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emcscared-whumps · 5 months

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IS WHUMPLOVERS COLLABORATE TRANSPHOBIC???

I'm going to start off this post by saying that I usually like to stay well-clear of drama. I have no desire to get myself involved; I like to stay in my dark little corner and write my dark little stories. However, a post 'exposing' the transphobia and misogyny in the whump Discord server @whumplovers-collaborate was brought to my attention, and I could not sit idly by and watch it pass by, so I will make an exception to my rule.

Without further adue, I am emc, and I am a member of the mod team over on Whumplovers Collaborate. I have been a member of the server since, 20/11/2021, two days after the creation. As I write this post, I have been assisting in modding it for roughly a year (honestly, I don't remember ^-^').

A serious accusation of transphobia and misogyny has been made against the WLC Discord server: is it true?

It is NOT true.

Transphobia and transphobic behaviour is a serious and abhorrent offence that must always be taken seriously, and I am pleased to see such a large response from the community. This also means that allegations should not be made lightly. In spite of this, I would like to express my deepest disappointment by how quickly a sparsely sourced, anecdotal post was spread within our community (if you could even call a few out of-context quotes and the offer of screenshots sources). It was borderline slanderous to the owner, my team, and my friends; and it attempted to tear up our hard work.

Mateship is extremely important to me, so when I saw this, I could not let it go unchecked. In response, I am making this post to shed some light on the situation. I will be including fully sourced screenshots and quotes, and responding to allegations, so that you all may come to your own conclusions.

PLEASE READ TO THE END.

Warning: This will be long. I will make it as long as it needs to be to convey the information correctly with proper sourcing.

This post contains evidence of misogynistic, sexist, and harmful statements on sexual assault that may be upsetting for some readers. Proceed with caution if this is something that could affect you.

Source links associated with screenshots are hyperlinks attached to the image.

What even happened?

In short, there was an incident in February this year (2023) following the question of a member on the controversial topic of why they didn't like lady whump, the discussion veered into the meta theory behind it, which sparked misogyny, accusations of misogyny, sexism, accusations of sexism, accusations of transphobia, and grossly incorrect statements on the effect that sexual assault and rape has on male (and other AMAB (Assigned Male At Birth)) people.

[Read the whole conversation].

(This is a Discord link to the beginning of the incident. If you are a member, you have likely already seen it).

You can read the Tumblr post in question [here].

(Also, please keep in mind that I am Australian and it all happened from 0100-1000 AEST on a work day (Friday). I did not have a direct hand in this conversation as it happened. I did, however, assist behind the scenes after).

Mods at the time:

Orange User

Purple User

Blue User

Yellow User

Server Owner:

Sky Blue User

The Allegations

The discussion of lady whump is not without controversy in terms of gender identity, because there are many different areas of the spectrum that are not explicitly covered in the tagging systems, which are usually binary with a couple of umbrella tags of other nonbinary genders, which by nature can never fully describe the deep way in which humans experience and express gender.

Alleged Transphobia:

Firstly, let's define transphobia, and then have a look at the incident with that in mind:

Transphobia consists of negative attitudes, feelings, or actions towards transgender people or transness in general. Transphobia can include fear, aversion, hatred, violence or anger towards people who do not conform to social gender roles. [Source]

Transphobia and trans-exclusion are not the same.

Trans-exclusion is the intentional and malicious exclusion of transgender people from certain spaces, activities, and discussions. The exclusion of transgender people in certain contexts, such as some gender discussions where transgender people are not the focus, and in which no attacks are made, are not themselves transphobic. However, trans-exclusionary behaviour is often co-morbid with transphobia, hence the association.

The mod censored in orange had expressed an interest in only reading whump of cisgender men. Subsequently, it was argued that the tagging of lady whump, alongside the tagging of male whump and nonbinary whump is inherently 'transphobic' because of the exclusion of other more or less binary genders.

(Screenshot 1)

That is trans-exclusionary at worst, but that is arguable.

The red user misinterprets the mod censored in purple's previous message "some people don’t like to bother with it" in relation to tagging or not tagging for transgender characters [Source], and incorrectly assumes that the meaning was "‘some people don’t like to bother’ with trans characters."

(Screenshot 2)

The full message from the mod censored in purple that the user censored in red had replied to reads:

10/02/2023 01:34 Some people don’t like to bother with it. And I think that’s something people can respect [Source]

The above message sent by the mod censored in purple was in reply a previous message the user censored in red sent in reply to the mod censored in orange. It provides the context for "some people don't like to bother with it." It reads:

10/02/2023 01:31 I still question how you want to know if they’re cis like, I think tagging every piece of work stating a character is trans is,, not always necessary or good That’s just what I wanted to clarify like you will not always get to know what’s in someone’s pants [Source]

This does not count as trans-exclusionary, because it could be effectively argued that tagging for a transgender character when that fact does not become relevant is wrong.

The user in red took then took the mod censored in purple's whumpee gender preference to mean main character (of general fiction) gender preference, and insinuates that they are transphobic.

The conversation was not transphobic as the post purported it do be, nor was it truly trans-exclusionary.

The most 'transphobia' that happened was in relation to users' expressed preferences for whumpee gender for the purposes of reading (and writing) whump fiction for whumperflies, rather than fiction in general; and the insinuations of a user's transphobia in relation to if and how a user chooses to or not to tag the genders of the main characters, (especially whumpees), in their whump works.

This is a long established debate within our community, and while some members (of the whump community at large) may express certain preferences for transphobic reasons, no one in this specific conversation did.

I believe the accusation that the whole server is transphobic arises from the fact that two of the mods at the time expressed a whumpee gender preference for only cisgender men. Whumperflies in my experience (and that of many others), are a very physical sensation in reaction that I cannot control to whump that I enjoy, therefore, calling certain whump gender preferences trans-exclusionary is incorrect.

There was another part of the conversation that took place after the previous screenshots, and there was some trans-exclusion inherent in it because of the focus on of sex and gender in relation to that subject, but it is a completely different issue, and it will get its own subsection.

Misogyny, and Harmful Statements on Sexual Assault and other Violence Against Women vs Men:

In the previous subsection on alleged transphobia, I mentioned another part of the conversation would get its own section. This is that section.

A user made a frankly disgusting, untrue, and extremely harmful statement on the severity of the effects of rape and sexual assault of women and men, saying that it is not as inherently bad when it happened to men and other AMAB people.

(Screenshot 3)

The full message from the user censored in pink reads:

10/02/2023 09:10 I do see the point some people make about how certain kinds of "whump" tropes are treated or developed with women vs with men, especially in mainstream media, but sometimes some people do go overboard with the downright sanitization of those tropes in general, and apply specifically in fanfiction [Source]

Those statements made by the user censored in brown were not okay, and that part of the conversation caused the biggest stir among the mods, which will be covered under the Actions section.

The statement of that user was far more misogynistic and offensive to victims of any kind of sexual abuse, than it was trans-exclusionary. It was not transphobic. Regardless, it was wrong, and every single mod, including myself, and the owner, understands that beyond the shadow of a doubt.

The user censored in brown also went on to say that (general) violence, as well as sexual assault against men and AMAB people, was also inherently less serious because of their sex, adding that it was humourous in some contexts.

(Screenshot 4)

(Screenshot 5)

One of the mods on the scene, censored in orange, made a subject change request four minutes after these harmful statements began [Source]. There was one other response from that mod called into question by the post this one responds to, but I will cover that in the following section Accusations.

The conversation, without question, was misogynistic and sexist, and harmful.

Overall, the reductive and infantilising way that women and AFAB people were discussed by the user censored in brown was, without question, misogynistic and sexist. The way that sexual assault and violence was discussed by the user in brown was gross, ignorant, and perpetuated harmful beliefs on the subject, particularly where men and other AMAB people are the victims. In all instances, the user censored in brown was called out by other users and told that those statements were wrong. (I did not include that in the second screenshot above, as I feel the first screenshot adequately represents the general response. Once again, you can read the full conversation from start to finish [here]).

Again, there was no transphobia present in the user censored in brown's discussion, only the omission of non-cisgender and other nonbinary genders when discussing a given gender. There were NO direct attacks made against transgender and nonbinary people that invalidated them.

(Screenshot 6)

It should also be noted that the user censored in brown openly admitted ignorance in the matters of gender, gender expression, and other topics discussed, and expressed willingness and desire to learn.

(Screenshot 7)

This does not take away the hurt and harm of their statements, and whether true or not, it should still be noted.

Accusations: The Post

The post made a few other accusations against us, which I will now address. Some will be covered in this section, others will be covered in the following section on Actions.

We did introduce a new policy "not to talk about 'controversial topics' or get into arguments," [Paragraph 2], however, it is not a numbered rule. This will be covered in the Action section, but that was not all that was done.

Paragraph 5 is somewhat true. As detailed in the previous section, the transphobia was not present, trans-exclusion was barely present the omission of non-cisgender and nonbinary genders, but, one section of the conversation was overtly misogynistic, sexist, and ignorant. The main core of the problem was misogyny, and the harmful way in which sexual assault was spoken of. At no point were any direct attacks and invalidations made against transgender and nonbinary people or characters.

eventually, i shut it down by saying that this was not the appropriate venue for a transphobic cis person to get educated about the nuance of the trans experience and trans issues, but what he was saying was transphobic and he needed to stop now that he'd been told that. [Paragraph 6]

The above approximate statement made by the author in the server during the incident is pictured in Screenshot 7.

