if only because dust is what we come to

Too often it seems like the default reaction to anything whumpy is hysterics now. Nightmares? Cry. Startled? Cry. Anxious? Cry. Scared? Cry. Grief? Cry. Pain? Cry. Uncertain? Cry. On edge? Cry.

There's so much more for a distressed whumpee to do!

- Muscle tension

- Jumpiness/flinching

- Tiny acts of self mutilation (picking scabs, digging fingernails into skin, nervously flicking fingernails until one splits or tears, biting lips and inner cheeks, pulling hairs)... especially if they don't realize they're doing it

- Loss of appetite

- Inability to sit still

- Preferring to be on their feet vs. sitting or lying down because they feel better equipped to respond to anticipated danger

- Shallow breathing

- Holding their breath without realizing it (until they have to exhale)

- Needing to sit where they can see the exit/doorways in general

- Shifty eyes--afraid of looking at one thing so long they won't see another thing coming at them

- Clenched or grinding teeth

- Cold sweat

- Talking, singing, or humming to themselves to fill silence

- Nyctophobia/needing lights on all the time

- Clenching fists

- Inability to tolerate touch--jerking away or striking out when people try

- Needing to have their back against something (so nothing can sneak up on them)

- Pulling clothing tighter around them

- Tugging edges of clothing--collars, hems, sleeves

- Irritability

- Heart palpitations

- Angina (chest pain)

- Compulsive apologizing

- Voice gets quieter (+ overcompensating because they're aware of it and they end up being too loud)

- Oversensitive to other people's voices, asking others to be quiet even if nothing is happening

- Asking for repeated reassurance that nothing bad will happen as a result of xyz event/action/sound, people aren't secretly angry, etc

- Going quiet, disengaging from social setting

- Dissociation

- Pressured speech (talking excessively fast)

- Pressured eating (they wolf down any food they get... maybe they snarf it a little too hard and choke, even)

- Avoiding eye contact

- Keeping their head lowered

- Otherwise making themselves physically small

- Needing to be alone, or the reverse, fear of being by themselves

- Disruptive rituals (getting up on the middle of the night to check locks or do head counts, obsessively taking stock of everything they own multiple times a day)

- Inability to talk/articulate (even if they try)

- Dry mouth

- Distracted to the point of missing obvious things, I.e. when someone is talking to them

- Losing their place in conversation, inability to finish a sentence

- Tremors

- Hiccups

- Needing a security item, can be anything from a thing a reassuring figure gave them or just a worry stone/coin they can turn over and over as a self-soothe fidget

- Insomnia

- Sleepwalking

- Not asking for help because it's a sign of weakness

- Embarrassment/insecurity due to any of the above

Crying is not only an extreme, highly visible reaction, it's one many whumpees will not do where anyone can see them, out of fear of reprisal or just straight up shame. While a whumpee crying alone and isolated is super fun and awesome, a lot of y'all are wanting your whumpees to have trauma responses in front of others. And the reality is, traumatized people aren't a monolith. Not everybody is going to respond to triggers/stimulus with tears--or anything else that can be "fixed" with hugs, hair stroking, and generic reassurances from a Caretaker™. You also have to take into account how the presence of others is going to affect the way a whumpee reacts. (For example: How liable are you to just... straight bawl... in front of others? Particularly others whose intentions you may no longer trust 100%? You might be, but if you're not, this is your sign to reconsider whether your whumpee is.)

What responses have they been penalized for in their past, by a whumper or childhood/prior history? What responses are culturally acceptable/unacceptable to them? How have they reacted to a given response in the past when someone else has done it? Are things different now that it's them? What are the cultural/circumstantial factors governing others' reception of their response? Paying closer attention to the human elements of recovery whump is always the right choice.

So next time your blorbo is in acute distress, remember: Don't just have them cry, diversify!

Because some of y'all's whumpees are out here making me go

i went over and was about to put in “single” or “it’s complicated” and, well..

