#whump recovery

[literarystarfish]

A Whumpee who refuses pain meds during recovery because of some trauma associated with it.

Did Whumper refuse to give them any, calling them weak and useless? An Whumper, of course, instilled in them that being weak and useless is the worst offense— that being so would lead to even more pain and punishment.

Did Whumper leave pain meds at arms reach at all times but if Whumpee ever even tried to reach for them they would be scolded/punished/beaten? Relief so close but only left to tease them of what they can’t have.

Were the meds Whumper gave them laced with something else? The after effects of the other drugs made it so the pain meds weren’t worth taking. Sure, they would make the physical pain go away, but then there was the:

-mental anguish of hallucinogens that lasted far longer than the pain meds and tormented their nightmares for weeks with the horrifying images the hallucinations created

-or the fast beating heart that felt like it might burst from their chest and the anxiety that came with it

-or the short term memory loss only to wake up later hurting worse and knowing Whumper did something else to them but they couldn’t remember what.

I love when a Whumpee forces themself to endure a painful situation and Caretaker knows it doesn’t have to be this way— they could be out of pain! If only they’d take the pills!— but because of whatever Whumper did, they refuse the pain meds.

It causes Caretaker stress. It causes Whumpee unnecessary pain.

It’s like the residual torment Whumper left behind in their mind could still hurt them even if Whumpee is safe now.

[whumpberry-cookie]

Caretaker and Whumpee pretending / lying to eachother.

(Cw: terminal illness, death of a character)

"Whumper will never find you. You are safe. Everything is under control"

Whumpee never mentions that they have killed a person, thinking they tricked Caretaker into believing they are a good person worth saving. But Caretaker knows.

"My medicine? Of course I drank it!" The pot plant drank it.

Whumpee keeps quiet about their illness or wound (The stomach wound kept in secret. Ah, classic)

Whumpee tries to manipulate Caretaker into staying with them. Caretaker realises, but lets it slide for now, because Whumpee's recovering from being extremally conditioned.

Caretaker pretending they believe Whumpee will recover. They deserve some hope in their last days.

"I didn't tell them anything. I swear."

----------------

[sir-fenris]

This is a short scene inspired by this post of @seth-whumps 's whump ask game.

(Colored sentences are part of the prompt)

Goodnight Care

Content: Recovery whump, non-specific trauma, lady whumpee, breaking glass, hurt/comfort, a lot of comfort, professional caretaker, temporary housing, implied multiple whumpees.

-

The sound of screaming and glass breaking wakes Caretaker up instantly. They sprint towards the only place the noise could have come from: Whumpee's room.

They were prepared to handle a nightmare incident, maybe with Whumpee breaking a nightstand object on accident in her fright.

They were not prepared to see Whumpee backed into a corner, holding a mirror shard in her hand, pointing it at the darkness with terrified eyes. She doesn't even blink when Carateker turns on the light.

"...Whumpee? Did you get hurt?" They speak carefully calm, looking around to see anything in the previous darkness that could have scared her, but everything seems... normal.

And yet Whumpee was still pointing the shard to somewhere? The closet?

With no response, Caretaker slowly steps closer. "Hey, sweetie? Can you put the shard down? You're safe, there's no need for-"

Whumpee's head snaps to them, and her eyes fill with even more terror, hands shaking so badly Caretaker is getting increasingly worried that she might hurt herself accidentally. "No no no, don't- please, don't come any closer!"

Caretaker barely has time to raise their hands before Whumpee flinches and screams. "Don't touch me!"

They weren't even close enough to touch. They barely stepped inside the room.

This was getting more and more concerning.

"It's okay. It's okay." Caretaker rushes to say, as calmly as they can, crouching down. "Staying over here. See my hands?" They rest their hands over the knees. "I'm not gonna touch you. You're safe. I'm listening."

Whumpee opens her tear-filled eyes, looking at them, then around the room. The shard is still in her hands. "Don't... no... Don't come c-closer..."

"I won't. I won't, sweetie. Promise." Caretaker slowly takes a step back and sits down on the floor, hands in view. "Can you put the shard down, please? You might hurt yourself."

