Hope Rivers Whump

Hi, I'm River, I'm a young adult, and I have no clue what I'm doing at any given time. I write a lot as a hobby, especially whump. I don't post a whole ton, but I'm trying. Fair warning, English is my first language, but I'm still really bad at it. I have a tendency to make words up on the spot, so apologies in advance. Feel free to comment and ask for clarification if I say something really confusing. Also, my current profile pic is my mom's cat Loki. I love him so much. This is a whump sideblog for Hope Rivers Writes, which is where I'll put my non-whump writing.

[hoperiverswhump]

A quick thought for whumpees in recovery: When they don't have a panic attack.

Something happens to set them off, and it gets close. They end up on the floor, forcing themselves to take deep breaths. Maybe a caretaker is nearby to talk them through it. Maybe there's a course of action they can take. Maybe they have a fluffy cat to cuddle. Either way, they manage to stop the panic attack before it starts.

Once they're fully calm, Whumpee is incredibly proud of themself. Once upon a time, that situation would have been debilitating. But now they're finally starting to get control over their own brain. It feels really good.

[hoperiverswhump]

Whumpmas in July 2026

Day Eight: Favorite Whump Media

Right off the top of my head, Fullmetal Alchemist. Most episodes have Ed suffering somehow, either physically or psychologically, even some of the ones that seem like pure filler fluff at first. Like when Ed and Al visit Shou Tucker to learn bioalchemy.

Criminal Minds is also a longtime favorite of mine, specifically the Season 2 episodes The Big Game and Revelations. I mean, I enjoy most of the first few seasons, but those are the ones I go back to when I'm looking for whump specifically.

Finally, Trigun, the 1998 one. The first half is funny, sometimes sentimental, and always engaging; and then there's a sudden tone shift about halfway through, and pretty much everything after that involves Vash being mentally tormented, although I don't think there's much in the way of physical whump. I need to rewatch it.

Well, there's my three favorites. I also just really enjoy these shows in general, but the whump is definitely an added bonus.

[hoperiverswhump]

tell me a random fun fact about one of your ocs!

Ooh, ooh, one of my favorite topics: my characters. Thank you for the ask.

Since I'm working on writing about Echo right now, I'll give a couple little tidbits about them.

Their favorite snacks are dried meat and raw dandelions

They are the oldest of six kids

Their stepmother, Beth, taught them to sew. They can't actually sew normally, but they can embroider. It's actually their favorite pasttime when they're bored.

They are directly, accidentally responsible for multiple vehicles breaking down. Most of which they never even drove.

That's all I can think of right now. But I will have more later, including proper character profiles for at least Echo and James.

[hoperiverswhump]

Whumpmas in July 2026

Day Five: Favorite Whumpees

This is a topic I could talk about for hours on end. However, I have to be a River City-zen in the Music Man this afternoon, so instead I will talk a little bit about my OCs. Allow me to introduce Echo, James, and Onyx.

Echo

Echo Barns is a monster hunter in a post apocalyptic world. They're free-spirited and reckless, with a knack for getting themself and their friends in trouble. But they'll protect those same friends with everything they have, even the all-consuming rage that they don't understand.

For everything they are, Echo isn't unbeatable. Bandits, mad scientists, and corrupt government officials all have their reasons to want Echo destroyed, and their own methods for doing it.

James

James Garner is Echo's partner, both romantically and in monster hunting. He's got a rational head on his shoulders, and tends to be Echo's counterbalance when they get a wild idea. While he's the most level-headed of the group, he's still got a short fuse, especially when it comes to Echo.

While most of James' whump situations are directly or indirectly related to Echo in some way shape or form, he has his own enemies, particularly back in his hometown, where his father is a government official.

Onyx

Onyx is a living weapon from the city-state of Sanctum, and is the leader of her Pack. She was born to fight and die for Sanctum, and doesn't see a problem with that. Her Pack is her life, and she is their anchor.

A mission gone wrong strands Onyx in enemy territory, where she is saved by two civilians. Their shock and horror at her background is the first indication she gets that maybe her past isn't as acceptable as she thought.

This is just kind of a quick introduction to these three characters. I'm working on stories for Echo's world mostly, but I do have a few ideas starting to brew for Onyx and her world.

