. There were no ships to guide to safety that night, but Whumpee stayed awake all the same.

Next

--

Taglist (Let me know if you want on or off):

@whumpsday @whither-wander-whump @skinofafish @badthingshappenbingo

[otherworldly-whump]

Returning Home

Whumpee finally escapes. Or were they let go? They honestly aren't sure which. All they know is that they finally got everything they wanted, they're free. But something is wrong. It turns out whumper might have been right. The world is just a bit too big for them. It's scary, dangerous... overwhelming. Whumper was right when they warned them outside was actually less safe. Less comfortable. Less kind. Suddenly whumpee isn't sure they want to be free. Maybe whumper is keeping them safe after-all. Before they know it they find themselves back where they'd just escaped, on their knees in front of whumper. Words pour out of their mouth, begging and sharing and emotional dumping, and just pleading, pleading whumper to take them back in, where it's calm and quiet and there's simple rules, with simple results. They'll do anything. They're so so so sorry they left. They're sorry they didn't listen It had just gotten too much, it hurt too much, and they just wanted to stop hurting. They didn't mean to leave, they didn't mean to put themself in danger. They just couldn't handle all the feelings anymore. Please all they're asking for is a little more kindness and they'll stay forever. They'll do anything, anything, whumper wants.

Whumper watches them, cold, expressionless, for almost half an hour. They listen to whumpee plead and sob and cry until their throat is sore and their mouth is dry. And then slowly, they nod. "Welcome home whumpee dear. Of course we can be more gentle, if you finally understand your place. I only ever was correcting you to keep you safe like I told you. If you're finally willing to learn better, it's wonderful to have you home."

That night, for the first time in a long time, whumpee didn't sleep on a floor. They fell asleep on whumper's bed, curled up to their chest, shivering as their touch starved body and affection starved brain curls up tight and close. Not caring that this is the monster that had been torturing them for months. This was their proper owner now afterall. They hadn't been lying. They had been keeping whumpee safe. And the arms around them felt too good. A soft bed. An arm tucked around protectively. A belly full of Chinese takeout. Whumpee doesn't know if they escaped, or were let go. All they know is they're home finally now. They drift to sleep in Whumper's arms. Safe.

[teine-mallaichte]

We need to expand our use of dilirium within the whump community I think.

When people see the prompt "dilirium" or "dilirious" in a whump event most jump to fever, illness, infection. And that's fine. That's valid. But there is SO MUCH MORE to dilirium.

Delirium is a complex psychological state that can indeed be triggered by illness and fever, but it can also result from a wide array of other causes. It’s a state where cognition and coherence deteriorate, where reality may start to frey at the edges leaving the whumpee confused, disorientated, maybe unable to even distinguish reality.

You can drive a character into a dilirious state without any external factors. A characters cognition and coherence can be picked to the brink by so many things.

1. Extreme Sleep Deprivation: this is a favourite of mine. A whumpee kept awake for days on end, their cognitive functions begin to deteriorate, the boundary between wakefulness and sleep blurs, leading to fractured and disjointed thought processes. The mind starts to struggle to maintain coherence, resulting in hallucinations and a profound disorientation.

2. Substance Withdrawal: Not one I've explored much, but can totally count. The body and mind in chaos, craving what they can no longer have. The physical symptoms can be brutal, but the psychological torment can drive them into a state of delirium, where reality becomes a shifting, unreliable landscape.

3. Psychological Torture: Another one I tend to gravitate to. Intense psychological manipulation, sensory deprivation or overwhelm can also drive the mind into delirium. Continuous gaslighting, isolation, or exposure to disturbing stimuli can erode a characters grasp on reality, leading to a state where they can no longer distinguish between truth and illusion.

4. Emotional Trauma: this a mental breakdown. Severe emotional trauma pushing a whumpee into a to their mental limits. The overwhelming stress and fear fracturing their mind, causing confusion, disorientation, dissociation, hallucinations as their psyche tries to protect itself and struggles to make sweetheart if what's happened/happening.

5. Overwhelming Physical Pain: Pain, just pain, if relentless and severe enough, can lead to delirium. A whumpee in constant, excruciating pain might find their mind breaking under the strain, leading to confusion, disorientation, and a detachment from reality.

6. Fever: and just because it can't really be left of the list, fever. Infections, illness, etc. But did you know there is more than one kind of dilirium? Yes there is the sick whumpee who is too weak too most and admits all their insecurities and secrets in a slurred disjointed major. But there is also the type of dilirium where the character becomes energetic, erratic behavior, pacing incessantly and speaking rapidly, refusing to rest. Frustrating and worrying for those trying to help.

And this is just the ones of the top of my head. There's so much potential here! And yes this is a very self indulgent and selfish post that I wrote while writing a fic where I am inducing dilirium in a character through acute stress and an identity crisis 😅 but in short - I want to see more varied portrayals of dilirium in whump.

A similar post about hallucinations A similar post about fever

[whumpthemusical]

Whump: The Musical Prompts!!

As stated before, this challenge will run from March 1- March 31, 2024. All fandoms are welcome to participate despite it being prompts based off of musicals. Once again, all types of media are allowed. This challenge has the standard "choose one for the day" style, but feel free to do all three prompts if that's what you want to do!! All types of whump are allowed, but please be respectful to your fellow audience members and properly tag it!! Some of these prompts are sensitive, so make sure you warn your readers correctly! There will be an ao3 collection and an FAQ post coming soon, so if you have any further questions or comments about this challenge, feel free to drop me a line. Happy writing, my beautiful ingénues, and enjoy the show :)))

The prompts will be listed under the cut for those who have difficulty reading fonts!!

