#Conditioned whumpee

[whumpsoda]

Focus

Masterlist

cw: flashbacks, pet whump, box boy universe/bbu adjacent, Institutionalized slavery, conditioned whumpee, past abuse

——————

A nod of his head, and a couple kicks of his foot. Graham bobbed along with the rhythm of the music flooding his ears, the string of the earbuds tapping against his chest as he moved, humming to the tune.

The clothes were soft to the touch, still hot from the dryer, perfectly perfect as they folded nicely into each little square. Not a single stain or rip in sight, and it was almost scary to think about. How could he manage to keep it that way? In what world would he be able to keep them better than how he found them, as he thought Edith would want? 

Doing what he’d been instructed to, he focused back on the music, letting it roll over his shoulders and wash all the way down to his toes, steamrolling right over his nerves. It was scarily easy to lose himself in, to discard his keen senses and constant attention on the world around him in favor of the song.

Another shirt, tucked under his chin as he gently placed the sleeves into the middle and flipped the bottom to the top. The task was monotonous, but ten times better with music.

Graham’s feet tapped and circled himself as he stepped to his feet, hoisting the entire pile of laundry along with him. He couldn’t help but move with the beat of the drums, loudly thumping and encompassing in his ears. Stumbling to the drawer across the room, he grunted along with the words bumping into his head.

The song, one of his favorites, slowly rolled out into a distant heartbeat kind of sound, as the sound of the next came humming in as he shrugged open the top drawer.

It was a new song - most of them were, he was listening to Isaac’s playlist - but this one didn’t feel new. As soon as it began he was singing a hum exactly as it went, like he’d heard it a million times before.

He knew the words. They started up, the vocals growling and scratchy, and he could mouth them as soon as they came crashing into his mind. 

Hey, focus.

He snapped to attention, nearly dropping to a kneel, but in a mere second he recognized that the voice wasn’t master’s. It wasn’t angry, commanding, or master’s, and it was right beside him. It still made him flinch, shook him up, although it was more feminine - sharp still - but juvenile. 

You’re going to spill the milk if you keep doing that.

He was holding his breath. Taking a quick sip in, he was hit with the smell of a kitchen, of ingredients. Particularly sugary smelling ones, kind and warm, not at all like his master’s place. Apprehension flooded his senses next, freezing him still.

You can dance if you put the measuring cup down.

The instructions didn’t make sense - a measuring cup - yet he followed them to his best ability, dropping the laundry into the spot of the open drawer below him.

Now do an air guitar!

Ever so carefully, practically disobeying because he wasn’t explicitly ordered to, he craned his neck to the source. 

It’s okay, I will do it myself!

There was a woman, one who wasn't supposed to be there, though he didn’t make any move to back off. Her hair was short but full, shaking along with her laugh, bangs home cut and caught in her eyelashes. She stood beside him, a smidge shorter but still tall with his button nose and his downturned eyes and his little lips. She seemed a bit older, but around his age as he was seeing her. 

She giggled, her whole body moving with the noise, low and gravely. Come, do it with me! She was dancing to the music, harder, faster, better, letting it puppet her movements. It is fun, I promise!

Instead of doing as she told, he stayed still. She didn’t seem to notice.

Shifting back to a glimpse of the drawer, it was gone, finding only a bowl of goopy looking batter, a little distorted and fake looking, like it wasn’t really there at all. At the same time it was there, and so was she.

What if I cracked this egg on your head right now? She said, and that time she was holding a single egg - white - reaching out to plop it right over his face. Instinctively, he leaned away. What would you do?

“Who…?” He questioned, the piercing ache of his head stopping him from getting any farther in the sentence.

Do not give me that look, She tisked playfully, as if he hadn’t said anything at all, now put the sugar in. We have to be done before Mom gets back.

The white blotted out her face by half then, eating up her image to nothing. It hurt more by the second, the longer he stared the worse it got, the white picking at his mind until the music drifted off once more, and his mind was fully and painfully empty.

Barely recognizing the thump of his knees to the rug, he sucked in a slick hiss at the stab of affliction seeping through the white, just as the bass began to thrum.