Her eyes snap to the closet again and she shooks her head frenetically. Caretaker frowns, looking at it, too. There's nothing out of place, it's just half-open.

"... Do you want me to check the closet?" Caretaker calls her attention back, she doesn't seem very convinced. "How about this. I check around the room, and once you see it's all safe, you put the shard down. Hm? Can we do that?"

It's a risky bet to let her keep the shard for longer, but trying to take it by force will only be riskier.

They wait until she nods and relaxed her hold in the shard before slowly standing up and walking to the closet, always keeping her in view.

The closet door creaks a bit once it's opened, and inside, there's nothing but her clothes. Still, Caretaker checks between the clothes, on the ground, on the sides. It's not even large enough for all that, but this is about reassuring Whumpee that she's safe, not about actually finding something.

Slowly, they shut the closet and look at Whumpee. "Checked? There's just your clothes here, I promise." Whumpee is slumped, a bit more relaxed, the shard just absently in her hands. Less chance of accidentally cutting, that's good.

Again, Caretaker waits for her nod before checking everywhere they could think of someone hiding in. Under the bed, behind the curtains, beneath the study table. Even goes as far as to check beneath the carpet, even though there's nowhere to hide under it.

By the end of it all, Whumpee had stopped crying, now huddled on the corner with the shard already resting on the floor amongst all others. Thankfully, she's wearing slippers.

"Can you come out of the corner, sweetie? So I can clean the glass away? I promise I won't come closer to you." They keep their voice as gentle and calm as possible. The last thing they need is for her to get scared again.

Takes a few seconds for her to look down at the broken glass and shakily stand up, but she doesn't move from the corner.

"... Okay. Let's make another deal, then? I'll go get the stuff to clean the shards, and you take that time to carefully get away from them, deal?" Whumpee is wearing slippers, the chance of getting hurt is minimum, even if she does step on the glass instead of going around. Caretaker still feels anxious.

As expected, she nods slowly. It's a bit worrying hoe she's not really answering anything verbally, but Caretaker will wait for a bit longer before deeming it actually worth of serious concern. Sometimes Whumpee just takes a little to talk, it's okay.

"Alright, then. Be careful as you walk around the shards, okay? Even with slipper on, broken glass is dangerous." This time, Caretaker doesn't wait a nod before slowly getting up and turning a trusting back to her as they leave.

It's hard for Caretaker not to be too overprotective, to let Whumpee be alone after seeing her scared and around broken glass. But Whumpee doesn't need them suffocating her in worry.

When they get back in the room, she's wrapped up in her blankets, sitting in the small space between the bed and the nightstand. Her eyes snap up as they step close to where the glass shards are.

After a few seconds of silence, Careteker couldn't refrain from asking, "Did you get hurt?"

Whumpee doesn't answer, so they look back at where she is, and their eyes find her once again tear-filled eyes.

"I'm sorry," she chokes out quietly, and that seems to break the dam. "I'm so sorry for being like this. You- you give me a house, and- and food, and comfort, and safety, and I repay all that by waking you up with screams and breaking things you brought for me, it's not fair-"

"Wow, hey, hey. Hey, breathe. It's okay." They put the dustpan and broom down, shards forgotten for now. "It's alright if you end up breaking stuff. There's nothing irreplaceable in this house. And there's nothing wrong with waking me up."

She's crying so hard that Caretaker's chest feels tight. It's an effort to stay still there and not come any closer. Whumpee is not the kind to appreciate being hugged for comfort.

"Sweetie. Look at me. That's it." They give her a gentle, reassuring smile. "Listen to me. I don't expect anything back for what I give you, okay? I never did. Not with you, not with the others that came before you. All I want is to help you get back on your own feet, how long that may take."

"How can you not be mad at me? You give so much, and don't gain anything from this..." Whumpee whispers, trying to calm down her crying.

How could they be?

Caretaker knows they're not the best there is. They constantly have to fix their own mistakes, and learn new techniques after accidentally triggering one of their wards. But there's too many hurt people and too few people that don't give in beneath all the pressure.

So even if they're not the best there is, they're one of the few there is. And if they make mistakes all the time with their wards, how could they ever be mad at those wards for making mistakes too?