"After I shut things down for good," (the alleged shutting down is [here] on 10/02/2023 09:26), is misleading. The conversation did end shortly after that on 10/02/2023 09:53, 27 minutes later [Source], after more mod intervention, but not before veering into race representation in general fiction and the whump community.

The statement, "throughout this interaction, mods were emoji-reacting and responding to other things. at no point did any mod step in to help me or shut down the 'transphobia' or at all intervene in what was happening," [Paragraph 7], is false.

Two mods were present and attempting to mediate, and towards the end, got more explicit in their requests to change the subject and shut the conversation down. The author of the post in question mentioned that the mods didn't respond to the transphobia while it was happening, but given the timing of the messages, and that people, including the mods, cannot be present for every single second of a conversation, that is an unfair and untrue statement.

The first harmful statement made by the user censored in brown was made on 10/02/2023 09:08 [Source] and the mod censored in orange stepped in and requested a subject change at 10/02/2023 09:15 [Source], 7 minutes later. At the same time, that mod was stated to not be at home, and was also organising a media stream [Source]. They also notified the mod team of the issue [Source].

(Screenshot 8)

(The above screenshot is in the mod channel of WLC).

The reactions would have partly been to show that the mods have seen up to certain places, perhaps agree with certain points so that the present members could anticipate a reaction without further perpetuating the conversation, and were going about their responsibility to catch up with, and deal with the situation. Mine were for those purposes, especially considering I was asleep and commuting to work at the time the incident occurred, and caught up when and as I could. It is not fair to say we did nothing at all when we did not respond instantaneously, and when it is also untrue.

Additionally, I speculate the direct response to the transphobia the author of the post in question would have wanted was a direct, verbal, public denouncement of all of those statements made by the user censored in brown, and the user themselves. When other users had already done that, some quite eloquently, it would have been both unnecessary and harmful for one or more mods to have participated, especially when the present mods were already busy handling the situation behind the scenes with the rest of their team, and the current #1 goal at the time was to end the conversation, not perpetuate it. It would have turned into dogpiling, which is unbecoming of the professional way the mod team is expected to act and handle situations when they are doing their jobs, and it is damaging to a potential future ally, perpetuates the incident, and is generally unfair.

We cannot allow the dogpiling of any person or member, even when they're in the wrong, and especially not by the mod team, because that could turn into us dogpiling anyone we disagree with, and then it could happen to anyone we dislike. An authoritative group who acts irresponsibly like that is not one you want in charge of any community space, nevermind one as large and as diverse as the WLC Discord server. I am sure those of you reading can understand the reasoning.

Also, to touch on the claim of ignorance and desire to learn; in the name of fairness, the mod team must put aside our biases and opinions. As there is no way to prove nor disprove the truth behind those claims, we must therefore act in good faith, especially when so many allies have similar beginning stories.

Paragraph 7 also mentions a seemingly questionable quote from the mod censored in orange. The Author of the post stated:

after i shut things down for good, one of the mods said 'thanks for keeping everything respectful’ which was a truly laughable thing to have said in that situation. [Paragraph 7]

This is mostly true. The mod censored in orange did make a similar statement, however, it was not a direct quote, it certainly wasn't sourced in the post, and the misleading nature of the first clause of the above quote makes an implication that the author of the post was the only one to do anything about it, which is incorrect.

(Screenshot 9)

Read it in full context from [here].

This message was sent after a subject change request from the topic covered in the subsection Misogyny, and Harmful Statements on Sexual Assault and other Violence Against Women vs Men, made by the same mod, to which all of the current participants agreed to and did not rebuke [Source], but did not obey.

As counterintuitive as this seems, there was a reason for this wording.

When asked about the intention behind that message, the mod in question responded that their intention was to thank the members involved for respectfully responding to their request and not arguing it.

(Screenshot 10)

(The above screenshot is in the mod channel of WLC).

They also added that they acknowledge that the conversation was not especially respectful, but were using that wording as a de-escalation technique commonly used in the workforce, as well as thanking the participants for not actively and directly harassing each other.

10/11/2023 23:37 It was just like… ok they haven't exactly been all that respectful, but they haven't been actively nasty either, so I'll just say thank you before asking them to move on. You say "thank you for your consideration" or "thank you for the respect" even if there was neither of those things [Source]

It was ignored, but users did not express animosity toward the mod censored in orange.

The following statements will be addressed:

"i was blamed for causing drama, essentially," [Paragraph 2]

and

"[The server owner] blamed me for what happened because i refused to allow rampant transphobia to proceed unchecked." [Paragraph 10]

You did not receive any direct blame in any channel, nor was the announcement (Screenshot 21) aimed at you specifically. You actually handled yourself extremely well without attacking anyone, and given the situation, that is genuinely commendable.

(Screenshot 11)

(The above screenshot is in the mod channel of WLC).

Yes, there was indirect blame in the announcement, but it is spread among every participant, including you, irrespective of if they were right or wrong, because they were all to blame for disobeying multiple direct mod rulings (see the Actions section for evidence), to end the conversation and change subject. The team decided singling out individuals, especially publicly for this, was not the right move. This is the reason that it was stated in DM conversation from the owner that the user censored in brown was not the only one at fault.

Relatedly, the announcement never said that calling out transphobia [referred to in Paragraph 13] is wrong. It took issue with the fact that no one obeyed a mod ruling, which resulted in the elongation of the incident. If it had been obeyed, it would have been over much faster and with far less hurtful statements.

According to Paragraph 11, asking why someone left a server is weird. Asking for feedback isn't weird, even Discord will ask you why you have left a server with a little survey. Anyone who has spoken to the server owner person-to-person for more than five minutes would know that they value and are always looking for feedback. Asking why a member left, especially after an incident like that, could be coincidental or related to the problem, therefore, they were seeking clarification. Gathering feedback is not weird.

Additionally, I have never known the server owner to "whine" or "throw a fit." Frankly, the statement is extremely insulting; especially when it is backed up by nothing, not even a transcript or approximate quote.

Paragraphs 14 and 15 express discontent with the mod response. I will respond to this personally for one moment because I was one of the mods the author of the post DM'ed, so please forgive the coming bias and informality, I will do my best to mitigate it.

The author of the post expressed satisfaction at the time with their interactions with me.

(Screenshot 12)

(The above screenshot is a DM).

I also was not "unwilling to do anything in the moment," [Paragraph 15], nor were the mods. I was asleep and going to work, while they were trying to end the conversation. I most certainly did not "[fail] to do anything after the fact either," [Paragraph 15], and nor did the other mods. Direct actions will be covered in the next section Actions. Additionally, if you look at the dates on some of the screenshots, you'll find that they are after the incident. In fact, most of the discussion happened after as those who were not present caught up and then started the process of discussing what actions to take. I was working very hard after the fact to get the response I thought was needed, so I do not appreciate the sentiment with which that statement was made.

the mods i spoke to also got defensive and upset when i pointed out that by not expressing disagreement with the owner’s actions and by throwing up their hands and saying 'oh well, nothing we can do!’ [Paragraph 15]

False.

I did express disagreement and discontent with some aspects of the way the incident was handled, but, in your hurry to accuse us of transphobia and bigotry via 'silence,' you have forgotten that I am part of a team that assisted the server owner, and we did not have the final say. As a team, we all expressed our opinions and what we thought should be done, but at the end of the day, we, and I certainly, will respect the ultimate decision, and will not betray the trust of every team member and the server owner by taking matters into my own hands.

As a team, we collectively agreed among ourselves on possible actions, and that was the advice we delivered to the owner.

That is how a team works.

The complaints of Paragraph 8 and 9 will be discussed further throughout the post.

Action: What was Done About the Incident and did it Work?

Subject Change Requests:

During the incident, four subject changes were requested, but were ignored.

(Screenshot 13)

Another subject change was requested only minutes later, (see Screenshot 9), however, conversation on the previous topic continued.

(Screenshot 14)

See also: Screenshot 7.

Eventually, conversation switched to POC representation in whump and fiction, another subject that could potentially lead to a discussion with harmful statements like this one.

The last explicit mention of the previous topic occurred on 10/02/2023 09:30, 14 minutes after the previous subject change request at 10/02/2023 09:16 [Source].

Another two subject change requests were required during that following convesation before any further issues arose.

(Screenshot 15)

Several hours earlier at the subject of whether or not to tag character gender, the mods left a subtle hint that a subject change may be appropriate made by the orange and purple mods, which ended up being too vague, so it will not count toward the total number of subject change requests during the incident.

(Screenshot 16)

Mod Response:

The mods censored in orange notified the team (Screenshot 8) when the user censored in brown started posting. The team then responded in the mod channel, calling for a warning or another similar level of punishment to be issued. However, as we are spread across time zones, it was difficult to reach a consensus right away. Here are just a few snippets of the discussion:

(Screenshot 17)

(The above screenshot is in the mod channel of WLC).

