#whump interviews

[bubba-whump-shrimp-co]

thinking about a simple, repeated assessment by caretaker that tracks the rapid decline in whumpee's condition.

"can you tell me your name? do you know where you are? how many fingers am I holding up?"

the first time caretaker asks, they're met with an eyeroll. whumpee rattles off the answers the first few times with ease.

on the third or fourth, they falter; their answer coming after an ever-so-slight hesitation, sarcasm suddenly gone.

by the next, they're pale and blanking on answers, no longer able to hide the effort it takes them to put together a response

eventually, whumpee can hardly hold their gaze with caretaker, eyelids fluttering, only just barely able to remember their own name...

the last time caretaker asks, they aren't sure if whumpee is hearing them at all.

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

❝ I wish I could say fanfic writing as a part of my special skills while applying for a job ❞ and what if I say you actually can? because writing fanfic can actually be used as a part of your special skills while applying for a job and it is valid. writing is writing. literally the only thing differentiate fanfic writers from writers who publish and sell original works is that fanfic writers can’t publish and sell their works. that’s all. that’s the only difference. don’t let anyone tell you “fanfic writers aren’t real writers because their works aren’t as good as those of writers who write and sell original works” because that’s utter bullshit. I’ve read so many well written fanfics that are so much better than some published original novels. (here’s the proof.)

wanna know the trick? if you don’t think you’re gonna be taken seriously if you say you write fanfics while in a job interview, then say creative writing. because writing fanfics is considered creative writing. it is creative writing.

fanfic writers can write novel-length fiction, fanfic writers can write as good as any other writers who write original works if not better. fanfic writers are writers and they are just as valid.

you, a fanfic writer, may even be more dedicated and passionate than writers who sell original works because, while they write because it’s their job, you literally write 👏🏻 for 👏🏻 free 👏🏻 out 👏🏻 of 👏🏻 pure 👏🏻 love 👏🏻 and 👏🏻 passion.

that’s a whole novel and you wrote that with pure love and passion. that’s pretty mind blowing.

so yes, you absolutely can and should say creative writing while applying for a job, and say it proudly. you are a writer.

[holidayinhell]

Interview

CWs: references to noncon, violence

1. Would you rather - Rope or Chains?

R: Rope.

W: Chains, dear god, chains any day. Ropes fucking burn.

2. If Whumpee had multiple Whumpers, who is their favourite? For Whumpers, which Whumpee was your favourite?

R: Yeah, I’ve got a favorite. A couple years back I had a Whumpee who fought me at every turn. He'd throw his food at me, cuss me out, and try to attack me. One time he scratched absolute shit outta my arms. Anyways, I got tired of his shitty attitude and decided to kill him. I didn't keep it a secret, I told him he was gonna die. But when I went in to do it, he changed completely. No more screaming, no spark in his eye. He got quiet. Heh, he got all lovey dovey with me even. You know, lots of people say they’ll do anything if only you’ll spare their life. I never did cash in on that promise, but on this Whumpee, I put it to the fucking test. Heh. He let me do whatever I wanted to him. Depraved, horrible things, that would make the most degenerate man blush. Heh, and even though he was crying through most of it, he still pretended to like everything I did to him. And god. You should’ve seen his eyes when I told him I was still gonna kill him. That look. I think about it still.

W: I can’t. glances over at Whumper. Next question please.

3: In your opinion, what is the best way to train a pet?

R: Humans are fickle fucking beasts. You have to break down someone’s pride in order to train them. I start off with food deprivation, that usually helps me gauge what kind of fight I’m in for.

W: Positive reinforcement has always worked for me… I’ve only ever had a pet bearded dragon though.

4: Broken ribs or bullet wound? 

R: Both.

W: These questions are uncomfortable to answer. But, uh, bullet wound I guess. Assuming it didn’t graze any organs.

5: Preferred type of gag? 

R: I like a fabric gag. Or a simple piece of duct tape. Sometimes they come off and I get to squeeze a little scream out of Whumpee, and then I put a fresh one right back on. I kinda like the cycle of it.

W: I don’t have a preference… none? I guess the metal bit one isn't the worst of them. It hurts my teeth but at least I can still kinda breathe.

6: Burned or stabbed?

R: Stabbed.

W: Stabbed, I guess?

7: Favourite stress position? 

R: An old-fashioned hogtie. I guess I’m unimaginative but I don’t get too crazy into the BDSM shit. Who has the patience for that?

W: Uhh.. just, handcuffs behind my back. Something relatively comfortable.

8: Have you given or received any Brands? What do they signify?

R: Heh. No. Never been branded. I certainly have had my fun branding Whumpee though.

W: I… have two… Uhm. One on my chest that, thank Christ, is almost all the way healed. It said, uh, swine. The other one is on my back, it’s a lot worse. I don’t know what it says but I can feel it so it’s um, it’s here to stay, I guess.

R: It says Nice Try. Remember?

W: Not really.

R: From your second half-hearted escape attempt. Didn't realize you forgot. But I did hit you pretty fucking hard that night.

9: Broken arm or broken leg? 

R: Leg.

W: Arm. A million times, arm.

10: How did you get here? Why are you the way that you are?

R: I live here. Far as I know, I’ve always been 'like this'-- whatever the hell that means. And I don’t see a problem with it. We’re all free to do as we like, so that’s what I fucking do.

W: I dunno. I, I was outside, it was dark and I think it was raining…yeah… heading home from the bar. I didn’t drink that much. I didn’t live that far, either, so the rain wasn’t a problem. I remember falling down and then… I woke up here. And I’ve been here ever since.

11: What is your biggest regret?

R: I wish this Whumpee could’ve learned a thing or two from my defiant Whumpee in the second question you asked. I wanna get my dick sucked like that every fucking night.

W: Regrets... yeah, I've got a few. One stands out. It was late at night, Whumper didn't tie me up. I snuck out of my cell and I made it to the steps. Almost to the top, nearly all the way out. The door was unlocked and cracked open a little, I thought I could make a run for it and—

R: —I was waiting for you at the top. Heh. I wanted to see if you'd run, and you sure tried to. Not so much after that, though.

12: Is there a line you won’t cross? For Whumpee, what do you most fear Whumper might do?

R: A line I wouldn’t cross? Uhhh…. No. No, I don’t think so. I’ll cross any fucking line. turns to Whumpee, grinning. So what are you afraid of, Whumpee?

W: I, um. Does he really have to be here when I answer these questions?

R: Tell them, Whumpee.

W: Can I whisper it to you? (he’s already done so much to me, so fucking much… it’s dumb but I don’t want him to shave my head.)

R: smirks. You know I heard that.

13: What lessons have you taken away from your experience?

R: Everything has been the same old, same old for me. Guess this Whumpee’s lasted longer than the rest of ‘em. He’s coming up on a year soon. Kind of impressive he’s stuck around this long and hasn’t given me a reason to kill him yet.

W: I don’t know. I do what I’m told so I can eat. I take it day by day. I guess the lesson I’ve learned is that abandoning pride is the only way to survive…

14: Whip or cane?

R: Whip.

W: Yeah. Whip.

R: Didn’t expect you to say that. Noted.

15: Drugged or coherent?

R: Depends on the situation. Drugging them is useful for transport but I don’t much like it when they’re too dazed to understand what’s happening. Sometimes they fall asleep, too.

W: Drug me any fucking day. I don’t care. I’ll take whatever you have.

16: What are your true, honest feelings about each other? Is there some part of you that cares for the other at all?

