#manipulation whump

[defire]

Gaslighting

"You're not hurt, I'm not hurting you, stop screaming"

"repeat after me. 'I deserve this.'"

"Please don't, please don't--" "don't what? What are you afraid of?" (This also means whumper can bait whumpee into telling them what they fear most)

"What so me treating your wounds is abuse now?" "You're burning me!" "I'm CAUTERIZING you."

[hurtfortea]

Thinking about manipulative whumpers...

Three directions are coming to me right now.

One, the kind that tears the Whumpee down. In recovery, Caretaker will be constantly reassuring them of their worth.

"You are nothing without me. You need me."

"You're a coward, a loser, an idiot, and you wouldn't last a second in the real world. You're lucky I want to help you."

"I could do so much better, but I settled for you. You should be grateful."

Two, the kind that builds Whumpee up. In recovery, Caretaker will still be reassuring them of their worth- except instead it's teaching them their worth doesn't depend on what they can do.

"Didn't you say you want to help people? Don't you want to help me?"

"I need you. You're so much stronger than me, I can't do this without you. You can't leave me."

"Come on, please? I'm just asking this one favor. I know you can do it. For me?"

And, of course, three, good old blackmail.

"...What would they think, if they knew the truth about you?"

[bilightningwhumper]

Does it count as "used as bait" or just as blackmail/manipulation if a character makes a deal in order to keep a loved one safe? A deal in which, if broken, then the loved one will be taken and put into the danger they're trying to save them from?

I say this because in my idea the Whumper is using the Whumpee's loved one essentially as bait for them to take the deal, even if the loved one isn't present at the deal-making. Though, the loved one is currently in the danger and would be removed if Whumpee takes the deal.

Seems like both to me, but I'm still unsure for eventual tagging purposes, lol.

[Edit: Reblog I made with added context]

[Edit: for those seeing this in the future, here's the masterlist! A Hero's Promise Masterlist]

[crimsons-whump-pile]

consider: manipulation whump. whumpee has been with whumper for a while, maybe even got saved by them from a supposedly worse fate, and now they owe whumper their life. of course they do. it’s a kindness that whumper never chooses to put them right back where they came from — the least they can do is follow whumper’s every order, never questioning them once and always doing exactly as they’re told.

maybe whumper threatens them, says they’ll send whumpee back to the hell they were rescued from if whumpee doesn’t comply. maybe it’s physical violence, the response slowly becoming ingrained into whumpee to flinch away whenever whumper’s hand moves too quick. what did they do this time? they followed orders, right? did they not do well enough? is that why whumper is punishing them now — do they need to do better? or maybe whumper doesn’t hurt them, instead choosing to point out just how generous they’re being. they didn’t have to rescue whumpee, didn’t have to take them in and keep them safe. surely they’re owed a little compensation for that, aren’t they? acting as a loyal dog is the least whumpee can do to repay them.

and maybe, when caretaker finally finds them and rescues them, whumpee knows that it’s only going to happen all over again. at least this time, they know from the very beginning what their savior is owed.

[stagelightwhump]

Whumpee who was told by Whumper, over and over and over again, that they're an awful person, less than human, the literal scum of the Earth, until they believed it without question.

When they're finally taken in by Caretaker, they're confused and frightened by Caretaker's kindness. After all, they're not a good person, or even a person at all, so why are they wasting their kindness on them?

[ablatheringblatherskite]

Whumper who has the ability to control Whumpee's emotions but decides to do it in a real subtle way where they let them react to things except with the completely wrong emotion. They show them a dog dying and makes them burst out laughing. They show them a comedy movie and makes them burst into tears. Shows them a picture of their loved one and fills them with intense hatred, etc.

And the Whumpee doesn't know Whumper has the ability to control their emotions so they don't understand what the heck is wrong with them and thinks they're going insane.

[lindsay00000008]

Whumpee who is not what they seem…

CW: manipulation, captivity

Two whumpees. A and B. Their Whumper is cold and distant. They don’t even seem to enjoy the sadism they practice. It would almost be better if they would say something, give the whumpees some reason for what they’re doing. Some emotion.