(At the time, the user censored in brown had no introduction, so their approximate age was unknown).

(Screenshot 18)

(The above screenshot is in the mod channel of WLC).

(Screenshot 19)

(The above screenshot is in the mod channel of WLC).

(Screenshot 20)

(The above screenshot is in the mod channel of WLC).

Announcement:

There was a lengthy discussion among the mods about whether or not to issue penalties (that will be discussed in the Penalty subsection). Many of the mods agreed with me that two participants (not the author of the post in question) should have been reprimanded and/or spoken to in some way. However, it was collectively decided not to go this route, and, as a member of the team, I respected the decision. In light of this, instead of penalty, we pushed for an announcement, which we got.

(Screenshot 21)

Rule Change:

In response to the ignored subject change requests, a rule was created to give mods the enshrined power to request and enforce a subject change requiring immediate adherence by all users in case a situation like this arises in the future:

5. If I or a mod asks you to change the subject, do so immediately. There should be no further discussion of whatever it is by any of the participants. If you’d like to know why you were asked to change the subject, dm [the server owner] [Source]

The announcement also advised against discussion of discourse, and other meta and/or controversial topics within the server. The reasoning was that this incident stemmed from a topic surrounded in discourse, and we are not interested in being a space to discuss those topics because it only leads to situations like this. There is no explicit rule banning meta and discourse topics, however, the mods reserve the right to end the conversation if necessary.

Mod Power Increase:

As a mod team, this incident was the first real test of how well we work together as a team. We were a new server, and the mod team was relatively new, so it was very difficult for the owner to gauge how well things would run. Behind the scenes, every mod handled themselves well, gave their honest advice, and respected the collective. Seeing this, the owner's faith in us increased, and as a direct result, mod powers were increased across the board.

As a direct result, the mods have more influence over decisions, and mod powers were increased across the board. In addition to the new rule on subject changes, a select extra couple of mods were granted kick and ban permissions to deal with any violations of the rules should the owner be unavailable.

There is also a jail role which every mod is able to utilise in the event of the kick/ban powered mods being unavailable, or if a user incurs a punishment where a kick or ban would be too harsh, and a strike inadequate.

Penalty:

To address Paragraph 12, the user censored in brown indeed received no official punishment for breaking Rule 1 (despite the strong advocacy for one).

The user censored in brown left approximately one month later, on 16/03/2023.

(Screenshot 22)

A ban would have been too harsh given their admission to ignorance and expressed desire to learn and do better (Screenshot 7), which we cannot ignore. Therefore, they should have received a strike for their appallingly sexist and misogynistic statements. Nothing further would have been required as the immediate response from other users in public, in our opinion, would have made it enough.

As a whole, we recognise the mistake concerning the lack of official penalty, and we strive to do better every single day by regularly refining our policies and protocol, and recognising the signs of an incident faster.

This said, the consequences for the user censored in brown are not null. If they were to get involved in another incident, the consequences would be immediate and harsh because of their actions in, and our learning from the incident in February.

The user censored in brown returned on 29/09/2023 [Source] with no incidence.

Additionally mentioned in Paragraph 12, the owner had every right to "whine," [Paragraph 12], as you say, about the assumption that nothing was done about it, because that is wrong, and it was very insulting to the mod team, including myself, who worked hard to make action and change happened following the incident.

The Insinuation what WLC is Unsafe for Queer People and Other Minorities

... Is incorrect.

We do not "actively [enable] bigots." Four attempts at shutting down the conversation were made by the mods present, but participants did not obey them. (This made everyone participating in the subsequent conversation at least partly to blame for the incident).

Furthermore, the statement "no rule was present to begin with making clear that bigotry was not tolerated, nor was one added," [Paragraph 9], is false. I would have thought that that Rule 1 was sufficient because respectfulness always excludes transphobia, homophobia, misogyny, and other bigotries.

1. Be civil, be respectful, be chill. No slurs are permitted in the server. [Source]

Additionally, there is a rule stating:

8. If you see anyone violating any of the above rules, or if you need an immediate question answered, feel free to @/Caretaker (Mod) at the site of the issue, dm [the server owner], or put it in #help-box

This can happen at any point in the conversation, including if there is no mod present, of if you don't think enough is being done.

The incident could still have been handled far better, but that does not make us a dangerous server, and that certainly doesn't mean we "actively [enable] bigots." At the time, we were still a relatively new server, some of us were inexperienced, and that was our first incident, (which is not to excuse my point). To have something of that severity happen as our first test was startling, however, we have learnt, and continue to learn and grow through continuous hard work and improvements to server policy and mod protocol.

I can say with full confidence that should a similar situation arise in the future, the response will look very different.

Sources: Is the Call-Out Post Reliable? Is this Post reliable?

The Callout Post:

No, the callout post is not reliable.

In addition to everything covered so far in this response, the original poster cannot reliably speak for the current state of the server, as they left on 16/02/2023, within a week of the incident (approximately 9 months ago)

(Screenshot 23)

The post in question was posted on 06/11/2023, approximately 9 months after the referred incident, which occurred on 10/02/2023. The timing indicates that it was a response to the advertisement in the Whumptober Discord server, which was posted 05/11/2023 (and was since taken down by the Whumptober mods who were linked the post in question).

Given the timing and the personal stance the post takes, I question the author's focus on grossly exaggerating their allegations of transphobia and failure to get what they wanted, rather than directly calling attention to the far more alarming and explicitly harmful statements regarding sexual assault. This post, which is seemingly designed to gain traction and support on Tumblr, almost completely ignores that and chooses to attack the server owner and management instead.

The author shares their personal experience and then tells everyone reading it to side with them without letting them decide for themselves using real evidence. It is almost completely unsourced. It is anecdotal and makes use of recalled quotes and summaries with no links or screenshots to substantiate them. The promise of receiving screenshots on request is not good enough, and "[not wanting] to make this even longer," [Paragraph 16] is not an excuse for not including any real evidence at all. I would also like to add that it can be done with message links rather than screenshots.

With the presence of misleading statements and misquotes, it does not bode well for its reliability.

This Post:

Is this post reliable?

I have done my very best to provide accurate and minimally biased explanations of what occurred (or if I did find myself responding to something personal, I alerted readers to possible bias), backed up by as much information and as many links as I possibly can so that any reader may access the evidence behind my claims and responses. I have also stated my affiliation with the server.

It is up to the readers to decide for themselves whether my post is reliable.

So, now we Know what Happened, Are we a Transphobic Server? A Conclusion

No.

@whumplovers-collaborate is NOT a transphobic Discord server, nor do we allow other harmful behaviours and statements to be shared within it.

Not one of us in management is transphobic, misogynistic, or bigoted as the post accused us, and not one of us supports or endorses it.

The actions of one member do not speak for an entire server.

One incident does not speak for an entire server.

While it could have been better handled, action was undeniably taken, and we have since learnt and modified policies and mod powers to ensure a faster and better outcome in the future.

This incident has also helped us realise the kind of space we want to be. Instead of a divisive and uncomfortable space rife with meta discourse, we want to be a space dedicated to the love of our craft, and the enjoyment of our hobby.

We are all here because of what we have in common; our love of whump.

Every day, we get closer to our ideal through the hard work and dedication of the mod team, and the server owner, without whom, this server would not exist.

We are very proud to report that there has been no incident since.

My Extremely Biased Conclusion

Before you spread the post that warns the "server is unsafe for trans people and the server owner is actively enabling bigots," [Paragraph 3], I urge you all to decide for yourself the quality of WLC based on the sources, the actual incident, and your own research, and your own experience, rather than a word-of mouth post from a disgruntled ex-member who has not been a member of the server for 9 months (and counting).

I also have a couple of questions:

Why on earth would a mod team where the non-queer members are the minority allow transphobia to fester in their server?

Does one incident make an entire server transphobic and unsafe?

Does a single member speak for the quality of the server and its community as a whole?

Who of you actually DM'ed the author of the post and requested evidence before you spread it?

Look up the definition of transphobia.

Have a think.

(These are rhetorical).

Also, to those of you who blindly reblogged this without doing your due diligence: shame on you.

In my opinion, it was a personal attack from a disgruntled ex-member who wanted the attention of a callout post on Tumblr, and you all fell for it.

Do. Your. Fucking. Research. Before you decide to slander and tear down the server owner, the mod team, and our server.

Do better.

Our server is not transphobic, nor bigoted in any other way. It never has been, and we are fully committed to making sure it never will be.

An Outro

Phew...

With all that off my chest, if you read through the whole post, thank you, I really do appreciate it. If you had a read through the sources too, that's even better :)

And I mean that genuinely regardless of the conclusion you come to.

With all this said, I will return to my dark little hole. I likely will not respond to any followup questions or argument on the matter, as at this moment, this is all I have to say, and making sure it was this thorough took a lot of time. I will not respond to any hate or harassment. Absolutely do not harass any member mentioned in the sources of this post. I will find out, and we will have words, that is a promise.