R: Sometimes I like to touch him. He’s warm and it’s funny when he tries to squirm away. Plus I like it when he begs me to stop. But do I care about him? …eh. Sure, sorta. He’s my plaything.

W: Erm. Thanks, I guess. For me… Whumper is the reason I’m here. I guess I’m appreciative for the food… but he does hurt me. A lot. Constantly.

R: You're very welcome.

17: What is your favourite thing about the other? A personality trait, a physical feature, anything

R: He’s got pretty hair. A kind of pretty face, too. Yeah, almost like a girl. Heh. And he makes good sounds when he’s screaming.

W: Ah. Fuck. I really don’t know how to answer this…

R: Come on. What’s your favorite part?

W: Um. Well, I'll say this: Whumper is smart. Scary smart. I don’t think anyone would ever imagine how smart. I don’t know. I don’t. It’s… terrifying.

18: Do you have relationships outside of each other? Friends, family - if yes, do they know about Whumpee? Do they care?

R: Yes, yes, and no.

W: I have a half sister in, uh, Arkansas. We’re not close, obviously… used to have friends I guess, but it’s been a long time since I saw them…

19: What other hobbies do/did you have?

R: Video games. 

W: I used to play saxophone. A lifetime ago.

20: For Whumper, is there any chance you’ll let Whumpee go? For Whumpee, have you ever thought about life after you’re free?

R: No. Sorry. Realistically, it doesn’t make sense to ‘let him go.’

W: I, uh, I used to think about it. I don't anymore… like he said.. realistically it doesn’t make any sense.

R: Mm. Good answer, Whumpee.

------------------------

this interview uses the questions from Character Ask Game post by @inhurtandincomfort !! thanks homie!

((more Whump))

[puppypeter]

"Part of the tragedy of Roy is ageing, like, there comes a point where you have to accept your body can't do the things that you would like to carry on doing. Jason and I sort of talked about it early on that I think with Roy his plan was always play football until you can't and then kill yourself."

Brett Goldstein (x)

[hold-him-down]

"it hurts... to talk...."

just a lil prompt from lil old me :)

from this ask game

✥ ✥ ✥

“It… hurts,” Felix rasps, a plea more than anything else. He swallows, the action resulting in visible discomfort, before he whispers, “It hurts to t-… to t-talk.” His body shrinks instinctively, steeling himself against whatever possible repercussions the non-answer will result in.

Felix’s fingers grip tightly around the edge of the table. “Be. More. Descriptive,” the doctor supervising these trials, Dr. Grant or Brant or something, says.

Felix’s eyes dart around the room, seeking unlikely support anywhere he can find it. When his eyes land on Jake’s, he whispers, “Please don’t hurt me.” Almost immediately, he starts shaking again. The assistant glances at the clock and begins writing feverishly. The tears that have pooled in his eyes start to spill. Jesus.

Dr. Grant snaps, and Felix’s eyes return to him. “I don’t want to hurt you,,” he says. “I just need you to describe how the pain differs from normal.” 

Felix’s eyes close and he sways where he sits. Jesus.

“Maybe you fried too many of his brain cells?” Jake offers helpfully with a half-shrug. He studies Felix’s face, the mix of long-dried tears with the new ones falling, the hopeless desperation that overshadows any willful defiance. 

“No,” Dr. Grant says, guiding Felix back down to his side. “We just haven’t found the right motivation.” Felix curls up tightly, his hands move to cover his ears. With a sigh, Dr. Grant issues a flat, “Bring the other one back in.”

[zineofgid]

Do you enjoy having a little bit of fun between your art and stories? Well, great news: we'll have 5 extra informational and activity pages scattered through this edition! (details above)

Quick Reminder: Our preorders will be closing on October 15th, so make sure you get your orders in before then!

Zine of GID

[asterdeer]

when my books are all the rage and popular across the globe, i am not afraid of the freaky weird bad fanfiction that people might write (i am excited for it even) but i am deeply discomfited by the idea of people like. hopepunking my shit. like i really really really want a way to make it clear one day that my original blorbos are not to be turned into Examples of Positive Healing or hopepunked or hopewashed into “but one day they just wake up and they know how to love and be okay and are only ever mildly unhappy after that <3” like. one of my nightmares. i would prefer there to be sooo much dark fic over limp sanitized morally and socially correct linear healing narratives.

[theres-whump-in-that-nebula]

I think I’ve been horribly burned out for the past year ahaha

[boopboop800-blog]

Ugh the emotional whump

Interview with the Vampire (2022-) 2.07 | 2.08

[pupcarisi]

WHAT THE FUCK????????? ive never seen this criminal minds s4 deleted scene after the events of mayhem and.... oh my god???? i'm actually going insane over this. me losing my shit under the cut because i have no where else to talk about this even though this is an svu centric blog..

mayhem is one of my ALL time favourite criminal minds episodes and dare i say my number 1 aaron character arc (foyet is too painful for me). like him closing a close friend, him literally LOSING his hearing (i can't believe they just up and ditched this at some point like. give me my hard of hearing MAN.)

god like for the longest time ever i was like wondering if they NEVER going to talk about kate joyner???????? like she was CLEARLY important to aaron. i love when fics explore their relationship history more and trying to address aaron's grief over losing a close friend... this deleted scene means sooooo much to me

HIM NOT RESPONDING TO HOTCH??? ONLY WHEN DAVE CALLED HIM AARON??? the way he ANSWERED "what is it?" IN SUCHH A QUIET TONE SOOO GENTLY IM GNAAA KILL MYSELFFF GUYSSS HIS VOICE IS SO SOFT I'M EUEUEUEEEGGWHWHEHEEGH this is MY man. my man who is actually soooo quiet like a mouse when he's not put in a position. his voice is only loud and stern when he has to :-(-(/(/(:$:&:@2@:

"i can handle it" - famous last words of a man who is absolutely losing his shit on the inside

him asking dave to help him interview 😭😭😭😭💔💔💔 his big pretty brown begging eyes "would you.. uh.." and his :| face UGHHHXHSHSJSKSHW he knows no one can say no when he uses those eyes ....

always soooo fucking thankful for dave's friendship with him. he's the only one who DARES to call aaron out for his "i can handle it" bullshit and ask how he's doing.... and the way aaron takes it all the time. he obviously pushes back but gently. because he knows dave worries for him but he doesn't want to be a burden. UGH. the way he doesn't like taking up space in general. he's a large man but he tries to make himself appear smaller to make people trust him more (ofc unless people are trying to challenge authority)

anyway. i hope u know that aaron hotchner being my favourite tv show character of all time tells you more about me. this man is a WHUMP MAGNET. he literally goes through the worst shit and just walks out of it like. yeah. i'm Fine. when he's so fucking anxious and in pain....

[dorkshadows]

The Writeup

Thanks for the interest! As promised, I've come out of retirement for one (1) day to do this writeup about the intense things going on in the Nezha 2 fandom.

Once more, this is NOT about the people who happened to watch the movie, the people who are just interested in box office stats, the people who really enjoyed the movie, or the people who just really admire Nezha. This will be about the fandom fandom, the truly invested, the elaborate fanons behind certain ships that will make you go "wait what?", the rabid Ao Guang discourse that will also make you go "wait what?," the brainrot (affectionate) in its purest unfiltered form. This is a post about brainrot for those also suffering from brainrot.

This is a collection of patterns mainly from lofter, but also from douyin, weibo, bilibili, and xhs (I'm grouping everyone together because most artists/authors repost to multiple sites or have their content shared on multiple sites, so everyone ends up looking at the same things if they follow the relevant tags on each site). I didn't filter out or blacklist a single tag. I stared directly into the sun to collect this information!