[hoperiverswhump]

Another to be scarred by 2003 FMA, I see 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🤭 It's such a whumpy show, but the cost 😭😭😭 Which is why of course with my adult money I bought my own copies of the dvds (both versions) and the manga... Still have yet to watch+read them due to apprehension 💀 (*cough* Nina *cough* Hughes *cough cough*)

And I also liked to tie up my Barbies! I distinctly remember my sister and I hanging ours from the banister (by their waists, not their necks), though I'm like 90% sure it was my idea and not hers. Damsel in distress was my favorite game to play, she liked calm happy playing 😅 I don't think my parents caught us hanging the dolls, though, pretty sure we cut them down before they saw.

Either way, glad to know that some maybe niche experiences are shared with another around here! ☺️

I never thought about looking for the DVDs. I loved '03, it's probably my favorite of the two anime, but you can't stream it anywhere. I'll have to look for them. I've been trying to collect the manga, but I am unfortunately broke and trying to save up for a new computer.

Whenever I tell people that my that was first anime, and that I was in the single digits when I watched it for the first time, anyone who's seen it always says that me being the way I am— unhinged, weird, and overdramatic— makes so much sense.

My favorite part of of playing damsel in distress was always the convoluted rescue missions, where the other barbies would almost end up in their own precarious situations before eventually defeating the evil barbie and rescuing their friend. I never put much thought into how, exactly, the barbie in question got kidnapped. My little brother was never the kind of boy to play barbies with me, so I mostly played by myself. He liked games that involved running around.

[hoperiverswhump]

Whumpmas in July 2026

Day 2: Earliest Memory of Enjoying Whump

So, I have a couple different memories that come to mind here.

The first time I remember enjoying whump in media is when I was maybe nine or ten. My dad showed me Fullmetal Alchemist, the 2003 anime. I'm pretty sure that's part of the reason I'm slightly unhinged to this day, because I was not old enough.

Anyways, that whole show is basically just a ton of Edward Elric whump, as far as I can remember, but the second episode is what always comes to mind. There's one section where Ed is captured and chained up, and uses that to defeat the villain. I just thought that was fascinating.

There's probably early instances of me enjoying whump media, I just don't remember them.

Now, the first time I created my own whump was when I was a little kid, maybe six or seven, and I decided that a Barbie doll needed to be rescued from an evil witch. Which, obviously to my little kid mind, meant that she had to be tied up. I found a piece of red ribbon on my floor and tied Barbie up, using the antenna of my radio to dangle her over a vat of acid.

Well, my parents ended up finding the whole set up before Barbie could be rescued, and they freaked out. In hindsight, I can understand why, but at the time I was just upset because I thought I had done something wrong. Eventually they came to realize that no, there was no deeper meaning, I just was playing "rescue the damsel in distress" with my Barbie and happened to have red ribbon in my room.

Again, I had probably played similar games before, and that one only stuck in my mind because of my Mom and Dad's reaction.

[hoperiverswhump]

Whumpas In July 2026

Day One: Reintroduce Myself

Hey all, I am the mind behind Hoperiverswhump. You can call me Ace, Jay, or River, or even some combo of them, I don't really care. When it comes to pronouns, I vibe the most with they/them, but I'm not opposed to she/her.

My very first post was actually introducing myself for Whumpas in July '24, and I started this blog the night before. However, I was lurking and reading in the background previously, so, y'know. All of my likes come from Hoperiverswriting, even though I don't use that blog anymore, lol.

I'm a huge theater nerd, and I'm pretty much always involved in local shows, either on tech or on stage. That's part of the reason I'm so sporadic with posting. My ability to write whump also swings wildly depending on my mental health, so y'know.

Most of the whump I write is actually oc-insert fanfics, but I don't post that. I have a couple proper whump stories I'm working on, that I might use to fill various prompts this month.

That's all I have to say, thanks for reading.

[hoperiverswhump]

Random whumpy thought time! Pragmatic whumpees!

A whumpee who knows exactly what needs to happen, and understands the costs of how to get there. They regularly get labeled as heartless or unfeeling, but they aren't. They're just making the most practical choice.

Some of my thoughts and scenarios:

There is a real danger of Whumper winning, and the consequences of that will be unfathomable. The only way to stop them involves letting Whumpee be captured again. Some of the team tries to protest. Whumpee themself readily agrees. Maybe they even suggested it.