Cats- Sabotage • Second Chances • "I Can Dream Of The Old Days."

Wicked- Mob Mentality • Propaganda • "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished."

Jesus Christ Superstar- Whipping • Betrayal • "Then I Was Inspired, Now I'm Sad And Tired."

Les Mis- Survivor's Guilt • Failure • "Drink With Me To Days Gone By."

Heathers- Poison • Reluctant Whumper • "Wanna fight for me?"

Newsies- Chronic Pain • Exploitation • "Let 'Em Laugh In My Face, I Don't Care."

The Last Five Years- Infidelity • Gaslighting • "I Will Not Lose Because You Can't WIn."

Hadestown- Deals • Doomed Narrative • "Doubt Comes In."

Sweeney Todd- False Imprisonment • Razors • "Have You Decided It's Safer In Cages?"

Rent- Substance Abuse • Poverty • "Feels Too Much Damn Like Home."

Bare: A Pop Opera- Outing • Religious Trauma • "Please, See Me."

Waitress- Unplanned Pregnancy • Abuse • "She Is Broken And Won't Ask For Help."

Tick Tick Boom- Atychiphobia • Working To Exhaustion • "Is This Real Life?"

Dear Evan Hansen- Deception • Broken Bone • "Words Fail."

West Side Story- Star-Crossed Lovers • Prejudices • "A Boy Who Kills Cannot Love."

Come From Away- Stranded • Aftermath • "Blankets And Bedding And Maybe Some Food."

Spring Awakening- Withheld Information • Suicide  • "I Don't Scream, Though I Know It's Wrong."

Hamilton- Hurricane  • Dueling • "I Will Kill Your Friends And Family To Remind You Of My Love."

Falsettos- Sickness • Identity Issues • "Death Is Not A Friend."

Into The Woods- Blame • Lost • "Nothing But A Vast Midnight."

The Great Comet- Abduction • Letters • "Did You Love That Bad Man?"

In The Heights- Grief • Homesickness • "I Know That I'm Letting You Down."

Be More Chill- Mind Manipulation • Panic Attack • "Everything About Me Makes Me Want To Die."

Moulin Rouge- Class Differences • Sex Work • "Come What May."

Chicago- Cold Blood • Trial • "He Had It Coming."

Six- Execution • Trauma Bonding • "Playtime's Over."

Ride The Cyclone- Unexpected Tragedy • Forgotten Whumpee • "I Hear The Anguish Of The Street."

The Rocky Horror Show- Obsession • Wrong Place, Wrong Time • "I've Seen Blue Skies Through The Tears."

Nerdy Prudes Must Die- Bullying • Ritual • "Who Will Pray For You?"

Jekyll And Hyde- Duality • Good Vs Evil • "If I Die, You'll Die."

Phantom Of The Opera- Disfiguration • Shunned • "My Power Over You Grows Stronger Yet."

[all-wrung-out]

Whumpblr Intro

Hey! I've gone far too long without actually making an intro, despite having this side blog up for a bit. So here we go!

I go by Tac when I'm interacting online (my main blog is calligraphic-tac, and that's my chaos-corner where I try to post things I like, things that inspire me, and my more general writing, when I can actually get words out). Pronouns are she/her, although they/them are good backups.

I've been into whump for as long as I can remember, but in my 33 years on the planet, I only learned last year that there's a whole community for it. I'd heard the term "whump" before, and kind of knew what it was, but never made the connection to the type of media I like.

There are some whump tropes that I'll always enjoy, but the favorite flavor of the week is usually on rotation from the following list:

Superhero whump

Kidnapping

Defiant/Stoic/Strong/Snarky Whumpees

Self-sacrificial Whumpee

Pushing oneself until collapse (especially for Heroes/Leaders)

Whumpers who feign rage, but are actually very calculated and careful in their treatment of Whumpee

Whumpers who actually lose their temper, especially when triggered by a defiant whumpee

Team whump

Non-human Whumpee (especially when it pertains to the good, old-fashioned "what makes us human" trope)

Drug/poison whump (Fucked up balance and altered perception, anyone?)

Medical whump (specifically, medical treatment, but "This is gonna hurt.")

Lab whump (especially testing the limits of a living weapon or attempting to forcibly manifest powers that may or may not exist)

The good, old-fashioned Beating trope

Pinned/Trapped

Drowning/asphyxiation

Environmental/Wilderness whump (extreme temperatures and survival)

Animal attacks

Used as bait

Infected wounds (especially when it comes to treatment of said wounds)

Self-surgery or self-care

Mind control (Specifically, conflict between Whumper/Whumpee within Whumpee's mind while Whumper tries to take control. OH! And Whumper causing Whumpee to experience things that didn't happen; I have a really neat story idea for this one!)

I'm sure I'm missing some, but I suppose I can amend this post when I remember some more. Some of my whump tastes are also kind of specific, so listing them concisely can be a challenge.

Not going to list my squicks here. (As the saying goes: "If you don't want someone to get your goat, don't let them know where it's tied.") However, if you're looking for NSFW-type whump, I don't typically write that. (Not for other folks, anyway; I'm rather terrible at it.)

I used to write a lot as a kid, but was often ashamed of my affinity for whump, so any time I tried to write it, I chickened out and wrote something else. I still wrote plenty of action and peril, but the whump was usually not as heavy as I initially imagined.

I've also been in a bit of a writing slump for... oh, goodness... It's going on 14 years now. I really want to get out of it, so I'm hoping whump writing will help.

