the basic rules can be found in the official prompts post
Any creator can participate, you can do gifs, videos, drawing, painting, writing, fic recs, fiber arts, cosplay, clay figurines, feature length films, whatever your heart desires. The prompts can be interpreted freely, but they do need to be whumpy in some way.
(Considering it’s the start of a new year in many places, I want to encourage everyone to consider trying out something new in this event if you want! Experiment with different media, create a new OC, create for a new fandom, try out something you’ve never done before. But of course you can also stick to what you know :))
-Create for at least one prompt every other number (odd/black numbers), so 15 total works/chapters/sections by the end of the month to complete the challenge
-Even/White numbers are community prompts/questions, they are voluntary and don't need to be filled/answered for completionist. They can be combined with creation prompts if applicable (e.g "create something in a new/less familiar medium")
-You can also just do one, two, or any number of prompts to count as a participant for the challenge
-You can combine prompts from the same day/number
-If you combine prompts from different days/numbers, try to give each prompt enough space (e.g more than just a few sentences per prompt)
-You can post your creations on any platform or not at all (but only those posted on tumblr, including links to other sites, might get reblogged)
-Prompts don't have to be done in order but creations posted around the corresponding day are more likely to get reblogged
-Replace prompts you don't like with an alt prompt
-Prompts can be used after the event ends
-There's an AO3 collection to post your works on
There will be a form for completionists at the end of the month to submit your name so I can make a shoutout post.
Some works will be reblogged here if tagged correctly (your works still count for the challenge if they don't get reblogged)
Be sure to tag your Whumpuary posts with:
- #whumpuary2026
- #whumpuaryno1 #whumpuaryno2 .....#whumpuaryno15 (the prompt number)
- any trigger/content warning tags
- any additional tags (fandom, oc, art/fic/gifs/..., personal tags)
you can also tag this blog @whumpuary (but I won't be looking at my mentions more than the tag)
FAQs here
If there are any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask :)
me dusting off my tumblr again after several months bc I wanted to follow a fic author who wrote for super niche fucked up teenager manga and then inspired one of my besties to write their fucked up super niche fucked up teenager fic. and then finding out said fic author also is a Hisoka fan from their 49829498 HxH fics and I'm just like I don't read HxH fic often bc there's many other earthworms but HISOKA/ILLUMI-
WHUMPTOBER is a month-long, prompt-based creation CHALLENGE (think: Inktober, but whumpier). There are four prompts for each day of the month, giving 124 for you to play with! There is also a list of 18 alternative prompts that can be subbed in for any day to give participants as much creative freedom as possible.
All prompts are meant to serve as inspiration without being taken literally (e.g. you don’t have to include the exact wording of prompts into your work). Feel free to run rampant on interpretation. For example, if the prompt is “flame", you could create something with reference to a candle/campfire, your character could have suffered a burn, or the flame could be a reference to an ‘old flame’ - an old relationship. It’s truly down to you!
You can produce work in any media you choose, including but not limited to: writing, visual artwork, photo/video/audio edits, paper crafts and elaborate recommendation lists (not just a list of links). You can participate as much or as little as you want (i.e. you don’t have to do ALL the prompts if you don’t want to) and prompts can be used in any order. They are also free to use even after the event ends.
Please make sure to read the Event Info and FAQ carefully, as most of your questions will be answered there already. For everything else, you are welcome to come to our ask box or ask questions in our Discord server here.
Information on how to TAG is here.
This year’s AO3 Collection can be found here.
This year’s playlist can be found here.
The ‘Anatomy of a Whumptober Prompt’ post can be found here.
And our 'Resources for Writing Sensitive Topics’ post is here.
We’re very excited to see the community come together for yet another year of Whumptober! Go ham with the prompts, and support your fellow creators - we wish you all the best of luck, but most importantly: HAVE FUN!
Happy whumping,
Mods Vanne, Yenn, Kitty and Surro
Text versions of the prompts, including a google doc format, are posted below the cut!
A Google Doc of the prompts can be found here for easy copy-and-pasting!
Whumptober 2025 Prompt List
No. 1: “Please don’t cry”
Lamb to Slaughter | Ceremony | Beg for Forgiveness
No. 2: “You’ve got a lot of nerve to dredge up all my fears.”
