idk what i'm doing

How to get rid of scars

Are all scars permanent

Jail time for [x] crime

Does [x] cause permanent damage

Is it ever okay to [x]

Their mind wanders away, or their train of thoughts keeps derailing or jumping all over, or concentrating is very hard, or they almost fall asleep/ pass out every few minutes or so, or they kind of just freeze and stare into the void.

Friends and/ or caretakers keep having to wake them up or try to get them to focus.

They get worried over whumpee being unable to hold a normal conversation, or unable to fill a role or do something important expected of them. They need the whumpee awake just a little longer, perhaps even to save their live.

They keep telling whumpee: "Are you with me?" or "Whumpee, can you hear me?" or "Stay with me, whumpee." or "Whumpee, please, you have to focus!"

Maybe caretakers and or friends are resigned to the possibility whumpee is not lucid enough for now and cannot help. Or resigned to try again later when the fever gets better, or the blood volume gets restored, or the drugs wear off.

Based off of my SOA magic system that should probably post, because yesterday was my birthday, these are basically my truest fave tropes

When heartbreak/grief affects a character's magic

Magic backfiring often having the same effects as a gun backfiring

When the stress and trauma is genuinely killing the character

The variance of scars caused by magic. Necrotic scars from dark magic. Colorful scars from haphazard spellcasting. Lighting scars that refuse to fade. Leathery skin from overuse of fire magic. Discolored fingertips, foggy eyes, rapidly graying hair, gimme gimme gimme

Nose bleeds from overuse? A class. But what about... tinnitus, blurred vision, dizzying, loss of appetite, weight loss, tingling/numbness, loss of balance, paling skin, weakened immune systems, muscular pain, oh I could go on

Soldiers collapsing mid battle from using their magic too much

Squad mates holding up their comrade so that they can keep casting magic, despite their weakness and inability to stand for themselves

Watching magic trace through someone's veins before it conjures into reality

Magic whiplash, magic friendly fire, magic misfire? Yes yes and yes

Curses are such a common thing, that they're basically a disability, and yes people discriminate against the cursed of course

One day though, after years of Caretaker protecting this broken shell of a person, Whumpee smiles. A real smile. With light behind their eyes. And for a short moment, Caretaker has their friend back. Maybe, just maybe, it was going to be alright. That bit of hope is more painful than all the disappointment and fear of the time spent watching them break.

Coughing up blood into a hand and then looking at it with shocked/terrified eyes

The Tension™ of one character tenderly patching up another character's wounds and scolding them for being reckless

Apologizing right before passing out

A hand cupped to a forehead to check for fever

A hand going under a jacket or shirt and coming away bloody

Forced to kneel with a sword under their chin

Lying about the severity/hiding of an injury

Collapsing after a big magic spell/magical exhaustion draining them

The comic relief character joking about their trauma/injury to dissuade worry from them

Hero injured/collapsing on villians doorstep or vice versa, "I didn't know where else to go"

Being curled on the ground and then kicked in the ribs (literally being kicked while they're down)

Being injected with a needle of drugs/potion by villian that knocks them out

Having a terrible nightmare and waking up with a cry in a cold sweat

Fighting against unconsciousness (unsuccessfully)

character a has a knife thrown at them by an enemy. Character b throws themselves between them, causing the knife to become embedded between their shoulder and their collarbone. They drop to the ground, shaking from pain.

after the fight is over, character a runs to character b, character A’s hands shaking. No. No no no no, they’re not supposed to protect me. They took that knife for me.

Character c kneels beside character b, their face grim. “Character a…we have to get this out.” Character a shakes their head, but character c gives them a look. We have to do this. Character c grips the handle of the knife, and character b shudders in pain. Character a turns character b towards them. “Don’t look. Don’t look at the knife. Just look at me. You’re safe, okay?” Character a holds on to character b’s arm.

character b looks at character a. “…character a?” They whisper, their voice shaking. They know something is very, very wrong.

character c sees that character b is distracted. “I’m sorry kid,” they mutter. Then, they pull the knife out.

character b screams, arching off the ground. They flinch towards character a, who squeezes their arm. “It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s out, shh.”

Character c rushes to put pressure on the wound. “We need to get them home.”

“Are you okay? Come here…”

“No, no, stay down. I’ll handle it.”

“Where were you? I was worried sick.”

“I made you some soup and tea…”

“Ssh… It’s okay…”

“You’ll freeze to death in that. Come, I have a change of clothes for you.”

“You look pale. When’s the last time you ate?”

“The ground doesn’t look very comfortable. Come on, put your head in my lap.”

“You’re freezing. Take my jacket.”

“Stay down, you idiot. You’re done for the day.”

“I got you.”

“Come on, let’s get you in bed.”

“What happened to you? You’re dripping! Did you not dress for the rain?”

“I got you flowers to aid in your recovery.”

“You look good like this. All careless and comfy…”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

"What the hell was that?"

"What- I fainted. You do know what fainting is right?"

"Okay, smartass, you know what I meant."

Villains, of course, show up often, wounded and grateful for Caretaker’s asylum. They know they’ll be treated with respect and allowed to leave freely. Heroes, on the other hand, flow to Caretaker’s place more gradually. Heroes who are too ashamed to get help back at HQ, or that are severely injured and found on the street. Almost all civilians in the area know exactly where Caretaker is.

Most significantly, Caretaker enforces neutrality at their place. If a hero and villain happen to be there at the same time, they can’t fight each other. At the very least, civility is mandatory. But in more urgent situations, they’re frequently asked to help the other one that’s more seriously injured.

sidekick stops in front of leader and shouts, "how are you so fucking calm right now!?"