The cries are now just little sniffles, and Caretaker's smile softens to the still-guilty face. "I'm not mad, I'm not upset. You can be as loud and agitated as you need to be. I'm just here as a support, sweetie. The only repayment I would ever take is for you to focus on yourself and live the life you want to."

Whumpee's face scrunches up again and she hides her face before letting out a quiet sob. Caretaker is taken aback, trying to find what they had said wrong, but before they can freak out too much, Whumpee whisper a soft, "Thank you."

Years in this job, and Caretaker still feels like crying every time they hear those words. "You're welcome, sweetie. You're safe here."

They don't ask what caused this incident, nor add more on the matter. All there is left to talk about, can be talked about in the morning, or when Whumpee is ready. Caretaker let's her come down from the emotions in her own way.

By the time they are done with the shards and meticulous cleaning, Whumpee is already sleeping. Caretaker silently moves to the door and turns off the lights.

"Goodnight, sweetie." They whisper before closing the door and leaving Whumpee to have what they hope is a good few hours of peaceful rest.

-

-

-

Accidentally triggered myself last night and wanted to write fluff. Out of the three fluff drabbles I wrote, this was the most decent, so it's the one that'll get posted <3

-

[slippedtheknot]

"I Didn't Mean to,"

Whumpee sobbed as their shaking fingers grabbed pieces of porcelain. Blood dripped onto the floor from the sharp edges.

Heavy boots were coming down the hall and Whumpee tried moving faster; no doubt that Whumper would be pissed that Whumpee broke his plate. Whumpee swallowed when the boots stopped in front of them.

"Uh oh, what happened, Whumpee?" Whumper's voice was an eerie type of calm.

Whumpee tried to still their breathing so that they would be slightly coherent: "I...I broke a plate. I promise that I didn't mean to though! It...it just slipped from my hands when I was putting dishes away and I tried to clean it up. Not to hide the fact that I dropped it just-"

"Hey hey, it's all okay." Whumper's hand rubbed the back of Whumpee's neck and they froze; waiting for Whumper to slam their head into the floor. "Can you look up for me, Whumpee?"

Whumpee tilted their head up and was met with minty green eyes. That's odd...as far as Whumpee knew Whumper had cold and distant blue eyes that would stare into their soul. As far as Whumpee knew, Caretaker had the minty green eyes.

Whumpee blinked again and looked into his eyes. The eyes definitely belonged to Caretakeer, but then, why were they in Whumper's kitchen?

"You aren't there anymore, Whumpee." Caretaker's hand moved to Whumpee's shoulder as he pulled them into a much-needed hug.

[cravesunconditionallove]

Whumpee who wakes up in the ICU, disoriented, panicking because there’s a tube in their throat and everything hurts and they don’t remember what happened. Caretaker soothing them, holding their hand(s) to keep them from pulling at the things keeping them alive.

“Shh, you’re okay…. no no, don’t do that—“

[the-bar-sinister]

Recovering whumpee returning to a place where they were badly injured and being unable to shut out the memories of what happened to them.

Whumpee's eyes drawn to the spot where they lay, huddled and bleeding. Is there really still a mark there on the ground? Or are they imagining it?

Why can't they stop hearing the sounds of their own screams and pleading echoing in their ears?

Whumpee, shaking and swallowing repeatedly, telling themselves they should be stronger than this, they have to be stronger than this.

Whumpee jolting in surprise and whirling around in fear at a touch on their shoulder; caretaker coming to check on them.

[justwhumptypethings]

realistic ptsd in whump from someone who has (undiagnosed) ptsd

tw: flashbacks, mention of sh, whumpee in denial

whumpee who can trigger a flashback in themselves just by thinking about it, sometimes entirely unprompted

after that happens whumpee feels like this can’t be a flashback and they can’t be triggered bc there was nothing that triggered it they just thought about it

whumpee’s flashbacks and the subsequent panic attacks aren’t loud and noticeable, to the outside perspective it looks like their just staring off and breathing really slowly

flashbacks aren’t as much hallucinating that you’re back in the whump as it is just feeling the sensations you felt

like literally ANY mention of it makes whumpee freeze up, this works especially well if they aren’t dealing with their whump and are instead like. ignoring it and hoping it miraculously goes away