This one was new again, not at all familiar, and as he listened it felt more and more like hearing through a fish bowl. Even with the song filling him to the brim, he could barely hear it over the seething pain.

I’m not gonna hurt’cha, pal, not as long as you’re a good boy. No need to look so scared.

This he recognized in an instant, even through the blinding brightness. 520 cowered below his handler, no matter how many reassurances he was given.

Don’t tell anyone, boy. It’ll be our little secret that I’m letting you listen.

That was odd. His handler was kind enough to allow him to dirty an earbud, something so terribly off limits he couldn’t believe it. And the music was blaring, blasting his eardrums, but still it felt good. It was horribly muffled and tacky, but he savored it.

You like it? The handler laughed, bitter and sharp, before knocking the pet upside the head, I can tell you do. Don’t lie to me, ‘520, makes’ me wanna hurt you.

He felt the smack, crisp and clean, slick with sweat and sending him further keeled over. Spit pooled out from his slack lips, gathering in a puddle on the white below him. He was surely out of it, blinded by the burning and the possibility of drugs coursing his system.

Stop your whimpering and get over it. You should be able to handle a little wack like that by now.

Huffing a shaking breath, he rested his head to what he thought was the dresser, a dark wash of wood, as he blinked ever so carefully. It didn’t make much sense for one to be there when the facility was only ever white. As his eyelids opened once again, it was instead the white painted wood of his master’s bedroom door.

The song was no longer recognizable, a contorted sound of words and instruments thick with sickness. He could feel his fingers curl through rug, yet see them flat on shining white tile.

He wasn’t supposed to eavesdrop, especially not on Master and Prince, but he could barely contain himself. The noise was louder than it should’ve been, confusing him, but the song was too good to worry himself over. A shift from the sickly buzz churning his mind in circles, a lighthearted pop sound.

That wasn’t right though, because his master didn’t enjoy that type of song, and never let Prince pick. The lady liked it, but she was never really there, and he couldn’t remember her name even if he wanted to, it’s all white and that’s all it will ever be-

“Graham?”

He coughed, hacking out juicy spittle, and a hand was pressed to his back. The instinct was there to slap it away like it would hurt him, but the white was too strong and it didn’t hurt him anyway.

“Graham, can you please look at me?”

It took him a moment to recognize that was his name, that he had a name at all, before he nodded.

She wasn’t there any longer, the lady with his face, nor was his handler. The voice was different, the hair orange, the eyes green and concerned.

“Otis?” Graham croaked, drool dribbling down his chin. The pain subsided to a throb, still there but less overwhelming.

“You are not okay.” They stated, and it wasn’t a question, they both know he wasn’t.

He lied anyway. “No. I am fine.” Trying to catch his breath, he couldn’t help the gather of sweat collected at his temple.

“No you are not.” They shook their head. “I will get Isaac-,”

“No, please, I am fine.” He curled his hand over theres, pressing his forehead to the chill of their knuckles. “Just a headache.”

They bit their lip, glancing toward the door. “You are sure? I can go get her-,”

The music was a little murmur of a song from the earbuds, having fallen out during his commotion. “Fine. ‘M fine.”

Already was the memory of what had just happened nearly gone, save for the affliction and the brightness of the white stinging a burn into the back of his mind.

To him the woman would remain nameless, and she did not exist, and was never even there.

——————

Masterlist

Taglist - @softvampirewhump @ivymyers @taterswhump @octopus-reactivated @tippytappytyping

@distracted-obsessions @starfields08000 @bitchaknso @silly-scroimblo-skrunkl @scoundrelwithboba

@whumped-by-glitter @whumpering-heights @arlin-always-writing @bilightningwhumper @sharkyydoesnothing

@whump-till-ya-jump

If anyone wants to be removed or added to the taglist, please let me know! :)

[yet-another-heathen]

On conditioned whumpees...

Y'know, I think one of the things that people get wrong with conditioned whumpees is their rules. Specifically, when a whumpee was in long term captivity/training and they later get released or escape.

Most people write them as latching onto a caretaker or new whumper, and begging for new rules so they know they're doing something right. A new set of laws to live by, a new framework to behave to.

