Darling is such a powerful word to me
Imo you use that word for someone you are truly, deeply in love with. This person is your world, your everything, you can’t live without them.
On the other hand, you use that word for someone you’re extremely possessive of. You call someone that and they’re yours for all of eternity, whether they like it or not. No one else can have them because they’re yours if they know or not is completely irrelevant.
Now, imagine Whumpee being called that by both Caretaker and Whumper…