A forced to watch scenario, where Whumper is torturing a teammate to try and get Whumpee to tell them information that will hurt a whole lot of people. No matter how much Teammate begs and screams, Whumpee stays silent.

Maybe after they're rescued, they can't understand why Teammate hates them so much. Whumpee didn't want Teammate to be hurt, but they couldn't give Whumper the information or hundreds of innocents would have died. Caretaker ends up having to sit both Whumpee and Teammate down and talk them through each other's mindset.

On the other side, when Whumpee is the one being tortured to get Teammate to give up valuable information. They scream and they cry, but they never once ask Teammate to give the information to Whumper. Afterwards, when Teammate asks if they hate them, they're genuinely confused.

"Why would I hate you? I would have done the same thing in that position. Whumper couldn't have the information."

The team's medic never knows if they can trust Whumpee to give them an accurate report of their injuries or not. If Whumpee's injuries are too severe to function, as decided by Whumpee, they'll go straight to Medic and report everything. However, if Whumpee judges their injuries as not being debilitating enough to get in the way of the mission, they will lie through their teeth about them.

If Whumpee is the team's leader, most other teams don't trust them. Everyone's heard the rumors about how Whumpee will sacrifice anything and anyone for the greater good. You never know if you're the one on the chopping block.

Whumpee's team trusts them with their lives. Just because Whumpee is unerringly pragmatic doesn't mean they enjoy making those calls. And besides, they will always choose to sacrifice themselves before any of their teammates.

It's especially fun when Whumpee has a weak point. That one person that they can't bring themselves to sacrifice, no matter what. If it was anyone else they had to put in this position, they'd do it without question. But for this one singular person, they can't make the call.

Maybe it's Whumpee's lover. Maybe it's a family member, blood or found. Maybe it's just that one person they trust more than anyone else.

How does Whumper feel about it? Does it amuse them, watching Whumpee sacrifice themselves and their teammates just to stop Whumper? Does it make Whumper angry that Whumpee won't do what they want? Do they make it their goal to break Whumpee until they compromise their beliefs?

And what if their team hates them? As far as the team can tell, Whumpee views them as chess pieces. Sacrificial pawns. Meanwhile Whumpee would die for any of them without a thought.

I love whumpees who don't necessarily fit in the basic whumpee template, and intensely pragmatic whumpees are one of my favorites. It's just so tasty.

[hoperiverswhump]

Inspired by the general shitshow that is my life: The pain of being on the fringes when you just aren't able.

Like, being an outsider sucks, sure. Being surrounded by your peers who all just seem to click, and you don't? Trying to fit in and you just can't, no matter what you? It hurts. It hurts a lot, especially when you have friends, but all of your friends have closer friends.

But when you're on the outside because of a physical obstacle? Infinitally worse. Because not only do you have to deal with being outsider, you have to contend with the fact there's nothing you or anyone can do about it. Bonus pain points if it's because of a physical health issue. Even more bonus points if someone selected you to be the odd one out.

It's hard. It leaves you feeling lost, isolated, and scared. You can try to tell yourself that it's just because of the obstacles, but some part of you thinks that they just didn't want you. Even if you know that's not true.

Anyways, smack your whumpee in this face with this for me, huh?

[hoperiverswhump]

Okay, time to ramble about my living weapon worldbuilding. Buckle up, buttercup.

The main premise of this world is that the dangerous, difficult, and undesirable jobs in a futuristic city-state called Sanctum aren't done by regular people anymore. Instead, they're done by Gene-humans, subspecies of humans created specifically to do those jobs. They are made from doner DNA, as well as genetics from various animals to give them physical traits to assist in their work. Gene-Workers do necessary domestic and industrial labor, while Gene-Soldiers fight in the army. So far, most of my focus has been on Gene-Soldiers.

As of right now, I have four types of Gene-Soldiers. Brawlers, Fliers, Divers, and Hunters.

Brawlers are large, muscular cannon fodder. They are created to throw at the enemy until one army folds, usually not Sanctum's. Some of their genetics come from lions, oxen, and bears.

Fliers are winged Gene-Humans, designed for reconnaissance, communication, and speed. They tend to be small and slight, with large bird wings. Their additional DNA comes from birds and bats.

Divers are amphibious, and are created for water combat and espionage. With gills and webbed fingers and toes, they're very good at what they do. Their animal genetics are derived from fish, frogs, and salamanders.