Disclaimer: I genuinely have no idea how to warn for some of the things mentioned here, so just a blanket note of caution- if you click "read more," you are prepared to read about anything and everything. If you are OK with all this, then- let's go! 命由我不由天!

The movie has been out in China in for roughly 3 weeks. In those 3 weeks, all of this has happened in the deepest layers of fandom.

General patterns:

I can't speak for other site stats, but at least on Lofter, Nezha/Ao Bing as a ship is #1 and #2 trending (as Oubing and Bingzha respectively) out of all fandoms and topics on Lofter. But curiously, Ao Guang (#8 trending) and Shen Gongbao (#9 trending) are more popular as individual characters than Nezha and Ao Bing. The latter is noteworthy because Shen Gong Gong's tag was pretty barren circa 2019.

Some Oubing fans have decided that they don't have enough oubing content so they've started shipping Oubing.... from the 1979 movie. This is also in the top 10 trending. Their inspiration comes from this advert.

Ao Guang vocally disapproves of his son dating Nezha, but he can't do anything about it. The real victim here!

Any pairing you can think of exists. Any pairing.

Character/Reader fics exist for everyone in the main cast except Wuliang Shenweng and Taiyi Zhenren

There's a vibrant self-shipping community again for everyone except Wuliang and Taiyi

Lots of M-preg

CEO Ao Guang is common in modern AUs

Nezha is usually in his powered up form in Oubing/Bingzha content, but in his gremlin form in content focused on anyone else

Lots of "The characters themselves react to watching the movie!" type of stories

Shiji Niang Niang has been shipped with both Taiyi Zhenren and Shen Gongbao. The latter has spawned a meme. There's a comic I won't repost because I don't know who the original artist is, but it's very powerful. It goes like this:

SGB: "Prejudice is like a mountain in people's hearts-" SNN: "So I exist in everyone's hearts? That's beautiful <3"

"Lady Yin LIVES!" AUs aplenty

Wuliang's nickname is "Evil Peach"

Lots and lots and Lots of Shen Gongbao whump

Ao Guang has been separately interpreted as a daddy dom, a malewife, an old guy TM, a himbo, and a baby girl AND as all of those things all at once

Ao Run and Ao Bing are the only dragons considered to be smart

Shen Gongbao tends to have very low self-worth. This comes from a 2019 Jiaozi interview where he directly says our leopard lacks confidence

Any AU you can think of: modern AUs, mafia AUs, republican era AUs, actor AUs, musician AUs, wuxia AUs, this one AU where the Ao family are American senators for no reason, omegaverse, and so on

Lots of Journey to the West (a lot of Black Myth specific ones especially) and FSYY crossovers

There's a meme about the real Lu Tong using his antlers to attack people in their dreams if they dare make sexual content of him because someone who made "bottom" Lu Tong content claimed they were attacked by him in a dream. Others took this to mean that he only attacks if you make him a bottom. People who interpret him as a "top" claim that they won the lottery and their lives are going great.

Ao Guang and Shen Gongbao are usually on a first name basis. Ao Guang calls Shen Gonbao 公豹兄 (Gongbao Xiong, "Brother Gongbao") and Shen Gongbao calls him "Ao Guang" directly. This is sort-of canon because this is how they address each other in 敖丙传 "The Tale of Ao Bing/Aobing Zhuan". for those who ship it, their ship name is 龙王豹 (longwangbao/ dragon king leopard) *Keep Aobing Zhuan in mind. This will be important towards the wildest part of this writeup.

Now for the elaborate fanon lore behind two specific ships that seemingly came out of nowhere. Everyone knows about oubing, but what about the other popular ships out there? They're absolutely wild, but- HEAR THEM OUT.

DiLong:

This one has its origins from the first movie. 地笼 AKA "Prison Cage/Emperor Dragon." It's a ship based on Tiandi (Emperor of Heaven) x Ao Guang. The Di in "emperor" is pronounced the same as ground "di," which is also the first character that makes up the word "prison." And "long" (dragon) is pronounced the same way as cage (also "long"), hence the ship name.

Some time after Ne Zha (2019) came out, someone pulled out one of Ao Guang's lines and ran with it. It's a quote where he essentially says that even though the dragon clan was loyal to heaven and its emperor, the heavens betrayed and imprisoned them in the sea anyway. This section of fans took this to mean that Tiandi charmed Ao Guang on false pretenses, took advantage of Ao Guang's love for him, and then left him to rot in the eastern sea... after impregnating him with 1-3 kids. And this changed Ao Guang from an innocent beauty into a resentful dragon desperate for vengeance.

Things of note about dilong:

Tiandi 天帝 is NOT the Jade Emperor (Yu Di). Their mythos overlap, but the Emperor of Heaven is considered the supreme ruler of Everything in the universe while the Jade Emperor rules over the three realms. So Tiandi ranks higher than the Jade Emperor. (But he's also a more obscure figure in popular worship if we get technical)

At the time, Ao Guang didn't actually have a name in 2019 canon. So the fans referred to him as 敖广 (that's what the eastern dragon king has always been called, but Nezha 2 reimagines him with a different name that's pronounced similarly: 敖光).

Tiandi's given name, or rather, the name that the fans gave him, is Hao Tian 昊天, which is the actual name of one of the mythological Tiandi's many variations

Tiandi does not appear in either Nezha movie. His entire character (appearance, personality, etc.) is purely built on headcanons. He is usually written as a playboy, a heartless manipulative bastard, a deadbeat dad, an ungrateful power greedy monster, and so on. But he is always written and drawn as #Hot.

Ao Guang gave birth to Ao Bing in the Dilong universe.

As you can tell, this is a very angsty ship that usually ends in anger and suffering, but there are plenty of fix-its and happy ending versions out there too, mostly about Tiandi feeling bad for being such a shitty bastard in the past and trying to win Ao Guang back

Regardless of how you feel about Dilong after reading all this, if you are in any way fond of Ao Guang's design in Nezha 2, you owe your life and soul to Dilong shippers because Jiaozi's original idea for Ao Guang was making him a bearded geezer. The Nezha team saw how popular the humansona for Ao Guang was (from dilong fanart) and they incorporated it into canon.

#Dilong had a resurgence in popularity thanks to Nezha 2 (it's the no.6 trending topic on weibo as of right now). But you'll notice that pre-2025 Dilong may feel ooc now because Ao Guang is, for lack of better word, interpreted more as a softspoken twink than the beautiful himbo he is now.

*Keep Dilong in mind as well. It is the source of much insanity below.

LuBao:

Next, in a similar vein to Dilong, another wild ship has risen over the horizon! In terms of quantity, dilong is more popular, but in terms of engagement, this is doing bigger numbers nowadays. I'm talking likes in the ten-thousands range. That ship is.... Lu Tong x Shen Gongbao. AKA 鹿豹 (LuBao, DeerLeopard)

You might be thinking "HUH!? Why!?" My answer for you is that it's all Taiyi's fault. Both inside and outside the movies, Taiyi consistently screws Shen Gongbao over. Life imitates art! This section is a little longer than the dilong section because there is a Lot going on here. I'll admit that one of the most profoundly beautiful and well-written stories I have ever read is a lubao fic on lofter, I understand now

Just as the fans did for dilong once upon a time, this section of fans pulled a blink-and-you-miss-it quote from Nezha 2, where Taiyi tells Nezha that the previous captain of the demon hunting team was Shen Gongbao (after they meet the current captain, Lu Tong).