And that's... not really how conditioning works.

Conditioning means automatic reactions. Your body doing something that was trained into you without consulting your brain first.

There is no decision making. There is no choice. The trigger hits, and you are immediately performing the correct action regardless of anything else.

You're told to kneel? Your knees have already hit the ground. You're supposed to be standing in one part of the house when a certain noise is made? You've launched into movement before you even realize what you heard.

These rules are woven into the fabric of your body. And they are insurmountable. The conditioning overrides emotion, internal conflict, hesitation, beliefs, wants... everything.

Your whumpee may very well hate what is being done to them, and after the moment has passed they're cursing themself and their whumper. They're still a person on the inside. And that person is still very much alive. Most of the time, they will have some level of awareness that what's being done to them is wrong. They'll be angry. They'll be hurt. And they will hate that there is nothing they can do about it.

But the next time that trigger occurs, the response still hits them exactly the same.

So now take your whumpee out of that situation. They ran away, were rescued, were sold. They got out. Now they're with new people, a new caretaker, a new whumper. Or they're on their own and trying to make their own way in the world.

But those conditioned responses are still there.

There's no turning them off. You don't just replace them with new rules. They are in your every fibre. They have been built into the very framework of who you are.

The next time someone says the word "kneel", your knees are on the ground again. No matter where you are, or who you're with. The response happens before you can stop it. If they don't know why, everyone looks at you like you're insane. And you feel like you are.

Deconditioning is an agonizing process that takes more effort than I can even begin to describe to someone who's never experienced it.

Every time they hit that trigger, that response will still be there. Over, and over, and over, and over.

Breaking those rules down takes YEARS. And it is a constant effort that the whumpee has to choose to undergo every single time. Progress is measured milimeter by milimeter. You're told to kneel, and you kneel. You're told to kneel, and your mind catches up with the fact that you already did it— but a little sooner than it did before. Then a split second sooner. Then as you're doing it. Then you feel the impulse just before your knees hit the ground. Then you have a split-second of resistance before you go down. On and on and on and on, inching toward progress despite the fact that you're fighting with all your might. And that progress is anything but linear.

You don't just start obeying new rules. You don't latch on to your caretaker's new way of doing things and drop everything that you were conditioned to do before. These rules don't just get replaced.

Conditioning is not a belief system. It's a flinch response. Programmed deeper than the instincts you were born with.

You can be ordered not to obey the old command, and moments later when the trigger comes, you will anyway. Because in conditioning, the action comes before the choice.

These rules, these laws of your existence, come above everything else. And if your new whumper wants to replace them, they are going to have to beat the new rules into you so often and so severely that the pain becomes stronger than the old conditioning. At which point, the newly desired response will very, very slowly start to take over.

You're not swapping out new rules. You're layering new, worse conditioning on top of the old. And your brain will spend time stuck in that split-second between both responses before one finally grows stronger than the other. And even then, the change will not happen quickly.

That is what your conditioned whumpee is up against. That is what makes it such a horrible—HORRIBLE— and powerful tool.

[defire]

Requiring whumpee to cooperate

(some of my favorite most awful tropes)

Content: whipping, punishment, noncon nudity, humiliation

Forcing them to put themselves in vulnerable positions--"lay on the table."

"You remember the punishment room? You get one more chance."

"open your palms." (Whumpee is lying on a table with their hands tied behind their back.) "Or else this whipping will break your fingers. It's up to you, really."

"I want you to count. Say 'thank you sir' after each one."

"Kneel." (Does whumpee thump to the ground immediately, desperately, do they slowly, begrudgingly do it with a glare, and get a slap for it?)

Forcing whumpee to ask to be punished

"Strip." Whumper orders. Whumpee stares at whumper's demand. "I said strip. Or I'll do it. And I won't be delicate."

"That's fifteen lashes. Turn around and face the wall."

[digital-nova]

Conditioned whumpee prompts

Whumpee:

“Forgive me, I’m not trained to do that.”

“What do you mean by ‘no rules’, sir? Rules improve my performance.”

“I have purpose: to serve my superiors. That’s more than you can say.”

“I’m glad that I can please you, Master.”