Fun fact about me: A lot of my stories are grown from a kernel of whump. I think of a specific scenario I want to put an OC through, and then a whole story grows out of it.

Some of my favorite whump blogs include: @whump-me @whumperofworlds @allthewhumpygoodness @emmithar-blog @soheavyaburden @whumperfultime @roblingoblin285 @blackrosesandwhump @evilwriter-originals I'm still collecting whump blogs to follow, so feel free to interact if you're one such blog!

Also, I'm going to be rusty as hell, so please bear with me while I get my writing brain reinstalled in the ol' skull-housing.

Last thing (I know this post is long already): I've seen the way the whump community interacts and I'm happy to be a part of it. I'm not especially social myself, but I'm nonetheless proud to be part of such an amazing group of folks. Keep rockin', y'all!

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

Prompt with “whumpee that completely disregards their own mental and physical health and whumper who starts off as a caretaker but because of their own emotional trauma they like how vulnerable whumpee can be when they’re exhausted so then whumpee gets trapped in a toxic relationship with whumper and gets emotionally/physically/mentally abused”

tw: mention of abuse, violence, blood (everything in this is fictional and is a writing prompt for writers. I do not condone or romanticize something like this in real life in any way)

when whumper and caretaker are the same character!!!

the depth and complexity of a character who can be both whumper and caretaker will always fascinate me, and I have such respect and admiration for writers who write and explore this type of character.

yes, I personally am more drawn towards character who is both whumper and caretaker. because sometimes it’s the grey area that is the most fun playing in.

sure, whumper who is an outright villain, and caretaker — who is a different character — who is gentle and soft are classic and all, and I get why people like how simple they are. but for me, I’d like my whumper and caretaker to be the same person 😮‍💨😉

caretaker didn’t mean to hurt whumpee, obviously, but the sight of whumpee bleeding and bruising, the sound of whumpee crying and whimpering, and the coppery smell of blood in the room? there always was a predator within caretaker, and right now caretaker feared that it was winning.

also the guilt and the shame caretaker felt after they lost themself and hurt whumpee. the confusion caretaker felt because why, why must they hurt and ruin everything they love? everything they touch.

caretaker / whumper is not a monster, but they too were fighting their own trauma and demons — and sometimes the trauma and the demons won, and the one paying the price was whumpee.

needless to say, whumpee was terrified of caretaker, but at the same time they knew caretaker was the only one protecting them, the only one keeping them safe.

of course, caretaker did not enjoy hurting whumpee. they hated that they couldn’t always overpower the demons within them.

both caretaker and whumpee were struggling.

the angst, the whump, the confusion, the struggle, the betrayal, the blood, the pain and the comfort that comes after? the feels!!!!!!

there’s a reason this right here is one of my all time favorite tropes to write.

[whump-in-the-closet]

Merry Whump of May

@themerrywhumpofmay

May 5- “Do onto others as you would bla bla bla…”

[bow and arrow | stalking | cavern]

***

(tw blood, arrow through the leg, sadistic whumper)

They found the runaway in the cavern. Hiding. Or trying to hide. Too tall to crawl into the pocketed rock formation, they were pressed in between a large boulder and the wall of the cavern.

Whumper motioned for the others to fall back.

Whumpee still hadn’t seen them, their head buried in their hands. Slumped as they were, they looked older than their years. And tired. The exhaustion was fairly hanging off their shoulders.

Whumper stalked closer, ghosting in between the rock formations. Water weaved silent patterns beneath their feet, leaking from some ancient pool.

The rest of the crew drew their weapons. There was a flash of metal. The whisper of an arrow being pulled from its quiver. They circled out, surrounding the crouched figure, cinching them between steel and a rock wall.

Whumpee looked up a second before Whumper reached them.

A second long enough for Whumper to see the panic.

The fear.

So much fear.

It flashed across the runway’s eyes, vanishing in a blink.

Whumper almost felt bad for what had to happen. Almost.

Whumpee’s gaze darted from Whumper to the ghostly shapes of the crew. A dead sound fell from their lips, echoing against the rocks.

“No.”

“Yes,” said Whumper.

Whumpee stumbled to their feet, but it was too late.

Whumper hauled them out of their hiding place and onto the open plateau.

A small circle of weapons contracted around the two of them.

Whumpee tried to make themselves as small as possible, their eyes never leaving the glinting point of the arrowhead.

Whumper pushed down the last of their remorse and grabbed a fistful of Whumpee’s hair, forcing Whumpee to look at them. Then they yanked down. The order was clear.

Kneel.

“Hello, old friend.”

Whumpee hissed in pain, dropping to their knees. With Whumper’s hand in their hair, they still were forced to look up at their captor.

But the fear was gone from Whumpee’s eyes, replaced with a burning that bit into Whumper.

Whumpee snarled, an iron-hard noise as desperate as it was forlorn.

Whumper let go of their hair and kicked the runaway to the ground.

When Whumpee tried to get up, Whumper kicked them again. Harder. This time, they stayed down, shoulders shaking with suppressed tears.

“What’s that saying?” said Whumper. “The one that goes ‘Do unto others as you would’–”

Whumpee cut them off, speaking from their prone position on the stones. “—Bla bla bla. I don't mean to interrupt but can’t we get on with this?”

Whumper’s expression twisted. They kicked Whumpee once more, harder than both other times. Whumpee was left coughing on the ground, crimson-dark blood dripping from their lips onto the stones.

Whumper turned to the crewman with the bow and arrow. “In the leg,” they snapped.

“What?”

“You heard me.”

The crewman swallowed hard. She obeyed. At this range, there was no chance of her missing.