whumpee who’s body physically reacts to it whenever they try to talk about it, breaking out in goosebumps and shivers

whumpee who’s ptsd makes it virtually impossible for them to make progress in recovery

whumpee who has a lot of trouble grounding themselves out of their flashbacks and asking for help during their flashback bc it doesn’t look like you’d expect a flashback to look, they aren’t crying curled up in a ball or anything, but they can’t think or breathe

maybe whumpee ends up taking up sh to ground, digging their fingers into their palms or scratching at their arm or biting at the inside of their cheek

whumpee who’s caretaker doesn’t even realize they’re having flashbacks or trauma responses because they don’t look how they expect them to

somwtimes things trigger them or make them anxious that wouldn’t have before and it doesn’t actually necessarily put them back into the whump but instead just make them deeply uncomfortable. for ex if your whumpee was kept in a cage now they are claustrophobic about hugs. but it doesn’t necessarily remind them distinctly of the whump, like they aren’t like ‘oh I’m claustrophobic because I was kept in a cage’ it’s more ‘why is this freaking me out?? I’ve never been claustrophobic before’ and it’s not obvious it’s happening bc of the whump

whumpee in denial that anything is actually happening to them. it can’t be ptsd. why not? it cant

[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

[morbidmira]

wholesome caretaking/recovery prompts

Changing bandages

"You've got visitors."

Cuddling

Displays of trust

Wheelchairs/Assistive devices/Helping them walk

"I made your favorite food."

Hot drinks - hot chocolate, tea, or apple cider

Tears of frustration

Witness protection (or canon equivalent)

Boredom

Washing/brushing/cutting hair

Fainting/collapsing from exhaustion

"You're safe now, I promise."

Sweets/baking

Forehead kisses

"Haven't seen you in awhile, where have you been?"

[thinkingofausername]

do you think recovered curly would wear gloves over his prosthetics to gain back some softness? do you think he would move around in bed or feel unsettled because lying still would remind him of the past? would he watch attentively at all times, struggle to trust people or let them come close? would he flinch when someone's hand approached his face? feel sick when cutting bread? stay away from pills at all cost? get caught off guard every time he looks in a mirror? would he be torn between fearing people, fearing misreading them and feeling that he needs to do more for them, fight for them in ways he didn't before? is there any bigger picture left? or does he only notice details and hold back vomit at things other people don't look at twice?

[literarystarfish]

Whumpees who flinch.

The ones who always expect the worst to befall them no matter what because that's all they've ever known for years. Even now that they've been rescued.

So when Caretaker makes a sudden move or when some loud noise sounds or something unexpected occurs, they flinch. They take steps back immediately.

Especially when they're nervous wrecks and they can't help but be constantly on edge.

A phone pinged for a text message? Flinching every time.

A loud noise in the kitchen? Cowering.

Someone lifts a hand to reach something up high? Eyes squeezed shut, ready for the blow to land.

Nervous, anxious, flinching whumpees.

[a-class-attempter]

Caretaker sees Whumpee for the first time after their rescue. Whumpee is like a parent to Caretaker and to see Whumpee reduced to scarred flesh on a hospital bed breaks them.

Caretaker stays with Whumpee for days, barely getting any sleep. When Whumpee finally wakes up, they hold Caretaker close.

“Do you want to know what kept me alive?” Whumpee asks.

Caretaker, so overcome with a mix of terror and relief, can only nod.

Whumpee squeezes Caretaker’s hand. “You did, Caretaker. I lived so I could see your face again.”

[whumpberry-cookie]

During the aftercare, Whumpee's doing something that they want to apologise for.

(Cw: emetophobia - bodily waste, implied abuse, swearing)

And Caretaker instead of going "Noo, it's okay. It's normal!", decides to joke instead.

------------------------

Vomiting:

"Well... I didn't like this shirt anyway."

"I know. I don't like their cooking either. I bet it tasted better the second time"

"You don't even have anything in your stomach anymore! Where does that come from?! Do you puke your trauma out?!"

"Bruh.... you could warn me to grab an umbrella"

Takes a sip of water and spits back at them.