From there, the lore just got deeper. When Lu Tong greets Taiyi, he calls him 师伯 (Shi Bo, senior martial uncle). But you only call a male relative 伯 in Chinese when that person is your father's older brother. Wuliang is Taiyi's elder (martial) brother (Shi Xiong, as I'm sure you all know), so Lu Tong's address is incorrect. Taiyi knows this as well, so he corrects Lu Tong and says "It should be 师叔" (Shi Shu, younger martial uncle) EDIT: Taiyi doesn't directly say "It shout be shishu" to Lu Tong (that was an incorrect memory on my part). More accurately, Taiyi refers to himself as "Shi Shu" when talking to Lu Tong. Lu Tong continues calling him Shi Bo anyway. And more tellingly, Lu Tong doesn't refer to Taiyi as Shi Bo when Wuliang is around; he exclusively does it when Wuliang isn't there. The fans took it to mean one of two things:

Lu Tong did it on purpose because he only acknowledges one (1) person as his Shi Shu and that's Shen Gongbao

Lu Tong is officially Wuliang's disciple, but he believes himself to truly be Shen Gongbao's disciple and since Taiyi is Shen Gongbao's elder martial brother, he'll call him Shi Bo

Then it got even more elaborate. The fans surmised that since the celestials are so condescending towards demons, Lu Tong and He Tong were ostracized and bullied when they first arrived at Yuxu Gong. And the only person who was nicer to them/protected them/stuck up for them was Shen Gongbao since they're the only demons there. This is why you'll sometimes see fanart of the three of them together in the "Yuxu Gong days."

When Shen Gongbao immediately realized Shen Xiaobao's wound came from Lu Tong's arrow, the fans decided this meant that he was familiar enough with Lu Tong to know his fighting style. When paired with the above headcanon, this directly turns into "Shen Gongbao himself taught Lu Tong archery."

Whenever Ao Bing possessed Nezha, fans noticed that there was always a closeup of Lu Tong's reaction. They decided this meant that Lu Tong recognized Ao Bing through recognizing his fighting style, taught to him by Shen Gongbao.

The fans also think Lu Tong did not have to go off that hard on Shen Xiaobao and Shen Zhengdao. There's following your boss's orders and there's following those orders in the most hyperviolent over the top way possible. Their conclusion is that Lu Tong knew that was Shen Gongbao's family and did it on purpose. Because when Shen Gongbao left Yuxu Gong without telling him, Lu Tong took that personally. And when he took Ao Bing on as a disciple, Lu Tong took that more Personally. So Lu Tong has decided to do his best to kill everyone Shen Gongbao ever cared about until he has nobody left but Lu Tong. Audiences complained that Lu Tong lacked a personality in the movie- the fandom has assigned him a personality and that personality is "sadistic freak obsessed with his Shi Shu."

Things of note about LuBao:

dilong was requited at some point in time, but lubao is an aggressively one-sided ship where Shen Gongbao only requits 1% of the time either because it's a complete AU, none of the movie's events happened, or he has amnesia (inflicted on him by Lu Tong)

A common trope revolves around Lu Tong hoping and hoping for Shen Gongbao to take him on as a disciple, which never happens, planting the first seeds of disappointment and HATE

Lu Tong really fucking hates Ao Bing, whom he considers to be the antagonist of his life because Ao Bing STOLE all of Shen Gongbao's love that rightfully should have been Lu Tong's. He also really hates Ao Guang too, again for stealing HIS shishu. actually, he hates Taiyi sometimes too. He hates anyone Shen Gongbao ever talked to.

He Tong is the only person who knows Lu Tong is this way.

Sometimes Lu Tong meets Shen Gongbao as a primitive deer, a fully adult celestial-in-training, or a literal "deer boy." During his time as captain, Shen Gongbao usually takes Lu Tong under his wing at some point and/or is the person who spares Lu Tong from being slaughtered by the rest of the team or convinces the others not to kill him. OR, even wilder, Shen Gongbao interacts with Lu Tong for 5 minutes 200 years ago and that's enough to cause Lu Tong to go on this spiral. Whichever the case, Lu Tong imprints on Shen Gongbao.

90% of LuBao content includes Lu Tong taking his revenge on Shen Gongbao after Wuliang imprisons him. This includes all manner of graphic torture.

Lu Tong wants Shen Gongbao to hate him because he believes Shen Gongbao left him in the past due to indifference towards him. "Hate lasts longer than love."

Shen Gongbao: *exists* Lu Tong: I'll kill your family. I'll kill your disciple. I'll kill your disciple's father and your disciple's best friend. And Taiyi Zhenren too. I'll kill everyone who ever interacted with you. Then I'll break you and break you some more until you're nothing but bones and dust. I hate that you made me love you and that you left me. What do the dragons have that I lack? Are my antlers lesser than their horns? We both have blood on our hands and yet you think yourself nobler than I. You are inherently kinder than me and I hate that the most about you. My dearest revenge is dragging you down to my level, to make you hate me as much as I hate you. If I can't have your love, I will have your hate and your pain and your tears- Ao Bing & Ao Guang: 有病!??????? WTF.

恨明月高悬独不照我 is a phrase now permanently associated with this ship. It translates to "I hate that the moon in the sky shines for all but me." Lu Tong hates that shishu shares affection with everyone except him.

This is such a prevalent characterization of Lu Tong at this point that "obsessed with Shen Gongbao" is now his defining trait even in content where neither he or Shen Gongbao are main characters

If its an Ao Guang/Shen Gongbao fic, Lu Tong sometimes shows up as SGB's abusive ex, abusive stalker, or a guy that Ao Guang finds extremely creepy and annoying

If you're still here, this next and final section puts everything else to shame!

The Ao Guang Discourse

There is a lot of drama surrounding Ao Guang now, not because of anything he did as a character, but because of who's he's shipped with. But there's actually only one side of the fandom instigating all the arguments.

Now, remember Aobing Zhuan? That's a spinoff comic focused on Aobing's childhood that came out circa 2021(?). It goes into depth about his early days with Shen Gongbao, his brothers, and even his mother, 应龙, Yinglong. (Yinglong is a real mythological creature, a powerful dragon with a place in old mythos and folklore as well, but that's not entirely relevant here lol). Yinglong is older than Ao Guang, is beautiful, strong, etc. She dies in the spinoff.

A significant number of fangirls latched onto Ao Guang (as presented in Aobing Zhuan), and projected onto Yinglong, the mother of his children. After Nezha 2 released, Ao Guang understandably gained even more fangirls. Most of them became GuangYing shippers.

Now, it's a golden rule in CN fandoms to tag your content so others can avoid. GuangYing shippers do not care about this. They go onto any and all m/m content with Ao Guang to insult the authors and argue that their disgusting ways are disrespectful to canon, disrespectful to Ao Guang, and disrespectful to women everywhere. It doesn't matter that Yinglong is not in the movies and also dead--Ao Guang is not allowed to move on from her ever, and also he is STRAIGHT. Is there not enough gay content out there?? Why can't the heterosexuals have this one man to themselves?? The injustice!

Edit to add: m/f is also unsafe from the wrath of guangyin shippers. They also attack Ao Guang self-shippers for daring to be sluts coming in between him and his true love, Yinglong.