#long post #whump meta #discourse #whump discourse #whump community #whumpblr #whump discord #whumplovers collaborate #transphobia #important

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prodbionic · 14 days

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Destiny vs. design (two faces of a coin)

@badthingshappenbingo prompt: caught in an explosion

Fandom: Supernatural

Word Count: 18.9 k

Summary:

Dean had been acting off. A recent bout of nightmares had overrun his sleep –Sam's sleep as well because that was bound to happen when one's brother woke up shouting from the bed next to his. Sam reckoned they were memories of Hell, triggered by the apocalypse creeping up on them. A regular hunt was Sam's fix to the situation, as it had usually proved a sure way to take Dean's mind off of more awful stuff. Of course, when had anything ever been that straightforward, or easy? In this case, nothing was what it looked like.

Read full on ao3

Snippet from chapter one:

To describe it as simply as "he woke up" would be a stretch when he merely got some of his senses partially, sluggishly awakened while others were deep underwater. Hungover , his mind helpfully deduced. Bar fight , screamed the way his body ached and his leg muscles throbbed... monster fight would also track. A successful monster fight? Now that was debatable. Sam was such a dick, Dean thought , for removing Dean's blanket when he was clearly cold and shivering. Did the punk want to wake and sober him up? Tough. He would sleep like the dead , even like this. He was damned tired, and he deserved his rest. And anyway, he had slept in worse conditions. Way worse. Although, his foggy mind failed to recall any such instance with any degree of clarity. Time passed, as time usually would in such a state of drunken haze, incongruent and corrupt, among halted dreams, broken recollections, and failed attempts at actually waking up. He had no idea how much of it had passed between his initial 'waking up' and his internal alarms blaring. It was when a warm trickle in his right ear slid outwards, followed by a low hiss in his eardrum, followed by faint warbled sounds like wind wheezing through a gap in a window frame–filtered through to him that it clicked: something was wrong. Eyes bleary, arm heavy, he moved to rub his ear until the hissing stopped and all the wetness had been smeared away. The surface underneath him was not that of a shitty motel's lumpy mattress—which in itself sounded heavenly compared to the rotting wood he was actually lying on. The darkness of the room or wherever he was, had some thin streaks of light enough to let him know it was shoddy. If his sinuses weren't so congested, he'd bet the cloying smell of mold would be up his nostrils. Shifting from his stomach sideways aggravated all of the sores he'd known about, and a lot he hadn't had a clue about. A throb in his thigh intensified to agony, it was all he could do not to gasp. Not an entirely successful monster fight. Memory didn't readily serve to erase the bewilderment of his situation, although upon some gentle prodding his mind supplied flashes of a gut ripping fall, and a whiplash into running water. Walking through the woods. Bickering. Looking at gooey remains. Running through the woods. Boring breakfast. Awful nightmare. Bullets. Pain in his abdomen. A Grenade launcher… All of it broken pieces of glass, hanging weightless, shining against a vast, blankness of context. They felt distant, like they happened to someone else. Except for the last one: his brother's face, calling Dean's name in panic, his face and hair dripping wet, inches above his own. That was recent, Dean was sure, and probably the last time he saw Sam. Further inspection of the room around him through his blurry vision assured him of being alone. Where exactly did Sam stash him? Couldn't the punk find a better spot? More importantly, what the hell happened? The stickiness on his face, when he followed it to its source and felt the god-awful gash in his head, was enough for him to connect the dots as to why his memory was botched. The dizziness was not helping. Dean grunted, sitting up. In an instant, his vision swam and his head severely swirled inside his skull. He felt himself falling back the short distance he'd gained off the floor, but couldn't help it at all as he smacked the ground back. His poor battered head. He was going to kill Sam for leaving him like this , he thought, breathing the musty air wafting from the blood-wet floor.

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foundfamilywhump · 6 months

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serious word of warning about a server that's been making the rounds

i've debated about making this post a lot, for a lot of reasons. i'm concerned about making it as a trans person and as a relatively new blog, though i've been involved in the whump community for years. i hope you'll hear me out and i'm not looking forward to whatever backlash may come my way, should anyone actually pay attention to this at all.

the short version is: the whump discord server 'whump lovers collaborate' (@/whumplovers-collaborate) is unsafe and hostile to trans people and the server owner will not take action to shut down transphobia, nor will she allow her mod team to do so. i am certain this would apply to other bigotries as well. i know this because i am trans, and when i called out some disgustingly transphobic commentary being made by a member of the server i was blamed for causing drama, essentially, and there was a rule added to the server not to talk about 'controversial topics' or get into arguments, and that was all that was done.

the much longer version is under the cut. i just can't sit on this anymore after seeing that the server got advertised in the whumptober server (to no fault of the whumptober mods who didn't know about any of this, they're fine) and also seeing hundreds of notes on posts broadcasting it. this server is unsafe for trans people and the server owner is actively enabling bigots. given the whump community has a bit of a transphobia problem in some places, i wanted to make sure no trans person or ally was unwittingly walking into that without warning. i'd appreciate it if you would spread the word as well, to keep trans community members and allies safe.

so, here's what happened:

i was in the whump lovers collaborate server for a while earlier this year. in february, a member of the server started spouting off some extremely transphobic rhetoric, including talking about inherent biological differences between men and women, that women are inherently and unchangeably weaker than men, that men have a 'biological instinct' to protect women, and other things. (there was also some bizarre commentary about how abuse or assault committed against men was inherently less upsetting, and often funny to witness because of this).

seeing this and being unwilling, as both a trans person and someone who believes it is important to not let bigotry go unchallenged, i stepped in and called out these statements for being both factually untrue and steeped in both misogyny and transphobia. this person and i went around and around in circles as he asked 'genuine questions' which were just thinly veiled excuses to continue needling me on the subject. eventually, i shut it down by saying that this was not the appropriate venue for a transphobic cis person to get educated about the nuance of the trans experience and trans issues, but what he was saying was transphobic and he needed to stop now that he'd been told that.

throughout this interaction, mods were emoji-reacting and responding to other things. at no point did any mod step in to help me or shut down the transphobia or at all intervene in what was happening. after i shut things down for good, one of the mods said 'thanks for keeping everything respectful' which was a truly laughable thing to have said in that situation.

after this, the server owner made an announcement that said, among a few other things about Not Fighting: "Friendly reminder that we are all here because of what we have in common, our love of writing We are not here to debate controversial issues Or say harmful opinions If you cannot hold a conversation without being civil and without escalating conflict, back away from the channel, and cool down All involved in a conflict are responsible for turning a chill space sour No matter how right you think you are (I’m not saying no mention of controversial things is allowed per se, I’m saying be civil, if that means avoiding controversial topics, avoid away)"

this is not an appropriate response to one person espousing blatant transphobia (among other disgusting views) and being called on it. a rule was added that if a mod or the server owner asked you to change the subject from a topic, you had to do so immediately and there should be no more discussion of it 'by any of the participants'. no rule was present to begin with making clear that bigotry was not tolerated, nor was one added.

subsequently, the server owner made it clear she had no interest in protecting marginalized community members, and that she blamed me for what happened because i refused to allow rampant transphobia to proceed unchecked.

when either asked by other server members about what happened or when asking server members who left why they left (which is a weird thing to do on its own) the server owner responded by essentially throwing a fit and asking what she was supposed to do? kick the transphobe out? she whined about how the person saying something should be done about the transphobe was assuming that she hadn't already done anything.

(she also said that she hadn't done anything. the person was not warned, muted, banned, there were no consequences. but she whined about the assumption that she hadn't done anything about it.)

she also said that it wasn't just the transphobe's fault. "[transphobe] was not the only one at fault there in that others contributed to the conflict by engaging them, drawing out more of their unpleasant opinions. If I punished [problem person] alone, the others might think that they were in the right" that is a direct quote from the server owner. i was clearly the person she was speaking about, and she refused to enforce consequences on the transphobe because that might lead to me thinking that it was okay to call out transphobia and protect myself and other trans people in that space.

when i spoke to a few of the other mods about what happened, the response was disappointing, to put it mildly. the mod team had apparently tried to argue with her and get her to enforce a no bigotry policy but she was afraid of causing arguments and didn't want to deal with conflict, and so refused to do so. this is not acceptable behaviour for someone who is in charge of such a large space. you cannot be this conflict-averse and also run a server of hundreds of people, especially if the outcome is protecting bigots.

the mods i spoke to also got defensive and upset when i pointed out that by not expressing disagreement with the owner's actions and by throwing up their hands and saying 'oh well, nothing we can do!' they were also tacitly endorsing transphobia and a community that protects transphobes at the expense of trans people. they were unwilling to do anything in the moment, and failed to do anything after the fact either.

i have screenshots and proof of all of these events, but i didn't add them here bc i didn't want to make this even longer. please feel free to contact me directly if you would like any further information or to see proof of what i have mentioned here.

in short:

please do not join this server. you will not be protected there, as the server owner cares more about making it as big and as popular as possible than she does about keeping her server bigot-free. please do not promote this server or allow this server to be promoted in your own spaces either. please do your part to keep trans people in the whump community safe.

