#caretaker and whumpees

[justbreakonme]

“Please… I’m so tired.”

“Then sleep. I’ll stand guard.”

“I thought you said it was safe here?”

“It is. But you don’t feel safe, do you?”

“…not yet.”

“Then I’ll stand guard, till you can.”

[thinkingofausername]

I love when the whumpee has to reinvent themself. No, you will never be the past you again, they are permanently changed by the trauma, but that does not mean death. You just have to find you again. The people who care about you might mourn, you might as well, but getting to know each other again can be quite interesting.

[whumporama]

Whumpee who is recovering after the whumpTM, but it's not going great. They're so frustrated with themselves, with their caretakers, just with everything. Everyone is so soft and understanding and it bothers them and they want to scream, but they know they should be grateful.

Until Caretaker comes along. Caretaker isn't 'nice' like the others, they don't take bullshit. They're good for Whumpee, but they don't baby them. They treat them like an adult with anatomy, and it's so refreshing for Whumpee.

"You want to stay up, fine. But you will tell me when you can't anymore, because if I have to drag you off the floor we're both in trouble. Understand?"

"Stop whining. What do you need?" (And then they get or do whatever it is without issues or judgement.)

"Want to tell me why you're doing worse today?" -- "No..." -- "Okay."

"Where does it hurt?" -- "It doesn-" -- "Don't give me that, I can see it hurts. Now tell me where."

Caretaker trusts Whumpee to know what they need, and lets them know again and again they won't take this nonsense of hiding their pain. They're practical, and kind, and Whumpee needed that.

[jordanstrophe]

Caretaker finds whumpee bound and gagged, unable to move and whimpering for their attention. Caretaker skids to their knees and pulls whumpee into their arms.

Whumpee, with their arms behind their back, can only press their face hard into caretaker's shoulder.

[defire]

Whumpee that's never had genuine comfort before

(comfort stuff)

Caretaker trying to be gentle and whumpee freaks the fuck out--"what are you doing?!" With paranoid wide eyes

"I'm cleaning your wounds...." "Not like that you're not. Here, give me the needle."

Caretaker trying to comfort them--"fuck, you've had it rough" and reaching out for a hug and whumpee just stares at them

Whumpee trying to be "nice" to caretaker by slapping them on the back painfully hard and making boisterous vague remarks that are supposed to be compliments

Or, whumpee staring at caretaker wondering how to say "thank you" in a way that won't get them beaten up, like last time

Caretaker impulsively hugging or touching them out of kindness and whumpee flinches away and grabs the spot like it burns

"You've always taken care of your own wounds?" Caretaker says. Whumpee frowns, confused. "Who else is supposed to do them?"

"Look, I get that you're trying to be nice, caretaker, but I have it handled," whumpee trying to get themself across the kitchen by leaning on the counters.

"I do not need you. It's okay. I'm not a burden."

[the-bar-sinister]

Recovering whumpee completely vacant and dissociated while caretaker takes care of them. Staring off into space while caretaker washes their body and tends their wounds. Only barely responding when caretaker touches them soothingly.

[martyr-inthedark]

Make your Whumpee tired.

Whumpees that have been deprived of sleep by Whumper, so much so that they don't remember how to walk in a straight line and can't figure out whether the recent appearance of little black bugs in their cell are real or a hallucination.

Whumpees that can't get a full night's rest. They doze off, only to be jolted awake by their own anxiety of not knowing when Whumper would come back. Perhaps they are awakened by phlegm-coated coughs induced by their illness. They are awakened by nightmares, or by Caregiver who is worried they may succumb to hypothermia, or by a thunderstorm, or the rough blanket scratching their open wounds, or so on.

Whumpees who pull all nighters to protect their friends or lovers.

Whumpees whose eyes burn when they finally can close their eyes. Whumpees whose muscles twitch, who can't stop yawning no matter how hard they try to stifle it. Whumpees with dark, glassy eyes. Whumpees who are slow to react or have a hard time keeping up with the conversation. Whumpees with throbbing headaches. Whumpees with brain fog and memory loss.

Whumpees who have been on the run and have over exhausted their bodies. Their muscles and joints continue to scream long after its over. Whumpees with extensive blood loss. Whumpees who are malnourished.

Whumpees whose survivor's guilt keeps them awake, wondering what they might have done differently, whether it was all their fault, or why they were the ones to live.

Whumpees whose bodies are in chronic pain or illness and who have to hide it, causing muscle and mental fatigue. They keep going with a smile until they collapse or pass out.

Whumpees who break down in tears, begging to be left alone so they can rest. Whumpees who sob when they are told that the bed in front of them is theirs to use whenever they want.

[hurtmyfavsthanks]

We all know about magical fatigue as a whump trope for magical overuse. Now I raise you: Magical euphoria.

Magic that feels good to use. It leaves the user dizzy and lightheaded, a giddy energy rushing through their entire body. It's enough to leave the most stoic whumpee giggling madly, to make the most obedient soldier go rogue. It's a power that ultimately, inevitably, controls its user.

Mages aren’t trusted to act on their own. They can’t be, not when each spell costs them their sanity. Not when, in a daze of manic joy, they’re just as liable to destroy the enemy as their allies.

And so they need a handler.

