bakerstreet

the hurt/comfort meme

In order to avoid long extrapolation, I'll say one thing: I've noticed that people like what I call "h/c shipping kink." Kink may not be the right word - sex need not be involved - but essentially, crappy things happen to our characters in their crapsack worlds in canon all the time. Sometimes, we like to see them happy. Or relatively happier. And less evil and more adjusted, for those of us who play those types. It's all very self-indulgent.

And, as you can tell from my username, I'm going to be compiling memes that have, for some reason, got micromanaged into ridiculous niches when they should all be under one umbrella. This first project is to wrangle up all the "caretaking" themed shipping memes. Basically, one character cares for the other, be it physically, emotionally, or otherwise. There is also shipping.

The end goal is to weed down redundant memes and, maybe, make this an all-purpose post!

HOW TO PLAY

You know the protocol.
Comment with your characters and preferences. Also, be sure to include whether your character would be the caretaker, the cared for, or if you can play either.
Reply to others.

PROMPTS

Physically Hurt: The traditional h/c scenario. Your partner is hurt, and you break out the bandages to patch them up and give them a shoulder to lean on. May also come with the Florence Nightingale effect, where the "patient" falls in love with the "nurse" thanks to their care.
Emotionally Hurt: You can't put bandages on wounded egos and souls, but you can try your best.
Illness: You're with someone who's sick - maybe even with a long-term, chronic, or mortal illness.
Trauma: Like emotional hurt, this is not an easy cure, and it's even deeper. There will also be blowback on the one trying to care for their traumatized loved one.
Mortality: You're struggling with the fact that one partner may die sooner than the other because of lifestyle or species reasons.
The One Left Behind: One side of the ship is the person left at home to wait and worry.
Triumphant Return: They're finally back and in one piece! Celebrate in the way you two deem best.
Changed by Your Love: You're finding yourself a better person now that you're with them.
Pulled from Depression: You saw no reason to live before you met them.
Physical Protector/Bodyguard: It started out as protection. It became more.
Pure/Impure: You two have varying alignments and varying experiences. Does this affect your relationship?
Remember: Or actually, you can't. You've lost everything about your identity, including your past memories. Needless to say, you may cling to the one person who's helping you. You also may not want to remember your old life.
In a Bad Situation: You're in a dangerous scenario - being hunted, prisoners, bruised and beaten and brought to a strange place - and all you have to rely on is each other. You've been thrown into the fire together and you have to survive.
Inexperienced: Whether it be in romance, sex, or the world in general, one part of the pairing is teaching the other part the ropes. This can encompass so-called "innocence kinks" or age differences.
I Thought I Lost You: Their injuries were so substantial that you thought they were done for. Now, you have to deal with your own emotional
Gentle, Loving Smut: AKA sexual healing and all gentle smut memes or memes that focus on emotional attachment.
Bad Sexual Experience: Similar to the above option, but including sexual baggage that one partner must prove does not always apply.
Trust Issues: One of you has a hard time trusting the other. There may be jealousy involved here.
Unexpected Caretaker: You'd think the sweet one would take care of the dour one, but it's the opposite way around. This is the "surly badasses take care of the one they love" option.
Unwillingly Cared For: You don't need to be coddled. They should leave you alone!
Hurt by You: You have to pick up the pieces of what you've done, thanks to an argument or your temper.
Draining: Caring for them is damaging you and your relationship with them.
Mutually Beneficial: There's not one set "caretaker." You both look out for each other.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

( either role! )

[Open to all canons and assumed CR. Either role - he has plenty of trauma but he can also be a decent comfort. Bio | permissions/info.]

[Either role]

[Either role or somehow a mutual thing. OTA gen/platonic, anything more serious 20+ OTA! Castmates (especially JINUS and her girls), crosscanon, crossmedium, assumed CR, AUs, OCs etc all always welcome!]

( either role! if she's being comforted, i'm more interested in 1, 2, 10, 15 or 19. if she's comforting, anything goes! )

[Can either be the comforter or the comforted (he's honestly not great at either). Nothing shippy/smutty, though.

