A Whumper at Heart
Just call me Ace | she/her | 30s
Perpetually behind on answering my asks. Current number in the box is 19 (as of 1/11/2026)
Perpetually behind on answering my asks. Current number in the box is 19 (as of 1/11/2026)
"Denied a day off" for the ask game? Pretty please?
- “You knew the demands of this job when you took it. No sick days. Ever.”
- “I’m sorry you’re not feeling well, but my supervisor is going to have my ass if that report isn’t finished today.”
- “Work with me, whumpee. I know you don’t feel good, but you can’t leave me alone with all of this.”
- “You’re right. There’s so much to be done, and I shouldn’t be slacking off. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
- “Oh. Right, sure. I guess I was being a little selfish. The team needs me.”
- “I’m sorry, but it’s all hands on deck. I can’t make you stay, but if you don’t, I can’t promise there won’t be consequences.”
- “I’ve worked through fevers, the flu, and, once, a concussion. I’ve been here for 36 hours and awake for 48. And you’re telling me you want to go home because of a headache?”
- “Sure. Of course, you can go. I’ll give your huge pile of work to the first person who can see me over their own. That seems fair, don’t you think?”
- “Unfortunately, we need you out there. You’re our only healer/medic. You can go back to bed the second we’re finished, okay?”
- “Is your fever above 104? No? Then it sounds like it’s not an emergency. We’re working on borrowed time. Unless you’re dying, you’re going to have to get out there and do your damn job.”
Sorry, this got really long. I just got reminded of an idea I had back in fucking middle school and thought you might appreciate it.
So I know that "villain turns up on hero's doorstep / in their apartment /etc. because they have "nowhere else to go"" is kind of a common trope, but I really really really want to see more of the reverse. A hero who is badly hurt, maybe even on the run from the organization they work(ed) for, and goes to the villain for shelter.
The villain is just chilling in their evil lair and their security system goes off. They get all dressed up in their regalia and go outside to face the threat, only to see the hero leaning against a tree / the wall / whatever, gripping their side, blood soaking through their uniform, face pale.
Or, alternatively, they look on the cameras and see nothing. Sighing, rolling their eyes about how they really need to fine-tune the settings so it stops alerting at animals, they go outside (potentially prepared to gain another snack for their pet) and instead see hero crumpled in a heap. (Bonus if the hero was flying into the villain's airspace and crash-landed / was zapped out of the sky by the villain's defenses.)
Maybe the villain's pet Creature perks up its nose and dives into the bushes. The villain runs after them, cursing, since "I thought you knew better than to chase squirrels!!" only to find their pet pawing at (or even attempting to gnaw on) the hero's body. (Dragging them by the cape like Krypto in Superman....)
Or maybe the hero lands on the balcony of the villain's Evil Penthouse in the city. Or stumbles up the drive of their looming mansion in the countryside.
Maybe the villain saw them approaching from a distance and disabled their security / called off their goons, preparing a trap. The door opens and they're ready to burst into an evil monologue as the hero walks in, but then the hero just... crumples.
Imagine the last thing the hero says as they lose consciousness is a quiet "You were right." The villain would ordinarily be gloating, but they can't seem to find any joy in that idea. After all, what's the point in changing someone's mind if they just die right away? No. There's no satisfaction there.
The vulnerability of delirium, too. Accidentally revealing top-secret plans, or letting on that their bosses/organization they work for have hurt them. Hero babbling "Don't take me back there, please!"
Maybe they were shot with some kind of anti-power poison (because of course the organization that collects super heroes would know how to stop them).
Imagine the "good guys" showing up at the villain's place and demanding they return their "kidnapped" operative. Offering a ransom. Villain listens to the recording and stares at the sleeping form on their bed, and wonders what the hero did to make their former employers want them so badly.
Villain defending their home (and the hero) with everything they had. Maybe hero shows up at the last minute to help them, too.
Maybe the hero wakes up with the villain's cat (or other pet creature) on their chest. Or they wake up alone in an unfamiliar place and go wandering, catching glimpses of the villain's private life until they finally come across the villain in another room. ("Finally. I was starting to wonder if I would have to feed you to the sharks." "Sharks? Aren't we in the middle of the city?" "That was a joke, hero.")
Maybe the villain's residence is a lot less impressive than the hero was expecting. Their "secret bunker" is little more than a couple of rooms.
The hero getting to see what the villain is like behind the mask. There are photos of their loved ones on the wall. ("What happened to them?" "What happened? Nothing. My mother was just here last Sunday for tea. My dad's dead though. Fucking lung cancer of all things. Man smoked a pack a day.") Their cat is a huge cuddle-bug, and the living room has more cat toys than people furniture. Their MASSIVE dog sleeps on the bed and licks your face. Their library is filled with romcoms. They have a huge collection of 80s music. There's an entire room full of arcade games. They collect abstract art. Their fridge is covered in travel magnets. They sing and dance (badly) while they cook. ("Yes, of course I cook for myself. You think I can afford to hire staff? In this economy?? Besides, what's to stop your precious Organization from sending plants? And I can't exactly put out an ad in the papers.")
Idk, I just think this is a critically underrated reversal of tropes here.
(sent by @memento-morri-writes bc I'm an idiot who made my writing-related blog a sideblog.)
*screaming crying throwing up* OH MY GOOOOOOD I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is amazing and I’m obsessed. Fuck every part of what you just wrote is perfection and itching this particular itch of mine so good. I love a good hero villain team up and I love when the villain is like the good guy in comparison and the good guys are shitheads. I love a hurt hero. I love it ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!! CRITICALLY UNDERRATED INDEED!!!!!!
do you know of any scenes where there’s man on an unstable bridge and a plank of wood gives way beneath him and he almost falls into the water
God you know what? I know I do. I know this happens. But for some reason my brain went blank on this for ages. But I’ve got a couple now!