- "Bruce Wayne does NOTHING for Gotham except being Batman" <- lies and slander of my good man's name

- Clark Kent delivering mediocre journalism (especially when he's in his mid 30s or older and has experience. Bumbling reporter who?)

- Bruce being ignorant to things happening with his kids

- Tim taking over as CEO for Bruce (???? Where why what?)

- Superman not knowing Robin well into the League years

- Coffee drinker Tim Drake

- Alfred being a Saint

- The Red Hood is the protector of Crime Alley (Batman who?)

- No Metas in Gotham

- Damian calling Jason his favorite brother (specifically when it's justified by saying that Jason understands Damian's violence. No tf he doesn't?)

- Dick resenting Bruce for making him Robin (be so fr rn.)

- "Bruce doesn't tell his children he is proud of them" <- insert montage of Bruce saying exactly that

- Batman 'taking his frustration out on the criminals of Gotham' (please no??????)

- Bruce not knowing how to interact with/take care of kids, especially after the introduction of Dick (this ain't his first rodeo)

- Perfect Older Brother Dick Grayson (actually perfect siblings in general)

My thought process started like a lot of my superbat ideas do, which is with Clark being just a tiny bit uncanny about how he shows affection with people, specifically with Bruce. Possessive!Clark is one of my biggest headcanons, so naturally, with nothing else to do but stare at a blank wall, I began to contemplate. And this thought process segued into one very important question: would Clark be alright with Bruce sacrificing himself/dying in unavoidable circumstances?

Canon states that no, Clark would not be OK with that (see the issues where Clark dunks Bruce into the Lazarus pits), but that can be written off as a moment with very high emotions. What if Clark knew there was no other choice on the battlefield, and that Bruce was doing this willingly? What if Clark couldn't save Bruce? Would he be alright with what is essentially Bruce commiting suicide for the greater good?

As I thought long and hard about it, I realised that in this scenario, where there's no other choice and Bruce has made peace with his death, it would make Clark a hypocrite if he denied Bruce his death. Because Clark, Superman, beyond anyone, understands the sacrifices that are involved in being a superhero. Who would understand such a dilemma better than the Man who belongs to everyone and no one at the same time? If given the same opportunity to sacrifice himself, Clark would do it without hesitation coz that's just the kind of guy he is. He knows what this entails, and if he denied Bruce that chance, then he would be a hypocrite.

Would he feel horrible about the death? Oh yes absolutely, no doubt about that. But he would understand. He would let Bruce die.

So there I was, sitting in my room, having debunked my favourite headcanon for nothing. But then I thought to myself, that doesn't discredit Superman's possessiveness at all! He is a hypocrite, and that's why it works!

Superman is selfless to a fault, it comes with the territory of dedicating your life to an entire planet. But Clark can be selfish, he can be irrational and emotional and impulsive (see again Clark dunking Bruce in the pits) and no, all that stuff about sacrifice does not apply to the people he loves. Clark has been shown to just do what he thinks is best for a person, regardless of what said person thinks. See again, the pits AND the end of Emperor Joker, where Clark takes Bruce’s memories without his consent.

Actually when we talk about Emperor Joker, this becomes even more increasingly clear

The Emperor Joker Arc, I don't know the exact issue

Clark does what he thinks will save Bruce, uncaring of what Bruce might actually feel about this whole situation.

Action Comics #784

Here, we see Clark apologising for hurting Bruce, but not for what he did. He's not remorseful about the violation of Bruce’s mind, because to him being the recipient of Bruce’s anger and paranoia is better than Bruce being functionally dead, destroyed by Joker. He wants to keep Bruce, he needs him, and he's selfish enough to justify his actions for it.