I can write the starter.]

{ either role! }

[Hey there! We could do something post-Chrissy death if he needs some help processing? Or perhaps post his own death if you're comfortable playing him from the other side? Lots of options since Phyre can see and handle spirits. Assuming Eddie's on the hurt side, that is. Happy to be on the other side too.]

[more than likely the comforter]

[either, but he's awkward at being soft]

[ open to canon & crosscanon, assumed cr, etc! age can be anywhere from 16-26 if you have a pref! a bit more info on journal! ]

[ Either role, ota for gen and m/f for ships. ]

( ou or au. m/m )

Edited 2026-02-09 20:56 (UTC)

[Despite his ego, probably the one who's hurt. A terrible patient.]

[ooc: either role works for me!]

[Either role.]

[ She's good for both but more likely to be taking care of other people. ]

[Depends on the situation, can be either]

[Better at comforting.]

[ info & permissions! ]

( I play her from when she leaves Beacon Hills to become an FBI agent. She has a lot of trauma from all the shit she's been through due to the supernatural and being possessed by the Nogitsune. She can either be the one getting comforted or comfort someone else, though she might be a bit awkward at it and will resort to yapping. This is an AU version of Stiles, as you can already tell. born a girl! )

( good with either role! )

[ Either role! Happy to discuss assumed CR and such for cross-canon folks and any Genshins she hasn't met yet. ]

( terrible patient but decent caretaker. )

[ OTA! Happy to write a starter. Info and prefs are on the journal! ]

[ open to either role! would prefer no 11 or 22, but otherwise open to all prompts. ]

[ either role! but no prompt #12 pls ]

[ high school or timeskip or in-between. m/m for shipping. ]

( ota, either position but lbr Vysena is probably the one getting hurt. )

[Open to either role.]

[Probably the one hurt.]

[ godzilla hunting scientist from the 1950s who can also be in modern day for canon timey-whimey reasons. crosscanon welcome; love a good multiverse moment. would especially love some hero types or fellow inadvertent time travelers. ]

( passing on 5 and 22, otherwise open to all other prompts and willing to play either side )

hc

ilya rozanov | heated rivalry

phyre | bloodlines 2 | ota

Delia Battista ✨ Star Trek OC ✨OTA, 21+ for any shipping or smut

Rumi | KPop Demon Hunters | OTA

nahla ake ★ star trek

Sherlock Holmes | BBC Sherlock | OTA

Eddie Munson | Stranger Things

no subject

shane hollander / heated rivalry

tristan | an oc

manabu yuuki | galaxy railways

hiiragi kashima | given | m/m

bob reynolds | thunderbolts*

Hawks | My Hero Academia | ota

angel | csm

maelle | clair obscur: expedition 33

Prince Aerion Targaryen | A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

Grier "Rook" Thorne | Dragon Age: The Veilguard | OTA 25+

lena luthor | supergirl | ota

Matt Murdock | MCU | OTA

guy anatole ( amc's talamasca )

Meryl Stryfe | Trigun Stampede/Stargaze

The Creature | Del Toro's Frankenstein | OTA20+

The General / Mr. Villain's Day Off

Birdie Lewis | OC | Vampire: The Masquerade | OTA

Haibara Yu ( JJK )

Stiles Stilinski | Teen Wolf | ota

adrian chase | peacemaker

columbina | genshin impact | ota

frank castle | mcu

Nitori Aiichirou ( Free! ) OTA

The Creature | Frankenstein (2025)

kokichi muta ( jjk ) ota

shane hollander | heated rivalry

ilya rozanov | heated rivalry

kenma | haikyuu

vysena hux ☾ star wars oc ☾ ota

Clive Rosfield | Final Fantasy XVI | OTA

"han siwon" (yoon taemin) | at the end of the road

Matt Murdock | Netflix/MCU | OTA

Kuroko Tetsuya ( Kuroko no Basuke )

tony stark | mcu

keiko miura | monarch: the legacy of monsters | ota

shane hollander | heated rivalry