The whumpees bond over their shared torment, and the loneliness of their state. They’re kept in one room, more a bland bedroom than a prison cell, and share a mattress on a low metal frame. Every now and then, the Whumper manhandles one of the whumpees out of the room. One at a time, never together. Whumpee B seems to suffer more, coming back with cuts and bruises, as if Whumper picks favorites — neither of them can tell which is the favorite, however. Whumpee A doesn’t say much, except that Whumper has other ways of getting under their skin. Whumper B assumes the worst.

Sometimes, when Whumper B is feeling particularly awful, Whumpee A begs and pleads to be taken instead. Whumper usually listens. They never listen when Whumpee B asks to go in A’s stead. The guilt they feel at Whumper’s decision outweighs the relief. Whumpee A comes back after hours, seemingly exhausted. They don’t speak much in these moments, but they ask that Whumpee B does the talking, and they’ll listen. Whumpee B tells A of their home, their life before. All the things they would do if it were different. If they were out. If they had never been here in the first place. There’s an unspoken bond between the two whumpees. They care for each other. When the lights dim and they know they won’t be taken away for a few hours, they tell each other in other ways.

Eventually the two are so entwined that the worst part of being taken out of the room is being separated from one another, no matter what Whumper does to them.

One day Whumpee A isn’t in the bed when B wakes. They don’t come back. Not for days. And then it’s a week, and then a month. Two months of being alone, only Whumper’s torturous company for a few hours at a time. Worse than the physical pain is not knowing what’s happened to their friend. More than a friend really, though they wouldn’t know what to call this force that welds the two together. Whumper doesn’t say a thing besides simple commands. Otherwise they just move Whumpee’s weak body where they want, and do whatever they want, before dropping them back in the room. Seeing the bed empty every time they return slices through Whumpee B’s gut. They begin to think maybe they’ve imagined A. That hurts worse.

But then, when the lights are low, the pattern is broken. The door unlocks with the sliding of a bolt, and Whumpee B falls out of bed in panic. They’ve never been taken when the lights are dim. But it’s not Whumper who’s at the door. It’s A.

Whumpee B cries out in confusion and relief, their heart soaring at seeing A’s face again. Then they see Whumper behind A and go still, waiting. Whumpee A walks into the room. They look different. Better, cleaner. They look braver too; their chin isn’t low with submission, and they don’t hunch their shoulders.

“Sit on the bed,” A says, unsmiling.

Whumpee B is so used to being given orders that they move immediately to do just that, before they register that the command didn’t come from Whumper. And even more shocking, Whumper comes to sit on the bed too. B flinches and stands immediately.

“What… what is this?”

Whumpee A smiles now. B isn’t sure they’ve ever witnessed it before, though once they’d do anything to see it. It’s heart wrenchingly beautiful and terrifying at the same time. A cold weight settles on Whumpee B’s limbs when A crosses their arms.

“This is your new roommate.”

[whumperofworlds]

Whump Dialogue

"So predictable. So easy to manipulate."

[auroragehenna]

„Caretaker doesn’t care about you. You‘re worthless.“ <<< „Caretaker doesn’t care about you, but I do.“

[floral-comet-whump]

Whumpee that deceives Whumper

They rack their brain to memorize every little movement, every indicator of Whumper's mood, every pattern. At some point, they even learn to predict Whumper.

They know what Whumper likes to see. They know what they want within a few minutes, what's going to happen to them. They're powerless to stop it.

Sometimes Whumper wants them to silently cry on the floor, so they do. It would be foolish not to conserve energy while they can.

Sometimes Whumper is already in a bad mood. They probe, both because the knowledge is invaluable and because then Whumper will take it out on them.

Whumpee has a little internal guide to how to take punishments. Begin as defiant, but still shake. Look like they're trying to conceal their fear. Gradually break. It starts off as a yelp or sob or whimper followed by an immediate insult, then Whumpee goes quiet for a bit until it's “too much,” begging quietly. And then it's as if a dam has been broken, frantically pleading for mercy, for a reprieve. They look at Whumper with wide, teary eyes, and both their true self and their facade just want it to stop.

Their cries turn quiet as their energy runs out, until they can't bear to look at anything. Their flinch at Whumper's hand on their chin doesn't need to be faked. Their distress is real, and they let themselves whimper. Whumper likes displays of exhausted weakness, it makes them feel as if they've won.

They lean into the little coos and pets Whumper gives after, trying not to gag. Alarms of panic ring through their head, and they acknowledge them.

It would be easier to lose themselves in the comfort after the torture. It would be so much easier to become a shell of a person. They already act like one. Why can't they give up?