OK, what am I trying to say now with all this? Clark's understanding of sacrifice and righteousness do not matter when it comes to his loved ones. In a way, his understanding of Bruce is exactly what makes him unable to bear the thought of losing him. That's his best friend, the other half of the World’s Finest, how could he carry on without Bruce? He gets the need to do the right thing and accept Bruce’s wishes, but he can't really accept it. He's selfish like that, in a way he doesn't allow himself to be anywhere else, because Bruce gets him and not many people have ever understood Clark Kent.

Bruce: did you change your shampoo? It smells different from the one you usually use.

Clark: oh, I did but it’s kinda weird that you know that B

~later in the batcave with Alfred~

Hello everyone!! We are so excited to share with y'all a *locked in* version of the schedule, beautifully visualized by our social media team on our instagram! 

Pre-Con Programming

We’ve been cooking this up in the background: A week prior to DashCon proper, please join your fellow DashConners and Tumblrinas as we dip our toes into a VirtualDash experience on July 25th, at 12:00 - 6:00 PM EDT. Important: The events below are open to all VirtualDash and IRLDash ticketholders who connect to the Dashcon 2 (2026) discord server as described in your ticket receipt email! 

Tumblr Heritage Posts Kahoot hosted by AnonymousSong

12:00pm-1:00pm EDT

How well do you know this hellsite? Get quizzed on some of the site's most popular posts in a Kahoot game against your fellow Tumblrinas. Run by a long-time Tumblr hostage resident!

Crow and Tell

1:15pm-2:15pm EDT

A virtual crow exchange– participants (like you!) can present to the room unique items, strange artifacts, and meaningful trinkets. To sign up to share your Crow and Tell offering, please click the following link for more details, share your precious with us, and we’ll be in touch! https://forms.gle/tLUGyfpJYCDbj1dR6 

Dashcon 2 Magma 

2:30pm-3:30pm EDT

Blorbos welcome! Join us on a collaborative whiteboard to noodle, share and exchange doodles, and help us create a virtual “group photo” to hang on our fridge.

Hamilton Sing-Along

3:45pm-6:00pm EDT

The World’s Turned Upside Down, and we’re singing along to Hamilton in 2026. It’s been nearly 11 years since the broadway debut of Hamilton, and I still have a certain drawing of Thomas Jefferson on my desktop.

Saturday at VirtualDash

‘Frog tongues attach at the front of the mouth’ and other fun facts: Science and stories from the Curator of Herpetology at the Natural History Museum Denmark 

10am - 11:30am EDT

Hosted by @markscherz

Last year, he said that DashCon 2 could have used more frog science. This year, he delivers.

One Fan Band: The Basics of Making Your Own Fanmusic

11:45am - 12:45pm EDT

Hosted by @caramiaddio

Everyday, fanmusic is left behind. But with YOUR help, it can thrive. Join the lead composer of Goncharov in the basics of writing fanmusic!

Unmasking the Masq: What do know before joining your first Cosplay Masquerade

1pm - 1:30pm EDT

Hosted by @mackdizzy

Want to hop into the world of the Masq? Join this cos-performance veteran as she walks you through the ins and outs of the cosplay Masquerade.

Yarn wig styling with Julie Joyful

1:45pm - 3:15 pm EDT

Hosted by @hazelri

This little monster needs a new wig! Come learn about yarn wig styling from a Julie Joyful cosplayer: is knee length hair.. long enough?

3AM to Ao3: A Guide to Writing and Posting Your First Fanfiction

3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT

Hosted by @publiccmenace 

A quick guide to writing and posting your first fanfic!

Fanwork Exchanges 101

4:45pm - 5:45pm EDT

Hosted by @antimony-medusa, @mackdizzy, @jaybin-superiority, @creetchure, @that-fall-guy 

Do you want to host a fanworks exchange? Join Fanworks Exchanges 101 to learn about hosting exchanges, participating, and general fanworks!

The Muppet Joker’s Quiet Sock Puppet Craft Corner

6pm - 7:30pm EDT

Hosted by @the-muppet-joker

Bring sock. Hot glue gun. Cardboard. Felt. Scissors. Yarn. Googly eyes. A ritual, reversed. A murder, unsolved. Oh baby. We makin puppets.