They especially hate dilong and have been harassing all dilong content for the past month. Dilong is their main target, but it's not their only target- you can also find them under Ao Guang/Shen Gongbao content claiming that "they're just besties" and "Ao Guang just sees Shen Gongbao as a pet" asdfasdf

Dilong shippers retort by saying all Guangying shippers do is attack and harass others instead of making their own content, which is why their content is so lacking and pitful. They also called into question the canonicity of Aobing Zhuan. Jiaozi supervised it, but he's not the actual author. They started bashing Aobing Zhuan as focusing too little on Aobing, making Aobing look bad to make his brothers look good, accusing the author of being a Xiao Zhan stan in the wake of the ao3 ban, creating events that directly contradicted with canon, crediting things that Ao Guang or Shen Gongbao did for Aobing as things that Yinglong did, the official Nezha team is embarrassed of the direction Aobing Zhuan went in and doesn't acknowledge it anymore, Yinglong is the author's self insert, etc. And back and forth-

And then, 匪我思存 (Fei Wo Si Cun), acclaimed web novelist, author of multiple novels, including 东宫 (Goodbye My Princess 2019) and 9 more that were turned into TV shows.... published a Dilong fanfic on main (weibo). It referred to Ao Guang as 敖广 and involved M-preg, of him giving birth to Ao Bing, who is also Tiandi's child here. Yinglong and Tiandi's wife are both in the story too- they are a lesbian couple who double as beards for their husbands.

The Ao Guang fangirls, I mean, Guangying shippers LOST IT. They came at Fei Wo Si Cun with full throttle rage. Countless socmed posts about what a horrible disgusting disgraceful thing this author did! How dare she use her wide platform to do this instead of putting it somewhere where nobody can see!? Some have even accused this one fic of destroying Nezha 2's image on the global stage. This one story about this one ship has DESTROYED the reputation of ALL OF CHINA. This is TREASON. Now when normies see Ao Guang and Ao Bing, all they will think about is M-preg.

Not only that, Fei Wo Si Cun had the audacity to do something as misogynistic as turning Yinglong into a lesbian beard! It is a SIN to break up a "canon" pairing and a sin to change the character's sexualities into anything except heterosexuality!

Correction: the lesbian couple part is hearsay and probably came from FWSC saying (that in her fic’s setting) Yinglong and Tiandi’s wife married their husbands because they can’t be with the people they love for “reasons”

The Yinglong crowd is still going at it as I write this. FWSC has not deleted or apologized for this fic. China's reputation has, last I checked, not been DESTROYED by this one story about an animated dragon man from a kid's movie, and dilong shippers are still suffering.

And that's a wrap for now. I may or may not update this if something even wilder happens. I want to say no, this is the end of the ride, but we are only 1 month in. There's plenty of time for more to crop up!

UPDATE: This post is already out of date LMAO! For those interested in updates on everything mentioned above, here's the follow-up: Writeup Part 2.

BONUS UPDATE: Part 3

[boopboop800-blog]

Ok ok I have some stuff to say

the thing about Lestat’s explosion is it’s more than just not liking sharing Louis. I think maybe, MAYBE, if it had been with some random dude Lestat could have moved past it. He wouldn’t like it, but he would suck it up because he said Louis could.

But but but Louis hasn’t been showing any interest in him recently, which is why he started up with Antoinette in the first place. That man was free and single for 100 years without a problem, you can’t tell me he had any interest in cheating other than to get Louis’ attention and make him jealous, in an attempt to get him to eat properly and be able to *function* in the coffin and get him interested in Lestat again.

Lestat’s relationship with Antoinette is entirely about Louis. That’s why he laughs when Louis asks him “aren’t I enough?” because he’s thrilled that his dastardly plan to get Louis’ attention and draw him back in is working. The whole ‘we have forever together, it’s good to have some variety’ is his way of telling Louis that his fling is nothing more than a palette cleanser. I really think that if at that point Louis had expressed his want for Lestat again, he would have dropped Antoinette like a bag of rocks, because he had no further use for her. But then his plan backfires; Louis still doesn’t seem interested in Lestat sexually, and asks if that means he can have flings too.

And then Louis goes off into the swamp with Jonah, and their hearts *dance*.

Not only is this new guy getting Louis aroused, he’s getting him romantic.

Lestat can’t hear Louis’ thoughts, but he can hear Louis’ heart. And he can hear it when it’s not dancing. With HIM.

Antoinette was allll about Louis, but Jonah had nothing to do with Lestat.

Why does this guy excite you when I can’t?

Why aren’t I good enough for you?

Why can’t I be the centre of your universe the way you’re the centre of mine?

And it’s exactly the same with Armand.

“Louis thinks I’m boring”

I just need to shout into the void for a bit.

#They don't like sharing Louis

[rendiamberspirit]

Blinded AU

I read a story where Madara (or maybe it was Izuna? Idk I'm gonna say Madara) and Tobirama are captured by bloodline thieves and Tobirama convinces them he has the Sharingan and they take his eyes before Madara's. They end up escaping, I think, but Tobirama is permanently blinded.

I wanna dig in to after that.

Tobirama is an amazingly gifted sensor. But he's never used it for anything other than people. So he is blind, blind.

He can't get around without help.

He can't help with administration any more. He can't write his own reports.

He finds a way to be useful by having someone record things for him when it comes to work, he is still able to help found an academy, helps come up with interview questions for those wanting to apply to be a teacher. He helps develop a curriculum.

But he just feels like a burden.

He requires someone assigned to help him be useful at work, and he can't even do all the work he used to.

He's had to completely give up his jutsu and seal experiments because he isn't going to waste someone's valuable time on a personal desire.

He can't even read any more.

So often he just sits home alone in silence.

Hashirama has been trying to get him to move back in with him, but Tobirama doesn't want to be a burden on Hashirama and Mito.

He gets more depressed every day.

He is constantly frustrated that all his training so far has only given him the ability to sense water. Which doesn't help him get around the village.

Madara on the other hand is drowning in guilt.

Every attempt to support Tobirama gets him rebuffed.

He attempted to help Tobirama with some of his work and it honestly looked like Tobirama might cry. His lips almost seemed to tremble.

It's been two months now and he can see how every day is weighing heavier and heavier on Tobirama.

He talked to Hashirama about it but apparently Tobirama refused to move back in.

Madara has to do something, but neither Hashirama nor Izuna have any good advice.

Finally he decides fuck it. I'm going to help even if it pisses Tobirama off.

So on Tobirama's next day off Madara just shows up on his doorstep at 10 am. Shocking though Tobirama opens the door looking like he just woke up.

Which can't be right because everyone knows Tobirama wakes up at the crack of dawn.

Except apparently neither Madara or Hashirama had been taking things serious enough.

A look behind Tobirama shows off the disaster his house is.

He supposed that was why there was so much noise and probably part of why it took so long for Tobirama to open the door.

Tobirama does his best to run Madara off but he's not having any of that.

He bulldozes his way into the house, starts cleaning up despite Tobirama's many attempts to get him to leave. Many of which insult Madara, his clan, and his mother.

Madara ignores it all and just talks about inane things until Tobirama gives up and just flips on the couch.

Madara then bullies Tobirama into fresh clothes and then scoots him right out of the house.

Grabbing Tobirama's hand he wraps it around his own elbow, using his own hand to keep Tobirama from letting him go, and then walks them into the village. They are going shopping.

And that's how it goes for months.

Tobirama stops resisting help so much he does gain enough sensing skills to get an idea of his surroundings by pulsing his chakra out like echo location, not enough to let him resume being a ninja but to help with day to day things.

Madara and Tobirama find themselves growing closer by the day.

Until one day Madara realizes he wants more than friendship.

Madara is not one for openly talking about feelings, so instead he just says can I kiss you?

And there is only one answer for Tobirama.

Yes.