#whump #whump community #whumpblr #idk what else to tag this with ugh #long post

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whumpy-gems · 7 months

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Whumperflies | (h)wəmpərflīz |

Noun

—(of a thing/character related to Whump) pleasant feeling that an individual gets ~similar to butterflies metaphor but with Whump~

*I get Whumperflies every time they get hurt.*

*That fic gave me such great Whumperflies I’m going to have to read it again.*

reblog for a bigger sample size!! 💜💜

@whumplovers-collaborate

#whump #male whump #whump meme #whump community #whump poll #the whumperflies 😂#whumperflies #im actually curious #how many people get whumperflies #it isn’t talked about often in the whump community

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whumplovers-collaborate · 7 months

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Whumpy Works by the Whumplovers Collaborate server

In our recent Multimedia Exchange, about 60 participants made over 140 creations of writing and art and posted them to this collection

We had some very generous participants (:

And 140! Wow 👀 That’s a lot of Whumpy content ✨

In appreciation for their hard work, let’s give their creations some love, shall we?

The following lists link to every work that was posted to the collection, providing the fandom, medium, title, and summary for each one:

Original Work List

Fandom List 1

(Fandoms: Batman — All Media Types, Arrow (TV 2012), Star Wars — All Media Types, Stranger Things (TV 2016), The Umbrella Academy (TV), Good Omens (TV), White Collar (TV 2009), Percy Jackson & Related Fandoms — All Media Types, Teen Wolf, The Professionals (TV 1977), MCU)

Fandom List 2

(Fandoms: Fullmetal Alchemist, Genshin Impact, My Hero Academia, Voltron: Legendary Defender, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Call of Duty, Banana Fish, Doki Doki Literature Club!, [Módào Zǔshī, The Untamed], Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom, Gravity Falls, Tiger & Bunny, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Tokyo Ghoul, SCP Foundation, Sonic The Hedgehog, Black Butler, Undertale Gears of War, Night Head Genesis)

Fandom List 3

(Fandoms: The Witcher, Doctor Who, Hannibal, Stargate Atlantis, Supernatural, The Magnus Archives, The Last of Us, Bangtan Boys, 9-1-1, Merlin, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron)

#whump #whump community #whumpblr #whump writing #Writing #fic #art #whumpy art #WLC #multimedia exchange #whump exchange #whump discord server #Whumpy fic #hurt/angst #Fanfiction #Original Work #original whump #original fiction

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shion-yu · 1 month

Text

Just The Two of Us

In his feverish haze, Shu couldn't tell whether it was someone he loved or someone he was afraid of at the door. Ft. Shu's boyfriend after Julian: Paul. (Not Sick Love AU) 2,879 words, TWs: Past domestic abuse, PTSD.

Written for the @whumplovers-collaborate 2024 Winter Exchange event and posted on AO3! Author reveals aren't technically until 3/1 but I don't think anyone will notice. There are TONS of amazing works in the collection (INCLUDING AN INSANE ART OF SHU/JULIAN!!) so I encourage you to browse it!

"Shumei? Answer me!"

Shu could hear someone yelling and banging on his front door. In his feverish haze, he couldn't tell if they meant well or not. Vaguely he wondered if he should call the police, but he lacked the energy to follow through on this idea. He felt as if his couch cushions were swallowing him, like he was sinking deep into a very dark and cold place.

"Answer before I break it down, Shu!"

It couldn't be Alex, Shu thought to himself. Alex had a key to the house. His son would come and go whenever he felt like it, usually without warning. Sometimes Shu would come home from work to find Alex sleeping on the couch or in his bed, in the latter situation the only indication that he was there at all being his shoes and coat by the door. Shu told Alex he should let him know when he wanted to sleep over, but secretly he enjoyed these surprise visits. Shu missed him now that they lived separately, and although Shu called him frequently his son was successful and busy in his career as a musician and didn't always have time to answer. They'd never gone more than a day not talking though, except when he was with Julian. Was it Julian at the door?

The sound of heavy thumping repeated over and over again. Julian was here to kill him, Shu thought weakly, fear rising in his throat like bile. He'd come back to finish the job he'd started. Doubtless he wanted revenge for what Alex had done to him. Shu's leg ached from where Julian had broken it that last time they’d been together.

There was a jarring cracking sound and suddenly Julian was there, hands on Shu's shoulders and shaking him. Shu felt frozen, too horrified to move a muscle in response. His throat felt bone dry and he couldn't get any words to come out. He heard the person in front of him speaking with insistence. "Shu, honey? Look at me. C'mon... Shit, you're really hot."

Julian did think it was hot when he was sick, Shu thought in terror. He liked it when Shu cried too, and when he bled. He liked to hit Shu in places that Alex and the people at work couldn't see because they were easy to hide underneath his clothes. He liked when Shu had to rely on him because he was too weak to do anything else.

One time he collapsed at work. He had been leaning over Mathias’ shoulder and showing him last month’s data when he just went down, entirely deadweight and without warning. Shu woke up on the ground to Mathias over him and shouting his name. He had a terrible fever, just like now, except it was because Julian had locked him out of the house last night in the rain when he was already ill. He couldn’t even remember what he’d done to make Julian so mad. Mathias had asked Shu why he had even bothered showing up to work with such a high temperature. 'Because it's the only place I'm safe anymore,' Shu remembered thinking.

If Julian was back, he’d do all of that terrible stuff to Shu all over. And even though Shu had promised Alex that he’d never hide something from him again, he was afraid to tell Alex. Alex was no longer a minor like he was the first time around; if he hurt Julian, he might end up in jail for real. “Don’t hurt me,” Shu begged. “I’ll be good.”

“Hurt you? I’m not going to hurt you,” the figure above him said. He sounded worried, but Julian was never worried. He didn’t worry about Shu’s well-being or about getting caught. No, he would just get angry.

Shu was too scared to look up at the person in front of him. He was too scared to face the person he'd spent years trying to completely forget about, but failed. Julian was always there when he least expected it: in his dreams, hiding in the shadows, even in the corner of his eyes if he turned around too quickly. "Don't hurt me," Shu repeated. "I-I didn't do anything."

“No, no. You're okay. Open your eyes, hun.”

Shu obeyed and realized it was not Julian above him, but Paul. Sweet, caring, lovely Paul who had indeed had never hurt him, even when Shu made mistakes like forgetting they’d made plans or leaving the oven on. Shu’s eyes filled with tears and he reached up towards Paul's face with one shaking hand. “I thought you were him,” Shu said, voice wavering. “No one else is here, right?”

“No, it’s just us,” Paul said, sitting next to him and rubbing his cool hands through Shu’s messy hair. “You’re really ill, that’s all. Alex called me, said you hadn’t answered your phone in days.” Oh, that’s right, Shu thought to himself. Alex was on tour and his mom was on vacation with her girlfriends.

“...Did you break my door?”

Paul laughed, sounding relieved that Shu was at least aware enough to ask this. “A little bit. I’ll fix it, don’t worry. I’m going to look through your cabinets and find meds, okay? Do you have a thermometer?”

“Bottom left cabinet in the bathroom,” Shu mumbled. Now that he was more awake, his head had begun to ache fiercely. Paul nodded and left him on the couch. Shu coughed; it sounded very wet and wheezy. He wondered vaguely where his rescue inhaler was, but he hadn’t used it in quite a while. Paul came back in two minutes holding the thermometer, a wet washcloth and a bottle of Tylenol. He took his place back on the edge of the couch and held the thermometer up to Shu. Shu felt like his arms were way too heavy but took the small instrument in his own hand and placed it under his tongue, closing his eyes while it worked. His eyes throbbed and felt extra hot inside of his skull.

It beeped about thirty seconds later and Shu handed it blindly to Paul, not bothering to look at it himself. "Oh man. 103.1. That’s really high, honey. Maybe we should go to the hospital.”

“I’ll be fine,” Shu grunted, which made him cough again. Paul helped him sit up a bit higher, hoping it would help Shu breathe. Shu coughed until he gagged on all the disgusting phlegm that came up. Thank God he had nothing in his stomach, because he was absolutely sure he was too weak to make it to the bathroom right now. Paul handed him one of the already very-used-up tissues from the couch, which Shu spit into.

“Here, at least take some Tylenol,” Paul said, holding out two extra strength tablets and a glass of water. Shu felt pathetic and old, but let Paul place the pills on his tongue and tip a sip of water into his mouth. “Good,” Paul said, helping Shu lay back down. “Let’s just see if that works first, alright? I’m going to go call Alex, let him know you’re okay.” He neatly placed the cold and wet cloth he’d brought on Shu’s forehead and stood up to go to the kitchen. Shu caught his wrist just before he took a step away.

“Just you and me here?” He confirmed again, ashamed but worried enough to ask. “You promise?”

“Just us,” Paul promised. He took Shu’s hand and kissed the back of his fingers. “Get some more rest and we’ll check your temperature again in a bit.”

The Tylenol seemed to only help a little. Shu’s temperature didn’t drop less than a degree and Paul was too worried to leave him alone. Shu was talking a lot in his sleep, Paul noted. A lot of apologizing and pleading. It broke his heart.