Syd and Marti Dissect Classic Literature: Why the Road not Taken by Robert Frost is an Allegory for Dreamnotfound

9:15pm - 10:15pm EDT

Hosted by @disaster-syd

Join us on a journey of a brain melting fandom analysis and totally not fake DNF kill proofs!!!! (not clickbait! We cried?!)

Strange Croaker (TTRPG)

10:30pm - 12am EDT

Hosted by @em-7dice + players!

Join in watching a live playthrough of the DashCon 2 themed one-page TTRPG, Strange Croaker.

Sunday at VirtualDash

Bionicle and Gender

8am - 8:30am EDT

Hosted by @LucasBuilds

It turns out one of LEGO's most iconic themes lends itself to some interesting readings when it comes to gender. Join me as I attempt to explain just how Bionicle has become a part of trans culture.

The Prince and Blorbos

8:45am - 9:45am EDT

Hosted by @theabigailthorn

Join Abigail Thorn as she talks about fanfic, blorbos, and The Prince!

Victorian Children

10am - 10:30am EDT

Hosted by @thesequelnobodywanted

We've all seen the online meme: "[insert modern thing here] would kill a Victorian child," but…would it? Join me as we BECOME the Victorian child, and take an amateur deep dive into their society, and their own smut literature. Together we'll find out how much hot cheetos, McDonalds Sprite, and sentient smut books would REALLY shock our Victorian counterparts.

"I block all blaze posts, but yours."

10:45am - 11:45am EDT

Hosted by @millenniallust4death

If you've celebrated Martin and Bosco Day on July 13, then you already know them. What happens to a post that Tumblr users keep blazing?

The Unofficial Neopets Crash Course to Late Stage Capitalism

12pm - 12:45pm EDT

Hosted by @maryjubran, @iammai, @dreadpiratecthulhu

Neopets has thrived since 1999. But at what cost? A story of what happens when capitalists greedily take over a virtual pet game.

Unsinkable: A History of Shipping Culture

1pm - 2pm EDT

Hosted by @watchinghimrakeleaves

This panel will journey through some of the earliest examples of shipping, going all the way back to antiquity, before delving into the birth of modern fandom in the 20th century as we discuss the highs and lows of current shipping culture

Underpants on the Outside: Why do superheroes Look Like That?

3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT

Hosted by @ohnoitstbskyen

A brief history of the superhero costume, what it used to mean and what it means now, and what it teaches us about character design.

Intro to Presidentblr (Or How I Found Myself Dedicating an Absurd Amount of My Time Pretending to be President Richard Nixon on Tumblr)

5pm - 6pm EDT

Hosted by @nixon-official

The mod of Nixon-Official attempts to unravel Presidentblr – Tumblr blogs role-playing as U.S. presidents and related historical figures.

A Musical Analysis of Shrek: Let's Get this Ogre and Done With

6:15pm - 7:15pm EDT

Hosted by @biggestdumbestduck

Come on a musical journey through the Shrek movies, as we analyze changes in a Totally Scientific way. BYOO^.(Bring Your Own Onion.)

da fanfiction of da fanfiction: Adapting My Immortal for the Stage

7:30pm - 9pm EDT

Hosted by @myimmortalplay

The team behind the My Immortal play explore where fan culture and performance collide. Dis iz4 al da goffik theatr kidz!1 No TERFs allowed!

Vampires Never Die: Why Vampire Fiction & Symbolism Never Goes Out of Style

9:15pm - 10:15pm EDT

Hosted by @yvesdot

Exploring everything vampires have ever symbolized—for classic Tumblr queer-monster types, and those impatient for whatever comes next.

Gregoria: A Historia

10:30pm - 12am EDT

Hosted by Lizzie Teddy & Gregory