One of my commenters found the story I was thinking of! And I definitely misremembered a lot of it, it's still the story that inspired mine! I will link it below

[holidayinhell]

Whump Writing Masterlist

(***asterisks = explicitly sexual and/or NC)

Drabbles (<1000 words)

I need it

Good Dog

Hunting

Tea

Morning Light

Went Too Far

Mistakes

Ashtray

Carewhumper

Failed Escape

Ask for it properly

Don't fight this

Too Far

Skettios

Game

Pills

Bartering

Caring

Do something

Dinner

Oneshots:

Failed Escape - Fearing for his life, Whumpee tries to escape his captivity, only for Whumper to drag him back.

The Laundry Room ** - Whumpee’s frustrations with being kidnapped hit a boiling point.

Heat Stroke - Whumper forces Whumpee to walk home in the desert heat.

Role Reversal *** - Whumpee turns the tables on Whumper and finds himself in the position of power.

Help Me - Whumpee is denied medical treatment.

Thesis Project - Whumpee volunteers to take part in an experiment to impress his crush.

The Table - Whumpee thinks he's the exception to the rule. He's not.

A Tough Lesson to Learn - Caretaker has gotten too close to Whumpee, Whumper’s personal bloodbag. The vampire master teaches his charge a lesson.

Hands Up - Whumpee managed to steal a gun, and backs Whumper into a corner.

Unexpected Visit** - Whumpee receives a late night visit from his old fuck buddy, Whumper. It takes a while for him to realize just how much Whumper has changed..... (vampire whumper/human whumpee)

Scream If You Want - Whumpee is holding out on Whumper...

Hunger - I'm fucking hungry. Feed me.

Series:

Brutal Honesty - Part 1

Whumpee is held for ransom, and time is almost up.

Brutal Honesty - Part 2 (update 6/23/25, part 3 coming soon!)

Went Too Far - Part 1

Went Too Far - Part 2

The Price of Mercy***

Prompts:

Taunting Whumpee

Carewhump Prompts

Human Whumper / Vampire Whumpee

Intimate Whumper dialogue***

Intimate Whumper dialogue 2***

Feeding Whumpee

Noncon Whumper dialogue***

Forced Body Modification dialogue

Contextless dialogue

NSFW dialogue***

Nibbles:

(Like tiny prompts)

x - Do what's right

x - Feed him

x - Visit

x - Scared

x - Care

Miscellaneous:

Interview with Whumper and Whumpee***

(also, hey, if you run through this list and like 5+ posts please do consider following me, I post regularly! thank you!)

[maraschinomerry]

Lose You Again

Pairings: George Karim x gn!reader

Summary: you've finally reunited with George, your best friend and seemingly unrequited crush from Fittes, but something is off, and things take a turn for the worse when you try to prove yourself to him

Content: angst, misunderstanding, mutual pining, whump, injury, blood mention, hospital, hurt/comfort kind of, happy ending, first kiss

A/N: this has been sitting in my drafts for over a year 😬 so thank you to @uku-lelevillain for having an angst reading day yesterday and inspiring me to finally finish this! I don't write this sort of stuff very often which is surprising given how much I read it, but I'm glad I did. Maybe next I'll finish my Fittes!reader bone glass angst fic...

Word count: 4.3k

Taglist: @neewtmas @marinalor @ettadear @honey-with-tea @mischiefmanaged71 plus if anyone wants adding let me know!

If ever there was a time you had been more nervous than you were right now, pacing the cluttered hallway of 35 Portland Row, you were certainly in no state to remember it.

Over a year had passed since George was fired from Fittes, and you'd spent the entire time trying to follow him. He'd been your best friend (which everybody knew) and slightly more (which nobody knew, not even him). Perhaps that was why they found every possible way to persuade you to stay or refused to fire you no matter how much you acted out. One ex-employee working for their rival was a blip, two was an indictment. Finally, they'd caved and let you leave. That was yesterday. Today, you'd managed to arrange an interview with Lockwood & Co, and George had looked so shocked when he opened the door - it was to be expected, you supposed, as you'd been apart for so long and wouldn't fall back into your usual habits straight away. You thought you did quite well on the tests Lockwood gave you, but then George asked for a word with him in private. Maybe he could read the other boy better and was preparing to argue for your acceptance.

So there you were, trying to focus on the assortment of artefacts which lined the walls and not the hushed voices on the other side of the living room door. You couldn't make out what they were saying, but their tones were a blend of increasing desperation and exasperation. This was it. George was fighting to keep you on the team despite what Lockwood might think. You were going to get your best friend back.

George's voice became a little louder, just enough for you to make out the words properly. Your blood ran cold.

“Lockwood, please, I'm begging you. You cannot hire them!”

—

Things were strange.

Despite what you'd heard, Lockwood had welcomed you to the team, and you hadn't said a word to George about it. He'd still said it quietly and presumably hadn't meant for you to hear, so you thought it best to see how things panned out. How they did pan out was the opposite of what you expected. You were a little wary to begin with, assuming that George was resentful of you not following him when he left. On your first evening in the house, you'd gone to your new room after dinner and were starting to unpack when a soft knock at the door pulled you from your thoughts.

“Mind if I join you?” George was leaning against the doorframe, the way he'd so often done at Fittes. You nodded, and he came and settled on the end of your bed. He watched you move back and forth, arranging your books on a shelf, neither of you ready to be the first to break the silence.

Eventually, you spoke. “Is it weird that I'm here? I tried to go with you when Fittes fired you, but they wouldn't let me leave.”

He pondered for a moment. “Surreal, not weird. I wasn't sure whether I'd see you again.”

“Me neither,” you sighed, wondering whether to gently broach things. “But you've built a whole new life here and I'm-”

“You're just as much a part of my life as Lockwood and Lucy,” he interrupted, “and I missed having you in it.” So then why had he been so against hiring you? The more you thought about it, the more you convinced yourself you'd misunderstood. Here he was, acting like he had always done, telling you he missed you. Everything was okay. You gave him a relieved smile, joining him on the bed and showing him a new book you thought he'd enjoy.

Things were strange.

You'd got your best friend back. Everything between you had gone back to the way it was - inside jokes, little glances and touches, the two of you so comfortable in each other's spaces that at time it was hard to tell where one of you started and the other ended. And yet, underneath it all, something wasn't sitting right.

Lockwood sauntered into the kitchen, where you and George were pressed close next to one another in an intense series of noughts & crosses games on the Thinking Cloth.

“Morning, you two,” he greeted cheerily as he placed two slices of bread in the toaster. “How are we looking for tonight?” You frowned. The question seemed to be aimed at George, not both of you, and it was George who responded.

“Notes are in the living room if you feel like reading them this time, Lucy's packed supplies, we should be all set.”

So it was a case, then. You hadn't been on many recently for a variety of reasons, but hopefully this time was different. “Do I need to pack anything?” you asked tentatively.

Lockwood's gaze slid from you to George and back, before he pouted apologetically. “Actually, y/n, would you mind holding down the fort here again? Mr Morris’ place isn't really big enough to warrant all four of us, it’s just a single Type Two, and it's good to have someone at base in case of emergencies.” Surely, you reasoned, you'd be better equipped to help with emergencies if you were there, but you could just about see the logic so you kept quiet.

Still, the thought nagged at you all morning, the idea that it was never any of the others who stayed behind. Lockwood would always go out, of course he would, it was his name on the door as he so often said, but Lucy and George? By the afternoon, your thoughts were racing so much that you couldn't bear it. You traipsed down the stairs into the cool of the basement, where Lockwood was putting a dummy through hell with his rapier. You watched for a while, admiring the balance of elegance and ferocity with which he moved, the way his weapon was at once firm and fluid. Eventually he slowed and noticed you.