Hunters are the most like a traditional living weapon. They are the specialists, the ones who do the things that are too dangerous for regular people and too complicated or delicate for any of the other Gene-Soldiers. With DNA from cats, wolves, and several other creatures, they are incredibly powerful.

All Gene-Soldiers are much stronger, faster, more agile, and more resilient than regular humans. They are trained from birth to fight and die for Sanctum, and they do it with pleasure. Each type has their own unique strengths and weaknesses, and their own role in Sanctum's army.

Most of the living weapons I've worked on so far are either Hunters or Fliers. I do want to develop some more types of Gene-humans, particularly Gene-soldiers, but this is what I've got right now.

[hoperiverswhump]

Hi! I love your idea of living weapons having a culture and I also saw your take on mind control/hypnosis whump. I’m curious if you’ve thought about mind controlled living weapons? Would they know they’re being controlled? Would they remember anything during the time they’re controlled? I can see a handler being assigned to like three or four living weapons to control. Maybe even the handlers go through extensive training to be able to mind control a living weapon/multiple weapons!

Ooh, that's an interesting thought. I never actually put those two together before.

My living weapons I'm working on now are literally born into it. They never know anything different, so they never have a reason to be defiant. Handlers control them through a variety of training, including punishments and rewards.

However, now I'm thinking about a living weapon that got away. They've been living a quiet life somewhere the army isn't likely to find them. Until another living weapon, someone they used to fight alongside, runs into them on accident.

This other weapon doesn't think anything of reporting Whumpee. In fact, they think they're doing the right thing for them. But now that Whumpee knows what life can be like outside of what they were raised in, they refuse to go back. The handlers aren't about to let them go so easily, so they try and retrain them.

Still determined to be free again, Whumpee kees fighting back. Nothing and no one will make them break. So the handlers pull out their secret weapon. Some sort of technology that can control Whumpee.

Now whumpee has a choice. Do they keep resisting and lose their autonomy altogether, or give in and lose the happiness they used to have?

Oh, I like this. Thank you for the idea, I'm going to have to chew on it some more.

[hoperiverswhump]

A living weapon whump thought:

In a world where living weapons are commonplace, and there's a lot of them, they'd likely have their own culture. Because I'm a worldbuilding nerd as much as I'm a whump writer, I started thinking about what that could look like.

Here are my thoughts:

Obviously, loyalty and strength would be highly prized, particularly loyalty to the organization and to the handler.

If the living weapons work in teams or units, they would probably put a lot of emphasis on unity and working together.

Whereas a world where living weapons work alone would likely have a more competitive living weapon culture.

Weapons might view pain as something good, something purifying.

Maybe conformity is a virtue, being exactly like your neighbor means that you can all do the same job perfectly.

Failure hits harder in a culture that values perfection. Maybe the handlers use that to motivate their weapons. "You fail this mission, you fail your people."

Honestly, the idea of handlers and trainers using the virtues and vices of living weapon culture to influence their weapons is whumpily wonderful overall.

These are just some of the general thoughts I had about it. I'm working on some living weapon whump that will take place in a world where they are normal and they do have a culture, but I'm still fleshing it out. I am more than happy to talk about what I do have though!

[hoperiverswhump]

A living weapon whump thought:

In a world where living weapons are commonplace, and there's a lot of them, they'd likely have their own culture. Because I'm a worldbuilding nerd as much as I'm a whump writer, I started thinking about what that could look like.

Here are my thoughts:

Obviously, loyalty and strength would be highly prized, particularly loyalty to the organization and to the handler.

If the living weapons work in teams or units, they would probably put a lot of emphasis on unity and working together.

Whereas a world where living weapons work alone would likely have a more competitive living weapon culture.

Weapons might view pain as something good, something purifying.

Maybe conformity is a virtue, being exactly like your neighbor means that you can all do the same job perfectly.

Failure hits harder in a culture that values perfection. Maybe the handlers use that to motivate their weapons. "You fail this mission, you fail your people."

Honestly, the idea of handlers and trainers using the virtues and vices of living weapon culture to influence their weapons is whumpily wonderful overall.

These are just some of the general thoughts I had about it. I'm working on some living weapon whump that will take place in a world where they are normal and they do have a culture, but I'm still fleshing it out. I am more than happy to talk about what I do have though!