A scream. The arrow through the runaway’s calf. A lot more blood on the grey stones.

Whumper sealed their expression to stone. “Get up.”

The runaway didn’t move. The screaming faded to muffled sobs. Half-broken curses. The flash of defiance was gone as quickly as it appeared.

Whumper grabbed Whumper by the back of their collar and hauled them to their feet.

The runaway almost collapsed, but Whumper slipped an arm around them, keeping Whumpee standing on their one good leg.

“You’re walking,” whispered Whumper. “And if you can’t walk, you’ll crawl. Do you understand?”

Through the blood and through the pain and through the screaming void in their head, Whumpee managed to nod.

Whumper’s support disappeared.

“Get on with it.”

[straight-to-the-pain]

I’m not usually one for conditioned whumpees, and especially not for recovery, but I think I would really enjoy those types of scenes more if the trauma responses were allowed to be more nuanced and complex.

This isn’t a criticism of anyone specific, it’s just something I think I lack in the community, and I don’t think I’m the one to write it either, but I think that what puts me off is that I know what it’s like to be triggered by something, and it’s such a complicated and not always conscious process.

Like yes they might feel that someone they’re with is angry or upset with them and suddenly try to do anything they can to please them, but that might come with a wave of shame and self loathing once they’ve realised that nothing was wrong and they’ve just embarrassed themselves in front of someone close to them.

Or maybe they’re scared of that part of themself, and they’re so scared that other people will see it or hurt them again that they push them away, maybe they test their boundaries, maybe they hurt the people they love instead because they want to see what happens when they finally do get angry.

Maybe they hate that part of them that makes them become someone else, that makes them get lost in their mind. Maybe they resent how it makes relationships hard, how they try to move on but some small thing ignites a carefully buried spark of fear and the whole thing starts again.

I also wish there wasn’t so much of a power dynamic of whumpee and caretaker, where the whumpee is someone who is mentally ill and traumatised and not expected to ever be independent or live alone. No, I want them to have friends and partners and lovers, and struggle and find joy in equal measure, on their own terms.

There’s absolutely people writing this sort of content, and there are things I will read because I think they capture that complexity, and of course these are my personal feelings but I do urge people to think about this when they write, if they want to.

[mj-iza-writer]

I’ve been thinking about caretaker saying “you’re not so scary anymore huh?” To non human whumpee being captive or in a lab

The whumpee may not be able to talk but caretaker can notice by their eyes and by their body language that they’ve lost the fighting spirit. So human caretaker starts to let down their guard and finally start taking care of whumpee

Anyways i love your writing so much❤️

I know I say this a lot, but this one was a fun one. Thankyou so much forbthe ask, and I'm glad you enjoy my writing.

Lab Whump.... again. I'm sorry it's such a fun trope. You can literally do anything you want. -MJ

Caretaker sat in their office looking over notes from a recent transfer to their lab.

The monster came from a lab a few cities over. It had to be closed due to malpractice, Caretaker's lab was the only lab trusted to take on the beast.

The more Caretaker read, and the louder the banging down the hall occurred, the more Caretaker regretted taking that thing in.

The vehicle it was transferred in had to be retired because of the welts that the monster had caused.

"I don't understand why they didn't tranquilize it before the transfer. Less headache and stress for everyone", Caretaker stood to leave their office, "I guess that's why they closed for malpractice. Absolute idiots", Caretaker sighed.

Caretaker walked past the door of the room they had contained the monster in. A type of quarantine until their room was finished.

"I hope that gets done soon. This door might not hold", Caretaker ran their finger along the welts, "that is reinforced steel."

Caretaker walked into the viewing room, and had the guards pull up the video feed.

"Oh, they've stopped banging", Caretaker watched the footage, "they must have gotten tired."

The guards nodded.

"What is its name again?", a guard turned.

"Uhm, Whumpee", Caretaker frowned, "I might try to sneak it some food while it's tired."

"You're going to feed them", another guard looked at them in shock.

"Yes, can't let them starve. They're here to be taken care of", Caretaker turned, "from what the notes say, they have been subjected to many test and abuse. They're probably terrified that the same will happen here. Maybe they will become more manageable if we get them comfortable here and with us."

Caretaker quietly opened the door to the cell and tiptoed to a table to set the meal down.

They saw that the creature was asleep and, against their better judgment, carefully walked toward them.

'I've not gotten a close look at you yet', they thought to themself, 'I don't even know what I'm working with here.'

Whumpee opened their eyes and looked right at Caretaker.

"Crap", Caretaker gulped.

They both stared at each other for a few seconds before Caretaker tried to walk backward to get away.

Whumpee was quick to get up and chase Caretaker.

Guards quickly opened the door, providing an exit for Caretaker.

Caretaker didn't escape unscathed, though. Whumpee managed to claw at their back before they got out.

"What would you like to do with them?", the guard slammed the door closed and frowned as Whumpee started to claw and bang, "we can't just let them do that."

"Absolutely nothing. I startled them, and they reacted. I should have not gotten that close, I knew that while I was doing it", Caretaker sighed, "I think I need med."

"They tore through your lab coat and shirt. You have four deep cuts down your back", a guard started to follow Caretaker to medbay, "your bleeding doc."

"Trust me, I am fully aware", Caretaker sighed, "nothing happens to them, but from what I just felt. That room needs to be finished pronto, and we need to make sure it is equipped to handle them."

The guards talked as Whumpee paced throughout the room until they finally found the food. Whumpee seemed to relax once they had a few bites.