The Librarians: Quest for the Spear
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
George of the Jungle
when character a is barely conscious and being princess carried by character b and when b goes to put them down a whimpers and fists their hand into the fabric of their shirt and b goes shhh shh shh and takes their hand in theirs while gently cradling their head oughhhhhh oughhhhh………….
sick character shivering in bed as they’re overcome with a fever. delirious enough to start mumbling panicked words in a foreign language they dont usually speak. the only teammate who can understand them hears it, and replies softly in the same language. repeating gentle reassurance as they stroke their hair.
a character flinching!!! covering their head when someome raises their arm. jumping up at any sudden loud noise. sharply pulling away when they’re touched. voice hitching mid-sentence as they get startled!!!!!
You know what I see a lot of? Skiers caught in avalanches whump
You know what I want to see more of? Rock climbers caught in rock slides whump
whumpee misunderstanding what are supposed to be comforting words.
“you’re too weak to fight.” (implied “in your state” but taken as “you’re not good enough”)
“it’s not surprising that you’d react like this” (intended “anyone in your position would be devastated by this” but taken as “you’re so predictably sensitive”)
“you need to stay here. you’re just going to slow the team down.” (meant as “you’re too ill/injured to come on this mission” but taken as “you’re a burden”)
i just like a caretaker with good intentions upsetting whumpee more and either feeling guilty about their phrasing or not knowing what they said wrong at all.
panicked character desperately clutching onto the only person they trust.
face hidden in their neck. gasping for breath as they try to calm down from the spike of adrenaline. biting back a whimper when the other moves to stroke their head, trying to reassure them that everything is alright now, they’re safe.
its always about the hurt being witnessed it’s about the pitying looks it’s about the team seeing their friend’s scars and noticing whenever physical contact makes them flinch away. just seeing all the pain and caring so much that they’d do anything to make it better. it’s about all the subtle, gentle steps they take to ensure they’re comfortable. no grabbing, no sudden movements, no loud noises. it’s like they keep wordlessly repeating “I care about you” just through their actions.
whump detail I forget sometimes - when they just can’t get comfortable.
maybe they’re lying on the bare ground, or on a hard table or thin cot, or the blanket isn’t thick enough to warm them. whatever way they turn their bones ache and they shiver helplessly, curling into themselves, aggravating their injuries more by their struggles. everything hurts and they’re not even sure why as they slip in and out of insufficient drowsing
or the bed is perfectly fine but their body is the problem, alternating between overheated fever and wracking chills, their sheets damp and rumpled as they throw them on and off, twisting and turning to seek an equilibrium they’re never going to find, pillow flat and salt-scented and tepid beneath their flushed face
they have to sleep upright or on their back or in some unusual position due to injuries, or a cough that won’t quit, and it feels so wrong; or maybe they are in a different place than usual, a hospital room or a clinic bed or a chair in the main living room so the others can keep an eye on them. the sounds are all different and each little thing startles them awake and they wish they could just burrow back into their familiar bed and forget everything that’s happened.
do you know of any scenes where guys are running from a boulder like in Indiana Jones or caught in a rockslide
Running from a boulder, no. Nothing comes to mind for anything like that.
But I do have some examples of getting caught in a rockslide!
Stargate SG-1 2x05
Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 4: Dawn of the Vampires
I haven’t watched it but I think Fire County has both a rockslide and a mudslide episode.
I’m going blank tbh. Anyone got anything to add here? I’ve got plenty of collapsed buildings and even some falling off cliffs but not a lot of rockslides.
Whump Tropes: The Whumpers
Although a not required member in writing like angst, whump, or hurt/comfort, the whumper is a popular trope, taking the role of the character who harms and torments the whumpee.
The Classics
Creepy Whumper - The Creepy Whumper often implies noncon behind the scenes or directly. They get an unusual enjoyment out their role, going so far as to compliment, touch, or tease their whumpees. They invade whumpee’s comfort in any way possible.
Intimate Whumper - The Intimate Whumper is similar to the Creepy Whumper in a lot of ways, but strangely enough have more vague intentions. They may or may not get enjoyment out this, but their violence is incredibly intimate.
Intimidating Whumper - For one reason another, whether its their power or appearance, this whumper strikes fear in those easily. They are used to intimidating others. Their reputation should do most of the work of putting whumpee in their place, but they don’t mind getting their hand any dirtier.
Reluctant Whumper - This whumper has likely been forced into their situation. They don’t truly want to hurt whumpee deep down, but have no other option. They’ve been convinced that this is the choice they should make, whether out of poor taste ideology, authoritarian command, or fear.
I ♡ characters trapped under buildings during fights that don’t want to be an inconvenience so they wait until the fight is over to reveal that they’ve been slowly dying and waiting on rescue. Especially if they still talk and quip with their team
Stoic whumpee ptsd
- Instinctive reaction is a freeze response
- Or not responding at all. Pretending it doesn’t bother them just by reflex
- Getting slapped on the back in a friendly way over the lash scars under their shirt. Going rigid and waiting there for a moment before they realize they’re not in that place anymore
- Getting hurt and having zero reaction. “Are you okay? That looked really bad.” “I’m used to pain.”
- Or, trying not to be stoic anymore now that they’re out and their response is “no, it hurts like hell.” While continuing whatever they were doing.