The emotional exhaustion after they've been left alone. The dark quiet. Their steadying breath. The scent of both blood and anticeptic. The locked door. The pain.

They can escape once Whumper deems them broken enough to let out unsupervised. It's just a matter of time, just a matter of maintaining this act. A matter of trust from a sadistic torturer that keeps Whumpee in a basement for no reason other than their own pleasure.

They have to keep going.

[fineiguessimintowhump]

Whumpee leaned into Whumper's touch. For once, the hand in their hair was simply petting, touch soft and soothing. They could hear him humming slightly, the vibration almost tickling, in their back.

“I’m sad to see you go, truly.”

The hand moved, Whumper softly scratching the back of their neck. It almost felt like encouragement to look up and speak, but Whumpee didn’t try it. They felt so nice, for once: nothing hurt, no-one angry, warm and fed.

“But my friend… I couldn’t say no, Whumpee.”

Whumper’s voice was different than usual. It had been soft, at the beginning of, when the petting had started, and now it was a little stilted. Whumpee had thought they’d become quite fluent in Whumper, but now all they could tell was: it didn’t sound like anger. He shifted, forcing Whumpee to move with.

Their head was tilted up, eyes meeting Whumper’s. The corners of his eyes were crinkled up, something in them that Whumpee couldn’t identify. It didn’t make sense.

“Sometimes I think they’re crueller than even me.”

Whumper chuckled, grip tightening slightly when Whumpee’s eyes widened. They lowered their eyes immediately, shaking slightly.

“Ah- no, shh, I’m not mad-”

There was still laughter in their voice as he pulled Whumper’s head up, forcing them to meet his eyes again. Maybe he couldn’t believe the words coming out of his own mouth – Whumpee certainly couldn’t. Still, they relaxed a little. Whumper had never pulled them by the hair so gently.

“Unlike me, they don’t care about their pets. You know I want you to be better, hmm? They don’t.”

Whumpee swallowed. The eyes on him were expectant, watching his reactions with amusement. Whumper wasn’t sad – he was enjoying it.

He leaned forward, bringing his mouth closer to Whumpee’s ear.

“They don’t correct infractions as soon as they witness them. They wait. They watch and they record. And when misbehaving pets like you have committed enough of those, they deal out punishment for all of them in one go.”

They froze, the condescending pat on top of their head the only reason they resumed moving. The chuckle by their ear felt much more threatening.

“Well – they asked for you to be in ‘good state’. I complied, of course. Being on their bad side would be quite the thing.”

Whumper leaned back, the corner of their lips still up.

“But I’m sure you’ll do great, love.”

and then caretaker gets whumpee and oh surprise they are not convinced when caretaker says they """"won't hurt them"""""

[95-6qrsk2rx9uq42069nnnnnjthewolf]

i think tim is high maintenance the way a boarder collie or austrialian shepherd is. like you have to make sure they're not only given space to expend energy but you have to specifically let them get the herding instinct out and challenge them intellectually or they start destroying ur home

[whumpster-dumpster]

"You lied to me!"

"Oh, please. You were so desperate to lie to yourself, all I had to do was let you believe it."

[justasnailman]

whump prompt: whumpee is tortured in whatever ways whumper sees fit until they finally pass out.

When they wake up whumper is cradling them and seems to have no memory of the torture. They never mention it. The whumper is very soft and gentle.

Whumpee, with no true way to tell if they're lying, and so desperate for genuine affection, they just assume it's a repeating nightmare.

[entity56]

Whumpee's skin prickles every time the makeup brush wipes against a bruise or cut, but they dare not move an inch. Their hands bound behind them, all they can manage is to dig their nails into their palms as Whumper brushes on the concealer, then the foundation, to their neck and face. They clench their teeth, both to avoid moving their jaw and to avoid making a peep as Whumper works on their battered face.

Whumper didn't seem the least bit stressed, by contrast. In fact, they practically floated as they walked back and forth from their makeup tray to Whumpee. They hummed an unrecognizable tune, stopping every so often to take a sharp breath in. It would be soothing if not given the situation.

The vent blows cool air up Whumpee's legs, through the fabric of their expensive clothes, giving them goosebumps. Whumpee can't tell if the shivering is from the cold or the fear.

As Whumper sits back down on their cushioned stool in front of them, they cock their head and tsk disapprovingly.