Prophecy | Sewer | Taking Accountability
No. 3: “I look in people’s windows, transfixed by rose golden glows.”
Isolation | Candlelight | Found Family
No. 4: “Don’t be scared, I’ve done this before.”
Non-Human Whumper | Iron Rod | Loss of Powers
No. 5: “My panic’s at the ceiling, but I’m face down on the carpet.”
Quivering | Dream Journal | Phobia
No. 6: “No grave can hold my body down.”
Caught in a Net | Medical Restraints | Pinned to the Wall
No. 7: “Tell me that you’re okay, and I’m fine.”
Trapped with the Enemy | Elevator | Pushed Beyond Breaking Point
No. 8: “Oh horror, oh horror, what did you see?”
Self-Inflicted Injury | Held at Gunpoint | Dissociation
No. 9: “We’ll make it alright to come undone.”
Touch | Flashbacks | Scalding
No. 10: “There’s nothing you can ever say, nothing you can ever do.”
Without Consent | Secrets | Lips Sewn Shut
No. 11: “Can you get through all the pain inside you?”
Hidden Injury | Laceration | Forced Reveal
No. 12: “It’ll be for nothing.”
Cardiac Arrest | Sacred Place | Withholding Medical Treatment
No. 13: “How dull is it to pause, to make an end, to rust unburnished.”
Never Enough | Insignia | Forced Retirement
No. 14: “In the end, it’s worthwhile.”
Ignoring an Illness | Body Bag | Wounded Caretaker
No. 15: “You can take a break, if you just tell me that it hurts.”
Failed Rescue Attempt | Body Part in the Mail | Live-Streamed Torture
No. 16: “I’ve had the rug pulled beneath my feet.”
Repressed Trauma | Permanent Marker | Disorientation
No. 17: “Tell me there’s a hope for me.”
Internal Bleeding | Coma | Redemption
No. 18: “As the world caves in.”
Dystopia | Ruins | Environmental Whump
No. 19: “You’re on your own, lost in the wild.”
Dehumanisation | Living Weapon | On Patrol
While other people are out here dropping Kinktober prompt lists with 9000 stipulations, I bring you this.
It's not a real October event, but it could be if you believe. The prompts are here for anyone to enjoy anyway.
Why "schlock"?
It means trash/junk, and that's the quality of content I'm striving for with these prompts. It's also fun to say.
But, y'know, if you want to take a prompt and turn it into a masterpiece of a whumpy longfic, go for it.
What fandom is this for?
Whatever fandom you want.
What ships can I write/draw?
Any of them.
Even [my fandom's most despised ship]?
Especially [your fandom's most despised ship].
What if I want to combine prompts? What if I want to write or draw things out of order? What if...
Go for it.
Are crossovers okay?
Do. Whatever. You. Want.
What if I want to create something problematic?
Send me the fucking link.
What does [prompt] mean?
You tell me. It's all open to interpretation.
Are there any rules at all?
Sure.
No AI use. If you need an LLM to write your schlock for you, consider a long walk off a short pier. If you need it to do your editing for you, use a beta reader instead. A stick figure drawn on the back of a napkin is better than soulless AI art.
Tag appropriately. 'Creator Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings' means anything goes. 'No Archive Warnings Apply' means your work is guaranteed not to contain any of the major archive warnings (non-con, major character death, graphic violence, or underage sex).
No irl bigotry. Your characters can be problematic as all get out, but if you try to post a weird pro-JK Rowling essay or something you're not going in the collection, bud. Don't kill the vibes.
What are the vibes?
Just have fun.
But other people are having fun wrong!
Shut the fuck up.
Are you going to be doing this?
Probably not.
How do I participate?
There's an ao3 collection right here:
Schlocktober on ao3
Otherwise, just hashtag #schlocktober or something, idk. I don't expect anyone to actually do this.
A prompt fest is an event where users submit prompts for fan work ideas and other users fill them. There is no obligation to fill a prompt, and a prompt can be filled multiple times if desired.
When submitting a prompt, you will have the option to be anonymous. This collection is NOT anonymous by default, but you can submit your work to the archive's "Anonymous" collection to render it anonymous if you so wish.
There are two collections, one for SFW-only prompts and one that allows for NSFW prompts.
All ships and content are welcome, provided they remain within the ratings of their respective collections!