Paul didn’t know a lot about Julian. He knew that Shu had dated the guy for a bit over a year and it had ended very badly, with Alex having to step in and protect Shu. He knew whatever Julian had done had landed Shu in the hospital, and this was why Shu walked with a limp and had a very large scar on the left side of his abdomen. He didn’t know the specifics of how this all went down or what things Julian had done that hadn't left a mark. He could tell it was a sensitive topic from the way Shu seemed to awkwardly laugh and change the topic whenever it came up, though. So he hadn't asked, but through bits and pieces Paul was slowly begun to put the picture together. He understood the bottom line: that Julian had been a bad person who had treated Shu very poorly.

It pained Paul to imagine someone voluntarily hurting Shu. Shu was so nice, so mild-mannered. Not only would he never hurt a fly, but Paul was sure it would never even occur to him to do so. Shu had raised Alex as a single father entirely voluntarily starting the day that he’d gotten a call from CPS that a very distant relative had died, leaving their child in foster care and needing a home. “I had put my name down as someone interested in foster care at some fair, just once,” Shu had told Paul fondly. “I had no idea my contact information was still floating around as a potential parent. But when they called me, I said yes right away. I didn't know what I was really saying yes to, but it's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

According to Shu, raising Alex had been quite the challenge. He was thirteen when he arrived, Shu said, and already had all the bad habits of a child who’d been neglected and forced to raise himself in the face of his unstable and drug addicted parents. The people who were supposed to protect him never had, and going from that to Shu who wanted to give him everything was a harsh adjustment for both of them. Alex had gotten into fights, he’d smoked even at thirteen, and he was academically testing far below what was supposed to be his grade level. “Somehow, we figured it out. We learned to trust each other and went to a lot of therapy and it worked out.” Shu said this with a clear air of pride. Paul was aware that Shu would always love Alex the most out of anyone in his life, and he was okay with that. He respected it.

All of this goodness in Shu that Paul could see made it so much worse to imagine Shu being beat down by someone else. Paul had seen pictures from that year, and in retrospect it was easy to see how ill Shu had been back then. Even though there was no visible evidence of bruising, he was gaunt and pale and his smile didn’t reach his eyes. He looked nothing like the caring and easily contented person Paul knew him to be. Paul didn’t know what Julian looked like, but Alex had said if he ever saw him again he’d “bash the guy’s face in.”

He could hear Shu crying out now from the couch. Paul quickly set down the mug of tea he’d been drinking and hurried out to see what was the matter. Shu was flushed and sweating, mumbling something that sounded like, “If you break my glasses again Alex is gonna notice.” Paul felt a sharp pang of pity in his stomach and shook Shu’s shoulder gently.

“Honey, it’s just me, Paul. He’s not here anymore. You’re safe.”

Shu’s eyes slowly focused on Paul, fighting to come back to the present. “Paul?”

“That’s right. There’s nothing to worry about. Why don’t we go to bed?” He felt Shu’s cheek and frowned at the unhealthy heat coming off of him. The Tylenol wasn’t working. “Let’s sit up honey. There you go. Can you walk?”

“I think so,” Shu said weakly. He let Paul help him stand and then mostly drag him to his bedroom. It was a good thing Paul was strong from his years of dancing as a career, because when Shu's knees buckled he quickly caught Shu and carried him the rest of the way to the bedroom. Shu tucked his hot face into the crook of Paul's neck.

Paul tucked Shu in and sat next to him on the other side of the bed. He stuffed an extra pillow behind Shu’s head because his boyfriend sounded like he could barely breathe. “Can I get you anything?” Paul asked worriedly. He didn’t like the wheeze he could hear in Shu’s chest. “It’s too early for more Tylenol but... Where’s your inhaler?”

“Pocket... my jacket, I think.”

Paul quickly found the inhaler and brought it to Shu, helping him take two puffs of it. Shu coughed harshly after each one. Paul winced at the damp and congested sound. When Shu sounded no better an hour later and was groaning in pain from his fever again, Paul decided he needed to push harder. “I really think you need to see a doctor,” he said.

Shu’s eyes flew open in panic. “No doctors,” he said quickly. His chest was heaving with the work of breathing. “No doctors, no hospitals, that’s where he works, Paul.”

Paul didn’t need to ask who he was. Julian, who was actually in prison from what he understood, but now wasn’t the time to fight. He took a deep breath. “How about urgent care?”

There was a long pause. Shu seemed to be deeply considering this question. “Can Alex come?”

“Alex is on tour, honey. But we can keep him on speaker phone, if he’s not busy. How’s that sound? Deal?”

“...Deal.”

One very long appointment later, Shu was back home with a diagnosis of pneumonia but doing much better than when they’d left. They’d given him a liter of fluids, a shot of solu-medrol, and antibiotics and steroids to take at home in pill form. Paul had stayed with him the entire time, even when he got scared because Alex was driving through a dead service area and the phone call dropped for a few minutes. Paul tried not to listen to the things Alex was saying too closely as it felt intrusive, but it was impossible not to overhear much of it. Alex was using such a soft and gentle voice that Paul had never heard before - usually he was so stoic and sullen, minus the times he was threatening to kill Paul if he ever hurt his dad.

It wasn’t until they had gotten back through the (slightly broken) door into the house and Paul had herded Shu into bed that he took the phone and said to Alex, “We’re all set, if you need to go.”

“I don’t need to go,” Alex said irritably, but Paul could hear the bustle and noise of what he knew to be backstage. Alex would have to get on stage and perform any time now, pretending everything was okay for the sake of the audience. A voice called for him in the background and Alex sighed in frustration. “Okay, fine, I’ll go, but text me every hour,” he ordered. Then he added at the end, “Please.”

“Will do,” Paul said, unbothered by the sharp tone. He was used to it from Alex, plus he knew he’d be a wreck too if he were in Alex’s situation. “I’ll take care of him.”

“You’d better,” Alex said, and then he hung up.

Paul sighed and looked back at Shu who had already fallen asleep on the bed. He’d given Shu the first antibiotic as soon as they’d gotten through the door, and now set an alarm for Shu’s next doses of that, the steroid and more Tylenol. Shu was eleven years older than him and Paul was worried that pneumonia could quickly turn much worse in someone of Shu's age. But he was on the correct medications and Paul wasn’t going anywhere until Shu was doing better.

Shu stirred and his eyes fluttered open momentarily. “Paul?” He croaked weakly.

“I’m right here,” Paul said, immediately leaning over Shu with what he hoped was a gentle expression. In reality he just looked worried. He didn’t understand why a smile flickered over Shu’s lips. “What?”

“You look stressed,” Shu said. “I’m sorry I worried you, but I’ll be alright.”

“I know,” Paul said. “But I’m still worried. You thought I was... well, not me for a while.”

“Did I?” Shu said, smile dropping. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” Paul said. “But whatever he did, I’ll never do it to you. I’m not going to hurt you. Do you know that?” He was worried to hear the answer.

To his relief, Shu said, “Yes, I know it. I really do. I’m so glad I met you.”

Paul smiled tiredly. “I’m glad I met you too. Now go to sleep, you need a lot of rest. I’ll wake you when it’s time for your next meds.”

“Thank you,” Shu said. “Love you.” Then his eyes fluttered closed and he fell asleep again. Paul watched him all night to make sure Shu didn’t have any more nightmares.

#shionwrites #oc: shu #sickfic #oc sickfic #whump #tw: violence #tw: domestic abuse #ptsd #sicknario #male whump #sick whump #fever whump #illness whump #pneumonia fic

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whumpslist · 1 year

Photo

Walker: Independence1.06-08 episodes.

Character: Sheriff Tom Davidson, portrayed by Greg Hovanessian.

Type of whumps: heavy bruises on his face from boxe fight, stabbed, collapsed, bleeding unconsciouson the ground; treated himself, bleeding here and there, grimacing at sitting and lifting, trembling hands, coughing blood, bleeding out unconscious on the floor, weak asking for help; bleeding out from his wound and mouth, blood on his hands, rescued and helped walking, recovering in hospital (not shown).

bonus gif: the very last one is emotional whump from episode 1.05: emotional confrontation, grief and crying, distraught.

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emcscared-whumps · 10 days

Note

No pressure on these but maybe for the oc outfit asks, 🔥 for Pete and/or 🚓 for Johnstone bc he needs to go to JAIL

From this post!

