Robot Whumpee who kept trying to send their location to Caretaker when they were captured, but the message never went through.
Now they're free, but the trauma is still there. Whenever they panic, they send Caretaker a message with their location.
Caretaker's heart breaks every time they receive it.
The messages did not go through until after Caretaker has Robot Whumpre safely back in the transport with the team. As they start to leave the dead zone, comms come back online and Caretaker has dozens of messages spanning hours, now all coming through at once. No one speaks to break the silence so all they hear is the notifications coming in again and again for the rest of the ride home.
Caretaker is sure to check every message immediately from now on.
So anyone else just not know why they're into whump either?
Sometimes I see people talk about it and have different reasons for them. But thinking back, I was into whump for as long as I can remember. I would lock up my toys, capture them in nets, kidnap them, etc. Loved the whumpy parts of movies and shows the most, even if I didn't know why.
I still don't really... know. But I also don't know why blue is my favorite color or why I like my favorite meal the most. Some things just are, I suppose.
But at least I can give reasons for some things, I guess? But whump? Ehhh idk. Feels like nothing what people explain about the why ever really matches for me🤔
Whumpee left alone after being beat up.
Trying to push themselves up, but their arms tremble under their weight, and their stomach hurts so much that they have to stop, falling back down with a barely suppressed groan of pain. Lying their head down on the floor and squeezing their eyes shut as they try to breathe through the pain.
Whumpee who was infected with something, slowly dying and getting worse over a period of months, even years.
Caretaker who had to watch them get worse and worse, unable to do anything but pick them up when they collapsed again, putting them to bed, and give them their medicine.
Until a cure is found/Whumpee is cured. They make a full recovery.
Now Caretaker has to live with the memories. Still listening carefully when Whumpee showers, because they're so used to them fainting in the shower. Carefully watching them, worried they'll stumble again. Making sure they eat enough, even if Whumpee's appitite has returned again. Worried every single night, because Whumpee sleeping reminds them so much of how still they got, that they might not wake up again...
Character who, for whatever reason, tries to track down a missing person.
As they go along, they uncover more and more. Maybe it's not an unsolved dark case, maybe it's just a really old mystery.
And Character learns about the missing person (MP) They find people who remember them, they find letters MP wrote. Pictures they took. They learn about their wants and needs, their personality.
They get invested.
But what started as a fun search turns dark when they start piecing together what happened to MP.
How does it end?
Does Character find them, alive and well, having escaped whatever horrors they lived through? Does Character find a skeleton? Do they find them alive, still captured, and it's a rescue mission? Do they never learn what happened to them, and write their own ending?
Caretaker who is struggling with Caretaking. Not in a sense of not knowing what to do, but they're just so tired of it. Or they struggle with staying emphatic in general.
Whumpee throws up for the Nth time? Caretaker just sits behind them with a far away look in their eyes, absentmindedly rubbing their back, waiting for them to be done.
Whumpee's leg is hurting. When they have to stop again, Caretaker just stands still, supporting them, while they wait it out.
Whumpee is groaning in pain again and saying it hurts, and all Caretaker can think is 'I know. What do you want me to do?'
Caretaker asking Whumpee what they can do, what does Whumpee want. Whumpee just miserably answers they don't know. Caretaker resists the urge to roll their eyes.
"You need to drink, what can I make you?"
"I don't know... I don't feel good..."
"I know. You need to drink. What do you want?"
They're so close to snapping, but they know that's not right to do. They don't want to be like this either, it's just... hard.
Character who had been in captivity before. Maybe they only got out recently, maybe it's been years.
There's an attack, and they manage to get into a safe/panic room. They're okay, right? They just have to wait here.
Except the situation is already stressful, and now they're locked up again. Different, sure. But they can't leave.
Claustrophobia and memories are slowly pushing down on them. It started off alright, but they feel more and more tense as time goes on. Going from fidgeting, to pacing, to trying to calm their breathing, to curled up in a corner, retreating back into themselves.
Bonus points if there's someone in there with them. Did they know about this? Do they know how to help? Are they close, or do they dislike each other?
If you've ever seen a post saying they don't like the Whump Trope that you're working on/that you like
Let this post be a reminder that there are also a ton of people who do like it and would love to see it!
Negativity is often louder, don't let it take away the whump we love
Villain/morally grey character who gets locked up with Hero/morally right character for a while. They hate each other, but slowly grow closer during captivity. After all, they only have each other right now.
Hero learning more about Villain, and realizing they're not as bad as they thought/someone else is the reason why Villain is this way/'I can fix them'.
Villain starts to like Hero. Against their will, of course. They still don't trust them.
Then, a chance for escape. Hero doesn't hesitate to get Villain out as well. And Villain... isn't sure about this. How can they trust Hero, what if Hero has something worse for them in store? Are they just trading one prison for another?
But time is running out, and they can't stay here either.
Fuck it.
They take Hero's hand, and together they escape.
Magic users being kept away from their source of magic.
Element magic users being locked away without access to their element. Fire sorcerers being kept in the cold, magic users that draw strength from light being kept in the dark. Sorcerers who draw magic from their lands being taken away from there, locked in metal, lifeless cells far away from home.
Magic users bound in cold iron that cuts them off from their lifeforce, slowly poisoning and weaking them.
Magical runes carved in chains to block the magic.
Whumpees growing cold, tired, but worst of all, empty.
Everything that kept them alive for so long, that has always been there, that has always been a comfort to them, is slowly draining away until there's nothing left.
They lose all will to go on.
visible signs of illness or injury 🤝 characters who hate calling attention to themselves
- grumpy team leader showing up on monday morning with their arm in a sling, coat draped awkwardly over their shoulders
- young, bold up-and-coming captain desperately trying to hide a limp to avoid being benched
- visible bruises hidden under a sweater that keeps riding up, or poorly covered with makeup, dodging questions as their friends get more and more concerned
- medic counting on their team not paying too much attention to the slowly spreading stain underneath their field jacket and the way that their hands are shaking
- reliable, steady intelligence source doesn’t get sick, and the way their voice is cracking over the radio is just a bad signal
- a meeting that they have to lead in five minutes and a black eye that they’ve resigned themselves to not being able to hide
- absolutely refusing to admit anything is wrong despite the poorly-muffled coughing and sniffling
- fresh stitches underneath a suit or gown, shrugging off friendly hugs that land on just-closed wounds
I love a huge breakdown as much as the next guy, but you know what I also love?
When the whump aftermath is shown in the small ways. A flinch when touched unexpectedly, certain words or confronting topics making them shut down, not being able to articulate why they don't want to go to that specific thing, but they know they don't want it...
Shared looks between friends/family who notice, a silent system worked out between them to handle Whumpee when something like this happens, handling it without making a big deal out of it or letting Whumpee notice that's what they're doing.
The small things.