I’m writing a story that started off as just a post-apocalyptic/dystopian romance, but it’s turned out to be really whumpy. It’s heavily based on several different historical periods and events, including 18th century military history. Basically it’s set in a near future in which many factions are fighting each other, some for political goals and some for survival. The main characters are a young man, who’s family was killed when he was very young, resulting in him becoming soldier at the age of twelve, and his wife, a young refugee who he married to save her from being raped and murdered by rival groups. I won’t bore you with the entire plot. There’s one particularly whumpy chapter; the couple, who has adopted a small child the boy is related to, joins a much larger but more politically motivated military faction that promises stability and relative safety. At first everything’s okay, but as winter hits, things get bad fast. Food becomes scarce and they sometimes go days without eating. There aren’t enough tents or even blankets and warm clothes to go around, so they find themselves sleeping on the frozen ground in the rain and snow. In the crowded camp, diseases spread quickly, and the boy contracts tuberculosis. On top of all that, the faction’s leaders tend to discriminate against the soldiers and families who just joined to survive, giving preferential treatment to those who fully agree with their politics, and the commanders take to whipping the soldiers under them for any tiny infraction. There’s one scene in the story where, after an incident with a superior, the girl is doing her best to tend to her husband. They don’t have any medical supplies, and even their water is frozen solid. He’s on the brink of giving up, and she tried to remind him of all the reasons he has to keep going. I’m not sure exactly what whump tropes this would fall into. It’s military, but not really “living weapon”. The girl is definitely both a whumpee in a more psychological sense and a caretaker. Anyway, I would love to hear if you have any ideas or thoughts about this!
That sounds like a cool story! I wrote something kind of similar (Ghost of Seattle) with a post-apocalyptic setting and a sort of living weapon (the main character, a boy soldier is used to defeat enemy groups).
I don't tend to have ideas for such specific scenarios, but here are some ideas in general for
Post-apocalypse forced to fight
Content: minor whumpee, forced to fight/living weapon, forced to work, physical punishment, multiple whumpees, war whump, ableism
Forced to fight at a young age
Starvation, dehydration due to lack of resources. Whumpee who is forced to fight, coming back with injuries, fainting from the cost to their body, rewarded with a single meal and a cup of water. Just enough to keep them going.
In the same vein, forced to work till they drop under threat of physical punishment.
That feeling of solidarity with other people in your group that forms when all are suffering and trying to help each other
Singing together. The only thing that keeps up their spirits and gives them the strength to march one more step.
Wars/fights between different groups so whumpee is constantly being sent out with the warriors and coming home with new injuries
God forbid they come back with a broken bone. The gang can't afford to keep feeding "liabilities" so they better heal up quick.