“I have no wants or needs. I’m at your liberty.”

Whumper:

“I trust you, Whumpee. You remember what happens when you break the rules.”

“You serve my interests now. Not theirs.”

“Do you remember how terrible you used to be?”

“They don’t have needs. Their only desire is to serve me, I assure you.”

“I’m interested to see how much of that training I can undo.”

Caretaker:

“I don’t own you, Whumpee. Nobody does.”

“Rules? Um…don’t leave the lights on when you’re not using them?”

“One day you’ll understand that what happened to you was wrong.”

“I suppose this is just second nature to you, huh?”

“You can do a couple chores around the house if it’ll make you feel better.”

[suspensefulpen]

Darling is such a powerful word to me

Imo you use that word for someone you are truly, deeply in love with. This person is your world, your everything, you can’t live without them.

On the other hand, you use that word for someone you’re extremely possessive of. You call someone that and they’re yours for all of eternity, whether they like it or not. No one else can have them because they’re yours if they know or not is completely irrelevant.

Now, imagine Whumpee being called that by both Caretaker and Whumper…

[bedtimescenarios]

Recaptured living weapon Whumpee who is about to face the consequences of their escape. And when Whumper brings them back into that painfully familiar room, when they calmly take out the whip, Whumpee knows precisely what to do.

Their feet take them to the middle of the room, and they kneel, methodically disposing of their shirt. As their shoulders roll back into a straightened position, they can practically feel Whumper's gaze burning into the back of their head. A sadistic, eyes-only smile, knowing that even though Whumpee was physically free for some time, they never truly escaped.

[crimsons-whump-pile]

I’ve been in a terribly whumpy mood lately, so please for your consideration, imagine a whumpee that’s been so heavily conditioned by whumper that they can’t really function without rules and orders, and now imagine a caretaker that will actually do that. I see so much where the caretaker tries to break whumpee out of that mindset, but what about a caretaker who just doesn’t have the time or resources to break the conditioning, and so their next best option is to just… go along with it?

whumpee won’t eat or drink or sleep without being ordered to? caretaker puts rules in place that require whumpee to do those things at set times, and the consequences for missing one of those times (because you know whumpee won’t accept that there are rules without punishments for breaking them) is to do that thing in the company of caretaker. whumpee misses their lunchtime? now they have to sit with caretaker to make sure they actually eat the food set out for them. it’s a consequence that doesn’t actually harm them, and one that will subtly reinforce that caretaker values whumpee’s wellbeing, without seeming like a cop-out.

caretaker knows that whumpee has been irrevocably changed by their experiences under the hand of whumper, and they know that the trauma incurred isn’t something that can easily be contradicted or fixed. they know whumpee is damaged, and they know it isn’t something they can help with right now, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to give up and leave whumpee behind, or expect whumpee to just bounce back on their own. caretaker wants whumpee to be safe and healthy, so they’re going to do their best to make that happen, even if they have to utilize the very conditioning that whumper put in place to make that happen.

[hunterjumperhoe]

Non-Human/Hybrid Whumpee who was raised in captivity.

New laws banning the ownership of hybrids bring government agents breaking down doors of the sales facility Whumpee is currently housed in.

Whumpee is placed in government assisted Housing For Displaced Hybrids (HFDH). Mandatory therapy. Mandatory employment training or assistance.

Whumpee just wants to go back. Misses being a prized pet. Whumpee misses not having to worry about human-made problems like taxes or bills.

Whumpee cries themselves to sleep.

[whumpandothercomfort]

Kennel training for a pet whumpee:

The most important thing to remember when kennel training a dog is that the kennel shouldn't be a punishment. The kennel should be safe and feel like home.

Whumpee's kennel is comfortable. They can't stand or even sit up fully, but there's a lightly cushioned floor and a soft blanket and maybe even a pillow. They can't fully stretch out, but they only have to bend their legs or curl their back a little. They're allowed to rest.

People don't do as well with confinement as dogs, though. It's important not to create a negative association with the kennel if you want to be kind to your pet. So you need to make them happy with being confined.