"They must have been starving", a guard frowned, "we'll record and update Caretaker once they finish in med."

Caretaker sat impatiently while their cuts were treated with stitches and staples.

"That beast may be better off being put down. This is insane", the doctor frowned.

"I have considered putting in the request, but it just doesn't seem fair to do it to them. They went through a lot of things at the last place. I would love to give them a better quality of life here", Caretaker sighed.

"Well, you need to think about yourself too... if the guards hadn't been there, you could have gotten hurt or even worse", the doctor tied the last knot, "consider this their warning to you. They are not to be messed with."

Caretaker nodded, "I'm going to get a new lab coat now."

The guards stormed the room Whumpee was in. Their guns raised, ready to fire.

Whumpee was shot several times with the tranquilizer darts.

"I told you all only three darts maximum. Are we trying to kill them?", Caretaker took their stethoscope out and listened to Whumpee.

"I don't even know what a normal read is for them", Caretaker sighed, "I hope that's normal."

Whumpee's new room was a bigger space for them to move in. It would be separated from the door by metal bars so people could get in and study them closer, but safely.

Everyone groaned as they rolled Whumpee onto a gurney.

"That's solid muscle under the fur", a guard commented as they looked at Caretaker, "you should have helped."

"Yeah, and pop a stitch... do you want the doctor to kill me", Caretaker smirked.

"I would like to weigh them before we get them situated. We really have no information on this one. I need some base levels to work with. Urine and blood would be nice, but I'm not going to push it."

"Uh, do you need a stool sample from them? I think I just stepped in one", someone grunted in disgust.

"I'll come back for it", Caretaker chuckled, "sorry about the shoe. Good luck cleaning it. Can I ask you to wear one of these so you're not dragging feces around the lab", Caretaker handed them a shoe cover.

Whumpee was left inside of their new cell. It was slow for them to come out of their unconsciousness.

"Yes, definitely way too many darts. We definitely shouldn't have used that many. Next time we start with one and add more if needed", Caretaker watched from the cameras.

Whumpee moved around the room to investigate.

"They seem comfortable", Caretaker marveled.

"Maybe they like the openess of the room a bit better. The holding room probably felt cramped. This is a little more roomie", a fellow scientist commented, "they may even realize that this is for them."

"Maybe", Caretaker agreed, "I think I'm going to go sit with them for a while. They do need to get use to our presence, but they also need to learn they are not here to be hurt."

"Just don't do anything dumb. I already know about your back", the scientist smirked.

"Yes sir", Caretaker winked.

Caretaker stopped by a vending machine to get chips and a drink. They missed lunch because of the room change.

Whumpee looked up and growled when Caretaker came in.

"It's okay, I'm not here to hurt you. Just thought you'd like some company", Caretaker was pulling in a chair, "for the sake of my back, I'll be staying on this side of the bars", Caretaker laughed.

Whumpee kept a trained eye on every movement Caretaker made.

'Who is this strange person', Whumpee leaned up against the wall, far away from the stranger. They didn't trust anyone in a lab coat. To many people hurt them while wearing one.

A bag started to rustle, causing Whumpee to back into the wall even more.

"I'm sorry, it's just a bag of food", Caretaker saw how frightened Whumpee was, "just some chips."

Caretaker held a chip up, "see, they're really crunchy", Caretaker tried to talk in a soothing voice.

Whumpee cocked their head to the side and lowered themself to the floor.

"Do you want to try some", Caretaker pulled one out and went to the edge of the bars.

They reached in and flicked the chip toward Whumpee.

Whumpee looked at it for a few seconds, contemplating what to do. They watched Caretaker turn and walk back to the chair.

In that moment, they got up, ran, and grabbed the treat, then back to their spot.

Caretaker had heard them running, and by reflex, they braced themself tonbe attacked again.

Caretaker was quite confused when they heard the chip being munched on.

They turned and saw that Whumpee was looking at them with amusement.

"Oh, you think it's funny, hmm", Caretaker smirked, "do you want more?"

Caretaker reached for the bag of chips and walked back to the bars. They then knelt down.

"You're gonna have to come get them if you do", Caretaker reached another chip through the gate, "let's build some trust between the both of us."

Whumpee looked at the chip, then at Caretaker. They slowly stepped closer and closer, taking constant stops to reassess the situation.

Finally they got close enough and stretched for the offered treat.

They never remembered the other white coat wearers offering snacks. They even finally had constant meals again.

Caretaker smiled while Whumpee munched on the chip.

Whumpee saw another one was offered, they inched even closer and grabbed it.

Caretaker started to reach for another chip when Whumpee reached out of the bars and grabbed the bag.

"Wait", Caretaker tried to grab the bag from them, but they were too late. Whumpee was already at the other side of the room looking at the bag happily.

Caretaker watched as Whumpee studied the bag for a few moments before sticking their giant clawed hand into it.

"Try to dump it into your mouth", Caretaker watched as they struggled.

Whumpee looked at them sadly.

"Like this Whumpee", Caretaker acted as though they were pouring chips into their mouth.

Whumpee still tried to pull chips out of the bag.

They huffed and grunted in frustration.

"Come here, I can help you", Caretaker sighed, "don't worry, you earned those fair and square. I can help feed you."

Whumpee looked at the bag again in defeat before cautiously crawling to Caretaker and handing them the bag.

They looked down shamefully while Caretaker straightened the bag out and started to put chips through the bars.

Whumpee carefully took each chip and munched away. They seemed to be completely relaxed for the first time since arriving.

When the bag was emptied, Caretaker gently folded it a few times before slipping it into their pocket.

