Retrospring is shutting down on 1st March, 2025 Read more

Anonymous Whumpee · 5mo

hi! i was checking out mod hestia's prompt lists and saw time loop there, how does that qualify as hurt/comfort? thanks in advance!

Hello! Mod Hestia here, I'm so glad you asked.

Time loop is one of those tropes that isn't inherently hurt/comfort, it all depends on how you write it, so I can see where the question comes from. There are some more specific examples of how it applies in the source linked at the top of that prompts document, including:
1. Character A is in a time loop and character B tries to help
2. Time Loop - The part where the looper breaks and stops giving any fucks
3. Time Loop - A is trying to save the life of B; the one they're secretly in love with and pining for
4. Time Loop where A repeatedly dies makes B realize feelings for A
5. Time Loop - Characters who hurt each other stuck together in timeloop
6. Time Loop - Lingering Trauma from Things That No Longer Happened

These suggestions are heavier on the hurt side of things, but the time loop trope in general does often lead to the looping character feeling helpless, afraid, trapped and sometimes a little crazy. If they go to another character for comfort during or after these loops, that's it, you've achieved hurt/comfort!

Not all tropes on that list are automatically hurt/comfort (many can be written as hurt/no comfort, for example), they just lend well to the trope. It's down to the writer to decide how their protagonist will be hurt and comforted for some of them, including this one. I hope the examples above help make that clearer!

Retrospring uses Markdown for formatting

*italic text* for italic text

**bold text** for bold text

[link](https://example.com) for link