really nice gift for Specifically Me when the character has an immediate and violent panic response to being held down / physically restrained. especially if their affect is usually cheerful or relaxed or reserved and this is their one "sicko mode (wildly uncharacteristic)" button.
thinking about whumpees who were taken because they’re useful
they can make something no one else can. could be a map, could be a spell, the possibilities are endless...
they’re a walking dictionary for something niche. maybe they’re the only one in the world who can translate a lost book, or they understand a certain kind of tech better then anyone who took them
they have something physical that makes them appealing. maybe they have a rare blood type or immunity to something that makes them a perfect specimen
they're particularly entertaining. maybe they can sing, dance, narrate... other things. plenty of opportunities :)
maybe they're just leverage, plain and simple. all they need is to stay with whumper and they'll be kept alive.
with that in mind, how does whumper treat them?
are they oh so careful? do they try to avoid letting whumpee know they can’t leave? do they treat them like royalty, providing them with food, a bed, all the comforts they could ask for?
are they perhaps a bit less careful, reminding whumpee they’re expendable (even if they’re not)? where can whumper hurt them so whumpee can still do what they were taken for?
do they keep them wherever its convenient with no regard for their comfort? maybe they simply forget about whumpee when they're not needed... oh no :)
does whumpee give whumpee the resources they need, or are they forced to work with limited supplies and make a product up to whumpers standards or face the consequences?
drop ideas/suggestions/responses anywhere! i stalk reblogs and my message box so chances are i'll reply (full of joy)
whumper’s list of crimes extends longer than their kidnap and torture of whumpee. inevitably, they get arrested for something entirely unrelated to whumpee.
they were the only one who knew where whumpee was.
do they confess, letting someone find them and add to their growing list of crimes? do they just let them stay there, abandoned, slowly starving to death? does whumpee escape?
when the sick character is begging and pleading and calling for their companion, who's right there beside them trying to shush and soothe and reassure them, but they're too out of it to register their presence or recognise them even when the companion is clutching the fevered character's hand and stroking their hair and talking softly to them
This was one of the first whump tropes that really got to me as a little baby whumper back in the day XD
It's the pure helplessness of someone begging and calling out for someone else and desperately needing them in whatever fears they're fighting in their head...meanwhile that person is Right There and feeling equally helpless that they can be so close yet so unable to console their friend </3 </3
whumpee smashing the mirror into a million bits for any reason. is it because whumper ruined their looks? lost too much weight in captivity? branded? whatever the reason. smash that mirror
Just. The whole "strangers rescue a freezing and half drowned whumpee after they fell into the sea/a river/lake" thing. An isolated village scavenging a shipwreck only to find a lone survivor, limp and pale and barely alive. Carrying them inside and wrapping them up warmly by a fire, bandaging any injuries and keeping a close watch on them until they've started shivering again; spooning helpings of warm broth and tea into their mouth as they gradually regain consciousness, letting them rest for hours after. Waiting for them to be well enough to tell their story.
And of course, caring for them as instead of getting better, they slide from an exhausted sleep into a feverish doze as their body battles infection -- from a wound, from water in their lungs etc
10 Non-Lethal Injuries to Add Pain to Your Writing
New Part: 10 Lethal Injury Ideas
If you need a simple way to make your characters feel pain, here are some ideas:
1. Sprained Ankle
A common injury that can severely limit mobility. This is useful because your characters will have to experience a mild struggle and adapt their plans to their new lack of mobiliy. Perfect to add tension to a chase scene.
2. Rib Contusion
A painful bruise on the ribs can make breathing difficult, helping you sneak in those ragged wheezes during a fight scene. Could also be used for something sport-related! It's impactful enough to leave a lingering pain but not enough to hinder their overall movement.
3. Concussions
This common brain injury can lead to confusion, dizziness, and mood swings, affecting a character’s judgment heavily. It can also cause mild amnesia.
I enjoy using concussions when you need another character to subtly take over the fight/scene, it's an easy way to switch POVs. You could also use it if you need a 'cute' recovery moment with A and B.
4. Fractured Finger
A broken finger can complicate tasks that require fine motor skills. This would be perfect for characters like artists, writers, etc. Or, a fighter who brushes it off as nothing till they try to throw a punch and are hit with pain.
5. Road Rash
Road rash is an abrasion caused by friction. Aka scraping skin. The raw, painful sting resulting from a fall can be a quick but effective way to add pain to your writing. Tip: it's great if you need a mild injury for a child.
6. Shoulder Dislocation
This injury can be excruciating and often leads to an inability to use one arm, forcing characters to confront their limitations while adding urgency to their situation. Good for torture scenes.
7. Deep Laceration
A deep laceration is a cut that requires stitches. As someone who got stitches as a kid, they really aren't that bad! A 2-3 inch wound (in length) provides just enough pain and blood to add that dramatic flair to your writing while not severely deterring your character.
This is also a great wound to look back on since it often scars. Note: the deeper and wider the cut the worse your character's condition. Don't give them a 5 inch deep gash and call that mild.
8. Burns
Whether from fire, chemicals, or hot surfaces, burns can cause intense suffering and lingering trauma. Like the previous injury, the lasting physical and emotional trauma of a burn is a great wound for characters to look back on.
If you want to explore writing burns, read here.
9. Pulled Muscle
This can create ongoing pain and restrict movement, offering a window to force your character to lean on another. Note: I personally use muscle related injuries when I want to focus more on the pain and sprains to focus on a lack of mobility.