Whumpee looked at the pocket longingly before giving a pitiful, doe-eyed look to Caretaker.

"Those were pretty good, hmm?", Caretaker smiled, "we can have more tomorrow. We need to probably set to work on a diet plan for you."

Whumpee looked around the room, then yawned.

"Yeah, are you sleepy?", Caretaker smiled, "you probably are. This has been stressful for you, I'm sure."

Whumpee's eyes connected with Caretaker's again.

"I wonder if you'll let me", Caretaker cautiously slid their hand through the bar and held it their.

Whumpee sniffed it a few times to see if there were any treats left.

Once satisfied that the treats were gone, Whumpee sat back down a few inches from the hand and stared at Caretaker.

"Well, I'm not currently being gnawed, so thats a plus", Caretaker started to pull their hand away but was surprised when Whumpee seemed to follow their hand.

"Did you want me to leave my hand in the...",

Whumpee suddenly nudged into the hand and rubbed their head up and down and side to side.

"Oh", Caretaker smiled in astonishment.

Whumpee rubbed more vigorously when Caretaker shaped their hand to scratch Whumpee's head.

The guards watching the video feed almost jumped from their seats with excitement.

Whumpee stopped and looked at Caretaker with relief.

"I'm sure that felt good. I don't think you have the movement capabilities to reach that spot very well", Caretaker smiled, "do you want more?", they opened their hand again and smiled as Whumpee started to get close.

Whumpee laid down against the bars and looked at Caretaker expectantly and hopeful.

"Oh, you just want all of my attention now", Caretaker started to pet and scratch on Whumpee, "you're not so scary anymore, huh?"

Whumpee sighed in relief and contentment.

After an hour, Caretaker could hear Whumpee snoring. They gave a few soft pats to Whumpee's side as they sat down and started to note what had happened.

They noted several spaces they had felt for observation, and even upon closer inspection, they noted possible growth of horns on Whumpee's head. They grew just above Whumpee's ears.

"What was that?", everyone turned to Caretaker when they walked in.

"An amazing breakthrough", Caretaker grinned, "I couldn't believe it, but they definitely looked relieved. Their are definitely some areas we need to follow up on, but I think we can build trust and get them back to health."

Caretaker went back daily with bags of chips. As they interacted with Whumpee, other scientists and doctors were able to get close looks over the beast.

It wasn't long before proper medicine could be administered.

After weeks, Whumpee seemed to be so much happier. They didn't fight anymore. They became like a lab pet almost.

They could often be found following Caretaker down the halls or sleeping on a bed in Caretaker's office while Caretaker worked.

Normally, an opened bag of chips or other treats was nearby.

Caretaker would always watch over Whumpee now, so happy they didn't change their mind or decide to put them down because of their difficult start together.

This was so much better for everyone involved.

Taglist. As always please let me know if you want to be added or taken off of the list. It's not a problem at all.

@villainsandheroes @the-beasts-have-arrived

@sacredwrath @porschethemermaid

@monarchthefirst @generic-whumperz

@bloodyandfrightened @freefallingup13

@notpeppermint @cyborg0109

@idontreallyexistyet @painfulplots

@whumpbump @everythingsscary

@skittles-the-whumpee @expressionless-fr

@theforeverdyingperson @legendarydelusiongoatee

@candleshopmenace @whumpanthems

@lavndvrr @ivymyers

@starfields08000 @a-living-canvas

@lumpofsand @watermeezer

@indigoviolet311 @whumpy-mountains

@3-2-whump @risk606

@electrons2006 @paperprinxe

@whumprince @kaz-of-crows

@mis-graves @decaffeinatedtimetraveler94

@sausages-things @sunglasses-in-the-bentley

@isikedmyself878 @daffyduckcommittedtaxfraud

@valravnthefrenchie

[meraki24601]

Hello! Please allow me to introduce myself, my name is 5 croissant anon! I've been gone a while, but I have returned more glittery than ever! I was wondering if you'd be willing to write about a whumpee that is kidnapped for their own good? Only if you want to, of course!!

-the 5 croissant anon

✨️🥐🥐🥐🥐🥐✨️

Why hello, my glittery friend! I love a good kidnapping story. It was so hard to choose which type to go with. There's no doubt it's for Whumpee's own good. After all, Whumper knows best. ;)

Stand Up

-----------*-***-*-----------

“Whumpee, please, take a break. I want to talk to you. Sit down for just a moment. You look like you're going to collapse.” Whumper sighed as they wrapped their arms around Whumpee from behind. 

“I said you could bring me chicken nuggets. You weren't allowed in here to be a distraction.” Despite their words, Whumpee leaned heavily into the support Whumpers arms and body provided. 

Whumper released their hold on Whumpee just to see if they would fall. When the other wobbled but stayed upright, a deep frown distorted their face. “And if I leave, will you actually eat the nuggets I so lovingly microwaved for you?”

“Of course.”

“And will you promise to sit in an actual chair while you do?” Whumper asked as they braided a few strands of Whumpee's hair. It had gotten much longer since they began working on this foolish project.

“Of course.”

“And will you teach me to play chess?”

“Of course.”

“And will you make me wings so I can fly?”

“Of course.”

“How high can I fly before I suffocate?”

“Of course.”

And that was the last straw. With deliberately loud steps, Whumper grabbed the nearest discarded chair and placed it behind Whumpee. Their hand curled in Whumpee's collar, and they slammed them into the chair. 

“Hey! What…”

“Stand up. Stand, and I'll let you continue working.”

Whumpee growled, “Let me go.”