It's best to use the kennel as a reward and a source of relief. When Whumpee behaves well, they're permitted to sleep in their kennel instead of on the hard floor or in heavy chains. When Whumpee is punished, the end of the punishment can be signified by letting them into their kennel to recuperate. If punishment lasts multiple days, place them in the kennel to rest between sessions. They will not want to leave.

Whumpee will become very grateful for their kennel and very happy to be confined. Kennel training is an excellent idea for whumpers who don't want their pets to fuss about being trapped in a tiny cage for hours and hours.

[whumpberry-cookie]

______________

(C:) I'm under impression that you don't really like when I hug you. Don't you?

(W:) ......

(C:) Whumpee, seriously. Don't you?

(W:) Well I don't mind just taking it if you want to.

(C:) It's not about "taking it". I wouldn't keep hugging you if you told me you don't like it! And what about petting your head, or holding your hand or... calling you sweetheart. You don't like those either?

(W:) ...I mean- you can do whatever you please, really. I'll adapt to it eventually...

(C:) Oh my gosh, Whumpee. If it makes you uncomfortable, why didn't you say anything all this time?

(W:) I.. eh... I thought you were doing it on purpose..

______________

The concept of living with other person that wouldn't be a substitute for Whumper is too wild for Whumpee.

[enemieswbenefits]

"So, what, he just hits you?

"Well, yeah...it's his right"

[jump-in-the-whump]

THINGS CARETAKERS SAY THAT MAKE ME GO FERAL

“can you please focus on me?”

“don't look at that, look at me.”

“you're doing a very good job.”

“you're very brave.”

“i know it hurts, just a hold on a bit more.”

“breathe in and out, follow my lead.”

“please stay down. please.”

“you're not alone, you hear me? I'm right here.”

“stay calm, I'm just gonna look at it, okay?”

“stop doing this to yourself!”

“this is going to hurt, please bear with it.”

“i promise I'll be gentle.”

“lean on me if you need to.”

“do you know where you are? who you are?”

“can you tell me where it hurts the most?”

“you can scream, it's alright.”

“hey, it's me! come on, you know me, right?”

“it was just a nightmare, you don't have to worry.”

“i don't care if you're staining my shirt, you're bleeding out!”

“keep your eyes on me, don't look down.”

“don't say that, you know it's not true.”

“this is just the fever talking.”

“shh, you're doing so good...”

“shut up! it's not me who should rest, it's you!”

Bonus point: they say these things while brushing strands of hair out of the whumpee's face. That's… *chef's kiss*

[defire]

Scare your whumpee

(some conditioned/pet whump ideas here)

Choke them until their eyes widen and pupils dilate with panic

Snap your whip over their head just to watch them flinch

Tell them you're going to stop at 5 lashes. Listen to them beg and wail when you don't

Give them contradictory orders and watch them struggle to decide what to do

Like order them not to speak, then say "I didn't hear a 'yes sir'!" And watch their mouth open and close in terror

Give them ambiguous looks so they have no idea if you're pissed or not, what is awaiting them later?

Fake emotional explosions--yell and then get really close and watch them flinch and stutter and apologize

Give them hope. Tell them you won't punish them this time, if they can just keep from pissing you off for 10 minutes. Watch them walk on eggshells.

Tell them to convince you why you shouldn't hurt them

Quiz them on their actions. Who knows, maybe they'll admit to something you can punish them for! And meanwhile you get to watch them tremble in terror about whatever they think they did wrong.

Punish them for showing emotion. watch them struggle to contain their fear.

[lumpywhump]

tw: noncon drugging

a whumper that's drugs whumpee. They always feel so out of it and just... not like themself. And whumper prefers it that way. Whumper keeps telling whumpee about how nice they are like this, and how this is how they should always be, that everyone would prefer them like this, I mean who would rather whumpee being violent and aggressive over being chill and relaxed?

Especially if whumpee's friends/caretaker told whumpee to calm down over and over to the point we're whumpee can easily believe that they would prefer whumpee like this...

[pyrepostings]

A defiant whumpee who doesn't realize just How Much it's been domesticated/trained until it's with caretaker and start acting towards them the way whumper always wanted from it.