“Sorry, were you wanting to…?” He nodded towards the dummy.

“No, I, um-” you faltered. No. You had to ask or you'd spend the whole evening and more overthinking. “Have I done something wrong, or not done enough, to not be going on cases?”

The boy seemed to deflate a little, which was unlike him. It was serious. He must have seen the disappointment in your face. “Oh no, y/n, don't worry, you've not done anything. You're doing great and I'm so glad to have you on the team. Believe me,” he preened a little, “if it was just me I'd have you with us every time, but George is worried-”

He abruptly cut himself off almost as quickly as you did. “Oh he is, is he?” A fine red mist had descended across your vision. George, with his whole spiel about missing having you in his life, and the first chance he gets he tries to make you as uninvolved as possible? Because he's worried? You have learned things since he left Fittes, he does realise that, right? You're not some child who can only survive when he's around to help. Seething, you began stomping up the staircase, the clanging of your feet on the metal reverberating through the open space and drowning out Lockwood's protests as he followed.

“What the hell, George?” You charged through the library door, causing the boy to spring from his armchair where he had been going over the files for the night with Lucy. He looked at you in confusion, and at Lockwood peering sheepishly over your shoulder. “I know you tried to stop Lockwood from hiring me, and now I find out you're trying to keep me off cases? Because what, you think I'm not good enough? It's not safe to have me out there?”

George's expression darkened. “That's not… You went to Lockwood behind my back? Why didn't you just talk to me?”

“Would you have given me a straight answer if I did?”

He opened his mouth to respond, then seemed to reconsider and closed it again. All eyes were on him: Lucy’s from the chair opposite, puzzled; yours, furious; Lockwood’s behind, concerned. George’s face had faded from anger to hurt, but you were too wrapped up in the betrayal of it all to care. All that time spent getting back to the way things were, what was the point? You'd poured your heart into making sure he knew how much you appreciated having him back in your life, daring to hope that he might feel the same way, but even now he didn't have the guts to tell you he didn't really want you there. You raised an eyebrow in silent confrontation, giving him one last chance to explain himself. Even after all that, you were still clinging to the possibility that it was all a big misunderstanding. He said nothing.

“Forget it,” you muttered. Fighting back tears, you turned on your heel and left, Lucy rising to follow anxiously.

The moment it was just the two of them, Lockwood rounded on George.

“Do you want to tell me what's going on?”

George looked almost as close to tears as you had. “I told you, I can't.”

It was rare to see Lockwood truly angry, but the beginnings of it were starting to seep through: the tightness of his jaw, the sharpness of his voice. “Well, we might have just lost one of our agents and your best friend, so perhaps it's time to reconsider.”

“I love them, okay?” George's voice was barely above a whisper. He looked at Lockwood, wide-eyed. “I know they don’t feel the same but I've been in love with them since they joined Fittes. When I got fired I barely got to say goodbye, it was like I lost them for all intents and purposes and it's been eating me up all year. I can't lose them again, and you know what we're like. I can't always protect them on cases, so I thought if they stayed away we could still be friends but they'd be safe.”

Lockwood's anger dissipated and he sank into the seat next to George's. “I understand that, but that's not your decision to make. We all worry about each other, but we knew the risks when we got into this and have to trust that we do our best. That's all any of us can ask for.”

George nodded, pulling the neck of his T-shirt up to wipe a rogue tear from his cheek. The pair settled into a contemplative quiet which was interrupted a minute later by the thud of the front door echoing through the house. Lucy appeared, alone and sombre. George made to stand up, but Lucy gave a small wave and shook her head.

“I think they just need a bit of time to deal with this by themself.”

The boys nodded. Things had got heated so it was probably best to have a bit of distance to cool off. If George knew you (and he did), you'd have gone to the park for a walk to clear your mind. You'd be back by curfew, and then he'd confess. He needed to clear this all up.

The last rays of sunlight clung to life as they sank below the rooftops of Portland Row. In the fading light of the kitchen, George was almost boring a hole in the table with his anxious scribbling on the Thinking Cloth. He wasn't writing anything in particular, just rhythmically dragging the pen back and forth to try and ground himself from the fear gnawing at his insides. You should have been back by now. You'd never been mad at him this long. Something was wrong.

George tiptoed into the hallway, pulling on his trainers and grabbing a coat and his rapier. The stand was emptier than usual, but at least that meant you had some form of protection. The thought did little to calm his nerves.

“Sneaking off?” a voice from behind made him jump. Lucy was sitting on the stairs, eyeing him quizzically.

“I'm worried about y/n out there alone. What if something happened at the park?”

“So you thought you'd go out there alone instead?”

“Well-”

Lucy stood, and George noticed she was wearing her boots. “Come on then. Let's go.”

It was dark by the time they reached the park. The ghost lights cast a sickly green glow over the path, leading up to the gate. The gate which was bolted with a heavy iron lock. If you'd been here, you must be long gone. There was no way you'd have been locked in.

George was almost frantic. “Where else could they have gone? Tell me exactly what they said.”

“Uhh, they said ‘How can I trust him when he doesn't trust me? I'm going to deal with this myself.’ I'm sorry, Georgie.” Lucy grimaced.

It stung to hear that you didn't trust him, but he knew it was deserved. But there was something else about what she'd just said which set alarm bells ringing in the back of his mind, so loud it almost drowned out the pounding of his panicked heart in his ears. “Are you absolutely sure? ‘By myself’ or just ‘myself?”

She frowned. “Just ‘myself’, I'm pretty sure. Why?”

“Lucy,” George clutched her arms, both to emphasise the importance of what he was about to ask and to stop him from collapsing in on himself, “did they take their kit bag?”

“...Yes.”

“Go home. Right now. Get Lockwood.”

—

The door to the Morris house swung open with a horrendous groan, and you shone your torch into the gloom. Now that you were here you were starting to have second thoughts. It really was foolish, taking on a Type Two alone, but your other option was going back home to a boy you'd finally realised didn't want you around. You steeled your nerves and stepped over the threshold. The whole building felt like it was holding its breath. Actually, it felt like there was no breath left for it to hold. Every surface was covered in a thick layer of dust, every fabric tattered and faded, every paper yellowed and curling. The further in you ventured, the more the floorboards creaked. You closed your eyes, shutting out your surroundings, and listened for any hints as to where the source might be. It was difficult to make out at first, but the more you focused the louder it became.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Water. First you tried the kitchen, setting yourself up a makeshift station of a lantern and your kit bag on the rickety table. Taking only your rapier and a silver net, you checked the downstairs bathroom, which turned out to be just a toilet and sink. The master bathroom must be upstairs.

Each step felt less secure than the one before it. By the time you reached the landing, you were genuinely concerned about whether they'd support you getting back down. The dripping was much louder up here, and accompanied by a harsh scrabbling. There was a doorway up ahead, with a telltale glow within. You drew your rapier, and took one creaking step after another.

You'd only made it halfway across the landing when the creak turned into a snap, and the floor gave way.

Your eyelids flickered open. It was dark. You were slowly coming back to yourself, trying to figure out where you were, when you were hit by a wave of pain unlike anything you had experienced. Your entire body was aching, but your leg in particular was sending daggers through you. Above you, a hole in the ceiling dropped a loose shard of wood. Oh shit. The memory flooded back. You looked down, to the blood flowing freely from a gash in your leg and bit back a scream. If only George were here. The though of never being able to tell him how you felt, of his last memory of you being the two of you arguing, was unbearable. No. There was no time for thoughts like that. You had to get to safety. You tried to stand, but barely got your good leg under you before your knees buckled. You did scream this time.