[painwithoutplot]

alsooo (rb cause i want to add links)

this post by @just-horrible-things is one of the best "living weapon culture" pieces of writing i've ever read ^-^

and in Espada by @cepheusgalaxy there are also multiple living weapons with a distinct culture amongst themselves! this piece is a great showcase of part of it imo (again, it's during training and among child living weapons). as is this and this and... honestly, most of the extras.

[hoperiverswhump]

Ooh hoo hoo! Thank you for the recommendations!

[hoperiverswhump]

A living weapon whump thought:

In a world where living weapons are commonplace, and there's a lot of them, they'd likely have their own culture. Because I'm a worldbuilding nerd as much as I'm a whump writer, I started thinking about what that could look like.

Here are my thoughts:

Obviously, loyalty and strength would be highly prized, particularly loyalty to the organization and to the handler.

If the living weapons work in teams or units, they would probably put a lot of emphasis on unity and working together.

Whereas a world where living weapons work alone would likely have a more competitive living weapon culture.

Weapons might view pain as something good, something purifying.

Maybe conformity is a virtue, being exactly like your neighbor means that you can all do the same job perfectly.

Failure hits harder in a culture that values perfection. Maybe the handlers use that to motivate their weapons. "You fail this mission, you fail your people."

Honestly, the idea of handlers and trainers using the virtues and vices of living weapon culture to influence their weapons is whumpily wonderful overall.

These are just some of the general thoughts I had about it. I'm working on some living weapon whump that will take place in a world where they are normal and they do have a culture, but I'm still fleshing it out. I am more than happy to talk about what I do have though!

[hoperiverswhump]

The whumpy thought that keeps bouncing in my brain lately is a whumper with some sort of mind control or hypnosis power using it to make the whumpee hold themselves hostage. I mean, why go through all the trouble of subduing the whumpee and keeping them from fighting you off when you can just make them hold the knife to their own throat. Then you don't have to worry about the classic "shoot-the-hostage-taker-in-the hand-so-they-release-your-friend" trick.

Imagine the whumpee's team coming to rescue them, only to find Whumpee alone in a room, unrestrained, but holding a knife to their own throat or a gun to their own head. Are they pleading for the team to run, even as their body is puppeted by their captor? Are they crying? Or are they completely blank and mindless, totally under Whumper's control.

Or a battlefield situation. The team is outnumbered, badly, but they're gaining the upper hand. It's starting to look like they might win when someone shouts, and there Whumpee is, threatening their own life. Maybe the Whumper's nearby, visibly using their magic, knowing that they can kill Whumpee before any of the team can attack them. Or maybe they're nowhere to be found, hidden among dozens of enemies. There's no way for the team to try and take the spell out at it's source.

And the aftermath! Does Whumpee remember it? Or is it all blank? One minute they were fighting, the next they're in a cell. Does the team tell them what happened, or lie to perserve Whumpee's dignity? And if they know, how do they feel? Are they humiliated and ashamed? Angry? Do they rationalize that it could have been any of their team, and they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, or do they blame themselves?

Gah, it's just such an interesting concept! I keep rotating it in my brain like a rotisserie chicken.

If anyone's inspired by this, please, please, please, tag me in it. I would love to read it!

[hoperiverswhump]

A whump idea I'm having fun with right now:

Whumper captures a whole team, looking for information on the larger organization they're a part of. After a few sessions of questioning and torturing the whole team, Whumper makes a deal with the team's defiant loudmouth. Whumper won't hurt the rest of the team, as long as Loudmouth can stay awake.

Just the idea of someone essentially torturing themself with sleep deprivation to protect their team is delicious to me. Especially if they're kind of an asshole to everyone, including their teammates. How long until the rest of the team is begging them to just sleep, no matter what the consequences are?

And of course, no one can stay awake forever. Imagine the guilt when they finally drift off, and wake up to Whumper gloating, and taking one of their teammates away for interrogation. Bonus points if it's that one person that Loudmouth has always respected and been slightly less assholeish towards.

Just the possibilities.

[hoperiverswhump]

Random whump prompt: Whumpee learning about a trigger they didn't know they had.

They're just minding their own business when something happens. Maybe not even a big thing. They run into an animal they don't know. Or the paramedics show up at their job. And it sets them off.

Now whumpee gets to deal with whatever triggered them, their response to the trigger, and the realization that they have this trigger they weren't aware of. Bonus points if they're in a place where they have to hold themselves together for one reason or another.