Caretaker notices eventually and asks if whumpee wants them checking in on it for such small actions such as "do you really want to be making coffee right now or is that automatic routine" or if that would be seen as nagging every action whumpee takes.

[yet-another-heathen]

On the topic of realistic conditioning/deconditioning,

If the trigger is something whumpee wouldn't hear often when they're with caretaker but whumpee still wants to break it because they might hear it elsewhere (like kneel being taken as a command)

Would whumpee ask caretaker to casually trigger them so they have the opportunity to challenge it in their own head and in a safe place? Would this be a good idea for recovery?

And of course being there with the praise everytime whumpee makes just a little bit of progress, or comfort when they don't.

Heads up, anon: your ask was an EXCEPTIONALLY good one, and I ended up writing another mini TED talk (~3-4 min read) in response. Thank you so much for sending it in!

...on Conditioned Whumpees - Part 3

[ Part 1 - Part 2 ]

That is a very, very good idea! You're spot on with all of it, particularly operating in a safe environment where whumpee is ultimately calling the shots. Having that comfort/support readily available will make a huge difference in how well whumpee can tackle the matter. And while the process isn't fun, approaching desensitization with this much intent is much, much more likely to result in success.

I can offer a few pointers that can add another few layers of realism, as well as some other things to think about while tailoring it to your story:

if whumpee is actively working through their conditioning in this way, memories of their trauma will become closer to the surface. As a result, all of their other PTSD symptoms will be elevated during the course of their practice sessions, as well as for at least a few weeks after.

flashbacks are a very common experience during times like this. engaging with triggers like this is going to cause their flashbacks to become more frequent and intense.

during such flashbacks, it is almost a given that whumpee's mind and body will enter a similar state to the one it was in during the time when the flashback was taking place. By that I mean that the fear they felt in that moment, where it was physically located in their body, will echo into their body in the present moment. Same goes for other all other emotions, and sometimes even phantom aches surrounding any injuries they received at the time...

while the emotions tend to be identical to the ones felt during the trauma, in my experience, the pain comes out distorted in a similar way to the way it does in dreams: less intense, and more "blurry" and imprecise in location. When we say that someone having a flashback is "reliving the moment", we mean that their body literally feels as though they're in the same immediate danger that it was in back then.

this is true even though they'll be aware to at least some degree that they're presently with caretaker and safe.

the flashbacks don't always happen immediately after the conditioning trigger is used. Often they flare up hours or days later, sometimes without warning, sometimes as a result of encountering a different flashback trigger. The whumpee's thresholds for what counts as a trigger will drop, which is part of what causes the flashbacks to happen more often. Something they could normally ignore is going to affect them much more while they're like this.

your whumpee is more likely to experience severe mood swings while in this heightened state. Especially feelings like irritability, frustration, anger, loneliness, and grief. This stuff ain't pretty, folks. Even your sweet cinnamon bun is most likely going to lash out at someone as a result.

PTSD episodes are also exhausting. your whumpee is going to feel mentally, physically, and emotionally drained. And, to add insult to injury, being tired amplifies the emotions listed above.

Now all of this said, your whumpee may or may not know that this is to be expected. If they've worked on processing their trauma before this, they'll have figured out that one often leads to the other. They'll go into the deconditioning practice knowing this is coming, and will approach it carefully, but with a fairly level head. Knowing that it'll suck, but they'll come out the other side okay.

If not, they're in for a rather nasty surprise.

For the latter, they will feel at first that the deconditioning practice is making everything worse. They're suddenly struggling the way they did when the trauma was fresher, and it can be tempting to stop and refuse to touch it again because the mental/emotional pain gets so intense.

If they do give up at this stage, it will make trying again far more daunting in the future.

But the trauma being stirred up is actually a sign that it's helping. It means that the whumpee is starting to process what happened to them, which is a fundamental step in being able to heal.

Note: All throughout the process, crying is a very good thing. It lets them physically get rid of a lot of the brain chemicals associated with these surges of emotion. Letting themselves cry over things they couldn't cry about back then can actually help them let go of those feelings in a similar way to if they'd been able to process them in the moment. [Which is the basis for much of EMDR, a specialized tool used in trauma therapy.]