Prompting will open as of this posting when the first Earth timezone enters July 1st and will close when the last Earth timezone enters September 1st. You can see what time that is for you here!
Submitted prompts will remain available to fill after the prompting period, so you can still fill claims after August ends!
And if a prompt fest isn't your cup of tea, there is also an upcoming Graces Fan Week running August 1st to August 7th!
The caffeine is hitting, if I were to host a Graces fandom event would anyone be interested?
Current thoughts are:
A week of prompts ending on the 7th of August, which is 花の日 (flower day). The prompts would be based on each of the 7 party members’ flowers from the Anniversary Party.
A prompt fest event where everyone submits prompts for Graces and fills them freely. There would be no guarantees on fills though, but the event would run the entirety of July and August and close at the start of September.
Both??? I wouldn’t mind it but I can understand why it might be a bit much for a small fandom lol.
if you have another suggestion please reply in the reblogs or shoot me an ask!
Graces event format:
One week of predetermined prompts (August 1st to August 7th)
Two months of free-for-all prompt treats (July 1st to August 31st)
Spoilers for all of Xillia 2, but is it really a spoiler if the game never even addresses it?
Some info overlaps with Taleslations’ post here which I recommend reading (they also have more stuff on Xillia 1).
I tried really hard to put this in some type of chronological order, but unless I list a specific year please don’t take the order of events as canon. There are also some points at which the lore blatantly contradicts itself, but I am treating all lore as equally canon (no matter how much it annoys me).
That said, this is NOT an exhaustive resource, and I may have overlooked some details.
Sources:
PG = Perfect Guide
OWG = Official World Guidance (which includes five short stories)
SB = Scenario Book (more specifically, the “Family” short story, which has been partially translated here by yume-x-hanabi, who also provided me with the raws)
20th = Tales of Series 20th Anniversary Encyclopaedia
MG = Manga by Ryu Naitou (technically a different continuity but not much in this adaptation actually contradicts game lore)
Thank you to Temple of Tales for their full text datamine which made finding NPC dialogue a lot easier
Anything that isn’t explicitly cited is from the game, from the PG timeline on page 727, or I forgot to source it. Feel free to ask me for specifics, since I did read the vast majority of this via machine translation, and the game’s NPC dialogue is easily missable.
Thanks to @lastthroes and @yume-x-hanabi for their help <3
ue ue ue (sound of crying) @soft-serve-soymilk did a wonderful commission of Sophie wearing Asbel’s coat surrounded by smol Asbels!!! (Inspired by a thought @kohakhearts had about Asbel giving Sophie his coat when she gets cold 🥺)
I love child!Asbel stealing a drink from Sophie’s hot chocolate and the sleeves being too big for Sophie 😭 and of course all the fun Asbel alts including his academy outfit and his Asteria alt it’s all so adorable I cry, thank you again so much Pav <3
Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World - Hatenai Omoi Vol. 1, Alice Excerpts
I translated the prologue, part of chapter 4, and the epilogue in the first volume of Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World - Feelings Without End by Sara Yajima.
This volume is entirely about Alice and Decus' backstory. The parts I translated cover their finale in the game, and gives more introspect on Alice's thoughts during that segment.
Prologue
She could feel the scrapes on her shoulders and chest as she laid face down.
Here in the Ginnungagap, the bones of countless monsters who had lost their life were mercilessly scattered about. Those who still had a semblance of their form were the lucky ones—no doubt below laid those whose bones had long crumbled to dust. This was a Monster Graveyard.
Moaning, Alice desperately tried to stand.
De…cus…
Reflected in her hazy eyes was his unmoving body, no longer breathing. Her hand trembled as she reached out to him in an attempt to get even a tiny bit closer.
“Alice… I know…you always said I was disgusting…”
Decus’ voice rose up in her mind.
“But I loved you…”
Those were his last words. She couldn’t count how many times she had heard him say “love” since they were young. However, it was the first and last time she had heard it in the past tense.
Decus…
When he was stabbed by Emil Castagnier’s sword, she instinctively let out a shriek. Unable to stand, she fell to her knees.
“...I… I loved you too. I really, truly… loved you too!”
She wondered if that voice would reach Decus.
Decus… If it was gonna come to this, then… I should have…
She could hear Emil saying something. Answering that voice was Marta Lualdi, still holding her spinners.
