I don't care if it's cliche - I love when whumpee breaks down in someone's arms. Literally crying on someone's shoulder. The someone can be Caretaker, Leader, their Mentor - anyone - as long as they're holding whumpee close and encouraging them to let it out
YEASSSSSSS !
âSo, what Whumpee did to you was wrong, okay? You understand that?â
âButâ how? why? They get mad sometimes, itâs notââ
âShh.â Caretaker gently shushes whumpee, shifting their weight on the mattress. The new, soft mattress theyâd brought especially for Whumpee to sleep on. âYou deserve this bed. It doesnât matter what âpunishmentâ shit Whumper did. You are safe here, and that wasnât normal.â
Whumpee nods, looking at the floor. What do they mean, not normal? Was it not normal to sleep on the floor? Not normal to curl on the hardwood floor, gathering as much warmth as they can? It all wasnât normal? It wasnât⊠but what is now? Caretaker says sleeping on a bed like this is normal. Itâs so different, soââ
âWhumpee? You can cry, you know.â Whumpee hadnât realised theyâd been crying before, but Caretakerâs voice tells them otherwise. They notice how tight their chest feels, eyes waterg with tears.
âYou can cry.â Caretaker doubles down, their eyes gentle and full of concern as they gaze at Whumpeeâs face as if they can figure out what theyâre thinking. Whumpee canât hold it. ALL this wasnât normal. It was bad, and meanâ Itâs all so much, too much. One sob, then another, and anotherâ They bury their face into Caretakerâs shoulder, not caring anymoreâ they just need them. Need Caretaker, need the close, warmth of their body, the soft floral perfume smell.
âThatâs it. Youâre doing so good. You can cry. Just let yourself cry, sweet thing.â
Whumpee doesnât need to be told twice. Their eyes are hazy and watery, hot tears streaking down their face. Their face feels hot and flushed, and everythingâs just stuck in these sobs that are slowly being released. It feels so good to cry like thisâ they donât think they ever have before. But each breath, every tear, eases the tension and stress and racing thought in their head.
âJust let it out, whumps. Iâm right here.â Caretaker wraps their arms slowly but surely around Whumpee, one hand patting their back. They rock slightly, remembering that motion from their parent that soothed them. Whumpee keeps crying, and crying, until the sobs turn into sniffles, and the sniffles to sleep.

