“No.” Whumper knelt in front of Whumpee, their eyes burning the image of Whumpee so weak into their mind. This had gone on for far too long. “Stand up.”

“At least let go of my shirt; this is a soft one I'd rather not rip.”

Whumper's lip curled in a shallow grin. “Fine,” they sighed. Their fingers slipped from Whumpee's shirt to wrap around Whumpee's throat, “Make me let you go. Stand. Up.”

“Are you crazy?” Whumpee's voice was barely a gasp as they clawed at Whumper's hand. They would have broken Whumper's arm a few weeks ago had they tried something this foolish. “I… can't, can't breathe.”

“I can’t trust you alone anymore, Whumpee. You’re coming with me.” 

Gasping in air, Whumpee only watched as Whumper walked to the door and opened it. “I’ve already told you. I can’t leave until—”

“Shut up and stand.”

“No. I’m not going. I only have a week left. I’ll rest when I’m done.”

Whumper snapped twice into the hallway. They knew it would come to this, but they had still hoped. “Oh, my dear, foolish Whumpee. I know all about your deadline. I’m the one who made it. Granted, hoping such an impossible deadline would push you to success instead of ruin was idiotic. I’m allowing you an extension.”

“As if I believe that. You’re not the silent donor. Just… get out.” This time, Whumpee did stand, or something close to it. The fire in their eyes burned out almost as quickly as it rose. They clutched the back of their chair with one hand in a white-knuckled grip as the other rose to cradle their head.

Whumper was on them in less than a second. They wrapped an arm around Whumpee’s too-thin waist while the other pressed Whumpee’s head into the crook of their neck. “Hush, now. I knew you wouldn’t accept my help any other way. I know you disapprove of my methods. That’s okay. You’ll learn with time.”

Henchman was quiet as they answered Whumper’s call. Their touch was so soft that Whumpee’s arms were cuffed with cushioned cuffs behind their back before they knew what was happening. “No, no, stop.”

“Hey, now. Shh. It’s alright. Henchman won’t hurt you. They’re here to help. Believe me, Whumpee, I have a vested interest in you and your project. You’ll have a chance to finish it, but now you have to come with me.” Whumpee began to struggle in Whumper’s arms, but they held them still so Henchman could complete the job they came to do. “Just relax. I chose you for a reason, Whumpee. Slow your breathing. Don’t fight it. It’s okay if it takes some time, but you will learn; I take care of what's mine.”

Whumper cradled the sleeping Whumpee in their arms. They would have preferred to hold them without the additional ropes, but it was for their own safety. As soon as Henchman finished turning off the seemingly random assortment of equipment, they would go home. Whumpee would finally be somewhere they could be cared for like Whumper had wanted to from the day they met. 

[whumpsday]

K&J: Kane's Whumptober Bites #10

Chronological masterlist / Writing order masterlist

content: vampire whumpee, attempted drugging, lab whump, needles, captivity, slight death wish

@whumptober Day 10 (Alt): Examination / Drugging / Lab Rat

-

Kane held still, compliant as the visitor injected something into his arm. This was by far one of the most tolerable punishments the hunters would give him, though it had become less and less common as time went on, as they ran out of ideas.

It wasn’t a punishment at all, really, neither in intent nor experience. It never hurt– Kane refused to count the slight pinch of the needle as “hurt”– and it never had any of the effects the humans intended, either.

If anything, the worst part was the looks they would give him when it didn’t work. Like it was his fault, like he’d done something wrong.

“You’ll let me know if you feel anything different, vampire,” the visitor ordered. The man wasn’t a hunter, and always spoke to Kane in a voice devoid of both kindness and malice. Kane liked him for that. It was at least better than the hunters’ open sadism. “Anything at all. Dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue, pain, itching, lightheadedness, what-have-you.”

“Yes, sir,” Kane agreed. “It’s just– I’m always lightheaded and fatigued and in pain.”

“Beyond your usual,” the visitor amended.

The hunter escorting him rolled his eyes. “It’s not gonna work, doc. These things are just immune, you’ve tried everything by this point. Wish there was a way to bottle sunlight.”

Kane shuddered at the thought, beyond grateful there wasn’t.

“Have you tried artificial?” the visitor asked.

“Yeah, just gave it a regular sunburn, not the vampire kind. Not exactly gonna incapacitate one of these things for staking.”

The humans idly discussed various experiments they could try on him as Kane waited to see if the drug would take effect. Experiments for practicality, not torture. Ones they could take out into the field and use on other vampires, vampires who would only suffer for a moment before their lives are cut blissfully short, while he lives on.

On and on and on.

The visitor snapped his fingers to get his attention, pulling him from his miserable spiral. “It’s been fifteen minutes. Anything, vampire?”

“No, sir. I’m sorry.” Guilt crawled up Kane’s spine, as if he should have tried harder to feel an effect from the drug.

“Come here,” he ordered.

Kane stood, dutifully walking toward the bars. This was always his least-favorite part. The visitor had never pulled him forward into them to burn, but enough hunters had that even being within arm’s-length of the bars drenched him in dread. But he knew what the visitor wanted by now, and stepped all the way forward, until his face was mere inches from the torturous silver.

“Look at me.” 

“Yes, sir.”

The visitor held a device up to each of Kane’s eyes as he stared dutifully ahead, shining a bright light in each one. It was the type of brightness he would have called painful before he knew what true pain was, but he did his very best to keep his eyes open wide. He could be good.

With a disapproving tsk, the visitor put the device away and motioned with a wave for Kane to back off. He gratefully scurried back to his corner.

The hunter sighed, irritated. “Thanks anyway, doc.”