“Ghh…!”
Using all her strength, Alice crawled forward.
“Decus… I’m… coming for you…”
As he lay stretched out languidly, Alice reached out to his slender fingers.
The pain from the wound that Marta inflicted slowly faded into the distance. In its place, she could hear a faint whooshing sound.
Was it the wind? Wind did not blow in the Ginnungagap. That was the sound of the strong winds blowing in Hima.
I’m going home…
Alice smiled.
The orphanage where she met Decus when she was young must surely still be there.
It was an old building, and the kids would often have to repair the roof after the wind would damage it. Occasionally, a curious traveler or stray monster would wander into the small yard. The paint was peeling on the outer walls, and all that remained of the smashed windows was a warped frame.
Alice listened carefully to the sound that called her. Soon, she would no longer be in pain.
The wind grew stronger.
Chapter 4
Ginnungagap was the passageway to another world—once meant to connect Tethe’alla and Sylvarant—and now was the door to the demonic realm.
Richter, who had made pacts with the demons, was now trying to open the door to Niflheim. After confirming Richter had entered, Alice and Decus laid in wait to ambush Marta’s group. They would surely appear soon to stop Richter.
“This should be a good place to wait.”
Decus held the iron maiden in one hand and struck a pose. The reason it took them so long to reach this place was because of his so-called lucky merchandise, which weighed a ton.
“Decus, how long are you going to carry that dumb thing around? I can’t believe you brought it here of all places.”
She breathed a sigh and side-eyed the casket-style torture device.
“Well, my dearest Alice, today is the 765th day! The day my wish is to come true! There’s no way I wouldn’t bring it!”
“Is that so?” It was a typical occurrence, so Alice brushed it off.
“Hehe… Hehehehehe!” Decus looked down and burst into laughter.
“Why are you acting so disgusting?”
“Sorry, I was just thinking. Like how it would be nice to get a house after this. Let’s see… How does a place in Hima sound?
“Hima?” Alice looked at Decus, puzzled. “You can go back there if you want, but surely you of all people know Hima is beyond remote.”
Decus wriggled his body and proudly proclaimed, “That’s exactly why! I did think it through, y’know. With your flying monsters, we’d be just a hop away from work!”
“Wait, you’re including me in this?!” Alice gaped at him.
“The monsters there have decreased in numbers, and it’s become a nice place.”
“Oh, you…!” Alice glared at Decus. “You left me to go searching for Exspheres while you went back to Hima.”
“Please don’t get mad. I just wanted to take a glance to see if it was a suitable place for us to live and put you at ease.”
“...”
Does he really plan on staying with me forever?
Alice was exasperated.
At that moment, faint footsteps could be heard in the distance.
“!”
Alice readied herself.
“Alice, it looks like they’re here.”
“I know.”
I’ll show you my “power.” Alice looked up with a dignified face, and then looked forward.
What appeared before her eyes was not a large number of people, but Marta and Emil, and the Centurion of Darkness, Tenebrae. Alice was happy to see this.
Alice had not known that Lloyd’s group, who held the Derris Emblem that Ratatosk hated, had been transported to another location. She had only wanted to surpass Marta, and say a piece of her mind.
“Welcome, to the Monster Graveyard.”
Alice lined herself up with Decus, and snapping her whip, stepped out to meet the two. She had no intention of losing.
I’ll show you whether my belief is just a show or not.
Alice readied her whip, and Decus took out his large sword from the iron maiden. Emil went after Alice with his sword.
“Watch out, Alice!”
Marta went after Decus with her spinners as he guarded Alice. Taking that gap as a chance, Emil’s sword flashed several times before her eyes.
“Ahh?!”
There’s no way I’ll lose! I came this far with my own power. I can’t allow myself to lose to Martmart of all people! I’m stronger than her!
Believing in herself, Alice continued to fight. Eventually, she collapsed. Decus was also wounded, and let out a moan.
Why… I thought Martmart can’t do anything on her own… Don’t tell me she really grew up just because the princess met her prince?
“Martmart…”
Alice, collapsed, began to stand up while calling Marta’s name. Emil’s attack had cut deeply, most likely puncturing a lung, and she had difficulty breathing.