Dropping stuff:

Whumpee accidently drops Caretaker's favourite mug. So Caretaker ignores apologies, stands up, walks slowly to the cabinet and drops a plate, maintaining eye contact. It's so random Whumpee burts out laughing.

Something crushes and breaks loudly. Whumpee was the one who broke it. Caretaker just looks down and flips at it. "Yeah, exactly! Take this, fucker!"

-------------------------------

[chiharuuu22]

During the healing process, Whumpee needed many things, both for physical and mental healing. What are they?

Rest. Of course. There is no need to explain anymore. A good rest would restore Whumpee's body and mind after all his stress and suffering.

Calmness. From the environment and the people around Whumpee. Apart from the hospital, an isolation house far from the hustle and bustle of the chaotic city would be a good place to support Whumpee's recovery. Maybe a Caretaker's house would be better.

Medical. Medication is consumed to support healing (antibiotics, vitamins, painkillers, etc.). Medical equipment was used during the treatment and healing period. Professional medical personnel will care for Whumpee until he is completely healed.

Foods high in nutrition. Of course, it's easy to digest. Healthy food usually doesn't taste good, but it's the Caretaker's job to make the food able to whet Whumpee's appetite.

Water. There is no need to ask. Hydration is very important for Whumpee's body as it recovers.

Snack. Taking medicine every day definitely makes Whumpee bored. A little snack will help. The cookies, candy, or chocolate that Whumpee eats after swallowing the bitter medicine will make him smile.

Fresh air and morning sunshine. Many people say that fresh air and morning sunlight are also good medicine for recovery. Taking a breath and basking in the cool of the morning would be great for Whumpee.

Clean clothes. Replace every two times a day.

Bathe. Bathing in the morning and evening makes the body fresh and clean. Maybe at first, Caretaker won't immediately pour water but will wipe Whumpee's body with soapy water.

Straighten hair. Maybe cut it when Whumpee starts to get better. Apart from making it look fresher, Whumpee will also feel comfortable.

Comfort items. Plusies, stuffed animals, pillows, blankets, photos, scent, or anything else that can keep Whumpee calm and comfortable during the recovery period.

A change of scenery during recovery will also be helpful. Occasionally moving Whumpee to the living room, sitting him in the dining room, accompanying him on the terrace, or taking him to sit on the grass in the garden will make Whumpee feel better.

Light and pleasant conversation. Don't expect to be able to interrogate Whumpee during the recovery period if you don't want to be shouted at by Caretaker.

Touch. Whumpee is definitely touch-starved. A holding hand, a caress on the cheek, a stroking of the hair, a light kiss on the forehead, a hug, or a backrest when sitting will be what Whumpee really needs.

Calming sentences. Simple sentences that make Whumpee feel safe, such as "It's okay, you're safe", "I'm here", "no one will hurt you anymore", "I will take care of you", "it was just a dream, it's all over", "just rest, don't think about anything", "go to sleep, I'll be here when you wake up", "you did a good job", "I'm proud of you", "thank you for coming back to me," "I'm happy you are here," "I love you," and others.

Caretaker. There is no need to ask. Caretaker is the "medicine" that Whumpee needs most for his healing.

Anything you want to add?

[whump-or-whatever]

Ways To Reveal a Character’s Traumatic Past

Dream sequence/nightmare

Flashback/resurfaced memories

Revealed by psychic reading Whumpee’s mind

Found footage/pictures

Someone finally asks and they explain

As the reason behind a thought process/assumption/belief

Whumper shows up and taunts them

Scars

Through conditioned behaviour

Finding an old journal

Hints dropped in conversation

Have someone who knows tell someone who doesn’t

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Feel free to add others!

[urlocalwhumper]

living weapon/military experiment whumpee being shown that they can create, not just destroy.

at the command of their former masters, they've razed fields and gardens alike, but now their eyes light up with pride as they watch the flowers they planted start to sprout.

they clumsily hold a paintbrush in their rough, calloused hands. they're a terrible painter, but no one's great when they first start out, and they just enjoy the process itself.

they used to be a mindless monster, an unfeeling weapon who obediently followed orders. but now they've been taught to think, to feel, to love. and they're happy.