Imagine Caretaker in this situation. Forced to watch Whumpee throw themselves into madness, to turn themselves into an unthinking weapon under the demand of some uncaring general. Having to put aside their affection for Whumpee as a person, and analyze them as a tool.

It’s Caretaker who decides when Whumpee is still fit for battle. It’s caretaker who has to look into their dazed and distant eyes, blood dripping into a too wide smile, and decide if Whumpee has anything else to give.

It’s Caretaker who decides when they’re too far gone, when Whumpee needs to stop. And if Whumpee can’t, it’s Caretaker’s job to make them stop. Even if that means using force, even if it means hurting them, because letting them run wild isn’t an option.

And when the battle’s over, when Whumpee is either led or dragged away to the medical wing, Caretaker’s the only one brave enough to tend to their injuries. They wrap bleeding, scorched fingers without a word, the only sound being Whumpee babbling, mad ramblings. Caretaker knows they won’t remember any of this. They still talk to Whumpee anyway, soft, comforting words they hope will bring Whumpee back faster.

And when whumpee’s eyes finally clear, when their body sags with exhaustion they’re just now able to feel, Caretaker feels nothing but grief, because it’ll start all over again tomorrow.

[whumpy-bi]

Thinking about a rescuer/caretaker barging in and immediately softening when they see the state the victim is in—skittish, terrified, trying to get away from them.

The immediate softness and compassion of “No, no, I’m here to help.”

[crimsons-whump-pile]

painful resurrections. give me a whumpee who thought their suffering was finally over when they died, who now has of feel agony in every cell of their body because they are not meant to be alive. it could be caretaker who revived them, or it could be whumper, but the end result is the same — whumpee just wants the pain to stop again, and they know that they’ll never be allowed to end it themself. even if they do, it’s obvious now that death is no true escape at all. not for them.

[whumpprentice]

you know what trope drives me absolutely feral? Repetition. Just :

"Hey, hey, it's okay"

"Shh, you're safe, you're safe, it's alright "

"Look at me. Hey, look at me"

"Stay with me. Come on, just stay with me"

"It's over. It's over now."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry"

"I'm here. I'm right here"

[spinzolliii]

DISCLAIMER: I HAVE NO CLUE IF THIS IS MEDICALLY ACCURATE

Something that whump writers don’t consider:

IVs feel cold. Can you imagine a room temperature liquid going directly into the bloodstream of someone who’s 97-104 degrees? It’s hellish. You can’t get warm no matter how much external heat you receive.

Imagine a delirious whumpee whimpering and clawing at an IV while being restrained and reassured by Caretaker.

“No no no, that stays in”

“Hey, hey. I know it hurts, but it’ll help you feel better”

Maybe the whumpee’s hallucinating, thinking that they’re being tortured. When Caretaker’s words fail to get through, they have to use gentle touches and singing. Or, if you want to be mean, you can have the Caretaker being forced to restrain Whumpee to prevent them from hurting themselves until they run out of energy and pass out.

[seth-whumps]

the classic "are you hurt?" but the whumpee is the one saying it. slurring the words through a hoarse throat and numbed lips, their eyes are glazed and their hands are shaking, frantic at the blood soaking the caretaker's shirt and too delirious to realize it's all their own.

[whumporama]

Caretaker has finally found Whumpee, but they're in a bad state. There is no time to take care of anything right now, and they have to move quietly to avoid being detected.

The whispered "can you walk?" and "lean on me" as Whumpee tries their best to be helpful, and Caretaker half-dragging them through the dark hallways. Whumpees injuries hurt them as they move, and they can't keep the sounds of pain in.

They hear someone coming, and Caretaker quickly pulls them to the side, hiding in a small closet. Whumpee squeezes their eyes closed as they fight the pain of the sudden movement, and Caretaker pushes their hand over Whumpees mouth, apologetic, but needing them to be quiet.

Whumpee leaning forward and dropping their head on Caretakers shoulder as they muffle their groans in their jacket.

Bonus points if Whumpee is usually stoic or closed-off, and Caretaker's heart breaking to see them like this.

[jordanstrophe]

Love it when Caretaker doesn't ask, "Are you okay?" To a whumpee who is clearly not okay.

"You're going to be okay. One second at a time."

"Do you need a moment?"

"Lets go somewhere quiet, okay?"

"Please come with me. I don't want you alone right now. "

"I'm staying with you. I don't want you alone right now. "

"I know you're not okay, sweetheart. But are you hurt?"

[defire]

How about a caretaker that's compassionate and caring and a whumpee that's just too practical for that shit

"oh no no no what have they done to you!!" Caretaker running in, cupping whumpee's face. "2 burns, small stab wound and a pretty bad beating to the ribs--what are you doing, why are you hugging me"

Whumpee trying to not act traumatized because you gotta fake it till you make it.

"whumpee. This is not HEALTHY." "It's healing, look, it's almost totally scarred over."

"caretaker, please, just bring your sewing kit." "But I don't have any anaesthetic!" "Ugh, fine, I'll do it."

"fuck, how could anyone do this to you?" "That's not really a productive question..."

"he told me to hold still because I deserved it." "You don't deserve this, nobody does." "Yeah I know but it made the brand scar come out perfectly. See? It's recognizable..."

"you can't just take responsibility for everyone's lives, whumpee." "I'm the strongest one of us, so yes, I can." "It's not healthy!" Whumpee shrugs in response, already out the door with a gun over their shoulder.