Thanks for the ask, and also for your patience ^-^'

It's been sitting in my inbox for months now and I promise I never forgot it lmao

🔥 - Pete in What He'd Wear on a Very Hot Day

I looooove the idea of this one, the mental image of him sitting slumped somewhere overheating was lovely, thankyou >:)

the poor boy really is not used to, or built for the """hot""" weather :) devonhurst is brutally cold, and also miserable and wet, with very short summers. those summers, however, can get to a top of a whole 29C! how suffocatingly hot (LOL) (i'm from the armpit of queensland, those are baby numbers, and he's not even above 26 haha)

not only is pete straight up unacclimatised to the warmth, he has thick, insulated skin, and no ability to sweat, which means when the temperature rises, there's not much he can do to cool off except have a swim or take a cool bath :) neither of which are an option uwu

🚓 - Johnstone (and Pete) in a Prison Uniform

ALSO, I CAN'T FUCKING READ SO HERE'S 🚓 FOR BOTH OOPS (lying across my desk laughing)

I have no idea how Pete would end up in a human prison, but I DO know that he'd be losing his mind with fear, and that he wouldn't fare well for long :))

Update: it's been months and this actually gave me huge brainworms that sparked a whole au scenario with a friend and it was so fucking good <3<3

You can read more about Pete [here] and more about Johnstone [here]

Taglist

@a-crumb-of-whump

@dang-i-like-whump (a treat for you lmao)

@nowjustanothermain2notjudge

@painful-pooch

@pigeonwhumps

@whumplovers-collaborate

@whump-cravings

@willowtreewhump

If you would like to be added or removed, please let me know <3

(also im stupid and realised too late i didn't tag anyone when i posted the zine piece! oops, that's a thing, it's linked [here] if you wanna check it out/haven't already)

#emc's art #emc answers asks #whumpblr #ask game #oc #whump oc #oc art #whump art #Pete Spencer #Sorrel Johnstone #characters #sketch #oc outfit ask #oc outfit meme #original characters

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serickswrites · 7 months

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Heyy! Can you turn Still With Us into a series? Your writing is absolutely amazing!

Hello, anon! I am blushing, your words are so kind. I am so glad you enjoy what I put out there.

Absolutely I can turn this into a series for you, please enjoy!

Part 1

Warnings: aftermath of torture, rescue, unconsciousness, hospital, bedside vigil, caretaker and whumpee

Caretaker hadn't left Whumpee's side. Not since they found Whumpee. Not since they tried to keep Whumpee conscious and failed. Not since help arrived and took them to the hospital. They hadn't left Whumpee's side once.

Because they couldn't. They couldn't because Whumpee had been on the brink of death. They couldn't because they had tried and failed to find Whumpee for so long. They couldn't because they had tried and failed to keep Whumpee awake. And they couldn't because they were afraid the moment they left Whumpee's side, Whumpee would fade away.

And Caretaker couldn't have that. Wouldn't have that. And so they stayed. They stayed and held Whumpee's hand. They stayed and brushed Whumpee's hair. And they stayed waiting for Whumpee to wake up.

Whumpee had to wake up. Caretaker couldn't bear the thought that Whumpee might not wake up. That Whumpee would just fade away into nothing.

"You have to come back to me, Whumpee. I need you. You can't leave me. Please, Whumpee," Caretaker whispered in the near silent room. Caretaker only had the comfort of the beeping and whirring of machines to let them know that Whumpee was still with them.

That Whumpee was still alive.

They lay their head on the bed next to Whumpee's hand. They couldn't stand the waiting. But they would wait as long as it took for Whumpee to wait. "I'm here," they whispered as tears filled their eyes once more, "I'm not going anywhere. I've got you, Whumpee. Stay with me. Please."

Tags: @whitecoatwhump @alluringleopards @youmademedothis @diamond-flavored-whump @aswallowimprisoned @whumplovers-collaborate @snaillamp @whump-hidden-folders @ash-shadow815 @bisexuawolfsalt @throwawayshorts @thathurt-doitagain @protectandcare @whumpybobbert @writinggremlin @oopsydaisyerm @keeper-of-all-the-random-things @st0rmm

#serickswrites #whump #whump writing #whumpblr #whump community #tw aftermath of torture #tw rescue #tw unconsciousness #tw hospital #tw bedside vigil #caretaker and whumpee #requests #asks #queue

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glitteratti · 1 month

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anyway first and foremost i AM a whumplover. its always why do you read whump thats so fucked up when it should be oh how was the catharsis the catharsis looked fun

#.txt #tragedy enjoyer website yet no body can handle the roots (whump which came before tragedy. btw)

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whump-captain · 9 months

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- Day 31 -

Who is someone you admire?

---

Honestly I admire any and all writer, artist, gifmaker, and poster on here because I know how unfairly difficult it is to balance real life responsibilities with the hobbies we want to pursue. Everyone who posts like every week, how on EARTH-

But I think I'm gonna give the specific shoutout to the people organizing any and all events and community spaces for us whumpers: creators of discord servers like @straight-to-the-pain, @pythagoreanwhump, @whumplovers-collaborate, and many others who give us a place to talk and make friends; mods of @whumptober, @febuwhump, @figuwhump, and obviously @whumpmasinjuly who keep our ideas flowing and prompt hundreds of creative works every year which would likely not be made if it weren't for them; the incredible undertaking of @whumpapedia. I have nothing but the deepest admiration and respect for the people involved in the complex, varied, and frankly infinite task of managing those initiatives.

#wij23day31 #whumpmasinjuly2023 #this is by no means an exhaustive list #if i were to list every creator whose skill or ideas or efficiency i admire i'd be here tik next month #same with everyone running community initiatives bc i only listed a few off of the top of my head #but infinite love and admiration to them and even more thanks for the steady stream of inspiration yall give me 💛💙💛❣️💕💟💕💓💙💛❤️💛💟

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prodbionic · 10 months

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Through the Dead of Night

@badthingshappenbingo prompt: Suffocation

Prompts from @whumplovers-collaborate weekly challenge

Fandom: Prodigal Son

wc: 6.8k

Summary:

"Who did you tell about this? Have you told lieutenant Arroyo yet?" He closed one slow step after another of the distance between them. "Answer me!" he screamed. "You don't want to do this, we're in the middle of the precinct," Malcolm tried the reasoning tactic, knowing full well it was bound to fail. Really, he should've ran when he had the chance. "So you haven't told him. Good." Malcolm caught a killer in the most unimpressive way, almost like, a killer caught Malcolm.

Read full on ao3

Chapter 1.

It was nearing the middle of the night, all his team members had given up –rightly so– and went home to rest and recharge. That was a few hours ago. Malcolm knew if he went home he wouldn't get any of those things. Home was where his monsters lay dormant waiting for his arrival to torment him. At least here, in the station, he could put in extra work, find puzzle pieces that go together that his team could work with tomorrow.

He was bent over reports, files, witnesses' accounts, and had been for at least four hours straight, according to his phone's clock. Food, drinks and bathroom breaks were forgotten, even when he was aware of his body long enough to notice its needs. His little notebook that had the pen stuck in its spiral wire occupied the far corner of his cubicle desk where he'd reach for to add a note every now and then. It was almost full despite being relatively new, but it was a staple, a companion since the beginning of this case to the point that his teammates couldn’t resist teasing him.

His phone chimed with an incoming text. It felt too loud for the quiet of the graveyard shift, so he silenced it. The text was from Dani.

"Please tell me you're resting."

Malcolm's lip quirked as he replied, "still at the precinct. Hoping for a breakthrough 🤞. You're supposed to be asleep."

When he didn't get a quick reply he placed his phone face down and stretched to grab his pen, his mind seamlessly shifting back to the case and absentmindedly clicking the pen on and off, deep in thought. There was an idea. One that he balked to write down on paper. A possibility, an assumption that shouldn't be made lightly.

He went over some reports again… he had to be at least mildly sure.

A discomfort in his belly that he'd been ignoring for a while, but that had persisted, increased into a prickling pang. Malcolm huffed in annoyance at having to get up.

"Associate on the force, low rank/desk job," he wrote in his notebook before straightening his back and stretching his arms.

Now that he'd paid attention to it, the pressure in his bladder almost throbbed. On his way to the bathroom he looked around at the handful of people who lazed about. An officer on a quiet phone call, his lips half lifted in a sly smile, probably talking to a significant other. Another officer played a mind-numbing game on the computer looking like he was asleep with his eyes open. Another one who had headphones in, listening to a podcast maybe, relaxed in his chair with his hands clasped behind his head and his legs stretched on the desk. His eyes followed Malcolm. Malcolm nodded hastily in greeting, before leaving the bullpen.

In the bathroom, after relieving himself and washing up, Malcolm splashed water on his face, once, twice and then just kept his cold wet hand over his tired eyes for a while. Maybe some more caffeine could freshen him up. And maybe–he had to go home at some point, too... maybe now was it. But he was on the verge of a breakthrough in the case. If he went over the timelines and the personnel involved around each case, if he did some matching and… he could compile a suspect list. If his assumption were true.

The door to the bathroom opened before he could decide. Malcolm went for a tissue to dry his hands. The officer whom he greeted a few minutes ago came to stand in the stall next to him with a noncommittal 'hey'. Malcolm smiled slightly saying, "hi," and pitched the used tissue into the bin before heading toward the exit.

To Malcolm's surprise, the man reached from behind and slammed the door into its frame. Malcolm turned. "What are you–"

His head got smashed into the wall, a whiteout ruptured in his vision. Malcolm sucked in a breath. He fell and his arms shot out to grab anything for balance. Nothing was there. The shock of the unprompted violence took precedence for a second, and then it was just diffusing, throbbing pain, but his struggle to clear his starburst vision was a signal and a reminder to the impending danger. His legs swiped, trying to trip the man whose blurry shadow was just in front of him. The man cursed and jumped backwards. Before Malcolm could stand up, he was brought up by his lapels. The hands holding him were instantly replaced by a forearm that pressed into his neck, hard , cutting off his air, and effectively pinning him to the wall.

