Best place for a whumpee to be: jail cell separate from but visible to a friend.
Medic and whumpee captured together, medic desperately trying to walk Whumpee through first aid before they pass out from blood loss, unable to get to them.
Leader whumpee getting beat to shit in clear view of their team and none of them can help.
Rivals/enemies captured together, watching the other get hurt and realizing in the worst way possible that some part of them cares for the other.
This is inspired by that post that talks about how whip scars are cool because they’re so intentional, I love scars that are obviously left with intent, scars that could only come about from the effort of someone, whether that be the person themself or an abuser, cigarette burns, knife cuts, brands, the types of marks that clearly say that someone decided to hurt them and meant it
Nothing beats the moment when the unconscious character wakes up confused and drowsy but well-tended to, the person at their bedside immediately noticing their disorientation
to this day i can't quite explain what it is about the kidnapping/long-term captivity trope that fascinates me. maybe it's just the microcosm of one person having nearly godlike power over your life and struggling to fight back against it, escape from it, and/or be rescued from it. something like that.
two characters who don’t usually get along find themselves gagged and in a torture/forced to watch situation. they‘re usually in a constant state of disagreement, including the possibility of the occasional physical fight, but they would never actually wish for this. the character who is getting tortured spends the entire time seeking eye contact with their rival — give me this one show of your humanity, please — and once their rival realizes they want this small measure of comfort as opposed to the dignity of some privacy, they return it. no actual possibility for words of reassurance or defiance, so eye contact is all they get. thinking abt how emotionally fraught and complicated their relationship would become once they make it out
still thinking about this. and also thinking about the aftermath, where they still can't hold a civil conversation but manage to communicate so much in the moments between through body language. victim is put in a physical position similar enough to the torture that they freeze up, and their rival breaks them out of it without directly addressing what's going on. but then they make intentional eye contact and the victim just knows. feels seen and understood. the connection it allows two people who only really hurt each other when they talk to have.
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
This is for all MOTA creators and for all characters, themes and ships! All forms of creative work are welcome, writing, art, edits, collages, music, etc. No AI is allowed.
Be creative! Nothing is too whumpy or angsty!
Instructions for the whumpfest can be found here! The art is generously submitted by @mota-fanart-gallery and tumblr artist are tagged.
Whump-sets
Monday 8th - John’s Birthday
Broken bottle - Beating - Trapped/Hunted
“Look at me!”
Song: It’s My Party - Lesley Gore
Artwork 1 by @flipfloplogic
Artwork 2 by @sachart
Artwork 3 by @1filly
Edit 1 - Edit 2 - Edit 3
Tuesday 9th
Betrayal/Set up - Wet tiles - Hiding injury
“I don’t have a choice!”
Song: We’ll Meet Again - Vera Lynn
Artwork 1 by @ignalina-c0re
Artwork 2 by @meyerlansky
Artwork 3 by @jacksamiras
Edit 1 by @m4n1festion
Edit 2 by @guessimherenowtoo
Edit 3 by @bravo4iscool
Wednesday 10th
Crash - Sickness - Self inflicted injury
“I can’t feel my legs.”
Song: Spiegel im Spiegel - Arvo Pärt or (Nice Dream) - Radiohead
Artwork 1 by @redbelles
Artwork 2 by @itstheheebiejeebies
Edit 1 - Edit 2 by @bravo4iscool - Edit 3
Thursday 11th
Stabbed - Rain - Whumpy (love) confession
“Just gimme a minute.”
Song: Somebody to Die For - Hurts
Artwork 1 by @triggerlil
Artwork 2 by @mcnicecream
Artwork 3 by @beepbeepcomeatmebruv
Edit 1 by @bravo4iscool - Edit 2 - Edit 3 by @bravo4iscool
Friday 12th
Panic attack/Flashbacks - Head slammed into wall - Suicide mission
“Feels funny.”
Song: Blood // Water - grandson
Artwork 1 by @itstheheebiejeebies
Artwork 2 by @coldarena
Artwork 3 by @triggerlil
Edit 1 - Edit 2 - Edit 3 by @bravo4iscool
Saturday 13th
Propeller - Bruises/Blood - Dead/Assumed dead
“It’s okay.”
Song: The Grave - Don McLean or I Know It's Over - Jeff Buckley
Artwork 1 by @1filly
Artwork 2 by @blood-mocha-latte
Edit 1 - Edit 2 - Edit 3
Sunday 14th
Delirium/nightmare - Punishment - Hypothermia
“Lie to me. Please.”
Song: Who Wants to Live Forever - Queen
Artwork 1 by @wuzzles
Artwork 2 by @swifty-fox
Edit 1 - Edit 2 - Edit 3
Bonus Monday 15th
Self sacrifice - Poison - Torture
“Don’t touch him.” or "Take me instead!"
Song: The End of the World - Skeeter Davis
Artwork 1 by @sorgenfalter
Artwork 2 by @swifty-fox
Edit 1 - Edit 2 - Edit 3 by @bravo4iscool
Alternative prompts
None of the whump-sets resonate with you? Don’t worry. If you want to participate in the whumpfest but have different ideas, feel free to do any physical or emotional whump of your personal choosing, in any medium.
Questions?
Ask below or drop us an ask!
Happy whumping!
Don't forget to tag @mota-collab and follow and use the #MOTA whumpfest 2025 tag!
Stoic whumpees are tasty and great and I love them but I especially love when the stoicism isn’t a mask. They aren’t pretending, they just don’t seem to react to pain.
Sure, the strong, tough, uncaring character breaking down after years of wearing a mask is a wonderful trope and I will eat it up every time, but I don’t think there’s enough content for whumpees who genuinely don’t express the hurt.
It’s not that they don’t feel bad. The wounds ache horrendously, and they’re terrified the whole time. It just doesn’t necessarily reach their face, leading people to believe that they’re fine, and that they don’t need help in the slightest. The rest of the team are whining and crying, but Whumpee is stood stone-faced, clearly they don’t need medical attention right now, they can wait until they get back to base.
When something truly terrible happens to either them or someone they hold dear, shit hits the fan with the rest of the team. Because, how could Whumpee possibly be so heartless, not even reacting to the fact that the team almost lost a member or two. Either they don’t care enough to ‘stop pretending to be cold’, or they’re clearly just some heartless and unfeeling person.
1 thing they don't tell you about forced to watch is its sooooo fucking embarrassing for the one they're watching. like, oh my god. you can't ever look your friends in the eye because they saw you getting battered and bashed and WORSE, saw you flinching away and begging for it to stop.
Best friends post-whump never talking about it EVER until one day 3rd friend asks about it and they both fall very silent and won't look at each other.
Touch Him Again and I'll Kill You. @whumping-through-life - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
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