"Darling, what's wrong?" they ask. "Why are you shaking?"

They lean back a bit to observe the fine garments adorning their malnourished body, and squint.

"Are the clothes I got you not good enough?"

Whumpee stares uneasily. Did they expect an answer? Movement? Last time they'd spoken without permission, they'd been decked across the face. The silence seems to displease Whumper, and they put the makeup brush down and cross their arms.

"When I ask you a question, you answer. Are you really that ungrateful?" they ask. Whumpee's throat constricts with dehydration, and they gulp thickly and clear their throat before attempting to respond.

"N-- ugh. No," they cough, casting their eyes down to Whumper's knees. "I'm not. Thank you."

"Thank you...?" Whumper prods.

"...Thank you, sweetheart." The words leaving Whumpee's mouth made them sick, but they heard Whumper giggle a little.

"That's better!" they chirp as they pick their makeup brush back up. "Now, eyes back on me. We wouldn't want to smudge your makeup, now, would we? All that work on your pretty little face would be such a shame." They snap their fingers. "Eyes on me, darl."

Whumpee looks back up at Whumper, into their eyes, piercing, almost painful to look at. They shut slightly as Whumper smiles and sets back to work on their foundation. The humming resumes, this time in a recognizable tune-- 'You Are My Sunshine'-- and Whumpee tenses up again. Stiff as a statue; don't move an inch. Don't move an inch. Don't move an inch.

The makeup was itchy and caked onto Whumpee's face like mud. They were grateful their hands were bound, or they'd try to wipe it off themselves. That didn't mean it wouldn't drive them crazy, of course, but at least there wasn't any risk of getting in trouble.

Whumper sighs as they cover the last inch of Whumpee's face, and they stand up and walk back to the makeup tray.

"You know what, Whumpee?" they say lightly, as if discussing the weather, as they browse the eye shadow. "Hold on-- look at me, maybe warm tones?-- Whumpee, you're absolutely beautiful. It's as though you've walked directly out of a painting, hmm? I could just stare at you... all day..."

Whumpee stares at them silently as they pause, collecting their thoughts. They turn over their shoulder at them, studying them hard, as though the next time they'd turn around, Whumpee would be gone.

"So I don't understand... why are you making me taint your beauty?" they ask sadly, resting a hand against their cheek. "Why would you work so hard against me? Why would you make me need to leave such ugly marks?"

Anger-- and shame?-- bubble up in Whumpee's stomach, and they cast their eyes back downwards. They feel their ears heat up with the emotion, and they wish in that moment that they could just be back in bed, even if it was next to this horrible, horrible individual. At least the blankets were warm.

"Answer me," Whumper demands, a slight note of irritation in their voice. Whumpee hears their foot tapping against the tile.

"I'm not making you do anything," they say quietly, their voice wavering as they spoke.

"Hm?" Whumper questions, furrowing their eyebrows and setting down the eye shadow pallette.

"I'm not making you hit me." Whumpee shifts uncomfortably in the small wooden chair. "I'm not making you torture me. I never wanted to be here."

For an unbearably long moment, the room was deathly silent. Whumpee's blood runs cold with regret as the reality of what they just said sets in.

But the silence is broken with soft footsteps, and Whumpee nearly jumps out of their skin as Whumper plops themselves right down in their lap and gently turns their head towards them. What was that expression? Was it anger, perhaps? Ice cold rage?

No. It was love. Affection and tenderness as they lean forward and whisper into their ear "I never asked you."

Their hands rest on Whumpee's shoulders as they lean into their chest and smile up at them, innocent, endearing. "It's okay. You're still a bit misguided. I understand, darling. I'll fix that right up for you, okay? Then nothing will stand in the way. I'll never have to ruin you again."

They rise from Whumpee's lap, leaving them paralyzed with dread at that implication.

"Now, be silent, my love. We wouldn't want to be late for dinner, now, would we? I'll finish your make-up in a jiffy."

They walk back to their makeup tray.

[the-three-whumpeteers]

The whumper kept the whumpee drugged and practically incapable of thinking- they were easier to manipulate this way. Sure the whumper loved breaking defiant captives, but sometimes, making the whumpee believe that they were back somewhere safe between torture sessions just felt better than having insults hurled at them. The whumpee was just too out of it to realize that the person comforting them wasn’t their friend- it was their tormentor.