"This yours?" The man asked in a tone of tightly leashed anger.

Malcolm squinted and saw his notebook held open in the guy's hand. Front and center, the last note he'd written.

Associate on the force, low rank/desk job.

Malcolm couldn't believe his luck. He didn't even think they'd be so lucky as to have that person here, in their precinct. Under their noses this whole time? He caught the guy. In a way. Being choked by said guy was beside the point.

The guy must've really expected Malcolm to answer because the pressure on his neck loosened.

"I was right !" Talking hurt, but that never stopped him. The exhilaration of the reveal pumped adrenaline through him, even masked most of the pain. "Yeah, it's mine. Can I have it back?"

Unimpressed with Malcolm's cheekiness, the man seized Malcolm's jacket and threw him the length of the room where he hit the smooth floor and slid a few feet. Still banking on the adrenaline rush –even though it shook him– he recovered quickly, stood up, ducked to avoid a fist , and successfully delivered two consecutive solid hits to the man's solar plexus and lower abdomen.

Wracking his brain to remember the name —he must've heard it here or there— Malcolm made use of the man's folding and grunting in pain to rub his throbbing neck and clear his throat.

"You're Kurt, no? Kirk? Kent?"

Malcolm was probably enjoying this more than he should. If Gil was here, Malcolm would've had an earful. He should call Gil. Or open the door and holler down the hall so that anyone on shift could hear him and come bearing handcuffs. The likelihood of anyone hearing what was going on inside this closed bathroom was next to none. Oh! Malcolm snapped his fingers, "Carl! Your name is Carl. Why'd you betray your oath, man? Protect and serve? Who are you protecting?"

Carl slowly straightened, staring daggers at Malcolm, while the notebook dangled between two fingers. "None of your business, profiler. Who did you tell about this? Huh? Have you told lieutenant Arroyo yet?" He closed one slow step after another of the distance between them. Malcolm backed into the far wall of the bathroom. It was unfortunately too late for the option of hollering down the hall, having Carl between him and his means of escape. "Answer me!" he screamed, his face taking on a deep crimson hue.

"You don't want to do this, we're in the middle of the precinct," Malcolm tried the reasoning tactic, knowing full well it was bound to fail. Really, he should've ran when he had the chance.

"So you haven't told him. Good."

Carl only had a couple of inches on him but Malcolm had agility, hopefully. And when Carl charged, Malcolm was ready. He ducked and slid on the tiles, quickly pulled free his tie, folded it around his fist. With his elbow he smashed the nearest mirror above the sink beside him. It shattered in a great shower of shards. Malcolm grabbed one with his covered hand and held it in a threatening position.

Carl wasn't the least bit threatened. "You're outmatched, dude. I was top of my martial arts class. Drop the broken glass."

It didn't escape Malcolm's notice how the officer did not once try using his service weapon. If he was as smart as to cover his tracks that long, and cover for his serial killer buddy, he wouldn't. Moreso, a gun fired would definitely get the attention of the couple of officers in the bullpen. Nothing much might get outside of these walls, but a bullet would.

"So was I, " Malcolm replied.

They tussled, but Malcolm had to give it to Carl. He was a tough guy. Malcolm managed a few cuts and punches, but the man's resilience seemed immense, and gave as much as he got, the handful of cuts in Malcolm's torso and thigh proof of that. Of course, when his reputation and career were on the line, and he faced being exposed as a facilitator and clean-up guy for a killer, he had to be.

They were both on their knees on the floor, heaving, exhausted, recovering from a mutual back and forth when Carl sprang and grabbed Malcolm's hair. The pull was painful on its own and Malcolm pulled himself away even more, trying to slide his hair free, to no avail. Carl had it in a clutch. So Malcolm dug his fingers in Carl's face for leverage but the man punched him in his stomach, successfully dislodging him.

Still on their knees, now Malcolm was doubled down, Carl slammed his head into the floor, once, then again with unbridled ferocity and rage. Pain exploded in his previously assaulted and already tender head. This time, however, there was warmth significant to blood spilt. It crawled into his right eye as he lay sprawled out, face down on the tiles, and blinked dazedly.

Carl was not in his immediate space but that was the extent of Malcolm's knowledge with vision blurred from the blood and the familiar haze of an oncoming concussion. Nausea roiled in his gut and it was all Malcolm could do not to throw up, breathing deeply through his nose, clamping his jaw shut and swallowing convulsively.

He pushed on his hands, a poor attempt at getting up but a boot rammed into the middle of his back, face-planting him to the floor with an oomf.

The boot, and all the weight it carried, stayed firmly dug in his back.

Carl grabbed Malcolm's arm and roughly pulled it back. And then he went impossibly further. Malcolm didn't have an opportunity to brace himself even though he knew what was coming. His arm snapped. Somewhere at the shoulder. His scream at the flash of agony burned his throat and popped his ears, the crack of the bone reverberated through all of him.

"Stay fucking still," growled Carl in his ear.

He freed the tie from around Malcolm's hand and used it to rope his arms together, above the elbow, behind his back. Malcolm let out a guttural moan of pain as Carl roughly moved his broken arm this way and that until he was satisfied with the result. The nausea was impossible to contain this time around and Malcolm was left breathing heavily into the floor, in between bouts of dry heaves. Sweat dripped from his scalp and his forehead, mixing with the blood still trickling. His face lay in a small pool of sticky wetness.

Carl's voice came from the other side of the spacious bathroom, talking on the phone. "The shit you put me through, man. I'm in the middle of the fucking precinct, the nosy profiler was onto me . I should've thrown you under the bus the first time you asked for my help. No. No, you moron, you can't come in here. Well, what do I fucking do?”

Malcolm had to get out. He fought desperately against the overwhelming darkness that threatened to claim him, and wiggled his good arm. He instantly regretted it as sharp searing pain shot through his broken one. Malcolm clamped his mouth shut, a scream desperate to break free. Carl's attention better stay on his phone call for now.

"No, I have to off him. But what do I do with the body? Shift change is in a couple hours… you better meet me at the service door asap. Bring––"

Malcolm's mind drifted to put the pain in a backseat as he wiggled his arm again. If he could slip the tie under his elbows, he could slip his good arm free and escape.

Putting the pain out of focus cost him a high price. It was putting Carl and where the man physically stood in the bathroom out of focus as well. Hence, he was caught completely off guard, in his continuous effort to slip his binding –not that he'd made any progress– when something slipped onto his head. A second too late he realized it was a plastic bag, probably procured from the bathroom supplies cabinet. Weird how his mind got stuck on the mundane details in his shock. Malcolm kicked with all his might, even flipped on his back trying to land a kick. All the agony his arm was in, the pressure he put on it, how it got crushed between his body and the floor, it all took a backseat to the more imminent threat of choking on lack of air.

Carl was saying something that Malcolm had difficulty parsing amid his violent thrashing, his legs pushing the floor, crawling away. His broken arm sent shockwaves of hot pain as he pulled, and pulled, and pulled his good one in mad attempts at getting it free. Nothing else mattered except tearing this bag off of his face. Carl stepped on him –broken bones and all– as one might step on a pesky insect, causing a stifled scream to pop out of Malcolm's lungs that burned his non-existent amount of air.

Malcolm flopped, his lungs continuously bucking in and out as if it never got the memo that there was no use trying. The same memo that reached everywhere else making energy seep out of his pores and dissolve into the ether. A strange detachment settled over him, heavy on his spent limbs, where pins and needles raved under his skin.

Through the black plastic bag he could see the illumination of the light bulbs, now dimming dangerously as he lay there, lungs doing the inhaling and exhaling motion, but there was only vacuum. A fish washed up onto the shore. The weight of the entire world leaning singularly on his chest. Immense pain. A red hot fire poker rod stabbing him repeatedly in tandem with his heartbeats. Everything hurt. Unconsciously, his teeth gnawed on the plastic as it got sucked into his open mouth, maybe, just maybe, if it broke under his teeth it could let in a smidgen of air to revive his dying body. Alas, his jaws didn’t have the strength. His lids couldn’t be bothered to stay open.

At least they’re inside the precinct. At least he didn’t go out looking for trouble, having not called for backup. At least there was that. The team would catch Carl, and from there, his killer friend. They’d close the case. More importantly, they wouldn’t feel guilty for his death. Or shouldn’t. Would they?

Malcolm could feel himself slipping, unable to follow his thought till its end. Still, there were thoughts in his mind. Mundane details. What would his father's reaction be, learning of his death? Who would take care of Sunshine? How long would she be left alone before someone remembered to tend to her? A surge of fear overtook him, and panic! How did he not think of Gil? The stabbing pain in his chest made it so hard to think. And Mom? Ainsley! There was so much to ponder and he was running out of time!

Suddenly everything went fuzzy.

For a blissful second, he became weightless. The pain vanished and there was unadulterated relief.

For a blissful moment, Malcolm was carefree.

#whump #whumpblr #prodigal son #malcolm bright #dani powell #gil arroyo #fanfiction #fanfic #my writing #*

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