“Alice…”
“Martmart, you know, I…”
I have to say it. Those words I’ve always wanted to say!
Alice drew nearer to Marta, slouched over. She took one step and showed off a large stumble.
“Alice!”
As expected, Marta came running over and reached out to support Alice’s body.
Martmart, you’re too naive.
Alice straightened her body and slapped Marta as hard as she could across the cheek.
“I hate your guts!”
You’re just a little princess who’s never suffered a day in her life, and gets pampered when you can’t do a damn thing!
Alice pushed Marta down and straddled her, then raised her whip high and started to strike her.
“S-Stop that right now!”
Emil went after Alice and sliced his sword sideways.
Ahh!
She closed her eyes instinctively, when suddenly she heard a noise.
“Urgh…”
Before her was a groan she knew all too well.
D-Decus?!
Decus had his back gouged by Emil’s sword as he jumped in front of Alice. He tightly grabbed Alice’s shoulders with both hands.
For the first time, Alice saw a hint of nostalgia in Decus’ unfocused pupils, as he swayed back and forth. As his lips turned purple, he muttered, trembling and with a smile, “Today… is the 765th day… It seems… it was a scam again…”
Decus…
“Alice… I know…you always said I was disgusting…”
As his voice grew hoarse, he murmured just one thing.
“But I loved you…”
His words streamed into Alice’s ears.
That was it. Standing upright, just like that, he fell forward.
No…
“Decus!”
Alice shrieked. In that moment, the armor around her heart shattered.
“...I… I loved you too. I really, truly… loved you too!”
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
As much as I wanted to yell “I hate your guts!” to Marta… All the same, I wanted to say “I loved you” to Decus…
A terrifying regret took hold of her heart.
Why did I only realize now… That’s right, I loved Decus. So why…!
Alice picked up Decus’ large sword from the ground. The idea to use her monsters never once crossed her mind.
“DIE!!!”
She rushed at Emil, who had taken Decus’ life. Suddenly, a large impact struck her back.
“...You know… Martmart…”
When she raised her head, Marta turned her back on her.
“...Hate me if you will. But I’ll never forgive anyone who hurts Emil.”
“...I never imagined you would seriously come at me. It’s my utter defeat…”
Since when did things turn out this way… Since when…
Alice desperately retraced her path.
“You’re a half-elf.”
“You’ll become strong.”
“...So long as you don’t die in the middle of it, you’ll live a long life.”
The words of the old lady living in Hima came to mind.
Just… when…
Unable to come to an answer, she collapsed face down.
Epilogue
“Decus… I’m… coming for you…”
The strong winds blowing in Hima danced in the heavens, and softly rained down on the place Alice laid. The sound faded into the distance.
Her hand finally reached his fingers, where warmth still resided. She gently overlapped his hand with her own.
“Soon… we’ll be together again…” She whispered with only a movement of her lips.
If only… I had realized sooner… Then maybe the days we spent together may have been different…
The sky that Decus had looked up to every day when he was young. With clouds torn apart by the wind, the two began their journey under that same sky, seemingly too high to set their dreams free into.
To change the world all by oneself.
To obtain “power” all by oneself.
What I really wanted was… No, this was for the best…
She knew where her destination lay.
This time, I’ll return home, she thought.
Next time though, I absolutely won’t lose! She slowly closed her eyes.
Final Fantasy XV is like, the Dark Souls of FF lore. And it's not even intentional, which is bullshit. I have to piece together scrap bits here and there from different periods of production, figure out if that official manga contradicts what was laid out in the game, consult the scriptures of the canceled DLC-Turned-Novel, backtrack through game patches to see what item descriptions changed, consult different localizations, consult the goddamn pocket version...
Did you know that the Starscourge, the main driving force of the plot of XV, being a disease that can turn humans into daemons, the thing that Noctis has to sacrifice his life to get rid of because even the gods can't do it, is only revealed to have come from the meteor that Titan caught (and thus be from beyond the stars) in the German localization?
there is legit unique lore in the owner’s manual for the one-of-a-kind custom Audi that they commissioned in advance of the game? A car, the Star of Lucis, that can only be owned by one ridiculously wealthy person, HAS ORIGINAL LORE
This is the content that is buried in the code of the archive.org site from Audi for the Star of Lucis. Due to now broken code on archive pa