The dripping grew louder.

The glow appeared at the edges of the hole.

You began to crawl towards the kitchen, grimacing with every movement. You just had to make it that far. There were filings and chains and flares. You'd be safer there. You risked a glance back and saw the outlines of a woman's face, soaked black hair obscuring her features, as she drifted through the ceiling.

Drip. Drip. Drip. Clunk.

Something rattled. That was new. It felt more real too, a noise in the physical world and not the psychical one. The door flew open and you turned.

The Visitor hovered between you and the exit.

—

George made the journey in a fugue state.

How had he let this happen? Everything he had done had been to try and prevent something like this, and now it was happening more severely than he would ever have imagined. The second the taxi pulled up, he tossed a note far above the value of the trip to the driver and scrambled out. His rapier was already drawn by the time he reached the door and he fumbled with the handle. Come on, come on, open.

At last the latch clicked and he burst into the hallway. Immediately his attention was drawn to a Visitor, a thin figure with drooping wet hair, drifting a few feet off the ground to his right. There was something underneath it holding its attention. His heart almost stopped when he realised it was you. Your jeans were torn, your rapier was far out of reach, and you were bent awkwardly backwards and staring upwards with a pale, frozen look of utter hopelessness. Every single worry he'd been harbouring these past months slammed into his chest at once, forcing the air from his lungs as he cried your name so loudly it hurt.

The Visitor turned its cold, ferocious gaze on him, and his fear was overshadowed by the pang of relief he felt when you slumped back into yourself, freed in the nick of time from ghost-lock. He levelled his rapier.

“Y/n, get somewhere safe,” he said lowly, trying to keep his emotions in check but letting just enough out to draw the Visitor's attention.

You nodded, still in a daze, but managed to whisper a response. “Source is in the upstairs bathroom.” Both of you glanced up at the jagged hole. No telling whether the edges were safe enough to cross. Your only option was to give yourselves enough time to escape. “Keep her busy.”

He set about with his rapier, taunting the spirit closer. Spurred on by the knowledge that you weren't alone, that for whatever reason George had come after you, you dragged yourself the rest of the way into the kitchen and used a chair to haul yourself up to your kit bag. Filings, chains… flares. That should get rid of her. Limping out into the hall, you met eyes with George and held up a flare in each hand. He nodded, understanding you wordlessly, and gave one more swipe of his rapier before ducking out of the way. You hurled one canister after the other, hitting the Visitor with perfect aim and watching in satisfaction as it disappeared in a shower of bright golden sparks. With it went the last dregs of adrenaline left in your aching body. Your legs once more disappeared from beneath you, and the last thing you saw was George's panicked face getting closer before it succumbed to the darkness which had crept into your vision.

—

Things were strange.

The light behind your eyelids was bright, too bright. Hadn't it been dark before? It wasn't the warm brightness of sunshine either, there was a harshness to it that you were unfamiliar with. Slowly, you opened your eyes. A fuzzy room swam into view. You blinked a few times. The room sharpened. It was a hospital room, if the papery blue curtains and stench of disinfectant were anything to go by. The faint chatter of nurses in the background was masked by a nearby beeping. You turned your head, suddenly aware of how stiff your neck was. Beside you was a machine, the beeps timed perfectly with the little waveform on its screen, and from it came trailing cables which led to a band on your wrist. Oh god. The events of the night came flooding back. The beeps sped up. Your leg throbbed. Where was George? He'd been there last night, what if something had happened to him? You'd never forgive yourself. You looked around wildly, gripping the edge of the bed in preparation for an escape attempt. Relief washed over you when you spotted a tangle of dark curls in a chair hidden behind the machine. He was just beginning to stir, probably on account of your frantic scrabbling.

“George,” you croaked, your voice rougher than you expected.

The sound of your voice pulled him further from sleep. “Y/n?” he mumbled, staring at you blearily. The same moment of revelation passed across his face and he was at your side in an instant. His hand clutched at yours, almost as though he needed proof that you were real and alive. You gripped him back tightly, trying to mask the tremor in your fingers, and without thinking your other hand came up to cup his cheek. It took you by surprise a little when he leant into the touch, and your thumb rubbed soothingly across his cheek.

“You're okay,” he breathed incredulously. A pause. “You are okay, right?”

“I'm fine, George.”

“Good, that's good.” His gaze hardened. “Then what the bloody hell were you thinking?”

There it was. He didn't actually care how you were, he just wanted to make sure he could go off at you again without it reflecting badly on him, because at the end of the day he still didn't trust your decisions. Your chest clenched. Despite everything that had happened, the way he'd treated you, you knew your heart still belonged to him even if he didn't want it. You dropped your hand. “I was thinking,” you snapped, “that maybe if I proved that I could handle this you'd stop treating me like some lost puppy that just follows you around and let me do my job for once.”

“That's not what this is about.”

“Then what?!” Your voice was growing louder, and you were concerned one of the medical staff would burst in before you finally got chance to confront whatever was going on. “What possible reason could you have for telling me you want me in your life and then the minute I try to get close you ask Lockwood to keep me at arms length?”

“Because I'm in love with you!” The words burst from George's mouth like he'd been fighting to keep them in since the day you arrived on the doorstep of 35 Portland Row, if not before. You both froze. The weight that had settled on your chest, pressing down on you for weeks now, clawed its way back out your throat in a shaky breath.

“You are?”

George faltered, perceiving your confusion as rejection. “I- Sorry, I thought that maybe…” His hand was still in yours, but his grip began to loosen. Now or never. You held on, pulling him closer and leaning up on your elbow to plant a brief, soft kiss on his lips. He blinked at you. “So wait, does that mean…?”

You rolled your eyes playfully. “Jesus, George, yes. I love you too.”

He grinned, leaning down to kiss you again, more strongly this time, and you smiled into him as your lips met his. His free hand rested between your shoulder blades for support, so your other hand was able to reach up and curl into his hair. When you finally separated, you shuffled to the far edge of the bed and patted the empty space. George gave you a questioning look, one eyebrow raised, and you glanced down at the robe you'd exposed, dotted with rainbows and colourful clouds. You huffed.

“I like it,” George smirked. “It's very you.”

“Shut up and get in here.”

When you wafted the sheets again he wasted no time kicking off his trainers and crawling in. His body fit against yours like it was always supposed to be there, and you snuggled into the warmth of his chest as he wrapped an arm around your waist.

“So you're not mad at me?” he murmured, his breath tickling your ear.

“Let's see. You tried to prevent me getting hired, stopped me working cases, saved my life, professed your undying love for me…”

“Hey, I never said undying.”

You turned your head and kissed him again. “Fine, eternal then. Point is, I think it cancels out.”

He smiled. “So if I tell you I love you again, does that put me ahead?”

You twined your fingers in his across your stomach, suddenly thoughtful. “Let me get level first. I'm sorry for making you worry, I shouldn't have run off like that.”

“I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have pushed you away. I already lost you once, I was scared I might lose you again and because of that I almost did. I mean, you could have been…” his voice trailed off, the knowledge of how close you came to being ghost-locked or worse hanging between you. His head nuzzled into the crook of your neck, breathing you in and grounding himself.

“But I'm not, and I won't be, because from now on we tackle things together, yes?” He mumbled his assent into you, placing one last gentle kiss on the edge of your shoulder.

When Lockwood and Lucy were finally allowed in to help take you home, they found you and George fast asleep in the hospital bed, tangled together and smiling peacefully.

[boopboop800-blog]

Chewing my hands off

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