“Of course. I’ll let you know when I have something new to try.” The visitor pointed to Kane. “You let any of your keepers know if you feel something later. Be good, now.”

“Yes, sir.” He wished all his tasks were so easy.

[whumpay]

WHUMPAY 2023

Well, this is earlier than usual… But, as a thanks for all y’all’s help getting prompts together, I’ve decided to release the list earlier! And, well… With the new ‘Extreme Edition’ addition, I figured a bit more prep time may be warranted.

Rules:

You only have to use one (Or two, if you’re doing the extreme edition.) prompt a day! But you’re welcome to use multiple if you want to, and it still counts for both.

I know the description of the blog says it’s a writing event, but if you want to draw or make other kinds of content, that’s cool too.

Have fun, tag content warnings (such as noncon, graphic violence, etc) and try not to be crushed by the mortifying ordeal of posting your writing.

This is a pretty chill event so you can start posting whenever but I’ll be reblogging posts made to the #Whumpay2023 tag throughout May.

EXTREME EDITION: Made to be used together with the normal prompt list, the extreme edition prompt list has 31 types of whumpees for you to use. This is entirely optional, and you don’t necessarily need to do them in order. I know it says bonus points, but it basically is just bragging rights.

(Prompt list under the cut.)

GROUP ONE: PHYSICAL WHUMP 

Day 1: Heatstroke

Day 2: Asphyxiation 

Day 3: Physical Torture

Day 4: Passing Out From Pain

Day 5: Near-Death Experience

GROUP TWO: MENTAL WHUMP

Day 6: Psychological Torture

Day 7: Betrayal

Day 8: Claustrophobia

Day 9: Lotus-Eater Machine

Day 10: Trapped In Own Body

GROUP THREE: WHUMPER TYPE

Day 11: Intimate Whumper

Day 12: Good Whumper / Bad Whumper

Day 13: Reluctant Whumper

Day 14: Vengeful Whumper

Day 15: Unintentional Whumper

GROUP FOUR: CARETAKER TYPE

Day 16: Bad Caretaker

Day 17: Parental Caretaker

Day 18: Reluctant Caretaker

Day 19: Carewhumper

Day 20: Enemy-To-Caretaker

GROUP FIVE: SICKFIC

Day 21: Working Through Illness

Day 22: Surgery

Day 23: Worse Than It Seems

Day 24: Allergic Reaction

Day 25: Deadly Illness

GROUP SIX: SICK FIC

Day 26: Scars

Day 27: “I didn’t know where else to go.”

Day 28: Self-Isolation

Day 29: “I won’t let them hurt you anymore.”

Day 30: Nightmares

Day 31: Forced Relaxation

ALTERNATE PROMPTS:

X. Sadistic Choice

X. Epistolary 

X. Dehydration

X. Anger Born Of Worry

X. Death Wish

X. Stress Position

X. Gore

X. Just Out Of Reach

X. Hurt/Comfort

X. Magical Whump

EXTREME EDITION:

Whumpee Type:

Day 1. Vampire

Day 2. Young

Day 3. Stoic

Day 4. Winged

Day 5. Whumper-To-Whumpee

Day 6. Immortal

Day 7. Defiant

Day 8. Demon

Day 9. Villain

Day 10. Possessed

Day 11. Multiple Whumpees

Day 12. Robot/AI

Day 13. Cowboy

Day 14. Team Leader

Day 15. Werewolf

Day 16. Team Outcast

Day 17. Mermaid

Day 18. Asshole

Day 19. Fairy

Day 20. Hero

Day 21. Healer

Day 22. Soft

Day 23. Comedian

Day 24. Compliant

Day 25. Monster

Day 26. Traumatized

Day 27. Touch-Starved

Day 28. Stockholm Syndrome-d.

Day 29. Vengeful

Day 30. Ghost

Day 31. Alien

[letitbehurt]

Fav injury and why? Eg, broken bones, stab wound, burns, cauterization, gun shot wounds, torn ligaments or tendons

I do love a good stab wound, but my favorite type are the injuries that last. The ones that require Whumpee to change the way they live their daily life. For example:

Impaired vision or hearing. Whumpee needing glasses, contacts, eye/ear surgery or a hearing aid.

Scars, left anywhere that isn’t easy for Whumpee to hide—their face, their hands, their neck, their arms—so Whumpee either has to get used to strangers staring or to wearing sweaters during summer (maybe they can get tattoos to cover it, if they don’t hate needles, but inking scar tissue hurts).

Bodily aches; migraines, or a bad knee that gets worse when it’s cold. Whumpee needing medication or a cane for days when the pain is unbearable.

Nerve damage, specifically in Whumpee’s hands. They can’t write as well as they used to (if they can write at all), and their hands shake too badly when they try to do anything that requires dexterity or precision. There may be a permanent numbness to nearly everything they touch. At times, this can frustrate them to the point of a breakdown.

Speech impediments. Whumpee might have gained a stutter or a lisp (maybe even a permanent rasp) as a result of their trauma/injury. Even if they can afford speech therapy, it frustrates them to need it when speaking used to come naturally.

Phobias or PTSD. Whumpee may likely develop an aversion to objects/situations related to their initial trauma—avoiding certain foods, certain places, certain sounds, certain smells—and can have an intense reaction to triggers.

These sorts of injuries are favorites of mine because they have a lasting effect on Whumpee’s life. They’re a personal battle Whumpee often faces long after their initial trauma occurred. When these injuries are written with sensitivity, respect, and necessary research, they’re my favorite sort to read about. Hands down.