Okay. So now we know what other effects can cascade from the actual deconditioning practice, now we have some things to consider.

First off, what time parameters are whumpee and caretaker working within while deconditioning? There are three basic options:

they sit down together and practice repeatedly using the trigger for [X amount of time; usually <45m at once] back to back. Once that time is up, caretaker will no longer use the trigger at all, the excercise will end, and they'll get up to do something else.

whumpee sets a specific window of time [X number of hours] within which caretaker will use the trigger word at random points. Once that time has elapsed, the exercise is over.

over the course of days, caretaker uses the trigger word at random points without giving warning. the excercise only stops after being ended by whumpee.

Now why is that important? Because of something called hypervigilance. It is another symptom of PTSD which, to put it into the simplest words, is whumpee waiting for the other shoe to drop. It's a heightened state of tension and wariness in which whumpee is expecting that something bad is going to happen, and is constantly searching for any sign to indicate when it's coming.

It is beyond exhausting.

Imagine knowing that someone is about to slap you as hard as they can, and you have to sit there with your eyes closed, waiting for it. The breath-holding, the flinchiness, the rigid tension in your body as you strain to listen for when they're coming.

Only now, stretch that moment out into hours. Days. Weeks. That is hypervigilance.

A hypervigilant whumpee is not going to be able to relax. Or rest. Or decompress. Or readily trust much of anything around them. They're MUCH more likely to flinch at sudden movements/sounds. They might start biting their nails or showing other signs of nervousness and distress.

These methods above have a gradually increasing chance of setting off whumpee's hypervigilance. If they know exactly when the next trigger is coming, as in example 1, then their 'waiting for it' tension will be low. But the more uncertain they become of exactly when it's going to happen, as in examples 2 & 3, the worse the hypervigilance is going to get.

The trade off is that the later examples are more effective in desensitizing them toward the trigger. The more their practice mimics encountering an unexpected trigger in day-to-day life, the easier it will be to fall back on that desensitization when the time comes.

Therefore, it would be a very good idea for a whumpee who's new to this to start with number 1, then gradually progress to 2 & 3 as time goes on. They should be the one to decide when the next step is made, and if/when they need to dial it back.

Other questions to ask yourself while plotting:

how mentally prepared is whumpee for worsening symptoms? what about caretaker? did either of them know it was coming?

how much of this heightened PTSD stress can your whumpee take before it becomes too much? how do they react when they do hit that tipping point?

if caretaker feels that whumpee is getting too distressed during practice even though they're not tapping out, would they call it off themself? Or would they ultimately leave that decision to whumpee?

based on the answer, how would whumpee feel about caretaker's decision? Relieved? Belittled? Betrayed?

does whumpee have any grounding tools they can use while practicing?

how does caretaker handle the mood swings and instability that come with whumpee's heightened PTSD? You should consider both their internal and external reactions on the matter.

how does whumpee prefer to decompress after a practice session? what things would help them calm down and recover?

how long do they need (hours or days) before the next attempt?

Even with all I've just written, there's far more to the resulting hightened state of PTSD than flashbacks and hypervigilance. PTSD symptoms that they're most likely to encounter in the background while doing deconditioning practice include:

Flinchiness, anxiety, panic attacks, nightmares, exhaustion, emotional mood swings, outbursts, crying spells, depression, executive dysfunction, dissociation, numbness, racing thoughts, freeze responses, tremors, inappetence, muscle tension, and heart palpitations.

Yes, usually many of them at once, even those that contradict. Your whumpee is going to have a LOT going on at once, and it is not going to be a fun time. I recommend looking up any of the above symptoms you don't recognize, and looking for whump inspiration in what you learn.

(Because everyone experiences PTSD episodes differently, there's a lot of wiggle room in which ones whumpee will encounter. Don't feel pressured to use all of them, find what you want to write and have fun with it!)

Thanks again for the incredible ask, anon. And again, I want to congratulate you on how spot-on your original ask was. You nailed it. I know this was a lot more than you asked for, but I hope this provides helpful context for your whump! My inbox will always be open if you think of anything more <3