10. Tendonitis
Inflammation of a tendon can cause chronic pain and limit a character's ability to perform tasks they usually take for granted. When exploring tendonitis make sure you research well as this can easily turn into a more severe injury.
This is a quick, brief list of ideas to provide writers inspiration. Since it is a shorter blog, I have not covered the injuries in detail. This is inspiration, not a thorough guide. Happy writing! :)
Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks?
Check out the rest of Quillology with Haya; a blog dedicated to writing and publishing tips for authors!
LUNGGGGGSSSS. They are seriously some of my favourite whump related injuries to write!
I started researching lung injuries as a teen (before I ever knew I was into whump), and I have so much useless information relating to the subject. So here is whatever I remember. Because more Whumpees deserve lung damage.
They're a class of injury that is not just hell to endure, but also to watch someone else go through. So Caretaker can also suffer in proxy.
A Whumpee might have to gurgle their words past the blood that’s coming up from their lungs, desperately pull air into a lung that won’t inflate because it has collapsed, or start losing coherence and coordination due to oxygen deprivation.
Other lung injury details:
Cyanosis (lips, tongue and fingertips turning blue)
Pale skin that is cool and clammy to the touch
Air hunger (a special kind of living hell)
Coughing, choking, rattling breath
Fragmented speech, or even the inability to speak entirely because they can’t afford the air. Not being able to project their voice, having to speak in a wheeze
Blood or bloody froth appearing at the mouth and nose, especially when Whumpee is trying to breathe through blood
Confusion, fatigue, irritability, compromised mental function
Lack of coordination, fumbling fingers, tripping over things, bumping into furniture
Oxygen deprivation can cause seizures, unconsciousness, brain damage, coma, and death of course
AND if you want, Whumpee can also go out quietly, without anyone knowing. Passing out or dying from oxygen deprivation can be silent and unexpected (See "old man's best friend" >> pneumonia providing a gentle end to old or very sick individuals without visible pain or struggle)
Some dramatic lung injury interventions:
For hemothorax (blood in the lungs): having to drain the blood collected in the lung so the person can breathe
For pneumothorax (air in the chest cavity, compressing the lung): releasing the air so it stops squashing the lung
Drowning: also see secondary drowning, where it happens outside of water
This is not exhaustive! Also, I am not in the medical industry, so take everything with a grain of salt and do your own research!
I was just inspired to share this because I just wrote a fic where not one, but TWO Whumpees got lung injuries! TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!
I finally got to use all my lung trivia! 🫁
"Please forgive me. I am so... so sorry."
Whumpee stared at them blankly. Forgive Whumper... after everything they put them through?
Whumpee just starts laughing. The first time they've laughed in a long time. It feels so ridiculous to even imagine forgiving Whumper. Forgiveness isn't an option.
But damn does it feel good to laugh in their face.
thinking about multiple caretakers watching a rescued Whumpee finally sleep. Whumpee’s face is more relaxed now, but still as bruised as the rest of their body. Every so often they twitch or flinch or whimper in their sleep, body still not sure it’s safe.
One of the Caretakers says in a heartbroken voice, “How could someone treat them like that?”
Whumpee who has been heartbreakingly quiet ever since they returned to “normal” life. Maybe it’s presented through anger, or resentment, or fear, or sadness, or pure dissociation, but it’s strikingly different from their previous chattiness and it breaks Caretaker’s heart.
At first, Caretaker tries to draw them out of it. Tries to start conversations, ask questions, get Whumpee to talk about something, anything. But Whumpee is not at all receptive.
So, Caretaker gives them space. Lets them sit quietly, process things at their own pace.
And one day, while they’re sitting in this companionable silence, Whumpee starts to talk about an old hobby or passion. They start slowly, but when Caretaker just nods and lets them continue without interruption, they start sounding just a bit more like their old selves. All the while, Caretaker forces themselves to listen quietly and casually even as the heart swells with relief and love.
I'm sick so have some sick whumpee thoughts! (Content Warning: noncon whump under the cut)
- Whumpee shaking from a fever, curled up and trying to stay warm. Maybe they're on the floor, maybe in a basement, but they weren't given a blanket or anything soft to sleep with, and they're miserable.
- Whumpee losing their voice and being unable to answer whumper when they ask a question. Whumper getting mad, or mocking them for it, demanding an answer as they try to make more sound than a rasp or a wheeze escape.
- Whumper using whumpee's sickness to manipulate them. If they behave, they'll get their medicine. Or maybe something more subtle, becoming more doting and sweet and caring for whumpee to make them lower their guard.
- Whumper being extra cruel to whumpee, angry that they'd be so weak as to get sick.
- Whumper enjoying the effect being sick has had on whumpee, and deciding to prolong it, or even planning to intentionally get them sick in the future when they misbehave.
(Content Warning: noncon whump under the cut)
- Whumpee being too weak from their sickness to fight off whumper when they get too close and start to touch them.
- Similar to one before, but whumper using the fact that whumpee lost their voice as a way to taje advantage and make them feel worse. They aren't saying no- not loud enough to be heard, really- so this isn't bothering them that much, clearly.
- Whumper kissing whumpee and squeezing their throat, telling them that if they even think about coughing on them, they're going to be hurt worse than ever. It's not whumper's fault they're so weak and got sick- why should they have to wait for something they want?